Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Tablet, tablet, on the wall–who is the fairest of all?

OK so that doesn’t work. The tablet you ask always has the right answer – really?

HP Microsoft Work Station at MacDonald's 01122014Last night I attended an organizational board meeting to present an idea for a website that I had designed. I brought along my once favorite tablet, the HP Omni 10, to show the website off.

I already had the website live and therefore just needed a browser to show the idea to the board members and let them weigh in on what they thought was needed. The tablet could be passed around and then I could take notes.

I had take some pictures of property that would be (ultimately) involved in the web production and wanted to show them off. These were incidental to the immediate web page showing however during the discussion afterward they would have played an important part.

To my dismay I could not get access immediately to the pictures. In the process I discovered, much to my discomfort, that the main storage memory was down to 1.8 GB. What?

After the presentation, while waiting for the meeting to end, I did a little digging into my tablet and discovered that, yes, my storage had just about closed out. In fact the diagram that shows for the C:\ drive, when you go to File Explorer, was highlighted in a very RED line.

I had previously moved any extraneous software, file storage, to the additional 64 GB SD card that I had installed. This was also somewhat amazing in that the 64 GB card (of which 58+ was available to use) card showed 54+ available. 

To help this situation I ran Disk Cleanup and not much changed. I did a search and discovered that it does not automatically clear out the temp files in a “hidden folder” that appears under Users > User Name > App Data > Local > Temp. In my case this temp folder held over 6 GB of data. I found the folder and then searched the Internet for explanation and found it at a Microsoft Community page. Obviously I cleaned out this folder and now have over 7 GB of free space.

One would think that on a tablet this should have been recognized as a potential issue. I know that most who buy these things may not be as driven as I am to solve this issue and would have given up. “You see these tablets will never work.”

I know I have gone off on a conspiracy rant once before. I think I stated my belief is bad capitalism is at play. I can see where; “If we make the tablet too powerful people won’t buy these more expensive laptops”. In effect the manufacturer’s dumb down the potential of the tablet. I really do not believe that this tablet has to be limited to 32 GB of prime storage. I also don’t believe that 2 GB of RAM could be the maximum. Times are changing and some will lose. .

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Google Glass – My opinion

This morning in Computerworld there was an article; “Why I’m sending back Google Glass” and I just had to present another point of view.

20140308_161117I also sent back my Glass however only because of the guilt feeling for spending $1500 out of our household budget. Since I am only working part time and my wife is working full time, I felt maybe I should wait. She laughed because I was really down about sending them back.

As for the article I found most of the reasons mentioned here are, in my opinion, not quite right. I will take the 10 items listed and give my response. Granted there are some things one can do with Glass that I did not get into, music was one. You will see that below.

1) I had no problem with eye contact with people or anything else. If I am talking to someone I focus on that person, I don’t even have the glass turned on unless I am demonstrating. I have always been a believer in paying attention to someone that is speaking. If I find you doing something else I will stop talking – even when you might say “go ahead, I’m listening”. I expect attention and I give it. Glass will not get in the way.

2) I found glass to be very responsive to voice recognition once I learned the correct method of speaking. I found Evernote to be great taking notes using Glass. Truth is that Glass really got me into using voice more than my phone or tablet had in the past. I found it very comfortable.

3) Yes I had issues with the battery until I learned (it’s all about leaning) how to use glass and then the battery lasted most of the day. I can kill a phone battery in 3 hours with constant use. I did find the online instructions to be quite helpful however perhaps not forceful enough in some areas.

4) I did not find Glass bulky under any circumstance. Actually my laptop is quite bulky and in comparison Glass is not. Perhaps my approach to Glass was that I wanted Glass and wanted to get the most out of Glass therefore Glass was not going to be a problem.

5) Conspicuousness is more a burden of the person wearing Glass, you think of yourself as being conspicuous. I found the writing to sound like someone who was already prepared to dislike Glass and fears others wearing them. I did not have a problem with people. In most cases I found others to be inquisitive and curious. I did not wear them to show off and I did not wear them to places where “I” would not feel comfortable. I am not an in-your-face kind of person. I don’t answer my phone in many places for the same reason. I have respect for others.

1836759_10152735079142846_1372412023_o6) Tilted photos? Stand up straight – I learned to do that. This one take at a Park in West Chester, OH with Google Glass.

7) As for GPS; I only used Glass to find the location of a nearby restaurant or gas station. I have GPS in my car for long distance and that was plenty and I really would not consider using the Glass GPS while driving. I could, but no. As for Glass using your phone – it does that anyway, part of the territory. What’s your problem?

8) The earbud is a personal thing. I used it when having a phone conversation or a Hangout and found it to be quite good and fit in my ear without issue. I would not use an earbud to listen to music, in fact I don’t use earbud’s to listen to music on any device. I listen via the car system, a stereo, or a headset that covers the ears. I was quite surprised at the intensity of the bone induction sound and I even got used to that (my wife was surprised because of my weakened hearing).

9) Not sure where Explorer Envy fits in here. I found many places they were useful and I don’t ski, or jump out of airplanes (at least not yet). I do have an interesting life exploring (the Curious Voyager) and Glass fit right it.

10) I can’t respond much to the 10th point. I find there are people that20140307_180322_857 (1) cannot adjust to change easily even though they profess to be on the leading edge. I need to find things out and look positively where they fit and Glass has many areas in everyday life to be a benefit. Everything cannot be hands on, we need to take that quick picture, make that quick note, discover information when needed, and the ability to make or take a hands free call is fantastic. I added a picture of a gift basket here taken with Google Glass.

Everyone has a different view, a different opinion and this is mine. I loved Glass and will have them again when I don’t feel guilty about draining the family budget. We just had to put 3 windows in our Condo at almost twice what Glass was – not as much fun but that’s life.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Creative Commons in the news - gets new CEO

Copyright Licensing Organization Gets New Boss - NYTimes.com:

I have followed, used, and believe in , Creative Commons for a long time. I have always appreciated the work of  Lawrence Lessig, a founder of Creative Commons. You can look into CC at creativecommons.org.



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Tech in the NY Times this morning: Mirror, Mirror in the App:

Mirror, Mirror in the App: What’s the Fairest Shade and Shadow of Them All? - NYTimes.com: "http://nyti.ms/1sPBIWR"

I know that some of this technology has been around for some time however now you can have it rather than going into the store and have someone else do it for you, you can do it yourself.

I have always gone a little too heavy on the blush.



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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Books may be cheaper at Barnes & Noble–also online

Barnes & Nobel is just one more click and it could save you money. More on the continuing saga of Amazon and Hachette Book Group that I pointed to yesterday.

This morning the NY Times has a follow up story regarding Amazon slowing delivery of books by Hachette Book Group authors, some of which are very popular authors. The story; Writers Feel an Amazon-Hachette Spat, has more interesting points and is really worth reading. It shows what a marketplace bully has the amazonbullysmpotential to do, and it can hurt both the supplier as well as the consumer.

Amazon appears to be using market manipulation to control its suppliers and I thought that was illegal? There is also the point that Amazon is a publisher and perhaps is trying to hurt the competition via it’s own marketplace. Restraint of trade? Violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act? Is this something our delightful congress should look into?

In todays story an interesting point is that books by author Malcom Gladwell are on “2 to 3 week delay” at Amazon however they are immediately available at Barnes & Nobel, one bookstore that Amazon has not been able to close with their tactics. Hachette Group says they fulfill Amazon’s request immediately.

Not only is the book available at Barnes & Noble the print version is $3.00 cheaper. It is also available on the Nook for $9.99. I have the Nook app on my laptop (Windows 8.1) as well as my tablet. I have purchased magazines from Barnes & Noble (The Kindle app from Amazon won’t let you read magazines – you have to buy a Kindle). I have owned a Kindle and really would rather read on a tablet that has many other features in today’s world.

Amazon is definitely playing the bully role in this and, at least in my case, I will consider Barnes & Noble for my books and magazines in the future. This won’t be difficult – http://www.barnesandnoble.com. See, that was easy.

I still think Amazon’s tactics should be looked into, Amazon is also a publisher. On the other hand perhaps this is true Darwin like Capitalism.

More reading:

The Christian Science Monitor – Hachette Book Group says Amazon is deliberately delaying shipments of their titles

The Author’s Guild – Amazon v Stephen Colbert? Amazon Slow-walks Books by Gladwell, Colbert, Others in Spat with Hachette

Friday, May 9, 2014

Amazon playing games with publisher?

In the NY Times this morning there was an article about Amazon intentionally delaying delivery of books by the Hachette Book Group. The article; Hachette Says Amazon Is Delaying Delivery of Some Books, could reflect on an old cliché that Big-Is-Bad.

As much as I like Amazon I can envision this scenario playing out and having an effect on all who enter into a deal with Amazon. Amazon is the mighty muscle in the retail imagebusiness, Hachette is in the book publishing business, and each need one another – well maybe. Perhaps Amazon is trying to prove that Hachette needs Amazon more than Amazon needs Hachette and on this the public (consumer) be damned.

At one time if you sold to Sears you were controlled by Sears. They could tell you when, where, and how high to jump. Looks like this is the same when you deal with Amazon? What other choices are there for Hachette?

People could say that Amazon really doesn't care about Hachette's business and in a sense does not care about the consumer. For sure, Amazon cares about Amazon. It also could be said; the management of Amazon is more interested in their bottom line, the stock market, and it's ROI, than the consumer, the employee, or the suppler (publisher in this case). Hey this is true for many businesses. Any business who is hot after that bottom line will but the customer down the line.

Amazon does what it needs to do to keep the consumer happy however don’t mistake that for altruism in business. It takes really strong, idealistic leadership, to retain that consumer centric focus. And you better be good at it. We don’t see much of this today in many places.

I suspect today that Amazon is after stronger growth, less cost, and a better profit margin. 

Why do we buy from Amazon? Because it's better? Not likely. We buy because it's cheaper. If it wasn't cheaper we would most likely shop closer to home. Hachette doesn't have many choices for distribution with the demise of the books stores. Hmmm…..where did the books stores go? When I want better hands on servicer, or a deeper personal connection, I have to shop local. However buying a new cable for my computer does not fit into this scenario.

Should Hachette go ebook all the way? Some of the authors in the list, Seth Godin for one, are very big in the ebook world. There were book stores that would not carry, or delayed the access to, Seth Godin’s print books because of his ebook project.

The world is changing and we need to keep an eye on the gorilla in the room, in this case Amazon.

Two more links; Amazon delays Hachette book shipments as companies negotiate contract. And from CNNMoney; Hachette: Amazon delaying delivery of books.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Check out "The goal of data scientists is to put themselves out of business"

Thought you might enjoy this "The goal of data scientists is to put themselves out of business" from Guest Column:

http://gigaom.com/2014/05/07/the-goal-of-data-scientists-is-to-put-themselves-out-of-business/

I particularly liked: "These new tools imply a new paradigm in which no data scientist is involved, but everyone else in the company is: business execs set a vision, managers define specs for integrating predictions, software engineers work on implementation. "

Marissa promoting the use of Yahoo

When Google dropped the personal portal page I went back to Yahoo's "My Page"and it is really pretty good.  I like Google however as a login, instant headline, information page, Yahoo does it better.
I have always kept a Yahoo email address (had that before Google)and I do like Yahoo weather. 
Maybe I need to spend more time revisiting Yahoo.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Our old standby software disappearing? Patrick Gray thinks so.

And I agree with Patrick - 10 reasons why legacy apps are doomed - TechRepublic:

All of the reasons that Patrick mentions are real. Expensive, bloated, can't get to the market fast enough, on and on. The killer, in my mind, is the proprietary application. We are not a one-size-fits-all market any more.

The world is becoming to mobile and our apps need to keep up.

We are also not a single channel user anymore. We use Windows OS, Android, and iOS, on many different devices.

I know each of these great companies would like to think they have the ONLY answer however it isn't true. The market share to chase is the consumer and each of us are different. We drive different cars, live in different houses, and like different technologies.

Please us and you win.

“You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.”― Zig Ziglar (goodreads quotes)
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A very likely vision of the Future

A Vision of the Future From Those Likely to Invent It - NYTimes.com:

I know, it's the NY Times and you may have a problem getting to it however that also could change with the future.

This graphic is interesting as well as fun. It does make some interesting comments about what the expectations are of people whose name you should recognize providing you have followed much of clamor over recent technological changes or potential changes.

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