Thebatzman's Blog

Cutting the cord… Sat / Cable

thebatzman — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:27:19 +0000

Well it has been just about a month since I cut the cord with the satellite company. Needless to say there were times I had my doubts, however I was able to overcome some hurdles during the journey to over the air “OTA” high definition television with multiple-room DVR style recording / playback.

If I have peaked any of your interest then check back for other postings as I chronicle how I made the switch and what I am using to make it all happen.

iPhone 4 Review

thebatzman — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:07:23 +0000

Many people have asked me how I have liked the iPhone 4. In the questions I have received they have asked if it is worth the upgrade. I can honestly tell them yes. Sure the media has given the phone a negative review for the antenna issues, etc. so I will address antenna concern from actual usage.

Some indisputable features that are truly a benefit to have:

1. Screen. The screen is breathtaking. Using the iPad has been nice with the larger screen but the phone takes the cake with reading emails, web, etc on the move. The screen is very sharp and colors are very accurate.

2. Camera 5mp. The camera combined with the HD video recording are a very nice item to have in your phone. Many positive reviews have been published regarding its quality for a smart phone. It won’t take the place of your nice pot and shoot or DSLR but it sure performs if you forgot your camera.

3. Battery. Battery life has improved thanks to a larger battery combined with the efficiency of the iOS 4. Compared to the 3G and 3GS the phone now has been able to run at least two days without a charge for me (and that is saying a lot)

4. Quickness. Speed has improved tremendously over the 3G and a little over the 3GS. While speed is relative to the person who you ask, I can tell you from an IT nut that it is nice to be efficient on the go. So with that said the speed improvement should prove to be a positive for most.

As for the antenna issue, I haven’t experienced any dropped calls or mishaps when holding the phone in a regular, right handed way. I can say that when I hold it in my left hand for surfing the web, etc. that the signal bars do fluctuate but it hasn’t caused an issue. I do like to protect my gadgets so I do now have a small but effective rubber case on it and I no longer experience the bar fluctuations.

Overall the phone upgrade for me has come to be a positive experience. My goal is to get another one, already on order, for my wife so we can do some “facetime” when I travel.

Hope that helps some you who read this and don’t hesitate to ask me any more questions.

iPad initial review

thebatzman — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:59:17 +0000

The iPad, by Apple, is a nice device that truly fits the mold of something “between” the computer and the phone. As I continue to use it I have noticed that it is much nicer to use it as a digital reader than the computer and the phone. I believe that is how the concept started and what Apple wanted to fill as the niche.

As the iPad is a product of Apple, the reader functionality isn’t just what the iPad can be used for. It has the ability to help you become more comfortable in your everyday lifestyle. I say comfortable because in comparison to what is being said in numerous blogs “the iPhone / iPod Touch can do what the iPad does”; yes because the iPad is easier on the eyes when reading emails, reading the web, watching a portable movie, etc.

There are many people who are putting the iPad down due to it’s lack of capabilities and or technology specifications, but they are not giving the iPad credit where credit is due. They are comparing apples to oranges. As I type this initial review using my iPad and my bluetooth keyboard, I can’t help but imagine what I and my family will be using the iPad for in the future.

It is a very well constructed piece of equipment. Just remember, it isn’t a full computer, it isn’t a phone, it isn’t a camera…… however it is an…

Instant On:
mobile entertainment device
mobile e-reader
mobile extended battery data entry / retrieval device
mobile web surfing
mobile “always updating” newspaper / magazine reader
mobile “quick & easy” kitchen assistant
and more.

I will continue to use the iPad to see what other new ways it can help with everyday life tasks. Thank you for reading and I am looking forward to what is on the horizon for mobile computing.

iPhone remake? Na just another upgrade..

thebatzman — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:46:27 +0000

Now that the iPad is imminent to be in many peoples hands this Saturday (April 3rd), it is time to look ahead just a bit and see what’s up with the iPhone.

Tech rumors has the iPhone to be “upgrading” itself to compete with the screen resolution of it’s rivals. Some of the items that might be in the next model are an A4-class SoC, a 960 x 640 display, a front-facing camera, and that iPhone OS 4.0 will enable third-party multitasking.

I think that model will do well as some of those features have been missing in iPhone as we know it. Time will tell if the rumors are true but let’s hope they are.

New tech same constraint

thebatzman — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:18:38 +0000

Well it was bound to happen, or at least a prediction. Apple is coming out with a new tablet in January and while it should be amazing the acceptance won’t be troubled by the device itself. The connectivity of the new device will be partially dependent on the wireless network (Verizon / AT&T).

Read this article for more detail.

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10653933/1/telcos-hold-key-to-apple-tablet-sales.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

Cool new travel gadget for many ages

thebatzman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:34:43 +0000

Samsonite Trolley Luggage with Micro Scooter
December 7th, 2009 by Ally in Miscellaneous Gadgets

Dragging your luggage behind you is about the most boring thing you could possibly do. It’s just barely better than standing around watching paint dry. Instead of wheeling around your luggage like usual, you could ride on this Samsonite luggage that happens to have a built-in scooter. It doesn’t get much more awesome than that. Instead of feeling weighed down and stressed, you can feel years younger as you swerve around the slow people with the normal luggage.

Luckily, if you no longer want to use the scooter or just aren’t allowed to use it in your current location, the scooter portion can be folded up. Then you just roll it around like you normally would. The suitcase itself is so small that it’s entirely possible you may even be able to use it as your carry-on bag. After all, it is actually pretty slim once it’s all folded up. Certain details on the scooter are limited though, such as where to pick one up or how much it’ll cost you.
Source: OhGizmo

Bicycle… with an electric motor… not new but neat…

thebatzman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:07:40 +0000

I stumbled across this today and I thought I’d share with all of you. It is a new electric bicycle. Now I know what you are all thinking. Why on earth do you have a motor on a bicycle? Well the first thought I had is that not everyone is an avid bike rider and some people live in non-flat areas. So I think that this could serve them well.

Electric hybrid Humvee?

thebatzman — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:15:46 +0000

Well it was bound to happen. The Goliath has now been slated to be entertwined with the technology that it killed (well sort of) the electric vehicle.

Very interesting to see that more and more are becoming interested in making an ev or at least a hybrid. It is nice to see.

Here is the article….

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/u-s-army-and-enerdel-team-up-for-electric-hybrid-humvee/

Electric Car … coming of age?

thebatzman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:43:53 +0000

It seems that more an more there are articles touting of the electric car hitting the market. While some are confused some are very explanatory. One such story caught my eye on the internet. The article explained what I had been seeing every so often from Jay Leno. It was regarding his Electric Ford Focus. I was intrigued. Jay Leno is a car buff like no other and he is actually having this part of his show on a regular basis. My first impression was, SCORE! My second was…. when is this car coming to the market? So without further adieu… I first called a very large Ford dealer near me. Needless to say, they had no idea of this vehicle… actually they really didn’t seem to care. So on my errands the other day I paid them a visit. My intent was to show them the article and give them my name for a potential buyer of this vehicle when it finally arrives to this market. They were somewhat appreciative and even the sales manager wanted to give me something to think about. That something was a nice Honda Civic Hybrid that he just received on a trade. I politely continued to steer them to my interest. I explained why as well. Being that I have my entire electric bill paid for by my solar (and then some), I am on a quest to see just how much I can use my sun power for. They understood and took my name for future correspondence. I will update this as I get more information for my quest for an electric vehicle. If you are interested to read this article, I have included a link to some of it below.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2009/09/electric-ford-focus-to-race-on-jay-leno-tonight.html

Who Killed the Electric Car….

thebatzman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:09:00 +0000

I watched the show called “Who Killed the Electric Car” last week and was extremely moved by it. I cannot believe how much went into the car of the future… ten years ago then to be destroyed and forgotten about. We have done such a dis-service to ourselves by this act. If you can, please rent the movie. With technology here I am hopeful that we can sustain this type of technology now….

If you care to… please take my poll on this subject…View This Poll