A typical day for me begins with the following before getting out of bed:

1) Turning off my alarm (iPhone 3GS).

2) Starting the download for the WSJ This Morning podcast (iPhone 3GS).

3) Checking the temperature (iPhone 3GS).

Once I get out of bed:

1) I get dressed to take my dog for a walk while listening to the WSJ podcast on my iPhone that has finished downloading.

2) I feed myself and my dog while continuing to listen to the WSJ podcast.

3) I connect my iPhone to some powered speakers and finish the WSJ podcast as I shower and get dressed for work.

As I leave the house to go to work:

1) I listen to music on my iPhone as I walk to bus stop.

2) While waiting for the bus I check my personal and work e-mail.

3) After checking e-mail, I play games and listen to music on my iPhone until I reach work.

It’s amazing how fast time seems to pass when you have so many productivity and entertainment options available.

Depending on what I’m doing that day at work, I might listen to music, Pandora, or local sports talk from Dallas (the ESPN Radio iPhone app is great) as I work.

At work I’m always connected to the Internet. Most of my collegues are located remotely or at another office. Work is done primarily via e-mail and chat. I’m on the phone no more than once or twice a day. I used the phone far more when I was doing Business Development.

My primary applications include Outlook, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Excel on a 10″ Dell laptop running Windows XP docked with dual 20 inch LCD monitors. I use Word and PowerPoint far less in product management than I did in Business Development.

I also keep Meebo’s web-based chat application open all day on a small USB monitor to access AIM, Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. I keep up with industry news using Google Reader and Techmeme.

Prior to heading home from the office, I start the downloads for a few ESPN podcasts which keep me company until I get home and walk the dog.

After I walk my dog and feed the two of us, I catch up on TV shows waiting for me on my DirecTV DVR or stream some music using my Apple TV.

I’ll typically surf the web and read the days news and tech blogs on my laptop as I watch TV or listen to music. I have a 17″ Dell laptop running Windows 7. I primarily use Google Chrome to browse the web at home.

I actually have print subscription to Business Week (it was free).

When I crawl into bed at night I set my alarm, plug in the charger, and turn on some relaxing tunes on my iPhone 3GS.

As you can see, the iPhone has been deeply integrated into my daily activities. I have a hard time seeing how I’d get by without it.

]]> http://randyweber.com/blog/2010/03/13/technology-and-me-a-day-in-the-life-of/feed/ 0 http://randyweber.com/blog/2010/03/07/top-tech-changes-for-me-over-the-last-decade/ http://randyweber.com/blog/2010/03/07/top-tech-changes-for-me-over-the-last-decade/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:30:47 +0000 Randy Weber http://randyweber.com/blog/?p=500 This is the second post of three about technology changes over the last decade. Yesterday I covered what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010. Today I’m covering what I consider to be the biggest changes for me over the last decade.

The four biggest technological changes of the decade for me were:

1) Time-Shifting TV (TiVo and later generic DVRs)

2) Combo of Broadband, Wi-Fi, and Laptops

3) Mobile Voice, Internet, and Apps (iPhone)

4) NFL Sunday Ticket

The Internet was old news for me coming into 2001 having been online since 1993. I was primarily using a company-provided laptop with dial-up access to get online. I made calls using a landline and a Nokia cellphone. I was watching TV with basic cable and a DVD player.

The most significant change came a few years into the decade when I added digital cable and a TiVo. Watching TV has not been the same since. Other than sporting events, I no longer watch live TV. I also used the TiVo to connect to my server so I could navigate and listen to my MP3 collection using my entertainment system. It worked amazingly well for this purpose. In fact, it was better than the current version of Apple TV. Unfortunately TiVo dropped the ball by not partnering with the cable providers and not launching an HD version soon enough. I ended up using the HD DVRs that were provided by Comcast when I bought my first HDTV - a 34″ widescreen, CRT from Toshiba. I’m now using a DirecTV dual tuner HD DVR with a 65″ plasma HDTV from Panasonic.

Moving from CDs to MP3s wasn’t significan’t until I got my first iPhone. I had an early generation iPod but I didn’t take it with me everywhere. More on that later.

Netflix came along pretty early in the decade, but I’m not ready to say it changed the world very much for me. I dropped it after about a year. I later took up Blockbuster’s offer during a period of unemployment when they were giving 2 free in-store rentals, free swaps in-store, plus 3 movies out at a time. With this setup I was able to have as many as 8 DVDs at a time if I was willing to drive a mile to return my movies in store. It was worth it. Blockbuster clearly was not making any money on me. They’ve since repriced this option from about $16 to $35 a month and quit sending you new DVDs at the same time that you exchange one in store. Since moving from Dallas to Alameda, I’ve given Netflix another try. I’m unimpressed with their streaming content so I probably won’t remain a member past the start of football season in Fall 2010.

The second most significant change came in the form of DSL from SBC with a wireless router and a new laptop. No more dial-up. This was a MAJOR change for me. It was fast and portable. I could be online in any room in my house or even outside on the patio. My Internet usage skyrocketed with this change. Once you’ve had wireless broadband with a laptop, there is no going back.

Over time, I used my landline less and less. When I moved from Arlington to Dallas in 2007, I had a landline that I seldom used. The ringer wasn’t turned on and I didn’t give the number to anyone. I stuck mostly with my Nokia semi-smart phone running an early version of the Symbian mobile OS. Now that I’m in California, I’m without a landline.

In late 2007 I added my third most signifcant change in the form of an iPhone. I was devastated when my Nokia died. It was my 3rd Nokia and I loved it. I tried the latest Nokia smart phone, but I hated it so I gave the iPhone a shot. The iPhone was GREAT with a nice web browser and decent web-based apps (this was pre App Store). I soon forgot all about my Nokia. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. I love having music, Internet, games, and e-mail (personal and work) all in one small device. Having all my music as MP3s is great now that I have my iPhone with me at all times.

My fourth most significant change came in the form of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (I know, I was a late adopter). I spent my first year in California not being able to watch Dallas Cowboys games and frequently being limited to just 2 afternoon games dedpending upon the Raiders’ and 49ers’ schedules. I did not want to watch the local teams. I dropped cable for DirecTV prior to football season in 2009. It is GREAT! Of course if your local market team is your favorite team, then there’s really not much reason to get the Sunday Ticket or DirecTV. DirecTV is over-priced.

Technology I used in 2001:

- Nokia cellphone for mobile and long-distance calls

- landline for local calls and Internet access

- dial-up Internet access

- company provided laptop with Windows NT 4 for work and for getting online at home

- basic cable

- standard definition 20″ TV

- cheap battery-powered alarm clock

Technology I’m using in 2010:

- iPhone 3GS for all calls, MP3 player, Pandora, yellow pages, maps, mobile web access, gaming, e-mail (personal and work), controlling my Apple TV, alarm clock, calendar, and contacts.

- NOTE: no landline

- cable Internet access with wireless router

- Apple TV

- Mac mini

- 17″ HP laptop with Windows 7 (personal)

- 10″ Dell laptop with Windows XP (work)

- Samsung Internet-connected Blu-Ray player

- 65″ Panasonic Plasma HDTV

- DirecTV with dual tuner HD DVR, NFL Sunday Ticket, and ESPN Game Plan (no premium channels)

- Hulu for catching up on shows that I may have missed

- Netflix for DVDs and streaming video (but I’m unimpressed with their streaming content, so I’ll probably cancel when football season resumes in Fall 2010)

- PS2 used primarily for Karaoke games

- Harmony remote that controls my Sony receiver, Samsung Blu-Ray player, DirecTV DVR, Apple TV, and Panasonic HDTV

I got to thinking about some of the sites I used to check out all the time. One of them was Phone Scoop. I used to LOVE phonescoop.com. Checked it out all the time. Loved seeing all the new phones. Then came the iPhone. Since then, there’s no reason to look at anything else. Nothing else is even close. Game over.

I loved my old Nokia smart phone even after it died until the minute I got my hands on my first iPhone. I forgot about the 6620 pretty fast, despite the many years of service it gave me. Despite the fact that I had been through 3 Nokias and had positive experiences with all of them.

It’s funny how one product can change things so much. It’s that good. If only AT&T didn’t suck so bad.

I can’t wait for Apple’s next game changing product. Maybe it will be a tablet. Though I’m also waiting for the CrunchPad (do a search for it on TechCrunch). But I’d really love for them to do something cool with the AppleTV. Hopefully mostly in software so that my older model can benefit.

I think this officially makes me an Apple fanboy. But they earned it, so I’ll wear the tag with pride.

They certainly took care of me well, but I’ll never get that time back. From what I can tell, you can’t back up your apps, so I’m going to have to go through this again the next time it dies. And based on the battery problems that iPhones have, it probably will happen again. I’m really glad I bought Apple Care to extend my warranty. Now I should probably write down all my apps.

IPhone 3GS owners bemoan its battery life. The many capabilities of Apple’s iPhone 3GS are also a drain on the device’s battery. Buyers are finding that the device has trouble making it through a workday without a rest stop at the electrical outlet…

…Repair company IFixit.com, which specializes in Apple products… dismantled the 3GS on the day it was released and found that the phone’s battery was about 15% smaller than the one in the original iPhone.

The new model is smaller and sleeker, however, and Apple may have sacrificed some battery capacity in favor of a lighter phone, analysts said.

Considering the fact that my old iPhone’s battery was dying is the reason I upgraded, this bums me out. But I still think the 3GS is a great phone.

My first generation iPhone was a real life changer when I got it. I loved it. It did things I hadn’t considered using a phone for. It was like always having a computer with me, as well as a phone and an iPod. It served me well until the battery quit holding a charge about two weeks prior to the launch of the new iPhone 3G S. I considered this pretty good timing. So I kept my old iPhone near a charger all day and prayed it would last. It did.

I received my new iPhone at about 10am PST on the launch day. I couldn’t wait to get home to set it up. I bought the 32GB model in black.

I’ll cut to the chase. The new phone is simply evolutionary. It’s faster than my old phone. It has WAY more storage (which is pretty sweet and solves my longest running complaint about my old iPhone). And it does a few more things, but nothing that makes my jaw drop. Turns out, after a few days with the new phone, it’s simply another iPhone that holds a charge and a lot more music. Nothing wrong with that, but not necessarily worth $300. And not a life changer.

I haven’t done much with the camera. Maybe that will improve my opinion somewhat. I don’t care about video.

Also, I was hoping that the reception and call quality would improve with my new iPhone. It didn’t. AT&T still sucks! I’m not a big fan of Verizon Wireless, but if they ever offer the iPhone, I’ll leave AT&T immediately. Even if it requires an early termination fee.

Here’s a link about the 3.0 software that comes on the iPhone.

Here’s a link to a review of the 3G S hardware.

I loved my old iPhone and I love my new iPhone even more because it holds most of my music. But my advice is that if you have a functioning iPhone 3G, I’d pass on the upgrade to the 3G S. If you have a first generation iPhone, maybe it’s worth the upgrade depending upon your priorities. But try installing the 3.0 software first. If you have ANY other phone, upgrade to an iPhone NOW. I’d actually recommend the $99 3G. It’s a MAJOR bargain.

Next up was installing Boxee. Not quite as easy as the instructions made it out to be, but I still got it installed and working. There was some overscan on the video but the software has a really easy way to adjust the overscan, so no problem.

Hulu worked, though it listed videos that weren’t available anymore. That was annoying. ABC.com didn’t work, nor did Fox. That’s makes Boxee a lot less useful. Didn’t try You Tube.

I like the Apple TV’s implementation of Front Row for music much better than I like Boxee. I see Boxee as my avenue to Internet video. For that it works well. I had an episode of 24 running from Hulu. It looked great.

The Apple TV and Boxee are definitely worth it.