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Top Tech Changes For Me Over The Last Decade

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

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 2000 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 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. 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 Symbion 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. 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.

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.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, California, Comcast, Cowboys, Dallas, DirecTV, Randy Weber, San Francisco, TV, TiVo, World Wide Weber, cable, e-mail, football, gadgets, iPhone, mobile, music, personal, satellite, sports, worldwideweber | No Comments »

Happy 14th Birthday Gretta!

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Gretta in September 2008 on our first day in California.

Posted in Pets, Randy Weber, World Wide Weber, personal, worldwideweber | No Comments »

OSU over Georgia! Chalk one up for the Big 12.

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

In the opening salvo for the battle of which conference is better, Oklahoma State (pre-season #9) beat Georgia (pre-season #13) by two touchdowns giving the Big 12 a leg up over the SEC.

I’ve been to Stillwater twice to watch OSU play (both times Texas came away with a win on the road). It’s a nice college town, has a great stadium, and has very good fans. I wish OSU the best of luck this year. That is until they play Texas. Hook ‘em Horns!

Posted in Big 12, Randy Weber, Texas, World Wide Weber, football, personal, sports, worldwideweber | No Comments »

Are You Ready for Some Football ?!

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Football season is fast approaching. My first football season in SF was TERRIBLE. 6 out of 17 weeks during the NFL season saw only 2 games aired Sunday afternoon, robbing me of the 3rd game that the rest of the country typically gets to see. But worse, those 2 games were the 49ers and the Raiders. So not only was I getting robbed of a game. The games I was left with were crap. And don’t get me started about not being able to see hardly any Cowboy games.

The college season was even worse for me. I ended up having to listen to most of the early season Longhorn games on Yahoo Sports Radio at a ridiculous price. And I did say listen, no picture. It took me 2 months to try to figure out how to cancel the service once the season was over. When I did figure it out, it was on the phone. Listening to all the things that Yahoo has subscriptions for was incredible. That company is solid, though perhaps a bit unfocused. But I digress.

So I swore this season will be different. I ordered DirecTV last night with a Wednesday install. No more drama about whether or not the NFL Network will be part of my cable package on Comcast. The NFL Sunday Ticket will insure that I can see my Cowboys play. And ESPN College Game Plan should at least help to alleviate missed Longhorn games. At least Texas has a great pre-season ranking, so they should be a national game most weeks they play.

Back to satellite TV. I’m nervous about this. Besides the crazy price and long commitment for all of this, I found cable to be pretty reliable. More reliable than most of my friends’ satellite services. I’ll let you know how it goes.

NFL Sunday Ticket Mobile But check this out. With the NFL Sunday Ticket SuperFan package you can watch games on your iPhone! How cool is that?

All-in-all, I’m expecting an improved, if not more expensive, football experience this season.

Posted in Comcast, DirecTV, Randy Weber, TV, World Wide Weber, cable, football, personal, satellite, sports, video, worldwideweber, yahoo | No Comments »

High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

I’m reminded of one of the perks of living in a house – being able to make a bunch of noise with no complaints.

So I’m spending Saturday night with Def Leppard, my favorite band from when I was in Junior High. They were a great band even before Pour Some Sugar on Me, back when Rick Allen still had both arms.

High ‘N’ Dry had some great songs, most notably High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night) and Bringin’ On The Heartbreak. It came out in 1981 when I was still in Elementary School. But I remember these songs from the radio when I was in 4th and 5th grade. AC/DC Back in Black and For Those About to Rock were hot then too.

I was in Junior High when they really hit it big with Pyromania in 1983. That album kicked ass! Everyone was listening to it. Best songs were Rock of Ages, Photograph, Foolin’, Too Late for Love, and Rock Rock (Till You Drop). I still remember the first time I heard this album. I was at a friend named Carl’s house listening to the record in his older sister’s room. BTW, she was hot, but the album was hotter. Good times!

It was a long time before they released another album. Though they did release a single with remixes of Me and My Wine (previously only available as the B-side to the Bringin’ on the Heartbreak single from 1981) and Bringin’ on the Heartbreak (the original was much better). Me and My Wine sounded like it should have been included on the High ‘N’ Dry album. It was a great song and the video was pretty funny.

In the meantime, their story is a true VH-1 Behind The Music classic. I won’t retell it here, but you can read it here. Despite all their setbacks, their next album was even bigger than Pyromania. They released Hysteria in 1987. It was HUGE! It gave us Pour Some Sugar on Me. But I still prefer High ‘N’ Dry and Pyromania.

Posted in Def Leppard, Randy Weber, World Wide Weber, music, personal, reviews, worldwideweber | No Comments »

Is Phone Scoop Still Relevant & What’s Next

Monday, July 27th, 2009

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.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, Randy Weber, World Wide Weber, gadgets, iPhone, mobile, reviews, worldwideweber | No Comments »

Want to Know What It’s Like Living in Northern California?

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Imagine listening to this everyday.

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

I have no doubt it’s all true and in everyone’s best interest, but I don’t want to hear about it everyday.

Posted in California, Randy Weber, San Francisco, World Wide Weber, environment, worldwideweber | No Comments »

Another iPhone 3GS

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

The Apple Store verified my iPhone was dead. They said it was likely a battery issue. They gave me a new phone (refurb?). And I went home that night to spend hours setting it back up the way it was – downloading apps, syncing music, and configuring settings.

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.

Posted in Apple, Randy Weber, World Wide Weber, customer service, gadgets, iPhone, mobile, worldwideweber | No Comments »