SteveO reviews stuff

Quick review: Timbuk2 Freestyle Netbook / iPad Messenger

SteveO — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:46:59 +0000

I’m not sure why, but I have a lot of bags (almost matches my flashlight collection). Maybe it’s because I’m always looking for that “perfect” bag which meets my needs to the key. However, over the years, many of these bags just collect dust in my garage while newer ones live in my closet holding my camera gear or gadgets.

My latest bag addition is the Timbuk2 Freestyle Laptop Messenger Bag. My goal was to contain my gadgets (and some for my kids) when going on weekend outings (soccer/softball/mall/etc). My current set of gadgets include:
1) iPad with Marware Eco-Vue for iPad case (awesome iPad case, btw)
2) Nintendo XL (for kid #1)
3) Cradlepoint PHS-300 (wireless hotspot)
4) Palm Centro to use w/the cradlepoint ($27/month for unlimited data. can’t beat that)
5) Nintendo DS lite (for kid #2)
6) iPod Touch (Gen 1 and 2 – when the kids prefer a different set of games)
7) Kindle 2

After buying the iPad, I tried to see if an existing bag I had would fit everything, but nothing quite fit the bill. I purchased the Lowepro Exchange Messenger Camera Bag, which was a good size, but didn’t have the right type of dividers/pockets. I had a coupon for eBags and kept seeing those Google Ads for the Freestyle bag, so I thought I’d give that a try. I ordered one and it arrived shortly thereafter.

I already have a few other Timbuk2 bags and love their stuff. Their quality is top-notch, lifetime warranties, etc. The Freestyle is no exception – great build quality, durable, good padding, and “perfect” size. I can easily fit all the above mentioned gear into this bag and there are quite a few pockets and sleeves provided such that I don’t have to worry about screens rubbing against each other and scratching.

I’ll provide some pics later, but overall, this is the perfect bag for my needs (so much so that I bought another one – i now have a blue and a black one). Highly recommend it if you want to carry an iPad and other electronics. It’ll also fit a netbook (my eee easily can fit).

My only “ask” is that they add a small handle on the flap – even a little loop would do. When I throw the bag in the passenger seat in my car, it’s a little difficult to grab when exiting. I know the small bag may not need a handle, but I sure could use one (Timbuk2 – is it possible to send it in and get one sewed on?)

Thanks for dropping by!
SteveO

ps. I have a handful of reviews to do, one of them including some Sugru projects. I love that stuff.

Google Chrome OS (chromium) on my Samsung NC10

SteveO — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:58:57 +0000

Hi all,
So my multi-boot NC10 just got another option… Chrome OS off a USB drive. However, this came about after I messed up my hackintosh install by installing a kext file which was supposed to fix the audio, but instead led to an un-bootable hackintosh. Anyway, I thought I’d try out Chrome OS and found this really nice package created by Twitter’er @Hexxeh (http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/index.php) where you download the compressed tar.gz file, open terminal (i’m on a Mac) and run some commands and about 15 minutes later, you have a USB drive that’s ready to be booted.

I put the drive into the NC10, pressed the power button, and soon a Chromium OS screen comes up. You’re supposed to enter your gmail login/pw, but when I do this, I receive the “network not found” message, so I used the default login/pw (facepunch/facepunch – i’m guessing this is build-specific so check hexxeh’s FAQ for the latest). Chrome OS loads and it’s basically the Chrome browser. Upon loading, however, nothing would come up. It appears that the wireless wifi hardware takes some time (like 4-5 minutes) to find a wireless network, but after entering my SSID/key, I was surfing and enjoy the simple OS.

Since I have an external monitor installed, the resolution was just mirrored off the NC10′s LCD so the bottom half was just black. To change this, you’ll need to press Ctrl+Alt+T to go into terminal view, then you’ll type (no quotes): “xrandr -s 1024×768″ (or whatever you prefer). If you just type “xrandr” you’ll see all the available options. After the screen refreshes with the new resolution, type “exit” to return to the Chrome UI.

Pretty simple. Go try it!
Steve.

ps. That Hexxeh guy greatly simplifies the process so I’ll be donating some paypal funds. He’s a student doing this in his spare time and compared to the Hackintosh process, this is a walk in the park!

Screen protectors

SteveO — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:39:28 +0000

Ever since my first Palm Pilot back in the early 90s, I’ve been paranoid about getting scratches on the screens of my devices. I remember back then they really didn’t have companies which made protectors for devices and I found myself going out and buying some of those cling on “window decals” and cutting out some of the clear portion where the decal wasn’t. Anyway, long story short, I eventually found the Boxwave anti-glare units and used those for several years now. After getting my Pre, I did some Googling and found some Clarivue protector reviews. I decided to give one a try, and if I liked it, I’d buy some for my Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, and Lumix LX3. Well, at first, it seemed really good and was comparable to the Boxwave. Seeing that you get 2 sheets for $10.99 and the Boxwave goes for $12.95 for a single sheet (similar pricing for the other products), I decided to go ahead an order the remaining sheets for my other gadgets.

Well, I guess I ordered prematurely, because as the days went on, I started noticing some hairline scratching on the Clarivue which you can’t normally see in everyday use, but when outside on a sunny day, you can move your device around and you’ll see them. Over the course of a few weeks, these scratches became more and more obvious to the point now where I can see them all the time – not just in sunlight. Also, the adhesive used on the Clarivue doesn’t seem as good as the Boxwave. For example, I’m not sure how this occurs, but when I put on the protector, it looked fine. No bubbles, no particles underneath the film, all looks good. Then, a few days/weeks later, there’d be what looks like a speck of dust underneath and an accompanying bubble of air. How does this magically appear? Sometimes they are near the edges, which means the speck might have creeped in, but sometimes they’re not and i’m not sure how something like that can surface below the protector.

Anyway, after these get to the point where I think they look bad, I’ll replace them with a Boxwave anti-glare (i love the anti-glare as opposed to the clear). I guess you get what you pay for – and the Boxwave’s are worth it. Hopefully they’ll make one for the new Droid phones soon. I’m planning on dumping the Pre for the Droid (or other Android phones).

See ya.
SteveO

Magnets on your headphone cable

SteveO — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:57:35 +0000

I have a few pairs of Shure earphones which I use daily to listen to podcasts on my iPod Touch. I usually only use one ear piece (as i don’t need to hear podcasts in stereo plus I like to be able to hear sounds around me). Doing this, the headphone cable tends to pull on the single ear piece and the pressure around my ear isn’t bad, but sometimes it gets annoying. (Just FYI, like Shure recommends, I wrap the cable around my ear and insert the ear piece inverted (so the cable is pointing up)). I had some neodymium magnets laying around (i have some of the pill-like magnets) and I super-glued one to the headphone cable. When I use the headphones, I simply put a magnet behind my shirt/collar and attach the cable. No more pulling on my ear and the strong magnets work really well. I should have done this months ago, but thought I’d share incase anyone else wants to give it a try.

PS. Since the magnets are round, if they fall, they tend to bounce/roll on the floor. Plus they’re quite small which means you’re like to lose ‘em. What I did was superglue a small piece of rubber band on the back of the magnet (glue it when it’s connected to the headphone magnet to make sure the polarity is right). This serves two purposes: if it falls, it won’t roll away, and it serves as a visual indicator to help find it easier if it does fall.

USBModem + Centro + SERO + PHS300 = wireless bliss

SteveO — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:39:38 +0000

Hi all,
I posted last year on getting my eee online using my Centro, but since then I’ve acquired more gadgets, many of which can benefit with wireless. These gadgets include a first and second gen iPod Touch, Android G1, and a Samsung NC10 notebook. All these work fine when at home or work as I can easily access a wireless signal. However, when I’m out and about, it’s rare I’d find an open wireless signal (yes, even here in silicon valley). Since I already have a Sprint Centro on the SERO plan (Sprint Employee Referral Option) and pay only $29/month for everything I need, I did not want to switch plans to add a “phone as a modem” option – which would run something like $30 for the full data plan plus $15 on top of that to use my phone as modem. I even considered adding a separate Sprint line with only a usb wireless adapter and get the $49.99 5GB data plan, but couldn’t see myself using the data THAT much as I simply wanted something while on the road to check prices, upload tweets, etc.

I’ve had PDAnet and USBmodem in the past, but both didn’t work with my Cradlepoint PHS300 (this is a personal hotspot that using any wireless USB adapter). Today, I decided to give them another try and downloaded the latest trial versions. To my surprise, after I plugged in my Centro to the PHS300, started USBModem, and about 35 seconds later all lights were green meaning I was connected!! I was shocked. I turned on my iTouch, went to wireless settings, and sure enough, my PHS-FREE wireless was listed. I switched to that, and opened Safari. Sweet, I was surfing! Next, I turned on my G1 (no data with T-mobile, just a pre-paid SIM), changed to PHS-FREE, then opened CompareEverywhere. Scanned a barcode and within seconds had a list of local and online stores offering that product!!!

I’m so glad I decided to try this tonight! No more searching for “pay as you go” wireless plans. I’ll stick with my SERO plan and USBmodem. I do have a ScottEVest jacket so I don’t mind loading it up (worried about the spring-summertime, though. Manbag in my future?). Anyway, just wanted to post this (to keep my 1 post per week goal).

SteveO (in wireless bliss)

Some 2009 goals

SteveO — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:35:15 +0000

Well, it’s not a review, but I thought I’d write these down to make them more official. I’m not calling them resolutions, but goals instead (but they’re very similar).
1. Eat better. My goal is to reduce my waist size to 32.5, which is calculated by dividing my height (in inches) + 1 by 2. I just came across Jorge Cruise and will try his 15/6 method of trying to eat only 15 grams of sugar and 6 carbo servings per day. This is way more extreme than Atkins (from the carbo perspective). LoseIt and WeightBot on my iPod Touch should be able to help me (although it doesn’t track sugar grams).
2. Post more on my blog. When driving to work, I often think about things I can write about, but don’t seem to find the time to do it. A goal of everyday is not going to happen, so let’s aim for once a week. Anything better is a bonus.
3. Read more on my Kindle. I bought it several months ago and really got into it, but haven’t read much in the last several weeks. This may have been due to the hectic holiday schedule, but my goal is at least a book a month. I’m current finishing up William O’neil’s excellent book “how to make money in stocks”.
4. Continue to play with the kids. I have the best two kids in the world (most of the time) and they’re a ton of fun.
5. Spend more time taking photos. I recently purchased a Canon 5d MkII (5d2 for short) and haven’t had much time to put it thru its paces. I plan to read the manual cover to cover (too bad there’s no Kindle version) and will learn and test every feature.
6. Make more money in stocks. Plain and simple. A stretch goal is to surpass my salary. If 2009 is anything like 2008, this may be hard, but not impossible.
7. Try new recipes at least once a month.
8. Build a playhouse this spring. I’ve already laid out the footprint, now all I need to do is wait till it’s warmer and buy some lumber. Along the same lines, I plan to do Habitat for Humanity for some days this year.
9. Better documentation at work. Sure, it’s a work goal, but I need to keep this in mind and get it done.
10. Do something green. I’m thinking solar, or better hypermiling, but I plan to do something to help reduce my carbon footprint.

Well, that’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll think of more and will add to this list as necessary.
SteveO

Watch YouTube videos in higher quality

SteveO — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:02:18 +0000

YouTube is working on better video quality and some of their videos can look a WHOLE LOT better if you append this string to the end of the URL: &fmt=18. Soon, they’ll default this to all applicable videos, but until then, make sure you use this string. Don’t trust me? Try it yourself and see (and hear) the difference!

Thanks,
Steve.

Some GPS systems reviewed (more to come)

SteveO — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:35:49 +0000

Hi all,
Well, I’ve been on my search to find a great all-around GPS and have put the following through their paces:
* Garmin nüvi 660
* Dash Express Two-Way Internet-Connected Portable GPS Navigator
* Magellan Maestro 4250

One key feature I’m looking for in a GPS is traffic information, so I’ll be tailoring my review towards the traffic component of these systems. There are plenty of other reviews out there so please refer to those for more full-featured reviews.

Stay tuned… more to come.

Thanks,
Steve.

The Money Clamp

SteveO — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:41:02 +0000

I received Chris Pirillo’s tweet about replacing, or sending in his Coach wallet, then I thought about all the wallets I went through and how nothing really suited my needs, plus they were all too thick. I want a simple way to carry my money (bills), a few credit cards, and my drivers license. After searching far and wide, I came across the Money Clamp. It kinda looks like a binder clip you’d find at Office Depot, but it’s really slick. You flip down the sides and use the levers as handles to squeeze open the clamp. Take your 4-5 cards and fold your bills around them, then slide them in the clamp. Flip the handles backup and your money is locked in. The picture, courtesy of Beza, shows the bills wrapped around the included leather card holder, but I found it’s easier to just wrap the bills around the cards. I’d say it adds less than 3/16 of an inch to the thickness of your cards and bills (say, 3 quarters thick). They have different colors and two sizes and I’m currently using the black matte, which I purchased after I lost my original silver one.

It looks Beza’s website shows the mini and the regular, but the silver one I have is slightly larger than the black matte one, but my smaller one is not as small as the mini. So it looks like there are at least 3 sizes with the largest one not available anymore on Beza’s site. Comparing the two I have, I like the size and weight of the black, but the only drawback I can see is that since the handles don’t quite reach the end of the bills/cards, it’s just slightly more difficult to grab the handle to open it. I find myself slightly bending the bills/cards so I can stick my finger under the handle to open it. The original is overall larger and the handles extend beyond the edge so grabbing it is easier. All in all, I’d still get the black as I prefer the size and weight (this is called the Geneva Cash Clamp on Beza’s site).

Here are the weight specs:
Original: 2.1 oz (10-11 quarters)
Mini: 1.5 oz (7 quarters)

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SteveO

Prius driving tips – Getting the most out of your tank

SteveO — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:35:39 +0000

Ok, I’m not a hyper-miler or anything like that, but I do try to see how many MPGs I can squeeze out of my 10.9 gallon tank. It’s kinda like a game to me and being a gadget lover, it’s right down my alley. Without further ado, here are my tips:
1) Inflate your tires. I keep my front tires @ 42psi, and the rear @ 40. Remember to check your pressure during the morning when it’s cool and you haven’t driven yet. The gadget I use to check psi is a small digital unit I purchased from Costco for about $10.
2) Install the EV (electric vehicle) mode hack which allows you to drive without the gas engine. When approaching a stop, I flip the switch to cut the engine and coast/glide to a stop. When I first start up the car, I switch to EV mode until I get out of the parking lot (or neighborhood at home) and go to gas when i can drive at speed. Others have told me to not do this as turning on the engine at speed will actually burn more fuel. I tried this for a couple tanks and didn’t notice any difference so I went back to EV mode at startup. Instructions for this hack can be found online.
3) My commute is 90% highway and I try to average around 60 (which is about the going rate during my commute time with traffic)
4) Yes, I’ve tried drafting a couple times, which does bump up my MPG
5) I try to minimize AC use (I park in the garage at work which keeps the car cool so I don’t need to run the AC much). Tinted windows also helps.
6) I find the key to keeping the MPG high is to start out on a fresh tank with a high avg MPG. I find that if my first 50 miles averages is around 57, it’s easier to keep it around 57 as opposed to having the first 50 miles at 48MPG. I guess it’s better to start high and stay high instead of starting low and trying to raise it. Not sure if i’m making any sense here.
7) Try to glide as much as possible. To glide, make sure your display is on the energy screen which shows the flow of energy (either to the tires or green from the tires) and it takes a little finesse, but basically you lightly press the gas pedal until there is no in our out energy flow on the display. Basically you’re not using power to drive the wheels nor are you regenerating energy. Some people try to do the “pulse and glide” where you gas it to about 40-45, then try to glide back down to 35-45, then repeat this continually.
Try to keep track of your usage. OK, this can be a little anal, but I use a Google spreadsheet to keep track of all relevant data like date, how much gas I pumped in, cost, # of miles when the little dots disappear, etc. This is the game part for me – I try to beat my averages. A note about Google spreadsheets is that the data is stored online so it’s available whenever you’d like add data (be it at home, work, etc).

Well, that’s it. I’m currently averaging about 56+ MPG and have notice a slight improvement now that the weather is getting warmer.

Hope this helps at least one other Prius driver!

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SteveO