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Sony Ericsson rocks

More than a month ago, my Sony Ericsson Akono HBH-602 Bluetooth Headset stopped syncing with my T616. I could get it to connect to the phone via Bluetooth, but the BT connection would drop out randomly, and often. I finally got around to calling SE tech support on this issue. I told them I was sure it was the headset, not my phone, as I had no issues syncing the T616 via Bluetooth to my PowerBook or Cube.

I was issued a RMA number, and given an address in the DFW metroplex to ship the headset to. "Just the headset, please," is what the rep on the phone told me. No problem. Just the headset. This, of course, happened just before the long July 4th weekend, when we were traveling to and from New Orleans, so I didn't actually ship the headset out until Friday the 8th.

Today, my replacement headset arrived, via FedEx. Not only did my replacement headset arrive, but I got the entire headset kit! In other words, they just pulled a retail box off the shelf and shipped it to me. So I got an extra AC adapter--that works with the T616 phone, too--and some more of the color plates, which I won't use. (I stick with the silver.) Kudos to Sony Ericsson!


Thoughts on a podcast

I will confess: I have not only thought about putting together my own podcast, but fantasized about what I would say, the music I would play, etc., etc. I have looked in to what tools I might use. I have had instant message discussions with a certain someone on teaming up to do a podcast, even discussing possible opening-theme music. My friend Richard has enthusiastically prodded me to do a podcast. The more and more I think about it, however, the more and more I'm thinking this is one online fad I'm going to sit out. (Though I will not rule out guest appearances on someone else's podcast, should someone ever wish to have me.) First, there is the issue of "what would I talk about?" I thought about doing something Macintosh or technology-related, since that has been my professional, and personal, field of interest. Richard thinks I would be really good at doing something politically oriented, and I thank him for that compliment. However, there are a lot of people out there already doing podcasts in these areas, and frankly, doing a better job than I could hope to pull off. A case in point is that the certain someone mentioned above used to be a radio DJ, and would likely put me to shame. Second, and more importantly, I'd like to stick to writing. Like Jeff, it would be a craft I would welcome to make a living at some day. As my family will tell you, I have long talked about being a writer, churning out novels. Normal blogging already cuts in to the time I should be devoting to such writing, and podcasting will only draw my attention further away. Reading Gruber and listening to Maciej has only convinced me this is the right course of action to take. I'm not ruling out the possibility totally, but in the near future it seems highly unlikely. Just in case you were wondering. Which I know you weren't.


Backpack widget

Well, a widget I can actually get some use out of... Chipt Productions has released a widget for the Backpack service from 37signals. Darned if Gruber didn't beat me to it.


Eric rocks

I have been lamenting the fact that I did not go with a Flickr Pro account a few months back, instead opting for another service. At the time, it was probably the reasonable decision, as the Flickr Pro accounts didn't have all of the amenities they do now. So I had actually been considering anteing up for the Flickr Pro account, because I realized I would use it more than the other service. Tonight, out of the blue, during an IM conversation, Eric offers me a free-for-a-year Flickr Pro account he was given as a in-beta Flickr Pro account holder. "Problem" solved! However, even though I am filled with gratitude for Eric's generosity, he doesn't want word getting out. He's trying for that curmudgeon rep, and if he appears all nice and everything, that will never happen. So make sure you don't link to this post any where. Maybe you shouldn't even be reading it. Maybe I shouldn't be writing it. Maybe I should delete it...


Reverse DNS Lookup

Not sure where I found this, as it was jotted on a card in my Hipster. A free service, you can perform reverse DNS lookups. If you don't know what DNS is, don't bother clicking.


Fiber optic installation attempt: Day Two - Success!

The installation technician arrived at approximately 10:45 AM, with, as promised, a co-worker in tow. An hour and fifteen minutes later, with still no progress, reinforcements arrived. The original extra co-worker departed, and two more technicians joined. This would lead to there being a total of five different installation technicians which have worked on wiring us up to the new fiber connection. The lead tech from the reinforcements had the wiring issues diagnosed relatively quickly, showed the assigned tech where he had screwed up, and they proceeded to punch down the wiring in to its proper locations. By one o'clock, we had phone and data coming over the fiber. Sweet. Then I set to the task of dumping the free D-Link router provided for my Netgear WGT624 router, since it sports 802.11b and g wireless connectivity. Verizon FiOS, like a lot of DSL service, uses PPPoE. I made the necessary changes to the Netgear router, but still couldn't connect to the Web, or check e-mail, on the PowerBook. I had the Network preferences set to Automatic, and apparently PPPoE doesn't like this. I had earlier set up a network location called Home-Wired VZ, and was able to connect on the new fiber connection with the PowerBook plugged in via Ethernet. So I duplicated that location, renamed it to Home-Wireless VZ, and changed the connection from Ethernet to Airport. Voila! Connected to the fiber wirelessly. C'est bon! Michael urged me to test the speed. On the Upload Speed Test, I selected the Largest file size, and got the following results: + connection rating is 5 stars, the highest + upload speed was 1528 Kbps + the file uploaded at 187 kB/s + Testmy.net's TruSPEED: 1635 Kbps + the connection, via Airport Extreme, is running 27 times faster than 56k and can upload 1 megabyte in 5.48 seconds Then came the Download Speed Test, again, with the Largest file selected: + connection rating is, again, 5 stars + download speed is 3906 Kbps + connection downloaded the file at 477 kB/s + TRuSPEED 4179 Kbps + the connection, again via Airport Extreme, is running 70 times faster than 56K and can download a 1 MB file in 2.15 seconds How do you like them apples, Lee?


Fiber optic installation attempt: Day 1

Installation of our new Verizon FiOS service was to take place today (Thursday, the 7th) between the hours of 1 and 5 P.M. When the hour of three o'clock arrived, and not a word had I heard with regard to the tardiness of the installation technician, I inquired as to his whereabouts with the Verizon FiOS customer service department. According to the English-is-my-second-language representative I spoke with, there was a "hold" on our account. Our installation order also failed to show that we were getting the voice service alongside the data service, despite the written verification of this we had received the week before. The English-is-my-second-language representative declared he would have to escalate this to his supervisor, and they would call me back with a new installation date. Also, he was unable to tell me why a "hold" was placed on the installation order. Needless to say, I was not happy. At 4:37 PM, I received a call from the installation technician, whom also speaks English as a second language, stating he would be on our doorstep momentarily. He did just that at approximately 4:50 PM. Installation then commenced. By 9:45 PM, installation was still not successful. The phones were working, but a data signal could not be detected by the free D-Link router provided with our order. Knowing that I would be dumping the D-Link for the Netgear wired/wireless router already in use with the Comcast cable connection, I tried it on the newly installed line, and it failed to register a signal as well. Signal detection did occur at the outside box on the side of the house. Signal was being lost somewhere between this newly-installed fiber optic connection box, the OnQ junction box in the house, and the newly-wired dual plate in the study. The dual plate sports both a RJ-11 and RJ-45 connection. It was finally determined by the two technicians--yes, he had called for reinforcements in the past five hours--that there was some sort of wiring transposition going on. In other words, the already-in-place wiring they were dealing with was different from the Verizon-standard wiring they were used to, and they would have to determine where the changes were so they could make all the wiring play nice with one another and let me get to online life at five times the speed to which I have become accustomed. They asked if they could come back tomorrow. With the supervisor in tow. Apparently, he has deeper experience, especially with "odd" wiring arrangements. I expect them first thing Friday morning. Stop smiling, Lee.


Browsing this site

I echo Jeff's sentiments. In Windows-world, I recommend Firefox; for the Mac, Safari or Camino.


TypeKey changes

Six Apart announced an update to the TypeKey service, one of which is that you can now choose to remain logged in to TypeKey for up to 2 weeks. For those of you who may have held off registering with TypeKey because you hated having to log in every couple of hours to comment on someone's blog, now you no longer have that excuse. I use TypeKey registration for my blogs, though it is not required. Should you choose to comment without signing in via TypeKey, your comment will simply remain in limbo until I approve it. TypeKey registration is simple, fast, and free.


Fiber line laid

This past Wednesday, a pair of Verizon FiOS line crews were at the house, physically laying the line from the switch at the street up to a new connection box they installed on the garage side of the house. The guys in the crew were super-nice, answering my questions and indulging my curiosity. I got a "tour" of the street-side box from the tech who was knee-deep in it, so my inner geek was satisfied. They did an above-average job on keeping the disturbance to my yard to a minimum. We should go live with our new fiber optic connection on the 7th!


Mobile CD Lookup

Jon has provided a great way to look up CD info on Amazon. I've already got it bookmarked in my mobile.


Fiber + phone = July 7

It is confirmed: a Verizon technician will be out on the afternoon of Thursday, the 7th of July, to install the required components for high-speed, fiber optic, broadband usage. We are going with the 15Mbps down/2Mbps up package, and we are cutting the cord with the regional ILEC, switching our local phone coverage to Verizon as well. We get to keep the same number, and will save a few bucks. I know some people will wonder why we're even keeping local, wired phone service, and the answer is simple: TiVo/DirecTV. It's the only way to currently get service updates, etc., sent to the box. That, and our families still seem to call us at home, rather than on our mobiles, where a lot of the time, the calls would be free for either one or both parties. Go figure.


Rumor sites still costing Apple money

Matt D. and I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things outside the realm of technology. But when it comes to an intense loathing of the rumor sites, which continue to cost Apple money, Matt and I are blood brothers:

Any writer who believed that rumor sites were "cowed" into not reporting items that might adversely affect Apple should have checked the news from Friday, 2005.06.03 - the stuff everyone forgot that same night when CNet broke the Intel story as a done deal. The previous day, AppleInsider reported that Apple was "seemingly overstocked on most iPod models with about a month remaining in its third fiscal quarter." Attributing the information only to "one source" and "reliable sources of information," the rumor site said Apple's sales "appear flat or declining" because none of Apple's products appears constrained. Yes, read it for yourself - the site said that not having a shortage was, in itself, a sign of weak sales.

Despite both the flimsy sourcing and the site's complete unawareness of the impending Intel transition, the market acted. To quote Reuters, "Shares of Apple Computer Inc. fell 5% Friday [2005.06.03], fueled by an Internet report of swelling inventory of its iPod digital music players." When a rumor site can cost Apple's shareholders 5% of their value in one day by printing an unsourced report based on specious inventory logic, it's hard to call that being "cowed into silence," and it just doesn't have the same ring to say the rumor sites have been "cowed into incompetence." (If your stock in trade is "inside" or "secret" information, and you have no sources on the biggest Apple-related story of the next two years before the mainstream media does, you're losing your touch.) A subscription to MDJ or MWJ isn't cheap, but it's the best money you'll spend on Apple and Macintosh-related news you won't get any where else. I'm not affiliated with MacJournals, just a happy subscriber.


Now I just need to find money to give to a broker

There are many reasons why I read Jeff's blog as often as possible. Brother, I need to buy you a beer some time.

Does that mean that Apple will never go after the commercial-computing market? No, I don’t think so. I think that as Apple continues to own the creative-professional market, reasserts its dominance over the mobile-user market, gains momentum among home users and makes incremental moves into sci-tech, demand in the commercial-computing market will grow all on its own. Sooner or later, folks are going to start asking why salesmen or accountants or factory managers aren’t using Macs. And when that happens, Apple will be there, ready to make small advances with sure footing, working its way into the commercial market a little at a time.

But you know what? Maybe that’ll never happen. Maybe by 2010, Apple will own as much as 25 or 30 percent of the computer market, but still show no sign of making a move into commercial computing. Would that be seen as success or failure? I guess it depends on who you ask. Which brings us back to the three blind guys with the elephant. The guy who looks at the computer industry and sees only commercial computing would see an Apple that doesn’t compete in the commercial space as being a failure. Somebody who sees only the home market would see an Apple that dominates that space as a shining success.

Me? I just sit back and think about what it would be like for Apple to own thirty percent of a multi-billion-dollar global industry. And then I consider calling my broker.


An Apple-Yahoo-Google future?

Robert X. Cringely:

So Apple takes over video and movies while Yahoo threatens with a low-priced music subscription service and Google threatens to take control of, well, everything.

And Microsoft? Microsoft kicks the dog. [Via Jon.]


Programming offshoring - literally

The Monster Blog:

...[T]alk about treading in murky waters, here’s one from the reality-trumps-fiction workplace annals: Two entrepreneurs have launched a plan to buy a used cruise ship, park it about three miles off the Los Angeles shoreline, hire 600 programmers from around the world and have them crank out code day and night.


Hope it's just the beta

I have to concur with John Gruber's comments regarding the Longhorn beta screenshots. I never thought I'd say this, but if I had to use a PC, at this stage, I would stick with Windows XP. Let us hope Microsoft will do something to clean up the interface, because right now, it looks like a major step back.


WallyPower 118

Don't let the name fool you. This is the yacht to buy when you hit the jackpot. Just hope the jackpot's big enough for you to hire a crew as well.


BlackBerry 7100t no like SE Akono

If anyone out there figures out how to pair a BlackBerry 7100t with a Sony Ericsson Akono Bluetooth headset, please [let me know how](mailto:retrophisch@retrophisch.com?subject=BlackBerry/Akono pairing) you did it. So far, my attempts to get this to work for my wife have failed. The CrackBerry refuses to see the Akono set. It sees every other Bluetooth-enabled device in the house, but won't see the headset sitting right next to it.