September 17, 2005

Nokia 6820

Nokia 6820. Looks plain, but has alot of features. Got a new phone. Nokia 6820.

Looks almost like my 6610, but some big differences:
- Flips open to a full set keyboard.
- Camera.
- BlueTooth (exchange files, phone as a modem).
- Built-in email client software.
- Now on Cingular network (previously T-Mobile).


The email client is not as good as the one I downloaded to my 6610. That was by a company called Reqwireless. Unfortunately they are no longer selling it and I can't move it to my new phone. Too bad.

I bought the phone directly from Nokia to get a $150 rebate, and to take advantage of number portability. I would have purchased from Amazon, but they don't have a portability arrangement for Cingular.

The downside of buying from Nokia was that the phone came with factory default settings, not set up for any particular provider. I had to go to a web page to install the Cingular settings for email, browsing, messaging, etc. It took a few tries, but I think I got everthing going.

The phone gets reception just about everywhere, just not good reception. I always seem to have just one or two bars.

Open and ready for E-Mail.Overall I really like the phone. It works well and functions perfectly. Recently I was checking email with the phone keyboard open and call came in. I was able to answer it with speaker phone, talk, then hang up and continue reading email. That kind of smooth functionality I have only seen in few products, like Nokia's.

The camera is not high quality, but fine for taking quick snaps when you don't have your real camera handy.

I was seriously considering the Treo, but it's still expensive even with discounts or rebates. Also, I already have a Palm Zire 72. If I didn't have that, I would have been more likely to go for the Treo.

I have both my laptop and Palm able to dial up to the Internet via the phone. That was useful recently when moving offices and our internet was not set up for several days. It's not terribly fast, but it works.

August 07, 2005

Google Earth

I haven't been impressed with an application or website any time recently as much as I have with Google Earth. Based on the Keyhole application (a commercial product by a company now owned by Google), it lets you fly around a 3D model of the earth, zooming from satellite view to practically street level. It uses satellite photos and GPS information to let you fly just about anywhere.

Combined with Google's search power, you can type in a phrase such as an address, company name or location, and it will fly over the world's landscape, softly coming to rest over your destination.

I especially like the ability to highlight nearby coffee shops. Hmm does it also do WiFi hotspots? That would be cool!

March 19, 2005

Fry's Electronics

If you haven't heard of Fry's, you either don't live on the West Coast US or just don't qualify for full Geek status. Fry's is a huge store (30+ total) that has everything a techie could want-- computers, AV gear, software, games, etc. Plus home electronics, DVDs, books and appliances just for good measure.

They also have stuff you can't find at the typical consumer home electronics shops like Best Buy and Circuit City. Like a full selection of motherboards, CPUs, cards, cases, fans-- enough to build your own PC. And yes, they have laser pointers.

For such high-tech products, Fry's is surprisingly low tech. Their website is pretty sparse (http://www.frys.com/) and they use little light bulbs to indicate which register is open and a Fry's person stands up front telling you which open register you should go to.

Fry's has a good amount of deals going on. Not much more than other places. Manufacturer rebates and such. You can keep up to date on http://www.frys-electronics-ads.com/.

Fry's doesn't have their own online store, per se. They acquired Outpost.com and put their name on that.

Each store has a different "theme" for decorations, ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Dragons and Castles to Las Vegas Casino. It's a cool place to wander around even if you have nothing to buy (but I'm sure you will find something!).

If you're visiting California and happen to see one, stop by. It's definitely a Geek credential to say "Oh yeah, I've been to Fry's."