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Dear Retailer who sells very nice gift items in Lexington Green. When I snap a photo of something, I’m not here to scam you.

I’m not the front for a big Chinese manufacturer who is about to knock off your stuff and put you out of business. I’m not planning out an elaborate “Mission Impossible”-style robbery.

My wife and I are multi-tasking. I need to send her a picture of something I like and see if she wants to swing by and look at it. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars in your store and you don’t need to break the delicate positive brand image I have of you with some petty “We don’t allow pictures in the store” rule. I explained what I was doing, nicely, but it didn’t matter.

It’s amazing that I’m even in the store - with as much as I buy online. Since it’s an artsy-store, I flip the tag over on the item I’m photographing. … yep, URL. I surf to the address, yep. photos. Get a clue. This small, unique retail shop is one example, but not a unique one, and it’s about to collide with new technologies for comparison shopping we discussed at SMX Local Mobile in Denver last week.

If this were a one-time situation, I’d blow it off. But it happens to others, who blog about it too. I’m pretty fast with my camera, just hold it up and snap a quick picture, so I’m not making a scene or asking people to move, etc. I guess I could get better at it. I’m also not there photographing every thing on the shelf. I’m the best type of interested customer.

Seth Godin was busted for photographing oreos, and had this to say:

The irony of the Stop & Shop approach is that the people who you don’t want taking pictures–snoopy journalists or competitors–can easily conceal their cameras and you’ll never know. But the raving fans, the bloggers, the folks twisted enough to want to take and flickrize their supermarket experiences are your friends.

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Well, it’s WiMax World Week in Chicago, and from news reports, the attendance has almost doubled. WiMax (802.16) is a technology that works a lot like Wi-Fi Wireless Networks but has much greater range since it uses empty frequencies to provide wireless Internet just about anywhere. WiMax speeds are 4Mbit/sec at their best right now. Sprint/Nextel is setting up a service with Clearwire that will cover 100 million people by the end of next year, and demos of WiMax seem to be going better and better.

Wimax World had some buzz about demos of new technology - mostly related to compatibility and backhaul issues. I’m looking forward to hearing more about the end-devices of course. I’ll go out on a limb to say if Apple produces a Newton 2, it will natively support WiMax, and that WiMax will drive a revolution in mobile device simplification (tablets, thin clients) as well as mobile application (video, dynamic news, conferencing.) Intel showed an integrated WiMax card on a laptop at WiMax World. One thing that Sprint said was that the costs of WiMax devices and services will be like using 3G, but they won’t give out SLAs.

WiMax deployments can’t come soon enough for Municiple Wi-Fi projects, because many seem to be sinking.

USA Today provided this list…

•Cincinnati shelved its plan last week for a citywide network because the market is too unstable.

•The Silicon Valley plan for free Wi-Fi is at risk after providers decided local governments must be “anchor tenants” for the service.

•Springfield, Ill., is looking for another partner after AT&T dropped Wi-Fi plans last month.

•St. Louis is trying to figure out how to power Wi-Fi transmitters on 1,700 street lights when they’re not illuminated without spending millions of dollars.

Until then I guess we’ll need to hover around hotspots.

 

Last year, eStarling came out with a clunker. Before that they came out with a joke. But today they announced a new 8-inch frame that looks quite nice in the photos and has a kick-a** feature set on paper. But if anyone read my post last November about eStarling’s deceptive and disappointing product launch, you could tell I was an unhappy camper. Well, almost a year has past, and I’m ready to give them another shot. Frankly, I need the RSS feature badly. Because that rocks. Big time. And anyway, we put up with Microsoft when they go through this kind of pattern, so why not eStarling. Anyhow. Big difference is that I *return* eStarlings for refunds when they suck.

Here are the features that make this thing one of the coolest gadgets (on paper) that I’ve lusted after for over a year now: (more…)

Ok, my Vtech ip8300 DECT6.0 infoPhone was supposed to be in my grubby little hands by April, and it STILL doesn’t seem to have shipped. This is the phone with Yahoo! Local built in making it, as far as I know, the first home phone that is directly affected by web marketing efforts. Well, you could argue that Google 411 is also* (speed dial #1 in my car - I love that service!)

I am also looking forward to seeing how the phone accepts news feeds. Hopefully it lets you use standard RSS and not some proprietary limited portal set. I’ll use Yahoo! Pipes to make a nice small RSS feed for family information (e.g. school closings, forecast, traffic) that we can glance at from any room in the house. GEEKY!

But first I have to get the damn thing in my HANDS. Where is it?????

Hurry VTech, my old home phones are dying!!!!

*Little known fact:Â With Google 411, once you find the thing you’re searching for, you can say “map it” and Google will send you a link to the map!

When I read the story in the Merc about the guy who forgot his baby in the car (the baby died,) I was reminded of the situation where the University of Irvine professor did the same thing a few years ago. This is really, really awful stuff.

….Like many, the Warschauers were a two-career family. Mark Warschauer is a professor at the University of California, Irvine, a leading expert in the field of technology and learning. Hirata is an award-winning political-science professor specializing on Japan and East Asia. The morning of Aug. 8, 2003, Mark Warschauer was tired and stressed out. His wife was trying to wean Mikey, and he’d gotten up at 3 a.m. trying to get the bright-eyed 10-month-old back to sleep. When he drove to work that morning, he was “on automatic.” Mikey had fallen asleep in the back, dozing quietly in his rear-facing car seat. Instead of going to day care, Warschauer went straight to campus, parked his car and went up to the office……

Not only is this sad, it’s scary as hell. Kind of “I-think-I-just-dozed-off-while-I-was-driving-scary.” It’s scary because this level of busy-ness can happen to many people. Many good people. We can all have a long night. Perhaps even do an all-nighter with a little one and then go to work dead on our feet, totally sleep deprived. We can forget things. Important things. THE most important things.

Today I saw the ChildMinder system on Gizmodo. Yes, it’s sad to need it. But it is needed. If my girls weren’t too old now, I’d have this.

BTW: You’ll see this standard on cars soon enough. Just watch.

The Blackberry Desktop Manager (BDM) has become my enemy, even as my new BlackBerry Curve has become my best friend. With my MPX220 Smartphone I used to be able to just walk NEAR the office and Bluetooth would sync to outlook - hands off automatically. If there were conflicts, my sync rules would handle them. I could be a good 30′ away and all was good. I have pulled up IN MY CAR outside my office and sync’d without getting out via Bluetooth and driven away. No kidding. I realize I could buy sync-over-web, but this has worked really well for me.

It really was sweet. But now, the BDM will not allow such luxuries. Not because of the hardware itself (it has far better bluetooth range than the MPX220 in fact) but because of problems (for me) in the user interface (UI) design on the BDM.

First issue….BDM’s designers have decided that they need to ignore the connection options chosen by users in the Windows Bluetooth control panels. Just because I have selected “do not confirm bluetooth connections” doesn’t mean they have to actually LISTEN to that setting choice, right? BDM ignores these settings and proceeds to confirm every attempted connection by my Curve. Showstopper for proximity syncing. Gotta click “OK” to continue. Physical Presence Required #1.

Second issue…The confirmation box at the end that boasts “Desktop Manager Synchronized Outlook for you!” kills further synchronizations and locks up my blackberry in the “Connected to Desktop” screen (as long as you’re in bluetooth range.) You mu st walk to the damn computer and dismiss it before the sync can happen again. Just release the connection and give the status another way!

The point of the Blackberry was to improve our productivity not to force us to admire the success of your software! Physical Presence Required #2. Proximity sync showstopper #2.

The hardware is sweet. The handheld software has been sweet. But Research in Motion should be ALL OVER the Desktop Manager team to fix these inexcusable Gaffes.

I’ll be psyched if someone can tell me that I’m doing something fundamentally wrong. You’ll get link love galore and I’ll have happy-day-yes.

This is not a paid post. If you have multiple monitors side by side that are hooked to multiple computers, you can save by grabbing a few licenses for Desktop Rover, a program by Neslo Software. It lets you set up a “grid” of computers that all share the same keyboard and mouse, without the hassles of a KVM switch. Workflow stays seamless all day.

Not only that, but they answer your emails if you have problems, and provide really good answers.

No Vista support yet, but it’s coming.

Representation of my setup (note… this is three computers, one keyboard and one mouse)

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Lexmark finally went public about their new wireless inkjets. What a huge difference (see inset) The designs hit a “cool” nerve with me - like an iPod or a G4 Macintosh. In fact, I see a big influence from Frog Design’s work and the Lexmark stuff.From the first time I saw one, they’ve reminded me of the glossy white, almost acrylic decor that was always seen around in 2001 or “Space 1999” … rounded edge, mysterious, with almost no buttons. It will be the coolest looking thing on your desk (it has one button, and one light. You’ll have to brush up on your “Lexmark Morse Code.”) They are very sticker-friendly. You can put post-it notes (”Buy Ink”) or your favorite Nine Inch Nails bumper sticker and they’ll stay put. They should have made the big acrylic-like panels “glow” slightly. Now that would have been wild. The “brushed metal surrounds” are straight out of a Kubric film. I love it. Thank GOD that modern design seems to be coming back. Less organic, swoopy crap. I’ve always liked the edgy stuff - brushed aluminum. Tube amps. Tinted glass over glowing Segmented LED Digits. And I love Nixie Clocks. I dig how the photo on the right has a big brushed analog clock on the panel. Wow, so 70s.

Pictures of new Lexmark Printer  Compare to old, swoopy design Brushed metal surrounds - so Hal 9000 tight radius corners are all the rage in design these days. They started with the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey Okay… yes, I’m a frustrated industrial designer… so that’s the end.

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I’ve often been annoyed to see people holding cell phones while driving in tricky driving situations, and even more so when the other hand holds a cigarette or other item. But it’s never been more than an annoyance. I shake my head and wonder what could possibly be so important to talk about that it couldn’t wait until the roadway was less demanding. But today, I came within inches of a bad accident because of a young driver being on the phone and crossing three lanes of traffic at 45mph. It was really scary.  They barely had their hands on the wheel…. and they definitely had their brain in neutral.

But I still disagree with any form of ban on cell phones while driving. It’s a slippery slope that introduce a scary level of police intrusion into our lives based on what appears to be some flawed research. While New York (and others world wide) bans holding a cellular phone to one’s ear while driving, they don’t ban putting on makeup, or munching on french fries.  Has anyone done any research to see how many accidents are caused by people frantically trying to find a place to pull over and talk to their boss or get directions?  When a limited police force is out issuing tickets for “safe drivers using cellphones,” who’s watching the rusty red Camaro tailgate the minivan full of kids?  What about accidents that happen while the policeman is writing the ticket (rubberneckers, traffic blockage.)Â

I don’t think anyone should hold a cellphone while driving. Or put on makeup. Or hold a stupid poodle. While there’s not a hands-free way to put on mascara or feed french fries yet, it’s sensible for people to employ simple, cheap technologies for hands-off cell phone use. Bluetooth headsets are available for $20 now, less than a manacure for fluffy at the groomer’s, and most decent phones have Bluetooth on them.  These are simple to use and very comfortable. While the conversations are still distracting, at least the hands can be on the wheel. Â

Cell phone companies should provide clinics on how to set these up for people rather than staff their kiosks with clueless high schoolers who can barely communicate with less savvy customers. If Best Buy and others really cared, they’d provide a free bluetooth headset setup service with every cell phone they sold, along with safe driving tips for the customer. As it is, I’d guess that less than 20% of cell users know how to answer a call using bluetooth headset without looking at their phones.

Google has made things even better with their new, Free 411 service, (1-800-GOOG-411) … you can use your voice to get lots of information, and be connected using your bluetooth setup.   Make it speed dial number 1. The merchant will pay for the call. If you dial “411″ on your phone, and spend $2.00 for directory assistance, you are seriously missing the boat at this phase.Â

Update: Search Engine Land reports that Microsoft has launched three new local search services from Tellme. I guess that’s speedial #2.

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Steampunk - Science Fiction where characters (often scientists) fight against an oppressive establishment often using ultra-modern technologies presented in Victorian-era form factors.
Okay, I admit it. I’m a steampunk fan. Not as much the literature, but the imaginative machines and bizarre mixes of digital and non-digital elements, craftsmanship, and tactile sensibility of the artists.

I first got a sense of Steampunk type hardware ideas while watching Brazil, Edward Scissorhands, Wallace and Grommit, and Harry Potter. Someday I will own a nixie clock. I have a wood en box in my garage full of antique tools. So I thought it would be a good idea to list a set of great steampunk-like sites that give a well-rounded overview of the phenomenon, along with a few words about each. If you have one to add to this list, post in the comments with a link. I’ll look-see and possibly add it to the main post as well. Steampunk Labs, Artists, History

• Robots of the Victorian Era
• Radio Guy

• Brass Goggles
• Steampunk Magazine - the journal of misapplied technology
• The Steampunk Workshop - awesome stuff and nicely done photos
• Datamancer - home of the home of the The Nagy Magical-Movable-Type Pixello-Dynamotronic Computational Engine (also featured on Wall-Street Journal Video)
• Steampunkopidia
• Dr Grordort’s Rayguns - this site is amazing. Check the custom cases.
• Stephen Berkman - Love the photography style … reminds me of Nine Inch Nails artwork. Perhaps NIN copied HIM!
• The Retrocomputing Museum
• Vladimir Gvozdev’s terrific artwork - sites’ a little hard to navigate.
• Da Vinci Automata - clockpunk
• Stephane Halleux - do not miss this gallery (example to right)
• Steampunk Fashion
• Steam Brass and Fzz - Check the lamps
• Steampunk Jewelry
• Christopher Locke’s Heartless Machine - Check out the Scissor Spider
• A Better World -Gaming console and ipod imagined in Steampunk Style
• Alex CF Artwork - Many Dead Thinks - brilliant research cases.
• Eccentric Genius - Antiques from a Parallel Universe.
• Spookypop - Wow, a lot of talent in one place (note, you must click on the vines on the left to navigate the site.)
• Animals from Junk - Steampunky
• Steampunk Labs
• Insect Lab
• Steampunk Jewelry and Goggles at EDM
  
• Art Donovan / Steampunk Design

Steampunk Devices

• Gramophone Ipod
• Steampunk iPod NEW!
• Steampunk Lamps
• Steam-Powered Computer
• The Electriclerk
• Automatic Tea Machine
• Steampunk Watches
• More Steampunk Watches (you can buy)
• Cool Steampunk Clocks
• Steampunk Tree House
• Steampunk Lightsabre
• The Vulciana Watch - I want one!
• Photos of cool devices on Flickr
• Steampunk iPhone - this thing is the coolest
• VictorioNixie Tube - Awesome Mod of a toy (also on video.)
• A couple of awesome clocks and some amazing Russian stuff.
• Steam-Powered Robot
• Steampunk LCD Monitor (with a few “how-to” photos)
• Pierre Matter Sculpture
• Steampunk R/C Centipede
• Big Steampunk Animals - wow, check out the crashed spaceship

Interactive Steampunk & Multimedia

• A Modern Compendium of Minateur Autometa
• Crazy Machines (my kids love it)
• Nine inch Nails Closer Video (mature / language / NSFW)
• Steampunk Rayguns (G Rated)
• The Golden Compass Movie Trailer

Articles / Blog Posts

• SlashBoing - Steampunk Eye
• Wired - Steampunk Design
• Gizmodo - Steampunk Laptop
• Gizmodo - Steampunk Keyboard
• Cre.ations.net - Jar of Fireflies

Stuff you can buy

• Steampunk Supplies/Salvage from Sequential Glass
• Klockwerks - amazing clocks
• Steampunk Watches
• The J Peterman Company Iron Gothic Clock
• Steampunk Gift Guide - Make Magazine
• Skerror’s bunch of great dark, gothic-modern designs.
• The Golden Compass , the Cryptex and the Spy Insect
• Steampunk iPod Skin (I tried to order this but javascript errors prevented it bah!)

Misc Fun Steampunk-like Sites & Resources for Steampunkers

• Wallace and Gromit Cracking Contraption
• Make Magazine “My God, It’s Full of Wires”

Gears image by mehrit used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License