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iPod Touch One Year Later

Has Apple Done Enough to Overcome My Doubts?

The iPod Touch has been out for just about a year now (September 5th, 2007). When it came out last year, I wrote an article (Who Else Wanted More from the iPod Touch?). I thought that it was a very promising device, with several flaws that prevented me from pulling the trigger.

Well, there has been a full hardware upgrade released and several firmware releases since then. So how has Apple done to address my laundry list of wishes?

Wish List	Actual	Result
Realistic Storage	Slight Upgrade (Not even Close to enough)
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	It’s there, BUT Apple has purposely made it unusable.
Third Party Applications and Games	Free and Paid through iTunes Store
Skype	Available with Fring Application

What’s Still Missing?

They’ve done a mediocre job of addressing some my big concerns, but what issues still need addressing?

Poll of the Week – Which Mini Laptop Would You Buy?

Finding the Perfect Travel Companion

I have a birthday coming up and I’m gong to treat myself to a new Netbook computer. I really want a super small machine that I can carry everywhere in my bag. I want to be able to write, check email, read my RSS feeds, etc. There are a lot of things that can be done with very minimal software and web-based applications. The biggest problem that I have is the storage. A few gigs is just not enough for my needs. I want one with a real hard drive that has lots of storage. I don’t need a top notch gaming rig, but I do need all of my photos, music, and files.

It seems like there is a new Netbook announced every day. Asus EEE, MSI Wind, HP Mini Note, Dell Inspiron Mini, and on and on and on. They all look so cute, small, and fun.

I’ve looked at many in person and all of them (I think) online and I still can’t make a decision.  There are a few that made a great impression, but they all have some flaw(s) that scares me away.

Here is the most thorough blow-by-blow Netbook comparison that I’ve seen.

Cnet’s Crave has a Top 10 List comparing some of the top Netbooks in the field.

I have it narrowed down to a few contenders:

HP Mini Note

Dell Inspiron Mini

MSI Wind

Asus EEE PC 901

Asus EEE PC 1000

My Trip to the Wine Library

Wine, Food, and a Marketing Lesson

I’m a huge fan of Gary Vaynerchuk’s WineLibrary.TV podcast. The podcast’s goal is “Changing the Wine World” and it’s doing just that. He started the podcast as a way of plugging his store (Wine Library) and he’s turned into an A-list internet podcaster and marketer. I love Gary’s passion and energy for whatever he does. Weather it’s his wine or his beloved New York Jets he does everything at top speed. I like learning about the wine, but I love studying how he approaches his business.

I was watching the podcast on Saturday morning when Gary announced that they were having a huge sale at the store that afternoon. He also mentioned that they were filming a new episode during the event and that fans were welcome to stop by and watch. Perfect, I had company coming over for dinner, so I needed some wine and snacks.

I looked up the directions and headed out. I new it was somewhere in New Jersey, but it ended up being only 20 minutes from my house (586 Morris Avenue | Springfield, NJ 07081).

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How to Survive a Zombie Attack this Halloween

This Tutorial May Save Your Life

Based on the ridiculous decorations on my street, it must be Halloween season. Halloween means just one thing: ZOMBIES. This might be the year that massive zombie attack finally happens in your town. Facing the horrifying prospect of having my brains eaten by a marauding band of the undead, I decided to prepare.

Zombies! Is from Flickr user “Dr Doom” check out some of his great work. (Creative Commons License.)

I went out to the internets and researched the subject. My research seemed to point to a few basic steps to improve survival chances.

Keep it Simple

1. Identify the Zombie – Spot them and keep your distance.
2. Take Shelter – Find somewhere to lay low, while you make a plan.
3. Obtain Weapons – Get your hands on some weapons. Guns are best, followed by machetes, axes, or clubs.
4. Kill Zombies – There is only one way to kill a zombie; kill their brain. Shoot, chop, or bash their head until the brain can no longer control their decaying bodies.

Google Chrome Just Might Catch On

Could I Possibly be Wrong?

I’ve been reading all of the news about Google Chrome, the blogosphere’s newest darling. I downloaded Google Chrome and tested it on a few machines to see what all of the fuss was about.  Overall, I think it’s OK, but not as good as Firefox, Flock, or even Opera. I don’t really see it taking out Internet Explorer or Firefox any time soon. It lacks that extensions and customization of Firefox and it won’t be bundled with the Windows or Mac operating systems.

When ever I look at the possible adoption of new technologies like Linux, Firefox, or Google Docs I always ask, “Will my mom use this?”

A few tech news sites are reporting that Chrome is being used by as much as 8% of their readers and predicting when it will pass IE and Firefox. My initial thought was that these sites are read by tech geeks that installed and tested out Google’s new toy. I would be curious to see what Yahoo, AOL, or MySpace are seeing.  For the record, VitaminCM.com is seeing right around 1%, which is just behind Opera.

My “Wakeup Call” to Chrome’s Mainstream Potential

So I see my phone ring at 7:55 AM this morning and it’s my mom. I figure that something really bad must have happened down in Del Boca Vista, so I answer. No deaths, hurricanes, or tragedies, just this:

I was reading about this new browser, “Google Chrome” in the free local paper. Have you ever heard of it? I decided to try it out.

Well that cinches it, the “Will my Mom use it?” threshold has been met.

Maybe I was wrong, this thing might take off. I’m still taking a wait-and-see attitude about how much market share Chrome will actually gain.