Google 3D

Holy cats! Imagine if this little device was hooked into all the neat shopping and comparison websites, and you could point and shoot your way to finding the best deals on what you wanted. This device acts like a camera, and with full wi-fi support, can talk with the google backend to find out information on what you are looking for.

I just wasted 4 days of my life looking for the best deal on patio furniture, and ended up going back to the first place I went into. Sheesh!

technorati tags:Google Point and Aim, Comparison Shopping Tool

Katrina Who?

With the passing of the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the news media has blown a bit of a breeze into the sagging public interest sails of Katrina. Over the weekend, the Globe and Mail had a great covering of what had changed, and the fact that the majority of the folks hadn’t returned, and the staggering percentages that have risen with respects to poverty, housing, healthcare and education. Only 18% of the schools have re-opened. Although, it’s not perhaps as staggering as it sounds, as only a pittance of people have returned. So few in fact, that the percapita income has risen 19%.

The Discovery Channel had a few good exposes this week as well, and so little has been accomplished in the past year, and some much has been exposed in terms of government bungling, I’d be surprised if it didn’t still looked like a wartorn country in another 5 years. One journalist compared New Orleans to Beiruit. Geeze, how crappy can that make people from Beirut feel? :-(

technorati tags:Katrina, Hurricanes

An Interesting Observation of the Health Care Industry

Funny story for you.

The Wiz is on the phone right now with the receptionist from the Neurosurgeon's office, she's on him to come back and get the results of a few tests - and he has to "come into the office", he can't set up a conference call with the doctor to get the results.  He's got to drive 3 hours for the dr to tell him he's fine.  It's "policy" that the patient has to be FACE to FACE with the doctor.

Now this brings me to an interesting question about the healthcare industry, technology, and billing practices.  Is it possible that doctors can't "bill" for patient visits unless the patient is actually sitting in the doctor's office?  Is it possible that a "conference call" doesn't count as a billable service?  Is it possible that there is so little adoption of technology, and so little regard for people's time, and such a high self-opinion of the folks in the mdedical community, that they can simply just make policies that suit themselves?

Wouldn't it be neat, if instead of having to drive for 3 hours in rush hour traffic to get medical results, that you could fire up IM, and plug in your trusty web cam, and get your results from the comfort of your home?

That's just crazy talk.

technorati tags:Canadian Healthcare

Hullo, Hullo?

With a little luck, viral adoption, and good marketing, hullo could easily surpass Skype and Gizmo in North American usage. Call quality is better, you can use any handset you like, there are no restrictions on free usage, and you get a bunch of very appealing new features.

Alec Saunders .LOG — An explosive mix of VoIP, Technology, Wine, and Politics

On Alec’s recommendation, I downloaded and installed Hullo last week, but as of yet, I haven’t actually got it to work…. I have a feeling that the whole jig is based on Hullo calling your phone, and then it calls the phone of the person you want to talk to, and Voila. My problem: my home phone is a voip phone already, and Hullo couldn’t ever “find” my home phone, to ring it. And you would have thought THAT part of it would have been dead easy ;-)

Alas, my gut says that if I get off my duff and go out nad buy a headset, like i’ve been thinking about for the past few weeks, Hullo would rock my world as it rocks Alec’s.

technorati tags:Hullo, VoIP

Problems with VoIP and Primus and Sympatico and Motorola

Wow - that sounds like alot of problems.  Well, it IS.

Over the past few days, our Primus VoIP service started misbehaving with the new sympatico service, and swapping out old Vtech phones for new Motorola phones just made the problem worse.... now, incoming Voip calls cause the DSL to spontaneously combust, and I lose sympatico. And then the loss of the DSL also causes the Primus VoIP box to crumble... the whole event seems to take about 2 minutes.  It's simply lovely.

On Thursday we thought it was simply a problem with chrappy sympatico service, as both the Wiz and I had VPN tunnels, and i was trying to make VoIP calls.  Calls were dropping every 5 minutes.  Now I find that there was a Primus problem that was causing the dropped calls, but even after that was fixed, any VPN tunnel would make my calls sound like Martian Speak.

So - I've ordered ACI internet, to see if it can make a difference from the crap Sympatico.

We still can't get a good VoIP call going.... I suppose I will have to unravel that mess again.  To make it more interesting, I don't know the username/password to my Primus ATA VoIP box - if anyone is reading this - and you happen to know what the default username and password is - please email it to me!  I would like to see what the default settings are, and if I have the most recent firmware.

jules-in-voip-hell

technorati tags:Primus, Sympatico, Motorola, VoIP

Foggy Sunday

We've survived a week and a half now, and things are indeed coming together.  The next task is to finally hang everthing tat is not yet hanging on our simple walls. Photos, art, shelves; hopefully not each other ;-)

I've been culling new photos from the past 4 years, and now it's up to the wiz to hel determine which ones will be lucky enough to warrant a frame, atleast for now.

It's foggy and damp up here, reminding me of the early mornings at willoughby, and there is one bird, calling out, which helps with the memories.

technorati tags:willoughby, usshers creek, sunday, fog

Love and marriage and Work...

Forbes.com published a story Aug. 22 by editor Michael Noer on two-career relationships that provoked a heated response from both outside and inside our building. Elizabeth Corcoran, a member of our Silicon Valley bureau and principal author of the magazine's current cover story on robots, sent in this rebuttal. Here's a link for reader discussion.

Careers and Marriage - Forbes.com

Wow - the hits just keep on coming ;-) Are you ready Boppers?

This article, infact, both articles, are able to resonate with me.  Does that mean I am struggling with duality?  :-)

Now that I am where I am, it's curious to compare pre-2002 life with post-2002 life.... i'm glad it's different.

technorati tags:careers, marriage, Forbes

It's Thursday!

It's the first real Thursday in the new house, and we actually have a paper delivered.  The Globe. Yup.  And so - I was uber excited to unrap the paper, have a coffee and paruse the news, so to speak.

I thought Thursdays were the day for the Technology Section to come out - and yet, I can't find it!!!!  Arggh.  I will continue.  I need another coffee first.

technorati tags:Thursday, Globe and Mail, Technology Section

Moving Chris Gardiner from under the Gardiner

An interesting story popped up this week, or was pulled down, I should say.  Chris Gardiner, a homeless man, who was living under the Gardiner Expressway, under one of the ramps to Spadina, was evicted yesterday, and his home was dismantled to make room for desperate repairs needed to the popular highway.

I find it curious that he felt that it was his right to live there, and that any offers of help from the city to relocate him, or find him housing were rejected.  His claim was that it's "against his religion to rent from a landlord".  Essentially, he didn't believe in land ownership.  I'm not convinced that land ownership can be claimed as a religious belief, or if it was simply a fitting arguement to the man's situation.  Regardless, he's now gone, but has told the city "they have't seen the last of me yet".

Curious.

technorati tags:Chris Gardiner, Homelessness

Julie's Take on The Long Tail.

Ok.  The one thing that the rest of the world seems to be talking about is the idea of the Long Tail.  In theory, the Long Tail is all about building a service/distribtion channel/product that will have a very limited, or very precise audience.  It's about creating something NOT for the mass market, but for the 1% of the population who wants it.  It's especially interesting as a distribution channel.  You see... I have a weird ability to like things that are obscure, that the rest of the world isn't interested in. It's a challenge to find these things, and to acquire them.

For example, I like ridiculous, unpopular Depeche Mode songs, songs that didn't even make it to any of the CDs.  Songs like "The Happiest Girl" and "Lie to Me".

Those songs might fall into the Long Tail of Depeche Mode.  I also like "Land of the Lost", and man, that is HARD to find.

Now, how about something REALLY hard to find: The Last Canadian.

it's an interesting conversation.

technorati tags:The Long Tail, The Last Canadian, Land of the Lost

I'm Baaaacccckkk....

... but nothing exciting is going on.  Could it be that August is the slowest month of the year?  No interesting news to comment on, nothing exciting to rant about...

The nights are crisp and clear, and the reruns are in full force.  I suppose I could always finish unpacking ;-)

I will think of something exciting to comment on. Hang on.

technorati tags:August, Boring

Sleepy Bedroom Communities

They weren't kidding, whoever coined that phrase......

By 10:00 every night, it's like the street rolls up and falls asleep.  No lights, no people, just lots of dark.  We are by far the rowdiest house on the street - with kids running under the sprinklers past the 9:00 point....  ;-)  Lots of gratuitious hollering and squealing.

And today, it's all about the hunt for the illusive wicker patio furniture.  It's going to be like a safari, but with less danger.

technorati tags:bedroom communities, patio furniture

Here There Be Crickets

After what seems like an eternity, i'm theoretically back.  Not back back, but in a new back. New house... everything of necessity still in boxes, with the exception of the laptop and powercables ;-)

There are a thousand and one funny things from the past 3 days - I will be sure to fill you in as time allows.

;-)

technorati tags:moving, Oak Ridges, cardboard

Another Bauble for the Techno Socialite

Oh my.  It's beautiful. I was one of the original owners of the Nokia 9000i. This knocks the socks off the feelings i had for that wee device.

Nokia - Nokia 770 -

# Easy broadband access over Wi-Fi connection or connection via mobile phone.# A truly portable, elegantly-sized tablet designed for effortless Web browsing.# Handy for Internet communications, like calling and instant messaging.# Impressive hi-resolution widescreen display and intuitive interface.

Technorati Tags: Nokia 770

Convenience or Coincidence?

‘Mass Murder’ FoiledA terror plot is exposed by the policies many American liberals oppose.Friday, August 11, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

Zarowny - this one’s for you.

;-) 

If I was one of those wiley, conspiracy theorists, I would be looking at the “foiling-the-big-bad-terrorists” story with crossed eyes and a furrowed brow. Is it simply convenience or coincidence that this story broke, right when things were nice and calm, and people were starting to not be afraid? Was there some ingenious government ploy to play up the terrorist card, get people riled up, and put another big spotlight on all the “good work” that the counter-terrorists groups are doing for our behalf?

What if there was no ploy, what if it was a carefully contrived set up, to get us going again? Who bets that some interesting announcement will be made in the coming days, following on the heels of this thwarded terrorist attempt? Perhaps it’s a government security bill waiting in the wings for more financing? Or there is a need to add more military presence somewhere? What if the terrorist plot was indeed a plot, but one perpetrated by the US/Brits?

Hmm… imagine.

It appears I’m not the only one wondering aloud about the same things…

Dear Kitty is also thinking along the same lines along with the London daily News Line

technorati tags:British Terrorist Attempt, Terrorist Conspiracy Theory

Testing Windows Live Writer

Always a kid for trying out new things, I've just downloaded the new Windows Live Writer

And here we are!  It's nifty, it's got nifty wingdings that let you blog a page in IE (it's too bad I don't use IE)... but it will be curious to see what else it can do, and if it can do what Performancing can do, or what the inherent, built-in blog editor for Flock can do.

Ack.  I'm worried that it's not going to know which journal to post this article in... there are 3 on jules.ca.....

Eww.

Nope - it doesn't understand that there is more than one journal (both Flock and Performancing understand without me having to play around at all).  It doesn't allow easy Technorati tags either.  Guess I've got to stick where I am.  It's not such a bad place to be.

What People Can Find Out about Me...

.Funny, the things you would take for granted, especially when searching from the comfort and privacy of your own living room…. (or wherever your computer happens to be).

I don’t use AOL, but i bet it’s likely the same for any browsers that you use with some regularity.
As I sit squinting through the sunlight, i realize there is much info about myself on the net, and i’m fairly indifferent to it.  I’m careful with my address, and with my phone number, and i use one email for crap stuff and one for the real deal. I hide info about the wiz and about the chickadees…But that’s about it.

If someone opened my search can of worms they’d likely find that:

• i do many searches on furniture
• i do regular searches on movies
• i do regular searches on people
• i search for on-line tools and software
• i search for gadgets

You probably couldn’t tell if i was a man or a woman.  You likely would be able to tell that i lived in the GTA at one time.  You would think i have an unhealthy interest in solid wood furniture.

What are you search secrets?

Techcrunch » Blog Archive » AOL Proudly Releases Massive Amounts of Private Data

The utter stupidity of this is staggering. AOL has released very private data about its users without their permission. While the AOL username has been changed to a random ID number, the abilitiy to analyze all searches by a single user will often lead people to easily determine who the user is, and what they are up to. The data includes personal names, addresses, social security numbers and everything else someone might type into a search box.

Technorati Tags: AOL Search Scam, Search History, Search Secrets

39 Hours...

... until we move.  How can I possibly be sitting down and typing? Easy, it's only 9 am on a sunday. We've got miles to go before we move. And I managed to convince the wiz that the TV, computer and coffee maker don't get packed up till Monday night at 11.
Whew.
That was a close one.

People are Annoying... Part II

It's a good thing it's a Saturday, and I've been spending the time relaxing, or i'd be really freaking peeved off right now.

I just returned from walking the dog up to the local grocery store, to pick up some lemons (for the caesars I am undoubtedly going to need to drink now), and i SWEAR TO GOD, if I encounter people taking up the ENTIRE sidewalk just once more in my life, I am going to go telco. (Going Telco is the 21st century version of going "postal".)

Why people think that it's perfectly fine to walk 3 across on a busy sidewalk is beyond me.  Why they think that they don't need to shift around when they encounter on-coming pedestrians is more than a body can take on a hot saturday.  I am entirely sure that it was only my good breeding and bringing-up that kept me from turning the walk into a bloodbath.

I made it to the store in one piece, keeping the cursing under my breath. But on the return walk home, I was once again hugging the edge of the sidewalk, one foot on the grass, actually.  From behind me, I can hear two joggers approacing, talking about stocks and reports. WHAM. Joe Stock Jogger slams into my elbow, with nary a look behind.  I was shocked silent.  The only thing I could utter was a medium loud "thanks buddy" at his disappearing back.  I looked at the smapp dog, she looked at me, and we crossed the street in peace.

We are indeed ready to move.


Technorati Tags: Irritating People, rudeness

Often Used, Not Often Discussed...

The ellipsis...

technorati tags:ellipsis