iPhone not really

What a bummer…they announced the iPhone and its soooo lame.

Cisco somehow got the rights to use this name before Apple and they made an internet phone that uses skype to call fom anywhere. While that’s a good idea, stealing another company’s brand identity with a bait and switch like this is childish, immature and makes me completley uninterested in buying this otherwise interesting product. I would be interested in an internet phone, but by stealing Apple Buzz by naming it iPhone was just wrong. Now I hate it instantly. Go home cisco, no one needs your cheap half assed marketing around here.

Signs of the season

The commercial holiday season has hit us again.

And likewise I am out of cash for the season.

That didn’t take long.

Here’s a great flickr group about the commercialization of Christmas.

 Happy Holidays!

New Sites New Opportunites

I’ve been catching up on the webbernet news a bit today. I was burried all week with work, so I haven’t read anything or blogged in a while. Here’s some new sites and happenings in the soap opera dramatic world of web 2.0.

1. Google goes Radio and plans TV.

2. OpenServing.com - New wiki like social networking platform – keep 100% of your ad revenue for yourself.

3. A good media blog

4. Japan really has breakfast down pat. I want a device that will cook everything at once too.

5. Excel Templates free on the web.

6. A movie I had forgotten about but now think has some interesting ideas. Metropolis.

7. Who needs a segway when you can buy Ice Skating Shoes.

8. A Novel Idea releasing a book for free over the internet.

9. Want even more Iraq news? See Iraqslogger.

James Kim, Saab and GPS

I am saddened to hear that they have found the body of James Kim, the man that was lost with his family in Oregon and went to go look for help, never to return. Its wild country out there and I think we sometimes forget that when most of us live in suburbs or cities that have tamed wilderness for the time being.

The thing that I can’t figure out about this story is that they had a car and no one found them. They specifically mentioned that they had recent model SAAB in one of the articles. I also own a Saab so I know that they all come default equipped with OnStar locators. Why didn’t they use the OnStar system and its GPS to contact help? Why couldn’t GM pinpoint the location of the lost car from its GPS signal? That’s what those systems are for right?

I did some searching and found out that the answer is because although GPS is used to pinpoint where a car is from their OnStar system, the original connection is made through cellular towers. And they were out of the range of cell towers. How dissapointing that this techonogy is really flawed and can’t help you when you really need it.

I think this is a wakeup call to GM to offer real satellite GPS systems in this OnStar system or else its really not worth it. Why pay for a service if it can’t even help you in a situation when you really need it? if they would have had a real GPS locator on that car, they would have been found as soon as the family knew to look for them. Its really sad that this could have been prevented.

I don’t activate my OnStar system because I don’t think its worth it, and you shouldn’t either.

Where in the world?

Where have I been the past week?

I’ve been crazy busy with work and haven’t had any time to blog.

Its a weird life I lead, trying to work and blog and do improv.

I hope that the Thanksgiving was good for everyone. I had more turkey than I needed.

Now that its over I’m in full Christmas mode.

Its all Christmas-ed up now in downtown Chicago and everyone is shopping like crazy.

What are you buying this year?