My 8 weeks at Harvard compelled me to use an Apple iTouch.  There was an application on the iTouch which provided a ‘mobile’ course platform including audio cases, presentations, alerts and schedules.  Being a heavy user of email and browsing on a smartphone, the Apple devices felt a little short of providing a true ‘on-the-go’ platform for me.  However with 2 months of use, I did appreciate the ecosystem created by Apple and the inevitable ubiquity of these devices.

Hats off to Apple for creating a disruptive force in an established business.  With the iPhone came challenges of user uptake, deals with network operators and the ‘killer’ app which would compel users to buy the iPhone.  It may be Steve Job’s magic or culmination of artistic & engineering brilliance but the iPhone has been a roaring success by anyone’s definition.  On the heels of this success, Apple created yet another ‘business’ – the business of Apps – applications that provide ‘uses’ to a variety of users.  Ranging from applications like iPint (yes all you iPhone users download it) providing useless ‘nuisance’ value to Epocrates, a medical application that allows users to view continuously updated medical data or LifeScan’s diabetes monitoring app (I let you judge the value), the Apple Appstore boasts 2B + downloads.  While not all of them are paid downloads,  this is still a good source of revenue for Apple.

Kudos to this success and good luck to all that are trying to ape the Apple AppStore model but I have a prediction – Appstore(s) may be history in a few years..

Now I may be getting a bit geeky here but I cannot help see the progress being made by mobile platforms and more importantly browsers on mobile devices, the richness of functionality on these mobile browsers matches Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox.  If you have a Nokia or a Windows Mobile phone, check out Skyfire, a new functionally rich browser.  If you are an Android user, check out browsers like Dolphin.

So now to my point – I liken the Appstore apps to the ‘client-server’ applications used as recently as 3 – 5 years ago.  It was common to use an application on your desktop for expense reporting, timesheet management or even managing things like Sales opportunities pipeline.  Over the  last few years, pretty much all of these ‘enterprise’ applications have moved to browsers – accessible from any laptop, PC, Mac over the Internet.  In my view as mobile browsers like Skyfire, Dolphin etc. get mainstream use, the app store could be a thing of the past for ‘useful’ applications.

Now only if one could have decent keyboards and screen displays for our mobile phones.  Solutions in that space are also coming out in droves.  I sat next to this guy on a plane ride – he is working on a display screen which can be rolled like a sheet of paper.  Companies like Microvision are already working of small devices which can project displays from PDAs and mobile phones over any flat surface.

The word of mobile devices is changing…. and fast….Obsolescence for the laptop?  I would love to get rid of mine!

Peste cateva saptamani Microvision va lansa Show WX un proiector protabil anuntat inca de acum 9 luni. Iata caracteristicile tehnice: contrast 5000:1, rezolutie 848 x 480 si auto-focus. Pretul va fi in jur de 500$.

Kleinst- oder auch Pico-Projektoren sind als Technologie auf dem unaufhaltbaren Vormarsch, haben dabei aber in der Regel mit einem gewissen Misstrauen gegenüber der Bildqualität zu kämpfen.

Das soll der SHOWWX von Microvision ändern, der als erster laserbasierter Pico-Projektor der Welt verkauft wird.

Das Gerät in der Größe eines PMPs (14 x 60 x 118 mm) liefert angeblich immer scharfe Bilder, ganz egal von welcher Größe, und benötigt dank Weitwinkelprojektion auch keine besondere Distanz (150 bis 2500 mm) zu der Fläche, auf der die Bilder gezeigt werden.

Projiziert wird mit 10 Lumen in WVGA (848 x 480) und 16:9; angeschlossen werden kann SHOWWX an Geräte mit TV- oder VGA-Ausgang. Die Akku-Betriebszeit von 1,5 Stunden reicht zwar nicht ganz für den Standard-Hollywood-Schinken, aber SHOWWX lässt sich via Adapter auch gerne mit Strom aus der Steckdose helfen.

Der Preis des Geräts, das in den kommenden Wochen auch in Europa in den Handel kommen soll, liegt in den USA je nach Konfiguration zwischen 400 und 500 Dollar, erfahrungsgemäß kann man also diesen Betrag auch in Euro erwarten. [dieter]

[Microvision via  TechFlash]

With apologies to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I don’t think the point about social media integration can be made often enough.

 This afternoon, Darrell Heaps of Q4 Web Systems, Matthew Lehman of Progressive Insurance and myself will be participating in a panel about social media and investor relations for NIRI Cleveland. As I was preparing for the presentation, I realized that there aren’t many examples of companies using social media for investor relations effectively. Sure, there are companies like eBay that are “live-tweeting” their analyst days and Microvision opening up their corporate blog to questions before an earnings call, but these examples are few and far between. Instead of using social media as truly a “social” tool, many public companies are using networks like Twitter as mass media to blast out earnings releases. Not only is that not effective, but it really is a waste of time for the company. If I wanted your earnings release, or other corporate announcement, I’d subscribe to an RSS feed on your Web site. I don’t need Twitter for that.

So why aren’t there many good social media and IR examples? I think we could point to many reasons, but most people point to regulation as the key burden. It is true, there are a lot of rules and regulations that public companies need to follow, but I don’t think that’s the only reason we don’t see many good IR and social media examples. To me, the larger point is that, in most cases, the investor relations function isn’t in sync with the PR and marketing folks. For social media to be effective, regardless of communications discipline, we know that integration with the other parts of the business is critical. Sales, marketing, PR, internal communications, among others, need to be working in harmony for social media to be its most effective for any company, let alone the public ones. When IR is treated less as a compliance function, and more as an extension of the marketing efforts, we may see more successful IR and social media case studies.

Anyway, that’s just my take. What’s yours?

Hello BlackBerry Users…. This post might be for you.

We have many customers that have continually asked us how to update their software for their BlackBerry.  Most recently the Verizon BlackBerry Storm.     Well, here is the good news, BlackBerry has just released the latest BlackBerry Storm OS version 4.7.0.148.   Here is the process to get it:

1. Make sure you have the current BlackBerry Desktop Manager installed on the computer you are using.
2. Plug your current phone into your computer, connect to Desktop Manager and Create a Back-Up of Data
3. Visit www.BlackBerry.com/update to download the current version or update
4. The Desktop Manager will recognize the incoming update, and prompt you to install on your device
5. Follow all remaining instructions for the BlackBerry Software

This update is suppose fix a myriad of longstanding issues that have yet to be addressed since its lone update in December 2008.

We thank our good friends at CollaborateMD (Doug) for purchasing a New Verizon BlackBerry Storm, and calling us for help.

Please remember, CommXperts provides many Mobile applications for BlackBerry users, including our BarCode Scanner products.   Contact Us if you have any questions?

Times are tough ….. we understand.

Through the next few weeks, we will communicate through our Blogs and update you on special Discount Codes for ALL of our web products.  Stay tuned….. and save us to your favorites.

This weeks – “Communication Xperts” Discount Code is for Barcode Scanners – Microvision ROV Scanners. These devices are wireless or Bluetooth capable, and can be used for many applications.

Why Barcode Scanning?

• Save time and eliminate errors. »»Scanning bar codes is 15x faster and 10,000x more accurate than manually keying information
• Immediate ROI due to time savings, low cost and error-free data capture

Promo Code:   MVISISV

Microvision ROV Scanners and Accessories

(Enter upon checkout – for a 7.95% discount off of the current web pricing – Scanners Only)

We have multiple other Wireless products that range from Bluetooth, Wireless Routers and Unlocked GSM handsets.  Call us at 877-426-6697 or email sales@commxperts.com for more information.

www.commxperts.com/shop

Sinemayı da cebe sığdırdılar: Projektör özelliğine sahip cepler ve mini projektörler mercek altında.

Artık sinemanızı her zaman yanınızda gezdirebilirsiniz: Projektör özelliğine sahip cep telefonlar ve mini projektörler ile artık bu mümkün. Piko Projektörler o kadar küçük ki, bütün cep telefonu kasalarına yerleştirilmeleri mümkün. Ve inanın böyle bir aygıta sahip olmak gerçekten havanıza hava katacaktır.

Film izleme olgusunu kökten değiştirebilecek bir buluş için perdeler açılıyor. Birçok uzmana göre, 2009 senesi Piko Projektörlerin yılı olacak; hızlı davranan birkaç cep telefonu üreticisi, şimdiden ürünlerine projeksiyon yongasını yerleştirip üretime başladılar. Tahminlere göre yılbaşına doğru bu ürünler bol çeşitleri ve daha olgun modelleri ile piyasada olacaklar.

Henüz bu akımın nasıl şekilleneceği belirsizliğini sürdürüyor. Samsung i7410 modelinde; Texas Instruments üretimi bir Piko DLP yonga kullanıyor. DLP modülünün büyüklüğü, şimdilik, aşağı yukarı bir üzüm tanesi kadar.

Rakip firma Microvision ise Piko Projektörlerinde lazer teknolojisini kullanıyor.

Hangi teknolojinin daha başarılı olduğunu ve mini projektörlerin resim kalitesinin nasıl olduğunu ileriki sayfalarda size aktaracağız. Konu ile ilgili bütün teknolojileri ve hangi ürünlerin yeterli olgunluğa eriştiğini inceliyoruz.

Lazer mi yoksa LED mi?

Artık bir fındık tanesi büyüklüğünde Lazer Projektörler ya da DLP yongaları üretilebiliyor. Peki, hangi teknoloji daha iyi resim kalitesine sahip ve hangisi cep telefonu üreticilerini etkileyebilecek?

Şimdilik özellikle iki Amerikan firması (Texas Instruments ve Microvision) gittikçe küçülen mini projektörlerin gelişimi için emek sarf ediyorlar. Amaç, mümkün olan en düşük maliyet ile bu yeni teknolojiyi yeni nesil cep telefonlarına entegre etmek.

Eski Ustalardan: Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments (TI), Birleşik Devletlerin en büyük teknoloji firmalarından ve Dünyadaki en büyük yonga üreticilerden biridir. DLP ürünlerinin pazarı, ki bu pazara Piko Projektörler için yonga üretimi de dâhil, hızlı bir yükseliş trendi içinde.

DLP (Digital Light Processing [Dijital Işık İşleme]) Texas Instruments’in kendi icadıdır. Bu teknikte çok sayıda küçük ayna bir yonganın üzerine o şekilde yerleştirilmiştir ki, kuvvetli bir ışık kaynağı yardımı ile resmi projekte etmektedir. Üreticiler Piko Projektörlerde, normal aydınlatmalardan daha küçük oldukları ve daha az elektriğe gereksinim duydukları için, LED aydınlatmasını tercih ediyorlar.

DLP-Projektörlerin Avantaj ve Dezavantajları
Samsung i7410‘da kullanılan LED Aydınlatmasının gücü azami 10 lümen. Bildiğimiz projektörlerin aydınlatma değeri 20.000 lümene kadar çıkabiliyor. Anlayacağınız iyi bir resim elde edebilmek için ortamın oldukça karanlık olması gerekiyor. Buna karşılık DLP Yongaların üstünlükleri: yüksek keskinlik ve hızlarında yatıyor; bu sayede resim karelerinin geçişlerinde senkronizasyon sorunu ile karşılaşmıyorsunuz, ayrıca resim boyutlandırması da oldukça başarılı. Texas Instruments Şubat 2009′da, büyüklüğü kuru üzüm tanesi kadar olan, yeni bir Piko Yongasını tanıttı. Bu yonga 854×480 piksel çözünürlüğünü destekliyor.

Yeni Yetme: Microvision
En iyi ve en küçük projektörü üretmedeki yarışa katılan diğer bir üretici ise Microvision. Üreticinin PicoP Projektörü tamamen lazer teknolojisi üzerine odaklanıyor ve böylece LED olmadan işlevini yerine getiriyor.

Lazer Projektörleri resimleri oluştururken üç lazer kaynağından gelen ışın (kırmızı, yeşil, mavi) beyazperdeye yansıtılır ve resim oluşur. Sonuçta ortaya çıkan resmin oldukça keskin olduğunu gözlemledik. Çözünürlüğü de istediğiniz şekilde ayarlayabiliyorsunuz.

Bu arada Microvision, ‘Show’ isimli yeni bir PikoP Projektörünü tanıttı. Bu teknoloji rahatlıkla bütün cep telefonlarına entegre edilebilecek şekilde geliştirildi. Bu Piko Projektörün ulaşabildiği azami çözünürlük 848×480 piksel. Microvision‘ın açıklamasına göre, cep telefonu üreticileri ile görüşmeleri hâlihazırda devam ediyor, şirket 2009 yılında lazer teknolojisi temelli projektörlere sahip ilk cep telefonlarının üretileceğini belirtiyor.

Lazer Projektörlerin Avantaj ve Dezavantajları
Lazer projektörler çok yüksek bir kontrast oranına sahip ve odaklama ayarına ihtiyaçları olmuyor. Bu yüzden resmin oluşacağı alan, teorik olarak, tam düz olmayan hatta yuvarlak hatlı zeminler bile olabiliyor.

Öngörü: Hangi teknoloji tutulacak?

Lazer Projektörler ve DLP yongalarının yanında, cep telefonu üreticilerinin tercih edebilecekleri başka bir alternatif daha bulunuyor. Ayrıca hangi teknolojinin daha gelişmiş olduğunu ve hangi ürünlerin pazar için yeterli olgunluğa eriştiğini sizinle paylaşacağız.

Alternatif bir teknoloji: LCos
Lazer Projektörler ve DLP yongalarının yanında bir de LCos teknolojisi bulunuyor. LCos (Liquid Crystals on Silicon) Texas Instruments‘in DLP teknolojisine çok benziyor. Aralarındaki fark LCos teknolojisinde gerçek mini aynalar kullanılmıyor; bunun yerine sıvı kristal ile kaplanmış Silisyum Folyolar kullanılıyor.

LCos Teknolojisinin Avantaj ve Dezavantajları
LCos Projektörlerinde keskin resimler elde edebiliyorsunuz, ayrıca odaklanmanın da çok başarılı olduğunu söylemeliyiz. Bu teknolojide de LED aydınlatmasına ihtiyaç duyulmuyor.

Chip Online der ki …
Şu anda görünen o ki Texas Instruments oldukça hızlı davranmış. Samsung, yazın piyasaya sürülmesi düşünülen i7410 modeline DLP yongasını yerleştirmeye başladı bile. Bu teknolojinin dezavantajı: mini LED’lerin ışık kaynağı olarak kullanılmasında yatıyor. Normal büyüklükteki görüntüde, diyotun ulaştığı maksimum ışık gücü ancak 10 lümene ulaşıyor.

Microvision‘ın ise bu konuda büyük bir avantaja sahip olduğu söylenebilir. Lazer teknolojisinde, lazerin kendisi ışık kaynağı görevini gördüğü için ışık gücü konusunda bir sıkıntı yaşamıyorsunuz.

Hangi teknolojinin daha başarılı olacağı ve hangisinin pazara hâkim olacağını şimdiden kestirmek imkânsız. Microvision da Texas Instruments de teknolojik olarak olgun ürünlerin ancak yılsonunda piyasada olacağını öngörüyor.

Güncel Modeller

Şimdilik Avrupa Piyasasına sunulması beklenen tek projektör

]]> http://lrz8z36.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/day-15-of-the-video-game-recyclingdonate-project/ Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:25:53 +0000 Rusty http://lrz8z36.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/day-15-of-the-video-game-recyclingdonate-project/

MONDAY! MONDAY! MONDAY! First day of the week and trying to get going but I’m slow out of the hole. If everyone is like me you will not get going until Tuesday.

Now on the the subject at hand. Please help if you can in the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. Toxic chemicals in our environment threaten our rivers and lakes, our air, land, and oceans, and ultimately ourselves and our future.

You can check out the project ideas and what we are trying to do on the about page. Please help if you can it does not matter if it is 1 or 100 games just so they don’t go in a landfill. Thanks for coming.

Coleco's Quiz Wiz

When Neal Postman lamented in 1985’s Amusing Ourselves to Death that the American public had been inundated with so much useless triva courtesy of television information was no longer useful; it had been a long time since quiz shows were prevelant on the air waves, and the second iteration of Jeopardy! was just starting to become a hit. Of course, in the late 1970’s, I had absolutely no idea about any of this stuff. I was much more interested in toys, and toys that engaged me were where it was at.

One of my favorites was Coleco’s Quiz Wiz, which was given to me sometime in the very late 70’s. The one page on the Internet that had any information about the game identifies it as a product of the early 1980’s, but I was still living with my mother when I received it, so it was definitely the late 70’s.

Quiz Wiz was a cartridge-based handheld system, similar to Milton Bradley’s MicroVision, only without the display and recessed pad controller. Each cartridge came with a theme, such as History or Mathematics, and was accompanied by a booklet that contained 1001 questions of varying difficulty. You’d key in the question number and then provide your answer and it would let you know if you were right or wrong (I actually don’t remember how it did this, probably via beeps and boops).

Additional cartridge/booklets could be purchased seperately for a vaitety of themes. I don’t quite recall what those themes are, as we only had the initial cartridges, but according to the accompanying picture you could learn/quiz yourself on such topics as energy and the ocean.

Do you remember my name? I am the 2-XL. Greetings!

Quiz Wiz was easily over-shadowed by the much more popular and robust robot quiz toy, the name of which I have long forgotten. It also used a cartridge system, and had all sorts of flashing lights and sounds. Despite its total cool factor, we never had one of these, and I’m kinda sad that we didn’t. If you remember anything about this toy, especially if you know its name, please post a comment!

Update: I should have Googled “quiz wiz coleco”! Here’s a page all about the toy: http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Coleco/QuizWiz.htm

Update #2: After hours, and I really do mean hours, of searching, I finally found the name of this toy robot!

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the 2-XL from Mego! According to the Wikipedia article, those are actually 8-track tapes, not cartridges like the Quiz Wiz uses. I wonder if you could play actual 8-track audio cassettes on it [edit: according to the commercial (see below), you could dance groovy groovy in your bell bottoms while it played your music cartridges]. Tiger Electronics came out with a more Buck Rogers-looking version of the robot, using regular audio cassettes (then in vogue with home computers) rather than the long-dead 8-tracks.

Skooldays notes that the 8-tracks came in the following flavors, and also describes how it worked:

“Challenges of General Science,” “Guinness Book Of World Records” and “Wonders Of The World.”

The fun of 2-XL began when the user inserted a tape in the robot’s midsection and pressed a red button on the top of its head. Many tapes also came with special overlay cards that could be placed over the four buttons to make them game-specific. With a press of the “Question” button, 2-XL began its string of multiple choice and true/false kid-stumpers. Once a guess was entered, the 2-XL would make a few computer-style noises and tell the user whether their answer was right or not. It would also chime in some extra information on the topic in question.

So, there we have it. Mystery solved. I’d go to sleep now, only I have to start working in 40 minutes. But it was a hunt well won!

Well up and running on a Sunday. Bloging a little late today because my back was hurting today along with a headache. Two for the price of one today. Anyway you can see why I’m asking for donation to be sent. I can’t get out to much sometime.

Back to the project at hand. I’m just asking for donation to help keep toxic chemical out of landfills and to help some kids along the way. Please help if you can and if you want to know where to send items just check out my about page and you can get the address.

Thanks for all your help in advance.

Update of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. It’s unlucky day 13 of the project lets hope it will be lucky instead. There will more then likely only be one update today. Not feeling to good with back problems the last few days.

Nothing yet for kids or to save the environment from heavy metals in landfills. If you have any old video games, systems or anything to do with video games please send them to me and they will go to a good cause.

Thank you in advance for all your help.

Well it’s the close of day 12 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. the weekend is here and it should be a little slow until Monday. Not to much going on the weekend. If anyone needs to get a hold of me check the about page and you can also see what the project is all about. Everyone have a good night.

Opening of Day 12 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. I missed yesterday because I didn’t feel to good and didn’t do any updates yesterday. But I’m up and rolling today after sleeping 12 hours last night.

So if anyone would like to get a hold of me about donating anything please let me know and I will get back as soon as I can. I’m trying to make the planet a safer place and help some kids along the way. Check my about page to learn more about the project and myself.

Thanks in advance for everyone’s help.

Well another day has come and gone on the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. Working hard to get some video games for some kids and to keep the e-waste from electronic products out of landfills. e-waste containing toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be disposed of or recycled safely. Please help the cause and I will dispose of the electronic products the right way at a e-waste disposal program.

Did sleep to well last night had a lot on my mind and could not turn it off. Anyway up and running of Day 11 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. I just want everyone to know a reason why I’m doing this.

Landfills are feeling up with e-waste more and more everyday. “The world is consuming more and more electronic products every year. This has caused a dangerous explosion in electronic scrap (e-waste) containing toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be disposed of or recycled safely.” – “Toxic chemicals in our environment threaten our rivers and lakes, our air, land, and oceans, and ultimately ourselves and our future.” – Greenpeace

Please do nt just throw your video game in the dumpster. If you send your video game and systems to me working or not I will dispose of the correctly. We have a e-waste disposal program twice a year and I will dispose of the games and systems the right way if I can not use them. Please do not send any money I just want video game, system and accessories. Thank you for all of your help in advance.

Day 10 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project didn’t go to well. When I woke up my hip and back was hurting. I went to the doctor and she gave me a treatment but I still feel in pain. Oh well enough about me and on to the project. I hope everyone is awake to help out on the project. All I ask is for you to send me some game you are going to throw out anyway. Keep them out of landfills and help the Environment. Until tomorrow.

It is the close of day 9 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. Monday are not the greatest days for most people so I can understand why it was a slow day. It only been about a week and a half from the start of the project and I’m sure it will take a little more time to get the word out. Well that’s all for now check back to see if we received any donation for the project.

The open of day 9 is here and we are up and running. Monday people are a little slow seeing it’s the first day of the week. My back is a little better today but still a little hard to get around. Now the doctor tells me I have to go and see another doctor because I’m having the same problem with my neck now. Oh well one more doctor is not going to kill me, I guess. Until later.

Lazy day today seeing that it is Sunday. It may pick up tomorrow the first of the week. I have been sleeping a lot today. Not sure way but we will see how it goes tomorrow. My back is hurting today and I have a headache also. Going to see a doctor later this week and I hope he can help. Can’t play any games today because of it. Oh well life goes on and until tomorrow.

We are up and running on the 7th day of our Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. Not a lot of action today it is the weekend but hopefully it will pick up. If you need answers on anything just email me and I’ll get back to you. You can also check the about page for more information.

Well the end of day 6 has come and gone. Things maybe looking up seeing I received a few emails today. I don’t really know if anything will come of it but it’s a start. Please help if you can and if you would like to donate to the project video games anonymously you check about page can send them to:
Rusty Z.
3930 Turnbridge Ct. #201
Brunswick, Ohio
44212-3080
USA

Thank you very much and as always.

I DO NOT WANT ANY MONEY JUST THE VIDEO GAMES, SYSTEMS and ACCESSORIES. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!!!

Early here on day 6 of the Video Game Recycling/Donate Project. Not to much action as of yet but I’m not to upset. the word still needs to get out and then maybe there will be some help. Only time will tell and I’ll keep pulling away. Thanks for all your help and come back soon to see how we are doing.

Hurt my back last night and not sure how I did it. I did some dishes yesterday and I can’t walk very good at all today. Anyway nothing today but we hope it picks up in the next few weeks. Will keep everyone posted on what is coming in and from who. Thanks to everyone and see you tomorrow.

Day 5 is here and we are up and running. Hope we get some more response today but it’s still early in the project and we are going to stick it out for sometime until we can get some people to hear us and maybe get some games. Well until tonight’s update good bye.