“General” collection
Access a diverse collection of miscellaneous technology reviews, specialized DIY tool assessments, and unique lifestyle articles. From niche electrical equipment to general digital organization tips, this section covers the broad spectrum of a tech-focused life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →February 26, 2008
DD-WRT + OpenVPN + LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini Home Edition = Listen to my Home Music at Work!
To write this all up would probably take way too much time. But for a while I have been trying to find the ultimate solution for listening to my iTunes library where ever I am. There are obviously other combinations of this that would work, but this is the latest iteration that I have come up with that I'm happy…
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February 20, 2008
Review of DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone
I must admit I was excited to receive the just-announced pair of DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone, simply for one main reason. For some time, I had been looking for a good portable speaker system that could be used with iPods and iPhones, as well as other devices. I found a few that were ok on the iPod, but when…
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February 10, 2008
Review: LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini – Home Edition
I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about testing out another hard drive, but let me tell you, the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini - Home Edition really changed my mind about things! First of all, this is not just another external hard drive, this is a networked hard drive which means that you plug it in to your network…
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February 4, 2008
Review: DLO TransDock Deluxe
I had the pleasure of testing out DLO's TransDock Deluxe this past weekend. DLO (which, appropriately, stands for "Digital Lifestyle Outfitters") was the second vendor from my MacWorld 2008 Tour that provided product to review, with Griffin Technology being the first. That simple fact alone earned it an extra notch on the "good rating stick." Also included with my reviewer's…
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January 28, 2008
iPhone: Jailbreaking of Firmware 1.1.3 – not for me, yet!
I'm usually an early adopter of these types of changes. This time I'm taking a different approach of "wait and see." I have read through the instructions (ranging from the early release of NateTrue's fix to the more "official" version from the iPhone Dev team) and have visualized the process. There are lots of sites that discuss the changes. From…
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January 24, 2008
Humor: Application for Permission to Date my Daughter
I came across this today and, since I am the father of three girls, decided to make it public for possible suitors to prepare themselves as well as for other fathers who may need it. Note, this is slightly changed from the original version that I received! Below is the text from the form, however, I have created a PDF…
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January 18, 2008
MacWorld Expo 2008 – DAY TWO – Comments and Observations
Well, I went back for more today, Friday, the last day of the Expo. Traffic was definitely lower (which was nice) but you could see that some of the exhibitors were getting glazed looks on their faces and there was a general lack of energy out there. It didn't seem that people had packed up and left but many key…
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January 16, 2008
MacWorld Expo 2008 – Comments and Observations
I spent a few hours yesterday at MacWorld 2008 and wanted to quickly post some information about what I saw and who I talked to. Obviously, the hype is around the new MacBook Air. I must admit, it is a beautiful machine. However, it is probably a better device for someone who already has a Mac and simply wants something…
Read more →January 16, 2008
iPhone: Upgrade to Firmware 1.1.3 Observations
Last night I took the plunge and decided that I wanted to have the latest and greatest firmware from Apple. The Google Maps location feature, the Web Clips on the springboard and the ability to re-arrange icons really grabbed me. But this post is not about that. Since I was coming from a Jailbroken 1.1.2 iPhone with 3rd Party Apps…
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January 7, 2008
Book: Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?: The Transformation of Modern Europe
Updated 01.17.08 - Link added for Wall Street Journal Review Updated 01.14.08 - Link added for London Times review Updated 01.12.08 - Link added for Washington Post review and others Updated 01.11.08 - Link added for Podcast on New York Public Radio It's not often that I talk about books on my site, being primarily focused on technology...and I can't…
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January 4, 2008
Adventures in transbay tube on BART
Updated (again) @ 5:15pm - finally arrived at Lafayette. On the platform were several BART police and handcuffed were 3 individuals who were being questioned. As I exited BART, I saw 5 police cars (with 1 more arriving). I guess it was pretty significant. Here is a surreal iPhone snap of one of the cars (just for some color). The…
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January 2, 2008
iPhone: Firmware 1.1.3, 2008 predictions and my 3rd party apps
Just a quick post for all of you iPhone fans. It's the start of 2008 and there is, I predict, a lot in store for the iPhone. We will see the release of the iPhone SDK which is a definite. Also, there have been reports (from Gear Live) of a new firmware coming out (more about that in a bit).…
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