All Entries Tagged With: "Rob Bushway"

2009 Predictions: Rob’s Take

I love the beginning of a new year due to having a clean slate - anything is possible and the plains are wide-open.

Here is my best guess for what 2009 holds for us mobile tech enthusiasts: Continue reading

Best Tech Christmas Present You’ve Given

Christmas time is all about giving to those you love and care about. I’ve had some hits and misses over the years, but the best tech Christmas present I ever bought someone was an iPod for my mother-in-law. She’d been talking about getting one for a long time, and then to see her face as she opened it up was priceless. The best of Christmas for me is seeing my family open up their stuff up, see them jump and down with excitement, and then watch them use their present all year long. That is when you know that you had a hit.

What about you?

Dell and N-Trig: I’ve Had It

In many ways, the Dell Latitude XT Tablet PC has become one of my favorite Tablet PCs. It is very thin, light, has ample room on the wrist pad for typing, has a scroll wheel, and is generally pleasant to use in portrait mode. It goes to sleep and resumes very quickly. It is also the only tablet pc on the market that is multi-touch capable.

However, along with a lot of users in our forums, I’ve reached the end of the road with the N-Trig digitizer issues. I’ve lost track of how many different issues there are, as one issue bleeds into another. More times than not, whenever I reboot, I’ll get N-Trig digitizer not found errors or applet loading errors, which render the auto and dual mode useless. The digitizer will only start working again after consecutive reboots. In addition, I still have problems coming out of standby with the digitizer accidentally clicking items while the pen is just hovering. In addition to the digitizer issues, I still have a recurring problem with my wireless card - it’ll just stop working and the only thing that will turn it back on is a reboot.

I’ve worked with Dell engineering support, solicited input in our forums on their behalf, removed registry keys, removed iTunes, fiddled with all kinds of potential USB conflicts, and more. They have reassured me that they are working on the problem. However, it has been almost seven months since I’ve had the Dell Latitude XT and most of my original problems with the XT are still there. I was certainly expecting to deal with some first generation issues for a couple of months, but this is getting out of hand. Even though the Latitude XT has the only multi-touch Tablet PC on the market, I’ve finally realized that this digitizer and its drivers are not ready for prime time.

Dell and N-Trig: These problems need to be addressed ASAP and there needs to be some public dialogue between Dell, N-Trig, and your users about what is going on and when we can expect resolution. Dell customers: I encourage you to contact customer support and let your voices be heard. Until these issues are addressed and fixed, I cannot recommend to anyone that they purchase the Latitude XT Tablet PC.

Rest In Peace, Randy Pausch

As we head in to the weekend for some much needed time off, it would be wise to be reminded of these wonderful words from Randy Pausch, who has inspired millions with his “Last Lecture”. He died today after battling pancreatic cancer.

By the way, Ken Hinckley, of InkSeine fame, was a PhD student of his at the University of Virginia.

Time To Pause….

There are people you come across in life that impact you for the good all the way around. Loren Heiny is one of those folks.

I’ve known Loren since 2002 when the tablet pc was first introduced. His enthusiasm for the platform was contagious, and in a large way, fueled my passion for the technology and the potential it holds. He’s been an ardent developer for the platform from the beginning, constantly thinking and brainstorming about how to bring ink to the web, implementing ink in the school room, and more.  More important than all of that, though, Loren is one of the most awesome people I’ve ever met, living out humility, service, and passion. He’s a giver, and there are very few people like that around.

For those of you who don’t know, Loren has been fighting cancer for over a year. His previous treatments looked like they had worked, going in to remission the past 6 to 9 months. However, several weeks ago, Loren got the news we all hate to hear - the doctors found a new spot of cancer. He just began the long, hard process of treatment again.

As to be expected with Loren, he’s fighting this with a lot of strength and is very positive, even though the road ahead is unknown and will be extremely weary. Fortunately for him, he’s surrounded by an awesome family - a precious gem if there ever was one, and the entire tablet pc community. In true Loren fashion, he’s also actively thinking about new projects. The man never stops :-)

Keep strong, Loren. The tablet pc community is behind you, lifting you up.

Is TechCrunch For Real About the Web Tablet? I Don’t Think So and Here’s Why

The blogosphere and tabletscape is all crazy about Mike Arrington’s “Web Tablet for under $200“. I think it is a great idea and I hope they are serious, but I don’t think that they are. What I do believe, and this is mere speculation, is that Mike is telling everyone that Apple is indeed releasing a web tablet: a larger iPhone or iPod Touch, better known as the Mac Tablet.

Here’s why I think the TechCrunch Tablet isn’t real:

• Mike doesn’t tell anyone why he wants one. He just says that he wants an ultra-thin device like the MacBook Air. He also wants it to have a touch screen like the iPhone / iPod Touch. Mike, are you a secret tablet geek and have not told anyone? How would you use it?
• Apple had their earnings conference call yesterday, in which they laid out a mystery device. The New York Times speculates it is their Mac Tablet - smaller than a laptop, but larger than an iPhone. ( thanks for the link, Mickey)
• The timing of Apple’s conference call and TechCrunch’s piece is quite ironic
• TechCrunch is a news network and conference company. Heading up an effort on open sourcing the development of a web tablet seems totally out of place.
• I could be totally wrong here, but in all of Mike’s writings, I can’t recall seeing him talk about tablets. The sudden need to create a cheap web tablet, again, seems strange.
• I believe the $200 price point is Mike’s way of saying the Mac Tablet will be cheap and consumer accessible.
• He wants a trim OS that turns on instantly. That is there already with the iPhone OS X.
• He wants full browser support. Again, it is there with Safari. It is interesting to note that in his main piece, he talks about using FireFox. However, in the comments, Mike also mentions using WebKit as an alternative browser, which is the Mac OS X system framework that is used by Safari.
• Many folks I talk to about the iPhone and iPod Touch tell me they would love a bigger version - almost the size of 8 1/2 x 11 or the size of a Kindle.

Again, mere speculation. I’d love to chat with you about your tablet idea, Mike - got time for a podcast?

Are Watches Going the Way of the Paper-based Planner?

I’m a people watcher. Drop me in the middle of a mall or a bookstore, and I would be one happy man. I love to watch people interact with their family, grandparents play with their grandkids, teenagers use technology, people read, etc. I really enjoy imagining the story behind the smile, the worried face, and the teenager frantically texting someone.

One of the things I’ve noticed lately is that fewer and fewer people are wearing watches these days. In fact, while walking in to the office today, I passed by five people and none of them had watches on. While thinking about this, I looked down at my own wrist and noticed I didn’t have a watch on, either. In fact, my wife doesn’t wear one. Why is that?

One of the reasons people have stopped wearing watches is that most everyone carries a cell-phone with a clock built right in to the main screen or lid. It takes no time to flip open a phone or press a button to check the time. Why carry a watch when you already have that feature, plus so much more, in a phone. Another reason I don’t wear a watch much anymore is because I use a tablet pc. I have found myself very nervous about scratching the screen with the wrist band from my watch. It has happened to me before, and I just cringed when I saw a long scratch across the screen. Watches and tablet pcs don’t play well together. I know screen protectors can help with that, but I generally don’t like screen protectors and find them distracting.

All of that said, I actually enjoy wearing a watch, and the less-technical, the better. I prefer traditional watches over digital, leather straps over metal bands. There is something sophisticated, nostalgic, and simple about watches that help keep me balanced with technology. When my wife and I go out on a special date, I will generally wear one.

As cell-phones and smartphones become our must-grab gadget on the way out the door and we use devices that beg to get scratched by outside forces, is it a good thing that watches are becoming a relic? Do you still wear one?

Iowa Flood Aid - Amazing Videos

MobileDemand’s Matt Miller has been volunteering to help bring aid to those devastated by the floods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He’s been filming and producing videos to help shed some light on just how badly people’s lives were hit. Learn more about donating to Iowan’s in need.

Check out this video of all the folks in Cedar Rapids flying the American flag in the midst of their own tragedy.

>

There’s a 70-year old grandmother whose 2-story house had water on the second floor. Her home is destroyed. Seemingly from nowhere, people in uniform came offering her clothing, blankets, healthcare, and temporary shelter. Without this help, she may not have made it. She’s owned her home since the 1970’s. She hasn’t had a mortgage in over 20 years. She’s barely getting by on Social Security. She’s not fortunate enough to have a pension. It’s been determined her house must be torn down. FEMA is authorized to pay her $28,000. She can’t afford a mortgage. $28,000 won’t buy a home. What does she do? She firmly plants the American Flag in her yard and starts cleaning up, because that’s what we do in Iowa.

American, Iowa needs your help. Please donate. Help these proud people get back on track.

Follow Rob Bushway On FriendFeed

It seems the tidal wave in conversation has begun shifting from Twitter to FriendFeed, and I’m moving my mini-blogging conversations to FriendFeed, too.

If you are interested in following stuff I share or post about while out and about, then you can follow me via FriendFeed here. A lot of the stuff I share and comment about never make it on GBM, so it can offer some other insight to mobile tech. We also have a GottaBeMobile.com room set up for GBM friends to pop in and chat.

I’ll let the other team members post up their FriendFeed links.

Tablet Isn’t Dead - We Just Need a Leader

Is that a funeral procession I hear coming down Bourbon Street, celebrating the death of Tablet PC? Absolutely not! Life in Tablet land is certainly not as vital as it should be, though, and this is a challenge the industry should take by the horns.

We’ve heard quite a lot from readers, GBM writers, ISVs, and hardware partners in the past week about their concerns regarding a technology we all know is superior and has so much unrealized potential. There is a lot of pent up frustration aimed toward Microsoft and OEMs, a lot of it rightly placed. For the first time, players within this space are starting to speak out, and it is eye-opening to hear from the likes of InPlay Technologies, N-Trig, and Active Ink Software confirming what many have been reluctant to talk about the past five and a half years: folks are not happy with the status quo and we want change.

We want Microsoft to publicly stand behind a technology they actively evangelized in the early years. There has been a large disconnect between Bill Gates personal passion for Tablet and what Microsoft actually does. It means putting their marketing dollars and expertise behind it. It means righting the things that are causing partners like InPlay to call Microsoft a “black hole” when it comes to innovation in the market place. It means leading by example with their own solutions and UI. It means addressing SDK issues that ISVs have. It means active change.

We want OEMs actively working with ISVs like Active Ink, Einstein Technologies, EverNote, and Bluebeam in marketing this superior technology. OEMs have their fair share of blame with the current state of affairs, and certainly have as much marketing clout as Microsoft to help right this ship. What they’ve done in the past certainly has not worked. I know OEMs like HP are reporting blazing sales of tablets like the TX2500, but I wonder how many folks actually know there is a pen in that thing and are aware of the software and experiences that await them. The Mobile PC space seems to be leaving Tablet behind, and it should be the other way around: tablet technology should be the leading driver in mobile computing.

I seriously believe that a mini-summit of sorts is needed, bringing the likes of Microsoft’s Windows team, Microsoft’s marketing team, Microsoft’s Office team, Toshiba, Motion, Fujitsu, Dell, N-Trig, Wacom, InPlay, ISVs, GottaBeMobile.com, MVPs, a segment of users, and resellers to the table to openly address the state of the industry and where we take things from here. There doesn’t seem to be a unified vision, a leader if you will, taking us all to the promised land. We lack vision and are sorely in need of a leader.

These are definite challenges, and every technology solution faces them, especially ones like tablet that threatens to change the way people think about interacting with a computer. They are paradigm shifts in thinking that often take years to come about. The struggle is keeping the momentum, excitement, and focus during the years that it takes for a technology to finally take hold. I’m still very excited about Tablet PC, but am frustrated at the state it finds itself in right now.

Don’t break out the black suit, drums, and saxaphone just yet - Tablet isn’t dead and it won’t be dying any time soon. We just gotta get that jazz band playing a new tune.

Technorati Tags: Tablet PC, Microsoft, Dell, Fujitsu, InPlay, N-Trig, Wacom

Mr. Gates, The Tablet PC Community Needs to Talk With You

Much to chagrin of the mainstream press, Bill Gates has been nothing but persistent over the years with regards to the Tablet PC and his belief that natural input technologies, like ink, will one day be common place. Gates will enter his “retirement” by spending much of his 20% Microsoft time on pet projects like Research, Tablet PC, speech, vision, touch, and such. Gates doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that would waste some of his most valuable resources, like time, on technologies that don’t have long term viabilities. We happen to agree with him about the long term potential that natural input technologies have.

In many of the speeches that I’ve heard Gates give, including last year’s MVP Summit, he frequently mentions the Tablet PC form factor. Lately, as Gates has been traveling the world, he has been spending a lot of time talking about putting a Tablet PC in the hands of every student. Tablet PC and touch was also a major talking point at this year’s D6 conference. It is quite ironic, though, that the community which gives life to his passion has never heard from him directly in the almost six years that Tablet PC has been around. I can’t recall seeing any interviews with Mr. Gates from TabletPCBuzz.com, TabletPCReview.com, TabletPC2.com, and yours truly, GottaBeMobile.com.

Mr. Gates, the community that is in step with your passion needs to talk with you - we want to hear from you directly about the technology we both care about, are concerned about, discuss, and believe in. Comments like these are indicative that there are some real issues that need discussing.

I’ll be in Redmond in a few weeks meeting with your Surface team. I’d be happy to extend my trip by a day or two in order to spend some time talking with you about Tablet PC, touch, and mobile computing. Your Tablet PC team knows how to get in touch with me if you’d like to talk.

Weekend Discussion: What’s Your Biggest Struggle When it Comes to Being Mobile?

Going in to a long Easter weekend, I thought it might be fun to have a discussion centered around mobility. So, here’s the question for this weekend:

“What is your biggest struggle when it comes to being mobile?”

My biggest struggle is not the technology, per se. I’m actually pretty pumped about Tablet PCs, the iPhone, my MacBook, and general web services like EverNote, FolderShare, and .Mac which allow me access to most of my data wherever I am and on whatever device I find myself using at the time.

My struggle is mostly with creating some distance from the technology. Being mobile means that I’m more or less always attached to my devices. That makes it harder to put things away when I mostly need to relax and break free, because the tendency is to check feeds, check email, twitter some status update, check TechMeme, - because, you know, it is there, connected, and available. I try, believe me, but it is a constant discipline issue in my mind.

What is your biggest struggle? battery life, OS, syncing, staying connected, staying disconnected, choosing devices, cost, connectivity, etc?

Some Random Mobile Musings

Here are some random things going through my head as I ponder the mobile pc space:

• 37Signals has a great write-up on Apple’s iPhone SDK “What we saw today was the beginning of two-decades of mobile domination by Apple. What Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile. ” I especially love this comment from Kevin: “I completely agree as well. This is Apple’s second chance. While Microsoft may have won in the desktop market, the next generation of computing is upon us. After watching today’s event, more than ever I feel that mobile computing is the next big thing… perhaps even bigger than desktop computing. As you said, there’s currently no clear leader and Apple has all the pieces needed to make it to the top. This is going to be exciting.”
• I purchased an Objective-C programming book last night - still can’t download the iPhone SDK from Apple’s servers - still getting hammered on download requests. Amazing
• What kind of process is Apple going to apply to determine who gets listed on their Apple App Store and who gets left off? Obviously they won’t let SIM breaking utilities? Where is the line and what kind of objective / subjective reasoning are they going to apply? That is concerning to me as a developer. By the way - Apple’s 30% cut seems awfully high. I don’t know that it is, but it seems high to me as a developer. Along those lines, why will iPod Touch users have to pay for the new June release that will allow SDK support and Exchange support ( iPhone 2.0 )? Didn’t they just pay for an update a couple of months ago? Good way to show love….
• Absolutely loving EverNote’s Web Notetaking / syncing beta - Warner will have much more to share on that later. My short impression - it is a game changer for mobile notetaking that addresses cross-platform notetaking. I’m looking forward to their Mac and iPhone version. I’m quite tempted to switch from OneNote to EverNote….What is OneNote going to do to get seamless syncing with the web?
• As a web developer, where do I need to be focusing my programming efforts?
• Rugged Tablet PCs and rugged notebooks  seem to be getting a lot more focus these days? Is Field Force the vertical to hone in on? What are the application needs?
• Is thin and light really that important?
• The tablet pc OEM space is awfully quiet…why?
• There is a clear move to focus on mobile computing - that’s gotta be good for everything that we talk about here.
• What are our readers getting excited about? Where do they see the most potential for there business?
• I so totally love InkSeine and think it is one of the best things to happen to the Tablet PC software space in several years. What is Microsoft going to do with it?
• Why do great tablet pcs like Motion’s F5 and Dell’s Latitude XT need to cost so much? They are totally awesome Tablet PCs that would sell like hotcakes if the price was right. How many folks would buy an F5 or XT if they cost $1500? Why is an already out of day Shift priced at $1629? Why are we still talking about cost five years after the cost conversation started? What’s up with that?

Prepping to Go Mobile in St. Louis

Next Saturday, my wife and I will be taking our daughter, Maggie, to St. Louis Children’s Hospital for some medical tests.

I’m already in the midst of planning what I’m taking with me, how I’ll get work done while away, and the best devices for the job. I’ve also got a ton of regular work to do between now and next Saturday. Man, it never ends!

One of the challenges with this trip is Internet connectivity.  Because of the type of tests being done, we’re not allowed to have cell phones or wwan Internet connectivity in the hospital room. However, I have been known to break that rule on occasion, and ask for forgiveness later :-). Any cell conversations or wwan Internet access has to be conducted elsewhere in the hospital. In addition, EV-DO coverage in our hotel has typically been very spotty. So, it is a constant connectivity battle communicating with friends and loved ones, staying on top of work, and being available to take care of the occasional emergency from work.

Here is what I’m taking with me and why:

• TC1100 Tablet PC - I want a no-hassle way of taking general notes while the doctors are talking with us, journaling, etc. I’ve installed Vista on the TC1100 and will be using InkSeine for my note-taking and journaling
• Moleskine - In the event a situation doesn’t allow for a slate Tablet PC or I’ve run out of battery, I always carry a regular paper-based notebook with me. Oftentimes, I’ll use the Moleskine when I want to escape from technology. Sometimes, paper is best.
• MacBook - I’ve got a black MacBook with Vista running through VMWare’s Fusion. This is my current powerhouse for getting work done. I could take the X61 with me, but on this trip I’m leaning to the MacBook due to its flexibility in running multiple OS’s and the wide range of program selection. In addition, the MacBook has a built-in webcam so I can record some video of Maggie and upload it for her brother and sisters to watch from back home.
• Canon SD600 camera - when Maggie was in the hospital several years ago, I took my Nikon D70. It was too big to be hauling around the hospital, waiting rooms, etc. For this trip, I’m aiming for light-weight and good quality. I’ll also be using my iPhone for picture taking.
• Novatel USB727 air card - Since I’ll be bringing two computers with me, the flexibility of a USB based EV-DO is important, assuming I can get good coverage in our hotel room. I want to avoid paying our hotel for internet access at $10 - $20 per day.
• HP 310 Travel Companion - Because we’re driving to and around St. Louis, I’ll be relying a great deal on a GPS solution. I don’t have a good sense of direction, so GPS and standard maps are a mainstay for me. HP will be sending me a replacement eval 310 since the one I received prior to CES had problems from the beginning. After working with HP, who have been totally awesome in helping me work through this, we’ve determined that I likely had a bad unit. The 310 will be put to good use during this trip for sure.
• iPhone - I’ve gone back and forth between the iPhone and the HTC Tilt. Both are good phones. However, since I’m primarily using a MacBook right now ( coupled with a TC1100 ), the most seamless and trouble-free syncing solution is with an iPhone. In addition, taking pictures and casual web browsing is much better on the iPhone than on a Windows Mobile phone. I’m expecting AT&T coverage to quite spotty between here and St. Louis, with Kansas providing the biggest challenge. Still, with the iPhone coupled with IMAP enabled Gmail, I should be able to stay on top of email while on the road, refilling at gas stations, and stocking up on fast-food.
• Amazon Kindle - there is a lot of down time while these tests are going on, especially during all of the video monitoring. To keep from bringing so many regular books, Kathi and I will be doing most of our reading on the Kindle. That said, I’m sure Kathi will be bringing her fair share of regular books, too.
• Maggie is bringing her Zune to listen to music and watch movies on. The driving time is about 13 hours, so we’ll be keeping the Zune charged through an auto power adapter.
• In the car, Kathi and I will be listening to our music on our Zune, which will be plugged in to the stereo through a standard male to male cable. It is mounted in our van using a ProClip mount.
• And of course, all the darn adapters and power cables to keep the above charged and working. Fortunately, most of the smaller gadgets charge through USB, so I can either charge them using my computer or by using a standard USB power adapter.
• Box.net and Zoho? - this trip is showing me the value in keeping documents locally accessible, especially when I need to be able instantly search my notes. With the unpredictable availability of internet access, I need a dependable way to get to my stuff, especially my notebook. So, I won’t be relying on Box.net or Zoho during this trip. Using the cloud for storage and document generation is a good solution if you can depend on your connectivity. Once that confidence begins to shed, though, the good-ole standby begins to shine: local storage and client-based apps. Web-based services Office Live look like a good in between solution - access and viewing of documents online, editing offline, and automatic syncing. Look for some coverage on Office Live from Sierra and I over the next 3 - 4 weeks.
• If you are pretty sharp, you’ll notice one item missing from my standard kit: The OQO Model 02. Several weeks ago, I let Sierra borrow my Model 02. Big mistake. She has since fallen in love with it. I knew my chances of getting it back where slim to none; so when she offered to buy it from me, I jumped at the opportunity - better to get a little money out of the deal than never get the unit back at all! I’ll likely pick up another one on when OQO releases the next version.

For those of you who are interested, you can following our trip from my personal blog, RobBushway.com. I’ll mostly be posting stuff there that we are doing on a day to day basis, how Maggie is doing, test results, pictures, video captured in the hospital room, etc. I’ll also be twittering, which you can follow here.  Warner, Sierra, Matt, and Terry are going to keep things running on the GBM front while I’m prepping for my trip and also away.

Help Us Improve - The Mic Is Yours

We are on a continuing process of improving what we do on GottaBeMobile in order to bring you the very best in mobile pc coverage. From daily news coverage to InkShows, Podcasts, and forums, we offer a wide range of mediums to bring you the information you are most interested in.

Now, although we love getting kudos and pats on the back , what we really need to know from you guys is how we can improve. Be brutally honest - we’ve got thick skin. I mean it. If we are doing something that sucks, tell us. If the site loads slow, you hate the layout / design, you wish we would stop writing about certain things and concentrate more in another area, tell us.  I can’t promise we will fix all the issues, but I certainly want to know what they are, how we can improve, thus making your experience on GottaBeMobile more enjoyable and productive.

The mic is yours.