Once Again Coming Up for Air

Has been very busy around here with the new job and a number of changes in nursing situations at home. Of course, that hasn't kept me from playing the public beta of Tiger Woods Online - even though I suspect the name gets changed before it opens officially. I'm betting on EA Sports PGA Tour Online, but we'll see.

Blogger has been acting a bit strangely lately which hasn't helped. I'm not sure how much of that is due to my upgrade to Firefox 3.6, but that probably didn't help.

Am still looking for an inexpensive Mac Mini so I can see about programming for the iPhone and the iPad. Unfortunately ones that are cheap and that run Snow Leopard (supposedly required for the latest SDK) appear to be virtually non-existent. Where cheap in this case is $200 US or less :-)

So, that's what I'm up to. Hope things are going well wherever you are!

To Buy an iPad or Not to Buy, that is the question

Well, I did my taxes, and my refund is going to be just about enough to pay half of my property taxes this year. So I won't be buying anything from that. Instead I will have to decide if I want an iPad bad enough to fork over "real" money.

In some ways, it IS the form factor I've been looking for. A large iPhone (in many ways), but with support for a wireless keyboard when I do want to do a little work. Sort of like my Gigabyte but with less weight and more battery life. I also have a version of the Cradlepoint PHS-300 that works with my Clear 4G service so that I could get the WiFi only version and still have fast connections anywhere around town.

Still, that is $500-$700...

Guess I'll just have to let everyone know if I end up getting one.

Missing Link for Bookmarks on the iPhone/iTouch

One thing I've been anxiously waiting for is a version of XMarks that would work on my iPhone so I could keep my Bookmarks and Passwords synced with my main computer and laptop. But so far, there's been no luck. However, there was an article on JK on the Run that turned me on to the next best thing.

In retrospect it's fairly simple, and has been available for some time. The trick is to install XMarks for IE, even if you're normally a Firefox user like me, then go into iTunes while your iPhone is connected, go to the info tab, and select Synchronize Bookmarks with IE. Then just remember to open IE occasionally to get your bookmarks on IE so that they can be shared when you sync with iTunes.

The first time you do this, the sync will merge your current iPhone/iTouch bookmarks with your others. So be prepared to spend a little time reorganizing. You may want to have a folder of Mobile versions of some sites toward the top of your list of folders to avoid a lot of scrolling.

The Big Experiment - Taking Place Soon at A1161

OK, it was brought to my attention that just because I have sold some of my photos, and just because some people LIKE my photos, that I could hardly be taken seriously writing about not needing a DSLR if I'd never owned one myself. I'm sure that it had nothing to do with THIS posting :-)

So... I'm taking the plunge. The nice folks at Canon are helping me to get a Canon T1i for myself, and a remanufactured XSi for my daughter who is into photography. I'll be writing up my experiences over on my amateur photography blog, so if you're interested in seeing how the experiment goes, and whether I change my mind, keep an eye on a1161.com for my postings starting late next week.

Why Verizon Lost me Twice as a Customer

This summer I had a need for Broadband Anywhere, but I wasn't sure whether I would need it much after the trip was over, and so I paid full price for the USB Modem so I could go with the month-to-month option. The last couple months I've hardly used it at all, and so I figured it was time to cancel the service.

I had put it off for a bit because all the good stuff I was seeing about the Droid made me think that maybe I should see if I could convert the data service over to voice and still get a good price on the phone. I was giving this serious thought as I called the automated Verizon Customer Service number to go to the Cancel Service option so I could discuss options with their people. I called the first time, typed in all the different numbers they wanted, got to the point where the system was going to transfer me to the Cancellation department, and got a fast busy signal. No option to stay on hold. No option to leave a message and have someone get back to me. Just a fast busy signal.

I hung up and redialed FOUR more times with the same result, getting angrier and more upset each time. After all, this was SUPPOSED to be a PHONE company. How many people are cancelling each day? And does the fact the number is that busy tell me something about their service in general?

By the SIXTH call I was fuming, but finally got a "please hold" message, and only 30 seconds later got to finally speak to someone. Whereas earlier I had wondered if I should give it some more time, or if I should transfer the service, I now was convinced I had better cancel completely for fear of never getting through again. So even when I was offered the chance to transfer to a voice plan at no cost and a discounted phone, something I had been seriously thinking of when I first called, I now was resolute in saying I wasn't interested.

I'm sure my $60 a month is not going to bankrupt Verizon. But I'm probably not the only person who ran into a bad cancellation experience, and then was convinced that I shouldn't even consider them in the future. And THAT is the lesson I hope other folks take away from this. Make cancellation simple and painless, and folks may decided they shouldn't have done so in the first place. Make it hard, and they'll be even happier to leave.