Archive for the ‘technology’ Category
Apple does me a solid (again!)
A few years back, I purchased a pair of Apple’s in-ear headphones. I’m no audiophile, but I do appreciate nice sounding speakers and the default iPod earbuds leave much to be desired. I like the in-ear variety because they’re really good at blocking external sound (for example, when I’m on a train or airplane) and they stay in my ears better when exercising. At $80 they’re a little pricey, but in my view well worth it.
When I first bought these, I was running a lot outdoors. To break up the monotony of a 10 mile run, I like to listen to podcasts to keep my brain active. As you might imagine, running outdoors in the summer produces quite a bit of sweat that eventually finds its way into the headphones. While they kept pumping out the jams, eventually the microphone/button on the cord stopped working.
I went back to the Apple store with nothing more than the headphones and the case they came in and explained the situation (leaving off the part that it was likely my sweat that caused the malfunction). Sure enough, they pulled a new pair off the shelf and let me exchange them without any fuss (or a receipt!). Thank you, Apple!
Fast forward another year and I’m still enjoying the headphones but this time I lost one of the little removable silicone pads that keep them snug in your ear. Back to the Apple store with my sob story and, lo and behold, they gave me a full set of new buds (2 each of 3 sizes) for free. Excellent!
During this whole transaction, Apple didn’t make much of a profit. But they made a long-time repeat customer very happy and pretty much guaranteed that I’ll continue to pay my Apple tax for their insanely great products. Take note: even if the payoff isn’t immediate, there is a real tangible value for providing exemplary customer service. Apple knows this and they are profiting in large part because of it.
Thanks, Steve!
Filed under Apple, culture, technology : Comments (1) : May 2nd, 2010
Kill my TV
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the ol’ boob tube for some years now. I managed to avoid purchasing a television of my own, but I have a nice 24″ computer monitor that makes internet video look really good. I like to pretend that I’m too cool to get sucked in to the mindless drivel, but then I find myself totally hooked on The Office, 30 Rock, and Modern Family (all clever shows, but not exactly Shakespeare.)
I’ve also seen the damage that TV has done to our democracy. Whether it’s a symptom or the disease, there’s no question that the influence of 24-hour “news” networks like FOX News, MSNBC, and CNN have severely damaged our capacity for intelligent discourse.
Then there’s the health implications. Say what you will about the brain-rot factor, we need to seriously consider the impact to our bodies. We evolved to be movers and shakers; sitting stationary in front of the glowing TV for hours on end really speeds us along the path to national obesity.
And, of course, the advertising. Let’s be clear: the primary goal of television is not to entertain or enlighten, it is to sell ads. (The entertainment and/or enlightenment are simply bait). If we’ve learned anything during the past recession, it’s that an economy with consumer spending at its core is not very stable. We rarely build things of lasting value in this country any more, but we sure do like to shop at the mall.
So with these thoughts in mind, I’m going to do a little experiment: kill my TV. For the next 6 months, I will not watch any TV (including on a computer) and evaluate if this changes my health/wealth/happiness to any measurable degree.
Check back on November 10, 2010 for an update.
Filed under culture, technology : Comments (2) : Apr 10th, 2010
The Apple iPad
First off, let’s clear the air. The name “iPad” is terrible. Really, really bad. I’m looking at you, Steve, and I’m disappointed.
That said, the iPad is a pretty neat device. It didn’t fulfill the pie-in-the-sky fantasies of the Mac fanboys (but nothing ever does) but I think it’s more useful than we realize. It may take a year to fully hit its stride (as did the iPhone) but it definitely represents a step in the evolution of computing devices.
The real value of the iPad rests on the application developers. It’s a beautiful platform to start with–large, sharp display, multi touch interface, 10 hrs battery life–but we don’t yet know where it leads. The few teaser applications they showed us were just that. Software always lags behind hardware as computers evolve, so we don’t yet know what the iPad will become.
Here’s a few of my ideas:
- Doctors & Nurses – This seems like the perfect computer to view and manage electronic medical records. I would be shocked if we don’t see some aggressive iPad development from EMR software vendors.
- Warehouse Managers – With the infinitely configurable interface (via custom application development) each company can give their warehouse managers the ideal device to carry. Throw in a RFID/Barcode reader and you’ve got it made.
- Performers – I could imagine some very cool applications to mix and control an audio/visual show using the touch interface. For $1000 you could lay down two of the 10″ screens, network them via bluetooth, and go nuts.
- Military – I’m sure they would require some extra beefy cases, but I could see this as an ideal information tablet for soldiers in the field. Pilots could strap one to their leg and have dynamic maps and status feed. Drones could send a video feed back to ground units. With the accelerometers, you could even fly the drone remotely.
The key point here is that the iPad is still a blank slate. As application developers start to dream and experiment, we’re going to see some really neat apps coming our way.
Probably.
Filed under technology : Comments (1) : Jan 28th, 2010
Mac Hack Attack
I have a 24″ iMac for home and a 13″ MacBook Pro for work. I love the small form-factor of the MacBook, but the limitations on screen real estate is sometimes a drag. The iMac has a gorgeous screen, but no video input to let me hook up my MacBook. What to do?
Mac Hack Attack!
The Mac platform supports a feature called Target Disk Mode. If you reboot a Mac while holding the T key, you can access the hard drive over Firewire from another computer. So for my setup, I boot my MacBook in Target Disk Mode, then plug it into my iMac using FW800. I then restart the iMac and tell it to boot from the MacBook’s hard drive.
End result: 24″ of screen real estate with no cross-contamination between the two systems. Reason No. 5967810 why I love the Mac platform. It just works.
Filed under hack, technology : Comments (3) : Jan 12th, 2010
Zipcar : initial thoughts
I’ve relocated to Washington D.C. which means I can take advantage of a really nice mass transit system and sell my car. The Metro can get me most places I need to go within Washington and the first-ring suburbs. For those trips when I do need a car, I joined the Zipcar car-share service.
I tried a similar car-share program when I lived in Madison, WI but found that it couldn’t meet my needs. There were too few cars spaced too far apart to be convenient.
The Zipcar scene in Washington is much, much better. With hundreds of cars to choose from, many in close proximity to a Metro station, getting to and from a car is a breeze. Reservations have been plentiful as well, with multiple cars available at any given time when I want one.
The Zipcar process is pretty slick: you pay a one-time fee to join the service (for me, $25) then rent cars by the hour. The price depends on the model you want (they have everything from a Smart Car or Prius to pickup trucks and BMWs) in the range of $6.50 – $13. The casual Zipcar user also pays an annual fee (currently $50) that is waived for more frequent users who commit to a minimum monthly spend. I know I will be using Zipcar for work travel at least a few times a month so I signed up for the $75/month plan.
Reservations are done online or using a very slick iPhone app when you’re on the go. Once you arrive at the car during your reservation time, your Zipcar card unlocks the vehicle and away you go. I’ve rented a car for three trips so far and each time it’s worked perfectly.
Most of us aren’t used to paying for a car by the hour so that fee may seem high. When you factor in all that you’re getting, however, it starts to look like a real bargain. There’s the obvious stuff like the capital cost of the car itself and all maintenance/repairs. You’re covered for insurance (with a $500 deductible if you’re at fault) and the cost of parking the Zipcar. Add in the fuel costs (each car comes with a fuel card if you need to refill) and it starts too look like a real bargain.
The secret behind Zipcar is raising the capital utilization rate for their fleet of cars. Most car owners use their car for maybe 10% of the day, while it sits idle for the other 90%. The typical car ownership costs in the U.S. are $400-600 per month. You’d have to use that car for 12 hours a day to come close to the hourly rate Zipcar charges.
Of course, the Zipcar scheme won’t work for every city or every driver. It relies on a critical mass of users and is buoyed by an available mass transit system. But for urban dwellers with infrequent car needs, it can’t be beat. I’m thrilled to be giving up car ownership and relying on the Metro, Zipcar, and my feet for my transportation needs.
And finally, the sales pitch : if you are interested in trying Zipcar, use the link below. You’ll get $25 in free driving credits and I’ll get $25 for the referral.
Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving!
Filed under Washington DC, economics, frugal, technology : Comments (0) : Jan 3rd, 2010
