The Doppler Effect » digital

Google Wave: First Impression

B. Tan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:22:25 +0000

I finally got an invitation to create my Google Wave account; the extremely hyped and highly anticipated communication platform. For those who are still unclear what wave really is, the premise is this:

Email and instant messaging were invented over 30 years ago when computers and networking technology were in their infancy. Email and IM both mirrored traditional communication channels: snail mail and face-to-face conversations. In many circumstances, this paradigm breaks down. Google Wave assumes today’s technologies (Wikis, cloud data, stronger search algorithms etc.) as the basis for a communication platform.

It is important to note that Google Wave is not designed to be just another Google product but rather it is an entirely new protocol. Anyone could setup their own wave server if they choose to. On that note, it is also important to note that the wave protocol is still under development and is a long way from becoming an email replacement (if it ever does).

The main screen

After signing into Google Wave, you are greeted by three-column interface similar to Microsoft Outlook 2003/2007. Anyone who’s used an email client shouldn’t have too much difficultly figuring this out. I’d say the UI is a bit more intuitive than Gmail’s. The real conceptual difference people need to get used to is the idea that conversations are hosted in one location. Gone are the days of sending emails out to multiple people which usually ends up in a mess of reply chains. Once a wave is started, people can be added as participants who can make changes to any part of the ongoing discussion. In a way, this style of communicating is reminiscent of a discussion forum, however it is much richer thanks to “gadgets.” Gadgets are mini-applications for polls or maps you can put right in the conversation. Ultimately, wave works much better than email for groups of people. The fewer participants a wave has however, the less obvious wave’s benefits are. Also, the built-in chat function behaves in the same way a full wave does. It’s not enough like chat nor is it differentiated enough from a regular wave to really make much sense.

At this point, wave is really just a toy. Many of the features (such as contact management) are still very basic. Also, if wave wants to stand any chance of being adopted, it needs to have some backward compatibility with email.

Aditional Reading:
Google Wave and the Dawn of Passive Aggressive Communication
WSJ: The end of the Email Era

Stalker screenshot

On a completely non-wave related issue, I was on the site for Google Latitude and came across something very creepy. The screenshots the site featured showed a map of my home town, Troy, MI. I wouldn’t think Troy is important enough to be a screenshot for one of Google’s services. After asking some friends, they did not see the same image. Just more evidence that Google knows your every move and end up turning into Skynet. Or at the very least something like this:

Life with a smartphone

B. Tan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:55:55 +0000

For someone as nerdy as myself, it’s amazing how I survived so long with a “dumb phone.” The primary reason for not adopting a smartphone sooner was cost. Due to a series of impulsive decisions, I’ve finally joined the club, but where I ended up might be surprising to those who know me for my Apple Fanboy-ism.

Being locked down by a ball and chain (Verizon contract), my options for innovative cell phones looked as broad as toothpick splinter. Being on a family plan, simply opting to pay the Early Termination Fee to switch carriers posed more trouble and complications that it was worth. Desperately wanting a smartphone, I had only two choices; Blackberry (which I affectionally dubbed Suckberry), or Windows Mobile. I chose Suckberry despite my general dislike for it and due to the stagnant nature of WinMo development.

Not wanting to extend my contract with Verizon, I bought a Blackberry Storm off one of my teammates knowing this was one of the most hated Blackberry models RIM produced. For the sake of not turning this post into a review of the Storm, I will summarize my experience so far.

The phone is usable, I have no qualms about the touch screen, and it is actually better than most of Verizon’s other touch screen phones. Overall, the build quality of RIM’s products is very good.
The Blackberry OS leaves much to be desired. It’s a one trick pony: messaging. Especially Blackberry Messenger; it’s a very compelling app but not enough to keep me on a BlackBerry.
Ultimately, having a smartphone I don’t really like is still better than my old Samsung Alias.

Now that Apple’s exclusivity agreement with AT&T is near it’s end, Verizon has announced at least two Google Android phones as well as the Palm Pre coming to it’s network, the smartphone/network landscape is about to get a lot more interesting. The availability of 4G networks within the next year will also be something to consider.

Hopefully, the race to land deals with phone makers and pressure from the FCC will make for a consumer-friendly smartphone market. Call me a hypocrite with my BlackBerry, but my Storm has allowed me to figure out what I want from whatever smartphone I choose in the future.

Additional Reading:
Why You Can’t Get a Good Phone With Verizon

The Power of the Web

B. Tan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:22:23 +0000

The internet is a pretty remarkable resource. One of my favorite websites, Xplane put out a new video that puts the internet into perspective.

Being tech savvy means I’m usually the one my friends and family come to when they can’t figure something technology-related out. It looks as if maybe one day, the rate of innovation might leave even me in the dust. Scary.

AT&T Wi-Fi Part II

B. Tan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:02:14 +0000

The session window for AT&T Wi-Fi

For those of you who frequent Starbucks, you surely know about the free 2 hours of Wi-Fi access you get as a Rewards member. I was always dubious about the 2-hour limit; the access was provided by an AT&T account you sign up for and thus it didn’t appear as though Starbucks had any sort of control over the network. The account you sign up for doesn’t come with any sort of identifier as being associated with Starbucks Rewards either.

Today I spent a good chunk of time there working on various projects and had the opportunity to test what would happen to my Wi-Fi access after two hours. Apparently nothing. Awesome .

iPhone 3GS for Cheap

B. Tan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:01:12 +0000

How to get an iPhone 3GS for cheap ($175 off) with Microsoft Bing’s Cash Back (via Alex King)

AT&T Wi-Fi

B. Tan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:51:26 +0000

A while back I wrote about Starbucks’ Rewards program. Any registered member of the program receives “up to two hours of free AT&T Wi-Fi service, everyday.” I was previously under the impression that this meant you needed to purchase something to get wi-fi access, however it appears (upon closer inspection of the terms and in real-world trials) that no purchase is necessary.

This makes things more convenient for road warriors. I would suspect that this trick works at any AT&T Hotspot. Of course anyone with an iPhone or other qualifying AT&T plan automatically gets hot-spot access and you can even enable automatic login with iPhone OS 3.0:

Anyways, if anyone has confirmed that with Starbucks Rewards, you can use AT&T Wi-Fi at any AT&T hotspot, be sure to share in the comments.

Check out more about Starbucks Rewards at http://starbucks.com/cardrewards.

Microsoft is at it again

B. Tan — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:02:08 +0000

Following in the footsteps of their latest Laptop Hunter ads, Microsoft has created a new ad targeting the iPod. More specifically, the cost of filling an iPod with music. According to Microsoft, it’ll cost $30,000 to fill an iPod from using iTunes.

A lie of this magnitude makes the Laptop Hunter ads look almost reasonable. Considering the fact that

Not all songs cost $0.99 (some cost more but some cost less too).
Purchasing albums lowers the cost per song
Ripped CD’s
Movies take up a lot of room, and if you have an iPod touch, apps
Maybe I like my iPod to double as an external hard drive

These are all ways that you can fill an iPod without spending $30k. I didn’t even mention pirated music! As far as I’m concerned, digital music is somewhere Microsoft has managed to fail on a much more consistent basis that some of their other departments (Windows XP sort of…and XBox).

Given the outrageous claim that we all spend $30,000 to fill our iPods, my iPod library (movies, music, apps, audiobooks, photos) does take up a significant portion of my hard drive, on my old HP laptop, it was over half; granted I only had an 80GB HD back then.

WordClock

B. Tan — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:24:59 +0000

One of the draws of Macs is their hardware deign and elegant UI; not only with Apple products and software though. Third-party developers drive the Mac user experience by creating beautiful applications (and accessories) that show the same focus on excellent design. (i.e. Tweetie, Coda, and Pixelmator). Something as simple as a screensaver is no exception. Mac OS X comes with a collection of stunning wallpapers and screensavers, however I wanted to set my computer apart with something a little bit different.

WordClock by Simon Heys is simple, yet elegant screensaver I found that serves also as a clock. It can be customized in a variety of ways. Check out the video to see what I mean.

Word Clock for Mac, PC, iPhone from Simon Heys on Vimeo.

Bucknell Bison Outdoor Invitational

B. Tan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Here’s a video from this past weekend’s meet at Bucknell University. Definitely didn’t do as well as I hoped.

The video was recorded on a Polaroid DVC-00725F High Definition Digital Camcorder and edited in iMovie.

Did You Know?

B. Tan — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:57:36 +0000

I stumbled upon this upon while at the library today. It’s a bit old, but still cool nonetheless.