The View From Space

I am constantly amazed by those who write for a living. Reading articles and blogs from those that do this on a daily basis makes me green with envy. Being able to articulate your thoughts in coherent sentences, then graft them seamlessly into paragraphs is truly an art form.
Unfortunately we engineers are not naturally adept at transferring thought to written word (as all 3 of my blog readers will attest to). The biggest reason I took up blogging was to try and stimulate my right brain to higher levels of creative thought (ok I’m really just trying to advance my writing skills past the level where I last left them, which I believe was the 6th grade).
Perhaps I should approach writing like I do my martial arts, advance a little everyday until it becomes natural and flows without effort (wow that sounds really zen doesn’t it?). I sure hope it works that way, I’m getting tired of being the embodiment of the phrase “Engineer, can’t spell it but I are one!”.

Recently received the Bluetooth Headset I won in the CraziestGadgets.com “Groundhog’s Day Giveaway: Maverick Nica Sunrise v2 Bluetooth Headset”.  The prize package consisted of not only the headset but a desk charger and a car dock charger.  What’s really neat is that the NICA headset magnetically attaches to the charging docks (okay maybe it’s just the geek in me that thinks it’s cool).

Mahalo to Jeff K from CraziestGadgets.com.  Check them out, they’ve got the coolest Geek gear this side of Alpha Centauri!  You can also follow them on Twitter (which is, by the way, how I found out about this giveaway) @craziestg.

Received the Gowalla Scarf that I won in December.  Now I’m all set for the next Hawaiian blizzard.

Finally broke down and used the giftcard my wife gave me for Christmas.  Made my way down to Best Buy and got me a Magic Trackpad.

The first thing you notice is that the unit is packaged in typical Apple dressing.  A beautiful box with form fitting inserts to secure your device.  Inside, the trackpad is covered in a protective plastic wrap and all documentation is neatly tucked under the insert (which, by the way, has a hole in the middle for easy removal).  Once open you’ll find that it is a fairly large trackpad.  This makes navigation a heck of a lot easier than on those tiny built-in laptop trackpads.  Again, true to Apple form, the design is clean and minimalist with a gorgeous aluminum finish.   The bluetooth interface makes it even cleaner with no external cables or attachments hanging off the ends.

In order to use the unit you first need to pair it with your computer.  This operation is as simple as the unboxing:  Open System Preferences, Go to Trackpad, click Set up Bluetooth Trackpad, turn your trackpad ON then click continue when it’s detected.  No muss, no fuss. 

Using the trackpad is as intuitive as pairing it.  The gestures are highlighted on the back of the box and they’re the same as those on the built-in Macbook/Macbook Pro trackpads, so if you’re familiar with those you’re ready to rock and roll.  However, if you do need more help you can just go back to the Trackpad settings in System Preferences and watch the detailed animations of each gesture.

So if you’re looking to ditch your old mouse or if you’re trackball has your fingers cramping up, look into the Magic Trackpad.   I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Oh and another nice touch from Apple, batteries ARE included.

For all you Geeks out there, in the spirit of the holiday’s they’ve come up with … say it out loud …. Qrapping Paper.

Each QR code hides a unique holiday video.  And there are over 50 different videos.  All you need is a smartphone with a barcode reader app.

One suggestion from the geek world:  Allow customers to add their own videos to the paper.

My twitter post to a buddy of mine literally came back to stiff me. 

Techno Geek heaven can be found a mere 40 miles or so north of San Diego.  Fry’s in San Marcos stands head and shoulders above their 2 other stores that I’ve frequented.  The San Diego Fry’s so far ranks on the bottom of my list, the store is old, dirty and they have a poor selection of items.  The Las Vegas store is 10X better, much better stocked and they have much more “shopping cart” deals (you geeks out there who’ve visited know what I’m talking about).

Topping the list (albeit short) is the Fry’s located in San Marcos, CA.  Well stocked, very clean and nicely organized.  The first thing you notice is that the store’s decor is done in an Atlantis theme.  Upon entering you’re greeted by 2 lifesize deep water divers in tanks and a HUGE circular saltwater tank.  To the right the customer service department is flanked by bubble filled water walls.  To top it off they have a rocking cafe with 4 large saltwater fish tanks making up the front and side walls of the area.

So what does all this have to do with Technology and Geekware?  Absolutely nothing.  But you gotta admit, it is really cool!

Spent our Sunday afternoon watching the Blue Angels perform at the Kaneohe MCB Airshow.  Prepped for the event by reading @geewhy’s blog on what to expect.  The only thing he missed was the traffic trying to leave the base at the end of the day.

As far as the performance, the Blue Angels did not disappoint.  If watching these high caliber pilots perform doesn’t get your blood pumping you need to get your cardiovascular system checked immediately.

Here’s a couple of video clips taken from my Samsung Vibrant:

Added a new energy drink to my repetoire of sensory enhancing consumables.   This one has all the hallmarks of a winner, electrolytes to replenish your body after a hard day of sitting at your desk; High Caffeine to aid in avoiding those mid-meeting naps; ONLY 10 calories per serving (although you’ve got 2 servings in the can); and REAL juice. 

Best of all, it has a strong lemonade flavor with no funky energy drink aftertaste.

So Party on Dude!  Recovery is only a can away.

The new Fall season starts this week for many TV shows.  That means many a DVR will be in heavy use this week.
With so many good looking shows on, the biggest problem will be how to work around the max 2-show-at-a-time recording limit.