consumer equipment

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Say it with me again: KISS

We all know the expression: Keep it Simple, Stupid! or just KISS for short. No matter how many times we hear it, though, it's an easy one to forget. This last week was a great example for me. Just when I thought I'd gotten through my little...

Tags: Consumer Equipment, Cable, Network Technology, Ethernet, Telecommunications, Personal Technology, Networking, Christopher Dawson

Blog posts 2009-02-16

Additional Resources

For The First Time in Ages, I Agree With Apple

Spiders and dust on a slippery slopeWorst inside of a computer I've ever seen was a spider infestation. Must have been a million of them. But what I wonder is where does voiding the warranty stop?A generic abuse statement may not be sufficient in the world of EULA's....

Tags: Manufacturing, PRODUCTIVITY, Apple Inc., manufacturer, smoker, First-time, computer

Discussion threads 2009-11-24

For The First Time in Ages, I Agree With Apple

Is this how you work? Then don't get angry at your OEM when they invalidate your warranty when you send your PC in for service. Yesterday our own Apple Core blogger Jason O'Grady reported that Apple has now adopted a policy of voiding...

Tags: OEM, Apple Inc., Insurance, Financial Planning, Vertical Industries, Business Operations, Corporate Insurance, Finance, Jason Perlow

Blog posts 2009-11-24

Logitech Harmony 700

When Logitech released the Harmony One in early 2008, it instantly became one of our favorite universal remotes to date. But at $250, it wasn't exactly an impulse buy for the average consumer. With the Harmony 700, however, Logitech has delivered a model that offers the bulk of the...

Tags: Monitors & displays, Cable, setup process, Logitech, Harmony 700

Product reviews 2009-11-18

Apple's "force fed ads" patent more likely related to content, not hardware

Perhaps neitherHopefully you are right and they'll use this process to allow customers to earn free content. Unfortunatley I see this as being a way for Apple to increase its warchest by forcing its followers to view ads. Perhaps it'll be a blend - view enough ads to put $10...

Tags: hardware, O'Grady, advertisement, Apple Inc.

Discussion threads 2009-11-17

How to jailbreak the iPhone 3GS

Why does Apple persistI am amazed the game of cat and mouse Apple users must play to get a phone that they can do with as they please. The same people who openly criticize Microsoft for all and sundry, but the beloved Steve Jobs whom it appears must own their...

Tags: Smart phones, Pwnage, Apple iPhone, Steve Jobs, Apple Inc., jailbreak

Discussion threads 2009-10-15

T-Mobile turns Sidekick data disaster into a PR mess

This wasn't cloud computingThis wouldn't have happened with cloud computing. In a cloud architecture users wouldn't have even realized any disruption. They would have automatically been distributed among other non failed geo dispursed instances while the failed instance was automatically restarted on other hardware and restored from replicated data...

Tags: Virtualization, PDC, cloud computing, SideKick, T-Mobile, public relations

Discussion threads 2009-10-13

Microsoft hints at second low-cost Office option

Looks like they figured out that the price people are willing to pay for MSOffice is going to be falling like a rock. Can you say "pennies on the dollar"??$0 is about rightfor all the headaches MS has caused the world.M$ still has to drop the price a lotin order...

Tags: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Corp., OpenOffice, computer

Discussion threads 2009-10-12

New report explores the safe materials aspect of green technology

Lots of the green technology coverage out there right now is focused on the carbon emissions impact of various gadgets, equipment and data centers. But a new report illustrates the advances that seven electronics companies have made when it comes to eliminating hazardous materials from their products. ...

Tags: Chlorine, Green Technology, Report, Heather Clancy

Blog posts 2009-10-07

Consumers only want 3D HDTVs, Blu-ray players if they don't cost extra

Market research firm In-Stat has just conducted a survey that should prove sobering to the TV manufacturers and movie studios that are in a hurry to put 3D HDTVs into our homes. Not only are consumers lukewarm to the idea of 3D content, but they're also unwilling to pay much...

Tags: 3D, Blu-ray, Sean Portnoy

Blog posts 2009-10-04

If open source were a monopoly

As always thoughtful, Dana. But there's a related problem..Open Source projects are notoriously bad a promoting the unpopular decisions. As such you can see open source as a form of populism.If someone wants to do a clean break - the sort of break which move technology forward - you will...

Tags: Open Source Project, open source, fork, Linux

Discussion threads 2009-09-29

Poll: What kind of camera equipment do you need when traveling?

Travel CamerasI carry DLSRs for vacation memories and a small point and shoot for when I don't want attention drawn to myself.RE: Poll: What kind of camera equipment do you need when traveling?I have a 'bridge' camera - smaller than a DSLR, larger than a 'point and shoot'. It's a...

Tags: camera, camera equipment, DSLR

Discussion threads 2009-09-28

Perks for all workers: remote/metro, small/large firms, etc.

Leveling the playing field for workers' perks I’m on the board of a firm with operations throughout the United States. About half of their workforce and plants are in major metropolitan areas while the other half are in some pretty remote areas. Management is challenged to find...

Tags: Employee, Worker, Next Jump, Brian Sommer

Blog posts 2009-09-25

It's Official: Avaya Acquires Nortel Enterprise

Now What Can Nortel Customers ExpectOkay now that is over, we are all now interested in product rationalization that is going to occur. RE: It's Official: Avaya Acquires Nortel EnterpriseThis seems like it will be very interesting over the next several months. I think that Nortel Customers can expect to...

Tags: Wi-Fi, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Wireless and Mobility, Avaya Inc., Avaya Acquires Nortel Enterprise, Nortel Networks Corp.

Discussion threads 2009-09-14

What the EU delay means for Oracle, Sun and us

My Guess, as requested.Insofar as the EU seems to be tardy in the extreme when investigating monopoly considerations (e.g. why have they waited 10 years to tackle M$ about bundling Internet Explorer with Windows?) I would agree with you completely. Why didn't they start proceedings in a timely fashion to...

Tags: Strategy, Backblaze, Oracle Corp., Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc.

Discussion threads 2009-09-03

SmartPlanet: 3 of 4 executives say outsourcing necessary to maintain bottom line

SmartPlanet: 3 of 4 executives say outsourcing necessary to maintain bottomCompletely disagree. Outsourcing only works for small projects that can't be done in-house, like wiring jobs, installing generators and the such. Outsourcing entire departments doesn't work. I've seen it before, when the employee is on a contract...

Tags: Managed hosting, Outsourcing/Offshoring, outsourcing, outsource

Discussion threads 2009-09-01

Consumers to vendors: It's too easy to throw out technology

There are multiple problems with holding onto old tech.1. Technology advances rapidly and you get more for less. Compare an iPhone to a StarTac and you'll see what I mean.2. Repairing old tech often costs more than just buying new. I could spend $200 to repair an old inkjet printer,...

Tags: Printers, printer, old tech, Epson

Discussion threads 2009-08-24

Most Americans support energy infrastructure overhaul

OK, we've established that pretty much every high-tech vendor is IN LOVE with the Smart Grid, because of the billions of potential spending associated with it. So, what does the average energy consumer think? Aka, you and me. A new survey that was conducted jointly by PR...

Tags: Alternative Energy, Survey, Heather Clancy

Blog posts 2009-08-16

(Strangest Wii accessory yet -- photos)

I'm reminded of a story in the classic collection......of Ozark folk tales, "Pissing in the Snow", about a young woman riding behind her boyfriend and reaching around to grasp the pommel to hold on.RE: (Strangest Wii accessory yet -- photos)looks like they got the butt pressure sensors installed.RE: ...

Tags: Nintendo Wii, accessory, photograph

Discussion threads 2009-08-12

Tax concerns to push Microsoft Azure cloud hosting out of Washington state

Tax concerns to push Microsoft Azure cloud hosting out of Washington stateWhat next, they'll terminate everyone's licensing agreements and thenhit the kill switch?Governments should be bullying corporations. Not the other way around. (or perhaps neither side should bully the other?)Typical MicroshaftHire foreigners, make the taxpayers foot the bill...

Tags: Taxes, Free trade, Personal finance, tax, government, Microsoft Corp., Washington State, Quincy facility, Microsoft Azure

Discussion threads 2009-08-05