doug-miller.net > Doug Miller’s Weblog

Latest Updates RSS

Doug 1:10 am on September 24, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

Wired: In Pittsburgh, a research team at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute of Technology, or CIT , has developed a new context-aware mobile-phone technology called the SenSay. The SenSay cellular phone, still in prototype stage, keeps tabs on e-mails sent, phone calls made and the user’s location. The phone also adapts to the user’s environment.

“SenSay is a huge productivity boost,” said Dr. Asim Smailagic, a senior researcher at Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Complex Engineered Systems . “Because people can see when you are available, the time it takes to hand off or receive information is greatly reduced.”

To provide data about the user, SenSay uses motion sensors (accelerometers), a microphone, a heat-flux sensor (to measure the heat coming from the user’s body) and galvanic skin-response sensors. These sensors are housed in a light, stretchy wireless armband. A GPS device helps to determine the user’s position, both outdoors and inside a building.

See also The sentient office is coming, Project Oxygen, and Project Oxygen’s New Wind. Human-centric computing, based on input from a network of personal sensors. If you have the right phone and a Bluetooth-equipped Mac, you can play with the first generation of this sort of stuff using tools like Salling Clicker or Romeo.
Doug 12:36 am on September 24, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

Location-based search coming from Google:

Google Inc. is playing with the idea that with online as well as offline real estate what really matters is location, location, location. The company’s Labs division unveiled a test version of a new search by location service Monday, allowing users to query for stores and services that are close to home.

To help users find more geographically-specific information on the Web, the new service analyzes Web page content for clues about location, like business addresses, Google said in a posting about the new service on its site.

The more search ties into the physical world the happier I’ll be. I’ve become so used to using search engines to find stuff online that I find it frustrating when I’m looking for something in physical space and don’t have a decent “search interface.”

For example, I’ll prefer Borders over Barnes & Noble bookstores mainly because Borders places search terminals around the store while B&N makes me go ask someone. I pay extra for digital cable mostly for the program guide - even though that’s a pretty poorly constructed interface.

Hopefully, Google can extend its expertise into location search effectively. I’ve tried other location-based search services, like Vindigo, and they’ve all been less than effective. Either the data isn’t there, or the interface stinks, or both. I suspect Google’s major challenge will be in collecting the location data and keeping it current, a task far more daunting than indexing web pages.
Doug 1:35 am on September 23, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: business and corporate

Terri and I used to be loyal Quicken users. For several years we used it not only for our personal finances, but I ran several small businesses using it. Despite it being excellent software, and there being a Mac version available, our Quicken days are over.

You see, over a year ago when we were chosing a mortgage for our new home, we used LendingTree.com to pick a mortgage lender. It seemed the oh-so-very-modern way to go about it - have multiple lenders “compete” for our business via a web site, be able to fill out all the forms online, etc. QuickenLoans won our business. At first, things went very well…

Our realtor warned us, but hey, I’m a techie, right? Surely a hip, Internet-enabled, up-on-ecommerce lender would be better suited to our needs than some local old fogey mired-in-paper lender, right? So it seemed, right up to the closing table.

At closing, it turned out the loan wasn’t funded yet. It turned out that the underwriter and the salesperson hadn’t communicated well, and the new loan was contingent on the sale of our existing home, when in fact it wasn’t supposed to. That caused problems with the swing loan. The salesperson was suddenly on vacation or something, and could be found to speak with the underwriter and straighten things out. Within a matter of minutes a moderately complex home purchase deal that had taken the better part of 90 days to set up was falling down around our ears.

With a lot of shouting into cell phones, the deal was salvaged, but QuickenLoan’s reputation was shot as far as I was concerned. That alone, however, wouldn’t have been enough to convince me to abandon Quicken altogether.

QuickenLoans of course sold our loan right away, as expected. Six months later, we refinanced to take advantage of the ever-dropping interest rates. Despite the fact that QuickenLoans held our mortgage for all of around five minutes, though, they still managed to sell our contact information to every bottom-feeding mortgage broker and easy credit outfit on the freakin’ planet. So, a year later, we’re still getting crap not only from QuickenLoans, but from fifty other companies that think we’re still with QuickenLoans and want us to refi through them or take a home equity loan with them or buy cheap overseas brides through them.

That’s the reason I won’t use Quicken anymore. Sure, it could be claimed that Quicken and QuickenLoans are different companies - and on paper, they are. But the ownership, way up there at the top of the Quicken Empire org chart pyramid, is ultimately the same. And those people are scum.

Whether you agree with me or not, take my word as an increasingly experienced real estate professional on the local versus Internet mortgage thing. You’re really getting involved in a crap shoot if you don’t use a local mortgage lender - preferably a mortgage banker rather than a mortgage broker. I’m hearing stories about loans that aren’t being funded for as long as thirty days after closing - can you imagine, sitting there with all your worldly goods in a moving van, having sold your house, and then being told you can’t move in for a month because the mortgage lender doesn’t have any money?! When it comes to mortgages, you don’t want high-tech whiz and glitter. You want to be able to get in the car and drive across town to someone whose neck you can put your hands around.
Doug 3:27 am on September 22, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

The only concern I had in upgrading to the new PowerBook G4 is that is uses an Airport Extreme card rather than an Airport card for WiFi. I have a Graphite ABS, and am not shelling out for an AEBS in the near future. While I know that an AE card should work alright with an ABS, well, lets just say I’d heard enough horror stories about AE that my network admin radar was pinging. I’d also heard that the range on the older TiBooks didn’t compare favorably with that of the iBook.

Initially, WiFi performance with the new machine was sub-optimal. No WiFi signal in the master bedroom, no signal in the breakfast area. Both are somewhat critical to me, as I often use the computer upstairs or at the breakfast table. I put the lack of performance together with my expectations, and came up with a case of serious AE disgruntlement. I definitely wasn’t getting the performance I’d seen with the iBook and standard AirPort card.

As always, one should beware one’s prejudices. It turns out that a simple bit of optimization was in order. By following the procedure in this TechNote I’ve been able to optimize my signal considerably, such that I can now access the base station from everywhere in the house.

It would appear that AE cards need a stronger signal, and/or that the antenna in the AlBook isn’t as effective as that of the iBook. However, neither issue seems to be fatal, at least in my case, provided a modicum of troubleshooting is applied. I’ll report more after I’ve had a few more days to determine how things are working.
Doug 5:13 pm on September 20, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: Personal

Today is my 39th birthday. Yesterday was the final day of two weeks of sales training with F.C. Tucker. To celebrate last evening, Terri and the kids surprised me completely - by taking me to the Apple Store to purchase a lovely 15″ PowerBook G4.

I’ve been lusting after a new ‘book for awhile, and talking about how I wanted to upgrade before year-end. I certainly wasn’t expecting this, though!

I love this machine! OS X on this G4 is a completely different experience than it is on the G3 600Mhz iBook. I really liked my iBook; it’s been a trusted companion for 20 months, and never once let me down. The AlBook simply screams, though. It’s clearly more well engineered, too, and feels to be nearly the same weight as the iBook.

I’m luxuriating in all the new screen real estate. Computing on the new machine feels like moving into a roomy new home. Applications open fast, are far more responsive, and it’s so much easier to have more open on the same screen.

It was also incredibly nice to be able to port my stuff over to the new machine from the iBook. Plug in a Firewire cable to connect the two ‘books, boot the iBook into target disk mode, and start copying files. In about 30 minutes my entire environment from the iBook was cloned over to the PowerBook.

I intend to spend a good bit of time today putting the new ‘book through its paces (read:playing). I’m really looking forward to using my new “external brain.”

Thanks, family!

Updated 9/20/2003 6:49 PM. I’m 39 today, not 38. I don’t even know how old I am…
Doug 12:58 am on September 16, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

My interview with Rob McNair-Huff of MacNet Journal appeared online today in this month’s TEKKA from Eastgate. In the interview, I discuss using Tinderbox, RSS, Konfabulator, and NetNewsWire to create a custom “desktop dashboard” for personal information management. An excerpt of the article is available to non-subscribers, you’ll need a subscription to read the whole thing.
Doug 12:17 am on September 15, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: Politics

From Berlin to Baghdad: Six months before, the world had cheered as the statues of the dictator came crashing down. The Americans had seemed heroic. But now things were going very badly. The occupation was chaotic, the American soldiers were hated and they were facing threats from the surviving supporters of the dictator, whose whereabouts were uncertain.

Washington seemed unwilling to pay the enormous bill for reconstruction, and the president didn’t appear to have any kind of workable plan to manage the transition to democracy. European allies, distrustful of the arrogant American outlook, were wary of co-operating. To many, it looked like the victory had been betrayed, since the American values of democracy, equality and well-being seemed unlikely ever to emerge.

That’s how it looked in Germany in November, 1945. In our memories, history tends to become compressed: There was V-E Day, then the American soldiers were cheered by the people of Berlin, then the president announced that hundreds of millions would be spent on the Marshall Plan, then Germany became the prosperous and democratic place it is today…

History never really does fully repeat itself. An American president has just announced almost a Marshall Plan’s worth of spending on a country far poorer than Germany, two years earlier than Harry Truman did. But Iraq is far less stable and far more menacing, and the world is less willing to help. This week, it looks as if the Americans have won the war and lost the peace — but we ought to remember that it’s looked that way before.

Interesting. I think that final paragraph is critical: history never really does fully repeat itself. The “Iraq as post-war Germany” meme is an interesting counterpoint, though, to the “Iraq as Vietnam” meme that’s getting a lot of play. I’m also intrigued that this comes from a Canadian, not American, source.

Iraq, of course, is neither post-war Germany nor Vietnam. Iraq is Iraq, and how the situation plays out will be determined less by what comparisons we can make with the past and more by the actions (or inaction) of all the players involved. Santayana was right, but we can’t let comparisons to the past become more important than critical thinking about the situation at hand and bold, decisive action.

Unfortunately, it’s an election year. Memes like these make for good sound bites.
Doug 5:24 pm on September 14, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

We’ve received further confirmation that Apple will be updating PowerBooks on Tuesday. Details are scarce, but rumors suggest 3 models with a price range from $1999 to $2999. Specific sizes were not specified.

New Powerbooks? Man, I sure hope so! My iBook is getting a little long in the tooth, and I’d love to upgrade before the end of the year. That’ll get me a new ‘book and the expense write-off on next year’s taxes.

Of course, the Powerbook rumors have been flying fast and furious for several months now, so I’m not holding my breath.
Doug 12:17 am on September 14, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: computing

Today, I bought a Moleskine notebook. Maybe you’ve never heard of such a thing, but it’s almost certain you’ve seen one, probably in a movie. Moleskine notebooks are those small, black notebooks that have an elastic band attached to them to hold the covers closed.

I bought one because my information systems, as sophisticated and useful as they are, have collapsed under the requirements of my new career. For over a decade I’ve existed in a digitally-connected, computer mediated world. My memory and thought processes have been backed up by an array of devices, databases and decision support systems. Retrieving an important fact, number, or document was as easy as reaching for the right search utility, from Google to my mail program, or my file system to my Palm device or cell phone - usually more than one at a time. More importantly, capturing information has been just about as easy and simple.

Now, I suddenly find that I’m out on the very thin end of the data pipe. Lugging an iBook around when you’re showing houses is impractical. The Interweb is unreachable when you’re standing in a vacant house with a buyer you’ve met only minutes before. Trying to take notes on a cell phone or PDA key pad while listening to someone recite a long list of their requirements for a new home while walking through an unfamiliar basement turns out to be unreasonably difficult.

There’s too much new, too fast. Too many seemingly trivial facts that I have to remember. Too many rules of thumb that aren’t yet on my thumb. Too many questions I don’t know the answer to. All my lovely automated systems, all my intelligence augmentation is oriented toward management and information technology, with business being conducted in a relatively static, familiar location. My interfaces don’t interface with this new life, yet.

The moleskine is the Palm Pilot of the last century. Matisse and Hemingway used them. A moleskine fits in your pocket. It doesn’t need batteries. The interface is infinitely adaptable, and stunningly dead-simple. It’s cheap. I can drop it, I can sit on it, or a little kid can throw up on it, and I can still use it. I can dedicate a couple of pages right in the front and write down all those “rules of thumb” and they’re right there, under my thumb, always.

Given some time, I know that I’ll reconfigure my existing automated systems or develop new ones that’ll work as well as what I’m used to. I’ve already started to develop a new Tinderbox notebook to help me track my real estate business. I’ll get a handle on it. Until then, and perhaps even after I manage to get my act together, it’s time to simplify.
Doug 12:13 am on September 14, 2003 | 0 | # |
Tags: Politics

Reuters - Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon, who suffered a massive stroke earlier this week, died on Saturday, a spokeswoman said.

I wasn’t a big fan of Frank O’Bannon as Governor, but there’s no question that he was a fine, respectable man. His death is a loss to all of Indiana.