A New Gadget?

Well it's time for a new phone. My trusty HP iPaq 6515 is dying a slow death. I've droppped it a bazillion times so I'm not surprised that it's coughing out it's last breath.

I've been doing some research and I've narrowed down my choices to 2 devices: the Blackberry 8800 and the HTC S620. To completly different devices, both having exceptional features.

The Blackberry is based on RIM's own OS, while the HTC S620 is based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile software (in particular Mobile 5.0). From a pure physical perspective the S620 is shorter, narrower, thinner and lighter than the 8800. And the S620 has built in Wi-Fi and a camera. The 8800 has neither. The 8800 does however have a built in GPS antenna/receiver.

So how do I decide? How do I make the decision on which device I will use for the next 1-2 years?

I've decided to make the decision using 1 criteria. I installed Microsoft Voice Command on my iPaq 6515 when I first bought the device and I can't believe how much I've come to rely on it. I rarely dial a number by pressing the numbers on my phone. I simply hit the hot-key and say "Dial..." or "Call..." and the phone does the rest. I've come to rely on this feature so much that I "must" have it in my new device.

The 8800 does have voice activated dialing so we can't simply rule out that device. The S620 has voice dialing by way of Microsoft Voice Command - the program that I've grown to love.

So my decision will be based on which device handles voice dialing the best. I'll be trying that out over the next couple of weeks...

Labels: blackberry, phone

What's In A Frame

My brother has been helping out his in-laws with the construction of their new house. They're at the point of doing a framing walk-thru, and my brother asked me what sort of things should they be looking/watching out for.

Having been thru this twice with my own homes and once with a friends house, I've had a little bit of experience dealing with builders and learning more about this process than I ever thought I would need to know. As I was typing out an email to my brother I decided to share the info with anyone that might also be taking on a similar project.

Some builders will conduct a framing walk-thru after the framing, electrical, duct-work and plumbing have been completed. Others will do a walk-thru immediately after the framing has been completed and prior to the electrial being started. Since I'm regularly watching the development of my house I don't really care for a formal framing walk-thru only. I prefer to do the official walk-thru once the electrical and plumbing are in. It allows you to get a better feel of how the layout will affect you when your living in the house. For example, after the electrical layout in my house was completed, I did a walk-thru and realized that the framing caused the electrical outlet to be place dead center of where my touch pad was to go. So we had to adjust the framing to allow for re-positioning of the electrial outlet. I had 2 other similar issues arise when I did my walk-thru.

Assuming it is a framing only walk-thru, here are some pointers:

1) Take a camera with you so you can take pictures of changes you want to make so that later on you can ensure they were done. And take pictures of anything that is out of the ordinary. Digital is cheap, so better to take more pictures than less.

2) Bring a big black marker (or 2) so that you can write little reminder notes right onto the wood - either for yourself or the site super. I like having the info right in the face of the person doing the work. Remember, it's your house and it's probably the single largest investment you will ever make, so don't think that this is overkill. Do whatever it takes to ensure everything in your house is exactly how you want it.

3) The city framing inspectors will catch those things that are required by code or do not meet code. So you don't have to worry about all the different codes that must be followed. If the city inspector has already shown up, you can ask to see the inspectors report. By code, the builder must keep the inspectors report on site until construction is complete.

4) Ideally studs should be 12" apart. However most good builders are putting them at 16" apart (center-to-center). If they are wider than that, you should discuss it with your builder to determine why they are so far apart. If you're at the point of doing a framing walk-thru, then it's probably too late to affect this.

5) For each room where there is a door, makesure that the door will swing the way you want it. Many times they double up the studs on the side where the hinge will be. Use this as your guage on which way it swings.

6) Look for nails exposed (incorrect nailing). I believe these are called "shiners".

7) If you're putting in a large plasma or LCD TV, make sure the wall that will be holding the plasma or LCD (glass or plastic :-) is reinforced to handle the weight of it. As an example a 60" plasma can be over 100+ lbs.

8) If your putting in any touch pads, make sure that there is room to put them where you want them. This will depend on the height & width of the touchpads. If your using NavNet touchpads, they typically require 12"-13" width - fits perfectly between two studs. However "between two studs" may not be the ideal location.

9) It may be too late for this, but in the basement makesure that the teleposts are where you want them (ie. ensure that they are not going to end up in the middle of a room) if you are doing basement construction later.

10) Also, now that you can see where windows will be, etc try to visualize your furniture in that room. It will help you make additional modifications if necessary. For example, in my nook, I had to raise the bottom of the window so that my future nook bench didn't require you to lean against the glass of a window.

11) And even though it may seem obvious, make sure that rooms, closets, etc are all in the right place and the right size. It's worthwhile taking a tape measure just to get that sense of confidence that everything is exactly as you want it. It becomes harder to change as you get further into the process.

12) Lastly...ask lots of questions. If something doesn't look right ask. Some site supers are very good about explaining every detail, others blow-past things assuming you don't care.

Have fun!

Labels: house

The Truth Isn't Always Appropriate

I had to run some errands this morning. I asked my daughter, Marissa, if she wanted to join me. She very enthusiastically said "YES!". Her motivation in joining me...she's hoping I'll buy her something. Which I ussually do - hence the learnt behavior. We're driving along listening to the radio, and a new song I had never heard starts playing on the radio. It starts off a bit country-ish but has an interesting tone to it. Marissa starts bopping her head to it and trying to singing along. And then out of the blue it comes...

One of those questions that parents cringe when they hear and fumble around for an answer...

" Dad, how do you ride a cowboy? ".

"...gulp..."

The song that came on the radio was "Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy" by Big & Rich. So how do you explain that song to a 7 year old? Could I tell her the truth? Nah. She's too young. Do I lie? But that's not right either. Or do I take a different approach...

"Marissa honey, he's singing about a piggy-back-ride."

Depending on your interpretation, that could very well be the truth :-)

TIME Best Inventions 2006

Of course, 2006 isn't over yet. And the best invention—according to TIME Magazine—was actually created in 2005 (YouTube). Regardless, this is an interesting read.

http://www.time.com/time/2006/techguide/bestinventions

NavNet 2.0...Coming Soon!

Well I've started work on implementing NavNet 2.0 - the next generation home automation system.

And for those who know me, I'm the kind of person that needs something to help focus me and set a goal for a project.

So I decided, what better way to get focused than to work on a logo for NavNet. So without further adieu...