It was only yesterday when traveling to unknown destinations via road trip was made less complicated by the use of a GPS device. Unfortunately the primary use was only limited to just that, vehicles.
Let’s go ahead and use our imaginations for a moment to create a potential scenario…
…an off the trail hike takes you into some unknown surroundings, daylight is quickly fading and that sorry excuse for a map, which you can barely read with all the crinkles or tears from all of the folding and not to mention all of that small print, isn’t quite working out as efficiently as you’d like it to.
Fortunately for those who have a love for the outdoors and enjoy taking long hikes through such locations as Yosemite, but without the fear of getting lost and never finding home again, GPS has also been incorporated into handheld devices just for this purpose alone.
Yes, obviously these wonderful tools have been available to the public for quite awhile, but like everything else they tend to become upgraded over time with the latest and greatest features!
Garmin, a company which specializes in GPS devices, has quite an assortment to choose from.
One of the most affordable as well as portable due to their small size and weight are the eTrex devices from Garmin.
The first is eTrex Venture® HC. Its high-sensitivity allows for your position, wherever that may be (deep canyons or woods), to not only be located rapidly, but is also precise.
The basemap contains interstates, lakes, cities, highways and coastlines. 24 MB of memory is also included for downloading waypoints and routes from MapSource®, a software which is included with your purchase.
Reading and viewing map details can also be easily accomplished even under that sometimes too bright sunlight because the 256-color display is designed specifically for this circumstance.
It is waterproof and it includes sun and moon information, area calculation, as well as hunting and fishing calendars. Only 2 AA batteries are required to operate it. The retail price according to Garmin’s website is $169.00, but is on sale at Amazon.com for $114.95.
Another eTrex device is the eTrex Vista® HCx. There are many similarities, but this one tends to stand out due to its barometric altimeter. This tracks changes in pressure to calculate your altitude. Barometric pressure can be plotted over time to assist you with changing weather conditions.
An electronic compass is also included. You also get 25 hours of battery life versus the 14 hours you would receive with the previous device using the same amount of batteries. The retail price for this is $299.99, but Amazon will surely give you a much better deal.
When looking into purchasing one of these gadgets everyone has their own preferences as to what they need. If hiking alone it would probably be best to get one that can communicate with other similar handheld devices. This will allow other hikers to locate you in case of an emergency.
It is definitely getting easier for people to seek out their own personal adventures in unfamiliar places.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
A Fixation for the Smaller Things in Life
Bigger is not always better.
All sorts of companies have been gradually manufacturing cutesy little objects, and especially gadgets, that have a tendency of baffling consumers.
We have the mini credit card that you can easily hang from your keychain in accompaniment with your home and car keys, (it’s quite probable that its purpose was to become a great motivator not to lose your keys).
Having worked as a front office agent for some time, these credit cards made their presence known on several occasions. If it weren’t for the keychain, the itty bitty tiny card would have quickly disappeared into the slot used for swiping.
Of course we now have the iPods that continue getting smaller, and not to mention shorter.
The iPod shuffle for instance, can easily be clipped to your clothing and makes it ridiculously easy to be on the move as well as listen to music. You wouldn’t have to worry about some clunky object in your pocket or even the concern that it might fall out so you find yourself checking to see if it’s still there every five minutes.
My favorite little guy is the laptop.
Sitting in one of my classes a few years ago, a classmate sitting across from me had pulled out this incredibly small laptop. How convenient! It was about 12 inches and you could just slip it right into a tote or backpack and be merrily on your way. It was my first laptop and to this day it still works incredibly well. It definitely makes room for needed textbooks.
Nothing would have prepared me for what my eyes saw about a week ago.
Getting off of the elevator on the second floor at the University Union in Sac State and headed to my first class of the day, sitting as discretely and inconspicuous as possible, on a table in front of a student was an extremely small laptop. It could practically fit in the palms of two hands.
The student told me that it was called ASUS and that she had bought it off of Amazon.com for a little over $300.00. That’s right $300.00!!
Being a very curious individual and wanting to learn more, a quick search on Amazon game me all the 411 on this mini device.
The going price on Amazon is $334.99, but there are only four currently left in stock.
Its display is only 8.9 inches and it has 16G and 1 GB of RAM and weighs in at a little over 4 pounds. Only two colors are offered, black or white.
This particular laptop is primarily used for easy access to the internet and definitely useful for people constantly on the move. You won’t have a lot of the applications that come with a normal laptop. It is on the other hand affordable and it not only fits in a tote, but it could even fit in a purse!
A four and a half star rating out of five was given by other people who purchased this particular item.
All sorts of companies have been gradually manufacturing cutesy little objects, and especially gadgets, that have a tendency of baffling consumers.
We have the mini credit card that you can easily hang from your keychain in accompaniment with your home and car keys, (it’s quite probable that its purpose was to become a great motivator not to lose your keys).
Having worked as a front office agent for some time, these credit cards made their presence known on several occasions. If it weren’t for the keychain, the itty bitty tiny card would have quickly disappeared into the slot used for swiping.
Of course we now have the iPods that continue getting smaller, and not to mention shorter.
The iPod shuffle for instance, can easily be clipped to your clothing and makes it ridiculously easy to be on the move as well as listen to music. You wouldn’t have to worry about some clunky object in your pocket or even the concern that it might fall out so you find yourself checking to see if it’s still there every five minutes.
My favorite little guy is the laptop.
Sitting in one of my classes a few years ago, a classmate sitting across from me had pulled out this incredibly small laptop. How convenient! It was about 12 inches and you could just slip it right into a tote or backpack and be merrily on your way. It was my first laptop and to this day it still works incredibly well. It definitely makes room for needed textbooks.
Nothing would have prepared me for what my eyes saw about a week ago.
Getting off of the elevator on the second floor at the University Union in Sac State and headed to my first class of the day, sitting as discretely and inconspicuous as possible, on a table in front of a student was an extremely small laptop. It could practically fit in the palms of two hands.
The student told me that it was called ASUS and that she had bought it off of Amazon.com for a little over $300.00. That’s right $300.00!!
Being a very curious individual and wanting to learn more, a quick search on Amazon game me all the 411 on this mini device.
The going price on Amazon is $334.99, but there are only four currently left in stock.
Its display is only 8.9 inches and it has 16G and 1 GB of RAM and weighs in at a little over 4 pounds. Only two colors are offered, black or white.
This particular laptop is primarily used for easy access to the internet and definitely useful for people constantly on the move. You won’t have a lot of the applications that come with a normal laptop. It is on the other hand affordable and it not only fits in a tote, but it could even fit in a purse!
A four and a half star rating out of five was given by other people who purchased this particular item.
Meet Joel Stein of the L.A. Times
According to Joel Stein’s biography provided on the L.A. Times and not to mention his very own personal website as well, he is a man ‘desperate for attention’.
He’ll get just that from this column because this is a profile on a columnist of my choice.
He grew up in Edison, N.J. and went to Stanford where he majored in English. He then worked for Martha Stewart and was later hired as a sports editor for Time Out New York. A couple of years passed and he soon found himself working for Time Magazine, where he spent seven and half years as a staff writer and wrote a dozen cover stories.
Stein ventured out and began appearing on t.v. for networks such as HBO and Comedy Central.
In 2005 he moved to Los Angeles after having taught a class on humor writing at Princeton, and was hired as a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has also unsuccessfully tried to be a sitcom writer, and partook in pilots which have unfortunately failed.
Regardless of the mediocre track record, which he seems oddly proud of according to his website, it’s his ability to write columns with a wonderful sense of humor that made me decide this was the writer my profile should be on.
Obviously like many columnists, Stein writes about current dilemmas that our nation currently faces. However, unlike some writers he uses humor that makes light of even a terrible situation, which makes it enjoyable.
For instance, the most current addition to his column was titled Survival Tips for a Depression, which was published online at the L.A. Times on October 17. Personally, the title alone makes you aware that the story is based on our economic standing today, but the words survival tips stand out. More than likely our hard times will look like a piece of cake compared to the Great Depression.
In this story Stein uses his grandma, who actually “lived through the Great Depression.” This definitely added a personal touch. Then came this…
“She didn't think I needed to get rid of HBO yet, but her family did hold back on entertainment. ‘The movies were very, very, very spare. We didn't go unless it was an Al Jolson picture. And then you went to a matinee because it was cheaper,’ she said. It was oddly comforting to picture a 12-year-old Mama Ann giggling at Jolson's 1933 musical comedy, ‘Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!’ That's the kind of fun I'm hoping for.”
It may be my misunderstanding, but did he really say he was looking forward to the fun of being a…bum? This is exactly how he stands out. He takes what most people dread and pokes fun at it.
He then concludes with this positive outlook by his grandma, “Cutting back didn't make her childhood miserable. She has fond memories of sharing clothes with friends and of her mom baking an extra challah for worse-off neighbors. ‘Today there are people who are more into money and nice homes,’ she said. ‘But you never heard in the house anyone say that we didn't have enough. I don't think we had welfare then, and there was no unemployment insurance. But you know, if there's love in the family, you live through it.’ ”
The media usually likes to stir up the fear in people, but if more columnists can use the sort of spin that Stein does then people wouldn’t be as worked up over things they couldn’t control.
This is why Stein is my preferred choice of columnists!
For more information on Joel Stein please check out the links below:
Joel Stein's website
L.A. Times
He’ll get just that from this column because this is a profile on a columnist of my choice.
He grew up in Edison, N.J. and went to Stanford where he majored in English. He then worked for Martha Stewart and was later hired as a sports editor for Time Out New York. A couple of years passed and he soon found himself working for Time Magazine, where he spent seven and half years as a staff writer and wrote a dozen cover stories.
Stein ventured out and began appearing on t.v. for networks such as HBO and Comedy Central.
In 2005 he moved to Los Angeles after having taught a class on humor writing at Princeton, and was hired as a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has also unsuccessfully tried to be a sitcom writer, and partook in pilots which have unfortunately failed.
Regardless of the mediocre track record, which he seems oddly proud of according to his website, it’s his ability to write columns with a wonderful sense of humor that made me decide this was the writer my profile should be on.
Obviously like many columnists, Stein writes about current dilemmas that our nation currently faces. However, unlike some writers he uses humor that makes light of even a terrible situation, which makes it enjoyable.
For instance, the most current addition to his column was titled Survival Tips for a Depression, which was published online at the L.A. Times on October 17. Personally, the title alone makes you aware that the story is based on our economic standing today, but the words survival tips stand out. More than likely our hard times will look like a piece of cake compared to the Great Depression.
In this story Stein uses his grandma, who actually “lived through the Great Depression.” This definitely added a personal touch. Then came this…
“She didn't think I needed to get rid of HBO yet, but her family did hold back on entertainment. ‘The movies were very, very, very spare. We didn't go unless it was an Al Jolson picture. And then you went to a matinee because it was cheaper,’ she said. It was oddly comforting to picture a 12-year-old Mama Ann giggling at Jolson's 1933 musical comedy, ‘Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!’ That's the kind of fun I'm hoping for.”
It may be my misunderstanding, but did he really say he was looking forward to the fun of being a…bum? This is exactly how he stands out. He takes what most people dread and pokes fun at it.
He then concludes with this positive outlook by his grandma, “Cutting back didn't make her childhood miserable. She has fond memories of sharing clothes with friends and of her mom baking an extra challah for worse-off neighbors. ‘Today there are people who are more into money and nice homes,’ she said. ‘But you never heard in the house anyone say that we didn't have enough. I don't think we had welfare then, and there was no unemployment insurance. But you know, if there's love in the family, you live through it.’ ”
The media usually likes to stir up the fear in people, but if more columnists can use the sort of spin that Stein does then people wouldn’t be as worked up over things they couldn’t control.
This is why Stein is my preferred choice of columnists!
For more information on Joel Stein please check out the links below:
Joel Stein's website
L.A. Times
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Possibilities for the Future are Limitless
It’s fascinating how we always seem to get to a point in life where a great invention is made and it’s a wonder how that’ll ever be topped. Yet, there are people with amazing ideas, who strive for perfecting and creating that next gadget that will have everyone oooh’ing and aaah’ing only to be replaced by the next successor.
Well...for now, meet the io-Jacket!
I’m sure that at some point you’ve been to a department store and have noticed a particular pair of jeans and even sweatshirts that have been designed to accommodate iPods and cell phones. Backpacks especially have been doing this for quite sometime, even having added compartments some years ago for the long forgotten CD players.
The io-Jacket, which is obviously not on the market yet, might someday be on many Christmas lists in the future.
It’s not your everyday jacket.
Londenfrey is the German company we have to thank for this wonderful invention/apparel.
The jacket has a Bluetooth and MP3 player as well as touch sensitive control pads on the sleeve to control these devices.
Sure, this all sounds pretty nifty so far, but as usual the best is always saved for last.
The most clever and absolutely fascinating aspect about this jacket is its compatibility with GPSoverIP.
What in the world is GPSoverIP? (You may ask).
GPSoverIP stands for Global Positioning System over Internet Protocol. In other words, it is the transmission of GPS data via the internet. It provides geographical coordinates over the Internet. (http://www.gpsoverip.de/international/).
Now let’s just say that this could possibly hold the solution to some of the everyday critical problems, we as people tend to face.
GPSoverIP, in my opinion, should one day win the Noble Peace Prize for creating the possibility of making situations, like kidnapping, a thing of the past.
A person wearing this jacket will have the capability to make their every movement and present location known to friends and families with internet access. This could prove to be quite useful unless you have a psychotic ex-boyfriend/girlfriend you're trying to avoid.
Well...for now, meet the io-Jacket!
I’m sure that at some point you’ve been to a department store and have noticed a particular pair of jeans and even sweatshirts that have been designed to accommodate iPods and cell phones. Backpacks especially have been doing this for quite sometime, even having added compartments some years ago for the long forgotten CD players.
The io-Jacket, which is obviously not on the market yet, might someday be on many Christmas lists in the future.
It’s not your everyday jacket.
Londenfrey is the German company we have to thank for this wonderful invention/apparel.
The jacket has a Bluetooth and MP3 player as well as touch sensitive control pads on the sleeve to control these devices.
Sure, this all sounds pretty nifty so far, but as usual the best is always saved for last.
The most clever and absolutely fascinating aspect about this jacket is its compatibility with GPSoverIP.
What in the world is GPSoverIP? (You may ask).
GPSoverIP stands for Global Positioning System over Internet Protocol. In other words, it is the transmission of GPS data via the internet. It provides geographical coordinates over the Internet. (http://www.gpsoverip.de/international/).
Now let’s just say that this could possibly hold the solution to some of the everyday critical problems, we as people tend to face.
GPSoverIP, in my opinion, should one day win the Noble Peace Prize for creating the possibility of making situations, like kidnapping, a thing of the past.
A person wearing this jacket will have the capability to make their every movement and present location known to friends and families with internet access. This could prove to be quite useful unless you have a psychotic ex-boyfriend/girlfriend you're trying to avoid.
Even inside buildings where signals tend to drop, the io-Jacket will have the ability to stay connected.
An interesting idea that was brought up by http://www.gizmophobe.co.uk/, was the fact that these jackets could serve to assist those who work in certain fields where it would be critical to know ones location. For instance those who might do undercover work and even the technology itself could be used for those working in Fire Departments.
Luckily the io-Jacket looks just as trendy enough to wear without looking ridiculously out of place. Sure enough these will probably be available in the color of your choosing.
No price has been provided for this item, but no doubt it will definitely come with a hefty price.
According to http://www.gizmophobe.co.uk/ only 10 of these io-Jackets have been produced and one has been sold to benefit a charity. I’m sure it will be quite awhile until these are made available to the public, at your nearest Nordstrom perhaps, but when they are this will definitely change the daily lifestyles of many.
An interesting idea that was brought up by http://www.gizmophobe.co.uk/, was the fact that these jackets could serve to assist those who work in certain fields where it would be critical to know ones location. For instance those who might do undercover work and even the technology itself could be used for those working in Fire Departments.
Luckily the io-Jacket looks just as trendy enough to wear without looking ridiculously out of place. Sure enough these will probably be available in the color of your choosing.
No price has been provided for this item, but no doubt it will definitely come with a hefty price.
According to http://www.gizmophobe.co.uk/ only 10 of these io-Jackets have been produced and one has been sold to benefit a charity. I’m sure it will be quite awhile until these are made available to the public, at your nearest Nordstrom perhaps, but when they are this will definitely change the daily lifestyles of many.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Obama & McCain Go For Round 2!
Ready…set…go! The 2nd Presidential, and unusually humorous debate is on, ‘my friends.’
While tuned into this debate, many American viewers may be looking to see what our candidates for Presidency have to say about our obviously deteriorating economic situation.
How many times are we going to cover the same issues and hear similar and sometimes contradicting responses? When will we stop talking and whining about our situation and actually act on improving our circumstances in the United States?
So, unlike those viewers my interests leaned towards their mannerisms, witty, pointless and remarks that contained a hint of inconsistency.
Although this is not usually the key importance of Presidential debates it does in some ways reflect their individual characteristics and it portrays how they are as a person rather than a candidate with semi-prepared speeches by people behind the curtains.
First, what was really interesting about the beginning is how Sen. John McCain had his back turned away from the audience at various times during the debate, whereas Sen. Barack Obama used continuous eye contact with the audience and individuals asking the questions.
Not to pick on McCain, although he seems to be the expert with his smart-alecky remarks towards Obama, but is it me or does he portray a spitting image of a cross between President George W. Bush and Bilbo Baggins?
Unfortunately it just seems as though McCain is so old and frail that he may not even make it through the first Presidential term.
Unlike Obama, whose confident posture and strong presence gives off the vibe of someone who portrays the stature of a true leader, which our country is in dire need of.
However, the witty remarks and immaturity portrayed by these two grown men during the debate had me thinking back to the good ol’ days of elementary.
It wouldn’t have surprised me if Tom Brokaw would had ended up acting as a playground monitor to break up these two candidates from the subtle name calling, mainly carried out by McCain.
“…[T]hat one,” said McCain and emphasizing its meaning toward Obama.
Wow, how mature.
On second thought, the maturity level of a Kindergarten class is probably much more higher than what these two combined possess.
Besides the pointless name-calling there were also the ridiculous and sometimes contradicting answers.
At the beginning of the debate, Brokaw asked each of them whom they would prefer as Treasurer.
“Not you Tom,” said McCain.
Ok…obviously not Tom. Now that answer was pretty pointless.
At the beginning of the debate Obama explained how our economic situation is at its worst since the great depression.
Fast forward through some of the debate and Obama later claims that he is pretty confident about our economic situation.
I’m not so sure about everyone else, but by the looks of it, there is no reason to be confident about the financial situation this country is in and has been in for years and years. Especially since it’s, “the worst since the great depression.”
Brokaw also had to keep these two, especially Obama in check and from abusing the amount of time given to each of them for their responses.
Something as simple as abiding by time restraints says a lot about a person. It shows the amount of respect one has for rules, regardless of how small and insignificant they are.
These two have a lot to learn as far as knowing how to act professionally and respectably towards one another.
Hopefully they’ll do a little growing up prior to Round 3.
Monday, October 6, 2008
‘Easy Money’ Tries To Get Just That
The commercials that ran on CW, channel 31, prior to Easy Money’s season premiere on October 5, made it a point to state that this particular show was being brought to us by the producers of The Sopranos, (Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider).
How anyone could possibly put these two shows into the same category is beyond my comprehension because…
…the apple sure fell from the tree on this one.
This show is centered on a family of loan sharks. The Buffkins.
No, not the kind often portrayed in movies. The sleazy, sneaky guy in a suit, who will collect his money by any means necessary and by any means meaning, death threats or even murder.
These loan sharks are the people you would literally find at your nearest Check into Cash. They run a legitimate business, Prestige Payday Loans, making money from high percentage fees being charged to people who seem to be stuck in a rut from advancing money on a continuous basis.
Unfortunately only the first ten minutes were slightly entertaining and sort of enjoyable with the first customer of the day being rejected from taking out any more loans due to non-payment and NSF checks.
He threatens Bobette Buffkin, (Laurie Metcalf of Desperate Housewives and Roseanne), the cashier and head of the family it seems.
The customer takes a plastic chair and flings it across the room hitting the window shielding Bobette and repeatedly demands her to give him a loan, “I need that money b*#$%! Give me the money! Give me the money!”
Her sons, Cooper and Morgan, escort the irate customer out the door only to be arrested by a cop with a grudge. The car he and his girlfriend share was re-possessed because of his inability to pay back the loans he too had taken out. The cop manages to blackmail the two into getting his car back along with $3,000 to, “…recover from his humiliation.”
Morgan stands out from the rest of the cast because he tends to be the brawns of the family and also seems to possess what every other member in his family lacks, a conscience.
A private investigator is hired by Morgan to get some dirt on the cop. Turns out the cop has a wife who is oblivious to her husband’s extra-curricular activities. Morgan takes the cop’s car and rear-ends him at a parking lot and is victorious in collecting their debt in exchange for keeping his mouth closed about the other woman he has on the side.
Unlike the people who work in Check into Cash, these characters tend to take matters into their own hands by using blackmail and the occasional fist fight to their advantage.
In the end, the show makes it all about family in the cheesiest way possible and the results of a DNA test that Morgan and his sister took left questions as to who in the family didn’t quite belong.
Considering how bad the economic situation is now, there might be more and more people who will probably be able to relate to the show and be all too familiar with some of the terms being used, like ‘NSF’ for instance, (insufficient funds).
However, simple minded and just plain dumb one-liners were used sporadically through the show and it eventually had me questioning myself. How was it that an hour of my life could have been given up so easily?
Then again I’m not exactly sure where my mind was when assuming that this network, which brings us Smallville and now Valentine would be able to grace us with another great show like The Sopranos.
Yeah, not happening, atleast not anytime soon.
How anyone could possibly put these two shows into the same category is beyond my comprehension because…
…the apple sure fell from the tree on this one.
This show is centered on a family of loan sharks. The Buffkins.
No, not the kind often portrayed in movies. The sleazy, sneaky guy in a suit, who will collect his money by any means necessary and by any means meaning, death threats or even murder.
These loan sharks are the people you would literally find at your nearest Check into Cash. They run a legitimate business, Prestige Payday Loans, making money from high percentage fees being charged to people who seem to be stuck in a rut from advancing money on a continuous basis.
Unfortunately only the first ten minutes were slightly entertaining and sort of enjoyable with the first customer of the day being rejected from taking out any more loans due to non-payment and NSF checks.
He threatens Bobette Buffkin, (Laurie Metcalf of Desperate Housewives and Roseanne), the cashier and head of the family it seems.
The customer takes a plastic chair and flings it across the room hitting the window shielding Bobette and repeatedly demands her to give him a loan, “I need that money b*#$%! Give me the money! Give me the money!”
Her sons, Cooper and Morgan, escort the irate customer out the door only to be arrested by a cop with a grudge. The car he and his girlfriend share was re-possessed because of his inability to pay back the loans he too had taken out. The cop manages to blackmail the two into getting his car back along with $3,000 to, “…recover from his humiliation.”
Morgan stands out from the rest of the cast because he tends to be the brawns of the family and also seems to possess what every other member in his family lacks, a conscience.
A private investigator is hired by Morgan to get some dirt on the cop. Turns out the cop has a wife who is oblivious to her husband’s extra-curricular activities. Morgan takes the cop’s car and rear-ends him at a parking lot and is victorious in collecting their debt in exchange for keeping his mouth closed about the other woman he has on the side.
Unlike the people who work in Check into Cash, these characters tend to take matters into their own hands by using blackmail and the occasional fist fight to their advantage.
In the end, the show makes it all about family in the cheesiest way possible and the results of a DNA test that Morgan and his sister took left questions as to who in the family didn’t quite belong.
Considering how bad the economic situation is now, there might be more and more people who will probably be able to relate to the show and be all too familiar with some of the terms being used, like ‘NSF’ for instance, (insufficient funds).
However, simple minded and just plain dumb one-liners were used sporadically through the show and it eventually had me questioning myself. How was it that an hour of my life could have been given up so easily?
Then again I’m not exactly sure where my mind was when assuming that this network, which brings us Smallville and now Valentine would be able to grace us with another great show like The Sopranos.
Yeah, not happening, atleast not anytime soon.
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