My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on August 13, 2012

If you really want an iPhone, this could be the time to buy … although prices could go even lower towards the end of the year? It seems the older iPhone 4 and 4s are selling slower than most retailers (and by assumption, Apple) would like and so retailers are doing what they can to stimulate sales preceding the expected iPhone 5 release. As of last week, Sprint lowered their contract pricing and started selling the older iPhone 4 at $49.99 with a two-year contract and the current model, the iPhone 4s at $149.99 (a $50 change).

Interestingly, it seemed like just the other day (last year) we were talking iPhone 5 when Apple surprised us with the 4s model. This time they better go with “5” … but who knows, Apple does play games with their product naming –  they could shake things up again? Whatever they call it, customers will most likely stand in line to buy the new one … that is unless they truly disappoint and don’t really have the rumored larger screen and offer higher 4G data connections. It does seem they are currently a bit behind Android phones when it comes to 4G and screen sizes.  Being a Sprint customer, I’m curious just how a Sprint iPhone 5 will handle 4G. I assume they will only offer the LTE version even though most customers only have access to 3G or 4G Wimax in 2012. For those with a need for speed and openness to different carriers, I’d be closely looking at Verizon’s LTE offerings as some of the real life speeds are amazing … particularly uploads in 4G LTE cities.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said that speculation over Apple’s next big device may have hurt the sales of its current products, which grew at a slower rate than in previous quarters.

"There’s a lot of speculation out there," Cook said. "It’s difficult to sort out. But I’m fairly convinced based on what I’ve seen that there’s an incredible amount of anticipation out there."

The iPhone 5 is rumored to be released sometime in September, but Apple needs to be concerned that the slower rate could have to do with the improving Android products than anticipation of their new product. Frankly I’m have a déjà vu moment when it comes to Apple … the iPhone and iPad vs the Android phones and tablets …   the OS battle remind of of the 1980s-90s. Once upon a time the Apple Macintosh with its mouse and graphical display were superior to the IBM and the DOS clone computers just as the iPhone “has” been. Eventually Microsoft and their Windows interface then OS equaled Apple … and the battle nearly sunk Apple. After recently playing with a few current phones running Android I realized that the Apple mobile dominance isn’t what is was. The advancements in Samsung, LG, Motorola and HTC devices and Google’s continually improving mobile OS Android has gained ground on Apple devices and their iOS (in my opinion) and unless the new iOS and iPhone are “homeruns,” I see their mobile dominance starting to slide … reminiscent of 1990s before Steve Jobs returned. Hmm … and this time I don’t see a Steve waiting in the wings … so Apple better stay focused and continue with their innovative ways.

Category: Cellphone, Computer, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: android, apple, ios, iphone, sprint

Posted By RichC on August 12, 2012

After posting the gentile dolphin video clip for today’s blog post, I remembered that Sunday is actually the beginning of Shark Week 2012 on the Discovery channel … and it’s not just any week, but the 25th anniversary. The attraction is most likely programming such as “Air Jaws” highlighting video of the Great White Sharks off South Africa rocketing up from 20 or 30 meters underwater to hit a seal on the surface or the shark attack stories of amputees that, in my opinion, overly frighten beachgoers. That said, they do have programing that educates in a way that differentiates sharks and what some are doing to protect endangers species.

Personally I’m looking forward to learning a little more about Megalodon and just how large they may have been; some paleontologist suggests that this prehistoric shark with 7+ inch teeth was large enough to fit the entire head of a T-Rex in its mouth in one bite (tooth video below).

Category: Entertainment, Environment, History, Video, Video-TV | No Comments »
Tags: anniversary, discovery, shark, week

Posted By RichC on August 12, 2012

Beautiful! Thanks for the link Steve.

Category: Video | No Comments »
Tags: camera, digital, dolphins, photography, underwater

Posted By RichC on August 11, 2012

An interesting morning watching Mitt Romney announce his Republican running mate Paul Ryan … hopefully some video that can be recycled in the 2020 campaign.

Category: Politics, Video | No Comments »
Tags: election, romney, ryan, vp

Posted By RichC on August 11, 2012

So much for the “Mitt’s VP app” introduced by the Romney campaign last month. While paying attention to Twitter last night (and sharing a few tweets – right), the app on my iPad sat quiet. Each cable news channel was speculating who would be announce as Gov. Romney’s running mate and Foxnews campaign follower, Carl Cameron, pretty much confirmed that it would be Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan (my first post back in 2009).

While I wait for the announcement this morning aboard the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, I finally notices something appear on the “Mitt’s VP” app … a single photo of Romney and Ryan, but no announcement. So far a disappointment in the use of mobile technology, but a positive and bold pick by Mitt Romney and his campaign. Let’s hope that adding Paul Ryan to the ticket will bring real substance to the campaign mudslinging nonsense we’ve been seeing in recent weeks.

Mitt’s VP app on the iPad 8:10AM 8/11/2012 (below)

Category: News, Politics | 1 Comment »
Tags: election, mitt romney, paul ryan, Politics, vp

Posted By RichC on August 10, 2012

I’m not sure every enviro-type defines having large snapping turtles as problem, but we’ve lost more ducklings to turtles than I can count. In fact, of the 10+ years of ducklings that have hatched and were spotted swimming around their mother, I don’t think one has made it into the air? Each day the ducks would paddle around behind their momma … and then the 5 or 6 became 4 … then three, two … one and then just the mom. The next year, the same thing would happen again.

So over the years my neighbor and I have been trying to reduce the snapping turtle numbers … who knows how many we have? Today, one more is headed for the garden graveyard. Besides snapping for my fingers, he gave me the “evil eye” one last time before the trigger was pulled.

Category: Environment, Personal, Photos | 1 Comment »
Tags: turtle

Posted By RichC on August 9, 2012

We were (well “I” was) planning to let our Sprint wireless contract expire without signing up for another 2 year contract, but my son’s dead Blackberry encouraged a quick look around. While contemplating   what was available, we decided to stick it out and decided on the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic. We were not satisfied with replacing just one phone and instead we did the “buy one, get one free” promo (one for Taylor in black and one for Brenda in white). Of course our grandfathered plan was no longer honored as these new data intensive smartphones required an extra $10/mo PER LINE fee as well at the optional $8.00/mo insurance (on top of the $36/line activation fees). So the getting two phones for the $99.99 deal is really going to end up costing an additional $744+ tax over the two years.

A Good deal … probably not, but then my cursory look at buying all new phones from a different carrier and transferring numbers wouldn’t have saved anything anyway … and created an even bigger headache.  (BTW, I’m still using the original Palm Pre, but am a bit jealous now that the rest of my family all have newer Android phones)

Taylor playing with his new Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic phone at McDonalds

Category: Cellphone | 1 Comment »
Tags: android, Cellphone, samsung, smartphone, sprint

Posted By RichC on August 8, 2012

Let’s say you are a 1%er … and live in a swanky downtown Chicago abode … what would you be driving? A VW Jetta perhaps??? Unlike other wealthy areas in the U.S., these mid-west dwellers seem to drive modest cars … on the other hand, the Toyota Prius does ok with the California rich and famous crowd – LINK.

Category: Automotive, Volkswagen | 2 Comments »
Tags: cars

Posted By RichC on August 7, 2012

A great touch active graphic was in the online Wall Street Journal today and opened my eyes to the size of the robotic explorer. Thinking about radio controlled “buggies” of the past, I was thinking that Curiosity wasn’t all that much bigger … until I saw the comparison to the Mini Cooper – wow.

Flying on automatic pilot, the one-ton Curiosity—the largest and most complex mobile laboratory ever landed on another planet—touched down perfectly at about 1:32 a.m. Eastern time Monday. Its first grainy, wide-angle images showed its own left rear wheel parked on the surface of Gale Crater near the equator of Mars, close to the foot of a three-mile-high mountain it aims to explore in months to come.

Passing over the landing site early Monday, the space agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a dramatic image of Curiosity plunging toward the surface, dangling from its fully deployed, 51-foot-wide parachute. But for mission operations manager Michael Watkins, the most powerful image was among the simplest: the shadow of Curiosity looming over the Martian soil.

"It’s beautiful to us because of what it means," Mr. Watkins said. "It is representative of a new Mars we have never seen before."

In the months ahead, scientists expect to probe beneath the planet’s surface crust for evidence of chemistry favorable to microbial life, using the robot rover’s unique high-speed drill. In all, the plutonium-powered, six-wheeled Curiosity carries 10 scientific instruments, including an analytical laboratory, to process mineral and sediment samples.

Curiosity is twice as long, five times as heavy and vastly better equipped than two previous NASA Mars rovers that landed in 2004. A rover named Opportunity has been driving along the rim of a crater called Endeavor. Mired in sand, the Spirit rover, meantime, stopped sending communications in March 2010. But both discovered suggestive evidence that water might have once flowed on the surface of the planet.

The initial images transmitted Monday by Curiosity were taken through the vehicle’s hazard-avoidance cameras, before their transparent but dusty lens covers had been removed. But mission controllers soon expect to be taking sharp, full-color images in 3-D, panoramas and high-definition videos of Gale Crater.

LINK to full article

Category: Space | No Comments »
Tags: mars, nasa, space

Posted By RichC on August 6, 2012

At this point I’m still happy to be an Apple shareholder, although worry the current two week 10% stock price rise could be a little much for $AAPL. That said, the demand for their superior technology products coupled with their above industry profit margins … and devoted buyers … should keep the company flush with cash, but the tough economy, higher labor costs at Foxconn and risk of botching a product release, could trigger selling. For now, it looks as if the positives (the new iPhone5, smaller tablet and Apple television product) are all buy signals and are moving the stock price up near its 52 week high.

Category: Financial | 1 Comment »
Tags: aapl, apple