My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on October 5, 2009

Unfortunately Adobe Flash is not available ‘just yet,’ bu t one can see from the demo that it is getting closer and looks to be yet another reason to patiently wait for the webOS upgrades.  As I’ve mentioned previously, the webOS 1.2 upgrade has been a great improvement on my Palm Pre and as a productivity device is now solid enough to have me finally acknowledging satisfaction with upgrading from the PalmOS Treo/Centro line of smartphones. No date given as to a release.

Announcement:

Adobe Systems Incorporated today unveiled Adobe Flash Player 10.1 software for smartphones, smartbooks, netbooks, PCs and other Internet-connected devices, allowing content created using the Adobe Flash Platform to reach users wherever they are. A public developer beta of the browser-based runtime is expected to be available for Windows® Mobile, Palm® webOS and desktop operating systems including Windows, Macintosh and Linux later this year.

Category: Cellphone, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: adobe, flash, palm, smartphone, webos

Posted By RichC on October 4, 2009

We are continuing to plant trees of variety in hopes one day a mature woods will be part of our way-backyard. Thankfully I have a brother who is particularly astute as to varieties that grow in our area and enjoys a hobby business of growing trees from seedling — his current catalog. His love of conservation when it comes to hardwoods and reforestation was helpful in selecting a few new trees from his nursery was appreciated … along with the assistance in planting. Thanks Ron.

For the record, here’s a listing of the trees planted on October 4th, 2009 — now to figure out how to protect them from deer!

Category: Environment, Personal, Photos | 2 Comments »
Tags: native, ohio, plants, reforestation, trees

Posted By RichC on October 3, 2009

While picking up some touch up paint today, I saw the first couple 2010 model TDIs. Here’s a nice looking diesel Sportwagen in a Plat Grey color (Palm Pre photo) … and sporting the new front end. It definitely looks ‘sporty’ … although this one was the DSG transmission.

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: diesel, sportwagen, tdi, vw

Posted By RichC on October 2, 2009

Volkswagen diesel fans have been waiting  a few years for the return of the Golf (Rabbit) TDI. It’s due arrive to North American shores as a 2010 model. Shockingly the four door 2010 Golf TDI will be priced $150 cheaper than the four door gasoline powered Rabbit: base price $19,890. See Motor Trend’s Wide Open Throttle column.

UPDATE Oct. 6, 2009 — Although as pricing goes, another source doesn’t seem to agree? Here’s the pricing release sheet posted by the Kicking Tires blog:

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: diesel, golf, tdi, volkswagen, vw

Posted By RichC on September 30, 2009

While traveling  a couple hundred miles from home today the battery in my 2006 Honda Pilot just died. No warning, no instrument panel lights, no discolored “eye” (still green) and NO juice. Fortunately I live in “middle America” where people are still friendly and motorist even stop to help each other out. Although I had my tool bag, my portable jump starter was sitting worthlessly in my garage at home — real bright Rich! Thankfully the good Samaritan had a set of jumper cables and I was off and amazingly still on time (early actually)  for my appointment in Akron. As I drove, I pondered … and yes Twittered … wondering  just what the best course of action should be.  I looked at the clock, I figured I could spare about 20 minutes to pick up a battery at service center. After checking my Sprint Navigation GPS app on my Palm Pre for nearby stores, I settled on a Walmart where a new battery set me back $75 plus a $9 refundable core charge. Thankfully the Honda Pilot has a simple battery bracket, decent cable clamps and made the swap a 15 minute deal — my only gripe is that my deep sockets are at home — and I still made my appointment with less than clean hands.

Hopefully it is ‘just the battery,’ … tomorrow may tell?

Cooler Fall weather has arrived – Columbus Ohio 9/30/2009

Category: Automotive | No Comments »
Tags: battery, honda, walmart

Posted By RichC on September 29, 2009

I waited until I arrived home today before risking the update to webOS 1.2 on my Palm Pre. It’s not that I’m overly paranoid, but I’m no longer comfortable taking that chance, having to swap phones last week — thank you Sprint. The download took about 5 minutes though the broadband connection and installation another five. After rebooting, I noticed my two bluetooth headsets didn’t pair — so add another couple minutes — but they were still registered (BT was off after the update too).

The feature I, and other Palm Pre users, have been waiting for was the web browser ‘cut and paste’ … and it was well worth it since it works great. Holding down the orange options key while swiping the text is all that is need to highlight, then touch the gestures area and ‘c’ (copy) key saves the text. Multi-task over to an email, appointment or memo and then touch gesture area with a ‘v’ (paste) inserts the text as easy as pie. As with text ‘copy and paste’ improvement, images can be saved to the phone or ‘shared’ (emailed) as well. Holding down the orange option key while touching the image on the screen brings up the menu to “share or save.” It also works great — well done Palm!

The update also adds more social networking synchronization with one’s LinkedIn profile, similar to the Pre’s sync with Facebook and Google. For developers of apps, they now support paying for third-party software on the App Catalog. For business users, the update improves support for Exchange security policies.

The webOS 1.2 update improves the calendar by permitting dialing phone numbers straight from the calendar application … I’m still waiting for a search feature (something I sorely miss that my Treo did). For people who use voicemail in an email … or voice memos, the update allows email users directly play WAV files that are attached. Personally it would be nice to have support for a few other audio files, especially the compress formats used by some voice to email services.

For music lovers, the Pre can now download music from Amazon online music stores, but will not permit syncing with Apple’s iTunes software. Hmm?

So far this is a good update … hopefully more to come every couple of months.

Click for TwitPic “shared” photo

Category: Cellphone | 4 Comments »
Tags: Cellphone, palm, smartphone, webos

Posted By RichC on September 29, 2009

Here’s a safety tip that came from a “Dear Heloise” clipping set to me by none other than my mom;  no matter how old I am she never stops being a mom.  Actually I don’t think she was really thinking about me, but most likely my son and daughter …  so I’ll forward them the newspaper clipping ‘as instructed’ when I’m done posting.

The lesson I learned years ago about “not putting you home address on luggage tags” is a practice that might be a good idea to apply to some of our electronic devices too. Just as hotel and airline luggage  may signal an unscrupulous character that someone is  away from home,  a cellphone or portable GPS unit can do the same and  make it pretty easy to locate HOME if such a waypoint is stored in memory.

I’ve listened to ‘mom’ when it comes to my luggage tags by including only my office address on all of our family’s luggage, but I haven’t been quite as careful with my cell phone database and definitely haven’t given much thought to precisely locating “HOME” in our GPS devices.

BTW, happy Birthday Mom.

Category: Cellphone, Misc, Technology, Travel | 2 Comments »
Tags: advice, GPS, safety

Posted By RichC on September 28, 2009

You just gotta love a biodiesel powered car like Jay Leno’s “more money than brains ” (his words) EcoJet (previous post).  I’ll be anxious to get the full performance reports (with economy figures) and look forward to solutions to keep the EcoJet quiet — here’s a thought?

Category: Automotive, Aviation, Biodiesel | No Comments »
Tags: biodiesel, ecojet, jay leno

Posted By RichC on September 28, 2009

It has been frustrating for wannabe Volkswagen TDI buyers planning to purchase a new 2009 diesel late this summer or fall. Most have discovered that there are none to be had and that MSRP and sometimes above is required to get on a dealer list for a 2010 first off the boat (happening this week!) This time it’s not that VW isn’t making them (lapse for a couple years) or that $4.00 gasoline have sent people running to buy a fuel-sipper … no, it’s  that wonderful US govenment “Cash for Clunker” program.

“If you hear from dealers or customers complaining about where their Jetta [TDI] Sportwagen is or they can’t buy a Jetta[TDI] Sportwagen–because believe me we get these emails every day” Keys told Journalists, “(the cash for clunkers program) is what did it.”

According to Steve Keyes, over sixty-five percent of Volkswagens purchased through the clunker program were the high fuel mileage Jetta TDIs diesel. Not only did the “new car sale boosting program” take cars from customers that would have been full price non-taxpayer funded vehicles, but they also took away the Volkswagen cars that were selling the best.

Even before the clunker program, Volkswagen was selling the new ‘clean diesel’ version of their Jetta and Sportwagen at a fast clip. In fact, VW expected about a third of Jetta TDI sedans sold would have Volkswagen’s “clean diesel” and about half of the Jetta Sportwagens. They were wrong, says Steve Keyes, sales of Jetta TDI sedans ran about forty percent, and over the past couple of months over eighty percent with the Jetta Sportwagen TDI.

“The good news is,” continued Keys, “we just started shipping the 2010 models, and particularly the Jetta Sportwagen.”

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Volkswagen | 8 Comments »
Tags: diesel, sportwagen, tdi, vw

Posted By RichC on September 27, 2009

The second part of the this post’s subject line makes very little sense unless you’ve been paying attention to the weather in much of Ohio in recent days. We’ve had so much dampness and rain that we might as well be living in Seattle … evidence by my daughter’s cellphone at the OSU/Illinois game on Saturday — her Palm Centro is currently DOA but ‘drying out’ with limited hope for resuscitation.

On the other hand, the game was well suited for the rain seeing the Buckeyes run up 30 points to the Illini’s 0, making it the second shutout in a row after losing to USC two weeks ago (win over Toledo last week). Illinois quarterback Juice Williams was quoted as describing his team’s offense as a “nightmare.” That said, the rain didn’t help build confidence in Ohio State’s passing game, as they instead moved the ball on the ground running 236 yards on 46 carries, a 5.1-yard average.

For Buckeye fans there is still concern over passing the football, but it’s a definite good to see opponents will need to defend against the run. Without question, credit must go to a solid defensive which gave no mercy to the Illini and shut down any passing game that was in the playbook. If you’re a fan of the scarlet and gray — a true Buckeye — then you’re at least glad to see wins and scoring.

Katelyn and Drew enjoy the win amidst the rain
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Category: Cellphone, Personal, Photos, Sports | No Comments »
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