Posted By RichC on May 24, 2007
“Pandora on the Go” is a new service partnering the excellent Pandora Music service with Sprint mobile phones. The outstanding “music genome project” allows users to create personalized music listening criteria for your computer or now your Sprint cellphone. A good set of earbuds or headphones is a ‘must’ — unless you like listening to music from a cellphone speaker … I didn’t think so.
🙂
The ability to take streamed Pandora music where ever you go instead of XM or Sirius satellite radio (or even MP3 players) might be worth it for music lovers, but considering it requires the Sprint Power Vision data service and will probably zap your cellphone battery, it might not be the best use of your cellphone?
Nevertheless, I was going to give the music service a try on my Sprint based Palm Treo 700p, but at this moment the Treos are not supported — bummer. Pandora is available on these Sprint phones as of May 2007: Samsung A900, Samsung A920, LG Fusic, Sanyo 7500 and Sanyo 8400. The service is free for 30 days, but after that it comes at a $2.99 monthly fee plus Sprint data plan. (If you are an existing Pandora subscriber –$36 annually — you do not have to pay an additional subscription fee but still need the Sprint Power Vision data plan.)
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Posted By RichC on May 23, 2007
Jack Kuntz the president and CEO opened the doors of a new company in Blue Ash, Ohio call AMP. Mr. Kuntz, along with co-founder and engineer Steve Burns, welcomed the press and interested parties to a lunch where they unveiled their first project car, a new Saturn Sky which will be stripped and converted into an all-electric model.
According to Mr. Burns, the cars built by AMP will achieve the equivalent of 125 mpg, run for 150 miles per charge and will plug into a 110 volt outlet of the owners garage. He brags that it will also be quick, claiming 0 t0 60 speeds of 6 seconds and be affordable. Personally I’m not sure how they intend to do this quite yet, considering they “will use the best in technology from battery and electric motor manufacturers all controlled with AMP’s proprietary software,” … Hmm??? Not only will they be stripping new internal combustion vehicles that they intend on converting … $$$, but they intend to build 300 ‘like’ vehicles. Kuntz and Burns believe the market and the people of Cincinnati are ready for clean, efficient, 100% electric ‘second or third’ cars … I have my doubts that they can do this and keep it affordable? (perhaps it all depends on ones definition of affordable?)
EDIT: Notice a Cincinnati Enquirer article mentioning that the cars were estimated to sell for under $50,000.
A crowd of about 50 were on hand for the announcement and were treated to a motivational speech by well known Moeller High School football coach (as well as University of Notre Dame and University of Akron coach) Gerry Faust.
Photo: Gerry Faust (L) and Jack Kuntz (R)
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Posted By RichC on May 22, 2007
Today in Cincinnati (5/22) the price of gasoline is starting to “faze” folks. The spike in gas prices is the talk at nearly every stop I’ve made today. By afternoon, most stations boosted prices 30 cents for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline. It was averaging about $3.18 and is now easily $3.49. (some stations are higher)
I’ve recently registered for a pre-price change message to cell phone service that is offered by Meijer Supercenter They are a combination big box retail and grocery store based out of Michigan that also sells fuel. In fact they are currently testing B20 in Ann Arbor and our CinciTDI group is petitioning to get it in Ohio. The new text message service will notify cellphones a few hours before increasing prices. Today’s came in about 4 hours before the 1:30 price change. Since I’m not driving the ‘gas’ car today it doesn’t matter too much, but it was still nice to get the morning warning that by 1:30PM the price would go up 30 cents. Problem … when I drove by at noon the lines were long since they were still priced low … too many participants perhaps?
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Posted By RichC on May 21, 2007
At first read, the story in the San Francisco Chronicle is interesting because California State Senator Carole Migden voted for a bill that fined people for using their cellphone while driving, yet she ends up driving with a cellphone and rearends a Honda sending a person to the hospital. How ironic. At a second read, I noticed that California supplies their state senators with “state issued” cars that are quiet extravagant. Her current damaged car was a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV which replace “her previous tax-payer funded 2005 Cadillac STS.” The question comes to my mind is Why do elected congressmen and women need such extravagant vehicles; wouldn’t a normal 4 door Ford or Chevy suffice?
State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, was involved in an auto accident on Highway 12 in Solano County this morning that left one person with minor injuries, California Highway Patrol said.
The senator rear-ended a 2005 Honda sedan, which was slowing to a stop behind a van that had already stopped at a red signal light at the intersection of Beck Avenue and Highway 12, said CHP spokesman Marvin Williford. Migden told CHP officers that she had gotten lost while driving to Marin County for a noon meeting when the accident occurred. Migden’s office released a statement saying that her cell phone rang and in reaching for the phone, she took her eyes off the road.
The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. No one else was hurt, Williford said.
The senator was given a breathalyzer test, which showed she wasn’t under the influence of alcohol. No citation were issued, which is typical for minor accidents like this that have no other independent eyewitnesses, Williford said.
She was driving her new state-issued 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV, which replaced her previous tax-payer funded 2005 Cadillac STS.
Link
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Posted By RichC on May 20, 2007
My good friend Jeff has a contact with Midwestern Eurosports out of Chicago and invited my son and I up to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend. We had excellent weather and a great time hanging around their 18-wheeler/shop and getting hints into some of the tweaks made to these already great performing cars.
The Porsche designs are already excellent for the Mid-Ohio track, and the stock cars were pretty equal. Drivers made the difference in the stock class, while a little added horsepower gave a few high end 911s the edge. I was impressed with a couple heavily modified older Porsche 914s that did a sensational job keeping up with their big brothers … it was amazing to see a 2.0 liter modified mid engine 914 keeping up with cars pumping out over 400 horsepower. All in all, our weekend was enjoyable … I think my hearing is finally returning to normal. (adding a video clip when I get it encoded)
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Tags: midohio, porche, racing
Posted By RichC on May 19, 2007
The average gasoline prices hit new highs in Ohio and across the nation this week as the national average is $3.13 for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline. In Ohio according to the Cincinnati Enquirer we are above at a $3.22 per gallon average pump price. Analysts say refinery problems are continuing to limit supplies and are to blame for the rising prices. According to an Associated Press article, “BP officials say their refinery in Whiting, Indiana — usually the nation’s fifth-most-productive — and another refinery in Toledo are operating at just 50 percent capacity.”
Earlier this week, I filled my Volkswagen Jetta TDI with B-20 biodiesel for $2.80 and then topped it off with petroleum diesel today north of Cincinnati for $2.78. Come to think of it, its a double plus for small economical diesel drivers: 1) 45+mpg and 2) a 40 cents per gallon savings at the pump. I’m glad we still have our TDIs.
🙂
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Posted By RichC on May 18, 2007
Hmm … I’ve yet to figure out how Joox.net can get away with showing full length, good quality movies over the Internet … but they are. While the site is still functioning, movie going geeks might want to curl up with their significant other (ie. computer), and watch a movie.
😀
If you enjoy movies a little larger, be sure to click the divx ‘full screen’ box rather than watching the movie in a web window. Documentaries and TV programs are offered as well; check out the right sidebar for listings.
Remember you are streaming a significant amount of data so you’ll want to be at a highspeed data connection for this. Coffeeshops and hotels just might not offer the bandwidth to give you the best experience … besides, if you wait for home the others using the share connection will thank you. I generally glance around a WiFi hotspot before running my Slingplayer in ‘video’ mode if I’m really just listening to CNBC or the news. (Hint: sellect audo only under the)
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Posted By RichC on May 17, 2007
I heard a news story today that referenced an Internet music portal … for lack of a better description … that sells a product that the reporter referenced to several illegal drugs. The ‘doses’ as I-Doser.com call them, are delivered by headphones and the company claims their “advanced binaural beats that will synchronize your brainwaves to the same state as the recreational dose. Mixed with our advanced auditory pulses are soothing backtracks of ambient soundscapes to help the brain induce of state of mood lift, euphoria, sedation, and hallucination.”
I’m not quick to part with my dollars, so if someone reading so inclined to purchase and give us some feedback that would be helpful. The ‘doses are available as PC downloads, MP3 for i-Pods or on audio CDs.
🙂
By the way, the company doesn’t guarantee results, but they “advice you try the I-Doser Application and Free Doses to see if I-Doser works for you.”
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Posted By RichC on May 16, 2007
Solo circumnavigating sailor Donna Lange and “Inspired Insanity” are safely on a mooring in Bristol, Rhode Island. She and her boat are home after spending 300 days at sea and sailing her 28 foot Southern Cross boat 31,400 nautical miles. It was a treat to be ‘tuning’ in by email each day; I’m going to miss the daily log.
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Posted By RichC on May 15, 2007
Saw this video clip and am using it to to fill in a ‘non-posting’ day. Also … solo circumnavigating sailor Donna Lange should be getting into Bristol, Rhode Island sometime late on Wednesday night … if the winds hold. (she is engine-less)
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