Hi everyone. I know you are probably my only reader, but I still like to believe there's more than one person reading this thing. Anyway, I have been in Ontario, Canada this week. I got lucky and didn't have to experience the stereotypical weather that comes with the phrase "Canada in winter". The week averaged about 43 F or about 6 C during the day, about 32 F at night or about 0 C over night. I was expecting negative temperatures for either Celsius or Fahrenheit. Talk about lucking out! There must have been a heat wave moving through the area.
My trip was very enjoyable. Flight was on time and smooth, my rental car was a Volkswagen Jetta (Score!), and the people I was working were fantastic. This was my first time flying into Canada and my first trip to Canada since increased border security in both directions. Getting into Canada I think is a little more tricky than getting out. I had to have written verification from my client before hand I was not taking payment of money of any kind since I was going to be there on business and performing training for my client. The last time I traveled internationally was in the mid '90s. There wasn't much to it, then.
Customs Agent: "Welcome to (fill in country here). Passport, please. What are you doing here?"
Me: "I'm here on business. I'm installing a computer system."
Customs Agent: "Did you bring any computers with you?"
Me: "No. They have already been delivered."
Customs Agent: "What's in the bag?"
Me: "Clothes."
Customs Agent: "Have nice stay with us."
It was a pretty benign encounter. Not so any more. You can be subject to search for any reason. Denied entry without the right paperwork proving you are there for business and not breaking any export or import laws. The security has become much more sophisticated. Don't get me wrong here. I'm not complaining, just pointing out facts. Criminals, terrorists, and smugglers have become much more advanced than they were 15 years ago. Customs security needs to advance faster than the bad guys. And that goes for all countries.
I must say, I felt a little safer going through all the security processes I went through, even domestically, the measures I go through there. They all provide a benefit. I think our biggest problem domestically is the TSA training and procedures. They are not enforced equally across the country. Some of the people the TSA hires are highly questionable. I know the underlying person they look for is a guy that can be a security guard. It doesn't take much to do that. The responsibility and power they hold, however is far greater than that of a typical security guard. The TSA should look at its management teams, processes, training, and hiring standards if there is to be any kind of public acceptance for the TSA and what it does.
Okay, I'm done with that. Back to my Canada trip. I enjoyed the company of my clients, was treated with the greatest hospitality, and learned a few things Canada does pretty well compared to the USA. Specifically with healthcare. We all know the healthcare is nationalized, but while the average family pays about $8,000 or more a year for health insurance premiums and care, Canadians pay about nothing. The tax rate is higher here and that is probably where it evens out, but in the long run, I think private healthcare should be an option. Right now that's all we have. I think there can be a happy medium in there somewhere.
I noticed my food costs were a little higher than normal. The sales tax was 13%, about 60% higher than what I am used to. The gas is certainly higher, about on the lines of California prices, may be higher. Cost of living and housing is about the same as most major metropolitan areas. The one thing did not help me was the US dollar is right about on par with the Canadian dollar. Most of the time I was here it was about a nickel lower, which did not help my exchange rate. Oh, well. It wasn't a killer, but it was disappointing.
So that's my Canada trip. Not terribly exciting, but interesting for me, nonetheless. Thank you for the hospitality, Canada.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
My travels for this year
It's almost the end of the year. There are 3 weeks left for the end of this year. I have decided to recount all of the places I have been to this year, and the last few places I will be going before December 31st. As I started to write this post I took a little time to reflect on these trips and recount some of my most memorable. I have been to quite a few places this year, through countless airports, flew 10 different airlines, and rented some good and bad cars. This has been a busy year. We shall see what next year holds.
Of all the airlines I have flown, I would rank Virgin America the highest. I only flew that airline once, but the seats, available food and snacks, entertainment options, and overall experience was by far better than any other carrier I flew. I would rank American Airlines next, followed by United and Delta. The worst airline I flew was Air Tran. I have never liked that airline and I still don't really like it.
The best hotel I stayed at was the Homewood Suites in San Diego, CA. Always clean, good food for breakfast and dinner, and very helpful staff. I had the pleasure to meet one of the owners of this hotel when I was there and he was very excited about his hotel. He certainly helped me to feel like a welcomed customer. The worst hotel was a Hampton Inn in Milwaukee, WI. It just felt like an upscale Motel 6. Old furniture, very little room, standard definition TV, and horrible internet.
The best rental car I had all year was a 2011 Dodge Charger from Budget in Memphis, TN. The Budget office there was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. The car itself was fantastic. Great gas mileage, powerful motor, and sleek interior. I was impressed by the fact Dodge produced a car that gets more than 20mpg. I was able to get about 28mpg while I had the car for the week.
Here is a list of all the places I saw this year by month.
Of all the airlines I have flown, I would rank Virgin America the highest. I only flew that airline once, but the seats, available food and snacks, entertainment options, and overall experience was by far better than any other carrier I flew. I would rank American Airlines next, followed by United and Delta. The worst airline I flew was Air Tran. I have never liked that airline and I still don't really like it.
The best hotel I stayed at was the Homewood Suites in San Diego, CA. Always clean, good food for breakfast and dinner, and very helpful staff. I had the pleasure to meet one of the owners of this hotel when I was there and he was very excited about his hotel. He certainly helped me to feel like a welcomed customer. The worst hotel was a Hampton Inn in Milwaukee, WI. It just felt like an upscale Motel 6. Old furniture, very little room, standard definition TV, and horrible internet.
The best rental car I had all year was a 2011 Dodge Charger from Budget in Memphis, TN. The Budget office there was great and the staff was friendly and helpful. The car itself was fantastic. Great gas mileage, powerful motor, and sleek interior. I was impressed by the fact Dodge produced a car that gets more than 20mpg. I was able to get about 28mpg while I had the car for the week.
Here is a list of all the places I saw this year by month.
|
January
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Atlanta, GA
|
Bellingham, WA
|
Tampa, FL
|
Garden City, NY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
February
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Dulles, VA
|
Dulles, VA
|
Houston, TX
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Millville, NJ
|
Houston, TX
|
Broomfield, CO
|
Houston, TX
|
|
Houston, TX
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
April
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Plainsboro, NJ
|
Houston, TX
|
Irvine, CA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Tampa, FL
|
Plainville, CT
|
Alexandria, VA
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
June
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
Mount Laurel, NJ
|
St. Louis, MO
|
New York, NY
|
|
St. Louis, MO
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
July
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
Denver, CO
|
Kennesaw, GA
|
Burbank, CA
|
|
Milwaukee, WI
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
August
20111
|
|
|
|
|
Baltimore, MD
|
Columbia, TN
|
Jackson, TN
|
Overland Park, KS
|
|
Tucker, GA
|
Jackson, TN
|
Columbia, TN
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Tampa, FL
|
Charles Town, WV
|
Topeka, KS
|
Tucker, GA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
October
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Topeka, KS
|
La Jolla, CA
|
Washington, DC
|
Atlanta, GA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
November
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Washington, DC
|
Tampa, FL
|
Fort Worth, TX
|
Washington, DC
|
|
Houston, TX
|
Houston, TX
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
2011
|
|
|
|
|
Trenton, NJ
|
Oakville, ON, Canada
|
Tumwater, WA
|
|
Friday, November 4, 2011
How to Give Yourself a $240 Raise
A lot of people have written about this particular subject over the last few years. The issue is comparing the cost of sending/receiving a text message vs. the cost of data sent over a wireless carrier's data network. If you have a smart phone, chances are you have a data plan that is about $30/mo for either unlimited data or at least 2GB. And if you text you probably pay anywhere from $5 for a small amount of texts to $20 for unlimited texts.
Here's where the gripes come in. A text message can be a total of 140 bytes per message at a maximum of 160 characters. If your text is more than 160 characters, one text is sent per each set of 160 characters. This is protocol standard. That means that for 140 bytes per message, it would take 7.14 texts to equal 1 kilobyte (KB) of text based data. All texts are sent over the wireless carrier's cellular network and not the data network. That doesn't seem horribly bad until you do the math of the cost to the consumer.
So let's see how many people get upset at their carrier about the math I am about to show. I will use my plan as an example. I pay $30/mo for 2GB of data for email and web over my 3G network. As far as real data size translations go, there are 1000 bytes in 1 kilobyte (KB). There are 1000 kiloybytes in 1 megabyte (MB). Finally, there are 1000 megabytes in 1 gigbyte (GB). That means my $30/mo costs .00015 per byte, or $1.50 per MB when I surf the web and download email. To compare that to text messaging I would have to send 7,140 text messages to equal 1MB. I pay $5 for 250 mesages plus .20 ea message after that. That same 1MB in text messaging would cost me $1,378/mo. Not only that, sending and receiving 7,140 texts in a month means I have to send a text every 12 minutes of every day of every hour. Assuming I send a text and receive an answer. If I'm the only one communicating it would one text every 6 minutes of every day of every hour. If I take time out to sleep I have to send a text every 4 minutes of a 16 hour day. That leaves me no time to do anything.
Look at the cost difference here. 1MB of text messaging costs me $1,378, while 1MB of web browsing and email costs me $1.50! And I can send way more than 160 characters in an email.
Think about how the numbers increase when you're paying for unlimited messages and trying to get 2GB of text messages to equal your data plan. No we're talking 2000 times (1MB x 2000 = 2GB) the number of messages that need to be sent to equal 2GB of texts from my example above. Simply put, there is not enough time in the day for me to send 2GB in text messages in one month, not to mention money. That would cost me $2,756,000!! Talk about a deficit.
So the question is why is texting so much more expensive? The technology has been around for ages. Texting pagers back in the 1990's used this protocol. The technology is not new and is not expensive to maintain. It's all been paid for by the wireless companies. Every penny earned by the carriers is nearly all profit. So that $20/mo for unlimited text messaging in your phone bill is mainly profit for the wireless carrier.
How do you avoid paying the texting fees? There are many applications that allow you to use your data network to send text messages. Google Voice for instance can send text messages to your GMail account instead of your phone, thereby avoiding the cost of the text. You can reply straight from GMail which only uses your data connection. Remember that only costs .00015 per byte. There are other services out there that do something similar. Blackberry Messenger uses the data network instead of the cellular network. The iPhone has a messaging app that allows texts to go over the data network instead of the cellular network. Look in you phone's app market and see if there aren't at least 5 to 10 applications that use the data connection for sending and receiving text messages. Think of it like VoIP for texting.
Give yourself a $240 raise. Cut off the unlimited text messaging and use the data connection you're probably not using up anyway. If you're worried your friends will forget or you get spam texts that cost you money, have your wireless provider turn off texting for your phone. Texts will be blocked from coming in and going out of the phone. The data network is still in full effect and costs way less.
Here's where the gripes come in. A text message can be a total of 140 bytes per message at a maximum of 160 characters. If your text is more than 160 characters, one text is sent per each set of 160 characters. This is protocol standard. That means that for 140 bytes per message, it would take 7.14 texts to equal 1 kilobyte (KB) of text based data. All texts are sent over the wireless carrier's cellular network and not the data network. That doesn't seem horribly bad until you do the math of the cost to the consumer.
So let's see how many people get upset at their carrier about the math I am about to show. I will use my plan as an example. I pay $30/mo for 2GB of data for email and web over my 3G network. As far as real data size translations go, there are 1000 bytes in 1 kilobyte (KB). There are 1000 kiloybytes in 1 megabyte (MB). Finally, there are 1000 megabytes in 1 gigbyte (GB). That means my $30/mo costs .00015 per byte, or $1.50 per MB when I surf the web and download email. To compare that to text messaging I would have to send 7,140 text messages to equal 1MB. I pay $5 for 250 mesages plus .20 ea message after that. That same 1MB in text messaging would cost me $1,378/mo. Not only that, sending and receiving 7,140 texts in a month means I have to send a text every 12 minutes of every day of every hour. Assuming I send a text and receive an answer. If I'm the only one communicating it would one text every 6 minutes of every day of every hour. If I take time out to sleep I have to send a text every 4 minutes of a 16 hour day. That leaves me no time to do anything.
Look at the cost difference here. 1MB of text messaging costs me $1,378, while 1MB of web browsing and email costs me $1.50! And I can send way more than 160 characters in an email.
Think about how the numbers increase when you're paying for unlimited messages and trying to get 2GB of text messages to equal your data plan. No we're talking 2000 times (1MB x 2000 = 2GB) the number of messages that need to be sent to equal 2GB of texts from my example above. Simply put, there is not enough time in the day for me to send 2GB in text messages in one month, not to mention money. That would cost me $2,756,000!! Talk about a deficit.
So the question is why is texting so much more expensive? The technology has been around for ages. Texting pagers back in the 1990's used this protocol. The technology is not new and is not expensive to maintain. It's all been paid for by the wireless companies. Every penny earned by the carriers is nearly all profit. So that $20/mo for unlimited text messaging in your phone bill is mainly profit for the wireless carrier.
How do you avoid paying the texting fees? There are many applications that allow you to use your data network to send text messages. Google Voice for instance can send text messages to your GMail account instead of your phone, thereby avoiding the cost of the text. You can reply straight from GMail which only uses your data connection. Remember that only costs .00015 per byte. There are other services out there that do something similar. Blackberry Messenger uses the data network instead of the cellular network. The iPhone has a messaging app that allows texts to go over the data network instead of the cellular network. Look in you phone's app market and see if there aren't at least 5 to 10 applications that use the data connection for sending and receiving text messages. Think of it like VoIP for texting.
Give yourself a $240 raise. Cut off the unlimited text messaging and use the data connection you're probably not using up anyway. If you're worried your friends will forget or you get spam texts that cost you money, have your wireless provider turn off texting for your phone. Texts will be blocked from coming in and going out of the phone. The data network is still in full effect and costs way less.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Fox Rent A Car San Diego - Update
If you recall my last post about renting with Fox in San Diego you'll recall how dangerous the first car was and how long it took to get a clean car. Well, I finally received a response from their customer service department on Friday last week. It only took 12 days after I was told I would be contacted ASAP. The response was mostly laughable to me. They offered to refund up to 30% of my rental and offered me a free day any time I wanted to use it.
My response - You can shove it.
It wasn't in so few words, but that is what I essentially told them. I reminded them the car endangered my life and that this was not the first time they had given me a car that had problems on the road. I also reminded them it took nearly two weeks to respond to an issue I was told to expect a response ASAP. I continued to lecture them on customer service concepts and that their fleet extends beyond 40,000 miles on average. I told them to keep the 30% and the free rental.
I would rather leave things as they are than deal with that company again. I highly recommend that you do not rent with Fox at any time. If it's the last rental company wherever you may be, take a cab. It will be safer and probably cleaner.
Another piece of information to this happened this afternoon. I had updated my Facebook post to Fox's Facebook site a few times telling them I had not received any contact. I got a response from that guy 3 weeks later asking if anyone had contacted me yet... Really!? Sheesh! These guys are really on top of things.... Need I say more about Fox?
My response - You can shove it.
It wasn't in so few words, but that is what I essentially told them. I reminded them the car endangered my life and that this was not the first time they had given me a car that had problems on the road. I also reminded them it took nearly two weeks to respond to an issue I was told to expect a response ASAP. I continued to lecture them on customer service concepts and that their fleet extends beyond 40,000 miles on average. I told them to keep the 30% and the free rental.
I would rather leave things as they are than deal with that company again. I highly recommend that you do not rent with Fox at any time. If it's the last rental company wherever you may be, take a cab. It will be safer and probably cleaner.
Another piece of information to this happened this afternoon. I had updated my Facebook post to Fox's Facebook site a few times telling them I had not received any contact. I got a response from that guy 3 weeks later asking if anyone had contacted me yet... Really!? Sheesh! These guys are really on top of things.... Need I say more about Fox?
18 Months Later and My DroidX is Still Relevant
Hello. My name is Brian Davis and I used to own a Blackberry. It wasn't that long ago when owning a Blackberry meant your were important, had a purpose in your company, and could manage your email better than anyone else when not in front of a computer.
The most recent smart phones offered by Apple, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung running either Apple's iOS or Google's Android OS all have better features and capabilities than the most recent Blackberry on the market. Android has greatly improved notifications of emails in Gmail and coprorate mail, and 3rd party email apps have even improved upon that in some cases. Apple is making strides in improving email notifications, but we all know having a smart phone is no longer about how well you can manage your email. It's about how cool your phone is. What can it do? How many apps can it hold? Can it detect metal, tell you how to find the closest CVS, take high res pictures and video, VPN to your office, or even act as a remote control for your DirecTV box or computer, or make your voice sound funny? I don't know about you, but mine can do all of that and way more.
I traded in my Blackberry Storm 1 about 18 months ago for a DroidX. It was the coolest thing since sliced bread. It has a 4.3" touch screen, gobs of RAM, and included a 16GB micro SD card. My phone is still faster than most other phones I run into even today. It has helped me out at customer sites while performing technical consulting. For example, how do I view a file in Linux (I am not a Linux expert)? Google it and less than 2 seconds later I have a command staring back at me on my screen. Using only my phone I can control the mouse on my home computer. I can also use it as a DirecTV remote. The Google Maps application has saved me from getting lost and also, got me out of areas I shouldn't have been after dark. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I have killed countless little green pigs with some very pissed off birds.
Of course, to be fair, just about anyone with a powerful smart phone can run most of these apps, but not everyone. Even with Android on different platforms there are still some differences. Even with my 3G connection and an EVO on some of Sprint's 4G networks, my phone was faster. I could pull up pages and render images faster than the EVO. To me, that says alot, not only about the hardware, but about the network, too. To be fair to the EVO, it is a great phone, but not all 4G connections are created equal.
So here I am 18 months after I bought my DroidX and in a time when a phone is considered ancient after 12 months, and a historic relic after 24 months, mine is still very relevant. It's like the cool muscle car that never goes out of style and can still whoop some ass even against the new comers. The latest 4G phones coming out showing that they are battery hogs on the 4G connection. Look at the reviews and you will see most barely last a day when on 4G all day. I know some software updates have come out to help some of those models, but not all. All of the smart phones I have owned never lasted more than 36 hours on a single charge and on heavy use days barely 16 hours. The Droid Bionic is the best 4G phone on battery life I am aware of. It gets rave reviews in that category.
When I am finally ready to update my phone, my current choice would still be an Android phone. I would probably pick a Droid Bionic from Verizon. Motorola is bringing back the Razr brand with the Droid Razr next month. With no list of specs on the phone it's kind of hard to make a decision on that one. Maybe we will see another commercial where someone buries a Droid Razr in the body of a car by throwing it. I loved those commercials.
Anyway, the bottom line here is, be cognizant of the phone you buy. It could be a dud (Blackberry Storm) or a stud (DroidX). Only time will tell.
The most recent smart phones offered by Apple, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung running either Apple's iOS or Google's Android OS all have better features and capabilities than the most recent Blackberry on the market. Android has greatly improved notifications of emails in Gmail and coprorate mail, and 3rd party email apps have even improved upon that in some cases. Apple is making strides in improving email notifications, but we all know having a smart phone is no longer about how well you can manage your email. It's about how cool your phone is. What can it do? How many apps can it hold? Can it detect metal, tell you how to find the closest CVS, take high res pictures and video, VPN to your office, or even act as a remote control for your DirecTV box or computer, or make your voice sound funny? I don't know about you, but mine can do all of that and way more.
I traded in my Blackberry Storm 1 about 18 months ago for a DroidX. It was the coolest thing since sliced bread. It has a 4.3" touch screen, gobs of RAM, and included a 16GB micro SD card. My phone is still faster than most other phones I run into even today. It has helped me out at customer sites while performing technical consulting. For example, how do I view a file in Linux (I am not a Linux expert)? Google it and less than 2 seconds later I have a command staring back at me on my screen. Using only my phone I can control the mouse on my home computer. I can also use it as a DirecTV remote. The Google Maps application has saved me from getting lost and also, got me out of areas I shouldn't have been after dark. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. I have killed countless little green pigs with some very pissed off birds.
Of course, to be fair, just about anyone with a powerful smart phone can run most of these apps, but not everyone. Even with Android on different platforms there are still some differences. Even with my 3G connection and an EVO on some of Sprint's 4G networks, my phone was faster. I could pull up pages and render images faster than the EVO. To me, that says alot, not only about the hardware, but about the network, too. To be fair to the EVO, it is a great phone, but not all 4G connections are created equal.
So here I am 18 months after I bought my DroidX and in a time when a phone is considered ancient after 12 months, and a historic relic after 24 months, mine is still very relevant. It's like the cool muscle car that never goes out of style and can still whoop some ass even against the new comers. The latest 4G phones coming out showing that they are battery hogs on the 4G connection. Look at the reviews and you will see most barely last a day when on 4G all day. I know some software updates have come out to help some of those models, but not all. All of the smart phones I have owned never lasted more than 36 hours on a single charge and on heavy use days barely 16 hours. The Droid Bionic is the best 4G phone on battery life I am aware of. It gets rave reviews in that category.
When I am finally ready to update my phone, my current choice would still be an Android phone. I would probably pick a Droid Bionic from Verizon. Motorola is bringing back the Razr brand with the Droid Razr next month. With no list of specs on the phone it's kind of hard to make a decision on that one. Maybe we will see another commercial where someone buries a Droid Razr in the body of a car by throwing it. I loved those commercials.
Anyway, the bottom line here is, be cognizant of the phone you buy. It could be a dud (Blackberry Storm) or a stud (DroidX). Only time will tell.
Monday, October 10, 2011
San Diego Fox Rent a Car - Just Don't Go There
I rent a car every week, and sometimes twice a week. I travel all over the country and get the opportunity to see all kinds of great places. Along the way there will be some bad experiences. Usually, I don't expect them to be as bad as this one, although, I'm sure people have had worse experiences.
This is about my most recent experience with Fox Rent A Car in San Diego, CA. I had rented with Fox before in another state and that experience was very ho-hum. Nothing memorable, good or bad. Recently, Fox had posted all over Facebook about their recent remodel of their San Diego facility. I had never been there before, but by some of the responses people thought it was a good upgrade. Unfortunately, they spent their money on the facilities and forgot about the cars they supply.
I arrived to pick up my car at about 8:20pm. I was greeted promptly and sent out to get a car. I was given a Chevy Cruz. I have to ask, when was the last time anyone saw manually adjustable mirrors on a standard size car at a rental facility? For me, it was about 8 or 9 years ago. This Chevy Cruz was about as low end and low end could be. I wasn't quite sure, but I thought I saw a tape deck in the radio with mechanical station memory buttons. Anyway, I took the sub-standard car and went on my way. As I was leaving the brakes felt a little strange. They felt a little squishy. I thought they were okay enough until I got on the freeway and had to tap brakes at 60mph when I approached some traffic. The pucker factor immediately jumped from 0 to 8 in nothing flat.
Major problem #1 - The brakes must have had air in the lines or were low on fluid. I had to push the brakes almost all the way to the floorboard before they grabbed. They were as mushy at highway speeds as pushing my foot into a bag of marsh mellows. Can you say Holy $#!t!? I can, and did. This car was going to kill me!
Major Problem #2 - My heel was slipping on the floorboard at the brake and gas pedals. I had no grip on the floorboard at all to create leverage from my foot to the pedals. That makes it way too easy to miss getting off the gas in time to get to the brake. Next time you're driving see if your heel doesn't rest on the floorboard. See how comfortable it feels with your heel off the floor. Do you have any control over the gas or brake? I have a feeling very few people do.
I immediately returned to the car lot and explained my situation. The guy I talked to seemed shocked and rightfully so. I asked for a different car and didn't want the other Chevy Cruz they had if that was the way they were designed. Once bitten, twice shy, I say. So after 20 minutes of waiting for another car I finally had to go to the manager. There was only one guy outside and he was getting slammed by people trying to get in their cars and others returning cars. I went inside to find the manager and found there were 3 people standing around doing nothing, including the manager. Figures! The guy trying to help me initially, just didn't have the empowerment to get me in another car quickly. I am now on almost 30 minutes and still trying to get a car after nearly being sent to my death in a car with poor breaks.
Another employee finally offered a Chevy Malibu. Okay fine. So I start getting in and notice the seats have stains all over them as if someone had a kegger in the car recently. I usually drive clients around when I at a client site and there was no way I would ask clients to ride in a car like that. It does not look good for my company. For Fax Rent A Car to even offer a car like that is ridiculous. One or two small stains are acceptable. Stains that span and cover entire back seats and most of the front seats should simply have stain removal done or just replace the seats.
Now, I am on the waiting list again. I go back in and tell the manager my situation that the stains all over the seats are unacceptable as I will be entertaining clients. He asks me what I want and I state I simply want a car that is safe to drive and doesn't look like someone just had a party in it. He finally, reluctantly offers a Dodge Journey. Certainly, an upgraded car class from my originally booked standard size. This car had little dings and scratches all over the bottom skirt of the car. There was also still some stains in the back seat, but it was small enough where I just didn't care anymore. It was still unbelievably annoying. Does this place have a car that didn't look like its best days were well behind it? I was done at this point and needed to get going. I had already spent an hour trying to get a car that was safe to drive and at least somewhat clean.
Shame on you Fox Rent A Car! That was the most insulting experience in renting a car i have ever had. I expect the kind of cars and service I received on 10/9/11 from some fly by night operation where the cars are more than 3 years old. When I rent a car I expect to have a car that is safe to drive and won't kill me if I drive it off the lot. I also expect to have a car that is reasonably clean on the inside and outside. I also expect the car to have power options so as to reduce the stress of driving in an unfamiliar city that much easier. Just in case you are unclear, that should most definitely include mirrors. Try adjusting a passenger side mirror when you are on the road and the adjuster is 4 feet away. Any car with manual operations should be left with the manufacturer. I and other customers pay good money to expect good customer service, a reliable, modern, and clean vehicle. Anything less than that on your part is simply an insult to paying customers. I want you to know I will never rent from Fox again.
This is about my most recent experience with Fox Rent A Car in San Diego, CA. I had rented with Fox before in another state and that experience was very ho-hum. Nothing memorable, good or bad. Recently, Fox had posted all over Facebook about their recent remodel of their San Diego facility. I had never been there before, but by some of the responses people thought it was a good upgrade. Unfortunately, they spent their money on the facilities and forgot about the cars they supply.
I arrived to pick up my car at about 8:20pm. I was greeted promptly and sent out to get a car. I was given a Chevy Cruz. I have to ask, when was the last time anyone saw manually adjustable mirrors on a standard size car at a rental facility? For me, it was about 8 or 9 years ago. This Chevy Cruz was about as low end and low end could be. I wasn't quite sure, but I thought I saw a tape deck in the radio with mechanical station memory buttons. Anyway, I took the sub-standard car and went on my way. As I was leaving the brakes felt a little strange. They felt a little squishy. I thought they were okay enough until I got on the freeway and had to tap brakes at 60mph when I approached some traffic. The pucker factor immediately jumped from 0 to 8 in nothing flat.
Major problem #1 - The brakes must have had air in the lines or were low on fluid. I had to push the brakes almost all the way to the floorboard before they grabbed. They were as mushy at highway speeds as pushing my foot into a bag of marsh mellows. Can you say Holy $#!t!? I can, and did. This car was going to kill me!
Major Problem #2 - My heel was slipping on the floorboard at the brake and gas pedals. I had no grip on the floorboard at all to create leverage from my foot to the pedals. That makes it way too easy to miss getting off the gas in time to get to the brake. Next time you're driving see if your heel doesn't rest on the floorboard. See how comfortable it feels with your heel off the floor. Do you have any control over the gas or brake? I have a feeling very few people do.
I immediately returned to the car lot and explained my situation. The guy I talked to seemed shocked and rightfully so. I asked for a different car and didn't want the other Chevy Cruz they had if that was the way they were designed. Once bitten, twice shy, I say. So after 20 minutes of waiting for another car I finally had to go to the manager. There was only one guy outside and he was getting slammed by people trying to get in their cars and others returning cars. I went inside to find the manager and found there were 3 people standing around doing nothing, including the manager. Figures! The guy trying to help me initially, just didn't have the empowerment to get me in another car quickly. I am now on almost 30 minutes and still trying to get a car after nearly being sent to my death in a car with poor breaks.
Another employee finally offered a Chevy Malibu. Okay fine. So I start getting in and notice the seats have stains all over them as if someone had a kegger in the car recently. I usually drive clients around when I at a client site and there was no way I would ask clients to ride in a car like that. It does not look good for my company. For Fax Rent A Car to even offer a car like that is ridiculous. One or two small stains are acceptable. Stains that span and cover entire back seats and most of the front seats should simply have stain removal done or just replace the seats.
Now, I am on the waiting list again. I go back in and tell the manager my situation that the stains all over the seats are unacceptable as I will be entertaining clients. He asks me what I want and I state I simply want a car that is safe to drive and doesn't look like someone just had a party in it. He finally, reluctantly offers a Dodge Journey. Certainly, an upgraded car class from my originally booked standard size. This car had little dings and scratches all over the bottom skirt of the car. There was also still some stains in the back seat, but it was small enough where I just didn't care anymore. It was still unbelievably annoying. Does this place have a car that didn't look like its best days were well behind it? I was done at this point and needed to get going. I had already spent an hour trying to get a car that was safe to drive and at least somewhat clean.
Shame on you Fox Rent A Car! That was the most insulting experience in renting a car i have ever had. I expect the kind of cars and service I received on 10/9/11 from some fly by night operation where the cars are more than 3 years old. When I rent a car I expect to have a car that is safe to drive and won't kill me if I drive it off the lot. I also expect to have a car that is reasonably clean on the inside and outside. I also expect the car to have power options so as to reduce the stress of driving in an unfamiliar city that much easier. Just in case you are unclear, that should most definitely include mirrors. Try adjusting a passenger side mirror when you are on the road and the adjuster is 4 feet away. Any car with manual operations should be left with the manufacturer. I and other customers pay good money to expect good customer service, a reliable, modern, and clean vehicle. Anything less than that on your part is simply an insult to paying customers. I want you to know I will never rent from Fox again.
Are Home Theater PCs Still Relevant?
I have a Media PC running Windows 7 Professional Edition with 2x1TB Hard Drives, 8GB RAM, and an Athlon X3 processor. It sits in an Antec Home Theater case with a remote control. I have placed about 125 movies of my library on my home theater PC. The question has been brought up to me by friends, colleagues, and even some of my family - Is the Media PC still relevant? Why not get a home media player?
Even just three years ago I would have said yes. Today, however, I have to go with no, the home theater PC is no longer relevant. There are several reasons why. One is that computers and laptops are so much more affordable and powerful than they were three years ago. Home media players are also more affordable, have more features, and play a better range of formats than they did three years ago.
Most people bought or built home theater PCs, because you could find an application to run on the computer that could play the media content you wanted, surf the Internet in your living room, and even do some home accounting right from the comfort of your favorite recliner using a wireless mouse and keyboard. Laptops are starting around $300 to $400 and can easily surf the Internet and perform the same basic home accounting stuff. You can still watch movies on it, and best of all, take it with you on the road. Why bother with a clunky home theater PC that costs time and money to maintain.
Today's Media PCs can be built for much less than what they could 5 years ago. I can build a decent one for about $600 including the OS. I spend about an hour or two month cleaning up old content and keeping the bunnies out. I can buy a home media player that is capable of streaming content from the Internet, the home network, and even digital copies of DVD movies for a little less $300. Some of the Home media players still require external storage, while others have built-in storage of 2TB.
My personal thought on using your own storage or purchasing a device with storage has to do with your ability to fill it up quickly. 2TB can realistically hold up to about 200 DVD movies or about 50 Blu-Rays. If you are going to fill it up quickly, then splurge on a larger drive and use the USB or wired network connection on the home media player. That way you don't have to spend the money on a drive included with the device, and a drive that is aftermarket. Just spend it once on external storage and upgrade from there.
A home media player that is always getting good reviews amongst home theater enthusiasts is the Pop Corn Hour A-210. Coming this month to stores and selling for less than $200, it looks frugal in its appearance, but features are anything but. This device requires separate storage either through USB, network, or the internal SATA interface. This device supports just about everything you could require access to, including DVD and Blu-Ray ISO formats, popular video formats, including VOB, MPG, and MOV. You can also store and play your CDs through this device.
Another device from PCH is the C-200 with a bit more pizazz. It has the ability to use an internal BD-ROM, more USB ports, and a front LCD information panel. Not to mention this device can download apps from the Pop Corn Hour market. It's a bit bigger, but the style fits right in with most home theater components. This device runs at about $300, based on those who have owned and used Pop Corn Hour devices they are one of the best on the market in terms of reliability, features, and quality. Read the reviews for yourself.
I don't own one these yet, but when it is time to replace my home theater PC or perform an upgrade, my next upgrade will most likely be to a Pop Corn Hour home media player. If you are in the market for providing a device that can stream content to your TV from your home network or a storage device, then consider getting a home media player. It is much smaller and uses less power than a home theater PC.
Even just three years ago I would have said yes. Today, however, I have to go with no, the home theater PC is no longer relevant. There are several reasons why. One is that computers and laptops are so much more affordable and powerful than they were three years ago. Home media players are also more affordable, have more features, and play a better range of formats than they did three years ago.
Most people bought or built home theater PCs, because you could find an application to run on the computer that could play the media content you wanted, surf the Internet in your living room, and even do some home accounting right from the comfort of your favorite recliner using a wireless mouse and keyboard. Laptops are starting around $300 to $400 and can easily surf the Internet and perform the same basic home accounting stuff. You can still watch movies on it, and best of all, take it with you on the road. Why bother with a clunky home theater PC that costs time and money to maintain.
Today's Media PCs can be built for much less than what they could 5 years ago. I can build a decent one for about $600 including the OS. I spend about an hour or two month cleaning up old content and keeping the bunnies out. I can buy a home media player that is capable of streaming content from the Internet, the home network, and even digital copies of DVD movies for a little less $300. Some of the Home media players still require external storage, while others have built-in storage of 2TB.
My personal thought on using your own storage or purchasing a device with storage has to do with your ability to fill it up quickly. 2TB can realistically hold up to about 200 DVD movies or about 50 Blu-Rays. If you are going to fill it up quickly, then splurge on a larger drive and use the USB or wired network connection on the home media player. That way you don't have to spend the money on a drive included with the device, and a drive that is aftermarket. Just spend it once on external storage and upgrade from there.
A home media player that is always getting good reviews amongst home theater enthusiasts is the Pop Corn Hour A-210. Coming this month to stores and selling for less than $200, it looks frugal in its appearance, but features are anything but. This device requires separate storage either through USB, network, or the internal SATA interface. This device supports just about everything you could require access to, including DVD and Blu-Ray ISO formats, popular video formats, including VOB, MPG, and MOV. You can also store and play your CDs through this device.
Another device from PCH is the C-200 with a bit more pizazz. It has the ability to use an internal BD-ROM, more USB ports, and a front LCD information panel. Not to mention this device can download apps from the Pop Corn Hour market. It's a bit bigger, but the style fits right in with most home theater components. This device runs at about $300, based on those who have owned and used Pop Corn Hour devices they are one of the best on the market in terms of reliability, features, and quality. Read the reviews for yourself.
I don't own one these yet, but when it is time to replace my home theater PC or perform an upgrade, my next upgrade will most likely be to a Pop Corn Hour home media player. If you are in the market for providing a device that can stream content to your TV from your home network or a storage device, then consider getting a home media player. It is much smaller and uses less power than a home theater PC.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Incredible Vision of Steve Jobs
Like it or not, Steve Jobs is the reason we pay for the music we get online, have phones ranking high on the cool factor, and have mobile apps. I own an iPod Nano that is about 6 years old and just recently died. My wife owns an iPod Shuffle and so does my daughter. I will be the first to admit Steve Jobs is responsible for the non-Apple devices I do have and the success they have enjoyed. I am speaking specifically about the iPod and iPhone, and the other devices that followed. Also, the Macintosh computer and the PCs that followed. For without the former, the latter of these devices probably would not have enjoyed the success they have had. In no way do I mean Apple's devices play second fiddle. Quite the contrary.
Let's take the Macintosh computer first. It was the first computer designed to be placed in the home and used by people at home. The PC was designed to replace the terminals in the office and made its way to the home because of the success of the Macintosh. The graphical interface of the Macintosh spurred the development of Windows, which good or bad, has become the dominant Operating System. The Macintosh was the first computer in a long line of successful computer designs from Apple that made their way into millions of homes and business across the world.
While Apple never saw the true success they probably deserved in the computer market, they more than made up for it with the invention of the iPod. Digital music players were all over the place and almost all of them had nothing in common with each other outside of playing music. Some had decent interfaces, while others were horrible. Some had an FM radio, while others did not. Some allowed unprotected music files, while others did not. Almost all of them used Windows Media for synchronization or acted as a USB storage device for synchronization.
In 2001 the Apple iPod put an end to dysfunctional interfaces and clumsy controls. With a sleek virtual wheel, a touch button center, a display big enough to read the entire song information, and too much storage to know what to do with buyers lined up to buy the most expensive digital music player on the market. Music players at the time were trying to move toward flash memory, which was rather small at the time, while the iPod was using a real hard drive. They had the technology to protect the hard drive and keep it from skipping when in motion. Many others did not have that capability.
Taking it a step further, Apple setup the iTunes Music store to buy music and put it on your iPod. A one stop shop to select, purchase, and download your music right from the comfort of your own computer. The best part is it was legal. A few years before the iPod, illegal music sharing was rampant and even Dave Chappelle took a shot at it in one of his skits. No one else could touch the iPod and the iTunes music store.
The iPod transformed the digital music player as a whole. Anyone who produced a music player from that point on looked to the iPod for inspiration and technology innovation. Microsoft even tried a failed approach. While it sold decently, its were paled in comparison to the iPod. It was the first time Microsoft was stomped by Apple. Victory goes to Steve Jobs.
The iPod spurred innovation even for Apple by producing the iPhone. The best music player just became a phone. The concept was an immediate hit with a large touch screen and the same smooth iPod interface, again no one could touch it. AT&T owes its current success to the iPhone. The next best phone to try and match the iPhone's success came from Google - Android. The Android system probably would not have enjoyed the same success it has today, because it was immediately compared to the iPhone. Initially, it failed in comparison, but grew to overtake the iPhone in registrations. I think this interesting, because only one phone runs the iPhone OS. The phone has been upgraded and just was released with its 5th generation, while the Android OS runs on dozens of different types of phones. It took dozens to knock off one.
Steve Jobs was responsible for the success of his own company since his return, starting with the iPod in 2001. He was also responsible for the success of dozens of other companies with the development of apps for the iPhone, the creation of competing devices, and even media producers making content for the iPhone - a.k.a. the PodCast.
I don't think I even need to mention the iPad. I need only to mention two companies to confirm superiority there - HP and RIM. If you're wondering why they're being brought up in a tablet discussion, I simply say, "I rest my case".
With the passing of Steve Jobs today we have lost one of the greatest technical visionaries of our time. His ideas have created our digital life as it exists today. Work, life, and play can all coexist together on something that fits in the palm of your hand. There are several choices on how one can have work, life, and play coexist, but it all started with the iPod.
My personal message to Steve Jobs - Your vision is second to none. You pushed others to compete against you to create products challenging yours. You created features and services no one had ever done before forcing them to follow in your path. I was not a follower and owned only a couple of Apple devices. I know that because of the devices, services, and features you created, my devices I do own have tried to match you and come very close to being your match. While I will probably never be considered an Apple guy, I will always know that the devices I do buy have the capabilities and features because of your pioneering vision in technology. Thank you for all you have done for the technology industry. You will be sorely missed. I hope Tim Cook is half the pioneer you were. Rest In Peace.
Let's take the Macintosh computer first. It was the first computer designed to be placed in the home and used by people at home. The PC was designed to replace the terminals in the office and made its way to the home because of the success of the Macintosh. The graphical interface of the Macintosh spurred the development of Windows, which good or bad, has become the dominant Operating System. The Macintosh was the first computer in a long line of successful computer designs from Apple that made their way into millions of homes and business across the world.
While Apple never saw the true success they probably deserved in the computer market, they more than made up for it with the invention of the iPod. Digital music players were all over the place and almost all of them had nothing in common with each other outside of playing music. Some had decent interfaces, while others were horrible. Some had an FM radio, while others did not. Some allowed unprotected music files, while others did not. Almost all of them used Windows Media for synchronization or acted as a USB storage device for synchronization.
In 2001 the Apple iPod put an end to dysfunctional interfaces and clumsy controls. With a sleek virtual wheel, a touch button center, a display big enough to read the entire song information, and too much storage to know what to do with buyers lined up to buy the most expensive digital music player on the market. Music players at the time were trying to move toward flash memory, which was rather small at the time, while the iPod was using a real hard drive. They had the technology to protect the hard drive and keep it from skipping when in motion. Many others did not have that capability.
Taking it a step further, Apple setup the iTunes Music store to buy music and put it on your iPod. A one stop shop to select, purchase, and download your music right from the comfort of your own computer. The best part is it was legal. A few years before the iPod, illegal music sharing was rampant and even Dave Chappelle took a shot at it in one of his skits. No one else could touch the iPod and the iTunes music store.
The iPod transformed the digital music player as a whole. Anyone who produced a music player from that point on looked to the iPod for inspiration and technology innovation. Microsoft even tried a failed approach. While it sold decently, its were paled in comparison to the iPod. It was the first time Microsoft was stomped by Apple. Victory goes to Steve Jobs.
The iPod spurred innovation even for Apple by producing the iPhone. The best music player just became a phone. The concept was an immediate hit with a large touch screen and the same smooth iPod interface, again no one could touch it. AT&T owes its current success to the iPhone. The next best phone to try and match the iPhone's success came from Google - Android. The Android system probably would not have enjoyed the same success it has today, because it was immediately compared to the iPhone. Initially, it failed in comparison, but grew to overtake the iPhone in registrations. I think this interesting, because only one phone runs the iPhone OS. The phone has been upgraded and just was released with its 5th generation, while the Android OS runs on dozens of different types of phones. It took dozens to knock off one.
Steve Jobs was responsible for the success of his own company since his return, starting with the iPod in 2001. He was also responsible for the success of dozens of other companies with the development of apps for the iPhone, the creation of competing devices, and even media producers making content for the iPhone - a.k.a. the PodCast.
I don't think I even need to mention the iPad. I need only to mention two companies to confirm superiority there - HP and RIM. If you're wondering why they're being brought up in a tablet discussion, I simply say, "I rest my case".
With the passing of Steve Jobs today we have lost one of the greatest technical visionaries of our time. His ideas have created our digital life as it exists today. Work, life, and play can all coexist together on something that fits in the palm of your hand. There are several choices on how one can have work, life, and play coexist, but it all started with the iPod.
My personal message to Steve Jobs - Your vision is second to none. You pushed others to compete against you to create products challenging yours. You created features and services no one had ever done before forcing them to follow in your path. I was not a follower and owned only a couple of Apple devices. I know that because of the devices, services, and features you created, my devices I do own have tried to match you and come very close to being your match. While I will probably never be considered an Apple guy, I will always know that the devices I do buy have the capabilities and features because of your pioneering vision in technology. Thank you for all you have done for the technology industry. You will be sorely missed. I hope Tim Cook is half the pioneer you were. Rest In Peace.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Lonnie Q's - The Best Bar-B-Que in Topeka
I went to a place called Lonnie Q's today in Topeka, KS. It's a local Bar-B-Que joint that is independently owned and operated. I was able to meet Lonnie on my visit today and he is a great guy that cooks fantastic food. Being from Dallas, I get all kinds of flavors of Bar-B-Que from Sonny Bryan's to Spring Creek. Lonnie Q's ranks right up there in both value and taste.
I ordered the combo plate with a sandwich and two sides. I had the pulled pork sandwich, "World Famous" cheesy taters, and baked beans. There was no shorting the serving size here. The pickle spear barely fit on the plate. My sandwich was piled high, the beans were plentiful, and the "World Famous" cheesy taters showed and tasted why they were "World Famous". If you haven't heard of them, you're not alone. I had never had or heard of them before I got there. However, once you have them it's impossible to stop talking about them.
The sandwich was simple, but full of flavor. I have had buns that were dry tasting and airy making the food taste dry overall. Refer to my Kravers review. This was not that kind of bun. It was a good moist bun with a ton of pork in between. I had a couple of home made sauces to choose from. I really liked the spicy Bar-B-Que sauce. The sauce was a little too watery in texture for my liking, but the taste was great. I like Bar-B-Que sauce to be a little thicker so that it doesn't drain off the sandwich too much. The taste of the sauce was full and spicy, so it was a conflict of likings for me. I have to give it a good grade overall, though.
The baked beans were pretty good. I don't know if they were canned or made from scratch, but nonetheless they tasted great. Now, on to the "World Famous" cheesy taters. These taters are a great change up to normal mashed potatoes. From what I could see and taste they consisted of shredded potatoes mixed with plenty of butter, cheese, and I believe a coating of corn flakes. It's an unlikely combination that is fantastically great. I could hurt myself eating those chessy taters. At the very least I could eat enought to where I'd have to rolled out the door once I was done.
I loved Lonnie Q's. If I could eat Bar-B-Que everyday without consequences, I'd eat there every opportunity I get. Those "World Famous" cheesy taters are definitely a crowd pleaser. His menu is simple and effective. You can;t go wrong with anything you choose. If you want Bar-B-Que, you get Bar-B-Que. From fall-off-the-bone ribs, to juicy pork, to tasty brisket, he's got it all.
For about $10 I got a drink, a sandwich, and two sides. You can't go wrong here. You better check the hours before you go, Lonnie's isn't open every day. Some days of the week are lunch only and some are lunch and dinner. Whenever you decide to show up be prepared to wait in line. The word is out about Lonnie's among the locals. Now, I am trying to put it out there for the tourists. Go to Lonnie Q's for some fantastic Bar-B-Que.
I'm going to be back in Topeka in a couple more weeks. Guess where I'm going to have lunch at least once while I'm here?
I ordered the combo plate with a sandwich and two sides. I had the pulled pork sandwich, "World Famous" cheesy taters, and baked beans. There was no shorting the serving size here. The pickle spear barely fit on the plate. My sandwich was piled high, the beans were plentiful, and the "World Famous" cheesy taters showed and tasted why they were "World Famous". If you haven't heard of them, you're not alone. I had never had or heard of them before I got there. However, once you have them it's impossible to stop talking about them.
The sandwich was simple, but full of flavor. I have had buns that were dry tasting and airy making the food taste dry overall. Refer to my Kravers review. This was not that kind of bun. It was a good moist bun with a ton of pork in between. I had a couple of home made sauces to choose from. I really liked the spicy Bar-B-Que sauce. The sauce was a little too watery in texture for my liking, but the taste was great. I like Bar-B-Que sauce to be a little thicker so that it doesn't drain off the sandwich too much. The taste of the sauce was full and spicy, so it was a conflict of likings for me. I have to give it a good grade overall, though.
The baked beans were pretty good. I don't know if they were canned or made from scratch, but nonetheless they tasted great. Now, on to the "World Famous" cheesy taters. These taters are a great change up to normal mashed potatoes. From what I could see and taste they consisted of shredded potatoes mixed with plenty of butter, cheese, and I believe a coating of corn flakes. It's an unlikely combination that is fantastically great. I could hurt myself eating those chessy taters. At the very least I could eat enought to where I'd have to rolled out the door once I was done.
I loved Lonnie Q's. If I could eat Bar-B-Que everyday without consequences, I'd eat there every opportunity I get. Those "World Famous" cheesy taters are definitely a crowd pleaser. His menu is simple and effective. You can;t go wrong with anything you choose. If you want Bar-B-Que, you get Bar-B-Que. From fall-off-the-bone ribs, to juicy pork, to tasty brisket, he's got it all.
For about $10 I got a drink, a sandwich, and two sides. You can't go wrong here. You better check the hours before you go, Lonnie's isn't open every day. Some days of the week are lunch only and some are lunch and dinner. Whenever you decide to show up be prepared to wait in line. The word is out about Lonnie's among the locals. Now, I am trying to put it out there for the tourists. Go to Lonnie Q's for some fantastic Bar-B-Que.
I'm going to be back in Topeka in a couple more weeks. Guess where I'm going to have lunch at least once while I'm here?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
West Virginia is the $600 Smart Phone Equalizer
I started my trip landing at Dulles International Airport and picking up my rental car. My car was clean on the inside, but not on the outside. It was fairly dirty with some dried up bird dung near the door handle. The counter inside was filling up, so I thought, screw it, I'll live with it and move on. I plug in my phone and put in my destination. The time frame says about an hour to get about 45 miles. Since, I am heading north, I am heading into the mountains a little, hence the longer time for 45 miles.
I hit my exit and turn off the highway. I have just over 20 miles to go even from my exit off the highway. Time for the mountain road driving. My GPS is still functioning and I am still receiving email. That's a good thing. As I got further into the mountain road, I noticed a message on phone. "No Data Connection Available" What!? Oh, right. I'm in the mountains, it will probably pick back up later. My GPS is still working, though, so at least I won't be totally lost.
Now I am getting out of the mountains and close to my destination. Still no data signal. My super smart phone that can do the work of 10 major personal electronics has just met the equalizer. A no data zone. I have arrived at my hotel in Ranson, West Virginia, a place close to Charles Town, West Virginia. When I got to my room, I pulled up my carrier's data coverage map. Based on what I saw, it looked like the carrier had been barred from the state. All around the state lines the carrier had very limited if any data coverage. They were serviced by roaming data coverage only. I discovered shortly afterward that AT&T was the major carrier in the state that provided data coverage. Their main competitor, Verizon, had only about 10% of the state covered.
My phone had just been equalized to a phone that simply texts, makes calls, and takes pictures. It became the most expensive feature phone I had ever owned in my life at that point. The wireless coverage in the hotel, was okay, but not great. The funny part of this story was reading the Best Buy ad. They had 4 major Verizon phones on sale at the store that were 4G capable. Wait! 4G!? I can't even get a 3G signal and they are selling 4G phones in an area where the carrier has almost no coverage!? I bet Best Buy has its own Verizon tower that fails to connect once you leave the parking lot.
One nice piece of information that came out of this is my battery life. My battery life has been increased dramatically. I have about 90% of my battery left even after nearly 8 hours. I could probably let it go over night and use it all day tomorrow without even sweating about losing power before the end of the day. How long has it been that one can go without charging a phone for more than a day? I have to charge my phone every night, and on busy days, after about 14 hours of use.
So, in my opinion, West Virginia is the place where my phone met its equalizer. Outside of West Virginia it is one of the most powerful phones around even though it's a 3G phone. It can record video in HD, take 8 MegaPixel pictures, take panoramic photos, and listen to FM radio, play graphically intense games, act as a hot spot for others, manage my email, calendar and contacts for both personal and business, gets me from place to place with GPS navigation, keeps me up to date on my social circles, and let's me search for things like the best restaurant in the area or where to find the cheapest gas, and can do hundreds of other things. Without data, 80% of what I use it for becomes unavailable. No GPS mapping, no email or other types of updates, I'm out of the social circle, I have no clue where to eat, and I will probably pay too much for gas. I have a $600 phone that can text, do phone calls, and takes nice pictures and video. Welcome to West Virginia on Verizon's network.
I hit my exit and turn off the highway. I have just over 20 miles to go even from my exit off the highway. Time for the mountain road driving. My GPS is still functioning and I am still receiving email. That's a good thing. As I got further into the mountain road, I noticed a message on phone. "No Data Connection Available" What!? Oh, right. I'm in the mountains, it will probably pick back up later. My GPS is still working, though, so at least I won't be totally lost.
Now I am getting out of the mountains and close to my destination. Still no data signal. My super smart phone that can do the work of 10 major personal electronics has just met the equalizer. A no data zone. I have arrived at my hotel in Ranson, West Virginia, a place close to Charles Town, West Virginia. When I got to my room, I pulled up my carrier's data coverage map. Based on what I saw, it looked like the carrier had been barred from the state. All around the state lines the carrier had very limited if any data coverage. They were serviced by roaming data coverage only. I discovered shortly afterward that AT&T was the major carrier in the state that provided data coverage. Their main competitor, Verizon, had only about 10% of the state covered.
My phone had just been equalized to a phone that simply texts, makes calls, and takes pictures. It became the most expensive feature phone I had ever owned in my life at that point. The wireless coverage in the hotel, was okay, but not great. The funny part of this story was reading the Best Buy ad. They had 4 major Verizon phones on sale at the store that were 4G capable. Wait! 4G!? I can't even get a 3G signal and they are selling 4G phones in an area where the carrier has almost no coverage!? I bet Best Buy has its own Verizon tower that fails to connect once you leave the parking lot.
One nice piece of information that came out of this is my battery life. My battery life has been increased dramatically. I have about 90% of my battery left even after nearly 8 hours. I could probably let it go over night and use it all day tomorrow without even sweating about losing power before the end of the day. How long has it been that one can go without charging a phone for more than a day? I have to charge my phone every night, and on busy days, after about 14 hours of use.
So, in my opinion, West Virginia is the place where my phone met its equalizer. Outside of West Virginia it is one of the most powerful phones around even though it's a 3G phone. It can record video in HD, take 8 MegaPixel pictures, take panoramic photos, and listen to FM radio, play graphically intense games, act as a hot spot for others, manage my email, calendar and contacts for both personal and business, gets me from place to place with GPS navigation, keeps me up to date on my social circles, and let's me search for things like the best restaurant in the area or where to find the cheapest gas, and can do hundreds of other things. Without data, 80% of what I use it for becomes unavailable. No GPS mapping, no email or other types of updates, I'm out of the social circle, I have no clue where to eat, and I will probably pay too much for gas. I have a $600 phone that can text, do phone calls, and takes nice pictures and video. Welcome to West Virginia on Verizon's network.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Project Planning 101
There you are being given the rains of a project for your company. You have participated in projects before and you have even been a team leader in projects. This time you are no longer the team lead, but the man with the plan. The success of the project is going to be riding on your ability to plan it, communicate the plan, and execute the plan. This is a new world for you. Where do you begin?
Anyone who asks me about planning a project for software deployments, infrastructure upgrades, or anything else requiring a project plan I always tell them to begin with the end in mind. Have a complete understanding of what the finished deliverable will be. It doesn't matter if it's a software upgrade, a server upgrade, or complete technology overhaul and refresh always know what the finished deliverable will be. Without that information there is no effective way a plan can be made.
The next step is to identify the project management methodologies in place. Does your company condense project management to through it against the wall and see what sticks, or is there a proper procedure to follow at each stage of the plan? Some companies have been adopting a method called Agile that indicates there is a collaborative nature to the requirements building and deployment of the project involving multiple stakeholders where requirements are discovered along the way through execution. The traditional method indicates there is a structured approach from the top down where the Project Manager is the primary point of communication for the requirements and deployment of the project before execution begins.
Most projects I have worked with have an Agile feel where the requirements and scope are discovered along the way through the execution of the project. While Agile is the name of this method it can create chaos if the company is not well prepared to work with this type of collaborative and dynamic method. Like wise with the traditional approach companies can get bogged down in the structure and processes in place to identify the correct requirements before moving forward. I personally like the Agile methodology as it allows for quicker migrations and typically invites more communication due to its collaborative nature.
When creating your plan make sure you have the resources available to meet your proposed time line. If you are too aggressive you will miss your end date and if you are too timid you will probably look slow to respond and incapable of meeting business needs. The timeline needs to have an effective schedule that allows use of your resources including time for vacations if any have been approved. Also, ensure you leave time open for vendors known to be late on delivery of services or equipment. These are all risks to your project that could derail the delivery date. make sure your stakeholders are aware of their role in the project either as an affected party, a contributing party, or as a standby party. They need to be aware of their exposure and risks for failing to meet the needs of the project.
Finally, once the plan is together make sure it comes to the end you had in mind. Make sure your risks have been identified and contingencies have been created. If no contingencies are available these are areas of the project to note as potential risk for delivery date derailment. Get commitment from the stakeholders on the schedule and end date to be sure they meet requirements.
Anyone who asks me about planning a project for software deployments, infrastructure upgrades, or anything else requiring a project plan I always tell them to begin with the end in mind. Have a complete understanding of what the finished deliverable will be. It doesn't matter if it's a software upgrade, a server upgrade, or complete technology overhaul and refresh always know what the finished deliverable will be. Without that information there is no effective way a plan can be made.
The next step is to identify the project management methodologies in place. Does your company condense project management to through it against the wall and see what sticks, or is there a proper procedure to follow at each stage of the plan? Some companies have been adopting a method called Agile that indicates there is a collaborative nature to the requirements building and deployment of the project involving multiple stakeholders where requirements are discovered along the way through execution. The traditional method indicates there is a structured approach from the top down where the Project Manager is the primary point of communication for the requirements and deployment of the project before execution begins.
Most projects I have worked with have an Agile feel where the requirements and scope are discovered along the way through the execution of the project. While Agile is the name of this method it can create chaos if the company is not well prepared to work with this type of collaborative and dynamic method. Like wise with the traditional approach companies can get bogged down in the structure and processes in place to identify the correct requirements before moving forward. I personally like the Agile methodology as it allows for quicker migrations and typically invites more communication due to its collaborative nature.
When creating your plan make sure you have the resources available to meet your proposed time line. If you are too aggressive you will miss your end date and if you are too timid you will probably look slow to respond and incapable of meeting business needs. The timeline needs to have an effective schedule that allows use of your resources including time for vacations if any have been approved. Also, ensure you leave time open for vendors known to be late on delivery of services or equipment. These are all risks to your project that could derail the delivery date. make sure your stakeholders are aware of their role in the project either as an affected party, a contributing party, or as a standby party. They need to be aware of their exposure and risks for failing to meet the needs of the project.
Finally, once the plan is together make sure it comes to the end you had in mind. Make sure your risks have been identified and contingencies have been created. If no contingencies are available these are areas of the project to note as potential risk for delivery date derailment. Get commitment from the stakeholders on the schedule and end date to be sure they meet requirements.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tech Snack - The Importance of Accurate Software Licensing
Today's snack is about software licensing. It's that big elephant in the room everyone knows is there, but tries to ignore as much as possible. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is out there receiving tips from all kinds of people about unlicensed software. Even if you did not know the software was installed illegally your company is still on the hook for up to $50,000 per infringement. That's not chump change. Most often tips come from disgruntled employees, either current or past. The tipster can be anonymous and get a percentage of the fines levied against the company. at $50,000 per infringement, the tipster can get a hefty pay day with just one anonymous phone call.
All companies and even individuals have been guilty at one point or another of knowingly using unlicensed software. For several years tools have been widely available to help companies identify the installed software in their network. The trouble was you had to usually do manual labor to acheive an accurate count of each installed software program. Also, there was no good way to really identify the unknown applications requiring proper licensing, without the help of a good database inventory and programmer.
Today, the landscape is filled with top notch applications designed to perform counts against known licensed software. Even the unknown licensed software can be easier to identify in these applications without complicated database queries written by a database specialist. Some of the top manufacturers of these applications include Numara, Symantec, and even ScriptLogic. The software used by these companies allows an administrator to quickly and efficiently identify software license exposure.
Trying to perform this process manually will take a monumental effort and it will never be accurate, unless you manage a very small network. There are too many variables to manage on a manual basis. Even VB scripts have limitations on efficient performance and capabilities. When it comes to picking a solution for a set of requirements I always provide the Good, Fast, and Cheap model. When I provide these options I tell my customer to pick two of the three. An example of my model is provided below.
All companies and even individuals have been guilty at one point or another of knowingly using unlicensed software. For several years tools have been widely available to help companies identify the installed software in their network. The trouble was you had to usually do manual labor to acheive an accurate count of each installed software program. Also, there was no good way to really identify the unknown applications requiring proper licensing, without the help of a good database inventory and programmer.
Today, the landscape is filled with top notch applications designed to perform counts against known licensed software. Even the unknown licensed software can be easier to identify in these applications without complicated database queries written by a database specialist. Some of the top manufacturers of these applications include Numara, Symantec, and even ScriptLogic. The software used by these companies allows an administrator to quickly and efficiently identify software license exposure.
Trying to perform this process manually will take a monumental effort and it will never be accurate, unless you manage a very small network. There are too many variables to manage on a manual basis. Even VB scripts have limitations on efficient performance and capabilities. When it comes to picking a solution for a set of requirements I always provide the Good, Fast, and Cheap model. When I provide these options I tell my customer to pick two of the three. An example of my model is provided below.
When selecting a solution to provide insight to your software licensing exposure one of these three items will have to be left off and considered not important to the solution. Software licensing has an extremely high cost to ignore simply it. If you are using unlicensed software on a business computer, it could cost you significantly more than the most expensive software licensing tools around, even if you didn't know it was there.
The best way to handle cataloging your software is starting with what known purchases. That is your base count. The next step is to inventory all of your computers and compare the overall installed licensed software counts with your purchased counts. If the amount of installations in your computer inventory is greater than the amount you purchased, you are under licensed and need to purchase additional licenses or remove installed software where it is not required.
The next step is to identify installed licensed software in your environment detected in your inventory. If any of these applications are installed, they have most likely occurred without your consent. many times end users with administrative rights may install software on their computers without your knowledge. I know! Crazy, right!? In most organizations laptop users are the biggest culprits, due to their mobility and the fact many companies allow administrative rights on laptop computers for remote administration support. There are several ways to combat this scenario including removing administrative rights or company policies enforcing unauthorized software installations. Typically these policies have some nasty teeth, meaning suspension or termination even on the first offense.
Once the software has been identified and counts have been tallied, the company needs to take appropriate action either through true-ups at the end of the license cycle or purchase additional licenses if they are licensed independently. Software manufacturers do not like when their products have been installed illegally. I tell my clients to think of it in a way that affects them. If they made widgets and your widgets are being used by people without any payment whatsoever that affects the company's bottom line, resulting in higher prices for the widgets. Software manufacturers work the same way.
I hope this Tech Snack has helped give a better understanding of how to tackle software licensing and the negative effects it has not only on your company, but the software industry as a whole. Keeping your software licenses properly allocated and accounted for will keep your company out of harms way if an audit is performed at your company for licensed software.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)