New Jimi Wallet: The Jimi X
The makers of my current wallet The Jimi have released a new version called the Jimi X. The new Jimi wallet features a outside money clip which can be used to hold bills or clip the wallet to your clothing. This is a cool new addition, the other side of the wallet which had housed the clip previously is now empty. I wish it had a space for an SD card, another clip or a card holder. One of the founders, Mike O’Neill recently let me know that the space which had recently been filled with a clip does hold a few double folded bills loosely or a Japanese Rail card perfectly. I need to pick one of these up very soon! The Original Jimi is one of the most amazing purchases I have made. This wallet not only holds your cards and cash, it keeps you to a few cards so your wallet isn’t throwing your back out of alignment, crushing small children, or increasing your gas consumption. In case the point hasn’t come across go buy this wallet.
Check out the demo of The Jimi X
If you are feeling generous you can buy me a Jimi X for Christmas.
Cartoons From Wikipedia Content: Pet Skunks
Greg Williams who works for the Tampa Bay Tribune makes amazing cartoons based off of Wikipedia entries. I hope there are more to come. In fact I wish the entire wikipedia catalog of knowledge was presented in such a fun manner. I know I had fun dazzling friends with my knowledge of Pet Skunks tonight, though they didn’t believe me. I must be losing my touch. The Hammerspace illustration is great as well. Can someone code up a method of pairing webcomics with wikipedia entries, or give Greg a grant to do this full time?
My Amazing Power
This evening I found out just how convincing I can be, mind you I joke with poeple alot, actually thats an understatement. Back in June I jokingly told a friend that a local Gym was a front for a brothel. Apparently I was very convincing because our friend who shall remain nameless believed my warning and quit going to the gym. Whoa, I need to start working this magic with venture capitalists and people at work. I left my friedn with this warning. “If you ever hear me talk about a brothel and its for real I will proceed it with, seriously its not liek the time I convinced you Jim’s Gym was a Brothel.
Sidenote I was number 13 in line for the PS3 at Walmart. They sold 6 units and handed out 6 rainchecks. At least I only spent 15 minutes waiting. More on their botched launch later.
E complaint to Arby’s
Dear Arby’s,
I came to the website to enter the promo code on my drink from Arby’s. I cannot find anyplace to enter it. Also the flash design on your website is annoying, it takes too long to load even on a high speed connection and the navigation on the front page is ludicrous. Please keep in mind users who aren’t 14 and impressed by shiny moving objects when you create your next site. Flash websites are generally not loved by anyone who is tech savvy!
Thanks,
Josh
P.S. where do I enter my promocode?
P.S.S. Where do I get one of the Arby’s “hats” the drive thru worker had?
The PS3 Launches Thursday
In case you didn’t know the PS3 launches on Thursday and I plan to be heading out to pick one up tomorrow early in the morning. If I can scrounge up a wifi connection I’ll post some info and pics of the line. Otherwise I am offline until Friday afternoon.
Universal Music Group CEO: iPod Owners Are Theives
Universal Music Group doesn’t seem to get the point that when people pay them for an artist’s music they are a customer and that the world around them is changing. The world is filled with fancy new things being used by ‘whippersnappers’ who want music which can be used on different devices and who are willing to pay for a DRM free product. Rather than take a look around the CEO Doug Morris has decided that anyone who owns an iPod is a pirate, and by inference anyone who uses an mp3 player as well. It is incredible to think that a board of directors would place and keep in power someone this out of touch with the customer and the core constituency of his business. I feel like I have put up with being treated like dirt by someone I am giving money to. If you are fed up with being the industry’s whipping boy for poor performance and sluggish sales then show them by changing your habits.
“These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it,” UMG chairman/CEO Doug Morris says. “So it’s time to get paid for it.”
Yesterday, Microsoft agreed to share revenue from Zune sales with record labels and artists. Forcing the issue was Universal Music Group, which at deadline is the only label named in the program. UMG refused to license its music to the Zune unless it could receive a percentage of each device sold, in addition to standard music licensing fees for downloads and subscriptions.
I had previously been very excited about replacing my 3rd generation iPod with a Zune however I don’t think I can go through with it anymore. It is hard to pass up the functionality the Zune can promise in the future but I refuse to support this ludicrous proposal with my purchase. The consumers and the hardware manufacturers need to stop subsidizing the music labels. If you want to donate to charity support your alma matter or Child’s Play instead of a CEO’s yacht fund.
If you want to find a list of Artists whose music you should avoid in order to send a message to Doug Morris and Universal here are a few resources.
Universal Music Group’s Artist Search
Wikipedia’s Listing of Universal Music Group’s Artists
Thanks to Universal Music Group (UMG) for providing an easy listing of artists and labels to boycott!
Billboard Article: Quote Source via BoingBoing
The Air Guitar Shirt From CSIRO
Researchers at CSIRO the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia have embedded sensors into the elbows of a long sleeve which emulates a guitar. The sensors transmit to a computer allowing air guitar rockers to transform their movements into hardcore face melting guitar shredding.
The wearable instrument shirt is a conventional black long sleeve T-shirt and the textile motion sensors used by the instrument for monitoring elbow movements and computer interface are not directly discernible in the garment.
Dr Helmer performs eight quaver guitar chucks (four times chuck-down and chuck-up, percussive guitar sounds) to begin the rhythm guitar part of his original composition Guitar hero.
Yahoo also reports that the creators see the sensors as a means for placing individuals into a virtual world at a future time, allowing them to work on a sporting technique. Though in my opinion the possibilities are endless if the technology is shared and some of the resourceful hackers and tinkerers out there can work their magic.
No word on production, or availability this technology is in its early stages.
More info on the Air Guitar Shirt at CSIRO
Yahoo News Article: T shirt turns air guitar into music
Palm OS impressions
This past Friday I had the opportunity to work on someone’s Treo 700P for Verizon. The phone would not connect with the Bluetooth keyboard they purchased form Thinkoutside. After much wrangling and the need to install Hotsync on a spare computer I was able to download an application to Hotsync to the phone and then delete the keyboard pairing app because the keyboard cannot connect through the normal pairing process on the Treo 700P. Once the old app was deleted I was able to load the up top date software onto the palm. With the new software, I was also able to actually go through the pairing process freezing only twice, each requiring a reset. Finally, the keyboard paired and I could type!
Compare this to the process for pairing with a WM5 PPC. Turn keyboard on; go to Bluetooth settings on PPC search for new devices, Add, Use!
If you are looking for a new PDA phone, I would definitely recommend something running WM5!
I am also going to start offering consulting services in the NW Ohio area for individuals and businesses who want to use the full potential of their wireless devices, or require advice before the purchase. More on that in the coming weeks.
Josh Smith is a blogger, database manager and adjunct professor of business and technology. 
