Re: [woyp] Digest for woyp@googlegroups.com - 4 updates in 2 topics

[Bob Roberts]

Hope you guys are enjoying the great sounds of the X1!

Since this group is pretty quiet, I was wondering if you all participated in any other similar groups?  I love reading about how to make practical use of all our little gizzmos and tech.
Any suggestions?
Bob

[Bert Latamore]

Hi Bob,

No I am not active in any other similar groups. I don't know of any actually. Would like to see this group more active. I enjoy the discussions.

And yes, I am enjoying my X1. It has one or two peculiarities, but they are minor. The tonal range is much greater than on the iPod, to the point that I hear things I never noticed before in some of my older recordings that I have heard many times on the iPod over the last decade. So I am very pleased. My next purchase in this area will definitely be a better headset or set of earbuds to take advantage of the X1.

Great to hear from you. 

All the best, Bert

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Bert Latamore

(703) 340-8396
Freelance Writer covering the intersection between IT and business

I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned.

[Aaron Gonzalez]

I check out specific subreddits for things like Android Wear (which I'm currently testing out), android, etc. but nothing religiously that I'd point you to.

This group's peak (about 10 years ago? man, maybe more) is still unmatched by anything besides maybe the forums on ArsTechnica. My criteria for that is just the actual "community" aspect of it.

Because this group was much smaller, it was super focused on each person's specific use cases. We had a ton of great conversations about all types of things. Writing, PDAs, portable keyboards, mp3 players, etc. Lots of great back and forth.

I do miss that too.

[Bert Latamore]

I have a question for the group. I read recently that someone new has purchased the remains of Palm. We were all Palm power users. If someone were to revive Palm with the old app library, would any of you be interested? Or do you have equivalent functionality from other devices. And if so what are they?

Personally I do not see Android as a Palm replacement. It is too unstable, and while some apps are very useful, they do not co,e close to what I did on my Palm T3 years ago. I carry an Android phone but do most things on my Microsoft Surface Pro II. My go to apps there include HanDbase and Pimlical (the next generation PIM from CES Dewer who created Datebook). I also use Office 365, Quicken & Evernote and back up everything to the Microsoft cloud.

Bert

[Buzz]

Bob/Aaron/Bert

Yes, I'm thoroughly enjoying the X1.  Like Bert, I have found a few niggles (I'm getting used to navigating the menus and the speed/progress of the scroll is slow) but nothing major and, even with my tinnitus, I can hear the difference in tone and quality.

As for similar groups, I have a couple of places I look into occasionally but nowhere like WOYP.  (I still smile overtime I see a new WOYP email in my inbox, which is often read before anything else. As Bert says, it is the people as well as the content that make WOYP so wonderful - the off-topic stuff just as much as the on-topic!)

One is a mail list on personal productivity which I admin; it used to be very busy but is pretty much dominate now (I leave it there for others' reference). Since I worked out that pursuing PP nirvana is like trying to find the perfect pen or latest trendy notebook (described as stationery porn elsewhere apparently), I have learned that I'm not that busy and just be content to manage things as I do now! The other is a GoodReads group for those who enjoy dystopian fiction; this is a steady group with a couple of posts a week and an suggested group read every now and then.

Most forums and user groups today tend to be 'wham bam, thank you m'am' instant gratification portals - for those demanding instant answers and those who seek glory in answering them - a million miles from the friendly mutual support and exploration here.

The rise of the smartphone and the fact that there are apps (good and bad) for anything in no way even comes close to matching the experience of using a Palm.  

The act of finding the right PRC or PDB to match your need, syncing the app, tweaking it to the 'enth degree, swapping experiences with other users - all were far more 'organic' and 'involved' than using iOS or Android. I loved the act of having to sync via a wired cradle or IR - to me, the PDA equivalent of 'slow food', delicious anticipatory moments to be savoured as one waited to try something new. 

While my smartphone certainly does do many things quicker, slicker and all without wires, it has none of the charm and cache of my Palms.

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Laura Conrad]

>>>>> "Buzz" == Buzz <bignose...@gmail.com> writes:

Buzz> As for similar groups, I have a couple of places I look into
Buzz> occasionally but nowhere like WOYP.

I have a local linux users group that has some personality to it, and
is similarly useful for Linux problems.

Buzz> While my smartphone certainly does do many things quicker,
Buzz> slicker and all without wires, it has none of the charm and
Buzz> cache of my Palms.

I mostly used my palm for reading books, and both my phone and my tablet
are really better for that. Partly because of better screens, but also
because the reading software really has improved.

And to get back to our name, I can actually write on the tablet (with a
keyboard), which I never really did on the palm.

--
Laura (mailto:lco...@laymusic.org)
<https://plus.google.com/u/0/116029698292079786511>
(617) 661-8097 233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
<http://www.laymusic.org/> <http://www.serpentpublications.org>

It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends on his not understanding it.

Upton Sinclair, quoted by Paul Krugman in the New York Times, December
14, 2009

[Buzz]

Kia Ora Laura

I have to agree with you regarding reading on the Palm. If not reading a paper book, I prefer my Kindle Touch for my longer reading stints but I am happy to use my S5 or Nexus 7 for short reading sessions like waiting in the car or reading reference PDFs at work respectively. 

Against my own expectations, I enjoy the Kindle. Ebooks have exposed me to lots of new authors I would have never discovered otherwise, some of whom I now correspond back and forth with. I also like the variable text size, bookmarks across sync'd device etc. 

Although it is far from intuitive, I use Calibre on my Mac; not so much for library management, but its format conversion capabilities. I am hoping to upgrade to a Voyage when I can find one at a keen price (quite a lot more expensive here in NZ due to exchange rate).

After a bit of research, I bought a MS Wedge BT keyboard to pair and use with my Nexus and have been happy with the result. It works pretty well with the S5 and my work-supplied HTC W8 phone, so I guess that would be pretty close to my old Palm/folding keyboard combo in terms of WOYP.

Happy weekend to all from hot and sunny NZ!

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Laura Conrad]

>>>>> "Buzz" == Buzz <bignose...@gmail.com> writes:

Buzz> Against my own expectations, I enjoy the Kindle.

I finally got a cheap Kindle off ebay when I got Amazon Prime, so I
could get the one free book a month. I tried reading on it, and decided
I really prefer my Nexus 10 tablet, even in bright sunlight. So the
Kindle sits in a drawer until the first of the month, when it comes out
to download the next free book.

Buzz> Although it is far from intuitive, I use Calibre on my Mac;
Buzz> not so much for library management, but its format conversion
Buzz> capabilities.

I was using it that way, but now when I need a new book I often go to
the content server (from FBReader) and look at the "newest" books. I
also have my library on dropbox, which will let me read a book into
either FBReader or the Google Play reader.

--
Laura (mailto:lco...@laymusic.org)
<https://plus.google.com/u/0/116029698292079786511>
(617) 661-8097 233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
<http://www.laymusic.org/> <http://www.serpentpublications.org>

what if war
is just a male version of dressing up,

Louise Glück, quoted in Dwight Macdonald's New York Times review of
her collected poems, November 8, 2012

[Bert Latamore]

I did write drafts of articles and took notes at meetings on my Palm, particularly on pleasant days outside. Now I do my writing on my Surface Pro II. When Ivam away from my desk and keyboard, as I am right now, I use the touchscreen virtual keyboard and have gotten pretty fast, although I do get a lot of typos. I love the pen that comes with this tablet particularly for editing. When I am at my desk I have a wireless keyboard and mouse that turns it into my laptop. Except for managing my digital music collection, it is the only computer I use. 

I also do most of my reading on the Surface. Mostly I use Barnes & Noble's software, even though honestly Amazon gives better service, just because I don't want one company to have a monopoly on the retail book and magazine markets. We buy plenty of other stuff from Amazon, including music.

I am not sure I would have any real use for a Palm today. All of that functionality is on my tablet, while I use my smart phone for communications of various sorts and for solitaire, which is the only game I play. I take my tablet just about everywhere either in a small backpack or, when I need to take the keyboard and other extras, my messenger bag. Pre-computer age, going back to high school in the early 1960s, I carried a clipboard, a novel, and a pocket notebook with me everywhere. Now the clipboard & book is replaced by my tablet, and the notebook by my smartphone.

I don't do much social media. It takes away from my already limited reading time.

All the best, Bert

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[Buzz]

Bert

The following Lifehacker piece just popped up.

http://lifehacker.com/my-never-ending-search-for-comfortable-in-ear-headphone-1679696172

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Kristin Pilotte]

Hah, I just posted that to Facebook earlier this evening. As for buds, I use the Comply foam tips discussed in the article (though I use the performance ones, can't remember the model name). They work well enough for me but my ears can still start hurting after awhile; I just switch to cans then, usually. I may try the "mold at home" stuff they mention.

Nice to see this group active. I use my iPhone 6 for most of the things I used to do on a Palm (ie manage calendars, contacts, play games, read, and do light word processing stuff), plus more app-specific stuff that I never found as well-implemented for Palms back in my TungstenC days (password management, knitting apps, Starbucks app and card management, that kind of thing).

I do most of my daily web browsing on the newest iPad Air model, and I also use the Office apps as needed to do work stuff. I have the Logitech Bluetooth keyboard that works very well for me. I read PDF and the occasional graphic novel on my iPad, too. Kindle, I've found, doesn't work well for those, or not as well (for different reasons) as the iPad.

I do my regular reading mostly on a Kindle and via the Audible app. WhisperSync for Voice plus the Kindle Daily Deals have made my book backlog rather long. Even without WSfV, I will often switch between versions of a book.

I am finding myself lately with a huge backlog of both books and podcasts. The thing is, I go on binges of either but can't seem to find a good time split between the 2...if anything, my podcast-listening is way down...

k

a/k/a terpkristin (which the iPhone tried to autocorrect to "terrorist in" hmmm...)

GO TERPS!
photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin

"Well-behaved women rarely make history."  -Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

[Buzz]

Kristin (and all)

On 17/01/2015, at 5:02 pm, Kristin Pilotte <kpil...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hah, I just posted that to Facebook earlier this evening. 

Hah - then'll it'll be your post that popped up in Growl or Notifications then :-)

As for buds, I use the Comply foam tips discussed in the article (though I use the performance ones, can't remember the model name). They work well enough for me but my ears can still start hurting after awhile; I just switch to cans then, usually. I may try the "mold at home" stuff they mention.

I have half-heartedly looked for a decent set of budget earbuds for years and have tried more than a few. I usually try whatever is in my price range (NZ$20-40) at JB HiFi, who are NZ's best mainstream AV and tech retailer. Last time out, I picked up some Panasonic RP-HJE295-K Deep Base Ergo-Fit Inner Ear Earbuds (what a flippin' mouthful!) and they have proven to be pretty good for when I'm mobile or at work, away from my old, tatty budget-but-decent Sennheiser cans at home. I get a pretty good fit/seal with the silicon tips but may try the closed cell foam ones to see if there's a difference for me.

Nice to see this group active. I use my iPhone 6 for most of the things I used to do on a Palm (ie manage calendars, contacts, play games, read, and do light word processing stuff), plus more app-specific stuff that I never found as well-implemented for Palms back in my TungstenC days (password management, knitting apps, Starbucks app and card management, that kind of thing).

I do most of my daily web browsing on the newest iPad Air model, and I also use the Office apps as needed to do work stuff. I have the Logitech Bluetooth keyboard that works very well for me. I read PDF and the occasional graphic novel on my iPad, too. Kindle, I've found, doesn't work well for those, or not as well (for different reasons) as the iPad.

I do my regular reading mostly on a Kindle and via the Audible app. WhisperSync for Voice plus the Kindle Daily Deals have made my book backlog rather long. Even without WSfV, I will often switch between versions of a book.

My 'to-read' list is getting silly. 

I grab free books that interest me or are recommended by FB/Good Reads friends.

I am on the mail lists of a few sci-fi/dystopian authors who provide free e-galleys or ask for beta-readers.

I have loads of pending requests with the local libraries. 

I need to be more selective :-)

I am finding myself lately with a huge backlog of both books and podcasts. The thing is, I go on binges of either but can't seem to find a good time split between the 2...if anything, my podcast-listening is way down…

I have found Pocket Casts (Android) to be an excellent podcast aggregator/curator app even if the I find the S5's on screen button fiddly at times. Every time I get within range of my home router (I have streaming turned off as roaming data is v. expensive here), PC updates my podcast list. Currently have 29 to listen to but, with ~2 hours commuting each day, I am almost keeping up!

k

a/k/a terpkristin (which the iPhone tried to autocorrect to "terrorist in" hmmm…)

[Ryan Waldon]

I'm using a set of Shure SE215 — highly customizable and adaptable for phone use. All of the cabling is user replaceable/upgradeable.  Premium sound too!

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-CL-Isolating-Earphones-MicroDriver/dp/B004PO10E2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421474533&sr=8-2&keywords=shure+se215

 --ryan

Sent from my Apple Mac mini  via Airmail

[Buzz]

Ryan

Good reviews but here, at the far end of the Pacific, these are $155…and that's imported from Australia! My lo-fi ears will have to dream for a while yet ;-)

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Kristin Pilotte]

Buzz,

I have a pair of headphones that I get as Japanese imports that sound AMAZING. They don't have the in-line mic that a lot of people want, but they sound great. They're relatively expensive here, but they might be cheaper for you. They're the JVC Victor (HA-FXT90) headphones, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VHAJJU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, I looked it up, I use the Comply "Isolation" foam tips. They are definitely less comfortable than the "Comfort" or "Active" tips but they do work out well.

k

[Bert Latamore]

I am also a big podcast listener, and I finally have my podcasts under control after several years of being buried under them. I use Podcast Republic which gives me full control over what is downloaded, and over time I have developed a system that lets me know exactly what I have and haven't listened to, but it is completely manual. 

As for listening vs reading I have a simple rule: reading comes first. So any time I can relax and not do anything else I read while listening to music. When I am walking (my chief exercise), doing housework, driving, etc., I listen to podcasts. When I am working I listen to music (unless of course I am covering something live as a journalist). Then I watch TV when Moire wants the box on. 

I used to listen ti a lot of books from Audible including the Terry Pratchett books. Now however I find that my podcasts take up all my listening time and are informative. I listen to several science podcasts as well as Fresh Air and a couple that Buzz recommended some time ago.

As for my reading, I read "The Washington Post" (newspaper), "The Week" (weekly news magazine) US edition, Discover, and Consumer Reports. For books right now I am catching up on the latest two Alan Furst novels, and I have two Richard Baer books ("The Perfect Kill" and "The Company We Keep" about the CIA) waiting. All of these are electronic editions.

All the best, Bert

[Buzz]

Kristin

Thanks for this. Funnily enough, if I bought these from Japan via Amazon US, they would arrive sooner than via Fishpond (NZ online bookstore) and cost only $14 more. 

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Buzz]

And a sunny Sunday morning to you all from beautiful Aotearoa!

Bert

I can empathise about being buried under unplayed podcasts. Like you say, once you find an app that suits and work out a workflow to load/sort/listen, it is a good feeling.

My current playlist includes (in no particular order):

BBC Radio 4 Friday Night Comedy

BBC Radio 4 Comedy Of The Week

BBC Radio 4 Inside Science

RadioLab

The Story Collider

TED Radio Hour

Everything Is Stories

Snap Judgement

Wiretap

Story Corps

Serial

The Moth/The Moth Radio Hour

Death, Sex + Money

Criminal

Pitch

Here Be Monsters

Love+Radio

This American Life

Radio Diaries

99% Invisible

Fresh Air

Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin

I was There Too

Elsewhere, regarding the CIA, a good few years ago I enjoyed Robert Littel's The Company, a thorough blend of fiction and fact looking at 50 years of 'the company' through various characters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Company_(Littell_novel)

P.S. I went looking for Richard Baer and found SS-Sturmbannführer Richard Baer, the commandant of the Auschwitz I concentration camp! I am guessing you meant Robert Baer?

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Buzz]

Bert and all

I had a nosey around and found the following.

http://mynewpalm.com (the page takes a few moments to load)

Back story here.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/31/alcatel_one_touch_buys_palm_trademarks/

Take a few moments to read the comments on the latter, some interesting points and there are a few other die-hard Palm folk out there, including 'Mike Lewis' who wrote:

"I still use a Palm Pilot Tungsten E2 every day. I call it my "information engine" as I listen to podcasts and read ebooks and Internet articles (captured by Sunrise XP) on it. I had to buy a new one on eBay for $60 several months ago as the old one just wore out after eight years. When I changed to a smartphone, I got a data bill for $1,300 (eventually cancelled) thanks to something called "automatic update" so it's back to my Nokia 3315 and Palm Pilot for me. I now use the smartphone for what I had bought it for originally, which was an MP3 player."

I'm smiling like mad.

Have a good start to the week (it's almost Monday here in NZ).

Buzz
www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

On 15/01/2015, at 7:46 am, Bert Latamore <bert.l...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Bert Latamore]

I have been thinking about it. My understanding is that LG bought the rights to the Palm technology from HP basically for the new OS, which it uses in its smart TVs. What I read recently is that LG has sold the remains of Palm, minus the new OS, to somebody else. This cold be his sell company. 

Personally at this point I have no reason to go back to Palm. My tablet and my smartphone between them cover all my needs, including communications based utilities that Palm never supported, such as weather information, messaging, and document backup to the cloud.

So I have no real interest in a revived Palm, personally.

Bert

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[BigNosed UglyGuy]

Bert

I'm not selling anything, honest!  

If I'm honest, my interest is more nostalgic than anything else. Last night, I dug out and powered up my IIIx and my T3 and, while it was a fun exercise, I'm not sure I could go back to using them.

Between my MBPro, Nexus 7, Galaxy S5 and work-supplied HTC W8 smartphone, I have more personal technology than I can handle - and that doesn't include the Asus/Linux netbook, the old iBook and the numerous other gadgets I have.

My interest in a revived Palm would be revived if it offered something new or improved that would benefit me. That said, I am slowly trying to simplify all areas of my life so I think my continuing interest will only be nostalgic/academic.

Buzz

bignoseduglyguy
http://www.bignoseduglyguy.com

[Bert Latamore]

I also wonder how much is left of that great third-party application library that made the Palm so useful. The problem with the Palm is that it didn't provide lots of glitzy entertainment. That obviously is what the market wants, not applications designed to let you organize the major aspects of your life. 

Bert

[Buzz]

Bert

Funny you should say that, because I had a similar thought looking at my T3 this week. Along with the SD Card slot, the inclusion of RealOne for MP3s and Kinoma for movies (not to mention two browsers) was a move away from the original PIM, knowledgebase and productivity focus.  These paved the way for, and have been superseded by, the vast array of multimedia apps that each of the major OS now offer. 

Talking of the organisation factor, my first 3Com IIIx (which I got when I worked for a joint venture with Sprint and was sent to the US) came bundled with a Franklin Covey zip case, a desk sized leather FC 7 Habits planner and all the inserts and the 7 Habits book. I recall being puzzled by the bundle having the Leviathan of a desk planner AND the tiny PDA that replaced it. No-one in my team (most of whom had the same - it was the height of the 7 Habits 'sharpen the saw' craze) could explain the thinking behind this.  Mind you, I went through a phase of scanning my completed daily to-do lists, none of which I have ever referred back to, so who am I to question others!

Buzz

www.hillsidebandb.co.nz
A rural retreat just 40 minutes from the city

[Aaron Gonzalez]

Speaking of the T3, I still have one also.  I was just thinking I should sell it/give it away and couldn't think of who would want it now.

Any of you WOYP people still want one?

I'd rather give it to one of you, who I've been chatting with for over 10 years, than a random ebay stranger (and even then only to make at most, what, $20?)

:P

[Bert Latamore]

I think I have two T3s. Not sure if either works or if I still have a cradle. My last one did one of those unplanned resets where you have to wipe everything out and rebuild it several years ago and I decided that it was time to move on.

[Brenda Wallace]

I had a reminisce just last week (with some HP employees incidentally) about how much more organised we were when we have palm pilots

The Todo integration was great. Smartphone application are only just now catching up.

[Bert Latamore]

Yes. That is the big reason I bought the Surface. It is the only mobile device that will run all the productivity tools that I rely on. Once I started using it I discovered several other things that I love about it starting with the incredible speed. I had to recalibrate my work methods.

[Richard Cartwright]

I have been lurking here and it's great to "hear" from everyone. A revitalized Palm would have to not only have to bring a superior user experience, but would have to have essential apps on day one. IMO that is what doomed webOS. Today, if you don't have Kindle, Audible, Amazon, Gmail, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, plus Pandora, Spotify, and at least one cloud storage app, you will fail. Business and planning apps are not enough.  Look at BlackBerry. Unless there's some wizard OS creation coupled with day one, bug free apps, I just don't see it happening. Which makes me sad.