Category Archives: Gadgets

Palm Pre

I got a Palm Pre yesterday and really like it so far. Compared to my Treo, it is small and lovely. It looks like a black stone with smooth rounded shape that fits naturally in the hand. The webOS UI is much prettier than PalmOS. The touch interface is well done. Running multiple apps and […]

Robotic Vacuum

I got a Roomba robotic vacuum recently. Somebody at work mentioned it and I realized that it would be the perfect solution for my tendency to not vacuum my apartment. Costco has a good deal on their Roomba 550 model which has 2 virtual walls, base station, and latest 5-series vacuum. After two weeks of […]

Big Monitor

At work, they have started handing out larger monitors to people. Last Friday, I replaced my 17″ LCD with a 20″ Dell LCD and went from 1280×1024 to 1600×1200 in the process. The increase in resolution and display size is very nice; it is now possible to get two terminals open at once. The Dell […]

Printer

I got a printer this weekend as my Christmas present to myself. I got a [Canon PIXMA MP600](http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=116&modelid=13800), a multifunction color inkjet.  The multifunctions have gotten cheap enough recently that there isn’t much point in getting something else.  I wanted to be able to scan and print photos. The copier function came in handy today. […]

New Stuff

I answered the question of what laptop to get by buying an Apple MacBook. I got the simplest (and cheapest) model. I put 2 GB of RAM that I bought from Fry’s. One reason is that I could pick it up from an Apple Store. Another is that I liked the flexibility of the choosing […]

Which Laptop?

I have been thinking about getting a laptop. Seeing all the laptops at OSCON made me want to get one now. The problem is, I am not sure which one to get. I want to get a small, light one. I have never gotten the point of the big laptops; the point is to carry […]

New Toy: Bluetooth GPS

Welcome to 45° 28′ 18″ N, 122° 39′ 11″ W. I got a new toy this week, a [GlobalSat BT-338](http://www.globalsat.com.tw/english/products_detail.php?p_id=74) Bluetooth GPS unit. It is basically a matchbox-sized brick with a couple of LEDs, a GPS receiver, and Bluetooth radio. It looks like it is all batter, with one that is supposed to last all […]

Rant: Memory Card Formats

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the store to get a larger memory card for my camera. On my Vancouver trip, I forgot my extra cards and ended up having to delete pictures from the full card. I ended up getting a 1 GB xD card. When I got home, I put it […]