We just got one of those Edison SmartConnect power meters. They are all digital, and now the electric company can read the meter from the central office. Its got some crazy wireless 2 way system, that is government encrypted system, but i’ll get to that in a minute. Basically they sample your power usage every five minutes. Store that data, and then they can tell when they can shift power away from you and give it to other areas, Its suppose to reduce your rate if you opt in.

Edison has to pay for these things right, so what do you think they are going to do? Power rates are going to go up 1.3 percent over the next few years while they finish upgrading everyone to thise new system. This new plan called something like SmartGrid is suppose to save you money, which I’m all for. Whats the drawbacks? I don’t know, it might mean you will get reduced power during a bad month or something. The kind of data that Edison can get from this is almost futuristic. Think about it. You could display every house in the entire power grid, every business, everything. And know when they go on and off, and where the biggest zones are, the heavy hitters, and then also remotely turn off power as needed, or unpaid. Its like Lo Jack for electricity. Government will probably have access in some form, be able to turn off a grid or a single location in seconds.

I think its a great idea. I just wish the power data was opened up a little more. They will show you your data on their website, but only what they want to see, like daily usage. I want to see the raw 5 minute data. Imagine if you could just play with your house and watch your usage and figure out what is causing that major drain that you could get rid of. For all I know my power bill is high because of the printer i have plugged in and don’t use, haha.

What about using something like this for a large open internet? The government is sitting here trying to find ways to build a new national infrastructure for broadband everywhere. Why not use every power metter as a hot spot, bridge them all together, and you have the largest wireless network.

Think about bit torrent for the internet. Edison sets up these larger pops, they are the main backbone feeds. You have the smaller transformers handling relays for long distances.  All these wireless carriers buy into it to get access to the grid. You now have a universal platform for all kinds of networks, from cell phones to internet, to anything really.

You essentially build a giant fully redundant meshed network. Sure you still have to deal with power outtages, and blackouts, but have a small backup battery in each unit, that way the power company can use it to diagnose power issues and find exactly where the power problem is.

I’m just saying…

This whole post started from the iPhone VS HTC EVO debate.

I’m frankly kind of sick and tired of comparing these phones, there is one huge issue with every comparison.

We’re going to start with types of users.

Heavy User: A user who knows how to abuse their phone, hacks/cracks, or even listens to streaming Pandora all day long, maybe watches youtube for a few hours. They sync with their networks constantly. Usually 6-8 hours on their phone a day.

Power User: A user who syncs with multiple services, has multiple email accounts, social networking, phone usually set to the default of an hour or 2, most email set as items arrive. Has lots of applications installed, and plays about 3-4 hours a day on their phone.

Common User: A user who uses their phone to check facebook, sms, take a few pictures. A pretty common user spends an average 1-2 hours a day on their phone.

Lets compare that per platform.

I’m going to put some very good educated guesses on what this data is. I’ve done some research, and I think its mostly accurate.

First up is Android Users;

So what we have here is a chart showing the breakdown of data for an Android Handset. As you can see Power users are set the highest. The reason is more of a catch 22. Google, and HTC build these phones for Power users. The issue is everyone is becoming a Power user. So when a common user picks up this phone, they are prompted to input all of their logins and networks, and everything. Next thing you know the device is syncing with half the world. That user now becomes a power user by default. I don’t care if you stopped using your phone, you’re phone has now made you a Power User.

How does this effect battery life?  We’ll get to that in just a minute.

Now iOS (iPhone) Users.

Left chart is Pre iOS 4 users.

Right are users who are Post iOS

See the huge difference? iOS users are going to change. Welcome to the club.

The new OS is just like Android. its user friendly, and wants to you connect to all of your happy places. So instead of users becoming common users by default on an Apple Phone, they now automatically upgrade to a Power user. I call this Natural Progression of Technology VS Industry Progression of Technology. People want more, but need it faster.

Technology is a great thing, but there has always been an issue of user demands vs technological development. We have finally reached that point where Technology cannot keep up with our Natural need of information, and connectivity.

So lets talk about importance here. Battery life, its the pinnacle of our downfall in the technology world. This has created a smartphone war.

Lets put aside the app stores, OSes, features, and who has the biggest megapixel. Lets talk about something that effects everyone regardless of platform. Battery life effects us all. iPhone is no exception… well at least not yet. You don’t think the iOS 4 is going to effect battery life? Multitasking brings on a huge amount of change. It changes the behavior of users. It changes how you will use your phone, you will become a power user no matter how hard you try not to.

So just be warned, that while companies are improving battery life, the technology just doesn’t exist yet. No matter how bad you want it.

So complain all you want about my HTC EVO’s battery life, its fine, I get 10+ hours on a charge, but I know what to run and not what to run. Hopefully, Foyo will solve a lot of those issues.

I recently replaced my Palm Pre with a HTC EVO. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve had the entire weekend of non stop playing and have come up with a few things that bug me, and could be improved.

I’m a huge tech guy, and switching from WebOS to Android was a bit of a challenge. I kept wanting to swipe, and view the launcher and switch between applications.

It wasn’t until I really started downloading apps, and playing with all the cool features, that I realized while this Platform is still young it has a ton of potential. I thought that about WebOS and Palm, and I thought Palm was going to come though.

I think things are very different with Google, they want to go to war with Apple, but most of all they want to produce something that the world can change, and be part of it. To me thats a company for people, not to people.

Anyway onto a few of my little issues.

Swiping:

If you have ever used a WebOS device closing applications and switching between them is pretty cool. I can get over not having that feature on a phone, and while holding the Home button on the evo shows applications, I’d much rather see it in a Expose sort of view like the Sense view, but with all my applications. However I would kill for a notification view that shows the current/last 5 applications so I can switch between them that way too.

But the “Card” view isn’t the issue. Its the deleting emails. In WebOS you swipe to the left or the right and it deletes the email. With Android you have to either click menu, or long tap on the item and delete from there.

Contacts:

The Android Contact screen is pretty awesome, but it needs to be changed a little bit. It just seems like there is way to much information to display on a screen. I’d rather have it be dual tabbed. top tabs for a contact show different contact methods. Like Phone, Email, Web, Social Networks.

Service Details:

I’d love to be able to click on the battery or the signal stuff and get better details, I mean really no percent option for battery? Ok I know that the Pre doesn’t have it either but it just seems like a simple option.

Launcher:

I’d love to be able to pin a program to the notification Menu. See the issue I have is, I haven’t figured out how to get to the the launcher without going back to the home. If I’m in the middle of doing something I want to just open the application rather than going home first and then bringing up that panel.

So why Android?

Well Palm is taking a stupid long time to do things. First and foremost why hasn’t Palm made their OS use the GPU yet? I mean seriously, it would give the phone such a huge speed up, and remove a lot of the lag. Maybe they are afraid it will eat the battery to no end. Don’t get me wrong Palm created a pretty cool OS, but their development is horrible. They take way to long to do anything. There should be tons of updates coming in and fixing little bugs, and tweaking the OS to have much better performance than what is currently given with it.

So far I love the Android OS. There are some things that bug me. I love Google though, they have done some amazing stuff and Foyo will not disappoint. At this point they need to look at user experience and give users what they don’t know they need, but will want like no other.

First you need to be running a WebM compatible browser. I’m using Chrome, they just updated their dev channel release and its version 6.0.4220.

This is also the Prince of Persia trailer on youtube which they have converted to HTML5 and WebM, you’ll need to opt into the youtube html5 beta.

you can do this at http://www.youtube.com/html5

so without further wait. The video…

Thats right! I can only assume I won’t win the contest for a HTC Evo, so I went over to my local Best Buy and preordered it. If by some crazy Voodoo Magic I do win one then all I’m stuck with is a 50 dollar gift card.

By the way, that little circled number at the top says 15. Its my queue number for getting an EVO. My friend got 17. Apparently my local Best Buy is not a hot place for the EVO preorder. Thats fine. At least I know I’ll be getting one

So excited… I’ve been waiting and waiting for this phone. Now finally gets released on June 4th. I’ll be sure to blog all about this phone and a full review once I have it in my hands…

Oh btw… Voice and Data at the same time. I so called it. Although its only on 4g, and I don’t have 4g yet in Los Angeles, but I know its coming.

Full press release is below.

HTC EVO™ Fact Sheet

The ultimate multimedia experience at Sprint 3G and 4G speeds The world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, exclusively from Sprint, HTC EVO™ 4G, offers a rich mobile Internet experience with a fully integrated suite of services built on the AndroidTM 2.1 platform. HTC EVO 4G includes a blazing-fast 1GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the award-winning HTC SenseTM user experience, an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. HTC EVO supports industry leading features including Simultaneous Voice and Data while in 4G coverage and new Mobile Video Chat, the two-way voice and video service from Qik. The large vibrant 4.3 inch display, built-in kickstand, 3.5 mm headset jack and HDMI output make HTC EVO 4G an unparalleled platform for wireless entertainment. Download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go on a network with download speeds that are up to 10 times faster than 3G speeds.1 With built-in mobile hotspot functionality, HTC EVO 4G also allows up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptop, camera, music player, video player and any other Wi-Fi-enabled device, to enjoy the benefits of 3G/4G speeds on the go. PRODUCTIVITY 3G/4G capability Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks Android 2.1, with access to more than 35,000 apps on Android Market Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas, enabling Web surfing and more while talking GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates Visual voicemail Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps. 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps. ENTERTAINMENT Video chat service available as an upgrade to the pre-loaded Qik app to enable conversational, interactive, real-time sharing between mobile devices or from mobile-to-desktop 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately) Live video sharing with Qik Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack FM radio and Amazon MP3 store Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM) Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB SPECIFICATIONS Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)  Weight: 6 ounces Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors Battery life: 6 hours of talk time. Time may vary depending on 3G/4G coverage and usage. Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

The extra 10 bucks for 4g, no biggie. the extra 30 for mobile hotspot… well that kinds of sucks a little. but hey…. I’m so getting this phone. Its completely worth it!

I’ve always been somewhat of a nerd, I know I know hard to believe right? I usually have the latest gadgets, toys, and the occasional useless purchase. I started this cell phone epidemic before it was even one. I had a T68i as my first phone. I once watched that phone slide across a dance floor during a break dance move. Luckly I found it from the blinking bluetooth light. The the geek overdrive took over and a phone that didn’t have a touch screen was a thing of the past. I moved up to an Sony P800. Aww technology.

I’m that sort of guy who pushes things to the edge because well I need speed. I need things to be fast. If its too slow I’ve already moved on. I switched to Sprint about a year and a half ago. I eventually ended up with the phone I have now. The Palm Pre. Don’t get me wrong I love WebOS, but the phone is a piece of crap. I’ve had 4 now, its slow, its painful, and it randomly reboots. But it does a lot of things. One thing it does not do however is 4g.

I work near LAX airport. We’ve got a few cell towers on our roof here and one of them is Verizon, and the other is Sprint. I was on the verge of paying my early term fee, and switching to Verizon because I want android, and there was no end in sight for 4g coming to LA. That was until Some guys in a truck showed up to run fiber. You see I’m the guy who knows where all the fiber comes and goes in this building. First it was Verizon working with Timewarner to get a bunch of fiber. Then Sprint showed up. I had a chance to talk to them, see the inside of their sprint setup, and finally was told… “This is WiMax going in”.

So I hopped on a roof and snapped some photos which you can see here.

My heart jumped, I was so excited that we were getting WiMax here in LA, but when? There are no WiMax devices, I don’t really want an overdrive because well I have a cell phone and Wifi, and well fast internet everywhere except my pocket. Where are the WiMax phones?

Thats when Sprint, and HTC announced at CTIA that they had a new phone.

Meet the HTC Evo. This phone does it all. It runs Android, 4g, HDMI, mobile hotspot. Feature packed, amazing phone that I want now. This is the kind of the device I’ve been waiting for. Full 1ghz processor, plenty of storage, sd card, dual cameras. This phone takes it to the next level… my level.

I’ve been waiting for this kind of device. Something that can keep up with me.

You see as I said previously, I’m a geek. I rely on technology as its my day job, but also my hobby. I sync with multiple exchange accounts, google, yahoo, aim, and a bunch of other personal sites. I’m the Ninja of the internet, I deal with backbone, routers, and switches all day long. Not to mention coding, and forcing things to work the way I want them to work.

Thats how it has been with every phone I’ve ever had. I’ve had to push it to the edge to keep up with me. Hacking kernels, rooting, writing my own plugins. Just to get it to do what I need it to do. I don’t think I’m going to have that problem with the EVO.

I’m ready to switch from Palm to Android. I’ve almost always had an HTC phone, but Winmo sucks, and I’m never going back there.

So heres to you Evo, I hope that your cost is worth it, your OS works, the hardware is solid, and you can run voice and data at the same time. I don’t know when its going to be released, some say june 13th, other say end of May. Either way its not quick enough. If the nexus one was available on Sprint I’d probably have that by now, and then switch again when the Evo came out.

Palm, thank you for the good times. Hate you for the bad times, you’ve been fun to root, hack, and make my phone slave. I’ll miss you, but only in that foster care kind of way.

On our roof Sprint/Clear has been pretty busy at building the WiMax network. I took a venture on the roof and snapped some pictures.

Full set at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/exstatica/sets/72157623674355492/

I’ve been on the dev version of google chrome since 2.x. I don’t mind a few bugs here and there, and for the most part I get to contribute. Since Chrome has finally released extension support there have been a few great ones that I need, and some that just don’t exist yet. I’m gonna go over a few of them here.

1)  
LastPass; Multi browser, multi platform, and the last pass you’ll ever need. This simple to use extension works on nearly every browser, syncs between them all, cloud based so it works on multiple computers, and best of all is free. There is a subscription model for $1 a day. It includes extra features like, iPhone and Android applications, Ad free, and Yubikey support. I hear a Palm WebOS version is in the making. FYI, you should always build secure passwords.

2)
Xmarks; Now that you’re passwords are sync’d you you probably want your bookmarks sync’d across browsers too. Xmarks is your program. Also based on a cloud platform, it allows you to keep your bookmarks sync’d across computers and browsers. As with Lastpass it has a web interface and sharing with friends.

3)

Web of Trust or WOT; is a great extension for finding those shady sites. Now Chrome is great at detecting phishing sites, but WOT extension adds little colored icons next to each link on your search page and gmail. It gives you a better view of sites to just outright avoid. You can also read what others had to say about it.

4)

Adblock; If you’re a Firefox user then you probably know what Adblock is. If not, then it does exactly what its named. Blocks Ads. I however do not use it. I”m sure its a great extension but I like a more system wide approach. I use Privoxy. Its a small application that is basically a pass through proxy, it listens on local host, and you just point your browsers to it. It then filters out anything that passes through it.

5)

Google Quick Scroll; Have you ever been searching for something and you get to a page, but you can’t seem to find it on the page? Here comes Google Quick Scroll to save the day. Basically the way it works is when you click on a link from a Google search page, if relevant enough it dumps to you the right place on the page and shows you a box. Its a great simple little addon, that in my opinion should just be built into the browser. However since there people who use chrome, but don’t use Google search, I could see how this might be a conflict. Anyway back to this plugin, it uses Google’s Magic to decide when the quick box should be shown.  Somehow it does seem to be there when I’m looking for it, and not when I don’t need it.

Misc Extensions:
There are tons of plugins out there, and more every day, The few others I use are;

• Quick Calendar
• Stumble Upon
• Cooliris
• KeyboardNavigation

Call for Development:

So I’ve been thinking about how I’d use the web more and more, I know Chrome is a baby in the Browser war, but its already its approaching its terrible twos and going to wreak havoc all over your virtual house.  I’m sure there is already a plugin for Firefox, but what I’m looking for is an extension that can be a notepad per sites. I already use Chromepad, but its one pad for everything. I would love to be able to put notes per site I’ve visted.