by Ron Miller

Suprised CompuServe Lasted This Long

After reading my colleague Steven J Vaughan-Nichol's Computerworld Cyber Cynic column on Monday in which he waxed nostalgically about the shuttering of CompuServe, I felt compelled to write a counter-point post.

Read my view on DaniWeb.

Photo courtesy of √oхέƒx™ on Flickr.

US Military Technology Paradox: Cutting Edge & Clueless

The US Military is by turns cutting edge and clueless. On one hand, they embrace cloud computing and social media tools, yet think it's worthwhile to upgrade from Windows XP/Office 2003 to Vista/Office 20007 when Windows 7 and Office 2010 are on the way. Like any large organization, they make good and bad decisions when it comes to technology.

Read more on my DaniWeb TechTreasures blog.

Photo by ianmunroe on Flickr.

What Business Could Learn from the New Star Trek Movie

Experimenting, learning, listening, team building; these are the pillars of successful organizations and they are the pillars of the Star Ship Enterprise. Who knew the Star Trek movie was a business case?

Read my post on DaniWeb.

Photo by ydhsu on Flickr.

It's Still Too Hard to Watch Web Content on TV

Image via Wikipedia

It's not unusual to watch TV shows on your computer, but unless you have a high technical aptitude, it's far less likely you watch web content like YouTube or Hulu on your TV. Until the service providers like big cable find a way to incorporate Web content, we aren't likely to see widespread adoption.

Read why on DaniWeb.

If Moore's Law is in Danger, What's Ahead for Other Famous Laws

Art by dulhunk on Flickr

I learned this morning that an IBM researcher believes that Moore's Law-- that the number of transistors on a micro processor would double nearly every two years-- could be nearing the end of its run. Amazingly Moore made this prediction in 1965 and his law has stuck pretty much dead true for almost 45 years. So it's Friday and it got me wondering, if Moore's Law is going down, what could this mean to other famous laws...

Read the affect on other famous laws on DaniWeb.

The Third Cloud and the Future of Social Computing

 
Photo by Axel Rouvin on Flickr

Picture a world where your social interactions don't require a conscious effort on your part to open an app, but one where the computing power is ubiquitous and device interaction happens effortlessly. That's a world that Andrew Lippman of the MIT Media Lab described last week at the Wednesday keynote at AIIM.

Read more in today's DaniWeb post.

If You're Not Paranoid, Go to a Spy Gadget Store

 
Photo by BeckySF

During a weekend visit to New York City, we were walking back to the hotel when we spied a place called the Spy Shops. Think Q in James Bond and that's what you'll find here. A gadget lover's paradise, all designed for snooping. Naturally I had to stop.

Read about the devices I saw on DaniWeb.

Coolest Toys Ever: Siftables - Digital Blocks

   

One of the reasons I write about technology is because it fascinates me. So maybe that's why when I saw this video, I just loved the idea of these blocks you could manipulate digitally. It's just so incredible to me and I still get excited when I see a really clever piece of technology, and believe me this applies. Check out this video and watch the whole thing. You won't be disappointed.

A Tale of Two Customer Experiences

Image via Wikipedia

Over the last week, I've had to deal with two major corporations, AT&T Wireless and Comcast. It turned out to be a tale of two customer experiences. In one,  I was treated great. In the other, not so much.

Comcast Comes Through

I won't lie. I've had my problems with Comcast in the past as I wrote about in Incompetence Rules at Local Comcast Office, but last Friday I went into get a digital cable box for my bedroom TV and left a satisfied customer. The customer service rep was pleasant and he informed me that they were out of regular digital boxes, so he had to give me one with DVR. Oh and by the way, he was throwing in free DVR for a year. I wasn't about to argue with that.

Next he actually, took the time to check my record and informed me that I had an old package. I could upgrade to a new package, losing one channel I don't watch, and gaining 15 new ones, at no additional cost. I walked out of there with my new box, a very nice remote, an upgraded package and a smile on my face.

AT&T Rep Needs Remedial Customer Service Training

I also have to admit before I begin this bad story, that I have had a positive experience at my local AT&T shop, but the other day was less so. I ended up buying an iPhone, which was the good part of the story, but let's start from the beginning.

I didn't walk into buy an iPhone, per se, but it had been in the back of my mind for a long time. My son lost his cell phone last week and we needed to find out how much it would cost to replace it. The sales person's first reaction: $250 minimum to replace it. Then he said, he might have one for $180. Then I told him I might be interested in an iPhone, and suddenly he had a phone in the back he could give my son for $70.

I bought the iPhone, some accessories and an Apple Care Protection Plan along with the replacement phone for my son (actually he had to buy that one). I dropped a good chunk of change, but still the guy was contrary, unfriendly and gave me the impression we were bothering him--not a feeling I like when I'm spending money.

Oh By The Way, That Phone Was a Refurb

He also neglected to tell me the Motorola Razr he sold my son was refurbished, something I didn't realize until later when I was looking at the box at home. I don't mind buying refurbs, but I would like to be told ahead of time. I called the store yesterday to complain and was brushed off with "Oh, OK." No apology. Oh OK.

I ended up with an iPhone and my son ended up a phone he is very happy with, but I was still left with distinctly sour taste over how I was treated. My son confirmed this for me when he commented off-handedly that the guy was particularly unfriendly.

Truth be told if I had a decent choice, I would be shopping around for alternatives, but when it comes to wireless only AT&T works well in my house. As for cable TV, well there's Comcast and that's it (I could get a satellite dish but I'm not going there).

What Does the Economic Crisis Mean for the Tech Sector?

Link: What Does the Economic Crisis Mean for the Tech Sector? - TechTreasures by Ron Miller

Gloomy economic reports continue to pervade our daily news. It has me wondering if the problems on Wall Street will eventually trickle down to the tech sector or if by some miracle it will somehow escape the current crisis...