Genuine Curiosity

Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.

 

My solution to iPhone 3G battery life

Well, I took the plunge on Saturday and moved from a Blackberry to an iPhone 3G. I am working on a more detailed review of the pros and cons of what I've done but, in the mean time, I wanted to let you know my solution to the shorter battery life of the iPhone 3G.

For the record, the battery life is "just OK" - it isn't abyssmal and, as PC World reports, the iPhone 3G's battery life is better than that of competing smart phones.

What's my solution? I bought Kensington's Mini Battery Extender and Charger for iPod and iPhone (available via Amazon and elegible for free 2nd day shipping for Amazon Prime members). I've only had it for a couple of days but I love it already. On a call-heavy day, I start to run out of juice on my iPhone by late afternoon / early evening. By plugging this battery extender into my phone I get a few more hours of talk or browsing time (I haven't had it long enough to give you definitive times, but it definitely lets me finish the rest of the day).

This battery extender plugs into the docking connector on the bottom of your iPhone (original or 3G, and it works with the iPod Touch, too). It is small enough to carry in my pocket which I did all day today, for example. When you attach it to your iPhone, it is small enough that you can still use your phone without feeling like a mutant and you can continue using your headphones since the iPhone's jack is on the top of the phone.

This battery comes with a retractable charging (but not syncing) cable which plugs into your USB port or iPod charger, and you can charge it alone or while it's attached to your iPhone (in which case both will be charged). The LED's on this battery are very useful. When you are charging it, the three blue LED's (on the left in the photo) indicate when the charge level has reached 20%, 60%, and 100%. The red LED (on the right in the photo) is lit during charging and during use with the phone, it begins blinking to let you know when you have less than 20% remaining.

As I said, I've got more coming about my iPhone conversion but this was just too exciting to wait.

Read More

How about a Trackberry?

A while back I wrote about SameCell as a way to find out when you're near your friends, and SameCell's addition of a FaceBook app. The folks at SameCell have been steadily improving their service (I use it all the time and I like it) and have recently added a new twist. You see, they rely on cell tower locations to determine when you are close to other users. This can be a challenge when you're on different carriers or if you're bouncing off a cell tower that SameCell hasn't mapped yet.

To solve this problem, they've created a small mapping application for use on phones with GPS's (like my Blackberry 8310). The app "watches" the cells you connect to and correlates it with your GPS data to help SameCell build its database of cell towers and locations.

Money - for good or for yourself

What's in it for you? You could make a little money for yourself or your designated charity. SameCell tracks the new cells you've discovered and pays you a few cents for each unique one you've found.

The money may not be enough to change your life, but you'll certainly be helping improve their service (and, as an avid user, you'll improve my experience with that service). So, if you have a GPS in your phone, just click here in your mobile phone's browser to head over to SameCell (or navigate to http://www.samecell.com/cells), and start helping them map the wireless world.

Read More

Fresh Gear: How about a Monster power up?

When you're traveling with a notebook computer or other electronic essentials, a power outlet is like an oasis in the dessert (and you can usually spot them by looking for clusters of tethered travelers huddled nearby, drinking up the precious current). When you're low on juice, it can be frustrating when you're in an airport with only a few outlets.

Well, Monster has a great way for travelers to increase their access to power on the go: It's their Outlets To Go 3-Outlet Portable Powerstrip and it's pretty cool. This allows you to expand a single (grounded) outlet and turn it into 3 outlets. This extra capacity can come in handy in several situations:

  • In the aforementioned scarce outlet situation, you can provide the means to share an outlet with other travelers
  • For international travel, simply carry this power strip and a single international power adapter, and you'll be able to plug in 3 devices at once
  • Its short length of cord allows you to more easily utilize power outlets in tight spaces - especially if you have clunky power supplies for some of your devices

There are a few other nice features on this little power strip:

  • It rolls up small (as in the picture) and you can plug it back into itself to keep the cord tidy, and maintain a small profile
  • The outlets have enough spacing to accommodate even large power bricks (there are 2 outlets on one side; 1 on the other)
  • The power connector is flat and exits to the side, so it is less likely to interfere with other plugs or devices
  • The "Monster Power" logo glows blue when the strip is "live" so you can tell when the circuit is hot
  • It has a built-in circuit breaker to protect you from dodgy power situations

You can get the US version of this for about $12 on Amazon so it's reasonably priced.

Related items

Read More

Can you watch your legally purchased DVD’s on your video iPod?

I have quite a few DVD's in my collection that my wife has little interest in watching (usually because they are a bit violent or intense - like my 24, Donnie Brasco, Highlander, etc). I also have a video iPod , and I decided that I wanted to have the option of watching my videos on long flights, in addition to the audiobooks I listen to.

One option, of course, is to buy video content through iTunes - and I've certainly done that a few times. However, I already own copies of these movies so why should I have to pay twice just to see them on my little iPod screen?

Access denied!

There are several problems that prevent me from just copying these videos to my iPod:

  • iTunes is not capable of ripping DVD's the way it rips CD's
  • most commercial DVD's are encrypted with CSS (Content Scrambling System) so my (also legally purchased) copy of Nero 7 Ultra Edition will not rip them
  • the copy protection laws under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) make it illegal to circumvent CSS

Let the research begin!

How fair is Fair Use?

I understand that the DMCA exists to protect content producers / owners, and I agree that stealing videos or music is unethical. However, under "Fair Use," consumers are allowed to make a backup copy of a CD or DVD and can store the original and watch the backup. This is no different from copying the DVD to your iPod, putting the original away and watching the backup that's stored on your iPod.

The problem is that the DMCA makes it illegal to circumvent the CSS encryption used on the DVD's, so you cannot make unencrypted copies of the content. This effectively prohibits you from watching your licensed video on one of the video devices you own, and seems a little ludicrous to me.

Nonetheless, the motion picture industry is taking a hard line to try to prevent consumers from watching their CSS-protected DVD's anywhere else. Only changes in legislation will make this any better, so if you're in the US and you don't like this Draconian approach, contact your representative in Congress and let them know how you feel about this.

What are the options?

The only means allowable under the DMCA is, apparently, to take your DVD's with you and watch them on a laptop or DVD player.

What about transferring your DVD to the iPod? If it's CSS-encrypted, your legal option is to purchase the content in iTunes (assuming it's available there).

I'll also share that, in doing some research via Google, I found that there are some free device drivers (try searching for DVD43, for example) that (on Windows XP at least) claim to allow you to use your DVD ripping software on commercial DVD's. From there, it should be a simple matter of using your ripping software to convert the video to MP4 format on your hard drive, adding the movie to iTunes, and synching it to your iPod. By the way - I also noticed that Nero Recode (a module included as part of Nero 7 Ultra Edition) has a preset for output to iPod compatible video.

If this approach works (remember, never rip anything you haven't paid for and don't share them with anyone else!) you will be able to use your iPod to watch your own DVD collection on the road.

Related items

Read More

Fresh Gear: The flattest wallet ever

For the past several years, I've been a "front pocket wallet" kind of guy. However, I found that my front pocket wallet was growing thicker, and that I couldn't significantly downsize it because I have a need for more cards of various kinds.

I also don't like a big, thick back pocket wallet because I find them uncomfortable and unsightly. If you've ever seen the Seinfeld episode where George's wallet explodes because he puts in just one too many receipts, you'll know what I mean.

Thin is in (my pocket)

I recently found just the solution: the "All-ett" wallet, which claims to be the world's thinnest wallet. I've been using it for a little more than a month and I am so happy with this wallet!

It's made out of spinnaker sail cloth, which is a very thin and strong material (you can choose from a variety of colors - I went with black). In the picture at right (from the All-Ett site), both wallets contain exactly the same things. You can clearly see that the All-Ett, on the left, would be much more comfortable to have in your back pocket.

Curious how it works? Check out the demo at their site to see the flat wallet in action. There are also some good testimonials posted there.

Something for everyone

Check out the variety of products they offer - in addition to several types of wallets, they carry card cases, checkbook covers, and travel wallets.

Give it a try - there is a 30-day, unconditional money back guarantee, but I don't think you'll be sending this one back!

Read More