It's OK to like Michael Jackson's music again

I find myself listening to a lot of Michael Jackson lately. I've always thought of him as a musical genius. Outside of his music, he led a life stranger than any fiction writer could imagine. Never a real childhood, messed up dad Joe Jackson, superstardom that made it nearly impossible for him to lead a normal life, the elephant man bones, Neverland scandals, hyperbaric chambers, Wacko Jacko, Lisa Marie. The list goes on and on. And then a tragic end to a tragic life.

But across his career Michael created an amazing body of musical work. While Michael was here, no matter how good the music was that he created, we always had to listen to the weird things he was doing. And now that the man is gone, there are no distractions of all the things from his music. All that remains is the music, great music.

So now I listen to Michael Jackson, visualize the videos, the Motown 25th show, the dancing, the moonwalk. It seems both Michael and we are freed from those crazy and ridiculous distractions. I can love the music and not admire the lifestyle.

Why Streaming is better than DVR

Last night I was watching Jay Leno in bed and saw previews of Jimmy Fallon which follows. I wanted to see JF but was too tired to go set the DVR. This morning I watched last night's JF on NBC.com with my laptop while I had my coffee and decided, overall, streaming is better than DVR. Here's why...

1. To start, from the example above, I don't have to actively set my DVR. It's there for me.
2. I don't have to even be aware there is a show I want to watch. If I find out later, I can go watch it.
3. There is no "retro-DVR". I can't go back in time and record a show, but I can watch older episodes of my favorite shows.
4. I can email (or FB or Tweat) a link to a show to a friend. If I want to share a DVR'd show, you have to come to my house.
5. Free. Streaming is free, DVR costs $12.95/month on Comcast.
6. I don't even need a cable subscription, just hi-speed internet, which I don't plan to give up anytime soon. "you can take my mouse from my dead cold hands"
7. Products like Slingbox let you watch TV from your cable or satellite box, including DVR, on your laptop of phone. Nice solution while your traveling. Streaming, same thing, no additional gear of cost.

Another new free streaming farm to find free streaming TV channels and shows.

www.inner-live.com

Kindle Reader for More Devices

Amazon has expanded the number of devices that are supported by their Kindle Reader app. Kindle Reader now supports PCs, Macs, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and Blackberry.

My wife has a Kindle (1G) which she loves and I've used my iPod Touch to read a couple of books with the Kindle app. The screen is small on the Touch but I have muddled through. So being able to read my books on a bigger screen is welcome. My MacBook is not as small or lightweight as a iPad, but it's a good alternative for now.

The Kindle Reader app on my MacBook Pro is clean and simple to use. Once you have the book downloaded from your library, you no longer need an internet connection which means you can read on a plane or in the car (as a passenger of course ;-). However nothing beats the Kindle itself on the beach. The eInk technology looks even better in strong sun where the LCD panels of all the other devices lists are harder to read in full sun.

Oh yeah, here is the link to get your Kindle Reader app for any of the devices listed above:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_352814002_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-6&pf_rd_r=15BRDWS4FQQ1EC7D04BM&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1268267022&pf_rd_i=1000426311

Enjoy.

PowerMat - Product Review

You must ask yourself repeatedly, why do wireless devices always have so many wires? In pursuit of less clutter without sacrificing my gadgets, I turned to the wizards at Powermat and asked them to show me how their solution works.

The concept is great, remove wires for recharging ipods, phones, accessories. The design is elegant, low profile, integrated connection to the device. The user experience is cool (love the tone when you plop your device on the mat). There are enough gadgets that need charged today. In my house it's an iPhone, 2 Blackberries, a Samsung phone, two iPod Touch(es), BT headsets and a Kindle. Countertop, night stand, office desk clutter drives us all batty.

Powermat is a great solution, for most people. First the Powermat Home Office Mat is perfect, low profile, sized for up to 3 devices at a time. The connection to your devices comes in three flavors:

1. a custom power Receiver case for iPod Touch & iPhone,
2. a Receiver battery door that replaces the rear panel on several phone models, and
3. the Universal Power Cube that comes with the Powermat has a set of well-selected tips to attached to an almost endless array of devices, particularly phones which vary a lot (mini & micro USB, Apple, Nintendo, LG, Sony PSP, & Samsung). The mini & micro-USB are compatible with many devices today, even charging things like the Kindle 2. There is also an iPod/iPhone dock that sits on the Powermat and accommodates all iPods & iPhones through the universal dock connector.

I found Powermat pads, back panels and tips to be reasonably priced, considering the cost of alternative power adapters and the huge benefit of convenience.

However...

• The elegant Receiver case is available for a limited number of devices. If yours is not among them, you have a couple choices: use the PowerCube & tip or wait until August (more below). Using the PowerCube & tip is the last resort of compatibility. Plugging in your device to the PowerCube is only slightly better than using its own plug-in charger. Unless your primary device has a Powermat receiver, the PowerCube is not the reason to buy the Powermat.
• The Receiver case & Receiver door are the way to go because it is "plop & charge" (my term). However with my iPod Touch, the Receiver case is an added outer rear case that internally connects the Dock connector to the power Receiver on the rear of the case. Charging works fine, but doing so eliminates my access to the iPod Dock connector which I use often for music connections, sync with my MacBook and in my car. You can thank Apple for this inconvenience because they made the battery non-accessible in the iPod Touch and iPhone.

But Powermat is on top of things. They already have a plan to make "plop & charge" available for a lot more users. In August 2010, they will release the Powermat Wireless Charging Upgrade. "The Powermat Wireless Charging Upgrade provides seamless integration into virtually any phone, by allowing consumers to upgrade to wireless charging with no change to their existing phone ergonomics and design. More than a dozen models from HTC, Blackberry, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and Google debuted at CES, but the technology can be applied to virtually any phone - ensuring access to the freedom and convenience of Powermat wireless charging to consumers worldwide." This is the way to go and only $39.99. Keep your phone as is, just swap out the battery and you have "plop & charge" capability. This is the game changer. Without this upgrade, the Powermat would be another gadget, useful to a select group who had gear compatible with their limited receivers. The August upgrade will attract significantly many more users to Powermat.

Powermat: Recommended buy.