MOBODOJO

I’m noting this for posterity… I’ve set up a MozyHome Unlimited account and it is starting now. I just set up my first backup set and its working through it now. My complete backup, sans my large iTunes library which is already handled by Time Machine, is 97GBs. That’s a load of stuff and according to Mozy it will take some time before its fully finished. Once done, however, the local tool will only upload the items which are changed and not everything. That means won’t, or shouldn’t, take long once the big haul is managed. We shall see, and I’ll be updating you as we go.

Regarding the MozyHome software itself, its pretty easy. Its a little odd in that it offers pre-configured sets which you just check or not (i.e., preferences, application settings, Microsoft Office files, etc…), but you can also just tell it to backup your entire user directory. It appears that you can select both, which seems redundant, but there it is. Nicely, though, the system runs in the background and has options for controlling when it will perform backups and for throttling bandwidth usage. My issue with the bandwidth controls is that at the low end you can pick 32Kbps or 668Kbps but nothing in between. You can pick a lot faster (up to 5.2Mbps) but nothing in between the lowest two. Weird.

Anyways, it will take some time before its all done so when something interesting happens I’ll let you know.

LG’s latest Bluetooth headset, the HBM-770, is like any other Bluetooth headset on the planet… except I like it! The simple fact of the matter is that this is the first of a couple dozen Bluetooth headsets I’ve tried which actually fits and is light enough to actually disappear on my ear and is loud enough for me to hear it while I’m cruising down the I-5 with the windows down. 

The HBM-770 is just like every other Bluetooth headset, as I’ve said before. It has a power button, a charging port, volume controls, and you can plug it in the charge. It sits on your ear using a large loop (See image left). which starts behind the microphone and causes it to gently rest on your ear. Its the in-ear piece which defines how it sits on the side of your head, which really seems to work for me. Read the rest of this entry »

Its not often you meet the near-perfect, much less the perfect tool. While the latter still eludes me, I’ve found and have worked with the former now for about a month. True story: The dog ran off with the first one that my PR rep sent me and dropped it down a drain pipe. She very, very, very kindly sent me another one, and I’ve been eagerly working with it ever since. In case you’re not clear on what I’m talking about, I am referring to the LiveScribe Pulse digital pen. This is no normal pen, mind you. The Pulse is a wonder of technology, convenience, function, and familiarity. It does exactly what it suggests it will do, but it also does so much more. 

The key to the functionality of the Pulse is manifold, but it can be counted down to the infrared camera perched under the nib (I’m old, so look it up), the voice recording capabilities, and the special paper the pens use in order to work their magic. Now don’t go groaning over the fact that you have to buy special paper. Have you seen what a simple notepad costs at Barnes & Noble these days? Shocking to the point where you’ll think that paying $20 for a 200 sheet notebook which enables the power of the Pulse is a steal and a half. Combine that with the fact that the most recent Windows version of the software can print blank pages, and you’re on easy street. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve got a friend who owns a Sprint Palm Centro “RED” which she drops all the time. I rarely drop phones, but when I came across Otter’s new Defender Series, one model of which supports the Palm Centro, I jumped on it and and sent off for one. I’m super careful with anything electronic. I don’t mean that to say that I lock them up and never use them, but I also try my best to never put these typically fragile devices into too many dangerous situations. My friend has replaced her phone already, and she’s only had it for six months! Of course, no matter how careful you are, it never hurts to be prepared, which is why the Defender Series attracts me so much. 

The ethic behind the Defender Series is to provide the best possible protection without limiting access to or diminishing the value of the device which the case protects. After ensconcing my black Centro in the case, it becomes protected from the elements (aside from full emersion) and yet is remarkably easy to use. It is certainly chunkier, and somewhat heavier, but if you are prepared to protect your phone against almost all damage, then you’re ready to use this case. Read the rest of this entry »

Coffee is a precious resource, rich in go juice and vitality for the day to come. Getting that coffee used to be as simple as getting a cuppa jo’ at the local diner. Nowadays, its a raucous affair, rife with pitfalls and madness in the form of 7,046,876* different combinations of a myriad drinks being served by frazzled college folk working on their PhD thesis who only speak Coffeenese, which you don’t happen to know. Its nice, now and then, to just sit down at home, turn on the TV, flip to an HD channel, and enjoy a nice, hot, freshly ground, freshly steamed cappuccino. It takes a machine, however, to do that. That’s why here, I present a review of Breville’s Café Roma espresso machine. Read the rest of this entry »

Insignia, if you didn’t know, is a brand name of Best Buy. Think of grocery stores and their in-house brands and you get the idea of how Insignia works for Best Buy. Of course, Insignia doesn’t make peanut butter and their products should not be considered generic. Insignia’s new Blu-Ray deck is an excellent example of this fact. When I removed it from the box I was struck by how sleek it looks. The front panel is almost entirely featureless and is glossy black. There are power and eject buttons and a basic control pad and, of course, the disc drawer. Read the rest of this entry »

Call it the computer with no name. Averatec didn’t give it a name, or even a snazzy numerical model number. Its just called the 18.4″ All-In-One PC (AIO), but its like no other PC you’ve ever seen, unless you count Apple’s “Lamp Shade” iMac. That’s because the computer itself is in the base and its attached to a stunning 18.4″ 1,680×945 display (which I believe is 16:9). You can get all of this now for a mere US$550. You need, however, to know this systems place in the grand scheme of things before you rush out and get one. Read the rest of this entry »