The Fortune Cookies Were Right!

Maybe following the advice, or at least the numbers, in fortune cookies isn’t such a bad idea after all. The New York Times reveals all.

If you want to learn to play better poker, I’ve got a tip or two for that too. Click here.

Correction: When a PDA has a phone, it’s a smart phone.

I always appreciate feedback, especially when it catches me making a mistake. The article, “RIM Passes PalmOne. Not True.” accurately points out that most of RIM’s lineup of PDA’s and “business phones” actually include phones. However, the Gartner report linked below apparently excludes these PDA’s with phones and just considers them PDA’s because the RIM web site calls them “handhelds.” Can they really be that lame? I have to agree with the respondee from Personal Tech Pipeline that these PDA-phones should be considered smart phones. Thanks for the correction.

(While we’re at it, can I help you to get a deal on a free cell phone? If interested, please use one of the links on that page to visit Media Mall’s partnership e-store with FonCentral. Just enter your zip code and check out the deals. And thanks for supporting this blog.)

PDA’s Are Alive & Well Thanks to Wireless Email. Windows CE and RIM New Leaders

Despite techno-hype rumblings that smart phones are going to smash the PDA market, research analyists at Gartner reported that PDA’s had their best year-over-year quarter ever: “Worldwide PDA shipments increased 25 percent to 3.4 million in the first quarter of 2005 compared with a year ago — the best first quarter ever for PDA sales. The market was led by 84.3 percent growth in Western European PDA shipments. The U.S. market fell to 39.1 percent of worldwide shipments.”

The bad news for palmOne was that their market share got significantly smaller–shrinking over 26% from 30.5 to 18 percent–although they are still the leader in terms of total PDA units shipped. At the same time, RIM, the makers of Blackberry’s, grew over 75% to blow right by palmOne, increasing from 14.8 to 20.8 percent marketshare. Windows CE-based PDA makers like HP and Dell also saw significant growth making Microsoft the #1 PDA OS, with RIM now 2nd. (See chart).

Note: These stats do NOT include smart phones like the Treo 650 and others.

Golf Lessons in Losing

(it’s about time that golf made it into my blog) I really wanted Chris DiMarco to win the PGA tourney this weekend, but despite the extreme gutsy-ness he showed at the Masters, he wasn’t up to the task. Since I was on the course playing golf, instead of watching TV when it happened, I wanted to know why. I turned to Google News, and found this excellent Sports Illustrated analysis. Strange that DiMarco’s strength, putting, should become his undoing. Sounds like he should have chipped it in. 😉 Read these valuable tips.

And, while we’re talkin’ golf, you’re invited to visit the MediaMall.com Golf Club for insights about clone golf clubs, reviews of my favorite golf books and more .

Video Activists Defeat Prosecution of Most Republican Convention Protesters

Yes, there IS power in the video camera and the way that today’s technologies make that video power more accessible.

The New York Times reported that of the 1,670 people arrested during the street protests that were organized around last summer’s Republican National Convention in NYC, 91 percent have ended with either charges dropped or a verdict of not guilty. In particular, the Times said: “A sprawling body of visual evidence, made possible by inexpensive, lightweight cameras in the hands of private citizens, volunteer observers and the police themselves, has shifted the debate over precisely what happened on the streets during the week of the convention.”

Read more on WorldChanging.com or at the New York Times

New iPod Photo as Digital Camera Backup

Apple has significantly reduced the price of the iPod Photo and that event combined with an accessory that enables a direct connection between digital cameras and iPod Photos has a Washington Post reviewer explaining why this device has become more attractive to digital camera enthusiasts. Read the review.

Google Maps’ Satellite View: Even Better!

I forgot to mention (because I missed it originally), that Google Maps also has a satellite view with the same zoom and drag/pan functionalities as the map view. In fact, you can toggle directly between the map view and the satellite view. Awesome! http://maps.google.com

Forget MapQuest: Google Maps Rules!

If you’re like me, MapQuest is useful, but clumsy. Navigating around those maps, clicking up and down is such a pain. Finally, there’s a better solution. A much better solution. And wouldn’t you know it comes from the “ease of use” folks at Google… another “beta” program. But the zoom and dragging is state-of-the-art, and you can just enter a location name and boom, you have the relevant map with complete zoom in and zoom out all the way down to fine detailed street maps. Oh yes, and driving directions too. More more intuitive and natural using local search. I guess you get the idea that I like it. Try Google Maps for yourself.

Voice over IP Phones Expanding Rapidly

Very few people realize how huge VoIP (voice over IP a.k.a. the Internet) is becoming. The quality is now totally viable. The costs are significantly less than from the traditional phone companies. All you need is a high speed Internet connection and some moxie. Soon you’ll easily be able to do this wirelessly as well. Personally, I haven’t made the move to VoIP, but when I do I’ll probably use Vonage. Meanwhile, perhaps this AOL announcement will open more eyes as to how significant this technology is becoming.

Podcasting is, like, SO “last week”! Meet PSPCasting

Could the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) be the next iPod? Maybe. In any case, it’s already being used for a new kind of video broadcasting that is built on the inspiration of podcasting (see earlier posts in this blog). The facilitating technology is a new PSP-compatible video format called PSP Video 9 and the new phenom is illuminated in this article, Meet PSPCasting (Podcasts? So Last Week) from ClickZ Network.