Entries in "Technology for the home"
Whee Wii
When I could not get hold of a wii at regular price before X-mas I promised my 8-year-old "I will get it for you soon" and she replied "Just get it before next christmas daddy".
I had been watching the wii seeker web site and read rumors of a big shipment coming in to Best Buy and Target. I had resolved that no video game was going to make me get up early on a Sunday morning to stand in a line in freezing weather - after all I had a whole year to get it, right!. So around 8.30 AM on 1/21/07 decided to take a chance.
Drove out to Target which is 5 minutes away. Did not see anyone outside, no madding crowd! Almost decide not to go in assuming there were no wii's. Still went in and walked over the the electronics area. Still no one around except the store clerk. Almost felt foolish asking him but hey I had made all the effort to come there, might as well ask, right? "You wouldn't have any wii's would you?" I asked almost starting to turn away. "Do you want one?" he responded. Wow! Could not believe my ears. He had a whole stack of them. I presented him my credit card and bought it before I woke up from the dream.
I walked out proudly swinging my bag - making sure every one could see the wii box through the translucent plastic bag... but there was no one around to see :-( Could not believe this. But still felt vindicated that I had not spent a premium to buy this on eBay.
Just as I was nearing my car I saw a white SUV racing into the parking lot. It screeched to a halt next to me while I stood transfixed, hoping it would not skid on the ice into my car. A young lady jumped out with a kid still in PJs. She spotted my Wii in the bag and asked "How long did you have to stand in line? How early did you get here?" I reassured her that there were plenty of wii's to go around and she had no need to hurry. Before I could even finish speaking, she was racing off, slipping and sliding on the ice with the youngster in tow.
I turned around smiling, thinking of what my 8-year-old's face would look like when she woke up. I drove home sipping my chai, what a happy day!
Follow up on VOIP
So now I have used VOIP for 4 months at my home. Since I started this when I moved, I never got a landline at the new home. The experience has been interesting. Being human one wants to complain and whine and easily forget the advantages. So I will note the good points first
1. Price - 17 dollars a month including tax with voice mail that can be accessed from the web, caller id, call waiting with caller ID, 2 phone numbers, etc.
2. Great conversation point with techie friends
Problems:
Variable sound quality but clearly has improved in the last 2 months
2 weekend when there was no dial tone while the firmware was getting upgraded
Very slow tech support
Still I have stuck with it for 4 months, it is constantly getting better and more reliable....
Which service am I using? Sunrocket.
Give up your land line?
Are the days of the regular land line numbered? VoIP opens up possibilities for those who have broadband Internet access. From the cost point of view VoIP wins hands down with prices ranging from 17 to 25 dollars for multiple features and unlimited calling to USA and Canada. At issue is the voice quality. Looking at various forums, the quality appears to be excellent but can vary depending your broadband speed, concurrent use (i.e. online gaming), and the phone adapter (Gizmo) supplied by the VoIP provider, and whether you set up the Gizmo between the Cable/DSL modem and the router OR keep the router between the Gizmo and the modem. The VoIP company will recommend the former but that can create a challege in setting up if you use a DSL service that uses PPPoE since the Gizmo will need to be configured for that.
The other issues facing VoIP are
1. 911 --> these appear to be resolved in some areas
2. Non access during Internet or Power Outages
3. Cannot work with home security systems, satellite (DISH/DirecTV) systems, etc.
4. Fax machines