OCT 10th, 2001

I went to San Diego and NYC last week. I didn't take many photos, but will try to put a few up. This one is of San Diego Bay. Nice city! I stitched a few photos together and the resulting image is huge, but I didn't want to crop it.

Note: This photo is huge... (5368 x 820 pixels and almost 1/2 MB)

SEP 12, 2001

 I got through to my buddy Jack on the phone. He and Autumn Moon are safe. A photo from my last visit to his place in Brooklyn Heights. Things will never be the same.

(This picture was taken a few years ago.)

SEP 07, 2001

I recently found a really neat tool called WebSite-Watcher - This baby is a gem. In the author's own words:

"WebSite-Watcher checks an unlimited number of web-sites for updates and changes with a minimum of time and online-costs. When changes in a website are detected, WebSite-Watcher saves the last two versions to your hard disk and highlights all changes in the text."

I should post an example. Here is an update of the Tokyo PC UG page that it caught today. Besides saving you time from stopping by a web page when you are waiting for some news to come out you might find other interesting ways to use it as I have.

Speaking of GREAT programs; I think it is a shame that the guy from Flying Objects stopped working on NetPad last year.. It came so close to what I was looking for. He must be serious as he even gave up the domain he had used for it. There are still a lot of review sites linked to that page.

I guess it has been a while since I have written about some of my favorite apps. I should at that anything by Copernic Technologies Inc. is worth many times the price. Don't bother trying the Basic (free) versions and convincing yourself they are enough. Just go for the Plus or Pro version.

AUG 23, 2001

So much to do... so little time... FrontPage won't install on my machine now for some reason. And that is just fine.
 

JAN 21, 2001

Nothing really new... Spent a bit of time checking out some shorts at AtomFilms and iFilm. Some good stuff there. Unfortunately it seems that they max out at 300k Last summer I remember seeing a 20 minute movie in 1000k Quicktime format. Awesome! But now if you go to watch it it is just 300k. (It's called Five Sex Scenes.)

And Icebox.com is another interesting site. Not movies, but Flash animations. Mr. Wong and Queer Duck seem to be pretty popular. I'd like see some of this stuff on a bigger screen and not while sitting at my desk.

I like movies and like my computers, but I don't care for watching movies on my computer. I'd like to have some sort of set top box to download movies to and watch on my TV.

Bad Ass Meter Maid 2 is kind of fun. I also like some of the stuff by 10 Items or Less. Maybe I am just bored.

DEC 11th, 2000

New job is tough! But still good. I have a lot to learn. Sometimes I feel like leaving Japan and going back to the states just so I can work in English all day long. I can only imagine what it would be like to do that.

But I am going to stick it out here. This broadband boom that has just begun in Japan -- Tokyo actually -- is just huge. I have heard it called The Metallic Shock.

Take a look at this chart (Japanese) that gets updated once a month. It's the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications pages on DSL.

This is going to be huge. 

Really looking forward to the holidays. I haven't had the time to check, but I assume I have a few days at least off around New Years. Not sure about Xmas. I don't think it is a holiday here. I might stay home anyway. It will be my first year not to go home in a long time. Next year....

DEC 1st, 2000

New job is going great! Just too much work. I spent the first month just helping people fill out applications. The first things people ask are "is it available in my area" and "how long does it take to get installed".

It seemed like just two months ago no one (Japanese) knew what broadband or DSL were now everyone -- or everyone that is tired of high phone bills and slow speeds -- does.  I guess it was a combination of the TV commercials, advertisements on the trains and NTT getting investigated for stifling the spread of xDSL.

And then of course NTT decided to get into the game, too. I get the feeling that they weren't planning this.
 

NOV 7th, 2000

I probably won't be touching this for a while...

I just took a new job and it is probably going to keep me pretty busy for a while. Fortunately it is fun. Seems like a great company with a great product. They are Japan's largest xDSL provider, Tokyo Metallic.

I have been using there service here in Toshima-ku since May and love it. I got kind of lucky as mine was one of the first areas covered.

Unfortunately they don't have support in English at the moment. I am hoping that will change soon.

OCT 15th, 2000

Been a while again... 

A few weeks ago I wrote part III of a series I am doing called Wireless & Cablefree. It's a review of my NTT DoCoMo Comp@ct P-in and PalmOS TRGpro. I didn't make the TPC newsletter somehow, but should appear next month. I have been asked to put it up here. Recommended reading for anyone about to buy a new Palm device. If you live in Japan I think you would be nuts to buy something else.

I only have to time to throw it up here. I will work with the photos and links, etc. later.

SEP 6th, 2000

Sorry, basically just more battery talk... 

I bought a Sony Ni-MH/Ni-Cd Battery Charger (BC-34HNA) and 4 rechargeable Ni-MH (Nickel Hydride) batteries the other day at Bic Camera. It had 'new product' sticker on the box, so it may not be on their web site. I think this link below is to the previous model, BC-34HN:
http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/ProductsPark/Models/Current/BC-34HN_J_1/index.html

No idea what the difference may be. Faster charges? I think this is the case as both hold AA or AAA batteries and they look similar.

My days of using alkaline disposables are over. The Nickel Hydride batteries can be recharged 500+ times and last quite a bit (up to 70%) longer than the Nickel Cadium type. 

The 9/15 issue of DOS/V Magazine had a 6-page article on batteries and they have 4 other dual charges listed.

So far the thing works fine. I don't think I can recommend this model as after reading the article it appears that some of the charges by the other companies support different voltages for use abroad. My Sony says, "AC100V =/- 10V".

I read that they need to be 'cycled' a few times before getting a full charge and that explains why my Pilot said 82% when I stuck them in.

When buying the AA size batteries be sure to get the more recent and powerful ones, such as the Sanyo HR-3US model that say 1600mAh. These kicked butt in the VMAG digital camera tests in that article.

I noticed that the Kodak's I bought with my digital camera last year say 1450mAh and some Toshibas I picked up at one point were only 1300mAh.

 

I think I paid about 4,500 Yen for the charger. I also bought 4 AAA Sony Ni-MH (NH-AAA-4BA) for 1,380 Yen (plus tax). These say 700 mAh, but of course they are smaller.

I finally found the specs on the Energizer ACCU Rechargeables that I mentioned the other day. The AAA type have a 'typical capacity' of 650 mAh and the AA's are only 1200 mAh. Not very impressive. We have a good thing going here in Japan.

I found some interesting reading at Steve's Digicam on his page discussing NiMH Rechargeable Batteries.

He has a very good suggestion:

Self Discharge 

One thing that is common to all types of rechargeable batteries is a thing called "self discharge" where the cell actually loses power as it sits after being recharged. I won't claim to be a chemist and know the exact rate of self discharge of various brands but it is something you should know about. 

It is always a good idea to charge the batteries just before you expect (or need) to use them whenever possible. You might want to consider carrying a set of the expensive lithium type batteries (in case your rechargeables are dead or carrying only a partial charge.) Lithium batteries have a very long shelf life so they're always ready.

Speaking of Lithium Batteries:

My next post will be about the FujiFilm Lithium batteries that I want to check out the next time I really need my digital camera. Maybe I can get Austin Hicks to buy some for his Olympus to take with him when he goes to Hawaii next week to get married. He would be able to give us the low down.

If they are anything like the Energizer Hi Energy Lithium L91 (data sheet) that came with my Kodak DC120 3 years ago they are worth a serious look. They might be the same exact battery. I checked my battery drawer and I had some. I think I bought them for my digital camera at one point. Didn't notice how long they lasted. I have kept one as they tested out 'green' with the battery checker that that I mentioned the other day. They are labeled FUJIFILM Energizer Lithium. Why can't I even find them listed on the Energizer Products Page?

Finally, someone needs to tell Steve that Energizer now sells NiMH batteries. Here is what he has to say on the bottom of that page:

I wish the Energizer Bunny and Duracell a swift death for their throw-away, one time use, alkaline type batteries that occupy our world's landfills. When you use rechargeable batteries you're not only doing yourself a favor (longer run time and less expense), you're also doing the world a really big favor!

The average NiMH cell can be recharged 500-1000 times before it needs to be replaced...

Enough for now. I am about finished with all this battery talk. I have found what works for me.

I hope that more people can start switching over to rechargeables. Those dead alkaline batteries have to be disposed of somewhere and I hate to think of them going into the 20-story incinerator near my house.

SEP 5th, 2000

I am still reading up on batteries. I have a few questions that I am looking for answers to. Trying to figure out why the Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries that are available from many manufacturers here in Japan seem to be pretty rare in the US.

So rare in fact, that I saw this on the Energizer (Eveready) home page:

Energizer® is the FIRST and ONLY battery company to offer these high performance NiMH batteries in all cell sizes (AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt).

Makes you wonder. My only guess is that the other guys don't want to cut into their lucrative sale of disposables.

John Dvorak wrote about these things a few years ago in PC Magazine. Here's a few quotes from the article entitled Batteries not Included:

Why aren't standard-cell rechargeable nickel hydride batteries available in the United States? They've been sold in Japan for over two years.

<snip>

The calculation of cost for nickel hydride batteries in the table is for 100 recharges. Hawk says the industry knows that nickel hydride batteries can easily last through 500 recharges. I've seen data indicating that 1,000 charges are possible. This drops the cost per 10,000 pictures to 70 cents! I'm convinced that the industry doesn't want people to know about these batteries. I seriously doubt you'll be seeing them on a rack in the grocery store anytime soon. Do the math: It's like buying 1,000 alkaline batteries for less than 10 bucks. Imagine what this does to the lucrative disposable-battery business.

<snip>

So now I wonder where the D, C, and AAA nickel hydride batteries are? Mostly in Japan. As far back as January 1996, Toshiba rolled out the first complete line of standard cells and other Japanese battery makers have followed. This event was essentially hushed up in the U.S. market. The big-name American battery companies have avoided this market-killing technology for obvious reasons.

AUG 30th, 2000

Okay, so it's not a PC product, but with all the battery-powered devices we seem to be carrying around, I thought this is worth mentioning.
 

Sony Battery Checker BC-332D 1.5V/9V List price: 980 Yen Street price: Less than that! 780??

Way cool!! Five stars! Two thumbs up! I bought one of these two weeks ago and one night stayed up testing probably close to 200 batteries that I had around my house.

(Sick, I know, but you all know how it is when you open a 4-pack, stick 2 in your Pilot and throw the others somewhere, sometimes mixing them with the dead or almost dead ones.)

About the size of 4-5 credit cards stacked up. Very portable.

And simple to use. Three lights: red, yellow and green. I bet you can guess what they mean. Sometimes I get no light and I think that means a battery is really dead.

I threw away the package, so I can't tell for sure all the sizes it checks, but take a look at the photo and guess or just buy one.

I have checked mostly tan4 (AAA), tan3 (AA) and tan2 (C). Haven't tested any, but it does tan1 (D) and tan5 (N??) and 9V. 

These things were near the cash registers at Bic Camera. Should have bought one long ago. I guess that I had been thinking that I needed to research and compare. Uh-huh! Don't bother. This one is fine. (If you have/find a better one do post.)

Found the online catalog and see there are other sizes, but not this small.
http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/ProductsPark/Models/cat149.html

In my searching to make sure I didn't screw up too badly on the sizes of these things I bumped into a few sites worth taking a quick look at. (If you are bored, that is.)
http://www.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm
http://www.panasonicoembatteries.com/english/drycell/outline/default.htm

And someone ought to tell these guys to 'fix' their web site. Until then you can browse their directory structure at least with IE and Opera.
http://www.panasonicoembatteries.com/english/

AUG 24th, 2000

I ought to write more... I have bumped into some pretty interesting stuff. Recently.

For a long time I have been using  NewsNow as a source of up-to-date information, especially tech stuff. I did a bit of deep linking into the site and have set up a view that I often leave running on one of my 3 monitors. (Yeah!) It's the Information Technology page and it updates every 5 minutes. Very fresh and worth a look.

Today I was checking out another site called 1stHeadlines that allows you to get your news in a different way. If you want to see some news on Japan as reported in the sources they track you could go right to it. I can see myself spending a lot of time at the Technology Headlines view.

This seems to be a more focused way of getting the news you want when you want it. NewsNow can be pretty intense as you watch the stuff come down the pipe.

I just found a program called TextAloud MP3 that does a text to speech conversion of your clipboard contents and plays it. You can even save directly to an MP3 file. I just did a test of some of the contents of this page. Not bad. I can see some uses for this. It's over a MB, so maybe not worth the download, but I thought I'd put it up here for a bit.

Another program that I think will be very useful is called Total Recorder. I played with the demo. It allows you to record streaming audio (RealAudio, etc.) to .WAV files for later listening. According to the FAQ, the next version will do on-the-fly compression to MP3. This would be very nice for recording something and then bringing it with you in your portable player to listen to later.

Might be a good time to point out that FreeAmp allows you to record ShoutCAST -- streaming MP3 -- content and that is nice, but I would like something for RealAudio and Windows Media.

While on the subject of MP3 and audio content I'd like to post a few links to some products that I have started to take a pretty good look at. Not sure what name these things are getting, but I will start off with the one I like best.
 

It's called AudioReQuest. They describe it as the first MP3 Stereo Jukebox. I think their overview page gives a pretty good description of what it does.

It's US $799.95, so it is probably smart to hold off a bit. The next version of the software, now in beta, should allow you take advantage of the Ethernet and USB ports. I look forward to sticking an audio CD into the drive and having a device like ARQ go out to the CDDB go out and come back and rip and tag the audio and store it either on the HDD the device.

Of course, any MP3s stored on your LAN will be playable, too. But the fact that no computer is necessary makes this appealing.

In my searches for information on these devices I found a great site that has some great digital audio news and good reviews of hardware and software. It's called Dimension Music. Here is their review of AudioReQuest listed under Hardware -> Home Stereo MP3 Players -> HDD.

I have looked into a few similar products, but won't bother to mention them yet as they seem to be vaporware or not worth the effort.

I like what I see so far from this company. They have an online discussion forum and the employees seem very responsive to both customers and potential customers alike. I wish them well. I want one or something like it very soon.

Enough for now...

AUG 17th, 2000

It's been a while again. That's okay. Nothing to report on.

Well, I did write an article for the August Tokyo PC Users Group newsletter and I guess I could put that up here somewhere now. It is part II of a series I am doing called Wireless & Cablefree. It's a review of my new Nokia phone and Palm Pilot (and TRGpro).

Part I was about the P-in.