Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition Now Available

Nokia was one of the first manufacturers to enter the NetBook market with their N800 and the latest edition is the N810 WiMAX Edition equipped to work with the new XOHM WiMAX network in the U.S. This little device connects to the internet via XOHM, or WiFi and utilizes the Internet Tablet OS: maemo Linux based OS2008 which provides seemless software updates and:

Web Browsing

• Browser powered by Mozilla with state-of-the-art web standard support including AJAX
• Page navigation with scrolling, panning or using hardware buttons, zooming in and out of web sites.
• Full desktop Adobe® Flash® 9 plugin, including video and audio streaming

Media

• In-built media player for viewing and listening to downloaded, transferred or streamed media content and easy-on-device management of media library
• Direct access to shared media over Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
• Supported video formats: 3GP, AVI, WMV, H.263, H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, RV (RealVideo)
• Supported audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, AMR, AWB, M4A, MP2, RA (RealAudio), WAV
• Supported playlist formats: M3U, PLS, ASX, WAX, WVX, WPL

Communications

• Internet messaging and calling with video
• Effortless and automated presence and contacts application for centralizing communication tasks
• SIP support and interoperability with industry standard services

Map

• Integrated GPS with pre-installed US and Canadian maps.
• Wayfinder turn-by-turn car navigation available on purchase.
• Car holder included in the sales pack

E-mail

• Browser access to familiar webmail services
• E-mail application with easy setup for personal e-mail usage with IMAP, STMP, and POP3 support

Images

• Full-screen image viewing and slideshow functionality
• Supported Image formats: BMP, GIF, ICO, JPE, JPEG, PNG, TIF/TIFF, SVG, Tiny, WBMP

RSS Reader

• Reader for subscribing, managing and keeping up-to date with web feeds
• Support for RSS 1.0/2.0 and Atom 1.0

Utilities

• File manager
• PDF reader

If you need more details about the hardware specs, here you go:

Display
- High-resolution 4.13” WVGA touch screen display (800 x 480 pixels) with up to 65,536 colors

Processor
- TI HS OMAP 2420, 400Mhz

Memory Functions
- DDR RAM 128MB
- Flash 256MB

Storage
- 2GB internal memory
- Support for compatible miniSD and microSD memory cards (with extender). Supports cards up to 8GB. (SD cards over 2GB must be SDHC compatible.)

Operating Times*
- Battery: Nokia Battery BP-4L
- Music playback: up to 10 hours
- Standby time off-line: up to 14 days

WiMAX operation times*
- Standby. always online: up to 2 days
- Internet browsing time: up to 3 hours

Wi-Fi operation times*
Standby, always online: up to 5 days
Internet browsing time: up to 4 hours

*Operating times may vary depending on the radio access technology used, network configuration and usage. The availability of the product and its features depend on your area and service providers, so please contact them and your Nokia dealer for further information.

Other characteristics
- Smooth slide with integrated QWERTY keyboard
- Built-in GPS receiver
- High quality stereo speakers and sensitive microphone
- High-resolution widescreen touch display
- Integrated desk stand
- Integrated VGA web camera
- HW key to lock touch screen and keys
- Ambient light sensor

Connectivity
- WiMAX 802.16e / 2.5GHz
- WLAN standard: IEEE 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth specification v.2.0 . +EDR (profiles supported: HID, FTP, DUN, GAP, SPP, ,SAP and OPP)
- USB high speed for compatible PC connectivity
- 3.5 mm stereo headphone plug (Nokia AV Connector)

According to one forum member over at internettablettalk.com this nifty little device is working on XOHM in Chicago.

I really want one of these! I wonder if it will work in Dallas now? There was a rumor that XOHM has been turned on in Dallas....

Official BlackBerry Storm Press Release

Late last night Vodafone in Europe released details about the new BlackBerry Storm touch device made by RIM. Some early reviews say, it's a BlackBerry that does just about everything the iPhone 3G does. This really cool pro/sumer device will be available in the U.S. by Verizon and in Canada by Telus and possibly others. No pricing or release dates are available yet. Here's an excerpt from the BlackBerry site.

Easy Touch Screen Navigation
With the BlackBerry Storm smartphone, select and type using touch technology—the screen is the keyboard. Typing is easy—highlight the letter on the touch screen and press the screen to make it appear in your message or document. And navigation is a breeze. Like a mouse, your fingertip moves the cursor across the screen.

Flexible Communications
You don’t stay in touch with all the people in your life in the exact same way. Stay on top of what’s happening and be available to the people who need you with high-quality voice and text-based communications options, including:You don’t stay in touch with all the people in your life in the exact same way. Stay on top of what’s happening and be available to the people who need you with high-quality voice and text-based communications options, including:You don’t stay in touch with all the people in your life in the exact same way. Stay on top of what’s happening and be available to the people who need you with high-quality voice and text-based communications options, including:You don’t stay in touch with all the people in your life in the exact same way. Stay on top of what’s happening and be available to the people who need you with high-quality voice and text-based communications options, including:

• Wireless email for your personal/web-based and business accounts
• Advanced phone features such as voice activated dialing, conference calling, speakerphone and voicemail attachment playback
• Instant messaging and text messaging (SMS and MMS)
• Access to social networking sites like Facebook® and MySpace®

Camera and Video Recording
At 3.2 megapixels, you can take sharp, print-quality pictures using the BlackBerry Storm smartphone. You can also rely on the auto focus and auto flash to help you capture the moment.

And when an event can’t be captured in a single instant, use sound and action to tell part of the story with the video camera.

GPS and BlackBerry Maps
The BlackBerry Storm smartphone features built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities. Designed to work with BlackBerry® Maps and other location-based software, use it to help determine where you are and how to get to where you need to be.

Enjoy large, clear maps on the HVGA touch screen.

Multimedia
Whether you want to watch a video clip or tune out the rest of the world by listening to your favorite songs, your BlackBerry Storm smartphone delivers visual and sound quality that keeps up with your needs.

• 1 GB of built-in memory—add up to 16 GB more using microSD cards
• Sync your desktop iTunes® music files using BlackBerry® Media Sync
• Use Roxio® Media Manager to help create your own personal juke box

FORD'S NEW TECH

Today Ford announced a new technology that they will provide on the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly be offered on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. The new innovation is called MyKey™.

MyKey™ allows owners to program a key that can limit the vehicle's top speed and audio volume. MyKey also encourages safety-belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 and 65 miles per hour. The MyKey system allows the parent to program any key through the vehicle message center, which updates the SecuriLock™ passive anti-theft system. When the MyKey is inserted into the ignition, the system reads the transponder chip in the key and immediately identifies the MyKey code, which enables certain default driving modes.

Ford to date has integrated better technology into their current line of vehicles than any other domestic vehicle manufacturer. When you consider the SYNC® system and the integration utilizing bluetooth Ford is way ahead of the competition. Take a few minutes and read the press release from FORD.

LG-KC910, RENOIR

Not to be out done by Samsung, LG has announced the arrival of their new 8 megapixel touch camera phone. The multimedia feature set of this little dude are very extensive and impressive. This phone will be available in Europe this month and there does not appear to be a plan or carrier identified for the U.S. Here's the detailed specs.
Network
EDGE, GSM 850/900/1800/1900

Connectivity
HSDPA connectivity at 7.2Mbps
Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi
USB / PC sync V2.0

Standard battery
1000m Ah, LI-Ion
Standby time
320hr (2G), 350 (3G)
Talk time
220min (2G), 220min (3G)

Memory
70Mb (Micro SD up to 8Gb)

Size
Dimension 107.8 x 55.9 x 13.95 mm
Weight 110 g

Display Type
External Display, TFT Touch Screen
Size 240 x 400 pixel, 3.0” WQVGA

Features
Camera
8 Megapixel Camera
Schneider-Kreuznach optics, Lens cover
Xenon flash
Digital zoom (16x)
Auto & Manual focus
Touch Shot, Remote Shutter
Creative Shot Modes: Art Shot, Beauty Shot, Continuous Shot, Panorama Shot
Smile Shot, Face Tracking, Blink Detection
Red eye removal
Backlight Compensation
Image stabilization
Geo tagging

Video
Slow-Motion Video Recording at 120fps / Fast-Motion Video Recording at 5fps
DivX/ Xvid video playback
Video Codec (MPEG4/WMV/H.263/H.264)
Noise-free Microphone
TV-out support

Music
MP3 (Dolby Mobile)
FM Radio
Music Player (MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC++/WMA)

Messaging
SMS/EMS/MMS/Video MMS
E-mail
Predictive Text Input

Advanced features
A-GPS (Navigation, Jogging Buddy)
Virtual Motion Sensor Games
Online Widget
Document Viewer

Samsung Pixon M8800

One of my favorite mobile phone companies have a new line of phones coming out that in my opinion change the game. What is the game changer? A real camera that is part of the phone. In fact this new Sammy is more a camera than a phone, yet it packs all the great phone features you could possibly want, well unless you do a lot of email with attachments for work.

Isn't she pretty?

Do you see that little 8.0 on the backside there? That's the megapixel count on this baby! Check out all the details below.

One of my favorite features is GPS support with Geotagging for photos.

Thank you BoyGenius.

Specs:

• 8 megapixel camera with autofocus
• 16x digital zoom and Fast Shutter
• Dual Power LED flash
• ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction)
• WDR (Wide Dynamic Range)
• Face Detection, Smile Shot, Face Link (face tagging) and Photo memo
• Auto Panorama Shot
• Geotagging support (integrated GPS)
• Photo Browser (Accelerometer Sensor, Tilt and flip, Sorting by Face/Time/Color/Folder)
• 30 fps D1 (720 x 480) video capture
• 120 fps (QGVA) slow motion video capture
• MPEG4, WMV, DivX, XviD playback support
• TV-out

From the specs on the initial device this will be an Europe only device unless there's a CDMA and/or U.S. HSDPA radio variant yet to be announced. I'd consider one.

• Quad Band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) / GPRS / EDGE
• WCDMA 2100 / HSDPA 7.2 Mbps connectivity
  
• 3.2″ 240 × 400 262K color WQVGA TFT display
  
• FM Radio with RDS
• Music Player (MP3, AAC, e-AAC+, e-AAC+, WMA)
• SRS (Surround Sound System) Virtual 5.1CH
• DNSe (Digital Natural Sound engine)
• Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0

Read the original from mobileburn.

The Latest on XOHM

I was in the process of looking for an update on the XOHM WiMAX effort and found this new post on engadget.

Baltimore WiMAX Experience

Thank you for your interest in the Baltimore WiMAX Experience Program sponsored by Intel and XOHM. The XOHM WiMAX network combines broadband and mobility. You get the same broadband internet experience you get at home anywhere in the XOHM coverage area… even on the go. Think of it as the mobile version of the basic DSL or cable internet service.

Should you be selected to participate, you would be among the first to experience XOHM WiMAX service in the Baltimore area and you would be provided with a new Intel Centrino 2 processor technology notebook computer that would be yours to keep in exchange for providing feedback on you experience.
To see if you qualify for this exciting opportunity, please answer the following questions to the best of our knowledge. Please be assured that the information you provide be used only for this program, will be kept confidential, will not be provided to any third parties not involved in this experience program and will not be used for the marketing purposes.

Thanks Darren Murphy at engadget!

Google Phone Is Real!

In the past I wrote a lot about the existence of a Google phone/device and finally after a year of speculation the first Google phone has emerged. The T-Mobile G1.T he G1 utilizes the new Google sponsored and developed Android operating system. Do you even know what operating system is on your phone? Chances are that if you don't have a smart phone you don't know and don't care. So who is this phone for? I'm not really sure who the target audience is, and so what does T-Mobile say, let's see.
Here are the specifications of the device:

Real Web browsing capabilities

• Quick and easy access to the Internet one click away
• View more pages and rich Web content on your phone

Touch screen

• Instant access to key information with the touch of a finger
• Just tap the screen and go

3MP camera

• Capture key moments in high-quality fashion wherever you are
• Never worry about blurry photos with auto focus built right in

Customizable home screen

• Just drag and drop any of your favorite applications, photos, or folders onto your home screen for quick access to what you use all the time

QWERTY keyboard

• The built-in familiar layout lets you type messages easily without scrolling for the letter you want
• Hinged screen slides open to reveal keypad and closes to prevent accidental dialing

One-touch access to Google applications

• Maps (including satellite, traffic, and street views)
• Gmail
• YouTube
• Calendar
• Google Talk

IM/text/e-mail

• All the ways you need to connect while you're on the go

Music player

• With the 1GB memory card, you'll never be without your favorite tunes

One-click Google Search

• Quick and easy access to the Internet in one click

Video playback

• Watch your favorite videos, even YouTube, anywhere

3G network and Wi-Fi access

• High-speed 3G network connection for surfing the Web or downloading information quickly and effortlessly
• Seamlessly transition to open Wi-Fi networks to surf the Web or download information quickly

Android Market

• One-touch access to Android Market
• Customize and personalize your device to fit your life with a variety of software applications like games, social networking, and on-the-go shopping
• Download the applications wirelessly with just a couple short clicks

Nolan Ryan on Wash and Daniels

The Ft.Worth Star Telegram has an interesting article this morning about the future of Rangers manager Ron Washington and GM John Daniels. In an interview with Nolan Ryan yesterday the team president said, "I have no intentions of making a change at this point in time," Ryan said. "He’s under contract for next year. I think that speaks for itself." When asked about Washington Ryan went on to say, "I think the players like him," Ryan said. "I think he’s gotten them to respond to them. I think that’s important. I really believe his intent is trying to get them to improve and address our shortcomings." When asked about Daniels and the philosophy of the Rangers system Ryan had the following comments.

"It’s easy to see where we ended up and where we finished and say, 'We need to go out and make all these changes,’ " Ryan said. "We all agreed that we’re going to develop within our system. When you say 'develop,’ that’s not a quick fix."

"We still believe that that is the route that we’re going to take for this organization. I think we have shown that we are committed to that. I don’t think that when you did’t see our record change from one year to the next you just dump the program that you’ve committed to."

I'm glad that Ryan believes in the plan and I hope he continues to make sure that the young pitchers that come to the majors can experience what they experienced in the minors. The move to replace the Rangers pitching coaches really encourages me that Ryan is dedicated to the success of this organization and if he can handle a charging Robin Ventura I have faith that he will make this franchise better and win a playoff season in the next three years.

Go Rangers!

Rangers End Season

I'll be honest I have not been keeping up with the Rangers since the Cowboys season started and the Rangers decided to repeat April with horrible pitching and even worse defense. Since I have a three year old that loves the Rangers and Tuesdays are kids free day and Tuesday was the last night home game we decided to go.

I was happy to hear that Nippert was pitching, but was disappointed that Laird was catching and Metcalf was playing third. I really wanted to see Teagarden and Davis. Nippert started out good but then served up some juicy pitches that just seem to hover over the plate, and he paid the price giving up two homers. The first homer hit by Jack Cust landed in the upper deck of the home run porch, and there was no doubt that it was gone when it left the bat. I hope that Cust thanked Nippert for that batting practice pitch on a 3-2 count.

The Rangers second was really fun and surprising. Hank Blalock led off the inning with an opposite field shot off the scoreboard in left. Yes you read that correctly Blalock hit a shot to left. Left... I don't want to over due it but if you have watched Blalock over the years you know he doesn't hit the ball to left. I said wow! It made me instantly think that Hank really wants to be with the Rangers next year. I just don't know if he can do enough this late in the season to keep him. He has looked good at first and hasn't made any crazy errors. If he continues to hit the ball to all fields and play hard the last few games you may have to really think about his value to this club.

Another player that I like is Travis Metcalf and I'm glad he's getting some playing time even if that means that Davis sits. Travis hit three deep balls that all stopped at the wall they just happen to end up in the outfielders gloves, but he hit each of those balls hard and if the outfield had been aligned a little bit different he would have had 3 doubles. Keep it up Travis.

Additionally I noticed last night before the game and also during they kept showing the walk off hits the Rangers had over this season, and there has been a lot I haven't researched it but I'd bet the Rangers had more ninth inning comeback wins this year than ever. The player that was in on almost everyone of those comebacks was Ramon Vazquez. I know many people I talk to don't like Vazquez, but I really like the way he plays the game and you can't argue that he hits in the clutch. I know the Rangers are stacked at the corners now, but I really think Vazquez will continue to make an impact in the MLB and I'd like to see him with the Rangers.

There were two plays that bothered me last night and they were running errors. Bradley and Arias both ran into outs and I can't stand that! Bradley tried to stretch a shot off the wall into a double, but the ball got to the wall so fast and bounced so far back to the outfielder that it was obvious he was out two strides into his turn of first. I was yelling stop, stop, he didn't listen to me and the ball was waiting for him when he got to second. Arias tried to go first to third on a shot to the gap that was fielded cleanly between center and left and again the ball was waiting for him at third. Stupid!

The last thing that I noticed in the middle of ninth was a video that played on the video board for Frank Francisco coming in to close the game. The video lasted until the first batter came up, and I thought how long has Francisco been the closer? Wow, he already has a video? I will tell you this he was awesome! Strike after strike after strike, he through 7 strikes and two balls and got two fly outs and a strikeout. Not bad at all. I prefer him over C.J. Wilson.

Quick Hit: Byrd and Bradley looked really good at the plate last night and Hamilton was just looking to get hits, his swing was so short and compact there was not doubt he was just hitting for a base hit. I hope Josh is just out of gas and doesn't have any injuries.

The Rangers need to win today and win at least one against the Angels over the weekend, if they could sweep the Angels I'd be on cloud nine.

I was going to include my thoughts on Daniels and Washington coming back next year, but I'll write another post for that.

Go Rangers!

AT&T v. Sprint

Sprint and AT&T have released their flagship phones over the past month and I've been doing a lot of research about which new device and plan makes the most sense. I'm currently not under contract so I don't have to worry about an early termination fee, and that's a major consideration. What are the flagship devices?

The two devices are the Instinct manufactured by Samsung that utilizes the Sprint 3G Network, and the iPhone 3G manufactured by Apple that utilizes the AT&T 3G network. Can you compare these devices on an Orange to Orange basis? The answer is yes, but. The Instinct does not have the same quality on the web browser and utilizes miroSecureDigital memory vs built in memory like the iPhone has. The Instict will cost you $129.99 with a two-year contract, and the iPhone will cost you $199 for 8GB (black) and $299 for 16GB (black or white) with a two-year contract required.

What about the plans? Below are the plans copied directly from the respective company websites. AT&T has two components to their plan; 1) Voice + Data(email/Web), 2) Texting add-on




















Sprint Everything Plan












It looks like if you text or talk a lot each month then the Sprint plan is what you need, so you just have to decide if you can live with the not as good web browser and having to buy a 4GB microSD card.

I'm still not convinced that I want the Instinct, but based on the data I'm certainly leaning that direction. I guess I need to go see and use each device before I can really make a decision. If anyone has either or has used both of these devices please leave a comment and let us know which device you prefer.

This Just In: Tiger Woods Is Good

Tiger Woods demonstrated that he is the best golfer in the world by winning the marathon U.S. Open Golf Tournament this past weekend. Tiger played five days, 18 holes each day and still had not won the U.S. Open. Roco Mediate challenged Tiger and often times it really was Tiger playing Tiger and golf history. Roco made the shots when he needed to and took advantage of Tiger's mistakes. Roco undoubtedly played the best golf of his life on Sunday and Monday and just refused to be beaten by the world's best. Tiger on Saturday with two Eagles and the chip in birdie in the last five holes set the stage for Sunday domination, but it never happened and then again on Monday playing the 18 hole playoff Tiger never took over. Tiger grinded through the back nine and just refused to give up as did Roco. Tiger wore Roco down and won the 19th playoff hole when Roco missed his putt.

Today we learned that Tiger was not just in pain due to recent knee surgery, but he evidently had been hurt more severly than anyone knew. Stress fractures in the tibia and a torn ACL are very painful, it's no wonder why he practically doubled over in pain after some of his shots. With the details of Tigers injuries being released we also learn that he is out for the rest of the season and will target his return in 2009. I have included a story from the Associate Press.

Tiger Woods will have knee surgery, miss rest of season
01:23 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Associated Press

Tiger Woods is done for the year, but not without one last major that capped off a painful 10 months.

Woods said Wednesday he will have season-ending knee surgery, revealing he has had a torn ligament in his left knee since last July.

And he suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia while preparing to return to the PGA Tour last month, which forced him to miss the Memorial and was the source of his pain at Torrey Pines when he won the U.S. Open.

"Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee," Woods said in a statement on his Web site.

He had arthroscopic surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee, bypassing ACL surgery with hopes it could get him through the 2008 season. But going 91 holes for his 14th career major made it impossible to play any longer.

Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms.

Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering -- despite the stress fractures, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required five days of flinching, grimacing and a long list of spectacular shots that have defined his career.

"Although I will miss the rest of the 2008 season, I'm thrilled with the fact that last week was such a special tournament," Woods said.

He played only seven times worldwide this year and won five of them. He will miss a major championship for the first time in his career and will not be available for the Ryder Cup in September.

It will be the third surgery in five years on his left knee, although Woods said doctors have assured him the outlook is positive. When asked Monday if he further damaged his knee by playing in the U.S. Open, Woods said, "Maybe."

Doctors have told him, however, that the stress fractures will heal with time.

He did not say when he would have surgery.

Woods is ultra private with his health and personal life, never more so than at the U.S. Open. He never mentioned the torn ACL or the stress fracture, and wouldn't say how he was treating it, only that it was more sore as the week went on.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was when the injury first happened.

Woods said he tore the ACL while jogging at home after the British Open last July. He chose not to have surgery and went on a run that included seven consecutive victories, including the Dubai Desert Classic in Europe and his Target World Challenge, an unofficial event.

He did not play overseas late last year for the first time since 2003, hopeful that rest could allow him to play more this year. But the pain intensified through the Masters, where he finished second, and Woods said the cartilage damage developed from the ACL injury.

What he didn't anticipate were the stress fractures, discovered as he tried to get ready to play in the Memorial.

"The stress fractures that were discovered just prior to the tournament unfortunately prevented me from participating and had a huge impact on the timing for my return," Woods said. "I was determined though, to do everything and anything in my power to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which is a course that is close to where I grew up and holds many special memories for me."

The New 3G iPhone - It's Here!

The day I have been waiting for is here. July 11 will be the day that the new iPhone is available and I'm all over this one. My time with Sprint has been good, but the day has come to jump ship. There is no device that Sprint has or has coming that can compare to the new iPhone. It's a phone, iPod, Internet Browser, highspeed connectivity available worldwide, GPS, new Application Store, and last but not least Microsoft Exchange integration for the Enterprise users. It will be available in either 8GB or 16GB models with either black or white available in the 16GB version. Check out all the tech specs. This device truely has everything that any mobile business user might need, and you can listen and watch your favorite music/movies/tv shows. Did I mention that TomTom has a GPS solution ready to buy for the new device? It does and Sling Media is working on a SlingPlayer client for the new device with a working prototype already shown to the media. So now the debate will be do I need a physical keyboard I can I use a virtual touch keyboard. For me it's not a hard choice. I can't wait to see what apps will be available at the app store. I guess I need to start researching plans. Bye, Bye Sprint and Palm Treo. Visit the Apple website for all the details and lots of pics.

BASEBALL MUSINGS

Have you heard the talk that the Rangers are trying to trade both Millwood and Padilla? I find this interesting because the Rangers could be in the race for the playoffs if this offense keeps up the production, and if they are in contention and trade the two veteran pitchers that they have then what? I would support trading Padilla, just because you never know what you will get from year to year / start to start, but I'm on the fence about Millwood. He's been a real asset in the clubhouse in my not there opinion and he was willing to sign a free agent deal with the Rangers.

And what about Milton Bradley do you trade him also? I would consider signing Bradley to a 3 year deal and make him the DH and a back up in Right.

With the production of Clayton Kershaw, John Danks, and Edison Volquez I'd really like to see some of the AAA and even AA pitchers in the majors.

Speaking of the minors, nine players from the Single A "Lumber Jacks" made the all star team in that league.

Josh Hamilton is not human. I think they need to test him and make sure he's not a Terminator.

Oh and one more thought. Chipper Jones hitting .409 I thought he was done after last year.

IRAQ

I have not ventured into political discussion on my blog thus far, but I do want to share the comments of one my very best friends who is serving our country in Iraq. The below are comments from a Naval Officer who is on the ground in Iraq and who works everyday to keep our Soldiers, Marines, Air Men and Sailors safe as they work to build a peaceful and democratic Iraq.

I'm happy to report that May had the lowest casualties over here since March of 2004. So we are really feeling the effects of a counter-insurgency strategy that IS working.

I think the media do a terrible job of sharing the story about this war with our citizens back home. So if you don't mind I'll get on my soapbox for a moment since I brought up the status of the counter-insurgency strategy. I worry that we will lose face here if folks don't understand a little more about this place and what we are accomplishing here.

First off, I think Iraq has fascinating potential and wonderful people. I have a tendency to be little cynical since I have been sent on deployment three times in the last four years, but when I bury my resentment about leaving my family I can truly see a lot of potential in this place. When I am out in town I see hundreds of piece-of-crap (normally I would use profanity there, but I'm sensitive to the fact that not everyone uses a sailors vocabulary piece-of-shit...so I am not going to say it) cars driving around. Then I think, "You know what. These guys have some fantastic mechanics that keep these cars running." When I look at the complexity and sophistication of the IED trigger devices that they try to detonate against us I am impressed by their electrical engineering skill. Then when I talk with the people there is a yearning for education. You don't see this sort of "yankee ingenuity" in so many other parts of the world and by this point I have been to so many armpits of the world I consider myself a fair judge.

The bottom line for me has nothing to with the reasons we came here in the first place....that is a political issue. The real fact is that WE ARE HERE, and WE SAID WE WOULDN'T ABANDON THESE PEOPLE. The Iraqi Security forces have made incredible gains in the last year. In fact the current operations in Basra, Mosul and Sadr City reflect a capacity to plan and Iraqi leadership initiative that has been critically missing prior to 2008. In another generation we will all be taking our kids here to see the fascinating origins of human society.

For example, Mosul is the modern name for Ninevah, where Jonah refused to go in the bible story. Ur, Abraham's home is here and the ziggurat there may pre-date the egyptian pyramids. The land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is truly beautiful. The hot desert is only out west and I exaggerated the temperature a little bit in the beginning of this note.

Anyway, I am now the Officer in Charge of a Mobile Training Team that travels all over the country training folks on Counter-IED best practices. When I got here I focused on counter Radio Controlled IED's because the Navy's contribution right now is defeating these devices. However, I now teach a full spectrum course on defeating IED's, protecting yourself from the detonation if IED defeat efforts fail, and finally I teach tactics, techniques and procedures for identifying, capturing and killing the mother-hubbards that make these bombs. (Again I would have used profanity there, but if a person reading this does not like "shit" then I'm pretty sure they'd really be offended if I called an insurgent a mother-fucker. So I'm not going to do that.)

You know what....I take that back. I am willing to call some of these insurgents mother-fuckers and feel no shame. The insurgency here deserves every bit of our scorn and hatred. The things I have seen perpetrated by them against the citizens of this country exceed the perverse and demented limits of your collective imagination. I won't even write about it because no one needs to have those sorts of images in their head, but you would no sooner leave your baby in the pit with a rottweiler than abandon these people to Al Queda if you knew how vile and disgusting those men are.

Say a prayer and remember our Armed Forces daily and remember in November when you vote that your vote will decide the fate of the new Iraq.

Rangers News

After another good weekend of baseball at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington the Rangers find themselves with yet another series win and a record of 22-23 just one game from .500 and 3.5 games out of first and they can continue to battle in every game.

The news I was most excited to hear on Monday morning is that Hank Blalock has volunteered to play fistbase. What are you kidding me. This guy came up as a third baseman and has played there exclusively in his MLB career. I really think this says something about the make up of this team. Hank is willing to make a move to help the team. When has a player done that? Of course it was Michael Young moving to shortstop after the trade of Alex Rodrigez to the Yankees. This will put some pressure on Ramon Vazquez to keep his hitting going and could expose him as not an everyday player, but I really think he has learned a chance and the Rangers need another option at firstbase. Chris Shelton and Frank Catalonato are not going to cut it, they aren't bad defensively but they just aren't big offensive guys. Hank has been a big offensive guy either, but he hasn't played a full season since.....? That's right never. So the question is who has to be moved so that Hank can rejoin the team and play first? Well he's gone back to Arizona to play in extended spring training and is still rehabbing his hamstring.

One concern is Josh Hamilton did not start on Sunday, but he did come in to play in the eighth as a pinch hitter and took the field in Right in the ninth. The Rangers have to have Hamilton out there to continue this run, he's really been carrying this club offensively. The Twins and Indians will be challenging series so the Rangers really need to show that they are for real and continue to win series on the road.

Go Rangers!

MIT Android Class Project

Some MIT students had a chance to develop some new software utilizing the Android platform that Google is promoting/sponsoring. AP writer BRIAN BERGSTEIN documented the work of the MIT class. It seems that most of the software tools developed by the students utilize the GPS capabilities of the Android platform. I'm also interested in basic calendar, task, and even video calling capabilities utilizing the VoIP capabilities. Read the story from the AP and let me know what you think.

Rangers

I'm really not sure what to think about the Rangers game last night. Padilla gave up 5 runs in the first and the Rangers had to work from behind and they came back. The Mariners didn't go down without a fight, however, they scored in the eighth and ninth innings to tie it up at 12. C.J. Wilson did not look good working in a non-save situation. High fastballs are never a good idea.

Here's my hot sports opinion of the day. DON'T BRING HANK BLALOCK OFF OF THE DL. Again this year Ramon Vazquez is doing a great job filling in for Blalock. Although many will say that Vazquez doesn't have the power to be a starting 3rd baseman I disagree. He hits for average, .323. He only has 5 RBI, but I still think he's a better option than Hank, especially with a power hitting center fielder on the roster who continues to drive in runs.

Hamilton has 8 home runs, .306 average, 43 RBI, and 22 Runs in 39 games. That's over 1 per game. Thanks to Hamilton the pitching doesn't have to be perfect.

The bullpen has been looking better of late, but last night was not a good one for the pen. Benoit did not look good and Wilson wasn't good either. Despite the pitching the Rangers have been battling back into the A.L. West.

Buck Showalter on Baseball Tonight commented on the improvement the Rangers are making and even had some really positive comments on Hamilton. Buck is good on Baseball tonight and should probably stick to that gig since he obviously doesn't do well as a manager.

Speaking of manager, I'm still not sure I like the way Wash keeps moving players around in the outfield. They need to stick with a configuration and keep it. What I mean is stop moving Murphy and Boggs around from Left to Right. Keep them at one position and let them play. They are doing a great job and need to every opportunity to excel, moving them from side to side can lead to errors because they get used to seeing the ball of the bat from a certain angle. One of the weak spots before the season has turned into a real strength, credit to the GM for bringing up Boggs and getting him out there.

The Rangers are 4.5 games out of first and are only 3 games under .500, I really can't believe it after the awful end of April they had. Hamilton is really putting this team on his back and carrying this thing.

Want to save some Money on a LCD TV?

According to HDGuru the time to buy an LCD HD TV is coming very soon. Evidentally SONY wants to be number one and is cutting prices to get there. Here's an exerpt from the entry on HDGuru.

Sony’s latest 40” 1080p (1920×1080) HDTV the KDL-S4100 will have a (suggested minimum price) of just $1199 making a full $500 less than its lowest priced predecessor.
How about a 46” 1080p set? The new KDL-46S4100 will be priced at $1599 (representing a $400 drop). This is Sony’s “advertised price”. The big box retailers Circuit City and Best Buy have been dropping below this minimum advertised price (MAP) 10% or more, only a week or two after other 2008 HDTVs have debuted, so don’t be surprised to see these Sony prices cut quickly by the big box retailers.

10 worst HDTV ripoffs for 2008

Buyer beware! If you are considering the purchase of a new HD TV you need to be aware of the below items and if you want me to go look at the new TVs with you just call or email. Thanks to Gizmodo for reposting this list from HDGuru.

• Fake HD and Cable Satellite Channels: Did you know that a number of HD channels broadcast a lot of "fake HD?" Anyone who has ever watched some of TNT's HD broadcasts can attest to that.
• Dynamic Contrast Ratio Measurement Specification: The contrast ratio number is basically meaningless.
• Line Conditioners: They do nothing to improve the HDTV image.
• Deep Color: No deep color sources makes this a worthless feature.
• x.v.Color: Until Laser TVs and xv Color HD discs appear on the scene, this feature is not truly useful.
• 1080p HDTVs below 42" (diagonal): If you own a HDTV under 42", chances are you won't recognize the quality difference over 720p—unless you are standing really close to the TV.
• Flat LCD HDTVs 26" and Smaller: The image quality of LCD HDTVs in the 26" inch range or lower is generally poor.
• 120Hz HDMI Cables: As mentioned before, expensive HDMI cables are a huge ripoff. Case in point, decent HDMI cable for less than $2. I bought a few myself and they work fine.
• Off Brand Model HDTVs: No-name brands may cost you more down the line.
• HDMI: Horrible connector design can prove problematic. Always pretest your connections.

If you want all the detail make sure you visit HDGuru to get them.

Cowboys Draft

The NFL draft was this past weekend and I watched for a while. Biggest surprise wasn't who the Cowboys picked, but instead who they traded and for what. The Cowboys traded a very productive Tight End that was a second round draft pick and a linebacker for a fourth round pick. That move makes no sense whatsoever. I guess Mr. Jones feels like he owes Parcels something. I do like the pick up of the Texas A&M tightend, but even if your pretty sure you'll get him do you risk not having a good second TE?

I won't be surprised if we don't see a trade for Chad Johnson (WR Cincinnati) or Roy Williams (WR Detroit) sometime after June 1.

Leave Roger Clemens Alone!

Another story about Roger Clemens is out today and this is about a supposed "relationship" between the pitcher and a country music singer. I don't get why the New York Daily News needs to publish a story like this. Leave this retired guy alone. I guess once you play in New York you are never free from the scrutiny.

Rangers Update

After my last post about the Rangers I figured I should add another since play has improved a little. The highlight of the last week was the shut-out/complete game pitched by Vicente Padilla yesterday. Yes that's right for the first time in over three seasons a Rangers starter pitched a complete 9 innings. He did this while giving up only 7 hits, no Runs, 2 strikeouts, and 2 walks. He threw 121 pitches with 79 strikes. I can't say enough about this wow just about covers it.

Oh and Josh Hamilton now leads the AL in RBI. It’s nice to have such an athletic and talented Center Fielder in a Rangers uniform and Kinsler seems to be doing well hitting in the number one slot also. This one won’t surprise any Ranger fans Hank Blalock is hurt. “Texas was without 3B Hank Blalock for the second straight game due to a strained left hamstring Sunday against the Twins. Blalock reported that some of the soreness has subsided. He'll have an MRI exam on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Blalock has been talking the last few days about a stint on the DL, but Monday's MRI should decide that. Here we go again with Blalock. As soon as he gets going at the plate, another injury pops up. It's like a never-ending cycle with him. With Blalock talking DL stint, he looks like an extremely risky start for Fantasy Week 5 (April 28-May 4). When healthty, he is a viable corner infield option in mixed leagues.” Courtesy of cbssports.com.

On the television broadcast there was much discussion about how Nolan Ryan's philosophy of starters pitching complete games should be the expectation of the organization from single A all the way the MLB pitching staff was very interesting. Pitching 6 innings is not the expectation for starters. If you thought that Nolan was just going to be a figurehead I guess this new philosophy change should address that.

And after a meeting between Ryan, Daniels, and Washington the team actually looks a lot better...... It makes one wonder if Wash doesn't have an impact on the team, either that or Daniels and/or Ryan spoke with the team about the status of Wash. We as fans may never know what happened, but something did. If they keep this up for another week or two I may consider going to another game this year.

Go Rangers beat up the Royals this week!

Rangers

Week four of the 2008 baseball season is upon us and where are our Rangers? That's right last place in the AL and only one game up on Washington for the worst record in the MLB. What's more amazing is that except for maybe 4 games the starting pitching has been really good. So what has led to such a poor start to yet another season? It's got to be something in the clubhouse. I'm a Ticket P1, 1310 AM, and heard a great rant from The Old Gray Wolf on Monday and I'm as upset about what the Rangers are doing as he is.

So far this season we have witnessed one bone-head play after another on defense, and on the bases. I think we lead the MLB in errors after today. A team that is pressing at the plate can't afford these mental mistakes, so where does the blame reside? I was all for giving Washington a break, but that was then. His whole philosophy was playing sound fundamental baseball, and they have demonstrated a total lack of playing fundamental baseball. Not only that but some of the stupid game management decisions are killing me. The peak of which was Laird DHing on Saturday. What are you kidding me? And I thought Broussard was a spare at the beginning of the season, but then I warmed to him a little, but after the last week, he's a huge SPARE and sucks especially on defense. Then there's Hank Blalock who refuses to hit the ball down the third baseline when the overshift is put on by the opposing team. He could get a hit and possibly a double if he would just drag bunt the ball right down the line. Even if he's hitting clean up, he should be working on that OBP.

And that leads me to the fact that John Daniels has to go also. Two starting pitchers that are doing well that the Rangers screwed up on are Danks and Armando Galaragga. They didn't even get anything for Galaragga since he was waived at the end of spring training. And don't even get me started on the Chris Young trade. And then you pay Ben Broussard $3mil this year when Boston has Casey at $800k. Makes me ill.

I think that Nolan Ryan has his work cut out for him, he needs to clean house from the front office on down. But who do you hire especially this early into the season? I think the manager and bench coach have to go now and maybe even more of the coaching staff. Two guys I'd love to see on the bench in some capacity are Will Clark and Rusty Greer. I know that Rusty has been managing a college summer league organization, but I really think we need someone with his mind set in the clubhouse. Maybe Rusty isn't ready to be the manager, but he would be a good bench coach. It'll be interesting to see what Ryan does with this mess. Better luck next time Wash....

Dallas Sports Big Night

Last night Thursday April 10 was a big night for Dallas sports teams. The Stars played their first playoff game of 2008, the Mavericks played another must win game to ensure a playoff birth and the Rangers attempted to get above .500 for the first time in, second year manager, Ron Washington's tenure. And the Masters kicked off.

The Stars played a tough game and shutdown and shutout the Ducks to win game one of their play off series 4-0. All the scoring occurred on power plays which are a true strength of this team. The game was very physical and the Stars never backed down.

The Mavericks won in the final seconds with a three pointer by Dirk. The fact that he was wide open for the three amazed me. It just goes to show that very little defense is played in the NBA.

The Rangers played a double header to make up for the game that was canceled the previous day due to weather. Kevin Millwood started game one and looked great. His ERA is 1.29. Wow, that's definately what the Rangers need. Not only was the pitching good, but when the batters got on base they were moving. Ian Kinsler and Michael Young both stole bases which lead to a run in the first inning and 2 runs in the 7th. The top of the order really produced and that's what this team needs.

The Masters also started play and of course all eyes were on Tiger. It was great to watch and ESPN did a great job with their coverage in HD. The Masters in HD is awesome! The white sand bunkers are incredible and cut of the grass is evident, it's truely amazing how good HD is when it is done correctly. I was excited to hear David Feherty calling the play at 15 I really enjoy his comments, and he's a really funny guy. Tiger played an even par 18 and had no birdies, one eagle, and two bogeys. The leader after day one was Justin Rose at 4 under par. I expect the leaders to be around 6 or 7 under par after round 2. Don't count Tiger out and watch out for the current champion Zach Johnson. Even if you don't like to watch golf on TV you really need to find an HD TV and watch just a few minutes of the coverage on ESPN/CBS.

Have a great weekend and go sports!

Batting Average and Slugging?

Here's something for baseball nerds out there. Baseball is a game of stats and for decades Batting Average has been a key measure of a hitter, but what does batting average really show? What is a good, or bad batting average? The standard is .300 if a player hits .300 or better he's a good hitter, but what was the average batting average in 2007?

My favorite radio show host Bob Sturm broke down not only batting average, but also slugging and on-base percentage. Take a look at his blog from Friday, April 4 titled Ask Sports Sturm – Web Episode #1.

Especially note how Bob gives the reader details about historic numbers, in other words how do todays batting average numbers compare to those in the 1930s or the mid 1990s?

Musings About Billy Packer

I'm a huge sports fan, but certain play-by-play or color commentators really annoy me and they point out either the obvious or are just inaccurate in their calling of the game. Some commentators are worse than others and one of the individuals that I can't stand to listen to is Billy Packer, I'm not the only one that can't handle Mr. Packer my brother-in-law's cryptonite is one Billy Packer. Here are some musings on Mr. Packer's Final Four effort, thanks to Mr. Wheeler.

• Two to three seconds after the ref blows the whistle for a blatant foul, he says "nice steal." Nantz replies "no steal," but rather than admit he blew it, he goes into Packer mode and tries to cover it up with another comment.
• Referring to a Derrick Rose pass on a fast break, "That was a perfect pass on the break. I didn't even realize he saw the trailing man filling the lane." The only problem is the "trailing" man was in front of Rose the entire way down the court. Rose would have had to be blind not to see him.
• Speaking of a previous final four game between UCLA and Memphis, he commented about the matchup between Bill Walton and Keith Lee, when Walton went 21 for 22 from the field. The game was in 1973, but Lee took Memphis to the final four in 1985 (later vacated due to NCAA rules violations).
• With several minutes remaining in the first half of the KU/NC game, he said "it's over." As we all know, NC came back to cut the lead to four. Late in the game, when questioned about his proclamation, he claimed (somewhat arrogantly) he never doubted the game was over. Really? He needs to go back and listen to the comments he made when NC was making their run.

Rangers Game 2

Tonight the Rangers have had another good starting pitcher outing. The knucklehead, wasn't bad in his 2008 debut. Padilla pitched 6 innings, threw 109 pitches, gave up 8 hits, 1 earned run, and 3 walks whiles striking out 4.

Michael Young with another error and Kinsler with 2 errors. Defense will cost you games and this team can't afford to squander good starts especially by the top of the rotation. Giving up a lead in the bottom of the 8th is bad, but when you face J.J. Putz in the ninth it's awful. What a horrible way to start 2008. They can't blame pitching for the teams problems in the 8th.

Josh Hamilton got a good pitch to hit from Putz and deposited into souvenir city. Wow, can you believe this guy? I just hope that he sprinkles in some singles and doubles along the way. Putz has had to throw a lot of pitches tonight, so he won't be available tomorrow. It was up to Wilson to close it out for the Rangers with just a 1 run lead and he was able to do it.

So the Rangers proved tonight that they can win despite playing bad defense, but that won't happen every night. I just don't want to see the Rangers winning by and counting on the home run ball to win games. Like I've written before, all you need is three hits in an inning and you have a couple of runs. I'd much rather see that than a home run.

Let's go Rangers.

Opening Day + 1

The Rangers opened the season in Seattle and unfortunately it looks like they are picking up right where they left off. I'm probably being a little harsh since Millwood pitched well, but the offense was no where to be found and the relief pitching was PUTRID. They were facing a guy who last year owned them, but come on.

Michael Young had an terrible error and he just can't afford to do that.

The first baseman Ben Broussard was ofer on the day, but didn't have an error and the DH Bradley didn't do anything. The Rangers have got to do something about firstbase, Broussard just isn't what the Rangers need. It's unfortunate that Botts can't play first on a day in day out basis, but he can't be much worse than Broussard.

This team has got to hit guys like Erik Bedard. If they want to win they have to hit. A string of hits is all they need, three in one inning on any given night will be key for this season. They have to do better, than what they showed yesterday.

If there was a highlight it was Millwood who gave up no Earned Runs and pitched 6 innings with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks on 91 pitches. He still got the loss thanks to 2 unearned runs, but if the Rangers get that type of an outing from every starter this year will be much better than last year.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition

It's official Nokia has issued a press release documenting the U.S. launch of the new Internet Tablet (MID) the N810 with WiMAX.

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition unleashes an open Internet experience, demonstrating the mobile future of web services

Espoo, Finland - Ushering in the next generation of wireless broadband devices, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today unveiled its newest Nseries device, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition, Nokia's first device engineered to take advantage of new wide-area high-speed mobile WiMAX networks. This pocket-sized device lets consumers enjoy an open Internet experience, allowing for access to the full Internet without barriers, while on the go. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the latest iteration of Nokia's popular line of Internet Tablet products. For the first time, the power and convenience of the Internet Tablet platform is combined with next generation wide-area wireless broadband capability, allowing users to easily and quickly access all of their favorite Internet services beyond local area hot spots. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is expected to be available in the United States during the summer of 2008 in areas where WiMAX connectivity is available.

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that delivers an open Internet experience similar to that of fixed broadband technologies with typical data download speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps per user with peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Unlike current single point local area technologies like Wi-Fi which have a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX networks consist of a number of interconnected base stations, each with a radius of up to 2-3 miles, that allow for handoffs from one base station to another as users move about a region or metro area. Additionally, WiMAX networks integrate technology designed to maximize the quality of service for each subscriber.

"By delivering the kind of open Internet experience that consumers previously only expected on a desktop PC, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is a compelling example of how next generation broadband wireless technology will not only change the way people think about the Internet, it will change the very nature of the Internet itself," said Ari Virtanen, Vice President of Convergence Products for Nokia. "Much in the way that the evolution of the fixed Internet from dial-up to broadband enabled a host of new Internet services and changed people's expectations of what an Internet experience should be, the transition to a broadband Internet experience set free from the constraints of a fixed network will spark the next wave of new mobile Internet services, and will forever change the perception of what the Internet can be."

Along with a full featured web browser, powered by Mozilla, that takes full advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's large 4.13 inch touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a variety of popular web-based services are also supported. Many of these applications can be found on Nokia's dedicated OS 2008 User Site. To keep connected while on-the-go, a number of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Instant Messaging (IM) clients are available, including Skype(TM), Google Talk(TM), and Gizmo5, which can also take advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's built-in web cam for video calls. A client for the popular Rhapsody online music service is also available, transforming the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition into a portable jukebox with millions of songs available to enjoy at a few taps of the screen. Beyond these well-known services, an active developer community has also emerged around the Linux-based Internet Tablet platform, creating additional applications - from games to productivity tools.

A number of additional features further enhance the utility of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition. With built-in GPS, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can easily transform itself into a fully featured personal navigation device, complete with real-time on-screen maps. An integrated media player and 2 GB of internal memory, expandable to a full 10 GB of memory with the addition of an optional microSD memory card, allows the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition to store and play back a large library of music and video content. When not in range of a WiMAX network, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can also access the Internet over Wi-Fi or via conventional cellular data networks by pairing to a compatible mobile phone via Bluetooth technology.

Also being introduced with the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the newest Internet Tablet operating system. This new upgraded OS2008 introduces useful new features to the platform, including an enhanced e-mail client, support for Chinese character rendering in the browser and RSS feeds and Seamless Software Update functionality to eliminate manual software updates, making periodic updates of the operating system quick and easy. While standard on the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition, current owners of Nokia N810 and N800 Internet Tablets with earlier operating systems will be able to upgrade their device to the revised operating system for free during the second quarter of 2008.

Nokia cleverly embedded the images of the new device in Flash, so I can not include any images, but here's the link to the Nokia N810 gallery.

CTIA Big Announcement Number One

Samsung and Sprint have collaborated to develop what they feel is a true iPhone competitor. This device in many regards is superior to the iPhone because it has GPS and highspeed 3G. Check out the teaser website. Some other great features include:

• 3.1-inch touchscreen phone
• Localized haptic feedback
• Three hard navigation keys
• Visual Voicemail
• 2.0 megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom and video camcorder
• Advanced Stereo Bluetooth® Wireless Technology with audio caller ID
• Access to corporate and consumer (POP3) email including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!
• Threaded text messaging provides a view of the full conversation
• Full HTML web browser.
  

New Wireless Phones

I have not published any new news about new wireless phones because there really haven't been any new devices launched. However, Blackberry has launched a couple new variations of existing devices. T-Mobile and AT&T have launched the new BlackBerry Pearl 8120 sporting a 2 MP camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, external microSD slot, and Wi-Fi support. T-Mobile has released the BlackBerry 8820 that features: Wi-Fi enabled handset sports GPS, a full QWERTY keyboard, microSD slot, and a whole lot more.

Samsung has launched a device in Korea that is very interesting and I hope it makes it to the States soon.
The Anycall Haptic (model numbers SCH-W420 and SPH-W4200) phone has a 3.2-inch widescreen display, a 2-megapixel digital camera, full Internet browser, Bluetooth 2.0 and terrestrial digital TV reception.
Why is the device named Haptic? The device provides haptic feedback, information transmitted via the sense of touch, when using certain functions on the device. It means, for example, that when the volume of the radio is changed, the phone simulates both the sound and feel of the "clicks" on an old-style volume knob on a real radio, said Samsung.
I like any device that will compete with the iPhone and I'm a fan of Samsung devices, so please bring to over the Pacific.

Here's a rumor courtesy of Ken Dulaney, an analyst with the well-respected Gartner firm.
Apple may have ordered a second round of 10 million iPhones based on the 3G network. Do you know what 3G is?
3G is the closest thing to broadband data connectivity that is currently available to wireless users. High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a 3G (third generation) mobile telephony communications protocol in the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, which allows networks based on Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or (GSM) to have higher data transfer speeds and capacity. AT&T and T-Mobile both utilize this network technology.
One of the big complaints about the existin iPhone is the lack of a high speed data connectivity. The data connectivity currently available in the iPhone is EDGE which is a 2.5G and is considerably slower than HSDPA. Many observers speculate that one of the reasons why the iPhone did not do well in Europe was because of the lack of a 3G data capability. I will not even consider an iPhone until it includes 3G connectivity.

So there are some new Blackberry models out Samsung launched a new iPhone competitor in Korea and supposedly Apple has started manufacturing of 10 million new iPhones. That's it? Rumor has it that more new device launches will be revealed at the upcoming CTIA Wireless trade show next week. I can't wait.

IT'S 2008

Last year I wrote about the new computer/mobile device genre created by Intel the Mobile Internet Device that provides laptop like features in a small form factor with either Windows Mobile, Linux, or Symbian. The first big name to release such a device is Nokia which launched the N810 in late 2007 and rumor has it that new versions of this device will be released at the CTIA Wireless 2008 show April 1 - 3 in Las Vegas. Other manufactures like Samsung, ASUS, Lenovo, HTC, and Aigo have either created prototype devices or have announced that they will be utilizing the Intel chipsets. I expect that we will also see a Sony Vaio MID that may support PSP games. Don't forget that a number of UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) devices are already on the market by Sony, Samsung and OQO to name a few. The UMPC utilizes Microsoft XP or Vista in most cases. Engadget broke down the difference between MID and UMPC.
Dan Monahan, Intel's Global Internet Segment Manager of Ultra Mobility. This is how it breaks down.

UMPC

• Business-class device for enterprise users
  
• Runs a "heavy" OS like Vista
• Optimized for office-use applications like Excel, Word, etc.
  

MID

• Consumer-class lifestyle device
• Runs a 'lightweight" OS with quick startup like Linux
• Optimized for things like media playback and web surfing
• In 2009 (or so) Moorestown-based devices will be classed as MIDs only

Another manufacturer that hasn't been documented for these devices is Palm. The failed Palm Foleo was pretty similar to a MID, but it didn't have a built-in wireless chipset, but if you add that then the Foleo would be a great device that could compete in the MID and UMPC genres and could even compete with the Mac Book Air. Hopefully CTIA will provide more details and more cool devices for us to anticipate and then we have to wait for the launch of the Xohm network to really utilize the full capabilities of these new devices.

MLB Season OPEN

Regardless of how you feel about the baseball season starting in Japan the fact remains that the season is underway. As a life long Texas Rangers fan this spring really does not hold any hope for the upcoming season. I do believe that the team as constructed as some serious holes in the line-up and that the pitching is still developing, but there is a core of players that I truly enjoy watching. Michael Young is one of my favorite players in all of the MLB. Michael works everyday and many people complain about his lack of range at Short, but I disagree compared to what the Rangers have had at Short in the 80s and 90s Young is the second best Short Stop to ever play in Arlington. He's only second to ARod. Some of the other players I cheer for are Kinsler, J. Hamilton, Hank, and Laird. I know many people disagree with me on Blalock and Laird, but I like them. I really think this team is just a few players away from being a legitimate contender. DH is the gap I'm concerned about as the season starts, but if Bradley can be healthy maybe that concern is being addressed. My second concern is the outfield, Marlon Byrd needs to prove that last year was no fluke and then left field platoon of players will need to each play well. I hate having a platoon of players for the outfield and wish there was a defined line up out there. First base is another question, with Saltalamachia being pushed into the catcher position that leaves first wide open. Too bad Adrian Gonzales is in San Diego now. Don't even get me started on that trade....

Pitching is always an issue, Padilla, Gabbard, and McCarthy have a lot to prove in 2008 and if they pitch like last year the Rangers are in for a long season. Padilla has had good years and we need a decent year with more that 15 wins from him. Gabbard and McCarthy need to have at least 10 wins and I expect Jennings and Millwood to have more than 15 wins also. My prediction is that Luis Mendoza will excel and show that he is a 3 or 4 in a 6 man rotation. He will be better than both Gabbard and McCarthy.

I expect the Rangers to have at least 80 wins this season, and could even be sniffing the Division lead late in the season if they can split or win the majority of their series with the Angels and Mariners. I believe the heart is there if they can just perform on the field and if the pitching can stay healthy and play up to their ability.

GO RANGERS!!!!!

Abilene Christian in the News

Engadget picked up on the plan published by ACU to utilize Apple devices to increase communication for it's students. You can read the details on ACU's website, but what it says is:

"We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to our incoming students," said Roberts. "We are also providing the web applications that ensure these tools will become critical to the students' learning experience. Because 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take them to the next level by providing converged mobile devices."

My only criticism of this plan is that I think it is too confined to just Apple devices and think it should be more open. Hopefully with Android this type of exclusiveness will come to an end. I thought it was cool that one of my favorite blogs had a story about my alma mata. Go Cats!