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.