Phone Envy - It's A Bad Thing

I'm feeling just a little bit inadequate today. Why,you ask? Well...

Alright here's the deal. I've always been the technology guy in my family. I work in the technology field, teach technology to kids, rebuild computers, etc. I'm the guy you all call when your computer is infected with viruses and malware because you haven't bothered to run a scan for 17 months. Not to mention because you're too cheap (or should I say 'fiscally responsible?') to take your computer in for repair. Got an email issue? Need a new program installed or your operating system upgraded? Can't figure out how to activate the speaker phone on your mobile?

You know what I'm saying, I'm that guy.

But all of that has come into question now because of the technology I carry around on my hip. That's right, that Blackberry Curve I bragged about right after the election is suddenly not so hot anymore. Not with my wife, who's smartphone challenged by the way, rocking a G1 with the Android 1.6 OS. Word on the street is that phone will be upgraded to version 2.0 soon as well, bringing it on par with the Droid and other newer phone models as far as capability.

But that's not the worst of it.

My Mother-In-Law called last night to brag, and I mean BRAG, about her new phone, the HTC HD2. Oh yeah, she let me have it. The same woman who cornered me for hours to work on her computer while I was on vacation in Colorado decided to ruin my evening by running down the features of her new phone with the Windows Mobile OS. "Do you know I can watch TV on this thing?" "It runs Flash, does your Blackberry?" "The screen is so big!" I mean it went on and on an on. I tell you I was dying y'all. My Blackberry started to remind me of an old rotary dial phone attached to the wall. It was that bad. So bad that I actually I started surfing the web to scout out the upgrade. I mean I can't have the lowest tech phone among that group, can I? What about my reputation? I just don't think I can take that hit.

But then a funny thing happened. Her other line rang, she answered, came back on the line and said, "I don't know how it happened but the speaker phone came on and I don't know how to turn it off."

In that moment equilibrium was instantly reestablished and all was right with the world again.

I'm still getting a new phone though.

My Wife Needs A Smartphone, A Moral Dilemma

My wife needs a new cell phone. She really does. You see the picture over there on the left? Well, her phone's not quite that old, but it's getting there. Some folks are just creatures of habit about certain things and she is definitely that way when it comes to cell phones. Currently she's using an old Samsung flip that can't do much more than placing a call.

Yeah, I know, that's what you want a phone to do, but in this day and age they can do so much more, especially with broadband. Like playing your music, text messaging, instant messaging, taking still and video images, playing games, and browsing the internet, to name just a few things. Not to mention the GPS capabilities and the myriad other applications being developed every day.

The reality is she needs what a smartphone can provide. For example, she's constantly printing directions to places she needs to go. Can you say GPS? Think of the trees saved over the long haul if nothing else. She also listens to music, manages a couple of internet groups, runs a vegetable coop, and home schools the kid. In other words, always on the go, even when she's at home. So she needs a more capable phone, but which one?

Dilemma? Well that's not really it. Here's my real issue y'all, and I'd appreciate your help in the comments.

As you know, I switched to the Blackberry Curve 8320 a few months ago, and have been amazed by all of the things that I can do via phone now, rather than the laptop. So much so that I've pretty much stopped toting the laptop around everywhere I go because it is basically a 5 pound redundancy. My version of the Curve was basically 3 year old technology when I bought it, and the newer models like the Storm, Curve 8900, and Bold have all been brought to market since then. And those are just the Blackberry phones. There's also all of the various touch screen models out there, like the iPhone, Instinct, HTC Touch, and G1. Having scratched the surface of what my current Blackberry can do, and being a gadget/technology guy, I'm already ready for a new phone myself. Which leads to my question. Should I:

1. Go ahead and buy her the type of phone I think she would like and use and wait to get an upgraded version of my own later, or...

2. Get the phone I want and let her have my 4 month old Curve.

You can see the conundrum here right? I mean I think she'd be happy either way but, well you know where I'm going here. It could go completely the opposite direction too.

So I need the help of you, my informed and enlightened readers. What would you do and please explain your rationale.

What's Wrong With I.T.?

Here's an interesting piece regarding the shortage of IT workers in this country from eSchoolNews (free registration required for full article).

Continuing a recent trend that has many business leaders worried, the Computing Research Association's annual survey of universities with Ph.D.-granting programs found a 20-percent drop this year in students completing bachelors degrees in professional IT fields.

The trend--which comes at a time when demand for computer-related skills is increasing, and thousands of baby boomers are retiring from technical jobs--has many business leaders concerned that they won't find enough workers to maintain expected growth.

I'm really not surprised by this. With our school systems not graduating half of the students who start 9th grade, and with the lack of emphasis on actual learning rather than test-taking, is it any wonder that of those who do graduate, few are actually prepared for college? And of that few, what incentive do they have to choose the IT field when IT is always the first budget item cut or outsourced? It is a problem though, and will likely get worse before it gets better.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 854,000 professional IT jobs will be added between 2006 and 2016, an increase of about 24 percent. When replacement jobs are added in, total IT job openings in the 10-year period is estimated at 1.6 million.

The bureau estimates that one in 19 new jobs created during the 10-year period will be professional IT positions.

Technology is central to everything these days, and it's really unfathomable that this country is not doing more to help fill the IT pipeline. There is no data that anyone can show me that can conclusively prove that American kids of all backgrounds just don't want to, or can't compete in this field. I've worked with hundreds of them that do, especially the ones introduced to the information technology field early in their school lives. However most of those kids are "from the wrong side of the tracks," and there are not many resources allocated towards the curriculum and programs that sparks their interest and places them on a higher education path in the information technology field.

But the bottom line in industry is profit, and the corporate world seems to be awakening to the reality they've helped to create.

Microsoft has begun working with teachers to hold annual math camps and has launched programs such as DigiGirlz High Tech Camps, designed to provide girls in the ninth to 12th grades a better understanding of technology careers. Girls listen to executive speakers, participate in technology tours and demonstrations, network, and learn with hands-on experience in workshops.

Microsoft also has lobbied state lawmakers to boost math requirements in schools and has promoted a Math Matters program to raise awareness in schools about raising the level of math understanding

In many respects we have been squandering our greatest resource, our kids, and leaving them dependent on others to meet the future needs of this society. And not just in the IT field. The story is the same for nurses, petroleum engineers, and even teachers.

What will they be able to do for a living if all of the essential jobs are filled by people from outside the country? Sell each other hamburgers? We've got to do better than that.

Ah... (Fire) Foxy!

Mozilla has released it's Firefox 3.0 web browser.

I've been a big fan of Firefox since version 1.0 back in 2004, so of course I'm taking the new version for a test drive right now. So far, so good. The program loads a LOT faster than the prior version, and there are some pretty cool new features.

For example, the Awesome Bar, formerly known as the address bar. Except now when you type in any portion of a previously visited site, it automatically compiles a list in a drop down menu of cached sites and your bookmarks to help you locate it quicker. You can add a bookmark to any site by clicking the star in the Awesome Bar.

I'm disappointed that the Google Browser Sync add on is no longer functional (yet) in this new version. I used that tool a lot to keep my favorites organized across different computers. Hopefully somebody is hard at work on an updated version.

There's more but you can see it for yourself at their download site. And sorry, I'm just too busy (lazy) to create screenshots right now, but as a consolation prize you can visit this site for a history of Firefox, including the latest version in screenshots.

Family Feud - Windows Vista vs XP

Since the 'build it and they will come' paradigm hasn't exactly work in the case of Windows Vista, Microsoft is taking a different approach. From eSchool News:

Microsoft will stop offering Windows XP in retail stores June 30, but at least two major computer manufacturers say school districts, colleges, and universities will be able to buy machines with the older operating system until January 2009, as Windows Vista—released last year—remains unpopular with many consumers.

Windows XP, the seven-year-old predecessor to Vista, continues to be a preferred option for many schools, because it allows them to run applications that don't always work with Vista.

I suppose I feel Microsoft's pain. Even though they've sold a lot of copies of Vista, it still has to grate on them that customers prefer the 7 year old clunker versus the shiny new model. I understand where schools are coming from though too.

Officials in Virginia's Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the country, said last summer that Vista worked "automatically" with only half of their existing computer programs—meaning IT managers would have to make adjustments for the other half of the school system's programs.

If I were considering upgrading, that statement alone would cause me to really think twice about it. But to be fair, I'm an operating system agnostic. On any given day, I might use Windows 2000, Linux/Kubuntu, and Windows XP. For the work I do, I like the Windows XP operating system since it provides a stable platform, and the hardware drivers for all different types of computer systems are readily accessible. I simply haven't used Vista heavily enough to really give an informed opinion on it. Here's a good comparison from an enterprise perspective.

Either way it goes, Microsoft is still making their money. Any thoughts out there from you folks who've used both operating systems?

Linux Anyone?

Any of y'all know anything about Linux, especially Kubuntu? If so, I have a request. In the real world I refurbish computers and right now have a bunch of Fujitsu Stylistic ST4110 Tablet PC's that I'm trying to prepare for an educational project.

The problem? There's no after market version of the Windows Tablet PC operating system available, and VISTA is too big and too expensive for use in this project. So, I'm turning to Linux, and while I've installed the Kubuntu kernel on desktops before, this is a completely new scenario.

If anyone has any experience with this sort of thing, or just want to tinker with something like this, I'd love to hear from you in the comments or via email at therealready@gmail.com.

Thanks in advance.

Dude, You're Getting... Some Bad News

Dell is shutting down it's desktop unit in Austin. From the Statesman:

Dell Inc. said Monday it will close its desktop computer manufacturing plant in North Austin by the end of this year, cutting 900 jobs as part of a global cost-cutting campaign.

The company said the plant closing is part of a $3 billion program to cut its product costs worldwide over the next three years.

“We believe we have a $3 billion opportunity to drive both productivity and efficiency,” CEO Michael Dell said.

I believe that "$3 billion opportunity" refers to the deal with a N.C. municipality in which...

...the company also got hefty incentives from the state to build the plant. “They carved a real sweet deal in North Carolina, and they need to use a lot of the plant capacity there,”

This looks like the same type of playing one city off against another that we see sports teams engage in new stadium deals. Unfortunately those are real jobs involved that likely won't be replaced in this state anytime soon.