by Matt | Nov 3, 2005 | Personal
Sweet. Danger and T-mobile have rolled out a new firmware version via their over-the-air update system. Moving from v2.0 of the phone to 2.3. The new and improved include:
-Customize your key guard screen using a photo from your Gallery.
-Create a new item from the splash screens (Ctrl-N, basically)
-Support for JavaScript on Web pages
-Use live email, URL, and phone number links on Web pages.
-AIM: Choose your buddy icon from your Photo Gallery.
-AIM: Use live email, URL, and phone number links in conversations.
-Email: Select multiple messages from the Browse Messages screen.
-Address Book: each contact can store up to five IM names, plus launch conversations from the menu.
-Camera: Create a slideshow from your photos.
-Camera: Rotate a photo.
-Camera: New “List” and “zoom” views.
…and about 100 other things. Most of them pretty substantial improvements to the system and the device. My theory being that they’re making an update like this as a step between OSs as they transition from a proprietary DangerOS to a Java based system. The announcement of their partnership with Sun came last year but this is the first signifigant upgrade to the device since I’ve had it. Also, rumors put a completely Java based Sidekick 3 in comsumer hands by early next year. That would be fantastic. I’d love a java capable machine that has access to T-mobile hotspots, bluetooth and an improved camera. Those are my three main compaints with the sidekick as it is. Anything else would be gravy.
by Matt | Nov 2, 2005 | Personal
Lauren and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last night. Doesn’t seem like two years. Seems like 20, but in a good way. It seems like she’s been with me forever. I can’t remember when she wasn’t.
We actually took a bit of a drive down past our usually stomping ground and went to this place we had heard about from people Lauren knew. It was this little place called Claudios, a mix of bar, resturant and piano lounge. Actually, there was all of 15 people in the place. It was very friendly and it seemed like everyone knew each other, which was also kind of the problem. It was like stepping into Cheers and not knowing any of the characters. There were people sitting at the bar and at tables that probably ate there everyday. The food was good. I was in the mood for a steak and had a tasty New York strip, Lauren had the lasagna. Anyone minus, and it wasn’t their fault, but they sat us in the bar because we had mentioned wanting to hear the music. The bar was smokey to say the least. I smell like smoke even this morning.
It was good though. Not some place I’d go daily, but not bad.
Oh, and I forgot to mention what she got me. For our anniversary this year Lauren got me the entire 2004 RedSox World Series collection (all 7 alcs games and all 4 ws games) and a sweet cordoroy blazer like the one I lost. I had the original jacket in college and loved it dearly, it was the perfect jacket in everyway. Then, somehow, it disappeared when I moved to Texas. Now I have another, and this one is pretty sweet. I think I’ve been a jacket person all along and never knew it.
Oh well, at the moment I’m waiting at Discount Tire to get a replacement tire for my baby. Apparently, one of my $180 tires decided it was time to fall apart. The whole sidewall was splitting. Luckily, the tire place recognized it as defective and gave me the replacement for $90. Looks like they’re almost done, time to go to work. Later.
by Matt | Sep 24, 2005 | Personal, Travel
Well, day three and we’re still waiting. The crazy media machine has made it next to impossible to stop watching the coverage.
We’re still here at the ranch, dry and bored.
Luckily the storm went east in the last few hours, missing Houston by about 80 miles. Of course, 50 miles isn’t a whole lot when the storm is about 120 miles wide. The Texas Louisanna boarder took the brunt of it. Houston was luckily on the clean / weaker side of the storm. Power is out in most of the area, and that’s to be expected, so no one is headed back to town yet. Geting 2 million people out was a pain, but they had 3 days. Letting 2 million back IN tonight and tomorrow will be insane.
Thankfully, I don’t work Mondays and no one else seems to care about heading back right away, so I think we might wait, let the crazies go home, and head back Monday night.
Looks like everything worked out.
Later.
by Matt | Sep 21, 2005 | Friends and Family, Personal, Travel
Well, we’re up from a cat3 to a 4. Evacuations are being called for all over. I’ve already taken all the computers apart and I’m sending this via my Sidekick.
Last night was crazy. People fighting over gas, long lines, people freaking out. It was a little over the top. In situations like this, people really need to keep calm. To bad the goog ol’ media machine ramped up and has been scaring the shit out of people for over a week.
We’re heading west/north west to outside of San Antonio. We’re actually leaving this morning. We’re about 12 hours ahead of the mandatory evacuations. Mostly because we have Lauren’s mom, who just had surgery, as we’ll as her two grandparents who can’t evacuate themselves, plus 3 dogs. Luckily, our route west is also NOT a planned evacuation route, so traffic, a day early, should be lite.
Take care everybody, see ya on the other side.
by Matt | Sep 20, 2005 | Personal
So, I call Time Warner and get them to run some packet loss tests on my modem. Finally, I get a wave of bad connection to happen while I have a tech on the phone. First it starts out with 10% packet loss to Dallas, then, while he’s talking to me I hear “ohh, it just jumped up to 25%, no, make that 30%, ok, I’ll schedule a technitian to come out, when’s good for you?”
Bout time.
Although I seriously believe the problem is not at my end. Continued ping and trace tests to Dallas show the same things. Routers just inside Time Warner and just on the other side, inside Level3, have massive and inconsistent packet loss. Tests to more major sites, Google, Yahoo, etc, get routed around the troubled router, but as things tend to happen, the server I’m trying to get to is IN Dallas.
Of course, just as a tech is scheduled to come out, we’re going to have a hurricane. Alright!
THe hurricane thing actually has me a bit worried. I’ve only lived through one and it was just an evacuation. I’ve lived through a blizzard and some ice storms and such, but a hurricane is a whole different beast.
Our evacuation plan is to head west near San Antonio. We have a room reserved at a vacation ranch we like to stay at, so at least we’ll be comfortable and happy. We’ll probably start packing up a few things tonight if I had to guess. Everyone is getting pretty serious about this down here. Gas is up, people are buying plywood, the whole deal.
What worries me the most is the fact that the town we’re in is in a huge flood plain. Meaning, for those unfamiliar, that when it rains, it all comes to us, away from the city. Apparently, the last large flood really messed up our neck of the woods. That in itself has led me to decide to take the harddrives from my machine (if not the whole system itself), the xbox, and anything else that isn’t nailed down.
I’m also considering sandbagging my porch and front door, although I don’t know if it would help any. I’ve also got to think about if we’re taking 1 car or both. Both is where I’m leaning at the moment. Yeah, the gas will be more expensive, but both our cars are pretty low, and wouldn’t stand much of a chance in high water.
Beyond that it’s just a lot of news watching and trying to figure out exactly when to leave. It’s pretty apparent at the moment that it’s coming here, or atleast close enough to be trouble. Already the area schools are calling off the rest of the week.
My boss and I talked about it briefly. He seems inclined to wait until the last minute to decide. I’m not that brave. I want out of here Thursday morning. Lauren’s family is freaking out a bit and might even leave Wednesday. I think that’s a bit extreme, although, in the wake of hurricane Katrina, I can’t blame anyone for airing on the side of caution.
Whats hard is convincing someone else, someone who’s in control of your schedule, what exactly to do in regards to a schedule. I say cancel the appointments the rest of the week and lets get the hell out of here. But what about tomorrow, or Thursday? Do people expect us to be open? Does my boss expect me to stay and help him?
We’ll see how this all developes, but, if you guys could keep a close watch on the news, as I’ll be doing, and pull for us a little, it would be a great help.
Once again, into the breach.
Matt out.
by Matt | Sep 14, 2005 | Personal
I haven’t mentioned it this week but Chris has been in Houston visiting his friend Doug. I phrase it like that because I’m getting the impression that Doug and his wife dislike me and that I’m some sort of 3rd wheel friend. You know what, I’m sorry, I’ve only known Chris since he was 10, sorry I’m getting in the way of your vacation time, but I’d like to hang out with him for more than 1 evening.
I digress. I did have fun last night. The Astros lost 4-2 but it was a good game. We had great seats, 3rd base side field boxes, 1st level. Very nice. Lauren’s mom works for NASA so we got a discount, half price I think. I’m glad I went. It was interesting to note that theres a conviently placed Citco sign out in left field. It almost felt like home.
I had been to MinuteMaid park before, but with really crappy seats. This was far more enjoyable.
I dunno, maybe I’m drawing too many conclusions about last night. I hadn’t eaten all day and my blood sugar was really low. Maybe I was just irritable. They were nice enough to give me a ride to the park since my office was on the way. And Doug’s wife is a RedSox fan, so there’s points right there. I was hoping that they’d be the type of people that Lauren and I could be friends with long after Chris went back home, but if they don’t like us there’s nothing I can do to force that. Oh well.
Hope Chris is having fun at least.
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