Exit171… it’s all about the journey

Great article on the state of online feed readers. Bloglines is still my favorite. Probably the biggest reason is that I can access Bloglines from multiple machines, including my PDA, and it keeps my feeds up-to-date. I don’t have to worry about which feed I read on which machine. Very convenient.

[Article at TechCrunch]

As the birth of my second child quickly approaches, I can’t help thinking about September 11, 2001. I realize that’s a strange comment, but my first child was born one week after that day. His birth was a godsend and really brought us some joy during a tragic time. I hope that circumstances are better this time when this little guy makes his arrival.

Today the local news posted more stories and audio about 911 emergency phone calls placed from the World Trade Center on 9/11. One example was from a 35 year old man who was attending a conference at Windows on the World on the 106th floor. This brought back more 9/11 memories for me… I was the same age at the time and had visited Windows on the World frequently. More importantly, I could have easily been at that same conference that morning. Luckily, I wasn’t. I declined the invitation to that conference and worked from home that day. I know… lucky, very lucky.

I won’t go on about 9/11, but it’s life events and news reports like these that bring back some strong memories. One can debate whether things are any better today than they were in 2001 (I think they are). Either way, my heart still goes out to the many people who lost their loved ones that day.

I was browsing through my 19,000+ photos in Apple iPhoto and on a whim decided to update the main graphic on Exit 171. I noticed this picture I took in Vermont in 1999 and started messing with Photoshop. Long story short, I ended up with the new header graphic above… a combination of photos I’ve taken and some neat Photoshop effects.

My old graphic now lives on my “About” page. Special thanks to Chris Huller for some creative inspiration (he’s created some cool graphics on his blogs)!

In case you’re wondering, “KW2DIO” is my amateur radio (a.k.a. Ham) call sign.

I just finished reading Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons. Once again, I couldn’t put the “book” down. Great read!

Dan Brown has quickly become one of my favorite authors (move over Clancy). I’ve read his novels in chronological order — Digital Fortress, Deception Point, and Angels & Demons. I just started reading The Da Vinci Code and plan to finish it before the movie comes out in a couple of months. I’m trying to avoid viewing the movie trailers, so I don’t influence my imagery as I read the book.

I emphasized “book” when referring to Angels & Demons because I didn’t read a traditional paperback or hardcover. Angels & Demons was the first novel I read as an eBook. Yup, no paper. I read the entire novel on my Cingular 8125 Pocket PC phone! Surprisingly, it worked out very well. The text was easy to read and it was convenient to always have access to the book.

Electronic books have been around for awhile, but mainstream adoption has been slow. With the advent of E Ink, there are some new devices making their way to market which may change the course of eBooks. Keep an eye out for Sony’s Reader and iRex’s iLiad coming this Spring. I think eBooks may have a better chance for success with these products (especially if they lower their proposed price points!).

If you’re interested in eBooks, check out eReader.com for a great selection of books and software. I’m using their eReader Pro for Pocket PC, but they also have readers for Windows XP, Mac OS, Palm, and Symbian. If you want to experiment, there are lots of FREE books to download on Memoware.com. Also checkout Zinio for magazines in electronic format.

Electronics books and magazines may not be for everyone, but it’s just a matter of time before we’re all carrying entire libraries in our pockets. Just look what the iPod has done for music. I never thought I’d be carrying >5,000 songs (and movies) in my pocket!

Okay, so I’m not so bleeding edge with everything… I’ve been hearing about the Sudoku craze for over a year and kept resisting the urge to jump in. Well, I finally tried it and now I’m totally addicted. Of course, no paper and pencil for me… I’m playing it on my PDA (Cingular 8125 Pocket PC phone). Resco Sudoku is my favorite. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out Wikipedia.

Buying a house? Selling? Maybe just curious to know how much a certain house is worth? Check out Zillow.com. From the creators of Expedia, Zillow will tell you what that house is worth. It’s still in Beta, but looks to be pretty accurate (as far as tax assessments go). Go on, be nosey.

Today we are answering what we believe is the first question most home buyers, sellers, and the curious ask: “How much is this home really worth?” Zillow.com calculates a valuation (the Zestimate™) that anyone can see — for free — for most homes in the U.S., including yours. Or the one you want to be yours. Or the one you are curious about.

Thanks for the tip Mike E!

Like news? Then check out Newsvine… a very well designed site including RSS, JSS, tags, voting, watchlists, and more. Pretty much the new Digg, if you ask me. Time will tell.

Are cell phones and electronic gear dangerous on flights? This has been a longtime debate, but a recent study thinks so. I’ll be the first to give them the benefit of any doubt. If you’ve ever heard that “geiger counter” interference emitted from your GSM phone, you know what I mean.

“The data support[s] a conclusion that continued use of portable RF-emitting [radio frequency emitting] devices such as cell phones will, in all likelihood, someday cause an accident by interfering with critical cockpit instruments such as GPS receivers,” the article said.

I like the idea of hardening avionics equipment on airplanes. Sounds like that’s a bit overdue (not too many cell phones around when some of these planes were built).

[via ABC News]