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Aug 29, 2010

Companies and Social Media

This is exactly how I feel companies think about their current involvement with "social networks".


People associate "social networks" with creating community and "friends" = "caring"  Just because a company has Facebook and Twitter accounts doesn't mean they care  There are tons of companies that have accounts with social network sites, but they do it badly.  However there are good companies, and some are trying quite hard to do better.

I think Lenovo's very open Facebook approach is going to score big points.  What's unique about them is that they have a forum on their Facebook page, which means that anyone can post and share info.

Lenovo Forums - http://www.facebook.com/#!/lenovo?v=app_145055678851002&ref=ts

Here's my take on Lenovo's open forum method:
Since they are open this lets any existing customers post about their problems.
- This is good because now their customers feel like the company is listening, and they might get a right answer.
-  This is also good because it allows people who know the solutions to give answers - good for the company since there's less need of paid employees.
- Bad because moderators are paid people and they care about getting paid more than answering every problem.  So... lots of people's questions and problems won't be answered.  Maybe Lenovo gets Zappos or Gary Vaynerchuck style moderators that genuinely care and this can be a tremendously GOOD thing.

Twitter is just a pile of spam and to me it's nothing more than hype.  Any search for any product will give you commercial links and not information from people.  For companies I think it's far more important to score good points by creating a positive view of their products and give customers a good experience.  Obviously answering emails and phone calls can be a big problem, the bigger the company the bigger the mess.

I have my own way of trying to solve problems, but that's for another post.  Enjoy the video below!


Some stress relief videos:
http://www.thewebsiteisdown.com/

Yes... I understand that every post that I create removes me from future job possibilities.  But I prefer to be fairly transparent.

Aug 28, 2010

Brain Games - Dan Ariely: The Upside of Irrationality

 A Smily Dan Ariely, click on the image for a bonus video!

Learning makes me realize that there's so much I don't know.  :-)    I saw this guy's book a while ago, but I never opened it.  I should have!  Check out this pretty insightful speech about the way we behave.  It's some awesome stuff.


It reminds me of a book that I read during my deployment to Iraq called Freakonomics.

Links:
Dan Ariely Official Website
Dan Ariely Wiki
More Dan Ariely Stuff
Dan Ariely Youtube

Aug 26, 2010

Lenovo Ideapad S10-3T with Extras for Sale (SOLD)


I'm selling my S10-3T which I have used for a few months now and I have enjoyed it a lot.  But I'm selling most of my electronics.  I'm going hippie style, or something like that.

eBay Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200515799937

Get an S10-3T at Amazon

What's in the box:
Original Box
S10-3T unit (Intel N450 1.6Ghz version)
8 Cell Battery
Power Cable
Original Documents
Acer small USB Mouse (a nice compliment)
Kingston Bluetooth USB ($13 to $20 value)
2GB RAM Crucial DDR2 ($32 to $41 value)
80 GB Intel X25M SSD ($160 to $200 value)
Avermedia A317 TV Tuner ($25 value)
PNY 8GB SD Card ($11 to $21 value)
Windows 7 Starter
You can view the full specs here

You are bidding on the star of the http://www.lenovos103t.com blog. You can view all the modifications that I have done to it at the blog. I will reformat the system to a fresh copy of Windows 7 Starter, install the needed drivers, and optimize the system.  I will leave a folder with optional and useful programs if you desire to install them.  It's easy to upgrade from Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium if that's what you want.

Condition:
Used
Cosmetic damage (some scratches on the glossy surface, removal of plastic pillar for Mini PCI-E Cards, removal of SD Card slot plastic)  Nothing is damaged that prevents functionality.

Payment Method:
Paypal

Shipping:
UPS to Continental US Only

If you have questions please send me a message.

Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com

eBay Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200515799937

Get an S10-3T at Amazon

Images:
 Avermedia A317 TV Tuner

 The whole package

 Original documents (unopened)

Click on the image to see full screen, there are some scratches on the surface

Nice and speedy 80GB SSD

 Kingston USB Bluetooth Dongle


Everything is functional.

 Power Cords

 Specs
 Nice little Acer mouse compliment for the S10-3T

Not pictured (SD Card)

Aug 25, 2010

Gottabemobile - Building a Better Tablet

Recently I spent quite a bit of time writing a comment for Gottabemobile.com on the post "Building a Better Tablet". Usually I don't post these, but this one is a bit long so it's worth posting.  Here it is:

I was excited to see the post at Engadget, but got super disappointed at the amount of idiots posting nothing relevant to the topic.

I don't own a TM2 but I do own a Lenovo S10-3T which doesn't offer the stylus option. Obviously I want both stylus and finger input. The stylus can offer so much more precision. I have followed the TM2 for the longest time so I'm well informed with all of its issues. (my blog - http://www.hptm2t.com )

What I wish was improved on tablets:

No crapware/bloatware. All of the companies that run Windows OS love to add these additions that slow the computer down and make them unusable. Obviously this angers any person that just bought that "new and fast" computer.

Useful touch software. Most of what's included in the system is a joke. Windows already does most of the things that the extra software does (like playing music, or video, or viewing pictures). How about something that will enable me to create/edit something.

The TM2 and S10-3T have viewing angle problems, I have compared it to the iPad and the iPad's got such awesome viewing angles.
http://www.s103tvsipad.com/2010/06/hardware-screen.html

Tablets will become useful when they can work out in the sun ala Pixel Qi style.  As of now they have been marketed as the go anywhere and do something machine, but they are so restrained to indoors because of most glossy screens.  The TM2 and the S10-3T suffer from this glossy screen.  Matte would be better.

The virtual keyboard in Windows 7 is a joke. If you have tried the iPad you know that the virtual keyboard adapts to the type of input. It also moves the user interface so you can see where you are typing. Windows 7's Tabtip or OSK cover and block where you are typing.  Which is a horrible tablet experience.

Dedicated mobility cards like gaming laptops. Most tablets proud themselves on the latest processor, but they ignore the graphics which is essential to render things. The TM2 has an ok mobility card and has an ok Core i5. I would like to see a Radeon 5870 and Core i7 in it.  Can I use the TM2 with Sony Vegas and edit 1080p video?  Can I play 3D games on the TM2, yes but I have to lower settings.

Easy programming API, like really easy. So... Windows needs a good and easy to program API. As a matter of fact, they should make a BlitzMax multi-touch plugin so anyone can program multi-touch programs. Instead we get bits of documentation that is scattered all over the internet. It's so bad...  What are all these thousands of developers at Microsoft doing anyways?  iOS has done this well, how many apps are there for the iPod Touch and iPad that use multi-touch? thousands if not millions.

Obviously these touch apps need a place where they can be shared and bought.  Windows software is spread all over the internet and a marketplace as a unified source for touch specific apps would be very handy.

Solid machine names, do you remember the XYZ500 something tablet from Toshiba? No. Do you remember the iPad? yes. Obviously companies feel they need to make like 20 versions of the same laptop and give it a slightly different number name. Apple has the formula right, just call it something that sticks.

Price is a big deal because it enables to create buzz.  If more people can buy it then more media can be created about it, which is a snowball effect. This is something that has sucked with tablets, you can get a crappy tablet for less than $1000 or can get a decent tablet for $2000 and it still doesn't include mobility graphics card. Obviously the HP TM2 is well priced. The S10-3T is well priced too, around $500. The Viliv S10 is horribly priced.  The iPad can probably afford to be priced the way it is because of the amount of media that makes money for Apple (like iTunes, Apps store, Books Store, and so on).  This formula has been practiced by video game companies (Nintendo makes a device that makes money off software, not hardware)

No booting up time!!! The iPad's got it right, touch the button and the system is up and running.
http://www.s103tvsipad.com/2010/06/sleep-and-wake-up.html

Obviously keep the keyboard, as that is what I'm using to type this message with my S10-3T.   There so many more possibilities with the tablet format than with just the slate.  It's like everything combined into one and now the user can use it as he/she wants.  It's all about creating a good experience for the user.

My full list can be found at:
http://www.jessebandersen.com/2010/06/netbook-of-future.html

If you want to see my tips on what I have done to make my Lenovo S10-3T better check http://www.lenovos103t.com

View the post at:
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/08/21/hot-topic-building-a-better-tablet

Enjoy!

Can your Magic Trackpad do this?


When I saw Apple's Magic Trackpad I thought that is was the least innovative thing possible and all Apple wanted to do was to dig into their fans wallets.  I don't think its that productive and a Wacom device is probably better.  So... since I have an S10-3T which is a neat little touch capacitive tablet I thought that I could use it as a trackpad or something similar.  Check it out.


Yes my lamp is reflecting on the screen...

Flicks are pretty neat when used for desktop purposes. The scrolling is also pretty good.  One tip to achieve really great precision with the S10-3T as a trackpad would be to have the screen on, but dim the brightness down. I didn't turn the screen on until the last part of the video.

For Desktop Manipulation
Someone from Reaper.fm asked me if you could add GUI controls (like sliders, and buttons) to the S10-3T and control a more powerful system.  The answer is yes you can, but it involves a bit of networking stuff (server and client programming).  What's cool about that is that you could add an unlimited amount of S10-3T with lots of touch input types (Korg Kaossilator, Korg iElectribe, Yamaha Tenori-On, they are all possible and you could do even more )

To emulate the Apple's Magic Trackad you would need to capture all of the touch gestures, and send those to the desktop computer for it to emulate.  It would be sweet, but I'm no programmer master with the Touch SDK. I can do single touch with my little programming abilities, and no I'm not developing it because it takes a bit of time (maybe two days worth of programming time) and I'm not getting paid like the tons of "developers" at Microsoft.

I love netvertibles and I think they bring some interesting new innovative ways of doing things.

My dedicated site for the Lenovo S10-3T:
http://www.lenovos103t.com

Gear on the video:
Lenovo S10-3T
HP 2509m 25 inch monitor
Iogear Bluetooth Stereo Adapter
Logitech MK700 (not used but was there just in case I needed to type)

For more precise everything the Wacom tablets are great. Or if you want to a Magic Trackpad. ;-)

This is a nice follow up video to my "Can your iPad do this?  The S10-3T can".  I don't work for Lenovo, if I did they would be the best company in the world.

Aug 24, 2010

Apple copies Wacom Cintiq, claims invented Touch Desktop Computing

Today Apple invented touch computing for desktops... a fact that only Apple fan boys believe.


Tablet PCs have existed forever, but most likely every publication out there will say that Apple is revolutionizing the industry.  Really?

Links:
Wacom Cintiq - http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/cintiq-21ux.php
Patentlyapple - http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/08/the-mother-lode-welcome-to-the-imac-touch.html

Touch Desktops computers:
Lenovo C315
Lenovo IdeaCentre A700
HP Touchsmart desktops

Tablet PCs (switch them around and you practically have the same thing)
Battalion Touch Gaming Laptop
HP TM2
Lenovo X201
Lenovo S10-3T
Dell XT2
Fujitsu Tablets
Toshiba Tablets
Panasonic Toughbooks

Aug 23, 2010

Sony HDR-CX150 for Sale (SOLD)

Yes, it has to go!

eBay Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200511700863

Item sold. You can get one at Amazon


I'm selling one of my Sony HDR-CX150 cameras.

What's in the box:
Sony HDR-CX150
Power Cord
USB Cable
RCA cables (yellow, white, red)
Other cables (the ones with green, blue, red and white)
Manual and CD

Pretty much what's shown here:

Specs:
Dark Blue color
1920 x 1080 Full HD Recording w/3MP Still Images
16GB embedded Flash memory
1/4" back-illuminated "Exmor R" CMOS sensor
1080/60 playback via HDMI and compatible HDTV
30mm CZ Vario Sonnar T* with 25x Optical zoom
Full specs here

Condition:
Used

Payment Method:
Paypal

Shipping:
UPS to Continental US Only

If you have any questions please send me a message, thanks.

eBay Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200511700863

Item sold.  You can get one at Amazon

Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com

Aug 19, 2010

Slow Motion Beauty

This is how you should crack an egg!


Some of the coolest slow motion scenes I have ever seen.

Original Source:
http://vimeo.com/12113203

OCZ High Performance 4GB DDR3 RAM Kit For Sale (SOLD)

 Make your computer speedy!

eBay Link at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200510355455

Item sold, you can get one at Amazon

You are bidding on a OCZ RAM memory kit which includes two 2GB DDR3 Modules at 1600 Mhz (2x2GB = 4GB RAM)

Description:
OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Special Ops Urban Elite Edition Unbuffered 1600MHZ 4GB Kit (2 x 2GB) 8-8-8-26 240-pin DIMM Urban Camo Motif XTC Heatspreader

Detailed Info at:
Amazon

Reason for selling:
I'm selling my computer in parts

Condition:
Used

Payment Method:
Paypal

Shipping:
UPS or USPS to Continental US Only

eBay Link at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200510355455

Item sold you can get it at Amazon

If you have any questions please send me an email!

Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com

ATI Radeon HD 5870 For Sale (SOLD)

Blazing fast graphics card for glorious benefit of gaming!

I have to sell a few things because it's crunch time. So here's a neat ATI Radeon HD 5870 which is completely awesome for the hard core gamer.  It can run pretty much any game out there.


eBay Page:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200510257630

Item sold you can get one at Amazon

Why am I selling it:
Financial and I need to go portable soon so I'm selling my computer in parts

In the box:
XFX ATI Radeon HD 5870
Crossfire cable

Specs:
1 GB DDR5 Memory
DirectX 11 Ready
Crossfire Ready
HDMI Ready
PCI 2.0 Express Card
Full Specs and Details Here

Condition:
Used - About 8 months with little "hardcore" 3D gaming

Payment Method:
Paypal

Shipping:
Via UPS to Continental US Only


Bidding Page:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200510257630

Item sold, you can get one at Amazon

If you have any questions please ask.  Thank you!

Jesse B Andersen
http://www.jessebandersen.com


Some pictures:




Aug 17, 2010

Linked - Featured at Lenovo Connections


I guess Lenovo is watching, but I hope they also act.  ;-)   I guess my little experiment caught someone's attention.

Title: IdeaPad S10-3TEnthusiast Blogger

A little excerpt from the article:
Today, while looking through the world of Lenovo in the blogosphere, I ran across Jesse Anderson’s Lenovo S10-3T blog.  His most recent post - an impromptu effort to collect improvement feedback from his audience really caught my eye because he seems truly passionate about the S10-3T and gathering ideas for future improvements from other customers.  He also wondered if we were paying attention.   I’d like to think we are!

Read the full article at:
http://lenovoblogs.com/connections/?p=1535

Hanvon WISEreader N618

I was thinking of buying a Kindle one time but never got to it. I have been using my S10-3T but after a while it does hurt my eyes. Pixel QI is the company that I believe can change all of that. However I think Hanvon has something right now that is going to make a lot of people happy.

WISEreader N618

Yes you can draw notes and the touch navigation seems really good.  The Nook tried to have a small touch screen, but man that was horrible.  The WISEreaders seem to be on the right path.

Links:
Hanvon eBook Readers
Hanvon Wisereaders at Amazon

Aug 11, 2010

To be gone for a while

Over the past few days I have been 100% miserable.  I plan on selling all of my electronic devices and unplug myself from the internet indefinitely.

Among the devices to be sold:
HP 2509m monitor
My computer (in parts since there's no bid)
Logitech webcam
Sony HDR-CX150
Flip UltraHD
Korg MicroX
Lenovo S10-3T (Win 7 Home Premium, Case, 80GB SSD, 2GB RAM, USB Mouse, TV Tuner, 8GB SD Card, USB Hub)

Those will be my last posts.  I'll be busy Thursday until Sunday because of Marines.  I plan on begin posting on eBay late Sunday and early Morning.  Once the items are sold I won't reply to comments on any of the blogs, youtube, and others places, until I decide to come back.

Aug 8, 2010

John Stossel on Threats to Freedom and Taxation Insanity

When I was in high school our awesome Business Management teacher showed us a John Stossel video about capitalism and well I like the guy. Since I'm looking into starting a business myself I was checking things out and it seems that it's more complicated than I thought. :-(   I'll just have to figure things out slowly but will do it.  Check out these videos if you are interested in more info.

Threats to Freedom


Taxation Insanity

I have spent some hours reading his books at Barnes and Noble.  He's got some good info and the videos and books narrow down stuff a bit.  It seems like you can't easily start something unless you have professionals (lawyers, accountants, and MBAs) involved because of all the legalities.

For more on John Stossel check:
http://www.hulu.com/stossel
http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/

Stossel Books

Utah's official business website:
http://www.utah.gov/business/starting.html

Aug 7, 2010

Worst Movies Ever - Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection


Since I'm bored out of my mind today I decided to watch a movie where the legendary Chuck Norris is the star.



Why would this awesome movie be bad?
Maybe it's the bad acting, the massive amounts of shooting without reloading, the helicopter with the most accurate 240 machine gun shooters I have ever seen. Maybe it was how no American soldiers never got shot while all the bad guys got killed.... I don't know...  This is among the worst movies I have ever seen.

I think the best actor was the Colombian drug dealer, who is actually freaky as hell. To make up for all my time wasted I decided to google a few things that are actually worth while. Enjoy!

The Best of Walker Texas Ranger


5 Rules in every Chuck Norris movie


Walker Lever Mashup


Walker Lever Mashup 3


Super Chuck Norris Bros Video Game

Super Chuck Norris Bros Video Game

Jason the Video Lord | MySpace Video

Aug 5, 2010

TV Tuner Received

I ran a little promo on my lenovos103t.com site and sent a package to the winner. I wish every person I sent something (eBayers especially) would create a little unbox video of the packages I have sent. I always try to keep my word and deliver.


About the promo:
I got a tv tuner card that isn't compatible in America so I decided to give it a way for comments regarding how to make the Lenovo S10-3T better. Maybe for the future generation we'll see a great machine. I have high hopes Lenovo!

Links:
Yuan MC872 Giveaway
Yuan MC872 Giveaway Part 2

Thank you Henry so much for posting the video!!!!

Post typed with my S10-3T ;-)

Aug 2, 2010

iPad 64GB Wifi + Dock + Keyboard for Sale (SOLD)

iPad 64GB with Wifi + iPad Dock + Wireless Keyboard

I'm getting rid of quite a few things during these days and I have enjoyed my iPad but I have to sell it.  It's crunch time for me.  The iPad is in great condition, there are no scratches on the device.


What's included:



Worth: $795 if you bought all these parts at the cheapest prices.

Condition:
Lightly used (maybe one to two hours usage each day and I have owned it since June)
There is a scratch on the invisible shield on the lower right, but the iPad is untouched.

Payment Method:
Paypal

Shipping:
Continental US Only via UPS with tracking link

Auction Starting at:
$500

Bid now at eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200504043831

Item sold you can get one at Amazon

If you have any questions please contact me.  Thank you!

What can you do with the iPad?  check out - http://thisweekin.com/thisweekin-ipad/

Amazon - Apple iPad Prices