Comments on my blog are going to be temporarily disabled due to the unending waves of combat spam overwhelming our poor server. Until my web guru can figure out a way to strike back, feel free to email me any comments, or post them to the appropriate post in my LiveJournal feed.

Read More

Oh, and speaking of my Pocket PC (phone)…

Okay, let’s start with the positive. It does many cool things. I can talk on the phone, send text messages, send email, access the Web from anywhere (including high-speed EVDO access in most areas). I can take photos with it, use it as a voice recorder, as an MP3 player and as a video player, or just as a pocket photo album.

So, considering how sophisticated it is, why in the hell couldn’t they figure out a way to tell the battery charger to TURN OFF once the battery is fully charged? Because, like most cell phones, you can “overcharge” the battery, and thus reduce its lifespan. This is not a big deal, but come on! My iPod can be left plugged in indefinitely and it will not “overcharge”; once the battery is full, the charger shuts off. Genius!

Another thing that won’t overcharge is my new bluetooth iPod headhones, which are, amusingly enough, called “iMuffs.”  And that’s by no means the only awesome thing about them.  These things are so cool.  As you can see from the photo, you just plug this small adaptor into the bottom of the ‘pod, and then you put the headphones on and you’re good to go! Audiophiles who can detect the minute differences between an LP and a CD, or between 128 kbps and 160 kbps MP3s might quibble over purity of sound, but to my ears the headphones sound perfectly fine. I can’t tell the difference between the sound on these and the sound on my earbuds. And controls on the side of the right speaker give you pretty much full control over your iPod: you can adjust volume, pause, skip tracks (or go back. It’s pretty sweet.

Really, the only downside I’ve noticed thus far is that they’re not terribly well-suited to using while laying down, or sitting up with your head supported by a pillow or whatever, due to the behind-the-head brace (as opposed to the more traditional top-of-the-head kind). 

Well that, and the fact that they kind of make me look like Lobot from Empire Strikes Back.

Read More

Okay, here’s another groupmind query: does anyone know of a good application that would serve as an alternative to Microsoft Outlook? (Note: not to Outlook Express, which is just for email, but to Outlook, which has scheduling functions.) But here’s the catch: I also want this program to be able to sync up with my Pocket PC as well, as Outlook does. I’ve found programs that will replace my Pocket PC calendar program, and I have found things to replace Outlook, but nothing that will do what I want: sync my Pocket PC’s and my desktop PC’s scheduling information. (The email aspect of Outlook is irrelevant to me, so that doesn’t factor into this.)

Read More

Does anyone know of a good website that will help me find complete lists of new DVD releases, preferably sortable by category? You know, so I can take a look at what new SF/fantasy DVDs are coming out without having to spend hours browsing. Anyone? Bueller?

Read More

Matt Kressel, editor and publisher of Sybil’s Garage, tells me:

Read More