Tunnel Audition

Now available at IT Conversations, recorded at the Portable Media Expo and its Podcast Academy: Josh Bancroft, Podcasting from Mobile Devices. Sounds tailor made for those of us who occasionally consider our cars mobile recording studios.

A Great Idea In Search Of Great Connectivity

My now former cell phone (the Sony Ericsson K700i), which had been clinging to life (sans backlight) ever since it went inadvertently swimming last summer, apparently had one too many encounters with Tyler's sippy cup and finally gave up the ghost. So, I stuck with the Sony Ericsson line, which I like, and am now toting the W600, one of the "Walkman Phones." (Engadget re same.)

So far so good on the phone, it has all the functionality of the K700i in updated form — better camera, more memory, etc. And, with Cingular, it has the Edge Network, which touts itself as "nearly twice as fast as any other national wireless data network."

So, I was pretty hot to try out Gmail Mobile on the new phone, but alas: nearly twice as fast isn't nearly fast enough to make the mobile version of my favorite mail app a lifehack. Don't get me wrong, Gmail Mobile seems fantastic. I just suspect it's much more embraceable in countries with faster cellular data networks than the U.S. Here is your Gmail on Edge: the basic inbox is not terribly, but noticeably, slow to load, and though Gmail Mobile is designed to handle attachments, if you're trying to open an email with one (even a small one), it's downright painful. The better option seems to remain the one I've been using: forwarding Gmail to the phone's email address. I'd say it's going to take some speed oriented improvements to one or both services in order for Gmail Mobile to conquer the U.S. phone browser.

One killer thing should not be overlooked though, and I'll be willing to tolerate a little slowness in order to use this: with Gmail Mobile, you can search all the mail archived in your Gmail account. On your phone. That is bound to come in incredibly handy from time to time.

[Technorati tag: gmail mobile]

Wagging The Long (Re)Tail

Where else would a Southern Californian shop for space shuttle jammies but at Bealls in Orlando, FL?

Also, if you're looking for stocking stuffers check out Chic and Sweet. It's both. (It also is thrilled, no doubt, to occupy first page result real estate on Google for "whimsical jewelry.") I haven't a clue where it's located (ah; turns out nearby), but does it matter?

Wot Dat Ting?

For years I've heard friends and colleagues describe their childrens' "why?" stage. Y'know, the one that makes you eternally grateful for Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia (no matter what kind of PR hits they've taken lately). What I've never heard mentioned, but what makes perfect sense, is that the "why?" stage is preceded by the "what?" stage. This is where our kids rely on us to supply their roadmap of the world. Or, to put it another way, this is where we really have the opportunity to mess with them. What if you just told them the wrong name for, I don't know, everything? What dinner conversation wouldn't be enlivened by requests like, "Mommy, please pass the snorkle and plunger?" Could make for some entertaining parent-teacher conferences down the road too.

Other things I didn't previously realize that have become self-evident:

• Tweety Bird's creator must have had a toddler.


• I'm not sure what exactly college breadth requirements are intended to prepare you for, but parenting isn't it. Not that I yearn for the Waldorf salad days of Home Ec, but the ability to load and empty washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers at triple the rate of what should by any measure be considered civilized, and the ability to engineer elaborate train layouts, lend themselves only with protest and difficulty to self-instruction. (Bonus link, Flickr's toy trains pool, ho boy.)

The Blawg On The Breast Of The New Fallen Snow

Merry Blawg Review #37! (And to all a good replevin.)