Dave's Innovations.

No, I Don't Want an eBook Reader?

admin — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:34:00 GMT

eBooks were somewhat late '90's. Project Gutenberg was revolutionizing the world of e-texts and it felt as if every book would soon be an ebook. While Project Gutenberg is still going strong (and I am a big fan) readers quickly discovered that a computer was not always the most comfortable to read at (especially in the days were laptops were not nearly as ubiquitous as they are today) and all screens blazed away at one's eyes.

When a friend of mine, Andrew Vogel, told me he had a Sony Reader I laughed. Why would you do such a silly thing I asked him? He insisted that it was different. I borrowed it for a bit and it was. Somehow (I don't know how) the Sony Reader seems as easy on the eyes as a book. There is no backlight - yet the text appears clearly as if it was printed on a page.

Still, I haven't bought one. Why? Well, we'll get to that in a moment, but first let's talk about the salient features of this product which you can also read over at Sony's Reader website.

"Easy Reading" - As I noted above, the greatest feature of this unit over previous portable e-readers is its display technology which is so easy on the eyes. Its difficult to describe - you have to see it. You can get a vague idea by visiting Sony's site and viewing the photos they have there.
"Perfectly Portable" - As opposed to dragging your laptop (or desktop) around. For those of us who carry a laptop around, it might not be that big of a deal...But still you have to boot it up and shut it down.
"Holds Volumes" - One of the great advantages over a text volume is that it can hold multiple volumes in one paperback sized reader. This means you can bring several dozen books and journals along - for fun, profit, or academia - without the bulk.
Other Features - The other features I don't consider very interesting, so I won't rehash them here.

Now that we've talked about why this is a good unit the question is - why won't I run out to buy one? Its quite simple actually.

No matter what I am reading I like to take notes while I am reading. This is very simple with a physical book. I can take along a pen and write in the margins, underline or circle. However, with the Sony Reader there is no method of inserting one's own commentary on the book. So, if Sony wants my business they need to add an input mechanism and this mechanism should preferrably be pretty good at handwriting analysis so that when I go onto my computer I can automatically OCR my handwritten notes into typed text.

Secondly, it needs to tightly integrate with my main computer. I should be able to transfer books back and forth easily along with notes (preferrably wirelessly) and it needs to have some sweet software that allows me to organize, sort, bookmark, and share my information - especially my notes.

When these features become available we will be moving one step closer to less books, more e-texts. Do you hear me Sony?

Automatic Text Display for Voice (for Deaf/Hard of Hearing).

admin — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:00:00 GMT

I have a wonderful older lady who is very hard of hearing. Even when she has her hearing aid in it is a significant struggle to successfully communicate with her. This results in her oftentimes being isolated from conversations - even though it is evident that she would love to be a part of them.

I am wondering if such a device as I am about to describe already exists. If it does, I would love to hear about it, as I am interested in purchasing one for her. If not, I hope someone will read this post and consider it a worthwhile task.

I am thinking of a small device - perhaps the size of a cell phone, pocket calculator, etc. that would be able to "listen" to audio occurring on the fly and create a text translation of it, preferably with some capability to distinguish between multiple voices - otherwise if there are more than two people in the conversation it would become extremely confusing.

I know the technology for this already exists. We already have technologies such as Closed Captioning (CC) that provides translation of television shows, applications for our computers that allow us to speak and have the words typed in our word processor, and applications that will translate our voice mail messages into text messages or emails and send them to us.

It seems like a pretty simple device that would use basic technology but could greatly enhance conversation for the elderly who are hard of hearing and for whom even hearing aids seem to have little effect.

A device similar to what I am speaking of is iCommunicator. But this device requires too many parts (a headset for a single speaker, a wireless receiver, and a computer to run the software). All this needs to be consolidated into one commodity (e.g. $199) device. Robert Scoble has written about a software application for cell phones that might be a partial solution for this issue. Personal Captioning Systems, Inc. has some software that appears to be heading in this way, but the site is somewhat scant on details and examples.

Implementing an Automatic Home Inventory Mechanism.

admin — Mon, 28 May 2007 23:56:00 GMT

"Honey, could you get me another toilet paper roll?" "Sorry babe, we're all out, I'll run to the store." Meanwhile someone is left sitting in the bathroom for the next twenty minutes.

"Mom, where is my Honey Grams cereal?" "Its right on top of the refrigerator." "No it's not." "Sorry honey, we must be all out." And a child goes without breakfast.

So many items lay around our houses - whether they be ingredients (bread, flour, sugar, honey), toiletries (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, conditioner), or electrical (light bulbs) they all must be kept in just the right amount of supply. This requires repeated trips to the grocery store, and oftentimes painful discoveries that we are out of this or that (e.g. when we are really sick and suddenly remember we ran out of all our pain and cold medications).

With wireless networking now common it seems to me that it would be relatively simple to implement an automatic home inventory mechanism. This would consist of three portions: (a) wireless bar code readers, (b) server (home computer), and (c) remote centralized server. Let's look at each in detail:

Wireless Barcode Reader:

A reader would be a very small scanner unit, not bigger than one's thumb that would reside on walls or cabinets. When an item was stocked it would be scanned, and when an item would be removed (as empty) it would be scanned. A plus or minus button on the reader would allow one to inform the scanner whether one was adding or removing inventory.

Server:

Within the home on a normal computer would be a "server" application. This would receive all additions and subtractions from the readers. It would keep track of the current inventory and warn when items were low. It would allow searching and establishing of threshholds.

Centralized Server:

This server would be the centralized server for the entire system for all customers. It would centrally accumulate databases of barcode items and would on-request receive barcode requests that the server was not familiar with and send back the correct identification. In cases where no definition was available, the server would beep letting the user know they needed to enter a description for the item.

This whole system could be used in conjunction with automated shopping tools, using an API. It would allow users to determine which products should be automatically re-ordered when they reached a certain threshold level.

What do ya think?

Update 6/25/07:

This device is currently in the beta testing stage by a company called IKan. Thanks for the tip from CrunchGear. I've signed up the beta and am eagerly awaiting to hear my fate.

Optimizing the IPTV Ad-Delivery Mechanism.

admin — Wed, 16 May 2007 22:54:00 GMT

IPTV has taken several steps forward in recent days. From its humble beginnings several years ago to its mass implementation these days, it is becoming obvious that as traditional phones are trading out in favor of VoIP, traditional television will also be subsiding in favor of IPTV. When I use the term IPTV I am speaking of the technology in a wide sense, rather than a specific technical sense and including in my definition some technologies which are not strictly IPTV. According to my definition, I am claiming an technology that allows professional media content to be delivered to end users over an IP connection.

At this time we have several major players in this IPTV market. There are the major media networks which have begun offering streaming versions of their content interspersed with ads. These include CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX. Then we have the film distribution centers similar to Blockbuster and Netflix, including Movielink and Vongo. Finally we have third-party services that offer television content from multiple media networks such as Apple's iTunes, AOL's In2TV, and Joost.

With it seeming obvious that most IPTV will gravitate towards ad-supported rather than outright fees (e.g. iTunes) the question becomes how best to optimize one's advertising. Here are several suggestions:

Include Various Ads - Especially in the earlier days of IPTV it was common for there to be only one advertiser throughout the enter span of a show, which was fine if they had different commercials but frustrating when it was the same advertiser over and over. There needs to be diversity.
Know Your Audience - Tracking should be implemented of viewers habits, associating interest in ads and showing similar ads, while decreasing ads that the viewer has no interest in. There is no reason to show ads for feminine products (e.g. conditioner) to twenty-something males.
Include Interactivity - ABC's Launch has done a good job with the interactivity element, while CBS's InnerTube has utterly failed. Allowing user's the ability to pursue an ad is a great idea and also eases methodology for tracking interest.

Tax My Credit Card!

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 03:36:00 GMT

Over at DownloadSquad Peter White wrote on April 16th about a new law in consideration by the federal government - requiring online auction sites to report the Social Security numbers of their users. He raises a myriad of valid concerns about this, and I must agree - there are quite a number. But as I was pondering this difficulty I realized a simple way in which the federal and state government's could take a lot of the complexity out of sales tax collection - and also eliminate a lot of the gray market materials that go untaxed.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I don't think that it is necessarily that we absolutely want to go untaxed on these items (though many would admit it is quite the nice perk), rather it is simply that the methods of reporting these taxes is simply too complex. This has been one of the outstanding issues with mail order catalogs and the internet. Since the buyers and sellers don't have to be in geographical proximity to each other - who pays the sales tax? Technically, the purchaser pays the sales tax - but how many buyers actually remit their sales tax to the state? Not many. While states are attempting to revive these "use tax" laws they have thus far been largely unsuccessful. The number of people that are even aware that these laws exist is extremely minute.

So, listen up governments (and tell me why this isn't a good idea). Instead of continuing to collect sales tax through these cumbersome manual methods, why not just tax my credit card? Every time I make a purchase lump on a sales tax and pay it out to the state in which my credit card is registered. It sure would simplify things a heck of a lot - it could even make sales tax collection easier for companies that are traditional brick and mortar - only requiring them to manually collect tax on purchases made by check or cash.

I must admit, I think about these tax issues much more often than most people. Why? Because I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and I am constantly afraid of stepping outside the bounds of the tax laws and breaking one. With the complexity of the tax system one can expect to have broken not just one but a dozen. For an OCD individual the stress of this knowledge is overwhelming. So, simply for those of us who have tax related OCD symptoms, the law should be changed. :-) ;-) Okay, so I'm working through my fears in this area - and even though my concerns may be partially inspired by unfounded fears over missing some pennies here or there (I've purposely overpaid my taxes at times to avoid this) - I think the recommendation is still valid. Simplify tax collection by automating it through credit card debiting. Its that simple.

What I Want in a Cell Phone...

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:23:00 GMT

Before I worked for Collages I never had a cell phone. I kind of wondered why people wanted them. Now both Charity and I have cell phones and wonder how we ever lived without them. As a Network Engineer I am regularly on-call, so I have to be able to take calls even when I am not at the house - this necessitated a cell phone. I haven't had a lot of cell phones. My first was a cheap block Nokia cell phone. This was replaced by a Cingular 8125 phone, and right now I temporarily am using a Cingular LG flip phone.

This got me to thinking - what features would I really like to see in a cell phone? I've seen advertisements and articles on phones by companies like Apple (the iPhone), but what would my dream phone have. Well here it is - marketers take note.

A flip phone with large display. - One of my main complaints with the 8125 is that it doesn't flip closed, thus protecting the display. As a Network Engineer I move lots of servers. These servers are heavy chunks of metal that desire nothing more than scratching a big dent into my Cingular's screen.
A thin phone. - Even though I need a flip phone with a large display, I still want it to be skinny. With the Cingular 8125 I sometimes feel like my pants are about to fall off because of its weight, and its definetly not the sort of phone I want to be in my pocket while I'm playing basketball.
A phone with a decent camera. My 8125 has a digital camera, but its like 2 megapixels. Practically worthless in my opinion. A 4 or 5 megapixel camera would do just fine. But who wants to carry around a camera when it can be integrated into one's phone?
A phone with music. I want my phone to be able to play music, to replace the iPod. I haven't bought an iPod yet, but I would like to have one. But even more than that I would prefer to have a phone with a big old hard drive that could play music. The less devices the better.
An external monitor and keyboard. It would be nice to have a phone that could be setup as a mini-computer. While the 8125's keyboard is fine for quick text messages or emails, its not very good for long letters or notes. I want to be able to unfold a small keyboard and setup a bigger monitor. But the keyboard is the most important factor - the screen isn't even that important.

Centralized Banking.

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:42:00 GMT

Banking has taken great steps forward - but still isn't quite there yet. First, off lets look at some of the great innovations that have occurred in the recent past:

- ATM Machines - The ability to quickly withdraw ones money without the need for a bank teller, also the ability to get funds before or after hours.

- Online Banking - Allowing individuals to monitor their banking records through a website.

- Online Bill Payment - The ability to pay bills without ever physically sending a check.

- Online Savings Account - Pioneered by ING Direct, these accounts offer much higher rates of interest than traditional savings accounts.

- Tax Management - Software such as Turbotax and TaxCut have made life much easier and cut the costs of filing taxes while increasing the returns.

- Credit Cards - The innovation of instant lines of credit which can be used to purchase items when the cash is not readily available.

So what could possibly be missing? An integrated system. I don't want to have to manage several different systems to handle my banking. Rather I want one account that alows me to use a card and decide whether I want it charged to my bank or credit line. I want to have all my information centralized on their servers and a local copy on mine - which I can then tag, organize, etc. I want to pay my bills - and have the choice of using debit or credit through a single interface. I want a way to deposit checks others give me without having to visit a bank or ATM machine. I want monthly reminders on when my bills are due.

My Own Radio.

admin — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 02:57:00 GMT

Today I was listening to NPR and heard a story that XM and Sirius - the two satellite radio companies are attempting a merger, if the FCC will give its approval. Satellite radio seems to be the way of the future, but still has a long way to go to compete with traditional radio and according to the NPR report has a new competitor in internet radio.

I was pondering the future of radio, and I think that a large portion of radio in the future will be built by the users. Rather than having pre-selected radio stations individuals will be able to create their own aggregations and pipe them into their music boxes, cars, whereever they go. These will not be original content, but rather aggregations of freely available content - for example, podcasts mixed with threads from traditional radio stations and "channels" from musical sampling services such as Pandora.

Still a few years away, but definetly a nifty technology. How will the channels be transmitted? That I'm not sure of. Perhaps by satellite? Or perhaps it will wait for Wi-Max technology to blanket the U.S.

Software as a Subscription Model...

admin — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:47:00 GMT

Once upon a time one of my stories took off on Digg. It was entitled, "What if Microsoft gave Vista away?" I advocated some reasons giving Vista away could be a good move for Microsoft, but realistically I don't think they will give away Vista or any future OS. So what then? Well, what about a different idea - software as a subscription model, not just for Windows or for that matter for Microsoft, but for software in general.

This is actually already popular in some arenas of software, but non-existent in the majority. Two areas that it is common in are Backup and AntiVirus software. Backup software such as Symantec Backup Exec (formerly Veritas) is purchased but then upgrades are made available free for as long as you keep a maintenance contract. You can still use the software once your contract expires, you just don't get any major upgrades (minor upgrades remain free).

Symantec and most other major antivirus vendors also use a similar strategy for their antivirus products. One purchases the product but then it is the subscription that keeps the antivirus and heuristic scanning engines updated.

Why would this be a good idea? Well, Microsoft has shown us time and again an inability to release products on schedule. I don't blame them, its a fact of life. Development takes longer than we think, and when we double our estimates we still run into unexpected issues. But this has resulted in some very damaging habits. For example, the last version of Windows - XP was released in 2001. That means that it has been six years since Microsoft has released a version of the Windows Operating System. In computer technology that is an infinity.

This places Microsoft at a severe disadvantage to open source projects which have regular release schedules that occur yearly, if not weekly or monthly. This allows rapid innovation, whereas Microsoft forces its users to stay with a greatly stagnant technology.

By moving to a subscription model Microsoft could release components as they are released. There is no need to wait for this part to be completed to release the OS, rather each part is added one after another. Of course, there are still going to be the major upgrades but these will probably occur more as SP's than anything else.

Its good for the consumer and good for Microsoft. So why not? With the direction Microsoft has been taking in offering products separately from the OS release (e.g. .NET Framework 3.0, PowerShell) it seems like a logical next step in Microsoft's evolution.

A Better Sales Tax System.

admin — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:59:00 GMT

I am a big proponent of the Fair Tax. This system would utilize a higher sales tax to replace almost all other taxes currently in existence in the United States, significantly simplifying tax processes and ensuring individuals making illegal income couldn't avoid taxes. However, that's not what this article is about, rather it focuses on the sales tax system as it currently exists.

Let me note a few significant facts about the sales tax system currently:

(1) Sales tax is supposed to be paid by the recipient of mail order items/internet purchases under a tax called the "use tax" but this tax is basically a dead dog law - taxes have the forms available but barely anyone obeys it. States are attempting to bring this law back to life as they are losing large sums of money to internet and mail order sales.

(2) Sales tax is deductible on one's income tax, but a great pain to keep track of.

Now let me suggest a solution. What if the government gave you a card - like a credit card or social security card that you gave to the cashier when you checked out. Rather than manually keeping track of all the sales tax you paid throughout the year this card would automatically record the purchases - and also ensure that businesses weren't collecting sales tax and then pocketing it.

It would also be useful in online purchases. Below the credit card information field could be a sales tax field. The card could be used to automatically calculate national, state, and local sales tax for the item purchased and add it to the total cost of the item. Removing the manual nature of the process for either the buyer or seller.

Reforming the Postal System.

admin — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:52:00 GMT

This idea germinated in my head quite some time ago and I actually blogged about it previously, but I figured I'd flesh it out a little more in this post. I'd be interested to hear what you think of this idea and any recommendations you can make to make it better or why it wouldn't work at all.

I've moved several times in my life. My first major move was from Westerlo NY to Langhorne PA I had graduated from high school and was now attending Philadelphia Biblical University. My address changed with this move - I received a school mailbox. Two years later I moved again, right next door to a town called Penndel PA. At this point I had two mail addresses - the PBU one and an apartment address. Then Charity and I bought a house, so we received a new address - this time in Langhorne. In the meantime both our apartment and school addresses became invalid.

To this day I still receive mail forwarded from those two addresses, and occasionally even the address in Westerlo. My innovation here is a better form of the postal system. We have a great postal system. We are effective and quick. But what if we could help people avoid losing their mail because of address changes? I'd like to suggest that a person should request a "unique mail number" once in their life and then keep it for life. They could call the Post Office, write a letter, or use a form on a website to update the physical location this mail number pointed to - but mail being sent to them would always be sent using this UMN.

Imagine how easy this would make moving. Instead of writing a dozen creditors, several dozens friends and family, and speaking to your accountant at work you would just update your UMN information with the post office.

Yes, it wouldn't be as easy to memorize an address - but how many addresses other than your own do you have memorized right now? How long do you think it would take to memorize one number that you use for your entire life for your mail?

Of course, some significant anti-theft systems would have to be implemented. Multi-factor authentication, otherwise anyone could say, "Hey, change the physical address to x..."

Introducing Dave's Innovations.

admin — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 22:50:00 GMT

I'm gonna try something new. Previously had one main blog on GameSecretary.Com that covered all of my various interests. But my interests are very eclectic and I was afraid I was losing readers interested in one subject because of their lack of interest in other subjects I would address. So now I am going to create separate blogs for some major interests of mine and hopefully that will better serve the readership. This one, titled Dave's Innovations covers innovative ideas I have (you can tell me if I'm wrong). Enjoy!

David.