Netflix, how I adore thee…

I confess, I was late to the party on Netflix — I only became a subscriber a few months ago. No matter, Netflix has changed my movie rental and purchase patterns irreparably.

I love movies. Aside from photography, catching a movie is my favorite way to relax. Up until now, time-shifting movies via my TiVo, Amazon video on demand rental, and the occasional blu-ray purchase has worked pretty well for me.

And then I learned about Netflix Watch Instantly streaming video feature…

Watch Instantly enables Netflix users subscribed to any unlimited plan (i.e., any Netflix plan except the $4.99/monthly) to stream any Watch Instantly movie on demand (via streaming video) with no limits and no additional charges. Free is a very good price!

Good-bye, Amazon video on demand. It’s been good while it’s lasted but I’ve found a less expensive way to satisfy my urge for instant gratification when I want to see a specific movie.

Good-bye, Comcast premium movie channels and your corresponding monthly charges. With Watch Instantly, I no longer have to plan in advance and ensure the TiVo is set to record a desired movie. Since IFC and Sundance channels are included in your digital package, I can still watch Indie films to my heart’s content.

So long, monthly blu-ray purchases. While I’ll still pick up a blu-ray disc here and there, it’s far more convenient to stream films I want to see. And I can always use my 1-disc a month unlimited Netflix plan to satisfy my desire for blu-ray goodness.

Of course, Netflix Watch Instantly isn’t for everyone.

• The movies tend to be at least a year old — if you prefer the most recent movies, you’ll likely be disappointed.
• Also, you’ll most likely want to stream to your TV rather than only watching on your PC/Mac – my TiVo Series 3 supports Netflix Watch Instantly. I have also heard good things about the Roku box.

For movie fans like me who love movies of nearly any genre and release date, Netflix’s Watch Instantly is too good of a deal to pass up. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend subscribing to Netflix for a trial period to check it out. If you’re a movie lover, I’m betting you’ll like it!

AT&T’s Option Quicksilver USB vs Sprint’s Sierra598U USB (Cellular Modems)

I recently upgraded my laptop to a Sony Vaio VGN-Z610Y (which I LOVE, by    the way, but that’s another review).

In order to leverage the Vaio’s portability, I decided to get a cellular modem to enable mobile Internet access. But which device and carrier?

I have a generous corporate discount for AT&T via my employer, so AT&T was an obvious option. I had read a lot about Sprint’s data access, and found Gizmodo’s nationwide wireless provider comparison (using cellular modems) especially interesting, so Sprint appeared to be another good option.

Off to the wireless stores I went…

At AT&T, I picked up an Option USBConnect Quicksilver. I was actually hoping to get an express card form factor, but AT&T is apparently phasing out them out. That left a PC card format (which my laptop doesn’t support) or USB. I went with the Quicksilver based on reviews I’d read online.

At Sprint, I picked up a Sierra Wireless USB 598U based on online reviews. Also, Gizmodo’s nationwide comparison test was quite compelling since it showed Sprint as having the fastest cellular network, on average, nationwide. I confess, I’ve never been fond of Sprint as a wireless carrier (don’t prefer CDMA due to being “locked into” a specific device for the life of a 2-year contract and Sprint’s customer service and billing accuracy can be underwhelming). I was disappeared to learn post-purchase that although my employer has a corporate discount negotiated, Sprint does not apply discounts to their $59.99  data plan for wireless modems.

Well, what did I find once I got home?

During my at home testing, I felt underwhelmed by the AT&T Quicksilver – speeds were consistently slower than the Sprint 598U. I was disappointed to the point of packing the Quicksilver up for imminent return. Here are the metrics from my at home testing:

AT&T Quicksilver (at home, evening) –
Average download speed:  .97 Mb/s
Average upload speed:  .143 Mb/s

Sprint 598U (at home, evening):
Average download speed:  1.137 Mb/s
Average upload speed:  .243 Mb/s

However, I’m not really planning to use the cellular modem at home. Time to hit my usual haunts and check out performance.

How did these cellular modems/networks perform out and about?

AT&T Quicksilver (out & about, business hours) –
Average download speed:  1.82 Mb/s
Average upload speed:  1.213 Mb/s

PEAK download speed:  2.74 Mb/s
PEAK upload speed:  1.25 Mb/s

Sprint 598U (out & about, business hours)  –
Average download speed:  .829 Mb/s
Average upload speed:  .499 Mb/s

PEAK download speed:  1.77 Mb/s
PEAK upload speed:  .61 Mb/s

Clearly, the AT&T Quicksilver is faster in places I like to visit locally. I don’t travel a lot, so I’m satisfied with basing my purchase on network speeds where I live & work in Connecticut. If I traveled more, my choice might be different.

I’m also quite happy with AT&T as a wireless service provider, and have stayed with them longer than any other carrier (and I’ve tried them all). I logged into my AT&T account today and was delighted to find my corporate discount already applied to the Quicksilver’s monthly data plan. My experience with AT&T has generally been “no hassle”, and buying and getting up to speed with this device has been quick and easy.

Decision: AT&T Quicksilver

How I performed this analysis (for data geeks
I ran Speedtest.net 3 times per modem in each location, and then averaged the results. When I had reason to think another process could be concurrently accessing the Internet, I re-ran the test.

I was wrong about the Kindle…. musings of a new Kindle 2 owner

In June 2008, I posted an article entitled Kindle: Still too expensive at $359. I shunned the original Kindle as too expensive and frankly, too ugly. As much as I love books and reading, I couldn’t imagine spending $359 for a device that looked so dated.

There, I’ve said it. Even with my affection for shiny, new gadgets, what’s on the inside counts but what’s on the outside counts, too.

Flash forward eight months to February 2009, when the Kindle 2 was announced….

Suddenly, what I’d previously thought was overpriced became quite compelling. Was it the addition of text to speech? Was it the prettier design? Was it the influence of my Kindle-owning friends? Those answers and more below, in my initial impressions as a Kindle 2 owner.

What I like about the Kindle 2:
Solid, quality construction: My initial impression upon removing the Kindle from its shipping carton was, “Wow, this is really solid.” Of course, it requires the same care in handling as any electronic device. However, it’s thin but doesn’t feel fragile.

Text to speech: It doesn’t quite sound natural but yet isn’t so digitized as to be unlistenable. This feature will be handy for those times when my eyes are tired from gazing at a computer screen.

Intuitive navigation: I confess, I took a quick look at the user guide but didn’t pay attention to navigation instructions. I just picked up the Kindle 2, and started using it.

The screen: Crisp and easy to read. It has a matte (not glossy) finish to reduce glare when reading outside. 

On board dictionary: What reader doesn’t at times encounter a word they’d like defined? With the on board New Oxford America Dictionary, one doesn’t even have to put down the book to look up a definition. Nice!

 

Amazon’s eBook selection: I’m a long-time Audible.com (audio book service) subscriber. As wonderful as Audible.com is, sometimes I want a book that’s just not available in audio format. Enter Amazon’s Kindle book store which offers great variety, and pricing (many at $9.99) is still far less than buying the physical book.

3G wireless connectivity without monthly subscription: Considering the cheapest cellular data plans cost an average of $20 to 30 per month, the Kindle’s always on wireless helps justify the device’s pricing. Of course, this always on wireless has its benefits for Amazon – it makes it incredibly easy to buy books.

What I’d like to see improved:
Variety of Kindle newspaper subscriptions is too limited and most are too expensive considering their digital format: I set up a Kindle subscription to The Irish Times since I love the perspective non-U.S. press offers and I thought the subscription pricing was reasonable at $5.99 per month. I love the Wall Street Journal but my current annual online subscription costs less than twelve times the Kindle WSJ $9.99 monthly subscription – I’ll keep my web-based version, thanks.

And, frankly, that’s all I can think of that I’d change. I am delighted with the Kindle 2, and very impressed with its quality and the attention to detail that has gone into its design and implementation.

How I met my housemates (and how you can meet some, too!)

I live with three furry, affectionate little housemates: Nick, Lucy, and Hubert. All three were rescues: Two were adopted from a shelter, and one had been abandoned to spend the winter outside alone.

I met Nick at a shelter in December 2000, a month after my beloved Siamese, Simone, was euthanized. Nick was a year old, energetic and very handsome. He has been living with me for 8 years and is a great “big brother” to our new kitty, Hubert, with whom he likes to romp & play.

I met Lucy in mid-September 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Watching the horrific images of suffering on TV made me want to do something, anything, to make the world feel like a better, more positive place. So, I went to the Connecticut Humane Society. There were so many deserving pets, I wanted to take them all home! Lucy was a lovely but timid seven year old Maine Coon who clearly needed a quiet, loving home. She’s a sweetie and wants to give kisses to every human and feline she meets.

I met Hubert in late November 2008. I wasn’t planning to adopt another pet but he’d been abandoned and the weather was beginning to get cold (in fact, it snowed the next day). So this sweet, little cat joined our household. He is very mellow and loves to chase around the house with Nick.

What does this mean to you, dear reader? When I adopted these three, I gained more than sweet, wonderful housemates (although I gained that in spades)! I was honored to give three very deserving homeless pets a safe, warm, loving home. That small but very meaningful act has benefitted not only Nick, Lucy, and Hubert, but has also benefitted me by providing the gratification of knowing that I’ve made the world a better place for them.

If you are planning to get a dog or cat, please adopt from a shelter.

(This post was inspired by a Pet Connection article about Maddie’s Fund partnering with the Humane Society of the U.S. and the Ad Council to encourage Americans to adopt cats and dogs from shelters.)

January 20, 2009: An historic day

I <3 Zephyr

Reading Venturebeat earlier today, I learned of a cool iPhone app that I downloaded & like alot: Zephyr

While Zephyr isn’t quite as cool as Ocarina [iTunes] — there’s no blowing into iPhone’s microphone to create music this time — it adds another element: Messages. You see, you create music on Zephyr by touching the screen. While you could just draw gibberish, the point is to send a holiday message (the writing is in snow flakes) to someone elsewhere in the world. For example, in testing out the app, I’ve already gotten the messages “Peace” and “Happy Holidays,” accompanied by the music produced from writing those statements (see video below).

via Ocarina maker Smule back with a holiday iPhone app, Zephyr » VentureBeat.

What do you feel grateful for?

I recently discovered a new iPhone app, Gratitude Journal, and it’s quickly become my favorite way to journal.

I’ve long kept a journal and found it to be a beneficial activity. Carrying an iPhone, it seemed natural to keep a journal on my phone so I could add entries no matter where I was. Unfortunately, I hadn’t found any iPhone apps that I felt compelled to routinely use for journaling or that password-protected my entries in case my phone was lost or stolen.

Until now…

I love the beautiful simplicity of Gratitude Journal’s user interface design. As you journal, you add bullet points – no pressure to add long entries, just add a quick thought of gratitude, press return and add another (lather, rinse, repeat). You can rate your day from 1 to 5 stars, and also add a photo from your iPhone’s Camera Roll (if you’d like). If desired, you can add a 4-digit password to protect your entries.

Because the Gratitude Journal focuses you on the good things in your life, it feels great to journal using this app. And it quickly becomes a wonderful habit.

Carla Kay White (the app creator) blogged about why she wanted to create this app and how she’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds to charity: The Making of an iPhone App – Gratitude!

Gratitude Journal costs 99 cents at the iTunes App Store. How it’ll make you feel using it every day? Priceless.

Hubert rocks!

Hubert Rocks! video made with Animoto iPhone app

IPhone App Review: NatsuLion

I recently ran across a new Twitter app: NatsuLion for iPhone. It has a cute little icon, but don’t underestimate this app – it’s well-designed, fast, and full-featured. And did I mention… free?

 

 

Like every other Twitter app for iPhone, NatsuLion displays “tweets” from your friends. What sets NatsuLion apart is how much information it packs into each screen: Until I view a tweet directed to me in the main stream, NatsuLion displays the number of replies, direct messages, etc. as a number on the Replies badge at the bottom of the screen.

 

It also color-codes tweets directed to me within the main twitter stream:

Red = Reply

Blue = Direct Message

Yellow = Auto-search on my username

 

Aside from enabling quick “at a glance” viewing of my Twitter stream, NatsuLion provides a variety of settings to enable a personalized experience. For example, “Use Safari” means that NatsuLion opens web sites within the app rather than in Safari (something I find very handy). I like having the ability to fetch 200 messages, and then have NatsuLion fetch even more messages (by enabling “Autopagerize”) if I get to the bottom of the 200 message list. There are 2 themes: Dark and Light – I prefer Light, but Dark is also attractive.

I’ve tried all the major Twitter apps for Iphone (both free & paid), and consider NatsuLion a significant find. It loads fast, helps me identify messages I need to review quickly via color-coding and unread count, and has an attractive, easy to use interface.

Highly recommended. Get it at the iPhone app store here.

Autumn in Southern New England