First up is the Kingston Wi-Drive, a portable wireless hard drive for iOS devices.

Leading Off

I’ve been using Kingston’s Wi-Drive for the last month. It’s a small, lightweight wireless hard drive for use with iOS devices. The model I’ve been using is 16GB. To connect, you use the Wi-Drive app (free in the App Store). Estimated battery life is 4 hours, which I found to be accurate. It comes nicely packaged, with a nod to Cupertino.

Three Up

1. Everything about it is fast. Using the app, setting up the connection, and accessing content on the Wi-Drive is fast. After about five minutes to set up the app and connect to the drive, I was streaming Batman Begins. Once I selected the movie in the app, it was playing in less than three seconds. And scrubbing forward and back in the movie was instant. Zero delays. Very fast. It also remembered where I left off in the movie I was watching.
2. It’s light and small. It’s slightly thinner than an iPhone 4s and can easily fit in any pocket, purse or backpack for easy portability (thought I don’t recommend it for reasons outlined below).
3. You can share the connection. Up to three users can connect simultaneously, allowing up to three people to access the media on the drive wirelessly. I experienced no issues accessing the same content on multiple devices at the same time.

Three Down

1. You can only connect via WiFi. This is limiting, because you have to disconnect from your regular WiFi network to use the device. You can use the app’s wireless network function to connect the Wi-Drive to a wireless network, but it’s not perfect. For instance, I couldn’t type in a network that wasn’t broadcasting its SSID. Also, if you leave the car or hotel room, your device may not reconnect to the Wi-Drive automatically. Having to connect to its WiFi network, then open the app, then find your media every time can become rather annoying. I’d rather just have the media on my device. Finally, you can’t use iPhone tethering while you’re using the Wi-Drive.
2. It’s expensive. When I received the drive, it was priced at $129 and $179 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively. Currently prices have dropped to $69 and $99 on Amazon, which is much better.
3. It gets hot when it’s being used. Really hot. Scorching hot. Not good. While it’s built for portability, you can’t keep this in a pocket, a laptop bag or even resting near a piece of paper, for fear it might catch on fire or burn up the drive.

The Final Score

I can see this device being useful for someone with an 8GB iOS device, families on a road trip or a long plane ride, or possibly small teams during a business meeting. Outside of those scenarios, it’s doubtful that you’ll get much use out of a Wi-Drive, and the heat is a major concern. For the money, you’d be better off upgrading to a larger capacity device or upgrading your Dropbox account.

This release features a brand-new option to switch post editor documents into “Full-Screen” mode for more focused writing. In full-screen mode, the window is expanded to take up the entire space of the screen, and the menu bar is hidden from view.

- Red Sweater Blog

Excellent! This is a great new feature. I’ve been using WriteRoom for years to start my writings. Then I move them into MarsEdit for formatting and adding media, categories and tags before publishing to the blog. Full screen mode might just push WriteRoom out of my workflow entirely.

If you’re on a Mac, and not using MarsEdit for your blog, you should check it out.

1. They are made in America. Right here in Texas.
2. They give back to they community and the world, as shown in this video. Awesome.

Check out their YouTube channel for more. Then, go buy something awesome, that will last forever.

I’m waiting on the funds, but one of their products may be the only thing that I buy this year that’s not an iPad 2 or Macbook Air.

I find it interesting that there are only three responses to this question. For me, I haven’t seen the value yet. So, while it’s not a distraction, it’s also not a tool/resource for me (yet).

I’ve asked a question or two on here that have had zero responses. I’ve responded to a few questions as well. Those only have a few responses, and I haven’t seen the voting play a role yet.

I’m sure it’s a lot like Twitter. Some people will use it and exploit it. Some people will find their value in it and maximize there time here. Some people will never adopt it or take a while to, then come unwillingly if it’s a hit.

The problem for me is, this is just another site I have to go to, manage my account. If I have a question, why not just post it to Twitter, where my PLN is strong and is, usually, ready to answer my questions?

Very good question. I’m curious to see how this one gets answered.

And, all that being said, I really do love a good tool, and Quora seems to be well built and is fairly well designed.

On the lighter side, check out http://www.cwora.com: “A continually spamming collection of unanswered questions created, edited and organised by no-one who uses it.”

So, I’ve been waiting for something like Crisp to happen. Brilliant tumblog theme from WooThemes. Simple functionality added to easily add link posts, image posts, and other types of posts from a single area on the dashboard.

I use MarsEdit primarily, so going back to the WordPress admin interface to post content was not my preference. However, I was able to make it work by simplifying the screen options (collapsed menu, single column) and using Fluid. I still use MarsEdit for my regular longer posts, but for everything else I am now using the Crisp tumblog area with it’s simple publishing options.

I’m happy.

Enter Instapaper. Integration with Twitter apps and all my browsers, and a iPhone app. Brilliant and simple. If it’s worth reading, I’ll “read it later.”

My other favorite tool is Readability, which makes most websites 20 times better by cutting out the sidebars, ads, Flash, and other crap and just giving me the article I want to read, in a wonderful typeface of my choosing, at the size I prefer.

I’ve set my father-in-law up with Readability, because he, too, hates the crap on websites that disturb good content. It’s good stuff. Arc90 deserves a medal.

So here’s how I read the internet:

1. Twitter to Instapaper (to read later) or to Safari/Readability
2. Safari to Instapaper or Readability (depending on time)
3. Google Reader in Fluid with Helvetireader
4. Email – I still prefer some email newsletters and Feedburner because it, again, is just the content.

More goodness:

• Give Me Something to Read – a list of the most “Instapapered” articles.
• Netvibes – was my primary for a long time. Works well with Fluid.
• Instapaper Restyled

They are decent at adding new functionality, but mostly they just got it right with the core app, except for one thing:

$14 per month.

Doesn’t seem like much, does it? But look at it this way: $168 (one year). Now how about $336 (two years). That is a LOT of money for one tool in a freelancer’s/small business owner’s toolbox.

Less Accounting ($12/mo, $144/yr) and Blinksale ($6/mo, $72/yr) are other options, but they’re still expensive.

I’m switching to Billings for a one-time payment of $39. If I upgrade, it’ll probably be once, maybe twice over the next two years ($25 or $50), bringing my total to a max of $89 over two years.

I’ve been drooling over some amazing graphics and diagrams recently, but this is the best I could do to show my potential cost savings over the next two years:

Just thought I’d share my thoughts and recommendations. Freshbooks is awesome. Less Accounting seems like a good tool. Blinksale is good also. If you run multiple computers or have more than one employee, it might be worth the extra cost for the online services.

But as a freelancer/small business owner with one or two employees (the wife does some HR consulting occasionally), and only one responsible for estimate, invoicing, etc., I’m going with the cost savings, while retaining the same functionality (albeit local to my machine) as the web-based tools.

I’ll probably have more on this subject after a few months or a year with Billings.

(Thanks to Aaron for the nudge).

For only $20, using the discount code below, (or $60 if you get the lifetime license), it’s worth every penny. (plus you can make referral money too). I’ve been using this tool for over a year now, and it’s been great. One, because it backs up my contacts and events, and two, because it’s such a transparent app, you never know it’s there. You just run it and it works.

Save $5 by clicking here or using coupon code D8BYCM.

What’s New in Spanning Sync 3:

• Much faster sync times—up to 10x faster on large syncs
• Calendar alarm syncing
• One-way syncing of calendars and contacts
• Syncs more contact properties, including birthdays and nicknames
• Option to not sync older calendar events
• Reduced memory usage
• Easier installation process
• Snow Leopard compatibility

I had a Roomba a few years ago, purchased on a whim from Woot at a pretty good rate. It was pretty sweet for several months, taking care of a good percentage of the dust, cat hair and crumbs and other crap on our hardwood and tile floors. It even handled itself pretty well on the hallway carpet.

Over time, however, the brushes (though cleaned fairly often) stopped working as well, the sucking power waned, and the battery started fading faster than my iPhone’s. Finally, the damn thing just up and died. The light would come on like it was charging, but it never kept a charge, and I put it to rest at Goodwill.

One year with Roomba = fun experiment, but in reality, $100+ down the drain. We had our other vacuum for 5 years before it kicked it, and it was only $90.

We now use a $25 Shark 2-in-1 for our hardwoods. It requires a little manual labor, but saves time (and curse words) because it used to take me an hour to clean the damn Roomba brushes!

(via Mike, who also had a failed Roomba experiment)

Check out this slide:

In addition, there are four – I repeat, FOUR – different kinds of audio going on at the same time. WTF!

1. Background music
2. Background audio from emergency calls (looped)
3. Video audio (sirens)
4. Narration

All that content is competing for attention from your brain, which means very little of it is going to stick.

I understand if the judges gave the award only for “effective use of product features.” However, the rules page has the second bullet as “Effectiveness of course content to transfer knowledge,” which this course clearly lacks.

Anyhow, this is just a reminder to make sure your content, and how you present that content, whether in a course, or in a website, or in classroom training, is useful, concise and is not there just so you can say you used every tool in your toolbox.

Could this be the answer to my project management woes?

Basecamp+Highrise works for a lot of people, but not for me.

Check it out for yourself. My review is pending.

Online Project Management Software – Clarizen

(via TechCrunch)

Description

A true German-style Kölsch. Originally brewed in Cologne, this beer is light yet has a sweet malty body that is balanced by a complex, citrus hop character. Multiple additions of German Hallertauer hops are used to achieve this delicate flavor. We use a special Kölsch yeast, an ale yeast that ferments at lager temperatures, to yield the slightly fruity, clean flavor of this beer. Fancy Lawnmower Beer is a world class brew yet light enough to be enjoyed by Texans after strenuous activities, like mowing the lawn.

Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer is best consumed at 35-45° Fahrenheit.

Recommended pairings: Blackened fish, salads, & grilled veggies.

Synchronize iCal and Address Book with Google Calendar and Gmail Contacts. Share calendars and contacts among multiple Macs. And while you’re at it, connect Google Apps to your iPhone or iPod.

Spanning Sync, my favorite synchronization tool as a Google Apps user and a Mac user, has released an update, version 2.02, with some minor bug fixes and improvements to overall speed and a smaller memory footprint.

Get this app, sync your life, save $5, and give to charity, all by clicking here.

I picked up a Flip Mino along with my new Canon SD1100 IS P&S.

I did side-by-side comparisons, and while some of the Flip’s video was a little clearer, the audio and video quality of the Canon, even in low light, was on par and sometimes even better.

Thus, I chose to stick with one pocket cam, instead of two, because the Canon, for just $50 more, also had the ability to take kick-ass still shots.

As Dan said, if you have a DSLR that you take everywhere, maybe the Flip is for you. But if you’re like me, and have a DSLR for planned events, but want a do-everything camera for your pocket to have with you ALL the time, don’t limit yourself with a pocket video camera.

Now, when true, quality HD video recording comes to the pocket cams, I’m all over it

**UPDATE** The 1100IS is now basically the same price as the Flip Mino. Get it at Amazon and I’ll make half a dollar or something.

And a quick video review:

Flip vs. Canon Video Comparison from Brian Dusablon on Vimeo.

You can read more below, but if you just want your $5 savings, use this code: D8BYCM when you buy Spanning Sync ($20 for a year with this coupon, or $60 forever).

On top of that, when you buy a license, you are automatically part of their Save 5+Make 5 deal, allowing you to make money off of referrals. How cool is that? I’ll make $5 if you use my code. It could end up being pretty lucrative, as Aaron has shown. Heck, if you use my code, all you have to do is refer 4 friends and Spanning Sync is entirely FREE for you.

Spanning Sync synchronizes your Google Calendar with iCal. It also (in the upcoming version – releasing very soon) syncs your Google Contacts with your Address Book.

This app basically fills the void that Google hasn’t yet. I love Gmail, and I love Google Calendar, but I was often frustrated by the fact that my contacts were not in sync. Now they are.

I’m also doing some tests on using iCal versus strictly Google Calendar, and this app has been great while I perform my tests, allowing me to use Google Calendar at work and iCal at home.

The only thing it doesn’t do is sync tasks from iCal to Google Calendar, but that’s Google’s fault, because they don’t have a task feature in their calendar, for some ridiculous reason.

More on calendars, tasks, and productivity in the VERY near future.

They just released the newest update (free for v1 owners), and they’ve added Subversion version control…this app has almost everything now, it’s insanely wonderful.

• Source Control using Subversion
• Local multi-file search and replace
• Add a new book that can point to your favorite reference material on the internet or locally
• Improved syntax coloring, including accurate coloring and completion when one language is nested in another (such as JavaScript and CSS within HTML)
• Scriptable editor and document management
• Tab Status Icons tell you if a file is local or remote at a glance
• Sites are now sortable
• New “Reverse Publish” action performs a folder-hierarchy-aware download of remote items

This app is incredible. I love it, and it has saved me countless hours of productivity by having everything in one place.

Gruber reviewed it last year, and his review still holds true.

Coda 1.5 Released

I’ll try to add a more detailed review, but it’d be easier for you to just go download the demo and see how wonderful it is for yourself.

I went to Plaxo help, and of the Top 25 articles, how to delete my account was #1!

So, unless you really, really love Plaxo and don’t mind them sharing your email address with the entire world, then I would go delete your account.

Update: Plaxo has a history of screwups.

Update 2: Officially deleted.

I’ll post my experience up here when I get a chance to build out some sites (maybe Duce Enterprises will be my first RapidWeaver project!)