Palm now does Windows (another one bites the dust)

Every company that I have seen do business with Microsoft after competing with them for years tends to go under in about 2-years following that point. (WebTV, Central Point, Fox Software, Connectix, etc..) Exceptions in this case is Sybase and Citrix. At any rate, I think Palm and their new Windows based Treo phone is the start of a dangerous relationship for Palm. Let's wait for 2-years and see if Palm is still in business in 2008.

There may be hope since the PalmOS software was acquired by a Japanese company recently. I still use my Sony Clie daily.

IBM, Java, and AJAX research

I didn't want to post the same content in 2 blogs here's a link to my software engineering blog concerning the same topic.

Sony PSP observations after a few days as a portable web browser

After using my Sony PSP as a portable browser, I thought I'd share a few observations. The built-in browser is quite nice and intuitive. Sony provides a good help screen just like they do in their games that is graphical and intuitive. I always wanted to be able to lay down my family room or on the couch while watching cable TV or a DVD and surf the web. I used to do this with a notebook computer which required a laptop desk, portable stand or an end table. I could never get comfortable with a notebook computer. With the PSP, it is small enough where you can actually get comfortable and then hold the PSP in your hands for browsing the internet.

Now don't get me wrong, the PSP is not a good replacement for a notebook computer. However as a ultra portable web browsing device, it is exactly what I was looking for when I bought it on the first day release in the USA last in March 2005. I actually got one around 7:30am at my local Best Buy. I highly recommend anyone who in addition to an awesome portable gaming device wants/needs a ultra portable web browser that a large enough screen to actually be useful go out a buy a PSP. It's definitely worth it.

Sony PSP as a portable web browser

I finally got around to start using my Sony PSP as portable web browser after installing the PSP 2.0 update (released 19Aug2005) a few weeks ago. I was having problems initially last month and just figured I would try it out later. Well it turned out that the wifi on/off switch on the left side of the PSP is by default set to the off position. After turning this switch on and configuring the PSP for my secured home WLAN and it works great! My first impression after using it last night for an hour or so is that this is a damn good portable browser. Much better than the mobile phones with their tiny screens. I tried that a few years ago and unsubscribed to the web enabled phone service I had with Sprint. The large PSP screen actually makes this a useable portable web browsing device. The coolest part is that the PSP is a awesome portable gaming and movie/music gadget.

Compressed air powered cars

Here are more interesting articles about using air or compressed air to power vehicle engines of the future if the oil companies allow it.

http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/3/2004/08/26/story002.html
http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/stories/2003/hybrid.htm
http://www.driversdrive.com/cgi-bin/ddblog.pl?ddblog=66414051
http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US04370857__

The first few articles I remember reading in 1999-2000 predicting that within a few years we would have commercially viable compressed air cars. Well, that never happened and we now pay $3 per gallon for gas today,Sep2005, in the USA.

Toshiba fuel cell powered MP3 players

Here's yet another Slashdot article about a methanol based fuel-cell MP3 that Toshiba is planning to demo this year. No mention of when we'll be able to buy these types of devices in the USA. Looks like the Japanese consumer electronics companies will be the ones that will make fuel cell devices practical for the rest of us.

Hydrogen Generating module for your car

I just read this interesting article about a hydrogen electrolysis device that will either A.) change the world a bit B.) is a hoax C.) over hyped. At any rate, if all goes as planned, we'll know in about 6-12 months according to the article.

ADHD and pharmaceutical companies

I just read an Associated Press article stating that more American adults are taking drugs for Adult Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD also known as Adult ADD. The data was collected by Medco Health Solutions . The article states that between 2000 and 2004, use of drugs for ADHD doubled for adults age 20 to 44 and rose 56% among children. ADHD symptoms include impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity. This looks to me like it is a artificial increase due to increased pharmaceutcal marketing, managed care (HMO,etc) pressure on doctors to spend less time with patients, and the subtle influencing of doctors to over prescribe for convenience. I like what Carlos Mencia (the comedian in "Mind of Mencia" on the Comedy Channel) says about ADHD, "if it did not exist when I was a kid, than it's not a real disease." This part of his routine talking about ADD and ADHD.

All this seems to be a bit suspicous at a time when marketing by the drug companies is at unprecedented highs and the American society's drive for more "convenience in a pill" to solve just about every health and mental problem are colliding. I don't see much written about what causes ADHD or ADD. The statistics keep working in favor of more drugs which means "cha ching" for the drug companies. Do you see a problem with these facts? I do. This is the exact argument against ritalin, the ADD drug for kids. I would never put my kids on ritalin. Have you seen kids on ritalin. Talk about zombies. They are well behaved becaused they are in a drug induced state of calm.

I plan to do more research about ADD and ADHD just to see what information is currently available about these controversial disorders. I believe there is a small legitimate percentage of people who have ADD or ADHD however, not in the numbers that the drug companies would like everyone to believe. In the article there is now nearly 1.5 million Americans 20 years old or older using these drugs. It looks to me like the "consumer convenience drugs" is now big business.

Impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity are symptoms of most adults lives to some degree or another. I think there are non-drug solutions to these symptoms including self control, organization, planning, and exercise just to name a few off the top of my head.