Techno Cop

Google Office

Fairly recently, in a blog entitled "Working Without Your Laptop," I talked about how one could leverage the power of web applications.  Specifically, I demonstrated how I have been using iGoogle (or Google Office) during the few times that I do not have my laptop with me. In this month's issue of MacWorld, the magazine did not only feature the power of Google Office but even highly recommended it.  Here is an image of page 61 of MacWorld's August issue:

 

And here is the text of the article's introduction:

Imagine being able to access all your important documents from any computer with an Internet connection-or never having to buy, install, or upgrade office software again.  You may already use a web-based e-mail service instead of an e-mail client, but the next programs to go online very well be your word processor and your spreadsheet program you can now get a lot done with only a humble browser.

The idea of behind web applications is simple: rather than running on your computer, a web application runs on a server-you interact with it through your browser.  These programs don't need to be updated and maintained on individual computers, and since your files are also stored on the server, you can access them from anywhere without schlepping a disk around.

Google is the biggest and best-known company that's generating buzz for a growing collection of web applications.  It includes a word processor called Doc's in a spreadsheet program cold spreadsheets along a calendar called Google calendar: and, of course, a web-based e-mail service Gmail.  The price for all these programs is a whopping $0.

Can these Web applications replace your $399 copy of Microsoft office?  If you have a slow or unreliable Internet connection, the answer is definitely no. But most people who do some word processing or spreadsheet work can benefit from Google's programs- either as a compliment to office or, in some cases, as a replacement.

I find this article to be a validation of what I have been blogging about all along - that web applications have matured enough to be extremely useful. A fully customized iGoogle virtual workspace (accessed through a bookmark in Firefox) is now the default homepage in all of my computers to include the recently installed Carputer.

But all of these powerful applications do not come without their downside. According to Mac world, your documents and spreadsheets may not be totally secured. They may be compromised in the event that Google outsources some of its maintenance requirements. That is precisely why highly confidential documents should stay in your physical hard drive and password-protected. However, the last time I checked, I do not have many of those. Of course, your mileage may vary.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest that you give Google Office its much-deserved spin. All you need is a Gmail account and a fairly fast Internet connection.  Besides, you'll never know when that laptop, full of all your favorite applications, will one day just say, "break time."

Bluetooth Keyboard and the Nokia N95

 

In my last blog, I wrote about how the Carputer has thus far impacted my productivity. BTW, my carputer at the moment is not only based on the Mac mini since, every time I am in the car, I also hook-up to the LCD monitor the NOKIA N95. Instead of buying a GPS module to install in the mini, I decided to just use the N95's powerful built-in GPS. Just a single push in the AV Source button of the LCD screen and I have selected the N95 as the source.

 

The carputer for the past week or so has been running flawlessly and the CoreDuoTemp shows its temperature ranging only from 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. The Carnetix power supply is working wonderfully as it puts the carputer into hibernation (not sleep) when I turn off the ignition: it brings it back to its previous state 15 seconds after I turn the ignition on.

If there is one problem I experienced with the carputer, it has to be the lack of input device. Of course I could always carry in the car the white Apple Wireless Keyboard. But that is simply too big and cumbersome for my taste. Besides, I seldom need to input text even when browsing since I have saved all my bookmarks both in Firefox and in iGoogle. But still, it is always nice to have some kind of an input device when you might need it. That is what that keyboard is for in the above images.

Again, I found in my pile of junk this old Think-Outside-Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard. It is fairly small at just about twice the size of the N95 when folded. Using the keyboard with the Mac mini is a no brainer since it is easily identified. Now, it would be nice if it will sync as well with the N95. Boy, that will make sending SMS simply awesome.

I went to the Think-Outside website and attempted to look for the driver. The site says that they are still working on the N95 but a driver is already available for the N92 which is the one I downloaded from here. I downloaded the sis file to the PC (XP under Parallels) and decided to give it a try. I then installed the driver using Nokia's PC Suite onto the N95 without a hitch. And now for the moment of truth, will the keyboard be recognized by the N95?

 

And whadaya know, it works. It even triggers some of the N95's applications like SMS, calendar, and notepad by using the Stowaway's default keystroke combinations as defined in the manual. But it shines even more for text input alone; typing urls in the browser, typing SMS, and even in Notepad. However, it will not work with the Mac mini and the N95 both at the same time. You will need to re-enable it in the mini after using in the N95, and vice versa. This is good enough for now.

Checking my Amazon records online, it shows that I bought the keyboard in January 2006 for $90.99. I was using it of-and-on with the LE1600 back then. The Stowaway has now gone down in price since and is now selling for just $85.99.

My friend Allan and I tried to install an HP All-in-one printer the other day- HP 2600. This will solve once and for all the last remaining requirement for this project which is to send/receive fax. We tried for a couple of hours but gave up after having problems with the printer-modem interface. We can print alright using Bluetooth, but we keep getting an error message when trying to send and receive fax. Allan promised to find a solution by this week.

With the addition of the Stowaway keyboard and printer, we now have a fully functional "mobile office."

I am quite confident that our client will be all smiles when we demo our "mobile office" to him. I can't wait till we finally install it in his Ford E150.

 

 

My Email Workflow

In early 2004, my organization issued me a first generation Blackberry that I ditched six months later. Yesterday, I scrounged for it from my pile of junk, found it, and still couldn't determine its model number. It is one of those with monochrome LCDs. Anyway, I used that blackberry for what turned out to be the most miserable 6 months of my life.

It's as if I do not receive enough SMS and phone calls as it is.  You add to that the tons of email notifications and you have a sure fire formula for chaos. Using the Blackberry, I have tried all sorts of methods to minimize my incoming email. The best method was to create a rule that you only receive emails from selected contacts. And, you use those rules in tandem with the SPAM filters available in most any email service provider. Still and all, push email made my life miserable due to the distractions that I got. Despite the fact that 95% of them are either trash, nice to know, or can wait till the next day, the few seconds it takes for you to read each one already cost you precious moments away from your current task.

And so, in the middle of 2004 I totally ditched my blackberry and swore that I will never again deal with anything that has push email. I have had smartphones with push email capability since; I just did not bother activating this service.

 

My Old Twice a Day Workflow

After the Blackberry, I developed the practice of checking my email only twice a day. I check my email once before lunch then again after 5 pm. Each time I check my email, I insure that I totally empty my INBOX. Here is how I do it:

1. I let my fav email client, MS OUTLOOK, receive all my emails after manually clicking SEND/RECEIVE. Take note that I have turned off automatic download since this will only add to your distractions while working on your computer.
2. I have set rules for certain emails to go directly to their designated folders. I have the following folders configured: FAMILY, BIZ/WORK, RECEIPTS, REFERENCE, Waiting FOR, and Project folders I am currently working on. Adding folders is a cinch and could be done by right clicking on the OUTLOOK INBOX folder. To create rules that will define where certain emails should go, just click on TOOLS and then RULES & ALERTS.

   

3. Once OUTLOOK is done downloading, I start with the INBOX folder and work my way down to the last folder. Those that are unimportant are instantly deleted. I also make it a point to reply to all messages, but I limit my replies to a maximum of two sentences only.
4. Those needing longer replies are either flagged for later processing (mostly in the evening of the same day) or delegated to someone in my staff with bcc to my WAITING FOR email address (this is another email address I created to store all emails needing follow-up).
5. Those needing comments from head office are forwarded to the person concerned with bcc again to my WAITING FOR email address. I created this email address to remind me of all sent emails with pending replies. These emails are automatically moved inside my WAITING FOR folder during download.
6. I do the same thing at night except this time, I insure that all flagged items are replied to.

I actually picked-up the use of the WAITING FOR email system from one of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt. If you want a detailed step by step on how to set it up, just visit his site here.

Using this system, I have managed to keep my emails under control and my INBOX always empty. I only have to check my WAITING FOR folder to remind me of pending emails that need to be followed up.  This system not only minimized my daily distractions but also allowed me to be more productive. All in all, this twice a day system requires me to devote about an hour to an hour and half a day for email stuff.

 

My Current Once A Day Workflow

With the coming of my new Mac Mini Carputer and with the use of iGoogle, I can now get away with 'working' on my emails only once a day. I now only do serious email work at night. I still use most of the steps described above except that I now also do some very minor email processing while on the road. With an always on broadband connection in the car, I could easily do some minor email processing (mostly deleting unimportant stuff) while stuck in traffic or at the parking lot. This is done from the main page of my iGoogle homepage without logging in to every email account. That way, when I finally start working on my emails at night, all that's left are those that require more action (i.e. replies, transfer to other folders, delegate, etc). With the addition of the carputer, I find myself devoting only 30 minutes per day on emails. The time saved I now use for blogging here.

I believe 30 minutes per day for email is good enough for most. But not for TIM FERRIS, the twenty nine year old author of the bestseller "4 Hour Work Week." In his book, FERRIS described how he gets away with checking his email only once a week. FERRIS uses an email notification system advising all his contacts of this practice and requesting that he be notified by phone for urgent emails.

Recently, in a meeting at the Department of Foreign Affairs, someone was bragging about his brand new Blackberry. He was asking everyone to email him directly since he now has a 24/7 access to his email. He even went to the extent of asking me to ditch my smartphone and get a blackberry instead. I just politely smiled at him, looked the other way, then said to myself - A blackberry huh? Yah, right. Not even if you give me this Ultimate Blackberry accessory for free.

If you are wondering why a Mac switcher insists on living in MS OUTLOOK, you can read about it here.

Mac Mini Carputer

After almost a month of delay, the Mac mini based carputer is finally up and running. To the first time visitors of this blog, you can read about the background of this project from here and here.

Standing by the doorsteps of our favorite auto shop, ALLAN JARLOS, his assistant ERIC, and I waited eagerly for it to open. The first major decision of the day is where to install the 2nd carputer. Do we install it in the Subaru STI as originally planned or in the Ford Escape? Allan prevailed and we decided to install in the Escape being the everyday vehicle, but not without the STI getting its own sound system upgrade. Here is a pic of the STI getting its factory stereo and speaker system changed.

The store opened at exactly 9 am and after some discussion with the owner on what we needed done, the actual installation started at about 930. The most difficult part of the install really is how to get the LCD in dash.  Everything else went smoothly since the manual provided by carnetix is fairly straightforward. Five and a half hours later, we were all happy campers. If you just want to see the carputer at work, simply click the below video and spare yourself from one of my longest blogs ever.

If you are still here, then you might really be interested to have a carputer of your own. Then, read on.

Below is the image of the Ford Escape before the installation. Yes, that's a Garmin gps sitting by the air vents.

Below is how it looked during the LCD installation. Note that the white cable at the bottom is actually the Mac cable that connects directly to the Carnetix P1900 power supply. This Mac cable allows me to keep the standard Mac mini AC power adapter for when I need to use the Mac mini at the home office.

And below is the pic of the Mac mini carputer fully installed. I have highlighted the Canetix P1900 which we temporarily installed exposed. The reason being is that we may decide to upgrade the Carnetix software to the 2.8 version should we experience some issues as described in the Carnetix forum. So far, we have not experienced any. BTW, the mini is stored inside the compartment directly in the foreground.

If you have reached this far, perhaps, you really need to have your own carputer. So, I have listed below a summary of what you will need.

Project Summary Mac Mini Carputer

Hardware/Labor Cost
1.66Ghz/512/60GB Intel Mac Mini	$599
7″ Lilliput 629GL-10NP Touch Screen	$195.95
Crucial 2 sticks 1 gig ram (2 gig total)	$80
Carnetix CNX-P1900 DC-DC Power Regulator ver. 2.2	$99
MacPac Power Cable Kit	$24.99
Cable (3.5mm to RCA)	$7.99
Griffin Powermate (Volume Controller)	$15.87
Miscellaneous Wiring, Switches, Fuse Box, Fuse, Female Cigarette Adapter, Mounting equipment, etc	$10
Labor (installation in Ford Escape)	$25
Shipping (USA to the Philippines via Johnny Air)	$110
Software
AMP (Front End)	free
DisplayConfigX (To get OS X to properly work at the Lilliput's native resolution of 800×480)	free
Touchkit (Lilliput touch screen interface)	free
Time Spent
RAM upgrading	30 min
Software installation and in house testing	120 min
Installation of carnetix Y auxiliary power cable	15 min
In-car installation	330 min
TOTAL PROJECT COST
Total amount spent	$1,166.85
Total time spent	8.25 hours

Like I said, the manuals provided are all easy to comprehend and even come complete with images and wiring diagrams. In fact, we just gave the diagrams to the storeowner and allowed his boys to have their way with everything. We just lend a little hand in setting up the required jumpers in the Carnetix which again were clearly explained in the manual.

Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind before starting your carputer project:

• Absolutely no soldering was involved in this project.
• I used the existing amplifier and speaker system of the Escape for this project. I just used the 3.5mm to RCA cable to connect the Mac mini to the amplifier.
• Do your RAM upgrade and Carnetix Y cable installation at the same time. That way, you will only have to open the Mac mini once. Methodshop offers a very good instruction on how to open the Mac mini.
• The AMP is a free download that mimics the MAC OS X's front row. The AMP works very well with most any touch screen interface. It is even more powerful than front row since it is fully customizable.
• The DisplayConfigX is required for the Mac mini to recognize the LCD touch screen's available resolutions. Just install it and use all the default settings.
• The Touchkit comes with the LCD and is helpful in calibrating the touch screen panel. I actually calibrated mine using the 25 point calibration with an old Cross Executive Stylus. Having done that, it still works with finger touch.
• I had some issues with the Powermate USB controller. You need to use the Ver2.0.0 driver for it to work.
• I did not bother attaching any AM/FM radio module to the carputer. The cell phone could easily handle this for me.
• I have several Bluetooth headsets in the car and did not find any need to install the Bluetooth Phone Elite into the carputer.
• Instead of buying a separate GPS module, we opted to just attach the N95 to the Lilliput LCD and use its powerful Navigation system. The Lilliput is capable of handling the Mac mini, the N95, and a rear view camera all at the same time. There is an AV button in the LCD panel that allows you to switch sources.
• The factory Styrofoam packaging of the mini was glued together to serve as cushion. And it proves to be good enough. We drove around town with the carputer playing Barry White and did not experience any problems whatsoever.

Mac Mini or Nokia N95?

 

Features	Mac Mini Carputer	Nokia N95 Carputer
Cost	$1,166.85	$1,055.00
Time to install	8.25 hours	5.5 hours (LCD and speakers)
Degree of difficulty	Moderate	EASY
Connectivity	Wi-Fi  (HSDPA modem optional)	Wi-Fi and 3.5G built-in
Power	Car battery via Carnetix	Cigarette lighter adapter
Music (Stereo)	iTunes	Real player
Music Capacity	20gig space remaining	2 gig Micro SD
GPS	Option (module)	Built-in
Keyboard support	Any USB or Bluetooth	Hard to get Nokia wireless only
Printing	Any Mac or XP compatible	Limited options
Office	MS Office 2007	Quick office
Browser	Firefox/Safari/Explorer	Nokia WEB
PIM	Outlook or Entourage	Nokia
Touch Screen  Interface	Yes	None
Multi-tasking	Yes	Very minimal

The Verdict. For our purpose which is to setup a full blown mobile office, the Mac Mini based Carputer is our hands down choice. We need a setup that is versatile enough to handle the various tasks (email, send/receive fax, minor image editing and printing, etc) that our client needs to put it through. Besides, the touch screen capability of this setup just makes it more user friendly than the N95 version.

  But if all you need in a carputer is to listen to mp3's, check email, and browse the internet, we highly recommend going the way of the N95. It is not only cheaper but  a lot simpler to implement.

The choice is yours.

 

Carputer Update

This is an update to the carputer project that I described in a recent blog entitled "Nokia N95 Carputer."

In this second part of the project, we will endeavor to use the Mac Mini 1.66 GHz as the nerve center of our carputer. From the outset, please take note that we have yet to finish the project due to some delays in the arrival of some components. As of yesterday, we have only received the items shown in the picture.

The items shown are the Mac Mini 1.66, Griffin Volume USB Controller, and the Lilliput 7" Touch screen LCD.  Not shown are the 2 sticks of 1 gig RAM we ordered from Crucial. The two 256 mb sticks that came installed in the Mac Mini were already replaced with the 2 gig RAM from Crucial using the method as described in this article by Methodshop. I must say that after searching the web for the "how-to's" of upgrading RAM in a Mac Mini, this article was the most comprehensive and complete with pictures and videos. 

With all the suggested tools (basically just a paint palette and Phillips screwdriver) on hand, the actual replacement of the memory stick was done in less than 30 minutes. With the new memory installed and using Superduper, I copied the entire HD of the Macbook 13" onto the Mac Mini's HD. This is just for the purpose of testing the system and saving us the initial hassle of installing all the needed software and configuring system preferences.

After an hour of copying all of the 42 gig contents of the Macbook, we then attached to the Mac Mini the 7" Lilliput Touch Screen LCD. Using a wireless mouse and keyboard, we ran Carputer 2 through its paces and we were very satisfied with the results. The system is very responsive and was running all the software that were installed in the Macbook to include even those in Windows XP under Parallels.  Here is a picture of the Carputer 2 setup during our initial testing.

We will tinker with it some more to determine the most ideal resolution that will work using the touch screen interface alone minus the mouse and keyboard.

The only thing that is keeping us from installing in the vehicle is the arrival of the following items: Carnetix P1900 power regulator, Mac Mini power cable, and the Kicker amplifiers. We expect them to arrive in a week or so and will post here an update as soon as the project is complete.

Please stay tuned.

 

The Nokia N95 Carputer

Just recently, I, together with my partner ALLAN JARLOS, was commissioned to design a mobile office for a client.  Having done this before but using independent peripherals (i.e. fax, email, GPS, etc), we feel that technology has matured enough in order to set up a more streamlined and all-in-one mobile communication system. Basically, our client would like to have the following capabilities built in:

GPS navigation
Email and Internet browsing
Audio video teleconferencing
DVD and MP3 player
Wireless printing
Send and receive fax

Two weeks ago, after having completed our research, we narrowed down our carputer options into two: 1) using the Mac mini and; 2) the NOKIA N95. Since the latter is already out in the market, we decided to do that first while waiting for the other components needed to complete option 1.

NOKIA N95 Carputer

Owing to the computing power of the NOKIA N95, all we needed to do is to attach it to an LCD monitor to give it more screen real estate. We did our initial testing using a regular TV with RCA audio/video input. Then ALLAN decided to purchase the 7" Pioneer AVH-P6800.

The most difficult part of this project was the installation of the LCD monitor/DVD player to the dashboard of the car, which in this case is the Honda VTIS 2005. Once that was done, all we needed to do was to attach the N95 to the LCD using the cables that come as standard accessory for the N95. Below is a view of our Option 2 setup using the N95 connected to the dashboard.

All the carputer's features are accessed using the N95 handset. It is fairly easy to do once you master the standard N95 shortcuts. Taking the N95 out with you when you get off the car is very simple- just remove the LCD cable and away you go. Putting it back in is just the reverse with the N95 almost instantaneously detected by the LCD. All our text inputs (urls, email replies, etc) are currently done using the N95 standard keyboard.

The following are our shared observation for this setup:

1. The N95 is indeed not just a ubiquitous smart phone but a highly capable mobile computer. Except for the facsimile capabilities, which we should be able to figure out soon, this set up is able to handle all our requirements.
2. Although the Pioneer AVH-P6800 is a touch screen LCD, the touch screen interface does not work with the N95. In our setup, the system is controlled through the N95 handset itself.
3. The built-in navigation system, ASIAMAPS, is a joy to use. It interfaces flawlessly with the N95 which surprisingly seems to have a very sensitive GPS receiver. Even with the unit partially hidden under the dashboard, it can still constantly receive GPS data. In fact, I think it is just as sensitive if not better than my old standalone GARMIN GPSMap 60CSx with aerial antenna.
4. The N95 automatically shuts down any application once it detects an incoming call.  This is a completely hands-free system without the need for a Bluetooth headset. We can hear the voice of a caller through the vehicle's stock speakers while our voice is transmitted using the N95's built in and very sensitive microphone.
5. The setup is also able to handle video calls without any issues. We just needed to adjust the N95 to face ever so slightly towards us for the calling party to see us.
6. Email and web browsing is also flawless in this HSDPA phone provided that you use pre-saved browser bookmarks. This should get better as soon as we receive the Nokia wireless keyboard. We also plan to upgrade the N95 Office Suite which at present only allows viewing of excel, word, and PDF files.
7. The N95 has a fairly short battery life especially when multitasking. We managed to get only half days worth of battery life with the GPS and Internet constantly on. But this should be solved once we get our N95 cigarette lighter adapter.
8. This set up is very straightforward and very easy to accomplish for do-it-yourselfers.  For a minor fee, you could always find a car accessory shop to install it for you.  Once you have replaced your car's stereo head unit with LCD DVD player, the only other thing left to do is to hook it up to the N95 using the provided 3.5mm connector to RCA cables.

   Here's my personal take:

1. I still believe that a cheaper route could have been to use a regular touch screen LCD and not a complete stereo head unit such as the one we used here. We will confirm this as soon as the Lilliput 7" touch screen LCD arrives.
2. I love the N95's five megapixel camera so much that it has now become my everyday camera replacing the old Sony DSC P200. Well, it has to be especially with the high quality Carl Zeiss lens that it shoots with. The pictures above were taken with the N95 at fairly low light conditions and handheld. My only comment is that the pictures come out with a slight magenta cast. However, this is something very easy to correct in Photoshop. Besides, you will only need to do this for the images that you have selected as keepers.
3. Although the N95 is not at all sluggish even when multi-tasking, I still believe that our Option 1 (using a Mac mini) will be snappier. More on this in 2 weeks.

If you already own a NOKIA N95, try attaching it first to a regular TV, like what we did initially, then decide if it is worthy enough for your mobile office needs.

This is indeed convergence at its finest.

Happy carputing.