Archive

Archive for May, 2006

Palm GPS Navigator in 100 Best Products list

May 31st, 2006 No comments

Palm GPS Navigator
PCWorld ranked the Palm GPS Navigator accessory that I expended so much energy on in 2004 and 2005 25th on their list of the 100 Best Products of the Year. Taking over product management of the GPS/car navigation accessory business at palmOne from Palm veteran Alan Urban was one of the most strenuous and educational events in my life. It’s now in the hands of the very capable Ed Tse.

Too bad the integrated GPS car cradle pictured here (as sold in Europe) never really made it to North America. Lot’s of lessons learned on that project…

Categories: geospatial, Palm, Work

iWoz

May 30th, 2006 No comments

Pre-order Steve Wozniak’s new autobiography iWoz due November 2006.

Categories: computer

Making of Thunderbirds

May 30th, 2006 No comments

Video presentation on how they made those amazing super marionette shows.

Categories: entertainment

Jef Raskin’s SWYFT and the Canon Cat

May 25th, 2006 No comments

Good telling of the SWYFT story, a keyboard-centric personal computer design that reflected more of what Jef Raskin originally intended the Macintosh to be, and what eventually shipped as the short-lived Canon Cat.

Categories: computer

Pioneer AVIC-Z1 car nav system learns favorite routes

May 25th, 2006 No comments

Finally, a car navigation system that learns your favorite shortcuts. Still waiting for a commercial navigation system that lets users exchange favorite routes and the establishment of map wikis. Google could lead here.

Categories: geospatial

Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act

May 24th, 2006 No comments

Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden introduced a Senate version of Rep. Blumenauer’s Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act of 2006 last month. It proposes at $40~$100 tax-free reimbursement for employees who bicycle to work, and considering that mass transit reimbursements of $105/month and parking reimbursements of $205/month already exist, this should be a no-brainer. Forbes has an article on the effort.

Since the primary barrier to passage of the bill is apathy from the majority car drivers and legislator concern for the federal budget, why not take away the parking and car mileage tax deductions? Considering the health and environmental benefits of bicycling, the government stands to save billions of dollars by disincenting car drivers and making bicycling the biggest commute-related tax benefit of them all.

The only downside I see is increased hot water consumption from all the additional showers and laundry cycles.

Categories: bicycle