Thoughts of a Gmail Convert
Recently I converted my mail client from Lotus Notes to Gmail. Sure, I had a Gmail address but only so I could enjoy the benefits of Google Wave and Google Voice.
Lotus Notes has always had a soft spot in my geek heart because it pioneered mail file replication and provided advanced search queries. Unfortunately it lacked in a streamlined client and to run a Domino server for myself just wasn't feasible.
Google Apps promised a solution to cover my email, scheduling, and more for only $50/yr. Considering an Exchange account from 1and1 is almost $84/yr the trade up to Google Apps seemed attractive considering all of the features available.
My initial evaluation of the Gmail interface have been surprising, negatively surprising. This isn't a gripe session and overall I'm impressed with Gmail and Google Apps but I'm shocked at the lack of certain features.
Notably, how to keep labeled items out of the inbox. Thanks to David Tan for demonstrating the magical setup of filters to arrange the inbox.
Gmail supports Active Sync for connecting my outlook data to Windows Mobile phones but the connector won't sync my phone tasks with the Gmail tasks.
Oh, and no HTML embedded signatures? Gesh.
One of the advantages to Gmail is the numerous and widely used methods of checking email, POP, IMAP, Webmail, Exchange, Active Sync, etc so in the long run the lack of features in the Gmail interface shouldn't be a stumbling block.
More to follow as I probe the depths of the Google Apps world.
Review of iPassPort Wireless Micro Keyboard and Touchpad
Background
My home theater PC was in desperate need of a new wireless input device. The conventional wireless keyboard and mouse was exceptionally cumbersome and finding a flat surface for the mouse defeated the purpose of sitting comfortably on the couch. Several companies sell specialty wireless keyboards that include a touchpad or trackball but I wasn't willing to pay almost $100 for the luxury of my home theater PC.
Solution
The iPazzPort Wireless Micro Keyboard and Touchpad came to my attention from a Hack A Day posting. It fit my two requirements for the home theater PC. It could provide easy mouse input with occasional keyboard input and it was small. Oh, and it was almost half the cost of a specialty wireless keyboard/touchpad device.
Where to Buy
In my excitement, the first choice was to purchase from the USB Geek store listed in the Hack A Day article. However, after a few minutes of looking around I came across the EFO store which appeared to sell the same exact unit for $20 cheaper. The EFO site didn't instill confidence in me but I went against my better judgment and ended up saving $20. My purchase date was 11/29/09 and I was extremely surprised to see it in my mailbox shipped all the way from China in under 10 days (via USPS).
Review of the iPazzPort
I like it! The EFO store page contains links at the bottom of the page to accurate reviews that cover the basics. This review focuses on some of the things the other reviews leave out.
- Battery life - My iPazzPort has only been recharged twice over the last two months of usage. On average it is used for 5 minutes each day and is seldom switched off. Pretty good in my opinion.
- Wake up - The device changes to low power mode after about 3 minutes of usage. The only way to wake it up and regain usage is to press one of the buttons about 3 times quickly or power cycle the device. This appears to be by design but I find it is too short of a sleep delay. This isn't so great.
- The buttons - Most QWERTY cell phones are a pleasure to type with compare to the iPazzPort. Typing in simple web addresses or search requests is about the extent of the typing you'll want to do with this. The buttons are uncomfortable to press because of their size and contour. If they were more raised and required less pressure to press it could be comparable to most cell phones.
Bottom Line
As a wireless touchpad the iPazzPort is a great device for the money even if the keyboard is cumbersome to use. Despite my hesitation, buying from EFO was was OK.
Review of SilenX LX-4600 Luxurae Fanless Power Supply
This posting is my personal review of a SilenX LX-4600 Luxurae Fanless Power Supply. I purchased two units for different applications. One unit is for my home theater pc and the second was an industrial application in a dusty environment.
I purchased the power supplies from Directron.com for about $55 each. The order shipped promptly and the units arrived in good condition. My first disappointment came when I opened the box. As advertised the unit had a heat sink where there is normally an exhaust fan. However, attached to the outside of the housing was a small fan to circulate air inside the housing. The documentation was lacking and no where on the Directron site did it mention a fan. Also on the housing was a circulate nob that had no marking or documentation. Lastly, the power supplies came set to 230 volts and not 115 volts!
The first unit worked perfectly and apart from my disappointments I was mildly impressed. The second unit didn't work so well. It was DOA (dead on arrival) and to make matters worse it fried the hard drive!
Upon re-examination of the site where I purchased the units I found three alarming concerns.
- Directron will pre-test the unit for an extra $5 per unit.
- After Googling to find other vendors of SilenX power supplies only Directron and Axiontech were listed.
- The SilenxUSA.com website sells the same LX-4600 unit for over $230!? Why can Directron and Axiontech sell the unit for under $60?
I realize some times parts are DOA and the fact that the DOA unit damaged a hard drive can't be avoided. My primary concern is the site had misleading images and no description of the internal fan. It remains to be seen how the DOA unit is resolved by the manufacturer/reseller.