John's Technology Blog

OctaGate SiteTimer

The OctaGate SiteTimer is a great tool for troubleshooting slow loading web pages.  It times the entire download (connect, first byte, last byte) of every element on a web page.  Items in red show some type of error.  Clicking on the magnifying glass takes you to the element's detail.  Free service.

Remote Control PCs with Zoho Meeting - New

I have been using Zoho products for over a year now and just keep being impressed by them.  Perhaps I am as impressed by their ability to provide free or reasonably priced products, as I am by their speed of development.  Google needs to be worried, and Microsoft needs to be buy these guys.

Personally, I use Zoho Meeting as the most convenient, and free way to remote control PCs.  Don't miss their new, simpler interface.  (Look for the box with the light blue background.)  This is a feature set very close to what other vendors are asking many $$ per month.

Thanks Zoho.

Replug | SAVE YOUR JACK

Here is a clever Apple idea taken a step further.... SAVE YOUR JACK It creates a "clean breakoff" mechanism for common audio plugs.  Ideally, vendors would license this tech and build it into their products, making the design a bit cleaner.

Wi-Fi Access point driven by EVDO

Here is a product that takes an USB EVDO modem (provided by your cell phone carrier) and creates a Wi-Fi hotspot from it.  Best part is that it is all battery powered.  This would allow any public space, camping trip, or any spontaneous gathering to be Wi-Fi enabled in seconds.  Would be great for first responders establishing temporary command centers.

Link: CradlePoint Technology.

The cheek is in the mail: Ancestry launches DNA testing

Here is a way to find all those relatives who rather you not find them. 

Link: The cheek is in the mail: Ancestry launches DNA testing

Jeff Han and a interactive wall

Here is a video of Jeff Han demonstrating an interactive, multitouch wall.  Considerable progress over his previous demonstrations.  It should be noted that his company is shipping product today!  Not surprising, among the first customers are several 3-letter federal agencies.

Link: FastCompany.com - Video, Audio and Podcasts.

PS: I continue to believe that Apple is preparing to release another product based on multitouch.  Somewhere in size between an iPhone and a Macbook, maybe even called iNewton.  (I kid).  This is the tablet product which Bill Gates has been trying to get OEMs (Toshiba, HP, Dell, Acer) to build for many years.

UPDATE:  Neiman Marcus is now selling Jeff's wall in their famous gift catalog, also available online.  They have a great video describing what this model can do.  Only $100.000!  Now I just have to find an 8' x 3' section of wall...

Need to talk to a human?

Tired of pushing the buttons of the customer service lines and not getting the results you want?  Ever hope that you could just find the human at the end of the autoattendant's maze?  Here is the answer -  a quick reference for finding the shortcut to the human operator.  Link: gethuman 500 database.

Microsoft moves into multi-touch

Microsoft announced this week that they have a new "product" although it is not available to mere mortals, just industrial buyers.  Regardless, the idea moves Microsoft in the right direction.

The core technology is a multi-touch interface.  I showed multi-touch here in the past.  The day that multi-touch is incorporated into a plain windows interface, that will be something.  David Pogue has a nice piece on Microsoft's development.

Rumors are that Apple, who already incorporates multi-touch in their upcoming iPhones, is hard at work with this technology.  Jobs made reveral VERY OBVIOUS references to "can't talk about them yet" types of products during this interview.

Google Voice Local Search

Those of us who are regularly on the road and need to find local business have provided a great source of revenue to the phone carriers via our 411 usage.  Now Google waltzes into that arena with the potential for a major disruption.

Google Voice Local Search is still in beta, but it works great for me.  More value than the traditional operator-based search, and it is FREE.  Another speed dial entry for me.

Google Humor

Although Google's internal value of "do no evil" has been questioned in the recent past -- and for legitimate reasons, I may add -- the company still has that rare corporate sense of humor.  Something is right with a group of people who design thematic logos and chose to solve a logic/sequence problem with the obvious.  Take a look at their detailed directions for going from my house in Indiana to London, UK.  Step 22 in particular should not be overlooked.