Tretakoff Musings

As an AT&T CallVantage (VoIP) subscriber, I've been watching the Vonage developments carefully. However, despite scouring the web for details, it was always unclear if this was a specific issue of Vonage violating Verizon's patents, or was it all VoIP? Wired has the answer in this article, as well as a ray of hope that this will all possibly end up an unenforceable. Let's hope so!

Well, it's been nearly a month with my new Treo 680, and I'm pleased to report it's been a significantly better device than I had anticipated. I was moving from a Palm TX, with it's big screen and integrated WiFi, with a Bluetooth connection to my Sony Ericsson Z520 as backup. My biggest concerns were the sacrifice of speed of WiFi and the lack of screen real estate, as well as the purported disastrous Treo 680 battery life. I'm please to report that all of those concerns have been addressed. Ok, let's start with the obvious. The keyboard is phenomenally easy to use, and makes mobile email a reality. Yes, I am now getting enticed by the prospects of checking email at any moment, but even for things like Twitter or detailed messages, it's extremely workable. The form factor of the Treo is the right balance of size and sleekness to me: it allows me to slip the Treo in a blazer pocket or the front pocket of my jeans, equally. Having never had another Treo, I ca...

I know, I'm still overdue on two reviews: one for my Jawbone headset, and another for my Treo 680. Suffice it to say, for the moment, I am impressed with the Jawbone, but have reservations on the fit...more will come, I promise. The 680, on the other hand, is more than I hoped for, and is truly a worthy pre-iPhone device, with actually a lot more going for it. I will be sitting down to devote some serious time to share the joy. For the moment, I will instead pass along one of the many surprises I've had since becoming a Treo owner. and it's about my least sexy topic, backups. Palm has released a beta application for backing up most of the essentials for your Treo, automatically, every night, over the air. Yup, like Mozy , the app comes up, contacts a Palm server, and backs up your contacts, Favorites, and more. You do need a significant data plan from your carrier, and you have only vague controls on the timing, but it just works. And, of course, it's free...for now. ...

As many of you know, Uncle Sam and I have a rather strained relationship. I take a rather Libertarian view of most government services, and nothing exemplifies that more to me than the annual ritual of paying income tax. Of course, I used to treat them as a minor annoyance, but the Dot Bomb implosion and the wonderful world of Alternative Minimum Tax (see Lani's recent post on this) turned my tolerance to outright antagonism. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, as well as a surprisingly cooperative IRS, I am no longer paying for income I never saw, but I still grind my teeth at the approach of April 15th (or this year, April 17). However, last year I found hope. TurboTax , Intuit's answer to the horrific nightmare that is income tax, always promised the "easy, fast and painless" that all software does. However, despite being a Quicken addict for years, I never put much faith in it. Last year, with the deadline approaching, I surfed over to the site, to see if I c...

“Movie Eateries” Provide An Upscale Remake to Sagging Cinemas. Did I call this one, or what?

Two notes: - I have succumbed to Twitter . I'll try it for a while, and see what it yields. My Twitter status is on the right. - I found my best Xmas gift, thanks to Cameron. Now, I really can be Robocop, thanks to the U.S. military!

What is it with Google? They getting scared by Yahoo's recent launches? In any case, they've now released MyMaps, an easy way to create your own Google Maps mashup. Mark your places on the map, add pictures, links, and voila. It took me about 5 minutes to create a map of all of the past places we have lived. Next, a map for my company of all of my clients.

Well, the move is over, and we're in the new digs...but unpacking has been taking my precious blogging time up. Sorry for the sporadicness, but I bring a new gem today: Google has launched a 411 service . Yep, any business, with a free call to the Goog. 1-800-GOOG-411, or 800-466-4411. My fellow officemates, Jingle Networks , do a great job in this space today, but Google goes them one better: they connect the call, free. I'm not quite sure how they handle the billing, but I guess with gazillions of Google Bucks around, they can afford to pick up some calls. It addresses the #1 problem I've had with 800-FREE-411: I can't use it when I am driving, because after the number comes to me, I have to remember it, disconnect, and dial, all while driving. Uh-uh. Thanks, Google.