Christian Nimsky - The Feedhttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/en-US2010-03-21T21:07:57ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.3 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Droid + Verizon + Google Voice = Great Potential, But Think Before Portinghttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/11/13/droid-verizon-google-voice-great-potential-but-think-before.htmlChristian2009-11-13T15:45:32ZGadgets googlevoice motoroladroidI was one of the people that got really spun up about the Droid.  Why? partly I wasn’t going the AT&T route for an iPhone (every iPhone user I talk to sounds terrible and/or the call drops) but mostly it was because Verizon finally had a strong Android handset and Android interfaces closely with Google Voice. 

I like Google Voice.  A lot.  I am one of those people eagerly waiting for some of the FCC smoke to clear so I can port my number into Google Voice.  That’s where the Verizon + Google Voice + Moto Droid landscape is close to great, but not quite there.  And the shortcoming in my opinion is around how Verizon and Google have coordinated the launch of the Droid but have omitted Google Voice from their story to the 100,000 people who have bought this phone, some of whom are interested in using Google Voice with Android on Verizon.

If you are thinking of porting your number to Verizon with an idea that you’d port it later to Google Voice, you might want to wait.  My thoughts as to why after the jump…

]]>Pre-Teen Daughter? Show Her This Videohttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/10/4/pre-teen-daughter-show-her-this-video.htmlChristian2009-10-05T00:13:07ZParentingI am glad someone finally illustrated how this is actually done.  It’s one thing to tell your daughter that such imagery isn’t real; it is far more effective to show her.  Thanks to Dove Canada for sponsoring this through their Campaign For Real Beauty.

]]>Inspiring High Altitude Photography Under $150http://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/9/21/inspiring-high-altitude-photography-under-150.htmlChristian2009-09-22T04:07:28ZMiscLong Island from 93,000 feetI love it when someone does a thing both audacious and deceptively practical.  Two students at MIT successfully launched a digital camera to 93,000 feet using a weather balloon and recovered it. Their total project costs were in the $150 range, well within the means of the average human.

That’s high enough to see the black sky of near-space.  The recovery was done via a Boost Mobile phone with GPS.  The image above is from the project’s website at space.1337arts.com.  Go check it out and make a donation.  They deserve it.

]]>You WILL be Latino!!! You WILL!!!http://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/9/20/you-will-be-latino-you-will.htmlChristian2009-09-21T01:07:00ZMiscMy wife’s last name is Lago, and she’s of Italian descent.  This week Facebook started mysteriously displaying all non-user-generated website copy in Spanish.  She never asked for it, and has also clicked a “not interested” link they’ve displayed when prompting her if she wants to continue her FB experience in espanol.

On her computer I just typed in “Facebook.com” to check something and saw the login screen above.  FB is evidently not deterred by her user preferences.

]]>How Not To Go Out Of Businesshttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/6/22/how-not-to-go-out-of-business.htmlChristian2009-06-23T05:23:52ZTripsVerizon MiFi 2200: Coolest Thing Since TiVohttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/6/2/verizon-mifi-2200-coolest-thing-since-tivo.htmlChristian2009-06-02T05:03:38ZFamily CTO GadgetsI was never really motivated to get one of those 3G laptop modem cards, partly because you have to fit it to a single computer.  This means one person at a time, and to boot some of the cards have format restrictions like Express Card, PCMCIA, etc. And then you have this weird appendage sticking out of the side of your computer, just waiting to get snapped off.

When I saw the MiFi 2200 however I was immediately intrigued.  We have a family road trip coming this summer and I’ve been thinking about how to stay connected without hunting for spotty Wi-Fi everywhere we go.  So I bought it and am blown away…

]]>Camping by the Beachhttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/4/10/camping-by-the-beach.htmlChristian2009-04-10T21:31:50Z
Camping by the Beach
The shot is during a cloudy moment, but the beach in question is at Jade Cove, home of natural jade, jade divers, surfers, and next time around: me with a kayak.
]]>Summing Up: From My 6-year Old Daughterhttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/4/8/summing-up-from-my-6-year-old-daughter.htmlChristian2009-04-08T06:23:39Z
Summing Up: From My 6-year Old Daughter
This pretty much says it all. She drew it spontaneously and what's interesting is that we don't discuss finances or investments in front of the kids.
]]>Kid Tech: iPod Touch vs. Nintendo DShttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/3/21/kid-tech-ipod-touch-vs-nintendo-ds.htmlChristian2009-03-21T05:02:20ZFamily CTOEven though our children’s friends have received electronic games for presents, my wife and I have generally resisted this.   We bought a Nintendo Wii to emphasize “family” gaming in a controlled setting but there is something about games like the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP that have a strong appeal to kids.

So in response to the repeated please we have told our kids they need to save their money.  And one day they called our bluff - they had enough money to buy their own.  One bought a Nintendo DS and one bought an iPod Touch.  After the jump I’ve included my observations about each as they would apply to a young (pre-teen) child’s use.

]]>Zion National Park in Winterhttp://christian.nimsky.net/blog/2009/1/5/zion-national-park-in-winter.htmlChristian2009-01-05T00:44:27ZTripsOn the heels of a skiing trip to Utah we went into Zion National Park this past New Years’ Eve.  We had time for just a couple short hikes with the kids: Weeping Rock and Riverside Walk.  If you could deal with slick and frozen trails that day you’d find that the crowds were few and the scenery was beautiful because of the snow cover.  Check it out below:

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