Filling up 32GB on an Apple Touch November 10, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness, Society, Technology.Tags: 32GB, Apple, contacts, gMail, iPod, iTunes, music, Pictures, podasts, present, Touch
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So, I have had a few weeks with my new iPod Touch 32GB 3rd Generation…. and I have to say it is all I expected and more. It is very easy to use. Even the free-est of free apps are quite good. I have already managed to download 4 additional pages of apps, mostly games, and have enjoyed all but a few.
One thing the Touch has caused me to do is clean up my data. I have managed to find and remove numerous duplicate copies of music of my library. I have also consolidated all my contacts from my phone as well as my other mail progams into GMail with which the Touch syncs pretty seemlessly. Although the default contacts app is pretty lame. My next big project is to start utilizing Google Health so that I have access to our family’s health records any time, any place. Well, with the Touch it isn’t exactly that completely available – having only WiFi does have its major limitations. But you would be surprised at how many unlocked wireless connections are out there. Just this morning, I tweeted outside my son’s day care on someone’s wireless connection.
It would be very nice to have anytime/any place access, but I am still not ready to pay $40 bucks month to get it. Granted, I am als missing out on GPS apps that don’t work on a Touch, but since the OS does not allow 2 apps to run at once, I think that functionality would be disappointing anyway. The new Motorola Droid will probably do that thing kind of better once there are more diverse applications available for it.
So, my favorite uses so far? I haven’t quite figured out tweeter and I am not addicted to Facebook yet, but I guess that is the anti-social side of me. Those are two excellent uses for the Touch for sure. Like I said, I consolidated all my contacts, so I do like the fact that I can now carry around my whole address book, although I still need do some work to keep that in sync. And my biggest benefit all along has been to keep my podcasts in sync. It obviously works seemlessly with iTunes, which has every podcast under the sun (and any other podcast can be subscribed to also). And with the 32 GB, I have room for my entire 20 GB music library. I am starting to carry around pictures too. And then there are games. Sadly, my favorites are old classics, a brick breaker game, a toobz game, a real GTI is very cool, sudoku, maj jong, air hockey… like I said, I now have four screens to apps.
I have yet to pay for an app or a podcast, though. As much as I love the apps I have found, I would be very tormented if I spent money on something that ultimate is just a time waster. I would want to get my money’s worth, but I also would not want to waste time on this machine. It is certainly a fun, entertaining, useful tool and I am so lucky my wife loves me so much that she worked as hard as she did to win it for me. ‘Nuff said!
Milford Stay Dri Tri 2009 October 7, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness.Tags: Bike, canoe, MI, Michigan, Milford, race, run, Stay Dri Tri, triathalon
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I am getting closer and closer to participating in a real triathalon. A few years ago, I did an indoor tri that used the pool, stationary bike and treadmill. It did not have measured transitions, so the intensity of the combined disciplines was reduced. I also did a few outdoor duathalons that year, but no swimming. Maybe next year, I will get in the water outside.
This past weekend, I joined a friend in a team triathalon. – although this one was a little different – instead of being in the water, we were on the water… canoeing 5K from Proud Lake to Milford. Once we beached the canoe (for the last time – there were several run-ins with the river banks!) we carried thr 75lb aluminum canoe about 1/3 mile to the transition area where we jumped on our bikes. I left the transition area a few seconds (22 secs) before than my partner who has real triathalon experience. I had a feeling I would be seeing him shortly. From that point, it was a 10K mountain bike ride on a tight single track trail through the woods in Milford. Although I did not recognize him, he passed me in the first mile or so, but we stayed close after that. In the midst of other faster riders passing us, I ended up passing Jeff with a mile or so to go in the bike. As I dismounted my bike, I heard our support team (our families) cheering him on, so my lead was about the same as when I started the bike. I heard later he had crashed right at the end of the bike trail.
After we survived that, it was a 5K run on the new paved Milford Trail. Jeff took a few seconds to put on his MP3 player, but after I racked my bike I grabbed some water and got out on the run. (It turns out he gave me 43 second head start.) I knew from the Milford Memories 5K, he was about 1:30 to 2 min faster than me, so I suspected I would have to have great run to hold him off. Unfortunately, right away, I knew I wasn’t going to set a blistering pace when I could feel the wobbles in my hamstring and then tightness in the calves. Sure enough, at the turn-around, he was only about 10 seconds behind me. He caught me and slowed down as I could keep up with him, although I have to say I would have stopped if we wasn’t there, so he kept me going. I finished the 5K in 28:04 which is decent given the prior bike.
After we finished and caught out breath, the rain started. It had been threatening and spitting all morning, but the skies really opened up. We were quite lucky to have gotten it in before that, because the bike and run would have been tough – it was on 50 degrees at the time. That being said, this was a really fun event. We really pushed ourselves and got to enjoy the outdoor activities Milford has to offer… this is yet another example of why I like living here!
Good Advertising and BAD advertising August 25, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Fitness, Society.Tags: advertising, bicycle, Klancy's Diner, Michigan, Milford Crit, Pictures, racing
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This past weekend, Milford threw a day long party for bicycle racers. They got to fly around our little town at about 30 MPH for nearly six hours. It was awesome to see 30 some riders barrelling down the street, wrap around the .92 mile loop and return just two minutes later. It was a great event. It highlighted the quaintness of our town and, I am sure brought some people into the area that rarely, if ever, would have visited without it.
Unfortunately, the weather was not beautiful, although I think it actually worked out better that way. If it was too hot, it would have been a rough day in the saddle for the racers. But it did mean that few people probably came out to watch – I don’t think it ever rained, though, but it did before and then later in the evening afterward. Our whole family went down. I helped setup in the dark of the morning and went back with the our group later in the afternoon. In the mid 60s, it was Fall-ish, which for August felt chilly, but it was comfortable with light pants and light sweatshirt or jacket.
Here are bunch of pictures and videos from the event: Milford Crit 2009
Of course, the main streets of town had to be closed for longer than that to protect the bikers and on-lookers. So, what upset me about this event was the reaction from the business owners in our little town. Now, the economy in Michigan is pretty bad, so it doesn’t surprise me that they would be upset that would-be customers couldn’t drive along the main street. But do you really think it is a good idea to bad mouth the event for all the world to see? It is one thing to think it and entirely another to do this…
This diner, called Klancy’s, sits on the edge of the main street. It is a quaint little place that relies on local business for a hometown feel. But as a person who supported this event to draw attention to Milford, MI, it upsets me that they would put out a sign like this. As soon as the baracades went up, they were complaining that they wanted to be reimbursed for their lost revenues. They had months of warning and notification, but they chose to be the martyr. There were so many other ways to handle it and yet they demonstrated how unwelcoming they can be. I can tell you, our family will stop visiting this diner and certainly will not recommend it to anyone who asks.
Need a New Portable Music Player August 2, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Fitness, Technology.Tags: iTouch, Mosaic, MP3 player, video player, Zen, Zen V Plus
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My two year old Creative Zen V Plus just died last week. I suspect it’s death corresponding to an afternoon jog in the rain is no coincidence. It lasted two years and for $180, to me that is not a great deal. I probably averaged an hour’s use every other day or so, but still…
So, now I am in the market for a new one. I like the iTouch, but given the cost (over $200) and past experience… also, I am not a fan of Apple’s use of limiting software and accessories. So, I am also considering the Sansa Fuze (under $100). It seems to get pretty good reviews. And then there are the other Creative devices… Mosaic looks nice and the Zen combines small size and a decent video player (both under $100) … but then again, my last Zen product died in two years… what to do, what to do…?
Weekend Bike Riding July 21, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness.Tags: Bike, bike carrier, Kensington Metro Park, learning, Michigan, training wheels, Weather
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This weekend I took the training wheels AND pedals of Alec’s bike. For some reason he decided he was ready to try to ride without them. I read online that one method of developing this balance is to remove the pedals. This allows him to use his feet without worrying about if his feet should always be on the pedals or the ground. He did pretty well coasting down the slight decline of our street. Kim and I cheered him on the whole time so even though he feel over repeatedly, he definitely did not seem to feel like he was failing… which is our big problem with him sometimes.
Then on Sunday afternoon, I took Ian for a bike ride. It was his first time in the bike carrier for him (the one that sits on the back wheel – he and Alec have been on a couple of rides together in the trailer). He seemed to have fun – although he was mostly quiet for the first hour – he managed to stay awake the whole time. At this age, I think Alec always feel asleep after about thirty minutes. But then again, Ian sleeps a lot less than Alec.
We road down to the park and around one time. It was relatively nice day so there were plenty of people to watch for him. It was only about 70 degrees, so I was surprised to see so many people at the beaches. I guess they were just taking adavantage of the nice days we have having here this year.
Father’s Day Bike Ride with the Boys June 22, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness.Tags: 305, Bike, Dairy Queen, Father's Day, Forerunner, Map, Milford, Pictures
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I really need to get a picture of the boys squeezed into the bike trailer I pull for them. But below is the map of our adventure for Father’s Day. It ended up being a longer trip than I had planned, but that is in part because we spent about an hour at the park playing on the jungle gym and slides and throwing the frisbee around. I stopped my watch during that time – which messed the graph up for some reason. We also stopped at Dairy Queen on the way back. Of course Alec loved that and Ian wasn’t sure about ice cream… that’ll change.
The graph is messed up from the stop at the park. I am not sure what happened with that, but otherwise… kinda cool. Not too bad for pulling 75lbs of boys.
Update on Allergies and Zyrtec May 26, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Fitness.Tags: accuweather.com, allergies, Claritin, medicine, pollen.com, Sick, Zyrtec
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After I posted my messagea bout Zyrtec, my allergies got “worser and worser” (as Alec would say). Since we did not make it to the store to get a different bottle of allergy medicine, I just went back to using the same bottle. Fortunately, I had not adverse affects. I think being off it for a couple of days made it harder to catch up on attacking the allergies – or however this medicine really works. But it definitely helps me.
Then the other day, Kim mentioned it to the pharmacist in town and he concurred that Zyrtec can definitely cause those side affects. Despite the fact that we could not find anything on the web about it, it has been reported quite a bit. He also mentioned the Claritin is useless, which I could have told you!
Last week, I also came across this cool website. I often use AccuWeather.com to get the weather forecast. But recently a more important forecast was the pollen count. I came across Pollen.com and it graphs out what is expected in our area for the highest allergies. It has been helpful to suggest which days to stay inside a little more or which days it should be ok to head out without getting pounded with itchy eyes, running nose and tight chest – those are my big symptoms.
Thanks in part to a couple of days of thunderstorms, this week should be good one. And I think based on the 4-day forecast and the 30-day history that is available, it is clear that we are finally, as May closes out, on the waning end of my suffering!
Addicted to Multi-Tasking May 20, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Family, Fitness, Politics, Society, Technology, Work.Tags: addiction, multi-tasking, podcasts, Running, tracker
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In the past couple of months, I have come to realize that I am addicted to multi-tasking. In some ways I think this is okay. I certainly accomplish more tasks this way. As I write this, I am watching the American Idol finale with my lovely wife. (Oh, and I am charging my Garmin Forerunner 305.) Today, as I took my lunch break, I listened to music as I ran 45 minutes, carrying hand weights – those 45 minutes complete the activity level for our organization’s Spring into Action wellness initiative as well as keep me in the lead for the overall organization in minutes tracked.
I could go on and on. I workout at home, watching hulu.com. I often do yard work and drive to work, listening to podcasts. At work even, I often have podcasts playing the background, drowning out the sound of the cube-farm I am surrounded by. But as you can guess by the fact that I am putting this out there, I have an element of guilt. I may be getting more done, but is the fact that I am doing two or more things at once a bonus or a detraction?
As the addicted one, I don’t think I can give a fair answer. For me, it depends on reason and things I am combining. For example, I don’t multi-task when I am having dinner with my family or playing with the boys… ok, well, I have to keep Ian occupied as I put away laundry last night…. ultimately, I think it often impossible not to multi-task. There is just too much to get done these days!
Running With Music / Right Sound at the Right Time May 7, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Fitness, Society, Technology.Tags: Running, exercise, music, safety, controversy, Justin Timberlake, What Goes Around... Comes Around, No Air, Jordin Sparks, Alanis Morissette, Uninvited, Creative Zen V Plus, Apple Nano
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There is lots of controversy over whether people should run with headphones. Indoors, on treadmills, the purest says they are not able to really pay attention to the running. Outside, safety is the issue (the purest still has their case). While, I understand both viewpoints, I just can’t follow the rule. I have to have my music. It provides a quiet distraction from the outside world and gives me the motivation and rthyme to keep moving.
For any purest out there, I have to ask, do you where shoes, clothes… how pure do you need to be? Running is a pure sport to start with, it is about the self, not the equipment. I like the idea of triathlons, but there is too much equipment advantage to be gotten by those who can. Swimming should be pure, but it isn’t once you strap on these high tech suits. Certainly cycling is not pure. You can go down the line… running requires shoes, but until those shoes can have bionic springs or little sonic jets in them, it will continue to be pure. Adding a little music to it does it give enough of an advantage or disadvantage to change that.
I can more justify the safety issue when people are running outside. In certain places, not being able to hear can be very detrimental to runners. If you run in the city where people can cause you harm or on streets (city or country) where vehicles can do you harm, you have to be able to hear them coming. I am fortunate that I am an above average height male. In this respect, I feel bad for people where this is not the case and safety becomes an issue. But this only protects me from the first issue. The second issue is more of a question of common sense and self awareness. This second issue could also apply to driving, so should be ban radios from cars?
Okay, the end of my rant. The real reason I wanted to blog on this topic was the irony of the music that comes on at just the right time. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks or podcasts, but when I listen to music, the right music always seems to come on at the right time to give me a smile. Yesterday as rounded my nieghborhood street for the third time with son in the stroller, the Justin Timberlake song “What Goes Around, Comes Around” came on. The day before, as I made the turn on a out-and-back run, I was starting to feel my lungs burn … on came “No Air” by Jordin Sparks. My favorite was when I was really starting to suffer on a big hill towards the end of a long run… Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited”… go away pain, go away!
I think I should be alble to listen to my music, if only to put the smile on my face instead of the grimis that might otherwise be there. (BTW – my MP3 player is an 8GB Black with Red Creative Zen V Plus. It competes with the Nano and I would take this non-proprietary player over the Apple any day!)
Spark to My Fitness Regime May 6, 2009
Posted by shwaldman in Fitness, Work.Tags: blog, exercise, Fitness, motivation, nutrition, Social Networking, SparkPeople, tracker
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A couple of weeks ago, our organization started its third “fitness challenge” since I have been there. It is a program from the Wellness Committee that tries to get people into the habit of a little exercise. Since it is already an important part of my life, this program shouldn’t be a big deal. But it has turned out to be an extra motivator to get me doing a little bit each day. The way it works is that people team up in groups of 5-8 to try to keep each other motivated. Each person earns 1 pt for the team for each 25-45 minutes of exercise each day of the week. Of course, it counts anything as exercise so as to be all inclusive, which I think is great.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a extra bonus. If each memeber of the team signed up for SparkPeople the team got bonus points. This site is a lot like Gyminee. But it has a lot more community and tracking functionality. For me, it adds a little competition to keep me motivated… it is like having someone else to answer to. It adds to the organization’s program, reinforcing that other people are looking out for you to keep moving.
In just the first few weeks, I have jumped to the top of the leaderboard for our organization. It is clear that people are not using this site to track their activities, which is fine. But it is a little disappointing. I had hoped the site could keep me motivated by having people to compete against. Yes, there are tons of other teams, but every other team has people completing 4 times the amount of exercise as me, which ironically is similar to the total amount of the 56 people in our the whole organization that have signed up. I can’t really compete with that.
So hopefully, I can find a way to make this a motivational tool – once I got to the top of the leaderboard, it lost it’s power. If I can’t get that power back, this will fall by the way side like lots of other social networking sites.
