From Concept to Consumer by Phil Baker

"From Concept to Consumer - How to Turn Ideas into Money". Available on-line at  Barnes & Noble, Amazon and bookstores everywhere. Also available for the Kindle. From Financial Times Press.  What others are saying:

Summer games

Need to pass some time or decompress? Here are two games for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will keep you busy no matter how long that trip!

Astraware Solitaire

This addictive game, just released, has twelve of the most popular solitaire games, including Klondike (the solitaire game on PCs) with all its variations. Astraware distributes some of the best games such as Bejeweled 2 and Word Wrap, and this is in the same league, if you’re a solitaire fan. Polished, lots of depth, easy to learn, and lots of fun. 99 cents.

Flight Control

This is simple to learn but hard to master. Try landing aircraft onto runways and avoiding mid-air collisions. There’s a variety of aircraft, some flying slow, others, fast, all heading to different runways. The latest rev offers play on three different sets of runways. Another really addictive game that’s hard to put down. 99 cents.

Two powerful new laptops (San Diego Transcript)

  I've been trying out two new notebooks, each designed to pack powerful performance into a package that's thinner and lighter than many mainstream notebooks. They're not direct competitors with one another; one is a PC running Windows Vista and the other is a Mac. But each represents their makers' latest and best attempts at offering a desktop replacement that's ideal for traveling with extended battery life.

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s

The T400s morphs the thinness of Lenovo's breakthrough "thin and light" X300 with its older T400, incorporating a 14.1-inch display, a solid-state drive and a new mechanical design to keep it just 0.83 inches thick. A new carbon fiber mechanical structure provides exceptional rigidity and yet adds little weight. The T400s weighs just under four pounds, 20 percent lighter than the T400.

Google Voice now opening up

Google Voice, originally known as Grand Central, is one of the best free services available off the Web. It lets you give out a single phone number that when called rings all of your phones. Just pick up one phone and the others stop ringing. I've been using it close to two years and it makes everything much simpler for yourself and those trying to reach you. It does a lot more including archiving your calls and sending you an email transcription of calls you missed. Check it out here.

TiVo in high definition (San Diego Transcript)

A decade ago TiVo created a new device, the digital video recorder (DVR). Its genius was the ability to record TV programs by selecting them by name instead of manually setting the time and channel. It let you stop a live program in progress to answer the phone and then return to watch where you left off, and it let you watch a show with a delay and skip over the commercials. Owners viewed programs on their own schedule and did it much more quickly without the commercial interruptions.

Consumers unhappy with Netbooks

I've always thought these products were over hyped and would lead to disappointment after the novelty of their small size wears off. Why? Because while they look like notebooks, most are underpowered and excruciatingly slow. A new report from NPD comes to a similar conclusion (below).

But the good news is many of the manufacturers, burned with high return rates, are working on newer models with improved performance.

NPD Finds Consumer Confusion about Netbooks Continues

Port Washington, NY, June 22, 2009 – Netbook, notebook – they sound the same. According to a new report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, many consumers believe the two have the same functionalities. NPD’s Netbooks II: A Closer Look report, found that 60 percent of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a notebook thought their netbooks would have the same functionality as notebooks.

New T400s ThinkPad: Thin and Light With Powerful Performance

Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad T400s laptop, a thin and light feature-packed PC.  Under an inch thick, the T400 sports a 14.1 inch display and solid state drive.Weight is under 4 pounds. I'm in the process of testing the T400 and will have more in next week's column. Early findings: An excellent combination of a powerful notebook in a lightweight, yet robust package.

Traveling to Asia? Cathay Pacific is highly recommended

Just returned from Asia for the multi-hundredth time. I used to be loyal to United, accumulating over 1.4 million miles, but now I'm a big fan of Cathay Pacific. It's all United once was 20 years ago and much more. New planes, excellent flight attendants, good food and less expensive than United. Business class provides a very comfortable flat bed, isolation from your neighbor, three types of lighting, a huge in-flight entertainment center, GPS, a camera looking at the ground during take-off and landing, and an  AC outlet. Even when stowed for take-off and landing, each seat can view a strategically placed monitor across the aisle to stay informed.  

What has soured me on United is the ridiculous change fees I encounter, particularly on domestic flights. I recently changed a UA flight that cost $200 and was dunned $150. Frequent travelers remember that and it does not inspire loyalty. I wonder how United's accountants measure that incremental revenue when they loose a customer on their International routes as a result?

The Palm Pre – An outstanding new phone from Sprint (San Diego Transcript)

Two years ago Apple’s iPhone made mincemeat of the so-called expert cell phone designers: LG, Samsung, Motorola, Palm and Nokia. Apple raised the bar so high that’s it’s taken two years for there to be a serious competitor. Enter the Palm Pre. With Palm on the abyss of extinction, it’s come roaring back with a superb new phone that is equal the iPhone in most respects.

I’ve been using the Pre, available from Sprint, for about a week now and it’s a delight to use. What’s most noticeable is that it’s small, with a footprint not much bigger than a credit card. It’s shaped like a thin bar of soap, smooth with rounded edges and nearly seamless.

Dads and grads gift ideas (San Diego Transcript)

June is the month for graduations and Father's Day, so I've assembled a variety of gift suggestions, most from the world of technology, but also added a few non-high-tech gifts, as well.

CC WiFi Radio

The CC WiFi, one of the smallest and easiest to use tabletop Internet radios, tunes into 16,000 radio stations from around the world. Sound is very good; it has 99 memory presets, a remote control, an alarm clock and an Ethernet port for a wired network connection. It's more effective than others I have tried in wirelessly connecting to a WiFi router in another part of the house. Weight: 1 lb. Size: 6.5" W x 3.9" H x 3.9". ($159, ccrane.com)

Leica D-Lux 4

This is the ultimate small camera for its superb image quality and Leica-quality finish, and it's become the favorite second camera of many photographers. While it's based on the similar, but lower-priced Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, its own image-tuning software and the excellent lens produce exceptional images. It has a Leica-designed f2.0 lens, a 2.5x zoom starting at a wide 24mm, that creates beautiful low light images. I bought one six months ago and carry it with me everywhere. ($700, leica-camera.com)

Gmail spam filtering is failing

Reports across the Web indicate Gmail's spam filtering is failing many of its users. I've seen a rash of new spam mail that make it past GMail and into my computer's inbox. Here's a thread on Google's user forum describing the problems many are having. Hopefully, Google is listening and working on the problem.

Palm Pre: First look

UPDATE 1 

I picked up my phone this morning (June 6). Activation took about 30 minutes at the Sprint Store (Greenbrae, Marin County). 20 were waiting at the door at 8 am. Personnel were exceptionally well organized and trained, much like an Apple Store experience. The store manager, Cam, came out before the doors opened to explain the process. She offered to help those in line if the were eligible for an upgrade so they wouldn't be surprised later. She checked with customers to be sure they were satisfied.

Agents in the store were incredibly knowledgeable about the product and took as much time as needed to explain how it worked. I had them transfer my contacts from my iPhone to the Pre. When I left the store the contacts were not there, but appeared about 30 minutes later like magic. Apparently the work is done over the Web. 

What strikes me most is how small the phone is, yet how usable the screen and keyboard are.  It makes the iPhone look huge. The Pre comes with a tiny USB charger (cylinder shaped), a USB to micro USB cord, a cloth slip case, and user manual. If you buy the Touchstone charger you get a second back for the phone that's finished in soft touch matte black. It contains the circuit  for the Touchstone. An optional leather case is well constructed with a ribbon to quickly pull out the phone. 

The Pre is a very special phone that finally gives the iPhone some serious competition. It's the result of out of the box thinking, much in the way the iPhone was. Of course, it emulates many of the iPhone features that makes it less revolutionary. There's no doubt in my mind that the Pre will be a big hit. Ironically, now AT&T and Sprint have significant phones, while Verizon ad T-Mobile have nothing in the same league.

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The new Palm Pre goes on Sale on Saturday at Sprint stores nationwide for $199. There's been great anticipation for a phone that can compete with the iPhone, and the Pre comes the closest to doing that than any phone yet. It's smaller but thicker than the iPhone, and easily fits in the pocket or purse. The slide out keyboard is better than the iPhone's screen keyboard, but not as good as the Blackberry's Bold keyboard.

The WebOS software is snappy and very advanced. Multiple applications can be open at once. The touch screen responds to finger gestures much like an iPhone, but there are more gestures on the Pre.

The biggest weakness is a lack of applications from third parties. That takes time, but given the iPhone's 70,000 head start, Palm will have a challenge to compete in this area. What that means many of the functions easily accessible on the iPhone using apps (such as checking flight times, NY Times and other news, scientific calculators, Facebook, games, etc.) will not be available or will have to be accessed through the browser.

One of the neat features is you can use iTunes with the Pre. The software thinks it's connected to an iPod and will sync non-protected music and Podcasts. The Pre has an attractive shiny black finish in a contoured shape that feels great in the hand. 

Bottom line: This is the phone Palm needed to survive, Sprint required for their comeback, and users wanted for iPhone performance while avoiding AT&T's erratic 3G network. It succeeds on all counts.

Note on networks: I love the iPhone, but find AT&T's network, at least with the iPhone, to be very spotty with lots of dropped calls. So I carry a Sprint phone as well and find its network to be much more dependable.

(A full review should be available once I get a production unit. Of all the reviews I've read from those who had phones for an extended time, this one is the best.

Mac computers and the cost of PC ownership

There's been a big debate about the cost of PCs versus Macs, sparked by recent Microsoft commercials. But one of the biggest differences is the cost in time and money to have your computer serviced. Computers are very complex devices, and portables are even more prone to problems, because they're exposed to rough handling, drops, and jostling, and they are have more parts packed into small enclosures that run at high temperatures. 

So expect to have problems, whether they're Macs or PCs. Industry reports indicate 10% or more will experience hardware problems in the first year. Then what? If 

A high-tech factory that "makes" mushrooms (San Diego Transcript)

Situated along one of the back roads of San Marcos near a series of hothouses is a huge new building at the top of a winding driveway. Marked only by a small sign with the name Hokto Kinoko, the imposing structure is this country's first mushroom production facility. Now I've been to factories of all kind in the United States, Japan and China that build notebooks, phones, cameras, circuit boards, chips and other technology products, but never to anything like this facility. It's designed from the ground up to grow mushrooms under highly controlled and sterile conditions. 

Griffin PowerDuo Reserve: AC and car charger plus rechargeable backup battery

I travel with oddles of chargers and cords to keep all of my devices charged. There's the iPhone, the inCase battery case, a Blackberry and my Bluetooth headphone. Thank goodness I can use the same type of charger for most devices, the ones with a USB connector built-in. Now Griffin offers Their PowerDuo Reserve. It consists of two USB chargers, one for 110 AC and one for the car. But there's one difference. Each device has a pocket for simultaneously charging an auxiliary battery for the iPhone. Thus you can charge the battery along with the iPhone or other device. Costs $60. Griffin.

Pluses

Everything you need to charge most any device in the car or at home (except the cables)

A tagalong backup battery for your iPhone

Attractive design

Minuses

Battery is less than half the capacity of the iPhone battery

Pricey

Picture this: A simple photo quiz provides insight into selecting the right camera and accessory

An innovative new tool called  VisualDNAShops allows Websites to install a widget, as shown below, that's used to provide advice on purchases, and then allow them to buy. A commission goes to the Website.

The company has provided me with the code “concepttoconsumervisualdnashop” for the first 50 readers to get their own VisualDNA Shop during the private beta phase. It will be officially launched next week.  All you need to do is enter this code when you go to the site, and you’ll get a free Pro shop.

Another misuse of technology

Check out this report from The Consumerist about ProFlowers.com adding a recurring charge of $14.95 to those that don't opt out of a special offer after ordering their flowers. Special, all right! 

Misusing technology (San Diego Transcript)

Too often new technology is misused and we end up with something far worse than what it was intended to improve. Let me give you a few examples.

A computerized calling system programmed with thousands of phone numbers to make automated calls was touted as a godsend to government entities that might need to evacuate an area in advance of a hurricane, as well as to large organizations in need of reaching their membership with important announcements.

Instead they're being used to spam us with advertising calls, some illegal and in violation of the Do Not Call Registry Law. Many of us have been on the receiving end of these incessant, automated calls from companies trying to clean our carpets, fix our credit ratings or sell us auto warranties (even to those without cars). Recently the problem was elevated when Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) became outraged, after receiving an auto warranty call on his cell phone while in the Senate chambers.

Of course, he encountered what most of us have experienced for a very long time. And he may not know that it's not only rogue organizations using this technology, it's his colleagues, as well. I've been getting robocalls from my representative, Brian Bilbray (R-CA) that tie up my phone line until the message is through playing, and fill up my answering machine when I'm not home. It's hard to imagine how he thinks this improves his image.

CVS Pharmacy recently began making automated calls to remind us to refill our prescriptions. Like Bilbray's calls, it was not an opt-in program, meaning you were not asked if you wanted to receive these calls first. It's a terrible idea because you get a call for each prescription, usually during dinner. (It's not against the do-not-call law because you have a prior relation with the company.)

The Top 10 Mistakes Inventors Make

(First appeared on Yanko Design)

In working with numerous inventors and designers over the years, I’m surprised to see how many make the same errors. So from that perspective I’ve created a list of those mistakes and how to avoid them. 

• Do everything yourself 

Leverage. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Do what you do best and rely on others to do what they do best. These days you can get access to resources around the world as easily as around the corner. 

• Focus on patents 

Don’t overly rely on patents. Patents only give you the right to sue, and rarely prevent others from selling a product that’s just like yours. Remember that patents can take a few years to issue, while 

A hands-on look at the Pentax K-7 DSLR: Small in size, big on features

Pentax may not be as large a company as Canon or Nikon, but you wouldn't know it from their digital SLRs.  They've had a recent history of producing some of the best models that have appealed to advanced amateurs and professionals alike. These models are complemented by a wonderful array of lenses, ranging from inexpensive entry level zooms to some incredibly sharp, water-resistant units. They also make a series of high performing single-focal length pancake lenses that add little bulk to the body. 

Today Pentax has announced their latest model, the K-7, that's been eagerly anticipated. I've been trying a pre-production model for several days, and it may just be their finest camera yet that will appeal to pro and hobbyist alike. The body has a suggested retail price of $1299.95.

I've used its predecessor, the K20D, used ever since it was introduced over a year ago. I travelled around the world to Australia, China, and Europe, shooting thousands of images, and it has worked flawlessly, taking some of the best pictures I've ever captured. It's rugged, easy to learn, and being sealed against moisture, sand and dust, has made it worry-free around the beaches, lakes and streams. (While not a professional photographer, I used to design and test cameras at Polaroid, and have always had an eye for high quality images and great mechanical design.)

While a full review awaits a production unit, the new K-7 has the makings of an even better camera than the K20D. It's a significant upgrade, not just a tweak.

Pick it up and the first thing you notice is it's smaller size, about 7% smaller than the K20D, and its solid feel. Yet it's just as easier to hold, because of the new sculptured handgrip. It feels more dense and more solid than any other DSLR, likely a result of the all-metal chassis and a more effective packaging of the components into the new body. (It reminds me of the Olympus OM series that raised the level of compact film cameras 30 years ago.) 

I put on one its pancake lenses and it's one of the smallest true DSLRs than anything I've seen. It easily fit into one of my slim computer bags. Like it's predecessor it's finished in matte black with not a chrome highlight anywhere.  Based on my K20D that's been used for a year with no case, the finish shows no wear and looks like new.

Seagate's answer to Apple's Time Capsule

A number of readers wanted to know if there's a PC equivalent to Apple’s Time Capsule, the backup drive I recently wrote about, that works to preserve a Mac’s computer contents and easily restore it in the case of a crash. 

Seagate offers the closest solution to this, their sleek-looking Replica back up drive system. While it works through a USB connection and not WiFi as on the Apple product, installation is a snap - just plug in the drive and single click to begin. Because it backs up your entire computer, you can use it to fully restore your PC, just like the Time Capsule. In addition it works silently in the background and replaces older backups as newer ones fill up the available space.

The 250GB version for a single PC costs $130 and the 500GB version for two costs $200. (www.seagate.com/replica)

Mophie Juice Pack Air for the iPhone

UPDATE:  After a few days use, I found that the iPhone is very difficult to remove from the Juice Pack Air. In fact, in removing it, the JP cracked. This is a problem if you chose to charge your iPhone using it's connector. 

The All-New Mophie ‘juice pack air’ is the latest and perhaps the slickest integrated iPhone case and auxiliary battery.  It's a little smaller than the competiton with slightly less capacity, but it glossy finish and tapered shape integrates well with the phone, making it look like an oversize iPhone. It offers the protection of a hard-shell case while providing nearly twice the battery life of the iPhone alone; all in a thin, light-weight, low-profile design. Note that it still leaves the front face exposed like its competition. It is charged using a micro USB connector, has a 4 LED charge indicator and an off-on switch. Comes in white, black and purple. $80 at Apple stores only.

The inCase Power Slider, covered earlier, is slightly larger, has 10% more battery capacity, a non-slip matte black finish, and costs $100. It offers slightly more protection with the case covering the frame around the screen.

The success of both of these prducts points to the need for more battery life in the iPhone.

San Diego's high-tech mushroom "factory"

I'll be doing an upcoming piece on one of the most interesting "factories" I've ever visited.  Located in the hills of San Marcos near sprawling greenhouses, is a huge, clean, modern facility that automates the growing of mushrooms. The Hokto Kinoko Cpmpany of Japan grows four varieties of organic mushrooms under pristine, near-clean room conditions. The facility is capable of turning out 6 million pounds per year. While this is their first facility the US, the company has nine in Japan and one in Taiwan.

Updates: New Jawbone headset, ProClip auto mounts, LifeLock (San Diego Transcript)

Just after publishing my column comparing three new headsets, Aliph announced its latest Jawbone model called Prime. Since the Jawbone has been one of the most successful of all headsets, I obtained a Prime from the company to compare it to those just reviewed.

The Prime replaces the Jawbone 2. While it looks nearly identical, it works even better. Sound quality on my end was fuller and less trebly. The latest generation of its "noise assassin" noise reduction technology is much more effective, and it works better under breezy conditions.

With my car's air conditioner blowing on my face at full force and the radio blasting, I was easily understood, even though I could barely hear myself. Those I spoke with heard very little background noise and thought the performance was the best of the group. I was heard clearly, even standing next to a running coffee grinder.

Apple's triple play (San Diego Transcript)

While Apple is recognized for its iPods, iPhone and Mac computers, it has also developed some lesser-known products that are equally innovative, building on the company's software expertise. Each of the products is exceptionally easy to set up and use, and unique in its respective category.

Time Capsule

Apple's Time Capsule combines a hard drive with a wireless WiFi router in a simple, attractive box. It's designed to work with Time Machine, the fully automatic backup application that comes loaded on every Mac computer running Mac OS X Leopard. Together, they provide one of the easiest ways to backup one or all of your computers without wiring or a complicated setup.

Lenovo's S10 gets tweaked

When I tested it in December, he S10 is one of the best netbooks available. The S10-2 is an incremental update to the current S10 product. There's a new cover design and the system is slightly thinner and lighter. The keyboard is larger and the right-shift key enlarged, as has been the touchpad. The S10-2 will start shipping in a couple weeks and be priced at $349. Models with integrated 3G will be offered in several months. System include QuickStart, VeriFace, and OneKey Rescue software. I'm currently evaluating the Asus 1000H and will have a report soon.

Unusual wheeled carryon

I came across the Vvego wheeled carry-on at the Travel Goods Show a few months ago and dismissed it for its unusual looks and high cost (about $2700). But I learned more about it recently that might put it into a different light, especially for those that buy high priced designer brand luggage and would appreciate something that is custom built for them.

The company called to explain that their rolling bag was made out of the finest material, all built by hand in the US, and designed to appeal to that rarified audience that has the money to spend and is looking for something different, personalized, and that makes a design statement.  

Putting aside the price, there are some unusual features that conventional luggage makers might want to take note. There's an outside pouch for holding items you pick up at the airport or need ready access, the bag opens wide like a doctor's bag for easy access, and the cleverly designed wheels have built in shock absorbers created by the wheel's spiral design. The bag is mounted on an aircraft aluminum frame (choice of color) with an arched folding handle that remains on the outside to provide more packing capacity.

While it's not a product that fits my budget or needs, we should encourage locally grown innovation and thinking out of the box, even for building boxes.

Jawbone Prime headset

The just released Prime replaces the Jawbone 2. While it looks nearly identical to its predecessor, it’s significantly better in performance. Sound quality at my end was fuller and less trebly, its noise reduction, the next generation of its “noise assassin” technology, is more effective, and it works in very breezy conditions, such as walking outside.

With my car’s air conditioner on high and the radio blasting, I was easily understood, although I could barely hear myself. Those I spoke with thought the performance was the best of the group. I was heard clearly, even standing next to a running coffee grinder.

For Jawbone’s noise reduction to work on previous devices, it needed to be up against your face to detect jaw movement. That was a problem with earlier models if the headset was not touching your face.  With the Prime, a backup system engages if that occurs. In addition, a new eartip design improves contact against the face.  The Prime comes with a multitude of eartips and earhooks, a USB charger, and (unfortunately) their non-standard connecting cord. Verdict: Great performance. Best of the small headsets. For now expect it to sell close to its list price of $130. 

(Note: Had this been available for inclusion in this week's column, it would be at the top with the Plantronics Pro, slightly ahead of the BlueAnt Q1 when used in adverse conditions. But the Q1 remains highly recommended for its voice technology.)

Three new Bluetooth phone headsets (San Diego Transcript)

UPDATE May 8-   I will be testing the new Jawbone Prime beginning tomorrow. This is Aliph's just released model that replaces the Jawbone 2. I will post a blog on my findings and discussing it on San Diego's KOGO-AM, Sunday at 10am PDT.

I've been trying out three new Bluetooth headsets that promise better performance than their predecessors. Of course, we've been hearing that for years, yet few models have lived up to their hype. So are these really better and worth buying?

The products are the Sound ID 300, the BlueAnt Q1 and the Plantronics Voyager Pro, each available for about $100. I tried them under a wide range of conditions including in my car with the air conditioner and radio on, outdoors in the breeze and in noisy airports. I called friends and left messages on my answering machine to listen to how I sounded. I used an iPhone and a Sprint HTC Diamond cell phone to eliminate phone variability.

All come with a variety of eartips and AC chargers. The Plantronics and Sound ID use the new standard mini USB connector for charging, while the BlueAnt uses a smaller connector. The BlueAnt and the Sound ID can be charged from a computer, but the Plantronics requires the purchase of a separate cable.

BlueAnt Q1

The Q1 is a small convex-shaped headset with a metallic finish and a large circular button on the front, and up/down volume buttons on one edge. Comfort was excellent for all-day wear.

There are two modes of noise cancellation: normal and enhanced. The differences were hard to detect by listeners, even from a noisy airport. Occasionally my words were clipped a tiny bit but intelligibility of my voice to others was very good on either setting. On a breezy day and in my car with the air conditioner and radio on, I was easy to understand. In nearly all situations I was able to hear those speaking to me clearly, and their voices were rich sounding. It also worked well outdoors in a slight breeze.

Audio, video and now pencasts

We're all familiar with listening to audio and watching video, but now there are pencasts. A pencast consists of listening to a lecture or speech along with watching the notes being written at the same time. You can then use the notes to skip ahead or go to a particular subject that covered. Pencasts are created using Livescribe's Pulse smartpen.

Tomorrow, Livescribe will announce the ability to embed “pencasts” directly into any Web site or blog versus only being able to view them on Livescribe’s Online Community. This enhancement makes sharing information even easier for consumers. As a reporter, I could post notes/audio from interviews or enhance podcasts with a more visual pencast.

Skyroll on Wheels

It looks like a clever idea—a garment bag wrapped around a small rolling bag. The bag itself has a zip-open flap, and the company’s display picture shows a pile of neatly folded shirts stacked vertically. The only problem is the width of the interior is really too narrow for shirts, unless they’re folded a second time. That may be okay for tees but it certainly won’t help with dress shirts.

The garment bag attaches with plastic clips and Velcro, supposedly with room enough for three suits. However, when I arrived at my hotel after an eight hour flight I discovered my one suit required pressing, and this despite the additional anti-wrinkle protection of a plastic laundry bag. Why?  I figure unless you can keep the bag upright—an impossibility in an airline’s overhead bin--the wrap around design all but guarantees that the weight of the suitcase will rest on top of at least part of your suit. 

The shallow top compartment, which unzips and flips open, is a nice feature, and it makes it easy to get to small items, including that bag of 3 oz .liquids when going through security. The arched extension handle does make this rolling bag a bit easier on the back. But that’s not enough to make this piece of luggage worth taking on my next trip. $249 here.

 

Comments from the company -

1) Dress shirts are meant to go in the garment bag with your suit, not in the suitcase. The dimension of the suitcase are 12 x 7, exactly 1 inch undersized on each side to allow for a typically loaded garment bag which, when wrapped around, will add about 1" to each side bringing the dimensions up to the 14 x 9 carry-on standard.

 

2) We never claim you won't get any wrinkles in your suit, this depends greatly on the suit fabric and packing, which we cannot control. You'll actually get better results with more than just the one suit in the garment bag, for the reason you mention. The corners and handle are padded to not put added pressure on the garment bag.

 

3) The product is designed specifically to A: eliminate folding of your suits, which must be done with all other luggage and garment bags, and B: to combine a garment bag and a suitcase into one unit so you have less luggage to carry and save on excess baggage fees. It would have been nice if you could have mentioned this.

 

The Brand Show Podcast

Check out my interview on The Brand Show Podcast here. 

ABOUT THE BRAND SHOW:

The Brand Show is a weekly podcast produced and hosted by Two West with guests from well-known brands including Microsoft, ESPN, Yellowtail, Burger King and Kleenex (to name a few). The Brand Show is for marketing professionals to share expertise in the business of branding, marketing and advertising.

ReQall helps you remember (San Diego Transcript)

Most of us carry paper and pencil to jot down random notes, write down a sudden thought or idea, a grocery item or a quick reminder. The act of simply writing it down allows us to get those thoughts off our mind, and, of course, prevents us from forgetting.

While there have been a number of software products that have tried to accomplish this, such as a Post-It Notes app and a dictation product called Jott, nothing tackles the problem as completely as the new version of ReQall, released this past month. ReQall 2.0 lets you easily and quickly create little notes and reminders, and then sends out reminders when they are due, making use of your cell phone. That means no loose notes, no pocket tape recorders and no forgetting.

Customer experience rankings from Forrester Reasearch

Forrester's 2008 Customer Experience Index ranks 114 firms across 12 industries:Airlines, Banks, Credit Card Providers, Health Plans, Hotels, Insurance Firms, Internet Service Providers, Investment Firms, PC Manufacturers, Retailers, TV Service Providers, and Wireless Phone Carriers. Each are based on consumer evaluations during October 2008 across three areas: 1) usefulness; 2) ease of use; and 3) enjoyability. Topping the list at number 1 is Barnes & Noble. Among the computer companies, Apple is tops and Dell is worst. Among airlines Southwest is best and US Air is worst. The complete list is here.

Dell's poor service continues

Dell breaks a customer's new computer and then won't fix it. I hear of many similar stories of service runarounds like this from many of the PC companies. That's one reason I'd buy a Macintosh, especially if there's an Apple store nearby. You can meet face-to-face with competent personal to get your problems resolved.  Check this out.

Muji Store now has a Webstore

I first came across a Muji store in the Jet Blue terminal 5 at JFK. Muji offers products that are high quality, simple and functional in design, at surprisingly low prices. Examples include notepads, pens and pencils, cases, organizers, travel tools, card cases, and much more.  Check it out here.

Aptera: A California original (San Diego Transcript)

 From the outside it looks more like a small airplane than an automobile, but from the inside it's more like a spacious, comfortable two-passenger sports car. It's the Aptera, a new commuter vehicle being developed by Aptera Motors of Carlsbad. It's the brainchild of engineer Steve Fambro, who co-founded the company with Chris Anthony, an expert boat-builder, four years ago. Initial seed money came from Idealab, a Pasadena incubator of new companies.

I visited its facility in Vista, a spacious building with the office area in the front and a large area in the back where the assembly will take place. Currently there are half a dozen prototypes, from early designs to a fully working model.

Book review at Yanko Design

Yanko Design is a very popular Website that covers everything about design. It's a site I read daily.  They just posted a review of my book, "From Concept to Consumer", here.

So much for first impressions

The most amazing YouTube video ever. Watch!

Creating your online persona

Ever notice how new software evolves? First there's a new product breakthrough such as MySpace or YouTube. Then along come a number of products that are much the same, but with a few new features, like Facebook, for example. Next come programs to help you organize the myriad of similar programs.

If we just didn't need the newest and latest our digital lives might be a lot simpler. But many of us want to jump on the bandwagon and try the latest and greatest. I went through Hotmail, then Yahoo Mail and finally settled on Gmail. This, of course, leads to more work to keep up with and then finally abandoning some of the older products, many containing personal information. With the Internet's long memory, often much of this information is preserved forever.

Small but useful gadgets (San Diego Transcript)

This week I look at an assortment of small products that are useful and unique.

Pocket computer

While not small enough to fit in a pants pocket, the new Sony Vaio P easily slips into a jacket pocket. This beautiful little 9 3/4 x 0.8 x 4 3/4 inch, 1.4 pound package packs a very usable keyboard and a high definition (1080 pixels wide) screen into the smallest and lightest full-function Windows computer yet. It comes with built-in, turn-by turn GPS and a 3G modem (monthly fee extra). I tried it out for a week, and concluded that Sony has invented a near-ideal form factor for small computers. It attracted ooohs and ahhs wherever I used it. Its size and high gloss finish (available in red, black, blue and white) reminded me of a tin of watercolor paints I had in grade school.

Unfortunately, the P is excruciatingly slow, mostly as a result of its Vista Home Premium operating system. In fact, under the cover it's more like a netbook that costs hundreds of dollars less. But once Windows 7 becomes available later this year that should be corrected. The product costs 

Column on Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-g-baker/detroit-obama-gets-it-rig_b_180568.html

Skype for iPhone now available

I just downloaded the free Skype application for the iPhone, signed on and saw all my Skype contacts with their availability noted. I called my friend Jeremy Wagstaff (ex WSJ and now doing work for the Carter Center in Jakarta). My iPhone took about 20 seconds to make the connection and then rang thru. Jeremy answered the call on his cell phone (routed from his computer) while waiting in line at a bank. Call quality was very clear, but, of course, one sample has little meaning. The one limitation is you can't use Skype over a cellular network; you need to use a WiFi hotspot. Still very cool and should prove to be very popular.

No April fool this year (San Diego Transcript)

Exactly one year ago I wrote a column about how the cellular companies apologized for providing poor call quality and lousy customer service, and how they offered to amend their ways by solving these issues, creating simpler and more understandable rate plans, and stop taking advantage of us with huge termination fees and extensions of contracts whenever we made a simple change.

Of course, the column was written as an April Fool's joke. But who would have thought that a year later, at least one company has addressed many of these issues.

This past week, I met with Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, the company that a year ago had some of the lowest ratings for customer service and call quality among the four major carriers.

Gizwizbiz

Leo LaPorte and Dick DeBartolo discuss my book on their recent Gizwizbiz Podcast (#795) here at about 7:30 into the broadcast.  Gizwizbiz is a very humorous daily Podcast that discusses gadgets. Dick is also the primary writer for Mad Magazine. 

Lifelock and identity theft (San Diego Transcript)

You've seen him on TV and heard the radio commercials. "This is Todd Davis and my Social Security number is 457-55-5462."

Todd Davis, CEO of Lifelock, then goes into a sales pitch about its subscription service that promises to protect us from identity theft.

I had listened to these commercials for months, and had dismissed them as just another pitch for something I never knew I needed. I had read a New York Timesarticle that minimized the value of Lifelock's service, relying on quotes from the credit bureaus such as Equifax and Experian. But I was still curious. As I looked into this further I was surprised by what I found.

Will Lifelock solve all the problems associated with identity theft? Probably not. But it does provide some useful services that can reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of this crime that strikes about 9 million people a year.

The travel goods and photo shows (San Diego Transcript)

Last week I attended the Travel Goods Show and the Photo Marketing Association Show (PMA), held concurrently, by chance, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Travel Goods Show focuses on luggage, computer bags and an assortment of travel gadgets, some of them developed by individual entrepreneurs. PMA is the country's largest annual camera and photography tradeshow focusing on cameras, photo accessories and printers.

Travel Goods Show

Many of the products reflected what's on travelers' minds: TSA regulations, keeping healthy, crowded seating and the new charges for baggage. Here's a sampling.

Computer bags

Briggs and Riley introduced the first computer case designed specifically for the new mini netbooks (model KBC 101-4). It's a shrunken case with numerous compartments for phones, chargers and other accessories. ($189) Also by Briggs and Riley is a new expandable briefcase (KB 302X) with a removable notebook pouch tethered to the bag that can be sent through a checkpoint without removing the computer. ($249)

Apple introduces 2 new products: A new shuffle for us and a new chip for headphone makers

UPDATE: CNET reports that Some bloggers think the Shuffle's accessory situation is a nightmare scenario for iPod fans.  iLounge is reporting that third-party headphones and headphone adapters for the new button-less iPod Shuffle will require an Apple-licensed authentication chip. 

iLounge and others are now assuming that Apple headphone adapters will cost a minimum of $19 and possibly as much as $29.  The question, of course, is whether Apple has gone too far in requiring you to use only its headphones--or some sort of Apple-approved adapter or headphones for the device (you can plug third-party headphones into the new Shuffle and it will play music, but you can't control the volume or navigate songs).  

Yelp – A valuable service, but how objective?

Yelp, a four-year old San Francisco company, has built a popular service for rating everything from doctors to shops to restaurants. Yelp covers 24 U.S. cities, including San Diego, in addition to Canada and the U.K. Its most popular section is the ratings of restaurants, representing 34 percent of the traffic.

Is Office Depot following the path of Circuit City?

Circuit City was know for pushing extended warrantees to such an extent it caused customers to avoid the store altogether.  You couldn't buy a power strip without being harassed by a sales person. Now Office Depot's requirement that sales people and cashiers alike push extended warrantees has been exposed. If employees are not successful at selling them they are threatened and, in some cases, lose their jobs.  It's all detailed here in this account from Harry McCracken. Don't we want to shop in those stores that provide a modicum of respect for us and show appreciation for shopping there? Or has retail become simply a game of the stores preying on their customers?  If so it will just hasten the demise of retail and strengthen on-line buying.

A look into how China is changing how your gadgets are made, marketed, and delivered

Robert Scoble interviews Liam Casey for Fast Company TV and discusses how China is changing the model of Concept to Consumer. Click here.