{balki Blog}
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Over the years, I have tried various international call providers including BigZoo, Reliance, Vonage and SargamDirect.  The prices decreased dramatically (they went from 60 cents/min to India in 1999 to almost 5 cents/min with my latest favorite RebTel) and the call quality improved significantly.  However, each of these providers had their own share of problems (issues like taxes, billing difficulties, company just folding, dialing a gazillion digits, etc).  I finally resigned to using SargamDirect (on the road) and Vonage (at home) not because they are outstanding or cheap but just because I lost the patience to try a new provider every other week.

When my nephew Kiran suggested RebTel, I was very reluctant at first but was instantly intrigued after visiting their web-site.  I think RebTel is a truly innovative product and that it offers quality at a very reasonable price (5.6 cents/min to India).

Here’s some pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Easy registration (via credit card, PayPal or Ukash)	Currently cannot auto-recharge when using PayPal
Automatic recharge when the balance falls below a certain threshold (I think it is $1.00)
Only 5.6 cents/min for calls to India	It could have been even cheaper
*Auto-generated local number for each of your contacts in a foreign country	Currently limited to 20 contacts
Can register up to 5 phone numbers for the service (to make calls from)	Maybe limiting for a family of 5+ phones
RebTel customers can make free calls between each other	Not the most convenient way to call!
Current promotion gives you 20$ credit for new users.	I only get 5 free minutes for referrals
Very tightly integrated into SMS, email and phone so you don’t need to manage your account exclusively online.	Takes some time and effort to get used to all these features.

If you want to check out the service, let me know and I will send a referral.  Happy calling!

Yes, I admit it.  I have been addicted to web browsing and have been in denial for years.  It is very subjective what I browse for.  For example, I just browse technical, professional and social networking related topics.  But that is not an excuse for being an Internet Addict.  So, I resolved to come out of the closet and look for cures and support groups on… yes, you guessed it right, on the Internet

I went straight to LifeHacker.com and found PageAddict, a free extension for Firefox.  PageAddict does one job and and boy does it to do that well! 

PageAddict essentially keeps track of your Internet activity and over time you can set time limitations (per day) for categories of pages a.k.a tags that you define.  If you cross that limit, you will be flicked on your head with a warning that you are no longer eligible for additional browsing in that category or sometimes no browsing at all!

If you cross the addiction-level threshold in any of the categories, you cannot browse in that particular category/site anymore.  To limit browsing at the highest level, you can always restrict yourself in the default “undefined” category as well.

So, all you internet addicts, please resolve this labor day weekend to come out of your denial and win over internet addiction using tools found on the internet!

Minor limitations (bugs?):

• Limited to browsers only and that too specifically for Firefox.  For example, PageAddict cannot control how many blogs you are reading in your favorite weblog reader.  This is blessing in disguise for me because I do most of my “pleasure browsing” on Firefox.  If I am using IE, I am more than likely working.
• Leaving a browser open keeps the clock ticking so if you forget to swap applications before you take a stroll, your addiction activity will be artificially inflated and can result in rapid withdrawal symptoms.

I just came back from a Bank of America ATM and believe me when I claim “depositing checks (and cash) was as easy as it could get!”

The process was pretty seamless (and flawless).  These were the four steps as specified in the flyer and I did not have problem following those instructions:

1. Insert card (as usual)
2. Choose “check”, “cash” or “both” and insert your cash or check (THE BEST PART: NO ENVELOPE REQUIRED!!!)
3. You get to see the image of the check on the screen (again the kicker is the check amount is automatically scanned… even for HANDWRITTEN CHECKS!!!)
4. And print your receipt (which includes the deposited check image)

I think I am falling in love with Bank of America (and smart ATMs) again :) 

“You can now receive coupons for Hollywood Video on your cell phone now“. If that piece of news does not give an orgasm then there is definitely something wrong with you!

When I received an unsolicited email from Handango a couple weeks ago about CellFire, I was more annoyed than excited. However, I added the link to my TODO list and over that weekend had a few minutes to explore new and noteworthy stuff. I started looking at the CellFire website and I really started digging the idea. Especially after I realized I could get online from my smartphone only using my laptop’s internet connection. I installed the special smart phone version of the software on my Cingular 2125 and have not looked back since.

Here’s a quick screencast on CellFire works:

Money saved per month because of CellFire Hollywood Video coupons: $15.16
The amazed look on the clerk’s face when validating my CellFire coupon: approx. $220.00
The embarrassment in my wife’s tone when she blurted out, “My husband is a freak!”: Priceless

Technorati : CellFire, Coupons on mobile phone, Hollywood Video, smartphone
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1. In-built FM radio: An FM radio that can display artist and album information (and of course, the cover art) using the RBDS (Radio Broadcast Data System) information just like the Microsoft Zune. (even better, if the iPod can double up as a satellite radio receiver!)

2. Wireless sync with iTunes: Wireless sync with iTunes is just a no-brainer. I don’t know why Apple is not introducing this feature yet. I don’t need anything fancy like internet access, or music sharing with other players or even automatic firmware updates. All I care for is my iPod to sync with iTunes without having to connect using the clunky USB cable.

3. Expanded search and track organization: The search interface and the play-lists are organized based on the US music market but that is not a holistic solution. For example, the music industry in India is heavily dependent on the movie industry and we have more soundtracks than original albums. Also, the music director is an important element in the soundtrack. There are multiple singers not only within the album but also within individual songs. I want to be able to search (and organize and navigate) based on the cast of the movie as well. In essence, I like to see Apple think outside the box and understand there are other countries that listen to music in different ways than the US music lovers.

4. Easy cleanup of missing tracks in iTunes: It is amazing how hard it is to clean up missing tracks. iTunes does a good job of recognizing and marking missing song tracks but when I click on one of these music tracks, I would like an option to remove all missing tracks rather than having to re-select the track from the file system. Also, I cannot delete a track while I am browsing within the play-lists. Why do I need to be at the root-level of iTunes to be able to delete duplicate or unwanted tracks?

5. Better integration with home theater system: I have been in search of a good tool that lets me integrate my iPod with the home theater system. The A/V kit from Apple only lets you browse the photos and watch videos. What I want is to see the exact same User Interface and navigation control on my plasma TV as it is displayed on my iPod screen (again, I have an OCD for album cover art and ID3 tag info. It is very important that I can see those on any display interface from the iPod). The closest I found is the DLO HomeDock Deluxe. It has a reasonably good User interface but is not the same as the iPod. Plus, it does not display album cover art

6. Dolby Digital / DTS Surround sound output: I am not sure of the technological feasibility of this feature but I would love to hear the music in full Dolby Digital or DTS Surround sound quality on my Bose audio system. This feature would simply blow my mind away!

7. Karaoke-enabled lyrics: I see an occasional article about synchronized lyrics and karaoke-enabled music players but I think developers are still in the dreaming stage and they are working against huge technical and legal barriers. Personally, I would have a blast lip-syncing to Butterfly by Crazy Town and Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta from the Office Space soundtrack on my favorite music player of all-time, the mighty iPod.

8. Better integration with Car Audio system: I wish Apple or another 3rd party vendor could come up with a flawless, easy interface to any car audio system that works with my iPod(s) and provide at least CD-quality audio output, if not better. Meanwhile, the best I can do is a lousy Belkin cassette adapter with even lousier music quality and frequently dying battery (because I forget to turn-off the iPod and it won’t switch off automatically, when I stop my car or switch off the audio system).

9. Multi-user capabilities (especially w.r.t. song ratings): My wife and I are on the opposite ends of spectrum when it comes to taste in music (and movies and food and everything else; a subject for another day!). I made several attempts to consolidate our music ratings while listening in the car with very poor results. I decided that the best thing would be for the iTunes/iPod combo to provide separate ratings for me and my wife so we can create and listen to different play-lists based on our personal star ratings. That feature would be fantastic because I am tired of the horrible renditions of “I’m a Salve 4 U” and “I Love Rock N Roll” by Britney Spears showing up on my 5-star play-lists

10. Automatic ID3 tagging using GraceNote MusicID technology: This technology is way too cool to pass up! Quoted from GraceNote: “…Using audio waveform fingerprint technology, MusicID can identify individual songs or albums in a user’s collection regardless of source, format or tag information.” And that means no more meaningless Track01s in my music collection. Every single track would have the correct cover art, artist and album information! That’s enough eye candy to instantly cure all of my OCD!!

What are your wish-list features for your favorite music player? Start commenting away now!

Technorati : iPod, iPod Nano
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While planning my current visit to India, I wanted to stay in touch with my US-based friends, colleagues and clients. So, I researched various options and narrowed down to Vonage V-Phone (mostly based on their ubiquitous ads). I picked one up at the local Best Buy and subscribed for the unlimited calling plan at Vonage.com. The enrollment process was straight forward and mostly uneventful. I got my new phone number almost instantly.

I made a few calls with the V-phone powered by Comcast broadband and the sound quality was impressive. I attributed this quality to the strong underlying broadband connection and was still skeptical about the quality in India (where reliable Internet connections are still a premium). I got my first chance to verify my skepticism during my layover in Frankfurt. I paid a nominal fee to get Internet connectivity from a T-mobile Hotspot in the airport terminal and made some calls to the US and India. The sound level was a little low but the quality was first-class.

Since landing in Hyderabad, I have been using the V-Phone on a 256kpbs DSL connection and am extremely pleased with the consistent sound and connection quality. I love the device itself and the seamless process of making free calls to the US and beyond.

Here is some obvious (and subtle) goodness in the device / service:

1. Completely divorced from any single computer system: Works like a charm on any computer as long as the computer is on a decent Internet connection (128kbps or better speeds recommended)

2. No footprint software: I just connect the USB dongle to any internet-enabled computer and the computer instantly recognizes the phone and is ready to make calls within 5-15 seconds. When I am done, I simply remove the device and there is no trace left on the system.

3. Great form factor: I like the orange color for the dongle and the blue LED light (that represents a successful connection). The included headset provides superior sound quality and the cable is long enough to allow me to move around comfortably without ripping out the dongle from the USB port.

4. Additional 256MB space on the USB drive: I do not carry the V-phone everywhere I go but can see how the additional space on the USB could come in pretty handy when you are on the go. The included key ring is cute and convenient.

5. Auto Load and Unload: This is my favorite feature. The soft phone keypad launches automatically when I insert the USB drive and disappears after I remove it. No worries about corrupting the drive or annoying pop-up warnings.

The only shortcoming I can think of is that there is no facility to import or leverage existing Outlook contact details. This is my biggest annoyance. I have enough devices already that force me to reenter my contact numbers and the V-phone is the worst offender of all. There is no interface to import contacts from anywhere. I really hope Vonage adds the import facility in their next version. Another minor annoyance is that the cap is really hard to remove from the device. I can understand their concern the cap might be lost, but there are other ways to secure it rather than making it impossible to pop it open.

If you travel international (or even domestic but worried about running over your free minutes on the cell phone), do try out the Vonage V-phone. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.

Technorati : V-Phone, VOIP, Vonage, hotspot
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SmartphoneNotes : The default one that syncs up with Outlook Notes just does not cut it.
Oxios ToDo List : Lets just say Oxios ToDo list is the native Outlook ToDo list on high-performance steroids. The freeware application “Oxios Tasks Plugin” is just icing on cake.
PhotoContacts : Unfortunately, this is another app that Microsoft should have provided by default but does not. Provides lots of configurable options to show the caller’s picture for incoming calls.
Google Maps Mobile (via Midlet manager) : Enough said!
Google Mobile (Personalized Home) : Optimized for viewing on small screens
WordBook (talking dictionary/thesaurus) : I just love the way I can tease and correct my wife’s pronunciation.
AbstractStart (freeware) : Takes the stress out of navigation by putting the most used programs first on the start menu. Simple concept; right on the money.
PMRecorder (freeware)* : Very handy when you want to record those phone conversations with untrustworthy customer service reps.
Wapedia : Wikipedia on the go!

*Always follow legal advice before recording any conversations.

Technorati : Cingular 2125, smartphone, tools
Del.icio.us : Cingular 2125, smartphone, tools

1. 320×240 QVGA screen: The 2.2 inch TFT active matrix screen is a treat for the eyes and I enjoy every minute I spend watching photos/videos and browsing the Internet on this awesome screen.
2. The 1.3 MP digital camera/video-recorder is not shabby either. Especially because I can immediately e-mail the pictures to friends and family using one of the messaging tools (hotmail, outlook email or any of the other email providers)
3. The flight-mode: Simple yet brilliant idea. I don’t need to shut off the phone completely while flying; I just need to change it to flight-mode so I can continue doing other geeky stuff using the phone.
4. Photo Contacts: Lots of cool features around picture caller Id functionality. (PS: I am still waiting for PocketX to release a version for Cingular’s QVGA screen).
5. Support from 3rd party developers: There are 1000s of 3rd party applications out there already and there is always a possibility of writing my own! In fact I have a wish-list of features which I might someday start working on if nobody else offers them for under 14.95
6. Windows Mobile Media Player 10: The media player on 2125 is no match to iPod/iTunes but it is a pretty convenient replacement when my wife steals the iPod on Fridays. I bought a 1GB miniSD card on buy.com for 20$ and now I can listen to most of my favorite music and podcasts on my phone
7. SmartphoneNotes and Oxios ToDo list: These are 2 of the most versatile replacements for Windows Mobile Notes and TaskList. I keep discovering new features with them every single day
8. T9 Predictive Text Input and Smart contact list: Go to contacts and start tying the first few letter of the contact name and boom I can locate the number with very few key strokes (just 1 key press per letter; I don’t need to press the 7 key four times to get the letter ’s’) . For a more detailed explanation of T9, go here
9. Google Local: Not sure how google managed to pull off this application but they have done a pretty darn fantastic job! I can locate just about any business address on the map quite easily (handy links to the phone number & directions to that location are just icing on the cake)
10. Automatic profile: What a brilliant idea! I stay on automatic mode all the time and let the phone take care of switching between normal and meeting modes based on my calendar. There are several applications that take this concept even further (features like changing to flight mode based on some keywords in the calendar, and changing to silent mode after a certain time every night) but I am still debating if I want to complicate this simple and elegant feature that already works like a charm.

Technorati : Cingular 2125, smartphone
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Technorati : Cingular 2125, smartphone
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I am working from home today because the battery in my car is busted. Our house is full of windows and I had a hard time avoiding the bright sunlight glare on my laptop screen. I tried different places within the house but nothing worked. Finally I found a corner in the house that was protected from the sunlight by multiple window curtains and setup shop there. I also created a poor man’s ergonomic computer desk using common household furniture like an ironing board and a breakfast lap-desk. As soon as I setup my desk and started working, our gorgeous kitty Ginger slid underneath the laptop and camped there all morning, creating a cute photo op for my blog.

Since one of the pre-requisites of a successful blog is posting pictures of pets, I thought this was an apt time as any other to post pictures of Ginger. So, here you go….

Technorati : Ginger, cat
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I came across this very interesting article on Personal Tech Pipeline. Apparently LAPD is deploying a system that will outfit their cop cars with a device that propels and sticks a Global Positioning System (GPS) onto a fleeing car. The cops can then track the suspect car using a remote navigation system, instead of risking civilian safety by pursuing high-speed chases. A company called StarChase is developing this system. Watch their proof-of-concept video footage for more details on the innovating idea.

Check out the full article here: http://www.personaltechpipeline.com/news/178601976

Technorati : GPS dart, StarChase
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