My phone (HTC Mogul) is not just a phone, it's my mobile information/connection hub. Which sounds all hackneyed and Web-2-point-oh but it's true. Without the phone I have no addresses, no phone numbers, no text messaging or Twittering, no Google, no maps, no weather… it's awful. I complain a lot about the miserable experience of [...]

My phone (HTC Mogul) is not just a phone, it's my mobile information/connection hub. Which sounds all hackneyed and Web-2-point-oh but it's true. Without the phone I have no addresses, no phone numbers, no text messaging or Twittering, no Google, no maps, no weather… it's awful. I complain a lot about the miserable experience of Windows Mobile but the truth is it's the best available option for me right now. I'd love an iPhone–if Apple would release one that works on the Sprint network (CDMA/PCS) with a slide-out hard keyboard. I'd love a Nokia N97–same caveat. Neither are likely in the near future.

In conclusion, a day without my phone sucks.

08:12 Normally "tell the guy with the jackhammer to lay off" means "hangover". Today it means "there’s a guy outside with a jackhammer at 8 am". # 10:13 So far today: awakened by jackhammers, blocked in garage by jackhammers, torn shirt, spilled soda. Happy Friday! # 12:17 What’s the recommended best practice for dealing with [...]

• 08:12 Normally "tell the guy with the jackhammer to lay off" means "hangover". Today it means "there’s a guy outside with a jackhammer at 8 am". #
• 10:13 So far today: awakened by jackhammers, blocked in garage by jackhammers, torn shirt, spilled soda. Happy Friday! #
• 12:17 What’s the recommended best practice for dealing with a large sweaty cow-orker in the next cubicle who insists on shouting into his phone? #
• 14:00 I wish people I admire and look up to would stop making me look foolish for doing so. #
• 14:48 Updated network map: tinyurl.com/6cv2or (like you care) #
• 15:44 The Change You Deserve: www.funnyordie.com/videos/ea0b05d406 #
• 17:17 Upgrading firmware on my phone. #
• 18:34 Heading home to watch Opening Ceremony. #
• 01:42 I’ve set series recordings for "XXIX Summer Olympics" on NBC (11), UHD (74) and USAHD (242). That will catch just about everything we want. #

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Updating this post from earlier this year, here is the current network map done on Gliffy. Changes/additions from last time: Added Apple MacBook Pro notebook (GJETOST) Added Maxtor 500GB NAS box (EDAM). Still need to switch this to static IP addressing. Added Buffalo DriveStation Combo 4 1TB eSATA box (MOZZARELLA) for DirecTV DVR storage. Removed [...]

Updating this post from earlier this year, here is the current network map done on Gliffy.

Changes/additions from last time:

• Added Apple MacBook Pro notebook (GJETOST)
• Added Maxtor 500GB NAS box (EDAM). Still need to switch this to static IP addressing.
• Added Buffalo DriveStation Combo 4 1TB eSATA box (MOZZARELLA) for DirecTV DVR storage.
• Removed the “TBD” file server from the diagram, since now with the 500GB NAS there is no need for a full-fledged file server.

Total live storage:

Not all of this storage is immediately available for arbitrary use, but if I really wanted to I could ftp to either of the DirecTiVo boxes or mount the eSATA box as FireWire on the Mac. Also, somehow the two DirecTiVos don’t have cheese names. How did that happen?

Updating this post from last year, here is the current network map done on Gliffy. Two changes at Jennifer’s desk: Moved the Linksys WAP54G inside to Jennifer’s desk area — better coverage throughout the house. Added a Linksys SD208 8-port switch at Jennifer’s desk — needed since there are only two hardwired ports at the [...]

Updating this post from last year, here is the current network map done on Gliffy.

Two changes at Jennifer’s desk:

• Moved the Linksys WAP54G inside to Jennifer’s desk area — better coverage throughout the house.
• Added a Linksys SD208 8-port switch at Jennifer’s desk — needed since there are only two hardwired ports at the desk, and there are now three devices (her computer, the print server and the WAP54G).

We did get the new TV and media stack downstairs as previously mentioned, and much of the equipment is networked or networkable:

• Added the DirecTV HR21-700 HD-DVR — two built-in Ethernet ports.
• Added a second Philips DSR704 DirecTiVo — running standalone, no satellite connection, just for MRV (TiVo Multi-Room Viewing) of recorded programs from upstairs.
• Added a Nintendo Wii game console — built-in WiFi.
• Added a Linksys WGA600N wireless-to-Ethernet bridge and a Linksys USB200M Ethernet-to-USB adapter.

I haven’t built the file server in the garage yet, but between the two DirecTiVos and Jennifer’s machine we now have 1.5TB of available media storage, and that doesn’t count the unexplored internals of the HR21-700 HD-DVR.

Note added 2008-08-08: An updated version of this post is here.

From Ars Technica comes the welcome news that TiVo and DirecTV are getting the band back together. Come 2008, DirecTV’s TiVo users will get a major update to their DVRs. The message from DirecTV HQ appears to be “don’t bail on us yet, TiVo users.” In early June we reported on signs of renewed courtship [...]

From Ars Technica comes the welcome news that TiVo and DirecTV are getting the band back together.

Come 2008, DirecTV’s TiVo users will get a major update to their DVRs. The message from DirecTV HQ appears to be “don’t bail on us yet, TiVo users.”

In early June we reported on signs of renewed courtship between TiVo and DirecTV’s new ownership, Liberty Media. TiVo CEO Tom Rogers hinted at the possibilities between the two parties when he noted that Liberty isn’t in the business of making DVRs, unlike DirecTV’s previous owners, News Corp. TiVo’s profitable relationship with DirecTV came unraveled years ago when News Corp’s influence led them to roll their own DVR solution and begin phasing out TiVo altogether.

Clearly the road map has changed, as the two companies today announced something that I thought I’d never see: a series of major updates planned for Series 2-based DVRs. This includes all TiVo units DirecTV has rolled out in recent years, including the HD TiVo HR 10-250, which is based on the Series 2 platform.

I’ve been a DirecTV subscriber for ten years and a very happy DirecTiVo devotee for three. Last year, I upgraded and expanded my DirecTiVo unit with the Zipper–going from stock 35GB to 500GB and adding the networking and other features DirecTV didn’t want to roll out to TiVo users–and although HD is beautiful (especially for baseball!) I don’t want to move to DirecTV’s non-TiVo HD-DVR. The possibility (mentioned later in the Ars Technica article) of a new DirecTiVo HD unit has me very excited.