Endless Weather Is Scott’s Blog

Ok I was definately on the “iWhat!?” group until about a hour ago and I started thinking about this.

The ipad is going to be my chase computer I am almost sure, here is why.

I think people are taking this device in the wrong light… is it a iPhone?
Well no, it’s not a phone at all but the key to remember is it will do everything the iPhone will but take calls and pictures.

Now I know people are really bumming over the AT&T service, oh so am I and I can’t describe the ways however it has wifi and I can easily turn my Sprint aircard into wifi with a cradlepoint router.  (Then again I have already done this)

Lets talk about Radar Apps.
Sure there is no GR3 but there is radarscope … A GREAT product already and Tyler Allison has already been working with the group to add SpotterNetwork integration so I am betting we can expect some other cool toys for us chasers real soon.

If you have not watched the video of this thing it might be time, it does have GPS and so does radarscope, the maps examples I watched showed easily dropping points of interest on a map… something I have alwasys longed for “IE drop a point for great southern view from top of hill”

On my iphone I am always listening to Pandora or Slacker while chasing, assuming it will use radio controls like and iPod (Why would it not) it’s a MP3 player too!

Resolution on the screen is 1024×768, the same resolutions most with “Value Laptops” already have, so the screen is smaller at 9.7in however webpages will display just fine on this device… looking at forecast models and orbs will not be an issue, and you can simply touch it!  No trying to find the mouse pointer you just touch the darn thing!

Lets talk about space, the chase partner always gets screwed by the Laptop mount or having the laptop and 1000 wires in the seat… not anymore, this thing has a killer battery or will simply charge from a ipod connector to that stereo!

So I ask… what will the ipad NOT do?
Well I’m still gonna need a laptop to edit video in the field thats a given, but I already don’t do that on my chase setup.

And the streaming…
Well I already have a work around for that where I won’t need a computer to stream in the vehicle anymore  so I don’t NEED a laptop! (More on that coming from ChaserTV)

So will I have a ipad on the plains this year, DAMN SKIPPY!  It will more than likely be the only thing you find in my front seat next to my DSLR.   I can’t wait till I am sitting on a convergence cap bust with my ipad and not leaning in someones window, if I want to show someone something interesting I will hand them my tablet.   Yes this thing is going to be cool!

And about the cost?   I was going to buy a iPod touch anyway since I got rid of my iPhone, so I am looking at an extra $200 and I will use this thing all the time.   Much more valuable than a netbook IMHO.

So before you dismiss the ipad think about it not as a phone but as a easy to use computer that does Facebook, Twitter or the new ChaserTV app and is designed to be used with your finger.   This will be a GREAT device for chasers!

Each year around the holidays I get a bunch of questions about TV’s, Laptops and cables so I figured I would make a cool little guide to help you save some money this holiday season.

The #1 profit maker for the stores on an LCD or Plasma TV purchase is in the cables and the bracket to hang it on the wall. Here at work we use a wholesale website to pick up this stuff at drastic savings over places like Best Buy.

If you are looking for a bracket to hang that new TV Best Buy will have THIS BRACKET for $119.99
I would reccomend THIS BRACKET in it’s place from a company called Monoprice, it’s just $24.22
They are both the EXACT SAME BRACKET.

The other item your new HDTV will need is a HDMI cable, these come in many sizes.
This is one cable where getting something “Best” is not going to make your picture better, since this communication between your DVD or the cablebox is digital there is no “Loss” if you loose a lesser cable. Digital communication either gets there or it don’t, there is no signal loss in a cable this short.

If you are buying a HDTV this season make sure you have one or two of these on hand, you WILL need it.

Best Buy will sell you THIS HDMI CABLE for $69.99
Our friends at Monoprice will sell you THIS HDMI CABLE for $4.09… oh and it’s 2ft longer too!

Hopefully these tips will help you save a little $$$ this season while you pick up that new HDTV!

Scott

To start THIS IS NOT MINE, Dean Gill from Switzerland shot this awesome footage of the infamous tornado on 6/5/09.    I wanted to share this with everyone who reads my blog.   On one hand I wish I was this close, I saw him pass Brandon Ivy so I assume Andy Gabrielson was right there too based on a conversation with Andy… on the other hand I pity whatever rental company rented them that car!
Congrats on that AMAZING bag!

As many of you know I have been anxiously waiting the release of the Sprint HTC Hero “Google Andriod” phone, this being the first of it’s kind to work in the US outside of T-Mobile.

I was able to aquire my new phone last Friday by talking real nice to someone at the Sprint store (they did not come out officially till Sunday) and had the weekend to play with it.  And it did take all weekend to get it set just the way I wanted it!

This is a cool phone.

I can’t say it’s BETTER than the iPhone, that would be a lie.   I loved my iPhone but I hated the network and the email integration was not there, just seemed like a afterthought on the phone.

I am happy to say the Android is living up to the hype, I have found apps that do everything my iPhone/Blackberry did if not better.   The email leaves a tad bit to be desired but works OK, I don’t understand why the GMail app will only allow 1 GMail account when on the Blackberry it will allow multiple but oh well.

The onscreen keyboard is not that hard to use being that I had gotten use to the one on the iPhone, it’s really only usable in landscape mode but that’s ok with me.    I was able to get it acting as much like my BB as I needed, no notifications of new email other than to blink the light and to make noise when I get a txt or IM.

The wifi leaves a lot to be desired, it would not join my home “B+G+N” network until I disabled the N, and then still it will not work on the second floor, we have been unable to get it to join the office network either.

Reception… My 2 spots where my Blackberry Tour was not working are working fine on the Android so the CDMA radio seems to be fine.    There has been some grumbles in the forums about the “with Google” and “Blank” backs on the phones, mine is Blank.   I show Rev.0 so hopefully this will get fixed in a software update.

Speaking of the software update, I hope Sprint don’t drag their heels on software updates like they did on the Blackberries, there is already a point upgrade for this phone that T-Mobile released day 1.   Hopefully Sprint will follow suit.

So in the end I give the HTC Hero from Sprint a BUY, with Sprint’s plans you can’t beat this thing over a iPhone.
Sprint’s Everything $69 plan for 450min can’t be touched by AT&T, and it includes real “Navigation” for free.   No not that Google maps stuff, TomTom worthy NAV with turn by turn directions and real time traffic updates.   Plus you get unlimited mobile to mobile on ANY network and the largest cellular network in the US.

This phone has a ton of potential and unlike most phones where when you buy it it’s what you have for the next 2 years I see many “upgrades” coming for this handset.

You can get the Sprint HTC Hero just about anywhere for $179 after a $100 MIR or if you prefer the Samsung Momnent will be releasing Nov 1st with a physical keyboard and more horses under the hood for the same price.

I am without a doubt a “fair weather fan” of pro sports.

I have many things going on in my life and I tend not to follow pro sports too much, too many games, too much to follow…

But talk about an amazing pair of nights for my 2 “Favorite” sports teams from my VERY loose affiliation with the state of Minnesota as a kid.

Congrats to both the Vikings and The Twins on a great two nights of sports!

I can’t say I will find the time to follow the Twins all next season but I am going to give the NFL a shot for the rest of the season!

Ok so as everyone knows I am anxiously awaiting this darn HTC Hero Android Phone from Sprint.
This has taken much planing on my part to be rid of my Tour (at decent price) and living with the Curve until the Hero arrived.

So I had my battle plan, sold the Tour and was Pre-Order #1 at my Best Buy to arrive on Oct 11.
I figured that I was cool with a MSRP of $429 (Sold the Tour I paid $200 @ $325 so this was ok) SWEET

Well there was a rumor Best Buy will be offering the Hero to Reward Zone members on Oct 9th so BONUS!
Best Buy has yet to send any notification of this to anyone, most their associates included…
I went to my Best Buy today and was told this is not true, and since I had not got a call not to expect my Android on Sunday.

Obviously I was a little hot so I went to another Best Buy…
Here the girl was really nice, pulled up their intranet and found all the documentation, yes the phone will be there on Friday for Reward Zone members, and has a MSRP of $599.99

$599.99!   WTF?

So I pointed out the phone was clearly a MSRP of $429.99 as referenced on the Sprint site however she informed me they will not price match it, it’s just too low.

Now what bothers me most about this whole deal is Sprint/Best Buy are launching this new phone with little or no fanfare, the only people clamoring for it are geeks like me who have all this rumor on the internet.   It’s not working.

Guys get your ducks in a row!   More rumors flying today the MSRP is $429.99 - $100 MIR (even without a contract) to make it $329.     Others say the $329 - MIR - Contract = $79.

So anyway I guess I will throw a complete hissy fit in Best Buy on Friday and try and get my phone for the MSRP of $429.99 using my pre-order, thats all I want.

If I don’t get my way I will just wait till everyone else has the damn thing starting next week.

What really don’t make any sense is they have found a way to kill all the benefit of the pre-sale, nobody knows about it and those who do can’t take advantage of it because they early adopted another phone in the last 2 years.

Why have a pre-sale and a pre-release of a phone, don’t promote it and then add almost $200 to the MSRP?
I want the phone but for $200 I can wait till Monday.

Who knows there is yet ANOTHER rumor you can get it on the Sprint website starting Oct 8th, so if thats correct you can order it at 11PM Central on the 7th, overnight it into your hands Friday morning anyway.

We will see….

Now I know the CWS term is road to Omaha but this was a complete cluster this morning. This weekend is River City Roundup, when the country meets the city… I get that. What I don’t get is why the interstate signs we’re not on to direct traffic to the Airport! My first mistake was cumming street… Closed for construction, ok I get that. As I whip a u turn with 3 other cars I get on 480 west, I can see that the Qwest exit is closed if I don’t get off now I am in Iowa so Capital ave, now I can see I can’t get to the road in front of the Qwest so I turn left, so did everyone else! 3 blocks of backed up traffic shoved into 1 lane (since the other puts you back on the interstate) as I try to get over waiving at people in the other lane nobody will let me in some girl in a 80’s cavalier almost rearended someone while trying to keep me out ahhh to bad she did not hit them! Ok finally on the only road to the airport abbot road! I am home free! Only 30min behind! Then comes the horses… Yes horses! They were using the Qwest center parkling lot to stage a fracking parade! They blocked the road yet another 20min! Come on, you have these millions of dollars of signs over the interstate all you had to say was “airport traffic use 75 north to florance” I made it to the gate just as they called my number. City of Omaha, you suck.

I was looking at my chase logs today and noticed it appears I chased only 2 times.

Now somehow I put 15,000 miles on the truck, chased in SD, MN, NE, IA,IL, KS, OK, TX so I had to be some other places.

I hope to get some more recaps up soon!

This is big news and another wireless game changer!

Basically Sprint is letting you call ANY mobile number, on ANY wireless network without using your minutes.   Obviously there are some rules…

• You have to be ON the Sprint network, no roaming for this deal to work.
• You have to be on a SEP (Simply Everything Plan) these are the newer plans and start at 450min.
• “OLD SERO” will not qualify but the NEW SERO will, so if you have the $30+$30 Blackberry now is the time to switch.
• If you have the $99 plan you already have everything so who cares?

This is a big deal if it means you can live with a smaller plan, I personally cheat the system a little to snake under the minutes so this will help a lot.

If you are thinking about running out and signing up for sprint today WAIT!
The new HTC Hero will be coming out on October 11th, if you note that is 31 days from today and you will not be able to swap what you get today… hold off a week.    I think this will be a MUST HAVE phone!

Here is a link

It’s that time of year again, when I get bored and spend entire weekends in front of the computer!

I built 2 websites this weekend, kinda nuts!

First up an idea on the burner for a long time was the “ChaserTV Vault”
We had been wanting to build a site where all chasers could post archive video and hope to sell it.
Lanny Dean got me motivated a couple of weeks ago when Storm Chasers was asking for video I happened to have.    Although it’s a ChaserTV site all chasers are welcome to post video and get the exposure. you don’t need to be a CTV member.

The second site I built was for my upcoming webshow www.scottstechshow.comor as my wife and friends have coined it “iScotty”  (If you have kids you understand)

I am REALLY excited about this project and it’s forcing me to learn to use the broadcasting tools needed for another project Steve and I are working on.   Hopefully with the show being on just before Storm Chasers I can get some people to watch it and keep them when it’s over.   I am trying to keep my first topics somewhat related to the world of Storm Chasing. 

I’m still moving a little slow from the bum knee but it is feeling somewhat better hopefully I can complete the tasks I should have done this weekend like mow the lawn and clean the garage however it looks like there may be some local chases up this week so time will tell!

BTW:  I am looking for some help with the show, I need a chat moderator and a “Producer” to screen calls.   If your interested in these non-paying jobs let me know!