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Erik's Pulse has been published.
Free Daddy GoDaddy is offering free SSL certificates to qualified open source projects. A project qualifies if it is released under an OSI approved license. No strings attached. Neat.

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Shopping Spree

We went shopping over the weekend.

I was mostly looking for a small bag for my new laptop, which is not an easy task. The laptop is too big for cases made for 12-inchers, and too small for the ones made for 15-inchers.

On Friday, we stopped by Staples and CompUSA. I couldn't find anything even close. Vik suggested trying a luggage store at the mall. No much luck there either. Not everything was lost though, Vik did find some nice lingerie.

On Sunday, I went to Costco, and picked up a SanDisk 512MB Memory Stick Pro which I am now using to transfer files between my desktop and laptop. I've created a briefcase on the stick to facilitate synchronization.

Later in the afternoon, we stopped by Fry's. I bought a mediaGear 8 in 4 flash memory reader/writer, since my old card reader doesn't support the Memory Stick Pro format.

We also grabbed a new Uniden TRU-8860 5.8GHz Cordless Phone System. Vik was getting tired of our 2.4GHz handsets interfering with WiFi connectivity.

Finally, yesterday, we went to Office Depot and found a Targus CVR600 Groove Backpack that will do the trick. It's a lot bigger than what I was really looking for, but is also extremely light. It'll have to do for now.

I also received and installed (2 screws!) the extra memory I purchased from eWiz. Once again, they offered the best price around.

Vik also just ordered an Iogear GBP201 USB Print Adapter w/ Bluetooth, as well as a Samsonite Ultima Tote for her laptop.

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Sony VAIO VGN-S360 Yesterday afternoon, Rick and Matt asked me to pick them up from the Microsoft Campus. We decided to stop by Fry's on your way to dinner. It sounded like a good idea since Matt had never visited one.

Little did I know that it was also a ruse to get me something… As a thank you gift for working on the The Pulse, they decided to buy me a Sony VAIO VGN-S360 laptop. Wow… I'm still in shock! This is undoubtedly one of the nicest gift I ever received from someone. Thanks! I just love it. 4.2 pounds of joy. Perfect size, perfect weight. A workhorse too. Finally a laptop I won't mind carrying around. I've spent part of the morning setting it up. I just couldn't stay away; it was calling my name. The more I use it the more I like it. A totally blissful experience. Of course I immediately ordered some extra memory, a neoprene carrying case, and a Belkin F8T001 Bluetooth USB adapter. [I've chosen a Bluetooth dongle that supports the headset profile in hope of being able to connect my Jabra BT800 through it. So far I've not been able to use it with a PC or Mac.] There's nothing much else to say, except thanks once again. This really made my week. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Rick & Matt I spent yesterday's afternoon with Rick & Matt of Javalobby. We even took a few pictures. They're in the area for the Microsoft Summit, staying at the Willows Lodge in Woodinville. We also had a very nice lunch at the Barking Frog. We'll hopefully be able to hook up again later this week, although Microsoft is keeping them pretty busy. Hostage

We went to see Hostage over the weekend. We both very much liked it.

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Jabra BT800 mini-review

Since I've gotten so much mail & IMs regarding my Jabra BT800 Bluetooth headset, I figured I'd post a mini-review to answer most of the questions I've received. The package comes with a leather holster, a power charger and a standalone USB cable. The socket on the headset itself does not work with the standard USB connectors; you must use the provided cable if you want to charge it over USB on your PC. [Read More…] Thanks to Darla for helping proofread the review.

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Jabra BT800

Guess what just arrived?

Sitting pretty next to its big brother…

It's charging right now, so I haven't had a chance to play with it yet. I can hardly wait.