John K. Davis, Independent Distributor, SendOutCards

Solving A Puzzle

The Dock-N-Talk got installed yesterday after three days trying to correct a problem with the telephone wiring in our home. Now that it is working, I am very impressed with the device. But, in this post let me explain about the wiring glitch that held up installation of the gadget.

I opened the small box containing the Dock-N-Talk on Monday. The package contained the small unit, 9-volt power supply, short and long modular telephone line cords, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Mailer, and a small User’s Guide. There was also a custom docking cable designed to work with my Sony Ericsson T610 wireless phone. Total cost including Sales Tax was $162.97.

Installation for most users is very simple. Place the Dock-N-Talk at a location where you get excellent wireless reception with your cellphone. Plug the power supply into a standard 120 volt wall outlet and insert the power connector into the back of the Dock-N-Talk unit. The LED on the unit will begin flashing green. Set the slide switch on the back of the Dock-N-Talk to line pair 2 (LP2). Plug a line cord into a modular wall jack and the other end into either of the ports on the back of the Dock-N-Talk unit. The LED should continue to blink green (in my case it turned a solid red). If you have an operating landline and want to use both the landline and cellphone via a landline handset near the Dock-N-Talk, use the other supplied line cord to plug a 2-line telephone into the other port on the back of the gadget. Use the custom docking cable to connect the Dock-N-Talk with your cellphone and you have a successful installation. That’s it. You’re done. Now you can play with your new toy and see for yourself how effective the Dock-N-Talk is at doing its thing with any 2-line extension phone in your home or office.

Printing a New Heart

I have been interested in three diminsional printing for some time. Now comes news that the idea is being used to print living tissue; PCWorld.com - Inkjet Printers Offer Biology Breakthrough

In the name of science, researchers have developed a way to print sheets of solid animal tissue by filling Hewlett-Packard and Canon inkjet cartridges with animal cells, or "bio-ink." Using basic design software, often AutoCAD, scientists like Thomas Boland, an assistant professor of bioengineering, are designing and generating tissue that could someday save heart patients who need new cardiac tissue. "We've created cardiac tissue successfully," Boland says. "It actually beats in the petri dish."

Dock-N-Talk™

A new gadget from PhoneLabs is in transit now on its way to my office. The device is called a Dock-N-Talk™. It's a gadget into which I plug my wireless phone to recharge when I return from being out-and-about. The device also connects the wireless phone to the landline phone system here--all of the 2-line landline phones in our place become extension phones for the wireless phone. It works whether we keep our landline service, or not. Here are some of the benefits claimed by PhoneLabs, the creator of the device:

* Make and receive cell phone calls using Dock-N-Talk™ with normal wireline cordless or corded telephones;

* Get better reception by docking your cell phone in your "hot spot" for strongest signal and talk anywhere in your office or home;

* Gives consumers the choice of cell phone service for the home or office with the same functionality as wireline service;

* Universal design supports an unlimited number of handsets with currently over 250 cell phone models supported including some of the most popular phones from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens and more;

* Use local number portability to move your landline number to a cell phone and keep using your landline phones;

* Charges your cell phone while docked ensuring your cell phone is always fully charged;

* Have the convenience and audio quality of a full-sized handset, speakerphone or headset for extended calls;

* Utilizes and transfers features such as voice recognition, one-touch voicemail dial-back and SMS message alerts from your cell phone;

* Place your cell phone in your best area for cell phone reception and use regular corded or cordless phones throughout the house;

* Use the free unlimited nights, weekends and mobile to mobile calling plans to their fullest while fully utilizing unused peak minutes;

* Bluetooth Module interfaces wirelessly between the Dock-N-Talk™ and cell phone with no need for a cable;

* Sends Caller ID and Visual Message Alert from cell phone to compatible home phones;

* Switch an active call seamlessly from cell phone to home phone (and vice versa);

* Eliminates cell phone radiation for extended conversations or extensive calling.

Singularity Stories

Janet and I joined dear friends on Saturday for dinner and a movie. We saw I Robot. We all enjoyed the movie, but I complained about the lack of logic inherent in the film's premise. I crave Science Fiction that is Singularity aware, but there is not much out there.

A recent article in Popular Science | Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? reflects my sensibilities. The introduction to the article includes excerpts from a soon-to-be-published novel, Accelerando, by British writer Charles Stross. Here is a portion of this Singularity aware story:

Donna the Journalist asks the crew members when they think the Singularity took place. “Four years ago,” Pierre suggests. Su Ang votes for 2016. But Boris, the jellyfish drinker, says the entire notion of a Singularity is silly. To him, there’s no such thing. Wait a minute, Su Ang responds. Here we are, traveling in a spaceship the size of a soda can. We’ve left our bodies behind to conserve space and energy so that the laser-sail-powered Field Circus can cruise faster. Our brains have been uploaded and are now running electronically within the tiny spaceship’s nanocomputers. The pub is “here,” along with other virtual environments, so that we don’t go into shock from sensory deprivation. “And you can tell me that the idea of a fundamental change in the human condition is nonsense?”

Only a small cadre of techno-prophets is attempting to extrapolate current trends and imagine what our world might look like in the next few decades. “We’re staring into a fogbank,” Stross says, “and we literally do not know where we’re going, only that we’re going there very fast.”

Skinny Security

Unlocking cars and activating devices securely could soon be a matter of simply touching them, thanks to a communications system that transmits data across the skin. In an August 4 article at NewScientist.com this new technology from German company Ident Technology is described. Here are a few words from the piece:

...the system operates at just 30 nanoamperes, making it entirely safe for people to use. The code transmitted by the electric signal allows cars to be unlocked, doors opened or other devices started... A credit-card-sized system should run for up to three years without a change of battery and could cost only a few dollars to make.

Audio Post

Frahm Family Reunion, Bonnie, Jared, Lossing Weight

Isn't She Cute?

There are a few great images of Janet posted in the most recent California Western School of Law online newsletter.

Catching Up

Sarah and her friend, Vanessa, visited me a couple of weekends before Steph's arrival; while Janet was in London. I snapped this image when we were about to eat breakfast at the Mission Cafe one morning. The girls were great company and we had a wonderful time.

You heard about Steph's visit to San Diego with our grandchildren in tow, but I could not find the time to post the camera-phone images I captured. Well, this is the first taken on the day they arrived. We were shopping in Carlsbad and Jamison and I went to hangout at the water fountain and I snapped this picture of the handsome young man.

Later in the week we went to Ocean Beach. This image was snapped as I walked at the edge of the Pacific ocean with Steph and Sydney on our way to rendezvous with Janet at the pier.

We met Bonnie and Marty at Ichibans for sushi this evening. Wednesday is half-off night for all sushi orders. The line was out the door and extended far down the sidewalk, but we got in and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Next, we went to Extraordinary Desserts. Bonnie tried death by chocolate; a seven-layer chocolate cake that is richer than anything I've ever eaten. She was able to consume a little less than 20% of the slice and says she will nibble on it for the next few days. I snapped the image just before we were served the desserts.

Camera phones are now shipping with strobe flash integrated, but alas, my phone is two years old and does a poor job in low light. Nevertheless, you can probably get a hint of how beautiful my niece, Bonnie, is (she is Sarah's sister). Her boyfriend, Marty, is quite a hunk. They seem ideal for one another.

Jared spent a few days with us, too. He was here after Sarah and Vanessa and before Steph, Jamison and Sydney. We assisted him to purchase new clothes for a wedding he was attending in San Diego and had a good visit with him.

So, Matt, you are the only one of our children who hasn't come to see us recently. What do you think about a few days in paradise?