Lon Seidman › Comments

Political crisis continues in Iran: http://bit.ly/8AL4rV #fb # Wow foggy here at CLT # Usairways, take some pride in your fleet, these planes are filthy! Inside and out. # Great piece on using Canon DSLRs to produce professional video content: http://bit.ly/8qF6d3 # Getting ready for the storm! # RT @jschuller: RT @ciorici: *  ❄     *❄      *       *      ❄ .     *  ❄    * .  ❄    ❄        *        ❄ (via @DeFries) # Powered by Twitter Tools - Lon Seidman

My wife already signed me up! http://bit.ly/72q85U #fb # Updated my blog post on my @twelpforce Best Buy rant. They need to have a small number of twelpers equipped to resolve cust. issues. # Forgot to add the link to my Best Buy @twelpforce rant post: http://bit.ly/7VasVs # Google chrome beta for mac is out: http://j.mp/yl8Vs # Saw a guy ripping out his newspaper tube driving back to the office from lunch. Times are changing. # Wow! http://bit.ly/62VvoQ #fb # I stand corrected they did add a privacy link only after I started complaining. # But- it's clearly stated in their privacy policy that they will sell your address to their clients/partners and possibly vendors. @youngdems # Got to meet Tom Ridge last night in Chester. Will have a write up on our Valley Shore LocalOnlineNews.TV site this weekend. # The Knight News Challenge folks are beginning to notify applicants. Unfortunately we won't be making it to round 2. http://bit.ly/5vPEnz # Santa needs to get his brand on Twitter. #... - Lon Seidman

I am a member of the Amazon Vine Program. Each month Amazon sends me products to review on their site. This month I received the Lowepro Magnum DV 6500 AW Shoulder Bag. The Magnum DV 6500 AW is a very serious bag for serious content creators. It makes efficient use of space while offering adequate protection for expensive gear. Lowepro makes every inch of the main compartment configurable with a number of extra padded “walls” included to provide extra protection as needed. This bag is perfect for a pro with multiple cameras and lenses. I was able to fit my SLR, two lenses, and a small “angel” tripod in the bag with some room to spare for additional accessories. My only disappointment was that I couldn’t quite fit my unibody 15″ Macbook Pro in the bag comfortably. I could zipper the bag closed, but the computer was just too close to the zipper for my taste, leaving a portion without padded protection. A smaller 13″ plastic Macbook fit perfectly. Beyond that gripe this is a great bag... - Lon Seidman

"Thanks for your response. Here's what I think along with a suggestion: Answering questions may be customer service as far as Best Buy is concerned, but from what I've seen it's more marketing driven. Customer service is just that -- fixing customer issues quickly in order to keep the business. Let's face it, you guys are in a commodity business where price rules over loyalty. And in this case your inability to resolve a simple problem quickly resulted in lost business. So here's my suggestion: Twelpforce is a much more efficient way to resolve customer problems than a call center. Clearly you need to maintain a call center, but for those savvy enough to contact you through Twitter and other means you can gain a ton of goodwill by being able to very quickly address specific order issues electronically. I'd much prefer to send an email knowing my issue will be resolved within 1-3 hours than sit on the phone for half a day. So here's what I would do if I was in charge: 1. Have a staff of..." - Lon Seidman

So apparently the head of social media at Best Buy finds my earlier rant insulting. They just don't get it. http://bit.ly/7VasVs # Five Google Wave invites to the next five who send a reply. First come first serve. Include your email address. # Google Wave needs email notifications, I never know when I'm added to one or the one I'm working on is changed. # Twitter lists are down temporarily: http://bit.ly/5fQBdW # Here's a great example of people not "thinking different.". We live in a time of rapid change, embrace it: http://j.mp/7mF311 # Google's take on today's FTC hearings looking at the future of news: http://bit.ly/7ctYeE @jeffjarvis is also doing a play-by-play # Socialite on the Mac shows promise, Google Reader module needs more display options, RSS feeds shouldn't look like a twitter feed. # My Amazon review of the Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link: http://bit.ly/4AgZLW – Broadcasts HD video across a room without wires. # LocalOnlineNews.TV's Anna Sava to speak at the... - Lon Seidman

I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. Each month Amazon sends me products to review on their site free of charge. This month I received Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link The Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link actually works as advertised, transmitting the output of up to four high definition devices across a room without wires. It is simple to install and requires absolutely zero configuration. Plug it in and it works. />Philips gets bonus points for including an HDMI cable. This the first high definition device I’ve used that actually comes with one. I hope other manufacturers follow their lead. I tested the device in my home, transmitting the output of a high definition camcorder and a few other devices approximately thirty feet across my living room to a plasma television. elow are my observations. I am happy to answer additional questions left in the comment section. Distance: This is strictly designed to be a “short haul” device. It does not have the range of a... - Lon Seidman

Here's an interest statistic: 50% of all LocalOnlineNews.TV video plays came from sites other than our own: http://bit.ly/7hm506 # Looking forward to seeing the @bliptv channel on the @rokuplayer when the update is released tomorrow morning. # Bummer: RT @RokuPlayer: Sorry for confusion, but at this time cannot update player manually to get Channel Store. # MSNBC partners w/ @breakingnews 20 y/o in Netherlands on his own gets 1.4 million audience. Is news a commodity now? http://bit.ly/6WUr5a # Will be on This Week in Media starting at about 3:15 p.m. EST. Watch live at http://live.twit.tv #fb # Apple firing back at Verizon in new iPhone ads: http://bit.ly/5czzwB # NASA sets the record straight on 2012 doomsday scenarios. Everybody can calm down now : http://bit.ly/2UOXCj #fb # Google comes up with a smart way to better explain Google Wave: http://bit.ly/07O1a9A # New York to issue emergency alerts via Xbox. An interesting point: how to reach people when they stop watching tv?... - Lon Seidman

The New York Times ran an article on Best Buy’s new Twitter strategy the other day, talking about how the company is embracing customer engagement after ignoring us for so long. Unfortunately they still don’t get it. Let me start by saying that I have never been a fan of Best Buy. Whether it was their practice of not honoring their own website pricing or how they swindle unassuming people with ridiculously overpriced cables, they’ve never been very reputable in my book. Nevertheless I am a customer. They beat me up and I keep coming back. So I guess it’s partly my fault. But I have continued shopping there mainly because I like their in-store pickup service. It’s convenient and nice to know the inventory is reserved before I make the 20-30 minute trek up to the nearest Best Buy retail store. For a few months now Melissa and I were thinking about picking up a new television for downstairs. This weekend Best Buy had a great price on a mid-range TV that was even showing up in stock at... - Lon Seidman

"You Said: "Reading through the tweets on the twitter site, and not the select ones you chose to help drive home your point, it looks like the Twelpforce did help solve your problem. You never expressly stated you were dealing with our 1-888 number. They may have assumed that you were dealing with the store directly and getting cut off. Looks to me like once that was made clear, they helped you by giving your contact info necessary to fix your situation." I was given contact information that did absolutely nothing. The 888 number was the source of my woes to begin with, and four hours later I've heard nothing back from the email address I sent my info to, only being told that it may take up to two days to get a response. This sale could have been wrapped up this afternoon yet your organization's inability to decentralize your customer service department resulted in a critical blog post and lost business. Unfortunately Best Buy hasn't empowered the Twelpers to make those changes, and..." - Lon Seidman

I absolutely love Chromium on the Mac. Unbelievably fast. Download the updater here: http://bit.ly/ZVw3x new version released every day. # RT @SpaceflightNow: Check out our view of Atlantis' beautiful afternoon launch at the press site. http://tinyurl.com/yco9k37 # YouTube seems to slow to a crawl at primetime.. Wonder what that means for the television industry… # Beautiful shuttle launch today. This never gets old, awesome HD video at YouTube: http://bit.ly/226vhM # Saw a leonid shoot straight out of Mars.. Just as advertised! http://bit.ly/3o3mjy # How about that! @garyvee is coming to Madison tonight, going to swing over and meet him. His work inspired http://localonlinenews.tv in reply to garyvee # Listening to @garyvee at rj julias. http://yfrog.com/aummgj # Excited to be a guest on This Week in Media with @daisywhitney @1timstreet & @theresident Monday. Watch at 3:15 p.m. EST at live.twit.tv #fb # RT @CaliLewis: Been wanting a Woopra iPhone app? Here's a sneak peek on the... - Lon Seidman

"Not true. Most new editing packages (and their associated DVD apps) will output the video. You just need to run it through a computer first." - Lon Seidman

RT @Ihnatko: At Panera Bread, in the presence of The King Of Chutzpah. It's one thing to use the WiFi all day but really: a desk lamp? # My dog has dozens of milk bones strewn throughout the room but she wants the one that I have to get up and get for her under the couch. #fb # John Boehner killed a lot of trees to make a misleading point: http://bit.ly/4aVZYS # Up bright and early to catch a train for the #newbiz conference. See you all at registration! # Lots of great pastries here at #newbiz — better get here quick before I eat them all! # RT @cunyjschool: Follow today's Local News Hyper Camp here: http://newsinnovation.com/ #newbiz # Celebrating my 33rd birthday at #newbiz # Our hyperlocal video news startup just surpassed 40,000 video plays since our may launch in a CT community of 60k #newbiz # Here's one of our more popular stories: http://j.mp/1ZdiY6 #newbiz # The big takeaway from the #newbiz selling panel: sell exclusivity, and sell it with your own sales team. # Check out... - Lon Seidman

Is the healthcare bill really 1900 pages? To quote a famous government official, it all depends on what your definition of a page is. As with everything in government, things that we are accustomed to out in the world don’t actually work the same way in government. When most of us boot up Microsoft Word, we’re given a 12 point font and an 8.5 x 11 inch page that has one inch margins top, bottom, left, and right. When the bill printers in the capitol print a bill, it’s on an 8.5 x 11 inch paper, but nearly triple spaced, huge fonts, and a margin of 2 inches on the right and 1.75 inches on the left, with no more than 25 lines of text per page. See a random page from the healthcare bill below and click to go see it full size: Click to see full size. So if the bill was placed in a word processor that you and I use every day, what would it look like? This morning I embarked on two experiments. The first was to paste the bill unformatted into a text editor. The resulting document? 206... - Lon Seidman

Going to finish watching In the Shadow of the Moon. Great documentary on the Apollo missions. http://bit.ly/T67Q2 # Going to finish watching In the Shadow of the Moon. Great documentary on the Apollo missions. http://bit.ly/T67Q2 #fb # GOTV! GOTV! GOTV! # I voted! Have you? #fb # Mac Chromium has come a long way in a very short period of time. It's my default browser, get the update every day here: http://bit.ly/ZVw3x # Wow there is some major league thunder outside my house right now. #fb # Hiking the Bushy Hill reserve with Sophie dog. #fb http://yfrog.us/j7kcbz # What an absolutely splendid Sunday morning here in Essex, CT. Get outside and enjoy it if you can! #fb # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

The Bottom Line: If you’re a Mac owner and are looking to upgrade the lousy mouse that came with your system you will be very satisfied with the Apple Magic Mouse Those looking for more buttons and macro functionality should look at similarly priced products from Logitech and others. Review: Apple is known for elegantly designed products, but unfortunately its input devices have fallen short over the last decade or so. That all changes today. The Magic Mouse is the first Apple mouse in probably twenty years that lives up to the elegance of the products it will be connected to. The entire mouse is touch sensitive, and surprisingly it actually works without many ‘false’ reads. TheMagic Mouse is smart enough to detect finger movement for scrolling even when my palm is resting on the device. A ‘momentum’ setting in the software driver gives your Mac the same type of scrolling behavior as the iPhone. Fast flicks of the finger scroll faster, while slower movements give finer control. It... - Lon Seidman

Man Vs. Food. Awesome tv. Some dude just ate a 17.5 5+ pound burrito in 3 minutes and 10 seconds. # Ares I-X, test design for the shuttle's replacement, launches in 20 mins. @milesobrien has awesome live coverage – http://bit.ly/1SBPkh #fb # Cool to see @NASA make the trending topics again, this time with the Ares I-X launch. # Hey @cnn — your website is not displaying properly on Safari & Chrome this morning. Half the site is missing! # Congrats to @milesobrien on being named to the NASA advisory council! # Please send your trick or treaters to my house before I eat all of this candy. Thanks. #fb # Imminent impact @MacHeist (151.7,174.4) Witness it and get DaisyDisk ($20) for FREE to reclaim GBs of space on your Mac! http://macheist.com # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

I have a Google Voice invite available to anyone with a Google Wave invite. Inquire within. # I have a google voice invite to swap for a google wave invite. Inquire within. # My brief review of the Epson Workforce 1100 printer: http://bit.ly/9kUxD # Must…buy…Magic Mouse.. http://bit.ly/3NInF6 # Chromium browser for Mac is getting faster and faster. Latest build is crazy fast. Keep up to date here: http://bit.ly/ZVw3x # About to fire up my new Roku box. Least expensive tv streaming device out there. Hopefully we can distribute localonlinenews on it. #fb # Invasion of the Lady Bugs. Film at a 11. #fb # Wow @cnn is about to implement a major site redesign: http://bit.ly/3UhA79 – looks a lot less 'newspaperish' #fb # RT @localonlinenews: Big fail for @roku @tivo & @bliptv local news will not be dist. on tv platforms at this time: http://bit.ly/34AaEB # Big fail for @rokuplayer @tivo and @bliptv – local news will not be dist. on television platforms at this time: http://bit.ly/34AaEB #... - Lon Seidman

I am a member of the Amazon Vine Program. Each month Amazon.com sends me products to review on their site. This month I received the Epson Workforce 1100 Color Inkjet Wide Format Printer I am a very happy owner of an Epson Workforce 600, so I was excited to receive this wide format printer for review. Like other Epson Workforce series printers, the 1100 has a fast printing mechanism and quality that rivals laser output (depending on the paper stock). Is this printer for everyone? Definitely not. First it’s big (although not as large as a wide format laser), so those with tight space may want to think about whether they really need to print on paper wider than 8.5 inches. It also lacks a network interface, so it must be tethered to a computer or a compatible third party print server. Epson is not marketing this product as a photo printer. While the image quality of the 1100 is excellent, those looking for wide format photos should consider a photo printer designed for that purpose.... - Lon Seidman

I wonder how much cheaper the @amazon Kindle could be if they ditched Sprint 3G and just went with wifi. $199? $150? Less? # RT @hartfordcourant: Man dressed as ninja waving nunchucks arrested in Vernon. http://bit.ly/MD6F9 # New Michael Jackson single posted: http://bit.ly/1ovHcj #fb # MobileMe is down at the moment: http://bit.ly/6Qnzg # Looks like Mac & iPhone can connect to MobileMe iDisk, web services down. Unable to sync contacts/calendar, etc. # RT @glxp: Just, wow. RT @NASA_HSF Incredible graphic on space exploration: http://bit.ly/u6d4i — What will it look like in another 50? #fb # Food for thought on the Obama administration and its relationship to the blogosphere: http://bit.ly/MUNLk # RT @BreakingNews: The New York Times says it has decided not to sell The Boston Globe, likely because of low bids. # Made the smart decision to not buy my Halloween candy this week. It probably wouldn't last! #fb # Don't know what all of the hype is surrounding mint.com. It can't connect to... - Lon Seidman

Words of photographic wisdom: "The best camera is the one you have with you." http://bit.ly/1pmPLi #fb # Check out our Knight News Challenge application for our new hyperlocal video news startup: http://bit.ly/17vB7A # I enjoy the change of seasons. Don't you? #fb # Can't wait for this – RT @Astro_Mike: A preview of the NOVA special on the Hubble mission can be seen at http://bit.ly/2TTe5H #fb # So far this century everything seems to be unprecedented. I for one like living in exciting times. #fb # First post from Tweetie version 2! # Tweetie 2 definitely worth the 3 bucks. Very nice. # Last pre-production volt rolls off the assembly line! Getting closer to production. http://j.mp/185rYi #fb # Interview with Geir Lundestad, Secretary of the Nobel cmte, on awarding the Nobel Peace Price to President Obama. http://bit.ly/1F4LSt #fb # Since when did The Rock stop calling himself The Rock? # I think it's time for glasses.. All of those years as a computer geek are finally catching up with... - Lon Seidman

Words of photographic wisdom: "The best camera is the one you have with you." http://bit.ly/1pmPLi #fb # Check out our Knight News Challenge application for our new hyperlocal video news startup: http://bit.ly/17vB7A # I enjoy the change of seasons. Don't you? #fb # Can't wait for this – RT @Astro_Mike: A preview of the NOVA special on the Hubble mission can be seen at... more... - Lon Seidman

Really looking forward to digging into this tomorrow: http://bit.ly/e50kw it should be on my Kindle when I wake up. Love technology. #fb # Happy October! Fall is definitely here in CT. #fb # I so wish for Apple to ship Final Cut Pro on flash drives. I could be sleeping right now. # It's simple-give police the authority to determine a distracted driver. In CT illegal use phone, but legal to read a newspaper. #d2Summit # RT @goowaveinvites: .. gave 4 Google Wave invites already…. 6 left… we'll just give 6 more in the next few hourstill collecting more!!! # Anybody got any Google Wave invites to share? #fb # RT @BreakingNews: CNBC: General Electric and Comcast in talks for a deal that would give Comcast 51% control of NBC Universal. # Time passes slowly in the dentist's chair.. #fb # Why is Google News suddenly in spanish? Can't change it back to english or any other language for that matter. # Stargate universe free on iTunes. Great scifi!! # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

Really looking forward to digging into this tomorrow: http://bit.ly/e50kw it should be on my Kindle when I wake up. Love technology. #fb # Happy October! Fall is definitely here in CT. #fb # I so wish for Apple to ship Final Cut Pro on flash drives. I could be sleeping right now. # It's simple-give police the authority to determine a distracted driver. In CT illegal use phone, but legal... more... - Lon Seidman

Kindle edition of the lost symbol has what looks like morse code in the progress bar. Anybody decode it? # How to get sued 101: http://bit.ly/3HC5k4 # Push Gmail now available on iPhone http://bit.ly/12y7OH # Remembering why I hate going to the movies. #fb # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

Kindle edition of the lost symbol has what looks like morse code in the progress bar. Anybody decode it? # How to get sued 101: http://bit.ly/3HC5k4 # Push Gmail now available on iPhone http://bit.ly/12y7OH # Remembering why I hate going to the movies. #fb # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

Celebrating Melissa's 30th birthday! #fb # Hmm. @google is cryptically directing people to Woodham Road in Woking, Surrey UK. Continues UFO mystery on their homepage from last week. # Not too happy with my new Verizon mifi. Constantly disconnects from the EVDO network even with full bars. Grrr.. # Win a new Canon 5DMKII (or $2500 Gift Cert) from @OPGear & Scott Bourne. Pls RT. Details here: http://bit.ly/BqU8N # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

President Obama's speech to kids is now posted.Newt Gingrich approved (http://bit.ly/gQFqx). Can we all calm down now? http://bit.ly/118HXF # RT @localonlinenews: West Hartford students watch President Obama's speech today.We talked to students & administrators: http://bit.ly/BUYDl # Something tells me that Rob Miller's campaign for Congress in SC-02 is about to become very well funded. http://bit.ly/uDItl #fb # Obama gave a great speech tonight, refocused the debate. Time for finger pointing, shouting, & name calling to end. #fb # Heading out shortly for the Essex Board of Education meeting. #fb # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman

Technology thought of the day "The internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it” — John GIlmour #fb # Just got a Nikon D300s and Rolling shutter video issues make it a real disapointment. Check out my brief video review: http://bit.ly/WUquV # Going outside to water the plants at 10:30 at night because my wife asked me to. That's what marriage is all about. #fb # Just updated my Nikon D300s video review on my blog, added some additional test footage! http://bit.ly/WUquV # Oh summer, I hardly knew ye… #fb # Yikes Gmail is down for the count # Gmail IMAP still works at least # Gmail outage gave me an excuse to try out Snow Leopard's revised mail.app. IMAP is still working. # They found oil in outer space! Going to Titan might be cheaper than trying to get it out of Iraq. http://bit.ly/18em8K #fb # RT @localonlinenews: We just posted full, uncut interviews with the people featured in our healthcare town hall story.. http://bit.ly/dplai # Just what is Google up to today?... - Lon Seidman

"I haven't experienced that yet. I will say I took some great shots at a birthday party yesterday. Looks like film. The D300s is really starting to grow on me." - Lon Seidman

Nikon’s brand new D300s is hitting store shelves this week. It’s an incremental upgrade on the legendary D300. It adds a few new features but the big one for me was video. Unfortunately, a problem that plagued Nikon’s first SLR video feature in the D90 continues with the D300s - rolling shutter. Basically fast moving objects or camera pans can result in some distortion due to how the camera’s sensor reads and outputs data. While not a deal breaker for me, it is disappointing that a problem that existed in a Nikon product from last year is still going unfixed on their latest mid-level flagship product. You can see the problem first hand in the video above. Read more about the problem (and a fix) at Chase Jarvis’ excellent blog. - Lon Seidman

"It's not just pans that are a problem -- it's also fast moving objects too. I'll play with it a bit more this week and post some additional samples so people can make a better judgement." - Lon Seidman

In case anyone’s curious: As a Connecticut Democrat I will never support an Alec Baldwin candidacy. # In case anyone’s curious: As a Connecticut Democrat I will never support an Alec Baldwin candidacy. #fb # Just pre-ordered Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Probably first OS upgrade in history that uses less hard disk space than its predecessor. # Weather is iffy but shuttle may launch tonight at 1:36 a.m. Those on the east coast w/view of horizon might see it! #fb http://bit.ly/oyzr6 # Sony responds to the Kindle - http://bit.ly/c0Aq # Yikes, chance of a tropical storm/hurricane perhaps this weekend in CT: http://bit.ly/146Wog #fb # Congrats to @colinmcenroe on his new show! http://bit.ly/neNTJ # Funny how in the case of both Ebay and now Facebook the user experience on the iPhone is better than the actual website.. # Read the fine print: My dog’s pickup bags say “100% biodegradable* …*except in California #fb # CT News Junkie is the first to report that CT’s public campaign financing has been... - Lon Seidman

Congrats on a major milestone, 2000 martian days for the Spirit Rover! RT @MarsRovers: Spirit is celebrating sol 2000 on Mars today! #fb # What a world we live in. Pizza Hut is now “Hut” and Radio Shack is now “The Shack.” Reinvention or desperation? http://bit.ly/18uTnR #fb # Any Maximus BBS sysops out there? Need some help. # RT @riverturninc We are dumbfounded by Apple’s completely illogical responses: http://bit.ly/PPd6t # Powered by Twitter Tools. - Lon Seidman