Google Chrome 09/04/2008
 

Like every other technology fan on the internet, I've been trying out Google's new Chrome browser over the past few days.  As you would expect, it's pretty good, and I understand why Google would want users to access their online products through their own browser as opposed to one created by another company.

However, one thing I'm not so sure about is the tab placement.  I got used to it pretty quickly, but I imagine it could become frustrating if someone wanted to install one or two toolbars, adding extra lines of separation between the browsing area and the tabs.

It may or may not be the fastest browser out there, but it's definitely close.  Some people are also focusing on other metrics that are important to them, like CPU load, where Internet Explorer 8 comes out ahead.  Nevertheless, Google Chrome is still an amazing browser.  I could spend much more time covering all the positives, but I'd like to keep this post short.  Bottom line: try it out.


 
 

Try as I might, I simply don't like Tesla.  And believe me, I've tried!  There's just something about the car's tiny dimensions and the company's incomplete showroom that turns me off.

Some may say that the Lexus LS600h or the new Mercedes Benz S-Class hybrid aren't true competitors because they're not 100% electric, but they are premium automobiles in a much truer sense than the Tesla Roadster and for the price, premium is what everyone should be expecting.

The Lexus and Mercedes offerings may not be overly sporting, but the Fisker Karma is.  Now since there's an environmentally friendly sports car coming that's worthy of competing in the premium class, how long can the Tesla hype continue?

As interest in truly premium electric cars continues to rise, another competitor is also coming onto the scene.  The Lightning GT is fully electric, and produces the equivalent of 700bhp!  While it may not ever be sold in North America, it's nonetheless a much better interpretation of what a premium electric sports car should be.  Visit UK MSN Cars for the full story.


 
 

Here are a few interesting articles and videos that I've collected over the past week.  If you've written about or covered something interesting and entertaining over the past seven days that you think should be included in the next "Weekend Edition" post, feel free to contact me using the form on the Contact page of this website.

A far out article I found via Digg.com that speculates on how we might one day achieve interstellar travel after all (don't hold your breath):

http://io9.com/5040272/four-reasons-not-to-give-up-on-interstellar-travel

FrugalTrader of Million Dollar Journey posts his monthly net worth update for August 2008:

http://www.milliondollarjourney.com/august-2008-net-worth-update-127.htm

Freshome shows off 16 of the most unique beds you'll ever see:

http://freshome.com/2008/03/18/16-of-the-most-extreme-modern-beds-youll-ever-see

Sympatico/MSN Finance covers seven ways to get rich faster:

http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/savingsdebt/insight/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8309394


 
Bandwidth Limits 08/29/2008
 

Some web surfers are becoming increasingly frustrated with their internet service providers over the past few days in both Canada and the USA.  For Americans, Comcast announced that they will be putting a 250 gigabyte cap on their "unlimited" broadband service.  Vocal opponents of the idea took to Comcast-bashing on their blogs and message boards, and Steve Gillmor even felt it was worth a mention in his article on the future of streaming video for TechCrunch.

In Canada, Telus is discontinuing their Connect 75 plan, which allowed unlimited use of the internet through the cellular network via an aircard for $75/month.  New customers are now encouraged to sign up for Connect 65, a $65/month plan that only includes one gigabyte, with extra bandwidth costing $10/gigabyte.

However you look at it, affected users still only amount to a very small percentage of either company's customer base, and both Comcast and Telus claim that these changes will allow them to keep their network fast for the rest of us.

UPDATE:  Mashable.com is also covering the Comcast side of this story.


 
 

Telus Mobility is the first wireless carrier to release the HTC Touch Diamond in North America.  While Sprint will be offering them in the USA this September, I was fortunate enough to get mine last week!  Sometimes it pays to be Canadian.  Since there are several product reviews already online (like this one from Engadget), I'm not going to go into an in-depth analysis, but this device has exceeded my expectations by a mile.  The TouchFLO 3D interface is by far the nicest I've ever seen, and the 640x480 screen is unbelievably sharp.  My Facebook homepage is even legible without zooming in!  The internet is as quick as ever with Opera Mobile 9.5, and the YouTube client is actually much faster than I expected.  Videos play after waiting one or two seconds - that's it.  While Apple fans may prefer the iPhone 3G, I feel its 'wow' factor, overall completeness, and viability as a business tool aren't up to par with the HTC Touch Diamond.  As Ferris Beuller would say, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.


 
 

Getting enough sleep can help your business, according to a CNNMoney.com article out today.  Entrepreneurs and business owners are especially vulnerable to sleep deprivation, as it's tempting to stay awake to get more done.  However, new scientific research shows that too little sleep can negatively affect your health, memory, ability to make decisions and more.  Researchers also believe that sleep deprivation is a leading cause of diabetes and obesity.  I guess this means I'll be cutting down on my 3am blogging in the future!


 
 

Here are a few interesting articles and videos that I've collected over the past week.  If you've written about or covered something interesting and entertaining over the past seven days that you think should be included in the next "Weekend Edition" post, feel free to contact me using the form on the Contact page of this website.

Contrary to a previous post, it turns out Ed McMahon isn't going to sell his house to Donald Trump after all:

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx/?news=327934&GT1=28103

Tim Sykes presents his colorful perspective on how to deal with customer service reps:

http://www.timothysykes.com/timsykes/2008/08/21/how-to-talk-to-customer-service-reps-important-for-trading-life/

Wallstrip's Julie Alexandria covers Starbucks (video):

http://www.wallstrip.com/2008/08/20/starbucks-corporation-sbux/

TechCrunch reports that VectorForm has created some interesting applications for the Microsoft Surface.  That's the flat version, not the sphere (which I covered previously):

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/21/a-peak-at-new-microsoft-surface-apps-drum-set-surfacedj-and-bmw-kiosk/


 
 

The Associated Press has released a list of the 10 highest paid CEOs of S&P500 companies for 2007, based on their calculations.  The overall compensation of each CEO is determined by salary, bonuses, perks, stock options and more.  Larry Ellison, pictured left, is in the lead at $84.6 million, though I would have thought he'd lead by a larger margin.  You can find the nine other highest paid CEOs in an article published yesterday by The Huffington Post.


 
Dragons' Den 08/19/2008
 

A new season of Dragons' Den (Canada) premiers on September 29th at 8:00PM EST on CBC.  Season Three sees a new dragon, Brett Wilson, replace Laurence Lewin, who couldn't stay on this season due to health reasons.  If you'd like to keep up to date on the latest news, or aren't familiar with the show, be sure to check out http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden.  Wikipedia has some extra information on the history of the show, which has also been produced in several other countries.


 
 

Here are a few interesting articles and videos that I've collected this week.  If you've written about or covered something interesting or entertaining over the past seven days that you think should be included in the next "Weekend Edition" post, feel free to contact me using the form on the Contact page of this website.

Ryan Waggoner discusses ten paradigm changes he may live to see:

http://www.ryanwaggoner.com/2008/08/the-world-as-i-will-see-it/

Wallstrip's Julie Alexandria covers Twitter (video):

http://www.wallstrip.com/2008/08/11/twitter/

Loren Feldman's Shel and Scoble puppets have an important discussion (video):

http://www.1938media.com/shel-and-scoble-talk-chips/

Sarah Austin of Pop17 interviews the legendary Tim Sykes (video):

http://pop17.com/videos/interview-with-timothy-sykes/


 

    Jon Kepler is an entrepreneur who specializes in technology and social media.  This is his personal blog, where he discusses finance, technology, and anything else he finds interesting.  He is the founder of BlogThot.com, a lightweight social web product that allows anyone to maintain a consistent online presence with minimal effort.


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