Top 5 Articles of 2007

2007 has been a great year for the Grinn Blog. We've had some great feedback from all of you, and launched two new series articles, This Weekends Tech Deals, and Historic Tech from Today. But the articles that keep you guys coming back are exactly the ones we wanted this blog to be all about: The articles that help you be more productive with your tech, and keep the tech from keeping you down! With that I bring you a review of the top 5 most popular articles of 2005:

1. Incorporate Google Calendar Into Outlook
Published way back in April of 2006, this still remains our most popular article. It is a detailed how-to for syncing your Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook using a program called Remote Calendars.

2. Add to Google Calendar by Talking Into Your Cell
You guys sure like your Google Calendars. This article introduces our Jott2GCal application that allows you to add (and now retrieve) Google Calendar events using the popular Jott service. Since then Jott has released their own Google Calendar implementation, but you guys seem to like ours, so we'll keep developing it!

3. Your Connection to the Server Has Been Lost
We had a problem and had a heck of a time finding the solution. So, when we did resolve the issue, we posted about it to share that solution with you. This article serves to correct the infamous "Your connection to the server has been lost" issue with Battlefield 2142, and apparently it serves it's purpose well because it claims the #3 spot on our list.

4. How to Fix the Azureus Disk Read Error
Yet another case of us sharing in an issue. We found a compatibility issue between the popular P2P application Azureus and Google Desktop. Here, we tell you the simple measures you can take to resolve this issue.







5. 10 REALLY Weird Instructables
If you have yet to visit "The world's biggest show-and-tell", instructables.com, you should start with our list of the wierdest. Does anyone else find a list making the list of our 5 most popular articles a little ironic?

Tech History Made on December 27, 1773

If he were still alive then today would be Sir George Cayley's 234th birthday. Deemed the "Father of Aerodynamics" Cayley study the engineering of flight over a century before the first powered flight in 1903. He is mainly noted in history for his piloted gliders, one of which is pictured to the left. Cayley performed many experiements that laid to him discoverying the four forces involved in flight: thrust, lift, drag and gravity. A review of his school notebooks reveals that he had a passion for flight at a young age. Some of his drawings at the young age of nineteen are believed by many to be models of the principles of a lift-generating inclined plane.

Tech History Made on December 26, 1791

Thanks tochee@hawaii.edu for the video

Many brilliant inventors never lived to see their inventions completed. Charles Babbage, who was born on this day in 1791, was no exception. He was the first to attempt to construct a programmable computer. He was never able to complete the machine, but his uncompleted works are displayed at the London Science Museum. In 1991 his plans were used to construct a perfectly functioning difference engine (seen in the video above.) In 2000 the printer he had designed for the difference machine was constructed with success. The printer is considered a highly complex machine concept for the 19th century. It makes you wonder what Babbage would have accomplished had he lived in our day.

Tech History Made on December 25, 2003

On this day in 2003 Great Britain lost their beagle. Unfortunately, it would take more than posting fliers to insure the return of Beagle 2, the spacecraft Great Britain intended to land on Mars. All contact was lost with the lander 6 days before it was to land. It may have skipped of the atmosphere, missed the planet all together, burned up in Mars' atmosphere, crash landed, or just had a systems error that terminated communication ability. No one really knows for sure since it was never heard from again. The Beagle 2 was named after Charles Darwin's ship the HMS Beagle. Its purpose was to search for Martian life past or present on Mars, just as Darwin searched for new organisms on voyage. Darwin's ship is also believed by some people to have burnt up in Mars' atmosphere. Of course, those "people" are Sherri Shepherd.

[ The Beagle 2 (left) being sniffed by a beagle (right) ]

Tech History Made on December 24, 1906

On December 24th, 1906 the first audio radio broadcast was produced. Reginald Fessenden used an alternator transmitter to broadcast a program between his stations in Brant Rock, Massachusetts and Machrihanish, Scotland. The program consisted of him singing O Holy Night and reading from the Bible. All this was done by Fessenden taking a basic electric alternator and speeding it up in order to produce a steady wave. This in turn produced a continuous radio signal when connected to an aerial. Then he placed a carbon microphone in the transmission line so that sounds could be added to the transmission. It took many years and a lot of money (GE's money) to develop the prototype.

Tech History Made on December 23, 1947

On this day in 1947 the first transistor was demonstrated by Bell Laboratories. According to Wikipedia, a Transistor is "a semiconductor device, commonly used as an amplifier or an electrically controlled switch. The transistor is the fundamental building block of the circuitry in computers, cellular phones, and all other modern electronic devices." In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a modern electronics device more complex than a flashlight that doesn't use a transistor. I guess you could say Ma Bell is one of the many mothers of modern technology.

Tech History Made on December 22, 1964

Yesterday we posted on the maiden flight of the F-14 Tomcat. Well, today in 1964 the SR-71 Blackbird took its maiden flight. The Blackbird, was the first aircraft shaped to reduce its radar cross section. However, unlike the "stealth" planes that would follow it, the Blackbird can be tracked by radar. The aircraft remained the fasted, highest flying manned aircraft for its entire career. It broke the absolute speed record, 2, 193.1669 mph, and absolute altitude record, 85,068.997 feet in 1976. Other aircraft have flown higher than this but not in sustained flight. This we know from declassified information, but we will not know the true extent of this aircraft's abilities until all records are made public. The Blackbird's crews referred to it as Habu which is a venomous snake found in Japan. As for us here at Grinn.net, we like the plane because its shape reminds us of Cobra Commander. GOOOO JOE!

Tech History Made on December 21, 1970

On this day in 1970 the F-14 Tomcat took its maiden flight. The F-14 Tomcat is a two seat, variable geometry wing aircraft with supersonic twin engines. The F-14 was put into service by the US Navy in 1972 and replaced the F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 was retired from the US Navy in 2006 but a few exported models still remain in use by the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

This Weekend's Tech Deals

Sale		List
$999.99		$1499.99	Westinghouse 42" 1080p HD Video Monitor - Great for a home theatre.
$69.99		$99.99	Samsung DYD player with HDMI - Watch the Muppets in HD.
$29.99		$49.99	Solar Charger - Use the sun to charge your phone or MP3 player.
$159.99		$229.99	FUMA 7" in dash LCD display - Get a stock look for less.
$55.99		$75.99	Iqua Snake 2 handsfree Bluetooth - Talk safely will on the road.
$43.99		$69.99	Creative Zen Stone MP3 - Great last minute holiday gift.
$29.99		$74.95	ZUNE 9 in 1 accessory pack - Get all you need for your ZUNE in one purchase.
$36.79		$69.99	Logitech 3D Gaming Joystick - Play all those new games you got for Christmas.
$249.99		$449.00	HP Bluetooth Portable GPS System - Use this to plan your entire road trip.
$24.50		$45.99	Digital Photo Album - Holds 30 photos at a time.

Tech History Made on December 20, 1951

On this day in 1951 the world's first electricity-generating nuclear power plant went into production. It only produced enough power to light four 200-watt light bulbs, but that's enough to count! The Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-1) is still located in the Idaho desert 18 miles southwest of the town of Arco, but has been decommissioned since 1964. By the time it was closed the reactor was able to generate enough energy to power its building. The purpose of the reactor was not to build an effective power plant, but to prove that a breeder reactor was even possible. Today, it is a US National Historic Landmark and open to be toured by visitors.

Tech History Made on December 19, 1972

On this day in 1972 the last manned Apollo mission returned to earth, thus ending (for now) the moon's exploration by man on foot. On this mission Schmitt and Cernan collected a record amount of geological samples, a total of 240 pounds. Schmitt is also the first and last scientist to walk on the moon. Apollo 17 also broke several other records including the longest manned lunar landing flight, longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities, largest lunar sample return, and longest time in lunar orbit. The famous picture known as "the blue marble" was also taken on this mission. Although many countries have since planned for moon walks, no one has since Schmitt and Cernan left the moon 35 years ago. NASA plans to return men to the moon in 2019 with Orion 17.

Tech History Made on December 18, 1661

On this day in 1661 Christopher Polhem was born on the island of Gotland, Sweden. Polhem had much trouble with financing his education as he grew up. He loved mathmatics and mechanics but soon realized he needed to learn latin. A vicar gave him lessons in exchange for hand crafting a complex clock. Later he proved himself eligible for enrollment at Uppsala University by repairing 2 clocks for the professor of mathematics.

Polhem made a name for himself by revolutionizing mining in Sweden with his water driven track system for moving ore. In 1699 he built a completely automated factory, powered by water. Automation was unusual at the time and the factory failed due to non acceptance by the workers of the day. The factory was destroyed by a fire in 1734. Rather ironic for a water run factory.


Today, Polhem can be seen on the back of the 500 Swedish kronor bank note. That's a long way to come from earning your education with fixed clocks.

Tech History Made on December 17, 1903

Today's tech is immortalized on the back of the North Carolina quarter. On this day in 1903 the first manned, motor powered air craft was flown by the Wright brothers. The plane, manned by Orville, was in the air for 12 seconds and went of distance of 120 ft. The brothers had a bicycle business in Ohio but couldn't help tinkering with kites gliders and other flying things. All that tinkering paid off as they are now a huge part of the history of aviation.

Tech History Made on December 16, 1910

December 16, 1910: Henri Coandă, caught unaware of the power of his new invention the Coandă-1910, found himself briefly airborne before losing control and crashing to the ground. The Coandă-1910 was the first jet-powered aircraft.

This Weekend's Tech Deals

Sale		List
$599.99		$899.99	Samsung 26" LCD HGTV - Great last minute Christmas gift!
$4.99		$29.99	Tekkeon FM Transmitter for iPod - Best deal on one of these we've seen.
$.99		$6.99	Franklin Covey Planner Binder - Keep that New Year's resolution to get organized.
$35.99		$85.99	HP Photosmart Photo Printer - Print all your great photos from Christmas.
$20.99		$69.99	Shadow Hawk Remote Control Plane - Just for fun.
$29.99		$129.99	Mio Sport Select Heart Rate Watch - Another gadget for a New Year's resolution.
$249.99		$399.95	Logitech Universal Remore Control - Control EVERYTHING with one remote.
$59.99		$197.95	Celestron Telescope - For the geek in the family or yourself.
$909.95		$1899.00	HP Projector - 50% OFF Buy one for yourself and one as a gift.
$399.99		$499.99	Navigon Automobile Navigator - 2D and 3D views.

Tech History Made on December 15, 1983

Many think the that the famous "1984" commercial from Apple was only aired once during the Super Bowl of 1984. However, on this day in 1983 the ad was shown late at night on a small TV station in Twin Falls, Idaho so that it would qualify for the 1983 advertising awards.

10 CUTEST Gadgets of 2007

Most gadgets you come across have a sleek, modern, often black and soulless feel. You may want to hug your new iPhone for all its apps and icons, but few would call it "cuddly". With so many gadgets focusing purely on functionality and form, it's my joy to present to you (in no particular order) 10 of the cutest gadgets of 2007.

1. Chipmunk Webcam

They call it a bear, but I think it looks more like a chipmunk. This fella is a plush stuffed animal with a 1.3 megapixel webcam for its little nose. And you all said I was crazy for thinking my stuffed animals were placed there by the government to watch over me!

2. BooRu-BooRu Speakers

These stuffed aliens from Korea aren't just for cuddling. They come packed with a built-in FM radio, and have hookups to attach your iPod (or Zune if you got screwed this Christmas.) Its eyes, ears, and tummy act as the controls for the FM radio or your attached peripheral. You can order one of these Snork look-a-likes online for about $37, if you and your translator can make your way through the Korean site that sells them.

3. Rabbit Police Sirens

Only in Japan would they have police lights shaped like bunnies. The Osaka Prefectural Police Department reportedly purchased 800 of these rabbit-shaped strobe lights to mount on the roofs of their cars that patrol near schools. I guess the Osaka Police felt criminals had a little too much respect for them.

4. Humanculahub

This little fella is the original inspiration for this article. Quite simply, it's a USB hub shaped like a smiley little stick-figure. Not only is this functionally very practical, but you can make him dance around when you're bored! I'm not sure where to buy one though... Has anyone out there found one of these fellas for sale?

5. Vestalife Ladybug

If stuffed aliens aren't your thing, but you still want a cute speaker dock, the Vestalife Ladybug is for you. Closed, it is an orb that encompasses your iPod. Opened, it looks like a lady bug with it's wings deployed. It will charge your iPod when connected, runs on AC or battery power, and has the unique feature of being able to sync your iPod with your computer via the integrated USB port. You can't get one for Christmas though: Look for it's launch in January at CES.

6. Takara Tomy Air Filter

I guess a large portion of the Asian population of the world is all about some cuteness. This air filter from Takara Tomy (which you can pick up during your next trip to Japan for about $150) is designed to reduce the dust and pollution in your child's room while they sleep, but the child in all of us can appreciate its lovable likeness.

7. Pleo

Being a robotics enthusiast, I've wanted this baby robotic Camarasaurus since I first saw the video of the prototype. This thing is no mere toy. It's packed with all kinds of technology including a color camera, stereoscopic sound sensors, two infrared sensors, 14 servos, 106 gears, eight touch sensors, an electronic gyroscope, 4 foot switch sensors, and 2 speakers. With all that tech and the $349 price tag, this is one toy you'll want to keep away from your 2-year-old nephew.

8. Toasty

You'll probably have to feign excitement when you open that Christmas gift from your in-laws and find a toaster. That is, of course, unless that toaster is the Toasty Single Serving Toaster by designer Arthur Wu. It probably won't be though, since oasty has yet to go into production.

9. Tree Camera MP3 Player

This subdued little camera is carved from wood and is a fully functional mp3 player. It's only 5cm x 4.7cm x 3cm, and hangs around your neck with the supplied cord. On your trip to Japan to buy your Takara Tomy Air Filter, you can stop by Korea and pick one of these up for just $43.

10. Kitty in a Computer

Ok, so this isn't exactly a gadget, and this photo has been floating around the Interweb for decades so it's not really "of 2007", but it's just so gosh-darned cute!

Tech History Made on December 14, 1902

On this day in 1902 the very first section of cable for was laid from America to the Philippines, China and Japan. This cable was used for telegraphs that would travel the 9612 miles of cable. Prior to this messages had to travel across the Atlantic to the Far East via Capetown and the Indian Ocean, or via London to Russia, then across the Russian landline to Vladivostock, then by submarine cable to Japan and the Philippines. The splicing of the cable at Ocean Beach (pictured above) was done amidst much fanfare including a brass band and dignitaries, drawing a large crowd.

The project took $12 million to complete - equivalent to about $280 million today. Upkeep was so expensive that in 1951 the Commercial Pacific Cable Company had to close its doors and, like everything else these days, was merged with AT&T.

Tech History Made on December 13, 1849

"Dynamite Gun." It just sounds awesome. On this day 158 years ago Edmund Louis Gray Zalinski was born. He would go on to invent a weapon very popular in the 1890's. By age 16 Zalinksi was a lieutenant in the army. He was an explosives expert and invented the equipment for making trenches, a new kind of bayonet and a telescopic sight for aiming artillery. Then he invented the dynamite gun: A weapon that would shoot a stick of dynamite at your enemies (or friends, if you're a really really big jerk.)


Dynamite could not be used in a normal cannon because the heat and shock from the launch would cause the dynamite to explode before ever leaving the barrel. So Zalinski used an air gun. Zalinski did not invent the air gun but improved it for use with dynamite. For this reason he is considered the inventor of the dynamite gun. The dynamite gun was primarily suited for use against ships, but soon lost favor to other technologies like torpedoes and water mines.

Tech History Made on December 12, 1901

December 12th, 1901: Marchese Guglielmo Marconi received, for the first time in history, transatlantic radio-wave signals. He was in Newfoundland and received the signal from his assistants in England 4800 miles away. Marconi's interest in the radio signal spawned from his studies of Hertz's electromagnetic wave experiments. Hertz found that when electricity was arched between two poles, invisible waves were produced. Marconi used Hertz's discovery to transmit a signal across greater and greater distances, eventually working up to his 4800 mile feat. Later in life Marconi would go on to become the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics.

Tech History Made on December 11, 1964

"This evening I would like to use this lofty and historic platform to discuss what appears to me to be the most pressing problem confronting mankind today. Modern man has brought this whole world to an awe-inspiring threshold of the future. He has reached new and astonishing peaks of scientific success. He has produced machines that think and instruments that peer into the unfathomable ranges of interstellar space. He has built gigantic bridges to span the seas and gargantuan buildings to kiss the skies. His airplanes and spaceships have dwarfed distance, placed time in chains, and carved highways through the stratosphere. This is a dazzling picture of modern man's scientific and technological progress.

"Yet, in spite of these spectacular strides in science and technology, and still unlimited ones to come, something basic is missing. There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers."

Spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. on this day in 1964.

Tech History Made on December 10, 1843

What is accredited by most as the first computer program, was written 159 years ago today by a woman named Augusta Ada Byron King. Her mother raised her strictly and with a great education in hopes that young Augusta would not grow mad like her father, the great poet Lord Byron. Augusta was exceptional at mathematics and soon met Charles Babbage, an inventor of calculating machines. His Analytical Engine, which was never completed, was originally documented and published in French. Augusta translated the manuscript into English and added ways in which the engine could be instructed to perform certain tasks: A computer program. Inevitably her mother's valiant effort to save Augusta from her fathers fate was defeated. Augusta lived out her final days as a drug addict and gambler.

This Weekend's Tech Deals

Sale		List
$79.99		$199.99	Memorex iFlip iPod Video Player - 5 hours of 8.4 in viewing.
$289.88		$529.99	Samsung 204b 20" LCD Monitor - 45% off!
$142.99		$199.99	Sony NSC-GC1 Net Sharing Camera - Save $15 more when you buy the carrying case.
$14.99		$29.99	Targus Laptop Chill Mat - Down $5 from a couple weeks ago.
$399.99		$399.99	Kindle- Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device - Free 2 day shipping!
$26.99		$36.99	Jabra BT500 Bluetooth Handset - Look like a trekkie.
$89.99		$99.99	Meterlogic Keyboard Wedge Barcode Scanner - Cuz well...it's cool.
$19.99		$29.99	Sharper Image Mini Digital Camera - Great stocking stuffer.
$17.99		$34.95	Projection Alarm Clock - Have the time on your ceiling.
$24.50		$45.99	Digital Photo Album - Show up to 30 pictures at a time.

Google Calendar Jott Link

Jott told me a little while ago that they were looking to develop their own Google Calendar addition to Jott Links. Knowing this, I had been holding off on any new developments with Jott2GCal, since their version would likely make mine obsolete. It looks like they finally came out with it this week. It's functionality is a little more limited than ours, but knowing Jott it probably works very well.

One way theirs differs from Jott2GCal is in calendar selection. In ours, users can optionally preface their Jott with the name of the calendar they wish to invoke (for example, "Personal Calendar, buy cookies today at noon.") In Jott's new Jott Link you select which calendar you wish that Jott Link to point to.

Although this approach limits you in what calendars you can Jott to, it does simplify voice entry. The idea is to set up multiple Google Calendar Jott Links, giving them the Link Name of the calendar the Link is pointing to. For example, if you have a Business calendar and a Personal calendar, you might set up two seperate Jott Links - one called "Business Calendar" and one called "Personal Calendar". You can also Ctrl+Click to select multiple calendars from the list, which will add your event to all the calendars you've selected.

Another noticeable difference is in how they authenticate your Google account and attach it to your Jott Link. Where we require your Gmail Address and Password, Jott's uses Google's 3rd Party Authorization Token which essentially redirects you to Google's website for authorization. The benefit of this is that you don't have to worry about the folks at Jott knowing your password. The downside is that you can't use Google Apps for Your Domain (GAFYD) with it.

So, if you use GAFYD or like our brand of multiple calendar support, I'd stick with our Jott2GCal. Otherwise, I'm sure their Jott Link is worth giving a shot.