why there are so few updates to my blog
because i am blogging on boxee
Archive for general
circuit city unbeatable price guarantee fails the test
i am in the market for buying a new TV.
finally decided on Sony Bravia 46" XBR2.
actually wanted to buy XBR3, just because i am stupid in a way that XBR3 must be better than XBR2, right? but it appears the difference between the two models is that the XBR3 has a glossy black face plate, and the XBR2 has a silver plate (which could be replaced, unlike the XBR3 model). for whatever weird reason the XBR3 is $300 more expensive.
anyway that's not the point of the story.
i did my price comparison online (through shopping, pricegrabber, mysimon, etc.) and found it for as low as $2529 (including tax & shipping) from a store in brooklyn. but i don't want to wait for the delivery and wanted to buy it from a store where i can pick it up. i looked at circuitcity.com and saw that they are selling the TV for a bargain price of $3,299… knowing that they have some sort of lowest price guarantee i called them up.
the sales rep on the phone said they will not match the price of an internet retailer, but will match the price (and even give back 10% of the difference) if i can show them a lower price from a brick-and-mortar retailer. i specifically asked regarding B&H , since i knew they may give me trouble with stores such as Abeofmaine… the sales person said "sure we'll match B&H).
equipped with the word of the sales rep, print outs of pricing from 3 different stores for the TV and a Wall Mount i went to the local circuit city in Paramus.
the junior sales person at the store said "sure we match lower prices, even retroactively". i showed him the printed price quote. he said it does not seem right and checked it online himself.
then he asked whether i'll need a wall mount?, i said sure.
how about a protection plan from circuit city ($600)? i said no.
how about installation service ($400)? i said no.
he said he needs to call the manager…
when the manager came he said they will not match the price of abeofmaine, nor b&h. they'll match BestBuy and PCRichards… (both sell the TV for $3,299). he said circuitcity provides a 30day return policy and sells only new products, rather than refurbished.. i told him i don't think that is any different from other stores.. when i told him that does not seem to comply with their lowest price guarantee, he said that he doesn't care about the price guarantee, he will not sell the TV for less than $3,000.. said it costs him $2,789… yeah, right.
quite a pleasant experience.
with people doing comparison shopping online and getting comfortable with buying online, i don't see how these guys survive with this attitude.
downgraded to vista
i finally got the upgrade to Windows Vista for my Dell XPS 410. my $2,000 PC that sits neath my TV.
the immediate results of my "upgrade":
- WiFi not working (no support for my US Robotics WiFi USB)
- Media Center does not identify the Cable connection
- My TV screen is not recognized… only my small LCD screen that is connected to the desktop.
i am flying out to Israel in a few hours, and i want to fix at least some of these issues so maskit will not kill me.
$#&* Microsoft.
the terrorists are winning
the terrorists are winning. at least in the impact they have on my life. i am talking about airport security and immigration. since i am traveling quite a bit this is a major impact…
just went through the security thing in heathrow, london. these guys have clearly lost it. they now have a one bag policy. no more taking a small trolley plus a laptop bag. now you have to fit the laptop bag into the trolley if you don't want to check in luggage. and they reduced the size of what you can carry, so even my 20" bag (pretty small, something most man can use on a working week trip, and most women can use for an overnight) does not fit it.
there is probably an idiot a committee of bureaucrats that is responsible for coming up with airport security regulations. i wonder what ideas they decide not to implement.. their logic was probably that if people will carry one bag instead of two that will reduce the chances of someone sneaking in a bomb by 50%. great win for our security.
another great feature of heathrow's security apparatus is that they have a separate line for examining people shoes. another machine to buy, more personnel to do the screening, more lines for people to stand in. amazing idea.
a great reprieve when it comes to liquids. a big screen with the title "BREAKING NEWS" tells people that now they can buy booze and bring it on the plane. i am sure every bottle is being examined by experts, and that it has nothing to do with the commercial interests of the businesses that are making their profits from people who spend hours in the airport because they now have to check-in 3 hours in advance without nothing to do but shop…
the situation in the US is not much better. and there is no consistency:
everyone need to take of their shoes / some / no one
liquids in nylon bag inside the suitcase / liquids must be in a bag outside the suitcase
etc.
the real security value generated by all this mess. i think very minimal, if any. the masterminds behind the regulations will probably use a cheney-like argument "the best proof our security measures are working is that there was not another 9/11". a great argument, could be used to justify any action by the government. no need to prove that something works, it is enough to show that it's not not working.
this will end up with people boarding planes in their underwear holding the boarding ticket. could be a great boost for the diet and hair removal industries. i am sure some lobbyist is already working out the details of the proposal and the impact on the revenue for the drug industry.
long time, no write
i have not written in a long time.
didn't even write a short review of the latest book i finished (snow).
i have semi-good excuses
- i was busy
- i quit my job
- i am starting a new company and have an adrenaline rush
now i am in newark airport waiting for my flight (currently delayed by 3 hours), and suddenly got the urge to update my blog.
a few days ago i wrote an email to the people i know (and some i don't know) telling them about my decision to move on from my comfortable corporate position and get back to the start-up world (been there before with and had a modest success). i was waiting for a long time to send such an email, and it felt great finally doing it.
i realize this is the adrenaline rush typical of new starts (whether it is a relationship, school or work), but i know that i'll be working on a different plain that what i was used to for the past 4.5 years. i'll be busier, happier, more nervous, more anxious, more challenged, more fulfilled.
i don't want to say i should have made the move before, because i learned a lot during the past 4.5 years, and it will increase my chances to succeed in my new venture. i feel i made the right decision at the right time, and i feel ready to take on the challenge.
book review: against all enemies
i used my 16 hour flight from new york to hong kong to finish this book. “against all enemies” is a book i should have read when it came out, but for some reason i postponed it till now..
dick clarke is providing the ultimate insider story of how the US was handling the terrorism threat prior to 9/11. unlike the looming tower or ghost wars which focus on the environment and conditions that created al qaeda, this book focuses on the US response (or lack there of) to it.
dick was the “terrorism czar” in the white house. although it is not clear to me what authority he had, it seems (if you believe his account) that he had a lot of power and ability to push the different players (DOD, CIA, FBI, State Department, etc.) to give more attention to the terrorist threat.
as you read the book you can’t but feel frustrated, since the US had so many chances to stop 9/11 from happening.
it also offers a strong critic of the bush administration and its behavior pre and post 9/11. specifically its fixation with iraq. if what described in the book is true, bush should be impeached. no question about it.
the book itself is engaging, though dick clarke portrayal of himself is funny. he seems like a james bond wanna be, yet he sits behind a desk all his life, willing to sacrifice his life if needed..
a highly recommended read for anyone interested in 9/11, iraq and the current bush administration.
productive winters
i was at a conference in dana point, ca this week.
the weather was great. mid 70s every day. in the mornings the ocean was filled with surfers (also in the middle of the day and the afternoons..)
a bunch of us east-coasters were gathering every time we could to enjoy the view and bask in the sun, envying the good life. so we were coming with excuses why it is better to live in the east-coast.
one of the guys made a comment that he doesn’t understand how people get any work done here when it’s so nice outside. so someone said that this is a clear advantage of living in the east-coast - that during the winter you have nothing to do, but work.. so at least we could get something done in our “productive winters”.
he has a point there.
back bloggin
after a couple of weeks in israel, and a quick visit to california i am back home and back blogging
dash, the next big thing in car navigation?
i have been discussing a GPS with real-time traffic info with tom and maskit a while back. we all came to the conclusions that:
a. it would be great to have a GPS that could recommend different routes based on traffic
b. that basing it on just the people who use the specific GPS is useless (since there is no critical mass)
today a company called Dash demonstrated their "smart"/internet connected GPS product, Dash Express at the Demo conference. and they list a few cools features.
first and most important is their "Network Traffic" feature. it combines historical traffic flow information with real-time reporting from the Dash Network (i.e. people who are using Dash Express). it's not clear whether they also throw into the mix traffic reports from the internet/radio (i think they should). the Network Traffic feature will suggest the driver 3 possible routes with estimated times based on traffic.
as i mentioned above i believe the real-time data will not be useful until they reach critical mass, which may never happen. a much better approach to solving this problem would be to build on people's mobile phones (and i think i know how to make it work).
the second feature is "Destination Search", which sounds like they are integrating the location information with internet search. that makes perfect sense. my current GPS is very limited in the information it has, and i rarely use it because of it.
the third feature is "Send to Car", which enables users to send destinations via email to their GPS. small but very useful feature in my opinion.
it all sounds very promising. i signed up to 'be the first on the block'.. since my audi does not have a GPS it may very well serve as a good enough excuse to get a Dash once it comes out
writely
i signed up for writely 8 months ago.
never got beyond creating the first 'test' document.
now i am testing it essentially as a way to write blog posts.
don't know if it makes sense.
i am not producing many documents these days.
more on the side of presentations and excel sheets..
it does seem as a great way to collaborate in writing a document.
