Thank You Gogo Inflight Internet

I'm traveling and it's great to have Gogo Inflight Internet service. I can write this blog post, keep up with my emails, and stay productive when I'm in the air! I've used Gogo several times in the past and I hope we see inflight Internet in all planes in the near future. Prices for Gogo have come down since the last time I used it and they now offer several connection packages.

Blogging from the plane with my iPad and Gogo Internet

I'm currently in-flight on my way to San Francisco. I'm blogging with my iPad and I'm connected to the Internet via Gogo Wi-Fi access on the plane. I'm typing this using my Bluetooth wireless keyboard. With all these wireless signals onboard, let's hope the plane doesn't malfunction!

It's quite amazing that we now have access to all technology when we're on a plane. I still remember the days when airlines started placing phones on the plane. It was ridiculously expensive to make a call. Now, on-flight Wi-Fi is only $12 for a day pass. That's a very reasonable rate and I'm going to make use of this access since I'm on a long flight.

The iPad has been a great travel companion. It has excellent battery life and the external keyboard has made it possible for me to type a number of documents during this flight (including this blog post).

Full color digital readers coming soon

When computers first appeared in the hands of consumers, they came with grayscale (aka monochrome) displays. The same was true for laptops and PDAs. Now, we're seeing that trend repeated with digital book readers. Books generally use black ink on white paper, so who needs color?

As digital readers like the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Digital Reader, and the Barnes and Noble Nook continue to evolve into a type of tablet computer, the need for a color screen will become inevitable. Soon, we'll be back to a tablet PC, but these devices won't have the same type of processing capability as what's found in modern computers. Let's see when Apple releases the iSlate.

So how will these digital readers evolve? I think it's fair to predict that they will incorporate color screens, have Wi-Fi, and have Internet capabilities. They will also be capable of e-mail and some type of multimedia (such as browsing images, playing videos, etc.). Will they get classified as a mobile internet device or MID? Perhaps they will get called a tablet internet device or TID. That will get confusing for physicians who prescribe drugs TID (three times/day).

At the end of the day, they will resemble very simple tablet PCs. How will this impact the medical community? Will health care students and working professionals get more comfortable working with slate tablets?

More thoughts (and reviews) about the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android

I've been talking with many people about the Archos 5 Internet Tablet with Android. There are people out there who want a really small computer that has excellent battery life. The OQO model 02 is a great machine, but it's no longer supported since OQO is no longer is business. That device does not have the best battery life, so you're also limited on that level.

The Archos 5 doesn't run Windows or Linux, but Android should be sufficient for most. I'm eager to get my hands on one so that I can test it out and see how this device would be used by health care professionals (such as gadget-loving physicians) who wish to have access to the Internet when they're out of the office.

Here are some reviews that you may wish to consider:

Archos 5 @ testfreaks.com

Archos 5 Internet Tablet reviews (Android)

There are a few reviews of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (not to be confused with the Internet Media Tablet) floating around on the Internet. I don't plan to purchase an Archos 5 Tablet running Android, but if you're thinking about holiday shopping, then this may be a nice toy for someone who already has a smartphone, netbook, laptop, etc.

So, why is the Archos 5 Internet Tablet so great?

• Runs Google Android (note that the Internet Media Tablet does NOT run Android)
  
• Built-in GPS (once again, the Internet Media Tablet does NOT offer GPS)
  
• Great battery life
• Simple, but functional web browser
• Great multimedia functionality
  
• Very thin
• Nice 4.8" screen

So, looking for a nice little gadget? Consider the Archos 5. However, if you're shopping online, make sure you get the Internet Tablet with Android and not the Internet Media Tablet. I'd encourage you to read the reviews that are out there. You may decide that for the same amount of money, you're better buying a netbook or laptop instead. I can respect that. I don't need another laptop or netbook, but that's me. I also don't need an Archos 5.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

I'm excited about the upcoming Archos 9, but the Archos 5 appears to be a great little mobile device that you can easily slip in your pocket. Unlike the OQO model 02, the Archos 5 is very thin.

Archos has confused consumers by using the name "Archos 5" to refer to two different products:

• an Internet Media Tablet (I'll call this the media tablet)
  
• an Internet Tablet (I'll call this the Internet tablet)
  

Confused? They both have the word "Internet" and "tablet" in their names, so I agree that it's a bit confusing. The media tablet is a fancy media player that also includes a web browser. The Internet tablet includes some of the features found on the media tablet but it also runs Google Android and it has an internal GPS. So, the Internet Tablet is more like a mini computer. Would it be more clear to use the common phrase Mobile Internet Device (MID)? Archos likes to be different.

Now, some may argue that it doesn't make sense to purchase an Internet Tablet if you already use a smartphone. That's a reasonable argument. However, I have a smartphone and I also have an iPod touch. Some may say that the iPod touch is a media tablet. Others may call it an Internet tablet. I suppose if Apple releases a tablet some day, then things could start to get really interesting. However, until we see that happen, we're really talking about devices that are being defined by their screen sizes and storage capacities. Do you have a smartphone that has a 5" screen? Would you want to use a smartphone if it had a 5" screen?

Broadband providers

How do you define "broadband" as it relates to an Internet connection? If you look on Wikipedia, you'll see that "broadband internet" is "a high data rate Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56k modem." So, almost everything we see is now considered broadband since very few people actually still use 56k modems. Back in my AOL days, I used to have a 56k modem. I still remember all those dial-up Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like NetZero, Earthlink, Juno, CompuServe, and others. Remember those?

Now, we don't even have a phone line in our house. We use fiber optic FIOS and if that ever goes down, I pull out my smartphone. I use my smartphone to tether and get broadband internet connections when I'm traveling or when I'm not in Wi-Fi range. If I'm in a Wi-Fi hot spot, then I'll usually turn on the Wi-Fi antenna. But, if I'm not in a hot spot, then I'll pull out my smartphone and get online.

My colleagues in the UK use service providers like Orange and Vodafone. Some even use T-Mobile (but not to be confused with T-Mobile USA). Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to learn about Internet and mobile phone providers in Europe. If you're ever looking for an unlocked GSM phone that isn't available in North America, look at these international mobile phone providers.

Benefits of using different web browsers simultaneously

There are many reasons why you may want to simultaneously use different web browsers. Here's one key benefit:

• You can log in to different sites simultaneously using different user names. For instance, I can be logged in to Yahoo mail on Firefox as user1, and also logged in to Yahoo mail on Internet Explorer as user2. This is great if you have multiple accounts to various websites and you want to check things simultaneously. (talk about some serious multi-tasking!)
• Group your icons in your Taskbar. Assuming that you're using Windows XP, Vista, or 7, your taskbar may automatically group similar taskbar buttons. You can change this setting, but you may like it this way. If you have a tendency to open multiple web pages in separate windows, then it often helps to use different browsers to group them. For instance, all your news pages might be open on Chrome. Client-related sites may be on Firefox. etc. This way, you can quickly glance down and find your "group" very efficiently.

So which web browsers do I currently use? Mainly Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. I also have Safari and Opera, but I don't use them very often to browse the Internet. Speaking of Chrome, did you notice the upgrade to version 3?

PC World Ranks Internet Security Suites

So, I was browsing through PC World and I noticed that they had ranked Internet Security Suites. A significant portion of the August issue focuses on security-related topics.

So how were security suites rated? I'll list the top 3 first:

1. G Data Internet Security 2010 recieved a score of 91 (superior) and a "Best Buy" stamp
2. Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 got a score of 90 (superior)
3. BitDefender Internet Security 2008 received 87 (very good)

The lowest ranked solution was:

• Comodo Internet Security Pro 3.8 which got a score of 57 (poor)

So, what do you use on your computer?

US Airways to offer Wi-Fi

It's about time, isn't it? US Airways has announced that it will offer Wi-Fi services on its Airbus A321 aircraft starting in 2010. Thanks to their partnership with Aircell, they will offer Wi-Fi through Gogo® Inflight Internet.

Free Wi-Fi while camping

I'm camping this weekend and I'm typing this while my family's taking a nap. Thanks to some free Wi-Fi here at the campsite, I don't need to bother with tethering to get online. Having such a small computer makes it easy for me to get online, even when I'm on vacation. Am I checking my work e-mail? What do you think?

F11 Works on Chrome 2.0

I don't believe that the F11 (full-screen) key worked on the earlier version of Chrome. However, if you've updated to Chrome 2.0, then you'll be pleased to know that this ultra-sleek browser now goes into full-screen mode when you press the F11 key.

Tip of the Day: F11

In most web browsers (like Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer, but not Chrome - unless you have Chrome 2.0 - or Safari), if you hit the "F11" key, you'll enter a nice "full-screen" mode. Away goes the navigation controls and the Google and Yahoo toolbars. You can view webpages in your entire monitor. Nice! To exit "full-screen" mode, just hit that F11 key again.

So, how do you remember F11? When I was in medical school, I was utterly dependent on mnemonics to remember everything. So, here's my mnemonic to help you remember F11.

The "11" almost looks like a box (it just doesn't have a top or bottom, but it has both sides of the box). Now, your monitor is a box, right? So, the F11= full-screen monitor

See? Now you'll never forget what that F11 key does when you're browsing the web.

Updated Drivers and Software for the Lenovo Thinkpad X200 Tablet

I just downloaded and installed some of the updates from Lenovo for my Thinkpad X200 Tablet PC. The new software seem to have fixed some of the Wi-Fi connection problems I was having before. The Thinkvantage System Update is undergoing some changes and it probably won't be running until May. So, you have to manually download and install these updates.