They recommend some dedicated sound machines, but your computer or phone will certainly do the job for free or cheap.

SimplyNoise Web App (free)
Noise Mac App (free)
Ambiance iPhone App (99 cents US)

If Internet Explorer is the default browser and Firefox is the alternative browser, is Safari for Windows the browser for people who’d rather have a Mac in the first place?

Another year, another round of hydrogen prototypes at a car show. Hydrogen is that magical fuel that looks great on paper, but is too far off to do much for us right now. To car companies, it looks great for PR, and not much else. These companies have blown smoke up our ass for too long for us to take them seriously now.

Stop showing me jetpacks and start shipping product. Until then, shut up about it, hire a bunch of scientists, fire the PR flacks, and get to work. Don’t bug me again till I can walk down to the store and pick one up.

Photo Credit: Mikipedia

2. An iPhone to AppleTV Connection. AppleTV’s first year was a slow one, but Apple will bolster it by allowing you to use your iPhone as a remote for AppleTV. Anyone with content on their iPod Touch or iPhone will be able to watch that content instantly on their TV with an AppleTV in the mix.

Update: My two longshot guesses didn’t work out. Oh well. It’s always fun to play on the Apple prediction game show.

• Nintendo will become #1 in the games industry again in next-gen units, portable units and cash raked in.
  One look at the Wii remote in late 2005, I felt confident making this prediction in 2006, repeated it for 2007, and it came true about half-way through the year when the Wii overtook the Xbox 360, even with the 360 having a full year lead on the market. Nintendo is just printing money these days, and they deserve real rewards, given that they took real risks on the DS and Wii while Sony and Microsoft followed the mantra “Rinse, Repeat.”
• Blu-ray will officially take the lead over HD-DVD.
  HD-DVD is officially over and the fallout beginning at CES shows just how bad 2007 was for the format. If you’ve got an HD-DVD player, sell it or slap it next to the Betamax.
• iTV will be released with the greatest killer app: a full hookup to Youtube in partnership with Google.
  Five months later, my dream came true, and my consumption of cat videos has never been higher.
• A full line of 802.11n compatible Airport devices will be released. Too easy a prediction to really feel smart about. Forget I mentioned this one.

What I Got Wrong

• Mac OS 10.5 will make heavy use of integrated cameras for fun and security.
  This didn’t pan out. Mac OS 10.5 still has Photobooth and great video fun for iChat, but cam-based security features are nowhere to be found.
• The killer app for Apple’s phone will be built-in GPS.
  I love the iPhone, but the lack of GPS is a disappointment. Perhaps omitted due to battery issues or development time, I still see a long list of GPS-required scenarios that the iPhone should certainly have. Here’s hoping for inclusion in the future.
• The Finder will finally be replaced in OS 10.5 with a brand new search-centric app. Good riddance.
  Finder is better, but is hardly a radical change.
• Steve Jobs will announce his retirement.
  Jobs is still going strong and will likely do so until his last day on his own two feet. The industry is better from having him around, so here’s hoping his lease on life continues to be renewed.

2007 Tech Predictions and 2006 Tech Predictions

I’ve been helping people set up a lot of Christmas macs over the last few weeks, and have put these three programs on every single one of them.

If you are a ConEd customer, you can switch from coal/nuclear power to 100% wind in about 3 minutes.

How much will it cost?

Add about 6 cents per kWh for 100% wind or 3 cents for a mix of wind and hydro.

How much will it cost in terms I can understand?

Get your latest bill, look at how many kWh you used, and multiply that number by:
.03 for 35% wind / 65% hydro power
.06 for 100% wind power

My Bill as an Example

According to my bill, two people and one cat use:
6.2 kWh a day x 6 cents = about 37 cents more a day for 100% wind power
6.2 kWh a day x 3 cents = about 19 cents more a day for 35% wind power / 65% hydro
That works out to be about $11 more a month for 100% wind or $5.50 for a 35/65 mix.

Is it Worth it?

I think so. For the cost of one to two lattes once a month, you get clean, renewable energy and help create jobs building wind farms.

How do I do it?

Get your ConEd account number off your bill and fill out this form to enroll in green power.

I like the look of old-school incandescent bulbs, so I’ve always had a hard time with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs.) They always seemed too harsh and white for my taste. That said, I’d rather use CFLs to save both money and energy, as well as reward smart engineering.

I Found a CFL That Doesn’t Suck

If you’re looking for a CFL that gives off light like your older incandescent bulbs, I recommend the n:vision Soft White. I’m using the 14 watt Soft White CFLs to replace 60 watt bulbs. They look great and they only cost me $2.50 each. I’m very pleased.

Where Can I Get Them?

Home Depot has them in four packs in-store for about $10 here in New York. Head to your local Home Depot and they’ll likely have them.

Home Depot doesn’t offer them online, but I believe that SpringLight Soft White is the same bulb in different packaging. Cost is slightly higher at $3.30 a bulb instead of $2.50 at Home Depot.

How Much Energy Will I Save?

I replaced 14 regular light bulbs with 10 CFLs while eliminating 4 bulbs that just weren’t needed.
The old bulbs: 14 x 60w = 840w
The new CFLs: 10 x 14w = 140w

I’ve eliminated 83% of the electricity used by my lighting.

How Much Money Will I Save?

Each bulb replaced will save me about $3 a year in electricity costs, so I’ll save about $30 a year, not including the other 4 bulbs I simply did away with. That also means that each bulb pays for itself in less than a year and every year after that is pure savings.

Give Me One Reason

There are so many reasons to replace your bulbs: save money, save energy, lower your impact on the environment, become more personally efficient, reward smart engineers.

Pick one reason, buy some bulbs, and then enjoy a nap.

They had to pull the plug and take them in for a redesign, but hope to have them online soon. Green energy may be a not so easy learning process, but it’s good to see we’re learning.