With a little help from some friends whose palettes are a little more up-scale than mine, they dined at Charlie Palmer's at the Hotel Joule.
You Know It's Fancy When …
Notice the tablet computer.
That is an interactive wine-list called the eWinebook. It sorts and sifts by type, country, region, vintage, or price.
Once you narrow down your selections to a few choices, a live person is available to help you make your decision.
On one hand, it helps the consumer feel better about their choice; and on the other, it increases the restaurants average wine bill. To a "Win – Win" proposition. Cheers.
There is a new version of Google Goggles that is faster and smarter than ever before.
How fast and smart? Google's image-based search app is now powerful enough to finish your Sunday morning Sudoku. Literally.
Take a picture of the puzzle, and the app does the rest. Check out the video below to see Google Goggles in action.
This same tool lets you take a picture of a location and Google will return relevant search results after recognizing where you are and inferring what you might be searching for.
This seems like a pretty big leap towards Jetsons-like living.
Word Lens instantly translates printed words from one language to another using the video camera on your iPhone. You've got to see this.
In a sense, Word Lens is an new form of dictionary. It looks up words for you, and shows them in context. You can use Word Lens on your vacations to translate restaurant menus, street signs, and other things that have clearly printed words.
There is a new version of Google Goggles that is faster and smarter than ever before.
How fast and smart? Google's image-based search app is now powerful enough to finish your Sunday morning Sudoku. Literally.
Take a picture of the puzzle, and the app does the rest. Check out the video below to see Google Goggles in action.
This same tool lets you take a picture of a location and Google will return relevant search results after recognizing where you are and inferring what you might be searching for.
This seems like a pretty big leap towards Jetsons-like living.
Word Lens instantly translates printed words from one language to another using the video camera on your iPhone. You've got to see this.
In a sense, Word Lens is an new form of dictionary. It looks up words for you, and shows them in context. You can use Word Lens on your vacations to translate restaurant menus, street signs, and other things that have clearly printed words.
If you are looking for a good deal and want to avoid crowds, try the Camel Farm.
It's a strange name … and a great site. They provide historical price charts for Amazon and other retailers — so you know you are getting a great deal. Here is an example, but you can choose any product. It works great.
They also will send you price drop alerts via email, and have an intuititve system to help you find deals.
If you are looking for a good deal and want to avoid crowds, try the Camel Farm.
It's a strange name … and a great site. They provide historical price charts for Amazon and other retailers — so you know you are getting a great deal. Here is an example, but you can choose any product. It works great.
They also will send you price drop alerts via email, and have an intuititve system to help you find deals.
Even my dog understands when I give him certain commands. Shouldn’t my computer be at least that smart?
I'm always on the lookout for software that promises to reduce repetitive tasks and save time. Lately, I’ve been using PhraseExpress from Bartels Media. With it, my computer behaves the way I want it to, and acts smarter than it did before.
First things first … the obvious use of PhraseExpress is to create shortcuts for commonly used words and phrases.
There are certain phrases that you probably type over-and-over again. Some of them are short, like your name; others are little longer, like the name of your website or the way you sign your name at the end of an e-mail. Then there are phrases that are considerably longer than that, yet are still something that you end up using considerably more often than you like typing it. Well, it turns out you don't have to type it anymore.
For example, if I type "fyit", PhraseExpress replaces that with "for your information, I thought you might want to see this …" and then adds my signature. Another one I use often is “ttc”, which expands to "Thank you for your time and consideration." Realize, though, that you can add whatever phrases work for you. During the course of a week, PhraseExpress saves me thousands of keystrokes and a considerable amount of time.
A related feature is to create replacement text to correct certain words that I commonly mistype or misspell. My fingers don't always go where they should, but at least I'm consistent about it. That means if I somehow transpose a letter, the correct spelling ends up in the document without me having to slow down, backup, or lose focus.
It Starts Saving You Time As Soon As You Install It.
PhraseExpress works as soon as you install it, because it comes with thousands of pre-built text replacements and phrases. The real power, however, is that you can add your own information and customize what's there as much as you want.
In addition to the phrases that come with the software, Bartels also offers several free add-on modules for you to download and install. One of these allows you to do math. So if you type “20+80 =” that will pop up a box letting you replace that with the answer — or you can ignore it and keep typing. Another feature can translate date math; so, "two days from now" could convert and insert the correct day and date into your document. I created a phrase so that "dd" inserts the current date; frankly, I use that considerably more than I thought I would. For practical puproses, your imagination is the only limit.
I See You, I Know You … And I Can Guess Your Command.
The second major feature that PhraseExpress offers is a predictive text capability that remembers what you typed before, and suggests a word or phrase that you've typed several times in that situation.
At first, I was skeptical that I would appreciate that feature. Now, it's something I look forward to and appreciate each time it pops up. The predictive text feature continues to get smarter the more you use it. Here is an example captured while using e-mail.
Taking Automation to the Next Level.
Another PhraseExpress feature worth noting is its surprisingly full-featured scripting language. This allows you to automate a repetitive task, even if it contains multiple steps. It can be as simple as forwarding an e-mail to a certain group of people, or something that reduces a series of tasks that used to take me close to half an hour – but with the PhraseExpress script now gets done in about a minute without any intervention on my part.
Another way I use scripting is to add a random thought to ponder to my e-mail signature. Any time I see a quote or idea that I want to save, it only takes a few keystrokes to add it to my collection. And then a simple script allows me to randomly add one of those "thoughts to ponder" to my e-mail signature.
Words Are Powerful.
Words are powerful, and they're easier to remember than complex commands like “Control-Shift-F5”. So, I like that I can assign short words or phrases to trigger the actions I want. I'm way more likely to remember it, and that means I'm way more likely to use it.
You can use the basic version of PhraseExpress at no cost. However, a quick trial will easily justify the purchase of a more powerful version.
The best thing about PhraseExpress is that I forget it's there … and it continues to work saving time, money, and frustration. Another great thing about it is that it's easy to add phrases or customize the way it works. After it is broken in, it naturally fits you and the way you work. Finally, I appreciate how responsive the company has been in providing support and listening to feature requests.
Bottom-Line: PhraseExpress is a terrific piece of software. It is a very well designed and intuitive program that removes many of the frustrations you face sitting in front of your computer each day.
Even my dog understands when I give him certain commands. Shouldn’t my computer be at least that smart?
I'm always on the lookout for software that promises to reduce repetitive tasks and save time. Lately, I’ve been using PhraseExpress from Bartels Media. With it, my computer behaves the way I want it to, and acts smarter than it did before.
First things first … the obvious use of PhraseExpress is to create shortcuts for commonly used words and phrases.
There are certain phrases that you probably type over-and-over again. Some of them are short, like your name; others are little longer, like the name of your website or the way you sign your name at the end of an e-mail. Then there are phrases that are considerably longer than that, yet are still something that you end up using considerably more often than you like typing it. Well, it turns out you don't have to type it anymore.
For example, if I type "fyit", PhraseExpress replaces that with "for your information, I thought you might want to see this …" and then adds my signature. Another one I use often is “ttc”, which expands to "Thank you for your time and consideration." Realize, though, that you can add whatever phrases work for you. During the course of a week, PhraseExpress saves me thousands of keystrokes and a considerable amount of time.
A related feature is to create replacement text to correct certain words that I commonly mistype or misspell. My fingers don't always go where they should, but at least I'm consistent about it. That means if I somehow transpose a letter, the correct spelling ends up in the document without me having to slow down, backup, or lose focus.
It Starts Saving You Time As Soon As You Install It.
PhraseExpress works as soon as you install it, because it comes with thousands of pre-built text replacements and phrases. The real power, however, is that you can add your own information and customize what's there as much as you want.
In addition to the phrases that come with the software, Bartels also offers several free add-on modules for you to download and install. One of these allows you to do math. So if you type “20+80 =” that will pop up a box letting you replace that with the answer — or you can ignore it and keep typing. Another feature can translate date math; so, "two days from now" could convert and insert the correct day and date into your document. I created a phrase so that "dd" inserts the current date; frankly, I use that considerably more than I thought I would. For practical puproses, your imagination is the only limit.
I See You, I Know You … And I Can Guess Your Command.
The second major feature that PhraseExpress offers is a predictive text capability that remembers what you typed before, and suggests a word or phrase that you've typed several times in that situation.
At first, I was skeptical that I would appreciate that feature. Now, it's something I look forward to and appreciate each time it pops up. The predictive text feature continues to get smarter the more you use it. Here is an example captured while using e-mail.
Taking Automation to the Next Level.
Another PhraseExpress feature worth noting is its surprisingly full-featured scripting language. This allows you to automate a repetitive task, even if it contains multiple steps. It can be as simple as forwarding an e-mail to a certain group of people, or something that reduces a series of tasks that used to take me close to half an hour – but with the PhraseExpress script now gets done in about a minute without any intervention on my part.
Another way I use scripting is to add a random thought to ponder to my e-mail signature. Any time I see a quote or idea that I want to save, it only takes a few keystrokes to add it to my collection. And then a simple script allows me to randomly add one of those "thoughts to ponder" to my e-mail signature.
Words Are Powerful.
Words are powerful, and they're easier to remember than complex commands like “Control-Shift-F5”. So, I like that I can assign short words or phrases to trigger the actions I want. I'm way more likely to remember it, and that means I'm way more likely to use it.
You can use the basic version of PhraseExpress at no cost. However, a quick trial will easily justify the purchase of a more powerful version.
The best thing about PhraseExpress is that I forget it's there … and it continues to work saving time, money, and frustration. Another great thing about it is that it's easy to add phrases or customize the way it works. After it is broken in, it naturally fits you and the way you work. Finally, I appreciate how responsive the company has been in providing support and listening to feature requests.
Bottom-Line: PhraseExpress is a terrific piece of software. It is a very well designed and intuitive program that removes many of the frustrations you face sitting in front of your computer each day.
They say memory is the second thing to go, as you get older … but I forget the first.
However, based on how hard it is getting for me to see at night (and the fact that I now have little flashlights stashed all over the place), my guess is that eyesight is the first thing to go.
It turns out that my vision wasn't as bad as I thought it was; but my choice of lighting was worse than I realized.
In an attempt to be environmentally conscious and have light bulbs that supposedly last longer, I started purchasing these strange curly fluorescent bulbs. My mind told me that they were fine, but my experience proved otherwise.
Recently, I switched to the natural spectrum bulbs from Verilux, and it's like somebody finally turned the light on. Externally, they may look the same, but they make a big difference. I can read again, my eyes don't hurt at the end of the day, and that strange tint on photos or web-cam videos is replaced with a much more natural palette of colors.
Coincidentally, I'm reading a book by Temple Grandin, an autistic woman with insights into how natural surroundings either calm or disturb animals and humans. According to her book, it turns out that one of the primary anxiety triggers is fluorescent lighting and its incessant flickering.
We spend so much time thinking about what we put in our bodies (like organic foods or vitamins), but to feel healthy we also should think about what we surround our body with … and a full natural spectrum of light is a good start.
That is an interactive wine-list called the eWinebook. It sorts and sifts by type, country, region, vintage, or price. 
