Obama Bored With Blackberry, Let's Help Him Appreciate Mobile And Govern At The Same Time

POTUS is bored with his Blackberry. It’s not because it’s a bad device. Well, it certainly isn’t sexy and cool like the iPhone or the Galaxy but RIM devices never claim to be. Rather, there seems to be very little interaction between President and the 10 or so White staff who might have access.

So what’s the point of such a device? Well, here’s an idea for anyone with some skills to make it happen. President Obama or any future President can take advantage of this.

Mobile Lessons Today

I'm not at work. Nor am I at home watching the Presidential Inauguration. I'm in a jury pool performing my civic duty as a citizen (we just heard about a 90-day case).

I decided to leave my Macbook at home in favor of my XO (OLPC laptop) that I got in 2007's G1G1 program.  What did I learn about mobility, power management, wireless Internet, and true computing on the go?

• Battery power, despite my best effort at power conservation (dimming, turning off features I don't need) is great but it doesn't lengthen time as much as I hope. 
  
• Battery technology needs more advances such as those Apple will be employing in their new 17" Macbook Pro.  If not the battery chemistry, creativities and innovations in battery deployment is needed.
• 3G  isn't necessary unless you absolutely have to have fast mobile Internet because it'll hinder your mobility if you are away from a power source and will have to rely on it.
• EDGE is good enough for audio streaming.  After my iPod Touch ran me through what I needed to see via the new Ustream app,which worked beautifully, I wanted to give it a rest I can conserve what battery life's left for music and games in the afternoon.  So, I turnedto my G1 for updates and analysis on the Obama Inaugural Speech.
• As good as the iPod Touch and iPhone's battery are under Wi-Fi access, tax it with video streaming and you can forget about the 6 hours of battery life Apple indicated.  I had hoped to write stories and blogs, listen to music, and play games for much of the day.  I've likely got only 30% of battery life left.
  
• A laptop is a good source of power in an emergency if you have to charge your devices.  I've mentioned this in the past but I'm saying it again here.  Right now, there are tons of Macbooks and other laptops in the jury room and not an outlet available. I don't know how long I'll be here and I don't want wires dangling so I decided to charge the G1 a bit.  
• For writing or blogging, just about any device will work.  The XO, which I updated the OS last night, is handling Web 2.0 stuff quite well.  I post to a novel site with my amuteurish gibberish quite aquately on the iPod and G1 but the XO with its full-featured browser beats both.  Particulary, the ability to add links, edit styles (like bullets), and more easily to switch between windows and tabs.
  

At the end of the day, I still rather have what I've had access to than not. The building offer Wi-Fi access and for that alone, I really appreciate it.  In fact, I was impressed the network's ability to take  the load without a hiccup with just about everyone who has a laptop streaming video for their fellow jurors.  

Note:  I like numbers and statistics.  In the jury room, I see folks from alll walks of life.  Lots of mobile warriors.  I'm seeing a lot of iPhones, a few Blackberries, and my one G1.  Most others still use regular phones.  A third of us has some kind of mobile device(s).  Those who's got it out are either texting or playing games.

Quite a few laptops as I've mentioned above.  It's funny. All the Macbooks seem to congregate in one area and the rest of the laptops everywhere else.  I think about 5% of us have a mobile computer.  I've got the only XO.

Presidential Mobile Warrior

We already know President-Elect Barack Obama is just as tech savy as the average mobile user. He's got a Macbook and an iPod. Sorry, not a Zune. He had a Blackberry but the Secret Service likely made him give it up. Yes, Apple fans. Even if he used an iPhone, he still would have to give it up in the name of national security.

What makes Obama a different mobile warrior than the rest of us are his rides. Air Force One. Okay, maybe a couple of you readers out there might own a jet or two. But nothing like the AF One.

Now his limo. On the day he takes office, Jan 20th, he will be riding in a brand new limo the Secret Service had it custom made by GM for the forty-fourth President of the United States.

I first saw it last night on CNN but now ABC News is also having a go at the new armored Presidential ride.

• At least 5 inches of plating
• Run-flat tires
• Seals to prevent against chemical or biological attacks
• CD player - this is the only piece of technology we know the limo has for sure.
• Not in the ABC report but what I saw on CNN was that it has these locks and bolts that seals the President in the car to prevent someone on the outside from ripping the door off.
• According to the news on TV, the President will be completely sealed from the outside. No outside noise whatsoever.

I'm sure it'll have some sort tech we might be familiar with. Of course, I'm just speculating but giving how this President likes technology and how much his Presidential campaign and transition period relied on the Internet, there are likely a couple of gadgets in there we can expect to see. Well, it's what I like to have in the limo if I was the President of the United States.

• Mobile communication center - I'm not taking about just cell phones. The Presidential Limo will have a hub for Internet access.
• Television - like LCD monitor for video conferencing.
• Forget the CD player, dude. Just need a jack for the iPod.
• Oxygen supply. I'm guess this is in there because if the limo is sealed from outside, it'll need air somehow.
• Like where the President will be sitting is going to be a remote or arm rest where he can control his onboard tech. Not different from what Kirk or Picard has in their command chair.

Source: ABC NEWS

If you were President, how would you like to outfit your limo?

Economic Stimulus For Wireless: Investment In The Future

Green tech.  Petro Independence.  Infrastructure.  Education.  Healthcare.  I heard broadband in there somewhere. 

Well, I have to say that I'm a bit torn.  I like to see wireless technology expanded more.  In my limited knowledge about "the last mile" about getting broadband into every  home in America, I am making the assumption that wireless technology would be cheaper than tearing up concrete and running wires. 

Still, the cost of the stimulus package I'm reading about on the Internet is mind-boggling.  I know the Democrats are trying to keep the stimulus package under the $1T.  That's right, folks.  One Trillion.  $1,000,000,000,000.  A thousand billion.  A million million.  One followed by two zeros.  So, they're looking at $750 billion at the low-end and trying to keep it under $850 billion at the high-end.  So, if that's going to happen, where does wireless technology and wireless broadband rollout fit into all this?

President-elect Obama has mentioned putting aside money for broadband deployment.  It figures largely into his education, healthcare, and other efforts to streamline the government.  And I applaud that effort but every telecom and cable lobbyists will try to get into the equation and end up making a mess of things.  I suppose it's the nature of the beast and the cost of doing business with the government involved. 

I just hope when the final bill comes across President Obama's desk in January, it's broadband, be it wireless or not, done right for mobile warriors, not telecom overlords.

Link:  Speed Matters, Ars Technica

MacCandidate Will Also Be iPresident

World leaders who are democratically elected, be warned.  What laptop you use or what MP3 Pplayer you take to the gym may make or break your ascendency  to the presidency or whatever highest office that is in your land.

In the midst of a global recession, terror threats, and any number of dozens of political, economic, and environmental issues that President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team has to grab by the horns and hit the ground running on January 20th, apparently, just as important is assuring the American public and the international community that he was a Macbook candidate and will be an iPod President is just as important an issue.

So important is this issue that an Obama spokesperson has to come out and dispel a story that Obama jams with a Zune at a local gym in Chicago.

But if you think about it, Obama had openly talked about his family's Macbook during the campaign.  There's no reason why he would go out and get a Zune after that.

It's just amazing the kind of impact of a product that has sold 150 million units can have on Presidential politics.  History might be a bit different had Obama talked about using a Presario or Inspiron and Senator McCain's advisors had made him look more tech savy with pictures or video footages of the Senator with an iPhone and a Macbook Air.  Karl Rove uses an iPhone.  They could have used the Architect.

Note to future Presidential candidates:  just as you'll likely make the ethanol pledge when you're in Iowa and the rest of the Midwest, make sure you make the iPod pledge as well.

Source:  PC World

Mobile Tip (sort of): Presidential News And Poll Tracking

I watched the debate on my laptop because I was at work late.  Got to love the Internet.  After the debate, I was all over the place (place being the Internet) trying to find out what other voters think (less so of the political eggheads on TV).

Anyway, 34 days left until Americans head to the poll, I'm totally into this.  Can't wait for the next debate (Tuesday night by the way.  Town hall session.)

As a political junkie, I can't get enough of polls.  So, I went to Rasmussen Reports where they offer a lot of numbers.  Found the daily tracking poll.  You can enter your e-mail for daily tracking data.

Also, you can sign up with Yahoo Alert to have them send you alerts via e-mail or messenger.  It's perfect for those with Mobile Me on the iPhone, Blackberries, and other mobile devices with push mail.  Use it to keep track of news, subject matter, stocks, or any blog (you know...like Onxo).

Whatever your political affiliation, as Americans and Main Street mobile warriors, we should at least say connected be knowledgeable pertinent issues.  This is the twenty-first century.

If there are other ways you can share with us on keeping track of the Presidential race, please let us know.

Politics in Mobility: The McCain Technology Platform

On Sunday, we shared our views making broadband access through the country.  We don't endorse a particular path regarding mobile broadband but we do believe it is essential.

On that note, CNet News has reported that Arizona Senator John McCain's Presidential campaign has issued its technology platform.  It's a worthy read but as to what these statements mean in practice, we won't ever know until it happens, will we?  I glanced at the post and the text of the platform and it is very pro-business, if that's your cup of tea.

Here are the main points:

• Promise to protect intellectual property.
• Keep out regulation.
• Commits to fair and open trade.
• Encourage Investment - clouded with some stuff about capital gains and corporate taxes.  I'm good with lower cap gains taxes but it doesn't make me want to invest more.  It makes me happy I can keep more.  But I'm small fry.
• R&D tax credit to be made permanent.
• First-year expense of new equipment and tech.
• Keep taxation from the Internet.  Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about the states.  
• Foster a competitive workforce.

Here are a few of particular interests to mobile warriors:

• Wants consumer freedom to choose.  "free to use the applications and services they choose; free to attach devices they choose, if they do not harm the network; and free to chose among broadband service providers."
• Opposes higher taxes on wireless services.  Here is what's important.  The campaign opposses " new state and local discriminatory taxes and fees on wireless services".  
• Will fully fund America Competes Act.  Retrain displaced workers and changes to the community college system.  Targeted programs for minorities and low-income students.  Grants for wireless technology.

And hey!  Guess what?  We're on the same page when it comes to connectivity.  The McCain campaign believes a connected America (we think a wirelessly connected America) is important to "solving the problems of health care, immigration, climate change, and energy dependence all require connecting our citizens to a world-class network".  

Obviously, it sounds great on paper but if Senator McCain does win in November, he will likely have a powerful Democratic Congress to contend with.  Let's hope his past ability to work across the isle translates into a White House leadership in bipartisan efforts to offer 21st Century technology and education for America.  

Here is the link to Senator John McCain's technology platform.  Senator McCain of Arizona is the presumptive Republican nominee for the forty-fourth President of the United States.  

Later this week, we'll bring you the technology platform from the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.  

Note:  Onxo will never pick one side over another unless we notice positions or policies that are blatantly contrary to the benefits of mobile  and Web users.  And we're not going to see that during an election year from either side.  Suffice to say, we believe there is a balanced policy that can weigh the interests of wireless providers against those of consumers.  


I guess one want to figure out who's best for mobile warriors is to see who's using a Blackberry or iPhone.  Yeah, okay.  Not funny.  Sorry...