I found some refurbished Dyson vacuums on Overstock, but I had to decide on a model. Since I have really bad allergies, I was definitely intrigued by a vacuum cleaner that was certified as asthma friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. I have seen several commercials with the Dyson that uses a ball to steer, but we decided we preferred the larger size and less costly DC17.

The Dyson DC17 came with very few instructions, but I put it together without much difficulty. The difference between this vacuum cleaner and our old one was huge. An area that was vacuumed just a couple days before with our old vacuum produced a huge amount of fine dust particles and it was shocking to see just how much dust and dirt was being left be hind. In short, this thing can suck! Also, the wand for the attachments is built right into the top of the vacuum, so it is easy to take off and use. Another great feature is that the bin empties from the bottom with a touch of a button. This makes it easy to put deep into a trash bag and keep the dust where it belongs. Also, this vacuum kicks out clean smelling air when it is working.

There are some downsides. To get the vacuum out of an upright position you have to step on a button (really an indented area) in the front of the vacuum. This would be better if it was in the back, like every other vacuum I have used. Also, with most vacuums you can pull the handle down to lift the cleaner head over rugs. This one just moves the handle down while the vacuum moves to keep contact with the floor. It makes it hard to pick up fuzz from a stuffed toy that one of my pups has destroyed. Also, this vacuum cleaner is not easy to get under stuff because it does not have much of an edge and it is not great with getting right up against a wall. The attachments are better for these needs.

Overall, I am very happy with the Dyson despite the downsides I mentioned above. In the end, I wanted something with a large bin, great sucking power, and allergy friendly. In these main areas, the Dyson excels.

Here are some of the main criticisms of the iPad that I have seen around the web:

1. Lack of multitasking - although it is possible that this will be addressed with a software update before it is released. If not, I would bet a hacker will jailbreak it to add this ability soon after its release.
2. Lack of Flash support
3. Lack of an HD output
4. No camera
5. No USB

The above critisms are legit and there are a few other small issues that people have with the device. If you were expecting some sort of laptop replacement, you were definitely dissappointed. Many have commented that a netbook does more. If you are using a netbook as a laptop replacement, you are probably right. However, this is not meant to be a laptop replacement, at least I would not use it for that purpose.

The many reasons I like the iPad and will probably get one:

While many people were looking for a device that does everything under the sun, I was just hoping that it would work with my iPhone apps. The fact that many people are calling this a giant iPod Touch, with the possibility of 3G, is really a selling point from my perspective. I use my iPhone and iPod Touch quite a bit around the house. When I want to read the newest articles from AP or USA Today, I grab my iPhone. When I want to look up something quickly on the web, I grab my iPhone or iPod Touch. When I want to listen to music on my main stereo system or in bed, I grab my Touch or iPhone. When I want to play a mindless game, like Papertoss, I grab my iPhone.

In other words, I use my iPhone quite a bit when I am at home. The main downside to home use for the iPhone is the miniscule screen. While it works fine, a bigger screen, as long as it isn’t too big, is welcome. Here are just a few ways a bigger screen is welcome:

1. Games - Games are one of the biggest app store successes. Heck, Nintendo has already come out bashing the iPad which tells you they consider it a competitor. The larger platform will allow more immersive game play, while still using the motion tilt sensors that are built into the iPad. The screen size does not have a huge trade off in weight (1.5 pounds) so it will be easy to maneuver.

2. Books- There are already great book readers on the iPhone (Kindle and Stanza). iBooks is Apple’s version that may add to the experience. They allow you to buy books or download free books and read them on the iPhone. This is great when I am in a waiting room or just killing time. However, for home use, it would be better to have a bigger screen. Obviously, the niche has been filled by the Amazon Kindle. Personally, I have never wanted a Kindle because it is too much of a one trick poney and the price is too high for that one trick. Keep in mind, I spend more time reading articles on the web than books, so it was not cost effective to have such a device.

3. Magazine/News/RSS Reader - Obviously, this covers a lot of ground. The text and photos will be bigger and easier to read. I would love to have a tablet sitting bedside that I can pickup and read USA to start the morning or read some Engadget before going to sleep. I actually use my iPhone for this purpose now and the bigger screen will make that experience even better.

4. Photos - With a docking station, this can work as a photo display/slideshow that sits on a nightstand or end table. The larger screen will make this a nice substitute for one of the many digital frames on the market.

5. Video - While this is not going to compare to my 63 inch Plasma or my 18 inch laptop for that matter, it will be easier to carry out by the pool or to the airport. While some have complained about the lack of Flash support, I have a Slingbox that will bring Netflix, Directv, Hulu, Amazon, ESPN, etc. to the iPad. Hopefully, Slingmedia will come up with a new app specifically for the large screen size on the iPad. I am curious to see how it looks with the iPad’s upscreen conversion.

6. Web Surfing - Bigger screen = better

7. Music - see the album art on a bigger screen. Easier to manage a large collection.

In other words, it is essentially an iPod Touch with a much larger screen that is still light and thin enough to lay in bed or lounge outside on the porch and read. For me, this is worth the $499 price tag. Of course, that only gets you 16GB, so I will probably pay extra to get more GBs, but it is not really necessary if you do not store a lot of video, music, or photos directly on it. With programs like Simplify2, which allows streaming of your entire iTunes library, you may not need more than 16GBs.

Note: The iPad comes in 6 different versions:

16GB w/ wifi access only - $499
32GB w/ wif access only - $599
64GB - $699

Add another $130 if you want it to have the ability to use 3G with any of the above. In addition to the $130, you do not need a contract, but you will have to pay AT&T (if you are in the US) for data. I will probably go with the wifi only version at 64GBs since I will mainly use this around the house.

The question now is whether it was worth the trouble. For me, it definitly is, but I take no responsibility if you break your phone installing the jailbreak.

Here are a few of my fav jaibreak apps:

1. Winterboard - this allows the user to try out different Themes so you can change up the look of the iPhone.
2. SBSettings - I use this everyday to turn off and on wifi. When I leave the house, I just swipe the program (which is at the top of the screen) and it opens up a list that makes it simple to control wifi, 3G, blutooth, etc..
3. Backgrounder - This is the main reason I installed a JB (jailbreak). It makes it possible to run several programs at the same time. This makes it possible to listen to Rhapsody or Sirusxm while surfing the web or readin RSS feeds.
4. Kirikae - Makes it easy to control background apps.
5. My3G - Makes programs think you are running on wifi when they are on 3G. It is the only way to use the Slingplayer without wifi access and it also works with program like Radio Paradise that limit quality over 3g.
6. Lockinfo - makes it possible to customize the Lockscreen with email, calendar, twitter, etc.. information.
7. Music Controls - Works with most music apps to put controls at the top of the lockscreen, allows a pop up for controlling volume and skipping songs, etc.. Very nice when running background applications.
8. CategoriesSB - There are two category apps and this one loads a lot faster. It allows the user to create special folders (media, news, tools, etc..) for programs. If you have pages of apps, this makes it easier to organize them in folders.
9. Five Icon Dock - Allows an extra app to be put in the Dock at the button of the page. There is also a 5 column springboard program, but there are not enough themes that look decent with that many columns.
10. Anyring - This is a great app if you want to customize ringtones. It integrates with the built-in iPod app. You can open a song, tell it where to start the ringer, where to stop, play it back, and assign contacts to the new ringer. It costs a few bucks (like a couple of the apps listed above), but it saves time editing music files on your computer.
11. Cydelete - Delete JB apps from the Springboard
12. MxTube - allows you to save Youtube videos to the phone.

So far, these are my favs along with Rock and Cydia (where you get the apps). I am still messing around with downloading JB apps, but most of the above are essential.

1. Best Gadget - This was tough, but I have to give it to the iPhone (jailbroken). The iPhone’s app store put it in front of its competition. The fact that it plays Apple Lossless files also puts it in front of most portable players that play music. Music, Movies, RSS Feeder, calendars, games, Kindle, etc… Its endless features are all reasons I put it at the top of the list.

2. Best Website -Amazon. I buy most of my stuff from them, download Kindle books to my iPhone, get free stuff from their Vine program, and they have a list of my media. Also, the user reviews are great and the wishlist helps people decide what to buy friends/relatives.

3. Best new album - Modern Times by Bob Dylan. Dylan started a trilogy of great albums in 1997 (Time out of Mind) and finished it off (for now) with this masterpiece.

4. Best remastered CD/vinyl - Frank Sinatra Sings for Only The Lonely. Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs remastered the mono versions of this masterpiece and introduced an old friend that now had access to the fountain of youth…In other words, it breathed new life into my favorite album.

5. Remasted Boxed Set - Beatles Mono Box - The theme for great remasters seems to be in mono. The Beatles recorded their early albums with mono in mind and then they were remixed into stereo as an afterthought. As a result, the new mono mixes often contain different versions of the songs you thought you knew. I should mention that they also remastered the stereo versions of their work to great affect, but the mono is what I wanted first.

6. Best multimedia machine - PS3 60GB launch version. It has media card inputs, SACD playing abilities (actually one of the only players that can handle self created dsf files), backward compatibility and other features not on some of the newer versions. However, its real claim to fame is sending HD DVD to its grave and becoming one of the best media machines on earth. With Sony’s store, it will allow the user to download games and movies. It also has firmware updates at regular intervals to add DVD upscaling, DTS HD Master audio and a host of other cool features. It will also play Netflix Streaming via a disc or via streaming Playon.tv from a host computer. The “remote play” feature will allow a PSP to connect to it from wifi when you are away from home. There really wasn’t another choice that could have given it a run for its money.

7. Coolest gadget - Slingbox - This machine gave users the ability to watch and control their home cable/satellite boxes while away. The software runs on laptops and certain cell phones. I have the Pro-Hd version and the Slingbox AV. In addition to controlling my Directv HD DVR, I also have it connected to my IO Data Linkplayer so it can stream Netflix, Hulu, Music, Movies, photos, and DVD to my iPhone of laptop/PC (via Playon.TV and WIZD software).

8. Best bargain - Sonic Impact T-amp digital amplifier $39 retail - This little portable amp (can power it via battery or wallwart) is probably the greatest bargain in the history of audio (Grado RS60 headphones are probaby number 2). It looks like a toy, but it delivers real, transparent sounding music. I have one in my home office and its sound qualty for the price still blows me away. I also have a couple of their Super T-amps, but the original is the real bargain.

9. Best Game - Rock Band Beatles version - I still can’t believe I can play along or sing along with these songs. The reason I like the Beatles version is that nearly everyone knows their music, so you can have friends play along without missing a beat, so to speak.

10. Most innovative game - Wii Fit - Who thought you could have your own personal trainer and work on balance, strength, and endurance in a game?

11. Best Movie - The Dark Night - The best Batman movie. I would give a special mention to Wall-E.

12. Most influential person in media - Steve Jobs - With the iPhone (mentioned above), the iPod, the app store, and iTunes, Apple’s influence has been huge.

13. Best TV show of the decade - The Sopranos - The show was the main reason I subscribed to HBO. James Gandolfini gave us the most memorable characters in recent drama history. He would go from murdering someone to dealing with his kids to passing out from panic attacks. In a way he was a big lovable murderous thug Teddy Bear. Special mention to The Office, which was the funniest show on TV over the decade. Who can forget Michael sitting in for a deposition and saying “that’s what she said”.

14. Best portable music player - iPod 160GB Classic - Yeah, I sound like an Apple fanboy, but the iPod changed the way we listen to music (for good and bad). I have had other players, but the iPod is the easiest to use with the best interface. An entire industry of accessories make the device even better. I chose the 160Gb version because it carries the most music.

15. Best gadget that is now extinct - The Phatnoise Phatbox\Kenwood Music Keg - I got one of these for my 2000 3 series BMW. It was a music player (mp3, FLAC, Ogg) that made it possible to listen to my digital files in my car. The best part was something called VIOT (voice indexing on tap) that would allow the user to find songs/genres/albums/artists without needing to look at a display because it would actually say letters and artist names to make it easy to locate a file. The fact that many cars have an iPod interface has pretty much put the product out of commission. However, it was a product ahead of its time. Actually, there are few car media players that are as easy to use while driving.

16. Best gadget for road trips - SiriusXM - There is still nothing like SiriusXM while on the road. Being able to go from city to city while rarely losing a signal is a much needed break from the AM radio channels that barely reach remote locations. Currently, the cell phone business may be cutting into the user base of satellite radio. However, most cell networks do not have as large of a coverage area, so dropouts happen too often for it to be competition for XM at this point. I personally like the portable models since they can be carried from car to car and you can also set them up at home when you want. Obviously, GPS gets a nod in this category as well, but I just don’t need GPS on a daily basis and a map is pretty easy to use when necessary. I do have a Garmin I break out for road trips, but I can live without it much more easily than SirusXM.

17 Best new physical format -Bluray - HD DVD has bitten the dust. SACD and DVD-A did not really catch on for the masses, so Bluray was the obvious choice. Its ability to store state of the art images and state of the art sound (equivalent to DVD-A) has given it the best chance for long term success. Many believe that streaming will eventually replace it, but I think there are people that still like to own a physical disc. I look forward to more concert videos that take advantage of the hirez audio and video.

18 Best old physical format - vinyl - Yep, vinyl records are making a comeback. It still has a unique sound compared with CDs and gives an alternative to those wanting to escape the new compressed lossy formats. Because it requires the user to be more involved, it is another way for connecting to the music. When I was in Best Buy earlier in the year and they had GnR’s new album on vinyl in their prime spot in front of the doors, I knew vinyl was back. Of course, it is still not competing with new album sells like CDs/iTunes, but many people cruise the used record shops to get their albums. Currently, it is the only format that has albums like The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl.

19. Biggest media based life changer - Dual Tuner DVRs - Back in 1999 Tivo brought out there first digital recorder. It made it possible and easy, to record a show, fast forward through commercials and delete it when you were done. Later, cable and satellite services added dual tuners to make it possible to watch a program while recording another program or even record two programs while watching a pre-recorded program. Now you can also do all of this with high definition programs. While Tivo is still the benchmark for ease of use, some of the other DVRs have come a long way. In any event, I can now watch a football game in a much shorter time frame because I can 30 second skip through huddles and ffw through time outs, halftimes, and commercials.

The IO Data Linkplayer is a networked DVD player that streams files from a computer to the the Linkplayer and then it can play them on a TV. It can handle high definition files, but in this case I hooked it up to the Svideo input on my Slingbox. I then installed “Playon.TV” on my media computer.

I was shocked to see that Playon was actually compatible with IO Data Linkplayer and when I tested it, it could play on my iPhone with the Slingbox software! Playon has a 14 day free trial and costs $39.99 to purchase. I can’t imagine not purchasing it at the point. The Netflix Instant Que works great with it and it will hold me over while I wait for a native Netflix app.

I tested it with Netflix and Hulu on my iPhone and they both worked fine for playing video(although Hulu froze when I tried to pause it). It is funny because I thought about getting rid of my Linkplayer when I got a PS3. The downside to the PS3 is that it does not currently work with Slingplayer without some sort of fix for the lack of an IR remote. The Linkplayer, on the other hand, has a native setup on the Slingbox, so it has all of the remote codes.

I am not sure how easy it is to find a Linkplayer these days because I think the company decided to get rid of its USA sales center. I would guess they could be found on Ebay, though.

Luckily for the fans, the defensive issues were addressed this offseason. They spent their number 2 pick in the draft an Hasheem Thabeet. He was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year and was co-Big East Player of the Year. He was also named Second Team All-America and National Defensive Player of the Year! Sounds great, huh? Well, he has averaged six minutes of playing time a game, so I am not really sure how he is supposed to help. The fact of the matter is that the Griz had the opportunity to pick up Tyreke Evans who could have pulled in some much needed local support and contributed out of the gate (he averages over 30 minutes a game and 11 points per game in his first five games in Sacramento). They could have also gotten Stephen Curry, Johnny Flynn, etc..

My point is not that Thabeet is the answer to their problems, but he can help off the bench. When Gasol goes to the bench, the Griz have been moving Zach Randolph to center. This is just begging opposing teams to take the ball to the hoop. It also puts one of the best offensive players in danger of picking up cheap fouls. Thabeet needs experience and this team is not going to win a championship this year. Put him in the game!

Speaking of Answers….The Griz went out and got 10 time All Star, Allen Iverson in the off season. He should help them with their problem of scoring down the stretch. Anybody that has watched the NBA since the Jordan era knows that it is important to have a “star” that can drive the ball to the goal and get a foul called everytime (Wade, Bryant, James, etc..) . The Griz have never had such a player. Actually, just the other night, they were in overtime and they sent OJ Mayo down the lane and he was hammered..as you would expect, he did not get a call. Where was Iverson…on the bench with Thabeet. In fairness, Iverson is not the player he was 5 years ago, and he is coming off of an injury, but in the games I have seen, he is still our best chance to win dowh the stretch in the post-Jordan era.

Some of my favorite apps:
1. Rhapsody for the iPhone - 8 million songs at my fingertips and the ability to search and play them at any time.
2. Simplify - ability to access my entire iTunes library while on the road
3. Orb - plays movies, photos, and music stored on a computer via streaming over the internet
4. Logmein - great for logging into my home/work computer while I am on the road
5. NFL Mobile - Directv app that will play games on the iPhone as part of the NFL package - looks great over wifi
6. A number of music apps all are good - Pandora, Last.fm, Slacker, AOL Radio, iheartradio
7. Facebook app - Makes it easy to check your page
8. Flickr - post pics to your account
9. Kindle - free app that works with Amazon’s Kindle books.
10 Saesuki - the only calendar app I have tried, but it works with Google and that is enough for me.
11 SiriusXM - I no longer have to take my XM radio to work. I can just log in with my iphone. Some of the channels are missing, but they are mainly talk channels and the shows that are missing can be picked up with iheartradio (at least the shows I listen to)
12 PhoneFlicks - update my Netflix library
13 Games - I do not play a lot of games on my phone but Real Racing, Crash Kart, Bejeweled2 work for me
14 Rokuremote - controls my Roku Soundbridge
15 Remote - controls Tunes

There are a lot of other apps: newspapers, the Today Show, Bloomberg, etc… The iPhone pretty much does everything I want and more. There main downside is the fact that you can’t leave any non-Apple programs open while you do other things…like listen to XM radio while you surf the web. You can only listen to music stored on the iPhone with the iPod app while you surf (one reason to go with 32GBs - the other is movies). The Treo Pre will allow you to have multiple apps open, but I decided on the iPhone because I have gotten used to many of the apps from my iPod Touch. I would also like to see subfolders added in the future so I don’t have to flip through several pages to get to apps. The ability to create a main music folder that holds my music apps, a home theater folder for all of my home theater apps (Remote, Roku Remote, my Denon receiver page, Phoneflix, etc..). My first smartphone had this type of ability. Other than those two minor issues, I am pretty darn happy with it. Heck, I can even make the occasional phone call with it..;-)

On the way to work, I listed to one of my preconfigured radio stations. It cutout once on the way to work, but it picked back up without issue. At work, I listened to albums, radio stations, and created a long que of several albums. It actually stopped playing one time and I had to leave the application and restart it twice. It also had a couple hiccups when I would skip a song. Other than that, it worked flawlessly the rest of the day. On the way home, I listened to an album that was in my library. It did not cutout at all.

I should mention that I have had the exact same issues with the SiriusXM app. Overall, I am very happy with the performance over the AT&T network connection.

Below is a video from Rhapsody that shows a few of the features:

The main drawback to the application is that it is currently using 64kbps encoded files. This is pretty pathetic, but since my listening at work is on a Sangean radio, it is okay. I am hoping that Rhapsody adds a quality slider like they have on Orb. The slider can be set from Edge to 3G to wireless. As you move from wireless to edge, the quality is lowered. I would like to see something similar for Rhapsody. That way, when I am home on a wireless connection, I can get 256kbps and when I am on the road, I can get take it all the way down to 64kbps if necessary to get a good stream.

Upsides:
8 million song selection
ability to search by artist, album or song
ability to add to personal library with the app
ability to delete from library with the app
ability to create playlists and play playlists that have already been created
a huge selection of radio stations
ability to choose an artist’s radio station
very easy to use

Downsides
Need Rhapsody-to-go subscription (which I already had, but is a downside for others)
Occasional drop outs (although this is common for other apps - could be AT&T network issue)
64 kbps encoding (pretty pathetic for a paid service)

All in all, I highly recommend Rhapsody (in general) for all music fanatics. The app is just icing on a delicious cake… if they improve the encoding, the icing will be that much better!!

Well, those issues have been resolved with the iPhone app! It actually is just a streaming application that can access the entire Rhapsody library and access my saved libraries of albums and radio stations. One of the main complaints about the service is that if you are in Timbuktu or are out of range of AT&T and wifi, you lose the ability to do anything with the application. The same can be said of the SiriusXM app, Orb, Simplify, Pandora, etc…. (in short, most of my favorite apps have this issue). That is why I bought an iPhone with 32GBs, I can actually listen to my own music if I am out of range.

What is the upside to the Rhapsody application? It has entire albums by thousands and thousands of artists. If I am in the mood for William Bell’s “A Classic Soul Christmas”, I can click on search, choose the Artist category, type in William Bell and then choose the album to play. It takes all of 10 seconds to go from my decision to playing the album. You can’t do this with any other app that I am aware of. It will also allow you to play several personal radio stations that you setup prior on the computer. I have not figured out if there is a way to create a station on the fly, but you can also choose from many Rhapsody preconfigured stations.

Personally, I listen to music by album when I can… Many of my favorite artists (Sinatra, Miles Davis, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, etc..) put a lot of work into the concepts that went into each album, so I do not always want to listen in Pandora/Lastfm mode. I have a huge collection of my own music that I can access using Simplify, but it is still limited to my own collection. This is why I like Rhapsody and why I am happy that it came out as an application the same week I got my phone….the fact that the app was free and I already had a subscription to Rhapsody, there is no downside to the app in my mind.

PS I have heard that there are some snags with dropouts and skipping..I have listen for about 30 minutes over wifi and I have not experienced the problem. However, it is impossible to test in such a short time period, so I will play it tomorrow and post my results over the weekend (probably with some pictures). I should mention that I have issues with SiriusXm, Lastfm, and Simplify dropouts, so I will not be surpised if that is the case here, too.

I came home for lunch and the boxed set and the Rock Band disc had been delivered. The boxed set is beautifully packaged and I decided to grab Help! and listen to it first. The sound is FANTASTIC! I need about a month to listen to these over and over again, but I am not sure my boss (at home and work) will allow it. I guess I will have to absorb them over time.

Tone Audio did a great review and comparison of the mono and stereo boxed sets. If you have an interest, this is the best place to decide which boxed set to buy. HAPPY BEATLES DAY!