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Ain't Electric Gadgets Magic?
Entry 23 of 41 | show all | print this entry |
There are very few technological items that absolutely amaze me. The concept of an airplane...I get it. Cell phones...okay, and I think I even kinda get what's happening with the Theory of Relativity. I think it is a requirement for all Astro-Physics majors to get drunk and try to explain Einstein to non-engineering students at 4 am in all Frat Houses in the United States, so you probably got the gist of it as well, but there are a couple items that just floor me. Two of these items have made my life in China far more American friendly. They are both computer/internet based, and I hail them as my favorite inventions of the new Millennium.
The first is this whole Voice Over Internet Protocol computer application thing that basically allows Simpletons like myself to place actual telephone calls over the internet. I have Vonage at home, and had hoped to use this magical box here in China, but my internet speed is just too slow, so I turned to Skype. Wow... I had been tipped off on Skype several years ago, but never got into it. Before leaving the states, I set up an Skype account, bought a Skype phone number, and then went all in with a Skype Pro account. With the downloaded software and an inexpensive headset, I can now call the world for around 2 cents a minute...and when I call fellow Skypees, no matter where they live in the world, it costs nothing...that's right, nuthin'.
So that's where I started, but it just gets better and better. I was talking to a friend and he told me about the calling forwarding aspect of Skype. With a Skype Pro account, Skype with forward your Skype calls to another actual phone number, very cool.
So here's my set-up, and you tell me this isn't cool. I have my Vonage/home telephone number in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania forwarded to my US cell phone number. I then forward my US cell phone number to my Pittsburgh based Skype VOIP number. With me so far? Then I have that Skype number forwarded to my new Chinese cell phone number. So if you call my home number in Pittsburgh it will ring my cell phone in China, for about 5 cents a minute (3 cents for the cell phone forwarding, and 2 cents for the Skype charge) How cool is that? So go ahead, give me a call...
The other thing is the Slingbox. This thing allows you to hook up a cable or satellite televison box and send the signal over the internet to your computer. Yeah, that's right...US Direct TV satellite programming to my humble little laptop in Beijing. I have two set up...one in Pittsburgh (which often doesn't work) and one at my brother's house in California (mostly always does). Although the time difference is great, I still can watch anything that's on in the states in China...incredible. Which leads me to my activity today.
The Pittsburgh Penguins hockey club have scheduled a couple back to back to afternoon weekend home hockey games, both very important clashes as the jockeying for playoff positions intensify. I calculate that if the games start Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in 'da burgh, that will be Sunday morning 2 am in Beijing...a perfect end to a Saturday night full of local spirits at a Chinese nightspot. I dial in the NHL Center Ice package at exactly 2 am, and then I remember the Penguins are playing the LA Kings, so both Slingboxes have the game as local programming. So I choose Fox Sports West, and settle in for the game with the Kings broadcasters. I can't tell you how much I enjoy this game... Although between periods, it is difficult to stay awake. With my very slow internet speeds, the viewing is a little blocky and hard to see at times, but who cares, the Pens win big and are in first place.
Sleep in...after the long night.... Then after a full Sunday on the town (this will be chronicled in the next entry) I return to find on the Asian version of CNBC, a replay of last weekend's Super Bowl telecast. I watch the entire game just I would have if at home in the states, with many beers and home delivery pizza...before reuniting with my boys in Black and Gold for a huge game with Philadelphia Flyers at 2 am. The Pens win again, and now I must sleep for a week straight, but it was totally worth it... Go Pens...
As I drift off to sleep, I think two things...It is amazing what incredible things technology can do and more importantly, whatever happened to my jetpack flying backpack? I mean, it has been 30 years since I saw that thing in operation...don't you think we should have them in mass production by this time? I thought by now, we'd be on the third or fourth generation of these things, and we could pick up a cheap Chinese built knock-off at the Wal-Mart discount bin for 50 bucks. That we would be arguing which brand has more lift, which has better power and control, but more importantly, which ones have cool endorsement deals such marginal celebs like Alan Iverson, Ashley Simpson and Maroon 5. "...cool, I got the new TK-4500 with 4500 pounds of thrust with a cool aqua blue backpack featuring a portrait of A Tribe Called Quest!"
Latest Comments (1)
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jetpack (reply)
Feb 23, 2008 02:31 EST by efesenjay
hey dick,
great blog man, keep at it. would love to here about the at work life too. (some of us like to read about gigabytes and stuff) if your liking sling dig:
http://www.orb.com
is very curious. i just started using; but streaming of any music or movie or tv tuner on your computer for free is interesting.
tommy ryan
btw
which tribe is on the jetpack? low end t... show all
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| 23. | Ain't Electric Gadgets Magic? - Beijing, China Feb 10, 2008 (  1 ) |
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