PDAnet – mobile tethering software review

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I was in a pinch and looking for a way to get internet access while I traveled from Visalia, Ca, to Palo Alto. A quick search on Google for “mytouch 3g internet tethering” led me to a few options. One was to root my phone and install a modified operating system that would allow me to use my mobile phone as an internet modem. The second was to download an app that doesn’t require root access to my phone. This means that it would function like any other app that can be downloaded from the Android marketplace

I chose the second option and went with an app that has been around a while and which has solid reviews: the PDAnet app. Installing PDAnet involves installing a small program on a laptop from the PDAnet website. Also, one must install the PDAnet Android application from the Android marketplace.

I followed the simple online instructions and voila – I was surfing the web on my laptop through my phone in 10 minutes.

I was amazed and the program has been performing very well. As a side note, I am using the free version which does not allow access to secure (ssl) websites (such as a bank account, etc.) I was concerned when I realized I have Gmail configured for access over https:// but apparently this made no difference because I was able to login to Gmail just fine! As a matter of fact, I’m using PDAnet to add this post!

The paid version provides access to secure websites.

The Enuk Rating: 4 1/2 stars (hey – no one is perfect)

A big thanks the guys at JuneFabrics software!!

59DaysOfCode – Software development in the Central Valley

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59DaysOfCode is a software development competition for web and mobile applications, based in Fresno, CA. In plain English, teams compete to create the ‘best’ piece of software – all within 59 days.  Well, yesterday I attended the showcase kickoff (end of the competition) and it was awesome!

59DaysOfCode Showcase Kickoff

Travis Sheridan of CVBI and Irma Olguin Jr. of GeekWise (crappy pic courtesy of HTC Magic phone)


Travis Sheridan of CVBI did a great job emceeing and Rob Walling of Startups for the Rest of Usgave a great keynote address on the absolute necessity of effective marketing for a successful software product launch. More on that in Part 2.

The first thing I saw when I arrived was gigantic red carpet with lots of paparazzi on either side. Just kidding…..what I did see was more dramatic – a giant billboard advertising “FresnoApp” (an app to connect people with the lastest and greatest happenings in Fresno). The billboard was the brainchild of Eric Tienken (twitter: @erictienken) one of Fresno’s great promoters. Eric’s story of launching !Yalp Brands is a great story, but that is for another post.  Suffice it to say FresnoApp’s billboard was hard to miss!  But what I want to know is…do they have a sign permit?? ;)

Eric Tienken's 'poster' for FresnoApp - !Yalp Brands

Eric Tienken's 'poster' for FresnoApp - !Yalp Brands, he said it is the smallest one they make.

Repair and Refurbish, or Replace my Old Wood Windows?

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We live in an old 1930s era house in near downtown Visalia. The windows on my house are the original, wood divided-lite casement windows, although the glass is not original.

1934 Masonry House with Wood Windows

Old house with original wood windows.


Generally I am a fan of refurbishing rather than discarding, but these windows just don’t look worth saving. The windows are at least 75 years old. I almost feel it would be an injustice to trash something that has been around for so long.
Wood double casement window

My leaky wood windows


So what say you? What should I do with my windows? Should I tear them out and replace them with new, energy efficient windows, or try to refurbish them (sand, paint, and re-caulk) and keep the original look of the house?
Detail of Cracked and Missing Window Putty

Glazing putty is cracked and has fallen out


If I discard the windows and go with new, should I get casement windows that swing outward like the current windows, or single-hung? Many people prefer single hung windows because they work better with screens – you don’t have to crank a little lever to open the windows. And by the way, the fake vinyl munitions are definitely out – I will cause a tree to fall on your house if you mention them.

Aesthetically, I prefer aluminum or wood casement windows. Being an architect, you would be able to make this decision fairly easy. But I’m coming up short on this one, so I’m asking for your help (especially if you are an architect and you have dealt with old wooden windows before).

P.S. The wood itself is structurally sound with no apparent rot or water damage.

Start from the Bottom Up and You are in Control

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Hmm...no quick decisions being made here.

Selling to a committee (i.e. large business or gov’t)? Convince the folks at the bottom that they need your service. Committees and managers want to ‘play it safe’ and will go with the tried-and-true, unless the underlings demand otherwise. No one wants to be the guy who made the bad decision.

If the idea comes from the bottom up however, that is a different story. Same thing applies in politics. The leaders aren’t in control. We are. We just need to get enough people saying the same thing to allow our leaders to do what we want. So start from the bottom up, because we are in control.

Courtesy of Startups for the Rest of Us.

Art or Bust

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Vincent Van Gogh

Art includes more than fine art. Van Gogh was an artist, and so was Mark Twain.  But so was that guy, Henry Ford.

Ford Assembly Line


Art is what will make your business better than the one next door, it is what differentiates your service or your product from those around it.

You may think, “Me? I’m not an artist.  I can’t draw or play music. I don’t have any special talent. I’m not an entreprenuer.”  Well, art is simple.  The artist asks the question “How can I do what I do better?”.  Answer that question; act on it, and you have created art.

The status quo just isn’t good enough anymore.  If you want to succeed, you had better start creating art.