It even has a version that captures motion and can trigger responding actions, such as sending a text message, updating Twitter (via IFTTT) – just about any web service you can think of.

At first I am thinking that this is scary. The web has officially taken over our lives.

But then I start thinking of the multitude of uses I could conjure up with this baby.

I’ll let you know if I actually pick one up and utilize it.

In general, regarding “household internet triggers,” I’d still like to be able to:

• Control the thermostat through an app or command.
• Receive an alert when the milk is running low or expired.

Pretty sure the WeMo can’t do that (yet).

My first thought about being able to access a traditional Windows environment on a tablet (if, indeed, that’s possible) is that people don’t want to do old things the old way. They want to do old things in a new way that allows them to be creative and productive without being overly technical or concerning themselves with hardware issues and other computer nonsense that has plagued us for decades.

My second thought is more philosophical – how do you compete in a tablet market already defined by Apple? And by “defined,” I simply mean a captivated audience, a strong developer community, and some of the best content creators out there.

Because, ironically, there is no definition of the iPad. It is merely a blank slate. You can make of it what you will. It literally has no boundaries or limitations on what can be done (at least from a conceptual point-of-view).

Trying to define a tablet as something practical, multi-purpose, and versatile is just doomed for failure.

Because what Microsoft doesn’t get is that it’s not a “tablet” that people want. It’s a whole new way to compute (an experience) people are after.

Beyond all that, the thought of Windows on a tablet just scares me.

Not only that, but I had to turn the screen brightness all the way up (and still could not see that well), causing more rapid battery drainage.

Specifically, I was just trying to catch up on some email, so the Kindle’s web browser seemed like a perfect solution. I can read it in direct sunlight without straining my eyes.

It ended up taking me a very long time just to load a specific webpage (my Gmail account), as the typing is extremely cumbersome (you have to navigate to each letter), and trying to scroll also required multiple/consistent button presses.

By the time I actually loaded the interface, I was so tired from the typing/navigating part.

It is therefore much too difficult to use the Kindle as a basic webpage browser, but I may continue playing around with this approach. I think I would have to create some sort of Kindle-friendly webpage where I can access just the stuff I need.

Otherwise you are better off using a dedicated “Send to Kindle” bookmarklet (there are many options for this), or a service like Instapaper to save web content to your Kindle.

Finally, I am enjoying the merging of e-ink and the web – I hope this gap is closed further in the coming years.

I like the idea of a portable, Wi-Fi enabled scanner, such as the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi. I have been scanning documents for years: paper bills, official correspondence, general notices, etc. Pretty much any paper that I don’t want to file away in a physical file cabinet is scanned as a PDF and stored in a secure online file system, accessible from anywhere.

The idea with Doxie Go is to scan anything from anywhere, and not be tied to a physical computer.

But although the Wi-Fi capable model seems nice – unless the configuration is dead-simple it’s going to be a hassle for most. And I can’t imagine the configuration being simple when the scanner itself doesn’t even have a display screen. How do you choose your Wi-Fi network? You have to rely on installing software/apps on other devices.

So already you need two devices just to utilize the Wi-Fi feature.

Still, although the device looks kind of bulky, it sure beats my current approach, which is a standard flat-bed scanner attached to a single computer via USB. I also tried iOS apps like CamScanner, but find that taking photos to scan documents is less precise. (Since I am scanning important documents that I may need to re-print someday, I need a real scanner, not an app pretending to be one.)

I can imagine carrying the Doxie Go around to any room in my house to keep my paper clutter under control.

It’s hard for me to recommend anything other than the iPad, and not just because I am some Apple “fanboy.” The iPad provides the best experience possible, and the attention to detail outpaces every other tablet on the market. It’s so lopsided (in the iPad’s favor), I would not even consider the iPad a “tablet.” It’s in a category all it’s own.

So my gut/quick answer is always “iPad.” There is no other “tablet” I’d recommend or even try.

But then I try to think about the question from a less passionate/opinionated/biased perspective, and try to put myself in my friend’s shoes. Maybe they don’t care about all the excellent usability aspects of iOS, or perhaps they don’t care to meet the iPad’s price point.

So far I’ve only been able to suggest looking into the Amazon Kindle lineup of devices, as I try to recommend devices that actually have a content library associated with them.

I also suggest to stay away from the Samsung (and other) devices for the exact reason above (no content library associated with them).

In general, I think it’s a waste of time to buy a tablet just to have one. You should have a reason or intended use-case. For example, you may be interested in reading books with a tablet, or watching movies. Maybe using apps and playing games?

Think about what all those things are: content. And who has vast content libraries backing up their devices? Apple and Amazon:

“It’s all about the content, though. That’s the difference that other tablet makers missed. Motorola, Samsung, RIM – they seem to be chasing the iPad on specs, building the best tablet they can manage at the same starting price of around $500. But they have no clear message telling people what you can do with them.”

Nobody buys a tablet so they can type emails out on a glass screen. They buy it because it lets them interact with things they love.

But some nights I think an alarm clock could help because I often get bouts of insomnia, and nothing fuels insomnia more than knowing you have to be up soon. I figure if I can put that responsibility (getting me up) to an alarm clock, I might be able to doze off quicker.

I’ve used an iPhone as my alarm clock for years, as it has distinct advantages:

1. No AC power required (it’s portable).
2. Both audio and vibrate alert modes.
3. Lots of customizable options (through apps).

I used to keep the iPhone under my pillow and use the vibration to wake me up (I wear ear plugs so sometimes I don’t hear the audio alarm. Also, my wife next to me does not appreciate being woken up earlier than normal by my loud alarm).

I’ve since stopped using an iPhone and now own an iPod Touch, which doesn’t have a vibration mechanism included.

Yet there are also disadvantages to using an iPhone (or iPod Touch) as an alarm clock:

1. Wireless signal being so close to your body all night.
2. Multiple steps to configure.

By #2 above, I am referring to how many steps it takes to configure a new alarm time, including waking your device, entering the passcode, navigating to the app, then finally configuring the alarm clock settings.

I guess I am looking for more of a dedicated device that acts solely as an alarm clock, yet may contain new and intuitive features.

So here is my list of criteria for a new alarm clock (not sure if something like this exists):

1. Vibration mode, and ability to silence audio alarm.
2. Quick access to configure (no more than two steps).
3. No wireless signal to worry about.

In these days of smartphones, it’s more convenient for most to use an app to wake them up, but reducing our smartphone dependency is never a bad thing.

I’ve thought a lot about this regarding tablets and e-book readers, which focus more on convenience over feeling.

With my recent purchase of a Kindle device, I feel closer to paper because e-ink looks like paper, as opposed to iPhone/iPad screens which look like computers.

Yet even the Kindle device does not mimic all of paper’s characteristics. Here are some tactile things I miss about paper (and reading physical books):

1. The smell of a freshly opened book.
2. Being able to caress or fold pages with my fingers.
3. Flipping through a book’s pages with my thumb to get an idea of how much more is left to read.

I often find myself wanting to turn the page on the Kindle screen by using my thumb and index finger in a pinching motion.

There’s just no way digital screens and devices (in their current form) can emulate this feeling associated with physical things.

To see how this works, I just purchased the Chicago Tribune for today ($0.75), delivered to my Kindle.

I am pretty impressed so far. It delivers full article content for all stories throughout the newspaper.

So far, here are my lists of benefits and drawbacks to reading a newspaper on the Kindle.

Benefits of Kindle newspaper reading:

• More comfortable, relaxed reading on a compact device.
• No waiting for paper to be delivered (some days it comes late).
• No going outside in cold and snow to retrieve said paper.
• No ink marks all over your fingertips.
• No arm strain from holding the paper up as you read.
• No creases, folds, or otherwise annoying habits of paper that interrupt reading.
• No flipping pages and easily losing your reading spot.
• No wind blowing the paper away as you read outside.
• No having to carry around a paper!

Drawbacks:

• No newspaper layout to aid article prominence.

Obviously there could be other drawbacks like no shopper ads, but I’m focusing more on the articles.

The lone drawback (a rather huge issue in my mind) refers to how articles are presented in columns with different sized headlines that draw your attention to more prominent stories. With the Kindle edition everything has the same prominence and therefore it’s hard to tell a featured story apart from a sixth-page story.

I understand this can’t simply be fixed for a device as small as a Kindle, so for now I will deal with it, as the convenience outweighs the readability aspect.

I’ve tried external chargers in the past, particularly from Richard Solo.

What makes the iGo better is it can connect to any number of different devices, and not just an iOS device. It also acts as a wall charger when plugged-in to an outlet. It will charge itself, and any connected devices simultaneously.

So far I’ve tried it with my Verizon data modem since the built-in battery has a very lousy lifespan (no more than four hours). The iGo provides an immediate, remote battery backup in case I can’t get to a wall charger soon.

The best part is I can still use my data modem while connected to the iGo, whereas normal charging (to a wall outlet, or USB port) requires that the modem is shut down (does not provide a wireless signal).

Main benefits:

• Charges and still allows use while connected.
• Charges both the iGo and the device when plugged into the wall.
• Two USB ports for charging multiple devices simultaneously.

Drawbacks:

• It’s bulky to carry around the additional charger and USB cable(s).
• My Verizon data modem often shuts itself off when connected to the iGo in use (may not be related to the iGo.)

I considered buying a better built-in battery for my data modem, but why bother when there is a remote charger like iGo that is more flexible and less expensive?

There are connectors (called “Tips”) available for many different mobile devices, including Kindles, Android phones, etc.

I generally prefer Macs, but I use Windows at work, so a lot of the things I do convert better – meaning I can work remotely more easily, and not have to use different applications that do the same thing. Although I believe a better computing experience exists with Macs, sometimes a consistent environment is more important.

That being said, I received some suggestions from others, and decided to purchase the HP dv6t laptop.

(Love the cryptic combination of letters and numbers for the computer name. ;-)

General specifications:

• Windows 7
• 2.4GHz processor
• 4GB RAM
• 512MB graphics

I wasn’t looking for anything overly powerful – I just needed a reliable day-to-day PC that I could conduct general web development tasks with.

After a few months of regular use, here are my initial thoughts.

Pros

• Doesn’t heat up too much – I can keep it on my lap for a long while and never really feel my thighs burning up.
• Windows 7 is enjoyable to use – lots of new, intelligent features and usability included.
• Smart crash recovery.
• Feels very responsive and fast.

Cons

• Extra, miscellaneous launcher keys along the side of the keyboard – it’s taking a long time to get used to this. See below – I constantly think I’m hitting “Tab” or “Caps Lock,” but I end up launching some other application.
• Mousepad sensitivity is weak. Gestures work poorly at best. Often I’ll think I’m scrolling (using two fingers), but I end up zooming (or some other undesired effect).
• Smaller “Shift” key on the right side of the keyboard. See below – again, I think my finger is hitting “Shift,” but it’s actually the up arrow.
• Numerous OS glitches and irritants when re-opening the laptop after having it closed for a while.
• Poor battery life. Even when I dim the display to the lowest level, it drains a full battery in seemingly only an hour of heavy use.
• In general, weird OS glitches from time-to-time.

Most of my gripes are usability related, as I’d be lying if I didn’t say my recent Macbook hasn’t had it’s share of hardware-related issues.

Overall

I guess you had to expect a longer list of cons from me, but it’s really not as bad as I portray it.

For Windows, this laptop feels pretty good. It’s been years since I’ve used Windows as my primary OS. I can’t say it’s anywhere near equal footing (usability and experience-wise) as any OS Apple has created, but it’s a darn good computer if you just want to get some work done.