Mobile Pros - How technology can free you from technology

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Warning: this is a "happy rant"

Well, I've become accustomed to having big portions of my life tied to computers. I work in technology and have hobbies and side-businesses in technology.

What I refuse to do is let my workaholic self chain myself to the indoors and have been a die-hard mobile tech fan since early Palm days. Why should technology and work be a ball and chain?

Just this year I finally realized my mobile dreams with the Motorola Q, EVDO wireless access and a Ultra-mobile laptop (Toshiba Portege). I have spent the last week working in some of the most beautiful places on earth! No longer does work have to be indoors for me!

Here are the ingredients:

- Broadband wireless access. I've been waiting for this forever, and Verizon's EVDO network is the first in the US that serves my mobile broadband needs.

- Bluetooth. Screw cables. Working at the beach is no fun with a bunch of wires. I use bluetooth to wirelessly connect my laptop to my phone to use it as a broadband modem. I also use bluetooth to do all sorts of other things like making a personal area network to share files between my various devices or to stream music to my bluetooth headphones and speaker receiviers (this gives me the added benefit of mobile music, I have 2 GB of music in my phone and can stream it wirelessly to my headphones).

- Ultra-mobile laptop. I have one of those ridiculously small thin laptops with long battery life that are in the "ultra mobile" laptop category. It's about 3/4 inch thick and about 2 1/2 pounds. It's got no optical drive and is tailored for mobile professional use.

All together this finally set me free! Look at where I've been working this week:

Working at a La Jolla beach

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/678/img127px3.jpg

My view from a bench by the beach

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4122/img148qa2.jpg

My "office" on the cliff over the ocean

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/6335/img157tq9.jpg

My 'office' view

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/2672/img153uw6.jpg

Looking down the cliff from the 'office'

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/8641/img151pv0.jpg

Taking a walk outside my apartment to work in the park

I rarely got to spend time in this community till I finally became mobile free!

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6146/img008ga5.jpg

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/9586/img009kc3.jpg

working from the park

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/8568/img018bv0.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/3153/img019du4.jpg

I'm finally freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Gonna go work by the pool...

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Type: Discussion • Score: 3 • Views: 1,587 • Replies: 17

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Nice tour!

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It's been liberating. I'm at a Brazilian restaurant now, working on their patio with a Brazilian beer and Brazilian music pumping out of my car...

Some days I love technology...

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And your job, no doubt!

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Nah, my job doesn't let me do this. I'm on a "working vacation" (for the new A2K).

A2K is a fulltime job I do in addition to my day job, and since March it has kept me cooped up on landlines. I'm now free with wireless.

What I love is the wireless technology that lets me go anywhere my phone has a signal to work.

Damn good stuff!

My food's here, I'ma goan eat.

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wooooowwwwww...... that must be expensive.

Enjoy your meal. And, by the way, your first pic reminded me of this viseo you might find amusing. Click watch again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYnn51C3X_w&mode=related&search=

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Sounds great! Glad you're having some fun.

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Nice office!!!!

Nice to see a happy rant.

Very Happy

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Now all I need is something with global coverage that lets me work from very remote places....

It'd be really neat to be able to backpack around the world and work from anywhere.

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I've thought of that many times, Craven.

I hope it will be available soon....

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Are Sattellite phones of any use?
We are often "up the Bush"
One of the chaps i work with has a sat phone which we use when digital mobile coverage is poor/nonexistant.

Expensive little sucker but worth it for emergency contact.

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Craven de Kere wrote:

Now all I need is something with global coverage that lets me work from very remote places....

It'd be really neat to be able to backpack around the world and work from anywhere.

Even neater to do the backpacking SANS the work.....

Now, if they could get the rather sick making delay out of video conferencing, (used here to do med/psych consults for people in the country) mebbe I could see clients from anywhere....as long as they had a webcam too....

They'd need wide angle because I work with families and train people in groups.

Wouldn't look good from the pub and such, though.

Maybe not the Exeter: (my favourite pub)

http://www.arch.adelaide.edu.au/games/unplayed/barstool/gallery_08.jpg

Possible office:

http://www.tourism.holdfast.sa.gov.au/webdata/resources/images/Alfresco_Dining___Esplanade1.jpg

Maybe here:

http://www.tourism.sa.gov.au/news/ImageFile/_Alfresco_Dining.jpg

http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/images/travelsmart_cycleeast_1.JPG

http://jaeger.earthsci.unimelb.edu.au/Images/Geological/Localities/Adelaide_Hills/Sellicks_Beach/sellicks_10.jpg

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dadpad wrote:

Are Sattellite phones of any use?

I don't know of any that have data plans. For my purposes, the data plan is more important than the phone service (e.g. if I want to call someone I could still use voip).

One of our employees took one with him when on vacation in Africa, but we didn't end up using it for anything.

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I'm jealous - sorta. I'd love that kinda connectivity, but given the low population density here (which I wouldn't trade for anything), it ain't gonna happen in my lifetime. I do have a pretty robust WiFi setup, though, and I can browse the web or connect to my network from a handheld or a laptop from up to several hundred yards from the house. You outta try web surfing while operating a tractor - talk about multi-tasking Laughing

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Is this right near the Cove? If so, I've spent some time in that office... on a date a lot of years ago. Very Happy

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ossobuco wrote:

Is this right near the Cove?

Yup.

Quote:

If so, I've spent some time in that office... on a date a lot of years ago.

The locals are still talking about it. ;-)

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that is one blue gazebo...

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Used to be green.
(I lived across the street, in a tiny addition to a big old house, probably long gone.)
(Geez......)

Anyway, neat that you now have that new found mobility..

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Mobile Pros - How technology can free you from technology

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