Author: Mike Pihlman

  • Solid State Drives

    Solid State Drives

    July 2023: Another HISTORY lesson in computer technology. Enjoy! 🙂 In the “old” days we had a term for random access memory that did not lose it’s data contents when power was turned off.  Non-volatile RAM…NVRAM. It was cool stuff then, still is. Now the the next generation of non-volatile memory is being used in solid…

  • Livestream Video Streaming on Facebook

    OK, this is cool. A few seconds after I downloaded the free app “Livestream Podcaster” I was streaming live video from the AltamontCowork public computer to Facebook! I have tried Justin TV and Ustream as our “Virtual Window” but both dropped the calls, after awhile, within a few minutes.  Hmmmm, I wonder if it was…

  • Mirial Videoconferencing on Android

    See what happens when I pick my head up and look around….the whole world changed while I was distracted with the unfortunate events that lead to my development of ForCarol.com. See the video at the top showing how to make a call using Mirial (another REAL video conferencing company….sorry, I’m a snob that way!) and a Samsung…

  • Polycom Videoconferencing on Android

    Saw a tweet yesterday that announced that Polycom will be building a standards-based Unified Communications (UC) videoconferencing app on the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Here is the link to the Press Release. Here is the official spiel from that press release: “Polycom’s differentiated strategy is to deliver innovative UC solutions on partners’ mobile platforms, as opposed…

  • VUDU Review 2

    Rating:  5 WaterTowers (still nearly perfect) After you are done here:  See my original review of VUDU. This weekend we recieved our new Vudu system.   As you may already know, we love Vudu and we used it for a long time before I actually had to remind Vudu that we had the demo unit.…

  • Justin TV: A Quick Peek

    I found a gold mine of lost blog entries!  Here is another… +++ Rating:  4 WaterTowers (Internet streaming made easy) Justin TV allows you to stream live video and audio over the Internet.  It took me all of two minutes to sign up and start streaming. Very easy and very cool.   🙂 I can…

  • Digital TV Conversion Update

    Talk about history!  Well I found this missing blog too….enjoy! +++ As you all know by now, the new date for the switch to digital TV is June 12, 2009. At that time, all old TV’s now using an antenna will lose their signal. To try to help, the Tracy VirtualOffice is offering free hands-on…

  • Skype Video Review

    Updated: 3/31/2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Stay Safe! Social Distancing Works. It took me awhile to get to Skype.  Not sure why, but, I’m glad I finally tested it. The Verdict: I will use Skype as my main videoconferencing connection in the TracyVirtualOffice (now AltamontCowork).  I still have the Polycom PVX as the standards-based H.323…

  • Holographic Videoconferencing Getting Closer

    I was drifting through the Internet today looking for something interesting. I found it! Many years ago I was working for a true visionary at Lawrence Livermore National Labs.  He told the young me one day that there will someday be a way to hold holographic videoconferences right there in the conference room.  I guess…

  • ooVoo for Video Communication

    ooVoo for Video Communication

    Update August 2023: This is a HISTORY lesson on videoconferencing. Be careful of the links! Enjoy! During the move back to WordPress.com, I lost a few postings that are part of my history as a blogger.  I recovered this from an old abandoned Blogger account…gotta love the Internet. This is “ancient” but still fun to…