Float plane, originally uploaded by blaircook.

My photos from my last business trip, to Vancouver, Canada, are up on Flickr.

Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful city, and its proximity to world-class skiing and snowmobiling make it one of the only cities I would realistically consider moving to.

So now that the dust has fully settled on the new, larger, Kindle DX I wanted to weigh-in. Having just received my Kindle 2 this morning I thought it appropriate to comment on why I elected to stick with the Kindle 2 and not upgrade to the DX.

While the larger DX could prove to be a great format, or even the ebook format, it is untested. The Kindle 2 has been in the market for a few months now and people genuinely enjoy the form factor.  The DX really adds no new functionality. Sure it can rotate and display PDFs, those are really not features I need in an ereader. I bought my Kindle to be compact, easy to use and give me the ability to take a lot of books on the road. For those reasons I am sticking with the Kindle 2 and not forking over the additional $140 dollars for the Kindle DX.

A bigger screen, more features, but at what price? Having just ordered a Kindle 2 on Friday I must say I have mixed emotions about this device. I hope Amazon will work with me if I choose to get the new device.

What will the decision to switch depend on? Price. The Kindle 2 is quite expensive at $360, unless Amazon is prepared to reset the price point on the Kindle I predict the new larger screen version will come in at least $100 more expensive than the Kindle 2. Will the screen be worth the price, whatever it may be? Well we can only hope Amazon has review units out to bloggers so we will all know soon.

Amazon Kindle DX to feature 9.7-inch display? Update: Pictures!: ”

(Via Engadget.)

Scoble has a good post up at Fast Company outlining some netbook buying tips. I liked his three picks for the road warrior, business minded, and the bargain hunter. Hit the read link for the full write-up.

1. Best for road warriors

Samsung NC10 ($469). Solid battery life (about seven hours), a good keyboard, clear and bright screen, great performance, and, yes, it’s available in other colors.

2. Best for business

HP 2140 ($449). Thanks to its integrated graphics chip, the 2140 handles video better than most in its class. If you work for a large enterprise, you may have a support contract with HP, which offers some peace of mind if you have trouble with the machine.

3. Best for deal hunters

Acer Aspire One ($350). Acer continues to redefine what a lower-priced netbook can be. The latest Aspire One, released in February, has a 160-GB hard drive, a fast processor, Windows XP Home (rather than Linux, which can’t run Office), and a 10.1-inch screen.

READ

Ford has done an outstanding job with its most recent (as far as I can tell) online campaign. The company enabled its Formula D driver Vaughn Gittin by supplying a 2010 model year Mustang (with Ford Racing goodies) and sending Gittin to Japan to interact with local drivers, put the Mustang through it’s paces on original drifting courses and show off a very composed and compelling sports car. I first came in contact with the project via the automotive blog Speedhunters.com.

It is no wonder Ford is continuing to put distance between itself and its domestic brethren, even in the most dire economic times. Rather than another online community, application (see here, here and here) or lame widget (here) Ford has enabled an enthusiastic brand ambassador to tell an original and authentic story. This is the future of automotive marketing; enabling ambassadors to talk directly with enthusiasts about the vehicles they are passionate about. Bravo Ford, continue to enable your biggest advocates utilizing new means and you will reap the benefits.

Follow the project on Twitter, Gittin’s personal YouTube channel as well as an official Ford Mustang channel. Below are two of my favorite videos Gittin has posted from Japan.

Gittin discusses the modifications to his 2010 Mustang:

The locals take in the sights and sounds from the cockpit of the Mustang:

photo credit: kpwerker

Interesting development in the transforming world of consumer video. After reading about Cisco’s coffers in Fast Company a few months back I think this makes sense. What better pitch fodder for Cisco than having the ultimate use case in their company portfolio?

READ: Cisco said to be buying Pure Digital for around $500 million

I am the new owner of a HP Mini netbook. After a lot of thought and research I took a few concessions on features in favor of some intangibles the HP Mini had to offer. What it really came down to was how HP presented a composed netbook – one that not only offered features essential to an ultraportable, but did so in a package that made the machine compelling and desirable. The excellent keyboard, light weight, superior build quality, clean and modern LED indicators, and glossy screen pushed me to purchase the HP Mini. I am still finding my way around the netbook platform and largely holding off on much customization and software until tomorrow, when I have a chance to install Windows 7 on the machine. I think Windows 7 UI improvements will really enhance the netbook experience and provide a crisp, clean OS for my Mini.

First Impressions:

See the gallery below for full unboxing pictures. What I can say in summary, HP is doing a hell of a job, having not owned a personal PC for about 4 years now I can say they are really trying to be a leader and in many categories have caught Apple. The Mini’s product packaging was pretty sharp looking, albeit ruined by inventory control stickers and lawyers with warning labels. When booted up my Mini was 100% free from crapware – whomever at HP was responsible for that policy change deserves a raise and some serious perks. Thus far the 1gig of ram the Mini ships with has been sufficient for running XP SP3, I believe it will run Windows 7 just fine, however it is nice to know I have the option to go to 2 gigs if deemed necessary. So where did I compromise on my purchase criteria? VGA port - in the interest of being slim and light weight HP skipped the VGA port and included a proprietary expansion port. Really I cannot fault them, a VGA port would have unnecessarily increased the thickness of the device. Additionally, I did not buy a machine with an ExpressCard slot – no clue what I would have used it for, but I don’t have it. Also, no Bluetooth – again, I probably wouldn’t have used it as I have a travel mouse with an RF dongle. After a few short hours of light browsing I can say I really like the device and I am glad I joined the netbook ranks. Tomorrow I’ll see what Windows 7 brings to the Mini and really get the device customized.

HP Mini 1030NR Specs:

• Intel Atom N270 1.60 GHz
• 16GB SSD
• 1024MB RAM
• XP Home SP3
• 3 cell battery
• 802.11 b/g
• 10.2” LED backlit screen

Unboxing and device images: