You know it’s been a while when you log into the dashboard of your blog and the entire layout of the admin site is different. It’s better, nicer for sure and feels extremely slick (though that may be due to the fact that I’m using it on a Macbook) but a shock nonetheless.

I think it’s high time I install the iPhone app and start posting from a mobile platform, since between Twitter and work and work travel, I’m not sure how often I’m going to be able to check in here.

I did, however, update the header inline with the season, image is “We are in spring/Estamos en primavera” courtesy of the Creative Commons licensing of victor_nuno on flickr.

Some of you may have read my initial rant on the removal of American Airlines flights from Kayak.com, my favorite comparison shopping engine for travel. American was somewhat responsive, as covered in my part 2 story, but not nearly as responsive as Kayak, who had a member of their management team contact me directly. Way to go Kayak, there is a company that understands the power of the web, and its people!

As of the end of October, Kayak. is again able to list AA fares. Glad to see that the old media company, AA, gets the value that a newer, more nimble company brings to it. I feel like this never happens.

Not new news, but something I felt bears updating as I didn’t want to let any good deed go unsung.

Yes we can has. Awesome.

Recently, trying to figure out where to get takeout from and in my quest to find a menu for some local restaurant – why is that the only thing the web is lacking? – I ran into Foodler. Later that evening, I ordered.

Log in, pick your location, find food, click… click… place order and about 30 minutes later it’s there. Brilliant and so much less shady than other, similar sites I’ve seen.

This may be a sign of the rapture, Verizon Wireless has released news that there is now an option to sign on with Verizon with no contract terms attached, provided the users bring their own device or pay full sticker for their new phone.

This, apparently, is in response to an earlier move by AT&T which still seems a bit unofficial, given the sources and the nature of the news.

Either way, it’s good news for me since, as new (within 30 day) AT&T customer, I am planning to ditch the new service, return the USB modem and sign up for data now with Vz, and await the arrival of the Storm which is looking pretty good as a replacement for my current GSM WiFi Curve and data card combo (tethered, EVDO rev. A will be fine, thank you.)

It’s about time, and it makes me wonder if we’re on the cusp of seeing a more open market for service where the handsets and the carriers are decoupled? Obviously there will still be sub-markets since US is a CDMA and GSM (and iDen) market, but it’s progress, for sure.

Speaking of which, anyone looking to unload a Vz USB data card?

… another custom image header. It’s that magical time of year, and the photo really captures it, but some great runners up, passed over only due to their unlikeliness for making a good header, truly catch the spirit too. All CC licensed, excellent…

… had not desensitized me to sexism enough, check out this Heinz ad, predicated on the notion that, “… most husbands, nowadays, have stopped beating their wives.” Mmmm, dinner time!

Via Reddit, Image courtesy SA_Steve

Last night, in the noisy confines of Logan Airport (BOS) trying to make a phone call to notify fans, friends, and family of the completion of yet another successful, if exhausting, trip, I went to put on my Jawbone v 1.0 and the earloop snapped in half. Wait, aren’t these made out of metal?! What gives?

I asked the customer service folks at Aliph more or less the same question, via email, today:

I received my Jawbone as a gift last Christmas and have enjoyed using it since. It’s an invaluable tool for me, as a frequent business traveler, however, yesterday, when removing my Jawbone from its pocket in my travel bag to make a call in a noisy airport, I was dismayed when the Right Long earloopI use snapped off as I was putting the device on, leaving the broken end lodged in my Jawbone with a jagged edge protruding from the insertion slot. I was surprised that this had happened, given the earloops are made of (or at least appear to me made of) metal and that this occurred during normal use.

It seems that the website notes the replacement units are out of stock, so I am at a loss of what to do, unable to make use of my headset without the earloop (it tends to fall out without the hook, regardless of earpiece) and unsure when replacements will be available.

Any information you can share on the best route to procure a replacement would be much appreciated.

Within 20 minutes, had the following response:

Though we currently sell Jawbone accessories online at http://www.jawbone.com/products.aspx, we will be happy to send you a complimentary replacement earloop.

Please reply to this e-mail with your shipping address, the Date Code on your Jawbone, and specify which earloop size and side you prefer. The size and side of each earloop is marked in the rubber portion at the end of the earloop, as shown here: http://aliph.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/aliph.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=118#a4. For assistance with locating the Date Code, visit http://aliph.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/aliph.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=100. If your Jawbone does not have a Date Code, simply state there is none.

That, my friends in retail, is how it is done. No hassle, a simple explanation while noting that, in fact, these items are for sale on the site (presumably should I run into this problem again) and the right thing to do given that the item is listed as “out of stock” with no definite availability date. Kudos, Aliph, you’ll have my business again, for sure.

The NYTimes posts a panorama of the diver’s view from the top of the 10m platform, inside the Water Cube in Beijing.

Some simple answers to who-calls-who when a cell phone call is dropped, courtesy of Richard Wolpert, via Joi Ito. The rule?

• if you initiated the call and it drops you call the other person back.
  
• if you received the call and it drops you just wait for the call back.