August 10th Bike Ride with iMapMyRide

iMapMyRide LogoI like biking. I have never been a runner. I hate how it makes my legs and in particular ankles and knees feel. Cycling on the other hand has always felt more fluid and I like the speed and feeling of being on a bike.

Trouble is I don’t go out nearly as much as I should. I’m aiming to fix that though, and went on what I hope to be the first of many rides happening every few days, if not more. The route I took was down the Greenway to the World Trade Center and back, roughly a 12 mile ride.

I had a headache so I decided to get some fresh air to see if that would help. Adding a ride to the mix, I figured, would get my blood flowing, so maybe that would also help. They did help for their part, but it later developed into a migraine which I have again today, but no biggie. The ride was really enjoyable. I suited myself up with my iPhone on an armstrap and booted up the iMapMyRide app (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imapmyride-cycling-bicycling/id292223170?mt=8).

This is an app I downloaded a long, long time ago and never really used until just recently. It’s actually pretty cool as it logs your entire ride (or run if you’re so inclined) on a Google map and keep stats like how long the ride took, how far and a bunch of other little stats in-between. When you’re done you can share your route with Twitter or Facebook and check it out in detail on your profile page on the mapmyride.com site.

They offer multiple map options but one that I thought was really cool was a 3D flyover of the ride which I will post below. I’m always impressed by Google maps tech, but this was a fun way to relive the ride and see it from a different perspective. It’s not perfectly accurate, in part because I don’t think it understand’s there’s a bike path there and it’s trying to put me on the nearby roads instead. But it’s close enough.

(If you can’t view it, you may need to download the Google Earth plug-in. It should provide a link to do so.)

Anyway, I want to tackle more rides and maybe post more of them here in the future, but check out my route and my MapMyRide profile here: https://www.mapmyride.com/profile/plabrozzi, and download the app if you’re into cycling. I will warn you it is a battery eater, so head out with a full charge. Enjoy!

2010 Challenge Update – February Wrap-up

February 2010, at least for me, went by very quickly. Arguably it has a few less days than all the other months, but I’m still talking fast. The winter Olympics came and went, LOST season six started and has progressed nicely, and I have lost a lot more weight and finished a book. Wrap-up time!

Challenge #2: Lose weight on the South Beach Diet.
Current weight: 196.2
Current BMI: 27.47 (I think, may need adjusting)
Weight loss from start: -37.5 lbs.
Progress: While not quite reaching the sheer success that was January, February over all has been another fantastic month for my weight loss challenge. If you recall from my last monthly wrap-up post, I finished off the month at 208.6 lbs, a loss of 25.1 lbs from the start. As of yesterday, February 28th, I was at 196.2 lbs, a loss of 37.5 lbs from the start and 12.4 lbs total loss for the month. It’s just under half of what I lost in January alone, but is still a phenomenal amount as far as I’m concerned.

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Gadget Watch – The Astak Mole Network IP Camera

Here’s a new section I’m adding to the PeteCast blog, called Gadget Watch. Anyone who knows me, knows I love all things with an electrical spark running through them. So I am always on the lookout for new and exciting technologies in the market.

For today’s product, I had been in search off and on, for a web cam that I could run without having to leave a computer running all day. I eventually stumbled into the world of Network IP cameras which run completely independently with their own address on your wired or wireless home/office network.

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Dr. Horrible’s Freeze Ray – Part 1

Bwaaaahahahahaha….     BWAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHA…. ha.
K, so I’m working on my evil laugh as well. Why? Because yours truly is taking on the persona of he who has a PhD. in Horribleness for not only this Halloween, but for the New York and quite possibly the San Diego Comic-Con’s as well. Yes, I am a fan of Dr. Horrible.

I’ve managed to scrabble together most of the costume with the lab coat being the only part remaining, and I have ordered one and it should arrive soon. I got a perfect pair of goggles and have painted them to match the silvery color in the video. As well, I have the exact pair of boots and gloves that were used. So I’m pretty excited.

However, what is any good Halloween costume without some accessorizing? I mean really, what’s a pirate without his sword, or a Stormtrooper without his laser carbine? It was with this in mind I decided to pursue creating the perfect thing to go along with the outfit.

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iPhone Rate Plans – Kicking Blackberry’s A$$

Well, the major question we’ve all been waiting for has finally been answered. Just how much is this contraption going to cost me a month? The answer came this morning, and it couldn’t have been better. Well maybe, if they had offered it for free, but meh. Rate plans for the iPhone start at $59.99 a month for 450 minutes. “Yikes!”, yells the Crackberry fanatics! But oh ho, look deeper and see what’s included. 200 text messages, 5,000 night and weekend minutes, rollover minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile, oh yea, and UNLIMITED DATA. Umm… Pwn’d? My plan will be exactly this $59.99 one, as I can’t see breaking those numbers to easily especially with rollover. The plans do go up to $99.99, as detailed in the image below.

Click for full size image

The other great news is after waiting on line for hours to get an iPhone, you get to go in the store, walk up to the counter.. say, “One iPhone please” they ring you up, and you walk out. Ack! What about activation!? “Hahaha”, laughs Steve Jobs! “Puny mortals! I have thought of everything! Go home, connect your new iPhone to your computer, and sync it through the activation process from the comfort of your own home! Bwaaahahaha” (some dialog may not accurately depict the official press release and is instead used for emphasis.”)

Needless to say, the news with this product just keeps getting better and better. The Blackberry’s on the other hand, while amazing, cost about $99 for a plan somewhat similar to this, but with less weekend and night minutes and no texts; I believe they are a separate $5 or $10 dollar charge. The rate of that of course comes from buying separate phone and unlimited data plans.

Anyway, I will now officially start pulling my hair out until the 29th at 6PM. Yes, the next time you see me I will be bald. But at least I won’t be as sweaty as this guy…

Gizmodo – Man waiting in line for iPhone for 100 hours