Yes, this can be disabled by going Preferences > General & Profile and unchecking “Show trending news articles in social network feeds”, but that’s not really the point. Digsby continues to introduce features to increase their bottom line by auto-opting in all of their users without notifying them of the changes. How did they not learn their lesson from Facebook’s Beacon fiasco or even their own policy of automatically opting in users for their own for-profit research? I ask of you again Digsby if you are going to change the way your product work you need to explain it to the user and let them opt in or out. You’ve done this when you added features like achievements but you fail to do so when it comes to your bottom line. I ask you again please come back from the dark side.

If you haven’t ordered yours yet and you have an AT&T Preimer account go check out: https://www.wireless.att.com/business/phones/phone_details_main.jsp?skuId=sku7311300030 and you will first need to login to AT&T to view this page. It currently shows $538.99 as the no-commitment price, however I got mine for $349.99 earlier in the week before the page was public, still unsure if I am signed up for 2 more years of AT&T but in any case my new phone is on the way. I will try to do a short review over it once it gets here. For more information about the phone check out the Prelaunch information I found over at http://www.waynezim.com/2009/10/att-tilt-2-prelaunch-info/.

Check out the real screenshot here!

Go here to order your own real AT&T Tilt 2, you will need to login to AT&T website with your account information.

Pricing on this page shows $349.99, although AT&T said it would be $299.99 in a press release today!

UPDATE 2: I ordered one, it currently shows my order as “Shipped”, I’ll try to do a review once I get it. This should be sometime Monday

Overview

The HTC Tilt(TM) 2 is the latest Windows Phone from AT&T running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional software. The HTC Tilt 2 features a large 3.6″ high resolution tilting color touchscreen so that you can easily explore the Web, review your email, or watch videos. In addition, this Windows phone has a full slide out / slide away QWERTY keyboard that features finger friendly keys for fast and easy text entry. The Tilt 2 offers a unique people focused method of communication with all of your contacts – no longer do you need to start different applications to view or communicate with your friends. You can now easily sort and view any type of communication with that particular contact without having the non-relevant info in the way. View all relevant calls, text messages, email, and even the latest Facebook updates by simply pivoting around a contact and filtering out the information not related to that contact. Download and install the latest applications from AT&T’s new AppCenter or discover a new application in Microsoft’s new application MarketPlace, or use any one of the applications already installed on this app friendly Windows phone. This powerful and feature rich Windows phone delivers the following features plus many more: aGPS for turn-by-turn navigation using AT&T Navigator or other location-based services, Video Share Calling for live streaming video communications, the HTC TouchFLO 3D user interface for fast and easy access to email, calendar, messaging, pictures, music, weather, stock market and more. The HTC Tilt 2 supports 3G tri-band HSDPA 7.2 and 3.6 for global voice and data connectivity, including Japan and Korea.
Included Accessories
Lithium Ion battery, AC charger, Mini-USB sync cable, Spare stylus, 3.5mm audio adaptor, Screen protector, QuickStart, Companion CD

Features
Voice & Calling

* Advanced Speakerphone with mute button (dual speakers and dual noise / echo cancelation microphone)
* Vibrate
* Silent Mode
* TTY/TDD Support
* Push To Talk
* Voice Dial
* Voice Record
* Voice multimedia messaging

Messaging

* Mobile Email — supports Microsoft Direct Push, Active Sync – scheduled sync and POP3/IMAP4*
* Conversational Text Messaging — send/receive short messages*
* Multimedia Messaging — send/receive messages comprised of text and images*
* Mobile Instant Messaging — download the application then send/receive messages in real time using AOL® Instant Messenger, Windows Live(TM) Messenger, or Yahoo!®*
* MEdia(TM) Net Internet Browsing — gives you access to email, Web sites, games and more on your wireless phone*
* *AT&T service required.

Software & Connectivity

* Stereo Bluetooth® 2.1 with EDR
* Wi-Fi IEEE (802.11b/g/e/i) — access and transfer data
* aGPS supports AT&T Navigator — for turn by turn navigation*
* MicroSD(TM) Memory Card support — store songs and other media files up to 32 GB (microSD card sold separately)
* HTC ExtUSB(TM ) — 11 pin mini USB 2.0, audio jack, and TV Out in one (HTC TV Out cable sold separately)
* *AT&T service required.

Camera & Video

* 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus (take panoramic pics and Geo-tag pics)
* Mobile Video (MV) — watch streaming video on your device*
* Video Share — share a live or recorded video during a call*
* *AT&T service required.

Highlights

* Talk, Tilt, Touch, and Type
* Connect seamlessly
* Innovative design

Personalization & Entertainment

* AT&T Mobile Music — includes integrated MP3 music player, MusicID and more*
* AT&T AppCenter & Windows MarketPlace – Downloadable ringtones, Answertones®, games, graphics, and applications*AT&T AppCenter & Windows MarketPlace – Downloadable ringtones, Answertones®, games, graphics, and applications*
* AT&T Wi-Fi
* AT&T Navigator
* PTT
* FaceBook, YouTube, Mobi4Biz, Mobile Banking, MSN Money, MSN Weather,
* My Cast, NewsBreak, Online Locker, WikiMobile,
* WorldCard Mobile, FM radio, JetCet Print 5, Getting Started
* Games: Astraware Sudoko, Astraware boardgames, Bubble Breaker, Diner Dash 2,
* Ferrari GT Evolution, Guitar Hero IV, Ms Pac Man, Scrabble, Solitaire, Teeter
* *AT&T service required.

Organization

* Alarm Clock
* Calendar
* Weather & Stock Updates
* Calculator
* Tasks
* Search
* File Explorer
* Notepad
* Voice Recorder
* MS OFFICE Mobile (Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint)

Specifications

* Dimensions: 4.54 x 2.33 x 0.65 inches
* Weight: 6.30 ounces
* Battery: 1500 mAh Li-Ion
* Talk Time: Up to 8.5 hours
* Standby Time: Up to 20 days
* Technology: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA/UMTS*
* Frequency: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (GSM/GPRS/EDGE); 850/1900/2100 MHz (HSDPA/UMTS)*
* Data Transmission: 3G
* Operating System: Windows Mobile® 6.5 Professional
* Memory: 512 MB ROM, 288 MB RAM
* Display: 3.6 inches Color TFT LCD, flat touch sensitive screen with WVGA (480 x 800) resolution
* TTY Compatible
* Hearing Aid Compatible
* *AT&T service required.

1. Installer Spyware – This allows you to optionally install different programs so those companies will pay Digsby for getting them installed. The optional software usually doesn’t play nice and typically adds nothing more than a loss of screen real estate to another annoying system hogging toolbar in your browser. There are several other ones that are offered. This model I can tolerate because if the user is smart enough they will figure out how to not install them in the first place or how to uninstall them if they were installed.
2. Research Module – This allows digsby to user your computer and bandwidth to do pretty much whatever they want with it. Most likely be another pawn in some search engines indexing program. This one I find much more troubling because it uses your electricity and your bandwidth (remember bandwidth caps are coming kids) to make them money. I agree everyone needs money but this isn’t the right way to go about it. This needs to be added to the installer as an opt out program or better yet you could add a non evil model and have it process something cool like cancer research or mapping the human genome.

Digsby please fix these items and in a hurry. I have already opted out of your research program as I like my bandwidth and computer to myself, your probably the best IM client out there but if you continue to the dark side I will have to find an alternative.

For more information about Digsby IM Clients Dark Side:
http://lifehacker.com/5336382/digsby-joins-the-dark-side-uses-your-pc-to-make-money

Also checkout Digsby’s Explanation: http://blog.digsby.com/archives/693

At work we have been working closely with our EMR vendor to resolve a few issues with interfaces and minor bugs that exist in their program. We also finished rolling out the new machines we received a few weeks ago, and also built two new disk images that we will use to roll out Microsoft Office 2007 to the employees in our building that don’t have it yet. I’ve also setup the new / updated webserver to host our current site and make our auditors happy again.

The Livestrong’s Daily Plate program is going very well. I’ve been logging my exercise and activity everyday and doing a weekly weigh in and I’ve lost just a little over 7 pounds in two weeks. This past week I have picked up my biking habits again so every other day I am out doing 15 to 25 miles which I’m sure is helping. Right now I am limited to about 1800 calories a day, which when making the right decisions at lunch and dinner makes it pretty easy, most days I am closer to 1600 calories. I can even feel that my pants fit better just after two weeks. I also noticed that I am getting used to the lower calories because I can’t eat nearly as much as I used to, but I’m sure that’s a good thing.

After taking a month or two off from biking now I remember why I love it so much. Last night we got some clouds and rain that helped cool down the temperature and made for a bit of a breeze from the north. I worked my from College Station to downtown Bryan and used the breeze and the cool weather to get me up to 25 miles last night which is close to my longest ride of like 32 miles. But just the speed of with the extra wind at my back which just makes it so much easier to maintain my 17-19 mph on the flat and 13-14 mph uphill. Usually my pace is right around 14.3 mph around town, but that probably included a bunch of stops and me just kind getting it done and not really pushing. If I push, I could probably do 16 mph for 10 miles but beyond that my legs start giving up. I hope to work my way closer to 50 miles in a single ride and then I would have to probably upgrade to a true road bike. Right now I have a 2008 Trek 7.2 FX. It does a great job of giving me a good road feel but keeping me upright, the components are of good quality and shift are quick and smooth, my only wish is that it was a bit lighter, but that always costs more.

My Linux+ is coming along nicely, I have completed the CBT Nugget videos I had as well as the entire TestOut training, now I just need to take a few practice tests and see where I am. I think the only thing that will trouble me is remember all the different options to these commands, there seems to be just a ton of them and not all are standardized. Also a few of the detailed configuration files for Samba and sendmail I just can’t seem to wrap my head around, but hopefully they ask enough generic stuff that it won’t be a problem. I will take a practice test sometime this week and probably schedule the test for one afternoon in the next two weeks.

Upcoming for the blog at http://www.waynezim.com I will continue to try to figure out what the Galleries things so I can share all the good high quality pictures with all of you out on the internet, and hopefully produce a few more articles about the great IT stuff I do day to day. I still have quite of bit of work to do with adding a profile and what I would call is a portfolio of projects and work that I have done in my IT career. I also hope to write WordPress Plugin that will help integrate SportTracks and the Livestrong’s The Daily Plate into the blog on my site.

I have spend the last week or so working on my studying for my Linux+ certification which I hope to take at the beginning of next month. I hope this will diversify my IT knowledge and allow me not to be lost or have to Google every command when trying to do things on a Linux system. I have already watched the CBT Nuggets videos and now have moved into TestOut in depth study material which I should be able to finish by the end of the week.

Also, I joined Livestrong.com’s The Daily Plate program which is a food and exercise journal that will help keep track of what you do and how much you eat so you can hopefully lose weight. My sister has been doing it for a bit and Jen and I decided that we should give it a shot, if nothing else it gives you some statistics of how good you eat compared to what activities you do. So far I have noticed that the food database is quite extensive because I was able to add my Freebirds burrito by size and each component. The activity database is just as extensive which includes sleeping, mowing the lawn, washing the car, working one computer, watching tv and any other activity you can think of. It also uses your height and weight to estimate how much you should eat and includes activities in to it, it is pretty neat you should at least sign up and check it out.

As for the site, I have been trying post pictures from all these great places i have been recently. I have only had moderate success as you can tell from the front page. I will also be putting up a few articles about virutalization and more of the general IT stuff that I have been working on. If you have any ideas for posts i should do just put it in a comment and I will see if I can make it happen.

I noticed this when I was looking at my C drive wondering man why so low and I have not installed anything new or downloaded anything of significant size, and that’s when I found it 12GB of files in my C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Dropbox\cache folder. This is the equivalent of sharing 12GB file so you can have like 2GB this just doesn’t make since. I have been using Dropbox for several months and just now noticed the cache but I would hope it would clean it up every once and a while. I understand they need multiple copies in the cloud for speed and reliability but this is a bit extreme. Also this large amount of data as it becomes.. is in the wrong directory, at least from a business perspective because trying to sync 12GB of Dropbox files takes a while when this data really doesn’t need to be part of a roaming profile. I understand that this isn’t it’s primary use, but it probably should be part of Local Settings\Application Data instead so it doesn’t follow you around in a roaming profiles environment.

I would like to make this point clear though, none of this would stop me from using Dropbox, it is a great free file sharing application, I will just watch those cache files and delete them once and a while.

Before I went without cable I was spending about $140 a month for having an HD DVR, HD Channels and extended basic, with HBO and standard 3 megabit internet. I am currently paying $55 a month for just 8 megabits high speed internet. There is some real savings there of over $1000 dollars, but the real question is did I miss a show. No, is the answer to that, I have a DVR though Hulu which never misses a show unlike my DVR did, and if i’m hanging around that night and want to watch it live I am able to pick up ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC with Over-the-Air HD so i’m really not missing out on much HD primetime TV when I’m home, and Hulu and the other websites that give you TV over the internet do a full screen and look great on my TV using my HP Z555 Media Center PC connected via HDMI.

For the shows that I cannot find on Hulu or their respective networks website, I turn to torrents because if I have this problem so does everyone else. They are not hard to find especially if you are looking for the latest episode of Heroes for example, you can even get some in HD if you really want to spend the extra time downloading. I tend to stick with the standard divx file. Also with my skills of installing XBMC on Xbox it allowed me to see any of the media I have downloaded in the bedroom using my home network. Even better is that is Media Mall’s PlayOn Media Server which will access internet content including Hulu and stream it to “dumber” devices across your home network. This is how we have been able to see Hulu in the bedroom with out the use XBMC Hulu Plugin, which is still not ready for prime time.

For the most part I don’t miss a show, I do miss ESPN, Versus and Fox Sports because they tend to carry the live sports that I would like to see, and although ESPN has ESPN 360 it doesn’t carry the things I wanna see like Nascar races or some college football games. So if you are a sports lover then you still might need cable or satellite for that need, I find that it is just excuse to go find some friends and watch the game with them or find a bar and makes new friends watching the game.

I will continue not paying for cable and enjoying saving that bit of cash. The only real problem I can see with this is with bandwidth caps, that might force me to rethink this whole thing if the limit the amount of content that I can download from sources, but for now the pipe is wide open and I will use it to my advantage.