Even when we fast forward, we see the commercials. I have no doubt that we understand many of the visual messages, though we don't hear the audio.

If I were an advertiser, I would design my commercials to be as visual as possible, making sure the logo/wordmark is easily seen at the very end, like Target does. That way, the viewer still sees the logo when fast-forwarding. Better yet, frame the commercial with a recognizable beginning and ending set of frames, with the end containing the logo/wordmark.

Example for the upcoming season: First frames are of people walking into a store at Christmas time, with the ending frames being the logo/wordmark. Who wouldn't understand that even at so many more frames per second?

Paper books have no EULAs. Nor do they require electricity to operate. Nor must I buy a $400 device to view them. Nor do they need repair should they accidentally crash to the ground.

Paper books: They're glorious!

Oh, now why don't they make it with a physical keyboard. My carpal tunnel doesn't let me type on the touch screen. It's just not fair, what with such a beautiful phone!

Now they can come out with two versions: Telecaster and Stratocaster.

The apps haven't been available on my system in about a week.

DirecTV is turning into clown college.

They keep giving and taking away local, OTA sub-channels, especially for PBS stations in Denver. In Denver, these channels were accessible three weeks ago via the HD20-7xx. Suddenly, they're gone. When I raise the issue with customer service, they don't even seem unaware which model of HD DVR I have. I'm on E-mail #4, trying to get a straight answer. I gave up on addressing issues by phone long ago. I don't want to talk to people in the Philippines.

As others also commented, DirecTV decidedly is behind rolling out new HD channels. They still don't carry PBS locals in HD in Denver, without going OTA. The service is on the borderline of being unacceptable.

All in all, Dish is way ahead. My contract is up in December, and I'm seriously considering a switch to Dish.

Here's how to make one for about $5.00:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

I got a MyTouch by mail the other day, and sent it back a few hours later. Why? The touch keyboard is impossible to use.

This may sound nuts, but I'm beginning to think the best way to go is with a net computer with a data plan. Then, I can use Skype as my phone service. I don't take many calls with the cell phone, and the net computers are almost small enough to carry like phone.

T-Mobile took a wrong turn somewhere. Either pay $97 for a G1 with potentially no OS updates, MyTouch with an unusable keyboard, or the Touch Pro2 for $350. How about a Blackberry with 3G at WalMart for $47 and none of the above?

I hope T-Mobile has plenty of warehouse space for these. They'll sit on the shelf forever.

I sent the MyTouch 3G back to T-Mobile after a few hours. Typing on the screen is impossible for me. Some need the external keyboard. I'm one of those people.

Other than that, this is one heck of a great phone. Perhaps we should stop calling them phones, because that is now the least of what they do. Certainly, that is the case with the MyTouch 3G. It is almost a pocket PC.

When we "build in" an operating system or software operation, we "lock in" how the hardware functions.

We have to ask, what do we want the visual displays in our lives to do? Make sense? The time has come to make visual displays the literal focal point for all interactive media in our lives. Whether this is the home TV set (maybe we should call it the ID - Interactive Display?), the mobile phone, or whatever, it needs to handle ALL potential media, interactive or otherwise.

So, let's see a push to integrate ALL media capabilities into the ID. If Chrome allows this, great. Microsoft OS does not and likely never will.

Where is the 50' display that lets me use wifi, Bluetooth, or other wireless technology, to display my computer computer screen, in full HD, with full Dolby 5.1?