I’m not giving up any secrets by saying I’m planning grand opening trips for 2010. Right off the bat, I’d say that Chicago, DC, Paris and London are on my itinerary, which would total over 30,000 miles. All these are mid-year openings, so I’m really looking forward to sunny, warm weather (compared to the Louvre and UWS openings!). I’d love to get back to China for the openings in Beijing or Shanghai, but logistically that’s always more difficult. Of course, any openings in Spain would be a great trip, too. I’ve pretty much honed my packing, helped because I’ve narrowed down my choice of clothing, especially outerwear, and A-V gear. Even so, I end up taking at least three still cameras (all can also take video), a camcorder, and lots of accessories. It’s that last category that’s tough—I need tons of chargers, tripods and other stuff just to support the cameras and my laptop. I just noticed on Martha Stewart’s show a great idea for organizing: the GRID-IT system. Essentially, is a cross-weave of elastic bands attached to a stiff backing. It allows you infinite possibilities to slip the elastic bands over different sized gear so it’s all in one place and visible. They offer models that are larger and meant for packing in luggage, and others about 8″x8″ that come enclosed in a hard shell. Check their Web site for details. Seems like just what I need for the upcoming grand opening season.

If you’re creating any type of video for the Web, you can wrestle against it, or with with it. Obviously, you’ll want to do the latter. And to work with it, you’ll need to make the flow as easy as possible. First, buy yourself a camcorder that records onto SD cards. It can be standard or high-definition—these days even standard definition looks darned good for the size you’d post on a Web page. The advantage of SD cards is that you can then use iMovie or Final Cut (Express) to import the video directly from the card. More importantly, you can review all the clips from the editor and decide which ones to import. This will save you an enormous amount of time: the clips move quickly just like any file transfer, and you can leave out bad takes, goofs and glitches that would never make the final video. Now, after editing, you have to put the video into a compressed format for the Web, and here are two more tips: buy yourself an Elgato turbo.264HD encoder, and sign up for a really high-speed ISP, who provides ~10 Mbps service. The Elgato encoder looks like a thumbdrive, plugs into a USB 2.0 port, and will cut your encoding time by hours. I’ve encoded some 8-minute videos in 90 minutes using FC-Express, but with the Elgato encoder, it takes only 15 minutes. Nice! It works through a stand-alone application to encode video to H.264, but also slips right into the iMovie/Final Cut option menus to let you encode directly from the editor, too. I can’t wait to see how it works on my MacBook Pro laptop. And then lastly, who wants to wait while a 200 Mb video taken a hour to upload. With a 10 Mbps upload speed from your cable provider, it takes only minutes. Now you have spare time to go back and make another video.

Apparently the future will be a lot like today, at least in the world of high-tech hardware fixtures. The movie “Avatar” is set in 2054 as earthlings on another planet are mining a rare and valuable element (have we seen that before?). To coordinate the mining operation, and the requisite military operation demanded by the plot, there is a very large control room with circular consoles. On the outside of those consoles is a handrail with curved glass decorative panels. If you look closely, you can see that the circular attachment hardware for the glass panels is identical to that used on Apple’s glass staircases, bridges and upper-level railings. The Apple hardware is custom-made by TriPyramid Structures Inc. based in Massachusetts, which no doubt provided the fixtures for the movie set.

The trend in digital single-lens reflex (D-SLR) cameras is to include video capabilities—very sophisticated video capabilities. Even the newest Canon consumer model (T1i, T2i) have 1080p features that rival any camcorder, and the high-end Canon and Nikon models have video quality that rivals some $20,000 dedicated video camcorders. But obviously, the form-factor is all different. D-SLRs have retained their eye-to-the-camera design, with a LCD screen on the back, dials on the top, etc. Camcorders have retained their Kleenex box proportions (although they’re a lot smaller!). D-SLRs also don’t have the audio, matte box, auxiliary lighting and other features of camcorders. As a result, those using D-SLRs for serious video work have had to plaster all sorts of accessories onto their still camera, beefing it up to camcorder standards. I just spotted this photo, taken at the 2010 Macworld of a Canon on a $2,000 trip, outfitted with an external, battery-run monitor, dual handles, wireless mic, follow-focus knob and yards of cables—yikes! Am I missing something here? Wouldn’t a decent prosumer camcorder nearly handle the same assignment? Okay, maybe the external monitor would be needed. But the quality of the video from this camera couldn’t be that much better than a camcorder, especially when you consider they’re doing stand-up interviews and not Rocky Mountain scenics.

It turns out that Apple introduced the iPad 2-3 months ahead of its availability to keep it secret. The device needed FCC certification, and that semi-public process would have broken the cone of silence that Apple creates around its products. But, it also turns out that putting availability 60 to 90 days into the future has created a period of anxiety for Amazon, Sony and any other company that has products or plans for something tablet-sized. Simply put, the game is changing already. Amazon had a run-in with publishers over book prices, and it’s still not settled. Gates-Ballmer have commented on the iPad, noting that it’s really not that big of a deal—or at least, not something Microsoft would create. The number of software developers in the App Store has skyrocketed. Now there are rumors that Amazon will give away Kindle’s to its Prime, upper-level loyalty customers. The company may also be exploring future Kindle designs that incorporate a color screen. I say, let the industry simmer and stew. There is nothing that kick-starts innovation and change more than having a competitor. In fact, just saying you’re a competitor seems to get things moving in the technology world. It all makes for an interesting read. But you must ask yourself the ultimate question: are we all better off because of all the changes that have already occurred because of the iPad introduction? Well, we don’t even know how the iPad might affect the world of music, browsing, writing, presentations, and photography (all iPad capabilities) until the device reaches consumers. But in the important world of publishing, the changes look positive: book prices will go up, reflecting a fairer price point for writers and buyers. Other publishing segments are jumping in, including comic books, magazines and newspaper, giving them increased exposure and potential revenue. And in general, the “printed” word is getting more attention and respect, which is always a positive thing. If I were Steve, I’d be on the telephone all day talking deals with content providers—come on board! But I’d also be resting quietly at home after work, knowing that the industry is slowly changing, even before the iPad hits the market.

First it was Google Wave, now Buzz, and who knows what name is next for the social interaction software the company is devising. I’m a pretty smart guy, but really have to push myself to understand the concepts of contact and communications that are in play with Wave-Buzz. First, I’m at a distinct disadvantage by being over 40, so my methods of communicating with friends, family and business people is vastly different than those in the 14-40 age range. But I also get lost in the ways that Google is combining, consolidating and integrating new and existing social technologies to create something improved, more efficient and having new features. This all leaves me excited by the prospects of what the future is bringing, but wondering—how the heck do I participate? It’s difficult to move my social life over to the new paradigm. I’d have to convince myself that it’s an improvement, and then convince my friends they should make the move, too. So far, I’m lucky if I can convince them to make the Mac conversion. Taking up Wave-Buzz, Twitter or Facebook would be a leap for everyone I know. Even so, I’m plugging away to keep up with Google, hoping I won’t be left behind in the New Age.

After an enormous amount of speculation and hype, the iPad finally landed today. Of course, it didn’t measure up to the expectations because, frankly, our expectations were way off the charts. And of course, most of the surprise was gone because of all the leaks. Here are the main take-away points: it’s great-looking, nice-handling, and it extends the current iPhone/touch object handling and interface methods. The inclusion of iWork for the iPad was a big plus. Pricing for the 3G service was definitely amazing, especially the no-contract deal. That means you could activate the AT&T service for a month when you’re on vacation or out of town for business. The connection to the existing App and iTunes Store is great, including apps, music, movies and TV shows. iBooks—nice! The page-turning interface is amazing! The on-screen keyboard is interesting—gotta try it out to see if it’s really workable. Battery life was way more than what everyone expected. The dock and dock/keyboard were really nice, as was the binder/display. Perhaps the most underrated feature will turn out to be the A4 chip that powers the iPad—an Apple designed chip. First time. Ever. What was left out? Well, no optical gear for either photos or video, face recognition (okay, that was a wild speculation), video-conferencing or taking photos. No TV hardware or software, so there’s no live TV. No Verizon wireless service. No multi-tasking apps. No on-screen Post-It notes. But all that is probably responsible for the biggest news—pricing. Apple split up the into three memory configurations and Wi-Fi/3G to offer various prices that start at $499. That’s way below the highest speculative price of $1,000. For many, that would be a sufficient device—no 3G and basic memory. Add 3G service for $130 and you’ve got a $629 tablet that can do lots of things on the road. Questions? Plenty. Why did Steve announce it now, instead of closer to the release date? Why did he not mention a specific release date, but only 90 days (FCC approval period?)? Did AT&T retain exclusivity in exchange for the improved wireless pricing and contract? No SD slot, but an external adapter (and USB adapter, too)? What apps come standard: stocks, weather, etc.? Now, it’s up to us—everybody—to decide if the iPad fits a particular need in our tech lives. I’ll bet it will, especially if the iBook store gets rolling.

You may have read the Facebook page that sets out the story of Jeremy Holt, who apparently worked at an Apple store, but was a member of Airline Ambassadors, a non-profit charity group originally formed by airline employees. After the Haiti earthquake, Holt was offered the opportunity to fly to Haiti to perform recovery work for five days. He called in to report being off from work once, while Apple’s policy apparently is to call in for each day of absence. When Holt returned from Haiti, he learned he had been fired for violating the company’s time-off reporting policy. Since the story was posted on-line, it’s generated lots of comments, both supporting Holt and vilifying him. First, it’s impossible to know the truth–is the story real, did it happen as described? Second, you have to wonder why Holt made the story public. And then you have to question the very premise being marketed here—”Because sometimes SAVING LIVES is more important than ‘Company Policy,” according to the Facebook page. There’s no obvious answer to the first question, but it’s pretty obvious that the answer to the second question is–Holt wants his job back. As for the premise, it might be overdramatizing Holt’s contribution to the recovery effort. At least 20 countries are involved in a massive air, sea and ground mobilization. The U.S. military alone has 10,000 soldiers on the island, with another 12,000 U.N. personnel. Scores of airplanes are arriving each day with tons of supplies. While I applaud and recognize the efforts that a single volunteer can make, Holt’s absence or presence wasn’t pivotal. That fact leads us to the final point: Holt willingly considered all the factors, made a decision, and is now living with the result. To now put the responsibility–or blame–on Apple for sabotaging the Haiti relief efforts seems incorrect. Further, to make the matter public and hammer Apple might not be the best strategy. What happens when you get you job back, Mr. Holt? Just like old times?

One of the country’s most prolific tech bloggers is California-based Leo Laporte. His Twit.tv show is just one of his many video and audio blogs that cover every aspect of technology, gadgets and more. He streams hours of shows from the dining room of an old house in Petaluma (N. Calif.), bringing in video of guests using Skype, and mixing in screen shots of Web sites and product demos. Watching the show on-line, it’s impossible to see what I saw earlier this week, sitting in as an audience member. Leo can talk intelligently about any aspect of tech with a guest, all while doing all the production work: switch between video sources, adjust the audio, type on a keyboard to surf the Web, give a Nexus demonstration, and read commercials. He doesn’t have an on-air engineer, but does all the work himself. It’s much like playing a Wurlitzer—all the audience knows is that wonderful music is coming out, even though the organ player is working hard at the keyboard. Of course, Leo did have a 30-year radio career to prepare him for his first “podcasts” way back in 2004. It’s hard to believe that it’s progressed so far in just six years. The lesson: Leo is in a class by himself, smart, funny, talkative and devoted to technology. If you want to see an expert having a great time working, tune it to Leo.

It’s the first known confirmation of a future Apple store in response to a press inquiry. Apple retail spokesperson Amy Barney told Pioneer Press newspaper reporter Julio Ojeda-Zapata that the company will open a store in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. She did not say where the store will be located or when it will open. Previously, in response to every known press inquiry about a future store, spokepersons have universally said, “We have made no announcements about that location.” What’s the difference this time? Why is the Minneapolis press getting a break? Well, it’s not the first time, and it’s explained by noting that Ron Johnson’s home town is Edina, a Minneapolis suburb. If you’re from somewhere else, no comment.

You may recall that Sony was the king of electronics back a few years ago. But they slipped several years ago and have never been able to regain their glory. Their current position is no better demonstrated than the press conference the company held at CES on Thursday, so full of empty references to innovation and creativity, and so full of self-serving marketing, promotion, revenue references and numbers. The comparisons to Apple and Steve Jobs is impossible to ignore. CEO Howard Stringer, 67, lumbered onstage to introduce Taylor Swift, praising how many albums and recordings she’s sold—and how much money she’s made for the company. Swift gave a canned speech about how Sony products are part of her every-day life, and how she’ll be documenting her singing tours over the next year. Then she sang a song. It was a sad version of what Steve Jobs does: introduce the new products, and then tells the audience, “This is why we do it,” followed by a performance by John Mayer or Tony Bennett. As Singer left the stage, he joked that the press must wonder why Swift had singed with Sony. “Maybe you’ll call us cool again, who knows?” Stringer said. After that, it was nothing but confusing product IDs and specifications, and talk about 3D TV. But since it was guys in suits, it had none of the “We love creative” feel of a Jobs presentation, who was listening. In fact, I watched the press conference live on Ustream, accompanied by a fast-scrolling column of comments—they were all scathing in their ridicule of Stringer and his speech. They wanted new products, and were impatient to hear about them. Watch the video (jump forward 20 min. because the event started late) and compare Sony vs. Apple yourself.

Talk about a TV revolution! First cable TV and the Internet split off viewers from the major networks by the millions. And then in response, advertisers dial back their spending on broadcast TV commercials, and start looking for viewers elsewhere. As a result, superior network TV viewing has become harder to find. In a related move, TV manufacturers have had their own problems. Having made the transition from tube-type TVs to flat-panel models, the companies began seeing purchase patterns change—no one buys plasma TVs under 42 inches these days. So now, the TV networks and device manufacturers have a plan to get the revenue flowing again—three-dimensional television? Yikes! If fact, Sony has said that its 2010 TV line-up with be heavily devoted to 3-D models. You may know that movie makers have been trying to figure out how to use 3-D for 50 years, and have only recently found an artistic standard (“Up” and “Avatar,” for example). But it’s hard for me to believe that television will be able to create artistically-decent programming for 3-D. Or for that matter, that 3-D TVs themselves will actually provide a satisfactory experience. To me, it all boils down to a scheme to get everyone to ditch their current TVs and buy new.