If you’ve been glued to your TV the past two weeks and dread going to the cottage because you don’t want to miss the Olympics’ closing ceremonies, rest assured there is a solution.

The Slingbox is a small square box that transmits your home cable, satellite or HD TV to your laptop or wireless phone anywhere in the world, even the cottage. It uses the Internet to transmit the signal. If you’re currently paying for two services, it’s a great way to save money, especially if you’re not getting all the channels you’d like to receive at the cabin.

The technology does have some limitations.

The first one: you need to have high speed Internet ( at least 256 KBPS) at the cottage in order to receive the streaming video.

Then there are the technical requirements.

Your laptop must have:

• Window Vista or Windows XP with service pack
• Graphics Card
• Sound Card
• Network Connection
• Home Network Router

The Slingboxes start at $199 and are available at Best Buy, Future Shop and London Drugs.

To find out more about this technology and read what others think about it, visit CNET.com for a complete product review.

Cheers,

Julie

I’m going up the chair lift when I feel my ski jacket start to vibrate. I slip my hand into my hip pocket in case it starts ringing. No ring this time, just a jingle notifying me of a new text message. I’m becoming a cell phone junkie.

I love texting people, taunting them with the latest ski report. A quick text and I can find out the best runs, the longest line-ups and where we’re meeting for lunch. Trying to hook up with friends on the hill? A cell phone is an absolute necessity.

In Penny’s blog, Cell Phones and Ice Fishing, she describes driving down the QEW in Toronto, while her daughter is texting a friend who is ice fishing. She writes,

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it slightly surreal that one leggy blond 19-year-old student dressed to the nines and sitting in a car hurtling along a highway in southern Ontario can chat away with another leggy blond 19-year-old sitting beside a snow machine in the bush some 400 km away and bundled to her eyebrows in winter gear? Who knew that cellphones work at —30, or that you can get a signal in the middle of winter out on a frozen northern lake? I can’t even get a signal in Parry Sound in the middle of summer!

We are living in the age of instant communication. While I love the immediacy of text messaging, not all news is good news. Despite being on holidays this week, I’m still chatting via email with an editor about story ideas. I’m arranging meetings for next week, and talking to colleagues mid-mountain. In short, I’m not really escaping anything, I’ve just expanded the perimeter of my office.

My husband is experiencing the same phenomenon. Over breakfast this morning, he received an employee’s resignation, discussed another company’s buy-out option all while helping me get the kids ready for ski camp.

Aren’t holidays suppose to be all about getting away from it all? Why then do we insist on taking it (and everyone else) with us????

Cheers,

Julie

Over the past couple of weeks I have been researching a story for Cottage Magazine entitled, Horne Lake’s Internet Cafe. The article explores the options cottagers have when it comes to accessing the Internet, particularly for those folks living in British Columbia. Albertan’s, thanks to Bell Canada and the Alberta government, have Internet infrastructure to die for. Sasktel too, has done an excellent job of wiring its province.

While B.C. has breathtaking vistas and glorious mountains, it seems we do not have Internet, at least not outside of Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo or Kelowna. It’s a classic case of the haves versus the have nots. Folks living in rural B.C. are limited to dial-up 56 K modems, and for those who can afford it, cellular data, which utilizes a PC aircard, and a data plan from a wireless carrier like Telus or Rogers.

I too would like to be able to surf the Net at the cabin. Installing an Xplornet satellite dish is probably going to be my best bet, but the dish and installation are expensive, about $1,000. Then there are the monthly fees: roughly $90 per month for 1 Mbsp download and 256 Kbsp upload, plus the annual licensing fee of $75. That’s a lot of money just to transmit some megabytes.

I did, over the course of my research, come across a company called BC HotSpot.com. They sell devices that allow an Internet signal to be extended or “daisy chained.” Their technology has been used to supply campgrounds with Internet.

Why would cottagers be interested in this company? Let’s say one cottager installed a satellite dish. Using BC Hotspot’s Check Box Master, the signal could be sent up to 300 feet. If a person wanted to extend the signal further, a “mesh node adapter (repeater) could be mounted to a tree or pole to keep extending the signal. These adapters can be installed around a lake, thereby providing everyone with Internet. The adapters require 110 volts of power to operate, but Denis Tonn, BC Hotspot’s company spokesperson stated that they can run off a 12 volt battery plugged into an AC adapter.

This would be expensive technology to deploy on a large lake. The Check Box Master retails for $599 and the mesh node adapters cost $399 each. For a lake under six miles it could be cost effective. The signal can also be transmitted across water (up to a half mile), thereby minimizing the total number of mesh node devices required.

In order for cottagers to be able to pick up the Internet signal, their laptops would need a wireless adapter (device that fits into the Ethernet port to pick up wireless signals). Newer PC’s have them built in. I am seriously considering taking this proposal to our cottage association. I realize some people do not wish to have Internet at the cabin, but more and more cottagers are installing satellite dishes on our lake. It might be time to band together and save some money.

For anyone who is interested in finding out more about getting Internet at the cabin, I would encourage you to contact Gordon Sedola of Van Isle Home Entertainment in Nanaimo, B.C. He is an Xplornet dealer and a BC HotSpot distributor, who is very knowledgeable regarding hook-ups and configuration. He can be reached at 250-245-0637 or email at vihomeent@telus.net.

Cheers,

Julie

P.S. The Cottage Magazine article will be out in the edition.

If today’s title doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, you’re likely over the age of 35 and are accustomed to writing and speaking in grammatically correct sentences.

If you want to find out what it means go ask your teenagers, that is if you can pry them away from their cell phone long enough to answer your questions.

It seems every generation has their own unique way of communicating. Email is still my favourite, while my nieces and nephews hang out on MSM Instant Messenger. Good luck getting them to talk on the phone; we have longer text messages than we do face-to-face conversations.

Learning how to text message can save time and money. Texting is much cheaper than chatting, especially if you’re calling long distance from the cabin. Cell phones are equipped with SMS - short message service. Instead of hitting the dial key, I hit the SMS key and enter my text message, hit send, and voila, my message is sent. I don’t need to know a person’s email address, I just need to know their cell phone number. I find it more reliable than email, because most people carry their cell phones with them.

Texting does come with it’s own language. Learn it and you will be able to talk to your children, and you’ll also know what they’re up to.

For example:

P911 - parents around, change the subject KPC - keep parents clueless MOS - Mom over shoulder

420 and LGH - let’s get high B/F - boyfriend SPN - Spend the night

I have found some that I think would be useful for the cottage:

FUBAR - fouled up beyond repair FYA - for your amusement G2G - gotta go

GGP - gotta go pee GTSY - great to see you IOH - I’m out of here NAC -not a clue

LTNS -long time no see AYV - are you vertical?
and my personal favourite reserved for my DH - dear hubby BYKT - but you knew that

If you want more abbreviations, here are a couple of website you can check out: Techdictionary.com, and Webopedia, which also has icons if you want to get really creative with your messages.

If you have any of your own you want to share, please leave a comment. It would be really GR8 to come up with a list just for cottagers.

CUL8R,

Julie

PS - this one is for Running Car - IKYABWAI

It covers 71% of the earth’s surface. The human body contains anywhere from 55% to 71% depending on its size. As Canadians we use 343 litres of it a day, and as a country we own seven percent of the world’s renewable fresh water. Water, it’s essential to life.

Staying hydrated can be a tricky proposition, given the growing concern over plastic water bottles. The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends women consume 2.2 litres of water a day (more if they’re nursing), whereas men should consume 3.6 litres a day.

I have discovered a great way to have my water and avoid buying plastic water bottles. Mountain Equipment Co-Op’s Tour Hydration Pack, is basically a water backpack. Its light weight canvas design contains a 2L plastic bladder that can be filled with water and still leave room for a sandwich, small camera, keys and a cell phone.

I’ve used the hydration pack hiking in Utah in 90 degree temperatures, biking, and skiing; the trick is to fill it full of ice water. I especially love it for downhill skiing, where the water stays icy cold. I also like the drinking tube design, as I can drink on the go and don’t have to worry with lids, storage or leaks. It’s also good to periodically rinse it with vinegar to kill any bacteria. I also dry it out after each use. The bladder’s and tubing can be replaced for $12.

The pack sells for $46 but I have seen similar models for almost double the price. I estimate it’s more than paid for itself, considering the price of a bottle of water. Mostly, I just like the convenience of always having fresh water to drink.

Cheers,

Julie

It’s hard to believe that it’s still fall, with all the snow that’s being dumped on eastern Canada. Things are looking a little wintery on the homepage. In fact, there are a couple of items I would like to draw your attention to. First off, take a look at the Snapshot page. You will see some of the photos we received from our “Favourite Cottage Moment Contest.” We have selected Max Van Parys, the little guy with the big fish, as our winner for the Chantry Island bath robe. Way to go Max.

We always love seeing your photos and hearing what you’ve been up to. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the one with Debb and Doug, sitting on their newly purchased camp, at Lake Panache in Whitefish Ontario, is worth a thousand emotions too. Debb writes,

I recently came across this photo and it brought back some great memories. Doug and I had wanted a cottage for so long, but thought it was out of our reach financially. Long story short, we found THIS place and we haven’t looked back with even a second of regret. The day we signed the papers to make this place our own had to be the best cottage moment ever. Here we are on our second visit to the new place. We knew how much work was ahead of us, but also knew it was going to be a labour of love. We’ve come a L-O-N-G way since November 2003 when this picture was taken! From a shack to a castle, [well maybe not one fit for royalty!!] - but camp-sweet-camp to us!

Thanks Debb.

Every year Cottage Life sponsors a photo contest. While I can’t say I would have chosen this year’s winner, there was one that I absolutely loved. Be sure to click on this link and check it out - it will make you laugh out loud.

If you’re in the market for a new digital camera, www.dpreview.com is a good place to start. It provides product reviews on every camera available. There are also advertisers on the site, so you can do some comparative shopping. I recently purchased a Canon Digital Rebel XTi, and am pretty happy with it. It’s a step up from my old Canon A75 Powershot. I appreciate being able to shoot three frames per second, and the detachable lens mean that I can get better close-ups, great for photographing kids, dogs and wakeboarders.

If you have a photo you would like to share with us, send it to julie@cottagedaily.com.

Cheese,

Julie

“Ok, hold still.  Just wait, don’t move.  Look at mommy!!! Ready? Smile!”

Taking a good picture is a matter of luck and timing. By the time I get my kids’ attention, asked them to stop putting their two fingers behind someone else’s head, I have either lost the shot or my temper, usually both.

I have gradually come to realize that I am using the wrong the kind of camera, a Canon Digital PowerShot, for the type of photography I want to do.

I recently took an online quiz at www.dital-slr-guide.com, to try to figure out what kind of camera I needed. If you answer yes to the following questions, you may need a new one too.

• Do you want to take more professional-looking photos?
• Do you want to be able to change the lens attached to your camera?
• Do you want more control over the photos you take?
• Do you take a lot of photos of pets and children who are in constant motion?
• Do you take a lot of indoor photos?
• Do you need a faster shutter speed?

I actually answered yes to five of the six questions. I want to be able to zoom in and take action shots. Currently, I only have one shot at getting a good photo, after that it takes another 5 seconds before my camera is ready to shoot again.

So what options do I have? The SLR (SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex) digital cameras, are the kinds of cameras the pros use. More and more “prosumers” are buying them because the technology is very good, and they are becoming increasingly affordable. Well, more affordable.  An inexpensive digital SLR camera starts around $500 before you add the lens. Be prepared to spend at least an additional $100 on a lens. The one I want to buy starts at $1,079, and that’s just the body.  Add on an extra $639 for the telephoto lens. OUCH! Compared to a Canon PowerShot at $350, SLR cameras are NOT cheap.

I am doing a lot of research before I pull the trigger. Depending on the manufacturer, there are very few differences between the models.  I have visited the following websites to try to help with my decision.  But one thing I have noticed, there are “ProCanon” salespeople and there are “ProNikon” salespeople and no matter how much interest you show in the other brand, they won’t even talk about them with you.

Digital SLR Camera Reviews

1. reviews.Cnet.com
2. www.digitalreview.ca
3. www.pcnews.ca
4. www.nytimes.com

If anyone has any option on digital SLR cameras and would like to throw in their two cents, I welcome your comments.  I will keep you posted on the final outcome.

Cheese,

Julie