I had some thoughts on the "personal GPS" - It looks like a potentially great device as long as people understand what it is and what it isn't. But the marketing may not be super clear, and people who buy it as a gift often might not know enough to understand a device like thats strengths and possible gotchas.
#1 question HOW DOES IT GET POWER, Best option would be a standard sized *replaceable* rechargeable battery.
2 How long from "cold start" to first fix? (ttff) From warm start to first fix. Answer: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TTFF -it could be quite a while. WORKAROUND, turn it on when you leave to go to the mall, so by the time you get there it will allow you to save your car's location as soon as you pull into your space, instead of five or ten minutes later. Or more!
3.) Be aware that this "GPS" as far as I can tell may not contain any maps, nor does it give you a readout of your lattitude or longitude. For someone who needs a real "GPS" who's on a very tight budget, a trip to Ebay where "new" (unused) older GPS's (with outdated but stil functional maps) sell for as little as $25 or $30, would make more sense..
4.) Does it LOG your track (typically to an NMEA or GPX file) and allow you to download it from the device later? If it does, that makes it really useful for anybody who likes hiking, running, travel in general or especially, photography. Because it could then be used to geotag photos.
5.) Can it double as a GPS "dongle" for a laptop?

Crane's Gift Card!!!

Lousy article.

(I HATE the use of "suck." That is is "fashionable" to some leaves me cold. That is used in a headline is even worst- offensive. I hope the editors here refrain from such reductive headlines in the future. Moreover, the whole "... that don't suck" is so 2005, it's like a tramp stamp tattoo.)

The article is lousy just for the fact that it tries to be too trendy (and in an adolescent way) and fails to describe many of the gifts very well. And from a marketing point of view, I don't believe the phrase "Gifts that don't suck" would generate a lot of sales. The article also seems to have no particular local connection. So, why is it posted on CranfordPatch? How many 13 year old geeks read CranfordPatch?

Wow, I agree with Nikolas with his post. I think you guys are a bit rough on the author. I really liked the way Craig tried to put some fun into the mix with each of the products.
Tom, lousy is a bit harsh. I don't think the post was to get sales, but to show off some cool products that dads might like to have. BTW, if you look at the SodaStream post, he did mention a local merchant.
I for one look forward to more from this poster.

Wish my children (actually the wife) would have read this prior to Sunday! LOL
Thanks Craig, if my dad was around it would have surely come in handy. In fact, I could use them all except #8, for obvious reasons :-). Could it be that I am actually not that old? Without a doubt all these gizmos are just products of the technological evolution. I understand how some people may object to your presentation, but hey you have only suggested items that clearly define our culture today. We need to realize that we (Baby boomers) will not be here forever and today's adolescents (Generation Y & Z) are the ones defining our present & future world. But don't worry; these "cool and trendy" toys will someday become as dull and boring as a tie, cuff link or mug. I could only imagine what “out of this world” gadgets will emerge 20, 30, 50 years from now!

Thank you for each of the comments. It is good to have feedback both postive and negative. I do wish the negative was a bit more constructive, but so goes it. I am always open to new ideas for my blog... thanks and have a nice day

Craig, you'll thank us when the Pulitzers start rolling in. Best wishes.

More constructive? I told you I 1) didn't like the use of the word "suck," and 2) thought it to be an old expression.

THAT, my friend, is constructive.

You can write a fun, upbeat and hip story about dad gadgets without using tired and old expressions.

Perhaps the issue is that you didn't like the criticism, so you therefore found nothing "constructive" about it. However, if you take a step back, think about it, you may see that there is something in my criticism.

To be clear, by posting this in on a public blog that features comments, you are asking for my opinion. And as I tell my students, don't ask for my opinion if you are unwilling to listen.

con•struc•tive  /kənˈstrʌktɪv/ Show Spelled [kuhn-struhk-tiv]
adjective
1. constructing or tending to construct; helping to improve; promoting further development or advancement ( opposed to destructive): constructive criticism.
-----------
Forgive me professor, but your choice of words was not exactly “constructive”. They do not promote (encourage) development according to the definition.

1. "I HATE the use of "suck.""
2. "...IS even worst- OFFENSIVE."
3. "...such REDUCTIVE headlines"
4. "...it's like a TRAMP STAMP TATOO."

I personally forbid my children to use the word you referred to simply because of how it sounds. However, it is far from being “tired and old.” It is still widely used by today’s young generation to express that same thing Craig did.

Craig, thanked everyone for both positive and NEGATIVE comments. He never said there was NOTHING constructive about the negative remarks he just wished that they were MORE constructive. I understand that to mean that they could help more if they were used to suggest instead of attack. And the fact that he said he was “always open to new ideas” indicate that IS willing to listen. Plus, I am not the only one who thought that the negative criticisms were, by tone and choice of words, more destructive than constructive.

"don't ask for my opinion if you are unwilling to listen"

---only if you don't equate "listening" to "agreeing"!!

honestly, prof, you state your opinion over and over and over again. we get it, ok?

Lisa, that you fail to distinguish between my offered feelings, and what was criticism is on you.

That we have a writer so thin- skinned as to admonish in the first place is, perhaps, the most telling feature of this exchange.

As for you "J," I got nothing. But if you don't like reading my comments-- then don't. I don't care one bit.

I beg to differ with whoever said that constructive criticism is impossible. If you read the definition of “constructive” again (prior post) and you add "criticism" it does not mean that it cannot be negative. The thing is that there’s always a nice and a not so nice way to say things. It's just that some people don’t know the difference. I believe the phrase, "It's not so much what you say, but how you say it" can be applied to constructive criticism as well.

Example:
Destructive (Negative) Criticism - "Your writing is horrible! The grammar stinks! You should have a person who knows how to write look over your writing before you turn in such trash!"
Constructive (Negative) Criticism - "Your writing is not that good. It contains quite a few grammatical errors. It would help if you had a teacher (not profwilliams) edit your work before you submit it.”

Then again, I am not a teacher. I am just another soul who has learned that “the pen is mightier than the sword” and that “if you don’t have anything nice to say [whether positive or negative] don’t say anything at all.”

With this I rest my case. Happy blogging everyone!

I'm with the prof, can't stand the word suck and will reprimand my children if they use it. I came to the Patch for bear updates, and clicked on this entry in the right hand column because of the title, because I couldn't believe that such a word would be used in my local community forum! I personally find it less than professional. I didn't bother reading the rest of the post because I was turned off by the title. I really wish we could set better examples for our children - its starts with how we adults act and speak to each other...

to bbbnto
I agree with your mother, she is a smart woman. I like to add some humor to an area which is mostly lacking. I will be posting up some more pieces without the word "suck" in the near future.
thank you for the feedback
craig

I enjoyed the article. We don't really exchange gifts for these "Hallmark" holidays, but I like the fact that the article was kind of irreverent and tongue-in-cheek. Maybe the title "12 Father's Day Gifts That Don't Blow" would have been more appropriate. lol.

I know I am pretty late to the party but I have no problem with the word suck. But perhaps it's a generational thing. I have used it around baby boomers who cringe.

WOW, Sharon. I thought perhaps my computer loaded up an old cache of Patch, but no.

You are VERY LATE to this party-- more than a month.

C'mon friend, you gotta stay up on the Patch here. Things move quickly. We expect you to catch up!