(The first of a three part series)

I'll admit it.  I tried to break my Drobo on Day 1.  No, I didn't drop it or mangle it.  I just did everything backwards.

1. I plugged it in before installing the dashboard app.  It showed up as a "Protected USB device". Oookay...

2.  I downloaded installed the software and installed it... via Remote Desktop.

3.  I put four of the five drives in- starting with a piddly 42GB drive, a 160GB, a  320GB and a 500GB'er. Did I forget to mention I put the last two drives in backwards?

4.  Did I forget to mention that I put all the drives in before powering it up, and then proceeded to format the two drives?

5.  Then I put the bottom 320GB and 500GB drives in correctly. Drobo Dashboard found and automatically formatted the drives.

6.  Next I started a big copy - 23GB.  Started off great, though a  little slow.

7.  Then I got impatient about 10GB in and pulled the 42GB main drive OUT and dropped a 400GB in.

8.  Transfer went fine.  Then I took 300GB and let it run overnight.  Logging back in in the morning- all my data was there.

So what happened? Not a hiccup. The Drobo protested with blinking yellow lights that I wouldn't be protected against a single HDD failure.  But I didn't have to re-format, everything just worked as expected.  You have to get over the confusing fact that the drives will always report 2TB to Windows (or greater) but the actual storage is much smaller.  A large portion of the available space is also taken up for buffer so even after formatting I had on the order of 100GB unavailable. I suspect this is buffer space. The Drobo Dashboard gives you a true view of space on the drive (psst- where's the Drobo Dashboard Gadget?)

As with most USB transfers however, it felt a bit slow.  Here's to hoping for an eSATA version in the future or if someone can figure out how to "channel bond" two USB ports for faster throughput (send my patent check in the mail please). :)

(Next up: Serving HD video off the Drobo- Media Center Style)

The site says, "On June 5th, Data Robotics will change the way you think about storage forever".  RAID-style expandable storage at any point?  It sounds too good to be true!  As one who just filled my 500GB RAID1 setup (largely with recorded MCE TV programs) this product sounds like an ideal solution- automatic backup, mix and match HDD sizes, makes and models, and it will work with my Mac or PC. If this works as advertised, I may be sitting in a pool of storage soon. 

The question is simple: "What are the best Web apps?"  Silverlight hasn't shipped 1.0 yet but is already named a finalist in the publishing category.  Feel free to vote for your favorite here.

After a marathon memorial day weekend of edging, hauling, de-weeding, flower planting, and laying out nearly 8 cubic yards of mulch (thanks Larry), we're almost ready for summer.  I must have dumped nearly 500 lbs of 3in deep grass & refuse in the back half of yard (hidden from picture), away to compost.  The french drain that runs through our back yard was so overrun that we had to dig out all the old mulch down to the black matting.  I really should have done a before and after picture. 

Then, our 5 year-old Samsung HLN-507W starts screaming like a banshee.  The darn color wheel has burned out multiple bearings.  After doing some research, I learn that the replacement is no small feat - a simple $100 part, much more in labor.  For that price, I might as well get a new TV then attempt to fix the Samsung myself, moving it upstairs or reselling.

So I've gone throug the obligatory RPTV vs. Plasma vs. LCD debate.  The Samsung was bought for our old house and I discovered for our viewing distance, I need a larger TV (darn). With the budget I had, a Sony Wega 60" 1080p SXRD was the way to go. I had a coupon for BBY that brought the price down to $2000.  After setting up the TV, I have to say it's phenomenal.  I hooked up my TiVo Series3 and a Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player via HDMI and even at 1080i, once calibrated (through my meager efforts) it looks vibrant, much brighter than my 5 yo set before, and no more rainbow effect when playing Halo 3.  My only complaint is video garbage when the TiVo is switching between menu and native mode TV playback (I could set the TiVo to manage but want a pure signal). 

As for gaming, even over component, there's so much more detail in Halo 3 than I saw before, part of it due to better color reproduction, upsampling and contrast.  (Any ISF-certified techs who want to be showcased in a video on your calibration services, please let me know. )

Now I just have to find a way to try out an Xbox 360 Elite to see 1080p in its glory.

Speaking of calibration, my father is really getting into digital photography and needs a good calibration solution for his monitor/printer.  I've heard good things about the ColorVision Spyder2express - any thoughts out there?

I've been doing a lot less Twittering and spending a lot more time in Facebook.  Given they're adding over 100,000 users a day and the fastest growing demographic is inthe 25 and over crowd, I guess it isn't surprising- they're nimble, offer a whole host of social networking features and a lot of my friends and coworkers are now over there.

And yesterday things got a lot more interesting.  Microsoft and Facebook announced a  new partnership.  Microsoft already powers the ad engine on Facebook, and now is working together to bring Silverlight and Popfly en-masse to the Facebook community. 

The Microsoft and Facebook partnership means Facebook are now empowered to customize their Facebook pages in richly interactive ways. Even if they have no development experience, Facebook users will have tools that let them create pages that reflect their personality with Popfly and Silverlight delivering cross-platform, cross-browser goodness.

Also announced:

• Distribution of the Facebook Developer Toolkit.  The FDT was developed by Microsoft to wrap the Facebook API into a managed component.  Through this component, developers now will be able to drag ‘n drop a Facebook component onto the component tray in Visual C# Express , Visual Basic Express and Visual Web Developer (for both Whidbey and Orcas).  Users will be provided all the source code, sample applications including a WPF app and detail documentation. 

• Co-branded Landing Page on the Facebook developer website.  At this site, visitors will be able to see Microsoft Visual Studio Express and Microsoft Popfly links.  Additionally, a series of new pages were developed called Showcase on the Visual Studio Express site.

And of course now I'm playing with applications on Facebook such as the Flickr Importer and iLike (the name the song game is addictive).  Fun times and diversions for the holiday weekend.

I want to be more social.  I really do.  The problem is my trusty little Zune rarely has its WiFi radio turned on in order to save the battery when traveling.  There's nothing I like less than when my video ends abruptly for lack of juice.  So it's a personal sacrifice I make.

Here's a simple idea that would turn the social aspects of my little Zune. It's time for ZuneFinder.  ZuneFinder would be a small Sidebar gadget or systray app that notifies me when a Zune is found in general vicinity I'm in. This would be great in airports, where I often camp out between flights near an AC plug. The big question is whether a Zune can be uniquely identified via your WiFi adapter.  I have to imagine this is possible.

Then taking it a bit further, I could see ZuneFinder mashups- with a GPS, you could drive around and geomap all the Zunes you find in your area, automatically.  Of course, the snarky will retort, "You won't find any."  But being social should be passive, then active in nature.  This is the appeal of Facebook. 

Sadly, ZuneFinder doesn't exist (that I know of). Has anyone been able to uniquely identify Zune devices from an app?  Developers inquire within. :)

Charlie Owen has a great writeup on how to optimize your pictures for viewing on the Zune. 

My favorite home audio receiver Sonos is reportedly about to release version 2.2 with Pandora support.  I'm looking forward to this in a big way.  Now if only XM  would do a deal with Sonos, I would be a very, very happy camper.  Until then, I continue my Media Center->Xbox->Sonos workaround for listening to Flight 26 from my home theater.

Update: Version 2.2 has now been released.  Unfortunately with it comes the cryptic news:  Pandora (a free, ad-supported service on PC) comes with a subscription requirement after 30 days for Sonos.  This is a little disappointing as the only value you seem to get for your $36/year.  That's not much, but the only value offered is 100% free of advertising?  How about being able to play a specific song when I create a station based on it?  I'll probably still drop my Rhapsody subscription in favor of this cheaper alternative.  Sonos- if you want to talk to XM, give me a call ;)

Home sick and head is swimming in sudafed- a good time for a diversion.  Pete asks what my Top 10 Sidebar Gadgets are.  Here is my latest list:

1. Weatherbug
2. Traffic by Live Search
3. App Launcher
4. Gas Price Information
5. Outlook Info
6. Traveler's Toolkit
7. iTunes or The Zune
8. Multimeter
9. DriveInfo
10. The Magic Folder (great idea, but buggy on my system)