What if you had a Sony TV, and Sony decided that they would hijack your TV and run random ads for Sony. Wouldn’t you dump that TV for one that just played the channel you chose with no Sony interruptions?

To be a citizen you need an address. Paychecks, taxes, insurance, etc. all are based on your address. So how can the Post Office send out ads for the post office? How can they sell all the addresses to Bed Bath and Beyond and Hollywood video. I have to have an address. I cannot exist without an address. If I don’t like radio advertising, I can turn it off. If I hate TV ads, the same goes. How do I stop getting ads from the Post Office? I can’t!
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I love the fact that I can get map data for basically anywhere I go. I am a Google fan. I use Gmail to manage all of my email and pretty much only search with them. I have had some incorrect directions from their map service so I have been useing Mapquest of late. That’ll be the case until I get bad data from them. These services are all well and good, but not exactly what I’m looking for.

Personally I’m pulling for OpenStreetMap. It’s attempting to be the equal of Google Maps and Mapquest but wiki style. All of the data will be open source and not subject to the terms of the Google API or Mapquest.

Check it out!

Open Street Map

I’m old skool. Yes I own and actively use a Treo 600. It doesn’t seem to want to die, so I can’t justify replacing it. The only thing I’m lacking is blue tooth, and why upgrade just so you can be an uber-borg-ear-piece-wearing-geek. Maybe when they get wifi access.

I used to love this Treo application called Directory Assistant. It was the sweetest 411 service, but it stopped working so I’ve been without a good way to get addresses and phone numbers. I’ve even looked up some numbers in the phone book. I know… desparate! I have been using GoogleMaps to act as a surrogate, but you need to know the general area, go to that location on the Google map, and then do a category search. Eventually you can get to a business address and phone number and are then able save it to your contact list. Residential addresses? Good luck!

Luckily there is a new incarnation of Directory Assistant called Tryad. This is juat like the old one but now seamless ly works with GoogleMaps to not only get you the right number to you contact list, but plug that data right into the map. From there directions are only a few taps away!

These two apps are must haves if you are a Treo owner and have a data plan that connects you with the internet. Try them out!

Tryad
GoogleMaps