Zivio Update

I have been using the Zivio BlueTooth headset (see earlier post) for a week now, so thought I would give my initial feedback.

1. Sound quality is excellent, I hear no complaints or comments from people at the other end, and I can hear everything very clearly. I have used it in windy conditions and on the streets of New York, which are good tests of the noise reduction.
2. Like other headsets which I have used, I cannot get a perfect fit, so it feels a little loose now and then. But with the magnetic ear loop, I do not feel in danger of losing the device and a quick press and it is reseated in the ear.
3. Battery life is great, I still have not recharged since its initial charge at the weekend. I do not use the headset all day like some, normally about an hour in the morning and evening each, with longer usage on Sundays and Thursday/Fridays while travelling. But I fully expect it to match the published 10 hour talk time.
4. Voice command is more reliable than with my nXZen headset, only very occasionally does the phone not recognize my command (and require re-initiating VC).
5. The device is defintely lighter than my nXZen and I could, if I wanted, easily wear it all day.

So while not the cheapest of headsets, this is definitely a keeper!

Paperless Check-In at LGA...Ooops

In an earlier post I expressed excitement about DL's expansion of their paperless check-in facility. On a recent trip I was able to use it for the first time. Below is the message which I sent to DL about my disappointment at the poor results which I experienced.

After using paperless check-in for CO & NW flights (EWR & DTW) I was full of expectation about busing it for my flight out of LGA on DL. Unfortunately, it did not meet up with my earlier experiences, in a number of ways. I would like to pass on some suggestions and hope that DL will take them as constructive criticism (Katie please note).

Firstly, the check-in process…I received the usual text message and went straight to the (mobile) site. I checked in and expected a text or email with my bar code (as with CO or NW). No such luck. I had to follow the link in the “check in now” email, and then select ‘Reprint’ to get the barcode to display. For mobile transactions there were just too many screens, scrolls and clicks. If I may suggest, the CO process, with MMS message (text message with text) is the better process, NW is a close second where the barcode is emailed. The latter will not work however for pax who do not have email on their phone.

Back to the story….Now that I have the barcode on my screen, one thing that struck was that DL is using a traditional 2D barcode and not the 3D code being used by both CO and NW. As 3D barcodes are easier to read, this put some suspicions in my mind. And yes, at the security checkpoint, even after setting my backlight to full brightness, the barcode could not be read. So out of line, reprint a paper pass, and back into line. Luckily I can use the Clear line, so at least I did not have to wait 15 minutes again [On an aside and not DL's fault, but the Clear line had "lost" their scanner and had to use the TSA scanner! Obviously not many people use this feature at LGA, especially Clear members].

Next stop, Crown Room, and yes again, no joy with the scanner. The agent at the door actually said that he thought that the Crown Rooms were not yet ready to accept the mobile barcodes.

So finally, what will happen at the gate? I am actually writing this in the Crown Room before my flight, so I will have to let you know later whether this last step was successful.So while I am excited about paperless checkin being expanded on the DL network, especially at my home airport, MCO, I am worried that I may not be able to use it much. Unless DL “borrows” technology from their sister airline NW, which I know works for me.

DL expanding paperless check-in

On the Delta Blog, they have announced that they are expanding the paperless check-in and will be introducing it soon to my home airport, MCO.

"MEM joins LAS, LGA and MSP, which already have the product up and running. Over the next few months our eBoarding product will also roll out in ATL, SLC, and MCO. But… as of 12pm we’ve reported only 15 mobile check-ins today in our launch city. Help us get the word out?"


This is great news as I love this system. I have used it on CO and NW flights (EWR & DTW). When you are on the road and not at a regular location it really saves having to hunt down a printer, or getting to the airport a little earlier so you can use the check-in kiosk.

Anything which allows me to arrive later at the airport is always good

The value of Elite Level Customer Service

On a recent return trip from Washington DC, I was booked via Memphis as my usual Delta flights via ATL were too expensive. After push back from the gate, we sat on the apron for a number of minutes before the pilot announced technical problems. Our expected departure kept getting delayed, 10 or 15 minutes at a time. As we were back at the gate, and after the third announcement that it would be at least another 20 minutes I knew that I would not make my connection in MEM. People we already leaving the plane, so I realized the staff at the gate would be busy. I also remembered that there was an ATL bound flight which I could catch, if there were seats. So rather than trying to arrange new flights at the gate I immediately called the DL Elite Level reservations, and yes, the agent was able to block seats for me all the way home. The biggest problem was getting NW to release me off the MEM bound flight so that the DL flight could be confirmed. While waiting for the offload, I did hear the NW agent telling other passengers that the ATL flight had no seats available.However, the DL agent on the phone was great, staying with me while I arranged the offload and then making sure that the DL gate agent had everything correct for my new flights.

Moral of the story is: in case of problems, get on the line with elite level reservations immediately!

Hidden charging trick

I do not know if this is a ThinkPad only trick, but I just found out that the USB ports on my X61 stay live even after the computer is turned off. I occasionally have used the USB ports of the laptop to recharge my phone in an emergency, when no AC power is available. I turn on the computer for this and of course that uses even more power. With the number of devices today that use USB charging, e.g. phone, headset, etc., this could be a very useful feature.

Sorry, false alarm! I found out that after about a minute the power is finished and the phone charging light goes out. However, even if the computer has been turned off for more than 12 hours, the USB is still 'hot' for 30 seconds. But too short to charge the phone :-(

New Bluetooth headset

On a recent trip I discovered that I had lost my nXZen Bluetooth headset, or so I thought, as I did come across it in a forgotten pocket a few days later. I wanted something with good noise reduction/elimination as I have been spoiled by the nXZen which rivals the Jawbone in sound quality. While doing research into what is currently the best headset with noise reduction I came across the Joby Zivio. I found the best information about sound quality was at BlueTruth.com, where they have sound clips of many headsets, recorded under different conditions.

Not only did the Zivio have very good reviews with respect to sound quality, it is a very stylish device too. The sound quality is aided by a retractable boom microphone, which can be used when you are in a noisy environment, or do not want to raise your voice so your called party can clearly hear you. The Zivio also claims an excellent battery life of 10 talk hours. It comes with a series of different ear inserts, so you should be able to find one that is comfortable. Especially since the speaker unit has an adjustable angle too. If the ear fit is very good then you can dispense with the ear hook shown in the picture, it is just a magnetic clasp. I am keeping the ear hook as a backup, as I do not want to have the headset drop off my ear as I run through the terminal.

I have paired it, without problems, with my Treo 750 and held a quick, unscientific test. Standing outside on a blustery day, with cars going past I heard no wind noise (great!) and no background noise (great!). I will have to see what my wife says when I call from more noisy areas, like an airport concourse or car rental shuttle.