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Blog Across America: Hello World!

By: , 5/14/2011 12:52 pm | 45 comments

Hello webOS Community! My name is Jeremy but some of you might know me better by  @darkproteus66 on the interwebs. My longtime girlfriend has the opportunity to go to Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA. The problem is we have to find a way to pay for tuition along with the expenses of moving from Florida to Boston. The way I want to do this is by walking across America and blogging the entire experience. I’m going to start in Miami, Florida with a dip in the Atlantic and start trekking westward until I hit the Pacific! I want to raise money so that the love of my life is able to get one step closer to her dream, experience life on the road with only a webOS device as my portal to the internet/navigation device, and to raise money for some very good charitable causes.

I plan to blog my entire trip so everyone can keep track of my adventures. Unfortunately I’m only able to pack the essentials with what little room I have. Therefore, the only geek luxury I will be bringing along will be an HP webOS device. I will be navigating, communicating, and updating from the road with only this little guy [Ed. and some help from WOR staff ;-)] as my portal to the world. In the mean time, while prepping for the trip and on the road I will be doing in depth articles in regards to webOS apps, the amazing homebrew community, and the strengths/pitfalls of life on the road with only a webOS device.

There will be an option to donate and details on where the money is going to can be found at my personal blog. I can be reached via the comments at the bottom of my articles, by email ([email protected]), or by sending a tweet my way (@darkproteus66).

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  • Cliff

    Can’t wait for you to get on the road!

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      You and me both, I figured that this is either the dumbest or most awesome thing I have ever decided to do and either way it has me excited. 

  • Chad Vasquez

    Stop smokin.

    • http://www.facebook.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

       I did a few months ago

  • Anonymous

    I’ll donate 1 cent.

    • http://www.facebook.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

       Sure why but are you sure you want to make a donation that big? I mean that’s well beyond generous.

      • Greg m

        how long will this take?

        • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

          It all depends on the pace I am able to keep up. If I can do 10-12 hours a day at 3mph it would take about 3-4 months 

          • Greg m

            What type of Phone are you using?

            And I think you need to get in touch with a Dev to make a quick App that will pull all your feeds into one place  and will be able to follow right on our phones.

          • Greg m

            What type of Phone are you using?

            And I think you need to get in touch with a Dev to make a quick App that will pull all your feeds into one place  and will be able to follow right on our phones.

          • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

             I at the moment have an original Palm Pre minus on Sprint. It’s OC’ed and has 256mb of hard set compcache running 2.1 but I fear I may have pushed the little guy a bit too far. Performance has had a serious drop off lately, I am lucky if I get 5 hours battery life, and the phone sometimes doesn’t want to charge.

            As for getting in touch with a dev for an app Terry Saunders of Paraclete Technologies (http://www.paracletetechnologies.com/) is building one for me now and we should hopefully see it in the market soon enough. As a side note everybody should check out Terry’s simple tip calculator in the palm app catalog now and get excited because he is working on a few really exciting apps that should be out once the Pre 3 and TouchPad hit the market! (Shameless plug but he’s a great guy and really does have some exciting apps in the pipe)

          • http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

            My goal is to finish the app this week and hope to get it into the catalog as well.

          • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

            Terry my friend you are indeed my hero. 

          • http://twitter.com/Rennnat Rennat

             I would be careful about those kind of estimates. When going backpacking, you can estimate to your heart’s content but it will always take longer. You won’t be walking at 3 mph most of the time. That’s a brisk walk. I would make a closer estimate and say 4-6 months. Yes it maybe along time but its better to estimate a little longer and try to beet it.

          • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

            Very true and in the training I have been doing so far I can definetly see the stress that this is going to put on my body so I can see it taking a bit longer than my estimates but by my measure even me walking slowly comes in at 2.6 mph. The thing I didn’t account for are rest days or days where I could not travel due to weather which will probably add at least 1 – 3 weeks to any of my estimates. But to be fair in plotting my route the above posted time frame is indeed my most ambitious one, my more conservative estimates have me at around the 4.5 to 5 month time frame again without break days.

      • Greg m

        how long will this take?

  • Anonymous

    I’ll donate 1 cent.

  • Falconrap

    My suggestion to you would be to get a CamelBak, or something similar. You can carry quite a bit of water in those things, as well as other essentials when you get the right model. I started using it when I rollerblade on the Upper Tampa Bay Trail and it’s a lot easier than lugging a big bottle of water. Having 100 liters of water on your back will be a lifesaver trekking along in the kind of heat we get around here and through a number of the lower states.

    Good luck with your trek.

    • http://www.webosroundup.com Ryan St. Andrie

      That’s a great idea! I too have a CamelBak that I use when going to the theme parks here in Orlando. Totally a life saver!

    • http://www.webosroundup.com Ryan St. Andrie

      That’s a great idea! I too have a CamelBak that I use when going to the theme parks here in Orlando. Totally a life saver!

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Thanks much, I was considering a CamelBak but at most it would just be a suppliment for additional water I will be carrying. So far in my training, doing 10+ mile walks in the fun Tampa sun, I will go through about 3 liters of water like it was nothing. 

  • http://sketchyplace.biz Dan Freedman

     You should get yourself a collapsible solar charger. http://www.rei.com/category/4500031. Should come in real handy so you can stay connected all the time. Good luck!. Should come in real handy so you can stay connected all the time. Good luck!

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      I don’t have a collapsible one but I do have one that hangs from a lanyard on my bag. I need to get at least one more though since solar charging with even the most efficient charger with optimal sunlight will take close to 8 hours for a full charge. My big issue right now is actually charging though, with the condition of my current pre mixed with intense heat I will actually still lose charge while plugged into any of my external batteries. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      I don’t have a collapsible one but I do have one that hangs from a lanyard on my bag. I need to get at least one more though since solar charging with even the most efficient charger with optimal sunlight will take close to 8 hours for a full charge. My big issue right now is actually charging though, with the condition of my current pre mixed with intense heat I will actually still lose charge while plugged into any of my external batteries. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      I don’t have a collapsible one but I do have one that hangs from a lanyard on my bag. I need to get at least one more though since solar charging with even the most efficient charger with optimal sunlight will take close to 8 hours for a full charge. My big issue right now is actually charging though, with the condition of my current pre mixed with intense heat I will actually still lose charge while plugged into any of my external batteries. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      I don’t have a collapsible one but I do have one that hangs from a lanyard on my bag. I need to get at least one more though since solar charging with even the most efficient charger with optimal sunlight will take close to 8 hours for a full charge. My big issue right now is actually charging though, with the condition of my current pre mixed with intense heat I will actually still lose charge while plugged into any of my external batteries. 

  • Tobias H

    There seems to be no better way to symbolize the long walk webOS enthusiasts have to undertake to arrive at the goal of real world products they need to have fun with webOS. Wish you the really best for your project and hope your girl friend deserves it ;-)
    thomas

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Haha that is quite a fitting analogy. She is a Coloratura Soprano classically trained opera singer, was the youngest person to get into the Florida Orchestra’s Master Chorale, a gamer, and webOS enthusiast. Not only that but she has really helped me turn my life around so doing something like this for her is the least I could do to repay her. I have a video or two posted of her singing on my youtube (www.youtube.com/darkproteus66) if you want to see. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Haha that is quite a fitting analogy. She is a Coloratura Soprano classically trained opera singer, was the youngest person to get into the Florida Orchestra’s Master Chorale, a gamer, and webOS enthusiast. Not only that but she has really helped me turn my life around so doing something like this for her is the least I could do to repay her. I have a video or two posted of her singing on my youtube (www.youtube.com/darkproteus66) if you want to see. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Haha that is quite a fitting analogy. She is a Coloratura Soprano classically trained opera singer, was the youngest person to get into the Florida Orchestra’s Master Chorale, a gamer, and webOS enthusiast. Not only that but she has really helped me turn my life around so doing something like this for her is the least I could do to repay her. I have a video or two posted of her singing on my youtube (www.youtube.com/darkproteus66) if you want to see. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Haha that is quite a fitting analogy. She is a Coloratura Soprano classically trained opera singer, was the youngest person to get into the Florida Orchestra’s Master Chorale, a gamer, and webOS enthusiast. Not only that but she has really helped me turn my life around so doing something like this for her is the least I could do to repay her. I have a video or two posted of her singing on my youtube (www.youtube.com/darkproteus66) if you want to see. 

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Haha that is quite a fitting analogy. She is a Coloratura Soprano classically trained opera singer, was the youngest person to get into the Florida Orchestra’s Master Chorale, a gamer, and webOS enthusiast. Not only that but she has really helped me turn my life around so doing something like this for her is the least I could do to repay her. I have a video or two posted of her singing on my youtube (www.youtube.com/darkproteus66) if you want to see. 

  • Davim00

    Is there any way HP could get involved? This is great webOS exposure. They could give him a new handset, though, he’d probably have to get a Pre 2 and FrankenPre it to run on Sprint.

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      Shoot @palm a message on twitter for your support of the event. 

      • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

        I have been talking with palm but still don’t have anything to announce at the moment. 

        • Greg M

          I think you need a Veer so it will fit in your pocket nicely for that long trip.

          • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

            The only issue I may have with the Veer would be the inability to swap batteries. My Pre may have crap battery life but I have 5 fully charged spares just in case. 

          • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

            The only issue I may have with the Veer would be the inability to swap batteries. My Pre may have crap battery life but I have 5 fully charged spares just in case. 

  • Davim00

    Is there any way HP could get involved? This is great webOS exposure. They could give him a new handset, though, he’d probably have to get a Pre 2 and FrankenPre it to run on Sprint.

  • Davim00

    Is there any way HP could get involved? This is great webOS exposure. They could give him a new handset, though, he’d probably have to get a Pre 2 and FrankenPre it to run on Sprint.

  • Anonymous

    This sounds Epic!!! Best of luck Jeremy. 
    I’d say if anyone from Palm is reading this, you should have one of these mini coopers waiting for Jeremy at the end his trip.  http://www.webosroundup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/mini-cooper-veer.png

    By then the Veer marketing campaign will be over. Why not donate the car to someone who’s obviously a dedicated webOS fan? 
    Just saying

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

       Hahaha I wouldn’t be against that

  • http://twitter.com/Rennnat Rennat

    Jeremy, when are you planning on leaving? If you could hold out until the Pre3 in released you could get that.

    • http://profiles.google.com/darkproteus66 Jeremy Lopez

      I’m planning on leaving soon, within the next month, but without an official release date for the pre 3 it would be hard to plan my starting date around it.

  • http://twitter.com/bnceo Robbie C

     Jeremy, I think you need to make the Palm HQ your last stop.  And I think you should arrive on a Friday so that everyone can come outside and clap as you approach the campus.  Along with a brand new Sprint Pre3 (hopefully).