Hooray!

I just upgraded to the GS 3 due to my DroidX finally biting the dust.

Wish it could have waited for a little while longer, but so far I am loving the GS3.

Mountain Lion:

I decided to do a dumb thing: I'm going to run OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on my main machine to see how well it holds up.

I was having a few issues with Lion, and figured it was time to wipe anyway and reinstall.  Since we have access to the Developer's preview, I thought "What the heck?" and loaded it up.

Install went smoothly, and most applications are working as expected.  The only one that isn't working right is Apple Remote Desktop, but that doesn't really surprise me: Lion didn't work right with ARD for some time.

It's three days in, and so far, not too bad.  We'll see as time goes on.

 

iPad blogging?

How efficient is it to blog while on an iPad? Or more to the point, how efficient am I at blogging on an iPad?

Right off the bat, I would have to say...less than on a laptop/computer. I have trouble deciding if I should be typing in portrait or landscape, and then if I should use the standard keyboard or the split. So far leaning towards split in landscape. There seems to be less corrections that need to be made when compared to portrait either style or standard keyboard landscape.

I could see proving comments, uploading a quick picture, but much else has me reaching for my laptop.

iPad to tweet? Definitely.

iPad to blog longer than a tweet? Not so much.

My cr-48 review

It has been almost 10 months since I started this crazy thing. I think it is time to revise and publish!


About a week ten months ago, I was surprised to come home and find a Google Chrome OS laptop (henceforth called cr-48, or Carl) waiting for me by my door. In my excitement I failed to make an "unboxing" video or even snap pictures of it in its case. All attempts to coax Carl back into his shipping box failed, so you'll have to use your imagination.

Let's start first with a breakdown of the hardware. On the outside, Carl is striking. Carl is matte black, with NO logos anywhere. Included in the box was a business card letting me know Intel was inside. Google also included "stickers" to decorate Carl. It gives him a bit of flair, but even without, I'm drawn to the simple, sleek style. I wish all laptops looked like this.

As far as the keyboard is concerned, it's one of the better Chiclet style keyboards I've used. Initially, while typing, I found my palms rested right on the trackpad caused it to activate, but after tweaking the sensitivity, it seems to have improved. The functions keys have been replaced by Chrome OS specific keys, such as forward, back, reload, mute, volume up/down, full screen, and brightness controls. The one button that

gdgt has a great breakdown of what's inside Carl. I'll give you a minute to read it...don't worry, I'll wait.

Great job huh? Anyway, as you can see, the hardware isn't Alienware crazy hardware, but a pretty decent year old netbook. I didn't realize there was bluetooth, as there isn't any indication of how to use it in the settings menu. Perhaps in a future system update, but for now I can't seem to make it work.

I've been using Carl as my main machine at home, and as my travel machine at work. For that approach, this is

Here are the notes I took while using the Carl:
Cons:

• Sound static issue is a problem UPDATE: sound fixed!!


• No Java Support


• No way to change profile picture now you can!!


• No backlight on keyboard


• No local storage to store pictures/videos


• Flash video playback is choppy UPDATE: flash is better, but still choppy


• Laggy performance


• Google Docs, opening document not as instantaneous as on win7 laptop


• While on lap, accidental touch pad activation a concern.


• So Now I’m writing with my hands near the touch pad...seems to be better.

Pros:

• Super Fast boot time


• Browser Sync


• Automatic (and quiet) updates


• Decent keyboard feel


• Great battery life (~ 6-7 hours of use)


• Great integration with google products (expected, but nice)


• Screen flip button


• Ctrl+n to open a new window. Dedicated key to switch (where f5 is) between screens. Great way to solve the side-by-side window use in Other OSes. Very quick. Always goes to the right, use shift to the left. Great!


• Sleek design.


• Lack of any Logos makes it really appealing


• web app store has good selection of apps/links to offset lack of local apps.

Goodbye Smartphone

I've decided to cancel my Smartphone plan and revert to a "feature" phone.

I'd love to say the main issue is the cost (Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of getting ~$30 a month back to spend on other things) but I think I would be lying..

I can't stand being always reachable by so many different methods.



Currently, I can be reached by:

1. Email on my DROIDX


2. My Work provided Pager


3. My Cellular phone number


4. My On-call phone when I'm at work.

All of these, except for #4 are with me at work and at home.

Now, added in with those, let's take a look at other connected ways I can access information:

1. Personal Windows Machine at home


2. Work provided Laptop


3. iPad


4. cr-48

That's a total of 8 ways to access information/communicate with people at home/work. On a given day, I have 6 of them with me. At home, I have 7. SEVEN different ways to get in touch with me...

...Do I really need to be that accessible? AM I really that important? I'm going to with, Mostly.

I am responsible for several servers, and my team does have business hours on-call paging, but let's be realistic here: What I do is not "Patient Critical" or Super time sensitive. If there is an issue on the weekend, 9.9/10 times it can wait until Monday morning. I don't need to be constantly interrupted on the weekend by emails that can wait. If something comes up during the day, we get paged, not sent an email. If someone needs to reach me immediately, they either page or call my OCP/Cell.

If something goes wrong with a server, I do get pinged on it, but I could easily redirect those emails to my pager. If one of my servers/services goes down, it will most likely be a hardware issue, and my boss and his boss and I decided to have next business day for all parts, and for the "critical" pieces, we have support contracts that the vendors will be alerted by the servers themselves and they will come out and do the repairs with no interaction from me, other than to authorize their entrance to the data center.

So that brings me back to the immediate contact issue. If I dump my DroidX, that leaves me with two options instead of three...

To me, Two out of three Ain't Bad.

Well...that was fun!

Apparently one of my plug-ins decided to take down my blog.

 

That has since been fixed!  Hooray for remembering MySQL Syntax!

new fun!

Yesterday I came home from work to a surprise...

A cr-48 was delivered to me!!!

I was completely shocked when I opened the box, as I thought they either gave them all away or wasn't "googly" enough for it..

So far, I'm really liking it.  I treat it like a netbook/iPad replacement, and it does well...in fact there are a few things it does better than the iPad ( and a few that I wished it did like the iPad)

I hope to try to get a "review" of it up, just to get me to really put it through its paces, and to help loosen the writing fear/block I have.  The only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice....or something :)

But for now, off to see how it does with more multimedia type things!

This is an interesting phone...

DroidBerry Phone!!

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/05/motorola-droid-pro-first-hands-on/

I might have rethought my X purchase if this was out when I was looking for a new phone.

New Phone Mark!

So I haven't updated in awhile, but I thought I would pass along some (techy geeky) exciting news!

I have broken up with my Storm 9530, and have picked up a Droid X!

I ordered it on Launch day, and got it a few days later.  So far...I love it.

While I got used to the quirkiness of the Storm, I was noticing the annoyances that finally got me to pull the trigger on a new phone:

1. Not being able to load up more than 5 apps in the shared RAM/app storage memory.


2. Not having Wi-Fi for those times when I'm not in a good data range, like half the areas in URMC.


3. Not having good Exchange support OUTSIDE of using BES.

I'll write more later, but now I'm getting tired from driving back from Albany in the crazy rain!

The BlackBerry saga

Here's the saga of my former smartphone, the blackberry 9530. It is not a pretty tale and it involves money, reboots, missing apps, and a lot of swearing.

The Issue

It all started when my screen started acting up. My screen would occasionally not recognize a tap or a press.  At first, I thought it was a mistake I made: my hand was too cold, I pushed too quickly, or some other crazy sounding thing.  I would attempt to click on the PodTrapper Icon and get nothing…It didn’t happen frequently enough to warrant sending the unit in for repair, just enough to keep the embers of irritation glowing.  I do seem to have a slight calibration issue.  It is definitely an issue that has cropped up overtime.  While that is an annoyance, the bigger problem is stability.

The App Problem

The one thing I love about the BlackBerry platform over other platforms is the openness. I am not reliant on one company to bless, anoint, or whatever religious analogy you care to use an application.  Granted, there are pros and cons to both styles of thinking.

On the Open-Plus side, I can run whatever I want.  IF want to search for an app that will replace the included apps, such as a replacement web browser, or email application, I can.  As of right now, the only web browser that is available for the iPhone OS is Mobile Safari.  Yes, Opera is working on the Opera Mini browser, but it hasn’t been submitted for approval yet.  On the Non-Open-Plus side, I know the apps that have been approved work.  I haven’t really seen an iPhone/iPod Touch app crash that wasn’t related to the app requiring a data connection, and said connection leaving without leaving a note.  I’ve had a couple of bomb outs on my iPod Touch, but it always brings me right back to the home screen.  I’m getting on an apple rant, so let’s look a the downside of Open-Apps.

On the Open-Minus side, I can run whatever I want.  Since the code isn’t tested by RIM for Operability, You can get some pretty bad apps that crash.  on my BlackBerry, I currently have about 14 apps.  I don’t keep them all running all the time…mostly because the Storm 9530 has a small application memory size.  I am getting a message about once every two days on my storm saying it is out of application memory, and that to remedy this, I should delete some apps.  Seriously?  why is my application memory so small?  I have an 8 gig SD card in there that is 75% free?  Can’t I dedicate some of that to applications?  Granted, I am frustrated by this, but I think this gives way to the penultimate reason…

I am a Cheap Geek

I really am.  I agonized for over a year about getting a smartphone.  I was practically drooling when they announced the Moto Q back in May of 2006.  I eyed that baby for a long time.  It wasn’t until the close of 2007 that I finally took the plunge and picked it up.  It took me another 6 months before I finally got a data plan to really use the thing for more than a glorified calculator.  I held onto that thing until February 2009 when I got the Storm.  I really loved it!  At the time, I could justify the $29.99 a month, as money was a bit more freely flowing with both my wife and I working.  With the birth of my Daughter Anya in December, it really made me rethink my Mobile Priorities.

Don’t get me wrong, I still really like the storm!  SmartPhones in general are still my go-to Gadget dream scenarios.  I can just think of a better thing to spend the money on.  I’m sure I will venture into the SmartPhone arena again, but for now, I’m experimenting to see how I do without 24/7 Internets.

Does that mean I’m completely happy NOT connected 24/7?  No, but I still get all the stuff I want out of my iPod Touch that is on loan.  The question is, when I have to give up the touch…will I get my own?

It has been fun blackberry...

I had a longer post that I just erased like a n00b. I will rewrite. Just not tonight.

I don't know how else to say it blackbery 9530...it's over. We had a good run, but I can't live this lie anyore. You just aren't Meeting my expectations.

The iPad!

So Apple just announced the iPad.  Horrible name aside let’s get down to it!

Who knew editing MSIs could be so much fun!

One of the joys of my job is getting crazy funky software to work.  Recently to get some software to work, I needed to modify the MSI package so when it was pushed out to the domain, it would apply all the required settings.

This has given me the pleasure of using the free MSI editor from Microsoft, aptly named ORCA.  It really does feel like I'm attempting to interface with a killer whale...and the Program Icon reflects that as well!!

Strangely, I kind of enjoy it...it feels like I'm editing a file in Windows 3.11.

I blame...stress?

So I almost bought a DROID today...

I came to my senses before placing the OVER $500 order...

I then thought buying a Storm2 was a stellar idea...

Thankfully I came to my senses again before placing the ALMSOT $500 order...

I think work and Baby Peterson 1.0's imminent arrival are to blame...

But still...I haven't compulsorily bought anything that expensive since...1997!

I think it is time to unplug for the night....Before I buy something really cool and REALLY expensive.

3g VZW femtocell?

This could be interesting...

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/samsungs-ubicell-cdma-base-station-going-3g-in-2010/

The one thing that really irks me about my current is that it doesn't have 3g...but since CDMA doesn't use EVDO for voice I wasn't too concerned...until I got my Storm...and I would LOVE To have this since I don't have wi-fi.  Then I can be lazy on the couch and still check a quick site or two!

Converted!

I am known at work as the gadget guy.  I'm the one that everyone turns to when they want to know what's new in the smartphone world.

Recetly one of the guys was looking to replace his palm TX and Verizon Dumb Feature phone.  I talked with him and he narrowed it down to the Storm2 and the Droid...

I pushed him towards the DROID...and now I feel bad.  Although, it really came down to The droid will talk to the exchange service directly, while the Storm will require either hooking up to the BES or using NotifyLink: the two supported options in our workplace.  I think he'll like the physical keyboard...I hope :)

Played with the DROID

So I got a chance to get down to the local Verizon store to play with the Motorola DROID.  First impressions follow!

What I want in a phone

It's getting down to the holiday shopping season again.  This means that the Cell phone carriers are putting out their holiday deals and newest devices.  While I think the smart phone industry has come a long way in the past three or four years, I always feel like I'm see-sawing between what parts of my phone are great, and what parts aren't

This post will serve a reminder to me about the type of Phones I have had and what I did not like about them, and what I wished as different.  Hopefully I'll remember this and not get blinded by all the shiny things.

Because I have to...

This is a pretty good review, and hits a lot of the points I was curious about...mostly the keyboard.

Maybe the DROID isn't the phone for me...but it is closer...DROID 2 for me?

Engadget takes on the DROID

Storm 9530 with OS 5.0.0.328…my take

I’ve posted recently about how the Motorola DROID might cause me to break up with my BlackBerry Storm 9530. I wrote that BEFORE I first installed leaked 5.0.0.323 and then installed the Official Verizon 5.0.0.328. To sum up, I re-like my Storm…mostly.