Trying to pre-order a Saygus V2 smartphone

I'm trying to get to the shop page on the Saygus website, not having much luck... just a blank "shop" title with nothing much else.

Maybe their site is getting hammered...



later
don

Kingston MicroDuo 3.0 16GB doesn't fit

  I just bought a Kingston MicroDuo 3.0 16GB flash drive. It has full-size USB on one side and micro USB for plugging into devices like my Nexus 5.

The huge problem is the full-size USB. It's slightly too big.

Compared to my USB cable plug, you can visibly see the Kingston is slightly wider and taller. Man, what is it with Kingston and their crap inability to conform to standards? This is not the first Kingston product that's been too big. I have 2 SD cards that have major problems fitting into SD slots like my 3DS... because they are slightly too large.

I tried putting this stupid MicroDuo USB stick into my Asus X205TA USB port, it *barely* fit. Now I think it's been stretched. Now regular USB plugs are a bit looser in that slot.

This would be a great little device if Kingston could only conform to standards like 99% of the USB/SD storage community.

I've had it with Kingston now. Three strikes already. I'm done with your garbage, Kingston.



later
don

White Nexus 5 turning yellow?

I bought my Nexus 5 straight from the Google Play store, day 1, part of the crush of clickers trying to snag one. And I ended up with the white, 32GB model. I totally wanted (need at least) 32GB of storage, but honestly the white wasn't my first choice. I'm usually not one to settle on different colours, especially with a $450-ish purchase(!) but it's not like I hated the white back with black front, I was actually on the fence about which one was better looking. And I'm really happy with the white.

But what's been bugging me the last few months is I think my white back is turning yellow? I know they are different materials, but it definitely doesn't look as white as the front speaker grill.

Trying to photograph it is pretty much impossible with my simple 5MP point-and-shoot  and lack of light balancing photography knowledge. All I know is the background in the photos of the front of the Nexus 5 get all washed out with light, while the photos of the back of the device have darkened mute backgrounds. Argh.

I don't know if maybe my phone case is the cause of the yellowing... I use a Ringke Slim that has a clear plastic back. But I think that most of the clear back doesn't touch the back of the Nexus 5, because it's curved and the case back is straight.

It is very difficult to show the off white or slight yellowing of the back of my Nexus 5, but it can definitely be seen with the naked eye. It kind of bugs me, but I don't know if it was always like that. I don't remember it being blindingly white when I first took it out of the box. I really like the Ringke Slim case too...


later
don

Next Gen consoles

So I cancelled my preorders for Xbox One and PS4.

I preordered back in June, I think? Since that time, I waited months for Microsoft and Sony to show me something that would make it worth it for me to buy their consoles at launch... games, functionality, whatever. Something.

But it's now almost the eve of release, and not enough somethings came. Of course, I did just buy a PS3 last December 2012, almost one year ago. So I am only really diving into this gen of console gaming now. Maybe I will have enough to tide me over for awhile.

I think I can wait a couple years for the Xbox One and PS4 games libraries to mature. At this point there is only one killer-app must-buy game is Dice's Star Wars Battlefront. And that is only just starting to be developed, it could be a couple years before it even comes out. If/when it does, I *will* buy a system just for that game.

In the meantime, I *think* I can live without either system.... It was a 3-way tug of war of where to put my $400.00-$500.00 between the Xbox One, PS4, and Nexus 5 phone. And I tucked about $460.00 into the Nexus 5, so I guess I had to sit out on the consoles.



later
don

OK Google Now

I ordered a Nexus 5, just waiting for it to arrive, probably next week. In the meantime, I've been reading and watching many reviews of the phone and Android 4.4,which  prominently showcases Google Now voice search. 

So what is the point of Google Now, exactly? 

You can use Google Now to talk to your phone to set an alarm. OK, that's a little useful. But I never leave my phone on all night, I turn it off to charge the battery. I used to keep my Samsung Galaxy S Glide on all night while charging, and the battery became swollen and needed to be replaced. So I don't think I will be using the talk to schedule an alarm feature too often. 

You can use Google Now to ask what the weather is like [wherever]. OK... But I already  have a weather widget, and how often does one need to ask what the weather is like? Not nearly often enough to justify having a persistent search bar across the top of my phone. 

And... So what else does Google Now do that's real-world useful? 

None of the reviews have been able to show me. 

Later
Don

In the box

I've been thinking about consoles vs PC and mobile gaming, and add-on peripherals.

I recently bought a PS3/PC racing wheel for a steal ($10.00 clearance from The Source)

I borrowed Test Drive Unlimited 2 from the library... It's an Ok game, but not optimized for racing wheels. There are parts of the game which switch to on-foot first person view (!)  that can only be controlled using a Dualshock 3... Or at least it is VERY DIFFICULT to control using the wheel.

Anyway, the point is I am wondering how many console  racing games are TRULY made for racing wheels?  The answer is probably few to none. Why? Because what game company wants to make a game that needs a controller that is not included "in the box"? That the consumer needs to not only buy the game but also another controller to properly play it?

If a game does that it is automatically limiting its own market. Not every PS3 gamer will buy a PS3 game, but then if the game requires a certain kind of add-on, like Move, not only will not every PS3 gamer buy that game, but not every Move owner may buy it. It makes a smaller pool of customers.

That is definitely why stuff like the Wii Balance Board failed. But what about the Wii itself? Motion controls are" in the box" for every Wii.

But because ONLY the Wii had those controls, companies wouldn't develop for it. That's why I am a bit worried about Xbox One's kinnect "in the box". Yes, that is a smart move so every Xbox One has Kinnect, but I think because both or all consoles don't have a "Kinnect"  type of controller included, that third parties will still shy away from developing for it. Most companies want to be able to quickly port their game to both Xbox and Playstation.

"In the box" is really important, but what is more important is "in every box". Unfortunately, only the dual analogue stick controller is central to every console now, so that is the control that will be used for most games. Makes it almost impossible for anyone to innovate.

There is a notable exception to this idea: the Guitar Hero/Rockband series of games. Clearly the initial popularity of those games flies in the face of this idea, people bought the controllers in droves and for awhile these were some of the best selling games. But that fad has passed, and it is now back to normal, where companies don't want to take any chances.

It is such a shame, because we are at the point now where there are tons of gaming choices, Android/Apple phones/tablets, consoles, handhelds with both physical and touch interfaces, and of course the ever versatile PC. We can use bluetooth to wirelessly attach a controller to a phone or tablet... but there will be almost NO great games that take advantage of these options because bluetooth controllers are not "in every box" of phones/tablets.


later
don

I bought a Playbook... again

Wow, I almost can't believe I bought a BlackBerry PlayBook again. Last time I thought it was a good deal at $250.00? But since then the 32GB version has come down to $118.98 during sales, and $150.00 regular price. Poor RIM... there's no denying that they are in a bad place in the mobile marketplace but the Playbook is still a good piece of hardware that is undervalued, perhaps even by BlackBerry themselves.

I was humming and hawwing for awhile about rebuying a Playbook, but at the price point, it serves my needs: photos, Internet. Video playback is still atrocious for me, but at least I found a free player that will play the videos made on my Galaxy S Glide phone (the default player stutters and drops frames on these videos like crazy-- awful) So I have limited needs for the PlayBook this time around, mostly just a 7" photo viewer I can put my China trips photos on... I do hope that functionality improves even more in the future... BB10, hope, hope?

I have to say, the onscreen keyboard is one of the better ones I've used. I'm typing this entry on it in portrait mode right now, and the word correction and "thumb span" seem very good. Not to mention that it actually works with Blogger, unlike my Android phone... Hello, clueless Google? If I can upload pictures, it will be near perfect.

UPDATE: I found an issue with the screen, there was something stuck under the glass. Not a dead pixel, but a little dot of something. Also, there was a gap along the edge where the volume/power buttons are. I returned the unit, lucked out that Staples had another. This one has no screen issues or gap, though I'm not sure if the wifi is quite as strong on it.



later
don

3DS in Olympics Opening Ceremony

A few cameos from the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony that had me stoked: A shot of the Pink Floyd pig strung between the smokestacks of London's old power station-- a nice nod to their Animals album cover and the whole pig balloon floats away incident-- as well as using the Pink Floyd song Eclipse at the end of the show... nice.

But one cameo that really caught my eye: A kid playing a Nintendo 3DS during one of the videos:

There was also a sequence where a bunch of people flashed what looked like white Samsung Galaxy Notes, but I think Samsung is an official Olympic sponsor... after all they show Samsung Galaxy S III commercials every freakin' break.... but is Nintendo a sponsor?

Hmmm. It's a very slow summer for handheld news.


later
don

Blogger sucks now

Wow does Blogger ever suck or what? What is Google's problem? Why do they have to BREAK Blogger?

The new posting page is AWFUL. As can be seen by my Driver Renegade sucks post, it arbitrarily adds bizarre page elements that can't be removed, like that final paragraph being highlighted or whatever the hell that glitch is. I had another similar problem with a previous post also.

And don't even get me started on trying to use a mobile browser to compose posts. I try to use the default Android browser-- HELLO, Android is made by Google. Blogger is OWNED and made by Google-- and you can't make these two products that YOU, GOOGLE develop and own, POSSIBLY COMPATIBLE? I bet the old Blogger posting page was, but this current HTML5 trainwreck certainly isn't. I'm currently trying Firefox mobile, and have tried Overskreen, all equally unable to make it work properly.

Why must you constantly break your own products, Google? How is that not being evil?


later
don

Grand Theft Auto III

I bought Grand Theft Auto III on Android during their sale a few days ago.... it sounded familiar, I thought, "Don't I have this for my (original) Xbox?"... checking my collection, indeed-- I did buy it years ago, as part of the Grand Theft Auto III/Grand Theft Auto:Vice City Xbox 2-pack. But I don't think I ever even played it! It still looked pristine when I popped it into my Xbox.

Playing the Android version, at first it's really fun, the touchscreen controls seem fairly smooth... until you actually have to do anything at all that requires the slightest bit of finesse.

But the Xbox version, well that uses a physical dual stick controller, so that HAS to be better, right? Nope. The Xbox version is pretty much UNPLAYABLE. I have NO IDEA how Rockstar Games messed this game up. I assume it's a port from a PS2 version, but  this version should never have been pressed to disc, let alone sold to the public. It just looks so muddy and blurry. But the worst, the absolute worst thing is there's no right analogue stick control. The right stick is only used for this crappy first-person camera look around that only works when the player is standing completely still. It's utter unusable garbage. It's bizarre that the Android touchscreen-only version has better camera control than a version on a dual stick console.... not that the Android version has great camera either. It's also unplayable when having to do anything on-foot, like combat.

Why was Rockstar so clueless about 2nd analogue stick camera control? I thnk this game was released in 2002, so Xbox & PS 2 were out for a little while before the game was released.... but I'm wondering if it wasn't developed for the previous generation of consoles? I don't know... either that or developers like Rockstar Games were truly clueless as to how to make games during that time.

Also adding to the brokenness of the GTA III Xbox version is that there's NO fullscreen map. Why in their right mind did they not assign a button to display a fullscreen map? Especially considering how big the play area is. Thankfully the Android version has a fullscreen map.

Another great little thing about the Android version is that some of the controls work with my SGH-i927r Samsung Galaxy S Glide's slide-out hardware keyboard! I didn't expect there to be support for it, and it's only really directional controls wasd & the direction keys on the right. Still not sure if it's better than the onscreen touch controls, but it's nice to have the options.

I paid 0.99¢ for Grand Theft Auto III: 10th Anniversary mobile Android version and I'm sure I paid waaaay more than that for the Xbox bundle back in 2004-2005? Hopefully not 50 times more..... but I can't remember, so.... oh well.

I was griping about how Driver Renegade isn't enough like Driver '76, but instead of playing a GTA knock-off like Driver '76, I guess I'm going to the source material with GTA III on my phone, so I'm getting that fix I was denied with the 3DS version of Driver.


later
don

I dropped my phone!

A four word action a Handheld Addict *NEVER* wants to have happen.

Grrrrrr...... I was walking down the street today and I pulled my phone out of my pocket to use the camera, when suddenly it just flung out of my hand & I tried to catch it, I must've clipped it when I tried-- which of course made it fling away even faster-- and it hit the hard sidewalk and bounced.

Caused a few scratches on the corner, luckily it didn't break... but still.

I know it's a minor thing but it's really upsetting to drop a device. I've had this phone for about a month, and I'm not totally in love with it even though it is very good with video playback. The problem with Samsung is their materials feel very cheap compared to my HTC Legend, which has a aluminum unibody and glass screen.

But in the 1.5 years that I've owned my HTC Legend, I don't think I've ever dropped it... at least not on pavement. Which is a bit surprising because the anodized aluminum unibody is actually very slippery. I think maybe the smaller form factor makes it easier to hold than this, my current phone the Samsung Galaxy S Glide SGH-i927r. The Galaxy S Glide has a textured back which looks like it should be great for grip... but in reality, the texture is so fine that it doesn't help much, as I just learned to my great regret.

I wanted to keep my Galaxy S Glide in pristine condition; I didn't even remove the plastic over the screen yet.... so much for that idea. I'd like to get a new phone but I can't find any that are truly BETTER than this... the latest don't offer any REAL improvement. I was actually very happy with my HTC Legend, but it's low memory was giving me major problems during day-to-day use-- I simply needed something more powerful.

I've been thinking about the handhelds I've dropped... I think I've dropped my PSP-1001 & 2001 a couple times on carpet. I don't recall dropping my DS Lite or 3DS, nor my PS Vita.

I suppose I should use a case for my phone. I don't like cases in general because the phone is already big for my pocket.



I just can't believe I actually dropped my phone. I am usually so careful about these things.

It's such a minor thing but it's very upsetting. If you're into gadgets, you know what I'm talking about.


later
don

Canada Post you suck

I hate you Canada Post so much. I'm unavailable for like one 15 minute period between 8:00am and 6:00pm. And no matter when that 15 minute period is, you will pick that EXACT TIME to ring my doorbell so I can't answer and you leave me the note to pick up my package the next business day after 1:00pm.

I could decide to take a crap at 8:00 am... and that will be the time. I could take a crap at 4:59pm. It's like you know and you'll swoop in and make sure I can't answer. No matter what fucking time, you will *know*.

Fuck I hate you guys so much. Hopefully the pickup place will be open on Saturday "after 1:00pm" and maybe I'll be able to pick up my Samsung Galaxy S Glide phone.


later
don

Swype getting dumber?

I was a pretty big fan of Swype when I first started using it. It is an awesome concept; typing by simply dragging my thumb around the screen was almost magical in its usefulness. Before I installed Swype on my HTC Legend, using the stock HTC keyboard on its 3.2" screen was ok for 1 or 2 sentences but much more than that was, to say the least, trying at times.

What makes Swype really effective is its predictive text capabilities. I found it was really good at knowing what I wanted to type-- it would usually pick the right word for what I wanted, even if I wasn't dragging my thumb exactly over each letter.

But lately, in the last few months, the word prediction seems to have gone out the window. Now it picks just plain weird or STUPID words and I'm finding I have to correct a lot of words in every sentence I type. It's not that I accidentally saved a bunch of typos in my personal dictionary, either. I checked... and I am DOWNRIGHT VIGILANT about keeping mis-types out of my personal dictionary. I can't remove some of the weird words out of the Swype dictionary.

Whenever I type "is", it almost always puts in "OS". How often would I ever use the term "OS"? There are many other more bizarre examples... some of the "words" Swype tries to insert don't even sound like actual words to me. I also unchecked other languages in case that was the problem.

I can't figure out why Swype seems to be getting DUMBER. My phone is really underpowered, I've run out of internal phone memory, so that must play a part. I have an annoying bug where I'll swype some words but they won't show up in the text box. I have to exit the program then go back in. But I don't understand why the word prediction is getting worse rather than just staying the same?

Another part of it might be the user: as in, me. Maybe I've gotten so complacent that Swype will predict my words that I'm being sloppy in my dragging over the letters. Technically, software can't grow more stupid but a person certainly can....


It just seems so strange that Swype is not as good as it used to be for me, I haven't updated or changed it for the last few months. Maybe it's just me?



later
don

Android sucks for games?

Trying to understand the mobile phone gaming landscape, I've come across a disturbing trend: that when it comes to games, the Android platform *SUCKS*.

Obviously Android doesn't have nearly as many apps as the iTune App Store. So the selection is always going to be smaller. And because iTunes App Store is such a juggernaut, the best Android games are going to be ported from the iPhone.

But there's an even worse problem that never gets mentioned.... the hardware fragmentation of Android devices makes it very, VERY difficult to get a coherent, easy-to-buy-and-download list of top games.

There are so many processors out there that many of them aren't supported. A prime example being Grand Theft Auto 3. This should be a very big game on a mobile device. I'm currently looking at buying an HTC Evo 3D, it came out spring/summer 2011, it has a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor.... and it's "not supported" to play the game. If you try to legally buy it from the Google Play store, it won't let you do so on an Evo 3D. The game does seem to work on the Evo 3D, but you have to pirate it to side-load it onto the phone. Because Google and the publisher won't let you download it legally.

I suspect a big part of why it doesn't have official compatibility with the HTC Evo 3D is because the phone's screen is 16x9, and the game seems formatted for something closer to 4:3. From what I've seen it playing on an Evo 3D, it's stretched out horizontally.

Ok, that's one game, a big title but still only one example. But you only need to look at Gameloft games for more examples. Gameloft has garnered a reputation of ripping-off big console titles and making phone versions of them. Some of these "ports" are more successful than others, but there are some definite good titles.

Try buying a Gameloft android title. You need to provide them with a mobile phone service provider to do so. That means you need a mobile phone plan, with data. In Canada, for us that means a 3 year contract with data. Which is about $2000.00 over 3 years.

So you need to pay $2000.00 over 3 years, at least $60.00 a month (plus tax) before you can buy a game from Gameloft.

So what's the alternative? iPhone? The iTunes App store is a monolithic closed eco-system, so I assume Gameloft games are in there like everything else. There shouldn't be any hassles like having to have a mobile service provider or whatever other malarkey.

Aside from the fact that the iPhone is basically one device, you can't get an iPhone with a bigger screen or 3D camera or qwerty keyboard... there's only one iPhone basically and you better like it... aside from that fact, an unlocked 16GB iPhone 4s price starts at $650.00, bought from Apple. The phones I'm looking at are about half that price used.

I am starting to believe that iOS is the only decent platform for mobile gaming.... but I can't even be sure of that because of the walled-garden mentality of the iTunes App Store. I hate, hate HATE stores with closed eco-systems like iOS and Playstation Store, where you can't even LOOK at what content is available unless you've already bought the consoles.

I just want to be able to BUY some decent mobile games. I don't want the hassles that can come from workarounds and pirating. Why is it so damn difficult just to make a consistent experience?




later
don

quandary over phones

The last couple weeks have me pondering over what I want to be my next phone. As much as I love my HTC Legend, it is really showing its age on the inside. The outside still looks amazing, I take good care of it; I don't put it in a pocket with keys, etc. But I do just shove it into my pocket as I'm running out the door, mostly with no case (I only got a case last time I was in Shenzhen, it was given to me) It's amazing even the screen has no scratches, it's a great little phone. The small form factor makes it so pocketable and real-life portable.


But the 600 MHz processor and small amount of ram... even worse, the small amount of space for apps.... I don't have that many apps on it and I've constantly got a "low space" warning on there because I have less than 20 MB free-- about 11MB free last time I checked.

So I think I need to upgrade to a more spacious & powerful phone. I've got my eye on quite a few contenders:


HTC One X - I'd prefer the One S for its size & form factor, but only the One X international version has "32GB" of storage... I think it's 22GB of actual usable storage.... which is enough for me. It has a great camera and Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 OS... but it's a big phone. 4.7" screen... I definitely think there should be 4.7" screens but for me, I think that may be too big. 4.3" seems about as big as I can comfortably fit in my pocket. And it's around $700.00 for an import version, super expensive.





Samsung Galaxy S2 - This is the top smartphone of 2011. It shows to be consistently the fastest with browser and apps (from video reviews & tests) the screen is huge and looks really good. But there are some issues I'm worried about. It's super thin but there are reports of it getting really hot around the camera area after extended browsing & use. Plus the overall look of it is nice but there's something... I dunno, kinda cheap-looking about Samsung phones, just the materials maybe? And I've heard the screen scratches easily, part of the build quality issues.




White Samsung Galaxy s2 - Anyone who's read my past entries about my white Star Wars PSP-2000 knows I love white gadgets. I can't decide whether I like white even more than black. So a white Samsung Galaxy S2 should look awesome. But one thing I really don't like about it is that chrome bezel around the phone. I've held it my hand and it just doesn't look as good as in the pics and videos. But it's still white... and it looks so nice in the pics......




HTC Evo 3D - This one is really high on my list. As much as I complain about the faults of the 3D on the 3DS, I really love the idea of mobile 3D gaming. I'd love a better 3D camera, and the Evo 3D is about the only place for that. But it is chunky, and though it would give me the closest experience to my HTC Legend, on the other hand, there are also no surprises... I know what I'd be getting in a Sense UI. I've held the phone in my hands in Hong Kong, and the feel is good. But there are build quality issues with this one too. The power button is super sensitive. Volume buttons are mushy.




Samsung Galaxy S Slide (Captivate Glide in the U.S.) - This is currently at the top of my list. I'd *really* like a qwerty keyboard on a decent phone. The spces are right up there, but the keyboard is very flat. And there's no FM radio, another feature I really appreciate on my HTC Legend. The 4" screen should be nice but I wish it was 4.3" like the SGS2. Also it's a pentile screen.


Gaahhhh..... so much choice... I just don't know which one would fit my needs the best. I *really* want a slider keyboard, but I also want FM radio. And a decent keyboard, it's bizarre that Samsung messed up the Glide when they've done qwerty keyboard sliders before. I may be able to get by with wi-fi streaming of my most-listened to radio stations like CBC. So right now the odds-on favourite is the Glide..... but I really like the Evo 3D too.... I dunno......


I might wait until the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is revealed on May 1. But I'm reasonably sure it will only be a minor upgrade ala iPhone 4S, so it probably won't be something I'm super interested in.


later
don

HTC One S

Man... I really want a new phone. My HTC Legend is s pretty good phone, I kinda feel lucky I took a chance on it as my first smartphone because it has met my expectations very well. When I bought it I was looking for a phone that could play my videos, music and had a smaller form factor than my PSP.

But the HTC Legend is an old phone, even old when I bought it (used)... With low processing power and very little internal storage, running Android 2.1.... It can't do as much as I'd like it to-- as in gaming. I have a few games that I really like on it, Robo Defence free, Air Control, Trap, and Winds of Steel but between a few games and some apps like Swype, there isn't any space left. And I can't install or move apps to my micro SD card.

I've been in a quandary since my 2nd trip to China in November 2011. I can't decide between the Samsung Galaxy S2 - Rogers or Bell variants-- or the HTC Evo 3D, and now the HTC One S.

A good camera is one of my new requirements for a new phone, and the HTC One S has some great camera features. I consider it vital for a camera to have a fast startup time from when the phone is in sleep mode to taking a picture. I missed a bunch of photo opportunities on my last trips because my cameras were so slow to start up. You never know when a great picture scene will pop up.

What kills the HTC One S for me is that it only has 16 GB of internal storage with no micro SD card slot. About 9 GB of actual usable space, which isn't enough. I looked at my SD storage on my HTC Legend, I've got a 16GB micro SD card in there-- 14 GB of usable space and I've almost filled it. A sizable chunk of that is taken up with TV shows and photos. And of course my music. I love having my music on my phone it's so convenient. And considering the photo/video recording abilities of the HTC One S, owners would need a lot of space for those files because of the burst mode feature that takes a lot of pictures. Sure you don't have to save every one but in real-world situations you'll need a lot of space so you can decide what to discard at your convenience.

The 9 GB of storage is a fatal flaw in the HTC One S and One X (we in Canada are only getting the 16GB One X version, not the 32 GB international version) HTC is trying to make up for it by giving us Dropbox accounts that have a lot of storage online, but that is really a poor substitute that wouldn't work for me, I have no data plan, I'm on prepaid... But even if I did have data, it still wouldn't work for my needs, I don't think. I know that after formatting, the actual space of flash/hard drive storage is less than what is listed, but the HTC One S must use more space for OS and apps, making the actual user space of the so-called "16GB" of internal storage 5 GB less than on a 16GB micro SD card. There's a big difference between 14 GB and 9 GB.

It's such a shame that these One series are so fundamentally flawed. And don't even get me started on their micro-SIM slot... While not as bad as the removal of micro SD, why are phones going to micro-SIM standard anyway? Seems like such a pain. I might be able to live with it and cut down my SIM card if I had to, but the small 9GB storage space is a deal breaker.


later
don

Blackberry PlayBook

So I took the bait on Xmas eve, and ordered a Blackberry Playbook 32GB tablet from Staples online. But I don't think I'm keeping it....

The price point at $250.00 is fairly ok... and what I read about it seemed like it's a fairly solid tablet. I enjoy my HP TouchPad a lot but sometimes it is a bit big, especially when I take it out with me. With the case, it weighs in around 2lbs, which is close to my netbook weight. 2lbs may not sound like a lot, but when you're talking portability, trust me it is a consideration.



The Blackberry PlayBook definitely has a nice form factor. It's 7" as opposed to the TouchPad's 10", and it's very thin. On the bottom edge, there's the memory storage size (32GB) a micro HDMI port for output to an HDTV, a micro USB port, and a proprietary 3-pin port for a dock(?) One of the small issues with the micro USB port is that it's not shaped like most and you have to be careful to plug in the USB cable the right way. Usually the shape of the port shows me which way to plug it in.




The top edge has a headphone jack, power button and volume/play buttons. It's good to have hardware buttons but on the PlayBook I prefer to put it into sleep mode just using the onscreen buttons.

What's really great about coming out of sleep mode is all you need to do is swipe from bezel to bezel (either up/down or side/side) So I only need the power button to turn on the PlayBook from a full turned-off mode.





The back is a very simple soft touch rubber. Resists fingerprints but can pick up lint. It feels very comfortable though.




I love the thinness and simple design. However, the PlayBook is quite heavy considering its size. I suppose it's not unreasonable for it to weigh almost 1 lb, but when you look at the size and thinness of it, it looks like it should weigh less. So it can be a bit of a burden to hold for long periods... but the HP TouchPad weighs about 2x so....



I may not be a typical tablet user, my needs are fairly simple. I want a tablet for internet browsing, photos, music, videos and apps.

The Blackberry Playbook does most of these very well. The interface is very similar to the HP TouchPad's WebOS: apps close into a window view, you scroll horizontally between them, there's good multi-tasking.

My big problem with the Blackberry PlayBook is videos. I record videos in simple profile MP4 format, usually 368 x 208. Suited for PSP playback, but they also play very well on my HTC Legend phone and HP TouchPad. But on the PlayBook the videos are very pixelated. My videos look better on my TouchPad which has only a slightly higher resolution, but a bigger screen. Videos should look better on the PlayBook because of the smaller screen. I'm not sure if RIM is using a not very good MP4 decoder for video playback or what.... it makes me sad that my videos look so crappy on this thing.....

I really want to love the Blackberry PlayBook-- in fact I actually DO love a lot about it. Just not videos. That's not the most important part of a tablet but it is a major one for me. It's such a shame. So I think, with great reluctance, that I have to return it....... hopefully I can find a 7" tablet that will better fit my needs...... but there is also the PS Vita coming which will suck up as much $$$ as the PlayBook so maybe I need to just save up for that.




later
don

Swype update sucks

This latest build of Swype really is terrible.

It made me update the last time I posted about Swype. I don't know what they did, but it doesn't work with my HTC Legend running Android 2.1 as good as it used to. When I go to reply to a text, whatever I type will disappear right as soon as I type it. I have to exit the messaging program & re-enter it to get it to start working normally.

This bug also affects other text-input programs on my phone as well.

I may just have to dump Swype & go back to the stock keyboard.... why do they have to keep forcing updates on us & breaking the functionality of the keyboard in the process???

I get that Android is "constantly" coming out with updates & Swype wants to take advantage of the "improvements". But they don't have to screw over users with older Android builds... why not just leave the older versions of Swype on our phones & do the updates for newer phones, if there are so many issues with older Android compatibility?

Sigh. Swype can be so frustrating.



later
don

Swype - a total pain... but worth it

So a couple months or so, I downloaded Swype for my HTC Legend. Swype is an onscreen keyboard where you slide your thumb around the screen to connect letters to form words. Check out the videos on Youtube to see how it works... it looks awkward, but after using it these past 2 months.... I have to say I'm officially converted. The Swype method is AWESOME. My stock keyboard on my HTC Legend is pretty poor. What makes Swype so incredible is its word prediction, I don't know how it does it-- it has a very good sense of the word I'm looking for; even if sliding my thumb around the keyboard is sloppy, it seems to get it most of the time. The big problem with this method is that my thumb covers up the letters, so sometimes I have to stop & move my phone screen around to see where the next letter I need is. The good thing about this method is it's possible to type with one hand-- one thumb, really.

Swype is currently a free beta. Free is also awesome. But... there has to be a bad side somewhere, right? Where Swype really falls down is the "license expiring"... when it decides to, you have to uninstall the Swype installer, and re-install it, because the keyboard stops working, basically.

So I encountered this dark side of Swype the other day (luckily I was back from China, I actually was worried that it would expire while I was still there) and it was a total pain for me to reinstall. I had to try it a few times before it actually worked, as well as delete a large app (Pac-Man Championship Edition demo) to free up space... and I freely concede that that's an issue with my phone not having much internal space. But I think that each update of Swype gets re-jigged, and like all updates, some are good while some are not. There are some small issues with my latest version of Swype not playing well with my contacts editing. I don't know why that is other than they tweaked stuff.

Even with all this hassle, Swype is really good. I am envious of Samsung phones that have Swype included with it. Swype impressed me so much that I'm actually rethinking my main want in a new phone: that it has a physical keyboard. If I can get an onscreen keyboard comparable to Swype in usefulness, then a physical keyboard might not be needed. The key word being "might".

Oh Swype, why do you put me through such hell?



later
don

Back from China again

So... I was in China again... spent almost 5 weeks there-- again-- and I got back about a week ago. Like last time, there was no way to access this blog, or anything Google-related. All blocked in mainland China. Oddly, I spent a total of around 2 weeks in Hong Kong, but I couldn't find much free wi-fi so I had no real internet access in HK... where I *can* access this blog or anything else online. Not blocked there.

The overall handheld scene isn't as vibrant as it was when I was there 2 years ago. I chalk it up to the general sad state we're in as far as handhelds, more than anything else. 2 years ago, the PSP was still fairly vibrant especially with hacking-- which was naturally big in China-- and it was very easy to get an R4 card for a DS Lite.

I did see "R4 for 3DS" in Beijing, but I was very suspicious about the actual quality of them. The problem is that the 3DS is region-locked, so even if there was an R4 for it, they would probably be Asia-3DS specific? I dunno. All I can say is, I saw these and had LITTLE confidence that they would work in my 3DS. And seeing how Super Mario 3D Land forces a firmware update on us (PSP-style) I wonder if they're already blocking these things.

Not that it was all about hacking & piracy. Last time, I was searching for a 16GB memory stick micro (M2) which I was happy to find for my PSPgo. This time around I had no major goal like that.

But last time, I had very little knowledge of mobile phones, and this time around, I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous (to myself)... I was *very* tempted to buy a phone in Hong Kong. They are about the same price/more expensive than Canadian prices, but the main key is that they're unlocked. Yes you pay $600.00-$700.00 (Cdn) for them, but there is no demand for a 3 year contract or other BS. Even if you go into a Canadian store with $700.00 cash, plunk it down & say, "I want to buy a phone, right now", the chances are that even then, they will NOT sell you a phone outright. You will STILL need to commit to at least 1 months service, which means you'll need to go through a credit check. You'll probably have to pay for an "activation fee" and other BS fees. All this even if they say the no-contract price for the phone is $599.99 or whatever. That STILL isn't the actual price you pay. How screwed up is the Canadian mobile phone market anyway? There should be laws.

Considering all this, you can see how it would be so tempting to walk into a reputable Hong Kong store, plunk down the $$$, and walk out then & there with a shiny new phone. But still, $600-$700 for a phone, I just couldn't do that. My little HTC Legend still does its job, and being unlocked I could actually use it with a cheap HK sim card.

But man, was I ever EVER tempted to pick up an HTC Evo 3D or Samsung Galaxy S2.

So, the other handheld issue of my trip is what handhelds did I actually take with me? I took a lot less than last time. Believe it or not, NO PSP, not even my PSPgo! I actually haven't taken that with me on trips at all this year (2011) which is the first time since getting a PSP in 2006 that I haven't brought one with me on a trip.

All I took with me was my netbook, and my HTC Legend phone. No PSPgo. No 3DS. The problem with the PSP (& PSPgo) is that the battery life is very short. My phone can play the same video content, has games (though not as robust as PSP ones), has my entire music collection, AND the battery life lasts like 9 hours. And it's smaller. And a phone. So my HTC Legend has become my go-to handheld because of size & versatility.

One annoying thing about the 3DS is the AC adapter is NOT universal. At least the PSP AC adapter can accept voltage from 120-240V. Pretty sure the 3DS AC adapter can't. And I wanted to pack light; I didn't want to bring my voltage converter--which doesn't even work that well-- so the only hope I had would be if I could buy a 3DS AC adapter in China/Hong Kong. Seemed like too much bother so the 3DS had to stay at home.

I did miss my 3DS a lot during those 4 1/2 weeks I was in China. I saw a guy playing a flame-red 3DS on a bus in Hong Kong, and I thought about how much I missed banging out a few (ok a lot of) sessions of Resident Evil: The Mercenaries.

So not long after coming back home, I bought a bunch of 3DS games. Super Mario 3D Land, Star Fox 64 3D, Street Fighter 3D... couldn't resist because Toys 'R Us had a sale where you buy 3 games & get 25% off. I also bought Kirby Mass Attack, and yesterday I picked up Asphalt 3D from EB Games for $10.00 new. And I still haven't picked up Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy which is my most anticipated 3DS game....

I also seemed to miss out the Hong Kong announcements of the PS Vita, not that I would have been allowed in or anything, it was probably just for press. I also wish my timing was closer to the PS Vita japan/Asia launch, I'm pretty sure I would've snagged one early there if I could have. Oh well, I just put my preorder in for one, the $300.00 bundle. Yeah I'm still nutty for handhelds.


later
don