Well, I never expected to be the one to go down this road, but I am now an iphone user. I'm still with Verizon, but I have abandoned Android for the iphone.
The reasons this came about are pretty simple. First I had the original Droid. It was very good, great, in fact, for the most part. Through my own misuse (dropped a couple of times) it started to act up on me and signal strength started to suffer. Perhaps I had damaged the internal antenna...who knows. Add to that, the fact that the phone was strictly CDMA so I could not travel out of the country with it. My last vacation I was frustrated by this, and the fact that both my wife (AT&T iPhone) and best friend (Blackberry) has coverage everywhere we went.
So I got home and just pondered...I thought about the Droid2, but that was just an updated phone. THEN I SAW IT!!! The Droid2 Global. My prayers were answered. I researched and read and decided that the D2G was the next phone for me.
I got the phone, transferred everything over and started to use it. It was fast, ran like a charm, great signal everywhere I went, AND the promise of coverage overseas. Then it started. I began to have issues with the phone rebooting on its own. Then calls would have no speaker and on mic...and it would happen with no warning and I would have to reboot the phone to get it working again, never knowing when it would happen again. I Took it to the store and the offered to replace it. I agreed and got a refurb...seriously...a REFURB in place of my 4 week old phone...SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!
anyway, I tried that phone and in the first week, same thing. So I hard reset it, took off all the apps, and used the phone as if it were fresh out of the box with nothing added...no music, no photos, no ringtones, no other emails except for my gmail account....nothing. It made no difference.
I went back to Verizon, Paid the money and got the iphone. Very simply, it works fine. It's different from Android...there a several features that I miss, but in the end, the phone works reliably and it's stable.
I know that I am back to CDMA, and I'll have to live with that, but since I don't travel internationally THAT much, it's not a huge issue.
My take on all this is that Android wants to be more open and free, so the apps and things might not get vetted as well as IOS apps. Everything has a cost...with Android, its stability on some phones, with apple, is being locked into whatever they approve and the knowledge that they can remotely disable or remove apps and features that they don't want you to have.
I'm happy with the iphone. I miss my android, but I don't miss the problems. If things change, I'll post an update.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sony's thought provoking presentation at their 2010 annual meeting
This is a remarkably powerful video that I meant to post quite some time ago. Every time I watch it, I think about where we are as a society and where we are going. As an IT strategic planner, this is a thought provoking video
Friday, March 04, 2011
4 things that are important to me
On a recent job interview, I was asked to state four things that are important to me. You would think that that is a question requiring a lot of careful thought. I was surprised at how quickly my answer came. It was completely unrehearsed. Here are my answers, in the order I gave them:
1.
At the end of the day, no matter what I have done, or for whom I have done it, I need to be able to sleep at night. I need to be comfortable with what I have done in the world that day
2.
I asked the interviewer if they had ever been camping, they had. So I shared my next item of importance as an analogy; When ever you leave a campsite, leave it in better condition than how you found it. I apply the same principal to everything that I do in life...where ever I go, I want to leave it in better condition than before I arrived.
3.
When I come home at the end of the day, do my wife and cats still love me? This might seem small, but in the grand sense, what I am saying, is that I want to be the kind of person that my wife, whom I love and respect dearly, loves and respects me and wants to be with me. By the same manner, do my cats still feel safe enough in my presence to want to curl up on my lap.
4.
Personal health. I am conscious of what I put into my body. I am not a "foodie" nor am I a strict vegan or vegetarian, which is fine; But, I do eat with thought. I don't mean that I deprive myself of things that I like, but I eat with care for my overall heath.
OK, that's it. I think that these points are worth sharing with the world. What's important to you?
1.
At the end of the day, no matter what I have done, or for whom I have done it, I need to be able to sleep at night. I need to be comfortable with what I have done in the world that day
2.
I asked the interviewer if they had ever been camping, they had. So I shared my next item of importance as an analogy; When ever you leave a campsite, leave it in better condition than how you found it. I apply the same principal to everything that I do in life...where ever I go, I want to leave it in better condition than before I arrived.
3.
When I come home at the end of the day, do my wife and cats still love me? This might seem small, but in the grand sense, what I am saying, is that I want to be the kind of person that my wife, whom I love and respect dearly, loves and respects me and wants to be with me. By the same manner, do my cats still feel safe enough in my presence to want to curl up on my lap.
4.
Personal health. I am conscious of what I put into my body. I am not a "foodie" nor am I a strict vegan or vegetarian, which is fine; But, I do eat with thought. I don't mean that I deprive myself of things that I like, but I eat with care for my overall heath.
OK, that's it. I think that these points are worth sharing with the world. What's important to you?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Droid2 Global
I admit it, I am a Droid(tm) fan. I bought the Droid1 a few weeks after launch and loved it. It really allowed me to be effective even when mobile without a laptop. Alas, after a year a couple of falls, and just wear and tear, it was starting to show it's age. So, a couple of weeks ago, I replaced Droid1 with Droid2Global. I do travel internationally, and felt the pain of not having service when I went outside the US. The D2G is the answer. So, my first impressions...
The interface is called Blur, and it's quite nice and full of features. Unfortunately, these features suck the batteries dry in a few hours. So for starters, I have removed a bunch of the apps that run by default. Next, I have ordered the extended battery. For an experiment, I also tried an alternative ti Blur, called launcher pro, It's nice, but misses a few things that I feel really need to work. The main thing was one touch dialing. For some reason, LP does not let me create the same type of 1x1 one touch dial on a home screen that the blur interface does. That alone made me go back. On the otherhand, if you do not care about that. then LP seems like a lighter interface that will save battery life.
As for speed? No Comparison; the D2G is blazing fast compared to the D1. I love it.
In general, the D2G is a great phone, and I highly recommend it.
The interface is called Blur, and it's quite nice and full of features. Unfortunately, these features suck the batteries dry in a few hours. So for starters, I have removed a bunch of the apps that run by default. Next, I have ordered the extended battery. For an experiment, I also tried an alternative ti Blur, called launcher pro, It's nice, but misses a few things that I feel really need to work. The main thing was one touch dialing. For some reason, LP does not let me create the same type of 1x1 one touch dial on a home screen that the blur interface does. That alone made me go back. On the otherhand, if you do not care about that. then LP seems like a lighter interface that will save battery life.
As for speed? No Comparison; the D2G is blazing fast compared to the D1. I love it.
In general, the D2G is a great phone, and I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Deciphering the jibber jabber: getting started with your own self-hosted XMPP server
Deciphering the jibber jabber: getting started with your own self-hosted XMPP server
One of the things that has to be considered in production environments, especially when you are responsible for secure communications in your office environment, is the use of IM. IM can improve productivity, but has to be managed carefully. Using your own IM server can seen daunting, so this article in arstechnica, help to dispel some of the fear in setting up your own, internal IM server.
One of the things that has to be considered in production environments, especially when you are responsible for secure communications in your office environment, is the use of IM. IM can improve productivity, but has to be managed carefully. Using your own IM server can seen daunting, so this article in arstechnica, help to dispel some of the fear in setting up your own, internal IM server.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
BBC News - Is there a genius in all of us?
BBC News - Is there a genius in all of us?
David Shenk has written a number of books, including Data Smog (which is the first book of his that I read, in graduate school) , and a great history of the Grateful Dead. I value and respect his opinion, and find this piece just as interesting as anything else he has written.
David Shenk has written a number of books, including Data Smog (which is the first book of his that I read, in graduate school) , and a great history of the Grateful Dead. I value and respect his opinion, and find this piece just as interesting as anything else he has written.
Goodbye Skype Chat
OK, I have finally had enough. While skype has some great uses, group chat being one of them, the limitation with history has pushed me to the point where I will no longer use the chat feature anymore.
I didn't want to upgrade to the new version, but an unfortunate computer crash forced me to reinstall. Not only do I hate the new interface, but as in the past, chat history is lost. I can't stand it. Add to that the fact that history is mostly unavailable between computers, and the chat feature becomes painfully limited.
So, to skype chat, I say goodbye.
I didn't want to upgrade to the new version, but an unfortunate computer crash forced me to reinstall. Not only do I hate the new interface, but as in the past, chat history is lost. I can't stand it. Add to that the fact that history is mostly unavailable between computers, and the chat feature becomes painfully limited.
So, to skype chat, I say goodbye.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Healty Eating and shopping tips
25 Instant Supermarket Secrets
Sometimes, despite that we think that we know what we're doing, you can learn something new.
Read this article about what we thought we knew.
Sometimes, despite that we think that we know what we're doing, you can learn something new.
Read this article about what we thought we knew.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
What I want for Christmas
I know that it can be hard to figure out what to do at the holidays, for the people that you care about. Well let me make it easy for you; Here's what I want for the holidays...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/green-robot-in-an-armani-suit-ulysse-nardin-chairman-upgraded-w/
And the steel model is just fine, no worries.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/green-robot-in-an-armani-suit-ulysse-nardin-chairman-upgraded-w/
And the steel model is just fine, no worries.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What it's like to own an Apple product - The Oatmeal
What it's like to own an Apple product - The Oatmeal
Really funny comic.
The whole site has funny comic.
I know it's a little simplistic, but hey, sometimes it's good to enjpy humor and not be so serious all the time.
Have Fun.
BTW...I *LOVE* my iPad and iPod Touch.
Really funny comic.
The whole site has funny comic.
I know it's a little simplistic, but hey, sometimes it's good to enjpy humor and not be so serious all the time.
Have Fun.
BTW...I *LOVE* my iPad and iPod Touch.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Khan Academy
This is an amazing site. Check it out. Note their mission statement "...providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere".
Khan Academy
Khan Academy
Khan Academy
This is amazing!! A non-profit educational site for the masses. I just checked out a basic subject "The Atom' and am amazed at the clarity and ease of this lesson. If the other lessons are as easy to comprehend, this could truly change the world. I particularly like the sites mission statement: "...providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere."
Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Khan Academy
Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Khan Academy
Friday, September 03, 2010
White space broadband to be finalized (at last) this month
White space broadband to be finalized (at last) this month
It's hard to imagine the impact that this will have on society. What is important here, is the fact that there will now be another avenue of delivery for broadband services. I believe that this will make high speed internet available to many more people, at a fraction of the cost. As a community, this means that there will be more opportunity for the under served to be able to access services, such as distance learning, and other information. I also see applications in emergency services, and community outreach.
The internet paradigm needs to be viewed and treated much like phone services, in that it should be readily, and cheaply available to all. I do not think that it should be regulated based on type of services, either. I do not want my comments to be taken as contrary to my support of Net Neutrality.
The internet should be available to all, on an equal basis. If that means subsidizing services, so be it - our government has that responsibility, and should protect us from any challenges to the freedom of communication.
It's hard to imagine the impact that this will have on society. What is important here, is the fact that there will now be another avenue of delivery for broadband services. I believe that this will make high speed internet available to many more people, at a fraction of the cost. As a community, this means that there will be more opportunity for the under served to be able to access services, such as distance learning, and other information. I also see applications in emergency services, and community outreach.
The internet paradigm needs to be viewed and treated much like phone services, in that it should be readily, and cheaply available to all. I do not think that it should be regulated based on type of services, either. I do not want my comments to be taken as contrary to my support of Net Neutrality.
The internet should be available to all, on an equal basis. If that means subsidizing services, so be it - our government has that responsibility, and should protect us from any challenges to the freedom of communication.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
An ISP that knows nothing of "data hogs"
I've always liked the bay area - lots of music, yoga and other neat stuff, but now this??? I really need to reconsider my life.
An ISP that knows nothing of "data hogs"
An ISP that knows nothing of "data hogs"
A cat in a wheelie bin can help us ponder how the universe works - Telegraph
Some things are just too much fun to ignore....
A cat in a wheelie bin can help us ponder how the universe works - Telegraph
A cat in a wheelie bin can help us ponder how the universe works - Telegraph
Monday, August 23, 2010
Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license | Washington Examiner
Really???
I think that Philadelphia should team up with Verizon and Google to discuss more ways to inhibit internet usage and access.
Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license | Washington Examiner
I think that Philadelphia should team up with Verizon and Google to discuss more ways to inhibit internet usage and access.
Philly requiring bloggers to pay $300 for a business license | Washington Examiner
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