Mobile gadgets running Blackberry & Android OS'
Everything Else Tech
All tech not fitting into Android and Blackberry categories.
I chose to choose the worse – yet another iPhone4 vs HTC Desire comparison
Aug 17th
I keep on playing with an iPhone 4 for a few days now. Why? I have one of the best smartphones on the market at the moment, namely the HTC Desire. It’s got one of the best OS’ in existence at the moment: Android by Google. It does almost everything I need it to do and shines-on except for a few small “unimportant” details, like battery life and the lack of pushed-email (Vodafone’s fault on this one!). Then why looking over the fence where everybody says the grass is greener?
Well, curiosity. Inquisitive curiosity. And hype. A job at which Apple’s always ace.
While I’ve only used it seldom, I’ve been able to go thru quite a few situations of an everyday smartphone user: I browsed the net, posted to Twitter, used various applications, downloaded a free application from the App Store and…fell-out of love with the iPhone 4. You take a picture. You wanna share it with friends. You can’t beam it thru Bluetooth, there is no option to do it. You can’t send it on TwitPic by uploading it on the site – the “browse files” button was greyed-out (no, it wasn’t a Flash button, works like a charm on my Desire) due to the fact that the iPhone has a security procedure in place (enforced by a password) of not allowing anything in a browser to read the files in the phone. Plain stupid? Yes, if you ask me. You can’t email it to Posterous or to other emails because for example, you have a problem with your SMTP server, like I did.
And why is this all happening? Just because Steve decided to “protect” the consumer. Who asked for this? Not the king, the customer himself. Of course, I can understand the logic and the logistics behind this great, great progressive undertaking but I’m not sure it was done in our best interest.
Looking over the fence again, I see a regulated but self propelled market of innovative, useful and mostly free apps that can be installed at user’s free will. Are the Android users less protected? No, I don’t think so. The system is different. There will always be hackers to combat and holes to plug.
But you know what they say: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
Posted from WordPress for Android
[ro] Noutati la MWC 2009 [tech-head/GSM]
Feb 16th
- Colectie de fotografii de la MWC 09
- Ziua 1 la MWC 09 prin All About Symbian
- Fostul smartphone G2 cu sistem de operare Android este de fapt HTC Magic, terminal exclusiv Vodafone
- Adobe expune un demo Flash Player 10 Beta pentru mobile la MWC 09 Barcelona
- NVIDIA aduce Tegra pentru mobilele Android La MWC 09 Barcelona
- HTC anunta lansarea in viitorul apropiat al modelelor HTC Diamond 2 si HTC Touch Pro 2
- Conferinta de presa Nokia de MWC 09 Barcelona
- Sony Ericsson anunta Idou – un prototip avansat (camera 12 MP,touch-screen de 3,5 inch si noul sistem de operare Symbian editia 5, un produs al noii Fundatii Symbian)
- Sony-Ericsson Idou – fotografii si video
- Alte informatii despre Sony Idou
- Samsung Omnia HD trece de pe Windows Mobile pe Symbian S60
- Palm Pre la MWC 09 – video
- Palm lanseaza un nou demo cu Palm Pre la WMC 09
Surse: boygeniusreport.com, engadget.com, allaboutsymbian.com, precommunity.com, slashgear.com, eweek.com, techdigest.tv
[ro] Prima zi a MWC, Barcelona 2008-Mobile World Congress [tech-head/GSM/Stiri]
Feb 16th
Astazi a inceput la Barcelona Congresul Mondial al Telefoniei Mobile, editia 2009. Dupa cum o spune si numele, in perioada 16-19 Februarie 2009 la standuri se vor regasi cele mai importante nume din lumea “mobila”, incepand cu producatorii de componente si terminale, gigantii Internetului (Google,Yahoo si Microsoft), pana la operatorii de telefonie mobila ca Orange, Vodafone sau T-Mobile. Scopul este prezentarea celor mai noi tehnologii si produse, de a discuta oportunitati de afaceri si starea actuala a industriei de telecomunicatii.
Desi initial se credea ca actuala criza economica va goni principalii participanti la Expozitiei, in final singurul mare absent este Apple; compania a participat la Macworld 2009,insa chiar si acolo a fost prezenta pentru ultima oara, iar Steve Jobs a trimis un inlocuitor, alimentand astfel zvonurile conform carora este grav bolnav.Site-urile majore de tehnologie si telecomunicatii mobile sunt prezente deja acolo si transmit live informatii referitoare la produsele prezentate:
Update-uri pentru toate marcile/produsele.
[ro] HTC HD – la prima atingere [GSM/tech-head]
Jan 12th
N-am inceput mentionand ce este HTC HD – toti cei interesati de tehnologia mobila, de gadgets si de smartphones (stiu ca 2 din 3 termeni sunt in engleza, insa nu vreau sa “reinventez” roata ca francezii traducandu-le) stiu deja ca modelul se doreste un “Iphone killer”. Este? Din primele momente (sau pana acum) nu. Este mai bun? Da, sigur ca este.
O scurta privire aruncata inca din Septembrie 2008 peste lista cu specificatii tehnice m-a lamurit ca HD-ul este un aparat puternic. Un “tot” intr-unul. Pana la acest moment, cel mai complet smartphone Windows Mobile. Ecran enorm VGA, HSDPA,HSUPA, 3G, jack de 3,5 mm si Wi-Fi. Insa, pentru multi asta nu inseamna mare lucru. De cele mai multe ori un gadget perfect pe hartie da chix in “viata reala” – prea multe specificatii cateodata imi arata ca aparatul stie sa faca de toate insa nimic foarte bine. S-a ajuns la aceasta situatie bizara datorita multitudinii de standarde existente (GSM/GPRS/3G-UMTS/WCDMA/Bluetooth etc) si a presiunii create de cererea extraordinara a pietelor din ce in ce mai globalizate.
Chiar daca nu imi place s-o spun (deh,asteptari prea mari) HD-ul inca sufera de boli ale unei copilarii tarzii (WM exista pe piata din 2000, cand a aparut sub numele de Pocket Pc 2000), inacceptabile din punctul meu de vedere in piata smartphone extrem de competitiva.Daca per ansamblu gadget-ul se misca bine datorita procesorului Qualcomm® MSM 7201A™ 528 MHz si a memoriei RAM de 288 MB, are momente in care “gandeste” o simpla comanda 2-3 secunde, semn ca in spate au loc procese care solicita intens sistemul. Nu se misca fragmentat asa cum faceau modele mai vechi ci doar din cand in cand, mai ales in multi-tasking. Toate astea se intampla cu toate ca interfata Touch-Flo era dezactivata (consuma circa 100 MB RAM!!!), ea fiind inlocuita cu o “masca” SPB. Ecranul mi-a atras atentia in mod deosebit: ecran de 3.8-inch TFT-LCD cu rezolutie WVGA de 480 x 800 pixeli. Cel mai tare ecran dintre toate mobilele existente pe piata. De aici si posibilitatea de a regla rezolutia in cateva forme predefinite (ajuta utilizatorul in momentul convertirii filmelor): VGA/QVGA (imaginea este inconjurata de un chenar negru) si WVGA care inseamna imagine expandata pe tot ecranul, insa de o rezolutie mai slaba. Coreplayer inlocuieste cu succes WM Player dand voie utilizatorului sa scaleze imaginea pe intregul ecran – imaginea este cristal iar imaginile se deruleaza perfect. Orice alt ecran de smartphone paleste in fata acestuia. Informatia este afisata clar, cristal iar lumina data la maxim te orbeste. Poate de aici si timpul real de stand-by de circa 12 ore. Evident, cu folosire intensa.
Dimensiunea ecranului ma duce la marimea telefonului in sine: pare mare, insa tinut in mana pare potrivit, usor si robust. Merita sa te lupti cu 147 de grame pentru a beneficia de un asemenea ecran? Cu siguranta ca da!!
Un punct negativ este (inca!) lipsa unei interfete grafice gandite pentru a fi controlata 100% prin utilizarea degetului in loc de styulus. HTC chiar nu realizeaza ca Iphone are un succes fenomenal datorita unui singur punct forte? Usurinta in utilizare, usurinta cu care utilizatorul foloseste degetul aratator pentru a naviga prin meniuri. Este lucrul pe care HD-ul incearca sa il puna la dispozitie, dar prin care esueaza lamentabil – numai o mica parte a aplicatiilor pot fi folosite fara stylus. Majoritatea iconitelor sunt atat de mici, incat si cu stylusul poti apasa altceva decat iti doreai initial. O multime de spatiu pe ecran irosit inutil.
Camera de 5 MP are inca mult “zgomot”, nu are nici un fel de blitz iar aplicatia nu are buton extern dedicat. Are o intarziere in executie de circa 2-3 secunde, timp in care toata lumea se misca iar fotografia iese valurita. Este clar ca nu s-a pus accent in nici un fel pe acest domeniu. O noutate absoluta este focusul care se poate seta manual printr-o simpla apasare pe ecran in directia dorita si chiar functioneaza.
Pentru mine acesta este primul smartphone Windows Mobile care a reusit sa-mi aprinda imaginatia cat de cat. Mai astept circa 3-6 luni pentru a vedea cum evolueaza modelul, apoi voi decide. WM sau Android. Cuz UIQ is dead! 
[en] UIQ/Sony-Ericsson P1i experiences [GSM/UIQ/tech-head]
Dec 5th
As I said before, sometimes the P1i makes me crazy. My first intention is to smash it in pieces, but then again, I can’t change it now – I’m only too used to UIQ 3.0 interface to switch to something else. Such is the power of UI’s – not only that they have a learning curve you have to take, but then the UI is”enslaving” you to the point in which you need to have the same UI every time you want be comfortable with your gadgets. And, of course, if you need to be efficient. In both professional and social life. That’s the reason most of us have these gadgets, right?Once you get the bug, it’s a long time before shaking it – usually just a LOT better UI will make someone to switch platforms especially when one has his/her data deep inside all kinds of programs: calendar, agenda, locked files, card data, etc. Using another platform would mean porting these datas from point A to point B and sometimes that’s almost impossible.
So I stick to this one. Unfortunately, UIQ is not going to be developed further more, as UIQ is dead. But until then, developers who were working to programs before the closure announcement came aren’t done yet. So programs are still popping up and for the time being I got a new battery (32 Euros), the old one is holding just over 12 hours of juice. Not dead yet, but 1 year and 7 months later it is done. And that’s exactly why I put up with (after more than 2.5 years of UIQ 3.0 – Sony Ericsson M600, P990i&P1i):
- irregular restarts “in
order to improve performance” - different sets of bugs
after every software update, even when you re-flash with the same version
just to get rid of the corrupt versions of applications like Calendar,
Messaging or Contacts. - disappearance of the
in-call clock after a month or two from re-flash - irregular kernel-exec error
which lead to Opera Mobile crash (explained partially by the normal size
of some HTML sites that Opera Mobile can’t handle) - irregular restarts leading
to a bug that won’t turn off the back light completely-dim screen will
always consume energy - themes aren’t always
coherent-you can always find a nice Black theme but the text is also black
which renders it useless. - connection-priorities (and
sometimes changing to its own accord) are inconsistent and I guess it’s
due to its complexity - service menu ( for checking
phone properties like phone screen usability) is not available in the menu
(why not?!!) unless you know the code - Push-email never worked
- Streaming Media never worked
- the impossibility of
recording calls even according to law
All in all, most of the things above were reported by hundreds of peoples every year and still, nothing has been done. And it won’t be done from now on. Even if it’s a 2 years old model, the P1i still packs great features compared to its more recent counter-parts. Its finish quality, the outstanding materials and great variety of software coupled with a 200 Euros price still makes it a good choice in getting a new mobile with operating system.
[en] Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 review [GSM/tech-head]
Dec 1st
Making a follow-up of the Xperia X1 pre-launching, I read this review with great pleasure. It covers all the important aspects, with a section dedicated especially to Sony-Ericsson pannels. There is also a nice video clip regarding the way the pannels work, the speed and the operations.
