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Review
Hands on with the Droid 3
06 months ago
Congratulations...It's a DROID!!
As expected from the numerous leaks on the internet the third generation of the Motorola Droid series hit the market. The Droid 3 is the latest in what was once the flagship product of the Motorola family. Sporting a new keyboard, larger screen, and dual core processors this beast is poised to take the market. Lets take a look at the specifications from Verizon.com
Network
- All–Digital, 800/1900, CDMA EVDO rev A and GSM 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS
Dimensions
- Dimensions: 2.5(w) x 4.9(h) x 0.5 (d) inches
- Weight: 5.9oz
Operating System
- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS with Motorola Application Platform
Display
- 4” qHD 960 x 540 Touch Screen Display
Keyboard
- 5–row QWERTY Keyboard with Ergonomic design
- Physical slide out QWERTY Keyboard
Battery
- Battery: 1540 mAH Li–Ion
- Usage Time – Up to approx. (min.): 550 Minutes
- Standby Time – Up to approx. (hrs.): 300 Hours
- SAR: Head: .77 W/kg; Body: 1.46 W/kg
Memory / Processor
- 16GB Internal memory for emails, texts, and apps
- Dual Core 1Ghz processor
I am on my 2 week mark with my new Droid 3 and so far I love it. Coming from the Droid 1 the keyboard is stunning and does not feel stiff as my last phone. It reminds me more of a Blackberry keypad where you get a nice click but almost no resistance. Typing is fluid and quick once you get use to the slightly shifted keys.
The screen is equally stunning. I had my worries due to the screen being a Pentile design however I see almost no fuzziness in even high contrast views. As full brightness it is readable outside in everything but direct sunlight, a huge plus for me when I have to check emails on the walk into the building. Some people do see slight pixilation so i would suggest checking the device out in a story before ordering.
The phone is fast, very fast. Animation is quite smooth and games play flawlessly. That speed does come at a bit of a price as the battery life does suffer. Dropping the brightness and disabling the GSM radio (or removing the SIM card) help a lot with the battery. There is an extended battery that also helps and adds very little to the width of the phone.
In hand the phone feels solid and about the same weight as the Droid 1. It has similar size and weight to the Droid x. The battery cover bothers me as it is the only plastic feeling part of the phone. Removing the battery cover is easier with a screwdriver or some other leverage but can be done by hand.
As far as the software there is a ton of bloatware on the phone. Blur seems to be much better than previous versions but I found msyelf quickly moving to ADW EX again. The social apps are fairly well done but lack some customization. They also seem to have some issues with networks like LinkedIn. The gallery app needs some serious work to allow for folders as albums, however the link to the social media services along with DLNA capabilites makes up for the current shortcomings.
The remaining apps are bloat and I will be very happy once Root is unlocked and they can be removed.
On the note of Root this phone has a locked Bootloader, so custom roms are going to be a pain for now. This may change as it is ether unlocked by developers or Motorola unlocks it (they promised the Atrix will be unlocked so it is not out of the question).
Another negative is the lack of 4G. For a phone that was once the flagship of the Android movement this is a oversight that should not happen. Rumors are that the Bionic will have 4G and will end up being the flagship product in the future.
Overall I love the new phone. If you are looking for a good upgrade and can live without 4G for a few years this is a great path to take.
Nook2Android | Turning your Nook Color into a Full Android Tablet (the easy way)
57 months ago
My wife, the eBook reader expert of the house, pointed me to this wonderful utility yesterday.
Nook2Android.com promises a quick and painless way to turn your Nook color into a fully functional android tablet.
When you order you get a fully bootable and persistent Android operating system on your SD card. Based on the stable and feature rich Cyogenmod 7 you end up with the full capabilites including Flash, Angry Birds, and the recently added Netflix.
So far the reports on performance have been very promising. The cards they are shipping are high performance so you get virtually no lag in read/writes to the OS. Outside of a minor hiccup at the start Netflix, a very intensive video streaming application, runs with no problems. That is a very impressive point to overall performance.
The OS is persistant on the card so you can move it between Nook Colors and maintain the same OS. Best of all it makes no changes to your Nook so uninstalling is as simple as removing the SD card.
Great prices and a very helpful team have won my vote for this. If you have a Nook Color and are looking for more function this is the safe method to get what you are looking for.
Nook2Android | Turning your Nook Color into a Full Android Tablet (the easy way).
A nook in time saves….. Review of Nook Android App.
01 year ago
The eBook wars continue to heat up, and the latest shots came when Amazon released their Kindle application for Android Devices. Not to be outdone, and late as ever, Barnes and Nobles has released their counter, the Nook application for Android.
Da Nook....only smaller
This app links into your account at B&N allowing you to download and read your books.
After the first screen you are presented with your library interface where you can pick books to download or read ones you have already downloaded.
My wifes bookshelf.....
I have not used the Kindle app for Android yet but comparing this to the iOS version of the Kindle app I found it a bit lacking in the visual department but with more information. A simple tap takes to you a Synopsis and the ability to lend the book to another Nook user for 2 weeks (if available).
I did not take a screenshot of the purchase book section because it is just the B&N web page. You also do not have access to magazines and newspapers like the Nook does.
Onto the reading, you have your choice of several different color schemes including a Day and Night. Letters are crisp and a good size by default.
Night and Day
Day and Night
This can all be edited in the settings area
Settings....
I found it very easy to customize my viewing experience and with a few clicks had a very readable device. While the screen does not compair to the Nook it does work well when you need your reading fix.
Fancy page turning, for that paper book feel.
Overall this app does a great job of giving you access to your library. However it fails in several key areas including the lack of magazines and purchasing of new material. In both of these cases the full Nook is the better choice.
However if you find yourself Nookless this app does fill the void, giving you full access to your library and allowing you to lend your books out without having to drag the device everywhere.
LauncherPro v0.7.1.0 released!
01 year ago
I have mentioned this wonderful launcher replacment for Android in the past but it deserves another quick nod. The developer has released a pay version that includes some very well done widgets.
Well worth the small price IMHO.
A great app, go check it out if you have not already.
Video: Droid 2 Compared to Droid 1, Not Many Differences | Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog
01 year ago
A very well done video comparison between the Droid 1 and Droid 2.
Honestly I do not see much of a reason to upgrade at this point, though it will be nice to attract new users. Very few improvements over an already solid platform.
Video: Droid 2 Compared to Droid 1, Not Many Differences | Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog.
LauncherPro Beta v0.6.0 on the Android Market!
0For the Android users out there I would like to share one of my “Must Have” apps.
LauncherPro is a homescreen replacment that gives you a ton of functionality over the default Google provided.
Some features:
7 Home Screens
HTC style zoom out to see all screens
App drawer improvements
Fast Response
And so much more
The recent update has added even more to this wonderful application. If you are in the market for a HomePage update why not give this a try.
Apple Strikes Back!!! iPhone 4 info is out!
01 year ago
Barely a week from the hot release of the HTC Evo, and with Froyo looming in the wings Apple has announced their latest entry into a market that they helped to revolutionize.
Meet the iPhone 4
We are iPhone, resistance is futile.
And they pulled no punches with the hardware, giving the current heavyweight a run for it’s money.
Height: 4.5 inches
Width: 2.31 inches
Depth: 0.37 inch
Weight: 4.8 ounces
Yes, it is really that thin, most impressive as Darth Vader would say.
Hardware
Camera: Dual camera (Back and front) with 720p video resolution capability and 5mp still shots. Front is for video conferencing
Battery: Non-replaceable “Come on Apple!! You are killing us here”
Processor: A4 clocked at 1Ghz. Same chip as in the iPad
Display: Retina 3.5 inch, 960 by 640 at 326ppi. They are claiming it has better contrast than OLED.
Memory: 16gb or 32gb storage. No SD card “Le sigh! Missed opportunity apple”
OS: iOS 4.0
Nice specs, but some seriously missed opportunities to really put a hurting on the smartphone marketplace. Time will tell if this will be the Evo killer
That time will be June 24th.
Every nook and cranny, review of the nook ebook reader
01 year ago
This jem of a review is thanks to my wife who recently talked me into buying the new Barnes and Nobles eBook reader. How does it fair? How does it stack up against the competition? How will I pay off my credit card?
Some of the answers are here
It's Da Nook Fool!!
Some specs for the tech minded:
Height: 7.7 inches
Width: 4.9 inches
Depth: 0.5 inches
Weight: 12.1 ounces (343 grams)
Not much heavier than a paperback book. The overall size is a bit smaller than a hardcover. In hand it feels very bookish.
Some other features:
-Free wireless from Barnes & Noble via AT&T, the nation’s fastest 3G network.
-Wi-Fi ( 802.11 b/g)
-2GB internal memory (approximately 1500 eBooks)
-Expandable microSD slot up to 32gb (see notes below)
-MP3 player
-Built-in mono speaker
-Universal 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
-Android based OS
-Multi-format capable (EPUB, PDF,PDB,JPG,GIF)
-Over 1,000,000 eBooks available in library
Some nice stuff there. Some point to focus on are the WiFi capability, SD card, and multi-format. All of these are items that the chief competition, the Amazon Kindle, does not have. It also has access to double the library, a nice feature for an avid reader.
Playing with the system the two screens feel very independent. The majority of the device is filled with a very crisp black and white display. When I say crisp, I mean so sharp that I thought it was one of the plastic overlays you normally see on devices when in a store. It is not very reflective, making it great in direct sunlight to low light levels. There is no back light on the main display, so for dark areas you will want a reading light.
The lower screen is a capacitance touch panel that lets you control the majority of the device. They made this area very intuitive and both me and my wife found navigation to be quick. There is some shudder in this area from time to time but it is hardly noticeable. They also use this area for interacting with websites using the built-in browser as well as seeing covers of books in the store. A very nice touch to help influence people to purchase.
The extra SD card slot is a nice touch, more so for the ability to put reading music on the device. A word of caution, read the online manual or do some searches before trying to install the card. While not difficult it is not simple pushing the card into a slot.
The jury is still out on the Nook, but from all the sleepless nights it seems that it is a hit in my household. If you are looking for an affordable eBook reader and do not want to invest in something larger like the iPad (There is a free app out now to read the same books) this is a great choice.
Psst. Hey you! Yeah, you. The visitor who read the word Android and immediately thought of “Is it rooted?” It is and it is very easy. Previous rooting attempts required you to remove the internal SD card and modify files on it. Now, you just have to load up the secondary SD card and do some fancy updating. If you are so inclined you can visit this great nook site for details. It really shows the potential of this device as the software matures.
But you didn’t hear that from me…..
IPad, revolution or flop?
4Ah, good old Steve Jobs. Pushing the envelope where one never existed before. Creating a niche when nobody else can see the need for one. Feeding the rabid fans with slightly new technology so they can feel better than the non-apple crowds.
Here at Ansaldo Computing, or as I like to call it my little corner of reality, we are equal opportunity computists. I, personally, have a MacBook G4 and work extensively with both Power PC (PPC) and Intel (um…Intel) core systems at work. I have learned to appreciate the systems for what they do good, but not to fear scorning them for what they do bad.
In this light we offer our first review of the latest Apple gadget to hit the market. Ladies and Gentleman, the IPad!!
The IPAD!!! Dun Dun DUN!!!!
Just look at it for a second.
Gaze upon it’s glory.
Marvel at the App store.
Wonder when the term App Store became commonly spoken.
Lets take a look at some of the specs as quoted from Apples own site:
Height:
9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
Width:
7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
Depth:
0.5 inch (13.4 mm)
Weight:
1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;
1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model
Capacity
16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
Processor
1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip
Sensors
Accelerometer
Ambient light sensor
This puts it on par with some of the current SmartPhones including HTC Incredible and Evo. One would think, being the bigger brother of the iPhone or Ipod Touch (iTouch if you want to annoy some Apple fanatics) it would function similar. Oddly this is not the case.
Review:
Short Review: If you currently have a collection of 12 iPods, 8 different iBooks and two iMacs then get this. Otherwise wait a generation.
Long Review: I know, I am going to pay for that comment. However it is not so much a bashing of the iPad, rather of the companies release schedule.
In hand the iPad feels much less like it’s cousins and more like something that does not exist, but should have. Almost like one of the pads that StarTrek officers would carry around, jotting down various useful bits of info, or whatever else they were doing.
Being both lightweight and of a very two hand friendly size it lends it’s self well to tasks that an iPhone does not. Reading newspapers, books, or magazines is very intuitive. It is worth nothing that, despite having the Amazon Kindle app as well as soon to have the Barns and Nobles eBook app it does not compete with ether of the pure eBook readers. It is close however.
Web Browsing is what the iPad seems to be made fore. Multi-Touch combined with the larger screen allows for much more intuitive browsing than on the smaller screens. At times I found it more enjoyable that most standard computer browser. Being Safari based it does suffer with some limitations (NO FLASH!!! AHHHHHH!!!) but overall I found it to be very enjoyable. (Side Note: I would expect Multi-Touch iMacs in the next year or two based on how smoothly web runs on the iPad. Also look out for 3D OS…but that is another Blog post).
But wait!! In your short review you said not to buy it? What the F*$K??
Glad you asked. The fault in the iPad is two fold
- Apple has a nasty reputation for releasing a product, then releasing a improved hardware version before the warranty runs out. Anybody remember the first iPhone? How about the update? Talk about fireworks from the community. There are many things the iPad does not do, namely have a camera. If you are looking at one but not sure, wait for Apple to release one with a camera before taking the plunge. It will not be that long down the road and you will have a much better product.
- Market. Apple is king of inventing a market that does not exist, closely followed by Sony and Nintendo. However to do such a thing requires several broken eggs. For all the successes Apple has many failures that slowly fall from support. A entry-level, end-user based tablet is a hard sell to the mainstream. Sure the Apple fans are buying them up, but they buy up any new iPod like they are gold. Let the fever die down a bit, then actually evaluate if it fits what you need. If all you are looking for is a method to read books and newspapers a eBook reader would be a much better option.
If Apple can manage to carve a market for this device it will be a revolution. It will become an extension of your personal computing, a way to interface with the digital world outside of your office but more effective than a SmartPhone.
If not, it will be another Newton.