Which smartphone should I buy?

May 27, 2014 by

smartphonesThe notable selections and their respective manufacturers are:
– Android (Samsung, HTC, Nexus, LG, Sony, Motorola)
– BlackBerry (BlackBerry)
– iOS (Apple)
– Windows (Nokia, Samsung, HTC)

The choice is often very clear, but you will ask because you hope that you will hear the answer you want to hear, or find someone to reaffirm your choice in smartphones. The following are some examples of this, and if you find yourself agreeing with any of these then there is no need to ask, just head straight to a shop.

  • Security – Obama can’t use an iPhone (http://www.tomsguide.com/us/why-obama-cant-use-iphone,news-17949.html). The choice of BlackBerry is very clear in this article.
  • Want – You already want the phone, so what could be more satisfying than buying that which you want?
  • Enjoyment – You enjoy customizing your phone. Do not let someone deprive you of your joy. Enjoy all the tinkering you could possibly want with the phone that makes you happy.
  • Apps/Accessories – You have already invested time and money on your favourite applications and accessories. Starting this process again is not an option.
  • Money – Head straight to your nearest phone shop and get the phone and plan that is within your budget.

However, if you are not restricted by the circumstances above, see some points for your consideration below.

  1. Support – iPhone users have the luxury of making appointments with Apple geniuses and have them guide you through setting up and troubleshooting your device. For other phones, you have to find the genius within you, or within your buddies.
  2. Applications – There is only one iOS device, the iPhone. iOS application developers only have one set of hardware specifications to deal with. As such, iPhone applications usually run smoother and are more stable than applications for other platform. Apple’s App Store also has a large variety of apps and games.
  3. Battery Life – If you are a heavy user, you need a phone that will last throughout your day and night. Although an extra battery pack can be used for any phone, it may be inconvenient and a bit impractical to carry a battery pack and a phone together. Choose a phone that will allow you to swap in a fresh battery as and when it is needed.
  4. Data Storage Space – Music, videos and photos can take up a lot of storage space. Do not underestimate the high definition videos and photos that new phones are capable of taking; they are huge in size. Choose a phone that allows additional storage to be added, like a Micro SD card.
  5. Size – If you often watch movies on your phone, choose a phone that has a bigger screen size. It may also be more convenient for viewing websites and reading e-books.

Currently, my phone is an Android Nexus 4 phone. Since I choose apps that run on multi-platform (Android, iOS and preferably Windows as well), I have the flexibility of choosing a phone that I need or want without losing my ability to use my applications and data. My next phone will most likely be a Samsung Galaxy Note III. I want it for its capability to be used as a phone, mini-tablet and “micro-mini” computer. It will also allow me to scribble down my thoughts using its stylus, the “S-Pen”.​

Filed Under: Gadget

CalendarSync

March 9, 2014 by

CalendarSyncMany companies depend on Microsoft Exchange to handle their emails, calendars, contacts and tasks. The Outlook program on PC or Mac syncs very well with the Exchange server for these functions and I depend on it as well.

ActiveSync is a mobile data synchronization application developed by Microsoft. It synchronizes data with handheld devices and the Exchange server. Unfortunately, it does not support shared calendar synchronization. My Android smartphone, Nexus 4, happens to be incapable of displaying any web calendars from the Exchange server as well. For some time, I was unable to have any shared calendars on my smartphone. It drove me crazy as I depend very much on my calendar and shared calendars to manage my tasks, meetings and appointments.

After some research, I found CalendarSync, an Android app which synchronizes appointments using CalDAV, FTP, HTTP, WebDAV or plain ics files. Annemarie, the developer of CalendarSync was very prompt in helping me setup the synchronization process. I have since then depended on CalendarSync to display my shared calendars from the Exchange server to my Android smartphone.

You can purchase CalendarSync from the Google Playstore or directly from Annemarie here.

Filed Under: Productivity

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

August 1, 2013 by

Note2The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a “Phabet” (Phone Tablet hybrid). It has a screen size of 5.5 inches, a 720 x 1280 pixel resolution with a pixel density of ~267ppi. The low pixel density of ~267 ppi makes the Note 2’s screen display not as sharp and clear as the iPhone 4S (330 ppi) or the Galaxy S3 (306 ppi). At the core of the Note 2 is a quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 processor with 2gb RAM which makes the Note 2 a very powerful smartphone that runs applications swiftly and smoothly.

I have always wondered if the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was a suitable smartphone for me. When opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it and spun it around for 4 weeks. Hence, this is a real world experience review of using the Galaxy Note 2 – not a review based on specifications.

I received the Note 2 the day before going off on a 4-day vacation. With a 64gb sd card inserted, together with the app iSyncr, I synced my iTunes library of about 5,000 songs and then copied 5 movies onto the sd card. These will have given me hours of entertainment.

The Note 2 was paired with my car’s sound system via bluetooth. With Navigon the turn by turn navigation app, the Note 2 was a great GPS device that played my songs and guided us on the drive from Vancouver, BC to our destination Osoyoos, BC, Canada. The 5.5-inch display provided a wider view than my regular iPhone 4S or my dedicated Garmin GPS.

Although the Note 2 has a  low pixel density of 267ppi, but because of its  5.5-inch screen size, watching movies was comfortable. It would have been much better if its pixel density was above 300 ppi. The speakers produced the best sound I have heard coming out of a smartphone.

The 8MP camera was capable of taking sharp pictures.

Due to its screen size, reading and replying emails was very comfortable. I didn’t need my iPad for this task anymore. During the 4-week trial period, about 90% of my email tasks were performed on the Note 2. However, due to the content and nature of the other 10% of emails, those needed to be attended to with my notebook or desktop.

The Note 2 eliminated my need to carry my iPad for reading, while waiting for appointments or to connect to my web server for some small tasks. However, when there was a need to VPN into my office server, I still needed my iPad. The Note 2 nor any Android or Windows device would also not allow me to perform this task; Windows 8 phones are not VPN capable yet; the Android devices are VPN capable on spec but is a no-go for me since the Android 2.3. My experience was that if you have a problem or need help with an Apple device, you can make an appointment with an Apple Genius at the Apple Centre. However, if you need help with an Android or Windows device, you need to find the genius in you.

The Note 2 provided Internet connectivity to my notebook and Macbook Pro without any problem. The Internet through this access point was pleasantly fast via the LTE network.

During the short period I tested the Note 2, I did not find any use for its multi-window capability. I guess if you were bored enough with your texting partner, you could easily watch a movie while texting at the same time.

With its 3100 mAh battery, the Note 2 battery life easily lasted from 7am to 9pm for me.

Although the size makes it comfortable for many uses, the size and weight of the Note 2 made it a burden for me to carry around in my pants or jeans pocket. It is not my go to device but I did not mind it as much.

For most usage, it was a great smartphone that eliminated the need for an in-between device from phone (to tablet) to notebook/desktop.

The S-Pen when used with the Note 2 was a great device. Its ocr capability easily coverted my free-style writing to text with great accuracy. Hovering the S-Pen over the heading of emails showed some of its contents. Hovering the S-Pen over a calendar entry showed the contents of that entry. I did not have enough time to explore more features of the S-Pen.

Apart from the useability of the Note 2, as a phone, it was awkward putting it to my face. Maybe the mic was further away from my mouth as the people I conversed with over the other end of the line sometimes thought I sounded very nasal; like I had caught a flu or was having allergies. Generally, as a phone, it was not suitable for me.

Filed Under: Gadget

Email Best Practice

May 28, 2013 by

eMailE-mail has become a major means of communication for most of us. For e-mail usage to be productive and meaningful, we need to adhere to some etiquette. Below is my compilation of some e-mail best practices.

Response Time
It is professional courtesy to acknowledge receipt of emails in a timely manner. Always try to reply within 24 hours. If unable to reply within 48 hours, do send a short note like “looking into the matter and will get back to you soon” to inform the sender that the email was received and noted.

Subject Line
Subject Line should be unique and meaningful. Let the recipient know at first glance what this email is about.

E-mail Topic
Only discuss one topic per email. This way emails can be filed properly.

CC (Carbon Copy) and BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)
Use CC to courteously show with confidence who you have copied the e-mail to. Use BCC to prevent everybody from seeing everybody else’s e-mail address when e-mailing to a group.

Chain Letters
You may enjoy chain letters, but people are busy and do not have the time to participate in such schemes.

Virus warnings
Verify with reputable antivirus websites before sending out virus warnings. Although people appreciate real virus warnings, they do not appreciate hoaxes.

Virus Protection
Please have some form of antivirus on your computer. You will be the partner in crime if your computer or e-mail program is being used for criminal activities.

Email Signature
Include your contact information with website and phone numbers in your signature. Most people are using mobile devices to check e-mails these days, so do not include unnecessary graphics to clutter up the small screen. Graphics signatures were cool in the past, but as the Internet matures, simplicity is the best practice.

Forwarding
Forward only appropriate text; so clean up and remove anything that isn’t necessary.

White List
To avoid legitimate e-mails from going to the spam folder, always whitelist addresses you would receive e-mails from.

E-mail Subscription
Record your e-mail subscriptions to better manage them.
When you report spam on emails received from your subscriptions, you are sabotaging the sender’s sending reputation, which in time will cause the sender’s email delivery rate to go down.

Filed Under: eMail

POP vs IMAP Email Protocol

April 28, 2013 by

PopVImapI prefer IMAP over POP. Before we take a look at the differences between POP and IMAP, I would like to define “email client” as a mobile device app or computer/laptop program used to read and write emails.

POP – Post Office Protocol. This is a one-way flow of emails. Typically, an email client will retrieve emails from the email server to your local device or computer. These emails will stay at the device or computer locally. The remote email server will then delete the original emails. Although POP also allows other advanced configurations, for the purpose of this article, we shall not discuss them. This method is commonly used when the Internet speed is slower and is not always on.

Some people prefer using their computer to retrieve emails via POP. This method, if configured correctly, will allow emails received to stay at both the local computer and remote email server. When there is no Internet connection, emails can be read locally, especially older emails.

IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol. IMAP allows two-way email synchronization. When you set up your devices or computers to retrieve emails using the IMAP protocol you are effectively syncing all emails on the remote server to local devices or PCs. With this method, emails are centrally stored on the email server all the time, including sent emails. The more recent emails are also stored locally enabling access to them even if there is no Internet connection. This is the preferred method if you access emails from many devices/computers.

Since I use a phone, tablet, notebook and desktop to access emails, I prefer the IMAP method. This method allows me to be able to access all emails including sent emails using any device/computer. The disadvantage of this method is that you need to have Internet connection to read older emails that are not stored locally.

Filed Under: eMail

Earbugs with Wings

March 26, 2013 by

EarbusWingsEarbugs with wings allows me to enjoy good music on my portable devices. I love listening to great music while on the move. It is always a challenge for me to keep my ear piece in place.  Normal earbugs will not stay attached for me to enjoy music on the go.

Bose® MIE2i in-ear headphones for iPod, iPhone and iPad features their proprietary StayHear silicone tips.  Advanced materials and design allow the tips to nestle inside the bowl of the ear while also naturally conforming to the ear’s upper ridge. The StayHear silicone tips fits my ear securely when I am using it with my iPod Nano while working out in the gym. The MIE2i includes an inline microphone for taking calls at the touch of a button and switching seamlessly between calls and music, thus making it a good iPhone companion for me.  If your device manufacturer is other than Apple, the MIE2 (without an i) mobile headset is designed for your Android, BlackBerry or Windows phone.

When I prefer to be free from cord, I will use my Jaybird Secure Fit Freedom F4 bluetooth earbugs. It features patented sports ear cushions which hug the top, back and lower surface areas of the ear, all critical to lock in for sports and the formation of my own ear lobes. It stays securely in my earls for hours without falling out. The Jaybird is compatible with any A2DP Bluetooth stereo device including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, Windows, Blackberry Phones, Moto Actv, (iPod nano with JayBird Bluetooth adapter), PC, Mac and gaming devices.

Having researched extensively on other makes of in-ear headsets, I find the Bose® MIE2i and the Jaybird Secure Fit Freedom F4 to be the two earbugs with wings that can stay in my ears for hours.

Filed Under: Gadget
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