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7/25/2008

Once you go QWERTY you never go back

Whenever I get the opportunity to buy a new cellphone, I always look for that QWERTY keyboard. I just don't think I can do the many things I do daily on my cellphone without it. I blog, write notes, surf the web and schedule appointments all on my cellphone. And witthout a QWERTY keyboard it will certainly take me longer to perform any of these tasks. Not to mention the frustration that comes from not hitting the right button a certain number of times to get that special or numeric character on a numpad.

One of the reasons why I am still attached to my Nokia E61 is for the fact that I can type fast on it. The keyboard buttons feel great and anyone can quickly get used to it. Believe it or not, I bought numerous phones and kept switching back and forth between devices but I always end up going back to my Nokia E61. I have had this device for years now and I still see no reason to completely replace it. If anything, I might replace it with its latest successor, the E71.

Hmmm. That might not be a bad idea.
7/24/2008

Nokia N95 - Best camera phone?

I have researched the web high and low to find the best camera phone and one phone in particular keeps showing up. The Nokia N95.

Nokia Ovi and flickr has thousands, if not more, of photos take by Nokia N95 owners all around the globe and all of them prove the fact that it is the best and most popular camera phone in the market so far. The photos are vibrant and full of colour. Even videos taken by the phone look so professional and crystal clear.

So there you have it. If you are looking for the best camera and video phone out there, then look no further than the Nokia N95. It certainly won't disappoint you. You might even end up ditching your digital camera.

7/23/2008

So, what is the perfect cellphone?

Everyone thinks differently when it comes to choosing a cellphone. Some look for multimedia features and some look for internet and email features. And there are those whom just want to send and receive phone calls. I am definitely not one of them

For me, the perfect cellphone would have a lot of high end features as well as a large touchscreen. It must have the following: GPS, WiFi, bluetooth, QWERTY keyboard, multi-language support, at least 3.2" high-res touchscreen, LED light indicator, at least 5MP camera with auto-focus, fast processor, large built-in storage, desktop-like browser, a large battery and an upgradable firmware. In other words, a mean pocketable machine.

Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing: It has to cost less than $700.

SonyEricsson's XPERIA phone comes close to what I am looking for, but it will run the slow and ugly Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The iPhone lacks a physical keyboard, a descent camera, and a good battery life. The Nokia N95 8GB is a great device but it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard or a touchscreen.

So as you can see, the perfect phone I am looking for doesn't exist yet. But there are numerous alternatives that I am forced to accept to live with.

I will soon receive my iPhone 16GB in the mail which I sent to AppleCare for repairs two weeks ago, and my dad will bring a Nokia N95 8GB, that I asked him to buy for me, when he arrives to Canada a week from today. Which means I will be comparing all devices, including my current Nokia E61, and figure out which one I will favour the most.

So stay tuned.

7/20/2008

Where is everything stored on Windows Live?

I have been thinking about this for a while and something isn't making sense to me at all. Windows Live seems to have a strange way handling content storage.

If you have a Windows Live Hotmail account, you can purchase the Hotmail Plus service which gives you 10GB of mail and attachment storage. So, all your mail and any documents, images, and files in general are stored under the Windows Live Hotmail umbrella.

When you create a Windows Live Spaces account, you can blog and upload images to your Space. Anything you create or upload is stored under the Windows Live Spaces umbrella.

If you heard of Windows Live SkyDrive, you'd know that you can use this free service to upload and store pretty much anything you want on your SkyDrive. Up to 5GB of documents, images, MP3 files, videos, ZIP files, and any type of file can be stored on your SkyDrive account.

Were you one of the few lucky ones to get an invitation to create your new Windows Live Mesh account? Well this means that's an additional 5GB of any type of content that you can share and synchronize between PCs, MACs, and Windows Mobile devices. The content is stored under the Windows Live Mesh umbrella.

Each of the services I mentioned above seems to have its own storage which cannot be shared between any of them.

I also have to say that I keep wondering what the purpose of Windows Live SkyDrive is now after Windows Live Mesh came out. You can store whatever file you want on your Mesh just like you would do on SkyDrive. So what's the difference? Those two services seem to be conflicting a bit with one another when it comes to storage.

The main question here, is why have a different storage size or location for every Windows Live service? A better way to handle the storage for these services should be simple and straight forward.

Here is my solution: Windows Live SkyDrive should be the main storage location for all Windows Live services. Each Windows Live user gets a certain amount of storage on his SkyDrive which can be expanded by purchasing extra storage. A user's SkyDrive will then dedicate a portion of its storage to every Windows Live service the user subscribes to. So, for your Hotmail account, SkyDrive will dedicate and create a portion of its storage to store your email and attachments. The same applies to Windows Live Spaces where a portion of SkyDrive's storage will be used to store your posts and uploaded images. Live Mesh should not act as a storage centre, but instead it should just be a service that syncs data between devices that is stored either on a client computer or on the user's SkyDrive.

It's all about keeping it simple for the end user.

7/17/2008

From 6GB To 300MB? You're Joking, Right?

I called up Fido today to ask about their limited time data plan promotion. The data plan option costs $30 for 6GB of data. Personally, I thought that's as good as it gets when it comes out from either Fido or Rogers. So after talking to a Fido representative, it turns out that this offer is only available on selected fido handsets and requires a whopping 3 year monthly plan. So they expect me to use one specific handset for 3 years. Well, that's when I was about to hang up.

The funny thing, is when I told him that I just wanted a data plan option for my Nokia E61 phone so that I can browse the web, check email, chat, and use google maps without worrying about how much it will cost me. He then suggested a $30 data option that I can add to my existing plan which will give me 300MB. So I called to ask about a 6GB data plan and it turned out that I didn't meet the requirements, and then he suggested the next best thing which was, sadly, 300MB for exactly the same price.

I don't know what to say folks. It seems that the cellphone products are way ahead in technology that the wireless carrier it's running on. You can get GPS, desktop like browsing, great multimedia features, bigger storage capacity, big bright clear screens, and built in QWERTY keyboards on a single cellular device and it will still not cost you a fortune. But try to get a decent monthly data plan to make use of all those great features and you'll find yourself spending and arm and a leg on a monthly or yearly basis.

Our wireless carriers are still way behind and will take years for them to catch up. But then again why would they care. It's not like they're not making millions in profit by ripping off customers, including yours truly.
7/16/2008

Is It Time For a Time Out?

Just recently I started to feel that I need some sort of a time out from everything related to the internet, communication and electronics. I won't be surprised to know that there is scientific word or term that described such a symptom. I mean, somedays I can't imagine myself living a day without being connected somehow to the WWW. Shouldn't that be a sign that I am somewhat attached, in a high degree, to the internet and/or mobile devices?

Recently I have been having this crazy idea in my head about totaly disconnecting myself from the web and any wireless device that can connect me to the web. Currently, I have a smartphone that I cant use to either blog, chat on msn, send and receive emails, as well as read recent news through RSS feeds or directly on a website through a web browser. And I have to admit that I do use all these features constantly and, mostly, on a daily basis. So by giving up why smartphone at home, this would tremendously help disconnect me from the web.

Another device I constantly use is my laptop. Although I do hate the fact that I have to be sitting in a particular way to use it, as oppose to a smartphone, I still tend to spend a lot of time surfung the web on my laptop when I am at home. Therefore taking my laptop away and out of my reach will also greatly help in reducing my online presence.

But will I actually do it? I doubt it. But it certainly makes me wonder. How would my life be without using computers and surfing the web as often and as frequent as today?
7/7/2008

Rogers Wireless is Darth Vader?

Are you getting the iPhone 3G from Rogers?

Someone posted this comic on Canadaka.net and I thought it's certainly worth sharing and spreading around the web. It clearly and truly shows what Rogers Wireless's intentions are with launching the iPhone 3G in Canada and how upset the Canadians are with the posted iPhone 3G voice and data plans.

I just hope the average Canadian consumer is wise enough to know that he or she is making a difference and helping change Canada's telecommunication industry by not falling into the traps of Darth Vader..oops..I mean Rogers by signing a 3 year contract and buying an iPhone. And I also hope spreading the word all around the web and by word of mouth will help reduce and minimize the number of Canadian iPhone 3G customers because that will certainly cause a big impact on Rogers and hopefully make them change their prices.



6/29/2008

Rogers Wireless Sucks - RuinediPhone.com

While the world is getting cheaper voice and data plans, Canada's only GSM network, Rogers, is still offering ridiculous and expensive wireless data plans. And even though the iPhone 3G is coming to Rogers on July 11 as well, Rogers still wont be offering an unlimited data plan (which means Fido wont as well).

Canadians know that they are being ripped off by the major wireless carrier for years (including yours truely) yet nothing is being done to put an end to it.

When will we ever see significant changes in data plan prices? And what needs to be done to see it happening?


UPDATE #1:
Visit www.ruinediphone.com and sign a petition to say NO to Rogers ridiculous data plans.

UPDATE #2:
RuinediPhone.com is down as I type this update. It has moved to http://inflexion.iisnet-networks.com/~iphone/index.php.
Please click the link and sign the petition.

UPDATE #3:
Looks like RuinediPhone.com is back online again. Please visit the site and make your voice heard if you haven't signed the petition yet.


6/23/2008

Smartphone Over-Pricing Madness

Planning on getting a phone just for making and receiving phone calls? Then you're looking at a price range of $50 to $150. But if you are looking for a smartphone or a phone slash PDA then you're looking at a price range of $500 to $1000. Of course I am only talking about unlocked phones without a contract.

It's kind of hard for me to pay more than $600 for something as small and fragile as a cell phone. And the prices don't seem to be going down as fast as they should be. I mean, almost every month you hear about a new smartphone being released or announced by some major manufacturer with all the high end features you can think of yet the previous last year models still don't seem to be affected at all price wise.

As cell phone manufacturers are trying their best to keep up with today's latest mobile technology and consumer demands, they still don't play it fair when it comes to pricing. In order for a fair and steady competition to happen we need those smartphones to be fairly priced and more affordable (and I am specially looking at you HTC).

Think about the HTC Touch Diamond for instance. The device has features already available in a lot of other phones available in the market today and it's priced at a whopping $700! To me, that's ridiculous considering you will be squinting at a 2.8" screen. I mean, I would totally have no problem with that price if it had a large 3.5" screen.

Anyway, I am hoping the crazy smartphone over pricing madness would eventually come to an end or else I would have to go back on carrying multiple devices.
6/21/2008

I Passed My MCTS Exam!

My MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) 70-541 exam in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Application Development was scheduled today, June 21st 2008, at 9:00 AM. It turned out to be a lot more difficult that I thought. A lot of the questions was based on site and list definitions. The exam also had plenty of questions on the WSS API as well. One or two questions were on solution deployment and several on webparts. But in the end I managed to pass the exam and currently I am waiting for my MCP access code for the MCP site. So in general, it was certainly an excellent way to start off my weekend.

FYI, my only study material was Inside Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 book from Microsoft Press.

Good luck to anyone out there who's planning on taking the exam.

6/17/2008

Nokia E71 is Officially Announced

I have always been fond of Nokia's E series phone lineup so I was excited when I read that Nokia officially announced the new E71. It's certainly a pretty device with pretty much all the high end features a business user could ask for.

What surprised me is the phone's new size. Apparently it's a bit smaller and a lot thinner than the E61 but still manages to pack more features. The E71 has built in GPS/A-GPS, 3.2 MP camera with flash, front VGA video camera, and runs the latest S60 Symbian OS. As well as the usual QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

I was disappointed to see the same screen size though. Honestly, I was hoping for a total makeover for the phone's form factor. I am not saying that I didn't like the E61's design (I wouldn't be using it right now to blog if it was true) but I was hoping for Nokia to come up with a slide out QWERTY keyboard phone with a large screen that covers most of the phone's size. And I thought this would be the E71. I am positive that I am not the only one who is waiting for a Nokia phone with a screen larger than N95's screen.

Nevertheless, the E71 is an attractive, slim, and feature packed phone with lots to offer and it certainly proves the E61's success in the mobile market.


6/16/2008

It's Tough to be Broke

Even though I've got a good amount of money in my savings account, I still consider myself broke for another three to four months. Which means I won't be able to buy any cool gadgets for a long time. Which also means I will be feeling misreable for a long time.

So what made me broke? Honestly, I have no clue. But as it turns out I have spent almost $1,000 using my Amex card. Whatever those expenses were, I have to pay it back ASAP. Which means I will be putting at least $250 (if not more) towards my Amex card every month.

Please don't get me wrong. I don't usually go on a spending spree using my credit cards. I rarely get into these situations and when I do I always take it seriously and try to pay whatever I owe as soon as I can.

Anyway, on the bright side this isn't the largest balance I had on my credit card.


6/9/2008

Samsung i900 is Officially Announced

A few moments ago I decided to check out GSMArena.com and I noticed they posted official news and pictures of the much anticipated Samsung i900 "Omnia".

Apparently, the screen size isn't 3.5" as all previous posts have mentioned. Instead, the screen size actually is 3.2". And that black square-shapped flat surface located at the bottom of the device is actually the previously seen optical mouse which seemed to dissappoint most people.

Another interesting piece of information that I didn't know about is the device's built in accelerometer. Which means the screen will automatically rotate if flipped to its side.

It also sounds like there will be two versions of this phone. One with 8 Gb of storage and another with 16 Gb. And it also supports miniSD cards which allows for further more storage if needed.

It would be great if a third version of this wonderful phone existed with a built in slide-out QWERTY keyboard to attract more business users and people who can't live without a physical keyboard such as myself.

Nevertheless, I can't wait to watch a video review of the phone sometime soon.


6/8/2008

WWDC is Tomorrow. Do I Care?

Nope. I don't care. Not even one bit. So why the hell am I blogging about it? Well, cause I have nothing else to talk about.

His Steveness is suppose to be announcing a new 3G iPhone during his keynote tomorrow. Whether he actually does it or not isn't changing the fact that it's coming from Apple. In other words, owning such a device will confine the owner with all of Apple's crappy restrictions and limitations. Even more, and I say this out of experience, you will totally feel owned by Apple.

On the other hand, I have to admit that I am excited to see what's new in iPhone 2.0 and if Apple listened to all its iPhone customers' suggestions and feedback on improvements and requests for additional features and functionality.

You never know, people might actually be able to copy and paste on the new iPhone. But I wouldn't get my hopes up.

6/5/2008

HTC Touch Pro Officially Announced

This is wonderful news for all those HTC Diamond fans who were disappointed for the phone's lack of a QWERTY keyboard. Well, that's where the HTC Touch Pro comes in to fill that gap. The HTC Touch Pro looks exactly like the HTC Diamond and shares the same TouchFLO 3D interface and sleek design. But there are several differences under the hood.

The HTC Touch Pro comes with a slide out QWERTY keyboard, a faster processor, and (the part I love the most) a larger battery. The screen size and memory remain the same on both devices.

I still hate the fact that the HTC Diamond comes with a 950 mAh battery. I think the HTC Touch Pro gives consumers a lot more bang for their buck just for the fact that it has a longer battery life and the advantage of a slide out QWERTY keyboard. And besides, the Touch Pro's design and software all comes from the Diamond so people would have the best of both worlds.

If I had to make a choice between either the HTC Diamond or the HTC Touch Pro, I would certainly choose the Touch Pro in a blink of an eye and without any hesitation.


MCTS Exam this Month

Recently I registered for a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exam which will be on June 22nd 2008. The exam will be based on the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Development technology. It's something I have been meaning to do for a while but never got the chance.

I have been working with SharePoint for a while now building applications and project sites from the ground up. The WSS 3.0 API has always been a pleasure working with. And after gaining a lot of experience in this field, and especially in troubleshooting ever since the first beta came out, I decided to put my skills to the test and hopefully get rewarded for it.

So anyways, I just thought I would share this information with you before I head to bed and I will keep you posted with further updates on this matter.

Wish me luck!


6/2/2008

Impatient Cellphone Shopper

I know for a fact that several exciting new cellphones will be released during this month but my impatience for getting a new cellphone is getting worse as the days go by. At the same time I still haven't decided which handset I am most likely to buy.

The HTC Diamond has been up for sale on several online stores for almost a week now but I am not too much fond of the small screen and week battery. The iPhone 2.0 should be released during this month but, out of experience, I don't want to feel owned by Apple due to all the iPhone restrictions. And the Samsung i900 will also be released this month but it won't have a VGA screen nor a special home screen like the Diamond.

I understand that I can never get the perfect cellphone with all the usefull high end features that I always dream of but I still hate to accept whatever came close even if it lacked a GPS, or a built in QWERTY keyboard, or Windows Live integration, or a large 3.5" VGA touch screen.

I guess I will have to just wait and hope for the best.


6/1/2008

Everything is Getting Touched

The world, as it seems, is moving towards touch based devices. Most cellphones these days have touch screens and recently Microsoft has shown that Windows 7 will support multi-touch. And where do I stand between this evolution? Well, unfortunately I am still years behind. My current phone is a Nokia E61, which doesn't have a touch screen, and I don't own a tablet but instead I have a laptop running Windows XP (not even Vista capable).

So is it time for an upgrade? Hell ya!


5/28/2008

Samsung i900 - New Images


samsung-i900-s01New images for the Samsung i900 emerged on IntoMobile.com today morning. I have yet to see a more slick and stylish Windows Mobile device than the i900. Still no word on any release date but more than likely this beauty will be in stores by the end of June.

Click on the pictures below for a larger size.

samsung-i900-s1  samsung-i900-s2  samsung-i900-s3 

samsung-i900-s4  samsung-i900-s5  samsung-i900-s6

HTC Touch Diamond Available in Stores


htc-touch-diamond-front According to IntoMobile.com, the HTC Touch Diamond is now available in select online stores waiting for the fans to order. I still think it's a pretty slick phone with a lot of high end features but I am not convinced that it's worth at least $780. I mean, it doesn't have a large screen (2.8") and a very small battery capacity (900 mAh) that is suppose to power up all the built in features. You'll be lucky to get two full days out of it. Nevertheless, it's certainly a phone worth looking into and now you can get your hands on it.

Here is what IntoMobile.com says:

If you have the $780 to $900 admission fee handy, you too can play to your heart's content in the land of Diamond that HTC built. The HTC Touch Diamond is a bit pricey, but for a high-end smartphone packed with features like a VGA touchscreen display, HSPA (both HSDPA and HSUPA), Opera browser, 3 megapixel camera, and eye-catching UI - powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, the price-point isn't all that unheard-of.

Grab your own HTC Touch Diamond at one of the following online retailers: