Tweeting vs. Blogging

As I've mentioned before, it's really hard to blog constantly.

It takes effort, organization and more importantly... time.

Really interesting blog posts can be all text but others rely on images and videos to get your point across and then you have to find and post those things.

Twitter... or microblogging... seems to be suited to the casual blogger like myself. Short posts about different things, and at most times, responses to those you follow.

I don't think I'm tweeting right, but it's not like I have followers, here or there. A long time ago, when I used to do notebook reviews, it was easy to get views. Now, with so much out there, I'll be lucky if one person responds to a blog post. I've actually got more responses on Twitter than on this blog.

And then again, most of my online interaction is in different forums/message boards. I don't do Facebook because I prefer the anonymity that blogs, forums and Twitter affords me.

So I added a Follow gadget here... not like it will get me any followers but moreso that anyone who does come here will know where I went. Heh.

Batman vs. Superman... or whatever you want to call it

So the rumor is the title of the next Man of Steel movie will be "Batman vs. Superman".

There are various arguments about how this movie will be, who will play Batman, why does it have to be "vs.", how it's not a proper Man of Steel sequel because Batman is in it... etc etc.

My take:

1. It's Batman AND Superman, who cares what the title is.
2. It's Batman AND Superman, who cares who plays Batman.
3. It's Batman AND Superman, who cares if it's not a proper sequel. If it helps, don't think of it as a sequel, think of it has a "sidequel". Did anyone think Avengers was a sequel to Iron Man, Captain America or Thor?

If you haven't checked out HowItShouldHaveEnded.com, you should. Their latest Super Cafe video is hilarious:

Peace! I'm out! I'm Batman.

What kind of gear do I have?

While I call myself a big nerd... I'm more "big" than "nerd". I'm a regular on different forums and there are people out there who used to be like I was back in the day where they know all the technical specs, performance details and mhz of technology gadgets. Back then, it was really only desktop computers and notebooks... now with tablets and mobile phones... it's hard to keep up. So while I don't get caught up in all those numbers any more and I don't have a gaggle of equipment that I tinker with (nor do I spend all my free time flashing ROMs), I do have a number of devices:

Main Computer:

Sony SE VAIO 15" i5 1920x1080 FHD (wish they still had 1920x1200 WUXGA)

It's a good deck... took me a while to get it but it was the first FHD computer that came in at about $1k (end of 2011). Since then there have been more and while this particular model suffers from OrangeGate (the screen renders reds more orange than red) but it works. I've been meaning to replace the optical disk with an SSD... but I really don't think the price warrants the speed benefit.

Mobile Computer:

Toshiba Portege Z835 (Best Buy version) 14" i3 1366x768 (what I call Bleh-tina Display)

When Intel announced their Ultrabook initiative, I was ecstatic. I used to marvel at how thin Apple notebooks and always wished PCs would follow. I even bought a 13" MacBook Air and put Windows on it... but interestingly enough, I ended up just using OSX and the browser. It was then that I realized that for my home use, I don't really need a high power machine (I don't play graphic intensive games), but just something that was very portable, so I sold the MBA and ended up picking the Toshiba as my first Ultrabook because it had the keyboard layout I wanted (dedicated Pg/Home/End buttons) and all the ports without using a dongle. The bonus was with discounts and sales, it ended up being only $699 when other Ultrabooks at the time (again end of 2011) were $1k or higher. There are more Ultrabooks now in the $700 range but eventually when I replace the Tosh, I think they will be in the $500s (late 2013/early 2014).

Tablets:

iPad 2 32GB
Had an Asus Transformer (the first one)... sold it.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 8GB

After using a 10" tablet and now the 7", I actually think a 5-6" is better for portability... which brings me to...

Phones:

iPhone 4 32GB
Moto Xprt
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (my newest toy)

The Note 2 is a great convergence device for me. It's not my main phone, so you'll hardly see me making phone calls with this gigantic slab on my ear (although it doesn't look that big next to me)... but using it as a 4G connected tablet (with pen input!) is its main function. I think the market for "phablets" is going to get bigger are more people combine phone and tablet usage.

I eventually want to get a Win8 convertible unit, tablet + notebook (I like that Acer and Asus both have keyboard docks that are 2nd batteries) and the iPad mini if they ever put a higher resolution display on it. I'll also probably upgrade to an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 (whatever they come out with this year).

So what do you guys have?

Yes... I'm alive...

I got to give it up to bloggers... being able to post daily or even weekly is a task.

I can't believe I've been so lazy I haven't even posted all of 2012.

Anyways, just wanted to post stuff that's on my mind:

1. Ultrabooks are here to stay:
The 2nd gen ones have me excited, especially the ones who got rid of that gross 1366x768 resolution and went Full HD (Asus Zenbook Prime and the yet to be released Acer Aspire S7). Speaking of Zenbooks... the UX32VD seems to be very popular, not only because of the Full HD, but because the memory and HD are upgradeable... and... it has a dedicated GPU.

2. Tablets, tablets, tablets:
Finally Google announced the Nexus 7. Great that it's $199... bad that is has no microSD slot. The highest memory model is 16GB which is not a lot, and the 8GB entry level one only has about 5.9GB of space after the OS and things... booooo. I wonder if the rumors of the iPad mini are true.

3. Samsung vs. Apple:
Seems like these two are battling it out in the smartphone arena. Played with the Galaxy S III and it is an amazing piece of hardware... I will probably end up getting one. The Note is also popular and something I am considering instead of a tablet (yes... even a 7" seems big). But... the Note II is coming out and rumor is it will be releasing early, in September, to battle the iPhone 5 that is going to be out in October. Whether you like Apple or not... the iPhone 5 is going to sell like bonkers... whether they update it or not.

4. Biggie no more?
While I finally found a replacement for Biggie, my old Dell Inspiron 8000, a Sony SE 15.5... I find that I don't use it as much as my Toshiba z835 or my MBA. So I may just go all ultrabook all the time. I haven't even touched an optical disk in forever.

Maybe I'll post again before 2013.

Netflix problems on your Nintendo 3DS?

For anyone who got one under a tree today for themselves or a munchkin... you may have experienced the following error code:

Error Code: 006-0803

Googling around, people are saying because of Christmas, that the servers are overloaded and that is the cause. I'm not too sure because I was able to get Netflix to work on one 3DS but got that error on another.

The only difference was I set up Parental Controls on the 2nd one. So when I removed them, guess what... I was able to start Netflix.

Initially, I just put Parental Controls on 3D image viewing so I just removed that but I got a different error code. When I removed ALL settings... it worked.

Not sure if that's a coincidence but you might want to try that to see if it helps you out... good luck and Happy Holidays.

Steve Jobs: Rest in Peace

Sadly, Apple has reported that Steve Jobs died today:

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

Thank you for everything "magical" you brought to our lives.

Zune finally gone?

 (image from zunerama.com)

Back in March, many sites were reporting the death of the Zune prematurely. Well... maybe just really prematurely. According to thisismynext.com, Microsoft is out of the Zune business so they can focus on Windows Phone:

http://thisismynext.com/2011/10/03/microsoft-will-producing-zune-players-final-word/

Think that guy can cover that tatoo with an Apple logo?

Steve Jobs Leaves Job

If you have not heard... then you probably don't have electricity and so it doesn't matter.

Sadly, this may indicate a problem with his health and I wish him the best. I think Apple will be fine under Tim Cook because if you think about it, Cook has been at the reigns several times since Jobs has been having health problems dating back to 2004.

And I'm sure the rest of the management team is as key to Apple's success as much as Jobs. 2014 is where we'll see how Apple can evolve without its top guy. Although... if he can stay healthy, being Chairman of the Board is probably just as effective.

Conan and the iPad2

This video by Team COCO is great:

Overhyped products of 2010?

ZDNet had an interesting article:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/the-five-most-overhyped-tech-products-of-2010/42155

5. iPad
4. Kinect
3. Galaxy Tab
2. Google TV
1. 3DTV

I can sort of agree about the iPad... there is a lot of hype... but it does what it says it does and most people are happy with it.

I don't understand the Kinect entry. It does what it says and in fact, I think it's the best motion system out right now. It's sort of what Wii did to console gaming... Kinect is doing to motion gaming... making it easier for anyone to play. Since I have 2 PS3s and a Wii... the last thing I wanted to do was buy an Xbox.... but the Kinect made it hard not to... and now we have 2 TVs in our family room.... one is dedicated to the Kinect.

I don't really think the Galaxy Tab is overhyped... just overpriced. It's running an open source OS, is only a 7" screen and it cost MORE than an Apple product? Since when does Apple become the more economical buy?

Considering GoogleTV just came out recently... how can it be overhyped.

3DTV definitely belongs at the top of the list. I don't think I'll ever get one until they can do it without the glasses.

Some of the comments argue that Windows Phone 7 should be on that list... and that might be true. But after playing with it this past weekend, it's actually a slick mobile OS. But like RIM, playing catchup with iOS and Android is going to be tough.

The Droid Pro is almost like my dream phone, they just need to add the optical pad on there and put it on Sprint. I really want to get an Android phone, I just don't like the ones out right now... I'll take an Incredible if it was on Sprint.

Time flies...

... when you don't update your blog.

Like I've said previously... it's hard to keep updating when you're lazy. And now with the holidays coming up (does Christmas start BEFORE Halloween now?)... it's going to be harder.

MMA
1. UFC 123 was decent. I don't know why people keep thinking the Rampage/Machida match decision was controversial. It wasn't close. For a bad decision, go watch the first Machida/Rua fight... or even worse the Forrest/Rampage fight. Even though Penn knocked Hughes out quickly... I don't think he's big enough for 170. I do think Hughes should consider retiring, like Lidell... he's getting knocked out way too easily.

2. The Ultimate Fighter is interesting this season but where I used to have some respect for Koscheck... I've lost it all during this season. He's just a bully and based on his trash talking... I can see why Paul Daley reacted the way he did after their fight. I don't condone it... one should never fight after the bell... but I sort of understand it. I think it's going to be Brookins or Michael Johnson to win this season. But I can't wait to see GSP own Koscheck... looking forward to that.

Notebooks
1. The MacBook Airs came out and they are really nice. They have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated but it's amazing what Apple can do with Intel parts yet other PC makers can't. It's just too bad they removed the keyboard backlighting as I would have probably picked up either the 11 or 13 inch.

2. Still haven't found Biggie or Smalls. I thought the Envy-14 would work but they don't have the 1600x900 screen option anymore. The Toshiba 7xx Portege is okay... but I've added backlit keyboards to my list of must haves. I tried an old Latitude since it's the only one that supports 1920x1200 but it was too big. I really hate the new 1920x1080 (Full HD or 1080p) resolution but that's what all the notebooks with high res display have moved to. Maybe Dell will make a new Adamo with that resolution.

3. Dell is coming out with a convertible, called the Inspiron Duo. It's an 11" netbook form factor (10" screen) that flips and becomes a tablet. You can pre-order at the Microsoft online store or Dell within a few weeks.

Tablets/Pads
1. Still resisting the iPad. I really do wish they made a 7" version, but Jobs has said no to that form factor. We'll see what the iPad 2 looks like next year.

2. The Android pads are slowly leaking out with the Samsung Galaxy Tab getting the most press. It's a 7 incher but it's way too expensive if you ask me, more than the iPad. There are other lower brand name pads like the Huewei, Velocity Cruz, Pandigital, Archos and others... but are all older Android versions and may not have Market capability.

3. RIM (Blackberry) is coming out with the PlayBook... but with them losing market share in the smartphone market... it's going to be a hard sell.

4. HP release the Slate running Win7 for corporate and is backordered... but everyone still wants them to come out with a WebOS pad.

Phones
1. Tons of Android phones still hitting the market with more on the way in the next few months. Nothing really has impressed me. It would nice to see an Incredible-like phone hit more carriers... but that's why Verizon gets the exlusives.

2. Windows Phone 7 came out. Did anyone notice? I haven't even played with one yet... it just hasn't been compelling enough for me to take the time to do so. I wonder if most people feel like that too?

3. Seems like Verizon will be getting their iPhone. I wonder if it will have a redesigned antennae and if it will be LTE only (so they can do the simultaneous voice/data like AT&T)?

4. If you haven't downloaded VLC Player for the iPhone/iPad, you should. Makes loading/playing videos on the iDevices so much easier... no conversions and it plays almost all formats.

TV
1. Stargate Universe is one of the best sci-fi shows out right now.

2. I'm still giving The Event a chance but it's losing steam... good thing Fringe has sort of filled my Lost void.

3. Started watching Nikita, having watched Salt recently... I actually like this show. It doesn't hurt that Maggie Q is the lead.

4. Not watching Survivor or Amazing Race anymore... not enough time and it makes me sad because I still like to watch those reality-type shows but it's hard to just drop in the middle not knowing their background.

5. Tried to start No Ordinary Family... but haven't got past the pilot. Maybe The Cape will fare better (which reminds me... I don't even watch Smallville anymore).

Netflix lives up to its name and then some...

Initially... when Netflix debuted over 10 years ago... I was a bit confused. With a name like Netflix, you would think that you could watch movies over the Internet... but instead, Netflix was just an online DVD rental service.

They were the first to do so (I think) and eventually Blockbuster and some others got into the game. Several years ago, when I was deciding on a DVD service to use, I went with Blockbuster because of the ability to return the DVDs to their physical store which also allowed me to double on my rentals because you could trade the returned DVD for an in-store rental, which basically doubled the number of DVDs you could rent. It went well for a while but driving to-and-fro Blockbuster was becoming more of a hassle and waiting several days for the mailed DVDs was inconvenient because I had to remember to queue them a few days prior to the weekend to ensure I would get them by then. And when Blockbuster changed their policy so that the in-store exchanges also counted as your mailed rentals, I started using the service less and less and either doing Redbox ($1 DVD rentals) or just renting at Blockbuster for that instant gratification.

Cue Netflix Instant Streaming.

While they had started doing it in 2007, it wasn't until lately they have expanded their Instant Streaming library and just signed a deal last August with EPIX which adds even more content. There are ton of movies and TV series I would like to watch and this seemed like a good way to do it, especially because they could stream to multiple devices like our iPhones, our PS3s and even our Wii (and even more devices are offering Netflix functionality like TVs and BluRay players).. Since I have been looking for an HD Media Player I have been looking into streaming services like VuDu but the great thing about Netflix Streaming is it's unlimited and included with the DVD rental service. I just wondered what type of quality was it going to be.

Well... I signed up for the free month of service and while I was waiting for our DVDs to show up (to stream on the PS3 and Wii requires a physical CD/DVD), I decided to try the iPhone app. At first it was dicey but that's because I wasn't in an area with good 3G reception. Once I was... I was amazed at how fast it started, the quality and even the ability to stop it and resume it a later time/day. And then when I got the discs for the Wii and PS3, it was even better because anything I was watching on one device, I could resume on another. I was doubtful about the speed and quality because all of my game machines are wireless but it was basically like watching a DVD (480p) which was good enough for us. And depending on the interface, it could suggest other titles, allows you to search and you can put movies on your Instant Queue to access them quicker on your different devices. I like the PS3 interface the best mainly because the Wii doesn't seem to provide search functionality but it's easy enough to hop over to your computer... use their search (which is the best way since you have a real keyboard), add it to your Instant Queue and then go watch it on the Wii (or any other device). And having the iPhone app makes it so portable as long as you are in a good service area. Being able to start watching something while at the park or a restaurant, resume watching it downstairs in the den or living room and then going upstairs to finish it is just ridiculous.

I'm not sure how Netflix is making money on this because just over this last week we've probably watched over 20 hours of streaming content while we've only rented 1 DVD. But I'm convinced, I'm going to end my Blockbuster account, continue my Netflix 1-DVD only account (currently $8.99, $10.99 if you want BluRay) and watch as much flix over the Net as I can.

Death of the stylus/PDA?

Seems like everyone is going capacitive touch nowadays.

And Windows Phone 7 is completely different from Windows Mobile 6.x.

So how do we do things that require more granularity? Is Nintendo's DS series going to be the last things on earth that use resistive touch and support "pen input"?

Ghost?

I haven't blogged lately due to many things... the one main thing being laziness. I understand this is something many bloggers go through and was hoping not to succumb to it.

I also think not having many shows to watch blows my one weekly blog post I used to do. Warehouse 13 started up again and I really like that show but I don't watch much else. I've also been on vacation for a few weeks so while I still surfed the web, I kept most of my communication to a minimum. So just a few observances while I was gone:

1. iPhone 4 came out and sold billions. I visited 3 Apple stores and no one has it. I got mine finally from Best Buy but it was 3 weeks after the release and I had pre-ordered it a week before... I was quite the Hulk.

2. Samsung Galaxy S phones are coming out under different names, Vibrant on T-Mobile, Captivate on AT&T and I forget on Verizon and Sprint. I saw the Vibrant at a T-Mobile store and it's impressive. The one for Sprint is going to be 4G and have the slide-out keyboard.

3. Is it just me or is HTC+Sprint/Verizon dumb for not keeping the EVO and Incredible in stock? These are the few phones they could have sold more of before the iPhone 4 came out and they didn't capitalize on it. Now that i4 is out, they will probably be getting more inventory but now they are going to face competition from within their own Android offerings (Droid X, Galaxy S etc etc). Boo.

4. Speaking of, Droid X is supposed to be out in a few days. But why get that when you can get an EVO on 4G?

5. My search for Smalls (my mini notebook) may be coming to an end. Toshiba (one of the companies I despised because their keyboard layouts were lame) has released the Portege 700 series and it's very nice and affordable for all the features it has. It's not exactly a real Smalls since it has a screen bigger than 12" and an optical drive but it's close.

6. Looks like WUXGA (1920x1200) is going the way of the dodo bird. Dell's newest Latitude line only goes up to 1080p or FHD (1920x1080). Why did notebooks adopt TV's 16:9 aspect ratio? I'm getting less screen real estate for no reason.

7. Is it just me or is 3D TV overhyped? I don't even watch the 3D movies (it seems like every family film is in 3D nowadays) in the theatres. If I wanted to pay a premium to wear expensive glasses, I would not have got contact lenses... bleh.

8. UFC 116 was awesome and one of the best shows this year. All matches were good and who would have thought Brock would use a submission to win? I'm looking forward to the Silva/Shonnen match but I think The Spider will still win.

9. Warehouse 13 is even better this season... although the characters have changed a bit. Myka is softer, Pete is dorkier, Leena is damaged... and Claudia is funnier... she said "Boom goes the dynamite!"... hehe.

10. Tell all those Android phone makers to stop getting rid of the optical trackpad button. It's the one thing that helps differentiate it from iPhone and also gives Blackberry users something familiar. I'm still waiting for an Android phone with the physical keyboard in a form factor like the Blackberry, Palm Pixi or my Palm Treo Pro. Just make the keyboard really small and the screen really big (and of course include the optical trackpad).

Oh... and why "Ghost?" for my title. We have this thing where when people disappear at work, we say they turned into ghosts... that's what happened to me on this blog.

Google-Fu

I'm a big fan of Google.

I use Google so much I would probably be out of a job and bored out of my head if they didn't exist. Google, in fact, allows me to forget everything I've ever learned because as long as I have an Internet connection, I can always find it again. I can't tell you how many times I tried to remember something (like an old TV show or some event) from many years ago and all I did was Google a few terms I could remember and BOOM... there it is.

So I've been looking into applying for a job at a local Google office because I think it would be fun to work at a place that is such a part of my life. A friend points me to a website (GlassDoor.com) that details the interview process and even provides some of the interview questions they ask. The position I'm looking for is more of a non-technical one (Mobile Product Manager) so I was surprised by one of the questions they asked:

"Describe the operation of Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) of the 7-layer ISO stack in as much detail as possible."

What?!? So we go into how we would answer such a question because obviously neither of us knows this off the top of our heads and while my friend goes into some diatribe about how this is relevant to the position he is interviewing for, my answer is simple:

I would bust out my phone and Google it.

If you were Google, would you hire me?

Welcome...

This is sort of the first blog for me... at least the first of this type. I actually started "blogging" many years ago (1997 to be exact) when I used to do reviews for notebook/laptops way before the magazines and online sites used to do them. Back then, they would usually lag months behind when it came to reviewing new notebooks and so I would actually arrange to get review models from different companies and post my own thoughts.