So with getting the two Nexus 6s for Kimberly and I (which, BTW, she LOVES), she graciously allowed me to sell her phone. I've had it up for several days and gotten plenty of lowball offers, but I was actually hit up by a guy that I do 75% of my trades with with an offer that was too good to pass up. He didn't have cash to offer, but was in desperate need of a phone. What he had was a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which is a beast of a small tablet. (Incidentally, I'll sell my other tablet now, as this is much better.)
It's restoring from my backup right now, so I'll post a proper review in a few days, but here's a few quick specs:
- 8 core Exynos processor
- 2,560x1,600 8.4" AMOLED screen
- 3GB of RAM
- MicroSD expansion (perfect for my comic collection)
- 4900MA battery
- Lighter and thinner than an iPad mini
- Stereo speakers
The specs read like a dream, and I can't wait to really play around with it. The bigger, and much higher res, screen (my other tablet is 7 inches) will be perfect for reading comics on, which is my primary use for it. It's still small enough to easily fit in my small bag and hold one handed too. It's an ugly brown/gold color, but it came with a black/grey flip case that doubles as a stand, so I'll live. lol
Anyway, expect a deeper review in the next week or so once I've gotten a chance to put it through it's paces. :)
7.08.2015
6.30.2015
Android M (Preview 1)
So you knew hit had to happen. Less than a week with a Nexus 6, and I just installed the Android M Developer Preview on it. Here's the changes I've seen so far:
Do Not Disturb: Now has 3 options: None, Alarms Only, and Priority. None kills all notifications. Alarms Only allows only the alarms through, and Priority follows the rules you set for who can break through. DND has more options in it too, allowing for multiple rule sets. I'd love to see a geofence trigger, but it's nearly perfect. It's what they should've had in Lollipop. Now, I know that most manufacturers changed that already within their "skins" of Android, but it's great to see stock get proper options. The best part of this, for me, is that Android Wear doesn't follow the notification scheme of the phone, meaning the phone can be silenced and my watch will still vibrate. I'm hoping that holds through when the watch is updated to M as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's vibration settings follow that of the phone at that point, such as it did when both the watch and phone were on Lollipop (which was super annoying). We shall see.
Quick Settings: DND is now in the Quick Settings. Also, if you enable the System UI Tuner in Developer Options, you can add/remove/reorder the Quick Settings. This is fantastic for managing your settings drawer.
Volume Controls: Now you have more control over ring/system/alarm volume right from the volume rocker. Hit the rocker and the tap the drop down for more options. Love it.
Sounds: You can now turn off charging sounds. Not a big change, but a welcome one.
App Drawer: Now it scrolls vertically, with the 4 most recent apps on top and the rest broken into alphabetical categories. I'd love to see an option to jump between letters (like in Windows Phone).
Lockscreen: The phone dialer shortcut has been replaced with a Google Now voice shortcut. This seems a bit odd to me.
Wi-Fi Calling: I'm on T-Mobile, so this was recently enabled in the 5.1.1 update anyway, but it's built-in here.
Theme: Enabling Developer Options unlocks a "theme" option. Within it is the normal "Light" theme and a new "Dark" theme. On top of that, there's an "Automatic" option, which uses some rule to change the system interface. Not sure if it's light-based or time-based, but putting it in a dark room hasn't changed anything. If I figure it out, I'll update this post.
That's all I've noticed so far. In theory, Doze should help my battery life by detecting when the phone isn't moving or charging and shutting off data, but I haven't seen that benefit yet, as I'm about an hour in. Now On Tap isn't enabled in this build. Android Wear seems to be working fine, though I've read reports that certain things can cause it to crash and restart. Looking forward to exploring more of the new OS. :)
Notes:
Whoa. Waze is beyond borked. It actually messes up the whole system UI to the point that you have to reboot. Looks like Google Maps will be my go-to for a while. lol
Android Wear suffers crashes when a call goes out, and the incoming call screen stays on for the duration of an incoming call.
Do Not Disturb: Now has 3 options: None, Alarms Only, and Priority. None kills all notifications. Alarms Only allows only the alarms through, and Priority follows the rules you set for who can break through. DND has more options in it too, allowing for multiple rule sets. I'd love to see a geofence trigger, but it's nearly perfect. It's what they should've had in Lollipop. Now, I know that most manufacturers changed that already within their "skins" of Android, but it's great to see stock get proper options. The best part of this, for me, is that Android Wear doesn't follow the notification scheme of the phone, meaning the phone can be silenced and my watch will still vibrate. I'm hoping that holds through when the watch is updated to M as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's vibration settings follow that of the phone at that point, such as it did when both the watch and phone were on Lollipop (which was super annoying). We shall see.
Quick Settings: DND is now in the Quick Settings. Also, if you enable the System UI Tuner in Developer Options, you can add/remove/reorder the Quick Settings. This is fantastic for managing your settings drawer.
Volume Controls: Now you have more control over ring/system/alarm volume right from the volume rocker. Hit the rocker and the tap the drop down for more options. Love it.
Sounds: You can now turn off charging sounds. Not a big change, but a welcome one.
App Drawer: Now it scrolls vertically, with the 4 most recent apps on top and the rest broken into alphabetical categories. I'd love to see an option to jump between letters (like in Windows Phone).
Lockscreen: The phone dialer shortcut has been replaced with a Google Now voice shortcut. This seems a bit odd to me.
Wi-Fi Calling: I'm on T-Mobile, so this was recently enabled in the 5.1.1 update anyway, but it's built-in here.
Theme: Enabling Developer Options unlocks a "theme" option. Within it is the normal "Light" theme and a new "Dark" theme. On top of that, there's an "Automatic" option, which uses some rule to change the system interface. Not sure if it's light-based or time-based, but putting it in a dark room hasn't changed anything. If I figure it out, I'll update this post.
That's all I've noticed so far. In theory, Doze should help my battery life by detecting when the phone isn't moving or charging and shutting off data, but I haven't seen that benefit yet, as I'm about an hour in. Now On Tap isn't enabled in this build. Android Wear seems to be working fine, though I've read reports that certain things can cause it to crash and restart. Looking forward to exploring more of the new OS. :)
Notes:
Whoa. Waze is beyond borked. It actually messes up the whole system UI to the point that you have to reboot. Looks like Google Maps will be my go-to for a while. lol
Android Wear suffers crashes when a call goes out, and the incoming call screen stays on for the duration of an incoming call.
6.25.2015
Epic Fail
That's what the Galaxy S6 edge ultimately ended up being. I stuck with the phone for nearly a month. It's gorgeous. The camera is incredible. And it COULD be fast.
But over the past few weeks, it got horrible. To the point that I could barely use it. First off, it gets terrible signal, and when it does have signal, the data speed is laughable at best. I had thought it was just due to being out in Powder Springs, but I'm now realizing it's more the phone than the signal that's the issue. For instance, here at my desk at work, I got between zero bars and 1 bar of 3G at best with that phone. As I have WiFi here, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was noticeable. At the new house, I got 1-2 bars of 3G at best, and there's no WiFi there until the Internet gets hooked up next week. I just picked up a Nexus 6, and I'm getting 3-4 bars of LTE in the same exact spot on my desk here at work, and I'm willing to bet I'll actually be able to use the N6 at the new house.
Also, Samsung really hobbled the memory management of the phone. Opening more than 3 apps killed the oldest app, which is horrible for someone who wants to listen to podcasts/audiobooks/music on their phone. Samsung has more or less admitted to the software problem, but has also put out a statement that they're focusing on their new, unannounced, flagship phone, and will take a look at this issue after that launches. That's unacceptable, especially for a phone with 3GB of RAM. There are "fixes" out there that require editing the build.prop file, but I found that while they allow apps to remain in memory longer, it also dramatically slows the phone down to the point that it needs to be rebooted 5-6 times a day.
On top of that, while I was out on a business trip, on-site, in Tallahassee, FL, the phone rebooted itself. When it came back up, it asked for my PIN to log in. When I hit any key on the keyboard, it rebooted. This effectively completely locked me out of my phone. I did a factory reset, but the keyboard issue remained, meaning I couldn't complete the setup of the phone. I was still locked out of being able to use it. So I quickly downloaded the smallest custom ROM I could that had no reported issues. After flashing it and setting up the phone, it continually dropped both outgoing and incoming calls within half a second. About 1 in 10 calls would connect successfully. That issue was probably ROM related (though no one else reported it), but it added to my frustrations with the phone and ultimately pushed me over the edge (no pun intended).
So I'm back on a Nexus 6, which, as I stated above, gets WAY better signal reception and suffers from none of the software issues of the S6 edge (plus the big screen and much, much better battery life). I actually got 2 Nexus 6s (one new in box, which I'm using and one used, but in perfect condition), so I'm going to see if Kimberly wants the other one. She's having some frustrating (less frustrating than the S6 edge; poor battery life, random slow-downs, random reboots) with her LG G3, so I think the N6 would be a fantastic fix for her, if she can handle the massive screen. lol
Anyway, in conclusion, I've never been so let down by a phone that started off so positively for me. In its current state, I can't recommend the S6 edge. At all. Extremely poor signal reception, bad battery life (seriously, I needed to charge it by noon each day), and major underlying software issues. It's really a shame as the camera is unparalleled and the phone is gorgeous. Ah well, there's nothing I can't do with the Nexus 6.
But over the past few weeks, it got horrible. To the point that I could barely use it. First off, it gets terrible signal, and when it does have signal, the data speed is laughable at best. I had thought it was just due to being out in Powder Springs, but I'm now realizing it's more the phone than the signal that's the issue. For instance, here at my desk at work, I got between zero bars and 1 bar of 3G at best with that phone. As I have WiFi here, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was noticeable. At the new house, I got 1-2 bars of 3G at best, and there's no WiFi there until the Internet gets hooked up next week. I just picked up a Nexus 6, and I'm getting 3-4 bars of LTE in the same exact spot on my desk here at work, and I'm willing to bet I'll actually be able to use the N6 at the new house.
Also, Samsung really hobbled the memory management of the phone. Opening more than 3 apps killed the oldest app, which is horrible for someone who wants to listen to podcasts/audiobooks/music on their phone. Samsung has more or less admitted to the software problem, but has also put out a statement that they're focusing on their new, unannounced, flagship phone, and will take a look at this issue after that launches. That's unacceptable, especially for a phone with 3GB of RAM. There are "fixes" out there that require editing the build.prop file, but I found that while they allow apps to remain in memory longer, it also dramatically slows the phone down to the point that it needs to be rebooted 5-6 times a day.
On top of that, while I was out on a business trip, on-site, in Tallahassee, FL, the phone rebooted itself. When it came back up, it asked for my PIN to log in. When I hit any key on the keyboard, it rebooted. This effectively completely locked me out of my phone. I did a factory reset, but the keyboard issue remained, meaning I couldn't complete the setup of the phone. I was still locked out of being able to use it. So I quickly downloaded the smallest custom ROM I could that had no reported issues. After flashing it and setting up the phone, it continually dropped both outgoing and incoming calls within half a second. About 1 in 10 calls would connect successfully. That issue was probably ROM related (though no one else reported it), but it added to my frustrations with the phone and ultimately pushed me over the edge (no pun intended).
So I'm back on a Nexus 6, which, as I stated above, gets WAY better signal reception and suffers from none of the software issues of the S6 edge (plus the big screen and much, much better battery life). I actually got 2 Nexus 6s (one new in box, which I'm using and one used, but in perfect condition), so I'm going to see if Kimberly wants the other one. She's having some frustrating (less frustrating than the S6 edge; poor battery life, random slow-downs, random reboots) with her LG G3, so I think the N6 would be a fantastic fix for her, if she can handle the massive screen. lol
Anyway, in conclusion, I've never been so let down by a phone that started off so positively for me. In its current state, I can't recommend the S6 edge. At all. Extremely poor signal reception, bad battery life (seriously, I needed to charge it by noon each day), and major underlying software issues. It's really a shame as the camera is unparalleled and the phone is gorgeous. Ah well, there's nothing I can't do with the Nexus 6.
6.13.2015
Google Photos
Google Photos is pretty awesome. With a few caveats.
I'm exporting and uploading quite a bit of my Lightroom catalog, and it's handling it pretty flawlessly. I point the desktop uploader to a folder ("Upload" on my desktop), export perfectly-fine-for-screens versions of my photos to that folder, they get uploaded. Done. Plus, it's making neat little collages and grouping people and things together. It's great. I had previously been using, and still use as it's full-res, Microsoft OneDrive for photo backup on my devices, but it's not nearly as elegant or easy to use. G+ Photos did part of this as well, but the new Google Photos is nearly seamless and dead simple. Seriously, if you haven't tried it yet, fire up the new Photos app on your phone/tablet or go to photos.google.com and try the new search functions. It's pretty amazing.
Now the caveats I spoke of: It's not as full-featured as G+ Photos was. You can't fix misgrouped faces or items (which isn't a huge deal, as that only affects search). You can't edit a date/time if it's off. And you can't use the photo editor online unless you put the photos into a G+ post first. These are all simple things to fix, and I'm sure they will down the road.
Unlimited storage of my photos online (I went with the 16MP/1080P limit because I don't need my full res stuff online like that)? Yes please! Easy way to upload from all my devices? Absolutely! For someone like me, this is so awesome. All my photos. From all my devices. Everywhere.
I'm exporting and uploading quite a bit of my Lightroom catalog, and it's handling it pretty flawlessly. I point the desktop uploader to a folder ("Upload" on my desktop), export perfectly-fine-for-screens versions of my photos to that folder, they get uploaded. Done. Plus, it's making neat little collages and grouping people and things together. It's great. I had previously been using, and still use as it's full-res, Microsoft OneDrive for photo backup on my devices, but it's not nearly as elegant or easy to use. G+ Photos did part of this as well, but the new Google Photos is nearly seamless and dead simple. Seriously, if you haven't tried it yet, fire up the new Photos app on your phone/tablet or go to photos.google.com and try the new search functions. It's pretty amazing.
Now the caveats I spoke of: It's not as full-featured as G+ Photos was. You can't fix misgrouped faces or items (which isn't a huge deal, as that only affects search). You can't edit a date/time if it's off. And you can't use the photo editor online unless you put the photos into a G+ post first. These are all simple things to fix, and I'm sure they will down the road.
Unlimited storage of my photos online (I went with the 16MP/1080P limit because I don't need my full res stuff online like that)? Yes please! Easy way to upload from all my devices? Absolutely! For someone like me, this is so awesome. All my photos. From all my devices. Everywhere.
3.09.2015
Apple Event and General Thoughts
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way; Apple had a big event today:
-New super-slim MacBooks with just a single connector (USB-C) in 3 colors (silver, "space grey" and gold).
-Apple Watch that starts at $350 for the smallest, cheapest one and goes UP TO $17,000 (are you effin' kidding me?! They'll make it obsolete in a year with V2!).
-Apple TV is cheaper at $69, but no major updates except HBO Now at $15 a month.
Now, on to a post that's been stewing for a while.
Every time one of the Big 3 (Apple, Google, Microsoft) make an announcement, I get tech-lust. The "oooh shiny" factor has me starting to think Craigslist trades and whatnot. I realized today that I think I'm finally getting past that. Yes, it'd be awesome to get every new piece of consumer tech that comes out. But I really feel like I've found my personal tech "groove" so to speak. I love my Windows phone, my Surface Pro 3 handles all of my computer and tablet needs (and then some), and I read books on my Kindle Paperwhite. It's just about the perfect balance for me. Finally.
I have zero desire for an Apple Watch (I still really don't like the look of it). I don't want the new super-thin MacBook. Or the "new", more powerful MacBook Pro. It's just... Meh. I'm over the hype. I'm over finding the pitfalls of the "best new thing ever". Apple's way of controlling their hardware/software/ecosystem with an iron fist is great for the average consumer. It puts out a high quality, reliable, consistent product. But by controlling it so much on their end, they take control from the consumer. There's no avoiding the grid of icons on an iOS device. You can't install Mac OS on anything other than their hardware. The Apple Watch will only work with the iPhone. The list goes on. There's just so much you have to accept from your benevolent Apple overlords.
I want the freedom to do what I want and change up what I use more or less at will. And because of that, I'm finding that I prefer tech that helps facilitate that. Pebble was a good example of that. It worked with my iPhone and Android. No Windows Phone support (yet), but I was able to traverse phones with more ease than the Moto 360 (Android Wear). Amazon at least makes it easy to get Microsoft gets that. The Microsoft band works with Windows Phone, Android and iOS. So yes, while one of the driving factors for my desire for it is that I have a Windows Phone, if I decide to play with a different phone, I can still use it. Hell, it can be paired with multiple devices at once. Stuff like that, no matter who makes it, excites me. Sure, Nest doesn't make a Windows Phone app, nor does Phillips for the Hue bulbs, but they have open APIs that 3rd party developers can use, so I can use those devices no matter what phone/tablet/computer I have.
I live in a cross-platform world. Sure, I've raved about Microsoft products and services, and for good reason: They have a cross-platform mentality. The Microsoft Band is a good example of that. But so is OneDrive or Office. Skype works for any device. Hell, even Xbox Music is available on iOS and Android. Meanwhile, Google will only release apps for Android and iOS. Apple won't even touch anything other than iOS (Beats was already cross-platform before they were acquired). It's absolute hell trying to access anything iCloud/iWork without an iDevice or a Mac. It may look like Microsoft is the 3rd class citizen by how Google and Apple treat them, but they're ensuring their future by being available everywhere to the consumer. Yes, like any company, they'd prefer if you bought into their devices as well as services, but they're also all about facilitating access to their products if you use "the other guys". It's really nice to not feel "locked" into a system.
With my Surface Pro 3, I have not only a powerful computer, but the openness of the Windows ecosystem. I have an awesome tablet with a pressure-sensitive stylus. It's an incredible digital comic reader. Windows 10 will transform it into a gaming device by being able to play games on my Xbox One directly on it. Oh, and it's thinner than that newfangled MacBook (without the keyboard). It syncs and shares information directly with my Windows phone (HCT One M8 for Windows) to the point that it can even initiate the hotspot on my phone if I need it on the computer without touching my phone. As far as my phone goes, I still think Microsoft truly innovated with their interface. It's not a grid of icons or pages of widgets. It's useful "Live Tiles" that show relevant information for the apps they represent. Voice interaction, as well as at-a-glance information, with Cortana is far better than Siri or Google Now(and she's even psychic when it comes to sports and award shows!).
You'll notice I didn't touch on Android much. Android is kind of that ol' reliable OS for me. It's always there, it'll get the job done, but getting how I want it takes a lot of work. I like it, and it's fantastic, but I quickly fall down a rabbit hole of trying every new messaging app and launcher that comes out, and it gets tiring. lol I just wish Google would give Windows a little more love; it's really the one thing that keeps me from being able to recommend mobile Windows devices to everyone. I'm cool with the workarounds I've found, but most people just want their Google stuff to work.
Ultimately, what works best for the consumer is up to the individual. Some people truly like the simplicity of iOS and the deep integration across devices that Apple can provide with things like iMessage and FaceTime but loose control and customizability. Others like having full-on control over everything and don't mind dealing with the complexity of it all, and for them Android is where it's at. But it's like politics: It may look like a 2 party system of extremes, but there's actually a reasonable middle ground. I guess Windows is that Libertarian longshot in the race. lol
-New super-slim MacBooks with just a single connector (USB-C) in 3 colors (silver, "space grey" and gold).
-Apple Watch that starts at $350 for the smallest, cheapest one and goes UP TO $17,000 (are you effin' kidding me?! They'll make it obsolete in a year with V2!).
-Apple TV is cheaper at $69, but no major updates except HBO Now at $15 a month.
Now, on to a post that's been stewing for a while.
Every time one of the Big 3 (Apple, Google, Microsoft) make an announcement, I get tech-lust. The "oooh shiny" factor has me starting to think Craigslist trades and whatnot. I realized today that I think I'm finally getting past that. Yes, it'd be awesome to get every new piece of consumer tech that comes out. But I really feel like I've found my personal tech "groove" so to speak. I love my Windows phone, my Surface Pro 3 handles all of my computer and tablet needs (and then some), and I read books on my Kindle Paperwhite. It's just about the perfect balance for me. Finally.
I have zero desire for an Apple Watch (I still really don't like the look of it). I don't want the new super-thin MacBook. Or the "new", more powerful MacBook Pro. It's just... Meh. I'm over the hype. I'm over finding the pitfalls of the "best new thing ever". Apple's way of controlling their hardware/software/ecosystem with an iron fist is great for the average consumer. It puts out a high quality, reliable, consistent product. But by controlling it so much on their end, they take control from the consumer. There's no avoiding the grid of icons on an iOS device. You can't install Mac OS on anything other than their hardware. The Apple Watch will only work with the iPhone. The list goes on. There's just so much you have to accept from your benevolent Apple overlords.
I want the freedom to do what I want and change up what I use more or less at will. And because of that, I'm finding that I prefer tech that helps facilitate that. Pebble was a good example of that. It worked with my iPhone and Android. No Windows Phone support (yet), but I was able to traverse phones with more ease than the Moto 360 (Android Wear). Amazon at least makes it easy to get Microsoft gets that. The Microsoft band works with Windows Phone, Android and iOS. So yes, while one of the driving factors for my desire for it is that I have a Windows Phone, if I decide to play with a different phone, I can still use it. Hell, it can be paired with multiple devices at once. Stuff like that, no matter who makes it, excites me. Sure, Nest doesn't make a Windows Phone app, nor does Phillips for the Hue bulbs, but they have open APIs that 3rd party developers can use, so I can use those devices no matter what phone/tablet/computer I have.
I live in a cross-platform world. Sure, I've raved about Microsoft products and services, and for good reason: They have a cross-platform mentality. The Microsoft Band is a good example of that. But so is OneDrive or Office. Skype works for any device. Hell, even Xbox Music is available on iOS and Android. Meanwhile, Google will only release apps for Android and iOS. Apple won't even touch anything other than iOS (Beats was already cross-platform before they were acquired). It's absolute hell trying to access anything iCloud/iWork without an iDevice or a Mac. It may look like Microsoft is the 3rd class citizen by how Google and Apple treat them, but they're ensuring their future by being available everywhere to the consumer. Yes, like any company, they'd prefer if you bought into their devices as well as services, but they're also all about facilitating access to their products if you use "the other guys". It's really nice to not feel "locked" into a system.
With my Surface Pro 3, I have not only a powerful computer, but the openness of the Windows ecosystem. I have an awesome tablet with a pressure-sensitive stylus. It's an incredible digital comic reader. Windows 10 will transform it into a gaming device by being able to play games on my Xbox One directly on it. Oh, and it's thinner than that newfangled MacBook (without the keyboard). It syncs and shares information directly with my Windows phone (HCT One M8 for Windows) to the point that it can even initiate the hotspot on my phone if I need it on the computer without touching my phone. As far as my phone goes, I still think Microsoft truly innovated with their interface. It's not a grid of icons or pages of widgets. It's useful "Live Tiles" that show relevant information for the apps they represent. Voice interaction, as well as at-a-glance information, with Cortana is far better than Siri or Google Now(and she's even psychic when it comes to sports and award shows!).
You'll notice I didn't touch on Android much. Android is kind of that ol' reliable OS for me. It's always there, it'll get the job done, but getting how I want it takes a lot of work. I like it, and it's fantastic, but I quickly fall down a rabbit hole of trying every new messaging app and launcher that comes out, and it gets tiring. lol I just wish Google would give Windows a little more love; it's really the one thing that keeps me from being able to recommend mobile Windows devices to everyone. I'm cool with the workarounds I've found, but most people just want their Google stuff to work.
Ultimately, what works best for the consumer is up to the individual. Some people truly like the simplicity of iOS and the deep integration across devices that Apple can provide with things like iMessage and FaceTime but loose control and customizability. Others like having full-on control over everything and don't mind dealing with the complexity of it all, and for them Android is where it's at. But it's like politics: It may look like a 2 party system of extremes, but there's actually a reasonable middle ground. I guess Windows is that Libertarian longshot in the race. lol
2.28.2015
HTC M8 for Windows
So when my Lumia Icon kicked it several weeks ago and had to go back to Verizon, I opted to go with the Moto X, as I'd heard plenty of disparaging comments about the camera on the M8 (both Windows and Android versions, which are hardware-identical) and no Verizon stores in the Atlanta area had a Lumia Icon in stock. So I lived with the Moto X for 12 days, all the while searching for someone who had a Lumia Icon to trade with, but to no avail. I finally was contacted by someone with an M8 for Windows and a Kindle (something I actually needed for my upcoming trip to CO), so I decided to bite the bullet and trade. Story out of the way, here's my thoughts:
There's a lot of dogging on the camera on this phone. It's an "Ultrapixel" camera, which basically means they didn't want to say it's only 4MP. But, because they knocked the megapixels down on it, it functions far, far better in low light than most any other camera. And I'll attest to that. In a room lit by nightlights, it'll pick up plenty of detail. It can see better than my eyes can in low light, which is pretty impressive for a phone camera. That's not to say it's not without grain in those shots, but where most phones would see black, it can discern detail pretty well (see the sample photos). It also has another trick up it's sleeve with that second camera on the top of the phone: Depth sensing. In a single shot, it's grabbing depth information so you can refocus after the fact, a la Lytro, and also get a really nice shallow depth of field in the photo (see the sample photos). After getting past the fact that the shots are a little soft due to the low megapixels and dual camera information, I've actually been really pleasantly surprised with some of the photos I can get out of it. It's certainly no iPhone 6 Plus or Lumia Icon (the standards in camera phones), but it works well within it's limitations. I'm a bit sad to see HTC going away from the dual-camera setup in the M9 leaks, but the rest of the world is more interested in the megapixel race. Ah well. All that said, the camera consistently gives me better shots than I was getting with the 16MP Moto X camera, which surprised me. The front facing camera is ironically higher-megapixel at 5MP and consistently produces nice, crisp selfies. Don't worry, I won't subject you to many of those, but I've gotten some great shots of the family with it (again, sample photos).
The rest of the phone is EXCELLENT. It's easily the nicest looking phone I've ever had (seriously, the design with the unibody aluminum construction along with the 5" 1080p screen is gorgeous), and the internals are just as good. Snapdragon 801 (quad-core 3.2GHz), 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, MicroSD expansion, 5MP front-facing camera, and the stereo front-facing BoomSound speakers, that are good enough for me to use in the car. The only notable absence here, in my regard, is Qi wireless charging, and I did try to hack together an external coil and case, but it ended up not working.
I'm not going to go into the software, as I've pontificated about the virtues of Windows Phone for me versus Android and iOS other than to say I still far, far prefer it over the other OSes. The single downside is Google's insistence of not supporting it with any official apps, but HTC's BlinkFeed app actually includes support for G+, which was a very welcome surprise.
The camera could be (far) better, and I'd love wireless charging, but aside from that, I'm completely happy with this phone. Would I prefer the Lumia Icon? Absolutely, but I'm not disappointed in this phone either. Hell, even Kimberly said she'd like to have this phone, which is saying something. If I can track down a Lumia Icon at a good price, then this just might be her next phone. :)
There's a lot of dogging on the camera on this phone. It's an "Ultrapixel" camera, which basically means they didn't want to say it's only 4MP. But, because they knocked the megapixels down on it, it functions far, far better in low light than most any other camera. And I'll attest to that. In a room lit by nightlights, it'll pick up plenty of detail. It can see better than my eyes can in low light, which is pretty impressive for a phone camera. That's not to say it's not without grain in those shots, but where most phones would see black, it can discern detail pretty well (see the sample photos). It also has another trick up it's sleeve with that second camera on the top of the phone: Depth sensing. In a single shot, it's grabbing depth information so you can refocus after the fact, a la Lytro, and also get a really nice shallow depth of field in the photo (see the sample photos). After getting past the fact that the shots are a little soft due to the low megapixels and dual camera information, I've actually been really pleasantly surprised with some of the photos I can get out of it. It's certainly no iPhone 6 Plus or Lumia Icon (the standards in camera phones), but it works well within it's limitations. I'm a bit sad to see HTC going away from the dual-camera setup in the M9 leaks, but the rest of the world is more interested in the megapixel race. Ah well. All that said, the camera consistently gives me better shots than I was getting with the 16MP Moto X camera, which surprised me. The front facing camera is ironically higher-megapixel at 5MP and consistently produces nice, crisp selfies. Don't worry, I won't subject you to many of those, but I've gotten some great shots of the family with it (again, sample photos).
The rest of the phone is EXCELLENT. It's easily the nicest looking phone I've ever had (seriously, the design with the unibody aluminum construction along with the 5" 1080p screen is gorgeous), and the internals are just as good. Snapdragon 801 (quad-core 3.2GHz), 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, MicroSD expansion, 5MP front-facing camera, and the stereo front-facing BoomSound speakers, that are good enough for me to use in the car. The only notable absence here, in my regard, is Qi wireless charging, and I did try to hack together an external coil and case, but it ended up not working.
I'm not going to go into the software, as I've pontificated about the virtues of Windows Phone for me versus Android and iOS other than to say I still far, far prefer it over the other OSes. The single downside is Google's insistence of not supporting it with any official apps, but HTC's BlinkFeed app actually includes support for G+, which was a very welcome surprise.
The camera could be (far) better, and I'd love wireless charging, but aside from that, I'm completely happy with this phone. Would I prefer the Lumia Icon? Absolutely, but I'm not disappointed in this phone either. Hell, even Kimberly said she'd like to have this phone, which is saying something. If I can track down a Lumia Icon at a good price, then this just might be her next phone. :)
2.02.2015
IT'S ALIVE!!!
[Cue lighting and thunder]
Successfully modded my Moto X to have wireless charging by putting an adapter coil inside of a case and plugging it into the micro USB port on the phone. And it totally works! I'm not sure what the charging rate is, but I assume it's as good as an internal coil (which is typically slower than a wired charger anyway), and I had to fold the flat "cable" over itself to get it to fix in the case without covering the exposed Motorola "dimple", but given that the Moto X is already a very slim phone, having it in a case doesn't make it feel bulky at all. The only downside is that it takes up the charging port on my phone, so I don't really have a good option for charging when away from all of my wireless chargers, but overall, I'm super happy with the results of my little Frankenphone project. :)
Successfully modded my Moto X to have wireless charging by putting an adapter coil inside of a case and plugging it into the micro USB port on the phone. And it totally works! I'm not sure what the charging rate is, but I assume it's as good as an internal coil (which is typically slower than a wired charger anyway), and I had to fold the flat "cable" over itself to get it to fix in the case without covering the exposed Motorola "dimple", but given that the Moto X is already a very slim phone, having it in a case doesn't make it feel bulky at all. The only downside is that it takes up the charging port on my phone, so I don't really have a good option for charging when away from all of my wireless chargers, but overall, I'm super happy with the results of my little Frankenphone project. :)
2.01.2015
An Icon Dies
This morning, I woke up to a broken phone. The physical buttons (power, volume and camera) just weren't working. I could use the power button to turn the phone off, but other than that, the buttons just weren't working. This wasn't the first time this had happened, so I did what I did a week and a half ago when it first happened; I did a factory reset. But as soon as it started restoring my info and apps, the buttons stopped working again. Something in my settings or apps, or a combo of the two, is causing the issue. Since I have no idea where to start (there are no other reports of similar issues online), and since I know it's a software issue (a factory reset fixed it before, and the power button works under certain circumstances), I decided to just take the phone back to Verizon. It was under two weeks from when I got it, so they took it back, but since the phone was discontinued back in October (despite being the best Windows Phone on the market), I had to go with a different phone. I picked up a Moto X (2014), and while I'm really happy with it, I'd still rather be on Windows Phone. I know I can pick up a Lumia Icon on Craigslist relatively inexpensively, so I might do that once Windows 10 drops.
1.28.2015
Head in the Clouds
So we all use cloud storage to some extent. For email, photos, whatever. But I recently uploaded just about EVERYTHING digital I have to the cloud. Documents, music, photos; all of it. One of the perks of paying for an Office 365 account from Microsoft is unlimited OneDrive storage. Not 10GB, not 100GB. UNLIMITED. And that's true. Right now, I've got well over 100GBs of data uploaded, and on my computer, my documents and music are synced to that so the files are available offline (or if OneDrive goes down). About the only thing that isn't backed up to OneDrive are my professional photo archives, which I could (and should) do (though waiting for several terabytes worth of photos to upload doesn't sound fun, and Comcast would likely cut me off). Now, there are plenty of people who will say I'm an idiot.
"The cloud isn't secure enough." It's encrypted and I use two-factor authentication for access to my Microsoft account for exactly that reason. That's about secure as it gets. If that gets hacked, anyone's data can be hacked.
"Microsoft has all your data." And Google has it all too. We all give the big guys a ton of our information. Personally, I reconciled years ago that in order to experience tech how I want to, I had to give up my privacy. That said, the data is encrypted and only I can see it. Same with Dropbox, iCloud and any other uploaded data. Besides, Microsoft would probably be pretty bored digging through my data. lol
"One hack or crash and you'll loose it all." Sure, I guess. A crash would be recovered, and if a hacker goes in and blows all the data away, I have local copies of it all. Not worried about it at all.
"Windows Phone is a bust, and you switch devices all the time."Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Windows or Mac, it doesn't matter. There are solid OneDrive apps for all of them. All of my data is available to me no matter where I am, on any device I have. I've been backing up all my mobile photos for several years to OneDrive (and SkyDrive before it was renamed to OneDrive), so I literally have access to every mobile photo I've taken for years. Unlike Google (who only supports Android and iOS) or Apple (who refuses to work with anyone), Microsoft has made sure their apps and services are available across all ecosystems (and often, Windows Phone is the last to get updates).
The payoff for all of this is ultimate convenience. It's fantastic, and fairly seamless. And when Microsoft flips the switch soon on the Xbox Music locker service, all of my music is already uploaded and ready to go. Microsoft just today announced new features in how you can work with photos in OneDrive, showing continued effort to expand the features of it's cloud storage system.
Is there a risk? Sure. But my computer could also get stolen, or my apartment could burn down and take my physical backups with it. Both of which are probably more likely than my data getting hacked and wiped.
"The cloud isn't secure enough." It's encrypted and I use two-factor authentication for access to my Microsoft account for exactly that reason. That's about secure as it gets. If that gets hacked, anyone's data can be hacked.
"Microsoft has all your data." And Google has it all too. We all give the big guys a ton of our information. Personally, I reconciled years ago that in order to experience tech how I want to, I had to give up my privacy. That said, the data is encrypted and only I can see it. Same with Dropbox, iCloud and any other uploaded data. Besides, Microsoft would probably be pretty bored digging through my data. lol
"One hack or crash and you'll loose it all." Sure, I guess. A crash would be recovered, and if a hacker goes in and blows all the data away, I have local copies of it all. Not worried about it at all.
"Windows Phone is a bust, and you switch devices all the time."Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Windows or Mac, it doesn't matter. There are solid OneDrive apps for all of them. All of my data is available to me no matter where I am, on any device I have. I've been backing up all my mobile photos for several years to OneDrive (and SkyDrive before it was renamed to OneDrive), so I literally have access to every mobile photo I've taken for years. Unlike Google (who only supports Android and iOS) or Apple (who refuses to work with anyone), Microsoft has made sure their apps and services are available across all ecosystems (and often, Windows Phone is the last to get updates).
The payoff for all of this is ultimate convenience. It's fantastic, and fairly seamless. And when Microsoft flips the switch soon on the Xbox Music locker service, all of my music is already uploaded and ready to go. Microsoft just today announced new features in how you can work with photos in OneDrive, showing continued effort to expand the features of it's cloud storage system.
Is there a risk? Sure. But my computer could also get stolen, or my apartment could burn down and take my physical backups with it. Both of which are probably more likely than my data getting hacked and wiped.
1.21.2015
The Great Microsoft Conversion
We got a Kinect for the Xbox One (or Xbone, as Kimberly affectionately calls it) after seeing people dance with people around the world in the middle of the mall. So we got two dancing games (one included with the Kinect). And holy crap, I am WAY out of shape. LOL Aside from the fun dancing games, the voice control of the system is AWESOME. It's super-cool to be able to say "Xbox On" and have the whole A/V system turn itself on. Or to pause/play movies with voice commands. Gestures are taking a long time to get used to, but they're pretty handy too. No pun intended. Overall, we're both loving the Xbox One. We're having tons of fun playing through the Halo series together, and I'm really enjoying Assassin's Creed Unity (bugs and all). Just started in on Call of Duty Advanced Warfare too.
I also traded my MacBook Pro for a Surface Pro 3, which I've been wanting since it was announced. Spec for spec, it's a match, but I moved up from an i5 to an i7 processor. I freakin' love it too. It's big, real big, for a tablet, but it's beyond awesome for reading comics on and also as a laptop, as it's more than powerful enough to do anything I need. Plus, the pen is a huge boon and very helpful when working with photos. It's basically a portable, self-contained WACOM Cintiq. And given the announcements to day on Windows 10, it's really going to get amazing soon. Can't wait to install the Preview bits when they drop next week.
I also moved from T-Mobile to Verizon, which sounds backwards given the pricing and policies, but T-Mobile's coverage just doesn't cut it for me. I don't even get signal at my desk at work. Given that Kimberly's had Verizon forever, I've been able to mentally track where she has coverage and I don't, which is a lot of places when we go on road trips. I love what T-Mobile is doing to shake up the industry, but I just can't have network drop-outs and spotty coverage. Verizon has always been the holy-grail of coverage for me, so I'm happy that I don't have to worry about it anymore. Anyway, in doing so, I picked up the last Lumia Icon that the store had (it was discontinued back in October, though the Lumia 930, the GSM version, is still an in-production flagship phone). Again, going from a Nexus 6 to that seems backwards, but I've always greatly preferred the interface of Windows Phone, even if the app support is less than stellar. Really, everything is there but 1st party Google support (Gmail, G+ and Hangouts), but I've found 3rd party solutions for everything (and Gmail/contacts/calendar all work perfectly fine with the built-in apps). But I get a 20MP OIS camera (which is phenomenal, btw), keep the Qi charging that I love so much and get the OS that I like the most. Spec-wise, it's still flagship-level, with a Snapdragon 801 and 2GB of RAM. I couldn't be happier. And again, with the incoming Windows 10 improvements, it's gonna rock even more. Again, really looking forward to installing the Preview next month.All that said, I never thought a 5" phone would feel tiny, but after the iPhone 6 Plus and the Nexus 6, it's like holding a tiny toy. lol
Speaking of all those Windows 10 announcements I'm referencing, there's some big stuff in there. Common Core means that the computer, phone, tablet and Xbox One will all share characteristics. Visibly, that means the interface will be even more common between all devices. But beyond that, it's a far deeper integration and some (not all) shared code that will make it very easy for someone to make an app and target any device running Windows 10. The app stores will all be together, and apps will work the same across platforms (with some adjustments for the interfaces themselves). That's pretty awesome to start with (and makes a lot of sense). But beyond that, you'll be able to stream your Xbox One games to any Windows 10 device on your network (kind of like the Vita can do, or the Wii U with it's tablet), there will be continuity between all devices (ie pick up where you leave off instantly when using the same app) and, a big one for me, a music locker service using OneDrive's unlimited storage through Xbox Music, which is completely cross-platform. It'll be like Google Play Music (which is awesome), but will also work for me not matter what mobile device or ecosystem I'm using. Oh, and also the return of the Start Menu, dynamic and smart switching of the interface for convertible devices (like the Surface) depending on if a keyboard is attached or not (desktop interface when docked to a keyboard, tablet interface when not), and a lot of other tweaks and optimizations. Also, it's a free upgrade from anyone going all the way back to Windows 7. I know a lot of what Microsoft does today is still a direct product of the Balmer Era, but it really does feel like a fresh company, eager to please consumers and enterprise alike across a full range of products.
I also traded my MacBook Pro for a Surface Pro 3, which I've been wanting since it was announced. Spec for spec, it's a match, but I moved up from an i5 to an i7 processor. I freakin' love it too. It's big, real big, for a tablet, but it's beyond awesome for reading comics on and also as a laptop, as it's more than powerful enough to do anything I need. Plus, the pen is a huge boon and very helpful when working with photos. It's basically a portable, self-contained WACOM Cintiq. And given the announcements to day on Windows 10, it's really going to get amazing soon. Can't wait to install the Preview bits when they drop next week.
I also moved from T-Mobile to Verizon, which sounds backwards given the pricing and policies, but T-Mobile's coverage just doesn't cut it for me. I don't even get signal at my desk at work. Given that Kimberly's had Verizon forever, I've been able to mentally track where she has coverage and I don't, which is a lot of places when we go on road trips. I love what T-Mobile is doing to shake up the industry, but I just can't have network drop-outs and spotty coverage. Verizon has always been the holy-grail of coverage for me, so I'm happy that I don't have to worry about it anymore. Anyway, in doing so, I picked up the last Lumia Icon that the store had (it was discontinued back in October, though the Lumia 930, the GSM version, is still an in-production flagship phone). Again, going from a Nexus 6 to that seems backwards, but I've always greatly preferred the interface of Windows Phone, even if the app support is less than stellar. Really, everything is there but 1st party Google support (Gmail, G+ and Hangouts), but I've found 3rd party solutions for everything (and Gmail/contacts/calendar all work perfectly fine with the built-in apps). But I get a 20MP OIS camera (which is phenomenal, btw), keep the Qi charging that I love so much and get the OS that I like the most. Spec-wise, it's still flagship-level, with a Snapdragon 801 and 2GB of RAM. I couldn't be happier. And again, with the incoming Windows 10 improvements, it's gonna rock even more. Again, really looking forward to installing the Preview next month.All that said, I never thought a 5" phone would feel tiny, but after the iPhone 6 Plus and the Nexus 6, it's like holding a tiny toy. lol
Speaking of all those Windows 10 announcements I'm referencing, there's some big stuff in there. Common Core means that the computer, phone, tablet and Xbox One will all share characteristics. Visibly, that means the interface will be even more common between all devices. But beyond that, it's a far deeper integration and some (not all) shared code that will make it very easy for someone to make an app and target any device running Windows 10. The app stores will all be together, and apps will work the same across platforms (with some adjustments for the interfaces themselves). That's pretty awesome to start with (and makes a lot of sense). But beyond that, you'll be able to stream your Xbox One games to any Windows 10 device on your network (kind of like the Vita can do, or the Wii U with it's tablet), there will be continuity between all devices (ie pick up where you leave off instantly when using the same app) and, a big one for me, a music locker service using OneDrive's unlimited storage through Xbox Music, which is completely cross-platform. It'll be like Google Play Music (which is awesome), but will also work for me not matter what mobile device or ecosystem I'm using. Oh, and also the return of the Start Menu, dynamic and smart switching of the interface for convertible devices (like the Surface) depending on if a keyboard is attached or not (desktop interface when docked to a keyboard, tablet interface when not), and a lot of other tweaks and optimizations. Also, it's a free upgrade from anyone going all the way back to Windows 7. I know a lot of what Microsoft does today is still a direct product of the Balmer Era, but it really does feel like a fresh company, eager to please consumers and enterprise alike across a full range of products.
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