Worst in Tech for 2010

Microsoft Kin

The Kin was once dubbed as the cousin to Windows Phone 7.  That might be true if that cousin is comatose.  Consumers who bought this device were blessed with no apps or games, a forced data plan by Verizon used for real smart phones, and quite possibly the worst UI ever invented.  Let's not forget all those cloud hosting issues they experienced randomly.  Lost contacts anyone?

The Kin was killed off after an impressive 6 weeks on the market.


AT&T 3G MicroCell

We all know that AT&T has the worst cellular network known to man.  It drops calls, data, runs slow, and has a natural ability to piss people off daily.  The MicroCell unit is their solution to fix all of this, at least in your home.  In theory it's great, except for the forced $150 price tag that goes along with it.

Here is a better idea long term.  Just fix your horrible network.


The TV Hat

Now this is the perfect gift, if your sole purpose if simply to piss someone off and make them hate you.  One thing we have learned since the inception of the iPod is that any random company will make some stupid accessory to try and cash in.  The TV Hat was designed to allow the user watch media on their iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPod Classic with no glare.  It even has a 2.5x magnification screen that "helps give you a movie theater experience".

We better all jump to get this as it's a steal at $30.  Just don't go outdoors with it, as you may have find new friends with the people that wear foil hats.


Shake Weight

I have nothing against integrating technology into our daily lives and routines, but I don't think any of us believe this thing was invented to get your average Joe into shape.  It may have been innocent, but the Shake Weight has quickly become the butt of sexual jokes of everyone.

And yes, I still laugh uncontrollably when I see the commercials.  And thank you YouTube for your wonderful parody videos.


USB 3.0

It came, it saw, and it fell harder than a fat man in a slide at the water park.  USB 3.0 was supposed to be the magnificent replacement to current standards, offering 10x the speed of 2.0 and giving us a world of new high speed peripherals.  Someone forgot to send this memo to Intel and AMD, as they never integrated this technology natively, and only a small amount of devices support it.


Google Wave

This was supposed to be Google's solution to Facebook, or so they thought.  The biggest problem that Wave faced was, well, everything about it.  No one knew how to take advantage of the thing beyond logging in, and it ran so horribly that it became almost worthless.  We tried it here on the beta and it lasted for oh, a week at best and we gave up.  Wave has now been formally killed off, although Google as said they plan to integrate parts of it into other services.


QIK

One thing that Android users want is a quality app for live video streaming and chat like FaceTime on the iPhone 4.  What many of us were stuck with what QIK.  All it offered us in return was performance including choppy framerates, grainy images and frequently dropped connections over 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi.  Thankfully, we have Skype coming out hopefully soon with their video chat update and a possible addition to Google Talk.

New Google Maps Drops the Gauntlet

Google Maps 5.0 is now on the Android Market, and it seems Google has decided to just come out and one up everything available.  Seems like the other navigation apps have a bit of catching up to do now.  


The overall performance has taken a nice jump which everyone will notice.  Previously, the maps were downloaded in small squares and pieces together.  You would have noticed this when you're waiting on the map to load and everything on the screen was a bunch of small white and grey squares.  Now they're using vector graphics to draw the maps as you use it which translates to faster load times.


Explore maps in 3D:
I'm loving this feature right now.  This feature is available right now in 100+ cities and it's a blast to explore with it.  Can't wait for the list to expand.

• Tilting: Drag down with two fingers to tilt the map. Tilt while zoomed in on one of the100+ cities around the world with 3D buildings to see a skyline spring to life.
• Rotating: Twist with two fingers to rotate the map. After tilting to see 3D buildings, rotate around them to gain a new perspective from any direction.
• Smooth zooming: Slide two fingers together or apart, and see the map and labels continuously scale to any zoom level, stopping when your fingers stop.
• Compass mode: Center the map on your location, and then tap the compass button in the top right corner. The map will flip into 3D mode and start rotating to match your perspective, while still keeping all the labels upright and readable.

Offline Mapping:
Yes please!  One big limit you get with almost any phone based mapping app is the need for an internet connection. You get in an area where coverage is lacking for data or in a subway or tunnel, you're dead.  The new version now caches map data on the device allowing for offline support. A data connection is initially required to pull data.  Another nice part to this which should be rolling out of the next few weeks Google has stated is offline rerouting.  Yes, it will have all the data it needs to reroute your drive if you turn off the initial route.


The update can be obtained by going through your Android Market app, or by clicking this link if you're on the phone.

 


Credit to Google Mobile Blog for update info and images.

Top Tweets of 2010

Twitter has announced their prelim statistics for end of year 2010.  It's being estimated that there was somewhere around 25 billion tweets sent out so far this year, which is pretty huge for a social media platform many people still disregard.


The oil spill obviously took first place honors, but I admit I'm happy to see Android beat out Bieber in the rankings.  Seeing as how that kid only ranked 8th, I'm sure billions of little tweenies will be crying over this one.


Top 10 Twitter Trends of 2010
1. Gulf Oil Spill
2. FIFA World Cup
3. Inception
4. Haiti Earthquake
5. Vuvuzela
6. Apple iPad
7. Google Android
8. Justin Bieber
9. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
10. Pulpo Paul

Google App Inventor Open To All

App Inventor has been around for a good amount of time now, but was only available to a select few.  The tool is primarily there to help with faster development of apps before the point of getting heavy into code, and help with teaching development for new developers.

Those days of being selective are over, and the App Inventor is open to everyone!

You'll need a Google account obviously, and to download the installer.  Some phone models are included in the driver list, and some others you may need to manually download a driver for.  The website has a pretty simple walk through to get you up and running.  Just hit your browser over here.

HTC Evo 4G Update v3.70.651.1 Available

It's not Gingerbread (sigh), but HTC rolled out an update today for you Evo owners to enjoy.


I haven't messed with it much so far as it just finished installing earlier, but some of the changes are nice.  Telenav is always a solid choice for maps if Google Maps isn't your preference.  And well, what do I really need to say about Kindle?  It's pure win in the eReader community.


I thought about trying NOVA, but after seeing it required a 74MB update before I could play, I decided against.  I honestly don't use Sprint TV that often, but if the update rolls in a few more free features to offset all the paid content, I'm good with that.


I would comment on having SWYPE on here, but I'm honestly still trying to get it to work.  >:(


If your phone is set to auto update, you should be getting the push for it pretty soon.  If you want to manually update instead of waiting around, follow these steps:
Settings > System Updates > HTC Software Update


The full update list is as follows:

Blockbuster

Kindle eReader

NOVA (new game)

Sprint Zone update

Latest Telenav

Latest VVM App

Sprint TV update

SWYPE Keyboard

Scan Now Widget for 4G

Windows Phone 7 Overview

Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft's comeback into the smartphone market.  Let's start with the first positive experience compared to the old WinMo 6 days......they tore it all apart and started from scratch.  I can't think of how much abuse Microsoft has taken over the years for the horrible product WinMo became as it got passed up by everyone else on the market.  Sure, it was good for a while, then again they were about the only real smartphone OS on the market.  PalmOS had already become severely obsolete, and RIM only catered to business users for years.


My, how things have changed.  


The UI carries a lot of similarities to the Zune UI, which I've had a liking to personally.  The main thing they did was make it easy to use, keep your attention, and make it modern.  This ain't the old Windows 98 desktop style of old.  After getting hands on with it for a short time, I have to admit, it's fun to use.  No longer do I have the urge to rip out my hair and try to throw the phone like a hail mary.

Live Tiles:
This to me seems like the Microsoft version of a widget for any of the phone functions.  The tiles go in rows of two down the screen, and can be single squares or a two spot rectangle.  These can be used for contact shortcuts, bookmarks, etc.  They keep high-rez images of the site or image, and update live.


Camera:
Microsoft added a few tricks that caught my attention, and were nice additions.  The camera function is always accessible through the shortcut key, even if locked, by holding down the shortcut button.  The photos still stay private if the handset is locked.  And to quickly access your photos from the camera app, simply swipe left to right.  Quick and convenient.


Touch Keyboard:
Finally.....FINALLY.....a Windows phone has a good touch keypad.  Any previous WinMo phones I owned I required a physical keypad because it was terrible.  Response is solid, and it doesn't have the fat finger issue with me which is definitely a win.


Hubs:
These are kind of locations like you get on the Xbox. WP7 comes with 6: People, Pictures, Music+Video, Marketplace, Office, and Games.  Each hub carries all related content.  For example, Games includes any saved games on the phone, invites, your Xbox Live gamer score, and a place to change your avatar.


Marketplace: 
Yes children, it finally has an app market.  This was always one of the biggest annoyances of WinMo was trying to find an app.  Occasionally you could run across a website here and there with a descent selection of apps.  The problem is they tended to be heavily scattered about, and lacking in update support.


Internet Explorer:
It's still far from perfect and loses in speed tests to Safari and the default Android browser, but it is a huge improvement from previous mobile versions of IE.  It's actually usable.


Xbox Live Integration:

• Avatars: Connect to your Xbox LIVE profile and Avatar, or create a new one if you don't already have an Avatar or Xbox LIVE profile; take your 3-D Avatar and props with you on the phone with full closet access.
• Friends: Bring your Xbox LIVE friends with you everywhere; compare Achievements, challenge rivals to your favorite game, and even see who's online and what they're doing on their consoles, PCs or phones.
• Game access: Easily view and launch your full game library from a single location; find, try and buy new games either in the Marketplace or Games hub.
• Achievements: Earn, view and track Achievements, view Xbox LIVE leaderboards and build your Gamerscore across Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 - every time you play an Xbox LIVE title.
• Messaging: Communicate with all of your Xbox LIVE friends, any time you want, through Xbox LIVE messages.
• Multiplayer: Invite, connect and play against friends on other Windows Phone 7 phones or the PC with turn-based (asynchronous) multiplayer gaming.
• Spotlight: Access Xbox LIVE Spotlight feeds, including the latest game titles, breaking news from Xbox LIVE, game tips and tricks, and more.

The Missing Features:
copy and paste (coming in 2011)
multi-tasking (this is for non microsoft apps)
turn-by-turn navigation (might get it later, but no one does it like android)
microSD card swapping (uses the card as extended storage for the OS, not external)

No more Netflix disc on the Wii

Well, this is great news! The Roku box can go back up to my bedroom and I don't have to wonder what happened to the disc or what my nieces may have spilled on it. Or how much dog hair is on it ... let's just say that Netflix losing the disc is a good thing in my house.

New phone angst: Samsung Vibrant vs. Google/HTC Nexus One

Oh … what a dilemma!!! So, I took advantage of the T-Mobile BOGO. Yesterday I called T-Mobile’s customer service line and verified that I was indeed eligible for an upgrade at the BOGO special, verified that the special was still ongoing (it was supposed to have ended in early September but has been indefinitely extended) and that I could extend payments over a few months on my bill. All was a go. Oh, and I changed my contract from myFaves 400 (no longer available) to Even More for Families 750 (we hardly talk on the phone, but we are mad texters) so that I could also take advantage of the Kids are Free promotion (hello savings of about $240 over the course of the next year).

In general, this is a no-brainer – keep the Nexus (oh I love this phone!) but @hankito has become a full-on convert to Android (used to Apple and iPhone all the way) and has spent so much time one the XDA Forums over the last month, that he now knows how to root and put different ROMs on the phone in the space of a few minutes. He rooted my Nexus using a 1-click app in less that 10 minutes yesterday morning (no @cyanogen mod on it yet though, I still want the chance to get in there and play around a bit myself).

A non-rooted, non lag-fixed, non-GPS fixed, non-Froyo Vibrant is … underwhelming. It’s downright frustrating! (and meh) Froyo was such a huge improvement to the Android OS that not running it, despite the absolutely GORGEOUS display on the Vibrant is well … not worth it. And there’s no Flash – Adobe or camera. And I really like my LED notifications and trackball.
So, should I switch just to have the latest android phone (before the G2 anyway)?
Nexus One Specs
Dimensions: 4.69" x 2.35" x 0.45"  
OS: Google Android 2.1 (now rooted with 2.2)
Weight: 4.59 oz (130g) 
Internal Memory: 174MB
Talk Time: 7 hours (420 minutes) 
Nexus One Bluetooth: A2DP
Standby: 250 hours (10.4 days) 
Connector: micro-USB
Nexus One Battery: 1400mAh Li-Ion 
Touch Screen: Finger capacitive
Screen Size: 3.7" 
Nexus One Memory Card: microSD
Display Res: 480x 800 pixels 
Camera: 5 megapixel
and more
I'm wanting to keep my Nexus until Gingerbread is released.
Vibrant Specs (Also known as Samsung T959 Galaxy S)
Dimensions: 122.4 x 64.5 x 9.9 mm
Weight:117.9g (lighter than the Nexus)
DISPLAY: Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Screen Size
480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches
- TouchWiz 3.0 UI
- Multi-touch input method
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Touch-sensitive controls
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
- Swype text input
MEMORY
Phonebook
Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records
Practically unlimited
Internal
16GB storage, 512 MB RAM
Card slot
microSD, up to 32GB, 2GB card included, buy memory
DATA: GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
EDGE Class 12
3G HSDPA; HSUPA
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; DLNA
Bluetooth Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
USB
Yes, v2.0 microUSB
CAMERA
Primary
5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus
Features
Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection
Video
Yes, 720p@30fps
FEATURES
Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair)
CPU: 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor
Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS
GPS
Yes, with A-GPS support (currently broken, waiting for the official fix, or you can get it in the xda forums)
Java
Via third party application
- Social networking integration
- Digital compass
- MP4/DivX/WMV/H.264/H.263 player
- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player
- Organizer
- Image/video editor
- Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)
- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,
YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration
- Flash Lite v3.1
- Voice memo/dial/commands
- T9
BATTERY
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh
Stand-by
Up to 432 h
Talk time
Up to 6 h 30 min
Do you have a Galaxy S phone? Still drinking the Apple Kool-Aid? Or waiting for the G2?
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Dropbox Android app update

Dropbox 

Dropbox v 1.0.0.1 is now available for download. There has been some trouble with getting from the market, so you can use the QR code or download from http://db.tt/d7N59Lo

--------------

Release Notes:

1.0

• Better retry logic on failed uploads
• Fixed syncing of edits made to files opened from search results view
• Other minor bug fixes

0.9.8.9 Beta

• Added support for Audible's .aa and .aax file formats
• Changed Gallery UI design slightly
• Bug Fixes
  
  
  
  • Up-to-date version of file is downloaded when changed remotely.
  • Stability, fixed several FCs, and other improvements

0.9.8.8 Beta

• Added "Share to Dropbox" from other applications (Gallery, etc). Either single or multiple files can be shared at the same time.
• File Downloads & Uploads now display progress notifications instead of Spammy Toasts.
• Multi-touch Gallery for pictures in a directory. Long-hold on pictures in gallery to do file operations.
• Now you can create Shortcuts to Dropbox folders by long-holding on the desktop.
• Added long-hold folder options for sharing and open.
• Long-hold file Open now plays non-streaming, if it's a streaming file type.
• Added Cache Size display and Clear Cache button.
• Prompt to install file manager such as OI or Astro if one is not installed already.
• Notification if SD card is unavailable, so downloads, viewing, or uploads won't work.
• The e-mail to tell friends about Dropbox now contains a referral link, so you can get a quota bonus.
• Visual Redesign with new icons
• Bug Fixes
  
  
  
  • Small file changes now sync properly
  • Files don't re-upload any more on upgrade or re-install
  • Increased network timeout so it works better on slow networks

-- from Dropbox Forums

I do believe I may be getting a few more Audible books.

Audible

Get Audible here:

Wordfeud - Now Ad Free!

Just a quick announcement. If you happen to be addicted to Wordfeud (like I am) You can now make a donation to support further development of Wordfeud. In return the ads will be removed from your game. To make a donation, go to wordfeud.com/donate/

Make sure to update to v1.0.8 first (just released to the market).

Dear Netbooks, Please Die. Thank You.

Dear netbook market....I beg you....please die off.

I personally have never been a fan of netbooks.  I've never been able to come up with a logical conclusion as to why anyone would spend their money on something that runs like outdated crap technology they can pick up at a used computer store for much less.  Now that I ponder it, why spend any money on something with the power of a Pentium 3?  That was phased out for a reason wasn't it?

Now the original concept of a netbook, then known as a tablet PC, wasn't too terrible.  Fact is, they just didn't sell for the life of them.

Back in my retail days, we usually had one or two of the HP tablet units.  The general idea was to get portability and battery life in a small and FUNCTIONAL system.  Other than a few cool features like touch screen capability and a rotating display, they failed.  Terribly.  It was the start of a good idea though.  These helped introduce the Pentium M processors and the "ultra portable" market.  Running Windows XP, the performance wasn't too bad.  XP just didn't have the native features supported very well so they tended to be a bit, let's say, quirky?  The damn things just had a tendency to not work right with the stuff they tried to add. But again, I liked the general idea of what they wanted to do.  Much of this has eventually moved into the tablet market with items like the iPad and Android tablets.

The main thing that has been a problem from the start is the price.  Most consumers didn't "get it" on what these were for, and most conventional laptops were cheaper or same price, with better performance.  Although these are still being sold in limited amounts, they're largely unknown.

Then came the netbook.  That infamous little piece of crap hyped to be a Ferrari, but carrying the engine of a Ford Pinto.  Half ass low voltage processors, screens no bigger than 10", and the weight that makes everyone smile.  The biggest problem with this is consumers don't know what they're really good for, and manufacturers don't want to openly admit it.  If you want to waste this kind of money on something that's just for Facebook, email, and a little web surfing?  Fine....go ahead.....be my guest.  Run around and brag about how small and cute it is.  Just don't start crying when it won't run for shit with apps like Photoshop.  I can't recall how many times we easily crashed these things just trying to do basic multi tasking.

Now I'm sure some of you are asking yourselves "well if these things are so bad, why do people keep buying them?"  Easy...the economy.  What's easier to foot the bill on when your kid won't shut up about getting a new computer...$800 on a respectable build for a laptop, or $250 for a netbook?  Let's face it, that kid at your local best Buy really doesn't know much of anything about computers.  He's just there to get a sale, and they can make up the loss of profit margin on it with selling you a warranty, setup, or software.  Manufacturers hate these things because there's ZERO profit in them, but it's the easy item to push for revenue to get by until the economy picks up.  Consumers don't know any better, they just see its a laptop and it's cheap.  It doesn't matter how many times we told them it won't run World of Warcraft, the price tag clouded their judgement and had them back a week later screaming like an idiot because it constantly locked up.

Netbooks need to die out...quickly.  If you want an actual computer and the expected performance of one, buy a real laptop.  Yeah, you're gonna drop $700-$1200 depending on what you want to do with it, but make a smart investment and save yourself hassle.  If you want something seriously portable, go get a damn tablet. You've got the iPad which, although I'm no far, it's selling and has solid support.  You've also got the Android tablets coming out which are gonna sell very well too.  These things do exactly what a portable unit is intended to do, and they do it well.  Leave the other stuff to a real computer.

Facebook Down For Some Users

Well it looks like some of you Facebook addicts can't get your fix today, as the site is down for some users.  According to Facebook this is an issue with a “third party networking provider”.


In response to Mashable, Facebook said  “We are in contact with this provider in order to explore what can be done to resolve the issue. In the meantime, we are working on deploying changes to bypass the affected connections.”


With it being third party, there's no telling when the issues should be worked out outside of the bypass.  We checked it out here, and were unable to get on facebook.com through our computers or through TweetDeck.  Everything worked fine though through our phones direct on the site or through 3rd party apps.  We'll keep an eye on this and see when a return it expected.


Sorry for your addictions not being fulfilled :P

Twitter for Blackberry Updated v1.0.0.40

RIM is now rolling out the updated for their official Twitter client, hopefully getting them closer to catching up to the more popular apps out there already to choose from.  I'll admit, their official app isn't too bad to start with, but it lacks so much in features and UI.  Download from the app store or blackberry.com/twitter

Features include:

• Quote tweets (ability to edit ReTweets)
• Auto complete for @ usernames
• Additional photo viewing support
• View Geotagged Tweets
• Personal Info Guard
• Hotkeys for navigation
• Go to users

eLocity A7 7" Android Tablet on Amazon Pre-order Now

Looking for an Android tablet?  Stream TV has their eLocity A7 available for pre-order now for $369.99.  Not a bad price for hardware like this.  By all comparisons, it looks like a solid jump in the tablet market for Android fans, and best of all it includes FROYO!  Jumping for joy in 3...2...

Jump to Amazon by clicking here to order.

Features

NVIDIA® Tegra™ II T‐20, 1GHz, 1MB L2 Cache  512 MB DDR2 RAM  Android™ 2.2 Operating System  4GB High Speed Internal Flash Memory  7” Capacitive Touch Screen, 800x480  0.5W Stereo Speakers  1.3MP Webcam

3.5mm Stereo Headphone Jack  802.11b/g Wireless  Bluetooth® 2.1 Enabled  1 x USB 2.0 Port  1 x Micro SD Card  1 x HDMI 1080p Output  Docking Port 8.2” x 4.8” x 0.5”, 1.02 lbs

Connections:

• 1 HDMI output
• 1 USB 2.0 input
• 1 MicroCard input
• 1 Docking Port
• 1 3.5mm Stereo Headphone Output

RIM Confirms Acquisition of DataViz

RIM announced that they picked up DataViz, maker of the long running Documents To Go application.  The deal hands RIM all the assets and most of the employees.  DataViz has been in the smartphones market for some time now, making conversion software to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files on many smartphone platforms.

Not sure on the exact value of the deal, but it's a buy that's hard to pass up.  DataViz already announced previously that there won't be a port of the app for Palm's WebOS due to lack of support from Palm and HP.  I hope support on Android keeps going.

Buy One Galaxy S Get one Free on T-Mobile

Well, hot damn! I think it's time for me to upgrade, well ... on contract it says that I have a G1, and upgrading from a G1 to a Vibrant would be an awesome deal, and who doesn't love a BOGO (that's Buy One, Get One - popularized by Payless). I wonder if I can get it for less, I got the G1 for $179 since I am such a loyal T-Mobile customer (no sarcasm there, nope, none at all, be sure to read the fine print).

But what would I do with two of them? I just got Josh a Blackberry. And Joy DEFINITELY does NOT need a smartphone. Decisions, decisions ... @hankito and @phatemokid should never have shown me how the Galaxy S blows away the Nexus One in benchmark tests.

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