Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

Recently I changed jobs and as part of my new job I am on call 24/7 for support. Thanks to that job specification, I got some new toys... I mean work peripherals that will assist me in my ... job...yeah! LOL! Anyway, I chose to get a Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 by RIM back at the beginning of August. It sports a 2.8" screen, optical trackball, and BlackBerry OS v6 (BB6).

And well, I’ve had the Bold 9650 for about two weeks and it was finally activated on BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server, used for company email) about 4 days ago. So far, kinda good. It’s a good phone, don’t get me wrong, but some things that I find troublesome or don't like are:

1. Keys are just too small for large hands, I find myself using my nails more than anything to type
2. The keyboard layout is classic BB, but some special characters are oddly placed or only accessible from the SYM key’s submenu! Namely the Ampersand (&)! I use ampersands quite often to sub for “and” but having to press SYM and then finding it on the keymap really sucks. And I swear the changed the placement of @, ! and ?
3. Screen size is horribly small for some apps. Just big enough for others … if you have extremely good vision! I luckily have a great vision, but I still find myself wishing I had about 0.3-0.5 inches more screen!
4. The key lock (upper right hand corner of phone) is terrible. It locks the phone but sliding the phone out of the stock belt case immediately unlocks it! So just trying to pull it out the case I misdial about 5 or 6 people! Or even when I’m holding it in my hand it has a nasty habit of coming unlocked from the slightest of touches on the lock button
5. BB6 software is smooth until it freezes! Which is A LOT! It’s not really glitchy or suffering from crashes, it’s just constantly skipping and/or freezing!
6. Facebook app (v.2, the phone only comes w/ v.1.x) is always having a weird issue with phantom notifications
7. As always with BB’s, the menu’s and options are MASSIVE, you can get lost trying to find the right option you’re looking for!

Some of the things I like about the phone include:

1. It’s very light and thinner than my last BB. Does it count that my last BB was that Nextel BB  I had at PFI 7 years ago!? LOL!
2. Outside of its size and odd special key layout, It’s nice having a physical keyboard
3. The app offering for BB’s is not at Android numbers of course, but it’s got more than the HP TouchPad, so it’s a nice selection. My faves are Twitter, Facebook, Cisco Webex, GetGlue, Expensify and BBM.
4. Camera takes good pictures. At full size they are even better (see below)
5. 
   Notification system is pretty nice. I can’t remember what the old BB4 or BB5 system was like but the current system is pretty good
6. Multitasking is pretty good, no glitches, crashes, etc. (just that nasty freeze occassionaly)

With that said, I am not 100% happy with this phone, so I am switching over to one of the new touchscreen plus Qwerty BB7 phones (Bold 9930 or Torch 9810). So another review will be coming to you soon!

That is what Stylez thinks, tell me what you think in the comments!

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

As an IT Administrator, I have been asked A LOT of questions! And if they are IT related, I usually have answers ... hence the ASK WILLIE STYLEZ! But a few questions that have always been difficult for me to answer, concern Laptop Batteries and battery life! I must say, there is a lot of mystery surrounding these small, but very significant, devices that power our STUFF! So I went on a search this morning and found a most INTERESTING website! It has a GREAT FAQ for Batteries that clears up a lot of the mysteries about the subject! So, with no further ado:

How to care for your new laptop battery

Condition your new laptop computer battery for optimum performance

A new laptop battery must be conditioned to operate at its full capacity.
New replacement laptop batteries from LaptopBatteryExpress.com are shipped in a discharged state and must be fully charged when you receive your new battery. Charging your new battery overnight is sufficient to give your new battery a full charge. A new laptop battery must be partially discharged and fully charged at least five times in order to reach its full capacity.
This is done simply by unplugging the laptop from the power cord and letting the battery operate the laptop for 30 min. to 1 hour. It is important not to let a brand-new battery discharge completely to empty or the battery pack may not be able to be recharged by the laptop. This can effectively destroy your brand-new battery.

The conditioning process should be completed within the first month you receive your new battery. The conditioning process can be completed during the first week of receiving your new notebook battery.

How can I extend the Lifetime of my laptop battery?

Li-ion laptop batteries will wear out slowly over time, providing ever shorter battery run times. You can extend the life of your battery by providing some basic ongoing maintenance. Your new battery should be charged and discharged 3-4 times during the first month. This will properly engage the battery to hold it's maximum energy. After the first month you can maintain the battery energy capacity by discharging and recharging the battery every 3-4 weeks. Do not let the battery run down all the way as this will diminish your battery life over time.

 
A new battery may cause the battery power icon on your computer to indicate you have a low battery condition. We recommend that you let the battery charge overnight in your notebook computer. It may be necessary to remove and replace the battery and restart your computer with the battery installed in order for the computerís start up sequence to properly recognize your new battery.

Rechargeable batteries will self discharge when not in use over a period of time.

ï This might seem obvious but donít burn, disassemble, mutilate or short circuit batteries. 

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So What Does STYLEZ Think?

While using one of my favorite Google Chrome browser extensions, Click&Clean, I discovered they had a link to a cool tool that lets you, YES YOU, create music! It's called iNudge.net! That's right, an online mini-music studio is available for your use 24/7/365! It's not as extensive as Uloops Music Studio for Android but it has some really cool sounds and lot of potential as a way for the everyday guy or gal to experiment and play musical arrangements to their heart's content! I gave it a try and within SECONDS... YES, SECONDS! I had a musical arrangement that sounded really cool! After exploring it a little more, and finding a few more options, I had a nice little 16 bar track made! Check it out:

So head on over to iNudge.net and see what you can create with a (very) little time and a lot of fun!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I was excited back in January to hear that Sprint was releasing some HUGE news in February, that was supposed to revolutionize the mobile industry. There was much debate, speculation, and wishful thinking as to what that announcement was going to be. Well, February 7th came... then it went... and most of us, well, are not impressed! SMH! The big announcement turned out to be Sprint's newest smartphone, on the Android platform, made by Kyocera (parent company and current manufacturer of Sanyo phones). The Kyocera Echo is a dual-screened, Nintendo DS inspired, device that (by their marketing statement) will revolutionize the way people use their Android device. I don't buy that, but it is a good concept. I don't think the concept is practical, but it's good.

Well, I got a chance to look at the Kyocera Echo, the press release and the FAQ and here are my thoughts:

Pros:

- dual screens (of course)

- multiple modes of the screens

- size of the combined display (4.7")

- (the idea of) the optimized apps (since they are not out yet, its hard to say they will perform as intended)

- current Android smartphone OS (v2.2) which allows the use of FLASH for web animations/videos

- Additional battery and charging stand included

Cons:

- Only 3G (which is not slow, but Sprint's 3G network is lacking)

- Additional cost for internet (Sprint is also charging Premium fee on a device that does not truly use the Premium features, like 4G)

- Hinge system has not been proven (phones that open and/or slide have ALWAYS been a problem, and although Sprint claims that this one has passed all of its "stringent" tests, their tests in the past have yielded phones that break within the 1st year!)

- its a Kyocera (they're not a horrible company, but they also haven't proved to make durable and high performance devices)

- possible compatibility issues with non-optimized Android apps (this is a new device with even newer technology that has never been seen, or programmed, for. So there is a huge chance that most apps will fail to run properly)

All in all, it is a great idea and an emerging technology. If you don't mind being their guinea pig, then go for it. At $200 (after mail-in rebate) and an expensive data plan, I would like to have seen this be 4G instead. I myself wouldn't jump up to buy it because a) its too new of technology and needs to be tested in the consumer realm and proven to work and b) its made by a company that is not a star in the mobile phone game. Kyocera acquired Sanyo and builds the phones, but Sanyo is not the most premier company for phones either!

That is what Stylez thinks. What do you think? Please read more below and comment!

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So What Does STYLEZ Think?

Before anyone asks, I'm still using my T-Mobile HTC HD2. I recently modded my HD2 (again) and added the ability to run alternative mobile OS's from the phone's internal memory (NAND). This has given me the option to run everything from Windows Mobile (WM) 6, 6.1, 6.5; Android 2.1 (ECLAIR), 2.2 (FROYO), 2.3 (GINGERBREAD); Windows Phone 7 (WP7); UBUNTU Linux; and even Nokia's newest project MEEGO! Currently I am dual booting the phone with a custom GINGERBREAD installation (based on the popular Cyanogen Mod 7) running from the MicroSD card, and a custom release of the WP7 operating system built for HD2 running from the NAND memory.

So in this review, I want to talk specifically about Windows Phone 7 (WP7) and how it stacks up to expectations. This is written from a more consumer stand point, and if anyone wants a more technical overview of the ROM that I am using, then please feel free to contact me. Well let's get to it.

I have been running WP7 for over 3 weeks now. It works fairly well. Not any major issues, it's just that WP7 is really showing its "youth" as a Phone OS. I think that it will be great phone OS... eventually. It has its positives and its negatives. But doesn't every phone OS? Anyway, the following two lists really show why I love... and hate... WP7 as my newest phone OS acquisition!

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So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I received an email today describing an exciting new program from Best Buy to "Future-Proof Your Techonolgy"! I must say, after seeing a similar offer from Dell recently where products purchased will be bought back by the company (in the form of a gift card) is a GREAT selling point! After dealing with piles of old computers, consumer electronics and the sort; and knowing I have more purchases to come, I am very excited to know (and you should be too) that my heavy investment will pay off in the future. Guaranteed! Check out the link to the Best Buy program, it promises to provide an upfront buy-back amount for items that you purchase. That way, when you are ready to upgrade, you are not taking a total lost. I am sure the items bought back will end up on an eBay auction, but hey, who cares. If I know I can spend $700 on a new tablet and get $280 back in 12 months... I'm all for it! It's $280 toward my next tablet, and I didn't have to fight the other 10,000 eBayers to sell it to 500 buyers who'd rather only give me $100! So check out the program. If you like new gadgets, all the time, it may be the right choice for you!

That is what Stylez thinks, what do you think? Read more below and check out the program!