Randomness from an overactive mind
Posts tagged technology
Android will be on my next phone
22 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
I’ve had two interactions with Android, Google’s mobile phone operating system. The first time I had a taste of the glory was on my sister’s Motorola Droid. Then, today, I installed a really rough build of Android on my HTC Fuze. It was a little slow and some of the features aren’t complete, yet, but it felt so much better than Windows, already.
I’ve been talking about this with a few people recently. Android really seems to be that perfect middle ground between the iPhone’s beauty and usability and Windows Mobile’s customization and power. Everything about it is well done and, being that it’s a rather new operating system, it’s designed around a high speed, touch screen world. That’s the problem with Windows Mobile. It’s so old and Microsoft rested on their laurels for so long, that it just doesn’t meet the needs of a user today. The interface still isn’t finger friendly and there’s a certain beauty that’s still missing from it all. The problems aren’t only skin deep, though. Hell, the fact that text messaging is still such a struggle for the OS is ridiculous beyond belief.
I don’t like how the iPhone locks you down to the old mantra of “Apple’s way or the high way” and I hate how Windows Mobile struggles to get anything done. Android is that fine balance of power and beauty and it’s won me over. The iPhone never wow’ed me like this and neither did any other mobile OS. It’s all about the world of Google, now and, even though they may hate my privacy, I’m going with Android when I can afford to do so.
Games really aren’t a kid’s toy anymore
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
It’s amazing how video games have really changed since the days of the NES, huh? Back then, they were sort of cool, not nearly as popular, and often seen as a toy for a child instead of a mainstream form of entertainment. Fast forward 25 years and suddenly you have video games acting as the main source of entertainment for many many people.
I think Sony had a lot to do with this growth of the industry. While Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis did a decent job of growing the number of people owning consoles, the perception of these consoles being nothing more than toys really didn’t dissipate until late in the life of the PS1. It took another generation, though, for things to full swing in the opposite direction. With the introduction of the PS2 and some of it’s more mature titles, namely Grand Theft Auto, views of games being nothing more than colorful plumbers jumping on mushrooms changed and people began to realize that these devices could entertain adults, too.
Sony left that pitch still hanging, though, when Microsoft came around and, once and for all, solidified the position of video games as a legitimate form of entertainment for people of all ages. The combination of the Xbox 360 (the first console released this generation) and it’s online service, Xbox Live, people from all walks of life started coming together to play video games. Multi-player games, such as Halo and Call of Duty, brought large groups of people together, virtually, and gave them all something to talk about the next day. Some of those people were in a classroom and some were around a water cooler. For the first time, kids and adults were sharing the exact same experiences. Who made a great headshot on their friend? Who crushed their co-worker in a game of Madden? These questions are now just as common as reactions to the latest movies or songs.
It’s been a fun journey, when I stop to think about it. For those people who don’t get it or think that people like me are immature because we play these games, you need to realize things are a lot different now. Exit out of Farmville, log off of Pogo, and close that DS, and take time to recognize the fact that we’re all gamers, whether we think it’s dumb or not cause these games really aren’t a kid’s toy anymore.
My Netflix Blu-ray queue is looking red
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
I’ve been using Netflix since Microsoft added Netflix instant streaming support to the Xbox 360. The streaming is nice, though the selection of movies is limited, so I’ve always swayed more towards renting DVD’s. That changed, a bit, when my birthday rolled around.
This past birthday, Melanie bought me a Blu-ray player and I, instantly, ran to the Netflix website and upgraded my account to include Blu-ray rentals. It was a match made in heaven as I added a ton of new releases to my queue and enjoyed the beauty of the amazing format. Things haven’t been as good, though, lately.
Here is a screen shot of my current queue:
Notice all of that red telling me that the various movies are temporarily unavailable. It’s not a great feeling to sit here and see that. Netflix is a great service, but are they maintaining inventory to keep up with demand or just sitting back and expecting us to deal with it? It’s still way too early to say I’m going to cancel my account, but it does make me consider the other options out there, such as Blockbuster’s service. They don’t charge extra for Blu-ray,which is nice, but I’m not sure how quick or reliable their shipping is, either.
Taking technology for granted
22 years ago
by bangbang023
in journal
People my age and younger tend to take technology for granted. This was never made so clear to me as it was this past weekend when I witnessed a simple piece of technology affect someone in a way I never expected.
Leaving out details and such, I witnessed an elderly woman receive a digital picture frame as a Christmas gift. The people giving it to her took some time to pre-load about 50 pictures of various family members and such. As they plugged the frame in to show her how it works, the pictures began to play in a slideshow and she was, literally, moved to tears by it. This is the same technology that I scoffed at, so many times, as I put a number of different models out while at work. It just didn’t seem that amazing to me, yet, here was a woman crying because of how amazing this all seemed to her and how happy she was to be able to see so much family history right there on one little screen. It really blew my mind.
I guess that I sometimes forget to step back and really look at things from different viewpoints. It’s difficult to do so, but a moment like this really opened my eyes to how I need to appreciate the simpler things in life a little more often.
So many gifts are up to me
42 years ago
by bangbang023
in journal
Electronics are becoming the main type of gift to give someone for Christmas. It makes sense as some of the most wanted items out there are the latest gadgets ranging from GPS units to digital cameras and netbooks to televisions. Each one of us probably craves a gadget or gizmo or two. Unfortunately, not everyone is as interested in them the rest of the year.
It happens more and more, for me. As this time of year rolls around, everyone starts asking me to help them sort through a long list of models to help pick out that right gadget for someone else to receive. Phones, cameras, GPS devices, televisions and so on and so forth are all decided upon by me. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping people find what’s right for the person receiving the gift, but I always feel a certain amount of pressure knowing that my decision can really affect how that person’s Christmas is remembered. Was that camera too complicated or missing features? Is that TV not what they were expecting? Are they going to like that phone’s interface? It’s all up to me and it can be stressful.
Thankfully, the season is almost over. I don’t mind helping, really, I don’t. I just wish it all didn’t feel so crucial.
Why I love video games
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in journal
A lot of people like video games just as much as I do, but sometimes I feel like we all get a bad rap for it. I can’t speak for anyone else, but the biggest thing for me is the competitive spirit behind games, especially with online play being in the picture.
When I was younger (mid to late teens), I would play all kinds of sports all day long with Joe. I have no idea where I found the energy, but I had it and I used it to get out all of that wonderful alpha-male nonsense that teenagers go through. It wasn’t all because of my age, though. I like the feeling of winning and the work required to get there. I don’t like rubbing it in the loser’s face like some people, but that feeling of accomplishment is something I treasure. Growing up got in the way of that.
Now that all of us are older and don’t have much time to go out and play sports all day long, I often find my desire for competition unfulfilled. Video games help quench that thirst, though. Granted, I’d still rather be on the field or at the park, but it’s a great secondary means of satisfying a need that I feel I may always have with me. I love games for that.
I do wonder why other people like video games so much, though. Is it the competition? Is it the social aspect?
Does Microsoft get it?
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
I’m a Windows Mobile user and I don’t think that Microsoft gets it.
When you use an iPhone or see one in use, you can’t help but be amazed by the beautiful fading and sliding transitions. You’re bound to have a similar reaction to some of the nicer Android phones out there. Then, in comes Windows Mobile with its bland interface that lacks customization abilities or any animation, whatsoever. It drives me nuts. Presentation may not be everything, but it does count for something.
The problem with WM is that there’s a lot of power locked behind an out dated interface that fails to inspire or hold one’s attention. Sure, there are masks put on it by companies like HTC, but even those replacement interfaces feel tacked on and never really seem to truly blend in with the rest of the operating system. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed by a mask, either. It runs throughout the system and always manages to rear its head at one point or another, despite how thorough of a masking job has been done.
My eyes were really opened to the importance of presentation, and specifically, animation in this article that I read a few days ago. It’s an interesting read and explains how exaggerated animations are important in creating the illusion of speed and an overall better “feel” to the device. It’s worth a read. What I find interesting is that, while using various test builds of the next version of Windows Mobile (6.5.1), I’ve witnessed Microsoft implement some of these exaggerated animations, particularly with scrolling, and then proceed to remove them in a later build. Don’t they get it?
This isn’t meant to be a full length article. I want to post more, but don’t wish to creatively drain myself. To keep a balance, I’m hoping to discuss aspects of my life or thoughts on the world around me in a way that stimulates discussion
Keyboards and bicycles
22 years ago
by bangbang023
in journal
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted. I apologize. I’ve been extremely pre-occupied with work and trying to find time with Melanie. I have a story for you, though.
Saturday night, after a day in the city with Joe, I came home to find my wireless keyboard not working. It seemed as though my wireless receiver was not getting power. Unfortunately, my computer wouldn’t boot up unless it could find a keyboard (I forgot to disable the setting that halts boot up on a keyboard error). Multiple attempts at getting the keyboard working failed miserably and I was getting frustrated. By some chance, I happened to plug the USB receiver into my iPod’s charger and it lit up and synced with my keyboard. This was obviously not a path to go down, but I did nonetheless. Now convinced that it was a power issue, I asked my mom to drive me over to Best Buy (I don’t drive and it was too late for a train ride). I bought a powered USB hub, brought it home, and cursed myself out when it didn’t work. I gave up for the night and resigned to buying a new keyboard/mouse combo in the morning.
Sunday, after work, I picked up with Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000. With a little time to spare before having to run out to Staten Island to meet Melanie after she got out of work, I decided to hook it up. Nothing. Same exact results as with my old keyboard. I grabbed my roommate’s wired USB keyboard and the same thing happened. Then, it finally hit me. For some reason, my motherboard was looking for a PS/2 keyboard (this happened once before) and, of course, we threw out the one we had in the apartment.
My mind was racing when I remember that my dad’s computer is pretty old and/or I may have left a spare keyboard there. With no time to waste, I grabbed my other roommate’s bike (without asking) and raced to my parents. After realizing I didn’t leave a spare behind, I told my dad I was taking his keyboard for 20 minutes. I grabbed it, threw it in my backpack and raced back to the apartment in the increasingly hot 94 degree weather. I get inside my room, plug the PS/2 keyboard in and voila! My system booted, I disabled the option to halt boot on a keyboard error and plugged in the new Microsoft set. Out of curiosity, though, I tried my old keyboard and it freaking worked. It was a quick decision, though, when I realized that having to wet the contacts on my aging wireless mouse to get it to charge wasn’t exactly safe and that the old keyboard hasn’t been problem free in the past few months, anyway.
Relieved to have a working keyboard, I made one last quick dash back to my parents’ house to return the PS/2 keyboard and then raced home, showered and headed out to Staten Island. What a day that was.
Limitations of such a small site
32 years ago
by bangbang023
in journal
I’m a guy who loves to voice his opinion about everything. That’s really not a secret. Surprisingly enough, though, not only do I enjoy doing it, but people seem to be entertained by what I have to say. Whether it be people at work or visitors to Neowin, people always seem to react to my opinions because I like to dress them up and put on a show. That’s what this site is supposed to be about. A whole place dedicated to my opinions and thoughts and emotions. The problem is that nobody really knows this place exists.
This is all stemming from recent discussions about Neowin and my last Bang On column which was posted exclusively on this site for the first time. It made sense, after leaving Neowin, to keep going with my more popular work and try to draw more visitors to my neck of the woods. It didn’t really work out as I had hoped and there was only an insignificant bump in numbers for a day or two. It was really disheartening.
I’m at a crossroads with all of this. The more I think about it, the more I feel as though it’s impossible to mix my interests and thoughts on technology and my personal life on one site. Most people don’t want to read my poems or journals and the few people who do are probably not interested in any techno babble. I can try to cram it all together and keep failing or I can figure out a better solution. Unfortunately, besides creating a second site and draining myself creatively, I have nothing.
For the few of you who do visit: Any ideas? I want to make it work and I want to include more tech talk here, but how do I mix the two worlds without alienating either one? I was considering, for starters, creating a “Tech Talk” category. Good?
Bang On: Those Apple and Microsoft ads are annoying
12 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
It’s a battle that’s been waged in the public arena for years now: Apple vs Microsoft. Now, it’s advertised as “Mac vs. PC”, but Macs are PCs so that nonsense should stop. Either way, though, Apple has been the top dog for a while, forcing Microsoft to back into a corner like a geek with a pocket full of money in the lunchroom of his elementary school. After taking a beating for years, Microsoft finally decided it had enough and launched its own campaign, first flaunting the uniqueness of PC owners and then moving on to how there’s a different PC for every individual out there as opposed to the more “one size fits all” approach that Apple takes. Apple claims that their competition will give you nothing but crashing, viruses, frustration and cancer while Microsoft claims that Macs are ridiculously overpriced, limited in variation, and slightly douchey (I can say that here).