Reviews

Reviews — 3 Comments
17
Aug 10

A month to fall back in love: An iPhone 4 review

It’s been almost a month since I’ve waited in line for the iPhone that “changes everything”. It was an interesting experience to wait in line with hundreds of fanboys to pick up the controversial device. Since then I’ve used my iPhone 4 almost exclusively. I strayed from time to time to the BlackBerry world, but always seemed to find my way back to the iPhone 4. Ive had enough time now to draw a few conclusions which i will bundle up into a month old review of the device.

Hardware:

My god! Look at it. It is a thing of beauty. The build quality is something out of this world. Although mostly glass and a little troubled strip of aluminum along the sides, something in me wants to run it over with a truck to see how well it withstands damage. YouTube video confirm that it’s as fragile as before.

One thing that I really love about the new iPhone other than the glass finish are the new buttons. If Steve Jobs really hated buttons, it sure isn’t apparently on the unit. The clickiness of the Home, Volume and Lock button is incredibly satisfying. The vibrate switch is unfortunately very recessed and most likely will get damaged as with previous models throughout the lifetime of the handset.

Somewhere in the new design process the iPhone matured. It is no longer the toy it once looked like. I must admit that although I owned the 3G for 2 years, it looked very much like a toy with its plastic backing and shiny chrome bezel. The new iPhone is distinguished and impressively slim. Pulling the device out in a meeting shouldn’t stir up anymore chuckles from your BlackBerry addict friends.

Display:

I’ll be honest. I went into this not really caring about the Retina display. To me the sharpness never really seemed like and issue. I was interested more in a vivid picture.

At first, the display felt very similar to the old iPhone 3G/3GS. This mostly had to do with the familiar interface and screen size. Once i launched the Photos App this all changed. Images on websites and taken with the phone popped. When comparing the font sharpness with a 3G (side-by-side) it becomes apparent that Apple had it right. My eyes seem to be less strained. It is evident that high resolution smartphone displays are the future. I suspect that the Super OLED screens will simply dominate the market and Apple being Apple will stick to their own thing.

Speed:

I was coming into the review as an iPhone 3G user. Speed was a thing of the past for that handset. The iOS 4 crippled the device and recent Apple rumours state there are speed fixes for it in the works. Obviously powering on the iPhone 4 and switching through apps was a considerable difference. With most apps running in the background using iOS 4′s functionality, launching apps is instantaneous. There are many side-by-side videos of all iPhone models put through the paces that greatly demonstrate the A4′s impressive speed.

Battery Life:

Hallelujah we finally have a touch screen smartphone that can last more than a day of moderate to heavy use. I usually find myself with about 35% battery life left around 9pm after a 12hr day. The device was on half brightness with Auto-Brightness on. The A4 shows Apples commitment to building a solid smartphone that not only performs well, but also has an acceptable battery life. Mind you this has a pretty HUGE battery (1420 mAh).

Camera:

Once again, this time Steve Jobs and Apple were not BSing us with the claims about the camera. I can say that this is the best camera quality on a smartphone i’ve experienced. I’ll say it! I won’t need a Point & Shoot or a Flip Cam ever. I’ve found great balance between the iPhone 4 and my DSLR. If you’re looking for great low light performance I’d still recommend a dedicated camera as the iPhone 4′s camera can just not “capture those photons”. Low light photos yield exactly the kind of results you’d expect. Poorly lit, grainy and a hint of yellow. Check out the gallery below. You be the judge if this will be it for you as far as Photo and Video capturing.

FaceTime:

The feature that has been around for over half a decade and Apple took credit for. I remember seeing Nokia N-Series smartphones back in the day that had a front facing camera with no use for it in North America. I didn’t think it was game changing then and it’s definitely not now. I must admit the commercial for FaceTime really had me choked up. The amazing use case of providing hearing impaired individuals with a method of communication really shows Apple’s intent of providing great accessibility to it’s users.

I would love to see a day where a standard connected people this way around the globe so they can video call one another. Oh wait…isn’t that Skype? In order for FaceTime to really take off, we need it to be allowed on 3G and have a very large iPhone 4 market share. At this point it’s unreal for me to FaceTime my folks who don’t even own a smartphone, let alone an iPhone 4. Where it gets interesting is when the iPod Touch launch happens in September. A reasonably affordable PMP with FaceTime capabilities might be just what’s needed for this “trend”(synonymous with fad) to catch on.

Let’s just say I have my doubts  about Apple’s open protocol and future of video calling on mobile devices. It is very uncomfortable to hold the phone in front of your face for anything longer than a few minutes. Conversations that require less than a minute aren’t even worth FaceTiming as it takes a resonable amount of time to connect. The quality of the call is however stellar when connected to a 5Mbps connection. It’s really nothing we haven’t seen before through Skype clients on the desktop and Mac.

The reason i will still have a mobile device mistress:

Alright, so adultery might be a bit of a bad theme for this post. Regardless, going along with the “love” theme i find it suitable. My ideal world is where one where i can use apps/services with the same feel and aesthetics across devices, platforms, or operating systems. Of course that world is the web and that explains my interest in HTML 5 and JavaScript. That is currently what my money is on for the future of computing (mobile or PC).

The iPhone is a great phone and iOS is maturing into an OS that will soon rival it’s sibling OS X in terms of functionality. Apple needs to draw a lesson from the other mobile manufactures and change it’s notification system. It’s quite frankly my only grip with the OS. Every single time i receive a notification, a little piece of me dies. You feel so betrayed when you’re greeted with a notification on your lock-screen. You can’t dismiss it and the only method to get rid of it is to unlock and be automatically re-directed to the app in question. GET OUT OF MY FACE! Apple could have this issue solved in exactly the same way they have it taken care of by a 3rd party on OSX; Growl. There are many 3rd party apps through the Cydia store that alleviate this problem. The issue with that route is support for Jalibreaks in coming iOS versions. It’s simply a temporary fix.

The device that misses most out of my life is the Tablet. Now i see no current use for the iPad that could force me to purchasing it. The apps are simply not that innovative and the idea of carrying a bigger iPhone bothers me. I would much rather have an Android or Chrome OS tablet. These would satisfy my need for flash video content and increased screen size. The app selection in the Android Marketplace is enough to cover all my basic apps (Evernote, DropBox, Twitter, Facebook, RSS reader). I will be experimenting with the addition of an Android accompanying device over the coming 6 months.

About a year ago i tweeted my prediction of a iPhone Pro. This “magical” device would sport a camera with flash, front facing camera, all aluminum body, and a landscape slider keyboard. This would be the ultimate corporate device satisfying the BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users that are used to a physical keyboard. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I dabble with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. In my honesty opinion is one of the best keyboards on the market. There is nothing more satisfying that punching out an email on that device. In my iPhone 4 use, i missed that feeling. At first i missed it for the wrong reasons. I find myself to be more accurate when typing on the Bold. Due to this accuracy similar to a PC keyboard i had the illusion that i was actually typing faster than on a touch screen device. WRONG! When used correctly, the iOS dictionary does wonders and allows you to tap away within the vicinity of the keys. I can honestly say that i am a much faster on a touch screen than on a physical keyboard. This is the first step in giving up my cave man instinct of having to click buttons in order to communicate.

In closing…

The iPhone 4 is a welcomed addition to my lifestyle. It satisfies my multimedia consumption, communication and artistic side. It’s the only device that i know can handle anything i want during the day. Whether that’s tweeting, reading, talking, playing games or capturing my life through the lens. I’m pretty excited about the future of iOS and believe that a lot of my gripes will be addressed eventually.

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9
Jul 10

Apple iOS 4 iPod Multitasking

I have been running iOS for almost 2 months now and have gotten quite accustomed to the way it does multitasking. When you doble-tap the Home button you get the new dock with recently run apps. Swipe left and you get the controls and a launcher for the current media player (iPod, Pandora, etc.). I get that and it's brilliant. One thing keeps bugging me and makes me wonder why Apple didn't fix it: the iPod controls and app instance. To me these are the same thing. How come when i have only one of the media apps running i end up with redundant icons all over the place? See screenshot below. Selecting the icon in both screen results in the same action. If i'm not running both Pandora and iPod at the same time shouldn't that icon be unified? Seems simple to me and i hope it gets fixed.

Posted via email from Filip Mares

Reviews — 2 Comments
16
Jun 09

Brain Toniq you might just be the cure for my ADD

10433052 Like most university students I suffer a terrible addiction. This addiction is caffeine. It has become my best friend and lover. Nothing can really describe my experience with my first cup of coffee of the day. This cup needs to be strong and with a tiny bit of milk/rice milk. No sugar as sugar is the DEVIL! Depending on this cup’s potency my day will either go good or great. It always is a weak start without it.

Deep down I feel like a junky and I hate It. Caffeine has become the acceptable drug these days and let’s face it’s not without it’s side effects. I would like within the next 18 months to kick the habit and lead the healthy lifestyle I try and follow(I eat great).

In comes Brain Toniq the much talked about energy drink on twitter. They claim to have no caffeine and made from all natural extracts. Sounds good right? I’ve been long putting off the decision to purchase a bunch of cans and ship them over the border. Even though it’s no sold legally here in Canada (because of DMAE and the fact that laws are more strict against supplements) a few weeks Ago I took the plunge and ordered a pack of 12.

The package arrived within a week with their cheapest of shipping options. One day later i drank my first can. At first i didn’t feel anything different, but within the next 15 min my mood changed dramatically and i was actually enjoying putting together my poorly designed wine rack. Since then for the past 2 weeks I’ve consumed one once a day with the exception of one day when I needed a bit more brain power than usual (two midterm and a lab in one day). I must say that the reaction has been quite pleasant. It is not similar to coffee or other energy drinks(although I don’t drink them often…vodka redbull  ;) ) I must say although my mood improved and my brain felt refreshed, it did almost nothing on a physical level.  One morning I was tired from a late night and being sore from the gym. Brain Toniq did not improve my physical tiredness it instead refreshed my tired brain. I focused real easily for prolonged periods of time and have had some of my most productive study sessions.

I conclusion, I have enjoyed the benefits of Brain Toniq and will re-order another package very soon. I feel it’s a great substitute for coffee and it tastes great. It seems to last for a long time, so I wouldn’t worry about drinking more than one. The folks at Brain Toniq are doing a promotion and have offered an 18% discount with the promo code: SOC.

Reviews — 1 Comment
19
Dec 08

My Top 8 of 2008

This is a list of software and hardware that has made my year a little better in some way. These are the things i can’t live without…

8. Gyminee

For any health or fitness nut out there, Gyminee is by far the most in-depth food and workout tracker i have come across. It is a little tedious to keep track of every bite you eat, but weight loss comes with both exercise and good eating habits. The database for food items is so vast as users add dishes and even common grocery/fast food item that there is no way you won’t find what you ate. I recommend this to anyone that wants to bring a little discipline in their health and fitness routine.

7. Toodledo

I have a busy life with school and studying, so keeping my tasks in a centralized place makes all the sense in the world. Some prefer Remember the Milk (RTM), but i am a Toodledo kind of guy. Maybe it’s the name or maybe it’s cause i used it for my MobileMe Alternatives Guide but this is one task scheduler i can’t live without. Thanks to it’s API you can get it built into Google Calendar.

6. Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 6000

I needed a mouse for my notebook to use at school and when i travel. I wanted something small and with laser tracking. Got a great deal on this mouse for $9.99 and have never been more pleased. I use the Zoom button real often as the resolution on my notebook screen is very high and when I’m tired i can’t really read the small text. There are newer models out there right now, but this has greatly enhanced my mobile experience.

5. Syncplicity

My greatest scare is data and file loss caused by a failing hard drive. In the 1st quarter of this year i found on online solution which does everything i want at the price that i want. I back up my documents and other random files with 2GB available at start. I have used up all my invites and it is now maxed out at 5GB. More than anyone should need for important documents and maybe even a small collection of pictures. I also sync my files in between my notebook and PC with this service. There are other free alternatives(Mesh/Live Sync/SkyDrive), but none as easy as Syncplicity.

4. NewsGator(NetNewsWire)

Lately i have turned into quite the RSS feign. I get all my news with browsing anywhere. I mostly read it just on my IPhone, but sometimes on my PC as well. I recommend this method to everyone as it takes way less time  and you never forget to visit a site in a while. I rarely miss news as i have it all in the palm of my hand. Some of my Feeds are Engadget, Gizmodo, WinSuperSite, Boy Genius Report and Within Windows.

3. Windows 7 build 6801 M3

Ah, we come again to Windows. A very common topic in my tech discussion with my friends. Let’s start off with me saying that this is the best Windows to date and i love Vista too. I was supposed to do a preview post on the OS, but decided not to based on reasons some of you know and cannot discuss. A shame, but here is a short version of my takes on it.

  • Aero snap is by far the most useful thing know to man and in my #tip-a-day post i showed a way to get it for XP/Vista. LOVE IT!
  • The new taskbar is what made the OsX dock so popular and as usual MS copies it and makes it better. This is mostly due to the Aero Flow interface which i have to admit is good. Gimmicky, but good.
  • Performance is a night and day difference from Vista. I am running it on my old notebook with under 1gb of ram used and it is fast even with all effects on.
  • Some software is still wonky so beware (Google Chrome, Adobe Air software) The public BETA will be out soon so if you’re feeling brave download it here. I’ve been running the pre-beta since PDC and it is pretty stable. I’m real excited as what’s to come and this is a great way fro MS to bring excitement back to the PC.

2. Twitter(twhirl, Twitterrific)

Now, I’ve never been a fan of the constant status updates that some people do on Facebook or even MSN Messenger; frankly i HATE it. Twitter for some reason though really appealed to me. I like to up to date on anything whether it be tech news, events or latest trends. I follow a few Tech personalities such as Kevin Rose, Paul Thurrott and Jason Calacanis which drop some news from time to time from the Tech world. I mostly follow people for this purpose. I use it for a very small number of status updates, but most use it as a micro blogging platform. I ”blog” on it mostly about tech stuff and other thing as i find on the interwebs (a set of tubes :p). I do the daily #tip-a-day which keeps me busy and will get significantly harder with time as eventually i will run out of tips. Might have to move that to a few times a week. On the computer i use twhirl client while on the IPhone i use Twitterrfic Pro.

1. IPhone 3G

Quite frankly this device has change my life for ever. Until last summer i didn’t even own a data plan. Right now i am so connected with this thing that i don’t know if i can go a day without it. As a student it’s the ideal device, having an MP3 player and a phone in one package. I walk a lot and travel  a lot on public transport and having everything handy like this is a blessing. That isn’t to say i don’t have my gripes with it. Typing, ITunes, Battery Life are the downfalls of the device. I am personally still waiting for the Zune phone or a Nokia S60 revamped phone.

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18
Nov 08

Review: MSN Live Messenger BETA 2009

Windows Live Wave 3 was released last week and I felt I should post about my most used application off all. Here are my thoughts.

image

What i have noticed:

  • Looks good
  • customizable skins
  • customizable groups (Favorites, Custom Groups)
  • change display picture size for your contacts
  • new sounds
  • ‘What’s new section’ (Updates on contacts changes)
  • new conversation window layout
  • hover rover contact to pop-up options window
  • ability to be connected in more than one messenger instance on multiple computers

It’s hard to believe that you can improve such a basic thing as a chat application over and over again, but I think Microsoft have done it with this one. I love the new layout, matches everything that Windows Live services look like. It’s all really coming together and it’s an exciting time.

I do have my gripes with the new version, but they can be fixed easily in the upcoming release candidates.

  • ‘favorites’ category has to be setup by the user. It would be nice to automatically have a list of favorites based on who you chat with the most. Not of all-time, because that would mean that new contacts would take a while to reach favorite status. Maybe on a weekly/monthly basis.
  • Once contacts are added to ‘favorites’ they should be removed from the ‘available’ list. There is no reason to have them in both categories.

That’s it! A short list ought to tell you what i really think of the new MSN Messenger. I strongly suggest every would check it out link

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2
Sep 08

Google Chrome Browser Released

icon In an unexpected move Google released a web browser based on the comic strip from a few days ago. It was only a matter of time till Google fought it out with the big boys like Microsoft, Apple and Mozilla (oh and Opera too…). I’ve had a chance to toy with it and here are my notes on it:

  • First off, IT’S FAST. Really fast. Both in cold boot and loading sites.

image

  • New tabs open as a ‘Most Visited Sites’ window. This is similar to the Opera ‘SpeedDial’ feature. This to a a few minutes of web browsing to build a list. I’ve always found the feature very useful in Opera.

most visited

  • In the IPhone 2.0 update we got the ability to save a website as an icon on the home screen. Similar to that, Chrome allows to save a website (Gmail, Gcal, Picasa, etc.) as an ‘application’ to either desktop

create applicationapplication

  • Pop-up blocking worthy or praise. Very similar to the popup blocking of Firefox.

popups

  • Chrome also has a copy of the much hyped ‘private browsing’ of IE 8. This is useful for all the web addicts that don’t always visit “proper” sites.

icognito

  • Searching is no longer limited to a text box next to the URL text box. In Chrome users can just input ‘Google search terms‘ and press enter. Incredibly useful and fast.

search

Overall my experience with Chrome was pleasing. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the never so-changing IE. I did run in to few formatting issues with some websites, but due to the fact that this is a new web browser, it could be improper CSS by the designer. Flash and Java both ran fine. Due to the simple design of the browser, there is apple real estate to view pages such as Digg in their entirety on a 24″ Monitor. I would recommend trying the browser out and possibly one day switching as it is the fastest solution out there.

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29
Aug 08

Review: IPhone 3G

DSCF0065 On July 16th Apple managed to impress the world once again and released their second generation of the IPhone. The improvements are GPS, 3G connectivity, new sleeker design and 2.0 firmware a.k.a. “App Store”.

I’ve had the unit for just over a month now and have managed to gather enough info for a pretty thorough review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design: 

The IPhone 3G boasts very little design differences in the exterior design. The most notable DSCF0064change is the rounded plastic backing on the IPhone. Although slimmer looking, the 3G is a little thicker, wider, taller and lighter than the 1st Gen [115.5x62.1x12.3 (133g) vs. 115x61x11.6 (135g)]. 

There are very few buttons on the unit. 4 to be exact. On the top there is a Power/Sleep button, SIM Card slot and headphone jack. The left side sports a volume rocker along with a Silent/Loud mode flip switch. The most important and notable button, the ‘Home’ button, is on the front of the phone. This is used to access the home screen at all times and can be assigned other functions for double-clicking.

One issue I ran into which deals with the design is that when the unit is on it’s back on a flat surface, it’s very difficult to type on it as it wobbles a lot.

 

 

DSCF0068  DSCF0066DSCF0067

 

Screen:DSCF0001

The IPhone has an impressive screen measuring 3.5 inches.  With a resolution of 320×480 images and web sites look absolutely stunning.  As noted by some IPhone 3G owners, the new screen has less yellow feeling than the previous generation. One of the only gripes with the screen has to be the smudge and grease factor. No matter how hard you try to keep the screen clean, by the end of the day you will have a significant layer of smudges on it. This proved to be very annoying as many people wanted to fondle my IPhone 3G. Overall I found the screen to be very responsive and accurate to the touch.

 

OS:

IMG_0004 With the new IPhone 3G came the 2.0 software release. This was a software update for 1st Gen IPhones and IPod Touches. With the new update came the App store and many ‘improvements’.

The OS does not seem at all any different over the previous one. There many speed improvements to the browsing speed of Safari. The the new OS there are lots of speed hiccups:

  • Keyboard lag when writing an SMS
  • Contact List first load
  • Slow Loading Settings

The firmware used at the time of the review was 2.0.2 . Hopefully soon these slowdowns will be fixed.

 

 

 

IMG_0005   IMG_0006IMG_0007

Audio:

The IPhone comes supplied with a set of headphones with microphone integrated into them. Although at launch the microphone nub was only shown as a way of answering incoming phone calls while listening to music. While using the unit I discovered that while in IPod mode tracks can be paused by clicking once and skip track by double clicking.

The Speakerphone on the IPhone is stereo. Although music through the speakers sounds great, it just isn’t as loud as other music phones I have come across. In a side by side comparison with the Sony Ericsson W850i, the W850i was noticeably louder. Communicating through speakerphone in a noisy environment is next to impossible due to the low volume level. I supposed this is where the IPhone Bluetooth adapter comes in handy. 

 

 

Connectivity:

I am sure by now everyone that reads on tech news is aware of the 3G problems that have plagued the IPhone 3G since launch. Here are the symptoms I have encountered:

  • low signal bars in large buildings
  • connection errors in safari on highly media intensive web sites
  • incredibly slow to connection speeds comparable to EDGE speeds

Articles online blame the speed problems on provider’s towers which cannot handle the increased demand on 3G. Whatever the reason is, I for one am happy to still have signal rather than none. Here are some sample connection speeds:

IMG_0001 IMG_0002 IMG_0003

 

GPS:

One of the great additions to the new IPhone is the GPS receiver. Although not having a native turn-by-turn solution, the IPhone proved to be quite handy. I have used it on 2 separate trip occasions. One of the trips was through a low coverage area as well. At no point did I lose GPS signal. The receiver proved to be accurate and the IPhone switched to EDGE.

There are a few applications in the App store (that I personally use) which take advantage of the GPS sensor and show us a few things to come in the near future natively (maybe):

  • Speedbox (tracks speed at which your travelling with. Incredibly accurate!!!)
  • Now Playing (Check movie listing and purchase tickets in your area)
  • Twitterrific (Mark your GPS position from where you’re tweeting)

 

Camera:

The camera on the phone is mediocre when compared to most popular phones on the market in the same price range. IT would have been nice to see a flash added to the 3G, but maybe in the next generation of the Jesus phone. Pictures taken with the phone look great on the phone and washed out once viewed on a monitor. Performs as expected given the 2.0 Megapixel in low light so don’t go snapping pictures at the club and expect to be able to tag your peeps on Facebook.  Here are some samples:

IMG_0026 IMG_0119

IMG_0121 IMG_0142

 

Battery:

So how does the batter fare with all the features and connectivity options of the IPhone 3G? It sucks…While playing profusely with the IPhone each and every day, I ended up at around 6-7 hours of usage. Following Apple’s battery life optimization guide I was able to finally get over 24 hours. This is with everything that made me want to get an IPhone all together…NO 3G, NO WIFI, NO PUSH EMAIL, NO GPS.

This was completely unacceptable. Hopefully it can be fixed with some sort of firmware update. Until that happens, you’re stuck with solution such as these.

 

Conclusion:

So good is the IPhone? Well it’s everything we wanted it to be and more. Sure the battery sucks, the camera is weak, and Rogers’ 3G connection is like swimming through muddy water.

I guess that even with the downsides of the IPhone, there are some upsides to IPhone; thing like : accurate and useful GPS, Apps from the App Store that show more and more creativity from developers, high quality build and finish. Let’s be honest, the only reason to get the IPhone is for the BLING factor. Unlike lava lamps, HD-DVDs , Tamagochi’s and LED text scrolling belt buckles,  I think the IPhone is here to stay.

 

Ratings:

Design 4.5/5
Screen 5/5
OS 4/5
Audio 3.75/5
Connectivity 3/5
GPS 4.5/5
Camera 3.75/5
Battery 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Reviews — 13 Comments
28
Jul 08

Review: BlackBerry Bold 9000

DSCF0038With the worldwide release of the IPhone and shortages that followed, the people asked for alternatives; they asked for the IPhone killer. Has RIM really answered?

 

The long awaited BlackBerry Bold 9000 finally found its way into my hands a few days before the scheduled release of July 25th July 29th  ?? and I posted a quick Bold Sneak Peek. After playing around with it for a few days I had enough written on paper to make a solid opinion on the phone.

The Bold is one of the best equipped smart phones on the market. With a VGA HVGA resolution screen, WIFI, 3g, GPS, 2.0 megapixel camera with flash, 624Mhz processor there is no reason this shouldn’t be considered a great competitor to the IPhone and the newly released Nokia E71. Although BlackBerrys have been marketed more towards business/corporate users in the past, the Bold dares the average consumer to “Be Bold”.

Note: I must mention before I start the review that my impressions here-on are based on a test unit and the production unit differ.

Let’s get into it…

 DSCF0028 DSCF0009

Design:

When I first viewed the unit I was shocked to find that it was missing the bottom piece of plastic off the front of the Phone. I was informed that since it was a test unit the piece where normally the cell provider(Rogers, AT&T) would print their logo was pointless to have on. Regardless of the missing piece the body of the Bold felt tight with no squeak and shaky pieces.

 

DSCF0010 The back is made of plastic covered in what feels like leather. Having played with it on a few hot summer days I can guarantee it is definitely not leather as the unit did not get sticky. So the unit has a plastic backing with “pleather” covering. The final unit for sale will be offered with the pleather backing and optional glossy or mate finish plastic covers (sold separately).

 

 

 

DSCF0007

 

 

 

The front of the bold resembles, as many have noted, the IPhone. Sadly the shiny outline is made of plastic and the test unit was plagued with scratches on it. The decision to use plastic instead of stainless steel must have come as means of cost cutting. It is definitely not appreciated.

Update: The chrome plastic might have been used to not interfere with 3G signal as the IPhone is also equipped with it.

 

 

 

 

Screen:

The hardest part of the review was trying to find something bad to say about the screen. I have found that flaw…It’s just too damn perfect. The quality of photos, websites and videos is simply fantastic on this high res screen. I tried it both in well lit and dark situations and all I have to say is WOW. The reigning champ of high quality LCDs that perform well in direct sunlight has been dethroned (Nokia).

Update: As a reader has pointed out; the Bold’s screen resolution is identical to that of the IPhone. By having a much smaller screen on the Bold, the pixels are more condensed and images look crisper.

DSCF0013  DSCF0012

Keyboard:

DSCF0057My previous QWERTY keyboard smart phone experience include: Treo 650, Nokia E61, BlackJack, BB 8800, BB 8700, BB 8300. My favourite out of the bunch was the 8300. Although tiny, I got accustomed to it quickly and I was typing fast in no time. It’s widely known that RIM makes a hell of a keyboard. Sadly the keyboard on the Bold has turned it all around. IT SUCKS! The keys are about the size of the 8800 and really crammed together. It really became uncomfortable typing on it after a while.

 

 

 

 

OS:

The Bold runs OS 4.6 . This apparently is a redesigned BlackBerry OS. This one felt no different than previous Blackberry units. To be honest it really felt more like a theme on top of the old OS. The menus and applications respond very fast and almost instant mostly due to the humongous 624Mhz CPU. There were very odd slowdowns at times while operating the Media Menu. The OS otherwise seemed solid.

DSCF0034  DSCF0017 DSCF0044

Audio Quality:

The Bold steps it up a notch by coming with a stereo speaker setup. Speakerphone is very loud and clear. Music playing through the speaker sounds pretty good for a small phone like this. Watching a movie trailer of Dark Knight proved to be very enjoyable due to the screen and great audio quality of the speaker.

On the side of the unit there is a surprising 3.5mm jack. I hooked them up to a pair of BOSE headphones and music sounded great. I Could not tell the difference between my IPod and the Bold, quality wise. I was definitely impressed to not have to purchase a separate headphone adapter or having to deal with a 2.5mm jack.

Calls on the 9000 sounded clear and callers never complained about sound. So I would have to say great call quality (more on that in next section).

 

Connectivity:

The Bold is a connectivity beast with 3G, HSDPA, Wifi your covered anywhere with signal. You’ll always have high speed Internet access at your fingertips. I’m glad to say I never encountered the oh so common EDGE symbol in the corner of the screen. Kitchener-Waterloo had a great 7.2 Mbps connection. I unfortunately did not think ahead and do any speed tests. It felt speedier than my EDGE on my E61.

One thing I must note is that when I was driving outside of the 3G area into 2G territory out in the boons, calls and the connection were dropped. This was hopefully due to an old firmware and will be fixed in final release.

 

Camera:

It’s a shame really that even years after  >2.0  megapixel phones have been on the market, RIM’s top of the line telephone only comes equipped with  a 2.0 megapixel non-autofocus camera. The pictures did not come out terrible, but definitely below par for their top of the line phone. The lack of autofocus surprised me as it seems so common with phones nowadays. On the plus side there is a powerful flash allowing for low light picture snapping (unlike the IPhone).

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GPS:

The Bold is one of the first smart phones to include an independent GPS unit. This always allows it to give directions and offer GPS location outside of cell signal. Of course that compared to A-GPS location locking is slower. The tests results I have were:   

DSCF0047 DSCF0046 A-GPS lock: < 1 min

GPS lock: ~5min

 

 

 

 

 

Battery:

In the test time I had the unit available the battery lasted about a day. This was with lots of 3G activity, A-GPS, wifi and camera play. Compared to my, now old, E61 the battery life impressed me with the amount of playing around I did. I can see how most people would complain that charging it at the end of the day is poor battery life. I disagree; with the amount of power this unit has you’re lucky to even get a day.Unlike the IPhone’s poor test results I am impressed with the Bold. 

 

Conclusion:

When the IPhone came out in 2007 people were excited. Never before have they seen such innovative and sleek device. Never could one imagine the possibility of a computer in the palm of your hand. “Your whole life in your hands!” tech nerds would yell out. It’s safe to say no one has come close to it. Sadly when the Bold will be released neither will it.

You see the Bold is cool. It is beautiful. It’s powerful. It just isn’t that BOLD. It’s like being a corporate “suit” and one day wearing a funky tie. You still do something different, but you haven’t yet separated yourself form the pack. The Bold does just that with what feels like an 8820 with a new UI, camera and beautiful screen.

I was very excited to have a hands-on with the unit and a couple hours into it I realized it’s a great phone. I recommend this to any avid BB user. It’s probably one of the best phones I have ever had the chance to play around with. I realized that as good as it is, there is no future for it. The IPhone kept it’s hype with the announcement of the App Store. It was an opportunity for the developer world to show the IPhones true capabilities. The Bold does not, and probably will not.

If you love BlackBerrys and you eat, sleep and breathe BlackBerry, then you will love this phone. If you’re a gadget enthusiast then you will be bored out of your mind within a matter of a few hours. Most important thing you should take out of this review is that the Bold is a great phone that does what it advertises and it does it well.

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Pros:

  • 3G, HSDPA 7.2Mbps
  • Gorgeous VGA Resolution Screen
  • WIFI
  • A-GPS, Independent GPS
  • 3.5mm Headphone Jack
  • 128 MB flash memory
  • 624 MHz processor
  • Strong Battery Life
  • Fast and Sleek Interface

Cons:

  • Cheaper build Quality
  • Uncomfortable keyboard
  • Poor GPS performance
  • Poor Camera Quality
  • Camera not Autofocus
  • No WMA/WMV support

 

Ratings:

Design 3.5/5
Screen 5/5
Keyboard 3/5
OS 4.5/5
Audio 5/5
Camera 2.5/5
Connectivity 4/5
GPS 3.5/5
Battery 3.5/5
Overall: 3.83/5
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2
Jul 08

Review: PS3 firmware update 2.40

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As of July 2nd 12:00AM EST Sony released the firmware update all PS3 fans had been waiting for. A surprisingly fast download and install time of about 10-15 minutes and I was up and running.

Included in this firmware update are:

1. InGame XMB:

Long before were we ever accustomed to having the option to go through the console menus (blades) and that was Xbox 360. Yes, not a new feature, but welcome addition to the big collection of features already on the PS3.

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Now, user have the ability to answer messages from friends in your friends list. No longer do you have to quit the game to read the message from your friend asking you if you wan to play online the very same game you just quit. You can send messages, add, block, delete, chat, voice chat and check which friends are online. Again a feature that came out of box with the 360.

The freedom of ingame XMB sort of stop around there. For all other options you are constantly greeted by:

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Of course there a few exceptions that seem very like obvious choces you'd need in game…NOT!

Accessories settings?!? Undecided

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Local file playback of audio, video and image files (ok, not such a bad idea) Embarassed

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2. Trophies:

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From the peer pressure of PS3 owners with 360 owner friends Sony added the almighty Trophies feature. In my honest opinion, this is needless and only needed if you feel as you need to compete with friends anwhere in the world. Nothing tops the satisfaction of getting a new Trophy and rubbing it in your friend's face. All important aspects of a great friendships.

Unfortunately for games previously played, trophies do not apply. Game developers are allowed a fixed point value for their games. These can be divided however they wish over as many as they wish. I had not unlocked any trophies by playing COD4 online for 20 minutes. I will post as soon as I get one. Cool

Conclusion:

This update has brought us many joys. It's almost comparable to the DivX update from a few months back. Sadly, as with that update this one had it' drawbacks.

  • Not being able to playback files form a media server is ridiculous. Most of us have the very popular 40gb which does not offer a serious storage for anyone's entire media collection. The solution for this of course is attaching an external USB drive.
  • Trophies seem to be so useless to me and it honestly looks like just a marketing ploy to match Xbox 360 Achievements. It turns into a childish game of logging on to check if you still have more trophies than all of your friends. Playing games is not about competing against your friends. I feel that this CurrentGen consoles have done such a great job of actually bringing friends closer. Team Death match on COD4 moment have been some of the most bonding online experiences so far for.

I want:

  • Sometimes in between online periods of COD4 while next round starts, I would like to surf over to Digg and read some of the best online new (But heck, I'm just multitasked)
  • More web 2.0 integration such as: Weather widget, stocks, flick integration, twitter. All without being run in browser.

I consider this a great step forward for the PS3 and i can only see great new addition to match rival 360 and Wii. And finally surpass them all. For anymore information on the read the Q&A on US Playstation Blog

Overall Rating: 3.5 / 5