The Return

It was June 24th 2010 I had enough of Android due to lack of application and poor handset choice, symbian was a non starter due to lack of handset choice and longevity of the os, mameo; now meego hand disappointed with the n900-again due to lack of applications, Web os whilst a new and exciting os had poor device build quality, blackberry was never a contender and windows mobile had really died.

On this day iphone 4 was launched where for myself the handset on offer had caught up with other devices in terms of specification and was finally an option for me to look at. My last venture in apple devices was when the original iphone launched in the UK in 2007. This was very short lived as the device was only 2g and there was little that could be done with it other than jail breaking. At the time I got rid of it apple has started their application store, but the specification of the iPhone didn't win me over as Nokia was still releasing decent devices that were 3g, so using a 2g device was like going back in time.

By the time the iphone 4 was released the app store had matured and the phone spec was reasonable even of it was on a par with a n95 a few years older in terms of camera, gps and 3g. Albeit some would still argue the n95 surpasses the iphone 4.

Since June I have bought into the apple ethos aka reality distortion field and now have Macs,IPads and apple routing equipment at home. The iPhone started this all off as IOs works better with Mac os; here starts the snowball.

Fast forward to today where a few weeks ago my 4s had to be returned to apple to be repaired. This left me without a device. My nexus S just didn't cut it as a phone for daily use as the battery didn't last too long and I found it very slow especially running ics (ice cream sandwich).

This gave me an opportunity to delve into what else was available where I picked up a Lumia 800 running windows phone 7 and a Samsung Galaxy Note. The Lumia whilst a device with a short life span is interesting as the build quality is great and I have found the application choice whilst small on windows to have most of the main applications I use, except a decent Podcast client. But as a long term device for me it is the next step up from a feature phone.

The note was an interesting choice as I had wanted to get a Dell Streak another 5" device at the time I got the iphone 4. If it wasn't for the local O2 shop refusing to sell me a streak, this journey would have ended up somewhere differently. I had heard a lot about the note but thought that the size was too cumbersome and actively poked fun both at the phone and its owners.

There were a number of people on twitter on podcasts who I follow kept going back to the note so I thought why don't I give it a try.

I ended up ordering the phone though Amazon Germany as it was a cheaper than buying it the UK even with postage. You can find the specification of the device at the following link

www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/mobile/spec.html?type=find

To my surprise I have now being using it for over the past two weeks as the screen has just been a delight. The usage has been that fantastic that my 4s is still switched off and I don't think I can go back to a smaller screen. The device is large, the battery lasts about a day but I have spare batteries something I have not been able to change for over 2 years :-)

I was previously a Nokia communication user and loved the E90. Alas both Nokia and symbian was no more for me so I have been looking for alternatives. I find that the note captures the good experience of using a large screen device without comprise. The touch wiz skin on ICS is fluid and I have not experienced any significant slowdowns that I've had on previous android devices. To the extent the device is not even rooted.

Samsung recently released the S3 again very similar size to the note but a brilliant internal specification. There are rumours that tomorrow at the IFA opening that Samsung will be announcing the note 2 with the same internal specs.

I will be watching this closely as this may be my next purchase and not the next iphone even though it is rumoured to have a larger screen.

I have bought a lot of accessories for the 4s and am not happy that the next generation may mean that these accessories will not work.

One could argue the same with any device that there are always changes but at least Samsung has standardised on the micro usb port so my cables will still work.

I have found android to have matured over the past two years on the application side. It still does not offer the to pickings as IOs but it's getting there. It is now at a juncture where I am confident to move over full time as the past two weeks have show.

Applications such as tasker, swift keyboard and juice defender daily keep my phone usage automated and in power. Swift keyboard is as good as the iphone keyboard and it's actually scary how swift keyboard learns your writing style.

So I've finally made the jump again or return whichever way you view it. I may have been an apple fanboi in some eyes but I was just at a point where I needed something that was stable and worked.

For me now-android and the note are my choice until the wind blows again and something else catches my eye.

Posted with Blogsy

Galaxy Tab and its successor

I have tried a galaxy tab and immediately wrote it off after have three other android tablets and figured I could get an iPad for the same price that was a more complete product. The problem I have with the tab is the phone version of android on a tablet that looks like an oversized kiddies toy. The ipad might have its limitations but has always felt a more complete product.

I am still tempted by the galaxy as I like tinkering where this is something the ipad doesn't really allow me to do. However with the recent announcements of the galaxy tab 2 and the htc flyer combined with the price hike of £450 from a shop,o I figure the tab will either be reduced in price soon or will be left by the wayside.

I have had samsung products before and they do not support a product when they deem it as obsolete. There has not been any concrete announcements from mwc 2011 that the tab 7" will get honeycomb or if samsung will continue to support it. Samsung have announced there will be no more 7" devices and reading between the lines I am thinking an impulse purchase will be a bad decision.

The Ipad has worked 50/50 for me whilst away being flawless on battery life and good for consuming media but there is still the element that its not a full machine or something that I can switch on as a full machine when needed. I really wish that the tab could plug this gap but if my previous android tablet experiences are true, this device will also be a failure.

Which brings the topic around again- what is an appropriate device?

Any prospective iPad 2 will really need more ram as applications close too often on the ipad 1 due to low memory. On android there are really no rich applications when compared to IOS which use the tablet form. Nokia with the n900 was nearly there but again there wasq no applications that offer that real world PC experience. PsiXDA could be another prospect but then you have the problem of a PC in small form factor.

It really saddens me to say that the Psion range of machines have only ever fitted this gap and anything else is just a poor comparison. The latest devices may be ale to play media, do push mail, go online when required or route me around a city but they have never offered a complete solution out of the box. The n900 was nearly there but poor battery life and lack of rich applications made it a failure. Both Android has the interface and IOS has the applications but there is nothing available with a real mix

I know you have to move with the times and cannot dwell on the old but there is still a gap in the market that could be filled.

I can recall being able to get my email, browse the web, run full blown applications and still be able to restore my Psion without the need for a Pc. Android nearly gets there but falls down on the applications. IOS plugs the other gaps with the number of applications but is too locked down and requires a PC for restore.

Seeing nokia recently focus on windows 7 instead of symbian shows the market is becoming fashion driven as opposed to functionality. S60 was never as good as epoc or s80 but was good for multitasking and feature rich applications. Sadly if nokia had been quicker developing their UI or purchasing Palm for WEBOS I honestly believe symbian would still be a viable alternative.

However this is all water under the bridge and we are left with the blackberry, IOS, android and windows phone 7 leftovers. Android has the potential to become more rich where I believe honeycomb will decide this when the numerous tablets are released this year that have been announced. But I feel eventually they will all have the same functionality and it will be the hardware looks that will set them apart - if we are not there already?

But even after all of this I am still left with the dilemma if I should just impulse buy a tab? The issue of not having a laptop to hand is driving me crazy. But I don't want another net book and would still like to purchase the tab to try it. There has been many bloggers say it is the best thing since sliced bread and that it will replace their smartphone due its size and remove the need for a laptop or iPad. Ideally this is the device I wanted and had thought the n900 could have done this for me. I don't make many phone calls so VOIP is ideal for me and the 7" size would be suitable as the ipad is too large. But it means android again on 2.2 which hasn't really got any better since the nexus I imported from the USA whereas IOS seems to be gaining in strength.

My usual cavalier attitude is "fuck it" I will just buy the thing and get rid if I don't get on - the last contender for this was the advent vega only after one week. But then if I purchase the tab I have both and then need to decide which one to keep - the ipad or the tab.

So for the moment painful as it is I will stick with the iPad as I know what It can do. I will decide in the future that any device shouldn't really be an ipad replacement or have to prove itself that it is better in tests. This device should be able to hold its own without comparisons and just fill the niche that I want.

Previously Psion did this but who else is able to pick this challenge and just deliver?




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The portable firewall of China

I am currently away on training in London so made the drastic decision to travel light and only bring my Ipad and a mifi. Okay I did bring some more gadgets but settled that I only should require the Ipad. My thoughts will be blogged after the week is up.

The mifi itself has been a god send as I put it in my back pack attached to a battery extender which gives me wifi for 8 hours. More than enough to get me through the day with my devices.

I no longer subscribe to a contract for the mifi but have opted to purchase data sim cards from EBay or other outlets dependent on what best deal I can get. Recently I have been purchasing Vodafone sims from eBay at £8 for 3gb as the signal strength has been very good and the speeds acceptable.

There has been a few reports in the Press that vodafone has been blocking Voip and I reported recently that Cydia had been blocked on my Ipad

However I am finding that more sites are being blocked by vodafone content control for example Iplayer streaming, twitgo and yfrog and even Skype. Now all it takes is a phone call to customer services to remove the lock but because I am purchasing new sim cards this is too much of a pain as it requires registration each time. Now you could say why don't get a contract but the prices are poor for 3gb and I am saving through what I am doing.

To get around these restrictions so I can post to twitter with pictures or use Iplayer (I have paid for the bandwidth!) I am using a VPN. Through jail breaking my iPhone and ipad I am running a tool called Guizmovpn and for 4.99 € I can run an openvpn connection over SSL to an openvpn provider. Because this encrypts and tunnels my traffic I am able to do my tweeting with photos using a service called freedomvpn for 8€ per month. Unfortunately whilst cheap it does not allow me to connect all devices at once on the cheapest tariff. Therefore I am now trailing a VPN pro package with Hidemyass.com for £7.66 per month. This allows up to 3 devices to be connected and they offer openvpn, pptp and l2tp VPNs. I have yet to still try their openvpn offering but pptp works fine. I am looking at setting up a VPN at home and using my home broadband to save in the monthly subscription. The only technical issue I have is the iPhone disconnects automatically and doesn't reconnect when its not in use. Whereas Guizmovpn stays connected all the time and reconnects as and when required.

The VPN services are also useful in free wifi areas to hide my credentials from fire sheep wanna be kiddie script hackers so I can ensure I am secure.

What has surprised me is how much Vodafone is restricting especially sites such as yfrog, twit go and Cydia. None of these sites causes problems albeit they may argue Cydia means jail broken devices. Whilst I understand they want to protect their networks and consumers from bad things they seriously need to need to re-evaluate their filters. Ultimately I have paid for a connection to the internet and expect a level of service that allows me to use it. However I feel each time I pass wind there is someone over my shoulder saying you cannot do that.

I accept there are terms for using their network but this recent example feels like big brother gone mad or it's a preemptive trial for charging more for certain types of traffic.

Thankfully my technical skills helped me out here but what about your normal user in the street?

I believe as Vodafone and the other networks follow suit with this Orwellian approach to traffic management that VPN and other proxy based solutions will become more prevalent.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Snow, snow and more snow

Two weeks ago I started Italian lessons which was organised via work and an external tutor. For the course we were following a book called Talk Italian by BBC Active. I found a very good deal on the book from Amazon for £7.44 which included the book and the 2 course CDs and free delivery.

3 lessons on and 2 weeks later I am still waiting on delivery for item which was expected to arrive on 16 December. I know that eventually it will be delivered and this blog post is not a rant about the UK, lack of infrastructure and being unable to cope with snow.

But it got me thinking. I own several electronic devices such as an iPhone, iPad and MacBook and previously had an ebook reader. However I could not find for the life of me either a digital version of the course book or an mp3 download of the CDs as a legal purchase or torrent which I could have used on the course as I have all of the peripherals put them on.

I can see christmas 2011 being different from this year as 2010 has shown one thing about online shopping. You are still at the mercy of the weather and local delivery companies. For one thing next year I will prepare a lot earlier when purchasing presents or elect to purchase gifts that don't rely on local infrastructure for delivery.

As we move to a more connected world with devices to enjoy media such as the kindle for books, ipad for media consumption and the ipod for music. The major companies who control the actual content need to drastically change and not hold back and allow it to be used on all of these devices. Prices need to become more realistic to reflect that there is no physical item for example ebooks costing more than their paper counterparts. They also need to ensure that older content is available digitally. People will always want the physical content as it feels like they have purchased something that they can hold. Whereas if it was digitally available it could be delivered even in adverse weather conditions and at times like now when I really need it and can really benefit from using it whilst on my course.

I now get all of my magazine subscriptions via zinio, use google reader for my news catchup and twitter for news alerts. I cannot remember the last time when I purchased a magazine to read and am already contemplating another iPad as my other half uses the one we currently have.

There's nothing special about the iPad, it is a large iPhone but as a package I just works. There will be many more tablets next year such as the palm pad, the blackberry pad and numerous android tablets. Irrespective which side of the fence you are on, one thing that will happen is they will change the way we consume media but only and I stress only if we can get hold of it.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

There's an app for that but it will cost again

Over the past year I have jumped between mobile devices and various operating systems and have purchased a lot of software as I like to ensure consistency between my devices that I have the same if not similar applications on each one.

One thing that I am doing more is using my device more for data and media consumption rather than making phone calls. This is why I am now looking for a data only tariff that will allow me to use voip for making outgoing calls but also allow incoming as I will have a sim in the device.

Having being predominately a symbian user in the past using both s60, s80 and uiq in its former days I found that any application that I purchased could not easily be transferred to another device without having to make the purchase again. Whilst I can understand this for pc based os such as windows and Mac os x when I upgraded from s60v3 to s60v5 I found the same rule being applied by many software houses. More recently I have found this with meego/maemo with an application such as docstogo or sygic maps both of which I have owned on previous os such as s60.

Like s60 you will find the same restrictions with android and ios where If you purchased one application on android you will sometimes need to purchase the same one on ios to continue using it. However there has been one difference with these devices, should I own more than one device such as an iphone 3G and 4 and a nexus and htc desire, you are able to install the paid applications onto both devices. Now with ios I believe this is part of the license agreement although you may find applications that you need to purchase twice to get full functionality. Whereas with android you will need to refer to the license agreement with the software.

I will add where I have two or more devices and want the same applications on them then if the license dictates that I must purchase separately then I will do this, for example i do this with the ipad and iPhone as there are usually differences between the two applications.

On thing that has become apparent to me is that when upgrading either an android or ios device how easier it is than symbian as there is no messing with license keys when reinstalling the software. After spending many hours setting these devices up this has been a godsend and made the enjoyment of owning them a lot more pleasurable.

Now Nokia have announced two exciting devices this week the n8 and e7 where it is the latter I would love to purchase but it is on symbian ^3. However I am being held back by my previous experiences with symbian and applications as I would expect to have to make another purchase in order to upgrade. Whereas htc announced the desire HD and desire z today and I know if I bought them or if a new iPad/iphone was released tomorrow then I would be able to use the applications I had already purchased and not have to spend my money again.

The hardware features of both the n8 and e7 are excellent but for now usability and the application store experience is becoming a more key attribute when selecting my next device in addition to specifications.

I have found the Ovi store to be a kludge and very unusable, slow and painful when either trying to install or purchase applications So unless Nokia can ensure that the Ovi App store experience improves to the standard of android or iPhone then I will not be rushing to get a new symbian device.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Infinifolders

One of the best things with ios 4 was the introduction of folders. This has meant my application icons rather than taking up several screens can now be placed in a folder.

I now have all my applications organised on one screen in separate folders depending on the category.

Apple replaced a restriction of only 12 icons per folder which is okay if you don't have many applications. But being a heavy mobile user I have a lot of applications installed.

Through jailbreaking I have been able to install an application through cydia called infinifolders.

The application is priced at $1.99 but has removed this restriction and now allows more icons in a folder and you scroll to locate them.

The following video shows this in more detail and the various options infinifolders has.

This is a very cheap and recommended enhancement if you have jailbroken.














- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In my fathers house there are many rooms

It was good to see a recent jailbreak of the iphone 4 where all you had to do was go to a website, click on the jailbreak me switch and within a few minutes it was all done. However there are serious security implications of this jailbreak as all it required was to download a pay loaded pdf file which then allowed remote code to be executed which effectively compromised the phones security within seconds. Whilst apple believe a controlled environment can always ensure a more secure safer experience this is a prime example that this philosophy is not always true.

I also believe that because apple cannot easily roll out an over the air update to fix this issue if there were several hundred iphones within an enterprise to update then hooking up to itunes via USB is just not practical.

There are two distinct types of iphone users now the jailbreak has come along, Consumers and customisers. A consumer will use a phone how it has been designed and will not venture far from doing stock processes on it. Whereas a customiser is usually someone who has had another phone and knows how much apple have locked it down and what jail breaking can do to release it.

Whilst in church many years ago I can always remember the verse "in my father's house there are many rooms". I believe in the iphone church that the two distinct types of users above are in two rooms - consumer and customiser. Since jail breaking my iphone and showing my colleagues who are living in the other room as a consumer, I have shown them the phone is capable of becoming a mobile hotspot, I can filter calls and SMS automatically, I have access to my calendar on the lock screen, I can multitask with any application, I can receive notifications on the status bar instead of the annoying messages that are pushed and I can also control my ip connection with the firewall application.

Whilst some of the applications I run are specialised such as the firewall and mobile hotspot; from demonstrating the cosmetic changes to the notifications and lock screen summaries using intelliscreen and notified, my colleagues are beginning to see how much of a blinkered life they have led.

Recently I have also purchased the wifi sync app which removes the need for a USB cable and again mouths have just dropped in belief as they thought this was impossible.

Apple are a marketing goliath and whilst they have been successful In the marketing of the iphone and iPad they should be looking to the jail breaking scene and embrace it like palm did Through banning applications such as the wifi sync, camera+ from using the volume button as a camera button and tethering applications they have really limited the device. Although their domineering approach to approving applications is known as being ruthless, even if they allowed these applications into the app store they could still ensure rules are not being broken or that consumers are being set up to fall.

My iphone is a great device with decent hardware and battery life. Now it is jail broken it is a more useful device that I am more akin to with android, maemo and symbian.

It may never happen but I am excited to spread the good word that jail breaking is beneficial other than what is perceived and being marketed.

The shackles have gone

Last night I went to the site http://www.jailbreakme.com on my iPhone 4. After a few minutes I had successfully jail broken my iPhone and now have the cydia store installed.

Apparently this is possible due to a bug in safari when downloading PDFs, but I have no further information on this.

The first app I loaded was mywi which has allowed me to use my iPhone 4 as an access point. This will allow me to use the extra data I pay for for tethering. I have also installed backgrounder which allows apps that cannot multitask to be sent to te background. These two apps out of the hundreds available are a reason enough to jailbreak.

It's early days, the jailbreak didn't work on my iPad and there's a rumour that mms will no longer work on my iPhone 4. I don't care about the latter but really want to jailbreak my iPad.

So let the games begin.

Iphone 4 wifi issues

I have had the iphone 4 since the launch on June 25 and have been happy with its performance overall. The only niggling thing that has been annoying me has been the poor performance over wifi.

As I download a lot of podcasts over a month as I follow 16 separate shows this can usually mean over 2gb in downloads. Originally I used to do this over 3G but since getting broadband at home and wifi I have been attempting to use this instead and preserve my 3G data usage.

Originally I was using podcaster and then drivecast to download the podcasts but was swapping forwards and backwards between the applications due to the poor performance of each application crashing or slowly downloading over wifi. It even got bad with some podcasts in that I elected to switch back to 3G which was totally defeating the object.

Recently I have purchased an iPad. Again using the same drivecast application via the same access point I am getting expected download speeds over wifi. This in my eyes proves the issue is with the iphone 4. I have also observed using the good reader application to access my google documents accounts that the ipad is quicker than the iphone 4.

Although I am aware of the death grip issues and am happy to receive a free case I haven't really experienced any issues of this nature. However the wifi on the iphone especially since the 4.01 upgrade has seriously degraded the phone. There was mention that the wifi on the ipad used to be terrible but I never saw this first hand as I upgraded to the new ios on the same day I got my iPad.

I do hope Apple like the issues with the death grip also get the wifi issues sorted soon as it's just plane useless for downloading my media direct to the device. Further I believe it tarnishes my usage because with this phone at the moment I have no other major complaints.