Technology catch-all thread

[Jake]

I'm really pretty torn about HTC One vs Samsung S4 at this point, but I'm going to bide my time at this point. Maybe more end users b****ing and moaning about this and that will make things more obvious. And apparently we may hear about a new Nexus in May?

[DrunkBomber]

My parents are looking for a 4g hotspot device so when they are at the family cottage from April-September my mom can pay bills and such online without having to drive to town or whatnot.

 

They initially thought of upgrading my mom's phone (Verizon) to an iphone5 so that the can have the wifi hotspot capability (she currently has no data plan). While a decent option, I'd be concerned with her using any smart phone as she is terrible with technology, plus it's quite expensive for their data plans (around $40 more per month with their crappy shareable data plan pricing).

 

So I suggested that they look into Clear so they can pay $20/mth for 2gb, plus they can just pay for the months they are using.

 

Anybody ever use Clear? Or a similar service provider that would be about the same for costs?

Clear is absolutely terrible. My mom still uses it in the city for some reason. I think she pays for something like 7.5 mbs, not sure what the plan exactly is, but anytime I run speedtest on it I get under 1 dl. If you get cell service at the cottage Id try to work something out with your cell phone company, whether it be a portable hotspot or setting up the phone as a hotspot.

[chw42]

I'm really pretty torn about HTC One vs Samsung S4 at this point, but I'm going to bide my time at this point. Maybe more end users b****ing and moaning about this and that will make things more obvious. And apparently we may hear about a new Nexus in May?

 

I am 95% sure Android 5.0 will be announced at Google I/O. As for a new Nexus, that might be towards the end of the year. But a new Motorola Nexus-esque phone may be announced at Google I/O. No promises though.

 

A new Motorola phone did get leaked by some Vietnamese site and it is sexy as hell. If the X Phone is anything like that, damn. The bezel on the phone is super thin and it's got softkey navigation. It looks about as close to stock Android as you can get.

 

http://androidcommunity.com/motorola-devic...uatch-20130318/

Edited March 20, 2013 by chw42

[kjshoe04]

Sorry, I had to do it.

 

People wouldn't know if you were talking about the Galaxy Note 3 or the Galaxy S3 once the Note 3 does come out in a few months.

My personal phone gets an upgrade around next January. Can't wait for the Note 3. After having the note 2 as my business phone, I can't even look at the tiny 4 inch screen on my current personal phone.

[Jake]

I am 95% sure Android 5.0 will be announced at Google I/O. As for a new Nexus, that might be towards the end of the year. But a new Motorola Nexus-esque phone may be announced at Google I/O. No promises though.

 

A new Motorola phone did get leaked by some Vietnamese site and it is sexy as hell. If the X Phone is anything like that, damn. The bezel on the phone is super thin and it's got softkey navigation. It looks about as close to stock Android as you can get.

 

http://androidcommunity.com/motorola-devic...uatch-20130318/

 

Android 5.0...sounds like it could be great, but I feel like I should know better at this point. The 4.1 to 4.2 jump alone was pretty damn good for me.

[Steve9347]

You got a specific reason why? I need something, anything to grab onto to make it seem like I had an actual reason and so I don't feel bad about passing the other one over.

I've had an HTC for the past 2+ years. I'm interested in going to Samsung and love my Tab2. That said, the S4 specifications are just f***ing nutty. An 8-core processor? Sheeeeit.

[TaylorStSox]

My HTC One X got water damage and is fried. I got a deal on an iPhone 4 that was too good to pass up. I know it's a couple years old, but wow, what a POS. It's slow, small and the touchscreen is slow to respond. The keyboard is slow. iOS is just ridiculous. You control my files for me? You choose the app that I can use them in? I have no freedom to choose? I have to jailbreak it to actually have control over my own data? Thanks, iOS.

[chw42]

I've had an HTC for the past 2+ years. I'm interested in going to Samsung and love my Tab2. That said, the S4 specifications are just f***ing nutty. An 8-core processor? Sheeeeit.

 

You're not getting an 8 core processor in the United States. You're getting a quad core Snapdragon 600, which is more than good enough and is more efficient at handling LTE.

 

The 8 core processor isn't really an 8 core processor. It's a processor with 8 cores on it, but those 8 cores will never be used at the same time and they are not identical. When the phone is in low use, it switches to a power-efficient ARM Cortex A7 quad core processor, but when you need extra computing power, the 4 A-15 cores (the best mobile architecture ARM has to offer right now) will take over and do its job.

 

The issue with a design like this is that the switching needs to be done conservatively and it needs to take care of numerous use-cases correctly, otherwise you're not really saving anymore power than an ordinary quad core processor.

Edited March 20, 2013 by chw42

[chw42]

My HTC One X got water damage and is fried. I got a deal on an iPhone 4 that was too good to pass up. I know it's a couple years old, but wow, what a POS. It's slow, small and the touchscreen is slow to respond. The keyboard is slow. iOS is just ridiculous. You control my files for me? You choose the app that I can use them in? I have no freedom to choose? I have to jailbreak it to actually have control over my own data? Thanks, iOS.

 

It's hard to go back to iOS once you've been on Android for a long time. Jailbreaking does alleviate that a bit though. I don't think I can use a non-jailbroken iOS device full-time.

[chw42]

Android 5.0...sounds like it could be great, but I feel like I should know better at this point. The 4.1 to 4.2 jump alone was pretty damn good for me.

 

Google could have made Android 4.1+4.2 Android 5.0 and nobody would have really said anything bad.

 

But Google's better than that and I think Android 5.0 should have some significant changes. One thing that is rumored to happen is a unified messaging system that combines Google+ chat, Google Talk, and Google Voice (and maybe even Facebook and some other social networks) into one service that will compete against the likes of BBM and iMessage.

 

I use Google Voice and the client sucks, but free texting + re-routing calls to my # on any phone for free is too good to pass up. So the new unified messaging system has me pretty excited.

Edited March 20, 2013 by chw42

[TaylorStSox]

It's hard to go back to iOS once you've been on Android for a long time. Jailbreaking does alleviate that a bit though. I don't think I can use a non-jailbroken iOS device full-time.

It's just absurd and I can't believe people stand for it. You can't just drag a drop a file onto the drive? It has to be synced to iTunes and be app specific? wtf?

 

Just a little background... I discovered this the hard way. I know, my fault. A new app came on the market for dj'ing. It's called Traktor DJ. This app is advertised as being sync'd to Dropbox. To play a song on a club system, it will sound awful if its not at least a 320k mp3. So, people take gigs and gigs of files. So, everyone buys the app and finds out you can't load from Dropbox or a Wi Drive. The file has to be on the drive itself. You also can't transfer the file onto the iPad via Dropbox or Wi Drive because the app doesn't register from either. People go to the developer for an explanation. The developer says this comes straight from Apple. They wouldn't allow the developer to write the software so that its compatible. Dropbox can only be used to sync Metadata. They did this to force consumers to buy iPads with more storage.

 

Apple also removed The VLC app from the marketplace so that users are forced to use mp4 and not AVI.

 

I just find it ridiculous that they force people to go about tasks their way. Something like this would never happen in the Android/Windows world. /rant

[chw42]

It's just absurd and I can't believe people stand for it. You can't just drag a drop a file onto the drive? It has to be synced to iTunes and be app specific? wtf?

 

Just a little background... I discovered this the hard way. I know, my fault. A new app came on the market for dj'ing. It's called Traktor DJ. This app is advertised as being sync'd to Dropbox. To play a song on a club system, it will sound awful if its not at least a 320k mp3. So, people take gigs and gigs of files. So, everyone buys the app and finds out you can't load from Dropbox or a Wi Drive. The file has to be on the drive itself. You also can't transfer the file onto the iPad via Dropbox or Wi Drive because the app doesn't register from either. People go to the developer for an explanation. The developer says this comes straight from Apple. They wouldn't allow the developer to write the software so that its compatible. Dropbox can only be used to sync Metadata. They did this to force consumers to buy iPads with more storage.

 

Apple also removed The VLC app from the marketplace so that users are forced to use mp4 and not AVI.

 

I just find it ridiculous that they force people to go about tasks their way. Something like this would never happen in the Android/Windows world. /rant

 

It's the cost of open vs. closed. Closed systems are great for the average person who doesn't understand technology. They don't really need the functionality and they won't bother to look into it. More advanced users get screwed by closed systems like iOS though. It's just the way it is. Apple decided on the one size fits all model for their software and hardware and it has its pros, especially for everyday users, but iOS just doesn't fit the bill when you want to do some more advanced tasks on it. Jailbreaking does help, but it's still harder to get some more advanced stuff done on iOS compared to Android.

[Soxbadger]

That is one of the biggest reasons that I did not go apple. I have no apple products, I dont use itunes. So I was going to have to load everything through itunes, instead of just copying folders into "Music".

 

If you have a bunch of apple stuff I assume not a big deal, but if you dont its just kind of annoying.

[chw42]

So it appears that Motorola's game-changing new lineup of phones will allow you to customize it when you order it?

 

Like I said before, I'm not sure how they will meet the demand.

 

http://www.droid-life.com/2013/03/20/motor...sche-exclusive/

[RockRaines]

It's the cost of open vs. closed. Closed systems are great for the average person who doesn't understand technology. They don't really need the functionality and they won't bother to look into it. More advanced users get screwed by closed systems like iOS though. It's just the way it is. Apple decided on the one size fits all model for their software and hardware and it has its pros, especially for everyday users, but iOS just doesn't fit the bill when you want to do some more advanced tasks on it. Jailbreaking does help, but it's still harder to get some more advanced stuff done on iOS compared to Android.

"advanced" users or users who want those features are a subset which is why they are so popular. Even other OS users dont always become users of the "advanced" features.

[TaylorStSox]

"advanced" users or users who want those features are a subset which is why they are so popular. Even other OS users dont always become users of the "advanced" features.

The issue is about having the freedom to use the device in the way that you see fit. Based on Apple's marketing, I was under the assumption they were all about creativity and freedom. In reality, they force you into being a lemming. The integration is great, but at what cost? I really should have saved the money I spent on the iPhone and iPad and got a a dumb phone and Windows hybrid. I would have the functionality of a real OS and the ability to make calls. You live and learn.

[RockRaines]

The issue is about having the freedom to use the device in the way that you see fit. Based on Apple's marketing, I was under the assumption they were all about creativity and freedom. In reality, they force you into being a lemming. The integration is great, but at what cost? I really should have saved the money I spent on the iPhone and iPad and got a a dumb phone and Windows hybrid. I would have the functionality of a real OS and the ability to make calls. You live and learn.

I mean, freedom to one person means being able to choose what apps you use, to another its building widgets and the entire experience. Apple's whole mantra was more along the lines of being different, which is has been from the 800 lb gorilla on the marketplace in microsoft (when it was pc vs mac). With the iphone, freedom became being able to do more than just dial and text with your phone as well as integration into your music, preferences etc. Even in the corp world its easier to authenticate over standards with IOS right now than android.

[chw42]

"advanced" users or users who want those features are a subset which is why they are so popular. Even other OS users dont always become users of the "advanced" features.

 

I made that point. Apple's model is better for the majority of users, but that doesn't mean their model is correct.

[chw42]

I mean, freedom to one person means being able to choose what apps you use, to another its building widgets and the entire experience. Apple's whole mantra was more along the lines of being different, which is has been from the 800 lb gorilla on the marketplace in microsoft (when it was pc vs mac). With the iphone, freedom became being able to do more than just dial and text with your phone as well as integration into your music, preferences etc. Even in the corp world its easier to authenticate over standards with IOS right now than android.

 

So lack of freedom is not being able to use the apps you want? That's a very pessimistic and conservative way of looking at freedom in the sense of technology. Technology works for you, why should you not have a choice of what you want or don't want? I don't think that's a freedom when it comes to technology, that should be a given.

 

And closed operating systems like BlackBerry and iOS will always be better in the eyes of corporations and government. It's harder to hack due to it being 100% proprietary and they include more security measures. If you're a corporation or government agency, Android isn't where you should be looking.

Edited March 20, 2013 by chw42

[Steve9347]

You're not getting an 8 core processor in the United States. You're getting a quad core Snapdragon 600, which is more than good enough and is more efficient at handling LTE.

 

The 8 core processor isn't really an 8 core processor. It's a processor with 8 cores on it, but those 8 cores will never be used at the same time and they are not identical. When the phone is in low use, it switches to a power-efficient ARM Cortex A7 quad core processor, but when you need extra computing power, the 4 A-15 cores (the best mobile architecture ARM has to offer right now) will take over and do its job.

 

The issue with a design like this is that the switching needs to be done conservatively and it needs to take care of numerous use-cases correctly, otherwise you're not really saving anymore power than an ordinary quad core processor.

I must've been reading a UK review. LOL.

[RockRaines]

So lack of freedom is not being able to use the apps you want? That's a very pessimistic and conservative way of looking at freedom in the sense of technology. Technology works for you, why should you not have a choice of what you want or don't want? I don't think that's a freedom when it comes to technology, that should be a given.

 

And closed operating systems like BlackBerry and iOS will always be better in the eyes of corporations and government. It's harder to hack due to it being 100% proprietary and they include more security measures. If you're a corporation or government agency, Android isn't where you should be looking.

It's different for people who care about making it work for them. Some people think having apps from an endless catalog is freedom.

 

Look at our tv providers, how many people really care about customizing that experience?

 

 

And It's not about being harder to hack its about a consistent delivery model. Oauth tokens behave much better in iOS and mdm solutions generally require something standard.

Edited March 21, 2013 by RockRaines

[chw42]

It's different for people who care about making it work for them. Some people think having apps from an endless catalog is freedom.

 

Look at our tv providers, how many people really care about customizing that experience?

 

 

And It's not about being harder to hack its about a consistent delivery model. Oauth tokens behave much better in iOS and mdm solutions generally require something standard.

 

TV is different since it's a service. Cell phones and tablets (basically computers) aren't services. They're hardware that you own. You're not renting the hardware from Apple or Samsung.

 

If we're talking about session and presentation layer technologies, there is no question that iOS and BlackBerry are superior to Android. My Android phone has issues re-connecting to UIUC WiFi automatically because of token issues. I haven't had that happen on my iPad yet.

Edited March 21, 2013 by chw42

[RockRaines]

TV is different since it's a service. Cell phones and tablets (basically computers) aren't services. They're hardware that you own. You're not renting the hardware from Apple or Samsung.

 

If we're talking about session and presentation layer technologies, there is no question that iOS and BlackBerry are superior to Android. My Android phone has issues re-connecting to UIUC WiFi automatically because of token issues. I haven't had that happen on my iPad yet.

I don't see a whole lot of difference between cellular service and

Cable or even Internet service. Only one of them has a dumb, standardized device at the end because we haven't been given any freedom of choice. Or else there is just no demand.

[TaylorStSox]

I don't see a whole lot of difference between cellular service and

Cable or even Internet service. Only one of them has a dumb, standardized device at the end because we haven't been given any freedom of choice. Or else there is just no demand.

We're not talking about service. We're talking about buying a piece of hardware, or software, and using it any way you'd like. For example, an iPad is physically capable of accomplishing tasks that Apple simply won't allow it to ie. storing and using your files where you see fit.

[RockRaines]

We're not talking about service. We're talking about buying a piece of hardware, or software, and using it any way you'd like. For example, an iPad is physically capable of accomplishing tasks that Apple simply won't allow it to ie. storing and using your files where you see fit.

I store mine on box.net. Where do you? It gives people plenty of choice. Choice enough for most.

 

And the endpoint of cable is a device. THE most locked down device there is. But that's a huge tangent.