Android and Galaxy S3 Loves and Woes

There's only so much research you can do on a certain topic. Eventually, you will need to get your feet wet and try it out...whatever "it" turns out to be. Well, I did it. I jumped to Android by getting the Samsung Galaxy SIII on AT&T. It's a great phone, and at the same time...it's terrible.

Disclaimer: I came from an iPhone 4. I need my Apple ecosystem intact. My blog (The Great iPhone to Android Migration) details how I could meet those food groups by switching to Android and the Galaxy S3. In ways, The S3 was excellent at meeting my requirements. In others, it failed miserably. Allow me to share my month-long relation with the latest Android super phone.


Loves

• Sharing content to anything
• Open a document, video, photo, webpage...pretty much any piece of media...and share it via Facebook, Twitter, text, email, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, Google+, Dropbox, Evernote, KakaoTalk, Skype...basically any sharing app or service on the device.
• This is one of those cool features that you just can't get with the iPhone. Share the current photo/video/song/contact/etc via any sharing app you have installed on your phone.
• Expandable storage via microSD card
• Currently expanded to a 32GB microSDHC. Could go up to a 64GB microSDXC. Tons of storage for music, photos, apps, backups, and videos.
• Display
  
• The Super AMOLED colors are deeply saturated, which is beautiful. For photos and videos, at times the colors may seem a little unrealistic, but it is so pretty it doesn't matter. The excellent contrast and deep black level that you get from turning each pixel completely off is nothing short of amazing.
  
• Large screen - Shows a lot of information in a web page, when reading, or when managing notes, and I love that the back button and menu buttons don't take up any screen real estate, allowing for max screen usage. However, see "Woes" below for cons...
• The bezel is very thin, but thick enough to avoid accidental screen and capacitive button presses.
• The display is very high resolution. Text is crisp and videos look awesome.
• The screen is amazingly oleophobic. You might even say that oil and finger prints are afraid of the screen because they run and hide screaming. The display is very slick to the touch and grime is rarely visible unless you just put on some girly greasy lotion...and even then it is pretty. 
• Phone app
• I really like how the phone app is laid out. Swipe right on a contact to call. Swipe left to send a text. Photos of your contacts are displayed by default (this is possible on iPhone but requires jailbreak).
• Voice dictation input
• Displays as you dictate, not just when you are complete with the phrase. However, sometimes dictation fails when the web service dies. When Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) is released, dictation can be done offline.
• Titanium backups (Root required)
• Great backup/restore tool that can backup all your apps and app settings, and then restore them if you wish. This is great when installing new ROMs. I kind of equate this tool to PkgBackup for a jailbroken iPhone. I used PkgBackup and loved it on the iPhone. It was essential when installing Apple updates, then re-jailbreaking and restoring all jailbreak apps and settings. Titanium is used when installing a new ROM but then being able to keep apps you loved on other ROMs, although restoring settings from ROM A to ROM B is ill-advised because it my crash your current ROM. Nobody likes a brick for a phone here people.
• Nandroid backups (Root required)
• Unlike Titanium, Nandroid is used to make a complete image of your current ROM. It makes a complete copy of all data, apps, settings, boot loader...everything that has anything to do with the ROM's current state. Nandroid then allows the ability to restore to the backup of that exact point in time.
• Very Thin
• Phone is overall extremely thin, light, and solid feeling.
• Camera
• The camera takes great photos, especially for a cell phone. The wide angle lens lets you get a lot of content in the photo. The video is also very good, although the audio is a bit muffled. 

Neat, but less of a big deal

• Back button and Menu button -  I like how screen real estate is not taken up by menu and back buttons that are needed in almost all apps. When hitting a link to another app, tapping the back button in the current app brings you back to the previous app. This is handy for multitasking, as it closes the current app and brings you back to the previous app. If you launched this one from the home screen, then tapping back kills the current app and brings you back to the home screen. However, sometimes this is annoying...when you think hitting the back button will bring you to a previous screen, and accidentally you close the app.
• Keyboard choice - The stock Android keyboard (I got mine from flashing the Cyanogenmod 9 ROM) is actually very good! It is reminiscent of the iPhone keyboard, which allows me to type very quickly with two thumbs and very rarely have to go back and correct a mistake. No Swype in this keyboard, but I find Swype to be a gimmick that actually slows me down quite a bit. Others swear by Swype so your mileage may vary. I love the double tap a word to select potential replacements. I think this keyboard is MUCH more elegant than the stock Samsung one. 
• Android Beam sharing via NFC and S-Beam sharing via NFC and Wi-Fi Direct - probably cool, haven't tried it - These are a little more gimmicky to me, as sharing a photo/contact/video via email and mms is still pretty darn convenient.
• Maps/Navigation - I love the seamless integration between Google Maps and Navigation. Get directions from Maps, then hit the Navigation button to switch to turn-by-turn directions, and vice versa. I also like the feature of clicking on a destination or point of interest and getting general info about it (e.g., phone number, address, hours of operation, short description, link to website).
• Quick data access - Was in LA and got a taste of what AT&T 4GLTE would be like. 40Mbit download speeds are nothing short of amazing. Even the "faux" G (4G) coverage is very reliable and quick enough for normal use.
• Overall speed - the device is just plain fast. Switching apps, loading apps, refreshing web pages, etc happen almost instantaneously. I'm not even sure this speed comparison is worth mentioning, though because the iPhone 4S is very quick in its tasks, and I can only imagine how quick the iPhone 5 will be in its daily grind. EDIT: As my month went on, the device has seemed to lag a little since day 1. I have killed apps and ran Antivirus scans...nothing seems to make it faster. Touchwiz's fault?
• I Like how your Google account is present throughout the OS. Open an app for the first time and you can usually login with your Google account automatically.
• Google Play store - on the phone
• Easy search
• Nice graphics
• Video previews
• Screenshots
• User reviews
• Shows similar apps
• No need to enter password when installing new free apps and updates
• Google Play store - web version
• Access to Google Play from any web browser (e.g., desktop PC, tablet, laptop PC)
• Download and install to device straight from the browser
• Phone case
• This really has nothing to do with the phone itself, the Body Glove case I have is pretty great! It is anti-microbial (so it doesn't get all grimy with use), is slim, provides great grip, and good protection despite its slim profile.
• Customizability
• The home screen is ridiculously customizable with launchers with different row/column layouts, fonts, themes, folders, Widgets, etc. 

START OF RANT

Honestly if you want to mess with that stuff, go right ahead because you can spend days...literally days customizing your home screen. It's cool I must admit. However, after spending 4 hours trying to find a launcher I like and realizing my favorite features are across 3 different paid-for launchers and 2 separate ROMs (granted you can install separate .apk packages for some features), I'm less than happy with the amount of customization you can do. "Look at the 1000 different ways I can ALMOST get my phone to do what I want it to!" I must admit that a lot of the features I want enabled on Android were ones I enjoyed on my iPhone (albeit jail broken). This is only natural. It is also a testament to how many things that Apple has done very well. I will stand by the opinion that Android can do A LOT of things. But sometimes they take 1000 different camera settings to do what Apple camera does without the user having to do anything. And when Apple has that certain feature, you can bet that it will be done in a more elegant, not half-baked fashion. I feel like I'm comparing apples to Apples here because some of the features I enabled on the Galaxy S3 are only available by rooting and/or ROMing the device. Very similar to jail breaking the iPhone. Which leads me to the woes...

END OF RANT

 

Woes

• Apple Integration
• AirPlay
• Photos - works, but need to send each photo individually to AppleTV. On the iPhone 4, simply view a pic on your phone, hit the Airplay button, then swipe through your phone's library to view everything on the TV. On the Galaxy S3, hit share and then AirTwist to beam the pic to the AppleTV. Then if you swipe on your phone, you must hit share and AirTwist again for each photo. Imagine doing this for the 100 photos you took on your vacation.
• Music - works, but no song data is displayed on the TV, just a blank black screen. A little less than elegant. iPhone displays artist, title, album, album art, and a progress bar for time lapsed.
• Video - Started to queue up, but never actually played on the TV. There may be other apps out there that may do this, but after already spending hours trying to get this to work, I was too frustrated to keep at it.
• iTunes Match iCloud
• Through iTunes Match and iCloud, I have access to every single one of my 8,700 songs in my library. All 44GB worth. I can still store all my most-listened to tracks on local storage, but this allows me to stream any others via iCloud. This integrates seamlessly in the iPhone's music player. Not present at all on Android.
• Bose StereoDock Portable
• When the iPhone is docked, with the Bose remote I can play, pause, skip tracks, go to previous track, fast forward, rewind, change playlists, and adjust the volume up and down. With the Galaxy S3 connected to the Bose via Aux-in port, I can only control the volume. Plus the music app sometimes stops working and a force close is necessary. I can't think of a time the iPhone music app EVER crashed.
• Apps close for no reason.
• Why does "Early Bird," one of my favorite games from the iPhone constantly crash on Android? It's a great game, and it loads really quickly when it works. But why do these apps randomly crash? Instability is a very un-fun feature, especially when all you want to do is turn your brain off and play a quick game.
  
• I love DoubleTwist's functionality for what it tries to be...an iTunes replacement, but it just doesn't perform or stay open. It also sometimes lags when navigating between screens.
• DoubleTwist is the only solution right now that will sync play counts, ratings, etc from the phone back to iTunes. (EDIT: I have not tried iSyncr. That very well may work, but once again I expect it to just not be as elegant, which is very annoying.) If I used the stock player or some other player, those stats would not sync back. I need that to keep my whole house of music in sync. And I love to rate songs as I listen to them on the phone. Apple just does this better.
• WiFi
• WiFi receiver has weaker reception than iPhone 4's. I'm not sure why, but it is definitely noticeable that I can't be as far away from the WiFi router as I can with the iPhone 4.
• Browser
• Bookmarks
• Firefox bookmarks do not sync correctly with chrome android app. Sure I could use the Firefox app, but that thing is so buggy, it crashes on me all the time, and there is no copy/paste in it. Seriously Firefox?! No copy/paste!? Sad sad. Further, (going with the "there's so much choice" theme), I tried Chrome, Dolphin browser, and the stock Samsung browser. Bookmarks don't sync properly even in Chrome. Now, I use Chrome at work and at home. Why don't they sync? Why does it take so much work to get it to the way I want it, and then it STILL doesn't work properly? With iPhone, use iTunes to sync your Xmarks bookmarks to your Safari bookmarks. Done.
• Lag
• Also in Chrome, it takes a second or two for it to open to be able to tap the URL bar to search for something. Not sure why. Am I impatient or just used to Safari opening on an iPhone and working without issue?
• Video chat sucks
• Sure you can fire up Google+, Tango, or Skype, but nothing is anywhere near as good as Apple's Facetime. Once you've tried it, no other video chat seems relevant. The picture is clearer, the motion is near real time, and the audio is crystal clear. Plus, with iOS 6 (or now with jailbreak), this will be doable over your cellular data.
• The 4.8 inch screen is also a con
• It's difficult to navigate the phone with just one hand. Try to hold it like you normally do; now try to reach 4 inches straight up and slide down the notification bar. Yeah I have carpal tunnel just thinking about it. Of course if you have large hands, this may actually be a pro for you.
• Addeth features and taketh them away
• I hate that when I install a new ROM (e.g., Cyanogenmod 9) all of the Samsung features go away. S voice? Gone. Accuweather widget? Gone. Granted, you can find some of them on the web as installable .apk files, but not all. Jailbreaking never took functionality away. It only ADDED it.
• Display Brightness
• Auto
• Auto brightness is strange. In sunlight, it does not get as bright as possible. In darkness, it does not get as dim as possible. In other words, take off auto, and you can manually adjust the display to dimmer than the dimmest that auto will make it. Likewise, you can manually adjust to brighter than the brightest that auto will make it. This becomes annoying...come from a brightly lit room into a dim room, and you have to adjust it accordingly.
• In the Dark
• Overall, the brightness just can't seem to get down to a reasonably low level when viewing in the dark. I believe this is to be a limitation of the OLED display tech.
• In Daylight
• The Super AMOLED screen also cannot seem to get bright enough in sunlight to be as readable as an IPS LCD display.
•  Battery management is terrible (sometimes)
• Week 1 and 2:
• Even in standby, it seems to just kill the battery, even with Juice Defender enabled (battery saving app).
• Requires too much manual intervention. Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G, mobile data, and GPS when not in use. On iPhone, just leave them all on and the phone manages the service automatically.
• Disable push on Exchange email accounts. Some recommend setting my 3 email accounts to only check every 30 minutes or once an hour instead of pushing the notification as it comes in to the server. I say pish posh. I want it pushed to me the second the server gets it. Especially for work emails, you need to get these ASAP, or your customer is gone. On the iPhone, all of my email accounts were set to push, and battery life didn't suffer because of it. I should say...battery life wasn't horrendous (looking at you Galaxy S3) because of it. I want to use my phone, not have to baby sit it and disable useful functions.
• Week 3:
• Day 1 and 2 - After I flashed the CyanogenMod 9 ROM (and realized that S-Voice and camera functionality was gone), I re-flashed the Nandroid backup of my Samsung ROM. The two days following I achieved awesome battery life! After HEAVY usage (using navigation, google searches, music playing, texting, calls, etc.), I still had 13% battery life after 16 hours of up time. I did have Juice Defender enabled, but I even had all radios enabled (WiFi, GPS, 4G, NFC). I was very impressed.
• Day 3 - Back to "normal." Battery seems decent, but needs to be babied from time to time.
• Week 4:
• Battery seems decent. Under normal use, it will last a day. Nothing much more. Looking at the battery logger, most of the power is consumed by standby and the display. Some might say "you get used to managing it." That's like saying you get used to sneezing with allergies. iPhone was my Claritin.
• Keyboard choice isn't always a good thing - Keyboard correction is awful. Prediction sometimes works. Fixing an error is annoying. This is strictly speaking about the stock Samsung, Slide-it, and TouchPal keyboards. The stock android ice cream sandwich one seems actually pretty decent, but it does not support the "swyping" feature that some prefer. Once again, this is comparing these keyboard features that of the iPhone's. iPhone users may not be given a choice in keyboards, but the stock one works very well.
• No Visual voicemail -  so I thought! On AT&T it exists as a free downloadable app (AT&T Messages) on Google Play. T-Mobile also has one. I wish it were built in to the phone app like the iPhone has it, but this is a small gripe. However, having this enabled gives me duplicate text messages...extremely annoying. I since disabled this.
• Lag
• Some apps run with a lot of lag. When playing Super Stick man Golf, why does the screen freeze/lag every time I hit a super shot? Didn't do that on the iPhone. In any game where the screen pans, why does it lag and skip? Didn't do that on the iPhone. It's just part of the seamless experience throughout the use of the device that I've come to know and expect.
• Even going to the homescreen after hitting the home button seems to take too long, sometimes a full second. This may be Samsung's ROM or Touchwiz launcher, as I do not notice the lag as much with Go Launcher. I also found this more responsive in the Cyanogenmod 9 ROM, but that ROM wasn't quite fully baked yet (e.g., camera doesn't work).

 

Conclusion

It was a great "1 month stand" with Android's greatest. I loved trying something new and exciting. However, it has made me realize that the Galaxy S3 is very flashy, but it's not classy. The screen is pretty, and it has a lot of features, but the features that Apple implements are just done more elegantly. Too many of Android's features felt half cooked to me. So where does this leave me? I think I'll be waiting for the new iPhone. In the meantime...I wonder what Windows Phone 7.5 Mango is like...

The Great iPhone to Android Migration

It's been a wondrous 2 years with my lovely iPhone 4. I don't necessarily want to part ways with my iPhone, it has been a great phone. The problem (good problem) is that the devil is calling me; I'm up for upgrade, and I cannot ignore the urge. All reports point to the iPhone 5/6/4ss/4GLTE/4xqzy releasing in October 2012. Can I really wait 3 months to upgrade? Simple answer is no. That Samsung Galaxy S3 is looking mighty tempting. Let's look at why I want the Galaxy S3. Then we'll look at the biggest Apple features I simply cannot live without and see if the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich toting Samsung Galaxy S3 can meet all my food groups.

Why go to the Galaxy S3?

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is an amazing device. Here are the upgrades I would receive by making the switch:
Android has come a long way:  Android 4 has much improved battery life and task management than previous releases, has a more unified user experience across the OS, and it looks so pretty.
iOS 6 doesn't sound interesting: iOS 6 is definitely an upgrade from iOS 5, but it still sounds lacking when compared to Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich, especially 4.1 Jelly Bean which will be released shortly.
Highly customizable User Interface: Widgets, smooth Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the ability to root and install custom ROMs with many customizable features (e.g., overclock processor, kill processes [daemons], custom gestures, change hardware button mapping)
Fast 4GLTE support: AT&T doesn't even have LTE in the Twin Cities yet, but it's coming, and the Galaxy S3 will support it when it does. We don't even know if the next iPhone will support LTE.
4.8" Super AMOLED 720p display: Even though it uses the pentile arrangement of pixels vs the Galaxy S2's RGB arrangement, the 720p display on the S3 is very pixel dense and nothing short of amazing. It's like having a tablet in your pocket without the bulk. The screen is perfect for reading, web browsing, watching videos, and just plain looking beautiful.
Upgrade now: This is two-fold...

1. I can get my new device now! I don't have to wait 3 months for the next iPhone. By the way it won't be only 3 months. The next iPhone will be announced, then it will be released, and no one will be able to get one for the following month because they will instantly sell out. It's just the way of Apple products. 
2. I will be able to sell my iPhone 4 for more money right now. I have an AppleCare warranty on the iPhone still valid through September. This is a huge selling point. The new owner can replace headphones/AC adapter/USB cable and check to see it they can get a battery or screen replace (both in excellent condition by the way). Also, before the next iPhone is released, my iPhone is only 1 generation older than the latest. I may be able to squeak out a few more 10's of dollars selling it before the next one is available.

Things I'm not concerned about

Let's be clear about one thing. I'm in no way concerned with the amount of apps available on either platform. For example, I have a great Calendar app (Week Cal), Grocery list app (ShopShop), and Alarm app (Alarmed); I'm pretty sure I can find an equivalent on Android for those. I'm more concerned with the killer features that I use almost day to day...namely features tied to the Apple ecosystem. Ahem...allow me to elaborate.

My Most-used Apple features:

Airplay to AppleTV

Airplay ability is absolutely essential in my quest for conversion. Take photos on your phone, then display them on the AppleTV to the biggest screen in the house...your TV. This is one of the most-used features I use on my iPhone 4.
Video
Start playing a video stored on your phone, then press a button to play it on the AppleTV over WiFi.
Music
Start playing music stored on your phone, then press a button to play it on the AppleTV over WiFi.
Photos
View a photo stored on your phone, then press a button to view it on the AppleTV over WiFi.
Apps
Youtube, Pandora, Vevo

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

The DoubleTwist app ($4.99 on Google Play) has the ability to Airplay all the Video, Music, and Photos stored on your Android phone. However, there currently isn't any way to Airplay apps' video/audio to AppleTV.....at least that I have discovered. I can live without that app streaming. My AppleTV has Youtube, my Roku 2 XD has Pandora, and Vevo is used pretty rarely. If I absolutely had to have these connected to my TV/stereo, then I can get an MHL adapter from MonoPrice for less than $11 to mirror the phone's screen and audio onto the TV.

iTunes Remote

AppleTV
I use my iPhone as a remote for the music playing on my AppleTV through iCloud. Through my phone anywhere in the house I can play, pause, rewind, skip any song in my iTunes library including any playlist created.
iTunesApps
Similiarly, I use my iPhone as a remote for iTunes on any PC in the house.

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

The Remote for iTunes app ($4.99 on Google Play) arguably is an even better solution than the Apple version. It connects to your WiFi much quicker, and has a cleaner interface.

iTunes Stream

I use my PC as a music server. With iTunes HomeSharing, my iPhone can stream my iTunes library from my PC to be played on the Bose SoundDock Portable in or outside the house.

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

The $1.99 AirBubble app from Google Play allows using your Android device as an AirPlay destination. The only catch is that each time you want to do this, you have to enable it in iTunes on the PC first. However, this feature probably wouldn't be used very much, since I would be able to store every song I actually listen to locally on my phone. So, the extra step is probably ok.

Music Syncing

Playlist Syncing
I have a ridiculous amount of playlists created in iTunes...as in almost 50. Some of those are Smart Playlists where I choose the list to intelligently select tracks that I have rated 3 stars or above and have not been listened to in the last 3 months (yes I'm meticulous). I need to be able to sync these to my phone!

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

DoubleTwist (mentioned above) will do all of the above.

Access to entire Music Library

On my iPhone, I have iTunes Match. So, I have iCloud access to my entire music library [44GB] even if the track is not synced to the phone.

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

Buy a 32GB MicroSDHC flash card from Newegg for less than $30 to be able to store 48GB of data on the S3. I may not be able to sync my entire music library, but I will be able to sync my most played songs and a very good chunk of my library and still have room to store plenty of photos and videos. If I wanted to get a larger iPhone (32GB total), the device would cost $299 on contract. The 16GB Galaxy S3 costs $199 on contract. To get a 48GB Galaxy S3, I just need to pay $230. Alternatively, I could get a 64GB microSDXC card from Amazon for less than $60 to be able to store 80GB of data on the S3 ($259 total with phone). The 64GB iPhone 4S is $399!

Portability

Workout Test

Carry in pocket when working out
 The Samsung Galaxy S3 has a 4.8" screen. The device is thin, but very wide and long. In the pocket it may seem a little large, but doable. The iPhone 4 is very compact and fits comfortably in the pocket with me feeling like I'm going to smash a weight against it. I could probably get by just fine with a big S3 in the pocket.

Mount on my arm when running

Even if they make an arm band for Galaxy S3, would I want to wear it? It would look like a big rat on my arm. Oh my goodness it's possible! They make an arm band for the S3!! The Belkin EaseFit Plus Armband does not only exist for less than $24, but dare I say it is rather stylish. (Please don't judge my style.)

 

Bose SoundDock Portable compatibility

I have a Bose SoundDock Portable with iPhone dock that sounds very good for its size. It has a great remote and an average 8hr battery life.

How to Satisfy the food group

CableJive makes the $36 dockBoss+ cable that allows the connection of a phone with a microUSB charge port and headphone jack. It even charges the phone while you use it.

Hold Volume to Skip Tracks

As trivial as this sounds, this is probably the biggest thing I absolutely have to have with my phone. I play music in the car through my phone. I have to be able to skip tracks without looking. Normally, you have to press a soft button. Therefore, you have to take your eyes off the road just to skip tracks. On my iPhone, I simply press and hold the volume-up button for a short time to skip the track, and i press and hold the volume-down button for a short time to go to the previous track. Of course, I had to jailbreak my phone to allow this feature, but if I could ask for only one feature from a jailbreak this would be it.

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

Looks like an app called "Button Remapper" would satisfy this and more. Not to mention the amazing amount of customizable ROMs you can install after rooting the device that would easily allow the remapping of hardware buttons.

Support

Apple has a very decent service plan, AppleCare+. For $99, it covers the charger, headphones, battery, display, and covers 2 accidental damage repairs at a possible $49 each. So, 2 accidental damage reports would bring the 2-year total to $198.

How to Satisfy the foodgroup

AT&T's insurance is $10/mo, and requires a $199 deductible, but they also cover loss and theft.
Best Buy's plan is $170 for infinite repairs for free (also covering included charger and offers a battery replacement), but no loss and theft coverage. Will Best Buy still be around in 2 years? I sure hope so.

Cost

NOTE: I'm going to leave the cost of a case and workout armband out of this section because I would probably need a new case and armband for the new iPhone anyway.

New iPhone Cost

I would most likely want at least a 32GB iPhone 5/6/whatever. This would most assuredly be $299, and I would get the $99 AppleCare+ for a total of $398 (with a potential 2-year cost of $496 if I used 2 accidental damage claims at $49ea).

Galaxy S3 Cost

For a 16GB Galaxy S3 it is $199 on contract. Throw in a $60 64GB microSDHC, $36 CableJive dockBoss+ cable to bring the total to $295. Add in a $170 Best Buy service contract with 2-years of unlimited accidental damage claims and "free" battery replacement for a total of $465.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner?

Even with the added cost of getting a dockBoss+ cable and Best Buy service contract, I'm getting a 4.8" 720p Super AMOLED display, 80GB, 4GLTE, dual-core, insanely customizable super Android phone with unlimited accidental damage claims for $30 less than the 32GB 2-year, 2-accident claim new iPhone that no one has any clue what the actual "amazing" specs will be! I think I'll be making the jump.

Motion Controller Success - It's What's In the Box

I have been reading some reviews for the latest Kinect games, and I find a common thread; these games are terrible. But no one really seems to understand why. I have a very simple explanation, and it involves what's in the box when you buy the console.

The Nintendo Wii came out a few years ago with a motion controller packaged in the box. Packaging the Wii remote in with the box that you buy the console allows a few things. Number one, you appeal to an untapped, massive audience that is NOT hard-core gamers. These "casual" gamers now have a simple and intuitive controller interface to move your character around on screen. You don't have to mess with confusing 15 button controllers. Number two, you attract third-party developers to create games for your motion controller videogame system. Why? Because third-party developers know that if a family owns a Wii, then they own motion controllers. Therefore, if you make a game for the Nintendo Wii, anyone that owns a Wii will be able to buy and enjoy your game.

This last simple concept is what Sony and Microsoft fail to realize. Now, they jumped on the bandwagon of motion control and came out with the Move and Kinect, respectively. These two companies realized that Nintendo was tapping into a market that they had no share in. However, they failed to realize how the Wii was a success with motion control; it's because the Wii remote was packaged in with the console. Microsoft actually did very well with the launch of their Kinect, but its appeal was short-lived. There were a few really good titles at launch of the Kinect (e.g., Dance Central), but there haven't been many great titles in the last year of its existence.

Some people purchased the Kinect with the notion that they were buying a brand-new system, and that many great games would flood the market. They couldn't have been more wrong. Just look at items like these in the past. Look at the Sega CD or 32X attachments for the Sega Genesis. These were pretty cool to get at first, but they quickly ran out of quality titles because not only did you have to have a Sega CD, you also had to have a Sega Genesis. And just because you have a Sega Genesis, does not mean that you have a Sega CD. Therefore, Sega CD owners are a very small population of the gaming community. This puts a huge strain on first party developers (i.e., Sega) to come up with good titles for these attachments. Why? Because third-party developers (e.g., Konami) are not going to bank on their strong titles to thrive in an environment where a small gaming community exists. Fast forward to today, and you have the Move and Kinect.

So, the next time you're thinking about creating an add-on for a current generation gaming system, maybe hold off using that idea until you come out with your next-generation gaming system, and ship it in the box.

Apple Ecosystem Analogy

One of my readers said, "Why would you stick with Apple? Motorola and Samsung have recently released some great devices."

Well, dear reader, besides the reasons listed under Why I Stay an Apple fan, I answer with an insightful analogy:

Recently, I was going to switch checking accounts from bank A to bank B with a higher interest rate. I found out I had to pay a monthly fee for online billpay, so the extra interest earned was negligible. Coupled with having to move over all my "payees" and re-setup autopay and direct deposit, I wasn't convinced to switch. Now, had I been a member of bank B all along, I would probably be perfectly happy, but bank B didn't give me reason enough to leave bank A.

For me, bank A is Apple, bank B is Android/WP7/etc.

(   By the way, just kidding...........I don't have any readers.  :-P   )

Galaxy Nexus and Android Ice Cream Sandwich Unveiling

Powerful, sleek, and the first Android device to run Ice Cream Sandwich.
The video plugin in Firefox crashed on my laptop, so I didn't get to view some of the last features. I rebooted the browser and reloaded the video to catch the middle of the Android "Beam" demo. Hey it actually worked!

For the most part, it was an interesting presentation...in content. Some Vice President gets on the stage and brought his D game at best in presenting the device's makeup. Speed, Screen, Design, and OS. I fell asleep in the middle of Speed, and woke up to some words about the screen.

Speed
Yawn...We get it, it's fast...Just like every other device that has come out in the last 6 months. Is this one faster? Probably not anything noticeable. Let's just say it'll at least keep up, if not surpass by a smidge the leading Galaxy SII. It's nothing leaps and bounds advanced, though. And another thing...................Wha? Oh sorry...just woke up.

Screen
I'm impressed with the screen, but there's one thing it was missing in its absurd acronym: "+." Yes it's a 720p (1280x720) "HD" screen...marketing people go nuts. But it's a Super AMOLED, no plus. The Samsung Galaxy SII may have a "measly" WVGA 800x480 resolution screen, but it has the plus. What's the dif? The 720p sounds fabulous on paper, but the perceived resolution will not quite match the pixel density they are hoping for, as it uses a pentile arrangement of subpixels (RGBG) resulting in a resolution 3/4 of what is advertised. So, where they advertise a pixel density of 316 ppi, it may appear closer to 960x720...at 4.65" this is 273.5 ppi. It will most likely appear a little sharper than the GSII's, but not much. We shall see.

Design
It looks great. The phone has a barometer. The phone has a nice, curved design.........Hey sleepy guy! Did you just say Barometer? That's cool, what's it do? Oh, you skipped right over that one huh. Well I shall enlighten. This is actually a pretty sweet feature, potentially. It tells you the barometric pressure where you are....right now. Not using GPS and the internet....just the barometer! Don't you see? Picture every person with a smartphone with a barometer. This could potentially take pressure readings at precise locations and predict weather that much more accurately. Some serious stuff.

OS
The meat of the presentation. The UI looks pretty. I gotta say I love the social network integration that exists throughout Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) (ridiculous name). The lock screen has some interesting features, including "revolutionary" facial recognition to unlock. Demo time..."You'll see that Billy Bob can't unlock my phone because his mug is not mine. Now if I smile for 10 minutes at the camera it will...it will...un....lock. Aw...you really gonna do this to me?" It didn't unlock. Hopefully Google figures that one out before launch.

Google has taken strides in making the entire OS cohesive with similar gestures found throughout. Nothing too new in the browser. Mail shows more "people" apps integration. Their "Beam" function with NFC is pretty neat, if not a little gimmicky...A buddy is playing Minecraft, you say, "I wanna get that game!"...Your buddy butts up his phone against yours, beams it to you...now you're in the Market place ready to download the app. Cool. However, I think NFC will bring about a lot of new and interesting functions that no one has even thought of yet.

Verdict?
Overall, the presentation lacked that flair that the late great Steve Jobs possessed during grand unveilings such as this. It needed that, actually. This phone and OS are supposed to be a big deal. At least, Google wants it to be a big deal.

These questions remain:

• How much for the device?
• How much flash storage on the device?
• Available in November.....well when exactly? November is 2 weeks away.
• Which carriers will house this Galaxy Nexus?
• They mentioned LTE and HSPA+ connectivity, so Verizon and AT&T?
• Perhaps on the minds of 1,000's of Android users...When will my device (if ever) get ICS?

 

How do you make iTunes Match even better? iTunes Unlimited

iTunes Match is pretty cool: $25/yr allows you to match your songs to iTunes library and keep them in iCloud at 256kbps AAC DRM-free quality. Any song that doesn't match gets uploaded to iCloud. You can then stream (yes, stream) or download your songs to sync any iDevice or PC/Mac. Translation? I can upgrade all my crappy 10-year-old CD rips and albums from "friends" into high-quality 256kbps AAC songs! That is huge, and to have easy access to all 9,000 of them anywhere I go is icing on the cake.

That's great, but how do you make the world's largest library of songs even better?

First, a little perspective
Services like Spotify and Rdio are great models...charge $10/mo to share music "likes" with your friends, discover new music, listen to new albums, save playlists, and download to your phone to listen offline. There's 1 major thing they don't have...the massive library of iTunes.

iTunes is massive. Huge. How big? Over 20million songs exist in their library. Sure it's nice to download an album for $9.99. How often do you do this? Once a month? Twice a month? A couple times a year? My guess is on average once or twice every two months.


A Better Way: iTunes Unlimited (not real, just my idea)
How about another option: iTunes Unlimited. Rather than $25/yr for Match, how about $99/yr for the services of Match plus the ability to stream as many songs/albums/playlists as you like? Now, I don't think Apple would just let you download any song in iTunes to keep forever, but do you really need to for your 24/7 internet-connected PC and AppleTV? You just need the ability to stream to your PC or AppleTV. But our iDevices aren't always connected to a network. How about another option. We all like tiers...how about:

• $99/yr tier ($8.25/mo) - 30 offline song downloads to iDevices per month
• $119/yr tier ($9.92/mo) - 50 songs/mo
• $149/yr tier ($12.42/mo) - unlimited

Of course these tiers would each include unlimited streaming to your devices. You could share your favorite songs with your friends in iTunes, and maybe Apple can actually make their Ping service usable. All while keeping playlists synced across devices.

Apple...make this happen!
If Apple implemented this, they would have a killer service that would be far superior to any cloud storage service (e.g., Amazon Cloud Player, Music Beta by Google) and social music discovery service (e.g., Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, Slacker) combined.

All these tiers/prices/limits variables are off the top of my head, but it sure seems logical for Apple to pull something like this off. $10/mo seems reasonable and competitive for Apple to charge for such a killer service. They could even split the services if you don't want both: $25/yr for iTunes Match, $85/yr for iTunes Unlimited. Then provide a discount of $99/yr for both.

Would you buy into such a service? Please share this blog with your friends!

iPhone 4S Announcement Reaction

The latest iPhone 4S announcement leaves me feeling funny inside...not haha funny, but weird funny. Here's why:

iPhone 4S highlights

• A5 dual-core processor - Faster app loading, web page rendering, handles higher graphic requirements in apps, allows 1080p video capture
• 8MP still/1080p video camera - Will take amazing shots and video I'm sure, as the iPhone 4 already takes great pics/video (albeit 5MP/720p).
• World phone - Has both GSM/CDMA radios built in. It will be released 10/14 on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. Capable of double the download speed of iPhone 4.
• 16GB, 32GB, 64GB - $199, $299, $399 respectively
• AirPlay mirroring - Mirror anything on your screen to your AppleTV. You can mirror web pages, home screen, games, anything...not just videos and music anymore.
• Assistant - The iPhone 4S killer feature. Ask it to "Reply to John, I'll be late," "Find Italian restaurants," or "How many steps does the Empire State Building have?" Uses your natural language to answer appropriately, and learns over time. It will also support dictation as an option to keyboard input (as Android users have gotten accustomed to for some time).

Victim of Hype
Part of me just wanted something crazy to happen today...an announcement of an iPhone 5, a rabbit to pop out of the phone...anything. I really wanted Apple to increase the display to the edge. They didn't even have to change the rest of the design, but make the display 3.7" to 4". Maybe throw in a touch sensitive button for some silly swipe gestures. SOMETHING! I like that this is still a nice upgrade, but part of me feels cheated. Google is coming out with their next Nexus phone in the coming months to go toe-to-toe with this iPhone. It's rumored to have a 720x1280 resolution display (iPhone 4/4S = 640x960).


Why I Stay an Apple fan:

• Build quality - Apple makes some of the prettiest, solid phones. One year later, my phone still looks brand new.
• Apple's ecosystem - The iPhone 4S works flawlessly streaming through AirPlay to AppleTV and iTunes. My entire music collection is on my home server, syncing every night to my phone updating playlists/counts/ratings and is playable throughout the house and wherever I go. If you don't like using iTunes, you can still drag/drop music/videos to the device with SharePod. I hate to say it, but everything in this environment "just works."
• Backwards compatibility - The new phone is still compatible with my excellent Bose stereo dock and any iPhone accessories (e.g., workout armband, external backup battery, car charger).
• Battery life - The battery management of iOS has been brain-off awesome. I don't have to mess with task killers or worry if my battery is going to last the whole day.
• Apple customer service - Have an issue with your phone or accessories? Come in to the Apple Store, and leave in minutes with your problems solved quickly. The AppleCare+ is a great warranty; $99 one-time fee covers your phone's manufacturing and accessories for 2yrs. It also adds 2 occurrences of accidental damage coverage...drop your phone in the toilet, crack it by throwing it off a building, and you get it repaired/replaced for max $49. So, you would pay $197 total to replace your phone twice, plus still have your battery, screen, and accessories covered for 2yrs.
• Resale value - Selling your old iDevice still gets you a pretty penny, and should at least net you enough coin to upgrade to the newest phone.
• High App Quality - With over 40,000 apps in the App Store, you're bound to find something you like. And with Apple vetting each one before it's available for download, you know that it's malware free. I'm partial to Remote (control iTunes library and AppleTV from iPhone), Early Bird (game), ShopShop (grocery list), Evernote (notes), and Nike+ GPS (run mapper).
• iCloud services - The brain-off simplicity (and free-ness) of Over-the-Air updates and daily syncing photos/music/documents with iCloud is huge. I'm going to specifically love iTunes Match; Having many 10yr old crummy CD rips, I can now get these in 256kbps AAC quality and access all 9,000 of them anywhere I go for just $25/yr.
• Jailbreak - Freeing iOS gives me the ability to advance to my next song by holding my volume button (great when driving), theme my phone, double-tap the time on the lockscreen to go directly to the phone app, send a text by tapping the volume button, and many more customizations. Jailbreaking is the icing on the cake to the rest of the above.

All the above are things I really value about the iPhone experience. I think part of me writing the above is to remind me why I am happy with Apple's iPhone. They are things I would miss if I left to get an Android or Windows Phone. The iPhone is not just about software, display size, or hardware in general, it's about the services and ecosystem that really keep me an Apple fan. Is the 4S enough to make me upgrade? How much will you pay for my iPhone 4?



- If you don't own a smart phone, is the 4S your next phone?
- If you own an iPhone, is the 4S enough to make you upgrade?
- If you have an Android/Windows Phone, is the 4S enough to make you switch?

Adventures in TV Antennas: Kill Cable Part 2

RCA ANT751 Outdoor TV Antenna

Well cable/satellite, we've had some good times. We knew this day would come. I'll miss your inflated prices and 100's of channels of content I never watched. Maybe when you come up with a cheap a-la-carte channel-adding scheme, we'll see each other again some day. Until then, good riddance! Part 1 of my blog entry is not literally labeled "Part 1" (the good ones never are), but here it is: Kill the Cable Bill, 7/25/11. Oh the fun I've had with TV Antennas. I tell you of my adventure for entertainment and education. First, a fun fact, a note and then a little justification of doing this project.

Note about Tuners
Your local TV stations broadcast ATSC signals. If you want these digital channels, you'll need an ATSC tuner.

• HDTV 5yrs old or newer? You're good - If you bought your HDTV in the last 5yrs, chances are good it has a built-in ATSC tuner.
• Digital Converter Box - Old CRT (tube) TVs and some older HDTVs do not have an ATSC tuner. Therefore, you'll need a Digital Converter Box for these TVs. Be careful of older HDTVs that claim "HD-ready." These display HD, but they don't have a built-in tuner. 
• QAM tuner - If you have a Quadrature Amplitude Modulator tuner (QAM or Clear QAM [pronounced kwomm]), you have an ATSC tuner. QAM tuners allow you to tune any "free" stations provided by cable. However, don't count on too many of these stations being available. (The cable company doesn't really enjoy giving handouts.)

Fun fact: Plural of Antenna is "Antennae" if you are referring to an insect, but it is "Antennas" for RF/Radio/TV. Isn't learning fun?


Justification
Is it worth all this trouble? In 1 word, YES! In many words:

• Savings: I was paying $85/mo for satellite (HD, DVR). Now I will be paying $16/mo ($7.99 for Netflix and $7.99 for Hulu+) and $0/mo for over-the-air locals. Even with the up-front costs of the antenna, splitters, digital converter box for SD TV ($40 on Amazon.com), and Roku 2 streaming boxes, I will save $450 in the first year. Those gadgets are just 1-time fees. In the second year and beyond I will save over $800/yr ($69/mo) in cable/satellite bills. I think I'll treat myself to a Dairy Queen. Maybe two.
• Install once, enjoy forever: Keeping with the "one-time" theme, you only have to install the equipment once. Like remodeling your kitchen, you put in the work once, and then you enjoy your work for years after. Except this is way cheaper than remodeling your kitchen and takes less time, and it will save you lots of money!
• Crystal Clear Picture: Did you know?: Cable and Satellite only have so much bandwidth for their hundreds of HD channels, so they compress them like crazy. Ever notice digital artifacts with motion on the screen, especially during sports? Well with over-the-air picture quality, I 100% guarantee it looks clearer than your cable/satellite HD picture. Local stations broadcast their signals in much less-compressed beautiful HD glory. Watch football at my house on Sunday if you don't believe me.

Indoor vs Outdoor TV Antennas
Indoor TV Antenna

• Pros:
• Usually omnidirectional. Great for Urban areas where stations are within 20mi and in many directions.
• No need to hassle with install of outdoor antenna.
• Cons:
• Usually omnidirectional. Bad for more rural areas where stations are >20mi away.
• Need an Antenna for each TV in the house. Could get expensive.
• Need to find an aesthetic spot to place the antenna near each TV (the wife factor).
• May get more/less channels in different rooms depending on room location and distance from stations. This is due to interference of things like metal, ducts, buildings, hills, mountains. (e.g., antenna in the basement may not pick up channels your 2nd floor antenna does)

Outdoor TV Antenna

• Pros:
• Highly directional. Great for more rural areas where stations are >20mi away and in 1 general direction.
• Picks up VHF channels without a hiccup. (These channels' frequencies have longer wavelengths and are easier for longer antennas to pick up from far away)
• One antenna for the entire house. Same channels on every TV.
• Cons:
• Highly directional. Bad for more urban areas where stations are in many directions.
• Installation is a little cumbersome (see Outdoor TV Antenna Installation Fun below).

Determine your Antenna need

Antennaweb.org Street Level Map

On Antennaweb.org or TVFool.com, enter your address, and a report will tell you TV stations you can pick up, what direction they are in, and how far away they are. I prefer Antennaweb: It gives you a simple list of stations, their compass heading, and their distance. Clicking "View Street Level Map" shows your home on a Google Maps overlay with a visual representation of the direction of the stations. As a general rule, if you have many stations within 20mi, you will probably just need omnidirectional Indoor TV Antennas. If you have many stations >20mi away, you will probably need a directional outdoor antenna. You may have stations in many different directions, but pay attention to the ones you care about. For example, if there is a Spanish channel in the opposite direction of the others, maybe it's not a big deal (you can learn Spanish from Rosetta Stone instead).


My Story
Antennaweb.org tells me I am ~30mi away from local stations. They are all in the same general direction. Above info says I should get an outdoor antenna. But I don't listen to myself, I want an indoor antenna to work. I don't want to install an outdoor antenna, I refuse!

Mohu Leaf Indoor TV Antenna

First Attempt: Indoor Antenna - Mohu Leaf
With good reviews from HotDog.com (previously KillTheCableBill.com), I was excited to get this $44 beast from Amazon.com. It is tiny! About the size of a sheet of printer paper and as thin as one, I was amazed. It can be mounted in an out-of-view location, but that's where the amazement stops. Mounted in the location where it received the best signal (by the window), I only picked up a few channels, and they were spotty. Forget about the VHF channels (FOX and NBC). Spotty at best. I didn't even attempt it in the basement, I would maybe get 1 channel at best. However, if you are within 15mi of the stations, this antenna may work pretty well.

RCA ANT1251 Indoor TV Antenna

Second Attempt: Indoor Antenna - RCA ANT1251
I helped my father-in-law kill cable by using this antenna. It works pretty well at ~12mi from the stations. Since it is amplified (plugs into AC power), I thought it would perform better than the Mohu Leaf. I attempted it at my lovely abode for $7 from Amazon.com. Adjusting the dipoles (rabbit-ear VHF receivers) out in front of the TV gave me NBC and FOX pretty well, until I walked in front of it. Also, I had to turn the antenna to make CBS and ABC come in free of digital garbage. Regardless of the need to turn it, this is where the wife factor comes in to play. It's atrocious seeing the dipoles dangling anywhere in the room, very distracting. Once again, I didn't even try this in the basement. Let's not even think about the horrendous results we would get down there, this article isn't about depression.

RCA ANT751 Outdoor TV Antenna

Third and Final Attempt: Outdoor Antenna - RCA ANT751
Alright! I've had it with indoor antennas! Why didn't I just get an outdoor antenna at the beginning and be done with it! AAAAgghhh! Ok, I feel better now. Living 30mi from local stations, I needed an outdoor antenna to save me from the evil cable/satellite monster. For that, I turned to customer reviews and the great review site: TopTenReviews.com. Their Top 10 HDTV Antenna list gave #1 to the RCA ANT751. The 36inch long "compact" RCA ANT751 (Amazon.com for $44 shipped) is awesome! It picks up 19 digital channels. List of what I get: PBS, CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, MNT (29.1), IND (45.1), and a few local weather, music, and movie channels. Basically it picks up everything Antennaweb.org says I can for my area, and a couple more. It is rated for 40mi, but reviewers say it can reach a little further than that. I am very impressed with this antenna's performance and price. Can't say enough amazement it gave me!


Outdoor TV Antenna Installation Fun
Tools needed: compass, level, wrench, wood screws
The RCA ANT751 came with a mast for easy installation on the side of my deck. Had all necessary bolts/nuts, but no wood screws to mount the mast. Pick up 4ea at the hardware store for a buck. I installed it at about 6ft in height pointing ~10deg North. Obviously, the higher the better with as few obstructions as possible (on a roof would probably be best). Just make sure the mast is plumb and the antenna points in the correct direction. I used the cabling existing from my current (for now) satellite dish. The fun happens inside the outdoor cable box. I had to individually figure out what coax line was the antenna, and the rooms. I then needed a $10 3-way coax splitter from Best Buy to provide the antenna signal to each TV in the house simultaneously. (If you can wait a few days for shipping, get a 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, or 8-way coax splitter for less than $6 from MonoPrice.com. Get the smallest one you need, and get a F-Type 75 Ohm terminator [$0.45 on Amazon.com] for each unused port. Terminators eliminate reflections that reduce signal quality caused by unused ports.) The splitter introduced some signal-strength loss (as evidenced by my digital converter box's meter), but my picture and sound remained crisp. If you currently have cable (e.g., Comcast, Charter), you probably already have splitters installed in your outdoor cable box, so just replace where your Cable's coax from the ground is connected with your antenna's coax cable. Remember to run a ground wire from the antenna's body. Lightning strikes would be a terrible way to get a fire.


A Word about Cable Internet
I still have cable internet. You canNOT have antenna signal and cable internet signal on the same coax line. Well almost cannot. Two options here:

1. Easy and Cheap - Choose 1 coax port in the house to be dedicated to cable internet. This is what I did. Connect your Cable's coax cable from the ground near your outdoor cable box to the room of choice's coax cable. Get an F-Type Coupler ($0.49 on MonoPrice.com) to couple the two coax cables together. You cannot use this coax line for antenna signals.
2. More flexible, but more money and see Warning below!! - Allow both antenna and cable internet on any line in the house. Buy a bi-directional combiner (to join antenna and cable internet coax lines) and bi-directional splitter (to amplify and allow 2-way communication) like the $37.50 8-Port Bi-Directional Cable TV HDTV Amplifier Splitter Signal Booster with Passive Return Path on Amazon.com. Remember to terminate unused ports. Then at the TV, you will need a 2-way coax splitter to split to your TV and cable modem. Make sure to call your cable internet provider and have them filter out any TV frequencies, so they don't interfere with your antenna signal. Good explanation at BigPictureBigSound.com. Warning!! Joining antenna and cable internet signals may cause interference that cable companies can sniff. We don't want any Comcast/Charter reps or FCC peeps knocking on our door, so proceed with caution with this one. Better explanation from user "Darkk" in this forum on dslreports.com.

In Part 3, I will setup my Roku 2 boxes and give feedback of my cable/satellite free life. Good luck and enjoy Killing Cable!

Droid Bionic Hulking Extra Battery

Soapbox on Batteries
I'm sorry, this is just a step in the wrong direction. I'm all for a feature-packed device lasting all day, but those features should not come at the cost of needing this hulking attachment of a battery. I have a bulge in my pocket already (from a phone). I don't need it any more clumsy or anchor-like than the Bionic already is. These are supposed to be mobile phones after all...not brick replacements. More innovation should be put into battery management (software efficiencies), not giant battery attachments. It's kinda like a slap in the face. It's Motorola saying, "Hey, we know our huge device has features that suck battery faster than a thirsty voltage-seeking vampire. We're not going to do anything about it except offer you this giant wart that makes it last longer. Oh, you want it for free? Sorry, it will cost you your third born child (they get left out so often)."

Costly Endeavor
Not only the bulge issue, but how much is this battery? Check reviews of the Bionic, it received great reviews, but the cost? Let's not talk about that...........ok let's. It costs $300 on contract through Verizon. Yes, more than you would ever hope to pay for a smart phone. Oh, but it has "awesome" add-on accessories:

• "Laptop" dock - Can use real keyboard, trackpad, and good size screen to toodle around your phone. However, it does not support real PC applications at $300 more. I don't think you heard me, $300 more!  Do people realize they can spend less than $400 to get a good laptop from Newegg.com that does infinitely more and has better battery life?
• HD Station dock - Hook it up to a TV and charge the phone for $100...OR how about buying a $5 micro-HDMI cable from Monoprice.com?
• Webtop adapter - For $30, hook your phone up to an external monitor. Once again, why not just get a $5 micro-HDMI cable?

Every once in awhile I need to get something off my chest...in this case it's an entire battery brick.  
What gripes do you have with today's tech?

Kill the Cable Bill

If there's one thing I hate, it's paying for cable. Is $95 a month worth it to see a show live or flip through 100's of channels I never watch? I found this great site HotDog.com (previously KillTheCableBill.com) to help me through the process, and I pass the love on to you.

Cable's Evil Cons

• Expensive:  $95 a month? Ouch. Oh yes, you can go to your local cable company and get a 6 month deal for $30. Seriously, only 6 months?! Then after the 6 months the bill skyrockets to $95 anyway, and you're getting less service than you had before.
• Bad Weather:  Having Dish Network satellite service, service is disrupted when it rains or a tiny cloud fills the sky. That's when I need TV the most! What's the weather? Ok, I'll break out the laptop or smart phone instead. When weather is crummy, it's great to curl up on the couch and watch ye olde telly. Satellite wants those wishes to be gone with a cloud.

Cable Alternatives
In my research, the following services connect a 1-2-3 punch in eliminating cable forever:

• Netflix:  With thousands of commercial-free movies and TV shows available to stream over your high-speed internet for $7.99/month, a great interface, and tons of Netflix-capable devices, Netflix rocks.
• Hulu-Plus:  Another stream-over-high-speed internet service, Hulu-Plus takes care of newer TV shows that Netflix doesn't offer (often next day after original air) for $7.99/month.
• Over-the-air broadcast:  Get a decent antenna and mash it into the RF port on your TV for your local channels. This depends on how close you are to local stations' antennae. Unfortunately, I would need a large directional rooftop antenna with pre-amp to get local channels. However, it seems many have found luck with the $44 Leaf Indoor Antenna, so I may try that.   UPDATE 9/12/11: Living 30mi from local stations, the 36" long RCA ANT751 (Amazon.com for $44 shipped) picks up 19 digital channels. List of what I get: PBS, CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, MNT (29.1), IND (45.1), and a few local weather, music, and movie channels. Big advantages of an outdoor antenna: A) Uses your existing cable line in the house, B) Only need 1 antenna for all TVs in the house (just connect TV to wall coax jack).

RCA ANT751 Digital TV Antenna

The Streamers
These internet-streaming devices will deliver Netflix and Hulu-Plus to your TV, and then some:

• Roku 2:  Just released, this impressive ($59, $79 or $99) tiny box (3"x3") has many apps to cover all your movie/TV show/music/news/weather needs. Has a large array of support for 100's of apps including: Netflix, Hulu-Plus, Amazon Instant Video, CNET, Pandora, MLB.TV, Crackle, and FOXNews.com. Also has the unique ability to play simple games like Angry Birds.
• Apple TV:  Rent movies and TV shows through iTunes and Netflix. A killer feature of the $98 shipped Apple TV is using AirPlay to stream photos/video/music from your iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad to your HDTV. It also sports the ability to use your iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad) as a remote for your iTunes videos/music/photos on your PC. You can Jailbreak the Apple TV to allow playback of non-supported audio/video formats and install XBMC. XBMC supports more internet radio channels, Hulu-Plus, and other apps in a nice interface.
• Google TV:  The $199 (UPDATE: now $99) Logitech Revue is among the geekier boxes. It's loftier goal is to integrate the web with cable. With Dish Network, you can search shows and web content alike, including YouTube videos and searching Google.com. Not sure this is exactly our best alternative. I like the integration, but the goal is to have no cable! The Revue has apps like the above boxes, but it has been described as much more complicated to use. We want our brains off when using TV.
• Boxee Box:  Purchase a Boxee Box for $199 or install the app on your Home Theater PC (HTPC). Boxee has a great remote smart phone app. I may try to install Boxee on my laptop just to try it as an alternative. Not sure I want to spend $199 for a new box, especially when I have 2-3 TVs in the home to consider.
• PlayStation 3:   Besides being an excellent HD video game system and the best Blu-Ray/DVD player, the PS3 offers Hulu-Plus, MLB.TV, and Netflix support. You can also stream most formats of video from your PC's local library. PlayTV is available to turn your PS3 into an over-the-air DVR (limited to the size of the hard drive in your PS3). Not sure on the price of this, but seems useful. PS3 has many bundles available at $299. 
• XBOX 360:  Another great HD video game system with good stream-from-your-PC abilities for around $199. XBOX also offers Netflix and Hulu-Plus support, although not as polished as the PS3 versions. Also, you must be an XBOX Live Gold member for $60/year to use them. This usually isn't an issue, as most XBOX360 owners are XBOX Live members already.

Why keep cable?

• The hassle:  You don't want to deal with buying a separate little box for every room and set each one up. However, I can guarantee after setting one up, the others will be much simpler and quicker to setup.
• You are comfortable:  Paying for cable each month is easier than setting up all those silly boxes and antenna(s).
• DVR:  It is so convenient to have a DVR organize all of your recorded shows and keep/delete them as desired. However, at my home this is limited to only two TVs (only one of which is HD). Really, who actually re-watches their shows? Similar to purchasing a DVD/Blu-Ray disc, how many times do you re-watch a movie?
• Flipping channels:  If you love to surf channels to find something live that piques your interest, you may want to keep the cable. Internet streaming is much more of a "let's search for a show and start playing it now" service. On the other hand, instead of channel flipping, maybe this will simply force you to find something else to do.
• I need to see it now!:  If you simply can't wait to see your show and need to see it the second it airs, then internet streaming TV is not for you.
• Could get expensive:  Depending on the amount of channels you watch, all those sports, movie, and TV show packages could end up costing more than your current bill. Also, depending on how many rooms have a TV, you need to get a box and antenna for each one. However, getting the boxes is only a one-time purchase.

My Take
Since I have iPhones already in the household, the $98 shipped Apple TV seems like a no-brainer. Sharing music, photos, and videos via Air Play is such a great feature. Along with using the iPhone as a remote for music and video playing on the home's main stereo makes it hard to pass up. Jailbreaking the Apple TV to get XBMC is the icing on the cake. iTunes also offers many show rentals.


If you don't have iOS devices, I think the clear winner of the above is the Roku 2 XS. At $99, it has the best interface and most diversity in apps.

What's Next?
Of the above, I currently own a PS3. Netflix is running flawlessly on it. I may attempt a 1-week Hulu-Plus trial on it and install Boxee on my laptop to attempt the down-with-cable way of life. Seeing how that goes, I may purchase an Apple TV and/or Roku 2 XS to complement each other and kill the cable bill forever.

UPDATE:  Use your student .edu email address and get a 1-month trial of Hulu-Plus free!

What are your "kill the cable bill" secrets?

Link to Kill Cable Part 2: Adventures in TV Antennas 

Hand-held 3D - 2011's Fad or Here to stay?

3D is here...in all its gimmicky glory. Here are a few new 3D devices that have a parallax barrier screen to display 2 separate images (1 to each eye) to generate a stereoscopic 3D image:

Nintendo 3DS

The first hand-held console to support 3D sans glasses. I must admit that I would want this system just to replay my all-time favorite game in stereoscopic 3D (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), but I'm just not sure the system is worth $250.

Sharp Aquos Phone SHI12

Just announced on Engadget.com, this phone will feature dual cameras for stereoscopic 3D picture taking and presumably 3D HD video capture. Also presumably, you will be able to play these back in 3D sans glasses right on the phone.

HTC EVO 3D Phone

This phone is 2011's version of the 2010 EVO 4G. It has an upgraded display, dual core processor, and the ability to shoot and playback 3D pics and video sans glasses.

LG Optimus 3D Phone

LG aims to capture and playback 3D photos and videos, as well with their Optimus 3D phone.

I originally heard of these 3D devices and thought, "Cool!" Now I'm not so sure, wondering if it has the same lasting appeal as that lighter or brostache app you showed to your buddies when you got your first "smart" phone (see video below). 3D is a neat trick, but part of me wonders about the headaches induced, and some people have troubles seeing 3D. Regardless, 3D is here now, and it's up to consumers and their wallets to decide how long it stays.

What do you think, is 3D here to stay?