Tag results for tech

Wow it's been a while since I've been on here huh?  Sometime after I got back from my trip to Europe I went into full work mode, concentrating on paying off some bills before the New Year.  Next thing I know it's 2012 and now it's February.  I've been fortunate enough to keep myself very busy the last few months, writing up a storm over at Autoguide.com while working on multiple website projects.  A couple of the sites are set to go live before the end of this month, while two of the bigger projects will be done in a couple of months or so.  I'll be sure to post up who they are as soon as I can make them public.

So I'll admit, I've been pretty disappointed that iOS users have been getting a collection of great Square Enix ports including Secret of Mana while Android hasn't really gotten any love from Square Enix. But today, Emily over at Square Enix, shared the word that Imaginary Range was out for Android and I got excited.  Imaginary Range is an interesting blend of comic reading with action-RPG elements.  Essentially you're reading a comic book, but interacting with the events unfolding through mini-games.  It's a pretty neat concept and perfect type of game for the phone.  I haven't spent much time in it yet, but the illustrations are a delight to look at and overall the app is very polished.  I'll share some impressions once I actually play through it some today.

But for those interested, you can grab Imaginary Range on the Android Market now.  It is free, a 44-meg download ... and one complaint, there's no app2sd - which is strange for something this large.  But Square Enix has said that they'll be providing updates to the apps including new chapters to the comic, so hopefully app2sd is coming.

I've been meaning to post up about this topic for quite some time now but haven't really had a chance to really sit down and put my thoughts into words.  This all changed when I saw the demo of Windows 8, and as cool as it all was, it really dawned on me: computing as some of us know it is regressing.  It spawned some conversations with some of my nerdier friends and it's really a scary thought what Apple has done to the world of computing all on its own.  And before any of you start rolling your eyes and think I'm an Apple hater - I'm not.  I love what Apple has done to the world of technology and how they have really found a way to put technology into the hands of the everyday user.  What completely blows my mind is the possibility of what our next generation of "nerds" are going to really be, if they'll even exist at all.

The Days of Bulletin Board Services (BBS)

So this is where it all begins, my tirade on what technology is these days and how computing is about to take a really weird turn backwards.  When I first started using computers, they weren't exactly cheap.  Now I'm going to skip over the idea of the Apple IIGS, which I used, and just jump straight into the generation of PCs and the world of MS-DOS.  We're talking computers with 4MB of RAM, a 320MB hard drive and a 25MHz processor.  For many of us, growing up with computers meant learning how to use a keyboard and command prompts.  The thought of multi-tasking didn't even exist.  In the world of DOS, you ran one program at a time and that was it.  The idea of having or using a mouse wasn't even around yet and everything revolved around a black screen with white text.  Going online back then revolved around local bulletin board services on which you'd just dial-up with your awesome 2400 baud modem (14.4k if you were really high-tech) and enjoying Teleconference with random people within the same county as you.  It was revolutionary back then, but it was limiting in the way that you were doing one thing at a time and one thing only.  Wanted to type up a paper?  That was all you could do.

BBS' were very interesting back then and almost seemed like an underground cult of hardcore techies and nerds that wanted to communicate online.  File sharing was born through File Libraries and discussion forums were alive and well.  Once Doom2 found its way online and people were able to play with one another, it opened up the doors to online gaming.  We're talking four players max without the ability to jump or aim up or down.  Some would say that was the good 'ol days, but the truth was, you had to learn your way around a computer in order to really get the most use out of it.

So in short, those using computers back then learned a lot more than they probably had to just to find their way around.  It was probably a daunting task, and really not anything inviting, to learn how to use a computer.  Then everything just fast forwarded at some exponential speed once Windows was introduced.  I still remember the first time I ever got a mouse as a present and installed Windows 3.1.  I hated it - I hated the idea of having to use a mouse to get around folders and access files and whatever.  I loved how simplistic, yet powerful, DOS was but I knew Windows was the brilliant way to go because of one thing and one thing only: multi-tasking.  Yeah, you can sit there and argue that its awesome user-friendly interface is what brought general computer to the masses, but it was the idea of being able to do more than one thing at a time that turned the computing world upside-down.

So Where am I Going With This?

Fast forward to when Apple introduces the iPhone.  Now back then I didn't pay much attention to the smartphone market at all.  I used a Sidekick II (which became a III and then an LX) and I loved it.  I loved the ability to have a constant connection to AIM, MSN, Email and ease of texting no matter where I was.  Hell, the browser back then was pretty damn awesome in my opinion.  But I also never cared to use a Blackberry or touched Windows Mobile.  The Sidekick was what I needed to function day-to-day and to work remotely the way I did.  When the iPhone was introduced, I knew it was going to be an awesome piece of technology.  It was a push forward for the world of smartphones with an easy-to-use touch interface and the ability to do literally everything you could have ever imagined on a phone.  Then the world of applications started and next thing you knew, Apple and AT&T was rolling around with a lot of money.  But that's what the iPhone did - it changed the world of smartphones and it was the logical next step towards evolution in that market.  It brought Google's Android and made RIM and Microsoft change how they perceived the smartphone market.  They all changed their mobile operating systems to make more sense, be user-friendly and full of rich functionality.

I never cased to get an iPhone simply because it never had a QWERTY keyboard attached to it.  Truth be told, I never really sat down and played with one; I just knew that I couldn't survive without a QWERTY keyboard and that still holds true today.  Maybe it's because I was so keyboard-oriented growing up, but the idea of using an onscreen keyboard and only an onscreen keyboard irks me.  I just can't get things done as quickly as I would like, and I constantly get annoyed when I can't get things done quickly.  So a QWERTY was a must have for me while everyone else was enjoying the robust and wonderful world of smartphone applications.

Then the G1 came out and I made the switch to Android and noticed how wonderful the world of smartphones were.  I knew I couldn't ever go backwards - and one could argue I did when I switched to an HTC Touch Pro 2 and Windows Mobile - but regardless, smartphones were powerful and becoming even more so and that was one part of technology that I really really loved.  I loved the fact that people that knew literally nothing about technology were able to navigate their way around an iPhone.  It was simple, easy-to-use, intuitive and anyone willing to learn could learn quickly just how versatile and friendly an iPhone was.  That was great.

Read the rest of this after the break.

The keyboard folio case that I have anxiously been waiting for has finally arrived.  The good 'ol FedEX man dropped it off today and I was excited to strap my Xoom into it.  I haven't had time to play around with the thing too much yet (it's on the charger now) but I do have enough to throw together some initial impressions for those wondering what and how the unit is like.

It's a leather (I'm guessing) case that seems to be fairly high quality.  I'm not a huge expert in leather crafting but I have no complaints about the quality of the product just by handling and looking at it.  It uses a magnetic clasp on the outside and two button clasps for the strap which also plays double duty to perk up the Xoom for display purposes.  The fit was a little tight - the case has a "safety clasp" on the left side (which is essentially just another two button clasps) to snap down the Xoom.  You insert it from the left, push it all the way to the right and then fight with the safety clasp to get it locked down.  Unfortunately I have some bulges (in the photos) on the left and right side.  I'm hoping it goes away with time, but it's such a minor annoyance right now, we'll see if it stays that way.  I'm not sure if this is an issue with all the cases or just mine, I haven't heard from anyone else that has received theirs yet.

The keyboard case comes with its own micro USB charger.  It has an on/off switch and a sync button, so it is its own power source and does not supply additional power to the Xoom unit itself.  There's no sort of connections between the Xoom and the keyboard - hence being Bluetooth - so install is really just shoving the Xoom into the top case area and fighting with the two button clasp.

The keyboard itself is obviously cramped and takes a bit getting used to.  I was already hitting the home key instead of the ' or backspace key several times.  There are a ton of Android specific function keys, which is nice, though I'm a little perplexed as to why there's a Messaging key when there's no Messaging app on the Xoom.  Yes, pushing it does absolutely nothing.  I'm hoping there is a way to remap the keys to something more convenient.

My only major complaint as of right now is that there is only one viewing angle with this case.  It's not a huge deal, but it would've been nice to have a couple more.  It does certainly add some bulk to the entire thing, which almost defeats the purpose of a tablet for some.  Weight however is not a major issue as the case and keyboard itself is pretty negligible.  I don't have access to a scale but I can say it's not a deal breaker.  The overall thickness though is thicker than my Lenovo X200, which I guess at the end of the day is a bit ironic.  But hey, I bought a tablet for the convenience of a touchscreen and Android OS and I personally love the idea of pairing it up with a physical keyboard.  Is it a laptop replacement?  Surely not.  But there's usages for each and now the Xoom just has more possibilities of being my email replying device or even my blogging device, further limiting what I'll actually use my laptop for.  Wait, what do I use my laptop for now?

Yes this entire post was written on the Xoom.  Hurrah!

I've been dying for a keyboard folio case for the Xoom and ever since someone over at XDA forums posted about it late April I've been keeping my eye on the post for some good news.  Well it came today and figured I'd post up about it for those that aren't aware of the XDA post.  This is the official Motorola Xoom keyboard folio case which includes a built-in Bluetooth keyboard in what looks to be a leather folio case.

Every time I motivate myself to write something on this site, my ADD kicks in and I start browsing other sites and next thing I know I'm too tired or too lazy to do anything or write anything.  But everything is finally settling down and I'm able to refocus on finding some leisure time to hopefully do some writing.  Lots of awesome games to talk about including L.A. Noire and Portal 2, neither of which I've been able to spend a whole lot of time playing.  But hey hopefully I'll turn the corner and start writing some stuff again for fun.  As of now I'm researching for something to replace my Lenovo X200 with.  Macbook Air or Samsung Series 9? 

I'm currently sitting on an Airbus A321, US Airways flight to Orlando from Phoenix and enjoying WiFi for the first time in my life.  It cost $12.95 and it is quite possibly the best $12.95 I've ever spent.  I was able to throw up two news posts for Autoguide.com, ordered a Motorola XOOM and saved $200.00 bucks - use coupon code OCNNSB25 (thanks OchoChinco!), may still work - and logged into Rift to secure my character name and even got a couple of levels. I'm pleasantly surprised just how smooth and quick the WiFi is up here and how stable it is.  I don't think I've really dropped connection yet and I can't wait until WiFi is more readily available across all sorts of flights... and hopefully one day be available for free.  It sure as hell makes flying a whole lot less painful.

Will be posting this week/weekend my thoughts on Rift's head start.  I'll be back in Orange County, CA on Monday and hopefully my XOOM will be there waiting for me so that I can post up some impressions from that.

edit: Code no longer works for Xoom itself, but still works for accessories.