Rants

I’m on the fence, and Simmons… that’s a squirrel. Part I

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I’m currently eligable for an upgrade on AT&T and have no clue what I’m going to be getting (but if anyone says iPhone you are immediately disqualified from conversation.)  I tend to do a lot of research in deciding my phone of choice and realized that not everyone does or even knows how.  Over the next few months I plan on posting up all my research for two reasons.  One, because I’ll learn quite a bit about some newer handsets coming to AT&T’s market and two, because I want to know what you guys think.  Fact is that without people to read this stuff then I wouldn’t be here, which kind of means I work for you.  We’ve got a good Windows Mobile base of writers here with a few oddballs.  Simmons is on the Android train drinking all the Google kool-aid he can get his hands on, and Ramon is rocking the Blackberry.  If you readers feel like some area of mobile news is not getting addressed properly by our articles then now is the time to say so.  Whatever phone I get will obviously effect the apps, UI’s, articles, etc, that get posted here.  Now I’m not leaving this completely up to the masses but I intend to do a good bit of listening as well.  Read more for the ground rules.

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Dolby Surround Sound on phones… really?

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I work around a lot of bad ass audio products at Best Buy.  This has the effect of giving me quite of bit of skepticism toward products with “simulated surround sound.”  For the uninitiated, Simulated surround sound is based off the idea that sound waves coming from different directions are changed by the shape of our ear and the waves path into it.  By placing a microphone inside a model of human ear, researchers are able to measure what changes are made by the shape of our ear and create those changes at the speaker or headphone and “tricking” the brain into believing it has come from a particular direction.  This has obvious unintended consequences when the sound wave travels through the ear “again” and is changed a second time creating wholly unnatural sounds that don’t trick your brain into crap.  It does have some advantages, but for most it just doesn’t matter.

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Engadget is pissing me off all over the place.

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I read a lot of news.  I read an abnormal amount of mobile phone news specifically.  Kind of how I started writing here in the first place.  Everyone who reads news online usually has a handful of sites they use for reliable and up to date news.  My morning reportoire includes MobilityDigest.com, WMPoweruser,  and Engadget.  Engadget is by far the largest of these sites (backed and owned by AOL/Time Warner) so they typically have the biggest news leaks out of the three.  I usually follow their Mobile World Congess coverage and other major press events.  None of this bothers me.  What does bother me is the enormous ground-dragging brass balls those guys must have to present themselves as a total mobile news source with this kind of obvious app prejudice.  

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Ford Announces Sync AppLink – WTF MS?

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So today Ford announced SYNC AppLink which will launch on the 2011 Ford Fiesta. here are parts of the press release so you know what this is and how they describe it (to properly set up my rant:)): Ford will first offer SYNC® AppLink, a downloadable software program, on the 2011 Fiesta, allowing owners to … Read more

Windows Phone Fragmentation Under Way

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Windows Mobile got a facelift and was rebranded as Windows Phone. And then Windows Phone 7 Series was renamed to Windows Phone 7. All of this rebranding has not ended the fragmentation of Windows Phone. See, that little word ‘Series’ was dropped but it unfortunately is applicable. There are currently 3 distinct lines of Windows … Read more

Android Loses

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Seems like the iPhone HD (HVGA resolution times 4 whatever that’s called – 960×480) comes out this summer and launches on Verizon. The result? Android takes a hit. Look at the phones VZ is currently offering. They have nothing. That’s the only reason Android is doing well. WM is in a holding pattern. Palm is … Read more

Cell Phones for a Unix-head, part 1

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*** Warning: I rip quite a few companies a new one in this blog post, due to this post’s content, I recommend that no one reads it ****

I’ll be honest, I hate telephones.  I cannot begin to express my loathing of speaking on the telephone and immediate disdain for anyone wishing to speak via phone for a non-critical issue requiring response when IM, Text, and email are perfectly available.  In-person meetings are even worse, but that’s another story.

By trade, I’m a server administrator and software engineer, and I’m a big time UNIX-head.  The core philosophy of “Keep it simple, stupid” seems to run counter to everything mobile in nature, especially smartphones.  But alas, I need something that will sync to an Exchange server (multiple actually, albeit I could be wishing for a gravy-train never come there), and preferably link up against my Astaro ISG at home.

Unfortunately the iPhone fits the bill.  None of the Androids work 3G on AT&T’s network (thank you guys, can’t tell you how much I appreciate you idiots deciding to pull an Apple and be the only kid on the block with a puke-green turtleneck), and I’m tired of Windows Mobile.  This leaves Blackberries, which get canceled out by the insane costs involved (and the fact that the Enterprise Server at work is for managers only), and the iPhone.

Fortunately, I can use the iPhone to link up against my Astaro box, it has an SSH client, and every little app on planet earth that every idiot who thinks he can half-program made in order to get rich quick only to realize reality late one night before grabbing a bottle of booze and going back to web design.

There’s more so keep reading after the break!

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