Phone, Tablet and Gizmo Thread #0x02

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2013 12:10

Mortullah's next in-flight timekeeping piece

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Mar 2013 14:45

samsung is going to release a big tizen phone this yr. critics allege tizen is a khichri of meego and every other commercially failed OS in the world.

but maybe if they can make android irrelevant and have their own tizen play store thats where they are headed.

the weaker players like LG and HTC will still use android for sure.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 19 Mar 2013 17:31

Raja Bose wrote:^^^Benchmark is all fine and good but does it translate to buttery smooth UX or is it still the herky-jerky TouchWiz. My GSIIIs stutter quite a bit every now and then - feels like I am back in S60v3 land.

If you delete all the sandwich pr0n from it, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 19 Mar 2013 17:40

Singha wrote:is the VU tv brand active in usa?
seems to be of same manner as Vizio?

No VU tv brand is in desh as far as I can tell. If you take one apart (or talk to a repair man), you can find out who made the panel.

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 19 Mar 2013 18:26

Singha wrote:is the VU tv brand active in usa?
seems to be of same manner as Vizio?

it's run by Devita Saraf, daughter of Raj Saraf of Zenith Computers. She uses panels from Chi Mei and AUO of Taiwan.

habal · Post by **habal** » 19 Mar 2013 19:14

Mort Walker wrote:No VU tv brand is in desh as far as I can tell.

It's available.

small bathroom waterproof LCDs and some boutique models consist their range in India.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Mar 2013 20:18

its there in Croma among other places...TVs not small models.

http://www.cromaretail.com/VU-LC40V86P- ... 0-738.aspx
http://www.flipkart.com/tvs-audio-video ... &cid=20014

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2013 21:01

Mort Walker wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:^^^Benchmark is all fine and good but does it translate to buttery smooth UX or is it still the herky-jerky TouchWiz. My GSIIIs stutter quite a bit every now and then - feels like I am back in S60v3 land.
If you delete all the sandwich pr0n from it, I'm sure it'll be fine.

You mean Sammy Android phones are all very dharmic onlee and jerk off to sandwich pr0n whereas iOS/WP phones don't?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 19 Mar 2013 21:18

I should have put in a comma. No VU brand is in the US.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2013 21:57

Disconnect: Why Andy Rubin and Android called it quits

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Mar 2013 22:13

the kind of camera and tech used in sports/wildlife photography is growing amazing. here is a film of killian jornet a champion x-country racer,but look at the complex UAV used to photo his run up the mountain from various +ve psyops angles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyy735BRang&sns=em

our drdo missile launches and general media dept could use a huge TOT and revamp...
http://www.gizmag.com/hexakopter-microcopter-uav/14290/
http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 19 Mar 2013 23:57

Raja Bose wrote:You mean Sammy Android phones are all very dharmic onlee and jerk off to sandwich pr0n whereas iOS/WP phones don't?

That's the beauty of Android. You can install what you want to, knowing full well there are risks. This is in stark contrast to what bawarchi wants you to have or uncle fester.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 00:00

Raja Bose wrote:Disconnect: Why Andy Rubin and Android called it quits

Well, they had good things to say about Sundar Pichai. What worries me is if he is the fellow that pushed that Pixel Chromebook?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 00:01

Might as well at this time call it Samdroid instead of Android.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 01:56

Mort Walker wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:You mean Sammy Android phones are all very dharmic onlee and jerk off to sandwich pr0n whereas iOS/WP phones don't?
That's the beauty of Android. You can install what you want to, knowing full well there are risks. This is in stark contrast to what bawarchi wants you to have or uncle fester.

You pay for it with malware and less than optimal UX (just like Symbian). There are good and bad in both cases. Most folks probably prefer curated experiences on mobile which are still restricted-use devices in some sense. In the end it all comes down to whether they want to tinker with their device (freedom of choice) or they want it to just work (freedom from choice).

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 01:58

Mort Walker wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:Disconnect: Why Andy Rubin and Android called it quits
Well, they had good things to say about Sundar Pichai. What worries me is if he is the fellow that pushed that Pixel Chromebook?

He probably signed off on it but I doubt he is a hardcore HW products guy in the Mahdi mould. The Pixel has all the paw prints of the ex-Kin/NexusQ/Danger crowd.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 20 Mar 2013 02:22

Chromebook is probably going to find itself in every "Biggest tech flops of the year" list there is.

According to Pichai maharaj, "Google engineers set out on the 'labor of love' project two years ago, asking themselves, 'What could we do if we really wanted to design the best computer possible at the best price possible?".

And after asking that, they came up with a Laptop running Chrome OS, with 32GB SSD and priced at $1299.

They must have been smoking the choicest Afghan herps I tell you.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 20 Mar 2013 02:30

Mean-e-while,
BlackBerry CEO: Apple’s iPhone is outdated

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 03:08

Raja Bose wrote:You pay for it with malware and less than optimal UX (just like Symbian). There are good and bad in both cases. Most folks probably prefer curated experiences on mobile which are still restricted-use devices in some sense. In the end it all comes down to whether they want to tinker with their device (freedom of choice) or they want it to just work (freedom from choice).

That's why I use OS X instead of Windows - much less malware. Curated experience is code word for control of your device - many people don't want those grid of icons or the Life Tiles on their home screen. They want it to show what information is relevant to them. Since Android 4.0 you have both freedom of choice and just want it to work.

James B · Post by **James B** » 20 Mar 2013 03:23

The iWatch As Snap Bracelet? Apple Just Got The Patent.

One of the most futuristic of iWatch concepts just got a dose of validation from the patent office. Both Apple Insider and Patently Apple reported this morning on a patent application that was just published for a “an advanced wearable computer in the form of a bracelet that could double as a watch.” With this device’s multitouch display, users “can accomplish a number of different tasks including adjusting the order of a current playlist, or reviewing a list of recent phone calls. A response to a current text message can even be managed given a simple virtual keyboard configuration across the face of the flexible display.”

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 03:33

^^^I can see it now, walking down the street nanga wearing nothing but Chacha chasma, iWatch, and Chacha joota.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 03:44

Mort Walker wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:You pay for it with malware and less than optimal UX (just like Symbian). There are good and bad in both cases. Most folks probably prefer curated experiences on mobile which are still restricted-use devices in some sense. In the end it all comes down to whether they want to tinker with their device (freedom of choice) or they want it to just work (freedom from choice).
That's why I use OS X instead of Windows - much less malware.

That will always be the dial-e-amma of the top dog OS platform in every device category where there is even a slight requirement of side loading apps. After all malware writers need to prioritize too. BTW I thought you claimed you use Windoze on a Mac.

Mort Walker wrote: Since Android 4.0 you have both freedom of choice and just want it to work.

Nope, it doesn't. Not yet.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 06:26

^^^I do use Windows because it is a necessary evil, but preference is OS X.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 06:32

One thing I don't like about OS X is the app bar/task bar at the bottom - it is confusing as hell to me. When it comes to quick access to launching apps or switching apps, I am no fan of the tile part of the metro desktop but I find the OS X one worse. Same goes for the Unity desktop - when I install a new version of Ubuntu now, 1st thing I do is remove Unity.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 06:36

^^^Then move the task bar to the left or right side. Dock --> Position Left/Bottom/Right. This is sort of like Windows 8 users complaining of no Start button.
If a high-school duffer like me can do it, a PeeChadi certainly can.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 06:40

The problem I have is not with the orientation but with the organization of the OS X task bar - that is not intuitive. Docking left/right would mean it will just start looking like the Unity task bar which is the worst of the lot. Mickey would reduce user anguish by 50% if they just put the start button back as a tile up front left. Clicking the start button should just bring up the list view of apps. The app search is pretty nice and all but it requires me to remember the app name to even start searching, sometimes it easier to scan and identify by icon.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 06:46

Mort Walker wrote:If a high-school duffer like me can do it, a PeeChadi certainly can.

That is exactly the reason why in mobile, Fruit Co typically gets customers who remain loyal and other so-called tech/engineering centric companies are left wondering HTH they do that while getting away with selling inferior HW. The fundamental premise which drives good UX is that users should not be encumbered needlessly. It doesn't matter they are illiterate or have pee-chaddi in technology strategy, becoz users have better things to do with their time than being forced to learn the quirks of some stupid electronic device and trying to satisfy its whims. Taking care of these things leads to making crap which people aspire to buy (iPhunwa) vs what people are constrained to buy (other smart phunwas).

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 20 Mar 2013 06:55

The App bar in OSX is not that big a deal to get used to. I use windows, OSX, Linux (yes with Unity) on a regular basis and have no trouble. The real appeal of my macbook pro is the keyboard, the trackpad and trackpad gestures. Window switching, desktop switching is all a real charm. Out of the box, it is fantastically usable.

However that is also OSX greatest weakness. You cannot alter behavior. Coming from Linux I have become accustomed to multiple desktop and switching between windows in the current workspace. For example, in one workspace I would have terminal and emacs and rapidly switch between then for compilation and coding. In a different workspace, I would have my email open. Alt-tabbing in my "Work" workspace would never bring up my email, helping me focus.

The &*(@&! people at FruitCo decided it is a great idea to switch between windows in all workspaces and if you choose a window in a different workspace, it would switch to that window and that workspace! And there is *no* way to alter this behavior! It irritates me to no end.

99% of the time OSX is a joy to use, but 1% of the time, I rub against "my way or the highway" attitude of Mahdi.

Raja Bose wrote:That is exactly the reason why in mobile, Fruit Co typically gets customers who remain loyal and other so-called tech/engineering centric companies are left wondering HTH they do that while getting away with selling inferior HW.

Define "inferior HW". My 3 year old Macbook pro is built like a tank and is still in one piece. My lenovo on the other hand (reputed to be sturdy) had plastic pieces falling off after 1 year. Yes Macbooks are pricey, but similarly built laptops from other companies are in the same price range. The ones that are cheaper have very bad construction and/or random parts thrown together so you end up with strange freezes and crashes. Viewing angles would suck or battery would be 4 cell.

The "inferior HW" was a meme people used to beat fruitco with when it was using PowerPC. After the intel shift it is no longer the case.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 07:00

I love the KB of the MBP, the trackpad is good but the trackpad button is crap. God knows who they source it from. I typically have ~16 windows open which is where something like the OS X bar or Unity just fails like NLI in Kargil.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 20 Mar 2013 07:04

Anujan wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:That is exactly the reason why in mobile, Fruit Co typically gets customers who remain loyal and other so-called tech/engineering centric companies are left wondering HTH they do that while getting away with selling inferior HW.
Define "inferior HW".

I was referring to mobile there.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 20 Mar 2013 07:09

Talking about OS X, how many of you are still clutching onto Snow Leopard ? That's what's on my 2010 15" MBP, and after seeing Loin and Mountain Loin, I shivered violently in my dhoti and continued clutching onto 10.6 . Agree completely regarding MBP construction - it's built like a tank. All I did were two upgrades - 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD to replace the original HDD. Runs as smooth and fast today as it did on day 1.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 20 Mar 2013 07:22

Even in mobile they dont sell inferior HW!

Their bodies are built like a tank, the finish fit and tolerance is really like a high-end watch (like they claim in their ad), their screens have the best viewing angles and color gamut, their touch screen has the best (if not among the best) precision. Yes you can go by clock speed of the processors, but their GPU in iPhone 5 was better than SGIII and it is little known (and appreciated) that the processor--memory bandwidth is the highest of any phone and so is flash read/write speed.

You can argue that they dont have 8 cores like SG4, but that is just a different tradeoff you get for a not so good screen, plastic body, slower flash and lesser processor---memory bandwidth. Atleast the GPU is a step up now.

The appeal of android is the choice, in features and pricepoints. SHQ uses a phone with a smaller screen, my beefy hands need a bigger screen and my visually impaired officemate uses one with a slide out keyboard. The biggest downside of FruitCo is again "my way or highway" and "one size fits all" approach. I have no complaints about the UX or Hardware quality.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 20 Mar 2013 07:32

Suraj wrote:Talking about OS X, how many of you are still clutching onto Snow Leopard ? That's what's on my 2010 15" MBP, and after seeing Loin and Mountain Loin, I shivered violently in my dhoti and continued clutching onto 10.6 . Agree completely regarding MBP construction - it's built like a tank. All I did were two upgrades - 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD to replace the original HDD. Runs as smooth and fast today as it did on day 1.

I write this post on a machine running OS X 10.6.8.

rahul_r · Post by **rahul_r** » 20 Mar 2013 08:01

Re-posting the below from a few pages back since we are on the topic of the macbook pro

rahul_r wrote:My Macbook Pro's battery finally gave away 5 years after I bought it (still last for a good 45 mins without being plugged in). Gotta say, these things are built to last.....have dropped it multiple times, scratched and dented all over, but still works like a charm. Am sure I can make it last another 5 years once I upgrade to a SSD later this year.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 20 Mar 2013 08:02

That OS X task bar confuses me as well. I can never easily figure out which applications are running and which aren't unlike in Win 7 where the square around the icon lets you know. I guess it's just a question of getting used to it. I'm used to the classic Windows UI so much, even Win 8 feels like a pain in the musharraf. I also tend to use the Home/End keys a lot while typing (especially while coding) and don't like the fact that you need to use a key combination to achieve the same effect in Macbook keyboard since the Mahdi doesn't provide Home/End buttons.

I really wish there was a desktop/non-touch laptop version of Win 8 with all the performance improvements (especially boot-time) but which provided the Win 7 UI with start button instead of swipe gestures and gimmicks which only serve to annoy you.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Mar 2013 08:04

I really wish there was a desktop/non-touch laptop version of Win 8 with all the performance improvements (especially boot-time) but which provided the Win 7 UI with start button and no swipe gestures and gimmicks which only serve to annoy you.

> all the big vendors are asking MSFT for that.

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 20 Mar 2013 08:05

Singha wrote:the kind of camera and tech used in sports/wildlife photography is growing amazing. here is a film of killian jornet a champion x-country racer,but look at the complex UAV used to photo his run up the mountain from various +ve psyops angles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyy735BRang&sns=em

our drdo missile launches and general media dept could use a huge TOT and revamp...
http://www.gizmag.com/hexakopter-microcopter-uav/14290/
http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

Not to mention expensive! The Canon 1DX is 6.7K and the long lenses they use cost damn near $10k!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Mar 2013 08:11

dassault probably charges more than that for small M2K spare parts. we can afford such kit ...

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 20 Mar 2013 08:17

Oh yes. They can get HD ultra slo-mo cameras and send out all that footage for PR. Would def wow people.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 20 Mar 2013 09:10

plus the sound...the real crackling sound of missiles and aircraft is pretty good.