Phone, Tablet and Gizmo Thread #0x02

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 26 Dec 2012 04:38

Marten wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:umm.....there is nothing called the iPad 4 unless Marten mullah, joo are special friend of bawarchi.
If Bawarchi were my friend, I'd have retired by now to a beachfront home and a decent bank balance.

If Bawarchi were really your friend, you would have an aching mush.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 26 Dec 2012 06:06

Abhijeet wrote:Is there anything like YouTube but for audio only? Legal sites only please. I use YouTube mostly to listen to songs but it seems a waste to be streaming the video as well. Is there another site with legal streaming audio for free, available outside the US? Pandora/Spotify seem geared towards a subscription model or region-limited. It's surprising there isn't a YouTube clone for audio only -- it seems like it would be easy enough to strip out the audio from any of the YouTube videos if the labels were worried about piracy.

Grooveshark and http://www.dhingana.com/

Abhijeet · Post by **Abhijeet** » 26 Dec 2012 14:33

Raja Bose wrote:What piracy-viracy, hain??? Go to http://www.listentoyoutube.com/, copy-paste your YouTube URL and extract MP3 in seconds...no fuss, no muss.

Exactly. I don't really want to download MP3s of Youtube videos, but it's easy enough to do if you want to do it.

Grooveshark looks like it fits the bill -- thanks to those who suggested it!

About typing, has anyone tried Swype? I believe Android 4.2 integrates some tech like that, but I haven't got the update yet. It's the only thing I can think of that might make typing on a smartphone bearable. Right now, it's a mess of mistyped keys and hoping the autocorrect is good enough when you get to the end of a word.

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 26 Dec 2012 14:57

Marten wrote:
Raja Bose wrote: If Bawarchi were really your friend, you would have an aching mush.
Given the level of our office politics, read nawabs as sr mgmt, wouldn't be too much more, for a whole lot more money. Hehe.

Didn't know about his orientation, or are you saying he's painful in the way Shqs are supposed to be?

Nope, he's openly gay.
I use Swype on my Desire Z and my Gumboot 808.. very easy to type one-handed.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 26 Dec 2012 20:04

Raja Bose wrote: What piracy-viracy, hain??? Go to http://www.listentoyoutube.com/, copy-paste your YouTube URL and extract MP3 in seconds...no fuss, no muss.

May allah grant you a peachy goat

I was looking for something similar to convert some youtube kannada rhymes for my son!

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 26 Dec 2012 21:25

Abhijeet wrote: About typing, has anyone tried Swype? I believe Android 4.2 integrates some tech like that, but I haven't got the update yet. It's the only thing I can think of that might make typing on a smartphone bearable. Right now, it's a mess of mistyped keys and hoping the autocorrect is good enough when you get to the end of a word.

Yup, I have ~~Swype~~ Swiftkey 3 installed and it is definitely worth the money. It not just autocorrects, it predicts the next possible word and it saves me a lot of keystrokes. It not only remembers/suggests English words. I keep transliterating Tamil words in English and it even corrects/suggests them. I have used it for 4 months now and recently got a notification that I have saved 10,000 keystrokes. Not sure how much that is true, but it makes using smartphone for typing much convenient. Would definitely recommend.

EDIT: Made a booboo. I have swiftkey 3 and not swype. Sorry.

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 27 Dec 2012 20:41

Folks,

Bought a new Samsung LED TV. With the previous TV, we had both the TV speakers and wireless headset working at the same time. With newer models, it is possible to either have the Wireless headset or the TV but not both. Tried the sound output options and it does not seem to work. Any suggestions to have both TV and Wireless headet working at the same time?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 02 Jan 2013 02:03

Final thoughts on the Mickey$ Surface RT....it works as a laptop replacement quite well while traveling...the only thing which comes close are the touchscreen ultrabooks or mac book air. 1 cool thing which pleasantly surprised me....it automatically detected the yech pee printer on sis's network and installed custom drivers and printer control app without even bothering me. When I clicked 'Print...' to print my boarding pass I got a pleasant surprise when I saw the printer all ready to go. 1 not-so-cool thing is you cannot use it as a laptop on your lap with the touch cover if the level of your knees is below your mush.....then it tends to tip over.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 02 Jan 2013 02:34

Raja Bose wrote:Final thoughts on the Mickey$ Surface RT....it works as a laptop replacement quite well while traveling...the only thing which comes close are the touchscreen ultrabooks or mac book air. 1 cool thing which pleasantly surprised me....it automatically detected the yech pee printer on sis's network and installed custom drivers and printer control app without even bothering me. When I clicked 'Print...' to print my boarding pass I got a pleasant surprise when I saw the printer all ready to go. 1 not-so-cool thing is you cannot use it as a laptop on your lap with the touch cover if the level of your knees is below your mush.....then it tends to tip over.

Thanks. The idea of a laptop/tablet combo has been around for a long time, known as touch screens in the past, with a stylus. Apple has not tried to combine the two like MS has. Thoughts on those differences in approach in light of Surface. Is the surface interface "best of class" for both as a the combined or is it really optimized for one and not the other?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 02 Jan 2013 03:38

There is nothing called 'best of class' since it evolves continuously. To answer your question, the Surface and Win8 as an OS leans more towards a touch-based PC rather than an iPad-esque tablet. But that is in line with Mickey's strat-e-jee of redefining the PC for the post-pc world rather than replacing that entire device category with a new one (iPad).

mnag · Post by **mnag** » 02 Jan 2013 07:12

i am looking for a tablet that can allow me to play youtube simultaneously while browsing a website or reading a pdf. i have not been able to achieve this with android or ios. Does SurfaceRT allow this?

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 02 Jan 2013 08:26

mnag wrote:i am looking for a tablet that can allow me to play youtube simultaneously while browsing a website or reading a pdf. i have not been able to achieve this with android or ios. Does SurfaceRT allow this?

Windows 8 and Windows RT allow this. This is called "windows 8 snap view", search that in youtube to see how this works.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 02 Jan 2013 09:10

Yes it does.

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 02 Jan 2013 12:19

mnag wrote:i am looking for a tablet that can allow me to play youtube simultaneously while browsing a website or reading a pdf. i have not been able to achieve this with android or ios. Does SurfaceRT allow this?

Although I have never played youtube and watched another website, I have played music hile playing a game on Samsung Note (1).

member_20292 · Post by **member_20292** » 02 Jan 2013 17:06

abhischekcc wrote:
mnag wrote:i am looking for a tablet that can allow me to play youtube simultaneously while browsing a website or reading a pdf. i have not been able to achieve this with android or ios. Does SurfaceRT allow this?
Although I have never played youtube and watched another website, I have played music hile playing a game on Samsung Note (1).

You need a Hewlett Packard touchpad

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 03 Jan 2013 01:03

No Sammy devices support that feature akcc-bin-Xboxi mentions - they advertise it quite heavily.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 03 Jan 2013 01:22

Well, after loads of phone hunting yeterdin for me cousin, we finally settled for Samsung S2...iit helped that the prices have been dropped and the same is now available for INR 24,600 at Samsung Smartphone Cafe (for all cash payment - purchase using debit/CC invites 2% extra charge). All the other phones in 20K-22K category are too close to comfort to this rockstar of a phone. But for couple of Sony Xperia models, it practically has no competition in this 22K/23K+ segment. Apple iPhone 4 is now available for 26.5K.

Saw HTC Windows 8 phone...very light and sleek design. But HTC suffers from lack of brand power like Samsung and Nokia and it does not help that the phone cost north of 32K. HTC's own HTC One X and now One X+ are in that price range and have been received pretty well by the market.

Two other interesting observations - (1) The largest selling premium smartphone across stores where I went phone hunting (Croma, Samsung Smartphone Cafes, local multi-brand retailers) is Samsung Note 2...it has eclipsed the sales of Samsung S3 (as per feedback). And clientele includes teenagers to burra-sahibs of big phoren companies. (2) Nokia LUMIA 820/920 are the most anticipated phones out there in the market. A Nokia Priority Dealer's showroom has wall to wall plastering of LUMIA Phones...you could end up feeling that this is a LUMIA Store rather than a NOKIA store and that they sell other models as well. Phones expected in stores by 15 January 2013. Keeping fingers crossed for price of LUMIA 920. BTW, my LUMIA 800 with Windows 7.2 has a update available to Win 7.8...gives some features of Win 8.

The LUMIA 510/610 range seems to be doing pretty well.

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 03 Jan 2013 06:59

yeah whats with the Note2?? You would thinkthat its size would be a handicap but people love it.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 03 Jan 2013 09:58

Surya wrote:yeah whats with the Note2?? You would thinkthat its size would be a handicap but people love it.

Its not about the size otherwise similar me2 products from LG would be successful too.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 03 Jan 2013 12:44

Marten wrote:Rohit mulla, if you promise not to smack me for this, prices dropped yesterday for the Sammy phones - S2 is now at 22.5. And yes, it is an absolute beauty. Saw an Xperia Ion on Ebay for 22.5 (add another 1K for servepro warranty), and it is a stunner of a phone. Really nice...

BTW - Sony phones have a nice feel about them. Found the touch screen to be smooth and with good specs. Competitively prices also. Wife has Xperia Mini Pro and swears by it...wants to upgrade to only full specs top end smartphone from Sony.

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 03 Jan 2013 14:04

B-I-L just bought an Ideapad Yoga 13 from SG.. lovely machine, thin, fast and that tablet mode is brilliant IMO.

rajkumar · Post by **rajkumar** » 03 Jan 2013 14:44

Been using the Nokia Lumia 820. Have noticed the following;

Positives:
1. Good Nokia Build Quality
2. Nokia Maps & Drive - beats G Chacha any day especially in offline mode
3. Good camera
4. Skydrive - Good thinking from Mickey's view point. Stuff gets auto backed up
5. Responsive screen
6. Battery Life - Is OK, in normal use it lasts for 48 hours without charging. If net or multimedia is used extensively then only 12 hours

Negative:
1. Synch with PC - Won't synch with the Outlook on my Work PC. This is a major flaw, Mickey wants to drive the users towards the net in a major way and my exchange server is behind a firewall so I can't synch my work calendar or contact with the Phone.

The above is a major pain in the ass for me!! and if anyone has any suggestions then please let me know.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 03 Jan 2013 14:58

Rajkumar, have you tried to use the outlook webmail account? I am using it successfully. The setup took 10 seconds (the time needed to input my account username password). Push notifications keep me updated about any new emails promptly (the live tile is awesome).

rajkumar · Post by **rajkumar** » 03 Jan 2013 16:39

prahaar wrote:Rajkumar, have you tried to use the outlook webmail account? I am using it successfully. The setup took 10 seconds (the time needed to input my account username password). Push notifications keep me updated about any new emails promptly (the live tile is awesome).

Prahaar,

I have set up outlook web account but I can't seem to get my work exchange account to synch with the outlook web account. Any help would be appreciated.

Raj

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 03 Jan 2013 17:23

rajkumar wrote:
prahaar wrote:Rajkumar, have you tried to use the outlook webmail account? I am using it successfully. The setup took 10 seconds (the time needed to input my account username password). Push notifications keep me updated about any new emails promptly (the live tile is awesome).
Prahaar,

I have set up outlook web account but I can't seem to get my work exchange account to synch with the outlook web account. Any help would be appreciated.

Raj

ask for help here: http://forums.wpcentral.com/

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 03 Jan 2013 17:41

Marten wrote:Bhairav, how does one prop up the ideapad in tablet mode? Can it be rested on a stand etc? (I do understand using it in the tent mode or laptop mode might be the solution, but any other option?)
Not much of a fan of 180 swivel hinges - so please do keep us posted on how it works.

WIll try this, as far as I can see, the keyboard is entirely exposed in tablet mode, so that stand may not be such a good idea.

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 03 Jan 2013 18:57

bhairav

i played with it but feeling the keyboard against you when in tablet mode is awkward - the keyboard gets disconnected but it still feels weird

Let us know

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 03 Jan 2013 19:07

Marten wrote:Bhairav, how does one prop up the ideapad in tablet mode? Can it be rested on a stand etc? (I do understand using it in the tent mode or laptop mode might be the solution, but any other option?)
Not much of a fan of 180 swivel hinges - so please do keep us posted on how it works.

I have ordered Lenovo Twist (Tablet/Laptop) and will come in 2 weeks time. CoreI7 with 500GB harddrive and 24GBSSD. Win 8 64pro with five point touch.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 03 Jan 2013 22:56

rajkumar wrote:Been using the Nokia Lumia 820. Have noticed the following;

Positives:
1. Good Nokia Build Quality
2. Nokia Maps & Drive - beats G Chacha any day especially in offline mode
3. Good camera
4. Skydrive - Good thinking from Mickey's view point. Stuff gets auto backed up
5. Responsive screen
6. Battery Life - Is OK, in normal use it lasts for 48 hours without charging. If net or multimedia is used extensively then only 12 hours

Negative:
1. Synch with PC - Won't synch with the Outlook on my Work PC. This is a major flaw, Mickey wants to drive the users towards the net in a major way and my exchange server is behind a firewall so I can't synch my work calendar or contact with the Phone.

The above is a major pain in the ass for me!! and if anyone has any suggestions then please let me know.

Rajkumar, your company needs to allow Windows Phone to sync with Exchange. It is actually security policy related issue that they have exchange sync and not through outlook. If you lose your phone, they can send a command to remotely wipe your phone so it gets reset, and company info is not leaked to others. if you sync with outlook, and you lose your phone, companies won't know who has now access to their confidential info. Many companies in US are paranoid about info security.

It is the same for IPhone, Android, Blackberry too. It is guided by the enterprise policy. You can check with your IT admins to see if they will do that. Can you access your exchange email over web(usually something like webmail.exchange.com/<companyname> or mail.company.exchange.com etc). If so, try to connect your WP with your web mail access and you might be able to access it.

I have Lumia 920 and my company has enabled exchange to sync with WP devices. It is pretty neat, and I haven't had any issues with it. Syncs mails, calendar, tasks etc. My wife has a HTC8, but her company doesn't allow to sync with windows phone.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 04 Jan 2013 03:16

Raja Bose wrote:
Surya wrote:yeah whats with the Note2?? You would thinkthat its size would be a handicap but people love it.
Its not about the size otherwise similar me2 products from LG would be successful too.

The GSM version has incredible battery life of any smartphone on the market. It can easily last over 2 full days with normal usage with 4G/BT/GPS all on. Dual screens are great to use as well.

negi · Post by **negi** » 04 Jan 2013 03:35

Note2 is awesome except when you make/receive a call.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 04 Jan 2013 04:19

Bought Lumia 822 for my son, as he insisted on a Windows 8 phone as he has a laptop with Windows 8 too. Verizon offers only 822 or HTC 8x. I have been thoroughly impressed with 822, it has mind blowing camera. Windows 8 on mobile is easy to use....the tiles are so easy. However the tiles are PIA on a laptop. I did notice that the zoom feature on the camera is not of great quality. For a point and shoot it is sterling. Editing photos is clean and easy. Nice large screen.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 04 Jan 2013 04:43

^^Get him a Surface pro too when it launches. Then we can declare you Mickey$'s 1st apphical fanboi.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 05 Jan 2013 00:45

Instead of whining, M$ should write up an article using the phrses "hoisted by ones own petard", "getting a dose of one's medicine" "karma is a biatch" "anti-trust" "IE cannot be separated from the OS", and "Windows ain't done until Lotus doesn't run"

Microsoft says Google trying to undermine Windows Phone:Blocked services lead to 'degraded experience'

Microsoft has admitted that Windows Phone 8 doesn't work as well with some of the internet's most popular properties as do other smartphone platforms, but it has pinned the blame on a surprising culprit: apparently, it's all Google's fault.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Microsoft VP and deputy general counsel Dave Heiner said the software giant has spent two years trying to get a first-class YouTube app running on Windows Phone, but to no avail, thanks to the Chocolate Factory's stonewalling.

"YouTube apps on the Android and Apple platforms were two of the most downloaded mobile applications in 2012, according to recent news reports," Heiner wrote. "Yet Google still refuses to allow Windows Phone users to have the same access to YouTube that Android and Apple customers enjoy."

According to Heiner, Google has denied Microsoft's YouTube app access to metadata that would allow it to deliver all of YouTube's functionality, including such features as user ratings and the ability to search for videos by categories.

With their single digit percentage market share, they can't expect everybody to roll-over. They are late to the mobile party, looks like.

Added Later: Please read the entire article. It is really amusing to see the whining that is going on.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 05 Jan 2013 01:13

Mobile HTML access to youtube works just fine on all platforms. Infact I used to use the mobile HTML on my previous iphunwa because the Apple-native Youtube app would not play HD, sometimes would show results, but not play the video (apparently youtube allows uploaders to restrict the video from mobile) ityadi. Things like scrolling performance was bad, but search/lists/playback/starring worked just fine in mobile HTML.

I think that there is some restriction placed by chacha (not sure about this) from third party developing youtube apps. You can embed youtube videos but cant develop a youtube app (like Chacha's youtube app for android/ios). So chacha itself has to develop one if it is to be full featured. Platforms with good adoption rates (like PS3, Xbox, Android, iPhone, Wii etc) have youtube apps. Apparently Windows phunwa does not have one. Interesting to see if it will get one in the future. IIRC other apps like foursquare is also missing for windows phunwas.

While we are on the subject of developing apps for rival platforms, how about a high quality office app for Linux, iOS and Android from M$?

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 05 Jan 2013 01:16

There is a METROTUBE app on winphone that I use. It is fantastic and the interface is Metro style too.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 05 Jan 2013 01:27

Raja Bose wrote:^^Get him a Surface pro too when it launches. Then we can declare you Mickey$'s 1st apphical fanboi.

What will I do with my iPad, huh?

Boss, I earn my chawl and sambhar using C# and other MS products onlee. For ages I have been working using MS development tools.....just because I like AAPL stock and some of their products, I am not a fanboi of any one company.

If not for FireBug, I would have abandoned FireFox at work. At home IE and Chrome are the standard.

All jokes apart, Windows 8 on mobile is really clean. Metro style sucks on desktop. The mobile experience can easily beat Google Uncle and Apple Aunty - and I prefer the Windows version. Maybe it is the 'moh' of new gadget. Unfortunately 822 is built like a brick - like the first iPhones. However, it has stood the attack of Hawaiin beaches and sand very well. I hear 920 is a far better product than 822. Alas, I have to curse Verizon onlee.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 05 Jan 2013 01:50

Anujan wrote:... snip ...
I think that there is some restriction placed by chacha (not sure about this) from third party developing youtube apps. You can embed youtube videos but cant develop a youtube app (like Chacha's youtube app for android/ios). So chacha itself has to develop one if it is to be full featured. Platforms with good adoption rates (like PS3, Xbox, Android, iPhone, Wii etc) have youtube apps. Apparently Windows phunwa does not have one. Interesting to see if it will get one in the future. IIRC other apps like foursquare is also missing for windows phunwas.

That is what I gathered from some comments on /. and that there was some tiff between Fruit and Chacha where fruit was paying lots of money to chacha for the youtube API access. Fruit got tired and stopped forcing chacha to develop the App. But M$ with a small mkt share in the mobile is in no position to dictate terms just like their coopetetors - viz. Linux and IBM OS/2 - during the heydays of Windoze.

While we are on the subject of developing apps for rival platforms, how about a high quality office app for Linux, iOS and Android from M$?

It will be a cold day in hell. But then that would be the day Linux Desktop replaces Windoze too.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 05 Jan 2013 01:57

Muppalla wrote: I have ordered Lenovo Twist (Tablet/Laptop) and will come in 2 weeks time. CoreI7 with 500GB harddrive and 24GBSSD. Win 8 64pro with five point touch.

How much RAM, if I may ask? and what is the max? I would like to get one to test some of our applications on Windoze ... err realized that you like this version ... Windows 8.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 05 Jan 2013 01:59

Microsoft does have Office version for Macs.