[Google] A New Push Into Our Homes

Google has made some big announcements this week, most of which were hardware-focused instead of software. In recent years we've all been watching Google attempt to push deeper and deeper into the hardware market, bringing the company in direct competition with both Apple and Amazon.

There were some fluffy announcements that weren't all that exciting like the new Chromecast that adds 4K video and HDR support and more visually appealing VR headsets instead of the old cardboard stuff.

We had also expected the announcement of a product like Google Home, which is designed to compete with Amazon's Echo before Apple can get something out into the market. They've also positioned Google Assistant  as the central force driving a lot of these devices as part of going from, "mobile first to AI first" thinking. At least Assistant will have more value than just a part of the weird mobile-only messaging app Allo.

Google WiFi is an interesting entry into home networking with what is essentially an effort to create user-friendly WiFi extenders. Sure we noted Google experimenting in this area with OnHub but this still feels like something outside their core mission. It's just an effort to cut out the middle man and do their best to facilitate better WiFi for accessing Google services but to what end?

The central piece to this new wave of products is the new Google Pixel phone, a device that is touted as being fully designed by Google instead of through old Nexus partners like HTC and Huawei. Google Assistant is a key feature of the device in a clear effort to better match Siri versus the comparatively more passive Google Now. I do feel bad that Pixel also silently represents the retirement of the old Nexus brand, but what can we do? This is the future.

I'm not sure how I feel about a more hardware-focused Google. They're very late to the game and this is well outside their core areas of expertise. And while it promises some exciting new things for us, we can only wonder how far these products will go. Or will they join the ranks of other Google experiments, leaving users deprived of services they may become accustomed to in time.

[Games] Elevate (Android)

It's rather quirky that it's only now that I'm finally taking the time to write about Elevate considering that it's already a key part of my daily routine. As much as it remains to be a game app at the core of its design, it's potential benefits in the mental exercise area are what got me into the app in the first place. It's a rather elegant approach to gamifying brain drills. And it has its share of fun.

But I guess I'm in a much better place now that I actually have a Lifetime Pro membership. Yes, I actually invested that much into what is primarily a free app. And I suppose that's quite the statement of confidence in what the app means to me more than anything else.

[Games] Star Trek Trexels (Android)

So when I first got a smartphone, I figured that I'd get all excited about mobile games and would lose a lot of time to them. A few years later, I find that I hardly play games at all since a lot of them tend to offer rather limited gaming experiences that tend to be quite redundant. Plus the battery life on my HTC One is pretty horrible, thus I prioritize battery usage for other functions and apps.

But every now and then I go on and try a game or two in order to see how things go. Beyond being an on-again, off-again Doctor Who Legacy player, I figured I'd give Star Trek Trexels a go. I'm still quite the die hard Trekkie and so I was curious to see what this game might be like, especially given how long it took before the game came to Android. Plus I like pixel art style game for whatever reasons might make sense.

And while this game has a lot of charm and a lot of potential to be quite fun, it can also be rather tedious. It suffers from all the trappings of freemium games that make us hate such applications and it's a darn shame that it has done so.

[Gadgets] Gear4 Espresso Bluetooth Speaker

I hadn't heard from Digits Trading up until recently when they contacted me for another product review. Always open to free stuff, I said yes - and so here we are. And I have to admit, I'm particularly glad for this little gadget. As far as external speakers go, it's definitely one of the more impressive ones.

Bluetooth has always been a rather interesting technology - at first everyone was all excited for it as a communication medium. But in more recent years it seems its primary focus has been expanding the capabilities of mobile devices without the burden of extra wires. From speakers, headsets, keyboards and fitness gear, Bluetooth has led to a wide variety of interesting innovations.

[Gadgets] Urbanears Humlan Headphones

So I received another accessory for review from Digits Trading Company, this time being the Urbanears Humlan brand of headphones. I'm really more of an inner ear headphone kind of guy, but  was pretty curious how this unit would compare in terms of performance.

Plus it has such an outlandish red color.

[Gadgets] NudeAudio Move S Wired

I have to admit that the external speakers of my HTC One are pretty impressive. For individual viewing, they're more than enough to get the job done in terms of audio fulfillment. But sometimes you need something with a little extra kick, especially when you're in a place with a lot of ambient noise like at the beach or something.

Thus we have a whole segment of the mobile market dedicated to external speakers that turn your mobile devices into serious music delivery device worth of the boomboxes of old. So this little gadget was certainly an interesting device to play with.

[Games] Star Command (Android)

I've been quite the supporter of the various Humble Bundle sales given they're a great way to get a heck of a lot of new games at a great rate - plus you control where the money goes. Thus whether you're feeling especially charitable or you just want to make sure the game developers don't get shafted, then the Humble Bundle model works pretty great.

I picked up the Humble Mobile Bundle 2 specifically for this game - Star Command. The game promised a nicely tactical experience with touches of popular franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars. The end result is a most interesting game that has taken up a lot of my free time and has resulted in minor muscle pain due to extended playing on my HTC One. You know how it is when you get into a really good game. It just sucks you in.

[Gadgets] Nocs NS400 Aluminum (Android)

So here's another Android accessory review thanks to our friends at Digits Training Corporation, who provided this review unit in exchange for my opinion of the device.

Headphones are an eternal frustration for mobile device users all over. Depending on how heavily you use them, wear and tear really takes a lot out of them and so it's probably one of the most frequently purchased accessories these days. And we've all gone through the routine of trying out fairly expensive units and alternating them with cheaper units in the hopes that you can save a little money.

If anything, cheaper units really don't go too far, in my experience, so it really helps to invest a bit in these headphones. So then it becomes a question of quality, especially with so many different earphone units being of similar price rates boasting similar features. Hopefully I'll be able to compare and contrast different headphone units in the weeks and months to come to come to a more logical conclusion.

[Gadgets] SwitchEasy Flip Case for HTC One

I love my HTC One. It's a phenomenal phone and definitely one of the prettier Android phones on the market today. It has proven to be a rather robust device that addresses both business needs and leisure activities, so I'm definitely not complaining.

As much as it's solid aluminum body offers a lot of protection, naturally there's a strong desire to protect your investment in this gadget, and thus the question of accessories comes up. And sadly enough, HTC phones don't get a lot of love here in the Philippines. I spent quite a bit of time looking around for a case for my phone given how the market focuses a lot more support on iOS and Samsung devices.

I've recently been contacted by Digits Trading Corporation to try and review various accessories for mobile devices and so naturally I asked about what items they had for an HTC One. And thankfully they do have products that support my phone, hence today's review. This should be the first of many (I hope) depending on how this relationship evolves.

And at the very least, I now know of a definite source of accessories for HTC One. That's a good thing indeed.

[Technology] Don't You Miss Phone Cards?

Cotton End village, Bedfordshire SG101194 by fotdmike via Flickr.

On my way home today, I suddenly got hit by this wave of nostalgia...about phone cards. You know what I mean right? The more common ones were those prepaid calling cards that came with a set amount of cash in it that you could use for phone calls at phone booths. Then there were the alternate versions that allowed you to make calls from home but these calls were charged to your landline telephone bill. It was amazingly convenient and it eliminated the need to carry around all those different kinds of coins to ensure you could make calls when needed.

Of course these days everyone carries around mobile telephones and that's become the choice way of communicating on the go. Yes, I have one too of course and it has been years since I last had to use a phone card to make calls from a phone booth. In fact, the last time that I actually tried making a phone call from a phone booth was probably before I got a mobile phone of my own.


Public Phone 2000 by msmail via Flickr.

Pay phones still exist, sure, but let's face it - they're on the same sad track as the landline telephone itself. The convenience of mobility is something that's hard to ignore these days and people just end up going that way. And so fewer and fewer people are relying on traditional telephones and it's very rare when you need to use a pay phone.

There was something that just felt so cool and futuristic about phone cards that it felt pretty surreal at the time. For a school-going kid, it felt like you had your own credit card of sorts, even though your credit was only good for phone cards. Now of course just chip-embedded cards are commonplace and a similar variant of the original technology is now used for mobile phone SIM cards and even those credit card with the chips that no longer require actual swiping.

So this is just my little homage to the phone card - goodbye old friend! You helped make sure that I got home every day, even when the school bus left me behind.

[Gadgets] My Final Choice: The Nokia E63

Last week, I posted my considerations for getting a new mobile phone. I had listed the qualities I desired in aforementioned phone and then I started gathering suggestions and ideas, researching options and visiting mobile phone shops.

So after a week's worth of careful study and contemplation, I've narrowed down my list to pretty much two mobile phones with one edging out over the other. Here are the phones that I'm considering, in case you geeks are interested - the options may surprise you.

[Gadgets] The Geek Needs A New Phone

Image by kalleboo via Flickr

Recently, my trusty old Sony Ericsson W660i has been acting weird on me. Sure, the problems with its proprietary plug for headphones was annoying enough given it no longer stays in place, now I seem to be unable to consistently send out text messages (SMS) via Globe. While I know that Globe Telecom has been experiencing major network issues ever since Typhoon Ondoy and probably ever since more and more people have picked up iPhones, I've noticed that I seem to be having more trouble than most.

So this geek is finally considering getting a new mobile phone after almost three years of working his Sony Ericsson to the bone. I've never been one to really push mobile phone limits in terms of my acquisitions in favor of something sturdy, reliable and efficient and so I rarely change my phone unless it's absolutely necessary.

I mean come on, I was perfectly happy with my Nokia 5110 for most of my college days. As much as I'm a major geek, I've never really been one to be picky about my phone.

[Viral Video Chart] Pop Corn With Cell Phones

This video and variations thereof have been making the rounds of the internet as of late. I mean, sure, we all know mobile phones emit certain bands of radiation that are potentially harmful and such, but then after seeing this, you have to wonder how smart it is to have these things constantly near our heads.


#4 - Pop corn with cell phones !

[Mobile] Smart 3G network problem?

Last night, I was having trouble with my Smart postpaid line. I was on the bus when I took a peep at my Sony Ericsson P1i. At the status bar, an icon appeared. So I tapped on it, and a window appeared. It said that "Incoming calls not allowed" and a Settings button appeared. Tapping on the button led me to the Internet accounts settings page. I ignored it and went on with the trip home. BTW, I sent a text message, and at first the sending failed, but on the second attempt, the message was sent. It was 10 minutes before 6PM.

I got home by 7PM, and after dinner, I checked the phone again. The icon remained, and out of curiousity I made a call to our landline. So I keyed in the number and tapped Call. After two seconds the phone returned to standby mode. So I turned off the phone, took off the SIM, and inserted the SIM into a Nokia 3660. I made a call to the same number, and our landline phone made its usual ringing sound. So I inserted the SIM back into P1i, powered it on, and the icon was still there. Making the same call, and the same result - nada.

What I did was to set the phone so that it would connect to GSM network only. The setting before was 3G only. (To do this on P1i, go to Main Menu>Control Panel>Connections>Mobile Networks. On the Mobile Networks window, tap More and then tap on GSM/3G networks.) The phone disconnected and reconnected. The 3G icon was gone. I then made a call to our landline, and the landline sounded. At this point, I received a reply to the message that I had sent earlier; the message was time-stamped 6:10PM.

I set the mode back to 3G only, and after disconnection/reconnection, the suspect icon appeared again. So I set it back to GSM only, and then played Warcraft III: Frozen Throne for an hour. After playing, I set the mode back to 3G, and the suspect icon was gone. Content, I went to sleep.

End of story? Nope. Woke up at around 12 midnight and took a look at the phone. "Emergency calls only," the phone display said. Set the mode to GSM only, and the operator name appeared. Went back to sleep.

So at 8AM, I set the mode back to 3G, and no problems so far. Must be a problem in Smart's 3G network yesterday.

[Viral Video Chart] November 11 - 17, 2007

I've been trying to limit my video posts in favor of more original content that requires less time to load, but with the internet these days, you can never control just how many interesting viral items are making the rounds, best captured by the folks over at the Viral Video Chart.

So here are some of the more interesting videos that topped the chart over the last week that I have yet to post here:


#1 - Android Demo


#3 - Not The Daily Show, With Some Writer


#13 - Bad Day at the office! (HILARIOUS)


#14 - Seth MacFarlane Family Guy 100th Episode Special


#17 - Crayon Physics Deluxe

[Mobile] There is a Google Phone

Google has not ruled out Google Phone. There somewhere in Googleplex is a reference device made by HTC, code-named Dream (appropriate name, if you ask me). Forbes has the following details on the reference device:

It is thin, about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long, and features a touch-sensitive, rectangular screen. Unlike the iPhone, the screen is also time-sensitive: Hold down your finger longer, and the area you're controlling expands. The bottom end of the handset, near the navigational controls, is slightly beveled so it nestles in the palm. The screen also swivels to one side, revealing a full keyboard beneath. (The screen display changes from a vertical portrait mode to a horizontal display when someone uses the keyboard.)

The Dream design makes the core functions--e-mail, text documents and YouTube--readily available by putting icons that open those applications along the top of the screen. In its guts, the phone runs a virtual machine so that applications, like the browser, can launch once during a session, then reside in the background. That way, if someone sends you, say, a YouTube video link, you can run it immediately, without restarting the browser. The browser also downloads large files in stages to cut the time it seems to take to bring them onto the phone.

And if things work correctly, HTC is ready to mass-produce the device by 2nd half of 2008. I just hope it is cheap.

[World Domination] Open Handset Alliance takes on everyone else

And that includes the giants: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, and Apple.

After much speculation, Google, together with other technology partners, made two major announcements today.

First, the Open Handset Alliance was introduced. The group was formed to "accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience." No, there is no gPhone, but there will be "gPhones". What the OHA wants is an open ecosystem for mobile development through an open platform.

The OHA also introduced Android^TM. Android is an open mobile software stack, which includes an operating system, a user interface, middleware, and applications. The ecosystem that the OHA envisions centers on Android as the platform for development. That means all partners comprising OHA are committed to develop hardware and software based on Android.

The opportunities are vast for all stakeholders, including end users:

1. For developers, it will be easier to develop and push applications for mobile phones, at a lesser cost and learning curve. The Alliance will also provide mechanisms for commercialization and distribution of applications.
2. For mobile operators, they will be able to offer cheaper phones and differentiated products. They can customize an Android-enabled device to their own specifications.
3. For device manufacturers, it is much tougher, since all of them will produce devices based on a single platform. This should spur manufacturers to innovate in order to differentiate their products. Using a single and open platform allows them the flexibility in developing devices.
4. In the end, this gives consumers a wider array of choices. And who knows, if someone from the Alliance releases a user-friendly toolkit, consumers can make their own applications even without programming knowledge.

Will the Alliance succeed? That remains to be seen, couple that with the way non-members react.

Google press release
Official Google Blog entry on OHA and Android

[Mobile] Mossberg: Free my phone

Walt Mossberg, one of the well-known pundits on things tech, finally called for open phones. What he meant is that carriers should stop locking up phones.

The same model is currently being employed by Philippine mobile telcos. For example, Smart has a retention program, where you can get a free handset (or discounted handset) with a 24-month lock-in period (that means you are tied up to Smart's service for 24 months; ending your contract prematurely is subject to pretermination charges); Globe has a similar program. I got my Sony Ericsson P1i that way (and before that, a Sony Ericsson K300i) from Smart. So the phone is locked, and I am locked to Smart.

Why lock phones in the first place? I think the main reason is to prevent a consumer from using a subsidized phone with another network. Makes sense, right? Wrong. This doesn't deter the consumer from SELLING the phone, even if it is locked; and they will earn much more from it, specially if the phone is free. Just browse the forums and see what I mean (like BNC or PinoyExchange). While the phone remains locked, there are unlocking options available anyway (except for latest s60 phones, which are unlockable at the moment).

His most potent argument against locked phones is this:

The carriers defend these restrictions partly by pointing out that they subsidize the cost of the phones in order to get you to use their networks. That's also, they say, why they require contracts and charge early-termination fees. Without the subsidies, they say, that $99 phone might be $299, so it's only fair to keep you from fleeing their networks, at least too quickly.

But this whole cellphone subsidy game is an archaic remnant of the days when mobile phones were costly novelties. Today, subsidies are a trap for consumers. If subsidies were removed, along with the restrictions that flow from them, the market would quickly produce cheap phones, just as it has produced cheap, unsubsidized versions of every other digital product, from $399 computers to $79 iPods.

Do you agree with Mossberg? I sure do.

[Mobile] The Function of Texting Clans

When I first heard about texting clans, I was pretty surprised that people actually got into this practice - is this another strange offshoot of Filipino ingenuity? For whatever reasons they've come to be, they're here and pretty much here to stay.

Getting ahead of myself again, aren't I? Let's start from the beginning, at least as close to a beginning as we can determine...

As best as I can define it, texting clans are groups of people on the same mobile phone network (i.e. Globe, Smart, Sun) who utilize their respective unlimited texting plans (SMS) to communicate with one another. This is not just about sending individuals messages without limit for a period of time but to mass-send messages to the entire group for the duration of the unlimited texting coverage period. For some reason the term "clan" was adopted to somehow promote cameraderie or to show that they are somehow bonded together even if some members may have never seen majority of the other members in person. The Clans even have GMs that moderate things similar to MMORPG clans (which is probably a major influence in the creation of text clans).

I don't really understand the concept - it's the equivalent of mass-forwarding messages to everyone in your email address book and talk to them at the same time. Some might compare this to current micro-blogging services like Twitter, but at least there you can opt-in or opt-out of receiving certain notifications. In this case, the entire clan has your mobile number and will send you messages indiscriminantly.

Messages range in lines as simple as members being awake or what they're having for lunch and can be as complex as talking about their personal troubles - all within the 140 character limit of mobile phones. It's like a new form of poetry or something to convery so much so concisely.

What has all these people pouring so much into unlimited texting anyway? I'll present a few ideas I've come up with:

1. Companionship - Obviously this is a primary driver for this sort of thing. I've managed to find a few sites dedicated to these groups and they always talk about this being the biggest reason why these groups exist. Although, I'm not sure how much genuine bonding you can develop by telling the entire group that you've had fried fish for lunch. Oh joy. I guess the whole "clan" concept lulls you into the belief that you somehow belong to a greater whole - something essential to those lacking self-confidence and independence - by identifying with a large number of people who share something in common with you. This of course may be nothing more than the belief that you all share something in common because of this mobile connection.

2. Networking - For those who are generally timid or shy, text clans are probably a really easy way to feel like you're getting to know people without really developing any social skills you might still have. If you were to translate this activity into a face-to-face transaction, it would be the equivalent of standing in a room full of people with all of you shouting what you have to say to the rest of the group. Oh yes, I can see your number of friends increase by the minute. While I'm sure there are people who eventually get to hook up because of these groups, that normally involves sending individual messages and not group ones. Based on the experience of people that I know who get into clans, break-ups tend to turn nasty since the clan usually takes sides and soon someone's going to get voted out of the clan. It's so Reality TV-ish.

3. Money - Seriously speaking, this all has to be about money. In the same line of thinking that makes us believe that computer antivirus companies probably make their own viruses, I bet cellular networks promote these clans so hapless fool pour more and more money into maintaining their unlimited texting status. There is no permanent plan (except for Sun Cellular users) and usually the unlimited texting period lasts no more than a week or perhaps for the duration of your credit load and that's about it. Whether or not you get direct replies back, you continue to funnel money into keeping the service alive so you too can spam dozens of other people about your indecision in picking out a shirt of the day.


At the end of the day, clans can't possibly have a good reason for being. And yet they're out there and possibly your friends, siblings or even your kids are already throwing more money into the telecom providers' laps by buying into this idea in the false hope of finding friends who will never have your back in a confrontation since half the time, you won't even know what they look like in real life. How 1.0 can you get?


Photo linked from LUCIUS CATALAN's photostream.

[Mobile Phones] Filipinos in the News

It's always amusing when Filipinos reach international news. Usually it's the lame stuff like our political quarrels, our moments of civil unrest or the latest stupidity done by a public official, usually the President at that.

Then came this somewhat random entry on LifeHacker, on of my favorite tech lifestyle blogs talking about there being over 5.5 million Filipinos who use their mobile phones as wallets. I found it interesting but sort of moved on with my life quickly thereafter.

Then today in my Google Interesting Items For You, I came across this lengthier article talking about the same phenomenon. Again the case study for discussion was that of a Filipino relying on income from family working abroad.

This was certainly a welcome change instead of how high we rank in terms of most corrupt governments. Cool beans!

Photo linked from youthkee's photostream.