Do I Regret Getting Blackberry Playbook

No.

A friend asked me the other day if I regretted getting the Blackberry PlayBook. Without hesitation, the answer in no.

I love the swiping motion used to turn on or close programs. It doesn't have a 'home' button. Almost everything can be done with the touch screen. At the time I bought it, it was the best device for me.

Yes, it lacks apps. By today's standard it is slow and the screen is low resolution. But I still use it. So it is good enough yet.

Mobile Banking Deposit and iPhone 4

My Black Friday gift to myself is a Virgin Mobile iPhone 4. It was only $99. Took the $35 a month plan. 300 minutes talk, unlimited text and 'unlimited' data. I believe data is 3G for only 2.5GB, then you get throttled to 2G speeds. No LTE reception where I live, nor where I work, so the phone will be fine.

Picked the iPhone 4 because of the camera and price. When my Credit Union offered mobile check deposit, I jumped at it. Signed up for it and took out the HTC One V and snapped a picture of a check and nothing. The image was so bad, I could not make out any letter or number from the check. None. The HTC is supposed to have a 5MP camera, same as the iPhone 4, but the pictures are not clear. It could just be my device is defected, but I have had it for so long, I can't return it.

Looked at the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Moto X, Moto G, Lumia 520/521 and Lumia 1320. the Lumia phones were out because the needed app is not availale on Windows phones. The Nexus 4 sold out, but all reviews pointed to a camera that was lacking. In fact, it seeems most Android phones had mediocre cameras, except the high end ones like the Galaxy S4. Didn't want to spend that much.

Have not tested the iPhone yet, but I have tried the camera and it took good pictures. Hope it works out.

Mobile Check Deposit and Me

I was so glad when my Credit Union got mobile check deposit. You know, where you take a picture of a check to deposit into a bank account, without ever going to a branch or ATM. Available as a Android or iOS app. It would save me so much time. Having direct deposit would be better, but I am not offered that at work. So this app would benefit me so much.

If it worked. Not sure why, but on the HTC One V, with a 5MP camera, it just would not work. Can't be sure if the camera is defective, but the 5 times I tried taking a picture, I couldn't read one letter or number on the check. It was a garbled mess.

Not sure what to do, as I want the option to do mobile check deposit. My next check, I will try to do a mobile check deposit using either my mother's iPad Mini or my sister's Iphone 4S. I would need to download the app to their devices and get it verified by the Credit Union for the device to access my account. I hope it works.

If it does work, I may be getting a new iOS device, as I know they would work.

Chromecast Needs Good Internet

Chromecast seems interesting, and at $35, seems like a steal. But the more I look at it, the more I don't like it. The first thing I don't like about it - it doesn't support the BlackBerry PlayBook. Again, not much of anything supports the PlayBook.

The biggest drawback, for me, is that it requires the Internet. As my service can drop to very slow speeds at times, I hate streaming videos. Watching YouTube videos can be annoying, choppy and always buffering. If I had better service, then maybe.

You really can't use it for traveling. If you go to a hotel, you would need Wifi and Internet access. And it seems maybe an ac adapter. The Chromecast dongle needs a little power, some HDMI ports can power the device, some can't.

It won't playback media stored on your device. This is a Google product. Google believes everyone should live in the cloud. I don't live in the cloud. I don't. I have no friends, so I don't need to save my contacts in the cloud. I don't take pictures. I don't need a calendar. I don't have mobile Internet, as I don't have a data plan for my phone. I just don't need it. Nor can I afford it.

It doesn't  do much right now, I think only 4 apps can use it at this time. It may get more apps, but that is what they said about the PlayBook . Remember, buy what it is right now, not what it may one day be.

But it is just $35.

Me and My Orphans

This week, Barnes and Noble announced that they will stop manufacturing color tablets. Then, a few days later, BlackBerry said that BB10 will not be ported to the PlayBook. Both announcements basically making my 2 tablets orphans.

As for the Nook HD +, I expected that Barnes and Noble would exit the tablet business, as the price cut was quite steep. And sales have been disappointing.  I still would recommend the Nook HD + to people who don't need video chat. It is a good tablet for the price and for people who are not sure if a tablet is right for them.

As for the PlayBook, I do feel sorry for people who paid full price for one. I paid $200 for mines. I have never regretted my decision. At the time, November 2011, it was the best tablet for me. Not sure what I would use a tablet for. Turns out, mostly reading news articles, watching videos (not too much streaming videos), paying bills and ordering things online. I do write this blog using my PlayBook. I have played videos onto a LCD HDTV, using the micro HDMI out, but not often.

I do wish the PlayBook had certain apps. The most wanted for me is a text/sms app. But other people want Skype and Netflix. Also nice would be a good VoIP app. When your phone dies, it is helpful to be able to make calls and text. Using a tablet to make a phone call may look stupid, but at least you could do it if needed.

For most people looking for a tablet, I would recommend a iPad, if they can afford it. I find Android has a less apps for tablets iOS. Would not recommend a Nexus 7, as I don't like the screen too much and quality control issues. I would never recommend a Kindle Fire, to locked down to Amazon.

Even though my tablets are orphans, The still have life in them. They might not be the fasted, have all the bells and whistles, but they do what I need and that is all that matters.

Two words of advice. Buy what you need. Buy on what it is and not what will be.

Nook Good

I really like the Nook HD +.  A 9 inch screen that is beautiful to look at. For my taste, I like the colors of the LCD screen. With a pixel density of 256 pixels per inch, reading is a joy. Words are well formed on the screen. Reading from a e-ink is thought to be easier on the eyes though.

Watching videos on the PlayBook is nice. But the videos I watch on the PlayBook look good on the Nook HD +. But those videos are not 720p or even 1080p videos. Playing a 720p video on the PlayBook look fine, but on the Nook, it is great. Only problem is the size of the videos for 720p are larger. 1080p is even worse. Good thing I bought the 32GB version of the Nook. And the Nook HD (7 and 9 inch models) accept up to a 64GB micro SD cards.

The Nook HD + weighs 515 g  (18.2 oz). As compared to the PlayBook, which weighs 425 g (14.99 oz). The Nook, while heavier, feels more comfortable in my hands. The bigger size evens out the weight better for me to hold for longer periods. The iPad 3 or 4 is heavier ( 652 g/ 23.04 oz), but has a bigger screen with a higher pixel density. I would also assume the iPad has better battery life. I really can't say how good the battery life is on the Nook HD + , as I have not tested it, but most reviews give it about 9 hours.

The Nook has no cameras or GPS. It uses a proprietary cable for charging. It has a HDMI out, again using a proprietary connection. It operating system is Android 4.0, not the latest.

But I really wanted to just for video, so I'm very happy. At $149.99 for 16GB version, USA, It is a great deal. Maybe not for everyone, but I'm happy. So happy I brought one for my friend.

0952

shawnsheeezyboy

Porn or Not

Been seeing gifs all over the place. Many are funny. Too many are porn. So thinking of starting a blog of gifs I like. No porn. Just to be a collection of the ones that I liked. No porn.

Called gif. Pronounced jif.

The gif I posted, I found in George Takei's Tumblr page, Are You Talking To Meme. I was on another Tumblr Page and found it and a link to his page. Checked out his posts. They were funny and a little corny. Yes, he is that George Takei's of Star Trek fame.

I was thinking of using Tumblr to post gifs.

Check it out
http://georgetakei.tumblr.com/

Dab of jif

No Google Waze

Everyone is now saying Google is buying Waze, the crowdsourced mapping service. I don't think so. I think there will be an agreement, but I don't think the deal will pass antitrust laws. It may be approved in the USA, but not in the European Zone. Or the other way around.

When I first heard about Google trying to be Waze, I thought it never would be approved. I thought T-Mobile/ATT merger would go thru, but it did not. I would think this is even a bigger monopoly then ATT deal. We shall see

I Need a iWatch

Got a new job and I need to use my cell phone more. But, I leave it in my pants pocket. And I have missed a couple of phone calls. So, having something smaller to look at (a watch) may help. It's not like a need to be on the phone, but that I do get calls during the day. It would be nice.

Yet, I have to ask, at what price would I pay?  The Pebble watch is $150. Not sure, no pretty sure it is too much money for my needs. It is not life or death. It would be helpful, but not a game changer.

Google Glass, even $200, will not fit my needs. It just is something looking for a reason.

I Kinda Like It

I have been using my Nook HD + tablet for awhile now. Had problems where the Nook would reset itself, but I wiped the Nook about 12 times. I believe the problem is now fixed. It may have been an update problem, mixed with processing power. While Nook HD + has a 1.5 GHz processor, but it is pushing 1920 × 1280 pixels.

It is one of the lightest tablet for it size. The size to weight ratio makes it comfortable for me to hold. And the screen is great to look at. Videos look amazing. I like the color palette. Not cartoonish, like my neice's Galaxy Note II. Not as good as a iPhone 4s. But that is my taste. My PlayBook looks as almost as good for videos, but the Nook HD + is 9 inches and while 480p video looks good on the PlayBook, on the Nook not so much. 720p is needed.

But there are somethings I have not figured out how to do on the Nook. So, the PlayBook is still needed. Also, a 7 inch tablet is more portable. It is the one I travel with.

Needed to Wipe the Nook HD +

Hopefully not sign of things to come. Needed to wipe my Nook. When I would waken the Nook from sleep, I would use it for a few minutes and then it would shut down and restart. It would be fine after that for that session. But, once it went to sleep for awhile, I would have the same problem.

Was not sure if it was a behavior of the Nook HD + or just mine. Used the Barnes and Noble chat feature. But they didn't help me there. So I emailed them and a recommendation to wipe the device and start again. I did that and it seems operate okay now.

Nook Is Here

Nook HD+ arrived this past Friday. Was surprised by the speed of delivery, as shipping was free. Charged it that night and played with it yesterday,  Saturday. I put some videos on it and I was very disappointed.

The problem is that the Nook HD + screen is bigger and has a pixel density of 256 PPI. Most of my videos are not 720p HDTV quality, as those files are bigger. There is no need to view that file quality on the PlayBook, as you would not really get an improvement in viewing quality. But on the Nook, the videos I loaded onto it looked terrible, you can see the pixels. So now I need better quality videos. And that will take time.

As for as screen color rendition, I find the PlayBook produces nicer whites. Or, it could just be brighter then the Nook. Overall, the Nook's color look better.

The best thing about the PlayBook are the two front facing speakers. Why more devices don't come with front facings speakers is strange. I enjoy watching videos and not using headphones. The speaker on the Nook is on the back. At times, I have covered the speaker with my hand.

The Nook is light for its size. For me, it's comfortable holding for extended periods, better then the PlayBook. I think the larger size of the Nook distributes the weight better, but the PlayBook is heavy for its size.

At this time, I still like the PlayBook better. I like the UI on the PlayBook a lot, it is easy to learn. It seems more natural, intuitive. The native browser is slower, but I know what it can do. I need to play with the Nook more to learn what it can do. What I do find with Android, you have to try things, to figure out which will work. It will take time.

I Surrendered

I did it. I ordered a Nook HD + 32GB from barnesandnoble.com yesterday. Went to the Best Buy nearest my work, but they were busy. Got no help from the staff. Left without finding if they even had any in stock.

After arriving at home, opened the PlayBook browser and went online to order one. It supposes to arrive between 2-6 days. I expect it to arrive in 10 days. Free shipping. Got the 32GB for $209.00 + tax.

I really wanted the Nook for the bigger screen and it's high pixel density. Yes, it's low price. The sale price is good at barnesandnoble.com for today, May 12, 2013. And you have the option to pick your order up at a Barnes and Noble store near you.

Fate Will Decide

Ambivalent of buying the Nook HD + now. It is light, it's screen produces nice colors, it has a 9 inch screen and it cost $180. Plus sales tax. But do I need it?

Had my PlayBook now for a year and a half. It does what a need it to do, play videos. The browser is slow at times. There are a lack of apps, but not sure if the Nook will have any good apps for a tablet either. I have the HTC One V for Android apps. The Nook would be only for watching videos. 

So I have decided to let fate determine if I will buy one. Forgot, my birthday is soon upon me, so I will have the money to get one if I wanted. So, I will go the Best Buy nearest my work this Saturday and if they have any available for $180, a will buy one. I write this to force me to do this. I just can't make up my mind. Whatever happens, that will be it.

Monoprice 9927 Earphones

I've had the Monoprice 9927 earphones for about a month and a half. It sounds great. And they cost me about $7.57 for them. It comes with 3 tips of different sizes. Which makes them an even better deal. It includes shipping, in that I had bought a total of 7 items and shipping was $7. So $1 for the shipping of the earphones.

I had used the pink noise burn in before using, so I can't say if it helps, as I only listened to them after. But I enjoy the sound quality. The cloth cord is nice, as it doesn't tangle as bad as latex ones. As far the cord creating noise from rubbing, it does, but for me it has been tolerable. The ear piece is quite large, so there is a way to wear them. From behind the ear lobe, run the cord over the ear. Come down the front and the place in the ear canal.

But the problem with wearing it like that is it takes too long to put them in and out. I use them at work, for short periods, so it is just too much of hassle. I now use the Monoprice 8319 earphones, which works better. I do like the 9927 better, but it is easier for me to use the 8319.

This blog posting has a picture of how to place the earphones in your ear-

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-headphones-under-30/

Get the Nook HD +

I'm thinking of buying a Nook HD + from Best Buy. At $179.99 + tax, it sounds like a steal. It has a 1920 x 1280 9" screen. The colors are supposed to be good. Comes with 16GB of memory, with a microSD expansion slot. Weighs 1.1 lbs, kinda light.

I think, but not sure, that it now runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. When the Nook HD + first came out, it used a skin of Android 4.0. The Nook has a store, which you were limited to using for your apps, books, movies and such. But the other day, they announced that they will update the software and allow users to access the Google Play Stores and the Google apps. So, I assume they are more like Ice Cream Sandwich then before.

The downside to the Nook HD + are many. No cameras at all. No GPS. A proprietary charging system. Android 4.0. Android is at 4.2 Jelly Bean. And the speaker is on the back. One of the best thing about the PlayBook are its 2 forward facing speakers.

I'm also assuming it has a mic, because no review said it doesn't.

And now I see Barnes & Noble are selling the Nook HD + for the same price. It had got good reviews, the bad thing was the app selection, so now, with the price drop and app selection, it is a good choice for watching videos on a tablet.

Link to this CNET review
BN Nook HD + Review

Uncompressor App does Muiltifile RAR Archives

Not paying attention, Uncompressor for the PlayBook can now extract muiltifile RAR archives. I have used it a couple of times with no problems. I really enjoy being able to download RAR files and extract them on the PlayBook.

I will confess to having one file that I was not able to extract using the Uncompressor app. Can't say if I didn't have enough space on the PB at the time or something else. I was able to use my Windows XP laptop to extract the file. The file was over 1 GB, though I don't think that maters.