Following the destruction caused by the December 26th 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunamis which struck nations around the Indian Ocean, a number of aid groups are accepting donations for victims. Please click here to learn how you can help.
The holiday season is always a great time for gadget freaks like me. Last year I posted a wishlist for phone features, so this year I thought I’d mix things up and publish a “what’s cool” post instead. Rather than bore everybody with a “top ten” or something like that, I’ll cut to the chase and blog about my numero uno favorite gift gizmo.
Drumroll please…my favorite is the simple but elegant (in a techie sorta way) SwissMemory USB Victorinox.
I’ve long had a mini Swiss army knife on my keychain, and once USB memory fobs came along, I was hooked on them too. This gizmo replaces both of my old doodads, and even raises the ante over my previous knife by including a dim but serviceable light (red for star watching and sneaking into the bedroom after staying up late blogging) and a writing pen. It’s available with memory sizes from 64 to 512MB. Swissbit provides the USB memory, Victorinox the knife know how, and the result is a terribly useful pocketable device.
Read the details from the Swissbit site (includes details on the TravelSafe/flight version sans knife tools, too, in case you need it in your carryon luggage) and order your own 512MB model from Amazon. Just think of the fun you’ll have backing up your digipics and toting MP3s on your pocket knife! 🙂
In leaving Nokia, I had to give up my company owned 7610. This was a sad day indeed because it is a truly fantastic device IMO, but on the other hand losing the 7610 also presented me with an opportunity to revisit which features are most important to me and which handsets on the US market today meet the requirements.
I started my handset shopping by putting together my specs. Candidate handsets had to:
- Be cheap or free with service (something mass market like my mother might have, not the typical uber-device a gadget nut like me might opt for)
- Be GSM-based including GPRS (EDGE preferred), supporting at least three of the four GSM frequencies including both US freqs (850 and 1900 MHz)
- Have a clamshell or fold form factor (I’ve been using monoblock aka “candy bar” Series 40 and Series 60 handsets for some time and wanted to get more full time hands-on experience with folds)
- Have a built-in camera (minimum VGA, MPix and/or flash preferred)
- Support WAP 2.0 and MIDP (minimum 1.0, 2.0 preferred)
Given my existing knowledge of Nokia products and their relative lack of fold options, I turned my attention to competitors (Motorola, Samsung, LG, etc.). I considered models available from T-Mobile and Cingular (with AT&T Wireless now absorbed by Cingular, “T” and “C” are the only two nationwide GSM based operators in the US). I read up on the the Motorola V551, but found a large number of customer reported white screen issues that turned me off of that model. Likewise in trying out the Razr V3 I felt it was too expensive for the features it provides, violating my first requirement of cheap/free. I then considered the Samsung e317 but found quite a few bad reviews of it highlighting poor sound quality as their #1 complaint (obviously, a mobile phone that doesn’t work well as a phone is right out for me). In reviewing the networks of T and C and having decided C would work better for me during and after my move, I was unable to consider the Samsung p735 since it’s exclusive to T-Mobile in the US, but I find the “hub” around which its flip rotates rather ugly anyway so that’s ok.
This left me with the very interesting LG L1400. It’s a tri-band (both US plus 1800MHz for international usage) GSM/GPRS fold handset with a built-in VGA camera, WAP 2.0, and MIDP 1.0. Among the many interesting features, the L1400 supports a multishot camera mode (three or more pics in quick succession depending upon the resolution at which you’re shooting) and can take pictures with the fold closed (very useful for self portraits since you can see the picture you’re composing on the external OLED). And right in line with my “free or cheap” mantra, it’s available for only $24.99 USD after rebate from Amazon (one year Cingular service agreement required).
I ordered one earlier this week. I’ll blog about my experiences with it, good and bad, as they occur. More to come…
PS If only I’d had Russ’ US Mobile Christmas collage earlier, it might have saved me a little time! 🙂
“Phones as Hackable Platforms” explores the power of letting users muck about.
This is tremendously important and not well understood by many in the industry. It will be fun to see which handset makers “get it” and which don’t in the months ahead.
The competition was already fierce among digicam vendors anyway, and then along came the cellcams. Reuters reports on the effects on dedicated digital camera profits.
There will certainly always be room at the top for SLRs such as the Canon EOS 20D and higher res compact digicams like the PowerShot S500. Nonetheless the pressure from camera phones is strong now and will only continue to drive digicam prices lower and lower, especially as more megapixel models like the Samsung p735 and Nokia 7610 hit major markets.
Dedicated camera vendors had to completely rethink their businesses a few years ago with the eclipsing of film by digital technologies. Now they’re forced to revamp again in the face of the cellcam onslaught. Tough, but not impossible: As the article notes, Kodak’s profits are up based upon a reworked approach and product line. Talk about reinvention!
I am moving out of state for family reasons and unfortunately management at Nokia feel this is inconsistent with the requirements of my position.
Because of this, I am leaving Nokia. November 19th was my last full day in the Nokia offices. I’m still in Nokia’s employ through the first week of December, but I’m taking vacation and personal days so that I can get everything packed up and ready to move.
It’s been a short stay for me, far shorter than I wanted, but on the other hand I think we’ve accomplished quite a bit. Among many other things, my team has made significant contributions to Nokia’s strongest presence ever at JavaOne and the creation and successful conclusion of the first ever Nokia Tech Days developer conference. I’ve blogged about new devices (my 7610 post continues to draw significant traffic and comments four months after publication) and the wireless industry and technology at large. My team has done its part supporting our partners and developers who have helped Nokia become the #1 provider of smart mobile devices in the world and overtake Motorola in the all important Chinese market. Thanks to everyone I’ve worked with at Nokia and its partners and all the best in your future endeavors.
So what’s next for me? I don’t know. My move is obvious and makes perfect sense on a personal level, but I’m taking a leap of faith professionally. I’m going to take a little time to reflect on my career up to now. I’m going to spend the holidays with my family. I’m going to relax.
And after that, I’m going to come back at full force doing something I love. I have some ideas, but I’m always interested in hearing more: If you have an idea you’d like to discuss with me, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear about any opportunities for which you think I might be a great fit.
Best wishes and happy holidays,
Bill Day
Attentive attendees to today’s day 1 of the Nokia Tech Days probably noticed that Victor Brilon, not me, delivered the “J2ME Intro” presentation using my materials.
More on why later but I thought it would be important to clarify that just in case anyone was paying close attention and was confused. 🙂
I’ve posted slides for my Nokia Tech Days presentation “Introduction to Wireless Java Developement Using the J2ME Platform“. Click here to access the slides.
Abstract:
This session provides a technical introduction to J2ME and discusses how to develop wireless Java applications for the Nokia Developer Platforms.
Please use the Comments link at the bottom right of this blog entry to discuss the slides, ask questions, or make suggestions on improving the presentation.
Hope to see many of you local to the Bay Area at the Nokia Tech Days in Santa Clara tomorrow! For more information and to register, click here.
BillDay.com 