Recently I had a look at a rapid application development environment called AppGyver which allows someone to quickly build, test, preview and deploy fully functioning HTML5 mobile apps that are totally indistinguishable from native ones. AppGyver Co-Founder & CEO Marko Lehtimaki walked me through developing an application. From my standpoint, the process is very easy. Using a tool called AppGyver Steroids ToolBelt, development of apps on both iOS an and Android can be simple, quick and dare I say enjoyable process. Here’s a video that shows you how the environment works:
One key feature is that will interest iOS developers is that you don’t need to get a Mac to develop for iOS. This can open up app development to people who would normally be on the sidelines. Also, if you’re using a product using PhoneGap to develop your apps, Steroids ToolBelt is completely compatible so that you can leverage your existing PhoneGap projects.
ToolBelt is in a private beta at the moment. You can sign up here. If you’re developing or interested in developing apps for iOS and Android, you need to look at AppGyver Steroids ToolBelt. It’s very much worth a look.
Posted in Products with tags Belkin on May 17, 2013 by itnerd
If you have an iPad, you could use this tablet as your main computer. But to really do so, you likely need a keyboard. Also, you likely need a case to protect it as well. Belkin can help you with both of those areas with their Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad. Now this case is versatile. You can use it like a laptop and you can use can fold it out of the way and use just the tablet. How’s the keyboard? It feels nice. From a typing perspective, it doesn’t feel that different than the keyboard on my MacBook Pro or the stand alone keyboard on my wife’s Mac Mini.There are cutouts for all the ports, buttons, and camera. But one neat trick is that Belkin also built in a channel that redirects the rear-facing speaker so it projects audio towards you. Nice! Also, when you close the case, the iPad shuts down. Nice! When using the keyboard, you can set it at three viewing angles so you can find the angle that works for you. The keyboard connects via Bluetooth, and pairing it to your iPad is easy. Belkin claims that the Ultimate Keyboard case should last for up to 6 months of use on a single charge and it can be charged via a micro USB port on the keyboard. How about protection for you iPad? I’d say that this case has that covered. While I would not recommend dropping it, the case will protect your iPad from dings and bumps.
Gripes? I have one. It adds weight to your iPad. A fair amount of weight. Now if you’re used to lugging around a laptop, this won’t be a big deal. But if you like to pack light, this might annoy you. The flipside to this is that this weight likely makes this a case that can take a hit as I mentioned earlier.
The Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case is compatible with the iPad 2, third-gen iPad, and fourth-gen iPad. It makes a good addition to the accessories list for any iPad user who needs a keyboard for their iPad. Expect to pay $100 USD for one.
Posted in Products with tags HTC, Telus on May 15, 2013 by itnerd
The HTC One has the usual array of front and rear cameras. But let me put that aside for a second and talk about a interesting feature called Zoe. This is a third shooting mode that takes a three-second video whose frames you can selectively retain as stills. That way you can make sure you get the perfect shot. You can also create longer videos by stitching them together, or e-mail a short clip. This is a unique feature that sets this phone apart from the rest with the exception of perhaps the BlackBerry Z10.
Now back to the camera. Forget everything that you know about digital cameras because HTC has flipped that on it’s head. Meet UltraPixel. What’s that? Here’s how HTC describes it:
For years, a misconception among most consumers is that the higher the megapixel count, the better quality of images. Actually, the number of megapixels is only one of many factors that determine picture quality, with sensors and image processors each playing a critical role.
However, year after year manufacturers try to outdo each other with higher megapixels. How? By reducing the size of the pixels to cram more in, which often decreases image quality. That’s because the smaller the pixel, the less light each one collects. This results in more visible noise and other defects in both still images and video.
The more light a digital camera can capture, the more information it can record, resulting in better pictures in more varied conditions and lighting environments.
HTC’s approach is to offer larger pixels in the new sensor that can capture 300% more light than many of the 13 megapixel cameras on the market. Because larger pixels record more light and data, our photos display more shades and greater color accuracy.
Does it work? Yes. Here’s a few examples that I took along Toronto’s waterfront. Click to see them in full size:
These images are vivid and sharp. It’s better than the iPhone 5 by far. Now how about video. For that I went to the TTC Russell (Connaught) Streetcar Carhouse to shoot a video of TTC streetcars being rolled into the yard after their morning rush hour runs. Make sure to pick 1080P and go to full screen to see the quality:
Two things to note. One, you’ll notice that in the first few seconds the camera is trying to auto focus. Once it does that, the images are sharp and the colours are vivid. Second, the sound quality is excellent. You can pick up the sounds of the streetcars perfectly, the cars passing by, even the car radio which I had thought I had turned down to a level where you wouldn’t hear it. Impressive.
Now, let me tie up a few loose ends. The battery life is impressive. I got three days plus with a single charge. That includes heavy GPS usage and video and audio usage. Also, I would also say that even though the phone is easy to hold, I’d recommend a case as the phone has a nice finish and I think once you see it, you’ll want to keep it that way. Finally, with the exception of the BlackBerry z10, this is the easiest phone to set up an e-mail account on. The process took seconds and was painless. I was very impressed by that.
My final verdict? This is an impressive phone. It’s easily the best Android phone that I’ve tested. It is fast, it has the camera I’ve tested, and it has an impressive feature set. The only place where it falls down is in the navigation system. But other than that, this phone is from the top shelf. If HTC fixes the lack of Google Maps speaking the street names, this phone would be pretty much perfect. Now HTC does have challenges at the moment in terms of competing with Samsung and Apple. But with a phone like this, they won’t have challenges for long. They simply have to get the word out and I guarantee that people will by the HTC One in spades.
Posted in Products with tags HTC, Telus on May 14, 2013 by itnerd
This part of the HTC One review covers the software that comes with the phone. There are things that stand out. For example it has a kid mode that allows a parent to hand their HTC One to their kids knowing that they won’t be doing things that they shouldn’t. Plus it helps to put age appropriate games on the smartphone. That’s a nice touch. What isn’t a nice touch is the navigation system. Being an Android phone, it’s powered by Google Maps and it offers turn by turn navigation. However, it doesn’t speak street names. That’s a bit of a fail because it forces you to look at the phone to figure out exactly where to turn. While driving, that’s dangerous. I have to admit that I find it to be even stranger if I consider that my copy of Google Maps on my new iPhone speaks street names. Perhaps it’s a different group within Google that’s responsible for this, or HTC didn’t pay Google enough money? Whatever the reason, this is a major oversight.
Another feature is BlinkFeed. BlinkFeed is an active home screen that aggregates content from different providers such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Updates can be downloaded automatically on a set schedule or BlinkFeed can be refreshed manually. This is slick. This smartphone also have HTC TV which acts as a TV guide as well as control your TV and cable box using the built in IR port. It looks slick, it easy to set up, and works quite well.
Other than that, it’s just like any other Android phone. That’s not a bad thing by the way as most owners are going to put their own software on the phone the second they get it. Though I will note that a DropBox client, as well as Polaris Office which allows you to edit Microsoft Office docs on your phone are present.
In part three of this review, I’ll cover the camera as well as wrap up a few loose ends.
Posted in Products with tags HTC, Telus on May 13, 2013 by itnerd
This week I am reviewing the HTC One which runs on the Telus network. This is HTC’s flagship phone and as you go though this three part review, you’ll see why. It runs Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) and comes in a slim package that is a bit longer and wider than the iPhone 5. The phone is made of aluminium and is easy to hold. One thing to note is that it feels solid and not cheap. This puts it on par with the iPhone 5 in my books. It also feels good in your hand which is a surprise as I thought the phone would be too big in my hand.
The first thing you notice about the phone is the screen. It’s simply stunning. It’s 4.7 inches and is capable of displaying in 1080P. Everything is sharp and clear. One thing that I noticed is that it doesn’t seem to be as prone to attracting fingerprints the way that other phones I’ve tested. That impressed me. What also impressed me was the sound. Phone call sound was outstanding and so is music playback with or without headphones. You can thank BoomSound as well as Beats Audio for the latter.
The next thing you notice is how fast this phone is. Besides having a 1.7GHz quad-core processor and 32GB of storage, it’s on LTE. So when I used the Speedtest.net Android app to test this phone, I got an average of 27390 kbps downstream and 16281 kbps upstream when I tested it. The phone is capable of doing up to 75 Mbps for what it’s worth. Having said that, the phone is not slow. One thing to note, the memory is not expandable. But I do not think that this will be an issue as 32 GB of memory should be enough for most.
The final thing I noticed is the Sense user interface. I found that many aspects of the Sense UI to be improvements over the stock Android interface. It’s clean and gorgeous widgets make this phone very useful. Not only that, it has haptic feedback so it feels like you’re typing on a real keyboard when you type. That’s a nice touch. More on that in the next part of the review. Stay tuned.
I’ve recently become the proud owner of a new iPhone 5 and I needed a case for it. I decided on the Twelve South BookBook case. Why? Simple. It looks like a book so it is different than most cases out there. It has the added feature of stealth because it looks like a book. That’s great for security purposes. Next is the fact that I could if I choose to put credit cards and ID along with cash in it. I won’t be doing that, but it’s nice to have the option. Third, it’s a quality case. It’s made of leather (in fact, you can smell it) and it’s well put together. Finally, it is well designed. All the controls are accessible and there’s a hole for the camera. How about drop protection? I don’t really feel like testing it, but I would think that it would survive a drop as the phone is isolated from the edge of the case which creates a bit of a buffer zone.
Gripes? Only one. All the cases that I’ve reviewed recently have included a screen protector. This one didn’t. Is that the biggest deal in the world? No. But when your competition includes a screen protector, you might want to consider doing so. Having said that, if you want a different sort of case, take a look at the Twelve South BookBook case. Oh, if you like this look, they make similar cases for iPads, and MacBooks. That way you can complete a library of sorts.
Wait a second. The IT Nerd is reviewing a phone that is only a phone? Yes. The question is why would I do that. Simple. For some people out there, it’s more important to have a quality phone rather than a phone that allows users to Instagram their local hangout or update their Facebook status. The Samsung Rugby III is such a phone. What sets it apart is the fact that this phone is designed to be water resistant, shock resistant and dust proof and it’s designed to meet military specs. Seeing as this wasn’t my phone, I wasn’t going to try dropping it or putting it in water. But picking it up, you can tell that it’s designed to be tough. The phone is extremely solid in terms of feel. For example the hinge (as this is a clamshell type phone) is overbuilt to resist torque. Buttons are clearly designed to have purposeful clicks without letting in water and dust. That makes this phone ideal for construction sites and extreme environments.
The phone itself is an 3G HSPA phone which maxes out at 7.2 Mbps. I couldn’t confirm that, but it did feel fast when I was using the built in web browser. It includes voice control provided by Nuance that worked quite well. One feature that was welcome was noise cancellation to ensure clear conversations. When I tested this, it worked as well as my BlueAnt Bluetooth headset which is excellent at what it does. The audio that I was listening to was crystal clear. So the Rugby III is keeping some very good company when it comes to audio quality. Besides bluetooth, there’s a 3MP camera. Okay, it’s not the top end in terms of camera on phones, but it did take decent photos. Keep in mind that the users of this phone aren’t interested high resolution photos. It also allows you to pop a 32 GB MicroSD card so you can pop your music onto the phone. After all, even those who work in demanding environments need a break from time to time.
This phone is going to appeal to a very limited market. Which is fine by Telus as they have solutions for mobile workforces which includes Fleet Complete which allows companies to track workers, assets and vehicles in real time while gathering information from the field to help improve operating efficiencies and drive operating efficiencies and enhance customer service.
The Rugby III is a quality phone for those who need a phone that will take the hits and keep coming back for more. If you’re a construction worker or someone who needs a phone that is a very rugged phone and nothing more than a phone, this is your phone. IF you need a phone that is tough and allows you to update your Facebook status, there’s always the Rugby LTE that runs Google Android, which Telus also carries.
If you’ve dropped some cash on a new laptop, you want to protect it. In my case, I put my notebook in a neoprene sleeve and then I put it into a well padded shoulder bag. It’s worked well for me. The only catch was the neoprene sleeve was pretty thin. Thus I couldn’t count on it to be a secondary line of protection. So, when the ZeroShock IV Advanced Laptop Case hit my desk, it got my attention. The case is designed from the ground up to absorb shock regardless of where the shock is coming from. It’s well built and really designed to fit snugly around the notebook. Thus choosing the correct size is crucial. Assuming that you’ve done that correctly, here’s what you’ll get.
It’s a well constructed case.
There’s a thin pocket on the inside to slide something like cables into.
The sides of the case have a thick material that is compressible so as to absorb shock that would affect the top or bottom of your notebook.
The edges also have a similar material so that your notebook will survive a drop focused on that area.
It’s rather thin and doesn’t add much bulk.
It has a soft lining so that your notebook won’t get scratched.
Negatives? None that I can think of. Overall, this is a case that I’d highly recommend if you value your notebook. You can pick one up at gearzap.com for a cost between £19.95 to £25.95 or $30 to $40 USD which is a great price for a quality case to protect your notebook.
Posted in Products with tags Veho on April 17, 2013 by itnerd
I got the Veho VSS-009-360BT – 360° M4 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker in the mail yesterday from the fine people at Love Cases in the UK. It’s not a case, but a portable speaker that gives you three ways to listen to your music. One is via a MicroSD card. As long as the card is 16GB or less and your music is in WMV or MP3 format, it’s good to go. The second way is to connect an 1/8″ cable (which is included by the way) to your music player and to the speaker. The third is the most interesting. You can connect via Bluetooth. Pairing it is easy. Turn it on, flip to switch on the bottom of the speaker to Bluetooth, use your phone to find the speaker, enter the passkey of 0000, connect. One note, the passkey is not listed in the manual. So when my BlackBerry prompted for the passkey of the speaker, I just used 0000 just because it’s the most common passkey used with Bluetooth devices. A less savvy user may have difficulty with that and phone for tech support or get frustrated. They may want to add that to the manual. Other than that, the controls on the speaker are logical and simple to use.
In any case, regardless of how you connect to the speaker, what you get is audio that is pretty impressive given how small this speaker is. It’s got two 2.2 Watt speakers that really deliver great audio. I was surprised by how good it was in my living room. I didn’t test this outdoors, but you’ll likely get decent results outdoors as well. One note, it does have a lithium ion battery that gives you 5 hours of battery life when you use the 1/8″ jack, 4 hours via the MicroSD card, or 2 hours via Bluetooth. It takes 2-4 hours to charge via a supplied Mini USB cable. Also included is a carrying sock to put the speaker in as it’s an easy to pack to device that will not take up a lot of space.
Gripes? Other than the passkey being missing from the manual, I really don’t have any. The price is sure right at £24.97 which is $40 USD. Thus I would recommend the VSS-009-360BT – 360° M4 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. It’s a very nice speaker for those who travel or need a speaker for presentations that has good audio and lots of options on how you play back your audio.
Posted in Products with tags Blue Ant on April 13, 2013 by itnerd
Last October, I was leaving a client in Mississauga and was heading home in my car. I came to a stop light and waited for the light to turn green so that I could make a right turn onto a really busy street. It was raining and because of the heavy traffic, I didn’t want to chance making a right turn. That when I heard the squealing of tires and from my left. I spotted a GM minivan spinning through the intersection. It barely missed a VW Passat wagon that was waiting to turn left in the opposite lane and hit the traffic light stand in the middle of the intersection. It hit it so hard that the light stand was bent backwards and partially broke it. After getting over being shocked by what I saw, I pulled myself together, climbed out of my car and sprinted over to the scene of the accident. I quickly determined that an adult male and a teenage female were in the minivan and they seemed to be stunned but didn’t have any obvious injuries. Still, I decided to dial 9-1-1 as I didn’t want to take any chances. Because of the rain and the wind, the operator had difficulty hearing me over my Bluetooth headset. That’s when I decided that I needed to get a better quality headset. So after some research, I settled on the Blue Ant T1.
The big feature is the ability to deliver high quality audio in winds up to 35 kilometres an hour. I couldn’t find wind speeds that fast, but when I tested it while cross country skiing and in shopping malls, it worked. Callers could hear me just fine, though they did mention that at times my voice sounded a bit rough and they could hear a small amount of background noise. I could also hear callers perfectly at all times and the audio quality was excellent.
Another feature is the ability to not only download up to 2000 phone book entries, but use those to announce who’s calling. Though, it did butcher non-western names. Some of the pronunciations of my Muslim and Chinese friends were just brutal. But such is the state of speech synthesis. I won’t hold it against Blue Ant. Conversely, the headset supports voice commands. For example, when a call comes in you can say “Answer” to pick up the call or “Ignore” to send it to voice mail hell. This is handy while driving so that you never have to take your hands off the wheel. The headset has other commands and you can say “teach me” to have you learn what those commands often. Handy for those who don’t like to read manuals.
The headset includes A2DP streaming so you’re able to listen to music, podcasts and the like from your phone. I thought that this was a lame feature until I tried it by listening to music on the phone while waiting in line at the grocery store. It also reinforced the excellent audio qualities of the headset. Though it did sometimes pause the audio stream for a split second. I suspect that this has to do with the Blackberry Torch that I have as I have seen this behaviour with a couple cars that I have tested recently.
Now Blue Ant calls this a rugged headset, but from what I can tell, it’s only rugged when you use the included silicon covers that protect the headset from shocks and also protecting the USB port for moisture. That’s something that I wouldn’t use on a daily basis as they look kind of cheezy and the USB port cover really doesn’t stay in the USB port all that well. But at least it’s some added protection. Speaking of looks, without this cover, the black version of this headset looks classy and doesn’t have any flashing lights to make you stand out in a negative way. In terms of getting the headset to fit you, there’s a variety ear pieces and two ear hooks so that you can find a fit that works for you. In my case I’m still experimenting to find a combo that works for me consistently. I can get a comfortable fit, but it doesn’t feel totally secure to me. Your mileage may vary. Before I forget, the battery life is outstanding. I can go days without needing a charge.
So what’s the bottom line? If you want a Bluetooth headset that delivers excellent audio quality, you want to get the Blue Ant T1. I highly recommend it.
As for the accident. Nobody was seriously injured, but the driver of the van was charged with careless driving. I’m going to court as a witness on May 9th in relation to this. That should be fun.
