Why I went from Windows Phone 8 Lumia 520 to BlackBerry 8350 with BBOS 5

Going back to a flip phone isn't that uncommon. Many people find flip phones adequate : 99% of the apps are useless, cell phone cameras are ok, but don't expect to make big printouts of a 5MP sensor. The GPS feature is nice, but SAT navigation is overrated if the maps are not up to date.

Before getting into the details of why I switched phones, let me expose my insensible nature with regard to the consumption of technology. Over the past couple years, I have owned and used :

1. Sony CMB1207CNT0 - Phone and not much else. Instead of getting a land line. (1998)
2. Motorola V505 - Excellent but the speaker died (2006)
3. Motorola VE538 - Very durable, a few bugs, but I will keep it as a GSM backup (2009)
4. LG Chocolate KG800 - good design, but the touch controls leave somewhat to desire. I needed Internet on my phone, but it had to be a branded phone from the provider- I got it used for $15 (2010)
5. Huawei u8350 - Unlimited internet with the provider made me get another phone ! (2011-2012)
6. LG LG230 - Good flip phone - basics. I got used for $25 as my area did not have a GSM network (2012)
7. Nokia Lumia 520 - The LG230 was locked with CDMA to a carrier that made in country roaming prohibitively expensive : 50¢ a minute. The Lumia was the second cheapest on the list of phones, and I have to admit that I like Microsoft produts. (mid-2013)
8. BlackBerry 8530 - The Lumia 520 did not work in a CDMA only zone.  (Late 2013 -  present  )

From point #7 the most obvious reason is connectivity :  travel in regions that only have CDMA coverage.

The next reason the certainty of the keyboard. Although you do not type much faster on a BlackBerry than on touch screen which has predictive text, it is far more pleasurable. When using a friend's iPhone, I would have to type and retype words to get them to be typed correctly. Autocorrect wasn't that straight forward either. As I am still getting used to the BlackBerry, it is takes more time than I would like it to, but it is still more accurate than using the Windows Phone.
 

I could not find any reason to play games on my phone. I tried car racing, RPGs, shooters etc. but none were any fun. Apps don't make or break a phone.


What the BlackBerry Curve and other feature phones do have right are dedicated buttons. I see people taking out the iPhones, Android phones etc to change track on whatever they are listening to. I like the feature of pressing a button to pause, play, back, forward etc... The same goes for the camera. Simple buttons do most of the work.

Another thing that I realised that the BlackBerry got right was the keyboard shortcuts. Anything from deleting a message to page down, my thumb knows where to go without having to move the screen.

The BlackBerry is also very well behaved : I can control the notifications for the accounts, the hours that I get notifications and it is discreet with the light to remind me of a missed call or message.


What does the Lumia do better?

There are some things on the Windows phone that are far better : document opening and navigation, a big screen and of course integration with Windows tools such as Lync, Office and Skype.

Well it being about 3 years newer, the browser is faster, so is the connection  ( 4G vs CDMA is not a big surprise).
Surprisingly, the WIFI reception on the BlackBerry is better than the Lumia.

The screen size is a compromise. I think a small screen is fine. I glance at the emails, see what I need to see and it is done. I have read some articles, but it takes a lot of patience to read anything on a screen. That being said, I am sure that no one in the right mind will printout anything from this blog!



When and if this Blackberry Curve 8530 dies, I hope to be able to replace it with something similar which includes a trackpad, keyboard and dedicated media buttons.

Browser opening up to http://dinoraptzor.org - HACK alert

I have not yet found the source, but if your browser is opening up to http://dinoraptzor.org or http://www.gameroover.org/ your computer has been hacked by something.

I found this in my registry using CCleaner 

cmd.exe /k if %date:~6,4%%date:~3,2%%date:~0,2% LEQ 20131027 (exit) else (start http://dinoraptzor.org && exit)

If you have any solutions or sources, please share below.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 i5-4200M with Nvidia GT745M - Review

The new Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 is equipped with a NVIDIA GT 745M which will be more than sufficient for modern games, a fast Haswell i5-4200 CPU and 6GB of RAM. While the desktop replacement is no longer a term for laptops, as many people only think of computers being laptops, the Z710 has a 17 inch screen and a full HD display.

With regards to performance, the benchmarks of the Z510 are a good indicator that this larger model will perform just as well.

The reviews of the Lenovo z710are scarce for the moment as it has just been made available.

A full size keyboard with number pad. (My photo isn't straight!)

 

 

Ports

USB

2 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0

Video Port

1 x VGA

HDMI

1 x HDMI

Physical Specifications

Dimensions

16.3" x 10.6" x 1.24"

Weight

6.4 lbs.

 

ZORK for the PS4 ?!

Grabbing a book and immersing oneself into a story is just as common as it was 25 years ago. In fact, more people have the luxury to do so.

How would we find exploring the world of Zork today? Would the latest and greatest hardware make it anymore enjoyable?

The other day I picked up "Understanding Media" by Marshall McLuhan. Seeing the yellowed pages and how densely the words are printed, I had my doubts that I would be able to read it. The pages were pleasantly turned one by one nonetheless. Although I consider it a staple of 20th Century literature, for someone who never played the whole of Zelda, Super Mario Brothers or even tried Call of Duty, it would be ridiculous to consider that there are any "must play" games.

Why do single cup coffee makers (ie. Keurig or Tassimo) taste so disgusting ?

The machines have been out for a number of years now. I was initially disturbed by the amount of waste they generate. While it is agreeable to have a fresh cup of coffee to your liking, the awful taste doesn't make up for the personalized coffee drinking experience.

I am trying to convince myself that the bitter taste is from my consciousness. The plastic, paper and aluminum wasted from each serving constructs an image of landfills, incinerators burning dirty fuel, the inefficiency of the factory and the unpleasant factory workers making K-cups that just go to waste all construct the bad taste in my mouth, but no, the coffee just tastes bad.

Why I feel sad for those who get the latest and greatest

The other day, someone showed me his iPad. I have seen and used tablets before, however I know that they fall short of the utility of a desktop or notebook computer. Portability is nice, but the ergonomics of a touchscreen are lacking.

Computers haven't changed that much in the past 20 years. We use:

• e-mail;
• instant messaging or chat;
• write reports;
• read the news;
• search for articles (yes that was possible with Lynx);
• work with media such as compose music or edit videos;
• play music and videos;
• play games; 
• etc.

When we hear about the latest smartphone, or tablet, with the highest resolution, fastest processor or something else, there is in fact very little to be excited about. Most functions were possible with phones about 7 or 8 years old including a camera, voice recorder, synchronize contacts and e-mail. I look at my phone and find only a few apps that I installed. Most of them have never been used.

Nokia Lumia 520 Amber Update for Koodo

One word : Finally!

It seems like it takes a few hours to download and then install.
Go to Settings -> Update Phone -> Check for updates
If you have a data limit, you will want to this on Wi-Fi

Major features include :
Data Sense

FM Radio
Better photos in low light
Burst Mode for photos
Flip the phone to silence ringing.

Enjoy!

Data Sense

 Interface of the FM Radio