I didn't keep my promise as of the time of this posting, but I have more than a month now with my APC and have a better opinion about it. My new gadget is - as the title says - a mobile power pack. The most common problem I anticipated while on the move lately, was the power supply. This comes especially critical when I am using my iPhone as one-for all: phone, browser and ipod. As I was looking around in the market, I came across several solutions but the most attractive to me was the one I finally got: APC.
Functionality: APC comes with minimum ports - as it is supposed to be for something of this kind. It has a micro USB for charging the Lithium-Polymer power pack inside it and a normal USB port for charging your devices. It has also a convenient indicator with LED, giving you the remaining charge at the press of a button. The same button also activates the device after long period of not being used. Charging is easy and can be done either by plugging into any home plug, car adapter for USB or by any USB port of your laptop or desktop.
Design: although this is not the primary concern of such a device, an attractive design is always welcome. Especially when you would like to use it somewhere in public for charging your latest cool gadget - i.e. iPhone (?) - it can't be looking like a Chinese plastic soap pocket! APC, is cool, sleek and a perfect match to your cool gadgets! It has a normal size (a little wider but shorter than iPhone - I guess around the size of an old 30GB ipod), a nice lacquered black finish, at an overall minimalistic smooth design.
Performance: since none of us will but this just to show it around, it is important to know if it works! First of all the APC can be used for any device that can be powered by USB port (with exception of Sony-Ericsson phones, but this is a pending issue for me). I used it perfectly with my iPhone and with my Serenata (yes.. from B&O and Samsung... to be reviewed) giving around two full charges to iphone with a full charge of APC (this is estimated ofcourse cause I never let my iphone to drain totally from power and I get more than two charges). Secondly I can carry it around most of time and be practically secure that I will always have power to my primary at least device - since who wants to carry all those cables around too?
Issues: from using it for the last month or so, I have a couple of issues to complain about. One is the cables that have to carry (so I only bring my iphone's one in most of cases). I am sure it can be solved with expandable w/multiple adapters solutions I have met out there, but still didn't find it important enough to go and get one of them. Second is SonyEricsson issue: none of my three SE phones that i tried could charge through the standard PC USB cable that comes with them. In fact I am not sure this is the phone or cable problem but still is a drawback. APC mentions that I should use the APC branded cables to ensure compatibility - but I can't find them & after all it should be a universal solution.
Overall, APC mobile power pack is a good solution for those looking for such a device, and it will bring you loads of power for those GB of music to keep playing or for not letting your phone out of battery at the most inconvenient time and it does it in style!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The comeback....
I have been away for looong time... Well, this is because many things changed in my life, but I am still interested in getting more and more gadgets for my own use (and collection). Being such a user, I have recently came up with an issue that i am sure has already met from many gadget users out there: battery running out! (especially at moments you really can't charge it!). After a small market research I found -guess what?- a gadget can keep my gadgets up and running!
I am trying to get my hands on it before the weekend and hopefully will have a review here at the beginning of the next week. Till then... be patient! :)
I am trying to get my hands on it before the weekend and hopefully will have a review here at the beginning of the next week. Till then... be patient! :)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Porsche Design P'9521
I thought it was about a time to add something to my wishlist. Just to set the record straight, my idea of a wishlist is having items that are beyond my financial reach (in other words too expensive for me) or items that would be nice to have but for several reasons that I'll explain per case, I don't intend to buy.
The Porsche Design P'9521 belongs to this category. From the looks of it, it is obvious that the company that design high quality items to be sold under the Porsche brand, has done a very good job. The aluminum casing and the "mineral glass" -whatever that means- give the emphasis to the design of the mobile. It looks solid, classy and unique, definitely unlike any other clam-shell mobile available in the market. The "Porsche Design" is clearly written in the front shell and the minimalistic exterior is absolutely perfect from any point of view.
So, is it just the looks? Well...not really! The phone comes out with several characteristics quite unique for the category like the fingerprint reader for security which is a great idea: when you pay something like €1200 for a mobile you definitely wouldn't like to be stolen and fingerprint is one of the best counter-theft implementations. In addition the fingerprint reader can be used for granting access to various functions of the phone, like access to address book or SMS inbox (a great functionality for all those naughty people with "curious" other-halves peeking in your mobile when you're away ;). It also comes packed with a 3.2 MPixel camera with auto-focus and video capability which makes use one of the nicest features of the device which is the swiveling front shell by 180 degrees that allows the camera to be used without having the full phone open.
The phone is also a multimedia player, supporting music (MP3 and six more formats) and video (MPEG4, 3GP and even streaming) reproduction on the 2.2" OLED screen - which also promises low power consumption so that your recharging needs stay low. On the same screen you can have internet browsing via Opera mini and in combination with the fingerprint reader that is used for faster and easier navigation (although that sounds pretty tricky to me). And you also get 32MB of internal memory and MicroSD expansion slot (i.e. up to 4GB) with a nifty 2GB MicroSD card included in the original package for all the storage you may need.
After all those full characteristics you possibly wonder why I keep it in the whishlist. Well, the €1200 is an amount that can be explained by the brand, so when you're buying a Porsche you expect to pay the respective amount. No the cost -even high- is not the reason. The reason is the manufacturer: yes.. right! Porsche does not manufacture phones! The company used for the manufacturing of the specific device is Sagem. Now the French tradition is good in design and quality but I dare to say that they seem far delayed in the mobile phone industry. Good or bad, and until gphone OS roll out, each of us is used to specific functionality based on the devices we are using: so Nokia fans know what to expect from Nokia devices, SonyEricsson the same, Samsung, Motorola and so on.. Unfortunately Sagem didn't continue a good perspective they have back in the end of nineties. Therefore I wouldn't personally risk giving the amount requested for a very classy branded phone for just showing it off... For sure, I haven't touched or extensively used the phone, therefore there's still a chance to move it to "wants" or even "haves"... I'll keep you posted if that happens...
The Porsche Design P'9521 belongs to this category. From the looks of it, it is obvious that the company that design high quality items to be sold under the Porsche brand, has done a very good job. The aluminum casing and the "mineral glass" -whatever that means- give the emphasis to the design of the mobile. It looks solid, classy and unique, definitely unlike any other clam-shell mobile available in the market. The "Porsche Design" is clearly written in the front shell and the minimalistic exterior is absolutely perfect from any point of view.So, is it just the looks? Well...not really! The phone comes out with several characteristics quite unique for the category like the fingerprint reader for security which is a great idea: when you pay something like €1200 for a mobile you definitely wouldn't like to be stolen and fingerprint is one of the best counter-theft implementations. In addition the fingerprint reader can be used for granting access to various functions of the phone, like access to address book or SMS inbox (a great functionality for all those naughty people with "curious" other-halves peeking in your mobile when you're away ;). It also comes packed with a 3.2 MPixel camera with auto-focus and video capability which makes use one of the nicest features of the device which is the swiveling front shell by 180 degrees that allows the camera to be used without having the full phone open.
The phone is also a multimedia player, supporting music (MP3 and six more formats) and video (MPEG4, 3GP and even streaming) reproduction on the 2.2" OLED screen - which also promises low power consumption so that your recharging needs stay low. On the same screen you can have internet browsing via Opera mini and in combination with the fingerprint reader that is used for faster and easier navigation (although that sounds pretty tricky to me). And you also get 32MB of internal memory and MicroSD expansion slot (i.e. up to 4GB) with a nifty 2GB MicroSD card included in the original package for all the storage you may need.After all those full characteristics you possibly wonder why I keep it in the whishlist. Well, the €1200 is an amount that can be explained by the brand, so when you're buying a Porsche you expect to pay the respective amount. No the cost -even high- is not the reason. The reason is the manufacturer: yes.. right! Porsche does not manufacture phones! The company used for the manufacturing of the specific device is Sagem. Now the French tradition is good in design and quality but I dare to say that they seem far delayed in the mobile phone industry. Good or bad, and until gphone OS roll out, each of us is used to specific functionality based on the devices we are using: so Nokia fans know what to expect from Nokia devices, SonyEricsson the same, Samsung, Motorola and so on.. Unfortunately Sagem didn't continue a good perspective they have back in the end of nineties. Therefore I wouldn't personally risk giving the amount requested for a very classy branded phone for just showing it off... For sure, I haven't touched or extensively used the phone, therefore there's still a chance to move it to "wants" or even "haves"... I'll keep you posted if that happens...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
iPhone
I am sure that there's noone that hasn't seen once or read -more than once- a presentation or review of this "gadget". Well, for sure Apple made the hottest and more desirable mobile device than covers everyone's needs: from the stylish to the techie and from business to fun, all can find a good reason to replace their previous mobile with an iPhone.
Being the happy owner of this device for about a month I can admit that I am captured by the way I am interacting with the device. It is actually "the world on my finger" kind of situation, where every function is run in this phone by a single finger (hmm actually not every; but I'll tell you about it further down). I have been the user of PDA's -those bulky and slow Microsoft based devices- fore several years, and I was used to touch-screen interaction; still iPhone made the way a touch-screen can be used much more easier, user-friendly and fascinating! Of course it can't be compared to PDA's -not even the HTC touch I owned for a couple of weeks- or even to single finger based LG Prada operation. iPhone is in a league of its own!
Design: the device is built to impress you from the moment you touch it. The 4/5 metal back with the "Apple" sign engraved, the absence of many buttons and the shiny metal around the screen give exactly what you'd expect from Apple. I am sure MOMA will start to built the "Apple" wing sometime shortly ;) The screen is brilliant and far beyond everything I have seen in such devices. Many people compare it to PSP (only) but for sure my PSP doesn't seem so "live" and "clear" from my perspective; for sure though it is the only device with a display close to the iPhone.
Phone: oh yes! let's not forget this is the initial reason it was made for (really???). Well, pretty much everything you expect from a phone is here: you have a dial-pad, the recent calls list, the speed-dial list and the contact list having all your contacts there. Sounds similar to what you already have, right? Well, iPhone introduces so many things that differentiate it, from the immediate scrolling of the contact list to the simplified way you can add and remove a contact, to add it in the speed-dial list or to modify it whenever you want. the most eye-capturing difference is the way the contacts are scrolling (and "bouncing" when reaching the end or the beginning of the screen), with the response to human touch to make even the biggest non-believer out there to accept the good work done on this aspect. SMS functionality is very easy (using in full the amazing text insertion interface) and the messages are displayed as a chat between sender and receiver.
iPod: as I have never used an iPod before, I can't compare it to the internal competition. Nevertheless I have used MP3 players from Sony and Archos as well as PSPs media for videos an I can say that the sound is clear and loud as you can expect from the brand that set up the standards for the market. Videos are smooth and similar to the UMD quality of PSP (I would give the same mark to both devices). For another time though, Apple is making a difference to the way your collection of songs is displayed on screen being able to scroll between the covers of your albums (if you bought the titles from iTunes store or you have inserted them in your collection). In addition this is the first place to notice the gyroscopic funtion of the device, while changing from vertical to horizontal position, changes the way tracks are displayed and the user interface!
Internet: iPhone uses Safari and I can say that although I checked if my favorite Firefox will ever become available, I hardly have any complaints. The manual insertion of the URL as well as from bookmarks is piece of cake and the display of the page almost as in your PC browser, and google search included in the top of the browser. Scrolling to any direction is done by fingers and you can zoom in - zoom out with the notorious two finger movement (damn! you have to use two for that!). The job being done in the web browsing is amazing too, since the focus and clarity of the page is so good that you can read perfectly well even in total zoom out in most of cases. Gyroscopic functionality is used here too, while switching from vertical to horizontal position automatically switches the way the web page is displayed on screen. Finally, you can use multiple web pages at the same time and the switching is much easier than in any smartphones I have seen up to now.
Productivity: for the most business users, features described up to now are good but how can they leave their handy e-mail "bricks"? Well, although not a "Blackberry" device you can have your e-mail via POP or IMAP access and many famous public e-mail providers like gmail and yahoo! are already included for fast setup. Calendar is complete and can be synchronized with outlook, clock includes a world clock functionality, notes are there as well as a simple calulator and finally a nice Stocks application getting real time data from Yahoo! (although set up for US as my device is based for US usage). Weather is also displayed the same way for various cities around the world and you also have a Maps application displaying the same way GoogleMaps and GoogleEarth.
Fun: iPhone comes with a 2Mpixel camera and you can see the photos you take, in the brilliant screen using the described zoom and gyroscopic functions here too. Final touch is the access to YouTube that is done directly -not via the internet browser- and that includes "Featured", "Most Viewed" and "Bookmarks" links as well as search functionality.
Misses: Of course Apple missed out several things that we can find in other mobile devices and which I hear all the time from people around me when I am expressing my enthusiasm for the iPhone. For the beginning the phone is made for US therefore MMS is missing (not highly used I suppose), multi-receiver SMS too and the dial pattern is based on US rules -the latter changed in the 1.1.1 upgrade as I have read. The same upgrade has made multi-language support available too and this is nice for users who like to see their own language in menus and send SMS in local language. Camera is also below the standards of the cost of the device (is announced to 999 € as standalone in France) where competition is at 3,2MP or more... From my personal point of view, the word and excel functionality I have on my Sony-Ericsson P1 is neat to have for e-mail attachments -just for a quick look when needed. Oh...a colleague also noticed that there's a lack of movement sensor to understand the orders given over the screen ;)
For the cost of getting through eBay (being the cheaper) or through local isolated importers an iPhone, it is at the time the best in style, functionality and usability device in the market. Yes, it is not perfect and yes there are still things that can be added to it. Nevertheless, having used an iPhone for sometime makes you change the way you want your phone to be used and it is by far the most "hot" gadget for anyone to own. Looking the smile of lucky owners when they use it can be the proof...
Being the happy owner of this device for about a month I can admit that I am captured by the way I am interacting with the device. It is actually "the world on my finger" kind of situation, where every function is run in this phone by a single finger (hmm actually not every; but I'll tell you about it further down). I have been the user of PDA's -those bulky and slow Microsoft based devices- fore several years, and I was used to touch-screen interaction; still iPhone made the way a touch-screen can be used much more easier, user-friendly and fascinating! Of course it can't be compared to PDA's -not even the HTC touch I owned for a couple of weeks- or even to single finger based LG Prada operation. iPhone is in a league of its own!Design: the device is built to impress you from the moment you touch it. The 4/5 metal back with the "Apple" sign engraved, the absence of many buttons and the shiny metal around the screen give exactly what you'd expect from Apple. I am sure MOMA will start to built the "Apple" wing sometime shortly ;) The screen is brilliant and far beyond everything I have seen in such devices. Many people compare it to PSP (only) but for sure my PSP doesn't seem so "live" and "clear" from my perspective; for sure though it is the only device with a display close to the iPhone.
Phone: oh yes! let's not forget this is the initial reason it was made for (really???). Well, pretty much everything you expect from a phone is here: you have a dial-pad, the recent calls list, the speed-dial list and the contact list having all your contacts there. Sounds similar to what you already have, right? Well, iPhone introduces so many things that differentiate it, from the immediate scrolling of the contact list to the simplified way you can add and remove a contact, to add it in the speed-dial list or to modify it whenever you want. the most eye-capturing difference is the way the contacts are scrolling (and "bouncing" when reaching the end or the beginning of the screen), with the response to human touch to make even the biggest non-believer out there to accept the good work done on this aspect. SMS functionality is very easy (using in full the amazing text insertion interface) and the messages are displayed as a chat between sender and receiver.
iPod: as I have never used an iPod before, I can't compare it to the internal competition. Nevertheless I have used MP3 players from Sony and Archos as well as PSPs media for videos an I can say that the sound is clear and loud as you can expect from the brand that set up the standards for the market. Videos are smooth and similar to the UMD quality of PSP (I would give the same mark to both devices). For another time though, Apple is making a difference to the way your collection of songs is displayed on screen being able to scroll between the covers of your albums (if you bought the titles from iTunes store or you have inserted them in your collection). In addition this is the first place to notice the gyroscopic funtion of the device, while changing from vertical to horizontal position, changes the way tracks are displayed and the user interface!
Internet: iPhone uses Safari and I can say that although I checked if my favorite Firefox will ever become available, I hardly have any complaints. The manual insertion of the URL as well as from bookmarks is piece of cake and the display of the page almost as in your PC browser, and google search included in the top of the browser. Scrolling to any direction is done by fingers and you can zoom in - zoom out with the notorious two finger movement (damn! you have to use two for that!). The job being done in the web browsing is amazing too, since the focus and clarity of the page is so good that you can read perfectly well even in total zoom out in most of cases. Gyroscopic functionality is used here too, while switching from vertical to horizontal position automatically switches the way the web page is displayed on screen. Finally, you can use multiple web pages at the same time and the switching is much easier than in any smartphones I have seen up to now.Productivity: for the most business users, features described up to now are good but how can they leave their handy e-mail "bricks"? Well, although not a "Blackberry" device you can have your e-mail via POP or IMAP access and many famous public e-mail providers like gmail and yahoo! are already included for fast setup. Calendar is complete and can be synchronized with outlook, clock includes a world clock functionality, notes are there as well as a simple calulator and finally a nice Stocks application getting real time data from Yahoo! (although set up for US as my device is based for US usage). Weather is also displayed the same way for various cities around the world and you also have a Maps application displaying the same way GoogleMaps and GoogleEarth.
Fun: iPhone comes with a 2Mpixel camera and you can see the photos you take, in the brilliant screen using the described zoom and gyroscopic functions here too. Final touch is the access to YouTube that is done directly -not via the internet browser- and that includes "Featured", "Most Viewed" and "Bookmarks" links as well as search functionality.
Misses: Of course Apple missed out several things that we can find in other mobile devices and which I hear all the time from people around me when I am expressing my enthusiasm for the iPhone. For the beginning the phone is made for US therefore MMS is missing (not highly used I suppose), multi-receiver SMS too and the dial pattern is based on US rules -the latter changed in the 1.1.1 upgrade as I have read. The same upgrade has made multi-language support available too and this is nice for users who like to see their own language in menus and send SMS in local language. Camera is also below the standards of the cost of the device (is announced to 999 € as standalone in France) where competition is at 3,2MP or more... From my personal point of view, the word and excel functionality I have on my Sony-Ericsson P1 is neat to have for e-mail attachments -just for a quick look when needed. Oh...a colleague also noticed that there's a lack of movement sensor to understand the orders given over the screen ;)
For the cost of getting through eBay (being the cheaper) or through local isolated importers an iPhone, it is at the time the best in style, functionality and usability device in the market. Yes, it is not perfect and yes there are still things that can be added to it. Nevertheless, having used an iPhone for sometime makes you change the way you want your phone to be used and it is by far the most "hot" gadget for anyone to own. Looking the smile of lucky owners when they use it can be the proof...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A digital universe
For my friends, colleagues and the people who know me, I am the person that spends a good part of his money to expand his "digital" environment. I bet there are plenty like me out there that do the same thing: looking for the next item to add in their collection.
I have always been the adviser for people that wanted to buy several things from a mobile phone to a home cinema, or to give my opinion for which is the best over a selection of different electronics.
What I found out lately is that simple users don't get the full ideas of features the most advanced (and sometimes dedicated) users explain and analyze. That gave me the idea of posting my experience with several different items as an experience of a common (or slightly advanced) user, that could make some sense to anyone looking for the same usage.
At the same time, I will try to keep a list of items I own or like to own (have/must have/wish for): the items can be projected or new...or even items I am not sure they can fulfill my expectations or worth what they ask for but still attractive enough to stand in one of those categories.
This is a digital world and you're welcome to check out my digital gadgets. :)
I have always been the adviser for people that wanted to buy several things from a mobile phone to a home cinema, or to give my opinion for which is the best over a selection of different electronics.
What I found out lately is that simple users don't get the full ideas of features the most advanced (and sometimes dedicated) users explain and analyze. That gave me the idea of posting my experience with several different items as an experience of a common (or slightly advanced) user, that could make some sense to anyone looking for the same usage.
At the same time, I will try to keep a list of items I own or like to own (have/must have/wish for): the items can be projected or new...or even items I am not sure they can fulfill my expectations or worth what they ask for but still attractive enough to stand in one of those categories.
This is a digital world and you're welcome to check out my digital gadgets. :)
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