Comments for thewunderbar

Comment on The Samsung Galaxy Nexus by wunderbar

wunderbar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:30:59 +0000

The battery life is on par with most android phones I think. It’s not better, it’s not worse. Considering how big the screen is I think that it does make for improved battery management in ICS, but we won’t really know until we see smaller devices with it.

Comment on The Samsung Galaxy Nexus by Ben Babcock

Ben Babcock — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:14:37 +0000

Thorough and excellent review. How is the battery life on your Nexus?

Also, when you say:

I really welcome the LED flash, as the Galaxy Nexus didn’t’ have one.
I think you mean that the Galaxy S didn’t have one.

Comment on The Samsung Galaxy S – Android in a nutshell by wunderbar

wunderbar — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:33:37 +0000

See, I’m well versed in doing that stuff, but there is again another limitation with 3rd party android phones at time. My specific hardware revision of the Galaxy S has a specific version of the bootloader which is locked down pretty hard and doesn’t work with CM7 as it will not run with unsigned code. To get CM7 on my specific phone would require downgrading the bootloader to a version which can run custom code. The process of doing that on my bootloader is difficult and tedious and carried significant risk to my phone. People have broken the bootloader trying to downgrade from this version, which means you have a dead phone, forever. With the Galaxy Nexus (which I did pick up), unlocking the bootloader took about 4 minutes to do.

Regardless, if someone like my dad buys an android phone, he shouldnt’ have to fiddle with unlocking or changing the bootloader and loading a custom ROM to get an OS update. It is fun for people like you or me, but not something the average person wants, or frankly should have to do.

Comment on The Samsung Galaxy S – Android in a nutshell by Ben Babcock

Ben Babcock — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:59:53 +0000

My carrier disabled OTA updating via Samsung’s nasty Kies software, so I would have had to take my phone in (!) to a store to get them to update it to 2.2. Or so someone I knew who knew someone at the company told me—they didn’t exactly publicize the ability to upgrade one’s phone. To that end, while I agree wholeheartedly with you that the phone manufacturer has a responsibility, the carriers are also part of the problem. They can intercede and block or alter updates—don’t forget that most manufacturers customize Android not only for their phones but for the major US and Canadian carriers too. It gets very confusing!

Eventually I did get frustrated with the limitations of Android 2.1, enough so that I made the leap and installed CyanogenMod. I admit to some trepidation when I did this, but the actual process of flashing the new firmware was not as scary as it seemed. Now I’ve been running CM for about four months, and my only real complaint is that I can’t pair my phone with my dad’s car any more. I really should buy a line-in cable that works….

Flashing CM was actually really easy: there’s an app for that. Is it too “advanced” for the average user? I don’t know. At this stage, the language and presentation of the steps to follow are probably a little rough around the edges. Depending on one’s phone, the upgrade can go flawlessly, or one might need a tech-savvy friend standing by in case something goes awry. (I got stuck in a boot loop, because I did this when the CM version for the Galaxy S was still in nightlies.) So, yes, perhaps custom firmware is a little too advanced right now—but it’s something to keep in mind as the process becomes easier and more streamlined.

The only real disadvantage is that it voids one’s warranty—but if one’s phone is old enough that it’s not getting an Android update, the warranty has probably expired or will expire shortly. Moreover, I would not necessarily portray this option as particularly dangerous. The chances of bricking one’s phone are quite small, and the process is getting better with every iteration. Besides, if one were going to buy a new phone anyway, then surely this operation carries much less risk even as it offers a greater reward.

I would love to see third-party firmware become a larger part of the market, an alternative to the alternative of purchasing a stock phone, if you will. I have a feeling that this will be the case, barring any major move by manufacturers to throw up hardware obstacles in the path of the modders. But I think this is where the “openness” of Android shines at the moment. While I agree that it would be awesome if manufacturers undertook the updating of their phones’ software more responsibly, I’m not optimistic that they will ever do so. I do not have faith in the free-market idea that one’s wallet gives one a vote. I prefer to look outside the system. And while that might not be an option for every consumer at the moment, that won’t necessarily be the case indefinitely.

Comment on Can we stop spreading fear over Wifi in schools? by Ben Babcock

Ben Babcock — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:00:22 +0000

Here here! It’s also worth distinguishing between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. WiFi and the signals emitted by cell phones are both of the latter type. Non-ionizing radiation can certainly be harmful in large doses—it can, for instance, cause burns—it is not nearly as bad as ionizing radiation, which is the type that can damage DNA and thus lead to cancer. For me, this distinction illustrates why it’s crazy to say that cell phones cause cancer simply because they expose us to radiation—it isn’t even the type of radiation that causes cancer. You may also find this page on the UK Health Protection Agency website useful. It has general information on the safety of WiFi, as well as a link to an extensive study carried out on the effects of children’s exposure to WiFi in schools.

Comment on The Big Cat – OS X Lion Reviewed by Black omega

Black omega — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 03:48:09 +0000

I Disagree. Lion is the VISTA of the apple world, or a lemon of sorts, they got everything wrong, my main complaint is when you have a dual display rig and use a full screen app the second screen turns off making it a paperweight

the second huge mistake was adding the IOS stuff to osx BIG BIG BIG MISTAKE

Comment on Shaw Launches Movie Club, badly. by GordL

GordL — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 04:49:28 +0000

I believe subscribers that have Movie Central can get Movie Club at a discount.

Comment on The NDP & Quebec – should we be surprised? by Ben Babcock

Ben Babcock — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:09:06 +0000

Good analysis! I too have to admit to some excitement that we have such a strong Official Opposition. The election really threw some of the political analysts–many were tentatively calling a Conservative majority prior to Election Day, but I don’t think anyone expected the NDP landslide and the Liberal/Bloc devastation. I think we have become a bit complacent in our expectations of who gets to run the government, and this election demonstrates that when people vote and make their vote count, change can happen.

I’m not a huge fan of the NDP, and since they are probably the party I like the most, that should tell you how I feel about the other parties. But this new mixture of seats in the House of Commons will hopefully fuel, if not change for the better, then change that will continue motivating Canadians to participate. That’s what democracy is about.

Comment on Shaw presents new Internet packages by Wesley

Wesley — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:08:10 +0000

I am not one for television, however, will make use of it for specific programming. Otherwise, cut the crap tv and all the repetitive junk on the box. If in fact Shaw Cable Network is willing to show respect for their supportive and long term customers, the Broadband 50 plan for $59 is better than the Extreme Internet I currently have and tv seems worthwhile once again. Moreover, will Shaw continue to be a leader of the industry, moving all service areas to be equal in speed as the well larger urban centers, or keep pushing legacy hardware to lesser supported regions, and newest developed areas which have maybe half the speed and charges the customer the same pricing rates.

Comment on Shaw presents new Internet packages by Mikkel Paulson

Mikkel Paulson — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:30:50 +0000

“TV will still remain a very big part of their business, but this type of move really puts the internet where it should be, equal or higher than TV on their priority list.”

Then how do you account for their requirement that subscribers pay for a TV package? I have no need of cable TV; in fact, I don’t even own a television. Online on-demand viewing is so much more convenient. As far as I can tell, Shaw is just trying to prop up a dying medium.

The speeds and price points sure are nice, though. Hope other ISPs feel the squeeze and are forced to follow suit.