Disqus - Latest Comments for ollysk2

Re: What’s the best backpack a geek can buy?

ollysk2 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:39:02 -0000

I'l second the Northface recommendation - as a daily driver, I carry a Crumpler messenger bag, but my travel backpack is a Northface something or other that I bought a few years ago, and it's been through a ton of shit and still keeps going.

Re: Mobile Industry Review turns into a weekly newsletter next Friday

ollysk2 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:36:54 -0000

I like the idea, but I gotta suggest Sunday, not Friday -- the main reason being that all week my RSS and email goes apeshit - then on Sunday there's a huge dead lag -- so having this to read on Sunday would mean I had a lot more time to devote to it, AND give me something to read on a slow news day.

cheers!

Re: Nokia Booklet 3G To Cost $299 From Best Buy

ollysk2 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:40:10 -0000

Just to be clear, I said a third LESS, not a third of the price ;)

You are right about the 720p, I'll give you that - but only for now given that Dell, Lenovo, Asus, etc all have 720p displays announced, and all of them for cheaper (ranging from 75 bucks to 200 bucks cheaper). HDMI-out is available on quite a few netbooks at the moment - again all cheaper. As for battery life, most of the newer netbook batteries are announcing 7hr and up battery life, and I'd say that once you get to the 7 or 8 hr mark, you're playing in the same ball field.

So yes, the Nokia adds GPS to the mix, and if GPS on your netbook is worth the premium, then sure, it's a good deal.

But you'll still never convince me that having a built in sim is a good idea over an external modem, given the flexibility argument.

Re: Nokia Booklet 3G To Cost $299 From Best Buy

ollysk2 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:25:51 -0000

Ya but the fact that without the subsidy it's 600 also is a turn off..
There are similar spec'd netbooks for a third less, and there really
isn't anything super compelling about the booklet to warrant the
premium.. Once again you are paying the Nokia tax for no reason.

As for the sim card being user accessible, fair point but you can get
a subsidized netbook with internal 3g and similar specs for anywhere
from free to 200 bucks, so you STILL pay an unwarranted premium for
the booklet.

Not to mention the fact that an external modem allows use across
multiple devices a) without swapping the sim, and b) even on devices
that don't have an internal sim slot. The netbook by it's definition
is supposed to be a companion device, not a primary device, so in
theory you'd have another laptop that most likely DOESNT have a sim
slot. So ya, you can yank the sim out but if you want to use it on any
other device, you'd need to buy an external modem anyway, which
unsubsidized would be another couple hundred bucks.

The point is that by buying an internal 3g device you cripple the
flexibility of that 60 bucks a month you are paying for, and by buying
the nokia unsubsidized you are paying more without any real
justification for paying it. Hell even the Apple tax gets you OSX
which at least is somewhat of a differentiator.

In my opinion ISP's would be smart to offer a discount on internal 3g
per month, say 40 vs 60, to compensate for the lack of flexibility.
And as for Nokia, they need to seriously examine thier pricing
structure -- but that's nothing new.

Matt

--
Sent from my mobile.

Re: Nokia Booklet 3G To Cost $299 From Best Buy

ollysk2 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:49:40 -0000

I still don't see a point in this. Sure, $299.00 is priced the same as most other netbooks -- except for the fact that it is AFTER subsidy. So we're talking a 1700.00 commitment over 2 years? No thanks. You'd be WAAAAAY better off getting a netbook for the same price that wasn't on a subsidy, and then getting a data plan. Sure, you are committed to the data plan, but at least then in a year when the next big thing comes out, you can simply move your usb modem over to a new gadget.

Re: Why Steve Jobs hates the iPhone App Store

ollysk2 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:29:21 -0000

I agree, bring on the Android for sure.. I think that before worrying
about web apps they need to start worrying about opening up thier
attitude and platform a bit. Android's major strength is not just it's
multitasking, etc over the iPhone, but the fact that a dev can write
for it without worrying about the crapshoot that is the App Store (as
the recent Google Voice fiasco demonstrates). Android has more
options for devices, a more open environment, and if the gathering
steam continues, almost as much industry support. Really, Apple is
left with a much prettier UI, and a world class marketing department.

Don't get me wrong, I love what my iPhone can do, but I'm getting more
and more interested in Android as certain gaps are filled -- if Apple
doesn't step up the innovation, I'll be on an Android handset this
time next year, I can almost guarantee.

--
Sent from my mobile.

Re: Why Steve Jobs hates the iPhone App Store

ollysk2 — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:50:25 -0000

All I have to say is that if Apple really feels this way, then put up or shut up; if they feel the browser is where it's at then freaking hell just implement already! They just had one of their milestone moments with the release of 3.0 -- so why not wow the world with your amazing new browser tech? Google will get gears for mobile perfected soon, and Apple needs to be right there competing, or Android will simply keep moving further ahead.

My .02 cents (written on my iPhone)

Re: Mobile Industry Review goes subscription-only from 30th March

ollysk2 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:41:46 -0000

So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish...

Re: MIR Show - Dan, a hammer and the Sonim XP3

ollysk2 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:26:39 -0000

Dan, why do I get the feeling from these videos that this was the absolute high light for you at MWC? You look like a kid in a candy store (or more appropriately a kid at a construction site that has been given a sledge and pointed at a wall needing demolishing).

Re: What do you think of the new spinvox.com?

ollysk2 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:40:34 -0000

The biggest issue I have is that it's 'form' over 'function'. It's a very cool design, but is resource intensive to the point of me saying 'pass'.

Re: Flirtomatic users send each other REAL underwear and roses!

ollysk2 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:01:24 -0000

Although it's not really my thing, this kind of innovation in the mobile world never fails to impress!

Re: The MIR jackets have arrived!

ollysk2 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:32:00 -0000

Looks like you ought to open a gear store Ewan, I'm not the only one apparently that wants to get some schwag!

Re: The MIR jackets have arrived!

ollysk2 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:07:52 -0000

Ewan -- how would I go about getting myself a MIR sticker for my laptop? (Those look like MIR stickers in the package, that's why I'm asking). Hope you guys have fun at MWC!

Re: Where’s are the updates to the S60 Brower?

ollysk2 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:21:09 -0000

Man, add this to the list... S60 has added some cool features to it, and it's still a good OS -- but the core components are getting OLD to the point of being ANCIENT in gadget world terms. Things that need to be sorely updated:

*Browser
*Email Client
*PIM
*WiFi Connection Client
*SMS (I'm fine with it, but enough people are asking for threaded that it's worth noting here).

Nokia really needs to focus on getting the core OS upgraded. The email experience on the iPhone is so much nicer than on S60 it makes me cry -- native HTML (not an attachment), better Exchange integration (sub-folder), etc -- I hate to compare everything to the iPhone, but in this situation it's necessary.

Not to JUST throw S60 under the bus though, it's true of a lot of the 'legacy' smartphone OS's. Blackberry desperately needs a complete overhaul of their UI, not to mention that even with the Bold changes their browser still sucks. Windows Mobile just plain blows -- and it's going to take a lot to convince me otherwise -- it's buggy, slow, the browser is HORRIBLE.

The iPhone is not truly a smartphone, I still argue that, yet it does some 'smartphoney' things better than the actual smartphones out there. Between the slick email, browser, and UI of the iPhone, and things brought to the table by Android and the new Palm Pre OS-- Blackberry, Symbian, and WinMo need to take a look at getting things updated QUICKLY to stay competitive.

-ollysk2

Re: Normob is ‘ugly word’, use ‘people’ instead

ollysk2 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:26:12 -0000

Man, such a fuss over a word that's not that bad (I happen to like it) -- at least it's not "mobtard" or something like that.

Re: How to identify the MIR team at Mobile World Congress

ollysk2 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:38:52 -0000

I seriously want to buy one of these -- everyone in my life already thinks I'm insane when it comes to mobile phones -- wearing a jacket that advertised a blog about them would just confirm my geekery.

Re: Plumbers, douchebags and bluetooth headsets

ollysk2 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:02:38 -0000

As the original Tweeter of said comment, let me defend my statement: unless you are actively recieving instructions from someone that require the simultaneous use of your hands, you fall into the above category.. So if you are a surgeon doing an emergency brain surgery, and have the premier neurosurgeon from Johns Hopkins on the other line, you are excused. If you are an asshole in line at Starbucks, you are not!

Re: MIR Show Week 42 featuring the iMovio iKit

ollysk2 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:21:13 -0000

Very good show guys -- judging from the comments, the iMovio caught the most attention (and it is a fascinating device, especially for the market it's aimed at), but am I the only one that was riveted by the power segment? I LOVED all the solar powered schwag, I can see the big one (Sun Gorilla?) being in the back window of my vehicle charging any number of things.

Great stuff!

Re: Open Source Food

ollysk2 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:59:57 -0000

Very cool -- my wife will be all over this in a heartbeat!

Re: It’s all kicking off with Android

ollysk2 — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:27:42 -0000

I have been on the fence about the (now known as) G1 for a while now. I'll probably wait to see what tomorrow brings, and what the first reviews have to say -- but given that T-Mo has (finally) just activated 3G in my area, and that this phone looks so promising... I'll probably end up getting one yes.

Re: Vodafone: No speedy number porting in the UK, thank-you-very-much

ollysk2 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:06:21 -0000

Oh, and to add to that, while the transition is in process, both phones are still active -- usually you'll be able to make calls on the new line (so AT&T in my example), but your phone number will still ring to the old line (T-Mobile in this example). Means carrying two handsets around, but that's the only hassle with it.

Re: Vodafone: No speedy number porting in the UK, thank-you-very-much

ollysk2 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:04:42 -0000

Wow, I'm surprised by how much of a hassle that number portability seems to be in the UK! The US has managed to get this right for the most part. You walk into the NEW provider (so say I wanted to move from T-Mobile to AT&T, I simply go into an AT&T store). I tell them that I want to bring my number with me, they have me fill out some forms on their end, and within 72 hours or so, my number is automagically transferred to my AT&T service. The last time I did it, the transfer was completely done within about 10 hours. I don't have to contact my old provider for anything, unless I'm still in contract with them and liable for the Early Termination Fee. Even then, I don't HAVE to contact them, as they'll still send me a final bill including this fee.

That's it, nothing else to worry about. All of the transfer bureaucracy is taken care of between new provider and old provider, nothing that I have to manually do.

-olly

Re: Mobile Industry Review Show - Episode 26

ollysk2 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:38:13 -0000

Great stuff guys -- REALLY interested to see the mobile app space, and the fact that there was a quick app hacked together in about 10 minutes for Ewan's e90 was very impressive.

-olly

Re: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 — are you getting one?

ollysk2 — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:31:50 -0000

Just did a quick check, and according to the Dell site the Ubuntu version has a preliminary ship date of the 17th of October -- whether that's believable or not is up for debate.

Re: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 — are you getting one?

ollysk2 — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:29:04 -0000

There's an Ubuntu version coming out, though from the website it's going to be later than the XP models (this is the Dell U.S. website, not sure if it's different in the UK or elsewhere). That's the one I'll be buying, just waiting for it to drop to pull the trigger.