I have decided that I want an Asus C302 chromebook. I like my little Asus C101 Flip, and it is extremely portable, but I like the idea of a back-lit keyboard, a slightly bigger full HD screen, and the power of an M3 processor.
The problem is that an Asus C302 costs £500. That’s quite a lot for a Chromebook, especially when I don’t really use it sufficiently to notice the difference between the 10.1” screen of the C101 and the HD 12.5” screen of the C302. I do a bit of writing in the evenings, and a bit of surfing, but not much apart from that.
I’ve read some reviews and it seems that the C302 is the best value for money chromebook in town. With 4gb of RAM and 64gb of memory, it’d certainly be enough for my needs for a few years. I’m kind of hoping that there might be a special offer for Black Friday, but that would need the kind of luck I don’t get.
I do love a new bit of kit though. I’ve been watching a few C302s on eBay and they tend to go for a fair sum. I probably wouldn’t use it any more than I currently use my C101, so it would probably be a waste of £500. I’ll probably stick with what I’ve got, to be fair. It’s nice to dream though. And I can always keep a lookout on eBay, just in case one of these turns up cheap 🙂.
TTFN.
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2018
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
18-07-25 Wednesday - The Wordpress White Screen of Death
I tried to access my blog on Saturday, but encountered a white / blank screen. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, I was considering writing something but I didn’t have anything concrete in mind. Then on Monday I tried again, while I was at work, and I got the same result. Hmm, that was a bit odd. I might not have worried about it much, except that I had just paid GoDaddy for five years of blog hosting, which was a big deal for me. So I called them. I spoke to a very polite & courteous chap who was clearly based in the U.S., and he advised that probably my plug-ins were causing an issue. There were two ways to address this; I could either SFTP into my account and try to fix it myself, or I could pay another healthy £37 to get premium support, where an expert would fix my issues for me.
It goes without saying that I chose the DIY option. I googled a few things and then went into full-on problem solver mode. I downloaded an SFTP client, FileZilla, and accessed my account without issue. There are some troubleshooting guides on the net, so I followed those; I disabled all my plug-ins and then my themes, but unfortunately neither of those steps resolved the issue. I was logged into my WordPress account on my chromebook, so I logged out to see if that was the issue. It wasn’t. And that meant that I couldn’t log into my account at all, which was a blow. I repeated a few of the steps to see if that would change anything, and I was getting more and more desperate. I renamed my .htaccess file, and looked in my config file to check if debugging was enabled. Debugging wasn’t enabled, so I tried to enable it but I think I buggered it up: the config file didn’t look the same as it did when I first looked into it. And the message had changed – I was now getting a 500 error message when I tried to access the wp-admin page.
I was considering giving up, and potentially re-installing WordPress from scratch, but reading through it, it seemed a bit more complicated than I wanted to try. Maybe some time in the future, eh? So as a last resort I started clicking around my GoDaddy account pages, and I spotted that there were back-ups. Back-ups? I didn’t know about those. The polite GoDaddy rep never mentioned back-ups. And I knew that my last blogpost that seemed to work was on or about the 4th July, so if I could go back to before then, I might be in luck. If it didn’t work in totality, hopefully my config file might at least be repaired.
I hit the “restore back-up” button. Then I closed out of Chrome, to refresh the cookies / cache. I took a deep breath and fired up Chrome again, and tried to log into my wp-admin page. The log-in option was there and I was able to access my account, finally. After about two and a half hours of faffing around with SFTP, it turned out that I could have solved the issue in a couple of clicks in the GoDaddy admin pages. So that was a wasted evening, more or less. And then, it was time for bed.
TTFN.
It goes without saying that I chose the DIY option. I googled a few things and then went into full-on problem solver mode. I downloaded an SFTP client, FileZilla, and accessed my account without issue. There are some troubleshooting guides on the net, so I followed those; I disabled all my plug-ins and then my themes, but unfortunately neither of those steps resolved the issue. I was logged into my WordPress account on my chromebook, so I logged out to see if that was the issue. It wasn’t. And that meant that I couldn’t log into my account at all, which was a blow. I repeated a few of the steps to see if that would change anything, and I was getting more and more desperate. I renamed my .htaccess file, and looked in my config file to check if debugging was enabled. Debugging wasn’t enabled, so I tried to enable it but I think I buggered it up: the config file didn’t look the same as it did when I first looked into it. And the message had changed – I was now getting a 500 error message when I tried to access the wp-admin page.
I was considering giving up, and potentially re-installing WordPress from scratch, but reading through it, it seemed a bit more complicated than I wanted to try. Maybe some time in the future, eh? So as a last resort I started clicking around my GoDaddy account pages, and I spotted that there were back-ups. Back-ups? I didn’t know about those. The polite GoDaddy rep never mentioned back-ups. And I knew that my last blogpost that seemed to work was on or about the 4th July, so if I could go back to before then, I might be in luck. If it didn’t work in totality, hopefully my config file might at least be repaired.
I hit the “restore back-up” button. Then I closed out of Chrome, to refresh the cookies / cache. I took a deep breath and fired up Chrome again, and tried to log into my wp-admin page. The log-in option was there and I was able to access my account, finally. After about two and a half hours of faffing around with SFTP, it turned out that I could have solved the issue in a couple of clicks in the GoDaddy admin pages. So that was a wasted evening, more or less. And then, it was time for bed.
TTFN.
18-07-25 Wednesday - Huawei Y7
So TW’s phone contract expired a few days ago and she popped into Tesco at the weekend to select a new phone. Everyone likes a new electronic toy from time to time. Before we went in, I was leaning towards suggesting the Moto G6 Play. It has a big screen and is cheap on a 24-month contract. I like a cheap phone, they tend to do most of the same things as expensive phones, but maybe not quite in such a flashy (I.e. quick) manner. The saleswoman recommended the Huawei Y7, she said it was quick and the camera was good. I’d had a P9 Lite, so I was happy with that as a recommendation, and TW took it.
We picked the phone up on Sunday, and by Sunday evening TW was already complaining about the responsiveness (or lack thereof) of the phone, and the fact that the screen was dim and the camera was not good. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. The Y7 had to be at least one step down from the P series, and although the screen was big, the phone didn’t look good. She was advised that she had 14 days to return it in case of dissatisfaction, and so she took them up on that offer. On Tuesday she took it back to Tesco and exchanged it for a Samsung A6. All credit to Tesco, they honoured their end of the bargain, they exchanged it without any fuss. Although the phone is slightly smaller and slightly more expensive per month, TW is happy. And in fairness the A6 performs better than the Y7. So there’s a tale for you; make sure you know what you’re getting in your next phone, and if you can, make sure you’ve got the option to swap it if you’re not happy with it.
TTFN.
We picked the phone up on Sunday, and by Sunday evening TW was already complaining about the responsiveness (or lack thereof) of the phone, and the fact that the screen was dim and the camera was not good. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. The Y7 had to be at least one step down from the P series, and although the screen was big, the phone didn’t look good. She was advised that she had 14 days to return it in case of dissatisfaction, and so she took them up on that offer. On Tuesday she took it back to Tesco and exchanged it for a Samsung A6. All credit to Tesco, they honoured their end of the bargain, they exchanged it without any fuss. Although the phone is slightly smaller and slightly more expensive per month, TW is happy. And in fairness the A6 performs better than the Y7. So there’s a tale for you; make sure you know what you’re getting in your next phone, and if you can, make sure you’ve got the option to swap it if you’re not happy with it.
TTFN.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
18-06-26 Tuesday Anker Bluetooth Headphones - R.I.P.
Last week my Anker bluetooth headphones gave up the ghost. I’d had them for about eight months, since last October, and I quite liked them. They lasted quite a long time in between charges, they were comfy to wear, and I used them lightly, wearing them during my commute to work, so walking and sitting down, mostly.
I don’t think they should have broken, and actually I am slightly disappointed. They were advertised as being “sports” earphones, but I only ever wore them three times while running.
God knows how much more quickly they would have fallen apart if I had actually been using them for their intended purpose.
And then I think about the fact that the signal used to break up if I turned my head (e.g., while I was crossing the road), or if I otherwise blocked the signal between my pocket and my ears.
Luckily, my phone came with a set of headphones, so now I’m using them. The phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack, but the headphones have a USB-C connector, which is nice. So now I don’t have to charge my earphones and because they are wired, I get uninterrupted signal from them even when I am turning my head and moving about.
So all told, actually I’m probably better off now, having broken those wireless Anker headphones than I was before. Funny how things turn out, isn’t it?
TTFN.
I don’t think they should have broken, and actually I am slightly disappointed. They were advertised as being “sports” earphones, but I only ever wore them three times while running.
God knows how much more quickly they would have fallen apart if I had actually been using them for their intended purpose.
And then I think about the fact that the signal used to break up if I turned my head (e.g., while I was crossing the road), or if I otherwise blocked the signal between my pocket and my ears.
Luckily, my phone came with a set of headphones, so now I’m using them. The phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack, but the headphones have a USB-C connector, which is nice. So now I don’t have to charge my earphones and because they are wired, I get uninterrupted signal from them even when I am turning my head and moving about.
So all told, actually I’m probably better off now, having broken those wireless Anker headphones than I was before. Funny how things turn out, isn’t it?
TTFN.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Thursday 18-01-08 I A New Phone
I bought a new phone last Friday.
I had been looking at the Honor 7x, tempted by its big 5.93” screen. The only concerns were that it didn’t have fast charging (USB-C) or NFC, so I wouldn’t be able to use Android Pay. In 2018, even for phones less than £300, I don’t think those sort of things should be missing from a phone. I was looking on GSM Arena for other phones which met my criteria (USB-C, screen 5.5” or bigger, NFC, a few other things), and up popped the HTC U Ultra.
I followed the link to HTC UK’s website and saw that it was available for £279. Considering that the Honor 7x is £269, it was definitely a possible. I checked Carphone Warehouse and it was available there for £419. It was a steal, basically, especially when you throw into the mix the fact that when it was first released, HTC were asking £649 for the handset.
My only concern is that the battery is only 3,000 MaH on this beast. But with the fast charge option, it should be easy to keep it topped up. I’ll need to buy a couple of additional USB-C cables I think, but that won’t be too difficult.
I ordered the phone anyway, last Friday. I received an acknowledgement of my order, but didn’t hear anything else, until Monday when I received an email notifying me that the phone would be delivered on Tuesday. And so it turned out – luckily TW was at home to sign for the bugger. And I had to wait until the evening before I got to play with my new toy.
I do like it. I may have to charge it more often than I would normally like, and maybe a larger battery will be one of my prerequisites next time. But for now, and for less than £300, it is fast, the camera is good, and apps aren't randomly closed because the phone "thinks it knows best". And with fast charging available, I shouldn't have to spend hours charging it either.
I may revisit this in a couple of months, and see how I feel then. But for now, I'm quite happy with my new purchase.
TTFN.
I had been looking at the Honor 7x, tempted by its big 5.93” screen. The only concerns were that it didn’t have fast charging (USB-C) or NFC, so I wouldn’t be able to use Android Pay. In 2018, even for phones less than £300, I don’t think those sort of things should be missing from a phone. I was looking on GSM Arena for other phones which met my criteria (USB-C, screen 5.5” or bigger, NFC, a few other things), and up popped the HTC U Ultra.
I followed the link to HTC UK’s website and saw that it was available for £279. Considering that the Honor 7x is £269, it was definitely a possible. I checked Carphone Warehouse and it was available there for £419. It was a steal, basically, especially when you throw into the mix the fact that when it was first released, HTC were asking £649 for the handset.
My only concern is that the battery is only 3,000 MaH on this beast. But with the fast charge option, it should be easy to keep it topped up. I’ll need to buy a couple of additional USB-C cables I think, but that won’t be too difficult.
I ordered the phone anyway, last Friday. I received an acknowledgement of my order, but didn’t hear anything else, until Monday when I received an email notifying me that the phone would be delivered on Tuesday. And so it turned out – luckily TW was at home to sign for the bugger. And I had to wait until the evening before I got to play with my new toy.
I do like it. I may have to charge it more often than I would normally like, and maybe a larger battery will be one of my prerequisites next time. But for now, and for less than £300, it is fast, the camera is good, and apps aren't randomly closed because the phone "thinks it knows best". And with fast charging available, I shouldn't have to spend hours charging it either.
I may revisit this in a couple of months, and see how I feel then. But for now, I'm quite happy with my new purchase.
TTFN.
Friday, November 03, 2017
Friday 17-11-03 I Taking the Colour out of the Action Launcher Search Box
I love using the Action Launcher on my Android phone. But one thing has been nagging at me for a while now, and that was the colourised search bar. It stood out like a sore thumb and more often than not disrupted my homescreen:
I finally worked it out this morning. After nearly tweeting at Chris Lacy, the Action Launcher Dev, I thought to myself that there must be a way to do it. So I went into the launcher settings yet again and looked at the Quickbar settings, below:
Tapping on "search logo" at the bottom brought up the following menu:
Where I was able to choose the "no colour" option.
Finally! As I mentioned, this had been bugging me for weeks! And following the same logic I was able to decolourise the voice search icon as well:
And above we see the final result. The search box is aligned with the time widget and in my eyes the overall effect is nicer.
So that's my win for today.
TTFN.
I finally worked it out this morning. After nearly tweeting at Chris Lacy, the Action Launcher Dev, I thought to myself that there must be a way to do it. So I went into the launcher settings yet again and looked at the Quickbar settings, below:
Tapping on "search logo" at the bottom brought up the following menu:
Where I was able to choose the "no colour" option.
Finally! As I mentioned, this had been bugging me for weeks! And following the same logic I was able to decolourise the voice search icon as well:
And above we see the final result. The search box is aligned with the time widget and in my eyes the overall effect is nicer.
So that's my win for today.
TTFN.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Sunday 17-10-29 I A Bluetooth Problem fixed
Sunday 17-10-29 I A Bluetooth Problem fixed
I have a natty little Samsung Tab E that I should make more of, and I also acquired a Samsung bluetooth keyboard (EE-BT550) a while ago - my plan was to use them together to take quick notes and write quick blogposts as & when the need took me. As you can see from the sporadic entries in this blog, I’ve not quite mastered the art of that, but I have a few thoughts roiling around in this sparsely-populated head of mine.
Anyway, I got up this morning, made a cup of tea and prepared the tablet and keyboard. The Youngest was in the living room watching YouTube or somesuch without headphones and I didn’t want to be driven mad by mindless drivel at such an early stage in the day. So I tried to pair the tablet and keyboard, without success. After many times trying to enter the passcode given by the tablet, I realised it wasn’t going to work. The tablet was timing out even before I could tap in the six-digit code, and even when I did, the tablet was telling me that the passcode was wrong.
Then I thought outside the box a bit, and wondered how I could isolate the problem. I tried pairing the keyboard to my phone, and could do that. I fished out a second keyboard and could pair that to the tablet. So eventually, I was none the wiser. Both the tablet and the keyboard could pair, just not with each other. Then I had a doubt; I’d rooted the tablet a while ago, could that be having some impact? I knew that the ROM I’d installed was supposed to be stock with root and SuperUser access, but sometimes not all functionality is replicated fully. So I started looking into how to return to stock, and I found a guide which suggested using Odin and a downloaded stock ROM. The trouble was that it looked like it was going to take more than an hour to download the ROM, and then there was no guarantee that I’d picked the right one for my tablet. So I installed Kies instead, and hooked up my tablet to the PC. It guided me to install Smart Switch, but eventually I was able to re-initialise the tablet and install official stock software. Then I tried to pair my Bluetooth keyboard again, and I could manage it. So I think that maybe I chose the nuclear option, and maybe I didn’t need to unroot and re-install stock firmware, but it might have been the fact that I had a custom recovery installed that was throwing the Bluetooth out.
Anyway, now I can pair and type away to my heart’s content. Will it happen? Probably not, but who knows.
TTFN.
I have a natty little Samsung Tab E that I should make more of, and I also acquired a Samsung bluetooth keyboard (EE-BT550) a while ago - my plan was to use them together to take quick notes and write quick blogposts as & when the need took me. As you can see from the sporadic entries in this blog, I’ve not quite mastered the art of that, but I have a few thoughts roiling around in this sparsely-populated head of mine.
Anyway, I got up this morning, made a cup of tea and prepared the tablet and keyboard. The Youngest was in the living room watching YouTube or somesuch without headphones and I didn’t want to be driven mad by mindless drivel at such an early stage in the day. So I tried to pair the tablet and keyboard, without success. After many times trying to enter the passcode given by the tablet, I realised it wasn’t going to work. The tablet was timing out even before I could tap in the six-digit code, and even when I did, the tablet was telling me that the passcode was wrong.
Then I thought outside the box a bit, and wondered how I could isolate the problem. I tried pairing the keyboard to my phone, and could do that. I fished out a second keyboard and could pair that to the tablet. So eventually, I was none the wiser. Both the tablet and the keyboard could pair, just not with each other. Then I had a doubt; I’d rooted the tablet a while ago, could that be having some impact? I knew that the ROM I’d installed was supposed to be stock with root and SuperUser access, but sometimes not all functionality is replicated fully. So I started looking into how to return to stock, and I found a guide which suggested using Odin and a downloaded stock ROM. The trouble was that it looked like it was going to take more than an hour to download the ROM, and then there was no guarantee that I’d picked the right one for my tablet. So I installed Kies instead, and hooked up my tablet to the PC. It guided me to install Smart Switch, but eventually I was able to re-initialise the tablet and install official stock software. Then I tried to pair my Bluetooth keyboard again, and I could manage it. So I think that maybe I chose the nuclear option, and maybe I didn’t need to unroot and re-install stock firmware, but it might have been the fact that I had a custom recovery installed that was throwing the Bluetooth out.
Anyway, now I can pair and type away to my heart’s content. Will it happen? Probably not, but who knows.
TTFN.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Sunday 17-07-16 Tablet Addict
I bought a new tablet on Friday night. Well, I say "new", of course I mean "used". But it's new to me. I was looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tab A6 10.1, but I noticed that the Tab E with a 9.6" display was cheaper.
I noticed that one chap had listed a Tab E for £79.99, and he claimed it was only a month old. I was sorely tempted, but he ended the auction early and I thought I'd missed out. In fact, he'd relisted it at £99.99, which was too much for me. If I was going to spend that much, I would have bought the Tab A. But there was a further twist: he ended the auction again, and relisted the tablet with an SD card included. By this time I'd decided that if he relisted it at £79.99, I would buy it. Later on Friday evening it disappeared from the listings again, and I followed him as a seller so that I would get notifications if he listed anything else.
I was heading to bed when I noticed that the tablet had again been relisted, this time without the SD card, but at the original price of £79.99. Considering that these tablets sell for £150 in Currys, I reckoned that if the tablet was only one month old, this had to be a good deal. So I put a bid in at £75, which he didn't respond to, and then I went up to the Buy It Now price of £79.99. Since I'd decided to buy it, I didn't want to lose it.
I'm hoping that the internal gyroscopes and key entry are more responsive than on this Lenovo Tab 8 (2). I can expand the memory beyond the provided 8gb, which is a bit paltry if I'm honest, but Samsung do have a good reputation when it comes to usable tablets. And although the PPI (pixels per inch) stat is the same on both tablets, I'm hoping that the display on the Tab E will be better. I guess we'll find out on Wednesday, when I'm hoping it'll get delivered.
There'll be another update shortly after that, I expect...
TTFN.
I noticed that one chap had listed a Tab E for £79.99, and he claimed it was only a month old. I was sorely tempted, but he ended the auction early and I thought I'd missed out. In fact, he'd relisted it at £99.99, which was too much for me. If I was going to spend that much, I would have bought the Tab A. But there was a further twist: he ended the auction again, and relisted the tablet with an SD card included. By this time I'd decided that if he relisted it at £79.99, I would buy it. Later on Friday evening it disappeared from the listings again, and I followed him as a seller so that I would get notifications if he listed anything else.
I was heading to bed when I noticed that the tablet had again been relisted, this time without the SD card, but at the original price of £79.99. Considering that these tablets sell for £150 in Currys, I reckoned that if the tablet was only one month old, this had to be a good deal. So I put a bid in at £75, which he didn't respond to, and then I went up to the Buy It Now price of £79.99. Since I'd decided to buy it, I didn't want to lose it.
I'm hoping that the internal gyroscopes and key entry are more responsive than on this Lenovo Tab 8 (2). I can expand the memory beyond the provided 8gb, which is a bit paltry if I'm honest, but Samsung do have a good reputation when it comes to usable tablets. And although the PPI (pixels per inch) stat is the same on both tablets, I'm hoping that the display on the Tab E will be better. I guess we'll find out on Wednesday, when I'm hoping it'll get delivered.
There'll be another update shortly after that, I expect...
TTFN.
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Sunday 17-06-25 Tablet Lust
It's got to that time again, where I am casting around for a new(-ish) tablet. You may be aware that I quite like the Microsoft Surface line, and I actually bought a broken one a couple of weeks ago. It's currently back on sale on eBay here.
But I have decided that the tablet that I would really quite like is this one: the Samsung Tab A 10.1" :
I was watching one of these on eBay again and it eventually sold, at the last minute, for £130. The RRP is £230 for the wi-fi version, or £280 for the 4G model. The trouble was that the seller hadn't included any pictures, or I may have bid on it. Someone got a bargain, I hope.
So I shall save up some money, maybe, and see what I can get. To be honest though, I don't really use my current tablet often enough to warrant spending £230 on a new one. That won't stop me lusting after a new shiny though...!
But I have decided that the tablet that I would really quite like is this one: the Samsung Tab A 10.1" :
I was watching one of these on eBay again and it eventually sold, at the last minute, for £130. The RRP is £230 for the wi-fi version, or £280 for the 4G model. The trouble was that the seller hadn't included any pictures, or I may have bid on it. Someone got a bargain, I hope.
So I shall save up some money, maybe, and see what I can get. To be honest though, I don't really use my current tablet often enough to warrant spending £230 on a new one. That won't stop me lusting after a new shiny though...!
Friday, January 27, 2017
Friday 17-01-27 Cheap Fitbit Imitations
So we bought cheap Fitbit imitations, or I guess you could call them fitness trackers in their own right, for our daughters for Christmas. They were easy to set up, the girls have phones which they could use to download the designated app (except TY, who has a tablet), and they followed the instructions.
The trouble is that the time often goes wrong on these devices, and then you have to sync them back to the app, and in doing that the steps counter resets to zero, so if it gets to five p.m., say, and we've been out for a long walk, the girls are pleased that they've walked a lot, but in looking at their activity trackers, they notice that the time is wrong. So they sync, and lose their progress for the day.
One of them was so bad that I gave in and replaced it with a secondhand Fitbit Flex. It was secondhand off of eBay; it's not as "feature-rich" as TW's Charge HR, but it's a complete 100% improvement over the no-brand cheap imitations out there.
I am expecting to have to replace the activity trackers the other two have over the coming months, but I thought I would buy one a month to spread the cost. So what we thought was a nice Christmas gesture will probably turn out costing somewhere between £90-£100. But they are pretty good.
There are several models, other than Fitbits, which I would consider. The brands I'm keeping an eye on are Jawbone, they do one called UP24 which has had favourable reviews (I have a Jawbone earpiece, so I know they are good) and Xiaomi, who have produced the Miband. I have some of their headphones, so I believe they are reliable. Those are the ones I'd buy in my price range, I'm sure there are others (Nike, possibly?), but I'm planning to stay away from the no-brand types as, when it comes down to it, they are a false economy.
TTFN.
The trouble is that the time often goes wrong on these devices, and then you have to sync them back to the app, and in doing that the steps counter resets to zero, so if it gets to five p.m., say, and we've been out for a long walk, the girls are pleased that they've walked a lot, but in looking at their activity trackers, they notice that the time is wrong. So they sync, and lose their progress for the day.
One of them was so bad that I gave in and replaced it with a secondhand Fitbit Flex. It was secondhand off of eBay; it's not as "feature-rich" as TW's Charge HR, but it's a complete 100% improvement over the no-brand cheap imitations out there.
I am expecting to have to replace the activity trackers the other two have over the coming months, but I thought I would buy one a month to spread the cost. So what we thought was a nice Christmas gesture will probably turn out costing somewhere between £90-£100. But they are pretty good.
There are several models, other than Fitbits, which I would consider. The brands I'm keeping an eye on are Jawbone, they do one called UP24 which has had favourable reviews (I have a Jawbone earpiece, so I know they are good) and Xiaomi, who have produced the Miband. I have some of their headphones, so I believe they are reliable. Those are the ones I'd buy in my price range, I'm sure there are others (Nike, possibly?), but I'm planning to stay away from the no-brand types as, when it comes down to it, they are a false economy.
TTFN.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Sunday 17-01-22 Techno Lust and Consumerism
I have several ways of connecting to the internet and modern life, but recently it's just not enough. I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
It would probably do exactly the same things as my current Windows laptop does, and I don't use the full functionality of that. I don't know all the apps and utilities which are available in the Microsoft Store, it's not something I check often. I've not bought into the Microsoft ecosystem in the same way I have with Android. The laptop we have in the sitting room is there to be used, but I prefer interacting with the chromebooks we have. Maybe that is the effect of Google and Chrome? But I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
I can't afford a Microsoft Surface Pro 4; that's about £500 more than our family laptop cost two years ago. Or £450, to be more precise. So the best I would be able to afford is a first generation Microsoft Surface RT off of eBay. They go for about £80 or so, depending on their condition. But that is a device running RT, which isn't Windows 10 (which I quite like), so the app store may be slightly limited, the display is a standard 1366x768 - which may be okay on a 10" device - and I don't even have the first clue about the keyboard and whether that's any good. There is no guarantee that even if I picked up a bargain off of eBay that my yearning would be sated. It may feed my yearning, so that I end up selling a kidney to get my hands on a later version of the Surface, running "proper" Windows, with a more high definition display, and an i5 processor. And I do yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
Here is a picture of the main devices we have in our home currently:
[caption id="attachment_552" align="alignnone" width="300"]
My Devices[/caption]
I say main devices, because that doesn't include my phone, which I used to take the picture, TW's phone, the two phones belonging to TE and TMO, a back-up HTC One X which I don't use any more, a Lenovo 7" tablet which TY uses, and the original Samsung Galaxy Tab - which can also be used as a phone. And yet I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
I probably wouldn't use all of its functionality, so I definitely wouldn't need an i5 or and i7 processor. I do a bit of surfing, and a bit of blogging. I check my bank balance and catch up on the news. I don't even watch iPlayer on the PC, although maybe I would with a more high definition screen? It's unlikely; I still buy CDs - I'm the sort of person who thinks TV shows should be watched on the TV. I think technology is leaping ahead of me, and I like to think that I'm quite tech-savvy. But I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
And it's not like I have a choice of which of those devices I can use at any one time. Normally TE has snaffled one to watch Netflix in her cesspit of a room, and TMO has probably snaffled another to watch YouTube in some as yet undiscovered room upstairs. So often I have to use whatever is left. And yet, I do okay. It'll probably get worse as they get more homework and assignments which need to prepared on a computer, although they seem to be working with Google apps more these days, which means that I was wise to pick up the chromebooks. But I do yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
So, I can't afford one, and I wouldn't use it to its fullest. I have plenty of toys already, which I could probably do lots more with than I already do. And the children need feeding every now and then, so it's probably wiser to spend what we do have on food rather than a device which will just replicate what we already have. So I'm resigned to lusting over specs on Curry's website and believing my life would be better, if I just had more new tech in my life. And occasionally looking on eBay to see people snap up seemingly ridiculous bargains. I'll probably continue to yearn for a Microsoft Surface, but I'll just have to ensure that my yearning is unfulfilled...
It would probably do exactly the same things as my current Windows laptop does, and I don't use the full functionality of that. I don't know all the apps and utilities which are available in the Microsoft Store, it's not something I check often. I've not bought into the Microsoft ecosystem in the same way I have with Android. The laptop we have in the sitting room is there to be used, but I prefer interacting with the chromebooks we have. Maybe that is the effect of Google and Chrome? But I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
I can't afford a Microsoft Surface Pro 4; that's about £500 more than our family laptop cost two years ago. Or £450, to be more precise. So the best I would be able to afford is a first generation Microsoft Surface RT off of eBay. They go for about £80 or so, depending on their condition. But that is a device running RT, which isn't Windows 10 (which I quite like), so the app store may be slightly limited, the display is a standard 1366x768 - which may be okay on a 10" device - and I don't even have the first clue about the keyboard and whether that's any good. There is no guarantee that even if I picked up a bargain off of eBay that my yearning would be sated. It may feed my yearning, so that I end up selling a kidney to get my hands on a later version of the Surface, running "proper" Windows, with a more high definition display, and an i5 processor. And I do yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
Here is a picture of the main devices we have in our home currently:
[caption id="attachment_552" align="alignnone" width="300"]
My Devices[/caption]I say main devices, because that doesn't include my phone, which I used to take the picture, TW's phone, the two phones belonging to TE and TMO, a back-up HTC One X which I don't use any more, a Lenovo 7" tablet which TY uses, and the original Samsung Galaxy Tab - which can also be used as a phone. And yet I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
I probably wouldn't use all of its functionality, so I definitely wouldn't need an i5 or and i7 processor. I do a bit of surfing, and a bit of blogging. I check my bank balance and catch up on the news. I don't even watch iPlayer on the PC, although maybe I would with a more high definition screen? It's unlikely; I still buy CDs - I'm the sort of person who thinks TV shows should be watched on the TV. I think technology is leaping ahead of me, and I like to think that I'm quite tech-savvy. But I yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
And it's not like I have a choice of which of those devices I can use at any one time. Normally TE has snaffled one to watch Netflix in her cesspit of a room, and TMO has probably snaffled another to watch YouTube in some as yet undiscovered room upstairs. So often I have to use whatever is left. And yet, I do okay. It'll probably get worse as they get more homework and assignments which need to prepared on a computer, although they seem to be working with Google apps more these days, which means that I was wise to pick up the chromebooks. But I do yearn for a Microsoft Surface.
So, I can't afford one, and I wouldn't use it to its fullest. I have plenty of toys already, which I could probably do lots more with than I already do. And the children need feeding every now and then, so it's probably wiser to spend what we do have on food rather than a device which will just replicate what we already have. So I'm resigned to lusting over specs on Curry's website and believing my life would be better, if I just had more new tech in my life. And occasionally looking on eBay to see people snap up seemingly ridiculous bargains. I'll probably continue to yearn for a Microsoft Surface, but I'll just have to ensure that my yearning is unfulfilled...
Tuesday, October 04, 2016
Tuesday 16-10-04 Pixel
Here it is then, the Google Pixel phone. It looks quite nice, but it does look like an iPhone in my humble opinion.
I watched the presentation live on the way home, and I was very impressed with the Assistant feature. It seemed very intuitive, but I am wondering the extent to which it can be replicated using Google Now on existing phones. I expect that there would be certain capabilities that could not be reproduced elsewhere, but if it is only a matter of degree, then the question has to be: is it worth it?
The camera certainly looks to be something special, and perhaps that would be the feature that might prompt people to buy it. Apparently the camera achieved the highest score by any smartphone ever, according to the DxOMark system.
I like the white version, and if this had been priced similarly to the Nexus 4 or the 5X, I would have been on it like a car bonnet. My OnePlus One is two years old now and I am looking for a replacement. It is still a good phone, but if I am using it in the evening I do have to recharge the battery. I expect I will update it to Nougat shortly; the Marshmallow nightly updates seem to be thinning out. That may give the battery a boost, since Nougat Doze is supposed to be better. We'll see, I guess. I think I spent about £280 on the OPO, and I would be willing to spend up to £330 on a new off-contract phone. The OnePlus Three is looking as though it fits the bill nicely; I need to seriously think about it. I also have to pay back the Bank of Mum and Dad for the car loan that they recently extended to us, and I am thinking about getting a second car just to get me in and out of work. So I don't have money to burn on a new phone.
I certainly don't have £600 to spend on a phone with a 5" screen and 32gb of memory, even if that screen is Amoled, and it comes with a fingerprint sensor. The family laptop, which is a 15" job with an i3 processor was less than £250, so unfortunately there is no way I can justify spending £600. And if I were to buy the version I actually wanted, that would be the 5.5" screen with 128gb of memory which would set me back £819. Even the offer of a £50 Play Store voucher wouldn't ease the pain of that hitting my bank balance.
So, I guess I won't be at the cutting edge of Google tech this year. The gizmos and widgets that I do have are enough for me, really, and it's always nice to have something to aim for, somewhere down the line. So if you do see me carrying around a white Pixel XL, and there hasn't been a massive price drop, it'll be more than likely that I've won the lottery or come into an inheritance.
I watched the presentation live on the way home, and I was very impressed with the Assistant feature. It seemed very intuitive, but I am wondering the extent to which it can be replicated using Google Now on existing phones. I expect that there would be certain capabilities that could not be reproduced elsewhere, but if it is only a matter of degree, then the question has to be: is it worth it?
The camera certainly looks to be something special, and perhaps that would be the feature that might prompt people to buy it. Apparently the camera achieved the highest score by any smartphone ever, according to the DxOMark system.
I like the white version, and if this had been priced similarly to the Nexus 4 or the 5X, I would have been on it like a car bonnet. My OnePlus One is two years old now and I am looking for a replacement. It is still a good phone, but if I am using it in the evening I do have to recharge the battery. I expect I will update it to Nougat shortly; the Marshmallow nightly updates seem to be thinning out. That may give the battery a boost, since Nougat Doze is supposed to be better. We'll see, I guess. I think I spent about £280 on the OPO, and I would be willing to spend up to £330 on a new off-contract phone. The OnePlus Three is looking as though it fits the bill nicely; I need to seriously think about it. I also have to pay back the Bank of Mum and Dad for the car loan that they recently extended to us, and I am thinking about getting a second car just to get me in and out of work. So I don't have money to burn on a new phone.
I certainly don't have £600 to spend on a phone with a 5" screen and 32gb of memory, even if that screen is Amoled, and it comes with a fingerprint sensor. The family laptop, which is a 15" job with an i3 processor was less than £250, so unfortunately there is no way I can justify spending £600. And if I were to buy the version I actually wanted, that would be the 5.5" screen with 128gb of memory which would set me back £819. Even the offer of a £50 Play Store voucher wouldn't ease the pain of that hitting my bank balance.
So, I guess I won't be at the cutting edge of Google tech this year. The gizmos and widgets that I do have are enough for me, really, and it's always nice to have something to aim for, somewhere down the line. So if you do see me carrying around a white Pixel XL, and there hasn't been a massive price drop, it'll be more than likely that I've won the lottery or come into an inheritance.
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Chromecast for the UK
So, disappointed to realise that the Chromecast is not available in the UK today. I've been checking the Google Play Store, Currys, and teh interwebs in general, but no joy.
I don't know what I would do with it; I quite fancy signing up for Netflix, but I can access that through the PS3, so I don't need a Chromecast for that, The girls will probably end up using it for 'casting Youtube to the TV, and we can do without that.
I guess I just want to be at the forefront of technology; again, I think that tech will provide the answer, but really the Chromecast is a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Likewise my Chromebook, and my Nexus 7, and my HTC One X should all be means to an end and not an end in itself. But I believe the acquisition of new technology is driving us onwards, to consume more and more...
I've just replaced the battery in my One X for the princely sum of £45. I'm hoping that will enable me to put off replacing it for at least another six months. And then I am very interested in getting the Moto G as a replacement. £160 for a 16gb mid-range Android phone running the latest software with ease - nice.
My O2 contract is up for renewal on 5th April and I think I'm going to go SIM-only with Tesco. I believe they have a decent mix of minutes and data. I don't use many texts, so that's not important to me. With the combination of a Moto G and a SIM-only deal, I reckon I'll save a few pounds...
I don't know what I would do with it; I quite fancy signing up for Netflix, but I can access that through the PS3, so I don't need a Chromecast for that, The girls will probably end up using it for 'casting Youtube to the TV, and we can do without that.
I guess I just want to be at the forefront of technology; again, I think that tech will provide the answer, but really the Chromecast is a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Likewise my Chromebook, and my Nexus 7, and my HTC One X should all be means to an end and not an end in itself. But I believe the acquisition of new technology is driving us onwards, to consume more and more...
I've just replaced the battery in my One X for the princely sum of £45. I'm hoping that will enable me to put off replacing it for at least another six months. And then I am very interested in getting the Moto G as a replacement. £160 for a 16gb mid-range Android phone running the latest software with ease - nice.
My O2 contract is up for renewal on 5th April and I think I'm going to go SIM-only with Tesco. I believe they have a decent mix of minutes and data. I don't use many texts, so that's not important to me. With the combination of a Moto G and a SIM-only deal, I reckon I'll save a few pounds...
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