3 things android is still missing

While I am impressed with android 4.2, and mostly everything I complained about or wished for was added in gingerbread and ice cream sandwich, there are still 3 things I can’t believe Google has not added. These are the three biggest things Android is missing to me.

1. Native Tasks- with google now being a major feature in android now it is pretty lame that reminders are set by the alarm clock and not a native tasks app. Especially since google tasks is still a part of google calendar. Google now showing me my tasks seems more important to me than how many miles I’ve walked or random people birthday’s from google plus I’ve added.
2. creating offline docs in google drive- I’d love to use my Nexus 7 as a note taking device, and have them sync when I connect to wifi. Sadly I can’t create a document while offline in google drive. Evernote lets me do this. And because of that it is my go to note taking app. I’ve heard that Chromebooks allow you to create offline docs.
3. controlling google music from external device - Since the launch of google music I rarely open my Itunes anymore. With more and more people now owning multiple android devices its a shame I can’t control my google music in the browser from my phone or tablet. Or use my tablet as a music player and my phone as a remote. Nexus Q started to head in this direction but for the price of a nexus Q I could get 3 airport expresses from apple and do the same thing as far playing music. Though my first gen ipod touch battery barely holds a charge and the ⅛ inch jack no longer works, its still a great remote for itunes and my apple tv. The Sonos system looks nice but would a lot easier on my wallet if google would just make a native remote app.

my Nexus One Review (T-mobile)

Nexus one review

So I gave into the temptation and purchased a nexus one from google at full price. Switching from a blackberry 8900 to the Nexus one was a huge leap. As the only android phone running 2.1 right now overall I have been pleased with the switch, though trading my blackberry keyboard for a full touch screen device hasn't been the most fun, but the extra screen space is welcomed. If I had the describe the Nexus one in one word it would be "fast". The 1ghz snapdragon processor allows the phone to move, respond, and react with incredible speed. I compared the acccelometer of my first gen ipod touch to the nexus and the nexus rotates in about a sec, the ipod touch 2-3 secs. though many things bug me about the nexus one so far, none of which I would consider as deal breakers. Here is a list of Pros and Cons IMO. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a "superphone" like Google does, but its definitely the best Android phone you can get on T-mobile's network. Overall I'm happy with the phone. If the Nexus had the email capabilities of a blackberry, and media capabilities of an Ipod touch, I could use this as an all in one device

NEXUS ONE PRO'S

• android 2.1 (latest and greatest android OS)
• fast and never slows down
• universal search
• gesture search (android 2.1 only)
• youtube (best mobile youtube app)
• google maps
• syncs data in OTA
• sold directly from google (this means the Nexus One will be get anything new Google does first. Apps, updates, services, etc)
• plenty apps (largest app store behind the Iphone)
• gorgeous display

NEXUS ONE CON'S

• loses 3G connectivity frequently even after update to fix
• no copy and paste of text in Gmail app ( 2nd biggest FAIL on my con's)
• no copy and paste while viewing a contact (you have to go into edit contact to copy a phone number, email, etc.)
• no call button, which means no redial
• when I go in my call log sometimes it places me in the middle, so I have to scroll all the way just to redial last number
• can't import .vcf files (I think there is an app to do it, but you have to save the file to the SD card first)
• can't share apps with friends from the android marketplace (again you have to app to do this, should be built into the OS)
• poor handling of 3rd party emails (my yahoo email does not check for new mail as it should and deleted email show up as unread next day)
• poor battery life (no surprise here, all android phones suck in this department)
• can't assign default Gmail (I have four Gmail accts set up on this phone and when I click an email link it sends from the last one I had open)
• can't change which Gmail account emails are sent from once email is created (the last con wouldn't be that if I could touch and change what account the message would be sent through like you can on a blackberry)
• no multi touch on keyboard (Iphone has this and it really makes typing on a touchscreen a more enjoyable experience)
• no google tasks syncing in google calendar (its in the web app? why isn't it mobile)
• screen is absolutely unviewable outside
• Gmail messages don't show up in my inbox sometimes until refresh (biggest FAIL in my cons)
• no multicolor trackball notifications
• sometimes touching in a spot in the text field to place cursor back there does not repsond )very frustrating when you texting and need to make corrections)

3 reasons why I am NOT getting the blackberry 9700

Do I want the blackberry 9700? Of course I do. Do I need the blackberry 9700? No I don't. Will I upgrade or purchase the blackberry 9700 off contract? NO. Here's three reasons why.

First of all let me start with the fact I love the trackpad and keyboard on the 9700. My trackball gets stuck once a week and its always at the worst times. I own a 8900 and though I have adapted to it, I feel that the keyboard is too small for me. I have always envied the keyboard on the bold because of its size. Now, lets to get to why I will not be getting this highly anticipated 3G blackberry on t-mobile.

1. 3G is great addition and to some is over due on a blackberry, but for me 3G is not a deal breaker. Not on a blackberry. 3G allows you receive data while on voice calls. This good but uh, I very rarely talk on the phone, and even more rare for me to hold long conversations. So for that perk of 3G I really don't care for. 3G also gives you faster web browsing. I'm all for faster web service but everyone knows blackberry has the worst, and slowest browser on any mobile device. As much as I hate Microsoft and Windows Mobile I have to say even Windows Mobile has a better browser than the blackberry. Even with my 8900 on wi-fi my blackberry is still slow and is no faster than my edge connection. So if my blackberry browser is slow on wi-fi then I don't see 3G giving me a faster browsing experience. So 3G on this blackberry does nothing for me.

2. Whats the difference in a blackberry 8900 and 9700? Basically a trackpad and different style keyboard. Is that worth $449 or an upgrade if you own a 8900? I don't think so. The 8900 and 9700 both have a 3.2mp camera, and both share the same processor. Even though the 9700 processor is overclocked to a slightly faster speed, I don't see this as a huge difference. Yes the 9700 ships with OS 5.0 but once officially available by RIM it will be on my 8900 as well. Bottom line here is the blackberry 8900 and 9700 are the same phone with a slightly different appearance.

3. Android 2.0. When Verizon announced the Droid and I got a look at Android 2.0 I got a gadget erection. Capacitive touchscreens are becoming standard on smartphones now and blackberry has only produced two. When blackberry decides to give us the best of worlds, capacitive touchscreen and qwerty keyboard, then I will consider upgrading. And lets do something about this ancient OS on the blackberry please RIM. In less than one year Google has moved there OS from 1.0 to 2.0 while RIM is steady taking baby steps with theirs. I still don't understand why RIM is calling this latest OS upgrade 5.0 when its not much different from 4.6. But anyway, android 2.0 new features are good additions on a up and coming OS. And might I add free google turn by turn gps looks nice, and from the looks of it I'm sure it will take a unanimous victory over blackberry maps app. And the Droid docking as a alarm clock is genus to me. I use my 8900 as a alarm clock every morning. I'm not a huge HTC fan but they did announce they are working on some android 2.0 devices and I'm sure t-mobile will be landing some. I love my blackberry but other mobile OS's are advancing so fast that blackberry will soon be left at the back, and I refuse to be on the bottom with a mobile device looking up to other mobile OS's. I'll hold out for some Android 2.0 devices to come to t-mobile.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy the blackberry 9700, I'm saying if you have a 8900 I don't see a reason to upgrade.

So I Really Wanted To Like The Motorola CLIQ

So I really wanted to like the Motorola Cliq. All my social networks and address book integration with social networks is a dream come true. I love the concept of being able to tweet someone or write on their facebook wall from the address book. Plus I've been waiting patiently to own an Android device and call it my own. Well I played with a Cliq yesterday and from the jump I didn't like the keyboard. Blackberry keyboard's have really spoiled me. In 30 mins with the Cliq I didn't see a problem with the touchscreen which some people complained about. I must say the factory android keyboard sucks. I like the fact the Cliq vibrates when you touch a key so you know its registering your touch. I tried to add my twitter acct to the cliq but it didn't take, and the browser wouldn't load despite the 3G connection it displayed. This I blame on the T-mobile outage that was going on Tuesday. I love the concept of motoblur but after reading the review on Engadget it was clear that Moto didn't get this right the first go around. The Cliq puts ALL your facebook contacts into your address book and I'm guessing it does twitter the same. I have over 300 friends on facebook and follow close to 400 people on twitter, thats just too much for me. Hopefully a software update to motoblur will give you option of what contacts you want to go in your address book. The idea that motoblur shows you all your facebook and twitter in one stream sounds great, but like I said, close to following 400 people on twitter and all my facebook friends updating in one stream sounds like too much to handle. The fact that your twitter @replies don't show separately really sucks to. A huge problem I read was that the Cliq's widgets updates slow. WHAT GOOD IS TWITTER IF YOU ARE GETTING UPDATES FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS SLOW! Very disappointing to read. Coming from a blackberry hearing about the email integration of the Cliq disappointed me as well. I am an email junkie so any mobile device I use has to be on point with email, or least be able to handle it well. We all know that Android handles Gmail flawlessly, but I use gmail, yahoo, aol, and Comcast email addresses daily. Outside of Gmail any other pop3 acct you set up just doesn't get the same attention. Hopefully some software updates will make motoblur more customizable. My last problem with the Cliq is that its running Android 1.5. As of today Motorola has made no announcements of updating the Cliq to 1.6. More than that, With Verizon announcing the Droid which will be the first Android 2.0 device, a 1.5 device will soon be ancient. Motorola I want to see you succeed, and I think you will with the Droid, but with the Cliq I'm going to need you to try again.

Who won E3 2009?

So Who Won E3? As much as I hate them, my vote goes to Microsoft. Here is how I rank the companies in at E3 this year

1. Microsoft

2. Sony

3. Nintendo

Lets go go from the bottom up.

Nintendo:

Nintendo had the boring press conference at E3. They showed off wii motion plus, which they also showed last year, which did nothing for me. Wii Fit Plus was announced and really didn't seem like a plus. A new Mario game and Super Mario Galaxy was announced. Just what the world needs right, two more Mario games. Since the Wii's release in 2006 we have not seen my man Link get any love except for on Smash Bros. No Legend of Zelda announced for wii really pissed me off. Zelda is the main reason I roll with Nintendo. The wii's newest accessory was shown off and will be a sensor that will detect your pulse, how cool is that! I wish I was wearing one while watching Nintendo's press conference so I could know how close I was to dieing from boredom. Metroid M was given a very brief look and is scheduled for a 2010 release. Metroid Prime 3, next to Zelda Twilight Princess, has been to best game I have played for wii, so this was a big announcement, and the few seconds they showed was jaw dropping. Nintendo seemed to focus on DS gaming a lot. I don't own a DS, therefore I really didn't care for the DS part, tho I didn't notice DS is getting a new Zelda game, why not wii?

Sony:

Its no secret that Sony has taken a major blow financially since the release of the PS3. Earlier this year Sony reported a loss of a billion dollars and the way its looking now they might be in the negative for a billion dollars next year. I respect Sony for holding their head high as they make it seem that everything is going according to plan. The PSP Go was announced as no big surprise, but at $250 I wonder how well it will sell. Sony motion capture controller was impressive, but no match what Microsoft unveiled. Sony ended their press conference with God of War 3, which we all knew was coming and wasn't a surprise.

Microsoft:

Hands down Microsoft killed it! Where to begin? How about with the new features in Xbox Live! Facebook, Last.fm, and Twitter will be coming soon to Xbox Live, and a new feature that lets you and your friends watch videos together. Netflix instant que will now be available from the xbox instead of just your PC or Mac. I use to complain about Xbox Live costing money because I feel that online gaming should be free. But when you take a look at online gaming Xbox Live clearly gives you the best online gaming experience. Project Natal, which is Microsoft's motion capture hardware, straight blew me away. I haven't been that amazed by a gadget since Apple showed off the Iphone for the first time. The future of gaming is moving into the motion capture world that Nintendo and the wii started. Another surprise Microsoft threw us was no other than the infamous Metal Gear Solid announced for Xbox 360. No snake, no problem for me, as long as its Metal Gear. I don't mind taking Raiden on another adventure. Everything Microsoft announced was thumbs up, looks like the Xbox 360 will have another solid year this year.

patiently waiting for more Android

T-mobile quietly hit the 1 million sold mark on its flagship HTC G1 this week. This means 1 million people are currently experiencing the google Android software on their phones. But if your like me your wondering where are the "other" Android phones companies keep promising? Samsung, Motorola, LG, and HTC all say they having Android phones coming soon. Well six months after the birth of Android we still have just the G1. The HTC Magic was introduced at Mobile World Congress this year which will be the second Android phone released. Its currently only available in the UK starting May 5, though a soon US launch is rumored. More exciting to me is the fact that Android is currently being tested on sub notebooks. I would love to get my hands on a 8-10 inch android sub notebook for taking notes at school and around the house web browsing. Due to my hatred for microsoft windows operating system I refuse to purchase a PC. If an Android sub notebook or a under $1,000 apple sub notebook hits the market I'm ready to spend money. But once again we are still hit the "coming soon" title when companies are asked about these Android products. I know some companies are letting t-mobile be the first out the gate in fear that Andriod might flop and bow to the Iphone, but with over 1,000,000 units sold and the HTC Magic rumored to be on its way to the US Android is off to a good start. So when will we see a flood of Android products hit the market? 2009? 2010? 2011? leave your answer in the comments

Whats the best way to communicate with friends without calling?

In the year 2009 we have many different ways of contacting each other. We can text, instant message, email, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and for Blackberry users you even got BBM and PIN messaging. Social networking sites have become one of the most popular ways to communicate since text messaging now that so many smart phones have built in social networking apps. With these sites also available in a mobile version through WAP browsers on some phones, you can always stay in the loop. So lets break down these different ways to communicate without calling someone.

1) Text message- coming onto the scene in the late 90's text messaging in my opinion is the most used form of of non verbal communication because everybody has a cell phone. If you can say it in 160 characters then type it and send it.

2)Instant Message- When I came on the IM scene it was all about yahoo and aol. Now Google in its quest to take over the world is dominating the game with its unique Gmail service and Google Talk messenger. Instant Messaging is great for fluid thread based conversations.

3) email- this is my favorite form of non verbal communication, especially when you pair it with push email on a blackberry. Your not limited to words like an SMS, and with services like Gmail, you can attach a 20MB file. Other email service providers lets you attach 10MB. Emails also keeps a threaded convo and can be viewed from online anywhere with an internet connection. Email is the second largest form of non verbal communication to me because almost everyone has an email address.

4) Facebook & Myspace- I will put these in the same category since they are basically the same thing. Out of the two I prefer facebook because of no spam. These two social networking sites have been hot this decade, but I see people texting or emailing someone before they go through the process of sending a facebook or myspace message. However if you didn't have an email or mobile number for someone, facebook or myspace would be the next best option.

5) twitter- last but surely not least is the new team stepping in the game of social networking called twitter. Twitter came on the scene in 2006 and has really made a name for itself in 2008. Twitter in my opinion would be the third largest form of non verbal communication for two reasons: 1 its quick, you can easily tweet from your mobile phone, mobile app, or the site itself. 2 it reaches a wide number quicker. With twitter a message is emailed to you and if you have device updates on it will send it to you by SMS. Myspace sends you an email, but due to their greediness of wanting people to visit the site, the message is not displayed in the email. To retrieve the message you have to log into the site which is very annoying to me. Facebook lets you see the message in the email, but twitter steps it up by allowing you to reply to the SMS, which gives it a step on facebook and myspace to me.

So my question to all of you is what is your favorite form of non verbal communication? reply in the comments