Nexus One: “Web meets phone” (via GoogleNexusOne)

My latest article for Tech In Hiding, a review of the BlackBerry Bold 9700, is now up.

Look, it’s easy to just say that Google is king and I’m not switching to anything else.  I tend to look at alternatives and have some unusual tendency to gravitate- or at the very least try- the underdog option.  I use Google Search and Google Maps on my BlackBerry because they are fantastic.  In the past I had used Microsoft’s Live Search application, which combined search, mapping, movie listings, weather, and more into one application, and I really liked it.  That has given way to the new Bing application, since Microsoft likes to change their product name every 18 months or so (I’m looking at you, Live Search, nigh MSN Search).  So I gave it a shot on my BlackBerry.

And it gets one big “meh”.

• The initial search screen looks nice; it reflects the Bing site’s anti-Google aesthetic, with color pictures that change daily.  This is a nice touch, and I don’t mind it at all.  The problem is when you try to find the data you’re looking for.
• Bing search results are not bad but not as accurate as Google’s.  Perhaps it depends on what you’re looking for, but one thing Bing doesn’t match (in the mobile app, at least) is the depth of Google’s searches.  Doing a search for movies in the Google search app will load local movie listings and times, broken out by theater if you’d like.  Bing will show you some theaters and / or movies (oddly enough, missing the theater I usually go to), and only some movies.  When you click deeper to get more information, it tries to take you to an MSN site.  I say “try” because the app would get hung up on connecting to the site.  If you’re used to Google, it makes for a frustrating experience.
• Searching for directions was merely okay.  It got the directions I was looking for it took longer than Google Maps to load (and app / map navigation was not as smooth).  Bear in mind, this is over the 3G connection of my old Storm.
• Using Google to search for “weather” + my zip code brings me a forecast of the next few days of weather.  The same search in Bing only provides links to weather sites, and not even accurate ones at that.

Needless to say, Bing was not long on my BlackBerry, and I can’t recommend unless you’re a hardcore Bing fan.  Now where’s that Cuil mobile app?

I’ve been using the Curve 8900 the past couple of days.  Digging it.  Some random thoughts:

• Amazed at the battery life on it.  All-day usage with emails, pictures, tweeting, texting, Ubertwitter and Google Talk running in the background, and my battery is at about 50% by the time I go to bed.
• EDGE hasn’t been a bother thus far; sure, apps and themes download slower than 3G, but it’s not glacially slow for me.  EDGE may in fact be a contributor to the improved battery life; too bad battery technology lags so far behind the devices themselves.
• Tons of memory on the unit.  Something I had to watch out for on the Storm was memory dropping to 0.0MB due to a memory leak over the course 8 to 12 hours.  I reset my phone at least twice a day, maybe more.  The Curve not only has a ton of space available (by BlackBerry standards, anyway; I boot up with about 116MB), the memory drops slowly, a few MB a day.  And I hit about 38 hours of uptime on my phone before I had to reset it due to uninstalling an app.  Unheard of on the Storm.
• Camera takes decent pictures and is fairly quick on the 5.0.0.348 OS I’m running.
• Keyboard is very useful.  Definitely digging it.
• AT&T’s signal is on par, if not better in spots, than Verizon’s.  Never complained about AT&T’s service and call quality since Cingular and AT&T merged and that trend continues.
• Speaking of call quality, the 8900 does great in this area.  Calls have been crisp and clear both ways.  No complaints.

Switched back to AT&T and ported my number.  Free 8900 on refurb… can’t complain.  My wife loves my old Bold so I was cool with her keeping it.  First thing I did was download and install the leaked 5.0.0.348 OS for this puppy, since I can’t live without threaded SMS now.  Runs great so far.  The BlackBerry Storm was nice and all, but it made more sense to be on the same plan as my wife.  I unlocked the Storm and tried getting it to work on AT&T.  I was successful but unsupported setups make me nervous.  So, meh… knowing me, the 8900 won’t around forever. Lol

Over at the Crackberry forums, someone mentioned an application called Vodafone Update, which works pretty well on the BlackBerry Storm.  You can link your Facebook, Twitter, and Twitpic accounts to the application (it’ll launch the browser for you to log in to Facebook and Twitter to “authorize” it).  I successfully authorized these three services in the application and was able to do some testing.  Here are some random thoughts on it:

• You need to disable Compatibility Mode for the application on the Storm.  You can do this by going to Options > Applications, selecting the app, and using the menu key to bring up the menu and disable that mode.
• Vodafone Update can auto-refresh and pull Facebook status updates and tweets.  You can “Like” and comment on statuses through Update.  You can send a status update to both Facebook and Twitter simultaneously.  I found that when I unselected one, I could not write anything in the update field; probably one of the quirks since the application is not written for the Storm.  Selecting both Facebook and Twitter allowed me to write an update.
• Another quirk I found was that, when “Liking” or commenting on Facebook, I would receive a message box telling me there was a Facebook error; however, my comments and Likes still went through.
• Flipping the Storm into landscape mode does not properly resize the text box for entering status updates.  It’s a graphical annoyance.

The app won’t replace the Facebook application from RIM, but if you’d like to easily view and send Twitter and Facebook updates from within one decent application (at least SocialScope goes out of private beta, around the time the Sun dies out), Vodafone Update may be a decent, if flawed, option for you.

Not the most beautiful design EVAH, but not as ugly as some have made it out to be.  I can’t wait to test drive this device.  Android keeps looking more and more tempting, and Windows Mobile?  Is it even relevant anymore?

Ah, decisions, decisions…

So, you bought the BlackBerry Storm, despite what your iPhone-loving friends may taunt you with and the bad reviews scattered across the Internet. Fear not; you have, indeed, made a good purchase. The only thing left is making the most of it, and educating yourself on the best ways to do this. So, I thought I’d put together a mini-guide for those who may need it, based on what I’ve read and my experiences with the Storm thus far.

• Bookmark this page: the BlackBerry Storm forum at Crackberry.com. There is a ton of great information available here for you to learn: tips, tricks, and as you become more comfortable (and if you feel adventurous), better software to install on your BlackBerry Storm.


• Update your operating system. Out of the box, your Storm may be running some old software. Find out by pressing the Menu button (the one with the BlackBerry logo on it), and then press Options. Under there, press About. Here, it will say something like “BlackBerry 9530 smartphone (3G, CDMA)” followed by a version number. If the version is anything less than 4.7.0.148, then you need to upgrade ASAP. Read this article to see how to upgrade wirelessly to the latest official Verizon release. My new Storm came with 4.7.0.75 out of the box, which is way old and lead to many initial frustrations for users (and thus lending the Storm it’s negative image).


• Purchase StormLock.  It’s only $2.95, and it will save you from an annoyance on the Storm:  namely, that you can accidentally press the Mute button while on a call (your face preses in against the screen, which is one essentially big button).


• Make your screen click better.  I love the SurePress technology involving the click screen, but in order to make the most of it, you may want to follow the famous Business Card trick, best described in this YouTube video.  Basically, it involves cutting a business card in half, folding it, and placing it under the Storm’s battery.


• Increase battery life with a few tweaks.  Go to Options, then Mobile Network.  Next to the Network Technology option, change it from Global to 1XEV (unless you travel internationally).  This will save your battery from constantly searching for both CDMA and GSM signals.  Also, do you plan to use GPS?  If not, under Options, go to Advanced Options.  Then go to GPS.  Next to GPS Services, change the option to E911 Only.  Then press the Menu key and select Save.


• Purchase Aerize Email Alerts for pop-up notifications.  This one is subjective, but I’ve found this application to be incredibly useful.  Normally on a BlackBerry, when you receive an email, all you see is the envelope icon and the flashing red notification.  To see exactly what or who it is, you need to perform a few steps (depending what application you are in) to get to your Messages icon.  Email Alerts will pop up a customizable dialog box when you receive a new message with the sender’s information as well as a preview of the message.  You can simply dismiss the dialog box, or use it to open up the Messages screen, delete it, or mark the message as read.  There a few other similar applications, but Email Alerts is very finger-friendly and perfect for the Storm.


• Learn to disable Compatibility mode.  Some applications that you install on the Storm will enable Compatibility Mode, which makes the app think that it is installed on an older device with a trackball.  This forces the keyboard to be active and makes the touch behavior a quirky within the app if you’re not used to it.  But thankfully, not all applications need this.  Go to Options, then Advanced Options.  Press on Applications and wait for the list to load.  Highlight the application you want, and then press the Menu key.  Select Disable Compatibility Mode.


• Quickly switch apps.  Hold down the Menu key for a few seconds for the App Switcher to pop-up and allow you to quickly navigate to different, opened applications (think ALT+TAB in Windows).

I’m going to go ahead and blame Kim and Tim on this.  Yes, you know who you are and you know what you did. :P

But, yeah… I’ve moved up to a BlackBerry Storm (and returned to Verizon for the first time in 4 years).  The Storm has received all kinds of negative press and complaints since it launched.  Some people loved them and others hate them.  I didn’t like the Storm at all when it was first released; I found the interface cumbersome, the controls sluggish and unresponsive, which in turn made the clickable screen / SurePress technology seem unwieldly.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago; we stayed with Karen’s cousin and her husband for the weekend.  They both had recently bought the Storm and they loved it.  Over the course of the weekend, I would ask them for their opinions on the device and played with their phones extensively.

What struck me at first was how different my experience was with the phone.  The interface was not as laggy has it had been previously; typing with the SurePress landscape keyboard was not only simple, I quickly found that I could type well on it.  Coming from my Bold (which I had purchased shortly before this), it was certainly a different experience, but coupled with the touchscreen and improved BlackBerry OS, it started to become an enticing one.

When a few different circumstances arose, including a special Verizon was running on the Storm for $49.95, I thought long and hard about it, and researched the device further.  Ultimately, my geek and gadget cravings won out, and I purchased the Storm.  I loaded up the leaked 4.7.0.151 OS on it, as well as applying some of the tricks that I found online (such as placing a business card under the battery to improve the clicking screen, tweaking the screen lighting and sensitivity,  changing the network option exclusively to Verizon’s and not Global, loading the BerryMobile theme, and installing StormLock, to name a few), and have been “living” with the phone.  It’s been barely 24 hours since I bought it, so it’s very early to give solid impressions.  Overall, I like this phone more than I ever thought I would have.

My wife will be inheriting my Bold. :)  She has been more and more interested in BlackBerry devices, and once she found that she could message her cousin and myself for free via BlackBerry Messenger, her interest piqued. I couldn’t think of anyone better to give my phone.

Certificate issues on our BlackBerry devices?  Really, AT&T?  Early this afternoon I noticed on my BlackBerry Bold a pop-up stating that a certificate had expired, and it prompted me if I wanted to abort the connection, continue, or view details.  Huh?  And the odd thing (at the time) is that the prompt would pop up mostly upon launching my camera. Looking at the details revealed a certificate that had expired today for AT&T Mobility.  Oops.

After some friendly, non-work related emails back and forth with my boss, he told me that he had run into the same thing, so when I got home I did a little bit of digging and found this thread over at the Crackberry.com forums.  Others had ran into this issue, and it is apparently linked to AT&T’s GPS server.  Nice.  Turning off the GPS service under Options > Advanced Options > GPS will prevent the pop-ups, and hopefully AT&T’s network engineers will correct this geeky comical lapse in short time.

Anyone else run into this issue, or see this on non-BlackBerry devices?

Update 7/21/2009: an article about my not-so-stellar support call with AT&T on this issue.