I must say I am impressed with the update. Most of the changes are subtle with new skin on certain user interfaces. The camera application is faster as advertised. The additions video recording and blue tooth was in dire need. The onscreen keyboard is the feature that was added that I find myself personally appreciating the most. The keyboard is responsive and fast. I like the way you are able to roll you finger over a key to make sure you are pressing the right one. I don’t open the keyboard as much now unless I am writing a long email. The battery life also seems be slightly better. Prior to this release I was starting to feel a little Blackbery homesickness, but now I am as excited about my G1 as much as the day I brought it home.

What is your take on the the Android update?

One of the first things I noticed when I first got my G1 is that when you have everything running (radios, auto synchronizations, and six or seven apps), the battery runs down really quickly. This is my first touch screen device so this may be the norm. I’ve read articles mentioning this sort of thing regarding the iPhone as well. After doing some testing on my own, reviewing the manual and research online, I have found some tips that have improved the battery life a great deal

1. Decrease the screen brightness.
2. Setting screen timeout to 30 secs.
3. Turning off unneeded radios.
4. Turned off automatic syncing for everything or just for Calendar or Contacts.

Updated 10/23/08

5. Turn off 3G whenever possible. ( Thanks for the comment, BKenney)

For those of you who are still using the Blackberry 8700 ( which I am myself am using until the new Blackberry Bold is released) , OS 4.5 is now available.

OS 4.5 enable the following functionality to the 8700.

• Spell check

• BlackBerry Maps with Points of Interest • New pictures and ringtones applications

• Voice note recording

• Microsoft Office document editing with DocumentsToGo

• Native format attachment downloading

• HTML e-mails

• Over-the-air device upgrades

• Free/busy calendar lookup

• Searching the server for old e-mail messages

You can download the latest handheld software for the BlackBerry 8700 from Orange Romania here.

If you are a BlackBerry user, Viigo is a must have application. Viigo is an RSS reader for the BlackBerry. You can use it to get the latest updates to you favorite RSS enabled Web sites or blogs. It allows you to read articles in the application it itself or you can go directly to the original Web page. Its very similar to having the mobile version of Google Reader. Another this it has in common with Google Reader is that it’s free!

I realize that iTunes can attach cover art to song files but this only works as long as you are using an Apple device. I use an Insignia mp3 player I used the Windows based Media Monkey to embed artwork. I plan on getting the iPhone just as soon as its available for T-mobile but in the meantime I am having a hard time believing that there aren’t any programs that run on OS X that can embed artwork. I don’t like having to use my Windows PC, I’d prefer to stay in my OS X utopia.

Does anyone know of a program that can be used to embed cover art into an mp3 file in OS X?

[tags] cover art, Media Monkey, iTunes, iPhone [/tags]

As you probably now by now, a Facebook App as well as new versions of Google Talk and Yahoo Messenger were released for Blackberry devices. All three of the applications are great additions to the Blackberry. Those who use the instant messaging apps often, will notice a big difference right away. Most people who download the Yahoo Messenger app (Yahoo Messenger 2.0), were able to install the application but could not run it because it was not visible on the desktop and they were also getting the following error:

Uncaught.exception: java.lang.errorTo fix the problem, you will need to go to Options –>Applications –>Advanced options–> Side Menu–>Modules and look for a lingering module for Yahoo Messenger 1.XX?

After deleting the module and restarting your Blackberry, Yahoo should show up on the desktop and run like champ.
[tags]Blackberry,Yahoo, Messenger, R.Brinkley[/tags]

I have been using Minefield (also known as Firefox 3.0 Alpha, Mac OS X) for about a week now and I have to say that I am  impressed. I  have been a fan of Mozilla’s  Firefox since its inception. In my opinion, Internet Explorer 7 cannot hold a candle to the Windows version of Firefox because of its extensive plugin support, built in spam blocker, spell checker, and ActivX handling. Now when it comes to the Mac OS X, I believe Safari has proven to be a formidable foe. All of the things I mentioned regarding Firefox on the Windows platform hold true in Mac OS X. The only difference, in my experiences, has been that Firefox in Mac OS X uses large chunks of memory which would cause the browser to time out from time to time. This nagging issue had me splitting time between Safari and Firefox. This issue appears to be one of the problems Mozilla is focusing on in developing Minefield. Two other prominent additions in this version, are a revamped download manager and the option to add bookmarks by clicking on a star icon in the address bar. Since downloading Minefield, I have yet to open Safari. Now I am just waiting for more plugins to updated to support this version of Firefox.

In Mac Os X, which do you prefer using Safari or Firefox? And what are your impressions of Minefield (Firefox 3.0 Alpha)
[tags] Minefield, Safari, Firefox, Randy B. , Internet Explorer 7[/tags]

The question is do you think it is right for Comcast to decide how you should use the internet service you are paying for. I’m pretty sure there is verbiage in Comcast’s service contract that gives them the authority to deter any usage of their bandwidth, that may have a negative impact on the service of other users. I believe they are within their right as an ISP to do this, but I also believe that they should have went about it in a different way.  I think the best approach would have been to have sent a letter out to all of their users explaining how peer to peer networks work and how this method of file sharing has a tendency to hog bandwidth. Comcast then could let users know that they were going to implement a system that would interfere with BitTorrent usage in an effort to increase internet speeds for all users. A second option would have been to offer  a premium high internet package, boasting higher speeds  due to the blocking of P2P usage. Users then would feel as though they are gaining another option rather than having something taken away.

How do you feel about this issue?

[tags]Comcast , Randy B., Lockergnome, BitTorrent[/tags]