#WhatStylezThinksAbout => INBOX by GMAIL #GTD #SoftwareReview

Inbox by Gmail, the newest tool
for digital organization

So, a buddy of mine posed the question...

Which do you feel, is a superior email client? GMAIL 5.0 (Lollipop update) or INBOX (by Gmail)?

So, being the software addict that I am, I asked for an invite so I could check out the fabled new addition to the Google stable... INBOX! So What Does STYLEZ Think?

OK, so after only 1 day, I (kinda) prefer INBOX over GMail 5.0!!! I feel like Inbox, indeed, helps me get things done and kinda forces me to get organized in my digital life. To begin the process of getting more organized, I consolidated my corporate email to my GMail account and spent like 3 or 4 hours cleaning up that mess! I'd been getting a lot of spam lately so I think Gmail is going to help with that! (so far so good)

So then I moved on to understanding INBOX and the bundling, and the sweeping, and all of the other organization tools it flaunts! And I must say, between the mobile app (on Android) and the website, I am impressed. I actually never really got motivated to do the labeling/tagging in Gmail. It was never user friendly to me. I found the new Gmail 5.0 on Android was better. But with Bundles in INBOX, I feel more in control and pre-organized so that I can focus on what I'm doing and get it done, versus flailing my arms all over the place with random messages just filling up my mailbox daily!

The only "major" gripe I have right now, is to perform more complex selections (based on advanced filters), you still have to rely on the old Gmail website, but other than that INBOX's website and mobile app are easy to use and very helpful in getting what's important, right in front of me! Also, the addition of some of Google Keep's features (reminders) is an added bonus, since I love that app too. I'm impressed, and hope with (a little) time, it will totally replace all of my email clients and fulfill my digital needs! 

By the way, I also found a GREAT website that pretty much goes over all of the current features in INBOX and gives you a basic overview on how to use them! Check it out here:http://gmail-miscellany.blogspot.com/2014/10/inbox-by-gmail-101.html

And finally, if you're interested in getting an invite to Inbox, please let me know, I believe I have one or two I can send out! Then you can get organized too! That is what Stylez thinks, what do you think? Please comment and share!

#30DayBlogChallenge - Day 4 - Who or What Can't You Live Without?

Day 4: Who or What Can't You Live Without?
For more info on the 30 Day Blog challenge, click here.

So this one was an easy choice:

Who?
My GOD and My Wife!

My Beautiful Wife, Alexis!

The two most important people in my life! Jehovah gives me structure, Alexis gives me purpose! Jehovah has taught me to Love... I've shown Alexis that Love throughout our friendship and marriage! Jehovah, through his son, has promised to save me from Sin and Death! And HE's already shown he can save me by giving me such a blessing in a strong, dedicated, ambitious and motivating wife!



What?

My Galaxy Note 10.1 2014

My Drink and My 2 Step... LMBO! Just kidding. But most folks know, I can't live without my technology...all of it. From PC's and Tablets, to smartphones and wearable tech, I love technology and all it stands for! Progress, innovation and creativity! It's my hobby and my career!

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => iPhone 6 Plus #Review #MyTech

So my first week with the iPhone 6 Plus has just went by, and I am in a word, satisfied. I have been using an iPhone 5 for a little over 2 years, and while it was my 2nd most used phone (out of the 4 I used over the past 2 years), it was my least favorite! Most people know how I feel about Apple...it's a love-hate relationship. Mostly hate! Anyway, because of my day job, I must have Apple technology at my disposal and the iPhone 6/6+ update was my chance to at least get an iPhone BIG enough to handle what I felt an iPhone should have been able to do YEARS ago. Satisfy my need for size, quality and performance.

Quality is subjective I think. What I feel makes something a quality product, may or may not, appeal to others. And vice versa. Therefore, all the reviews of the i5 and i5s which touted the "quality of the iPhone build" just didn't quite make sense to me. I, of course, did prefer the metal build in the iPhone over the plastic in the Samsung devices. But I didn't actually own a Samsung. I had a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx. A phone which was made of metal and kevlar coating. So build quality, comparatively speaking, was severely lacking on the iPhone side. My Razr Maxx took a BEATING, one that would have CRUSHED a mere i4, and put a severe hurting on an i5/5s! And that it did. At the end of THREE years, my Droid Razr Maxx still looks brand new...even after using it with no case, and allowing it to take several 5-10 foot drops, also letting it fall into a 6ft pool and being submerged for well over 90 seconds! Still worked and performed like a champ, though not 100%, but at least 90% of the time! My i5, which was coddled like a baby, and never without a case for 18 months straight, was at times, borderline buggy and when I took it out of it's CASE, it was scratched and battered beyond belief! YES, it couldn't even handle life INSIDE a case! SMDH! And as for size...well, we all know how stupidly small iPhones have been for years! Even the i5, with it's (fake) 4" screen dimension, was still ridiculously small and incapable of being a media consumption device!

Well, that's all changed with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus! I opted for the #BigDaddy, and so far it's a BIG ASS iPhone! LMBO! But it's nice to be able to finally have it work nicely for watching video. i5's and definitely i4's were TERRIBLE for watching anything...video, animations, texts, anything!!! Now it's a much better visual experience. However, even with a 5.5 inch screen, and a body that is actually LARGER than the Note 4, the iPhone 6 Plus STILL does not support real-time, on screen multi-tasking! That's not a deal breaker, but it's a feature, again, Apple should have considered.

Though it still sucks for typing since Apple has learned nothing in 8 years about keyboards, but having a larger keyboard does provide a 25-50% improvement in key accuracy. However because I am still used to my Android and BB10 keyboards, I still expect a lot more than Apple is apparently willing to provide! But the nice thing is, now with iOS 8, you can use 3rd Party keyboards (without needing to jailbreak). Unfortunately, it's not seamless, as in some apps, you have to specify the 3rd party keyboard, although you've activated it in the system and on other apps. And even some apps restrict the use of keyboards, so you're still stuck with the Apple keyboard, no matter what! #KeyboardFail

Integration in iOS 8 is 100 times better, although it is still a huge work in progress. There are times when integration works well...like being able to share a picture directly to Facebook or Tumblr from the Gallery, or even better, being able to open an address link directly in Google Maps. But if it does open in Apple Maps, there's a quick button to take you to "other installed map programs", like Google Maps! But then there are a bunch of times when the integration fails or is not there! Like, with those same pictures you can't share them to Instagram or Google+! And sharing web pages doesn't offer all of the apps/services installed for consumption...or the fact that Youtube videos still don't open in Youtube at all!!!

I was asked by a friend, what I thought of the camera. And I must say, I seriously can't tell the difference between the camera on the iPhone 6 Plus versus the iPhone 5. They added Time Lapse when they did iOS 8, so that's on both. But the 6 Plus also has Slo-Mo, which the 5 never got. They are the same quality, 8 mega pixels, and I believe the lenses are the same, just some minor tweaks to the sensor. Apple doesn't believe in increasing the resolution of their cameras. Year-over-year they contend the 8MP is sufficient, and their minor tweaks and a new feature here and there is enough. Though, I have to admit, up until 2012, the iPhone did have one of the best cameras in the smartphone game. But with the HTC One in 2013, the G3 and the Note 4 in 2014, the iPhone camera is starting to be dated and playing 3rd or 4th fiddle to the android top dogs!

So overall, the phone is a good upgrade, definitely worth the time and money if you're using the older iPhone 4 or 5, or the lesser featured iPhone 5c. But I am still not convinced, nor a convert. Maybe by iPhone 10 or 11 they will finally get it together! Until then...I'll just be...Satisfied!

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Google's Project Glass #AugmentedReality

 

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

This is TOO cool! Project Glass from Google is going to be AMAZING! The only thing that may suck about it is there's a possibility you may have to wear a contact lense along with the wireframe glasses. But if they can overcome that one negative (which for a large majority of people is an everyday thing), then it will be HUGE! Check it out!

There's gesture (presumably from the eye or head movement) activated actions that allow the user to do everything from Check-In, check the weather, activate voice actions, etc. It takes photos, and even allows you to do a sort of video share hangout (via Google+ of course). And all within a small device that is destined to be the future of augmented reality apparel! Definitely someting to get EXCITED about!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Posterous Acquired By @Twitter ... WORSE News EVER!

So, I was minding my own business, checking my email. Then I came across this HORRID news:

From: Posterous Spaces [mailto:no-reply@posterous.com]
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 6:03 PM
To: @WillieStylez
Subject: Posterous has been acquired by Twitter

Hi Willie,
I’m thrilled to announce that Posterous has been acquired by Twitter! The opportunities in front of Twitter are exciting, and we couldn’t be happier to bring our technology and expertise to hundreds of millions of users around the globe. Plus, the people at Twitter are genuinely nice folks who share our vision for making sharing simpler.
Posterous Spaces will remain up and running without disruption. We’ll give users ample notice if we make any changes to the service. For users who would like to back up their content or move to another service, we’ll share clear instructions for doing so in the coming weeks.
You can find more information answers to other questions you may have here.
Thanks again and I look forward to building great things for you at Twitter.
- Sachin

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I know most of you don't realize this, but Twitter as a company, is EVIL! No, they aren't Illuminati (I guess), and no they don't trip old folks, or eat babies... but love to RUIN good technology! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Twitter, the social networking site. I live for it. But Twitter the company, has a very bad habit of buying GREAT companies (Tweetdeck, BagCheck, AdGrok, etc.) and then ruining them! Or cannabilizing the talent!

It's OK for some companies I'm sure, especially when they are built on the premise of looking for the next big acquisition. But it just sucks for us regular folks looking for great software, services and apps. But then a big bully like Twitter comes along and decides the technology no longer needs to survive! I wouldn't care if they weren't so abrupt about flexing their preferences and likes and attitudes upon us (a la Apple Inc & Steve Jobs).

Case in point... TweetDeck. It was a great web service and application. Most people knew it as one of the best, if not THE BEST social network client (able to handle Twitter/Facebook/etc). But then Twitter came along, they not only cannabilized the talent, but then they forced the TweetDeck to remove signature and loved features; including long tweets and RT of any tweet. I mean the latter was a (very slight) security concern, since before Twitter got involved, we could RT anyone's tweets, including people who had locked their accounts. But to remove long tweets because you don't think people should be allowed to go outside of your small, limited box, of 140 characters is just assinine! I mean, where they do that at!? ... Oh yea... @ TWITTER! SMDH!

Anyway, I just hope Posterous workers/developers can influence some change at Twitter. But if things go the way it appears to be, we may have to say good bye to Posterous far too soon. FML!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think? Do you have any other beef with Twitter? Leave it in the comments!

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => BlackBerry Bold 9650 - Hands-on with Verizon's BB6 Qwerty by RIM

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

 

Recently I changed jobs and as part of my new job I am on call 24/7 for support. Thanks to that job specification, I got some new toys... I mean work peripherals that will assist me in my ... job...yeah! LOL! Anyway, I chose to get a Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9650 by RIM back at the beginning of August. It sports a 2.8" screen, optical trackball, and BlackBerry OS v6 (BB6).

And well, I’ve had the Bold 9650 for about two weeks and it was finally activated on BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server, used for company email) about 4 days ago. So far, kinda good. It’s a good phone, don’t get me wrong, but some things that I find troublesome or don't like are:

1. Keys are just too small for large hands, I find myself using my nails more than anything to type
2. The keyboard layout is classic BB, but some special characters are oddly placed or only accessible from the SYM key’s submenu! Namely the Ampersand (&)! I use ampersands quite often to sub for “and” but having to press SYM and then finding it on the keymap really sucks. And I swear the changed the placement of @, ! and ?
3. Screen size is horribly small for some apps. Just big enough for others … if you have extremely good vision! I luckily have a great vision, but I still find myself wishing I had about 0.3-0.5 inches more screen!
4. The key lock (upper right hand corner of phone) is terrible. It locks the phone but sliding the phone out of the stock belt case immediately unlocks it! So just trying to pull it out the case I misdial about 5 or 6 people! Or even when I’m holding it in my hand it has a nasty habit of coming unlocked from the slightest of touches on the lock button
5. BB6 software is smooth until it freezes! Which is A LOT! It’s not really glitchy or suffering from crashes, it’s just constantly skipping and/or freezing!
6. Facebook app (v.2, the phone only comes w/ v.1.x) is always having a weird issue with phantom notifications
7. As always with BB’s, the menu’s and options are MASSIVE, you can get lost trying to find the right option you’re looking for!

Some of the things I like about the phone include:

1. It’s very light and thinner than my last BB. Does it count that my last BB was that Nextel BB  I had at PFI 7 years ago!? LOL!
2. Outside of its size and odd special key layout, It’s nice having a physical keyboard
3. The app offering for BB’s is not at Android numbers of course, but it’s got more than the HP TouchPad, so it’s a nice selection. My faves are Twitter, Facebook, Cisco Webex, GetGlue, Expensify and BBM.
4. Camera takes good pictures. At full size they are even better (see below)
5. 
   Notification system is pretty nice. I can’t remember what the old BB4 or BB5 system was like but the current system is pretty good
6. Multitasking is pretty good, no glitches, crashes, etc. (just that nasty freeze occassionaly)

With that said, I am not 100% happy with this phone, so I am switching over to one of the new touchscreen plus Qwerty BB7 phones (Bold 9930 or Torch 9810). So another review will be coming to you soon!

That is what Stylez thinks, tell me what you think in the comments!

 

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => First Look at Windows 8's New Interface for Tablets and PCs

via lifehacker.com

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

One of the comments on the site I got this video from mentioned they did not think it made sense for the Desktop version of the OS to have touch and tile interface. And I FULLY agree with them... to a point! The touch interface being "forced" upon the user is kinda over the top. BUT the one thing is, a lot of manufacturers are moving to touch-able desktops and laptops, so it really only makes sense (in the grand scheme of cross-compatibility) for the OS to fully exploit that AND (as it's pointed out in the video) give others the option of a more mouse-centric, non-touch interface as well. Previously it has been quite silly for M$ to think that their other OS's should have even been allowed to be called Tablet OS's JUST because they had an on-screen keyboard!

So, I must say, I LOVE the new interface. I don't have a touch-able desktop, but I do have a feeling that OS's like this will make it more appealing to own one. I mean, right now, using Win7 on a touchscreen is asinine! Just like Vista and XP before it, Windows has never been a touch friendly OS! But seeing where they are going with Win8 is very promising and so long as they learn to control memory and resource usage, and keep it fast & agile, then it will be A-1!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think? Check out the video and comment!

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => Sony's Android Tablets: Sony S1 & Sony S2

via pcworld.com

So What Does STYLEZ Think?
These Sony Android Tablets look pretty cool! Although the S2 reminds me of the Sprint Kyocera Echo, it has a sexier look and additional functionality that the Echo appears to be lacking. I am very interested to see how these fare in the real world!
The S1 is a 9.4in, slate-style, tablet with a custom Sony user interface on Android 3 Honeycomb, Nvidia Tegra 2 on the board, DLNA functionality, WiFi and 3G/4G capabilities. It appears to have a sleek glass look and feel in a wedge-shaped device. It is supposed to look like a folded magazine. It features an infrared sensor (dubiously missing from phones, tablets and other mobile devices over the past 2 or 3 years) which will allow it to control other devices in the house such as Sony Bravia TVs or Blu-Ray players! That is a huge plus! It is also Playstation certified so it will play 1st Gen Playstation games! And it also features dual-cams for snapshots, videos and making video calls.
As I stated before, the Sony S2 is a folding clamshell device with two 5.5-inch displays at 1024x480 pixels! It also runs Nvidia Tegra 2, a custom dual-screen interface on Android 3 Honeycomb, WiFi, 3G/4G, DLNA and is Playstation certified. The dual-screen interface allows you to do things like display messages on top and enter text on bottom screen. Or show a PS ONE game on top and control and manipulate the game from the bottom screen. It is purported to be small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket when folded despite its bulky appearance! The only downfall so far is this device only has one camera on the back for taking pics and video!
Look for these two sexy devices coming from Sony in the fall of 2011!
That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Laptop Batteries #BatteryLife

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

As an IT Administrator, I have been asked A LOT of questions! And if they are IT related, I usually have answers ... hence the ASK WILLIE STYLEZ! But a few questions that have always been difficult for me to answer, concern Laptop Batteries and battery life! I must say, there is a lot of mystery surrounding these small, but very significant, devices that power our STUFF! So I went on a search this morning and found a most INTERESTING website! It has a GREAT FAQ for Batteries that clears up a lot of the mysteries about the subject! So, with no further ado:

How to care for your new laptop battery

Condition your new laptop computer battery for optimum performance

A new laptop battery must be conditioned to operate at its full capacity.
New replacement laptop batteries from LaptopBatteryExpress.com are shipped in a discharged state and must be fully charged when you receive your new battery. Charging your new battery overnight is sufficient to give your new battery a full charge. A new laptop battery must be partially discharged and fully charged at least five times in order to reach its full capacity.
This is done simply by unplugging the laptop from the power cord and letting the battery operate the laptop for 30 min. to 1 hour. It is important not to let a brand-new battery discharge completely to empty or the battery pack may not be able to be recharged by the laptop. This can effectively destroy your brand-new battery.

The conditioning process should be completed within the first month you receive your new battery. The conditioning process can be completed during the first week of receiving your new notebook battery.

How can I extend the Lifetime of my laptop battery?

Li-ion laptop batteries will wear out slowly over time, providing ever shorter battery run times. You can extend the life of your battery by providing some basic ongoing maintenance. Your new battery should be charged and discharged 3-4 times during the first month. This will properly engage the battery to hold it's maximum energy. After the first month you can maintain the battery energy capacity by discharging and recharging the battery every 3-4 weeks. Do not let the battery run down all the way as this will diminish your battery life over time.

 
A new battery may cause the battery power icon on your computer to indicate you have a low battery condition. We recommend that you let the battery charge overnight in your notebook computer. It may be necessary to remove and replace the battery and restart your computer with the battery installed in order for the computerís start up sequence to properly recognize your new battery.

Rechargeable batteries will self discharge when not in use over a period of time.

ï This might seem obvious but donít burn, disassemble, mutilate or short circuit batteries. 

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => iNudge.net lets EVERYONE Create Music! YES even you!

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

While using one of my favorite Google Chrome browser extensions, Click&Clean, I discovered they had a link to a cool tool that lets you, YES YOU, create music! It's called iNudge.net! That's right, an online mini-music studio is available for your use 24/7/365! It's not as extensive as Uloops Music Studio for Android but it has some really cool sounds and lot of potential as a way for the everyday guy or gal to experiment and play musical arrangements to their heart's content! I gave it a try and within SECONDS... YES, SECONDS! I had a musical arrangement that sounded really cool! After exploring it a little more, and finding a few more options, I had a nice little 16 bar track made! Check it out:

 

So head on over to iNudge.net and see what you can create with a (very) little time and a lot of fun!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH PREVIEW => HP introduces WebOS in sizes S, M & L! Veer, Pre3 & TouchPad coming soon!

via palm.com

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I happened to go by HP's Palm website today and guess what I found hanging about!? The 3 sexy pieces of technology you see above! The Palm Veer, Palm Pre3 and Palm TouchPad are bringing WebOS to the masses in 3 sizes - S, M & L! No one size fits all here! The technology behind HP's latest entries into the smartphone & tablet arenas is their venerable WebOS operating system that has been further enhanced with features such as multi-touch vibrant displays, high-speed Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (800Mhz, 1.4Ghz & Dual-Core 1.2Ghz, respectively), Integrated IM and SMS; front-facing webcam's for live video calling and even built-in Touchstone (wireless charging) compatibility! What's more, these cool devices are can do advanced things such as connect to MS Exchange w/ MS Direct Push Technology, play a host of multimedia formats and even connect and share media just by touching them together! Check out this mesh of Sexy & Tech today at Palm.com and see for yourself why HP may still be a player in the mobile communications war!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Sprint Kyocera Echo: The Big Picture (First Dual Screen Smartphone, runs Android 2.2)

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I was excited back in January to hear that Sprint was releasing some HUGE news in February, that was supposed to revolutionize the mobile industry. There was much debate, speculation, and wishful thinking as to what that announcement was going to be. Well, February 7th came... then it went... and most of us, well, are not impressed! SMH! The big announcement turned out to be Sprint's newest smartphone, on the Android platform, made by Kyocera (parent company and current manufacturer of Sanyo phones). The Kyocera Echo is a dual-screened, Nintendo DS inspired, device that (by their marketing statement) will revolutionize the way people use their Android device. I don't buy that, but it is a good concept. I don't think the concept is practical, but it's good.

Well, I got a chance to look at the Kyocera Echo, the press release and the FAQ and here are my thoughts:

Pros:

- dual screens (of course)

- multiple modes of the screens

- size of the combined display (4.7")

- (the idea of) the optimized apps (since they are not out yet, its hard to say they will perform as intended)

- current Android smartphone OS (v2.2) which allows the use of FLASH for web animations/videos

- Additional battery and charging stand included

Cons:

- Only 3G (which is not slow, but Sprint's 3G network is lacking)

- Additional cost for internet (Sprint is also charging Premium fee on a device that does not truly use the Premium features, like 4G)

- Hinge system has not been proven (phones that open and/or slide have ALWAYS been a problem, and although Sprint claims that this one has passed all of its "stringent" tests, their tests in the past have yielded phones that break within the 1st year!)

- its a Kyocera (they're not a horrible company, but they also haven't proved to make durable and high performance devices)

- possible compatibility issues with non-optimized Android apps (this is a new device with even newer technology that has never been seen, or programmed, for. So there is a huge chance that most apps will fail to run properly)

 

All in all, it is a great idea and an emerging technology. If you don't mind being their guinea pig, then go for it. At $200 (after mail-in rebate) and an expensive data plan, I would like to have seen this be 4G instead. I myself wouldn't jump up to buy it because a) its too new of technology and needs to be tested in the consumer realm and proven to work and b) its made by a company that is not a star in the mobile phone game. Kyocera acquired Sanyo and builds the phones, but Sanyo is not the most premier company for phones either!

That is what Stylez thinks. What do you think? Please read more below and comment!

Sprint Kyocera Echo: The Big Picture (First Dual Screen Smartphone, runs Android 2.2)

Posted on 10. Feb, 2011 by parul in Cellphone News, News

When, on February 7, 2011, Kyocera and Sprint introduced Kyocera Echo, the first dual-screened Android 2.2 Smartphone, during a high profile event hosted by Sprint in NY City, it became pretty evident that the dual screen philosophy is all set to make its way in the Android smart phone world. The new Kyocera Echo runs on Android 2.2 OS, is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and comes with 4G support, but the main feature on the Echo are the two 3.5” WVGA touch screens connected side-by-side by means of a hinge.

There is no doubt about the fact that Kyocera Echo could be highly efficient, but it is difficult to anticipate if this unique device will be successful in combating Windows Phone 7, Verizon’s iPhone, and the other Android smart phones,  like the much-awaited HTC Pyramid etc. However, based on Sprint’s press release, issued recently providing all the details about Kyocera Echo, this dual-screened smartphone, measuring 4.53” in length, 2.23” in width, and 0.68” in thickness, sounds just awesome!

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS - Is it ready for primetime?!

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

Before anyone asks, I'm still using my T-Mobile HTC HD2. I recently modded my HD2 (again) and added the ability to run alternative mobile OS's from the phone's internal memory (NAND). This has given me the option to run everything from Windows Mobile (WM) 6, 6.1, 6.5; Android 2.1 (ECLAIR), 2.2 (FROYO), 2.3 (GINGERBREAD); Windows Phone 7 (WP7); UBUNTU Linux; and even Nokia's newest project MEEGO! Currently I am dual booting the phone with a custom GINGERBREAD installation (based on the popular Cyanogen Mod 7) running from the MicroSD card, and a custom release of the WP7 operating system built for HD2 running from the NAND memory.

So in this review, I want to talk specifically about Windows Phone 7 (WP7) and how it stacks up to expectations. This is written from a more consumer stand point, and if anyone wants a more technical overview of the ROM that I am using, then please feel free to contact me. Well let's get to it.

I have been running WP7 for over 3 weeks now. It works fairly well. Not any major issues, it's just that WP7 is really showing its "youth" as a Phone OS. I think that it will be great phone OS... eventually. It has its positives and its negatives. But doesn't every phone OS? Anyway, the following two lists really show why I love... and hate... WP7 as my newest phone OS acquisition!

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Best Buy Buy Back Program

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

I received an email today describing an exciting new program from Best Buy to "Future-Proof Your Techonolgy"! I must say, after seeing a similar offer from Dell recently where products purchased will be bought back by the company (in the form of a gift card) is a GREAT selling point! After dealing with piles of old computers, consumer electronics and the sort; and knowing I have more purchases to come, I am very excited to know (and you should be too) that my heavy investment will pay off in the future. Guaranteed! Check out the link to the Best Buy program, it promises to provide an upfront buy-back amount for items that you purchase. That way, when you are ready to upgrade, you are not taking a total lost. I am sure the items bought back will end up on an eBay auction, but hey, who cares. If I know I can spend $700 on a new tablet and get $280 back in 12 months... I'm all for it! It's $280 toward my next tablet, and I didn't have to fight the other 10,000 eBayers to sell it to 500 buyers who'd rather only give me $100! So check out the program. If you like new gadgets, all the time, it may be the right choice for you!

That is what Stylez thinks, what do you think? Read more below and check out the program!

Because you're a valued Best Buy® customer, I want to personally tell you about a program we're launching during the "big game" this Sunday, Feb. 6. It's called the Buy Back Program and we're announcing it in a commercial during the third quarter, with stars like Justin Bieber and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

Buy Back is essentially "future-proofing" your technology. You purchase the technology you want today, and we'll buy it back at a set price when you're ready to upgrade to something new. You'll know upfront what your gear will be worth, and you can conveniently redeem your Buy Back at our stores and immediately receive a Best Buy Gift Card.

You already enjoy Reward Zone® benefits, and I hope you consider the advantages that Buy Back can provide. We're excited to introduce it in a big way on "big game" day. Be sure to tune in and learn more.

Thank you—we sincerely appreciate your business,

Brian J. Dunn CEO, Best Buy Co., Inc.

Learn More ›

via BestBuy Buy Back Program

 

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => Google Voice now has OPEN SIGN-UPS!

Goodbye invites, hello open sign-ups!

You no longer need an invitation to sign up for Google Voice. Anyone can now sign up at google.com/voice.

via google.com

What Does STYLEZ Think?

First, I have one thing to say... I LOVE gVOICE (aka Google Voice)! It's the BOMB! Where else (since they bought the competition) can you get a FREE telephone number, with the ability to Call or Text your peeps all over the US of A AND Canada!? Only gVOICE! Up until now, you had to have an invitation to this great program, and now it features number porting (take an existing phone number and move it to gVOICE), choose your own number feature, Calling from Gmail, mobile clients (for iPhone, Blackberry and of course Android), and MORE! Run over to http://google.com/voice and get your FREE gVOICE number today!

That's what Stylez thinks. What do you think?

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW => #Paper.li virtual Newspaper by @SmallRivers #Cool #HOTTECH

What Does STYLEZ Think?

Last night my wife was checking her twitter feed and discovered a few mentions about her latest author interview on her blog site, LexiFlint.com. One of which included a "Top News Story" from a news site called WDWPUB: Thriller Daily! I was very surprised that a news site had already jumped on the blog posting, seeing as that my wife had only just posted it a few hours earlier!

So then when I inspected the site, it turned out every "news headline" or story was actually just a very well formated summary listing and link to the actual information. This intrigued me further to discover who created such a great, innovative website, and I noticed that "Bob" was the "editor" of the paper! From my experience, guys named "Bob" don't create great things like this and ONLY list themselves as Bob! Usually they have cooler nicknames like AstroBlur or Crash&Burn or ... WillieStylez! LOL!

Anyway, I dug a little deeper... ok, didn't have to look to deep since the top of the page showed this:

So I clicked it and ended up on the Paper.li website and found out that it was a SUPER COOL and FREE, new web service that let you "Read Twitter and Facebook as a Daily Newspaper"!

The site is very well organized and setup to allow you to auto-authenticate using Facebook or Twitter credentials (I think more and more I appreciate that function on most websites, one less password to remember!). Once you setup your new account, you are off and running with the ability to create multiple "newspapers" using everything from, your full Twitter feed, twitter lists, hashtags and in beta testing, Facebook feeds! It even includes a cool widget you can post on your other websites and blogs:

The newspaper is generated by Paper.li using a link aggregation function which essentially takes all of the links people have posted in your selected feed and summarizes, categorizes and even generates thumbnail and/or photo previews from the links! Plus there's two really cool sections that generate picture and video feeds! All in all, it's a great (and cool) way to get a bird's eye view on a topic or feed and may become your favorite way to read YOUR Twitter/Facebook timeline!

So that is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

P.S. Don't forget to check out MY Paper.li site @ http://paper.li/WillieStylez

Posted via email from Ask Willie Stylez - The Posts

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS => About Android versus iPhone

So What Does Stylez Think?

I was on Facebook today and found this posting from LifeHacker website

Have you switched from Android to iPhone? Let us know how it went (what worked, what didn't, etc.).

Now, after re-reading that question about 12 times, I realized that they REALLY SAID "Have you switched from Android TO iPhone"!!! I'm still convinced it was a typo, because that has got to be the most BACKWARD question ever asked by a technology web magazine! Of course, the comments went NUTS! Of course I had to join in because its what us techies do!

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Posted via email from BuyMoreGadgetz.com

WILLIE STYLEZ TECH REVIEW: MCCM v1 HD2_NexusOne Android 2.2 (build FRG33) ROM

Well folks, I finished my battery & performance test! This test consisted of running A LOT of widgets (19 total), w/ SetCPU at 768/245 w/ downgrades every 25% of battery & a screen off of 245/245), TasKiller w/ AutoKill at Screen Off and changing to Leo_Radio_2.12.50.

WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => Upgrading to Google's ANDROID OS!

I received a message from a friend today asking what I thought of Android OS and if I felt she should upgrade to a new Android phone or keep up with Windows Mobile. Here was her request:

Can you give me the pros and cons for a windows smartphone vs and android? Right now I can sync my phone to outlook and update my calendar (doc appointments, etc) I like that. Can I still do the same on an Android? Is it windows compatible or should I just stick with a smartphone?

This is my response: