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 HOT MUSIC REVIEW => DRAKE - HEADLINES (New Single from the upcoming album TAKE CARE)

What Does STYLEZ Think?

I am sorry to say, but this single is not even single worthy, let alone a precursor to what SHOULD be a great sophomore album (Take Care - drops Oct 24, 2011) from one of the best artists and entertainers on the commercial market right now. The beat is ok. The lyrics are good. But the song doesn't get you excited to hear "what's next". I have to hope this is an unfinished mix, or a diversionary tactic! Drake fans (and I admit, I'm one of them) have come to expect more (just listen to Marvin's Room, that song by anyone else would have been inadequate, but only Drake could make it great). Let's just hope this a just another track to get us by until October!

Dear Drake,
I don't want to hear anymore mediocre tracks! That is all!
Ya boy, Stylez! ONE!

That is what Stylez thinks, what do you think? Let me know 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

WILLIE STYLEZ HOT MUSIC REVIEW => Cory Gunz and Peter Gunz Freestyle! #HOTTRACK

via imlmfaooverhere.com

What Does STYLEZ Think?

Take a look at this video of father & son, Peter Gunz & Cory Gunz, doin a little freestylin on the show "In Flex We Trust"! All I have to say is "WOOOOOW!" It was FIRE! Father & Son really put it down! They need to do a Like Father Like Son compilation! That would sell triple, quadruple, platinum and then some! GUNZ!

That is what Stylez thinks! What do you think?

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WHAT STYLEZ THINKS ABOUT => "Daughters of Zeus & Mnemosyne" by @IAmMsNikks

So What Does STYLEZ Think?

This was a most WONDERFUL post! I definitely can relate to the choices in friends that are made in adulthood, as compared to yester-year. I have done the same as Ms. Nikks describes in this powerful post about friends and friendships. You truly have to cherish the friends that are a positive, inspirational and/or motivating force in your life. That is “true love” at its finest! People who you choose to be around and close too, doing what they do best and making you happier (and all the more better) for it! This post has made keeping that idea close to mind and helped me realize the friends I will keep close to my heart!

That is what Stylez thinks! Read the post below and leave a comment about what friends/friendship mean to you!

Daughters of Zeus & Mnemosyne

By Ms. Nikks

As my friend Elle and I walked towards the tiny cafe on the corner of 109 Street, we looked in and saw our friend Ash sitting at one of tables. I make a face at her through the window, she frowns and rolls her eyes, because we’re late (as usual). I entered the building as if for the first time. Usually it’s a bit busier and all you can hear is the clicking of keyboards as uni students type away at papers or  are messing around on facebook or twitter. Today it was quiet.

I order an iced chai latte and a few vegan samosas. Elle, Ash, and I move closer to the back of the small cafe and make ourselves comfortable in large booth. The girls are talking and I take time to check out the vibrant paintings on the wall. The smell of the various spices used in the East Indian cuisine that the cafe specializes in. I feel like I’m somewhere else, not in this city that sometimes has me feeling trapped. I hear Nina Simone singing one of my favorites “Misunderstood”. My friends look at me and smile, they know it’s my favorite. They don’t expect me to talk when my song is on. My food and drink are ready. I’m back to focusing on the conversation at hand.

We talk about men and what to do with them, work, travel plans, the previous week and the upcoming week. We talk about everything! I realize how things have changed and how people change. I’ve always been picky about the people I choose to associate with. In high school it was about being labelled. In college, it was about staying on track. Now those days are long gone and I’m finding it’s not really about being stereotyped, my decision on the types of friends I choose has to do with inspiration.

I’ve made friends and I’ve lost friends. I used to think about those losses from time to time, but I say to myself these days, “Ain’t nobody thinkin’ ’bout you!” That’s enough for me to get over it. These girls are more than amazing friends, they’re my sisters and I’d definitely lose sleep over losing them. These girls are my sounding board. If I’m feeling uninspired they motivate me. I’m hardly insecure or unsure, but the rare occasions when I am, they enkindle me with encouragement. They don’t leave me until I’m feeling 100.

It is so important to have people around you who are impassioned, not people who are just yes men and women. Surround yourself with friends who influence you to love art, music from Bach to Florence & The Machine, foreign foods, travel, theatre/broadway, and those who encourage you to always better yourself. Surround yourself with the daughters of Zeus & Mnemosyne. Surround yourself with a muse or two! Thanks for the inspiration heifers!

Nikki Nikks

via nicoledanique.wordpress.com

 

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