MeeGo Urge, Missing Nokia

Upon getting a Galaxy S3 from an AT&T upgrade, I am definitely excited and fulfilled as an Android user...but only to a certain extent. Being in public, I notice many more S3s in the hands of fellow Android users. This isn't surprising after considering Samsung made a manufacturing deal with seemingly EVERY American carrier, but one thing still remains so: loss of distinction. In the midst of becoming accepted by the masses, S3 is now the norm...and I am suddenly conforming to a part of the Android majority...another sect of the smartphone Borg. This is what inspired an impulsive thought this morning about being reunited with the Nokia N9.

When I look back at all those years I had spent with Nokia Symbian devices, I realize it was distinction that added a special sense of allure and exclusivity to the brand. I still remember my visit to a Cingular store in order to replace my Treo 680 running the Palm Garnet OS. That was when I first laid eyes on the Nokia E62, the American counterpart to the E61. The rep immediately suggested a different phone while claiming "Symbian isn't easy to understand for most people", but I wasn't "most people". It was as if I was being challenged on my ability to comprehend an OS that was different, and I naturally wanted to prove that rep wrong. I pointed to the E62, took it home, and eventually discovered unlocked GSM phones which lead to the E61i, E72, and so on. With every Nokia model I unboxed, there was an extraordinary sense of breaking away from the American majority. With the revolutionary moves Nokia had made at the time with models like the N95, I felt like I was participating in something special. That is what spurred my ultimate nerdgasm over a $1200 red E90 on release day and my longest duration with the E71. Unfortunately, destiny would not be so kind to Symbian in the midst of competing touch platforms continuing to excel. As a smartphone consumer becoming more comfortable with Google services, I eventually felt that I had no choice but to adopt Android.

Now that I've been with Android for some time, I find no more distinction amongst the countless touch slabs that flood the industry. No longer is there any hardware that stands out like the N93's fold out viewfinder, the N95's camera door, the E71's breathing light, or the E90's wide screen and spacious keyboard. The smartphone game seems to be reduced to a contest of who can build the highest specs for a boring, predictable touch screen form factor...and I've lost motivation in writing blog posts or making more TRENT SENSE episodes on YouTube. I simply miss those days with Nokia, where there were even specialized product lines with E-Series and N-Series. The N9 running MeeGo (and even the E7) isn't the most optimal choice for a device, but it retains a great amount of allure in regards to being apart from the Android/iOS pack. The new Nokias running Windows Phone have promise, but the OS isn't yet matured enough for me (meaning there's no Words with Friends compatibility).

However, the double-edge sword of not following the crowd is lack of overall compatibility with certain services I've come to rely on as an Android user. At the end of the day, being ordinary and assimilated into the smartphone Borg with my Galaxy S3 is something I may have to accept. Even if I took the plunge with both the E7 and N9 tomorrow, I'd end up lamenting over not having Words with Friends. Sadly, that may be the ONLY thing that could sour the MeeGo/Symbian experience for me. Who knows. Honestly, there's quite a bit of pros that come along with owning the S3 after the gargantuan Note...and I discover more of that when I pair it with my Freedom Pro bluetooth keyboard and Nokia BH-910 headset.

It's one thing to reminisce about the Nokias running Symbian during its heyday, but it's another thing to turn into a whiny phone snob worrying about what everyone else is using. As long as a device works and fulfills my wants and needs...that's all that should matter.

TRENT
Written from Blogger app on my Galaxy S3

Leaving the Samsung Galaxy Note.

At one point, I had truly believed the Samsung Galaxy Note was the Android smartphone champion to fulfill my needs and wants via TouchWiz. The giant 5.3inch screen with vivid colors and sharp resolution was mesmerizing and the stylus proved to be a worthy novelty. A loudspeaker sufficient for media playback along with a reliable camera only made such a device that much better! Turning heads in public with the gigantic dimensions was also another huge benefit in toting that device which seemed to be the ultimate example of smartphone superiority. After my first blue Note has shattered from an accident, I immediately made plans to save for another model in white and was left pacing the carpet with my temporary Galaxy S2 with ICS. When my new Note finally arrived, I was elated and began yet another honeymoon period with the Samsung juggernaut.

In the coming days, the nagging issue of portability became all the more prevalent in my daily use. Whether I was tolerating its huge size on a packed dance floor, in my own cradling hands or in the cramped quarters of my car's dash, the irritation with the Note motivated me to consider a downsizing option in a smaller Android. There was definitely a shift in my opinion of that phone in the worst way, and I bet it had everything to do with boredom. As much as I had been in love with the Note and spent moments showing off the stylus in Words with Friends gameplay and screenshot doodling, it got old...very old. In the grand scheme of things, I was in possession of nothing more than a phablet that was too big for me. My clouded judgment of the honeymoon period had worn off, and not even the news of an upcoming second generation Note could change my outlook.

Upon posting a notice of my intention to sell the great white Note, two buyers suddenly appeared and I was thrust into a search for a Note replacement. Initially, it would have been much easier to go back to my Samsung Galaxy S2, but it had already been sold along with my Dell Venue Pro and ASUS SL101 slider tablet. Available funds were not enough to purchase a new Galaxy S3, and going the open box route via online vendors seemed like a sensible move. To my surprise, a used S2 was STILL out of my price range...even a PINK model! Even if an Android beggar couldn't be choosy, there was no way I was going to settle for anything from Sony and its forgettable Timescape/Mediascape panes of animation. Upon passing over listings for BLU and mid-range Samsung units, I came across an 8GB Motorola RAZR XT910. My immediate impulse was to ignore that as well, but one thing set off a light bulb: lapdock connectivity! Memories of the Atrix 4G and its lapdock began playing back in my mind, and I instantly found a solution to not only replace the Note, but the slider tablet as well! After reading online reviews and understanding the adoption of potential cons, I made the move and chose the open box RAZR. To make this situation even sweeter, a friend who worked for Verizon informed me of a Lapdock 100 unit that was on sale for $50!!! At that point, I was satisfied and ready to bid farewell to the Note once and for all.

While the Note continued to be an amazing model in its own right, it could no longer serve its purpose as my preferred Android. In addition to finally being over the portability issue, I was just a geek who got bored and needed some change. This most likely explains my willingness to jump from the TouchWiz platform to MotoBLUR. Either way, I am still with Android instead of being stuck with a lowly iPhone 3GS.

TRENT
Sent from my Motorola RAZR XT910 via Lapdock 100

GALAXY NEXUS REVIEW

My Running Routine

Someone had asked me about my running routine, so I decided to elaborate a bit more on my original response:

Interval runs work for me. Whether I take a run, sprint, or walk break depends on outside scene, my mood, and music from the MOTOACTV. I keep walk breaks to a few seconds and try to meet distance goals on each run: complete 6mi by 1hr, 9mi by 1.5hr, 12mi by 2hr. I don't have set times for these interval runs, I simply go for as long as my body wants at any speed I choose.       

The most crucial components on my runs are chewing gum, compression shorts, suitable shoes, sport sunscreen spray (especially on shirtless runs), shorts with an internal pocket for ID/key, GPS tracker, music player, headphones, sunglasses, and a hat. This may sound weird, but the gum serves as my alternative for water by preventing cottonmouth. Two sticks are enough for me and tend to last until the start of my 12th mile when I then dispose of it into a park trashcan.                

Trent Smith
TRENT SENSE blogger/YouTube host
http://about.me/trentsense/bio
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note

Quick Thought: Galaxy Nexus experience

The more I use this Galaxy Nexus, the more I miss my Note. After my review work is done, I am letting a neighbor test drive it for a possible purchase.

Lack of microSD support and USB mass storage STILL ticks me off to this day with this Google phone. After streaming music via Google Music almost soothed this issue, dealing with a buggy and unreliable Android Sync program on my Mac brought back my initial frustration.

Pure ICS is good eye-candy with the Roboto font, the solid gunmetal plastics don't really bother me, and I do like the button-less front with notification LED. However, minor lags in the UI and dropped calls from weak signal reception leave a bad taste in my mouth for vanilla Android.

Why in the world did Google and Samsung go backwards with this Nexus line when HTC granted a good start with the Nexus One?!! As much as I love both companies for Android and the Galaxy Note/S2, they REALLY put a stigma on the Nexus brand for me. As a result, I will be looking to sell my unlocked Galaxy Nexus to an interested neighbor who will take it for a test run during the coming week. Sadly, I'm looking forward to ICS enhancements to TouchWiz on my GNote and GS2 more so than ever playing with pure Android again. *end of rant*

Trent Smith
TRENT SENSE blogger/YouTube host
http://about.me/trentsense/bio
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Quick Thought: Windows Phone Potential in US Market

"It's about pleasing the masses who desire an easy user experience, not tech heads who want a complex DIY nuclear warhead in their pocket."

This was my response to a neighbor discussing the potential for Windows Phone in competing against iOS and Android. In my eyes, the OS does offer a clean, modern interface that's alluring and quite intuitive for daily use. The touch response is promising and even better than some Android platforms I've come across. The newest Lumia offers a larger ClearBlack display along with solid polycarbonate construction inspired by the memorable N9. These pros along with Nokia-exclusive apps and a growing Marketplace seem to give Nokia and Microsoft a fighting chance in the US market with this Lumia 900.

While a part of me still likes to have a bit of customization with my Androids to a certain extent along with usual perks (microSD, USB mass storage), not everyone seeks that. Most folks just want something that works with limited fuss...and the prospect of not having to wait for SW updates due to fragmentation could be another desire as well. In lieu of this, I believe Nokia and Microsoft have a chance in the US...a very good one.

Trent Smith
TRENT SENSE blogger/YouTube host
http://about.me/trentsense/bio
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Nike+ Running Farewell

Since 2006, I had been handling my cardio activity on a sporadic basis until August 2010. At that point, I took on the habit of running seven days a week until I could reach my fitness goal. In addition to strict dietary standards and weights, the cardio had helped me surpass my goal and I was pleased about the accomplishment. Throughout every single run, I was diligent in tracking my progress via multiple apps: Nike+, RunKeeper, SportsTracker, and Garmin Connect.

Nike+ was the first application I adopted when I first fell in love with the iPod nano/iTunes setup on a brand new iBook laptop. I can remember being in awe of the shoe sensor/transmitter concept as I reluctantly took to the streets in hopes of making fitness a top priority. Nothing pleased me more than seeing the result of my 3 to 6 mile runs (yes, I had to start somewhere long before my daily 10 milers) being uploaded to the Nike website from my nano via a USB connection to my Mac, and I thought I hit the jackpot. With time, I had no idea that my opinion of the Nike+ sensor would change.

Upon rededicating myself to daily running in August 2010 after years of sporadic cardio activity, I considered GPS tracking with a Garmin fitness watch. I had already adopted RunKeeper and SportsTracker via pocketed Android and Symbian devices, but two factors eventually turned me off to running with my primary phone: increased likelihood of accidental drops and interruptions from incoming calls and messages. With my Garmin Forerunner 305, I was able to freely run without being disturbed and still keep dependable and accurate tracking of my route. I continued to use my Nike+ shoe sensor since I still relied on an iPod nano for cardio music.

The more I used my Garmin and exported its Garmin Connect GPX data to RunKeeper and SportsTracker, the glaring discrepancy between GPS and sensor tracking became clear. For every run, there was always a mileage difference of at least .30 to even .50 miles! This didn't seem like a huge issue until I found myself having to compensate by running farther than I wanted to. For example, once my Garmin reached 10 miles, the Nike+ sensor would have tracked up to 9.75 miles. My inner perfectionist would push to at least have the Nike+ reflect 10 miles even if I already accomplished it with the Garmin, but I eventually questioned the accuracy of the shoe sensor for my outside runs.

As I looked into the tracking accuracy matter via online running forums, I replaced the Garmin 305 with the Nike+ SportsWatch GPS and mistakenly thought I had found the Holy Grail. Even though I could keep ties with my Nike Running account with GPS routes tracked from such a stylish watch, I was still left without music on my runs...meaning that I had to remain tethered to an iPod nano. To make matters worse, syncing run results via Nike software on my Mac was sometimes an utter nightmare. After the first three successful run data uploads via a direct USB to my Mac, random shut downs became commonplace. There were even two instances when my 10 mile run had been completely erased and NOT uploaded at all to the Nike website! Instead of driving my fist through the MacBook screen and throwing the SportsWatch GPS against the wall, I returned to Garmin with the Forerunner 310XT and never looked back. However, I was still spellbound by Nike+ after reaching the highest level of black with thousands of logged miles. Even though ditching Nike+ would have made sense at the time, I didn't want to throw away all that running history since 2006. Believe it or not, I went back to using the shoe sensor while using my new 310XT for GPS tracking.

As luck would have it, my nano began exhibiting playback issues after months of being subjected to sweaty outside runs. After giving it away to a good friend, I turned to an old iPhone 3GS from a family member who had upgraded to the iPhone 4. While that move had helped me to avoid spending  money, it posed a new portability issue in having to carry a bulkier gadget while running. On the other hand, it was only being used as a glorified iPod Touch instead of a phone, the Nike+ transmitter was built-in, sensor tracked runs could be uploaded via home wifi, and it introduced me to a new concept: bluetooth music streaming. Lugging around the 3GS through 10 miles every day was surely a downgrade from the smaller nano, but having wireless capabilities made up for it in more ways than one: I no longer had to depend on iTunes for uploading runs and I was able to do away with headphone wires with included bluetooth! This was made even sweeter when I purchased the Jaybird JF3 Freedom headset from Best Buy...which I STILL use to this day!

With time, the mileage discrepancy between sensor/GPS tracking and carrying the 3GS bulk began to bother me once again. While my Garmin Forerunner 310XT continued flawlessly doing what it was meant to do, I was in want of a smaller bluetooth music device that I didn't have to carry while running. The new touch nano with a wrist strap seemed to be a perfect choice, but there was NO way in hell I was giving up my bluetooth headphones! I even looked into the new generation iPod Touch, but I never had good experiences with armbands in the past...even with nanos. That was when I considered the MOTOACTV upon seeing ads again that piqued my interest at the time with the concept of fusing fitness with music. True, I had previously scoffed at the Motorola creation, but I was desperate.

I shall save details on my MOTOACTV experience for a future blog post, but I will say that it is a primary factor in my deciding to cut ties with Nike Running altogether. Once I felt the freedom of no longer having to carry or pocket the iPhone 3GS, I was sold! Yes, buying an armband or wrist strap for the 3GS would have been a cost-effective option...but the MOTOACTV was simply too good to pass up! In lieu of this afterglow, I no longer felt compelled to remain tethered to the history I built with Nike+ since 2006. After achieving the highest accomplishment of level black and knowing there was no way to manually upload future runs, Nike Running began to feel stagnant. With the steadfast support of my reliable Garmin in the midst of a renewed excitement with MOTOACTV, it was time to say goodbye.

That is not to say that Nike Running does not have any relevance in the running world, for it most certainly does! I am sure there are many runners out there who shall keep turning to its site for daily motivation in reaching fitness goals. For me, there's nothing better than ending the season on a high note when my body is in its best shape with my continued effort...thanks to Nike for its support from day one! Even if level black was not on the site and I wished to use the SportsWatch, lack of manual run uploading in addition to syncing issues with Nike+ software on the Mac would have taken its toll.

With my new MOTOACTV and trustworthy Garmin Forerunner 310XT with my Jaybird JF3 headset, I am eager to keep putting my best foot forward...literally.

Trent Smith
TRENT SENSE blogger/YouTube host
http://about.me/trentsense/bio
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note