Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!

Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!
Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped!

Annoying?  I know... I have been getting this dialog box prompted to both of my Android devices constantly in the past 24 hours.  At first, I thought it was just a NEXUS 7 thing, and then this morning, it started to do it on my Nexus Galaxy. Both of my devices are running on the latest OS as well as running the latest Gmail app.  What gives?  Not sure if its entirely related to their service being out as reported by Engadget.

I am resorting to browser based solution for the moment.

Google, Where is the Nexus 4?

Dear Google,

If you are reading this, the Nexus 4 smartphone seems like a great phone at a great price.  The markets reaction (demand) seems to be significantly larger than your inventory (supply).  I have been wondering if they were out of stock because you were preparing for a 32GB and 64GB version which will really meet my needs (oh, and while you are at it, can you enable LTE)?

In any case  its been months and you are still out of stock... technology field changes rapidly, I'd suggest you iron out the inventory issue soon since right now, more than ever, you have the opportunity to get a lot of curious folks attention by making this device available.

Just my 2 cents.
Best,
themobileexperience blog.

Post Hurricane Sandy Thoughts: We Love Google!

Over the past few years, Google went from Silicon Valley's Sweetheart to Wall Street's darling to what some considers as an evil empire that once promised the world "don't be evil".  Somewhere after dominating the world's search traffic, buying out every competition or good ideas under the star, becoming a huge mobile OS player and purchased Motorola, the world, it seems, have come to become bitter with Google's massive influence.

However, for those living in the NY/NJ area impacted by Superstorm Sandy, Google's influence and it's product offering has empowered people in a big way.  The influence, I want to say, has never been this strong by any other technology company before.

Prior to the storm starting, my colleagues and I were assessing the risk of flood for our apartments and garage via Google MAP's elevation API at sites like this one, the site allows you to draw a line and beneath the map there are elevation graph to show you the high and low points of that line.  After the hurricane, Google.org created a custom map layered with useful information like traffic conditions, food, supplies and gas station status. Small towns like Hoboken, NJ (one of the most impacted city) setup a couple of crowdsourced recovery maps allowing it's residents to communicate with each other regarding to the various charging stations, volunteer centers or power outage restoration.  The information found there was astoundingly fast and accurate.  Communities were really leveraging Google Maps cloud service to help each other.

Finally, after my power was restored, because my internet was still down, I was able to utilize my unlocked Samsung Nexus Galaxy which allows me to tether Hotspot / WiFi to my computers and other devices to allow me to carry on our day to day life; this is not a big deal other than the fact that Google's flagship phones come by default unlocked allowing me to tethering without having to pay the carriers again for the same internet usage.  Also, during the storm, my SMS plan exceeded it's 200 message limit, I switched over to Google Voice SMS to help minimize the cost for incremental SMS usage.

To be totally fair, other technology companies including Facebook, Twitter and Bing were also utilize in helping with the recovery effort to disseminate critical information to the public or loved ones.  It's just that Google's influence seems to cover more ground.  In ways, Google is still a darling to me.

What ever happened to MicroSD Expansion Slots?

Here is an interesting question:  What ever happened to the MicroSD Card slots?

I was looking for it when I first received my 16GB Samsung Nexus Galaxy... none found!
I looked for it when I received my 16GB Nexus 7 Tablet... none found!
I am studying the new Nexus 4 Smartphone... none found!
I am studying the new Nexus 10 Tablet... none found!

Now, I am just as excited about the cloud based solutions as the next guy but 16GB or even 32GB is a bit anemic for today's heavy media consumption for times where internet solution might not be available (say... on an airplane or boat cruise).

Come on people!  Give us that tiny little slot known as MicroSD and give us more options to expand!!!


I

Nexus 4: Where is the LTE?

Google recently introduced a series of "Nexus" branded devices in a campaign:

Nexus 4:  an LG built super smartphone
Nexus 7:  this 7" tablet has been around the block
Nexus 10: the big brother of tablet is now 9.7"

When I finally decided to look up the new phone as a potential to update my Nexus Galaxy, the one thing I am looking for is missing:  4G LTE.  Come on!  Why is this not available?  I can live with the anemic storage options of 8GB or 16GB but the missing 4G LTE is kind of unacceptable going into 2013.  For me, the evolution of smartphones and mobile experience is transcending beyond the device itself and one of the most important feature is mobile hotspot and it's connection speed.  Since mobile internet speed is becoming more important to me, I decided to lookup all of the terminologies carriers throw at us and make some sense of it:

Source: Tasel (This article does an amazing job capturing the data capacity all the way from EDGE network to LTE, while explaining it's theoretical peak performance vs. what you actually see from day-to-day)

HSPA: 1.8Mbps on a good day
HSDPA (This is what I have today on Nexus Galaxy):  3.5Mbps on a good day.
HSPA+ (This is what the new Nexus 4 will have): 6Mbps on a good day
4G LTE (iPhone 5, Galaxy S3): 15-20Mbps

As you can see, while the HSPA+ is going to be slightly faster than the HSDPA, it's still quite a bit behind the  LTE network...

Google, the NEXUS branded phones were suppose to be the best! Where is the 4G LTE???

iPhone 5's Mapping Problem

One of the biggest and boldest move in the new iPhone 5 or iOS 6 update is the fact that Apple has clearly made its move away from Google's cloud services.  The famous Google Maps (Albeit hasn't been updated for quite some time for iOS) is now yanked and an Apple-based Maps application comes by default.

Its funny because my blog entries have been far and few in between lately but one of the last entry was about this very move.  Lo' and behold, news are now pouring about how buggy it is, below are just some of the news I have been reading:

Users say iPhone 5 maps app is lost, confused
Apple's iPhone 5 is great, but maps, iOS 6? Frustrating for some.
Why iOS 6 may leave some iPhone 5 buyers lost: Maps, YouTube
Apple's home-grown Maps leaves users lost
Wrong turn: Apple's buggy iOS 6 maps lead to widespread complaints

Best $1.60 (Case) to Spend on Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I recently decided to switch over (from iPhone 4) to an Android Device for a vacation where I would need offline mapping.  Naturally, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (i9250) was the best option (until Galaxy S3) becomes available.  One of the first things I noticed about the Galaxy Nexus is that it is enormous but thin, which makes somewhat awkward to hold and can easily slip out of my hands.  So I decided to comb through Amazon to find a case.  Lo and behold, I stumbled across this Qubits case which I paid $2.25 with free Prime Shipping.  At the time of writing, the price have gone down lower, to $1.6 (I am speechless).

Not much to say about this case other than, it works!  Here are some highlights:

* Easily Slips On, but will not come off easily
* Adds a little bulk which is nice, for the protection and easier to grip
* The bulk it not terrible
* Super Affordable
* The cut-outs are precise and does not interfere with the I/Os or Camera
* The molded sides allows for precise control of Power and Volume buttons
* Looks good... in a simple, black/rubber/plastics combo, fitting for a business man or tech guy!

Enough said, go buy one now!  :)

 

Free Android WiFi Tethering via FoxFi

For those who knows me (especially after a couple of drinks unlocking the inner rhetoric) will know that one of my favorite sayings is "how many times will telecom charge me for the same Internet".  I am referring to a scenario where you might pay a carrier for internet data plan for your home, smartphone, tablet, hotspot tethering and perhaps  your work is paying a BlackBerry with one more data plan.  In the end, it's the same data plan, paid multiple times for just one person, who can only use one of these options at a time (most of the time).  Sure, I am being a bit extreme here but this scenario is close to what every telecom is trying to pitch at us. 

When I stumbled across a free android app called FoxFi, I was infatuated.  The developer of this app promised to be able to leverage your phone's data plan and broadcast as a mobile hotspot, without paying extra!  Your's truly tested this little app on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus (GSM, Unlocked Version) and was impressed!  The app worked as advertised.  There is no need to root the phone or do anything fancy, simply install the app and turn it on.

FoxFi also offers an Add-On app which allows you to create a web proxy server to hide the tether usage.

Update: 7/8/2012:  Just want to be clear, my version of the Galaxy Nexus is the stand alone GSM version, unlocked, and not-issued by a Carrier.  I was able to dig and find a default OS Hotspot within the device setting menu.  I have not test out that option.

Apple's Big Move Away from Google Maps

Earlier this week, Apple announced that it would ditch Google's popular mapping software and go with it's own mapping software dubbed Apple Maps which will be rolled out in the iOS 6.0 release.  This post will not focus on the feature set comparison but try to discuss the shift this move will have on the mobile atomsphere.

The fact of the matter is, Apple needed to launch it's own mapping software.  It's future growth heavily depends on it.  Roughly one year ago, Google made it very clear to it's strategy on Android by only granting some of the best features of Google Maps to Android OS, ie. Google MyMaps (custom maps), Turn-by-Turn Navigation, Caching local maps, etc.  At that point, the gloves were coming off; I imagine the folks at One Infinite Loop started to evaluate a strategy to combat the mapping front.

The bigger issue, however, is how will Apple compete with Google with rest of their software offerings.  Google has geared itself with a series of decent web-based applications and contents over the years.  From Search, Maps, YouTube, Docs, Reader, Google Talk, Music, News, Calendar, Contacts, etc., it threaded everything together with one final blow which is the Gmail accounts.  Having Apple Maps is just one of the many things Apple desperately needed to compete with Google at the software level.

For now, Apple reigns supreme from it's impeccable delivery of hardware & software design.  iPhones, in my opinion, still offers the best end user experience for a smartphone.  However, with Samsung and Motorola hot on it's heels, the gap is closing.  Apple has to react faster to make the software/application portion of its portfolio stand out.

PS - A counter point for Apple would be that it's huge success in App Store allows for 3rd party software/applications to help Apple from losing it's ground.  Only time will tell if this is eough!

My Thoughts on RIM BlackBerry...

The news of Research in Motion’s Co-CEOs/Co-Founders stepping down shook the Mobile Industry a little bit today.  Although not surprised, it is still a sad day for mobile enthusiasts because of what BlackBerry has done for the smartphone industry.  This blog post is my point-of-view on how BlackBerry came about; it’s strictly my view as a consumer/mobile geek.  There is probably a lot more depth to the situation but again, here is my simple view:

BlackBerry’s gradual decline in market share started a few years ago; anyone who’s following the stock market or reading gadget news can tell you the basic story, that iPhones and Android devices eventually took it’s lunch money.  While it is easy to put RIM’s outcome along with the likes of Palm, Nokia and Motorola, there is something more profound about BlackBerry devices and how it got here.

In 2004, when I first took notice of the potential of smartphones, I looked into early Windows Mobile devices.  At the time, an HP iPaq 6315, caught my attention, it had early makings of an awesome smartphone even by 2012 standard (WiFi/GPRS, supports MS Office, Browser, Emails, Music, Videos, Expandable Storage, Apps, etc.); however, there was one problem… it was so buggy that even the store rep recommended against selling it to me.  That is when I first noticed BlackBerry as an alternative.  I have seen BlackBerry devices prior, but it was mostly in hands of the senior managers at my work and looked like an oversized two-way pager with a monochrome LCD and you can’t make phone calls.  When I realized there were consumer level BBs with color LCD, I went for it, a BlackBerry 7100t on T-Mobile Network.  It was one of the first color screen BlackBerry with a smaller SureType keyboard.  It was good at sending/receiving text emails and I got most out of it by hosting my own mobile(WAP) bookmark webpage to make browsing bearable.  RIM at this point, is really enjoying its business model as an email device.

For years after that, BlackBerry continued to leverage its email capabilities and slowly rolled out desirable features supporting music, videos, camera, 3G, Bluetooth and eventually WiFi.  Although these features were available, it’s hardly user friendly.  But who cares?  People would continue to buy BlackBerry devices for it’s amazing push email technology.  As a result, it continued to gain market share and eat Windows Mobile’s lunch; even pre-iPhone fan-boys had to give up their beloved Palm Treos to get a BlackBerry since having reliable push email service was the in-thing.  RIM continued to enjoy it’s success as a leading mobile email device maker.

As RIM continued gaining popularity from its Email capabilities and completely penetrating itself into all levels of corporate IT departments, professionals relied on BlackBerry for work and some even bought them as personal devices due to its association with the professional world (ie. owning a BlackBerry can be seen as a power status or being; this effect then became global, making its way into hands of youth and housewives).  It seemed like RIM didn’t feel like there is a need to innovate beyond what it has to offer; after all, why bother? On one hand, they’ve got the corporate email / IT department nailed down, on the other hand, they’ve got a decent ramp up in the consumer market, why mess up a good thing?

Then, suddenly, Apple disrupted the market with the introduction of the original iPhone in 2007.  For years, smartphone users have adapted to the limitations of small screens and have decided that for anything beyond emails, we should wait until we can get in front of a computer to complete that task.  The iPhone changed that drastically.  It’s advanced touch screen and useful application icons means you can make the first leap of faith into a computer-less world (and get rid of the stylus or physical keyboard).  With a full HTML browser and ‘pretty-good’ email support, consumers started to realize the once promising idea of a smartphone is now a possibility, reality.  At this point, my guess is that RIM must have taken notice and some plan to react is being devised.  But it was still enjoying it’s success as the device of choice for email and sales from corporate IT department continued to fuel it’s focus as a professional email device; still, at the time that no other email device can match.

In the 5 years after that (2007-2011), we have experienced an exponential growth in mobile technology.  Countless iterations of iPhones and Android devices arrived to the scene.  Microsoft’s deep pocket is also tossing a series of new Windows Phone 7 devices into the mix.  Even Palm stir the pot further with a short-lived WebOS smartphones.  Consumers were inundated with more robust mobile operating systems and demanded high resolution screens, multi-media experience, full internet browsers, thousands of small but robust mobile applications to fuel their starving need to become 4G wirelessly connected.  Email capability has now become one of the many features required.  People wanted one device that does it all.  Despite BlackBerry's late attempt in bringing in advanced hardware (Storm, Bold, Torch) and software (BS 6.0 in 2010, BS 7.0 in 2011) to the market, it was simply too late.  Apple and Google’s network externality effect has already reached to some level of maturity.

Whats to come of RIM in the coming years?  It’s going to be very difficult to compete at the same level as Apple and Android devices; after all, it tried already via BS 7.0 devices and consumers are too sticky to the current players.  As far as the US market goes, there should still be a decent size corporate market that refuses to upgrade beyond its BES servers/licensing.  RIM should be able to continue to service those accounts.  There might be some opportunities for the international markets.  There might be some opportunities to license its BES software/technology to work better with iPhone or Android.  The mobile industry has seen some serious partnerships or merger in the past couple of years.  HP purchased Palm, Nokia and Microsoft partnership and Motorola’s move to support Android OS and finally Google’s acquisition of Motorola.  A merger could be a potential solution for them as well.

To me, RIM’s strategy has always been a mobile email device and it has delivered as such.  Throughout the years, they added some bells and whistles to its mobile devices but the integration was poorly executed until much later.  I have used a couple of BlackBerry devices in the early days but soon gave it up and eventually switched into a WM6 device, proceeded by a Symbian OS device, iOS, Android and finally iOS 4.0+.  While I am not surprised by today’s news, as a mobile fanatic, I am sadden by this news.  RIM has been along the way of my own development as a Mobile professional and I do hope the company find it’s way back for the many years to come.

Samsung Galaxy Note Commercial

I saw this ad blasted throughout Asia over the holidays, looks very creative, serving the type of mobile experience that got me started:

Custom QR Codes

I have been noticing more and more large brand retailers launch customized QR Code campaigns with an embedded graphic.  It's definitely slick from a brand marketing and mobile marketing standpoint.  So how do they do it?  I did some research and here is what I found (Link, excellent article with lots of samples).

In short, the way it works is that QR codes have up to 30% of error correction built in.  Essentially, a graphic artist would have to overlay the branding element and try to match as many pixel as possible.  It sounds like intense labor but given the high % in error correction, it seems like it isn't all that difficult.  I used GIMP to play around with a QR Code and it worked just fine!