Category: Mobile Tech

No Electronics on International Flights to the U.S.?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is such a stupid and reactive organization. I hate it. I hate that because one idiot attempted to “shoe bomb” an airplane and another tried smuggle aboard liquid explosives, millions and millions of travelers have been inconvenienced. Instead of implementing better technology that screens passengers more effectively, the TSA makes idiotic rules that make travel more annoying and time consuming. I was reading about some of the new TSA actions on FlyerTalk‘s message boards and was shocked the learn that electronics are currently banned on international flights.

Due to that Yemeni-trained moron that tried to blow up Detroit — and yes, he’s absolutely a moron for targeting a city that has become so minor due to rampant crime and dreadful unemployment — it looks like electronics will not be allowed on international flights headed for U.S. destinations. That’s right, some travelers have reported that they were not allowed to use electronic devices at all during flights headed to America. What’s even more ridiculous is that the restriction isn’t limited to personal electronics — airlines were instructed to turn off their in-flight entertainment, leaving some passengers with nothing to do but sleep for 13+ hours.

Not being able to move during the last hour of a flight is irritating, but somewhat understandable. Further limiting carry-on items is also a drag. Not allowing the use of electronics at all?!? That’s just f&*ing stupid. Hopefully that’s only happening for a few more days and airplane travel will resume its moderately annoying ways shortly.

If anyone from the TSA is reading this, please know that you suck and you’re doing an awful job. If secretary of homeland security Janet Napolitano is reading this, please know that you sounded like an inept moron trying to explain the situation on MSNBC.

The only silver lining I can see is that print media might make a comeback. That’s assuming that the TSA doesn’t screw the airline industry more than it’s already screwed. *sigh* And I was just getting used to the joys of in-flight WiFi….

Gizmodo Goes Hands-On with the Google Nexus One

Gizmodo’s Jason Chen has written a superb hands-on of the Google Nexus One. If you’re interested in the phone or are merely curious about what’s next for Android, I highly suggest giving it a look. If you don’t have the patience, here’s Chen’s conclusion:

If you want Android phones, this is the one to get, provided Google goes ahead with the rumored plans of either selling it themselves or partnering with T-Mobile in a more traditional role. Droid, shmoid; Nexus is the one you’re looking for.

*sigh* It doesn’t have a keyboard, but I’m totally loving the screen, processor, and noise-cancelling features. It does support T-Mobile’s 3G frequency and RIM’s BlackBerry Internet Service has been spotty this month so perhaps it’s time for an upgrade in January (provided the phone goes on sale as rumored)!

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Unreal Engine for iPhone is Huge for the Future of Mobile Gaming

AnandTech’s Anand Lal Shimpi (who the hell names a site after himself…oh wait…never mind) was visited by Epic Games vice president Mark Rein and received a demo of Unreal Engine running for iPhone. Lal Shimpi wrote:

I got together with Mark Rein last week and he showed me an Unreal Engine 3 tech demo running on a 3rd generation iPod Touch. The same Unreal Engine 3 that powers Gears of War 2, running on an iPod Touch. The engine also works on the iPhone 3GS, and Mark tells me that we’ll see it on another mobile platform at CES (hmm…).

Obviously this is huge for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. Unreal Engine is the most popular in the business and Epic’s relationships — both with developers and publishers — are far reaching. Ultimately, I expect better looking games coming from numerous Unreal Engine licensees — companies that most enthusiast gamers are familiar with, as opposed to newcomers like ngmoco. Core gamers that are also iPhone and iPod Touch users (like many of you guys) are more likely to buy a game from a developer or publisher they know rather than a new company. Better looking games from the traditional players? I’m down! And I’m sure many of you will be too.

But wait, there’s more! Lal Shimpi also pointed out:

This isn’t a platform specific thing, it’s about bringing Unreal Engine 3 to the entire portable market.

Of course it is. Mobile processors like the Nvidia Tegra and Qualcomm Snapdragon are taking portable power to new heights. With great power comes great responsibility fantastic potential for mobile gaming. The next generation of mobile gaming devices will continue to push the envelope. Sony’s PlayStation Portable took portable graphics to a new level, but I don’t think it will be alone in the next generation. With Nintendo’s next handheld rumored to be Tegra powered, expect better looking mobile games on several platform.

Whether you’re talking about the next generation Nintendo handhelds and Sony PlayStation Portables or multifunction devices like the iPhone or Zune, mobile gaming is poised for a giant step. Naturally, to make great games you need great tools. This is where Unreal Engine comes in. For hundreds of developers, Unreal Engine is familiar and powerful. Having it work on mobile platforms like the iPhone is tremendous.

Then there’s Mark Rein’s involvement. The dude knows how to build relationships and sell his company’s engine. He’s so convincing that he once sold me time in a tanning salon. Okay, that’s not true, but I’m pretty sure he could do it.

BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) Down…Again

For the second time in the last week, Research in Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is down. Millions of users in North America have had issues with various BlackBerry functions. Down times have been reported by users on various American and Canadian carriers. For a company that prides itself on rock-solid service, these recent interruptions are alarming.

Using my BB 8900 on T-Mobile in Los Angeles, service has been sporadic all day — both on GSM and UMA. While I love how my BB works as a phone and email device, these recent interruptions have my eyes wandering…maybe towards the Google Nexus One.

Anyone else bothered by BlackBerry issues today?

Operation Chokehold Perspective Video

This YouTube video called “Viva la Chokehold” is totally funny, but it also shows how preposterous the movement is. By mixing in images of people waiting in lines for an iPhone with poignant pictures of civil rights struggles, the video entertains and puts things in the proper perspective. Yes, AT&T does suck for millions of people, but mobile phones are a luxury. There are people all over the world without homes, food, and basic human rights. Whether you find the video funny or thought provoking, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

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Tnkgrl Mobile’s Exclusive Hands-On of the Google Nexus One

Google Nexus One 2

New details on the Google Nexus One have been revealed by tnkgrl Mobile in an exclusive hands-on preview. Here are some of the site’s observations on this potentially market-changing phone:

  • It’s extremely thin
  • It’s much nicer looking in person than in pictures
  • The screen appears to be OLED (same size/resolution as the Motorola Droid)
  • 3G works on T-Mobile USA :)
  • I can confirm that there’s no 3G on AT&T (EGDE only)
  • It’s definitely unlocked
  • It’s super snappy! Faster than the Droid…
  • There’s no multitouch support in the browser or in Google Maps
  • Low-light performance is decent, but the flash is weak
  • Calls are routed the normal way, not using data (VoIP), and sound fine

Head on over to the exclusive hands-on preview for more opinions and observations on the Google Nexus One. Right now I don’t know what I want more — the Nexus One of the limited edition FFXIII Lightning PS3. Ha!

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The Case for Operation Chokehold: AT&T Make$ More, $pend$ Le$$

AT and T FailAs some of you pointed out, Fake Steve Jobs’ Operation Chokehold could pose a danger to people that actually need their phones in case of an emergency. That’s completely understandable. Having  said that, I think more AT&T customers — specifically iPhone customers — should be pissed off at the company. Fake Steve added up the numbers and found that ever since the iPhone launched, AT&T has been cutting its expenses while its data revenue has soared:

Go look at their financial statements and open up the Financial Operations and Statistics Summary and look at capital expenditures over the past eight quarters. I’m no math whiz, but it looks like capex has gone down by about 30% over the time period. Scroll down a bit to the Wireless section and check out data revenues — they’re up 80% over the same period.

That’s just ridiculous. Where’ the nerd rage?!? Shouldn’t more AT&T customers be pissed off that they’re helping the company reach record numbers while a bare minimum has been done to improve network conditions? Shouldn’t you be up in arms that days after president & CEO of AT&T mobility Darth Vega Ralph de la Vega promised that the network would improve, it gloriously crashed in San Francisco?!?

Hmmmm, I might have to think my happening/not happening percentages on Operation Chokehold. I now believe there’s a 35 percent chance of something going down tomorrow.

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How Google Can Disrupt the American Mobile Phone Market with the Nexus One…and Three Reasons Why it Won’t

Google has the opportunity to turn the American phone mobile market on its head with the Nexus One. If it chooses to sell the phone directly to consumers at a price that’s close to cost, it would truly disrupt the current American model. When the iPhone 3GS first came out, iSuppli estimated its manufacturing cost to be about $180. So let’s say Google sold the Nexus One for $199 — that would be killer! American customers would be getting a high-end phone that’s unlocked for a bargain price. Compare that to the costs of other premium unlocked phones, which cost upwards of $500.

Why would Google do this? Well, there are a few reasons. By inflating the installed base, Google could sell more Android apps. The company gets a cut of every app sold through the Android Marketplace. More importantly, it has the opportunity to serve more mobile ads. Remember, at the end of the day Google makes the vast majority of its money selling advertising. If more people are using Android browsers and products that serve mobile ads, the more money Google will make. So in a way, it would selling the Nexus One at cost would be similar to the old razor-and-blade model. Google practically gives away the razor and will make way more money selling the blades.

Having said that (Curb Your Enthusiasm!), there are several reasons why Google will probably not follow this model.

Continue reading “How Google Can Disrupt the American Mobile Phone Market with the Nexus One…and Three Reasons Why it Won’t”

PSA: BlackBerry Internet Service is Down

RayBerry 9000

Attention BlackBerry users — Research in Motion is experiencing a major BlackBerry Internet Service outage. Email has been out for millions of people in America and Canada. RIM has acknowledged the issue and is working on fixing it.

It’s totally freaking me out that my RayBerry 9000 isn’t going off every 30 seconds. For a while, I thought the world forgot about me.

Btw, one of the reasons I want the Google Nexus One is so I don’t have to walk around with this ridiculous cover on my BlackBerry. Then again, it’s kind of funny.

Coffee Talk #49: Favorite Games of 2009 #2 Civilization Revolution

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Danica Patrick making her NASCAR debut in California, Kelly Pavlik finally returning to boxing, or Bret “The Hitman” Hart signing a short-term deal with WWE, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Civ iPhone

#2 Civilization Revolution — I picked up this iPhone game as an impulse purchase when it was on sale for $2.99. It quickly became one of the best gaming values I’ve had in years. There’s nothing fancy or complex about Civilization Revolution — it offers classic Civ gameplay on your iPhone…which is more than enough for hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Whether I’m flying across the Pacific Ocean, dealing with jet lag in Yokohama, or simply can’t sleep at home, it’s so easy to pass the time with this game. The only problem is that it’s so addictive that it’s easy to lose track of time and miss important things. Ha! That said, I’m amazed that I’ve gotten hundreds of hours of gameplay for only three bucks! Civilization Revolution rules!!!