Author: SocialXYZ

A few months back my Samsung Nexus 4G cracked (I think it was March), after it was hurled across the road by a random series of events. Since then, I have had no problems using the device outside of the general embarrassment of using a cracked phone.

But it’s been good to me for over two years now, so I have not been in an incredible rush to purchase a new device. The only major problem I have faced lately is the limited amount of RAM it has, 512MB. Phones now are providing four 4x that amount, which is good and bad. Bad, primarily because application developers are building larger, more complex applications. But good, of course, because the applications, supposedly, are more sophisticated.

In any case, when I wish to download the latest version of Google Search, which takes up a whopping 28MB, I often have to delete an older app. I might not use that older app very often, but sometimes I just want to Shazam something… Luckily, again, I suppose, Google does provide a Shazam-like service “Sound Search” I’m not sure if it’s as neat or sophisticated as Shazam, which can listen to commercials and TV shows, but it’s good to be able to track down that tune should I need to.

Now about a new phone… Since I seem to be quite the data hog, listening to Pandora, Google Music or streaming Netflix and Youtube, I think I will stay with Sprint service, even though, they seem to have some of the worst reception on Long Island, next to Team Mobile. Why they can’t plant some towers along 495 is just beyond me, but it’s an argument for another day.

My choices are rather limited. I am embarrassed with the way Google has taken the reigns at Motorola. I was hoping for a snazzy device to be out this summer, but now I hear they are launching their new device in October, which is just too long to go with a phone that is on the out. The next option is Samsung. I love their devices. They might use plastic, which people complain about, but my current Nexus is plastic and I think it really does have a great feel to it (even having owned an iPhone in the past). But Samsung puts a lot of bloatware on their devices, that only the Nexus lines do not include. I might just go with HTC’s One, even if it’s not possible to eliminate BlinkFeed. I am not too familiar with HTC devices, so I am hesitant, but the reviews, to date, have been spectacular and, more importantly, the bad reviews don’t seem to concern my usage. By far and away my favorite device to date would be the Nexus 4, made by LG. I am skeptical about LG as a device manufacturer, but I love the barebones Nexus experience.

I guess I’ll sleep on it for another day or week and start narrowing down my decision… Stay tuned.

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Well, it has been a wild couple of months, since Hurricane Sandy made landfall  in October of last year. As a result, and the fact that my server is hosted just off the waterfront in downtown NYC, SocialXYZ was down for about two weeks. All services have been temporarily migrated to midtown east and from there, who knows…

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I had to look that word up to see if it was actually a word and since I saw no squiggly lines under it in MS Word, I’ll assume it is.

To me, this word defines many of the technologies we use on a day to day basis. From the moment we purchase these devices, they are on their way out. It reminds me of the first iPhone I bought (yes, I owned an iPhone once). I was so worried that immediately after I purchased the phone, Apple would upgrade to a newer model. I would be okay with that, if software developers did not feel the need to release newer updates for apps that worked fine on previous hardware. Even upgrading to the newer operating system takes its toll on an older hardware.

My current phone is Google’s Nexus 4g. I purchased this phone late in its lifespan (almost a year after it was already in stores) with a subsidized 2-year contract from Sprint. Up until recently, the device has functioned flawlessly, more or less. (Sprint service on the other hand…). However, the problem I am seeing has less to do with the hardware and more and more seems to be an issue with my software apps. I am finding out now that software developers, are exploiting smartphone resources. Does Words with Friends really need 30MB of memory? What on earth could it be doing? Google Maps only takes up 7MB and it’s a far more powerful service.

But I understand the game, more or less. Developers continue to look for for faster ways to deliver ads (particularly for all those free apps we use), therefore they love to take advantage of the faster hardware. In the end, it just means that apps that worked great two years ago are now beginning to crash and that’s a shame.

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It is simply amazing that in order to punish the wolves, Apple is willing to maim the flock. Yet, to think about Google as a ‘wolf’ is somewhat strange. Sure, Google is Apple’s competitor when it comes to phones and other services, but with Google Maps, Google has always come across as somewhat benevolent.

Google Maps first launched in early 2005 and since then, a full 7 years of expansion and development, has turned into a powerful, free-to-use application which provides locations on just about every landmark and road in the U.S., even across the globe. The science and engineering behind Google Maps is amazing and the open application programming interface allows anyone to build atop Google Maps.

Yet when iOS 6 was released, there was no signs of Google Maps, an application, staple even, of the iPhone since it launched in 2007.

And critics are raving about the new Apple Maps. Wait, raving is not the right word. Critics are blasting the new Apple Maps, some saying that Steve Jobs would never have allowed such an inferior product go live.

I even heard from one iOS user that they planned to march right back to the Apple Store in NYC and return their new iPhone, but the directions from Apple Maps kept getting them lost.

Shame on you Apple… Again!

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I am beginning to turn into a gadgethead. Once again, I gave into temptation and purchased the Nexus 7 tablet.

The primary reason I purchased the device for was for the ability to read pdf articles on a mobile device. I downloaded a research article review article onto my Kindle Touch. I love my Kindle for reading books, but it was near impossible to read a pdf article. There was just too much involved try to scroll up/down/left/right. Also, the Kindle doesn’t have crossword puzzles, a new hobby of mine.

Last year was my first endeavor into tablets when I purchased the Samsung Galaxy Tab. It was pretty nice except for one minor design flaw; an odd oil slick appeared when I held it upside down while reading. I guess they didn’t expect users to do this, but when I’m lounging on the couch, or outdoors, I tend to do this. The OS wasn’t as fancy as JellyBean, and the apps that existed were far fewer than for my nexus phone, but I really enjoyed it for the week I owned it. But it was pricey (up there with the iPad around $500). In the end, I returned it. A year later, I gave the tablet another shot. This time it was the Nexus 7. I currently own a Samsung Nexus phone and love everything about it, from the look and feel, to the dimensions, to the operating system, which gets the latest upgrades to Android sooner than other devices.

Initially, I was worried that the 7-inch screen would be too small and maybe it is for some, but not for me. I actually like the fact that I can hold it in one hand. And it is just about the same size as my Kindle, which I think is perfect for reading books. I tested it out reading pdfs and the screen was fine.

Reading magazines was nice too, although I don’t plan to shell out boatloads of cash for subscriptions. Rather, I rely mostly on Google Currents for a variety of free articles such as Surfer Magazine, Huffington Post, Popular Science and Mashable. Unfortunately the selection is a bit limited right now.

Netflix works really well and the $25 for Google Play gave some nice starter funds to explore Google’s Movie list. Although I will admit, if I decide to purchase a movie, I will be viewing it on my much larger television. Google Music, as on my phone and desktop is pretty awesome also.

Now for the downturn…

I am sure everyone has heard about the relatively lack of customer support across Google. And I experienced it firsthand. However, I knew what to expect so I was not shocked at all about my experience.

After two weeks of enjoying my device, I wasn’t satisfied with the way it was charging. The micro-USB cord would fall out with the lightest of touches. Initially, I was like, “that’s okay, since I really enjoy the experience,” but later was like, “this is just not working.” It might be the difference in manufacturers. From my experience, Samsung makes top-quality products and the Nexus 7 is made by Asus. In the end though, I decided to exchange it for a new device.

I followed the instructions for exchanging my device. When is was received I put in my request for my replacement. However, the Google Play store would not allow me to complete my purchase. After a couple of weeks of back and forth with Google (who do not provide support over the weekend), they decided to issue me a refund.

It has been over a month now, and I still have not received my refund. I sent an email last week, so we’ll see what happens.

Google should be very worried over my experience. They stand to lose a lot of business if they are not able to offer basic customer support.

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