The MUST HAVE App for Android

I personally have a G1. The G1 phones have probably the sorriest battery life. In less than 4 hours, my battery is usually at  1/4 capacity. This means when I go to lunch at work, G1 is on the charger in the car while I eat lunch. This means 0% of my work day involves using facebook. :-(.

I have done everything I could to reduce battery usage. but this story isn’t all about my phone.

I found (from a lady at my job) Advanced Task Killer. You can find the actual app in the Android Market. It’s free and very useful.

Just install it and open your menu bar. Once you click on Advanced Task killer the first time, it should for ever be in your bar at the top of your screen (if you have a g1 like ) do still running the 1.6 firmware). As soon as the program opens the first time, you will see a list of apps that are currently running. Un-check the ones you do not want to disable (may I recommend you do not kill ATK?). If you must disable Advanced Task Killer, I would like to take the time to suggest that you go back to your main screen, press down in an empty space and just wait there with your finger on the screen. After a few (2-5) seconds you should get a pop up. This pop up will ask you what you want to add to home screen. Select “shortcuts”. There will be a second of things to select from, chose applications. This next menu will be in alphabetic order, Select Advanced Task Killer. This will place ATK on your Home Screen.

I myself create folders and separate my apps by placing them into specified folders. You can rename your folders by opening them and pressing in the folder with your finger and hold there for about 5 seconds or less. You will then be prompted to rename the folder.

Only downside, is the programs keep re-opening and you have to keep closing them. and every time you turn on the light to use the app, you run the battery down a bit more.

So for the battery saving Android application that you MUST HAVE, Get Advanced Task killer.

advanced task killerAdvanced Task Killer

Hands on with Iphone 4

I got my hands on the IPhone 4. After a week of arguing with the macfaqs at work about how Apple is not super man and the pope rolled into one and how the Iphone really does have a signal issue.
One of the co-workers brought an Iphone 4 in to the office and let me get a hands on.

one of Iphone4's Cameras.

IPhone 4 With camera on

The camera on it is amazing. (yeah I’m in the background gathering pictures with my G1).

Back Of IPhone 4

You can actually have a full on video chat with someone who has an IPhone 4 also.

Front Camera

The resolution is remarkable. The thing is nice and heavy feeling. Very sturdy. Somehow though it looks like the old nano and a Motorolla birthed an Apple. Video quality is up to 720p 29 fps recording.

screen area

  • 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
  • 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
  • 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
  • 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)

512mb Ram 1GHz processor Really impressive. That could play GTA liberty City Stories easily.

Well that’s the best I can do with my limited time with the phone. The co-worker that brought that with him is now as we speak on a plane to somewhere on vacation. HTC needs to build more like that. or Motorolla needs to build more like that. Then again, just be motivated by that to make something better. So if I did not make it clear reception was fine. a room with 7 computers 6 of them running and reception was fine. No matter where I placed my fingers on that phone, the signal was good.

(((((1 video was removed)))))

I really appreciated the chance to check that thing out. It was the feeling of when you are holding a brand new hard drive that you know is fast and has tons of storage. It just felt sturdy very well built and nice and heavy.
I will not be buying one simply because AT&T has chased me away already with their bad signal in my area. Sure wish it was on Tmobile. Not much better but better.

Toshiba A75 S2112 Review

Just received a laptop computer as payment for replacing a motherboard on another laptop. The laptop I received as payment is a Toshiba A75 S2112 Satellite.

Specs:

CPU Arch : 1 CPU – 1 Cores – 2 Threads
CPU PSN : Mobile Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.06GHz
CPU EXT : MMX, SSE (1, 2, 3)
CPUID : F.4.1 / Extended : F.4
CPU Cache : L1 : 12 / 16 KB – L2 : 1024 KB
Core : Prescott (90 nm) / Stepping : E0

Freq : 3066.8 MHz (133.34 * 23)
MB Brand : TOSHIBA
MB Model : EDW10
NB : ATI RS300/RS300M rev 02
SB : ATI SB200 rev 00
GPU Type : ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 IGP
DirectX Version : 9.0c

RAM : 448 MB
RAM Speed : Unknown (Unknown) @ N/A

Rundown

Goods

Very nice looking. Keys move fast. Screen is very shiny. Images look clear and crisp. The on board memory and yes I do mean “on board”, the memory is actually part of the motherboard. There is one slot for an upgrade stick. Hard drive is quite though you feel it spin up for sure. There are two fans under the motherboard and a large copper heat sink. Volume knob on the right side. A media button on the left (can assign it to any .exe). Two speakers in the front, they function well with no cracking noises. Latch lock works flawlessly. At times the computer is super fast. DVD burner. good solid housing. Battery works and charges up within just minutes. Built in WIFI is strong and has not failed once. 3 usb 2.0 ports 1 lan port and one modem connection. All lights function. Plenty of bundled software, came with Microsoft Office, tons of editing software like video and image (I’m still going to download and use GIMP it’s what I am used to)

Bads

When I got the laptop, the power button was inside the housing rattling around. Line going up the screen on the left. Some times the computer slows way down. Over heating despite the dual fan and large heatsink.If laptop is set on a table while running it will shut off in a blink in less than 20 minutes.  Battery about 4 hours as long as I keep airflow unobstructed. There are many old posts on this 5 year old computer talking about solder failure due to overheating.

Fixes

Got the power button to stay on by use of a Soldering iron and a pen cap.

Worked to repair the overheating issue cleaned fan and heatsink pulled out half a wig of hair, dust and funk. (fail) Still crashes when sitting on a table.

Screen having a line up the left if I push on the screen, sometimes the line goes away. Someone showed me how but i kind of didn’t start listening until I saw it work. So I have to go back and re-ask.  If I can get it to fix by Doing so, then I will locate the issue better and solve it.

For the work I did on the other computer and the fact this thing actually runs ( This post is being done on the Toshiba), is a great factor in this review. It’s like a free computer . I spent seven hours on that other computer. She spent $100 on this computer. Who got the better deal ?

Score

I give this laptop – notebook a

7/10