the.blog @scwleung

Hmmm….so it’s been a full day since the beginning of the Android trial, and I have to say that I am mostly impressed. This isn’t to say that I am loving the device, but I can see it growing on me over time like barnacles to a boat. However, I digress.

One of the most immediate things that jumped out at me is the slide out keyboard. being one of those self-righteous and dignified Blackberry haters, I’ve never had the real displeasure of using a real QWERTY keyboard on a small mobile device. I must admit that the keyboard itself wasn’t as horrendous experience as I imagined, it was pretty bad. The thing I miss most from the iPhone is the well designed smart error correction algorithm, and the Android platform simply can’t compare. Furthermore, with the keyboard slightly off-center, there are times I type in the wrong character that is simply one over from where I needed to be. Still, I greatly appreciate having a scroll wheel off to the side. Keyboard shift errors is a not-so-small price to pay for that luxury.

One of the biggrest complaints of the Android phones is that the battery life is terrible. I can confirm this; you really don’t want to take this puppy on a road trip if you’re not packing some portable juice. Fortunately, on my way up to Ottawa yesterday [more on that another time], I had the fortunate foresight of packing my Solio solar charger. Ironically, this was a gift from Google back in May. Maybe their GJuice powered crystal balls [patent pending] forecasted my dire need for it, and found a way of alieving this pain. Regardless, I was very happy to have it as my batteries were already down 50% by the time I reached Napanee [which was roughly 6 hours since unplugging it]. I wasn’t even running on 3G! Just simply terrible battery life. I have my own theories as to why, but I won’t indulge your curiosity at this time.

In any case, I do have more stories to tell about the device. Stuff about the Android Marketplace, Microsoft ActiveSync support, integration with other G-based apps, but I’ll save it for another time. My thumbs are getting numb from all this typing on the machine.

Until next time…

Sam

Due to circumstances beyond my control [and one I choose not to discuss here], I will be using an HTC Magic for a week or so. It will be an interesting experiment. I look forward to the results.

Here’s to good fun and cheer [and hopefully survival]!

We’re usually a pretty jovial bunch at the place I work, and we take a lot of jabs at each other whenever we get the opportunity. For example, we make a lot of fun of my boss for his severe seniority, and another of the coworkers for his Danishness. It’s all in good fun, and are all wholly accurate to who each of us are. Naturally, it would come to little surprise that my relatively insane history of commuting and my love of not driving would come up. I don’t blame them, because like I said before, it’s all true.

Outside of actual commuting and the Toronto Bus Terminal (refer to an older post), there is actually a lot to love about sitting in a bus or train and traveling long distances.

Firstly, the stresses of the road is miraculously transferred from yourself to the driver or conductor as if there some kind of electrical transferance taking place as your butt touches the cushion of your seat. The wonderful high tech lives in which we lead.

Secondly, with my sleep schedule and lifestyle that I lead, I often find myself sitting in vehicles at half-capacity traveling at speeds much faster than the speed limit allows. This is quite a good thig since I tend to cramp up easily and my patience has dropped precipitously to that of a 12 year old.

Still, I’m not entirely sure that I’m able to do all of this without my trusted travel entourage – my iPhone and my camera. It truly is miraculous that we can travel at 100km/h down a stretch of God’s great green earth and enjoy music, interwebs, blog posting and so much more in a device that slips into my pocket with nary a nuisance. I wouldn’t know how I distracted myself before this magical device landed on my lap a year ago. Hell, I think my commute with Deloitte would have been greatly improved (or at least be less sucky) if this little box of wonderfulness was available in Canada at that point.

And where would I be without my camera? The ability to record my memories simply, beautifully, and artistically has given me newfound love for travel. Without it, I would have been content sitting at home, picking up nefarious gaming habits of the massively multiplayer nature.

But you know what I love best about sitting in buses and trains? The chance to hone my thoughts into a blog post that I hope has been witty and entertaining.

Becuase that is how I roll.

Until next time.

S