nicthegeek

這麽快，第16年的6約30日了

Just put down my name to reserve the 2009 Nokia flagship phone (yes they have one every year apparently!) I hope it’s not something I regret!!

hmmm, not so bad, 3 months since the last post.

why haven’t I been posting? it’s a bit of a sob story, and me just feeling sorry for myself, since my colleague, an avid food blogger with close to a hundred blog visits a day, laughed at nicthegeek.wordpress.com and called it pathetic. just because he serves google and nuffnang ads, and gets a following, and gets a miserly income from those ads.

but geeky things have not been happening much recently, as I’ve been too caught up with work, tv, the net, travels and just plain lazing.

But I did make an attempt, which failed, to visit the PC Show last weekend.  With 4 IT shows each quarter, it doesn’t make any sense that crowds get larger at every show.  After I reached Suntec on Friday evening with friends, I almost immediately decided to give up, bought an iced caffe mocha (forgot about the extra shot!) and left to go eat steamboat.  yes, steamboat, in this freakishly 30+ degree temperature, and al fresco, I’m proud to say.

On the gadget side of things, I’ve been lusting over (what’s new?) a couple of new phones.  Now I’m just torn between buying the LG KC910 Renoir, staying loyal to Sony Ericsson, or getting the Nokia N97 which has been getting rave reviews recently.  but then I haven’t been a Nokia fan for ages, and it’s probably a knee-jerk reaction to all the reviews going around.

Pretty phones, all in a row: LG Renoir, Nokia N97, Sony Ericsson Satio (formerly known as Idou), all courtesy of GSMarena.

The SE collection has been rather pathetic lately, just coming out with many clones of their K and W series.  Although! I’m waiting quite eagerly for the Satio (fomerly known as Idou) to be released in the last quarter of the year. Hope they’ll have the microsite for it!

Other than that, it’s the LG Renoir, which I’ve had my eye on for quite a while.  Had to give up on the Arena, coz of it’s capacitive screen.  I bought the LG Viewty, second hand, just to try out touch screens again, and I’m quite loving it right now.

Basically I’m just lusting over a phone that has touch screen, and wifi. So that, I can be pretentious at a starbucks or during transit at an airport, and go online to much around. Although I don’t really do much when i manage to snag a free terminal at the airport.  does messing around on Facebook and deleting junk messages from Gmail count?

I’ve decided to try and go back to using Flock again, and it seems that Flock 2.5 is still as cool and much faster at starting up.  Will have to try it out on the iBook soon, just to see.

Singnet broadband is really slow this week!

Am tempted by the Dlink NAS offering at IT show 09 to support my bt ongoings.

Other price lists here: http://is.gd/mF0l

TELCO giant SingTel has moved in to ease the burden of customers who may be financially strapped.
It is offering all customers who sign up for its SingNet broadband 3Mbps to 10Mbps plans a $10 rebate off their
bills every month for two years.

From mypaper.sg 11 Mar

i wonder what happens to the rest of us goons who already are with Singnet.

in the process of revamping…

Reading the below excerpt on SECentral forum, I’m wondering if I should also part company with Sony Ericsson.  Although I’ve been a long time advocate of SE phones, it’s been hard trying to find a phone I really like.  The new phones they keep releasing are just clones of current or previous ones, and the clam shells (my favourite style) just, well, suck.

Sony Chief Executive Officer Sir Howard Stringer speaks to DIE WELT about competitors, consumer behavior, Google’s lessons and a difficult year with Ericsson.

excerpt of the Interview

Question In some segments you have sought refuge in joint ventures. Sony Ericsson, the mobile phone producer, is currently in decline.
Isn’t it time to part company with Ericsson?
Stringer: It’s certainly been a difficult year, but, buying out a partner is never an easy thing.

Question So you are thinking about it?
Stringer: One of the most important attributes in the digital age is to be nimble and it is hard to be as nimble in a joint venture as it is with your own company, because you’re always engaged in discussion and negotiation; we and Ericsson are always discussing ways of making Sony Ericsson as successful as it possibly can be.

Question Will Sony Ericsson still exist in three years’ time?
Stringer: We have to work together again as we did two years ago or the joint venture will have to find its own solution.

Question That was a diplomatic answer.
Stringer: That was my intention.

The whole interview here.

GSMArena posted their preview of the HTC HD.

Key points? fabulously massive screen estate at 3.8“, 3.5mm audio jack, soft-touch rubbery back panel, 5mp camera, microSD. I’m guessing this will accept a 8gb microSD, not too sure about a 16gb though.

Minuses? WinMo, TouchFlo technology still can’t live up to the infinite touchability of the iPhone, no LED/camera flash, stylus on lower corner, it’s magnetic to prevent falling out, but i’m looking at many losses from people with butter fingers, no hardware key for camera shutter. I also have feedback from friends to switch back to a non-touch phone, to prevent blank or error-filled smses (I’m not a fan of the T9 dictionary).

Enjoy the pics, then read more at GSMArena.

I’ve always been a fan of zippos, although disposable lighters going at less than S$0.50 each are much friendlier on the pocket.  I also have a tendency to throw my zippos in the bag/pocket/anywhere, so they end up getting scratched and defaced.  (errr, ALSO, i can’t refill a refillable lighter to save my life).

But, this new USB 8GB flash drive lighter from Thinkgeek.com has got to be a geek smoker’s best friend.  Fire up the flash drive, baby.  I’ve got some files to back up once I’m done with this ciggy.

Here’s a video review of the HTC Touch HD done by a french site.  According to GSMarena, the site was down last week, but it seems to be up again.  the french version of the video was orginally posted, but it’s been taken down.

I managed to track down a version that’s translated into English.  Apparently, if you watch all the way to the end, it’s their podcast, and they especially did an english version for viewers who wanted it.

This is such a sweet sweet phone.  The video compares the HTC Touch HD (3.8″ screen!) to the iPhone (3.5″) and the Omnia (3.2″).