My Soapbox

Bill and Jerry: believable?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:51:04 GMT

This is the first of a much bigger advertising campaign (click the picture for the original/high-resolution version). What did you think of it? It was intended to intrigue people, get folks feeling peculiarly interested in understanding what it's all about...

We could have a winner here...

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:02:22 GMT

Wow, this a beauty! My very brief summary: a melding of slick Diamond design, a non-touch-screen UI (which is the easier-to-use version of Windows Mobile) with elements of TouchFlo 3D, stuffed into a HTC Vox-like hardware - although much slimmer, like it should have always been. And I thought I was settled on buying the HTC Touch Diamond Pro - now I'm second-guessing myself. What do you think?

Fun Chat

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:11:26 GMT

In June I had the chance to spend a few days in Tokyo. The guys at Akihabara News invited me over to chat about Windows Mobile. As always, Alex and I had a fun time bantering about on all things mobile. Click on the picture below and have a listen - apparently he's going to do a three-part series with our conversation: I can't for the life of me remember what we talked about for that long; but then again, once I start talking with friends about gadgets the hours just fly by :)

What I did on my summer vacation

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:26:01 GMT

Yeah, it's been a long time. My excuse: I've been traveling non-stop since the middle of June when I left Singapore for Beijing, then Tokyo, Seattle, Colorado, back to Seattle, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Diego and then back to Singapore. It didn't seem so bad when I planned it all: a mix of work and vacation. But I'm exhausted. I've now had a week to catch-up in the office in Singapore and tomorrow I'm off to Seattle again. I keep telling myself that things will settle down in a few months - but I've been using that line for 10 years now :)

But to be honest, I'm having fun - and I'd be bored if I wasn't running full-speed and globetrotting. Here's my summer (thus far!) in pictures.


Colorado Monument	Sea World, San Diego


Easy Riders, Canada	Zune & Diamond on board


Lego Land	Singapore!

Gadget Geek Pilgrimage

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:52:26 GMT

I had been here once before, but was escorted by a few wannabe-geeks who got bored after an hour walking the streets of Electronics Paradise: that is Akihabara Electric Town in Tokyo.

This time I went alone, spent eight hours walking through shop after shop, quickly becoming desensitized to the schoolgirl-costumed girls handing out coupons, the crowds shamelessly shoving, and the rain that poured. I was in Akihabara - the candy store district for grown-ups.

I sadly finished the day having bought very little. I eyed many compact HD video cameras, phones of every shape in bright colors (check out the new Sharp Willcom units here that run Windows Mobile) that played high-quality wireless TV, games for my XBOX 360 and PSP, and a million and one computer accessories. In the end, format and voltage worries kept me at bay. But, I still had a thoroughly satisfying day of drooling over gadgets. If you're ever in Tokyo, Akihabara is a must visit for any fellow geeks!

Seat Guru: Check Before Booking

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:24:55 GMT

I know that rising airline ticket prices are putting some major hurt in everyone's wallets. However, I was reminded about another kind of airline hurt yesterday when I flew from Singapore to Beijing: that's the literal PAIN IN YOUR [INSERT PERSONAL WORD HERE] kind of hurt from the lousy seats and layouts of too many planes today.

What frustrated me most is that I wasn't flying some low-cost airline - this was Singapore Airlines. Their older planes are configured similarly to many other mainstream carriers today (I know from personal experience that it's like United, Northwest, American, British Airways, KLM, etc.):

After an hour or so lots of surprising lumbar support appears - you know, the type that comes when the foam has fallen out of older seats so it's just your precious flesh against a metal frame.
It seems like the seat to your left and right are quite spacious, but the one you were so lucky to nab has an unwanted heater box on the floor, the curtain to the next class keeps flipping against your head, or every passer-by bumps into you because the aisle location changes direction at your knees.
Then there are those planes where the back 10 rows have a jet engine directly outside the window: if you didn't bring ear plugs you'll be deaf for 24 hours after you land.
Probably the worst seat location is right outside the toilets. I've had some Alaska and United flights where the fumes were enough to kill you.

Anyway, in the middle of my flight last night I remembered a great resource - a must-use tool for any traveler; I stopped using it over the past year because I'm always on Singapore Airlines and I'd never - until last night - had a bad seat. Try out Seat Guru - it will save your back, butt, nose, ears and sanity :)

Samsung OMNIA Unboxing

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:35:27 GMT

This morning at the office I received what I thought to be a mistaken shipment: a good-size wood crate addressed to me from Korea. I was expecting a couple of OMNIA phones to show next week at Communicasia where I'm speaking - but the box here totally threw me.

I've only had a few minutes to play with the phone, but my early impressions are:

Snappy performance
Gorgeous WVGA screen
Interesting widgets you move around on the home screen - need to play with these a bit more; you get a bunch of customization options, still curious about usability
Best camera I've ever used on a Windows Mobile phone. Some people might say that isn't saying much; however, at a glance the image quality appears better than the big shooter on my Nokia N82 with a Zeiss lens.
Overall great build quality/craftsmanship: it feels like you're holding a high-end phone

For an actual review visit CNET; Michael over at MobileBurn has a good overview and pics as well. If you're in the market for a new smartphone it's a great time to shop around: The HTC Touch Diamond (got one of these last week - WOW!), the OMNIA, Apple is about to make a big announcement, and I know Nokia has a few phones to unveil next week too... Good times!

Diamonds are for guys too!

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:19:17 GMT

I see a lot of phones, so many that I can tend to be a bit critical of things most people would consider minor, if at all. However, the new HTC Diamond (The Unwired has several good reviews) has got me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

Check out the video on HTC's website - this one is a must have...

Top 10 Tech Cities

Mon, 05 May 2008 07:33:56 GMT

Yeah, I know there have been lots of lists like this published over the years. But I thought this one was interesting as it was published by CRI, a Chinese news site. There are of course some expected locations, but the order is a bit different than what Western surveys have produced...

Tokyo, Japan
Seoul, South Korea
Singapore!
Hong Kong, China
San Francisco, USA
Seattle, USA
Helsinki, Finland
Bangalore, India
Munich, Germany
Tel Aviv, Israel

Save the Planet OEMS!

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:54:31 GMT

I understand why handset manufacturers keep changing the connectors for phones: they make a lot of money on accessories. I could easily pick on them for being money-mongers, but hey - they've got to make money somewhere.

However, this week, as all of us citizens of the planet observed Earth Day, I started thinking about how many chargers and headsets I've got piling up, and the cases of them I've thrown out over the years. I'm sure I'm not the only one, in fact I wonder how much waste is created by all of these chargers? The picture here from MobiFrance gives you the idea, and if you read French the story is a cry to OEMs to do their part to save the planet: think about our future before making another obsolete charger - the industry needs to get together and pick a standard (mini-USB please), we can't afford not to...

Analyst Summit - Questions?

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:27:44 GMT

It would be interesting to hear if any of you read reports from IT analysts. A group of us are speaking today at a Microsoft analyst conference in Singapore. We're walking through Microsoft's overall mobility strategy for businesses. I know this is a topic that puts many of you to sleep - I'll even admit to a few yawns on occasion - but we've done some things that are working well for a lot of companies. Of course, we have more work ahead when it comes to individuals, and I think Windows Mobile 6.1 is a good step, as will several other iterations happening in the near future.

Anyway, if you have any burning questions you'd like me to pose to the analyst community please let me know - happy to make you part of the demo and conversation!

OMG - Spin Doctors Nabbed!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:19:02 GMT

I don't think most people have anything against marketers or PR people that aren't blatantly hurting people or spinning the truth. But OMG - the PR folks from 02, the telco in the UK, we're nailed by The Register. Not only were they NOT genuine - making fun of their own customers - but they made the huge mistake of dialing the wrong number (The Register) while they talked trash about the journalists and their subscribers... Shouldn't people who work for a phone company get training on simple dialing?

Read this Register article for a painful laugh...

Happy Birthday T-Shirt

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:22:32 GMT

I got a very unexpected birthday gift from my friends at www.MobiFrance.com: a hilarious "Red Eye" T-shirt. Should I wear this to the next Apple fan club meeting? :)

Beyond great gadget posts, these guys sell some cool gear - check them out!

THANKS GUYS!

Engadget and Gizmodo...

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 06:10:19 GMT

I've got a lot of respect for the guys at Engadget. Read the WIRED article; what do you think?

Windows Mobile 6.1

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:32:23 GMT

It's been a busy week, one when we FINALLY went official with Windows Mobile 6.1 - an update that has been available on XDA Dev Forum for a long time (along with everybody else's software too)...

I'm a big fan of this update. From a feature standpoint the things you'll really notice are threaded SMS and an improved browser. But from a usability perspective I think this update is BIG - the new home-screen really means one-button/one-finger access to the most-used things on a phone. But rather than blabber on about all of this, take a look at a video interview I did with John Chan at CNET here in Singapore this week.

Let me know what you think.

Pensive Week in Vietnam

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 07:41:16 GMT

I've been fortunate enough to travel to many countries throughout N. America, Europe and much of Asia. While many of these trips have been on a corporate expense account or part of a semi-luxurious family holiday, I've always made it a point to 'get real' and do the 'local thing' as much as time would permit. I also spent a couple of years on a mission in my early college days 'getting very real' and more recently was able to work with Unitus (a nonprofit micro-finance company).

Despite my past experiences, I was quite moved by the people I met and observed this past week as we traveled throughout Hanoi and many mountain villages in the far north of Vietnam. People there have very little, but they are at peace, value their family, and are generally happy - more so than I've experienced and observed in many "1st world" countries where people and businesses have an abundance and yet are stressed and depressed because of overwhelming debt... my mind often turned to the reality that money does NOT buy happiness.

Now of course, money can buy health, education and opportunities. Thanks to individual donations, a slowly growing number of outside business investments (to be fair, the government has been very controlling to date), some religious groups, the Vietnamese government, and UNICEF there are many basic services now being offered - in the poor villages in particular - such as health care, schooling, improved housing and modern farming practices.

For me, and probably everyone reading my blog, the basic needs plus many wants have been met. After this point, what do we choose to do? I believe that a good portion of our happiness is a result of us finding a 'balance.' I think 'balance' is self-defined; my personal equilibrium is something I thought much of this week... How am I spending my time? Isn't time all that we really own?

The Shift Finally Arrives

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:21:35 GMT

Unfortunately, the one I have on order is stuck in customs somewhere between Expansys' warehouse and my porch in Singapore :( But the first reviews are going online: check out a few below (photo courtesy of MobileTechReview)! It sounds like battery life is a bit of an issue, but all of the Ultra Portable computers suffer from the same reality: little battery, big screen, and broadband radio require juice - and a lot of it. But I'm not too worried about that, the Shift won't be a smartphone replacement; I'll compare it more with my laptop, which today only gets three hours on the battery anyway.

What I'm really excited to see is the blending of Windows Vista with Windows Mobile technology. Now I know that to some people this may sound like a cross-breeding experiment gone wrong. However, for as much grief as Windows gets, it works pretty well - in fact, I think the kinds of things you can do when you mix Vista, Mobile, and even things like Windows Live/MSN Messenger, that the possibilities are pretty good. Anyway, back to 'blending:' what HTC is calling SnapVue is a customized set of features from Windows Mobile - in particular much of Outlook Mobile including Direct Push email making the Shift the only UMPC, or Windows machine of any variety, to offer push mail.

I'll share more thoughts after I get mine and spend some quality play and work time with it.

ZDNET Mobile Gadgeteer
MobileTechReview

What I'm Really Doing in Seattle

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:46:41 GMT

Other than filling my fix for rice and beans - which led to some quality oval office time - I've ve spent the last couple of days locked-up with a small group of propeller-heads and dog-and-pony trainers (affectionate terms for developers and marketing types) planning the rollout of Windows Mobile 7. Over the past couple of years, I've been part of the feature and business model work for this release and now seeing all the pieces come together - with a completely re-worked plumbing and UI - is getting pretty exciting... in fact, it's enough to keep me awake through some serious jet-lag (well, Rockstar is helping too)...

Heavenly Experience

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:00:02 GMT

There are so many things you can get in Singapore - regardless of where you're from. If you're a culinary fan, you've got so many options: from Indian, every form of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Egyptian, Brazilian, etc. HOWEVER, one thing seriouly lacking on the menu is MEXICAN FOOD - and NO, Taco Bell does not count (there is one in Singapore - and I'm a big fan, but Mexican it's not). Dinner number one in Seattle: Taqueria Guaymas, in my old neighborhood, for a favorite dish - Chicken and mushrooms in spicy cream sauce...

I think this is my first food post ever, not writing it because I'm a food addict - I'm just deprived and I grew up on Mexican food, nothing was better than my grandmother's homemade tortillas :)

Ah, Ain't That Pretty?

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:58:20 GMT

My buddy Vincent over at PhoneMag just posted some awful pretty shots of the Sony Ericsson Experia X1 - the new phone I got to use for a day in Barcelona last month... If you're in the market for a new smartphone come September - or if you're like me and must have the latest and greatest - the X1 will be tough to pass up. Although, it will be interesting to see how badly that gorgeous screen and screaming fast HSUPA wireless hurt battery life; if it can't make it through a long day of hardcore use then it's a non-starter; meet that bar, or better yet give people a long weekend of juice and people will adore it.

Photo Album: European Travels

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:23:10 GMT

European Travels

Barcelona: View from Guell Park

Barcelona fort

Barcelona harbor

Barcelona: Gaudi's La Sagrada Famigilia

Barcelona: Gaudi's Gecko

Barcelona: La Fira

London: Trafalgar Square

London Bridge

London Street

London: Big Ben and the Eye

Photo Album: Asian Travels

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:04:04 GMT

Asian Travels

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

Downtown Sydney

Me @ the Opera House

Sydney Harbor

Hong Kong Harbor by night

Hong Kong

Hong Kong skyline

Hong Kong bamboo scaffolding

Great beaches and nature in Hong Kong

Fishing for dinner

More Photos...

Photo Album: Recent Travels

Tue, 17 May 2005 23:44:34 GMT

Recent Travels

BigBen

EzeFrance

JohnMonaco

JohnNice

LondonBridge

MtOlympus

PikePlace

RoadTrip

SaltLakeCity

Blog list: My favorite sites

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:55:31 GMT

My favorite sites

Mobile 01
Coolest logo of any Chinese-language gadget site :)
Clinton Fitch
Gadget man from Dallas!
Brighthand
One of the most well written gadget sites on the web
Modaco
The place for hacks, cool apps, tips & tricks on Windows Mobile - oh, and that logo... I think it's a self-portrait!
Shiny Shiny
As they say, "a girl's guide to gadgets"
All About Symbian
If Symbian is your thing go here
MobiFrance
My favorite French website!
Pocket Goddess
Need I say more?
The Gadgeteer
Widest range of toy reviews you'll find
Cool Smartphone
Lots of cool free games and info
Howard Forums
THE place for info, help, you name it
Akihabara News
Great view into gadgets and PCs from Japan
The Unwired
Thanks for the T-Shirt!
Mobility Site
One cool 'everyday man's' perspective on gadgets
Q Users
The site about the device that redefined thin smartphones
Thoughts Media
Smartphone Thoughts, Pocket PC Thoughts, Zune Thoughts, etc.
Geek.com
Find your inner GEEK!
Mobile Burn
Burning up all things mobile
Engadget
Who reads CNET or the Wall Street Journal for breaking news anymore? Don't we all go to Engadget?
Gear Diary
Say Hi to Judie!
Pocket PC Singapore
My new 'hometown' site!
My LINKEDIN Page
My FACEBOOK Page