Nexus 5

Android 4.4 (or KitKat), is a subtle pack of changes (which in the IT world is the equivalent of a Service Pack), that was too impactful to make it less than a point release, but in my mind not large enough for a version bump.

 

To highlight these changes, Google commissioned LG again to develop the Nexus 5. I didn’t have the previous generation (Nexus 4), so cannot make a direct comparison. I did have a Galaxy Nexus, which is effectively the Nexus 3. And from that device to this one, the significant changes are;

1. speed (smartphone processor technology is just moving in leaps and bounds) 
2. screen size (I used to think the Galaxy Nexus was big)
3. LTE support (not a huge deal for me, but a big deal that could improve according to some)

 

Unlike some other similarly sized devices I’ve physically handled, this device feels well balanced in the hand, is extremely light and pocketable. Battery life is still miserable, but understandable given the screen size. And for the price ($350), its a great deal.

 

I will always have a special place for Google and its Nexus line; this phone doesn’t disappoint.

iPad Air

As with my previous Apple product-related blog post, this update too can be summed up as another incremental update. It doesn’t have a better screen, its a little faster, battery life is the same and it doesn’t do anything significantly different from its predecessor (or even its predecessor).

 

The most revolutionary change in the iPad world was the inclusion of the Retina display - that was cool. And the change to a Lightning connector - really reduced the number of inventory parts required. Again, this is a humdrum update which you would be best to avoid completely if you had the iPad 4, or if you had someone to give your iPad 3 to in order to get homogeneity across connectors.

iPhone 5S

In a word, this review can be covered with one word; meh. Its the same form factor as the iPhone 5, except a bit faster, an integrated touch sensor and world-wide LTE band support.

 

To be honest, the band support is the only reason to change, and even then only if you plan to change continents (which I did). Or because someone gives you a stupid amount of money to trade in your old device (which they did). Otherwise, save your money.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (version 2)

The Kindle Paperwhite is an amazing device; I’ve blogged about it before, and have had a chance to use the new generation one for the last month now. Summary : no need to change if you have the previous one, but if you don’t, this is absolutely the e-reader to get (and yes, you need a separate tablet and e-reader).

 

To be honest, this really is an incremental update. No notable changes, except maybe the light source illuminating the page is now so well integrated that you can’t actually tell where the LED lights are.

 

The previous generation was perfect; this one, to be honest, makes a truly brilliant product simply sublime.

Gazelle : Massive thumbs up!

I spoke of the site Gazelle in an earlier post; essentially an automated market place for trading in used electronics. I mentioned I was going to use it to trade in two phones. I had logged in and they had made two offers (one for each phone), which I accepted and that kick started the next phase of the process.

 

Two boxes arrived at the address I specified, suitable to ship the phones back in. Instructions were clear and unambiguous, and everything required (from the postage label to a sticker to seal the box) was included. I posted the boxes back on Monday, was notified by e-mail Thursday morning, and paid Thursday evening! Now that is prompt. A great service :-)

I get it, but I don't like it

Sitting in Santa Clara, living the iTunes Match dream, I get it. Streaming media, all devices can see all content, lets live in the "Cloud", etc, etc. I get it. But what Apple and Google seem to forget, ironically, is that most of the world isn't hyper-connected. Networks do go offline, and mobile networks aren't as reliable or as cheap as you would think everywhere in the world.

 

I say this is ironic, because while I'm sitting behind a pretty decent connection (50Mbps cable) here in the US, most of the engineers who built these products come from countries with the same, or worse, data connectivity problems that we have in South Africa, or with prohibitive costs.

 

There must be a harder, but more elegant, solution to this problem. Solving the worlds connectivity problems is going to take decades, and in spite of the great effort of initiatives like the Alliance for Affordable Internet, often times telco gear is literally ripped from the ground faster than its laid.

 

Stop pretending connectivity is ubiquitous and cheap, smart Silicon Valley people. Try harder!

Wells Fargo : no EFT's greater than $750 per day ?

I decided to use a bank called Wells Fargo when I arrived here; got an account opened up in a few hours, and was dealt with by a friendly and helpful banker. I've been pretty impressed with them, up until now. Its time to pay rent, and as you would, I ask the realtor to give me his bank, account number and branch code (in the US, a routing number). He correctly and accurately does this, and then starts the incredulity; there is no way to add an electronic payment / recipient to the banking site.

 

I phoned the call centre, expecting the answer to archaically be that I would have to come into a branch to set up a payment, only to be told "You can't make electronic payments larger than $750 per day using our system(s). For larger payments, we send the payee a cheque which they'll get in 5 business days". He was quite proud of their turn around time. What ? That must be the silliest thing I've heard of. The realtor alas confirms that this is true with Wells Fargo. What a fail :-(