My HP TouchPad StoryBy: Andres Torres
  
It looked to me like a last gen iPad knock off nothing special about it at all. I read the specs and sure enough it was a knock off iPad, 10.1in screen 1.5 bounds thick bezel, and WebOS. Wait.. that's diffrent the iPad runs iOS. So as I pick up the black slab of plastic I gently glide my right hand towards the top right of the device and press the power button.The screen illuminates and a lock screen pulsates in my mind it's saying "touch me I'm yours."
I slowly start inching towards the screen and I am greeted with a haptic feed back. Leting me know that I was succesfull in unlocking the screen, then I was immersed into the world HP Palm had built.
I fondeled the device for sometime until I lost track that I went over my lunch break. I rushed back to work and I couldn't get the TouchPad out of my head. I started to plot ways on how I could tell my wife that I needed something that I didn't need if that makes any sense at all. I came up with hypothetical scenario's.
I thought out loud "should I just charge it to my card and never let her know?" No.. that's to shady. Or should I break my current desktop and tell her I need a replacement but I don't want to get another Desktop maybe I should go with a tablet? Nah.... that's way to obvious.  |
The HP TouchPad... what can I say it's a tablet. It more or like the ugly middle child that no one likes. And the iPad is the Marsha of the family in the realm of tablets. This post is almost like a Romeo and Juliet love story. It's about two people that are not suppose to be together but no matter how much society wants them to not an coexist love usually prevails. 
A little back story, I am an IT consultant and I work about two blocks away from a Best Buy. I have gone to the near by Best Buy's countless of time's so much so that some employees know me by a first name basis. But that is neither here nor there. As I stroll into the Best Buy I make it a point to go visit the tablet section.
As I make my way towards the back of the store I am first greeted by the iPad on display. It stops me dead in my tracks, then I think to myself "damn your sexy, I'm going to take you home one day!" As I snap back to reality I turn to my right and I am then confronted by a sea of Android Honeycomb tablets. As far as Operating System goes they all seem to be the same. But as I hold each individual one they seem to get heavier and uglier. Anyways I am getting sidetracked.. where was I oh yes.. yes.. the HP TouchPad. After handling the Honeycomb tablets. I see a massive banner and it seems to have Russel Brand's hands griping the HP TouchPad side bezel ever so gently. I set my eyes directly to the Touchpad an slowly creep up as if I were staring someone down with a passion. I hunch over to get an eye level view of the displayed tablet and I think to myself "Meh.. its not all that it's cracked up to be."  
So what do I do I surpress all my lust for this device toward the back of my brain never to be thought of again. Fast forward a month, one day on a Saturday I get a random text on my iPhone "HP TouchPad Fire Sale 16GB $99!" I was in shock I squint my eyes twice just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. After I read further news on the Blogs to confirm if this was true. I changed close as if I was Superman in a telephone booth. I hopped into my souped up Civic (JK its 4cyld 08' Civic)and made a mad dash to my nearest Walmart. Buy then it was no later than 6am and I was the only person there besides the employees.I thought to myself "Just the way I like it empty!" I sprint on over to the electronics department and what do I see a lonely 32Gb Touchpad in desperate need of attention. I wrangle the nearst Walmart employee and I ask her to release that poor TouchPad at once. So she goes and grabs the security keys and ever so gently opens the glass screen door.
Then she rings up the TouchPad and she says "$600". I said "What" impossible HP has a fire sale going on.This tablet is $150, she looks at me with a blank stare and calls the manager. After a couple of minuets of explaining to the manager he finally agrees that I had the correct price for the device.
Finally I had the one thing I was going crazy for, for only $150 plus tax that was nearly 80% off. You can't beat that in this day and age. I go home giddy as a 4 year old kid who's watching Sponge Bob Square Pants.
I unwrap the package and never let the device leave my hands. So there it is my story, there's no climatic ending no one dies no lives are changed but one thing I honestly have to say is now I can go to the bathroom and do what I need to do and read any article I want as long as my legs don't get numb. Just saying... |
Beat by Dre (Tour Edition) By: Andres Torres
Now I'm not an audio junky by any means but I do love me some good music. I've been living with the standard Apple buds since my first iPod mini back in '04. I always thought they were adequate. But as always good things have to come to an end. I have been tempted to by Beats headphones for sometime now but I could never justify the price. A $100 and up for pair of headphones you have to be kidding me!
But here I am today with my first real premium bud sets and I have to say I am in love. Music has always been an escape for me when times were hard.. it was a way for me to block myself from the world. And these headphones do exactly that they cancel any type of distraction that the outside world might bring to you. Now this could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your circumstances.
In my experience with these headphones my wife would be yelling at the top of her lungs to get my attention. While I'm bobbing my head with rhythm to the sultry beats provided by Theophilus London (love this guy). So far the Beats name lives by its word it does a marvelous job of providing clear and bass heavy clarity to every song I played.  |
This post is an overview of the Beats by Dre headphones. A quick back-story on how I came across these black and red iconic headphones. I am a big craigslist fiend.. really to the point that it's almost sickening. But lets not go down that road for now. So as I was doing my daily cruising around the site (my main sections are cellphones, computers and electronics) I stumbled across someone selling never opened Beats headphones for $50 bucks. I was instantly intrigued, so I shot the guy an email telling him I was very interested. Long story short we made an exchange and the rest is history.
So I get home and start unboxing the packaging. Not to get into to much detail about the unboxing but I have to say that the packaging that the headphones came in were pretty sweet. But were not here to talk about the box we're here to talk about the headphones.
 
Another neat feature is the no tangle aspect Beats audio provides. The head phones are designed to have a flat cord which is why they wont get tangled. And so far I have to say"it works!" I have had a long battle with my iPod headphones every time I would want to use them. They sometimes would be tangled beyond repair. But those days are over.
In the box you also get 5 pairs of ear-bud sizes for the most comfortable , secure fit. As well as a protective case that is rugged enough for safe storage.
So what do I have to say about these beautifully crafted headphones. I think if your looking for a pair of headphones that produce good quality you can't go wrong with these, but if you aren't in the market to be spend $100 and up then these might be a turn off. But hey there's always craigslist. |
October gone November is here..By : Andres Torres
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Sporadic Thought
Life.. Life is something of a mystery to all and to all mysteries are interesting. My time on this earth will bring no glory no fascination to this worlds population. I will die of natural causes and only a handful of close people will see my ashes part into the sea. But I can make a lasting impression on my son and give him values and morals to live by. To guide him when the tunnel he is traveling is at it's darkest. I have come to grips that my legacy will not be passed on by millions but my passion to teach my son right from wrong, I hope will be passed from generation to generation. These are sporadic thoughts for this sporadic blog. Enjoy! |
Amazon Kindle Touch By: Andres Torres
Unboxing
Lets start off with the box if you ever bought a Kindle Reader you may already feel familiar with how Amazon packages its hardware. It has this Eco friendly vibe going for it, I did however find the box oddly shaped and a little to big for a device so small. Amazon is claiming this is a hassle free box and that’s exactly what it is, you have to tear a strip and voila the box opens, how simple is that.
Once you open the box your greeted with the usual layout of how phones are packaged now a days. The first thing you see is the device itself wrapped in plastic. Once you open the box lever you will notice a slit of some sort with what seems to be recycled material paper (same as the box) and on that paper is a quick tutorial on how to turn the device on. The box also includes a micro usb 5v charger, and that's it no sync cable no micro fiber cloth like other tablets manufactures provide. 
OS / UX Design
Android, Fragmentation both of these words go hand in hand when you talk about Googles mobile OS creation. From inception the thought was always to let the OEMS create what they wanted. And it’s no different this time around with Amazon. Amazon completely reskined Stock Gingerbread for better or for worse.
Some elements work and some don’t, and this could be attributed to how old gingerbread looks and feels. You will be doing a lot of double tapping because the OS either fails to register your tap or is ignoring you altogether. This can be rather frustration hopefully future updates will suppress this common issue.
Amazon App Store
The Amazon store is a curated experience, Amazon hand picks the apps that developers submit and as a incentive for owning an Amazon Kindle Fire there is a free app of the day (this promotion is also done on the Amazon app store for Android phones). The layout of the store is very organized there are categories and then subcategories. Which is nice, especially when your trying to refine your search. All in all this is where you will be spending the majority of your time. |
Introduction
Here in my humble abode I have a tablet not just any tablet but one that will light the fire under the current king of tablets the iPad (pun intended). I am holding the Kindle Fire the $199 tablet that made me sell my TouchPad in a heartbeat. Literally the day the Kindle Fire went on sale at my local brick and mortar store I sold my TouchPad for $250 buck within an hour of posting it on good old Craigslist. First things first I am a neurotic when it comes to gadgets so don’t think I have money growing on trees.
The truth is if I want a new gadget I will find things I don't need and try to sell it off so I don't have to come out of my pocket for the new flashy gadget that I want. But enough about my scams lets get down the nitty gritty stuff. 
Kindle Fire
Now all that is fine and dandy but what about the tablet? My first impression was “Damn this is small!” Really I couldn't believe how small it was then I said to myself “damn this is light!” I couldn't describe it any different, going back to my previously owned HP TouchPad the OS was a joy to play with, but the hardware always felt first gen. That doesn't seem to be the case with the Kindle Fire. Everything about this table feels premium dare I say luxurious.
The bezel that surrounds the 7’ in screen is very thin with the bottom of the bezel being the thickest point. This leads me to one of my biggest complaints with this type of design, issues are bound to arise. With the bezel being so thin one big problem kept popping up. Every time I would place my hands on the tablet I felt an immediate sense of claustrophobia. Now I wouldn't classify my hands as huge, I feel like they are normal sized manly man hands. But when you hold the Kindle Fire it just feels tiny.
But we knew that didn't we, this is why I bought the Fire for its compact design. The back cover has a matte finish it does not provide any grip so you still run the risk of dropping the device. One other issue I would like to point is though the Kindle Fire screen is IPS the feel of the glass felt awkward to say the least. At first I thought it was just the newness of the device but I then made some test with my iPhone an iPad and a friends Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Kindle Fire has some type of restiveness that wouldn't let my hand glide like it would on the iPad or Galaxy Tab. But thats really nitpicking at a device that is $199. 
Amazon Services
After all is said and done the reason your buying this tables isn't because its just $199 or that its a 7’ in tablet. The true reason for this purchase is because you love the services that Amazon brings to you. Right now at this very moment of me writing this review my 4 year old son is in the living room streaming a Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The streaming quality is superb and buffering is at a minimum. All the different services that Amazon provides whether it be music, video, cloud storage etc is the true reason the Fire exist. This is Amazon’s bread and butter and there banking that you get tied to it. Believe me they got me handcuffed.
Conclusion
So whats the verdict you can’t go wrong with a 7’in IPS display $199 tablet. You can buy two Kindle Fire for the price of one iPad. But in order to get the best bang for your buck you have to be drawn to the full ecosystem that Amazon is providing. If you are willing to swallow that pill you will be a very content person. |
My Thoughts on the Kindle FireBy: Andres Torres
Software
As Ice Cream sandwich inches closer and closer state side (Google already released the source code). I kept thinking to myself this is why I don't buy into the Android ecosystem. A device that has only been out for a little over a week is obsolete (software wise). Don’t get me wrong I knew with full disclosure that Amazon wasn't trying to get into the Tablet wars. But it would of been nice if they kept the underlining OS as updated as possible. The bookshelf metaphor is what is it gets old fairly quick anyone that has an iOS device knows what I am talking about.
Conclusion Like I said in my review the Fire is $199 and with that your going to get what you paid for; albeit this tablet is far better than any $199 on the market. But if you want a full blown laptop replacement this isn't going to be it. |
Hardware Thoughts
So I have had my Kindle Fire for a little less than a week, I have been able to get a good feel on the hardware for the last couple of days. First things first every time I pick up the Fire I still get hit with the thought of how small the actual device is, it’s just a pleasure to hold. The bezel is still a little of an issue for me especially when your reading a book: I found myself either backtracking or forwarding a page accidentally when reading on several different occasions. When I bought the Fire I read countless reviews and everyone of them said the lack of a physical volume rocker was a fail. I talked myself into thinking that the software volume switch was just fine but nothing can replace dedicated volume buttons. So this is a real miss on Amazon part.
Screen The screen is what you will be looking at 99% of the time, and it doesn't disappoint. Letters are crisp and clear there doesn't seem to be an auto brightness senor but that’s OK. It may just be my device but I have been seeing some light leakage on the corners this is very noticeable when playing a movie. Now I have been jaded by my iPhone 4 screen and still one year later every time I unlock my phone and see the outdated row of icons I am still impressed; but that is neither here nor there but just thought I should bring that up.  |
LunaTik Multi-Touch Watch Band ReviewBy : Andres Torres
Unboxing
The Box that the band came in is reminiscent as to what Apple has done with its packaging. Its minimum, bare, understated but all the essentials are there. The guy that made this band actually founded Minimal Studio and has worked on side projects. One in particular was the hardware development of the Xbox 360, but back to the box itself. There is a picture of the iPod attached to the band on the front, with a certified seal stating that this package is authentic. Towards the left side of the box is the nude plastic that gives you a glimpse into the packaging of the watch band itself. I don't know about you but the way I judge a devices is how the packaging is made. If the outer package looks and feels like there was some real thought put into it, then its safe to say that the device inside will also be made with the same love. |
Guy: What time is it?
Me: Its 10:25AM.
Guy: Thanks! Wow.. who made that watch?
Me: Apple, its and iPod nano.
Guy (impressed): Get out of here!
Me: No, it is. You see, there’s the mp3 player.
Guy: Man that looks something out of Star Trek.
That there was just one conversation I had today when I put on my new iPod Nano Lunatik watch. In no way, shape, or form do I like to be that guy with flashest gear but I do love my gadgets. This watch is super nerdy. I mean really, who wears and iPod as a fashion statement? Jay-Z doesn't; but I'm not Jay and I don't have millions of dollars. Everything I buy is with hard earned cash. So when I first came up with the idea to make my nano into a watch, I did my research.
Apple was charging a stiff $90 for the wrist watch alone. So what do I do? I turned to the good old Internet and started looking around. EBay was my first stop and I found the bands were marked down considerably low. Some as low as $25, but the estimated shipping date was 3-4 weeks. That just wasn't gonna cut it for me.
So after checking the usually spots Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, I found it in the least of places.. Sears. Who would of thought and it was priced at $40, which was great! I ordered it on the 28th and got it today on the 30th. I bought it from Sears but it was shipped by a 3rd party called IShoppe4less. They are a direct seller; the guy called me and told me that the package should be at my door steps by Friday and he was right. 
Hardware
The Lunatik watch band comes with two allen keys for one sole purpose; the watch band is crafted from aluminium aircraft material. Similar to what Apple uses for there uni-body design. There are two hex screws on the chassis where the iPod Nano rest. It’s clear that the designer intended this watch band to be a true watch with an iPod / iOS UI. Once you unscrew the chassis, it opens up into two individual parts; from here you slide the Nano into place and then re-screw the chassis. What your left with is a bad ass watch! In all seriousness, the band looks great. Very understated and minimal no chrome just the way I like it.
Usability
Now the big question is, how is it as a watch? And to be honest its so so. The iPod Nano has a feature called “ Time on Wake” and what that does is when the iPod is in a state of sleep, you tap the power button it turns on and you will be greeted with the clock face of your choice. Now that isn't instantaneous, you would have to wait a second or two to see the screen display show the time. Which is fine, but if someone or yourself is trying to get the time in a moments glance, then it might disappoint. All in all it’s a great device for working out or just using it in a casual or formal environment. Also, to add to the table, the watch enables you to look at high resolution pictures, listen to music, and even use the Nike + app. Ultimately, this watch is far better and more efficient than most high end watches... for a fraction of the price.
Plus, you will be known as the geeky guy with an iPod on his wrist, and that in-in of itself is worth the purchase. |
Likes - Durable Rubber Band, High quality air grade aluminium materials
Cons - Band does not prevent water from seeping into the iPod Nano
www.Lunatik.com |
