What can my smartphone not do?

I’ve blogged about how the Apple iPhone can’t do this and can’t do that. Here, I'll talk about what my smartphone, the HTC Desire, can't do.

To up the ante, I'm not going to compare the HTC Desire to the iPhone. Doing so wouldn't be fair to the Apple fanboys. I'm going to put my smartphone up against a computer running a desktop OS (desktop, notebook, or netbook running Windows, Linux, or OSX).

Here are the things the HTC Desire can't do when compared to a full PC.

• I can't buy movie tickets online at The Grand Cinema website. I can buy tickets at every other Hong Kong cinema site except that one. None of the other smartphone platforms can do so either.
• There's no optical drive so I can't access optical media.
• Even if I have DVD files, I can't play them because I'm not aware of a DVD player software for Android. The DVD files would first have to be encoded. This brings me to the next item...
• I can't encode video on my HTC Desire. First, there's no encoding software for Android. Second, I can't rip source files from a DVD. Third, CPU is not fast enough. My quadcore desktop CPU that clocks in at 2.5ghz still needs about 40 minutes to convert a movie. Several years ago, my Pentium 3 that ran at 1Ghz took about 6 hours to convert a movie. I don't want to imagine how long a mobile 1Ghz processor would take.
• I can't plug in USB devices (ie, flash memory drives, peripherals, etc).
• I can't perform elaborate photo editing. I can still do basic things like resize, rotate, and crop. I can even edit things like brightness, contrast, and saturation. But I can't do layers, extracting, etc.

That's all. That's the best I can come up with. The first item is the only really disappointing one. The others are things that you wouldn't ever expect a mobile device to do anyway. Can anyone else come up with some more things?

By the way, there are a couple of things that my smartphone can do that surprises even me.

• Edit and create PowerPoint presentation. Even the official Microsoft version of PowerPoint on Windows Mobile was view-only. However, I can only edit text. I can't insert images and I can't even edit the slides' styling.
• Access the full desktop-version of my HSBC online-banking web site. The iPhone browser can't do it. I couldn't do it even if I spoofed the browser-agent in Windows Mobile. This means, I can pay bills, transfer funds, and manage my investments while being nowhere near a computer, bank branch, or ATM.
• Play Flash-based web games. I'm not talking about simple stuff. I'm talking about games like Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies.

Convince me I need an iPhone. I dare you.

Why is everyone out to get an iPhone these days? Even before the 4th-gen iPhone was announced (or leaked), everyone wanted one. They wanted one without knowing what it was going to look like or what new features it was going to have. Everyone trusted Steve Jobs to deliver.

Now that new iPhone is here, even more people want the new device. It just boggles my mind how Apple does it. Let’s imagine that I know nothing about the iPhone. Here’s what a conversation between me and an Apple employee would sound like.

Apple: Hi, can I help you with anything?

Me: Hi, I have a smartphone already; it’s the HTC Desire which runs Android. But I just heard that you guys have an iPhone4 that just released.

Apple: Yes, that’s right.

Me: It seems everyone wants one. So perhaps you can tell me why I should buy the iPhone4?

Apple: Well, it has got a Retina Display which makes everything appears super sharp on screen.

Me: It does look sharp…compared to previous iPhones. But it’s hardly sharper than the WVGA display on my phone…

Apple: Well, it has a front facing camera for FaceTime.

Me: That’s interesting, but I’ve had phones with front facing cameras since 2006 and I’ve never had the urge to make video calls over 3G.

Apple: But FaceTime is new. It allows you to make video calls only over WiFi.

Me: Isn’t that less convenient than 3G?

Apple: Right…anyway…We have this other new feature. If you double tap the home button, you get access to your most recently used apps. We call this Multitasking.

Me: Sorry, that’s not very impressive. My PocketPC back in 2001 could multitask just fine.

Apple: You can organize your apps into something we call Folders. And you can set an image as a background on your homescreen. We call it Wallpaper.

Me: Have you been living under a rock? Folders and wallpapers have been around for as long as I can remember!

Apple: You can shoot video in 720p and take still pictures with the 5MP camera with LED flash.

Me: The quality of the videos and pictures are impressive, so you got me there. Anyway, let me ask you some questions.

Apple: Sure.

Me: What happens when I receive an SMS or email while I’m using the device?

Apple: You get a popup with options to read the message or dismiss it.

Me: What if I don’t want to read it yet but I don’t want to dismiss it either because I’m sure I’ll forget to read it if I do?

Apple: Sorry, you'll have it read it right away.

Me: Can I save email attachments?

Apple: Yes, if someone emails you some pictures, you can save them directly to your photo gallery.

Me: But what if the attachments are not images?

Apple: Nope.

Me: Can I send emails with attachments that are not images?

Apple: Nope.

Me: Can I download files from the browser? Let’s say I want to save a pdf file I found on the web locally. Can I do that?

Apple: Sorry, no, but the browser is very fast and text is crisp on-screen.

Me: The browser does look nice. But those top and bottom bars seem take up a lot of space, especially in landscape mode. Can I get rid of those to get full-screen browsing?

Apple: Nope.

Me: Can I send and receive files via Bluetooth?

Apple: Nope.

Me: Ok, I’ve heard enough. Let’s recap. What am I impressed with?

Apple: The quality of the recorded videos and photos?

Me: So, you’re telling me that is worth HK$5000?

Apple: Uh…yes…would you like me to help you preorder the device?

Me: Seriously? Your device can't deliver on features that are basic mundane tasks. I'm not asking for out-of-this-world things. I'm not asking the iPhone to be able to microwave my dinner and then feed it to me.

Apple: Well, if you order now, we can give you a free case so that the cellular radio works properly.

Me: What?!

Some thoughts on the official Froyo update for the HTC Desire

HTC released the much anticipated official Android 2.2 (a.k.a. Froyo) for the HTC Desire over the weekend. I was already quite satisfied with Android 2.1 (a.k.a. Eclair) on my device but Froyo seems to have really taken it to the next level. There are a number of new features but I'll just highlight a couple of main ones here.

1. Overall speed is slightly improved. It's noticeable but not a huge difference since it was plenty fast before.

2. Probably the most touted feature of Froyo is Flash support. The native browser can now utilize Flash Player 10.1 to take advantage of numerous Flash content on the web. HTC had initially built-in limited Flash support in their original Eclair ROM for the Desire. It works but performance was quite poor. Flash videos would play but framerates were just horrible. Now, with Froyo and Flash 10.1, Flash videos load quick and play surprisingly smooth. I was able to watch videos from ESPN.com. Youtube videos would load right within the browser (ie, I wasn't kicked out to the streaming video player or the Youtube app). I was even able to play the browser version of Plants vs Zombies! It's a bit slow in that scenario, but it's a miracle that it works in the first place! Kudos to Google, Adobe, and HTC here. Very well done...

3. I'm pretty sure tethering was possible in Eclair. But now, it's idiot-proof. You just toggle the WiFi Hotspot on, set your device's SSID and encryption password, and that's all! Are you listening, Steve Jobs?

4. Installing applications to external memory should have been a feature that was suppose to be there since the beginning. But, better late than never.

5. Chrome to Phone is something that was new to me. I tried it out and it's just brilliant! With just one click in your desktop browser, you can send snippets of information to your Froyo enabled device! (ie, hyperlinks, phone numbers, text you want to copy to the clipboard, Youtube videos, Maps coordinates). This feature really can't be explained. It must be experienced. See here http://code.google.com/p/chrometophone/

6. 720p video recording was rumored to be a feature of the HTC Desire prior to release. Now, we finally get it. I must admit, it's not very impressive. Framerates are quite poor and there's a lot of noise. If you intend to view the video on your device, you should just record in WVGA resolution. If you intend to view it on a larger screen, by all means try 720p but manage your expectations.

Photography is an expensive hobby!

I'm scared. I've just spent a bunch of money on photography equipment. I'm not an enthusiast and I don't ever want to be. I just want nice pictures =)

There are people who spend tens of thousands of dollars on camera equipment. I'm not one of them. Again, I just want nice pictures.

Like most people, I started off with compact digital cameras. I probably went through about 4 of them over several years, each of them having a higher megapixel count than the previous one. But as the megapixels increased, I didn't noticed much quality increase. That's when I decided to take the jump to Digital SLR cameras.

I'm no photographer and I don't pretend to be. I just want a camera body that's no-nonsense and easy to use. So I went with the Nikon D60. The kit version came with an 18-55mm lens which is just perfect for an amateur like myself. (HK$4200)

Finally, I'm able to get shots that have excellent color clarity and are not ruined by noise. But my camera is like the Dark Side of the Force or the One Ring of Sauron. It keeps leaving me wanting more!

I quickly outgrew the 18-55mm lens and want something with more zoom. I found the built-in flash to be completely useless because it always produces pictures that are over-exposed.

So, I recently picked up some stuff:

The AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED

Relatively inexpensive, just HK$1750. It's compact and lightweight (which is critical for me). Comes with a hood (which I honestly had no idea what it was for at the time!) Photos look good with no visible distortions. Even when zoomed all the way in, I'm still able to get sharp pics thanks to the built-in Vibration Reduction. Because it's so lightweight and exterior is made of plastic, it feels cheap in hand. But it costs a fraction of the price of higher-end stuff.

Nikon SB-400

Small and compact (seriously, this is critical for me!). Cost HK$950. The flash unit swivels up so you can bounce the flash. Unfortunately it doesn't swivel laterally.

I was trying out the flash at home and it's amazing. Photos using bounce flash just looks more natural and alive. But then I realized, I can't always depend on having a white ceiling. So I need a bounce card. I know I can make one out of paper, but it's ghetto.

So, I went ahead and bought one of these for HK$20.

Now, with all this new stuff, I'm going to need to get a new bag. Seriously, somebody needs to stop me before I spend all my savings just for the sake of nice pictures.

I need Gollum to chew off that Ring.

I need my wife to say the following lines to me:

Her: I don't believe what I'm hearing! Obi-Wan was right... you've changed! You have turned to the dark side!

Me: I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan. The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me!

Her: You're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I cannot follow!

Me: Because of Obi-Wan?

Her: Because of what you've done... what you plan to do! Stop! Stop now... come back... I love you!

Then, I'll Force Choke her before Obi-wan Kenobi sets me straight with a swift lightsaber swing to my left arm and both legs as I leap over him to get to more camera gear...

McDonald's Fries with Seaweed Seasoning?

So, I'm sitting at McDonald's and decided to slowly kill myself by having my side of fries. I noticed the little pack of seaweed seasoning that you're suppose to add to the fries. Checking the ingredients on the little package, I decided that the fries didn't need the additional help in slowly killing me.

Here are the ingredients of the seaweed seasoning.

Maltodextrin - Food additive; made from corn starch; often found in sodas and candy.

Dextrose Powder - This is just glucose; probably part of the maltodextrin.

Salt - Self explanatory.

Seaweed powder - Probably aonori.

Sea Lettuce Powder - Not sure how this is different to seaweed powder.

Lobster Powder - I was almost sure this was going to be a shady ingrediant. But apparently, it's actually made from lobster and is quite natural.

Sugar - Self explanatory.

Soy Sauce Powder - more salt and maltodextrin but this time with soybean.

Flavouring - Right...

Anti-caking agent E551 - Yum...

Flavour Enhancer E635 - Is this really necessary with all those aromatic powders already?

Vegetable Oil - Of course.

Spices - Right...

Mix this with the ingredients of McDonald's fries and you see what a mess it is.

Potatoes - Certainly...

vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives], citric acid [preservative]) - Wonder what they use for "natural beef flavor"...

Dextrose - We've seen this before...

Sodium acid pyrophosphate - Keeps potatos from darkening.

Salt - More of this?

Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent) - Again, more yummy goodness..

My Mobile History...

Nokia 8110

These first couple of phones were not mine by choice. I was too young at the time. My phones were basically old models that my parents no longer wanted. I remember the Nokia 8110 as the phone that was used in the movie, The Matrix. Unfortunately, unlike the movie version, the slider is not spring-assisted. Damn thing was huge. I remember a huge problem with it was that it had no vibration mode and the ringer was really soft. Missed all my calls.

http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_8110-11.php

Ericsson 768

Finally, a phone that was pocketable. I don't recall much about this one, except that this also didn't have vibration mode. But I bought a 3rd party addon that added this functionality. It was a thin black thing that attached to the bottom of the device via the charging ports. There were magnets inside it which vibrated everytime there was a call. Pretty ghetto solution.

http://www.gsmarena.com/ericsson_pf_768-108.php

Nokia 8210

This was a phone that my parents literally picked up from the streets. Someone had left it on a bus. Even more petit than the Ericsson 768 and it finally had native vibration! I remember I tinkered a lot with the ringtone editor. Ironically, I lost this phone on the tram heading to the Peak in Hong Kong.

http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_8210-19.php

Motorola StarTAC

This will be the last phone that my parents choose for me. I just moved back to the US for university. And this was one of the most advanced phones in the US at the time. Mobile tech in the US at the time was just crap. Anyway, it was good enough. But this had to be the most boring phone I ever had.

http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_startac_130-73.php

Sony Ericsson T68i

I remember I bought this phone because it was one of the first with a color screen (albeit 256 colors). Also, I liked it because the formfactor resembled the Nokia 8210 which I was quite fond of. This phone was also one of the 1st to support a camera. But the camera wasn't built in. It was an add-on to be purchased seperately and attaches to the bottom of the device. Similar to that vibration add-on for the Ericsson 768 and equally as ghetto. The joystick soon started to malfunction after about a year and a half of use.

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_t68i-325.php

Sony Ericsson T630

With the joystick failing on me, I sprung for the T630. It was an obvious upgrade path for me. Larger screen with 65k colors and built in camera! The camera quality and screen resolution were pretty pathetic. I had no idea why I thought the camera was cool. Again, joystick was the first hardware to start failing on me. I was beginning to see a trend...

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_t630-559.php

LG KE820

My T630 was purchased over in the US and didn't work with HK networks. So I was forced to get another phone when I moved back to HK. Besides, the joystick was shot. I decided that I just wanted a phone as small as possible. With the KE820's 9.9mm width and the relatively large screen, I was sold. I remembered that I thought to myself at the time "Wow, the screen is so huge. I should be able to enjoy videos on this thing!" So, I converted and loaded a couple of DVD's onto the thing. Unfortunately, the video player lacks a full screen mode. The video filled only about 75% of the screen. The number pad layout was also an issue. And then there's the friggen joystick which was again, the first hardware to start failing. Never was I going to get another device with a joystick.

But it wasn't the joystick that killed the phone. One rainy morning, I was running to the bus stop to catch my ride. Somehow, the phone slipped from my pocket, landed on the concrete, and I didn't even know about it. It just layed there for a while in the rain before someone picked it up and used the phone's contact list to reach me. I picked it back up from the kind individual, but by then, most of the buttons were dead.

http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ke820-1761.php

HTC Touch Dual

HTC, an unknown brand at the time, started to market their Touch phone. I thought to myself that it would be nice if it had a keypad. Then the Touch Dual released and I couldn't wait to pick it up. At the time, I was sold on the large screen and formfactor. I had high expectations for Windows Mobile because I figured it must be pretty advanced compared to the last time I used the OS which was back in 2001 with the Compaq iPaq. Boy was I wrong. The OS is still the same and the device was pretty unstable. (See my review)

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_dual-2127.php

HTC Touch Diamond

I remember not liking Windows Mobile very much. But I loved what HTC did with the OS with TouchFlo3D. The Touch Diamond's release was pretty spectacular. I was almost drooling at the TouchFlo3D animations and the VGA display. (See my review)

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_diamond-2368.php

HTC Touch Pro2

I was ready to jump ship from Windows Mobile, but Android was just not ready for primetime yet. And I really don't like the iPhone OS. At the time, the Touch Pro2 was my most satisfied phone purchase. Best hardware keyboard, huge screen, and snappy performance. It was still Windows Mobile, so there will be the occasional freeze but they were very rare. (See my review)

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_touch_pro2-2690.php

HTC Desire

The HTC Desire had all but one of the specs that I wanted in my next device. Internal storage of at least 4GB. But with the falling prices of microSD cards, it's something that I can overlook. The Desire has surpassed the Touch Pro2 as my most satisfied phone purchase. (See my review)

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire-3077.php

Retina Display? Really, Apple?

This "feature" of the upcoming iPhone4 is way overrated. All that was done was they doubled the horizontal and vertical pixel count of the previous iPhone. This resulted in a display that has 4x the resolution of the previous iPhone. That is, 960x640.

While this is impressive, it's not as magical as Apple makes it sounds. Most smartphones for the past couple of years have had WVGA screens (800x480). You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with eyesight good enough to perceive individual pixels on WVGA displays.

The increase in display resolution was not a surprising move by Apple. The previous resolution was quite pitiful. But only Apple can come up with a term such as "Retina display" as if it's some sort of new tech.

It's not! All they did was improved the screen resolution while maintaining the same 3.5inch screen size! The sad thing is that people will believe in this "Retina display" technology. When they go into a store and ask a sales about a non-Apple product, they'll say "Does this have a Retina display?"

OMFG...

Edit: This is in regards to the 1st commenter. I understand why they're calling it the "Retina display" but I don't understand why they have to call it anything at all. It's not new tech. It's not like we've gotten to the point where we just couldn't increase pixel density any further. Other than price and practicality, there was nothing to stop people from creating a display with 300+ dpi pixel density. Back in 2007, the Toshiba Protege G900 was released with a pixel density of 313dpi.

Conclusion: I praise Apple for releasing a commercial device with 326dpi pixel density. But I despise them for flaunting it as if it's something new that they invented.

(Are we going to have to come up with a new term everytime someone increases the pixel density beyond 326 going forward?)