Mobile app of the Month (March)

This month's (March) mobile app is "Words With Friends". The game is free and available for both iPhone and Android. One cool feature that this app does is it allows users iPhone and users Android to play each other in the game. The game is based off of the board game, Scrabble, and has the same basic rules. The difference is in how players play the game. First, after installing the app, you make a username. Then, you give your username to a friend you wish to play against. Once you start a game, the first player lays down his or her word. The app communicates with a server which tells the other player that it is their turn. The game plays as fast or as slow as the players respond to the notices that it is their turn to play. The real fun begins when you have multiple games going on with different people. I do not know if you can have a three player game, because I've never tried, but if I can find two other people willing to try, we can take a look. Now, I'm handing out my Words with Friends username, but if I get spam from you people, then I will be forced to stop using the app. I'm interested in people who are willing and actually wanting to play the game. My username is "pat4102"

Computer mice

I found myself buying another mouse today. I purchased a mouse about 6 months ago, but the wireless USB plug-in was damaged when my apartment flooded. I have the replacement part coming from China, but I may not have it until May. I needed a mouse before then, so I was off to Office Depot. First I will briefly explain the features of modern mice, and for my conclusion, I will tell you guys what mouse I ended up purchasing. 

Now, let's talk about different kinds of mice on the market. The three features that define a mouse are: number of buttons, type of optics used to sense motion, and kind of connection between the computer and the mouse. Let's talk about the first feature. I commonly see three different options on the market today. They are: red LED, blue LED, red LASER. Most mice on the market are the red LED variety, but most high end mice are red laser variety. Microsoft is selling a blue LED brand, the blue color is supposedly better at reflecting off surfaces on which the red light from other products do not work correctly.

Let's talk about buttons. I like a left and right click button, with a scroll wheel, and what I call the 'go back' button. They are usually on the side of the mouse and allow you to return to the former screen without clicking on the "undo" or "go back" buttons. You can buy mice with  8 to 10 buttons that can be mapped to all sorts of commands. I have never owned one of these mice, however, because they are kind of expensive. The last feature to look for is how the mouse talks to the computer. Nearly all new mice use USB, but from there, you can go in many different directions.  Some options out there are: 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth wireless, USB cord, and Infra Red.  

So...I ended up buying the Microsoft blue LED, so I will report back on how well they work in a few weeks.  I have a computer table that I have had trouble with mice being able to reflect enough light to work well. This new mouse works fine on it, so that's an early vote of confidence. 

Pictures of ViewSonic G-tablet

Google has been sending people to my site who are looking for information on the ViewSonic G-tablet. So I took a few pictures of the device, to better describe the device to people who are looking at purchasing one. The picture below are from some of the most used applications and games. Starting from the top going down we have: A wide screen view of the New York Times, Quake 3 for android, Kindle on Android main menu, Launcher Pro running on 2.2 Froyo, a full screen You-Tube video, a full screen image, A Kindle eBook, New York times running in Firefox, a level of Angry Birds, my app drawer, the Android market, and the load screen for Angry Birds. If anyone is interested in other applications, let me know. I can download them and report back how well they work on the tablet.

Cool phone of the month March, Nokia C6-01

This month's phone is from Europe. Last month, we looked at an Android phone, but I want people to know that there are other phone operating systems out there other than the ones developed in North America (Android-USA, iPhone-USA, Windows Phone-USA, Blackberry-Canada, HP WebOS-USA). The phone of the month is the Nokia C6-01. This is a smaller phone, but still a smart phone. It comes with a 640x360 resolution screen, as compared with the typical 840x480 screen you commonly find on other modern smartphones. It comes unlocked from Nokia, and can run the AT&T or T-Mobile network. This phone runs Symbianˆ3, which Nokia developed and has been using for some time. My last phone was a Nokia. It was well built and still looked new even after two years. This phone does have an app store that has a lot of apps from Europe. One note I would like to make is that this phone is not "4G", right now I think "4G" is not a reason to buy a phone. Most people do not live in an area where 4G is available and end up paying for a service they can't receive. 

Questions about Netflix?

I had a comment posted from fellow blogger about Netflix and Blockbuster, here is the comment:

I have been thinking lately about if/when Blockbuster will go under because of the serious competition from Netflix. I subscribed to Netflix for about 3 months, however due to my infrequent movie watching, I decided it was a better deal to rent from Blockbuster since I only periodically rent movies. What are your thoughts on this Patrick? Will Blockbuster find a way to stay relevant or will its members continue to remain faithful despite the convenience of Netflix and iTunes selling/renting movies?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter! Make sure to check out my blog at www.rushhourvirtues.blogspot.com.

My family has had Netflix for some time. At first, we used the DVD rental service almost exclusively. Over the years, however, Netflix has worked hard to make their "Watch Instantly" service one-of-a-kind. I have not watched a real DVD in about 6 months. Anyone that subscribes to Netflix should consider trying to watch all your favorite movies and shows over the internet instead of waiting for the disc to come in the mail. Netflix allows for a stream only service for a couple dollar savings per month that could make the deal a little sweeter for people that do not watch a lot of movies.

In my opinion, Blockbuster is dead. They cannot compete with Red Box in the local DVD rental market, and they can't compete with Netflix in the Internet streaming market. Their business plan relies on expensive buildings staffed by employees. Red Box allows for the same DVDs through a vending machine, for a much cheaper price. The only advantage Blockbuster has over their competitors is that they carry a wide selection of older movies. Also, Blockbuster has had time to develop a strong customer base. I do not believe this to be a great advantage, however, because most people don't care where the movie comes from, as long as it's the movie they want to watch.

Now, onto iTunes. This is huge rip off. Apple does movie rentals through iTunes for $3 or $4, depending on the movie, while Netflix charges $8 for unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows. The story on the internet is that movie rentals over iTunes is not going so well, which anyone can see why. You can pay $8 for all the movies you want or $4 for every single movie.