Oscillating Interest

Photo from released.com    Background Info I backed the Pebble Time Kickstarter and got the black watch. I waited a few months to write this review as wearable tech (and phones) often requires more than a week to understand how you actually use it once it loses it's "shiny new toy" status. Before owning a smartwatch (smartch?) I would wear an analogue watch (A Timex Weekender Central Park specifically)  with off and on regularity. The Pebble Time is however, my first smart watch. I had debated the original Pebble, but the clunky form factor turned me off and the Moto 360 had mixed reviews at the start. I also didn't watch to spend that much money on a Moto 360 for the first generation and will see what v2 will have to offer. Several of my friends do have Moto 360s so I have seen them a bit for reference. I have seen an Apple Watch in-person once and heard a lot about them on the podcast I listen to weekly. As you may know from my other posts I use an ...

Background Information Ever since tablets had become popular I wanted one. The iPad looked great, but I wanted something running Android. The Nexus 10 was out of my price range at the time, and the Nexus 7 was too small of a screen, I wanted something closer to 10" for watching videos. Having set aside money for a tablet, the Nexus 9's release was perfectly timed for me. After using it for a few months I felt it was time to post a full review. I own an Android phone (HTC One m7), a desktop computer (using Chrome), and a Chromecast already and I am a regular user of Google's services, which may affect my views on the Nexus 9. The Nexus 9 I purchased was pre-ordered from the Google Play Store and is a Black, Wi-Fi only, 32GB model, shipped to Canada. Use Cases I knew I wanted something I could easily watch videos on, I also wanted something to browse the web, read PDFs without awkwardly zoom/panning and play video games on. I wasn't entirely su...

Background I decided to buy a Chromecast to replace my Raspberry Pi as a Plex client and general streaming device.  I use a few services quite regularly for watching shows and these are a requirement for me to consider a new set-top box for the TV.  My "Streaming Trinity" is:  Crunchyroll  - for legal anime subs. (Ad-based and subscription options) Netflix  - for movies, TV, and legal anime dubs (subscription) and  Plex  - for local media on my computer and I'm trying out some 'channels' as well to watch videos from official websites such as CBC and Discovery (Paid mobile apps,Free web/desktop clients, optional subscription or one-time lifetime unlock, requires a computer for a server) The Chromecast had my trinity and more so for about $50 CAD (after shipping and tax) I figured it was worth a shot! I also purchased it in the timeframe to receive $20 on Google Play (this offer is over now, sorry). I heard you can also p...

Update: I've added some more apps and updated the prices on Swiftkey since it is free now. I've also added explanations to the differences between the free and paid versions of apps. Any extra details in the description/new apps are prefaced with Update or New This is my primer to Android apps. There are some apps I install on any Android device I have, either because I feel it's necessary, enhances the experience, or is just plain cool. To help remind myself which apps these are and to cut down on the number of times I have to copy and paste links for people I've compiled this list. (All prices are from the Canadian Google Play Store at the time of writing) Keyboard Swiftkey - Play Store Free ! - Official Site This is my favourite keyboard app. I like it because of its themes, the Flow mode, and its word prediction (which is great!). To be fair, I haven't tried the new Android Kitkat keyboard, so it may have improved significantly. However, the adva...

My friend asked for information on what phone to get on Facebook and I ended up writing way too much in the comments and decided to put it here. Unlocking Rogers (and I believe others) won't unlock a phone right away (90 days for Rogers). You could also buy a phone unlocked, or get it unlocked by someone besides the carrier (may void the warranty). The Nexus 4 can be bought from Google unlocked, unsubsidised. NOTE : Starting in December carriers will be required to allow you to unlock the phone immediately if you pay full price and after 90 days if it's subsidised. CRTC Phone rights iOS vs. Android I would recommend looking at both of these a bit to figure out what features you like most. Personally I like Android, but iOS works perfectly well for many people. iOS 7 (latest) has many features from Android which I also like. I won't go into the details on iOS as I'm no expert and not sure of everything included in iOS 7. Android however I could go on a...