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March 3, 2010
 

A quick Android twitter client review.

For the past 9 months I have been looking for the perfect Twitter client for Android phones (specifically my HTC Magic)... and while I am still yet to find it, I have come pretty close! I thought I'd share a brief outline of my findings to help anyone in the same situation. I am not a Twitter power user, but I do like to keep up with what's happing and interact with followers/friends. On my PC I use (and love) Tweetdeck but sadly their Android app is still in the pipeline - I look forward to testing it when it arrives!

 These are my top priorities that are crucial for me in any Android twitter app:
  • Speed (especially when loading and scrolling through the time-line)
  • Ability to remember last viewed tweet in the time-line.
  • Ability to update tweets in background (but not notify of new ones), so I don't have to wait for a refresh if I just want a quick glance
The following are nice-to-haves:
  • Slick UI
  • Multiple accounts
  • Colour labels for different people I'm following.

Twidroid:

This was the first Twitter client I used, and until recently was the one I always returned to.

Pros: 
  • Straightforward.
  • Feature packed.
  • Fast. 
Cons: 
  • For me, the major problem I have is scrolling through the time-line, especially when it is being refreshed. It is very jumpy and suddenly you will find that you are back down to where you started from!
  • UI is looking dated compared to the newer clients.

Seesmic:

I really liked Seesmic when I first tried it, and I know people who think it's the best Android Twitter app. However it's lack of background updating of the time-line (I want it to do this without notifying me of new tweets) meant I returned to Twidroid. 

Pros:
  • Fast.
  • Nice looking UI.
Cons:
  • No background time-line updating without notification.
  • Tabs are a bit on the large size - would prefer more room to view tweets.

Twicca

This is a nice looking app, comparable to Seesmic. I found it a bit more unstable than the others - but it is in Beta. Like Seesmic it didn't do the background update, but the real problem I had was with the non-standard UI. For instance you have to confirm changes you make to the settings by touching a tick/check box - which was a bit 'Windows' for my liking!

Pros:
  • Looks really good.
  • Fast.
  • Coloured code tweets.
 Cons:
  • Non-standard UI.
  • No background time-line updating without notification.
  • Slightly less stable.
Tweetcaster

This is a lovely looking app, but it was sooooo slow to load that I couldn't cope with it!

Swift

I did install Swift early on. It was fast, but I didn't get on with the UI so I went back to Twidroid. 

...and now for my current favourite:

Touiteur:

When I first installed Touiteur, my initial thought was that it was similar to Seesmic with a nicer interface, but missing some of my priority features. I also found that the remember position in the time-line feature didn't appear to work, and the number of tweets in the time-line was limited (unless I upgraded to the pro version). I nearly uninstalled it (and would have done if the UI hadn't been so nice!) , but the next day an update appeared that fixed the problems with the time-line and unlocked the number of tweets function. I have been using it for as my primary Twitter app for a couple of weeks now and it is definitely my favourite app. For a video of Touiteur in action, have a look at : http://levelupstudio.com/touiteur

Pros:
  • Fast
  • Beautiful UI with nice animations and clever menus.
  • Colour coded tweets
  • Background refresh that works!
Cons:
  • No multiple accounts unless you upgrade to the pro version.
  • Couple of force close errors - which disappeared  with a re-install.

Conclusion:

There are lots of twitter apps to choose from and more appearing everyday (Hootsuite released theirs yesterday). The quality and speed of development of these apps is amazing, so please don't take the above as a definitive guide, as the features are changing almost on a daily basis! I will try to update this review when I get a chance - but for now Touiteur gets my award for best Twitter android app!

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Filed under  //   Android   Review   twitter  
Posted by C Somers 

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December 29, 2009
 

Sony eReader Touch Edition PRS-600 Review

As an avid reader of ebooks on my Android based phone (I'd been using FBReader - which I highly recommend), I'd often considered buying an e-ink based reader. However the lack of standards, and the cost of the devices had stopped me from taking the plunge. Then my boss came to talk to me about a client who was considering providing e-readers to staff for reading large documents, and he suggested that we get a company one for me to play with and give him an overview... It would need to be touch sensitive as the client wanted to be able to annotate documents by hand, and support PDF and EPub files. After a bit of research it appeared the the Sony Reader Touch Edition would fit the bill, although it didn't have any wireless networking built in which would have made it perfect.

So a couple of weeks ago I took delivery of a Sony PRS-600 ereader with a 6" touch sensitive, e-ink screen. First impressions were good - the size of the device is perfect for holding comfortably in your hand (though I think for reading lots of A4/Letter sized business documents you would probably want a larger screen), the case is metallic with a soft feel back and the weight is enough to make it feel like a premium device, without being too heavy for prolonged reading. It was my first experience of an e-ink based device and I was immediately blown away by the amazing contrast and clarity of the screen. In good lighting conditions the screen looks just like ink on paper, under a piece of glass - perfect for doing serious reading! Battery life is also staggeringly good - I'm so used to smartphones/laptops having to be recharged daily, that having a battery that lasts over a week (this was only reading and not playing MP3s, which I'm sure would eat up the battery) was a pleasant surprise!

On the negative side of things, I quickly realised that the screen was best viewed in daylight (or good indirect light) and not under the glare of direct overhead lights or low light conditions. The touch functionality was useful, but after using the capacitive screen on my HTC Magic it was a bit hard to get used to pressing the resistive screen rather than just touching it. I also found that while making annotations with the stylus was useful, there was a lag between drawing/writing on the screen and it actually getting displayed - it wasn't unusable, just a bit awkward. There is also a slight lag with every page turn - but not enough to annoy, or detract from the flow of a book. 

Another negative is the lack of wireless connectivity. Not so much for the the ability to upload files, but to allow access to full RSS web feeds and on-line content. Wireless would make it a much more useful and interesting device, especially if I could also synchronise my book reading across multiple devices (e.g. on my phone) like the Kindle does with its iPhone app.  

I tested the MP3 functionality briefly, it works as a very basic MP3 player and you wouldn't want to use it as a primary music device. The dictionary function is also useful, double tapping on a word brings up the definition.

So would I recommend buying an e-ink based reader? If you're an avid reader then yes. They are a brilliant way to consume books, are easy on the eye, and incredibly convenient. Would I recommend the PRS-600? If you need touch annotation then you don't have much choice at the moment. While the PRS-600 is a wonderful machine (and has given me hours of reading pleasure), I can't help feeling that if it had wireless functionality it would have been a lot more useful. With all the new Android based e-readers promising even greater functionality on the horizon, I think I'd recommend waiting a while longer before buying one!

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Filed under  //   ebooks   eReader   PRS-600   Review   Sony  
Posted by C Somers 

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December 11, 2009
 

A Google Apps recommendation...

For many years I used a combination of Outlook for business emails and Yahoo for personal emails. I was pretty happy with the combination, and it fulfilled most of my email needs, especially when the Yahoo web interface get an overhaul and became more like Outlook with AJAX drag and drop functionality etc.

However about 9 months ago I decided to look into setting up an email system that could be used by the whole of my family (rather than use the disparate ISP/Web accounts we were all using). After doing some investigation I discovered that I could register a domain name and use Google Apps (i.e. GMail) to host it for free. This seemed an easy solution especially since I had my eye on an Android based phone that would automatically sync with Google Apps. 

Setting up the Google Apps account couldn't have been easier - I registered a domain name, created a Google Apps Standard account (Note: It is a bit hard to find as Google try to persuade you to buy the premier version rather than the free standard version) and then followed the instructions to configure the DNS settings in the domain's control panel. I then configured accounts for all family members, and away we went... For existing mail, I configured Apps to connect via POP and download automatically.

9 months on and I couldn't be happier... the GMail interface isn't as slick as Yahoo's, but the threaded conversations and labelling system make it a pleasure to use. The shared calendars are good for family organisation, but the revelation has been Google Docs. This web based Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentation package, doesn't have all the frills of a desktop app (though new features are being introduced rapidly), but it is fast, accessible from anywhere and it is incredibly easy to share documents. It has started to wean us off Microsoft Office! 

If you have a need for multiple/shared email accounts or collaboration tools then I highly recommend Google Apps. I would also recommend it for any small businesses - though I would suggest you check out the premier edition with its better support options and enhanced features.

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Filed under  //   Email   Google Apps   Review  
Posted by C Somers 

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December 2, 2009
 

Solving the personal backup nightmare!

As a keen photographer, I have a treasure trove of data that I would be distraught to loose, so data backup is of prime importance - especially knowing how unreliable hard drives can be (even server grade drives). A couple of years ago I was getting fed up with having to back up to an external hard drive and to DVDs (to take off site), so I decided to look at an online solution.

After a lot of Googling and reading reviews and forums, I settled on a service called Mozy. I signed up for the free 2GB service and installed their client app. It took a little while to configure, as I wanted to tweak everything to my exact requirements, but once everything was in place Mozy sat quietly in my system tray backing up my files whenever my PC was not in use. I soon filled up my free storage, so it was a no-brainer to get out my credit card and sign up for the full service!

Since then I have had peace of mind,that whenever I upload photos and movies onto my PC, I know that the Mozy client will kick in and soon be backing up my encrypted data to their secure storage. I still backup to my external drive, and make the odd DVD, but I'm not constantly worrying that I'm not up to date with my backups. I have also installed Mozy on my father's PC, and so no longer have to worry about his lack of backups either! 

So far Mozy has been extremely reliable, and I've never had any problems or network issues. Recently I had to move Mozy to a different PC (you pay per PC you install the client on) and the client app was clever enough to work out what data had already been uploaded, and so didn't upload it again. The client app allows you complete control over what you back up, how often it is backed up and the bandwidth/processing used. 

If you require the kind of backup that allows you to recover a certain version of a document on a certain day, or recover a file you deleted a year ago (deleted files are kept for 30 day) - then Mozy is probably not for you. However for a disaster recovery situation it's spot on!

As an IT professional I've seen the misery that can be caused by data loss, so please, please go and do some research on online storage providers and sign up with the one that fits your needs best. I'd recommend Mozy as it's been robust, error free and unobtrusive, but there are lots of other services out there to choose from...   

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Filed under  //   Backup   Mozy   Review  
Posted by C Somers 

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November 25, 2009
 

Squeezebox Boom

Just noticed that Amazon are selling the Squeezebox Boom at a discount again: http://bit.ly/84csJ4 *

I love my Boom - the sound quality is absolutely amazing for such a small box. I can stream my music from my PC, or via the web... I can even control it via an app on my Android phone (I believe the same is true of the iPhone). It's not all perfect - controlling the settings via the small screen can be a bit tricky, but all-in-all a piece of tech joy!!

 

*=affiliate link.

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Filed under  //   Amazon   Boom   Review   Squeezebox  
Posted by C Somers 

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