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Ravrahn

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Blog Entries posted by Ravrahn

  1. Ravrahn
    So that's the holidays over. My last school holidays. What did I do? I got a new phone. I wrote and published an Android app. I had several ideas for hardware that I have no way to act upon. Studied a bit. Went out for dinner with friends.
     
    And tomorrow, school. Two weeks, then exams. Eight more weeks, then more exams. Then, university applications, freelance work, real life. My eighteenth birthday. University. Then what?
     
    It's all happening so fast. The final year of school is designed to stress you out, I think. It's all laid back, then suddenly "Oh yeah, by the way, if you don't get above 90% in the finals this year you won't get into university".
     
    That probably read as very self-righteous of me. Perhaps it is. But I think the schooling system could be done much better.
     
    Here's the problem - in the NSW system, at least, literally nothing counts until the last year of school. Year 7 and 8 is an introduction, that's fine, I understand that. 9 and 10 is worthless. They end in pointless, easy exams that don't count. Year 11 is a practice for Year 12, and doesn't count for anything. Only Year 12 counts. I know that 7-11 give you necessary skills, but they could make it impact your mark in some way. Spreading everything out over all of high school has several advantages:
    It would get kids thinking about their future earlier.
    People like me would actually try because the decisions they make actually impact their future.
    It would reduce the stress of year 12.

    I would support a change of this nature even though there's no way it could help my situation now. But it's OK. I'll be fine. I'll get into the course I want, and do the jobs I want. I'm an optimist, I just have this unshakable sense that somehow, everything's going to turn out alright.
  2. Ravrahn
    On Thursday night, I ordered the HTC Legend, and it shipped yesterday (Friday). So I'll get it by (hopefully before) Friday! I can't wait, the postage said 3-5 business days from ship date, which puts it Wed-Fri, but I'm not sure if the weekend would knock a day off. I hope so, because I want it by Tuesday, so I can get some apps, and try to customise it, and, hopefully, make a LED flashlight app (Because the Legend has an LED camera flash), which is something I want, but nobody seems to have made (for the Legend, at least. As far as I know the LED flash is activated in the API via the camera, and the location would need to be the same on all models, but all the apps I've seen say "only works with Nexus One", or "Only works for Moto Droid", or things like that. The Droid has a dual-flash, so I can sorta get why it would be exclusive. Maybe the Nexus ones, with their single flash and HTC build, would work with the Legend? I'll have to look in to how the app works first.) Also it'll give me a chance to test all the Twitter, Facebook, and Web clients, to see which ones I want to go with.
     
    Also, I'm on exam leave right now. Basically, I don't have school, because I have exams. I have my last exam on Monday, and then I get a day off. It's only IST, which is quite easy, and we're doing databases, which is easy, and there's a prac component, which should be easy. So pretty much, two days off! Yay!
     
    I briefly referenced my plan to build a Dalek.
    With the new series Daleks, it'll be heaps easier, because, well, they're bigger (almost big enough to stand in!). Webcam eyestalk, speaker grill neck, voice modulating microphone, motorised wheels, hopefully all controlled by a netbook or smartphone or iPad or something
     
    =D
     
    Rav
  3. Ravrahn
    Not just any old language, no. A computer language. Java. I'm learning Java so that I can make apps for Android, because it looks like fun. Also, apparently if you get more than 5000 downloads on an app Google sends you a Nexus One, which would save me money.
     
    Hello World worked, and it was slightly more complex than in QuickBasic, which I can also write.
    Hello World in QuickBasic:
    PRINT "Hello World!"
     
    Hello World in Android/Java:
    package com.example.helloandroid; import android.app.Activity; import android.os.Bundle; public class HelloAndroid extends Activity {     @Override     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);         setContentView(R.layout.main);     } }
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <resources>     <string name="hello">Hello Android, I\'m a string resource!</string>     <string name="app_name">Hello, Yay Android</string> </resources>
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"   android:layout_width="fill_parent"   android:layout_height="fill_parent"   android:text="@string/hello"/>
    (Yeah, it's 3 files)
     
    So, QuickBasic is probably the easier language. Java isn't exactly hard, though, and once I start understanding everything, it's probably going to be a lot easier. I'm not sure what kind of app to make, but hey, I'm sure I'll find a demand to meet. And even if I don't, there's around 100000 apps I could port from the iPhone
     
    Also keen to learn Latin and Esperanto, because those look useful fun interesting.
     
    And I'm pretty much set on the Milestone as the phone I want. It's just so cool-looking! Also, useful, what with all it's awesome specs.
     
    Rav
  4. Ravrahn
    I really can't wait for tomorrow morning, because Dr. Who comes out! It looks fantastic, from all the clips I've seen, and I hope it is
     
    Anyway, I'm really split over which phone to get. It's a rather difficult decision, because it's almost $600 overall I'm paying for it (and that's just straight off). I've managed to narrow it down to two phones, both by the same company: The HTC Desire and HTC Legend.
    They are easily the two best Android phones on the market (in my opinion, I mean, spec-wise, the Nexus One trumps the Legend). Both have the newest Sense UI and Android 2.1, with multitouch, the same number of buttons and an optical trackpad, and both are around $550, excluding shipping and mobile plans. The Desire has fantastic specs, with it's 3.7 inch screen, 1GHz processor, and nearly double the Legend's pixel count, but the Legend is just so sleek. That aluminium unibody makes it one of the best looking phones (in my opinion) ever. I'm not a fan of the 'graphite' colour of the Desire, and while a silver version is available, I can't find any store that stocks them.
    So, basically, what I'm looking for is a good phone that I can use to browse the web (not videos), take some pictures, and use apps with. I probably won't stress the phone spec-wise, because I don't think there are many spec-heavy games/apps on the market at the moment. I do sort of want the extra processing capacities, though, because my dad owns a HTC Hero, and it lags quite a bit, even on simple things like menu scrolling. I have a feeling this is a software rather than hardware issue, because I've heard of no lagging on the Legend, which has a very similar processor. I'm probably also going to be using GPS quite a bit, and the camera, sometimes, and I'll definitely harness the flash as a flash-light.
    What I also want is a phone that will show up Apple fanboys, and specs and looks are both necessary, I think, for that.
    One of my biggest worries is the screen size. I have never used any touchscreen device (well, phone-like) with a bigger screen than 3.5 inches (the iPhone), nor with more pixels than the Hero has (340x480, I think). I don't mind the Hero's size or screen, and both are pretty much the same as the Legend's. However, the Desire offers a much bigger screen, and a similar size, AND almost double, as I said before, pixel density. I want to know if the difference is notable, and if so by what degree, but I have no chance to hands-on with a Desire, certainly not a real one.
    So, basically, should I go for specs or looks? I'm totally split here, but I think I'm swaying towards the Legend.
     
    Comments would be much appreciated.
     
    Rav
  5. Ravrahn
    I went to the shopping centre to get a gift for Mother's Day, then I had a look around for a bit.
     
    First I went to T[life], a mobile phone vendor, to fiddle with the Desire dummy (it's very nice, a good size and looks better in person. I'm almost regretting getting the Legend...). That was quick, just enter, hold it, leave.
     
    Then I went to the ABC Shop, to see if they had the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. Found they only had 10 and under stuff, most of it DVDs. Left.
     
    Finally, I went to Dick Smiths, a tech shop, and walked around the laptop section, playing with the multitouch trackpads, and the touchscreen netbook. I even touched the Macs!
     
    Then I blogged about it on a site dedicated to a toy...

    Rav
  6. Ravrahn

    Technophilia

    By Ravrahn,

    The new iPhone has a 'Retina Display'
     
    Basically that means it's pixels are so small they cannot be distinguished by the human eye. It has a dpi (dots per inch) of 326.
     
    By Apple's (and other's) calculations, the lower limit for a retina display is around 300dpi. Thus it was beaten to it by Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and LG. The XPeria X1 and Toshiba Porteage both had a dpi of 311. The LG-LU1400 had one of 336. All three are circa 2008. But that doesn't matter, really. It's not like iPhone was ever that innovative.
     
    Interestingly, once you reach 300, it literally doesn't matter any more. The human eye can't distinguish between 300 and 400 dpi. The iPhone 4's display is probably very impressive, and I hope a 300+ dpi is the standard from now on. I don't want to be able to tell where one dot ends and another begins! I wonder how long it takes me to just give in and sell my Legend for a newer Android. I really shouldn't be such a technophile.
     
    Just for fun, here's a list of 'innovations' by Apple that the iPhone didn't have first:
    Multitasking 'Retina Display' Apps Touchscreens Push Notifications Folders Pinch-To-Zoom Strong Glass on the screen Front-Facing Cameras Video Calls Integrated Mailbox Nya ha ha ha 
    I don't really want iPhone 4. It's cool, but I still don't really want to support Apple's closed system. If the next iPod Touch has the Retina Display, I might consider getting one, but I doubt it. The iPad, on the other hand. If it gets a Retina Display (which would be a heck of a lot of pixels) I'd definitely consider it. Also, FaceTime would be necessary.
     
    Now, the Galaxy S, on the other hand, that thing looks awesome. A UI that is an iPhone ripoff, definitely, but just look how cool it looks! A 4-inch screen, with SUPER AMOLED display (better than iPhone 4's screen except by pixel density), front-facing camera, Android 2.1, and stuff. Not sure about how it looks exactly like an iPhone. Silver bezel on the very edge, black, even with an oval speaker and a big home button on the bottom in the middle.
    Maybe the Galaxy Tab. That looks awesome. Although, as my friend pointed out when I showed him, it has a PHONE. It's more than twice the size of an already-massive phone!
    Check them out (Remember, the one on the right is as big as your hand ):


     
    EDIT: After reading what I've written, I'm renaming the entry from 'The Retina Display' to 'Technophilia'. I started with an ill-thought-out rant about the new iPhone's screen, and halfway through I started rambling about how cool a new Android phone is. So I am obviously a technophile (someone with a great love of the latest tech)
    I either need to work on it, or I need to embrace it. I vote embrace.
     
    Rav
  7. Ravrahn

    Galaxy S2: 2ghz!?

    By Ravrahn,

    So there is now a rumoured spec list for the follow-up to the Samsumg i9000, the Galaxy S, called the Galaxy S2, the i9200. Here's the rumoured spec sheet:
    4.3” 1280×720px Super AMOLED 2 display2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM/4GB ROM32GB of built-in flash memory, +32GB microSD card slot8 megapixel camera with FullHD video recordingA-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n3.5 mm headset jackAccelerometer, gyroscope, proximity and ambient light sensors That's right. A 2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 720p HD SCREEN!
     
    If this is true then now is the time when mobile phones exceed (normal, not gaming) computers of the early to mid noughties. And that was pretty quick.
     
    Rav
  8. Ravrahn

    Quad-core Smartphones!?

    By Ravrahn,

    ARM announced the other day that they are developing a new processor - A smartphone processor that is quad-core. Each of those cores runs at 2.5GHz.
     
    That's fast enough with one core! It's 2.5GHz dedicated to a single application, which will make it blazingly fast! Multitasking will be incredibly smooth, with a core for the task and three spares for background tasks. 2.5GHz alone is almost triple the average today (around 900 probably). Putting this in perspective, that's almost as good as an Intel Core i7 from last year. Those things can't handle being in netbooks, let alone smartphones.
     
    Moore's Law says that processing power doubles every 18 months; When the T-Mobile G1 came out it had a 512MHz processor, which was good for the time. Fast-forward 18 months, Android 2.2 is announced, and the highest power processor is 1GHz. Double 512MHz. When's 18 months from then? November next year. I'd expect a 2GHz processor, probably dual-core, by the end of 2011. The ARM A-15 (the name of this processor) comes out late 2012-early 2013. We'd expect 4GHz to arrive in May 2013, and thus the 2.5 would arrive at around January 2012. Maybe it isn't too impressive after all?
     
    The future will be awesome.
     
    Rav
  11. Ravrahn
    I've found two so far.
     
    Chromercise - First I thought it was a new Chrome Short, but it was pretty obviously April Fools. Quite funny. I'm not in the US so I couldn't try getting the finger bands, unfortunately.
     
    Gmail Motion - Frikkin' hilarious. Especially the words the motions produce. Top stuff.
     
    Anyone see anything else?

    Rav
  12. Ravrahn

    Official Ds Topic

    By Ravrahn,

    They're discussing the 3DS in the DS topic. Did they discuss the DS in the GBA topic, too?
     
    Why don't people realise that the 3DS is not a new DS, it's a next-gen handheld?
  13. Ravrahn

    3ds Hands-on!

    By Ravrahn,

    I got some hands-on time for the 3DS today.
     
    IT IS AMAZING.
     
    AMAZING.
     
    Also, some info from my conversation with the staff guy at the event:
     
    - He told me to expect an 8th-Gen Nintendo home console at E3 2012
    - He also said that 2012 will be a "big year in gaming" (emphasised on Nintendo)
    - The 3DS has a 200MHz GPU (I think it was GPU) underclocked at 133MHz
    - It's also got a (I think he said "low power", maybe dual-core) CPU, which is for MULTITASKING (YAY!)
    - 64MB of RAM
    - Browser is Opera-based, enhanced version of Wii's browser (He said Flash support was highly likely!). The browser MAY have the DSi's problem of not loading large pages fully, but he said it probably won't.
    - The 3DS will be a "3D Media Hub" - supporting all kinds of 3D content.
     
    He was a total gaming geek - I think he worked for Nintendo, but I'm not sure (I'll have to check). If he doesn't, take the first two with a grain of salt.
     
    It was seriously incredible to use. I hope I can get one!
     
    Rav
     
    EDIT: My Twitter has some more info (I think).
     
    EDIT 2: Just remembered! Twin ARM 9 (Not Cortex, he emphasised) processors, probably low-power too.
  18. Ravrahn

    First!

    By Ravrahn,

    Let's start off the year with some trolling, shall we?
     
    If I timed this right, as I'm sure I have, this will be the first blog entry posted from 2011 on BZPower, assuming no premier members live in NZ or Japan and also plan to do this.
     
    Since I live in Australia, I have the opportunity to post this entry during 2011 while the rest of the world is still in 2010. When I posted this, it was between 5 and 8 AM in America, and around 1PM in Britain. But here, it was 2011.
     
    I don't actually have much to say. Just this...
     
    Happy New Year!
     
    I'm starting the year with QI, I should think.
     
    Rav
  19. Ravrahn

    My Last Entry Of 2010

    By Ravrahn,

    And possibly my last entry in a year with two 0's in it, how exciting!
     
    Well, I had better make it of some substance. I'm not going to do a recap, or anything like that, no, no. I'm going to make this good.
     
    ....
     
    2010 was fun, but 2011 will be better. There's a novel idea.
     
    ....
     
    If anything, I think 2011 will be one higher than 2010.
     
    ....
     
    Predictions: Death and taxes, and possibly other things as well.
     
    ....
     
    I'm going to be the first person on BZP to post a blog entry from 2011. Until then (2 hours and 5 minutes),
     
    Rav
  21. Ravrahn

    Psphone And Ps2-tv

    By Ravrahn,

    You're probably all familiar with the PlayStation Phone - A Sony Ericsson phone with built-in PSP functionality:

     
    It's a cool concept - it runs Android 2.3, Gingerbread, with full slide-out DualShock-style controls, and a PlayStation app, which I assume will include a games library à la the PSP Go.
     
    I read an article the other day (yesterday, actually) which was complaining that the PSPhone ought to not be running Android, but instead, should be running Sony's own proprietary OS, because if it ran Android, the PSP would just be an app. This really bothered me, because it sounded as if they didn't know what they were on about while also being a massive Android hate article (well, it was an Apple blog, but still). Here are some excerpts:
     


    "So instead of a PlayStation Phone we get a phone that runs PlayStation. We get an app. And if you’re Sony and one of your highest value brands is reduced to an app on someone else’s platform you’re doing it wrong."
     
    "Can you imagine if instead of the iPhone Apple made an iPod app for Windows Mobile? If instead of webOS Palm had simply repackaged their emulator for BlackBerry?"
     
    "It’s bad for them in that it means their iconic PlayStation line, for the first time, is dependent on someone else’s platform."
     
    "[...] the next technological marvel from the company that once brought us Walkman, is actually… an Android app.
    No, that’s not a joke."
     
    That last one is good because it makes it seem so ridiculous that Sony would use an existing platform on a device that such a suggestion could be mistook as a joke, while at the same time implying that the games console/android phone that is pictured right above does not actually exist.
     
    I like how, in the second quote, they're stuck in the Apple mindset that if you don't make both the hardware and the software the device will be utterly horrible. And at the same time they're saying the app will be available on all Android devices, which is unlikely, and saying that Sony can only branch their line in one direction. It's not as if the PSP2 is not going to happen. The PSPhone is a spinoff. Apple could easily have released a WinMo or Android iPod app and still make the iPhone, and still continued making the iTouch. That would not have been a bad move, but they're control freaks at Apple and they would hate doing something like that. That's why no Apple software (except iTunes, Safari and Quicktime, essentially) is available on Windows, while OSX has the all three of the Windows equivalents available (Zune Player, IE [albeit discontinued, but that's a blessing more than anything], and Silverlight) as well as the entire Office Suite, and their Windows Live Suite, and even Windows (BootCamp).
    Did it kill Microsoft that it's own OS was reduced to nothing more than an app on the Mac? No. Because that didn't happen. In the same way, the PSPhone will be running an almost unidentifiably skinned version of Android 2.3 which will be deeply integrated with PSP capabilities while also having access to the myriad of advantages that the matured and familiar platform of Android brings (such as the productivity apps, and Angry Birds).
     
    And they're complaining that the PSP will be an app because of some video of a early alpha of the PSP games engine running on a beta build of an unreleased version of stock Android, and simply assuming that the integration stops there.
     
     
    In other Sony Console related news, also involving integration, this:

     
    See the little PS logo on the top left of the base? Yeah. The base of that TV is a PS2. This is Sony's Bravia KDL-22PX300, a 22-inch HDTV with a PS2 and DVD player glued to the bottom.
     
    Now that is pretty awesome.

    Rav
  23. Ravrahn
    Anybody who gets the reference (probably no-one) gets 10 points
    Clue: It was either this or "... Series!"
    I also tried "Changing everything. Again" But I didn't like that.
     
    Still working on sidebars. Any ideas? Also, feedback for the current one? Anyone? No? =(
     
    In other news I played with the Nokia N8 the other day. It sucks.

    Rav
  24. Ravrahn
    I watched V for Vendetta last night. Thrilling. Absolutely brilliant. I'd probably place it in the top ten, if not five. The entire thing was just fantastic, especially the ending. If you haven't seen it, get on that, it's worth it.
     
    Business week continues, and I, for some reason, seem to be the ideas man in my group. I came up with the logo, name, and slogan of our company, and quite possibly the advert too. Being the most creative is a new experience for me. Hm.
     
    As an aside, I'm working on a review of a tablet right now. Hopefully it'll become a regular thing, because it's fun so far.
     
    Rav
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