3 posts tagged “blackadder”
T-Mobile G1
Smartphone
Link: T-Mobile G1
As hinted at in Episode 673 and last week, Dick and Leo finally talk about T-Mobile's G1. Made by HTC, the G1 is the first phone featuring Google's open-source smartphone operating system Android.
It has bluetooth, wifi, GPS (though not turn-by-turn), 512 MB built-in memory, although it has an microSD card slot and comes with a 1GB card; a back-lit qwerty keyboard (which is revealed by sliding out the screen) and a replaceable battery; a 3.2MP camera, but like the iPhone, it does not shoot video, and like the iPhone it does not support Flash on the internet. Unlike the iPhone, it supports voice dialling and "cut and paste".
Physically, it weighs just under 6 ounces. At the bottom is a panel of buttons: a big Menu button, underneath which at the centre is a trackball (for navigation and as a select button). To the left of the trackball are the "Call/Send" button and the "Home" button; to the right of the trackball are the "Back" and "Hangup/Power" buttons.
On the left hand side of the phone is a Volume toggle, and on the right hand side the camera button. For the earphones, unfortunately it's a microUSB connection and you'll need an adapter for your 3.5mm jack earphones.
The display is 3.2 inches at 480 x 320 resolution, with a capacitive touch-screen. It does not support multi-touch, but does support long presses (through which you get a context menu including "cut and paste"). It has an accelerometer and is supposed to adjust itself to Portrait/Landscape mode, at least when the qwerty keyboard is open.
Since Android is open-source, many applications are expected to come out supporting the platform, and will not be filtered as in the case of the iPhone. You can access the apps from the Android "Market", and Google will tell you in relation to each app what types of access the app may have on the phone - such as communications, your location and your personal information.
The phone comes with the standard Google apps, such as Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, and like the iPhone, offers a mobile version of YouTube. If you don't use Gmail, there is another mail application. Unfortunately, this other mail app cannot open attachments (which Gmail can by HTML conversion), nor save them. The IM app supports major instant messengers such as AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and of course Google Talk. Like Google's desktop browser the Chrome, the Android browser is WebKit-based. Another app that comes with the phone is AmazonMP3, with access to Amazon's DRM-free mp3 downloads - which only works with Wifi, and not 3G or Edge. The phone also has its own music player software.
At the moment, the phone is available in T-Mobile stores only in cities which has T-Mobile's 3G coverage.
Favourite Episodes
In Episode 679, Dick and Leo were asked if they had a list of their 20 favourite/funniest episodes. Ludwik Trammer of gizwizsearch can answer for them. Search queries on his site show which episodes are most frequently accessed - 182 Titanium Spork, 465 Electron Echo Piano, 462 MP4 Watch, and of course 282 Toothpick Bird.
Ludwik also tells us that the accumulative length of all the DGW shows now exceeds 7 days.
One More Thing
Ludwik is going to introduce a new feature on his site. In fact it is already operational. Just go to his site and see if you can spot the difference. Otherwise, just wait for an announcement through Dick and Leo in tomorrow's recording session, or in next week's episodes.
Video Podcasts To Wait
The last time Leo talked about video podcasts (with hopes of getting DGW on video) was Episode 671. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, Leo has decided to be a little more prudent, and maybe putting that on hold, although he may still put out a weekly "best of" video podcast.
Second Longest Episode
At 31:03, today's show is the second longest episode, just 12 seconds short of Episode 634, the Lexmark X9575 Professional.
Listen to Episode 686
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
It has bluetooth, wifi, GPS (though not turn-by-turn), 512 MB built-in memory, although it has an microSD card slot and comes with a 1GB card; a back-lit qwerty keyboard (which is revealed by sliding out the screen) and a replaceable battery; a 3.2MP camera, but like the iPhone, it does not shoot video, and like the iPhone it does not support Flash on the internet. Unlike the iPhone, it supports voice dialling and "cut and paste".
Physically, it weighs just under 6 ounces. At the bottom is a panel of buttons: a big Menu button, underneath which at the centre is a trackball (for navigation and as a select button). To the left of the trackball are the "Call/Send" button and the "Home" button; to the right of the trackball are the "Back" and "Hangup/Power" buttons.
On the left hand side of the phone is a Volume toggle, and on the right hand side the camera button. For the earphones, unfortunately it's a microUSB connection and you'll need an adapter for your 3.5mm jack earphones.
The display is 3.2 inches at 480 x 320 resolution, with a capacitive touch-screen. It does not support multi-touch, but does support long presses (through which you get a context menu including "cut and paste"). It has an accelerometer and is supposed to adjust itself to Portrait/Landscape mode, at least when the qwerty keyboard is open.
Since Android is open-source, many applications are expected to come out supporting the platform, and will not be filtered as in the case of the iPhone. You can access the apps from the Android "Market", and Google will tell you in relation to each app what types of access the app may have on the phone - such as communications, your location and your personal information.
The phone comes with the standard Google apps, such as Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, and like the iPhone, offers a mobile version of YouTube. If you don't use Gmail, there is another mail application. Unfortunately, this other mail app cannot open attachments (which Gmail can by HTML conversion), nor save them. The IM app supports major instant messengers such as AIM, Windows Live, Yahoo and of course Google Talk. Like Google's desktop browser the Chrome, the Android browser is WebKit-based. Another app that comes with the phone is AmazonMP3, with access to Amazon's DRM-free mp3 downloads - which only works with Wifi, and not 3G or Edge. The phone also has its own music player software.
At the moment, the phone is available in T-Mobile stores only in cities which has T-Mobile's 3G coverage.
Favourite Episodes
In Episode 679, Dick and Leo were asked if they had a list of their 20 favourite/funniest episodes. Ludwik Trammer of gizwizsearch can answer for them. Search queries on his site show which episodes are most frequently accessed - 182 Titanium Spork, 465 Electron Echo Piano, 462 MP4 Watch, and of course 282 Toothpick Bird.
Ludwik also tells us that the accumulative length of all the DGW shows now exceeds 7 days.
One More Thing
Ludwik is going to introduce a new feature on his site. In fact it is already operational. Just go to his site and see if you can spot the difference. Otherwise, just wait for an announcement through Dick and Leo in tomorrow's recording session, or in next week's episodes.
Video Podcasts To Wait
The last time Leo talked about video podcasts (with hopes of getting DGW on video) was Episode 671. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn, Leo has decided to be a little more prudent, and maybe putting that on hold, although he may still put out a weekly "best of" video podcast.
Second Longest Episode
At 31:03, today's show is the second longest episode, just 12 seconds short of Episode 634, the Lexmark X9575 Professional.
Listen to Episode 686
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Totes Pocket Shave
Travel Shaving Kit
Link: New York Times Article
Dick's Gadget Warehouse
Today's gadget is also the What The Heck Is It gadget for September '08, which no one cracked, not even WTHII aficionado "Marked". Made by Totes, maker of umbrellas, the Pocket Shave, when the cap was removed, revealed a razor that flipped up and out, and inside the cylinder was compressed shaving cream released by pressing a white button. It was the size of a fat pen, and the cap even had a clip for your pocket. A perfect travelling companion. No sign of it now, but you can find an article on the New York Times still archived on their website.
A Poem for Dick's Gadget Warehouse
Ed Hansen from Rexton, Canada, long-time listener since Episode 1 (see his letter in Episode 204), has been inspired by the suggested name for Dick's mansion, "Wizneyland", to compose an opening poem for the Gadget Warehouse:
Wait For Dick
The phone rings for Dick, and Leo can't wait to play the Wait-for-Dick Jingle.
Parting With Junk
As may be expected, Dick is a real hoarder and has difficulty throwing out junk. He tried disposing of the Atari Video Music (Episode 85), still in its sealed box, but in the end retrieved it from the trash bin. Hence the Gadget Warehouse, where in some dark corner, there ought to be, in a little Kodak film canister, a bit of Bill Gaines, which Dick has yet to rediscover. But Dick has unearthed an old Mad box with more original Match Game Cards from 1974 and 1975. For more details, go to matchgamequestions.com.
Dick once even went to an Anti-Clutter Class. You can hear the story in Episode 94.
Breaking Down Barriers
Tony Colonello, aka Kwai Nor or Kwai Naawy (little water buffalo) to his Thai wife, has been prompted by Episode 671 (the Mio Knight Rider GPS) to write about his own GPS. The TomTom GO 720T not only has voice directions in Thai, but also can record any voice so that his wife can now nag him about his driving even when she's not in the car.
In support of the Daily Giz Wiz, he is now an Audible subscriber. Being an Amazon Kindle (Episode 472) owner, he's got his wife to listen to Audible books on the Kindle, so she can learn English at the same time, breaking down cultural and language barriers.
Listen to Episode 680
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
A Poem for Dick's Gadget Warehouse
Ed Hansen from Rexton, Canada, long-time listener since Episode 1 (see his letter in Episode 204), has been inspired by the suggested name for Dick's mansion, "Wizneyland", to compose an opening poem for the Gadget Warehouse:
Come with me now to a place
That moves at a much slower pace
To see gadgets that time has forgot
Gadgets that weren't all that hot
And you may or may not see a mouse
At the Wizneyland Gadget Warehouse
Wait For Dick
The phone rings for Dick, and Leo can't wait to play the Wait-for-Dick Jingle.
Parting With Junk
As may be expected, Dick is a real hoarder and has difficulty throwing out junk. He tried disposing of the Atari Video Music (Episode 85), still in its sealed box, but in the end retrieved it from the trash bin. Hence the Gadget Warehouse, where in some dark corner, there ought to be, in a little Kodak film canister, a bit of Bill Gaines, which Dick has yet to rediscover. But Dick has unearthed an old Mad box with more original Match Game Cards from 1974 and 1975. For more details, go to matchgamequestions.com.
Dick once even went to an Anti-Clutter Class. You can hear the story in Episode 94.
Breaking Down Barriers
Tony Colonello, aka Kwai Nor or Kwai Naawy (little water buffalo) to his Thai wife, has been prompted by Episode 671 (the Mio Knight Rider GPS) to write about his own GPS. The TomTom GO 720T not only has voice directions in Thai, but also can record any voice so that his wife can now nag him about his driving even when she's not in the car.
Listen to Episode 680
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Talking First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit with Audio Instructions
Link: Intelligent First Aid
An emergency first aid kit that comes with individual packs for treating different types of injury. Each injury pack is colour-coded, with a printed instruction card, and even has its own audio module which, at the squeeze of a button, will tell you how to treat the injury.
The box comes with a flashlight/booklight which can be clipped on to a pack to illuminate the printed instructions. Replacement packs are available.
Stop The Jingle !
Jim Nichol complains about the early onset of Christmas. Stop the madness, he writes. He's a Scrooge, says Leo.
Happy Birthday ...
... to Leo.
Listen to Episode 454
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up
