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Ask The Readers: Mobile Device Recommendation

Martin — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:59:20 +0000

I want to buy a new mobile device and think that the best way to find one that suits my needs is to ask the readers here at Ghacks. If a device like this exists you will surely know about it recommend the best fit for my needs. I will start this article by describing what I want to do with the mobile device and what it has to support. Those are the two most important aspects. At the end I will list those things that I do not need necessarily and that I do not need at all.

Since it is a mobile device I would like to be able to check my emails, manage my web server using SSH, connect to the Internet and write articles for my websites. The device has to support WLAN and make use of a QWERTY keyboard. I could live with an add-on keyboard that has to be purchased separately.

The device should be lightweight. I’m not sure if all those sub-notebooks like the Asus EeePC or MSI Wind fit the bill, prefer something for the pocket instead. It does not have to be state of the art as long as it does the job. The performance has to be sufficient for the tasks and there should not be huge delays because of a lack of CPU power or system memory.

I do no need Bluetooth, Infrared, games, multimedia features, GPS, a Touchscreen, Radio, TV, a Digital Camera.

I have one alternative. I could replace my Nokie N73 phone with a new one that is providing the features that I need plus offering phone capabilities. The advantage for me would be that I would only need one device that I could carry around and not two.

My guess is that it will be a device with the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating systems but I’m open for other suggestions. What would you recommend me to get ?

Tags: asus eeepc, mobile device, mobile phone, msi wind, notebook, pda, smartphone

Ask the Readers: PDA Recommendation

Martin — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:25:51 +0000

I’m planing to purchase a PDA at the end of this year and would like to hear your opinion before I go out and buy something that does not meet my expectations. I never used a PDA before but tried to read about the different operating systems and the like to get a first overview.

I think it would be best to describe what I want to do with it and what it should definitely support hardware and software wise. Some of you are most likely PDA experts and it would be wonderful if you could point me into the right direction with some suggestions and probably brands that I should take a closer look at.

I basically need the PDA when I’m on the road to check E-Mails, write notes and use it for accounting purposes which means that it should at least support some kind of Excel / accounting software with import and export options. What I really want is a PDA with a way to quickly add text to it. I hate for instance writing SMS on mobile phones because of the layout – most likely because of my clumsy fingers.

It should support WLAN as well and a battery that lasts for more than a few hours. What I do not need is a phone, mp3 player, video player, game capability, fancy designs, mobile navigation, radio and the like.

I really do not care about operating system, a bigger screen would be nice but is not a must, it should at least support some kind of flash memory cards that I can use to store files on. Last but not least I do not want to pay more than €400 for it which equals around $600.

My own research which only took a look at the features but not at the usability lead me to the PDAs HP iPAQ 200 and HP iPAQ 100. Do you have experience with those two devices or know of other PDAs that would be a good choice for my needs ?

Tags: Gadgets, pda

Hey!Watch encode videos online

Martin — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 09:43:23 +0000

Hey!Watch is a great new web 2.0 service that makes it easy to convert video files online. Hey!Watch offers advanced features that no online encoding service offers at the moment. You may upload your own videos and encode them into a great selection of formats or use a bookmarklet or firefox plugin to convert videos found on websites such as youtube and dailymotion.

Hey!Watch supports many devices and formats including devices such as iPods, Mobiles, PDAs, PSP, Wii, Zune and formats like Divx, DVD and SVCD. The videos that are transferred can be of any size but can’t exceed a playtime of ten minutes. A list of all videos that you have transferred to Hey!Watch is available under Raw Videos in your home directory. Clicking on Encode lets you choose a video and a format / device it should be encoded to. The approximate file size is displayed beneath the selected options.

The encoding takes place in a background process meaning you can simply turn off the computer or download more videos that you want to encode later. Encoded videos are hosted at the Hey!Watch website for 12 hours and get deleted afterwards. Downloads and encoding sessions are limited to one at a time for free users. A limit of 10 encoding sessions per month limits the free service even more.

The user receives an email every time a encoding session finishes. It is also possible to subscribe to an RSS Feed with the same information.

A paid account is available which is offered for $4.99 a month. This one raises the limit of encoding sessions to 100 per month and three can be done concurrently. I personally think that the service should raise the amount of encoding sessions because ten per month does not look that great at all. Even 100 for the paid service is not that great.

As of now Hey!Watch is a great service for a quick encoding session. I think that many users will register and use it for some days and leave it when the encoding cap is reached for the month. This will probably cost them many users in the long run.

Tags: encode, heywatch, iPod, mobile, online, pda, video, youtube

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