Articles by Zek

Editorials August 28, 2013

The Tenacity of Cablevision Door to Door Salesmen

Door to door sales used to be a fairly common occurrence, but they are much rarer these days. So you'd think that a company using direct sales would make sure their salespeople were properly educated and respectful of people's space and time. You'd be wrong, if the company in question is Cablevision. How did I learn this? See, there's oblivious, and then there's Cablevision salesmen. Twice this month, they've rang our doorbell midday, setting off our (extremely large and loud) dog, which scares our 2-month old and triggers lots of screaming. None of this is a deterrent to the Cablevision…

Gear Bits August 28, 2013

The Lumia 1020 Takes on School Plays in New Commercial

Microsoft’s “Wedding Crashers” video was a funny take on guests taking photos at weddings while arguing over operating systems. The sequel, “School Play”, still has some Android versus iPhone jokes, but focuses (no pun intended) on an area where the Lumia 1020 beats everyone: the camera. This commercial follows the same format-major event, smartphones out, fight fight fight, smug couple using a Lumia in the back laughing at the rest of the people. However, it’s a clearer commercial, highlighting a feature of the Lumia 1020 that no else has, rather than a “hey, we’re the alternative” vibe. And the camera…

News & Features August 27, 2013

Lumia 925 Coming to AT&T

The Lumia 925 is, by all accounts, an excellent flagship Windows Phone. At least in the United States, it has been tied to T-Mobile since launch, but now that exclusivity has lifted, and it will be arriving on AT&T on August 28th, presumably to replace the Lumia 920! If you aren’t familiar with the Lumia 925, it is one of Nokia’s top-shelf Lumia devices. It has a 4.5in screen, a Carl Zeiss lens, and the latest update to Windows Phone, giving it access to amazing apps like Nokia Pro Cam. Unlike previous Lumias, the 925 also ditches the polycarbonate body…

News & Features August 25, 2013

ProtectCELL Offers a New Kind of Cell Phone Insurance

Cell phone insurance usually covers the basics, like your phone taking a swim in a pint of beer. But ProtectCELL thinks insurance should be more comprehensive bang for your buck, with buyback offers and even identity theft protection plans! I keep a lot of information on my cell phone. Between banking apps, email, Facebook, and photos, you could recreate most of my life from my cell phone, and I am sure most people could say the same thing. I’ve always felt like cell phone insurance was a waste of money, but I am intrigued by the pitch I received from…

News & Features August 23, 2013

Scout Comes to Windows 8!

I love my Lumia, but I will be honest — Nokia’s HERE Maps and HERE Drive are not my favorites. They are perfectly fine, but they lack many bells and whistles. It was hard giving up Scout when I left the iPhone, and I am thrilled that Scout is coming to Windows Phone 8! For those who aren’t familiar, Scout is an amazing navigation service powered by Telenav. It helps you map your routes, find points of interest, and monitor multiple choices for the best traffic flow. It also offers additional features like traffic alerts, voice commands, and voice guidance…

Editorials August 21, 2013

Why Does Google Hate Windows Phone?

Whether or not you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, there’s one issue both fans and detractors both recognize: there is a definite lack of Google support in the apps. It’s not just the lack of Google Maps, but also the lack of a Gmail app, a Google+ app, and worst of all, no official YouTube app. That last one has been the subject of a fair amount of drama as of late, with Microsoft creating an app, getting it blocked by Google, collaborating with Google, releasing a new YouTube app, and getting it blocked again. So what’s…

Editorials August 20, 2013

Barnes and Noble Continues Their Confused Path

I’ll admit that I’ve done my fair share of kicking Barnes and Noble. I think they’ve let themselves be run in two contradictory directions (being a digital company versus being a bookstore) for too long, and their half-hearted attempts to bridge the two were too promotional and short-term to make a real difference. At this point, though, criticizing B&N feels almost mean — when so much is going so wrong, is it really helpful to pile on and point out how much worse things really look? What’s looking so scary? Well, for starters, it looks like the company has no…

News & Features August 20, 2013

Windows Phone and Gmail Finally Learn to Play Better

Thanks to the latest Windows Phone update, Windows Phone finally syncs properly with Gmail — bringing along all of your shared calendars and properly formatted emails. No more shredded MIME-reformatted emails! One of the common objections to Windows Phone is the lack of Google services integration. There are some obvious areas where there’s a large Google-shaped hole (the drama around the official/not official/official youtube app is an excellent example), but the biggest sticking point for me as a user of both has been the Gmail experience. However, the latest Windows Phone update has completely revamped how Gmail syncs with Windows Phone…

News & Features August 14, 2013

PetziConnect Lets You Send Your Dog Remote Treats and Praise

Petzila is rolling out the PetziConnect, a webcam and treat dispenser designed to let you interact with your pet, even when you’re not home. Hey, it beats dogTV! My dog routinely outsmarts us. He figured out long ago that he gets treats for two reasons: someone’s at the door, and we don’t want him to eat them, or we’re leaving, and we want him to go lay down on his bed and be a good boy. Bribing him when guests are over is easy since we can keep an eye on him, but the problem with the treats+leaving combo is…

Editorials August 12, 2013

Is “Textspeak” Ruining Communication?

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, I can’t help but rant about the creeping specter of textspeak in everyday communications. With smartphones and full keyboards, there’s no excuse to not spell out your words! I have a big fear about the future of the written word. No, I’m not about to give you an anti-eBook screed; you’ll never see me parting from my beloved Kindle. And I think Jeff Bezos buying the Washington Post is very intriguing. Rather, I am terribly afraid for the literal words, as more and more textspeak is making its way into everyday and professional contexts….

Gear Bits August 9, 2013

Clear Your Sunday Night for Breaking Bad’s Final Season

Breaking Bad has had an amazing run, winning Emmy awards and a slew of devoted fans. The story of a chemistry teacher turned crystal meth kingpin is riveting, and as we head to the final season there’s still a chance to catch up on the show via Netflix, and then enjoy some quality fan-made videos satirizing and summarizing the sheer awesomeness. And baldness. Last fall, Sarah and I were looking for a new show to enjoy together. We sat down and watched the first two episodes of “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, and I was hooked. Sarah, not so much, so…

Editorials August 6, 2013

Do You Still Miss Google Reader?

It’s been over a month, and I still miss Google Reader. I’ve found a mostly-good replacement in using Mr. Reader on my iPad, NextGen Reader on my Lumia, and Feedly Cloud on a computer, but it’s not the same thing. My work PC can’t open Feedly Cloud, so I browse my RSS feeds while hunched over my iPad. Meanwhile, despite the long lead time between Google Reader’s announced shutdown and its actual end, it seems like Reader replacements are still half-baked and trying to find their way … which makes me fear for the future of RSS in general! By…

Gear Bits, News & Features August 1, 2013

Start Your Child on the Right Geek Path with The Star Trek Enterprise

When Sarah was pregnant with our son, we received two pieces of advice from nearly every parent we knew: get lots of sleep while we still could, and go see as many movies as possible before the little person arrives. This advice is the only reason Sarah relented and agreed to see “Star Trek: Into Darkness” with me. And while she found it less than exhilarating, our unborn child LOVED it. Yes, he spent the entire movie kicking and moving. Now, it might have been the vibrations from all the explosions, but I prefer to believe the little one…

Editorials July 30, 2013

What’s a Fair Wage for Fast Food Workers?

What did your first job pay? I vaguely remember my first “real” job (i.e., not babysitting) at Borders during summer break from college, where I was thrilled to be making $6.25ish per hour. Fast forward to when I worked as a supervisor for Borders, post-college, with a degree, where I started at $8.75 an hour. Even with roommates, it was tough to stretch that every two weeks. So I have a lot of sympathy for the current fast food workers’ strike, where they’re fighting for a raise, specifically to a significant level above the current average rate of $7.25 per…

News & Features July 27, 2013

Jillian’s Drawers Makes Trying Cloth Diapers Economical and Fun!

My son may be small, but he has quite a bit of gear amassed already. Bottles, pacifiers, “soothing vibration” in just about any accessory he can lay or sit on…he’s got quite the stash of baby stuff, all of which is constantly being refined and retooled by manufacturers as design and technology improve. Even items that most people think of as “old-fashioned”, like cloth diapers, have undergone a major revolution and style change. Since disposable diapers are both pricey and not great for the environment, Sarah and I are anxious to try our hand at cloth diapers. However, there’s what…

Reviews July 25, 2013

Tweekaboo Virtual Family Diary Review – a Baby Book for the Digital Age

Sarah and I can probably repeat the story of the 24 hours leading up to our son’s birth by heart. We told the story to family and friends, and whenever our newborn got fussy we told it to him. After a few days, Sarah turned to me and pointed out that we should probably write it down somewhere since we will eventually forget all the details. Luckily for us, we had the opportunity to test Tweekaboo, an app that acts as a virtual baby book, letting us add pictures and stories and share them with family and each other. Is…

Reviews July 21, 2013

Trident Aegis Case for the Nokia Lumia 928 Review – Bubble Wrap for Your Mobile Phone

I am loving my new Lumia 928. Windows Phone is slick, and I am enjoying the phone just as much as I did the day I bought it. However, the operating system isn’t the only thing that’s slick — the polycarbonate casing is very slippery, and I am very accident prone. Luckily for me, Trident cases released their Aegis line for the 928, and I quickly jumped on the case as a way to give my Lumia some solid protection against my personal chaotic field. Is it a good balance of protection and style? Does it make an already…

Editorials July 19, 2013

What Subscription Services Are Worth a Place in Your Budget?

Sarah and I have been loving the new Netflix series “Orange is the New Black”. It’s incredibly well-written, has an amazing cast, and manages to add levity and entertainment to a relatively depressing premise (it’s not exactly happy time watching a protagonist navigate life in prison). I’ve been recommending the show like crazy and was surprised when Dan told me he recently cancelled his Netflix subscription. We use Netflix constantly and it didn’t occur to me that not everyone pays for the service! It sparked a larger discussion among the Gear Diary Editors about what subscription services we pay for…

Gear Bits July 14, 2013

SPIbelt Makes Their Kids Pouches Insulin Friendly

I think I enthuse about SPIbelt almost as much as I enthuse about RoadID. SPIbelts are small low-profile waist packs that are ideal for running, hiking, and other activities where you need to keep your phone, a granola bar, or some other small items close to your person. They are an American company that consistently improves and refines their product based on the feedback from users, and their latest refinement shows they pay close attention to how parents and children use SPIbelts! SPIbelts are very popular with kids who have medical needs such as diabetes. It’s much more attractive and…

eBooks July 11, 2013

Apple, Publishers, and How eBook Price Fixing Changed the Market

In 2009, several major publishers announced a huge pricing change for eBooks; retailers would sell them only at the price set by the publisher, and no one could apply any discounts or coupons. The move was anti-competitive and clearly aimed at attacking Amazon, but what really struck everyone was the company behind the curtain. Apple had just announced the iPad, and they seemed quite confident that the projected $12.99-$14.99 prices for iBooks would not be undercut, a suspicious claim since Amazon sold those titles for $9.99. The assumption was that Apple had worked with the publishers to create this price-fixed…

Editorials July 9, 2013

Bing’s SafeSearch Filter Issues Explained!

A few days ago I pointed out some very odd behavior in the Bing SafeSearch filter. Certain words, like “Lesbian”, were being summarily blocked while insulting or hateful words came through just fine. I had the chance to chat with someone from the Bing SafeSearch team today, and I learned a few important things: One, the SafeSearch filter isn’t as simplistic as it first appears, and there’s some nuance to how it blocks content. And two, Microsoft is an incredibly responsive and community-oriented company! I learned that SafeSearch is designed to filter out “adult” content from web results. If a…

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