DATA STASH From T-Moblie (ROLLOVER DATA)

Starting in January, T-Mobile customers (myself included) will have the ability to save any unused data and transfer or stash the data to the next billing cycle. This is wonderful news for anyone who doesn't always use up all monthly allotted data. I know I will be taking advantage of this new promotion because there are months where I don't always stream Netflix or YouTube leaving me with lots of unused data. I'm very excited that someone finally decided to make rollover data a reality. I've been saying, for years now, how amazing it would be to have rollover data much like AT&T's rollover minutes. It's about time!

No the Nexus 5 isn't dead... Yet

So looks like my previous post about the super awesome and affordable Nexus 5 was a little premature. Many tech news sites have been reporting all morning about the demise of Google's smartphone but according to tech news blog Gizmodo the phone isn't dead but just on hiatus. Oof, this gives me lots of time to order another one just incase I end of breaking my own. Maybe I'll just order another one for kicks. Resell it online once its all gone... nah. Maybe.

Is the Nexus 5 Dead?

Looks like Google has decided to discontinue production of the Nexus 5. According to Google, once the Google Play store is sold out of black Nexus 5 phones it will no longer replenish the stock. Currently, as of 12:13pm, the Google Play store is showing that the 16GB and 32GB versions of the phone are out of stock. Does this mean there isn't more inventory? Is one of the best low priced smartphones gone for good? 

Xmas Gadget Wishlist

So I doubt any of you web bots would want to get me a gift this Christmas, maybe random internet stranger? Anyway I thought I'd write down a few gadgets I would love to have this coming holiday.

Moto 360 Smartwatch:

Yes, I know this is a first generation device and it has many shortcomings such a short battery life and some bluetooth pairing issues but I would LOVE to have a watch again. Last time I had a watch was back in the 7th grade and even then it was still a gadget. It was one of those nerdy Casio calculator watches and I used it because I  sucked at math so hard. These watches do more than just tell the time but now link to your smartphone so you get notifications sent straight to your wrist. I'm not sure if I'm willing to part with $250 myself but if anyone out there want to get me one, wink wink.

GoPro Hero4:

So I may not have a 4K monitor yet but that doesn't mean I don't have to have an action camera that shoots in 4K. I may not be the most active person but with this camera I just might want to be. Trill seekers love this camera because it is so versatile. You can get a waterproof case and dive into the ocean or strap it onto your chest and jump off a plane. I won't be doing either any time soon but still.

OnePlus One:

5.5 Inch $300 smartphone without contract! Whoa how can you pass up an offer like that? Yes I already own a Nexus 5 which is pretty much very similar looking to this phone. However! These guts are a little more powerful: Snapdragon 801 Quad-core processor,  3 GB Ram, 13 MP Camera with up to 4K video, etc... Also the first phone to have Cyanogen Mod pre installed on the phone. So why don't I already own this phone again? Oh yeah thats right because when I ordered it there was a 7 to 8 week backorder.

The Headache That is Teaching Your Parents Technology

My parents grew up in a time when people wrote each other letter, used landline telephones and generally had to interact with other people to get goods and services. When my brother and I were growing up we didn't really teach our parents how to use the home computer. It wasn't that we weren't willing to teach them (we really didn't want to) but they didn't show any interest in using the latest technology. Now with smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, basically anything with a microchip in it, my parents have no choice but to learn how to use them. 

I bought my mom a Nexus 7 tablet last Christmas because she genuinely wanted one. She wanted to listen to music, and some how knew about Pandora. Okay cool. I knew there was going to be a large learning curve but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My mother, a woman who never used a desktop computer, didn't know how to turn on the thing. I sat with down with her and showed her all the basic functions: On/Off button, Volume, Touch Screen Interface, Lock Screen, and finally Apps. Teaching her how to properly swipe the screen to unlock the tablet was the first of many hurdles. I was amazed that she couldn't swipe to unlock the screen, a quickly grew agitated. Finally after many MANY tries she unlocks and makes it to the home screen. Awesome mom you did it, many babies have mastered this long before they could even walk, talk, or wipe their own ass, CONGRATULATIONS! Up next, how to use Pandora. Surprisingly, she was quick to learn the interface. So I padded myself on the back and called it a day. The next day I got a phone call, the tablet wasn't working anymore, so as a good son I went over to check out what the problem was. The battery was dead, I neglected to tell my mom that it needed to be charged everyday. I asked her if she needed any help with the tablet and we went over the basic functions again. She was getting better but still only really knew how to use Pandora. I was glad she at least knew how to use the Pandora app, the one thing she wanted to tablet for.

One year later, she only knows two things: On/Off button and Pandora, I consider that a success. 

UP NEXT: This Christmas I'm teaching her how to use a Smart TV :/

4K Struggle

To be a broke college student and have a need/want for new hardware sucks. As you might already know I just built my own workstation ready to blast through video and photo editing projects. However I neglected to buy a new monitor for my work station and I have been using an old Gateway monitor from 2006. After eight years of use this monitor has developed a dead pixel line.

As you can see it is quite apparent and is often distracting while working. But when you're watching a movie I swear you can't see it at all!

Black Friday just past and I missed out on a awesome deal on a 4K monitor. It was under $500 and had many of things I was looking for, however it also sold out in a matter of minutes. I am hoping to find a similar deal really soon due to Cyber Monday. I have been reading a lot of reviews online and found that most of the 4K monitors that are going on sale now aren't the best at giving you true color. Color is something that is very important to me because I want to make sure all my work is represented correctly on all screens whether it is on a computer notebook or a movie projector. I've always had a problem with buying things that are on sale only to find out that it is crap later (cough cough 13'' macbook pro.)

Should I go out a buy something on sale and later regret it or fork up the money for something really good that would last for years to come. The answer is obvious.

Damn I hate paying for things, ouch my wallet hurts.

Finally Android 5.0

It only took me all day yesterday and a part of today but I finally managed to get Android 5.0 Lollipop on my Nexus 5. Android really manages to get the look right with this latest release and I'm really enjoying the new animations and design. There are many subtle UI changes such as in the lock screen where you now have the option to swipe right to make a phone call, swipe left to open the camera, and swipe up to unlock the phone. I don't miss the unlock ring from previous versions of Android. The home screen looks cleaner with Android's "Material Design" and hopefully all app makers will start incorporating the Material Design look to their app icons and apps too.

Although I am use to having a rooted phone I don't feel the need to root this version of Android quite yet. The pull down menu now has enough of the controls I am looking for in a phone without having to change the UI myself. Pulling down from any screen brings you to the Notification menu where things like email and text messages show up. One more pull down on that screen brings you to your controller menu where you can change things such as brightness levels. This isn't new to Android but a few mirror changes such as adding the a flashlight button and casting a screen to Chromecast are now built into Android without 3rd party apps.

Overall I'm really enjoying the look of Android 5.0 Lollipop. I'm still learning about this latest release and I will give my final review of Lollipop in the coming weeks.