[Concept] Windows Phone 8 Lockscreen Music Controls

This is the what you see on your Windows Phone 8 device lockscreen when music is playing. Basically, it’s a small black portion of the top (with volume level, controls, artist name, and song title) over whatever you have set as your wallpaper.

Then lets look at what iOS and Android is doing.

[Night/Lowlight] Photos Taken with a Nokia Lumia 1520

I’ll start off with 2 shots taken with Nokia Pro Cam app on all auto settings. As usual with most cameras’ auto settings, it opted for a higher ISO to allow for a faster shutter speed. Meaning less blurry shots due to slight hand movements. Let’s face it, most would prefer a slightly grainy/noisy shot over a blurry shot.

Photos Taken with a Nokia Lumia 1520

Cheap and Cheerful

Jeremy Clarkson once said and I quote, "There’s no such thing as cheap and cheerful. It’s cheap and nasty & expensive and cheerful." Granted he was talking about cars, but I think the same can be applied for smartphones. Can a smartphone be both “cheap and cheerful” at the same time? Motorola is certainly going to try.

Nexus 5 vs Moto X

Those who know me would probably know that I am a huge fan of the Nexus range of devices. Hell, my current daily driver is a Nexus 4. I prefer Vanilla Android look and feel, or Android as Google intended. Any Android devices that I use that is not a Nexus, runs either CyanogenMod, or Nova Launcher.

BlackBerry 10's UI

Here’s a theory why BlackBerry 10’s UI hasn’t been well received.

BlackBerry Z30 in Singapore

 The Z30 was officially announced for the Singapore market yesterday. It will be hitting our shores on the 10th of October with key partners at a recommended retail price of SGD 828.

A Quick Look at the BlackBerry Q5

The BlackBerry Q5 has some big shoes to fill in my opinion. Considered to be the successor of the Curve series, the BlackBerry Q5 is the entry level BlackBerry 10 device that was recently released in Sinapore. Being a huge fan of the Curve 9360 myself, I had high hopes for it. I recently got my hands on one, and thought I will share my thoughts about the device.

BB10 Brainstorming: Fingerprints

I’ll go right out and say it, I think Apple’s Touch ID is a great idea if it works the same as in the demos. I am in that group where I never have password lock on my device. Not even pattern lock. It might be something that takes perhaps seconds to input, but it adds up.

In-Depth Look at Why I love BlackBerry 10 and the Q10

Those who know me would know that I use phones from all 4 major platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) regularly. One question that I get asked occasionally is that “Why are you still using a BlackBerry?” My answer is pretty simple. “It works better for my set of needs.”

BlackBerry: Wind of Change

It is not easy being a fan of BlackBerry these days. In fact it hasn’t been easy for years. Especially with the recent onslaught of negative press, not just from the media, but from BlackBerry themselves too.

What if Wayne Enterprises bought BlackBerry?

Inspired by CrackBerry’s “What ifs” series of posts, which explores the possibility that the “strategic alternatives” that BlackBerry talked about, might mean the sale of the company or partnership. I am sure most BlackBerry fans would hate to see that happening if it meant that BlackBerry as we know it now might cease to exist.

Updated Q Series Concept

I just realised that I have yet to post my updated concept here. Removed the BlackBerry logo to give the front a cleaner look. I think the keyboard itself is iconic enough to be instantly recognised as a BlackBerry. The AMOLED screen when off will blend in with the glass, giving it a sense that the display is larger than it really is. The rest of it would pretty much follow what I posted before.

Nokia Lumia 520: The Most Important Windows Phone?

This might be a little weird to some, but I think that the Lumia 520 is still one of the phones that I am most impressed with in the market today. One that I think is going to play an important role for Windows Phone as a whole. Now bear with me here.

OPINION: What Nokia is doing right

For anyone who follows mobile tech closely, it is no secret that both Nokia and BlackBerry are struggling to reinvent themselves. Both were dominant players way back when, Nokia with their feature phones, and BlackBerry with their smartphones. Both were late into the era brought forth by the original iPhone, and both paid a great price.

Moto X: Things I find interesting about it

The Moto X is probably one of the most hyped and talked about Android device this better half of the year, and it is not hard to see why. The Moto X will be the first Googorola phone, the first born of the now married Google and Motorola. Well, when I say married…

Mobile Computing

The recent leaks of the BB10 outside of the phone is definitely an interesting prospect. One that I am excited about.

BlackBerry S30 Concept

Personally, I am not convince that the market has a place for sliders. But I know there are a ton of people who are a fan of the portrait slider form factor. Since my dream concept series all uses a similar design style, It’s not that difficult to come up with a slider. It’s just a pick and mix of my Z30 and Q30 concept, plus a bit of sizing. I took a short break from work to come up with these.

BlackBerry Q30 Dream Concept

As a continuation of yesterday’s dream concept for the Z30, I present the Q30 dream concept.

BlackBerry Z30 Dream Concept

There is no way to gently put this. I do not like how the rumoured Z30 looks. I think that the bottom chin looks kinda out of place. But of course this is based on photos, and I have been wrong before with the Q10. (I thought it didn’t look as nice as the Z10, but now my opinion have been reversed.)

Ferrari 458 Italia

Photoshoot with Ferrari 458 Italia. I’ve chosen 20 out of the bunch.

BlackBerry Q10

Finally decided to get the Q10, and loving it so far. :D

The Trinity of Communication Bliss

 We have heard time and time again from Thorsten Heins, CEO BlackBerry, about how BlackBerry 10 will provide a new user paradigm that will differ from the ‘in-out’ app paradigm that we have all been so familiar with. Suddenly (while over a cup of coffee this morning) it occurred to me that the pieces are finally starting to fit together, particularly in the aspect of communications.

The BlackBerry Hub Advantage

Over the past few days, I stopped using a BlackBerry completely as an experiment. In the past when I tried other platforms, I still always have a BlackBerry with me at all times. People often say that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. So here I am, Day 3, telling you what I miss most from BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry 10 Dream App: Group Share

This is my BlackBerry 10 Dream App, Group Share. The name and the picture above should be pretty self-explanatory. Not sure if this is possible with the APIs yet, but one can dream. (Miracast? WiFi Direct?)

2 Years of BlackBerry

Today marks the 2nd year since I bought my first BlackBerry.

BB10 Brainstorming: Active Frames

I’m sure most of us love how we could swipe up to close an app on the PlayBook. But on BB10, due to how the Active Frames has 2 vertical pages to scroll up and down, the same gesture can’t be implemented. And swiping to the left brings in the Hub, and the right apps. So pretty much up, down, left, and right are all taken.

BlackBerry 10 Brainstorming: Content is King

This is a screenshot taken from a Q10 showing the CB10 app (thanks, Snazy!), and how it truly maximise the available screen size. But why not do the same for all devices? Why just limit it to the Q10?

[CONCEPT] Next Generation of BlackBerry 10 Devices

Well, it has been a long while since I’ve done something like this. But this is my concept of how the next generation of BlackBerry 10 devices could look. Not just the rumoured Aristo, but a physical QWERTY version as well (obviously I am a fan of physical QWERTY keyboard and I want the latest specs on it too).

Old School Console Games on BB10

Inspired by the post on CrackBerry, I gave RetroArch a go to try and experience some childhood nostalgia. I went for RetroArch as it is not only the most flexible, but also it is available on other platforms as well. Running these emulators is something that has been around for quite a well, but this time there is finally one on BB10 that I think works well enough.

Virtual Keyboards: Past to Present

Today’s post is dedicated to the advancements in Virtual Keyboard technology, and how far they have come. Also, my answer to the penultimate question of “Z10, or Q10?”.

Why BBM?

With the recent announcement that BBM will be going cross-platform, I am sure some of you guys who have never used BBM will be wondering why you should even download BBM for your Android or iOS smartphone. So today, I am going to try and explain why.

BlackBerry Live Screenshots Recap

BlackBerry Live officially kicked off yesterday at 9PM local time. Lots of exciting news was revealed, and I am still trying to get my head around most of them. The headaches and cold I am having are certainly not helping. So I am just going to do a quick recap based on the screenshots I captured.

Thoughts on BBM

Here’s the latest updates regarding BBM, its going cross platform, and there is a new service called BBM Channels. If you do not know about that yet, go read the links. Now the other question that I have, is that would BBM work cross platform?

Let's Get Physical... again

More than a year ago, I wrote an article titled “Let’s Get Physical”, talking about how there is still a place for Physical Keyboards on a smartphone. More than a year has passed, and virtual keyboard technology has improved by leaps and bounds. BlackBerry 10 is now in the hands of consumers, and the first BlackBerry 10 device with a physical QWERTY keyboard will soon be release in Singapore. So, I thought this would a good time to revisit that topic. Is having a physical keyboard still worth sacrificing the screen size?

BlackBerry 10.1 : Skype

Here’s the skype preview app on the BlackBerry Z10. It does work pretty smoothly for an Android Port, plus there is notifications in the Hub too, meaning the app doesn’t have to be running for you to receive calls.

BlackBerry 10.1 : Instant Actions

Amongst a bunch of new features in BlackBerry 10.1, I have to say my favourite has to be Instant Actions. In a nutshell, this allows for a list of built-in “Actions” within the Universal Search of BlackBerry 10.

Re-Imagining the Q10

Well, the picture speaks for itself. I am imagining a Q10 that is more Z10 than Bold 9900, meaning a more boxy look. Well, before I explain why, let me just show you the back, and first explain what I changed exactly.

Testing HDMI on the BlackBerry Z10

Testing the HDMI out on the BlackBerry Z10.

BlackBerry 10 Slider?

Apparently, BlackBerry has been awarded a patent filed in the December of 2011 for a portrait slider. As with most patent companies file for, this may or may not come to fruition at all.

Getting Physical

Despite what would be considered a bizarre Music Video in my opinion, Olivia Newton-John puts it perfectly here, “Let’s Get Physical”. A perfect Music Video for the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry Q10.

Stereo Speakers on the Next BlackBerry 10 device Please!

The thing that I really love on the PlayBook, is how awesome its speakers are, and how they were positioned so that when you are watching a video in landscape mode. I was kind of disappointed when they did not follow through on this design on the Z10 to be honest.

Browser Showdown: BlackBerry Z10 & LG Nexus 4

A competent browser is an important aspect of a smartphone, and BlackBerry has not been known for having a brilliant browser. If anything, BlackBerry of old, running the legacy BBOS has been known to induce a Hulk-like rage whenever users wait for pages to load. Well, this might be a tad exaggerated, but you get my point.

So with the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, has that changed? Today I will do a comparison with a Nexus 4, which has the latest Android OS in the market.

BlackBerry 10 Quick Settings Idea

Let’s not beat around the bush here. The screenshot on the left is my proposed idea, the one on the right is current implementation.

Will there ever be Instagram for BlackBerry 10?

As a follow up to my previous post, I had quite a bit of fun with updating Endomondo with a bit of BB10 goodness (photoshopped). So I thought why not do the same for Instagram. Personally, I really don’t see much point in doing so other than just for the fun of it. If it ever made it to BB10, I am sure they will like to keep the same UI to maintain uniformity. Nonetheless, here goes nothing…

Will there ever be Endomondo for BlackBerry 10?

In a press release on the 1st of May 2012, Endomondo Co-Founder Mette Lykke was quoted as saying:

“BlackBerry’s influence remains a worldwide phenomenon, which matches Endomondo’s reach. With 8 million users around the globe, including many BlackBerry devotees, Endomondo recognizes the value of supplying BlackBerry 10 users with access to the capabilities of the mobile Endomondo Sports Tracker and social fitness network.”

Why BlackBerry 10?

"Why BlackBerry 10?" is one of the question that is being asked constantly by many. Having used all 4 major platform extensively, I thought I would give my own take on it, and why I choose BlackBerry 10 instead of other seemingly more viable options.