Monday, June 30, 2014
Massachusetts budget to allow for direct shipments of wine from out-of-state vineyards.
Massachusetts budget to allow for direct shipments of up to 12 cases of wine a year from out-of-state vineyards.
Massachusetts budget deal relies on casino licensing fees; bottle bill expansion dropped, setting up ballot campaign
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Mercedes-Benz CLA Walk Around GIF
Mercedes_Benz CLA Walk Around GIF. Thanks @MBofBurlington for the test drive. ;-) #GifGrabber http://t.co/M7FrXuphPM
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 20, 2014Testing new twitter GIF feature.
Used GifGrabber on Mac to create the GIF.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
Fisher&Paykel Makes a Counter Depth Refrigerator That Fits
Here's my wife Carol, doing her best Vanna White impression, showing you the refrigerator that we needed to replace.
I'm sad to see this member of the family go. We've been together for a long time! My Aunt Minnie bought us this Kenmore Coldspot refrigerator as a wedding gift. It was a very generous gift. My Aunt Minnie was a saver and she'd have been pleased that it lasted for such a long time.
FINDING A NEW REFRIGERATOR
Trying to find a replacement has been a chore.
This Kenmore refrigerator is counter depth, with a freezer on the bottom that has a door, and NOT a drawer. The cabinetry in this kitchen was built around the dimensions of this unit, so the new unit could only be so high and wide.
We shopped for a long time.
Many online search tools came up with Jenn-Air, but it wasn't clear that those units were inbuilt units with not stainless sides to them. In order to use one of those, we'd need to bring in a carpenter. Also, one of our friends told us to never buy Jenn-Air under any circumstances! The conflicted with other friends who recommended it.
We asked a lot of friends if they liked their refrigerator. NO ONE DID.
Some things we heard:
- Fridge sticks out to far. It's too deep.
- Fridge was too tall, Had to shave the cabinets to make it fit.
- Fridge broke numerous times.
- Fridge bottom drawer is inconvenient.
Many new refrigerators have drawers on the bottom. We like a door with shelves.
Many new refrigerators are wider than 33". 33" or less was our size.
SHOPPING
In the end, we wanted to visit a store to see the refrigerator in person. One one of my personal Facebook threads, asking for help, the CEO of Yale Appliance showed up, after being added into the conversation by a friend. THAT was cool.
We ended up visiting Yale Appliance a few times and finally found what could be the only refrigerator on the planet that fit our requirements.
Here it is:
Fisher&Paykel E522BRX4:
IT'S IN
THE BEER FITS
The LED lighting is nice and bright. There's lots of room for beer. A 1.5L bottle of wine will have to go on the door.
I had read reports that newer refrigerators are noisier than old ones. I tested the difference with a db meter and there's no difference.
I'm happy we finally made the decision. Really the only one. Hopefully, if you've got a similar space in your kitchen, this will help you decide what to do.
@kenmore retiring this refrigerator. Sad to see it go. pic.twitter.com/X0uELUjc8t
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 9, 2014I'm sad to see this member of the family go. We've been together for a long time! My Aunt Minnie bought us this Kenmore Coldspot refrigerator as a wedding gift. It was a very generous gift. My Aunt Minnie was a saver and she'd have been pleased that it lasted for such a long time.
FINDING A NEW REFRIGERATOR
Trying to find a replacement has been a chore.
This Kenmore refrigerator is counter depth, with a freezer on the bottom that has a door, and NOT a drawer. The cabinetry in this kitchen was built around the dimensions of this unit, so the new unit could only be so high and wide.
We shopped for a long time.
Many online search tools came up with Jenn-Air, but it wasn't clear that those units were inbuilt units with not stainless sides to them. In order to use one of those, we'd need to bring in a carpenter. Also, one of our friends told us to never buy Jenn-Air under any circumstances! The conflicted with other friends who recommended it.
We asked a lot of friends if they liked their refrigerator. NO ONE DID.
Some things we heard:
- Fridge sticks out to far. It's too deep.
- Fridge was too tall, Had to shave the cabinets to make it fit.
- Fridge broke numerous times.
- Fridge bottom drawer is inconvenient.
Many new refrigerators have drawers on the bottom. We like a door with shelves.
Many new refrigerators are wider than 33". 33" or less was our size.
SHOPPING
In the end, we wanted to visit a store to see the refrigerator in person. One one of my personal Facebook threads, asking for help, the CEO of Yale Appliance showed up, after being added into the conversation by a friend. THAT was cool.
We ended up visiting Yale Appliance a few times and finally found what could be the only refrigerator on the planet that fit our requirements.
Here it is:
Fisher&Paykel E522BRX4:
Height - incl. feet and hinge cap 67 1/8in
Width 31 1/8in
Depth - including handle 29in
Depth - door closed not including handle 28 1/8in
IT'S IN
THE BEER FITS
The LED lighting is nice and bright. There's lots of room for beer. A 1.5L bottle of wine will have to go on the door.
I had read reports that newer refrigerators are noisier than old ones. I tested the difference with a db meter and there's no difference.
I'm happy we finally made the decision. Really the only one. Hopefully, if you've got a similar space in your kitchen, this will help you decide what to do.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Photos from Nantucket
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
Saturday, June 07, 2014
Create a Twitter Storm with Little Pork Chop
Sometimes when you are on twitter, you have more to say than 140 characters.
When that happens, you can write up a blog post and link to it, or you can break up your thoughts into multiple tweets.
Up until now, this has been a manual process. But, not any longer. Now there is 'Little Pork Chop' http://little.porkchop.io/
You just type in whatever you want to say, and Little Pork Chop chops it up and posts it for you.
When that happens, you can write up a blog post and link to it, or you can break up your thoughts into multiple tweets.
Up until now, this has been a manual process. But, not any longer. Now there is 'Little Pork Chop' http://little.porkchop.io/
You just type in whatever you want to say, and Little Pork Chop chops it up and posts it for you.
1: Sometimes when you are on twitter, you have more to say than 140 characters.
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 7, 2014
2: When that happens, you can write up a blog post and link to it, or you can break up your thoughts into multiple tweets.
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 7, 2014
3: Up until now, this has been a manual process. But, not any longer. Now there is 'Little Pork Chop' http://t.co/TCuGzfWlGt
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 7, 2014
4: You just type in whatever you want to say, and Little Pork Chop chops it up and posts it for you.
— Steve Garfield (@stevegarfield) June 7, 2014
Friday, June 06, 2014
Staples Online $30 Coupon Not Valid In Store or for Epson Ink
FYI, The Staples Online $30 Coupon Not Valid In Store or for Epson Ink.
They came together so I made the mistake of not reading carefully.
Then I went into the store and brought ink to the register. I was told that you have to buy online to use the $30 coupon.
The $10 coupon was for in store use.
But, if you read the back of it, it doe not include Epson Ink.
Image: Fine Print
In the end, it's easier to buy online from Amazon.com.
Amazon Affiliate Links.
Update:
Staples tweeted me.
I DM'd them.
They came together so I made the mistake of not reading carefully.
Then I went into the store and brought ink to the register. I was told that you have to buy online to use the $30 coupon.
The $10 coupon was for in store use.
But, if you read the back of it, it doe not include Epson Ink.
Image: Fine Print
In the end, it's easier to buy online from Amazon.com.
Amazon Affiliate Links.
Update:
Staples tweeted me.
@stevegarfield Please DM us your contact info along with the ink model #, we can help you out. ^RP
— Staples US (@Staples) June 6, 2014
I DM'd them.
Monday, June 02, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
[Video] Mercedes Benz CLA Review
TESTING
1. Golf Clubs
2. Garage
3. Coffee Cups (2)
4. Driving and Comfort
5. Looks
Thanks to Bernie Moreno of Mercedez-Benz of Burlington and Craig Meece of All Brand Autos for arranging the test drive.
Read more about how this test drive happened:
Buying a car. I just want someone to care.
Update to this: I now have a financial interest in the Mercedez-Benz of Burlington dealership! I'm working with them to make the car buying experience better for everyone.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Hollywood Must Stop Making Monster Movies. It's Horrific!
It always amazes me when huge CGI monsters appear to annihilate a city in apocalyptic movies these days.
When watching these blockbusters in the theatre, it's sometimes asphyxiating. It leaves me with a bad feeling. Heading out to the lobby for a drink of water is just a Band-Aid solution. What's really needed is a big time break. Putting the brakes on the whole situation, like an “X” car, at a red light will help deter the cataclysmic and catastrophic effects of being closed in a dark theatre.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight. It was chaotic. Curt Cobain could have written a song that condemns the Corvair-like crippling design of critical systems, making the shuttle a dangerous deathtrap. It was debilitating for loved ones.
One does not need to see some monster decapitating someone is a movie to understand that there's a defect in the Hollywood movie making process. The defective plot lines and bombs producers choose to detonate, disemboweling they depict, enfeebling the viewers is evil. Seeing someone be eviscerated, buildings being made to explode promotes a failed and flawed movie making process.
Genocide is too strong a word, ghastly, grenadelike, grisly, and gruesome might be better choices. The Hindenburg disaster showed us that hobbling the design process could lead to horrific outcomes. An impaling, inferno, of Kevorkianesque death would be preferable to the lacerating, life-threatening, potential safety implications.
When you are in a theatre and see maiming, malicious behavior, and mangling by, maniacal, mutilating anti-heroes never before seen on screen it leads to a potentially-disfiguring, powder keg, problem seeded into the theatre goers mind.
Don't get me started on the over use of a rolling sarcophagus (tomb or coffin) in film.
This has got to stop for the safety, safety related consequences, and serious implications that it presents.
Spontaneous combustion is startling and suffocating leading to suicidal, terrifying thoughts of Titanic proportions.
Please, don't let unstable directors turn into widow-maker writers of words or phrases with a biblical connotation, you’re toast it this continues.
Based on The 69 Words You Can’t Use at GM:
When watching these blockbusters in the theatre, it's sometimes asphyxiating. It leaves me with a bad feeling. Heading out to the lobby for a drink of water is just a Band-Aid solution. What's really needed is a big time break. Putting the brakes on the whole situation, like an “X” car, at a red light will help deter the cataclysmic and catastrophic effects of being closed in a dark theatre.
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight. It was chaotic. Curt Cobain could have written a song that condemns the Corvair-like crippling design of critical systems, making the shuttle a dangerous deathtrap. It was debilitating for loved ones.
One does not need to see some monster decapitating someone is a movie to understand that there's a defect in the Hollywood movie making process. The defective plot lines and bombs producers choose to detonate, disemboweling they depict, enfeebling the viewers is evil. Seeing someone be eviscerated, buildings being made to explode promotes a failed and flawed movie making process.
Genocide is too strong a word, ghastly, grenadelike, grisly, and gruesome might be better choices. The Hindenburg disaster showed us that hobbling the design process could lead to horrific outcomes. An impaling, inferno, of Kevorkianesque death would be preferable to the lacerating, life-threatening, potential safety implications.
When you are in a theatre and see maiming, malicious behavior, and mangling by, maniacal, mutilating anti-heroes never before seen on screen it leads to a potentially-disfiguring, powder keg, problem seeded into the theatre goers mind.
Don't get me started on the over use of a rolling sarcophagus (tomb or coffin) in film.
This has got to stop for the safety, safety related consequences, and serious implications that it presents.
Spontaneous combustion is startling and suffocating leading to suicidal, terrifying thoughts of Titanic proportions.
Please, don't let unstable directors turn into widow-maker writers of words or phrases with a biblical connotation, you’re toast it this continues.
Based on The 69 Words You Can’t Use at GM:
always, annihilate, apocalyptic, asphyxiating, bad, Band-Aid, big time, brakes like an “X” car, cataclysmic, catastrophic, Challenger, chaotic, Cobain, condemns, Corvair-like, crippling, critical, dangerous, deathtrap, debilitating, decapitating, defect, defective, detonate, disemboweling, enfeebling, evil, eviscerated, explode, failed, flawed, genocide, ghastly, grenadelike, grisly, gruesome, Hindenburg, Hobbling, Horrific, impaling, inferno, Kevorkianesque, lacerating, life-threatening, maiming, malicious, mangling, maniacal, mutilating, never, potentially-disfiguring, powder keg, problem, rolling sarcophagus (tomb or coffin), safety, safety related, serious, spontaneous combustion, startling, suffocating, suicidal, terrifying, Titanic, unstable, widow-maker, words or phrases with a biblical connotation, you’re toast
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Review: Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor with Flexball™ Technology
Buy on Amazon.com: Gillette Fusion Proglide Manual Men's Razor With Flexball Handle Technology With 2 Razor Blade Refills
Disclosure: Review Unit, Amazon Affiliate
Buying a car. I just want someone to care.
I'm thinking about buying a new car.
One that I'm interested in is the new Mercedes Benz CLA.
Casey Neistat's video make it look like a fun car.
I contacted my local Mercedes dealer asking for a test drive.
I exchanged emails, and they told me that they'd contact me when the CLA was available.
I got a few, "Are you still interested?" emails over time. Auto generated.
Then I never heard back about the test drive.
When I heard the car was available, I emailed in again, and got back email address not found.
So I contacted the dealer, and found out that the internet rep had left.
That's a failure of their marketing system.
I'm STUCK IN THE FUNNEL.
So they assigned me to someone else.
They were not so bright. I emailed asking what happened to the last rep and what models support Apple's CarPlay.
They replied:
If I was that rep, I'd know what CarPlay was. And if I didn't I'd GOOGLE IT!
Then that rep left.
Then they assigned me to someone else, and they keep bothering me with automated emails, and phone calls that sound like they are from someone who just woke up with a hangover.
I emailed telling them not to contact me anymore.
I gave up.
Then I saw a tweet this AM after I tweeted about seeing a CLA on the street.
A new Mercedes Dealer is coming to Boston.
So I contacted the new dealer's president, on twitter, who's dealership isn't even going to be in Massachusetts until next year.
He tweeted back right away!
That's great service.
UPDATE:
I'm getting a CLA delivered to my house for a test drive on Friday.
That makes me happy.
Update:
I got a test drive.
[Video] Mercedes Benz CLA Review.
One that I'm interested in is the new Mercedes Benz CLA.
Casey Neistat's video make it look like a fun car.
I contacted my local Mercedes dealer asking for a test drive.
I exchanged emails, and they told me that they'd contact me when the CLA was available.
I got a few, "Are you still interested?" emails over time. Auto generated.
Then I never heard back about the test drive.
When I heard the car was available, I emailed in again, and got back email address not found.
So I contacted the dealer, and found out that the internet rep had left.
That's a failure of their marketing system.
I'm STUCK IN THE FUNNEL.
So they assigned me to someone else.
They were not so bright. I emailed asking what happened to the last rep and what models support Apple's CarPlay.
They replied:
She is no longer with the dealership and decided to explore different options... I am not sure what CarPlay is? Is it some sort of iPhone app?
If I was that rep, I'd know what CarPlay was. And if I didn't I'd GOOGLE IT!
Then that rep left.
Then they assigned me to someone else, and they keep bothering me with automated emails, and phone calls that sound like they are from someone who just woke up with a hangover.
I emailed telling them not to contact me anymore.
I gave up.
Then I saw a tweet this AM after I tweeted about seeing a CLA on the street.
A new Mercedes Dealer is coming to Boston.
So I contacted the new dealer's president, on twitter, who's dealership isn't even going to be in Massachusetts until next year.
He tweeted back right away!
That's great service.
UPDATE:
I'm getting a CLA delivered to my house for a test drive on Friday.
That makes me happy.
Update:
I got a test drive.
[Video] Mercedes Benz CLA Review.
Monday, May 19, 2014
[Video] Wish I Was Here Trailer
Watch my trailer for the movie I helped get made, Wish I Was Here with Zach Braff!
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Samuel Adams Brewery - Nano Brewery Tour
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App on Windows Phone?
I'm reviewing the Microsoft Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone.
One thing it does not have is the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App.
I like to use that app to pay for coffee in the morning with my regular phone, an iPhone. But I'm exclusively testing out the Nokia Lumia 1520 to see if can do everything I'm used to doing with my iPhone. Well, it can't run the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App, but there is a workaround.
Bring up your payment screen on your iPhone or Android device, and take a screenshot. Then email that to your Windows Phone.
Image: Payment page with QR code. Don't use this QR code.
Then save that image.
I saved it under favorites.
Then when paying, have them scan the QR code on that image. I tested it today and it worked fine.
Note: It's also a good way to pay on iPhone or Android when the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App fails to open or load the card.
Nokia Disclosure:
Thanks @NokiaUS for the Nokia Lumia 1520 review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
One thing it does not have is the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App.
I like to use that app to pay for coffee in the morning with my regular phone, an iPhone. But I'm exclusively testing out the Nokia Lumia 1520 to see if can do everything I'm used to doing with my iPhone. Well, it can't run the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App, but there is a workaround.
Bring up your payment screen on your iPhone or Android device, and take a screenshot. Then email that to your Windows Phone.
Image: Payment page with QR code. Don't use this QR code.
Then save that image.
I saved it under favorites.
Then when paying, have them scan the QR code on that image. I tested it today and it worked fine.
Note: It's also a good way to pay on iPhone or Android when the Dunkin' Donuts Mobile® App fails to open or load the card.
Nokia Disclosure:
Thanks @NokiaUS for the Nokia Lumia 1520 review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
Monday, May 12, 2014
Samuel Adams Introduces Growlers at the Boston Brewery
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Friday, May 09, 2014
Microsoft Nokia Lumia 1520 Review. It's not an iPhone, but it's not an iPhone!
Microsoft Nokia was nice enough to invite me to a three day experience in the Boston area to get to know the Lumia 1520, phone as part of Team Lumia. In return for participating, they asked that I share any content created over the three days with the hashtag #TeamLumia.
LUMIA 1520 SCREEN
I've had my 1520 for a while, so I didn't need much guidance, but I enjoyed learning about new to me features when appropriate. Like a suggestion to try a panorama while at Fenway Park. A perfect time and place to try that feature out.
FENWAY PARK PANORAMA
You tap the screen to start the panorama,a nd hold still, then a little circle shows you where to move the camera too to take the next shot. Very slick.
I also used the feature after the event at the Museum of Fine Arts for a concert.
Also, although I did not shoot much video, learning about the (4) microphone came in handy after the event, when I had the opportunity to shoot a video of a live band. Impressive.
So after using it for a few days, here are the Pros and Cons:
PROS
SIZE
I really like the size of the Lumnia 1520. So easy to read and bright.
LIVE TILES
Live tiles is a very cool feature, allowing you to see in real time, updates to the underlying apps, like stock quotes.
LIVE TILES ON HOME SCREEN
PINNING TO THE HOME PAGE
You can pin from inside of an app, so for example, in twitter, I can PIN one of my twitter lists to the home page, and go directly to that section of twitter, instead of having to click around to get there.
BATTERY LIFE
The battery life is MUCH better than the iPhone.
HERE DRIVE APP
The driving directions app is very nice. You've got lots of voices to choose from including a Surfer Dude that was fun, for a while.
CAMERA
The camera is very good. I used the Nokia Camera app in automatic mode and got some great shots. Nokia Camera also has manual mode which lets you control exposure to fix, for example, a bright backlight.
COLOR POP
Built in to Nokia Camera is the Color Pop feature. It turns your color photo black and white, then you touch whatever parts of the image where you want the color to be visible. This is fun.
Perrier
AUTO
MANUAL
INSTAGRAM SELFIES
Instagram selfies are not mirrored when saved. I problem that Instagram refuses to fix on iOS.
CONS
The Cursor
When you put your finger down to insert the cursor, it flies in ABOVE the text. That's not right.
MENUS
In some apps, like Nokia Camera, to get to a feature you have to drill down menu options. One example is switching to a selfie camera. Takes too many steps. It's easily fixed though.
NOKIA CAMERA
After you take a photo, you can't get to edit mode. You have to go to your camera roll to open up another app to edit with, like Nokia Creative Studio.
NOKIA CREATIVE STUDIO
In the BLUR tool, the focus object and radial+tilt shift difference between the object infocus and the background is too severe. There needs to be an adjustable gradient. Instagram had this same problem at first.
Image: focus object and radial+tilt shift
STOP BEFORE:
Image: Stop Sign shot in manual mode
STOP AFTER:
Image: Stop Sign edited with radial+tilt shift. Needs finer gradient.
THE CASE
The case I was using, puts the selfie camera at the bottom left, while the camera control is at the top right. That's not ergonomic.
iPHOTO
In order to import into iPhoto, I have to use the Windows App. iPhoto knows that I connect a phone, but it never recognizes it.
NO YOUTUBE CAPTURE
My favorite shoot, edit, and upload program right now is YouTube Capture. Wish it was here.
I had to answer a few questions after the experience. Here are a couple:
Are you more likely to recommend Nokia Lumia to your friends and family as a result of your exposure to the product?
Yes. I would say that the 1520 is a smartphone that I could recommend. I'm still going to review it vs the iPhone some more, and though it is lacking in some apps, since the event, I've forwarded my iPhone to the 1520 and have been using it exclusively. For someone who is not tied to the APPLE environment, it could be a good choice. Especially for those with poor eyesight. My iPhone seems SO small now.
Based upon your experience with your Nokia Lumia at this event, how likely are you to switch to a Lumia phone?
I've used the iPhone for so long, I've invested in a wealth of apps that I enjoy using. Especially photo apps. the Lumia has some nice alternatives, better in some instances too, but I need to take a closer look at what photo apps I really love.
Also, NOKIA doesn't have a Dunkin Donut Perks Mobile App on Windows phone. That could be a deal breaker! ;-)
When you see 'Available on the APP Store', for iPhone and 'Get it on Google Play', for Android, it makes you wonder how many more apps are not available for Windows Phone.
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
LUMIA 1520 SCREEN
I've had my 1520 for a while, so I didn't need much guidance, but I enjoyed learning about new to me features when appropriate. Like a suggestion to try a panorama while at Fenway Park. A perfect time and place to try that feature out.
FENWAY PARK PANORAMA
You tap the screen to start the panorama,a nd hold still, then a little circle shows you where to move the camera too to take the next shot. Very slick.
I also used the feature after the event at the Museum of Fine Arts for a concert.
Also, although I did not shoot much video, learning about the (4) microphone came in handy after the event, when I had the opportunity to shoot a video of a live band. Impressive.
So after using it for a few days, here are the Pros and Cons:
PROS
SIZE
I really like the size of the Lumnia 1520. So easy to read and bright.
LIVE TILES
Live tiles is a very cool feature, allowing you to see in real time, updates to the underlying apps, like stock quotes.
LIVE TILES ON HOME SCREEN
PINNING TO THE HOME PAGE
You can pin from inside of an app, so for example, in twitter, I can PIN one of my twitter lists to the home page, and go directly to that section of twitter, instead of having to click around to get there.
BATTERY LIFE
The battery life is MUCH better than the iPhone.
HERE DRIVE APP
The driving directions app is very nice. You've got lots of voices to choose from including a Surfer Dude that was fun, for a while.
CAMERA
The camera is very good. I used the Nokia Camera app in automatic mode and got some great shots. Nokia Camera also has manual mode which lets you control exposure to fix, for example, a bright backlight.
COLOR POP
Built in to Nokia Camera is the Color Pop feature. It turns your color photo black and white, then you touch whatever parts of the image where you want the color to be visible. This is fun.
Perrier
AUTO
MANUAL
INSTAGRAM SELFIES
Instagram selfies are not mirrored when saved. I problem that Instagram refuses to fix on iOS.
CONS
The Cursor
When you put your finger down to insert the cursor, it flies in ABOVE the text. That's not right.
MENUS
In some apps, like Nokia Camera, to get to a feature you have to drill down menu options. One example is switching to a selfie camera. Takes too many steps. It's easily fixed though.
NOKIA CAMERA
After you take a photo, you can't get to edit mode. You have to go to your camera roll to open up another app to edit with, like Nokia Creative Studio.
NOKIA CREATIVE STUDIO
In the BLUR tool, the focus object and radial+tilt shift difference between the object infocus and the background is too severe. There needs to be an adjustable gradient. Instagram had this same problem at first.
Image: focus object and radial+tilt shift
STOP BEFORE:
Image: Stop Sign shot in manual mode
STOP AFTER:
Image: Stop Sign edited with radial+tilt shift. Needs finer gradient.
THE CASE
The case I was using, puts the selfie camera at the bottom left, while the camera control is at the top right. That's not ergonomic.
iPHOTO
In order to import into iPhoto, I have to use the Windows App. iPhoto knows that I connect a phone, but it never recognizes it.
NO YOUTUBE CAPTURE
My favorite shoot, edit, and upload program right now is YouTube Capture. Wish it was here.
I had to answer a few questions after the experience. Here are a couple:
Are you more likely to recommend Nokia Lumia to your friends and family as a result of your exposure to the product?
Yes. I would say that the 1520 is a smartphone that I could recommend. I'm still going to review it vs the iPhone some more, and though it is lacking in some apps, since the event, I've forwarded my iPhone to the 1520 and have been using it exclusively. For someone who is not tied to the APPLE environment, it could be a good choice. Especially for those with poor eyesight. My iPhone seems SO small now.
Based upon your experience with your Nokia Lumia at this event, how likely are you to switch to a Lumia phone?
I've used the iPhone for so long, I've invested in a wealth of apps that I enjoy using. Especially photo apps. the Lumia has some nice alternatives, better in some instances too, but I need to take a closer look at what photo apps I really love.
Also, NOKIA doesn't have a Dunkin Donut Perks Mobile App on Windows phone. That could be a deal breaker! ;-)
When you see 'Available on the APP Store', for iPhone and 'Get it on Google Play', for Android, it makes you wonder how many more apps are not available for Windows Phone.
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review, teamlumia
[Video] St. Lucia play ELEVATE at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston via RadioBDC
I was lucky to be able to see St. Lucia play an acoustic show at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston courtesy of RadioBDC.
The entrance to the Museum gives an indication of what's inside:
This guy is cool:
I've seen him in LA. I think he flew here.
My friend Julie Kramer from Radio BDC introduced the band:
Panorama:
St. Lucia plays ELEVATE at Museum of Fine Arts:
After the show I looked around and visited the Quilt Exhibit.
I like when a museum is nice and lets you take photos without a flash. Note: I had to turn off flash focus assist. ;-)
QUILTS:
Watch more St. Lucia video from MFA: RadioBDC Presents: The MFA Sessions with St. Lucia
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos and video taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review
The entrance to the Museum gives an indication of what's inside:
This guy is cool:
I've seen him in LA. I think he flew here.
My friend Julie Kramer from Radio BDC introduced the band:
Panorama:
St. Lucia plays ELEVATE at Museum of Fine Arts:
After the show I looked around and visited the Quilt Exhibit.
I like when a museum is nice and lets you take photos without a flash. Note: I had to turn off flash focus assist. ;-)
QUILTS:
Watch more St. Lucia video from MFA: RadioBDC Presents: The MFA Sessions with St. Lucia
Nokia Disclosure:
Photos and video taken with Nokia Lumia 1520. CC BY-NC-SA Thanks @NokiaUS for the review unit.
Affiliate Link.
tech, nokia, lumia1520, microsoft, windows phone, review
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)