May 2015
Photos :: Google got the message
by Volker Weber
Unlimited archiving of photos up to 16 megapixel and videos in full HD 1080p. That's what Apple should have done with the iCloud photo library. Only they didn't.
Archiving and sharing are not the same thing. Breaking Photos out of Google+ was the right move. Now that both Hangouts and Photos exist outside of Google+, it may be time for a little spring cleaning. Thundering silence about Google+ at I/O 2015.
Pebble Time :: Ceci n'est pas une critique
by Volker Weber
This is not a review. This an opinion. My opinion.
The world has changed a lot since Pebble introduced its first smartwatch through the most successful Kickstarter campaign. Samsung has shipped numerous Galaxy Gear watches, both with Android and Tizen. There are Android Wear watches, the lot. And finally, Apple shipped their watch. And fitness trackers, smart bands, sports watches, all with Smartphone connections happened.
Pebble Time is flying into this torrent of devices, and this time it is going to be a lot harder. But I believe, and this is the opinion part, that Pebble Time has a very compelling value proposition.
It's not only a revised version of the original Pebble. It's a whole new software stack. It does provide backwards compatibility to all existing 6500 apps out there. But the new operating system organizes everything around time. As you add new apps, you will pin their notifications into a timeline. That's how you will find sports scores in between your mail or text notifications. Everything is in one place. Yes, you can still personalize the watch with your own favorite watch face. Yes, you can still load your favorite app. But most of the time, these will be less in your face.
If you are unfamiliar with the original Pebble, just a few basics. Pebble Time has the same three buttons on the right side, and a single one on the left. The left button always means back. The middle button on the right side means OK/Enter. The other two are basically up and down, and now also "back in time" and "forward in time". That's it. No touch screen, just physical buttons you can operate without ever looking at the watch. This simplicity is key. You don't have to learn Pebble. You just know what to do. It's that obvious.
Pebble Time changes the tone. It's more playful. There are cute animations, almost cartoonish. That is very well reflected in the physical shape of the device with its rounded corners. The watch is very light and flat, the band is soft and comfortable. Most of the time you won't even feel it on your wrist. It is very different from the big slab of plastic that was the original Pebble, or the boxiness of the Pebble Steel.
Pebble Time adds color. It maintains the advantages of the original Pebble: long battery life, always on, readable in bright sunlight. But, it's not all good. Colors are dull, you can't read the display from the side, and once you step inside, it's less readable than the original ink display. When you have more than two levels (black & white), you can render fonts better, icons are smoother, the interface becomes less geeky. But don't expect Pebble Time to compete against Apple Watch or Android Gear in the display space. It's not even a race. You don't get millions of colors, you don't get thousands, you get 64. And they are not nearly as bright as this color picker suggests.
If you have an Android phone, you can use an Android Wear device. Or a Pebble. If you have an iPhone, you can use an Apple Watch. Or a Pebble. Since apps can do more on an Android phone than on an iPhone, Pebble is going to be more useful with Android than with iPhone. That's already the case today, since you can reply to notifications from a Galaxy, but not from an iPhone. Pebble Time adds a microphone, which you can use for short replies or reminders. With Android.
Pebble Time is no Apple Watch. I believe that in a way it is the opposite. Apple Watch feels important. It can be flashy. It's an ambitious platform. Apple Watch is a fine watch, Pebble Time is a Swatch. It serves a particular purpose: keep you in the loop with the events in your life. Nothing more and nothing less.
Lesson of the day :: Knowledge is not understanding
by Volker Weber
Lügen auf hohem Niveau
by Volker Weber
Wenn die Regierung von "höchstens zehn Wochen" spricht, die Verbindungsdaten zur Überwachung der Bürger gespeichert werden sollen, dann meinen sie "genau zehn Wochen". Weil, weniger ist nicht erlaubt.
Mary Meeker's Internet Trends 2015
by Volker Weber
This is the original report that is going to be rephrased and repurposed by countless articles in the next days and weeks. Read it. All 197 slides of it.
Sonos im Urlaub
by Volker Weber
Wer immer schon mal Thomas Lang kennen lernen wollte, der kann ihm hier zuschauen, wie er im gemieteten Ferienhaus Sonos nachrüstet. So einen PLAY:5 im Flieger mitzuschleppen, das zeugt schon von einer gewissen Sucht. ;-)
How to empty the Trash in IBMverse.com
by Volker Weber
Well, this is how you empty the Trash in Outlook.com. I have no idea how to do that in IBMverse.com. I have yet to find an icon that does it. Can you tell me?
Microsoft Surface 3 :: Das passt
by Volker Weber
Ich bin immer ein Fan der Microsoft Surface gewesen. Schon Surface RT war einfach wunderbar und ich habe eine ganze Reihe davon erbettelt. Surface 2 habe ich nie in Händen gehalten, aber nun Surface 3.
Parallel dazu gab es Surface Pro. Mittlerweile in der dritten Generation. Anders als Surface RT und Surface 2 waren das "richtige" PCs, mit Intel Prozessoren, Lüfter und allem Gedöns. Für mich zu dick, zu schwer, zu laut. Mindestens die ersten beiden Versionen. Surface 3 Pro habe ich nie probiert, das ist bei Microsoft ein bisschen schwierig. Sie hätte mir vielleicht gefallen, aber vielleicht hätte mich auch hier der Lüfter und vielleicht auch die Größe gestört.
Aber bei der Surface 3 passt jetzt bei mir alles, bis auf Frankenstein 8.1.
Auch Surface 3 ist ein Intel-PC. Darauf laufen nicht nur moderne Apps sondern auch alter Kram wie etwa der Sonos-Controller. Oder Norton Commander. ;-) Aber Surface 3 hat die neuesten Intel-Prozessoren, die zwar Atom heißen, aber in nichts an die elendigen Netbooks erinnern. Die brauchen so wenig Strom, dass Surface 3 keinen Lüfter hat. 4 GB RAM und 128 GB SSD hat meine Testmaschine. Und das ist auch die, die ich empfehlen würde, nicht das Einstiegsmodell mit halb so viel RAM und SSD. So ist neben Windows und Office auch noch ordentlich Platz für eigene Daten und man muss nicht sofort auf eine microSD-Speicherkarte ausweichen.
Wie die Pro-Version hat auch Surface 3 einen Digitizer, unterstützt also den Surface-Pen. Das ist eine ganz andere Nummer als die Stifte, die ich vom iPad her kenne. Dort fungieren sie als dicker Fingerersatz, hier hat man einen richtigen Zeichenstift. Ganz clever ist das bei OneNote. Einmal auf den Knopf drücken, Surface wacht auf und präsentiert eine leere Seite, auf die man schreiben kann. Kein Passwort, nichts. Einfach loslegen.
Auch bei den Ports hat Microsoft die rechte Wahl getroffen. USB-A für Speichersticks, Drucker oder andere Peripherie. Micro-USB zum Laden, DisplayPort für externe Bildschirme und Beamer. Da passen sogar meine MacBook-Dongles dran. Dazu noch eine 3.5mm-Klinke für Headsets. Das ist genau richtig; nicht zu viel und auch nicht zuwenig.
Micro-USB zum Laden ist ein Kompromiss. Damit kann man Surface zur Not auch mit dem Handy-Lader auffrischen. Aber das dauert. Selbst das mitgelieferte Netzteil braucht vier Stunden, um einen leeren Akku zu füllen. Sieben Stunden fährt Surface mit dem vollen Akku. Über den Daumen gepeilt braucht man also acht Stunden zum Laden, wenn Surface gleichzeitig läuft. Das ist sehr, sehr lange, wenn man mit einem Lenovo-Yoga vergleicht, hat bei mir aber keinen Unterschied gemacht, weil ich ohnehin nur über Nacht geladen habe. Ein guter Kompromiss.
USB-A ist ebenfalls ein Kompromiss. Man kann schnell einen Drucker anschließen, oder einen Speicherstick. Oder eine olle heiß geliebte Tastatur. Aber der Port ist halt relativ hoch, da kann die Surface nicht dünner sein, als sie jetzt ist. In der Zukunft werden wir bestimmt USB 3.1 Type C benutzen, so wie das neue Macbook, das seiner Zeit noch voraus ist.
Der Witz an Surface ist, dass man nur noch zwei Geräte braucht: "Computer" und "Telefon". Zu viele Leute haben iPhone, iPad und Macbook in der Reise-Tasche. Surface 3 ist ein gutes Tablet und ein guter Computer. Keine andere Surface zuvor hat das so gut hinbekommen. Ich weiß nicht, wie flott Surface 3 noch ist, wenn ein Unternehmen da seinen ganzen Systemmanagement-Zirkus, Antivirus etc installiert hat. Aber das schlanke Windows, das Microsoft mir geliefert hat, hat mich nie warten lassen. Mit einem Dock im Büro, vielleicht mit Maus und Tastatur und gar einem zweiten Monitor, mit einem Tastatur-Cover und einem Pen für unterwegs ist man all seine Synchronisationsprobleme los. Die Daten sind halt einfach da. 25 GB Mailfile, 50 GB Business-Daten? Kein Problem. Schafft die Surface 3. Dort sehe ich das Einsatzszenario.
Was immer noch ein schwacher Kompromiss ist: das Tastatur-Cover hat einfach ein viel zu kleines Trackpad. Wer nur PC-Trackpads kennt, nutzt oft nach Jahren noch eine Maus. Wer Apple-Trackpads kennt, der kommt erst recht nicht damit klar. Dazwischen liegen Welten. Die eigentliche Tastatur finde ich "OK". Nicht gut, aber auch nicht wirklich schlecht. Ich kann damit leben, will es aber nicht. Und das muss man auch nicht. Man kann Surface auch mit anderen Tastaturen und Mäusen als PC nutzen. Und eins geht gar nicht: im Sessel zurücklehnen, Füße hoch, Rechner auf dem Schoß und stundenlang tippen. So arbeite ich gerne mit dem MacBook, so ist auch dieser Text entstanden. Surface kann das nicht, das ist einfach zu wackelig.
Diese Woche geht die Surface 3 zurück an Microsoft. Ich lasse sie nur ungern ziehen. Dabei passt sie bei mir als Mac-Benutzer gar nicht wirklich in die Landschaft. Surface 3 hat mir gut gefallen. Und mit Windows 10 wird sie noch besser werden.
tizi Turbolader 4x Mega
by Volker Weber
Turbolader, Mega, rotes Gehäuse, spiegelnde Kante - dezent geht anders. Dieses Gerät schreit "HIER ICH ICH". Equinux gehen die Superlative aus. Erst kam der Turbolader 3x (20 €) mit 2,1 A auf jedem Anschluss, dann Turbolader 3x Mega (30 €) mit jeweils 2,4 A, nun legt das neue Gerät (40 €) noch mal einen Zahn zu: Vier mal 2,4 A gleichzeitig.
Was das soll, habe ich neulich auf einer Autofahrt nach Karlsruhe gemerkt. Als ich ankam, hatte das iPhone 6 Plus gerade noch 50% Ladung. HERE Navigation, Display auf volle Lotte, Musik abgespielt, Ladekabel im USB-Stecker. Der aber gibt bestenfalls 500 mA her, viel zu wenig für ein iPhone 6 Plus im Bleifußmodus. Also habe ich mir einen Lader gewünscht, der ordentlich Saft aus dem Zigarettenanzünder abzapft. Wer jetzt noch Kinder auf dem Rücksitz und Beifahrer versorgen will, der freut sich über viele dicke Ports. Turbo, Mega, Dingens.
Während die beiden alten Geräte noch in ihrer Gesamtleistung auf 5,1 bzw. 6,6 A begrenzt waren, gibt der neue 4x Mega tatsächlich bis zu 9,6 A ab. Ich frage mal einen befreundeten Entwickler, wie sich das auf den Energiehaushalt im Auto auswirkt. Immerhin schafft eine Oberklasse-Lichtmaschine bis zu 200 A bei voller Drehzahl. Bei Standgas und Motorabschaltung aber auch (fast) nichts.
Darmstadt 98 :: Ein Fußballmärchen
by Volker Weber
Er war ein hoffnungsvolles Fußballtalent und hessischer Jugendmeister im Tennis. Dann, im Alter von elf Jahren, entdeckten sie in seinem Kopf einen Gehirntumor. Jonathan Heimes kämpfte und besiegte den Krebs. Doch die Tumore kamen zurück. Im Gehirn, im Rückenmark. Seit 14 Jahren geht das nun so, viermal hat er um sein Leben gerungen - und gewonnen. "Du musst kämpfen. Es ist noch nichts verloren", lautet sein Lebensmotto, und ohne Johnny Heimes wäre die unglaublichste Story im deutschen Fußball nicht möglich gewesen.
Sir Jony, iPhone, Galaxy and Surface
by Volker Weber
Random thoughts on a Tuesday morning:
- Sir Jony Ive does not need a promotion. He is Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He also does not need more money. What he does need is time. That's the currency once you approach 50. He is also the soul of Apple, leaving is not an option. His promotion is a relief.
- In a fight between Earth and iPhone, Earth always wins. iPhone can be replaced, Earth is vital.
- Galaxy is useless as a step tracker. I walked four hours yesterday and it recorded 14264 steps. That's missing 10k, at least.
- Surface 3 kicks ass. It would easily win the editor-refuses-to-give-it-back award. But I promised to return it this week. My word is better than a scribble on paper. So the editor does not.
Don't worry about the iPhone. Apple knows that I love it.
IBM Verse UI challenges :: Icons
by Volker Weber
Verse has lots of tiny icons. Some of them aren't obvious. Thankfully you can hover over them and learn what they do. I am still trying to find the icon for "Empty Trash". Has anybody been able to spot it?
42 perfect wallpapers for your Samsung Galaxy
by Volker Weber
OK, I made that up. There is only one perfect wallpaper. And it's black. Icons pop, AMOLED screen saves battery. Perfect. Just right click the photo above, save as, done.
Oh, and it's really big. 2560 pixels wide and tall. I am just squeezing it 10:1. As if that makes a difference.
Outlook.com gets a big update
by Volker Weber
Does IBM senior management know what they are up against with "IBM Verse Basic"? Do they even care?
How the Galaxy S6 edge almost beat the iPhone 6+
by Volker Weber
Nothing has ever come this close to replacing my trusty iPhone 6 Plus like the Galaxy S6 edge. Nothing.
This is a whole new chapter for Samsung. This machine feels like it was made by Apple. No more cheap plastic, no squeaky back cover. It's solid, it's beatiful, and it's a joy to use. Screen and camera beat the iPhone 6+, hands down. It has wireless charging, it's smaller, lighter and feels just right. Lots of things are easier, like adding music and offloading photos and video.
I was ever so tempted of switching to the Galaxy. But then I didn't. There have been a couple of things that annoy me. Here is a short list:
- Typing is more difficult. I get too many autocorrect errors. Way too many. It feels like I have to type everything three times. Yes, I know, I can swap the keyboard.
- It's very hard to just browse stuff. Almost everything you touch on the front does something. The screen goes to the edge, the area below the screen is touch sensitive. That means I am constantly telling the edge to do things that I don't want to tell it. Cursor jumps around when typing an email, etc. I think the standard S6 will fare better than the S6 edge in this respect.
- Withings Health Mate does not work as well. I keep track of my steps without wearing an activity tracker. On the iPhone Health Mate is quick to update, on Android it's lagging behind, often by thousands of steps. It will then update, but I have no idea how to force the update.
- A couple of apps I use don't exist on Android. It does not seem like a big deal, but it makes me keep the iPhone on. And when it's on, why carry two phones?
- Scrolling. It's hard to imagine how the Android camp is unable to make scrolling as smooth as on the iPhone. No matter how much power they throw at it, no matter how many revisions of Android come out, then can't seem to get it right. It's not even a contest.
The photo above shows two very similar designs. But once you have seen it, you cannot unsee it. Notice the lack of basic alignment on the Galaxy. Everything on the iPhone is perfectly aligned. Nothing aligns on the Galaxy. Same thing on the top. It does not bother me at all when using it, but it shows how much effort Apple puts in to make things per-fect.
So, here I am. Lots of reasons to love the Galaxy S6 edge. But it cannot pull me away from the iPhone 6+.
Microsoft Office Lens :: PowerPoint
by Volker Weber
Vorgestern habe ich schon mal ein kleines Tutorial veröffentlich, das zeigt, was man mit Office Lens anstellen kann. Aber ich habe zu früh aufgehört. Heute will ich zeigen, wie es weitergeht.
iOS 8.3 Security Guide
by Volker Weber
Apple has updated the Security Guide to iOS 8.3.
Photographer Dirk Moeller
by Volker Weber
While I was in Hamburg, I met up with photographer Dirk Moeller. He brought his camera and shot dozens of photos. I knew I was in good hands and he turned out some amazing photos. This is just an Instagram of one of them.
Sonos CR200 is going to be left behind in future update
by Volker Weber
When Sonos 5.4 is released, Sonos own hardware controller will lose the ability to setup a new system, to add speakers or change the room EQ settings. Sonos does not tell you why that happens, but trust me on this one: it's not because they are lazy, but because they are building something that is impossible for the CR200. They are also dropping the ability to add new music services, and the reason should be easy to understand. For some authorizations you may need a browser, which is not available on this controller.
You will still be able to use all the other features of the controller, that is all the important ones. Select music, set the volume, group speakers, etc.
Android 2.1 and Mac OS X 10.6 will also be left behind. Anybody still using the Soviet iPod?
Are Office 365 Groups Displacing Yammer?
by Volker Weber
At the Ignite event in Chicago earlier this month, I must have heard a dozen different arguments over whether Yammer was going away or not. Honestly, Microsoft needs to clean up the messaging a bit - which means making some decisions on how to position each. For me, the line of demarcation between Groups and Yammer is the corporate firewall: if I want to collaborate inside of the firewall, and specifically around projects and shared calendars, then Groups is the right place to work. But if I want to create an external community to collaborate with partners and customers, Yammer is my destination.
Layout from Instragram on Android
by Volker Weber
This is one of the apps I was sorely missing on the Galaxy S6 edge. Now it's available.
How much time do you spend in the office? Ask Geofency Time Tracking.
by Volker Weber
Geofency enables full automatic location-based time tracking on iPhone, iPad and now Apple Watch, where manual inconvenient Check-in/-out is going to be a chimera of the past. Arrive- and departure times get recorded automatically as soon as you enter or leave an interesting place - it's like magic! Of course all very energy efficient.
This is way cool. Build a geofence around the office and you can track your daily office hours.
Christoph Stoettner to join Panagenda
by Volker Weber
Busy and interesting day. Will join @panagenda in 6 weeks. Happy to work with @cadler80 @panvof @panareima @ArneBergmann in near future.
— Christoph Stoettner (@stoeps) May 19, 2015That's a big win. Christoph is one of the leading IBM Connections experts.
Ab 27. Mai: Sonos-Starterkit
by Volker Weber
Sonos bündelt zwei PLAY:1 und gibt darauf 50 € Rabatt. Technisch ist es klug, mit zwei PLAY:1 statt einer anzufangen. Strategisch ist es dumm, solche Angebote zu machen, ohne erst mal den Channel ins Boot zu holen.
Verfügbar ist das Bundle ab 27. Mai bei Sonos und ausgewählten Händlern. Sonos kauft man in Deutschland bei ueberall-musik.de. Ist klar, oder?
Aneignung durch Coca Cola
by Volker Weber
Kommentar unter meinem Bild:
Hey, wir finden dein Bild klasse und möchten es daher bei uns auf der Website (fanta.de) zeigen. Wir gehen davon aus, dass du die Rechte an dem Bild besitzt und dass die Personen, die vielleicht darauf zu sehen sind, einverstanden sind, veröffentlicht zu werden. Wenn du unter 12 Jahre alt bist, gehen wir davon aus, dass du deinen Eltern Bescheid gegeben hast, dass du ein Bild hochlädst. Solltest du mit der Nutzung deines Bildes doch nicht einverstanden sein, dann melde dich bitte bei uns unter: info@coca-cola.de. Dein Coke Team.
Mal gespannt, was Coca Cola zu der Rechnung sagt.
Microsoft Office Lens :: Adressbuch und PowerPoint
by Volker Weber
Es überrascht mich immer wieder, wie wenig Leute diese wunderbare Software kennen. Vielleicht hilft eine kleine Demo.
Ein kleines Ergänzungsvideo: Office Lens wandelt meine Zeichnung in eine Vektorgrafik um. Und die lässt sich nicht nur skalieren sondern auch bearbeiten. Bei den Linien lässt sich die Farbe ändern und sogar die Strichstärke.
Office Lens gibt es für iOS und Windows Phone, sowie als Preview für Android.
Pebbos :: Control your Sonos from Pebble
by Volker Weber
A simple Pebble.js app that allows you to control your Sonos speakers with your Pebble.
Open Source at Github. Available through the Pebble app on your smartphone. You just need to tell it the IP address for one player. It discovers the other players from there. Play, Pause, Next, Previous, Volume up and down. Very simple and straightforward.
The display is on
by Volker Weber
In bright sunlight, the Apple watch does not even put up a fight. The display is on and with your own eyes you can see something. But the contrast is too low to register on the camera. In low light the Apple Watch looks great and colors on Pebble Time look washed out. When it's dark, you need the backlight that comes on with a flick of your wrist.
If you think that bright sunlight is unfair and that you would protect it with your other hand to read it, this is outside in the shade, against a dark background, with HDR. Still pretty hard on the eyes:
Best tool ever
by Volker Weber
There are three things always in my pocket: my keys, a microfiber cloth to clean my glasses, and this money clip, which doubles as a small pocket knife. I got this from my Amazon wish list and I am forever grateful. Best tool ever.
Pebble unter 100 €
by Volker Weber
Pebble wird in zwei Wochen beginnen, die ersten Time an die Kickstarter Backer auszuliefern. Zeit, das alte Modell im Preis zu senken. Ich finde es immer noch toll. Pebble und Steel unterscheiden sich technisch nicht. Sie haben nur unterschiedliche Gehäuse und Anschlusskabel. 99 € ist der neue Standardpreis für die Pebble, 179 € für die Steel.
Was ist gut an Pebble? Display immer an, wasserdicht, Akku hält je nach Nutzung (Backlight, Vibrationsalarm) bis zu einer Woche. Was mache ich damit? Alle Notifications von iPhone oder Galaxy übertragen. Schrittanzahl von Withings (iPhone) anzeigen. Smartphone bleibt stummgeschaltet. Was kann sie noch? Zum Beispiel mit Misfit Schritte unabhängig vom Smartphone zählen (oder mit Jawbone UP App).
Apple Watch and Pebble Time
by Volker Weber
People look at my Pebble Steel and I get asked very often: "Is this an Apple Watch". When I tell them it isn't, they are surprised. And they want confirmation that they don't need to buy one. Only after that they ask me what I think about Apple Watch.
The truth is, I don't. I have played with it, but not long enough to form an opinion. I honestly don't know whether I would want to wear one day in and out. I like the design and the quality, but I am confused about use cases.
I suspect (!) that I would use it exactly like I use the Pebble. Check the time, receive notifications, most importantly about incoming calls. My phone is on mute and only Pebble tells me that it is ringing. I get notifications from mails, WhatsApp, the random SMS text message. I use Alarms so I don't miss the station where I have to leave the train. I don't really use any apps.
I have played with Pebble Time but I refrain from commenting until it ships. I think that's only fair. Pebble Time isn't very far out. Early backers should have had it next week, but talk is it will start shipping towards the end of the month. I don't expect Time Steel before August.
The beginning of the end of the Intranet?
by Volker Weber
Google, taking a new approach to enterprise security, is moving its corporate applications to the Internet. In doing so, the Internet giant is flipping common corporate security practice on its head, shifting away from the idea of a trusted internal corporate network secured by perimeter devices such as firewalls, in favor of a model where corporate data can be accessed from anywhere with the right device and user credentials.
Microsoft Surface 3 :: Dock, Pen & Flipboard
by Volker Weber
Loving the Surface 3 Pen
by Volker Weber
Surface 3 is a very versatile machine. Quiet, fast enough for my workload, and full of nice features. The Surface Pen is one of the neat things I don't have on any other machine.
When you click the button on the top of the pen, Surface loads an empty page in OneNote, and you can immediately start taking notes. Windows can be locked, you can still take a quick note. That is very, very useful. You are jotting down stuff in OneNote instead of onscrap paper. When you are working with Surface and you double-click that same button it takes a screenshot and places it in a new OneNote page, where you can quickly annotate the screenshot.
Imagine what will happen with Microsoft Edge, the new browser in Windows 10, which lets you annotate web pages.
[And regarding the note I was taking, you would think that IBM knows how many unread messages there are in your mailbox. Verse is powered by IBM Domino, the Notes server. Here you see 3 unread messages, of zero messages, in any folder, including Trash and Junk.]
New Sonos 5.4 beta
by Volker Weber
Coming soon on Sonos - sound enhancements for the PLAY:1, simpler setup for home theater, and more (now in beta).
Timeline UP24 Support Case #2
by Volker Weber
We have been there before. And it looks like Jawbone is as slow as ever. It took 23 days to receive replacement.
25.04. Button falls off of UP24
25.04. Email to support asking if this is a warranty case or whether they advise to use superglue to fix it.
30.04. Email from Shawn at Jawbone Support:
Thanks for getting in touch with us about this. I'm sorry to hear that your band lost its button, but I'll be happy to look into processing a warranty exchange to resolve this for you as quickly as possible!
Please reply here with the following information:
- Shipping address (no P.O. boxes, please!)
- Phone number (for delivery purposes)
30.4. Reply to Shawn with shipping address and phone number for delivery purposes
5.5. Phone call from UK phone number, caller is very difficult to understand. Line drops.
5.5. Email from Rubén at Jawbone Support:
Please provide any suitable time when I can call you between 8am-5pm Monday to Friday.
Then we can discuss the options available for your replacement.
You can also try contacting me directly using the phone in my email signature.
5.5. Immediately reply to Rubén at Jawbone Support:
Please handle this by email. What are the options?
11.5. No reply from Jawbone so far. Posted this timeline and on Twitter.
12.5. Email from Rubén at Jawbone Support:
Our queue system puts the oldest emails on top and that is the reason of the delay replying back. We can offer your either of these options:
-An UP24 Red L.
-The UP Move bundle, including: the UP Move + Clip + Strap + 50 EUR voucher.
12.5. Immediate reply to Rubén at Jawbone Support:
Both options will not work. You cannot replace a black UP24 Size S with a red UP24 Size L. No way. And she would never wear anything as ugly as an UP Move. The only other option would be an UP2.
Also updated Twitter so Rubén at Jawbone Support knows he has new email.
12.5. Email from Rubén at Jawbone Support:
Your replacement tracker will leave our warehouse within 2 business days. You will receive a Small Onyx UP24.
13.5. Email from Jawbone Store:
Vielen Dank, dass Sie bei einkaufen eustore.jawbone.com.Wir möchten Sie gerne darüber informieren, dass Ihre Bestellung versandt wurde.
13.5. GLS Tracking: Inbound & outbound GLS location Ireland Dublin 11
14.5. GLS Tracking: Inbound GLS location UK
15.5. GLS Tracking: Outbound GLS location UK
16.5. GLS Tracking: Inbound GLS location Neuenstein
17.5. No tracking updates
17.5. Email from Jawbone Support:
Please take a moment to complete a survey and give us feedback on your experience with Jawbone Customer Support.
18.5. GLS Tracking: Inbound GLS location Schaafheim
18.5. Full retail package with return envelope for broken band arrives.
18.5. Returned broken band to Jawbone.
Want to look this up, Jawbone? There you go: 02569846
Redesigning Overcast’s Apple Watch app
by Volker Weber
I originally designed the Apple Watch app for my podcast player, Overcast, with a scaled-down version of the iPhone app’s structure.
This seemed like a sensible adaptation of my iOS app to the Apple Watch. In practice, it sucked.
Want to write an Apple Watch app? Read this.
Fifty Seven
by Volker Weber
Microsoft Surface 3 :: You can store the pen
by Volker Weber
Sometimes I do need instructions. I was looking for a way to attach the pen to Surface. But it's much easier: you attach it to the cover. The same groove you see on the outside also exists on the inside, so the clip won't touch the screen.
When the keyboard is not attached and you are holding Surface in its portrait orientation, you are most likely to use the pen. And then you can attach it to the side of the device where it is kept in place by the magnets that hold the cover. Want to attach it to the right side instead? Turn Surface 180 degrees and the magnets are on the right side.
I am liking this machine better every day that I use it. But I did promise to give it back. I thought this would be easy. But it probably won't be.
It's time. For a teaser.
by Volker Weber
Microsoft Surface 3 :: First impressions
by Volker Weber
Surface 3 is now available for purchase and Microsoft provided one for testing. I have the full package: Surface 3, Surface Pen and Surface 3 Dock. I will keep Surface 3 for the remainder of the month and provide some updates on my usage. Plenty of photos below and some first expressions.
There are larger versions of the photos on Flickr. Clicking on a photo takes you there.
Die Bahn fährt
by Volker Weber
Als die GDL ihren Monsterstreik am Sonntag ankündigte, hatte ich den absoluten Horror. Meine Pläne für die Woche hingen davon ab, dass ich zuverlässig mit der Bahn reisen kann. Wie sich herausgestellt hat, hat die GDL so lange das Streiken mit der Bahn geübt, dass die Bahn nun auch dann funktioniert, wenn sie massiv behindert wird. Ich habe viel gesehen heute. Güterzüge, die so geschickt geparkt waren, dass sie Streckenabschnitte oder Bahnsteige unbrauchbar machen. Dennoch sind die verbleibenden Züge sauber gefahren. Der ICE hat kleine Verspätungen mühelos wieder reingefahren. Zugpersonal und Reisende waren sehr entspannt. Ein RE hat eine Viertelstunde auf Reisende gewartet, damit sie nicht eine Stunde hängenbleiben. Niemand hat gemurrt. Selten so entspannt mit der Bahn gefahren. Ich hoffe, dass das am Donnerstag noch mal so funktioniert. Zur Not ginge das auch mit dem Auto, aber ich ziehe selbst die bestreikte Bahn vor.
Hinweis zum Bild: das Achtung-Schild heißt "gestrichen". 1126/226 würde besser passen als 616 und 819 besser als 613, aber beide sind besser als eine Fahrt über die A3.
Does this creep you out?
by Volker Weber
Apple called
by Volker Weber
From submission to approved in 15 minutes. Who can beat that? #iosreviewtimes /cc @PebbleDev @vowe
— Max Bäumle (@maxbaeumle) May 4, 2015'Hello Max, please resubmit your app as-is.' 15 minutes later it was approved. Thank you, Apple, for making it right.
Smartwatch Pro Version 1.4.1 is approved. I can sleep well now. /cc @PebbleDev @vowe pic.twitter.com/AVW9hbACVt
— Max Bäumle (@maxbaeumle) May 4, 2015How Apple destroys a small developer
by Volker Weber
This companion app augments the Pebble for iPhone users. I highly recommend it. With iOS 8.3 Apple breaks the app, the developer fixes it and tests it on TestFlight. When he submits the updated app for review, Apple rejects it. What has happened? Apple Watch ships and they really don't want anything called Pebble. Original rejection, after appealing Apple's decision:
... we understand your app is for Pebble devices, it is still not appropriate to contain references to Pebble in your app name or icon.
Pebble intervenes and tries to explain to Apple that they would like to have this app in the iTunes store. Really, really like to. To no avail.
No, this is not over. And it is not an isolated incident. Well done, Apple. Well done. Time to raise hell, right?
Update: Apple called and changed the decision. The app update is now approved and the developer is back in business.
Email disappeared from IBMverse.com
by Volker Weber
You're still able to browse all profiles on IBMverse.com by just incrementing the number in the URL, but it won't show you the email address anymore. IBM has removed that field from the profile. You only get to see all the information that the user volunteered, like his address or phone numbers. If you need to know the email address, it's easy to construct since it is always firstname.lastname@ by default and you have no choice.
The "Network" also disappeared, so you can no longer connect to other people. You can find them by searching the directory, but there is no social connection anymore. Only people in that directory can have photos, since there is no way to add photos to your own contacts. When you find a person in the directory you cannot interact with them since the email address is gone. Unless you construct it as stated above. Characters not on the American keyboard continue to be a problem:
On the upside, spam filtering seems to be very effective. I never received a single spam message. But after deleting all messages from IBMverse.com, I still have 5 unread messages. And a bee. I wonder where they are hiding.
Samsung admits the Galaxy S6 has a major problem
by Volker Weber
With Android phones, the apps you use regularly will remain in RAM, while unused apps will be removed. It looks like the issue is that the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are having trouble clearing the RAM, causing it to fill up.
Thankfully Samsung appears to be aware of the bug and is working on a number of 'micro-updates' to solve the problem.
I haven't seen an update yet, but I also did not run into this problem.
Rekord
by Volker Weber
Always on
by Volker Weber
With the all the attention Apple Watch is getting, I should share how I am using a smartwatch.
I have tried more than a dozen wearables. The most extreme examples have been the clunky Microsoft Band and the very elegant Withings Activité. Somewhere in between have been fitness trackers with and without display. Most of them have not been waterproof and merely water resistant. Which is a different word for 'not waterproof'.
A couple of things I found to be important:
- Battery life is concern #1. You don't want to babysit your watch. It just has to work. Withing Activité is best, since it runs for months on one battery. While it will watch your exercise, it won't display notifications. Microsoft Band will display lots of information, but it will run down the battery very quickly if you use its full potential.
- Concern #2 is the display. You should be able to read it at all times. Without touching it. Without switching modes. If you need to see the time, it should be there. If you need to see your exercise data, it should be there. No button presses, no screen touching, just there. Sports watches do that for you.
- Concern #3 is functionality. What do you need? Just a fitness tracker, a watch, a notification center, a GPS tracker, an extension to your phone?
- Concern #4 is robustness. You want to be carefree. It has to work, no matter what you do.
- Concern #5 is style. You are wearing it. Whether you like it or not, people will judge you.
I came back to a Pebble in between all other wearables I tried. At first I could not really use it because it didn't work with Lumia, but I was on and off the iPhone, so I have used two different original Pebble in black and red, and two Pebble steel in matte black and stainless steel.
Pebble has been the only one that solved all my concerns. It runs for almost a week. When I get the 20% charge warning, it will still work all day. I don't have to watch the battery level, ever. The display is always on. When I flick the wrist, its backlight comes on. It's a watch and a notification center. I can even answer notifications because it is Android Wear compatible. It could track steps, but I am already doing that on my phone. It couldn't track location, but again, that works beautifully on the phone. It would not work as a sports watch at all. Pebble has proven to be robust. And it's waterproof.
Which leaves just one thing: style. I like the red one because it is an honest plastic watch, much like the original Swatch was. And I like the stainless steel with leather band. The other two were OK-ish.
Would I like the Apple watch? Probably, but I would need to compromise. I find it prettier than the Pebble. And it would be more dominant than Pebble is. Withings was not playful enough, Apple Watch might be too playful.
