HTC Thunderbolt: first impressions

Purchased two HTC Thunderbolt phones today, one for me and one for Jenna. Initial impressions:

• Larger screen is beautiful (compared to OG Droid)
• Hardware feels solid, good weight
• 4G is extremely fast - reinstalled all apps in seconds
• Sense 2.0 seems better than previous versions.
• New skins look better (using slate)
• Calendar agenda widget looks great and is extremely useful
• UI feels more responsive
• There is still a lot of bloatware (city id, blockbuster, etc)
• Less of this runs by default, still more than I would like
• The physical power button could be better
• doesn't have a physical "click" when pressing
• sometimes have to press down slightly harder

I have disabled 4G on both phones - just using 3G unless we need to stream something large. I read a lot of reviews saying the 4G drains the battery. So far the battery seems reasonable but I have not used it long enough to determine.

There's no special prize.

I love when companies have a sense of humor. Redbox demonstrates theirs by reminding customers "There's no special prize for putting the dvd back in the case the right way. But you'll be a better person for it."

Sadly I have received a few damaged disks from redbox (and Netflix) - I often wonder what people do to them. Do their dogs maul them? Kids toss them around the house?

Desktop / Web notifications

Inspired by GMail's recent release of Desktop Notifications, I decided to research the feasibility of using them to replace the notification area for an application I work on. Since I develop for a small internal group I can target newer browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.

The W3C specification for Web Notifications is still in draft but outlines the concept well. The website must request permission and then may publish notifications for the browser to display.

Google Chrome / Chromium
Chromium has published their API specification and it closely resembles the W3C specification. The onclick attribute is currently missing and onshow is called ondisplay.

Firefox
Sadly Firefox 4 will not have support for Web Notifications. Bug 594543 is currently tracking the implementation for a future version but does not have a milestone listed. It's slightly concerning that the bug author is already suggesting a deviation from the W3C specification - they would rather include a callback on the Notification constructor instead of implementing the onshow, onclick, onerror, and onclose attributes.

Examples:

• http://0xfe.blogspot.com/2010/04/desktop-notifications-with-webkit.html
• http://www.210computing.com/google/chrome_notifications.html
• http://beakkon.com/tutorial/html5/desktop-notification

The last example uses setTimeout to call cancel after 15 seconds. This seems like a good way to ensure the popup is closed; however, I'm slightly surprised they did not call setTimeout within the Notification's onshow method. Unless the notification is immediately displayed the setTimeout timer is needlessly wasting time. The rationale for this choice may be because there is no guarantee that the onshow method will be called immediately.

Hide the gutter by default in TextWranger

I use TextWranger to maintain several simple text files on my mac. The past few updates included a gutter area which is visible by default. Since these are simple text files I did not wish to see it but could not locate a way to disable it within the UI.

I browsed the Google Groups and found a thread which exposes the setting using defaults. In short:

defaults write com.barebones.textwrangler Editor:Gutter -bool false

Now TextWranger opens with it hidden but I can quickly enable it if needed. I am using version 3.5.3 - hopefully it will be a visible option in future versions.

Personal struggle: backpack or messenger bag?

Today I posted a Buzz about the items I carry on a daily basis. I always find it interesting to see what my friends consider essential or how little they can carry.

Personally, I carry a lot of stuff. I feel as though I am stuck in an eternal quest to find the best way to transport it all. For the past several months I have been using a Timbuk2 messenger bag that was given to me as Google schwag. I am not sure what model but it appears to be an earlier (1.0?) version of the commute 2.0. The only noticeable difference is the lack of TSA compliance which would be very useful.

There are very few things that I dislike about the Timbuk2:

• The side bottle holder fails to hold my water bottles (Nalgene or Camelbak, 650ml+)
• There are very few (only 2) zipper compartments for organizing items.
• There are zero external access pockets for storing quick access items (such as my camera)
• My bag is customized to read "Google Atlanta" which is simply asking to be stolen.

Before the Timbuk2 I carried a Swissgear Synergy backpack. This is easily the best backpack I have owned. There is plenty of storage, great organization, and it's comfortable to carry. Mine is over 4 years old and just starting to fray.

Every few weeks I find myself switching between the Timbuk2 and Synergy backpack. Why?

• I love the design, size, and feel of the Timbuk2. It feels more refined and stylish.
• The Timbuk2 stays close to your body and is easier to carry in crowded, or cramped, environments.
• It is more difficult for anyone to take an item from the Timbuk2 unnoticed.
• The Timbuk2 is easier to travel with due to it's size and luggage support.
• I am more comfortable putting my DSLR in the timbuk2.
• The Synergy feels more organized.
• The Synergy is capable of carrying more (at the compromise of size and weight).
• The Synergy is more comfortable to carry for extended periods of time.
• I can quickly grab items from the Synergy by slinging it over one arm and unzipping the appropriate compartment.
• I feel awkward carrying a backpack in public places (slightly more comfortable with a messenger bag).

So which bag is right? Both feel like a compromise in at least one aspect. For now I plan to stick with the Timbuk2 but I'm constantly searching for the bag which fits me best.

Front yard clean up

Last weekend Jenna and I decided to improve the appearance of our front yard. After three days of work, and a lot of help from my parents, our front yard is looking better than ever.

BEFORE: UGLY BUSHES

Our front yard has two large flower beds which span the front of the house. They were filled with overgrown bushes, shrubs, and small trees which completely obscured the house. Jenna and I wanted to start over and achieve a clean look.

Using my Dad's SUV we ripped each bush from the ground. Once removed we cleared the area of bark and tried to plant flowers. After a futile attempt at shoveling the compacted Georgia clay I rented a tiller. The little machine made quick work of the terrible soil and we were ready to plant flowers.

AFTER: SIMPLE WITH FLOWERS

We originally anticipated one to two days of work to complete the project; however, weather kept interrupting our work. The right side still needs flowers but we have decided to take a break for a few days.

Bike update

Biking is still a painful exercise but the difficulty is decreasing each day. So far I have biked approximately 3.5 miles over three sessions. Hills are currently my enemy but they are becoming less challenging each time I ride. My goal is to be capable of traveling 6 miles without too much effort. I am finding it difficult to practice during the week because it is normally dark once I arrive home. I am tempted to ride before I leave for work; however, I really enjoy my sleep as well.

I am still unsure about riding on the major roads outside of my neighborhood. Many of the drivers, soccer moms driving over sized SUVs in particular, believe that they own the road and show a terrifying amount of hostility towards bikers. I hope this is due to living in the suburbs rather than the city.

Yesterday I discovered that my rear will is slightly warped. The brake is lightly touching in one spot and needs to be addressed soon. I have thought about purchasing a second bike when I travel to San Francisco this April but I'm not sure about shipping it back to Georgia. I will be staying a half mile from the office so I will probably just walk instead.