Database Info

GPS PASSION - HTC CRUISE test

here the test and review by GPS PASSION
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105771

energy59 said:
here the test and review by GPS PASSION
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105771
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This device, as attractive as it may be, is starting to rack up some real negatives:
1) the confused (for consumers) situation with the Qualcomm chip and the US Court injunction (what effect may that have on overall sales and consequently warranty, quality control etc ?)
2) variations in build quality (sliders, screens unglued etc)
3) constant WWE ROM supply problems and high prices
4) the ongoing argument over video drivers (may not be a real issue, since it seems unlikely to me that any class action will actually occur)
I'm getting a small amount of "sand in my shoes"

I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
So let's try to think about the positive things shall we

ianl8888 said:
1) the confused (for consumers) situation with the Qualcomm chip
2) variations in build quality (sliders, screens unglued etc)
3) constant WWE ROM supply problems and high prices
4) the ongoing argument over video drivers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: is a non-issue, by the time in 2009 when HTC will need to use a new chip, this device will have been replaced in all likelihood, or will have a slightly different chipset. No problem.
2: I've not heard of any problems, slight noise from a screen and concerns here and there, but no issues with previous build so why this one? Anyway, you get a defective one, you return it!
3: supply will level in a month or two, place an order now and you should have it early Feb. The fact that it's popular should tell you a lot.
4: again is a non-issue - either you want a multi-purpose phone like this or you don't. The video will be as released, I don't believe anything more will happen with it. It's fine as released for general purpose stuff...
Essentially, if you wanted a high-performance video device this one was never for you; if you want a great PDA phone it is. Make your choice. For me build quality is excellent and the rest is of no importance.

If you want great video performance buy a Cowon iAudio A3 (I got the A2), great rendering to high resolutions too in widescreen format, bigger and heavier than the TC but good for all your video/audio/FM radio/pictures/document needs. No input possible of course. That's why I needed the TC

SabbeRubbish said:
I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
So let's try to think about the positive things shall we
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple.
Post cognitive dissonance:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/sa/fall_03/adv382J/mbabbott/advertising.htm
There have been high expectations from the device for a long time, combine that with the difficulty in actually getting hold of one and a couple of new models from other manufacturers on the horizon, and those expectations will change. Cognitive Dissonance is a much more difficult problem for companies to manage these days, mostly because of the internet.

I must say, truly interesting! And indeed I've caught myself luring to Eten and LG devices, but none are up to the TC challenge imho.

All i can say is i am right with rickgillyon.
Everyday, i am happy to have TC.
GPS, sound, screen, weight, radio, phone are perfect.
A lot of Applications are available.
I haven't buy this device for video but if it works well, i will use it some times.
Ziggy

fishes234 said:
Simple.
Post cognitive dissonance:
http://www.ciadvertising.org/sa/fall_03/adv382J/mbabbott/advertising.htm
There have been high expectations from the device for a long time, combine that with the difficulty in actually getting hold of one and a couple of new models from other manufacturers on the horizon, and those expectations will change. Cognitive Dissonance is a much more difficult problem for companies to manage these days, mostly because of the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True enough, although I have not yet made a decision to dissonate about. I had been somewhat interested in the ETEN X800 until some independent tests showed a slowness in its response - some people report it is now improved with some ROM changes, others don't think so.
My decisions tend to be based on the actual experience of the product - paper specifications simply weed out those that do not interest me to start with.
It's also interesting that the optimists here discount issues - eg. one reply to my "sand in my shoes" post suggested that by 2009 the Qualcomm Court injunction will be irrelevant as HTC will be using a different chip. But I don't really intend to change devices annually, so for me it is a potential issue, particularly as the outcomes cannot be easily predicted.
Supply is an issue - we've been given way too many false dates since August to believe "the next one". And there has been no real attempt at an explanation - but given the seemingly unglued screens and flimsy controls reported on some units, quality control on production issues may be a factor. Simply returning it is a very last resort, especially from O/S. It's far better to avoid the problems to begin with.
But then, without the optimists life would be dull I suppose. Even when they quote posts selectively ...

ianl8888 said:
It's also interesting that the optimists here discount issues - eg. one reply to my "sand in my shoes" post suggested that by 2009 the Qualcomm Court injunction will be irrelevant as HTC will be using a different chip. But I don't really intend to change devices annually, so for me it is a potential issue, particularly as the outcomes cannot be easily predicted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The outcome is already known, replacement chips are ready according to Qualcomm, and you won't have to change your device - they won't make us hand our phones back in...
As I say, it's a non-issue for the end user.

rickgillyon said:
The outcome is already known, replacement chips are ready according to Qualcomm, and you won't have to change your device - they won't make us hand our phones back in...
As I say, it's a non-issue for the end user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've discussed this out in another thread - so repetition is pointless. If you believe Qualcomm's rationalisations (after they have been convicted of knowing patent infringement), then I have some shares in the Sydney Harbour Bridge for you. Cheap, too. Such chips need to be fabricated, then assembled in new devices for testing. Qualcomm's "new" chips are also subject to a further Court examination next February before design release- the time and results of that are not predictable.
I'm not suggesting that the devices already sold will be recalled - do you understand the term "straw man" ? If world wide sales of the P3650 are repressed through this issue, HTC will reduce development and support for this model as fast as it can ... that's the core of my comments.
It's racking up real negatives. The only defence to this is cool examination of potential outcomes, or risk wasting money.

Chips need to be fabricated? Really? I'd never have guessed...
Fact is that Qualcomm, naughty as they undoubtedly are, have been working on this problem for some time as they knew they would lose. I see no reason to doubt that chips will be ready, and will be available. The reason Qulacomm will be hurrying out a replacement is to avoid the punitive commission they are paying right now.
HTC support? Surely you're kidding?
If, as you say, the issue stretches beyond early 2009, and supplies stop in early 2009, what's the difference? How often have you seen real support or development of an HTC product after the first few months? IME that support and development only comes in the cooked ROMs.
This still looks to me like the best device available right now, and with Qualcomm and HTC able to use the chip until 2009, not much of an issue for us. What's the alternative?

I am surprised at the amount of stick this device seems to be generating. I bought it as a replacement for my original Touch as I missed 3G and I have to say it's a fairly stunning device. Build quality on my unit is excellent, the slider and the scroll wheel are firm and responsive. The unit itself performs what I expect of it: PDA, email, fast internet. I fully expect this to be my longest lasting phone for quite a while, easily until end of FY 2009/2010. Problems like video drivers etc I don't really understand, it's adequate for a phone. If I want to watch videos I tend to use a full video capable device (eg PSP) rather than try to watch them on a phone.

SabbeRubbish said:
I wonder: why are we bashing this device more and more lately? The more we bash, the less people buy, the worse TC sales are, the less support we'll get and eventually we might wind up with NO software updates at all..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if we don't bash them, they think everyone's happy with the current performance and they don't bother improving it or doing anything about it.

andyturner said:
But if we don't bash them, they think everyone's happy with the current performance and they don't bother improving it or doing anything about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No no, I do insist we bash them PERSONALLY, but not on the sales websites, as potential future customers may be scared in the future, even if the issue is already resolved, and therefore make the release of TC a fiasco, which would make HTC not distribute any sw updates...

Just a question:
How much would an external antenna help to get a better signal?
I would like to use the TC to track a short hike. Due to the test mentioned above, I would be forced to take the TC in my hand all the time. So I thougt I plug in an external antenna and fix the end somewhere to my clothes/backpack. Would that help?

Straputsky said:
Just a question:
How much would an external antenna help to get a better signal?
I would like to use the TC to track a short hike. Due to the test mentioned above, I would be forced to take the TC in my hand all the time. So I thougt I plug in an external antenna and fix the end somewhere to my clothes/backpack. Would that help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on the satellite coverage... My country has only 8 satellites covering it, so we couldn't utilize it fully even if we wanted to. (I don't know the background but thats the max number of lockons everyone gets around here)
But if your TC performs well in the city, i don't see any need for an external antenna, but an extra battery is a different story. And I hope you have other tracking softwares in your arsenal than the included TomTom...

gnick666 said:
...And I hope you have other tracking softwares in your arsenal than the included TomTom...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With TomTom it would be a very short trip.
No, I plan to use TrackMe which was created by someone here in the community. It allows you to turn of the display, so the device consumes less power.
The problem is, that the TC didn't perform that good and I was thinking if it performs better with an external antenna. Especially in wooden areas I hope to gain a significant better signal.

Straputsky said:
...Especially in wooden areas I hope to gain a significant better signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd definitely get a better reception, but that would increase battery drainage. Bigger external antenna, heavier the drain on the battery.
But you can always pack the external antenna, and use it if needed. You won't loose anything, and we'd get some fieldtest results from the woods in Germany

@rickgyllion
Wot, no Harbour Bridge shares ? I'll even lower the price ! Oh well ...
"If, as you say, the issue stretches beyond early 2009 ..." I never said that, I simply pointed out that Qualcomm still faces unpredictable Court examination of its new designs. An inconvenient fact ...
"How often have you seen real support or development of an HTC product after the first few months?" Since the 1st non-English ROM devices have now been out a few months, one might think that stage has already been reached.
Between Qualcomm and HTC, it's a real stuff-up.
My attempt at resolution is that I have pre-ordered both the P3650 and an alternate non-HTC device. Both are due "in February" or "real soon now" or whichever comes first. When one or the other finally makes it to the retail market, then I'll make a decision.

Working wireless battery charge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8165928.stm
demonstrated tech that enables devices (demonstration includes the G1) to be charged wirelessly..
It's been talked about for a while, but nothing concrete has been shown before!
Supposedly available within 12-18 months!

Topic sounds very interesting
But I couldn´t open the link

The emitter has to be very powerful for the charge current to be high enough on the device being charged. There's also a huge waste of energy that grows exponentially with the distance. This is one of the reasons this technology has been primarily used for short range applications so far. This is exactly how wireless keyfobs/smart cards work, but their useful range is limited to 1 meter or so and their consumption is minimal in comparison with mobiles.
Heck, I even have my electric toothbrush charging this way and my electric tea pot drawing power from the base wirelessly, but effective range is millimeters in these cases.
Nobody knows for sure what kind of effects strong electromagnetic fields have on humans. Knowing that electric impulses drive our brains and bodies too, I think strong electromagnetic fields are more than likely to cause major interference. IMO it'll be a while before healthcare people approve use of this kind of chargers.

Effect on galaxy infuse thread if the infuse gets banned

What do you think will happen cause apple won the patent thing

The infuse is no longer for sale. They can't retroactively confiscate the devices people have already purchased, so the ruling will have no effect on the Infuse at all.

They'll go after future sales next. Then they'll go after the Android OS itself. I have always hated Apple products, too proprietary for me. One the bright side, it's not over. Samsung will appeal that Apple has abused the patent laws in order to monopolize the market, which is true.
I don't see flat screen TV or monitor law suits out there for "copying". Job's biggest feat was convincing brainless zombies that they needed what he was selling...which is junk.
I will go back to Balckberry or a Motorola flip phone before I ever buy Apple crap!

Jep56 said:
They'll go after future sales next. Then they'll go after the Android OS itself. I have always hated Apple products, too proprietary for me. One the bright side, it's not over. Samsung will appeal that Apple has abused the patent laws in order to monopolize the market, which is true.
I don't see flat screen TV or monitor law suits out there for "copying". Job's biggest feat was convincing brainless zombies that they needed what he was selling...which is junk.
I will go back to Balckberry or a Motorola flip phone before I ever buy Apple crap!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... and all the people said Amen.

showdowknigh said:
What do you think will happen cause apple won the patent thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will be dragged out in court with appeals for awhile. Then one of the manufacturers will pay for patents so they can use whatever it is they have copied. I don't think much will change but i could be wrong.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using xda premium

nothing will change on the consumer end, maybe prices will go up to cover royalties or whatnot, but in the end google will still make android available and companies will use it. on the plus side google owns motorolas patents.. and they are suing apple.!

Jep56 said:
They'll go after future sales next. Then they'll go after the Android OS itself. I have always hated Apple products, too proprietary for me. One the bright side, it's not over. Samsung will appeal that Apple has abused the patent laws in order to monopolize the market, which is true.
I don't see flat screen TV or monitor law suits out there for "copying". Job's biggest feat was convincing brainless zombies that they needed what he was selling...which is junk.
I will go back to Balckberry or a Motorola flip phone before I ever buy Apple crap!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah apple is crap

I'm so lost on this topic
*becoming a flashaholic*

Yeah Google get crapple....
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda app-developers app

Ruling doesn't mean anything for the infuse except they can no longer sale a phone in the US that is already not being sold.
Apple will probably never licence their technology to any android device purely because it is running android. They offered to licence their tech to samsung but at the price they wanted Samsung would make no money at all on the devices.
Apple's main enemy isn't the phone makes, it is Google. Google is just the boss fight while the phone manufacturers are the mini bosses that are blocking the way.

Jep56 said:
...
I will go back to Balckberry or a Motorola flip phone before I ever buy Apple crap!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You and me both brotha!!! Hell I'll rock my old HTC Tilt!!!!

http://www.aforadio.com/index.php/s...30-trucks-full-of-5-cents-coins-aforadio-com/
Sent from my SGH-i997 using xda app-developers app

Goneeuro said:
http://www.aforadio.com/index.php/s...30-trucks-full-of-5-cents-coins-aforadio-com/
Sent from my SGH-i997 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://en.paperblog.com/samsung-pays-apple-1-billion-sending-30-trucks-full-of-5-cents-coins-294795/
it's a fake story. too bad though.

Goneeuro said:
http://www.aforadio.com/index.php/s...30-trucks-full-of-5-cents-coins-aforadio-com/
Sent from my SGH-i997 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That literally made me laugh!!!!
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

Figured it was fake. Was funny though.
Sent from my SGH-i997 using xda app-developers app

Goneeuro said:
Figured it was fake. Was funny though.
Sent from my SGH-i997 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i wanted to believe it but 30 trucks would barely be a down payment not to mention somebody would have noticed if they were to organized getting 20 billion coins together at the same time. people sometimes fail to realized how big a number that is.
i did a little math figuring the payload of a trailer would be exceeded long before the volume of the trailer in copper and found the mass of a nickel is 5 grams. makes the math pretty easy, the maximum legal load of a road going vehicle is 80,000 lbs which is roughly 36,000kg as you can see 100,000,000 is way more than 30 times the weight capacity of a truck and trailer. it would take well over 3000 loads of nickels after you subtract the weight of the truck and trailer from the total allowable weight. actually for a truck and trailer it's probably more like 4500 loads.
but if it were me and i could come up with a way to get a bunch of physical money together at once i would totally pay the first few million that way. but not in nickels or pennies. nickels contain a lot of copper and more importantly they contain a reasonable amount of nickel and are likely worth more than the face value. it would be a gold mine of scrap metal however illegal. pennies can be worth triple the face value if they are older from when they were made from copper and many of these pennies are still in regular circulation.
if i really wanted to pull a good prank i'd go for money that was likely to depreciate rapidly in relation to the american dollar and pay in papper bills, easier to ship than coins and has no value other than the face value, then see how long it takes them to deposit it all.

crash822 said:
Ruling doesn't mean anything for the infuse except they can no longer sale a phone in the US that is already not being sold.
Apple will probably never licence their technology to any android device purely because it is running android. They offered to licence their tech to samsung but at the price they wanted Samsung would make no money at all on the devices.
Apple's main enemy isn't the phone makes, it is Google. Google is just the boss fight while the phone manufacturers are the mini bosses that are blocking the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha good analogy.
I did find out that car toys (local electronic store in wa) still offers the infuse for sale for free on contract. I was surprised.
Sent from my SGH-i997 using Tapatalk 2

Dani897 said:
yeah i wanted to believe it but 30 trucks would barely be a down payment not to mention somebody would have noticed if they were to organized getting 20 billion coins together at the same time. people sometimes fail to realized how big a number that is.
i did a little math figuring the payload of a trailer would be exceeded long before the volume of the trailer in copper and found the mass of a nickel is 5 grams. makes the math pretty easy, the maximum legal load of a road going vehicle is 80,000 lbs which is roughly 36,000kg as you can see 100,000,000 is way more than 30 times the weight capacity of a truck and trailer. it would take well over 3000 loads of nickels after you subtract the weight of the truck and trailer from the total allowable weight. actually for a truck and trailer it's probably more like 4500 loads.
but if it were me and i could come up with a way to get a bunch of physical money together at once i would totally pay the first few million that way. but not in nickels or pennies. nickels contain a lot of copper and more importantly they contain a reasonable amount of nickel and are likely worth more than the face value. it would be a gold mine of scrap metal however illegal. pennies can be worth triple the face value if they are older from when they were made from copper and many of these pennies are still in regular circulation.
if i really wanted to pull a good prank i'd go for money that was likely to depreciate rapidly in relation to the american dollar and pay in papper bills, easier to ship than coins and has no value other than the face value, then see how long it takes them to deposit it all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW!!!!

Apple... :banghead:
Do you think Apple should be able to patent a natural gesture, such as pinch to zoom and swiping across a home screen? That's ridiculous. And what the hell is with the millions owed over using similar icons? YOU CAN'T PATENT AN ICON WITH A MUSIC NOTE, APPLE.
Rage is over

the thing that gets me is that apple and ms stole the gui with pointer navigation and mouse control from xerox. not to mention all the prior existing art in sci-fi movies of touch interfaces and two point navigation of images (though in movies it's often 3d holograms that use two point manipulation). every artist and engineer with an imagination knew we would get to a point with touch integration and intuitive controls for 30+ years, tablets were in 2001 Space Odyssey in the 1960's, they were in star trek tng with a remarkable resemblance to a nook or ipad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVqHoGKQXLI tablets with stylus navigation looking similar to a very large palm pilot were used in the original series for the captains log, they were called electronic clipboards. and in tng were called a personal acess display device aka a "PADD" (coincidence?) and countless other examples in b movies not to mention microsoft introduced a tablet prototype in the year 2001 that aside from performance had just about all the ideas we see today. it's only natural for people to want to interact with computers like they interact with the world and for developers to want to create these things, the ideas are actually pretty old but the processing power wasn't afordable and battery friendly for a long time. i can remember having conversations with my brother as teenagers about the ideas of two point scaling and touch screens which is all the "pinch" is but touch screens were super expensive back then and i have no idea if they even supported multi touch. anyone who's ever thought about geometry or perspective could conceptualize it, how can someone patent that? samsung just had a week defense team because apple and microsoft beat cases like this pretty regularly, only they usually buy the other company to posses the patents, it's much easier (also google likely bought motorola for this reason, to not only posses patents to licence with the os but to sue apple for infringement resulting in licenses being issued to level the playing field). apple brought ideas to the mass market in the iphone sure but they didn't conceptualize it first and i'm certain they weren't the first to program it successfully either, it's not exactly theoretical physics we're talking about. apple is defending against it's own tactics which are taking good ideas that are already out there in the technology world and bringing them to the public. meanwhile they refuse to pay royalties for all the technologies they use. they think they should be able to pay less or nothing at all for using others patents based on their popularity.
i think it was quoted that apple was asking samsung for $40 per device to pay for licensing and samsung was ask $16 for the patents they hold. apple said they don't pay $16 to any company like it's an entitlement for them to pay less even though it is considered a fair price in the market. then they ask the unfair price of $40 based on the idea that the masses of ill informed consumers could mistake anything with a touch screen for an apple product? wtf apple! and in all of this they still rely on samsung hardware to keep up with the market. rumor is the i5 will have an exynos processor or an apple branded processor based on exynos 32 nm dies. so obviously they know samsung makes superior arm based processors.
edit: as far as the interface similarities go, well i dont see a problem with side by side pages, it's the same gesture you use when you read a book. the icon style and mms do look kinda iphone like but the idea that consumers saw that and bought the samsung is stupid. apple claims they lost $2.4 billion or something to galaxy s sales because of the alegidely infringed artwork is absurd. they lost sale to android because android is awesome. so many sales went to the sgs series becasue it had a good feel and it was the fastest device on the market, it was far from perfect but the touch screen was responsive and the glass was hard and smooth. if anything the of software changes samsung implimented to android the things that sold weren't the art it was the convieniences, the mms application is better integrate with contacts, you select contacts not type them, you slide for call/mms rather than go through another layer of menu. i know for me i bought an iphone 3g knowing about the g1 already only because i didn't have cash to buy a phone off contract, i wanted a smart phone that wasn't an iphone specifically an android but no suitable alternative was available on att! how can you put a figure on lost revenue when you can't know why people made x or y decision? it's not like the galaxy s was a cheaper alternative to where people said i want an iphone but this makes more sense. the captivate launched at $300 on contract though it quickly dropped to $200. how many galaxy s sale were because using the phone insired them to move up from a feature phone? how many people legitimately wanted an iphone but couldn't get one because apple refused to cater to t-mobile and sprint for so long? how many peowould actually say the sgs woudn't have been atractive if it weren't for the icons? how many people had iphones and got fed up with the control of the market, tethering, lack of bluetooth other than audio (what was with that? feature phones had better bt integration than ios2) slow network speeds, no mms, and countless other gripes of ios compared to the lesser known competition? the truth is apple in there hubris made the iphone too elite and too limited in features for most of the market and they have poluted their own minds to think they deserve the sales of the competition. it's actually insane to put a dollar value on sales they lost mostly based on what they failed to provide to people.

Glowdeck - Wireless charger, alarm clock, and bluetooth streaming device.

Hey guys, i have just come across this on kickstarter.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glowdeck/glowdeck-wireless-power-light-and-sound
It looks interesting and i think it may be the first of its kind? Anyone aware of any other viable alternatives? I love that it has multiple charging coils so you can just chuck your phone down on it.
This will beat my current setup which is an energizer qi charger and an old logitech alarm clock with a bluetooth ipod dongle (this works well btw, just not pretty)
What do you guys think? Any other things like this available or going to be soon?

dalton8 said:
Hey guys, i have just come across this on kickstarter.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glowdeck/glowdeck-wireless-power-light-and-sound
It looks interesting and i think it may be the first of its kind? Anyone aware of any other viable alternatives? I love that it has multiple charging coils so you can just chuck your phone down on it.
This will beat my current setup which is an energizer qi charger and an old logitech alarm clock with a bluetooth ipod dongle (this works well btw, just not pretty)
What do you guys think? Any other things like this available or going to be soon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks nice! For a $100 for the mini version is kinda steep for a charger. $275 for the one with bt speakers and display...is ok, but still kinda steep for a nightstand piece. EDIT: I kept looking at it and I opted for the single display with speakers lol. I may change my mind down the road, but I like the look of it. It's a step up from the multiple charger stands like the Tylt VU but that one has no display and runs retail for $70usd plus any shipping.

glowdeck - Wireless Power, Light, and Sound
kpjimmy said:
Looks nice! For a $100 for the mini version is kinda steep for a charger. $275 for the one with bt speakers and display...is ok, but still kinda steep for a nightstand piece. EDIT: I kept looking at it and I opted for the single display with speakers lol. I may change my mind down the road, but I like the look of it. It's a step up from the multiple charger stands like the Tylt VU but that one has no display and runs retail for $70usd plus any shipping.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see you guys are discussing Glowdeck - which is great; I'm very glad to hear that it is of interest to you - so I thought I'd chime in and try to explain some of the price-related comments you raised. A backer just asked how much I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for after the Kickstarter campaign, and here's a paraphrase of the response I sent him:
Because there are still some cost details to be hammered out (with components suppliers/manufacturers), it's difficult to say exactly what the retail price point for Glowdeck will be (assuming the campaign succeeds), but I set the reward levels on Kickstarter about $50.00 below what I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for (i.e. $375.00). I thought this would be a way to reward the first folks who support the product.
To be sure, it's not an inexpensive product, but in addition to going against the grain (at least in the tech world) with an elegant wood finish, I was determined to use only premium quality components. Instead of Glowdeck being a product that does a bunch of things just okay, I set out to build a high-end device that would perform excellently across the board.
The question now is whether the market is willing to pay a little bit more for a product that doesn't skimp on quality - both aesthetically and functionally. But with your pledge, I'm encouraged that the answer might be yes...
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments, and please continue to spread the word!

glowdeck said:
I see you guys are discussing Glowdeck - which is great; I'm very glad to hear that it is of interest to you - so I thought I'd chime in and try to explain some of the price-related comments you raised. A backer just asked how much I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for after the Kickstarter campaign, and here's a paraphrase of the response I sent him:
Because there are still some cost details to be hammered out (with components suppliers/manufacturers), it's difficult to say exactly what the retail price point for Glowdeck will be (assuming the campaign succeeds), but I set the reward levels on Kickstarter about $50.00 below what I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for (i.e. $375.00). I thought this would be a way to reward the first folks who support the product.
To be sure, it's not an inexpensive product, but in addition to going against the grain (at least in the tech world) with an elegant wood finish, I was determined to use only premium quality components. Instead of Glowdeck being a product that does a bunch of things just okay, I set out to build a high-end device that would perform excellently across the board.
The question now is whether the market is willing to pay a little bit more for a product that doesn't skimp on quality - both aesthetically and functionally. But with your pledge, I'm encouraged that the answer might be yes...
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments, and please continue to spread the word!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the Glowdeck top up the phone overnight? Ive read a few posts about some qi chargers charging the phone to 100% then turning off completely, so if you charge it over night it will be at about 90-95% in the morning instead of 100%..

glowdeck said:
I see you guys are discussing Glowdeck - which is great; I'm very glad to hear that it is of interest to you - so I thought I'd chime in and try to explain some of the price-related comments you raised. A backer just asked how much I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for after the Kickstarter campaign, and here's a paraphrase of the response I sent him:
Because there are still some cost details to be hammered out (with components suppliers/manufacturers), it's difficult to say exactly what the retail price point for Glowdeck will be (assuming the campaign succeeds), but I set the reward levels on Kickstarter about $50.00 below what I expect the Multiple Device Edition to retail for (i.e. $375.00). I thought this would be a way to reward the first folks who support the product.
To be sure, it's not an inexpensive product, but in addition to going against the grain (at least in the tech world) with an elegant wood finish, I was determined to use only premium quality components. Instead of Glowdeck being a product that does a bunch of things just okay, I set out to build a high-end device that would perform excellently across the board.
The question now is whether the market is willing to pay a little bit more for a product that doesn't skimp on quality - both aesthetically and functionally. But with your pledge, I'm encouraged that the answer might be yes...
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments, and please continue to spread the word!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would absolutely be interested in something like this, but the Qi wireless standard, while the dominant standard now, may not be in the near future. I'm sure you've done your research to know that a bunch of big names back another standard (and I won't get into it here). As such, investing $200+ on a device that may not work with my future devices is a hard pill to swallow. I'm not the kind of person that would buy a wireless charging case as an accessory so if my next phone doesn't support Qi, my Glowdeck would lose much of it's functionality.
In addition, and again with my view of never buying a wireless charging case, just not enough phones support Qi natively (integrated). If wireless charging was mainstream (and ignoring the standards war), I would really be interested in something like this. I currently use a wireless charger for my Nexus 4 and it's awesome, but will my next phone have it? My next phone may be the Moto X and it's already stated that it won't come with wireless charging. If my phone is the Nexus 5, again, we will not know if it comes with wireless charging. I almost feel that if I buy a Glowdeck, I would be restricting myself to wireless charging phones only to ensure I won't be stuck with having a $200 alarm clock.
Overall, wireless charging having an uncertain future through it's adoption and competing standards hurts this product in my eyes. Tack on the premium price and I can't see myself buying something like this right now. However, the idea is great -- many times I wish I had 2 wireless chargers so I could put one on my nightstand. Glowdeck does this and so much more.
Just my feedback that I'm sure people will disagree with. Goodluck on your campaign!

Really nice charger/speaker/clock! Would love to have one but yes, the price of $275 (not considering FX) is a bit too steep for me since it is just going to be a "want".. But you have a nice product there! Good luck with your kickstarter project!

Enhanced said:
I would absolutely be interested in something like this, but the Qi wireless standard, while the dominant standard now, may not be in the near future. I'm sure you've done your research to know that a bunch of big names back another standard (and I won't get into it here). As such, investing $200+ on a device that may not work with my future devices is a hard pill to swallow. I'm not the kind of person that would buy a wireless charging case as an accessory so if my next phone doesn't support Qi, my Glowdeck would lose much of it's functionality.
In addition, and again with my view of never buying a wireless charging case, just not enough phones support Qi natively (integrated). If wireless charging was mainstream (and ignoring the standards war), I would really be interested in something like this. I currently use a wireless charger for my Nexus 4 and it's awesome, but will my next phone have it? My next phone may be the Moto X and it's already stated that it won't come with wireless charging. If my phone is the Nexus 5, again, we will not know if it comes with wireless charging. I almost feel that if I buy a Glowdeck, I would be restricting myself to wireless charging phones only to ensure I won't be stuck with having a $200 alarm clock.
Overall, wireless charging having an uncertain future through it's adoption and competing standards hurts this product in my eyes. Tack on the premium price and I can't see myself buying something like this right now. However, the idea is great -- many times I wish I had 2 wireless chargers so I could put one on my nightstand. Glowdeck does this and so much more.
Just my feedback that I'm sure people will disagree with. Goodluck on your campaign!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback - it is all well taken. Deciding on a wireless standard was difficult, but there was a rationale behind the decision to go with the Qi standard (at least for the time being), and I think I will address this point in an update to the Kickstarter campaign in the next few days.
---------- Post added at 04:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:11 AM ----------
tanwg said:
Really nice charger/speaker/clock! Would love to have one but yes, the price of $275 (not considering FX) is a bit too steep for me since it is just going to be a "want".. But you have a nice product there! Good luck with your kickstarter project!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the kind words. And I know where you're coming from with regard to the price. Out of curiosity, would a modified version of Glowdeck with no display (nor WiFi connectivity) appeal to you as well? If so, what price would seem reasonable for such a product?

glowdeck said:
Thanks for the kind words. And I know where you're coming from with regard to the price. Out of curiosity, would a modified version of Glowdeck with no display (nor WiFi connectivity) appeal to you as well? If so, what price would seem reasonable for such a product?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the display because that will make it function as a bedside clock too, but WiFi to receive feeds does not appeal to me . As for price, I would not comment since I don't know the cost involved in such a project.

IMO Lose the display, things like daydream make up for it. The screen is too small anyway (OR/AND) Lose the wifi, apps should make it possible to pull all info from the phone. Make something like a slope or stand with the nfc inside so the phone can stay upright(Also lowers the number of coils u need).

It has all of the functionality I've ever wanted in speakers before except the design is so terrible. I don't know why anyone would want the weird wood finish on this, it looks so tacky and gives off a hipster vibe. I would kill to have a speaker with all these functions in something more geometric, modern, satin colors and less of a 1950s vibe. Price is also a turnoff.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Worrying: A relatively high SAR value

So I am keen to read opinions about the relatively high SAR value of the Alcatel Idol 3 and its possible negative
effect on the human head and body. I remember owning phones having significantly lower SAR values, such as the
Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Note II, clocking in around 0.2 W/Kg, instead of the idol 3's 1.42 W/Kg.
Should we be worried with every day use? The maximum allowed SAR value is set at 1.6 W/Kg. Below is the official report
of the Idol 3 regarding SAR ratings:
THIS MOBILE PHONE MEETS THE GOVERNMENT’S REQUIREMENTS FOR
EXPOSURE TO RADIO WAVES.
Your mobile phone is a radio transmitter and receiver. It is designed and manufactured
not to exceed the emission limits for exposure to radio-frequency (RF) energy. These
limits are part of comprehensive guidelines and establish permitted levels of RF
energy for the general population. The guidelines are based on standards that were
developed by independent scientific organizations through periodic and thorough
evaluation of scientific studies. These guidelines include a substantial safety margin
designed to ensure the safety of all persons, regardless of age and health.
The exposure standard for mobile phones employs a unit of measurement known
as the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR. The SAR limit set by public authorities such
as the Federal Communications Commission of the US Government (FCC), or by
Industry Canada, is 1.6 W/kg averaged over 1 gram of body tissue. Tests for SAR are
conducted using standard operating positions with the mobile phone transmitting at
its highest certified power level in all tested frequency bands.
9 10
Although the SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual SAR
level of the mobile phone while operating can be well below the maximum value. This
is because the mobile phone is designed to operate at multiple power levels so as to
use only the power required to reach the network. In general, the closer you are to
a wireless base station antenna, the lower the power output of the mobile phone.
Before a mobile phone model is available for sale to the public, compliance with
national regulations and standards must be shown.
The highest SAR value for this model mobile phone when tested is 1.39W/Kg for use
at the ear and 1.42W/Kg for use close to the body.
Source: http://support.bell.ca/_web/Guides/...tel-EN/Alcatel-OneTouch-Idol-3-User-Guide.pdf

SAR is a really useless measure.
http://www.electricsense.com/1133/cell-phone-sar-totally-misleading/
"even the FCC now casts doubt on the usefulness of comparing maximum SAR values for determining the potential health risks of cell phones."

flopticalcube said:
SAR is a really useless measure.
http://www.electricsense.com/1133/cell-phone-sar-totally-misleading/
"even the FCC now casts doubt on the usefulness of comparing maximum SAR values for determining the potential health risks of cell phones."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it's basically about locations where there is bad reception and the cellphone trying hard to get a connection, increasing the SAR value. It's still
relatively high, the peaks. Anyone else input?

Peaks don't mean anything by themselves, its the average power put out over a long period of time that matters. Think marathon runner vs sprinter.

flopticalcube said:
Peaks don't mean anything by themselves, its the average power put out over a long period of time that matters. Think marathon runner vs sprinter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you're right. However, many people advise to wear/carry a cellphone (our Idol 3 in this case) away from the body. How does that even work for men? I've always carried my cellphone in my pocket. How dangerous are we talking??

make my day.

gideonMorrison said:
I guess you're right. However, many people advise to wear/carry a cellphone (our Idol 3 in this case) away from the body. How does that even work for men? I've always carried my cellphone in my pocket. How dangerous are we talking??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Put it this way, you are FAR more likely to be killed by reading a facebook post on your phone rather than paying attention to traffic than you are by the minimal radiation put out by the phone in your pocket.

DallasCZ said:
make my day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct thread?
Put it this way, you are FAR more likely to be killed by reading a facebook post on your phone rather than paying attention to traffic than you are by the minimal radiation put out by the phone in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you're right, but I don't like tumors etc There's always a risk of course, just wondering how large that risk truly is...

nobody likes tumors and cancer and so on...but the thing is, that you more likely got cancer from stress and ubhealthy living style than from mobile device radiation (my opinion). But anyway if you want to avoid SAR radiation to your body buy a device with lowes SAR HERE Is link to one article in Czech (because iam from Czech republic) and if you use google translation you will notice, that lowest radiations has for example LG G3, so go for this device and you will be happy (more likely untill you got tumor from something else than SAR radiation ). I myself dont take this things so seriously because there are no proper research and no straight proven consequences between tumors, cancer and magnetic field radiation. It simply stands on more things than a device you use (genetic predisposition, living style, stress...). Thatswhy i put the post above
edit: just for the end..there was a research that prooves that when you ejaculate often (at least once a day), that lowers significantly the chance to get prostatic cancer. so turn of the computer and go for it.

DallasCZ said:
nobody likes tumors and cancer and so on...but the thing is, that you more likely got cancer from stress and ubhealthy living style than from mobile device radiation (my opinion). But anyway if you want to avoid SAR radiation to your body buy a device with lowes SAR HERE Is link to one article in Czech (because iam from Czech republic) and if you use google translation you will notice, that lowest radiations has for example LG G3, so go for this device and you will be happy (more likely untill you got tumor from something else than SAR radiation ). I myself dont take this things so seriously because there are no proper research and no straight proven consequences between tumors, cancer and magnetic field radiation. It simply stands on more things than a device you use (genetic predisposition, living style, stress...). Thatswhy i put the post above
edit: just for the end..there was a research that prooves that when you ejaculate often (at least once a day), that lowers significantly the chance to get prostatic cancer. so turn of the computer and go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although your post made me chuckle a couple of times I do feel it could be a serious matter, as I think we all would prefer a SAR value as low as possible. I reckon we can safely use our i3's however.

gideonMorrison said:
Although your post made me chuckle a couple of times I do feel it could be a serious matter, as I think we all would prefer a SAR value as low as possible. I reckon we can safely use our i3's however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would prefer to see a better way of rating a phone's total RF power output over a period of time. For all we know, the Idol 3 may be much safer than a Galaxy S6 over a typical day even if it does have a higher SAR peak. The likelihood is that both are amongst the least of your worries in life.

flopticalcube said:
I would prefer to see a better way of rating a phone's total RF power output over a period of time. For all we know, the Idol 3 may be much safer than a Galaxy S6 over a typical day even if it does have a higher SAR peak. The likelihood is that both are amongst the least of your worries in life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well put and I agree. I will still be wearing the i3 5.5 in my pocket as I've always done. Is there an app for making my balls radiation-free?

gideonMorrison said:
Well put and I agree. I will still be wearing the i3 5.5 in my pocket as I've always done. Is there an app for making my balls radiation-free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 xD