Better planning for travel

Flying is unnerving in more ways than one. There is the queuing, the booking of interconnecting flights, reading extended 'terms & conditions' by airlines which strike one as extortionate 'hurdles' than fair practice. This is my latest bugbear. My travel from the Philippines to Australia was stressful because:

1. These discount airlines often do not amalgamate their flight schedules so you can book through fares. Sometimes this is because they are code-sharing, and under different rules. 

2. These airlines don't have clear terms

3. These airlines have a propensity to change terms, or depart from long-standing tradition.

There is a revolution going on in the airline industry, and its seeing the airlines change the way they charge for flights. The telecommunications and electricity industries went through the same process, and because everyone needs electricity, the experience was both unsetting and costly for customers. Electricity and telecommunication services in small markets went through the roof, or did not fall as other markets. With flying, consumers have the discretion not to fly as much...and they don't if they don't like their experience.

This brings me to the airline industry. Flying is discretionary, and discount airlines are troubling passangers with silly rules, and some of them are not even their fault. Its amazing how hard it is for them to realise that:

1. Passengers don't want to be punished for making late choices that don't affect the airline, i.e. An airline will on average know how much weight, many many passengers, how much average luggage passengers will take, so why do they need to be punished for it. 

2. Passengers don't want to be extorted: Passengers want choices which empower them. They don't want airlines to use this discretion to extort from them. Most particularly they don't expect to pay $A4 for a bottle of water in order to replace the water they 'stole' by maintaining dry air on the plane. I lost my bottle in customs because they thought it was a bomb. Passengers don't want to be fussed carrying on empty water bottles. Just sell them a reasonably priced bottle of water for God's sake. 

3. Passengers want a pro-rata price for baggage. We understand you need to plan your fuel requirements, or luggage availability, but why can't we take as much luggage as you have space to fill, and pay a pro-rata fee for that, and only a penalty to the extent that our changes impact you.

At the end of the day, consumers expect to pay a single pricing point, and everything else to be priced at cost. This is the model which would maximise competition, as if any industry has any interest in that. This is ultimately the standard which makes maximises competition.

In future, it remains to be seen whether this occurs. But given the greater strictness of airline baggage limits...maybe we might expect greater passenger awareness of what we travel. Maybe we will see an evolution in the design of clothes for travel 'lightness' and flexibility. I have been accustomed to piling everything into a 30-kg case and taking off. Maybe new lightweight luggage will be matched by lightweight, flexible clothes designs. I recall travelling to Colombia years ago and having items stolen from my bag. How travel has progressed in recent times.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Best smartphone design for the 2020s

Getting tired of those smartphones that never live up to your expectations. I'm with you. That is why I've taken it upon myself to design my own smartphone..In fact I'm ready to do into production. The first step is to recognise where the competitors get it right; then to twig them where they screw up. So here is my list of my core needs:
1. Android 4.1 - Its a great OS - well done Google
2. GPS - this is a great feature - I love recording place locations, though I wish there was better software for managing locations; not just contacts. This is where software developers are failing us. Geospatial data is the next Facebook...just giving you applications developers a heads-up. I love having a Garmin in my phone...saves me $200 and I travel light.
3. Wifi - A standard feature but noteworthy because its so important.
4. QWERTY keyboard - At the risk of being perceived as stuck in the past; I just can't type as fast with the other digital options. The problem is that existing QWERTY options just don't live up to their promise. Blackberry is big on QWERTY but it has a small screen and no Android option.
5. Just basically everything the Samsung Galaxy III has because it basically does everything.

I am really looking to enter into a joint venture with Samsung on this because they are the closest to what I want. The Samsung Galaxy III is a great phone....so let me just add my problems that my JV with Samsung will resolve. Here are the issues - actually there is just one issue.
1. No keyboard. Now there is a good reason probably, but let me suggest a solution. A QWERTY keyboards on a smartphone result in a shrunken screen size. Now, some phone like Motorola's and Sony-Ericson's Xperia Lite place a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I don't like these because they have a distorting impact on their balance or weight distribution, and they are too crowding on the thumbs used to type. The impact is that you can't type in any position, and not quickly. Currently I am stuck using old Nokia software and its underpowered phone to get the battery life and keyboard combination I like. I often type when I'm lying down, so  slide-outs fail. Some of them also obstruct keys with the slide-attachment. The solution is to have a fixed landscape mode with an extended (longer) keyboard; much like a game controller. The Samsung Galaxy S III would be a perfect size for such a keyboard, since it would not crowd my thumbs, and a half-landscape screen would allow me to read books, type notes, edit files, even if there is restricted depth to the screen. Its not the same as a laptop, but that's ok, its not a laptop. Most importantly I want to be able to type quickly. The bigger 4.8 inch screen should at least give me reasonable depth to my landscape  screen.
2. Under development...commercial in confidence.

I'll let you know when Samsung comes back to me with terms. Basically, we will be looking at calling it the Shelsung (Sheldon-Samsung) Sheldon-lite after its designer; with some recognition of Samsung's good taste. Because its such a good phone, we will happily pay $1200 for it, and it will last 5 years because it will preserve its functionality thanks to Google's software interface.

------------------------------------ Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Lenovo Thinkpad Edge - This might be my favourire notebook ever

There is a plethora of laptops being offered to consumers these days as well as tablets. I frankly think in Australia and NZ people are being offered really poor products in their local retailers such as Dick Smith, Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, and others. I ended up buying a laptop in the Philippines - a Lenovo Thinkpad Edge. This was after I mistakenly bought a Sony Vaio. The mistake was neglecting a 'key' keyboard feature. Usually I will test the keys; but on this occasion I did not notice the small Shift key. Now most models will have a Shift key on both sides of the laptop. However if you are left-handed, you might not appreciate that this key is often smaller than on the right.

Another annoying attribute of many brands (Acer, Toshiba, Samsung, and others) is that they offer you an array of keys on the right side of the keyboard. These will only make it hard for you to type fast, and result in miskey strokes, as well as reducing the size of the keys. If you are anything like me, you will never use these keys. Another important feature is the size of the backspace key. You want also as big as possible if you make typing mistakes, it becomes the most important key to find.

The Acer keyboards also have this annoyingly thin key design which means if you are typing fast, you might actually lift a key off. I've had this happen before, where you get your finger stuck under a key. Avoid those designs. My AWARD for the best keyboard and all-round design is the Lenovo Thinkpad - I bought the Edge, but also take a look at their website for the T-series and X-series. I wanted to find one for my partner. But the thing to do is to look at overseas stores for close-up photos. You can see the Dell-like shopping cart in New Zealand and Australia.

You might struggle to find these computers in-store. This is not because they are poor products; its because the retailers want to offer you rubbish that they can get the highest mark-ups on, and knowing that, once you open the seal, you are stuck with it. Don't make this mistake. Test the keyboard. Write a letter as you would - listen to music as you would.

I personally love that you can get a 9-cell version, a Solid-State-Drive (160Gb) version, as well as a thinner 16mm version. They now have i-7 versions; mine is 1-3. But I paid just P28,000 (USD560) in the Philippines last year, so no problem.

These are of course not the only features to look for. I want a high-capacity drive, wifi, don't need a built-in CD-ROM, so buy an external drive to use with all future computers because its only for loading software. In fact, I'd say they will soon shift to USD sticks for loading software. You want 3+ USD ports; and notice where the fan is. Probably the only negative feature of my Lenovo is the location of the fan. It does not burn my hand, but noticeably hot. I guess the small navigation and delete keys are a little annoying. Small things really.

In fairness, the T-series from Lenovo might be better, but after wasting money on a Sony Vaio, which have failed in the consistency stakes, I was not prepared to buy an expensive one.

I'm not into tablets; I think a waste of money unless you read a lot of books. I fully expect to read books on computer or a phone. There is no room for a 'hybrid' middling device in my life. Just a waste.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Best value cell phone - its a Samsung

My partner and I are always using our electronic appliances. Recently, we bought an Android-based Samsung I5503T cell phone in New Zealand for $NZ150 inclusive of a SIM card and pre-paid SMS & call credits from Telecom NZ for 6 months. This places the phone cost at just over $NZ100 we thought. The nice qualities about this phone was its Android software, its great sound playing music off YouTube, great Wifi connectivity, good design. Skype Mobile worked well. Just I prefer a QWERTY keyboard (as a writer).

Now, there are three problems with this phone:

1. The small sized battery - the result of which is short battery life - you could be charging it up every day for higher volume use. This is unacceptable to me. I am a writer; I write a lot of notes, so I want good battery life.

2. The lack of QWERTY keyboard - if you do a lot of typing you will want the QWERTY keyboard because screen-based keyboards do not offer the same 'tippled' board for better selectivity and control over your choice. If you have big fingers you could push '5' five times when you really wanted '6'. Not good. If you have small fingers however, or you want the phone only to read books,to telephone or play music, then you might be ok. The swivel screen gives you bigger keys in landscape mode, but still its a problem.

3. The phone size - The Telephone manufacturers are obsessed with size and power. Designed by macho-men you might think. This is a problem with only Nokia seems to understand because Nokia seems to be the only company under-powering their phones for longer battery life, whilst offering larger batteries than the likes of others. The other problem is screen size. I personally resent the need to have a cellphone, a tablet and a laptop. The tablet is really an 'unnecessary hybrid' of the other two. For this reason, I want a bigger screen, or a Nokia E61i/E5 size phone (with my much preferred QWERTY keyboard). Nokia could move towards a slightly even bigger phone than the E61i and I would still be able to fit it into my pocket....preferably with a slightly larger battery given the extra size.

I fully expect a phone of this design in future. The Nokia E61i is a little small on screen size to read books. I tried and I had to reduce the page to 61% in order to read it...it was barely legible. A slightly better resolution and a slightly larger screen will make all the difference.

If you want the QWERTY keyboard, you might like our choice of the Sony Ericsson Mini-Pro (??) reviewed before. This similarly had a small battery, but it did have the slid-out QWERTY keyboard. I personally don't like slide-out keyboards because they are often lose, and tend to have poor balance in the hand. This is because you are not always standing up when you write. I often right lying down.

Only update if you need to. I'm staying with my Nokia E5 until I get my next well-designed Android-based, QWERTY phone. I've lost confidence in Nokia's software, though it meets my immediate needs. They are moving to Windows; but I'd prefer Android....but I might adopt Windows if version 8 is ok. I can live with Windows; I use it for my computing.

Tablets are a flash in the pan...not functional enough. All you can do is read on them. The shallow lives of some people.

Here is another cell phone to consider - the LG-GW620 - it has the slide-out keyboard, but check to see if its well balanced when you are lying down, standing, sitting, etc. Battery life has been questioned...because I'd say its a small battery. But you have to like its 5-row QWERTY keyboard with independent numeric and navigation keys. That's one over Nokia E5.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Protecting your computer or smartphone from theft

Protecting your smartphone from theft - here are some good tips.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Music or study guide

Study or work can be difficult - though often we make it harder for ourselves than it need be, by not creating a 'no fail' environment. Music is a great motivator or for just relaxing ourselves. There are a great many songs you can download. I stumbled upon this music at YouTube. But there is this website which highlights a tool which allows you to run this music non-stop, so you concentration need not be broken until you achieve your goal. It does not sound like a continuous stream of music though because the file has not been edited to be seamless.

Give it ago! This is a favourite piece for me. I can imagine sitting at some piano bar listening to this!

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Computer or cell phone tracking software

There is a suite of free computer tracking softwares available online which allow you to track usage of computers. Consider the applications of this software:

1. Tracking the online or offline usage of a shared computer - Say you want to monitor the usage of your kids, the illicit or deceitful behaviour of your partner.

2. Track usage of employees - You might want to make sure that your staff are working during employment hours; and not using your computer for personal use, or at least not unreasonably so. This is particularly a useful tool for home-based contractors, or for projects which are difficult to time.

3. The theft of your computer - If you purchase or use the right software, you might be able to track the use of your computer once stolen by a thief, and thus allow you to recover it. Read this story.

4. The recovery of lost data - I am not aware of a product which does this; but it would be nice to think that there will eventually be a product which allows logging of your keystrokes in real time, so that if you have a computer crash, your data is recoverable in real time from an external server. i.e. Their server accumulates a log which is dumped to an email sent to your computer. PS: I think I just gave someone an idea for a great computer...or is Microsoft finally making a stable OS that I didn't know about???

There are two problems:

1. You might be breaking the law in your country by tracking your computer use; even if you own the computer. You might even be put in the position where your partner files a law suit against you for violation of his privacy even though he/she cheated. The reason is that your state/country might have a (silly) no-fault attitude to extra-marital activity.

2. Making sure that your software emails a report to your online email so that you can monitor the computer use from Gmail, Yahoo, etc. This will make it useful to recover your computer. As soon as the thief goes online he will allow his keystrokes to be recorded online. This will allow you to get his photo, passwords, etc, which will help you identify him.

3. Find a reliable website to download this software from. i.e. CNET.com is a site I trust. There is a list of popular downloads at this site - at the bottom of the page. Some of them are free.

I suspect all computers will come with such tools in future. There is similar software available for cell phones, with the more obvious benefits of preventing the theft of your phone. The problem is that the thief might perform a reset to manufacturer settings before you can track them down. Hopefully they attempt to do this from home, so you can track them down. I searched Google for possible contenders and found:

1. Livephonetracking.com - see here.

2. BuddyWay GPS - see here or here.

3. Gympse - see here.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Internet tools to improve your web experience

The following is a list of tools you can use to improve your online experience.

1. Broadband speed test: Check out this test tool to determine your upload and download speed, so you can compare your package with others. see http://speedtest.net/

2. Shorter URLs: There are various websites around which allow you to create short URLs for websites like Twitter which limit you to a 140-character limit. See www.tinyurl.com and search google for others.

3. Online sounds to relax: Sounds of running water, etc. See SoundSleeping.com. This is a really cool tool because you can actually set the volume controls and overlay different sounds. It is so easy to play, and you can leave it to play on your browser tab whilst you work elsewhere.

4. I will think of others.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

How to respond during an earthquake

Where to Go During an Earthquake Remember that stuff about hiding under a table or standing in a doorway? Well, forget it! This is a real eye opener. It could save your life someday. EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON 'THE TRIANGLE OF LIFE' My name is Doug Copp I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI ), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake. I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years, and have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters. The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene -- unnecessary. Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them - NOT under them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building. TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY 1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' when building collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed. 2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a bed, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it. 3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs. 4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake. 5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair. 6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed! 7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged. 8) Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked. 9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them. 10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper. Spread the word and save someone's life... The entire world is experiencing natural calamities, so be prepared! 'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly' In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV. Subject: Save your life with "The Triangle of Life" "Triangle of Life": Without listening or reading, simply by looking at the following self-explanatory photos, you can learn more than in a thousand words about how to protect yourself during a major earthquake... If you are inside a vehicle, come out and sit or lie down next to it. If something falls on the vehicle, it will leave an empty space along the sides. See below: Source：國際救援小組（ARTI），網址：http://www.amerrescue.org/ American Rescue Team International（ARTI）is said to be the World's most experienced rescue team and disaster management-mitigation organization.

Still a Nokia phone - its integration guys!

A smartphone is critical to me as a writer. There was a time when I would write notes on little pieces of paper and I would lose them, or they would go through the washing machine, and often I could not even read my own writing, as I tried to write in fine print to maximise my note taking ability. A smartphone is great. It is always with me, and I know when its not there too. The benefits:

1. I don't have to re-type up my notes. I merely upload or email them to myself

2. I can fully develop the idea; if not immediately, then more productively, whilst I am out at some cafe or waiting for my GF to shop.

3. I can edit the notes, I can add to them, even if from days earlier.

4. Its a backup, until I backup my hard disk

5. Its solid-state memory - more reliable than my 'spinning' HDD

This brings us to the question of what phone to buy. I have looked around the market, and I must say that I am not happy with any of them. The front contenders are:

1. Nokia E63 - This is a great phone, its a shame that Nokia has yet to upgrade it. Its old technology and whilst it is similar to the E61i, which has not been continued (i.e. much loved), it offers many of the same features. I see this as a temporary phone until a better one comes out

The appeal of this phone to me is that unlike the N71 and N72, it has decent size QWERTY keys. This phone has an old processor which I found a little slow.

2. Sony Ericsson - This phone has all the specs, so on the face of it, it looks like a great phone. The problem is that it has 1/2 the battery life of the Nokia phone. The problem is that the Sony phone attempts to minimise its footprint and sacrifices battery life. This is a sad gimmick because customers have clearly voted and made battery life an important feature. Two days is not good enough if that is the 'starting life'. Within 1-2 years you will be needing a new battery as it will last a day. The other problem I had was the crappy software pre-loaded. In order to get a sense of the Android range, you would have to void your warranty. I frankly don't consider software a compelling point of different. All operating systems will offer the software you need....the market is that deep. The greater problem for me was the difficulty of the integration of hardware and software. The Sony-Ericsson is not intuitive like the Nokia.

For these reasons, and the fact that the nokia is just $NZ299, I would be looking at the 'old solution' Nokia E63 if I was desperate for a phone, otherwise I would be waiting for a replacement for this phone...unless some other manufacturer comes out with a phone with different battery life. The other types of phones in the same class are of course Blackberry, but I'm inclined to stay with the majors. i.e. Symbian, Android and Microsoft. Blackberry makes sense for another year if you are a terrorist needing encryption.

So in conclusion, I remain a fan of the Nokia E series of phones, and will happily wait for the next version. Their hardware is far superior - battery life - software-hardware integration is superior. The ease of using these is far better. Sadly, Nokia has failed in my view with the N-series. They were bulky, and the keys were too small. I guess they might appeal for small 'feminine' Asian hands. But for a Westerner with big hands (et al) you need a E-series phone to get the QWERTY experience (keyboard), and I recommend it for those writers and business folk who need to be able to type up content in any location.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

New applications for old products

There are numerous blogs which explore alternative uses for the things we throw away. I am a hoarder of things because I don't like to waste things. I am always trying to think of ways to reuse things which would otherwise become waste. If you are similarly minded, then you might like this website. If you are also too buzy like me, you are probably hoarding a lot of stuff as well.
I have a years supply of plastic milk bottles and cardboard cereal boxes.
Country towns are great this way. I note that a lot of the people selling jam in town are using old jam jars which people bring along.
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Asus-Garmin designed Nuvifone A50 review

Here is an interesting development in smartphones - a partnership between Asus and Garmin. This phone would find a market with the outdoor enthusiast if it was more durable. At the moment I am clinging on to my Nokia E61i, waiting for the next well designed phone. Sadly Nokia disappointed with the Nokia E71. I even warned them that consumers would have a problem with ever-smaller keypads. Anyway, they didn't listen, so I'm looking for a new supplier.

The problem with the Asus-Garmin designed Nuvifone A50 is that its short of one important spec - its kind of an outdoors phone, but its built to never leave the car. Herein lies the problem. This phone ought to be waterproof to 10metres and more durable , much like Garmin's range of GPS devices, so I could take it anywhere. Anyway, I'll keep waiting. It wouldn't take me much to desert the Windows Operating System, as I'm already off it for mobile communications. Hard to live without excel and Word though.
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Which netbook to buy? Product comparison & review

I am always interested in the latest netbooks so when I see a review like this one from Time, I take an interest. I broadly agree with their top three choices. I ended up buying the Toshiba NB200/2005. I did not like the keyboard when I bought it, but I am slowly getting used to it. The problem with these smaller netbooks is that its easy to knock them, so you trigger a HDD protection feature. I think if you don't need to upgrade yet, then you will be better off waiting for the next generation of netbooks which I suspect will be better in several ways:
1. Offering globally integrated, seamless telecommunications - whether through Skype or Google.
2. Offering a solid state, high capacity hard drive for better data protection and far longer battery use, say 15-20 hours.
3. Offering better sound & cameras
4. Better keyboard design and USB locations
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Toshiba NB200 netbook review

I am always on the lookout for new computer devices that allow me to work more efficiently. Of course we like to buy cheap as well, but most of all we need basic functuality and good design. Having just purchased a Toshiba NB200 over the internet for just $NZ610, I'd have to say you get what you pay for. The problems I find with this computer are:

1. The keyboard design is shockingly bad. The 'Alt' key is too small. Better to have one big one than two small ones. The backspace key just doesn't sit right with me. I always seem to be hitting the wrong one '\'. The feel of the keyboard is terrible too, though I do manage to get a few letters out before I stumble. My fingers seem to slide too easily over the keys. Unlike some Sony models, the keys are not 'rimmed' to give some traction on keys.

2. The arrangement of USB ports is bad. I was not happy having three of these right up the front sides of the computer. I want them at the back.

3. The hard disk protection utility appears too sensitive. Just placing a USB memory stick in the computer is enough to start the utility.

The computer has decent HDD space of 160Gb, reasonable memory of 1Gb considering its running Windows Xp. It was a special deal so I got a free 6-cell battery, so I get plenty of battery life. The screen is fine. I might yet grow to like this computer, but I just cannot see myself getting used to it. It seems probable that the unit was discounted because its running the old Win Xp operating system. Or have reviews been poor? I think it must have been a sentimental purchase for me because I really loved my Toshiba Libereto I bought 15 years ago. I would be using that computer today if it could be upgraded.

The other computer we looked at was the Sony W series. We were interested in a solid state hard drive, though I must say I was not overly pleased with its design either. A 5-star computer remains elusive.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Vaio P Pocket Sized Notebook closer to perfection

About 10 years ago I had a mini-laptop which closely resembles some of the mini-notebooks that are becoming available today. The Toshiba Libereto was a product ahead of its time. The Toshiba office in Tokyo even had a museum showing the models. People were coming in to upgrade it because they liked it. The product had a small but loyal following. Back in those days the hardware was pretty sluggish. Today the specs offer much greater speed, but there were several features which I particularly liked about the Libereto:
1. The tracking ball was on the right side lid of the computer, next to the LCD display
2. All the superfluous drives were external, which meant you had a very light, compact computer
3. I was able to pick up a really good leather bag in Vietnam suited to this computer. I have been keeping this bag for my next model.

The latest copy by Sony 10 years later is the Vaio Pocket Sized (P-series) Notebook has a 8" screen, an Intel Z520 Atom 1.6GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 128G-256GB solid state drive. The unit is clearly designed with speed in mind. This is a durable beast since SSD's have no moving parts, ensuring greater security for your data. The SSD is the same drive as in your smartphone. You also get GPS, WiFi (802.11n), Bluetooth and WWAN, a LAN connector, a headphone jack, a multi-card reader and 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 5Mp webcam.
Probably the worst feature is the tracking ball in the centre of the keyboard. I was prefer it if they used Toshiba's idea of a tracking pad on the screen. This was an innovative pressure pad which worked really well. It will be disappointing to use the Sony ball. There is a built-in 3G phone, but it works for Verizon only. The computer is about 60% of the size of a standard computer.
The standard battery offers a 4 hour battery life, doubling to 8 hours if you obtain a second battery. The power demand is 68watts, which is quite high, so expect better battery life in future with competitors. The unit is shipped with Windows Vista.
Having used this type of computer I can tell you they are really good for travelling. Of course the features and connectivity are so much better today that the dial-up I had to tolerate, though I still long for that Toshiba tracking pressure pad. I'll be watching for the Toshiba solution!
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Recovering deleted files from USB flash drives

I just deleted a folder accidentally from a USB flash drive connected to my computer. There are several reasons why I prefer to use a flash drive to a HDD drive:
1. They have better durability because they have no moving parts
2. They can more easily backup and move between computers

I did not know until now that any deleted files are not recorded in the Recycle Bin, which means when I accidentally deleted a folder, I needed a tool to recover my lost files. There are several programs available. These are the steps:
1. Do not attempt to do anything before you do this. If you start recreating or deleting files, you could be hindering your chances of recovering your desired files.
2. Download Recuva software from www.coastalcomputerconnections.com/downloads.html
3. Install the software
4. Run the application from your desktop
5. Having identified the files you want to recover, press the RECOVER button.

Its really simple. You can search by date, quality of residual file, or the file name. I suggest doing all three.
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Solid State Drives (SSDs)

If you are in the market for a computer my advise is that you cannot go past the solid-state drive based computers which are starting to enter the market. We have yet to see a really outstanding machine. I viewed one last week which came close, but it suffered from a bad sound system. There are a number of things you want to look for on such a computer:
1. Memory: About 100Gb of SSD memory would be adequate because you will eventually be able to substitute it will USB-based flash drives as the capacity of those units improves
2. Flexibility - make sure that the unit is easily upgradable, that the main components are easily accessed
3. Keyboard: Some mini-laptops and micro-laptops can sacrifice on keyboard layout. I find it annoying that the DELETE key gets smaller, or the shift key. You really want to type on the thing as if you were using it. If you cannot get used to it in 30 minutes you probably never will.
4. Sound system: I want to hear the sound of music and videos on my computer to establish how good the computer is for VOIP, TV, music, etc. I prefer a built-in microphone too because those headsets are designed to break.
5. USB slots: I want three USB slots at least, and four would be better when you consider that you might like to swap or backup data between drives in future. More important still is the need for those slots to be located in the right position. I use the mouse on the right side, so I want this side free of USB slots. I also don't want a DVD device because the only time I use them is for installing software. In time, software will come on flash drives anyway.
6. Windows 7: The Vista operating system is a joke. With it we actually lost basic functionality. Maybe Win& will redeem the MS crowd. Anyway stay with Win Xp for now; and hope for a better Win7.
7. Battery life: I want a mimimum of 4 hours of battery life, which means you want a 6-cell battery on a small laptop, and more for a larger computer.
8. Optional extras: I want the power for adding discretionary functionality as external devices. For instance, the DVD can be external capacity.
9. Wifi: I want to be able to use my mini-laptop at coffee shops around the world.
10. No extra software: I'm tired of computer manufacturers who place a lot of crap on your computer. I don't want all these extras which are going to slow down my computer.

For a basic word processor and entertainment system, that is all I need.
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Cheapest domain names in Australia & NZ

If you are looking for the cheapest domain names in Australia and NZ, I recommend the Crazydomains website. Note that they have cheaper domain names than websites in NZ; probably because of their larger turnover. When you are selecting a domain name give it a lot of thought because it can make all the difference in the world in several respects:
1. Cost of retaining the domain name
2. Your search ranking (relevance) according to the Google search methodology
3. Corporate credibility - better names convey credibility than a cheaper name which no one else wanted.

If you want to know more about the Google rankings refer to www.lvdconsulting.com.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X1 vs Nokia E71, E61i Smartphone Review

This is a smartphone released by Sony Ericsson. I used to love Sony products, but then about 6-8 years ago they went off and did really stupid things. I can guess they centralised their design people somewhere. Regardless, from that point everything has been very bad. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is an alternative to the Nokia E71. I actually have the precursor Nokia E61i. Nokia first released the E61, and I guess after complaints, they added wifi and a more powerful processor to the same unit. I love my E61i, but it is not without its problems.
1. I have trouble hearing people
2. The camera is not very good quality - but ok for me. The issue is you can't see how good the pictures are on-screen, until you get home and look at them on your computer.
3. The slow processor - I can type faster than it can think - which says nice things about the keyboard, but a negative for the processor.

Now, when I bought there were a few contenders from Nokia alone. Nokia has a model that looks very similar to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 - I think its the N95 model. Anyway, the problem with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and Nokia N95 is that they are too bulky, the have the ugly and non-functional sliding keyboard.

For this reason I would stay clear of these models and go for the Nokia E71 - unless you have small figures. I don't. It really suits Asians or women with small fingers for that reason. The problem is not enough space between the keys, so you push the wrong buttons. Caucasians like me have to satisfy themselves with the Nokia E61i for now, or you might look at the Blackberry. But if I understand the Blackberry correctly, you need to sign up for a contract with them, and I prefer unlocked phones so that I can simply pick up a pre-paid (usually Vodafone) SIM card in every country I go to. I believe there are a limited number of countries serviced by Blackerry. But you will need to do your research on Blackberry.
I would also want to know if they have lifted the processor speed for the Nokia E71. I am awaiting a E61i upgrade - same design - just more powerful.

I might also mention that I dropped my Nokia in the toilet for about 5 seconds and it still worked. The unit is so well-built that it really is hardy. I've dropped it a few times as well. One time I kind of fumbled mid-air and accidentally pushed it away about 5m on the road, but it lived to tell the story. Most useful device I've ever had I believe. I recommend this device for writers. I can read books on it, but I have to reduce the book to 61% size. A little tight, but I can't imagine a bigger phone, so maybe eBooks need tighter formatting.

In conclusion the aspects I don't like about the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 are:
1. The slide-type keyboards are bad because:
a. Poor weight distribution
b. The upper sliding screen gets in the way of the top keys of the keyboard.
c. the unit is bulky because it slides

For more info see:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665702060

The features are otherwise similar to the E71. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 does have Windows CE I believe, so that's also a good thing, but I suspect Nokia has as well in the new models. Sorry, more research needed.
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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com

Learning how to sell online

A lot of my postings on this site are for equipment or devices that make our lives easier. On this occasion I want to recommend a set of eBooks produced by my partner Leah DeGuzman. Leah has been involved in online product marketing for almost 10 years. These days if you are building a business, you are likely wondering how to sell your products or services online.
Leah has written a guide to help people to develop a cost-effective web presence. She has a number of staff in the Philippines who develop the sites for you, which helps to keep your costs down. She can also provide support for you if you want to set up a site, but we recommend you spare yourself the hassle and restrict your effort to website design input, since most people want to offer some direction.

Leah is also working on a second book which will teach you how to improve the search rankings of your website. Its not enough to post articles, you actually have to spend some time promiting your site. We offer suggestions on how you can do that, or once again, she has people working for her that can do it for you if you want to give priority to other activities.

Sites That Sell - Buy this eBook!

We all learn at our own pace. Some of us were fortune to learn in a family or company certain skills from a very young age, so we developed them like a 2nd skin. Others have to learn those skills later or risk falling behind. Sometimes those skill-deficiencies stop us from achieving what we want. In effect they act as barriers holding us back. What we need are tools to help us jump over such hurdles.
If you are considering setting up your own business, then in all likelihood you will be seeking to establish a website to sell your products & services. If you would like to know how to set up an impressive sales-orientated website...read on!

Sites that Sell! View the table of contents or buy this eBook at our online store for just $US19.95.

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Andrew Sheldon www.sheldonthinks.com