Gadgets, Toys & Tech 2014...Did I stick to my plan?

At the beginning of the year I wrote a post about my own personal road map when it comes to which technology I would buy into and how I would not purchase a new/other smartphone for until 2016.

This is a follow up to see how the utterances of early 2014 me compare to my current reality and state of mind.

Two year long 'phone freeze'! Bold statement. I was on course till I experienced the death of my Lumia...it's logic board got burnt,how I don't know. Which meant I had no option but to throw it in the trash and this was after I sold my HTC. From 3 smartphones to 1. Still a good number right? No!

Left with nothing but the Z10 made me more aware of its deficiencies. Lack of native apps, android apps that crashed at will or refused to open, dated screen resolution and lack of processing power to meet my needs. And so because I was left a smartphone short I resolved to break the freeze and i got my hands a Galaxy Note 4. Still early days but I'm loving it.

Xbox On", that's what I say whenever I get home and need the TV and the cable decoder to power up. All linked the Xbox One which is my favorite toy this year. No regrets about getting it. I had no game discs for about a month and this made me appreciate the console's home entertainment hub focus. Things like voice command to control TV, rewind, pause and even hand gestures to do the above. I've been loving it. Game play,top notch, just need to grow my library.

I never quite got around to upgrading the specs on my pc this year and it must be sending me a message because things look like they're  falling apart, power supply blown, won't boot without direction. That's my sore spot for this year. Will I still get a Surface? Jury's out on that one.

2014 - year of the wearable...Microsoft Band, LG Watch R, Galaxy Gear, Apple Watch...still not sold on any of these. Let's see what 2015 brings.

Is It Love or Infatuation?

Title got you right? Disclaimer: I don't write about matters of the heart!
At this time of year I always get one feeling. I don't know if it's brought about by the festive season, I seem to get that 'new gadget' and I get hell bent on tossing my current number smartphone in favor of something that's caught my eye.

For a long time this year, my gaze has been fixed on the Nokia Lumia 1520. The huge gorgeous screen and my long standing obsession with Windows Phone made it the obvious choice. I simply wanted a WP phablet, the only one across the platform. I pictured all the live tiles I could fit into the home screen plus it's expandable memory. I would read review on review till I convinced myself that it was my destiny to own it by the time 2014 had ended.

But then,something happened. I thought closely about what I'd want in a tablet and I found the 1520 wanting in a few crucial aspects. Screen real estate - Check, enough memory - check, great - check, note taking with stylus - nope, apps - not all the ones I'm used to using. And that's how I took a step back and thought closely about my obsession with the 1520. It suddenly didn't fit the part despite being a great phone.

I ended up falling in love with the next best thing...Galaxy Note. or am I infatuated with the thought of owning one? Tough question..i suppose it's infatuation because I love Windows Phone and the user experience it gives you. Android has the numbers to make my app needs go away. Using a BlackBerry Z10 (with a massive app gap) has led me to depend on Android version of my frequently used apps and the discovery of new one. The only problem is frequency at which android apps need updates. This needs fixing. I'm not so over the moon about Samsung's hardware design philosophy. The faux metal/plastic/leather combo screams cheap all day.  I've never owned one, who am I to talk? Right. I guess it's time to see what is what.

I have done enough comparisons between the Note 3/4 and every other phablet and have found the Note coming out on top. And now,its all I see on TV. So I ask myself the question, is it love or Infatuation?

Have I fallen out of love with Windows Phone? Well,i guess for the time being I have chosen to ditch this 'girl' at the 'phone alter' and run off with the mystery lady that caught my eye. I will be back though!

Why Do You Need A Watch To Do What Your Phone Does?

I'm sure when first tablet was announced a naysayer uttered this three letter word, WHY. The question has undoubtedly been answered, emphatically! Now that the phone and tablet oranges have been squeezed dry everyone is looking for the next big thing. Enter the smartwatch....

This is one thing that divides opinions and I'm about to throw my hat into the ring.
Since the most basic cellphone came on the market, people have relied less on wrist watches because the phone had some form of a clock and since you use it so often it's easy to forget about checking your watch for the time. This time,the watch strikes back albeit too late.
Why do I need notifications on my watch? They'll say what if your phone is far away from you, then I'll say I don't understand the concept of a mobile phone. yeah it's cool that your phone tells you that you just got poked on Facebook but to poke back you need your phone.

Why would I need to take photos on my watch? For one thing, the pictures won't be of good quality compared to your phone. Don't dare say spy cam because that would make it a peeping tom's best friend.

Why would you want to make calls from your phone? I haven't seen anyone do but I'm pretty sure you need to speak into the watch like a secret service agent. May look cool but how long before the action starts to irritate you?

Fitness companion? Yes! Now that's a perfect way to use the smart watch hoping the manufacturer makes it with its own GPS receiver.

I'm sure you can come up with a few of your own 'why would you need a smart watch' statements... the smartphone is called such because it does a lot of clever things and only relies on a data connection and not another device. If you have one,tell me how it's changed your life. If you don't, think twice about making that investment.

Gadgets, Toys & Tech 2014

Ever since I had a job that could pay sensible bills and had something hefty left over after savings, I bought a new phone at least once every 12 months. In some extreme cases,i switched phones twice. At the end of the day, looking back I don't regret it though I have spent a pretty penny incurring little loss.

As I embark on a 2 year long phone freeze, I look to remain settled on two smartphones: the Nokia Lumia 820 And the **clears throat** BlackBerry Z10. At the moment,im using an HTC incredible S while I wait for a replacement screen on the Nokia. I'm tempted to do a review on the Z10 but I don't have the energy to breakdown an old new phone but I will say a number of things. While it misses BIS, blackberry got a lot right,the OS is clean,doesn't hang at all. Shame on OS 7,for being so lousy. The blackberry hub is top notch. The other side of the coin,lack of apps,the battery and the camera are not up to scratch. I'm having fun with it. With the Android runtime,i can live without an android phone for a while.
That aside, I will close my eyes to whatever Samsung, Apple, Nokia and HTC throw at me this year, no knee jerk reactions to any new products.

The one thing I look to replace this year is my Xbox. The 360 I have owned since 2009 has had its fair share of ups and downs, nothing major I might add. I purchased the arcade version that comes without the hard drive so I bought one separately. All 12GBs turned out to be a waste after it dropped to the floor and started to give the entire console the red ring of death. So I look the Xbox One for advancement. I can only get excited when the order has been done and it's on its way.

Seems I did a lot in 2008. Got my first smartphone, got my first Microsoft certification and built my current personal computer which is beyond the curve now. Running on ancient specs,I've let it get old I must admit. Now it needs to be replaced. i may just go Surface. Fingers crossed!!!!
Will I buy into this year's tech trends ? From a spectator stand point I will but I will not be tempted to buy anything other than what's on the plan. So no Galaxy Gears for me,or Google Glasses.