Friday, June 29, 2012

Who knew (great quotes)?


“Long flights, those I really feared, but now I’m used to them. The fear now is that I never learnt to swim so if the plane crashes on water, I would immediately go deep under the sea and be enjoyed by a shark. That I really fear.”

- The Dalai Lama, confessing to a fear of flying.... and of sharks!

Random picture - Microscope photos

Source: The Big Picture: Extraordinary Microscope Photographs.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Yet more Sony Tablet P

Sony Tablet P first look
Sony Tablet P second look
More Sony Tablet P
More Sony Tablet P - II
OK, let's revisit the issue of the bezel between the two screens. With most software you can toggle between 'Single Screen' and 'Full Screen.'
If you choose the former your program runs (usually) on the top screen; if you choose the latter then the software will display across both screens. It is in this case that the bezel comes into play and can spoil the experience depending upon the program one is running. For example, I don't find it too annoying or problematic when browsing and scrolling web pages. However it can be a bear with reading apps. For example reading books using the Kindle app or Google Play Books is horrible - see below for an idea how it looks in single screen mode, and full screen mode (both portrait and landscape):
Clearly this is no way to read a book. Fortunately you have two choices - you can either read your book in single pane mode or you can use Sony's own Reader software, which is designed with the Tablet P's setup in mind... It displays 2 pages at a time, one on each screen (see below).

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

More Sony Tablet P - II


Sony Tablet P first look
Sony Tablet P second look
More Sony Tablet P

Other reviews have criticized the Tablet P for having plastic covers. I find this rather nit-picky.... However, I must admit that if you get replacement covers in matte black, the Tablet P both looks and feels much nicer than with the stock covers. Incidentally, the replacement covers also come in white.


The Tablet P feels very sturdy and solid (in a good way), and the weight and hinges are such that if you place it on a surface it will stay open at the angle at which you open it:


And a couple more 'size comparison' pictures - with a New iPad and with the tablet section of the Asus Transformer:


All in all I have to say I'm enjoying the Tablet P much more than I expected, especially given that I am a 'keyboard guy.' It won't permanently replace my 'long in the tooth' Zaurus SL-C3200 and its IQNotes software, but is a nice addition to the gadget lineup...

Sunday, June 17, 2012

And again...


In April 2008 this blogger first parsed Pope Benedict XVI's "apology" for the sexual abuse of children by the clergy, "Well Said?!?", and found it severely wanting... However in July of that year he did somewhat better... Subsequently the Church mis-stepped on several occasions (e.g. see the links below).

Now, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman province, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God, "... commented on the scandals of sexual abuse and cover-ups by church hierarchy in a pre-recorded video message for an outdoor Mass attended by 75,000 Catholics, many from overseas, in Ireland's largest sports stadium..." and outraged many by saying "How are we to explain the fact that people who regularly received the Lord's body and confessed their sins in the sacrament of Penance have offended in this way? It remains a mystery" (see Pope To Irish: Child Abuse By Clergy A 'Mystery' That Shook Faith).

Oh well, at least he has stopped blaming secularism for this and the world's many other ills!

Previous blog entries related to the Pope:
Random picture - Nov 4th, 2010
I name thee Constantine - Jul 8th, 2010
Failed Pope? - Apr 6th, 2012
Misc update - Mar 12th, 2010
Recividism (or, 'persiste et signe') - Oct 2nd, 2009
Great quotes - Sep 9th, 2009
Random pictures... - May 25th, 2009
No Papal benediction - Sep 30th, 2008
The danger we face - Sep 14th, 2008
Better the second time around - Jul 23rd, 2008
HH Tekel - Jun 17th, 2009
Well said ?!? - Apr 17th, 2008

More Sony Tablet P


The placement of the controls and hardware features on the Sony Tablet P:


A few sample screen grabs - the main screen; one of SP Browser, a browser written for the Tablet P that allows you to run two different instances (one on each screen); the Maps application; and finally Tweedeck... Note that the screen capture software does not show the bevel that divides the two screens, a 'feature' that has soured many on the Tablet P!








Finally, a couple of pictures taken by the Tablet P (click to enlarge) to give an idea of the included camera:

Friday, June 15, 2012

Sony Tablet P first look

Yes, recently there's been a bit of a 'gadget drought' on this blog. However, Sony just drastically cut the price of its Tablet P, so I thought I'd give it a whirl...


Pop open the top and bottom panels to put the SIM card in the top, and the removable battery and MicroSD card in the bottom:




The specifications:
Screen Size : 5.5" (x 2 - dual screens)
Resolution : 1024 x 480 (each screen)
Internal Memory : 1GB
External Memory : micro SD Card (up to 32GB)
Battery Type : Li-Ion 3080mAh
Battery Life (Approx) : Up to 7 hours
Cameras : Front 0.3 Megapixel & Rear – 5.0 Megapixel
Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR
Supported Networks : 4G (HSPA+)
Wi-Fi : IEEE802.11b/g/n
Weight: 13.1 ounces
Dimensions: Open - 6.22 x 7.08 x 0.530 (LxWxH in inches) - Closed - 3.11 x 7.08 x 1.02

Sony Tablet P reviews:
Sony tablet P review - c|net
Sony Tablet P review - The Verge
Sony Tablet P review - Slash Gear
Sony Tablet P review - TechRadar
Sony Tablet P Review - Phonearena
Sony Tablet P review - Android Community
Sony Tablet P Review: A Whole Lotta Terrible in Your Pocket

Sony Tablet P on YouTube:
Sony Tablet P benchmark tests
Sony Tablet P Hands-on Review
Sony Tablet P Unboxing - The Dual Screen Tablet
Sony Tablet P (Dual Screen/clamshell style) - Product tour, first impressions and specifications