Web site compatibility

I don't do a lot of web site development now but I was under the impression that in recent years, people's experience with different web browsers (IE, Firefox, etc.) was pretty consistent.  Then I started to use Opera (2010) and noticed its problems with Google Docs spreadsheets.  Then we tried to use the PS3 browser to surf the Internet on our HDTV (when we finally purchased an HDTV in 2011) and realized what an abysmal web browser that is. 

When I started using an iPod Touch (4th generation), I was surprised at how well its Safari browser displayed most web pages.  Besides a very intelligent mobile Safari implementation, it appears it was because of the dominance of its cousin, the iPhone, that caused web sites to bend over backwards to accommodate it.  For example, Google Docs presents a very usable interface for spreadsheet editing to the iPod Touch. 

I finally started an ongoing list of how well certain "unpopular" browsers render web sites that I use.  In summary:

• Windows Phone 7 has problems with more "complex" web sites that don't have a mobile version.  But I am sometimes surprised that it is able to handle image oriented web sites such as those found on Tumblr.
• Blackberry Playbook renders most web site excellently, probably because of its Flash support; surfing the net with the Playbook is much like using your desktop computer although there are gaps. 
• I don't have time to fill in the PS3 column but in general, it sucks.  Don't let the included web browser be a selling feature to you.  I have not researched how other game console web browsers such as on Xbox compare

MiFi 2372 review

Signed up for one-year mobile internet contract with Bell Canada September 2011 when I was using iPod Touch and HTC 6800.  MiFi 2372 was free with one-year contract.  No hotspot capability available with either iPod or 6800 so this device gave me internet access on the go. 

While usually it does a decent job, I am looking forward to the end of my Bell contract and moving onto another hotspot device (since my "new" Samsung Focus running Windows Phone 7.5 evidently cannot act as a hotspot either).  Problems with the MiFi 2372:

• Sometimes suddenly stops working as a hotspot although still has power.  Cannot power off by holding down power button; have to pull out battery to reset
• LED status light is indecipherable when there are problems
• Sometimes loses the configuration (SSID, password, etc.) I've set up for it and it returns to factory configuration

Your experience with MiFi 2372?

Using PS3 with external keyboard

After battling using the PS3 web browser and YouTube app with the PS3 controller, tried plugging in our little-used wireless keyboard.  Tip:  Make sure keyboard is working with your regular computer first, that is, ensure the batteries are charged!

Apparently,
F1 = Triangle button
F2 = Square button
Return/Enter = X button
Esc = Circle button

More short-cut keys:

• http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/browser/shortcut.html

Evernote on WP7

Evernote WP client offers better functionality than the native WP OneNote client as Evernote supports editing tags.  Also I got an annoying "Misplaced Sections" error with OneNote.  Google Docs viewed through WP Internet Explorer is lousy so I'm migrating all my quick, short notes over to Evernote from OneNote on Skydrive.  

iOS devices - innovation and reliability

Besides innovation (which Apple established with the first iPhone, but isn't maintaining on most fronts), reliability is the hallmark of iOS devices.  Am experiencing Adobe Reader plugin hanging my entire work Windows XP computer.  Why?  Probably some combination of Firefox version, Reader plugin version, OS version, and hardware.  Apple controls most of the h/w and s/w stack in their products and thus there are far fewer variables to manage.  Hence greater reliability.  It's not magic or some sort of Apple brilliance.

Used Windows Phone purchase and set-up

I purchased a used Samsung Focus, locked to the Rogers network, recently.  OS was also not up-to-date.  I made sure the phone was Samsung rev 1.3 (how?) as I heard reports on Windows Weekly that rev 1.4 could not update to Mango.  Here's my experience:

• Downloaded Zune software.  While it has a very slick UI (compared to any software, but especially iTunes), updating over the air, as per latest iOS updates, is much more friendly
• Connected phone using USB cable, checked for Updates
• Found Update 7403, began downloading and installing.  I went to do something else
• For at least half-an-hour, Zune is indicating something about "checking for space".  I hit Cancel
• Re-check for Updates, found Mango (7720).  Installed
• Then Zune found Samsung Update for Windows Phone

I was glad I didn't have to do anything silly like suddenly disconnecting the phone as per http://www.winrumors.com/how-to-force-official-windows-phone-7-5-mango-update-onto-your-device/.  Also, all of this was done with a phone without a SIM installed yet.

At one point, don't remember what phone was supposed to be doing, the phone went into a "Download mode" with a yellow warning triangle saying it would be done in about 10 minutes.  Time went by and it was stuck that way.  Eventually I took out the battery.  After starting back up, everything was fine. 

I also put in a Kingston 4 GB MicroSD that I purchased a few months ago, not heeding the warnings about incompatible MicroSD cards.  I followed the instructions included in the box with the Focus and everything went well:  the phone now has a (measly) 10-something usable GB (12 GB total).

To try things out, I put in a Bell SIM card from my Mi-Fi device.  The phone prompted me to enter the PIN to unlock the phone.  I ordered the unlock code from http://www.cellunlocker.net/ (providing the IMEI code for my phone) for $7.99 USD and after about 9 hours (it was a Saturday), I received the unlock code, which worked!

So you want to create a flowchart ...

Here are some options for creating a flowchart, from best to worst:

1. Microsoft Visio - hopefully you have access to an installation of Visio as it is the best tool for most diagramming purposes (consider UMLet for UML diagrams).  Even if you don't have it on your own machine, you should see if you can access it on a work computer, e.g., via Citrix or Remote Desktop
2. Google Docs - The "Drawing" document type is surprisingly powerful, considering this is a web application.  A few drawbacks:
1. Difficulty getting connecting arrow-ended lines completely horizontal; sometimes just a few degrees off but noticeable
2. Application does not appear to have a right-angle, arrow-ended connecting line
3. When entering text for a node in the diagram, upon pressing Enter to save the text, the text can take several unnerving seconds (5+) to appear on the node.  This may be related to a slow network connection and the text not appearing until it has been saved to the Google Docs server from the web browser.  If you double-click on your blank node, your text will appear in the edit box, but again, it may take time to appear on the actual diagram node.
4. Connecting lines cannot have text associated with them.  Have to add in a text shape and Group with connecting line
3. Open Office Draw - looks promising at first but it is horrid.  I got into a situation where suddenly text I had entered for a node several steps before became misaligned and when I entered text for a connecting line, it was in white, despite never doing anything that should cause either to happen.  Worse yet, I could not Undo to get back to a good state for my diagram