racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

I’ve recently rekindled my passion for all things automotive, and among these is one of my own sites, www.pinoyautoblog.com.

The site has actually been online for some time now, but it’s only now that I’m able to fill it in with actual practical tips and news. Just recently, I’ve been able to review a Toyota Vios and test-drive a Nissan Grand Livina and a Ford Everest.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to do a full review of the Vios. However, as it probably is with most auto dealers locally, it’s perhaps not as easy to get media units for review, like other gadget manufacturers (such as mobile phone and laptops). But we do welcome review requests. In fact, we’d be glad to oblige!

I recently received a review unit of SonyEricsson’s latest Xperia X1 Smartphone. As a disclosure, SonyEricsson has actually given me the uniit gratis, meaning it’s a review model, but I don’t have to return it ever (like some other laptops, cars, planes and boats I’ve reviewed). Thanks to Buensalido & associates (SonyEricsson’s PR agent) and Mad Crowd Media, who selected the Xperia recipients—four from the blogosphere and about 10 from traditional media.

I know about the implications of reviewing stuff given for free, but let’s leave that to another discussion, like a post I started on Performancing.

First impressions

And so my first impression of the Xperia is, of course wow! It’s been a long time since I owned a SonyEricsson phone, and boy have they gone a long way. Sony has always been great at style, and they’ve styled this phone well. The phone comes in a brushed-metal (aluminum) casing, which is sure to be durable and stylish at the same time. One look at this phone and you would think it means business.

Hardware

The Xperia takes the form factor of a slider phone, but the sliding mechanism is not what you would normally see with phones like Nokia’s N-series, with a numeric keypad revealing when you slide the screen up vertically. The Xperia slides sideways (when the phone is standing right side up) and reveals a QWERTY keyboard. So the screen actually slides up when the phone is lying down on its side.

This form factor is common in the American market, I would think, with the popularity of email there, and with their preference for typing SMS through QWERTY rather than multitap or T9 (T9 being my preferred method). This makes the phone difficult, if not impossible, to use one-handed while typing on the QWERTY keypad.

Out of the box, the Xperia is designed to be as pleasant to use as possible. The package includes a USB cable, which doubles as the charger when plugged into the mains-to-USB adaptor, stereo earphones with mic, and an extra stylus.

What’s great with the earphone is that the mic attachment plugs into the Xperia using a special 3.5-inch plug. But the earphone extension comes with a regular 3.5-inch plug, which means you can plug in other, possibly better, earphones to listen to music.

The Xperia comes with a 1500 mAH battery pack, which usually lasts me a day of regular use—WiFi turned on all the time, some 3G use and web browsing and replying to emails. I wouldn’t trust these kinds of phones to last longer than a day and a half because of the high power requirements of the hardware. So don’t leave home without the charger or at least the USB cable, which can charge the phone when plugged into a computer.

The phone’s touch screen is a bit on the small side, at three inches. The iPhone, for instance, gives more screen real estate. But the Xperia has a resolution of 800×480, which is actually the resolution of my old seven-inch netbook (the Asus EeePC 701) so I think that’s sharp enoguh. This might cause those with less than perfect eyesight to have to strain from the small text.

The screen is really bright, though, and very usable even when under direct sunlinght. The phone also features adaptive lighting, which adjusts the brightness of the screen and the keypad to match ambient lighting.

Software

The Xperia’s main feature is its touch-screen interface. This is a highlight of Windows Mobile phones, and shares much of the interface features of its Windows Mobile-powered PDA brethren such as the HP iPAQ and the like. This can be an advantage for people who are used to Windows Mobile or Windows CE (wince?). But for those who are used to Symbian, there might be a bit of a learning curve. Do note that previously SonyEricsson used Symbian series 90 in its smartphones.

As for me, I come from the Symbian Series 60, but I’m not entirely alien to Windows Mobile. The main advantage of using Windows mobile is that it’s supposedly easier to sync with Windows-powered computers and over corporate servers that run Microsoft exchange. Email setup is a cinch, especially if you use Outlook. For folks like myself who run everything off Gmail, the phone’s built-in Internet Explorer browser is fine. Actually, the phones comes bundled with Opera Mobile, which is, in my opinion, a better mobile browser.

Connectivity

The Xperia has a plethora of connectivity options, including the now-common GPRS, but the phone features 3G and HSDPA (or 3.5G) and even HSUPA for higher-speed broadband access. You can also connect to your home or office network, or public hotspot using the built-in WiFi radio, which can help save money, in case your data plan is not unlimited. The Xperia X1 also has BlueTooth EDR and even Infrared, in case you plan to go old school and beam up contacts and files to other folks who still have Infrared.

There are some gripes, though, when it comes to the WiFi connection interface. With the Symbian Series 60, I’m able to tell the system to ask me where to connect each time it needs to connect. That way, my phone (a Nokia E51) does not needlessly connect to the cellular network when there are other options, or when I simply don’t want to connect. With Windows Mobile 6.1, apparently the system does the thinking for you and automatically connects to the Internet via the cellular network when no WiFi access points are detected. For instance, you have Skype for WM turned on, but you leave the hotspot you’re currently connected through. The phone will automatically log in via cellular, or whichever network is available.

This is actually a feature, as it guarantees uninterrupted Internet connection. But the software does not give you an option to do otherwise.

You can find yourself bleeding money from being logged in to your cellular provider’s 3G network even when you’re not actually using the phone’s Internet capabilities, and even when your phone’s just in your pocket. In contrast, Symbian will ask explicitly where to connect before it does any connecting.

More to come

There’s more to come, as I publish my experiences with the SonyEricsson Xperia X1 in the next few days.

I’ve been on the lookout for a contingency connection for those times that my main Bayan DSL account lets me down (which is oftentimes these days). I do have a 3.5G (HSDPA) enabled mobile phone, which I can use as a modem via BlueTooth, but somehow I have found that option to be cumbersome. First, it causes my mobile phone battery to drain quickly, and so it’s not exactly an elegant solution as I would have to worry about notebook/netbook batteries and mobile phone batteries discharging. Also, it’s a bit expensive when used heavily, at PhP 5 per 15 minutes on the Globe network. Sure that’s cheap enough for on the go browsing, but when you’re using your internet connection the whole day, you end up spending more.

Smart recently announced the availability of an unlimited plan that comes with a USB HSDPA modem for PhP 1,500 per month (about $30 per month) and so I decided to visit a nearby Smart Wireless center to inquire and possibly apply. As I submitted my application form I was told that the modem that came with postpaid plans was still the old white Huawei-supplied one, and this reportedly had many connectivity, compatibility and reliability issues. And I was told approval would take two to three days.

I decided to pick up a prepaid kit for the meantime, to evaluate Smart’s service. I’m primarily a Globe user, and so my 3.5G-enabled mobile phone runs on the Globe network. Best try out Smart’s service this time.

Great things about the prepaid kit are:

• It came with the newer, black USB modem that looks just like a pen drive. This means no dongles to mess up your otherwise wireless set-up.
• It’s cheap at PhP 2,800 net (you have to pay PhP 2,500 for the modem, which includes the SIM card and PhP 100 prepaid load, then you have to purchase a PhP 300 prepaid card).
• It’s prepaid, so there is no need for contracts, lock-ins, or proof of identity/income, as is usual with postpaid plans.
• If you have an existing Smart prepaid or postpaid SIM, you can also use these to connect. Standard rates apply.

So far, so good. It’s been a reliable mobile connection for me, for those times I need to connect while out of the office, or when my home-office connection is simply too slow.

I do get slow speeds when the cell site I’m connected to has non-existent or weak HSDPA signals. With this, it tops at 300+ Kbps. Where there are no 3G signals, it tops at 200+ Kbps (EDGE) or 56 Kbps (GPRS). It sucks, but when it’s your only option you will take it. So far I’m able to access most services and ports I need, including instant messengers, FTP, cPanel and the like, where previously these wireless networks imposed some prohibitions with non-HTTP ports.

The provided software was a breeze to install. The USB modem itself has read-only storage, so the drivers for Windows and OS X (Tiger and Leopard) are included. You may have to download drivers and do some tweaks for Linux, though.

You can always just dialup using your OS’s dialer, but the bundled software gives you more options, like the ability to detect what kind of signal you are currently getting, and the ability to lock connection to certain types only (the connection moves across HSDPA, 3G, GPRS, and EDGE depending on signal strength and availability).

Speedtest results

168 Kbps down on EDGE.

1.2 Mbps on HSDPA

Some photos

The retail kit:

Contents:

With the SIM card:

With a USB pen drive (to compare and illustrate size):

With the SIM card just peeking out:

Attached to an HP mini note netbook:

The main advantage, as I see it, is that this takes out the necessity to bring an extra phone or to use your extra phone just to connect. The main disadvantage is that you do have to shell out some money for the unit itself. But at PhP 2,800, that’s already a steal. A couple of weeks ago, this was still retailing at PhP 3,800 (PhP 4,500 farther back).

I do hope my unlimited plan gets approved soon. When that time comes I’ll really get to put the system to an abuse test—whether it can take sustained speeds, and whether it can serve as a reliable connectivity option full-time. Of course I cannot share it among my various computers simultaneously, but again my purpose is for backup connectivity that I can also use while mobile.

When I get that plan approved, I would use it instead with this black modem and I would probably sell the white one (along with the prepaid SIM) or keep it as backup.

Updates: From research, I discovered that the black USB dongle sold with this prepaid pack is the LongCheer WM66. I believe that’s a relative newcomer, compared to Huawei and ZTE, which supplies most other dongles out there. Huawei is usually un-lockable, while ZTE dongles are more difficult (if possible at all) to unlock. But at PhP 2,500 for a prepaid kit, these things are cheap already!

Also, I have a Globe Visibility prepaid kit review upcoming!

Performancing has recently re-launched its pMetrics blog analytics package. While there are a multitude of blog stats software and services out there, this one is specifically intended for bloggers, and is intended to be as intuitive and easy to use for tracking blog stats and performance.

Ryan Caldwell has announced that Performancing will give 12 months free premium subscription to bloggers who will review pMetrics. The service is actually free, but this is only for blogs that get less than 1,000 page views per day on average. I’m afraid the J Spot gets more than this (thankfully), so here I am reviewing the service so I can get the premium package.

Disclaimer: Performancing is part of Splashpress Media, the group I work for and help manage. However, this review is intended to be as objective as possible. I could prolly get pMetrics free, anyway, but to be fair to all concerned I’m reviewing it here.

My co-editor over at Jack of All Blogs has reviewed pMetrics already, and he has included some of the screen caps I intended to be part of a review on JOAB. However, I thought of passing it on to another contributor there so I can review pMetrics here instead (and get the freebies!).

Fast, user-friendly

I’ve been using the old Performancing Metrics, and I can say pMetrics is a whole different thing. Metrics was a bit slow (sometimes slowed down loading of my site), and the stats interface wasn’t too user friendly. pMetrics, meanwhile didn’t seem to cause slowdowns in loading (as is characteristic with some javascript on any site). And what I really like is the fast and straightforward interface.

I agree with Performancing that pMetrics indeed lets you see important stats at a glance, and without having to dig down deep.

That’s actually one of my gripes with Google Analytics. I guess it’s able to get the same amount of information as pMetrics, but it doesn’t present the data the way I like. Besides, Analytics is designed not only for blogs, so pMetrics has an advantage in terms of tracking the important stuff when it comes to blogging.

I particularly like the Spy feature, which lets users watch in (almost) real time what people are doing on their blogs.

Other features, which I think should be standard with any blog analytics software are those that present data and ranking on popular posts, keywords, and referrers.

Some recommendations

The Performancing team says it will continue adding features and functionalities to pMetrics. Here are some suggestions.

• Considering blog softwares like WordPress let users sign in with their own usernames (such as with team blogs, or for leaving comments), pMetrics could also keep track of users so blog owners could track the actions of each member. Big Brother-y, I know, but I think this would be interesting.
• pMetrics requires users to dig into their theme files to paste in a few lines of code. Maybe Performancing can also create a plugin (for WordPress, for instance) for this purpose. It might make it easier to install.
• I wonder if users of hosted services without access to their theme codes (like WordPress.com) can use pMetrics on their sites. Perhaps Performancing can partner with these services.
• Perhaps pMetrics should also provide analytics on where people actually click (hot spots, as they call it). This would help improve site usability and design, and even in optimizing placement of links/ads.

To conclude, I think pMetrics would be a useful tool for any blogger interested in watching his/her stats. An analytics package is an indespensable tool in blogging, whether you’re analyzing your stats to improve your readership, optimize for searches, or just watch what your readers are doing. If you’re just starting out, then pMetrics is very ideal because it’s free. If you already have good readership, then the $14.99/year (or $2/month) is reasonable enough.

And I’m not just recommending pMetrics because they’re giving me a free premium account (Hint! Hint!).

So I posted yesterday about Max’s PR agent, Press Inc., handing out free passes to Max’s first day of offering its Power Breakfast line. I got 15 passes, while my mom got 10, mine I shared with some friends and relatives. About 9:00 a.m. this morning, we headed out to Max’s at Quezon Memorial Circle to avail ourselves of the free meals.

Our feedback: we were disappointed.

Food was above average. Coffee was excellent. But frankly the service was not so great. We had to wait more than an hour after ordering to be served.

We’re regular Max’s customers, so we would know if something was amiss. For one, we were seriously thinking that we weren’t given much priority because we weren’t paying customers.

Food

Okay, let’s first talk about the food. By the time we arrived, we were told the restaurant alreay ran out of their beef Tapa meal, which most of us badly wanted to try. So we ordered the fried bangus (milkfish), sausage, and pepperoni omelet meals, as well as champorado (chocolate rice porridge).

We were also informed by the wait staff that they were unable to serve their brewed coffee. So the served us instant coffee instead (and that was after 40 minutes of waiting). At this point, I was already a bit fuming because the PR people were showcasing Max’s Indonesian Arabica coffee as the highlight of their breakfast line.

Priority?

Service was slow, but this would’ve been understandable, since the restaurant only started serving breakfast meals today. But what ticked me off was that apparently some customers who came in after us were being prioritized. For instance, there was a couple who came in about an hour after us, and they were served within five minutes of ordering. These were the very same meals we ordered (sausage). They were paying clients. They finished eating and left even before we were served with our orders.

A friend of mine also decided to avail of his free breakfast there, and he told me service was really slow.

I told my mother I had half a mind to approach the store manager. And we did. We told him that we dined at Max’s because we were sent complimentary breakfast passes under the assumption that we could help spread the word by reviewing the food and experience on our blogs and online publications. And I told the manager that this incident would seriously affect how I would review the promo/offering. After all, being bloggers, we are usually honest and candid about our reviews. And we don’t even need to be given free stuff to write favorable reviews. If we really like something, then we would be glad to blog about it in a positive light, even if—or perhaps particularly if—we were paying customers.

The manager apologized, and told us they really weren’t exactly prepared to meet the huge demand in breakfast meals, and in light of this promo, about 70% of the clients this morning availed of the free meal. He also said the coffee machine broke down. I pointed out my concern that we felt being discriminated against because we were availing free meals. Other people were served quite quickly.

Served, at last!

It was only after talking to the manager that he told us he would follow up our orders. After about 10 minutes, we were served. And that included the brewed coffee.

I was quite okay with the sausage, but my wife and brother-in-law said the sauce/glazing was too overwhelming. The bangus was tasty, but a bit oily. And the pepperoni omelet was on the salty side. Saving grace for Max’s was the champorado, which was great—very chocolatey and creamy. And the coffee was excellent.

My mom and siblings, who were served earlier (they came in about an hour earlier than us), complained that their champorado was cold, though.

Bad taste

I also texted Blooey singson of Press, Inc. to tell her about the incident, and she said she will have Max’s management look into it. This is definitely bad press, especially for a company asking for honest opinions and reviews. And this should be a lesson to companies launching promos. They should not discriminate against people who would avail of free stuff.

So would we still eat at Max’s? I would say yes. It’s still great casual dining at reasonable prices. But then this incident left a bad taste in the mouth. Our time was wasted and we felt badly treated. So this will stick in our minds for quite some time. And we probably won’t recommend Max’s power breakfast line to our friends for now.

If I had reviewed Max’s Power Breakfast Line in tenminut.es fashion, their ten minutes would have been over long before it even begins.

Update: changed pronoun references to Blooey. I just realized Blooey is a she, and not a he! Also, apparently other branches were better. I hear they treated coupon-holders like royalty, as Noemi relates here (she also has a review of the Power Breakfast, but she dined at the Katipunan branch).