My first impressions of the Kobo WiFi eReader

I finally got around to buying an e-Book reader today and I am now an owner of a brand-new Kobo WiFi eReader. I spent a great deal of time looking into the various options, like the Kindle, and read a lot of reviews of the devices on the market. In the end, going for the Kobo was the most accessible option because I could walk into my local Futureshop and pick it up (it was also on sale, which helped).

This little first impressions isn't going to go into the nitty-gritty details and it's not going to go on a feature comparison spree. I am going to tell you what my needs are and whether the Kobo was up for the challenge.

Tablets, tablets, and more tablets. Does anybody have an advil?

Tablets seem to be all the hype nowadays: Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad, iPad 2, BlackBerry PlayBook, Dell Streak, and I'm probably forgetting a few more. With so many devices to choose from, I find myself asking whether I want one. The answer I keep coming up with is "definitely not."

I dreamed a dream; an Android dream

I have a dream. I have a dream that, one day, an Android phone user will be able to browse through a catalog of OS versions and install the one he/she prefers instead of being limited to manufacturer- and carrier-specific customizations that may or may not work as advertised. I have a dream that HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola embrace the spirit of openness and allow their consumers to choose to void their warranties by unlocking their phones' bootloaders to make modifications to their device as they wish. I have a dream today!

Am I Paying Enough Yet?

Hypothetical situation: you have just broken free of your previous 3-year contract and are just about ready to sign on the dotted line for another 3-year term and a phone upgrade. You call in and spend an hour on the phone chatting with a customer service representative, declining all offers to upgrade your services which would double your monthly payments. All the details and prices are finalized when the representative informs you that you will need to pay an additional $25 administrative fee to be able to buy a new phone with your new contract. You're shocked and a little outraged. You ask what exactly you're paying $25 for and you get the typically-scripted response:

There are significant costs in terms of processing, administration, inventory management fulfillment, stocking, shipping and handling every time a phone is ordered.

Unfortunately, this situation isn't hypothetical.

Who Do I Text Most? Who Cares?

Among the myriad of useless mobile news postings (this one included, of course), I stumbled across this little gem: Sony Ericsson's Facebook fanbase texts more to their friends than to their parents.

There was no exact number of the number of responses bt [sic] the results came in with 60% of fans saying they text “friends” over anyone else. “Girlfriends” came in second with 20% and “Boyfriend” arrived in 3rd spot 12.5% of votes. Parents came dead last with only 7.5%.

Never Fear Network Congestion with "Data Priority Service" from Rogers

Rumour has it that Rogers is considering a priority-based access system to data services during times of network congestion. Customers who elect to pay for this service would have their data usage prioritized over that of those who do not. For a meager $10 a month, you can rest assured that you are less likely to experience the effects of network congestion while streaming a video or surfing your favourite website. During an earthquake. While everyone around you is trying, desperately, to tweet about it.