Motorola Q: Three month review

I’ve had my black Motorola Q for a few months and figured I’d revisit the review I wrote a while back. You can read my first impressions here, but keep in mind I’d only had the phone a few days.

Looking back to that first review the positive traits pretty much match up to my impressions today. The screen is quite nice, it’s relatively thin and easy to handle and it works well as an email platform with Exchange server report. Voice quality isn’t bad either.

moto-q-black-1 But the Q has one major problem I can’t overstate: it’s a terrible phone.

When people ask me how I like the Q I tell them that it makes a very good email and text device. It’s not bad at basic web browsing either. But if you’re looking for a great phone, this isn’t it.

What makes it a bad phone? The keys are just to dang small which leads to making numerous typing mistakes. I assumed the mistakes would decrease they longer I had the phone. Not a chance. With my old Motorola E815, I could input the numbers by feel. But the Q requires your utmost attention. And even then you’re likely to make mistakes. It’s an exercise in frustration. If the person you want to call is in your contact list or has called recently, it’s takes pressing a few buttons to make the call. But having to input the number manually is maddening.

I use the data features a lot more than I do the phone. Due mostly to my line of work, email is the preferred method of communication and the Q works quite well for that. I’m also to able to read my RSS feeds through Bloglines which is nice.

One other reason I stick with the Q is that someone at Microsoft wrote a fantastic traffic application. I don’t believe it’s available publicly so I can’t link to a download (here’s what it looks like), but it’s the best traffic application I’ve seen on a smartphone. Living about 25 mile south of Seattle and commuting into Redmond each day, I’ve come to rely on this nifty little application. I know there are web based product with similar functionality, but I like not having to launch my browser each time I want traffic updates.

So I can’t recommend the Q primarily as a phone. If you’re a data first, phone second kind of person, it may fit your needs though. If that’s the case it would help to have thin, nimble fingers.

Google vs. Microsoft Live Search Part 1

As more and more pages flood the net, it’s getting increasing difficult to find relevant search results within the first few results. I don’t have much patience when it comes to search. I expect to find what I’m after in the first 2 or 3 results or I try something else. I was reminded of this when I did a search this morning. I was looking for the Fantasy area of the Sportsline website so I went to Google and typed “Sportsline” and here are the first three results:

sportsline1

As you can see, Google organizes the different departments under the main search topic. In this case, it’s easy to see “Fantasy” listed under CBS Sportsline giving me the result I’m after.

Here are the same results using Microsoft Live Search:

live1

You’ll notice that the first three results all go to the same site, CBS Sportsline, but the results are not as helpful at getting me to the right area. In fact, they are a bit confusing. It appears that the 2nd result is related to the first result which it is. Yet the third result looks like it should an entirely different website which it isn’t.

Google does a better job at getting me to the result faster. It’s similar to looking at a directory at a department store: Once I’m in the store, I go to the kids shoes or men’s department. If know the parent site, Google does a better job at getting me to the right area/department. Both do a good job at getting me to the parent site but so did Web Crawler and Alta Vista. Google has raised the stakes again.

Take a look at the following results and you’ll see what I mean:

  1. Search for “ESPN” at Google and Live – Google organizes the major areas (MLB, NBA, NFL) . Live keeps you searching down the list of results.
  2. Search for “Delta Airlines” at Google and Live – Google organizes Delta links under the main search term making it easy to navigate right to Flight schedules or Reservations. Live gets the main Delta site correct but isn’t much help after that. I’d have to click on that result and the click through the Delta site to get to the area I’m after.
  3. Search for “Nordstrom” at Google and Live – Both place ads up top but Live places 3 and Google places just one. This one isn’t even close. Look how well organized the Google results are compared to Live’s results where the first result links to a Nordstrom store in San Francisco. Huh? I live in Seattle. One thing I do like about the results on Live is the “related searches” selection on the far right.

Google generally does a better job at getting me to the result I’m after faster than anything else. Maybe this has something to do with the experience Google has gathered over the years. It has an uncanny way of determining what I’m after better than anything else.

Microsoft Live has a ways to go before I’d consider using it full time. Just getting me the parent site isn’t enough anymore.

5 things I’ve learned as a manager

My first job out of college was manager of a retail store. I spent half the time managing 10 employees an the other half traveling to gift shows purchasing product to sell in my store. It didn’t take long to figure out that I was a pretty good buyer, but terrible manager.

Over the years I learned from that experience and have been given the opportunity to figure out what my management style is and attempt to improve upon those early failures.

In my current job I manage a group of 35 technicians. But in reality, I’m more of a “sounding board” than anything else. Here is a list of things I’ve learned that have helped me over the years:

  1. Listen – One of the hardest things to do is also the most important. It’s hard to bite my tongue at times but it’s usually the best thing to do. Back to the sounding board description: I’ve found that many people just need someone to listen to them as they work out the problem in real time. If you jump in with a solution, you’ve robbed them of a great opportunity
  2. Get Out – What I mean is get out of your office. If you sit behind a desk with the door partially closed, you’re not accessible. In fact, if you can sit near your team and give the office to someone else, do it! You won’t believe how much more you’ll learn about your team if you do. Go to lunch, shoot hoops, play a game or anything else that lower the barriers. I enjoy playing Xbox games with the techs even though I get my butt kicked every time. If you’re approachable during the good times, you stand a better chance of hearing about the problems in a timely fashion when there’s still time to react. 
  3. Be a Good Friend – I’ve never understood managers who don’t believe they should be a friend to their employees. This doesn’t mean you have to get together to watch the Survivor finale, but it does mean that you treat them kindly like you would a friend. It means giving them honest feedback like your best friends do. It means going to bat for them when needed and looking out for their well being and spending time with them. I’ve learned it’s ok to ask for their advice and solicit feedback on important decisions. My boss calls this “putting skin in the game”.
  4. Be Kind – It’s easy to be kind at the Christmas party or company meeting. Or right after anonymous surveys were sent out to gather feedback on the management team. But how do you treat your employees on Monday morning when you’re tired and all you want to do is finish an email? Do you make meeting with them a priority? I’ve found that it’s the small gestures that matter the most. The simple hello or smile in the hallway. The quick email sending kudos for a job well done. Those carry far more weight than any pep talk you’ll ever give.
  5. Admit Mistakes – This is a tough one. But you’re going to make mistakes as a manager and it’s better to admit, fix and move on. I’ve found my team to be a lot more forgiving when I admit to a mistake rather than acting like it didn’t happen. Acting like nothing happened just perpetuates the notion that management is detached or just plain clueless. Or both.

    I still have a lot to learn and continue to make my share of mistakes. But I’m learning from those mistakes and watching how others manage to see what I can glean. It’s an ongoing learning process, but one that’s made more enjoyable because of 35 hard working, fun and eccentric individuals.

    DilbertTeeShirt

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How to find and download TV shows

Chris Soghoian wrote an excellent article over at cNet about how much easier it has become to download your favorite TV shows without the shackles of DRM.

I’ve been looking forward to watching season 2 of the IT Crowd that’s shown on the BBC. The first season was posted to the BBC website but they blocked US visitors from viewing which is so very absurd. I suppose this had something to do with the fact that NBC has licensed the show and plans to bring it US audiences this fall like the did with the Office.

But what if I want to watch the original episodes that aired on the BBC? I can’t buy them on iTunes. I can’t buy from off the BBC website. I can’t even purchase the DVDs. About all I can do is watch the low quality Flash versions on You Tube.

In the past I’ve searched Pirate Bay or MiniNova for single episodes. It’s not the best solution but was the only solution until I came across Soghoian’s article today. See his article for more details but my new way of getting the IT Crowd is the following:

  1. Download Miro which is sweet video player that supports BitTorrent and RSS. This allows you to subscribe to your favorite TV program and have it automatically downloaded to your computer when it becomes available.
  2. Once you have Miro installed, all you need is the RSS feed to the program you want to watch/download. You’ll find a huge number of TV feeds at tvRSS including the IT Crowd.
  3. Once you have the RSS feed, open Miro, go to Channel and add a new channel by giving it the RSS feed you found.

Here’s a picture of Miro grabbing IT Crowd episodes. Speeds vary but I’m usually able to download an episode in about one or two hours. Miro also plays most formats. You may never launch Windows Media Player again.

I’ll buy the DVDs like I did with The Office when was playing on the BBC and they only way to get it was by Bit Torrent until the DVDs arrived. BTW, the US version of The Office is great. But the BBC version is pure genius. There’s only one David Brent.

miro

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The Bridge

Kim and I watched a documentary called The Bridge tonight about people who decide to commit suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We’d seen a special on TV (20/20 or Dateline) a while back about the filming of this movie and why it was considered by many to be controversial. Although it was tough to watch in parts, it wasn’t as depressing as it may sound.

The director, Eric Steele, interviews the friends and family members of many of the people who decided to jump, including one young man who miraculously lived to explain his desire to die. As this boy jumped, he decided in midair that he wanted to live so he twists and contorts his body so that he’d hit the water feet first.

But the most dramatic footage comes from the multiple cameras Steele placed around the bridge that captured many of the jumpers in shots ranging from close ups to shots of distant shots where the sound of the splash tell us what just happened. A years worth of footage captured 23 people who jumped to their death.  This footage is so captivating and nerve wracking because, as it’s shown, you have no idea who is going to jump over the rail at any moment. The people come from all walks of life and it’s impossible to determine who the next victim is merely by what they are wearing or how they are carrying themselves.

We learn that the Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular suicide destination in the world with over 1300 confirmed deaths since it opened in 1937.

I visited the bridge with my parents when I was 12 years old. I recall sitting on a bus as we drove over the gigantic, golden span. The tour guide explained to us that only a handful of people had survived the jump. At the time I assumed people jumped for the thrill. It was chilling as a 12 year old to hear that and I felt a similar chill watching this movie tonight. It’s eerie. It’s disturbing. It’s honest. It’s not something I’ll soon forget.

A few of my favorite German words

Reading my mother-in-laws blog I was reminded how much I enjoyed learning to speak German. It was a challenge learning another language but it was rewarding as well.

I served a two year LDS mission in central Germany and found the area to be gorgeous and the people to be very warm and kind. It certainly helped bridge a portion of the culture gap when I was able to speak their native language.

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed coming across words that have slipped into the English language. Here are a few such words as well as a few others that make me laugh:

Schadenfreude – a German once described this to me as, “It’s not enough that I win, but you must fail”. It fits quite well with the more traditional definition of “finding joy in another person’s sorrow”.

Zeitgeist – Yes, it’s a bit trendy these days. It’s even the name of a great coffee shop in Seattle’s Pioneer Square district. Loosely defined as “the spirit of the times”

Staubsauger – This word for vacuum means “dust sucker” when translated directly. I still find that humorous after all these years.

Scheissfreundlich – You can break it down yourself for the direct translation but this word means “overly nice” but a bit stronger. There’s something about how it flows off the tongue that makes it perfect in use.

Mach doch keine Pee Pee in der Kuche – It’s the equivalent of “Hey, hold your horses!” but directly translated it means, “Don’t pee in the kitchen”.

Schlag Sahne – Simply means whipped cream. But the word “Schlag” is used so often it just sounds funny to me. “Schlag” also means to punch or beat or hit. How about some punched cream on that pie?

If you speak German you may enjoy this passage from Mark Twain called “The Awful German Language“.

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Windows Live Writer Beta 3 now available

If someone had told me that the best Microsoft product I’d use in years was a small blogging tool with an odd name, I would have called them crazy. Yet with all the hoopla surrounding Vista (not to mention all the problems) it’s been the virtually unknown Windows Live Writer that’s impressed me the most. This product can’t possibly fly under the radar for much longer.

I’ve introduced a number of friends and family to Windows Live Writer and every person has said nearly the same thing, “I had no idea posting to my blog could be this easy”. I wrote about my favorite features in an earlier post and they work just as well today. It also works great with WordPress.

I noticed tonight that the Live Writer team has released beta 3 for download which I did tonight. Even in beta, it’s been a very solid product to use.

Give it a try if you’re still updating your blog the old fashioned way.

Can someone explain why the download includes Windows Live Messenger? Is that a requirement? I guess I just get a bit nervous when a product includes additional payload I wasn’t aware of.

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The Library

When I read a book review or a friend recommends a book that sounds interesting my first instinct is to login to Amazon and buy the book. I still do this occasionally but I’ve started using the library. Kim and the kids have been checking out books from the Auburn and Covington branches since we moved here two years ago. Kim checks out a lot of books for herself and the kids. Sometimes we’ll come across one we’d like to add to our collection which we’ll buy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. One such book that Lincoln loves is “I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More“.

The King County Library system makes it easy to login to their website and reserve books. When the book is ready to be picked up, we receive an email. Today, Kim picked up “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” that I’ve wanted to read for a few bucks.

I’m impressed with the library’s selection and service so far. And it’s saving me several hundred dollars a year if not more.

The simplicity of soccer

While I was serving an LDS mission in Germany, a man asked me to explain the rules of baseball. I’d been in Germany for over a year and spoke German well, or so I thought. I started by explaining each position starting with the pitcher and catcher and then moving around the infield and finally outfield. This kind man listened intently. He then asked me to describe a few more areas of the game such as walks, strikeouts, pop fly outs, home runs, bunting, and base stealing.

It was getting more difficult to describe some areas of the game and I recall asking for a piece of paper so I could sketch a baseball diamond to help him visualize what I was describing.

I started to wonder if this guy had read the encyclopedia entry (this was well before Wikipedia) for baseball because he also asked me to describe a fielders choice, infield fly rule, ground rule double and a suicide squeeze. I had a very difficult time explaining these nuances of the game in German even though I grew up playing baseball all my life.

I mention this because I thought of this experience I had in Germany as I watched my 6-year old daughter play soccer for the first time today. I’m certain that one reason soccer is so popular is because, at the core, it’s a very simple game. At practice today, the coach gathered the girls around to explain the rules. It was the first time playing for a few of them. The coach said, “The objective of soccer to is keep the ball out of our net while kicking it into the opposing team’s net”.  soccer

His description was so simple and so clear that even a 6-year old could understand it. I know there is a lot more to soccer. Although it may be simple to understand it’s extremely challenging to master. One has to be in excellent condition and skilled in many facets of the game. Yet it’s quite easy to begin playing at a young age and the rules are relatively easy to understand.

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