Yearly Archives: 2011

Blackberry vs iPhone 4s (After Two Months of Use)

By Joe Golton | Published: December 23, 2011

People tend to optimize their next purchase based on the worst feature of their prior purchase. That is clearly why I bought a Blackberry in 2008 after experiencing a phone with terrible voice quality and numerous dropped calls.

Blackberry delivered. I experienced voice quality comparable to that of a land line during my 3.5 years of Blackberry (8320, 9700) ownership. The siren calls from iPhone and Android devices had no effect on me during this time. By nearly all accounts, iPhones were great pocket computers with lousy phones and Android devices required too much fiddling to suit my tastes.

Then the iPhone 4s came out, promising decent voice call quality, improved battery life, and a better notification system. In other words, a great pocket computer and a great communication device. I decided to switch, and I wrote about this decision here.

Now that I’ve been using an iPhone 4s for nearly 2 months, I’d like to revisit my decision. Is the iPhone 4s performing as expected? How does it compare to the Blackberry 9700 I used for 2 years? Do I have any regrets? You may find some of my answers surprising. Read More »

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Filed in category: Essays

Kindle DX $259 Black Friday Deal

By Joe Golton | Published: November 24, 2011

Normally $379, through November 28 you can buy the Kindle DX at Amazon for $259. This is the best E Ink reader currently available for reading PDFs, thanks to the large 9.7″ screen. It connects via free 3G, not WiFi.

It’s a great deal if you want a larger E Ink display. It’s also a chance to support FilterJoe with commissions from Amazon for each DX (or anything else) purchased from Amazon after clicking on this link.

FilterJoe isn’t a deal site but I’ve been surprised about the number of clicks to the Nook deal from yesterday’s posting. So I’ll continue posting all the Black Friday deals I can find on products or services I’ve discussed. Maybe I’ll make this an annual tradition.

I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to all my readers. Since early October, FilterJoe has had over 5,000 pageviews per week. Thank You!

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Filed in category: Uncategorized

Black Friday Specials 1Password and Nook Simple Touch

By Joe Golton | Published: November 23, 2011

Two products I’ve discussed on FilterJoe are selling at the lowest prices I’ve ever seen on Black Friday: 1Password (50% off) and the Nook Simple Touch ($79). Read More »

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Filed in category: Uncategorized

Nook Simple Touch Firmware Update 1.1.0

By Joe Golton | Published: November 8, 2011

The Nook Simple Touch received a major software update yesterday. Barnes and Noble’s communications around this update were confusing, and they have not published a detailed list of changes and bug fixes. News outlets have added to the confusion by parroting the Barnes and Noble press release without doing any fact checking.

In this post I’ll lay out the facts about the update, and then I’ll discuss my opinion about these changes in the context of my prior review of the Nook Simple Touch. Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing

Blackberry vs. iPhone: No Longer a Contest

By Joe Golton | Published: October 19, 2011

I like my Blackberry 9700. It’s a great communication device with outstanding voice quality and messaging. Unfortunately, I’ve managed to submerge it in water once and drop it on sidewalks a few times. Remarkably, it has few issues so far. But given the water damage, I’m thinking this Blackberry may soon quit working altogether. Time to upgrade.

I briefly considered the impressive Galaxy S II, but I prefer smaller (single hand) devices and more polished operating systems. An inexpensive grandfathered plan gives me an incentive to stick with Blackberry on T-mobile, but the iPhone’s 336 PPI Retina display beckons. Blackberry Bold 9900 or iPhone 4s. Which one?

iPhone 4s. No contest. Here’s why. Read More »

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Filed in category: Essays

Which is the Best E-reader? The Nook Simple Touch?

By Joe Golton | Published: September 28, 2011

Using a dedicated portable reading device is one of the best ways I know to read digital content without distraction. But selecting an appropriate device can be confusing. My guess is you won’t get the most suitable device for your needs if you ask, “Which is the best e-reader?” Try instead asking the following set of questions: Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing

Best AA Batteries That You Never Heard Of

By Joe Golton | Published: May 30, 2011

Just about everyone uses AA batteries. But few people use the best AA batteries, or have even heard of them.

What are these batteries? Why are they so great? Where can you buy them? What charger do you need to buy? Read More »

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Filed in category: Essays

Smartphones: The Most Pervasive Interruption Technology Ever

By Joe Golton | Published: May 6, 2011

Over the past few years, excitement has been growing for the idea of an “everything device” that you carry in your pocket. Why carry many separate physical and electronic devices for your phone, address book, calendar, planner, GPS, books, magazines, etc.? An iPhone, Blackberry, or Android-based smartphone will do it all.

There’s just one problem.

Interruptions. Read More »

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Filed in category: Essays

Risks of Storing Passwords in the Cloud with LastPass

By Joe Golton | Published: May 5, 2011

Two recent incidents highlight the risks of storing passwords in the cloud with LastPass. The official reports from LastPass are here and here. I have updated my popular Which Password Manager post to include a description of these incidents.

Read More »

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Filed in category: Password management

A Guide to Using Passwords Without Distraction

By Joe Golton | Published: April 14, 2011

One of the biggest distractions of modern life is passwords. Many web services and forums require that you set up a separate user name and password. You have to develop and maintain a system to remember it all. And you have to enter these user names and passwords many times per day.

Even the lightest of users may have a dozen or so online accounts and heavy users have hundreds. How do you keep track of all these passwords? Read More »

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Filed in category: Password management

Web Page Reformatting Services Readable and Readability

By Joe Golton | Published: April 11, 2011

With a single click, you can reformat a busy web page so that only the main content is visible. I first wrote about this in Filters for Reading on the Web, where I also discussed why extended reading on a computer monitor is so difficult.

Since that time, there has been an explosion of interest in helping people read without distraction. Apple has included a Readability button with the Safari browser. All browsers but Safari now include a full screen mode. Many web page reformatting services have come and gone.

But Readable and Readability are the two web page reformatting services which came out first, and both have withstood the test of time. Both also came out with new versions in early 2011. Here’s what you need to know about the latest versions. Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing

Best Browsers 2011: Which Is the Best Browser for You?

By Joe Golton | Published: March 15, 2011

In early 2011, there have been major changes to four out of the five browsers that dominate the browser market: Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer. So it’s a great time for my third annual browser comparison, along with recommendations.

In last year’s browser comparison post, I noted that:

“Google’s Chrome browser was designed from the ground up to be good at running web applications, with an underlying architecture that is faster, more secure, and more stable than the competition. Chrome succeeded. The competition responded. Users have benefited.”

I also thought that Chrome deserved the “best browser” award at that time. However, the competition has since greatly improved. Though I again rank the browsers 1 through 5, the gap between #1 and #5 is narrow, as the current versions are all very good. Each browser is best for a different set of users. Read More »

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Filed in category: Browsers and the cloud

The Best Monitor Setup to Reduce Eye Fatigue and Distraction

By Joe Golton | Published: February 26, 2011

For years I’ve struggled to find a monitor setup that allows me to be the most productive, without causing eye fatigue or eye strain. Here’s my best answer so far:

I now use a vertical monitor with high pixel density. It helps reduce eye fatigue, clicks, and distraction.

Why?

How?

Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing

Distraction-Free Reading on Tablets? Should You Buy One?

By Joe Golton | Published: February 10, 2011

Tablets are the latest tech fad and for good reason. Compared with laptops, they’re more portable, they have longer battery life, and they’re easier to use and maintain. This makes for a superior experience for displaying a wide variety of content. I suspect that within a few years, tablets will be a general purpose computing appliance that is easier to use, maintain, and secure than traditional computers.

But are they good for distraction-free reading of the sort I talk about so much at FilterJoe? Should you spend $500 or more on a tablet for use as a dedicated reader? Or should you stick with a less expensive iPod Touch or Kindle for reading? Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing

iPod touch vs Kindle: Which is Best for Reading?

By Joe Golton | Published: February 7, 2011

Do you spend hours reading computer displays each day? Does this tire your eyes? Me too. So I’m on a mission to find a device on which I can read anything. Ideally, it should be:

  • as easy on my eyes as a paperback book
  • as portable and convenient as a paperback book
  • simple to read for any kind of format
  • simple and free to get reading material onto the device

I tried reading anything on a second generation Kindle. The e-ink screen is easy on my eyes and Kindles are great for reading novels. But the software has many shortcomings for reading other material such as PDFs or long articles on the web. I devoted considerable effort to making my Kindle overcome these shortcomings, but in the end decided to try a more flexible device lacking an E-ink display.

An iPod Touch and a Kindle

An iPod touch and a Kindle

Enter the iPod touch, 4th generation (or iPhone 4), with double the screen resolution of prior models. Reading with the “Retina Display” is easy on my eyes and the software makes reading a breeze for a surprisingly wide range of reading material.

The iPod touch 4G works well for reading. It works so well for me that I stopped using my Kindle and sold it. Read on for details, including many tips along the way for using an iPod for reading. Read More »

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Filed in category: Reading and writing