Pandigital Novel firmware update problem solved

When I first got the Pandigital Novel (2gb black model) it came with a notice in the package advising the user to upgrade the firmware. I went to the website and downloaded the required updated program, followed the steps and discovered that no matter what I do the firmware version remains the same. It almost looked as if something was wrong with the device. When Pandigital came out with a new version of the firmware that promised to turn it into a fully functional Android tablet I decided to try my luck again. Same results. Finally, someone suggested that instead of the default version of the firmware that the official updated comes up with I choose the "Polaris" update from the drop-down menu. To my amazement this worked. More importantly, when the system was installing the update the version listed was actually the same exact one that the updater tried to install before. So, now I have a nice little Android tablet. This is no iPad, of course, but still very cool and useful.

Toshiba 40FT1U review and manual

Just got a new Toshiba 40FT1U at Costco. An excellent 40'' 1080p set! I liked the picture quality the most out of a number of comparable TVs. There is only one feature that this TV does not have, but I must admit that it's more a legacy device issue than anything else. There is no coaxial audio out, only optical. Probably fine for most modern home theaters, but not for mine. This means that I will not be able to feed surround sound broadcast audio into my home theater. My BluRay player has coaxial out, so I will feed it directly into the home theater system.

As usual, Costco tries to hide the actual model number of this television, for fear that consumers will find the same products for less at other stores. I only buy my TVs from Costco, because their no-hassle 2-year warranty is simply outstanding. But if you want to research 40FT1U some more you only need to know that this is pretty much the same model as Toshiba 40E200U.

Toshiba 40E200U pdf manual

Pandigital Novel black and white -- review and manuals

First of all, the black and white models of Pandigital Novel are not the same device. When given a choice, go for the white one. It has better hardware and a newer Android version.

I happen to have a black version. My first impression was not so great. Since I wanted an ebook reader primarily to read public domain versions of old books in PDF format, this was my first test. I loaded a file and quickly discovered that it was very difficult to flip pages. Eventually I realized that Pandigital creates an off-screen version of the next page every time a page loads. While this is happening, you cannot flip pages. Rendering PDF pages (essentially images!) can take a long time. Hence the problem. If you are simply reading the text, however, you will not be noticing much. So, that's the good news.

Of course, general responsiveness of the device is not ideal. I have seen this with many similar Android platforms. Basically, if you need something like an iPad, you will have to pay the iPad price. Also, at the moment Pandigital lacks font management. The fonts don't look all that great and I think that simply using different typefaces could improve things a lot. Again, I have seen similar issues with other Android devices.

The US version of Pandigital Novel is locked down. You cannot install any additional apps. So, it is not a fully-fledged Android.

The bottom line is that Pandigital Novel can be idea if you need exactly what it purports to be: a simple ebook reader. I wanted to be able to read more books in more locations. Having a device that can do too much would be counterproductive. I would end up doing something other than reading in most cases.

Download Pandigital Novel (white) Manual (pdf)
Download Pandigital Novel (black) Manual (pdf)

iPod Classic white screen

A few weeks ago I turned on my iPod Classic 160gb and all I saw was a white screen. This is a common problem, I believe. The usual solutions are resetting the device and restoring it to factory settings. Neither one worked. Curiously, the iPod still played music. Someone suggested that running down the battery could fix the problem. Well, that's not so easy. Even after the device no longer had the juice to play anything, it remained responsive. Finally, I made appointment at the Genius Bar. After looking at my iPod and determining that there was no water damage, they told me that they will replace it. In a couple of days they called and said that the replacement has arrived. The key thing here was making sure that you have registered your iPod with the correct purchase date. This indicated when the warranty started. Interesting, nobody ever checked if I had a receit from Costco where the device was purchased.

Philips DCM109/37 Cube Micro Music System Dock for iPod/iPhone

Just bought a Philips Cube DCM109/37, primarily to use with iPods and iPhones. I am no audiophile, but to my taste the sound coming out of these speakers is very satisfactory. Bass, high frequencies, clarity, volume - I am actually quite impressed. The iPod dock is a little bit strange. Instead of a bunch of inserts to match every model of iPods and iPhones ever made, this model has a little plastic piece that pushes on the iPod from behind as it sits on the cradle, keeping it in place. I'd say that it probably pushes too hard, so some unites may get scratched. I think I will end up using the auxiliary input most of the time, and only put my devices on the cradle when they are being used for a long time. In general, it seems like the iPod capability was very much an afterthought - the iPod component is slapped onto the back of the main unit. Not the best visual design in the world, but I will live with it. Philips Cube has a clock display, but the size of the digits is very small, so it is hardly useful as an clock (a very popular application of many iPod docking systems). The round LED display remains softly lit even when the unit is not on, so it may not be the best solution for the bedroom.

How can I make sure that UPS delivers my packages to the right address?

What's the fun of online shopping if your packages never arrive?

I have had many instances when UPS incorrectly delivered my packages. The reason is the driver's lack of attention. Even though my street is well marked they miss a turn and end up on a street that has exactly the same name, except it's a Road, not a Street. I assume they have GPS, they simply don't use it. Here is what I did. Amazon offers a service called Prime. Generally, you have to pay for it, but you can also use it free as a trial. Amazon makes sure that you don't feel bad about using something that you will cancel. In fact, they make it extra easy to cancel, but for a month you can be ordering numerous items that are worth just a couple of dollars and have them delivered by UPS or FedEx in just two days or less. You better believe that the drivers will know your address well from now on! Actually, I feel like I am doing something nice for everybody in the neighborhood, too.

iPhone text editors

It is apparent that serious software developers do not consider worth their effort to create full-featured applications for iPhone or iPod Touch. Otherwise it is impossible to explain the absence of some very basic programs such as a well designed word processor for iPhone. Everything that I was able to find is very rudimentary. After some searching I zeroed in on three apps that I like. One became my text editor of choice.

1. Documents (free). This app allows syncying with Google Docs, which is very convenient. Unfortunately, it is impossible to change font size and the text ends up being rather tiny.

2. WritePad (free). A decent program. I think it is not very well described in the snippet on AppStore. Here is why. This app supports handwriting recognition. Somehow, the impression that one receives is that it does just that. However, you can use normal iPhone on-screen keyboard. Font size is changeable. I really like this program, but in its present version it does not allow to change the color of the background. This happens to be a crucial feature for me.

3. WriteRoom ($4.95). This program has its roots in a word processor for Mac OS, so the author probably knows what he's doing. You can change the color of the background and the font size. You can easily go from document to document using arrows at the bottom of the screen. Also, this app is the best in terms of saving work as you type. You will not loose work after accidentally hitting the home button on your iPhone. There is also a full-screen mode.

So my suggestion is that you try WritePad first. If you are not satisfied consider purchasing WriteRoom.