The 5 main uses of my Nexus 7

Firstly, it you haven't checked out my series of short stories, feel free to do so!! My most recent tales are based on a three parter called Hallow. An idea I jotted down over 4 years ago, but never did anything with at the time.

I'm releasing a story on the last day of each month (if I'm on schedule). So by New Years Eve 2013, I'll have 12 short stories online. The main purpose is to keep me locked into a regular writing routine, and to also allow people to read my stuff before my novel comes out later this year. I've also gotten back into writing my second novel which is coming along fairly well...I think.


Now, back to this post. I recently wrote about my thoughts of the Nexus 7, a tablet I bought a few months ago. I used it daily and here are the 5 main things I do with it:

1.       Youtube – I love watching videos on Youtube. Music videos, political commentary, gym tips, tech blogs etc. Some of the channels I’m subscribed to are:

·         Strenghtcamp

·         TheYoung Turks

·         MarquesBrownlee

·         Twinmuscleworkout

·         CnetTV

·         DreamTheaterBootlegs

So if I’m eating a quick meal, ironing my shirt or being idle before bedtime, Youtube is most likely being played on my tablet.

2.       Evernote – I was looking for a great note taking app for ages, and I finally came across Evernote a few months ago. I have it on my phone and my tablet, so it keeps all my notes synched. I tag websites I want to check out later, make “to-do lists”, make editing notes for my stories, and also jot down ideas for my stories.

3.       eBooks – my main eBook readers are the Kindle app and Kobo. Both do the job well, but Kobo seems to have a much simpler interface. I’m also going to release my first novel, The Spirit Broker, in eBook format soon too, so the Nexus 7 is an ideal device to test-read the ePub and mobi files.

4.       Watching movies – the Nexus 7 is great for watching movies/TV Shows, especially when lying on the couch, in bed or on a plane. I use MX Player for most of my media, as it seems to be able to play files that even VLC can’t handle.

5.       Social Media – most of my tweets come from the Nexus 7, as do my FaceBook and Google+ posts. The 7” interface is a perfect size to use most social media apps, as icons are bold and clear.

I haven’t tested Skype on the Nexus 7 yet, but I’m sure I’ll be using that a fair bit too. All in all it’s a great device to consume media.

My thoughts on the Nexus 7

I’ve been meaning to write a review on the Nexus 7 - 32GB, wifi only - for a few months now, but haven’t gotten round to it until now for two main reasons:

1. I’ve been busy writing.
2. I dropped the first Nexus 7 I bought, broke it and had to wait a few weeks to get a new one.

So firstly, the Nexus 7 isn’t the most durable piece of hardware out there. When I dropped my original device, it was from waist height, and in a protective case. The screen didn’t smash, nor did the body chip, but the battery must have become dislodged, as it had severe power issues afterwards.

That to one side, I’ll keep this fairly short:

Durability

We’ll get this one out of the way first. The Nexus 7 is a VERY delicate piece of hardware. As mentioned above, after a week of owning it I accidentally dropped it on my study floor. It turned off immediately and when it finally powered on, the slightest tap or jolt would power it down instantly. I took it back to the store and got a new device a week later.

Durability is important for most of my devices, as I intend to use them for a long time. But it’s not a major issue here as I only use the Nexus 7 at home or work (as it is wifi only), and don’t intend to carry it around much.

Apart from its lack of shock-proofing, it is a well built and solid feeling device.

Rating – 5/10

Applications

I’ve been careful not to flood the Nexus with useless applications, and have found myself downloading some really cool and frequently used apps as a result.

The Nexus has been criticised by some for merely using apps designed for smartphones and simply up-scaling them to fit the tablet’s screen. I haven’t experienced any issue here and use the same apps on my Sony Xperia S as I do on my Nexus 7.

Here are some essential Nexus 7 apps that I use:

• ·         Evernote

• ·         Widgetsoid

• ·         MX Player (seems to be able to play HD video files that VLC Player can’t)

• ·         OfficeSuite Pro (great for reading and editing text)

• ·         Nova Launcher

• ·         Outlook.com (great email client)

• ·         WordWeb (good dictionary app)

I’m sure I’ll be downloading many more apps in the near future, but so far I’m very happy with what I’ve got.

Rating – 9/10

Audio & Visual

I really like the Nexus 7’s screen. There are rumors of a 1080p Nexus 7 coming soon, but until then, this screen is enough for me. The iPad mini’s screen is apparently sharper, but I’ve not had any issues with glare, lack of colour or quality with the Nexus 7. Colours are vibrant and bright, and when watching high def movies, the detail is still crisp.

The speakers are based at the back of the unit as a single strip, and are fine if you are in a normal indoor environment. The quality is high, but the volume isn’t always loud enough (depending on the output level of the media being played). When I'm watching quiet Youtube videos or movies etc I have a small portable speaker that I plug into the Nexus 7 if the audio being played is too weak, which has happened a few times.

The bonus is that I’ve never experienced audio clipping, the downside is that not all media played through the 7 is loud enough.

Rating – 8/10

Usability

The Nexus 7 is extremely easy to use. As with most Android products, you have the option to keep things as simple as you want, or you can make the device extremely customised.

I’m somewhere in between. I have used the apps Nova Launcher and Widgetsoid to keep everything I need (so far) on one page. All my main apps, twitter, facebook, Youtube, Blogger etc and Dolphin Browser HD are found in the Widgetsoid pull down menu at the top left, and my settings are in the pull down menu in the top right.

My main page holds all my widgets, like weather, google+, feedly, evernote and BBC News headlines. The launcher holds all my other useful apps in folders such as, media, finances, news etc.

Picking this device up and using it from the get-go was no trouble at all.

Rating – 9/10

Conclusion, if you havn't alerady got a tablet, buy a Nexus 7, especially if you have other Android devices which can sync with it. 

GRADE - AWESOME
 

Is Charles Ramsey a hero?

By now we should all know who Charles Ramsey is. He shot to instant fame when he gave an honest and very animated account of his rescue of Amanda Berry; one of four females held captive in the house of Ariel Castro.

Ramsey kicked Castro’s front door in when he heard and saw Amanda Berry trying to escape, after approximately ten years of torturous captivity. It goes without saying that Ramsey’s deeds were nothing short of heroic. His selflessness ended years of rape, forced-imprisonment, physical and mental abuse, and a plethora of horrors we are yet to hear about, and others which we won’t.

The twist came a few days after Ramsey’s live news interview, that he had a criminal past. Ramsey was previously convicted of three separate accounts of domestic abuse against his ex-wife, which resulted in him going to prison, and rightly so.

What I personally find interesting is that up to the few seconds before Ramsey heard Amanda Berry’s cries for help, he was NOT a hero. He was a convicted felon and a former wife beater. But in the moment he put his foot through Ariel Castro’s door, he rose out of that mire and became something more.

What he did was heroic, but I would not call Charles Ramsey a hero. 

Heroes are pure, and good, and constant in their ideals – hence why they are so rare and mainly exist on the screen or in written fiction. Search long and hard enough and you will find stains on almost anything - or anyone.

Charles Ramsey is an anti-hero, and that is by no means a derogatory term. Anti-heroes are flawed, they are broken, they are human, and they are real. 

His past is blemished and his moral principals are likely conflicted. But even though he was once a villain, it should not be forgotten that he did something spectacular this week, something extremely benevolent.

He deserves all of the praise he gets.

Updates and some extra thoughts on writing

First blog post in what seems to be a while, but it’s simply because I’ve been busy with holidays, work and life in general.

The short story originally prepared for April will most likely come out later in the year (or maybe never at all), it just didn't feel ready. The good news is that April’s new short story (although late) will be part one of a three part series, based on an idea I jotted down over 3 years ago.

The words are flowing as well as I could hope, and I’m enjoying writing it. I’ll probably spend the weekend finishing it off and polishing it, so it will be slightly later than expected. But “better late than never” I guess.

Lastly, some profound musings: There are times when I don’t feel like writing, and would much rather do something else – like watch TV, play with my computers, have a few drinks after work, go to the gym etc. But whenever I’m torn between writing, and procrastinating/doing something else, I always regret doing something else, and feel as if I could have been more productive.

But I have not yet once regretted sitting down and writing, even when I didn’t feel like it.

Apart from spending time with my family and girlfriend, there really isn’t anything else that I prioritise as much at this stage when it comes to utilising my free time. And I’m happy that things have turned out that way; as it means I’m taking this seriously.

April's short story will be up soon. Stay tuned.