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Windows Phone 8: The Bad Side of Things

Elyas Kashfi / January 12, 2013 / Windows Phone / Permalink

I have finally gotten the time to get started with the Windows Phone 8 and Lumia series which I hope you’ll enjoy.

I have decided to start off the series with the things that I do not like with Windows Phone 8, this also includes what I believe to be bugs. Do note that I have come from an Android phone before jumping ship and getting myself a Windows Phone phone .

Audio Settings

I’m not sure why Microsoft made the sound settings the way it is. Right now, there is only 1 volume control for everything: ringing, notifications and any other audio you may think of. So if you are listening to your music but have the volume toned down, your ringtone will also be toned down.

I hope Microsoft adds some flexibility in audio controls in the upcoming updates.

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Wi-Fi

Whether or not you are on a data plan, sometimes Wi-Fi is the best (and cheapest) connection you have just about anywhere you go. Not to mention that Wi-Fi will also consume less power than having your 3G on in an area with less than optimal coverage.

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I sometimes tend to keep Wi-Fi on when I am in someplace with great Wi-Fi such as home. For some reason, Windows Phone 8 does not like to keep the Wi-Fi connection running and will switch to your data connection. Researching online, it seems like the disconnect from Wi-Fi occurs when the phone goes to the lock screen. Thankfully Microsoft has acknowledged this issue and a fix is coming soon according to that article (dated November, before the Portico update).

You also have the tethering issue, but that is not exactly an issue with Windows Phone 8 but most likely Windows 8. I managed to fix this.

Windows Phone 8 Store

Compared to Android and even iOS, the Windows Phone store is still limited, at least in my opinion. Announcements say otherwise. I don’t need many apps, but I have noticed that popular apps found free on the other platforms are in their paid form in the Windows Phone store (sometimes quite pricey!). You may also not find useful apps such as a SIP client which has been around in the other platforms for some time.

There is also a lack in apps that allows you to manipulate with the hardware of your phone. For example, you have no apps that can disable the audio and vibrate feature of your phone during a certain time range, with the current SDK it is impossible (and this will most likely not change for “security” reasons).

Depending on the region you select in your phone’s settings, the market will reflect based on that. For example, I selected Bahrain, but the official Twitter app is not available. Switch to the US and I was able to download it. Also likely region related, you cannot install apps directly from the Windows Phone store, you need to visit your “region’s” store and see if it can be pushed to your phone. This does have a big disadvantage, the language of the website changes to the region’s language. For example, the Bahrain store will be in Arabic, making it useless for non-Arabic readers.

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To add even more frustration, push installation do not always work. Sometime after hitting the install link on your browser, it will say that the app has been installed but you can’t find it anywhere in your phone! And if the push install fails due to it being unable to reach your phone, the store will send a link to the app to the email you registered (which is good if you have that email account setup on your phone).

These are current gripes I have with Windows Phone 8, luckily I haven’t been hit with the more serious bugs some people are experiencing like random reboots. However, I’ve only had my phone (a Nokia Lumia 920) for a few weeks, time will tell what else I may find.

The next post will be more positive, the good side of Windows Phone 8.

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Windows Phone 8 + Nokia Lumia Series

Elyas Kashfi / January 1, 2013 / Android, Software, Technology, Windows Phone / Permalink

In the coming few days I will be going over Microsoft’s latest mobile OS (Windows Phone 8) and Nokia’s WP8 flagship phone, the Lumia 920.

Just to give a bit of an introduction. I have recently (only a couple of weeks) moved away from the openness and flexible mobile platform, Android, to a (hopefully) more stable and predictable OS, Windows Phone 8. I decided to go all out and got myself the hyped Nokia Lumia 920.

Given that I have been using Android since Froyo (2.2), rooted my phone, installed non-stock ROMs (like AOKP), bricked it once and developed a few Android apps (published and unpublished), I am definitely going to be biased in my views of Windows Phone. Or at least for now.

Hope you enjoy the series of posts coming up ! And of course, Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year Bahrain!

Elyas Kashfi / January 1, 2013 / Bahrain / Permalink

I would like to take this moment and wish everyone in Bahrain a happy new year !

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Fixing Windows Phone 8 to Windows 8 Tethering Issue

Elyas Kashfi / December 28, 2012 / Internet, Software, Technology, Windows Phone / Permalink

I have recently decided to jump over to the Windows Phone side, having been on Android and even developing a couple of apps on Android (I still like the platform though!).

I went for the very popular Nokia Lumia 920 (sure it is bulky compared to the HTC 8x, but it has a more solid build) and to be honest I’m not missing much compared to Android (email + WhatsApp + GPS navigation are the apps I use the most).

One of the great things about smartphones these days is the ability to tether (for those unfamiliar with the term: share your phone’s data with other devices over WiFi or sometimes even USB). I tried to tether my Windows Phone 8 to my Windows 8 Pro laptop and unfortunately I kept getting “Limited Access”. I tried just about everything from switching DNS to reinstalling drivers and I can’t remember what else.

I was frustrated, I thought my phone was broken somehow. A search online did not help much since people were either using phones with providers that “crippled” the tethering feature or had it removed completely. I bought my phone from the Nokia dealer in Bahrain (Intercol) and know for a fact that is supposed to be unlocked.

Then it hit me, in my frustration I never tried tethering to my Windows 7 desktop, my Android phone or even my PS Vita. Surprisingly they had no problem accessing the Internet, something was wrong with Windows 8. I attempted to tether to my Windows 8 work laptop and bam, limited access… Windows 8 was definitely the culprit.

After days of trying I finally found the solution, although I can’t explain the reason why it works, it just works! What you need to do in Windows 8 is enable FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards), just follow these steps:

1. Right click on your tethered WiFi connection (which is currently showing “Limited Access”) and open up “View connection properties”.

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2. Go to the “Security” tab and click on “Advanced Settings”.

3. Tick the “Enable FIPS” box (its the only box there). Hit the OKs.

win82 Fixing Windows Phone 8 to Windows 8 Tethering Issue

4. If the connection still shows “Limited Access” just disconnect and reconnect. It should have Internet access now.

Hope this clears your tethering frustrations !

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Linode’s Clairvoyant Support Team

Elyas Kashfi / August 27, 2012 / Internet, Technology / Permalink

I swear Linode's (shameless referral linking :-p) support team have a crystal ball or something on their desks! So a couple of days ago my VPS at Linode was going up and down then down for a few minutes. I decided to send in a ticket wondering if there was some issue going on. Just have a look at the timestamps:

Yes, that is a reply to my question 7 SECONDS after I opened the ticket! You don't even find canned responses that quick! Oh and my Linode VPS was back up and running when I got the reply. So not only was it a response, it was also a resolution!

One of many reasons I recommend Linode if you are ever looking for a VERY reliable VPS (they use Xen).

This is not the first time I write about them: here is a review I wrote about them and another about their uptime. I wonder if they're better than Rackspace's Fanatical Support? Wouldn't be surprised, they definitely beat Liquid Web's Heroic Support!

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Eid Mubarak

Elyas Kashfi / August 19, 2012 / Bahrain, General / Permalink

I would like to wish all of those in Bahrain and the rest of the world a happy Eid. For those with Fridays and Saturdays off, enjoy the extended weekend and stay safe !

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Outlook.com: A Cleaner Hotmail

Elyas Kashfi / August 16, 2012 / Internet / Permalink

With the arrival of instant messaging many years ago, and more recently social media networks, people thought that the death of e-mail would be coming inevitable soon. Big players such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (just to name a few) tried to resuscitate e-mail by increasing attachment size, providing unlimited storage and integrating e-mail closely with other products helping e-mail celebrate its 40th birthday (that's a millennium in Internet years!). In my opinion the complete overhaul in webmail also helped e-mail face off against its competitors.

My first ever webmail account was a Hotmail account (I believe I signed up back in 1998). I then went through several other providers before settling with Gmail. Why? Hotmail's SPAM filtering is really bad compared to Gmail, the URL structure isn't bookmark friendly (yes you can bookmark a Gmail conversation) and the interface was simply horrible. However, it looks like Hotmail may just be giving Google a run for their money with their new interface: Outlook.com

As the name suggests, the new web interface shares the same new as Microsoft's e-mail client Outlook. The Outlook web interface is not the new face of Hotmail and it has come with several new features (clean look, Twitter and Facebook integration, office and no ads).

I was quite surprised to see how CLEAN the Metro interface looked! Compared to the old interface, there is really no comparison. Almost like a breath of fresh air. It's even much cleaner than Gmail's interface.

Composing e-mails is more comfortable as well. I really liked the clear separation between the sections where you add recipients, compose your message and either send, save or cancel your message. This was also the first time I bothered trying out a smiley :-p!

Similarly to Gmail, the new Outlook interface also has that floating toolbar (reply, delete, junk, move etc…) that follows as you scroll through your email.

Until now, Outlook has been just another e-mail interface. This is where it is truly different: it allows you to connect to your other online accounts. This connection will also apply if you have linked Windows 8 to your Microsoft account. At the moment I checked I had Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Flickr and Google. I have seen other people also have YouTube as an account integration option.

If for some reason you do not like your Hotmail account dressed up in the Outlook interface, you can simply revert back to the old interface by clicking on the settings (the wrench). I see no reason why someone would want to go back to the old interface though (I very, very rarely use Hotmail anyway)!

Is e-mail dead, definitely not in Microsoft's opinion since they are providing more than just e-mail thanks to allowing integration with other accounts you use around the web. Would I start using Hotmail again? Not in the near future, my Gmail account is my main account and change is something difficult . I might consider it if Microsoft really improved their SPAM filtering algorithms which is one area that hasn't changed in my opinion.

Long live e-mail!

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Connectify Dispatch: Revolutionizing Connectivity

Elyas Kashfi / August 14, 2012 / Software, Technology / Permalink

If you have been following one of the big tech blogs/sites or Connectify (@Connectifyme) you may have come across the word "Dispatch". So what exactly is this thing called "Dispatch" and what does it have to do with Connectify?

For those of you who don't know Connectify: they created the software that allows you to share your connection (Wifi, LAN, 3G you name it) to others using WiFi. Basically the Connectify software turns your PC into a router! Great for extending your home's WiFi network, or sharing that expensive hotel Internet access to your other devices.

Connectify have recently started a new project, this thing called Dispatch. According to them, Dispatch will allow you to "use all of your available Internet connections at once to maximize speed and reliability". Let's use an example and apply it to what Dispatch aims to do. At home I currently have a WiFi connection to ISP 1 (at 1 Mbps), LAN to ISP 2 (2 Mbps) and a 3G dongle (up to 42 Mbps). Dispatch will allow me to combine all these connection into a single super connection with the speed combined! So theoretically my Internet pipe using Dispatch could reach 45 Mbps.

The idea is not new, this is sort of what channel bonding (common in DSL) and link aggregation does anyway (or at least I think). However, they are not easy to configure, may or may not work with certain hardware and a ton of other variables that simply makes it not for the layman PC user. Dispatch hoped to make it a breeze.

Connectify are currently running a Kickstarter project to gather funds ($50,000) to develop Dispatch. Don't worry, if you contribute you get some goodies depending on how much you pledge, from a Connectify license to working with the design team making your own skin .

I sure am interested in trying out Dispatch when it comes, especially when I'm downtown!

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Yummy Raspberry Pi

Elyas Kashfi / August 12, 2012 / Internet, Raspberry Pi, Software, Technology / Permalink

Disclaimer: If you are reading this because you thought I am talking about "raspberry piE" then I am sorry to disappoint you . This is about "Raspberry Pi" the computer! For PIE here is the top result.

Wow where to start. Guess an introduction first. The Raspberry Pi is a cheap (around $35) computer that comes as an open circuit board. You get to see the components in the nude, touch the chips and components (not recommended due to ESD and a little shock ) and even add other compatible boards to it.

What makes the Raspberry Pi so special? For one it is quite powerful (taking price and size into consideration of course). It comes with a Broadcom BCM2835 (SoC: CPU, GPU and RAM sandwiched on a chip), 256MB of RAM that can be split between OS and the GPU, 2 USB ports, an Ethernet port, HDMI output (yes, the GPU has enough juice to output 1080p video), RCA video output and the popular 3.5mm audio jack. It also comes with GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output) that will let you connect to other boards (some available, others coming). All you need to run the OS is simply an SD card! And it only needs 3.5W from a USB power supply to run it (the micro USB type B available on some phone chargers today). Basically all you need is any TV with either the old video input or HDMI and a USB keyboard and mouse (or you can simply use Ethernet (it comes with a 10/100 port) for SSH and get rid of the keyboard and mouse).

It took quite a bit of waiting for me to get my Raspberry Pi. I actually had to register on a waiting list (many months ago), when it was my turn (invited to order on the 21st of June) I ordered and paid in full but had to wait a bit longer (16th July) before they shipped my Raspberry! It was also the first time any of my Aramex Shop and Ship packages had to go through customs (a circuit board definitely looks awkward, especially these days).

Software wise, the Pi runs Linux for now. A wide range of distributions are available, the more popular and recommended one being Raspbian (Raspberry + Debian). A more complete list of distros available may be found here (including some media servers). I opted for the recommended Raspbian, that comes with an LXDE desktop. To be honest, the desktop is slow compared to one of those cheap Chinese tablets running Android. However, if all you need is the shell then the Pi is for you.

Given that the Raspberry Pi is targeted for kids and for educational purposes, it does have its applications in other areas. Here are just a few current and upcoming projects based on the Pi.The official site also showcases what people are doing with their Pis. At the moment I have decided to run my Raspberry Pi as a seedbox: no more noisy, power hungry PC left running overnight !

Here are a few great links for the Raspberry Pi: