New Phone = EDC Nightmare!

I consider myself to be a person who likes to keep up with new technology, gadgets, and electronic equipment. That said, I had been using an ancient Motorola flip phone for ages because it worked great, it held a charge for a week, and I rarely NEEDED anything other than basic voice service and basic text messaging. Don't misunderstand, I had always WANTED a modern smartphone, but I hated (and still hate) the pricing schemes that are forced down customers' throats.<br /><br />Anyway, for a number of reasons I finally had to upgrade. I chose the Droid Mini by Motorola, and I'm happy with the decision even though I have nothing as a baseline for comparison. Here's a picture of the phone:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdoyY6FPJRYxlt3IIm877KEFnsypn7MApSbgvHW4UYTFl2x87wgE_8jfG8t02obWlPeg3LjA_hm51FFZTfjUhab2Ct_AhtH1FzNlQ8hIKp6H3e1Dkz_Vvyk2q-ilRgehx4_ItbATS6wU/s1600/IMG_6997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdoyY6FPJRYxlt3IIm877KEFnsypn7MApSbgvHW4UYTFl2x87wgE_8jfG8t02obWlPeg3LjA_hm51FFZTfjUhab2Ct_AhtH1FzNlQ8hIKp6H3e1Dkz_Vvyk2q-ilRgehx4_ItbATS6wU/s200/IMG_6997.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Droid Mini</td></tr></tbody></table>Even though this phone is relatively compact (about the same size as the ubiquitous iPhone), it has created an issue for my usual EDC scheme. My typical EDC loadout includes: wallet; phone; keys; knife; flashlight; compact pen; and pocket notebook. I had a good, dependable, and well-thought pocket assignment back in the good old pre-smartphone days. Wallet in one back pocket, notebook in the other back pocket, keys in a front pocket or hanging from a belt loop, knife in the right front pocket (tip-up carry of course; tip-down is for losers), flashlight in the left front pocket, and the pen in the coin pocket (or wherever if I'm not wearing jeans). This worked well for me, regardless of the size of the knife (within reason) carried, regardless of the size of the flashlight (again, within reason) carried, and regardless of the particular pair of pants/shorts worn that day.<br /><br />That leaves the phone. When life was simple and phones were tiny, I carried my phone in a belt holster. Dork accessory? Useful and convenient? Geek flair? Yes; all of the above. My belt-carried phone meant that it was always at the ready, quick to access and deploy, and easy to hear. Plus, I mastered the one-handed action of unholstering, flipping, and answering the phone. Seriously - ring to talk within milliseconds.<br /><br />The Droid Mini is small, but nobody in their right mind would hang it from their belt. I don't use a man purse and I rarely use a briefcase or messenger bag. Consequently, I had to rethink my tried and true EDC scheme to accommodate my new phone.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqnHNzAcGH1wWzv-Jhv0-KAvFIoLQ6sgPURO4AaE6N1dIg6eXvrDZtThl7qsLOY-uBc0ebk7Qhz5JPYrMFhg0CV-YbURbJYgj3peTlyUCVCYRiv6011Udm_tw-lh7-61p8JpanqJUS_Y/s1600/IMG_6998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqnHNzAcGH1wWzv-Jhv0-KAvFIoLQ6sgPURO4AaE6N1dIg6eXvrDZtThl7qsLOY-uBc0ebk7Qhz5JPYrMFhg0CV-YbURbJYgj3peTlyUCVCYRiv6011Udm_tw-lh7-61p8JpanqJUS_Y/s200/IMG_6998.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyday Confusion</td></tr></tbody></table>Take a look at the above picture. It doesn't look like much, but it is. The main issue is that I really want the phone to have its own pocket that will usually be void of keys, coins, and other objects that could damage or scratch the screen. Moreover, I don't like keeping it in my back pocket because I don't want to lose it or sit on it and break it. I could probably keep it in my left front pocket along with the pen or a small flashlight, but there's no way I'd be able to pocket both the phone and a larger flashlight or knife.<br /><br />Now I'm thinking about ditching the pen and the notebook altogether. I don't use them that often, and the phone can be used in an emergency to dictate or write down important notes (e.g., "buy new flashlight" or "research blue-gray fountain pen ink"). That would definitely lighten and simplify my EDC load. I could streamline things down to the bare essentials: wallet + phone + keys + knife + light = no fun. As an alternative, I could stop carrying my "large" lights and knives and limit myself to AAA lights and blades that are less than 2.5 inches long. As an extreme measure, I could drop the flashlight from my EDC set and rely on an Android flashlight app instead. I don't think they have a Spyderco knife app, so I'll keep carrying mine, thank you very much.<br /><br />You know, as of this writing I'm still within the 30-day return period of the Droid Mini. It's not too late to make a U-turn and re-holster my flip phone.

New Phone = EDC Nightmare!

I consider myself to be a person who likes to keep up with new technology, gadgets, and electronic equipment. That said, I had been using an...

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iON | August 2013

<div id="posttext"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://achieveradio.com/payday/" target="blank">Payday</a></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">31 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--1700---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--1800---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-31--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-09-01--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 8</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-09-01--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 9</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-09-01--0200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 10</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">22 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-22--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-22--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-22--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-22--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-22--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-23--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-23--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">20 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-20--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-20--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-20--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-20--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-20--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-21--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-21--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">15 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-15--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-15--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-15--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-15--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-15--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">13 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-13--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-13--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-13--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-13--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-13--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-14--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-14--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">8 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-08--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-08--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-08--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-08--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-08--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-09--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">6 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-06--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-06--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-06--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-06--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-06--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-07--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">1 August</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-01--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-01--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-01--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-01--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-01--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-02--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-08-02--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a></div></div>

iON | August 2013

Payday 31 August Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 ,  Part 8 , Part 9 , Part 10 22 August Part 1 , Part 2 , Part ...

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Project Loon | Balloon-powered Internet Access for Everyone

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mcw6j-QWGMo?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/introducing-project-loon.html" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Google</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span><b>or 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. A team at Google’s <a href="http://www.google.com/loon/" target="_blank">Project Loon</a> believe that it might actually be possible to build a ring of balloons, flying around the globe on the stratospheric winds, that provides Internet access to the earth below. </b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5mD6m3V02n8?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">They’ve built a system that uses balloons, carried by the wind at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, to beam Internet access to the ground at speeds similar to today’s 3G networks or faster. As a result, the balloons could become an option for connecting rural, remote, and underserved areas, and for helping with communications after natural disasters. </div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E4D0c6yQftc?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">The idea may sound a bit crazy—and that’s part of the reason they’re calling it Project Loon—but there’s solid science behind it.</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mjyLynnQuC4?rel=0" width="853"></iframe>

Project Loon | Balloon-powered Internet Access for Everyone

Google F or 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. A team at Google’s Project Loon ...

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China’s Tencent Offers 10 Terabytes of Cloud Storage for FREE

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggkHJS-0qjVtGb4rAbKPtBhmVf3PLLP8dG9hWT2oKWatLzvoFYYTLmwp2hBt1QgX00VrWpQ4itMbxeBEwgY_GVHh3eP8AQ7UWfkuY5V67I99I8m7r9GD6xI-3mL1yfcYLw1a_dDoy4Fs/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggkHJS-0qjVtGb4rAbKPtBhmVf3PLLP8dG9hWT2oKWatLzvoFYYTLmwp2hBt1QgX00VrWpQ4itMbxeBEwgY_GVHh3eP8AQ7UWfkuY5V67I99I8m7r9GD6xI-3mL1yfcYLw1a_dDoy4Fs/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://thenextweb.com/asia/2013/08/30/forget-1tb-chinas-tencent-is-giving-away-10tb-worth-of-free-cloud-storage/" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Next Web</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span><b>loud storage services often give away set amounts of free storage space as an incentive for users to sign up. Dropbox has offered free space amounts ranging from 25-50GB as part of promotional deals with Samsung and HTC, Box has offered 50GB of free storage with file-size limitations before, and just this week Microsoft upped the storage space for its SkyDrive Pro offering from 7GB to 25GB.</b><br /><br />But over in China they are thinking really big. Chinese tech giants Baidu and Qihoo 360 are currently courting users with 1TB of free space and Chinese tech company Tencent has upped the game, offering a jaw-dropping 10TB worth of free storage.<br /><br />How it works: sign up for a Tencent QQ account and download the latest version of the Tencent Cloud (Weiyun) mobile app. Click on the big blue button on <a href="http://www.weiyun.com/act/10t.html?WYTAG=weiyun.portal.index" target="_blank">Weiyun’s promo site</a> and you will immediately receive 1TB worth of free space first. As the amount of space you use increases (and in turn lowering the amount of space you are left with), Tencent will top up your storage space automatically, up to a maximum of 10TB.</div>

China’s Tencent Offers 10 Terabytes of Cloud Storage for FREE

The Next Web C loud storage services often give away set amounts of free storage space as an incentive for users to sign up. Dropbox has off...

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Xiaomi | High End Smartphones at Rock Bottom Prices

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="288" scrolling="no" src="http://live.wsj.com/public/page/embed-F038A906_B3B7_44B5_B2BB_1449BB21678D.html" width="512"></iframe></div><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/29/4672668/what-is-xiaomi-china-smartphone-hugo-barra-android" target="_blank">The Verge</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Y</span><b>ou probably haven’t heard of China’s Xiaomi (pronounced SHAO-mee) but one day you may buy a smartphone from them.</b><br /><br />Founded by Bin Lin, who is listed by Forbes as one of China’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, some have dubbed Xiaomi the “Apple of the East.” The company has only been <a href="http://en.miui.com/" target="_blank">making Android phones for the Chinese market</a> for the past two years and despite its brief history has already taken a leading position in the country’s mobile market. Macworld reported that Xiaomi’s shipments had already surpassed Apple’s there.<br /><br />Bin Lin is committed to selling high quality products at no profit margins. How do they do that? By selling services such as backup, security and customized versions of its software. They also offer accessories to their phones including different color backplates and even batteries .<br /><br />To lower costs, the company cut out middlemen and distributors, selling directly through its Web site. The marketing was not just innovative for China, the company said, but allowed Xiaomi to sell smartphones for just half the price of the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phones.<br /><br />Xiaomi also outsources designs and features online from its so-called Mi-Fans, and releases a new version of the operating system every Friday, to add new features and keep the Mi-Fans excited.<br /><br />The Xiaomi Phone 2S, its most recent flagship, has top end specs competitive with the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One. It sells for a bargain price of ¥2,299 (roughly $370)—roughly half of what the Samsung Galaxy S4 is priced at.</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QXM7QmgM7yc?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">Xiaomi phones, which run a customized version of Android that looks more like Apple’s iOS, sold $2 billion in handsets in China last year and it expects its revenue to double this year.<br /><br />The company caters to young, college-educated people who want a smartphone but cannot quite afford one.<br /><br /><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: left; font-family: museo-1,museo-2,helvetica; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.04em; line-height: 1em; margin: 30px 30px 30px -125px ! important; text-align: right; width: 295px;">Xiaomi sold 100,000 phones online in 90 seconds</span>Xiaomi recently introduced a lower-cost model, known as “Red Rice,” that sells for 799 Chinese yuan (or $130, including the country’s value-added tax). The company sold 100,000 of the devices in 90 seconds when it offered Red Rice online.<br /><br />Bin says that the company routinely sells out batches of 300,000 phones at a time through direct sales to consumers on its website. Recognizing this high demand, counterfeiters and pirates have swooped in to capitalize on it and sell lower-quality products under the auspices of the Xiaomi brand, tarnishing its reputation and providing poor experiences to customers. Lin says that it is working on increasing production to meet demand and working with the Chinese government to crack down on the piracy issue.<br /><br />While Xiaomi has had great success in China selling unsubsidized phones directly to consumers via its website, western markets are still largely driven by in-store sales and on-contract, subsidized devices. <br /><br />Xiaomi recently branched out into Hong Kong and Taiwan where the smartphone climate is similar to the West’s subsidy-dominated model. This may be a testing model before moving into the US and Europe.<br /><br />Earlier this week, Xiaomi hired Hugo Barra, a top Android executive and VP at Google.</div>

Xiaomi | High End Smartphones at Rock Bottom Prices

The Verge Y ou probably haven’t heard of China’s Xiaomi (pronounced SHAO-mee) but one day you may buy a smartphone from them. Founded by Bin...

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