Ubuntu Tips n Tricks

The Motorola Droid X, the iPhone 4 “X-Ecutioner”

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 09:13 AM PDT

I've already showcased here the first Motorola Droid version and several Android phones that have the potential to beat the iPhone in terms of capability and popularity. Smartphones like the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S, HTC Desire, and LG Optimus One have some really good and exciting features, which make us think that they have what it takes to beat the famous handset created at 1 Infinite Loop. But perhaps those Android phones don't have the X-factor and probably the luck to be really successful. Then came the Droid X by Motorola, a smartphone that I believe has both the X-factor and luck on its side to beat the iPhone.

The Motorola Droid X may look like another HTC Evo 4G with its huge and gorgeous 4.3-inch touchscreen display, but it has more to it than that. Unlike the power-hungry Evo, the Droid X can last a whole day of heavy usage and several days on standby without recharging because of its custom power management framework and other factors.

Now, let's talk about the features that give the Droid X some edge over the iPhone 4. Starting with the camera, the Droid X has an 8-megapixel camera that is far superior than the 5-megapixel that the iPhone 4 have. In addition, the camera has 4x digital zoom, auto focus, dual LED flash, mechanical shutter capable of 1/1000a, and can record 720p HD videos at 24fps.

The Motorola Droid X is powered by 1Ghz TI OMAP3630-1000 processor, 512MB RAM, and has 8 GB internal storage with support of up to 32GB of external memory card. Its operating system is Google Android 2.1 "Eclair". The Motorola Droid X has an HDMI port that can be used for connecting external HD-ready display.

According to several sources, the Motorola Droid X has been selling like pancakes and that all the stocks have been sold out in under a day. I think one of the key reasons for its success is that people are avoiding the iPhone 4 because of all the news and comments regarding its antenna problem. We could say that the Motorola Droid X is lucky that the iPhone 4 is getting all the bad press right now. But still, we should not underestimate the features and performance of the Droid X.

Check out this of video of Motorola Droid X in action courtesy of CNET:

Would you buy the Motorola Droid X instead of the iPhone 4?

Weekly Ten (7-19-2010)

Posted: 19 Jul 2010 03:30 AM PDT

10 Latest News, Blogs, Tips, and Reviews that I find Interesting and Useful:

1. Bye-Bye Batteries: Radio Waves as a Low-Power Source

MATT REYNOLDS, an assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at Duke University, wears other hats, too — including that of co-founder of two companies. These days, his interest is in a real hat now in prototype: a hard hat with a tiny microprocessor and beeper that sound a warning when dangerous equipment is nearby on a construction site.
More @ NYTimes

2. Deeper understanding with Metaweb
Over time we've improved search by deepening our understanding of queries and web pages. The web isn't merely words—it's information about things in the real world, and understanding the relationships between real-world entities can help us deliver relevant information more quickly. Today, we've acquired Metaweb, a company that maintains an open database of things in the world. Working together we want to improve search and make the web richer and more meaningful for everyone.
More @ Googleblog

3. What Good is it if They Don't Know it's Linux?
One of Ken Stark's more famous antics has stuck in my mind all these years, when he flummoxed the illustrious panel at the 2008 Linux Collaboration Summit with a simple, polite question:
More @ LinuxToday

4. My what a large capacitor bank you have

More @ HackaDay

5. NASA appears to no longer be shooting for the stars
The likely termination of the Constellation moon project points to the constraints on the once ambitious space program that accomplished so much in half a century.
More @ LATimes

6. Droid X first impressions: nice hardware, Motorola

The well-hyped Droid X smartphone officially launched today on Verizon. Verizon claims that "hundreds" of people lined up at some Verizon Wireless corporate retail stores to be the first to buy the Android-based handset. Droid X day one has also seen a bit of controversy due to an alleged lockdown of ROM hacking by Motorola.
More @ ArsTechnica

7. Apple's Answer to User Gripes: A Giveaway
In his attempts to appease critics who say that the iPhone 4's poor antenna location makes it more likely to drop calls than other mobile devices, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company would give free rubber bumper cases to all iPhone 4 users or would give iPhone 4 users full refunds if they weren't happy with the device.
More @ PCWorld

8. DARPA-funded prosthetic arm reaches phase three, would-be cyborgs celebrate

More @ Engadget

9. Android Army to Conquer Mobile Market by 2015
Android's a powerful up-and-comer in smartphone market share, but when it comes to non-smartphone mobile devices -- netbooks, tablets, MIDs, etc. -- Google's platform will own a huge chunk of the market by 2015, according to ABI.
More @ LinuxInsider

10. 10 Craziest Scientific Theories
Crazy is such an ugly word but how else can we describe these concepts? They each try to explain some aspect of our universe in a manner that just seems bizarre. Granted, most things in the universe are odd already, and we haven't even begun to fully understand a fraction of it, but there's something particularly disturbing about these theories.

More @ Listverse