Top 6 things FB iPad edition

Top 6 Things I learned from yesterday's iOS Facebook app update:
1. The update doesn't like jailbreaks. Bricked my iPhone, restored it to official 4.3.5, now the FB app works fine.
2. The iPad app still doesn't show up as a recognized device. But I think Facebook fixed the multiple login problem where it logs you out.
3. I need to sync and backup more often.
4. You could launch apps within the FB apps now, and soon probably games, once they convert them to HTML5.
5.The iPad app looks a lot like MyPad.
6. The apps actually look and work great if you do everything right BUT my own updates don't show up on my newsfeed.
So nice try Facebook team! Apparently 2 years ain't enough.

Supercharging a Nook Color!!!

 If you have a Nook Color and you want to get the most out of it, I recommend that you consider rooting it or in Nook Color hacking terms, "nooting" it. Nooting, as opposed to totally rooting it and installing a custom OS, preserves the stock Nook Color that comes with your device BUT it opens it up so you could install Android apps and turn it into a full-featured tablet! You could even overclock it up to 1.3 Ghz with no apparent hit on battery life, making it really smooth and zippy, even when running the Nook Home software. So you get all the advantages of a stock Nook Color tablet like the interactive books, the sharing features, the Nook App Market and the total integration with your Nook account AND you could install all the apps you may want like the Kindle Reader, Kobo Reader, Netflix, games like Angry Birds for free, comic book readers, the sky's the limit!
There are other ways of doing this, like either totally wiping the stock software and installing a full build of Cyanogen Mod 7 or installing it on micro-SD to preserve the Nook software, but I finally chose and settled to just manually noot it and install it internally. Why? Compared to these other methods, it's the most stable one for me. And the Nook app on Cyanogen is buggy and you don't get all the features of the baked-in Nook software.

So if you want to try this yourself, here's an outline of the steps I took to get my perfect Noot:
(I'm not linking sites to this post, so just Google the files yourself)

You'll need:

1. Yep, a Nook Color preferably running firmware 1.3
2. A micro-SD card (at least 1 GB)
3. A micro SD to SD adapter and if your computer doesn't have one, a SD card reader

Now, the files and software you will need (I'm using a Windows 7 machine for this guide, it's the most straightforward process) :

1. WinImage (Windows software so it's an .exe file and you have to install it)
2. Clockwork Recovery v 3.2.0.1 (should be a .img file)
3. (optional) Nook Re-Partioning tool to 5 GB (just Google Maurice Mongeon Repartition Blue Dot Nook Color,. I'll explain this later)
3. Manual Nooter 4.5.18 (zip file)
4. Manual Nooter 4.6.16 (zip file)
5. Update-Froyo1.2-Dalingin-OC-emmc (Dalingrin's Overclocking Kernel for internal installs. it's a zip file)
6. Ham and Cheese APK enabler ( another zip file)

1. OK, first step is to format your micro-SD card. Now, remember the drive letter it was assigned with.
 Now, install WinImage then run it. Select the drive letter where your micro-SD is (via Disk drop-down box). Now, select Disk> 'Restore Virtual Hard Disk Image on physical drive", a pop-out box will show up indicating the location of your micro-SD the hit ok then navigate to the Clockwork file image you have downloaded then select it. A few warnings about data being erased will appear, just click OK and a "Writing Data' progress bar should now begin the process. Once this is done, the SD card should remount with these 4 files inside: u-ramdisk, u-image, u-boot.bin and MLO.

2. If you have these files, then your micro-SD is ready for booting your Nook Color off from it. Next step now is to copy all the zip files I enumerated to the ROOT of the micro-SD. Don't put them inside folders just Just paste them straight. Also, don't unzip them, at all.

CWM Menu

3. Now  that your bootable micro-SD is ready, turn your Nook Color off then insert the micro-SD to the Nook's slot then boot it up. It should show you a screen with the word 'LOADING" flanked by two burning skulls. Once it loads, you should be right in the Clockwork Mod (CWM) menu. Now we need to wipe the Nook Color clean by selecting the option 'wipe data/ factory reset' and let it do its thing. If you have lots of your own content, then I recommend backing them up. If they're just downloaded Nook content, don't worry about them, you could sync again from the Nook cloud.

Installing Zips

Make sure you select the correct zip

(OPTIONAL) Ok, now this step for me is critical. Apparently, there are two Nook color versions out there. The older ones with a 2 GB hidden partition (leaving 5 GB for user) and the newer ones with the blue dotted box with a 5 GB hidden partition and just a 1 GB user partition. Why is this critical? It means that if you stick with the old partition tables, you could only install about 1 GB worth of apps! Not really good, especially if you're planning on installing a lot of games. The newer partition lets you install up to 5GB. The only downside is that your Nook content like books and magazines will be in the hidden drive so you can't copy and backup them up anymore. For me, I'd rather have the 5GB application space because the downloaded content I could always sync from the Nook Store anyway.

Flashing Process

So if you want more app space,  then select 'install zip from SDcard' from the CWM mode then select the 'repartition5GBdata-v1.zip'. ( You could aways reverse it by applying the 1GB version anyway). Once this is done, your data should now be wiped and you're now ready to noot your Nook Color.

Initial NC setup: Video Tutorial

4. Remove the microSD first then reboot (it always boots to the CWM interface if you have the CWM micro-SD in) then just set it up normally like a new Nook Color (it's now running the stock Nook Color software) Make sure you go through all the motions to register your device and link your account to avoid any problems later. Once you've done that, try re-syncing your purchased content from the cloud and download a few books or magazines to make sure they're syncing fine. Once you've verified that everything is in working order, reinsert your microSD then reboot.

5. Once rebooted, you should be back in the CMW menu. Select 'install ZIP from SDcard again then in this order, apply these patches: First off, run  Manual Nooter 4.5.18 (some advice on rebooting after every install, but I did them one after another without ill effects). After that, the second zip file you need to run is Manual Nooter 4.6.16. Now, third file is the Update-Froyo1.2-Dalingin-OC-emmc zip. Once that file is done, finally run the Ham and Cheese APK enabler. Once everything is set, pop out the microSD then reboot again.

MicroSD Browsing

Splash Screen

6. You should now be greeted by a different boot splash screen. If you see the multi-colored Nook Color logo, then it means you are nooted and you are in the right track!

7. You'll land on the stock Nook Color homepage now but when you press the home button you'll be asked to choose what action do you want to take. The best option is to check the Zeam Launcher and leave it alawys as default, that way, it would feel like an Android tablet. You could always go back to the Nook Home page with other methods. First go to ROM Manager, follow the steps then select 'Fix Permissions'.

Zeam Launcher

Fixing Permissions

8. A Market icon should now be on your apps grid, if you select that you'll need to set-up your Google account. Just follow the steps and in no time, you'll be in. First app I recommend is NookTweaks. This app will let you overclock your NC to up to 1.3 Ghz and increase your sound volume output too. (a word of caution though, be careful when tweaking the clock speeds, it seems like when I select something other than the default preset of 1.2Ghz, the NC will freeze, so I just let it stay that way and just check 'Set on Boot'.


Next crucial app will be Titanium Backup (which lets you backup your apps on a SD in case something goes wrong) and don't forget a File Manager like ASTRO to let you side-install downloaded APKs and delete files.

App Grid

Also make sure that you 'Allow Non-market apps' through 'NookTools' (this option is not available on mine, it just gives me a warning about NookTools needing to be installed on system/, I still have it tickbox checked).

Market Account Setup

So after this, just explore and you'll get the hang of switching between the Stock Nook Home software and the modified Android homescreen. Other apps to try are Netflix (through the market), Amazon Kindle (market), Kobo (market), Mobo (market), Dolphin HD (via browser download), Perfect Viewer (market), Spotify (if you're a premium user), Pandora (market), SQLite Editor and Root Explorer. Plus you could install all the games you want (either via market, Amazon app store or browser). Or even play video-game  emulators (PSX4Droid works but sometimes slow and buggy). So it's pretty much sky's the limit'!

Nooted!

IMPORTANT SIDENOTE: Never upgrade your Flash Player from the one provided by the Manual Nooter (version 10.3.185.22). If you do, you'll be stuck in an unrecoverable splash screen loop. The only option you have if this happens is to wipe your Nook clean and refollow these steps then restore your apps via Titanium (this is why Titanium backups are important).

So yeah, it's great fun having this nooted Nook Color. It expanded it beyond what is was meant for immensely but still preserving that total Nook Color experience. I haven't elaborated much on the stuff it could do. That's for you to find out. So give it a shot if you're bold enough and remember if anything goes wrong, you could always wipe it, restore it and start over.

And remember, if you mess up, I claim no responsiblity. Follow this guide at your own risk.


Kudos!

Dont buy the Archos 5!

Word of advice. Stay away from Archos products. I got this Archos "Internet Media Tablet" in 2008 with the DVR Station dock which expanded it. Now, I keep it on the dock most of the time because I rarely use it, but guess what, that ruined the battery. So that killed its portability and nowhere in the manual does it say that (prolly because it's counter-intuitive?). Now yesterday, the resistive touchscreen failed (probably because of the dock again) so I'm pretty much left with a non-portable 250G harddrive with an almost useless screen! (The dock remote still works, so at least, I still have some level of control but the harddrive is making funny noises now so it might be next). I never abused this thing SO for it to fail because of a dock reeks of bad design and quality control. So, if you're getting any thoughts, please, DON'T BUY ARCHOS!

Giving In to the iPad 2 Smart Cover Brainwash (or This Post is Too Long for Just a Freaking Case)

Griffin Folio vs Apple Smart Cover

After almost six months of resistance, I finally procured an iPad 2 Smart Cover to replace my faux leather Griffin Elan Slim Folio Case. An orange iPad 2 Smart Cover. 

Getting an Apple device on the first day of release has its minor downsides. Like having less than stellar options for accessories. On the iPad 2's release day, I only had two options. Either a Smart Cover or this black Griffin faux leather folio case. And you still had to line up to get one. So I just decided to get a case when the crowds settled down a bit. It was a weekend anyway and I figured I'll probably just test drive the shiny new tablet carefully at home.

So Monday came and everyone's out of iPad 2's so it may be the best time to get accessories. So off I went to Best Buy and of course, they still only had two choices. Smart Covers or that Griffin case. Now, the Smart Cover is cool with the magnets and all, but it didn't protect the back. And all they had were pink and beige ones (the rest were sold out), colors I didn't really prefer (ok, maybe I could have settled for the pink one, haha). 

Add caption

Now right beside them was the Griffin full folio case for the SAME price ($39.99). The Griffin didn't have the magnets nor the nifty screen-off feature but it will protect the iPad 2 fully and it actually looked nice being all polyurethane leather-like. Besides, I thought the Smart Covers were way overpriced with that Apple premium. And the Griffin case will do the rest of what the Smart Cover could do, like propping it up as a stand for portrait or landscape video viewing or for typing. So after a quick pros and cons debate in my head, I walked out of Best Buy with a newly purchased Griffin Folio case.

The Griffin case does its purpose competently enough but it does add a bit of heft and bulk to the iPad. But the textured feel provides a better grip than a naked one. Less slippage. It has a pocket where you slip the iPad 2 in and a thin flap secures it in place. All ports and sensors are accessible with appropriate cutouts. The interior though is lined with suede-like material which admittedly looks nice but the iPad has a tendency to slip off position if "you're holding it wrong". Unfortunately, some apps' orientations are locked into that position and it's a hassle sometimes. 

Fraying threadwork

Griffin's not bad, really

Now, for my major complaints against this case. Since it was a first day accessory, it obviously was rushed to the market. It's a surprise how they managed to get all the port cutouts and dimensions right so probably they had an actual model to design the case around with. But since Apple is quite stingy with advance units for accessory makers before release day, Griffin probably only had a few days to rush the case from the drawing board to the display stand. So owing to this obvious lack of quality control, after just a few days of use, the stitchwork and the fake leather was showing some fraying. White and black thread lines were sticking out all over and it made the whole case look grungy. After a few weeks, I had to take a scissor to cut off the frayed edges because it just looked unsightly. The case is still holding strong though despite the careless threadwork but of course, now after 6 months, the faux black leather exterior is showing regular wear and tear signs like scratches and that used "oily" look.

Oily Griffin

Thread popping out

Today, with all sorts of fancy cases competing for your monies, searching at Amazon, you could now get this case for as low as $15.99. It's a bargain at this price but you'll probably get rid of it after a few months (unless they have rectified the fraying problem with later units).

Now, on to my decision to finally get a Smart Cover. You see my biggest gripe about these things is that they don't protect the back at all and I'm not really sure if they would even protect the front at all. All they're good for, aside from cosmetic reasons, is probably keeping off dust off the screen when not in use, using them as stands and saving some battery life when the cover is closed. And they don't add that much extra bulk which is critical. But admittedly, I finally got one for cosmetics. They're just so darn pretty with those pastel colors. 

Also, if you're planning on getting a Smart Cover, stay away from Amazon or eBay. They have cheaper ones from 3rd party vendors but there is a chance they might be fake. Just stick with big box retailers like Best Buy, Walmart or, of course, Apple.

Case within a case. WTF?

And for that back protection problem, I saw some cheap plastic back covers on trusty ol' Amazon that sell as low as 2 bucks. I haven't received the one I ordered yet but I hope the Smart Cover + Cheap Back Dumb Cover will work well enough. I'm still hesitant on throwing the iPad 2 in my man-purse with just the Smart Cover on though. I still feels a bit flimsy. And that's where my old Griffin case will come in handy. The iPad 2 with a Smart Cover on will actually still fit in the Griffin with some wiggle room. If the cheap back covers are as thin as I would like them to be then that will be splendid. That means I could still use the Griffin as a rugged carrying case especially when throwing it in a bag with other stuff and I'll just pull the iPad out of it when I'll use it. Brilliance! Now, if this whole setup will work as smoothly as I could hope for, I'll probably just cut of that thin flap on the Griffin and just use it as a protective shell. Once I get the back cover, I'll update this and show you how it will all work. See ya!

Comparative Screenshots of both cases:

Griffin Typing Position

Smart Cover Typing Position

Griffin Video Position

Smart Cover Video Postion

Enabling the Secret Multitouch Gestures on iOS 4.3

I successfully tried this yesterday. There's a way to reenable the aborted multitouch gestures on an iPad 1 or 2 on iOS 4.3 without jailbreaking it. This secret "hack" requires Xcode 4 (5$ in the Mac App store) or just try what I did. I signed up as a Free Apple Developer and downloaded Xcode 3.2.6 for free here:

http://developer.apple.com/xcode/

Multitouch gestures are cool because you could use 4 and 5 finger pinches and swipes to close apps, activate the multitasking bar or even fast switch between apps.Really awesome stuff! Too bad Apple decided to hide it from the public for now.

For more info, check this Engadget post:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/14/how-to-enable-multitasking-gestures-in-ios-4-3/

Planning is Ace ( or How I Was First in Line for the iPad 2)

I am Apple sheep and planning ahead is ace.

It Was a One Year Wait. Really.

March 2.

The iPad 2 was unveiled by Apple. 2 cameras. Faster A5 processor. Lighter. Sleeker.
I've waited a year for these specs to finally happen so this will be my 1st iPad then.
Hearing the whole keynote made me giddy. Excited. Manic.
My eyes lit up like a lady window-shopping a pair of shoes behind a pane of glass.. in a still closed store.
And that was the problem.

Apple didn't start the pre-orders that day nor anytime soon after. The iPad 2 was to be released March 11 and the pre-orders will start ON that day too. That meant if you want any chance of getting it on release day, you have to hunt for one and brave the lines that will surely form.
So a plan needed to be in place.



To Pre-order or not to Pre-order and the Super Secret Place

The pre-orders started at about 1AM PST on March 11. And from my prior experience of pre-ordering the iPhone 4, it's not exactly a perfectly easy affair. There's almost like a virtual queue of buy requests and the sheer amount of traffic may overwhelm the site. And of course, even if you've successfully placed an order, the item won't get to you for at least 3 days. (QUICK UPDATE: there was no overnight shipping option for the iPad 2 pre-orders. The soonest you could get it with this route was March 17, Thursday). And if you're unlucky enough not to order within the first batch, the wait will be longer. In this case, 3 weeks to a month. So that won't be a good option for me at all.

I needed to get it somewhere, in-store, with the least chance of huge lines forming. I needed the "Almost Secret iPad 2 Place".

A place where I could procure the exact configuration I wanted, a Wifi only 32 GB black model ( probably the most popular size). Your place in line in releases like this is critical because of the limited on-hand stock. Fall a few places behind in the queue and because of the different iPad 2 model SKUs this time, the exact model you want may be sold out on your turn. You'll go home either with an under-specced one, with a color you don't really want, or an over-specced one you'll shell out more than you're willing to spend.

The Apple Store I was eyeing was the one closest to our house. I figured if I went there early enough, say, in the morning, I could get a decent place in the line. But that means skipping work for a day. And I didn't want to do that. And there are no guarantees too. There might be crazier people camped out there way ahead of everyone so even I got there early, my place won't be secured, and I still have to wait 10 hours for 5PM to hit.

Best Buy stores will pretty much be the same because people will be expecting them there. Lines will surely blow up by mid-day and that meant a few more people ahead of me.

A few options left.

AT&T and Verizon stores were scratched off my list because all they're going to carry are the 3G versions. And since I'm just planning on tethering the iPad 2 to my iPhone 4, I'm settling for the Wifi version.

So that leaves Target and Walmart.

And conveniently enough, I still had friends in one Walmart close to my workplace ( I was in the Wireless Dept. there at one time as my first job here). Since Apple probably won't ship the stock until the night before or on the day of the release, I needed to call this Walmart early morning March 11 and survey ( with inside info) the number of units of the exact configuration I wanted and have one of my friends call me immediately if lines are starting to form so I could get there ASAP.

So that was the plan. And I pre-visualized it all like a supervillain planning a bank heist.

The Plan is Starting to Shape Up

March 10.

12 PM. I called Walmart to check if the iPad 2s were already in the backroom. Negative. But at least I learned that they were advertised on the flyer. "On sale March 11, 5 PM. iPad 2" . It's a sure sign that this Walmart's going to get them, BUT the quantities were unknown. My plan is coming to fruition. But nothing's 100 percent yet.

Called again 5 PM. Nope. No sign yet. So probably they'll be shipped evening or early morning.

9 PM. I had second thoughts about ordering online. What if I stay up till 1 AM, pay more for the overnight shipping. Buy it Friday, ship it the next day, receive it... Tuesday (UPDATE: Even worse. There was no overnight shipping option.) No. Again no guarantees due to the massive surge of online buyers. And if I did that, that won't leave me with any option to buy in-store the next day because my resources were already allocated.
So scrap that. I'll stick with my initial plan.


D-Day or How the Rest was Won



March 11.

Release day. 6 AM. Woke up, checked the news. As expected, online orders were already backdated. Initial batch sold out. All orders from then on will take 3 weeks to a month to ship. Hmm... OK. I got that right.

Checked more news. Oh no. Massive earthquake and tsunami hits Japan. Now that's not good. Had a few minutes of thought about calling this whole thing off as a sign of mourning for the tragedy. Just a few minutes. A prayer should suffice. Mother Nature can't stop my plan NOW.



7:30 AM. Went to work and shortly I got a text from my Walmart source that the iPad 2s were in and he's planning on getting the black 32 GB one too himself. He said that they might only have one in stock and a few units of everything else on hand. Uh-oh, that's the exact model I wanted. I thought of just getting a white one just to avoid any conflict, but one thing was for sure, I had to get there soon to secure a good place in line.

11:30 AM. Asked permission from our manager if I could take the rest of the day off to take care of "personal matters" which is technically true because this surely will bug me for a month and affect my emotional health if I didn't get my iPad 2 that day. Haha. He said OK and off I went. ( I have a feeling he knew what was going on anyway).

12:00 NN. Got to Walmart and scanned the scene. No lines yet but a lot of calls. Sweet! I was set except for one small matter. If they only had one black 32 GB, that meant I'll be stepping on the toes of my Walmart friend. Oh well. It's called the circle of life. He's not getting off work till 3 anyway so by the unwritten law of lines, I still get first dibs.
Thankfully, the manager told us that they actually have two 32 black GBs ( they only had a grand total of 16 units coming in) so yipee, major friend crisis averted.

So I asked them if they're giving away any deli style numbers and surprisingly, they were not. So that meant I had to hold my place in line for 5 freaking hours! So no problemo, I could do that. Push comes to shove, I'll tie myself to that waiting bench!
But that won't be necessary. No one was in sight yet and my friends in the electronics department will surely vouch for me if I for a wander out from the line. So I grabbed a burger, fries and a drink, took them to the waiting bench and used them as a my place marker. If anyone comes in and decides to line up and take my first place honors, my Happy Meal will tell them otherwise.

So, there I was, staking it out for five hours. It wasn't that bad at all because I got the chance to hang out and catch up with people I worked with before. Some people were actually wondering what the hell am I waiting for. Am I applying for a job? Am I claiming some unpaid dues? "No, people. This is for the iPad 2." The younger set understood. The older ones, just waved me off disgustingly, dismissing me as crazy. Lining up for a damn toy? "Oh yes ma'am and dear sirs."

2:30 PM. iPad 2 Customer No. 2 arrives. He's an older man hoping to get a white 64 GB. Cool, he's not getting the one I wanted. He just came from the Apple Store and he left because the line was stretched out for more than a block. So ok. dude, take your place behind me.

3:15 PM. My friend clocked out and got off work. He became customer no.3 and he's getting the same model I wanted. So the two 32 GBs were now accounted for.

3:30 PM. Customer No. 4 arrives. He was coming from the Best Buy next door and of course, the line was atrocious. "Probably more than 200 people were already there", he says. He wanted two. One black 32 GB and one white 32 GB for his wife. Oops. The managers at Walmart limited just one unit for each customer. So he calls his wife to get to the store ASAP. But the 32 GB black one was already reserved for my friend, so after thinking about it for a good half an hour, he decided to just try his luck at Best Buy again, just to get the exact units he wanted. (See how critical line positioning was?)





4 PM. The iPad 2 hopefuls now started coming in droves. One Walmart employee began asking them what model they were looking for and started checking off units on his list. A whole assortment of people came in. Young, old, geeks, non-geeks and even the brother of Phoenix Sun Robin Lopez came in to line up ( he got a 64 GB black, I think.)
So now I feel vindicated for getting there so early. I didn't have to deal with the hard choices of settling for something you actually didn't plan on getting.
So with quite the crowd there, the usual conversations about tech stuff commenced and this probably makes up a bulk of the experience of lining up for a gadget release. It's the whole community feeling. The feeling of being a part of something big. Of a phenomenon. And sharing the visceral emotion of getting something you really want. The communal feeling was tangible. And everyone was really excited.


The Moment Has Come But WTF? Sale Not Allowed?

4:55 PM. The assistant manager approached the line and announced that the iPad 2 sales were about the start. And of course, everyone cheered (but not as loud as me.) He called me, being the first one, to start the line over by the photo department register so the sales could be started. Standing there by the register, seeing the whole cart of iPad 2s was surreal. Like I've said, I've pre-visualized this whole ordeal and now it was happening. For one second, I think they actually emanated a bright golden glow straight off the lost ark or something.
And so the associate checked his time, it said 5:00 PM, I told him 32 GB black, he takes the black ones off the cart, I get to examine the boxes, I get to choose which BOX I want ( I'm telling you, first dibs!) and he scanned it and boom... SALE NOT ALLOWED! What? What in the name of magical was this? So he checks the time of the cash register.... 4:59 PM. So it was 4:59 PM Walmart Time. The iPad 2s were still locked out of their system. Hmm.. ok. Fair enough. Let's start a countdown in our heads then. 1...mississippi. 2... mississippi. 3.... mississippi. Are we there yet?
Finally, cash register ticks tocks the 5PM, associate scans the iPad 2, asks me if I wanted the 2-year warranty ( I said a polite "No"), I swipe my card and was instantly 670$ poorer. Great.
But look what I got! He handed me the iPad 2 box and asked him to triple bag it. Yeah, triple bag it! You know how flimsy these WM plastic bags could get and for some good reason I was a little bit afraid of walking off a Walmart parking lot with a hot new iPad 2 in tow. But that's just me.

First Dibs

So at about 5:05 PM PST, after a few days of mulling over it, a few tense hours of weighing the pros and cons. A few weeks of quiet anticipation...
I became one of the first few people to get the iPad 2 in our time zone and if you think about it...the whole wide wide world.


"How's that for a little reckless planning huh?"

UPDATE: As of March 12, iPad 2s are sold out everywhere. And it might take three to four weeks before the next batch comes in.

iPad 2 Unboxing and First Boot

I was first in line to get the iPad 2 on release day March 11. For this reason, I got the exact model I wanted.  32 G Wifi Only (for iPhone 4 tethering), Black, no more , no less. Wow, it's like I won something except I actually lost money. 

Casio Calculator Watch CA-53W

I remember when I was a youngish kid, I always wanted one of these calculator watches, but I thought I was too cool to wear one.(Funnily enough, I opted for the Casio Melody watch, which my folks got for me when I was six, which was as geeky as any calculator watch.)

Now that retro-geek seems to be chic, I decided to get one and try to revisit those old fantasies of cheating in an elementary math quiz. I got this Casio CA-53W for about 18 bucks and it's faithful to the old Casio form.

It has your standard black resin rubber build (including the straps) with a stainless steel back. I always thought these Casio calculator watches are weighty and thick... yeah, like having a real calculator strapped to your wrist, but this one is surprisingly light.

Two of my other Casio "Functional" watches... the aforementioned Melody Watch and a late nineties Camera Watch had stainless steel casings so that's probably why I always think Casios are heavy.

The watch shipped with an non-updated date and time and the date was initially set to the year

1980 which I found rather funny and cool.

This is just your run-of-the-mill calculator watch with the basic math functions like addition and subtraction. It's not a scientific calculator like the later models. But hey, I bought this just for the retro

style and looks, nothing else.

Other functions include your standard alarm clock, stop watch and that's pretty much it.

So the Casio CA-53W is worth getting if you want to get a piece of tech history. There's not too much utility for it nowadays but for sheer retro geek fashion cred it's worth revisiting.

Attack of the Ramen Monster

Lazy afternoon, hungry and I'm feverish. Decided to do an impromptu acoustic recording. Haha I want some Ramen!

Drifting and Finger Injury

Here I am, having fun with Mckee's Drifting until I hurt my finger! This is probably the first injury I've ever sustained from guitar playing ( except for callouses). My fingernail caught a fret and it pushed it out from underneath! Bloody! So much for drifting.