We all hear of how people go overseas to buy gadgets as they are cheaper overseas. While that could most typically be true, it is important to point out there things can be cheaper in Brunei. Thanks to online retailers we can even check the prices in the comfort of our own room. Below are a 2 devices I found cheaper in Brunei than in Singapore.
While these may be outliers it is worth a shot to check prices to get the best deal. Below are the few places I check with respect to phone prices and if you guys have any others do leave them in the comments.
P.S. Getting devices overseas, while at times cheaper, can also be an inconvenience if something goes wrong and you want it replaced / repaired. Manufacturers warranties should be fine and could be brought into a local branch if they exist in Brunei. If not you may have to go back to the shop you bought it from or send it to a manufacturer overseas adding to inconvenience.
We managed to get our hands on the HTC Flyer at Yappe Computer, Serusop, and it seems like a good 7″ Android Tablet: an alternative to the older Galaxy Tab. It’s selling for B$859 (cash price) / B$886 (credit card price) for the 32GB model.
works in apps that support it otherwise touching the screen takes a screenshot that you can annotate
cannot be used to ‘touch’ all controls / buttons only digitizer palette brought up by touching the icon with the digitizer (not your finger)
requires a single AAAA (yes 4 As) battery which I have not seen in shops
has 2 buttons: 1 highlights text, other erases
Bundled HTC Apps
Notes application syncs to Evernote and allows infinite vertical scrolling. Allows text input, photo embedding, handwriting annotation as well as voice dictation
Reader application is a reading app linked with Kobo for in app purchasing
Watch application allows renting and buying of movies (but doesn’t seem available in Brunei, thus can only watch previews/trailers)
Other Notes
While it is a 7″ Gingerbread (2.3) tablet instead of Honeycomb (3.x, which is the tablet optimized version of Android) it seems to be the better choice at the moment as apps will run on it with the only issue may be the way it looks. Currently is only one 7″ Honeycomb tablet: the Acer Iconia Tab A100 and it was released yesterday. It is the first device to have Android 3.2 which is supposed to provide better support for 7″ tablets compared to the regular bigger 10″ Honeycomb tablets. However there seem to be some force close issues and app incompatibilities reported by This Is My Next and ZDnet (i.e. more work for the developer to fix problems).
On the entertainment side it supports 720p video playback, supports quite a few file formats and codecs but there is no HDMI output unless you get the dock to use with the extended microUSB connector on the flyer. The HTC Watch app is a nice feature but not being available here makes it of no use. For office use, there is support for Microsoft Office documents that allows editing with normal text entry and even the stylus (however, not all file formats are editable). Battery life seems a bit mixed with the Engadget review being impressed by it while TechRadar and CNET UK rated it has having bad battery life. BGR and Android Central give it decent battery life with typical use of 2 days per charge.
Summary
While I wished they didn’t remove the calling ability of the device, the usability of the pen to annotate and take notes is pretty appealing. A good alternative to the Galaxy Tab if you don’t plan to use it for calling. Smaller and more portable than an iPad it is made more for mobility. The main reason to get this device is the active digitizer and stylus combo or if you just wish for a tablet faster than the Galaxy Tab whose age is showing. Nice to see HTC innovate with the Flyer and hope to see more with the upcoming Puccini, their shot at the 10″ tablet category.
Select "None" as a "Payment Method" section during the registration
I still think getting a US iTunes Account is still the best option as it is completely unrestricted. You can create a US account without a credit card, using the same method above but select US instead of Brunei. You will need to buy gift cards online though, and I have bought iTune gift cards from both PC Game Supply and Jerry Cards with good results so thus far. See which works best for you and join the ecosystem that has yet to be rivaled (especially outside the US).
This phone seems to be a phone I would buy, if I didn’t buy my LG Optimus One, as a great budget Android phone which seems to have the least compromises. Check out the video that I managed to get at Incomm as I played with the device.
Notable Specifications
Android 2.3 Gingerbread: the current major version of Android of phones
3" HVGA (320×480) screen: a bit small in size but good resolution that is widely supported by all apps
Slide out landscape QWERTY keyboard
1GHz Snapdragon CPU with Adreno 205 GPU
512MB RAM
400MB for apps (according to GSM Arena): a bit small but acceptable for a budget phone and sadly (for Arc users) it is the same amount as the Arc based on Sony’s specs which says up to 320MB (Arc vs Mini Pro)
5MP rear camera with autofocus, flash and 720p video recording (auto focus while recording video, recorded in mp4 encoded with h264, aac)
VGA front facing camera for video calls
Supports Adobe Flash
Plays 720p videos (mp4 encoded with h264,aac)
Can open PDFs and Microsoft Office documents (doc,docs,xls,xlsx,ppt,pptx)
I really like that this budget phone seems to have practically no compromises for a budget phone: there doesn’t seem to be any major show stoppers. Most budget phones will have no front facing cameras and won’t have cameras that can record 720p. A budget phone won’t have a keyboard nor a 1GHz CPU. The CPU couple with a GPU and sufficient RAM should ensure this device is smooth and usable for the regular user.
The main issue is the small 3" size of the screen (iPhone: 3.5", Optimus One & Wildfire S: 3.2", Galaxy Mini: 3.14"): a small size coupled with a high resolution may make some text small to read and will make using the onscreen keyboard a bit difficult. Thankfully there is a physical keyboard on the Xperia Mini that should help alleviate this (as long as the keyboard is good and usable). Also the smaller 1200mAh battery (vs 1500mAh of the Optimus One) may give it less battery life, but that also depends on the amount of work being done: with a better CPU, the same amount of work may require less energy from the Xperia Mini. I guess we’ll just have to wait for more in-depth reviews with battery life scores and this is the main unknown factor at the moment. Another compromise would possible be the UMTS frequency band support with it only being dual (900/2100) or triband (800/1900/2100) depending on where it is purchased but I don’t think this will affect many. Most of these issues/compromises are acceptable for a budget device.
With that said, I think I could tentatively highly recommend this phone to users but only after they take a look at it and try to use the keyboard and check to see if the text is too small on the device; and also after some battery life tests are published – all the features are of no use if the battery life is bad. From my use with it, the screen and text size seem fine but my fat thumbs did have a bit of an issue with typing. It could play 720p video, Flash video and even edit office documents. Overall a snappy device and I’m just very impressed at what Sony Ericsson managed to pack on this device hitting all the right check boxes giving the user minimal compromises. Great job Sony Ericsson, now improve your higher end devices!
Sample Photos (note front camera was covered with a thin plastic film):
It has finally happened, we have a Multi-SIM service here in Brunei thanks to B-Mobile (Read the Borneo Bulletin article at Brudirect). Multi-SIM basically allows you to clone your SIM card to put in another device. This is great for people with 3G enabled devices: e.g. iPad 3G, Galaxy Tab, etc and want to be able to make calls / use data on those devices without having to sign up for another phone number or resorting to the tedious task of switching SIM cards.
There is a monthly subscription fee of $8 per SIM card and there are 3 configurations of the service:
Multi IMSI i.e. primary SIM rings only;
Simultaneously i.e. both primary and secondary SIMS ring at the same time; and,
Orderly i.e. primary rings first. If rejected, busy, switched off or not answered, then the secondary will ring.
Sadly multi-SIM is not applicable for plans with unlimited data (e.g. Postpaid ZOOM $60 Unlimited & Post-paid Smart plan $65). There is no mention of OMNI users but since it’s an unlimited plan, I presume that it will not be supported either. I guess B-Mobile is worried that people will subscribe to the multi-SIM service and use the SIMs in an unlimited data fashion and thus would congest the network.
As an a subscriber to OMNI, I hope B-Mobile could consider another plan for users with unlimited data plans: single SIM get you unlimited data, multi-SIM gets a cap (of perhaps 200GB free beyond which they will pay per amount used as the non-unlimited data plans pay). This would at least give users with unlimited data plans an option to subscribe to this multi-SIM service and not be left out with the convenience that it brings.
So now with B-Mobile supporting this, I wonder if DST will follow
Sadly there is no episode of Corner Geeks this week so we present Gagalcast: because we all fail now or then. Basically Gagalcast is random discussions before or after Corner Geeks recordings or just random discussion. This episode was recording after Corner Geeks 7: The Brunei Apple App Store at Patisserie in Gadong.
There are several videos to be released so stayed tuned and we should be back next week!
A ‘live’ / non-Skype Corner Geeks recording this week as I sat down with @mfirdaus as we discussed the Brunei Apple App Store while also passing him the InstallESD.dmg file for Lion. We hope that this is the start of more services being opened to Brunei and perhaps a legal way for people to get music, movies and TV shows in the future.
AV Electronics, the premium reseller of Apple products, says they aren’t currently selling Brunei iTunes gift cards
Registration without a credit card is possible with the same hack/work around to register a US account without a credit card (try download a free app in the App Store and create an account from there)
Brunei just has an App Store, not a full iTunes store with Music / Movies / TV Shows
Not all apps available in the iOS App Store: e.g. WhatsApp (could be developer’s setting when publishing app or some other unknown restrictions)
Prices shown in store are in US dollars
App ratings are reset meaning Brunei apps could make it to the recommended list
Sources for US gift cards: PC Game Supply / Jerry Cards (I have bought once from each of these sellers before and can verify that they work)
We get back into podcast producing and we resume our topic on “Live Streaming” (part 1 here) giving details of how to set up a more advanced live streaming system. Some related links on the topics we covered are listed below. Feel free to add your own links in the comments with regards to tools you use for live streaming
Live Streaming Services
uStream (Free): has co-hosting, recording features and mobile client (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)
Justin.tv (Free): has desktop and mobile clients(iOS, Android)
uStream Producer (Free: OS X, Windows): easy transitions and allows output of webcam/pictures/movies/screen/music and also has PIP support. No text overlays
CamTwist (Free: OS X): powerful with many video effects. can do screen casting, slideshows, movie playback, changing of video sources, text and image overlays and so much more
ManyCam (Free: OS X, Windows): easier than CamTwist to use, has screen casting, displaying of images (slideshow), movies, text overlays
Webcam Studio for Linux (Free: Linux): seems like a CamTwist for Linux which advance functionality
Other Hardware
Eye-Fi: an SD card with wireless capabilities for wireless transfer from camera to computer
BoinxTV (Commercial, Software): software is to be installed on a Mac to provide TV studio like functionality. Check out Daniel’s video of how it used it for the Making of Gear 65 #28
Earlier this year I bought the Zoom H1 Handy Recorder off eBay (US$105 including shipping) to be used as a line-in recording for my church but also for possible podcasting use. It has been used both as a stereo microphone as well as a line-in recorder for Corner Geeks. Check out the video review below or click this YouTube link
Overall, it’s a great budget recorder that can be powered over USB but sadly cannot be used as a USB microphone. I would highly recommend it for anybody who wishes to start recording interviews. If you wish for something a bit more compact the Tascam DR-08 may be better option.
Stereo X/Y mic configuration captures perfect stereo images
Same frequency and SPL handling as popular Zoom H2
Records Broadcast WAV (BWF) at 96kHz/48kHz/44.1kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit
Records MP3 from 48 to 320kbps for maximum recording time
Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port (mini USB)
Built-in reference speaker
Includes 2GB microSD memory card and one AA battery
One AA size battery allows 10 hours operation
Accommodates up to 32GB microSDHC memory cards
Track marker function
Low cut filter
Built-in tripod mount (1/4″, 20 threads)
1/8-inch (3.5mm) external mic input
1/8-inch (3.5mm) stereo line output
Auto record level
Optional accessory package (APH-1) includes windscreen, AC adapter (USB type), USB cable, adjustable tripod stand, padded shell case and mic clip adapter
Other Notes
Can be used with either external microphone or line-in recording levels
Stereo microphones are angled such that in an interview, one mic can be pointed to the interviewer and other other the interviewee giving better sound separation
Can dynamically change recording levels while recording without having to stop the recording
If external microphone / line-in cable is removed, the recording automatically switches to the in-built microphone (the opposite is true as well: automatically switches to external microphone / line-in once connected)
Can be powered off USB after turning on the device: great if you’re low on battery. I’ve had some issues where connecting the USB port to power the device causes humming in the recording, but that could be due to my cables, but it is something to note
Cannot be used as a USB audio device/microphone when attached to a computer
Plastic makes it seem cheap
Tripod mount is made of plastic so wear and tear may not be good to it
No windscreen provided so be careful of any wind blowing or breathing into the microphones that can mess up the recording
The rounded end on top of the recorder gives it a bulge and makes it a bit more difficult to store away without a proper hard case
May be considered a bit bulky compared to the Tascam DR-08 which is half the thickness
This is the first version of my podcasting setup that I’m relatively happy with as it is clean without too much things going on. I’ve used this for Corner Geeks and some Tech Talk Coffee Shop episodes.
If you’re curious of what podcasting is, it is the production of podcasts. Podcasts are basically recorded shows that are downloadable off the Internet. Do listen to Simply Geek #8 – Podcasting where they discuss it in further detail. Those interested in podcast production check out Simply Geek #17.1: Podcast Production Part 1 and Part 2 that I had to opportunity to play guest in
I explain the process of my setup in the Youtube video below
Steel Series Mobile Devie Adapter – bought at Chong Hock in Kiulap for about B$26. This is needed as the MacBook Pro has a headset jack instead of individual stereo out and microphone in jacks
An alternative to LineIn is Audacity (enable “Software Playthrough” in the Transport menu and click “Start Monitoring” in the input device) or LadioCast but LineIn is the simplest method for this setup. For Windows and Linux users, the Audacity method should work just fine.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or tweet me @thewheat and in the mean time listen to some Brunei-made podcasts: Corner Geeks and Talking Aloud
