Why I don't care for cloud storage...

AT&T HTC One M8 users see their Google Drive bonus wiped out, to return in May

Excerpt:
.. It seems that a "glitch" has deactivated the extra storage offer for AT&T customers, leaving them without the 50GB of space (Google Drive still comes with 15GB free on the base level). While Ed Kuhner, HTC VP of Customer Experience, promises that a fix is in the works, a resolution and the restoration of the missing 50GB isn't expected until mid-May:

    "A minor technical error has temporarily deactivated the Google Drive cloud storage offer for the AT&T HTC One (M8). Please be aware that we are working to fix this error, and the 50GB of Google Drive storage space will be available by Mid-May for this device."

So just a heads up, if you're running an HTC One M8 on AT&T, don't be alarmed if you notice that your Google Drive storage allotment has dropped considerably. It's coming back. Eventually.

And HTC has confirmed to us that the glitch only affects the actual AT&T version of the M8, and not the unlocked or developer versions (which are based on the AT&T SKU)...
-- Adam Zeis, androidcentral.com Apr 23 2014 | 5:29 pm (http://www.androidcentral.com/att-htc-one-m8-users-see-their-google-drive-bonus-wiped-out-return-may)

Now, why would you purposefully put YOUR data on someone ELSE's computer. And then be at THEIR mercy if they mess up.

The first week with the LG G2

Yay! So I was able to upgrade my phone from the Samsung Stratosphere to the LG G2 (I still miss the physical keyboard of the Strat...) And unfortunately I also had to give up my grandfathered unlimited data plan... Ah well, I will be resourceful and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi areas (spending more time at McD. I better make use of that gym membership.) And although I'm sure there will be marketing reasons behind the "free", I'm sure that I can find a way to mess around with them in that regard LOL!
The following are from what I know and from what I have experienced. If you want a full spec run-down there are sites that do that so I really don't see the need for me to repeat that info. I will probably put links to various review sites at the bottom.

Screen:
5.2" IPS+ HD. Full 1080p 423 pixel-per-inch. Absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to watch some porn music videos on this guy.

Processor:
2.26 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 Quad-Core Processor. Quad Krait 400 CPU. Adreno 330 graphics. This is currently the top dog of mobile processors.

Memory:
2 Gigs of RAM. 32GB of on-board storage, 24 of which is available for user. No expandable memory (microSD) Bummer.

Camera:
13MP Camera with two-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and multi-point auto-focus with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass to protect the lens.

Battery:
3,000mAh Silicon Oxide Plus (SiO+) battery.

Battery Life:
Battery life?!? Oh heck yeah!!!. Since this is also the Verizon battery chewing variant. I still have to remind myself that I don't need to plug this phone in every night. I admit that my use of my smartphones alternates between light to extremely heavy. So far this week, I've only needed to plug in three times. Initially, because I got into the habit of doing this each night (only to realize that I still had like 38% still). The second time in anticipation of a heavy night of use, to which I still had 19% available at the end of the night. The third time is for the same reason, but since I haven't completed that night yet I can't say how much will be left. But in this week alone, three rather than 7 is a tremendous change. Wow! In fact TY and I were having a batt comparison day. His Meg (with its larger battery) stayed head to head with my G2 so that's pretty damn awesome!

Notification light:
Sounds lame. But this is something I miss from my old flip phone. And the G2 has notification lights on both sides of the phone so it doesn't matter if its face up or face down.

Rear buttons:
Really?!? This is the configuration that most reviewers and some users are stuck on. I've had this phone for a little over 1 week at this point and I have just two things to say. The button placement works. If you are complaining about it, well, to each his own. The other thing I have to say is that I hardly have to touch the rear buttons anyway. With KnockOn and the rest of Android's touch-centric features there really isn't a need.

Further reading/info:
GSM Arena - http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2-5543.php
Phone Arena - http://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG-G2_id7969
C|Net - http://reviews.cnet.com/lg-g2/
Anandtech - http://www.anandtech.com/show/7205/hands-on-with-the-lg-g2-lgs-latest-flagship

Update: Actually this is a week late. My G2 has gotten the Kit Kat upgrade. Oh yeah. So worth it. So far it actually feels faster. Doing more research before tackling ART though...

A 41 megapixel camera on a phone?!?

Ok. Now things are getting a little out of hand...
This is neither a leak, review or anything of the sort. Just my opinion.


From the Verge:

The 41-megapixel Pureview sensor includes optical image stabilization, 6-lens Zeiss optics, and a xenon flash, making it the centerpiece for the rear of the phone. It can shoot still images at 38-megapixel in 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. At the same time as it captures the high-resolution images, it also takes an oversampled 5-megapixel image using the sensor that can then be easily shared thanks to its smaller file size. The Lumia 1020 supports 1080p video capture, complete with 4x zoom and up to 6x at 720p. Nokia is releasing a Pro Camera app with the Lumia 1020 to take advantage of the sensor and manually adjust flash, focus, ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and exposure. It also includes a number of editing functions to crop and alter photos. Nokia is bundling a leather wrist strap with the Lumia 1020, making it even more point-and-shoot-like, but a optional Camera Grip accessory provides a casing for the device with extra battery, a shutter button, and even a tripod mount.
--http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/11/4513556/nokia-lumia-1020-release-date-specifications-features

As a tech person, this sounds sooo coooll!!!. I would love to be able to walk around, yank out my phone/camera and snap pics in this pixel range. Is this going to boost Nokia out of the tech dungeon that they find themselves in since back in the day? Probably not. Nokia is no longer the name of cutting edge phones any more. And Microsoft is no longer the OS producer they once were (remember who bailed you out back then, Apple! XDDD). But still barring any other problems that it may have, this sounds too niche to make any traction against the juggernauts

that are Apple, Google and Samsung (in alphabetical order, not preference). And as for replacing that whopping big pro-sumer DLSR, again, prolly not.