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Nokia Lumia 521: Quality Smartphone on an Extreme Budgetby Vivek Gowri on 8/8/2013 1:08 AM EST
- Posted in
- Nokia
- Smartphones
- Mobile
- windows phone 8
- Lumia 520
- Lumia 521
116 Comments
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Crono - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI love my Lumia 521. It's not my main phone - I have an HTC One for that - but it's amazing what $80 (got it from the HSN sale) gets you with Windows Phone. I had a HTC Trophy, Dell Venue Pro, Lumia 710, and a Lumia 920 (for a short while) before that, so I'm not new to Windows Phone, but this is the best budget phone of the lot. A similarly priced Android phone would either be hopelessly old and/or laggy with not enough RAM.
Nokia can definitely beat Android at the low end since it runs so consistently even on older or lower specification hardware. The only problem is the profit margin is so low at that those points, but at least they are moving in the right direction with overall marketshare. And it's hard to argue what they are doing with their camera hardware and software, though one could argue that's a niche (but rather large niche) market. Reply
IntoxicatedPuma - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI've had mine for about 2 months now but use it as my main phone (had a Nexus 7 that I used for browsing/movies etc but gave that to my dad) and other than the battery life I've been really pleased with it. I'd really like to upgrade to a premium Windows Phone, and while the Lumia 1020 is really enticing I'd like for something more like a Galaxy Note. Reply
Wolfpup - Thursday, August 15, 2013 - linkI've had a 521 a few months too, and am really impressed. It doesn't come across as "good for the price" but more just "good". The article kind of overemphasizes the speed I think...it runs well, faster than higher end Android devices I have. Reply
Samus - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkWP8 is a great platform for the aging population. My parents, in the 60's, found the interface easier to use than Android, and my Mom now shopping for a tablet is leaning toward Windows 8/RT over an iPad because of how iOS doesn't give you information without going into an app (no widgets, no live tiles, etc)
WP8 is incredibly simple, that's why its good for people who are coming from dumb phones, and that's why it makes sense on budget hardware. Android will always be king of features and customization, and iOS will always be king of of apps, which is actually its biggest drawback. iOS needs an app for everything, because without them, it does nothing. Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI've been saying for years now that WP will eventually be Android's biggest competitor, not iOS... iOS will always have the diehard Apple audience, and how much market share they retain beyond that is entirely in Apple's hands (if they mess up they could turn into the Mac of the mobile world, low market share while dominating the high end market). The real battle's gonna be between WP andAndroid, and as much as I like Android I certainly hope WP remains relevant. Attacking Android from the low end like this will certainly aid with that, current low end Android phones tend to cut way too many corners. Reply
BryanDobbins - Saturday, August 17, 2013 - linkmy classmate's half-sister makes $88 every hour on the computer. She has been without a job for six months but last month her pay was $21529 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site... http://xurl.es/mcduf Reply
jeffkro - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - linkwindows is desperate for market share so they are basically giving the phones away Reply
sri_tech - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkIts really a fantastic phone for the price. It helps in bringing first time smartphone buyers and people who are hesitant about WP to the platform because its so cheap for an no-contract phone.
That is why it is the best selling no-contract smartphone(both T-mobile and AT&T variants) on Amazon for some time now. Reply
Crono - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkAgreed. People always say how easy iPhone and iOS is to use for the average, non-tech-savvy user (or their proverbial or literal grandmother), and that's true to some extent, but Windows Phone is even easier to use. Pair that with the low cost and decent build quality of a Nokia phone like this and you have an easy to recommend phone for those who are new to smartphones.
One thing worth noting about this phone, too, is that OEM batteries are fairly cheap. I picked up 3 batteries for $6 each with free shipping, though you can find them for even cheaper then that. Turns it into a great emergency backup phone. It also makes an excellent music player (especially with free Nokia Music app, Pandora, and/or paid Xbox Music/Zune Pass subscription) with a decent amount of storage with a microSD added in. Reply
steven75 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThe problem for WP, as pointed out in the review, is that iOS is both easy to use *and* not feature deficient. So you don't really gain anything over iOS by going to WP. Reply
just2btecky - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkFYI, people who buy this phone care less about a grid of icons, or phfart apps. The WP OS is easier to use than the iPhone, not to mention the iClones. What you gain on WP8 over IOS is fluidity and more modern UI, and very very easy to navigate through. Have you even used a WP UI? I doubt it! Reply
d0nk3y - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkYes - that's right - iOS is just a 'grid of icons' and 'phfart apps' - apparently you haven't used iOS either.
Oh, and you forgot the pointless 'crap Maps' jibe as well.. Reply
amdwilliam1985 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkyeah, I've used Lumia 920, didn't like it, don't even have a pull down notification.
Show the camera phone to my gf, she hated it, why you ask? wp8 does not let you customize a wallpaper, lol. This is worst than iphone in terms of customization. Reply
althaz - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkYou are more than welcome to prefer iOS (although I think that makes you crazy) or Android (a perfectly valid opinion), but to say WP is less customizable than iOS is actually pure idiocy. It's less customisable in most ways than Android, but MUCH more customisable than iOS in almost all ways. The sole exception is that you can't add a wallpaper (it would look shit, but I agree that it should be an option anyway).
The lack of notification centre is being fixed in the next update, btw (but should have been there at launch). Reply
Myrandex - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkThere have been other areas of criticism compared to customization between an iOS device and WP device. The lack of the ability to make folders on the desktop is one that people are asking for (and Samsung just delivered this week for their WP devices, but I would love to see this baked into the OS). Native VPN support isn't there, but that is supposedly coming. And the wallpaper thing.
There are advantages as well though so it isn't all a one way slam against WP. I've used all three platforms extensively (although today I currently only use Android and WP as my iPhone that I had for years was a company phone and when I switched positions it was left behind), there are plusses and minuses to all of them. Reply
npoe1 - Saturday, August 10, 2013 - linkI might be an exception but notification center is not a great feature to me. The live titles have worked great for me but I don't really use more than 3 or 5 apps that I really need to have tight grip of what is happening.
I missed the Wallpaper the first week, but honestly it was me trying to hang in Windows XP/Vista/7. The lock screen does the job and does an awesome job in my opinion. Also, in WP I don't have to worry about processors and those kind of specs since basically everything runs great. Reply
lmcd - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - linkShould have Windows 8-like wallpapers. That'd be nice without a doubt.
Why isn't WP a Windows 8 / RT clone with a Skype driver for interaction with the cellular network?
Pure idiocy in my mind. Reply
Spunjji - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkExcept several hundred dollars extra in your pocket at the end of the day... Reply
Myrandex - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThey gain a variety of hardware choices and sizes to suite needs, potentially better cameras, STANDARD F'IN power / USB cables (will not support any companies proprietary BS), wireless charging, large bright screens visible in sunlight, expandable memory, live tiles, etc.
iPhones have a place and I've recommended them to people before, and I do agree that they are easy to use but have a lot of features and settings, but they aren't perfect. Reply
davepermen - Friday, August 23, 2013 - linkuntil you used WP and realize the many points where ios is lacking in 'ease of use', and the feature lack is mostly not relevant. Reply
notposting - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkAre you guys planning to do a review of the 1020 (well, basically the camera)?
I switched to WP7 in 2011, fwiw, and haven't looked back. Just went to WP8 this summer with my Lumia 928. Very happy with it. Reply
Crono - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkAccording the podcast (can't remember if it was the AT one or from Vertex on iMore) Brian Klug is working on it. Reply
PHlipMoD3 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkStill waiting on that Lumia 920 review... Suppose it wont happen now with the 1020 release - albeit a very similar device internally... Reply
Myrandex - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI've waited for this too. I've really enjoyed my 920 and my wife enjoys hers as well. And speaking of price, it is nice that it is free with contract at Amazon for those of us who don't mind an AT&T Contract. Reply
zepi - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkInstant messaging? What is actually missing there? I thought Whatsapp and Skype are both available? Problems with Google talk not working in the background properly etc? Reply
JPForums - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkA little elaboration on the Instant Messaging issue would be helpful. Perhaps it doesn't have the IM you want or maybe there is some killer feature in an IM you like that isn't available on any of the WP8 IMs.
Also, I'm a little confused as to the problem with multitasking. IIRC you can pull up Skype and still have it receive messages when you are doing something else as long as you don't shut it down. Didn't seem like it took very long to resume or load tasks to me, though it was a higher end WP8 and an HTC One is still perceptibly, though not significantly faster at loading in most situations.
Your concerns on minimalism are quite valid, though I think many people have less issue than you might think. In my experience, people who have used WP for more than a few minutes tend to line up with Crono's classification. They find it easier to use than Apple. For many people the genuinely useful features and/or information that is hidden by the WP minimalist interface is still a distraction that gets in their way.
Note: though I disagree/don't understand some of your points, I still think this was an excellent write up and hope to see more. Non-flagship devices are seriously underrepresented. Thanks Vivek. Reply
VivekGowri - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI don't know, I rely on IMs as part of my workflow and I've literally never missed so many messages in my life as the time I spent on Windows Phone 8. Happened late last year with the 810, happened now with the 521. IM+ is garbage and if that's the best multiprotocol IM client on your platform, your platform will be woefully inadequate for IM. That's it. I'm not looking for a killer feature, I'm literally just looking for working IM.
Multitasking in WP involves completely closing and rehydrating the apps, it's super slow and not multitasking at all. iOS 4/5/6 (7 is real multitasking) does something similar but doesn't need to completely rehydrate each time I think, it's much more seamless than on WP. This is all exaggerated by the still-slow WP app load times. It's been 3 years, I don't know why this is still an issue.
Windows Phone is frustrating for me, because I've been a fan of the platform for a very long time, I really want it to succeed as a third major smartphone OS and not just because it's the default option. It's been sad to watch it stagnate on so many levels since launch. Really, that's all I can say. Reply
Myrandex - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThere are apps that you can switch quickly between without a complete refresh. I do it all the time and it is called Fast App Switching I believe.
The only IMs I use on there are facebook messaging as I kind of got out of IMing when I started txting all of the time (nice universal standard), so I haven't actually used IM+ but knew of its existence. FB chat on the phone is quite nice, and hopefully Skype Instant Messaging integrates as nicely someday (what a pathetic joke that MS has purchased Skype so long ago but failed to really take advantage of integrating it into the OS yet like Facetime on iOS). Reply
notposting - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI've had good success with jiTalk (Gchat client).
As for multitasking...are you doing it right? (serious question, not trolling) If you back out of the apps and/or if you launch them from the Start screen/app list, it reloads them. Otherwise if you are just hopping between apps with the long press on the back button, they come up with no delay and at the same state they were, in general (as Myrandex mentions). I can pop between a web site, a search, maybe a photo and a photo editing app, and email with no problems. Reply
cheshirster - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkSo it all comes dows to poor IM+ for WP application?
It was last updated on April and it is really week in terms of quality (large time to connect on 2g, crashes while starting). I don't use it.
And what you say about multitasking is strange too, most core apps support fast resuming (the last to add it was Skype on 7.7.2013) Reply
cheshirster - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkWhat makes you think IM+ is the best? The fact that it is preforming poorly? What's wrong with you, man? Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkdid you ever hold the back arrow button for more then one second? (bottom left on your screen) Every app you have open will suddenly appear, just a question of playing with the phone instead of finding reasons to hate it Reply
OoklaTheMok - Thursday, August 15, 2013 - linkWith regard to multitasking, or the perceived lack of, I think you are confused. You are confusing WP7 with WP8. In WP8, true multitasking was implemented. In order to leverage this though, the app needs to make use of it, otherwise it defaults to the "standard" tomb stoning behavior, which is what you have been describing in your article. In WP8, apps can continue to run in the background, i.e. not suspended, and continue to function. I have seen a demo of a GPS app that logged points along a route even when the app was running in the background. Reply
seanatwork - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI'd like to know about this too. It's kind of an important feature. I use an optimus V cuz it's reliable as hell and I'm concerned with switching to something new that doesn't do what I want. I also heard you can't orientation lock the screen in windows phone, that sounds like some bs. Reply
Myrandex - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkIts true I've never found a way to lock the screen orientation. I've never found myself wanting to, but if it is a feature that is for you then that could be a big negative in your opinion. Reply
ssj3gohan - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkSo how does WP actually fare on 512MB RAM? I wouldn't even go near an Android handset with that little RAM, but is this significantly different on windows phone? Reply
VivekGowri - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkApplication load times are even slower than they are in high-end Windows Phones, but other than that it's totally fine. Also you have to watch out, some games are coming with a 1GB requirement (like GFX Bench/GL/DXBenchmark). But really, in the day to day, you don't notice the difference much. Reply
jeffkibuule - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkWindows Phone is like iOS in that apps are not allowed to run in the background unless they conform to a specific set of APIs. Reply
steven75 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkiOS 6.x and older. Not so in iOS 7 due next month. Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkWP8 is very smooth and fluid because of the way it is build. It does not need high specs to run apps that are build for android that DO require a powerhouse to be able to run. Admitted, the flagship phones have a little more ummpf to them but the 520 and 521 are really good at performing too and because of the low specs battery life is great on wp8 devices Reply
USGroup1 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI'm sorry but your browser tests and conclusions are beyond stupid. Your Sunspider test result clearly shows that the slowest Windows phone 8 device has a faster browser than some Android devices with much more powerful SoC.
"Microsoft clearly optimized for Sunspider, as we've seen over the years, and while that lets them stay competitive in that one benchmark, it doesn't really mean anything as far as having decent or even acceptable browser performance. It's just sad."
Wow, just wow, so they optimized their browser for Sunspider test to make it look good, lol pity they didn't do it for Google Octane Benchmark right? Reply
MrSpadge - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkIt's well known tast companies optimize for Sunspider so much that the score doesn't correlate with real world performance any more. Not saying this isn't true for the other benchmarks as well.. but don't weight Sunspider scores too heavily.
Maybe Mozilla should port Firefox to Win Phone instead of trying to build an entire new OS? Reply
InsGadget - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkIn general, web pages work fine on my L920, even full desktop ones. I'd like to see some real-world tests instead of these canned benchmarks, anyways, since they can be easily gamed. Reply
Myrandex - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI agree my Lumia 920 handles pretty much any website I can throw at it with no issues. The only ones that I have trouble with are ones that are flash based (very rare) or ones not designed for touch screens (which would affect all platforms, such as websites with menus that require you to hover a mouse over...come on realize how popular touch screens are and get rid of that stuff web devs!) Reply
madmilk - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkMost JITs are so-called "tracing" JITs -- they optimize at runtime. However, optimization by the JIT is not free, so it only makes sense to do it when there's a real need. Sunspider's tests are so short that browsers often don't bother, resulting in suboptimal scores.
cheshirster - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI agree, and that is unexpected on Anandtech. IE on 521 is performing really well in real-world compartions to low and middle price androids. Reply
savagemike - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkSo - could I just pick one of these up on Amazon and use it with an MVNO of AT&T? Reply
notposting - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkAT&T has the 520 available as a GoPhone, might be a better choice (probably need to check data bands, locking). Reply
A5 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkYeah, the 520 is a better option if you're using an AT&T MVNO. 521 just gets you 21mbps on T-Mo bands. Reply
Death666Angel - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkHuh, wasn't even aware of this phone. That's pretty good value for 140€. If my wife didn't have a Chinese phone since Christmas, I'd get her one of these. Reply
Gunbuster - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI love this little phone. Having jumped on the deal at HSN for $80 I could destroy this phone 6 times over and still be ahead of buying a "high end" handset.
You get 90% the capabilities of better phones at a price that is over 80% lower. Reply
kmmatney - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkCan you use the AT&T GoPhone version with a normal regular AT&T plan? I'm tempted to sell my 4S 32GB before before the new iPhones come out, and use this for a while. Reply
thesavvymage - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkyeah you just pop in the SIM and it will work since it is compatible with AT&T's frequencies Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkAt one point in time AT&T actually flagged GoPhone IMEIs and wouldn't let you use them with pre-paid plans tho, this was a few years ago, no clue if it's still in practice. Reply
jabber - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkMust admit at 1:1 the pics from the 520/521 look better than the pics taken with the Nexus 4 at 1:1 Reply
VivekGowri - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkYeah, I wouldn't disagree with that statement. Reply
Azurael - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkThe Nexus 4's camera is notoriously bad though. I don't know what LG were thinking! It's the only thing that's even giving me thoughts about upgrading to one of this year's latest and greatest handsets. Certainly not the 400+ PPI I can't discern displays or swanky new SoCs (which are only marginally faster than the S4 Pro in the N4 but driving 1920x1080)
Then I remind myself that ALL mobile cameras, regardless of how 'good' they look AS mobile cameras - Nokia Pureview being a possible excepetion - are dreadful compared to the cheapest 1/2.3" sensor-equipped compact cameras, let alone anything better with a larger sensor. In fact, when I did have a phone with a better camera (One X), I didn't use it any more than I do with the terrible camera in the N4 now. Reply
ljlego - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - link"Far too often, you see important functions and options pushed into random corners of the interface, buried deep in some menu."
That's a pretty bold claim that I have never experienced, personally. Could you maybe provide an example of when you've found this? Reply
Collin5 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - link@Vivek
A well done review! It is balanced and it includes a lot of useful information not found anywhere else. Thank you!
However, I also feel there are a few statements, related to multitasking and overall performance, which paint a picture with too broad a brush. Nothing critical or wrong, but something you may want to look into for future reviews of WP devices:
"Multitasking in Windows Phone has never really sat well with me, because it's not really multitasking in the traditional sense—the need to completely close and rehydrate tasks makes resuming applications exceedingly slow."
On my Lumia 520 app switching occurs instantaneously most of the time. Only when I open more apps than the device can fit into RAM, is the least frequently used app completely closed out (tombstoned). Only when switching back to a tombstoned app does the rehydration process kick in (which I agree is too lengthy). However, even the Lumia 520 can simultaneously cache two or three apps in memory, which is enough to get through most multitasking scenarios without tombstoning occurring.
Saying that "the need to completely close and rehydrate" is too much of a blanket statement. That need only exists in very specific circumstances, which some may encounter only very rarely (depending on how people use their device).
"...but in day to day use, it mostly makes itself felt in slower application loading and multitasking/task switching, which is also related to having just 512MB RAM instead of the 1GB of the 920."
This could be understood to imply that having less RAM negatively impacts the time it takes to load apps AND the time it takes to task-switch between them, which is false. Having less RAM has no affect on app load times. Having less RAM also has no direct impact on the time it takes to switch between apps. Having less RAM only has an indirect affect on task-switching in the way I already mentioned... RAM capacity determines how soon apps are tombstoned. That is all. Both app load times and rehydration (basically the same thing) are directly impacted by the slower CPU however.
Certainly we can argue that the probability of a task requiring rehydration is greater on a 512 MB device, but that is what I would expect an article on Anandtech to explicitly state, instead of attributing app load performance directly to RAM capacity ;-) Reply
Gunbuster - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThis may be down to confusion on how to "re-open" an app. If you long press the back arrow capacitive button you get the running apps and have almost no lag. If you hit windows and select the live tile for an already open app it kills that app and loads it again fresh. I don't really agree with that design choice as it seems to confuse most users. Reply
Myrandex - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkYou can hit the start button, go back to the homescreen, and select an app and still get fast refresh. It still needs to be recently run though. I do this frequently. Reply
Collin5 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkIt seems unlikely that Vivek doesn't know about the task switcher, but who knows?
However, not all apps are reloaded when relaunched from a live tile. Some apps support a feature called "fast resume", which allows them to resume instantly, even when reactivated via a live tile. Unfortunately, apps must support this feature explicitly, and the fact that not all do leads to behavioural inconsistencies, which is why I agree with you (and Vivek) that at least this aspect of WP multitasking is poorly designed. Fast resume support must be mandatory. Reply
althaz - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThis is the same behaviour as iPhone and Android (disclaimer: I haven't used an iPhone for over a year). Reply
Azurael - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI was about to say I very rarely encounter this issue on my phone, but then I remembered that the Nexus 4 has 2GB of RAM so it's not exactly an Apples to Apples comparison. I usually have to run 10+ apps to start seeing the reload on taskswitch behaviour...
Android, however, doesn't relaunch apps if you select them from the home screen - the behaviour is exactly the same (and instant, if the app has already been launched) as using the task switcher.
I guess the biggest difference in reality is that - at least in theory - Android 4.x devices should have a task switcher button, which is a lot more obvious to the user than holding back. Having said that, a lot of 'three button' Android devices are stuck with an obsolete and practically useless menu button instead due to pigheaded device manufacturers ignoring Google's UI guidelines, and then we're stuck with the same behaviour but holding the home button instead... Reply
Seurahepo - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkNo, it is NOT. iPhone apps are not "reactivated" when launched from the home screen. No matter how the user comes back to an app it is instant (provided it has been recently used and it is still in memory).
Could some of you WP fans explain to me *why* the apps are slowly restarted from the live titles? Blaming the users are using the phone wrong is kind of defensive, seems like there is a big UI/UX problem for no apparent reason. Reply
althaz - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkThis is entirely dependent on the app devs actually. Most do choose to reload the app if you go back to the start screen and then load the app. Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkThat's madness... Because people who are new to smartphones tend to ignore quicker methods of multi-tasking and usually resort to tapping home and reopening apps from shortcuts/tiles/all apps...
At least that's what I've observed among older clients and family members of mine, regardless of OS. If they're on an iPhone they'll seldom double tap home (if they even know about it) and on Android they flat out ignore the app switching button (a decision reinforced by HTC's choice to eliminate it I imagine, or hide it behind multiple home taps rather). Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkgood points collin Reply
mi1stormilst - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI just picked up one on Craigs List for $115 new in the box (from HSN deal). It came with a cheap pair of headphones, car charger and a soft case. I charged it up and went to the t-mobile website to sign up for the $30.00 a month pre-paid plan (100 mins of talk time, unlimited text and data). I am using it as a home phone and a phone for my two youngest kids to share when they are away from home. We all like the physical phone, camera is decent (needs a flash) and the interface is clean and fun. The speed of the OS is mostly snappy the data connection is faster than expected. Battery life is more than acceptable if you are not playing and staring at it all day. I only have two complaints: 1.) The OS does seem to slow down occasionally in different screens especially when trying to type in the keyboard. 2.) It is not clear how to close down apps or navigate in the Browser. I am satisfied with the phone overall and have recommended it to budget minded folks. Reply
textomatic - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkTo close down an app keep hitting the back button until you're out of that app.
You can only navigate back in the browser. No going forward. Their is a third party app called UC Browser that does let you navigate backwards and forward. Reply
Krysto - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkSeems like a loss leader for Nokia. Reply
Gunbuster - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI highly doubt it. It's just the other high end models they really rape you on. Do you think they put some unicorn horn or magic fairy dust in a Lumia 925 or Galaxy S4 that makes is cost over six times as much to produce? Nope, they are just making a bunch of profit from people who don't realize the "Free", "$99", or "$200" on contract phone is really priced at $400, $500, or $600+ Reply
Shadowmaster625 - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkI really do not understand the review philosophy.... this phone seems like it compares best with a Galaxy S2 in terms of features, price, and performance, yet there are no charts comparing them. Scratches head. Why would I want to know how this thing compares to an S3 when an S3 is still over $200? Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkvery good point shadowmaster, I think it is hard to admit that the 520 and 521 are just block busters so they need to find some strange comparisons to cover up their biased opinion and as far as I am concerned it is not working because the 520 and the 521 are just best in class.there is nothing to compare to be honest Reply
dirtyvu - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkdon't forget that this includes the full Nokia suite of apps including the HERE maps (powered by Navteq whose maps power most GPS devices such as Garmin). even if you don't get cell phone service or a data plan, you have full turn-by-turn offline navigation as long as you've already downloaded the maps (and you can do that over wifi). the whole US takes up about 2.6 GB. California takes up about 250 MB. so not bad. for $100-129, you get a good GPS device at the very least which can then be used as a cell phone if you so choose. Reply
Death666Angel - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkVery cool feature indeed. I'm not a driver, so those things pass me by very easily. If I were, that would definitely play a role in my purchasing decision. Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkif you are not a driver you might be a walker, there are 3 different apps included for people that do not drive, transfer, city lens and here maps AWESOME way to find your destination :o) Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI would not recommend downloading us maps because it takes up valuable space, I would only download maps for places where I do not have data coverage or while I am roaming Reply
dirtyvu - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkbeing able to download whole countries is a very good feature. other mapping systems don't offer that. you can download only a very small map with Google Maps. and the device does accept 64GB MicroSD cards. I'd rather use the space for maps than for things like Angry Birds. for me, the most important uses would be navigation, phone calls, email, and web browsing. Reply
cheshirster - Sunday, August 11, 2013 - linkNot a problem. See "Lumia storage check beta" in store, It has the option to store maps on SD and it works fine. Reply
cheshirster - Sunday, August 11, 2013 - linkhttp://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/lumia-... Reply
billybobjr - Thursday, August 08, 2013 - linkPros:
I am the happy owner of 2 lumia 521 phones. The hardware you get is an outstanding value. When you look at phones in this price range 8GB of flash memory is rare. 4GB of flash leaves almost no space for any apps with the OS using most of the space. Most apps can not be installed on a flash memory card. The OS fairly quick for a cheap phone and I have yet to run into a problem with 512 MB of memory. WiFi calling is another awesome feature. If you are in building with poor signal you can use your wi-fi to make calls. The OS is pretty stable, I have needed to reboot the phone a few times, but not a common occurrence.
I am not a huge fan of the Windows Phone OS. It lacks a ton of apps and not just the fart apps. No support for google apps except gmail. Youtube, and Google maps must run through the web browser and they run poorly. No google drive, google plus, or google music. Amazon music does not work at all. Lots of social media apps are missing from the app store. Facebook support is lacking. I lost track of how many accounts I needed to create to use the included software for this phone.(Windows phone login, skydrive account, nokia account, xbox live account) There is no equivalent to Siri or Google Now.
Bottom line
Android does not run well on cheap hardware. The Nexus 4 is the cheapest phone to run android well. $300 vs $130. If you can live with the limitations it is tough to beat. Reply
notposting - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkI use jiTalk, MyTube or Metrotube, MetroTalk, and gMaps. One MS account covers email, Skydrive, Xbox, Skype, etc. It has the Nokia Here maps, why not use that? No need for a Nokia account. IIRC, you can play Amazon music tracks through the browser. Which social media apps are missing? Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin apps are all available, and baked into the OS as well. It has Skydrive and XBox Music (or Nokia Music on their phones), would you expect MS to be making apps for their competitors? It does have voice commands (long press the Start button) and text dictation.
There are legitimate complaints about the OS, but if someone is that entrenched in the Google ecosystem and won't consider using the MS alternatives...what do they expect? Reply
Impulses - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkThose all seem like valid alternatives, except for using Amazon MP3 in the browser (very kludgy, not even remotely optimized for mobile the last time I tried to access it on an Android phone where the app wasn't installed) Reply
skiboysteve - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkTotally agree with you. Billybobjr sounds like all the WP detractors... They make no sense at all Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkexactly nonposting ;-) like your name.... Reply
Myrandex - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkCheck out GMaps Pro if you want to see a nice Google Maps implementation. I have the paid version and it is quite nice. I bought it back when I was on an LG on WP7, but have pretty much switched to using Nokia's HERE implementation except for every now and then I pull up GMaps again.
There is also a GMail client app that I use. It isn't the prettiest but it is a GMail app. I also have GMail working with the built in email client which works wonderful as well.
And there is a Microsoft TellMe engine for voice controls. You just hold down the Windows Flag. Plus there are third party software applications out there that can be downloaded for free that function like Siri as well. I had one before but I uninstalled it because I never used it (and I never used it on my iPhone before and I never use it on my Android now). Reply
skiboysteve - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkWhy do you need a Gmail app? Just use the native email client with Gmail.
why do you need a google maps app? Just use Bing or Nokia maps. They have a lot of advantages.
a first party YouTube app would be nice, but metrotube and YouTube.com work really well. There is a legal back story on YouTube app for WP. Google worked hard to prevent one (sent cease and desist, blocked APIs) but when MS decided to go to court google settled and agreed to develop one. Hopefully soon.
why do you need google drive? SkyDrive is built in and works much better. Especially if you use office 2013 for work.
google plus would be nice. I don't use it but maybe try their website.
why do you need google music? Xbox music (formally Zune) is much much better. This is the best part of the phone! Try it out.
amazon app would be nice but its weird that you're so entrenched into google and refuse to use the Microsoft services that accompany your device... Yet you use amazon??
which social media apps are missing from the app store?
how is Facebook support lacking? If anything it is more built in than any other OS out there! It pulls your contact info from FB, integrates friends status and photo posts directly into multiple parts of the OS.
there is ONE account for all MS services, not separate accounts for everything as you mention.
there is voice support just hold the home button just like on android and iOS. I use it every day.
Do you really have this phone??? Clearly you don't and you're just here to fan the flames of misinformation Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkdon't blame Wp8 for not having google features included, that is just not fair, there are third party options, If you create one windows account you can sigh in to all windows features automatticly
Maluuba is comparable to siri but a little different, it will not tell you how AWESOME you are, that is true
happy to see you can live with the "limitations" Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkforgot to mention the home button......... Reply
OoklaTheMok - Friday, August 16, 2013 - linkAlso, many of the Google issues are because of Google, not Windows Phone. Google finally just allowed Microsoft to release their sanctioned YouTube app. Microsoft had released it a long time ago, but Google intentionally kept breaking its functionality when the app would contact the YouTube service.
And the Maps issue is another case of Google going out of their way to inhibit WP functionality with Google services. Their mobile maps implementation is hard coded to only work correctly, for touch, with WebKit based browsers. IE9 in WP8 is more than capable of being functional, but Google just doesn't want to allow it. Their initial arguments as to why have already been completely proven false. Besides, who would want to use Google maps when we have Nokia's Here Maps with offline support? Reply
OoklaTheMok - Friday, August 16, 2013 - link"There is no equivalent to Siri or Google Now."
Windows Phone has had voice since search before iOS and Google had theirs, it just doesn't have a fancy name. Its not as sexy, or comprehensive as Sri, but it works better based on search competitions I have conducted with people. Frankly, I'd rather have it do a few things really well, than everything mediocre. Reply
pandemonium - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkPatiently awaiting the 1020 review. That'll be the deciding factor for me to upgrade to it or not.
I've already played with it and I'm pretty impressed. The camera easily outperformed my N8 in both results and functionality. My curiousity is the battery life performance. I'm expecting good, but not great and just don't want to get results that are poor. :P Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkthere are so many true reviews out there, don't wait for the one from anadtech. You want a true review? Look around
this one might put you in the right direction
http://www.tgdaily.com/opinion-features/73330-the-... Reply
fabarati - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkHey, is that an Asus W3J? Reply
VivekGowri - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkHahaha, I think you know the answer to that. Reply
Nexus4Life - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkInteresting review. It's good to also see what can be bought on a budget. Especially in these difficult times. Reply
asendra - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkNot even 2 hours ago I had to decide for what budget phone to buy for my father and my sister. All the android options available were mostly crap (android on a low budget phone is just garbage..) so I started looking into windows phone options.
Here in Europe Nokia has very good track record in this price range, so the options were the lumia 520, the lumia 620 (only 10€ more), and, surprisingly enough, the HTC 8X for the same price (yeah, I don't even know how, they were phasing them out at the store I went..)
I ended up getting them the 8X because hardware wise is night and day (the 8X being the same as the lumia 920, minus the camera). I hope I made the right decision.. the only thing which made me doubt is the HERE nokia apps, but I've read the maps one, and a few others are no longer nokia exclusive. Reply
skiboysteve - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkWow what a find! Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkit truly is Reply
toraji - Friday, August 09, 2013 - linkYou did make a good decision the htc 8x is an awesome phone the only thing you miss out on are the free nokia apps, you can buy them in the store though
I am sure they will love their phone
t Reply
JBaich - Saturday, August 10, 2013 - linkMy only question is regarding IE Mobile. On my Lumia 1020 the mobile browsing experience compares side by side *very* favorably with my (black) HTC One (not X) with 4.3. I was actually amazed by how smooth mobile IE was when I first started using the 1020. As such I'm surprised by your negative experience with IE. Surely you are justified, or you wouldn't be writing for Anandtech. Reply
MatthiasP - Sunday, August 11, 2013 - linkNokia makes such fantastic phones in any price range but is so handicapped my Microsoft's halfhearted commitment to the Windows Phone OS. Reply
ESC2000 - Sunday, August 11, 2013 - linkI'm really excited to see this and I hope it does well on T-mobile because something needs to put pressure on the ripoff that is AT&T and Verizon contract-subsidized phones. People balk at spending $600 or $700 for an unlocked unsubsidized phone even though they pay way more in the long run with the big carriers, but $129 is not too tough to swallow. Of course people could also just wait until the end of their contracts and use their old device on t-mobile's BYOD plan.
The one thing that gives me pause about this phone is the RAM. Is it sufficient? I know the ipad mini's 512 GB RAM seemed woefully low in late 2012 and now it is almost another year later. I don't know what causes it but my brother's mini does lag, especially when pressing the home screen button. Reply
petermarker - Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - linkPretty cool to see Nokia make good budget phones, I think this is a good market for them. I actually prefer this phone to the craptastic old Android phones being peddled on prepaid. http://www.allprepaidplans.com Reply
beck2050 - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - linkRemember when IDC forecast Windows Mobile would take 40% of the smart phone and tablet market by 2014. They can barely give these things away. Reply
killer8 - Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - linkI'd just chime in that I sold my Nexus 4 and just use a Lumia 521 now. Obviously the Nexus 4 is a better phone in almost every way, but as someone who is a light to moderate smartphone user, it was too much phone for the money compared to the sheer value of the 521.
What I like about the Lumia 521 most, besides the price, is Office built - in, especially OneNote, which syncs with my desktop version seamlessly.
The Lumia 521 lasts for days on a signal charge with moderate usage. I've not had a single weird overnight battery drain yet. Nor lock ups.
Web browsing is the only thing that can be notably slower than the Nexus 4, due to it's 512MB RAM. Otherwise, the phone runs totally fluidly. No random lag ups and so on, still so common even on the Nexus 4 at times, depending on how well the app is behaving.
Compared to crap sub $200 Android phones, the Lumia 520/521 is hands down the winner. Reply
siniranji - Friday, August 16, 2013 - linkI find this phone very interesting and moreover after hearing android troubles & hanging problems, stable OS is the need of the hour, and windows 8 wins in this category. Everyone needs a phone fast and economical but good at performance front as well as not power hungry. Once in two days charging is acceptable. Reply
Calista - Sunday, August 18, 2013 - linkI picked up a Lumia 520 because I was curious what WP had to offer and I must say I'm impressed what $85 can buy us nowadays. A few reviewers have been complaining about the dull screen, but I must say it work just fine. It's fluid, feels logical and it's easy to navigate.
I don't plan to replace my HTC with the 520, if jumping OS ship I would get a 920 or similar high-end unit but as previously mentioned - considering the low price it's certainly an impressive phone and I hope it will bring both MS and Nokia a larger market- and mindshare. It's well deserved. Reply
aumnevergiveup - Thursday, August 22, 2013 - linkwhen my mother ask to me to buy new smartphone, the first platform that i want to choose is WP. My mother then bought Nokia 520 and she's satisfied. It's great to see that Nokia can make smartphone with competitive price that doesn't feel cheap. Great job! Reply
jeffkro - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - linkI think I'm going to have to get one of these. You can buy them at walmart for $129(no contract) and get unlimited plans from tmobile for $35 a month, its a steal compared to what I pay through verizon. Sure my service will go down and I use LTE, but I just don't use my phone enough to justify the cost. Reply
jeffkro - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - linkPlus I break my phones to often to buy a contract phone, I'm on my 3rd galaxy nexus. Reply
Anandsiva - Friday, August 30, 2013 - linkWhats the price amount? And how internet speed Reply
paulschlachter109 - Thursday, September 05, 2013 - linkBest deal on Nokia Lumia 520 at univercell.in. I enjoyed my online shopping at univercell. Thanks for great and safe packing and on time delivery.
visit for more info: http://www.univercell.in/buy/NOKIA/Lumia_520 Reply


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Amazon: The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers - An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches by Bill James, Rob Neyer
I do not have a good enough eye to distinguish a slider from a knuckle ball. Maybe because I spend more time dazzled by the many quirks and routines of those who dominate the mound. This book should give me a leg up in better understanding what makes a really good pitcher and a devastating pitch. Although I will still be curious as to what rookie pitcher Nick Green's quirks are once he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Angels.


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Users have duplicate queues in Workspace in Adobe LiveCycle ES 8.2.1. The first queue is the user's personal queue (in blue below), and the second seems to be a shared queue (in red below).
Duplicate queues can appear if you had a custom application in LiveCycle 7 that created more than one queue per user. By default, LiveCycle doesn't create more than one queue per user. LiveCycle clients, like Workspace (LC ES) and FormManager (LC 7) do not support multiple queues for the same user. The workflow engine in the background does support multiple queues per person, but this functionality is rarely used.
When there are multiple queues for a user, each queue has a row with a unique ID in TB_QUEUE. The ID in the default_queue_id column is the ID of the queue that workspace always uses for that user.
Remove the duplicate (shared) queue from the TB_QUEUE table. Before deleting the queue, run the following query to ensure that there are no assignments referencing the shared queue:
Where xxx is the queue ID of the queue that is not the user's default queue. That is, the queue ID not listed in the default_queue_id column.
reference: (181496045)


text:
Spectator — November 2002
By Tom Fexas
Shoe Fetish
|Forty years in boat shoes.
From a young age, I realized that footwear was going to play a great part in shaping my future. I remember being taken to Manhattan by my mother when I was probably five years old. Being so close to the ground, what I noticed most about the people around me was their footwear, and what I saw made me extremely sad. Surrounding me were oceans of shiny wingtips and loafers and assorted buffed business shoes all scurrying to and fro. Even then, I immediately knew that this type of shoe--and the lifestyle that went with it--was not for me. It may be hard to tell your parents or high school guidance counselor that footwear would play a big part in determining your life's work, but sad but true, that was the case with me.
To this day when I visit a large city and observe its inhabitants, a feeling of profound sorrow for these people comes over me. In the summer, dress shoes, along with the accoutrements--a suit and tie--are hot and uncomfortable. In cold weather, leather soles are hard and slippery. Even though most of the guys you see wearing these shoes probably outearn me by ten to one, I still feel sorry for them and the lifestyle they must lead to "get ahead."
I got my first real job upon graduation from college. Although I had a degree in marine engineering, I also was armed with a marine engineer's license--a license to run an engine room watch on a steam or diesel ship. Against my parents' protests, I decided to "ship out" because I wasn't quite ready to "shape up" and took a job as a Third Assistant Engineer on the SS Independence, a passenger liner making regular milk runs between the United States and Mediterranean in the fall, spring, and summer and to the Caribbean in the winter. The engineer's protocol dictated that steel-toed boots be worn while on engine room watch, but the damn steel toes would get very hot in the 110-degree engine room. In short order I was wearing soft-toed boots and thereafter, to the disdain of my engine room mates, graduated to boat shoes while on watch. They were cool and comfortable and provided great traction on slippery engine room deck plates. I've really never worn anything else since.
Next page > Part 2: Corporate Dips > Page 1, 2
This article originally appeared in the January 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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No hockey, beautiful weather, and a June weekend.
And I'm pretty busy with the "other job" and, when I can, watching some of the national championship of golf.
So I've got nothing, and well, I guess I'd better get used to saying that, and you'd better get used to reading it.
Of course, that doesn't mean youse won't come up with your own conversations, so here's your blank canvas for today. Have at it.


text:
The PloughmanLanguage brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.
What is so incredible about the sentence below?
A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed, houghed, and hiccoughed.
HintThere are 10 things you would want to notice.
AnswerThere are 10 occurrences of the letters 'ough' all with a different pronunciation (though I agree it may depend on where you are from).
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top


text:
Wiltshire Council has scaled back its plans to axe all the county's mini recycling centres, with 14 town centre sites set to remain.
In March the council said it would close 126 centres across Wiltshire in a bid to save £100,000, saying its kerbside recycling programme meant they were no longer required. But after a public consultation it says 14 of the larger sites will be retained for a 12-month trial.
It said: "We recognise that some residents continue to combine trips to local supermarkets and town centres with bringing excess recycling to these sites.
"These sites typically use larger 'skip-type' containers and are serviced by different vehicles to that used to service the larger number of smaller sites which used wheeled bin containers. "
The remaining sites are mostly at supermarkets in Chippenham, Calne, Corsham, Malmesbury, Devizes and Royal Wootton Bassett, and will continue to accept glass, cans and paper.


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He Said, She Said: Celebs on Love
Lesson Learned: Men know what they want
"Until I was 30, I dated only boys. I'll tell you why: Men scared the shit out of me. Men know what they want. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn't on the floor. Men buy new shampoo instead of adding water to a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. Men make reservations. Men go in for a kiss without giving you some long preamble about how they're thinking of kissing you.
Boys are adorable. Boys trail off their sentences in an appealing way. Boys can pack up their whole life and move to Brooklyn for a gig if they need to. Boys have `gigs.' Boys are broke. And when they do have money, they spend it on a trip to Colorado to see a music festival.
Boys can talk for hours with you in a diner at three in the morning because they don't have regular work hours. But they suck to date when you turn 30."
—Mindy Kaling (actress-writer), from Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)href>
Lesson Learned: If you're not cute, you might as well be clever
"I met Hugh through a mutual friend. [...] Hugh had moved to New York after spending six years in France. I asked a few questions, rightly sensing that he probably wouldn't offer anything unless provoked.
`Built around 1780...a two-hour train ride from Paris...the neighbor keeps his horses in my backyard...pies made with apples from my own trees.'
I caught the highlights of Hugh's broadcast and understood that my first goal was to make him my boyfriend, to trick or blackmail him into making some sort of commitment. I know it sounds calculating, but if you're not cute, you might as well be clever.
Nine months after I'd borrowed the ladder, [...] we moved in together."
—David Sedaris (writer-humorist), from Me Talk Pretty One Dayhref>
A Separate Peace


text:
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Lung Cancer
Infiltration of Middle Right Lobe
I came down with a upper respiratory infection 3 weeks ago. I was put on antibiotics and inhaler. I went back to doctor because the cough is still present and she had a chest xray taken. It came back with infiltration in the middle right lobe. So, I am doing another round of antibiotics and need to be checked again in 6 weeks. Is this a bad sign (lung cancer) or just something related to cold I got 3 weeks ago. My mother died 3 years ago of lung cancer, she was a heavy smoker and I myself have smoked off and on.
Thank you for your question. In the setting of a lung infection, It can sometimes take several weeks for a chest xray abnormality to resolve. However, should the abnormality not resolve, further evaluation in the form of CAT scan and possible bronchoscopy (evaluation of the airways) may be required to rule out other causes.
Patrick Nana-Sinkam, MD
Associate Professor of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University


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it doesn't surprise me, MobileNotifier is one of the tweaks a recommend to every person I know that has a jailbroken iDevice
And hurry up and release beta4! lol
im not sure but maybe its just me i have a problem with the latest update. i disabled mobilenotifier on my lockscreen but it keeps showing up. should i simply uninstall and reinstall it ? has anyone else had this problem with it
What repo is it found under?
Nevermind I read and found it.


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>General Running>On a lighter note
So 10 days or so ago I got my first calf strain. Very minor strain. It was one of the ones that sneaks up on you, not the so-called "calf heart attack." I look it up, decide "hey, this is something I need to take seriously," and, like a dutiful little runner, I take eight or nine days off. Also do the crossfriction massage or whatever it' s called that Noakes recommends. By the end of the time off, calf is feeling good. Go for a short run. Calf feels great. Next day, go for another run. Calf feels great. But shortly after the run I realize that I've now got a calf strain in the other calf. I mean, WTF is this? I have apparently offended the calf gods, which is funny because of all the things that I have had issues with before, calves have never entered the picture.
Just thought I'd vent my little mundane story.
And, yes, I do stretch.
What part of the calf hurts?
i tried a warm (actually, hot) pad, and that helped a tight calf. It took several days to clear the tightness.
not sure why the calf pain shifted... Perhaps you were inadvertently compensating?
Proboscis Colossus
I have apparently offended the calf gods, which is funny because of all the things that I have had issues with before, calves have never entered the picture.
"God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people
A Saucy Wench
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
What part of the calf hurts?
i tried a warm (actually, hot) pad, and that helped a tight calf. It took several days to clear the tightness.
not sure why the calf pain shifted... Perhaps you were inadvertently compensating?
I think they were both probably messed up from the start. I need to be more attentive to them, e.g., massage.
Chasing the bus
I've been struggling with minor injuries as I try to increase mileage all along. Calves were the latest. Decided stretching and rolling were the key, and better shoes (I had been playing with minimalist), and increasing more gently. Waiting for the next shoe (is that a pun?) to drop as I push into uncharted mileage.
"You're either on the bus or off the bus." ― Tom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
I'm going to post below the article that have worked wonders for my chronic calf issues... I found it years ago and saved off a copy.
The only thing I'll add to the remedy is compression socks.... they work wonders for recovery, for me. You might try the Futuro brand as a cheaper alternative to what you find the triathletes wear.
My calve injuries must have been God's way of showing me that somewhere along the way, I messed up. These were my most secretive feelings for many years. I shared them with no one, for no one could understand the emotional distress associated with chronic calf injuries.
After 15 years as a sportsmedicine specialist in which I'd treated hundreds of runners with various running. I finally was introduced to a solution to my calf problems. If tightness, soreness, slow recovery, or muscle pulls is also your albatross in life, you may want to read this.
The calf is one of the most used muscle groups in the runner. Along with the hamstring, calf problems afflict almost all runners at one time or another. The role the calf plays in the running gait makes it highly vulnerable to tightness, stiffness, tendinitis, and chronic pulls. To the runner who suffers from this syndrome, running can become a not-so-favorite pastime laced long periods of injury and frustration.
Calf problems are usually due to micro-traumas that occur with every run. A typical muscle that is exercised multiple times a week is injured on the microscopic level with every workout. These micro-injuries require to heal. As the muscle is used and the microtraumas occur, an inherit tightening or contracture takes place.
This is the body's attempt to protect the muscle to allow the necessary time for recovery. The downside of this is built in protective mechanisms that there is a reduced blood flow to the muscle, this reduced blood flow furthers the contracture or tightening.
This cycle usually leads to injury or chronic tightness and stiffness that limit a runner with regard to mileage and hard workouts. AS soon as the muscle tightness is mildly improved, most runners feel the need to get back out on the road or track as quickly as possible. This is taking a muscle that is just starting to recover and asking it to perform when it is not capable of doing so and the cycle continues.
The tightening that occurs with constant running has to be addressed on a daily basis in an effort to resolve this problem. While most sportsmendicine specialist and coaches recommend a detailed stretching program, stretching alone will not solve this condition.
The primary problem is that the internal pressure of the muscle is so great (due to the tightening/protective mechanism of the body) that new blood, which is vital for reparation and recovery, cannot enter the muscle. External pressure, greater than the protective internal muscular pressure, has to be applied to the calf muscles in an effort to relax the muscle and encourage a copious, nutrient-rich blood flow necessary for proper food and oxygen to the muscle.
There are three options with regard to employing the necessary treatment to the calves to combat tightness, stiffness, and injuries. The first is to use your thumbs in applying an upward stroke to the calves, starting just above the Achilles up to the back of the knee. The key is to get into calves with enough pressure to help relax the muscle and encourage blood flow into the muscle. The runner should apply 20-30 strokes on both calves.
The second option is to work with a fellow runner and apply the necessary treatment to each other. This is certainly easier, however, another partner is not always available. The final option is to use a tool that allows runners to treat themselves, such as The Stick®. This provides the necessary treatment, is extremely easy to employ, and can be done in 30-45 seconds.
In order to succeed with this approach, muscles must be treated multiple times per day. The treatment cannot become time consuming, since none of us have the time for a lengthy treatment. Again, the treatment could be done in as little as 30-45 seconds.
The most important time for application is just prior to going out for a run, with the second most important being after a run. Ideally, five to six treatments per day will begin to provide the necessary influx of new blood to the damaged, tightened muscle. This will expedite the repair and relaxation process that will allow the calf muscle to undergo the stresses of running without the residual buildup of waste products, toxins, and tightening that is all part of the normal cycle of muscular use and repair.
It is critical to have the muscle in a totally relaxed state while treating it. When sitting down, life the thigh off the floor with the foot free hanging. Let the toe point downward. This will allow the calf muscle to be relaxed. This position is also possible when laying down. When standing put the foot on a stool or chair and make sure the knee is behind the heel instead of ahead of the toe. This will allow for maximum relaxation when applying pressure.
Finally, treatment should not only be done when pain, tightness, or injury is present. This treatment should become a habit for all runners, since calf problems are truly in epidemic proportions. The calf undergoes excessive stress and recovery support with this treatment will provide the insurance you need to stay on the road instead of injured list.


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Angelina Jolie in Cambodia... with Brad?
Angelina Jolie has made a surprise visit to Cambodia, the home country of 5-year-old Maddox. Here's what the International Herald Tribune reported:
Angelina Jolie has made an unannounced visit to Cambodia, a country where she is funding a nature conservation project, officials said Wednesday.
Jolie paid a brief visit to officials in Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold in northwestern Cambodia, said Keut Sothea, a deputy governor for Pailin municipality.
He said Jolie had a brief discussion about a forest conservation project near Pailin with Ieng Vuth, another municipality deputy governor and the son of former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary.
"They came very briefly before flying out. They seemed not to have much time for us," he said, declining to elaborate.
Above is Brad Pitt from a few weeks ago, traveling out of Pune airport, headed for Mumbai. Where is Brad now? Probably in Cambodia with Angelina… unless they left already. Notice how Brad is carrying baby Shiloh, almost 6 months, closely in his arms and has a cute teddy bear in his back pocket!


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By Stan
In next week's sale you can grab two Specialists - Probius, Sylvanas, and a bunch of skins and mounts!
If you want to grab everything, no problem! You can purchase the Weekly Bundle with all Heroes, skins and mounts that are on sale for the week.
Blizzard (Source)
Every Tuesday, we place a number of Heroes on sale, and swap a fresh set of cosmetics into the featured item rotation. Check out this week's items and then head in-game to pick up anything that catches your eye. Weekly Collection Update: Aug 22 – 29, 2017
Next week's Collection Update will begin Tuesday, August 22! Check out the new list of featured items and Hero discounts below: Upcoming Hero Sales
Probius — Sale Price: 375 Gems Sylvanas — Sale Price: 312 Gems
The following Skins and Mounts will enter the Featured Item Rotation, and will be unlockable using Gems until next week's Collection Update: Upcoming Featured Skins
Ascendant Probius Prime Indigo Li-Ming Real Dream Azmodunk Fervent Love Goddess Tyrande Nightmare Shan'do Illidan Molten Druid of the Flame Malfurion Upcoming Featured Mounts
Azure Nimbus Cloud Armored War Steed Weekly Sale Bundle
If you'd rather pick up everything at once, we're also going to add a new Weekly Sale Bundle to the Featured tab in your Collection. This limited-time bundle contains all of the items above at a discounted Gem price, but will only be available until next week's Collection Update takes place.
By Oxygen
We present our ninth Heroes of the Storm Meta Tier List for the Garrosh patch of August 2017.
Our ninth Heroes of the Storm Meta Tier List for the month of August 2017 is here!
Welcome to Icy Veins's Meta Tier List for the Garrosh patch. The goal if of this list is to try and detail game's current metagame state. The prime goal of such lists is to inform players regarding popular and trending team composition drafting strategies (i.e. the drafting metagame). Although tier listings are generally the product of balance, many factors come into play when discussing the relative perceived strengths of heroes, including player regions, maps, play style, skill level, and, of course, personal perception. As such, any tier list—including this very one—should never be interpreted as gospel, but rather, as a guide to better grasp what to expect with regards to typical drafting experiences. One useful application of such lists is to allow you know which heroes to look out for in terms of practice and counterplay, ultimately improving your knowledge of the game.
Using the list
As stated above, tier lists are easy to mistake for gospel. As new strategies are discovered and experimented with, so changes the perception of the relative strengths of each hero. Tier lists still prove to be useful as a snapshot of player expectations in terms of drafting. Although it is generally considered preferable to focus on high tier heroes (Prime and Core tiers), it is important to note that Heroes of the Storm's wild character and map designs make it so that any given hero's tier position is prone to fluctuate depending on the situation at hand.
One classic example of such is that of Kerrigan on the Infernal Shrines map. Although we currently judge her to be a mid-tier hero, her drafting priority shoots up to first-pick or first-ban material on this specific map due to the nature of its objective. Certain heroes also synergise so well with each other that the sole fact of having the opportunity of drafting them together is generally enough to increase their potential. Tassadar and Tracer, for instance, are generally nightmarish to deal with for many. There are too many examples of these interactions to reasonably produce here, but we invite you to consult our guides to know exactly where and when each hero shines. The guides have been linked in the lists below for your convenience - just click any of the hero names to access them.
A ↑ next to a hero's name means its tier list position has increased since the previous month whereas a ↓ means just the opposite. Additionally, a + or - sign indicates short-to-medium term predictions (which is to say, about a month) for tier increase(s) or decrease(s), respectively. These are often updated after significant balance patches and/or when clear trends are emerging.
If you're newer to the game, also consider visiting our glossary for a comprehensive list of discrete Heroes of the Storm terms.
Prime Tier
Warrior Assassin Support Specialist Anub'arak Genji Uther - Stitches↑ Greymane↑ Tassadar↑ Malthael Prime tier heroes are considered to be extremely strong in all situations, and show no obvious weakness. They are very often banned or picked right away, as they generally dictate the pace of most matches.
Core Tier
Warrior Assassin Support Specialist Arthas Falstad Auriel Nazeebo Dehaka Gul'dan- Rehgar Sylvanas Diablo+ Li-Ming Stukov Xul↑ E.T.C.↑ The Butcher↑ Garrosh (new!) Valla Sonya Zeratul Varian (Tank) Core tier heroes are strong in a wide variety of situations and have few counter-picking possibility. They should form the core of your team, and be picked after Prime Tier heroes have been distributed.
Viable Tier
Warrior Assassin Support Specialist Artanis Alarak Brightwing Abathur Chen Cassia↑ Kharazim Azmodan D.Va↓ Chromie Li Li Zagara+ Johanna↓ Jaina Lt. Morales Probius Leoric Kael'thas Lúcio Muradin Lunara Malfurion↓ Tyrael Ragnaros Tyrande Zarya↓ Samuro Thrall↓ Tracer↑ Varian (Damage)- Zul'jin Viable tier heroes are generally well-rounded that have either fallen out of favour, or, inversely, are on the rise in popularity, due to the current Prime tier contenders.
Niche Tier
Warrior Assassin Support Specialist Cho'gall Cho'gall - Gazlowe↓ Rexxar↓ Illidan Medivh Kerrigan↓ Murky Nova Sgt. Hammer Raynor Valeera↓ Tychus Niche tier heroes have niche application on certain maps or for certain team compositions. They are generally picked to "round out" your team composition when your team composition is missing out on key components, such as a "jungler" (mercenary camps), a solo laner, or solid waveclear.
Bottom Tier
The Lost Vikings Bottom tier Heroes are deemed to be either considerably weaker than the majority of other Heroes, or much more challenging to play properly. Although they may situationally shine, these Heroes are generally avoided by most players.
Metagame assessment
Greetings. Regulars may have noticed that the changes featured in this month's list have been more aggressive than usual. In essence, I feel like a clear metagame is finally begin to emerge after a slew of important changes, making it easier for me to pinpoint notable trends. And so, the result is a volatile tier list that should be extremely stable next month. Shall we begin?
I like Garrosh quite a bit, and I can't help but feel that the combined novelty and high skill cap skew his win rates towards the bottom of the roster. Case in point: his Master level win rates are nearly 12% higher than his Bronze level win rates. This is a case of Medivh all over again; however, whereas both Garrosh and Medivh did start at 30-something-percent win rates, Garrosh has been steadily climbing over the week. Both Diablo and Stitches are currently very popular picks, and Garrosh provides similar utility through his Groundbreaker + Wrecking Ball combo. Talents to watch out for are undoubtedly Warbreaker (reduced cooldown on Groundbreaker, level 1) and Intimidation (40% reduced attack speed on targets hit by Groundbreaker, level 7), which allow Garrosh to neuter basic attack reliant heroes much earlier than other heroes can. Into the Fray (can use Wrecking Ball on allies once every 30 seconds, level 7) is also an interesting one as it gives Garrosh his own version of Cleanse and the ability to say 'hey, you're mispositioned, stop it', which should come in handy whenever an ally is, well, not standing where they should be. It also breaks Lamb to the Slaughter on top of a few other nasty heroic abilities, which is great.
Stitches has finally ascended to godhood, and although I was slow to give him a seat in the core tier, repeated high level hero league bans and a high amount of tournament play speak for themselves. As stated last month, the Slam build remains an easy way of topping the damage charts all while being difficult to kill. Gorge has also seen an upsurge in popularity, and particularly on maps where combat tends to happen close by fortifications, such as Dragon Shire, Tomb of the Spider Queen, Towers of Doom, et cetera. Couple this with Falstad's Mighty Gust, and you have a game winning combo that isn't all that difficult to pull off.
I don't have much to say about Greymane that isn't self-obvious; Cursed Bullet is a great choice in a meta where healthy tanks are popular, though Go for the Throat is also re-emerging for blowup team compositions, thanks to its reliable damage and gap closing feature, on top of its ability to reset.
To shoehorn last month's tier list again, I made a snarky comment about Tassadar always being either too strong or too weak. Right now, he enables two borderline heroes–Illidan and Tracer–on top of providing flexible heroic ability choices for both more defensive and blowout team compositions. His versatility just makes him never feel like a bad pick, and Oracle keeps the Zeratuls at bay as a bonus.
E.T.C. is this month's surprise as players sift through forgotten heroes to solo tank, provide potential mapwide mobility through Stage Dive, and just generally provide reliable crowd control. You'll note a sore lack of interruption from a lot of high tier picks as well, making Mosh Pit about as good as it'll get.
We haven't seen The Butcher be more than a one trick for nearly two years now, but the brute is back in force, thanks for buffs several players have misinterpreted as nerfs. I suspect, however, that some of his newfound success may be due to players having some difficulty adapting to his new gank-heavy playstyle and generally counterpicking him. Shall the Brightwings, Cassias, and Li Lis of the world rise up to the challenge?
Xul has continued to perform well, and although he is the second least popular core tier hero (right behind Zeratul), he will keep on being effective on Blackheart's Bay, Dragon Shire, Gardens of Terror, Infernal Shrines, and Towers of Doom simply due to the importance of having a strong split pusher on these maps. Just make sure you go for Skeletal Mages, which tend to block a lot of those abilities strong tanks currently rely upon to get picks, on top of being generally disruptive.
By Stan
Lost Cavern is a single-lane battleground that has been chosen for this week's brawl! Complete three matches to earn a Loot Chest.
Blizzard (Source)
This week's brawl is Lost Cavern! It's all-out mayhem on our single-lane battleground – Lost Cavern. Queue up, choose your Hero, and try to best to bring down the enemy Core!
Shuffle pick - Choose from one of three Heroes before entering the battle. Standard play - no talent or level restrictions. The first team to destroy the enemy Core wins! Rewards:
Complete three matches of Lost Cavern to earn a Loot Chest! Find out more about the Heroes Brawl game mode on our Heroes Brawl site; and as always, you can find more information on this week's Brawl by clicking the Brawl Info button at the bottom of the play screen when preparing to queue for the Brawl game mode.
By Stan
The 90th episode of WTF Moments is here.
Heroes of the Storm Highlights is back with the 90th episode of WTF Moments.
By Stan
It's time to get hyped! Gamescom 2017 is just over a week away and even though Blizzard hasn't shared the full schedule yet, we'll get to see Team expert battling it out against Team Liquid on August 23 from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST.
Both teams played against each other during Western Clash and Team expert easily defeated Team Liquid with a final score of 3:0. Will they be able to take revenge? Another interesting match is a YouTuber clash between Team ApeCrime & Team PietSmiet. Stay tuned for a full schedule.
Blizzard (Source)
Whether you're an esports fanatic or just love live MOBA action, you'll definitely want to catch our two epic show matches either in person or via live stream.
Team expert vs. Team Liquid
Some of the very best players in the world will be battling it out at gamescom, as Team Liquid and Team expert face off on Wednesday, August 23 from 14:00 to 15:30 CEST.
Team expert
Based in Germany, Team expert is known for executing unique drafts and utilizing niche heroes. Their roster is well accustomed to success—they finished second in the recent 2017 HGC Western Clash, and are currently ranked number two in the HGC Europe standings.
Team Liquid
Team Liquid boasts the longest running five-player roster in the HGC, and it just so happens that four of them are German! They're sure to have plenty of local support at gamescom, which may be just what they need after recent battles with Team Expert. Their Heroes Showdown opponents knocked them out of the HGC Western Clash earlier this month. Can they take revenge in Cologne?
Team ApeCrime vs. Team PietSmiet
Get ready for the most legendary YouTuber clash this year! German music and comedy team ApeCrime will challenge gaming personalities PietSmiet on Friday, August 25 from 11:45 to 13:15. Be sure to follow along and find out who'll be victorious in this battle of the titans.
Team ApeCrime
With more than five million subscribers over two channels on YouTube, ApeCrime is sure to have their fair share of fans in the gamescom crowd! Well known for their awesome music and hilarious videos, Cengiz Dogrul, Andre Schiebler, and Jan-Christoph Meyer will offer some top-notch entertainment on stage. With Michael 'KendricSwissh' Kratzel and Walter 'MFPallytime' Hopkins rounding out their team, they're sure to bring a few surprises to the Nexus.
Team PietSmiet
PietSmiet has been producing gaming-related content since 2011, including "Let's Play" videos, "Best Of" roundups, and their "Let's Ask" series. More than two and half million fans follow their channels on YouTube, and they're sure to earn a few more at gamescom. Chris Stachelhaus, Jonathan Apelt, and Sebastian Lenßen will be joined by esports expert Derek 'DunkTrain' Arabian and "Tryhard for Good" streamer Kevin 'Kev1n' Rubiszewski.


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
One of the things that I've just come to accept is that the designers of Windows 8 and I think very differently.
It'll take a long time to convince me that shutting down the computer is a "setting". Even after using Windows 8 for quite a while now, I still find that I struggle nearly every day, just trying to do things that I previously knew how to do. That's just not a good thing.
Today I decided to create a system image as I hadn't made one lately. I started in Control Panel looking for Backup options. That yielded nothing except programs that wanted to "Save backup copies of my files with file history".
I thought "oh well, let's just try the new search options". I hit the Windows key and typed "Backup". No, nothing came up there either.
I searched again all over the Control Panel options to no avail.
So it was time to hit Google again. Once again, clearly lots of people used to know how to do this and have been trying to work out where this option went.
The first trick is that there are a bunch of Control Panel options that don't appear in the Control Panel. In the address bar at the top, if you click on Control Panel, you'll find there is an option that says "All Control Panel Options". That is curious given that's where I thought I was when I opened Control Panel. No hint is given on that screen that there are a bunch of hidden options. None the less, I then checked out "all" the options.
The option that you need to create a system image in Windows 8 turns out to be the "Windows 7 File Recovery" option that appears in this extended list. Why does it say "Windows 7" when it's for "Windows 8" as well and I'm running "Windows 8"? Why do I have to choose an option that says "File Recovery" to create a system image backup?
But at least I've recorded it here for the next time I forget where to find it.
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I'm convinced the a drunk intern designed most of Windows 8 just to mess with folks that use their computers professionally....
It took me days to find that. Apparently they are essentially depreciating the feature. Not a brilliant move in my opinion.


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The global increase in interest in religion over the last 20 years it still rising. It is Almighty God Who is creating that interest. In the wake of the last century, in which there was widespread atheism and catastrophes caused by it, God is now creating a new age in which the true faith is spreading across the entire world. The most felicitous reports concerning the signs of that age are coming in from all over the world. One such sign is how, from total book sales of $28.6 billion in the USA, it is the publishers of religious books that have recorded the greatest increases in sales.
The best-selling title in 2004 was "The Purpose Driven Life" brought out by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.


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- Nickel electroplated
- Protective coating to prevent tarnish
- Size: 3" X 4"
Buckles with attitude! Attitude buckles are Kickin' Buckles at Kickin' prices! This buckle will make a perfect gift! These cast buckles are cast using the finest base materials available then they are nickel silver plated and feature a wiped antique finish to bring out the highlights and details. Each finish may vary slightly do to the hand finished nature of each buckle. These cast buckles may sometimes have slight blemishes which adds unique character to each buckle and is not considered a defect. Montana Silversmiths protects the finish with a protective coating to prevent tarnishing.
Style(s): 61021


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SAINT LEO, Fla. – As autumn approaches, Saint Leo University men's basketball Coach Lance Randall sees the start of year number three get underway for a program that has already risen to national recognition in the first two seasons.
With this year's squad of Lions playing under a new banner in the Bowman Center, one denoting the program's 2013 Sunshine State Conference Regular Season Championship, Randall does not see the Saint Leo missing a beat entering this season despite the loss of three starters.
"Our returners, Harris, Girten, Kadima, Griseck, Bell, Mitchell, and Bassett have all made a significant jump in their game this summer," Randall said. "We have added a great balanced recruiting class. I expect this group to be in the nation's top 10 defensively for the third year in a row. I am looking forward to playing our usual high end schedule with the terrific group of young men."
Winning a conference championship in a league that was ranked as the top Division II college conference by Bennett Ranking, the Lions finished the season with the program's most-ever wins (22) and were regularly ranked in the top-25. It is a top-25 yearly expectation that was born on the Lions' perennially tough defense, consistently one of the top Division II defenses in the country, and one that took hold after an exhibition upset of Division I Miami (Fla.) to begin last season.
It is a team that has held the Sunshine State Conference's top-ranked defense since Randall's arrival and one that finished tied for 10th in the nation in field goal percentage defense. This ranking is made even more impressive when it is noted that 11 of the Lions' 25 different opponents last season were ranked in the top-25 at some point in the season.
The expectation level on the Lions' defense is something that will not change despite the change of cast as the program is built upon a strong defense that is always great despite losing certain pieces of the puzzle. It's the ability to quickly replace the missing pieces and not miss a beat that keeps the Lions' looking ahead.
Returning six starters and seven letter-winners from last season's team, the Lions welcome back arguably the best player in the SSC in Jerrel Harris, the only underclassman to earn All-Conference First Team honors last season. Sitting out 2012, Harris's influence was huge in 2013 as he averaged nearly 15 points and looks to become even more of an impact his senior year.
Another returner looking to make a bigger splash this season is Chim Kadima as he comes off a year where he played in 28 games. A player that was a Big 12 commit out of high school, Kadima transferred to Saint Leo prior to the SSC Championship season and comes into 2013-14 the healthiest he has been since suffering an injury his freshman year.
The list of newcomers is as impressive as the Lions' returners and includes four transfers and three freshmen.
Joining the Lions prior to their junior seasons include Ron Foxx, a 6'7" First Team All-Academic player from Division II Miles College in Alabama and Ryan Wilson, another 6'7" player who is a big-time passer and shooter donning the Green and Gold after two seasons at Eastern Wyoming where he was an All-Region player.
Devin Crisosto, a combo guard transfer from Feather River College, was an All-Conference, All-Defensive and All-State team member where he averaged 14.4 points per game. Rounding out the group of transfers is Tony Jones, Jr. a big-time athlete who spent two seasons at Johnson County Community College and was a McDonald's All-American nominee.
Beginning their collegiate careers, Marcus Dewberry, Trail Pierce and Necdet Gurkan look to bring their high school success into the collegiate ranks. Dewberry comes to Saint Leo as a highly recruited player out of Lake Wales High School that turned down multiple Division I offers. Pierce was one of the top 50 high school players from the state of Wisconsin that comes to Saint Leo as a 6'10" very skilled player who has a nice basketball touch. Gurkan, a 6'6" defensive presence, comes from Turkey where he was a top player that led the Turkish league in rebounding.
Randall will join associate head coach J.R. Blount and newest assistant Kaniela Aiona to blend all of these pieces; with this year's puzzle starting full practice in the middle of October. The Lions will start their trek toward another postseason journey when they travel to Puerto Rico to play in a tournament beginning on November 8.


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A few disqualifying factors for "songs a man should be listening to": Any song we fell asleep listening to didn't make the list. Or any song that sounds like it's being sung by someone who sounds like they're about to fall asleep. Or any song that features a novelty instrument, such as a poorly played French horn. Or any song that is a slow, acoustic cover of a song that was originally played fast. Or any song that makes us feel worse about ourselves and the world and music in general. Any song that isn't good, is what we're trying to say.
YOUR HOSTESS: Learn more about Heather Morris (and watch her dance) >>
Because the British have a way of injecting an underlying bitterness into a simple line that we've yet to master on this side of the pond. "You owe me an apology," he says over and over, more stinging each time, enough to make us want to apologize on her behalf.
Your Backstage Pass to 'Last Night in Detroit'


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It's a truism that one aspect of the consumerization of IT is that users expect better experience from apps and other technology systems than IT is accustomed to delivering. Tech needs to be as easy as a Mac, iPhone, TiVo, Amazon.com, Nest, and so on if users are to choose it. Apps designed by engineers for engineers won't cut it any more.
But also true is the notion of "good enough" that Web apps and services especially have fostered, as have many mobile apps, where people do what it takes to transact and ignore a suboptimal experience to get something free or fast. It's a somewhat contradictory phenomenon, but there are some principles to determining when "good enough" really is good enough and when a rich, intuitive experience is required.
[ 10 tips for creating compelling mobile apps. | The end of the CIO as we know it. | Subscribe to InfoWorld's Consumerization of IT newsletter today.]
Take the example of the recently announced BT MeetMe conferencing service that features spatial audio using Dolby technology, to create the illusion that speakers on an audioconference are sitting in the same room as you, even in different locations in that room, as if you were all around the same virtual table. That sounds like a superior user experience. But I bet that most companies won't pay extra for that audio experience, even as we all complain about crappy teleconference audio. Why? Because the crappy experience is good enough for the value the teleconference provides.
If you travel, you know how poor the user experience is on most airline and hotel sites -- many don't work well on mobile devices or even have mobile versions. If you use a travel management app like TripIt, you see quickly that outside of its neat little borders, it's a Wild West of poor user experiences when it sends you to checkin pages. We'd all like a good user experience, but most people don't fly enough to care enough. Thus, you get airlines like Southwest and AirTran that don't bother supporting mobile users with a mobile website or app.
It's a different story when it comes to an app or service you care about. Music and radio apps tend to succeed if the user experience is good, for example, assuming the music selection is sufficient, of course. People get very particular about how their note-taking apps work. Even browsers can engender personal loyalty. The key word is "personal" -- these apps are extensions of the person, and most people think well of themselves and want the things that refect them (their gadgets, their cars, their stereos, and their apps) to reflect that virtue.
Other apps need good user experience to succeed from the provider's point of view. For example some airlines, like United and Delta, offer a rich user experience across devices because their large business clientele cares a lot. They want convenience and the sense that they're special customers -- and not just from having a card colored like a precious metal.
Amazon.com has a great example of a mobile app that makes it way too easy to shop, which means people do shop on their smartphones -- a lot. The user experience is wonderful. Compare that to, say, the Lowes app, which focuses on in-store selling over user experience, thus ignoring the person at the center of the transaction. For example, it makes you select a store before taking any other actions, even window-shop or check your purchase history. Furthermore, in the event you don't have your physical Lowes card with you, the Lowes app can neither act as a substitute (the similar Walgreens app does this) nor let you scan in your purchases to the Lowes tracker.
In other words, you can get away with "good enough" for things people don't care much about and use only when they must, but you must provide a great experience for the things they do care about or that you want them to use a lot for your own benefit. The trick is knowing which situation applies. As the airline example shows, it can vary even within an industry.
This article, "The 'good enough' mobile app is on the rise -- but develop with caution," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Galen Gruman's Smart User blog. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.