Screen Protectors...a Rip Off?

What's the first thing they try to sell you when you buy a phone these days?  If your experience is anything like mine, it's a set of plastic screen protectors.   Can't remember the last time I didn't hear, "You just spent a few hundred on a smartphone and it costs $600 to replace...what's $30 for a set of screen protectors?"

Well.  Are they a waste of money?  Phones are beautiful these days and their screens are the biggest part of their beauty.  Have you fiddled with screen protectors?  They leave bubbles.  They go on crooked.  The best looking ones require you to actually wet your phone and then squeegie them on (something that inevitably left me with that one, odd piece of lint or dog hair permanently embedded in my viewing area!).  This can actually destroy the phone itself if you don't remove the battery first and let it dry overnight before powering it on.

I submit for your approval:  treated glass.  The most common is good old, Corning Gorilla Glass.  First of all, this is an American company for those of you who care about that.  It's neat to see an American product required on all of the top phones.  The other thing is that this is treated glass.  It's flexible, it's light, it's tough.

Watch this video:



You can see on the "medium" pressure that he applies, that he is actually applying pressure.

Now, watch this video from China with an HTC One X using the latest Gorilla Glass 2:


Lastly, here's a practical application.  This phone does NOT use Gorilla Glass, but a Chinese substitute...he succeeds in scratching the glass (fast foward to 3:20...sorry, this is the best test I've found...because the guy already broke his phone):


So...the bottom line is, why uglify your new phone?  Why throw away money for a cheap piece of plastic that's a real pain to apply and generally ruins the appearance of the display?  Maybe if you know that you are going to grind your phone on gravel, but short of that, save your money.

last note:  I've been going without a screen protector for the last two years.  I HAVE received two very minor scratches, but one is almost impossible to find, and the other was on an older generation smartphone when the glass technology was a new thing and phone manufacturers didn't focus on this.


UPDATE: I scratched my Amaze 4G screen without a protector!  How'd I do it?  Well, it fell out of my pocket when I was sitting up in a tall SUV and fell out of the door.  It was about a 4 foot drop onto concrete...the problem was that the concrete had gravel sprinkled across it.  Three pieces of gravel caused three tiny scratches on the screen.  They're pretty minor, but my research has shown that sand or gravel, when rubbed across the screen, will still cause scratches as in the HTC Amaze video above.  I'm not sure what it is, but it must just grab onto the oleophobic (grease repelling, as in from your fingerprint) coating that the glass is treated with and then grind the hard minerals against your glass, causing the scratches.  So, while coins and keys in your pockets will not scratch your phone, the sand between your wallet and phone while sitting at the beach might.  Perhaps it's a matter of where you go and what you do with your phone.  Personally, a case that rides up above your screen (I had no case on my Amaze), just barely, will probably do the trick to prevent the grit from grinding against your screen.  As for my phone, the scratches are minor and only noticable when I look for them...the problem is:  I KNOW THEY ARE THERE!

Pirq (for smartphone users)

I've been using Pirq for a few months now and must say, this sure beats Groupon.  Most people are familiar with Groupon:  You pay half price up front for a coupon that you have to print out and for a place that you really don't care about. If you don't use it, you've thrown your money away.  Pirq gives you the same benefit, only a million times better.

With Pirq, you don't have to pay anything up front and you can cancel at the very last minute.  You can look at a map on your phone (or a list based on your current location) and find places offering "Pirqs."  These are typically 40-50% off if you commit to go to the restaurant the next day.  They give you a time window, usually about 2-4 hours, that you have to use the perk within, in order to get the discount.  You click on the deal (they are limited and the amount left is clearly displayed on the phone).  When you arrive, you click on the "redeem this deal" and scan the pirq QR (well, Microsoft Tag, really, but it's a lot like a color QR tag) that is usually posted at the front door or cash register.  This starts a countdown timer (usually 2-3 hours) with which the code stays active.  You then show the code to your server and, voila, instant discount.  You paid nothing up front and, if you decide not to use it, you simply click "cancel."

Unlike Groupon, you haven't paid up front and you aren't financially committed because you can back out.  This is a great app that is spreading to more and more businesses in more and more cities.  The greatest thing about it is that you don't have to plan in advance.  At the last second, you can usually still find deals that are offered right at that moment.  Granted, the last minute approach is usually limited to 20-25% off, but that's still free money!  I grabbed 25% off at Yogurtland the other day just because I remembered to check the app before I paid.  I was already there and was already going to pay, just a quick check and I saved $3.  No effort, no commitment.

In case you haven't noticed, I highly rate this app if you eat out a lot.  There are other perks, but they are mostly related to quick service restaurants.  Isn't that where most of us go for lunch anyway.  Install this app now!

To watch their promo video, click here.

The Nylon Scraper

Why did it take 20 years of non-stick pots and pans before I first started seeing nylon scrapers?  I can't imagine cleaning dishes without them now.   In addition, I've started using it elsewhere.  I've found that there is no better way to scrape up pancake batter drippings from my counter.
"Plastics, my dear boy.  Plastics."  Now, if only I had a 3D printer... but that's another article all together.

Introduction

Hello,

I'm a middle-aged man that loves tech, but doesn't have the time to follow and buy everything.  In that boat, I am joined by many middle-aged men I know that want to stay abreast of useful things.  They care about what tech can impact their lives, not the 28nm barrier to micro-circuits.  They might not know what Moore's Law is until they are coached (at which point, they will honestly remember hearing that before).

It is my intention to present, from time to time (as much as possible), tech that helps other non-professional techies incorporate tech in their lives.  I set no boundaries.  I will post about mobile phone apps, use of "the cloud" in a way that adults care about (Evernote vs. Instagram, for example), tech hardware, tv's, phones, odd gadgets.  My idea is basically anything at all tech related that someone 35-55 might be interested in using in their daily lives.

The main idea here is:  Usefulness!

I hope you will follow and find something useful.  Feel free to comment.

-Steve