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When Samsung announced an unveiling that overlapped with CTIA in San Diego, and involved Google, I was ecstatic. When Samsung canceled that same event once I was already in San Diego, I was disappointed. The good part? I was in San Diego. But when Samsung and Google rescheduled that event for one week later in Hong Kong, the frustration – and then stress – reached a boiling point.
Hong Kong? Really? I had a suitcase full of dirty clothes, a plane ticket to Baltimore, and a passport sitting in a safe on the other side of the country.
Meanwhile, one of the biggest tech announcements of the year is being prepared on the other side of the world, taunting me. Daring me to attend. It’s a 15+ hour flight. The timezone is 15+ in the future. That’s a 30-hour time travel of craziness to attend what’s likely to be a 1 hour event. Not only that… a one hour event that’s being streamed live on YouTube.
I toyed with the idea of finding an Asian-based tech writer to cover the event on behalf of Phandroid, but the perfect freelancer is hard to find. Screw it. What a waste of time and money. Is it really worth the hassle? Pssh. No way.
Wait a minute: would ESPN miss the Superbowl because it’s too far away?
Tisk, tisk, Rob J. Suck it up. Actually… suck it up?
Worst case scenario: The event sucks, they don’t have hands-on the device, they offer an Amercian version of the event in NYC, and I’m “stuck” in a pretty awesome city on the other side of the world. Boo freaking hoo.
So I stopped being a cry baby. I had my passport overnighted to San Diego. I booked a flight from San Diego, to LA, to Hong Kong and back to Baltimore. I’ll be in Hong Kong for a week – so if anyone is around – let me know.
But most importantly… I’ll be live in Hong Kong watching Samsung and Google announce Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, presumably alongside the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (aka Nexus Prime). I’ll have more than enough coverage for all of our readers and I hope you all will enjoy the heck out of it. I know I will.
Hong Kong, here I come.
cant’ wait!!!!
Moral of the story: Don’t piss off Rob Jackson.
Hahaha. True story!
Have fun man!
Action Jackson.
Good on you!! Glad you went through with this plan!
Bravo
Good luck and have fun!! Can’t wait to see what you report back with! :)
these boys get it in lol. jet lag or not :)
Can’t wait to watch your coverage
Aw, this is awesome, hope you have an awesome trip, Hong Kong is an amazing city and this announcement has all the hype of something promising! :)
Hang in there, I have a feeling it’ll be worth it :)
This should be posted to http://whitewhine.com/
Dont eat the chicken, it might be seagull
Dont eat the seagull, it might be chicken
Don’t eat either, it might be soylent green.
Don’t eat the soylent green, It used to be people
LOL thanks for all the warnings. Starvation mode begun!
Once while travelling down the road I thought I smelled something wonderful cooking… until I saw smoldering vehicle wreckage. Don’t knock the soylent green until you try it. Wait, what?! Should I seek help?
i see what you did there. haha
YEAH!
Hong Kong’s an awesome place. Enjoy :D
Thank you rob
Lol great story….. I can’t wait either to see Android ICS and hopefully the 3rd Nexus from Google………
Have a blast! I bet not too many American journalists will make that trip. I will be tuning in.
Great reason to travel the world. Looking forward to your report:)
Have fun in HK. Great food there, especially the sweet and sour dishes and noodles. You’ll have fun in Lan Kwai Fung.
i found this story hilarious for a reason lol
DAYUMN!!! You hard core bro! Good luck and have fun! :-)
I love phandroid
Thanks Rob! Greatly appreciated :)
Hong Kong is an awesome city, take some time to look around while you’re there. I’m sure you’ll have a blast, and I look forwards to seeing what you find that isn’t seen on youtube.
Dude, that’s “ball balls” sorta like my 16hr solo drive home from the BBQ. Go man, Go!
You should start a donation fund on PayPal for ur plane ticket, I know I would donate(as long as u do a good job covering the event, by I know u will
naw man. Fly to Macau (beside hong kong) earn your money at the casino.
There is another option to go Macau, you can take high speed ferry to there, only take you around 1 hour.
They already get donations, it’s called advertising. I think it’s cool that he is going to HK to check out the announcement, but lets not get ridiculous, he isn’t dumping out the change jar to get a ticket – Phandroid didn’t start yesterday – they *do* generate revenue from ads.
Really appreciate the support! But instead of accepting donations, we just prefer you keep on visiting our sites, let us know how we’re doing and how we can get better, and if you like what we’re doing.. recommend us to your friends!
For a publication like us, this is the best “Thank You” ever!
I live nearby. Let’s have drinks! -Jen (mikandi)
Sounds good! You’ve got mail.
while in HK, if a girl come over and said 500HKD, dont do it. 200 is enough.
This is why Phandroid has been my first choice for Android news for the last 3 years.
I’ve only been here a short while, but I feel the same.
Same here. I’ve been paying as much as 750HKD. Forewarned is to have four arms.
Dude, way to step up. This is why Phandroid is on the top of my Google Reader list. I agree with Anon, I would definitely chip in for a plane ticket fund for you. Have a great time and I’m looking forward to the coverage!
Have some Dog and Cat steak while you’re there
fuckin dedication bro. hats way off
Rob Jackson: Time Traveling Reporter
Have fun Rob! Way jealous!
Rob Jackson: EPIC
Awesome job dude
Now that’s dedication Rob, I’d love to join you, but a students budget is usually close to the bottom of the barrel
Cool story, bro.
I came to Hong Kong for a year in 1995. I’m still here. The same could happen to you ….
Lovin’ it so far… shoot me an E-Mail if you want to grab a drink!
Do enjoy the trip good sir.
I like that Superbowl comparison lol fantastic
Sweet. Expensive place to eat. Take major coin.
Awesome, but… is this really the only thing happening in the Android world today?
Come on do you live under a rock? It’s the weekend aj, it’s always like that. Wait until the week starts, there will be plenty of news.
Judging by hard my hotel bed is… I actually live on top of the rock.
You just earned mad points with your reader base. Go Rob Jackson and Phandroid! Hope you get a free Nexus phone or something!
what they said…… we friggin love you rob
Phandroid <3
Android 4.0
I.C.S
Nexus Prime
Chrome web browser for android
Google’s new plans for mp3 store
Google music (global)
Ey yi yi apple has a battle ahead of them :)
Give me a G to the O, O, G and the L to the E
GOOGLE!
fuck i hope you are right. i want google music.
If you really into mobile device, you have to check out the “Sin Tat Plaza”, locate in Mok Kwok, they have all kind of new mobile phone around the world. If you are into computer parts, you gotta check out “Golden Computer Shopping Center”, locate in Sham Shui Po. Don’t forget to try the foods in Hong Kong, you must like it so much!
I will DEFINITELY try the foods (I’m kind of a foodie) and Sin Tat Plaza sounds like it’s right up my alley. If I’m able to check it out, I’ll report back!
Milk tea, you much try it! Don’t forget that. Have fun in Hong Kong
serious dedication my man thats why phandroid is # Yī, that one in chinese
http://whitewhine.com :P
In all seriousness, looking forward to the event
Nice! Thanks for your dedication! Phandroid rocks!
Awsome man, I’ll be following the event from here, instead of Engadget as I did the previous years. Have fun and keep up the good work.
If you ever need a writer in Europe, just let me know.
Awesome sir! Enjoy. I’ll be watching the stream but looking for your hands on reviews.
This is why I phandroid is literally the first website I check when I first wake up. I just grab my phone and check this site first thing in the morning.
Thanks to people like Rob Jackson, I always have things to look forward to everyday. ^_^
Eh wha!? To Hong Kong!? Um… Ok then. Hopefully it’s worth it.
Unfortunately, I’ll be flying back to USA from HK on Oct-18…..
Or I could’ve helped you and showed you around.
If you need any info, let me know.
Have a safe trip.
Shucks. Just missed you! Thanks for the wishfully-thought-upon-hospitality!
Hey Rob if you’re staying through to the weekend the Geeks on a Plane guys are at Startup Saturday geeksonaplane.com/destinations/asia/hong-kong/
I’ll be here. Definitely will look into it – thanks!
I live like 20 minutes away from BWI, You should come stay here :P
Stay there? Did you know I LIVE in Baltimore?
Have fun dude! I’ll be tuned in!
The same street in your attached picture in 2011:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%E6%B3%A2%E6%96%AF%E5%AF%8C%E8%A1%9753%E8%99%9F&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=22.279417,114.182909&spn=0.000956,0.002401&sll=22.27973,114.183333&sspn=0.002192,0.004128&vpsrc=6&hnear=53+Percival+St,+Hong+Kong&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=22.279509,114.182865&panoid=vywZjjadeNpUU9IE3sEUEg&cbp=12,164,,0,-5.4
I look at phandroid at least five times a day. Proud of you that you accepted you are a professional android “reviewer” of all things android and have a large base of loyal members who follow you daily.
Only five times, you noob. :-P
Too bad its gonna be 6am here when this goes live.
anyway will to wake up, and keep an eye here and youtube
And thats why we love you!
Make sure to get a massage and ask for the happy ending
Oh and you will have a great time wish I was there to see IC coming out party.
Have a good trip!
This!!
Thanks guys. And thanks for holding AF down!
Thanks for being committed, Rob!
Have some dimsum
Could I talk my wife into this trip? No. Do I have the time off to go? No. Will I sit in my time zone and watch it in my pjs? Yes. Will I get a bone? Yes.
haha a bone?
Make sure you check out the HSBC headquarters. Worlds local bank
Thanks for all your efforts!
Awesome story!! Can’t wait to hear/see the coverage!
Apliu Street is the place to check out for all things tech!
Would love to check it out… where exactly is that? Trying to find it on Hong Kong island but don’t see it and Google search isn’t liking me much atm!
careful, dont want to find out that bowl of noodles you just ate had dog
Didn’t know some android user could be this ignorant..
And this is exactly why I keep coming back to Phandroid and reading all the stories. Dedicated writers that actually love what they do, and love helping out its readers stay connected.
Thank you!!!
While your in Hong Kong dont forget to get laid! : p
To: Dan4Patriots you’rer an supreme IDIOT.
This is why I live Phandroid. Looking forward to the coverage
Good to see a premier device (if, indeed, we get first looks at the next Nexus on Tuesday) like this being unveiled here in HK. Would be nice to see the likes of HTC & Samsung showing off more of their high-end stuff first here given the h/w manufacturing’s done in this neck of the woods. Plus, i’m starting to see a ****-load of Sam. G. S. II’s and big-screen HTC phones in use here.
If Rob, or any other HKer droid fans want to meet up next week, drop me an e-mail.
Be careful and have fun, but be carefull that place is a zoo. I heard you can rent a 2’x6′ capsule instead of a hotel room.
This place is definitely crazy crazy crazy… but since I’m getting along just fine in my first 24 hours what does that say about me? Hmmm. Yeah. Me so crazy.
I hope someone at @ Google/Android or Samsung saw this and makes sure you get a free Samsung Galaxy Nexus at the event (or at least first for a review shortly after).
Good luck!
Godspeed!
R.J. is da man. will be waiting for the report bro.
On the flip side the trip back home will take 0 minutes!
Funny cause it’s true ;)
admirable! perhaps that’s why i find phandroid much better than anything else ive seen.
Mr. Jackson, you’ve almost inspired me to get an education in journalism to pair with my love for mobile technology. Live the dream, brother. Have an awesome trip and thanks for all you give us.
Nice. Have a good trip! Can’t wait for the event.
Let me know if you need a local as an assistant.
Let me know if you need a local as an assistant
Don’t need an “assistant” but if you’re interested in getting a drink, I’m thinking about gathering some Hong Kong folks for a mini-meetup
Let’s meet up after the event somewhere in Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong. Hook me up. [email protected]
so how is this tech news
tweet about it next time
Ya know, some people enjoy articles and information that are beyond “XYZ just happened” or “Review of the ABC”. Things like opinions, editorials, random rants…
Some people enjoy that stuff. Some people don’t. You’re not going to like 100% of the articles on this website or any website (unless you read your own website and love yourself) so just skip over the stuff you don’t like and read the stuff you do!
I work in Wan Chai, maybe we can have a drink after 6? Excited to meet Android fans in Hong Kong!
Hey Billy, shoot me an E-Mail and lets grab a drink! I’m here until Monday. Maybe we’ll get a few readers/phans together and kick it?