Last Post

Hello everyone.  I just want to let you know that this will be my final post for this blog.  I have had a lot of fun (more fun than I thought I would) making this blog and writing every week on something that I am really passionate about or something that I just happen to find interesting.  This has truly been a great experience for me, however I just think that I’m not the type of person who is loves writing blogs.  I’m the kind of person that is more into reading blogs (once in a while) and commenting to people about things.

There are a lot of things that I will take away from this experience that will help me in the future or that will just remain a good memory.  One of those things, actually the most shocking thing, is the number of people who visited my blog, read it (or just looked at it), and continued to come back again and again.  I was only expecting to have maybe at the most about 100 views on my blog.  Never had I expected to achieve the 500 views that I did.  This is one of the experiences that will stay with me as a memory.

One of the things that I will take with me and hope to use in the future, is how much my writing has improved through the use of this blog.  Before I started this blog, whenever I needed to write a paper for school, I always wrote it in the most direct way possible.  What I mean is that I would get a prompt and I would do everything to answer the prompt and make it seem like I am talking to my teacher face to face.  Writing to a larger audience is easier because the knowledge level of my readers is a little bit more scattered meaning that the ranges are much greater.  Now after writing this blog and writing to the hundreds of people that read my blog, I think that my writing skills have gone up to a whole new level.

This blog has really helped me not only in my writing skills, but in other ways as well.  One of those ways is in my time management skills.  I used to be, and probably still am, a very big procrastinator.  This blog has taught me to do my work as soon as I possibly can so that I can get it done sooner and have more time to work on it if need be.  That does not only apply to my blog.  It has also helped me with all the other things that I have to do that I would naturally procrastinate on.

This blog has been a great experience and a fun one at that.  I will always remember my blog as an experience of being able to connect with a lot of different people around the world.  Once again this will be my final post on this blog.  So to everyone who visited my blog whether by accident or design, thank you and farewell.  Who knows, maybe sometime in the future I’ll start writing another blog.

#FakeAppleConcepts

Did you know that products that look like @Apple products are made by thousands of people around the world?  Cool huh? #fakeAppleproducts    https://www.yahoo.com/tech/meet-the-people-who-create-fake-apple-product-designs-101776914889.html

Fake iPad 3 concept looks cooler than the real thing.  Why can’t this be real?  #3Dhologram #edgetoedgedisplay    

New iPhone 7 concept already?  It’s only been like 2 months since iPhone 6.  Cool concept anyway.  #maciniphone    

Coolest form of charging ever seen.  This’ll help me out so much when I’m like “my battery is low” #instantrecharge    

This would be terrible if I had it cuz what if I forgot my password and Siri did this to me.  What then? #Siriselfdestruct    

Microsoft Band

Lately smart watches have become the talk of the town.  Different companies have come out with their own version of the smart watch.  In 2010, Sony became the first company to make a smart watch, but it failed almost instantly.  Last year, Samsung released their Galaxy Gear, but they are now struggling to keep their market share.  Apple announced their Apple Watch at the beginning of September of this year.  Not to be outdone, Microsoft just announced their version of the smart watch at the end of October of this year.  They call it the Microsoft Band.  But what can these watches do?  What’s required for them to work?  All of these watches may seem similar, but they are not.  The Microsoft Band seems to be the most advanced.

For the Apple Watch you are required to use the iPhone.  Similarly, for the Samsung Watch you are required to use a Samsung phone.  However, you are able to link the Microsoft Band to either an iPhone, an Android phone, or a Windows phone.  Most of the smart watches that are available today or will be in the near future have basically the same features: Bluetooth to your phone; get notifications from your phone; track your fitness; etc.  The thing that all these watches have in common is your phone.  With the Microsoft Band, your phone, though needed, is not relied on as heavily.  For example, the Microsoft Band has a built in GPS.  This means that you can wear your Band and go for a run without being forced to bring your phone along to track how far you’ve gone.  When you next connect to your phone, the app will show you a map of your run and it will color code you speed.

Most other watches have an accelerometer and a heart rate monitor.  The Microsoft Band has many other gadgets and sensors within the band that make it more useful than most other smart watches.  These include: an optical heart rate monitor, an accelerometer/gyrometer, a microphone (to talk to Cortana), an ambient light sensor, a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor, and a UV sensor.  The optical heart rate monitor continuously monitors your heart rate, whether you’re sleeping, running, or just sitting on the couch talking.  The accelerometer/gyrometer tracks how many steps you’ve taken and the motion of the band itself.  The microphone is used to talk to Cortana, your personal assistant (Microsoft’s version of Siri).  The ambient light sensor adjusts the brightness of the screen’s display.  The GSR has two sensors, one on the strap and one under the screen.  The two sensors tell the Band whether you’re wearing it or not so that it can adjust how it monitors your activities.  The UV sensor tells you whether or not you need to wear sunscreen when you’re outside, or if you should wear a hat, and it tells you how long it will take you to begin to sunburn.

The Microsoft Band is probably the best of all the smart watches, however it has a few drawbacks.  The band itself is thick, chunky, and made of a hard rubber.  The screen is a stiff 2-inch long slab that does not curve to the wrist.  Most of the time you’ll forget you’re wearing it, but it can dig into your wrist when typing or tucking your arm under a pillow at night.  It’s not entirely waterproof.  It will handle splashes and washing of the hands, but must be taken off to go swimming or to take a shower.  Its battery life lasts a couple of days, if the GPS is off, otherwise it will drain a lot faster.  Like the Apple Watch, the Microsoft Band charger is magnetic and connects to the back of the band.  On a positive note, the clasp is very well designed.  The Band snaps quickly into place and can be adjusted on your wrist.

Overall, the Microsoft Band has hit the greatest spot on the seesaw of compromise.  It may be chunky and industrial looking, but it has got more features for its size than any of its rivals.

Buy Away or Shy Away: Buy Away

Xbox One vs. PS4

This week I will be changing it up a little.  Instead of doing a review on a product that was recently released or one that has yet to be released, I will be reviewing two products that were released almost a year ago: the Microsoft Xbox One and the Sony PS4 gaming consoles.

First, we will be looking at the physical specs of the two consoles.  The Xbox One is a big size upgrade from its predecessor the Xbox 360.  It is so big that “it is designed to replace a cable box”, says Wil O’Neal, Reviews Editor for TechRadar.  This makes sense because it’s not only designed to be able to play video games but also to be able to watch videos online as well as watch movies online using Netflix and Hulu Plus.  The PS4, on the other hand, is much smaller than the Xbox One and has a different physical design.  It is asymmetrical while the Xbox One sort of rectangular in shape.  The back of the PS4 slopes downwards which makes the ports slightly inaccessible.  Both consoles have a 500 GB capacity disk drive, however the PS4’s drive can be upgraded to a larger size while that of the Xbox One is not.  They both use the same AMD CPU, but the Xbox One is slightly faster at 1.75 GHz while that of the PS4 is only 1.6 GHz.

Next, we will be looking at the User Interface (UI) of the two consoles.  The Xbox One’s UI “is almost Windows 8, it’s those live tiles”, says Alex Roth, Editor in Chief for TechRadar.  If you are a fan of Windows and use their other products such as the Surface Pro or the Windows Phone, the layout of the Xbox One will not be foreign to you.  The layout is like Microsoft Windows 8 because it’s not only a gaming system, but also other things you like to do like watching movies and going online.  The Sony PS4’s User Interface is very streamlined, especially since it’s only a gaming system.  Meaning that you really only have the one feed of the most recent games that you’ve played.  Both consoles are designed for 1080p resolution.  The PS4 games out so far have achieved such a resolution, while their Xbox One counterparts have all been designed to run at 720p or 900p.

Next, we will be looking at the cameras.  The Kinect for Xbox One (which has a camera embedded within) does a whole lot more than the PS4’s camera.  It can be used for navigating the home screen with a gesture of your hand.  You can even use voice command.  The Kinect also includes facial recognition.  You don’t even need to say or touch anything to log in.  The Kinect logs you in as it recognizes your face.  The PS4’s camera is very much the same.  It’s a lot smaller than the Kinect but it does basically the same things.  It also has facial recognition but it’s not as smooth as the Kinect.  The PS4’s camera includes a bonus feature that the Kinect does not: it can be mounted on the TV screen.

Overall, which gaming console should you buy?  It really just depends on what you are going to factor into making that decision.  The price should not be a big factor.  The Xbox One used to cost $100 more than the PS4, but Microsoft has recently dropped its prices to compete.  They both run at about $400 a piece. They both do basically the same thing, except for the games the play, with some small things being better on one versus the other.  Personally, I’ve always liked the Xbox so I will probably be getting the Xbox One and not the PS4.

Buy Away or Shy Away: Buy Away (for both)

4-D Technology

The fourth dimension.  What is it?  For those of you that don’t know, it is the next level in movie viewing experience.  Commonly referred to as 4-D, such movies usually involve using more of your senses while watching the movie.  Traditional movies are two dimensional (or 2-D).  The pictures are literally moving in front of you in one plane, and you only see and hear things happening in the movie.  Three dimensional movies (or 3-D) usually involves the use of specially formulated glasses (along with special cameras) that make objects in the movie seem to pop out at you.  Four dimensional movies (or 4-D) is yet another level beyond 3-D.  Not only do things seem to pop out at you, but you also feel things that are happening in the movie.  This is made possible through the use of seats that gyrate, and special effect equipment like misters, fog machines, and air blowers.  A car chase in a 4-D movie makes you feel like you’re in the car as well.

A family outing to the movies is not as economical as it used to be.  When the price of popcorn, candy, and a drink are included, a family of four can spend upwards of $75 for the evening.  If you prefer to see a 3-D movie, the cost of the specially designed 3-D glasses must be added (around $3 – $5 each).  The price of the 3-D movie outing jumps to around $100.  When it comes to watching a 4-D movie, the cost of using the theater’s special effects is added, and the price for a family of four can jump up to around $150.  While the 4-D experience is not to be missed, it might not be worth the $150 for some people.

4-D movies are great, but they are not for everyone.  There are two general reasons as to why people would not watch them: preference and physical capability.  Aside from the cost, a lot of people prefer traditional movie viewing for entertainment purposes.  Also, some movies are better watched in 2-D because of the plot.  When it comes to physical capability, some people may have medical conditions that make it hard or unbearable to watch a 4-D movie.  For example, in a 4-D action movie, the seats may suddenly jerk you around.  If you have back problems, then you probably won’t be able to handle the constant rocking of the seats.  People whose stomach is easily upset may not want to watch 4-D movies.  The phrase “I am going to hurl” is the last thing you want to hear coming from behind you.

There are a lot of great movies out there, however, the only genre of movies that would be great to see in 4-D, or 3-D for that matter, are action movies.  Try imagining that you go to the movies and you want to see a romantic movie but you can only see it in 3-D.  That would probably be a terrible experience because nothing would pop out at you.  If anything maybe the roses that he pulls out from behind his back to surprise her with, but that would be pathetic.  With an action movie, you get car chases, explosions, and things being destroyed.  Also 4-D movies are much better at the movies than in your own home.  In the theater, you have the surround sound and the equipment that were built to create all the special effects.  If you have the room and the money to build a small theater in your home and create the 4-D movie experience, then by all means go ahead.  Otherwise, you should probably stick to the movie theater.

Four Dimensional movies are a great experience.  They surely are an experience you will never forget.

iPad Air 2 and iMac with Retina 5K Display

This past Thursday, Apple held an event to talk about new products that will be coming out.  The main reason for the event was to announce the arrival of the new iPad Air 2, and iMac with Retina 5K display.  They also announced IOS 8.1, the new mac mini, and the iPad Mini 3, however these were not the main attractions of the event.  First let’s talk about the iPad Air 2.

The original iPad Air was introduced to the public on November 1, 2013.  Almost one year later, it’s time for an upgrade enter the iPad Air 2.  It is 18% thinner, lighter and has a new chip, the A8x.  It’s also got a new antireflective coating on the screen which reduces glare and reflection by about 56%.  Also for the first time on iPad, “the most requested feature from customers is Touch ID”, said Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior VP of worldwide marketing.  In addition, we can’t forget the most used feature nowadays, the camera.  The camera has been upgraded to 8MP, as compared to the original 5MP, and it comes with slo-mo video as well as burst mode so kids can take burst selfies which kids love to do.  The iPad Air 2 will begin to ship on October 24, 2014 and the starting price will be $499.

Now let’s move on to the iMac with Retina 5K display.  The resolution of the screen has been doubled from the last iMac, from 2560 X 1440 to 5120 X 2880.  This means that in the 27 inch screen, there are over 14.7 million pixels compared to the 3.5 million pixels in the previous iMac.  The new screen resolution is 4 times better than the old one.  Having a screen resolution that is 4 times better means that your photos are going to look 4 times better than they ever would have and you can zoom in much more without losing details.  Anything that you see on the screen is much sharper and clearer.  The WIFI on the new iMac has been upgraded, just like on the new iPad Air 2, so that you can have much faster internet connections.  The new iMac comes with a 3.5 GHz Intel quad-core i5 but can be upgraded to a 4.0 GHz Intel quad-core i7 which is the fastest processing chip ever on an iMac.  The new iMac with Retina 5K display is already available to purchase for $2499.

Overall, I personally think that the new iPad Air 2 and the new iMac with Retina 5K display are going to be the best tablet and computer that Apple has ever made.  I think that the release of these 2 great products is the best way that Apple can end the year.

iPad Air 2:

BUY AWAY OR SHY AWAY: Buy Away

iMac with Retina 5K display:

BUY AWAY OR SHY AWAY: Buy Away

This is an image comparing the screen resolutions of an HDTV, a 4K HDTV, and the new iMac with Retina 5K Display.

Apple Watch

This week I will be reviewing one of Apple’s most anticipated products ever, the Apple Watch.  The Apple Watch was announced on September 9, 2014 along with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  The Apple Watch is something that so many people have been hoping that Apple would come out with and when it finally did, people were ecstatic.  Unfortunately, even though it was announced alongside the new iPhones, the Apple Watch will not be released until early 2015.

The Apple Watch is “the most personal device we have ever created” said Tim Cook CEO of Apple during his keynote speech at the September 9, 2014, Special Event.  The Apple Watch has an all new user-interface that makes using it as easy as possible.  Just like every other Apple product launch, a new user-interface was needed to make the usability and experience of the Apple Watch better.  As Tim Cook said, “what we didn’t do, was take the iPhone and shrink the user-interface and strap it on your wrist.”  People may think that this is what Apple has done, but what they don’t realize is that if the interface was just shrunk down, the usability of the Apple Watch would plummet because the screen is too small for a person’s fingers.  Instead, Apple created a digital crown, which together with the new user interface makes for an incredible user experience.

The Apple Watch has a very customizable interface just like the iPhone, iPad, iPod.  You can customize the organization of the home screen, as well as certain applications such as the clock.  You can easily change how the display looks and what it contains.  Another cool thing about Apple Watch is the new animated emojis that have been created specifically for the Apple Watch.  So instead of sending someone an Emoji that is just an image, you can send them an emoji that moves.  Also just like every Apple device since the iPhone 4s, Siri has been integrated into the Apple Watch.

I think that the coolest feature that has been added to the Apple Watch is probably the Health and Fitness (Activity).  The Activity application measures 3 different aspects of movement.  It measures how long you’ve stood up (Stand Ring), how many calories you’ve burned (Move Ring), and the brisk activity you’ve complted (Exercise Ring).  The Stand Ring measures how often you have stood up to take a break from sitting.  To complete the ring, you must stand for at least 1 minute in 12 different hours of the day.  The Move Ring measures how many calories you’ve burned.  To complete the ring, you must hit your personal calorie goal for the day.  The Exercise Ring measures the brisk activity you’ve done.  To complete the ring, you must hit the recommended 30 minutes a day of exercise.  The fitness application on the iPhone collects the data from the Apple Watch so that you can see your workout history.  It also sends the information to the health app.

There are 3 different Apple Watch collections, the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Sport, and the Apple Watch Edition.  All the watches come in 6 different straps.  The straps are: the sport band, the leather loop, the leather modern buckle, the simple leather classic buckle, the stainless steel link bracelet, and the Milanese loop.

Overall I think that the Apple Watch is a great product.  It comes out in early 2015 and its starting price is $349.  I think that the Apple Watch is going to be a big hit.

BUY AWAY OR SHY AWAY:  Buy Away

*For any other information please visit https://www.apple.com/watch/ or watch this video-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD9ZQ9WylRM

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

This week I am going to be reviewing Apple’s latest and greatest pieces of tech, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  Both of these models were announced on September 9, 2014 and were released to the public on September 19, 2014.  They both are very similar, however the 6 Plus has some extra features that the 6 does not have.  They are Apple’s ticket to being back on top of the smartphone market.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are no doubt Apple’s greatest achievements, but let’s take a look at which one you should buy.  The iPhone 6 has a screen resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels while the 6 Plus has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is equivalent to the HDTV resolution.  Does this mean that the 6 Plus has to be larger to accommodate the increased resolution?  Yes, the 6 Plus is 5.5 inches diagonally while the 6 is only 4.7 inches.  Now this may seem like a huge difference, but remember the iPhone 5s, 5c and 5 all had a screen size of only 4 inches so it’s a pretty big improvement.  Along with the improved screen sizes, the 6 and 6 Plus both have other features that were improved, such as the camera, battery life, and new processing chips.  Also because they now have a NFC chip installed (Near Field Communication), they have a brand new feature that is all their own called Apple Pay.  This allows the user to basically use their iPhone as a credit card.

Whether you currently have an iPhone or not, you will love the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.  It is Apple’s thinnest phone and it is the one of the lightest phones they have ever built.  It may be bigger, but it’s still made to fit in your hand and not seem like it’s too big.  Thanks to the better screen resolution, it makes everything that you see on your phone much clearer and sharper than ever before.  If you love to take pictures, or selfies, then you’ll love the new backside camera and FaceTime camera on the 6 and 6 Plus.  Both cameras have been improved to give you much better photos and more control over how your pictures turn out.  Its speed has been improved to make things more seamless.  Currently the NFC chip is only going to be used for Apple Pay, which comes out sometime in October.

As an avid Apple fan, I have owned many of their products and have never been disappointed.  My iPhone 3GS still works, and my iPod still delivers crisp clear music with or without my earPods.  I have upgraded the operating system (OS) twice, and each time I got exactly what I was promised and expected.  The company stands firmly behind their products and their ethics and reputation of the utmost importance.  That is why Apple pulled the entire IOS8 upgrade just because of a glitch in their Health app.  When iCloud was hacked, they worked feverishly to increase security.  When it comes to owning either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, I may not be the best person to recommend to you whether or not you should buy one, considering that I’ve only had my iPhone 6 for a couple weeks.  However there are other blogs and web sites that have been doing reviews on Apple products for a long time.  Those blogs have much better resources than I do and they have probably sent people to the actual events to have the greatest amount of information possible.  C|net.com has reviewed both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and found them to be “grown up” Apple products.

In conclusion, whether it appeals to your logical sense, your ethical sense, or your emotional sense, I believe that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are the best phones on the market.  Now which one you buy is completely up to you.  I can only tell you what I think of the products.

Buy Away or Shy Away: Buy away

IOS 8

The first topic that I will be covering this week is IOS 8.  It is the latest operating system for Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc.  IOS 8 was released on September 17, 2014 to the general public, and it had a huge list of new features and updates that would improve the usage of the device.  Along with just some regular updates that needed to happen, IOS 8 also came with new features such as HealthKit, Predictive typing, battery usage, interactive notifications, family sharing, HomeKit, iCloud Drive, etc.

In addition to having all these great new features, IOS 8 had some pretty huge bugs that Apple needed to immediately fix.  The biggest one was the problem with the Health app.  When IOS 8 was released, Apple had to quickly remove all apps that would have worked with the Health app because of a bug in the program.  About a week later, Apple released the first update to IOS 8, but found that it caused problems with cell service on the iPhone 6.  As a result, Apple removed that update as well, and a week later they came out with another update that should have solved all their problems.  Although the Health app had some problems when it was launched, Apple quickly fixed the issues and brought health back on track to “revolutionize how the health industry interacts with people”.

I have already downloaded IOS 8 onto my iPhone.  As you might have guessed, I love having the most up to date software with all the great new features.  Something that probably not too many people have noticed is a new Siri feature.  She has been upgraded and now can do more things for you than she ever could.  First and foremost, she now has a new voice.  In previous IOS versions, Siri sounded somewhat robotic.  She now sounds more fluid like you’re actually talking to a real person.  Another new feature, she now uses the Shazam app to recognize a song that’s playing.  Also, you can now call upon Siri just by saying the phrase “Hey Siri” and she will automatically respond.  The only drawback to this feature is that your iPhone/iPad/iPod must be plugged in.  I think these are very cool new features.

Although IOS 8 has great features that the majority of the Apple community and I love, it also includes features I’m not very fond of.  It now has apps like iBooks, Podcasts, and Tips built into it.  I have used iBooks and Podcasts in the past and I ended up deleting them because either I did not need them anymore or because they took up too much space.  Unfortunately, I can no longer delete any of these apps to save space on my phone.  Tips was a good app to add.  People can use Tips to learn new things about their product that they probably did not know before.  Even so, I wish Apple had just added it to the app store and not made it part of IOS 8.

Overall I think IOS 8 is a great new update that I think everyone should get so that they can stay up to date on the software.  Even if you don’t have enough space, you can still plug your device into your computer and update it from iTunes.

BUY AWAY OR SHY AWAY: Buy Away