It's without a doubt that I've posted a few too many times about Apple products, smartphones, and my hatred for any phone that's bigger than 4.2". I don't see a point in making an obvious point any more obvious, so I'll just skip right to the main point of today : The Harlem Shake.
I've been relatively well known for not taking part in a lot of popular things. I've never had a Facebook account, nor a LinkedIn, Google+, or any kind of social media account. It's without a doubt that I've found the concept flawed, but I also didn't want to just become another statistic. People on these sites are often used as part of news reports these days because it's just a great gauge to see what people are thinking and adds another dimension to conducting interviews with bystanders. Let's face it, what better opinion to get, other than someone who's got nothing better to do with their time, other than tweet about something they most likely have little understanding about?
But I digress and get back to The Harlem Shake. Perhaps, it's the first big dance phenomenon since Gangnam Style. Everyone made a Gangnam Style parody video ever since it started popping up on YouTube last year. No parody video of Gangnam Style made actually addresses that PSY was actually making fun of the posers who live in the Gangnam area. Most of them seemed to just lip sync and do a half-assed dance immitation of a fat man with sun glasses singing a song that to an untrained ear really does sound like every other Korean song : no more than 20 words, completely repeated over and over.
That's perhaps what makes the Harlem Shake even more ridiculous because it really doesn't consist of much. Or anything for that matter. 30 seconds, half of which was occupied by one masked person doing a really terrible excuse of a dance while the rest of the room is minding their own business, and then another half of everyone doing a terribly lame excuse of a dance together. There is no merit to this. There is no choreography, or organization, or even any artistic value. Yet everyone has a fascination to make their own version. What is so hard about making a 30 second video of half-assed dancing?
It's been at least two to three weeks since I've heard about the Harlem Shake, and I had figured that these videos would end soon. Porn stars have made their own version, and now even YouTube has gone ahead and figured out a way to stop this madness by totally one-upping anyone who's done it. Click here to take a look.
Let's finally put this to rest. Gangnam Style never caught on in Japan, and it was great, but no one seemed to adopt that bit. Let's hope the Harlem Shake isn't catching on, and hopefully, someone will eventually give up with this atrocity soon.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Post 024
Just a scant few hours away, and the pre orders for Apple's iPad mini and the official launch of Windows 8 and Windows Surface, and I think it's about time that I came back to posting.
If I'm honest, no one really cared about the iPad mini despite it having overshadowed almost all of the new showings at the recent Apple event. Sure, everyone has seen/heard about the new Mac mini, the new iMac being thinner than most textbooks in the world, and the new retina display 13" Macbook Pro. However, the fourth generation iPad is overshadowed, by it's tinier, market catch-up of a brother.
Why IS the iPad mini among Apple's lineup? It's difficult to really understand from an outsider's point of view, but it's easy to see that Apple is playing catch up. Everyone else has one, and lots of people have been bugging Apple for a tablet that's smaller than the existing iPad. The long line of success could potentially boost it's already large market share in the tablet world. Why not give it a try?
Here's why : the iPad worked because of what it is. It was about the size of a piece of paper, yet it did more than any piece of paper could ever do. It was interactive, it felt right, it made sense, and it was comparable to the size of an average magazine, which was one of the many primary functions the iPad had and was highlighted by Apple, two and a half years ago, in the spring of 2010. So has Tim Cook proven to the entire world that the death of Steve Jobs really brought about a less innovative era for Apple? Is the tech giant that always starts new trends now doing the opposite and playing catch up?
No and possibly yes, respectively. Steve Jobs was backed by a team of hardworking engineers who come up with innovative designs. The entire OS X team is still running strong, and Jony Ive is still pushing out designs that make people drool at it's simplistic, yet beautiful designs. As I've mentioned in my obituary to Steve Jobs, I believed that he had done what many people hadn't been able to do, and bring Apple into something magical, and worthy of cult status, but he needed people working with him. What Tim Cook can do, is exactly what Steve Jobs can do. After all, both only want whats best for Apple.
So is the new iPad mini Apple's demise? I won't say so. Apple still maintains its quirky design and style with a smaller tablet, but they've done it in ways that makes all other 7"-range tablets seem like plastic toys. You get what you pay for, so for all Apple haters out there, there's a reason why your tablet cost less than half the iPad mini : it's dirt cheap, cause it was made with dirt cheap materials.
However, this is not to say the iPad mini is free of flaws. It is still utilizing iPad 2 guts, which makes it as powerful as a mobile phone at best, and hardly worthy of any praise especially when it comes to screen resolution. Personally, I don't see why this is worth getting unless it's to be used for corporate purposes. If you really want an iPad, and you don't already have one, then go for the third generation iPad. It's cheaper, and because the connector is going to be phased out, many people are willing to sell you spare cables/accessories for cheap.
Now, to diverge away from Apple and to actually make a proper comment on the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Surface. Windows Vista had left a lot of people with a terrible after taste of what Windows OS upgrades can be, that Windows 7 had it's work cut out since day 1. Amazingly, it didn't disappoint. However, with the launch of Windows 8, it's hard to see what they can do, without destroying the faith of people who finally decided to trust Windows again after the whole Vista fiasco.
It's a very interesting approach because Windows 8 attempts to catch the hearts of people who have put down their computers and laptops in favour of the tablet computer. Touch screen interfaces, small light and portable devices that are less bulky to carry around, and do not entirely rely on keyboards, big batteries and insane power cables. just to keep itself running is a hard thing to turn down. Windows 8 seems to have hit the right spot by making all of this a reality in basing an OS that isn't as computer-based as Windows 7. Sure, new hardware including touchscreen monitors has been developed (yours truly has one already), touchscreen laptops/ultrabooks have been developed, and even the new Microsoft Surface has been announced to make all of this work together.
Different design tweaks have been added, complete with many different usability habits have been analyzed. All of this culminates in a really new and awesome looking "Metro UI" that's garnered praise from all sorts of reporters. However, the average consumer might not be too happy with these changes as they really disrupt the status quo. Users tend to mold into the computer and systems they're used to, which made the transition from Windows XP and Windows Vista so difficult, as it was a huge leap from what most users are used to. The entire interface no longer made sense to some people, still hopped up on the joy and wonder of Windows XP. It was a fantastic operating system, and it's hard to really try to replace a classic. It's also the same reason why Sinatra can never be replaced, or why Louis Armstrong could never be reproduced.
So is the announcement of Windows 8 will instantly dominate the world this Saturday, and more amazingly, Windows Surface will also debut. Sure, it's Microsoft's late answer to the tablet market dominated by the iPad, and the still undeniably ridiculous excuse of copies from numerous manufacturers running the Android operating system, but it can't be totally ignored. The surface did what the Android tablets couldn't do, and it was instilling fear through beautiful designs and ingenious design. Windows Surface has been a huge hit with a lot of people since it was announced, because it wasn't just a tablet. It leaked great amounts of passion and a significant amount of pressure to the competition because it wasn't just trying to take a stab at the iPad market, and make a sizable dent in it. It wanted to change the way people used tablets. Back in late 2010, when Blackberry decided it was time for them to fight into the tablet market by introducing the terrible failure known as the Playbook, it seemed to have been filled with pomp and circumstance. Unfortunately, it was anything but, and it's demise as of Day 1 was also the advent for all other iPad copies to eventually meet their doom by even trying to exist on the market.
What made Apple's iPad successful was because it was built on an infrastructure that worked. It was simple to use and also had a great app store, which really propelled it to new heights. The iPad has such a great ability to instill upon so much imagination into many developers, it's virtually turned the iPad into (as Jony Ive puts it) "something magical".
Microsoft actually has a chance to replicate the success of the iPad because the Windows operating system was successful because it is the most popular in the whole world. Regardless of the high number of Macbook owners, Windows still has a large foothold. This loyal fanbase, complete with legacy that it cannot fight, including their large number of existing apps can easily make Windows 8 and Windows Surface a success. If Microsoft plays their cards right, they don't have to end up as cheap plastic touchscreen toys that are competitively slightly cheaper than the iPad, but hugely more unattractive. Windows Surface can be a major hit. Of course, time will tell, and it won't be too long before the results come out.
If I'm honest, no one really cared about the iPad mini despite it having overshadowed almost all of the new showings at the recent Apple event. Sure, everyone has seen/heard about the new Mac mini, the new iMac being thinner than most textbooks in the world, and the new retina display 13" Macbook Pro. However, the fourth generation iPad is overshadowed, by it's tinier, market catch-up of a brother.
Why IS the iPad mini among Apple's lineup? It's difficult to really understand from an outsider's point of view, but it's easy to see that Apple is playing catch up. Everyone else has one, and lots of people have been bugging Apple for a tablet that's smaller than the existing iPad. The long line of success could potentially boost it's already large market share in the tablet world. Why not give it a try?
Here's why : the iPad worked because of what it is. It was about the size of a piece of paper, yet it did more than any piece of paper could ever do. It was interactive, it felt right, it made sense, and it was comparable to the size of an average magazine, which was one of the many primary functions the iPad had and was highlighted by Apple, two and a half years ago, in the spring of 2010. So has Tim Cook proven to the entire world that the death of Steve Jobs really brought about a less innovative era for Apple? Is the tech giant that always starts new trends now doing the opposite and playing catch up?
No and possibly yes, respectively. Steve Jobs was backed by a team of hardworking engineers who come up with innovative designs. The entire OS X team is still running strong, and Jony Ive is still pushing out designs that make people drool at it's simplistic, yet beautiful designs. As I've mentioned in my obituary to Steve Jobs, I believed that he had done what many people hadn't been able to do, and bring Apple into something magical, and worthy of cult status, but he needed people working with him. What Tim Cook can do, is exactly what Steve Jobs can do. After all, both only want whats best for Apple.
So is the new iPad mini Apple's demise? I won't say so. Apple still maintains its quirky design and style with a smaller tablet, but they've done it in ways that makes all other 7"-range tablets seem like plastic toys. You get what you pay for, so for all Apple haters out there, there's a reason why your tablet cost less than half the iPad mini : it's dirt cheap, cause it was made with dirt cheap materials.
However, this is not to say the iPad mini is free of flaws. It is still utilizing iPad 2 guts, which makes it as powerful as a mobile phone at best, and hardly worthy of any praise especially when it comes to screen resolution. Personally, I don't see why this is worth getting unless it's to be used for corporate purposes. If you really want an iPad, and you don't already have one, then go for the third generation iPad. It's cheaper, and because the connector is going to be phased out, many people are willing to sell you spare cables/accessories for cheap.
Now, to diverge away from Apple and to actually make a proper comment on the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Surface. Windows Vista had left a lot of people with a terrible after taste of what Windows OS upgrades can be, that Windows 7 had it's work cut out since day 1. Amazingly, it didn't disappoint. However, with the launch of Windows 8, it's hard to see what they can do, without destroying the faith of people who finally decided to trust Windows again after the whole Vista fiasco.
It's a very interesting approach because Windows 8 attempts to catch the hearts of people who have put down their computers and laptops in favour of the tablet computer. Touch screen interfaces, small light and portable devices that are less bulky to carry around, and do not entirely rely on keyboards, big batteries and insane power cables. just to keep itself running is a hard thing to turn down. Windows 8 seems to have hit the right spot by making all of this a reality in basing an OS that isn't as computer-based as Windows 7. Sure, new hardware including touchscreen monitors has been developed (yours truly has one already), touchscreen laptops/ultrabooks have been developed, and even the new Microsoft Surface has been announced to make all of this work together.
Different design tweaks have been added, complete with many different usability habits have been analyzed. All of this culminates in a really new and awesome looking "Metro UI" that's garnered praise from all sorts of reporters. However, the average consumer might not be too happy with these changes as they really disrupt the status quo. Users tend to mold into the computer and systems they're used to, which made the transition from Windows XP and Windows Vista so difficult, as it was a huge leap from what most users are used to. The entire interface no longer made sense to some people, still hopped up on the joy and wonder of Windows XP. It was a fantastic operating system, and it's hard to really try to replace a classic. It's also the same reason why Sinatra can never be replaced, or why Louis Armstrong could never be reproduced.
So is the announcement of Windows 8 will instantly dominate the world this Saturday, and more amazingly, Windows Surface will also debut. Sure, it's Microsoft's late answer to the tablet market dominated by the iPad, and the still undeniably ridiculous excuse of copies from numerous manufacturers running the Android operating system, but it can't be totally ignored. The surface did what the Android tablets couldn't do, and it was instilling fear through beautiful designs and ingenious design. Windows Surface has been a huge hit with a lot of people since it was announced, because it wasn't just a tablet. It leaked great amounts of passion and a significant amount of pressure to the competition because it wasn't just trying to take a stab at the iPad market, and make a sizable dent in it. It wanted to change the way people used tablets. Back in late 2010, when Blackberry decided it was time for them to fight into the tablet market by introducing the terrible failure known as the Playbook, it seemed to have been filled with pomp and circumstance. Unfortunately, it was anything but, and it's demise as of Day 1 was also the advent for all other iPad copies to eventually meet their doom by even trying to exist on the market.
What made Apple's iPad successful was because it was built on an infrastructure that worked. It was simple to use and also had a great app store, which really propelled it to new heights. The iPad has such a great ability to instill upon so much imagination into many developers, it's virtually turned the iPad into (as Jony Ive puts it) "something magical".
Microsoft actually has a chance to replicate the success of the iPad because the Windows operating system was successful because it is the most popular in the whole world. Regardless of the high number of Macbook owners, Windows still has a large foothold. This loyal fanbase, complete with legacy that it cannot fight, including their large number of existing apps can easily make Windows 8 and Windows Surface a success. If Microsoft plays their cards right, they don't have to end up as cheap plastic touchscreen toys that are competitively slightly cheaper than the iPad, but hugely more unattractive. Windows Surface can be a major hit. Of course, time will tell, and it won't be too long before the results come out.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Post 023
The next generation iPhone, better known as the iPhone 5, is the sixth iPhone to be released by Apple computer since they've started making iPhones, will be released tomorrow. Now, I can't help but say that I'm utterly bored by it.
Don't get me wrong, I love the iPhone much more than any Android device. It wasn't always like that. Prior to the boom of mobile computing and smartphone technology, I had found smartphones to be ridiculous. I believed that a touchscreen really lacked a lot of necessary tactile response and feel. With that, the innovations grew. The number of applications ballooned. Not only that, the phone got better.
However, this latest iPhone seems like Apple is playing catch up yet again. The iPhone 4S seemed like a patch to cover up the flaws of the iPhone 4. It felt like that Apple tried to do everything that Android is succeeding for, and the introduction of Siri was still much to be desired for.
This latest generation finally has some of the things that an average smartphone has, like LTE, but it also marks the dawn of a very tough age for the iPhone 5 and iOS6. iOS 6 marks Apple's official departure from using Google maps as the default map application. This is a rather bold move, as Google maps is a nearly ubiquitous application that is known to be one of the best mapping applications in the world. Not only does it provide accurate and fast maps and directions, but it was simple to use, and helpful in many ways that people never realized.
However, to make a map application is not simple. It requires loads of data, complete with complex algorithms and different behaviours and parsers that recognize what the user is referring to. None of this can be done overnight, and surely, none of it can be fixed overnight either. Therefore, to take that jump from Google maps, while risky, can be dangerous.
To this date, people have done many side-by-side comparisons, and while far from promising, the new iOS6 maps application is a rather interesting take on maps, as it is very aesthetically pleasing, but unfortunately, is rather slow. Apple does deserve props for how good it is, considering I was expecting total failure.
Next there's Passbook, an absolutely ridiculous app that really doesn't help much to non-Americans. Go figure, because everyone can access these American establishments to use their coupons and cards. Everyone was hoping for NFC to exist on the iPhone5, but once again Apple has backed out.
It's probably a good that a new iPhone can still show up without the leadership of Steve Jobs. However, at the rate Apple is going, they fear being beaten by their competitors due to this constant need to play catch up, rather than being the pioneer in technology.
Don't get me wrong, I love the iPhone much more than any Android device. It wasn't always like that. Prior to the boom of mobile computing and smartphone technology, I had found smartphones to be ridiculous. I believed that a touchscreen really lacked a lot of necessary tactile response and feel. With that, the innovations grew. The number of applications ballooned. Not only that, the phone got better.
However, this latest iPhone seems like Apple is playing catch up yet again. The iPhone 4S seemed like a patch to cover up the flaws of the iPhone 4. It felt like that Apple tried to do everything that Android is succeeding for, and the introduction of Siri was still much to be desired for.
This latest generation finally has some of the things that an average smartphone has, like LTE, but it also marks the dawn of a very tough age for the iPhone 5 and iOS6. iOS 6 marks Apple's official departure from using Google maps as the default map application. This is a rather bold move, as Google maps is a nearly ubiquitous application that is known to be one of the best mapping applications in the world. Not only does it provide accurate and fast maps and directions, but it was simple to use, and helpful in many ways that people never realized.
However, to make a map application is not simple. It requires loads of data, complete with complex algorithms and different behaviours and parsers that recognize what the user is referring to. None of this can be done overnight, and surely, none of it can be fixed overnight either. Therefore, to take that jump from Google maps, while risky, can be dangerous.
To this date, people have done many side-by-side comparisons, and while far from promising, the new iOS6 maps application is a rather interesting take on maps, as it is very aesthetically pleasing, but unfortunately, is rather slow. Apple does deserve props for how good it is, considering I was expecting total failure.
Next there's Passbook, an absolutely ridiculous app that really doesn't help much to non-Americans. Go figure, because everyone can access these American establishments to use their coupons and cards. Everyone was hoping for NFC to exist on the iPhone5, but once again Apple has backed out.
It's probably a good that a new iPhone can still show up without the leadership of Steve Jobs. However, at the rate Apple is going, they fear being beaten by their competitors due to this constant need to play catch up, rather than being the pioneer in technology.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Post 022
While most things that get posted on this blog are generally computer related, it's without a doubt that science is hardly something we should ever ignore. With that said, I think it's time for the second ever obituary to ever show itself on this blog. This time, it's to the ever amazing, Neil Armstrong.
When US President John F. Kennedy made a speech on May 25, 1961 to kick start the program to put a man on the moon, many people laughed and jeered. In fact, to this day, many people believe that the Apollo landings were nothing but a hoax, and that July 20, 1969 was nothing worth mentioning. However, for everyone else who believes that mankind has made the giant leap forward by landing on the moon, this was no hoax at all. It was very serious. Throughout all this time, it's without a doubt that space exploration was just starting and the big names such as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, Alan Shepard, first American in space, Edward White, first man to walk in space, weren't even known yet. At the time, there was no such thing as docking space craft, landing on unknown terrain...nothing.
Kennedy's speech was nonetheless a multi-staged taunt directed at the Soviets. First, America has more money. Second, America will conquer space before the Soviets, and lastly, and most important of all : America was better than the Soviet Union. With that in mind, a lot needs to be done. Mankind had no idea how humans behave or survive in space. They also have no idea how spacecraft will handle in space. Now that those questions needed to be answered, even more questions presented itself in the form of how humans and spacecraft will behave on the moon.
The next 10 years would be the biggest leap in technological advancement with regards to space travel. Not only were we to determine how best to get off Earth, how best to go around Earth, and we also had to figure out how best to keep something off of Earth and on the Moon. The next 10 years also saw many records being broken, two of which involved the great Neil Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong was a man who was nothing short of extraordinary. This may have been the defining quality that made him the best candidate for the missions he undertook. Armstrong's first spaceflight was the docking of 2 spacecraft in space. Being part of the Gemini program, Armstrong took his Gemini 8 and managed to dock with the unmanned Agena in orbit. The mission was unfortunately cut short, when the two craft began to roll uncontrollably. This was a great setback for Armstrong but that didn't stop him from trying for a second mission.
The mission that truly defined Armstrong's career was the Apollo mission to the moon. It was just slightly more than 8 years after Kennedy wanted to put a man on the moon, and Armstrong had done it. Along with the lesser known Buzz Aldrin, they successfully completed a series of tests on the Moon and established the superiority that Kennedy had wanted to show. All of this, in a span of 8 years.
It is without a doubt that a man like this is greatly revered. The first to manage something is always someone who is far more than just "someone" who had managed something new and unique. Only a handful of people could ever have the chance to leave Earth, and even then only 24 of them have ever made it to the Moon. However, despite these distinguished and unique things that Neil Armstrong had managed, there was one way to honour him as laid out by his family. They wish for nothing much, but if you look upon the moon, and it appears to smile at you, just think of the great and humble man who first landed there, and wink.
When US President John F. Kennedy made a speech on May 25, 1961 to kick start the program to put a man on the moon, many people laughed and jeered. In fact, to this day, many people believe that the Apollo landings were nothing but a hoax, and that July 20, 1969 was nothing worth mentioning. However, for everyone else who believes that mankind has made the giant leap forward by landing on the moon, this was no hoax at all. It was very serious. Throughout all this time, it's without a doubt that space exploration was just starting and the big names such as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, Alan Shepard, first American in space, Edward White, first man to walk in space, weren't even known yet. At the time, there was no such thing as docking space craft, landing on unknown terrain...nothing.
Kennedy's speech was nonetheless a multi-staged taunt directed at the Soviets. First, America has more money. Second, America will conquer space before the Soviets, and lastly, and most important of all : America was better than the Soviet Union. With that in mind, a lot needs to be done. Mankind had no idea how humans behave or survive in space. They also have no idea how spacecraft will handle in space. Now that those questions needed to be answered, even more questions presented itself in the form of how humans and spacecraft will behave on the moon.
The next 10 years would be the biggest leap in technological advancement with regards to space travel. Not only were we to determine how best to get off Earth, how best to go around Earth, and we also had to figure out how best to keep something off of Earth and on the Moon. The next 10 years also saw many records being broken, two of which involved the great Neil Armstrong.
Neil Armstrong was a man who was nothing short of extraordinary. This may have been the defining quality that made him the best candidate for the missions he undertook. Armstrong's first spaceflight was the docking of 2 spacecraft in space. Being part of the Gemini program, Armstrong took his Gemini 8 and managed to dock with the unmanned Agena in orbit. The mission was unfortunately cut short, when the two craft began to roll uncontrollably. This was a great setback for Armstrong but that didn't stop him from trying for a second mission.
The mission that truly defined Armstrong's career was the Apollo mission to the moon. It was just slightly more than 8 years after Kennedy wanted to put a man on the moon, and Armstrong had done it. Along with the lesser known Buzz Aldrin, they successfully completed a series of tests on the Moon and established the superiority that Kennedy had wanted to show. All of this, in a span of 8 years.
It is without a doubt that a man like this is greatly revered. The first to manage something is always someone who is far more than just "someone" who had managed something new and unique. Only a handful of people could ever have the chance to leave Earth, and even then only 24 of them have ever made it to the Moon. However, despite these distinguished and unique things that Neil Armstrong had managed, there was one way to honour him as laid out by his family. They wish for nothing much, but if you look upon the moon, and it appears to smile at you, just think of the great and humble man who first landed there, and wink.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Post 021
I mentioned last time that I had a love hate relationship with tablets. The computing world is of course getting absolutely flooded by this new platform, but what is really revolutionized at the heart of all this is nonetheless, the smartphone industry.
The first tablet to be of any commercial success is the iPad. Like the iPhone that preceded it, Apple was the first to launch it, and annoyingly, like the iPhone, everyone tried to copy its commercial success by actually trying to put one out. Amazingly, unlike the original case, anyone who DID make a tablet after Apple, sort of failed miserably. I mean, yes, Samsung has almost made 3 tablets for every iPad that's ever come out, but does anyone seem to care? I didn't. I even made the number 3 up because I keep hearing Galaxy Tab Something. There are so many iterations of it, I don't even know which is which. I'm pretty sure they made a second generation one, but like the first iteration, not that many people seemed interested enough to buy one.
That brings me to the next point because Samsung is crucial to this bit. Samsung is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, mainly because of it's successful Galaxy S smartphone line. Not only has it managed to provide an entryway into creating two iterations of Nexus phones for Google, but it's also launched them into the most intense series of lawsuits with Apple.
But I digress. My main focus is the Galaxy Note. Samsung has done many things to shake the foundation of iPhone's customer base. They've even jumped the gun on NFC, which Apple still can't manage to push out. Hardware-wise though, Samsung has managed to outdo the iPhone consistently, but at a price that many people somehow are willing to pay.
I remembered how in Zoolander, there was a joke made about how cell phones were getting smaller and smaller, so much so that Derek Zoolander, played by Ben Stiller was using a phone that was smaller than his thumb when unfolded. I also remembered how people made fun of Apple when they introduced the iPad by saying that while everyone is going forward by making smaller devices, Apple was going backwards by introducing a larger device.
It was funny, because everyone made a fuss about it, and at the same time, they still flooded the stores to buy it, and even worse, they went and promoted it with the dawn of the second generation of Android phones. Android phones are getting larger and larger as I continue to type this out, starting with the launch of the Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus, and...a whole slew of other ridiculous Android powered devices that basically just decided to be bigger in size, but gain nothing in battery life. Yet, like I said, people bought these devices. They were humongous. They were absolutely stupid and bizarre to the point where they barely even fit into a person's pocket.
That's when Samsung stood up and said : "hey, let's bridge that gap between cell phone and tablet by making the Galaxy Note". That was the thing, people believed they somehow needed this ridiculous item. People made fun of Apple for launching the iPad and yet not a word was said to Samsung about releasing the Galaxy Note? That can't be fair. There has to be some harsh words thrown at them for releasing such a stupid device.
I tried one of them. Yes, on the display at the local Best Buy, it looks shiny and promising. However, I've managed to find it cumbersome. I borrowed one for app testing one time, and aside from being absolutely annoying how every time I tried to swipe sideways to turn the page in the menus, I ended up dragging an icon to the home screen. It was stupid. The largest smartphone in the world, is also the largest pain in the ass because it won't fit in your pocket, and because it won't let you navigate your apps menu. How is that even forgivable? Compared to the iPad's absolutely suave handling, and absolutely insanely captivating interface, this Android powered device was nothing but an eyesore.
That's the thing, people somehow believe this larger screen will help, and I've found that it didn't. People believed that it'd be amazing. It wasn't. That's the irony behind all of this. In spite of many smartphone purists like myself who believe that the Galaxy Note was stupid, Samsung has decided to make a decision about the Galaxy Note. Samsung believed it was a success and decided that the second generation of the Galaxy Note be even bigger. I love how corporate management can be so stupid sometimes.
There are reasons for Apple's choice of a 3.5" screen. The idea was, when you're holding onto the phone with one hand, the average person should still be able to reach all 4 corners of the screen with their thumb alone. When other companies copied the iPhone, they made similar sized phones as well, until they realized their phones weren't fast enough. They wanted more speed so they put in a faster processor. That drained more battery, so they needed a larger battery, thus a larger shell, and a larger screen. That's why no Android device can have a standardized screen size, and to make matters worse, no two of them could work in the same way.
Now, I know I sound like I'm ranting, and I am, because that's what this blog is all about. However, what's the point of a phone that can't fit in your pocket, is too big to operate one-handed, and covers half your face when you try to make a phone conversation?
See, if new technology isn't solving existing problems, then how is it even a good new solution? It isn't, that's why they fail.
The first tablet to be of any commercial success is the iPad. Like the iPhone that preceded it, Apple was the first to launch it, and annoyingly, like the iPhone, everyone tried to copy its commercial success by actually trying to put one out. Amazingly, unlike the original case, anyone who DID make a tablet after Apple, sort of failed miserably. I mean, yes, Samsung has almost made 3 tablets for every iPad that's ever come out, but does anyone seem to care? I didn't. I even made the number 3 up because I keep hearing Galaxy Tab Something. There are so many iterations of it, I don't even know which is which. I'm pretty sure they made a second generation one, but like the first iteration, not that many people seemed interested enough to buy one.
That brings me to the next point because Samsung is crucial to this bit. Samsung is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, mainly because of it's successful Galaxy S smartphone line. Not only has it managed to provide an entryway into creating two iterations of Nexus phones for Google, but it's also launched them into the most intense series of lawsuits with Apple.
But I digress. My main focus is the Galaxy Note. Samsung has done many things to shake the foundation of iPhone's customer base. They've even jumped the gun on NFC, which Apple still can't manage to push out. Hardware-wise though, Samsung has managed to outdo the iPhone consistently, but at a price that many people somehow are willing to pay.
I remembered how in Zoolander, there was a joke made about how cell phones were getting smaller and smaller, so much so that Derek Zoolander, played by Ben Stiller was using a phone that was smaller than his thumb when unfolded. I also remembered how people made fun of Apple when they introduced the iPad by saying that while everyone is going forward by making smaller devices, Apple was going backwards by introducing a larger device.
It was funny, because everyone made a fuss about it, and at the same time, they still flooded the stores to buy it, and even worse, they went and promoted it with the dawn of the second generation of Android phones. Android phones are getting larger and larger as I continue to type this out, starting with the launch of the Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus, and...a whole slew of other ridiculous Android powered devices that basically just decided to be bigger in size, but gain nothing in battery life. Yet, like I said, people bought these devices. They were humongous. They were absolutely stupid and bizarre to the point where they barely even fit into a person's pocket.
That's when Samsung stood up and said : "hey, let's bridge that gap between cell phone and tablet by making the Galaxy Note". That was the thing, people believed they somehow needed this ridiculous item. People made fun of Apple for launching the iPad and yet not a word was said to Samsung about releasing the Galaxy Note? That can't be fair. There has to be some harsh words thrown at them for releasing such a stupid device.
I tried one of them. Yes, on the display at the local Best Buy, it looks shiny and promising. However, I've managed to find it cumbersome. I borrowed one for app testing one time, and aside from being absolutely annoying how every time I tried to swipe sideways to turn the page in the menus, I ended up dragging an icon to the home screen. It was stupid. The largest smartphone in the world, is also the largest pain in the ass because it won't fit in your pocket, and because it won't let you navigate your apps menu. How is that even forgivable? Compared to the iPad's absolutely suave handling, and absolutely insanely captivating interface, this Android powered device was nothing but an eyesore.
That's the thing, people somehow believe this larger screen will help, and I've found that it didn't. People believed that it'd be amazing. It wasn't. That's the irony behind all of this. In spite of many smartphone purists like myself who believe that the Galaxy Note was stupid, Samsung has decided to make a decision about the Galaxy Note. Samsung believed it was a success and decided that the second generation of the Galaxy Note be even bigger. I love how corporate management can be so stupid sometimes.
There are reasons for Apple's choice of a 3.5" screen. The idea was, when you're holding onto the phone with one hand, the average person should still be able to reach all 4 corners of the screen with their thumb alone. When other companies copied the iPhone, they made similar sized phones as well, until they realized their phones weren't fast enough. They wanted more speed so they put in a faster processor. That drained more battery, so they needed a larger battery, thus a larger shell, and a larger screen. That's why no Android device can have a standardized screen size, and to make matters worse, no two of them could work in the same way.
Now, I know I sound like I'm ranting, and I am, because that's what this blog is all about. However, what's the point of a phone that can't fit in your pocket, is too big to operate one-handed, and covers half your face when you try to make a phone conversation?
See, if new technology isn't solving existing problems, then how is it even a good new solution? It isn't, that's why they fail.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Post 020
I've always had a love-hate relationship with tablets. I think it all started out when the early tablets were merely laptops with a touchscreen and stylus, and swiveled so that the keyboard can be an optional thing. It seemed like a cool thing to have. It was beyond what we know because there was the touchscreen capability. However, that was nothing but a two minute gimmick. if anything, it was a disappointment.
These early tablets were clunky, expensive and really not that useful. You were better off just using a regular mouse to do all of your drawings instead.
Apple, as per usual, decided to rewrite the rule book and came up with the iPad back in early 2010. The iPad looked like a joke to a lot of people. It looked like an iPod Touch being magnified four times, it acted like an iPod Touch. In fact, it ran a similar piece of software that runs on the iPod Touch. Everything about it, screamed iPod Touch. There were people who joked that while the rest of the world was finding ways to shrink their products, Apple, decided to do the opposite. In retrospect, that seems to be the trend, with Android phones getting bigger and bigger, reaching to the point of the Galaxy Note, the One X and even the Lumia.
The thing about the iPad was that even though it was like an iPod Touch, it worked. It made sense. It was a device that really did put a a lot of things on the market to shame. What was the point of an ebook reader, or a digital photo frame? Why would you want to bring your laptop away from home, and furthermore, why would you bother to buy a netbook.
Naturally, when the rest of the world rolled out with their versions of tablets to satisfy the Apple haters, much was at stake. Unfortunately, many people have failed. Lenovo's was too slow, Acer's was rubbish by definition of being an Acer, Samsung had many to choose from, but they never caught on, Motorola made one, many people didn't seem to know that, Asus made one, and it was well received, but it's not mainstream, HP made one, but then axed it, and lastly, even Blackberry made one, which was a monumental failure. Let's be honest, the iPad was well designed, and everything about it was slightly superior to their competitors. Unlike the Playbook by Blackberry, no McMaster business professor gave an interview, highlighting how useful it's built-in HDMI output was useful. That could be because the iPad didn't have one, but that's not the main reason.
What made the iPad so successful was because it was a simple thing to work with. It wasn't filled with the insane intricacies of the Android operating system. Even though everyone praises the Android operating system to be free of bounds that Apple products have, I never found it easy to use. It was a pain to navigate, it was cumbersome, and required a slight learning curve that Apple products lacked. All iOS devices are relatively universal, so the amount of work required in learning to use their products is virtually little if any.
This is what opens up a new opportunity for competitors. A newcomer into the tablet market can capitalize on Android's ridiculous system, and Apple's strict stronghold on non-jailbroken devices. Microsoft has made that attempt this week with their new Microsoft Surface tablet. The tablet features a built in kickstand. It features a pressure sensitive keyboard, that doubles as the smart cover. This makes it easier to type than any tablet on the market. It features Windows 8 interface, and even has quite a bit of power to punch.
All of this makes the Microsoft Surface seem like a very attractive device. Reviews have been great for Windows 8, especially with how well the social integration aspect was so good on its UI. I've never been a fan of social networking, so I can care less. What is most important, is the entire issue with apps. Apps are what make or break a device. Apple's great success lies within the fact that they have hundreds of thousands of apps. The apps range from small and useless apps that make fart noises, to ridiculously high end ones that allow you to do 3D mapping of an object you've only taken photos of. Android isn't far behind, but is slowly trying to catch up. This is precisely what broke the Playbook, because it made no sense to use, and had very little, if any applications. So, the most important question to ask is : Can this tablet by Microsoft make it as a latecomer?
Will Microsoft be able to learn from its mistakes from the development of the Windows Phone OS and actually try to make something that's user-friendly? Only time will tell.
These early tablets were clunky, expensive and really not that useful. You were better off just using a regular mouse to do all of your drawings instead.
Apple, as per usual, decided to rewrite the rule book and came up with the iPad back in early 2010. The iPad looked like a joke to a lot of people. It looked like an iPod Touch being magnified four times, it acted like an iPod Touch. In fact, it ran a similar piece of software that runs on the iPod Touch. Everything about it, screamed iPod Touch. There were people who joked that while the rest of the world was finding ways to shrink their products, Apple, decided to do the opposite. In retrospect, that seems to be the trend, with Android phones getting bigger and bigger, reaching to the point of the Galaxy Note, the One X and even the Lumia.
The thing about the iPad was that even though it was like an iPod Touch, it worked. It made sense. It was a device that really did put a a lot of things on the market to shame. What was the point of an ebook reader, or a digital photo frame? Why would you want to bring your laptop away from home, and furthermore, why would you bother to buy a netbook.
Naturally, when the rest of the world rolled out with their versions of tablets to satisfy the Apple haters, much was at stake. Unfortunately, many people have failed. Lenovo's was too slow, Acer's was rubbish by definition of being an Acer, Samsung had many to choose from, but they never caught on, Motorola made one, many people didn't seem to know that, Asus made one, and it was well received, but it's not mainstream, HP made one, but then axed it, and lastly, even Blackberry made one, which was a monumental failure. Let's be honest, the iPad was well designed, and everything about it was slightly superior to their competitors. Unlike the Playbook by Blackberry, no McMaster business professor gave an interview, highlighting how useful it's built-in HDMI output was useful. That could be because the iPad didn't have one, but that's not the main reason.
What made the iPad so successful was because it was a simple thing to work with. It wasn't filled with the insane intricacies of the Android operating system. Even though everyone praises the Android operating system to be free of bounds that Apple products have, I never found it easy to use. It was a pain to navigate, it was cumbersome, and required a slight learning curve that Apple products lacked. All iOS devices are relatively universal, so the amount of work required in learning to use their products is virtually little if any.
This is what opens up a new opportunity for competitors. A newcomer into the tablet market can capitalize on Android's ridiculous system, and Apple's strict stronghold on non-jailbroken devices. Microsoft has made that attempt this week with their new Microsoft Surface tablet. The tablet features a built in kickstand. It features a pressure sensitive keyboard, that doubles as the smart cover. This makes it easier to type than any tablet on the market. It features Windows 8 interface, and even has quite a bit of power to punch.
All of this makes the Microsoft Surface seem like a very attractive device. Reviews have been great for Windows 8, especially with how well the social integration aspect was so good on its UI. I've never been a fan of social networking, so I can care less. What is most important, is the entire issue with apps. Apps are what make or break a device. Apple's great success lies within the fact that they have hundreds of thousands of apps. The apps range from small and useless apps that make fart noises, to ridiculously high end ones that allow you to do 3D mapping of an object you've only taken photos of. Android isn't far behind, but is slowly trying to catch up. This is precisely what broke the Playbook, because it made no sense to use, and had very little, if any applications. So, the most important question to ask is : Can this tablet by Microsoft make it as a latecomer?
Will Microsoft be able to learn from its mistakes from the development of the Windows Phone OS and actually try to make something that's user-friendly? Only time will tell.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Post 01F
Writing in a blog is often considered to be just another crazy person writing about anything that tickles their fancy online. I'm sure a lot of people have tried to move away from that, and have tried to make it seem more like an informative piece. Informative writing is actually both important and an art form in itself. Some people take this for granted, and have done some pretty ludicrous things when it came to informative writing. While the people of the net can write whatever the hell they want, being an actual reporter doing a piece is not entirely the same.
Though I'm a bit late in writing about this issue, but Mike Daisey, a presenter of "This American Life" had published a piece that describes his visit to Foxconn.
It's interesting to point out, but Foxconn is the centre of scrutiny whenever we discuss consumer electronics being made today. Many people go on and on about how the labour forces are being treated in an unfair manner in those factories. Foxconn has been so negatively portrayed by so many different media outlies that the mere mention of Foxconn will bring about various different negative attitudes and dirty rumours, ranging from suicides, living conditions, chemicals used, work schedules, etc.
Therefore, when media coverage is being made about a man who has the chance to visit the Foxconn factories, there are a few things to keep in mind. Number 1 : this guy will make claims that they are hiding the real conditions. Number 2 : there will be a remark about how the whole tour seemed orchestrated. Number 3 : they will discuss something about working conditions being too tough.
However, that is the standard outlook behind these things. What people never seem to remember, is that Foxconn has it's doors flooded with people at 3 am in the morning whenever there is a job fair. They fail to recognize that if these people need to be employed to give some welfare to their families. People also never remember that reporteres need to spark controversy. That is an implicit line within their job description, because their work needs to bring in more audience members.
Mike Daisey's report on Foxconn was an interesting one. Not only has he made a laughing stalk of the show, Ira Glass and all that they represent, but he goes on to defend himself when he was in the wrong. Mike Daisey's controversial report started when he decided to lie about what he has seen, how much he has seen, and even who his translator was. Why did he go to such lengths to make a falsified report about a company that already is gaining so much negative reviews? Did the fact that his piling on will make matters better? If anything, Mike Daisey is actually abusing his position as a journalist to bully a company that is already under negative review all the time.
Then there was the issue of him lying to his producers. Was there some kind of reasoning to lie to your own boss about your work? Last time I checked, lying to your boss is a huge issue. What I think is most interesting, is how Mike Daisey went on to say he apologizes not because he mislead everyone with his lying report, or how he lied to his producers, but he apologizes because he didn't release this as drama. I'm sorry, is that supposed to constitute as an apology? What I find very disturbing is that when people make mistakes, they don't do what is necessary by standing up and admtting to be at fault. It seems that, while Mike Daisey has the audacity to go on public radio, denounce a company that is working hard to make consumer electronics for an American company that is boosting the American economy in this American life he's living (pun intended) during this economic downturn, he hasn't got the slightest bit of gut (in spite of his immense physical gut) to own up to a mistake he's made.
I remembered how much more trouble I got into whenever I made excuses as a child. Growing up, I learned that excuses never really got you anywhere. I always had an image where excuses only wound up putting you in more trouble in the real world. I don't know why someone like Mike Daisey is still given any more right to publish anything ever again, but I think that a man who lacks any self respect as a reporter, and a fellow human being lacks the right to try to report to the American public.
Though I'm a bit late in writing about this issue, but Mike Daisey, a presenter of "This American Life" had published a piece that describes his visit to Foxconn.
It's interesting to point out, but Foxconn is the centre of scrutiny whenever we discuss consumer electronics being made today. Many people go on and on about how the labour forces are being treated in an unfair manner in those factories. Foxconn has been so negatively portrayed by so many different media outlies that the mere mention of Foxconn will bring about various different negative attitudes and dirty rumours, ranging from suicides, living conditions, chemicals used, work schedules, etc.
Therefore, when media coverage is being made about a man who has the chance to visit the Foxconn factories, there are a few things to keep in mind. Number 1 : this guy will make claims that they are hiding the real conditions. Number 2 : there will be a remark about how the whole tour seemed orchestrated. Number 3 : they will discuss something about working conditions being too tough.
However, that is the standard outlook behind these things. What people never seem to remember, is that Foxconn has it's doors flooded with people at 3 am in the morning whenever there is a job fair. They fail to recognize that if these people need to be employed to give some welfare to their families. People also never remember that reporteres need to spark controversy. That is an implicit line within their job description, because their work needs to bring in more audience members.
Mike Daisey's report on Foxconn was an interesting one. Not only has he made a laughing stalk of the show, Ira Glass and all that they represent, but he goes on to defend himself when he was in the wrong. Mike Daisey's controversial report started when he decided to lie about what he has seen, how much he has seen, and even who his translator was. Why did he go to such lengths to make a falsified report about a company that already is gaining so much negative reviews? Did the fact that his piling on will make matters better? If anything, Mike Daisey is actually abusing his position as a journalist to bully a company that is already under negative review all the time.
Then there was the issue of him lying to his producers. Was there some kind of reasoning to lie to your own boss about your work? Last time I checked, lying to your boss is a huge issue. What I think is most interesting, is how Mike Daisey went on to say he apologizes not because he mislead everyone with his lying report, or how he lied to his producers, but he apologizes because he didn't release this as drama. I'm sorry, is that supposed to constitute as an apology? What I find very disturbing is that when people make mistakes, they don't do what is necessary by standing up and admtting to be at fault. It seems that, while Mike Daisey has the audacity to go on public radio, denounce a company that is working hard to make consumer electronics for an American company that is boosting the American economy in this American life he's living (pun intended) during this economic downturn, he hasn't got the slightest bit of gut (in spite of his immense physical gut) to own up to a mistake he's made.
I remembered how much more trouble I got into whenever I made excuses as a child. Growing up, I learned that excuses never really got you anywhere. I always had an image where excuses only wound up putting you in more trouble in the real world. I don't know why someone like Mike Daisey is still given any more right to publish anything ever again, but I think that a man who lacks any self respect as a reporter, and a fellow human being lacks the right to try to report to the American public.
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