Microsoft Office for IOS and Android is here

Have you installed it?  what are you waiting for it’s FREE!  You can check it out here for IOS and Android.

I’m so sorry I cheated on you… Nexus

Yes, I’ve done the deed, I have cheated on my Nexus 4.  My lover is none other than my ex, the iphone.  Why, because I’m fickle and I like to play with new things, in this case, apps.  What I have noticed since using my Nexus or Android device is that most companies would first develop an app on the iphone.  Being the bleeding edge person that I am, I can’t help but try these apps, that way I know if it will be a hit before it becomes mainstream and is why my iphone is still getting constant usage.

I can understand why developers would prefer the iphone as a first choice and here’s my reasoning:

1.  Fragmentation  – IOS 7 installed rate have reached over 80% of all ios devices which supports it, as for Android, it is left  to the handset manufacture to decide, of course unless you have a Nexus device or Google play editions of phones.  For a developer, this may become frustrating as it will involve more than coding to cover all versions of Android and screen resolution.

2. Monetisation – I don’t know why but I much prefer to spend money via the Apple App store than using Google Play store, maybe because it’s habit since I started with itunes to buy music for the past 8 or so years therefore I’m so used to the process.  So as a developer, I will pick the platform which can make me the most money.

3. Security – Many might argue this but my point is that Apple have a tighter control over the App store, so as a consumer, I am more trusting to install an IOS app and knowing it will probably be safe. As a developer, this may have an opposite side since Apple have such a grip on the App store, there is a chance the app will get rejected.

So, my trusty iphone 4S is still getting plenty of love and with great new apps like “Paper” from Facebook, I don’t see it getting retired anytime soon.  If the new iphone 6 that is coming out this year sports a bigger screen, I will seriously consider switching back.

 

New iphones are here!!

Every year around the September period, there is always some buzz in the air as Apple usually launches a new phone.  This time round they release 2 new phones, Iphone 5C (color) and Iphone 5S (it used to stand for Speed when the first ‘S’ appeared on the 3GS).  Anyhow, what can you expect from these 2 new phones?  Let me break it down in a few words:

Iphone 5C – Same as the iphone 5 (2012) but now comes in colors (5 to be exact), only thing new inside is that it now supports more LTE Bands.

Iphone 5S – Looks exactly the same as the iphone 5 but now with a faster processor (A7), new camera/flash, fingerprint reader, 64-bit processing and another new chip M7.  Oh, it also now comes in Gold (bling bling!!).

Apart from the new phones, the OS also saw a major upgrade to IOS7 which is a complete re-haul of the whole operating system.  I did manage to installed in on my iphone 4S just to see what the fuss is about.  Well, first impression is that it is very different visually.  It feels like a complete do-over, some good some bad.  If you are interested in the details there are many review out there to read about it, I can’t be bothered really.

Anyway, my initial impressions are positive, the new control center and notification is a good welcome, the color scheme, not so much.  Well, I’ve only got it for 2 days so still learning more about it.  Any do check it out here if you own a iphone 4 and above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sony Cybershot QX series

I really enjoy taking photos with my phone since I got the iphone 4.  It has changed the way I see the world really (mainly due to instagram).  But since I switch to my Nexus 4 phone, the main complaint I have is the sub-par photo quality of it’s camera.  To me, the best camera phone is still the iphone and with the new iphone 5S/C coming, I’m getting abit of itchy fingers again.

So here’s where Sony comes in, they have released a new camera product, not a traditional camera but only the lens.  So what you do is attached this Lens to your phone and turns it into a full features stand alone camera!! All the optical zoom and F-stops you ever wanted is now a dream come true on your phone.  I’ve yet to try it out but will definitely consider this toy.  Now problem solved, back to reading food blogs.  Check it out here.

IOS 7: The beta

At WWDC Apple gave a preview of their mobile phone software the IOS.  We are now at version 7 and Apple have decided to completely change the look and feel of the software.  Everything now is more Flat and Clean, gone are the days were drop shadows and 3D icons ruled the internets.  This is getting a lot of mixed feelings as many designers out there are shocked by what Apple have come up with, especially with the icons and color scheme while others don’t mind it so much.

Anyhow, as this is only the Beta version, many things might and probably will change when the final release comes out late Sept/Oct to coincide with the launch of their next iphone.  If you are an iphone owner and is jealous of all those new wonderful Android features, you will certainly enjoy the face lift on IOS 7.  Feature wise, not so much, still the same of IOS we are so used to.  There is the new control centre where you can pull up a fixed set of apps/tools for quick actions and some enhancement to the photo/camera app.  That is really all I could see that is new, any way take a look at the promo video from Apple, it’s magical as always.

 

ios 7: A new Concept

You know what, I’m loving this concept video for the next ios 7.  I hope it comes true as it looks great!

My Nexus 4

Yes folks, I am now an Android user (again), ever since the Nexus One back in 2010 I have been using the Apple iphone from the 3GS to the 4/4S and finally the iphone 5.  No, I’m not a rich bum it’s just that I get to choose a phone for work and when a new iphone comes round I would raise my hand.  So after spending 4 months with the iphone 5, I was bored with it and now really intrigued with the new line up of Nexus devices from Google.  That is when I caught my eye on the Nexus 4, this is the latest (well it’s now about 4 months old since it launch on mid November) Android device running on a smartphone from google.  Made by LG which I must say would not be a choice of company I would normally buy from.

So, why did I switch?  Simple, the screen size and keyboard, I always wanted a bigger screen for my phone as it just gives you so much more real estate and everything looks bigger!!  The new 4″ screen on the iphone 5 was a welcome relieve but after spending some time on it, it still pales when compares with any other smartphone.  Second, the keyboard, Apple does have a decent keyboard but Damn that autocorrect, it just doesn’t cut it for me anymore.  With Android, you get to choose from a hugh variety of keyboards, I have settle with the stock Android 4.2 keyboard with swipe-like gesture for typing.  You know what, I’m loving this swipe thingy, it really makes typing so much quicker and most importantly, it just so cool to use.  It feels like playing a game of Fruit ninja if you know what I’m talking about.

Well, it is now week 3 with the Nexus 4 and I’m now really getting into the hang of it, the Android may take abit of getting used to as now you can customised to your heart’s content.  So this is my quick run down on the pros and cons considering there are about a billion reviews of this phone out there.

PROS:

• Speed, this phone is fast, like iphone fast kind of fast, transition is like butter (punt intended) and apps opens quickly.  I’m amazed at how well the phone runs with so many apps opened in the background.
• Stocked Android OS, this means this phone gets the latest and greatest software updates as soon as Google releases it.  I love it.  With the latest 4.2 release, some of the camera features are really awesome like photo-sphere.
• Design, I must admit this phone is beautifully built, it has a great fit and finished and feels great in the hand.
• Customisation, out with the boring icons like pages in the iphone, all Android phones are made to be completely customisable.  Over time, I will try out some of the great Home screen customisation as found on http://www.mycolorscreen.com
• Google integration, this phone is one of the easiest phone to setup, all you need is your Gmail account and Boom, everything you ever did with Google apps like G+/Picasa/Reader/Gmail/Docs/Maps are all there and setupped once you go pass the login screen.  Well, this may not be a feature if you do not use Gmail or many of the other Google apps.
• Price, you cant beat an unlocked smartphone with all the tech trimmings at a great price of USD$299 (16GB version).

CONS:

• Battery life on this phone sucks, although it claims it has a 2100 mAh battery but with constant usage of the phone, you will probably only last 3/4 of the day til it runs flat.  Also, the battery cannot be replaced since the back is sealed.
• Glass back may become a problem as it can be scratched and break easily (similar to the iphone 4/4S)
• No memory expansion, if you are like me who likes to try out new apps all the time, you may find the phone filling up rather quickly.  With only 16GB on internal storage, it may become a problem if you have lots of videos or photos on your phone.
• Camera quality, one thing the iphone has and still beats every other phone is the camera, no other smartphone comes close to the quality of the iphone camera.  Sad to say, the Nexus 4 only have a passible camera, it does not take good low light photos and most of them comes out grainy.

One of my major concern about using an Android phone was the Apps that I have grown to lived without on the iphone, this is no longer a problem as I was able to find the same App or find a great replacement app in the Google Play store.  All in all, I’m very happy with the switch and so far the transition has been very seamless and smooth, looking forward to all the Android goodness in the coming future.  Checkout the Nexus 4 here.

Apple IOS 6

I have an iphone 4S, like every iphone user, we all wish we had the dough to upgrade to an iphone 5.  But sadly, that has not happen (yet).  So the next best thing is to have the iphone 5 experience, which is IOS 6.  Upgrading to IOS 6 is a pleasure, yes, I said pleasure, this is because it is the most hassle free process ever.  All you do is say “Yes” to the software upgrade under settings and your phone will begin the journey, and about 1.5hrs later, boom, there she is IOS 6.

So, how does it feel, well, exactly like the previous version, there isn’t much of a difference at first as everything looks and feel the same.  It’s only when you start using it, then you get the “new” experience, some good, some bad.

The most obvious is Youtube, it’s gone, you now need to download the official Google Youtube app from the App Store as it no longer comes pre-install with IOS6.  Which by the way is pretty good compared with the old Youtube app, go play with it and you’ll see.

Now, the new Map App which is Apple’s attempt at making Maps and my first impressions, it looks nice.  All the essentials are there, the 3D feature is nice but after playing with it for some time, it’s more gimmick than useful.  The turn-by-turn is a great addition, that is the one thing I hated about the old Google maps on the iphone is the lack of voice assisted navigation.  The problem with it is the search results, many time I would search for some business and it returns nothing, which is both disappointing and annoying.  I have not seen the problems many others have observed with streets names and locations.  Overall, I prefer the old Google Maps.

The camera app now comes with panoramic, which has been pointed out by many of my Android using friends  that it’s been around for some years.  Better late than never I say.  It’s easy to use but one annoying thing is that it pans from left to right only, why can’t we pan the other way too Apple, why?

There is now a “Do not Disturb” feature where you can schedule no pickups during certain time and also reply calls with a pre-defined Txt like “I’m in a meeting” or “Piss-off, I dun wanna talk righ now”.  Passbook, which is a new app that don’t work in Oz is pretty much useless at the moment.  Also, SIRI got an upgrade, meh… didn’t notice any difference.

What else, oh, they change the GUI of the phone App, looks ok I guess.  So, that’s it, IOS 6, go update now!!  You have nothing to loose, except Google Maps and Youtube….

The new iphone-5

Probably the worst kept secret in Apple launch history.  Still, it’s a thing of beauty and I want it BAD!  Check it out here.

Iphone Fashion shoot

Who ever tells you that to great photographers uses the best camera gear will produce the best pictures are fools.  This is a perfect example that to get great photos you basically need good lighting and photoshop skills…  Check out this fashion shoot using an iphone 3GS, the photos looks great but I give the credit to the “retoucher”.