First, let me state that I think the Galaxy S III is a great phone and the iPhone 5 is mostly likely a great phone (I’ll tell you after a few weeks with it). That said, these commercials are getting funny. They remind me of political ads. Truths are stretched. People are bashed. Lines are drawn. The comments on this video’s YouTube page are most entertaining. Again, it’s along the lines of a modern political debate. The loudest voices are extreme opinions on both sides. It reminds me of that Coffee Talk I wrote a few weeks ago. Fandroids vs. iSheep!!!
Anyway, check out the spot when you have a chance and kindly share your thoughts on this Samsung Galaxy S III commercial.
I’ve been playing around with iOS 6 on my iPad 2012 for the last couple of hours and I’m pretty happy with the upgrade. On the iPad, there’s nothing revolutionary, but there are several additions that make the OS better. Some of these additions are long overdue and others are (seemingly) simple features that make the iOS experience that much more elegant. People that want things like widgets and other niceties found on Android will find iOS 6 disappointing, but that’s another issue entirely. Right now I’d like to go over my four favorite features of iOS 6 (so far) from an iPad user’s perspective.
1) Clock App: I always found it remarkably stupid that the iPad lacked a native clock app. After three versions of the iPad, Apple has finally deemed its tablet worthy of having its own clock. While third-party developers that sold clock apps will be disappointed, iPad users will be delighted. It’s a nice app that looks great and is very functional. It has a world clock, stopwatch, timer, and (thank Zeus!) an alarm.
2) Do Not Disturb: This is a fantastic addition to the iOS notifications center. Say you’re watching the latest Brazzers HBO Go video while being bombarded by text messages. The “do not disturb” function allows you to hit pause on the outside world and focus on the video. I remember this one time…a friend of mine was watching a Netflix video with a female companion in bed. In the middle of the movie, a Facebook notification popped up showing a flirtatious message from an old girlfriend. This caused problems for my friend. Had the “do not disturb” feature been in place back then, my friend would have avoided hours of questioning and fighting. Eliminating situations like that is the best reason for this feature.
3) Siri: There was never a good reason for Siri not to be on the iPad. Dumb excuses were made, but it was obvious that Apple wanted to use it as a selling point for the iPhone 4S. Siri has arrived on the iPad and it works just as well as it does on the 4S. Naturally, its usefulness can be debated. Personally, I like it a lot. It can be useful for certain types of reference and search. It can also be a fun, dumb time waster. Of course if you’re really lonely, Siri makes sure that you always have someone to talk to.
4) Improved Sharing: I love the way sharing is integrated into iOS 6. It just looks and works better. And yes, one of the reasons I included this feature was to continue my exploitation of Olivia Lisa Munn.
Anyway, those are my favorite iOS 6 features for iPad (so far). I’m going to put it on my phone and play with that for a bit. For now, please let me know if you’ve upgraded to iOS 6 and what you think of it so far.
A number of you have pre-ordered or plan to buy an iPhone 5. A number of you already own iOS devices of some sort. How do you insure your iPhones and iPads? Many people rave about AppleCare+. It’s convenient to get your phone or tablet services at an Apple Store through AppleCare+ and, in my experience, the service is fast. Others prefer using insurance through a third-party company like SquareTrade, which in some cases offers more flexible terms and can be more convenient for people that don’t live near an Apple Store. There are some people that prefer carrier insurance through companies like Asurion, which offers replacements for stolen or lost products. Then there are those that don’t care to get insurance at all.
Kindly take today’s poll and let me know how you insure your iPhone and other iOS products.
Here’s a man-on-the-street clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live that features a bunch of excited opinions on the iPhone 5. The problem is that Kimmel’s crew was showing the subjects an iPhone 4S. It’s pretty awesome to hear people say that it’s lighter, faster, better, etc. — especially those that claimed to own a 4S. While there are plenty of technically savvy people that use an iPhone, the ones in this video are fantastic examples of iSheep. Check out the video below and let me know what you think (please!). Continue reading “Jimmy Kimmel Tricks People With Fake iPhone 5”
Apple just wrapped up a successful press conference for the iPhone 5. The presser lacked major surprises since most of the information was revealed through supply-chain leaks. Many Apple fans knew what was coming: four-inch screen, LTE radio, new aluminum-and-glass design, new connection dock, touch layer integrated on screen, EarPods, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure that the iPhone 5 will be a fantastic phone and I’m sure that millions of people will buy it, but were any of you amazed by the reveal? I want to hear your reactions to the iPhone 5 announcement. Please let me know what you think and if you plan on picking one up.
As for me, I love the construction and I’m looking forward to checking out the camera quality. It looks like Apple has raised the bar (again) for cameras on mobile phones. Aside from that, a lot of the features are underwhelming. The larger screen is too small for my liking and I’ve been accustomed to LTE speeds for well over a year. In a lot of ways, Apple was pushing 2011 features in 2012. Due to its rabid fan base and unsurpassed marketing, loads of Apple fans on Twitter were treating every feature announcement like it was the best thing ever.
I plan on picking up a white one for work purposes, but aside from the camera, I’m not really wowed by the iPhone 5. Again, I think it will be a great phone and the build quality will be top notch, but the competition has closed what was once an enormous gap in both hardware (love what HTC is doing) and software (Android Jelly Bean still works best for me). I suspect it’ll be great, but not amazing.
Now it’s your turn! Kindly share your thoughts on Apple’s iPhone 5 presser. Are you buying one? Black or white?
As many of you know, I’m a big fan of mobile tech and eco-friendly products. I absolutely love when those two worlds collide. That’s the case with 10Terra, a company that’s raising money through Kickstarter for its eco-friendly cases for the iPhone, iPad, and Nexus 7. It’s offering bamboo cases (like my beloved Blackbox) and “eco-felt” sleeves. Here are some details from the pitch:
Bamboo is a beautiful, durable plant. Because of its rapid growth it’s an ideal material for sustainable products. Similar to bamboo flooring, our bamboo is carbonized, a process that creates the durability and exotic coloring bamboo is so well known for.
We have cases for iPad 2/3, the new Google Nexus 7, and we have two types of bamboo case for the iPhone 4/4S — two-tone and laser-engraved.
Eco-felt is 100% recycled material made from plastic water or soda bottles.
Our eco-felt cases are lightweight but durable. If you need to take more than just your iPad, but you’d like to take less than a bag, these will help you travel light.
When you have a chance, check out the video below and let me know if you’re interested in picking up one of 10Terra’s cases.
Recently, I’ve had a bunch of Apple-related discussions on message boards that have little to do with technology. I was surprised to find myself in an Android vs. iOS discussion on a boxing forum. I was amused to read several “tablets are awesome” and “iPads suck” posts on a travel board. Whether it was talking about Apple, iPad, iPhone, or iOS, there was one thing that was consistent — people with an irrational hatred for Apple.
If you don’t like Mac OS or iOS, that’s fine, but some of the reasons I’ve heard for people not wanting to buy Apple products are stupid and ignorant. One of my favorites is…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, deciding between plasma and LCD televisions, Ryan Reynolds’ marriage “downgrade” to Blake Lively, or getting excited for Britney Spears on X-Factor, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Recently, I’ve had a bunch of Apple-related discussions on message boards that have little to do with technology. I was surprised to find myself in an Android vs. iOS discussion on a boxing forum. I was amused to read several “tablets are awesome” and “iPads suck” posts on a travel board. Whether it was talking about Apple, iPad, iPhone, or iOS, there was one thing that was consistent — people with an irrational hatred for Apple.
If you don’t like Mac OS or iOS products, that’s fine, but some of the reasons I’ve heard for people not wanting to buy Apple goods are stupid and ignorant. One of my favorites is “Apple forces you to only buy from them!” I’m not aware of how Apple forces anyone to do anything. Does the company have a secret ninja army forcing people to buy music and movies from iTunes? Certainly if you have an iPhone then it’s easier to buy media through iTunes. If you have a Mac then it’s easier to buy programs on the Mac App Store. So what?!? Apple is proving hardware, software, and services that make for a pleasant experience. Besides, that’s not stopping anyone from buying music on Google Play or books from Amazon and using them on an iPad. Apple and Amazon (with its Kindle Fire tablets) have shown that a certain amount of digital content curation is what the majority of consumers want.
Another anti-Apple sentiment I’ve read several times in the last couple of weeks was, “Their ‘It just works’ motto is a scam!” I strongly disagree with knocking the usability of Apple products. I own Android and iOS products. Although Android is my preferred mobile OS, it’s clear that iOS is easier for more people to use. I own OS X and Windows products. Honestly, this one isn’t even close. OS X is just a smoother and more refined experience than Windows.
The funny part is that many of the people I chatted with that blasted Apple products also admitted that they haven’t used one in a long time. So really, the hatred is based on ignorance. There’s nothing wrong with not being familiar with the latest versions of iOS and OS X, but it’s silly to blast Apple products when you don’t know what they offer. I understand having a preference for or being a fan of a particular platform, but I don’t understand why some people feel the need to automatically hate the competition. That kind of logic only works with professional sports (die Red Sox!!!) and sports entertainment (Cena sucks!!!).
A lot of people on the Internetz complain about Apple fanboys, saying that they’re arrogant loudmouths. There are certainly some vocal Apple users and many smug tech bloggers that are unapologetic about their Apple fandom. At least they’re making noise because they love Apple products. Some people call them iSheep because they love practically everything that Apple releases. In many ways, the anti-Apple crowd is worse. They’re hating on Apple and its fans without knowing what the hell they’re talking about.
If you’re going to hate on Apple products then at least know what they offer. At least then you can back up your hatred with knowledge. Be like Mark Wahlberg’s character from The Other Guys. As a youngster, he learned ballet so that he could make fun of the kids that were studying ballet. Dude knew the score.
Three big companies had three big press conferences this week: Amazon, Motorola, and Nokia. Which press conference excited you the most? Kindly vote in today’s poll and discuss!
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As for me, I’m going with Amazon. Motorola showed off some nice upgrades to its RAZR line of Android phones. I love the design and materials of the RAZR, but my next phone will not have a pentile screen and I don’t like Moto’s Android skin. Nokia showed off beautiful hardware, which wasn’t a surprise because the company always shows off beautiful hardware. Unfortunately, it didn’t have hard dates on availability. Besides, Windows Phone isn’t really for me.
That leaves Amazon. While I’m personally not interested in a Kindle Fire HD, I’m fascinated to see what it will do for the U.S. tablet market. I expect the low prices of the Kindle Fire HD — both hardware and LTE access — to continue the tablet craze. As for the Kindle Paperwhite…I want one now!!!
Now it’s your turn. Please vote in the poll and expand on your answer in the comments section.
While I’m not the least bit interested in the new Kindle Fire HD tablets, I’m terribly excited for the Kindle Paperwhite. This is the e-reader of my dreams! It offers the great benefits of e-ink (fantastic battery life, low eyestrain) with the addition of front-lighting. The lighting scheme isn’t the only exciting thing though. Check out some of the new features of the Kindle Paperwhite:
212 pixels per inch (62 percent more pixels than the previous model)
25 percent more contrast than last year’s version
Eight weeks of battery life with the light on
New, adjustable fonts (including my all-time favorite, Palatino!)
The last book I read on my iPad was A Dance With Dragons. There were times when I simply had to stop reading because the iPad’s LCD was roasting my eyes. Keep in mind that I do a lot of reading late at night and in bed. The front-lit screen of the Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for me. The higher pixel density and improved contrast are most welcomed too.
The Kindle Paperwhite ships on October 1, 2012. It costs $119 with advertising and $139 without. This is a definite purchase for me and I know that RPadholic smartguy is down for one as well. How about the rest of you? Are you psyched for the Kindle Paperwhite?
