TechLife: Will you take a bite? (Last Part)

In the initial part of this blog, I talked about my impression on the first apple mobile phone. Apple's first attempt in competing with the Finnish and Japanese tech companies who brought us Nokia and Sony-Ericsson products.

And in Part2, I talked about their redesigned shuffle (which they claimed the tiniest mp3 player) that comes with a sleek earphone w/ remote.

While in Part3, I talked about the battle of 2 great OS's, i.e. Windows VS. Leopard, and that's before the Android went through the broken Windows to challenge the Leopard =)

So what now?
Perhaps it's about time to answer my own question.

Yes, I'm guilty as Adam... I also took part, but it was just a tiny bite, hehe ;-)
And no, they didn't had me at Hello (as I'm a green user, haha. -- and I'm starting to get a bit upset with the intermittent signal I'm getting at subway stations).

Okay, if I would be asked to describe what I think apple is good at.. Well, I'd say it's how they revolutionize their existing products. Like this new iPhone 4.

Now that's what I call an upgrade! :)


(vid courtesy of youtuber MichaelStergTv01)

ciao! c",)

P.S.
If you can't view the embedded video above, you may go to this link.

TechLife: Will you take a bite? (Part3)

Why are there so many people nowadays closing their windows and opening their doors to have taste of that.. not red nor green but white.. fruit with a small bite from Mr.Jobs on one side?

Well, I've seen a lot of review comparisons of these two Operating Systems, as well as the machines they're running. Or should I rather say the machines running these two OS's, haha. And yes, they both appeal to various consumers, however, to some it boils down to whether one is a mac or a pc zealot. But among the apple to apple.. err.. apple to pc video comparisons I've seen, this one hits the mark. Unbiased and just straight talk from a normal desktop user. Check out this vid.


(video courtesy of youtuber LACK78)

Without a doubt, Windows has opened the door.. hmm, this doesn't sound right, hehe, okay rephrase.. Windows has succeeded in bringing desktops to our home and offices. Mr.Gates has made significant contributions to the world of computing. But as technology advances, competition gets tougher for the manufacturers of these wares. Some geeks may continue to rant about their antagonists while others are enjoying these clash of the titans since it's us, the consumers, who'll really benefit from such competitions.

So back to my previous question.. will you stick to your well-loved & long-established OS or will you take a bite?

Gnyt! and have a great week ahead! Ciao! c",)

TechLife: Apple - will you take a bite? (part2)

What's the first thing that comes to mind when somebody says "Apple?"

A fruit? ...perhaps if that question is asked some 10 or 15 years ago. But the word "Apple" has evolved from a fruit to becoming a tiny icon that you'll find engraved in todays music players and mobile phones. Well, it's the digital age! So now when you say "apple" you'll hear people responding.. "iPod?" "iPhone?" "iTouch?" aiyooh! Steve Jobs found a way to infiltrate the new generation's mind with apple innovations! That's probably the reason why he got listed as the most powerful businessman a few years back by Fortune Mag. I guess I can say Steve did his Job! haha.

I'm particularly amazed how they made the ipodshuffle so tiny (as small as the Bic ballpen cap) that you can clip anywhere on your clothes while maintaining its classic look. The only external controls you'll see on the player is the power/shuffle button. They designed an earphones with remote that communicates with the shuffle. Hence, you'll ONLY be able to control the volume or jump through tracks using the dedicated apple earphones. So to apple you'd be nitpicking if you get upset simply because your favorite (3rd-party) earphones is flawed when used with the shuffle. C'mon! It's a marketing strategy, yet effective :)

Now you know why Apple has that logo. More and more people are tempted to bite the apple! =)

For this MP3 player, out of five I'll give it 4.5 stars.

Here's their latest edition..

TECH TIPS (iTunes): How to Undo the settings "Use iTunes for internet playback"

Have you ever, either intentionally or accidentally, clicked on that "SET" button that says "Use iTunes for Internet playback," which is under iTunes Preferences' Advanced tab? Well, I did, and I think out of curiosity, when I was fiddling around with the settings (something I have the habit of doing after installing certain apps). The annoying part is... there's no option under that iTunes preferences settings to UNDO it! geez! Are they really thinking about how it will benefit the users when they put that in there or this is just another trick to promote iTunes?

This iTunes auto-launch setting started to annoy me when I was downloading multiple MP3s from the internet. As soon as the download completes, it launches iTunes and instantly plays the downloaded MP3. It was as if iTunes was vaingloriously yelling and telling me "Hey, here I am! I played it for you! just what you're about to do!" Grrr! (calm down, you need to calm down Jeff).

Okay, how do we undo this if Apple did not provide that reverse option? Some users might suggest to reinstall the iTunes to set it back to its original state (making sure you don't tick that SET button again! and nobody in your household does!). Well, the quickest way to UNDO this is by going to your Safari Preferences. Wait! Safari?!? iTunes is the one that keeps operating by itself isn't it? Yes, but you're using your browser for downloading, right? So here's how:

Go to Safari \ Preferences \ uncheck the box that says Open "safe" files after downloading.

In addition, that settings to "Use iTunes for internet playback" will make your iTunes the default player for your audio files.

If you ever want to use other players, DIVX or Real Player for example, you may change the "open default" by selecting your audio file from Finder window and view the file information by pressing COMMAND I. You'll see a section that says "Open with:" with a drop-down list, from there select your desired default application you want your audio file to open with.

'Hope you find this useful. If it doesn't solve your iTunes internet playback problem just drop me a line and we'll see how I can extend some more help. Have a good day!

ciao! c",)

Tech Blog: WANTED: Unbiased Review Needed (prizefight?)

I accidentally deleted my post last time regarding my comments on the recent Prizefight Video by CNET TV. Okay, without further ado, let me go directly to what I think about their head-to-head review of N95 versus iPhone. The review and scoring were BIASED. In fact, it was based on the preference of the video editor herself. Listen carefully to her last statement when she said..

“…you may call ME an apple fan-girl but when “I” stack up the features THAT MATTERS TO ME the iPhone comes out on top”

I wrote them and asked what is their objective when presenting a battle of 2 electronic devices in their Prizefight video? I never received any feedback. I asked because I do watch most of their video reviews and I love reading (or watching for this case) some video feature-by-feature comparisons of two gadgets. I trust what they (CNET TV) can say about a certain gizmo because they have the privilege to play around with the actual unit. But hearing their recent review on these two gadgets is totally frustrating. I once believed that their PrizeFight video section is where they keep the viewing public informed (especially those who’s been planning, saving some bucks, and having a dilemma on which gizmo to get) about how certain gadget match up with another of its level so consumers can draw out a wise decision on which gizmo worth every hard-earned penny.

Like what the video editor said: (back track to her initial statement)
“..because hey, if you’ve got over 500 dollars to spend on a brand new cellphone, you better pick the one that’s right for you.”

Now, I’m starting to doubt their reviews.


Here’s how the clash of the titans were presented

*** N95 vs iPhone ***

1. SEXINESS

She scored 5 on the iPhone and 3 on the N95. On this part, yes I agree. Definite you’ll find lots of people drooling over someone who have an iPhone.


2. INTERFACE & NAVIGATION

She scored 5 on the iPhone and 4 on the N95. On this part, I can still agree. The touch interface of the iPhone is truly intuitive and innovative. While N95 still uses few mechanical buttons to navigate through the phone. The dual slider is one thing to note though, but not too much to wow about.

Btw, on this round, don’t forget the ability to do one-hand operation, especially when creating an SMS. After all, I believe it’s one of the main reasons how the mobile phones have evolved so quickly. Can the iPhone be operated one-hand for composing and sending text messages?


3. FEATURES

She scored 4 on the iPhone and 5 on the N95. Wait a sec, iPhone gets a "4" on features? C’mon!

Let’s list and score ‘em one by one:

a. Camera
iPhone = 2mp (NO flash), NO front camera for video calling
N95 = 5mp (although images created not comparable to 5mp Digicam, but hey, isn’t it we're comparing it to the iPhone? Hehe). This camera has most of the features a digicam has and it also function as barcode reader! Hmm, can I give N95 a 6? Too bad scoring is up to the highest 5 only, so let’s do this the other way around..

For this round I’m giving N95 a “5” and the iPhone a “3”

b. Built-in GPS receiver
iPhone = none
N95 = yes

Need I say more? For this round I’m giving N95 another “5” and iPhone a “1” (I’m just being nice because I would’ve given iPhone a “0” because NONE equates to Zero, right?)

c. FM Tuner
iPhone = none
N95 = yes

Same score as above. N95 gets a “5” and iPhone gets a “1”

d. MP3 Player
iPhone = enhanced iPod
N95 = average MP3 player

Okay, for this round iPhone is striving to win back the crown. I’m giving N95 a “3” and the iPhone a “5”

e. Standard 3.5mm Earphone Jack
iPhone = yes
N95 = yes

She mentioned that “iPhone’s headphone jack is recessed and not all headphones are gonna fit!” Well, too bad iPhone because apart from the fact that you can fit any types of standard 3.5mm earphones to the N95, you can actually perform 8 different ways to listen to music! See for yourself by checking out this link for the live demonstration

For this round I’m giving N95 a “5” and the iPhone a “3”

Btw, did I mention that this headphone jack also functions as video out? I tried connecting it to a projector and output is pretty decent. Also while on the call, you can try and use the wired remote then attach to it any speaker and you’ll be able to let other people hear what the other party is saying (this is good when you’re with your family and a member of your family from abroad calls you and want to say "hi" to everyone.. instead of using the phone’s loud speaker try connecting it to your home speaker, hehe, sweet)

Now let me recalculate the score. For this round I’m giving N95 a “5” and the iPhone a “2”

f. Storage Capacity
iPhone = 8GB
N95 = 160mb internal memory, and an expansion slot for microSD (currently 2GB)

I heard that Samsung/SanDisk has developed a 4GB microSD already for N95. Not long, they’ll introduce a 8GB capacity. The iPhone is limited to 8GB only. But the question remains, using the same model of the phone, will N95 be able to handle high capacity micro SDs? Let's leave that to the finnish company to answer.

For this round (let’s forget about the successor models first and focus on what currently is in the market), I’m giving N95 a “4” and the iPhone a “5”

G. What about the OFFICE and other Productivity tools?

IPhone = didn’t say anything about the ability to create or browse office documents (at least nothing was mentioned in iPhone specs from Apple website)
N95 = this is not just for yuppies but for business professionals too! This feature is innate to N95

For this round N95 gets a “5” and iPhone gets a “2”. (Please do tell me if this sounds unfair, and provide an explanation please. Just take note, we are comparing here the “current” models of the phone and what’s built-in, please don’t give me an explanation that “they are developing an enhancement” because that’s another story.)

H. Other

Can iPhone use MP3s as ring tone? I heard you cant
Does iPhone have 3G? I’m definite there’s none. N95 even uses HSDPA
Does iPhone have built-in games? I heard there’s none
Can I replace battery of the iPhone in case the one I got is faulty (perhaps after a series of recharging cycles)? I bet you can't!
Let's leave all of these to Mr.Jobs to answer.

Okay fine, let’s not widen the hole in the ground for this sexy phone to bury itself and let’s tally up the scores:

5 3
5 1
5 1
3 5
5 2
4 5
5 2
Sum of 32 for N95 and 19 for the iPhone
Feature-wise, we get the average as 4.5 for N95 and 2.7 for the iPhone.

Round 'em up..
N95 gets a “5”
iPhone gets a “3”

So now tell me, how did iPhone scored “4” on this round again? Oh, N95 TKOs iPhone you mean.. if I hadn't been nice about the scoring? hmm.. yup, I believe so.


4. CONNECTIVITY

Quick run down:

iPhone: WIFI, Bluetooth, EDGE
N95: WIFI, Bluetooth, EDGE/GPRS, IR, 3G and USB OTG.

I tried connecting N95 to a PMP via USB cable and it was recognized as hard disk, isn’t that amazing? I also tried connecting N95 to a home microDVD with USB slot, and it could read all the MP3 in the phone. Now this can be counted as another way of listening to MP3s stored in your gadget.
I wanted to do video-call with my girlfriend so I can get to see her eventhough we're far from each other.
I wanted to download rich content fast, good thing my phone supports 3.5G

Hmm, once iPhone gets here, I’ll spend some bucks to get one and try out these stuff. But I can somehow foresee that I’ll get frustrated. hmmmm.

Huuwhat? You gave N95 a “4” and the iPhone a “3”? Do I need to repeat myself here? Or maybe I can come up with another video on the “various ways to connect to N95”

For this round I’m giving the N95 a “5” and iPhone still an average score of “3”


5. PERFORMANCE

Well, I may have to agree with your review on this.
The N95 gets a “4” while the iPhone gets a “5”
Now, what’s the overall score?


Round 1: N95 = 3 / iPhone = 5
Round 2: N95 = 4 / iPhone = 5
Round 3: N95 = 5 / iPhone = 3
Round 4: N95 = 5 / iPhone = 3
Round 5: N95 = 4 / iPhone = 5

21 / 21

Woah! It’s a tie! Sorry, I just stack up the features these two devices are claiming it can do, not what matters to me :) And if I have not been so nice about the scoring, iPhone will just have to admit defeat and come up with another fully featured phone that lives up to its claim.

Well, anyhow, no doubt both phones are great. But then again, it’s a matter of preference. So this brings me back to my earlier post.. “are you after the features or after the uniqueness of the mobile phone?” As the saying goes, “you cannot judge the book by its cover.” You must read through it to appreciate it.

That’s all folks! Ciao! c”,)

P.S.
(here's the actual video of Nokia N95 vs Apple iPhone from CNET's PrizeFight. Well, for what it's worth.. she's cute)

(here's a tabulated feature-by-feature comparison from cnet asia. just count the number of red & green rows then score 'em. red means cons while green means pros)

Tech Blog: Apple – will you take a bite?

I was watching Steve Jobs' keynote video clip on iPhone’s launching during MacWorld 2007 and what I first noticed was the apple’s logo in shadow effect behind him. Then I surmised, “I think the reason they called their company Apple ('just my opinion btw, I dunno the real reason behind, hehe) was because they aim to build a product that consumers will, for sure, not be able to resist, that some might even break their piggy savings just to get a taste of their product.” Just like Eve in the Garden of Eden.. sooo tempted to get.. just one… succulent bite.. oohhh ;-)

Anyway, back to my gadgetry-opinionated-self, apple have finally ventured into mobile telecommunication bandwagon – iPhone’s debut, that is. Speculations about how the iPod+Mobilephone device will look like are finally over. The CEO himself have flashed and demonstrated his so-called revolutionary phone. He said it would change the way people uses a mobile phone. Just like how iPod have impinged our lives with mp3 music? :)

Well, as I used to express, different people have different preferences. But talking about gizmos, more often than not, what’s hip and what’s hot will surely influence what majority wants to have. I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of this iPhone. I even commented in one of review-site that it’ll just gonna be more of a trendy and for a showoff device than having it for productive use. But after seeing more of it (in video demos), I was also astonished. The multi-touch is awesome! The cool design and intuitive interface will surely compensate for its lack of 3G capabilities, simply irresistible. So the question is, are you after “having more features with better-than-average design?” or are you after “average features with super duper cool aesthetics?” (I think I'm the former)

It’s really difficult to sacrifice something for another. But for me, the bottom line is, as long as it meets my needs without bringing much trouble then I think I could live with it =)

Check out this video demo of Apple’s flagship mobile device and tell me.. will you take a bite?



ciao! c",)