Apple iPhone 6S digested review

Say what you will about Apple, they really do know how to design a lovely looking phone. The iPhone 6S is the latest iteration in their never ending quest to change everything, again.

The 6S follows through Apple's previous strategy of reusing the design of its predecessor. The 'S' moniker is there to indicate a performance update (Speed, see what they did there?), and boy does it perform. The Apple A9 CPU is a beast. Its single core performance is blazing fast, and its multi-core's none too shabby either. Without getting technical, the 6S is the fastest phone you can get on the market today.

iOS9 comes preloaded with the 6S and is optimised for the larger screen. I had been testing it on a 4S previously and found it highly unusable on a small display, but on the 6S - it works just fine. It just isn't for me. As someone who loves the design of Windows (Metro) or the fluidity that Android provides, iOS's garden wall restriction hampers my enjoyment somewhat. Still to some, it is perfect, understandably, and I won't slate anyone who prefers it.

Three announce pricing of iPhone 5s

Three today announce it will offer Apple's latest flagship iOS smartphone, the iPhone 5s and the cute 5c starting from today. The iPhone 5s will be available from £99 and the iPhone 5c from £49 on a 24-month contract.

Never mind what I actually think about the psychedelic and almost flat iOS 7, Apple does make gorgeous looking phones (from the iPhone 4 upwards). While their persistent on sticking with a 4" display may not set the world on fire, at least the people from Cupertino recognises that not everyone wants a phablet size device as their flagship. This is criticism of companies who purposefully reduce of the specification of smaller devices like the One Mini and Galaxy S4 Mini (glares at HTC and Samsung).

In any case, the iPhone 5s will be available on Three's great value One Plan for those who prefer to go contract, which should play well once they launch their 4G LTE network later this year. Pricing for the Lumia-ish 5c has already been previously announced, but seriously, if you are into the whole iPhone thing, the 5s should be the only iPhone on your radar.

iOS finally goes modern (sort of), Sony wins E3

I haven't blog for a month now, which is pretty long I guess. It's been a busy time in my life, but I am planning to get back to blogging here slowly once again. Let's just say that house hunting in London is a little more overwhelming than we should have allowed it to be. I am pretty sure I aged ten years in these last couple of months.

I just want to put a few thoughts about the latest tech news and what I think about them holy hell, iOS 7 looks a heck a lot like Windows Phone doesn't it? I mean it still features a boring old grid design with static icons and inconsistent UX, but look at that multitasking page and flat(er) UI design! The drop shadows and fake 3Ds and textures mimicking real life products are all gone. It finally looks the bit of a 21st century OS. Barely.

O hai modern UI wannabee

Still, it's shift from skeuomorphism to something a bit more modern is something I can accept - after all I have been calling for Apple to ditch their 20th century design paradigm and follow Microsoft halfheartedly into the brave digital world. Even Palm OS, which you know, powered touchscreen smartphones way back in 2002, featured a slightly skeumorphism-less design and nobody had a problem using it. Depending on how Microsoft responds with Windows Phone Blue and how Apple will design the iPhone 5's successor, I might even consider an iPhone. Maybe...

Argh, colour gradient icons! Ew...

...or maybe not. Sorry Apple, must try harder.

Sony has proven again why it is the top dog when it comes to living room gaming with yesterday's E3 announcement. While Microsoft's Xbox One looks like an admirable effort (hardware wise, used games policy - not so much), Sony's new PS4 strategy has confirmed that I will be sticking with them through the next gen. I am no Sony fanboy but I have stuck with Sony and Nintendo for my living room console gaming. Nintendo appears to have gone wayward a bit, and I can't forgive them for the Wii's dire software library, but I can see a future where their consoles or games are still part of my life.

You hideous thing but I still want you

Back to the PS4. As the PS3 is still going strong, I will likely only enter the next gen gaming a year later, perhaps after the first PS4 price drop. This is a strategy I have been using for every console, and while £350 is a good price, we are in this whole house buying... I am also not too keen on the design of the PS4, but hei, it's a gaming device not a piece of decor. After all, the PS3 wasn't exactly a Red.dot winning product. And gaming is exactly what the PS4 appears to be designed for. Good job Sony. You almost lost it in the early years of the PS3 but you have done well here. Just keep all that 3D bullshit to yourself and we will continue being friends.

Real Racing 3: A Commentary

"Hei, I got this new game. It's Real Racing 3 and it's awesome. Best of all, it is free!"

"You mean the franchise racing game that plays the game for you? But because it looks nice, everyone raves about how mobile phone gaming is close to dispatching console and PC gaming, even when it isn't?"

"That's the one!"

"So how does it play?"

"You tilt the phone to turn, and tap the screen to slow down. Most of the time the game brakes for you."

"You can't even accelerate yourself? Pfft, modern gaming eh? And this is supposed to be hardcore?!"

"Well, look, it is just as pretty as Gran Turismo 5."

"Here, let me try... Ooh, that Porsche is sweet. Reminds me of the last good Need For Speed game EA ever made. You know, Porsche Unleashed. No? You are probably too young to remember... Holy crap Batman, that's a lot of jaggies!"

"It looks better in motion. You saying PS3 games doesn't have jaggies?" *rolleyes*

"Whatever. Argh, why the hell are these opponents trying to ram me out GTA style?!"

"The A.I. is a bit poor, that can sometimes happen. But who cares? Look at the graphics, dude!"

"Yeah yeah. The physics is a bit bouncy too."

"Stop being an old man and appreciate an obviously pretty game."

"Yay, I won this race. Okay, so I have incurred some damages. Wait, why is it asking for real money to have my car fixed quicker?"

"Yep, that is EA's fantastic new business model where you pay to get trivia stuff done faster. I should have mentioned that earlier."

"So, what you are saying is Real Racing 3 is a racing simulator of what it is like to race with psychopathic mechanics who are out to damage your car, just so you will have to pay them to fix it later?"

"Pretty much."

"Worst. Game. Ever."

"You complain a lot."

"Fuck this shit." *whips out Outrun*

2/10

Tested on iPhone 4S

Auto Trader Ignition

A couple of weeks ago I attended the launch of Auto Trader's ignition interactive magazine on the iPad's Newsstand. ignition is an interactive magazine, one that is made from the ground up to take advantage of our digital time. According to Auto Trader, the publication will be editorial focused and will help users with their purchasing decisions.

Now, I am not really an automobile person. Living close to London, I don't need to be. Still, there is a time in the future when I would definitely need to own a car. But even as a none car owner, I am already aware of Auto Trader for their new and used classified listings. It's the one magazine everyone I know will look first when researching for vehicles. I approached using the app from a perspective of a person attempting to buy their first ever car. You know, searching the classified listings for the most affordable second hand Ferrari, like all first time buyers do.

 

Back to ignition, during the launch, a version of the app was available to demo on one of their iPad tablets. I was impressed by how well done the app was. I must confessed, I do not own an iPad, so that was my first time reading an interactive publication.

Of Apple and fanboys from all sides

Apple has announced the new iPhone 5. Cue fanboy bitching. Lord knows I have been guilty of it in the past, but it's getting old and tired. My twitter timeline is filled with fanboys from all sides at each other's throats. These are so called mobile tech enthusiasts who were acting anything but. Even a certain rival mobile tech company has attempted to hijack the announcement of the iPhone 5 on twitter. It's tired and frankly, insulting.

I am pretty sure you readers know I am a fan of Windows Phone but I would never recommend everyone one. The needs of each people are different. There's a phone out there for just about everyone so why does it matter if someone prefers something different from what you are used to? This year alone I have used three different mobile operating system as my daily driver, and you know what, each one has their own laundry lists of faults.

My thoughts on Apple vs Samsung

I wrote this in the early morning of Saturday (2am to be precise), back from a birthday party and slightly tipsy and also possibly angry or annoyed. I decided to sit on it (thankfully), and since forgotten about it. I've since edited the tone down a bit (removing no less than eight cusses), but the content is the same.

You may have heard the big result. Apple has won its lawsuit against Samsung in the US. Now, I don't like Apple. I really don't. But this verdict against Samsung is the right one. Do not get me wrong, I am not celebrating either. I think the patent system in the USA is messed up. But that doesn't mean this verdict isn't the right one. It just happens that I think Apple is the lesser of two evils, in this case at least.

Samsung isn't without their faults - they practically asked for it. So yes, this verdict might not be what some of you may have wished for, and yes the patent system is screwed but it's also the law. A stupid law it may be, but I have no sympathy if a multi-billion dollar company who aims to make billions more out of us can't follow the letter of the law. I love the Galaxy S2, even commenting that the design was nice in my review, but even I can see the similarities in the design. It doesn't take a law degree, just common sense and a working eye ball.

This is an Android phone. It is different.

Metro and the future of mobile UI

Having grown up with computers for most of my life and witnessing the growing evolution of desktops and then mobile devices, I notice that there is an overemphasis on the details. I don't mean little details like functionality and design language, but on aesthetic of icons and applications. People seem to genuinely believe that a better looking icon meant that their gadgets were quicker and better. Thing is, a detailed icon does not make Photoshop better, nor does it make a browser render quicker. Similarly, having a flip animation doesn't make a book better either.

It is a problem that other industry has eventually grown out of, but the reverse trend is only currently making head ways in the consumer electronics industry. Apple knew that, which was why their iPods were so popular. The black and white text based UI was simple to use and navigate. Competitors like Creative and Archos countered by creating devices featuring colourful but complicated UI, and failed for good reasons. With the iPhone, Apple ditched that core UI philosophy but they got away with it, because their competitors at Nokia, Microsoft and Google did things far worst. While iOS was revolutionary in 2007, it is starting to look extremely dated now.

A tale of two loves: iPhone 4S and Lumia 800

Those who know me are aware that I was a serial iPhone hater. Well, I still am, though my dislike for the platform has decreased somewhat. Having been using the iPhone 4S for a month now (courtesy of Three UK), I've changed my tune. The latest iOS 5 has brought a huge amount of features and maturity to a platform that a few years ago, I would never dream of using.

In the two months since I ditched Android and moved to using Windows Phone 7.5 Mango via the Nokia Lumia 800 as my daily driver, and then iOS 5 via the iPhone 4S, I have grown to appreciate the two OS platforms a lot more than I initially gave them credit for. The core design of the two devices as well as the OS that powers them could not have been more opposite, and yet in both cases, it was a joy to use both.

In terms of built quality, both phones are equally great. The Lumia 800 and iPhone 4S offers the best built quality of any premium smartphones on the market currently. In the case of the iPhone 4S, the metal frame gives it an unparelled premium feel. Even the volume buttons, silent switch and power button were given treatments that screams quality. On the Lumia 800, its unique unibody polycarbonate construction offers the phone a look quite unlike any other device on the market. While the camera shutter button lets the Lumia down a bit, the device as a whole feels like it was built with love behind it.

Design wise, both phones are completely opposite. The 4S retains the same design language as the iPhone 4, in that a metallic frame that doubles as the antenna for the various wireless functions, sits between two glass frames (the display and back frame). Some might complain that it doesn't feel as comfortable to hold as the curvier iPhone 3G, which is partly true, but it isn't a key issue. It is thinner, sharper and simply stunning in look. In their quest to create the most minimalist device, the iPhone 4S lacks any dedicated camera shutter of their competitors - but at least the volume button can be used as one.

With the Lumia 800, Nokia has gone for new design language quite opposite that of Apple's flagship. While it looks boxy from the front, the Lumia 800 is a very curvy device. The tapered side, along with the curved display, encourages the user to swipe the screen - a core philosophy behind Windows Phone 7 and Meego Harmattan (of which the N9 uses). Even the microSIM slot is well thought out, using a simple slide mechanism to access the slot - proving that you can build a microSIM slot that does not require a pin to access. My only complaint? The use of chrome at the back for branding purposes. It scratches as easily as an old school iPod Nano or silverback iPhone/iPod Touch.

As for the OS themselves, iOS5 is now a very mature mobile OS that is both powerful, and yet basic enough for everyone to use and master. The grid-based UI may look tired now, but iOS's biggest strength isn't its UI, but its huge repository of apps. There is little point in debating this: iOS is the world leader in apps, in terms of quality, quantity and value for money. If you value apps over anything else, an iPhone 4S is the smartphone to get. You would be kidding yourself if you think Android or Windows Phone comes even remotely close to iOS here.

My admiration for Windows Phone 7 is well documented on this blog, even during the pre-NoDo era. For good or bad, it is the platform of my choice for the foreseeable future and I am glad that Nokia has given the platform its backing. No, it isn't for everyone. I have issues recommending the platform to anyone who isn't on social networks, of which the platform excels at. While the number of apps continue to grow, I have also witness Microsoft letting down developers when it came to approving quality applications, even once rejecting a killer app without any apparent explanation. If Microsoft wants Windows Phone to be taken seriously as a smartphone platform, they can't rely only on fresh UI and speed. Developers are an important ingredient that they must not neglet.


In the midst of this love letter, it is quick to forget about Android, the number one smartphone platform in the world. Android is great in that it is hugely scalable, is 'open source' (loosely) and is available in all forms of flavors, and I don't mean just the codename of each versions. However, as much as UI has improved, Android is still a geek's platform. It also performs well only on phones with the highest spec. Try getting a cheap Android phone and the first thing you will be doing is hurl it onto a wall. But get something well spec'ed, like the Samsung Galaxy S II, and you will embrace it like it was the best phone of 2011 - which it was for many, including me.

Still, for better or worse, as Android is pretty much an 'open platform', manufacturers are free to do anything with it including embedding them into TV, notebooks, tablets and even watches. It is after all the new Windows of the 21st century. Google as a company may be in vogue now, but the same can be said of their ancestors, Yahoo!, Alta Vista and Lycos - all of which went or are going the way of the Dodo. But like how the proliferation of Windows eventually caused its downfall, the same fate may befall Android.


There really is no best phone for everyone. Give me the iPhone 4S, Galaxy S II or Lumia 800, and I will be happy using any of them, such are the maturity of the OSes each phone runs on. Each of these have their own strengths, either in the hardware or the platform. But what works for me might not work for you. My partner would not use the greatest Android device in the world even if you paid her, not because it is bad - it just isn't for her. Play the strengths of each device and find what works best of you.

o2's iPhone 4S lease rip-off

Can't afford an iPhone 4S? Well o2 has you covered with a new lease an iPhone 4S scheme. Or so they hope you think they do. The UK carrier now offer the 16GB iPhone 4S on a 12-month lease for £55 per month - that is £660 a year. And after a year? Well you return the iPhone and have nothing to show for.

Considering you can *own* a brand new sim-free Apple iPhone 4S 16GB for £500, it sounds like o2 is taking bollocks to a dizzying new height.

For the purpose of this comparison, I estimate that you can sell a used in good condition (the condition o2 wants the phone back after the lease is over) 4S 16GB for £300, conservatively. After all used iPhone 16GB regularly sells for around £400 today, only £100 less than they were a year ago!

Okay, so the lease also includes 750 minutes per month (an offer, the normal tariff is 600 minutes per month), unlimited texts and 500MB of data. Even then it doesn't sound like it is of any value. And here's why.

First let's look at some of o2's competitors, starting with the fabulous Three UK network. With their £15 a month PAYG ACYE booster, you get less minutes (300), and less texts (3000 - which is more than enough for many) and *unlimited data*. That's about £180 a year. Add the price of a new unlocked 4S, the total cost would be £680 - just £20 more - and you get to keep the phone! So in effect you are saving £280 by buying a sim-free iPhone 4S and Three UK PAYG sim plan separately compared to leasing it via O2. How about that O2? Your leasing option doesn't sound like a bargain now, does it?

This, my good people, is the cheapest way of owning an unlocked iPhone 4S with a tariff that allows you to phone people. You could even go cheaper if you select Three's SIM Only PAY+12 (12GB of data valid for a year) for a bargain £70.49, assuming you are willing to forgo the backward technologies that are GSM voice and SMS texts. Services like WhatsApp, Skype, Tango, iMessage and FaceTime will have you covered. But this isn't a fair comparison so I will let it slide.

Moving on to Vodafone. Well the network offers a sim-only 12 month rolling contract, and for £26 a month, you get 900 minutes, 3000 texts and 500MB data a month. Total damage: £312 + £500 = £812. Deducting the cost of the phone should you sell it (£300), that's like £148 in savings in comparison to o2's lease tariff. You could get an iPhone 4S 32GB version and still save money to spend on bucket loads of apps, and then some.

Now we look at o2 themselves. Being fair, I will select one of their stupidly priced sim-only plan, this time from their 12- month Simplicity tariff. For £27 a month, you get 900 minutes, 500MB data and unlimited texts. That totals to a mind-boggling £324, slightly higher than what you will pay on Vodafone, Three UK and even GiffGaff, a network o2 owns. Add the cost of a new 4S you have to pay £824. Ah, but don't forget you actually own the phone itself and even if you sell the 4S for £200 less the price you paid, you are saving £136. £136 less than what o2 charges for this retarded leasing service, and you get more minutes!

Last but not least, let's have a good look at GiffGaff, a virtual network owned by o2 themselves. For £20 a month, you get 800 minutes (more than o2's lease), truly unlimited texts and truly *unlimited data* (also more than o2), as well as unlimited calls, texts and video calls to other GiffGaff customers. Wow. You would be a mug to have gone for o2's own Simplicity tariff after reading that. Sell your iPhone after year and you are looking at a saving of £220 - on a tariff that is actually better than o2's offering.

Ah, but I hear you say that the o2 lease also includes insurance. I am sorry but dedicated mobile phone insurance are for fools. Your home content insurance will cover this for less! And don't forget the insurance insures the iPhone for theft/loss, on o2's behalf. Damage the phone and o2 will still bill you for it! The costs are detailed below on this site.

It is worth noting that o2's lease does include unlimited WiFi use. The competiting tariffs here does not include any sort of WiFi use, bar Vodafone (750MB limit on BT OpenZone). But remember that the Three UK's ACYE add-on and GiffGaff offers truly *unlimited data*. Who needs WiFi? In any case, remember that most cafes and restaurants are now opening up their WiFi networks for free.

Remember the best thing about owning your own sim-free phone is you can sell it if you want. Especially when you realised half way through your contract that the 4S doesn't rock your boat and you wished you went for something else instead. As for o2, researching for this blog post only proved I made the right decision when I decided to leave this miserable network three years ago.

iFlow Reader shuts down due to Apple's policy on in-app purchases

News this morning about how Apple killed off iFlowReader, an application exclusive on the iOS platform, by changing the rules in the middle of the game doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me are how some Apple apologists have defended Apple's action. Still, no point arguing with them.

Apple succedded in killing off iFlow Reader, an ebook reader/market competitior to their inferior iBook app is by using a very simple means - force the developer to pay 30% of the selling price of any ebooks they sell via the iOS app. This rule also applies to every other developer planning to sell in-app items. The developer of iFlow already makes less than 30% margin on the books they sell from the publishers, so in effect they are actually taking a loss on each books being sold. How is that for a sustainable business model? It wouldn't even surprise me if Apple wants a 30% cut in groceries ordered via Tesco and Sainsbury's app.

Obviously not all blame can dumped onto Apple, however evil and vile they are (and they are, everybody from Steve Jobs to the robot minions in Best Buy blue uniform at the various Apple Stores). The developers of iFlow Reader were wrong to bet everything they have (more than a million US dollars and equity) on a single platform rather than spreading their risk across multiple mobile platforms like Android, Symbian and Windows Phone. They were willing to do so because of blind faith to the Apple brand (just look at how they branded their ebook app), only to get screwed by Steve Jobs.

Moral of the story? Apple are an evil monopolistic company no different from Microsoft were in the 1990s. Do not develop for a single platform. The same applies to any developers in other industry, particularly third party video games developers who decide to develop exclusively for a single console without any monetary compensation from the platform holder.

Amnesty International launces iOS app

I don't normally post press releases, but this is something I think is worth posting as it is about two things I am interested in - human rights and mobile technology. I've been testing the AiCandle application on the iPod Touch for some time now. It's basically an app that allows users to quickly access human rights news and also provide an easy way to sign e-petitions to any human rights issues by 'taking action'. If you have an iOS device, you can download the AiCandle app now from the app store.

Amnesty International launches iPhone app for human rights

Amnesty International today unveiled the latest tool to take action for human rights, the AiCandle. The iPhone application is the fastest way for people to join in campaigns to end human rights abuses.

The AiCandle enables people to access at their finger tips breaking news on human rights and to support Amnesty International’s latest campaigns– from prisoners of conscience to ending poverty.

“The AiCandle is part our suite of digital tools that empower people to take immediate action for human rights,” said Owen Pringle, Director of Digital Communications at Amnesty International.

“The solidarity of our 3 million supporters across the world continues to make a positive difference to the lives of so many individuals. The AiCandle offers another way in which people can express that solidarity.”

Supporters are able to share news and actions with others via Facebook and email through the AiCandle. The application will continue to evolve over the coming months with further multimedia elements added.

The AiCandle 2.0 is now available to download free for iPhone or iPod Touch at the iTunes App Store. The first version of AiCandle has been running as a live beta since 2010.

SPB Time for iPhone review

SPB Software has been a big player in the mobile app world as far as I can remember. I frequently use their apps back when they were developing apps on the Pocket PC platform. Seeing as Windows Mobile is now dead, they have been porting most of their popular applications to other modern platforms like Android, Symbian and iOS.

Apart form a handful of games, there hasn't been many iOS apps yet by SPB. SPB Time is their second business app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. A clock application isn't the most glamorous of apps, but I was curious to see if SPB has done a good job porting it to the iOS platform. For most parts, SPB Time is similar to the ones already released on other platforms with very minor differences, so this review is more or less applicable for all versions of SPB Time on all platforms, including the recently released Symbian version and the original Pocket PC release.

With SPB Time, SPB aims to provide smartphone users with an alternative clock application. What's so interesting about a clock app I hear you ask? After all every smartphone, or even bog standard phone comes with a clock.

Well, SPB Time is an advance skinnable time application with a number of useful features. The features included with SPB Time are extensive. You get both analog and digital clock modes, world clock, a stopwatch, countdown timers, alarms and a calendar for moon phases. All these features are accessible via the aforementioned pull up menu.

If you find the standard clock too simple or boring for your taste - you can download one of the many additional skins available for it. Skins are easily accessible from the pull up menu. While I personally do not care about the type of clock shown, people who uses their smartphones as a replacement desk clock (with cradle) will find this useful and neat.

World Time not only allows you to see the current time in cities around the world, but also view useful infos like which timezones they are on and whether there are any daylight savings (and if there are, when does it end/begins). It also gives you the times for sunrise and sunset on that particular day.

I won't dwell on how the stopwatch and countdown timers work. But if you must know, both tools works just as they should and are fitted with nice big buttons. The Moon Calendar is also simple, giving users a clear view of the current moon phase and all the significant lunar phases, including any future partial or full solar eclipses - a feature that some will probably do find handy.

There are three alarm systems in SPB Time. First, the aptly named Classic Alarm which allows you to choose the sound and volume, alongside the date and time. If you have ever used any alarm system on a phone, this should be a walk in the park. The next one is called Paranoid Alarm which would not stop buzzing you until you solve a puzzle. Finally, the Bio Alarm aims to gently wake you up slowly in a more gentle and less-rude method, starting with ticks, then the sound of birds or water and finally ending with the proper alarm. All three alarm modes are accessible from the main clock.

SPB Time is a well made clock application. Most of the features here can be replicated using various freeware applications; but for only US$1.99 on the App Store, it is worth it if only for the convenience of having all these tools package in a well executed app.

Charbonize Macbook Air sleeve review

As you know I recently invested in the new 13" Macbook Air. The gorgeous notebook demands and deserves the best sort of protection, so I set out to look for the right case for it, one that is simple, unique but also chic.

After a week of searching, a mate of mine suggested to check out etsy.com for unique individualistic cases. There are plenty of cases to choose from on etsy.com, most of which were unique and handmade. But I had my eyes fixed on a stunning wool felt and leather case by Charbonize. Three weeks after ordering, it was delivered. The finished product was exactly as it was described on the website.

This case was tailor made for the Macbook Air using grey wool felt with white leather buttoned flap. There is also a choice to personalise it further by adding your name to the small embroidered wool tag on the side of the case. It is breathtakingly gorgeous and manufactured with great attention to detail. The seller is also extremely helpful and friendly. Thank you so much Charbonize, I will definitely to checkout other products by them!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful 13" Macbook Air sleeve case by Charbonize.





This review is by guest author @hardij

Apple MacBook Air (late 2010) review

This blog post will be about the MBA. Not the clever MBA, no, this is about the MacBook Air, specifically the 13" version. So if you are looking to do the business degree, you will have to look elsewhere! This blog doesn't do any sort of overtly geeky things like business degrees. :)

Apple, apple, apple, the forbidden fruit in the Adam and Eve 'tale', the sweet fruit that can be in the colour of green or red. But we are not talking about fruit here, we are talking about Apple Inc. that Steve Jobs co-founded in 1976.

If you are looking for a 'I love Apple forever' post and about how amazing and god awesome they are, unfortunately this would not be it. There are tons of fan sites out there that will suit you better.

Am I a Mac or a PC?

My purchase of the MacBook Air began when my previous notebook gave up recently. It's the second Apple product I've ever owned (the first was a fourth generation iPod Touch). It was a toss up between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

There was a rumour that MacBook Pro was due to be upgraded at that time whilst the current MacBook Air was recently updated in late 2010. I didn't want to wait for a couple of weeks for Apple to release the new Pro, hence I decided to opt for the Air. The next dilemma was whether to get the 13 or 11inch. I decided to go for the 13" because the portability of the 11" version wasn't a priority. I also need a decent size screen to work with Autocad etc, and after a couple of upgrades are taken into account, I found the 13" Air to be more value for money than the 11" version.

The first thing that impressed me was Apple Store's efficiency. I placed the order on a Sunday and they called to confirm my details the very next day. There's this one freaky thing - they called my office despite the fact that I've never given them the number! Not too sure whether I should feel impressed or worried in regard of this...

Even more impressive however was the fact that the Air was delivered the following morning. I was greeted with a brown box on my office desk. From ordering it on Sunday evening and getting it on Tuesday morning - that's what I called efficiency!

After carefully unboxing, I settled to get to know my new love. Unfortunately, my happiness didn't last long... As a twitter addict, looking at the keyboard, my first thought was: "Where the hell is the hashtag symbol???"

And yes, thanks to twitter, I got the answer. It was 'Alt+3'!

But this irks me, why isn't there a hashtag symbol on the keyboard, whereas there is € sign on the number 2, despite also having to use 'Alt+2'. It also seems to be missing a 'delete' button. Another downside is that there is no backlight on the keyboard like the old MacBook Air. Even a light similar to Jon's ThinkPad would be enough.

Okay, perhaps I am rather fussy, but the most painful thing I encountered was transferring my music from my iPod Touch to the Air. In fact, there are no straight forward way to transfer my music to the Mac! iTunes would not allow me to do it. The only way is to install a third party app for this purpose.

Right, enough of the cons, the MacBook Air has plenty of pros as well. I must admit that I primarily chose the MacBook Air because of the design. It is sleek, light, has a brilliant display and is well built! Mac OS X boots quickly and despite the now outdated Core 2 Duo architecture, the thing is far quicker and thus more productive than cheaper netbook alternatives. I also found the VAIO-like chiclet keyboard to be very comfortable to use.

I was also told that Mac laptops tend to hold their values better than PC laptops, but perhaps it's because of Apple's tendency to update their line ups far less than PC manufacturers. It is a sleek, light, gorgeous designed laptop but you shouldn't expect it to be a powerful workstation like a high end MacBook Pro or other powerful ultra portable notebooks. All in all, I do like it and despite my issues with Mac OS X, it is a keeper.

This review of Apple's MacBook Air 13" (late 2010) is by guest reviewer Jennifer.

Apple iPhone FAQ

Q: Can the Iphone be used to send MMS?
A: You can't send MMS. A revolutionary phone like this requires no MMS.

Q: Oh? How about copy and pasting text?
A: You can't copy and paste. OS X on phone does not have that feature. Maybe in the next full priced version perhaps? Or perhaps you would be interested in purchasing this $2000 Macbook that would allow you to copy and paste?

Q: Yes please! I have nothing better to do with money but giving more money to Steve Jobs by buying the same laptop again and again. But please sir, what about recording videos?
A: Nah, you can't do that either. YouTube generation don't need video.

Q: Still pictures are blurry. Why is that?
A: To save money and increase their profit margins Apple has neglected to include auto-focus.

Q: No auto-focus? But isn't that an industry standard?
A: Apple customers doesn't share the same high expectations that other customers of other products have. And they know it. So no auto-focus.

Q: I am getting bored with everyone having the same ringtones. How can I install my own MP3s to use as ringtones?
A: You can't. You have to buy ringtones *exclusively* through Apple Itunes.

Q: My old phone has a 640x480 display. Why the downgrade to 480x320?
A: It isn't a downgrade. It is an upgrade. It has a glass surface and touchscreen.

Q: My Palm Pilot from 1996 had touchscreen...
A: You jest!

Q: I know I can't make video calls, but can I receive one via 3G?
A: No way. The $600 plus two year contract Iphone does not support one or two-way video calling. By the way, what is this 3G?

Q: Is there something like Adobe Flash Lite that would allow me to view flash sites or flash applications?
A: Flash is not supported. It isn't clear whether Java is even supported. You bet Quicktime will be supported though.

Q: I am going on a 20 hour flight trip to Australia. Can I buy a spare battery so I can watch videos all day long.
A: You can't. When your battery dies you are required to send it to an Apple authorised store and they will replace it for you. Parts and labour cost required. It's like the car industry.

Q: So they are going to charge me a fee for swapping the battery?
A: Well you have to make money to feed the fat cats...

Q: My free phone allows me to listen to music wireless via A2DP. How can I enable it on my expensive Iphone?
A: No it isn't supported in their 700MB Mac OS X. Apple consumers do not want technical jargon superior technology in their easy to use products.

Q: I drive a lot, so I would like to voice dial. Could you be a kind gentleman and let me know how.
A: Voice dialling isn't supported. But you can buy their expensive $120 bluetooth headset.

Q: Can I voice dial via Apple's bluetooth headset?
A: Nope! You would still need to touch the Iphone before making a phone call.

Q: So, after paying $600 for this and locked into a two year contract you are telling me my Iphone can't do anything that my free phone can?
A: But your free phone isn't by Apple.

Q: I am not sure if the Apple logo is really worth $600.
A: Steve Jobs says that this is the best phone on the market.

Q: You are right! This is an Apple phone and it is feature-packed! Thank you. It is worth it.
A: It is a brilliant product.

Apple lies again

Apple Iphone Vs competitors, according to Apple PR, and as accepted by delusional Apple fanboys:



Apple Iphone Vs Nokia N95, according to facts (updated 26 July 2007):

	Apple Iphone	Nokia N95
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
GPS	No	Yes
HSDPA	No	Yes
UMTS (3G)	No	Yes
Camera	2Mp, no autofocus	5Mp Carl Zeiss optics with autofocus
3rd Party Apps	Web applets	Native, Java, Flash, web widgets
Weight	135g	120g
Flash	4GB/8GB	160MB
Expandable Memory	No	1-8GB microSDHC
Bluetooth	2.0 EDR, no OBEX	2.0 EDR with OBEX
Radio	No	Yes
A2DP	No	Yes
Video Call	No	Yes
Replaceable Battery	No*	Yes, Nokia BL-5F
MMS	No	Yes
Ringtones	No**	Yes
Video Recording	No	Yes
Voice Dialling	No	Yes
Keypad	No	Yes
Fingerprints on your screen	Yes	No
OS	OS X !!700MB!!***	Series 60v3 9.1

* You are required to send off your phone to Apple to have the battery replaced, for a fee! Kinda like your car.
** It is possible that you may have to rebuy your music from Itunes to use as ringtones, giving Steve Jobs more booty.
*** For a 700MB OS Apple sure does skim on features. What are those 700MB for? Easter eggs of Steve Jobs for Apple apologists to hunt for?

Software Impressions: Safari 3 for Windows Beta

Readers of this blog will know how much I dislike Apple, but I was wiling to give it a go today when Steve Jobs announced the availability of the Safari browser for Windows XP and Vista platform. Personally I hate Safari 1.x on its native Mac OS platform. I know of no-one, not even die hard MacBots, who like Safari. It is the worst mainstream browser in existence.

But Steve Jobs reality distortion field does work wonder. A lofty claim of '2x' faster than other browsers would surely catch your eyes. So I did a sinful thing and visited Apple's website to download Safari. The default download actually contained a QuickTime installer, but fortunately I caught that and switched to a QuickTime-less download. Seriously why people bother with QuickTime, the worst media player ever created next to RealPlayer is beyond me (go download VideoLan Macboys). Five minutes later I was surfing. And I hated the experience.

The good stuff first. Safari's renderer works well on most websites I visited including YouTube. That's it. It apparently passed the Acidtest so rendering should not be a problem. Now the bad stuff. The font-smoothing engine passed over from OS X lacked clarity. The cleartype technology displayed is the worst I have seen and it makes pages unreadable. I got a migraine just for looking at the ugly anti-aliased fonts as displayed through Safari. You can change the font smoothing to 'light' under 'preferences', but it is still ugly as hell. It would be great if I could turn it off and use the native cleartype technology, but I guess this is a covert operation from Apple to make PC users hate Windows.

Then there is the GUI which is based on Apple's own Mac OS X, which is an eyesore. It may work well on a Mac OS X machine, but it looks oddly out of place on a Windows environment, especially with that god ugly Aqua theme. It would ignore any skinning request from my Styler program or WindowBlinds (for times when I need reminiscing of BeOS). And it would also ignore my Windows preference of not doing window animations visual effects! Plus it wouldn't scroll when I tried my mouse scroll button.

As far as speed goes it is sometimes slow and sometimes fast, so nothing too special there. But Firefox 2 seems to be much faster. Maybe that is because I optimised it through about:config to speed up the renderer and other stuff, or maybe Steve Jobs is lying. Who knows? It wouldn't be the first time. But right now Safari is sitting as a niche product on my PC as a 'backup' browser in case Firefox, then Opera and finally IE7 fails to render a page properly (eBay UK is a known offender). It is probably useful in the future if I decide to change the layout of this blog to see if Mac OS X/Safari users can enjoy more Apple related rants.

Here is a quick comparison of the memory footprint of each program when opening a single tab loaded with BBC News frontpage:

Safari 3.0 (522.11.3) - 57MB
Opera 9.20 - 17MB
Firefox 2.0.0.4 with tons of extensions- 70MB
Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.11 - 41MB

Here are a couple of comparison screenshots between the various browsers rendering BBC News and this website:

Firefox 2





Internet Explorer 7





Opera 9





Safari 3 Beta

World Community Grid

Rather than donating money to charity chuggers, who pocket 50% of the monies for 'administrative' and tax purposes, do something better for a change by donating surplus computing power to research institute that can, in the long-run, benefit man-kind. And I know for a fact that everything I donated will be put to good use, unlike that of charities.

For the past month I have been donating computing power to the World Community Grid via United Devices client (you can also use the more popular BOINC client). Because the client only takes up idle CPU time (and it rarely put the processor under stress), electricity consumption is minimal. I only turn it on when I am actually using the computer, rather than leaving my PC on 24/7. Right now there are four projects on WCG, two of which my PCs are crunching for: FightAIDS@home and the Fiocruz Genome Comparison Project.


United Devices client calculating a WU for the Genome Comparison project on Windows XP

There are plenty of distributed computing projects around to suit anyone. CERN's LHC@home would probably suit physics geeks and Einstein worshippers more. Sci-fi nerds would most likely prefer to run SETI@home. Then there's the PS3 - Folding@home does demonstrate the crunching capability of STI's Cell processor.

More Apple BS

Man, Apple does seem to love bullshitting, don't they? Already having to put up with them pretending that they hate DRM and that they created 'minimalism', Harddrive based DAP, Operating System GUI, the colour white, the word 'pod' and the alphabet 'I', they now want to take the mickey out of people who buys cheap mobiles.

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. predicted that 10 million customers will pay at least $499 to buy an iPhone next year because they realize most free mobile phones are worthless.

Typical classic Apple bullshit really. In the UK I can walk into any mobile phone store, sign a one year contract and get pretty much any reasonably new mobile phone for free such as the XDA Exec or Nokia N80, most of which has features the Iphone would not have when it launches six months from now. Let's see. My mobile, which is worthless according to Apple, has a better resolution screen, faster processor, QWERTY keyboard, 3G radio and the ability to use both MemoryMap (for Ordnance Survey maps) and TomTom Navigator route maps. Plus it has a replaceable battery. Hell, we have an Ericsson T28m where the stock battery still works. Even the almost decade old Motorola StarTAC 75+ had replaceable battery too. Which is more worthless now eh Apple?

Frankly I am not surprised. This is the company who charges £99 on a screen-less portable music player, and had the cheek to call it innovation because somehow it came in white and can shuffle music. Consider this the last Apple rant, for now.