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.

Design Matters

A few days ago someone retweeted a tweet into my timeline during the press event. Unfortunately due to network congestion and the fact that I was so swamped, the tweet has long gone. But I still remember the gist of the tweet. The tweet basically complained about the Samsung Galaxy S III's design and how the trend towards touchscreen devices is making it impossible for manufacturers to differentiate on design.

That was just plain wrong. Time after time, Nokia and Apple has proven that it is possible to make phones with good hardware design, and before that, companies like Sony and Palm has demonstrated that there are more than just slates when it came to touchscreen dominated PDAs (which were basically smartphones that can't make phone calls). A good designer will always find a way.

Palm V: Stylish and functional. Instantly recognisable. (image source)

The issue with most Android OEMs (and also certain new WP7 OEMs as well) is the commodification of their devices. Phones are now designed to be mass produced cheaply with nary a care about design because at the end of the day, they just want large numbers. It irritates me because I know they can do better. Why? Because in Japan, one company is doing exactly just that by bucking the me-too trend.

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?

New farcical London 2012 logo revealed: Lisa Simpson giving head

Verdict: Utter rubbish, dross, ghastly, bland, crap, garish, hideous, ugly, train wreck, disaster, woeful, cack, dated, tacky, vile, embarrassing or whatever insults you can think of. This does not appeal to young, old, left wing, right wing, hip or whatever excuse Seb Coe can think of. It only appeals to 'trendy' people who has a taste for bad designs. BTW please take a look at their recently relaunched website. Must be some kind of Web 2.0 joke.

This new logo, or 'brand' as Lord Coe puts it, is the perfect example of a couple of old people reminiscing about the 80s trying to be 'in touch' and 'getting it in' with the 'innit' culture by being 'edgy' and failing miserably. If you want graffiti art get a real and proper graffiti artist like Banksy. Even if you think the disjointed mess is fine take a look at the other stuff they got wrong. The typography for example is just blend and unprofessional. The Olympic logo is missing its recognisable colours.

ITV News this evening showed this to a bunch of kids and the first kid said "it's rubbish", so it doesn't seem to be appealing to young urban edgy kids as Seb seems to think it will. It even gave me migraine. I had to read a news article to find out that the logo was 2012. And to think they spent £400,000 on this. If this was Eurovison this would be another nul point. Oh, I can't wait for them to reveal their mascots. Lisa and Bart Simpson perhaps?

This logo does not represent London.



Kinda wish that Paris won the games right now. At least their logo was good and use the 'S' and '2' to great effect. Even the old London logo was good enough, especially with its recognisable Thames ribbon flow.

Ken Livingstone's LONDON would be a much better alternative.

via

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.

New Apple phone not a reinvention

Nor is it revolutionary or magical or whatever the BBC calls it.

-

I like how Stevie claims that the new Apple mobile phone is a reinvention.

Let's see, touchscreen? Tons of devices has been using that like since forever. Tilting sensor? I believe one company did that on a PDA phone (it's somewhere in T3 from 2-3 years ago), and Sony did implement it on one of their HDD based DAP player, so nothing big here as well. Built-in 2Mp camera? Uhm, isn't 5Mp mobile phone cameras the next big thing? WiFi? Done that. The only thing decent with this, is the 8GB flash memory and IMO that is not enough. And where is the built-in GPS?

Technically it seems to be a marginally better mobile (though no buttons really does mark it down a lot) than most of those currently on the market, not the 'breakthrough' that they seem to imply it is. Still should at least finally kick PalmOne and HTC to finally wake up and start offering real technical updates rather than the usual annual cosmetic redesigns.

Apple fanboys will most likely lap it up anyway and label it an innovation (like they did with the Ipod) and try to justify the reasons in which we no longer need keypads. At least the days of iClones carrying Ipods and Blackberries are over.

Technorati tags: Apple Iphone

Apple launches new iPod (yet again)

Oops. Wrong picture.

I am sorry but I just had to.

Seriously, why bother? Still I am expecting this to sell like hotcakes to hip Londoners who should know better.

Technorati tags: DAP MP3 Apple iPod

More iPod rant

More anti iPod rants but this time not by me...

http://www.kantor.com/blog/2004/12/index.shtml#000423

Andrew Kantor compares the iPod to a Toyota Camry. I fully agree with Andrew and am still perplex with the so called iPod phenomenon. Andrew has been at the receiving end of childlike behaviour from iPod owners.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/127025/1/.html

Creative, who by the way, created the market for harddrive based digital audio player a few years ago, has accused Apple of creating a product (iPod Shuffle) that uses four year old technology. Exactly my sentiment! When I first heard that Apple was going to release a flash based iPod, my thoughts were they were just going to rehash the iPod Mini, make is smaller and use cheap flash memory. I was wrong. It was worst. I still have to ask - no screen! Apple fans has been touting the shuffle function of the iPod Shuffle. Er, excuse me - that is not a new function. And what about that one elusive track that you wanted to share with someone? Without a screen you won't be able to find it!

I have been ranting about Apple for a couple of weeks now, so I will rant about their rival - Microsoft now.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/200501_windows.mspx

That's right. More security patches coming our way. And these are patches for critical flaws found on Windows 98 all the way up to Windows Server 2003. When will Microsoft learn? Having said that I find Windows XP far more stable than Mac OS X.