Month: September 2012

Time to Catch Up, Apple.

iPhone 5. I hope people out there are disappointed by this lackluster device, because I am.

I’m not an Apple guy by any means, but I was actually hoping for a well spec’d phone from them this time. Not to say that the specs of the new iPhone 5 aren’t good, I’m just saying that it’s nothing new or impressive.

The two biggest upgrades to the iPhone are 4G LTE and the 4 inch screen. Apple will probably go as far to say that they are the pioneers of 4G technology, when they aren’t. Of course, now many more people will know about 4G LTE, considering that the technology is now on an Apple iPhone. Then there will be the people (especially those on AT&T) questioning how it is different from HSPA+, called 4G on the AT&T iPhone 4S. On Android devices running HSPA+ it is titled as such, or H+.

The 4 inch screen is lacking as well, and it isn’t even HD. It’s a 4 inch screen! Most phones are of 4.5 inches to 5.2 inches, with 4.8 being the average “sweet spot.” This iteration is a 16:9, a widescreen Retina Display. Of course, the pixel density is stellar, something I actually can complement an iPhone about. But it still isn’t HD. Apple is going to continue with its Retina display.

They added Facebook sync in iOS 6, so now all Facebook contacts will be on the phone if desired. Guess what? Android did that. From the start. Another thing Apple has blatantly stolen from Android is the notification pull down from iOS 5. Catch up, Apple.

They’ve used the same camera as the iPhone 4S, just with a newer, thinner, more durable cover. Improvement, but won’t change the fact that the iPhone will produce blurry images and pretty much work like a brick in low light situations. Even so, this overshadowed the brilliant Nokia PureView Camera on the Nokia Lumia 920, a gorgeously designed phone with a simple and clean user interface on Windows 8.

The processor it’s running is the Apple A6 chip. A dual core CPU with quad core graphics, essentially making the media experience smooth. But internationally, there are Android phones running quad core CPU’s along with quad core GPU’s. Apple is behind a bit on this one.

Apple decided to get rid of Google Maps in favor of their own native Maps. The native Maps app has a fly-over feature, essentially mimicking Google’s Street View and Building View. Oh, and the biggest thing improved for the iPhone’s maps? It now has turn-by-turn navigation! Isn’t that a surprise, the Maps application has features that Google Maps and Google Earth have had nearly from the get-go! Oh, Apple, catching up.

Siri has also had some updating, and now it copies the Google Now, Android 4.1’s native voice actions app. Siri can now tell sports scores and allow you to make reservations on the go.

But perhaps one of the most talked about things is the new dock connector, misleadingly called the Lightning dock connector. For one, the Lightning cable is only a USB 3.0 cable. Most iMacs are at USB 4.0, making for insanely fast data transfers. Also, people with all the speaker accessories will now need to buy special adapters so their new iPhone 5’s will be able to fit on the dock! A question asked moreover about this new dock is why didn’t Apple just go with the industry standard MicroUSB? The world may never know.

With all the similarities to Android phones, why isn’t Apple the company getting sued?

Point is, Apple is merely evolving the iPhone brand, but in the process making it less innovative, and less… Different.

Exciting, isn’t it? Apple is the one having to play catch up in the technology world.

Will you be waiting in line to buy the iPhone 5? Or will you wait for it to cool down to get it? Maybe you’ll wait for the inevitable launch of the iPhone 5S? How about switching to an Android 4.0 device or a Windows 8 device?

Time for a laugh.

Random Flickr Photo of the Day, Cheesecake Edition, Septemer 15, 2012!
Jaws by This Guy Patrick
Jaws, a photo by This Guy Patrick on Flickr.

So, The Big Cheese is out celebrating his best friend’s wedding and I will be the one taking over the RFPD today!

So, let’s get started.

I like pictures. I like travelling. I like taking pictures when I travel. I also like art. And especially graffiti. Or wall murals. See where this is going?

I saw this bad boy in New Hampshire on a small side trip coming home from Maine. It was a really cool mural, and I had nothing but a cell phone to take a picture with. My Droid Incredible 2, needless to say, did a good job with this one.

Moving on with the world.

Technology runs rampant, but schools refuse to accept it for the pure old-school opinion that electronic devices are distractors.

However, think about it. You can do your homework on Microsoft Word or maybe Google Docs and have it immediately ready on your smartphone.

Music assists many with concentration. Artists are an example of students that really rely on music for the inspiration.

I see how people can be distracted, but completely removing them from the environment? That’s just wrong!

The world is advancing, and schools need to get with the times. Let kids have their fun.

Earworm: “Forever” – Chris Brown

A good buddy of mine is getting married today, (Congratulations to Dan and Julie!) and weddings, right now anyway, remind me of this one video I saw on you tube.  Instead of the traditional entrance, the couple entered on Chris Brown’s Forever.  Correction, the wedding party entered on Chris Brown’s Forever.

With the tremendous response to their wedding entrance, they have set up a website that points helping donations towards domestic violence.  http://www.jkweddingdance.com/

And of course here’s the actual video for Forever.

Random Flickr photo of the day – September 14, 2012

Nothing special on this shot, just a quick test on how my then new Canon Powershot S95 would handle low light situations.  It handled it pretty damn well.  Prior to me getting the S95, I never cared much for point and shoots. But I got tired of lugging either my Nikon D700, or Pentax K20, so to relieve myself of carrying around bulky DSLR’s I did some research, and found the S95 to be a good grab and go shooter.  I am pretty much in love with this little monster, and I will not hesitate to recommend this or any of it’s successors to anyone.  Time and again, this has captured images just as good as my 2 DSLR’s, granted it’s still limited, but still packs a punch.

 

As you can see on the photo below, it captured the night scene fairly well.

Night shot

Canon Powershot s95
Full auto
NYC

 

Now, I may or may not be able to post for the next few days.

Have a good weekend everyone!

What am I, taking crazy pills?!

This is just too funny. If anyone remembers Ben Stillers movie, Zoolander, they showed his calendar with Zoolanders different poses, and they were all the same. (i’m going to see if I can track down a clip)

In any case, Marky Mark sent this to me, and it’s really funny.

I read the released specs and whatever for the new iPhone, and it is a bit lackluster. I was impressed with the iPhone 4, but this…
I’m quite sure it will sell by the squillions, and it will be a great device, but it is an Apple product, and I just cannot buy anything from them.

(on a side note, I do recommend them if necessary)

 

The iPhone 5 ain’t no Magnum

Random Flickr photo of the day – September 13, 2012

I love food, espcially when it’s the good variety. Putting each bite in your mouth is like Christmas morning. Great food will give you a flavor explosion with each bite.

Bill’s Special Baked Meatloaf with Hickory-Smoked Bacon and Tomato Chutney is just that, a flavor explosion with each bite. The name, also a mouthful, says it all. I don’t go that crazy over meatloaf, but this one is truly an exception.

This can be ordered in NYC’s NoHo star, a semi-small spot in lower Manhattan, Bill’s Special Baked Meatloaf with Hickory-Smoked Bacon and Tomato Chutney is just one of the many interesting items on the menu. One of my other favorites is Squid Salad.

Bill's Special Baked Meatloaf with Hickory-Smoked Bacon and Tomato Chutney

Nikon D700
Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8
1/30 sec.
f/4.0
ISO 4000

Most viewed Flickr photo of the day – September 12, 2012

And today’s most viewed photograph on my Flickr photostream with a whopping 7 views is….

Mileena and Kitana

2 lovely ladies dress up as Kitana and Mileena. One of the best ones i’ve seen through out NY Comic-Con

 

This was from last years New York Comic-Con (which is less than a month away).  I must say, there were indeed attractive.

Random Flickr Photo of the Day

Apologies for the absense of this post. I got caught up with work and a few other personal chores. But now back to our regularly scheduled randomness.

This was again, shot in 2009, when my buddy and I went all out and ate at Morimoto’s Restaurant in Philadelphia. I shot it from the entrance vestibule looking in, as it does have that ‘wow’ factor when you walk in. With changing colors on the lights, and a wavy, aquatic feel to the place. I just wish I didn’t include that thing in the middle, it sort of is a bit distracting, ok, it is distracting. Hopefully i’ll get another chance at dining there again. It is one of the best food experiences i’ve ever had, and I don’t even care I paid $250.00 for my half of the bill.

IT WAS THAT GOOD…

The restaurant interior

Morimoto’s interior.
Nikon D700
Nikkor 24mm f/2.8
1/25
f/2.8
ISO 4500

Earworm: God Bless… We Will Never Forget 9/11/01

Today is a day of remembrance.

Take the time out of your day to realize how lucky you are to still be here today.

Those men and women who fell victim on that tragic day will never be forgotten. Remember them.

Remember the proud men and women who risked and lost their lives to attempt to save the victims. They, too, were victims in their own right. But they were heroes. Remember the heroes.

Now, this is tonight’s first Earworm post of a 3 parter from me.

First off, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”