2014-09-27

Learning: I actually prefer animated powerpoints. Looking for the best solution to explain tech to me and others using?? #HELP

So far I have seen some perfect examples of training Material from Infoblox that uses Adobe something.

Now I need a quick way to animate processes, show some tech concepts and compare with others.

Trying to find out the best tool that easily solves the issues.

Maybe someone can help?

The internet is full of information, but the quality of information is really not good.

Hopefully this blogger.com will get better over time to actually do animation in here!

Apple iPhone 6 Plus: Very sad but I'm not going to buy it

I always like to test out new technologies, at least in the past. Time is more scarce than ever.

My iPhone 5 is doing a great job, especially the camera that I use almost every day for just about anything, except naked selfies. But that might change if I have could save a doctors visit by just doing a ButtTime or so.

In my country the iPhone 6 launch was yesterday, albeit telling everyone of going at 4am to the Apple Store to queue, I did not show up.

During lunch break I went to a few tech shops around and played around with the 6 and 6 plus on display.

The looks don't convince me at all.

The camera and pictures I took don't really amaze me, had some troubles with auto HDR and flash and the speed at which the camera was able to take the pictures in low light. Nothing I really need.

Worst of all the size of the 6 plus did not convince me. I thought I can replace my iPhone 5 and the iPad mini retina with a single device. I most often use the iPhone and not the iPad but the iPhone is too small. The iPhone 6 Plus is not really much better, but why?

It's the screen ratio. I read a lot and I would've preferred an wider device than tall, so that I can read the PDFs in full size. iBooks is terrible with zooming in on a certain level and keep that level while paging through. Also rotating the phone is not really great as again the ratio of the screen is not ideal.

This is the same as the new 4K 28" screens on the market, the are rather wide and lack a lot in tallness. They don't really work for me.

Also if you take those gorgeous photos and the device displays it quite small with big black bars?? Zooming in manually is again a pain to page through the photos.

So, I save the money and wait what next year or in two years will come around. Most probably I can get a superb Mac Book Air for the same price as the 6 Plus 64GB version (here it costs $ 1070). My iPhone needed a couple times replacement and even the current one has a weak spot, but for a device of over $1000 I will definitely have more complaints.

#Bendgate did also contribute to my decision, especially the post Weakspot theory shows Bendgate’s not quite dead yet.

Currently you can get a Nexus 5 for $300. But I really don't like it. But what I mean is that Apple should have a phone a la iPhone 5 S2 for $450 (not the c).


2014-09-09

#Apple fails to amaze: Most of the things announced today fail to amaze and this is not the first time

There has been a time where Apple has truly amazed. That was the time they actually solved real world things.

Now today they fight on so many different arenas that they fail to amaze. 

Once they did have cool names, iMac, iPhone.
Once they had cool hardware and accessories, even if you could not use them (The Puck).
They still make the best laptops (Mac Book Air) but they fail to really innovate in that space.

Where they stand out today is iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, truly amazing! 

So today's product announcements:

The Apple Watch, 

sounds boring. It's like the iPod Nano on steroids. 

(Actually the only thing I missed on the iPod Nano to make it a real smart watch, was the Bluetooth 4, so it could connect to the phone.)

I personally don't want to wear a watch and if I do I prefer some others. Most probably Apple should have made sensors and apply it to any watch, kind of a watch Kit. You can purchase whatever watch and we will make it be a smart watch (OSD, sensors). And for all the people that don't want that, we have a patch. Just Apply it to your left breast and you're good to go.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,

 is like a 5 S Mark 2. (everybody else has a bigger phone), Nokia had already the OIS, lame that the iPhone 6 will not have it. NFC? Everyone has it, right?

What are the things Apple solved in the past:

Computer                  - iMac, later intel based to be able to run Microsoft OS
Notebook                  - Mac Book Air
Wireless Router        - Apple Airport Extreme
Keyboards                 - Wireless and cable based keyboards
TV Box                      - Apple TV
Software Suite           - iLife
OS                             - Mac OS X
Phone                        - iPhone (iOS)
Backup                      - TimeMachine

What are the things that would have truly mattered (this list is not ordered to any priority):

Waterproof and unbreakable (and small fee to replace if broken) - You shouldn't have to worry all the time
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Currently: It is a big worry, almost any day in every situation.

Nano coat and more durable or make it extremely easy and cheap to replace parts.



Siri - to make life easier
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Currently: Fails, only use it once a month or less, sometimes try to use it and keep being disappointed.

In many cases an interface is not needed if Siri would be great. Apple should also create some wireless knob where I can whisper my commands and get audio feedback. Kind of like a hearing aid. 

- Getting Siri to work without Internet. Or many reoccurring personal tasks.
- Getting Siri to really understand and learn, if only in english. I personally would love to be able to talk in my dialect and two more languages.

Battery - you should need to worry less
---------

Currently: I always have to worry about having enough juice to get through the day. 

- Battery live! Be able to use the iPhone with all things running for 24 hours straight. Today if you use GPS Navigation the phone looses 1% a minute or more. This should be 24 hours straight, maybe first 12 hours straight. Implement so more clever ways to have a backup buffer battery to access your tickets, Apple Pay with no real battery left.

- Wireless charging in less time


Screen - dynamically resizable, always readable (bright sun)
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Currently: The iPhone is too small the iPad mini is a little bit to big, but to small to work with


Global Sim - Add multiple SIMs to your phone
--------------

Many people I know still face this issue and use other brands that solve it elegantly. Real innovation would have been to be multi SIM. The issue is not going away that soon.

Affordable  - You have a family with a few kids and want to be able to give them something
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Currently: I will never be able to buy an iPhone and an iWatch (sorry, Apple Watch (that's ugly)) for the whole family.

Apple should keep the product cycles but focus on delivering basic needs devices at the best price possible. Today that would be the 5c at $150 no contract.


Storage  -- Be able to store at market prices
---------

iCloud is double the price of Google Drive space, especially the 1 TB is 20 a month instead of the 10 at Google. That should not be!!


Camera -- We need optical zoom capabilities
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Every time I want to quickly take a picture of the landscape or the moon or some other things, the iPhone fails me because the detail I wanted is incredibly small. I would not mind to have an attachable optical zoom that does not cost a fortune, but comes from Apple. Even better would be 1/3 of the phone sized sensor (but maybe I'm wrong and you really need the lenses).