Enough Rants About the iPhone 5, It’s Just Another Apple Product

You probably heard enough rants about the new iPhone 5, when even Apple has to openly apologize for some of their hiccups but if you take a minute and rethink why you keep coming back getting a new Mac, a new iPhone or what not, then you realize that maybe, just maybe, you are asking too much.

When people buy a new iMac or Macbook replacement, it is not only because of new innovations that been added to the product line (don’t count retina display), people do so because it is time to upgrade because they need a faster machine, bigger screen size, or lighter mobile device. People buy Apple products because they are die hard fans who would not be swayed to go back to the PC.

Same with the iPhone. People just expect too much when it comes with the new release. Ok, you want bigger screens, Apple gave you that, faster processor, that’s included too, longer battery life, not that one as it is a trade off with a more slimmer design and faster processor. Along just like any other Apple products, Apple throws in a few bad apples (just like Brian Tong puts it on CNET’s Apple Byte, subscribe to it for all the good and bad news inside the Apple world). The Map application definitely on all front pages and the cheap aluminum housing, the lighting cables that makes all your iPhone/iPad obsolete (soon) and the new screen aspect ratio where not even 5% of the app developers are ready for leaving you with all the void with the extended screen estate.

But for all die hard fans out there, we all know that Apple will eventually come up with all the tweaks they need to get it right. The key is, don’t compare the iPhone with their Android or upcoming Windows phone counterparts, Apple is Apple, and you are still biting into it.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – An App That Brings a New Twitter Experience

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “An App That Brings a New Twitter Experience”. Click here for the full read.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – My Android Experience After Five Years of iPhones

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “My Android Experience After Five Years of iPhones”. Click here for the full read.

Guy Kawasaki Interview with Chase Jarvis

Last week, Guy Kawasaki  did a 90-minutes long sit down interview with Chase Jarvis on Chase Jarvis Live to discuss new technology and how the publishing world has changed for the better.  As a tech world junkie, being able to listen to the internet guru, Apple evangelist, well-known blogger, venture capitalist, best-seller author (11 books?)….and the list goes on, for 90 minutes is indeed an awesome trip. Enjoy the video.

Source – Chase Jarvis

Langham Short Film Competition – Winner Gets to Go To Sundance Screenings

Was at the Langham Place Short Films Screenings last night and they showcased three feature shorts, namely, the Club, the Spa and the Room and the most interesting part of it is that all three short films were shot with the iPhone. Check out the making of videos here and have a taste of what’s it all about.

The other highlight of the evening was when Sean Seah, Vice President – E-Business, Loyalty and Partner Marketing of Langham, announced the Langham Short Film Competition where the winner of the competition will be flown to London, stay at the awesome Langham London, be able to attend an exclusive networking breakfast with the heavy weights of Sundance Institute and other filmmakers, attend Sundance screenings and if lucky, have access to other Sundance panel events as well. So all budding filmmakers and videographers, this is definitely a competition that you want to look into.

More information on the competition and the three short films mentioned earlier after the jump…..

Woot – Just Ding 1,700,000 True Hits Yesterday

Just noticed that this blog past the 1,700,000 true hits mark yesterday. Thank you all.

New iPad Photo Sync Issues

Fellow blogger Spike had a blog post up on the photo sync issues with his new iPad.  Hop over to see what those issues are and the workarounds.  Interesting read for the day.

Source – Hongkie Town

Nice Read – The Case for Buying iPads for Your Kids

Image from Henriksent

Came across this article today from Brad MOON-WIRED over at Gizmodo addressing an issue that a lot of parents faces – should we be buying our kids an iPad. Does it justify the cost? Would it be too early? Would they be just gaming on it all day?……

Brad raised a few good points in starting early with the iPad for your kids. I don’t want to hijack his post and extract the points here but definitely a good read especially if you’re a parent and with kids yearning for an iPad. Check out the article here, The Case for Buying iPads for Your Kids.

Source – Gizmodo,Henriksent

Pass This On – Kony 2012 – Make Him Visible

WHO IS JOSEPH KONY?

JOSEPH KONY IS THE WORLD’S WORST WAR CRIMINAL. IN 1987 HE TOOK OVER LEADERSHIP OF AN EXISTING REBEL GROUP AND RENAMED IT THE LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY (LRA).

THE LRA HAS EARNED A REPUTATION FOR ITS CRUEL AND BRUTAL TACTICS. WHEN JOSEPH KONY FOUND HIMSELF RUNNING OUT OF FIGHTERS, HE STARTED ABDUCTING CHILDREN TO BE SOLDIERS IN HIS ARMY OR “WIVES” FOR HIS OFFICERS. THE LRA IS ENCOURAGED TO RAPE, MUTILATE, AND KILL CIVILIANS–OFTEN WITH BLUNT WEAPONS.

THE LRA IS NO LONGER ACTIVE IN NORTHERN UGANDA (WHERE IT ORIGINATED) BUT IT CONTINUES ITS CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, AND SOUTH SUDAN. IN ITS 26-YEAR HISTORY, THE LRA HAS ABDUCTED MORE THAN 30,000 CHILDREN AND DISPLACED AT LEAST 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF KONY 2012?

INVISIBLE CHILDREN HAS BEEN WORKING FOR 9 YEARS TO END AFRICA’S LONGEST-RUNNING ARMED CONFLICT. U.S. MILITARY ADVISERS ARE CURRENTLY DEPLOYED IN CENTRAL AFRICA ON A “TIME-LIMITED” MISSION TO STOP KONY AND DISARM THE LRA. IF KONY ISN’T CAPTURED THIS YEAR, THE WINDOW WILL BE GONE.

WE ARE TAKING ACTION TO ENSURE THESE TWO THINGS:

1) THAT JOSEPH KONY IS KNOWN AS THE WORLD’S WORST WAR CRIMINAL.

2) THAT THE U.S. MILITARY ADVISERS SUPPORT THE UGANDAN ARMY UNTIL KONY HAS BEEN CAPTURED AND THE LRA HAS BEEN COMPLETELY DISARMED. THEY NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH ALL THE WAY AND FINISH WHAT THEY HAVE STARTED.

WHY ARE WE MAKING JOSEPH KONY “FAMOUS”?

INVISIBLE CHILDREN’S KONY 2012 CAMPAIGN AIMS TO MAKE JOSEPH KONY FAMOUS, NOT TO CELEBRATE HIM, BUT TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR HIS ARREST AND SET A PRECEDENT FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. IN THIS CASE, NOTORIETY TRANSLATES TO PUBLIC SUPPORT. IF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE CRIMES THAT KONY HAS BEEN COMMITTING FOR 26 YEARS, THEY WILL UNITE TO STOP HIM.

SECONDLY, WE WANT KONY TO BE FAMOUS SO THAT WHEN HE IS STOPPED, HE WILL BE A VISIBLE, CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. THEN OTHER WAR CRIMINALS WILL KNOW THAT THEIR MASS ATROCITIES WILL NOT GO UNNOTICED OR UNPUNISHED.

Source – KONY2012

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – Google Not Playing in Asia

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “Google Not Playing in Asia”. Click here for the full read.

Scrivener – 20% Discount Code

Always wanted to get a decent writing tool for my mac and Scrivener (US$44.99) been on my shopping radar for quite some time.  Tonight as I was writing up my blog post for CNET Asia, this urge came back and I googled it to see if there’s any discount code out there.  Thank God I found a 20% off coupon off S. M. Worth’s site.  So, if you’re like me, in for a really nice writing app, check out Scrivener.

Source – Literature and Latte

Mod of the Day – Ming’s Girl – From Hong Kong’s Best Tattoo Temple

Been a long while since my last Mod post.  This time, great work by the guys over at Tattoo Temple in Hong Kong.  The piece is called Ming’s Girl.  Awesome is the only word that comes to my mind, completely blown away.  Great to have such great artist here in town and I studied photography under the same local photography master with one of their artist, another reason why their displayed works are so artsy.

For those looking for alternative piece while you’re in Hong Kong, look them up, their link in above paragraph and under source below.

Source – Tattoo Temple via Joey Pang

Pic of the Day – Edison Chan – Blow Jobs

For those who don’t know who Edison Chan is….. check out this ChannelAsia’s article. Great pic circulating on Facebook this morning, source unknown.

AsiaD: All Things Digital Hong Kong Full Agenda

Registration just opened up 45 minutes ago and since it’s still lunch and more than 3 hours away from the start of the conference, not too many people at the registration desk. Picked up my kit and pass and rushed back to share the Conference Agenda with you all out there.

[updated: catch the latest tweet from AsiaD at #AsiaD]

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

1:00pm-8:00pm  Conference Registration

5:00pm-6:00pm  Opening Reception and Science Fair

6:00pm-7:30pm  Opening Session – Andy Rubin

7:30pm-9:00pm  Opening Dinner

9:00pm-11:30pm Nightcap Gathering

Thursday, October 20, 2011

7:00am-8:00am  Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00am-9:30am  General Session – Jerry Yang, Rose Tsau, Tech Demo: Lytro Inc., Jonney Shih

9:30am-10:15am  Coffee Break and Science Fair

10:15am-11:30am  General Session – Jack Ma, Andy Lees

11:30am-1:00pm  Lunch and Science Fair

1:00pm-3:00pm  General Session – Jack Dorsey, Brian Chesky, David Goldberg, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy,

Tech Demo: Korea Telecom, Tim O’Shaughnessy, Daniel Shin, Paul Srivorakul

3:00pm-3:45pm  Coffee Break and Science Fair

3:45pm-5:30pm  General Session – Al Gore, Won-Pyo Hong, Bradley horowitz

7:00pm-9:00pm  Dinner

Friday, October 21, 2011

7:00am-8:00am  Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00am-9:30am  General Session – Kazuo Hirai, Peter Chernin, Tech Demo: Cerego Japan

9:30am-10:15am  Coffee Break and Science Fair

10:15am-12:15am  General Session -Cher Wang, Tech Demo: Enswers Inc., John Roese, Jen-Hsun Huang

12:15pm-1:30pm  Lunch