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.

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.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – The Ultimate iOS 5 Concept Video

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “The Ultimate iOS 5 Concept Video”. Click here for the full read.

We’ve Dinged 1.6 Million Hits – Woot

Thanks for all, the blog counter hit 1.6 million earlier this morning.  Just thrilled.

Life in a Day – 80,000 submissions and 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries

What happens when you send a request out to the world to chronicle, via video, a single day on Earth? You get 80,000 submissions and 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries. Producer Ridley Scott and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald took this raw material — all shot on July 24, 2010 — and created Life in a Day, a groundbreaking, feature-length documentary that portrays this kaleidoscope of images we call life. National Geographic is bringing it to theaters starting in July. Prepare to be amazed and you will!

In theaters: 29 July 2011

First published on PASM Workshop on 29 July 2011

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – 3D for New iPad 3?

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “3D for New iPad 3?”. Click here for the full read.

Rants on MTRC’s Website – Simply Inadequate – Shame

Had a photo shoot for the Standard Chartered Bank’s Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup the past Sunday at the Shatin racecourse.  Because of the size of the event, we had to do some research in terms of the logistics arrangements.  Went up to the MTRC website to check the first train scheduled inbound for the Shatin racecourse and guess what…. can’t find a single thing.  For someone who used to work at the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation prior to the KCR-MTRC merger, the lack of info on a well-listed public transportation company is …. hmm…. one word….. “shame”.  

Hope the PR and Operations guys pick up this post for this is a real disgrace considering how many tourist new to Hong Kong would like to take a trip out to the racecourse but only to find out that such a big ass company can’t even run a decent train schedule on their corporate website…. shame indeed.

Disclaimer: This post is written after a pitiful Monday at the office and due to a lack of attractive women at the bar where I had my happy hour…shame.

How to Get your iPhone Screen Back in Normal

Was drunk as a skunk tonight and somehow got the iPhone screen blown out.  The cure… not by  rebooting or resetting… actually all in the fingers.  Just tap three fingers on the screen and voila…. you’re back in business.  Handy little tool.

NBA Playoff – Son’s BBall Blog – Apple TV/NBA League Pass Rant

For those who knows me and my family, they know that me and my eldest kid are both basketball freaks.  My kid even have his own basketball blog, High School Basketball Nerd.  Check it out if you have time.

With the NBA playoffs underway and my Celtics through to the second round with their sweep over the New York Knicks, think I’ll just bable a bit over bball here.

Got my Apple TV (2nd generation) couple months back shortly after knowing that it would support airplay over WiFi from my iOS devices to the Apple TV and with MLB.TV and NBA Game Time added as streaming content options with the Apple TV Software Update 4.2, I thought I was all set for NBA postseason and Baseball Opening Day.

Turns out, up till today, not a whole lot of iOS apps supports airplay, although MLB.TV works fine on the Apple TV, NBA Game Time doesn’t work outside of U.S. with the NBA international league pass.  According to NBA.com, “at this time NBA International League Pass does not have an Apple TV application. Future support for the Apple TV and other connected devices is in the works, but we do not have a timeline for release just yet.” Bumming…major bumming… have to stick with watching live games on my Mac or NBA TV on my cable network.

I Got URTI (Upper respiratory tract infection)

Contracted the URTI (Upper respiratory tract infection) and it’s been the eleventh days.  On and off it’s coming back and it’s nerve-racking, the throat still hurts like hell thus that’s why been away for a while.

CNET Asia Community Blog Entry – Norton Mobile Security 1.5 – the key to mobile security

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week’s entry, “Norton Mobile Security 1.5 – the key to mobile security”. Click here for the full read.

 

My Response to MacBook Air or Pro?

My buddy and business partner over at PASM Workshop, Spike posted the question on his blog (Honkie Town) as to whether he should be getting a MacBook Air (MBA) or MacBook Pro.  After having my 13″ MacBook Air (1.86GHz, 2GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for two months, here’s my response.

“The newest MBA is nice really for those on the move MAC applications, that is if you have quite a bit of stuff to type up, be it with Pages or Numbers (don’t use Microsoft Office anymore, iWork is pure lovely just even to look at). Lightroom is ok for on the fly touch-up but definitely not for loading up tons of RAW files to work on at the end of the day (leave that to the desktop) plus given the limited storage on the SSD, you don’t want to do that, even if you store your pics over the cloud. Tried tethering with my Sony A900 together with Lightroom and it works fine with my MBA config.

Size wise, forget about the 11 inch MBA, tried it out at the store and the screen are WAY too small for US to look that though it’s really light and compact but what’s the use if you can’t read shit off it.

Speed wise, the MBA is fine even with the 1.86 GHz, guess I don’t have much stuff that need that much processing power.  The applications I uses most daily on it now are:

Pages
Numbers
Postbox2 (excellent email client)
Busycal (substitute for MS Outlook)
NewsRack
Kindle (actually not bad at all on the Mac)
Numbers
APP STORE (LOL)

Another alternative is getting the refurbished MacBook Pro 2.53GHz, listed now for HK$8,688 for 4GB Ram and 250GB Hdd on the Hong Kong Apple Store. Not a bad deal at all.

My call….the basic config is good enough, HK$9,888 not a bad deal.  If you want it fast, tried calling all the Broadway and Fortress stores and ask whether they have stock, some of the megastores do carry one or two pieces.

Good luck shopping.”

Sims Going Medieval???

Hmm…SIms going Medieval…interesting.  Think they install the make babies segment in this edition? According to EA, it’s still the same voyeuristic stimulation but in the medieval setting. US49.95 is a bit steep for voyeur, what’s your take?