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Recent Reviews
The biggest threat to the iPad 3 will come from an unlikely source. Here’s what we think.
Posted:
March 7, 2012
By: ccsoya
2 comments
The tablet market has changed a lot since the original iPad entered the stage, but at the same time, in some respects, nothing much has changed either. Apple’s wonder tablet is still an undeniable dominant force in the market and despite the onslaught of Android slates bringing much variety and choice to the scene, nothing in the market comes close to offering the perfect mix of hardware, software and ecosystem in the tablet form-factor than the iPad. The iPad is indeed an iconic device.
But it would seem with each new version, Apple is finding it hard to create the next killer feature for the iPad. The iPad 2 drew a lot of criticism precisely because of this. Even if the new iPad is going to look very much like the iPad 2 with very little difference in terms of hardware – save for a higher resolution screen and a faster CPU/GPU combo, all of which are already present in the latest range of Android tablets – the new iPad sales figures will still be phenomenal, possibly topping the massive sales of the iPad 2. This is because there is, simply, no real competitor to what Apple can offer, not from the Android camp at least.
Yes, Android tablets are superior in terms of hardware but in terms of delivering the whole tablet experience, Honeycomb has failed to live up to its potential. Android’s latest Ice Cream Sandwich that promises a more integrated user experience on smartphones and tablets, have not made much on an impact either. Interestingly, for those who are looking for an alternative, hope comes from an unlikely source – Microsoft.
We won’t even try to attempt to mask our excitement about this refreshed innovative movement from Microsoft. The Redmond giant has – for the most part – made all the right moves especially with Windows 8. The new OS offers a glimpse of Microsoft’s new future and it looks enticingly good. With Windows 8 comes the promise of a truly seamless user experience across devices be it smartphone, tablet of computer – this is the future of computing.
Apple is heading towards a similar direction trying to create a bridge to cover the gap between its Mac OS and iOS platforms but in our opinion, no other operating system paints a more cohesive picture than Microsoft with Windows 8. And this will be the biggest threat to Apple’s dominance in the tablet market. Of course whether Microsoft can deliver on this promise remains to be seen and the recently released Windows 8 Consumer Preview for the PC has drawn a mixed bag of reactions from experts and regular users alike.
But despite the mixed reaction, the positive vibe is unavoidable. Microsoft has proven itself to be a company that can change and surprise users with wonderment. What’s left for Microsoft to do now is to show that it can follow through and continue to innovate. Apple will tell you, that that is not going to be easy.
So while the world gets itself ready to go into a mass iPad buying frenzy, we’d wait till the dust settles and till the hype dies down to see what Microsoft has up its sleeve before making a decision.
Apple’s “We have something for you to see. And touch” iPad 3 Invite Suggests the Demise of the Hardware Home Button
Posted:
February 29, 2012
By: ccsoya
13 comments
It’s official, Apple will be unveiling the iPad 3 next week. How do we know that it’s official? Well, Apple has already sent out invites for the event. But with Apple being Apple, it’s a sure bet that the invite has so much more to tell than just a date and a venue. And sure enough, it does.
Gizmodo theorises that the “And Touch” phrase in the Apple invite suggests that Apple will do away with the iconic hardware home button in the new iPad.
Here’s what Gizmodo has to say:
…there seems to be NO home button, which explains the mention of the “And touch.” in their invitation. How can we know? First, the photo they are showing is on portrait mode. You can’t achieve that icon spacing in the landscape mode (which is the only explanation for the lack of home button). Moreover, the icon falls right onto the same water drop that the current iPad 2 falls while in portrait mode. It’s clearly a photo of the iPad in portrait mode. And there’s no button to be seen.
Rumours of a home button-less iPhone/iPad have been around for ages but in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2, this no button vision didn’t happen. Could the iPad 3 finally confirm this rumour to be true? It sure does look like it.
[source]
OFFICIAL: iPad 3 Announcement Happening March 7 (March 8 Malaysian time)
Posted:
February 29, 2012
By: ccsoya
No comments
Right on que – after the major Android manufactures have made all their MWC announcements — Apple has sent out invites to the unveiling of its next iPad. The iPad 3 (name yet to be confirmed) will be unveiled on March 7 (March 8 Malaysian time).
The event will take place in San Francisco at 10AM PST, on Wednesday, March 7. That’s 2AM, on March 8, our time.
From the invite, we can see that the new iPad will feature a higher resolution screen possible with 2048×1536 pixel resolution. On a 9.7-inch screen, that will give you a pixel density of about 264 ppi. You can also expect a much faster processor in the new iPad. Rumours are rife that it will be a quad-core unit. We won’t be surprised if Siri makes it into the new iPad iteration as well.
Another interesting rumour is saying that the new iPad will be available in more markets faster with some market possibly selling the device within a few days of the announcement, or maybe even on the event day itself.
There’s also a lot of talk of Microsoft will share the stage with Apple at the iPad 3 launch. The software giant is believed to be working on iPad versions of its ubiquitous Microsoft Office. Full Microsoft Office support on the iPad could effectively change the way we work in a very, very big way. This is something we are looking forward to come March 8.
Whatever it is, we will be able to get all the juicy details together in a week from now.
Now, iPad 2 owners, have you start looking for a buyer yet?
“The reality is, you’re all screwed”
Posted:
February 12, 2012
By: ccsoya
2 comments
Think the sensitive information in your mobile device is secure from prying eyes? Nope, it isn’t.
At the launch of his new “source protection platform”, WikilLeaks founder Julian Assange says that iOS, Android and even BlackBerry users are “all screwed”.
Intelligence contractors are now and have been selling mass surveillance devices for platforms. Meaning, with the right tools, no one is safe from prying eyes.
[source]
Data suggests that iOS apps crash more often than Android apps
Posted:
February 4, 2012
By: ccsoya
9 comments
Crittercism — a mobile app monitoring startup – painstakingly compiled data of mobile app crashes between November and December 2011, covering over 23 different permutations of the iOS operating system and over 33 Android versions, and over 214 million app launches between all those OS versions.
The data shows that iOS apps crashed more frequently than comparable apps on Android. As you can see in the data presented, iOS apps on iPhone, iPad and iPods Touch make up nearly 75% of total crashes in the period that the data was gathered.
The researchers suggests that the reason why Android apps see far less crashes than iOS apps is because the Android platform allows developers to send out updates faster and users are able to set their Android devices to auto-update apps which allow bugs to be fixed much faster than can be done on iOS. On iOS developers pushing updates have to go through an approval process which can take weeks and there is no auto-update for users using iOS.
From our own experience, we agree with the data. On a day-to-day basis we do see more app crashes on iOS than on Android. The apps that we use that crash on a daily basis include Safari, Twitter for iOS and Facebook for iOS, just to name a few.
So iOS and Android users, offer your thoughts, is the data indicative of your own user experience? Let us know.
A more detailed break down of the data sets is available after the break.
Not funny
Posted:
February 2, 2012
By: ccsoya
4 comments
Funny or tasteless? Your thoughts? Another example for discussion after the jump.
If you say you’ve never been addicted to Snake then you’re lying. Back in the day when everyone had a Nokia phone, Snake was the game to play. Actually, it was the only game to play on your Nokia phone.
Now you can waste time like its 1997 again with these remake versions of the ridiculously simple yet addictive Snake game first seen on Nokia phones complete with dot-matrix display, monotone sound effects and original old school controls.
The Snake game is available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone albeit from different developers. It’s free on Android (ad supported) and US$0.99 on iOS and Windows Phone. There’s a free trial version on Windows Phone app which is almost like the full paid version so it’s virtually free. It’s not like Malaysian can purchase any apps from the Windows Phone Marketplace at the moment anyway.
Download links for your convenience after the jump. Have fun!
Siri vs Google Voice Actions
Posted:
January 27, 2012
By: ccsoya
7 comments
The Woz says his favourite Android phone at the moment is not the Galaxy Nexus but the Motorola DROID RAZR. That was probably what inspired Motorola to do this video comparing Siri with Google Voice Actions.
Biased, maybe, but sill worth a look.
What’s also worth a look is this article from The Daily Beast about what Steve (Wozniak) thinks about Android. Here’s an excerpt about what he thinks about Siri.
Then there’s Siri, Apple’s new voice-recognition software. Woz says he’s been using Siri for a long time and used to love it when it was an independent application created for the iPhone.
But ever since Apple bought Siri and built the software into the iPhone 4S, it doesn’t work as well as it used to.
“I used to ask Siri, ‘What are the five biggest lakes in California?’ and it would come back with the answer. Now it just misses. It gives me real estate listings. I used to ask, ‘What are the prime numbers greater than 87?’ and it would answer. Now instead of getting prime numbers, I get listings for prime rib, or prime real estate,” Woz says.
Worse, a lot of the time Siri says it can’t make a connection to the back-end servers that power the system. “With the iPhone 4 I could press a button and call my wife. Now on the 4S I can only do that when Siri can connect over the Internet. But many times it can’t connect. I’ve never had Android come back and say, ‘I can’t connect over the Internet.’”
The Android system also delivers better results, he says. “I have a lower success rate with Siri than I do with the voice built into the Android, and that bothers me,” Woz says. “I’ll be saying, over and over again in my car, ‘Call the Lark Creek Steak House,’ and I can’t get it done. Then I pick up my Android, say the same thing, and it’s done. Plus I get navigation. Android is way ahead on that.”
Full article here.
Maxis extends Free iPhone 4S 32GB Promo on iValue 4
Posted:
January 17, 2012
By: soyacincau
3 comments
For this Chinese New Year, Maxis is offering the iPhone 4S 32GB for free if you subscribe its iValue 4 plan of RM375/month for 24 months. Actually this isn’t new as it is an extension of its earlier promo which ended on 15th January 2012. Normally the iPhone 4S 32GB is offered at RM350 for 24 months on iValue 4.
For more information, head over to Maxis iPhone 4S page.
So how much does an iPhone 4S ownership cost on different telcos? Check out our plans comparison here.
Singapore selling iPhone 4S without cameras
Posted:
January 14, 2012
By: soyacincau
1 comment
Thinking of getting an iPhone 4S but your work doesn’t permit anything that take pictures? You might want to check out Singapore as they are offering iPhone 4S with its front and main camera removed.
In Singapore, military staff are prohibited from bringing in any form of camera devices into their bases. Aimed at catering for these folks, telcos in Singapore are offering special iPhone 4S bundles which include “Camera removal service”. On M1, the 32GB version is going as low as $49 on iPhone Max Plans or as high as $649 on their iPhone value plan.
It is interesting to point out that such modifications performed by telcos will automatically void the standard Apple warranties. As a result, the telcos are reported to offer warranty coverage of their own. In Singapore, the iPhone 4S is not the only device with “camera-less” options as we’ve found out that M1 is also offering a similar version for its BlackBerry Bold 9780. This certainly goes to show that the military market is rather substantial for Singapore and this ruling doesn’t necessary have to restrict them to dumb feature phones.