May 5 2013

Why Google Now Drains Your Battery

There has been complaints recently after Google Now came to the iPhone that the battery life has been awful. While google denies the fact that Now drains the battery it actually does but not by the app itself you could say.

So how does it drain your battery? Well by always using your location. You’ll notice if you have Now enabled you have the little location marker always on. That’s because now always needs your exact location to run. Using the GPS uses battery and that’s what has been killing if.

How do you fix it though? Well that’s something if you use Google Now on a regular basis you might not be so happy about. To save your battery you basically have to disable now by turning the app “google” off in location services. This will render now useless because the app needs your location to work.

So really google lied in saying Now doesn’t drain battery but it’s because the app itself needs something that drains the battery to work. Currently I have google in my location disabled allowing me to get a long battery life. Try it if you want a longer battery instead of the app.

May 2 2013

Lets Talk iOS 7 (iPhone)

There is no doubt that WWDC is going to show us all the iOS goodies. However what should we see and expect from Mondays keynote for the iPhone? There are some things Apple needs to do and some things they should do… Get ready for a long post… Lets get started.

Multitasking:

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Above shows a multitasking jailbreak tweak for multitasking called Auxo. Auxo allows you to see a sort of “screenshot” off the apps that you have opened. In addition if you swipe to the right you will have music controls and if you swipe again you will have the option to toggles such as wifi, bluetooth, and more. The concept is good but could be improved. There needs to be more of the multitasking on the screen when you bring it up so you can actually see what is happening inside the app rather than having the current running app that is in an unusable state filling most of the screen. Also make the toggles under the apps running in the background. That’s what I want to see done because I am bored of the multitasking they have now.

Messaging:

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Now you may be thinking: The messaging is fine iMessage works (most of the time) and there really isn’t something to be done with it. Well that isn’t true. There is always room for improvement. I am surprised more people especially the heavy teen texters aren’t asking for a way to reply to messages very quickly without leaving the app they are in. Something like Messages+. Above is messages+ running on my old iPhone 4 (I deleted my jailbreak last night before getting a picture of it on my 5). What it does is allows you to reply to an incoming message wherever you are without having to load the Messages app. Now it looks like something Apple would incorporate and I am not sure why they haven’t done it yet. I have a hope that something like this will come to the iPhone with iOS 7 because it is honestly one of the best tweaks I have ever gotten for my iPhone.

Homescreen Changes:

iPhones

If I were to take an iPhone from 2007 and unboxed it for the first time and turned it on you would almost see no difference between the home screen from 2007 and the one on the iPhone 5. Yes there would be an absance of wallpaper and app icons would be different but by the picture shows there has been really NO change over the years. They need to do something to change this and it needs to be really with this version. There needs to be something that brings the information to the users instead of the users having to go and get it all the time. I am not saying WIDGETS EVERYWHERE but I shouldn’t have to enter the the weather app to know I should bring a jacket… There needs to be a way to have that information on the home screen without having to swipe for notification center or enter the app. I think that Apple knows this and they are going to do something about it.

Lock Screen:

Alright… This is where there is going to have to be improvement. The only thing Apple has done in about 6+years of iOS to the lock screen is really put a camera slider into it. Honestly they need to do something. Again add a way to have a quick way to get information on the Lock Screen. Apple wants developers to come up with things but they need to change the lock screen to at least have maybe a calendar up there. Do something… ANYTHING.

Siri:

Siri is kind of weird in the sense that there is so much you can do with it but it doesn’t always work with some of the things it is supposed to currently be able to do. To make Siri even more successful then it already is you need to add developer support. The jailbreak community has Siri do some pretty insane stuff but you shouldn’t have to jailbreak to make Siri developer enabled. Siri needs to be available for developers who don’t want to have to release it for jailbreak. What I mean is allow it so if you have pandora installed you can tell Siri what station you want to listen to without actually having to go and select it yourself. Small things.

At the moment those are the big things I really want to see. There are a lot of small things I want to see but I don’t think they are big enough to be included but maybe in a video later. I have high hopes for iOS 7 for the iPhone and I can’t wait to load it on my iPhone 5.

Apr 27 2013

Here’s What The Low Cost iPhone Might Look Like In All Colors!

iphonebudget1

Apple is suspected to announce alongside the iPhone 5s(or whatever they call it) to have a cheap iPhone alternative. The cheap iPhone is supposed to come in a bunch of colors and 9to5mac posted a great gallery of what they could look like. It will be interesting to see if this iPhone is real what it will do to the Aluminum iPhone. Also I hope the Aluminum iPhone comes in all of these colors. Gallery (Images Credit to 9to5mac)

 

Apr 25 2013

Twitter for Mac Finally Updated

Screen Shot 2013-04-25 at 1.52.26 PMWell it seems twitter has given it’s Mac App an update after not even touching it for a year… The update is available is at the Mac app store and includes:

  • Retina Support
  • A New Tweet Composer
  • Updated Icon
  • 14 new languages

Personally I am going to stick with Tweetbot because I like it better but the update for Twitter for Mac will be great for someone who wants a free twitter client.

 

Apr 24 2013

WWDC 2013 Set For June 10-14

wwdc13-about-main_2xApple announced earlier today that WWDC 2013 will be happening from June 10th to the 14th. Tickets will be available for purchase tomorrow at 10 AM PDT (3 PM EST). The event will show all of us iOS 7 and Mac 10.9:

Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, June 10-14, San Francisco

Tickets go on sale worldwide on April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT

Get an in-depth look at what’s next in iOS and OS X, and learn how to take your apps to the next level. With over 100 sessions, extensive hands–on labs, and engaging events, you’ll connect with Apple engineers and fellow developers for an incredible week of inspiration.

I am personally excited for both 10.9 and iOS 7. I hope to have my thoughts up on iOS 7 before it’s announced.

 

 

Apr 7 2013

Let’s Talk About The Next iPad

iPad

 

The iPad has no doubt been a revolution sense it was launched a little over 3 years ago. It has in many ways taken over computers as people just buy an iPad instead of a computer because of the ease of use and in ways the functionality beats out a computer. The iPad has become a part of my daily life and I am sure that is true for many. However there is some things that have to be changed to keep the iPad a success. Remember this is from a design and hardware standpoint. The software will be sometime soon (hopefully).

Design

The design needs to be changed. There has been 4 iPads released but if you think about it only 2 designs. The last time the iPad got a design change was with the iPad 2 back in 2011. It is time for a new design but what will it be? From a logical standpoint it will go towards the design of the iPad Mini. Now I am all for that however the design mockups and part “leaks” have the smaller bezels which I don’t want. I don’t really like the smaller bezels on the iPad Mini because it feels like something is going to be tapped I don’t want. However the mini is smart enough to detect this and won’t open anything. The iPad mini doesn’t have the bezels because it is made to be small and very portable and bezels make it bigger. However for the full sized retina iPad I want the bezels. This is because the iPad isn’t something you buy to be very small and portable anymore you’ll by a mini. So I say put the mini design in and keep the bezels because I like to grip on them and being able to see the entire screen instead of worrying my thumbs are covering or will accidentally tap something unwanted.

Power

Okay so tablets at least for the Android side are going big and hard with the “power means everything” which in ways is true… to a computer. In a tablet you won’t notice if something has a quad core or a dual core powering it because either way it will be fast. They seem to be adding power just to put it on a biased comparison chart against the iPad. Don’t get me wrong Apple has done biased comparison charts, in fact every company does. With a tablet you get to the point where you won’t notice the extreme amount of power everyone is trying to put into them. For the processor the A6x runs like a champ. In fact the A5X in my iPad 3 with Retina Display works perfectly fine. It will run every app smoothly and everything is almost instant. Apple does not need to add power you aren’t going to notice unless they do something with iOS that needs the extra power but even then you won’t notice it because it will be used to power something in the background.

Battery

The battery is fine. 

Display

The display in the Retina iPad is perfectly fine. In fact I am pretty sure if they were to waste the time to put more resolution into something so tiny you wouldn’t be able to notice it anymore because your eye wouldn’t be able to pick it up. Apple knows this and doesn’t waste their time trying to fit in some ridiculous resolution no human would ever be able to notice. The display is going to stay the way it is for a while.

Summary

To wrap it all up the iPad is a great device that needs a little bit of a design change and that’s kind of it in terms of hardware. In terms of software there is a lot that can be done but I will cover that in “Let’s talk iOS 7: iPad” sometime soon hopefully.

Apr 7 2013

Apple To Give iOS 7 A Major UI Change

iOS7

iOS (previously known as iPhone OS) was what made the iPhone the best of the best back when it was announced in 2007. Sadly though it has gone untouched in the sense you could take an original iPhone out of the box and the whole thing would look almost exactly similar. There would be changes to Apps and to functionality (including the app store) but it would look almost exactly the same with the grid of icons.

That however may be coming to an end. Earlier this year Scott Forestall in charge of iOS development was fired and the prestige Jony Ive took over. There is a sense that Jony is going to get rid of some of the texture we see in apps such as the calendar and contacts and mold them to a more aluminum based design. What else will be done in the operating system is yet to discovered but I have hopes for the next iOS version. iOS 7 is expected to be revealed sometime in the summer with the next iPhone following it.

My let’s talk about the next iOS will be coming soon as I have a lot to talk about but will be up soon.

Apr 2 2013

Let’s Talk About the next iPad Mini

iPad MiniThere is no doubt the iPad Mini is a great device. Maybe even better than the bigger iPad because of the small size so you can bring it everywhere. In fact I regret that I didn’t wait for the LTE version because I bring my iPad mini places where there is no Wifi all the time and I get sad. However if you think about it the new iPad mini is right around the corner so I think this would be a good time to say what we should expect and what I want from the iPad Mini.

Power

No I do not mean the battery. I mean the processor power. The A5 just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Android tablets are getting quad core processors and while the iPad Mini doesn’t need a quad core because honestly you won’t notice the power but the A5 lags a little bit I can tell it going from the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5 to the iPad Mini. Don’t get me wrong the Mini is fast but I would love for Apple to strap the A6 processor into the next iPad mini. It would solve the problem of powering the retina display that takes a lot of power and battery to power (I will get to the retina display soon I promise). Plus the Mini would be able to load Apps and everything almost instantly. It makes sense to add the A6… I hope they do.

Display

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Many people say that Apple won’t put the Retina Display into the iPad Mini. To be honest Apple needs to put in the Retina Display to compete with other tablet makers that have much better screens (kindle fire HD, nexus 7, etc). Now people say that the reason that Apple won’t put the Retina Display in is because there isn’t enough power to power the device and the display without sacrificing the battery life currently in the iPad Mini. Actually this isn’t true. Apple is more than capable of putting a retina display in the iPad mini that will have very little effect on the battery life. The device may be a little hotter than the non retina version (Remember the iPad with retina display came out everyone noticed it was hotter than the iPad 2?) but if Apple was to strap the A6 into the iPad mini with the chips great power management and extreme power the device would be fine. Not to mention the battery life would be close to the same or just a little shorter.

Battery

The battery of the iPad Mini is the same as all the other iPads that have been made which is very good. I can get a few days on mine but that isn’t using it all day, that is taking notes in maybe one or two classes. I think the iPad battery life is okay at the moment and doesn’t really need to be extended. However the battery might be changed to make it so the retina display can be powered however I don’t see a need to extend the battery life.

Design

I like the design of the iPad Mini I do I really do. I don’t love it though. I think this is mostly because the display on the black iPad doesn’t look well. It looks okay but it takes away from the design. The white iPad Mini looks so much better and mostly because to me anyways the display shines more on it. I think Apple can use the same design as they do with the current mini for one more year but then after that they need to change it. If they add a retina display it will make the design almost perfect. That’s just my thoughts though.

So really all Apple has to do with the next iPad Mini is add a retina display, add a faster processor, and just a little bit more battery life. However the OS needs a lot of improvement but that is a post for another day.

Mar 9 2013

What I Want To See in Future iPhone’s

20120921-235025.jpgThere is no denying the iPhone is an amazing phone I have had one since 2008 with the iPhone 3G and it has evolved much over the years (in terms of hardware). However there are some things I like about the Galaxy SIII ( and the soon to be announced Galaxy SIV) that I love (yes I like something about an android phone hate me all you want) that I want to be on my iPhone in a few years because they won’t have time to have it in the new iPhone coming out this year. Remember this is from a hardware standpoint as the software stand point will be coming later.

The design of the iPhone is fine, I really like that Apple brought back the Aluminum design of the original iPhone and merged it with the form factor of the iPhone 4 and 4s. It keeps the feel we have all come to love and took what I wanted, the Aluminum design of the original iPhone and put it into something that is wonderful to use. The design is for me right now perfect and doesn’t need to be messed with in the sense of a form factor standpoint. For changes to the design I would love to see them add some color to at least the Aluminum part exactly like Apple did with the new iPod Touches this year that come with the multicolor. However if I were to say get a blue iPhone I don’t want the white screen because for me I feel it takes away from the amazing quality of the screen, however I can’t think of a workaround for this at the moment except to make one with a white screen and one with a black screen and color.

Samsung-Logo

The Galaxy SIII has something really cool to it that Samsung will be adding to the Galaxy SIV this March and that is the eye sensors. The phone detects when you are looking at it and when you aren’t so it can lock the phone when it doesn’t see your eyes anymore. Samsung is rumored to be taking this to the next level for the new Galaxy SIV by making it so your eyes can scroll a page. So say you were reading this on your phone when your eyes got to the end of the screen the phone would be able to sense that and scroll so you could see the next part of the article for you. Of course this has to be enabled in the settings but it is an amazing idea and one that I would love to have on the iPhone.

There is another thing I would take from the Galaxy SIII is the quick sharing. I think in this day an age the iPhone just doesn’t cut it for sharing anymore. I think Apple struggles with the fact we want to share more than just words and very short videos and that they can’t just keep depending on the App developers for sharing. The reason I am saying this is a hardware thing is because you would need a chip to detect the phone when it is in range and to tell it where and when to share it. You know the samsung “bump” it knows where the other phone is and then it transfers something instantly to it in almost instant. I would love to be able to do that and I think Apple needs to find a smart way to put it in a future iPhone.

NFC is a cool concept. I don’t fully understand it but maybe that’s because I don’t have a device that works with it. I may be wrong here but I think it goes something like: I have my iPhone at a Starbucks and then with my phone enabled I can touch it to a pad and it will charge it directly to a passbook card. I think thats a great concept but I think Apple can do something really unique with this. I think they could make it so when you enter say a restaurant with your phone you could get the menu as an app and then order and pay using it using some sort of NFC style maneuver and then when you leave the app is just gone and deleted. I don’t know if that could happen but I think that would be remarkable and change the way we think.

Battery life is always key. It is what every device needs to strive and what everyone hates because it runs out so quickly. Don’t get me wrong the iPhone 5 for me has an amazing battery life one that lasts all day and I remember always to charge it at night because I have been for so long, but to the average teenager they play games all day on a battery that doesn’t have a full charge because they didn’t plug it in the night before or maybe they are in a school with no service making the phone constantly search for service. All of this uses battery life and I think Apple could make the battery so much better. They have amazing batteries in their MacBooks that I don’t see and Microsoft Running laptop having (I’m sure there are some out there I just don’t know about them). When they announced the MacBook with a 7 hour battery the world went insane. I want them to innovate the battery more than anything else on this entire thing because if they can extend the battery they can make sure it can handle so much more as well.

Those are just some quick hardware thoughts I could think of off the top of my head. I am sure I will eventually think of more but for now those are the main things I want to see in a future iPhone.