Technology Guides

If you have been reading this website, you will realize that I finally bulked up (or bulked down, depending on how you view it) from my Blackberry 8820 to a superphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II. When I was walking to the store to pick it up, I had butterflies in my stomach and I could not wait till it was in my hands. I did a lot of work to acquire this phone and so I was overjoyed to finally have it. With that being said, here’s my review and I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible .

The Device

When people first saw my new phone, the first thing that people said was “Isn’t that phone big?” or something along those lines. I was completely blown away as to how many people said that. In retrospect, yes it is big but isn’t size relative? I mean, when the first iPod Touch came out, wasn’t that a big mp3 player compared to the norm? Yes it has a 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus screen that provides amazing clarity but to me, it’s not big. In fact, this phone is the thinnest and lightest in the Canadian market coming in at 8.49mm and 117g which in my opinion, makes up for the “bigness” of the phone. To put that into perspective, the iPhone has a 3.5″ screen and weighs in at 137g with its thinnest point being 9.3mm. To the casual observer this may not be a striking difference but compare it side-by-side and you’re looking at apples and oranges. They’re both fruit but strikingly different qualities.

I’ll admit that at first it was a little awkward to handle, but like transitioning from a physical keyboard to a virtual one, the end result has left me with no regrets. The ironic thing is, when I go back to my iPod Touch, it feels incredibly small but when I go from my iPad to my Samsung Galaxy S II, I don’t get that same feeling.

Another major difference between the Samsung Galaxy S II are the buttons on the bottom. Most Android smartphones have 4 buttons compared to the SGSII’s 3 which usually goes Menu, Home, Search and Return. I prefer the 3 button scheme that Samsung used on the GS2 because it’s less cluttered and there’s a definable center to it.

Software

I haven’t used the first iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S, but supposedly the new interface, TouchWIZ 4, is a drastic improvement from its predecessor. Most notably, the aesthetics and performance have been improved. I can’t speak much to this because I don’t use the default interface as I have installed an application called GoLauncher EX to replace it. I am currently fiddling with it and finding it quite versatile so I will keep you up to date on that one. Just recently though I updated my SGS2 from the stock 2.3.3 that Bell provides to a custom ROM called Sensation ROM 1.9 that has upgraded me to 2.3.5. The most notable improvements are the battery life (very significant) and when you scroll to the top and bottom, it flashes to let you know it’s reached the end. The call screen is more refined and allows for easier access to contact information. Overall, I’m in love with the software and thus the interface.

Battery Life

As I mentioned above, I’ve upgraded my phone and with that upgrade has come significant battery improvements. Before it would last me from about 10am-2am and the battery would be in critical mode. Thus when I would be heading out that night without my power cord I would recharge it before hitting the town. Now with the upgrade I have no worries as to whether it will last the day or not. On a power hungry day I’ll be down to 25% and on regular days it’ll be closer to 50% battery life left.

Features

Building on the software aspect of this phone, I was surprised to learn with the release of ICS, that a lot of the features that were innovative on it, were already a part of the SGS2. One feature was the “Reject a call with a text message”. This is a really cool feature and was already on my phone when I got it. It comes in handy for sure. I also enjoy the screen after the end of a call where it gives you the option of sending a message or calling again to that same contact. Another “cool” feature in ICS is being able to uninstall apps from the launcher. On my SGS2 I can do hold the apps and click uninstall. I can also drag apps from my home screen up to the top to remove it from the home screen.

Conclusion

Overall I am very happy with my SGS2. The only problem I had with it was the battery life but since that’s been resolved it’s been a dream to have. I still use my iPod Touch as it’s a great music player which I do believe Google still needs to improve on but since I like having two devices anyways I’m happy. Google is making strides with this, with the introduction of Google Music and so it will be interesting to see how it shapes up in the future.

If you have any questions about the SGS2 please don’t hesitate to ask and if any of you have comments about your experience with the SGS2 add them here. Until next time…

Popularity: 9% [?]

I have yet to order my Apple MacBook Pro but I have already ordered all the accessories that I could possibly want. This post is all about my recommended products that you should get for your Apple MacBook.

1. MacBook Skins

If you buy a Mac, it looks exactly the same as anyone else who bought a Mac. On the other hand, if you buy a PC, there’s a much better chance that your PC will not be the same as the PC next to you. That is why I highly recommend getting some sort of skin for your MacBook/Pro. I went to MacStyles for one reason, and one reason only, because it had skins that left the Apple sign alone. They also offer MacTatts which is what I bought (pictured below) that offers more intricate designs than MacStyles. MacStyles are $20 and MacTatts are $30 and can be bought at MacStyles.

2. InvisibleSHIELDS

I usually end up scratching or doing something to ruin my gadgets so I’m glad I found this site earlier rather than later because these clear shields as mentioned above can help preserve your gadget. Zagg offers invisibleSHIELDS that protect the bottom, front and side of your laptop. It has a lifetime warranty so if it does wear or scratch you can get a free replacement. You can also customize the front part of the laptop with one of their designs or one of your own. For a non-customized clear version, it costs $55 but to customize it you’ll have to fork over $65. Luckily at the time of this writing they were offering a 50% off coupon if you entered their contest and considering they’ve sold over 7 million of these for various gadgets like the iPhone 4, it was definitely worth the shot.

3. Cooling Pad/Laptop Stand

I own both and they both do serve slightly different purposes but in the end the main reason you buy it, is so your laptop doesn’t overheat. The extra use for the laptop stand is so you can have your keyboard at an ergonomic angle. I bought  a cooling stand from Targus costing me $25. Unlike most cooling pads that just suck out the hot air, this actually forces cool air into the MacBook.

4. USB Hub

One of the big drawbacks of a MacBook is there are very few USB hubs, 2, and most of my friends find they need more. So I purchased a 4 USB Hub from Targus ($10) so I can now use my cooling pad, mouse, external hard drive and a friends USB key for exchanging files all at once.

5. Keyboard Protector

I know all of you once in your lifetime have eaten or drunk with your laptop or desktop within reach so each and every one of you has taken the risk of ruining your laptop keyboard, me included. That’s why I looked around for a keyboard protector and the best deal I found was at iSkin. They have various designs including the basic clear design. For $25 it’s a huge asset because any muck in your keyboard can ruin it for your life.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Many people know how to make your own ringtone for the Apple iPhone when you have a Mac. You just use GarageBand by adding a song and clicking Share–>Share as Ringtone and voila, your done, but for Windows users it’s a little harder but still very simple. This little tutorial will help you create a free ringtone in less than 2 minutes.

Step 1

Firstly, open iTunes and select the song (preferably mp3) you want to use as your ring tone. Pick your favourite part because the ring tone is only allowed to be a max of 30 seconds. Once you’ve found the part you like, right-click the song and click Get Info. For this tutorial I have used Ghosts N Stuff by Deadmau5 featuring Rob Swire.

Step 2

Now hit the Options tab and check off “Start” and “Finish” and enter the section you want the ringtone to be.

Step 3

Once that’s done, you can go ahead and start converting the file. Right-click the song and select Create AAC Version. If you can’t see this option, go to Edit–>Preferences–>Import Settings and make sure AAC Encoder is chosen.

Step 4

iTunes will now start converting the song, but only the snippet that you selected for your ringtone. Next step is to go to the file location of this new file. It usually will be in My Music–>iTunes–>iTunes Media–>Music. Once there you’ll want to rename your file so iTunes recognizes it as a ringtone. Right-click the file and hit rename, changing the file extension to m4r. If you can’t see the file extension, you’ll want to go to Tools–>Folder Options–>View (tab) and scroll down to Advanced Settings. Uncheck, Hide extensions for known file types.

Step 5

Once it’s renamed, you can import it your iTunes library and then sync it to your iPhone. Just remember when you sync it to check off Ringtones and you’re good to go.

Popularity: 27% [?]

With the year coming to a close I thought it would be good to update the my list of some of the top apps you can get for free at the Apple App Store.

Productivity

For productivity there are a ton of different apps you can get for free that would be useful. There are three that I’d point out and one that is under productivity but not as useful as you may think (still it’s a neat app so it’s worth a mention).

Expense2Go

This app is great because I can easily enter a few of my expenses as I pick them up and easily track it. I find it comes in even more use for students like me who have to borrow money and keep track of how they spend their own money. All you do is create different reports for various things and enter each expense including the date, type of expense, amount of expense and any notes that may accompany that expense.

Evernote

After registering on the site, Evernote, you can easily add notes that can be viewed on your device, your desktop or the internet. You are allowed to create text, camera, or voice notes that can be emailed as well. It is a very versatile application and I highly recommend it.

Awesome Note Lite

This app is also a note taker but it also has other features that make it a good download. It separates your notes into: My Ideas, Study, Shopping and To-Do List. I like this because it combines a to-do list and a note taking device that also includes a shopping list because I always forget to stop and buy the milk.

Writepad

If you can master this app it may be a savior if you have bad handwriting like me. It is like a small tablet PC as you just write with your finger and it translates it into text but you only write one word at a time and there is a bit of a lag so it’s not really the most practical thing.

Games

I like strategy games so I chose a couple other than Sudoku.

Airline USA

This game involves directing the different forms of aviation from their origin to their destination and making sure each of their routes don’t crash. So at the beginning you have regular planes, then you get jumbo jets which travel slightly slower, and then blimps and then jets. It’s harder than it sounds . Let me know if you beat my high score of 69.

Traffic Rush

If you can’t tell by now my love for all things transportation then this will solidify it for you. This game also involves trying to make sure the cars don’t crash. The games setting is an intersection and the cars come from all sides and you speed up and stop them to make sure they don’t crash with one another. My high score for that is 129.

I don’t spend too much time on these games so I wouldn’t at all be surprised if you beat me.

Utilities

Flashlight

By far the best app in this department is the flashlight app. It is just as bright, if not brighter than the flashlight that comes on the Sony Ericsson phones and just as good as a regular flashlight. It’s very handy and has helped me in numerous situations.

Communication

Ping

This would be my favourite app if I knew more people in my area with Apple iPod Touch’s or Apple iPhone’s. Regardless I know many people will find pinging other Apple users for free very useful.

Popularity: 40% [?]

Google seems to be continually redefining markets time after time just like Apple obliterates the competition with its mind blowing gadgets such as the iPhone, iPod Touch and Magic Mouse. Google has GMail (best mail app out there by far for its continuous innovation), Talk and Maps Navigation (I know there’s much more Google has to offer but that’s a good summary for now).

Mark this day on your calendar, November 4, 2009, as a day the big navigation providers took a huge hit in their stock price because a lot of people realize that Google Maps Navigation could destroy their business. Sadly it’s only offered in the U.S. for now on phones with Android 1.6 or higher but there’s a bright end to the tunnel for Canadian consumers. DAVE Wireless, one of the three new wireless companies set to hit the market in the next 6 months, is planning to release Google’s phone with Android pre-installed. Now for the features of Google Maps Navigations.

• Search in plain ‘ol English (watch video). Much like searching on Google Maps, you don’t need to know the address of where you are going (unless it’s a house and then you may have trouble). All you have to do is type the name of the business (i.e. Best Buy) or the type (i.e. electronics)
• Search by voice (watch video). This is not a new feature as a Magellan GPS offers it, but now Google Maps Navigation does as well. Just speak your destination such as “Navigate to Air Canada Centre in Toronto”
• Traffic view (watch video). If your area is supported by Google Traffic then this feature is golden. On-screen you will see either green,yellow or red depending on the current traffic conditions on your route.
• Search along route (watch video). What I hate about some GPS’s (or at least mine) is that you can’t look at the map and see common things such as gas stations. Google fixes that allowing you to turn on layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.
• Satellite view (watch video). A small feature but still cool is you are able to see a 3D satellite view of your route with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.
• Street View (watch video). This to me is the best feature. Just as you’re about to turn, Google Street View imagery is overlaid and navigation automatically turns on to Street View when you approach your destination. Pure genius!
• Car dock mode (watch video). Simply place your device on the car dock and it will activate a special mode that will make it easier for you to use your device at arm’s length.

Popularity: 17% [?]

As expected Apple released its update on the Apple iMac. Aesthetically it has kept the same body but with some slight changes. First lets start off with the screen. Taking cues from a HDTV, the Apple iMac has a black border going to the very edges of the screen and the aluminum border that was present on the previous generation is gone. Both of these changes give the effect that the screen is bigger. As well instead of offering 20-inch and 24-inch screen, Apple upgraded significantly with 21.5-inch and 27-inch screens that are only offered in the glossy finish. I apologize on behalf of Apple for not giving you guys the option of a matte finish.

In my opinion 27-inch seems a little too big for the mainstream public and they may want to consider offering something in between; say bring back the 24-inch. On top of that, it is interesting to note that many observers have said that the 21.5-inch looks much bigger than the previous 20-inch mostly because of the changes noted above, but both use IPS technology to deliver consistent colour at most angles, 178 to be exact.

The new Apple iMac is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance of last years mddel. The Apple iMac comes with improved graphics across the board with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics in the 21.5-inch model, and ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics in the 27-inch model.

Apple also upgraded in the RAM section with 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 with the possibility to expand to a whopping 16GB.

Prices for the new Apple iMacs come in at $1199(USD) for the 21.5-inch model and $1699(USD) for the 27-inch model. All come with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse, a world first Multi-Touch mouse. They also ship with a built-in iSight video camera, mic and integrated stereo speakers. On top of that the new Apple iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a grand total of four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and a new built-in SD card slot.

Prices in Canada start at $1299 for the 21.5-inch model and $1799 for the 27-inch model.

Popularity: 9% [?]

More good news is on the way after word came out that Apple obliterated sales forecasts this quarter in this really slow economy. Apple is introducing new product face lifts including the iMac, MacBook, and Mac Mini. Google seems to have inadvertently started prematurely advertising the new Apple ads and so this is how we came to know this information. Also in the mix is redesigns of the company’s Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote, as well as aluminum wireless keyboards.

Reports are flowing in that signage has been received recently that cannot be opened until further notice from Apple headquarters.

iMac

These new iMacs are supposed to be thinner sporting 20″ and 24″ models. The ads on the Dutch and Italian Google claimed they would be priced at 1099 Euros which in USD translates into $1643.

 

 

 

 

 

The In-Depth Review

MacBook

The new Apple MacBook isn’t supposed to be changed to much except for redesigned polycarbonate with thinner and sleeker enclosures. Obviously with any product update these products are supposed to be faster. No word on pricing yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mac Minis

Apple’s, Google ad read: Apple’s New Mac Mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499. Order immediately. € 499 in USD equals $746 and it’s interesting to note that the current version is € 599.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More details to follow shortly

Popularity: 11% [?]

Google and Apple have just started competing with each other and things started warming up with the release of the Google Android smartphone but now things may start to heat up with the release of an Apple search engine to compete with the cash cow leader in that department, Google.

This makes total sense for Apple as its brand is gaining ground whereever it enters including a market share in the smartphone industry that has doubled since 2008 from 5.3% to 10.8%. (Nokia has a 41.2% share and RIM has 19.9%). Now it’s rumoured that they’re going to release a search engine.

Now let’s try and figure out if this makes sense when you break down the numbers. Currently Google is the reigning king in this department by a long shot with an 83% market share but this is largely because everyone associates search with Google and so naturally people go there to do their searches. Increasingly though people want services that are more convenient and thus they are searching on the go with their Blackberry’s, iPhones or other mobile devices.

Now this is where it gets complicated because all the major search engines (Bing by Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and possibly Apple) are promoting their respective sites very hard and with Google launching its browser recently and it rumoured OS, Google is continuing to strengthen its lineup to protect its search engine and revenue stream. Microsoft on the other hand will make its own search engine the default on IE and the default search engine on Windows is, you guessed, it IE. Both these platforms have a stranglehold on their respective market and thus it makes easier for users to use Bing and you should see a steady increase in its usage over the next bit. Apple on the other hand is slowly gaining market share in the OS department where Safari is the default, but where the growth can occur is the smartphone department and that’s where this battle will be won or lost.

The key thing to note is whether or not Apple can continue to grow the iPhone and knock down Nokia and keep up with RIM. If that happens Apple has a serious chance of gaining some huge money because then the default search engine on the iPhone will be Apple’s version instead of Google. Where Google can gain is if the Android takes off and what RIM decides to do. Whether they go with Google, Apple or even Microsoft as their default search engine may determine how far Apple gets.

There really is so much at play here for Apple and in the end there’s too many variables for Apple to worry about to even think about entering but knowing Apple they want their own stuff and so I would not be surprised if they release it anyway. That’s my take and let me know yours.

Popularity: 7% [?]