I wrote this down...

a blog about cultivating technology for humans

iPad 3 or iPad HD - What the iPad won't be for many people - Revolutionary

Image

Many reports and rumors about iPad are just ridiculous. Whether Apple calls the next generation iPad - iPad 3 or iPad HD it will not make a difference. There will always be three camps - 1) Those who will upgrade because they must have the latest and greatest gadget, 2) Those who like to wait and see how the wind blows, and 3) Those who either hate Apple products or don't want to considered mainstream (we all know they do). When it comes to gadgets, I'm typically in the first camp. However I do jump between 1 & 2 more than people think. Back to the iPad. Now everyone can expect the iPad will have a quad core processor, 4G LTE, retina display, and a better camera (hopefully HD rear camera). Us Geeks however will salvate at the specs in all its goodness and say I gotta have one of those. Yet, besides the specs the majority of people with iPad 2s will fall in camp 2 which leaves a huge number of people who didn't upgrade to iPad 2 or never had an iPad (but secretly wanted one *cough Android tablet users*) wanting the so called iPad 3/HD right. Wrong! To everyone's surprise, the next generation iPad won't be revolutionary. Yes of course everyone (people in Camp 1) will go crazy and stand in extraordinarily long lines to get their hands on the next iPad. Consequently, as soon as the dust settles and the announcement buzz has worn off, everyone will be thinking what will the next iPad (iPad 4) will be like (more rumors - 8in iPad in the Fall). A handful of Camp 2ers will come to the realization that the iPad 3 isn't all what's it cut out to be. Maybe I should wait until iPad 4 (or see what this iPad mini is like).  Camp 3 will bash iPad 3 and shout how it barely compares to the Google Ice Cream Sandwich Android tablets coming out this spring. 

In any case, I enjoy watching the sheep. Maybe, just maybe I'll be a sheep too. :) 

My Tech Predictions for 2012

Image

CES starts January 10 and will likely showcase tech products that may launch in 2012. Here's my prediction of technological innovations and evolutions which will come to past in 2012:

  1. We'll see Siri like voice recognition functionality included in nearly all electronics such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices. 
  2. iPad 3 in April will not see a dramatic change in form factor but will sport a 4G LTE, quad core processor, more RAM, longer battery life and better front/rear cameras. 
  3. Microsoft will launch Windows 8 convertible tablets and slates in late 2012.
  4. And in late 2012, Amazon will launch two new Kindle tablets: 1) improved 7 inch Kindle Fire touting a front-facing camera, and 1 GB of RAM and 2) 10 inch Kindle tablet with a front and rear facing camera.
  5. Versons of Xbox Kinect devices will become available for PCs as attachable units that will allow users to be the controller for their PCs vs. keyboard/mouse - Think Minority Report. 
  6.  iPhone 5 will sport a new sleek design, 4G LTE, improved Siri artificial intelligence, FaceTime over 3G, and enhanced, more robust Notification Center (widgets).
  7. Internet-connected/augmented reality eyewear will be available in 2012 with head up display (HUD) and Siri like voice recognition functionality. 
  8. Self-driving cars in 2012 will come to fruition later this year. 
  9. Google+ will gain momentum in 2012 in particular businesses, celebrities, & politicians will use Google+ more to connect with their audience using Google Pages/Hangouts.    
  10. Robotics in the home will become a reality for some individuals in 2012 and go mainstream in 5 years.

Xbox Live Live Now on iPhone & iPad

P25

Xbox just beat PlayStation to the punch with the launch of My Xbox on the iPhone and iPad. The app is pretty slick too; giving users the ability to customize their 3D avatars, send/receive messages from Xbox friends and view your gaming stats.

Although I like the Xbox especially the Kinect games which are totally fun to play, most of my online buddies are on the PlayStation Network (PSN). With the release of Avatar Kinect, Xbox's 3D Chat rooms I might find myself online more if I can get some new friends to hang out with on occasion. So hit me up if you're on Xbox. My ID is RaAusar.

PSN please follow suit with a PlayStation Home iOS app that will allow for 3D avatar customization, message our PSN friends, view news and updates on the PlayStation Network.

My First Impressions on the Kindle Fire

Image

This here is my first impressions fo the Kindle Fire after using for approximately 6 hours straight. The form factor (the  7inch tablet) feels nice in one hand. It is very akin to holding a classic Kindle device. I can easily hold the device for longer periods without the weight of my iPad (1st Gen device). However, there’s a stark difference between the two devices with the iPad being an 9.7 inch screen. Within minutes of powering on the device (after installing the latest firmware update) I quickly started connecting to stuff I already had in the Cloud. Not only was I able to retrieve content such as books, music, videos, and magazines stored in Amazon’s Cloud, I was able to access my other cloud storage services like DropBox, SugarSync, Box, and GoogleDocs using the QuickOffice (free version) app that’s equipped with the device.

The Silk browser seems very reminiscent of the tab browsing on Safari for the iPad. Pages loaded quickly however in my comparisons the Kindle Fire loaded slightly slower than my 1st Gen iPad. This is likely the result of Flash animations loading in the background on the Kindle. It’s important to note that iOS devices do render Flash in their browsers. Yet, the Kindle Fire is no slouch when it comes to browsing the Web. And since I mentioned the iPad, I must admit the Kindle Fire meets many of my tablet needs however it’s not an iPad killer nor a replacement for my current iPad.

Here’s why. The Kindle Fire is that ereader that you wish could browse a website at whim, check your email on occasion or read a magazine or book in color.  Very much like an iPad but because of the 7 inch lends it self to very menial tasks. For instance, reading pdf articles is something I do on a daily basis however reading pdfs and magazines to that matter on the Kindle Fire requires a lot of zooming in and out in many situations; something that is very jarring when you’re trying to comprehend a passage of text on the fire. It’s doable for short pdf articles but reading dissertations and long research articles is a bit of a challenge because of the smaller screen.

The lack of availability of apps for the Kindle Fire is another thing I hope will change with time. Currently, the Amazon App Store has approximately 10,000 apps and many of them aren’t even compatible for the Kindle Fire in my experience with searching for apps (Amazon App Store tells you which device can or cannot install a particular app via the web). I was happy to see QuickOffice installed and Netflix available in the store but was very disappointed to find the SpringPad and Speedtest app wasn’t available for the Kindle Fire. Another thing that I find very annoying are apps like Facebook and Twitter which are basically bookmarks to the mobile version of their website.

Overall, as a power user I’m very satisfied with my purchase. This device was meant to serve a specific purpose where I find the iPad too big and heavy to carry around. The $199 price point ($50 for me after using my Best Buy Reward Zone points) and 7 inch screen size makes this device an excellent stocking stuffer. Not to mention, the vast majority of people will mainly use this device to read books and magazines, or check the web. And because it fits nicely in my coat pocket or small tote bag, It’s the device I will use when traveling about and at my bedside. It's a wonder buy and good entry into the tablet market device for many people.
 

The Verge gives us a Review of the Kindle Fire

 

Joshua Topolsky from the Verge gives a detailed run down of the Kindle Fire; launching on the 15th of November here in the States. Based on his review which can be read here I'm happy with my decision to get the Kindle Fire. For me it's a nice little wedge between my desktop and iPad. Yes, I said iPad - my laptop replacement device for now. It was because of the 7 inch form factor and $199 price point that swayed my decision to get the Kindle Fire. The iPad in many situations is good for a lean back experience however it was terrible for in reading in bed and carrying it around in my ScottyVest jacket. Although it only has WiFi which 99% of the time I'm at least near some sort of hotspot (and I do have a 4G MiFi card that goes whereever I go). 

As soon as I have my hands on the Kindle Fire, I'll post my first impressions. Until then check out Josh's review.

Read the Kindle Fire review.

The Battle Between the New B&N Nook Tablet & Amazon Kindle Fire Who Will WIN

Today, Barnes & Noble announced the Nook Tablet launching Friday, November 18 for $249, $50 more than the Kindle Fire. With the exception of the form factor and design, the Nook Tablet is sporting 16 GB of internal storage an option to add a 32GB memory card which doubles the capacity of the Kindle Fire with internal storage alone. My bet is with Amazon and its $199 7inch tablet. The Amazon ecosystem (Amazon Cloud, Prime membership, & ebooks) will win over specs. Content is King! 

 

Nook_tablet_kindle_fire_nook_color_ipad_2_comparison   

Click here to check out the Verge and a detailed comparison of the specs on the Nook Tablet, Kindle Fire, Nook Color, and iPad 2. 

PlayStation Home Gets Makeover - More Virtual Items, New Virtual Spaces to enjoy!

 

Sony Computer Entertainment Americas (SECA) just launched a total redesign of it's core spaces in PlayStation Home, a 3D virtual space where users create avatars, play free online games, and hangout with their PSN friends.



 

 The PlayStation Home makeover includes updates like:

 

  • The Hub- a central point of interaction within Home with teleportation pods to various districts within Home.  It's the place to get information on community activities and meet new friends.

 

  • Sportswalk - an themed sports bar area geared towards the sport fans at heart that features a several poker tables, a interactive Sports Quiz machine, and  big screen TVs piping real world sports news from the Associated Press.

 

  • Action District - a space suited for hardcore gamers containing a first person shooter game called Bootlegger and ports to other action oriented areas of Home.

 


Other updates include a totally redesigned Mall and Theatre. I think current Home users who frequent the mall will enjoy the walk-in store experience that comes with this update. However, not all stores are accessible for walk-in but there are quite a few like the Threads, Ndreams, & Estates stores. It will be interesting to see a walk-in experience compares to the store front experience. A normal store front for those who aren't familiar with Home only allows your Avatar to entry into the door before the PSN Store displays onscreen. The new walk-in store are more realistic where you Avatar look around inside the store before deciding to make a purchase a the counter.  In many ways this yields several opportunities  for content creators to highlight certain specials or items in the store. 

 

 

 


Lastly, the ability to purchase music to play in our personal space (apartments and clubs) adds a nice addition as well. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to stream music from our PS3.

 

 

Amazon Wants You To get Your Kindle Fire Ready Play Music

Image

In exactly two weeks (Nov 15), Amazon will launch their new Kindle Fire tablet here in the US.  In preparation, Amazon wants you to get started started with loading your Amazon Cloud Drive with tons of stuff like music, pictures, and documents so its accessible from your Kindle Fire on Day 1. All Kindle Fires are automatically registered and will be able to download your stream/ download your content. Early this year Amazon had a "Buy an MP3 Album and Upgrade to 20 GB of Cloud Drive Storage for Free" offer which has already ended so if you were one of the lucky ones then you got a 20GB free storage for year. If not, then the 5GB free storage in the cloud is plenty for some people. Or is it? Amazon just recently announced unlimited space for music. Now that's enticing!

0image

What I think Amazon should do is give all Kindle Fire users 20GB of cloud storage for the first year; this will hook people into the idea of loading their music into the cloud and have them buy-in to the idea of having premium storage (20GB/yr). Then for users who had an opportunity to take advantage of the other offer earlier this year or purchase the 20GB plan, I would bump them up 50GB for a year. Keep in mind Amazon is given all Amazon Cloud Drive users unlimited storage of music so whatever is music is stored won't take up your storage space.

 
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo