Tag: tech

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Saying Goodbye to BBM

Before Snapchat, WhatsApp and iMessage there was BBM. A simple yet ahead of its time messaging app. Sure windows and Yahoo messengers allowed people to chat but required computers. Having the ability to talk to anyone for free while on the move was a new concept.

The app had amazing features like voice note and blue checkmarks that we take for granted today. The app was free but required a data plan and a blackberry device which almost everyone had. Unfortunately for Blackberry, a new challenger was entering the market and a big one at that.

Blackberry’s answer to the iPhone and Android handsets was the upcoming Blackberry OS10 keyboardless phone. Unfortunately, the handset arrived at the party very late with a huge price tag and no new features to write home about. To make things worse, you could not move your old pin and charts and had to start over.

By this time, the iPhone started to take off and gain momentum. It was after all backed by Apple. Hardcore BBM fans continued to use it me included but the user base was fading. The initial refusal of taking the app cross-platform gained WhatsApp the momentum of needed. Sure the company eventually added the missing features and took the app to IOS and Android but it was too little too late.

It’s a shame that BBM never got the attention of deserved especially since it was privacy driven. You can still subscribe to the enterprise version which costs money but at this point, it’s as good as dead to the normal consumer unless iMessage and WhatsApp goes away.

I remember people broadcasting annoying messages at 5 in the morning. I also remember people competing for the largest friends list. The good old days. It is the nature of fast-moving tech. Someday WhatsApp and even iPhone may go away but other apps and devices are anyways ready to take over. Enjoy and live in the moment.

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Why I don’t own a smart speaker and never will

Smart speakers have become the rage these days and I for the life of me can’t understand why. Unlike smartphones assistants, they are very limited in what they can do. Play music. $349.00 for an Apple HomePod? No thank you. Amazon’s Alexa is priced reasonably but at your privacy’s cost. It is confirmed that the speaker listens to everything that’s going on around it even when it is not part of the conversation. Smart speakers spy on you on behalf of the company that made them.

I love tech and new things. After all, technology was invented to help us get things done. I use it and always advice those around me to adopt and use it to its full potential. Getting things done easily is great, problem is that it gets to a point where you no longer feel human living in the real world. Somethings should be left untouched. Otherwise, the joy of simply doing things is gone.

Digital shopping is great and opened the opportunity for greater things but there is something special about going to the store, looking for the thing you want and buying it. It’s not about the item but the journey. I know that some of you will ask what does a smart speaker have to do with doing things? Exactly! Downloading music has replaced buying CDs already. Don’t take it unnecessary further. You don’t need a spy device that is sending everything you do in exchange for a play my song command that you can do with a remote or simply walking to the device and hit play.

Some would argue that smartphones are the hub for corporate spying but at least with a smartphone your getting a powerful, portable computer that you use and carry with you all the time. What is a smart speaker? A speaker with voice gimmick. You don’t need it. Use the money on something more worthy like a tablet, computer upgrade or simply save the money for something down the line.

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The Galaxy S8 made me love big phones

I’ve been an iPhone user since the iPhone 4s. The size was good enough for me switching from Blackberry. Then came the Galaxy Note II. I hated the experience almost instantly but had to finish my contract only to get back to the iPhone 5s followed by 6s which was by far the best iPhone I used. I still regret selling it as it had been with me on both of my recent memorable trips but I traded it for the iPhone 7.

Back to the point. I got myself the Nexus 6p but also hated it for how big the phone felt comparable to my iPhone 6s. My iPhone felt just the right side until I got the Galaxy S8. I covered the phone up almost immediately as it was way too slippery for my liking slipping out of my pocket more than once.

After using the phone for 6 months I must say I got used to how big the screen was. Holding the phone felt great as it the curved screen made it feel smaller than it was. Going back to the iPhone 7 felt wired. The text size was unacceptable as well as the phone’s size in general. I would go for the plus size should I ever go back to the iPhone.

Of course, not all big phones are comfortable to hold and there are still limits on how big a usable phone is to me. The Nexus 6P shape, for example, is harder to squeeze due to its flat edges rather than the likes of the Galaxy S8 curved. The Note 8 seems impossible to use with one hand hence the reason I went to the normal size Galaxy S8. But overall I’m all for bigger phones. Bigger than the standard iPhone that is. All thanks to my S8.

The downsides of having a large phone are the inability to use it with one hand and issue of it constantly falling out of my pocket. I used a case for a better grip. Sure it made the phone little bulkier but it is a fair trade I guess. The one hand mode made it easier to navigate but nothing beats IOS double tap to minimize (one hand mode). Bottom line is, the screen looks amazing and everything displayed is pleasant to look at. If you are like me and hate big phones, get the Galaxy S8. You will love it.

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Why I ditched Dropbox for Google

Where do I start? Dropbox was my go-to backup service when it came to my digital pictures and videos. I still remember discussing cloud storage with my coworker “its a simple, automatic backup for your phone’s pictures”. I was instantly sold. Before that, my digital pictures were scattered across my flash drive, portable hard disk and PC. What made the deal even sweeter was my Samsung Galaxy Note II promo which added free extra space.

I continued to pay for the next three years witnessing the company release and cancel carousel and upgrade the space to 1 TB thanks to Google’s bold move. This is however when I started to notice a few things that bothered me and initially pushed me to cancel my subscription. To put it simply;

“The company no longer innovated or cared about the non business users.”

Paying 10 bucks a month while not allot in it self-do add up. A couple years back Dropbox was the only solid gamer in town. Not so much in 2018. In fact, Dropbox offers you the least when compared to other services namely One Drive and Google Photos.

For $7 a month, One Drive offers 1 TB of storage as well as Office 365. Not bad considering your getting free full office apps along with your subscription. On top, your also getting files on demand feature that cost extra in Dropbox. Add the amazing Android support and you have a must buy deal. What extras does Dropbox offer? Non.

Speaking of Google Photos. The service offers FREE unlimited pictures and videos backup! FREE. Yes, the files are slightly compressed but the average consumer can’t tell the difference and you can’t beat FREE! A paid subscription gives you full resolution backups as well 1 TB of space for any other file. But what really makes Google Photos stand out is the ability to backup live photos. Seeing photos come to life is amazing plus you can download the short video on itself. As a bonus, all of your pictures are categorized and are searchable. What extras does Dropbox offer? Nothing again.

Which above subscription should you choose can be subjective but one thing is for sure: It’s not Dropbox. I supported the company for the few years I used it and even advocated the service to friends and family but I can no longer recommend it to anyone. The company is clearly trying to milk its users base with the new personal plans while offering nothing in exchange. I can’t even create albums for my pictures let alone organize and search them like Google Photos. So in essence, I’m paying more for less.

I know this may sound strange coming for a guy who loved Dropbox as he switched away and switched back before but one can love a product so much before realizing that the company is no longer interested in offering the best it can. I’m currently using my Galaxy S8’s promotion space on One Drive while also uploading to Google Photos. I’m leaning toward dropping all and just upload to Google Photos via a paid subscription. But then again, going over the limit and not paying will stop my Gmail from working but that’s fair I guess.

My final word for Dropbox: Get your act together. Taking your customers for granted while living off your legacy can work so much before they start looking for another lover. I wish Dropbox the best. As for me, I’m off to Google Photos.

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Xbox Scorpio’s specs revealed . A true 4k Monster?

So the wait is finally over, Microsoft officially revealed Xbox Scorpio’s specs and they are impressive, BUT is it really a 4K unstoppable monster?

Everything from the CPU to Ram is a noticeable improvement over the PS4 Pro and defiantly a worthy upgrade from the Original Xbox One and the S model, although I expected the Ram to be pushed toward the 16 GB mark as its kinda standard with high-end games settings on the PC, never the less the on-board 12 GB is still better than 8, at least in theory.

So where exactly does the Xbox Scorpio shine?

For starters, most if not all of Microsoft’s first-party titles that are already out should run allot better on the Scorpio provided Microsoft is gonna update the games to do so. Looking better is another thing. Yes, Microsoft will update the resolution and what not but it takes time and work to adjust and update games assets which may result in compatibility issues.

Microsoft and most importantly 3rd parties will need to properly adjust their games to take advantage of the new hardware while maintaining compatibility with the base models. Games will not magically look and run better despite what fanboys would like you to believe, and some developers will take the easy way out either making the base version run like crap or vice versa. Optimization is the key here. Otherwise, will end up with bad ports aka PC Arkham Knight.

Another area where Scorpio will dominate is the multi platform games. Games that are released on both platforms will run better on Scorpio. So if Console power is your main priority (which it shouldn’t be) then Scorpio is the only way to go, at least for a while.

Now into the most hyped feature of the upcoming console. Both Microsoft and the fanboys claim that the Xbox Scorpio will deliver native 4k with 60 frames in most games which are both true and false. Yes, Microsoft teased Forza tech demo running at 60 frames in 4k but at what settings? What the fanboys fail to realize due to them simply not knowing any technical aspects of gaming is that almost any current Xbox One S or PS4 Pro game can be run at 4K 60 frames provided the graphical settings are lowered enough.

Sports games are easier to run when it comes to 60 frames. First party titles will also be highly optimized to take full advantage of the system but the majority of 3rd party heavy games will most likely not be running at 60 frames at high settings. I’m speaking from a realistic point of view. A lot of developers will not fully optimize their games due to laziness or technical difficulty.

The Xbox Scorpio is the next Generation console that is also backwards compatible with Xbox One and 360 despite Microsoft telling you otherwise. And with PS5 being in the shadows it remains to be seen how things turn out in the near future.

With everything aside, I’m excited to see what the Scorpio can offer in term of games and features despite me mostly gaming on the PC. I love the Xbox brand and wish it nothing but success.

I’m anticipating the price reveal as it’s critical that Microsoft doesn’t over price it for the average consumer rendering the machine useless to allot of budget gamers especially that the Switch is selling like hot cakes. Those were my honest thoughts on the console. Thank you for reading.

Note: This is a text version. For video version, check out my YouTube channel.

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Window Media PC Remote Control final bought

For years my eBay watch list had an important item that for some strange reason kept on sleeping till this morning. The Wireless Window Media MCE PC Remote Control.

wmr

This item is very important even though I have a media box along with a hard drive supported TV that can load movies off it. Never the less, I can now use my PC from the comfort of my bed and by use I’m not talking about graphics editing. I can now watch movies, play music or start downloads. A simple thing can make the difference. Awaiting the arrival patiently.

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PlayStation TV?

The upcoming PlayStation TV which can be preordered from Amazon will make its way out on December 1, 2014. To be honest I’m not sure how I feel, on one hand this Device will rival the useless Apple TV and the new Amazon box as well as have the extra of playing PS one games and even streaming PS3/PS4 as well as playing PSP Vita.

On the other hand, the main propose of the TV device is to play movies and music which I’m not so sure about just yet. How much will a single movie cost to buy/rent? How much is available? What is the DRM like? I for one cant use this or any PlayStation network product as I have a total of three user names each of a story of its own and Sony wont let you change the region.

What I’m trying to say: This product may be good on paper but in realty? We are yet to see.

pstvPre Order from Amazon for $99.99 

  • Play Fun PlayStation Games Together: Hundreds of titles to download and play including PlayStation Vita games, classic games from PS One and PSP systems, and more.

  • Remote Play: Stream most of your PS4 games from your PS4 system to your PlayStation TV over local wi-fi.

  • Easy to Set up and Play: Plug in and play on almost any TV in your home.

  • PlayStation Now READY: Available later this year, PlayStation Now will give access to an expanding library of PS3 games to stream directly to PlayStation TV.

  • Movies, TV Shows, Music: Download, rent, or stream from PlayStation Store, Music Unlimited or other entertainment apps.

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IOS 7 Jailbreak is here, BUT

evasi0n

The not so long awaited IOS 7 jailbreak is here, but reports all over the web are pointing out that it may be sending user data to some site. The full story can be found on http://www.reddit.com/r/jailbreak/comments/1th41e/evasi0n7_update_thread_answers_to_what_the_heck/

I personal will hold off for a few days until the storm blows and everything will be visible. The need for Jailbreak is becoming less with every IOS update but not completely out as there are tons of addons that not only enhance the visuals but make the life of an iPhone owner easier. 

Jailbreak link: http://evasi0n.com