Trip to The Apple Store

With our children at their Grandparents for the day, Louise and I decided to have lunch at the Gateshead Metrocentre, and any trip to the Metrocentre is not complete without popping into the Apple Store.

I wanted to take a look at the new retina MacBook and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

Now, I don't think in this "Post PC era" that I will ever buy another laptop again, but if I did - then this would be the one.

I always think I will be underwhelmed by the retina display, but every time I see it, I am impressed beyond words.

The MacBook is no exception to this rule and I have to say it is jaw droppingly stunning. I have never seen pictures look that good on any device.

At the end of the day though, I want a MacBook, but I don't need a MacBook.

I do on the other hand need a second iPad as the one we have gets used by all 4 of us. So I took a look at the new iPad whilst in the store and once again was absolutely amazed by the retina display. It is truly truly unbelievable.

So, all in all a useful trip. The Apple Store is such a great experience. You can go and check out the products and get help and advice from Apples great team of specialists who don't put you under any pressure and help you decide what is the best product for you.

If you have an Apple Store close to you, pop in and take a look. I don't think you'll be disappointed, but I'll warn you - you may end up spending some money!!

Share and enjoy!!
Peter

Whatever happened to the Blackberry?

Remember when Blackberry ruled the world? I do! In fact I remember the first time that I ever saw a Blackberry. I'd received an email from a colleague and it included a signature which read "Sent from my Blackberry Wireless Handheld".

I asked him what this was all about and he produced from his pocket this little purple device and it turned out to be the Blackberry 7290.

I was instantly blown away by the device and immediately wanted one for myself. I got one shortly thereafter and it just made my life so much easier. I had a phone that I could also read emails on and browse the web. This was amazing, and so followed a period of unquestioned brand loyalty to these devices which were manufactured by the Canadian company known as Research in Motion (RIM).

Apart from one brief flirtation with what turned out to be a truly horrible Windows Mobile device, I spent the next few years using Blackberry smart phones including the Curve 8310 and finally the Bold 9000.

Blackberry was the undisputed champion of the smart phones, and this was specifically true when it came to businesses. Business people loved them, and so did the IT Professionals because they were easy and secure to manage.

So what went wrong? Boom - exactly five years ago today, this happened and everything started to change;

Steve Jobs took to the stage on June 29th 2007 and introduced the first iPhone. Initially it seemed as though iPhone and Blackberry would not be competition. The iPhone really started out as a pure consumer product, some people would even have called it a toy - whereas Blackberry was very specifically aimed towards the business sector.

Those lines started to blur however in the next couple of years, and when Apple introduced the App Store - people realised that there were Apps emerging to make the iPhone do almost anything you needed. iPhone became a device that businesses now wanted to use as well. All the while, RIM were not really evolving, and the emergence of Android hardly helped the situation either.

So what did RIM do to address this? Well, they tried to emulate the competition. They launched Blackberry App World in an attempt to tap into the consumer market. They also tried their hand at a touchscreen device (the Blackberry Storm).

It all felt a little half hearted however, and all it succeeded in achieving was to distance themselves from their core business customers - the true Blackberry devotees who love their physical keyboards, and firmly believe that Blackberry is the only device for business. RIM really need to hang on to these people!

They did enjoy a mini resurgence when teenagers started snapping up Blackberry devices to take advantage of the free to use Blackberry Instant Messenger service. However, a disastrous service interruption last year left users around the world without Email or Messaging functionality for several days, and this lead more and more loyal Blackberry users away and into the arms of Apple or Android.

Changes at the top level of RIMs management structure seem to have had little impact so far, and if they are ever to recapture their former glory, they are going to have to emerge from this identity crisis that they seem to be suffering. In recent days however, further setbacks at RIM have been highlighted. The new Blackberry 10 phone and OS have been delayed until 2013 - a delay that RIM really can't afford. In addition to this, 3000 RIM employees are to find themselves out of a job.

Sad to see, and it's amazing how things change so quickly isn't it. Apple and Android are King right now without question, but if Microsoft get themselves organized and make Windows Phone 8 a huge hit - then the landscape could all change yet again.

Who knows, and only time will tell!

Peter

Thursday Tech Roundup

Google I/O

Hot on the heels of recent Apple and Microsoft events, Google are this week staging their I/O Developers conference. The highlight of the event so far is the introduction of the Google ASUS Nexus 7 Tablet. This is positioned as competition for the Amazon Kindle Fire, but unlike the Fire - Google can at least be bothered to release it in the UK at what looks to be a very reasonable £159.00 for the entry level model.

Also announced were Jellybean which is the latest version of Googles Android OS, and a major overhaul of the Google Play Store where you can now buy films, TV shows and magazines.

Windows Phone 8

After announcing "Surface", their very sleek looking stage for Windows 8 - Microsoft have wasted little time in presenting the latest version of their Windows Phone OS. Codenamed "Apollo", Windows Phone 8 will update the existing Windows Phone 7 interface to bring it more in line with the full Windows 8 product that will run on PCs' laptops, and of course tablets - including obviously the Surface.

The Redmond based tech giant are going all out to streamline their impressive emerging range of software and hardware. The only down side of Windows Phone 8 is that existing Windows Phone 7 users will be unable to update to it, but will get a minor update to a version called Windows Phone 7.5.

Best of the rest

In other news, it is rumoured that when Apple launch iOS6 later this year that the Apple TV will get an update to include more native Apps. For users in the UK - it would be nice to see things like Sky Go and BBC iPlayer included. We'll have to wait and see how this unfolds.

Sticking with Apple for the moment, the Cupertino giant has finally suceeded in getting a Samsung product banned in the US - at least for the time being anyway. Samsung have been told to stop selling their Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet whilst yet another patent dispute is sorted out between this pair of petty squabblers. Where will it all end?

Samsung can console themselves in the meantime however in the knowledge that their latest smartphone - the Galaxy S3 has been an absolute runaway success. So much so that they are struggling to meet consumer demand.

I checked one out in a mobile phone store recently and I personally didn't like it as much as the S2, and also thought it was just too big. It's practically a tablet. However, plenty people seem to want one and that's all that counts as far as Samsung is concerned.

Rounding things off, and Facebook are rumoured to be working on a complete overhaul of their much used but little loved iPhone App. We'll have to wait and see what happens here but no matter how good or bad it turns out to be - you can sure that people will find a way to complain about "not yet another Facebook change". There's just no pleasing some folk is there!

And that's it folks! Share and enjoy!
Peter

Scratching the Surface

Microsoft revealed their new Tablet Device yesterday at an event in Hollywood. CEO Steve Ballmer took to the stage and introduced us to "Surface".



It is not the tech giants first attempt at dipping their toes into the tablet market. Way before Apple put their stamp all over tablets, Microsoft had tinkered with their own products with pretty underwhelming results.

In fact, Microsofts entire history at producing their own consumer hardware products has not been very successful to say the least. The only exception to this of course would be the unbelievably popular XBOX.

So hopefully they will have learned from some past mistakes and this product will be the first genuine competitor to the amazing iPad. iPads dominance has yet to be seriously challenged. The Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook don't compare to the Apple device, nor do any of the Android tablets that have been released so far.

Microsoft have dared to be different here though, and their interface is the first one on a Tablet that doesn't seem to be trying to be an iOS clone.

Two versions were demonstrated at the event. One thinner tablet running Windows RT, the new version of Windows 8 that uses the new British "ARM" low power processors, and another thicker device running the full Windows 8 and using traditional Intel chips.

The devices come with a stand and a magnetic attachable keyboard which looks very nice indeed. So far, no release date or pricing structure have been announced but I would expect this to be sometime later this year so that sales can be made with Christmas in mind!

So what will consumers make of this product? Well, first and foremost Microsoft will have to make their pricing structure competitive with the iPad to tempt customers away from Apple.

Ease of use will also be a big factor. iOS is so easy to use, and although my initial tests of Windows 8 (on a Dell Inspiron Duo Touchscreen device) have left me impressed, I think it will take users a bit of time to feel comfortable and at home with the interface. There are a few new multi touch gestures to get the hang of, but once you get used to those it is pretty easy.

Microsofts secret weapon here may be the fact that both Windows 8 versions on this device give you the ability to do anything you can on a Microsoft PC or Laptop. You also get USB ports. The iPad is truly amazing, and if you put your mind to it you can make it do almost anything you need. However, there are still occasions where it won't do something you need and you have to power on your PC or laptop which is frustrating. The Microsoft Surface could change all that.

Time will tell how successful the Microsoft Surface will be. I for one think it has a place in the market, and will be keeping my eye on pricing when it is announced. My early prediction will be that iPad will still dominate as iOS is the nicer interface to use, but Microsoft will make an impact here due to the features it will offer that iPad won't.

Apple WWDC 12 Highlights

Each year, Apple holds it's World Wide Developers Conference - and this years event started on June 11th in California. Day 1 kicked off with a keynote speech from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is now a familiar figure at such events since the passing of Steve Jobs.





Although Cook is not as charismatic as Jobs, he always speaks very passionately, eloquently, and obviously from the heart - and he was excited to introduce a series of speakers representing Apples finest. Here's a brief rundown of what they had to tell us;

Macbook Pro

Phil Schiller announced a new series of MacBook Pro laptops feauturing Apples now famous Retina Display. The device is built around flash storage for maximum performance and reliability, and includes Ivy Bridge Processors, and USB 3.0 ports. It's 25% thinner than the last model and very light. These are going sell like hot cakes.





Mountain Lion

Any laptop is only as good as the software it runs, and Mac OS X has received an update which Apple are calling Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion introduces some new features that iOS users will already be familiar with, such as iMessage, Notification Centre, and iCloud integration. This is a logical evolution for Mac OS X and it continues to bring it closer and closer to iOS in its features and capabilities. In time, they will surely merge into one and the same platform.



iOS 6

This was the part of the keynote that I was waiting for however. As impressive as the new Macbooks and Mountain Lion obviously are, in truth I can't ever see me wishing to buy any sort of laptop ever again. The tablet market is simply going to explode in the very near future, and the ongoing development of platforms like iOS will play a key part in this and in my opinion will ultimately kill off the laptop once and for all.





Scott Forstall took to the stage and introduced us to just a few of the 200 new features of iOS 6;

1). Facebook Integration - In the same way that iOS 5 had Twitter baked in, iOS 6 will have Facebook all over it. You'll be able to post photos to Facebook directly from the Camera Roll and Photo Stream, and also like Apps directly from the App Store. Facebook and Twitter will also now be accessible via Notification Centre.

2). Apple Maps - Apple are in a mood with Google, which is not surprising considering what they did with Android. So it was only a matter of time before they dumped Google Maps from iOS and replaced it with something else.

Apple have partnered with Tom Tom on their new Maps App and it looks very nice indeed. It features turn-by-turn navigation, 3D maps and Siri integration among other things. The Flyover feature, which displays highly-detailed 3D models of famous cities around the world was pretty much the highlight of the iOS 6 demonstration.

3). Safari - Also available on the new Mac, iCloud tabs will now be enabled via iOS 6. Using iCloud tabs you can view all open Safari tabs across all of your iCloud devices. In addition to this there is now a photo upload tool supported by the browser.

4). Siri - Apples Voice Assistant has been updated too. Siri can now launch Apps, and answer questions about movies, restaurants and sports. In addition to this, Siri will now also be available on The New iPad.

5). FaceTime - FaceTime will now work over a cellular connection. How effective it will be over 3G networks will remain to be seen and this feature may only serve to highlight the continuing delay of the evolution of 4G LTE technology (especially here in the UK).

6). Phone - Believe it or not, the iPhone can actually be used to make and receive calls (who would have thought)? The Phone App has one or two new features. These include the ability to reject an incoming call with a button which directs you to either send the caller a quick text back, or set a reminder to call them back when you can.

You can also set your phone to Do not Disturb mode to avoid being woken in the night by calls or alerts. This feature does have settings that can be altered to allow important calls to get through to you on a second attempt however - which is a useful feature.

7). Passbook - Passbook is a new App that will store all of your digital tickets, boarding passes, store cards and coupons in one easy-to-access app. For example, you can have your Starbucks Pass on there and use this to get your Coffee when you go into any Starbucks. This App is an early indication that the next iPhone could very well include NFC (Near Field Communiciation Technology) which will basically turn your phone into a payment device.

Overall Conclusions

Nice work by Apple as usual and I find myself very impressed. The new Macbooks are available right now and OSX Mountain Lion is coming very soon at the very reasonable price of $19.99.

iOS 6 beta is available to Apple Developers right now. I was briefly tempted to pay the yearly £59.99 Apple Developers membership so I could get my hands on it immediately, but ultimately I have resisted and will wait for it to be released in the autumn of this year. My guess is that things will follow a similar pattern as last year, with iOS 6 released in early October along with "The Next/New iPhone". I for one can't wait!

And that's Apple WWDC 12!

Share and Enjoy!

Peter

I wish I was Walt Mossberg

If you haven't heard of Walt Mossberg, then clearly you don't bleed "all things technology" as I do!

Mr Mossberg is a Personal Technology Columnist for the Wall Street Journal and in partnership with his fellow Journal columnist Kara Swisher, Mossberg created, produces and hosts the Journal's annual D: All Things Digital conference in Carlsbad, CA, in which top technology leaders, such as Bill Gates, appear on stage without prepared remarks, or slides, and are interviewed by the two columnists. Mossberg and Swisher also co-edit the All Things Digital web site, which includes his columns, her blog and other posts.

Source for above text from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mossberg

Now, up until a couple of years ago - my career in IT was just that, a career. But this has evolved into a passion and a hunger for new and emerging technology, and information on the same. I simply cannot satisfy my thirst for the subject. This is the primary reason for the existence of this very blog. Would I like to reach a wider audience than I do with it? I'd be lying if I said no, in fact I aspire to that very goal - but I basically enjoy writing these posts in the hope that at least one person will find them informative and useful.

Walt Mossberg basically has my dream job it has to be said. He has certainly worked very very hard to get there though - that is beyond question, and if I possess a tenth of his knowledge on Information Technology, then I think I am doing pretty well!

This years D: All Things Digital conference has just taken place, and I for one have been thoroughly educated and entertained by the videos of the various speakers in attendance. These have included Tim Cook, Ari Emanuel, Sean Parker, and Mary Meeker. There was also a very nice tribute to the late Steve Jobs with remarks from those who knew him well. I really wish I could have been at the conference as it would have been quite an experience. Maybe one day perhaps.

In the meantime, I'll keep reading and learning, and being entertained by people like Walt Mossberg, and who knows - maybe one day I'll get to sit in one of those red chairs and talk to some very cool and influential people in this exciting and ever changing world of technology. I can dream can't I!

Windows 8 Release Preview is released

Microsoft have made the latest beta version of Windows 8 available to download. It's called Windows 8 Release Preview and you can download your copy from Techspot.

http://www.techspot.com/news/48837-windows-8-release-preview-is-out-download-now.html

I wasted no time downloading it and have configured it as a Virtual Machine using Oracle Virtual Box.

First impressions - it seems a lot more responsive than its predecessor (Windows 8 Consumer Preview) and this is good. There seem to be one or two new metro apps available as well and I only expect the App Store to get better and better in the coming months.

One of the new Apps I have discovered in the Store is Tweetro for Twitter. I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it yet, but it looks pretty good.

The People Hub seems much improved too and I was easily able to add Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIN accounts to this App.

So, another positive step forward on this platform by Microsoft from where I stand. It only increases the anticipation of the full product launch (and all the new compatible tablet hardware to go with it), and this is still rumoured to be in October/November this year.

And that's Windows 8 release Preview! Share and Enjoy!
Peter