Don't Buy the iPhone 4S. Unless ..

So, Apple announced the iPhone 4S today.  The gory details are up on Apple's website. It's the same physical size, but its faster and has a few more features.  Most notably, it has an improved voice notification system called Siri that promises to interpret voice commands into emails, texts, reminders, etc.  If it works well, it could very well be the future of computing input. Pre orders start on October 7th, with the release on October 14th.

Ok, now that all that is out of the way, I wouldn't recommend the upgrade if you already own an iPhone 4.  However, if you're willing to part with your iPhone 4, there's a great option available: Gazelle.com.

Gazelle is an online retailer that accepts trade-ins for devices.  It has a strong emphasis on electronics and gadgets, and the prices are decent.  They offer PayPal, Amazon Gift card, or a physical check.  For my Black 16GB iPhone 4 in mint condition (not flawless), I received an offer of $191 - basically enough to cover the $200 price of the 16GB iPhone 4S.  Best of all, my offer is locked in for 30 days, so I don't have to trade it in until after I receive the iPhone 4S on October 14th.

Because I'm getting it basically for free, I'm looking forward to the iPhone 4S. I'll definitely do a video review on the site.

New Tech: Windows 8 vs iPad 2

I've been fascinated with the Windows 8 Developer build, especially the quick boot time.  One of the key benefits of the ever-more-powerful smartphone and tablet market is that they are easy to boot up and get into.  Desktops have never had this luxury, especially with traditional hard drives. As I showed in the video on my last post, the Windows 8 boot time is impressive. Are we finally at a point where a desktop OS can boot up comparably with a tablet? 

In today's video, I put Windows 8 on a desktop to the test against an iPad 2.  I start them both at the same time and see which one gets to the password screen the fastest. I use the password screen because both start pretty much instantaneously after a password is entered.

Windows 8 boot time - 28 seconds

iPad 2 boot time - 35 seconds

Old School Tech: Historypin

Historypin is a great website that uses Google Maps to show how places have been viewed at different times throughout history. An iPhone app allows you to see historical pictures from around you.  One of the coolest features is that you can overlay any older pictures with the newer Google Streetview pictures  of a given area.

 http://www.historypin.com/

What Has Kept Me Interested in Tech?

The above video is a great example of the mind of Steve Jobs. It goes beyond tech. It's about finding your true interests, passions, and converting those into a way of life.

I wasn't always an Apple person. As a matter of fact, I still have never used their desktops / laptops because I prefer the upgradeability of a desktop PC.  But I've dived headfirst into the iOS ecosystem, and now I own an iPhone 4, and iPad 2, and an Apple TV 2nd Gen. What happened?

Jobs didn't put form over function or vice versa. He held them both equally important. Function would always attract the geeks, but form is what gets the average person to fall in love with a tech product.

At about the 5 minute mark, Steve says:

You have to trust in something ... because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off of the well worn path

Well said, sir. 

Google+ For iPhone: Needs a Bit More Time In The Oven

 The Google+ app has replaced the Calculator on my home screeen

Google finally released an iPhone app for its Google+ social network. However, there are a few things that are missing - things that make it hard for me to depend on the app for my mobile social networking needs.

Photo Problems

The good news is that I can take a photo on the iPhone and upload it directly to Google+, which is great for random daily shots. However, the pics automatically go into its own album.  If I have an existing album that I want to add photos to, I can't.  Also, I can't create an entirely new album and add photos to it.  These are all things that I can do in the Facebook app, and really helps to keep track of photos taken during a trip.

Post Management

Tagging people in posts is totally borked. It brings up a list of random users that I may or may not be connected with, instead of prioritzing people that I've already added to circles like the desktop version of Google+ does.  This is especially inconvenient when commenting on posts whcih a large amount of existing comments.

When I'm Twitter, I'm a constant retweeter.  I believe in spreading info that people have already provided, which also gives them credit.  Unfortunately, I can't do that in the Google+ app. I can vote up (or +1) posts that I like, but I can't +1 individual comments. 

Other Annoyances

Most icons within the app do not change at all when you press them.  If I press a button, I can't tell if the app has frozen, if the app didn't register my touch, or if the app is just taking its sweet time to load. It's incredibly annoying.