2012 My Year in a mini - review

2012 has now gone and we are officially in 2013 narrowly avoiding the end if the world on the 21st of December - End of the world – as it didn't happen | Science | guardian.co.uk I wrote this piece a month ago and thought I'd better post it.

• For technology in the Apple world we have seen the iPhone 5, IPad 4th generation and iPad mini and I expect to see Apple release the same products again with minor iterations in 2013. They will be billed with the usual hype that its the best thing ever, you need it and like sheep I will notably follow and but them.
• I tried the Galaxy note last year and it was a good experiment and whilst android had moved on with the number of applications available. I still found there were bugs with Bluetooth car kits, I needed to root the phone to use it to its full potential with Tasker and it was plagued with battery life issues. Whilst certain people sweat they can get a full day on a Note; I cannot and need two batteries.
• The iPhone 5 turned up only to find IOS 6 is plagued with the same Bluetooth bugs as android when connecting to a car kit. The battery life isn't remarkable but iOS 6.02 killed it, thus required a downgrade.
• The iPad 4th generation was a shock and unexpected and has totally rebooted how quick I will now update this device.
• The Nexus 7 whist a great form factor and tablet still lacked tablet based applications and was sold when the iPad mini turned up.
• The iPad mini was a shocker as it use it daily instead of my iPad 3. I will certainly be looking out for one with beefier specs in the future.
• The Mac mini server was a disappointment requiring a new monitor to work correctly on thunderbolt and Mountain Lion Server is just unreliable, bloated and a comparison to Vista.
• The Nokia Lumia 800 was a surprise as I have really enjoyed using Windows 7. However after it was effectively killed off Microsoft casts out loyal Nokia Lumia customers - Computer Business Review

In 2012 I renewed my interest in photography again and have decided to take part in the Project i365 and post a new picture a day using my iPhone. I also purchased an excellent course on using Snapseed -The Magic of Snapseed by Justin Balog This has shown me how powerful the product is as now my go to product for any photo editing on my iPad or iPhone.

 

Kickstarter had also been another interest where I have invested in the following projects

• Pebble watch
• Cookoo watch
• Mobiclip
• Bridge
• Wacca Wicca battery
• Storm fly
• Iexpandr case
• iPhone Led notifications
• Hilo lens
• Zopro case

To name a few....

 

I expect 2013 to be another year like 2012 with a new ipad and iPhone but am really looking forward to the kickstarter projects when they arrive. But I envisage getting rid of the larger ipad and sticking with the mini.

 

So we are well into 2013 now in February so lets see how the year pans out.

 

 

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The Return

It was June 24th 2010 I had enough of Android due to lack of application and poor handset choice, symbian was a non starter due to lack of handset choice and longevity of the os, mameo; now meego hand disappointed with the n900-again due to lack of applications, Web os whilst a new and exciting os had poor device build quality, blackberry was never a contender and windows mobile had really died.

On this day iphone 4 was launched where for myself the handset on offer had caught up with other devices in terms of specification and was finally an option for me to look at. My last venture in apple devices was when the original iphone launched in the UK in 2007. This was very short lived as the device was only 2g and there was little that could be done with it other than jail breaking. At the time I got rid of it apple has started their application store, but the specification of the iPhone didn't win me over as Nokia was still releasing decent devices that were 3g, so using a 2g device was like going back in time.

By the time the iphone 4 was released the app store had matured and the phone spec was reasonable even of it was on a par with a n95 a few years older in terms of camera, gps and 3g. Albeit some would still argue the n95 surpasses the iphone 4.

Since June I have bought into the apple ethos aka reality distortion field and now have Macs,IPads and apple routing equipment at home. The iPhone started this all off as IOs works better with Mac os; here starts the snowball.

Fast forward to today where a few weeks ago my 4s had to be returned to apple to be repaired. This left me without a device. My nexus S just didn't cut it as a phone for daily use as the battery didn't last too long and I found it very slow especially running ics (ice cream sandwich).

This gave me an opportunity to delve into what else was available where I picked up a Lumia 800 running windows phone 7 and a Samsung Galaxy Note. The Lumia whilst a device with a short life span is interesting as the build quality is great and I have found the application choice whilst small on windows to have most of the main applications I use, except a decent Podcast client. But as a long term device for me it is the next step up from a feature phone.

The note was an interesting choice as I had wanted to get a Dell Streak another 5" device at the time I got the iphone 4. If it wasn't for the local O2 shop refusing to sell me a streak, this journey would have ended up somewhere differently. I had heard a lot about the note but thought that the size was too cumbersome and actively poked fun both at the phone and its owners.

There were a number of people on twitter on podcasts who I follow kept going back to the note so I thought why don't I give it a try.

I ended up ordering the phone though Amazon Germany as it was a cheaper than buying it the UK even with postage. You can find the specification of the device at the following link

www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/mobile/spec.html?type=find

To my surprise I have now being using it for over the past two weeks as the screen has just been a delight. The usage has been that fantastic that my 4s is still switched off and I don't think I can go back to a smaller screen. The device is large, the battery lasts about a day but I have spare batteries something I have not been able to change for over 2 years :-)

I was previously a Nokia communication user and loved the E90. Alas both Nokia and symbian was no more for me so I have been looking for alternatives. I find that the note captures the good experience of using a large screen device without comprise. The touch wiz skin on ICS is fluid and I have not experienced any significant slowdowns that I've had on previous android devices. To the extent the device is not even rooted.

Samsung recently released the S3 again very similar size to the note but a brilliant internal specification. There are rumours that tomorrow at the IFA opening that Samsung will be announcing the note 2 with the same internal specs.

I will be watching this closely as this may be my next purchase and not the next iphone even though it is rumoured to have a larger screen.

I have bought a lot of accessories for the 4s and am not happy that the next generation may mean that these accessories will not work.

One could argue the same with any device that there are always changes but at least Samsung has standardised on the micro usb port so my cables will still work.

I have found android to have matured over the past two years on the application side. It still does not offer the to pickings as IOs but it's getting there. It is now at a juncture where I am confident to move over full time as the past two weeks have show.

Applications such as tasker, swift keyboard and juice defender daily keep my phone usage automated and in power. Swift keyboard is as good as the iphone keyboard and it's actually scary how swift keyboard learns your writing style.

So I've finally made the jump again or return whichever way you view it. I may have been an apple fanboi in some eyes but I was just at a point where I needed something that was stable and worked.

For me now-android and the note are my choice until the wind blows again and something else catches my eye.

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InfoSec 2012 Caravan Exhibition

This year was my first time at InfoSec and it would be my last if it wasn't for the reason that attendance actually gets me CPE credit towards keeping my CISSP qualification.

I booked the day from work with the intention of taking a casual visit to see what was on offer. I have ended up leaving the show believing it was really a pointless journey. The highlight of the trip was meeting a technical account manager with a company I will be doing business with in the near future, but that is really all I will remember. The layout of the exhibition, the facilities and free seminars are the better part of the exhibition but there was an overall sense of lacking any substance.

All the major suppliers from Symantec, Qualys, Cisco, HP and IBM had a presence at the show and it left me with an air of sales, sales and more sales. There were quite a number of smaller companies offering their services and again the choice was wide but it was again pretty much the same. I coined the thought of going to a caravan show where all they sell are caravans. They come in all shapes and sizes, offer the same range of facilities and there is a price for all people. But it is just a caravan...

When I had left the show I was reading the Register and there was a small article on InfoSec 2012 and another alternative Information Security Exhibition at the Barbican Centre called B-sides London. The latter event actually ran on Wednesday 25th April at the same time as InfoSec. From reading the information about the confernence I really should have either attended this in addition to InfoSec or alternatively just gone to this conference as the schedule of talks looked more indepth and more attuned to what was happening in the security world physically, rather than just lots of companies trying to sell you their caravans. There are still a lot of sponsors for this event so it is not as if it does not have support from the industry.

The Bside event has ran this year and last year at the same as InfoSec and personally I am hoping they are running the show next year at the same time. It will mean an overnight stay in London but attending both shows I will get to see both the the A-side and the B-side with Caravans.

 

The App police at it again!

I have already in a previous post talked extensively about my contempt for apple a lately pulling apps not long after approving them. Again this week we find quickpick and imame being added to this list .

I wasn't so worried about imame as its just an emulator for arcade machines and whilst it can open Roms it may be useful in the future. But quickpick a bit similar to launch centre again was pulled as it didn't meet the guidelines for the notification centre, then launch centre itself was not approved for same reason and was rewritten purely as a standalone application. TUAW explains more here.  I was luckily to get quickpick and have set up some shortcuts to enable me to get to settings quicker until apple stops this when the next version of IOS is released. 

What is actually getting up my back is these applications are being approved, I buy them as they are useful, the media catches on then before we know it apple retracts them. I am allowed to continue using the application but need to ensure it has been backed up to iTunes because if I ever delete it without doing this I will lose it forever. When the app is pulled you are no longer able to download it, it is removed form iCloud for backing up and restore. If there are bugs and unless the developer changes the app, resubmit and gets it approved. You are totally screwed as it can never be fixed and you will need to find an alternative. 

I have bought other applications such as which allowed me to clear my ram on the iPad. This is no longer available to purchase and I can't get an updates, all because apple thought the ram clear process was unnecessary.  Although I have found and bought an alternative how long will this one last for?

I accept that they have rules and these should be adhered to, but all I ask is don't approve the applications in the first place as I buy them, you pull them then I am totally fucked because the whole support structure with the application just disappears. 

I have paid a lot of money for some applications such as Navigon where i spent over £80 on the additions or offers and for full western europe maps. This scenario may never happen but what if apple either brings their own navigation and decide to cancel all other sat nav apps I the app store? Or a feature that is used in an upgrade they refuse to accept. Effectively each time I purchase something I am taking a chance that it will still exist tomorrow. 

 

Screw you Apple I want a Cuban Cigar!

This is one of those weeks being an Apple user that I want just want to bin the devices due to Apples archaic over bearing out right dumb policing policy. There's been two instances this week that they've hit the press for.

Itether the tethering application that they first approved then pulled hours later either due to pressure from the mobile networks or realised they had approved it in error. The second instance removing the shortcut trick to most system settings.

Itether didn't really bother me as I use the tethering built into iOS on Three's AYCE One plan. But it really grates on me that people bought the application then it's removed so no further updates especially after approving it.

The second item of the shortcuts is one of the best tricks I have seen in along while that doesn't need a jailbreak and is really useful as it removes the need to navigate the cumbersome settings screen. I can understand from a security
perpsective they might wish to remove the URLS that are used incase it can be exploited and begin damaging a device. But overall it just enhanced the usuability of the iPhone.

I've been very tolerant since owning now 3 IPhone devices putting up with the outdated interface. I am more than happy having a launcher just to run applications and the notification revision in iOS 5 was a welcome refreshment.

But the latest decision to reverse the shortcuts and the removal of the tethering application are just two recent examples Apple are out of touch with reality.

When Lion was announced the Mac App Store was launched, again I feared the same policing and the Mac changing into another dumb interface. Just look at mission control a complete waste of resource and code. I have found applications in the Mac App Store dumbed down when compared to the same piece of software available on a publisher's website. One example being an application removal tool that is able to move items to the trash but not delete due to App store restrictions. But the equivalent web version out of the app store has features that are missing.

Apple has announced sandboxed applications for next year in the application store. Will this mean any application I buy that no longer fits the rules will be banned and I will need to buy it again outside of the walled garden to get updates?

I remember the quotes of Edgar Friendly in Demolition Man about the Cuban cigar.

Here it is in full:

Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

You know:

1. I want choice on all my devices.



2. I am happy to use them as you intended but please don't tell me what I can and cannot do.



3. Please don't take away functionality to make it an expensive brick and worst of all stop being a hypocrite with apps like Itether.



4. Listen to your customers as we can think, can make decisions and don't need to be told what's bad for us!

Lovefilm for iPad

I have been a subscriber to the Lovefilm DVD rental service since the beginning of the year and have thoroughly enjoyed getting the films and watching them. Another addition to the service has been their streaming service of which I originally ran via a mac mini under my TV but am now watching it via a Sony blueray player. The choice is limited and it's rare you will see a blockbuster that is recent but with over 5000 films to choose from there is always something to watch.

Today, their iPad application has been released that leverages the streaming service but direct to your tablet. Being as the iPad doesn't use flash this is a welcome addition and means I can now drop my cloud browse application service of which I was using with an iPad app to attempt to stream films but didn't works as the servers are based in the USA.

The restrictions to the service is only 2 devices so my Sony DVD player and my iPad are the only 2 devices I can have registered. It would have been nice to register more devices such as my partner's iPad and an iPhone should they ever bring out an iPhone application.

The other caveat is it only works over wifi but using the 3 ayce 30 day sim only plan for my iPhone and tethering to the iPhone I can stream the films and around this restriction.

It's early days but this is a welcome addition to IPad where I have been suspecting if they would release an application for a long time after an update to their main application and calling Lovefilm by Post.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My new electric car AKA iPad 2

My ipad2 finally arrived one week earlier than expected but really didn't have the opportunity to put it through its paces until the weekend that has just gone. A lot of people have said the iPad 2 is just an incremental upgrade with cameras, a5 processor and extra ram and would just miss this iteration for iPad3.

The only issue I had with the original iPad was it was limited when using it's multitasking when wanting to switch between several applications. With only 256mb of ram there would be occasions when an application would just close and you would need to reopen it. Applications such as flipboard were notorious for this where i am assuming it was due to the fact it was using a lot of graphics.

I have found the ipad2 to work a lot more smoothly and even switching between applications such as zite or flipboard whilst web browsing have been more responsive and not prone to closing as on the first generation. Even when connecting to Citrix server using the Citrix receiver was a lot smoother than on the iPad 1.

For me the upgrade was both necessary and worthwhile due to the above where I can now begin the prospect of leaving my mac book pro at home in favour for the iPad 2.

The only thing that ruins the whole experience for the iPad is the tethering to iTunes to activate, backup and sync. Until this chain is severed the iPad remains me of an electric car. You can't really travel on a long journey without having to plug back in to fuel up. Android has already severed this link and has been like this ever since android 1.5 if not earlier. Whilst there is a lot of people saying that iOS needs to upgrade it's UI and notification system, I honestly believe as a priority I needs to severe the cable tethering first. Even if apple were to allow wireless syncing next I don't believe that this is enough. If I go to a shop and purchase an android tablet I can take it out of the box, power it on, connect to the internet and begin setting it up. With iOS devices this doesn't happen until activation using iTunes and a cable.

In summary I am happy overall with my choice of upgrade but am still bound by not being able travel far with it and the need to be near a PC or MAC in a post Pc era so I can re-activate should I run into problems that require this.