Apple Introduces iPhone X (Ten)

In an effort to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, yesterday Apple introduced the iPhone X (ten) and currently skipping over an iPhone 9. They finally dropped most of the storage sizes which hopefully will become the standard for all devices across the board as 16GB and 32GB anything is rather stupid and overly cheap of companies. The phones come in just two storage sizes - 64GB and 256GB. Most people will not need more then 64GB. They also showed off the Apple Watch 3 which might actually be worth buying now along with Apple TV 4k. Below are the highlights. You can watch the 2 hour event in 13 minutes here. Also iOS 11 will be released on September 19 for new devices and old.

iPhone X
- Price: $1000 (64GB)
- Release Date: November 3 (pre-orders start on October 27)
- Screen: 5.8" Super Retina OLED display that goes edge to edge of the device, removing the home button (replaced with swipe up motion)
- FaceID - replaces Touch ID by using facial recognition that uses multiple sensors and data including infra-red, to detect a face.
- Other: A11 processor, 12-megapixel camera with image stabilization, and Qi wireless charging
- Summary: its an iPhone Plus for those that really deeply care about screen quality and don't mind paying for it.

Shiva Ayyadurai Did Not Invent the Concept of Email

Below are two stories removed by Univision due to possible litigation with Shiva Ayyadurai whose assertions have not reached a historical consensus. Ayyadurai claims he invented email. The article makes a good case on how he did not. Or at least he was not the first. At most he can claim to have invented the word "email".

It likely is like the case as with other inventions where ideas get created independently of each other but the "winner" is the one to do it first. For example the inventor of the airplane is credited to the Wright brothers for their flight on December 17, 1903 while Brazil considers Alberto Santos-Dumont to be the "father of flight" for his airplane invention that flew on October 23, 1906. Chances are he had no clue of Wright brothers work and so independently invented the airplane. He could accurately claim, based on his knowledge at the time, to be the 1st to fly. Except he wasn't by three years.

Just like Ayyadurai probably had no idea that sending electronic messages from one device to another via a network already existed when he independently created his program called "email." It doesn't change the fact, as indicated by the links below, that he was not the first and thus should not credit no matter how desperate he is to make it happen (100+ websites? really?) and apparently is willing to sue to force history to align to his viewpoint. Sadly the law isn't about justice or being right, it is often just about those with the will and means (aka money) to fight regardless if the fight is worthy or not.

Apple Announces the iPhone 7

Yesterday Apple official announced the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch 2. In short, as rumored, they have eliminated the headphone jack in favor of bluetooth solutions, a dongle, and waterproofing the device. To early to say if the trade off is worth it. In general, just like in the last few years, all the devices are just the usual incremental improvements in CPU, camera and other features. If you are currently using an iPhone 6, the bump to 7 is minor at best but for older devices you might see a real improvement in overall quality. One thing to consider is how often you use wired headphones. If you almost never use them, then the iPhone 7's lack of headphone jack probably will not matter to you but otherwise its something you will need to consider in your upgrading decision. I signed up for the iPhone upgrade program last year but the differences are so minor that it doesn't seem worth bothering with. I can easily get three years or more out of my iPhone 6. While I use bluetooth devices heavily, I also do occasionally switch to headphones either out of convenience or because of dead batteries so the lost of that port is actually giving me pause. Maybe once can touch and feel it in a store I can make a final decision. Below is the highlights, click the links for more details.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
- Headphone jack removed: replaced with an adapter that plugs into lightening port (replacement dongles are $9) with expectation of users moving to Bluetooth for sound needs

- Home Button Removed: replaced with Force Touch sensitive spot that acts as the home button

Apple Announces New Lineup of iPhones and iPads

Today Apple held their press conference to announce their updated line up of iPhones, iPads, and iWatch accessories. Over all the iPhone 6s and iPad mini 4 are just another incremental in processor speed and camera capabilities while the Apple TV is getting a performance boost and OS upgrade. The regular size iPad didn't get any bump in favor of a new model called the iPad Pro which is really just the regular iPad with a larger screen and ability to work with an Apple only stylus pen along with adding the iWatch's Force Touch (now called 3D Touch) to all the new iDevices. 3D Touch allows for the apps and the screen to provide options based on a tap vs press vs deep press. Also they will all come out with iOS9 which will be released to older devices on September 16th. On to the overview.

Upgrading to Windows 10: Information Worth Checking Out

As of Wednesday, Windows 10 has started to roll out for free to anyone with an authenticated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8. The roll-out will occur in waves so when you can get your free copy might be from now to weeks from now. There are ways to get it early (link below) but really you might as well just wait for it to happen as Microsoft is still bug hunting. For many the question is "should I upgrade, even for free". The short answer is yes. The long answer is still yes but it can' wait. The key reason is those (mostly minor) bugs. If you don't have the patience for inexplicable problems, give it a few months. Also if your current computer that might get upgraded is critical for say work or other important tasks also wait just in case. If you are using an older version of Windows, say XP etc then chances are you have a really old computer. Upgrading will cost you money ($120 for Home, $200 for Pro) so you might as well just wait until you are ready to buy a new computer. Below are links to key bits of information and tips for Windows 10.

- Key improvements overview - If on the fence, hit the link to see if some of the Win10 improvements are worth it.

- Ten New Things in Win10 - A look at a few of the new features of the OS.

- Win10 Privacy Settings: A run through of the different tweaks you can make to adjust your privacy in the OS.

- Up Now Instead of Waiting on Push - A walk through to get Windows 10 now rather than waiting for whenever Microsoft decides it is your turn.

- Five settings to check: Just some basic settings to setup to your preferences.

- More Tweaks: More suggestions to tweak preferences on Win10.

- Customize Win10 Start Menu - Run though on how to tweak the look, size and contents of the Start Menu

- Cortana Overview - Run through on type of questions can ask Cortana, which is Microsoft's version of Siri and Google Voice.

- Change your default browser: Its not as easy as it used to be, partly for security and partly cause MS would prefer you used their new Edge browser (which is getting rave reviews).

- Stream XBox One to your Windows 10 PC: This assumes you have very good network at your location (may not work well with wi-fi) as it is data intensive (through your router, the info doesn't go through your service provider).

- Disable Bing Search in Start Menu: If you don't want Cortana to provide results from the web along with local computer files, it might be worth cutting this off.

- Replacement Start Menu programs do work: If you just prefer the Windows 7 Start Menu, programs like Classic Start and Win8 (now Win10) still work.

- Delete old builds to free up disk space: After the update this might be useful if you have a computer with limited disk space.

- Best Win10 keyboard shortcuts - I almost never bother with keyboard shortcuts (even though they are useful). For those that do, hit the link.

- Disable sharing wi-fi passwords - In theory this is a good idea as makes it easy for friends and family to join your home wi-fi network. In practice though its best for you to retain complete control on who does join so I recommend cutting this off.

- Cut off sharing Windows 10 Updates: This is actually a good idea for getting people updates even faster but in practice most of us can't keep this own due to ISPs doing bandwidth caps. If your service provider charges by data usage definitely cut this off. As an aside, the tiers program are a complete lie designed to generate profit while costing the ISPs virtually nothing so don't let them or the politicians fool you on its necessity.

- Clean Install Windows 10: Instructions if you want to upgrade and completely install Win10 from scratch.

- Do Not Install The Windows DVD Player: Win10 does not come with a built in DVD player. Which is good because Windows Media Player and Apple's Quicktime both suck. But so does MS charging $15 for an app when you can buy an even better player for free. Instead of that crap, get VLC for free. If you are determined to spend some money, just donate to VLC.

FCC Officially Protect Net Neutrality (Again)

The FCC has officially voted to protect Net Neutrality once again. Neutrality was over turned by the Supreme Court. The new rules exist to try to re-enforce Net Neutrality in such a way that maybe the Supreme Court will leave it alone by reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service that the FCC is in charge of. The key of the new rules are this:

1) Broadband providers may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices.
2) They may not impair or degrade lawful internet traffic on the basis of content, application, services, or any classes thereof.
3) They may not favor some internet traffic over other internet traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind — no paid prioritization or fast lanes.

While the press and others try to make it complicated, the definition of Net Neutrality is very simple - "All data is treated equally". It doesn't matter if the data is a video, a picture, text, it gets treated the same. It does not matter the source, the destination or the subject matter - it gets treated the same. The subject could be the Constitution, a cat or a blank page - it gets treated the same. Fox News and others take a "sky is falling" belief on this but really Net Neutrality has been the default rule of the internet since its very beginning.

The main reason they want to reverse Net Neutrality is of course money. Treating all data equals means the ISPs can't charge to not treat it equally. Say by creating the internet version of an airline with first class service (called fast lanes), business class, and so forth. So if Netflix didn't want to suddenly find their videos playing slowly for not reason...they would have to pay a fee. Or if you are Comcast maybe those TV related websites they own load fast but those ABC websites they don't own kind of chug and skip. Perhaps a new music service with big bucks enters the market and gets that first class for their service but that new start up that does it even better just can't afford it so they fade to obscurity because the ISP's throttled their speed for not paying up. You can see how easy it would be to abuse things (and charge for it) if not forced to treat all data equally.

Now some says "this would never happen!". The thing is there is proof that the abuse had already started. Comcast, AT&T, and Time Warner (three of the biggest ISPs in the US) have already been caught throttling Netflix, YouTube, World of Warcraft, Bittorrent and more. Netflix had to pay up to get the video streaming service speed restored. They have all started to introduce tier pricing where you pay more to use more data (which with video on demand can add up real quick). Not because it costs more to deliver more data but simply because they can. Whether you use 1gb a month or 1000gb a month, the cost for them is identical...but with tiered pricing they can just make more money for doing nothing. Sadly the rules do nothing about tier pricing but my point is they already happily abuse the lack of rules to create a reason to make more money while providing no actual additional benefit to the customers. The question isn't if they would abuse the lack of Net Neutrality rules, just when and how much it would cost us when they did.

So what does this mean for the average American? Nothing. Net Neutrality has been in place since the beginning and all this does it make sure it remains in place. While Verizon, AT&T, etc are doing the woe is me game the reality is they should have already been following the rules of Net Neutrality and so nothing has changed for them too. The only reason to complain about rules that tell you "don't run with scissors" is if you planned on doing just that.

Ultimately though even if you don't understand what its all about just think of it this way. Do you trust AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, etc to treat their customers well and with fair pricing? If the answer is no, then you should be for Net Neutrality.

Apple Updates iPad Line-Up

As expected Apple has announced its updated line of iPads with the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3. Like the iPhone, they are really just a marginal update for those that have the previous generation of each device. The Air 2 just have a slightly faster chip and Touch ID while the iPad Mini 3 is really the Mini 2 with Touch ID added (for $100 more). In addition they officially released the next OS X update called Yosemite, announced that Apple Pay begins next Monday, the iOS 8.1 update features and showed up their refreshed Mac Mini and iMac. For anyone rocking an iPad that can already handle iOS8, the news is meaningless. Unless you are a hard core gamer, the slight boost in chip power is irrelevant. You are not going to notice the different in speed. Its the equivalent of buying a porsche to sit in traffic all day while living in a city full of speed traps. Technically the car can go fast but when will you actually use all that expensive power?

Ironically, the real tech news comes from Apple's decision to start moving away from the SIM card with their reprogrammable SIM card called "Apple SIM" that can be used from carrier to carrier simply by using software instead of swapping SIM cards. Basically it would give consumers greater latitude to go "month-to-month" with which ever carrier they choose for that month. The carriers still hold a lot of the power so classic SIM card tray still exists but this is the first of probably a bunch of smaller moves to hopefully eventually retire this tired 20 year old "technology" that really exists to give carriers the power as it acts as a form of DRM protection on their mobile hardware while providing no real benefit to consumers. Now to the announcement highlights.

Apple Introduces the iPhone 6 and Watch

Today Apple held a press conference to show off the iPhone 6 which will go on sale at the end of next week in two screen sizes. In addition they showed off the Apple Watch which is essentially the same take on the Android watches that have been on sale for over a year now only their version will not be available until Spring 2015. Overall much like in the last two or so years, the new Apple products are really about the companies attempts to catch up to Android which continues to dominate the mobile market and with features that Apple tends to introduces years later. The advantage to Apple being last (instead of leading the charge like they use too) with new features is they get to see the mistakes everyone else is making and correct for them resulting in a final polish and approach that maintains their sterling reputation for quality products.

As for the release of iOS 8, it will be out on September 17. If you were hoping for iPad details nothing was mentioned but Apple will probably do another press conference in October. A final note is the iPod Classic has officially been discontinued by Apple. If you are a fan of it, keep on eye out for clearance deals but once the remaining stock is sold, that's it except for getting it used. On to the new product details and analysis.

Apple Announces iOS8 and OS X Yosemite

Monday Apple started their week long 2014 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). For the last few years the conference has not been used to announce new hardware but to announce new features, updates, and changes that will be made to the software that will be running on future hardware. Pundits will complain about the lack of hardware announcements...but the pundits are either morons or liars cause they knew there wasn't going to be any hardware announcements. So on the software front, the iPad and iPhone (aka iDevices) will get the iOS8 update in the fall, likely to come with the now traditional hardware refresh of the i-line sometime in October or so in time for Christmas. For their laptops, the next iteration of operating system will be OS X Yosemite. Both will bring a bunch of new features that have, to be blunt, been legally stolen from Android and other apps. They have the usual slight alteration in implementation to avoid law suits but almost none of it is original. Except maybe their new Apple only programming language to replace Objective C called Swift. Still if use Apple products (like me), the changes will be welcome. Highlights below or can watch the keynote here.

New Amazon Fire TV Announced with Demo Video

Yesterday Amazon has announced their next attempt to get into the daily use of homes with the Amazon Fire TV. The tiny quad-core powered smart TV box is their answer to the Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV. Available now, the $99 box comes with a bluetooth remote, wireless connectivity, voice commands and the ability to play Android games (modified for Fire TV) with either the remote or a separate game controller that costs $40.

Hit the links below for hands-on descriptions and videos. There is also an unboxing and detailed demo video below. Overall the first impressions of the device have been excellent, citing an easy to use controller that does not rely on line of sight, a very fast response time to loading videos and a lot of potential. The game controller turns it into an inexpensive video game console, useful for those that already enjoy many Android based games. Already there is a long list of games and channels that are available right from the start but its not clear if some of those channels require a corresponding cable subscription like they do on other devices (but I assume they do).

Hands-on: Gizmodo | The Verge | Engadget

Reviews: The Verge | Gizmodo

So just based on the descriptions, is it worth buying? If you already own some smart TV solution from the last year or two, I see little additional benefit from buying a second box unless just really love video games. However, if you are new to looking for one of these devices or just wanting to replace a current one, then it does seem superior to current offerings. The AppleTV could have been great but really if you don't live in the Apple ecosystem you are paying a whole lot of money to enjoy only 10% of what it can do. The $99 Roku is an alway recommend but this new box blows it out of the water in speed and potential, along with a user interface that doesn't appear out of date and clunky. Even though it is compared to the Chromecast, that is its own separate thing that is (to me) really designed to share and view tablet content on a TV and more in addition to a smart TV box solution rather than instead of one. As for Amazon Prime subscribers, its an easy choice. There is no reason to get any other box but this one.

Based on descriptions, initial hands-on write-ups and the potential that Amazon's market share brings to bear, if you are in the market to spend around $100 for a smart TV solution, then the Amazon Fire TV may quickly become the leader in the market, especially if Apple continues to limit the capabilities of their own hardware. If you are interested in getting one, the Amazon Fire TV is available now, the game controller accessory will be out on April 24th.

Beautiful Time-lapse Compilations from the ISS

Take a few minutes and enjoy the grandeur of Earth from the International Space Station in the two compilation videos edited by David Peterson using footage from ISS Astronauts including Don Pettit. (via i09)

Apple's October Event Introduces iPad Air

Tuesday Apple introduced the next iteration of their iPad, iPad mini, Macbook Pro and Mac Pro. As expected, most changes will not particularly big, just small hardware improvements that only graphic intensive gamers will enjoy. For the iPad, its gets another new name called the iPad Air to highlight that its now at just a pound in weight while the iPad mini enjoys a solid boost with Retina Display but its comes with a $70 increase in price tag. In addition to the hardware tweaks iOS X update, called Mavericks, is free along with new hardware buyers able to get most of Apple's suite of programs for free (iLife, iWorks, etc.). Currently the release date is November 1st for the iPad and later in the month for the mini.

iPad Air
- 20% thinner at 7.5mm, 1 pound in weight, screen resolution and battery life same as previous gen.
- Cameras same but now front camera can shoot at 1080p instead of previous 720p
- Contains the A7 chip, same as iPhone 5s with its 64-bit architecture
- Smart cases now cover entire iPad, not just screen but now at double the price for $80.
- Price: $499 ($16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), $799 (128GB) and add $130 for mobile equivalent
- Comparison
- Hands-on: Engadget | Verge | Gizmodo

New iPhones 5c and 5s Announced

Tuesday Apple announced the next iteration of their iPhone line of devices. Only the iPhones and iOS 7 were discussed so its assumed the next iteration of the iPad line will likely be introduced next month in time for Christmas shopping season. Below are the details on the two models but the gist is the iPhone 5 has been discontinued. Instead you can get the iPhone 5c which really is the iPhone 5 put in a strong plastic shell with 5 different color options. After that you have the iPhone 5s that has next generation A7 chip, has a fingerprint scanner, other hardware improvements and constructed as the old iPhone 5 was but now has two additional styles of gold and white. If you are interested in watching the full presentation, you can find it here.

Apple's WWDC 2013 Introduces iOS 7

Today Apple held their WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) that is used to introduce their next six months of products to the world. The keynote address showed off their updated late of laptops, new Mac Pro desktop, OS X Maverick update and iOS 7 for iPhone and iPads. The biggest news is for iOS 7 which is a radical change (for Apple) in how iOS 7 looks and feels. The over all result clearly takes design cues from Android and Windows 8 but with few flourishes from Apple. The announcements did not provide updates to iPad, iPhone, or iPod line of products as that will likely come in October when iOS 7 is expected to be ready for release. Lets get into some of the details.

iOS 7

Linkfest - RIP Roger Ebert

It has been a while since the last linkfest. Sadly this one starts with the dead of a legend, goes to a great Lego creations, then comments about Veronica Mars movie, Google Reader closure, and finally a fan made trailer for Calvin and Hobbes.

R.I.P. Roger Ebert (6/18/1942-4/4/2013)
Today the entertainment industry lost a legend in the form of long time movie critic Roger Ebert. The 45 year veteran of the Chicago Sun-Times didn't have an opinion he wasn't willing to share (about all forms of entertainment), died today from cancer. To say Ebert loved the movies would be an understatement. Probably not words in the dictionary that can describe that love. Even when he hated the movie, I suspect he loved that it existed and added a little bit to the collected culture even if seen by few. Ebert, the other half of Siskel &, rose to fame starting with his review television show in 1975 that eventually morphed into "At the Movies" with its famous thumbs up or thumbs down reviews. Even after losing his lower jaw in 2006 to cancer, the critic continued to share his opinions about all forms of entertainment. Well except video games which he didn't consider art to the consternation of video games fans worldwide. That his opinion on the subject matter shows that even the current generation of kids knew who he was and cared what he thought. There really doesn't exist a critic today of his caliber and fame and in this age of dispersed entertainment, I doubt there will be one again. While Ebert probably didn't influence many of our entertainment choices, I suspect his influence on Hollywood was quite large. So by relation, the impact of Ebert on our day to day entertainment choices will likely never be known. Condolences to his family, I suspect he will be watching from on high, watching ever movie that comes out from now until the end of time.

Playstation 4 Announced

Sony has announced their next generation console and if it lives up to the promise of its presentation, then console future is looking pretty good. And that is before Microsoft announces their next gen (rumor is anywhere from this year's E3 to next year). The press conference was about two hours long and ironically did not show the actual final product, provide a price or a release date other then Holidays 2013 (so likely early November 2013). Instead it was about its potential features and possible launch games but still a hell of a start.

Specs:
- custom 8 core x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with 1.84 TFLOPS AMD Radeon graphics engine (current gen is at 1.76 TFLOPS)
- 8GB GDDR5 RAM (for comparison the PS3 has 512mb so a 16x increase in RAM)
- Build-in hard drive (sizes not announces)
- 6x Blu-ray/8x DVD drive
- USB 3.0 ports (number not specificed)
- Ethernet, b/g/n Wi-fi and Bluetooth 2.1 (essentially same as PS3)
- HDMI, analog AV-out, and optical S/PDIF audio output (so essentially same as PS3)
- DualShock 4 controller with touchpad, gyroscope, accelerometer, vibration, lightbar with 3 LED lights, mono speaker, micro USB port, headset port, battery
- Playstation 4 Eye with two 1280x800 camera, 85 degree field of view

Linkfest - Goodbye Arcades and the PS2

For once a linkfest without politics. Mostly because just don't feel like talking about it since the year has opened with more of the same. If had hope that Senator Reid would grow a pair and alter the filibuster rules to return to the more transparent "Mr. Smith" style that Republicans eliminated in 1971 (I think) then might be more involved but I suspect this year will end up looking like last year. In any event, below is a look at the Superman S-shield, goodbye to the PS2, death of the arcade, data caps sucking, behind the scenes of the Avengers and Red 2 trailer.

120 Superman S-Shields from 75 Years
An interesting infographic that shows off the Superman shield from every year including the variations that would pop up from year to year and in movies and cartoons. Of note is while the shield mostly remained static for 60+ years, the last 10 years brought about the most constant change in design which makes since only because DC is constantly engaging in gimmicks to maintain their audience. As for the picture to the left, those represent the highlights of the 120.

Linkfest - America Votes

Hopefully this will be the last political heavy post for a while but who knows for sure. Other then the election there is links to an awesome Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield, Iron Man 3 teaser trailer and cool time lapse of a space shuttle on the streets of LA.

Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield
Hit the link for 7 images of this beautiful and detailed shield built by Remi. Makes you wish that Lego would get the license and release a version of their own. (via Brothers Brick)

Obama Re-Elected
Tuesday Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the United States. He won by a comfortable margin taking 5 out of 6 battleground states (Florida too close to call). He also won the popular vote by a fairly typical margin of around 51% to 49%. Basically it was a repeat of 2008. Despite what the pundits may say, really the DC status quo has been maintained. As a result the gridlock and difficulty in getting anything done will continue. The GOP retained the House and the Democrats still have the Senate by about the same margin so sadly the filibuster will continue to be used to death requiring 60 votes to get anything done.

Remove Ads from Echofon for Firefox (Updated)

Thanks to new limitations that Twitter has forced on third party developers, Echofon had to discontinue their awesome desktop apps including Echofon for Firefox and Echofon for Windows. Twitter is trying to reach point where they are the only source for any tweets and only their apps can be used, which is unfortunate as their apps tend to suck. To me Echofon is one of the best and recommend it for whatever version you can find. If you are lucky enough to find a copy (since they removed it from Mozilla and their own site), below are instructions on how to remove ads from Echofon for Firefox. This might work for the Windows version too but have not tried it. Or to put it another way below is a crack for Echofon without needing an email or license key. If don't already use it, make sure to check out Echofon for iPad, iPhone and soon Android.

1) In a new Firefox tab, type: about:support then hit enter
2) On the screen that comes up, click the button that says "Show Folder".
3) Open the "Extensions" folder

Apple's New October Announcements

Today Apple announced their next slate of product refreshes just in time for Christmas. The iPad mini with 7.9" screen was officially announced. The iPad 3, just announced back in April, has been discontinued and replaced with the iPad 4. The Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro also received updates. Below is summary with links to more details.

iPad Mini The iPad 2 in a smaller shell with different power port and improved front camera - Screen: 7.9", 1024 x 769 pixels
- Size: .68 pounds, 7.78" x 5.3", 7.2mm thick
- Other: dual band Wi-Fi, bluetooth, Lightning port, 10 hour battery life, 1.2MP front camera, 5MP camera, A5X chip
- Price: $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB), $529 (64GB), +$120 for cellular