Apple Vs. Android - The Never-Ending Debate

Welcome to the......

with all of the updates that are being implemented to both iOS and Android, these systems are starting to look more and more alike as time goes on. Even after android made its proper debut, there were highly noticeable differences in the operating systems. Both operating systems had pros and cons that made it easy to decide between the two.

most recently, however, there have been so many changes to iOS lately, that it now resembles most of the qualities that we all love about android......(except widgets....apple must really hate the widget idea lol)

Now-a-days, with all of the different android phones available, and with Project Ara (will be explained on a future blog post) on the rise... what will apple do? and more importantly... when will they do it?  i suppose that's a whole different blog post.....

My question to you is....which do you prefer? #DiehardAppleFanBoyOrGirl ? or are you an #AndroidLoverForLife?

Since we are all #Android lovers here....(hehe)

lets talk about our favorite operation system a little shall we?

The Top 5 things I Love about Android...and Go

5. Widgets - yes yes i know, ever android owner says this. but i love to be able to look at a calendar or email inbox list without actually having to search, find, and open the actual application. maybe that's just me

4. Ram Control - now I'm not certain if apple has this feature or not, i never thought to look and see. but i love the fact that you can close/force stop every application and immediately clear up some ram processing power and save on some battery life....speaking of which...

3. Battery Life - now i am aware that all android phones aren't equipped with spectacular batteries, but with my android phone (samsung galaxy note 3) i love not having to carry a charger with me (at all). my car charger is really just for someone else whose battery has died...its one of my favorite features..actually

2. Compatibility - since we are on the subject of charging. i also love the fact that most android charging cables are compatible with all other android phones. I cant tell you how hard it is to find someone with a iPhone charger these days....i mean...really....

1.  Price - Considering phones that are considered medium tier with phones that carry the title "flagship", Android phones are considerably cheaper in terms of "getting what you pay for".... while apple provides consistency with their products, they don't provide much innovation when it comes to a product that is reasonably priced.

Now, since i have not owned an apple product for more than 3 days, i couldn't tell you many (if any) valid pros and cons of/on the operating system...at all....other than the build quality and resale value..(not to be funny but you know what I mean).

but if i had to guess....(and....operating in the interest of being fair lol)

Top 5 things i Like (tolerate) about Apple Products (iPad, iPhone, and iPod)

5.  Marketing - If nothing else, Apple has the game on lock when it comes to advertising their products. its is because of Apple that all tablets are immediately referred to as an iPad, even if its a Galaxy Tab...lol

4.  Design - Apple also has this category locked down. The design of (generally) all Apple products have maintained a "top-notch" rating. The Look, Feel, and build quality of apple products (excluding the iPhone 5c) has been top of the line since the release of the first iPod. Apple is consistent..to a fault.

3. Accessories - Now I have always been bitter about the fact that every Apple product has its very own library of cases and other accessories to customize said product to your liking. And i mean they have everything from superheros to bejeweled abstract flower patterns... yes....i am bitter.. lol

2. Usability - Apple has also maintained a positive reputation for being "easy-to-use". (except for someone coming from an android phone, speaking from a personal perspective, of course) From the average toddler to the most common elderly citizen, apple products are the least confusing. That i will admit...

1. Resale Value - I jokingly mentioned this before but Apple products (because of their build quality and popularity) have ALWAYS maintained an more-than-generous trade-in value and a high resale ratio, even after the device has aged 3-4 years. This factor has always been one of the most important things i consider when buying any product that I'm interested in.

So, I leave you with this question...

What are your top 5 favorite features of your cellular or mobile device?

Least Favorite?

the comment box below gets real lonely sometimes and it needs some comfort every now and again. let me know what you like about Apple....or Android. Do you like Both? Or Neither?

in any event...

These have been your technological announcements for Friday May 9th, 2014, Please Govern yourselves accordingly....

as mentioned before, comments and suggestions are welcome! please i can use all the topics i can get right now!

dont be a stranger!

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Until Next Time

Matt

Cell Phone Carriers. Who costs the most?

I was tricked! last year when i left Verizon for Sprint (i know dumb idea, but at the time Verizon pushed back my update day so i got mad and rage quit the company)

Side Bar : RageQuit = when you get mad with someone or something you quit them in a moment of rage lol

 i was told that Sprint was the most inexpensive carrier there was and that i would be saving so much more money if i decided to go with them!

when i joined sprint, i was paying $200 for two lines, without insurance...

with Verizon i was paying $176 with insurance and Unlimited Data (before it was abolished)

And I took the bait, because Sprint had the phone I wanted, combined with the price and monthly payments I was looking for and thus, there I was trapped in a two year contract with horrible horrible....and yes more horrible service.

you know your carrier is bad when your home wifi/Starbucks wifi is faster and more reliable than your network.

saying all that to say this....

does sprint deserve the right to be the second most expensive carrier?

yes you read that correctly..

according to reliable sources. sprint averages as the second highest in the monthly bill department

now a days with the direction t mobile and at&t are going it seems pretty.....well...dumb sign up with sprint at all. especially if their service is bad in a particular area..such as but not limited to.....where you live, work, frequently visit etc.

unlimited data - with bad service, it rarely gets used

unlimited talk and text - which everyone else has.

early upgrade program - which everyone also has

maybe there is something I'm missing. maybe there is something that is different about Sprint and its Network as a whole...

while I have not done extensive research on the subject ( because I have real life experience ) I have received enough cell phone monthly bills to do a little comparison of my own.

         as stated before. I was with Verizon, who is still number 1 in my book when it comes to reliability and customer service, and now i am currently partaking of At&t's services and I must say that I'm not or have I ever been disappointed or dissatisfied with either company's service.

 ((EXAMPLE)) 

 Now, mind you, I don't mind paying 200 for 2 lines and 4 gigs of data between the two as long as what I need works well whenever I need it.

needless to say with Sprint I didn't have that. but now I do.

         it may seem like I'm ragging on Sprint exclusively like no other carrier has its faults. that is false. every carrier has their quirks and I'm sure at&t and Verizon have theirs but those quirks are minimized due to the magnitude of their incredible service

so my question is....for those heavy data users and phone talkers...should sprint be comparative in price with carriers like at&t or Verizon? Or should they be priced according to their reliability. 

and not just sprint. what about other carriers that have those infamous dead spots in areas that haven't been updated since hector was a pup. should they be priced high or priced according to what they have available in that area.

 low signal, low bill...? 

or is that too much to ask?

probably so. but its just me asking.

what harm could it do to be understanding?

when it comes to money I suppose niceness is kept to a yearly minimum.

in any event

these have been your technological announcements for Wednesday February 26th 2014. please govern yourselves accordingly...

remember I can always use suggestions and topics

thanks for stopping by. 

come back and sit a spell next time

until next time

awkwardlynormal

The Nexus 5 and Android 4.4 KitKat

I've raved about Nexus devices before in previous posts

this blog post is no different.

any phone that takes my eyes off my stellar Samsung Galaxy Note 2, has to be something worth looking at. 

and that's just what I've done!

I'm going to skip to the end real quick.....

i want one. 

lol

   now i am not very familiar with the Nexus 4, and after all the reviews I've read, apparently i didn't miss much. Even the nexus devices that were out before then, were kinda....mid-ranged...get-you-through type of devices. However, The Nexus 5, i believe, is the first Nexus device to break the cycle of being ignored for Google's line of devices.

lets get to the important stuff first.

Price..

normally i leave this for the end, you know, to sell you on it. but ill get to the selling part later.

the price on this beauty is only $349, right out the play store....

mind you, this is an unlocked device, loosely meaning that you can go to ANY carrier (minus Verizon, those meanies) for literally half.

most (unlocked) phones will cost you full retail price... and even on low-mid spec ranged devices you are looking at or 'round about $600, with the high end being at or around $800.

ill just let that sit there for a moment.....

now on to the other stuff...

What does it do!?

that's the main question right.

well this baby is equipped with the latest and greatest version of android

4.4 KitKat! oh yeah!

and that's just for starters

the phone itself is actually not that spectacular when it comes to specifications.
 it has be the trend, i guess you could say, to have the high specs on a phone to convince people that its worth keeping a device for 2 or more years and not feel bad  and broke about upgrading every 6-10 months. (yeah...that so works these days lol)
   The Nexus 5 and its developers, however, are not putting the weight on the hardware this go-around. Google has its sights set on software, and application improvement, and since KitKat can run on the most basic of devices just as well as the high spec ones, i find google's methods to fit the category under "definitely a different way of doing things"

ill list the specs here

Nexus 5 Specifications/Features

• 4.95inch 1920x1080 display (445 ppi ((pixels per inch))
• Snapdragon 800, 2.26Ghz processor (right up there with the note 2 and 3)
• Wireless Charging Available (additional purchase necessary lol)
• Gorilla Glass 3
• 1.3 mp camera (front-facing) 8mp (rear-facing) + OIS (optical image stabilization.
• 2300 mAh battery (similar to Galaxy SIII)
• 4g capable (unlike the nexus 4, from what i hear)
• 2gb Ram
• KitKat (Naturally)

Speaking of which, lets talk about it....

KitKat

KitKat brings a range of practical upgrades to the already popular android operating system.

1. for example, caller id.....

when someone or some business calls you, (remember this is always depending on your carrier as well) your phone does a Google image search for that business or establishment and presents you that image as said establishment or business is calling you.

not a big deal you say?

it is for me. i like when developers pay attention to the details.
speaking of which lets go through a few in Android 4.4 KitKat



          2. Google Now

i don't know if any of you are familiar with the Moto X. but, one of its endearing qualities was that Google Now was always listening, you could simply say  "OK Google" and a search would begin, even if the screen was off, or you were across the room...it was ALWAYS listening.

now with the Nexus 5 and KitKat, they have took the creepy out of Google Now. Its still voice activated, however, it can only be accessed when the phone screen is on and on the home screen. to initiate a vocal search, simply say, "Ok Google". cool right! right.



         3. Google Hangout/Sms Integration

now all of your contact information is in one place, and not three, like i am currently dealing with. texts and email information, in one application, threads and all. i suppose I'm really amazed that this hasn't happened before now, but there it is. lol



         4. Emoji!!!

its about time. those apple fanboys/girls have been throwing this little piece of heaven in our faces for years now. and even with Android Jellybean allowing us to finally see those long elusive symbols, we still did not have the ability to create them ourselves. well that fact is no more! with KitKat, we are free to Emoji!

here is a list of the other features of KitKat..

• Full Screen Album Art (Home Screen)
• Full Screen Application (reading, movies, easy access to notifications without leaving the app.)
• Speedier Multitasking
• Cloud Printing (wherever wifi printing is allowed)
• Low Powered audio playback (60 hours on most devices)

Needless to say, I'm really excited to grab the Nexus 5, YES! that's what i said! 

I'm leaving the note 2 world for the stock android google experience! 

oh and p.s. if you feel like donating to the cause......well....it would be much obliged. lol jk.....not really......yeah jk lol

(0.0) <---- serious face

These have been your technological announcements for Thursday, November 21st, 2013. Please govern yourselves accordingly. 

Remember! 

I could always use suggestions and comments! 

Also!

Remember to connect with me via social media (see "Connect With Me" blog post)

Until Next Time.......

AwkwardlyNormal

Connect With Me!!

i accept all questions. now whether i answer them or not, its a different story lol 

just kidding

not really.

sorry, not sorry

Connect with me over the holidays! let me know what you bought, and what was bought for you! I like hearing that kind of stuff blame it on the child in me! 

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Chromebooks!!! Are They Really Worth It?

"Chromebook is ,essentially,  a slightly larger android-based tablet with a physical keyboard" 

     thats what I used to say when I worked for best buy during this past holiday season. 

     as the chromebook continues to retain its popularity. im inclined to stick to my statement. 

        for those who aren't familiar, the chromebook is a google product that provided a mid-spec ranged device that was comparable to the macbook air in size but tremendously easier on the wallet. currently....Samsung,  Hewlett Packard,  and Acer are the current hardware providers for these devices.
      I,  myself, have a samsung chomebook., and ever since the untimely, however foreseen , death of my motorola xoom familiy edition (death by getting stepped on) my chromebook has been a welcomed replacement to a tablet that I hardly used anyway.  when my tablet was alive, I simply used it for emails, a few games here and there, but mostly netflix. lol with that being said the transition for me wasn't very hard.

      I use my chromebook for my blogs, since I find it so much easier to type via physical keyboard rather that the on screen counterpart.

 

So whats the big difference you say?

       well other than the gigantic price gap, the specs pose a significant difference, i suppose. for example the samsung chromebook has a dual core processor (as seen in most older tablet devices, and no its not terribly slow) and is equipped with a 16gb solid state hard-drive (for quick boot-up and saving). which makes it a more than adequate substitute for a tablet, or even a laptop.

        it boots up in less than 30 seconds and as soon as  you type in your password, you are good to go. and there are no moving parts inside so overheating is not an issue.

       now, as with any device, everything has a drawback, missing feature or ability that other devices have.

        now with chromebooks,  you cannot install external programs, iTunes (and other programs that require installation)  for example, cannot be installed on one of these devices, instead google has provided an application store specifically for chromebooks to give you more of an exclusive experience with applications. games are available offline however.

        another "con" or drawback about the chromebooks is that there is no cd/dvd rom drive. so no burning cd's or watching hard copy movies...

the final drawback about the chromebooks is that EVERYTHING is done ONLINE, there is little to no activity that can be accomplished without an internet connection. 

           The Greatest "Pro" about these chromebook style devices is the price!

     My samsung chromebook only cost me $268 (after taxes) much less expensive than the apple alternative, and some android tablets, which, for me, was a deal breaker.

       There are many variations of chromebooks out now, ranging from $199 to $1299. low to high end of course. So head on over to the Google Play Store, and check them all out and see if a chromebook could be a replacement device for you as it was for me, or a quality gift for that college student, relative or close friend! with Christmas coming up. i cant imagine many that would be disappointed with a gift like this.  

well, these have been your technological announcements for Thursday September 26, 2013

please govern yourselves accordingly

remember to comment and leave suggestions!

i could always use topics.

until next time

AwkwardlyNormal

Google Project Loon

would you believe me if i told you that almost half the world does not have access to the internet.

what if i told you that google intends to provide internet of the entire world..

yes i said "over"

, and i said the "entire world"!

google has invented the idea to attach internet broadcast devices to...wait for it.....balloons! thats right balloons!

    these balloons will be strategically launched into the stratosphere, well above air traffic and weather conditions.  however they will be steered into the right direction by the wind currents that encompass the earth, the stratosphere is quite useful in that way..

i suppose the big question is, whats the point?

with an antenna on top of your home or place of business (possibly car, in the near future) you can receive a signal from these balloons and have a faster, more reliable source of internet, rather than depending on "sometimey" carriers, that may or may not be truly reliable as they claim! but now, more about the balloons! lol

now these balloons will be in proximity to more balloons, so that they can continue  to transmit a strong and seamless internet experience ( a netflix users dream!) 

i can hear your thoughts now, 

what if the balloon goes down? 

what if they run into a plane?

how many are already up there? 

how are they powered?

will they stay up there forever?

well, if a balloon is compromised, they are equipped with a parachute and a foam base to allow for safe retrieval, so don't plan on stealing one if it falls in your back yard by mistake..google WILL find you. lol

as mentioned earlier, the balloons are twice as high as all air traffic, wildlife and all dangerous weather conditions

currently 30 of these balloons are already in operation above new zealand's south island, these balloons were launched in june of 2013.

these balloons are towing little boxes that transmit the internet signal to an antenna receiver, these boxes are also equipped with solar energy collectors, and because of the balloons height, they have unlimited access to the suns rays to store energy in batteries that allow for night time operation

now these balloons are said to last for 100+ days at a time, (im assuming they are systematically replaced in manner that leaves some coverage in the sky while the cavalry is being sent in.)

i am also going to go ahead and assume that google is prioritizing Project Loon devices to areas that are not yet endowed with internet service like america is currently enjoying. and no, Project Loon has not reached the united states yet, but if it does.....

it would definitely mean trouble for popular domestic internet carriers, possibly even mobile technology. Google Project Loon could very well change the way we use the internet, the way we connect with others, even the way we socialize. 

can you imagine having wifi access every where you go? like everywhere? continuous access to the internet. all the time.....in every spot on the planet. 

its definitely alot to think about. 

maybe it wont become this crucial, maybe project loon will fail in its infancy. 

but if it succeeds......

well check it out for yourselves

http://www.google.com/loon/

well thats all if have for today

these have been your technological announcements for thursday september 19 2013 (sorry im a day late)

please govern yourselves accordingly! 

dont forget to leave comments and suggestions

i can always use more topics, even though i should be good until christmas lol

Until Next Time

AwkwardlyNormal

Has the Apple finally fallen from the tree? You tell me!

    apple has managed to suffer a major decline in their mobile phone market shares, ironically enough, this decline presented itself almost immediately after the WWDC announcement of the iphone 5c and 5s.
 
    i must say my comments on the matter maybe a little biased. i am now, and will forever be an android fan and connoisseur. google's products have been my friend for about 5 years now, more than ever.

i , personally and like most others, was very underwhelmed with apple's wwdc event. after watching samsung's unpacked event, (which i covered in a previous blog post) samsung succeeded in making me want to purchase/upgrade a newer device, and then some. i must say i expected more from apple, a company that has been behind in technology for some time now. i suppose i could blame the management, but i honestly dont believe its all their fault.

most people would blame the loss of Steve Jobs, to explain the recent lack of innovative and game-changing effects on technology that apple was once known for.

i place the blame on slothfulness on apple's part. its not that apple has not been as innovative, its simply that they have been late in doing so. samsung, motorola, even htc, have managed to see the pattern in what apple has done, coming up with new features, new applications, and these companies have managed to take advantage of these things that have been proven to change the way we as people look at mobile technology.

i cant tell you what i foresee for apple.inc. simply put, they have failed to keep up. and if they refuse to be daring in this ever-growing technological world, i honestly believe that the legend company's legacy will be lost in the history archives.

this has been your tech announcements for monday sept 16,2013

please govern yourselves accordingly.

until next time!

AwkwardlyNormal

please leave comments and suggestions!

i can always use topics too! 

Apple Keynote (September) 2013

I suppose this is officially a tech blog! lol since i cant find much else to talk about...hehe.

Apple Keynote (September) 2013

    today apple. inc revealed alot of....minor changes and upgrades to their arsenal of products.

   I must say, after watching Samsung's Unpacked Event, this keynote by apple was...not very impressive, but maybe thats what they were going for. in any event, enough of my opinion, lets get to the tech!

• Apple iPhone 5s

yes its finally here, the much anticipated 5s has arrived with some upgrades to make it qualify as a flagship product from apple. 

   the iphone 5 is rocking and a7 processor chip, a 64bit chip (which is not on any other phone to date) this incredibly fast processor chip allows for seamless operations between your favorite applications with lag time or stalling, it is said that this particular chip allows for an extremely detailed gaming and media viewing experience. the a7 chip on the iphone 5s is approximately 40x faster than the a6 chip on its predecessor the iphone 5.

    now i dont know if apple wants to stick it to samsung and other companies that are making phones with larger screens or what, but apple is sticking to their guns with their 4 inch retina display. (now, how you will be able to tell if that a7 chip is good of graphics with such a small screen, ill never know, but anyway)  moving on....

    the iphone 5s also comes with a m7 chip, this chip (mainly used for workout applications) will be able to tell if you are walking, or running, if you are tracking your exercise with an app. the chip will also be able to tell if you are driving (most likely to cooperate quickly with gps applications, searches (ect)

   on to the camera....with some improvements like burst shot and a new flash module ( to allow the right amount of flash in different lighting areas) the infamous iSight Camera still impresses the majority of camera phone users, now this iSight camera allows for 1080p recording and even slow motion video, capturing moments at 120fps (frames per second), translation.....thats really good..lol . the iphone 5s' front facing camera is a 1.2mp model..

   other than that, this iphone has all the other features you would expect to see from an apple device!......oh wait......there's one more thing! (hehe)

FINGERPRINT SECURITY. yes you read that right, the iPhone 5s has a fingerprint scanner on the home button, virtually doing away with passwords all-together, weather or not there is an secondary way to unlock the phone remains to be seen.

  so yes fellas, no more having to worry about your girl sneaking through your phone, unless of course you allow her fingerprint to be saved as a user as well....then....well...yeah...

  ladies, i dont really know how tricky you all can be with hiding stuff in your phones, if you do at all. lol 

the iPhone 5s comes in 3 colors, white (silver) black and a polished gold.

lets go to the next item shall we...

• iPhone 5C

   the plastic iphone, now with aluminum! (thats my creativity apple! dont you steal that! lol). 

    this iphone  (5c) is going to remind you of the 3gs, at least it did that for me when i saw it debuted. 

     this is the promised, low cost device, i believe its targeted consumers are children and young adults, more so to younger children.

     now dont sell it short just yet, its still rocking apple's famous a6 processor chip, so its still fast and guarantees the speed and reliability of a solid apple product.

     as for the hardware, everything is the same, just minus the fingerprint scanner and the additional m7 chip. 

   So whats the big difference you ask? the price! instead of the familiar $199 sticker we are so used to seeing, the iphone 5c is only $99. yes, you read that right as well...just $99. apple is smarter that they let on, its a perfect holiday gift, perfect for college and high school students to lead in the new year with, inexpensive and familiar, you cant go wrong with that. can you? 

  the iphone 5c comes in 5 different colors and has an array of cases ($39 per case) for appearance customization. a lot more options than usual. this is becoming a popular trend with newer phones.

now..... shall we talk about siri?

• Siri 

siri now has the option to speak in a man's voice....

ill just let that sink in.

okay lets keep going

   small modifications have been made to the infamous personal assistant known as siri. 

 new updates allow for siri to search in some social media websites/applications, like twitter and most likely facebook, 

  so if you want to catch up on who's beefing on twitter, siri can help you with that..

siri has been guaranteed to be more useful in the not to distant future with communication with your car's bluetooth system, but those updates haven't been discussed thoroughly yet, so ill leave your minds to wonder! lol

• iOS7

the most anticipated update for android products, im sorry.....i meant apple products (-.-) lol just kidding 

apple's website can give you a tour, of these features, i would explain it, but they did so much work putting that feature tour together, its quite nice actually, so head on over and check that out! 

• Pricing and Availability

Okay the iphone 5s and 5c will be available for purchase on the 20th of september, pre-orders are starting at different times for all major carriers, so check out those various carrier websites for more information on that pre-order thing!

iOS7 is said to be available for download on the 18th of September, just in time for the new devices! good planning there apple!

now the prices

 the iphone 5c = $99  (16gb) , $199 (32gb)

                             

                                   and 

 the iphone 5s = $199 (16gb) , $299 (32gb)

the iphone 4s is now free! on all carriers!, how ever the iphone 5 has be phased out, (it was only a year old device) so anyone that has an iphone 5, i dont know what to tell ya, upgrade, sell, or keep it as a souvenir? perhaps? maybe?........no? okay lol

well thats all i have for the apple keynote (september) 2013 event!

i hope you all enjoyed what i did talk about! 

i have to say that im forever #teamandroid but i dont want to leave out any news or advances in technology! no matter where they come from!

Leave Comments down below, and let me know what you think!

Suggestions are welcome!

this has been your "Tech-Head Announcements" 

please govern yourselves accordingly!  

until next time! 

AwkwardlyNormal