Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Tag: mobile technology

Soapbox: USB on Mobile Devices is Frivolous

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On October 16, 2015

In Fulmination, Mobile, Soapbox, Technology

minion_daveI still see articles posted criticizing Apple because they still haven’t added a USB port to their phones or tablets. I don’t understand why there are still people clinging to this pagan belief that mobile devices need to have a USB port. Folks, we are living in a world where our data is stored in the elusive but ultra convenient Cloud. The very concept of a mobile device should be the epitome that embraces Cloud based technology.

I have been using an iPhone since the 3GS and an iPad since version 2 and I have never pined for a USB port to use a thumb drive. Once a tablet has a USB port, it’s no longer a tablet; it’s now a laptop (albeit it thin and lacking peripherals). The fact that Samsung and Microsoft still throws that in Apple’s face is both absurd and ludicrous.

What is easier?

A) insert thumb drive. open folder on thumb drive. copy file to thumb drive. eject thumb drive. plug thumb drive into other device/computer. open folder on thumb drive. Edit file.

or

B) open remote cloud folder. Edit file.

It is far easier and more convenient to use Cloud based storage so you would greatly benefit from learning that methodology. If you prefer that I say it in trite gaming vernacular “learn2Dropbox”

/cheers

minion_keboard_smI could get so much more accomplished if I only had minions!

Tech Talk: Tech Pipe Bombs

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On July 15, 2015

In Microsoft, Mobile, Tech Talk, Technology

cm-punk-pipebomb

CM Punk is an amazing athlete and was known for his pipe bombs on WWE

Last week Microsoft and Logitech dropped a couple of pipe bombs on the tech industry. One was unexpected, the other … well, let’s just say I wasn’t terribly surprised. It’s going to be interesting for me to talk about both of these companies because I love everything Logitech creates but my relationship with Microsoft has been a little tumultuous lately. Either way, it was a pretty big shake-up for the mobile and computer industry.

Logitech Re-branding Itself

logi-logo

The new Logitech logo

The biggest surprise was Logitech re-branding itself as “Logi”. I have read all of the various reasons the company decided to do this but I still don’t know if I like the new branding. I have enjoyed Logitech’s products for so long that its going to be difficult for my brain to associate “Logi” and “Logitech” as the same entity, especially when all the logos change. I get why they did it. Our world has become so integrated with technology that it almost seems barbaric to do anything without it (even simply taking a walk now has some technology association).

I imagine its going to be a while before we stop calling it “Logitech”; I know that’s the name I’m going to use for a while (ex: I still call it “Sears Tower“). Also, how does one even pronounce “Logi”? Is it like “logic” without the “c” (i.e. “lodgie”)? Or “loggy”? It can’t be “loogie”, that’s just gross! My guess is “lodgie” but that sounds so childish to me. There wasn’t a corporate buy-out that prompted this change so they are still going to manufacturer the same outstanding products. Hopefully this new branding won’t damage their sales because there’s nothing comparable out there.

Microsoft Killed Nokia

borg

Microsoft of Borg

Now the not-so-surprising news. Windows Phone is officially dead (*cough*about time*cough*)! Microsoft performed a huge layoff, 7800 folks are now looking for new jobs, and most of them were part of the Nokia buyout/phone business. I feel kind of bad for Nokia because they made decent phones … then they started running Windows 8 mobile exclusively. It’s interesting because when I heard Microsoft make the deal to “help” Nokia by providing the OS, I predicted that they would end up buying Nokia (I’m kicking myself for not buying Nokia stock, which would now be Microsoft stock). I also predicted that the Windows Phone wouldn’t survive and is another failed venture, just like the Zune. Sometimes, I hate being right.

It’s also interesting because this seemed like such a surprise to so many people. It was talked about on most news feeds for a couple of days as if it were the most earth-shattering pimp bomb to come out of Redmond since Bill Gates announced his retirement. Obviously I’m not a fan of the Windows Phone but that’s isn’t why I think this was the right decision for Satya Nadella to make for Microsoft. When you have a failing product or a product that just can’t compete, the smarter thing to do is cut it loose, especially when your direct competitor is taking 92% of the profits in the industry. Every company goes through peaks and valleys and Microsoft’s recent moves suggest, to me, that they are trying to climb out of their current valley (perpetrated by said failed smartphone and Windows 8).

The futures of both of these companies is going to be an interesting thing to watch because they made some pretty difficult and paradigm-shifting changes. Don’t get me wrong, I hope the best for both of these companies; one keeps me happy and productive, the other keeps me employed.

/cheers

Why I’m Hard On Microsoft

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On September 19, 2014

In Apple, General Cogitation, Microsoft, Technology

borgYou can ask anyone and they will tell you that I rarely cut Microsoft any slack. I have been working in Microsoft technologies for over 10 years now, and I’m pretty good at .NET development. People generally assume that if you make a career working in a technology then you should give the appropriate, unrelenting respect but that’s not how I work. I won’t swoon over every product Microsoft produces because I don’t agree that everything that comes out of Redmond is made of gold. (Also, for what its worth, I don’t swoon over Apple products either. I’m not getting online at 4 in the morning or standing in line outside the Apple store to buy the new iPhone just to have the new iPhone; that’s just not economically sane or reasonable. I swoon for no one … well, maybe except for Nathan Fillion but, come on, he’s Malcolm Reynolds!

It probably doesn’t help that from 1998 to about 2002 I was full blown anti-Microsoft. I would only use Windows if I absolutely had to. My first computer was configured for dual boot which gave me the option to use Linux or Windows and I used Linux 90% of the time I was actively using my computer. Eventually I began to cut Microsoft some slack and when Windows 7 came out, it was a turning point for me. Microsoft has been in business for nearly 40 years so I expect a lot from a company that has been around since the mid-70’s. Is it wrong for me to set the bar that high? Lately I feel as though Microsoft thinks they can throw their weight around and still get their way but this isn’t the 90’s anymore. The vendor no longer controls the market; the users are now dictating what they want and what they expect (I blame social media). If you’re not willing to listen to your users and consumers then you’ll never deliver what the people really want and you’ll get left behind by those that really do respond to criticism and feedback (hence why Apple and Google have been far more successful).

I think a lot of my harsh criticism stems from frustration. I feel like Microsoft has been extremely obtuse and out of touch with the modern world. How do you release something as wonderful as Windows 7 only to turn around and release something as odious as the Metro UI and Windows 8? I get that the industry has become more mobile where gestures and touch enabled devices are paramount for new products but Microsoft’s interpretation of a mobile UI was just awful. I also think that the Windows Phone and the Surface tablet was a terrible idea because the market was already saturated with several successful devices. It’s very disappointing because they made some very poor decisions; but I guess if anyone has the money to throw around its Microsoft. They have never really been afraid to take risks, no matter how terribly they pan out.

I’ve already seen a few rumors swirling around about Windows 9, code named “Threshold” and the early indicators are that they are going to separate the standard computer desktop user from the touch enabled user. Despite all the mud slinging I have been doing lately about Windows 8, I am excited for Windows 9 and to see if Microsoft has learned their lesson. I’m still not interested in either of their mobile devices (until they become less of an eye-sore) however futile it is to resist 😉

Is Apple Pulling A Microsoft?

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On September 16, 2014

In Apple, General Cogitation, Microsoft, Mobile, Technology

Apple-MicrosoftLast week Apple unveiled the next iteration of their iPhone, which had the usual fanfare. Most of us, even those of us that are iPhone users, weren’t terribly blown away by the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus features. It was all pretty standard (bigger screen, faster processor, better camera, etc). I think the best feature of the new iPhone is the addition of NFC technology (which apparently Samsung already had in their phones). I guess that’s the first sign that Apple is looking a lot like Microsoft this year, playing catch up. If you are not familiar with NFC, it stands for “near-field communication”, which means it basically allows you to use your phone to interact with other systems simply by its proximity (or waving in front of a reader of some sort).

Apple added NFC for its new ApplePay system that only the iPhone 6/6 Plus will have. However, I think the big blunder here is that only POS systems (that’s point-of-sale, not the other acronym) which have the proper upgraded firmware will be able to utilize Apple’s NFC features. So, basically they have created a proprietary feature that if POS manufacturers don’t pay to upgrade their equipment, won’t be able to take advantage of it. My understanding is that Samsung uses a more universal NFC technology. I don’t know why Apple made ApplePay proprietary, seems pretty myopic to me. I mean, that didn’t work out so well for Microsoft!

Many people are screaming for Apple’s head over the whole U2 album. I’m not sure I really understand why people are nerd raging. I understand if the album had been something awful, like Eminem or Kanye West, but U2 is a highly respectable and classic rock band. The album was not downloaded directly to my device, it was in my iCloud. I had to explicitly tell iTunes to download the album so unless it was somehow forced onto folks devices, I’m not sure how people could have unknowingly downloaded the album. If, however, the album really was pushed out to everyone’s phones/iPads, well that is a pretty uncouth thing to do. Also, such a power play (i.e. forcing technology onto their users) is another common Microsoft move.

Biggs On: iOS7 Impressions

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On October 7, 2013

In Apple, Biggs On, Mobile, Technology

apple_logo-263x300The new iOS 7 has been live for a few weeks now and over 200 million devices have made the switch. I updated both of my devices (an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4S – before I upgraded to the 5S). I heard mixed reactions while iOS 7 was in beta, but for the most part people liked it. I didn’t get a chance to try it out when it was in beta so I experienced it with the rest of the world the day after it went live.

Overall, I really like it. In my opinion, it seems cleaner, more modern and edgy. It’s easy on the eyes (unlike some other OSs whose “lively tiles”, according to some experts, may induce diarrhea). I’ll admit, it did seem a little sluggish on my 4S and I had to go in and make a few changes under the hood (as it were) so I could get a little more out of my battery. Honestly, that’s pretty typical of Apple. The latest iOS always seems to zap your battery and you have to go in and turn several background features off if you want your device to last longer than a day. In fact the first day I had my iPhone 5S the battery was nearly gone by the end of the day, which shouldn’t happen with a new phone. After turning off several features (such as Background App Refresh and Automatic App Updates) the phone battery performed much better.

On the other hand, the battery on my iPad 2, since updating to iOS 7, doesn’t seem to have been affected at all. With that said, I like iOS 7 more on the iPad then I do on the iPhone. Perhaps its because the screen is bigger and therefore easier to notice the subtle design changes in some of the icons and overall picture quality. Or maybe I’m just strange (which we all know has always been true, regardless).

I freaking love the Control Center. It’s so nice that I can just swipe up and toggle DND, WiFi, Airplane Mode, and several other Settings and Utility apps (such as calculator, camera, stop watch, flashlight). I’m a lot less likely to get caught looking at my phone in church when I forget to turn on DND because it can be toggled so much faster now. I know, I know. Android did it first, and I’m glad Android users have had that luxury longer, but its nice to finally have it on an Apple device.

If you haven’t updated your devices yet, I am going to encourage you to do it. Make sure you read about some of the tips folks have posted for improving your battery life, especially on older devices (and by older I mean pre-iPhone 5). If you have already updated, what do you think? What things do you like about it? If you don’t like it, I encourage you to share that as well.

/cheers

Why I’m Getting The New iPhone

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On September 18, 2013

In Apple, General Cogitation, Google/Android, Mobile, Technology

applesamsungIt’s not a secret that I predominately prefer Apple mobile devices. I’ve been using an iPhone since the 4 and prior to that I’ve been using an iPod since the first version. I’m not an Apple fanboy, though many have teased me that I am. I do not think the iPhone is a superior product over any comparable Android device. If I had to absolutely stop using the iPhone I would have no qualms about picking up an Android.

Windows Phone … well, that’s a different story. I would probably prefer two cans on a string next to a Windows Phone.

My contract is up; actually its been up since May. I knew a new Apple phone would be released this year so I’ve been holding off on renewing my contract until Apple decided to launch it. Obviously that wait is over. This Friday I will make a brazen attempt to get the iPhone 5S as part of my contract renewal. I’m getting the new iPhone because the iPhone is what I’m most comfortable with; that and I don’t want to spend the time reformatting all my music. I don’t bash any Android device because I’ve played around with one and they are really slick devices (unlike a Windows Phone where I was done using it within 30 seconds).

Generally I’ve been trying to only update my phone every-other-version of the iPhone. It saves on money and it feels like a more noticeable upgrade. My advice, if you are deciding which phone to get, don’t ask anyone that strongly prefers one or the other, just go to your carrier’s store and try out each phone. Choose the one that feels most comfortable and less likely to cause you any confusion when trying to complete all of your normal tasks.There are plenty of guru’s out there for Android and Apple phones to help you with any support issues you might encounter. Granted Apple has a bigger advantage with brick-and-mortar locations for quick, hands-on service and support but my understanding is most service techs at carrier stores are fairly knowledgeable of Android devices.

/cheers

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