Since the news broke yesterday about Steve Jobs' passing, I have been reflecting about how truly amazing the gifts are that he gave to the world. This led me to think about my first experiences with a Steve Jobs created device.
As I'm sure many others first time is similar, my first time using an Apple product was in elementary school, playing Oregon Trail. It was 3rd grade for me, roughly 1990, and I'm not even sure which model of Mac it was, but every classroom had a Mac computer... this was my first experience with any computer, actually.
Around 1992, our family got it's first computer, which was a Windows PC (well actually, DOS to start out,) I always wanted another Mac like we used in school, but they were too expensive.
Throughout the rest of my time in school I worked with mostly Macs until Jr. High, which was filled with mostly PCs (this was roughly 1994.) They did have a few Macs in the computer lab, but due to the PCs lower price scheme, Windows machines were obviously dominate in many school districts.
I graduated in 2000 and started going to college in 2001. I remember late 2001, one of my friends who was deep into Apple products started raving about a little thing called an iPod. This was around the time when Napster was at it's peak, so digital music was becoming 'the next big thing.' He got one the second he was able to and loved showing it off. I found it pretty cool, but it would only work with Apple computers and it was expensive, so I simply looked at it as one of those high-tech, high priced items that were a luxury I would probably never get a chance to take part in.
It wasn't until early 2003 that I finally jumped on board the iPod craze, when it got it's first redesign with the scroll wheel and ff/rw/play/pause buttons right under the screen. I was hooked. In fact, this one single product made me fall head over heels with Apple and in 2004 I got my very first iMac (The iLamp.)
From 2003 up to 2008, I had purchased 6 different iPods (mostly because I was clumsy and kept dropping them,) Besides the iPod I got in 2003 I also got the 1st majorly redesigned iPod with only the scroll wheel, I got the 4th generation (which was pretty much the same,) I got the black video iPod, I got the iPod Shuffle Clip and in 2008 I bought a first generation iPod Touch from a friend who upgraded to the iPhone.
Speaking of the iPhone... the minute I saw it, I wanted it, but it was far too expensive and wasn't a necessity, so I had to hold off, but the second I got an iPod Touch, it was only a matter of my current phone's contract to run out before I was going to absolutely get an iPhone.
October 2009 was when my phone's contract ran out and that exact day (Columbus Day,) I went to the AT&T Store and got myself a brand new iPhone 3GS. I sold the iPod Touch to a friend, and haven't gotten an iPod since then... the iPhone has become my iPod. Next Friday, I will be getting the iPhone 4S, and my next computer purchase will more than likely be a MacBook or an iMac.
I have also gotten an iPad when it came out, an iPad 2 when it came out this year and last Christmas I got an AppleTV (all of these are already highly chronicled in this blog, and I love them all.)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
RIP Steve Jobs
It was announced today that Steve Jobs has passed away due to complications with the cancer he has been battling for years. He was 56 years old, and he was taken away far too soon.
In history books of the future, his name will be alongside the likes of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford and Alexander Graham Bell as one of the most brilliant innovators the world has ever seen. His genius was infectious, his will was strong and his mark will remain branded on humanity forever more.
I am grateful to have been alive to see so many of his visions bear fruit.
R.I.P. Steve Jobs, you've changed my life and you've changed the world. You will not be forgotten.
SIRI
The Siri Assistant is one of the most exciting features of the new iPhone 4S. In many ways it is a rehash of technology that has been done before, but in many other ways, it is quite revolutionary, in fact, I believe the 'S' in iPhone 4S stands for Siri (Apple has not defined the 'S' as of yet.)
Let's do some background. Siri was a spin-off of a company called SRI International, which is an offshoot of a DARPA funded project that some say is the largest artificial intelligence project ever launched. It doesn't specialize in voice recognition persay, it specializes in interpretting the meaning behind what you say.
Siri eventually wanted to use this technology for consumer use and they developed a 'personal assistant' app for the iPhone. This app could understand 'normal' english questions and commands and find things such as movie times, directions, nearby gas stations, and also do things like make reservations to a restaurant, all hands-free. It was quite impressive and shortly after the app's release, Apple made a move to buy Siri and in April of 2010 they made the deal final.
Apple had grandiose plans for Siri and decided to fully integrate the Siri personal assistant technology into their upcoming iOS, not only connecting it to information like movie listings, but also tying it into various apps.
Nuance, a company who has long been involved in voice recognition technology specifically, is being coupled with Siri, which then interprets the words and takes action. With these powers combined... the Siri digital personal assistant for iOS is born.
To give you an example of some previous attempts of this sort of technology, you could actually look no further than Apple itself. In iPhone 3GS, voice control features were added, and they worked somewhat decently. You could press in the home button and say something like "Call Mom... Mobile" or "Play album...Abbey Road" and it would do it, but beyond a few simple parsed phrases, it was useless. I highly doubt many people did actually use it except to show it off once or twice.
Some companies have similar programs integrated within their devices, but for the most part you still have to remember a slew of specified commands, and cannot speak naturally or it will have trouble understanding you. The Siri Assistance is not perfect either, but it seems pretty remarkable at understand your everyday speech and interpretting it.
For an example of this technology, let's say you wanted to find out what the weather was going to be like today. You could ask Siri in multiple different ways and it will bring you the same info. You could say "What's today's weather forecast?" or you could ask "What will the hourly temperature be?" or even "Will I need an umbrella today?"
It doesn't stop there. Siri is connected to a service called Wolfram Alpha, which can calculate and give you information about almost anything. If you were to ask it "How many days until Christmas?" It would give you the answer right away. You could ask "Who is Chester Copperfield?" and it will tell you that he is a character from the movie Goonies.
There are unlimited possibilities for what info you can ask it to get for you, and instead of turning on the phone, opening up an app, searching for info, finding an article, etc...etc... you could technically ask it a question without pulling the phone from your pocket and have the answer in the time it would have taken to turn on the phone.
That is great and all, but those things could be done with the Siri app alone... the integration into Apple's iOS is what makes Siri even more powerful.
Siri has connections with numerous apps in the iPhone, including SMS, Mail, Calendar, Reminders and more. This means that you can compose text messages or emails by dictation and then send it out, no fingers needed (well maybe one finger needed to press the home button.)
You can tell the phone "Remind me about the football game tomorrow at 7 p.m." and it will set a reminder. You could say "Please schedule a meeting for July 13th at 2 p.m." and the phone may talk back saying 'You already have an appointment scheduled for July 13th at 2 p.m., shall I still schedule meeting?" and you can answer back, "No, move meeting to 4 p.m." and it will move the meeting.
It also retains information and learns the more you use it. Here's an example given during the presentation, Siri was tasked to read back a text message that just came in which said 'When do you want to go out to dinner?'... Without responding, Siri was asked 'Do I have anything on Friday?' Siri responded with 'No, you have no appointments for Friday?' without telling it anything else, the presenter then said "Ok, reply... how about Friday?" and Siri automatically composed a reply text message that said 'How about Friday?' he could then either hit 'send' or tell it to send.
Please note that Siri is still in 'Beta' phase, which means it will only get better, but starting next Friday, I will have a chance to test it myself.
Let's do some background. Siri was a spin-off of a company called SRI International, which is an offshoot of a DARPA funded project that some say is the largest artificial intelligence project ever launched. It doesn't specialize in voice recognition persay, it specializes in interpretting the meaning behind what you say.
Siri eventually wanted to use this technology for consumer use and they developed a 'personal assistant' app for the iPhone. This app could understand 'normal' english questions and commands and find things such as movie times, directions, nearby gas stations, and also do things like make reservations to a restaurant, all hands-free. It was quite impressive and shortly after the app's release, Apple made a move to buy Siri and in April of 2010 they made the deal final.
Apple had grandiose plans for Siri and decided to fully integrate the Siri personal assistant technology into their upcoming iOS, not only connecting it to information like movie listings, but also tying it into various apps.
Nuance, a company who has long been involved in voice recognition technology specifically, is being coupled with Siri, which then interprets the words and takes action. With these powers combined... the Siri digital personal assistant for iOS is born.
To give you an example of some previous attempts of this sort of technology, you could actually look no further than Apple itself. In iPhone 3GS, voice control features were added, and they worked somewhat decently. You could press in the home button and say something like "Call Mom... Mobile" or "Play album...Abbey Road" and it would do it, but beyond a few simple parsed phrases, it was useless. I highly doubt many people did actually use it except to show it off once or twice.
Some companies have similar programs integrated within their devices, but for the most part you still have to remember a slew of specified commands, and cannot speak naturally or it will have trouble understanding you. The Siri Assistance is not perfect either, but it seems pretty remarkable at understand your everyday speech and interpretting it.
For an example of this technology, let's say you wanted to find out what the weather was going to be like today. You could ask Siri in multiple different ways and it will bring you the same info. You could say "What's today's weather forecast?" or you could ask "What will the hourly temperature be?" or even "Will I need an umbrella today?"
It doesn't stop there. Siri is connected to a service called Wolfram Alpha, which can calculate and give you information about almost anything. If you were to ask it "How many days until Christmas?" It would give you the answer right away. You could ask "Who is Chester Copperfield?" and it will tell you that he is a character from the movie Goonies.
There are unlimited possibilities for what info you can ask it to get for you, and instead of turning on the phone, opening up an app, searching for info, finding an article, etc...etc... you could technically ask it a question without pulling the phone from your pocket and have the answer in the time it would have taken to turn on the phone.
That is great and all, but those things could be done with the Siri app alone... the integration into Apple's iOS is what makes Siri even more powerful.
Siri has connections with numerous apps in the iPhone, including SMS, Mail, Calendar, Reminders and more. This means that you can compose text messages or emails by dictation and then send it out, no fingers needed (well maybe one finger needed to press the home button.)
You can tell the phone "Remind me about the football game tomorrow at 7 p.m." and it will set a reminder. You could say "Please schedule a meeting for July 13th at 2 p.m." and the phone may talk back saying 'You already have an appointment scheduled for July 13th at 2 p.m., shall I still schedule meeting?" and you can answer back, "No, move meeting to 4 p.m." and it will move the meeting.
It also retains information and learns the more you use it. Here's an example given during the presentation, Siri was tasked to read back a text message that just came in which said 'When do you want to go out to dinner?'... Without responding, Siri was asked 'Do I have anything on Friday?' Siri responded with 'No, you have no appointments for Friday?' without telling it anything else, the presenter then said "Ok, reply... how about Friday?" and Siri automatically composed a reply text message that said 'How about Friday?' he could then either hit 'send' or tell it to send.
Please note that Siri is still in 'Beta' phase, which means it will only get better, but starting next Friday, I will have a chance to test it myself.
Introducing... The iPhone 4S
As many expected, Apple has pulled the veil off of their latest iPhone creation, and it looks pretty similar to the iPhone 4. The reveal left many disappointed, as they were expecting a totally redesigned phone with a bigger screen, but there are just as many people seeing the 4S as a very substantial upgrade.
I compare this release of the 4S to the iPhone 3GS release, although not a totally new phone it greatly improves upon it's predecessor. Luckily, I jumped on the iPhone ship when the 3GS came out, so I am in the 'S' cycle... I look at it like this. The iPhone 4 came out and had some problems with the antenna and proximity sensor, etc... so now that my 2 year contract is up, I end up with a much faster version of the iPhone 4 with all of the bugs worked out.
Let's talk about the 4S in depth, shall we...
Physically, the iPhone 4S seems identical to the Verizon iPhone 4. No bigger screen, no elongated home button, same glass on the front and back and all buttons in the same place.
Internally, there are some vast differences:
- First, the antennas have been moved around and new antennas added to make sure there is not a repeat of 'AntennaGate.'
- Second, this is now a World phone, meaning there doesn't have to be 2 different versions for each carrier.
- Third thing is the A5 chip, which is also used in the iPad 2. This creates extremely higher processing power and should make the 4S noticeably faster than the 4 and insanely faster than my current 3GS.
- Also notable is the increase in storage space. Along with 16 and 32 gigs, Apple is offering the 4S in 64 gigs as well.
These changes may be enough to win over some, but the biggest features come about in the software upgrades included in iOS 5.
- Cards App... Ok, this may not be a huge deal for people, but it's kind of neat. This app allows you to create cards using your pictures or whatever design you wish, and for $2.99, Apple will print the card and mail it out for you.
- Find My Friends App... This is another nifty new app, let's say you and some friends go to an amusement park and decide to go separate ways to ride different rides. With this app enabled, you can see where your friends are at, making it easy to meet up. There are numerous other uses to this as well... use your imagination.
- iCloud... This service pretty much automatically uploads a lot of your data to Apple's 'cloud' and allows you to access it from any of your iOS devices. This should be nice in saving storage space.
- iTunes Match... While there is going to be 5GB of free storage, this is pretty much going to be a subscription service where you can store all of your music on Apple's 'cloud' and you will have access to all of your music at anytime (not sure if Apple will stream the music or if you need to download it.) This will be a nice feature, again, saving you a lot of storage space.
- Much More... There are supposedly over 200 other features in iOS 5, including a Reminders App, swipe gestures and more.
This sounds like a lot, but the icing on the cake is a new feature that is integrated into the entire iOS, and that new feature is 'Siri' a digital personal assistant.
To sum it up, Siri is a voice recognition & artificial intelligence program that understands normal conversational questions and quickly provides you with answers. It also can act as a personal assistant, going as far as checking your calendar, scheduling events, setting reminders, etc, etc...
I could speak about Siri for days, so I will leave you for now and create a separate post all about the Siri Assistant.
In closing... The iPhone 4S will be available to pre-order this Friday, October 7th and will be released the following Friday, October 14th. I am staying awake (or waking up early) on Friday morning at 3:01 a.m. to make sure I get my pre-order in.
Next week can't come soon enough.
I compare this release of the 4S to the iPhone 3GS release, although not a totally new phone it greatly improves upon it's predecessor. Luckily, I jumped on the iPhone ship when the 3GS came out, so I am in the 'S' cycle... I look at it like this. The iPhone 4 came out and had some problems with the antenna and proximity sensor, etc... so now that my 2 year contract is up, I end up with a much faster version of the iPhone 4 with all of the bugs worked out.
Let's talk about the 4S in depth, shall we...
Physically, the iPhone 4S seems identical to the Verizon iPhone 4. No bigger screen, no elongated home button, same glass on the front and back and all buttons in the same place.
Internally, there are some vast differences:
- First, the antennas have been moved around and new antennas added to make sure there is not a repeat of 'AntennaGate.'
- Second, this is now a World phone, meaning there doesn't have to be 2 different versions for each carrier.
- Third thing is the A5 chip, which is also used in the iPad 2. This creates extremely higher processing power and should make the 4S noticeably faster than the 4 and insanely faster than my current 3GS.
- Also notable is the increase in storage space. Along with 16 and 32 gigs, Apple is offering the 4S in 64 gigs as well.
These changes may be enough to win over some, but the biggest features come about in the software upgrades included in iOS 5.
- Cards App... Ok, this may not be a huge deal for people, but it's kind of neat. This app allows you to create cards using your pictures or whatever design you wish, and for $2.99, Apple will print the card and mail it out for you.
- Find My Friends App... This is another nifty new app, let's say you and some friends go to an amusement park and decide to go separate ways to ride different rides. With this app enabled, you can see where your friends are at, making it easy to meet up. There are numerous other uses to this as well... use your imagination.
- iCloud... This service pretty much automatically uploads a lot of your data to Apple's 'cloud' and allows you to access it from any of your iOS devices. This should be nice in saving storage space.
- iTunes Match... While there is going to be 5GB of free storage, this is pretty much going to be a subscription service where you can store all of your music on Apple's 'cloud' and you will have access to all of your music at anytime (not sure if Apple will stream the music or if you need to download it.) This will be a nice feature, again, saving you a lot of storage space.
- Much More... There are supposedly over 200 other features in iOS 5, including a Reminders App, swipe gestures and more.
This sounds like a lot, but the icing on the cake is a new feature that is integrated into the entire iOS, and that new feature is 'Siri' a digital personal assistant.
To sum it up, Siri is a voice recognition & artificial intelligence program that understands normal conversational questions and quickly provides you with answers. It also can act as a personal assistant, going as far as checking your calendar, scheduling events, setting reminders, etc, etc...
I could speak about Siri for days, so I will leave you for now and create a separate post all about the Siri Assistant.
In closing... The iPhone 4S will be available to pre-order this Friday, October 7th and will be released the following Friday, October 14th. I am staying awake (or waking up early) on Friday morning at 3:01 a.m. to make sure I get my pre-order in.
Next week can't come soon enough.
Monday, October 3, 2011
My iPhone Saga... So Far...
It was a c
hilly day in mid October 2009 when my 2 year AT&T contract finally ended. I had been using a Motorola Z9 up until that point (which was basically a Razr in the form of a slider.) The phone was sufficient enough for my needs, it made calls, text messages and I could sort of browse the web... sort of.
With the onslaught of smart-phones beginning to truly dominate
the mobile phone market, my intrigue into Apple's iPhone was at an all-time high. Announced in 2007, made better in 2008 with the iPhone 3G and improved upon even further in 2009 with the 3GS, the iPhone was the phone to beat.
My first foray into what would later become 'iOS' was in early 2009, in the form of a used 1st generation iPod Touch that a friend of mine sold me after he transitioned to an iPhone 3G. I was blown away by the device, the intuitiveness and the apps. It went with me everywhere, I had my phone in my right pocket and my iTouch in the left. The only issue was the fact you had to have wi-fi to use most of the apps and features. This is when I really hungered 
an iPhone.
Fast Forward to that chilly October day, Columbus Day to be exact. My contract had expired and I was finally able to change my phone from a Motorola Z9 to an Apple iPhone 3GS, and of course I opted for the 32 GB version.
I remember that day clearly, well not so much the 'work' part of the day, but as soon as work was over, it was a mad dash to the mall's AT&T store to pick up an iPhone. I also had to go get fitted for a tux for my wedding in November, but priorities are priorities and I went to the mall first. It was a simple transaction, they grabbed the phone, put in my sim card and I was off.
It wasn't until later that day when I got home that I really dove head-first into setting the phone up, adding apps, adding contacts and testing it's capabilities. It was finally a reality... I had wanted an iPhone since the first one was announced in 2007 but didn't have the funds at the time, by 2008 I already had the Z9 and it's contract. 2009 was a great year!
Since I got the phone, it has gone with me everywhere, including in the shower, (
after being wrapped in no less than three zip-lock bags.) I have done everything I could with the phone, including having it jailbroken for a while (until iOS 4 provided most of the things I was jailbreaking it for.) I fall asleep with the phone by my side every night.
I couldn't imagine ever going back to a regular dumb-phone, and through these two years, I've also played around with competition such as Android and HTC phones... and maybe because I'm so far embedded into Apple's world, but I don't think any other smart-phone out there can hold a candle to what Apple brings.
Fast Forward again to tomorrow's Media Event (I'll skip over the whole iPad thing... I've already written plenty of posts regarding my iPad Saga.) A new phone (or beefed up iPhone 4) will make an appearance, and I believe the biggest selling point is going to be The Assistant, which will successfully take voice recognition and artificial intelligence to the next level (or so Apple hopes.) Regardless of the announcement, I'm going to be getting a new iPhone, and unlike my previous attempts to acquire Apple products, I'm ordering it online, which should hopefully ensure I'll get one.
hilly day in mid October 2009 when my 2 year AT&T contract finally ended. I had been using a Motorola Z9 up until that point (which was basically a Razr in the form of a slider.) The phone was sufficient enough for my needs, it made calls, text messages and I could sort of browse the web... sort of.With the onslaught of smart-phones beginning to truly dominate
the mobile phone market, my intrigue into Apple's iPhone was at an all-time high. Announced in 2007, made better in 2008 with the iPhone 3G and improved upon even further in 2009 with the 3GS, the iPhone was the phone to beat.
My first foray into what would later become 'iOS' was in early 2009, in the form of a used 1st generation iPod Touch that a friend of mine sold me after he transitioned to an iPhone 3G. I was blown away by the device, the intuitiveness and the apps. It went with me everywhere, I had my phone in my right pocket and my iTouch in the left. The only issue was the fact you had to have wi-fi to use most of the apps and features. This is when I really hungered 
an iPhone.Fast Forward to that chilly October day, Columbus Day to be exact. My contract had expired and I was finally able to change my phone from a Motorola Z9 to an Apple iPhone 3GS, and of course I opted for the 32 GB version.
I remember that day clearly, well not so much the 'work' part of the day, but as soon as work was over, it was a mad dash to the mall's AT&T store to pick up an iPhone. I also had to go get fitted for a tux for my wedding in November, but priorities are priorities and I went to the mall first. It was a simple transaction, they grabbed the phone, put in my sim card and I was off.
It wasn't until later that day when I got home that I really dove head-first into setting the phone up, adding apps, adding contacts and testing it's capabilities. It was finally a reality... I had wanted an iPhone since the first one was announced in 2007 but didn't have the funds at the time, by 2008 I already had the Z9 and it's contract. 2009 was a great year!
Since I got the phone, it has gone with me everywhere, including in the shower, (
after being wrapped in no less than three zip-lock bags.) I have done everything I could with the phone, including having it jailbroken for a while (until iOS 4 provided most of the things I was jailbreaking it for.) I fall asleep with the phone by my side every night.
I couldn't imagine ever going back to a regular dumb-phone, and through these two years, I've also played around with competition such as Android and HTC phones... and maybe because I'm so far embedded into Apple's world, but I don't think any other smart-phone out there can hold a candle to what Apple brings.
Fast Forward again to tomorrow's Media Event (I'll skip over the whole iPad thing... I've already written plenty of posts regarding my iPad Saga.) A new phone (or beefed up iPhone 4) will make an appearance, and I believe the biggest selling point is going to be The Assistant, which will successfully take voice recognition and artificial intelligence to the next level (or so Apple hopes.) Regardless of the announcement, I'm going to be getting a new iPhone, and unlike my previous attempts to acquire Apple products, I'm ordering it online, which should hopefully ensure I'll get one.
Tomorrow... It's Only a Day Away
Excitement is reaching it's peak... Apple's 'Let's talk iPhone' press event will be kicking off tomorrow at 1 pm eastern and will answer all of the questions that speculators have been debating back and forth since last year.
Judging by the evidence presented, it is very likely that Apple will be releasing an updated iPhone 4 (called iPhone 4S,) and offer three storage sizes, 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB, while the current iPhone 4 may get a bump down in storage (8GB) and be offered at the $99 price point. It doesn't look hopeful that Apple will release a redesigned iPhone 5 at this event, unless they have been absolutely amazing at preventing any info from being leaked.
Personally, since I've been using the iPhone 3GS for two years, I will happily get an updated iPhone 4. However, if I had been using the iPhone 4, I probably wouldn't upgrade, but that's just me.
I am actually glad that they aren't redesigning the phone using the 'teardrop' design... I never liked it and feel that it would not be as balanced when using it sideways (although it's hard to say since I haven't had it in my hands.) I like the current form-factor and I don't even mind the screen size. Many have been saying that if it's not redesigned or if the screen is not bigger that they will get an Android phone instead. That's ridiculous. Try as you may, even with Apple just offering a spec boost, the intuitive nature of the iPhone far outweighs what Android devices bring to the table. (*editor's note... in my opinion.*)
I am excited as hell to get the new iPhone... As I said earlier, I've been using the 3GS for two years, so I missed out on the iPhone 4 features like the retina display, the front facing camera, and the increased processing power. Add on the 8 mp camera boost, the even-more increased processor, the higher storage and the new 'Assistant' voice recognition software and I'm going to be a happy, happy camper.
Speaking of The Assistant (which is still a rumor, but seems very likely to be announced tomorrow,) I think this will absolutely be a game-changer. The potential of this software implemented into iOS will take us one step closer to living in a futuristic Star Trek world.
I've toyed around with both the Dragon Dictation by Nuance, and Siri Assistant apps (the two companies who will be instrumental in Apple's 'Assistant',) and have found that the voice recognition works extremely well... not perfect, but very well. There are limitations to these apps, and I imagine that Apple will figure out ways to make everything cohesive and intuitive.
With the Siri app, it already does a number of things well and I am positive that they will make the transition into iOS, such as finding directions, pulling up weather info, booking hotels or taxis, and a slew of other things. It was unable to get me store hours when I asked "What are Target's hours?" and it could not give me sports scores when I asked "What is the score of the Notre Dame and Purdue game?" I imagine that Apple will work this software to the point you will be able to ask it almost anything and it will find the answer somehow. Plus, you will be able to use speech-to-text whenever a keyboard pops up, which will make sending texts while driving much more safe. There are numerous other uses I can imagine, but it's anyone's guess what Apple will say tomorrow.
All I know is that I'm hype.
Judging by the evidence presented, it is very likely that Apple will be releasing an updated iPhone 4 (called iPhone 4S,) and offer three storage sizes, 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB, while the current iPhone 4 may get a bump down in storage (8GB) and be offered at the $99 price point. It doesn't look hopeful that Apple will release a redesigned iPhone 5 at this event, unless they have been absolutely amazing at preventing any info from being leaked.
Personally, since I've been using the iPhone 3GS for two years, I will happily get an updated iPhone 4. However, if I had been using the iPhone 4, I probably wouldn't upgrade, but that's just me.
I am actually glad that they aren't redesigning the phone using the 'teardrop' design... I never liked it and feel that it would not be as balanced when using it sideways (although it's hard to say since I haven't had it in my hands.) I like the current form-factor and I don't even mind the screen size. Many have been saying that if it's not redesigned or if the screen is not bigger that they will get an Android phone instead. That's ridiculous. Try as you may, even with Apple just offering a spec boost, the intuitive nature of the iPhone far outweighs what Android devices bring to the table. (*editor's note... in my opinion.*)
I am excited as hell to get the new iPhone... As I said earlier, I've been using the 3GS for two years, so I missed out on the iPhone 4 features like the retina display, the front facing camera, and the increased processing power. Add on the 8 mp camera boost, the even-more increased processor, the higher storage and the new 'Assistant' voice recognition software and I'm going to be a happy, happy camper.
Speaking of The Assistant (which is still a rumor, but seems very likely to be announced tomorrow,) I think this will absolutely be a game-changer. The potential of this software implemented into iOS will take us one step closer to living in a futuristic Star Trek world.
I've toyed around with both the Dragon Dictation by Nuance, and Siri Assistant apps (the two companies who will be instrumental in Apple's 'Assistant',) and have found that the voice recognition works extremely well... not perfect, but very well. There are limitations to these apps, and I imagine that Apple will figure out ways to make everything cohesive and intuitive.
With the Siri app, it already does a number of things well and I am positive that they will make the transition into iOS, such as finding directions, pulling up weather info, booking hotels or taxis, and a slew of other things. It was unable to get me store hours when I asked "What are Target's hours?" and it could not give me sports scores when I asked "What is the score of the Notre Dame and Purdue game?" I imagine that Apple will work this software to the point you will be able to ask it almost anything and it will find the answer somehow. Plus, you will be able to use speech-to-text whenever a keyboard pops up, which will make sending texts while driving much more safe. There are numerous other uses I can imagine, but it's anyone's guess what Apple will say tomorrow.
All I know is that I'm hype.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Apple Update
It's been a while since I last updated this blog, but there has been some recent excitement from Apple that I wanted to write about.
Let me start by saying that I still have an iPhone 3GS and my 2 year commitment expired just this past July, which is why I didn't jump on board with the iPhone 4. My plan was to get the new iPhone when it was released in Summer.
Unfortunately, Summer has come and gone and there was no new iPhone to speak of. Plenty of speculation and rumors of course, but no word from Apple at all.
Well, we are now nearing October, and invites have been sent out for a 'Let's Talk iPhone' press event, which will take place on October 4th at Apple's campus. According to sources close to the matter, the new iPhone will be released October 14th.
It is still highly debated if Apple will simply release an iPhone 4S or an iPhone 5, or both. According to parts manufacturers it appears that the release may be just iPhone 4S which will carry a similar look to the iPhone 4, but feature internal enhancements such as faster processor, 8 MP camera, and an overhauled voice command system.
Evidence of an iPhone 5 has only come in the form of case-manufacturers who have been working off of a 'supposed' leaked document which shows a redesigned iPhone that has a tapered appearance, reminiscent of a MacBook Air when closed.
We will not know for sure what Apple has in store until next Tuesday, when new iPhone(s) will be announced, iOS 5 will be released, and possibly an iPod refresh will occur as well. I can't wait... I'll definitely be pre-ordering the second I am able to.
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