Comparative Review: Books vs e-Readers

It's the modern-day debate that has divided the classic 'nerd' camp into two: the old-school bookworms representing one side and the techie geeks on the other. The debate? Which is better, a classic book or an e-Reader?

Archaic artifact or old-school cool?

I will divide this post into sections, tackling the merits of each, as well as the disadvantages. I have strong opinions on this of course, having grown up loving reading more than any other activity. Which one is preferred by a reader totally depends on which factor is most important to the individual: access, convenience, and emotional value - what I call the 'A.C.E.' factors.

iPhone 5 - How It's Done

I think this infographic explains quite well how we consumers fall for the 'latest' in technology.

Infographic from The Techlabs, retrieved on February 6, 2012.

Apple iPhone 4S

This must be the phone of all phones, at least as far as 2011 is concerned.

Drool-worthy.

I initially thought that since the Apple iPhone 4 came out (what seemed to be a long time ago), Android phones like my Samsung Galaxy could perhaps catch up to the Apple monster. Alas, this is all wishful thinking.

The latest addition to the gorgeous iPhone line, the 4S boasts some serious hardware and software within its sleek exterior. The outside, while not at all different from the iPhone 4 with the naked eye, still features the minimalist single main button look of the iPhone family. The front and back glass (yes, glass) may be a bit of trouble to users with butterfingers, but with a good investment on one of the many iPhone 4S cases available online, this shouldn't be a problem at all. I personally prefer the Galaxy's screen (I find it a bit brighter) but the iPhone plays videos a tad bit better. Maybe this is due to the fact that it also boasts an 8MP camera with HD capabilities. Sick.

My favorite feature on the iPhone 4S has to be Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant built-in the 4S. Having witnessed first-hand the virtual omniscience of Siri, it's very difficult not to be impressed - even a long-time Apple critic like myself. I haven't been able to fully play around with the apps on the 4S (not many of my friends have it yet) but I've heard it has apps that allow for free voice calls-and-text to other countries provided there's wi-fi nearby. That's pretty amazing.

This is most definitely the must-get gadget of the year, maybe even well into the first two quarters of 2012. That's not too shabby considering how fast technology gets obsolete right now. I have, in fact, just registered my interest at Globe Telecom's iPhone 4S website. Check it out! :)

Jay~

More detailed information on specifications can be found in the Apple iPhone website.

iStudio High Street BGC

Repaired my old (read: antique) iPod video 80GB at iStudio, High Street, Bonifacio Global City and I must say the service is excellent. The technician cleaned the insides of my technologically-ancient sound machine, as well as replaced the click wheel for free. To think that I didn't even purchase my iPod from there, that was decent service if I ever had one (the problem I sought to fix was an outdated software problem - which was fixed in about 10 minutes). This is perhaps one of Apple's biggest selling points for me: good, hassle-free service. The technicians were all very friendly, and the sales associates were quite chatty with the people waiting in line at both the cashier and the service area.

Why do I have to blog this? Well, I'm not the biggest Apple fan, but this particular branch may sway me a little :) Just sayin'.

iStudio

B3, Bonifacio High St., Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig, Metro Manila Philippines 1634
info@istudio.ph
Tel: (632) 8562395
Telefax: ( 632) 8562396

Store Hours:
Monday - Sunday : 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Jay~

Samsung Galaxy 551

I finally invested in a smart phone.

It's been a long time coming, especially with my work, which involves being more organized than an archivist (that's part and parcel of working for a guy who's president of FOUR institutions). Also, after having my phone stolen, I really did need one. Why not splurge a little? :P

Introducing my Samsung Galaxy 551 Android phone :)


It's so gorgeous :D

PJ named it "Tasha", a direct partner to her N900 named "Tasio". Yeah, naming stuff. :P

Anyway, what I love the most about is that one, I actually saved up for it, two, it's an Android AND Google phone, and three, it has all the organizational tools I really need. I FINALLY have my Google calendar (which I have been praising to no end on my Twitter) with me always!

The interface is very customizable, which means that one can make it as personal as one wants. I'll probably take pictures of my screens (I set up three; but I think it's almost limitless) and post it some time. This is a pretty nice phone beside my work mobile, a Blackberry Bold. I really feel grown up, what with my moving from music phones (I have had four Sony Ericsson walkman phones already) to smart phones. The yuppie life :)

Full specifications can be found here.
SG 551 picture obtained from this blog, which surprisingly, also has an owner with a Nokia C3 :P

Jay~

Sony Ericsson w100i Spiro

As the previous post would inform you, my phone, a Nokia C3, was recently stolen. Aside from being cured from spending a significant (more than $100) on a phone, I was fortunate enough to have someone who was willing to sell me a phone really cheap. One of my colleagues is about to enter the Christian Brothers, and so was obliged to relieve himself of worldly possession. His Sony Ericsson Spiro, just three weeks old, needed a new owner. I was happy to oblige :P

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The Spiro is a cute little phone. It is so small, it disappears in my clenched fist. It is also really lightweight, but despite of the lack of weight and heft, it does not feel too fragile. The slide-function is really solid as well, and very smooth. Features are similar to most of the other SE mobile phones out there, so anyone familiar with the SE setup would not be too lost with this phone. The music player is also really crisp and loud. The battery life? A few days at least. Also, it has the "conversation" feature that my previous C3 had, whereby your text messages are grouped/threaded like a conversation, IM-style.

However, the camera is very poor (2.0 MP max), and the phone memory is horrific for a phone in today's market, just 5MB. A micro-SD card is definitely necessary. There is only ONE game in the "Games" folder, and the themes are very basic and not very pretty. It is NOT a phone if you are looking for a lot, but for the price I got it for (roughly $50), it does its job (call and text message) very well.

A good solid budget phone. Pretty Spartan, but one of the prettier basic phones out there. Very good value for money, if you are not asking for too much.

Jay~

Mac Virus

You smug Mac users, here's something for you people to worry about: a virus has infiltrated the considerable anti-virus defense systems of Macintosh computers.

Originally by Christopher Null, Yahoo Tech
The iServices.A Trojan horse is an attack being distributed via BitTorrent, where it's disguised as a bootleg copy of the new iWork 09. Once installed, the malware takes administrator access and connects to remote servers over the Internet, where it can be given additional instructions as the author commands, from installing additional malware to stealing information off the Mac in question. The malware creator can also take complete remote control of any compromised machine.

Not so smug now, are you? LOL.
Just - as always - be safe when downloading from BitTorrent.

Jay~