So I found this article speaking to Apple advising their more inquisitive crowd recommending them not to Jail Break their devices.

http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/02/apple-inc-aapl-advises-fans-not-to-jailbreak-their-ios-devices/

I thought this is one of Apple’s weak points. Yes, Apple, you may not like developers tweaking with your “perfect” OS but this part of what moves the platform. This is part of how those new great features get added to the OS. Contrary to some, the best ideas don’t come out of Cupertino. Some actually come from the enthusiast who want to see something better. The treasure chest on concepts found on the internet many on Verge forums, with some being working Jailbreak modifications is just an example of this.

Now Azrienoch did a Youtube video explaining why rooting on the Android side is…necessary, and pushes the OS and platform. You may say, “Well that’s Android…this is Apple,” but the same premise still remains true here. The more developers you have using and tweaking mods to your OS, the more ideas you have to poach from and officially add it to the OS, in your own “unique” way. The only difference is that Google welcomes individual development and modding of Android OS, and OEMs know better than to come outright and try to stop it. HTC’s latest debacle shows how important that development/rooting community is.

Here is the video…

Anyway, knowing Apple, if they don’t like something, they sort of try to shut it down. If the Jailbreaking ceased to exist, will it hurt anything? Probably not, but I feel Apple will lose a great idea machine, by trying to squeeze the life out of the Jail-breaking community.

Anyway what do you all think?

So with all the talk about Samsung dropping Android, and all the X-Phone rumors, I ve come to a conclusion…

The X-Phone is Google’s way to restore balance to the Android ecosystem. I personally do not think Google intended for their to be only 1 very dominant OEM in the Android space..and with Samsung basically doing whatever they want short of forking Android, Google needs to make sure there is a viable competitor.

Now….

• The OEMs are in it just like Samsung they want users to be in their own ecosystem and their own apps, and they are not big on selling or marketing Nexus devices, so Google can not count on Sony or LJ as they can just as easily get big and try to push their own deeply customized Phone with their own ecosystem leaving Google Apps to the side.
• Nexus devices are still reference devices that are unlocked and getting updates directly from Google. This needs to stay this way. Regardless of what people say. The Nexus line is a developer device. It is the device that the Android Compatibillty Guidelines are based off of..thus it is called “Reference Device” So you cannot get rid of the Nexus, or dilute it with things like the VZW Galaxy Nexus.

The Motorola X-Phone will be Google’s Android balancing act, so to speak. It will not be a bone stock Nexus but a “stockish” Android phone designed to be sold with carrier customization in mind. So what does this mean? It means it would be a Verizon Galaxy Nexus marketed to the masses with LTE and a few Verizon apps. So in Verizon’s case it would not have Google Wallet, will come with Isis Payments built in, and maybe some games and other bloatware. It will not carry the Nexus name so that the Nexus line is not diluted, and it will be mass produced and available on all carriers. Now you will have some caveats. It will not be updated directly from Google, but will probably be updated faster than any other OEM and you will have to deal with any of the Carrier applications and lock-ins that may come with any other phone. Yes it will have bloatware, but that can easily be disabled, unlike the likes of Touchwiz and MotoBlur.

I think this will allow Google to put more focus on the Google version of the Android experience, focusing more on their ecosystem and services, in addition to offering wide device availability, and ensuring that there is a premium alternative that can compete with Samsung.

I’ve been wanting to write this for a while, but I always forget. But my faithful Apple Fanboy friend reminded today with his usual fanboyish comments, this latestone being….

“iOS is the worlds most advanced operating system, and Android OS is just a fragmented heap of trash”

I gave him a crazy look and he was like just look it up on Google. I laughed it off. Anyway I think this claim Apple makes made sense in circa 2009, but for them to continuously say it at this stage of the platform war is just odd to me. First off I’m not going to included Windows Phone here because , because it just complicates things, but feel free to provide Windows Phone pints in the comments.

Lets get started….

From Apples point of view…http://www.apple.com/ios/what-is/ they claim to have the most advanced mobile OS because..

Elegant and intuitive interface. I find this point mostly subjective because I personally don’t like the home screen with a grid of Apps and folders, and the skeumorphism thing iOS is doing, does not suit my taste…and many other Apple users as I have found. In addition Apple bases it’s intuitive claim on the fact that is a touch screen you use with your finger…ok..I must use my toes on Android or something. And it seems the stylus is making a comeback so again this is subjective, and purely a preference. But that does not make it more advanced then Androids touch screen and use of widgets. Draw

Amazing features and built-in apps.This would really be the bulk of where any claim of being the most advanced OS would come from. However Apple provides limited features to base their claim on. But for the sake of argument lets compare the stand out Apps, Apple mentioned

• Siri. Siri competes head to head with Google Now, offering the best each side has to offer in a mobile personal assistant. Siri best Google in the regard of being able to make calendar appointments and add task to ToDo list, Tweet, Post to Facebook, and other interactions with Apps. However Google Now provides better voice recognition, faster interface, and the location aware cards to better predict information you will need before you ask for it. I can’t say one is better than the other here because, they are simply going in 2 different directions so this again becomes a issue of preference.
• Maps. No. 3D Fly bys does not make this app better. Not going to get into it because no matter what anyone says Apple Maps is not better than Google Maps on Android.
• Music. The feature set on each music App is about the same. The amount of content counts a little bit, but really nothing to do with how Advanced your OS is, as Apple and Android don’t create content. they make deals with content providers, and with Android just getting the Warner Music library, the difference is getting very very small
• iMessages. I will give Apple this, as Android has really not provided a unification in its messaging hardware.
• FaceTime. It is basically similar to Google Video Chat. However Google Talk Video Chat is cross platform, and does not require Apple hardware, which negates any claim this is better. Plus Google has Hangouts….multi person video chat.
• Hardware and software made for each other. Yes I will give this to Apple
• The world’s largest — and smartest — collection of apps. Yes Apple might have better content, but Android has better functionality. The number one aspect being able to install, update, and delete apps from the web, without having to touch your phone. The key here is in regards to how advanced your OS is is that Apple and Google control the store, and developers control the content. Not sure what they mean by smarter though.
• iCloud. Your content. On all your devices. I disagree, because they are assuming I have all Apple devices, so for the user that has the Android Phone, iPad, and Windows PC…explain how this will best Google’s cloud services which are cross platform and web based.
• Safari. Google Chrome. Which I think is better and is also cross platform
• AirPlay..Yes Apple takes it here….for now. With Miracast ramping up we will have see how manufacturers embrace the standard and how it will compare to the experience on AirPlay

So that is the only feature set Apple based their claim on on their website. I feel when you make a broad claim like that you need to really show people why you are the best. This means give me some comparisons to your competeitors. So lets dig a bit deeper on the feature set because I don’t think you can call something the most advanced simply based on that, as Android brings features Apple seems to be lacking in…

• NFC. No it is not just for buying stuff. Mobile to Mobile sharing. And it even works across platforms, iOS has nothing like this, that does not require someone to install and have a app running first.
• Notification Shade/Tray/Center/Drawer….Again Android brought Actionable notifications and is even bringing toggles in 4.2, there is no contest here.
• Face Unlock…Niche feature, but still Apple’s OS has nothing here.
• 4.2 Will also bring user profiles, major advancements to the camera in regards to UI and panorama, lockscreen widgets, and built in gesture typing.

Now to be fair I think Apple does handle updates, availability, and security better than Android. Even with the Nexus devices, updates come in segments. I remember my Nexus 7’s update was not available for at least a week after it was announced. When, Apple’s updates are available. They are available. Period.

In the end I do think Android is a more advanced OS based purely on the feature set and functionality of the OS. The only real comparison in my opinion is Windows Phone, as it is the only OS that can really go toe to toe with Android in regards to features. Yes we can argue back and fourth on whether content and design play a roll in how advanced your OS is. But design is subjective, and content is really in the hands of the content providers.

So what do you all think? Again, like in everything I post, if we can try to keep this objective and leave the Apple and Android bashing out of it I think it could be a well informed debate. So yeah…I can care less comments using the terms iSheep, FanDroid, and the like.

Ok,

I was waiting for Apple to release the infamous even invite for the iPad Mini, so as it comes here comes all the crazy comments. For some reason folks think the iPad mini is going to blow the Nexus 7 out of the water, and that this will be the end of all other Tablet’s as we know it.

Objectively speaking I think the iPad mini will sell very well. I think many folks will actually sell there iPad 2 for an iPad mini. Additionally those folks in which price was a barrier to entry in the tablet space might actually budge. However, I think this happened with the Kindle, which made people realize that Apple is not the only company that can make a quality tablet with decent content. The majority of people want a 7″ Tablet simply for media consumption….news, video, music, books, games. The only real edge Apple has here is games. We are no longer in 2010 were nothing even came close to matching an iPad. This is 2012 where folks are ditching their iPads for Nexus 7’s. Media can cross devices more easier than ever, and everyone Amazon, Google, etc…has a ton of content. Yes for a ful lsize 10″ Tablet, apps are a key issue, but I don’t think it comes into play that much with the 7 inchers. These tablets fare for us to watch YouTube and Hulu, Read books and magazines, and browse the web. The apps that make a difference will be the media content apps, which are pretty much on par across all platforms.

This new tablet market are the folks who want a cheap, quality, tablet, to read books and watch movies. This is not the market that wants a tablet for better productivity. Thus, the iPad mini is just Apple’s version of the solution, which will sell well, but not destroy anything else out there. Kindle and Google will offer quality tablets offering more features for a much less of the price, catering to those consumers who like to purchase cheap Android phones. This is not, and has never been Apple’s consumer market target, and I don’t think their name and brand recognition is going to be enough for them to ultimately kill off all other 7 inchers.

But…the iPad Mini, will sell and it will make Apple a crap load of cash, and I’m sure of that.

Did I ever mention whole much I despise calling Customer Service?  Serously, no matter the company the experience is nauseating.  A true waist of time.

So anyway, today was pretty chill so wifey decided to Call VZW customer service to fix an issues on her blackberry that hasn’t been working for a while.  Honestly….to me this is simple, after going through all the troubleshooting and talking to like 3 people, you should send me new phone.  Ohhhhh but not Verizon they have never seen the problem..so they want to do all this testing and research, wipe my wife’s phone and all this unnecessary stuff for no good reason.

Ok so here it comes, I know you are thinking……”HeCareth, they are experts at this, this is what they do, how do you know it’s unnecessary?”  Well……I just know.  I think that is sufficient.

Anyways I decided to talk…well…yeah talk to the rep. and she took me through the whole spill about this and that and why that is this and that is that and why this needs to be done to that to make sure that doesn’t screw up this.  Makes sense ;). LOL!!!  Well I basically we told her we have things to do and have no time to go through this long labored process of finding out why the visual voice mail on the blackberry has issues.

So to make this long story short, I decided to use my crack-berry prowess and deductive reasoning and troubleshooting skills to see if I can solve my wife’s visual voice mail mystery.  15 minutes later……voila…problem fixed…and the trip part about it, is that with everything she was going to make us do she would have never found the problem and ended up sending us another phone.

So actually I saved Verizon like 200 bucks on sending another phone, doing what she couldn’t do in 2 hours, in 15 minutes….how you love that one, Ms. Ever so smart I know what I’m talking about and you don’t Verizon Tier 2 Blackberry Technical Support Rep?

I would like my cookie now….until next time

~H “Dot”