June 25, 2009

iPhone 3GS & iPhone 3.0 Firmware

The overall build feels better. The coating on the phone to prevent fingerprints seem to work sort of well, and gives the screen a lovely feeling. I almost don’t want to put a screen protector on it, but I know I have to.
The new voice control feature, while limited, is extremely cool. You can only control your music and make calls, but hey, its still a welcome feature, and I’m sure in the future it will have additional uses.
The compass is also neat, and while it might not be an app I’ll use constantly, I can see it being extremely useful (and not just while in the middle of the woods… I can see it being rather useful in the middle of a big city).
The camera. Tap-to-focus is a great feature. The fact is, I’ll always suck with the iPhone camera. I have issues holding it straight while pushing the button. However, I might manage to suck a little less, now. However there are times it seems that when you use tap-to-focus in certain low-light conditions, it actually causes the photo to become dramatically darker. But it does seem to work well in more optimal light conditions. Here is an example photo taken in kind-of decent light…

I really haven’t used the video camera enough to make any proper comments about it….
SEARCH. Namely, search for mail and for the iPod app. Easily my favorite thing to come out of the 3.0 Firmware update. This is just huge for my daily use of the phone.
Cut, Copy and paste is a welcome feature to finally have. Apple’s implementation is very well thought out. Its not perfect yet, I believe it can still be refined. Every now and then you tap and it doesn’t do what you expect, but overall, a very welcome feature.
Push notifications. Not many apps use push notifications yet, but I have used one, Beejive IM, that does, and it works very smoothly. If other apps (particularly Twitter iPhone apps) can implement push notifications, it can add a whole degree of usefulness to the phone.
It is just… fast. So fast and smooth. All the little delays I had become accustomed to are just gone. Waiting for the keyboard to pop up, waiting for the keys to type, waiting for apps to load, waiting for bookmarks to load, etc. All are now instant. Certain games and apps I’d have no interest in using on the phone, I now am interested in, just because of how much smoother they are all. The phone really is a joy to use.

Overall, if you have either one of the old iPhones, or if you never have and are looking into one, I’d highly recommend it. It really feels like the phone the iPhone was always supposed to be.

February 16, 2009

*Cinema — Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Yes, it really is that good.
It deserves all the awards that its won.
Its intense, while still having hope. Its a nice combination.
Loved the acting. The child actors were just fantastic.
Great soundtrack.
Everything about it is just beautiful.
Seriously… go see it. You’ll be happy you did.

December 1, 2008

*Cinema — Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Easily one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long while.
So much better than I was expecting.
The best romantic comedy I’ve seen since Knocked Up.
Yes, I realize they both star Seth Rogen. He just works so well in romantic comedies.
If we’re going to continue with the Knocked Up comparisons, I have to admit that I found Elizabeth Banks much more likable than Katherine Heigl.
Craig Robinson. You are just awesome.
Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson. Best guys ever.
A five minute cameo made me finally begin to like Justin Long.
I definitely have a thing for romantic comedies that also involve a healthy dose of dirty humor.

November 20, 2008

Bowtie

My friend Laurent helped create a new Mac application called Bowtie. It’s easily the best app out there to accompany iTunes.

Its basically an iTunes remote app. The beauty of it is in its simplicity. It can display album artwork and let you control iTunes from the desktop. It will post what you’re listening to last.fm for you. It does these things without hogging your computer’s resources and while looking beautiful. Bowtie boasts an extremely easy to use theming system based on html+css+javascript. It already has tons of themes, and promises to have many more. Absolutely fantastic.

The best part though is… its free! So go get it! :D

November 7, 2008

Unibody MacBook

For me it is ideal. Small (not quite as small as the Air, of course) and powerful.

So, I took the plunge and got one of the new top-of-the-line Aluminum MacBooks. So far, so good! Now on to some specific features…

Fit & Finish
The round corners are a welcome change, and the unibody enclosure make it feel much more sturdy and compact when compared the old MacBook Pro. I always felt like the 15” MBP felt like it could break in half, so thats a welcome change. Of course it’s larger and heavier than the Air, but so far I haven’t been that phased by it. All the similarities in look and feel seem to be making up for the extra 1.5 lbs.

Screen
There have been some pretty strong complaints about the screen. It is certainly shiny. I ordered an anti-glare screen protector just incase, but I haven’t felt the need to use it yet. Yet I do have to admit I am wondering what the long-term effects might be to my eyes…

Touchpad
The trackpad for the most part has been a non-issue for me. I was already well accustom to the whole idea of tapping and not clicking most of the time. I tend to only tap with my 4 fingers and only click with my thumb. So for me, it pretty much feels the same. So far I haven’t noticed any clicking issues with the trackpad yet, but I don’t always click, so… The new gestures are pretty awesome and well thought out. The trouble I have is remembering to use them. After so many years using a trackpad without them, its going to be difficult to adjust. However, considering how second-nature two-finger scrolling is to me now, I’m sure it would be too long before I’m using the four-finger gestures all of the time.

Keyboard
Perhaps my favorite thing about my old MacBook Air was the keyboard. Luckily, the new Macbooks have the same keyboard, which is easily the best keyboard I’ve ever used. Bonus #1: the keyboard lights up! Those of us that had the old 12” PowerBooks will understand how cool this is. It was the only PowerBook on the block without the lit keyboard. I really appreciate that Apple has added it in. Bonus #2: the keys on the new black keyboards don’t seem to smudge like the old MacBook Pro keys. That was such a pain in the neck. So, big win on the keybaord.

I haven’t gotten a chance yet to extensively test the video card yet. I’ve used Photoshop for a few moments without any issue, though. Compared to the Air, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be happy. Plus, with the extra RAM (4 gigs) and storage (320 gigs) I am in a bit of upgrade heaven.

The only thing I’ve had any issue with is actually the MagSafe power adapter, and it isn’t really an issue. It seems to detach from the laptop more easily than MagSafe adapters I’ve had in the past, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker.

December 5, 2007

*Cinema — Ratatouille

Ratatouille (2007)

I had heard good things, but I still wasn’t sure what to expect.
Of course it was visually stunning. There is just no way around that.
Cuter than you can possibly imagine.
So much better than Cars.
It had an actual plot.
It had a clear message, but wasn’t totally overdone.
It was fast-paced for a two hour movie.
I will never get over Patton Oswalt playing Remy.
I had no idea Will Arnett was in it! Crazy.
I have to admit I’m really looking forward to watching it again.

July 26, 2007

*Cinema — Transformers

Transformers (2007)

Frigging awesome.
We first went to go see this on Saturday July 14th for a 5:45 pm show, and it was way too crowded to sit down. So we went again Sunday July 15th for a 9:55 pm show and it was totally sold out. We waited online for the 10:25 pm show.
Totally worth all that effort.
The visuals were obviously amazing. But it was more than just the visuals for me.
Yes it was cheesy. I loved it anyway.
I really really want Bumblebee to be my own personal transformer. I loved him.
Easily the best movie I’ve seen since… Knocked Up. Man. What good movies.
I have no idea what to say about it. It just rocked.

June 14, 2007

*Cinema — Knocked Up

Knocked Up (2006)

I expected this to be good… but this was just plain awesome.
The best date movie in a really, really long time.
Fantastic sweet and cheesy romantic comedy that is also really funny.
Both Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogan did a great job and are going to be doing lots of other things.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to separate Heigl from her character Izzie, on Grey’s, who I find crazy annoying, but I actually loved her in this.
Rogan was actually not all that annoying, was nothing like his character in 40 Year Old Virgin, and was even kind of charming at times.
Just about as funny as the rest of Judd Apatow’s movies. Plenty of great lines to remember.
“I think he’s using the dice move a bit too much.” “I think that’s pretty much all he’s got.”
Same silly banter between Rogan and Paul Rudd as in 40 Year Old Virgin.
I didn’t know that Apatow and Leslie Mann were married. Very cool.
I’ve heard about this whole thing. I dunno… going to be interesting to see what happens…
Edit: I can’t believe I forgot to mention B.J. Novak’s cameo! Definitely a major highlight. All movies with an Office cameo receive an automatic extra star. Oh, and of course also Craig Robinson! Man, I love movies with Office cameos.

February 26, 2007

*Cinema — The Departed

I’ve seen plenty of Leonardo DiCaprio’s movies, but this is the first time I really appreciated his acting. I still think if there is any movie he should win the best actor Oscar for, this was it.
Although Jack Nickelson played a great villain, I actually think Matt Damon really stole the show in the villain department. Just as he did in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Damon plays a really creepy villain. Even though he wasn’t nominated for anything, he did a wonderful job.
The only thing that really bothered me in the movie was the excessive focus on cell phones and texting. I’m as attached to my cell phone as the next person, but I personally found it a bit distracting. Obviously not that big of a complaint.
Being someone who may end up being a psychologist, I was endlessly entertained by the only female lead being a psychiatrist. (Notice the distinction there. I figure she was a psychiatrist mainly because she prescribed medication.)
Being someone who may end up living in Boston, I was endlessly entertained by the fact that the movie took place in Boston.
We’re trying to get my Psychology in Film professor to show the movie for class.
Although it was as long as the rest of Scorsese’s movies, it certainly had the fastest pace.
When I went to Barnes & Noble to buy the DVD the week it was released. they were sold out. I’ve never encountered a sold out DVD before.
What can I say? I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed The Departed.