The New iPads: Apple Goes All In

Apple.com

Apple just held their annual iPad event last October 22 (23 in the Philippines) and a lot of products have been announced. One of the most interesting ones though are the new iPads. The 4th generation iPad was just a minor incremental update from the 3rd generation because all it added was the A6X processor and the Lightning connector. The iPad mini was a new product in a category that was started by Amazon due to their Kindle Fire tablets and became a success. The main problem was it had a lower resolution screen than its competition at the time (the Kindle Fire HD had a 1280x800 resolution display while the 1st iPad mini only had a 1024x768 resolution display). In their event though, they remvoed those flaws with a bang.

iPad Air

The 9.7-inch iPad started this whole "modern tablet" revolution where you can touch the internet in your hands. After the iPad 2 came out, this tablet never really had a nice thing going for it in terms of design. Sure the 3rd gen iPad added the Retina display, but the weight and thickness had to be sacrificed for that. This year, Apple made the biggest design change since then.

I was surprised at first as to why they named it the iPad Air. Essentially, Apple implemented the iPad mini design to the full-sized iPad. The result is a tablet that's 7.5 mm thin and weighs only 1 pound. You may love them or hate them, but you cannot deny the fact that when it comes to hardware design, Apple's at the top. Despite the tablet losing weight, it gained a lot of power. It has the new A7 chip with 64-bit architecture introduced with the iPhone 5s. Although critics say that 64-bit doesn't really give any improvements until you have at least 4GB RAM, Apple claims that performance is twice as fast as the previous generation. It also has the M7 motion coprocessor which checks the motion sensors in the device without draining much power since it doesn't have to call on the A7 processor. It's also the first iOS device to support MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) technology. This means that there are two antennas inside that give twice the data transfer rate than the previous generation. The iPad Air also has expanded LTE support which means you can use the iPad to its fullest potential in more places. With everything new that was mentioned, the iPad Air still manages to maintain the same 10-hour battery life.

iPad mini with Retina Display

Ever since the mini came out, it became the iPad that everyone wanted. The smaller 7.9-inch screen made it easier to hold in one hand, and yet it still offered the full iPad experience. My gripe with it though was that it had a low resolution screen and it had the A5 processor which is already 2 years old.

Now, they have the iPad mini that everyone wants. It now has the 2048x1536 resolution Retina display. Since the screen is smaller, the pixel density is 326 ppi (higher than the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX and the new Nexus 7). It also has the same A7 chip found in the iPad Air. Like the 3rd gen iPad though, the tablet is a bit thicker (at 7.5 mm) and a bit heavier (at 0.73 lbs). It isn't really much compared to the huge benefits of a high-resolution display. Despite the display, it still has the same great 10-hour battery that the iPad is known to have.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I'm really confused as to what iPad to get. They both have the same processors. They both have Retina displays. The only difference now is the size and the price. I wasn't really surprised that the iPad mini with Retina display starts at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model. Given all that they put in (A7 chip, Retina display, etc.), the $70 price hike is justifiable. Still, I'm in a bind now as to what I'll get. I love it that the iPad Air is 1 pound, but I love the portability of the mini. I'll figure that out soon. The reason why Apple's putting all the premium on the hardware is because they think that the free software (iWork and iLife are now free) and the robust ecosystem will make you think that the premium is worth it. Let's hope Apple's correct with that.

#BangonSugBohol: Story of the Earthquake

This has been a long, long week. It all started last Tuesday, October 15, 2013. It was supposed to be just another ordinary holiday. We were eating breakfast in a way that we usually do during holidays. Suddenly, we felt the earth shaking. It lasted longer than I thought it would. My sister was still sleeping when it happened. While we hurried out of the house, Dad had to wake her up. It was so shocking and frightening because we didn't know what else could happen in the house.

Few minutes after we got out, we were talking about how that earthquake was the strongest one they have ever felt in their lives. My grandma, who lives with us, is already 74 and she feels the same way. We kept talking about it even as that first wave stopped.

Initially, there was no power in the house for precautionary measures. Eventually it was put back on. While watching the news on TV, the aftershocks kept coming. Good thing we have a mirror that can detect the slightest movement due to aftershocks. All plans I had for that day went to a screeching halt.

In the afternoon, all I was doing was watch TV and anime on my computer. I went up to my room shortly after watching certain shows on TV to watch Shingeki no Kyojin. (This is a really dark and morbid anime, but cool nonetheless. I might review it soon!) The sad part about watching it that afternoon was that the aftershocks kept kicking in, so the morbid parts of the episode felt more morbid than usual. After one aftershock happened, I went down to the living room to take a breather. Few minutes later, I went back up to watch again. THEN ANOTHER AFTERSHOCK HAPPENED. After that, I just stayed downstairs and meddled with my phone.

While all that was happening, a lot of sad news came in. People died because the roof of the Pasil Fish Port collapsed. The belfry of the Basilica del Sto. Niño fell. Churches in Bohol were crushed by the powerful earthquake. Some bridges there became impassable. People in Cebu and Bohol are panicking because of the quakes. They either brought tents outside and slept there or simply slept on the roads since they were all scared of going back inside for there might be more aftershocks.

The story didn't stop there though, as the next day was even more troubling. At dawn, ANOTHER aftershock happened and people were awakened by it. Some couldn't even sleep because they were frightened by it. On my way to work, I tried to find some damages of the earthquake. Unfortunately, I never found any until I got in to the elevator area of the ground floor of our building. There were already remnants of the earthquake. When I got to the 7th floor and reached my cubicle in the office, my McDonald's tumbler fell to the chair. At least that's what happened in my cubicle. In other cubicles, I saw CPU towers fall on its side. On the ceiling, there were lights and smoke alarms moved. Thankfully, the network didn't suffer any damage, as that would have affected our work that day. Unfortunately, we felt TWO aftershocks in the office in the morning. After lunch, we were allowed to go home early since the aftershocks really worried the people in the office.

Up to this day, we are still experiencing aftershocks. It sucks that we have to live with this for a while since I am most concerned with the people of Bohol. They are the ones who suffered most in these tragic times. The reason why I put up that picture of the full moon is because it reminded me that despite the darkness, there will always be that light shining on us. We can rise again. We should help those people in need so that our comeback will be stronger than ever. If you're confused as to how you can help, check out @BangonSugBohol on Twitter or those non-profit organizations that you already know, or go here: http://www.istorya.net/forums/content/bangonsugbohol-call-action-help-our-brothers-and-sisters-need-480/. 

Fellow Cebuanos and Boholanos, stay safe always!

Simply Stunning: Gravity review

I've heard a lot of things about this movie. They say that it is a very good movie and it should be watched in 3D. THEY'RE SPOT ON.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity is a film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a Mission Specialist on her first space shuttle mission. She is accompanied by Matt Kowalsky (played by Clooney), a veteran astronaut. (WITHOUT SPOILING THE MOVIE) All is well when the mission goes haywire and both Dr. Stone and Mr. Kowalsky are in deep trouble.

The movie in itself is pure in form. There is nothing extra that would distract you from the story. 3D isn't annoying at all. It helps you be immersed in the story and all the emotions it conveys to the watcher. The story alone is very simple, maybe even too simple but that's what I think is one of its charms.

George Clooney still has them good ol' acting chops, but it was Sandra Bullock who shines a lot in this movie. We can feel her every emotion flowing through from the big screen. I always thought that she's a good actress, but this is her defining moment in 2013, maybe even in her entire career! She makes this movie her own. I couldn't imagine who else could play the role.

I didn't really mind all the scientific irregularities in the movie because at the end of the day, people will enjoy how simple yet so immersive this movie really is. I bet it's already your favorite movie of 2013. I would surely agree with you on that.

Those Fruitful 6 Months...

It's been months since I posted something about work and the people in it. That's just because I've been busy working so hard that I didn't really wanna put up any posts about it... until now. It's been 6 months since we started working here. A lot has actually happened even though we never really had a bonding session as a whole batch. Some of us actually bonded through various ways such as drinking sessions (I won't elaborate as to what transpired) or just a normal dinner out. Some of us even bonded due to our overtime in the office and we usually eat together.

To my fellow batchmates, thank you for the experiences that we've shared together and to more of them for the years to come. I love you all!

I'm gonna cut this short because there's nothing more to say except,

THANK YOU!

When in Starbucks...

I love Starbucks. It's a coffee shop that I go to every Sunday with family and sometimes on weekdays when I feel like it. There's something about Starbucks that's really unique (and maybe when you're a regular of your favorite coffee shop) whenever you talk to the people working there. Here's my history with Starbucks since my long standing companionship with expensive coffee has been with them.

When I was still in high school, my uncle had an issue with the coffee shop he always went to. He had problems with their service, so he switched to going to Starbucks. Ever since then, he would always go to Starbucks every Sunday (initially in the first branch in SM before moving to the one in The Northwing) along with his family. Since our family always meets with his, we go to Starbucks almost as much as they do. Because of that, it became an ordinary thing to go to everytime we're in SM on Sunday.

The first drink I got from Starbucks was a Chocolate Cream Chip Frappuccino. I really loved that drink simply because it had chocolate on it. (I really had simpler likes back then.) As time passed by, I wanted to try a new drink to see if I would like it. Then my love affair with the Signature Hot Chocolate started. It was a hot drink, so it takes me longer to finish it. That alone made it taste very very good. It remains my favorite hot drink in Starbucks today. As for my favorite Frappuccino, that goes to the Mocha Frappe. It's like their "vanilla" (plain) Frappuccino. If I get confused as to what to drink, I'd go with that. There are also times when I go with their new drinks, especially when they have a promo.

The important thing with being a regular at Starbucks is the baristas that you meet there. At first, it may seem like an ordinary conversation between a customer and a cashier. The more you keep going there, the more that they get to know you a bit. It took longer for me though since they really couldn't get the name down easily. Up to this day, I see baristas that worked at SM before at other Starbucks and they still know me (even the guard does too!).

I'm sure you guys have your own moments in your favorite coffee shops. Sometimes all you need to do is talk.

A Letter to Globe…

Dear Globe,

I have been a subscriber of Globe when I was still in my elementary years. In my opinion, you always had the edge in terms of your service and promos. I constantly availed the UNLITXT50 promo because it lasted for 7 days and I still had a lot of textmates that time.

Then you changed the pricing and made it P80 for 5 days, which was already expensive for me. When Sun Cellular came along with their P150 Text Unlimited SERVICE for 1 month, I had no choice but to switch.

Then came my interest in the iPhone. I got an iPod touch for my birthday because I was amazed at how much my sister liked it. After a few weeks, I fell in love with the touch that I really wanted to get the iPhone. When my mom got the 4S, I got her iPhone 4. It was already enough for me at the time. That was also the time I went back to using your service because you were known as THE iPhone carrier of the Philippines (before Smart started selling with the 4S).

Fast forward to today. Now I have an iPhone 5 through your Postpaid plan. Your LTE internet is fast whenever it's available and I have no problems with your service except for one thing: CUSTOMER service.

My parents have been trying to pay their bills but they both have issues: my Mom's bill wasn't paid ever since she got the plan I'm using since the billing was all wrong and everytime my Dad wants to pay the bill, the system's offline.

I understand that you just upgraded your whole system but why all of them right away? You could have just done a beta test of your new system to work on just some machines of the business centers and keep the stable and working old system on others. I'm not saying you shouldn't upgrade the system but you could have just done it slowly.

Awhile ago, there was this man who wanted to have a transaction in the business center but unfortunately he wasn't entertained right away. He went on and ranted about why they couldn't serve him. An in-charge of the business center said that some employees there were on sick leave. The man said that that's not an excuse.

Honestly, the man was right. It doesn't mean that they went on sick leave that they cannot provide proper customer service. If this keeps up, subscribers might switch.

I may complain about this, but I hope that you fix this as soon as possible. I love your passion to make our lives better through your services. I still think your experience with iPhone is far superior than the competition since experience trumps quantity.

Sincerely yours,

A Concerned Subscriber