Why the Surface Pro 4 is better than the Surface Book

On Oct 6, Microsoft unveiled a number of devices namely the Lumia 550, Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL, Band 2, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. The Lumias are phones and the Band 2 is a smart band. The Surface Pro is a tablet while the Surface Book is a laptop of sorts. However, the way Microsoft has pitched these two devices presents an antithesis. When the third generation of the Surface Pro was released, Microsoft pitched it as the tablet that could replace your laptop but with the Surface Book, Microsoft is telling us it is the laptop that could become a tablet when you need it to be. Despite these confusing statements, there are some similarities and important differences between the two.

Apple iPad Pro: First Impression

I am not going to get into why I dislike iOS devices. This is simply an unbiased and objective look at Apple’s largest tablet, the recently unveiled iPad Pro.

The Good

Display/Screen

It has a larger screen: 12.9 inches. Also there are more pixels. Not that I am impressed by that sort of thing. Personally, 720p is more than adequate for mobile hand held devices; 1080p at the most. Anything higher is superfluous. But that’s another matter.

What Under the Dome Can Learn From Prison Break

Prison Break was originally conceived as a two- season TV series about a group of incarcerated guys that broke out of a high security prison. Unfortunately, the series eventually ran for 4 seasons with each of the last two seasons being really terrible. Why did it happen? One word: greed. The network (Fox) got greedy and chose to extend the show. without a concrete or properly fleshed-out plan for a good story.. Never mind that the series is making a comeback in what seems to be another poorly-conceived attempt at story telling.  What does all this have to do with Under the Dome? Quite a lot.

Terminator Genisys Review

I just watched Terminator Genisys last weekend. Yes I know it has been out for quite some time. I’ve been occupied. Even after reading James Cameron's endorsement, I went in with an open mind. And while I am mostly against reboots and unnecessary sequels, I have always had a soft spot for Terminator: Judgment Day (1991). To me, unnecessary reboots and sequels portray laziness, an unwillingness to try something new/different, averseness to change, and of course, greed. The latest examples are Fast and Furious 7 and Jurassic World. God rest Paul Walkers's soul but Furious 7 was SSDD. Jurassic World is good but it's not for we that were around when Jurassic Park and The Lost World were released. For us, it's the same movie all over again. It would be fun for those aged 15 and below. And I think Chris Pratt was cast just to capitalize on his new found stardom/fame. Not that Guardians of the Galaxy was a good movie but I digress. Terminator Genisys is an excellent movie and is proof that reboots can be done right. It is not a remix of the first two movies; it is an entirely different film.

Genisys is a reboot not just for the newer/younger generation but for fans of the first two movies. I am rather glad that the third and fourth movies were disregarded. Rise of the Machines was rubbish and Salvation wasn't memorable.

Truth be told, I was worried when the fifth movie was announced and that Arnold was reprising his role as a T800. My reaction was 'here we go again! Isn't he too old to convincingly portray a terminator?' Alas, his aged appearance was brilliantly addressed in the movie. More so, his performance here is superlative and enough to redeem his last outing in the third movie.

Though a reboot might contain familiar characters and elements, it should bring something new to the table and the T1000 did just that; not with the shape shifting and not with the GPS tracker bit, but with something else. – removing part of its body and then shape-shifting that part to have a pointed edge and then lobbing it as spear. Also, the T800 now runs. I don't recall Arnie running in Judgment Day. That said, the lines "Come with me if you want to live" and "I'll be back" shouldn't have been used. The movie would be just as fine without them.

Some have complained about the confusing nature of the different timelines but I think that's part of what makes Genisys great. Though not all genres can, a good movie should stimulate thought and conversation long after the movie has ended. And this movie does that. I'm still trying to figure out how Sarah Connor knew certain things since the timeline was different. It could turn out to be a flaw/goof. I'll have to watch it again to be sure. I'm also unclear as to what actually caused the different timeline. I don't think the film is confusing. It simply requires some thought and isn't for simpletons. If you want a confusing movie, watch Cloud Atlas.

The tone of the undeserved poor reviews have convinced me that those critics are nothing more than disciples of Simon Cowell’s brand of traumatising insults masked as critiques.

I watch Judgment Day every couple of years just to get my terminator fix. With Genisys, I have a new favourite. The only thing T2 has over Genisys is the score. Genisys has a good score but I don't think it's as good as that of T2. That said, Genisys has a good collection of actual songs.

My advice to the writers, the Director, the studio and everyone involved in making this film is this: Though Genisys doesn't have a stellar box office performance, that doesn't mean it isn't a great movie. A classic example is The Shawshank Redemption. If the planned sequels don't happen, so be it. It can serve as a good conclusion. This movie accomplished the seemingly impossible task of properly reopening an already concluded story. However, if you do make a sequel, please don't give away plot twists and reveals in the trailers.

The good guys at HonestTrailers would probably ask, why did Skynet bother sending a T800 and a T1000 back to 1984 when it could have easily sent an altered John Connor (T3000)? That would have ensured success. Now for the most important question of all: Who sent the T800 back to 1973 to protect young Sarah Connor?

4GB of RAM Should Be the Minimum for Windows 10

When Microsoft announced that any PC capable of booting Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 would be sufficient to boot Windows 10, many PC manufacturers and retailers were irked because it meant many users wouldn't be upgrading their hardware which in turn meant lower sales for them. Keeping the requirements for Windows 10 the same as those for Windows 7 and 8 makes a lot of sense because it means more people will upgrade to the new OS. - something Microsoft desperately needs and wants.  But Microsoft may have done itself (and Windows 10) a disservice by allowing 2GB of RAM as a sufficient minimum. That's because there's a difference between booting Windows and running Windows.

Preliminary Review of the 2016 BMW 7-Series

 
The New 2016 BMW 7-Series was unveiled recently. As I am yet to see the car in the flesh, I will be relying on the official videos. On the exterior, its strong and definitive beltline give it a defined stance which in turn makes the whole vehicle look athletic. This is a good thing because compared to its archrival, the Mercedes S Class which (in its current generation) is bland, the exterior of the new 7-Series has got character.

It has a few tricks too. It can park itself by driving into and reverse out of a garage or parking space. This is done with the aid of its key; a display key (a slightly larger key fob with a colour touchscreen display).

A Short Review of Person of Interest: Season 4

The fourth season of our favourite show wrapped up about a month ago. Ergo, this review is a bit belated. On the whole, Season 4 was a disappointment. It was supposed to be The Machine vs Samiritan. Instead, what we got was The Machine playing a defensive game mostly by hiding. Also, there were way too many filler episodes. It seems the writers and producers had a good idea but just didn’t know how to execute it properly. There were a lot of inconsistencies.  So I guess trimming the upcoming fifth season to just thirteen episodes is a welcome development. If it will be the final season is unknown at this point. Here’s a quick rundown of the major problems with Season 4.

(i)        Shaw’s character has been built-up and portrayed as a cold and precise killer. I would call her the grown up version of Hit Girl in KickAss. So I found it odd that she couldn’t successful shoot Martine at the beauty parlour (despite the superior firepower that she was packing).

(ii)       All of a sudden, Root is now an exponent of hand to hand combat. Where did that come from? Meanwhile, Martine who has sometimes been portrayed as a kind of black ops agent couldn’t do better than to engage in a girly fight with Root. The writers even went further to portray Root as an expert of sorts with the ease with which she snapped Martine’s neck. This is all very inconsistent.

(iii)      The Machine’s dialog at the end came across as very awkward and completely out of character. A Machine that had hitherto refused to (or accepted not to) talk with Harold is now calling him father. I’m not sure what to make of that but certainly, I was neither impressed nor amused.

(iv)      The episode with Carter was in my opinion, one of the worst. It served no real purpose. It neither added to nor moved the plot forward in any way. It seems the writers just wanted to cash in on Taraji P. Henson’s fame on Empire.

(v)       Also, I have to wonder why Samaritan didn’t fix the blindspots / deadzones in the city’s surveillance.

(vi)      Fusco has heard a Machine being mentioned twice now. It’s becoming unrealistic that he hasn’t asked what it is. – First in the Season finale of Season 3 during the blackout after he steps out of the anti-riot vehicle. The second time is in If Then Else episode of Season 4.

I shall miss Elias, excellently played by Enrico Collantoni. He was one of the very good characters, much akin to Gus Fring of Breaking Bad. Scarface Anthony also got some well-deserved character development. Even Reese commented that he never knew his name.

And let’s not forget where Season 4 ended: Finch, Root, and (a probably wounded) Reese were literally walking towards and shooting at Samirtan agents. A situation where the trio were both outnumbered and outgunned. I’m wondering how this will be resolved.

The season definitely had some great episodes though. I think many people would agree that the best was If The Else. If Shaw’s character had been killed off here, it would have been a glorious and befitting exit. Dominic got schooled by Elias. Despite his knowledge of strategy and big talk, he fell for a cheap ruse. I shall miss both characters though. I would have preferred their conflict to endure another season or two.  My favourite episodes:

(i)            Episode 1: Panopticon

(ii)          Episode 3: Wingman

(iii)         Episode 4: Brotherhood

(iv)         Episode 6: Pretenders

(v)          Episode 8: Point of Origin

(vi)         Episode 9: The Devil You Know

(vii)        Episode 11: If-Then-Else

(viii)      Episode 12: Control-Alt-Delete

And to Jonathan Nolan, CBS, Varese Sarabande and Ramin Djawadi: PLEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSEEEEEEEE, release the soundtrack (score) already. Both for Seasons 3 and 4. We need something to tide us over till the next season debuts. And whilst on the subject of musical scores, it would be better if the scores/soundtrack compilation for any TV series is released within a month after the end of each Season.

Peace.

WhatsApp With Rich Text Support

This is a concept illustrating the integration of Rich Text Support into WhatsApp. Rich Text Formatting (RTF) in instant messaging (IM) existed in the early 2000s but the feature was eventually dropped. However, with the present popularity of emoji and stickers, I think RTF should enjoy a renaissance. To me, RTF is of greater utility than stickers because it allows for better expressivity.

I am currently working on a complete redesign of the entire WhatsApp user interface. Stay tuned.

1. Chat Window: The "A" to the left of the emoji icon is the RTF icon

Windows Phone 9 Concept

This is a concept user interface for Microsoft Windows Phone.  I have retained the “Phone” in the title because Microsoft’s plan to brand the software of their phones, tablets and PCs as Windows might end up causing the same confusion that they are trying to correct. 

This concept is an evolution of a previous concept started in 2010. Screenshots of Version 1 can be found on Twitter and on Nokia Ideas Project. Version 2 can be found here. This version, 4.6, represents what I believe to be the way forward for Microsoft’s One Windows strategy. From all indications, the One Windows plan is meant to harmonise the code base between the various types of Windows OS. However, I reckon that harmonisation of the code base represents only one side of the coin. The user interface (UI) must also be harmonized. While there is some similarity on the Metro Modern side of things, the traditional desktop side creates a chasm. This concept is an attempt to create a consistent and uniform user interface across all form factors whilst avoiding the dichotomy between Modern UI and the desktop.

Apple Watch: iamConfused

Apple Watch: iamConfused

So Apple’s foray into wearable computers has begun. Yesterday saw the unveiling of the Apple Watch. Surprisingly, it wasn’t christened the iWatch like most of us expected. Though it's a bit inconsistent with their nomenclature, it's okay. Using the ‘i’ prefix has almost run its course anyway. Until now, I have not given smartwatches much thought or attention. This is because they don’t do anything that a smartphone cannot already do (and do better). It was its circular icon grid and digital crown that caught my attention. But before I get to that, let’s extol its virtues.

Will Facebook leverage the connection to the rest of the world that has scarce or no internet access?

Facebook has a campaign that goes by the name Internet.org. The main aim of this campaign is to connect the five billion people in the world that to date have poor, inadequate, sparse and expensive or nonexistent access to the internet.

Fixing Microsoft's Windows Strategy

Bill Gates had a vision/goal: a Windows PC in every home. That vision was largely accomplished. Today's computing landscape is different and Microsoft is finding it hard/difficult to maintain that dream/goal. This is because it failed to acknowledge the changing phase and face of computing. The world went mobile while Microsoft still wanted us chained to desktops and laptops. In a desperate third attempt to make amends, it hastily put together Windows 8 which turned out to be a poorly- conceived smorgasbord. It further compounded the situation by releasing Windows RT. And then there was also Windows Phone. Three products that bore the Windows name but couldn’t work together. Of course, from a capabilities and features standpoint, Windows Phone and Windows RT are the same. They run on the same hardware; the latter only has a different interface. So, is it still possible to have Windows in every home on different form factors without having disparate product lines? The answer is yes. This is what needs to be done.

1.         Admit that Windows 8/Windows RT are failures

No one is perfect. People hardly get it right all the time. Windows 8.1 didn’t solve much. Microsoft should quit trying to patch the mess and just move on to Windows 9 or whatever they want to call the next major version.

2.         Harmonise Windows across all platforms

There is some work on this already. MS is working on fusing Windows Phone and Windows RT. However, there are some finer details to this. True harmonisation means the EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE & FEATURES across all platforms; form-factor permitting. For example, the full Bluetooth stack is open on Windows PC. Why not let it be open on Windows Phone/RT? 

Another example is the incompatibility between Windows Phone 7 and Outlook on PC. Outlook couldn’t transfer or sync contacts with a Windows Phone 7 device that I had.  A Microsoft product that couldn’t sync with Outlook. Go figure. I confess I haven’t bothered to try out Windows Phone 8 so I don’t know if this is still the case.

Also, if Windows on PC has a file manager (Windows Explorer), then why not Windows Phone?

3.         Strip windows down to the absolute essentials needed for mainstream casual computing.

Most people don't need IIS, Active Directory, Domain Services, Kerberos, etc. These advanced components could be downloaded at will when needed; perhaps a nominal one-time fee could be charged for each of component/module.

4.         Simplify and streamline the UI

Microsoft should give up the Windows 8 and 8.1 experiment. The user interface just doesn’t cut. Every newer release of a UI should enable the faster accomplishment of tasks and functions. As we know, this is not the case with Windows 8; it seems the developers took the approach of designing an adventure game where for the sake of replay value, things are designed to take longer.

5.         Abandon WMA and WMV

WMA and WMV are failed projects; nobody uses them. Their performance is neither comparable nor superior. MS should throw in the towel and embrace MKV (Matroska video). In my opinion, this is the best video container under the sun. I am not an audiophile but I think mp3 is good enough. That being said, Windows should also have native support for the lossless format of choice: FLAC and also support surround sound tech like DTS. Support for all the above should be built-in and should work right out of the box. 

6.         Simplify the Windows lineup

Cancel Windows Starter edition. It is a non-starter. And while at it, simplify the entire Windows lineup. I haven’t known them by heart since Vista’s release.

7.         Reduce the Price of Windows or Make It Free of Charge

This is a controversial one. Reducing the price of Windows would definitely have a heavy impact on Microsoft's revenue but then they would still be getting something for it. And then they would have increased market share/mindshare. They could also make it free. There are rumours that Microsoft is considering a free version of Windows that would be tied to Microsoft services – Bing Search, Nokia Here Maps, etc. This free approach contributed in no small way to Android’s success and dominance. They could make the basic but full-featured consumer version for PC free. This would be unlike Blackberry and its BBM on iPhone and Android efforts. I'm not sure how this would help the company stay afloat but that's another matter.

8.         Confine Zune to the shameful annals of history

Don’t require/mandate any special software to use/activate or transfer media to the device. 

These are my two cents. 

Can Apple Still Prevail in Smartphones?

Apple released its very first iPhone back in 2007. It is well known that this was the smartphone that changed the whole game. Three years later, the winning tablet, the iPad, was unveiled before our eyes. It fair to say that Apple revolutionized the smartphone and indeed, the mobile industry. There are reports that Google had to redesign their Android prototype (which resembled a QWERTY blackberry) after they saw the first iPhone. Okay! but with all that, the question to ponder is this: will that reign last much longer?

Towards a Better Internet in Africa

The lack of fast, affordable and accessible internet is a problem facing most of Africa. One of the main reasons for this is the widespread lack of dependable power supply that plagues most African countries. This in turn raises the cost of operations for the internet service providers. A bit of a catch-22. But the lack of internet has far reaching negative implications.

Appstores + Discrimination = Piracy

The internet is a wonderful thing. It has facilitated unimaginable forms of interpersonal communication. It allows people separated by great distances to talk to and see each other in real time. It also enables people that are not in the same physical location to collaborate in real time. In the same vein, it has enabled lightning-quick access to information; libraries, encyclopedias, journals, magazines, films and music are available on the internet. It has also presented myriad economic opportunities by spawning a hitherto unimaginable industries such as online casinos and has opened up  participation in foreign stock markets. All in all, it has fostered a global economy and has brought lent new credence to the phrase: global village.

Au revoir Detective Carter

Whether life imitates art or art imitates life, one thing is evident: some of us fail to learn from our costly mistakes.

While Finch's genius and intelligence are unquestionable, he has failed to learn from a costly mistake he made earlier. His ego got in the way of sound reasoning and it resulted in the death of his best friend, Nathan Ingram.

One would have thought that he had learnt from that mistake. Alas, his ego prevented him from acknowledging the obvious truth. Had he listened to Root's logical suggestion, Detective Carter would still be with us today.

On the other hand, it's only realistic that one of the main characters would buy the farm at some point. The team has had one too many close shaves to keep getting away. That being said, I'm glad it wasn't Fusco. I love his character. Who would have guessed that Det. Carter would be joining Officer Lasky and Agent Donnelly pretty soon!

Quick Thoughts on Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 4.4 had been unveiled and released. Let's get right to first impressions. All in all, I would call it an iterative update. Though there's a lot of new stuff going on under the hood, visually, it mostly a collection of tweaks; many of which have been available for years from third party developers and custom ROMs.

The iPad is a Tablet

Before any premature conclusions are formed, understand that this is not an appraisal of the iPad. The title above is as literal as it gets; the iPad is a tablet. So why am I stating the obvious? Well, in some circles, it would seem the obvious is not so obvious. This is about many online retailers that choose to categorise the iPad differently from all other tablets. I have observed this trend for quite some time now and it is upsetting to see more stores emulate this folly. 

 

Choosing a Name for the Upcoming Nexus Tablet

With the world waiting on the refresh of Google's Nexus 7 tablet, what will this refresh be called?

Names like Nexus 7 2 are just as foolish a name as Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Nexus 7 HD is a superfluous name seeing as the original is also HD albeit 720p HD.

Christening it The New Nexus 7 will be repeating the foolishness of Apple with the iPad 3.


Using Nexus 7.2 will just confuse people into thinking that the screen is 7.2 inches.

So what will it be called? Here's a thought: The Nexus 8. I think this makes the most sense. But then again, a name like the Nexus 8 is not without its pitfalls.

+Joss Benyon suggested the name Nexus 7+. That seems to be the best name so far. I think it's quite brilliant.

+Hau Tran has also asked the important question of what the Nexus phones would be called after the sixth iteration?

As for the real name, we'll find out soon enough.

Update
Alas, it's  the New Nexus 7. Not the best and wisest naming/branding.

Don't Get Excited About Activation Lock

I should point out that I am yet to use iOS 7 beta. Therefore, this article is partly speculative but rest assured that some concrete facts are included as well.

Apple’s new anti-theft feature in iOS 7, Activation Lock, is being hailed as the absolute deterrent to phone theft. As mentioned earlier, I am yet to try iOS 7 out but from what I can surmise, Activation Lock is anything but perfect.