Apple iPhone 5 First Impressions: A Remarkable Achievement

Apple iPhone 5 isn’t the biggest or most powerful smartphone on the block. But that may not matter to iPhone purists, those who have fallen in love with the original iPhone 4 designs and were horrified at the thought that their precious device might develop a glandular condition and grow to near-tablet sized proportions.

I got to spend a little time with one of the many iPhone 5 phones Apple had lying around the demo room (and in the hands of demonstrators).

At first glance, I’d say Apple has achieved something remarkable: making the iPhone bigger, more powerful, and possibly even better, without changing the way it feels in your hand.

In case you haven’t seen, the new iPhone 5 looks a lot like the iPhone 4S. It’s got the same curves, the same half-inch-plus margins above and below the screen, the same single button on the face and the same volume and lock buttons on the side, but there are crucial differences, some more significant than others.

First of all, this phone is light. As soon I pick it up, I noted the lack of heft. The iPhone 4 and 4S both feel somewhat substantial in your hands. The iPhone 5 feels different (at 112 grams, it’s 20 percent lighter than the previous iPhone). It’s noticeably thinner (7.6 mm, or 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S). Apple did away with the glass back, which may have helped the phone shed an ounce or so.

That back is now the same brushed aluminum as the edges (or brushed black aluminum, depending on your choice). It looks good and feels great. You won’t miss the glass back.

Apple also moved the audio jack to the bottom of the device; I like it there. It’s a lot more elegant than having that cable jutting out of the top and possibly draping over you screen. That same base also houses the new lightning jack. It’s positively tiny compared to the old 30-pin jack, and it doesn’t care which way you plug it in.

It’s simple, smart touches like this that appeal to me. I’m certain most customers will appreciate them as well.

A New Screen

The biggest and most obvious difference between the iPhone 4S and the new iPhone 5 is the screen. It’s still a super-brilliant, high-resolution Retina display, but this one is noticeably longer than any iPhone that’s come before it.

It’s a neat trick, because, while the screen is now bigger (1136 pixels deep), the phone feels exactly the same in your hands. You simply get more vertical real-estate. On the home-screen, this means another row of app icons.

For apps and content, the screen offers more room to deliver interaction and information. Put another way, the old iPhone had a 3:2 aspect ratio screen and the iPhone 5 has a 16:9 ratio screen.

This will be a better screen for HD movies and TV (for which it won’t have to show black bars on the top and bottom). Some movies aren’t shot in 16:9 (the Avengers is, and it looks great on the new screen), but pretty much all modern TV is.

Apple obviously packed a lot more power into the new iPhone, adding the new multi-core A6 CPU (no one seems to know if it’s dual core or quad core) for faster performance and richer onscreen graphics. The game demos during the unveiling looked impressive — especially Real Racing 3 with the real-time rear-view mirror view. Unfortunately, none of the iPhone 5s in the demo room were loaded with games.

Even so, I did notice that app loads and switching seemed a bit peppier. The new iOS 6 Apple maps looked sharp, especially the 3D flyover, which basically draws 3D-rendered buildings with real photography draped over them in real time.

On the other hand, I did a similar walkthrough on the new A5-based iPod touch 7th generation and it was almost exactly as good.

Big Picture

iOS 6 also brings a redesigned camera. Powered by the A6 chip, it’s supposed to deliver better low-light performance and noise reduction. I couldn’t really test that out in the demo area, but I was able to test-drive the new Panorama mode. The idea is not new: take a 180-degree arc, or even a 360-degree circle of pictures, and the camera stitches them together.

I’ve tried this already on Android tablets and my Sony NEX-5 camera. That said, the iPhone 5’s implementation is good. It offers just enough guidance as your shooting (“slow down,” “move lower”) that almost anyone can create interesting panoramic views.

Siri got a little work done, too. As promised, she can now tell you sports scores and launch apps. I asked her how the Mets did today, and she responded with information and a nice visual for the upcoming game. When I asked about the Giants, she gave me a score for the football team, but neglected to ask if I meant the football or baseball Giants. When I pointed out her mistake, she apologized, but didn’t rectify it.

Siri’s new-found ability to launch apps was pretty impressive. I asked her to launch Passbook and it appeared almost immediately. I got the same rapid respond with third-party apps such as CNN.

No NFC

Passbook looks just as good as it did when Apple unveiled it at WWDC earlier this year. But seems no nearer to becoming a true digital wallet app. Yes, you’ve got important things like plane tickets and coupons, but nothing for making mobile digital payments. Perhaps this is because Apple chose not to include NFC in the iPhone 5.

As with Passbook, many of the best things about the new iPhone 5 may come from iOS 6, which will launch along with the phone and is available as an upgrade for all iPhone owners going back to the iPhone 3GS.

On the other hand, not all of the phones made prior to the iPhone 4S will be able to take advantage of these new features (Siri is one obvious example). They should all see the new iTunes store, though, which happens to look at lot like the Apple TV interface.

I thought it was well organized and more navigable than any previous versions of iTunes on the iPhone.

The iPhone 5 is, finally, an LTE phone, but until I get it in the real-world it’s hard to assess how much of an impact that will have on day-to-day use. Likewise with the new 802.11N radio; I know it’s going to be faster, but I’d need a lot more real-world use to assess the quality of that connection.

Over the coming weeks, many will compare the iPhone 5 to a variety of Android devices, including the large and powerful Samsung Galaxy SIII. I’m not sure how the iPhone 5 will hold up. It does not raise the bar much further than competing devices. Its screen is still smaller, its CPU may not be as fast and it lacks NFC.

And yet, I wonder if iPhone customers will care. The iPhone 5 offers myriad differences that will improve their day-to-day smartphone experience, while still delivering one of the most aesthetically pleasing handhelds on the market.

For many, I bet that will be enough. Of course, I won’t have my final say until we get a review unit and pound the heck out of it. I can’t wait.

Facebook - Are Your Kids Ready ??

Are your children ready for Social Media? While there are a ton of networks out there today, in all likelihood they would start with Facebook. That is still the cool place. So right from the Facebook, you must be 13 in order to sign up. Is that too young? Is that acceptable? As with most decisions as a parent, this should be specific to your own child. 

Some areas to think about and discuss with your child…

Privacy: You can leave it at the door. The moment your child signs up to any Social Network they are exposed. They’ve entered a new arena. Don’t ask Facebook or any network to be their keeper. Don’t be surprised if there information shows up elsewhere on the net. It’s just the nature of the beast no matter what your security setting. For most there will never be an issue, but if you’re highly sensitive to privacy, Social Media probably isn’t the best place for your kids.

46% of kids have given out personal information to someone they’ve met online
34% of kids have friends online they’ve never met in person

Cyberbullying: Bullying has reached new levels since I was kid. We’ve all heard of the tragedies over the last few years. One reminder is the story of Phoebe Prince. While this is an extreme case, cyberbullying is very real. It’s another potential pitfall of being online.

32% of all teens on the Internet say they have been a victim of cyberbullying

Social Media Positives: Undoubtedly you’ve heard or will hear, “but Mom and Dad all my friends are on it.” Social Media should be a fun and enjoyable experience. For most teenagers it has become another important form of communication. Some recent research uncovered some other positives.

Young adults who spend more time on Facebook are better at showing “virtual empathy” to their online friends.

Online social networking can help introverted adolescents learn how to socialize behind the safety of various screens, ranging from a two-inch smartphone to a 17-inch laptop.

Social networking can provide tools for teaching in compelling ways that engage young students.

As with most topics with our children communication is paramount. Keep this in the forefront, and your kids experience should be safe.

Percentage Source: Family Online Safety Institute

Research Source : American Psychological Association

Cloud Computing Datacentres in Cyberjaya

Cyberjaya

Cyberjaya is a town with a science park as the core that forms a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia. It is located in the district of Sepang, Selangor and is situated about 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. This town aspires to be known as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia.

The official opening ceremony for Cyberjaya was held in May 1997 by then Prime Minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

Cyberjaya is planned as an intelligent city with ICT and multimedia industries, R&D centers, a Multimedia University and operational headquarters for multinationals wishing to direct their worldwide manufacturing and trading activities using multimedia technology.

Toward this end, leading edge technologies were used, some with mixed results. In addition to the successful implementation of the above-mentioned Cyberjaya Dedicated Transportation System, the Cyberjaya blog is another example of the technology-based features that have been put in place

Several data centres operate in Cyberjaya. Notable are those operated by Shell, Basis Bay, NTT MSC, BMW and DHL. A small scale Data Centre ideal for Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is located at SME Technopreneur Center Cyberjaya SME Data Centre that provides Rack Location Unit (RLU) space rental and server co-location. There is also the largest carrier neutral, high-end purpose built data centre facilities, CX1 and CX2, in Cyberjaya, that is managed by CSF Advisers, a member of CSF Group plc CSF Group.

The proven cost savings and high return on investment from virtualisation and cloud computing in the datacentre have captured the imagination of many CFOs and CEOs.

In most cases, organisations can reduce datacentre costs by moving more applications onto fewer servers and can reduce software licensing fees and administrative resources by migrating to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

When they add in faster deployment times for new applications and services while ensuring 24×7 reliability, organisations have a compelling business case for virtualisation and cloud computing in the datacentre.

At some point in the future, this type of highly virtualised, services-on-demand delivery model enabled through cloud computing will be the IT gold standard.

Cloud Computing

In terms of the physical network infrastructure, virtualisation and cloud computing complement each other in the following ways:

1. Cloud computing services can reside on top of virtual datacentres. Virtualisation can support cloud architectures;

2. Cloud computing software can orchestrate virtual server deployments. Cloud management software can control virtualisation services;

3. Cloud computing adds another virtualisation layer between end users and the entire IT environment, which enables a pay-per-use model; and

4. Both virtualisation and cloud computing require robust physical network infrastructures. They rely heavily on the network and require new ways of thinking about network architecture and design.

Before this transition occurs, however, the underlying network architecture must provide greater availability, performance, and security while simplifying datacentre operations.

A complete revolution in the datacentre, with its associated costs, disruptions, and time requirements, is unnecessary in almost every case. Instead, the transition to a highly virtualised datacentre can be smooth, non-disruptive, and full of business advantages.

As organisations add Virtual Machines (VMs) and shift to a cloud-based operations model, the network must be hardened against failures that disrupt traffic yet adaptable and flexible enough to support new business requirements.

The key to achieve "failure proof" datacentre is to move toward a target design along a well-planned path and to use incremental steps to control risk.

Therefore,Cyberjaya planning guidelines strongly required all datacentres to have two electricity connections from two separate substations. Diesel generators up to full load (except air conditioning load) were specified to be installed in all commercial buildings.

The electricity grid connection was also organized to enable “power islanding” and supported by the Serdang Power Station. The electricity service standard is set at 99.99% availability with maximum of 10 seconds interruption for office and commercial areas and maximum 15 minutes interruption for residential areas.

These measures were dreamed up to provide Cyberjaya with a comparative advantage against other areas outside the Multimedia Super Corridor.

Smart Motoring vs GPS ^0^

ON a traffic-jammed Jalan Kuching in Kuala Lumpur, the newly-installed navigation app on my HTC chimed and a message warned: “Police hidden. Jalan Kuching. 545 metres away.”

It was noon and I was driving to a lunch tweet-up in Mont Kiara.

Half a kilometre later, indeed there were cops hiding behind some bushes.

Wow! What a clever navigation app, I thought.

Cleverer than my domineering 70-something mother who drives me crazy with her incessant turn-by-turn instructions when seated next to me while I’m driving.

New Waze ; Outsmarting Traffic



Introducing Waze, the amazing social networking navigation app with the tagline “Outsmarting Traffic, Together”.

How does it work? First download the free app to your iPhone or android smartphone, sign up, set your destination and drive.

The app will provide turn-by-turn directions, with an automated woman’s voice telling you where to go.

“By simply driving with the app open on your phone, you passively contribute traffic and other road data that helps the Waze system to provide other Waze drivers with the optimal route to their destination, including live traffic information,” according to Waze in waze.com.

Waze is about “crowdsourcing”.

Here’s how it works: say you are driving 60kph on Jalan Kuching, that information will be sent to Waze via the Internet.

It will analyse that data together with other data sent by Wazers, and it will know the traffic situation on Jalan Kuching.

The fun part about Waze is that you can submit reports on accidents, traffic jams and “hidden” policemen.

There have been times when I wished there had been an accident so that I could report that there was an accident.

A few weeks ago, I was a Waze baby with a cute avatar – a pink quote bubble on wheels sucking a baby pacifier.

After 100 miles (about 160km), I graduated to Waze Grown-Up (I lost the baby pacifier).

The next rank is Waze Warrior, when I reach the top 10% of scorers in my region.

Waze has the inside knowledge of a taxi driver. It will suggest unconventional routes so that you can avoid a traffic jam.

With crowdsourcing, when there is an accident on the road, Waze will warn you not to take that route.

At first I did not believe that Waze was that smart.

Instead of taking a toll road which it suggested, I took the NKVE Highway which on the Waze map was congested because of an accident.

Big mistake. I was stuck in a 30-minute crawl because drivers were slowing down to jot down the licence plate of the cars involved in the three-car pile-up in the other lane.

Waze Makes Driving Exciting

Waze also makes driving exciting. Instead of your habitual route, it would suggest a route that you did not consider for your favourite neighbourhood shopping mall.

It thinks of routes that you’ll never think about. Wonder if there is a Waze app for sexual positions?

As predicted by Waze, I arrived at KLCC at around 12.35pm.

I raved about Waze to my Twitter friends. And I was not the only one raving.

If you have passion for maps, you can edit and update the Waze map.