Google+: A Great Underrated Network

Social networks have quickly become the go to sites when you want to connect with people, share content, or even promote your own business; the veterans being Facebook and Twitter. One service that I feel is quite good, and quite underrated, is Google+. There are many features  that make Google+ awesome; some of which are mentioned in this video: 

                                    

     

These are the reasons why it is my favorite social networking website.

1 - The App:

Google+ has the most well designed app out of any social networking site that I've ever used. It is graphically pleasing, easy to use, and it just works. Like MKBHD stated in the video, there is no need to try and find the best third party app for Google+, like other social apps -*cough*Facebook*cough*- because the original works wonderfully.

2 - No Spam:

One of the biggest annoyances I have with Facebook are the millions of pictures floating around telling me to like in a certain amount of time or I'll go to hell. This is non-existent on Google+. The community as a whole is much more mature. 

3 - Google Services:

Since this is a Google service, all your other Google services are easily accessible. Anything from your Google Docs, to the places you like in Google Maps can be shared with a few clicks. This is great for people like me who essentially operate in the Google cloud.

4 - Hangouts:

I am not one to video chat often. I really don't use this form of communication unless it is with my girlfriend when she is away. That being said, when I want to video chat I use Google Hangouts. This was introduced with Google+ and it is just awesome. Not only can you have a face to face conversation with up to 10 people on your phone or computer, but just like Google+ itself, you can share things seamlessly. If you have a business meeting via Hangout, then you can share with everyone a spreadsheet or word document from your Google Docs. If your chatting with your friends you can pull a YouTube video and you can all watch it together. There are a number of other fun features mentioned in the video above as well. It's biggest competitor would have to be Skype, which Google Hangouts completely blows away in my opinion. But, then again, I hate Skype. I think it is very difficult to learn how to use and the interface is much too cluttered. Point being, try a Hangout.

5 - No Friends:

When you receive a friend request from someone you don't know, 9/10 times a "creeper alert" goes off in your head. This really isn't the case on Google+. When people you don't know comment on your posts it's much more friendly, and less creepy. For some reason -again, maybe the overall maturity of the site- I don't get as weirded out when a random person from another country comment on a Google+ post. It's very good at bringing people together who share common interests.

Well there you have it, 5 reasons why Google+ is awesome. Though it doesn't have the biggest following, it is growing and it does work really well. I was very skeptical in the beginning because none of my friends used it, but with Google+ it doesn't matter cause you can make new ones. So will you guys be giving this service a try?

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Fast Production: Hurting The Consumer

One of the things that bothers me the most about mobile manufacturers these days, is the fact that they are producing devices too quickly. Not that there are too many different device, which was covered in a this post, but that the devices we end up with are not tested to the fullest. 

There have been times where I've purchased a new product and noticed a bug, then after searching the internet I find that there are tons of other people with the same problem. At times like these, I just wonder Didn't they test for things like this? 

I hate feeling like I'm a beta tester for these products. I think if a company feels that their product is ready for consumers, then they should have a group of tester use that device in their personal lives for at least a week. That way, manufacturers would have an accurate report of real life use. Not everything can be discovered with a quick, in-lab test session.

If I'm going to spend my hard-earned cash on these revolutionary electronics, I want to know that everything works. But that's just me. How do you feel about this subject?

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The Wii U: A New Gaming Experience

Nintendo's Wii U is set to launch on November 18th starting at $299. At first glance, I was very skeptical about this system. Back in the days of the N64, Nintendo was THE gaming company, in my opinion. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was, and still is, one of the best games ever. When the Wii hit the market, however, it just didn't make as big of an impact. You didn't see too many people that just owned a Wii. Not that it was a bad system, it's just the Xbox 360 and the PS3 had more to offer. More titles, better graphics, and a better online multi-player experience. 

But now it seems that Nintendo is ready to get back in the game.(Pun intended)

Just from a visual standpoint the Wii U doesn't appear to be an en-genius console. But the real difference that the Wii U is bringing to the table is the way you play games. Whether you're playing alone, or with friends, the new gamepad brings added functionality. Such has inventories and other essentials right at your fingertips, without having to pause the game. 

For me, the most exciting thing that this tablet/controller can do is give you a different point of view for games. According to Nintendo, multiple players can be looking at the exact same game in a completely different way. This, to me, sounds awesome. It just might be what pushes me to buy a Wii U.

But what about you; are you getting a U?

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iOS Devices: The Conspiracy

Many people, myself included, have felt that Apple has been subtly forcing user to buy new devices. How? by pushing out software that older devices cannot handle. For example, if you follow me on twitter, you know that I've been experiencing many problems with my 4th Gen iPod touch since the iOS 6 update. I've had numerous apps, including system apps, freezing, crashing, and I've just felt like overall, the device has slowed down. I just don't think that iOS 6 was as polished as Apple wants you to believe. The maps alone have many customers outraged. 

But like the title says, I feel this is more of a conspiracy than a coincidence. Here's why: the latest generation iPod touch is set to launch very soon and they are already taking pre-orders for it. So what better way to force buyers to upgrade their iPod for the holiday season, than to release a software update that the current generation iTouch can't handle, right?

Maybe this is just me being over dramatic, but I'd like to think I'm right; that somewhere in Apple HQ they are just laughing it up over the fact that current iTouch owners will have to upgrade for better performance. Obviously with the improved specs of the newest generation iTouch, this will already be the case. But I for one think that iOS was meant to run perfectly on this new device, and run in such a way on the older generation, that people will be "encouraged" to buy it.

So what do you think? Is this all part of the big A's plan, or do you guys think this is just a coincidence? 

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Blackberry: Just Stop...

If you haven't seen this latest ad from RIM, well, I guess you should watch it...

RIM has been talking about releasing Blackberry 10 OS and their new handsets for what seems like  years. According to this video, it's just now an alpha 2 build. This surprises me. I mean, what do they actually do at RIM? Are they actually working on this? Because to me it's been too long. 

We're at a point now where everyone is over Blackberries. Android and iOS are the 2 big mobile contenders, while Windows Phone is slowly growing as well. Blackberry used to be very popular, especially in the business world. But with the slew of new Android phones every couple of months, that have all the features that Blackberries were missing plus their ever-growing app ecosystem, it's hard to recommend a Blackberry to anyone. The only person that I personally know that uses a Blackberry is my mother, and only because of the qwerty. If the Android qwerty options had the battery life to compete with Blackberries then maybe she would switch. But the don't and she is very content with her phone. Not to say that only older people use Blackberries, it's just that most(myself included) don't see the appeal when compared with other devices. 

In my opinion, RIM is done. They had their chance to wow us with their new OS and devices, but they just haven't done it in a timely fashion and that's what hurt them. By the time these things actually reach the market everyone will have forgotten what a Blackberry is. But that's just me. 

Now I want to hear from you; do you think that RIM can make a comeback? Or is Blackberry a dead platform? Let the comments roll!

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Cases: Are You Protected?

D30 Cases from T-mobile - I use the 2nd from the left

Ever last year when I owned the HTC Sensation, I've chosen to my devices in protective cases. Personally I feel the functionality of the phone is more important than the look. Even though I enjoy the incredible hardware HTC uses, especially when it comes to my One S, I would rather have my device be able to withstand some damage. 

The case pictured above is my case of choice. Why? because D30 cases use a layer of material which allows the molecules inside to move freely, but stiffen on impact. It does a fantastic job of protecting my phone. The one gripe I have with this case is that it makes the buttons a little difficult to press. But it's a small price to pay for the premium product you get. They support a variety of devices as well including most T-mobile smartphones and iPhones.

If you would like to learn more about D30, you can check them out here. 

So what about you guys, do you like to slap a case on as soon as you buy a new device, or do you prefer those devices naked?

Special thanks to Christian Schewanick for this blog post idea. You can follow his twitter here.

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My Next Phone: A Phablet?

As smartphones evolve, and by evolve I mean get bigger, these new devices continue to entice me. One of the devices that I am most looking forward to is the Galaxy Note 2. RIght now I own an HTC One S which has a 4.3" screen, but the more I see it the more this huge 5.5" screen seems to captivate me. 

The specs of the Note only further my desire for it; those would be a 5.5" HD display, a 1.6ghz quad-core Exynos processor which WILL support LTE, 2gb of ram, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean(with TouchWiz), a 3100mAh battery, and of course, the S-Pen, which is essentially a stylus. It also happens to be launching on all 4 major carriers.

The one thing that deters me from all Samsung devices is TouchWiz. 

While it has numerous additional features that aren't present in stock Android, I can't get past the very cartoon-ish style of this UI. If anything, I would opt for installing a stock Jelly Bean rom.

The more I think about owning this guy, the more I like it. I just feel that having such a large screen would be incredibly enjoyable. Watching videos, text messaging, browsing the web, and even calling sound like they would be more fun on a Phablet.

But there is another Phablet that I'm considering....

This is the(rumored) One X5 by HTC. This guy would have a 5" screen, which isn't as large as the Note or Note 2, but it is still quite larger than my current device. I won't go into the specs since this is just a rumor, but you can read them here. But what I want to see out of this most is a battery that can accommodate the large screen. I know I rant about battery life quite a bit, but what's the point of buying a super cool new phone, when you can't use it because it's dead? 

I would like to see at least a 2500mAh battery. 

Either way it goes, I think I'm going to take the Phablet route for my next device. But what about you guys? Do you enjoy the growing Phablet market as well? If so, would you go for the Note 2 or the One X5?

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