The inbox chellenge

For a few months now, Google has released a new email client. Not something to replace to good, old Gmail, but something that can work alongside it for a different kind of user; they call it Inbox. Of course being the enthusiastic person that I am, when I heard about it, I got out of my way to get an invitation so I can try and use the service. I finally got it, downloaded the app and started using it.

After half a day I switched back to Gmail, deactivated the app and left it in stand-by somewhere in my app drawer. At the time I thought it was confusing, that I couldn’t get enough control over it, that it wasn’t showing me the emails that I wanted and basically my whole body just said a big “NO”. So I said that maybe it’s just not the app for me.

It took me a few months but finally I decided to come back to that decision. I’ve seen some good reviews for the app, some people like it, some people don’t, but the fact that I only used it for half a day before saying no has always bothered me. Therefore today I am making a decision: I decided that for the next week I will only use Inbox as my default Gmail client. I feel that after living with it for a full week I will be able to make a clear decision if it is what I need or not. The good and bad news about Inbox is that it only supports Google email addresses, and all of my work email with most of my appointments come on a different address. Never the less, I will use the app as much as I can for the next 7 days and I’ll come back then with a final verdict.

If anyone is interested though, I still have a few Inbox invites!

 

How is Apple changing the industry

Apple has been in the tech game for a very long time and along its history, many have stated that Apple reshaped the way we think about our tech and the way we use it. Others say that Apple revolutionized the world and invented cool new stuff for us to use. And then there are others that just don’t care or that say that Apple did nothing extraordinary. I personally think it’s a bit of all.

Apple is claiming to be a company who’s goal is to offer customers with the most personal, easy to use and beautiful technologies, ranging from music players, to desktops, to laptops, to phones, tablets and more recently watches. And there is no doubt, people love apple products. Pretty much from the ’90’s onward, Apple has been a force to recon with, building beautiful PC that had a simple interface and that got the job done for people. It allowed many to discover the beauty of a PC and moved that futuristic piece of technology from your office, into your living room. Then in 2001 Apple launched the iPod which made having all your favorite songs with you at all times much more easier than it was before. Then it went on with laptops, and then it announced the iPhone, which set the standard for what we now call a “smartphone”. A couple of years later it announced the tablet, and then everybody wanted and loved it, and know they are going with smartwatches. But did they really changed the industry?

Most of the success Apple had in the past was not due to some crazy new technology they invented, it was because of the way they were thinking about the problems of the time. Take the iPod for example: Apple didn’t invent the mp3 player, they just came up with a better way of using the technology of the time. And they knew how to market it. Same goes for most of their greatest hits, not necessarily new inventions, but mostly rethinking, reinventing the uses of the technologies available. They did have some inventions trully to themselves, and the first one that comes to mind is the iTunes Store, which was a new way to advertise music and that helped the music industry develop and join the 21st century. But what all of these inventions and reinventions did was make Apple a huge name, a fierce competitor and something other companies tend to aspire to and something they want to become. And now Apple is using its influence to change the industry.

Apple is now using their momentum to shift the tech world in the direction they think it’s best, and they are right now a key element for setting new standards for the industry. It’s been like this for a few years: they were among the first to get rid of the floppy disk and soon enough everybody else did. They did the same with flash extentions on their devices and now they are doing it again with the USB-C ports. And because it’s the most recent, it’s also the fact that caught my eye:

Last year, Nokia announced the N1 Tablet that came with a usb type C charging port. And nobody really cared. That was the first time that I’ve heard about the USB type C and I thought to myself “yeah, it’s a nice technology, who knows in how many years will see it become mainstream”. Well, looks like it only took a few months because now Apple has started using it and everybody wants to know what it is, what it does and how to get it. Now Apple aren’t the only one doing it: Google announced a Chromebook that uses the same technology, but somehow I doubt that Google has the same power to push out a new standard as Apple does.

This is the love and hate thing about the Cupertino based company: they can get away with pretty much anything because of the huge momentum that they have: if Google, HP, Asus, or anyone else released a new laptop with just a single port, that being a new USB type C port, the whole world would’ve laugh and ignore them completely. Apple did it and while there were some comments, I believe people are still going to buy it. Same goes for their new $10.000 smartwatch,

So they might just reuse some existing technologies, and they might just have a really good marketing team, but the fact is that right now they are a huge force of the industry, one that is by no means conservative and that has a big impact on the direction the industry is heading. And that’s how Apple is changing the industry.

 

Is Top Gear going bye-bye?

So recently, the automotive side internet was kinda on fire after a certain motoring show called Top Gear got temporarily suspended. To be honest it wasn’t the show that got suspended, but one of its hosts, Jeremy Clarkson. You know the story, I’m not gonna pretend that I’m the first one to tell the story, so here are my impressions on it:

I love Jeremy Clarkson, and I love the show. It’s fun, entertaining, silly at times but you can really tell that everyone on the team is really passionate about cars and they can really connect with the audience to make them feel some of the enthusiasm you get when driving some of the cars they do. It’s also the most watched show in the world and that’s due partially to Clarkson. It’s his flamboyant, selfish and arrogant style that gives the show a certain appeal. So him being himself is a great money earner for the company, which kinda makes him really hard to fire, but at the same time, punching someone is something that should be punished in one way or another by the simple fact that it’s not something acceptable in the “elegant” and “respectful” world of journalism.

I see Jeremy a bit like a huge dog that you got for Christmas and failed to train properly. Over the last years, he got used to being his arrogant self for the sake of the show and the laughs of the audience and he walked that fine line on numerous occasions and when things got too heated all he had to do was write a formal email saying he’s sorry and the BBC would cover it up. So if I was in his shoes I would have probably let myself go like that over time knowing I am backed up by such a big company. And let’s face it, everybody knows that Clarkson and Top Gear are one of the biggest money spinners in the BBC and without them the broadcasting company would face pretty shitty times, so I imagine no one from the BBC really wants to fire Clarkson and even if they do, they have nothing to replace him with that would keep the show and incomes alive.

And here’s the big paradox: He was on his final warning and we all know that if the next thing he did was say something mildly offensive he might have gotten away with it again, but he decided to go over the top with a physical act which is kinda in another league. If a producer would’ve punched Clarkson the whole world would want to see him killed with stones in the center of London and then set fire to his corpse. When it’s the other way round, everybody wants forgiveness and signs petitions. Things don’t work like that. That’s one of the main reasons I think the BBC has to sack him: they can’t afford to create a precedent. A month, or a year, or five from now some camera man might punch James May or anyone else on the BBC team and he could easily keep his job recalling this event with Clarkson. If the BBC does the right thing, well then Clarkson could start a new show on pretty much any network he pleases because everybody would want a piece of him and his fan-base.

So while I am a fan of the show I would really like things to end here for TG. Not because I’m mad with Clarkson for what he did, but because it would be the right thing to happen. Of course they might try a new format of the show, some new presenters and it might still be watchable. And this brings me to another point: what if Clarkson leaving would be a gain?

I know everybody is probably against this idea saying that no one can replace Clarkson and that’s partially true: nobody is Clarkson for sure, but let’s not forget that James May wasn’t always on the team and everybody loves him now. So Jeremy leaving might give someone else a chance to stand up and bring a breath of fresh air to the show, maybe start building a new fan-base, because let’s face it: most people watched the show for the cars, not just to hear Jeremy making fun of people. All this sympathy is just because he might not be there tomorrow, but otherwise nobody really cares that much who’s presenting as long as the cars still go as fast and we get the same feeling of excitement when watching them.

The final theory might sound a bit crazy but it still is possible that this is just a big marketing gimmick to make sure that the next season will be the most watched one in the history of Top Gear. And on that bombshell….

 

Apps for passionate drivers

So I’m a big car fan and I love my car more than it should be legal to. I love driving it, working on it, cleaning it, etc. I also like my phone and I like experimenting with new apps and finding new ways I can use some apps to help me in my day to day life. So here are a few apps that every driver should have on his or her phone:

1) Just Drive This app takes care of everything you need to remember about your car: last time you changed your oil, MOT, when is your insurance expiring and stuff like that, and it will notify you when you need to pay the road tax or pay the tax. It is a great little app that will make sure that you never forget anything important about your car, or cars.

2) Waze They call it the social map and for a good reason. When I first installed this app it was because it allowed users to mark different objects and events on the map. Such objects and events can be anything from potholes to…speed cameras or police cars with speed cameras. If the app is running while you’re driving you’ll get a notification when getting close to that obstacle and you have time to slow down. I mean you have time to avoid it.

3) Torque Lite This is one for those who really want to know anything that goes on inside their engine. The app also requires an OBD to Bluetooth or Wifi adaptor, that can be found pretty cheap online. Whit that little thing plugged into the car’s diagnosis mount, the app can read in real time different parameters such as throttle positioning, intake pressure, exhaust temperature, air to fuel ratio and other parameters depending on what sensors you have on your car. It requires a bit of investment and time, but for those truly passionate about what they’re doing, it’s worth it.

4) Car Home Ultra This is the app for those of us who always wanted an all-in-one dashboard center with sat-nav and all the bells and whistles but never got it. It basically turns your phone or tablet into a media center for your car filled with large easy to press icons that feature music controls, navigation controls and so on. It is a nice app especially if you’re looking to integrate a tablet into the dashboard of your car.

What apps do you use mostly when it comes to driving or maintaining your car?

 

3 cool apps that save you time

It’s Friday so that means everybody will soon start to lay back and enjoy the weekend as much as possible and will try and get as much rest as possible. To stick to that note, I gathered 3 little apps that make living with your smartphone that little bit easier and that simplify your life. So here they are, in no particular order:

Flynx – This is a web browsing app that resembles some other web browsers in the PlayStore. Basically when you tap on a link instead of launching your default browser, a small bubble similar to Facebook’s cheathead appears on your screen and will load the page in the background so you can keep reading or scrolling. The app is free and it’s only limitation is that it can only open 4 links at a time, but fro 99% of the time it will be enough for most people.

Snowball – In the same “bubble head” style as Flynx, Snowball is an app that will unify all your messaging apps: SMS, Hangouts, Fb Messenger, Whatsapp, etc. and you will be able to check them all at once and when getting a new message on any of these, a small bubble head will start floating on your screen so you can reply and keep your conversation going without leaving the app you are in. It’s not flawless as it’s still in it’s early days, but it’s worth a try.

Lazy Swipe  – Speaking of lazy, this app will let you swipe from the corner of your screen at any time to bring up a small dial of commands. From there you get to access your most recent apps, check your notifications and you even get a set of toggles for things like wifi, flashlight, bluetooth, etc. If you’re the kind of person who likes having a lot of “secret” shortcuts on your phone and have quick access to some apps and settings, this app is worth a shot.

 

Top smartwatches of 2015

When 2014 started many were saying that is was going to be the year of the wearables. Everybody was expecting some crazy new innovations from Apple, Motorola, LG, Samsung and even Google on the software side. But things didn’t take off exactly as planned. Probably because many manufacturers weren’t exactly sure if it’s even worth making a wearable device; the people weren’t very sure if they needed one as I talked about here. This year things are looking a bit different and we’re finally getting some diversity on the market. And here are a few of the great competitors this year:

Moto 360

This one has to be here. It’s the smartwatch that started everything. It is one of the first truly great looking smartwatches that has an elegant touch to it. It resembles a normal watch, something a normal person would use in his everyday life, has a decent battery life, a cool charging dock and it has all the features of Android Wear. At the start of this year it’s still a really good choice and one that I often consider getting.

Pebble Time

Pebble was leading the smartwatch industry at one time because they offered simple, elegant products that got the job done. The notification from your phone, to your wrist. That’s it. No unnecessary apps, no option to remote control your new BMW, no ordering pizza from it, but all that resulted in a battery  that would last for a whole week. And now Pebble adapts to the market bringing some color to their design. Or should I say, to their display. A new e-ink based color display and a new approach on the interface to make it a bit more intuitive organizing the events in time categories “past”, “present” and “future”, this still remains a choice for those who want something simple, durable and efficient with no added buzz.

Huawei Watch 

This is another really worthy contender with a round screen. From a looks point of view, it’s a bit taller than the Moto 360 but has a slightly smaller screen so for those with smaller wrists, should be a really elegant fit. It comes with premium materials such as stainless steel, leather all those stuff that the Motorola has too. It’s not yea available to buy, bun when it will be (which is pretty soon) if the price is right it’s a great choice for those who like the design of the Moto 360 but dislike that “flat tire” black band at the bottom.

Withings Activitè 

This is a smartwatch for those who don’t want a mobile phone strapped to their wrist, but do want something that is smarter than your average watch (sorry Yogi). There are a few really interesting aspects here: 1) it works with regular watch batteries and the manufacturer says that it will last around 8 months. And I find that reasonable enough. Secondly, this is more like a fitness tracker with a built-in meter to show you how close you are to your goal. It works with an app that’s available for both iOS and Android where it keeps all the health data that it records with its sensors, and it’s also the place where you can monitor progress and set your goals. It looks very elegant, nobody would really suspect how smart this watch really is and for those who like to start a healthier life style without looking too geeky, this is the watch to go for.

LG G watch Urbane

LG has been on the smartwatch game since Google released an Android version for wearables. They had a couple of smartwatches and this is their third one which looks the most refined of them all. With smartwatches there isn’t much to say about them: you have the same software on most of them, everything that’s using Android Wear has almost identical hardware so the only real difference in between watches is their design and which one you like the most. This has been the case with watches since they were invented, but the thing is that here you can get the same watch face on more than one device so it’s really down to the casing of the thing. And this has a really nice polished metal one, not as extravagant as the G watch R but slightly more bulky than the 360.

Apple watch

It can’t be a smartwatch list without including the Apple watch. Why? Well because except the Pebble Time and the Withings Activitè nothing on this list would work with an iOS device. And the Apple watch won’t work with anything Android so I guess that makes it even. The Apple watch will go on sale in about a week or two and while it does offer a nice interface with an interesting approach compared to Android Wear, it doesn’t offer anything to set in apart from the crowd. One thing that does set it apart is the price! There are a number of different models and sizes that you can get which range from ehem, $350 to $17.000. Yes, that is correct. No typo, it start and three hundred and fifty and goes all the way to seventeen thousand dollars. Is it a watch or a car?

So this is a short list of the main smartwatches that are out there in the market right now, or will be in the very close future. What do you think about smartwatches? Do you like them? Do you have one? Do you want one?

 

Google+ vs Facebook

Some will say that there is nothing to compare between these two. Some may ask “what is Google Plus?” and they have the right to do so. But I think that as similar as they were originally created, there is now a clear difference between the two.

A few years back, Google announced it was working on its own social network and that it was targeting Facebook, which was (and still is) the company to beat when it comes to social networks. They came up with this new social network that, like Facebook, was a place to store your photos, to share them with the world, a place for you to post updates, to share the videos that made you laugh and to discuss the topics that interest you. And then it went silent.

Sure, a few tech enthusiasts, jumped on board as soon as possible, and I was at the time among them, eager to see what Google has created. But things soon got boring. There warn’t many people around and it’s pretty hard sharing moments with your friends if you don’t have any. So then Google took matters into their own hands and made some changes to their policy. Instead of letting Google+ be a side product of their ecosystem, they made it the center of it. Everybody with a Gmail address, a Youtube account, an Android phone, was automatically in Google+. So now it didn’t matter if you wanted to be on Google’s social network, you had no choice.

But just because you where there, doesn’t mean that you’ll use it. So Facebook remained the undisputed champion of social networks for all the mainstream photos, check-ins, nights out and general stalking. But recently with Google Plus, something interesting has happened: because it is as the heart of Youtube many of the Youtubers relocated from mainstream social media (aka Facebook) to Google’s social media. So now you have Facebook with all the news and photos and everything and Google+ with more dedicated communities to certain subjects, a more “specialized” group of users if you want.

I personally like what these two apps that were designed to look and behave similarly, have taken two very different roads and I do think there still is a place for Google+ in the future. What do you think? Are you using Google+, have you ever used it?

 

Types of app users

Apps are everywhere! And they are great ways to get things done. Since 2008 when apps first started to become popular, there is an app for pretty much anything you can think about: alarm clocks, calendars, weather, photos, camera, social, browsers and the list could go on and on. But when it comes to using the apps, just like everything else in life, different people have different ways to do it. So here are a few types that I managed to observe:

1) The “one for everything” kind: This is the person that every time you have a dilemma or a question he says “I have an app for that!”. he has at leas one homescreen filled with apps or folder of apps for every possible occasion: a calendar app, 2 or 3 email apps, a weather app, a calculator app, a converter app, a lists app, a notes app, a few different social apps, and you get the picture. He is the type that likes to get an app that is very good for one particular thing and then get another app for something else he might need rather that try and use what he already has. There sure isn’t a shortage of apps on the AppStore and Play Store it’s just that he always ends up searching for that one particular app he needs for a task.

2) The “one app to rule them all” kind: This person treats each app he installs on his phone like it would cost him a small fortune: he only installs an app if he desperately needs it. Otherwise he will try and do the most with the few apps that he has: one email app for all the accounts and if some aren’t supported he’ll just forward himself all the emails he needs; one note taking app for everything from important business or other project notes to shopping lists, one camera app that has some editing features and so on. His phone is almost as clean as the day he got it: there are a few apps here and there, maybe a game or two, but all the apps are used to their absolute full potential and maybe even stretched a bit beyond.

3) The “that’s too cheap for me” kind: Believe it or not, I met persons that would only get paid apps. It’s like they don’t trust anything that comes free. If Facebook would set a $100 price tag on its app, they would probably be the first to get it. And the worst part is that these persons never use the app to its full potential. They have a premium subscription to every app on their phone that would allow that even if they don’t need any of the premium features. They tend to resemble the “one for everything” kind because most of their paid apps are only used for one task even if they could do more with it.

4) The “my phone will cost me nothing” type is exactly the opposite of type no. 3. They are the people that don’t believe in paid apps and in the added features that they offer. They would rather spend time searching for that one free app that does everything that they need to, or use a couple of free apps instead of one paid one. I totally get these people because I sometimes tend to do the same. Sometimes the extra money spend on an app just isn’t worth it.

5) The “moderate consumer”. I say “moderate” when I should probably say “average” consumer because this is the way most of us use the apps on our phones: a mix of everything I described above. Some apps are there specifically for one job and one job only and we might have two apps that do the same thing, just slightly different like 2 different mail apps. Other apps are pushed to their limit like one note taking app for everything we need to write down digitally. Other apps are there because we installed them on impulse and forgot about them and finally some of us might even pay a bit for that one app we really want and decide we can’t live without. And I think this is the healthy way to use them.

What kind of app user are you? Or do you know any more types of app users? I personally am a bit in between categories: I almost never pay for an app, and I try to use as little apps as possible to keep my life in order. You won’t find on my screen a ton of apps and most of them are fairly simple that get the job done.

 

How Pornhub will save the planet

It’s the XXI century and the planet is dying. Our resources are getting lower and lower. Our air is getting thicker and thicker, our forests are getting thinner and thinner. We need new ways to power our lives. We need new sources of energy. We need masturbation! We need the Wankband!

As weird as this sounds, this actually is a plan to save the world and it comes from the last company you would expect it: Pornhub.com! Now, if you don’t know what Pornhub is, you’re a liar! Of course you know, everybody knows. These days, they have come up with an interesting idea for a device that will help you produce energy! It comes in the form of a wristband and when moved, it generates a small electric current that it then stores and you can use to charge you phone or other electronic devices through a cable. The band is said to work it’s best when moved in a linear up-down motion which we all do with our hands (one way or another).

Joke aside, I really don’t know how to feel about this thing. On one hand I like the idea of a portable energy-creating device, but on the other I feel the whole thing is just a marketing gimmick that won’t really stick to the public.

So the idea of the device is simple and nice. I remember a few years ago I had a flashlight that worked on the exact same principle: you shake it, it works! The fact that now this Wankband will let you store that energy for a bit more and use it to charge something is a nice touch which I think might have a (small) future in the industry if we could store enough energy on such devices. But the question is how much energy can you store on it? I will consider it a success if it could charge my phone by 5%.

In the end this is probably a marketing scheme above all else, but it is an interesting in the way that it is probably the first time when masturbation and renewable energy are used in the same context. But nevertheless I wouldn’t mind having 4-5 Wankbands attached to a backpack or something for a quick 20% charge on my phone when in need. I mean they should probably charge from walking just as well as wanking.

The next big thing I’m now waiting for is 9gag to come up with a device that transforms the scroll wheel on your mouse into an energy source!

 

New Samsung Galaxy Impressions

At first I didn’t want to write about the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, but something weird happened: as I was watching the event, I got more and more excited about their new devices. And it’s the first time this has happened to me when talking about Samsung.

They announced today two new phones: their new Galaxy S6 flagship and a more flamboyant version: the S6 Edge, which has a curved screen on both sides.

This year I think Samsung sacrificed a lot to get back on top of the Android market after slowly loosing market share to competitors like Apple or LG. So this year, we have a lot of things that the old Galaxy phone did not have: a metal edge surrounding the phone, a non-removable battery, no expendable memory and kinda of a new design.

From the front thinks look as Samsung as ever. Same button layout, same combination of physical and capacitive buttons that Samsung has been going with for the last 4-5 years. On the back, we have a nice, glass back panel made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 4, the same material we find on the front of the phone.

From a software side, Samsung has inspired itself a bit from the Google Material Design (their latest software is running on Android 5.0 afterall) and has reduced the number of icons and tried to simplify the user experience a bit, but they kept the same icon layout and UI that make up TouchWiz so things looks just as usual, although first hand-on videos claim that the new S6 seems snappy enough. And it should be! Samsung has in it it’s new generation of octa-core processor that they claim is the best and fastest ever.

What I really like about this new phones is the build quality that has gone up in my eyes, and the fact that from the back at least, they have a new design and a better feel. The new Galaxy also has a “new-improved-greatest-in-the-world” 16 MP camera but what I’m really exited about is the wireless charging and the mobile payment procedure. Wireless charging isn’t something new and has been around for quite some time so I’m not even sure why I get excited when I hear about it in new phones. The new Samsung payment feature is something interesting as they claim it allows you to use your phone to make payments even with machines that are not NFC enabled, and that only accept magnetic bands (aka cards). I’m not sure if Samsung has the marketing force of Apple to push this type of mobile payments into the market, but I do think that every manufacturer can try benefit of Apples efforts to bring Apple pay into the world.

The new display they claim has 70% more pixels than the S5 isn’t a great attraction to me, because after a certain pixel density I really don’t care that much as I don’t use my phone to watch some National Geographic like documentary where I would want to see every insect in a rain forest on my screen.

The edge variant I think looks really cool but what I would really like to see is some special functionality added to it, other that a fancy desk watch or a quick-access menu to 5 friends. But that aside, it is a really nice looking device that I appreciate for the fact that it’s different.

So when wrapping up the day, I think Samsung clearly stole the show at MWC with the most changes. I’m not sure if they are for the better or worse of its future, but compared to HTC’s launch, Samsung brought a new design, it let go of a few traditional Samsung features like the plastic back, removable battery and SD slot and tried to improve the user experience. I think that fresh start gives them an advantage for this year. What do you think?