After Steve Jobs anointed Walter Isaacson as his authorized biographer in 2009, he took Isaacson to see the Mountain View house in which he had lived as a boy. He pointed out its "clean design" and "awesome little features." He praised the developer, Joseph Eichler, who built more than 11,000 homes in California subdivisions, for making an affordable product on a mass-market scale. And he showed Isaacson the stockade fence built 50 years earlier by his father, Paul Jobs.
"He loved doing things right," Jobs said. "He even cared about the look of the parts you couldn't see."
Jobs, the brilliant and protean creator whose inventions so utterly transformed the allure of technology, turned those childhood lessons into an all-purpose theory of intelligent design. He gave Isaacson a chance to play by the same rules. His story calls for a book that is clear, elegant and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" does its solid best to hit that target.
As a biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson knows how to explicate and celebrate genius -- revered, long-dead genius. But he wrote "Steve Jobs" as its subject was mortally ill, and that is a more painful and delicate challenge. (He had access to members of the Jobs family at a difficult time.) Jobs promised not to look over Isaacson's shoulder and not to meddle with anything but the book's
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cover. (Boy, does it look great.) And he expressed approval that the book would not be entirely flattering. But his legacy was at stake. And there were awkward questions to be asked. At the end of the volume, Jobs answers the question "What drove me?" by discussing himself in the past tense.
Isaacson treats "Steve Jobs" as the biography of record, which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject's death. Some of it is an essential Silicon Valley chronicle, compiling stories well known to tech aficionados but interesting to a broad audience. Some of it is already quaint. (Jobs' first job was at Atari, and it involved the game "Pong." "If you're under 30, ask your parents," Isaacson writes.) Some, like an account of the release of the iPad 2, is so recent that it is hard to appreciate yet, even if Isaacson says the device comes to life "like the face of a tickled baby."
So "Steve Jobs," an account of its subject's 56 years, must reach across time in more ways than one. And it does, in a well-ordered, if not streamlined, fashion.
Although Isaacson is not analytical about his subject's volatile personality (the word "obnoxious" figures in the book frequently), he raises the question of whether feelings of abandonment in childhood made him fanatically controlling and manipulative as an adult. Fortunately, that glib question stays unanswered.
Isaacson takes his readers back to the time when laptops, desktops and windows were metaphors, not everyday realities. His book ticks off how each of the Apple (AAPL) innovations that we now take for granted first occurred to Jobs or his creative team.
"Steve Jobs" greatly admires its subject. But its most adulatory passages are not about people. Offering a combination of tech criticism and promotional hype, Isaacson describes the arrival of each new product right down to Jobs' theatrical introductions and the advertising campaigns. But if the individual bits of hoopla seem excessive, their cumulative effect is staggering.
Here is an encyclopedic survey of all that Jobs accomplished, replete with the passion and excitement that it deserves.
Source:http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_19169538
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Review: Huawei X1 on Telecom XT network
X1 is one of the cheapest Android smartphones you'll find and pretty good value for money.
It won't win any style prizes but doesn't scream "budget phone" either. It has a rounded, sleek case and the soft, rubber-like back cover feels comfortable in your hand.
The X1's biggest weakness is the 2.8-inch touchscreen. It's just too small and the screen quality is too low to deliver the true smartphone experience.
Typing on the keyboard can be a hit and miss affair and most users will have to enlarge the text to read it on the screen.
The technology under the hood, including HSDPA mobile internet technology, is a bit more impressive. I found web browsing and online video streaming a fairly smooth, if not fast, experience, and the phone also packs a GPS receiver - for location and navigation apps - an accelerometer, which changes the orientation of the display depending on the way the phone is held, Bluetooth and wi-fi.
Battery life is standard, lasting two days of moderate web, calling and gaming use.
Internal storage is limited to just 256 megabytes but you can boost capacity for your data, photos and apps with a microSD card.
The 3.2 megapixel camera takes reasonable pics as well as video. There is no flash, though, and no physical shutter button - just a touchscreen button.
The X1 runs on version 2.2 of the Android operating system - not the latest version of Android but it does support Adobe Flash technology (needed for viewing YouTube videos and some websites), and has the handy five customisable homescreens.
You also get access to the Android Market - Android's version of the Apple App Store - and its more than 200,000 apps. Built-in apps include Google Maps Navigation, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
The X1 is an average performer. Anyone looking for the polish of an iPhone or higher end handset will be disappointed, but such comparisons are probably unfair - the X1 is a fifth of the price.
RRP: $199
Source:http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/gadget-reviews/5833755/Review-Huawei-X1-on-Telecom-XT-network
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
REVIEW: iPhone 4S
Apple recently released an upgrade to the 14-month-old iPhone 4 and added an S to the name “for speed” or is it for Siri? It is already selling like hotcakes but is an upgraded iPhone 4 worth fighting the crowds for when there are so many other smart phones on the market?
The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4, but on the inside there have been some changes. So what’s good, what’s so-so and what is disappointing?
Good: new chip
The main new feature is the A5 chip – the same processor that powers the iPad 2. The A5 is a dual-core design and makes features like the camera much snappier, increasing your chances of capturing that special, one-off moment. Graphics performance has also increased to the point that, in some cases, it surpasses the abilities of current video game consoles.
So-so: new voice control software
The new processor enables Apple to introduce new beta voice recognition software called Siri, described as an artificial intelligence (AI) “Personal Assistant”. This will be useful for those who want to be able to send SMS and control their iPhone while driving with their Bluetooth car mount or other hands-free kit. Apple has included support for the Australian accent, but the majority of Siri’s AI features are missing in Australia at launch.
You can watch Apple’s video about Siri on its website and see if it is for you.
So-so: faster downloads
This is good, but it is carrier dependant so it remains “so-so”. The 4S has support for faster downloads using High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) technology at up to 14.4mbs. Using 3G HSPDA instead of 4G for fast downloads also means much better battery performance, while a new antenna system may also improve performance for other networks.
Not so good: battery life
Battery life has always been the iPhone’s biggest strength over Android, and Apple is boasting that the 4S has an extra hour of talk time. Unfortunately, they are talking this up to gloss over the fact that battery life has actually been lowered in real-world use. The 4S does contain a slightly larger battery but Wi-Fi browsing, one of the most common uses of a smartphone, has been limited to nine hours rather than the 10 on the original iPhone 4. This is still far superior than the majority, if not all, Android phones.
Not so good: new camera
Apple seems to have put in a lot of work trying to improve its camera, although some of the changes seem questionable. The iPhone 4 still has one of the best ever cameras found on a phone. For the iPhone 4S, Apple has added a faster lens that can take photos at a maximum aperture of f2.4. This is great, but unfortunately it seems Apple added it to compensate for an 8 megapixel sensor, which as good photographers know, means the pixels are too small for a device that size.
Apple has acknowledged this problem and has also improved the backside illumination of the sensor to assist each pixel straining for light to eke out a slight improvement in picture quality. The camera is also able to record 1080p video but don’t get too excited. The full HD video creates massive file sizes for little realistic gain in picture quality. This means slower airplay performance and most importantly, fewer photos and videos will be able to be stored on your iPhone. So you will need to consider not only a larger iPhone model, but you will likely have to pay for a much larger iCloud account if you want to keep your precious memories backed up automatically. This is not a deal breaker, it’s just disappointing.
Not so good: no obvious game changing feature
I believe a lot of people may feel let down by this release. The fact that Apple spent an extra four months working on what is just an upgrade of an old phone means questions will start to be asked about whether or not the company is sitting on its laurels.
Of course the real game changing feature that Apple is releasing is iCloud but due to its backwards compatibility with older devices and its seamless integration, consumers will likely take it for granted… unless something goes wrong.
So is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4S?
If you are out of contract on an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you want a new phone that can run all the cool Apps you have bought in the App Store, the decision is easy. The 4S takes most of the great features from the classic looking iPhone 4 with the addition of the A5 processor. The chip is worth it alone, future proofing you so that by the end of your two-year contract, your phone should still be able to run the latest games and apps.
If you already have an iPhone 4 you can relax – you still get iCloud and iOS5 for free. Besides, this time next year there will probably be a new iPhone with many more temptations.
If you still have a “dumb” phone or you are sick of Android and considering moving to the iPhone, the 4S is not such a bad place to jump in. The simplicity of iCloud keeping your data backed up and the awesome range of high quality mobile apps are worth it alone without even considering the hardware.
Source:http://technologyspectator.com.au/smart-devices/mobility/review-iphone-4s
The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4, but on the inside there have been some changes. So what’s good, what’s so-so and what is disappointing?
Good: new chip
The main new feature is the A5 chip – the same processor that powers the iPad 2. The A5 is a dual-core design and makes features like the camera much snappier, increasing your chances of capturing that special, one-off moment. Graphics performance has also increased to the point that, in some cases, it surpasses the abilities of current video game consoles.
So-so: new voice control software
The new processor enables Apple to introduce new beta voice recognition software called Siri, described as an artificial intelligence (AI) “Personal Assistant”. This will be useful for those who want to be able to send SMS and control their iPhone while driving with their Bluetooth car mount or other hands-free kit. Apple has included support for the Australian accent, but the majority of Siri’s AI features are missing in Australia at launch.
You can watch Apple’s video about Siri on its website and see if it is for you.
So-so: faster downloads
This is good, but it is carrier dependant so it remains “so-so”. The 4S has support for faster downloads using High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) technology at up to 14.4mbs. Using 3G HSPDA instead of 4G for fast downloads also means much better battery performance, while a new antenna system may also improve performance for other networks.
Not so good: battery life
Battery life has always been the iPhone’s biggest strength over Android, and Apple is boasting that the 4S has an extra hour of talk time. Unfortunately, they are talking this up to gloss over the fact that battery life has actually been lowered in real-world use. The 4S does contain a slightly larger battery but Wi-Fi browsing, one of the most common uses of a smartphone, has been limited to nine hours rather than the 10 on the original iPhone 4. This is still far superior than the majority, if not all, Android phones.
Not so good: new camera
Apple seems to have put in a lot of work trying to improve its camera, although some of the changes seem questionable. The iPhone 4 still has one of the best ever cameras found on a phone. For the iPhone 4S, Apple has added a faster lens that can take photos at a maximum aperture of f2.4. This is great, but unfortunately it seems Apple added it to compensate for an 8 megapixel sensor, which as good photographers know, means the pixels are too small for a device that size.
Apple has acknowledged this problem and has also improved the backside illumination of the sensor to assist each pixel straining for light to eke out a slight improvement in picture quality. The camera is also able to record 1080p video but don’t get too excited. The full HD video creates massive file sizes for little realistic gain in picture quality. This means slower airplay performance and most importantly, fewer photos and videos will be able to be stored on your iPhone. So you will need to consider not only a larger iPhone model, but you will likely have to pay for a much larger iCloud account if you want to keep your precious memories backed up automatically. This is not a deal breaker, it’s just disappointing.
Not so good: no obvious game changing feature
I believe a lot of people may feel let down by this release. The fact that Apple spent an extra four months working on what is just an upgrade of an old phone means questions will start to be asked about whether or not the company is sitting on its laurels.
Of course the real game changing feature that Apple is releasing is iCloud but due to its backwards compatibility with older devices and its seamless integration, consumers will likely take it for granted… unless something goes wrong.
So is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4S?
If you are out of contract on an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you want a new phone that can run all the cool Apps you have bought in the App Store, the decision is easy. The 4S takes most of the great features from the classic looking iPhone 4 with the addition of the A5 processor. The chip is worth it alone, future proofing you so that by the end of your two-year contract, your phone should still be able to run the latest games and apps.
If you already have an iPhone 4 you can relax – you still get iCloud and iOS5 for free. Besides, this time next year there will probably be a new iPhone with many more temptations.
If you still have a “dumb” phone or you are sick of Android and considering moving to the iPhone, the 4S is not such a bad place to jump in. The simplicity of iCloud keeping your data backed up and the awesome range of high quality mobile apps are worth it alone without even considering the hardware.
Source:http://technologyspectator.com.au/smart-devices/mobility/review-iphone-4s
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