JOBS (The Movie)

When you think Steve Jobs, you think Apple. One of the world's most valuable companies and one of the highest earning companies and when thinking of the success of Apple its hard to believe this cupertino-based company was created from a Collage drop-out. Jobs the movie takes you through Steve jobs journey from a collage drop-out to the leader of Apple. Usually you end off by giving a message to the youth to stay in school but in the spirit of Steve - Stay in school or dropout just remember to 'Think Different.'

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A Multi-platform BBM (Blackberry Messaging) : The Full Story

Have you ever dreamt of BBM, Blackberry's exclusive messaging service, on your iPhone or Android Phone?  - Well the reality is , you probably haven't. Slow messages, annoying Broadcast messages and a shorter battery life as a result are all problems that i've experienced when using BBM. The fact is the majority of tech-users are and will use Whatsapp (or other messaging platforms) on their iPhones or android phones and even if they moved to a blackberry, I'm sure they'd still use Whatsapp over BBM. 

(Photo Credit : Elie Chahine's Blog.)

Why I don't like BBM!

Below are the reason why I seriously don't like BBM and why id much rather use Whatsapp. 

• BBM is slow and often doesn't work at random times ( when you need it the most.)
• The Broadcast Message - Yes, if you've had BBM you'd definitely know what im saying. Those irritating messages from people who have nothing to do. For people who don't know what they are - They are Messages that are sent from one of your friends to all of their contacts and often        sound like this ... "Happy Mother's Day - if you don't Broadcast this message in 20 seconds, something bad is going to happen to your mother." or the all common , "Blackberry is shutting down users profiles at 12:00 AM , if you don't broadcast this code, your phone will fail to work. This is a serious note from the CEO of Blackberry, John Blackberry." I don't know why people Broadcast these stupid messages, but then again, they did buy blackberries! 
• The overall performance of your Blackberry. When you have ± 300 contacts on BBM, your blackberry becomes really slow overall and often it freezes and restarts while you using the phone however this shouldn't be a problem with the Q10 or Z10. The slower processor on the Q5 may be affected. 
• The horrible Battery life, this is as a result of your contacts updating their profile pictures and statuses as well as sending and receiving messages. Your battery can go from lasting a day with medium use but with BBM disabled to a matter of hours with the same use and BBM running in the background.   

Multi-Platform

Blackberry is to release BBM as an App available for : 

• iPhones (iPhone 4 , 4S and 5.) running iOS 6
• Android Phones (Running 4.2) 

Once launched you will be able to download it off the App Store / Play Store and use it just like on a Blackberry 10 device however features will be updated on Blackberry 10 devices before it is updated on the application. The App will be Free of charge! 

Why does Blackberry want to release it as a Multi- platform Messaging Service? 

I should actually rephrase that heading and rather ask - Why does Blackberry NEED to release it as Multi-platform Messaging Service? Well with Blackberry (formerly known as RIM, which I called RIP.)  under piles of debts and Blackberry 10 showing to be less successful than blackberry anticipated,   A Multi-platform BBM will not only Boost sales of Blackberrys but will give Blackberry the opportunity to sell Ads on the iPhone and Android version of the Messaging service. A Multi-platform BBM could also give Blackberry much needed recognition and exposure, which I think is all Blackberry needs right now.  (Photo Credit - Business insider.)

PROs

• Better exposure for Blackberry 
• Advertising. Which could in essence Keep BBM alive even after Blackberry itself is dead. 
• A boost is sales of Blackberrys as more people have BBM and BBM therefore is more efficient and useful to the consumer.  
• cheaper than Whatsapp. Free compared to $0.99 / year. 

CONs

• BBM will no longer be exclusive to Blackberry Owners hence people who bought Blackberry's in the past solely for BBM, might not buy Blackberry's now. 
• There are bound to be more users and more users means slower messages. 
• Blackberry Software programmers and designers have to spend time writing the Android and iPhone Apps when they could be spending that time bettering Blackberry 10, and it needs ALOT of bettering to gain market share!

Tell me what you think Tweet using #iBBM for a chance to be followed and re-tweeted by us!  

Conclusion 

Although bold, I think this move of releasing BBM as a Multi-platform messaging service will definitely pay off in the long-run with more exposure for Blackberry. The idea has potential but the execution is what im waiting to see. Will Blackberry successfully recreate itself or will 10 be Blackberry's unlucky number... 

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iBlog Awards : TOP10 LAPTOP

1.) Macbook Pro 13' with Retina Display
2.) Alienware 14
3.) HP Envy 6t-1200
4.) Dell XPS 15' with Windows 8
5.) Macbook Pro 15'
6.)Dell XPS 12'
7.) Vaio Duo 11'
8.)Macbook Air 13' (2013)
9.) Samsung Series 9 laptop
10.) Alienware 17

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Welcome to iBlog Awards

Its been a really exiting First half of 2013. We've had the much awaited launch of Blackberry 10 (Blackberry's last chance to redeem Mobile Market share.) Which for me initially was a fail but I think after the launch of Blackberry's Second Smartphone in the range (The Q10) was released. The Q10 is perfect for previous Blackberry users and new users however with a lack of apps, Blackberry 10 is just a toned down version of Android. Then came the launch of the S4, Samsung's new flagship device. Although the s4 is a slim design difference , software-wise I think its years apart from competitors.The launch of the Surface Pro and other Tablet PCs are the first step to a race of extremely portable Computer's. So with all the tech out there, what do you buy. We have got that covered giving you the best Smart phones, Tablets , Game Consoles, laptops, PCs and Games on the market at the moment. I hope this helps you as a guide when buying your next Tech device. Let the awards begin!

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iBlog Awards : TOP10 SMARTPHONE

1.) Samsung Galaxy S4
2.) HTC One
3.) Xperia Z
4.) Blackberry Q10
5.) iPhone 5
6.) HTC First
7.) Nokia Lumia 925
8.) Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
9.) Nexus 4
10.) Blackberry Z10

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Father's Day Gadget Gift Ideas!

Yes, its almost father's day. The day to celebrate everything dad has done for you. (if anything.) This list if for those tech freaks out there like me who do last minute shopping. Below are some really amazing Gadget Gift Ideas for dad!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

 Does dad get frustrated when he cant find the remote. Spoil him this father's day with the Galaxy Note 8.0. He can use the Note to  his remote for undisturbed viewing as long as he desires with the note's amazing battery life and when he's tired of that there's many other features for him to enjoy. (image Credit - PC Pro)

Nokia Lumia 925

 Taking dad away for the long weekend, why not spoil him even more with a Nokia Lumia 925. Its Nokia's new flagship Windows Phone 8 Device. The 925 will get you to your location easily with Nokia Maps and City Lens will tell you where the nearest restaurant is for an evening out and the best part is you can take amazing pictures in any location with Nokia's new Xenon Flash. Forget Dog's, the Lumia 925, will definitely be man's best friend. (image credit : unknown) 

Microsoft Surface

 This gift is bound to make dad's day. From piles of papers and lever-arch files to a simple, sleek piece of tech, this transformation means dad can do all of his work simultaneously on one device. He literally has his own  'Office' that he can take with him anywhere. Be it the Board room, The road or just playing Angry Birds - The Surface is always there. (image credit - Engadget) 

I hope this has sincerely helped you pick you father's day Gifts and if you haven't, there's always next year. Take care, enjoy your Father's Day and Keep it Connected!

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What I Want To See In WWDC 2013

Yes, its this time of the year again folks. So you might as well find an excuse to trash your 'old' Apple devices because Apple's WWDC (World Wide Developer's Conference) kicks of on monday!

                             WHAT I WANT TO SEE

iOS 7

A brand new Operating system. Not just some bug fixes here and there, with added applications that never seem to work (like iMaps.) I want to see a Apple Social Media platform, something to rival Facebook and Twitter. I want to see a 'flatter' OS. Apple should let us choose between iMaps and Google Maps as our default Mapping Service. Apple needs to redesign their App Store and last and definitely not least we need to see some widgets on iOS. 

iPad Mini with Retina Display 

A new updated version of the the iPad mini running iOS 7. Spec-wise I expect it to have a better processor (maybe the A6X) and a Retina display screen. I also would like to see the iPad mini coming in a few different colours, maybe a red, blue and green.

Macbook Air with Retina Display 

A revised design, it should be thinner and should come in a 15 inch variant. A faster processor and a new version of Mac OSX. A Retina display. 

The iWatch

A first for Wearable tech in Apple. After the Google Glass buzz, the Apple iWach would be a success. The idea is to have a watch with customizable bands and clock-faces as well as traditional iOS application functions. It should have Retina Display and 4G LTE connectivity. Siri and iMaps. 

  WHAT APPLE IS PROBABLY GOING TO DO

The more I read over what I want to see, the more I know its not going to happen. I think Apple needs to really design a new flagship device, something that is completely new and exiting but the reality is that they wont! Apple is playing it safe at the moment but playing it safe might have worked a year ago but it  wont help now ,when Apple's competitors are catching up...

Apple needs to show us new products - Read my blog on Monday to see what Apple has packed as well as a link for you to watch it yourself. 

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Samsung Unpacked Ep1 2013

Samsung held their first release event for 2013. After much success with the amazing Galaxy SIII (which I rated #1 Smartphone of 2012) they release the next generation Galaxy - The Samsung Galaxy S4. The Event had an interesting twist with a broadway feeling because of the location and I thought it was smart given the idea of the S4 and it helped potential consumers to have a look at what they could use the array of gestures for.

DESIGN

The S4 Keeps the amazing curved edges of the nature inspired design of the SIII however the new design incoporates the new 5' display. The device is infact smaller than its predecessor its exactly the same height and is much thinner (which is amazing when you understand the new features and Specs). As with most Samsung devices the S4 is unfortunately made of plastic (a fact that I hated with the SIII) The reason why I didn't like it is because plastic doesn't feel as premium as Metal used in the iPhone for example, which is important to have when the iPhone is its #1 rival. Colour-wise it comes in "White Frost" and "Black Mist" with a promise of more color options in due course. The sides of this phone has a metal finish similar to that of the iPhone 4S and the Blackberry Bold 9900. Something that i'm really happy about is the textured back, since when I had the SIII I found that the  backing of the phone was to slippery and I couldn't grasp the phone properly. Overall I think the design is wonderful - its simply yet bold , extravagant yet elegant, its simply beautiful but personally after having used the Galaxy SIII for a while , I feel that the design is too similar to its predecessor as well as the Galaxy Note II. 

DISPLAY

Something that Samsung always gets right is the screen. The S4 is no exception with a 5' Super HD AmOLED screen that has a stunning 441ppi (compared to the iPhone 5 which has 326ppi.) The screen makes for a crisp and flowing display. Another thing Samsung has done is that the screen automatically adjusts to the type of App you using in order for the display to be more pleasant to your eyes.

 OS

GROUP PLAY

If you have a song you want your friends to listen to you can use Group play with allows you to play the exact song on up to 8 S4s without using wireless or 3G. 

SOUND&SHOT

With the Sound & Shot feature you can add sound to a picture, you can hence hear what was said during that moment.

DRAMA SHOT

Drama Shot allows you to take series of pictures of a moving moment and then puts them into one picture. The feature allows you to see the detailed actions of the action. 

DUAL CAMERA

Most smart phones on the market have two cameras - a front facing and a back facing camera , Samsung decided to make use of both of the cameras at once using the Dual camera feature. I think this feature is amazing as I always find that when I take pictures I end up with none of myself, when with this feature you can take a picture and add yourself into the picture. You can use this feature on ChatON video. 

S TRANSLATOR

If you are traveling the world and meet someone who speaks a different language to you , you can simply use this feature. You type out your desired sentence and it says it in one of the 9 built-in languages (including French, Chinese, Portuguese and Korean.) It then waits for a reply and translates that into text.

SMAT PAUSE & SMART SCROLL

The S4 tracks your eyes to see what you are looking at so that when you are watching a video , it pauses when you look away and resumes when you look at it again. 

S VOICE DRIVE

S Voice Drive is a samsung designed voice assistant that takes in account safety when driving using bigger fonts and a simpler interface. You can now make calls , answer them and ask for directions.

S HEALTH

The S4 helps you stay healthy and fit as it tracks your workouts and your daily intakes.

STATS

• Network 2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, 3G (HSPA+ 42Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz, 4G (LTE Cat 3 100/50Mbps): up to six different band sets (Dependent on market)
• Display 5 inch Full HD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
• Processor 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor
• OS Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• Camera Main (Rear): 13 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag, BIS, Sub (Front): 2 Mega pixel camera, Full HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BIS
• Video Codec MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark, HEVC
• Recording & Playback Full HD (1080p)
• Audio Codec MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X
• Dual Camera Dual Shot / Dual Recording/ Dual Video Call, Drama Shot, Sound & Shot, 360 Photo, Cinema Photo, Eraser, Night, Best Photo, Best Face, Beauty Face, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Sports
• Additional Features Group Play: Share Music, Share Picture, Share Document, Play Games, Story Album, S Translator, Optical Reader, Samsung Smart Scroll, Samsung Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Air View, Samsung Hub, ChatON (Voice/Video Call, Share screen, 3-way calling), Samsung WatchON, S Travel (Trip Advisor), S Voice™ Drive, S Health, Samsung Adapt Display, Samsung Adapt Sound, Auto adjust touch sensitivity (Glove friendly), Safety Assistance, Samsung Link, Screen Mirroring, Samsung KNOX (B2B only), Google Mobile Services Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads, Voice Search
• Connectivity WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80), GPS / GLONASS, NFC, Bluetooth® 4.0 (LE), IR LED (Remote Control), MHL 2.0, Sensor Accelerometer, RGB light, Geomagnetic, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, Gesture
• Memory 16/ 32/ 64 GB User memory + microSD slot (up to 64GB)
• RAM 2GB
• Dimensions 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
  • Battery 2,600 mAh
• 

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Samsung Posts SIV Teaser!

Earlier today The korean based company Samsung post the above picture of the alleged Galaxy SIV smartphone (which is set to release on the 14th May 2013 at the Samsung Unpacked event in New York) on their Twitter and Facebook feeds. The image shows the upper half of the smartphone, Curved edges (suggesting Samsung is using the same 'Nature Inspired' design and most importantly or should i say most awkwardly the phone is missing its headset speaker, so the question lingers ...

 Did they do that on purpose? 

Follow my twitter feed @iblogunscripted and subscribe to read more SIV news leading up to the event and definitely a breakdown of the event and my thoughts on the device. 

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Gadgets i'm looking forward to in 2013 !

The Galaxy SIV



A leaked picture of the Galaxy SIV - 
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

The SIV , will be Samsung's Flagship Android device. Not many specs have been released at yet but we are expecting an upgraded processor , a 12 megapixel camera , Android Jelly Bean 4.2 , a bigger 5"display and a new eye-catching design.
The Galaxy SIV is said to be announced on 14th March 2013.

The iWatch

Concepts of the iWatch
Right, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES left - CULT OF MAC
Imagine the idea of a Watch, with which you can call people, face time and use Siri (Apple's Voice Assistant).  With the iWatch you will  have your family and friends at your fingertips not to mention an abundance of amazing Apps. I think the iWatch could be an amazing idea.

The iPhone 5S 

Concept Design - PANDAapp 

The iPhone 5S , will probably launch in the June - October period and will run iOS 7. The iPhone 5S will (according to rumors) come in multiple colors and will have the same design features of the iPad Mini.

The Sony PS4

PS4 controller - SONY

The PS4 was announced on the 20th of February at sony's PlayStation Event. After the 2 hour conference Sony only showed us the controllers and the new camera with promises news of the actual console coming in the next few months.

iPad 5th Generation 

a concept of the iPad 5th Generation. - Martin Hajek

The 5th Generation iPad is said to have the same design features as the iPad  Mini. A higher resolution, iOS 6.4, A6X processors.  The iPad is supposedly going to release before July this year along with the iPad Mini 2. 

The iPhone Mini

a Concept of the iPhone Mini - PANDAapp

The iPhone Mini would actually be an amazing move for Apple, As long as they get the pricing rite , the iPhone Mini could extremely expand their customer base , with more people using their ecosystem. I think the iPhone Mini would do really well with the youth especially in South Africa where the majority of youth are using Blackberries (for BIS) but when BIS gets capped, youth will be looking for a new phone and everyone knows Apple.

According to PandaApp the specs are as follows: 

An A7 Dual-core processor with Quad core graphics.

• Retina Display
• 16GB; 32GB ; 64GB 
• Wireless charging 
• Fingerprint security 
• iOS 7
• Siri 
• Bluetooth 4.0 
• Extended Battery 
• NFC

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