apple – *ddileo

Thoughts on Apple’s September Event

It’s September which can only mean one thing. Apple is selling new phones and some other things… I have some thoughts… So let’s take the event as it unfolded shall we?

Apple Arcade

I’m not a huge gamer when it comes to mobile. I’ll play a game here and there. But my gaming experiences are limited to Chess and Alto’s Adventure. That said, I think the $4.99 price tag is really impressive. The whole service is going to hinge on the quality of games included. In the current state of games on iOS, $4.99 is a cheap price to pay for non-intrusive, scamming game developers always scheming to rob you dollar by dollar.

A word on game demos: Yikes Apple. Game demos in the beginning of an iPhone event? Snooze fest.

Grade = B

Apple TV+

Another $4.99 price tag. I think Disney pushed Apple into a little bit of a corner with this. I can’t see Apple wanting this service to premiere so low on the price scale. But, it’s really hard for them to justify anything more in terms of money. They don’t have a catalog of really anything, they didn’t buy the rights to a show like ‘Friends’ or anything widely loved. They are making their own shows and films, which takes time. But they haven’t proven anything to us as consumers.

The ‘SEE’ trailer looked amateurishly edited and ultimately uninspired. I was very let down from what I saw. Apple was championing this as their “Game of Thrones.” Who knows? It may be great. But it sure didn’t look it.

Nov. 1 launch date and the best detail yet; free Apple TV+ for a year with a purchase of a new phone/watch/mac/apple tv. Thats a good deal. It also plays into Apples favor too. Gain users, and give yourself a year to make compelling content.

Grade = C

iPad

Apple has had a hard time figuring out what to do with the iPad line for a while now. Recently they introduced iPad Pros with all screen, no home button designs. With that innovation also came a price jump which put masses of potential buyers out of reach of purchasing. This decision opened the door to lower cost iPad’s which was sorely lacking in the recent iPad lineup. A year back Apple introduced a new low end iPad that was touting some really impressive specs for a super low price, $329.

This year’s low iPad really looked fantastic. Still holding strong to the $329 price point, Apple gave it not only pencil support but a smart connecter for use of the Apple keyboard. Also, the 9.7″ screen was stretched to a 10.2″. Apple really deserves laurels for this kind of thing. Too often we hammer on Apple for increasing prices for mysterious reasonings. So when they can stabilize a price point and add great value to that product, they should be commended.

If Apple’s future of computing really is the iPad, they need to sell more to saturate the market. From early education to retired seniors. This low price and very capable iPad is a fantastic way to start that process more effectively. Couple this iPad with the newly announced ipadOS, and you have a powerful little machine at under 400 bucks.

Grade = A

Apple Watch Series 5

2019 was supposed to a be a minor year for Apple Watch upgrades. If you follow this stuff closely, you know last year’s Series 4 upgrade was a complete redesign with phenomenal advances. Any one looking ahead could and did predict this year’s Series 5 to sport some minor additions.

Boy we’re we wrong.

The most requested feature ever in an Apple Watch surprisingly landed. An ‘all the time on’ display that dims when not being used. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to look at my watch while working out or just every day usage and am forced to finagle my wrist in weird directions to illuminate the screen. No more. This is a huge advancement in Apple Watch’s capability and possibly the most significant upgrade in the 5 years lifespan of the product

Obviously everything Apple is doing with health is impressive, too. From sound measuring to menstrual cycle tracking, they’re keeping their foot hard on the pedal. As they should. The Apple Watch truly is changing lives. (That video almost had me tearing up)

Aesthetically, you can now purchase the watch in titanium and ceramic. Both look great and are a little bit on the pricey side. Also new is pairing any Watch model with any band. A configuration that should have been available on day one.

Grade = B

iPhone 11

Gone are the days of last year’s iPhone model to be the only low cost, approachable option. Welcomed is the iPhone 11. A truly great, sincerely marketed “the iPhone for most people.” That’s an accurate description in my opinion. No one feels good buying a watered down anything. That’s how the low cost iPhone recently has felt. This year Apple has really cleaned up it’s naming scheme and produced a truly desirable phone option at $699.

The internals are as powerful as the Pro models to the naked eye and the camera is more than efficient for everyday shooters. This is the first time in a long time I feel comfortable telling average users that the low priced phone is more than good enough to check all the boxes you need checked.

The new colors are… interesting. I was shocked they did away with the blue form the XR line. The green looked exciting in press photos, but not so good in the hands on videos I saw. The purple looks to be the best to my liking if I was into the whole colored phone thing.

Grade = A

iPhone 11 Pro / iPhone 11 Pro Max

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. There is no ‘Pro’ phone user. I have a little bit of an issue with Apple positioning this as a phone for the Pro’s. If what Apple is really trying to say is: “if your willing to pay more money, this is a higher tiered product,” that would sit a whole lot better for me. Even keep the name Pro. But, don’t say it’s for a Pro cinematographer. I personally know film directors who laugh at this idea of an iPhone being a daily shooter.

Now that thats out of the way….

Kudos to the triple camera lens. I know a lot of people are hating on it, but I applaud Apple for leaning into the camera system. They know what sells phones, the camera. So no matter how ugly the back of your phone looks, your picture looking gorgeous will certainly trump the looks of your phone. Everytime.

Clearly Apple is slam dunking on everyone in the chip game at this point. They touted the A13 for a full 5 minutes on stage and with clear reason. They are light years in front of any company. I’m no where near qualified to talk about chips, but I trust what Apple is saying is true based on phone performance and battery life increases alone.

We obviously have to talk about Midnight green and the introduction of clear cases. At first I was kind of down on the green phone. I figured if your going to make a green phone.. make it green! But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Adding a color to the line in a quiet design year drives sales. But you don’t want that color to not scream ‘Pro’ when you are pushing ‘PRO’ so you make it a muted, but classy tone. I get it and truthfully I would most likely purchase one IF this was a purchase year for me.

Also…clear cases.. finally.

All that said, iPhones Pro are a great upgrade if your coming from anything less than an iPhone X in my opinion. The security implication of Face ID alone should get you to upgrade. But if not, consider the camera and a13 chip money well spent.

Its pretty clear next year is a huge year for iPhone upgrades, but for now iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are really good options that offer a wide array a features and price points.

Grade = B

Overall Event

Apple is a weird company now. Positioned right in the intersection of the richest company in the world and trying really hard to not act like it. I don’t blame them. But, these shows are getting more and more tired. Or maybe I’m changing? I don’t know anymore.

The products are still very compelling products. The emergence of the services corner of the company is growing and with products like Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Care; what I was really hoping for was bundle of sorts. Kind of like amazon prime. Let me pay $30 bucks a month get all your services, etc. We didnt get that.. yet.

All in all, this was an iPhone event. Apple’s biggest product and it will continue to be for the time being. Interestingly though, Apple didn’t speak on the rumored ’tile’ product or anything to do with the new iPad Pros or the deeply anticipated Mac Pro or redesigned MacBook Pro. This leaves a whole lot of unanswered questions for the holiday season.

Coincidence?

I think not. See ya in October Apple!

Deep Thoughts, Life, Technology

Project ScreenTime: Dethrone the Phone

It’s no secret that our phones shape, effect and control each of us. I don’t say that lightly. Infinitely scrolling, infinitely discontent. That’s us. We live in an unfortunate reality.

Picture this: a life in which an individual wakes up, maybe checks the newspaper. Goes to work, converses and interacts with humans in a concentrated way. Eats meals without a glowing screen nearby. Drives home and admires nature. Arrives, spends time with family. Listens to them talk, their concerns and words are priority number 1. Eats dinner, maybe goes for a walk, feels and appreciates the cool breeze. Gazes at the night time sky in amazement of God’s unmatched handiwork. Finally, goes to bed. No glowing screen ruling and dictating actions.

If the scenario above seems hard to imagine, it’s mainly because it’s non existent in our current world. In an early draft of this post, I had a second scenario of our lives with phones. I just couldn’t keep it in though, it was all too miserable.

TOO MUCH FOR TOO LONG

Addiction and conviction, that’s what triggered all this.

Truth is “Project Screentime” was in the works for a long time. It just materialized itself in a way I didn’t see coming. For the longest i’ve had this feeling of too much screen time in my life. I’ve never had the numbers to prove it, though. You know… the “my head hurts after looking at a 5 inch screen for too long” feeling. I think we all have had that once or twice. Truthfully, I was sick of it. I was sick of not being in the moment. I was sick of being dependent on some device. I was sick of not feeling human. I wanted to be someone who cherishes people’s words and wants to listen and be there 100%.

My phone was disallowing that. It was an enabler of friction. My phone had slowly become a buffer to me and the real world.

I found that disgusting. I lived the majority of life without this device, and now this? This is the end? This phone is my final resting place of consciousness? The reality of that scenario was just unacceptable to me. I knew I wanted to change, but had no idea how.

HELLO iOS 12 and SCREENTIME

To say the least, I was elated when Apple announced ‘Screentime’. My grudges with the phone seemingly became other people’s and the stories were becoming mainstream. People were addicted to their phones. Or maybe more accurately, to the content on their phones. Behind the scenes, Apple was working on health features for an upcoming software release. Whether Apple timed it right or just played catch up, the release was happily welcomed by many.

ios-12-digital-wellbeing-100760087-orig — Apple introducing iOS12 and Screentime.

Essentially, “Project Screentime” started with Apple’s most recent software, iOS 12. iOS 12 has a feature I’ve long waited for and long have been afraid of; a health feature called ‘Screentime.’ Basically ‘Screentime’ was pitched as a report of such that anyone could access to view their phone usage.

Apple was touting many useful features inside ‘Screentime.’ Sure there were apps that already kind of did this sort of thing, Moment for one. But the way Apple could seamlessly tie in all these features was going to be an unrivaled effort. ‘Screentime’ released in the fall of 2018.

So upon release of iOS 12 I started tracking my time.. Scary stuff. To say it kindly, my phone was eating away at my life. This wasn’t about me wanting to feel better than others and compare. This was genuinely about improving myself and my health. Like I mentioned, I was sick to my stomach and ready for my usage truth.

THE UGLY TRUTH

At a glance, my screen time averaged 3 hours and about 30 minutes per day. That was tough to swallow. The number that really did me in though, was my weekly number. It was up around 25 hours per week. 25 hours! Thats more than an entire day out of my week. 1 out of 7 days, me looking at this glowing screen of nonsense. My assumptions were accurate and scary. My phone was an unwanted, constant thief of attention.

Like I mentioned, no one likes to find out stuff like this. When you start a diet, it’s hard to step on that scale. But you must. You NEED that number. It’s important. It’s a starting point. And it’s a number you could immediately improve on. Well, that’s how I looked at my screentime number. Scary? Yes. Depressing? Certainly. Improvable? Unsure at the moment.

Looking at your most used apps is the next biggest aspect of screen time. Really, there was no surprise there. Tweetbot and Reddit owned this space. Both social networks, both adding exactly zero value to me. Other high seeders including Messages, YouTube and Safari.

If I’m being honest I have to admit the simple truth; it was really hard in the beginning. My first thought was to limit certain apps. ‘Screentime’ has this useful feature to set app time limits. So I figured i’ll take those high tier apps and set some 20 min limits. Unfortunately this proved extremely hard and not practical in the least bit. My time did dip though, about a half hour a day. But my endgame, ultimate goal was to range in around 60 minutes per day. I was no where close.

I struggled for weeks.

Honestly, the goal seemed almost unobtainable. Then I had an epiphany. A click moment of sorts.

PHONE AS A TOOL

I was listening to “The Minimalists” podcast and they mentioned the idea of commissioning your belongings for exact uses in your specific life. This keeps items useful and necessary. I thought about my phone. What do I NEED it for? Well, I need to stay connected with people. Most importantly, my family.

So I started looking at my phone as a tool. A specific tool for specific tasks. Forget about what it can do. What do I need it to do. Just because you have something that can do a lot doesn’t mean you need it to do a lot.

Trust me, I’m all for being productive, but Reddit, Twitter, Youtube, Safari and Messages are hardly productive.

Also, I reorganized my phone’s layout. I put only the most needed apps on my front home screen. On the second page I grouped everything into folders. I deleted about half my apps…..apps I never used.

New Home Screen set up

2nd page of folders

After my reorganization, I conducted a week long trial run.

My time again declined. After about a week I was down to 1 hour and 45 min (give or take) per day. Looking from day one at 3 hours 30 min plus, cutting my time in half was certainly an achievement. But my goal was and is the 60 min range. If anything else could be done, I wanted to try.

Here’s a shocker that really isn’t a shocker: I felt good. Believe it or not; I was listening to people more, I wasn’t always wondering what was happening on my phone in my pocket, I didn’t feel the need to check anything. I felt completely in the moment all the time. Peoples words started to carry weight. People started to matter more, and the priorities of my phone slowly waded away. Truly, this was a refreshing feeling.

Improvement from 3:30

Getting better with discipline.

DO NOT DISTURB

There is one more feature Screentime offers: Notifications. Screentime lets you look at how many notifications per day, per hour you receive, who they are from and what apps are triggering the most. I was shocked at some of these numbers. According to Screentime, I was averaging around 20 notifications an hour. Mostly from Messages, Sports apps, News apps and Mail.

This made me think deeply about the philosophy of my interaction relationship with my phone. Am I a slave to this device? Am I at the beck and call of every single little beep and vibration this phone makes. My ego wanted to say no. My brain told me yes, of course you are.

And thats when my final click moment occurred.

‘Do Not Disturb’ is a feature Apple added a few years ago. Basically DND turns your phone to silent. Your device won’t vibrate, beep or do anything. There is no way to even know you have an alert until you pick up your phone and check. To me, this flipped the script. Now, my phone is working for me. I tried my phone on DND for a 48 hour period. My time reports were drastically lower.

I was averaging around 70 min per day.

Amount of pick ups after ‘Do Not Disturb’

Notifications after ‘Do Not Disturb’

Only allowing calls in ‘Do Not Disturb’

Enable DND with a simple swipe and tap

I could totally see why. How many times do you get a notification, finish whatever and then venture off into some other app and before you know it 15 minutes go by. Happened to me all the time, multiple times a day. “Do Not Disturb” vanished that threat for me. I only pick up the phone when I want. That is a remarkable feat! Using your phone solely as a tool.

Also, in these past few months of using the phone less, I’ve noticed I’ve gone back to doing things I truly love doing. Whether that be watching more films or writing more consistently. It’s honestly like I’ve gained a part of me back that was gone for a while. I can’t quite figure out why yet. Maybe it’s knowing I’m not dependent or have an always attached feeling to my phone, I don’t know. It’s a great feeling, though.

The combination of all these tools has helped me tremendously. And I have to give credit where credits due, Apple is the only reason this was possible. I wish they would make these features a little more findable for normal users and a little more user friendly. But, I was in dire need and am so thankful I took the time to learn and understand all these features Apple included with ‘Screentime.’

WHY?

You may ask yourself, what’s the big deal? Why take such drastic measures?

I can’t speak for anyone but me. But, allow me to explain where my head is at:

Why do we sit in chairs the way we do? I know thats an odd question. But honestly, think about it. If you’re sitting down right now, why are you sitting that way?

The answer is shockingly simple. You’re sitting that way because your chair is shaped that way. The older I get I’ve chosen to try and implement a few guidelines in my life:

I want to understand, to the best of my knowledge, why I do what I do.
I want to be kinder and more open with people and live in the moment better.
And lastly and most importantly, I want to rule my actions and not have devices, people or situations dictate how I act.

I don’t mind sitting in a chair if its the way I want to sit. But I don’t want to be oblivious to why I’m sitting a certain way. I don’t want possessions and situations dictating how I’m acting towards others, ever. The simple truth is my Phone was totally effecting how I treated people. It was essentially pushing people lower and lower on the priority list.

My phone was an issue and will always be a threat. I understand that now. It crept it’s way to that status with me being passive about it’s usage and place in my personal life. But, I wanted to be accountable. I wanted to try and take control.

I want to live an intentional life and be mentally present for any and everything loved ones bring to my attention.

My phone does still have a use. Very vital uses that promote personal productivity. My Calendar, Reminders, To do’s, Maps and Phone calls are now my phone’s primary functions. All of these are very important to keep me organized. I don’t just pick up my phone and ‘play’ around on it. I spend very limited time, doing very specific things on my phone now.

So Yes, I still have an iPhone X. It’s still with me all the time, in my pocket when I’m not home. But here are some of its upgraded features after Project Screentime: it’s more quiet, less obtrusive, has a simpler more minimal lay out, and extremely effective at what I need it to do.

It’s a well oiled machine tailored specifically for Danny’s life and needs.

Or I guess you could look at it this way, now its a tool I control and not the other way around.

Life, Technology

iPhone X Day

I woke per usual at 3AM EST to preorder my next phone. That in it self sounds ridiculous because it is. But us humans are prone to do ridiculous things. Also, per usual, my supposed silky smooth preorder process was anything but. To spare you the boring details, I finally got my confirmation email at 3:31 AM EST. That’s a lot of pull to refreshes on the Apple store app.

To be honest I wasn’t really surprised. That preorder process has never gone smooth for me. I’m always up at an ungodly hour, my devices are ready, and before I know it, people on twitter are saying what model they purchased and i’m still waiting for the store to open. At the end of the day I got in and my phone is set to arrive 11/17 – 11/24. The original launch date is 11/3. Considering dates fell all the way to December, I shouldn’t complain.

I settled on the black (space gray) iPhone X 64gb with Apple Care Plus. It wasn’t cheap, but also not extremely more expensive than what a regular iPhone would cost someone.
I think people get this confused because they are paying monthly on a phone (30 or 40 bucks usually) and for whatever reason, this particular model (X) was being lauded by its full price.

Days since my preorder have been interesting, though. My buddy Jeremy ordered one almost 24 hours after preordering opened and he is scheduled to get his sometimes in the next few days. I figure this was because he ordered through T-Mobile and not Apple, but this sort of thing was unheard of years ago. I’ve also seen people’s preorders jump dates from my expected ship date all the way to launch date. I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs. No movement on mine.

I don’t care much anymore to be completely honest. There was a time in my life I would be sitting in a line at some Apple store somewhere at this very moment instead at home typing. I guess the rumor is true, you change as you get older. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited for a new phone. My current is almost 4 years old now. Thats the longest i’ve ever kept a phone. I’m proud of such an achievement, but the age is showing in more ways than one.

Happy iPhone day to all! If you’re getting a shiny new iPhone X today, enjoy it! If you’re not, you’ll be ok. You’ll get one eventually. After a little while, you’ll start looking up rumors for the next iPhone. Thats just what we do. But challenge yourself to enjoy the now instead of the next. After all, its what you’ve been waiting for.

Technology

Thoughts & Impressions on Apple Event

In order of appearance:

Steve Jobs Tribute – Easily best part of the keynote. I had goosebumps when Job’s voice came over the speakers in that dark, intimate setting. Tim Cook was understandably, emotionally shaken. He delivered a well structured tribute for a well deserved man. Again, easily the best part of the keynote.

Apple Park Video – Very impressive. Very awkward. Don’t get me wrong, Apple Park is amazing. Every inch of the place looks like an Apple product. Obviously no money was left on the table here, Apple spared no expense in building this. So, in that instance, sure the video was great. Unfortunately it ran long for me. And by the end, it felt more like a “look what we did and you can’t have” video. Maybe thats just me, but after the first couple minutes, I’m thinking… “Are you guys just showing off at this point?” To which I’m pretty sure they would have answered: “yes and your welcome.”

Apple Retail Update – I like Angela Ahrendts a lot. I really do and I think shes doing great work…. But Apple Townsquares? Just stop. Its a place we go to give you money..

Apple Watch Series 3 – Solid upgrade in the Apple Watch line. I don’t love the price bump, but its Apple. Now we have an LTE enabled watch which I think makes sense, but the other side of me can’t quite connect the dots yet. Especially when cellular companies are selling me ‘air.’ Or more specifically charging me 10 extra dollars for use of the Watch on their network. A great reminder that I loath cell companies. All in all, same design, awesome new bands (sport loop) and good on Apple for pushing the line forward. If cellular means the world to you then update. If you have a series 2 and don’t care much about LTE, then sit this one out. Even if you have a Series 1 or 0, (like myself) I think unless cellular is something you’ve been waiting for for a while, then jump, if not. No worries and wait for next year’s redesign. (My opinion)

Apple TV – 4K, HDR, chip bump and SAME remote. Apple really? That remote is without a doubt one of the worst designed pieces of hardware to ever creep out of Apple. How in the world was this not redesigned and let out a 2nd time. 4k is great if you have a TV that supports it, HDR is the real winner here. Again, your TV has to support it, but HDR alone would make me upgrade if I had a TV capable. I’m holding off, but considering our Apple TV is our main way we watch our television, I’m happy to see Apple pushing their TV agenda forward.

iPhone 8’s – Its been the popular thing to bash these phones all because iPhone X was announced at the same event. Sure, the 8’s are less desirable for tech enthusiasts. But not only tech obsessed people buy iPhones. Apple knows this, and the truth is the 8’s are unbelievably great products. I really love the way the aluminum mixes with the new glass back. Also, the new gold color looks fantastic. I wouldn’t write off these phones just yet. I’m sure the demand will be a whole lot less compared to iPhone X, but these are solid upgrades which Apple should be commended for. Not to mention they feature almost every software upgrade that iPhone X does. iPhone X trumps 8 in hardware, sure. But there’s something to be said for tried and true, and the 8 is exactly that to the core: tried and true. I’m still heavily considering purchasing one.

iPhone X – The main event. I felt a very odd merging of emotions watching the unveil of iPhone X. Sure, I have been waiting for over a year for this phone, even published why I was passing on the 7 to wait on this very model. But as Phil Schiller was proudly announcing iPhone X I felt a sense of dread mixed in with my excitement. The lack of home button is really bothering me. I love my home button, specifically because I think its easily the best feature ever implemented on any tech product. And now Apple is ditching it. There is no denying how good iPhone X looks though. Its everything I thought it would be a year ago and in some ways more. I was little worried about Face ID and how well it would execute, but the hands on videos and trusted tech reporters cleared any doubt on that front. But one more gripe… That notch at the top of the display literally offends me. I don’t know how else to say it. It looks so out of place and so un-Apple. I get that Apple had no choice. That’s obvious. Internally, they can’t be thrilled with it either. But man, its rough to look at. Maybe using in real life changes things, but that notch. Anyways, bottom line for me is I’m excited to use it. As far as iPhone X as an over all product: Its obvious they believe in the design language and clearly is the future moving forward. Very impressive work for Apple.

My Verdict – I really enjoyed this event. A lot of it has to do with the Steve Jobs tribute in the new building. It just felt like an old school Apple event again. Maybe it was Steve’s voice. I don’t know. All the devices announced were impressive to say the least. The more interesting aspect of this event was wasn’t said though. No HomePod talk, no iMac Pro talk. Actually no Macintosh talk at all. Nothing ever mentioned. Thats kind of amazing to me. Amazing in a sad way. All in all, I’d say a solid day for Apple. They delivered on some heavy rumored products and high expectations of millions. But that notch though. Oh and by the way where in the world is dark mode?

Deep Thoughts, Life, Technology

The Most Skippable iPhone?

Like a kid at Christmas, there I was doing my part. I waited patiently. I was ready. This year though, Apple had other plans.

I have been anxiously awaiting this years iPhone release for more than a year. It has been my customary tradition to upgrade my most used tech device every 2 years. Even when Apple introduced their now infamous “Upgrade Program,” I still held off. Because frankly, I like keeping my phones for 2 years. I don’t why, I just do.

So around June-ish the rumors started to hit pretty heavy that the new upcoming iPhone is not what we thought it may be. It’s not redesigned, it’s not exciting and most notably it’s not even garnering the most attention. Turns out this year, the next next iPhone is getting more attention then the soon anticipated one. The rumors started to hit hard that Apple was working diligently on a revolutionary, edge to edge screen design for the 10th anniversary iPhone that would release in 2017. This was a first. I didn’t know what to think about this. Essentially my mind translated all this into: this new, unreleased iPhone (2016) is already outdated.

I didn’t like this. Who would? Here I am intentionally waiting for the new hotness, only to start hearing rumors that the new hotness is not the new hotness. I thought to myself, “Be Patient”. Wait and see. And wait I did…

Fast Forward…. Enter September 7, 2016. Apple officially reveals iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The rumors were dead on. Not newly designed. Not exciting. Not new hotness. To be fair, the iPhones 7 have a lot going for them. This marks the first time Apple has ever made a design 3 times in a row. At this point I would assume they have perfected it. So a big benefit is naturally, if your buying an iPhone 7, your receiving a very well polished, solid device to surely last you 2 years.

So there I was faced with this unusual situation I never chose to be in. I waited, I did my part. Apple showed their cards and I’m kind of left scratching my head. What do I do? I thought about this a bunch. I didn’t want to waste my upgrade on a phone only to be left out in the dark when/if Apple does release this magical, unicorn, 10th anniversary iPhone next year. Also another huge element in my decision making was Apple’s new operating system, iOS 10. In my mind, iOS 10 was going to make or break my decision. If it ran awful on my current iPhone 6 my choice would be an easy one. If it ran silky smooth. That would pull me in the keeping the 6 camp.

On the other hand, iPhone release week is a fun time to be an Apple fan. You get caught in the excitement extremely easy and naturally, you want to be a part of it and on my traditional 2 year cycle, I usually am. Another huge benefit I was to gain is simply having a new phone. My current phone is 2 years old and showing some age. The great thing about buying a new phone every 2 years is really receiving upgrades from 2 new phone generations, not 1.

So honestly speaking, the night preorders hit, instead of my usual super excitement, I set my alarm for 2:55 AM with an indecisive (who me?) mind. My alarm sounded, clock showed 2:55. Here I go. Pull out my trusty laptop. Apple.com here I come. Do all my preorder set up and come to the moment of truth: the “place order button.”

Excitement got the best of me. I preordered feeling “OK” about the decision but also in the back of my head knew iOS 10 dropped in 3 days. If iOS 10 would run smoothly on my current iPhone 6 and I wasn’t impressed with the 7, the plan of action would be pretty clear: my usual return policy which is return everything! Lindsey now calls it my “ride of shame” which I laugh at because it unbelievably accurate of my emotions when I’m driving to the Apple store with a receipt and a box.

So, iPhone 7 preordered and coming on launch day and awaiting iOS 10. The day of iOS 10’s release I was excited. Kinda like the excited I used to be for new iPhone releases. And that spoke volumes to me. I asked myself why? The truth I came to find out was simple. I really didn’t want the iPhone 7. In many ways I was hoping to pass on it. If I passed on it, I would have many, many options for next year.

iOS 10 released and I honestly think my phone runs better then it did on iOS 9. The big things checked out: battery life, responsiveness, all good! I was excited. I felt confident my 6 would be good to last another year, Then my 7 came in the mail. And to give Apple credit, the phone is gorgeous. I ordered the matte black model and boy I’m happy I did. Even without a new design, somehow Apple made this phone better looking then ever. I was tempted briefly to keep it (of course I was) but after some clear thinking and adding up all the moving parts: iOS 10 performance on my current phone, next year impending magical phone and keeping my upgrade intact. I just couldn’t do it. Ride of shame, we meet once again.

So thats it, thats my story (so far). The back up plan is if something happens to my third year iPhone that deems it unusable, I’ll bite the bullet and head on over to Apple and pick up a 7. Until then I feel at peace with my decision. An odd choice ill be the first to admit. I’ve never had a cell phone for 3 years. So we will see how that pans out.

I should note, people have mentioned the obvious to me. What if Apple’s magical unicorn phone does not come out next year? Do you hold on to your iPhone 6 a 4th year? The answer: I don’t know. I doubt it, but we’ll see. For the record, I’m really hoping Apple comes through.

Like many reviewers currently out there, I can’t bash Apple. My decision was based on what I wanted and not what Apple did or did not do, if that makes sense. Sure the iPhone 7 didn’t ring my bell this time around. That doesn’t mean it’s not a great phone. In fact it is a great phone. Any time Apple makes something 3 times over you better believe its a solid product. You also have to give Apple props that my current daily driver (iPhone 6) is 2 years old and simply running better then ever. What other tech company can boast about something like that? So in one way the iPhone 7 is Apple’s most skippable phone. In many others, Apple’s most conceived phone. Its all in how you look at it.

If you ordered an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. Be excited. It’s a worthy representation of the newest iPhone. But as for me, When I returned mine I finally got to play with one in the store. The best way for me to sum up my hands on experience of an iPhone 7 is simple. IPhone 7: next year’s iPhone hidden in this years casing. Its extremely clear to me that this years iPhone is a transition phone until next year. And you know who can’t wait to be excited again for a new iPhone announcement? This guy.

Technology

WWDC 2016 Predictions and Hopes

It’s that time of year again! I genuinely like to ponder and predict results of WWDC. I kind of feel its the result of my podcast listening. Im not always accurate except one year in particular but I always enjoy the whole experience.

A little background for those who don’t know what WWDC is. Once a year, Apple does what they like to call WWDC or “World Wide Developer Conference”. Basically the gist is all the Apple developers around the world can come to a week long conference where Apple employees can give classes and help them with their apps. In the beginning of the week Apple does what they call a “Keynote”. This is significant to us. The keynote is when Apple will present what they have been working on for future builds of iOS and (soon to be called) Mac OS.

Below are some predictions that I have gathered over the past couple months:

Lets talk hardware first. This will be quick enough. NO HARDWARE! There, that was easy. While many people will be disappointed, to my knowledge Apple views WWDC as a software conference and while sometimes they release hardware, it won’t be this year.

Apple Music
First up, Apple Music. Debuting to much criticism and rightly so, Apple Music is the result of Apple’s 3 billion dollar acquisition of Beats Audio. The service was unveiled at last year’s WWDC with arguably the worst presentation Apple has ever rolled out. The presentation itself mirrored the finished product. Confusing and bloated. My prediction is Apple will uncharacteristically revamp Apple Music just a year in. While it won’t be a complete overhaul. It will be a repainting, per say. Agree with it or not, music has always been super important to Apple. They know the shortcomings of Apple Music and it doesn’t sit well with them.

iOS 10
Taking a look around the tech landscape will simply tell you Apple has fallen a bit behind in the Artificial Intelligence category. Amazon bravely is paving the way with the Echo and Google just recently announced Google Home. Both products are amazing and both quite honestly trump Siri in it’s current form. So one prediction for iOS 10 is finally Siri 2.0 with a Siri API. They simply can’t afford to not have this now.

Another tent pole feature and one I have been waaaaaiting for is dark mode. OS X got this two years ago and I have been hoping this would come to my iPhone ever since. That’s more of a hope than a prediction, but lets get it done Apple!

watch OS 3
It’s a given right? This has to be a rethinking of the watch software. No one could or would complain of its physical design, but Apple Watch’s software needs some help. Personally, get rid of the app icon grid and please let third party developers make watch faces. I know Jony Ive is cringing somewhere , but this is a much needed feature. Much like the success of the iPhone, developers could bring fresh air into this product.

I would also love to see the exercise and workout features get a little smarter. There is no good reason why I should have to manually tell my watch to activate a workout. It should just simply be able to tell my heart rate is elevated and automatically put me in a workout.

Also it goes without saying that the watch is in need to “feel” faster. While i enjoy mine, it certainly lags at times. I know this is more of a hardware issue then anything. But a little software work would help.

Mac OS
That’s right! A new name! Finally Apple can shed the long numbers, cat naming schemes and California names and just make this a whole bunch simpler. Also, i think the biggest announcement here is going to be SIRI integration. It really seems odd to me the Macs are really the lone Apple devices with the absence of SIRI. Rumors have pointed to this and i’m really hoping it pans out.

Another Application Apple may be readying is a new, slimmer iTunes. iTunes is really tough for Apple. It’s really the only true legacy software Apple currently supports. They have to provide support for so many older devices, it’s extremely tough for them to push it forward in a drastic way. A lot of people love to harp on how Apple is falling behind and the current state of iTunes is enough proof. Personally, I think it’s a really hard problem to fix. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t, It means more concentration belongs there.

Whatever happens on June 13th its important to remember Apple is a company and not a magical entity that can spawn whimsical products when they like. Always keep your expectations low and you will be the much more delighted when they announce whatever they announce! Happy WWDC!

P.S. Lets work on that Dark Mode :)

Technology

“Steve Jobs’ love of simplicity is gone”

Ken Segall, the former Apple ad consultant who coined the iMac name, wrote the copy for the famous ‘Think different’ campaign and authored the book Insanely Simple, says that Apple is beginning to lose touch with its heritage of simplicity. He gave his assessment of Apple’s ‘state of simplicity’ in a piece for the Guardian.

Though Apple’s customers remain fiercely loyal, the natives are getting restless. A growing number of people are sensing that Tim Cook’s Apple isn’t as simple as Steve’s Apple. They see complexity in expanding product lines, confusing product names, and the products themselves.

While the Guardian‘s headline makes the piece seem entire critical, it’s actually very balanced …

He points out that Tim Cook may be a very different person to Steve Jobs, but was hand-picked by Steve to take on the job and is fully aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. Segall also looks at both sides of the product line-up debate.

Apple now sells three different iPhones, four different iPads and three different MacBooks. The Apple Watch comes in seemingly infinite combinations of sizes and bands. The Apple universe is exploding with complexity! Or is it?

One could easily argue that a watch is a fashion product, so the decision here makes sense. And there is ample precedent for Apple expanding existing product lines. The original iPod, for example, successfully grew into a family of products.

Markets mature. A bigger audience has more diverse needs. If Apple were to ignore those needs, they would only force customers to go elsewhere. (As they did for several years by not making a big-screen iPhone.)

So, yes, Apple’s product lines have become more complicated. But really, are they that complicated? The company’s entire selection of products can easily fit on an average-size table.

Im not sure if I agree with Ken on everything he’s bringing to the table. But I have a lot of respect for his opinion. The truth is; if so many really intelligent Apple analysts are saying “something” is changing, are any of them right? Hard to say no.

You can read Ken’s whole piece here.

Technology

Three Year iPhone Design Cycle

Nikkei Asian Review is reporting Apple is moving to a new 3-year design cycle for the iPhone:

The new version slated for this autumn will look almost identical to the current iPhone 6. Functions such as the camera, water resistance and battery capacity will likely be improved, and the headphone jack will be removed. Also, a high-end version of the model will give users better-quality photo capabilities via correction functions.

This makes sense considering the leaks this far.

Read the scoop.

Links, Technology

Apple Report Card

Great insight from top tech commentators regarding Apple’s 2015 performance. Honest and Fair.

Judging by our panel’s responses, Apple had a good year when it came to its hardware, but software and cloud services were more of a mixed bag, and developer relations and home-tech initiatives were not so great. Among the key product categories, the panel generally thought it was a good year for iOS, an okay year for the Mac and the new Apple TV, and a rough start for the Apple Watch.

Read the full report on Six Colors

Life, Technology

Apple Watch & Beyond

This started out being a movie review. And it’s not. Odd, I know. I recently went to see Ex Machina, which is undoubtedly one of the best films in long time. The movie deals with A.I. and the future of technology in a great, thought provoking way. I started really thinking about what does technology really mean? And what really could be the future. I appreciate films like Ex Machina because they usher in thoughts that I would usually never be intelligent enough to carve up in my head. And by the way, for my review on the film, 1 word: Yes.

A side note: If Apple would just send me my watch already, I probably wouldn’t be stammering out 1,000 word thought pieces like a lunatic, but I digress. Here we go:

“The Watch is here” touts Apple’s slogan for its wearable computer, implying that the one and only time-piece that really matters has arrived. So much for the Rolex Cosmograph and Seiko Astron when you can buy a stylish digital Apple Watch Sport, or even a booshy Apple Watch Edition crafted with 18-karat gold.

Of its many features and functions, the Apple Watch is a music player, fitness tracker, communications device, payment token and digital key. And it also tells the time. We were surprised that no one claimed that it will also help look after our kids. But not for long. There’s an app for that. So is there anything this device cannot do?

Who would have thought that the power of an internet-enabled laptop computer, mobile phone, iPod, fitness tracker, bank card and set of keys could be neatly packaged and strapped around your wrist?

And unlike other futuristic visions of hand-held communicators, the Apple Watch won’t leave you stranded in perilous situations because it’s dropped, stolen or falls out of range because it’s literally always connected to you.

Invisible ubiquity

This raises a key question: how will we change our behavior based on the fact that we are walking around with a fully-fledged computer – one that sits in contact with our bodies and communicates wirelessly with machines around us without us being explicitly aware of it?

According to the marketing spiel, we’ll have a lot more convenience at our fingertips. But, in actuality, we may find ourselves reaching for the mute button, longing to be disconnected, and fed up with all the notifications interrupting us. That’s when the novelty effect wears off.

We have probably witnessed people who cannot resist the urge of pulling out their mobile phone to interact with it at the most inopportune times or who pass their idle time simply looking down at a screen.

Most do not realize they are even interacting with their personal computer devices for hours each day. The repetitive behavior has almost become a type of tic disorder which is neurobehavioural.

We get a message, it makes us feel important. We reply and get a buzz the very next time it happens again. It’s kind of like digital ping pong. And the game can get tangible fast. The main reason this repetitive behavior remains hidden is that the majority of smartphone users suffer from this, so it looks normal.

You can see people in public spaces immersed in virtual places. These Wi-Fi-enabled mobile contraptions can also trigger a host of internet-related addictions, whether used for gaming, answering mail, web surfing, online transactions, social media, we-chatting, or taking a tonne of photographs.

According to experts, internet addiction disorder (IAD) can ruin lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances and social problems. This is not to mention the potential for accidents when people are not looking where they are going or not paying attention to what they should be doing. In short, our need to be always online and connected has become a kind of cybernarcotic drug.

Little device, big data

Very few of us are immune to this yearning for “feedback loops”, so telecommunications operators and service providers pounce on this response. Information is money. And while we are busy interacting with our device, the companies are busy pocketing big money using our big data.

We are fast becoming a piece of digital information ourselves, sold to the highest bidder. And while we are busy rating ourselves and one another, the technology companies are not only using our ratings to learn more about our preferences and sentiments, but rating us as humans. In sociological terms it’s called social sorting, and in policing terms it’s called proactive profiling.

In days gone by, mobile communications could tell data collectors about our identity, location, even our condition. This is not new. But the real-time access and precision of this level of granularity of data gathered is something we should be all aware of as potentially impinging on our fundamental human rights.

Because they interface directly with the human body, watches have the capacity to tell a third party much more about you than just where you’ve been and where you are likely to be going. They can:

Detect physiological characteristics like your pulse rate, heart rate, temperature which can say a lot about your home/work/life habits
Determine time, distance, speed and altitude information derived from onboard sensors
Identify which apps you are using and how and why you are using them, minute by minute
Oversee the kinds of questions you are asking via search engines and text-based messages you are sending via social media.

Apple watcher

These watches will become integral to the fulfillment of the Internet of Things phenomenon: the ability to be connected to everyone and everything.

All in all, private corporations can glean what you are thinking, the problems you are facing, and they know your personal context. What is disturbing is that they can divulge some of your innermost personal thoughts, intentions and actions, and have evidence for the reasons we do things.

Many people immersed in the virtual world are too busy to be thinking about the very act of inputting information onto the internet. People value a life of convenience over privacy too much to be genuinely concerned what information is being logged by a company and shared with hundreds of other potential partners and affiliates.

And consumers are often oblivious to the fact that, even if they are doing nothing at all, the smart device they are carrying or wearing is creating a type of digital DNA about their uniqueness.

Today, we are asking to be monitored and are partying in the prison. We have fallen in love with the idea of being told about ourselves and don’t discern that we have become like prison inmates who are being tracked with electronic bracelets.

By the time we wake up to this technological trajectory, it may be all too late. Our health insurance provider might be Samsung, our telecoms provider may be Google, and our unique lifetime identifier could come from Apple. At present, these are the archetypal tech providers. But tomorrow, who knows?

There is no shortage of wearable devices these days that can track and log vast amounts of data about your activities.

And by that time, we will likely be heralding in the age of discontentment where we posit that cellphones and wristwatches are not enough, that the human-computer interface should go deeper, penetrating the skin and into the body.

The new slogan might read “The Mark is Here”, herald the iPlant, that which gives birth to life, the one and only passport to access your forever services.

“You can’t live without it”, may soon no longer be just figurative, but a reality. If you believe the bible, you’ve already known this.