For some time now, rumors had been circulating about Apple's March, 2016 event. It seemed like we were getting more and more info on Apple's latest devices on a daily basis. So much so, that the event seemed almost unnecessary. But, as always, nothing is "confirmed" until Apple says it is. Well, today all of those rumors were finally confirmed. As many were expecting, we saw the "all new" iPhone SE and and The New [9.7-inch] iPad Pro. iPhone SE The iPhone SE is Apple's solution to bringing back the 4-inch smartphone. This was one of the rumors that was a toss-up. There were sources stating that the SE would be a "smaller, thicker iPhone 6s", and then there were those saying it would be " a revamped iPhone 5s". Unfortunately, the latter has turned out to be true. The iPhone SE takes [most] of the specs from the iPhone 6s, and puts them in an iPhone 5s casing. It seems like the only thing that the iPhone SE didn't inherit from the iPhone 6s is the 3D Touch display. For me, the biggest "issues" I have with the iPhone SE are;
The New iPad Pro
Along with the iPhone SE, Apple also announced a smaller version of last years powerhouse tablet, the iPad Pro. This new iPad (still just iPad Pro) takes all of the power of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and puts it in a 9.7-inch housing. The 9.7-inch iPad even comes complete with the 4 stereo speakers, smart connector, and Apple Pencil Support. The smaller iPad Pro even comes equipped with something that its larger sibling doesn't. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a "True Tone Display". This means that the iPad Pro display will adjust the lighting of the display in response to the lighting of the environment, similarly to the way paper does when it reflects different light. Another big upgrade that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the camera. The new iPad features the 12-megapixel iSight Camera found on the iPhone 6s/6s Plus. The one downside (for some) is that with the new camera, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro also inherited the infamous camera bump found on the latest iPhones. I personally prefer the size of the 9.7-inch iPads over the size of the pro. I think that it's a much more practical size for those that aren't looking to use the iPad as a laptop replacement. My only complaint with the new iPad Pro (which might end up not being a problem at all) is the True Tone Display. After seeing this feature demoed I am willing to test it, but I'm not thrilled about it. So, as long as that feature gives you the option to turn it off, all is good. What do you think about Apple's "new" devices? Are they necessary?
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Has Sony just confirmed that the iPhone 7 Plus will feature dual-camera? According to Sony, their dual-lens camera technology will make its way into devices from "major smartphone players" in the year 2016. This information was shared by Kenchiro Yoshida, Sony's CFO, during the company's Q3 earnings call. Although, Sony cameras are used by numerous smartphone manufacturers, it is probably safe to say that Apple is the biggest. When asked, Yoshida would not specify which companies would be executing this technology. Thoughts Now, I do think that these dual-lens systems are great, and offer some great features to smartphones. For example; the ability to adjust focus after taking a photo, or the versatility of having the two different lens types. I do also think that there is one very small downside to having a dual-lens camera on your smartphone. This downside will not be an issue for many smartphone photographers. This issue I'm referring to is external lenses, or lack there of. If the iPhone 7 does feature a dual-lens camera, things like the Olloclip, Moments lens, and iOgrapher become irrelevant. Now, obviously without getting our hands on this new iPhone, there is no way of knowing if the features that the dual-lens system adds will be worth the trade. What do you think? Do you think that an iPhone with two rear-facing cameras is a good idea? Why? Why not?
Apple finally released the final version of iOS a couple of days ago, (September 16). I waited until today to update my iOS devices to avoid any of the chaos of updating on release day. Last year, I tried updating my iPhone and iPad on release day, and I can honestly say that it wasn't the funnest experience. Between the constant notices from Apple saying that my update wasn't available at that time, due to the amount of people trying to update their devices. Plus, on top of that, the slower than normal download speeds. It made for an aggravating update experience. I will be covering the top (in my opinion) changes to this years iOS update. What's New With iOS 9, you are getting the same look as the previous two versions of iOS. One thing you probably will notice is that iOS 9 does have a couple of new built-in apps. These apps are Apple News, iCloud Drive. Apple's new News app lets you save all of your favorite news sources in one place. These sources range from the top news organizations to indie publications. The News app learns what stories you like to read and as you keep using it, it will provide more accurate recommendations. iCloud Drive allows you to access any files that you have saved on your iCloud. The iCloud Drive app is essentially Apple's in-house version of Dropbox. This will work between all iOS devices running iOS 9 as well as Macs that have access to iCloud Drive.
Other than the two apps mentioned above it appears that many of the changes made in iOS 9 were purely refinements from the previous versions of iOS. For example, the row of recent contacts has been removed from the multitasking window. Also, the left home screen has made a return; and has been redesigned to show your most used contacts and apps, as well as nearby places and top recommended news articles. Another refined feature is Siri, she has been given several new commands, and the Siri interface has been changed to look more like the Apple Watch's. In terms of the mobile devices (iPhone 6/6 Plus and older), these are the biggest changes made for these devices. It seems as though many of the changes made with iOS 9 were either made for the newer devices. For example, many of the new iPad features such as Picture in Picture and Split View will only be available on the iPad Air and newer/iPad Mini 3 and newer. Final Thoughts It if clear that iOS 9 isn't a huge overhaul in terms of what's changed from last year's update. It is a good refinement, but many of the biggest additions will only be available on the newest Apple devices. So far, my favorite change to iOS is the addition of the News app. It is a great way to find all of the latest stories from all of your interests, without having to search for too long. iOS 9 is supposed to run smoother and faster than iOS 8, but I haven't noticed any difference in speed. According to many other users, iOS 9 actually lags more. I personally haven't experienced this yet, but if it's true, hopefully Apple fixes it with an update soon. Thanks for reading. What are your thoughts on iOS 9 so far?
The Pokemon Company has made a big announcement; a new project, in collaboration with Niantic Inc. This project is an app called Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO will bring the awesome world of Pokemon into reality. Pokemon GO uses real world location tracking that will allow you to search for and catch Pokemon.
Pokemon GO uses your smartphone to create an augmented reality that allows you to explore the world of Pokemon with your friends. Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Niantic Inc, and Game Freak will not only be working together to develop this app to be as amazing as possible, but they will also be working on ways to connect Pokemon GO to the Pokemon video game series. Pokemon GO Plus is a small device that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It will notify you if there are pokemon nearby, or if there are any events around you. It does this using an LED light and vibration. Using Pokemon GO Plus, you will also be able to catch Pokemon. The Pokemon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Pokemon GO will be free to download for both iOS and Android, and will also offer in-app purchases. More information will be available closer to the App's release, in 2016. Things Known, and Things Unexpected Today's Apple Event came to a close earlier today. As expected, we saw some things we already knew were coming--the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, iPad Pro, etc--but we also saw a couple things we weren't expecting to see--Apple Pencil, iPad Pro Keyboard Cover. Apple Watch Yes, that is correct. Apple added to the existing Apple Watch Family. They newest additions are Gold and Rose Gold colored Apple Watch Sport. Both of these new colors are priced the same as the original Sport selections, $349 and $399. Apple also unveiled a new "premium" Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Hermes. Unlike the Apple Watch Edition, this watch isn't premium due to the watch itself. The premium aspect of the Apple Watch Hermes is the bands, which are "handmade by Hermes artisans". Other than the bands, the watch itself is the regular Apple Watch. there are three variations of the Apple Watch Hermes; Single-Tour is a standard looking watch strap priced at $1100, Double-Tour features a band that wraps around your wrist twice priced at $1250, and the Cuff priced at $1500. Each of these band styles come in various colors. These watches also feature a custom watch face inspired by Hermes. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus As rumors have long been suggesting, this years iPhones are indeed the "s" models of last year's iPhones. These phones, do look identical to their predecessors from last year. The differences to this year's iPhones are almost entirely on the inside. In terms of what's different; Apple upgraded the iPhones' processors, cameras, and screens. The processors on the new iPhones is the A9 chip. It's Apple's third-generation processor with a 64-bit architecture. In terms of CPU performance, the A9 is 70 percent faster than the A8; and in terms of GPU performance, it is about 90 percent faster. The rear camera in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is now a 12 megapixel camera. It features Apple's advanced pixel technology. This years iPhones also feature the ability to capture "Live Photos". This feature is essentially, creating GIFs with your iPhone. With Live Photos your phone captures a 12-megapixel image as well as the seconds right before and right after the image. Another addition to the camera of the new iPhones is the ability to shoot 4K video. Now you can shoot video in 4K and zoom in on your recordings. Apple also incorporated optical image stabilization to video recording, for smoother shots. When it comes to the screen, Apple decided to keep the same resolutions as last years phones. The change that they did make to the screens is adding 3D Touch. It is unclear why Apple decided to go with calling the technology on the new iPhone displays 3D Touch instead of Force Touch. Even though it has a different name, it is essentially the same technology. Depending on what app you are accessing, different presses perform different tasks. For example, while holding down on the camera icon, you are given the options of taking a photo, recording slo-mo, taking a selfie, or recording standard video. Apple TV Revived It's been almost 3 years since the Apple TV got an update. It will depend on the users, if this iteration will have been worth the wait. One of the biggest updates to the Apple TV is the addition of Siri. Now, to find something to watch you just have to ask Siri. If you want to narrow down your search, you can even do that, just tell Siri how to narrow down the results and she will do it. Based on the demonstration Apple did, Siri does this fairly quickly. Another change is the new Siri Remote. Instead of a D-Pad, the Siri Remote features a glass touch surface that allows you to interact with your new Apple TV in a similar way as to many of your other smart devices. Possibly the biggest change to Apple TV has to be the software. Now, rather than just being a box that used your iOS device, or a few applications, to stream content, it is on the road to becoming a well rounded device all on its own. The new Apple TV features a very clean and simple user interface, as well as its own App Store. In all honesty, after seeing Apple's demonstration of the new device, the relationship between tvOS (the Apple TV's new operating system) and iOS is not unlike the relationship between Stock Android and say a skinned version like TouchWiz. The tvOS has many features similar to iOS, just with a different overall look to it. The iPad Pro...and More Yes, the rumors were true. Apple, earlier today, announced the iPad Pro. The newest member of the iPad family features a 12.9-inch Retina Display. The iPad Pro is powered by Apple's all new A9X chip. This chip features a 1.8 times faster CPU and 2 times faster GPU, compared to the iPad Air 2. The resolution on the iPad Pro is 2732-by-2048. It also features an 8-megapixel iSight camera, capable of filming 1080p at 30 fps and slo-mo at 120 fps. The iPad Pro also comes equipped with 4 built-in stereo speakers. It is estimated that the iPad Pro has a 10 hour battery life. Along with the new iPad Pro, Apple also unveiled a couple of new accessories to go along with it. They Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pen, they are the accessories that enable the iPad Pro to accomplish a lot more than on its own. They also make the iPad Pro seem vaguely similar to another device. The Smart Keyboard is just as it sounds, when talking about an iPad accessory. It is an iPad Smart Cover with a built-in keyboard. The Smart Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard covered in a water resistant material. It also doesn't add much thickness to the iPad Pro, coming in at just 4mm thin. The Smart Keyboard also features a wide range of shortcuts that can be accessed, both through the keyboard and on-screen. The Apple Pencil is a stylus made specifically for the iPad Pro. This stylus allows you to change the thickness of your lines just by applying more or less pressure. The Pencil also features tilt sensors, these calculate the orientation of the stylus and allow you to create shading effects. The Apple Pencil has an estimated battery life of 12 hours, but if and when you do run out of battery, the stylus has a removable cap on the end that exposes a lightning connector. This will let you plug in your Pencil directly into the iPad Pro, for a quick charge. 15 seconds of charging gives about 30 minutes of use. There is no doubt, there are many people that will be very excited to get their hands on all of these new Apple devices. What about you?
It's finally happening! Earlier this year; Nintendo, along with DeNA (one of Japan's top game companies), announced that they would be joining forces to create games that bring Nintendo's franchises to mobile devices. Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata stated, "Nintendo has decided to utilize smart devices aggressively. Now that smart devices have grown to become the window for so many people to connect with society, it would be a waste not to use these devices." He went on to say, " We are challenging ourselves to redefine what 'Nintendo platforms' mean".
Satoru Iwata also announced, during the presentation that Nintendo was currently hard at work on a new home console, currently codenamed the NX. This "brand-new concept" was said to be "proof that Nintendo [still] maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business." More information will be provided next year. Thoughts Personally, I am very excited to see Nintendo go into the mobile space. I can't tell you how long I have wanted this to happen. Something that got me more excited during the announcement was something else that Satoru Iwata said. He said that Nintendo had no intention of doing what game developers have done, and simply port existing games to mobile devices. He added, "...if we cannot provide our consumers with the best possible play experience, it would just ruin the value..." Nintendo's reason for not porting existing games to mobile devices is simple, "there are significant differences in the controls, strengths and weaknesses between the controllers for dedicated game systems and the touchscreen of devices." Why this is good news for US Some people out there might be thinking,"what's the big deal about Nintendo making games for mobile devices? You can just buy a DS handheld for mobile Nintendo gaming." First of all, there are times when you can't carry around an additional device and the games for it. Now we won't have to. We will be able to have our favorite Nintendo characters on our phone or tablet. Second, for those that prefer to only carry around their phone or tablet, we have had to settle for emulators. Let's face it, even though emulators are good to play your favorite"old school" nintendo games, they are missing that authentic feel you get from a game running on its native device. Many say that "emulators are in a "moral grey area", but now we won't have to worry about that grey dilemma. We will be able to get our games straight from the "official" source. Why this is good for NINTENDO I've already seen, all throughout social media, people asking "what took Nintendo so long to get into this market?" The only ones that can answer that exactly, are the people over at Nintendo. For whatever reason, Nintendo felt that NOW was the best time to make there move into the mobile device platform. As you will find by making a quick google search, they were right. Since making their announcement, (not even 24 hours ago), Nintendo's shares have gone up over 27%. This, in my opinion, is extremely impressive. I can't wait to see how Nintendo executes this new plan. I am also VERY excited to see what the NX is. What are your guys' thoughts. You can share them in a comment below, or in the GeekTech4point0 Forum. Thank you guys for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. This review is going to be a bit different...for me. This is going to be my first app review. I hope it helps, I am going to break this review into three different parts; Installation & Setup, Features, Gameplay & Final Thoughts. Okay, let's get into it.
Installation & Setup The process of installing GBA4iOS 2.0 is extremely simple. The first thing you will need to do is go to GBA4iOSapp.com, you will need to start the download on the current date. As soon as your download begins, you simply go to your iOS devices settings and change your date back to February 18th, 2014 or earlier. Once your download finishes, just open up the app and then you can change your date back to the current date. After you have installed the app, can begin installing games. Simply press the "+" in the top right corner of your screen and begin searching for ROMs. GBA4iOS 2.0 is only compatible with iOS 7.0 and higher. Features -Redesigned for iOS 7 -GBA4iOS 2.0 offers a more sleek, updated look to match the iOS 7 update. -Support for iPad -Compatible with Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Color games The update to GBA4iOS now allows it to support GBA and GBC games. I am currently not sure if it also supports classic Gameboy games. I will be sure to update, when I find new information. -iOS 7 controllers supported This has to be one of my favorite features in GBA4iOS. My only issue with the previous version, was that holding my phone in portrait mode the buttons feel mashed together and in landscape mode the controller skin took up too much space and the gameplay "screen" seemed too small. With the added support of MFi controller, I am able to connect my MOGA Ace Power controller and play for long periods of time without having my fingers feel crammed together. -Event Distribution I'll be honest, when I first read this feature I wasn't to sure about what it meant. It is, however, self explanatory. From time to time Riley Testut (the genius Developer behind GBA4iOS), will enable certain events for Pokemon games; such as the abilities to obtain special items or receive rare Pokemon. While some events do have time limits, it seems like occasionally there will be events distributed, that have no expiration date. If you would like to insure that you stay up to date on new events and all thing GBA4iOS, follow Riley Testut on Twitter @rileytestut. -Cheats I have not tried using any cheats at this time, but I will be sure to update once I try it. GBA games on GBA4iOS support GameShark v3, Action Replay, and Code Breaker cheats. GBC games support GameShark and Game Genie cheats. -Dropbox Sync (extremely useful) This feature is extremely useful. It works easily and seamlessly with GBA4iOS. I have found the Dropbox Sync feature helpful for when I've had to delete the app and reinstall later, or I accidentally delete one of my games; I don't have start all over again (perfect for Pokemon). -Sustain button (perfect when playing Pokemon) This feature, though extremely simple in terms of it application, is definitely a great addition. I have found myself mainly using this feature while playing Pokemon (is anyone seeing a pattern here?). This feature basically holds down one button of your choosing. For example, while playing Pokemon Emerald I have it set to hold down "B", so the trainer is constantly running. This does make it a bit easier when using the touchscreen controls. -Custom Controller skins Another great feature added to GBA4iOS is the ability to download and even create different controller skins. To download more skins, you simply go to GBA4iOSkins and there you can go through several different style categories and choose whichever ones you would like to download and they are added to your skin library, in the GBA4iOS app. Gameplay After you have installed your ROMs and have them stored in GBA4iOS, starting to play them is extremely easy. You just choose the game and it starts up just like the original handheld console. Playing games on the updated version GBA4iOS is much better than the previous version. In the previous version, there used to be some games that would tend to crash or sometimes even, not load. In the updated version I have not had any issues with any of the same games that had issues before. My favorite games to play on GBA4iOS are; Pokemon Emerald, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, and Galaga (through Namco Museum). Currently, I am only playing those games because those have been the ones that work the best with my MOGA controller. This is due to the fact that there does seem to be some delay, in the response between the controller and the game. These small "issues" don't worry me at all. This is due to the fact that another feature has been added to GBA4iOS. That feature is, the ability to add future updates to GBA4iOS. The first updated version of GBA4iOS was released in February, with the 2.0 version; currently (April 2014) GBA4iOS is on version 2.0.2. I think that the team that developed GBA4iOS 2.0 is full some amazing talent. I can't wait for future updates and new features. |
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