Tech Town Square

So I finally made the switch to the iPhone.

I have been a dedicated Blackberry user since the beginning, when typing wasn’t as simple and similar to the old Nokia.

Then I moved to the Blackberry curve and faced the same issues many Blackberry enthusiasts found with the ball getting stuck and having issues.

Next up was the Blackberry bold. Finally – all the initial issues and bugs were fixed. The keyword was a standard QWERTY and no longer had troubles switching between things.

This lasted for 3 years. Until sadly enough my phone slowed down. Was dropped in water and after time started to fall apart. First it was the camera, then the sound. It no longer rang.

I gave into peer pressure and bought the iPhone 5. If I am going to switch, it has to be in style.

Stay tuned…..

The story of airplanes and manned flight is a testament to human ingenuity and determination. Ever since ancient times, people have been attempting to fly, whether by balloon, helicopter, or glider.

 The Wright Brothers and their Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903 are, of course, credited with the first manned, heavier-than-air flying machine. The Wright Flyer drew on the glider designs of great European aviation scientists Octave Chanute and Otto Lilenthal, but the Wrights were the first to solve the problem of building a powered glider that could be controlled by a pilot. Alberto Santos-Dumont of France continued to develop the technology, producing faster and more stable designs.

When World War I broke out, planes were quickly adopted for bombing and reconnaissance, which led to further improvements in control and engine systems. The period between the world wars is known as the “Golden Age of Aviation.” Biplanes like the Wrights’ quickly became obsolete, replaced by aluminum-bodied monoplanes similar to today’s pleasure aircraft. Pilots like Charles Lindbergh, Wiley Post, and Amelia Earhart became household names, and stories of their feats in the new planes filled the newspapers. The earliest designs for jet engines were also developed during this period, and functional jet aircraft were in use by the end of World War II.

The Second World War also brought about advances in the mass production of airplanes, and after the war, the first globe-spanning airlines arose. Air travel, which previously had been a luxury for the wealthy and well-connected, became increasingly common, and larger jet airliners cut travel times and helped shrink the world. A trip from America to Europe, which in the past could have taken a week or more, could now be accomplished in hours. Today, an airline ticket is affordable for almost everyone, and a jet charter company can provide quick flights to any destination where a plane can land.

Supersonic flight was achieved in 1947 when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his Bell X-1 jet plane. For commercial flight, supersonic travel proved to be more a curiosity than anything, with British Airways’ Concorde facing repeated complaints about the noise it made and its massive fuel requirements. However, military aircraft have continued to advance on the cutting edge of technology, leading to planes like the F-22 “stealth fighter,” with its extreme speed and maneuverability. Another major achievement in air technology was the Voyager, in which Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan flew around the world without needing to refuel. Only time will tell how the airplane will continue to improve and develop in the 21st century.

Hey readers! It has been quite the weekend following the news about Apple winning their case against Samsung for copyright infringement. I think the jury made the right decision, seeing as Samsung’s internal game plan was to copy Apple! Not only that, just looking at the two models side by side makes it QUITE apparent that Samsung knowingly copied the iPhone’s hardware and software design. Well done, Apple. Hopefully this will bring more creativity to the smartphone market.

The Next Generation

Samsung has introduced the new Samsung Galaxy S with great results. Many features of the previous models are still a part of the new Galaxy S model but with a few new ones as well. Although both models are great choices for anyone looking to invest in a mobile phone, these two still have distinctions that set them in their own class of excellence. You might be asking yourself, which one is better for me? Well, looking at a comparison of both phones can help you determine the best choice for your investment.

Display and Design

The first thing you want to look at is the display and design of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy S2. When it comes to both aspects, the Galaxy S3 wins easily. The Galaxy S3 will have a 4.6-inch HD display with a pixel resolution of 1280 x 720. On the other hand, the Galaxy S2 will only come equipped with a 4.3-inch screen display and a pixel resolution of just 800 x 480. As far as the display and design between both phones go, the Galaxy S3 will win in this round.

Processing Speeds and Memory Storage

While the Galaxy S2 carries a 1.2GHz processing speed, the Galaxy S3 will far surpass it with a speed of 1.8GHz. The memory RAM is also another factor that the Galaxy S3 will win over the S2 with a memory RAM capacity of 2GB. Moreover, the Galaxy S2 only carries a memory RAM of 1GB. The Galaxy S2 will offer the user two alternatives of the phone in a 16 or 32GB internal memory model. However, the Galaxy S3 can give you these options, along with another choice of the 64GB memory storage model.

The Results

Just by looking at some of these specs, you can really see the difference and the better investment. Judging from the successful results the release of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has had, it surely looks like it will be a bigger success than the last one. The amazing picture quality, camera display, processing speed, memory capacity and the slick, thin design of the Galaxy S3 is what will make it attractive to all those avid mobile phone users.

There are many apps and software downloads that offer free video chat. Google, Rounds and Airtime offer video chat and are sufficient for basic use, but they are not created equal.

Google

The Google Hangouts’ interface allows multiple users to interact simultaneously. In addition to video chat, Google users can watch YouTube videos together. The highly interactive nature of Google can be used for casual conversations with many friends, but also study groups. Google continues to offer their video chat plug-in for one-on-one chats with friends. Since many users already have a Gmail account, they will have no problem getting started with video chat.

Rounds

Rounds takes the typical video chat interface and adds other methods of user interaction. The app is available for multiple platforms, but is most commonly used as a Facebook app. Users can chat with their friends or meet new people with similar interests. In addition to talking, chat partners can play games, surf the internet or watch videos together. This interaction adds more dimensions to the online environment, and decreases the redundancy that is common on many social apps and sites. Although interactions are limited to one-on-one chats, Rounds provides users with a more realistic social experience.

Airtime

Airtime, a new video chat site, was launched in early June 2012. The main objective of Airtime is to allow users to interact with Facebook friends, via video. In addition to chatting with friends, the site can pair users based on interests, to randomly chat with each other. Chat partners have access to each other’s posted videos and interests, which seems invasive. In general, the random chat feature does not have wide appeal and does a poor job of matching users based on genuine interests. Users are more likely to chat with friends than strangers when using Airtime. Facebook already has video chat, so Airtime’s approach creates redundancy. Users also report poor audio and video quality.

The best free video chat interface depends on individual needs and interests. Google has the ability to video chat with up to ten people which decrease’s the need for multiple video chat programs. For users that want to video chat with friends on Facebook, make new friends and interact beyond chatting, Rounds offers the most entertaining experience. Unfortunately, Airtime does little to stand up against Google and Rounds.

With the iPhone 5 to be released this September, it’s time to start reviewing apps to load it up with. Every time a new iPhone comes out, the online lists start buzzing with top apps new and classic. From the basics such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype to the more exotic apps such as Mixology, Can I Drive Yet, and Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock (the latter 3 usually used in that order), apps have taken over the smart-phone world and are ubiquitous and varied. Not having the right apps on your phone is equivalent to going camping without a Swiss Army Knife. So which apps should you load up on?

In the beginning of the year, Time Magazine graciously put out a 50 Best iPhone Apps of 2011 list that encompasses the top game, travel, lifestyle, music & photography, entertainment, and social apps of the past year. And Time isn’t the only list-maker of this sort. Techradar.com put together its list of 60 must-have iPhone apps in 2012, and coolmaterial.com added a 15-app list of cool apps this year as well. Whether you’re looking to connect with friends, mix music, play games, or enhance our life in some way, having the right apps is no longer a fun suggestion, it’s a necessity.