New iPhone 5 Leaked Photos Support Speculations

As the next-generation iPhone’s release draws nearer, more leaked photos the highly anticipated Apple device resurface. Repair shop iLab Factory  recently posted a new set of photos of the on its website. Showcasing the iPhone 5 in its disassembled and fully-assembled from, the photos support the earlier rumors and speculations surrounding its design.

The alleged high-end device is taller, has a two-toned aluminum back, and is apparently thinner. The FaceTime camera is now at the center, the dock port is not smaller, and the 3.5 mm audio port is now at the bottom. The photo showcases the black version, but parts of the white version are also included. A YouTube video of the purported iPhone also seems to support its speculated design.

We’d like to remember our readers once again that nothing is official as of this moment. But while we wait for it definite release date, there’s no harm in indulging in what the next-generation iPhone might look like.

Thoughts on the Next-Gen Gaming in the Pipeline

In recent weeks there has been a veritable cyber storm of rumors about the latest revelations regarding the next crop of games consoles to succeed the current prevailing trio of the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. All three offerings have proven popular across the world, but with graphical capabilities of computers vastly outstripping the hardware specifications of consoles that are now all over 6 years old, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are lining up new consoles to remain in touch with radically advancing gaming technology.

Android Gaming – New Controllers Announced at E3

It’s that time of year again when all the latest and greatest gaming projects are thrust into the media spotlight at the E3 gaming expo. The 2012 event has seen some amazing new announcements, from the jaw-dropping visuals of Star Wars1313 to the innovative approach of Microsoft SmartGlass. But what about the mobile gaming market?

There have been a few new developments, including:

● PlayStation Mobile – A brand new version of PlayStation Suite which will work with third-party devices.

● The Amazing Spider-Man – The world’s first 3D rendered open-world game to hit mobile devices.

● Project Dragon – An ambitious new cross-platform MMORPG that will be available on touch-capable mobiles.

But what’s new for Android?

The iPhone 4S Has Landed, As Cool as Expected!

So much for critics saying the non-iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S would be ho-hum for Apple. As it turns out, not only has it broken just about every record there is in terms of sales and performance, but it's now officially in my very own hands! Oh yea, and Apple stocks got a boost today and closed at a record high.

I've been hearing a few scattered reports that some people how pre-ordered their iPhones through AT&T have gotten emails delaying their units, or cancelling altogether but I can't confirm that myself. I pre-ordered mine through AT&T and had zero issues with receiving it, and only the initial snafu that all carriers had in the early hours of the official pre-order day of Oct. 7th when what seemed like the entire world was trying to secure a unit at the same time.

Being that I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS, the new 4S is sooo much faster in every way possible. And the camera, just wow. We all knew the camera in the 3GS was absolute crap in all but ideal lighting, however the 4S's camera has been incredible in all light conditions so far. Not to mention snappy fast and raring to go. The retina display; gorgeous with super crisp text. It makes my 3GS's text look blurry.

The new iCloud features, as well as PhotoStream have worked flawlessly for me as well and are a nice, seamless addition to the mix. Speaking of iCloud, when I first fired up the iPhone 4S, I used the cloud exclusively to backup and restore the new phone with all my content and settings without every plugging it in. That was great and worked perfectly, although it was probably a bit slower than just plugging the phone into my iTunes.

So in closing, so far I'm loving the iPhone 4S. It feels incredibly well made and the iOS 5 runs beautifully.

It's Here! Download iOS 5 and iCloud Right Now!

Well it's finally here folks; iOS 5! I just got done spending hours trying to get it to install (after a fairly slow download) on my iPhone 3GS. Ironic too since I also got a FedEx tracking number today for my iPhone 4S that will be here soon (which is said to have iOS 5 pre-installed! Thanks!) Best of luck to everyone right now trying to get it to install. The main problem seems to be (or was earlier today) that so many people are upgrading to iOS 5 at the same time that the Apple servers are getting crushed! Don't forget to update your iTunes to the latest 10.5 that just came out before you bother with iOS 5.

Once downloaded, it probably took me about 15-18 tries to get it to finally get past the point right after extracting software, at the start of verifying iPhone to restore, or some facsimile of those words. It was so incredibly frustrating, but a quick Google search starting pulling up many more people having the same issue. The main culprit has been unknown error: 3200, and apparently that just means Apple's overloaded. Patience is the only factor to victory in this battle so stick with it and it will eventually go through.

Now with iOS 5 successfully installed and running smoothly, I can say it was worth it. There are many new features including a brand new notification center, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, Twitter, Camera Features, Photos, Safari, PC-Free and many many more!

After a few minutes with iOS 5, the first thing I noticed was that the iPod app is gone and replaced with two separate apps; one for Music and one for Video, similar to the iPad's setup. It's a little odd at first but I think once I get used to it, it'll feel natural. The notification center is far and away the most anticipated new feature and I can say that it doesn't disappoint! It feels like the iPhone has been freed finally. The quick launch camera app, by double tapping the home button when locked, is another great feature that I will use a ton. That brings me to the new PhotoStream feature in iCloud which will disperse all your new photos to all your iOS devices automatically and invisibly. That's it for now. Good luck!

Editorial: Apple Introduces the iPhone 4S (and little else)

Apple iPhone 4S

So yesterday was the day all the Apple fanboys have been anticipating for 16 months now (including me) and to say it was a bit disappointing is an understatement. My story is probably not unlike many of you guys out there when it comes to the iPhone. Personally I have an iPhone 3GS that I got in Feb 2010 (finally caved to the Apple machine). Here in Morgantown, West Virginia, the AT&T in the area had just upgraded to 3G (from EDGE) to better make use of the iPhone so I decided to take the plunge mere months before the iPhone 4 launch. I became addicted to the usability of the iPhone virtually overnight and haven't looked at another phone since. Once you get embedded into the Cult of Apple, it's nearly inescapable.

Once the iPhone 4 launched, I almost bit the bullet and paid big bucks to buy/upgrade to the iPhone only months into my contract. That's when AntennaGate dropped into full swing. That put the brakes on that deal so I've been toughing it out with my 3GS for about a year and half now, all the while seeing the much nicer iPhone 4 take over the world with it's far superior camera, speed, flash, design, etc etc etc. Still, I've held off in hopes the iPhone 5 drop in the Summer of 2011 would be the upgrade of all upgrades.

As the Summer of 2011 approaches, the chatter begins that there won't be a new iPhone yet, maybe September, and everyone will just have to hold on a bit longer. "UGH!" says me. Waiting....and waiting...August comes and so do the rumors and speculation. iPhone 5 cases, spy shots, etc etc. I'm on the edge of my seat extending my neck for every drip of information like raindrops falling from the sky. Then the rumors start backtracking...no iPhone 5, only 4(s) maybe?! One iPhone, two iPhones!? Who the hell knows!? It was driving me and everyone else following this tale absolutely bonkers. I had visions of a 4" retina display saddled to a new revolutionary design to take the world by storm once again.

I Am Awake....

I am a die-hard PS3 fan and have been for a few years now, but I always envied the exclusive titles for other consoles so my wife finally broke down and got me an early Father's Day present; a 4GB XBOX 360. She also surprised me with an XBOX 360 exclusive game I've been wanting for about a year now; Alan Wake!

I got completely engulfed in the story and gameplay of Alan Wake and played it for hours each session. I eventually beat the game in just 4 days, including both expansion downloadable episodes! Yes, they're episodes, not levels. The episodic format of the game was so refreshing and really gave the game a new level of enjoyment and sense of completion. It was just one of those games you couldn't put down and rarely I did. Now I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Steve Jobs Pitches New Apple Mega-Campus to Cupertino

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs presents his proposal for a new Apple Campus to the Cupertino City Council. This presentation was recorded Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at the Cupertino Community Hall.

It's hard not to buy into Jobs` pitch here as everything he says in this video as it just seems like a no-brainer to let him rejuvenate the area with all new state of the art architecture and more importantly lots of greenscape. A building like this will be the new DisneyWorld for Apple fanatics!

WWDC 2011 in 120 Seconds - Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, iCloud

A YouTube user by the name of BorsukTV made this video which compresses the roughly 2 hour long WWDC 2011 keynote down to 120 seconds. If you're in a hurry and don't want to download the entire keynote from Apple's website then give this quickie a view for most of the important notes.

I prefer to download the entire keynote through iTunes myself and watch it through my Apple TV on the HDTV. That way I feel like I was there! I'm still disappointed there wasn't a single mention of a new iPhone 4S or 5, but what was announced will be making a large impact in the market when it's fully released. Just not needing to connect to a PC or MAC will literally sell them millions more iDevices I believe.

Apple Unveils Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC 2011

   So like many other technology enthusiasts, I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading up on what was unveiled at WWDC this year from Steve Jobs and Co. I watched the live stream of the keynote and watched some videos from Apple's website on the new features. I've also bounced around the web listening to the mixture of praise and rants. Some are excited while some are just saying it's about damn time. I'll go ahead and jump into the fire and give my impressions of the new stuff that was shown.

 iOS 5: Being an avid iPhone user I would have to say that my favorite new feature was the revamped notification system. I think it looks gorgeous and appears to perfectly consolidate all those pesky popups and bubbles into a singular,easy to manage system. Excellent!

Next thing that caught my eye on iOS 5 was the new ability to access the camera function from the lock screen. YES! As a parent of three children, I'm constantly firing up the iPhone to grab impromptu pictures of the family and the current way to get to the camera is definitely a bit clunky.

Apple also updated the camera app with more features like pinch to zoom (YES!), exposure control, and probably my favorite; the ability to use the [volume up] button on the side of the phone to snap the picture!

 iCloud: Next feature I was quite impressed with Apple's announcement of its new iCloud service. Best part is that its FREE! Yes, amazing considering the retired MobileMe service previously was $99/year! I think Apple learned its lesson with that fiasco and seems to have gotten its act together with the new iCloud service.

This new service will basically backup your important information on Apples servers so you are always protected from losing it, even if your phone, laptop, desktop, or all three burst into flames. All you have to do is login to to Apple iCloud with your Apple ID/password and all your information will be restored. Important stuff like contacts, mail and calenders, account settings and phone settings. 

Apple is taking it to the next level however and allowing free backup (and real-times syncing) of documents, photos (limited), apps, iBooks and best of all; iTunes music! What they means is that you can buy a new song directly from your iPhone and it'll be ready on your desktop or iPad when you get home. Automatically. Simply. You can also jump from iOS device to iOS device and continue reading books from where you left off. So every song you buy from iTunes syncs to all your devices at no charge (up to 10 devices) and automatically. Pretty awesome stuff and it's all FREE!

Apple's only paid cloud service (coming this fall) will be called "iTunes Match" and will scale the free service up to a $24.99/yr service by allowing complete and total backup to all your iTunes music, whether you bought it on iTunes or not. It will try to match ALL your current iTunes music with high quality versions from iTunes and make them yours...officially. This goes for ripped CD's and music you've acquired "other ways". Very cool and much cheaper than competitors right now.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the keynote. I don't own a Mac so I won't comment on the new Mac OS X Lion features other than to say; looked awesome! I definitely feel that when I finally get my first Mac, I'll know exactly how to use it because of the iOS similarities. Very cool and I see easy to install "apps' as being the next evolution of the desktop and laptop operating systems.

Well, that's my quick thoughts on what went down at WWDC 2011. There was way too many new additions for me to comment on them all right now. Feel free to let us know what your favorite (or least favorite) features were in the comments.

A Vision of Students Today

I was just introduced to this video through one of my classes at WVU and I thought it was brilliant. So much in fact that I just had to share it. I know many of you are either past, present or future college students and will certainly identify with the message in this video. As I'm wrapping up my undergrad degree this summer, and entering Grad school in the fall, I can relate in a big way.

"A short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University."

So what do you think? Do you agree with the message here?

Amazon.com: The Hidden Empire

I just ran across the most amazing slide presentation about amazon.com that I've ever seen. It's a fascinating look on the inside of the World's #1 e-tailor and all together great company.

Amazon.com: the Hidden Empire

View more presentations from faberNovel

Is this what the iPhone 5 will look like?

    Here is the first hideous mock up of what some think the iPhone 5 might look like. This image was conceived over at Joshua Topolsky's new site and it's getting press all over the web (see: here too!). I personally hope to hell it looks nothing like this, especially in the thickness, or lack there of, department. I iPod Touch 4 is hard to hold while the iPhone 4 is about as good as it gets for an Apple products. I still have the iPhone 3GS and with a rubberized back cover on it I can hold it. Without one it's like a wet bar of soap.

Here's an excerpt from Thisismynext:  "In a sketch supplied to us by a source (on which the image above is based), the home button is doing double duty as a gesture area; this falls in line with testing we’ve seen for gestures on the iPad, and our sources say that gestures are definitely coming in a future version of iOS. The home button will likely be enlarged, but not scrapped altogether. 

Furthermore, we’re hearing that the screen on the device will occupy the entire (or near to it) front of the phone, meaning almost no bezel. Our source says the company is doing very “interesting things” with bonded glass technology, and has been exploring designs where the earpiece and sensors are somehow behind the screen itself, making for a device where the display is actually edge-to-edge. Regardless, the sketch we’ve seen suggests the screen will go up to 3.7-inches while keeping the current resolution, and at that size, pixel density goes from 326 to 312 (a drop of 13ppi)."

I definitely think there is TOO thin and this would be it for me. What do you think?

The Best Viral Videos of All Time! (IMHO)

Saturday Night Live did a couple of digital shorts that quickly went viral on the web. Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island buddies made these and they are hilarious.





This video along with "Dick in the Box" are my personal favorite viral videos of all time. They're both catchy as hell as well as uber funny. I think what really takes both of these to the next level is that they're so well done. High production value turned into viral longevity. #EPIC #WINNING





What are your favorite viral videos of all time?

"Steal This Film" Really Takes Me Back A Few Years

I just had to watch a couple videos for one of my classes. Steal This Film Part 1 & 2. Good stuff and it really took me back a few years to when Napster, Kazaa and similar sites were really popular. These are a must watch if you're a techie, nerd, geek, or the like.

Part One




You can view part two of the series after the break....

What's New for Blogger in 2011

There's some exciting new features coming to Blogger in 2011. Stack that on top of some really great features released in 2010 and you've got millions of people real excited to use, and keep using Google's flagship blog platform; Blogger. Take a peek at this great video by google showcasing Blogger in all its past present and future glory!

If you're on Blogger, and that doesn't get you excited, then you don't have a pulse. bring on 2011!

Foursquare Has Changed The Way I Use Social Media Apps

   I've heard about this thing called "Foursquare" for quite some time. An app that allows you to "check-in" at places you visit. I honestly thought the concept was pretty useless. Like who would care where I was or why would I even want to tell anyone?

But one day I decided to give it a try. Well, I'm hooked. The iPhone app for Foursquare is really smooth and constant updates make it better and better. It only took a minute to sign up for an account, and another couple minutes to link it to my Facebook and Twitter accounts (optional). I used my Facebook account regularly, but had little need to use Twitter very often. Foursquare has given my twitter account new life because now when I "check-in", I have it automatically post to Facebook and Twitter. It's seamless.

My wife and two children also have iPhones, so I got them all hooked on using Foursquare now. It was probably peer pressure, or simply curiosity, or maybe even a sense of belonging that got them using it, but they're hooked now too! They would see my check-in's from whatever store, restaurant, or random place we were at and eventually just had to "check-in" too! Like many social media applications, it becomes pretty addictive. I really like that I can update foursquare, Facebook and twitter in the same step, so it saves me a bunch of time.

Coming Down the Homestretch to Graduation.....

     So who else is ready to graduate? I hear ya. I've heard many stories of students doing the 5-year plan or even 6-year plan in some cases. Thankfully for me, This will only take me 4 1/2 years...for my first degree.

     I started my journey back in the Spring of 2007. It was a crazy adventure to even think about. I had recently turned 33 years old and was looking for some type of higher education and had the opportunity to pursue it. What complicates the journey however, is I am also a husband and Father of two children (at the time, three now!) but I still took the plunge.

     I was a high school dropout, but not because I couldn't handle it. More because I was bored and chose to screw off instead. So starting a huge commitment like college was a huge leap of faith. I honestly would not have done it if it weren't for my wife taking the plunge at WVU at the same time. We have attended this past 4 years together and will graduate within months of each other; her this May and me this summer.

I Get My Crabs at Joe's Crab Shack!

    One of my favorite restaurants is Joe's Crab Shack. From the fantastic food to the just as good marketing, this place rocks." In 1991, two guys spent the summer cruising down the Gulf Coast stopping at every seaside crab shack along the way. After a long summer of cold beer and hot crab, in the heart of Houston, Texas, Joe's Crab Shack was born." You don't have to like Crab or Seafood for that matter to go there. They have fantastic chicken strips and fries too.

You're Not Rad Unless You're TOTALLY RAD!

    One of my absolute favorite podcast's is called The Totally Rad Show. If you have an iPod or an iPhone (or whatever else can play podcast), and you like movies, TV Shows, Video Games or Comic Books, then you really need to check out their podcast. It's a high quality production and completely free. I just subscribe to the podcast through my iTunes. There's five episodes a week (daily) and each one is a new topic. It's always entertaining, even if you're not interested in the subject covered because these guys are just funny together.

"The Totally Rad Show is a formerly weekly, now daily, video podcast produced by Team Awesome, LLC and distributed by Revision3. TRS consists primarily of reviews and commentary on pop-culture phenomena such as movies, video games, television programs, and comic books. Debuted on March 27, 2007, The Totally Rad Show is hosted by Alex Albrecht, Jeff Cannata, and Dan Trachtenberg." - wikipedia

I'm a movie buff and strongly recommend this podcast. It's just plain cool and causes me to laugh out loud on a regular basis. :-)