10km with RD

Run done this evening with the Running Department thanks to clearer skies after the heavy rain this morning.

Got to test out the Sony Smart B-Trainer Walkman which included a HRM and GPS on top of it's usual walkman capabilities.

Apart from catching GPS slightly later, most of the details is pretty spot on.

Microsoft Surface Book Keynote - Panos Panay

When I first watched Panos Panay back in 2012 introducing the first Surface, I had no idea who the heck he was, but I liked his presentation, mainly cause he carried a full duschbag "I don't care" attitude on stage, kind of like a Tony Stark persona but in real life.

The thing is the presenter can really elevate the thing he or she is presenting, and I think Panay did a good job introducing the first Surface to the world.

I finally got to catch the full 20+ minute keynote presentation on the Surface Book, and while the laptop really impresses, I think it's really him who carries it across to the audience fluidly as to what the Surface Book can do. This will give MS fanboys something to gloat about when they look at Apple fanboys, and rightfully so, for once, Microsoft made hardware that's a head turner.

If that thing ran OSX I'd definitely get it. =P

Microsoft Windows 10 Hardware Event - Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book (The Verge)

I've never thought I'd find Microsoft in any way appealing until the first Surface Tablet came out back in 2012 (Entry).

The biggest excitement then? That Microsoft was finally taking the Apple route and creating their own hardware to show off the best their software can do. Of course, "best" is subjective to everyone but the concept is the same which is that of Steve Jobs when he decided to make Apple products only available on Apple devices, so that they work the way they were intended to, to provide the best user experience possible.

The Surface Pro is now into its 4th iteration and since its launch in 2012, it's been growing and becoming more and more a success to its own competitors in the market, that really says a lot if you ask me, that Microsoft is finally showing the manufacturers who use their software, how to do hardware right.

The next exciting product announced is the Surface Book, Microsoft's first attempt at a laptop. And yes, it sounds like a play on Apple's MacBook. Finally a laptop made by Microsoft that is void of bloatware unlike other devices, and the design, though not the most elegant, is original, and still some what nice in its own way. Sure some may argue it has design cues following that of a MacBook, the similarities I see is that it uses the same style of metal finishing, and a logo at the back similar to that of Apple's signature logo, that's it. Microsoft is touting it as the most powerful 13 inch laptop in the world, twice as fast as Apple's MacBook Pro. You have to agree considering it's using the latest processor (2 generations ahead of Apple) and other internals, but of course, it's not like Apple isn't going to put the same specs in their laptops, so I don't think that status is gonna last very long.

Oh and yes, the Surface Book detaches from is extra battery and graphics card base to become an i5 or i7 full Windows tablet too.

Microsoft also made 2 new phones, I'm not gonna touch on those, I still don't really see them as strong competitors to Apple's and Android's finest, but the laptops on the other hand are something impressive if you ask me.

No I'm not changing camps any time soon, having been tortured by bad experiences with Windows, my heart is still with Apple, though I will admit I still strongly feel my most favorite experience was Snow Leopard...fast, smooth, fluid...something I haven't seen in awhile with their other versions of OSX.

Bottom line, I am enjoying the "new Microsoft", which seems to be more innovative and bold than just being a software company that's dull and bland. While I don't see myself jumping back fully to the Microsoft ecosystem any time soon, I admire the strides they are finally taking to be more "visible" in the industry.

If you want to catch the 9 minute summary of Microsoft's event, check out the video here:

Google's New Nexus 5X and 6P

I've been meaning to upgrade my phone for awhile now, When Google launched the Nexus 6 last year it was an immediate no for me. The size was too big and I certainly didn't want something with too much heft taking up space in my pockets.

Fast forward 2 years, Google's launched 2 new phones (yay!), a 5 inch replacement as well as a 6 inch model.

The 5X is built by LG while the 6P will be made by Huawei. Frankly I'm not feeling the 6P, it looks odd, but it packs a few better items, specifically a faster chip, dual front facing speakers, and a larger screen (of course).

The 5X follows a same design over the original 5 which I own. It sports a single front facing speaker, and a slightly slower chip, though honestly living with the current Nexus 5 for 2 years now, I'd say all the chips this date can keep up to almost every task, so it's not a huge issue here.

The biggest thing for me is the camera, both the 5X and 6P will sport an all new Sony sensor that has a larger pixel size than its predecessor, making it take in more light.

For comparison:

iPhone 6
Pixel Size 1.5
no OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)
8 Megapixels
f2.2 Aperture

iPhone 6S
Pixel Size 1.22
no OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)
12 Megapixels
f2.2 Aperture

iPhone 6S+
Pixel Size 1.22
OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)
12 Megapixels
f2.2 Aperture

Nexus 5X & 6P
Pixel Size 1.55
no OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)
12 Megapixels
f2 Aperture

I found it interesting that the 6S has a smaller pixel size over its older model. But specs aside, it's down to the actual test that'll see if the Nexus camera holds up.

The samples look good though.

Lastly, the price, as I'm keen in only the 32gb model instead of the 16gb version, the 5X costs US$429 while the 6P sells for US$499 without contract.

Pricing was one of the reasons why I skipped last year's Nexus 6 too. If I were to pay top dollar for the device, I'd honestly be fine changing to an iPhone. But with the current Nexus phones back to the usual price structure, the 5X is pretty much a no brainer.

I admit I am still looking at the 6P, but still gotta get over the heft and looks, but if not the 5X is really fine with me.

An Afternoon of Char Siew & Coffee

Lunch at Old Airport Road where I visited Roast Paradise again (really awesome char siew!), followed by coffee at Percolate where I had some quiet time doing work on my own.

On another note, the MacBook's battery is alright, but could be better, mine is the 2011 model and it lasted me about 2 hours with some photo work and powerpoint slides. Am hoping I could squeeze out more than double that kind of lifespan with my next MBP purchase.

WSJ Interviews One Plus Co-Founder Carl Pei

When I first saw the video, I didn't think much of it. But after watching, I'm impressed with what this guy managed to achieve from nothing, starting out expecting to at least sell 30,000 units of "the best smart phone" to actually selling over 1.5 million sets.

Like Steve Jobs, he never graduated, always wore minimalist (a bunch of the same tops), appreciated design, and had a pretty simplistic life. I even find his "experiments" where he lives out of Air BNB for a month and travels really light, very amusing.

I hope the One Plus 2 is a good phone, I wouldn't mind supporting if the price is right.

MacBook 2015 Review - The Verge

Beautiful, but still flawed, however as we learned with most first gen devices (iPhone, MacBook Air, Retina MacBook etc) it'll probably be the 2nd gen device that will iron out the kinks.

That said, I'm less certain now if I wanna commit to a new MacBook Pro yet especially if it's going to be a new model. Shall wait and see, the current one has received a slight "upgrade" since my last issue with it, so it's pretty decent now.

Apple Watch Review - The Verge

You can tell the review towards the Apple Watch is a little more critical than its competitors, but it comes naturally when you're number one in almost all your other products.

The review does bring up a big problem in 3:10 which I personally find that I would have if I ever considered getting a smart watch, it's something I've been pondering over since day 1 of the Pebble: does it relief you of distractions, or does it actually just add more to it?

Which is essentially the reason why I still can't bring myself to get a smart watch, that and the fact that I haven't worn a watch in years.

Whipping Out the Grado SR80s and Creative Xmod

Quite a random entry, I google back and realised I've had the Creative Xmod as early as 2007, yet of recent years I haven't found myself taking time out to appreciate music with it. Mostly I use it as an external sound card these days.

Paired with the Grado Labs SR80s, this thing is still a wonder. It's no "audiophile" certified quality, but it's enough for me. I tend to keep the 3D surround sound off when it comes to music, the X-Fi is all I needed, and with songs that lean towards the more acoustic and vocal side, this thing is a dream to listen to.

It's been awhile, spent about 45 minutes going through a few tracks on my music album and I'm really glad I made this purchase 8 years ago. =)

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Review - The Verge

I have to admit, it's been a damn long time since I looked at a Samsung phone and went "wow!"

The S6 Edge did that for me, and with the software being less bloated than before, and a camera that competes with the iPhone, I do think it's a phone I would put on my list if I wanted to get a premium Android phone.

Problem? Probably the same reason why I haven't dive into getting an iPhone yet, the price. At this point, I think I'm comfortable enough with iOS8 to be fine switching between and iPhone or Android device, but coming from a phone (Nexus 5) that cost half the price previously, it is a bit hard to convince myself to double up on premium when it comes to phones, at least for now anyway.

Broadwell This & Skylake That - MacBook Pro Thoughts

2015's about the time where I should be refreshing my MacBook Pro. My last purchase was back in early 2011 and it was an awesome laptop, it's currently in bad shape but overall still performing alright in most situations.

I was expecting a new MBP 15 inch to be released earlier this year but instead, Apple did a refresh on the 13 inch model and introduced a new MacBook.

Apart from that though, the 15 inch is rumored to be released later this year when the higher more powerful quadcore variants of the Broadwell chips will be released.

I don't update myself that often, but now I'm learning that Broadwell is actually a delayed chip meant for early 2014 (Was released Oct 14), and come summer of 2015, Skylake is set to launch, supposedly the next big leap in Intel's line up.

I shall put the technical stuff aside and simply say:

Early 2011 MacBook Pros to Early 2015 13 Inch Chips - Similar, just better (faster and power efficient)

Skylake Chips - New architecture, new features (wireless charging, wireless display in built), and of course, fast and power efficient.

Personally I'm hoping Apple's next laptop will jump straight to the Skylake chips, but I guess we'll have to see. Not sure if they will hop on the wireless charging bandwagon but one can only hope and wonder how they will implement it.

New MacBook 2015

Haven't had the time to blog after reservist, but am gonna just post this here first.

Loving the new design of the all new MacBook, Apple has always been magnificent when it comes to customizing parts to make its product and thin and elegant as possible. Can't wait to see what the next MacBook Pro will look like!

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II is Out

Nice piece of camera. Certainly no need for me to change it but for those who want high res studio shots and a bit more for their movie, it's something worth considering.

Nexus 6 and Android Lollipop Review - The Verge

Really decent review of the Nexus 6 and Google's new operating system.

I'm still not keen on getting such a large phone, but I am looking forward to getting the OS update for the Nexus 5.

Youtube Now Supports 60FPS

I read about this over the weekend and didn't really think much of it. Great, higher FPS is always good but I always felt it was great for when you need to slow footage down, but not useful at regular speed.

And then I had a friend share with me two videos demonstrating the difference between 30FPS and 60FPS.

I'm convinced. maybe Yo-yo contests should be filmed in 60FPS next time.

***Note, set the video settings to play at their max resolution and FPS to ensure you see the difference.***

30 Frames per Second

60 Frames per Second

Apple: Integration is Key

Apple just launched newer products today, a new 5K monitor iMac, and new iPads!

That isn't the biggest highlight for me though, I won't be getting any of them, I'm more keen on a MBP refresh at this point.

The main highlight though is integration, with OSX and iOS8 being closely integrated together than ever before, it means an Apple user who buys into the ecosystem will have a lot to benefit from using multiple Apple products.

This means that if it is well pulled off, I may actually consider getting an iPhone 6 at the end of the day.

Sony used to have something similar with its products back during my youth, things that worked great with other Sony products but not necessarily so with other brands. From a none Apple user's stand point, I can understand their "frustration" with this, I use to be pretty turned off by Sony's memory stick and proprietary connections in the past, but at least for now there are other good options to look at (Android and its Google ecosystem) so if you're not fond of one, simply choose the other.

Switching will mean I lose a few advantages Android still has to offer, I've had conversations with users of multiple platforms who can share their happiness and frustrations with both products, but I guess I'll only know when I truly make such a switch. That said, being pretty versed with Android, I'm glad I can work my way around certain situations which I feel general users should not even have to face to begin with.

Check out the videos on Yosemite and the new iMac, not posting any iPad related stuff here cause I still have not figured a use for getting a tablet yet regardless of which OS it runs.

Android Lollipop, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9

Android L(ollipop) is out, and this time Android has ads that seem to target a little towards iPhone users, using a tagline "Be Together. Not the same." that basically claims everyone doing the same thing won't move us forward, but everyone doing their own thing together, can.

I like the ads though, go check them out.

Android: Be Together. Not the same

Other than that, the Nexus 6 is official, and gosh, it's a huge phone. Did I mention it's no longer as cheap too?

US$649 gives you a 32gb variant that has a 5.9 inch QHD display (2K Resolution). Compared to the iPhone 6+ of that same size, it's still US$200 cheaper. So yeah, it's not $399 cheap, but still less than getting an iPhone.

Still...the size bugs me.

Nexus 6: Space to Explore

Nexus 9: For Movers and Shakers

Lunch @ Brawn & Brains

After BNI this morning. Needed coffee and something to eat, since B&B is just 5-10 minutes away, it's the nearest place for a good cup of java at this hour, so why not? May make this a usual Friday haunt unless it gets crowded then I'll leave for other paying customers.

Side note, both photos taken with the Nexus 5, it's no iPhone but I'm really loving the results from both pictures, the above being a play of DOF while the one at the bottom is a fake blur function using Google's camera app that measures distance of objects within the picture, seems like it did a pretty decent job. =)

I Don't Really Want a 6 Inch Nexus

I love the new iPhone, the only thing holding me back is having to fork out more than double the price of a Nexus device to own one for the few additional features.

That said, if the recent rumors are true, the next nexus is going to be a 6 inch slab, that's the size of the iPhone 6+ and Note 3.

I'm really not too keen on having a beast of a phone in my pocket. the Nexus 5's 5 inch screen is the magic number for me, plus I'm not sure about the overall design of the new upcoming phone.

I guess we'll see when it becomes official in about a month's time.

GoPro Hero 4 - 4K Recording Baby!

Actually, I don't really care much for the 4K, but the dynamic range on this thing is really good, and so is the low light!

That said, yes GoPro post edit their videos. Still, it's a really nicely edited one!