iOS 7 and other Apple Annoucements…

iOS 7…

Yes I’m testing it, what do I think so far?

Thinks that make you go hmmmmmmmmm…….

2013 – We all didn’t die!

Well it’s New Years Eve here in Australia and just over an hour left of 2012.

2013 is just around the corner, the Myans were wrong, we all didn’t die!

So what’s next?

2013 for me will be more work, more AR Drone flying in particular some long range flights when I install my RC mod when it arrives in a few days.

There’s a lot slated for release by Apple next year, I’m due for a new Macbook so will be interesting to see what comes next in that range.

All in all it looks like another busy year in our ever increasing busy lives.

Stay safe everyone!

Darren

Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Quadracopter – OMG!

OMG I knew these were cool but I had no idea just how cool the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 Quadracopter really was!

Seriously if you can get your hands on one of these do it! I’ve driven and flown other RC models before and helicopters are the hardest to learn to fly but this thing takes all the hard work out of it and makes it easy to learn and become quite proficient quickly and with very little damage.

Did I say very little damage?

Yep this thing is built like a tank, well almost! It’s airframe is made of graphite composite surrounded by a dense polystyrene outer safety cell and comes with a full ring type polystyrene indoor hull that protects the 4 properller blades from damage. Speaking of the blades these are also quite sturdy and flexable and after a few hours flight time mine have a few nicks and scrapes but overall are intact. I’ve crashed my drone at least 2 dozen times complete with a couple of high speed flips and burrows and I’ve only managed to crack the outer indoor hull once which I repaired with epoxy glue and tape.

This thing hovers automatically. If you take your hands off the controls it immediately stops in its tracks and goes into auto hover mode which is great if you get into trouble. Just let go and it stops even at high speed with a sudden correction in the opposite direction and just stops mid-air! It’s unbelievable at the smarts this thing has which is helped by an array of sensors built into the electronics. Did I mention this has 2 cameras on board? The forward facing camera is a 720p HD camera and there is a SD camera in the belly you can use for arial recon and the brains uses the belly camera to lock onto targets to hover over. There is also an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver as well which tells it how far it is off the ground up to 3 meters. Top this off with a full gyro and some other neat stuff and some very smart software this is quite a powerful piece of kit and yet at under $350 retail is a bargain for what it can do compared to many more expensive RC helicopters and even quadracopters!

I’ve gotten about 3.5 hours total flight time on my drone so far. Battery life is on average about 10-12 minutes but if you start doing some funky spins and flips (yes I said flips!!!) or your flying in high winds the battery life drains considerably. You can get aftermarket batteries which can almost double the flight time. Suffice to say it pays to pick up a few spare batteries and chargers. Batteries retail for about $50 and chargers about $40 and it’s a good idea to buy one charger per battery as these packs take up to 90 minutes per charge and it pays to at least have a 2-1 battery to charger ratio so you always have a pack ready to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok getting back to flips. Yes this drone can flip itself left or right or front or back completely in a 360 degree flip and recover mid-air and keep flying. You need to be at least 1 to 2 meters off the ground to do this especially in high winds otherwise the drone tends to bump the ground when it comes out of the flip but usually can keep flying. All you need to do a flip is get it up high enough off the ground and activate the flip command in whatever direction you want and away it goes! The controlling apps you can get for the AR Drone can be programmed to do other stunts as well but the flip is especially built into the firmware as Parrot have obviously spent a lot of time and parts working out how to get this drone to do this!

Speaking of the controlling apps, this drone is controlled using your iPhone or iPad or Android phone using either the factory Parrot apps or many aftermarket apps which have more features including a dance app that allows you to sequence many preprogrammed dance moves into a sequence to control 1 or more drones in a dance routine. Quite cool to watch! The app connects to the drone using 802.11n WiFi networkin using an adhoc network and range depends on the device you use, channel, and other interference around but I found I could easily fly 30-50 meters without getting out of range. You can also use a WiFi range extender/repeater to help extend the control range.

But what happens if you get out of range you ask? Well Parrot thought of this too and whenever the drone loses its control signal will immediately halt and hover. If it is above safe hover height (3 meters due to ultrasonice range) then it will slowly lower itself down until it detects something underneath and will then continue to hover until you come back into range or it runs out of battery at which point it will auto land when it gets down to an emergency level. This also works when in range if you get down to below 5% battery it will immediately land before it runs out of enough power to safely control itself in a landing.

Below is a short 5 minute video I compiled with my first few hours of flight including some spectacular crashes and stunts:

So after a few hours of flight I have to tell you I am totally addicted. I plan on getting some spares soon especially a new hull and props just in case but I plan on putting this drone through its paces over the next couple of weeks including some outdoor flying on an oval around the corner from my home. There is an extensive modding community for the AR Drone complete with aftermarket parts, software and other mod ideas to make it more fun to fly.

I totally recommend anyone who is into flying or RC models to check the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 out. Stay tuned over coming days as I post other articles and ideas on the AR Drone as I get more into this addiction err i mean hobby 🙂

Well what can I say?

Title says it all doesn’t it?

The new products Apple have just announced, well all I can say is WOW!

The iPad mini looks good, it’s size is just about right for those who want a small mini tablet for email and calendar functions etc just like a PDA! And even the price isn’t too bad. People can experience an iOS device with a great screen and touch surface for a much lower price than the larger iPad. I won’t bother with one of course as I already have 2 iPad’s and see no need for a smaller one at this stage but the idea of using one for an in-car media player suddenly springs to mind as I write this!

The new iMac is a very nice piece of kit, the ultra thin screen looks really good and would be even better if it was retina but even still with the power and options on the new model desktop users should be more than happy! Not to mention the cheap as Mac Mini which can be used as a server or a small media PC in your loungeroom. Again the in-car idea springs to mind!

I’m a little peeved at the annoucement of the new iPad 4 model complete with A6 chip, 4G (LTE) and lightning connectors. I just got my iPad 3 only a couple of months ago and would surely have waited for this one especially as it compares with my new iPhone 5 feature wise. Even so the next iPad surely should have some even better features. I can understand the update especially to bring it into line with the launch cycle of the iPad mini. I can see Apple releasing both at the same time with comparable feature sets but different sizes in the future.

The new iBooks sounds interesting as well as the sharing features, I was recently miffed at the fact that a book I purchased on iBooks was not also readable on my Macbook Pro when in fact Apple promotes the ability to share your content amongst all your iDevices but seemingly forgot about this at the time!

It really looks like Apple is on the warpath marketing wise and is really pushing out the product the last 18 months, with an uptake of their mobile OS known as iOS with a recent major upgrade over 600 million devices recently upgraded to iOS 6 in the last 2 months… amazing!

What will the next 18 month have in store for us from Apple?

I look forward to finding out!

Dude… where’s my dock?

Like wha???

Seriously Apple your not going to make a dock for the iPhone 5?

Cmon things like that are a cash cow for you Apple, $40 for a piece of plastic that cost you $1 to make?

Guess I’m going to have to find an aftermarket one, I like being able to sit my phone into a dock on my desk during the day where I can see it and use it easily. Check out the wood and lego docks people have made themselves so far.

#FAIL

First impressions…

I like it…
I like it a lot actually!

Whilst it took me awhile to track one down, as stocks are limited and the online reservation system is like a daily lottery and as always the house mostly always wins. I got an email from Apple saying one was ready to pick up this morning so off I went.

Upon opening the box at the Apple store, I checked the phone’s finish for any of the defects reported by other purchasers online. The Genius loaded in my new nano-sim and I went through basic setup of the phone to confirm it was working and took it home. There I unboxed it and took a closer look and took of the plastic shipping protectors front and back and I’m suitably impressed by the features, look and feel of this phone. The longer screen didn’t feel strange in my hand at all and apparently Apple went to great lengths to make sure this would be so and was a major factor in the overall dimensions.

After loading up my config and files etc I started to explore some of the new features and play with some of my familiar apps but then I had to get it to download all my music from iCloud and then I tried out the new designed earbuds. What can I say WOW! they have really designed some great sounding earbuds and these are stock! The bass is clear and powerful with the high end crisp and not overbearing. I normally use Klipsch or Ultimate Ears as my choice of earbud and these easily keep up with much more expensive buds. You can also buy these online for under $35 from the Apple store here.

I had a play with Siri, my previous phone the iPhone 4 does not have Siri but my iPad 3 does so I had used it before. I’m looking forward to using Siri a bit more day to day as I carry and use my iPhone all the time and I’ve taken the time to set up various contacts with the necessary info Siri can use so it should make some functions easier.

Getting back to the overall design, the new screen size coupled with the Retina display looks just fantastic and some 720 videos in full widescreen format with that display just looked fantastic. Having the extra row of icons on each home screen is welcomed but takes some getting used to. I think perhaps the icons need to be made a tad smaller as it looked a bit crowded. Email and Twitter/Facebook on the larger screen is also easier to use. I’ve noticed not all apps have been updated for the new display yet and center on the screen or stretch where needed so this isn’t really an issue at this point. The new aluminum back is much better than the glass back of the 4 and 4s model and gives me more confidence I’m not going to smash my phone if I accidently drop it. However the slightly lighter weight, the change in size makes it feel slightly heavier than a 4 but also lighter at the same time if that makes sense.

The headphone jack has been moved to the bottom alongside 2 speakers and the new lightning dock connector. The move of the headphone jack is a welcome change and I always found it awkward with the cable sticking out of the top rather than the bottom. This should make dock designs much nicer.

Speaking of this new connector “Lightning” which has been the suject of a lot of critisism and controversy and I can honestly understand why Apple changed it now I have one as it’s easier to insert, works upside down and is much smaller which makes it easier to make the phone thinner as much as smaller. The change has made some people very angry as they will have to buy adapters and new accessories which is understandble but you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere and I guess 2012 is it. The old connector was bulky and a pain in the butt to connect sometimes especially with aftermarket accessories. I like the new connector and I like being able to stick it in upside down!

You can purchase extra lightning to USB cables as well as a short original 30 pin dock plug to lightning converter. There is also a small dock adapter available as well but this is currently in limited supply and stock is scares in AU. An example of these are right:

There is an A6 chip in this beast which is noticeable when loading the camera, speaking of which is 8mp on the back camera and 1.2mp on the FaceTime front facing camera. I’ve yet to take any decent pictures with it but from all reports I’ve seen it’s pretty good. There has been a small issue of purple haze around some outdoor and extreme lighting conditions but these shall remain to be seen.

Overall so far I’m very impressed with the phone as a whole. The new features in iOS 6 also add to the overall positive experience I’ve had so far. I have however noticed a few little issues here and there such as the phone sometimes not being recognised in iTunes first time, and battery life seems a little more excessive than my iPhone 4 so far but I’ll give the phone a day or 2 to settle into my normal usage pattern and then re-assses this.

I wasn’t impressed when I asked about a cover for it at the Apple store to which I was told they will be available in November. Luckily I had purchased a cheap bumper case for it on Ebay a few days earlier which will suffice for now. The new lottery reservation system sucks the big one royally I must say. The old system of putting a select number of phones up for reservation each day on a first come first serve basis was much better cause at least you knew if you got one or not. In fact their overall stock control policy is far from ideal. Whilst I think their marketing is fantastic and obviously works, their arrogance at allowing stock out in a trickle to keep the hype going is an ethos that will probably bite them in the bum in the long term.

Stay tuned for part 2 which will come in a few days after the initial shiney impressions wear off.

It’s finally here!

Yep that’s right Apple lovers everywhere are rejoicing and Android fanbois are preparing their hate filled rants.

So much has been covered about the new iPhone 5 already in the last 12 hours I’m not going to bother.

Suffice to say… Nice one Apple!

So it’s September 12 tomorrow….

Which means it’s Apple’s media event day, or as we all like to thin iPhone 5 launch day!

Actually for us in Australia its the early hours of Thursday morning. First think I’ll be doing that morning is watching the keynote address to see all the  big news.

Speculation has been rife and many leaked photos and videos so it’s going to be interesting how much of all that turns out to be hype or truth!

So what are you looking for in the new iPhone? I never went to the 4S as I considered it not to be enough of an upgrade. Here’s my wish list:

• Larger screen – Not sure if I like the look of the new screen, it’s longer not wider.
• Near Field Chip – Hoping to store my digital passes onto the one device.
• Retina Display – Loving my iPad 3 screen, can’t wait for larger hi res screen on the iPhone.
• iOS 6 – Been testing a beta of this, coupled with new phone should be awesome.
• Increased capacity – I use mine to store a lot of music, iCloud and music match isn’t quite there yet.
• Headphone jack at the bottom – makes sense!
• Increased durability – metal back should be better, no more shattered backs!

Guess we’ll all be back here in 2 days to comment about all the new features released. Then the fun begins on watching the stock hunt as it gets released and sells out.

I’m wondering if Apple will continue its practise of a slow controlled release of stock to keep up the demand/hype. It certainly works in marketing terms but it’s a pain in the ass when you have to shop around half of Melbourne to find stock!

Stay Tuned!

Updates & New iPhone

Yes I know I said I was back, and yes I am but I’ve been so busy with work/life stuff that I just get no time to spend updating this blog much.

But I’m here now so stop yer nagging!

Seems there is going to be a new iPhone in town!

No not the iPhone 5, they are dropping the model number just like the “New iPad” this year it will be just known as the “New iPhone”.

All reports so far point out to a larger screen, smaller dock connecter, 2 tone look amongst many other new features. It’s looking like a September 12 announcement with a September 21 launch date.

Just scored myself a new iPad a couple of weeks ago, and i’m running iOS 6 Beta 3 on it along with my iPhone 4 and it’s just magic and a huge improvement over the iPad 2 as far as speed and graphics go. It’s been interesting to have Siri on board the iPad even if she did mistake something I said for the word “bitch” 🙂

Speaking of iOS 6 and OS updates, who has updated to OSX Mountain Lion yet? I’ve been using the beta’s for a few months and found it pretty good in testing but the public release seems nice and stable and is everything they said it would be.

Stay tuned for more updates…

I’m back… it’s been awhile!

Hi everyone,

I’m back after a long hiatus, yes it’s been awhile!

It indeed has been a crazy time, work and personal commitments have kept me busy and the motivation to keep updates going was just not there.

But I’ll try to keep things updated a bit more.

So what’s been going on? LOTS!

We saw lots of Apple things happening, indeed the IT sector has been buzzing like never before with the OS wars, the tablet wars, the smartphone wars, patent wars and lots of new shiney gadgets and fuzzy feel good marketing to make us part with our hard earned dollars.

I’ve yet to update to a new iPad 3, although I’ve seen how good they are and Apple doesn’t disappoint!

It will be interesting to see what the next iteration of the iPhone will bring. Rumours suggest a larger screen, faster, more storage and more internal gadgets to make us want one.

Let’s see what comes next!