From Android to iOS, and living to tell the tale
The very first smartphone that I owned, the very first touch phone that I used, the very first GSM phone that I used, were are all one and the same - the shiny and the beautiful HTC Legend running on Android 2.2
PlayStation Vita: The Ultimate Hardcore Gamer’s Handheld?
The long awaited PlayStation Vita will be launching in the States on the 22nd of February this year. I am sure quite a lot of people are eagerly waiting to get their hands dirty with this powerful moster. I can’t wait to get my hands on it as well. Being a PlayStation fan since my secondary school days, I still remember that the PlayStation franchise started with a dark grey box a decade ago.
The gaming industry may be more lucrative than ever before, but the market is increasingly casual, not to mention time- and cash-poor. What chance does a Rs.12000+ dedicated device rocking Rs2000+ games really have?
Everything about the PSV reeks of refinement- A bigger and crisper touchscreen screen, a quad core processor which screams MOAR POWER and others which I don’t give a shit about. An evolution of Sony’s first handheld, this addresses a lot of its flaws a terrible single analogue stick, drop-it-and-it’d-shatter product vulnerability, reliance on dead-on-arrival UMD software and takes more steps on than you’d expect.
Okay, I’m not here to write a review on the Vita so let’s get back to my point. Is this the handlheld of hardcore gamer’s choice? In a nutshell, YES it IS.
I was using the PSP for quite a while, until I sold it later last year, and I have no qualms in stating that the PSP was a great success. Though it had it’s fair share of problems, THAT was a hardcore gamer’s handheld. It had a monopoly in the actual portable ‘gaming’ market (ignoring the DS). The DS was littered with all kiddish games and even a (harmless) venture by Rockstar (releasing GTA Chinatown Wars) was met with a lot of backlash and criticism. The same game, when ported for the PSP, did so well than it’s DS counterpart. The DS was made with KIDS in mind. I mean, I’ll go this far stating that the DS was like a friggin Tata Nano and the PSP was a Lamborgini Aventador.
But I don’t think the same monopoly shall be enjoyed by its successor. With all smartphones and tablets becoming more powerful, I’m wondering how long will it take until these devices outperform the Vita (in terms of real world benchmarks). The Vita has (almost)mastered the creed of a gamer, but there are certain things I still feel there are a certain creases that must me ironed out.
A battery life on the Vita is abysmal and once you couple gaming with 3G, you’ll be wondering if they placed a battery meant for a flashlight. What’s the point of playing Uncharted on the move if you need a charger and a power socket beside you. I’d rather play UC on my PS3!
My next problem with the Vita is its pricing. You pay 12k for the device itself. Add another 2k for the 3G model. You still need to shell another 2k for a proprietary PS Memory Card - 4GB as the Vita lacks any form of internal memory. Oh and the games cost another 2-3k the same price as a full PS3 title. It’s somewhat jarring when the Vita incorporates the best that iOS and smartphone phone gaming has to offer so effortlessly that it should overlook the increasingly large budget end of the market, just as the 3DS did. A nice sum indeed must be parted with to savor this premiumship.
Nevertheless, the Vita has specs that would almost match the prowess of the king of consoles, PS3. The PS Vita’s quadcore processor is a whizz, powering through spectacular graphical feats with rare slowdown. Early hacks prove so by exhibiting that it can use the PS3’s Remote Play feature to play games meant only for the PS3. What I loved about the Vita is the great reception it’s getting from third party IPs. The launch is filled with graphic intensive and quality games, primarily from the Sony’s IPs. Now what I want is a another God Of War. Even a remastered Ghost of Sparta would suffice.
If it can sort out its pricing and nail PlayStation Suite and PSN support once it hits the UK, this could raise the PS Vita above a mere gamers’ machine to a true crossover media platform to justify a current price tag that’s already crippled the 3DS. For now, it’s just a fantastic, if pricey portable games machine, and as fantastic, pricey portable gamers, that will certainly do me.
Google+ - This Is Not Facebook
Okay, this is something that I wanted to write for quite a while.
I’ve been noticing that over the past few weeks that quite a few people have been migrating to G+from Facebook, which is great! But what is not great is HOW G+ is being used. To help your experience at G+, I’m going to help you by explaining what G+ is and, most importantly, what it is not.
I still occasionally visit FB, trying to scoop out remnants but it is SO small! There is no exploration, no adventure, no new story.
Why I believe in the Windows Phone 7.
Windows Phone 7. The underdog of the mobile OS - is clearly gaining quite an audience. It’s OEM Nokia, is literally “chuddi buddies” with the Gung-Ho of the tech world, Microsoft. Where Nokia lacked pathetically was with the software, which, thanks to Microsoft, has been solved. Who the hell wants another Symbian. Microsoft and Nokia really are like a marriage made in the heavens! They’re like this “mutual parasites” - Microsoft renders its OS and Nokia, its excellent handsets!
Now getting to the point. Where WP7 shall find its niche is with corporate consumers. No one wants a plain vanilla Blackberry which only distinguishes itself from the others with a measely little messenger. Consumers want FREEDOM. And choices.
Well, you may retort childishly by saying that Android and iOS give more than that. Far much more. But NO. We want class. A brand which is cemented in the minds of people as a business phone. Android is what Maruti is to the automobile world. So what if Google has a few super phones. Doesn’t Maruti have its own few “super” cars? Has that changed the mindset that Maruti is/was/(shall always be) for the common people? No.
Moving on to the iPhone. Do corporations really look at an iPhone as a business devices? Sure, it’s got the uber cool looks and an equally slick UI AND number crunching specs. But, according to me, it’s like a spoilt child. It’s loud and emphatic. It’s bling factor makes it a phone that you would rather use at some other “shiny” events.
Let’s face it. If you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company (and you weren’t a hippy), you wouldn’t carry a Droid because its too cheap, and you wouldn’t carry an iPhone because it doesn’t suit the demeanor of your job. So, choiceless, you would settle in for the (gay) Berry. That’s exactly where WP7 would come in. It’s got the slickness of the iOS and all the functionality you would ever want from your Berry (And even more.)
Microsoft Exhange. Check. SkyDrive. Check. Microsoft Office. Check. Does a CEO want more? Quality apps. Check. Smooth UI. Double check. That’s why I believe in Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s greatest mobile offering. Few major upgrades (like Android keeps receiving) and it shall become a serious competitor. And make choosing your next phone even tougher.
Me? I WANT AN IPHONE ASAP!!!
SOPA: The Act That May Ruin Internet Forever
There has been a lot of hue and cry about a certain bill called SOPA which is in the process of being made an Act. It is called the ‘Stop Online Piracy Act’ (SOPA) and it has some serious ramification on the future of communications. So how could something as noble as fighting piracy be that bad for us?
