Dear Samsung

Dear Samsung,

I’d like to establish something first before I get things off my chest.

I respect Samsung. They’re a great company, their products are great and their foundation, what they stand for, is even greater. I have only one product from Samsung: a microwave (well, my dad has a Note, but it’s not really ‘mine’). The microwave is great, although I wish they’d put the numeric keypad on it, giving me more options than just “One Minute cook.” They have the dial and all, but it’s not as efficient as using a keypad. Back to the topic…

Anyways, Samsung, you are a powerhouse company for all the good reasons. I like that about you. But, for the past two years or so, you’re becoming a problem.

You’re becoming more like Apple…

You release another Samsung Galaxy S5 and it barely has any changes, really. Sure, a scanner here and there, some specification changes, but that’s it. Nothing major occurred to your phone – and it’s scaring me.

We all know that Apple just keeps on selling the same thing, just refurnished. But Samsung, being a company of innovation, starts selling the “same thing” again, then we have a problem.

All I can say to you Samsung: please do better. We love your phones and your tablets and all your other gizmos and gadgets, but please, don’t turn into something so painfully and utterly scary.

That’s coming from me, a fan of your work, and a plethora of the Android community (I can only imagine).

Keep Chewing!

The Strength of Sony

Sony: the company that changed (and continues to change) the world. It has been well known throughout the continents that Sony is an electronic Goliath. What started off as a small company turned into a massive, oversized monster that can eat other companies alive.

But, in the story of Goliath, there has to be a David — or in Sony’s case, Davids.

Companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, Samsung and Panasonic are always trying to topple the giant to its downfall, and much to avail, has failed through the years.

In my honest opinion, Sony, is probably (and this may sound controversial) the most powerful company in the gaming industry. Do you know why Sony is the king?

Sony is powerful in TWO different countries.

We know that Sony is a Japanese based corporation. They started their Japan and their HQ is in Japan. Simple enough, right? How about we take one product from Sony’s arsenal that has always been a big seller and a record holder: the Playstation. Sony, with respect to Sony of America, continually conquers the gaming world. They are bestsellers both in Japan and the United States. Of course, Microsoft has no chance in Japan, but the fact that Sony is seriously competing with Microsoft in their own home turf? That sends a statement.

Also, let’s not forget about Nintendo – another gaming company. You can argue that Nintendo and Sony have their horns locked in place, but I assure you, Playstation sales are far better than the WiiU sales. However, Nintendo does have Sony on a choke hold when it comes to portable devices (Nintendo’s 3DS and 2DS, only because of Pokémon). Nonetheless, Sony is strong in Japan.

However you want to look at Sony, behind the curtain of failures lies their success — and there’s no one stopping them now.

Except for, you know, Samsung in the smartphone game…

Keep Chewing!

Tech Highlights of CES 2014

CES 2014 was amazing! I can’t believe that it’s already over!

There are so many things to talk about from CES 2014, much of it being about the technology leaps that each powerhouse company took on their products. Here are my favourites from the show.

4K TVs, UHDTVs and Curved Display

Seriously, we cannot seem to get enough of this. Television sets are once again becoming significant in the living room. Remember when there was a downfall in television sales because the Internet took the world by storm (I don’t remember either, but it felt like it). At some point, people were less likely to watch and use their TVs and much rather just sit down and use their PCs. Of course, that doesn’t mean TV is dead. With the latest display resolutions, possible future standards and other unique capabilities TVs will get (I’m talking about Smart TVs), I’m sure we’ll be back sitting on our couch watching the latest episode of the Big Bang Theory.

GAMING

I can’t stop talking about gaming! CES 2014 became a gaming hub this week, with companies like Sony and Valve showing up at the party. Sony revealed Playstation Now, a game stream service for their consoles and Valve opens up the information about the Steam Box, specifically about all the companies that will be making their own Steam Box with their own specifications and modifications. Razer also revealed Project Christine. It’s a modular design PC that makes it easy for the average consumer to change and switch out any hardware. Oculus Rift also made a big splash at CES 2014 with other makes of their already awesome device. 2014 will definitely be a gaming year. Definitely!

Wearables

Wearable technology also took off this year. Although wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble came out last year, the attention towards the idea has only increased a during CES 2014. Intel and Sony are getting into the game, with Intel’s idea of wearables already in the works and Sony’s Core revealed in their keynote. Although the presence of wearables in this year’s CES was weak and disappointing, the technology surely has gotten a lot more attention than before.

Google Chromebook

I didn’t really talk much about the Google Chromebook only because I’m not really a big fan of it, but nonetheless they made a statement at CES. Dell and Toshiba wanted to tell the world that they’re putting their full support on this young project. The Chromebooks are nothing compared to what we currently have, but I guess that’s the point. It’s not for everyone, but it can be for someone.

Playstation Now

I’ve been waiting for Sony to talk about their plans for Gaikai since they bought it. Playstation Now is their online cloud streaming service for the Playstation consoles. They’re planning to start a closed beta and hoping to open the service this coming summer. I can’t wait!

The Consumer Electronic Show was a success! Everyone enjoyed the information, previews, sneak peeks and reveals. It was a great way to celebrate technology at its finest.

Keep Chewing!

The Presence of PC Gaming at CES 2014

PC gaming has always been an interesting topic. This year at CES 2014, it became even more interesting. Companies like Alienware and GIGABYTE are making their own Steam Boxes and making a name for the flag of PC gaming. The Steam OS is getting high praises for its implementation of gaming into the modern PC gamer’s arsenal.

There are a few interesting concepts that have been introduced in CES. All of them are related to PC gaming.

“Project Christine”

 

A suitable name, really.

Razer unveiled “Project Christine on the first day of CES 2014. It’s a modular design for a PC. It looks sleek, yet over top considering how the design is “out of this world.” I really like the performance screen on the front. It will be useful, especially for me who is obsessed on the perfomance of my PCs.

To be fair, the idea is genius. It targets the typical consumer who knows nothing about computers. They can simply buy a some sort of capsule and simply switch out their hardware with a different one. Of course, this would call upon the term “proprietary” in the hardware department, but nonetheless, a great idea

14 Companies To Make Steam Machines

Whatever you call it, a Steam Box or Steam Machine, this is exciting news!

There are 14 companies (and probably more in the future) that have revealed that they will be making their own Steam Box/Steam Machine hardware packed with the Steam OS. Here are the 14 companies:

• Alienware
• Alternate
• CyberPowerPC
• Digital Storm
• Falcon NW
• GigaByte
• iBuyPower
• Maingear
• Material.net
• Next Spa
• Origin PC
• Scan
• Webhallen
• Zotac

Interesting, Razer isn’t in the list. I guess they’re too busy working on crazy projects like Christine.

CES 2014 ends tomorrow, January 10, 2014. Who do you think will have a last minute “breaking news” moment? Which company do you think will reveal something on the last day to “save the best for last” and show some amazing innovation? Maybe a 12 day battery?

CommitStrip: The real Innovation that we’re wating for at CES

Keep Chewing!

TVs at CES 2014

CES 2014 features some of the best looking TV sets I’ve ever laid my eyes on — specifically from Samsung and LG. Both of these companies are well known in the industry, and are making remarkable leaps of faith into the future.

LG’s Controllable Curve OLED 4K TV

When I first saw this, I thought “wow, who needs this?” Then, after a good minute or so of thinking, I realised that “I need this!” LG says that having a curved TV allows a more “immersive experience” for the viewers. Not only are these TVs curved, they are also controllable. With a simple press of a button, you can simply turn the TV from its curved design to the classic flat layout. It will definitely change the way the we look at TVs and how we experience watching moving pictures in an isolated rectangular space.

Samsung’s Curved Ultra HDTV

Samsung also entered the curved TV competition with their Ultra HDTV. They also have the same vision as LG does, giving you a “cinematic feel” to in your own home. The curve display also acts like an anti-reflection mechanism so that light does not have to be concentrated. Say goodbye to those annoying window reflections! They also boast their largest display yet — a 105” UHDTV curved display.

What we can extract from this is that the product will not be cheap and will not be accessible to the majority of people. It’s a concept worth talking about and a concept that will definitely revolutionize the way we watch.

Keep Chewing!

 

The New Samsung NotePro is New

Samsung showcased their new Samsung Galaxy NotePro. It’s a tablet with, in a lack of better terminology, freakin’ amazing specifications. Here they are 12.2 inch Super Clear LCD screen with a 2560×1600 resolution

• LTE Version: 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• 3G Version: 1.9 GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor
• RAM: 3 GB
• 32/64 GB storage
• Up to 64 GB microSD storage
• 8 MP back camera with LED flash; full HD video recording and Zero Shutter lag
• 2 MP front camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 3.0
• WiFi ready: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; MIMO technology
• GPS and GLONASS enabled
• 9500 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• S-Pen Stylus; dedicated software such as Remote PC, Samsung e-Meeting etc.

The OS is Android KitKat 4.4 running, what Samsung calls it, a “Magazine UX” environment. The GUI is different with the typical Android GUI. It feels very much like Windows with stacked tiles of up to six gathered and organized. The leather backing gives it a nice, professional look. The stylus is proprietary, meaning other S-Pen styluses will not work. Notice that there are two versions of the tablet: a 3G version and an LTE version. The LTE version has a more powerful processor compared to the 3G version, but both offer tremendous processing. There are other screen sizes of the Samsung Galaxy NotePro: a 10.1 inch and 8 inch display – both bragging a sharper display. The price has not yet been announced, but it’s projected to be around the $300 – $400 range.

I’m sure Samsung has more up their sleeve, and I cannot wait to hear more.

Keep Chewing!

Things to Expect For 2014

Technology always changes. It’s a known fact. Remember when CDs used to be the rave? Now, CDs are only good for, things that I can’t name at the moment. Our music became digital, software became downloadable online and movies are also becoming more popular in the digital format. I can say that the CD is the floppy disk of our generation.

Of course, as technology changes, our society changes. The world changes either for the better (email, social connection through the Internet) or for the worse (terrible websites, unnecessary activities) and we need to adapt to it. Personally, I’m still waiting for the hoverboards from Back to the Future, but that seems farfetched (yet achievable).

One of the technological feats that will change the world, specifically this year, would be the implementation of the robotics in our daily life. Amazon is trying to push their idea of using drones to deliver purchased merchandise to the home of the customer in 30 minutes or less. Think of it as delivery pizza – but with a four propeller machine instead of a human. It’d be nice to have a drone for yourself but you’d have to have some kind of next level security clearance just to learn how to fly one. Amazon thinks it will benefit not only the company as a whole but also the customers. I don’t know – it seems unsafe and difficult to set this idea up. AI technology has to be completely revolutionary just so that the drone can navigate. Also, building a mass of these drones will not be a walk in the park.

Wearable technology will also be popularized. Google started with this trend with Google Glasses. I still think a person wearing a pair will look like an idiot. However, if they can implement this into normal prescription glasses, I might give it a shot. Watches are also becoming technologically advanced. The Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble are big competitors in this market, although I’m sure Apple will make some sort of “iWatch” and send it out and every single Apple lover will get one. Once again, Apple gets their money and everyone has a useless, hardware and software proprietary device.

Gaming will also change this year. Valve and their infamous Steam Box are rolling out this year, according to Steam. There has been no announced release date. Instead, Valve said “2014” and that’s it. This means that both the PS4 and the XBOX One will have another competitor in the contest (face it, the Wii U can’t really compete). There are so many games that are anticipated this year like Watch Dogs and Destiny. Watch Dogs has been delayed to a later date, but Destiny has be destined to be released on September 9, 2014. I cannot wait for Naughty Dog to start talking about the next installment of Uncharted.

2014 is going to be a wonderful year for technology (and gaming). The power of computing will definitely continue to evolve and progress. All we have to do is watch out.

Who knows, maybe we’ll finally get Half Life 3?

Keep Chewing!