Switching back to iPhone: What I love and what I miss

A lot of people became really concerned for me when I gave up my iPhone 4S for an LG G2 about a year and a half ago. I just wanted something different. I loved my iPhone from the moment I got it, but the small screen size and software started to really strangle my smartphone experience. I had to make a change. And when I made the switch from iOS to Android, people didn't understand. It was like I was abandoning Apple and starting a new life with my mobile mistress. Sometimes I think people act like they are married to whatever smartphone platform they first choose. If I have an iPhone now, when I upgrade I need to get a new iPhone. Or, if your Samsung Galaxy S4 is getting slow, you better get an S5. But, there are so many options out there, and it's okay to try them out. You don't know if what you have is what you like best if you never try anything else. 

So, I tried something else. My LG G2 was, and still is, awesome. I fell in love with the Android experience right away. I started to tweak every single thing I could on the phone; things I couldn't change on my iPhone. My newfound phone freedom was exciting. I ended up rooting the G2 for even more personalization and installing custom Roms like Cyanogenmod and CloudyG3; the possibilities seemed endless. I thought I would never go back to the confining features of an Apple device. Then, the iPhone 6 and iOS 8 came out. 

Finally! The iPhone 6 finally had the features that I wish my first iPhone had. Things like a larger screen, Swiftkey, and better Google integration were just a few of the things that I became quickly excited about. But could I give up my beloved G2 for it? Well, I did. And about 6 months later I've compiled a list of things I love about my iPhone 6 and things I miss about my Android. Here we go...

Things I miss about my G2:

1. Customizability - Obviously this has to be first. With so many different keyboards, cameras, fonts, color layouts, button layouts, etc, there's a lot to miss in this department. 

2. Tap to wake - The G2 has a feature that I used almost every time I picked up my device. You can double tap the screen to turn it on. Quick and simple, no buttons required. 

3. Buttons on Back - The G2 has the volume up/down and power buttons all on the back of the device; right where your pointer finger rests when holding the phone. This allows for a convenient place to turn the screen on/off and for my next point....

4. Screen to phone ratio - the LG G2 doesn't have the best overall body design, but it does sport a 5.2" screen in a slim, small frame. The side bezels are practically nonexistent and the top and bottom bezels are just big enough to house the speakers and camera. This made a large screen feel relatively small. 

5. Software - Last, but not least, just the overall software layout of Android. I like widgets and an app drawer so that I don't just have pages of square app icons on my home screens. 

Now for the iPhone 6: What I love:

1. Design - The best way to describe the iPhone 6 is 'premium'. It feels like what you're holding is actually worth something, not some glassy plastic or rubbery design. It's simple and sleek, and the way the glass screen seamlessly meets the metal chassis gives it an infinity pool look. Very stylish. 

2. Google integration - Because I did use a Google powered android device, I immersed myself into the Google ecosystem, and I love it. But, unlike the first time I had an iPhone, Google has integrated its apps so well into iOS that I can still use most of the Google features I've come to love. 

3. Messaging - This is a two fold point. First, iMessage. iMessage is such a great convenience mainly because you can text over wifi. I have no service at my desk at work and I had to send texts 4-6 times from my android device for my iPhone-using wife to receive them. Problem solved with iMessage. It also just makes sending everything over messaging iPhone-to-iPhone so much easier. Secondly, the keyboard. Although you cannot swipe for texting, there is just something about using the iPhone keyboard that is so satisfying. The predictions are amazing and the spacing is perfect. I feel that you can't really know what I'm talking about until you've tried it. It just feels right. 

4. Simplicity - This is a big one for a lot of people. iPhone gets a bad rep for being an old lady phone because it's simple to use, but isn't simple a good thing? If I want to change something or find something I can, without having to Google it. A two year old can pick one up and literally start using it immediately. Although it does have its restrictions, I've come to appreciate simplicity. 

5. Camera - This one is, by far, the most important for me. I take A LOT of pictures. Especially of my toddling daughter. Toddlers are constantly moving and the last thing I want is to use a camera with shutter lag and an over saturated product. I couldn't ever get the picture when I wanted because the moment passed by in between the time I hit the shutter button and the time the picture was actually taken. I have so many blurry pictures of my daughter on my LG. I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of portraits and still lifes from my G2, but if I wanted to get something in action, well, forget it. And, I found this on other android devices as well. In those type of situations, the iPhone just takes the cake (and the better picture). And, of course, the iPhone has the slow-mo video, which never gets old. 

There are many other things I could add to both of these lists, but these are the top 5. Will I ever switch back to an android powered device? Most likely. And then back to iPhone. Then android. Then iPhone. I don't think I'll ever settle on one or the other. I like so many things about each of them. Android device manufacturers just seem to take more risks on advancement with their devices, and I like that. It's not always something that turns out to be a long-lasting or useful feature, but I like that they're trying something new. iPhone wants to make sure everything is as perfect and well-working as it can be before it lets consumers use it, which is a huge positive and shows in all their devices and software. And, for now, I am loving my iPhone 6 and have absolutely no desire to give it up for an android device... Yet :) 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Let me know your thoughts and opinions :) 

Be safe. Be courteous. 

Ryan

Twitter Sized Movie Review: God's Not Dead

Gods not dead: Weak acting & dialogue. Awesome message. Student/Christian vs Prof./Atheist to prove God is real. Compelling. Must see. 7/10

Twitter Sized Movie Review: Cinderella (2015)

Cinderella :Classic w/ welcomed additions. Very emotional @ times. Good acting, little singing. Comedic fairy godmother. Walt would be proud

My Top 5 Favorite Apps:

There are way too many apps in the AppStore and Google Play Store now, and a lot of them are hardly worth the time they take to download. And phones are made for more than just social media consumption. There are some great apps, free apps, that can change how you live your day to day life. I've gone through a lot of apps on all my devices. Download them one day, and just delete them the next. But, there's a few I always come back to and need to have on my devices, iOS or Android. So, here's the list of my top 5 favorite apps:

1. Google Play Music 

There are plenty of music apps out there. Between Pandora, Spotify, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, Rdio, iTunes Radio, etc there are plenty of options for listening to music on your phone or tablet. But sometimes you want to listen to your own artists you've downloaded, for free, with your own playlists, in whatever order you want, and that is where Google Play Music is awesome. Basically, you download the Play Music Manager on your computer and upload ALL your music through it. Then, with the Play Music app you can access it all without it taking any storage on your phone. Now of course you'll need data or wifi to access it, but you would with any of those other apps too. The difference here is that there's no ads, it's your choice music, and it's free. Another cool feature, if you use iTunes, is that the Play Music Manager will automatically upload music that you've added to your iTunes library on your computer. Definitely woth the zero cents per month for this one :) 

2. Evernote

If you have a mobile device and you do not have Evernote, stop reading this right now and go download it (not really, keep reading this). Evernote is all about productivity. It's, at its most basic, a note taking app, but it's designed it to be so much more. It's great for making check lists, or scanning pages, or setting reminders, or creating project ideas for work. One cool feature is that it will look at your calendar, know if you are at an event, and title your notes accordingly. There are several ways to organize and search for your notes. When you create a note it will use Location Services to figure out where you are and you can later search by notes taken in certain locations. You can also tag your notes with certain phrases to easily find later. Or you can organize notes into Notebooks like "Recipes" or "Movies I want to see". Evernote also has something called Work Chat where you can share your notes with someone else that has Evernote and they can add to or edit your note as well, which is great for collaboration on projects. If you are an iOS user, Evernote has a great widget that goes in your notifications shade that makes it super convenient to access.

There are many more parts to Evernote that I haven't even discovered yet, but once you start using it, it becomes integral to your every day life. 

3. IF (formerly known as IFTTT)

IF, or IFTTT (If This Than That) takes productivity to another level. It puts your device to work for you. What it all comes down to is recipes. Basically if this happens, then make this happen. 

Or, for example, if someone tags me in a photo on Facebook, then save it to an album on my phone. 

Then you will see that any time someone tags you in a photo on Facebook it will be saved to your phone. Pretty convenient. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many apps that IF works with, and you can tweak the recipes in so many ways to make them work just right for you. There are tons of recipes published by other people you can use, and adapt for you, or you can create your own. A few I use include: if a new post for an item I'm searching for on Craigslist is added, I get an email with the link. Another one is that if I post on Blogger, it will post the Blogger post to Twitter. One last one: if I use Siri (or the iOS reminder app) to make a reminder, it will create a reminder in Evernote; that way I can see it on my iPhone, android tablet, or computer. These are just a few of the seemingly endless recipes that are out there. IF has also recently come out with two new apps, DoNote and DoButton, which takes efficiency to an even higher level. So, put your phone to work for you and get IF!

4. Shazam

*🎶song playing🎶* "Who sings this song? I think it's Beyoncé! Or, wait, maybe it's U2! I just don't know!" <-- classic scenario. That's why Shazam was created. If you don't know what song is playing, or who sings it, just Shazam it! There's not a whole lot of description needed for this app. Two touches of your phone and you know what song is playing, who sings it, when it was released, what album it was on, if it won any awards, and the lyrics; all, usually, within about 10 seconds.

It also conveniently provides links to purchase the song and it keeps a record of your "tags" so you can go back later and check out your newfound music discoveries. Very simple and very convenient. Check it out! 

5. Mailbox

If you hadn't guessed it already, Mailbox is an email application that works with Gmail accounts. The built-in features of this app are what separate it from other email apps. The goal of Mailbox is to get your inbox to zero. You can archive, delete, snooze, or file your emails; and the way you do this is quick and fun. Swiping. 

Swipe right= Archive or Save

Far swipe right= Delete

Swipe left= Snooze

Far swipe left= Add to list 

Now, when it comes to "snoozing" your emails, you have options. You can remind yourself in an hour, later that day, in a few days, in a week, or you can just pick a date, and it will send you the same email again. And as far as lists, you can create however many you want, such as Receipts, Coupons, Church, Finance, Craigslist finds, or whatever else you fancy. The goal is just to be organized with your email, that way you know where to look when you need to find something. It's a very simple layout, it's easy and fun to use, and it keeps at least part of your life organized :) Sorry Apple Mail and Gmail, Mailbox is just the best. 

So, those are the 5 top (non social media) apps that I always have on all my devices. I would recommend everybody at least try them, because I think you will see how much you enjoy using them. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I welcome your feedback.  

Be safe. Be courteous. 

Ryan

Thoughts on the Apple Watch

As some of you might know, this past Monday Apple held a "Spring Forward" event. This event covered a few things, one of which was the Apple Watch. 

This watch has been rumored about for probably the last two years. Smart watches have been on the rise and companies have been coming out with Android compatible watches left and right and other iOS compatible watches here and there. But, the watches that work with iPhone never really allowed to use your watch instead of your phone. It was just more of a timepiece with generic notifications. But now, finally, iOS users will be able to have a full featured smart watch. 

While watching the keynote address I got pretty excited about the Apple watch. I do agree that it could easily become integral to my everyday life. Many times I take my phone out of my pocket to just check the time or check my latest notification. If I don't wanna respond right then, I just put the phone back. It would be nice if I could just see who texted or emailed me on my wrist, without taking my phone out, and then decide if it's worth taking my phone out, or if it can wait. The watch will receive any notification that you would receive on your iPhone. You will be able to send and receive texts, emails, phone calls, and use Siri by pressing a button or just saying "Hey Siri", and even paying with Apple Pay by just holding your wrist close to the scanner. Pretty neat. 

The Apple watch also uses something called "glances" to take a quick look at things you care about. Things like what's trending on Twitter or how your favorite sports team is doing. And you don't even have to have your phone on your person to use the watch. 

One thing they really pushed at the event was how the watch helps you exercise. It has a heart rate monitor, and tells you when you've been sitting too long, and keeps track of your steps and all that good stuff. This is already accomplished by many other fitness bands for far cheaper, but it would be nice to have everything in one device. Except that if I have a metal band (to look professional at work) do I really wanna go running with that band clanging around on my wrist? Something to think about.

There's a few things I think will be great on the Apple watch. The charger is magnetic, which seems like it will be so simple and quick, and the battery should last as long as I'm awake (Apple states 18 hours). Some other smart watches out on the market can go several dayson a  charge, so Apple is a little lacking in that category; just another thing to charge overnight :) Something else that I look forward to is the ability to tweak so many things on the watch face. You can add the date, outside temperature, next meeting, reminders, and there's lots of different watch faces to choose from, including Mickey Mouse!!

One thing I don't look forward to is the pricing. Apple has designed three different types of watches for consumers. Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition. 

The Sport comes in an aluminum casing in either space grey or silver and the rubber wrist bands come in 5 different colors (much like the colors of the iPhone 5c). It comes in two sizes and two prices. The 38mm model will cost $350 dollars and for an extra $50 you get another 4mm. 

Sport:

The Apple Watch has many more options. They come in a stainless steel case and have 4 different style bands including Sport, leather, Milanese loop, or  a link bracelet. These are definitely fancier looking but also cost fancier. They start at $550 and go up to $1100 depending on size, finish, and the band you choose. "Wow!" You might say. 

Watch:

But don't say it too soon, because lastly we have the Apple Watch Edition. Sporting an 18 karat gold casing and clasp, this watch will drain you of $10,000!! But they're only available in limited selection so make sure you get your preorder in! 

Edition:

So, with all that to think about here's my overall thought: yes, I do think this would be an awesome addition to my daily life, but is it worth, at the very least, $350? That will depend on how much you feel like you have to stay connected to your phone at all times. One thing to think about is that it is technology, and it won't be long til it could be out of date. As far as usefulness, I think that it has some very gimmicky things that I will never use, but it has many traits that I would easily use on a daily basis. I, personally, do think the price is a little high, but it is Apple, and they can do that because they will still sell millions of them. 

So, check out the keynote and go to your local Apple Store on April 10th to preorder and try on an Apple Watch and decide for yourself. The watch goes for sale on April 24, 2015. 

Keynote Video link: https://youtu.be/_5osYMY5n3Q

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Be safe. Be courteous. 

Ryan

What to (binge)watch on Netflix Instant: 30 Rock

One truly great thing about Netflix is that it allows for/encourages binge watching TV shows. It makes my heart palpitate when I log in and see a show where 5 or more seasons were added. It gives me the certainty I need to know that I won't have to spend hours browsing Netflix for something that I'll regret watching anyways.

One quality I look for when I'm searching for a show to visually devour, is that it needs to be light. I can't engage myself in a deep drama hour after hour; it just gets too heavy. I find myself mentally drained from all the stress, miscommunication, sneakiness, plotting, and just overall DRAMA! I need something that I can feel good when watching it. Something that makes me laugh, but still has good relationships between the characters. And, unlike many dramas, I need a show where all the main characters don't just take turns sleeping with each other!

One show that I have found fits my binge watching wish list is 30 Rock. A show featuring Tina Fey as a head writer for a sketch comedy show called "TGS with Tracy Jordan". I had seen this show on TV many times before and caught random episodes here and there, but never really appreciated anything about it. But, now i know why. You HAVE to watch this show straight through from the beginning. Every episode there are new jokes, based on the jokes from the episode prior, based on the jokes the episode before that, etc. So, if you just jump in the middle, it's kind of funny, but you can tell you're missing something.

There is a very diverse group of characters in this show that make it so great. Most importantly, there's Liz Lemmon(Tina Fey), who is the MOST relatable nerd in the world. You have Alec Baldwin playing Jack Donaghy, the boss man. He's kind of the big shot, rich guy who is just awesome all the time at everything, for no real reason. Then theres Tracey Jordan and Jenna Maroney who are the main actors in the TV show. They put a new meaning to the word ridiculous. They are incredibly self involved, needy, and ignorant, but the cast needs to cater to their every need, since they are they stars. One of main caterers is Kenneth Parcell, who is the Page for the show, and basically does whatever Jenna or Tracey needs. Of course there are many more characters worth mentioning but I think you get the gist.

30 Rock is definitely hilarious, beginning to end, and I highly recommend it. Plus, Tina Fey is a comedic genius. Thanks to Netflix, I've actually had the privilege to watch all 7 Seasons, and I don't regret spending roughly 54 hours of my life watching this show :)

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Be safe. Be courteous.

Ryan

Twitter Sized Movie Review: Avatar

Avatar. Tall blue ppl. Better version of Dances with Wolves. Awesome music and CGI. Slo-Mo action. Love story. Human greed. Must see! 9/10

Twitter Sized Movie Review: The Interview

The Interview. Seth Rogen+James Franco. Comedy. R. 112mins. Funny. Lots of sex jokes & swearing. Some gore. Waste of time. Over the top 5/10

Divergent: Book vs Movie

A well known fact is that movies made from books are never as good as the books themselves, and in the case of Divergent, that is 100% accurate. BUT, it's much more efficient to watch a movie.

Brief Plot Summary 

I, luckily, read the book before I saw the movie. I enjoyed the over all idea of the story, and I'll try not to give too much away for those who haven't read it yet. The main character, Beatrice (later called "Tris"), lives in a divided society of factions. Each faction serves a different purpose in the life of the community. Her faction, Abnegation, is about being selfless and serving others, but Beatrice struggles to feel like she belongs to this group. When she becomes the proper age she is able to choose what faction she will belong to for the rest of her life; her decision changes everything. 

Thoughts On The Book

I really enjoyed reading the book. It was very hard to put down for any sort of extended period of time. The author gives you a good look inside the mind of a self conscious teenage girl. She clearly shows the constant inner struggle of self worth that many people, not just girls, have in real life. I always like books because you can go so much deeper into every situation. Every feeling. Every thought. So much more detail than you can get from a visual facial reaction. As you read, you really begin to feel what Tris does. You feel her pain as she gets beat up by Molly, and you feel her frustration when she gets chastised by Four, but feel her affection as she starts to love him. In my opinion, the most important things are in the details, and this book definitely does not leave them out when it comes to emotions. 

Emotions are fine and dandy, but action is also important. The book does well at incorporating action. There's hand to hand combat, knives in eyes, roof jumping, train jumping, murders and all kinds of things to keep the story interesting. I wouldn't say it keeps you on the edge of your lazy boy, but it keeps the pages turning. Overall, great book, and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Thoughts on the Movie

Why? I just kept asking my TV "why" and saying "that's not how that happened!". I just cannot understand why they made the movie the way they did. I understand they can't fit everything into a two hour movie, but at least try to follow the proper sequence of events! Even of the stuff they left in, there were so many things out of place. The fight scenes during the Dauntless training were so out of order. They totally skipped over the parent visitation day, and decided to have Tris's mom just show up randomly another day. And at one point, Marcus says a line that Tris's dad is supposed to say, but Tris's dad is standing right there! Why?! And I won't even get into the ending with Jeanine; way off mark. I understand a lot of the reference here don't make sense if you didn't read the book or see the movie, but they are points that have to be brought up. The movie, to me, ruined the whole series. I do believe that if I had not read the book, it would be totally different. Several people told me they loved the movie, and hadn't read the books. The movie may have been good, but I was too distracted by the mistakes to realize it. 

Conclusion

Since I saw the movie I have read the next book, Insurgent, and am currently reading the last book, Allegiant. I still am enjoying the books, but not as much as I have the first one. I do believe I will see the next movie in hopes that it will be better than the first one. 

So, if I could give you any advice... Read the books, pass on the movie. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. 

Be safe. Be courteous. 

Ryan