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iPhone 4S First Boot

The temptation of creating this video once I unboxed it was killing me.  You better believe that I have dedication to all of my fans!  The iPhone 4S has been my favorite phone that I have used, to this date.  I was excited to unbox it for you all but I’m even more excited to show you my first boot.

The set up process was a lot easier than I was expecting.  Minus all the jumps/cuts during the video, it took a total of 10 minutes to have my phone up and running.  Apple did all of my activation for me so I didn’t have to call my cell phone provider.  Apple makes all their products for simple to use and set up.  This is one of the main reasons why I love Apple.

I hope you enjoy my First Boot of the iPhone 4S.  Expect a lot of videos in the near future.  Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel.



Unboxing: Black iPhone 4S 16GB


I have finally got my hands on the iPhone 4S and I’m already a very proud owner.  I’ve literally been wanting this phone since day one but I haven’t had the money or the upgrade to do so.  Now that I finally have my hands on it, it’s time to give you all an unboxing.  I purchased the black 16gb model.  I didn’t feel the need to get the 32gb or 64gb model as it’s my phone.  I’m not really going to put music on the device.  If I want an MP3 player, I’ll continue to use my iPod Touch.  I only use devices like the iPod in the car.  Regardless to say, enjoy my unboxing and make sure you stay to the complete end where I show you the device.



Apple sells 350,000 textbooks in three days, analyst says

Since digital textbooks are still in their infancy, it might be tough to determine success in that market just yet. But so far, it appears Apple is doing quite well.

The iPhone maker reportedly sold 350,000 digital textbooks through its iBookstore in just its first three days of availability, Global Equities Research has revealed, according to All Things Digital, which obtained the data from the analyst firm. Global Equities Research monitors textbook downloads through its own “proprietary tracking system,” All Things Digital said today. The firm doesn’t disclose how that system works.

Last week, Apple unveiled digital textbooks for its iPad. The books, which are coming through major textbook publishers McGraw-Hill and Pearson, among others, allow for far more interactivity than physical editions. The textbooks come with video, 3D images, instant glossaries, and the ability to highlight and add notes. In addition, Apple is charging $14.99 or less for the high school textbooks available so far, making them more affordable than their traditional counterparts.

According to All Things Digital, citing Global Equities Research’s data, that price won’t necessarily hurt textbook publishers, which are accustomed to a typical markup on textbooks of between 33 and 35 percent, due to the number of parties that handle books throughout the supply chain to get them into classrooms. With Apple’s direct-to-consumer option, the middleman and production costs are cut out of the equation, allowing publishers to sell textbooks at a discount.

Moving away from the books themselves, Apple also unveiled iBooks Author at last week’s event. That Mac OS X-based application is designed to make it easier for authors to publish interactive iBooks and textbooks. According to Global Equities Research, iBooks Author was downloaded 90,000 times during its first three days of availability, indicating that authors have designs on self-publishing books in the coming months.

[via cnet]




Bejeweled Blitz App Review

Bejeweled Blitz is a fast passed puzzle/thinking game that is based around the original Bejeweled. See if you can beat your high score or your friends high school in under 60 seconds. Bejeweled Blitz is a very addicting game that is free in the app store.

I found myself addicted to this game for over 3 hours in one sit down.  Talk about completely zoning in on a game.




iOS 5.1 beta reveals Siri for iPad?

With Siri being a huge hit on the new iPhone 4S with iOS 5, we all are wondered why they just didn’t put Siri within iOS 5 for people with the iPhone 4 and the iPad.  While looking through the iOS 5.1 beta 3 settings on the iPad, we discovered a new section in the keyboard menu called “About Privacy and Dictation.”  As seen above, when you open this section, the iPad provides the user with standard legal literature and feature information for Siri Dictation.

Siri Dictation is not actually functional on the iPad 2 running iOS 5.1 beta 3.  There are resources leaning that it may be launched in the release of iOS 5.1 for the iPad or it may be an iPad 3 (if that’s what it’s called) exclusive feature.  If you own the iPod Touch 4th Generation with the retina displays, you will be able to see the same documentation.  On the iPhone 4S, Apple does not have a specific menu related to “Dictation and Privacy” in the keyboard panel.

If you plan to look for this literature on the iPhone 4S then you’ll have to dive a bit deeper into the settings.  If you look under the Siri preferences under general settings, you’ll see some documents that will cover both Dictation and Siri.


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Apple Makes Their Way to Target?

With Apple being one of the world’s leading companies, it makes many wonder where they will open up their next store.  If you are familiar with Walmart, you may know that some of their stores either have a Subway or McDonalds inside.  Could it be possible that Target will soon have an Apple store inside?

According to AppleInsider, Apple plans to open up 25 Apple Store locations inside existing Target stores.  This would allow the company to expand into smaller metro areas to increase their revenue.  Not like Apple needs anymore money.

Apple already sells a lot of products at Target stores including the iPad and most iPods.  This could go a number of ways.  Either this will help Apple out a lot or it won’t be as successful as we all think.

What do you think about this?  Do you think this could help Apple or break Apple?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

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Pay for your Starbucks with your iPhone in the U.K.

Back in 2010, Starbucks released their official application that lets us Americans have the option to pay for our Starbucks coffee with our iPhone.  The makers of this applications promised people in the U.K. that they would be able to use this.  Staying true to their word, Starbucks has now updated its official application for the iPhone to allow U.K. customers to pay for their coffee.

Users can link the iPhone application to their Starbucks card to allow faster payments.  This eliminate time at the cash register and makes the line go a lot faster.  One in five customers are said to already be using a Starbucks card in the U.K.  This means that this new service is set to be a huge success.

The new update of the application is available for download today and if free to download.  It also allows you to manage your Starbucks card on the go.

Have you had the luxury to pay for your coffee using your iPhone yet?  Will you be doing this option to help lines go quickly?

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Best iOS Apps of 2011

This year in mobile technology was a revolutionary change.  Many new phones were released that had applications that were available for downloading and purchasing.   I give you my top 5 applications for the iOS device that I feel topped them all in the year 2011.



Metal-backed iPhone 5 Rumor Strikes Again

How many of you would believe me if I said that Apple plans on releasing the new iPhone 5 with a metal backing?  Of course, this would be a rumor that has hit the surface once before so many people will probably just brush right over this posting.  According to a closed source (which we will call Joe Bobaloo), Joe Bobaloo posted a list of new features which includes the new metal backing to an updated iPhone 5 which is due to release next Fall.

According to Joe Bobaloo, the new iPhone 5 (if they call it that) will feature an entirely new physical structure of the iPhone which includes this new aluminum backing and a “rubber or plastic material” along the edges that will bridge the front and back of the device.

As many are probably aware, this isn’t the first case of seeing this backing for the future iPhone.  A 9to5Mac report in March said that Apple was cooking up a model with a flat metal back.  As we all saw, Apple decided to mainly update their software and keep the physical structure of the phone the same.  Do you see a trend?  They did this with the iPhone 3 and 3GS.  Maybe this will mean that the new release if the iPhone (5?) will be a completely new redesign like the past.

Will Apple keep this strong and continue with the recent trends or change it up?  What do you think about having a metal backing to the new generation iPhone?  Do you think this would help keep the phone more structurally equipped or make this worse?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.



AMD Announces New Mac Pro-Suitable Radeon HD 7970 Graphics Card

Earlier this month, we noted that developer builds of OS X 10.7.3 were showing evidence of AMD’s forthcoming “Tahiti” graphics card family, the first to be built using 28-nanometer technology. The evidence suggested that Apple was at least preparing for the possibility of the cards being used in a Mac Pro update next year, an update that is reportedly still in question given uncertainty about the future of the line.


In the wake of those findings, AMD today officially announced the high-end Radeon HD 7970 from the Tahiti line, billing it as the world’s fastest single-chip graphics card.

With the arrival of the AMD Radeon HD 7970, AMD has unleashed its revolutionary new Graphics Core Next Architecture that enables new levels of gaming and compute capabilities – realizing an improvement of over 150% in performance/sq mm over the prior generation. Engineered with support for PCI Express 3.0 and AMD CrossFire technology, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 graphics card arrives prepared for the next level of gaming.

Engadget has a nice roundup of reviews of the new card, with testers generally reporting significantly improved performance over the current generation of equivalent AMD cards and other high-end competitors such as NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 580. On the negative side, reviews cited the card’s $549 price tag and significant noise under high load.

The Radeon HD 7970 will launch on January 9th, and AMD is also reported to be preparing to launch a slightly scaled-down model in the form of a Radeon HD 7950 card.

With new Xeon processors from Intel launching in the first quarter of 2012 and AMD’s new graphics card offerings lining up for a January launch, parts do appear to be coming together for a significant upgrade for the Mac Pro, which has not been updated since July 2010. What remains to be seen is whether Apple will continue to invest in its professional-level workstation line.

[via MacRumors]



Holiday Free Shipping by Apple: Today only!

Look at the calendar, did you realize that Christmas is in just 4 days!  I hope I didn’t leave you scrambling to go Christmas shopping for loved ones.  If you plan on buying gifts from Apple’s online store, you may want to buy them tonight and not wait until tomorrow.  Apple has upgraded its holiday shipping offer to provide free next-day shipping on almost all of its hottest items.  In order for this to work, you’ll have to order no later than today to ensure you will receive your purchases on Christmas Eve.

The deadline for free next-day shipping is today, December 21, with delivery promised by December 24.  Most of the popular items are covered, including Macs, iPads, iPods, and the Apple TV.  Items that will not be included in the great holiday offer are iPhone 4S (which are still in short supply), items that have custom engraving and custom-built Macs that have been build to your specifications.

If you have a loved one who has been dying for a Mac and you thought you’ve ran out of time, you’re in luck!  Empty those wallets for your special someone and put a big smile on their face.  Will you be last-minute shopping at the Apple online store today/tonight?



5 Apps Worth Downloading this Week

iOS Applications are probably one of the world’s most downloaded pieces of software.  I’m here to give you guys the top 5 Apps that are worth downloading this week.  I’ll be covering Temple Run, Rail Maze, Drag Racing, Amazing Breaker and Evernote.

If you would like me to ever review an application and possibly have it in this serious, please suggestions/sponsor them to me by contacting me here.

Temple Run (Free)

Temple Run is a great action filled adventure game for your iOS device.  Basically, it’s a never ending running game that’s very simple to learn and will be addicting for weeks to come.  I hope you enjoy running away from big monkeys or chimpanzees.  For a never ending game, the graphics are amazing that brings the frames to life with some 3D animations.

Features

  • Simple swipe and tilt controls that are easy to use and just feel right
  • Level up your character and use crazy powerups
  • Original 3D running mechanic combining turning, jumping, sliding and tilting – the first of its kind!
  • Play as 7 different characters!
  • Game Center Leaderboards and Achievements
  • Incredibly fun, just one more time, endless game play!

With a perfect 5 start rating in the iTunes App Store, I would highly recommend this application to all ages.

Rail Maze (Free)

“Rail Maze is an amazing puzzle game that will give you so many different options, you’ll be busy playing it for hours.”

If you’re into games that really put your mind to the test, Rail Maze by Spooky House Studios is probably a perfect match for you.  The object of the game is to get the train from begin to end by turning around tracks and avoiding obstacles and bombs.  It’s a great puzzle game for all ages.  While the game play might sound a bit corny, I promise you will become addicted in a matter of no time.

Features

  • 100+ puzzles
  • Tunnels
  • Bombs
  • Pirate Trains
  • Super long trains
  • Global online scoreboards by Scoreloop
  • 4 Game modes: Labyrinth, Build Railroad, Snake, Longest Railroad

With a current rating of 4 stars in the app store, you know it’ll be a good choice.  Game play is simple to learn but will take days to master each puzzle.  I would also recommend this application to all ages.  This application is also available for a small purchase of $0.99 for the pro model.

Drag Racing  (Free)

Being a guy that has racing in their blood, of course I’m going to choose this application for this week.  In this game, you won’t even notice that hours that have just ticked by while you’re playing this game.  Of course, if you’re not into cars, you may not enjoy this realistic drag racing game.  With over 50 cars ranging from imports to all american muscle, you will always find a car that suits you and your personality.  The game play is all about racing the opponent and trying to win.  Isn’t that how all racing games are played?  Graphics aren’t leading edge, but they are still very beautiful.

With so many features and so little time to type them all, I’ll just leave you with this.  World Records will be making its way to this application.  Wouldn’t you like to say you have one of the fastest cars in the game, world wide?

Like I said, this game might only suit those who are truly into cars but if you are not, don’t knock it.  Give it a try and you might find yourself a new and expensive life hobby!  Just stay out of trouble with the law and speeding.  If you would like to avoid seeing advertisements during your game play, a small fee of $0.99 will eliminate all ads.  With an under rating of 3 1/2 stars, this application deserves more respect and I would recommend to all ages.

Amazing Breaker ($0.99)

Interested in a game that may be more addicting then the popular Angry Birds, check this out.  The basics of this game is to toss bombs and destroy a glassy textured shape.  It sounds weird but I’m not so sure how to exactly describe it.  You will just have to check it out and take my word on this.  This application puts your mind to the task as well as steady hands and good eye judgement.  Who doesn’t like blowing things up in HD Quality graphics?

“It’s definitely a must-buy if you like challenging puzzle games”

Features:

  • Full high resolution Retina Display graphics
  • Addictive “Aim and Shoot” gameplay
  • Game Center and Achievements and OpenFeint
  • 80 Awesome Levels
  • More levels coming soon…
  • Easy to learn but hard to master
  • Explosive Excitement (literally) – create cascades of exploding crystals

If you’re skeptical about spending a misely one dollar, you can always download the free version which lets you try out 20 levels so you can get the hang of the game.  Honestly, take my word and just spend the buck.  For a well deserved 4 1/2 stars, I again, highly recommend this application to all ages.

Evernote (Free)

If you are anything like me, you love to be organized.  I have found Evernote to be an extremely helpful tool to help me stay organized while I brain storm and take notes.  Evernote lets you take notes on your iOS device on the go and it automatically syncs up with your computer if you have Evernote installed on your computer.  Evernote is also available for BlackBerry and I believe Android.  It’s not only for notes because it lets you have the ability to snap pictures and take audio notes.  There are so many fantastic little features to help you stay organized.

Features:

  • Create text, photo and audio notes
  • Auto-synchronize your notes to your Mac, PC, and Web
  • Magically makes text within snapshots searchable
  • Mark notes as “Favorite” for quick access
  • All notes include geo-location information for mapping and search

If you aren’t an organized person, you should really consider starting out and using this application.  It’s very simple to use and master and it will always look pleasing to the eye.  Evernote uses a great style when you’re typing and saving notes.  Once you get organized, you will see a bit more ease in your life goals.  Trust me!  With a 4 1/2 star rating, why not try to get organized!  Perfect for all ages but best for the business man and school student.

    



Amazing Breaker App Review


Amazing Breaker is an AMAZING application for any iOS device. I hope you enjoy this app review. I highly recommend this application because it’s extremely addicting! I give it a perfect 5/5 stars!

David Di Franco’s Links:

Personal Site: http://daviddifran.co
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Always Win App Review


Always Win is just like flipping coin but in card form a bit of a twist to it. Is it truly worth the $0.99 to purchase this app? Watch the review and I’ll let you be the deciding factor!

Check out the developers website: Click Here



Does Apple feel the heat from Kindle Fire?

Since the release of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, there have been many speculations that Apple may be feeling heat, but is this true?  Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will be the first to tell you that they are feeling absolutely no “heat” at all.  In fact, Apple is not concerned at all about competition from the Amazon Kindle Fire.  You might as well put Apple in a fire-proof box!

Even though the Kindle Fire has a cheaper price tag, Apple will still win the hearts from many due to the fact that it’s made by Apple.  With that being said, this will always help Apple keep the iPad on top of the competition.  Here is what Reitzes had to say:

While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products. The more fragmentation, the better, says Apple, since that could drive more consumers to the stable Apple platform. We believe that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad eventually but not compromise the product quality and experience.

The real question is, will Apple change the price of the iPad 3 (if that’s what they will call it) or continue to keep the price tag higher?  Do you prefer the iPad 2 or the Kindle Fire?  Leave your thoughts.



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