Nexus 4 Is Here; LG Back In The Game, Also Nexus 10

It's here finally.  Despite Hurricane Sandy wrecking Google's plan, they went ahead and released Nexus 4, the next smartphone, and also iPad competitor Nexus tablet with a 10" screen.

The Nexus 4, made by LG, could be had for $300 without a contract.  You're thinking "only $300??? Must not have the beefiest specs."  Well, you'd be wrong. Here are some specs:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
• Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean
• Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
• Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
• Memory: 8GB / 16GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours
• Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm
• Weight: 139g
• Other: Wireless charging, NFC

Is that impressive enough for you?  Okay, I think the Galaxy III might have this beat or at least sort of keep things close.  Still, based on price alone, you have to go with the Nexus 4 and, on top of that, you have Google's Android purity without Samsung's fingerprints all over it.

Oh, and the $300 price point is for the 8 GB version - still cheaper than the Galaxy S III and Apple's iPhones.

On to the Nexus 10.  which isn't a looker.  However, at comparable storage to the iPad, Google has priced it $100 cheaper than Apple's tablets.  It's no $300 like I thought but I kinda expect Google to potentially drop $50 or more if for some reason, folks are not picking these pure Android tablets up.

And yes, since these are Google's own tablets, you can expect better Android support than what Samung gives its Galaxy Tab users or anyone else.

On top of that, Google boasts the Nexus 10 will have a better screen than the iPad in terms of DPI.  But at some point, that doesn't really matter.  To nerds, yes.  To normal mobile warriors?  We'll see.  

No matter which mobile camp you are in or are just a mobile nut like I am, iOS, Android, Windows 8, or anyone else, you have got to love the competition.  It's like Steve Jobs said, we are in the post-PC era.  Apparently, Apple isn't the only one to recognize that.  Google apparently does as well.  This is why it has its own line of Nexus devices, specifically the tablets.  

Source: Phandroid, CNN Money.

RPG: Zombie Game With A "Choose Your Own Adventure" And Old Style Paper Feel

Source:  Touch Arcade.

We don't write enough about games here.  And we totally should, you know?  Zombies rock and we're less than a week from Halloween.  And this "choose your own adventure" type of game here is exactly what mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are made for.

This RPG game, if you can call it that, has all the elements of those old 80s and 90s book RPG games that a game master would use to create adventures for other plays.  Those were great times.  And if you have never tried it, well, you simply have missed out.

But this game, available for iOS and Android, should help bridge that gap.  It's a zombie game, Blood of the Zombies, the title kinda gave the plot away a bit.

And there isn't a lot of gore so it makes the game focused on the adventure than say something like The Walking Dead game offers.  It's all for good old fashion fun.  It's a big pricy compared to other games in app stores but definitely offers something new other than puzzlers or the ever popular freemium games.

Meet Nexus 10 - It's Like A Giant Galaxy Nexus

Source:  CNet.

Meet Google and Samsung's answer to the iPad.  From this picture supplied by CNet, it looks like a giant Nexus phone.

I refuse to believe that Samsung cannot design something that isn't the iPad and still look good.

Maybe pricing will make all the diff for potential buyers.  $300 or even $250 would be a good point from Google.

Meaningless Survey Created To Sow Discontent Among Early-2012 iPad Owners

Source:  Cult of Mac (I don’t recommend clicking through – just an idiotic post).

I hate pollings like this one.  Folks with new iPads from April were asked what they thought about Apple releasing a new iPad with a speed increase just a couple of days were.  Well, if they didn’t know about it as most iPad owners would not have, they would not care.  Their early-2012 iPad was the best tablet they’ve owned.

So what if about 50% of the folks are upset.  We live in a world where people feel entitled and they are constantly looking out for things to be upset about.  Case in point.  At a local meeting, parents were upset with the current school board because another school board eons ago agreed to a cell tower on school property.

Not one of the old school board members who signed on to that are now serving on the current school board and a recall effort against the current board is beginning to take form.

So seriously, iPad owners love their iPads and these surveys and polls, much like those political ones, serve to say nothing about true public opinion.  A lot of time, the public doesn’t know when Apple, Google, Microsoft, or anyone else is going to release a new phone, tablet, OS, or computer.

They might do a bit of research online and go out to buy whatever it is that they need to buy when they needed it.

I like to see a poll where Kindle, Nook, and Nexus 7 owners are polled about whether they are upset that they bought into those media tablets if they are upset with Apple for releasing the iPad mini after they’ve bought their tablets.

Some might be upset but then again, until they were asked about it, they probably thought what they have now was probably the best tablet they’ve owned.

Blogger Goes Off Deep End Because iPad mini Not Priced at $199 Like He Wanted

Source: Digital Reader.

First, let's get this out of the way. The iPad mini was a response to the sub-10" tablet market, not necessarily the 7" tablets alone. And second, the iPad mini has a 7.9" screen that has a full 35% more screen real estate than the 7" flavors.

So in his post, the DR writer uses Steve Jobs, as if he really gets Steve, said he would have priced the mini at $199 or close to it. He doesn't really say but given the rumors that were flying about, I guess he was one of those who believed it to be true.

However, once you get pass his profanity, and there was lots of it, you are reminded that Apple never competed on price. Sure, the iPad at $499 was incredible but it is a whole new category of mobile computing no one has seen or experienced before. It was a new market for Apple to do as it will including pricing it at $499.

So for Apple to price the level entry mini at $329 isn't that far fetched. Remember, Apple was unwilling to produce a $499 Mac that Steve Jobs didn't think was a piece of junk.

The mini is a full $130 more than competing $199 Nexus 7, Kindle Fire, or the Nook. However, they are not comparable devices. One is truly a premium device when taken in as a whole - bigger screen albeit lower resolution, more storage, better built and design, and, more than 250,000 tablet ready apps to run on it.

Not the same thing, DR bro...sure, go buy the $199 devices. There will always be folks who will go for the less expensive devices. Apple selling and pricing the mini at $329 isn't mean for you, DR dude.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Interesting Theory: Apple's Event Today Aimed to Bury Microsoft

Interesting theory here from CNet. Apple's event today was not just about the iPad mini. It was not about putting some distance between the iPhone 5 introduction and the iPad mini. It was meant to bury an old foe once and for all.

Now, obviously today's focus was on the iPad mini. However, Apple did introduce a refresh of virtually all Mac line. Only the MacBook Pro and a MacBook air or not refreshed because they were just updated months ago. Perhaps, it was a coincidence. A coincidence that Windows 8 is just around the corner as well. Call incidents that Microsoft tablet, the surface, is about to be released.

Obviously, Apple's event today could've been aimed at Google, Amazon, or anyone else who wants to compete against Apple's ecosystem during this Holiday season. Personally, I surprised Apple did not bring forth any new media development.

So, maybe it's just a matter of timing. It's not Apple's fault that everyone wants bunch all their new gadget introductions during October.

I do believe, that Apple did put today's event As close as possible to Microsoft's own announcements. And don't forget, that Google is set to make its own announcement sometimes next week.

This will be a very crowded Christmas. Tim Cook and the rest of the Apple executives are going to try to outdo themselves. New iPhone, new iPads, and new Macs. An Apple conspiracy? Who knows. We do know this. Apple will have a very big quarter. Perhaps it's biggest. The question is With anyone else will have a great Christmas.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPad Mini - Hands On. A Compelling Competitor To the 7" Android Tablets?

Source:  Cult of Mac.

Here are a couple of detailed hands-on with the new iPad mini introduced by Apple today.  I’m sure you’re reading this because you’re in the market for a sub-10 device.  I don’t’ know what to tell you.  You can always expect Apple’s products to be designed well.

At $329, how does this compare with the $199 Android devices like the Kindle, Nexus, and the Nook tablets?  You’ll have to ask yourself some familiar questions about this.  It is worth the premium just to have a bigger screen (35% more real estate than standard 7” tablets), longer battery life, and being locked into Apple’s iOS ecosystem.

You’ll have to decide if this is the route you want to go.  I’m sure Google and Amazon will match Apple with different features and form factors so, again, there is a lot of competition now in the tablet market.

And it’s critical for all of these companies to be able to carve a piece of the tablet pie out for themselves.  The PC market has already begun to shrink and the tablet market will become even more lucrative for the likes of Apple who makes money off selling hardware.

Meanwhile, folks like Google has to make sure they have their presence on the tablets as Apple methodically lock it out over time.  For Google to do that, it has to sell its own tablet in sufficient volume so that its core revenue is protected – selling ads and media.

A lot is at stake this Christmas.  It’ll set the tone for the tablet market for years to come.  No one wants to see Apple dominate it.  Ask the MP3 player guys how that went with the iPod.

Now, here are the hands-on from a couple of pro-Apple sites.  Techcrunch offers a compelling argument for current iOS users and Apple fans but doesn’t say if it’ll be enough to make others jump ship or pony up the extra $130 for the iPad mini.

The Verge has a video, posted here.  I suggest clicking over to see what their readers are saying.