Apple Event October 23 - iPad Mini, New iMacs, New 13" Retina Display MacBook Pro

Were you watching the Live Streaming Apple Event Video at the California Theatre in San Jose from Apple's website? Or were you unlucky enough to not have the minimum requirements of a Mac running Snow Leopard or higher, or an iPhone, iPad, or iPod running iOS 4.2 or higher? Tell me in the comments below, but in the meantime, here are all the goodies...

First some major headlines curtesy of MacRumors, and Engadget:

iPad mini

As rumored, Apple announced the new iPad mini at today's media event. The device features a 7.9-inch display with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, measures just 7.2 millimeters thin and weighs 0.68 pounds. 


Internally, the iPad Mini has a dual-core A5 processor, a Facetime HD camera on the front and a 5-megapixel camera on the rear, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, and 4G LTE cellular connectivity in some models. Despite its smaller size, the iPad mini still offers up to 10 hours of battery life.

“iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”

With the same resolution as the iPad 2, all existing iPad apps that work on the older iPad 2 will work on the iPad mini without any need for developers to make modifications to their existing apps. 

The iPad mini starts at $329 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi model, with the 32 GB Wi-Fi model priced at $429 and the 64 GB Wi-Fi model coming in at $529. The models with cellular capability cost an additional $130. All models are available in the same black/slate and white/silver color schemes seen on the iPhone 5. 

Pre-orders for the iPad mini will start on Friday, October 26 with the Wi-Fi models shipping on November 2 and the cellular models starting to ship two weeks later. 

Apple has also introduced new polyurethane iPad mini Smart Covers in six different colors, priced at $39 each. Apple also now has a full suite of Lightning adapters to support USB camera connections, SD cards and VGA or HDMI connectivity.

New 8th Generation iMacs

Apple today updated its iMac lineup, dramatically reducing the thickness of the desktop machines and adding a brand new Fusion Drive that combines flash storage and a traditional disk-based hard drive to maximize both speed and capacity. 


The iMac will come with both 21.5-inch and 27-inch displays, and includes a new fully laminated design to improve optical quality and a new anti-reflective coating.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,299 in the US, and includes a with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive. The 21.5" model should begin shipping in November. 

The 27-inch iMac starts with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive starting at $1,799 and shipping in December.

4th Generation iPad

Apple today announced an update to its full-size iPad, upgrading its processor with a faster A6X chip and implementing the new Lightning connector that debuted with the iPhone 5. The new processor delivers up to two times the CPU and graphics performance of the prior chip, while maintaining 10 hours of battery life and the same design as the prior iPad. 


The new iPad now supports many new international LTE carriers, as well. 

The fourth-generation iPad comes in black and white with the same pricing and storage configurations as the third-generation iPad models, starting at $499 for the 16 GB Wi-Fi models and $629 for the 16 GB cellular models. 

Pre-orders for the new iPad begin on Friday, October 26 through the Apple Online Store in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. 

The Wi-Fi configurations will begin shipping November 2, with the LTE configurations following two weeks later in the US, and then following in other countries.

13" Retina Display MacBook Pro

Apple has released a new 13" MacBook Pro with Retina Display, an upgrade to Apple's most popular notebook. The new Retina model, like it's 15" brethren, strips out the optical drive to limit thickness and weight, while adding a new 2,560 x 1,600 pixel display. The new MacBook Pro is 20% thinner than its full-size brother and weighs 3.57 pounds.

The new MacBook Pro packs more than 4 million pixels into its 13-inch Retina display, nearly twice the number of pixels in an HD television. At 227 pixels per inch, the Retina display’s pixel density is so high the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels at a normal viewing distance, so images look sharp and text looks like it does on the printed page. With four times the pixels of the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, you can view and edit video in pixel-accurate 1080p and see a new level of detail in high resolution images. The 13-inch Retina display uses IPS technology for a 178-degree wide viewing angle, and has 75 percent less reflection and 28 percent higher contrast than the current generation.

Internally, the updated MacBook Pro will offer flash storage, Intel dual-core Ivy Bridge processors, and Intel HD Graphics 4000. It can be configured with up to 768 GB of flash storage. The 13-inch retina display MacBook Pro will start at $1,699 with a 128 GB flash drive and 8 GB of RAM. It begins shipping today.

The full-size MacBook Pro with optical drive remains available.

New Mac Mini

Apple updated its Mac mini line of desktop computers at its media event today. 


The updated Mac mini models have new processors, including quad-core chips on the high end, as well as new build-to-order RAM options of up to 16 GB. Pricing remains the same as the prior generation Mac Mini models, starting at $599. There are two standard configuration and a server configuration: 

- $599, 2.5 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD
- $799, 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD
- $999, 2.3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 2TB HD, Includes Mountain Lion Server

High-end Mac mini models can now also be configured with Apple's new Fusion Drive technology, which seamlessly integrates a traditional 1 TB hard drive with 128 GB of fast flash storage for both speed and capacity. System files and frequently used apps and data are automatically placed in flash storage to optimize speed, while other data is housed on the slower traditional hard drive. 

The Mac mini was last updated in July of 2011, marking some 460 days since the last update and the new models are available starting today.

Apple introduces new Smart Cover for iPad mini

By Donald Melanson  posted Oct 23rd 2012 2:09PM

Not a huge surprise here, but Apple has also introduced a new polyurethane Smart Cover for the iPad mini. While mostly identical in appearance to its larger counterpart, this smaller version does do away with the metal hinge in favor of a new design that Apple's Jony Ive says essentially wraps the device in a single piece of material. The cover also expectedly comes in a variety colors -- six, to be specific, including a (Product) RED model, each of which will set you back $39.

My personal thoughts? Here they are...

iPad Mini and 4th Generation iPad

First things first, I'm going to start off by saying that I'm loving the new iPad mini, and am reacting to it in a way different way than I originally thought. Back when the the 3rd Generation iPad, came out in March of this year, I would've laughed at any suggestion of an iPad mini, simply because I thought that the screen size was great and I liked it. I'd also have laughed at the thought of Apple, whose Late Steve Jobs said anything smaller than 10" just isn't a tablet, would even consider producing one. Needless to say, though, I am majorly impressed by what they've done and can hardly wait to get my hands on one to give you my in-person thoughts and impressions. From a distance, though, and considering I already have the 3rd Generation iPad, I'm really liking, and heavily debating whether I should get an iPad mini as an addition, or a replacement.  I'm impressed at the design, and fact that they have actually made a sub-ten inch tablet that I am considering purchasing. I can safely say, I thought it'd never work. So here's my dilemma: I've got a Jailbroken iPad 64GB LTE AT&T model, which suits my needs very well. If I replace it, I'll loose some very important things, like the nice Retina Display, LifeProof Nüüd Case compatibility, and most importantly, the Jailbreak, as it's running iOS 6, and that doesn't have a jailbreak yet. I'm seeing this more as an addition to the family, and think that's what's going to happen eventually, but I just can't justify spending $659 for the iPad mini that I'm most certainly getting, just because it's really cool, and I can pocket it more easily/is more portable. I also just considered the new 4th Generation iPad, but then I've got a whole new dilemma. Even though it'll fit the same LifeProof case, and Smart Cover I know and love, and I'm going to enjoy the higher quality front facing FaceTime HD camera, faster CPU, and way better quad-core A6 graphics, it's still going to loose my jailbreak, which I rely upon heavily. Because it has the A6X chip, it's going to be harder to jailbreak, and I can guarantee that anything the developers on the developer dream team can come up with, is going to be heavily delayed by this new architecture. I can safely say, though, that as soon as a Jailbreak is released, I'm going to seriously consider both replacing my 3rd Generation iPad with the 4th Generation iPad, and adding the iPad mini to the family also. I'm sure my mother would love to use either of them... 

New 8th Generation iMacs

Now this one I'm really excited about. I've always admired the iMac lineup ever since my long-time childhood friend showed me his first eMac. I might've had a laptop, but his eMac stunned me at how it could fit all of that into that one box. Obviously, now everything has gotten way more technical, and everybody is going more towards Laptops (I already have), but there's still just nothing like having a huge-screened elegant and sexy powerhouse sitting on your office desk waiting for you to pump out some high quality work. Ever since they announced a 16:9 2560x1440 display in the 27" iMac, I've always thought that if I get one of those with my MacBook Pro, then the whole family will be complete. It's just something about having a huge screen, well designed all-in-one with no wires running around that has a huge professional appeal. For me personally, though, my BTO MacBook Pro Retina (Apple MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 Notebook Computer - Z0MK0000Q) is going to satisfy my professional needs for a long time to come, without me having the need to get an iMac. I must say, though, I do really want one...

13" MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Disappointment, disappointment... I must say I was looking forward to a 13" version of my MacBook Pro, but I was expecting a dedicated graphics system, and quad core processing as a minimum. I'm surprised, disappointed, and excited at the same time. It makes a great size factor, but then I'm automatically removed from the list of wanting it just because it won't do what I need like my 15" baby. I admit, I've grown rather attached to my 15" Retina Display, it's done more than I could ever want from a professional notebook powerhouse, and more; so when you put a smaller counterpart, like a 13" version, you'd expect nothing less than the same performance, right? Apparently not. So, I guess you just can't bend the space-time continuum to get all that stuff into a 13" Notebook, but they've done a good job of getting some good specs in there non-the-less. I'd have to say, though, that it now fits my Mother's requirements of a laptop, but she might still choose my bigger 15" screen size. Size does matter, and for portability the new 13" wins it. It's a great replacement to the previous generation 13" MacBook Pro, but still has some things to be desired. It's amazing to have a 13" Retina Display and all, but it's going to need way more graphics power than an integrated intel HD 4000 chip, and a dual-core processor to run intense tasks designed for a quad-core, NVidia beast to handle. I'd say the new 13" Retina Display MacBook Pro is still a great option, but it's fitting more between a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro for the specs, so it'll fit a student perfectly, I'd say. Somebody who needs great portability, with pro ports, and a great display, but not the intense power a pro desires; somebody like a student or business person would use it to a great advantage. That is, unless, you're already using a 13" MacBook Air...

Wrapping it all up...

Well, those are my thoughts around the new Apple Media announcement at the California Theatre. Some really amazing stuff, and a couple of "meh" upgrades; but most definitely a packed year for Apple for sure.

I'm really looking forward to the Jailbreaks to be released, but also loving the new devices Apple has just released. I can't, I repeat, can't wait to get my hands on them, but till then, have a great day!

Loving the iPhone 5 by the way... 

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ZAGG Invisible Shield Extreme - Is it worth it? Does it live up to the "indestructible" hype? We're about to find out...

So, we've all seen the "millions sold..." major screen protector manufacturer ZAGG claim many accolades about it's previous screen protectors, but this time it's getting real. Very real. In the past, the hype was usually about it's "nano-memory" scratch-resistant plastic-film screen protectors being über scratch resistant; but Impact-resistant?!? Can it be?!? Well, we're going to find out in the video, but the short answer is yes. I don't really want to spoil it for you, though, so you'll just have to watch the video to find out for yourself... ;-)

So, what did we find out in the video? It actually stood up against a hammer? Yep, it did. I must say, I was very impressed once my iPhone 5 didn't shatter under the impact; I was holding my breath. It stood it very well, and if you want extra proof, here's another insane video showing the ZAGG Extreme withstanding a bit more than you'd expect to put a phone through...

So, after watching those few videos, what do YOU think? Personally, I know very well what my impressions and thoughts are. Impressed. Amazed. Shocked. First thing we know about the ZAGG, is that it is most certainly impact resistant, and should keep your iPhone from a cracked screen. So, here's my in-depth analysis.

Pros:

• Very impact resistant; can withstand a hammer, a drop onto concrete, and supposedly, even a bowling ball.
• Has a huge 45 day money back guarantee if bought on the ZAGG website, so if you really don't like it, you can just send it back.
• Has an enormous Lifetime Guarantee (Warranty) so you can get a replacement for the $3.99 it costs to ship the free replacement, or even choose a different one of their screen protectors (HD, Original, etc.) as the replacement for no extra charge.
• Great customer service!

Cons:

• Slightly plastic-like feel to it, but not as bad as the original Invisible Shield
• Only partly good at scratch resistance, but other than blunt objects, like keys, or small rocks, it will not stand up to a knife, or very sharp object
• Costs a significant $29.99 for just the front protector, which is $2 bucks more than the SGP GLAS.t Premium screen protector (the best one on the market for clarity and feel at the moment, due to it being made out of a sheet of tempered, impact resistant glass)
• Wet application is slightly dangerous when on an electronic device

Well, there are my thoughts on the ZAGG Extreme!

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Olloclip for iPhone 5? Does it even exist? What do you do? We're here to find out...

So, now that you have your shiny new iPhone 5, what are you going to do with your old Olloclip lens?!? (if you had one, that is) Well, fear no more, as the "new gadget-old accessories" problem is now solved when it comes to a lens kit. This Photojojo lens kit works universally on anything with a flat surface that can fit inside the adhesive ring, and then the lens just magnetically snaps right into place. But, what about the Olloclip, you say? Well, here are a couple of options...

The first, and best IMO, thing to do would be to take a look at this video of the Photojojo lens kit. It's great because you can put it on many different devices and it's not limited to the iPhone only. It'll work with an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (best with 1st gen as it's flatter, but fine with 2nd, and 3rd), iMac, MacBook FaceTime camera, Samsung Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2 (II), Galaxy S3, and many others. I can't vouch for it's compatibility with it's Android counterparts from experience, but check the compatibility chart on their website for more info. (http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/cell-phone-lenses/)
I have one of the cutout adhesive metal rings on my MacBook Pro (Retina) and it's great when using Skype to video conference with people, or relatives in other locations. It's a great kit because of it's universal-ness and should be given kudos because of it's great price of: $49 Check out the video 

Second thing you can do, is modify your Olloclip lens to work with your shiny new iPhone 5. How? Here's how:

If you skip to 1:33 you'll se how he got it onto his iPhone 5...

iPad Nüüd LifeProof - LifeProof for iPad Quick Review - Waterproof iPad Case

Ok, so I've finally gotten my hands on this new fancy case, called the Nüüd from LifeProof, and, according to it's box, it's supposed to be waterproof. Well, obviously, if you know me by now, I absolutely must verify this claim. In the short video following, I'm going to cover most everything you'll need to know, but if you must have something to read, I'll post the written version after the video.

So, obviously, an iPad + Bathtub = disaster, but there's something you can add to the equation to remedy that...

From the same company that makes the world renowned Waterproof, Drop-proof, Snow-proof, practically idiot-proof LifeProof case for the iPhone 4/4S, comes the new Nüüd LifeProof case for iPad 2nd/3rd Generation. So, with that in the equation: iPad + LifeProof Nüüd Case + Bathtub = One awesome YouTube video, and a working, very wet, iPad. After doing the preliminary, yet very important, water test with the piece of dummy plastic provided, I went a step further by putting in my iPad and trying it in my sink, and then finally the bathtub. Almost surprisingly, it worked very well! Even though there isn't a screen protector/cover of any kind, and it's using an o-ring seal around the front of the iPad, exposing the entire front glass of the iPad, it still manages to be fully water-tight!

First impressions, before a full in-depth analysis? Well, first of all, it's a real looker. I mean, it really looks good compared to any ruggedized iPad case I've ever seen, or held. The back of the iPad is visible through a thick polycarbonate window of plastic designed into the case, and I must say, it looks wonderful. Having the back of the iPad showing, is kinda the point of having an iPad usually, so this was a most intelligent design aspect for aesthetics. Everything around this case in general, is beautiful. All of the ports and buttons are usable, yet the iPad is still fully protected. To charge it, you do have to open the charging port door and expose it to the elements, but once you're finished charging, simply shut the door. There's even a little "bung hole" for the headphones. You simply unscrew the "bung" and plug in your headphones. Keep in mind, you'll want to use the headphone adapter to keep it's water-tightness if you're using headphones, as just unscrewing the bung and inserting headphones will leave the iPad susceptible to water entry through the newly unscrewed port; hence the adapter. 

At first I thought the exposed screen was a bit extreme, but then I realized that anything this big will destroy itself if dropped from adequate hight, or when encountered with an auto accident. Having the screen uncovered is probably the best part of the case. Responsiveness when compared to it's competition can't be beat, period. Also, if you do happen to drop it anyway, it's got a good amount of rubber for a cushion all around, and, unless you drop it on a very pointed rock towards the screen from a decent height, you won't crack the screen at all. It's one very tough case, and it's got plenty of travel between the guard around the edge of the screen and the screen itself, so even if it hits the cement face first, it will be fine; so long as there isn't about a 3-4" rock where it'll fall. It's the best rugged iPad case I've ever seen. So, to wrap up the first impressions/quick review, I give the case 5 of 5 stars. If you're going to need a rugged case, this is the one to get. Yes, the $159.99 price tag does kick you in the nuts a bit, but it's well worth it when you compare it to the $399 min price of a new iPad, or if you're like me, the $829 price tag of the top-of-the-line model iPad that you're toting around. Of course, if you're sitting in an office all the time, the extra bulk may not justify itself, but as soon as you take it out of your office, or anywhere near the cement outside, you might just want to consider the bulk as a benefit. :)

Till next time, 

Your Techno Friend,

Joseph

Ya'll take care now!

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Graphics Performance Test - Retina Display MacBook Pro

So, do the performance benchmarks you've seen all over the web true about the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display? In short, yes. I've gone through a couple test before on my older/previous computers and Macs, but never have I seen performance like this before. The MacBook Pro w/Retina that I'm testing things on is a built-to-order with 16GB of RAM MC975LL/A model. Today, I've decided to take a look at something that isn't really something a user of this "ultimate professional mobile powerhouse" would do, but that we'd all love to see anyway... a game performance test.

First we're going to take a look at what gaming looks like in a Windows 7 (Boot Camp) environment performs like, and then we'll take a look at it on it's native Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 environment.

Have a look at what happens:

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iPhone in Clothes Dryer

So, when's the last time you put your iPhone into your dryer? Or, for that matter, when's the last time you've forgotten something inside your pocket before putting into your laundry basket and running it for a load? Well, I can now say I've done that. Thanks to the LifeProof case, though, my iPhone ended up... well, I guess you'll just have to watch what happened.

Super Stick Man Golf - Video Review 2012

Ok, so we're taking a look at the iOS Universal Game called Super Stick Man Golf from the Apple App Store. It's not the newest game on the block, but it's close enough to a classic as needs to be. Basically everything pertinent will be in the videos following this text, but in a nutshell: SSMG is an arcade styled 2D Golf playing game. The multiplayer gameplay, which will be in a later video, is brilliant fun, and works great. Here are the videos...

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Issues with the New Retina Display MacBook Pro...

Yep, we've all seen this before. Brand spankin' new device, brand new problems. But, are the Display retention issues on the Retina Display MacBook Pro the end of the story? No, I think not! Okay, so I'm not to be harping on my new MacBook Pro, because I really like it, but, I am going to tell you what kind of issues I am experiencing. For starters, after finding the issues about the display retention online, I couldn't find what is going on with my computer. I could be here all day attempting to explain it, but, instead I made a video, so here it is:

If you can, go ahead and watch the video. You'll also notice that in the description you'll find out the reasons as to why I believe this is happening. I just updated description also, so you'll understand why this is happening, and what to do if it's happening to your machine also. If you love your MacBook Pro with retina display as much as I do, then this possibly might solve our issues, until Apple releases a firmware update. I really hope this helps! Thanks for visiting! Please like, comment, subscribe, follow, add to circles, and have a great day!

Tips on keeping your iPhone safe, and what happens when you don't have your LifeProof on your iPhone...

Yep, we've seen it a billion times before, but you never think it will happen to you. You usually see it when you're on YouTube, or at a store, or from a friend; but, you never expect it to happen to you. Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to keep your iPhone in control most of the time, but there's always that one time that you couldn't do anything about it, and splat happens. A good few tips to keep your iPhone Safe.

1. Please iPhone responsibly: Put a LifeProof case on. LifeProof cases are currently the leading case in the world for complete 365 Degree protection for any iPhone 4/4S you might want to keep safe.
2. Instead of trying to grab for it while it's on the way down, try and project your foot to where it might land, and stick it there as fast as possible to break the fall. If you can, though, with lightning fast reflexes, both put your foot out and catch it before it falls, you should be fine. Hopefully, all will work out properly, and you'll save yourself hours of pain and a new phone. 
3. Don't be careless with your iPhone or try to rush for it. It's one of the slipperiest things on the planet when naked. (without a case on) If you can, be as slow as you can when you're pulling your iPhone out of a tight pocket, and handle with absolute care (unless you have a LifeProof case, then this matters nothing). The slower you get it, the better grip you have, and less of a chance of dropping it inadvertently. If you have a different type of case (Mophie Juice Pack, Speck, Incase, or other variety, etc.) you still should be careful, as most of these leave the front of the iPhone vulnerable to destruction. Even though the  tough for drops OtterBox is a better option for protection from drops than previously mentioned generic cases, it's still not waterproof. Let me make that perfectly clear: the only case that offers complete protection, from drops, spills, and water/dirt, is the LifeProof case. The choice is obvious.
4. Have some type of warranty for accidents/insurance/protection plan. I personally trust, and use Best Buy's Geek Squad Black Tie Protection. Yes, it may be a bit pricier than other options like Square Trade warranties, but I say it's worth it because you go to a location and you don't have to do anything else yourself. (Will be posting a full GSBTP review later on) The only option I can think of, for those of us who actually do live near an Apple Store, is AppleCare+. Downside for that is, some of us don't have an Apple Store nearby. Also, Black Tie isn't limited to only 2 replacements, and it does not have a deductible or $49 whatsoever. Hence, if you're prone to accidents, I'd recommend Black Tie Protection, by Best Buy's Geek Squad.

Ok, so, now to the good part. Here's the video of my destroyed iPhone just as promised... Enjoy!

Retina Display MacBook Pro...

So, what's with that new Apple Notebook that's just recently been released? Well, we're here to find out...

Is it really that good?

Short answer, yes. I've never seen a more amazing display than on this computer, ever. It's stunning, yes, but the performance behind it is also very significant. On paper then, it's a proper beast, but in real life? Yep, in real life too. I've just barely started to scratch the surface on it, but it's got nice surprises all over the place. It's light, but seriously powerful. The flash storage on this puppy got me a read/write average of 425MB/s. Yes, that's MegaBYTES, not Bits. I must say I was properly blown away by that. The new shape, structure and design, also compliments it; and the speakers are very nicely done. Superb clarity, and very nice loudness. Ok, so it's never going to compare to my Bose, but it sure does a good job trying! There's also a very satisfying "click" from the trackpad, and because it's so thin, you can't even tell it's resting under your hands from the desk.

Ok, so I haven't written a whole book, but, in my quick short words, the MacBook Pro is simply amazing!

Check it out on Apple's Website, and don't forget to comment below!

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New LifeProof Videos posted on YouTube...

Today I've done some things with my $400 iPhone that you could safely deem stupid, crazy, or nuts; or all of the above. All of this why? For your viewing pleasure, of course! So, skip the formalities, and feast your eyes on this... Oh yeah, and remember: Please don't try this at home.

And finally, the official Joseph the Computer Guy LifeProof Video Review...

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Ketchup - Trying to catch-up without the mustard...

You know, you never really completely comprehend how challenging it is to catch up after falling behind something. For most people, falling behind means you have a pile of homework that needs to be done cause you've been sick for the past couple of days, or that you have a lot of emails to correspond to because you've been on vacation for the past week or two, or even, watching that Mustang which took off at the red light become a little red speck, making you feel like molasses going up-hill in the winter. Yeah, that might be one way to put it, but when I say fall behind, I mean really fall behind.

But wait, what do you mean really fall behind?

I'm going to use myself as an illustration of this. A while back, roughly two years ago, I had the brilliant idea to start a little website, blog, and service to help people with fixing their computers. This brilliant little idea came to me when I dawned the nickname "Computer Guy." Yeah, so it's obvious where the name came from, and originated, but it's not so obvious as to why. I mean, yes, I did love technology and computers at the time, but I was no expert. In fact, just because I knew my way around almost every edition of windows except for the ones way before I was born, and I wasn't afraid of learning or getting my hands a little dirty, I just happened to become "the Computer Guy." At that time, the one thing I didn't realize, or fully grasp until I started working at Best Buy, was how fearful people were of technology. Before working at Best Buy, I truly didn't have a real concept of what I was getting myself into. I mean sure, I knew my way around windows, and other tech related things, and people would ask me tech questions that I was mostly able to answer, or find out and then answer, but I didn't know all the things I do now; not by a long shot. That may seem obvious, as we all grow in life, but the amount of knowledge that has been stored and learned in those two years isn't something I can measure. The things that I've learned by working at Best Buy have not only enlightened my mind with knowledge, but opened my eyes to today's era of technology and computing, and how people react to it.

Life before Best Buy...

Believe it or not, I'm actually having a hard time remembering what it was like before Best Buy, and an even harder time imagining what it would have been like without it. Working at Best Buy, as a retail employee in Computer Sales, gives you a first hand look, not only at today's current technology, but at what people do when around technology. How people react, and how their demeanors change when surrounded buy something that either terrifies them, or elates them, isn't something I can put into words.

When someone like me, a techie geek per say, looks at technology, we see something different than everyday people. We enjoy the stuff, cause we've used them since we were little, and we have no fear of them. The reality is we're surrounded by it everywhere, and younger generations are brought up with these things like they were toilet paper; it's like it was never not there. For many people, though, it's not as easy of a transition into such surroundings. When you see something new, that you've never used before, there are two possible reactions. Either the person shrieks away in fear, because they don't want to mess it up, or they will embrace it because they aren't afraid of messing it up. This boils down to our human nature. It's what I call the "Pain and Pleasure" principal. If something is more painful than it is pleasure or joy causing, the usual reaction is to avoid it at all costs. Yet, when the pleasure inducing qualities are higher than any pain risk, the choice is obvious; to flock to it as fast as possible. If the fear is overpowering, the person avoids technology. On the other hand, if there is no fear, there isn't anything in the way of trying it out. This is probably the biggest thing I would've missed out by not working at Best Buy. You can only imagine what it was like before Best Buy.

Because I didn't have this experience, I wasn't fully able to understand things. I started the website, blog, and computer service without a set, easily understandable goal. What I usually say is "If you can't see the target, you can't hit it." I didn't know what my goal, or target, was, so I didn't comprehend completely how to attain that which I didn't know. One thing I do remember quite vividly, though, was how much I really, really, wanted to work at Best Buy while I was running my little website...

Humble beginnings...

As I said before, when I started my website I had no direction, or goal, to reach. This being the case, I rather quickly lost touch with my own website, coming back from time to time to pay the "bills" like my domain name. For a whole year I haven't even visited my own website. Right as that year started, I cleaned up my website, did some quick maintenance, and left. I removed a couple things, and added others to it. Once that was done, I don't even remember saying goodbye. Yes, it was very saddening when I realized that, but instead of moping about it, I decided to do something about it. For the past year I've been so busy I couldn't breath, I haven't gotten any videos on YouTube, and I haven't even looked at/maintained my website. As saddening as that was, I was determined to change it; still am. I've already done a lot of work, posted a couple of videos on YouTube, and done some website maintenance. Things which bring me back to my original post title... 

Falling behind is like Ketchup and Mustard...

...if you can't find the Mustard to do something, you can't "Catch up" to it. Ok, so food condiments aren't the whole point of the story, but if they help make the illustration, or even give you a chuckle, they weren't useless after all. If there's anything I know now, it's that catching up to something that's been left alone for awhile isn't the easiest thing on the planet. After falling behind in website maintenance, blog posts, and YouTube videos, getting "back on the horse" is a challenge; especially with how fast things move today. Now that I'm finally back full steam ahead, I've got a lot of work cut out for me to do before things are humming smoothly again. At the moment, I have back-links to adjust, general website maintenance to do on a total of three domain names, and organizing how I want it to be all working together; and I want it all done yesterday. Accomplishing the work is one part of the story, but how you are accomplishing it is just as important. If I go full steam ahead right now and try to do everything at once, everything will fall apart and I'll burn out of steam. If there's something I learned from this experience that i'd like to share, it's my method to making things happen. If you budget your time to work in short bursts, take a break every so often, continue, and repeat, it will make a world of a difference on your brain and body, while also making your work more productive.

Here's the equation: "((Work) (~1hr)) + ((Break) (~10-15min)) (repeat) = More work done, less effort and energy lost"

What that basically means is that you should work hard on whatever you are working on for about an hour straight, set an alarm or something to alert you when the hour is up, and then take a quick break for about 10 or 15 minutes. When you hear the alarm, stop everything you are doing unless it's life threatening to do so, pause for the break period and stretch. In that small amount of time, read a book, say a prayer, do some push-ups, walk around and think, or just go outside and breath; whatever suits your fancy best. If you do this every time you need something done, you will be amazed at how much you get done, and how clearly you can think. 

Try it out and tell me how it works for you!

On a closing note, I'd like to especially thank you for reading this, and humbly ask that you share this if you think it's worth reading. Send it to your family, your friends, and co-workers. Also, check out my YouTube Channel and my, finally being maintained, Website(s). Thanks again and have a great day!

-Joseph (aka: JSREIFF)