Asus Padfone: My dream realised after 10 years

Almost 10 years ago, around 2002, my mobile phone was the Sony Ericsson P800, then one of the most advanced mobile devices. As the P800 was considerably bulky, I had an idea of how a normal mobile phone could be a part of a larger and more powerful multi-purpose device. The benefit of this modular design is that I can choose to carry a lightweight phone with basic telephony functions that can fit into my pocket when I needed, or insert into a more powerful device for advanced computing.

Today, this concept is realised by ASUS. They call it the Padfone.

It's not really a wild idea. I'm sure some geek communities have already bounced this idea for years. You just need someone who believes that the product is commercially viable and mass produce it. And it took someone 10 years.

(In all fairness, Motorola was earlier in grasping this modular concept when it announced the Atrix with Lapdock accessory. However, from the product positioning perspective, the Atrix was built as a standalone phone with optional accessories. Whereas the Asus Padfone is a single product solution.)

Having said that, the Padfone is still not what I envisioned. In the Padfone, the tablet body is an extension of the phone. Upon docking the phone into the back of the tablet, the phone screen is displayed on the larger tablet screen. Additional multimedia ports and speakers are interfaced to the phone, where all the processor and storage reside. The tablet also comes with battery - just like the ASUS Transformer keyboard dock - to charge the phone. Remove the phone, and the tablet loses any functionality.

My vision is that both devices can function on their own, while the phone module provides the mobile connectivity to the tablet form when docked. This would probably mean double the components and thus no different from purchasing 2 individual devices. Well, how about double the processing power when merged? We now have dual-core processors running on pocket-sized phones ya? But do we really need dual-core? So how about running in single-core on separate devices and then combine the core processing powers when docked together? It may not be as efficient as one dual-core processor, but I'm sure the R&D engineers can figure that out in time to come.

And I hope I don't have to wait another 10 years to see that happen.

More info on the Padfone can be found on their microsite here.


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Repost: 2 Sides of Life (Dec 2005)

I was searching through my old blog for some articles I wrote years back about some technology, and I came across this one. Very meaningful. In fact, I was actually going to write the exact same topic from scratch. Now I don't have to.

As I re-read what I wrote, I felt heartened, because I still hold the same philosophy that I penned 5-1/2 years back.

"Do not wish that you'd change your life yesterday, but strive to forge your destiny tomorrow."


Monday, 05 December 2005 (original post)

I watched a Hong Kong film over the weekend starring Andy Lau, who took a potion that lets him grow up exponentially. When he realised that what he did was wrong, that he should not have wanted to grow up faster, he begged the scientist to help him undo the effects. The scientist sighed, "You should have known the consequences, and now you have very little time to live. As long as there is tomorrow, life is full of hope. The sad thing about life is that there is no starting over. The good thing about life is that there is no need to start over."

With these profound words, I started to form some thoughts on it. Indeed, we should be so thankful that we don't have a choice to restart our lives as we want. While I'm sure everyone loves the idea of "going back in time", it probably would not have changed anything. On the contrary, having the choice will make our lives even more miserable.

Life is a one-way path. Once you made the turn, you have to stick to the path until you reach another crossroad. Imagine if you were allowed to return to the last crossroad and re-choose your path, you will still face a new path of uncertain roads. Whichever path you choose, you can never be certain of what is coming next, because with each new choice leads to new roads. The only way for the path to be the same is when you select the same path all over again.

I'm sure we have watched enough movies to understand this point. From the iconic 'Back To The Future', where Marty (Michael J Fox) wanted to change his past. One wrong move and it could mean he himself will cease to exist in the future.

Remember the 1980s there is these series of game books called 'Choose Your Own Adventure'? I was a fan of it. As you read the story, you are given choices by jumping to the indicated page. Sometimes you would reach a dead-end, and you would conveniently back-track to the previous 'crossroad' and choose the other path, until you reach the happy ending.

Let me bring up another movie starring Ben Affleck. Paycheck talks about a scientist who is paid to erase his memory on the project he works on to protect client confidentiality. For this project, he was being set-up by the client even after his memory was being erased. However, using the machine he built for his client - ability to see his future - he planned his getaway by leaving many clues along the way.

Let's say this invention is true. Imagine how many attempts Mr. Affleck has to make in order to perfect his getaway path. Because, as he remapped his moves, the path changes with him, thus requiring him to re-plan his following move, and so forth.

One final example: if you happen to play games like chess where it allows you to undo, by undoing your step does not mean you can predict the next step.

So if we all were given this power to go back in time to re-select some of the decisions we made, our lives would be much longer, much more arduous, much more painful, because for the same period of time, we ended up living through multiple times.

And really, it doesn't help if we can skip to the future, because for that period of time that you decided to skip, you are actually 'missing' from the timeline of events, thus your existence is subject to questions, another element of uncertainty and torment.

I always ask myself: would life be the same if I were rich or famous? Frankly, you will have another set of problems you could never fathom. Life is not about 'what if'. Life is about adaptation and self-contentment. If you are able to do that, you have achieved success in understanding the meaning of life

Camera Review: Panasonic Lumix TZ20

The Lumix TZ20 is the latest 16x (24-384mm) megazoom compact camera from Panasonic. Packed with 14.1 megapixel MOS sensor, it supports full HD video recording in AVCHD format and comes with some serious high-speed shooting capabilities.

Like the other recently-launched Lumix FX78, TZ20 offers touchscreen control shooting features, where you can zoom, focus, and trigger the shutter at the touch of the screen. During playback, you can also scroll the images by swiping. Unlike the FX78 where the interface is driven by the touchscreen, he TZ20 still possesses plenty of hardware keys to operate the camera, which I certainly prefer over the touchscreen.

The point about TZ20 is of course the long zoom range. Having a camera that can zoom 16 times - up to 21 times with intelligent zoom - opens a new world of imaging to me. I can capture what is otherwise out of my visual range. Faraway objects suddenly appear within reach on the photos. Despite the long zoom, I have no problems getting steady shots, thanks to the Mega OIS feature.

Check out the antenna!

Despite being an ultra-zoom, the TZ20 starts up in under 3 seconds. Once the camera is switched on, the lens extend outwards for 3cm. At the maximum zoom end, the lens extend further to 4.5cm. AF speed is snappy, and although it could get slightly slow at the long-end, this is quite common for cameras with such zoom range. Equally impressive are the silent AF and zoom motors, which are critical for video recording.

Another special set of functions on the TZ20 is the ability to capture high-speed still and moving images by selecting one of the fps settings - from 2 to 60 fps! The best thing is that when you playback the images, the camera shows them as a single set of images, so you don't have to scroll say 60 images before seeing the next photo. You can even playback the set of images in animation. (This grouping only applies to burst modes higher than 10fps)

Burst Mode captures the low-flying aircraft in full 14mp.

Want something even faster? Well, try 220fps! Select High-Speed Movie mode and the camera captures in MOV format. Just check out the below clip of my ceiling fan at home!

Besides the fancy slow-mo video effect, the Lumix TZ20 records video in Dolby Digital Stereo with a pair of stereo mics. You can choose to record in full HD 1080i or in 720p, in AVCHD or in Motion JPEG.

Panasonic does not forget to include the GPS module, completing the setup of the TZ20 as the full-featured travel camera. You can choose to either set the GPS as always on even when the camera is off (this is to allow GPS data to be always ready but drains battery), or in airplane mode (i.e. on when the camera is powered up). Geo-tag is possible on both photo and video files.

And there is more - a lot more in fact! The TZ20 has 30 different SCENE modes! I won't go into the details but you get the idea: never a dull moment with this shutter bugger! And to top the fun factor, you can use some of the SCENE modes for your video recording. That means, I can choose a Film Grain or Pinhole effects and create arty-looking movies! Groovy, yeah!

Touching on advanced shooting modes, the TZ20 offers the PASM modes for the serious photographers who desire to manually control the aperture and shutter settings. Panasonic provides a dedicated "Exposure" button that needs to be pressed before the user can adjust the aperture or shutter using the navigation buttons. In terms of customisation, the mode dial on top of the camera offers 2 additional slots (MS1/MS2) to allow you to quickly access your preset SCENE modes. There is also another slot (CUST) to let you save 3 custom shoot settings. With so many custom modes, I can easily switch them around to capture images using my preferred settings without having to re-set the shoot values every time.

Features aside, the most important aspect of a camera is of course the image quality. Due to the variable aperture of f/3.3 - 5.9, the TZ20 lens is not as "bright" as other compact cameras. As a result, while outdoor images look fine, indoor shots suffer from image noise and slow shutter. I wasn't too impressed with the indoor shots that I took. The images have the characteristics of a compact camera: soft, grainy, noisy. It doesn't look bad, but I certainly will not use it for print enlargements. I also wasn't able to freeze actions when taking photos indoors without flash (I like to shoot with ambient lighting). Not that the camera operation is slow, but just that with the smaller f/3.3 aperture, the shutter speed is simply not fast enough to capture subjects that constantly move - like children.

During playback mode, one interesting feature is the Filtering Play option, where you can filter the images to view: by picture-only, video-only, 3D, GPS-tagged, travel, category (SCENE modes), or favourites. I find the "Category" filter useful, as I can view by the SCENE modes I have captured, e.g. only images captured under "Portrait" mode.

Surprisingly, the TZ20 offers no post-processing capability - not even adjusting brightness and saturation - which is quite rare for a consumer camera.

In Summary

The Lumix TZ20 offers so many features and functions that will satisfy most casual users who desires a camera with huge zoom range. Panasonic throws in lots of shooting effects and high-speed modes to capture fun moments. Camera interface speed is also a notch above average. Due to the average-spec aperture lens, indoor shots are not as good. There is also no post-processing capability, though most people would probably not mind (myself included).


Advantages over other standard-zoom compact cameras (like Lumix FX78)
- Huge zoom range
- Full manual controls
- More hardware buttons for ease of accessing shooting controls
- A lot of customised modes, endless fun

Limitations
- Size: though not as bulky as many cameras of similar specs, it's still not pocketable
- Slower lenses - f/3.3 to f/5.9
- Average image quality when shooting indoors
- No post-processing features


This camera review set is provided courtesy of xinmsn. Visit xinmsn for more tech and gadgets news. Follow Chester on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicdiary

Camera Review: Panasonic Lumix FX78

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 is a very compact digital camera packed with dozens of features. Touted by Panasonic that this "hybrid camera is the perfect answer to those who want to have it all", it is interesting to see how camera manufacturers are innovating digital imaging experience.

Comparing the Samsung ST550 (left) with the Lumix FX78 (right)

Measuring 100 x 55 x 21 mm, the FX78 has only 4 hardware buttons, with the rest of the controls achieved by tapping on the 3.5-inch touchscreen monitor. Its maximum angle of view is 24mm, excellent for group and landscape photos. Its maximum aperture is f/2.5, so that you can capture images at higher shutter speeds under low light conditions. The FX78 is fitted with LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMARIT lens with 5x optical zoom.

Speedy Interface
When trying out cameras, I am always very particular about the interface speed and would give high weightage in this department. I believe that no matter how good a camera is, if it cannot allow me to capture the moment quickly, it would have lost the purpose. For that, I must say that FX78 performs admirably well. The FX78 lets me trigger the shutter within 2 seconds of start-up, AF is fast and very silent, shot-to-shot is excellent. These plus points make the FX78 very usable to capture fast moving situations.

The touch screen is generally responsive if you press accurately. In some menu selection screens, the screen buttons are placed rather close to one another so it may require some care to press the right buttons. Apart from touching the screen to select camera options, you can touch the screen to select AF, zoom, and even trigger the shutter. As the touch zoom lets you zoom in 3 speeds, I wonder why a dedicated zoom button is necessary, though I would prefer hardware buttons anytime over soft keys.


Shoot Modes Galore
Besides the usual iAuto and Program modes, the FX78 offers dozens of SCENE modes to entertain the user. Actually, the term "SCENE" is liberally used here: the modes also contains effect and shoot settings. Here are some unique SCENE modes that I find it useful:

- Baby 1, Baby 2, Pets: allows you to record the name and date of birth, so that the photos will capture the name and the exact age.

- Handheld Night Shot: 3MP burst shots, from which the shots are merged into one image to achieve a low-noise shot

- Hi-speed Burst: 3MP burst shots allowing you to take continuous image of up to 10 fps.

- Flash burst: 3MP burst shots with flash, for moments when you need the flash continuously for every shot.

Some unusual SCENE modes:
- Transform: a mode to allow you to distort the photo and make the subject appear squashed or stretched.

- Aerial Photo: it comes with a warning about using the camera on the plane!

There are also 2 other shooting modes that makes FX78 fun. Cosmetic mode applies a skin tone to the photo so that you can look tanned or fairer. My Color mode lets you capture the images with art effects like Vivid, B&W, Pinhole, HDR.

FX78 supports capturing images in 3D, although you need a 3DTV to actually see the result.


Playback Play
The Lumix FX78 also offers some photo retouching capabilities during playback. You can retouch your photos with 2 functions. Beauty retouch actually helps you apply makeup effects on the subject's face. The results can look very funny, but what amazes me is that the FX78 can accurately identify the facial areas to apply the cosmetic effects on the specific areas individually. It even whitens your teeth! Art retouch basically lets you adjust brightness and saturation.

There is also a playback feature called Dual Play, very useful for displaying 2 images side by side for comparison.

The FX78 can also help the user upload images to social networks easily via LUMIX Image Uploader application. Once you select the photos on the camera, just run the uploader software stored on the SD card and select your desired social website to upload to. Certainly a very convenient feature such that users need not go through the laborious process of downloading the photos to the PC, resize the photos, select and upload the photos manually.

Overall Impression
The FX78 is one of the better compact cameras I have experienced. It has a good balance of features and size, plus I like the overall response of the interface. Camera starts up rather quick, shot-to-shot performance is good, AF is fast. There are interesting shooting modes for me to have hours of fun with the camera.

I like that the FX78 remembers which photo I stopped the playback review, even after i switch off the camera. I also like the ability to customise 2 on-screen shortcut icons. I also found that I can take a picture even before the camera's on-screen display appears during start-up, effectively reduces the wait time and allowing me to capture the moments faster. Finally, the ability to display 2 images on-screen during playback is a nice feature to compare photos.

Some little challenges that I faced:
- no space to rest the fingers in order not to touch the screen, so basically this camera is not suited for one-hand operation.
- short battery life: heavy use doesn't last me more than 3 hours.
- lacks manual shooting controls, though I should not expect that from a consumer compact camera.

The FX78 is one camera that I would love to bring it with me everywhere for casual occasions, because in such a pocketable size it lets me capture the moment and have loads of fun experimenting with the dozens of shooting effects and modes. I was not a fan of Lumix user interfaces but this camera has changed my opinion.


Chester blogs for xinmsn. Visit xinmsn for more tech and gadgets news. Follow Chester on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicdiary

Asus Transformer: Android in Disguise

When the whole world is chasing after iPad 2, I put my buck on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101, launched in Singapore on 3 May.

A laptop?

If you think that it's just a laptop, then you would have been successfully fooled by the "disguise". It is actually a 10.1" living Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet.

The beauty of this particular product is that it comes with an optional keyboard dock that can be folded into place, just like a laptop. While competitors do have keyboard accessories, they are either a wireless version in a separate unit (like Motorola XOOM) or a dock that cannot be folded (like Apple iPad).

Question is: why buy this when you should get a laptop? The beautiful answer is: why not when I can have both! Undock it and it's just another tablet. Dock it, and you get a laptop.

A tablet is great for hand gesture interaction, but if you need to do serious typing, it's a nightmare. Besides, once the screen keyboard appears, you have little display space left to see what you are typing, not to mention how unfeeling touch keyboards are.

Cameras included. Front and back.

With the Asus Transformer, both tablet and keyboard are one. I can use it on the couch or on the bed, in one piece, without fumbling one or another. The best part: the keyboard dock comes with additional battery juice to power up the device up to 16 hours. Talk about Energons!

That's all for now. I'll share my experience in detail over the next few weeks once I have sufficient time to work it into my routine. And you'll be the first to know from this blog. Till then... Transform and roll out!

Want detailed specs? Head to the ASUSTek Transformer website here.

How to Create iPhone Ringtones and Use in iPhone

Ever wonder why most iPhone users use the same ringtones? That's because Apple ringtone format is proprietory. However, there are many apps that can help you do that easily.

Technically-speaking, as long as you can convert any music file to .M4A format, then rename it to .M4R, add the .M4R file into iTunes, and include "Ringtones" to sync to iPhone, you're done. (I actually drafted this post with step-by-step overview, but after finding that most of these iPhone ringtone apps already have instructions, I decided not to elaborate on the steps in my blog)

You can either convert it in your computer or on your iPhone itself. There are many desktop software (like iRinger) and iPhone apps (like Ringtone Designer) that can help you convert your non-DRM music into the correct format. However, you still need to sync with iTunes as "Ringtone" before you can actually select the custom ringtone under your phone settings. Most of these apps come with video tutorials that will teach you how to do just that.

Once you add a ringtone file in iTunes, you should be able to see the "Ringtones" library for you to manage and sync to your devices.

Customising text tones (.CAF) requires you to jailbreak your iPhone, so we shan't discuss that here.

For comparative purpose, if you are using Android phone, you can use any MP3 files as ringtone. You can also trim your music on your Android phone using many ringtone apps out there, and use it immediately on your phone without requiring to go back to iTunes to sync before you can use.

Decide between iPad 1 or iPad 2

Today, SingTel launches the sale of iPad 2 with mobile plan subsidy. Apple Store Singapore also stocked up the iPad 2 and made available for order late this week. The rush to get the iPad seems imminent.

I have friends asking whether they should look for a pre-owned (2nd hand) iPad 1 or buy the latest iPad 2. My answer for that: if you want to get a tablet with a shoestring budget just for family entertainment and not really for important uses, then the iPad 1 would be a fantastic value. If you want to get a tablet and be the envy of owning one of the most desired tech gadget this season, plus if you have no qualms about paying a little more and truly appreciates the additional features available in iPad 2 (namely, front and rear cameras for video and photo-taking, faster processor for advanced apps, thinner and lighter build), then iPad 2 is the choice. Of course, there is also an alternative option of buying an Android tablet, but that comparison would be for another post.

At this point, I believe a majority of you would already have decided to get the iPad 2, save a small rational minority. I mean, who wants to buy a used product? Well, I don't feel there is a problem if the product is still in good condition. Buying pre-owned products is a way of recycling. In fact, I recently sold off my Nokia E72 to someone who appreciates it more than me.

A second-hand iPad 1 still makes good financial sense because generally, iPad 1 owners protect the device very well (save the road warriors) so I do not see a concern about major wear and tear unlike mobile phone devices or laptops.

So far, most of the people I know who upgrades from iPad 1 to iPad 2 are those who use the iPad 2 extensively as part of their job - film-makers, photographers, musicians, social media consultants.

Then the next question would be: should you get the Wifi-only or the 3G version? That's a rather tough one that baffles the casual users who are already sure that they needed wanted the iPad. To make a decision, ask your wallet: the 3G version costs more, but offers you seamless online experience, if you desire it. You would however require an additional SIM card subscription.

If you do not need an always-online experience on the iPad 2, and if you have an iPhone 4 or Android phone (or Nokia E72) with mobile access point (tethering) function, then you could still manage with the iPad 2 Wifi version. Whenever you require online connection, just switch on your phone tethering and your iPad Wifi radio. Just beware that enabling Internet tethering on your mobile phone drains the battery very fast. You might want to try out at home to determine the extent of battery utilisation before attempting to use it on the move. A cheap workaround is to buy extra phone batteries.

Personally, I would settle for the Wifi-only version, if you agree with my following statements:

a. I rarely take out my iPad outdoors to connect online when I am on the move. If I need to go online when I am on the move, I use my smartphone as it is more convenient to check for information using one-hand.

b, When I am stationary, I might require connection over Internet but only for a short while, like less than an hour. I don't mind spending a minute to connect my iPad to my phone to go online. Most of the time, I would be using the iPad for offline activities like reading ebooks, playing games.

c. I use my iPad mostly at home, and I have a Wifi router that I can connect the iPad to.

d. I want to spend less money to own an iPad.

There certainly some inconveniences with the Wifi-only version, but the cost-savings may justify for that. Personally, I am satisfied with my Wifi-only iPad 1 experience, but of course, I would not mind a second hand top-of-the-range iPad 1 64GB 3G version that some people are selling for quite a compelling price. There are minimal usage experience with the iPad 2 apart from
- thinner
- lighter
- faster processor to run supported apps faster
- front and back camera
- supports new apps like Photobooth, iMovie, GarageBand, Facetime.
- HDMI-output (requires external accessory)
- comes in white colour

So, have you made a decision?

Apple iOS and Google Android: The Choice

As you might know (if you are my regular blog reader), I bought an iPhone 4 White for my wife on the first day of launch in Singapore, so she has handed down the 3GS to me. I finally get to use an iPhone in great depths.

Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android OS are not new in the market, and you can find loads of review and comparisons. Many consumer forums are also fervently discussing the merits and disadvantages of each OS. In this post, I would like to give a  more experiential take on this topic, one that is hopefully easier for my peers to make a decision between the two as the wave of new Android (and very attractive indeed) devices come to market in 2011.


So which phone is more suitable for YOU? After using both phones concurrently, the choice boils down to the following two statements:

1. whether your usage activity is mainly active-seeking information or passive-receiving information.

2. whether you like to control the storage or like to consume data without concern about managing the storage.



Seeking vs. Receiving
The iPhone is undoubtedly the OS with the most number of apps in the market. Putting game apps aside, fashion labels, publications, even community forums create apps so that you can easily access information of them. The iOS interface is sleek and very responsive, making the information you seek appear on the phone almost real time. You don't feel a moment of lag as there is always something displaying on the screen. In this respect, Android OS might perform less consistently (performance might vary with different Android phone models and the processor speeds).

Animations to keep the user occupied as iPhone plans its next step.

In general, some of the Android apps appear to take longer time to load while users are kept waiting with blank screens. I felt that the iPhone offers me faster speed when seeking information, moving from app to app, screen to screen. The fact that I can check-in to Foursquare using iPhone at half the time I require using my Android phone makes me want to check-in more frequently than with Android. Again, performance may vary for different Android phone models.

However, the iPhone's management of information received is rather simplistic, so much so that the only way to be aware of the information that you receive on the iPhone is to seek them - those red "badges" with numbers against each app are indications that new information are available. And if your apps are littered across all the 11 screen tabs, good luck in scrolling each of them to find the badges! (perhaps that is why my iPhone-user friends often respond my messages late)

That's all you get for notification on iPhone.

This is where the Android OS shines. All the incoming activities are presented on the status bar, and when you pull down the status bar, you are presented with the list of notification items that needs your attention (some even comes with message preview). Click on the items to access the app and the updated information is presented on the screen immediately. There is no need to wait for the information to download. This is possible because Android supports true multi-tasking, allowing your apps to continuously receive feeds. And Android users have a notification screen to help them keep track of what he or she has missed without having to scroll all the app icons to find them.

Android: Whatever notification you have received from the apps will be listed here.

Let me use TweetDeck app as an illustration to compare how the same app works on the two OSes. On Android, the moment I start the app, TweetDeck starts to retrieve unread feeds. I can press the home screen any time and run other apps while TweetDeck continues downloading unread feeds. Once the download is complete, I will receive a notification on the status bar. Notification settings are customisable to a rather granular level: I can define which feed columns I want to be notified, and I can choose how I want to be notified - sound, vibrate, light, status, or all.

On the iPhone, once I open the app, I have to keep TweetDeck on the foreground and wait for the app to retrieve unread feeds. If I press the home screen anytime, the download will stop. Worse, if I were posting a tweet, I have to wait for the post to be successful before closing the app, or else the tweet may not be posted. Some apps (like Facebook) may support push notifications in the form of badges as mentioned earlier, but you still need to open the app before the download of the actual information commences.

Interestingly, notification settings for iPhone apps may have to be configured in several different screens! One screen is under Phone Settings app (e.g. Facebook), another is Phone Settings -> Notification (yes, Facebook has one there too), the third is Phone Settings -> Location Services (you may need to enable this so that iPhone knows where you are and determine whether you need to receive notification) and the last one is within the app itself (e.g. Foursquare has one there, but not Facebook). In other words, there is no consistent design to configure app settings.

Set your Facebook notification? Please do it over 4 different screens (duh!)

For Android, app settings are generally achieved by pressing the hardware "menu" button and then "Settings" button. Then there is a global setting which controls whether the Android phone can allow running of background data for all apps. And that's it.

It is true that apps running in the background consumes battery faster, but you also have a choice not to keep it running in the background. For some apps like TweetDeck, just exit the app and notification will stop. However, some poorly-written apps may still continue to run in the background even after you exited the app and the only way to prevent notification is to uninstall the app. I do find myself doing that for some Android apps because I have no way to stop them from downloading data in the background and triggering notification which annoys me and uses up data bandwidth, not to mention battery life.

To summarise: iPhone allows the user to quickly execute activities without missing a beat. I find myself opening TweetDeck web links, uploading Twitter photos much quicker than using Android (speed difference may vary depending on Android phone model). But Android allows TweetDeck to run in the background, notifies me regularly on new feeds, and downloads them at the same time, so I can read them in an instant. Android also provides a notification screen to display notifications from all other apps that are running in the background, even when I am using other apps.



Auto vs. Manual Management of Data and Storage
The only way to transfer files to and from iPhone is via iTunes. The only way to download full-resolution camera photos, videos and screenshot is via USB connection to a desktop computer. Photo and music albums synced via iTunes can never be moved or deleted from iPhone. When you take a photo or a video or capture a screenshot, iPhone stores them in a common location. When you use third party apps to download files (e.g. Dropbox, Instagram), these files are either stored in the common location (i.e. Photos) or within the app folder, which can only be transferred in/out via iTunes. You do not have to worry about specifying a folder to store them, nor will the files be "lost" in the iPhone because you forgot where you saved the files.

So, little wonder why you have limited options about using, manipulating, sharing, or even saving a piece of information or file. In short, the data can only be used either by a set of apps dictated by Apple or used exclusively within the app itself.

On the Android, you have greater control of how you want to manage the data or file. With every app you run, the data or file generated from the app is stored within a folder that is accessible using file browser app. You can easily rename, copy, move, delete the files. Your photo and music albums are merely files stored in folders and read by the Android photo and music apps to present them in an interface for your consumption.

The drawback of this "freedom of management" is that these files may be scattered in different folders. Say, you have many camera apps on your Android. The photos you captured using each app are stored in their different app folders. If you want to view all the photos, you have to navigate to the respective folders - if you know where to find them. On the iPhone, all photos captured by any camera app can be found in the "Camera Roll" of the Photo app, because that is where they have to be stored. How convenient!

But convenience has its price. Just like choosing a car with an auto gearbox vs. manual gearbox.

Here's an illustration using HungryGoWhere app. On the iPhone, clicking the "Share" button offers me only one option: launch Mail app to share.

On the Android, I can share the information using one of the following:

The list grows depending on the number of supported apps you installed in Android.

Another illustration using Dropbox app. When I access a MP3 file in iPhone, this is all I can do:

On the Android, with the same Dropbox app, I can do these to the same MP3 file:

If you choose to download the file, the download activity will be displayed on the notification screen (as per the usual Android fashion), which means you can proceed to switch to other apps and be notified once the download is completed. And as mentioned earlier, the drawback is that this file is stored somewhere in Android, so if you want to copy this file out of Android, you have to use the file browser to locate it - well at least you CAN do more with this file than sharing a link via iPhone.

Ah! So that's where the file is saved. (File manager: ASTRO)

To summarise: iPhone offers a common repository for any multimedia files you create - images, video, music. Each third-party app can also manage their respective files in folders within the app, which cannot be shared with other third-party apps except Apple's. The benefit of such control is that the user would not face a challenge of managing and tracking these files. It is actually very convenient for most consumers, but not for the tech-savvy ones. Just like driving a car with a manual gearbox, the Android offers the user complete control over the management of user-generated files without depending on the source app. So, once the content is created by one app, the content can be used by another other app within Android.


The choice?

At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong to your choice of phone. What usually happens over the course of using any device is that we learn to adapt and work around the limitations. The iPhone and Android OSes are both excellent in their own merits. Personally, I am very comfortable using either interfaces, barring some inconveniences.

Android is the preferred device for managing vast amount of real-time information received (where the multi-task feature notification screen helps me to keep track effectively) and a flexible platform for me to manage and use my files without restrictions. The drawback would be occasional device lags and freezes, so a little patience is necessary.

iPhone is a better device for entertainment, for updating social media statuses swiftly, for playing games. The device is generally very stable (even if the apps crash, there is no techie messages that might cause user panic - the app simply auto closes). The limitation would be the inability to have control over the file management and requiring you to manage files over iTunes. My major concern on using iPhone as a business phone is the lack of notification framework to allow me to track incoming messages, push mails, social media updates.

Perhaps the next phone OS update from both companies could incorporate the better features from each other. A multi-tasking iPhone 5 with better notification feature? An Android that runs apps more smoothly and speedily? We can only look forward to the future!

Family Outing at Sentosa with the Day Play Pass

This year's Labour Day fell on a Sunday, so I spent my additional public holiday on the follow day at Sentosa with my family, and thanks to Pepperconn, I have learnt of a great way to enjoy the Sentosa attractions at a great value - with savings of almost $100 per person!

Introducing, the Sentosa Play Pass: 1 Pass. 1 Price. More PLAY!

What does the Play Pass cover? There are 3 types of Play Passes to choose from. The Day Play Pass gives you access to 13 Sentosa attractions from 9am to 7pm listed below (sorted based on my recommended visiting sequence):
- The Merlion
- Images of Singapore
- Tiger Sky Tower
- Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom
- Sentosa 4D Magix
- Desperados
- Sentosa Cineblast
- Luge or Unlimited Skyrides
- Segway Fun Ride
- Bi-Pedal Bicycle (1 hr)
- The Flying Trapeze
- Fort Siloso
- Sentosa Nature Discovery Guided Tour

If you start your Sentosa adventure only after 2.30pm, you can opt for the 'Noon Play Pass, which lets you spend your afternoon on any 4 attractions from the above list.

Finally, there is a Premium Play Pass where you can choose 3 out of the below 6 attractions:
- Segway Guided Eco Adventure
- Wave House Flowrider
- Heritage and Island Explorer
- Jewel Cable Car Ride (2-way)
- Climbmax @ Megazip Adventure Park
- Megazip @ Megazip Adventure Park

There are many ways to enter Sentosa. For me, I decided to take the Sentosa Express ride from Vivocity. Tip: Park the car at L3 towards Lobby N. The Sentosa Express entrance is just next to it!

When we arrived at Imbiah Station, it started to drizzle. Fortunately, Sentosa has built shelters to link most of the attractions together.

First stop: The Merlion
Walking into the 37m tall structure, you will immerse in an underwater mermaid world, learn how the name "Merlion" came about, try your luck with the Merlion token, enjoy an open-space 360-degree view at the Merlion head, snap a "fortune photo shot" at the Merlion mouth, and finally descend to the Merlion shop to collect your Merlion "prize".

Next: Images of Singapore
Sentosa really pampers us visitors by building sheltered walkways and escalators to bring us from one attraction to the next. Images of Singapore is like time travel, covering the entire history and culture of Singapore. As you enter, you will learn of Sir Stamford Raffles and the colonial days. Walking along, you will reach street mock-ups of our local cultures, before ending with a post-independence showcase. There is also a restaurant at the end of the building that allows you to sample the Taste of Singapore. Another attraction that I recommend to overseas visitors.

Mock-up of the colonial days

A gallery of our forefathers

The streets of Chinatown

Tiger Sky Tower
Mayenne's favourite ride, elevating us all the way to the top and giving us a 360-degree panoramic view of the island as we sat comfortably enjoying the moment.

Lovely view up there!

Sentosa 4D Magix, Desperados, Cineblast
These series of indoor simulator rides challenge the senses! 4D Magix is a 3D movie injected with environmental effects like air jets and water sprinkles. Desperados is an interactive shooting game, while Cineblast is a motion simulator to bring us into a fictitious world - the Extreme Log Ride. My family did not fancy these rides, so they went to the Butterfly Park instead.

Check out the trailers to all the rides:

1pm: Lunch
We had our launch break at KFC, conveniently located next to Imbiah Station. By then, the place was pretty crowded, with lots of people taking photos with the huge Merlion. It was also a stone’s throw away from Resorts World Sentosa. So I would recommend you start the day at Sentosa early, like what I did.

Luge and Skyride
The ride that I have been looking forward to! I have heard so much about the luge and I finally had a chance to experience it. Admittedly it wasn't as exciting as I had thought, partly because I went rather slow for my maiden ride, and partly because I have been driving a car every day, so operating a vehicle down a slope wasn't something exactly refreshing. However, the slow ride back to the starting point on the Skyride was relaxing. I must say that this attraction offers a good balance of thrills and chills. With the Play Pass, you can choose either taking a Luge/Skyride or opting for unlimited Skyrides.

Enjoyed the Skyride

WOAH!

By the time I completed the Skyride, Mayenne was rather tired, and so I decided to call it a day. It was a shame I missed the Segway Fun Ride, for I have never rode on one before. But if you have energetic companions, then you should continue the rest of the afternoon with this ride, then proceed to take the Bi-Pedal Bicycle for a leisure ride around the beach.

For the thrill-seekers, challenge yourself with the Flying Trapeze, though acrobatic stunt is not exactly in my genes. For nature lovers, go for Sentosa Nature Discovery Guided Tour to learn about flora and fauna unique to Sentosa island. And if you have time left, take a shuttle bus or beach tram to Fort Siloso to learn about the World War II events related to the Fort. And what’s great about the Play Pass is: you don’t have to choose, because they are all included in the Pass!

Crowded in the afternoon, so I recommend you start the Sentosa Day in the morning

The Sentosa Play Pass is a marvellous promotion for visitors to experience the island’s best attractions for an entire day. Visit this link for more information.

Collage of the photos I took. Click to enlarge.