Y2HH

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 09:20 AM) That people are still buying the phone doesn't excuse technical blunders. That's a marketing argument. Nobody said it did. But let's not pretend Microsoft and Google haven't made their fair share, too.

This would be how you factory reset a Samsung Galaxy S3 using TouchWiz: Create a link, and put this in the link: Samsung better fix that...until then, people using Touchwiz, careful what you click on. Note, this isn't an Android problem, it's a TouchWiz problem...introduced by companies that insist on messing with Android in order to make it their own. This highlights one of the glaring deficiencies in Android's open source model. It bothers me that Samsung, via it's touchwiz skin, introduced this vulnerability to a system that otherwise couldn't be compromised by this. While it took Android a while to mature to a level in which I found it functional enough as to "not require hacking" (that being 4.1.1 Jellybean), you have to deal with issues like these. Samsung, HTC...and whoever else need to STOP messing with Android and re-skinning it/altering it. I understand they do this to differentiate themselves, but it bothers me...because it introduces massive security exploits into the base code which otherwise wouldn't exist, not to mention the possibility of compatibility issues. Try differentiating yourselves in hardware/build quality and stop messing with Android. It's better without all these stupid changes.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 09:14 AM) And their stock is at a record high because of it. Actually their stock went down yesterday because of the "disappointing" iPhone5 numbers. That "disappointment" being a record breaking 5 million sold in one weekend...not including the 4 weeks of back orders they current have.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 09:10 AM) They were not going to stop the release of the Iphone 5 for subpar maps. Why should they? People are waiting weeks to get it, even with that problem. ...and millions still are.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 09:05 AM) Yeah but they should have used that cash to fix the problem before releasing it. The same could be said of Google fixing Android before releasing 3 s***ty versions of it, too. But that wouldn't be news.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 08:51 AM) I don't believe you've read the article I posted or the articles linked within that article. If you did you'd see that as of June this year they had over 7000 people dedicated to mapping. Nothing points to Apple putting in the human effort involved in doing it right. You mean aside from the fact Apple has been hiring maps people for months, and has a ton more jobs postings for it? And has been hiring people that were involved in Google Maps? Keep in mind Apple has over 120 billion dollars in cash to solve this problem with.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 25, 2012 -> 08:58 AM) Do I have to read the articles to everyone? It's 1100 google employees and 6000 contractors. I had read the article, for some reason I thought I had read that at their peak they had that many...but that said, they have 1100 dedicated to maps...contractors may work 2 hours a week for all we know... That said... Watch out Samsung Android owners (not BS, who hacks), but if you use TouchWiz, you may be vulnerable -- new exploit out there...just by clicking a link on the internet your phone can be wiped clean... http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/25/3403928/...t-vulnerability

Use Amazon Marketplace...it's much better.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 11:31 PM) That's 3500 in the company including folks in sales, accounting, hr, tax, public affairs, etc. Not really comparable. Google has 7000+ people solely dedicated to mapping. I don't believe Google has anywhere near that number dedicated to maps anymore...I think that was a one time peak when they were fixing the same problems Apple is having now -- problems people conveniently forgot Google Maps ever had. Apple also has 120 billion dollars at their disposal. In a year, nobody will remember "Mapgate". And even less will care when they realize they can still use maps.google.com and/or the number of map alternatives you can find on the app store. Ohh, boo hoo you have to copy/paste something to use them. As with most things, this is only news because it's Apple. Write a story about Apple...get clicks...get clicks...get ad money. It's a simple equation. If this was Microsoft having the same problem with Windows Mobile...there would be 2 stories about it and everyone would forget about them tomorrow. It's a short term inconvenience...and let's not sugar coat it...it sucks. Google maps are the best in breed right now, and it's always awesome to get to use the best of something. But I also understand Apple's position on this...and I don't see how people can't see their position. They were at the mercy of what became a direct competitor to use their maps...a competitor that could have, at any time, said we aren't renewing our deal with you, please remove maps off of your devices. Apple is better off taking a short term hit now based on that strategic decision versus that very possible alternative.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 04:15 PM) Im waiting for other people to buy the iphone before I decide. It once again appears that neither phone has exactly what I want. What exactly is it you want? I'm sure there is a phone out there that fits your needs.

QUOTE (Brian @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 03:01 PM) Got my credit card bill today. Already got charged for my iPhone 5 and won't see it for another 3 weeks. You will probably get it sooner than that.

Most stuff you've probably heard about when it comes to mattresses is myth or made up when it comes to getting a good nights rest. 99% of getting a good nights rest is actually being tired/worn out. If you sit around all day, and then sleep at night, odds are you won't sleep well no matter what kind of mattress you own. Some people like softer, some people like stiffer...stiffer happens to be better for your back...but it's all personal preference. Just don't pay too much for it...because most of it is nothing more than expensive gimmicks that you won't even notice you have after a week of sleeping on it.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 08:39 AM) With all of the hikers out there, maybe someone can help me. We do a decent amount of hiking with the kids at the state park. What I'd like to be able to do is find an app that I am able to tag/flag certain points along the trails for points of interest, that way I can view how far away those certain points are on a different day when we are out hiking. Does that exist in a free app? Google maps, Apple Maps, etc...they all do this, but only too a point. Just zoom down and hold your finger where ever you are...and drop a pin -- and put a note on the pin. Or, for more precision, you'd want to get more advanced cartographer software combined with a GPS, such as a Garmin handheld. When it comes to hiking and whatnot, despite being of lesser technology than a modern smartphone, their batteries will last about 5 days on a full charge with 24/7 usage with far more detailed maps. While expensive (300-500$), me and my friends use Garmin Rino's for this. Not only are they long lasting in the battery department, but they are very strong 2 way radios with weather reports...and you can see each other on the map, wherever you may be. They are also weather proof/water resistant.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 08:14 AM) But Apple Maps is still hilariously bad, at least right now. I've been using it for a few months and haven't run into any problems. So I wouldn't call it bad, by any stretch. What you're seeing now, as with most things Apple, are the most egregious examples to be found. As someone that's been using it for a while around Chicago/Suburbs, it's not given me a single issue yet.

After playing with the iPhone 5 for a few days, I have to say this thing is amazing, but not without a flaw that will be sure to annoy some people. The size, shape and weight are, for lack of a better word, awesome. The overall build quality is much higher than in the past, and the durability of the phone is pretty much as good as it's ever been...BUT, it's shell is delicate. Not from blunt force damage (drop tests have shown it's actually pretty strong when it comes to this), but from scratching...it's aluminum, so it's exactly like a MacBook Pro, iPad, or even the original iPhone. It WILL scratch quite easily for people that tend to carry their phone around with them in the same pocket as their keys, etc. I have the black model, and I'm not a "case user", I despise cell phone cases. Taking beautiful small devices and turning them into rubber covered monstrosities is insane, IMO. What I did do for this phone, however, was have it ghost armored, and it looks great...only now it can't be scratched.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 01:28 AM) I don't know which company decided to take Google maps off iOS, but regardless of whether Apple or Google did it, it was a bad decision. People are trying to downplay the significance, but really maps are a pretty core smartphone function, it's one of the main things people use. For Apple to downgrade from Google's clearly superior product to some inferior proprietary version isn't winning. The majority of iPhone users won't give a s*** who makes the map, just as long as it works. Google, on the other hand, loses that large data bank of iPhone users to keep their maps up to the standard they've been keeping. Lose-lose. I explained why in a post above. Something most people seem to not be thinking about when it comes to this decision.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 24, 2012 -> 06:32 AM) Did they not have that for Google Maps in iOS before? They did not. If you wanted this function, you had to download a free (MapQuest) or paid alternative (TomTom/Garmin). If we think about this logically, yes...it's a lose lose situation, for both sides on the short erm...but I also understand the perspective of both sides. In the long run, this will probably be better for everyone, as it will drive innovation even further in the map category. Now, please...I beg you to read on to my following points so you realize the situation Apple was in and why they did what they did...all you have to do is think about this logically and you'll see why. Google Maps on iOS was very basic, with nearly same functionality as their website, maps.google.com, which you can still use via Safari, Chrome, or whatever browser you use on iOS. This is why, for all the hype, I don't really understand the complaint. The only difference now is it's no longer a built in app. The app Google has on Android is FAR FAR FAR superior to the app they had on iOS, and this was because of politics between them AND Apple. Neither company is innocent of playing politics when it comes to business. And therein lies the problem. This is where the "rock and a hard place" situation came in for Apple. Using what became a direct competitors software on your device for a primary function like maps rendered Apple at the mercy of Google. So, pose the question...what happens if one day, Google decided they were no longer interested in making or supporting maps for iOS, what then? People like to ignore reality when they b**** and moan about these types of decisions, but they're actually legitimate concerns to have if you're Apple, or Microsoft, or Nokia, etc...Google can, at ANY time, take their "free" app away from you, when they deem you are no longer necessary. Is Google Maps better? No question. But if you're telling me it's a good business decision for Apple (or anyone else) to rely on a direct competitor that may one day decide they're no longer supporting them...than you're also an idiot.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 23, 2012 -> 11:10 AM) Hmm. I've never had that happen to me on Android but a good head's up nonetheless. It's important to watch out for this on Google Play -- being more open has it's drawbacks -- this being the main one. There were times when you could have very similarly named apps with very similar icons, one was real and one was a fake malware app. Google has cracked down on this, but like anything, things can get slipped by. Hell, Apple has even tighter control and things can slip by them...it's always best to watch out for yourself when it comes to installing relatively unknown 3rd party applications, no matter what platform you are on.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 22, 2012 -> 09:21 PM) that's actually literally true according to the Romney campaign itself and there is no supposition about previous years included, no conspiracy theory, that is fully documented. Mitt Romney has actually released last year's tax returns. He overpaid his taxes, by his own explanation, because he promised he had paid 13% or more in every year. If he had taken all the deductions he could have, he could have been down to 11% or below (it's hard to figure out the exact number because of the AMT and all his foreign accounts but ABC here claims 10.38% and others have come up with lower numbers). Mitt Romney didn't write the tax code. Blaming him for deductions most people would take is stupid, IMO, especially when he didn't take them.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Sep 22, 2012 -> 05:23 PM) I think it's more the fact that the improvements now are incremental and not as big as say the jump from the 3GS to the 4 was. That was a huge jump and wowed a lot of people very quickly. To notice all the differences you mentioned you have to be fairly geeky to truly appreciate the differences. Most people won't notice a major difference in a lot of these things, at least not consciously. Although, I held the 5 for myself and compared it to my 4S and the difference in weight was impressive. The big jump in that instance was the screen resolution/dpi, so it was an easy upgrade to see...after that occurred, pretty much every phone started coming with much higher dpi screens, which mostly leveled the playing field in that arena. Most of what you see now, from every manufacturer, is baby steps, but they have gotten much more comfortable to hold over their predecessors.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Sep 22, 2012 -> 07:44 AM) Played with the phone a bit yesterday. Seems like they took a step backwards. Screen is longer, but it's also less wider than the previous ones. The retina display doesn't make a difference to me on this phone. On the iPad 3, it does. There really is no wow factor with this phone at all. My buddy who bought it also stated the same thing. It just works. But so far, neither of us are impressed by anything on it, truth be told. Didn't know mapquest had an app though. That's pretty cool. Let's just say we disagree. I understand you are free to have your own opinion, but I don't understand how anyone could say this is a step backwards in design... Not only played with the phone extensively, but own one. To say it's nothing special is like saying the Galaxy S3 is a horrible design and nothing special when it's the cream of the crop in Android phone design to which all others are compared. First, the screen is the same exact width as all previous iPhones. It's also near sRBG in color reproduction...which is amazing. Second, and more importantly, yes, there is a wow factor to it. The shell of this thing is absolutely amazing. It looks like it was made out of the skin of the stealth fighter, it's amazingly light and thin, and more importantly, very comfortable to hold. It's weight alone is an amazing engineering feat...it feels like it's empty and fragile, when it's actually considered their most durable design ever. The carved aluminum shell is far away a better design choice than two sheets of easily breakable glass sandwiching the internals, not to mention lighter and orders of magnitude stronger. It's also WAY easier to repair than all previous iPhone models. To not be impressed by it's weight alone is an amazingly stunning oversight. Not to mention it took a quantum leap in processing power to the tune that it's faster than an iPad3, and it's graphics are AS FAST as the iPad 3's. Not unlike the design of the HTC One X and the Samsung GS2/3, which are also amazing designs...I simply don't understand it when I hear Apple fans say similar things when reviewing them. To hold a Samsung GS3 and play with it, and then claim it's nothing special baffles me, and I've seen this happen. This seems to be a glaring problem with judging modern electronic design these days, especially that of phones...there is almost no objectionability anymore, this fanboyism that's crept into the conversation has seemingly destroyed objective opinion. I'm a known Apple user around here, but you HAVE to admit the GS2/3 and HTC One X are awesome phone designs. Think about where phones were just 5 years ago and look at them now. Every iteration of these phones, be they from Apple or Samsung, are orders greater than their previous models. To say otherwise in a review makes me question a persons objectionability. The iPhone 5 design is simply stunning.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 21, 2012 -> 05:34 PM) You certain of this? Google said they're working on an app now, and since there are already like 50 other competing mapping products on the App Store I doubt there will be a problem unless Apple feels like being smacked down and broken up for anti competitive behavior. Apple erased YouTube as a builtin app and you can already download Googles newer and better YouTube app off the App Store.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 21, 2012 -> 05:29 PM) i originally thought that said megatron. was going to download the app. If you search megatron on the App Store, 2 apps will show up...transformer comics or something.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 21, 2012 -> 03:57 PM) Seriously, some of us actually do, now stop. He has a point, some of us are trying to engage in productive conversation, and every other post we have to hear about how Android has done that for years, when there are megaton of apps on the Apple platform that have as well. It's as if they have to interject nothing of worth just so people notice them or something.