Facebook's Graph Search - Finally a Leap in the Search Space?

Mark Zuckberg has just announced Facebook's latest feature earlier today, the Graph Search. It is though still in a beta version and I have yet to actually try out the new search function. Facebook only gives an introductory page about this new hype for now.

Graph search leverages on Facebook's existing capital of social network, by 'exploiting' users' connections and their information and online activities. It also aims to provide better search result of recommendations such as restaurants, music, and sports by analysing users' preferences and regional statistics.

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Small yet Powerful - First Impression and Tips on Sony RX1

Soon after I got my RX1, I went on a short trip to Thailand. Along the way I have taken some photos with the new toy. I have to say that the outcome is very impressive. The camera comes with good control design and the photo quality is definitely outstanding. Before I post the photos, here are some tips I find that may be useful for other fellow users.

1. As many review sites already stated, the lens distortion correction is not set as on by default, so make sure you turn on that in the menu when you got the camera.

2. JPEG image quality is set default as FINE, but you can set it as EXTRA FINE if you want. The image size is about 15-20 mb per photo. But I haven't done any comparison to see how much more details are retained in the extra fine option.

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My First Full Frame, and It's Compact

I have to say Sony still has some innovation power in its products, at least in digital camera space (not a fan of its smartphones though). Its release of the first full frame compact camera, RX1 really tempts me. It took me quite some struggling to choose between a normal full frame (e.g. Nikon D600, Canon 6D, etc.) and this one. But considering about that I'll use the camera mainly for travel and casual outings, I finally settled with my decision on this small camera.  

Stock has been really limited with this camera due to low supply and short period of release. I was lucky enough to grab one on this very Friday night as I am going on trip tomorrow. So it is just in time to capture some great moments and also good time to test out the camera's capability. In this post, there are mostly some unboxing photos and my first impression on this tiny camera.

I would say the package design is rather normal. Nothing much stunning is seen from the exterior of it. And I believe Sony should be able to do better with a camera selling at such a premium price (I was expecting something like NEX-7's package).

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Windows 8: the Next Vista?

The release of Windows 8 was highly anticipated this year. It is given the mission that it's gonna stand up front and challenge the fast rising iOS and Android, and of course the new era of tablets. However, so far Windows 8 seems not bringing any glory back to Microsoft yet. 

I've tried Windows 8 before, not for a long time though. I have to say that Microsoft has put enormous amount of effort in this piece of work. The new UI is fantastic, and not only that, if you click those widgets like weather, news, mails, etc. They are actually put in a very nice layout with rich content. The awkward part is that clearly it is designed for touch interface. Using a mouse to scroll and click just doesn't feel natural. 

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500px - Showcase Your Photo Online

Call me too old-fashioned or out of date or whatever, I haven't tried 500px out until yesterday though I came across this name a couple of times. Judging by the name, I thought "nah, it's just another photo-sharing website". It is, but it is much more than that, and much better than I thought. 

I have been using flickr for some time, but as an average user who doesn't log on frequently. Anyone who has used Flickr before should have known how it looks like: almost same old layout as 5 years ago (that's like half a century in technology), and I always get confused by the difference of sets and galleries and the UI is simply messy. It's probably because I am not a frequent user so that I don't find it handy. But that's how I feel when I see the website. 

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This Apple Isn't Golden After All

Source: Yahoo Finance - http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/AAPL:US/chart/

Ever since it hit the $700 per share earlier this year, Apple, Inc. has seen some sharp fall in its share price. As the US market closed on Friday, 7 Dec 2012, its share price is quoted as $533.25. That is a massive 24% decline in the market capitalization or $157 billion equivalent, and it was within 3 months. Taking a more distant perspective, say 5 year horizon, it could still be deemed as a hiccup considering its share price has tripled over the period. But it is interesting and worthwhile to try to understand the reasons behind the scene.

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Sound and Look Cool - Beats Solo HD

To be honest, I am not a huge fan of earphones, headphones or any audio equipment. To me, it doesn't seem too attractive to spend a few hundred bucks just to feel that the sound is more pleasing or detailed or whatever. As long as I could wear them comfortably and the sound quality isn't terribly bad, I wouldn't want to upgrade my audio gears. 

Besides the iPhone original earphones (many audio fans may give a sarcastic smile here) and ATH FC700, I don't have much experience and say in this category. so this post is really mainly about my very personal thoughts and experience with the Beats Solo HD. 

Why do I get this in the first place? Reason could be three:

1. The look itself. Probably this is too shallow, but yeah. Beats' marketing is just too good. You could see celebrities wear them on the newspapers, magazines and websites. It's fashionablly unique and iconic. A few brands were trying to imitate that but didn't seem very successful. 

2. It meets my need well. There are indeed, in terms of sound quality, better beats headphones such as Beats Studio. However, it is just too bulky for me and I don't really find it comfortable when wearing that, especially for long time. The noise cancelling is a great feature on Beats Studio. But it also brings the trouble that when it's running out of battery, you have to replace the batteries before you can enjoy your music again, which is kind of stupid. So I opted down for better simplicity and I suppose the sound quality is good enough for me.

3. Cheaper price in UK! Beats headphones are not cheap at all. At the same price, you may find better alternatives from other competitors such as ATH, Sennheiser and Bose. But let's just consider ourselves are paying the premium for the look. Remember after all we are living in a world of attention. In Singapore, the beats headphones are even more insanely priced. That's why I bought them when I was in London. I just couldn't resist it.

Enough talk on my decision-making process, let's check out the headphones!

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The Good and Bad About iPhone 5

It didn't take me much time to decide to get an iPhone 5 after the frustration that Android has brought me: system is laggy and irresponsive, battery is draining fast, and the Android apps just don't work well. 

I got my iPhone 5 on Monday, as soon as I came back in Singapore. Having been using the phone for the past 5 days, all I want to say is that it is simply amazing and such a delight to use. But nothing is perfect, here are some things I listed that might be useful for you to consider buying an iPhone 5. For all the relevant specifications, I am sure you'll be able to find them online easily.

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iPad Mini - A Brief Comparison to Kindle Fire and iPad 2

 

I now have three tablets in hand after my recent purchase of iPad mini. Kindle Fire and iPad 2 have served their purpose well. However, iPad mini eventually combined the strength of the two other tablets. This blog is about a brief comparison between the three tablets, which hopefully can give you an idea what tablet you are looking for. 

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How I Met My iPad mini

iPad mini is definitely the buzz word in the technology industry this week. Though the launch wasn't as overwhelming as the other Apple products, it still has attracted hard-core fans without too much convincing.

To be honest, I wasn't planning to get my iPad mini in London. The price is still cheaper back in Singapore even after the 10% plus tax refund. I was also keener on the 4G models rather than a WiFi only version because judging by the smaller size than an iPad, I could surf the internet and connect with the world on the go (and this is where the wow factor comes in). But still, I got it here… Why? I guess it's because of the Apple Store experience.

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