GamePad for your tablet

BY THE APPLE GIRL 60Beat – GamePad for your iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch is the new kid in the block. It brings a full-sized game pad designed for iOS devices and it connects via headphone jack. Being an ardent gamer myself, I like the classic touch to the new generation of gaming devices. However, I would rather not shell out $50 for 60Beat if instead I could use my PS3 gamepad to do the same task!  Android users have an advantage. They can connect their Wii remotes with their Android devices using BlueTooth and the XBox 360 controller wirelessly with an additional device connected to the Android USB port.  The gamepad though isn’t the future of gaming, in my opinion, Kinect technology is! How would you like to be entertained? 😛 [Source] TechCrunch, Android Simplicity

iPad is a giant iPhone?

BY THE APPLE GIRL   GoogleChic, you are going to love this Motorola tablet evolution ad 😀 It is the same Motorola tablet which Andy Rubin had showed off during the Honey Comb preview. Motorola terms the iPad as “It’s like a giant iPhone, but… it’s like a giant iPhone”. Motorola can’t even get its jabs right. iPad is more like a giant iPod Touch than a giant iPhone 😉 Motorola labels the Samsung Galaxy Tab as “Android OS, but Android OS…for a phone”. Ouch, now you can’t even trust a fellow Android user to watch your back? Isn’t Honeycomb just an optimized version of Android phone OS 🙂 Pretty much like iOS for iPad? Not only does Motorola come late into the market (to be released at CES Jan 2011), but it  made the stupid mistake of comparing its tablet to the first gen iPad. Motorola is yet to realize that it will actually be competing with iPad  2 (rumored to be released early next year).

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  Based on Andy Rubin’s preview of the Motorola tablet Honeycomb looked awesome! I would say it’s a overhaul of the Android OS and not an optimized version of it 🙂 I wonder how pissed Samsung is about this ad. Motorola took a direct jab at Samsung with their “Android OS, but Android OS for a phone”. Ouch, first off Samsung Tab is a 7 inch tablet which is why it’s able to utilizes Android 2.2 (Froyo) and it works well. The Motorola tab is a 10 inch tablet so it definitely needs Honeycomb which will handle the larger resolution. As for the iPhone comment, it looks like Motorola is implying that their tablet will have more features as compared to the Droid X for example. Come on Motorola, stop teasing us and release the specs already!

Android 2.3 – Gingerbread – (NOT) a smart cookie?

BY THE APPLE GIRL  GoogleChic has been gifting me Gingerbread cookies and cupcakes in the spirit of Christmas (but I think its more in the spirit of Android Gingerbread release :P)  Android 2.3 released with so many dull features that I had to literally drag myself to write this blog. 1. User Interface refinements for simplicity and speed Most of the software update comes as UI improvements. Well, I have to give to Google for focusing their effort on improving the (blah) Android user experience. If Android wants to beat Apple, this is the biggest key. The best user experience is the simplest and unfortunately for Google, Gingerbread only seems to be bandaging a bleeding wound. 2. Faster more intuitive input text Gingerbread comes with a redesigned keyboard with reshaped and redesigned keys. GoogleChic, looks like Google doesn’t understand the Do It Right The First Time mantra. Gingerbread also offers dictionary suggestions to correct entered words. Oh come on, I cant believe you didn’t have this until now 😉 3. One touch word selection and copy/paste If you own an iPhone, you already know how this works. Press and hold a word to copy or drag the cursor to adjust the selection area and then tap to paste it. Rocket Science! 4. Improved Power Management Android now takes more control in managing apps by closing them whenever appropriate. Duh, the iPhone’s cleverly implemented multitasking already does this by suspending apps when not in use 🙂 Even the app switcher on the iPhone is so simple, that I don’t have to pull up a horrid convoluted Windows like switcher. 5. Near Field Communication NFC is like a breath of fresh air on Gingerbread. For now, you can use this feature to read NFC chips inserted in objects such as posters in restaurants, stores etc. Once your phone detects the chip, it will pull up the URL included in the tag data. As endless as the possibilities with NFC seem, currently you cant do much with it because there are hardly any NFC enabled systems in United States that you can use it with. Android, by being the fore runner for NFC in the US is helping Apple by building a NFC market that the next iPhone (rumored to come with NFC support) can harness. Remember that you can use NFC only if your phone hardware supports it. So, unless your Android phone is NFC enabled, NFC on Gingerbread isn’t your cup of tea. GoogleChic, did I miss out any of the boring Gingerbread features? 😉

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  AppleGirl, not bad you covered most of the features. But of course we differ in opinion about the new features. 1)  UI refinements The Android UI is far from blah! It has from day 1 supported a customizable desktop and widgets for ease of use. I would say that’s far more features as compared to the iOS. With Android 2.3, Google is not trying to re-invent the wheel, they’re polishing off the features that already exist and not slapping a bandage on it. 2)  Input Even before Gingerbread, Android supported the dictionary suggestion feature. With 2.3 Google has refined the look and feel of this. Hate to burst your bubble AppleGirl we’re well more advance that you think 🙂 3) Copy & Paste Yeah, copy and paste isn’t rocket science. How come iOS didn’t have this day one? Of course I think a lot of people will be happy with the improved copy/paste feature . 4) Power Management I really don’t have any complaints if Google can improve the speed and efficiency of our device. AppleGirl said it herself, the iPhone freezes the app if it’s not in use. Hmm, that doesn’t sound like true multitasking to me. In fact there are only 7 types of services(background audio, voice over IP, background location, push notifications, local notifications, task completion and fast app switching) that allows for multitasking. 5) NFC I do agree with AppleGirl on this point, NFC is a exciting new technology (well at least in the U.S) and until this grows in popularity there’s not many places which you can use this. There are reports that early next  year some business will start accepting credit card payments via NFC technology. Looks like Android users can start taking advantage of this before iPhone users 😉 6)VoIP One really cool feature with Gingerbread is that VoIP calling is integrated with the OS. This will eliminate the use of third party apps for VoIP calls. 7) Game Development & Multimedia There are other improvements that are not visible to end user, but Google has bundle a lot of improvements for developers, especially relating to gaming. Check out the video below.

Honeycomb – sneak preview

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC   Early this week, Andy Rubin gave a preview of Honeycomb on an unannounced Motorola 10 inch tablet. More pictures were released today of the devices, check it out via Engadget. The Motorola tablet looks amazing, especially the UI. AppleGirl shouldn’t have any issues operating this device, it doesn’t have any buttons. Also, it rotates according how it’s held (sounds pretty simple to me)  😉 Jokes aside, AppleGirl will LOVE Andy’s comment about Apple. “Apple has done a perfect job on being an intergrator of hardware and software”, this was Andy’s response when asked if the Motorola tablet was Google’s vision of a perfect tablet. Of course, long story short is that Google is not in the market of making hardware. Check out the video below, the Google maps update looks sweet! I can’t wait to get it on my phone. P.S Check out Andy at 5:05 in the video, being a little possessive aren’t we? 🙂

BY THE APPLE GIRL   Andy praised Apple for being the perfect integrator, more so because he wanted to point out that Android is more like Apple than Microsoft. ROFL. According to him, Microsoft throws software out there and lets Acer and others build PC’s out of it. Ahem, I thought Android does pretty much the same 😀 Don’t they release software for every aspiring phone and tablet maker out there? I am not sure what Andy Rubin was going for. The part that cracked me up most was when Andy Rubin was explaining how Android on tablets is different from Android on phones, and this was what the interviewer said “Isn’t that essentially what Apple did?” Ouch! P.S: GoogleChic, you say Andy Rubin was “possessive” when he didn’t allow the interviewer to play with the Motorola tablet. I think it was more like he was “scared that Honeycomb would crash on him during an interview” 😉

Mac Book meets the iPad!

BY THE APPLE GIRL  Apple announced its new Mac OSX Lion along with the new Mac Book Air today. Apple has clearly learnt from its run away success story with the iOS and used it thoughtfully on the new OS. Max OSX Lion 1. Multi-touch gestures: that you are used to on your iDevices now comes to Mac OSX with a track pad. 2. Mac App Store: Apple brings a new Mac App Store to Lion and Snow Leopard OS. Isn’t it a cool feature? Just like on your iDevices you can install and pull up any App on your Mac. GoogleChic, this is what you should be excited about rather than shelling out $299 to play Angry Birds on your TV 😉 3. LaunchPad: All your Apps are neatly arranged in rows for instant access on the LaunchPad. With LaunchPad, you can organize Apps in pages and folders in exactly the same way as on iOS. Essentially, Launch Pad is like an iOS interface on the Mac. 4. Fullscreen Apps: Just as on the iPad, Mac OSX brings you full screen Apps and you can jump to another full-screen app with the swipe of the track pad. iLife 11 Apple revamped its multimedia management suite with iLife 11. The updated iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand  brings a new bunch of media editing features along with deeper integration to social networks. I can’t wait to get my hands on this update! Facetime This new toy on your Mac, lets you video chat with anyone on an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or a Mac. GoogleChic, remember the millions of Facetime devices Steve Jobs promised us in June this year. Looks like he has kept his word. Bring on your army of Android Qiks and maybe fAndroids could learn a lesson or two from Apple about neat integrated software. MacBook Air This is the crown jewel of today’s event. Apple unveiled it’s latest super slim notebook, MacBook Air. This stunning piece of hardware is the future of notebooks and best billed as “What if a Mac Book met an iPad?” With prices starting at $999, these Mac Books are available in 11.6 and 13.3 inch displays. The uni-body notebook is 0.68 inches at its thickest point and 0.11 inches at it’s thinnest. Everything you want on laptop, from battery life, multi touch trackpad, memory, high resolution display, facetime camera, connectivity and portability to name a few, all squeezed into a 2.9 pound device. GoogleChic, I hope you are not going to compare anything “Android” with this piece of beauty. That would be trying too hard 😀

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  Unlike you AppleGirl, I don’t discriminate. I’m able to see pass the brand and give credit where it’s due 🙂 I’ve always said that Apple has very slick products when it comes to their hardware design. What’s interesting is that the new macbook air is still only using an Intel core 2 duo chip, as compared to the newer Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 chips.  Apple claims that the Intel Core 2 duo chip is perfect for a laptop in this class, it brings a perfect blend of battery life and performance. For $1000 I would hope that I have the latest and greatest. As for Mac OS X Lion, nothing really jumps out at me, I’m just overall unimpressed. 1. I have multi-touch gestures on my Acer and I didn’t pay 1K for it 😉 Not to mention it has a Intel core i3, it’s 3.5 lbs all for around $600. 2. I guess AppleGirl rather pay 1K for the macbook air + $99 for the AppleTV just to play angry birds on her TV (vs $299) (assuming that you can somehow “stream” your apps from your computer using airplay in the future). After all that $$ you still can’t surf on your TV. As for Facetime, sure it’s a way to connect all the Apple devices but I guess if you have a friend that doesn’t own an Apple product then you’re out of luck. Now if Apple was smart they would make Facetime available on other platforms. Instead, Apple wants to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Until then, I guess y’all can go back to cross platform video chat programs such as google talk. Wrapping up, yes the macbook air looks very slick, but is it really worth the price tag? What do you think? Let’s here from you!

Logitech Revue – Google TV vs Apple TV

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC   Logitech Revue is finally here!  The Revue is a set top box for Google TV which brings your TV to a whole new level including web browsing and video conferencing. The Revue packs in more power in terms of hardware as compare to the Apple TV. It sports two usb  ports (as compared to one micro usb on the Apple TV), and a faster processor, specially the intel Atom 1.2 GHZ processor as compared to the A4. The Revue comes with a lightweight keyboard  with a multi touch track pad. If you want to opt for something smaller you can download the Logitech Harmony remote app for your Android phone and yes iPhones as well 🙂 Also, there is a Logitech TV cam that you can purchase to turn your Google TV into a conferencing system. I’m sure AppleGirl is shaking her head by now. The Revue after all is $299 as compared to the Apple TV at $99. However, does Apple TV pack this much into its system?  Remember, Google TV manages your media content as an ecosystem, it nicely integrates your cable box or DVR with the web and not to mention it can connect to your DLNA devices. My take is that Google TV has much more potential as compared to the Apple TV and it’s worth the extra  dinero. Check it our for yourselves! P.S The Revue is available for 179 for Dish Network customers.

BY THE APPLE GIRL   GoogleChic, you guessed right 🙂 I am squirming at the sound of a $299 set top box which does not replace my cable. Do you really want to pay so much just to search for shows on your DVR? And do you really have so many recorded that you can’t just flip through the list. Google TV lets you surf the internet on your TV. It’s a cool feature, but for that price, no thanks! I would rather do it on my laptop. I can hear GoogleChic, saying that you can watch free TV shows on Flash embedded websites on GoogleTV. But aren’t you already paying for those shows on your cable connection? Jeez, Androids like to over complicate things! (Is it me or do I see a new Microsoft here?) GoogleChic, you have two USB ports?  Are you going to use that when your DLNA connection takes a hike? 😉 Apple likes it simple, especially with the seamless Airplay. Connect any of your iDevices without a USB connection. If you want to buy the Revue, you should check out the “lightweight” keyboard that GoogleChic is referring to. Did Logitech just pick up a computer keyboard and add a track pad to it? Do you want that sticking out like a sore thumb on your coffee table? Not just that Logitech decided to go all out on remotes. They also have a palm sized remote for $129, which is not too far away in complexity. Apple’s flair for simplicity is vivid in the Apple TV remote. A slim remote with just three buttons with navigation as simple as it is on your iPod, iPad or iPhone. You can use your Android apps to watch video content such as NBC, MSNBC and HBO. But wait don’t you pay for all that TV content on your cable bill? The Google TV box lets you play content on You Tube, NetFlix and Flickr. All of which Apple TV supports effortlessly along  with iTunes store to rent TV shows  and movies and Mobile Me, which is Apple’s integrated solution for email, calendar, files photos and much more. Logitech gives you a TV camera for $149.99 (Boy do those costs keep piling up! I’m already at $577 and still counting!) Apple doesn’t have video conferencing features yet. But, it’s only a matter of time when Apple upgrades the Apple TV software to support Facetime, which is integrated with all your iDevices. It’s a known fact that Apple TV can support iOS Apps. I am pretty sure that’s the next big thing on Apple’s agenda. If Apple lets you run Apps on your Apple TV, for $99 you would have got yourself a new gaming device. GoogleTV sure has potential, but all it seems to be doing is complicating our lives with unnecessary software and sucking all that dinero out of our pockets. Vodpod videos no longer available.

Samsung Galaxy Tab- take your pick!

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC It looks like it’s going to be a full house  again with the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Samsung announced yesterday that the Galaxy Tab will be available via  all major US carriers (T-mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint). Samsung also announced that a WiFi only version will be available! This means no service contract and data plans (Whoop!)! However, there’s no news on the pricing for any of these devices just yet. One odd thing is odd is that the US version of the Galaxy Tab will not have telephony capabilities unlike its European model. Am I going to cry over this? No! That’s what a phone is for, and don’t forget you still have the VoIP option if you really want to use it as a phone. Lastly, movies and next day TV shows will be offered via Media Hub. I think Media Hub is a very nice feature for movies, but I’m still not jumping up and down for joy about the TV shows. I mean Android does have Flash so you could wait for the shows to be posted online to watch, I guess it’s a nice to have if the network doesn’t offer online episodes. Watch out AppleGirl, with the Samsung Tab being readily available with on all of the major US carriers, do you still think the iPad will dominate?

BY THE APPLE GIRL Is this going to be another round of device dwarfing just so the Samsung tablet fits into the carrier plans like the Galaxy phones? Sprint customers; don’t hold your breath expecting another Epic 4G, because Samsung is not releasing a 4G version of the Galaxy Tab. T-Mobile customers, you won’t be getting the Tab on T-Mobile’s HSPA + network as well. That leaves Verizon and AT&T. You think AT&T customers would buy an Android device when they have an Apple device at their beckoning? GoogleChic, I am glad you are not crying over not having voice call functionality on the Tab because I think Samsung and the carrier networks should be beating themselves bad over that blunder(esp if its available in UK). If your Tab is extremely portable because it is 7 inches (maybe you don’t have the extra 3 inches space in you handbag or manbag to hold an iPad), a good smart phone-mini tablet is what we don’t have in the market (Intentionally ignoring  Dell Streak here).  Want to get ahead of the iPad? Launch a device into an untapped market. But instead, Samsung insists on being the best knock-offer (Does the word knock-offer exist? Nevermind, I just made it up). Elaborating on the knock-offer attributes, Samsung makes a device just like an iPad (only 3 inches shorter), makes Apple like accessories, and top it all off gives you video conferencing on Wi-Fi only. GoogleChic, isn’t that what we call Facetime on iPad? Yes, the same Facetime over Wifi you keep cribbing about. 😉 Wow, you get a Media Hub as well? Anything compared to the iTunes store? I’m not even going to draw a comparison here since we all know who wins this round hands down. As it is, the battery life of the iPad is super trumping the Samsung Tab (iPad has 10 hours video, 140 hours audio playback , one month standby  and Samsung Tab has 7 hours video). Hmm, I wonder if that 7 hours would be any shorter with GoogleChic watching videos on Flash websites. Alas, Samsung couldn’t get their hands on Apples iOS, so they decided to stick the Tab with another copycat, Android OS. Apple’s newest updates including Airplay wireless streaming and the colossal giant App store with Apps made to render to the 10 inch iPad, sets the Tablet software bar higher than Android. Last but not the least, let’s talk about the price. Although Samsung hasn’t released the price point in the US, here’s a feeler about how it is faring in UK. Amazon has listed the product for  a mind boggling £800 as compared to £529 for a 16 Gb Wifi-3G  Apple iPad.  Amazon has also listed a 15% discount which brings the Tab down up £680. Of course, with carrier subsidization, the price may vary in the United States. But if the Tab is going to cost more than an iPad, GoogleChic, really I don’t think even you would be buying the Galaxy Tab! 🙂

Technorati Tags: Samsung, Galaxy, Tab, Apple, iPad, iOS, Android, MediaHub, iTunes, Battery, Gamcenter, Airplay, Dell, Streak, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Tmobile,

Apple has a change of heart?

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  My my, Apple suddenly had a change of heart? Apple is now allowing apps developed using third party software tools  in its App store (they banned these back in April). Why the sudden change of heart? Apple claims that they are responding to its developers complains and “have listened to our developers and taken much of their feedback to heart” What does this mean? Adobe is back in the game! Adobe released a statement via their blog that Packager apps (apps created using Adobe’s Packager for the iPhone) has now been approved for the App store. Although, Adobe did point out that Flash content running on iOS browsers  is still restricted (no bitterness here right?).In addition, Apple has also changed its rules on outside advertising. Of course, Google took the chance to address the fact that AdMob can now be used in iOS. Bottom line, hopefully this is just the first of many changes that Apple will make. Maybe Steve Jobs is realizing that in order to be competitive you actually have to collaborate with other companies instead of alienate them!

BY THE APPLE GIRL  Adobe’s  Flash packager tool, earlier restricted, can now be used to develop iOS apps.  I’m sure native app developers (not using third party tools), are mourning this since now they have to compete with the sub-par applications developed using these third party tools. Either way, I think Apple will still hold tight reins on the Apps allowed in the App Store. The apps, irrespective of the tools used to develop them, will now be judged based on their own merit and on the actual quality of the app itself. GoogleChic, I think it is more of Apple trying to keep the developers happy  rather than trying to bond with Adobe or Google. Hasn’t Apple already proven that it doesn’t need company collaboration to drag it down? To bring transparency to the App Store review process, Apple has published the guidelines on which apps are reviewed. Here’s the funny part from the introduction of the document. GoogleChic, this is your laughter medicine for the day 🙂 – We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don’t work unless the parents set them up (many don’t). So know that we’re keeping an eye out for the kids. – We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don’t need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted. – We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, “I’ll know it when I see it”. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it. – If your app is rejected, we have a Review Board that you can appeal to. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps. – This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this.

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone, adMob, Flash, Adobe, PAckager, Third-PArty, tools, Google, Android,

Android web usage climbs, Apple’s slip!

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC Check out the pretty graph below. While Android web usage steadily climbs, iOS drops (and this includes the beloved iPods and iPads).  Maybe, Apple’s investors should take a look a closer look and study the Quantcast chart and invest wisely! I’ll leave you pondering with this thought. “In business you either lead, follow, or get out of the way.  A steamroller driven by a friendly green robot is coming through, and that huge user base some others have been enjoying isn’t going to be enough to stop it.” Source: Android Central, tgdaily

BY THE APPLE GIRL GoogleChic, its funny you should leave us pondering with that thought! It aptly describes Apple as a leader and Android as follower. Is’nt that the trend? Android following Apple’s innovative smart phone solutions, and the the bevy of handset makers, copying every single curve on the iPhone. GoogleChic, Do Galaxy S phones look like the iPhone to you? 🙂 Your chart indicates that iOS web consumption has been going down while Android web usage is going up. Are you telling me that Apple has miraculously got the web consumption down while still selling more devices than the Android? I would say that is ingenious. Now here’s a thought for you to chew on. 10 users could each be using 1 unit of data on their iPhones and a single Android user could be using 100 units of data. With all the tethering allowed on  Android phones, I won’t be surprised if this is true. Does that indicate that Android’s market share is bigger than Apple’s?

Samsung Captivate vs. Apple iPhone 4

BY THE APPLE GIRL  Samsung, If you  wanted to beat the iPhone at its game, you should at least trump the iPhone hardware if not the software.  Anyone deciding between Captivate and iPhone 4, here is why you should be buying the iPhone 4 over the Captivate. 1. No front facing camera – This means no FaceTime. I can hear GoogleChic, cribbing about Facetime only available over Wi-Fi. Yes, and I would blame AT&T for that. But its something AT&T can decide to turn on anytime. Video calling is not new, but Apple’s FaceTime is yet to add a new page to it. Soon enough we might all be moving away from audio only calls, and do you want to be left behind without a front facing camera? 2. No camera flash – Captivate gives you a 5 mega pixel camera, but says no to a flash. Is that Samsung being stingy? 3. Crappy AT&T apps – You don’t want to be dealing with all the crapware from AT&T on your phone. I know you can take it off if you don’t want it, but why not get a nice and clean iPhone when you are at it? 4. Retina display and HDR photos –   I am in awe of the iPhone’s Retina display. Check out the video for Epic Citadel below. The super crisp 3Dish images should leave you gawking at the display. Although reviews indicate that Samsung’s AMOLED is comparable to Apple’s Retina display, the superior pixel density of the iPhone is something you should check out for yourself. As Apple says “Retina display’s pixel density is so high, your eye is unable to distinguish the pixels” HDR photos coming on iOS 4.1 is something I would die for. GoogleChic, got anything comparable to HDR photos on Captivate? 5. App-Store – With Apple, you get access to the 250,000 apps at the Apple Store which is more than twice that of the Android market place. GoogleChic, are you going to say that market place apps are growing in number? Do you think the App Store will be stagnant? 6. iPhone texting – At this point, GoogleChic will show you videos where Swype on Captivate  appears faster than iPhone texting. An iPhone texter has already beat the Swype record, but I am not going to use that to get you to buy the iPhone 4. Unless you have countless hours to get your swype -ing skills up to speed, go get the iPhone and text away gloriously (why re-invent the typing wheel right?) 7. iOS – Last but not the least, the Apple’s iOS trumps Android any day with super user friendly intuitive software. You don’t want to get an Android phone and be caught in the dark ages if Sammy decides that you are not fit enough for the software update. With Apple, you get it as soon as it’s released .. simple as that! Googlechic, I know you are going to point out that it sometimes takes a while to update the iPhone, but hey isn’t that because millions of users are trying to get to it before you do and a few minutes is definitely better than waiting months to get the Android software. Point to take home: iPhone 4 is any day better than Captivate. 🙂

BY THE GOOGLE CHIC  Samsung can’t help it if AT&T wants to cripple their phone! 1)  Front facing camera. Again, you have AT&T to thank for opting out of the front facing camera option. The Epic 4G, Captivate’s sibling has a front facing camera, so clearly Samsung can provide that feature. Maybe AT&T opted out of it to save itself from another embrassement, another wifi only video time. As for Facetime over 3G, I wouldn’t hold my breathe AppleGirl, you’ll have better luck waiting for the iPhone to come out on Verizon and use Facetime on their stable network. I mean, AT&T is too busy fixing their dropped call right? Millions of customers on their flimsy network would sure cause a blackout 😉 Check out the picture below, I took it while trying to watch Apple’s keynote on a iPhone (umm Networkwork overload)? 2) No flash, pick a side AppleGirl, you said that flash wasn’t a deciding factor. I’m pretty tired of saying this, but yet again AT&T screwing things up. Captivate’s siblings the Epic 4G and Fascinate offers a flash. 3) AT&T apps – Wow, we’re now going to gripe about uninstalling apps? Settings-> Applications -> Manage Applications. That’s it, go uninstall the apps to your heart’s content! 4) Retina display? Oh vey! You need to check out the Super AMOLED in person, check out Avatar on the Samsung (just for you AppleGirl, check out Avatar on the Samsung vs. iPhone 4).  That sure beats your Citadel! As for HDR photos, you realize that’s just a software upgrade right? Being able to snap 3 pictures and put it together is surely something that Google can do. 5) Market, the Android phones can do anything an iPhone can do, even better! Oh don’t forget it’s probably free also! 6) Texting, don’t be jealous AppleGirl that you can’t get Swype. The Captivate does have an on screen keyboard just like the iPhone. Swype is just a bonus feature. If you can type quickly on an iPhone you sure can do it on the Captivate. 7) OS – The iOS trumps Android anyday? I guess if you’re boring and don’t want to be able to customize your desktop or anything else then yes, iOS is for you. You can have the same old app drawer like the millions of iPhone users out there! Now, if you want notifications, customizable desktops, widgets in which you can view FB status, tweet right from your desktop then Android is for you! By the way, remember Android is open source, update at will. No need to “wait” for the update, it’s already out there. Thanks to Cyanogen (along with other devs) you can get enhanced features for your OS. It’s also easy, just follow the instructions. Now, if you have a Nexus that’s a bonus, Google pushes the updates directly and it takes 2 mins versus the pain of having to fight a million other users trying to get the same upgrade. If Apple was smarter, they would phase the upgrade over the span of several days instead of crashing their servers. Point taken? Pick an Android device over the iPhone 4. The Captivate is the best Android that AT&T has to offer but there are much better Android devices out there. Stop staying with the crap network that will only promote the iPhone.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Android, iPhone4, Captivate, Samsung, Google, Swype, iOS4.1, iOS, iOS4.2, HDR, flash, camera, Facetime,