That being said, the iPhone 4S was revealed the day before Jobs passed away. If only it had been the iPhone 5; that would have caused a lot more uproar and excitement. To people who had been expecting the iPhone 5, the news was a little disappointing; however, we were presented with the 4s.

From the outside, it doesn’t seem to have undergone too many changes. For example, they did improve on performance by including a faster processor, by adding a more advanced camera, and by incorporating a new antenna design. Don’t worry, just because the processor is faster, that does not mean that the battery life is going to be even worse. In fact, the designers believe that the iPhone should get a lot more time out of its battery.

The camera has been upgraded from 5 megapixels to 8. It also has a much better flash, and it incorporates some features such as face recognition. The phone is also now more “worldly.” With its new antenna design, it should have even better service than before. It now offers a dual-band world phone, meaning it supports both GSM and CDMA. Now we just have to see if the carriers will unlock the preloaded SIM card.

The iPhone 4S definitely offers some performance improvements that will help out some of the smaller complaints that are currently out there.

What this does show is that there is most likely another iPhone coming to the line soon enough; however, we will have to wait for the real release of the iPhone 5.

Comparing your standard RGB stripe to Samsung’s PenTile display technology, HD is going to look about two times better on the Samsung screen.

It sounds great right? It does to me, and it seems perfect for something like the iPad, but experts have reasoned that there is only a small chance that this exact screen will be incorporated into to the next generation iPad. The main reason behind this is that the last two iPads measured 9.7-inches and had resolutions of 1024×768. So, Apple would have to adjust their iPad measurements and start working with a whole different animal.

However, the rumors have continued to spread about this new Amoled screen being Apple’s new big thing. This rumor started to churn because Tim Cook, one of Apple’s directors, went to the Samsung factory to make an agreement about implementing Amoled screens into a new iPad. Hmmm, curious. Samsung does currently have something in their Galaxy Tab line that could be used by Apple right now, but I have a feeling that Apple is planning bigger and better things.

If anything, this new screen shows that it is possible to make something that uses a low amount of power, but still produces an image display that rivals the retina display on the iPhones. The screen itself uses 40 percent less battery energy than the current RGB stripe technology.

And the screens don’t stop there. This week I read about another screen that Samsung is designing. This one is a flexible screen.  Still Amoled based, Samsung has come out with bendable screens that could be used in watches and smartphones.

So, will Apple bring Samsung’s new technology into their new technology? We will have to wait and see.

Long story short, he bought the first generation iPad two weeks before the March 2nd announcement about the newest iPad. Well, really it was an announcement about how great 2010 was for the iPad, but who are we kidding here? Everyone tuning in was only there to hear about the iPad 2. The first iPad was not just a tablet. It was the tablet of the year; there is no question about that statement.

So, what exactly is my co-worker missing by owning an iPad1? Not much actually. Overall, things have stayed relatively the same.  The processor is A5, the memory options are the same, there is a 3G version and a WiFi version, and more. However, you can get the iPad 2 in white as well as black! There are, of course, some changes.

The iPad 2 is thinner, faster, and includes two cameras. Steve Jobs claims that they have made the iPad 2 “2D”. How? Well, the iPad 2 has no edges! It is even thinner than the iPhone 4! As for the cameras, you can use Facetime like the newest iPhone and iTouch models. I’m not really sure how handy that will be with a tablet that size, but it is still doable. According to users, the camera is only so-so. Other than that the iPad stays the same: size, price, capacity, and features all carry over. This iPad doesn’t even have retina display! However, it does have some pretty cool applications like Garage Band and iMovie.

The iPad 1 prices have all dropped; I might say that if you really wanted an iPad you might be better off getting the first one cheap and waiting for the third one that will most likely have retina display.

There have already been complaints about the yellow spots (again) and how the microphone on the WiFi model is better than the 3G, but overall, the product is no disappointment!

Maybe it’s the influence of AMC’s hit drama The Walking Dead. (More on that cultural phenomenon here.) Maybe the sudden interest in zombies is a rebellion against the sorry state of vampires in a post-Twilight world. Maybe they’re just good applications. But Call of Duty: Zombies, Zombie Farm, and Plants Vs. Zombies are among the top grossing of all the thousands of apps available from the app store.

The other games in the six are the continuingly-popular Angry Birds (#1), Tap Zoo (#2) and Fruit Ninja (#4). Rounding out the top ten are Smurf’s Village, Cut the Rope, SpongeBob Marbles & Slides, and Bloons TD 4. All ten top grossing apps are games. In fact, you’d have to go all the way to #19 to find anything other than a game – a photography app from Nexvio Inc. The only two non-gaming apps in the top fifty are both photography related – 8mm Vintage Camera at #19 and Hipstamatic at #45.

Only four of the top 10 apps cost $2.99 or more. The most expensive is Call of Duty: Zombies at $4.99. Three are free. Of the top 50 apps, 19 cost nothing and another 14 are just $.99.

So, what can we learn about society from the software downloads from the App Store? Well, we’re cheap. We like to take pictures. And we’re obsessed with zombies.

Netflix, a free download from the App store, allows users of iPod, iPhone, or iPad to tap into the immense volume of video available through the Netflix streaming server from anywhere (in the case of iPhone and iPad) or anywhere within WiFi range (iPod). Eventhough it was Apple and Netflix, I was still skeptical about the quality of streaming between the two.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the audio and video quality of the movies. The replay is absolutely flawless – nary a skip, drop, or rebuffering to be seen. The entire library of on-demand films is available for mobile users.

Searching for movies can be a little slow. There are a lot of thumbnails to be downloaded every time you flip the page. However, you can avoid this by managing your account from your computer and sticking to films in your Instant Queue when you browse through your iPod.

The only thing that I would change about the Netflix app for iPod is that you cannot manage your DVD Queue through this app. Of course, if you have access to the Netflix app, you can just as easily surf on over to www.Netflix.com and manage the DVD queue there, but it would be nice to have it all included within the app.

Other than that fairly picayune item, which to be fair is outside the scope of the app, it is all good. I’ve gotten considerable enjoyment out of the mobile version of Netflix. Now I can watch movies on the go without tying up the memory on the iPod. All in all, the app is every bit as good as you would expect from a pairing of Apple and Netflix, two companies who know how to do things right.

Now, I will admit it myself, I was an iPad skeptic.  In fact, one of my favorite comments on it was in a Youtube video.  In the words of the video, “Does it fit in a manila folder?” “F#@! yes it does!”  Now, I have begun to see the ‘light’, and realize the iPad’s capabilities.

The iPad is essentially, in my opinion, the smoothie made from a netbook, iPod touch, and a e-reader put into a blender.  It is a slightly awkward, but tasty smoothie.  At first, I was intrigued by it, but it seemed ridiculous compared to a laptop.  I mean, it lacked a keyboard and no Flash Player.  The biggest flaw I saw was the size, though.  It just seemed exorbitant for a device to be so large.  Over time, though, my view began to change.

First of all, I went from comparing it to laptops to looking at it as a laptop.  When you look at it as a laptop, you begin to see more of its true potential.  It is about the same size and weight, and could be easily carried in a laptop bag.  It may not have a keyboard, but many detachable keyboard are made, including wireless ones.  Also, I have used a couple and found that the touch-screen keyboard is very functional and user friendly.  Unless you have elephantiasis fingers, you will type just fine.  This means that when you don’t need a keyboard, you can say, “Screw it” and leave the keyboard at home, compacting the size.  Like its ‘predecessor’, the iPod touch, the touchscreen makes it a very fun ‘toy’.  You can take it and play a wide variety of games.  Also, it has gone wireless/wifi less, with AT&T providing 3G service with 250 megabytes for $14.99 a month and 2 gigabytes for $25 a month.  The home screen and apps scream Apple device, with the minimalistic aesthetics and smoothness.  Finally, it will oust the e-readers because it, too, has a book app.

So, the once hated and parodied iPad has actually become one of the most functional pieces of technology this year, earning it my 2010 electronic device award. (Sorry, Android.)

Buck and the Coin of Destiny

The story mode is easy. Really easy. Beat it in one sitting easy. Arcade mode is much harder. All the obstacles and enemies are the same, but you start with far less life energy than in story mode.

There are just four levels and this game will not become your life-long obsession, but it is a fun little platform game the likes of which generally are not available for such a paltry sum. One feature that I enjoyed is the way the levels are generated randomly, so the layout is different every time you play.

The story itself is cute. Spoiler-that-no-one-will-care-about alert: There will be a sequel. After you fight your way through the pirates, monsters, and other assorted enemies, an unseen hand makes off with the aforementioned Coin of Destiny, leaving poor Buck no better off than when he started on his epic quest.

Buck and the Coin of Destiny is available from Apple’s App Store and is compatible with iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. It is appropriate for all ages. The story mode is easy enough for my four-year-old, arcade mode is challenging enough to keep the nine-year-old’s interest. Their dad likes the winnability of the story mode more than the challenge of the arcade mode.

When I think about it, it’s really just luck that resulted in my purchasing a Macbook anyway. When I went to accepted students day at school, there was an Apple representative talking up the Macbook and promoting the student discount. For whatever reason, he convinced me that everyone at school would have a Macbook (only partially true). So, even though it was probably about double the price of any PC I would have bought, I splurged for my Mac.

I can say with complete assurance that it’s been worth every penny. I’m now a senior, using the same trusty Macbook I bought almost four years ago. Almost everyone I know that started out with a PC has since replaced it, either with a different (and now likely failing) PC or a Mac. Besides two minor incidents when my hard drive failed (which was replaced for free) and my battery warped weirdly and didn’t fit in my laptop anymore (also replaced for free), I have been problem free (virus and otherwise) since I bought it. As long as I stay on top of my updates (which pop up automatically), my Internet remains fast and my programs recent.

Most reservations about Macs come from people who have never used them, thinking they won’t be able to figure it out. Once you get used to them, though, I promise this: you won’t be able to go back. When I use a PC at my internship, I constantly find myself using the keyboard shortcuts I’ve learned (that don’t translate) or moving my mouse to the corner and being frustrated when my windows don’t sort themselves.

I don’t use my personal Mac for the “artsy” things they’re generally known for, mostly because I can’t afford the insanely expensive Adobe software and my school has fully-loaded Mac labs for when I do use the design programs. Still, my Mac does everything a PC does, but more efficiently and with a streamlined list of programs. If I had to name a single downfall, it would be the reason I still occasionally log on to my parent’s computer when I’m home: Macs don’t come with the Solitaire-Minesweeper-Freecell-Hearts game folder. It’s probably better that way.

Apple

Unlike the iTunes and iPod, both of which had me sold almost immediately and have never disappointed me, I am not so sure about Ping. The launch was less than spectacular, as spammers infiltrated and nearly overwhelmed the service in the early going. To be fair, I had a burning desire to have a portable music player that just worked. I really wanted a way to buy legal copies of individual songs without the hassle and expense of buying the full CD. I was right in the sweet spot for both iTunes and iPod.

But I was not really in the market for yet ANOTHER social network, and doubly not interested in one that centers exclusively around music. I have no interest in what Lady Gaga has to say or what Britney Spears is doing next weekend. Even so, Ping was something of a disappointment.

I can link my City Story and Villains accounts to my Facebook account to share my accomplishments, such as they are, with my Facebook friends. The technology is readily available and there are numerous precedents. Apple promised the same functionality, but it never materialized. I don’t know if Apple wanted too much or if Facebook was uncooperative, but either way the link between the two social networks just doesn’t work.

Ping comes packaged with the latest version of iTunes. There’s really no harm in giving it a try, no risk if you don’t like it. But to me, it just didn’t offer anything that I needed or impress me with its coolness.

Why do I love Apple?  First, they stand behind their products.  I received an iPod Shuffle last Christmas.  I use it six days a week when I workout.  Recently, the controls on the earbuds stopped working.  There was no warning; they just stopped allowing me to switch songs or change the volume.  My husband was going to the mall, so he brought my Shuffle to the Apple store.  After explaining the problem to an Apple Expert, he was given new earbuds.  That was it, no questioning as to how or why this happened, no need to display the receipt, just a simple replacement.

Second, the customer service is excellent.  My 14 year old son saved his money to buy an iTouch.  He had done his research and opted to purchase the 32GB version after evaluating how he intended to use the iTouch.  When I brought him to the Apple Store, I had him talk with the Expert while I stood nearby.  The Expert asked questions to insure that my son had made the right choice in the model and praised his ability to save money at that age.  He also offered instructions in a kind and helpful manner.  While this could have been a simple “take the money and run”, the expert took the time to make the sale personal.

Yes, with customer service and products such as this, I believe that this is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship for Apple and me.