Why you should buy the Moto G

Motorola has come a long way to produce some spectacular phones. Last year we were introduced to the Moto X, which quickly became a favourite among users.

Though the Moto X might be too much phone for some people, despite the device being simple enough for the average user. Which is why you might want to consider getting yourself a Moto G instead.

The Moto G is a budget phone; a really good budget phone. While I enjoy my Moto X, the Moto G would have provided me with pretty much the same great experience, give or take a few things.

So let me explain to you why you should buy a Moto G over any other smartphone;

1. Price

$149 off contract. Enough said......

But seriously, most big name phones out there are expensive (and for a good reason). Most people when they buy a super expensive phone, either on contract or up front tend to not use a quarter of the phone's features, thus it becomes a waste of your money. $149 for a good display and a good processing package is a bargain.

2. Specs

For a budget phone, the thought of having a quad core processor and an HD display would scare most manufactures. Motorola took a bit of a risk in placing all those things into the Moto G then pricing the device so low. Turns out that their move was a good one which is why the Moto G is selling like hotcakes right now. Basically, you won't be disappointed with your phone's power.

3. Best phone for the Android newbie

The problem with most Android phones, especially the one's made by Samsung is that they are far from being Android representatives and they often scare iPhone users wanting to make the jump. The great thing about the Moto G is that you're getting a stock Android experience (with a few slight tweaks made by Motorola); therefore you will have no trouble in understanding the functions and abilities of your phone.

Here's what you might not like about the phone...

1. Display

To some, 720p is a let down. It is indeed true that 1080p is now the de facto standard in the mobile world. Plus you lose the richness in colour that you got with the Super AMOLED display of the Moto X so it can be a bit of a turn off.

2. RAM

1 Gig of RAM is somewhat laughable now. Most phones sport 2 or 3 GB's of memory for smooth multitasking. While the Moto G is pretty good with multitasking any ways, you do lose a little bit of power.

3. Camera

Smartphone camera's are often the centre point in people's mind when they are about to buy a phone. The Moto G only sports a mere 5 MP rear facing camera, which is a bit of a bummer. Plus, taking pictures with HDR turned on will actually take a lot longer to save the photo than having it off; so if you like your smartphone camera's, the Moto G would most likely be last on your list.

So in conclusion...

The Moto G is great for what it is; a high powered budget phone that moderates what you get in a smartphone but gives you enough to satisfy all kinds of users. You can't really find any other budget phone out there that offers what the Moto G has, which makes it a really great pick for the first time Android user or even for veteran users that come from the high end background.

Believe me, the Moto G will not disappoint you.

12 Year Olds and M rated games

A few days ago I went out and purchased a brand new headset for my Xbox. I needed one because the last one I had broke and there were some friends of mine that the only way to talk to them was through a game. The headset I got wasn't the best thing on the planet but it would get the job done.

While I was opening the package I noticed that the product was for people ages 12 and up. I though nothing of it until I began to realise something..

12 year olds are using this.

Stop and think for a second here....

12 year olds are using this.

12 year olds are openly communicating with other players that can be far older than themselves; yelling, screaming profanities, being a general pest to others.

12 year olds....

Anytime I go online and start to play a game with multiplayer, I'll always hear these young kids acting as though the rules of life not apply. They swear like it's no tomorrow.

Then another thought came to my head.

WHY IN THE FUCKING HELL ARE PARENTS ALLOWING THEIR 12 YEAR OLDS PLAY GAMES NOT MEANT FOR THEM? (Cap usage is cap)


I'm sorry, but when I hear of a 12 year old playing GTA5, it makes me want to give their parents a good smack in the face for being fucking idiots.

There is a reason why a rating system was put into place; to set the ground rules for what ages can play what. M rated games are for adults, not for children.

And because those kids are playing these kinds of games they become accustomed to the bad way of things; they begin to swear, be aggressive towards others before they learn that such things are wrong. All because their parents wanted to make little Billy shut up about GTA5.

Have we really become so light to kids that we just give them what they want even if it's bad for them? What's next? Are we going to give kids drugs and alcohol just to make them shut up about it?

So to all those parents out there; take those bloody games away from them until they're older. Let them play a game that isn't M rated or T rated. Believe it or not, gaming doesn't have to be about Call of Duty or GTA5.

The Nokia X: *snickers*

Shield your eyes folks cause here we go!

It seems that Nokia made true to their work and delivered to us a baby that can only be described as ".....is this really necessary?"

Enter the Nokia X, X+ and XL; it's what happens when Android and Windows sleeps together. I mean look at this thing:

It burns my eyes.

Like many Nokia phones, this one is pretty much the same as the rest. The only real difference is that metro, Window's look is being powered by Android instead of what should be Windows Phone 8; and by god does Nokia really sin with this Android skin.

While it will still remain possible to side load Play Store apps, the exclusion of the Google Play Store in favor of Nokia's own botched app store is a pretty big downside. While of course their own app store will have a lot of good apps (I hope), the idea that users will have to rely on a third party app store is kinda chilling.

Instead of widgets, you get individual colored tiles that you can shape to your liking. It's pretty much what would happen if Microsoft ever got the idea to put widgets in Windows Phone 8 (Not that it's a bad idea).

However, what people should realize is that this is actually a combination of two OS types. You have the Window's like screen then you have Nokia's own Asha Fastlane; which is basically the same concept as HTC's Sense home screen.

The only problem is that you get the flood of apps owned by Windows with your package; Skype, a variety of office apps, that Mix radio thing along with a load of others. Clogging the already tiny amount of storage space

Obviously, this phone isn't intended for high end users. This is low end beyond anything. Here are the specs of the base Nokia X model

• 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon Processor
•  An 800x480, 4 inch display
• Dual SIM
• 512 MB's of RAM
• 4 GB's of internal storage (With expandable microSD storage up to 32 GB's)
• A 5 megapixel camera
• 1500 mAh battery

I mean, at least it comes in 6 different colors, right?

For North American users, you will most likely never see this phone in the market as Nokia intends to sell this one to developing markets in Asia, The Middle East and parts of Central and South America.

Of course, I have a feeling that sometime in the future; perhaps soon, we will see these kinds of phones pop up in our markets.

So brace yourselves....Windroid is coming.

The Galaxy S5

Reminds me of the original backing for the Nexus 7 (From Android Central)

We've been all waiting for this device and now that it's out; I have to say that I'm kinda "meh" about this one.

The Galaxy S5, the successor to the Galaxy S4 (one of the best selling smartphone out there) was announced not too long ago at the Moblie World Conference. This new device seems to be similar in design to the S4 with an exception to what's under the hood and of course, that new back plate.

Since when did Samsung start taking ques from Google? Isn't that very similar to the back plate for the original Nexus 7? A golf ball, soft texture design? I'm not saying that this is a bad thing; it's certainly better than a slippery plastic back but I would have really liked the textured back plate found on the Note 3 to make a return. Other than that, this is certainly a good design choice.

So, what about specs? Well here's the official spec list from Android Central:

Samsung Galaxy S5 Specifications


Network: LTE Cat.4 (150/50Mbps)

Display: 5.1" FHD Super AMOLED (1920 x 1080)

Processor: 2.5GHz quad-core application processor

OS: Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)

Camera: 16MP (rear), 2.0MP (front)

Video: UHD@30fps, HDR, video stabilization

Video Codec: H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark, MP43, WMV7, WMV8, VP8

Video Format: MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM

Audio Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC

Audio Format: MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID,
MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA

Camera Features: HDR (Rich tone), Selective Focus, Virtual Tour Shot, Shot & More

Additional Features: IP67 Dust- and water-resistant Ultra Power Saving Mode Download Booster S Health 3.0 Quick Connect Private Mode Kids Mode

Google Mobile Services: Chrome, Drive, Photos, Gmail, Google, Google+, Google Settings, Hangouts, Maps, Play Books, Play Games, Play Newsstand, Play Movie & TV, Play Music, Play Store, Voice Search, YouTube

Connectivity: WiFi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2), Bluetooth: 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, NFC, IR Remote

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor

Memory: RAM: 2GB

Internal Memory: 16/32GB

microSD: slot up to 128GB

Dimensions: 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm, 145g

Battery: 2800mAh

Standby time: 390 hrs / Talk time: 21 hrs

The big thing that shot out to me was the updated microSD slot reader. 128 GB's of extra storage? Count me in! It fits nicely with SanDisk's announcement of a 128 GB microSD HDXC card. The heart rate sensor is also an interesting feature, but not practical by any means. I can't see myself having a phone that reads my heart rate; same goes for the fingerprint sensor. I'm sorry, but a fingerprint scanner can be just as dubious as a password.

The 5.1 Super AMOLED display is nothing to shout about either. Though I do enjoy the Super AMOLED display on the S4 and even on the Moto X; this doesn't seem like a big improvement. While the pixel density is vastly better, the display is far from being picture perfect; just your standard super HD display with bright colours. Honestly, we don't really need a super powerful display anyways; something that Motorola understands perfectly with the Moto X and the Moto G. Practical screens can sometimes win over super powerful screens.

Then we come to KitKat. Yes, the S5 will have the latest version of Android covered up by everyone's "favorite skin"; TouchWiz. Let's just hope that when this phone comes out, we can install a custom ROM to make things more enjoyable.

Of course, all this is being powered by an overclocked Snapdragon 800 chip set. 2.3 GHz is really good! However, I would really like to see how the S5 can hold up to a 2.5 GHz, beefed up processor; especially with TouchWiz aboard. Maybe I'm just being a pessimist when it comes to Samsung, but I know from experience how poor the TouchWiz experience can be.

The camera is a bright spot on this phone. The inclusion of ISO means that the S5 can take better photos than what's currently out there. It certainly put's my Moto X's camera to shame. Plus, the camera options are now in a simplistic menu so you won't get confused about where everything is. Good on you Samsung! You finally made something in TouchWiz simple to use!

To sum things up, the Galaxy S5 is impressive.....for spec junkies. Not for users like me who prefers the practical over complexity. The S5 is going to be a great phone and will most likely sell like crazy. However, Samsung has done it again and packed their products with features that will be forgotten after a few weeks using the device. Maybe that fingerprint scanner will be one of the few practical features used on the S5, but I doubt people will take advantage of the gesture features that have made a return to the S5. I know people with the S4 that never use those gestures anyways, and I have a feeling that very few people ever use them at all; except to impress friends or co-workers.

So welcome the S5 to the Android family! We still have the Nokia X to laugh at for it's miserable attempt at the Android market; but at least Samsung is popular around people, right?

Windroid: The eventual "Windofication" of Android

Please read this first; it's an article from Android Authority that is a pretty interesting read and is the basis for my article.

Now, Microsoft is a well know computer company that also has a mobile division that is primarily headed by Nokia. The majority of their phones run a modified version of Windows 8 called "Windows Phone 8". Here's what it looks like:

Interesting, non?

Overall, Windows Phone 8 tends to be pushed aside by many users and for good reason. It says Windows and it looks like Windows, but for the most part it is far from being Windows. App support is virtually limited and many apps that iOS and Android users enjoy fail to show up for the fledging OS. Though Windows Phone 8 is far from bad, it doesn't have the staying power that iOS and Android has.

Which is why I believe Microsoft might just start OK'ing Android phones; not to admit that Windows Phone 8 is a failure, but to take the fire away from Android in general.

Have you heard of the Nokia Normandy? If not then you should know that this  range phone has Android built in....but it looks like this:

Looks familiar, non?

This my friends looks very much like the metro, square-y design of Windows 8, and I believe this was done on purpose. This is the beginning of "Windroid"; Microsoft's attempt to get a squeeze at Android's popularity by pissing on Android in the process. This is done by over-complicating Android in general and stuffing it with unwanted material (ie Windows apps and software) I mean....I though Samsung's version of Android was sin enough, this basically is a +100000000000000 on the sin factor.

The phone isn't out yet, so I have no idea how this device will perform with the OS underneath, but honestly from what I'm seeing, everything about it screams "WINDOWSWINDOWSWINDOWS"; hence why it's not really Android, but Windroid.

And I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see Windroid.

Microsoft has a tendency to jump on the bandwagon of popular trends and they might just start pushing trickles of Windroid phones to try and steal away the sweet sugar of stock and other OEM versions of Android. Will they succeed?

Anonymous is a joke

I'm getting sick and tired of these "crusaders"

Anonymous pushes the line quite a bit in their quest for internet freedom and neutrality. Sometimes what they do is understandable. Other times they really screw up and make themselves look like common criminals with no love for the average person as they so commonly "try" to defend.

One such event that they are planning is not to attack some government installation, but a fandom. You may have heard of Bronies; a fandom that associates themselves with the My Little Pony universe. Now read all of this

I really don't understand this group any more. Here we have a politically involved group attacking a fandom which has done nothing to incriminate them; other than the fact that they exist and Anonymous doesn't like them. It's fucking disgusting.

"Death threats" really catch my eye here...now this group is getting mighty close to being a violent terrorist group all because they don't like a particular fandom. I also love their description on who a brony is; they seem to believe that they are a bunch of disgusting pigs with sexual fantasies and girly ways. Despite me myself not being a brony, I can say with absolute certainty that this description is wrong and quite inaccurate. How can you judge an entire fandom over the actions of a few member?

+Anonymous...is this what you really want? You want to attack the innocent because of your hate? You are nothing but cowards that hide behind a cry for justice that's clearly false. You exploit the innocent in your quest for equality and lose all perceptions of humanity in the process. You want people to see you as one? As a machine that destroys everything it touches? You got it! I no longer support your cause and if you wish to attack me for what I am saying, go right ahead, you will only prove my point.

I doubt that this "attack" will succeed. The Brony Fandom is quite large and has a very dedicated fan base. It's just like Anonymous's attacks on the Syrian Electronic Army that ended with Anonymous being fucked by a very dedicated group; believe me when I say that Anonymous is going to have quite the fight on their hands once this spreads. All I can say at this point is sit back and watch this little adventure crumble.

That's all I have to say, and quite honestly; if I see my blog defaced and hacked; I will honestly laugh at it, because it only shows that Anonymous will eliminate freedom of the press in the name of their mission to give "freedom of the press".

Today's passwords suck!

A few nights ago, a group of hackers hijacked over 2 million usernames and passwords for various social media sites; including Facebook. These were then published online for the world to see and use. I have to say with all this talk on cyber security...there's just one thing that people fail to do; make strong passwords.

The entire list primarily consisted of poorly created passwords; "123456", "password" and even one that was "000000" filled the released list and it made me laugh out loud; how can people be so stupid when it comes to protecting themselves for this kind of attack? Any modern password cracking software can easily break into an account with the password "123456" in less than 10 seconds....10 SECONDS. No wonder why these hackers could get 2 million of these horrid creations. 

Then again...anyone making a password will most likely use something they'll remember easily and that my friends...is where the problem lies.

The key to internet security doesn't necessarily lie in a specific browser or its extensions (It helps, obviously). It does however lie in good password management. First...any good password is at least 12 to 19 characters long and is a mix of symbols, numbers and upper and lower case letters. Secondly, this password should never be the same one after a month and should be changed frequently to maintain security. Third....NEVER SHARE YOUR PASSWORD....EVER. The only real exception to this is if the person is a qualified IT specialist that has to use your password to access account settings and work their magic to solve your problems; however...that being said...don't just give your code to the first guy that says he's in IT; know who you're talking to. Finally....NEVER EVER USE YOUR BANK NUMBERS AND PIN NUMBERS AS A COMPUTER PASSWORD! This is basically shooting yourself in the face if someone gets a hold of that code and means that the same person could go in and make a muck out of your financial bills. Use a password that has absolutely nothing to do with your bank (or your personal life for that matter); you'll stay safer that way.

All in all, this isn't a challenging thing to understand, yet people are so lazy that they'll settle for just about anything. Well, those same people are on that list of exposed passwords and are probably thinking to themselves "Aw gee.....I wonder why that happened". Well....when you have a password that's "12345"...you're basically asking for it.

SpaceBalls sums up my case very nicely