iPhone 5: Is it worth it?

Apple just released the iPhone 5 two days ago on September 21st. But what makes this the "Biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone", as Apple claims on their website? Well, the biggest difference between this model and previous installations is the size of the Retina Display. The screen size on the iPhone 5 is 4 inches long. All the previous iPhones before the 5 had only 3.5 inch displays. This increase in size allows the iPhone to maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio, which allows users to watch videos in widescreen HD. Also, due to the increase of the screen size, the iPhone 5 is able to fit another row of apps, creating more space on the screen and lowering the amount of pages used due to the extra space.

            According to Apple, the iPhone 5’s camera is 8 megapixels. This was not upgraded from the iPhone 4s, since it also has this. The flash is, however, placed farther from the lens, which helps to reduce the amount of redeye that can show up in low light photos. Another feature carried over from the 4s is the “Intelligent Assistant” Siri. Siri will continue to provide useful tools such as being able to send text messages verbally, being able to look up information with a simple question, and having the ability to use the iPhone hands-free.

            Along with all these features is arguably the most important one: LTE. LTE is the data service that stands for Long Term Evolution. LTE is on the 4g network. According to the AT&T website, it is 10 times faster than 3g, and allows for superfast connections to the internet. LTE is available on every iPhone 5, regardless of the service carrier. The implication of LTE allows the iPhone 5 to connect to the internet faster than some ground connections can. LTE will allow the iPhone 5 to perform tasks such as streaming HD videos, downloading large files, and updating applications faster than ever before.

The iPhone 5 also has a new processor. The A6 chip inside the 5 is twice as fast as the iPhone 4s' A5 chip. Along with this powerful chip, the iPhone 5 also sports 1 gigabyte of RAM, which helps to improve multitasking. To put this in perspective, the iPhone 4s has only 512 megabytes of RAM. There is one cause for concern though: The typical 30-pin dock port that is usually found on the bottom of iPhone and iPods has been replaced by the much smaller, reversible lightning port. This change stops the use of iPhone 5's on older products such as iPod car chargers, docks, and other 30-pin devices. Apple has the solution for this though, as they are also selling a lightning-to-30-pin-connector adapter so that these devices could still be used. Overall, the pros of the iPhone 5 seem to outweigh the cons; whether or not one chooses to buy it is up to personal preference though. The cheapest model starts at $200 with a contract to either AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint and is available in white or black.

               ~George

Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Is the Hype Good For it?

9/9/12

The Call of Duty franchise is considered to be one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. Each year, a new game sporting the Call of Duty name is released by Activision under the developement of Infinity Ward (Now Sledgehammer Games) or Treyarch. Each year, millions of copies of the games are purchased, which often leads to each title earning, or coming close to winning the title of "Game of the Year" or "Best Shooter". This year, it may not be surprising to see Call of Duty: Black Ops II to be one of the best selling games.However, all the hype surrounding the game may be somewhat far-fetched.

The developer Treyarch, and the publisher Activision claim that the game will sport multiple endings. This has never been seen in a Call of Duty game before, so there is no way to say if it will be done correctly. It will have to be very detailed story wise, or fans expecting an rpg-like ending will be disappointed. An example of this was seen when Mass Effect 3 was released. The fans of the trilogy expected a well thought out ending that answered all of their questions about the game's story line. However, there was insufficient details to please the masses, so the Developer, Bioware, was pressured to create free DLC that would add an extended cut to the ending, which ended up pleasing the fans.

Another crucial detail to add to the hype was seen in the "Villain Trailer" released by Activision on June 10th, 2012. In the video, there was a quote by Forbes stating that Call of Duty: Black Ops II has "Brilliant Visuals and Adrenaline Inducing Gameplay". There is nothing wrong with saying that the game induces adrenaline rushes, however, the comment about the brilliant visuals can not be backed up with solid evidence. If you look at the details and textures in the Black Ops II multiplayer gameplay footage released by Activision, then watched a gameplay video of a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer match, you could see stark similarities. Modern Warfare 2 was released on November 10th, 2009. Black Ops II's release date is November 13th, 2012. Now, there is no reason to not like a game due to its graphics. As long as the gameplay itself is enjoyable, then the game is a success (Look at Minecraft, Terraria, Oblivion, etc.).  However, the claims on the trailer, which Activision chose to to be included in the video, are somewhat unbelievable. Claims about graphics should not be done if the installment looks somewhat similar to a previous game in the series that is almost 3 years old. Fans of the series should not expect a game with graphics of those similar to power-hungry and  intensive games like Crysis, Battlefield 3, and Forza 4.

In conclusion, I believe that Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be another successful game released by Activision. However, I think that it will not live up to all of the hype that it is creating. Fans will, no doubt, enjoy it regardless though.

~George