Category Archives: Technology

Gadgets and Technologies for todays youth. Do you want an Ipad 3?

What is IP, Instagram, YOLO and Scientology?

You have many what is questions.  Here I answer your question!

What is my IP address?

Your IP address is your identification on the Internet (International Network).  It can be a dynamic ip address (always changing) or static IP address (always the same).  You can find what your IP address is by typing “ip” into the Google search box.

You do not need to remember your IP address for most use cases and you cannot hide it easily.  It is useful if you have your own server and need to access files or access a website directly using it’s host server IP address.  You can check your hosts files on your computer to see the IP address of all the websites you like to visit.

What is Scientology?

Scientology is sometimes referred to as a cult like organization.  They have been chased constantly by the internet creed anonymous.  Anonymous is an idea not a group of particular people, so anyone can join.  Anonymous is the idea that we are all free and information and happiness should be free for all people in the world.  It is suggested that Anonymous don’t like the cult like organization scientology because they charge a lot of money for their books and courses.  Scientology also owns a very big cruise ship called seaorg that floats in the sea.

The main belief of scientologists is aliens called Xenu will come to save them and take them to a strange planet called planet Xenu.  Lieutenant Ronaldino Hubbard (not his real name) created Scientology during the sci-fi era of the 80’s and is now no longer alive because he died.  Some Scientologists have died since L.R.Hubbards death.  Some people have claimed Hubbard created scientology to enjoy tax breaks that religions have in western modern democracies.  On the Scientology wikipedia page you can see the quote: “You know, the only way to make any money, you can’t do it with pulp writing, you got to, you start a religion.”  – Lyle Stewert.  You can find out more about scientology and L.Ron Hubbard on the scientology wikipedia page.

What is YOLO?

YOLO means You Only Live Once.  There is also YODO – You only die once.  YOLO is not like YODA, which is the small green turtle in the Star Wars movie series.  Users of YOLO are frequently mocked on Reddit.com for having low intelligence and generally being stupid.  YOLO is used by idiots when they do crazy things and to justify unnatural behaviours.  YOLO also appears on some cheap t-shirts from big box stores, like Walmart.  YOLO.

What is Instagram?

Instagram is a website used predominatnly by internet hipsters to take pictures of things.  The thing does not matter, only the filter used and the angle of elevation.  The internet hipsters (Instagram users) then apply a digital filter over their photographs to make them appear unique and special.  Glow, Neon and Fade photoshop style filter effects are common.

Instagram users like to use unique camera angles to capture their unusual ability to feel joy in random places, like the coffee shop where they work as a barista, to pay back their large student loans.  Instagram users tend towards having liberal arts degrees, or own a silicon valley startup that is struggling.  Instagram users would not have time to take photos of a sandwich if their startup was doing well or they had a real job, with real prospects of advancement and a decent salary not dependent purely on tips.

You can download the Instagram app, or use Instagram online to see photos and signup to instagram.  It’s kinda like Flickr with filters built in.  Most users will forget about Instagram by next year and worry about how to download their own photos back to their computer from the Instagram servers.

Should I Develop For Android or iOS?

Google NEXUS 7 is an Android device. You are an app or game developer. Should you switch from programming for iOS to exclusively programming paid for apps for the Android ecosystem? Let’s look at the facts.

Develop for Android and Google Nexus 7

  • Still huge gains in tablet market share remaining for Android devices. Tablet computing is currently swamped with Apple devices, which come at a premium price point and have saturated their price point market base.
  • Google Nexus is a cheap device, hence will appeal more to children and low income users. These are the type who love fart apps and are tech savvy. They will pirate if they can get away with it, but will get their spend on with abandon when required.
  • Potentially “dumb” user base, easily fooled into taking actions you require for income streams which result in potentially huge later charges. For example, in app-purchases etc. Less likely to complain due to possible depression issues of being a teenager/low income. Google are also renowned for bad/non-existent customer service, no ones getting a refund.
  • Hype marketing works better on Android than iOS devices for the reasons listed above. If you’re a new startup warming the crowd to a free app download, go for Android.

 

Develop for iOS and Apple products

  • Android customers are typically after free apps. Yes, some users of Google NEXUS 7 will pay for apps, but most will be looking for freebies.
  • The Google NEXUS 7, with it’s low price point, is made to cover the high volume, cheap product market base. These are people on low incomes and hence more likely to pirate and less likely to pay for serious apps. Apple users are trained to pay and to expect to pay for quality apps.
  • Android devices are very easy to root, hence indirectly support piracy.
  • The Apple App Store is world renowned for quality on a tight leash. Not so for the Google play store. Android users have a false expectation that apps are thoroughly checked before being placed up for sale and can be left disappointed by poor quality, design and infections. If you app looks “retro”, go for Android.

 

Android vs. iOS development – Review

China is one of the worlds largest installed user bases of Android devices to date. We can look at China to see behaviour patterns which may repeat here in the west with cheap Android tablets. In particular, the obsession with free app twitter feeds.

If you are releasing free apps, supported by advertising, then Android is a great ecosystem to support. Android has growing market share in the west and a user-base who is obsessive about FREE apps. Ad inventory CPM on Android is around $2 or less, check yourself for up to date information.

Stick with iOS if it’s a paid app at a low price point or premium price. For software supported via in-app purchases, Android is about the same as iOS as the kids will be equally tricked into clicking buy on your $100 for 300 gold coins button before mommy can cancel out on the device. Cash in the bank, it’s their fault for being stupid right? But do remember Android offers a 15 minute cancellation period on purchases.

There is, of course, the option to develop for both the iOS and Android devices. if you have the time and consistency of focus to achieve this, then you get the best of both worlds. I recommend developing for both Android Google Nexus 7 type devices and iOS and seeing what works for you. You will notice yourself selling Android apps requires a lower price point to match profit from Apple sales.

Don’t overlook the future Microsoft surface tablets (no apps, why bother buying it, huge screen not suitable for outside) and the hopeful Facebook phone (Facebook will be Myspaced by the time that’s out). Both are in the future and for now you can just focus on Android and iOS software development.

Develop for Android – Free app or hype marketing.

Develop for iOS – Paid app or premium app.

Is The PSP Vita Worth It?

You’re thinking is the PSP Vita worth it.  It’s a difficult decision, and costs a medium serious sum of money.  Here I will go through all the reasons to get a PSP Vita, and to not get a PSP Vita.  Note, PSP Vita is also known as the PSP 2.

Reasons To Buy PSP Vita

  • Beautiful graphics on a large screen.
  • Twin thumb sticks make it potentially great for shooters.
  • Few good PSP Vita exclusive games yet.
  • Free online.

Once PSP Vita has more games it will be a definite buy.  Once the games prices drop, it will be a definite buy.  Until that point, it is still a questionable purchase.

Reasons To Not Buy PSP Vita

  • Expensive games compared to iPad, iPhone and Android.
  • Back touchscreen is a useless gimmick.
  • PSP Vita takes special Sony memory cards which are very expensive compared to generic versions.
  • Apple release a new iPad or iPhone every year.  Sony expects the PSP Vita to last 5 years minimum.  It will become very old and dated very quickly.
  • Half the battery life of the iPad/iPhone.  The PSP Vita battery life is just 3-5 hours for gaming, 5 hours for video and 9 hours for music.

I have compared the PSP Vita extensively to the Apple iPad, iPhone and iTouch devices here because that is the main competition for gaming.

Is the PSP 2 worth it?

Now here we are at the end.  Is the PSP Vita worth it?  Should you but one?  That is up to you to decide.  What I will say is buy the PSP Vita only if you are happy to use it for 2 years max before it becomes dated.  After 2 years the graphics of the PSP Vita will look terrible compared to Android and Apple devices of that time point.

The games for the PSP Vita are very expensive compared to Apple and Android devices too.  And there are no apps for anything useful like on the iPhone or ice cream sandwich for Android.  PSP Vita is literally just a gaming and Internet device.

Like my prediction on the 3DS, I think the time of single function gaming devices is over.  Once you have tried an iPad or iPhone or Android device it is difficult to be constrained by the PSP Vitas lack of choices and expensive games.

I would not buy one until average games are under $10 and blockbuster games are under $20.  I would pay $30 for a premium AAA twin stick FPS with online, like a new Call of Duty COD or the next EA Battlefield game.  I do not play indie or casual mom games, and so they are of no interest to my PSP Vita purchase.

In the end, if I buy a PSP Vita it is to play amazing games.  If Sony can make great games I want to play, then I will buy a PSP Vita right this minute.  Until then, hold on the purchase of the PSP Vita.

WordPress Google Analytics

Problems adding Google Analytics to wordpress blog. You might be missing as many as 95% of your visits and pageviews! Here is how to add Google Analytics to a wordpress installation correctly without using a plugin.

Add Google Analytics to WordPress blog

A full guide on how to add Analytics to WordPress then is:

  • Login to your Google Analytics service and get the tracking code.
  • Login to your WordPress admin panel at whateveryourblogdomainis.com/wp-admin.
  • Go to the Appearance menu option and select Wdigets.
  • Drag across a Text widget into the primary widget area.
  • Open the text area by tapping the arrow beside it and paste your Google analytics code in there.
  • Your Google Analytics code will now function correctly!

You can also add the Google Analytics code directly into your WordPress theme footer. I do not recommend this because if you must remember your changes and repeat them if you want to change WordPress themes.

Another way is to use a Google Analytics plugin. I do not recommend this because it means tracking and checking updates to the plugin. The method I have outlined above is what I personally use (you can check the source on this site to see for yourself). The method above is also what I recommend to all my clients and it loads as part of the WordPress menu system.

Installing Google Analytics on WordPress blog

At first, I had copied the Google Analytics code exactly as given from another random website. This did not work in WordPress because wordpress did not recognise the end of the first line, which is Googles comment, as an end comment. This is the exclamation mark, followed by two dashes and a greater than symbol. Because of this comment extending, WordPress viewed the entire Google Analytics code I pasted in as part of an extended comment and did not process it as script.

To quickly fix my tracking code on wordpress, I removed that first line that says Google Analytics inside two triangle signs. It was just a comment anyway and didn’t affect tracking itself.

I didn’t know that my google analytics code was not working on my WordPress blog until I added another analytics mechanism. Then after fixing the Google analytics code my visitors jumped by 1000’s! Which just shows how bad the commenting out was affecting things.

Anyway, check your Google analytics code and make sure it’s working!