iDenkilla's Origin Story

Hey Guys,

I typically don't post twice in a day, but I wanted to tell you guys how I came up with the name "iDenkilla".

Back in the early 2000s, Nextel cell phones were very popular. These were the phone where you can chirp your buddies to see what they were up to. Just like walkie talkies but you didn't have to be within a certain range. I had their color flip phone, the Nextel i760. Around that time, I discovered forums and the developer community, based on the information they posted, I modified (moded) my Nextel and pretty soon I was doing the same for a lot of my friends.

Another name for a Nextel is, iDen. So I thought I'd call myself iDenkilla since I hack these phones.

That's the origin story of my name.

Later,
iDenkilla

Nextel i760

iDenkilla's iOS 7 review

Hey guys,

So iOS 7 released last week and I thought I would write a review about it. This update is a complete change from the previous version of iOS. They have removed "the unnecessary lines", gave the UI flat coloring, added transitions between screens, added other features  such as a command center, etc. I have played with the software on my old iPhone 4s and my iPad 2. 

The lock screen on the phone is completely different, you no longer slide an arrow to unlock the screen or to enter your pin code. Instead you slide your finger anywhere on the screen to unlock the phone. You are able to pull down the notification center or pull up the command center. The notification center is nice because you are able to sort if you want to see information from today or from all time. The command center is nice also, you are able to turn on and off items which you would normally have to do from the settings screen (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi). You are also able to turn on the flash light right from there. A very handy feature. The command center is similar to the one in the s4, you swipe down from the top of any screen and you are able to control settings and monitor notifications. Way to be original Apple! 

The icons for all Apple applications on the home screen are different, they contain bright colors and are flat. There are transitions now when you go into an app or come out of the app. Overall it's nice because it's aesthetically pleasing. It appeals to the masses, hence the high adoption rate of the new iOS. There's a lot more transparency as well. The transitions and transparency are also available on the s4

When switching between apps using the multi-tasking feature, there is a preview shown of the app. In order to close the app, you swipe it up. This is very similar to the multi-tasking feature on the s4, in order to close an app you swipe to the left. Again, way to be original Apple!

Siri is finally out of the beta stage and there is a lot more things you can do with it. For example, train the phonetic pronunciation of someone's name, change the voice to a male voice. Siri doesn't sound like a robot anymore, it has a more human tone. It's great that Siri is no longer in beta and they improved on it. Siri was an original idea of Apple's, but it's a shame it took two years to get it out of beta. 

iOS also comes with iTunes radio, which is Apple's answer to Pandora, another thing they copied. 

Overall, I'm not a fan of the new iOS since they are copying certain features right from the s4, more specifically android. Apple really needs to see l step up it's game and create something original. 

Thanks for reading,

iDenkilla

              A screen shot of the home screen

Narrigun

So it's another sleepless night :-(  . My cousin was visiting and just went home an hour ago. Before she left, she asked me if I could write a post about her on my blog. She's a bit conceited but I thought I'd do it anyway to embarrass her :-D.

Krishna is 17, and goes to a great high school in Queens. She's in a school which gives her college credits her last 2 years of high school. Basically when she goes into college as a freshman next year, she will already have her Associate's degree. She will have many doors that will open to her because of this: 1) She could take the easy way out and graduate college in 2 years with a bachelor's and just finish early. 2) She can stay in the college for 4 years like a normal kid and have two separate majors or a major and a minor. 3) She can earn her bachelor's in 2 years and then study/ volunteer abroad. She's s bright kid and I'm sure whatever she chooses will be well thought out.

The title of this post is "Narrigun" which means "look" in Kutchi. It's one of the languages she speaks at home with her parents, grandmas, her uncle and my mom. "Look" is the only word I am able to speak in Kutchi and I say it to annoy the crap out of her. As she gets older, I feel like I'm able to relate to her more and pass on my wisdom but that comes with the price of me annoying her.

Well that's it for my post, I hope you're happy Krishna. (I expect an awesome Christmas, and birthday gift for this)

Thanks for reading everyone,
iDenkilla

P.S. Krishna, I also expect a nice comment.

Weight loss update

Hey everyone,

It's a little over 2 weeks since my first weight loss post. It's time for an update!

Well I've been watching what I have been eating, mostly eating fruits and veggies. I've also been eating smaller meals so I don't become overly full. I haven't ate fast food or junk food a lot either, and the days I ate fast food I limited what I ate afterwords.

I don't think I've lost any weight, but I'm sure I'm maintaining it. The doctor has removed my cast and I lost some muscle in my right leg.

Overall, I feel pretty healthy. I'm in pain because the doctor removed my cast. Hoping recovery will get easier.

Thanks,
iDenkilla

iDenkilla's Thoughts on the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

So on September 10th, Apple announced 2 new phones they will be releasing. The public has known a lot regarding the phones due to information which was "leaked" online in the last few months.

The iPhone 5c is the cheaper model which Apple is introducing. This is for emerging markets and for consumers who would like the iPhone but can't afford it. This iPhone is basically very similar to the iPhone 5 which was released last year. There's only one major difference, the back is made of plastic instead of glass. This plastic will be available in a variety of colors. They have improved the front facing camera to perform in low light also. (Probably a bunch of crap) hardware wide, I wasn't expecting more from this cheaper version. To be honest, it should be cheaper than $99 with a 2 year contract. To be stuck in a 2 year contract for a phone that's already behind in the times is ridiculous.

I also don't like how Apple is hyping that the inside of the phone is built as one piece, that to me just means they have found another way to reduce their cost but won't pass the savings onto the consumers.

The iPhone 5s is the upgraded version of the iPhone 5. Those of you who know me heard me saying that there will not be drastic changes in the new iPhone, and I was right!(This was the reason I got the Galaxy s4)  The one minor feature I like is the finger print scanner, which they call TouchID. To my recollection, there aren't many phones out there with a finger print scanner and I think it's pretty unique. The bad thing is that developers are not able to utilize this functionality because the SDK is not available to them.

There is also a 64 bit processor which the phone will have. I don't know much about processors but from what I understand there isn't any cell phone on the market which has a chip like this. This chip should improve how games and apps run on the phone. In addition, there is also an M7 chip on board which will turn the phone into an activity tracker when used with Nike move (Like the Fitbit/ Nike fuel band). I was expecting the improved processor but not the M7 chip. I'm interested in how M7 will work out.

The 5s also sports a better camera, a better flash, and improved battery life. I was expecting these improvements as these were rumored.

Overall, I'm not impressed. Apple has lost their innovative ways. To be honest, I don't think there needed to be an event to announce these devices. Events should only be held when there is something ground breaking for the consumers, not when they are just pushing minor updates to hardware.

What are your thoughts?
iDenkilla



P.S. A few people mentioned to me that they were not able to leave comments. The issue should have been fixed. Let me know if that is not the case. 

iDenkilla's Ideal Smart Watch

Earlier this week I said I would post an entry on my ideal smart watch. Well here it is. Sorry for the delayed post.

If I were to create a smart watch, I would give it a nfc chip so I can pay for items by tapping the watch against nfc equipped cash registers. This is already available for phones with built in nfc chips.  The other benefit to this would be that my phone would unlock when I grab it with the wrist my watch is on. It's cumbersome to always have to take your phone out and unlock it to use and on the other hand you need a password to protect your phone from prying eyes.

It should also include a GPS chip, heart rate monitor, pedometer, and the technology to track sleeping habits (like the Jawbone Up). This way it's one device that I can use while I'm doing cardio, or sleeping. The smart watch would be competing with the likes of the Nike fuel band and Fitbit.

The watch face should pop up and the camera should be built into the back of it. When I want to take a picture, I'm able to raise my wrist to the height I prefer and be able to have screen facing me instead of me looking down at it. It also improves the cool factor because it looks futuristic.    

The device should be actively listening to for a keyword to activate the virtual assistant. This is similar to the moto X functionality, this way I am able to do use it while I'm on the move and not be distracted by fiddling with the device.

Additionally, I would include wireless headphones to listen to the music on my phone and be able to control it from the watch on my wrist. Another plus to this feature is my texts, emails, etc can be read to me I'm private.

What do you guys think of this smart watch? What else would you add?

iDenkilla

My Thought on the Galaxy Gear Smart Watch

So on Wednesday Samsung released its first piece of wearable technology, Galaxy Gear, a smart watch. It has a camera, touch screen display, and runs android. I'm a bit disappointed with how they built the device. It also seems to lag from the videos I watched.

I honestly don't see how I can use this as a working professional. I wouldn't want to to dictate personal texts/ emails I'm sending while at work. I wouldn't want my texts or emails to be read aloud either. Additionally, I would find it annoying as Hell to hear someone else be doing the same at work.

The camera which is placed on the wrist, band of the watch, is not intuitive at all. To take a picture of something I'm looking at, I would need to pull my wrist to eye level so I can see the screen and take the picture.

To activate the virtual assistant, you have to either press a button on the device or use the screen. I'm not a fan of the virtual assistant technology because I don't want people hearing my business in public. But if I were to use it, it is way too cumbersome to activate.

The Samsung smart watch will be able to run apps also. The downside, is that the device can only handle 10 apps at a time. There shouldn't be a limitation on how many apps it can handle.

There is a smart watch which was released by a company named Pebble. I think that company created a better smart watch. It's simple displays times, texts, emails on the phone. It can run other apps as well but I'm not familiar on which ones. It's simple and doesn't overdo it. The one feature I really like on it it's that you can change the way the time displays.

That's it for my review, tomorrow I will be posting on what items my smart watch would have.

Thanks,
iDenkilla

Goals

So like I've said before, I just had surgery done on my ankle due to recurring ankle sprains and ankle instability.

There was an incident last year which made my ankle worst. I was at a company picnic and terribly sprained my ankle during one of the events. The injury set my back on a personal goal of weight loss. The goal was to lose weight and become healthy. I was doing well with the goal, I had lost about 20 - 30 pounds in about a year. I felt great, I picked up hobbies and really enjoyed the outdoors, such as running, cycling, etc. Earlier in my life, I wasn't really active and spent a lot of my time indoors basically just gaining weight.

After having this surgery, I really miss the great outdoors. I miss the ability to spend time outdoors and just run or just walk through the park and enjoy the weather. It hasn't been a full week yet and I'm dreading my recovery, dreading that I will put on weight and become unhealthy. So I have set goals for myself and decided to make it visible so I can be a man of my word and accomplish what I have made public.

I've been told I tend to have unrealistic goals, so I'm going to change that and list realistic goals below.

My goals during the recovery period are to eat smaller portions, eat healthy, and maintain my weight. Prior to my surgery, I was eating unhealthy food, eating take out or food from restaurants on a daily basis. Not being able to go to restaurants will help change this horrible habit.

The doctor will put me in a boot after this cast in about 2.5 weeks and I'm hoping to lose 1 - 2 pounds during this time by eating healthy and walking more each day. I don't want to hurt my ankle by being too aggressive but at the same time I don't want to create excuses.

I plan to continue the plan above while I am receiving physical therapy. The only difference will be that I will start lifting weights so I can build muscle. I won't be lifting much, just enough to lose between 3 - 4 pounds a month.

Once I am cleared by my physical therapist to begin cardio training, I will cycle/ run. The weight loss goal will be to lose a minimum of 5 pounds a month. At the same time, I will be weight training.

My ideal weight is between 155 - 165. I hope to reach that weight and remain there for the majority of my life.

I will be posting "status reports" every two weeks. Which will help show I am on track.

Thanks guys,
iDenkilla