The iPad "Mini" soon to be a reality?

The iPad "Mini", which is what a lot of people are calling the rumored 7.xx" iPad, seems to be shaping up to be a reality.  When Steve Jobs was still living, any and all rumors about a smaller iPad I took with a grain of salt since he believed that the 9.7" screen was the absolute minimum size for anyone to browse the WWW without any loss of productivity.  Now that he's gone, the equation has changed.

According to iMore, not only will an iPhone 5 be announced on the 12th of September and released on the 21st, but that the iPad "Mini" will also be announced.  Release date for the latter though has not been reported yet, but speculations put it at the start of the Christmas season.

These reports seem to be confirmed by other sources such as Digitimes who reported that Apple's supply chain in China is ramping up production of 7.85" iPad parts.

What does this mean for us iOS addicts?  I do know for a fact that many people would really like to have a 7" iPad.  Many of whom have already bit the bullet and got themselves a similarly sized Android tablet but have complained about a more confusing interface, some lag or choppiness in the touch screen response, and less intuitiveness.  Not to judge them, but I daresay an Android user who switches to iOS would probably have the same issues.  Many iPad users would welcome a smaller form factor, especially those in the medical community who wear lab or smock gowns to work daily in whose pockets a 7" device would fit perfectly.

Reading or watching a 7" device for an extended period is also better in a lighter device... although eyestrain could be a new problem especially for the more senior and presbyopic fans.

Mockup of the 7"iPad by iMore

For myself, the 9.7" iPad serves my needs.  One of my most common uses for my iPad is to read eComics and eMagazines.  Compared to a real comic book or graphic novel, the 9.7" screen is actually slightly small, but is still a reasonable compromise.  Going down to 7.85" may be unacceptable for this use.

In any case, it would seem to me to be overkill to own an iPhone 5, an iPad "Mini", an iPad, and a Macbook (Air/Pro).  Owning three devices already shows bit of Apple FanBoy madness, but owning all four?  That's a tad overkill.

For practical purposes, and probably most people, will have to choose between the 7" and the 9".  The advantage for Apple is that it will keep their fans who prefer the 7" from "biting-the-bullet" and switching to Android but then how high a number is this?  One drawback is that t may also scavenge sales from the 9".  Thus as far as total sales are concerned, the total sales of the 7" and the 9" may not be as far from the 9" was when it was the only size iPad you can get.

One interesting scenario, which my daughter would love, is to get rid of the iPhone and switch to a normal T9 keyboard feature phone with basic telephony and SMS features then use a 7" iPad with a persistent 3G/HSDPA/4G/LTE microsim with an unlimited data account, that you carry around. Skip the iPad 9", then use a Macbook of any flavor.  When you have a need for iOS touchscreen goodness, a less conspicuous and lighter weight device is what you pull out.  It's like going back to the days when you had a Nokia phone and a Palm OS device (Yup, been there!).

I'll probably have a more definite picture IF (and that's a BIG IF) and when the 7" iPad does come out and I am able to get my mitts on it in the store.

Globe's Bridge DataRoam (Plus), A Near Perfect Data Roaming Solution?

I had the opportunity to visit two countries in my last Globe Postpaid billing cycle with BridgeRoam support.

In a nutshell, Bridge DataRoam Unlimited & Bridge DataRoam Unlimited Plus are promos for Globe Postpaid clients who want unlimited data access on their mobiles when abroad, akin to their SuperSurf locally.  If you're a gadgethead like me, who always has to be online, is used to having a SuperSurf account, then this may be a good solution for you.

You may ask, "Why not just get a prepaid sim from the country you're visiting?"  It's not as simple if you're more into data access compared to just telephony/SMS functions.  Fee for the sim can be from 12 to 30 Euro, then load it with data, which can cost anywhere from 15 to 60 Euro.  Not that bad, however when you look at the fine print, you'll see that this is for a cumulative consumable load of around 2 Gb.  Gadgetheads like me will find that not nearly enough.  I'd probably go through that in a few days, especially if you use the GPS apps with online maps.  Why not use GPS apps with offline maps?  Aside from being expensive, I don't think it's worth it, unless you go to that country frequently enough and drive.  If it's just to get directions, prevent getting lost, or just to see the progress of your travels, then a data connection is much more versatile since you can also use it to email and surf.

Bridge DataRoam isn't cheap but considering what you're getting is an unlimited data account for the duration of your plan, then the equation changes.  What are they exactly?  One is Unlimited, the other is Unlimited Plus... the loose difference is that the former is for Australasia region while the latter supports the Western hemisphere.

Bridge DataRoam is supported in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.  You activate it by sending a text or USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) request (dialing *143#).  Once activated you need to check which specific provider in that country supports Bridge DataRoam.  Configure your phone's preferences to use that provider... do not use Automatic since it will select the strongest signal and it may be an unsupported provider thus charging you full roaming rates.  In addition, you need to enable Data Roaming in order to use it.  Data Roaming in the iPhone 4x is disabled by default to prevent unnecessary data roaming charges.  However, once you've activated the DataRoam and have connected to the specific supported provider, you can turn Data Roaming On to enjoy full unlimited Internet connection.

Below are the charges for Bridge DataRoam Unlimited (Australasia):

Plan Denomination	Unlimited Data Roaming Service
US$10	1-day unlimited
US$27	3-day unlimited
US$40	5-day unlimited

Below are the charges for Bridge DataRoam Unlimited Plus (USA, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Spain, UK, and China):

Plan Denomination	Unlimited Data Roaming Service
US$15	1-day unlimited
US$35	3-day unlimited
US$55	5-day unlimited

As you can see, the Plus is more expensive, but still you'll be hardpressed to find a prepaid solution that has no Gb cap.

I had used Bridge DataRoam Unlimited in Singapore early last month and it worked like a charm.  SingTel is the supported provider.  Speed was really fast and I couldn't complain about anything.  You can even enable Personal Hotspot or tether to your laptop.


Later that month, I used the Plus service in Spain, and again, it worked flawlessly.  In Spain however, it is listed in Globe's website that the provider is Telefonica.  Unfortunately, unless you do the research, when you search the telecom's available, you will not find Telefonica listed in your phone.  It turns out, Telefonica is now named Movistar, and that's what appears in your phone's telecom search.  Once I had selected Movistar and activated Data Roaming, again flawless and quick.

To the Left is a screenshot of my iPhone 4's Map app showing directions from San Sebastian to Pamplona in Spain using the Movistar (Telefonica) network.

It is actually quite expensive, however, if I had used the prepaid solution, it would probably been only a bit less expensive and have a Gb cap to boot.  With Bridge DataRoam you have a true unlimited mobile Internet.

Wine Discoveries from Sommelier Selection's 100 Wines 2012

Before we left for Spain (more on that later...), my box of wines arrived.

We attended Sommelier Selection, Inc's "100 Wines 2012" event last June. I usually enjoy these events as this allows you to taste A LOT of wines in one sitting and buy them at a discount.

As we just got back from my trip, I was only able to organize these wines during this stormy weekend and took advantage of the "house arrest" situation caused by this year's UPCAT and the Anti-RH Bill rally in EDSA.

During the tasting, I was particularly fascinated with three wines and I'm now trying to recall the experience.

The first was a lovely 2009 Mario and Giorgio Brunori Fonteascosa La Battinebbia Marche IGT.

This is an Italian wine from the Marche area (pronounced "Marké"). Distinguished by it's absolute dedication to the "organic" wine philosphy. A Moscato varietal, resulting in a lovely floral, but not perfumy, white wine balanced by light citrus flavors enhanced by some apricot and peach notes. A well-balanced and medium bodied wine that is complex enough to drink alone just to enjoy how it plays around in your mouth ending in a moderate to long finish. It should pair well with well seasoned crustaceans and cream pastas.

This wine is classified as Marche IGT ("Indicazione Geografica Tipica") or a "Typical Regional Wine" of Marche. This is because it wasn't made with Verdicchio or Trebbiano. Personally however, their Moscato worked extremely well.

The next memorable wine for me was the 2006 Domaine du Pech Buzet Le Pech Abusé.

This is a fascinating red wine from the Buzet appellation in South-West France. Buzet wine usually has similar characteristics with Haut-Medoc in the Bordeaux region, but this wine is absolutely far from that.... It is aptly named, La Pech Abusé... "abused peach"? This to me is a lighter bodied, silky vino rosso bursting with red fruit, plus peach notes dancing around your mouth. Mushrooms and minerals can also be discerned with smooth tannins and a decent finish. Quite complex, fascinating and fun to drink. Pairing would probably be perfect for Asian non-spicy meat dishes, in particular Lechon.

The last wine looks very unassuming, thus hiding the powerhouse inside. This is the 2008 Azienda Agricola Il Carpino Merlot Vigna Runc Venezie IGT.

This was one of the favorites of the night. Another "Super Friuli-Venezia" for want of a better term. This is wine which can disprove the bad press that Merlot had received from the movie, "Sideways." At first taste, one will not think it is Merlot. Then later, you find out that there's absolutely no oak fermentation. What you get is a balanced preserved black fruit with herbal notes, but not too grassy. Quite appropriately, this one will be best paired with tomato-based Italian food and some of the lighter meats, such as well-seasoned chicken and pork.




These notes are just preliminary impressions, mind you. I have yet to have them with with a properly paired meal, but I will eventually.

Start of my public blog... the Nth attempt

“Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”
”Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”
— from Dante Alighieri’s Inferno

Again, here I am starting and restarting my blog... and again the line above from Dante’s Inferno comes to my mind for any unwary web surfer who stumbles across my blog.
What usually prevents me from going through with it is not really lack of time, as blogging can be as short as doing a status update in Facebook, but rather being a perfectionist and my own worst critic, hesitating to post something that may displease someone in the world. As it is impossible to please everyone... I just decided to go ahead and turn off user comments... :-)

Why start again now? This is the direct result of a conversation with my high school daughter which goes something like:

Me: "You know, if you want to improve your vocabulary, not only should you read profusely, but you should also write."

Her: "But what will I write about?"

Me:"Why don't you make a blog, and write about your day, just like the classic diary, except a blog is public so you have to be creative in writing stuff that shows your feelings, be politically correct and will not incriminate you in anything."

She: "What for, no one will read my blog anyway?"

Me: "So what, at least it's good practice for you, but then what if people do read it and you become famous and then make money from it?!"

That's when I stop and think, "Hmmm, why not?"

And so, here we are again... another blog attempt to set down some of my thoughts regarding life as a Urologist, Father of three, Husband, Gadgeteer, Apple Fanboy, medical informaticist, Foodie, Wine Connoisseur, Pig Farmer, Art Galerie Groupie, World Traveler, shutterbug, and Information Junkie... (Note that this list is a work in progress…)

Thus, here's to not caring whether anyone comes and reads this... but for those who do, "À votre santé" with a glass of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, my favorite wine that I can actually afford!