"Everything Has Changed"

Apple really pulled out all the stops with this update. For one, the megapixel and processor boost then the 3D touch. Count me in. If you don't believe me, take a look at the photos from the iPhone 6s! Also, yes, if you want Optical Stabilzation, you'll have to opt in for the 6s Plus. Now if I could decide which case to get.

note: I'm still using an iPhone 5 at the moment so an upgrade was due a year ago

Websites Sharing All Your Data

I've always wondered why over the years or so that one of my favorite websites started to get bogged down by excessive loading times. Now I know exactly why and no it's not your old iPhone / Android phone model.

Holy crap. It took over 30 seconds. In the end, it fetched over 9.5MB across 263 HTTP requests. That's almost an order of magnitude more data & time than needed for the article itself.

Just to put this in some rough perspective: Assuming I had a 1GB / month data plan, I could visit sites like The Verge about 3 times per day before I hit my cap. If I'm lucky, some or most of this will get cached between requests so it won't be quite that bad. In fact, another report tells me that a primed cache yields 8MB transferred - so maybe 4 visits per day.

Read his entire analysis and tell me what you think. It's mind boggling really.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II Debuts with an 80% from DPReview

After over a year and half without even a rumor, Olympus dropped their successor to their wonderful OM-D E-M10. Appropriately dubbed the Mark II, this replacement boasts a slurry of advancements and upgrades that make this the ultimate starter camera. Don't take my word for it but if you pair this with the Panasonic Leica SUMMILUX 25mm f/1.4, which by the way is the only lens that I've been shooting with on my OM-D E-M5, you'll have yourself the best duo that is out right now in that price range. Do it and check out the delicious f1.4 bokeh paired with the right body!

The E-M10 II is well-suited for those moving up to a more capable mirrorless camera and don't need the weather-sealing of the E-M5 II. The E-M10 II is also an attractive choice for those seeking a lightweight second camera. Either way, the E-M10 II offers a lot of camera for the money, and is well worth considering. DP Review

Exposing Holes and Shortcuts in Android

First this (via Reuters):

The change came after security researcher Joshua Drake unveiled what he called Stagefright, hacking software that allows attackers to send a special multimedia message to an Android phone and access sensitive content even if the message is unopened.

then this:

Samsung Vice President Rick Segal acknowledged that his company could not force the telecommunications carriers that buy its devices in bulk to install the fixes and that some might do so only for higher-end users.

Samsung and telecoms taking care of only the top...maybe. And if you use the HTC One Max X and utilize the fingerprint reader (via The Guardian):

Researchers from FireEye have found that data that could be used to clone a user’s fingerprint was stored as an unencrypted “world readable” image file on HTC smartphones.

Four security researchers discovered that the image file, which is clear replica of a user’s fingerprint, could be stolen by rogue apps or hackers.

“While some vendors claimed that they store user’s fingerprints encrypted in a system partition, they put users’ fingerprints in plaintext and in a world readable place by mistake,” the authors wrote. “On the HTC One Max X the fingerprint is saved as /data/dbgraw.bmp with a 0666 permission setting (world readable). Any unprivileged processes or apps can steal user’s fingerprints by reading this file.”

This is why Apple does what it does. I can't say never, but so far, they really are winning when it comes to security and protecting its users.

Watch This: Westworld on HBO

This looks like a great show to add to HBO's already award-winning lineup.

Loosely based on Michael Crichton's 1973 sci fi film of the same name, Westworld is set in a theme park where robots fulfill human guests' most hedonistic desires. However, HBO president Michael Lombardo told us earlier on in the month that the series will focus on the robots this time around.

As Expected, Apple Watch Chips Away at Traditional Watch Sales

The market for watches that cost less than $1,000 is most at risk, as consumers in that price range have indicated they’re the most likely to buy an Apple Watch, Levin said. Sales of watches costing between $50 and $999 registered drops in June, the biggest being a 24 percent decline in timepieces from $100 to $149.99, according to NPD’s data.

This is huge. I'd go as far and say it's a significant swing in the market especially in light of all the newcomers such as Marc Jacob and Nixon. This is their territory.

VW's TDI Golf SportWagen Wagon

For as long as I've known, I've always been into cars. From the earliest a memories of my little white '94 Porsche 911 Micromachine to owning a Mercedes-Benz W123 300D and W203 C55 AMG, what car I get next is always a question.

With just the paragraph below, I might have made my decision especially in lieu of how unworthy and unreliable my BMW E39 5.28iT (wagon) had been.

Yet while the E.P.A. rules tend to overstate hybrid mileage, they vastly underestimate diesels’ real-world economy. In my testing, the TDI effortlessly delivered 50 to 53 m.p.g. even as I cruised at 65 to 70 miles per hour and passed dawdlers at will. And in an admittedly Prius-like run, holding at a resolute 55 m.p.h., the TDI sipped at a wallet-friendly 60 m.p.g.

Then again, if anyone can actually provide me reliability records and lifetime performance, I'd be sold TODAY! I want the new VW Golf SportsWagen but maybe might just settle for the hatchback. Last I saw, VW wanted around $33k for a fully loaded TDI SportWagen.

Also just announced and obtained by VWVortex, the full lineup changes for Model Year 2016 (MY2016) which highlights the inclusion of MIB2 (audio / nav system upgrade) and a full set of driving safety features such as lane departure assist, adaptive cruise control and park assist to name a few. Exciting stuff for 2016 models which can be expected to debut around September in a showroom near you.

She's pretty isn't she? 

She's pretty isn't she? 

In Zimbabwe, We Don't Cry for Lions

In my village in Zimbabwe, surrounded by wildlife conservation areas, no lion has ever been beloved, or granted an affectionate nickname. They are objects of terror.

When I was 9 years old, a solitary lion prowled villages near my home. After it killed a few chickens, some goats and finally a cow, we were warned to walk to school in groups and stop playing outside. My sisters no longer went alone to the river to collect water or wash dishes; my mother waited for my father and older brothers, armed with machetes, axes and spears, to escort her into the bush to collect firewood.

There are always two sides. Our American Mindset just isn't always the right one. I'm not siding by no means on hunting for or against, but like I already said, two sides. Our overly privileged position allows us this thought.

Hiroshima: 70 years of Reconstruction in Photographs

The Washington Post:

At 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, the first bomb exploded over Hiroshima killing, by some estimates, 140,000 people, and destroying 90 percent of the city. But near its hypocenter only one building was left standing.

Seventy years later, the Genbaku Dome — now known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial — is part of a very different city that’s home to 1.2 million residents and filled with skyscrapers, apartment buildings and streetcars.

Armed with archival photographs, Reuters photographer Issei Kato revisited some of the same locations destroyed 70 years ago in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The juxtapostion is truly heartening.

For further insight, the Washington Post has also provided various maps that will show you how it would look like it "Little Boy" hit your city inlcuding full detailed explanations of damaged areas. To sample what a possible nuclear bomb would be like in your city, check out Nuke Map.

"Fat Man" over San Diego / Nagasaki 20kt 

SprezzaBox Ambassadorship

A few weeks ago, I was accepted into the SprezzaBox Ambassador program and I can't wait for you all to signup to the goodness that the SprezzaBox has introduced me to! Click away and check out the amazing collaborations and curations they've created. Subscribe and set yourself up with an awesome surprise every month! It's allowed me to expand my style and even venture out to other styles that I wouldn't have otherwised thought of.

PSA: You can also use the coupon code: ENICOLAS for 10% off your first subscription or store purchase!

The Honest Co. Men's Complete One A Day

It's been just under three years since I went "cold" turkey and stopped taking any multiple vitamin or pre-workout mixes. It's also been just about two years where I pretty much stopped working out in any form except for the occasional here and there jog to and from terminals or airplanes.

My family has been using Jessica Alba's The Honest Company, products for our daughter since birth and started over again when our son was born. We love their products and can't talk about them enough. Our kids have never had "diaper rash" or any associated reactions to wipes and it's been great having them shipped to the house. I suggest you check them out and sign up for their free "pay for shipping only" introduction package.

When they released "Men's Complete One A Day" a while back, I was interested but never pulled the trigger till now. I figured my NYC diet and commuting back and forth hasn't allotted me the convenience of a well balanced meal so this will have to provide and can provide some compensation. Today is Day 1 and I'll be taking you through my day to day experience (30 tablets at one a day) during this August month.

Zoom in for all the ingridients listed on the back of the box. I'll also list them later on in another blog post. Cheers and happy Monday!