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iPhone 6s gold vs rose gold

Stuck trying to decide between the iPhone 6s rose gold or gold? Check out these high resolution photos to help you make the decision between the two colors.

Should I upgrade to an iPhone 6S from an iPhone 6?

If you have an iPhone 6 and you were thinking about upgrading to the new iPhone 6S, the answer is.... Yes. Here's why:

Top Reasons to upgrade to the new iPhone 6S

1) The case and screen are stronger and more durable.  Even though the new model looks the same, Apple is using a stronger grade aluminum and glass for the case and screen respectively. These new materials are much more resilient to damage if you drop your phone. In fact the new materials are so rugged you might even consider using your phone desnudo.

2) Applications runs faster and smoother. The new iPhone 6S has a faster processor and more RAM. This means compared to the previous generation (iPhone 6) your applications will open faster and won't lag. Overall when using your phone you will experience less stalling and stuttering. This is especially important since the latest operating system, iOS 9, seems to be slower than iOS 8.

3) Better fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner (aka Touch ID) is noticeable faster and more reliable. Compared to the previous generation I notice that my iPhone unlocks much faster.

4) Upgrading to the latest model doesn't cost as much as you think. Because iPhones retain so much of their value you can sell your iPhone 6 on eBay or Swappa and use the proceeds to subsidize your new iPhone 6S. In fact a recent study shows that upgrading every year costs about the same as upgrading every 2 years (assuming you sell your phone private party).

5) The increase in weight and size are de minimus. When comparing both models side by side, you definitely won't notice the increase in size, and the increase in weight is negligible.

So overall I would recommend upgrading to the new iPhone 6S. If you take into account the benefits of the new features and you sell your old phone private party; I think it makes sense.

P.S. The pressure sensitive touch screen (aka 3D Touch) of the 6S has been receiving a lot of attention. My initial impression of 3D Touch is that it's a bit of a gimmick and it isn't really that useful. Perhaps my opinion will change over time but so far I've found it finicky to use and not very intuitive. When it does work I don't fee like it is doing anything exceptional. Perhaps my opinion will change over time and/or if developers come up with some novel uses for this feature. We shall see.

Tips & Tricks to Free Up Memory on your iPhone or iPad (that Apple doesn't want you to know about)

Why doesn't Apple want you to know about these tips & tricks to free up memory on your iOS device? Because Apple makes a LOT of money every time you purchase an iPhone or iPad with higher storage levels (64GB or 128GB instead of the standard 16GB).

We all know the basic steps to increase storage on your iOS device (such as an iPhone or iPad)... remove apps that you don't use, delete photos, music and videos, delete old text messages, etc.

But what if you are running out of storage space on your iPhone and you don't want to delete anything? Here are some simple tips & tricks that will free up memory on your iPhone or iPad that don't require you to delete anything!

1) Move photos and videos to an iCloud Shared Album

Most people don't realize this but photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Album don't use up any memory on your device and they don't count towards your iCloud quota. Just create a shared iCloud album but don't invite anyone to view the album. Then you can upload your photos and videos to the album without worrying about using up any of your phone's memory or iCloud quota. You can create up to 100 shared albums and each album can hold up to 5,000 photos and videos regardless of size.

2) Clear your app cache by deleting and immediately re-installing apps

Over time individual apps accumulate temporary files and data in what is known as a "cache". For example, the Google Search app starts out at 95MB when you first download it. After several months of regular Google searches the app can swell up to over 300MB. Even if you "kill" an app by swiping it away in the app switcher, the cache will not be cleared. Unfortunately the only way to effectively clear an app's cache is to delete the app and then immediately re-install it. Examples of apps that may have a bloated cache are Google Search, Facebook, Chrome Browser, Spotify, and Flipboard. I have freed up several hundred MB per app using this method.

How to find new music on Spotify

Recently I made the switch from Pandora to Spotify. A lot of my friends were using the Swedish music streaming service so I signed up for the 30 day trial to see what the fuss is about. I'm three weeks into my trial and one thing I noticed is that Spotify can be a bit overwhelming at first. Coming from the simple interface of Pandora (pick a song, listen to the station, rinse, repeat), I wasn't sure where to start with Spotify. With Spotify you have the option of listening to radio stations, entire albums, curated playlists, even your friends' music. So here are a few features that I have found useful to help discover new music and get the most out of my paid Spotify subscription...

• The curated playlists on Spotify are excellent... If you go to the menu, select Browse, and then scroll down you will find a selection of playlists by genre. These playlists have songs hand selected by music aficionados employed by Spotify. It's a great way to find new songs that mainstream radio stations just don't play.
• The "Discover" feature has really good recommendations... Go to the menu, select Browse, then select Discover (it's at the top just under New Releases). Based on your listening history Spotify will recommend songs or albums that you might like. So far I have found the recommendations to be on point about 70% of time.
• Find songs by artist... Whenever I find a new artist I like the first thing I do is find other songs by that artist. A quick and easy way to do this is when you're listening to a song select "Go to artist". That will take you to the artist page where you can quickly see the top five songs by that artist. I usually add any songs that have over 1 million hits.
• Find out what your friends are listening to... If you have Facebook friends using Spotify you should leverage the power of social media. Go to "Browse", "Top Lists", and select "Top tracks in your network". You will have a list of the songs that your friends are listening to. Next to each song you can even see which of your friends are listening to the track.

Let me know if you have any other tips or tricks on how discover new music on Spotify.

Will the iPhone 6 Plus (5.5") fit in my pocket?

will the iPhone 6 Plus fit in my pants? will the iPhone 6 Plus fit in my pocket

If you want to know if the new iPhone 6 Plus (the 5.5 inch model, iPhone 6+) will fit in your pants or pockets then your best bet is to take it for a "test drive". I recommend buying a low cost plastic mock-up that you can try out with various outfits and in different positions (sitting, standing, etc.) Check out the model below from Amazon.com

Switching from the Samsung Galaxy S5 (Android) to the iPhone 6 (iOS), and I'm not looking back

iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5

It's been a few days now that I've made the switch from the Samsung Galaxy S5 to the new Apple iPhone 6 (4.7"). And I can honestly say I will not be looking back. So long Android, it was good knowing you, but I am making the switch to Apple. For perspective, I've been a loyal Android user for the past several years. My last phones have been a Motorola Droid HD, Samsung Galaxy S4, and finally a Samsung Galaxy S5 (all on the Verizon network). So why the change of heart? I feel the iPhone 6 is truly the tipping point for Apple. Apple finally adopted all of the features that kept me a loyal Android user for many years (large screen, custom keyboards), while maintaining their amazing design and sleek operating system. Basically whatever advantages Droid phones had in the past have all been adopted (or copied depending on your perspective) by Apple. But, I'll let the courts and lawyers sort that out. The fact of the matter is that the iPhone 6 truly represents the best overall smart phone. Is it perfect? Far from it, but it really is the best all around phone on the market.


What makes the iPhone 6 so great (for a former Galaxy S5 user)...

• "It just works"... it may sound cliche but there really isn't a better way to describe using an iPhone. Everything runs buttery smooth and apps open instantaneously. No lag, no waiting, no apps crashing. It really is refreshing to have a phone that responds instantaneously to every input. To see for yourself just how fast the iPhone 6 is check out this speed test. 
• Hasta la vista bloatware... Finally, I don't have to deal with updating NFL Mobile, Verizon Cloud, ISIS Mobile Wallet, ChatOn and the dozens of other useless apps forced on you by both Samsung and Verizon.
• Hello iMessage... I'm an avid texter and there were few things more agonizing than waiting... and waiting... for a text message to go through only to find out that your, "message failed to send." iMessage uses WiFi to seamlessly send messages to other iPhone users (which 95% of my friends and family are). 
• The cool touch of aluminum... Just holding an iPhone in your hand and you immediately realize the benefits of a metal phone. All of the Samsung Galaxy phones felt like cheap plastic toys while the iPhone feels like a quality piece of fine jewelry.
• A fingerprint scanner that I actually use... The fingerprint scanner on the iPhone is so effective and accurate that it's actually quicker to unlock your phone using your fingerprint than it is to swipe across the screen. The fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy... well I wouldn't know... I never used it.
• Superior apps... The quality of the apps you find on iOS are markedly superior to their counterparts on Android. Not only do they run smoother and faster, they also look better. This doesn't come as much of a surprise as any app developer will tell you creating an app for unified and consistent iPhone ecosystem is much simpler than the fragmented Android operating system.
• May I update your OS?... Apple issues a new operating and you update your phone. Simple. With Android on the other hand, if you want the latest operating system your best bet is to buy a new phone.

Of course not everything is milk and honey in the land of Apple. Here's what I miss about Android...

• Better integration with Google Services... You can still access GMail, Google Maps, Google Now, etc. on your iPhone but it just doesn't work as well. And since Apple won't allow you to select a default app you are stuck using Safari and Apple maps (I prefer Chrome and Google Maps)
• Better notification bar... The notification bar on Android phones was an extremely useful and polished tool that allowed you to not only receive notifications, but to also respond to emails, get traffic updates, and control apps. The iPhone notification bar I feel is a work in progress. 

... and that's about it. There are a few other minor things like apps WiFi-matic which would automatically turn your WiFi off to conserve your battery but they are all pretty minor and nothing I can't live without.

ShockWave Rowing Class at Equinox Review... One of the best group fitness classes you can take at a gym

I consider the Shockwave rowing class at Equinox one of the best group exercise classes you can take at a gym. Granted, it's not for everyone, but if you enjoy a little friendly competition then this class will be one of the best workouts of your life.

What is Shockwave? Basically it's a circuit training class with multiple stations but with an added twist. One of the stations is a rowing station. And instead of exercising for time, everyone at the rowing station has to complete a set distance (typically 200m, 300m, or 400m). Everyone else at the other stations has to keep going until the last rower finishes. What makes the class really interesting is that the instructor records the fastest times for the men and women. Now you have an added incentive to row all out so you can have the fastest time in the class. For those of you that are competitive in nature expect to leave the class completely exhausted and on the verge of vomiting.

Initial Impression of the New Samsung Galaxy S5....

The new Samsung Galaxy S5 is a bust. The S5 is basically the S4 with some minor upgrades and the addition of superfluous features like a finger print scanner and a heart rate monitor, both of which are just marketing gimmicks.

As a current owner of a Samsung Galaxy S4, I was intrigued to see what improvements the S5 would offer over the S4, but I really don't see any reason to upgrade. The only improvement of value is the new camera, which apparently takes better photos. But I don't think the camera alone offers enough justification to upgrade. Everything else that Samsung touts as improvements are really just novelties that never work properly and no one ever really uses.  

What is the Best Phone Service for a Small Business... Republic Wireless

If you are a new small business owner then you are probably looking for phone service that is cost effective (aka cheap), easy to use, and flexible. Well look no further, Republic Wireless might be best the solution for your small business telephone needs.

Four Reasons why you should consider Republic Wireless for your Small Business telephone line (instead of the phone/cable company or VoIP)...

1. Republic Wireless is dirt CHEAP. They offer plans as low as $5 a month which includes unlimited calling and text messaging! There is no way the phone or cable company is gong to beat that price; even with a bundle package. That's even cheaper than VoIP plans like Vonage or BasicTalk.
2. Republic Wireless includes all of the features you need, caller ID, voice-mail, call waiting, phone log, and much, much more.
3. Since your Republic Wireless phone is actually a cel phone your small business is completely mobile*. You can take calls from anywhere; on the road, at home, or even on the beach. You will never be constrained to a single location.
4. You can utilize the convenience of text messaging. Again, since your phone is a cel phone, you have the added benefit of being able to send and receive text messages. You can't do that with a regular phone line or even a VoIP plan. As you know fewer and fewer people are actually making phone calls and are sending text messages instead. Having the ability to send text messages makes it easier to communicate with your customers and clients.  

So how does it work? How can Republic Wireless offer a phone line with all of these features for so cheap?

The phones used by Republic Wireless are "hybrid" phones. Similar to hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius, Republic phones can use either Sprint's cellular network or your local WiFi network. Since most people spend the vast majority of their time connected to a WiFi network, which is much cheaper to use than a cellular network, Republic Wireless passes the savings on to its customers. 

What are the drawbacks?

1. You have to buy the phone upfront. Currently this will set you back $149 to purchase a phone compatible with the Republic Wireless hybrid network. Considering you can easily save $40/month on phone service this investment will pay for itself in less than a year.
2. To reap the maximum benefits you need a WiFi network. This shouldn't be too much of an issue considering the ubiquitous nature of WiFi these days. Keep in mind, you don't have to have WiFi, but if you want to use the $5/month plan you will. If you don't have WiFi you can upgrade to the $10/month plan which includes cellular coverage from Sprint.
3. Republic Wireless has limited coverage cel phone coverage. Check their website to see if they have coverage in your area. Of course this won't be an issue if you intend to use your phone on a WiFi network exclusively.
4. Call quality may not be on par with a land line or VoIP. This may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Fortunately Republic offers a 30 day risk free trial so you can test the phone for yourself and determine if it meets your needs.
5. You can't select your phone number. Currently Republic assigns numbers at random based on the address on your account. 

* Note: To be completely mobile you will need to have at least the $10/month plan which includes cellular coverage from Sprint. The $5/month plan only includes WiFi coverage.  

Ice Skating Downtown Los Angeles, LA Live vs Pershing Square, Where to ice skate

If you want to enjoy ice skating in downtown Los Angeles for the holidays you have two options: LA Live or Pershing Square. If you're having a hard time deciding where to ice skate here is a comparison of the two venues...

Ice Skating at LA Live
Pros:

• Unlimited skating
• Larger rink with longer laps
• More festive atmosphere and a beautiful Christmas tree in the middle of the ice
• You can start and stop when you please

Cons

• More people with less space to maneuver
• More out of control skaters
• Cheap plastic rental skates will kill your feet and have dull blades (they are a hard plastic and similar to ski boots)
• Ice quality isn't as good
• $3 more than Pershing Square ($13)

Ice Skating at Pershing Square
Pros:

• Fewer people, more room to maneuver
• Quality of ice is better
• Higher quality rental skates are more comfortable and have sharper blades (they are made from leather with real laces)
• $3 cheaper than LA Live ($10)

Cons

• Smaller rink
• Not as festive atmosphere
• Skate sessions are only one hour long and are on a set schedule. So you have to coordinate your start time.

LA Live

The Palm Court in the Alexandria Hotel

The other night I stumbled upon a hidden gem in Downtown Los Angeles. The Palm Court ballroom in the lobby of the Alexandria Hotel.

Learn more about the history of the Palm Court here... http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Court_(Alexandria_Hotel)

The Most Interesting Man in the World...

at Belasco night club?

and a really bizarre Dos Equis lollipop...

Where to invest your money

If you have some money that you are looking to invest then you may want to consider Pedram Pourmand Investments at http://pedrampourmandinvestments.webs.com

We offer sound investment advice with personalized customer service. Utilizing propriety option strategies we maximize alpha while hedging your downside risk. We have a proven track record with returns that have consistently beaten index funds year after year.

Great Gmail Feature

I was about to send an email with Gmail when I got this error message.... Brilliant!

Guys listen up... on-line dating advice straight from the other sex... You need to know this!

Here is a great tip for guys posting pictures to on-line dating services such as Match.com or OKCupid.com....

"Most women are looking at the background and surroundings and not really you. Many brownie points for no shirtless photos! For guys it's looks, for women, it's looking at your environment to figure out what you are about."

Keep that in mind before you post your next selfie!

Etsy

We just opened a shop on Etsy... https://www.etsy.com/shop/PourmandGallery

8 reasons why I prefer the "Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 inch" over the "Asus Google Nexus 7"

I recently switched from using the first generation Asus Google Nexus 7 to a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 (8" tablet). I used both extensively but ultimately I decided to keep the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. Keep reading to see EIGHT reasons why I chose the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 vs the Nexus 7....

1. Larger Screen -  For me the 8 inch tablet is the ideal size. It's large enough to enjoy using apps and surfing the web, while small enough to comfortably fit in one hand. While the one inch increase over the Nexus 7 may not seem like much, it makes a difference. When going back and forth between the two tablets I couldn't help but notice that everything seemed easier to read and apps were easier to use on the 8 inch screen of the Galaxy Tab 3 compared to the 7 inch screen of the Nexus 7.
2. Thinner and Lighter - Despite having a larger screen, the Galaxy Tab is both a tad lighter and significantly thinner than the Nexus 7, making it more comfortable to hold in your hands.
3. Better Speaker Placement - The Tab 3 has dual speakers at the bottom of the device (similar to an iPhone), while the Nexus 7 has the speakers on the back. To me placing the speakers on the bottom is a much better design because when the tablet is placed on a table or desk the sounds from the speakers aren't muffled and muted. I often found myself repeatedly flipping the Nexus 7 over so the speakers wouldn't be blocked.
4. Physical Buttons on the Front- Having physical buttons on the front of the Galaxy Tab makes starting the device much easier and gives you more usable screen space. I found that every time I wanted to use the Nexus 7 I was always hunting for the grain of rice sized power button on the side. Part of the problem is the angled sides of the Nexus 7, which make finding the diminutive power button a bit of an Easter egg hunt, especially if it's laying flat on a desk. With the Galaxy Tab 3 however, I never have to search for a tiny button on the side. The button is right there, front and center. And once the tablet is on, you don't lose the bottom of your screen to an ugly black bar of software buttons like you do on the Nexus 7. The software buttons on the Nexus 7 become especially frustrating in landscape mode, because you end up with a long black stripe running across the entire length your screen that is mostly wasted space. 
5. Comparable Performance - Many have dismissed the Galaxy Tab 3 because it's lack of a quad core processor which can be found in the Nexus 7. But in my everyday use of the device for things such as reading the news, checking email, listening to music, and using apps, the dual core processor performed admirably. Granted I wasn't using the tablet for any 3D games which require more processing power, but for my basic needs the Galaxy Tab 3 was definitely adequate.
6. Better Aesthetics - Now this is definitely a matter of personal preference but to me the Galaxy Tab flat out just looks better. The appearance of the Nexus 7 is that of monolithic black slab lacking in any design cues or style. And the Nexus 7 has a huuuge bezel surrounding the screen making it look dated. The Galaxy Tab in contrast has a choice of colors (white and brown) and offers stylish design elements such as a faux metallic band around the edges. The Galaxy Tab is also thinner and has a much narrower bezel, both of which I think give it a more modern and sleek look. 
7. Proper USB Port Orientation - This is probably a minor quibble but I was always a bit perturbed by upside down placement of the micro-USB port on the Nexus 7. It's something that you have to train yourself to remember before plugging in your Nexus 7 each time.
8. Samsung Smart Stay Feature - I consider most of the software features that Samsung offers to be superfluous; and there are a plethora of third party apps that can do things better. The one exception is the Smart Stay feature. The Galaxy Tab uses the front facing camera to detect your eyes. If it senses your are looking at the screen then the screen will remain lit (over riding the auto-shutoff feature that most people use to conserve battery life). I found this helpful when reading long articles with small fonts where I wouldn't scroll often. Or perhaps the problem is that I'm a slow reader.... Regardless, I found the feature useful in keeping the screen lit while reading.

Now I can't say that I loved everything about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. Here are a few drawbacks...

1. Physical Buttons - Wait a minute, I thought having physical buttons was an advantage over the Nexus 7 (see number 4 above)? What happened? Well having physical buttons makes turning your tablet on significantly easier, and it gives you back precious screen real estate that you would otherwise lose to soft keys. This is all true, but the physical buttons do have two drawbacks. First you lose the elegant finger swipe access to Google Now of the Nexus 7. To access Google Now on the Galaxy Tab 3 you are forced to double click or long hold the home button, neither of which are as pleasing or efficient. Second, the Galaxy Tab doesn't have a dedicated button for switching apps. On the Nexus 7 you can quickly jump back and forth between apps, but not on the Galaxy Tab.
2. Lower Pixel density - The Nexus 7 has a slightly higher screen pixel density compared to the Galaxy Tab (216 ppi vs 189 ppi respectively). This is because the Nexus 7 has a smaller screen size (in fact both tablets actually have the same resolution, 1280x800). But for me the benefit of the added screen real estate on the Galaxy Tab 3 outweighs the benefit of the higher pixel density of the Nexus 7. I felt the images on the Nexus 7 were a bit sharper, but not enough to really make a difference. 

Lyft prices in Los Angeles

ever wonder how much it costs to use Lyft in Los Angeles? Go here to find out... http://pedrampourmand.webs.com/lyft-rates-los-angeles