Let the techy-verse and music world rejoice! Two big things happened for our generation this month. Apple released a new software update known as iOS7 on Sept. 18. Shortly thereafter, Rapper Drake officially released his third studio album, “Nothing Was The Same” on Sept. 24.
Apple has released several updates before iOS7, but this one was highly anticipated because it completely redesigned the look and feel of the iPhone. To avoid a system overload, Apple released the update in a staggered pattern to different time zones at different times. Those with the iPhone 5 probably had the easiest time actually downloading the update since they have the newest hardware. For the majority of us with and iPhone 4 or 4s, myself included, the update comes with a little baggage. From start to finish, it took my iPhone 4 over two hours to complete the update! After talking with friends, I found that many others had experienced the same issue.
Some graphic designers have criticized iOS7 saying that the icons now look flat in appearance where they had a rounder, more 3-D look before. Personally, I think it looks cool. I love the somewhat invisible slide bar to unlock the phone and all of the color coded sections. I also like how once the phone is unlocked the apps sort of fly into frame and arrange properly in a staggered, collapsing motion. I think the dial pad looks more modern with the round buttons versus the previous flattened rectangular buttons. So far, my favorite part of the update are the easily accessible tools such as the flashlight, calculator and timer that you can access without unlocking your phone by sliding from the bottom of the screen upwards when the lock-screen is lit.
On a bit of a more negative note, my phone dies nearly twice as fast and takes almost three times as long to charge. iPhone users are already notorious for asking, “Do you have your charger with you?” Now the annoying charger requests are only going to increase or folks are going to do a lot more digital-detoxing. I, on the other hand, make it a point to never leave home without my charger since I can now listen to songs from what may prove to be Drake’s best-selling album to-date.
When Drake said his album was coming in September, “just wait on it,” he meant it! “Nothing Was The Same” officially hit stores on Sept 24. Prior to it’s release, some songs such as “Started from the Bottom” and “Hold on, We’re going Home” were already blasting over the the airways. The album has a track list of 13 songs, and the deluxe edition has two additional tracks. This is a shorter list compared to his previous albums that featured up to 20 songs.
Some criticism of the album is that it features slow song after slow song. Some people wanted a livelier Drake, and he gave them emotion instead. I say for every grizzly bear there is a nice, soft teddy bear somewhere on the inside. Yes, Drake is serving up more emotion on this album, but that’s okay! My favorite song so far is track nine, “Connect.” I like that the beat and overall sound of the song match the lyrics and message within. Ultimately, you will have to take a listen for yourself and decide if it’s you’re taste.
Between iOS7 and “Nothing Was The Same,” I’m surprised that there was enough Wi-Fi to support all of the downloading that took place during a span of only a few days. After these two major releases, I’m not sure what there is to look forward to next. For me, the next big thing is the series finale of AMC’s Breaking Bad. Maybe that will be my next review; just wait on it!