• Switching apps is now impossible 
  This overlapping coverflow effect is HORRIBLE.  The physics are weird, so I can never actually select the app I want. I usually skip right past it, or I don’t go far enough and get stuck. And because apps overlap each other, there’s less real estate to tap on, so I often fat-finger the selection, dropping me into the wrong app, which forces me to start the infuriating process anew. I feel like Sisyphus, and I HATE HATE HATE THIS.  
• "Share" menu customization was deleted 
  I customized the apps in my "share" menu to quickly send things to Pocket or Twitter or Wunderlist or Gmail, but now the first option is Message, followed by Reminders, and they've tossed in Notes as well, even though none of those were ever in my share menu before (and I almost never use the last two). Why did you screw with my customizations, Apple? It's bad enough you won't let us delete your pre-installed apps, but now you have to shove them in my face at every turn? No thank you.
• The new font sucks.
  I love San Francisco the city, but "San Francisco" the font gives the city a bad name. It's like a demented version of the good ol' Helvetica Neue I used to know and love. To take just one example: the number "4" now has such small stem (the vertical part) that it almost looks like a triangle. So much for "readability" improvements. 
• Notification tray is buggy.
  I tried to clear out a bunch of notifications, but every time I hit the little "X" circle and it changes to "Clear", when I tap it again, it toggles back to "X" without deleting any notifications. I'm stuck in an endless loop of suckage. How was this not caught in testing?! It feels like a cruel joke that I can't get rid of notifications, and they just keep piling up in the tray, taunting me. 

It feels like I’m constantly reading new research or advice on health, nutrition, or fitness which completely contradicts previous advice that people lived by for years. Recent examples include: the evolving USDA food guides; the revelation that maybe whole milk is actually better than skim; the notion that barefoot running isn’t that good for you after all; how good, bad, or great or coffee is for you; the crazy idea that a glass of red wine can replace an hour of exercise; and of course the French paradox.

People love to latch on to new fads or the latest research study (often without actually understanding the underlying science, mind you), and I expect they always will. It seems to be in humans’ nature to look for shortcuts.

But the more I read, the more I think that maybe we’re overthinking everything. Maybe instead of finding clever lifehacks, cutting corners, clinging to the fad diet pendulum, or optimizing the bejesus out of every minute and every calorie, we should listen to our bodies, eat reasonable portions of balanced diets, and generally take a more moderate approach to everything.

I’m reminded of what my grandmother used to say, which I still think is some of the best advice: “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”^*

* Commonly attributed to Oscar Wilde, my first introduction to this quote was from my grandmother.

I had to laugh while reading this TechCrunch post about how Microsoft is (sorta) killing Internet Explorer in Windows 10. 

The article notes how Microsoft will be including legacy support for IE in Windows 10, since Microsoft recognizes that some enterprises have built websites that rely on older IE technology and features. 

That's where I LOL'd. 

I remember as recently as 2010 how a major US bank actually recommended people use IE 6 over Firefox or Chrome. In fact, that bank actually was threatening to block users from visiting the company website if they used Opera or Chrome. 

So yeah, I think it's safe to say some enterprises are still stuck in the dark ages of web browsers. Back in my web development days, I used to curse IE regularly for its weird behavior and failure to adopt sensible web standards. Many web developers the world over share my white hot fury toward that godforsaken browser. 

So as much as I would dance for joy if IE were finally killed off once and for all, I'm not holding my breath just yet.

I stumbled upon this quote from Voltaire today, and it really spoke to me. I've been spending a lot of time studying various paths to innovation lately, and this pretty much nails my current sentiment: 

"Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.” 

--Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary

"No activity is entirely without risk, but that does not mean that we should wrap ourselves in a protective cocoon. That is not living, but is premature death. 

"The way to deal with danger is to know approximately how much there is, where it is likely to be found, and how to deal with it when it arises." 

I've been an avid Android fan ever since the first Motorola Droid launched in late 2009. Since then I've owned three Android devices in less than four years (Droid, HTC Thunderbolt and Galaxy Nexus). 

But earlier this year I finally retired the Galaxy Nexus in favor of an iPhone 5, and I can't say I miss it. 

Now, keep in mind I'm a HUGE user of Google services, and I was fully bought into the Android ecosystem, so switching was kind of a big decision (and yet, ultimately an easy one) for me. Below are the reasons why I pulled the trigger: 

Build Quality

Even with all the different Android devices in existence, the iPhone is still a premium device with a fit and finish that, in my humble opinion, remains unmatched by any other phone. 

I love the way the iPhone feels in my hand. I love the screen. I love that the camera just works and produces reliably good photos for a phone (Android cameras are a crapshoot). And I love that the resale value is greater than zero after 12-18 months. 

Plus, the Apple software and hardware work together so well. That's not always the case with Android. For example, my Galaxy Nexus suffered from a firmware issue that prevented the microphone from working properly during phone calls (kind of a critical bug, I'd say). It was only by installing a third-party app that I could regain my phone functionality. Pretty ridiculous.

Battery Life

Battery life alone nearly got me to switch to an iPhone years ago. Until very recently there hasn't been an Android device on the market that would actually get an even moderate user through the day on one charge. Now with the Motorola Droid Maxx and the Moto X we're seeing a few devices FINALLY getting a day's worth of battery life. Unfortunately, all of my devices - and especially the Thunderbolt and Galaxy Nexus (both of which had an extra large battery) - still had abysmal battery life. 

Android Fragmentation & Bloatware

This is one of my pet peeves about Android.  Every manufacturer seems compelled to fork the stock Android OS and create their own special Frankenstein version, packed full of uninstallable bloatware. It's infuriating, and it was the primary driver (along with battery life!) behind my switch from the HTC Thunderbolt to the Galaxy Nexus. Ah, beautiful stock Android! 

Android is actually a great OS, and I love love LOVE the deep Google integration, so I wish manufacturers would stop ruining a good thing by messing with it. 

App Ecosystem

Say what you will about the Android vs. iOS market places, I maintain that the Apple App Store is still a considerably better app ecosystem. I know that Android has just about the same kinds of apps as iOS these days, but having made the switch recently, I find that I have a more satisfying and polished experience with iOS apps than I ever did with Android. 

Google's iOS Apps Don't Suck Anymore!

Google seems to have put serious effort behind their iOS apps, and they are finally good enough to actually give native Android apps some real competition. 

As someone whose entire life is basically locked up in Google's apps and services, I love that I don't feel like I'm giving up much functionality while using iOS. In fact, the new Gmail, Google Drive and Google Now apps are pretty awesome. I especially love the offline options in Drive.

Things I still would love to see from Google: 

• Tighter Google Now integration in iOS (I realize this is somewhat limited by iOS itself)
• Better Picasa upload/integration (then again, this probably has more to do with them neglecting Picasa in favor of the god-awful Google+ Photos)

In Conclusion

I still love the Android OS and its seamless Google integration. Some of the newly released phones (in particular, the Moto X) have made me rethink my switch to iOS. If I ever go back, battery life and stock Android will be critical must-haves for me. 

I'll probably give Android another look in a few months (or end up carrying two devices like I have in the past), but for now I'm quite content with the iPhone. 

I'm finally getting around to reconfiguring my blog on Posthaven, after having migrated some old content from Posterous. Much like Posterous before it, Posthaven seems to be running like a dream. I'm grateful Gary and Brett have decided to set this up, as I've moved websites and blogs more times than I can count in the 14+ years I've been blogging. 

I still need to figure out an efficient way to bring over years worth of posts from my customized Wordpress installation, but that will have to wait for now. 

Fingers crossed that this might in fact be the last time I have to migrate my blog!