Earlier today I went and got the link for the manual download of the iPhone 2.0 firmware and so far it's pretty nice, got a few apps installed and they're working pretty well. AIM is nice, and even though its from AOL, there are no ads like in the Windows versions, although I hope someone creates a 3rd party app that also incorporates Google Talk into it.

My main complaint with it is the lack of background processes. I enjoy talking to people through AIM and it'd be nice if I stayed online when I closed the app and even when i turn off the screen, so if someone IMs me, it notifies me as say an SMS message or an e-mail would, but alas it doesn't. Oh well, it is definitely a step in the right direction for Apple.

One nice little feature is the ability to easily create screenshots...

Update: From what I've been seeing, I'm glad I did this all last night, people seem to be having problems upgrading or for the new 3G customers, even ACTIVATING their new iPhones.

Tags: apple, iphone

While I initially debated upgrading my iPhone to the 3G model, I have since decided that it's just not worth it, for several reasons.

First, the new iPhone plans from AT&T now suck in comparison to the first gen iPhone plans. The voice plans remain the same from what I can see, but the data plan is now $10 more and does not include the 200 text messages like the old one did, so in order to get the "same plan" for the 3G iPhone, you'll be paying $15 extra a month. It may not seem like that much, but over the course of your 2 year contract, it adds up and even cancels out the cheaper price for the phone itself.

A second reason is that despite what others want to say, the battery life on the 3G model is noticeably worse than that with the original. The 3G drains the battery faster than does the EDGE network. Walt Mossberg has already reviewed it and said he barely got 4.5 hours out of it.

A third one is features. The 3G really only adds 2 new features. The first of course is the 3G network, and the 2nd is GPS. Yes the 3G network is faster than the EDGE network, but speed isn't everything. And GPS, on a phone, I could take it or leave it, especially since I would really only see it as useful for maybe driving, but i already have a car GPS system. Keep in mind that all the other features like the app store, etc are part of the 2.0 firmware which still will work just fine on the original models.

So while the 3G iPhone doesn't suck by any means, in fact it looks great, especially for someone who doesn't have an iPhone to begin with, for someone like me however; the new iPhone 3G doesn't pack enough of a punch to make me toss my current iPhone for the new model. Maybe in the future with newer iPhone models, but for now, I will be sticking with my current iPhone.

Tags: opinion, iphone, apple

Sorry I haven't been updating as much as I normally do, I've been preoccupied both with work and with a new project I've been working on. I'm not going to say too much on it, but it is a new website geared for social media. I'm not quite sure where I'm going with it, but so far its been a lot of fun and its starting to turn out really well and I'm excited with where its going. I'll keep you posted with any details I feel like releasing.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a small podcast, maybe updated every week or every other week that may turn out to be more of a video blog, so once I see what's involved with that, I'll take the next steps in seeing how I can make that idea a reality.

For any social media people out there who like Twitter, Plurk has just jumped on the scene and so far it's looking pretty nice, time will tell how well it does, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing its API come out. If I can make myself some time, I'll definitely see about taking a stab at it and possibly creating my own app, not sure what platform I'd use though.

As many of you are aware, Apple's WWDC keynote was Monday and I have some thoughts on that I'll probably post either tonight or later this week.

There are totally not enough hours in a day.

Also, if any registerred user tried to comment on something, I apologize. There was a bug in the system, but its fixed now.

Tags: project, apple, wwdc, blogging

As many of you are aware, I despise Digital Rights Management (DRM), I think it is wrong and believe that we should be able to do with as we please with what we purchase. I was reading an article on Ars Technica today about the NBC-Apple breakup that occurred last August. Apparently NBC wants to be able to put its content back on the iTunes store but wants full control on pricing as well as full control on its shows DRM.

Currently, it seems Apple takes a somewhat lax DRM scheme. I was just made aware of this today, and despite my distaste for DRM, I actually don't hate Apple's policy so much anymore. For those of you that aren't aware, Apple allows you to authorize up to 5 computers to play your DRMed music, movies, and TV shows. This means that anything you download can be played on those 5 machines, which is probably perfect for families and even roommates. To add to this, unlimited iPods and iPhones synched to those 5 machines. I was unaware of this and thought that you can only play the DRMed content on one machine and one iPod. As much as I hate saying it, I actually do approve of this scheme.

What NBC wants however I believe is unacceptable, and beyond reasonable. NBC wants any and all of their shows to not be allowed to be transferred to any mobile device like the iPod, and it looks like NBC doesn't even want you to be able to watch it offline. This is where my hatred to DRM comes from. If i were to buy an NBC show off iTunes, I would expect to be able to transfer it to my iPod. I paid for the show, I should be fully able to transfer it to my iPod to take with me on the road. To me, it's this mindset that hurts the consumers. I can understand companies wanting to make sure that people don't pay for a TV show or song and then give it away to all their friends, but to balk at people transferring the TV show to their iPod is complete and utter crap.

With the way NBC is trying to push Apple, I can now understand more why the writers strike occurred. Companies like NBC are trying to make an extra buck at the expense of the customers, and probably the writers as well, and without writers, the TV shows we have come to love are worthless.

I'm really hoping that Apple does not acquiesce to NBC's stipulations. Apple in my opinion has a better DRM system than most and the pricing of $1.99 for TV episodes is a pretty good deal without ripping off what makes the company their money, the consumers like you and me.

Tags: nbc, apple, itunes, drm

Some of those that know me could possibly call me a fanboy of both Apple, Linux, or the XBOX (yes, I know the last one is almost a contradiction in terms since its made by Microsoft and I tend to favor Microsoft's competition over its Windows OS). I however take a different stand. I don't consider myself a fanboy of Apple, Linux, or XBOX. Yes, I love my Mac, my iPod, my iPhone, my Linux server, and my XBOX 360, but does preferring one platform over another really make you a fanboy?

So this leads me to my question: What exactly constitutes a fanboy?

I've heard some people say that if you prefer company A's product over company B's, then you are a Company A fanboy. I don't believe this is true. To be a fanboy in my opinion, you must love a product so much that you will jump on any opportunity to badmouth any competition, ignoring anything that the competition might actually be doing better than your product. Fanboys tend to be relatively close-minded on issues surrounding whatever it is that their product or company is involved in. We'll take the gaming consoles for the example. A Microsoft XBOX fanboy would be so into the XBOX that he would be blind and try to find a negative spin on anything that Sony or Nintendo might come out with for the PS3 or Wii, even if what Nintendo or Sony does is better than how Microsoft happens to do it for the 360.

I'll say it first, being ignorant goes nowhere, and fanboism is no exception. Take me for example, I much prefer OS X over Windows, hands down, no second guessing with pretty much no competition. Do I hate Windows? Do I hate Microsoft? No, I don't. I don't like some of the things Microsoft does, I don't like some of the ways Windows does what it does, but that doesn't mean I hate them. And even though I love OS X, I still dislike some of Apple's practices. And this is pretty much the core reason why I don't consider myself a fanboy. I recognize Windows strengths, despite my fondness towards both of it's competitors, OS X and Linux. And the same goes towards Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii compared to my preferred console, the XBOX 360. In the end competition is what drives markets, and operating systems and gaming consoles are no exception. Without competition, there would be less motivation for companies to improve upon their product lines. Can you imagine still working on machines with Windows 98 if Linux or Mac weren't around and Microsoft was less motivated to come up with something new? I'm sure that's an extreme situation that probably wouldn't have happened, but competition drives innovation and innovation leads to improvements. So the next time you immediately want to bash a competing site, product, or company, look at it and see what it is all about. Don't just jump to conclusions and bash it blindly. It may be competing with your sacred product, but it may have its own strengths, and in a roundabout way, may very well lead to improvements for your side of the fence.

Tags: xbox, microsoft, fanboys, apple, linux, ps3