Yeah, I'm still here

Mea Culpa

So what would possibly possess someone to not post any updates to a blog that they had actually gone to the trouble of creating in the first place, for months and months? Life. Life happens. Details? Not right now, but suffice it to say that it's all good. More to come later? Yeah, when I get around to it. I suppose when it comes right down to it, that I'd much rather be living it, than being an observer looking in from the outside, and having time to chronicle it. I'll be back, but I'm in no rush right now.

Peace.

iPhone vs Blackberry

My friend "Richard Herb" just asked what I thought about the iPhone vs the Blackberry, on Facebook, and this is my response:

The iPhone blows the BB away as an Internet device (amazing), and is pretty competitive email-wise -- although nothing beats the BB. The keyboard blows huge chunks, however, and it's only the predictive software that makes it usable. You get used to it, though. There is also way more software available for the iPhone, and the app store makes it really easy to find and add more, free and pay. Not nearly as many apps as available for WinMob, but growing rapidly and all available in one place. Also an excellent media-handling device (tunes, pics and films).

However.

They need to fix some pretty serious issues: 3G phone performance isn't always great, and they have major stability issues with apps from the app store (Apple's fault). Core (default) apps always work, though, apart from occasional Safari crashiness on certain sites. My qualified recommendation to J-R was to get it, but with eyes open. Issues will be fixed over time. He decided to go ahead, but wait until October 1st when Rogers makes some changes to the available plans (more minutes, and more GB for the same money).

I guess it really boils down to your intended use. If that's primarily email, get the BB. If you also want to listen to tunes, surf the web and show off cool apps that sometimes even work? Then get the iPhone.

And now I'm heading out on my motorcycle for a spin, so the 2.1 update will have to wait....

iPhone Rant

Well, I haven't posted anything for a while (I've been somewhat occupied of late), so I'm going to take the anonymous advice given me earlier today, and repost (yet another) rant from the Giz comments of a couple of days ago. Truly, I've calmed down over what I rant about below; but I would like to expound some more when I get a chance -- particularly about the difficulties caused by DRM when you install all of your App Store apps directly from the phone and not iTunes -- but then have to restore from iTunes -- but that's a tale for another day.

Steve Jobs, get your people to fix this bug-laden POS before it ruins everything you've built up over the last few years. After not being able to use any of the Bug store -- I mean App store -- apps for the last week, and with all of the previous fixes not working, I finally gave up and decided to restore from backup. Well guess what? It refuses to restore from the backup, and I am now faced with setting it up again from scratch... All of my customizations? Gone. All of my apps (including the ones no longer available from the app store -- some of which I PAID for)? Gone.

If someone offered me a build of WinME that would install on the iPhone right now I would take it, and not look back. Quite a few people got this steaming pile of dog doo doo on my recommendation. I am a true geek, gadget lover and IT professional, and people value my opinion about these things. What do you think my recommendation would be right about now, Steve-o? I should be in bed and worrying about tomorrow's workday. Instead I'm wondering whether to smash, burn, or give the phone away -- but I can't think of anyone I hate that much right now.

I am righteously pissed (and yes, I am using "righteously" in the right context).

FUCKKKKK!!!!!!

Compact Truck

Isn't it amazing what a woman can fit into her purse?

Cue the ominous music

Remember when I said here, "Who is Earl Hayden, and why is he saying (in the linked photo caption) that "these things don't happen in threes"?"?

Well cue the ominous music, 'cause I have a bad feeling about this....

iPhone Take Two

Ok, this is going to be a very short post: I'm posting this from my one-day old iPhone (16GB Black), so typing this is still a pretty laborious process. So far I'm very pleased with the overall experience, although there are a few things that I would fix. This truly is a game changing device, with the gestalt of the App Store, 2.0 firmware and (somewhat crippled) SDK; although I am sorely disappointed at the lack of ubiquitous pre-emptive multitasking. I wonder as well, whether it would be possible, using small pulses of the vibrate mechanism, to simulate haptic feedback, and therefore convince your mind that that feedback had taken place? Anyone? Bueller?