My iPhone 3G is on its way

Finally, after an almost 4 week wait (between working with my current provider and ordering the new phone), my new iPhone 3G is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Last year when the first generation iPhone appeared on the scene, I spoke up and said that the iPhone was too expensive, too slow, and not expandable (lack of add-on applications). Being a long time Palm user, then the Palm smartphone series user, I saw that the first...

Are Macintosh computers poised to make a run?

JUNE 2008 UPDATE: I wrote the article below two years ago, ran across it tonight and wanted to write an update to it. At the time I wrote it, I think the now famous Apple and PC guy commercials had just started ramping up and the ominous steps towards Windows Vista were getting closer. My words probably weren’t unique at the time, and I don’t claim to be a sage, but it is astonishing how much the market has...

Yelp – Real world reviews

On my most recent travels, I discovered yet another great travel web site that I will be using every time I travel. The site’s name is Yelp. Yelp bills themselves as a site of Real People. Real Reviews. Yelp reviewers review everything from restaurants to schools to religious organizations. As their slogan describes, anyone can write a review about any service. I think the service works so well because it works like...

2 fantastic alternatives to Mapquest maps

Mapquest.com used to be synonymous with online maps. They offered online maps when few others did and did a good job. Unfortunately, Mapquest hasn’t changed much since the late 90′s except get more and more advertisements hovering around their slow and out-dated system. Their innovation and improvements seemed to stop around the same time AOL bought them. For faster, easier, and better online mapping, I like two...

10 Phrases that we never thought we would utter

I know I’m missing some awfully good phrases, but I wanted to write some of them down. Leave a comment and tell me some other strange, modern tech phrases that would be so out of place 15 years ago and before. “How much RAM do you have in the PC?” “Send me a text message on your cell.” “Do you have an optical or laser mouse?” “Does this hotel have free wi-fi?”...

Now I remember what I don’t like about Apple...

Apple products are beautiful and functional. Many people brag about their iPod or Mac’s stability, but there is a good reason that Macs are so stable. Apple is very restrictive as to what others are allowed to do with their systems. For example, if you have a iPod, you can only use iTunes if you want to sync music to it. If you have another brand of media player, it will not work with iTunes. Most standard hardware such...

iPhone Web Applications

I setup my third iPhone today. I like them (especially now that they are $200 cheaper), but I still prefer the Treo. The web experience on an iPhone is superior to any phone I’ve used to date and some useful and fun web based applications are starting to develop specifically for iPhone users. This site links up their Top 25 iPhone Web Applications. ...

First iPhone setup

I helped setup an iPhone for the first time today. Here is a quick summary of my findings: Pros Amazingly easy setup on the Windows XP machine we installed it on. No disks or CD’s ship with the iPhone at all. The only requirement is that you have the latest version of iTunes installed. The activation and installation were SIMPLE…the way all installations should be. Nice form factor. Felt like a large candy...

iPhone Research

I have a friend who I’m going to help setup his new iPhone next week. He will be syncing it with Microsoft Outlook and needs tasks and memos(notes). Out of the box, the iPhone will only sync contacts and calendar information, but I’ve discovered that enterprising souls are already finding solutions to overcome this oversight: Tada List Toodledo IPTasks Remember the milk A nice little site is starting to form...

The missing iPhone disclaimer

I am throwing this into the newsletter this week. But I will post it here because I spent too much time writing it. The Apple iPhone came out this Friday. We have taken the opportunity to write up the disclaimer that should appear on the device, but does not. The Apple iPhone is operated by touch screen only. There are no hard buttons thus it should not be used while driving. Checking messages and dialing requires constant...

Microsoft Sideshow to compete with iPhone

This week the tech world was given a nice surprise as Microsoft and many partners announced the SideShow device. The SideShow is a PDA-like device designed to be used with a Vista PC. While details are still vague and only prototypes have been shown, the SideShow looks like it may prevent many windows users from switching to iPhone. The SideShow is designed to link up to a computer via Bluetooth and it can be used for chat,...

iPhone – cool because it’s marketed th...

I saw an iPhone commercial this weekend. The iPhone is Mac’s newest gadget that is being marketed by people who like to all be different in the same way. I can’t decide which new product is worse, the iPhone or the Palm Foleo. Perhaps they are equally bad for the same reasons. Both devices are marketed as the next step in portable data evolution. Both devices make this claim as they are left in the dust by devices...

iPhone cartoon – Yep, this about sums it up

I ran across this cartoon in a random site today. Mac folks are very excited about the iPhone that is due out later this summer. The iPhone is a device that does some things that smart phones have been doing for a long time. Most Treo and Blackberry users have had the features that the iPhone boasts of for almomst a decade. The feature that makes the iPhone so high in demand is the little Apple logo that is found on the...

Is the iPhone another Newton?

For those of you who don't remember the Newton, it was Apple's first and last foray into the handheld computing market back in 1993. Although it was ground breaking and unique, it was a little ahead of its time and definitely too expensive. The Newton was a little too big to be called a true handheld computer and only worked with a heavy, built-in rechargeable battery. Just three short years later, a small company...