iGadget Perspectives

A Week With The iPhone4

2010-07-02T18:11:00.003-05:00

A lot of press has been written about the iPhone4 ranging from strange yellow discoloration on the Retina Display screen, to the "death grip" that causes reception problems, to how easy it is to break. Therefore, my first comment is that such statements have been a common element with each release of the iPhone. Then come the highly publicized class action lawsuits, followed by...well nothing. The point is some people like to complain. Many of these are competitors. Many just like to cause controversy. Remember the cracking on the white iPhone 3GS? Neither do I. Remember the iPhone first generation overheating issue. Neither do I. The one news piece that stands out in the current iPhone release is the fact that Apple sold 1.7 million of them in less than a week. In comparison, how is the Microsoft Kin doing? Point made.

Now to the iPhone4 and my experience with it. First, my screen looked fine. In fact, the Retina Display is simply outstanding. No yellow discoloration, just clear, clean, bright, high-density color.

As for phone reception, I am left-handed and could only cause a decrease in bars if I cupped BOTH hands around the metal sides that double as an antenna. I cannot imagine a natural situation where holding the iPhone in that manner would be used. Indeed, the noise canceling second microphone is a quantum improvement in call quality and has been under-reported,

Other features of the iPhone4 and/or IOS4 that are significant improvements include the Photos app which now categorizes photos by album, event (not available previously), location, and face recognition. The camera digital zoom is nice, particularly on the iPhone4 which has a 5 MP camera. You can get closeups without too much resolution degradation.

The mail app is nice with its universal inbox and threaded messages. I find I like the old inbox better because the universal inbox does not tell you which mail account a given message is from. The threadscare helpful in tracing an extended mail conservation.

App folders is a significant improvement, as is the multiple-tasking. Actually, the fast application switching is the real improvement.

As this post indicates, I am more than satisfied with the iPhone4. It is noticeably lighter than the 3GS, and noticeably thinner. My one complaint is Apple did away with the home button double-press to get to my favorite phone numbers. It would be nice to have a way to bring that capability back. Otherwise a great job of engineering and implementation.

Two Weeks With The iPad

2010-04-25T12:39:00.003-05:00

I've had the iPad for two weeks now and this is a followup to my original impressions post. First, I find that I am using both the MacBook Pro and the iPhone a lot less. This is because much of my time is taken up consuming information and the iPad is an outstanding device for information consumption. Consumption takes three forms. First, web content. The Safari app on the iPad is ideal for full web viewing. Unlike the iPhone which can be used for full-web browsing, the iPad is ideal for such browsing. The iPhone is a much better web experience when the site has been designed for the screen on mobile devices. Not the case with the iPad--if you can view it on a PC or laptop, you are good to go on the iPad.

The second access form is the iPad-specific app. Most of these apps have taken advantage of the additional real estate providing a better viewing experience than on an iPhone. A perfect example is the Keynote application. Slides are easy to read and navigation is a breeze. Email is also a much better experience since the messages are easy to read (larger for these aging eyes) and the navigation is available at the side (in landscape mode) or via popup (in portrait).

The third form is the touch interface. The touch screen is much more intuitive and easy to navigate than using a mouse or a trackpad. A number of people have discussed the keyboard being less than desirable for rapid text input. I disagree. While it is not a touch-typing conducive keyboard, I find that it is a very easy keyboard to use for a touch-typist using one or two fingers on each hand. When I sit at a table (as I am right now) and use the iPad in horizontal orientation, I can bang out text just as fast as using a manual keyboard. Convenience more than offsets any disadvantage of a physical keyboard and productivity is a wash. Indeed, if a person is a hunt-and-peck keyboarder, I would think the user would find the virtual keyboard advantageous.

Battery power is great. I have hit the iPad pretty consistently, and have never gotten below a third of the battery. This morning, I read email, surfed web-articles, and scanned apps such as the Associated Press for more than an hour and the iPad was still at 100% when I sat it down.

The screen is a dream. You really don't appreciate the additional resolution until you look at high-definition video. The image is exceptional. (My favorite right now is the YouTube Muppets version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody.")

Now for the paper cuts. With Safari web viewing, the lack of Flash is problematic. It is not that big of an issue, but it remains an issue. Another Safari issue is the button placement at the top of the screen. This is a problem for two reasons. First, there is a negative transference from iPhone to iPad. Switching between the two causes the user to pause and consider which one is being used to figure out where to go for the buttons. If they were both at the bottom, this would not be an issue. Second, even with the iPad, the user's hands tend to remain at the bottom of the device and it is much easier to access the buttons when they are at the bottom.

Access in general has issues with the placement of the buttons. Move as many as you can to the bottom so they are within easy reach of a finger when you are holding the device. Again, it also makes it easier to switch between the iPhone and the iPad when the buttons are in the same general location. You are still dealing with a portable device, so be consistent as possible in the placement of the buttons.

The iPad is a slick device and I mean that in context that it can easily slip out of one's hands. However, the Apple iPad case provides real comfort and protection. The surface provides a great grip, so you don't feel like it will easily drop. The fact that it folds back to provide an angled typing/viewing surface demonstrates Apple's great design sense. An additional bonus is that when the case is folded back and locked for angled viewing, the gap provides a place where you can put your hand--sort of a glove-- which makes for comfortable holding with less fatigue on the hand.

All-in-all, I am very satisfied with the iPad and feel it is well worth the investment. I look forward to taking it on the road as I have several trips planned this year and they will provide the opportunity to really test out how useful the device is for a road warrior. I get the 3G version next week and will report on its qualities in my next post.

What are your experiences with the iPad. We would like to hear.

iPad First Impressions

2010-04-12T22:43:00.006-05:00

I have been using an iPad for a week now (a friend's first and now my own). With the various discussions about problems and also the glowing reports, I thought I would give my first impressions.

First, the screen is outstanding. It is bright, the images are crisp, it is easy on the eyes. Most importantly, the screen is more than large enough. Because of the way you typically hold it, the 9.7 inch iPad screen is the equivalent of a 15 inch laptop screen. Because of this, some problems turned out not to be. For example, I was disappointed to discover no iPad specific Facebook application. As a result I downloaded the iPhone version. However, after playing with the iPhone version and Using the full version in Safari, the full version on the Web has become my Facebook of choice--simply because the page renders large enough that you done need a specialized application to make up for small real estate that's required on the iPhone.

Second, the overall size of the the iPad is just about right. I find myself using it in landscape mode much more often than in portrait. In landscape, it seems to fit the hands better and two-handed is most comfortable for extended use. This brings up one slight complaint--when holding in one hand for extended periods of time, it gets heavy. However, I will take the solid build and a little more weight than making it with cheap plastic in order to lighten it. A second slight complaint is that you almost have to have some kind of cover on it in order to hold it with one hand. While the finish is very smooth, it is also very slick which makes it difficult to hold.

Third, I have heard some complaints about the on-screen keyboard. It is definitely not a full-touch typing experience. However, I have been touch-typing for many decades and I can crank out text at a pretty good clip using the on-screen keyboard. My best method is to use two-fingers and align the screen in the landscape orientation in order to get the use of the big keyboard. With this setup, I may not reach the speed I can get on a regular keyboard, but I can sure beat most hunt-and-peck people by a wide margin. I would have no problem writing an email, a moderate size paper, or even an extended paper with the iPad. If I ever need anything more, I can always get a Bluetooth keyboard. However, I'll trade the physical keyboard for portability anytime.

Interestingly, my biggest complaints deal with the applications. First, I find Safari a problem navigating. The reason is I am used to the add page control, the bookmark control, and the send to control being at the bottom of the page on an iPhone. They put them at the top on the iPad. It's like going from a plane where pulling the stick back means go up to a plane where pulling the stick back means go down. It is a pain switching between the two. A little consistency would be nice (put them at the bottom as they are on the iPhone).

Second, many apps are actually better designed on the iPhone than they are on the iPad. This is not an Apple problem, but it is a developer problem. For example. The ETRADE app has a lot more information on the screen. Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to delete it. As a result, I am stuck with a bunch of information of no use to me except to clutter the screen. A second example is the TweetDeck app. The iPhone version has a button that allows you to mark a screen as all read. I can't find a similar button on the iPad version. A final example is the Associated Press app. They got so fancy on the iPad that information is no longer in simple lists. Instead it is now in "notes" pinned to a cork board. It is much more difficult to scan stories as a result. Also, I can't find a refresh button like the one on the iPhone version.

With that, I'll summarize by stating the iPad has exceeded my expectations--for design, for portability, for functionality, and for usefulness. It has become my at home preference to both the laptop and the iPhone. The iPhone has once again become my "on-the-go" device.

Comments and feedback is welcomed.

New Name & New Concentration

2010-04-12T09:23:00.004-05:00

You may notice that with this posting, I have changed the name from "iPhone Perspectives" to "iGadget Perspectives." The reason is simple: Apple's extension of the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad demonstrates the company is placing increased emphasis on edge devices in their product portfolio. The indication is Apple will be extending this portfolio even further in the future and will be expanding horizontally to fill in perceived gaps among their various existing products. As a result, the blog's name seemed somewhat limiting.

With the emphasis placed firmly on anything "i" from Apple, I believe the analysis of this market space will be better served. This allows the writer to delve into other aspects of the Apple ecosystem as those aspects impact the edge device.

So, on with the show.

p.s.: This was typed out on an iPad at about the same speed it would have been typed on a full-sized laptop or desktop computer keyboard. But, more about that later. wwc

iPad Prelaunch Thoughts

2010-04-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

It has a very limited suite of applications. Just about everything you can do on it, you can do on today's smartphones or computers. The operating system is closed and Apple will only allow what it wants to be installed on the device. It doesn't have a physical keyboard. It's too expensive for what you get--there are many alternatives for less money.

Talking about the iPad? No, these are the statements made about the iPhone prior to its launch. Indeed, many analysts believed Apple was setting itself up for failure by declaring that the company would capture 1% of the smartphone market within 18 months. As they say, the rest is history.

The lesson to be learned from this is to never underestimate Apple. How popular will the iPad be? No one knows--not even Apple. Keep in mind, the iPhone's least used application is the phone. The iPhone ushered into the market the first truly portable omni-communications device. I will predict the iPad will accomplish no less.

Sure, it may take two or three generations of the machine. But remember, in Internet time you are only talkining 24-36 months. Remember, the iPod did not exist eight years ago and the iPhone did not exist three years ago. Within that time frame, Apple will have probably doubled the storage capacity, doubled the processing speed, added significantly to the battery life, added a camera (front-facing for video chats), slightly increased the screen size, improved the screen resolution, all without making it any heavier. You will get all this at the same or less cost. Add to this reality, virtually every major computer maker (and many a wireless phone maker) will have a similar competing knockoff. The iPad is going to fail--hardly.

With all that said, the true innovation and success of the iPad will rest with those who made the iPhone successful--the gazillions of iPad application developers. This hearty group will find ways to use the iPad that even Steve Jobs did not imagine. They will be the device of choice in schools because they are small and can carry a student's books much easier than a backpack. They will be data collection devices for students, scientists, and engineers. They will be the real estate agent's most prized possession allowing instant access to neighborhood demographics, comparison house prices, and virtual house walk-throughs. They will be the nurse and doctor's link to patient records and information input. They will be the insurance agent's instrument of choice for both sales and claims input. They will become a "world-computer," because of the relatively small size, low energy demands, long battery life, and storage capacity. Oh, and they will be a great personal entertainment device.

This success is not dependent on Apple. It is dependent on the application developers who will see all the possibilities of the device. You see, that is what most people missed about the iPhone--it is the applications that will sell the device.

iPad Naysayers

2010-02-12T09:43:00.000-06:00

I find it interesting the amount of disappointent many people have expressed about the forthcoming iPad digital tablet. The interesting part is the people expressing the disappointment, not the disappointment itself. Let me explain.

There are and always will be technophobes and Luddites who will have nothing good to say about any new technological widget. You know the ones, they tell how much they hate technology because they don't have phones or computers to send you their concern. These aren't the people who surprised me.

I'm talking about the people such as Bill Gates. He should know better. His concern is that the iPad does not have a physical keyboard or stylus input. This is from the guy who helped change computing from an enterprise to a personal activity. Bill, you are dating yourself. You're becoming a modern day Luddite. You and Steve Ballmer--iPod what's it good for; iTunes who is going to buy music at $.99 a song; and iPhone, no keys, no success. You guys just don't get it.

iPad is going to be a success for the simple reason that people don't know what it's good for. It is the rebirth of the hobbiest home computer. People will play with it and start using it for things that were never envisioned. Just look at the App Store. Who envisioned the iPhone as an important geology repository and reference tool? Who envisioned it as a news reporting tool completed with video editing capabilities?

Getting away from Apple for a moment, look at Twitter: Who envisioned it as a political tool for change? Who envisioned it as a live stream news feed?

Take YouTube. Who envisioned it as a stand-alone video entertainment service rather than an amateur video posting service? Who envisioned it as a political messaging tool? Who envisioned it as an important video news source?

Needless to say, the iPad will be hugely successful and it will be successful for reasons other than those Steve Jobs and his imagination shop originally intended. As Om Malik noted, the iPad is a blank slate limited only by our imaginations.

What say you?

Verizon and Anything Apple

2010-02-11T10:37:00.005-06:00

Verizon may claim to cover more of the United States with their "Red Map" when compared to AT&T's "Blue Map," but looks can be deceiving--especially for Apple users. First, Verizon has a 3G coverage area that arguably covers more cows, sheep, and free range pheasant than AT&T. However, I don't know about you, but my phone calls tend to go to people. Indeed, how many cows carry a cell phone? Verizon might as well be saying we cover more underwater fish than AT&T. Yes, and your point is?

Second, the nice thing about AT&T and the iPhone is "it just works," and that includes on AT&T's 3G network and on their numerous WiFi hotspots across the country. AT&T's 3G network is simply faster than Verizon's (and getting faster as they continue to roll out their 7MBs speed HSPA protocol). Indeed, in many cases, Verizon barely manages to outpace AT&T's EDGE. If you consider that, the Blue Map starts looking very similar to the Red Map.

Third, AT&T's network is designed to allow multiple simultaneous sessions, Verizon's is not. The result is that great Droid phone on Verizon may be able to multitask its heart out, but not if you are trying to make a phone call and surf the Internet. Verizon's network can't do it. While the iPhone can't multitask, it can manage a simultaneous phone call and allow the user to use the Internet (or any other application for that matter).

Fourth, the ancillary benefits of network choice is access to WiFi. Face it, while accessing content over 3G is nice, when you are within range of a WiFi hotspot, it is nice to be able to use it. AT&T provides free access to iPhone users for all their WiFi hotspots nationwide. This allows the user to have WiFi speeds at Starbucks, McDonald's, various bookstores and numerous other locations--free and it just works. Verizon offers free WiFi access to their users of their FiOS high-speed Internet service. Again, you can use any of their many hotspots, including many of the same Starbucks. So, as an iPhone user and a Verizon FiOS user, you would think I have the best of both worlds. But the truth lies in the fine print. Verizon doesn't support the iPhone, ...or the iPad, ... or virtually anything Apple. Could this be the reason Apple doesn't do business with Verizon? It sure can't help the conversation.

While Verizon does provide access to its hotspots, the fine print notes that, "Verizon Wi-Fi currently supports: Windows XP (32-bit only), Vista, and Windows 7." That's right, Verizon does not support ANY Apple operating system (or any UNIX or UNIX derivative such as Linux). I can't even access their WiFi with my Windows XP-64 installed on my MacBook Pro. So, even though you pay for Verizon hotspot services, Verizon has locked out Apple users.

Nice touch don't you think? So, this is the rest of the story about why AT&T got the iPad. Verizon can't handle it.

What say you?

The Apple Tablet

2010-01-25T20:32:00.000-06:00

The news is all abuzz about the unveiling of the Apple Tablet (iTablet, iSlate, iPad, or iSomethingoranother) on Wednesday. Rather than rehash all the rumors, this post will dwell on features I hope we don't see.

1. The price had better be lower than $1000. It will be marginal at $700, appealing at $500, and sensational under that price. If I'm going to pay $1000, I'll stick with a laptop. I can live with a keyboard and the extra features a laptop offers as a small tradeoff for sexiness.

2. The prices above need to be unsubsidized. While access to a 3G network is desirable, I'm at the point where I'm not going to spend any more on Internet access, even for tethering. The reason is simple: 1) I have Verizon FiOS at home and pay north of $40 a month for it; 2) I have a data plan on my iPhone and pay $30 a month for it; 3) and my wife has a data plan on her iPhone and pays $30 a month for it. That is a total of $100 a month for Internet access. If I'm on one, I'm not on the other. Therefore, I'm not getting my money's worth out of any of them now. I'm not going to pay any more. I am going to give up a service before I buy any additional access.

If the price is right, I would buy a tablet for use with Wi-Fi only. Most of the places I use my iPhone now has Wi-Fi (home, friend's homes, Starbuck's, McDonald's, Barnes & Noble, Original Pancake House, and various colleges and universities). It's sort of similar to the AT&T and Verizon dueling advertisements--for all the debate on who has the most coverage, the majority of my 3G use takes place within 40 miles of home and most of
My Internet access is through Wi-Fi. From my viewpoint, Clear offers 4G in our area and could replace all my Internet needs if Apple offered an iPhone/Tablet package on Clear--total cost $55 per month.

The point of this is, I'm an Apple fanboy, but only to a point. A $250 netbook with Wi-Fi access will meet my needs just fine. To get me to the Apple Tablet, it will have to be a compelling financial benefit. Otherwise the iPhone and a netbook is the way to go.

Your thoughts?

iPhone - Pre-WWDC Edition

2009-06-08T15:51:00.000-05:00

Like every other uniformed iPhone enthusiast, I figured I would weight-in on my thoughts for the 2009 WWDC and the future of the iPhone. Since I have absolutely no inside information, the following is pure conjecture on my part. With that said, being an avid iPhone user and reader of blogs, news articles, and the iPhone rumor-mill, the following is my best guess for what we can and cannot expect from the WWDC and the iPhone today.

32GB iPhone (white or black)
16 GB iPhone (black only and will be the entry-level to this model)
Operating on iPhone Mac OS-X 3.0
Faster CPU
More RAM
Internal compass support
Improved camera (3.2MP range) with auto-focus
Video recording capability with digital zoom feature, including a supporting application that will allow basic video editing and upload to YouTube (possibly Facebook and others)
While I don't believe there will be an additional front-facing camera for video chat, I would be pleasantly surprised it it did.
Same price points as current models
Better power management (due to new chip and improved OS)
Approximately 1/2 inch shorter while maintaining the same width and thickness
Earphone jack moved to the bottom
Slightly reduced weight
Improved sound from internal speakers (no idea where the speakers will be located--on the top perhaps?)
Improved built-in applications including expanded financial tracking (still won't match ETrade Mobile Pro), expanded weather app, improved calendar with built-in todo list support, and an expanded Maps application with turn-by-turn directions (courtesy of Google)

Regardless of the accuracy of the preceding forecast, the fact remains that the iPhone will not become a true "real Internet" phone until it comes with Flash (not expected today or anytime soon) and the battery life can be significantly extended (hopefully we will see SOME improvement in this area announced today.

In addition, I believe that you will also see a number of significant announcements from Apple partners as part of the show. They could be:

AT&T will introduce a data-limited plan at the $10-15 per month range to attract those that want an iPhone, but don't use the Internet resources heavily (like my wife).
AT&T will bundle SMS messaging into the $30 per month plan instead of charging extra.
AT&T MAY offer a $40 everything plan to compete with Sprint's unlimited offering. This would include a tethering capability allowing the iPhone to act as a modem for a laptop, netbook, or PC.
Various vendors will announce a number of new, expanded, or multi-level games that will appear in the AppStore at the same time as the iPhone.
Activation will be online and can be done by the customer. Basically, I don't think Apple or AT&T really care where the phone is used anymore, just as long as they get a cut of the money.

I still think that the new iPhone will appear in July even if announced today. However, the software 3.0 update will appear AFTER the availability of the new phone. My reasoning is to add 3.0 before the new phone may dilute demand for the new phone. Offering the update after the new iPhone will be the tipping point for some early adopters to spring for the new phone. After all, it's all about the money in these tight times.

Well, that's my take. We'll have to wait and see for a couple of more hours to determine if I was even close to the mark.

TweetStack Not Ready for Primetime

2009-05-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

I love Twitter. As such, anything that helps me organize tweets, write tweets, and view tweets is of interest to me. Having an iPhone means having a variety of Twitter applications to choose from. I have used Twitterlator, Twitterific, and finally settled on Tweetie. Up to the point of using Tweetie, I had used the free version of Twitterific. I migrated to Tweetie because it has a few more features, has a more pleasant user interface, and performs fast and flawlessly.

A few weeks ago I bought TweetStack because it advertised a great set of features--basically putting the Mac application TweetStack on your iPhone. The good news is TweetStack allows you to see which tweets are unread (a drawback that I pointed out to Tweetie awhile ago); allows you to group Twitter IDs to create information-specific "stacks;" and allows you to store keyword searches.

The bad news is that TweetStack is buggy and unstable. Their most recent release has fixed many problems and some stability issues, but it remains buggy. If I had to give an analogy, it would be Tweetie is a Mac and TweetStack is a PC--so much promise, yet such a failure in execution.

Keep your eye on TweetStack. But for now, it isn't ready for primetime.

iPhone Preparing to go Mainstream

2009-03-23T10:23:00.006-05:00

The Apple iPhone has managed to accomplish a number of things in the two years since it was announced and the 21 months since it went on sale. First, it has defied many an analyst by demonstrating that a new player in the mobile phone market can establish itself, carve out a segment of the market, and profitably compete. This may not sound like much, but remember that two years ago, analysts were debating whether Apple could succeed in the mobile phone market. The arguments ranged from lack of experience, to lack of support, to lack of features, to being limited by the exclusive agreement with AT&T. Many an analyst scoffed at the idea that Apple would be able to sell 10 million iPhones in its first full year (2009): They sold 13.7 million iPhones.

According to Apple, they have sold more than 30 million devices running the iPhone OS which includes both the iPodTouch and the iPhone. They have managed to do this despite lacking Flash, cut, copy, and paste, and MMS support offered by many competitors. They have managed to make significant inroads to the smartphone market during 2007 and 2008 even though they did not offer a 3G smartphone. They continue to take market share despite having a phone with questionable battery life. While many continue to decry the iPhone's lack of features, it is interesting to note how many phone manufacturers are doing their best to develop a competing product.

What analysts fail to realize (and I suspect to a certain extent Apple itself) is the iPhone has that unique ability to cut across demographics (much as the Nintendo Wii), to cut across geography (the iPhone can be found everywhere, whether licensed or not), and to cut across markets (it is a phone, a PDA, a smartphone, a netbook computer, and a device controller). Young and old are using it. Politicians, mothers, and geeks are using it. Salespeople and gamers are using it. Businesses and retired people are using it. It has single-handedly changed the view of the smartphone market.

With the iPhone 3.0 software and accompanying enhancements to its iPhone hardware, Apple is preparing to to move the device into mainstream acceptance. To do this, it must accomplish the following:

Deliver a business-class product: With the 2.0 network and security improvements and the 3.0 applications capabilities, iPhone will rapidly become the device of choice for small and medium-sized businesses. With the introduction of external device controls (such as video recording equipment and keyboards) and additional application support (such as Documents-to-Go), the iPhone becomes a full function mobile office. Documents-to-Go support may well become the business killer app for the iPhone. This will occur this summer.

Deliver a world-class gaming platform: With the peer-to-peer networking introduced with iPhone 3.0 software, the ability to purchase upgrades from within the application, expected graphics improvements with the next generation of device, and improvements to power management, the iPhone will truly become a world-class gaming device. When game makers develop applications that can interface across platforms (PCs, Macs, and iPhones), the killer game app will have arrived. This can be expected before the end of 2009.

Deliver a world-class Internet browsing experience: This may be the weakest area for Apple. It is ironic that the Mobile Safari full-browser was one of the major selling points for the iPhone in its original release. The Safari browser has now become a weak point. The problem is Apple is trying to force a standard on the market and to date, the market is not buying. This is most evident with the lack of Adobe Flash support. Far too many Web sites use Flash for iPhone not to provide support. As a result, the iPhone is NOT a universal Internet Web browsing device because it cannot render a significant number of highly popular sites. Much like the lack of openness with the Apple operating systems in the 1980s, this lack of Flash support may become the Achilles heel for Apples mobile phone and services strategy. Even a poorly performing implementation would buy significant time.

You will notice that I did not include video support. The reason is that with external device support, the iPhone manufacturer ecosystem will provide that support in a small plug-and-play device that will 1) provide superior video to the built-in camera; 2) reduce battery drain on the iPhone; and 3) will provide a range of format up to and including HD. While video may be in a future iPhone, third-parties will provide superior implementations with Apple's blessing.

Thus, with the introduction of the 3.0 software, the iPhone finally goes mainstream. It will enable reporters to capture and file reports from the field, salespeople to capture orders real time in the customer's office, and anyone to work on-the-go. Oh yes, it will also make phone calls.

What have I missed? We would like to hear your ideas, comments, and input.

iPhone 3.0 Features Announced

2009-03-17T12:26:00.012-05:00

It has been a long time coming, but Apple today announced the features to be included in the iPhone OS 3.0. The features are impressive. First the to-date statistics:

iPhone is now in 80 countries; will be adding 15 mor countries to the 62 that already have the iPhone (math is evidently not their strong point)
Sold 13.7 million iPhones in 2008
17 million iPhones sold total so far
Including the iPod touch, sold over 30 million iPhone OS units to date
Now over 25,000 apps in the AppStore

The new SDK will open up an additional 1,000 APIs to developers. The same tools are used for Apple internal development. Features of the new SDK and OS 3.0 include:

Copy-and-Paste capability (at last!). As presented, it works exactly the way Kevin Rose described in Diggnation. Double-tapping a word brings up the copy/paste menu; dragging two icons allows the user to select the amount of material to copy or paste; then tapping a spot brings up the magnifier allowing the user to select the location for pasting. The capability will work across all iPhone applications. A nice touch (no pun intended) is the action can be undone be shaking the iPhone.
iPhone 3.0 allows multiple photograph emailing. Before, only one photo at a time could be emailed. A photo icon allows the user to bring up a selection screen to select multiple photos to attach.
Introduced a new Messages application that enables MMS for voice, photos, contact cards, location information, etc. The application also allows forwarding messages, and recording and storing voice memos. The application will support both the internal and a plug-in external microphone. It will also allow editing the voice memo, including trimming content. Finally, the memo can be emailed.
Can now subscribe to additional calendars. In addition, the calendar application adds new support for Microsoft Entourage. Supports all .ics format calendar files.
iPhone 3.0 has added more search capability by implementing a Spotlight search application for comprehensive search including address book search; email search (by from, to, subject, and headers); calendar search; and notes search (by title and body content). Will allow search across all applications.
Landscape support for both email and notes (again, at last!).
Improved Stocks application with stock news access and more details about stocks.
Notes application sync with the Mac or PC through iTunes.
Wi-Fi automatic login when a hotspot has been detected.
Stereo Bluetooth now supported.
Safari has added features including anti-phishing filters, remembers log-in credentials, and has implemented additional parental controls for movies, TV, and applications.
Can now purchase additional content from the AppStore from within an application. It is no longer required to leave the application. This enables an application to sell a basic version and then sell incremental add-on content and capability as the user desires. Examples include purchasing additional "levels" for a game; location-specific content for an application (dining guides, maps, other information); or additional features.
Peer-to-peer connectivity through bluetooth for gaming and external device control. Bonjour-powered and does not require pairing. This allows multi-user gaming on iPhones without the need for WiFi or 3G. It also allows iPhone users to control everything from equalization on a speaker (that supports such control) to managing medical devices from the phone. Another example is that for an application such as the musical Ocarina, multi-players can now simultaneously play multiple instruments.
Apple has opened the Maps API to developers, but developers have to bring their own maps. This API allows geolocation, reverse geolocation, cell-tower triangulation, turn-by-turn directions, and similar functions. The reason for the developer needing their own maps is a licensing issue.
Apple is implementing third-party push notification and background application activity. It will be mediated through Apple servers which will allow it to be more power-efficient than Blackberry or WinMobile (only 23% additional power drain versus 80% power drain with background applications activated). With the push API, developers can push sounds and alerts to the iPhone.
Other APIs include using proximity sensors for iPod library access; built-in VoIP API; APIs to allow access of a second application's controls from within the first application (for example, a SIMs game character playing music from the iPod library).
YouTube application has been enhanced to allow account log-in, subscribe to channels, and save videos.
Features for tethering are included in the 3.0 update, but they are not implementing them at this time. It appears there are still issues with the carriers.

The iPhone 3.0 beta is available to developers immediately and will be rolled out to users this summer. It will work on both EDGE and 3G versions of the phone, although some features will not work on the older phones (example given was stereo Bluetooth). The update will be free to iPhone users and will cost $9.95 to iPod Touch users.

With these features, it is evident that Apple is expanding the iPhone's reach both vertically and horizontally. First, the vertical expansion is in the form of reaching further into a business' supply chain. The example given was an Oracle inventory management application on the iPhone that would allow immediate notification of stock-out situations and enable the user to immediately send a notice to a customer. There were numerous examples of business and medical application support demonstrated that provides insight into how Apple sees this platform progressing in the corporation.

Horizontal expansion is in the area of reaching further down the user chain. With the demonstration of networked "pets" and pet social networks, it is obvious that Apple is positioning the iPhone to a younger and younger crowd. This is probably setting the stage to additional iPhone models at the lower end.

With the features introduced in the iPhone 3.0 update, Apple has laid down the gauntlet to other phone makers that it intends to not just become a substitute for their products, but to create a totally new market. This market will be the "broad spectrum" smartphone with capabilities and cost to make it attractive across the entire mobile phone range.

Your additional insights and comments are welcomed.

iPhone Reset

2009-03-16T16:04:00.004-05:00

I have noticed an interesting problem with my 3G 16GB iPhone. I have had the phone since last July, but the current problem only showed up over the last week or so. I have 3Gb free, so it isn't because of lack of space. However, I do have 104 added applications along with eight saved links on my springboard. All applications are up-to-date.

With that background, the problem is two-fold. First, every so often when I first turn the phone on, it will boot up as a virgin phone. That is, it requests the user to plug the phone into a USB port and the only action you can take is to access the emergency dialing. When the phone is cold-started (holding both the on/off and home buttons at the same time), the screen notifies the user that the phone has been activated and the phone works normally--until the next time this occurs.

The second problem is that since the last OS upgrade the phone seems to respond more slowly. In some cases, the time from selecting an application to actually having that application active can run to 15 seconds!

While these are not major problems, they are annoying. Has anyone else seen these problems? If so, has anyone found a way to eliminate them? We would like to hear your feedback.

Appigo Todo Review

2009-01-23T17:55:00.006-06:00

A friend of mine and I have been discussing To Do applications in light of Jott moving to a subscription model. After reviewing documentation available on different applications, Ralph Jarvis selected Appigo TODO. Herewith is his review.

Appigo TODO
Reviewed by: Ralph Jarvis

This application promises that it will provide the following:

Free desktop synchronization software to interface with the iPhone application and the iCal calendar on a Mac.
No other application purchases required.
Customizable Focus List to identify and complete important issues first
Context and Tag options for each task
Repeating tasks capability
Task sharing through email
Third party integration [e.g., Toodledo, Remember the Milk]
Language support for English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish

Based on these features, the application yielded a number of experiences, some documented, some not.

PROS:

The value of this application is the integration to current Apple applications, not third-party applications such as Toodledo or Remember the Milk. Being able to access the iCal and Address Book enhances the tasks at hand. Appigo has a feature called “multiple task types” and provides the user the ability to link a task to a call, email, web address, or physical location. How useful these features are will depend on use and the application has not been used long enough.

Another valuable feature is the flexibility to create tags and assign the to a task. For example, previously New Year's Resolutions were always on a typed list, paper or on a back of an index card. With TODO, a tag called “Resolutions” was created and assigned to the todos representing News Years Resolutions. To access, simply sort on the "Resolutions" tag and it will display resolutions that have yet to be completed.

Most todo lists have the ability to create “lists” or categories and this application makes it easy to set up. Since the application can be integrated with iCal, it is easy to standardize categories in both applications.

I [Ralph Jarvis] purchased Bento last year to develop a CRM. The application is linked to the Mac's Address Book and therefore information from the CRM can be incorporated in corresponding todo items. This capability was not documented, so it remains to be seen how well it works.

CONS:

Appigo advertises excellent customer support. Experience attempting to get support demonstrated that there is little tangible support [but most small companies do not have that luxury, do they?]. I would never give “excellent” to any support group that takes more than 2 hours. In my two instances, both emails were replied over 12 hours later. Regarding the “excellent” customer service, it was polite, but their support only copied web pages as solutions [they really do not understand the support role at all] and there was no phone walk-thrus either. I would recommend that Appigo either hire more support personnel or rephrase their quality to properly set expectations. Don’t expect a lot of support.

If you have always updated from your cradle, then you will have to change your routine. Since I always updated my iPhone with the cradle that came with the phone, I was surprised to find that I had to change my convenient update process to fit Appigo’s new process [albeit, this is supposedly an Apple problem, since the process and code were not in the SDK?]. Currently, there is no support from Appigo for serial synchronization from the iPhone to the MacBook. For those techies out there, maybe you can offer some additional insight.

After hours of tenacious manipulation, I was able to make the iPhone work with my MacBook. The synchronization program always has to be on and consequently, is always on my desktop [I wish they would learn how to minimize this annoyance, perhaps that is not documented in the SDK either?].

SUMMARY

As a relatively new application, I would give them a B- and expect technical enhancements without additional costs. Appigo has set a $10 fee for the application [which I find a little high, perhaps $5 would be better]; however, the synchronization tool is free. The recommendations on the iTunes Apps Store are encouraging to potential users and the integration with Apple applications is the best value of this product. The downside is the “average” support for the product.

Thanks Ralph for the review. What say the wisdom of the crowds? If you have additional input on this application, please feel free to comment on this post.

iPhone Twitter Clients

2009-01-22T08:54:00.023-06:00

I have been using Twitter on the iPhone since the first Twitter clients were released to the AppStore. In the one-and-a-half years since the iPhone's appearance, I have used most of the major clients available. Until recently, the Twitter clients on my iPhone simultaneously were:

Twitterific
Twittelator
Twitterfon
TwitterLink
Tweetie

There have been others that have come and gone almost as fast. These tended to be the "all-in-one" IM solutions allowing tweets and messaging through a number of different services. In all the cases that I tested, the all-in-one solutions were basic Twitter entry engines and nothing more. As a result, they were dispatched to the deleted file rather quickly since my messaging tends to SMS and Skype.

Twitterific: Of the remainder mentioned above, up to recently my favorite has been Twitterific. I have used the free version since it first appeared in the AppStore. It provides a simple interface to view tweets in list view:

The view gives the message, the tweeter's badge, and how long ago it was sent--basically everything you need.

Twitterific also provides a detailed view providing the same information at a larger font, as well as buttons to reply, mark as favorite, switch to list view, check the tweeter's detailed identification information, refresh the tweets on the iPhone, and initiate a tweet.

Twitterific's detailed information gives the name, userID, number of followers, location, bio of the tweeter.

It does not allow further drill-down.

Finally, the user can initiate a tweet with a window that allows typing with real-time character count (important with 140 characters of real estate), the ability to post a picture, and the ability to mark current location.

All-in-all, Twitterific has is good. However, since I link to a lot of Web pages in my tweets as well as re-tweeting a lot of information, I found these capabilities lacking--particularly the inability to have links automatically shrunk. Twitterific is free in the AppStore and the Premium version provides multiple account support for $9.99.

Twittelator: The second client that I have used heavily is Twittelator. I tried it out during the fall when I had a second Twitter account that I used frequently. I figured instead of upgrading to a client that could handle multiple accounts, it would be an opportunity to directly compare Twitter clients. Again, Twittelator provides a basic view screen. One difference is the screen will group senders together when their messages are sequential.

A key advantage of Twittelator over Twitterific is that the user can mark a tweet as a favorite (star) or reply (return arrow) directly from the list view screen. Also, touching the sender's badge will bring up the sender's detailed information.

The detailed information available on the initial screen is comprehensive compared to Twitterific, including a list of followers as well as buttons to access the sender's favorites, initiate a reply, initiate a reply, and send a direct message.

Twittelator is a great product. My main complaint was the list screen with the grouping of tweets. For some reason, I found it more confusing than helpful. It is a good client. Twittelator is available free in the AppStore and a Pro version that provides multiple accounts is $4.99. For the differences in features of the upgraded versions, you get more for your money with Twittelator than Twitterific.

Twitterfon: The third client I used was Twitterfon. Of the three discussed to this point, I found Twitterfon to have the cleanest list view. First, it opens where you last viewed. While the others do the same, it can sometimes confusing which was the last tweet viewed. Not so with Twitterfon.

As the above image indicates, new messages that have not been viewed since last access are color-highlighted.

Tapping a tweet will bring up an abbreviated profile screen that provides the number of followers, the ability to reply, send a direct message, and re-tweet a message.

Since I often re-tweet messages that would be of interest to my followers, the re-tweet button is very handy. The detail screen also provides a button to bring up the tweeter's complete profile and a button to access the person's tweet timeline. Of the three mentioned so far, Twitterfon is the best of the lot. Twitterfon is free in the AppStore and there is no premium version. Therefore, if you are looking to support multiple accounts, you will need to look at other clients.

TwitterLink: The third client has very basic Twitter functionality. It's one claim to fame is that it installs a bookmarklet that will allow the user to view a Web page, shrink the URL, and automatically insert that URL into a TwitterLink message window.

It was a major shortcoming of the previous three clients and I used TwitterLink just for that purpose. By using the easily installed bookmarklet, it was easy to send a shortened URL.

The big drawback is that TwitterLink is good at basic messaging only, it does not let you browse tweeters you are following. TwitterLink is free in the AppStore.

Tweetie: The final client is Tweetie. After much review and looking at recommendations on Twitter, it seemed that Tweetie was the most popular of the clients available for the iPhone. The list view screen is similar to others mentioned in this review--it is clean, carries the tweeter's badge and message. A major advantage of Tweetie over the others is the posting time is a date and time, not a relative time. I find this easier to determine whether a tweet is still relevant. My one complaint is that Tweetie does not highlight unread messages loaded since the last time the application was accessed.

Tweetie provides two views: Basic, and bubbles (similar to the iPhone's SMS application). Views are selectable through Tweetie's settings in the iPhone Settings application.

A second clean feature is swiping an entry brings up a menu that allows the user to rely, set the tweet as a favorite, or view the sender's profile.

The profile information is the most comprehensive of the clients reviewed.

As the image above illustrates, the user can get about all the information they need on the tweeter, view their timeline, followers, who they are following, as well as send replies, direct messages, or block/unblock that individual (selections are off-screen at the bottom of the preceding image).

The message screen allows the user to insert a picture (much as the others, it uses twitpic.com), insert current location, and provides real-time characters remaining in the message. However, a great feature is the "More" button that provides access to some features not available in other clients.

A major negative of Tweetie is that documentation is difficult to find. It is on the atebits.com Web, but you have to search for it. If the application had basic instructions on setting up multiple accounts, where you can find settings, and similar information, it would be very helpful.

Tweetie has a feature I have not seen in others except TwitterLink--using a bookmarklet, you can add a link to a message and the link is shrunk to save characters. However, finding out how to set up the bookmarklet can also be an adventure. It would be a great improvement if they provide a link to a Web site as done by TwitterLink that walks you through the set-up process, including the basic entry of the bookmarklet.

With that said, Tweetie seems to the be the best of the bunch and within striking distance of having features found favorable in other clients. Hopefully, these features will be made available in future releases. Tweetie does not have a basic free version, but is available for $2.99. For feature versus cost, it is the best of the clients reviewed here.

If you have information to add or insight into Twitter clients not covered in this post, please feel free to comment.

All I want for MacWorld

2009-01-05T08:30:00.004-06:00

This is getting to be old. It's the same old story. The iPhone is a great phone, and could be a great handheld computing device...but. So, all I want from MacWorld is not an iPhone Nano. It's not a new larger iPhone/iTouch Netbook. I want the things that should have been available on the iPhone when it first appeared.

Understand, I practically live on my iPhone. I can go for days without using my computer. I can track my personal and business email. I can research information on the Web, and I can take notes for later use. More often than not, I even write my blog posts on the iPhone (this is one of those exceptions). The point is that I use my iPhone a lot and I use it many times as a substitute for my laptop. With that background, here are my gripes.

After a year-and-a-half of clicking back-and-forth between applications trying to remember that 45-digit long URL, Apple give me Cut/Copy/Paste. It can't be that hard. People have applications in the AppStore with the feature enabled. It doesn't matter if you screw it up and have to redo it at a later date, just give me the damn function. My memory isn't what it used to be. Therefore, memorizing a piece of information and switching between applications and then typing is getting less productive the older I get. When I forward a message in email, I don't like to make the reader suffer through all the various forwards. As a result, doing so on the iPhone can literally take hours. It's a dumb feature to be missing and enough is enough.

Add Flash. I don't care if it's doggy, just give me the capability to view Flash content on the iPhone. Whether Steve Jobs likes it or not, Flash is a Web standard. I am finding that there are numerous Web sites that I do not have access to simply because the iPhone does not support Flash. As Adobe expands their Web application suite, this is only going to get worse. Add to this problem the fact that many sites are also now using Microsoft Silverlight and the problem gets worse. Quicktime is a Web standard; good for you Apple. However, Flash and Silverlight are also standards and the iPhone should also support them.

Bring Mobile Safari up to standard so it can be used with sites such as Google Apps. If this means an improved Java engine, so be it. While Apple may be protecting their installed base of iWork users and continuing to show appreciation for the Microsoft Office for Mac crowd, the fact is sites such as Google Apps are catching on and users want access to the presentation, word processing, and spreadsheet functions offered. Locking this capability out of the iPhone will only drive users to alternative platforms (such as the Google OS-based phones). Embrace the evolving Web and ride the wave. Otherwise, Apple may be left in the backwash of a missed wave, much as happened in the '80s.

While I would love to have the ability to rename photos on the iPhone (as has been on my gripe list for more than a year), at a minimum, let me at least pull up the image information. The information on date and time taken are available in the phone as that information is passed to iPhoto. Make it available directly on the phone for crying out loud. While you are at it, allow the photo application to capture GPS coordinates since that field is available.

Finally, Documents-To-Go, get your act together and release the package for the iPhone. I have heard rumors of this being done since the iPhone was released and I am still waiting. Is it copy/paste that's holding you up? If so, implement your own version.

What say you? While I don't mean this to be a infinite wish list, what are the absolute functions that you feel are needed to make the iPhone a true portable computing substitute?

What's on My iPhone

2008-11-28T23:21:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've written about applications on the iPhone. The last time I discussed a number of jailbreak apps that I had tried out or used heavily. However, since upgrading to the iPhone 3G, I have been running strictly legit apps. (I still have jailbroken apps on my original iPhone, but nothing really impressive.)

So what do I have on my iPhone? Here goes:

Page One/Line One:
- SMS
- Calendar
- Photos
- Camera
All standard Apple apps and in their original locations.

Page One/Line Two:
- YouTube
- Bloomberg
- Maps
- Weather
YouTube and Maps are the standard Apple apps. I have substituted the Bloomberg app for the standard Apple Stocks app because it is so much better; stores and provides more information; and is free. I don't use Apple's Stocks application. Weather is a Safari shortcut for the Weather Underground site (http://i.wund.com) and I have it set to my local weather. Weather Underground provides in-depth seven-day forecasts as well as local weather radar on the same page. I don't use Apple's Weather app.

Page One/Line Three:
- Mobile News
- Calculator
- Evernote
- Reader
Only the Calculator is an original Apple app. I have an HP-21-like financial calculator on the phone also, but find the Apple Calculator simple and reliable for most day-to-day uses. Mobile News is the Associated Press' free news application and I find it simple, and provides a great overview of world, US, political, and business news. While I still use Apple's notes app, it has been relegated to page two. Evernote is a free application that provides easy notetaking, allows voice recording, allows snapshot notes, and syncs all these in the cloud. Evernote also has Web access as well as an app that runs on the Mac. The result is information can be accessed virtually anywhere (unlike Apple's Notes app). Finally, Reader is a Safari shortcut to Google's iPhone-optimized reader page. This fills the bill for information not provided by Mobile News.

Page One/Line Four:
- Contacts
- Settings
- Twitterific
- Jott
Contacts and Setting are the standard Apple apps. Twitterific is my primary Twitter client and is used quite often. Jott is my preferred ToDo list application because it allows voice transcription of notes and ToDos. This makes it great when driving and something comes to mind that I wamt to remember.

The Dock:
- Phone
- Mail
- Safari
- iPod
These are all standard iPhone apps and in their original position.

With a few exceptions, these are the workhorse applications I use. I have a total of nine pages of apps and shortcuts, some used quite often and others that are there if I need them. Others of note include:

- 1Password for keeping track of various user IDs, passwords, and related Web site addresses.

- AppStore for keeping applications updated and installing new ones.

-AirSharing for keeping various Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files that
I need to reference on the iPhone.

- Wikipanion for looking up those quick items that don't require an in-depth Google search. It's a free app.

- Google Search with the voice recognition capability. I find that I use this app a lot more since they added the voice recognition.

- New York Times application. This fills the holes left by Mobile News and Google Reader, but the application is prone to frequent crashes.

- SportsTap, a comprehensive sports tracking application.

- iBlogger which I use to write most of my blog entries. I paid for this application and it has been worth every penny.

- i.TV for tracking what's on TV as well as finding what's playing at local theatres.

There are other applications that I use from time to time, but not nearly as frequently as the ones mentioned. I will cover some of them at a later time.

Update 2.2 Impressions

2008-11-26T21:25:00.000-06:00

I've now have several days under the belt with iPhone OS X Update 2.2. The good is the Google Maps application with Streetview. In my opinion, Streetview works better on the iPhone than it does on a Mac or PC. It's clear, fast, smooth, and easy to use.

I also like the single-click home key push that takes you back to the first page on the Springboard. I didn't think I would use it that much, but I find I use it a lot.

The improved HTML handling in the email application is a nice touch. Whereas I used to pinch to expand a page, it seems to render that way naturally now.

The bad is that I am convinced the battery life is not as good as before the update. Apple has over their various updates made significant improvements to the power management on the iPhone. They seem to have taken a step backwards with this update. I had finally gotten to the point of getting a full day on the battery with moderate use. Now it seems that battery life has been reduced by 20% or so.

What say you?

iPhone November 2008

2008-11-10T11:36:00.003-06:00

It has been awhile since I posted to this blog for the primary reason that I did not have anything significant to add to the conversation about what a good or terrible phone the iPhone represents. However, there are a couple of items that I have not seen mentioned that I think warrant discussion: 3G coverage improvements; iPhone battery improvements; AT&T's Wi-Fi hotspots; and blogging applications.

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and when I first got my iPhone 3G, the 3G coverage was marginal at best. That is, in many places, a 3G signal was not available; where there was a signal, it was so weak that the phone would switch back and forth between 3G and EDGE; and when you did get a signal, it would suck the energy out of the battery in no time. Over the last month or so, that seems to have changed. With the release of the 2.1 update, the 3G radio seems more stable. In addition, it does not seem to drain the battery as fast. However, the biggest improvement appears to be the 3G network itself--finding a strong 3G signal now appears to be the rule instead of the exception. Quality has improved as has stability. Speed is exceptional.

Along with these 3G improvements has come a related improvement in battery life. I can now typically get a full day out of a charge, something I could not do just a few months ago.

Now for the bad news--AT&T's Wi-Fi hotspots work terribly on the iPhone. First, the hoops you have to jump through just sign on to the hotspot is a genuine pain. You connect by Safari, fill out your phone number and agree to the terms and conditions. Then AT&T sends you an SMS message with a link to use for access. However, half the time, the link is not live (requiring you to enter a really long URL manually into a browser. Another quarter of the time, the link is bad and will tell you that you cannot connect and to try again later. If you should be so lucky to connect, the connection is flaky. That is, when I go to open another Safari window, AT&T will ask me to go through the sign-in procedure again. By this time, it is just simpler to turn on 3G.

Other than that, not much has changed. The iPhone still crashes periodically, although less than when first released. Some apps are good and some are bad. I have been trying out the free blogging applications. I tried to post this using LifeCast, but once the entry was completed it would not upload and I ended up having to manually enter the post online. Therefore I wouldn't recommend LifeCast.

WordPress is an outstanding free blog, but is limited to posting to the WordPress site only. However, it is easy to use, full featured and works well.

Finally, BlogWriter Lite works well, no labels or tags, but will allow you to compose on the iPhone and then post to a blog. I use it for a BlogSpot blog and it works great. The only problem is that it will allow the use of only one blog (I have four). I am willing to buy a blog app, but the choices at present seem to have significant bugs judging from the comments, so I will wait awhile longer.

What are you thoughts on 3G, battery life and blog applications? I would like to hear.

iPhone 3G Bug Research

2008-07-27T16:44:00.006-05:00

Since getting my iPhone 3G two weeks ago, I have found that there are a variety of problems with it. Many of these problems have been documented as individual issues with the new phone. They have included battery drain problems, especially with the 3G radio turned on; crashes of a variety of applications, but mainly with applications added from the Apple AppStore; and a variety of memory leak problems that lead to the operating system running slower and slower until the only way to fix it is to perform a hard reboot by pressing and holding the on/off and home buttons simultaneously.

I experienced all of these problems at one time or another. In many cases, I was having to perform the hard reboot multiple times a day (not to mention frequent battery recharging). Therefore, several days ago, I undertook a series of experiments with the iPhone by turning the various radios on and off under different circumstances to see if they had any impact on the identified problems. Since I don't use bluetooth, it has always been off. However, I have worked with the combination of 3G, EDGE, and Wi-Fi in various configurations.

The results indicate that the problems occur when the 3G is on. First, with 3G off, whether or not the Wi-Fi was on, I did not experience the frequency of crashes and memory leaks that were experienced when 3G was on. Indeed, I have had 3G off for a couple of days now and have now and have not had to perform a hard reboot once. While numerous application launches are slow, they are consistently slow--there is no degradation in performance. From this I conclude that the slow application response (lasting to five seconds or more in some cases) is a separate problem with the configuration of the OS.

Battery drain with 3G off seemed to be on a par with the 1.1.4 version on the generation 1 iPhone. While this is not surprising on the one hand, it is when I have had discussions with numerous people complaining that the 2.0 version on the generation 1 iPhone seemed to have faster battery drain. My suggestion is that unless 1) you are accessing complicated, non-iPhone optimized Web pages; or 2) you have a need to access the Internet and talk on the phone simultaneously, leave 3G off. Leave it off at least until Apple releases an update to 2.0.

To be sure, I still experience crashes--especially related to Safari--but they are much less frequent. This leads me to believe that the Safari crashes are due to a cause separate from the other application crashes. (Speculation is that the other application crashes may be due to the DRM used in the SDK.)

Another issue isolated by these experiments is the communications instability. With 3G on, the iPhone appears to have significant problems locking onto a "preferred" radio--EDGE, 3G, or Wi-Fi. As a result, the phone experiences numerous drop-outs, causing the phone to pick a back-up communication radio and re-establish communications. My research indicates that this happens when the phone has the screen turned-off for any extended period of time. It also occurs when the signal is marginal (not sure what marginal is as yet). When the situation occurs, the iPhone "thrashes" among the various available radios. However, it seems most pronounced when the 3G radio is on. When the 3G radio is off, it will still take a few seconds to lock onto either EDGE or Wi-Fi, but does not take that long. When 3G is on, it seems to take forever to lock on. Whether this is the radio, or the handshaking that goes on after lock to establish an Internet connection is unknown.

The result of all this is leave the 3G off if possible until Apple has had time to work through the various bugs in the OS. Your thoughts?

The iPhone 2.0 Paper Cut Edition

2008-07-24T11:32:00.004-05:00

With a little more than a week's experience on both the iPhone OS X 2.0 upgrade and the iPhone 3G hardware, it's time to list the paper cuts that are driving me up a wall. Herewith the list:

Battery life sucks: From everything I see, the battery problem is more related to the 2.0 software than it is to 3G. This is based on the fact that numerous people have mentioned to me that their battery life has significantly decreased on their generation 1 phones. This is definitely true on the iPhone 3G. Could it be memory leaks, background applications, or simply poor power management? Apple help!
Crashes, crashes, and more crashes: As with the initial software version 1.0, the 2.0 upgrade is buggy to say the least. I find that Safari once again crashes regularly (at least a couple of times per day). I have had the calendar function crash. Needless to say, most every downloaded application has crashed at one time or another. Obviously, there are significant instability issues that need addressing. This brings us to a related problem...
Applications rendered unusable: It seems there is a corruption problem within the 2.0 software. For example, when I turned on the iPhone this morning, neither the Shazam nor the Remote application would launch. Instead, I received a message that the "Application Cannot Execute." Redownloading Shazam solved that application problem. Turning on and off the iPhone several times seems to have solved the Remote application problem. Generally, application stability and reliability are not where they should be.
Slow-motion application execution: Whether the iPhone generation 1 or the iPhone 3G, there are annoying lag problems when launching applications. For example, it sometimes takes the calendar application up to 7 seconds to launch and paint the screen. It's not consistent. Usually, doing a hard-reboot (holding the on/off and home keys down for several seconds and then turning on the iPhone again) will improve performance, again leading me to think there is some sort of memory leak where programs eat up memory that should be cleared when they are exited or put in the background.
Network switching lag: Apple has attempted to save battery life by switching off radios as appropriate. However, it would seem that this needs to be fine-tuned. For example, at home I am on a Wi-Fi network. With the phone on, if I turn it on with the home button and go to Safari, the phone will sometimes switch from Wi-Fi (the state it was in when last used) to 3G and then back to Wi-Fi. During this time, it seems Safari is doing handshake on Wi-Fi, then on 3G, and finally on Wi-Fi, causing annoying delays in accessing Internet information. It is also noticeable with the Mail application. In addition, the same situation will occur out in the field with the phone switching from 3G to EDGE, and then back to 3G, causing the same type of delay.
GPS locking delay: I suspect this problem is related to the network switching delay previously noted. It appears that locating the current position--even out in the open can take minutes sometimes. My guess is that the software accesses the cell tower proximity database before turning on the GPS to get an exact location. Since the proximity database comes over the Internet, the network switching delay mentioned earlier contributes to the extended location delay.

That's it for now. I assume that the in progress update to 2.0 will fix some of these, but I am worried that some of the issues point to more fundamental OS operating constraints. Only time will tell. Did I miss any problems that others have noticed? If so, feel free to post them.

Review: iPhone 3G

2008-07-22T10:36:00.004-05:00

In my last post, I discussed only the iPhone OS X 2.0 software upgrade and the AppStore. This post is about the new iPhone 3G hardware only. As you will see, it is a short review.

First, why should you upgrade? The following are the only reasons I can think of:

You don't have an iPhone currently, are eligible for an AT&T upgrade and you have been lusting for the iPhone.
You currently have a generation 1 iPhone and are running out of memory (you have either a 4GB or 8GB model) and you are eligible for an AT&T upgrade.
You are on another wireless carrier and simply want an iPhone.

Now, why would you not upgrade?

You could care less about the iPhone.
You have an iPhone and it basically meets your current needs.
You have an iPhone, but you are not in the AT&T 3G coverage area (and this is quite a bit of the AT&T coverage area).
You think 3G is going to work miracle speeds on your email and browser.

With that background, the iPhone 3G is lighter and better shaped than the gen-1 model. However, browser speed improvement is a factor of both the 2.0 software (also available on gen-1 phones) and 3G. In my opinion, if you are accessing iPhone optimized Web sites, you are going to see little difference. If you are accessing normal Web sites, you might see a significant improvement, but remember the software upgrade is responsible for part of that. Also remember that loads on the site impacts speed; you can have the fastest Internet service in the world, but a Web site under heavy load or using a small server will be slow--whether on dial-up, 2G, 3G, or an OC3 line directly connected to your computer. Therefore, unless you are a heavy non-optimized Web site user, you may want to hold off buying the 3G.

The other key difference is the A-GPS. I find that it works great when it works. However, there are times when it can't seem to get a lock on my location. When it works, it is fun watching the little blue dot move as you move. In my case, it will actually move from the front to the back of my house which isn't bad.

With that said, I have to honestly say that if you are still lost using the gen-1 location services, then you probably should not be allowed out alone anyway. GPS is nice, but not a good reason to upgrade in my opinion.

The microphone and the speakers on the 3G both have been improved. However, not enough to justify an upgrade.

My net out. If you just want the 3G to have one, if you need extra space, or you just have $300 to burn, then go for it. Otherwise, it's going to be hard to justify the upgrade.

How about the rest of you who have upgraded? What are your thoughts?

iPhone OS 2.0 Review

2008-07-21T14:56:00.005-05:00

Okay, it has been awhile since I last posted, primarily because there was nothing to report other than rumor. Now I have some useful information.

I bought the iPhone 3G 16 GB on Monday, July 14th (because I was traveling the previous week and in a location that did not have an Apple or AT&T store). Therefore, I have had a week of experience with it. In addition, I also upgraded my generation 1 iPhone to OS 2.0 so I had a good reference model with which to compare. With that background, here are my perspectives on the the operating system.

Mass email delete/move: iPhone OS 2.0 provides a number of additional features that make it worth the upgrade. Among those are mass delete of emails which was a pet peeve from the older version. The feature was implemented simply and elegantly using an "Edit" button which allows you to select multiple emails by tapping radio buttons. Then when finished with selections, you can choose either "Delete" or "Move."
Multiple calendar support: The calendar function now supports syncing multiple calendars between your Mac/PC and the iPhone. While this was not on my wish list for upgrades, I have found it useful for keeping personal and business todos and appointments separated.
Screen capture: An undocumented feature of the upgraded OS is the ability to capture the current iPhone screen by quickly pressing the home button and the on/off button simultaneously. The screen capture application on my jailbroken generation 1 phone was one of the most used applications I had. You would be surprised how often you want to show someone who is remote what your screen shows. This capability simply solves that problem. Once you have captured a screenshot, it can be found in the Camera Roll under the "Photos" icon.
Direct access to contacts: By default, the 2.0 OS places a contacts icon on the iPhone springboard. Again, it was one of the additions I used to have on my jailbroken iPhone that saw a lot of use. It reduces access to contacts by a keystroke and when you are in a hurry to get to the information, the improved access is noticeable.
Contacts searching: When you have a large number of contacts like I do, the contacts search can be a real productivity improvement. That's the good news. The bad news is that I have found the feature to be buggy. When first accessing the contacts application, a search line is provided at the top of the screen. The problem that I have found is that many times when you tap into the contact, the screen does not respond. After a few moments, the query field vanishes all together. However, when you tap the bar at the top of the screen, it will come back and works fine.
Save photos from email: Another nice feature is the ability to save photos sent to you in an email to your Camera Roll. This is particularly handy when you want fast access to the photo and don't have time to sync and then move the photo on your Mac/PC.
Save photos from Safari: Similar to saving a photo in email is the ability to save a photo from a Web page in Safari. While I don't have a frequent use for the feature, it is a nice touch none-the-less.
Multiple SMS addressees: While I don't have the occasion to use it all that often, it is a nice touch. My guess is it would be nicer if Apple provided MMS so photos could be sent. I could see myself using that more often.
Scientific calculator: By simply turning the iPhone horizontal, the simple calculator becomes a scientific calculator. While this is nice, I would like to see a financial calculator (which I have need of more often) as an alternative to the scientific calculator. However, the scientific calculator does provide a number of functions that can be useful.
The AppStore: At last! With the opening of the AppStore and the ability of OS X 2.0 to take advantage of these applications, I see little need to jailbreak a phone. To date, I have added some 46 applications and have kept 43 of them on the phone. Thus far, I have only selected free applications as I want the pay applications to mature a little before I start putting out hard cash. With that said, my favorite applications are: Twitterific ( a great, simple, and useful Twitter client--follow me on wwcasey on Twitter); Boxoffice (movie schedules and reviews from RottenTomatoes.com--easy to use); Jott for iPhone ( a great interface to the Web-based Jott application as well as a great voice recorder that will transcribe your recordings); Shazam (will "listen" to a music clip and return the name and artist--again, it works and I am surprised by how often I use it); Apple Remote (only because it is cool and allows me to scare my wife when I am out of the room...); SportsTap (provides sports scores and standings for virtually any sport you want); PhoneSaber (being a Star Wars fan, a must have); and iBeer (great little accelerometer game and graphics demonstration.

Now for the complaints. First, the upgrade is buggy. I find that many of the features regularly crash by dropping back to the home screen. Hopefully, these will be chased down and fixed in the next release (just as was done with version 1.0).

Second, as has been pointed out by virtually every blog and review to date, the OS 2.0 is still missing the copy/paste capability. I find this to be the biggest failing of the current release and would have placed the priority above virtually every feature mentioned above except perhaps the bulk email delete. There are numerous times where a phone number is embedded in a document, and it is not hyperlinked to phone application. A second situation is where you want to extract a sentence or paragraph from a Web page to email to someone, but you are currently forced to send a link to that page. As a result, you cause work for the reader to find the text you wanted them to see in the first place.

Third, even though html email uses the Safari engine to render, you can rotate the message to the horizontal so you can get more of it on the screen. I find this to continue to be a major annoyance.

As a result, of the top 10 issues I had with the generation 1.0 software, only the bulk email delete has been addressed. Not a really good track record.

What are your thoughts--good and bad--about the OS X 2.0 software?

The Pixel Isn't Dead After All

2008-03-26T14:16:00.003-05:00

I had written previously that I had discovered a dead pixel on my iPhone screen. In discussions with my son--who also happens to have an iPhone--we discovered that it is actually a speck of dust that has gotten underneath the screen's glass. When looked at from an angle, the speck moves in relation to the screen (a dead pixel would not do so) and if there is a light background, the bottom of the speck will actually glow from the screen's light.

This then brings up two additional questions: 1) how can the screen be sealed so as not to allow dust to accumulate beneath the glass; and 2) is there any way to remove the dust from underneath the screen short of taking the iPhone apart (which is sure to end up adding more dust instead of removing it--no electronic clean rooms at my house).

Any ideas anyone?

My First Dead Pixel

2008-03-18T17:15:00.003-05:00

After attempting to remove a speck on my iPhone screen, it has become clear that I have a dead pixel. I have no idea how long it has been there, so it may have been there since I bought it last July. Unfortunately, my eye goes right to it now, so I notice it every time the iPhone is turned on.

With that said, now that I've notice it, I've inspected the whole screen and the one pixel appears to be the only one dead--it is in the lower left corner of the screen and most often appears in the applications controls bar. Therefore, it does not impede viewing in most applications. It is not even noticeable in the YouTube application.

Anyone else seen this? I seem to recall that the warranty allows for a certain percentage of dead pixels.