With this latest update I’ve decided to go a bit deeper into the application, so let’s see how it goes.

Skyfire is one of those browsers that is not completely dependent on your device, but uses cloud technology to serve you a compressed version of the web through their own third party servers. Much like Opera Mini, and recently, the Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta.

First up I’d mention that this will work equally as well from a storage card as installed to your device, so if you are being miserly with storage space [like me] you’ll already appreciate this. You may also notice, from the screenshot above, that since Skyfire came out of beta, it’s received even more update love. Every tweak helps right? It’s good to know that this is a well supported application,

The first screen or option you’ll be presented with is a choice to make Skyfire the default browser, I chose no for now, knowing I can change that later, to test with other apps. First up though, I want to see how it performs on it’s own. One of the most striking things about Skyfire is what it comes with/ the default bookmarks, that give you access to all sorts of services with no set up at all.

There’s also a today screen plug in included in this iteration, a nice touch. One of my little negatives with Skyfire has always been the fact that you cannot import bookmarks to the browser in any way. Well unless it’s a very elusive option. You will have to manually enter the URL of all of your most read sites, something that may be off putting to a lot of users.

BUT, and it’s a big but, for usability and intuitiveness, Skyfire goes all the way up to eleven for me. The amount of settings/options you have to configure are as minimalistic as I’ve seen

Everything else is configured through the browser interface and shortcuts, and it’s really self explanatory. All of the menu shortcuts go no deeper than two levels, keeping with the simplicity of the program. Performance though is what everyone is going to judge this app on, so I.ve done a screen cap video that gives a relative speed comparison for you to look at.

Overall, performance is the key, Skyfire plays video, is really quick to load and even runs JAMM 3.0 with it’s animated home page, no other WinMo browser does all of that. Another performance not here is that it’s doing all of that on my Tilt/HTC Kaiser. If you are looking for a better internet experience on Windows Mobile you have to give this a try

Skyfire is available for free, for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices

Related posts:

1. Finally, Skyfire Web Browser, available for all!
2. Skyfire Gets ‘Doesn’t Suck’ Endorsement from Gizmodo
3. Skyfire Mobile Browser…Now Available To All!

After having made fun of Mac users for most of my life, I find myself now a proud owner of a 13″ Macbook Pro. How the heck did this happen?

The Mac hatred probably all started with my father, a bona fide anti-Mac guy. Like a lot of kids I took after my father’s tendencies, so when he scoffed at something Apple-related, I would too. My father still sees a lot of Apple’s principles and ways of doing things as arrogant and far too proprietary. Want to hook up to a display? Buy our specialized MiniDisplay Port to DVI converter! Most any PC would simply feature a DVI port on the device, but Macs have to juice every dollar they can from the customer. Apple is a lot like the cool kid in high school who is charming, good-looking, and does everything his (or her) way and everybody goes along with it because they’re enthralled by the coolness. The funny thing is: now that I’ve bought this Macbook and showed him the quality, even he’s thinking of getting one as his next laptop (the blame rests squarely on Vista’s buggy shoulders).

One thing that I’ve noticed is that I’m having a lot more fun using this new Macbook — and I don’t think it’s just because it’s new (although, hey, I could be wrong). I don’t have anything against Windows XP, but I don’t remember having a good time using it. It was a good tool for launching games and programs like MS Word, but any fun I had with a new computer had a lot more to do with the satisfaction of having built my own desktop or from buying new components — it never had anything to do with the OS. I suppose Windows 7 is trying to fix a lot of that with their focus on a tighter and more integrated interface, but the Mac feels like it’s already there. I’m not going to do a feature-by-feature run down as to why I think the Mac is more pleasurable to use, but I really enjoy how all the applications work well together and how the UI slides into place in ways that were previously only seen with WindowBlinds on the PC.

But all the hype around the Mac software wasn’t what drew me to the platform — it was the hardware.  One of the qualities I wanted in a new laptop was something that looked and felt like a premium machine, since most anything above the $900 price range (read: above Netbook range) would meet my modest technical requirements. My sister uses a 15″ ASUS N50 that’s quite capable for gaming and a great little desktop replacement, but it just feels too plasticky. A tour of the local Best Buy and Sony shops only showed me more of the same — a lot of powerful hardware wrapped up in a plastic shell.

I know it’s ironic coming from a guy who wants to upgrade to a new plastic iPhone 3GS, but the point is that I wanted a machine that would feel solid and look gorgeous. Something made out of metal, like a Terminator without the killer instinct. After a fair amount of googling I had narrowed the choices down to a Dell Adamo or one of the aluminum Macbook Pro models. The Adamo’s reported low battery life was a real buzz kill, but it was ultimately the price that was the deciding factor. The Adamo hovered at around $2000 before taxes with the power of something like the Macbook Air, whereas the 13″ Macbook Pro started at around $1300 with a student discount and came with an 8GB iPod Touch as long as I bought it before September. Once I saw the MBP design in person I was sold and I forwarded Apple large chunks of money in exchange for their product.

This might all just be a mid-year crisis that sometimes hits tech geeks. I’m caught part of the way between Q1 and Q2 launch cycles, and so I go and buy a “sexy” laptop instead of buying a more powerful and affordable one from HP or Toshiba. But I think it’s more than that. There’s something about the clicking of the Chiclet keyboard, the laser precision of the unibody aluminum design, and the pulsing white of the sleep light that makes using this computer far more fun than it should be.

Related posts:

1. Apple Refurb Deals – MacBook Pros at a Nice Price
2. Now That Didn’t Take Long… Remote Disk Access Coming To All Macs Running Leopard
3. MacBook Pro – Great Rant at MobileCrunch

Users of mobile devices each tend to have a different set of functionality they desire.  Some want to be able to browse the internet, some to have great multimedia capabilities, some want to use the device as a laptop replacement.  Believe it or not, some even want the device to be just a quality phone.  With all of the various uses that are highlighted as the “stand out” functionality of new devices, and in my opinion especially the iPhone, Personal Information Management (PIM) is often overlooked.  Enter Agendus for iPhone.

Assuming that you are not new to the world of mobile computing, going back to the Palm OS, chances are that you are familiar with the emphasis on PIM management.  There’s also a very good chance that you are familiar with Agendus, Iambic’s flagship application.  Iambic has since brought Agendus to Windows Mobile and Blackberry operating systems, and finally to the iPhone and iPod Touch.  As Iambic was kind enough to provide a copy for review, grab yourself a glass of iced tea and read on to see how Agendus dares to encourage quality PIM management on the iPhone.

Agendus’ primary functionality in version 1.o is built around tasks and contact management.  Boiling PIM down to the core, managing activities doesn’t get any more basic that planning what it is that a person needs to do.  Agendus excels at this.  Task definition is robust, providing a number of features to choose from.  When creating tasks, categories can be assigned, notes can be attached and contacts can be linked.  Agendus even provides support for specifying a start time for the due date.

Iambic has integrated numerous ways for users to filter the tasks, allowing a glance at what is to be accomplished today, tomorrow, etc..  The filter selection screen is very attractive, with icons and intuitive labeling.

Contacts management is the second facet of PIM that Agendus tackles.  If you’re familiar with Agendus from Palm OS or Windows Mobile, you’re aware that the program is built around contact functionality.  In the iPhone version, two unique views have been provided:  Compact View and Expanded View.  The differences between the two views are pretty self-explanatory, but there are a couple of worthwhile features to note.

Of course, tapping on an existing contact presents the user with contextual actions:  allowing for quick dialing or addressing of a text message.  Agendus has always excelled at integrating it’s data manipulation with device hardware.  Kudos to Iambic for continuing support of this on the iPhone.

Agendus’  Today View provides the user with a glimpse of important information, including today and tomorrow’s tasks.  If you are coming from being an Agendus user on a different platform, you will find this familiar.

First impressions may be that a second screen displaying tasks seems redundant.  Fortunately, Agendus incorporates additional information, pulled from the internet, to enrich the layout.  The Today View also displays a “Quote of the Day”, a “Day in History” blurb and local weather.  The weather is configurable to  your local area, so  I was easily able to set up my home town of Coffeyville, Kansas by entering the town’s zip code.  Tapping on the truncated weather on the Today View screen takes the user into a different form, presenting the forecase for multiple days.

The version that I’ve been testing on my iPod Touch is 1.0.  Iambic, eager to incorporate more functionality and fix bugs, has already submitted version 1.01 to the iTunes App Store.  Submitted for review on June 30th, version 1.01 promises to include several new fixes and refines many of the present features.  Check out all of the goodies that you’ll get when the update becomes live in the iTunes App Store here.

PIM management likely brings to mind three major types of data to manage.  Tasks, contacts and appointments.  Discussed above, we already know that Agendus covers all the bases with tasks and contacts functionality, but doesn’t address appointment functionality.  Up front, this isn’t any fault of Iambic!  Apple has always restricted developer access to various aspects of the the iPhone’s functionality, with one being no permission to work with the calendar data in any way.  Rest assured that Iambic is looking into possible solutions and has their eye on the day that Apple finally wises up and incorporates support for a Calendar SDK.  You can read about their plans here.

Highlights

• Extends built in Contacts functionality
• Adds support for Tasks, an area that has been overlooked in the iPhone’s stock OS
• Integrates web based weather information into Today View

Areas of Concern

• As noted above, Calendar / Appointment functionality is missing

Specifications

• Price:  $7.99
• Version:  1.0
• Size:  .5 MB
• OS 3 Compatible

Finally, I recommend Agendus for the iPhone and iPod Touch, for two reasons.  First, it’s a great start to a full featured PIM management application.  Granted, it’s version 1.0 and has a ways to go before catching up with the functionality found in other versions.  This dovetails in with the second reason for recommending Agendus.  Iambic has a long history of standing behind their products.  They continually provide major and minor updates, incorporating both new features and bug fixes.  To me, it looks like a good time to jump on the Agendus for iPhone bus and see what is in store for the future updates!

Related posts:

1. Agendus for iPhone Now Available
2. Agendus for Blackberry by Iambic – News & Review
3. New Version of Agendus Pro Released

CNetX has just released version 2 of their Face Contact application, which is a fun to use Today Contact interface, that makes finding your favorite contacts a snap!

It is easy to set up and allows use of custom pictures or a selection from a colorful 3D graphics set of icons.   In my brief testing over the weekend, I especially enjoyed the use of gestures to quickly create emails, SMS messages and calls directly from the Today Screen.

Read about the update here:

Version 2.00 – June 30, 2009

• New configurable Gestures/Actions logic
  • Over a dozen gesture-assignable actions to choose from.
  • Actions added with ver. 2.00 include: Send E-mail, Send Text Message, Browse Web Page, Call after prompt, Edit Contact, Sort Contacts, Phone Dialer.
  • Double-tap gesture now supported (can be assigned to any action).
  • The Start Call key can also be configured and assigned to any action.
  • The standard system handling of Tap&Hold has been overridden, resulting in a more finger-friendly response.
  • The “Actions” configuration screen has been redesigned to support the extended gestures/actions logic.
• Improved performance and smoother animations
  • The rendering engine has been redesigned to include several device specific optimizations.
  • On most devices (especially with HiDPI screen) rendering is about 60% faster than version 1.00, resulting in even smoother animations.
  • A new “Optimization” option provides control on the algorithm used to resize/crop pictures. In most circumstances, the default “Automatic” setting provides an additional 20% performance improvement compared to version 1.00.
  • Compatibility of the “Fast” rendering mode with most devices has been improved, so “Fast Mode” is now the default on all devices.
• New layout and pictures options
  • Background rendering using the Today theme highlight color can be disabled, so that the plugin remains transparent even when selected/active.
  • The size of contacts’ pictures shown in the plugin can be adjusted.
  • The number of contacts displayed and the resulting 3D perspective are automatically adjusted based on the active picture size.
  • The depth of the reflection effect can also be adjusted (with single pixel precision) to obtain a perfect fit of the plugin within specific Today screen layouts.
  • The layouts of the “Contact Manager”, “Sort Contact” dialog box and “Customize” property sheet are dynamically adjusted to match the height of plugin control.
  • New “Picture Shape” options added. The “Rounded” shape has smoother corners.
• User interface enhancements
  • New WM6.5-like user interface with 3D shade effects for dialog boxes, pushbuttons, sliders and tab controls providing easier finger interaction.
  • Enhanced “Contact Details” and “Edit Contact” screens with 3D tab controls.
  • The 3D contrast and rendering of user interface elements can be adjusted or disabled to fit the look and feel of the device theme.
  • All settings and options are now grouped in two multi-tabbed property sheets for easier access (”Customize” and “Preferences”).
  • When needed (on square screen devices or in landscape view) tab controls are automatically hidden and replaced by menu items, so that all settings/options remain visible without the need for scrolling.
  • The “Adjust Picture”, “Replace Picture” and “Remove Picture” commands are now accessible as top level items in the “Contact Manager” menu for easier access.
  • “Restore Defaults” and “Previous Values” menu commands have been added to all configuration screens, making it easy to switch and compare different settings.
  • Dialog boxes prompting the user for mutually exclusive choices have been redesigned to use list/pushbuttons, rather than radio buttons, resulting in easier finger interaction.
  • Default values for combo boxes are now shown only when the corresponding drop down list is displayed, reducing the clutter in configuration dialog boxes.
• Smart “Call Confirmation” screen
  • The “Prompt before call” option available in version 1.00 has been removed, as this displayed a system prompt that was pretty cryptic and hard to operate without stylus.
  • A new “Call After Prompt” action can now be associated with a gesture or with the Start Call key to display a prompt before a call is initiated.
  • If the selected contact has multiple phone numbers, the “Call Confirmation” screen provides the ability to select a different phone number if desired.
• Configurable “Messaging” accounts
  • The messaging accounts used to send E-mail and text messages can now be configured as desired.
  • If multiple accounts are available, a “Prompt/Auto” option can also be selected to reflect the preferences defined in the main messaging application (which will either show a prompt or pick the most recently used account).
• New sort and caption options
  • “File As” has been added to the list of sort keys, so contacts can be displayed in the same order of the standard Contacts application.
  • Sort by “File As” is now the default sort criteria.
  • If desired, the caption can be altered to show to primary sort key only (e.g.: “First Name Only”, “Last Name Only”, etc.).
• Improved camera integration
  • The camera icon is no longer displayed by the “Replace Picture / From File” screen as this resulted in inconsistent behavior on some devices (causing the system to hang).
  • A new “Replace Picture / Camera” command has been added to the “Contact Manager” menu, providing easier access to the camera functions.
  • Any picture taken with the above command is automatically transferred to the “Adjust Picture” dialog box, resulting in a more effective and intuitive camera integration.
• New error handling logic
  • If a call is initiated by a gesture or via the Start Call key, and the selected contact doesn’t have a phone number, instead than displaying an error message, Face Contact 2.00 shows a prompt suggesting other communication methods.
  • The same applies when a gesture is used to send an E-mail, a text message or browse a contact’s web page, and the selected contact doesn’t have a definition for the corresponding property.
• Phone number tag
  • The phone number tag shown in the caption can be disabled if desired.
  • In version 2.00 the phone number tag always displays the phone number type that will be used by the “Call Contact” action (and that will appear as “selected” in the Contact Menu or Call Confirmation dialog box).
  • If a contact has never been called before (or if the last communication was not a phone call) the preferred phone number is selected in the following order: mobile, work, home.
  • The tag is omitted only if the selected contact doesn’t have a phone number, .

The detailed information about Face Contact 2.00, including screenshots, video and download links is here: Product page

Related posts:

1. Face Contact Offers CoverFlow-like Today Screen Contacts Plugin
2. Skype releases 2.2 Beta for Windows Mobile
3. Review: Resco Contact Manager

I have to admit that I really have become a big fan of the new Windows Mobile Standard user interface.  It makes accessing your phone without a touch screen incredibly easy and intuitive.  The version on the Pantech Matrix Pro is similar to what we saw on the HTC s740, with a few custom tweaks.

In this iteration of the interface, there are five main menu items, each of which expands when it is selected, to show you much more detailed information.  These menus give you access to quite a bit of important information.  The only thing I really thought was missing was a program launcher.  It would have been nice if you could have accessed your critical programs from here. 

The other cool thing is the background, which is fully customizable.  There are about 25 different images, customized for both portrait and landscape modes.  In addition, you can create a background using any image on your phone: your spouse, kids, comic book collection, or anything else you like.

So, let’s take a closer look at the menus.  The first entry is the clock (which you saw at the top).  Expand it to view the current time and date.  In addition, the soft buttons on the bottom will give you access to the Start Menu and Contacts.

The next item down will show your indicators: calls, voicemails, text messages, and emails.  When it is displayed in the menu, you can see a small icon for each of these.  Expanded, you can scroll through separate entries for missed calls, voicemails, text messages, picture mail, and email.  And take a look at that right soft button, which will now give you access to your Call History.  Really, I found this to be extremely handy.  Despite everything else these devices may be able to do, phone calls and messaging remain the central feature; and I love the quick and easy access this interface gives you to these functions.

Next is the Calendar Menu.  This one is pretty basic and self-explanatory.  From here, you can see your upcoming appointments, create a new appointment, and even jump to your calendar.  The only disappointment here was that, like most Windows Mobile interfaces, it is tied to the default Windows Mobile calendar application.  So, if you are using a third party PIM application, then you will be out of luck accessing them from here.

The fourth menu is AT&T services.  This one gives you access to Instant Messenger, and several other AT&T multimedia services. I get pretty annoyed when OEM applications, which I did not request, take up valuable space on my today screen.  I really had no use for any of these AT&T applications, and did not even have a chance to test them out.

Finally is the Settings Menu. From here, access your must utilized settings, including ringtones, phone profile, wireless manager, background image, and task manager.  Or tap that right hand soft button to access all of your settings. 

I really liked using this interface.  I have just been so impressed lately by how much more accessible Microsoft has made the non-touch interface.  It is easy to use and accessible.  The only real complaint I had was the wasted entry for the AT&T services.  I would have much rather had a customizable program launcher here instead.  Great job to Microsoft and Pantech for this one.

Related posts:

1. Pantech Matrix Pro Gets Official
2. Review: Pantech Matrix Pro
3. AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Giveaways Coming!

Welcome to the first JAMM interview and review!  We are taking a look at Twice by HeroCraft.  Twice is a puzzle and logic challenge game.  It builds on the simple rules of the classic Memory game, where you need to match two like designs in-order to score points.  Our reviewers took a look at this game for two different mobile operating systems:  Peter on Windows Mobile and Iris on Blackberry.  I’ll ask the tough questions, and give you all the ins and outs of Twice.

Heather: Thank you both for being here today.  Let’s start with something easy, how do you play the game?

Iris: It is so wonderful to be here.  Twice  plays just like a traditional memory game.  You need to flip the tiles, and match two of a kind.  Find all of the matches, and complete the level.  However, every time you mismatch a pair, one of the little green squares on the upper left-hand side of the screen falls.  Once they are all gone, then the game is over.

Peter: Always fabulous to talk to you, Heather.  Twice has three different game modes.  One has you race against the clock (Agile), another gives you only a limited amount of attempts(Smart), and the third has no limits at all (Sly).  So, you can have high stress or no stress. Getting past the shell and settings for Twice, it was actually well optimised for windows mobile. Twice is fully controllable through the d-pad on the phone, as well as the touch screen. Even on the Tilt, the tiles were large enough to manipulate with a finger.  All three game play modes worked equally as well.  There is no reason to have to pull out a stylus to play this game, and on a WinMo smartphone, all of it should happily work from the keypad.

Iris: When playing the timed version of Twice, you have to keep an eye on the leaves.   They fall off of the gold vine at the top left of the screen.  When you have no leaves left, you’re done!

Heather: Iris, would this game have been easier with a touchscreen?

Iris: Twice definitely would have been better with a touchscreen, but then again, so would everything else on the Blackberry Curve.

Heather: Getting into the nuts and bolts of things, what did you think of the graphics and music?

Iris: The graphics are too small.  I think it would be better if the squares were a little bit bigger.  Plus, the green background, that I suppose is supposed to be some sort of grass or leafy background, comes off as green corduroy.  The gold blocks against the green background didn’t flow well for me.

Peter: Even though  the game functioned graphically well, the look was well, Iris put it best when she said “green corduroy” . The graphics weren’t inspiring, and the soundtrack? I think as this is supposed to be a memory training game, the ploy with the soundtrack may have been to make it as annoying, and unsavoury as possible, to add to the concentration demands of the game. Wishful thinking on my part, it’s just annoying, and I don’t know who it would appeal to.  Is there a society for the appreciation of elevator muzak?

Heather: Well, its obvious that there is some room for improvement in the graphics and music department.  What about the game itself, was it challenging?  Do you think it accomplishes its goal as a memory trainer?

Peter: I’d have to say No and No.  Playing Twice, I lost interest in it very quickly. It was much less addictive than the native bubblebreaker app on WinMo. I got through about 7 levels in the sly game mode before I thought this has become random, and is not based on any sort of memory theory. The more mistakes you make in the sly mode, the quicker you lose lives. The only problem I had with that, I didn’t think it fit with the memory training genre.

Iris: I agree. It was a little challenging, not crazy challenging, but challenging.  Of course, the challenge would have been more enjoyable with better graphics and a touchscreen.

Heather: We have hit on the negatives, but what did you like the best about Twice?

Peter: What became the best feature for me, in retrospect, was the  Sly game.   It was the only gameplay level where I felt challenged. Even though this level of the game seems the most random, it was actually the one I played the most.

Iris: There are 3 choices of game play, which was mentioned earlier, Sly, Agile, and Smart.  Sly being the easiest.  Agile being timed, but not necessarily the hardest. I felt Smart is the hardest, because it starts with more bricks than any of the other two levels.  I would say the best feature would be Agile level, because it was the most challenging one.

Heather: It looks like the two of you will need to battle it out over which mode is the best.  Now, if you had the magical powers to improve this game, what would you change?

Iris: I would change the size of the blocks, – or at least have less complicated graphics on the given boxes.  Plus, the green background needs to be changed.  The green and gold combination creates eye strain for the player.

Heather: What about you, Peter?  What would you change?

Peter: Twice is  a great game, it just doesn’t offer anything new to themarket. The graphics let the app down.  A slicker user interface would help, but a more developed, gameplay interface would be best.  For a game that is supposed to be an intelligence builder, it is in need of an upgrade!

Heather: Finally, and most importantly, what do you think of me?

Iris: Too wonderful for words

Peter: Smart and insightful

*Disclaimer:  that last question may or may not have actually been answered by Iris and Peter

In conclusion, it appears that Twice is a good start, but needs to be tweaked a bit in order to make it an excellent game.

Pros:  Choice of 3 different games

Cons:  Graphics, music, and more challenging levels

I would like to thank my two guests Iris and Peter for being here today.  I would also like to thank the people at HeroCraft for providing copies of Twice to Peter and Iris.

Twice is available at HeroCraft for Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm, iPhone/iTouch, and Blackberry.  Prices vary from $5.95 to $0.99 depending on operating system.

Related posts:

1. Press Release: Twice from HeroCraft
2. Review: Travel Genius by HeroCraft
3. Review: Bubble Shuffle by Astraware

WebIS is having a great sale for all of you who have always wanted their products but have been waiting for the right moment!  Well that right moment is here, right now!  WebIS Pocket Informant for Windows Mobile and Blackberry are on sale along with Flexmail 4 for Windows Mobile.  Both of these programs are top performers in the Windows Mobile and Blackberry arenas.  They both have features and customizations that simply cannot be found in the base apps or in most feature applications for this use.

Pocket Informant ,in particular, really kills anything out there, especially the default Blackberry calendar.  I use Pocket Informant personally on my Bold and can tell you that it will give you more than you need.  For you business users out there, this is definitely the one to check out.  It will handle most, if not all of your needs.  My Bold is actually the company phone.  I travel a lot and have to have an awesome calendar to schedule my business and personal calendars.  It does it beautifully.

Pocket Informant has received awards year after year.  If you want more power and demand more from your calendar app, click this link to get the discount.  Don’t believe me?  Go and search the web.  Check out Smartphonemag Awards.  Do yourself a favor and celebrate your independence from apps that don’t give you the functionality that you want.  If you need to check it out first, I will post the WEBIS link below; but check it out fast!  Deals this good don’t come along that often!

WEBIS

Related posts:

1. Contest: WebIS Monthly Giveaway!
2. WebIS BF Sale – All the Deals with All the Appeals
3. WebIS Monthly Contest (at JAMM)

We take a break in our normal coverage of mobile gadgetry to honor the United States of America.  of course, on this day in history, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally approved by the Second Continental Congress  It is a common and enduring myth that independence was declared by the colonies which would become the United States on July 4th, Independence Day.  In fact, the Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence two days earlier, on July 2.   No smaller individual than our second President, John Adams, predicted that July 2 would go down in history as the celebrated Day of Independence.  At the time, he stated:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

After the resolution was passed, however, it took two full days of drafting and editing to arrive at the final language of the Declaration of Independence, which was passed by Congress on July 4, 1776.  The complete text is reprinted below:

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!  HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

[parts of this post were via Wikipedia]

Related posts:

1. Happy Fourth of July
2. Free For All: Celebrate the Fourth of July with Handmark and Astraware!
3. 4th of July Celebration – Astraware Fireworks FREE!

This situation is literally changing by the minute, but we thought it was worth a shot to report it since it has to do with a lot of e-store sales (includig our own JAMM Store).  We just got word that the service that handles a lot of e-vendor transactions, Authorize.net, went down for a while due to a fire at the data centre. Their website is still out, but apparently the processing services went up an hour or two ago (including Global Processing, whatever that is). The data backup center was apparently also affected, so this was pretty serious business. What’s interesting here is that Authorize.net has set up their own Twitter account to communicate with people in the meantime. Who would have expected Twitter to become such a go-to service for minute-by-miute updates?

I’m not going to tweet for a while. My 140 characters about eating a hamburger or brushing my teeth will just pale in comparison to fixing a data centre and keeping more millions of dollars in sales from being lost.

Related posts:

1. 20% Off JAMM Store Mega-Sale
2. Mobile Heist: Come On Down and Get Your Windows Mobile Software at the JAMM Store
3. JAMM Store – Refreshed!

Archos announced yesterday the upcoming arrival of their latest MID device, the Archos 9.  Sporting an 8.9 inch screen, the new arrival significantly expands upon the Archos line of media players.  In fact, it would be inaccurate to call this device, which runs the Windows 7 Operating System, a portable media player at all.  Archos really seems to have taken its devices to a whole new level with this one.  

Now, I am not sure how this will all work with no keyboard.  Archos seems to believe that this is another evolutionary step in its system, stating the virtual keyboard is the next best innovation in Netbooks.  Now,  I am not a fan of soft input panels or virtual keyboards on my mobile devices, so this is something I am eager to put to the test when I hopefully get the opportunity to check this on out in the fall.  Keep reading for some information I stole from the press release.

Technical Specifications:

Processor	Intel ATOM Z515 1.2 GHz
Video Chipset	Integrated US15W
Operating System	Microsoft Windows 7
System Memory	1GB (DDR2 400/533)
Display	8.9’’ touch screen – 16 millions of colors
Screen resolution	1024 x 600 pixels
Capacity	Up to 120GB, 1.8” HDD
Communication	- Ethernet 10/100 - WiFi: PCI-E interface, 2 Antennas, Support IEEE 802.11b/g - Bluetooth 2.1 - Optional 3.5G HSUPA – Huawei EM750M 7.2Mbts module
Audio	- Audio card : Realtek ALC269 - 2 stereo speakers - Built-in Microphone
Mouse	- Optical Finger Navigation System - Right and Left click buttons
Front and side ports	- USB 2.0 High Speed - Audio/headphone output Additional ports via an optional dock: - 2 USB 2.0 High Speed - Ethernet 10/100 - External microphone input - Audio/headphone output - VGA output
Power source	• Internal: Removable lithium Polymer battery • External: Power adapter/charger
Battery life	TBC
Web cam	Built-in 1.3MP camera
Dimensions	10.07’’x5.27’’x0.62’’ / 256mmx134mmx16mm
Weight	Less than 28.2 ounces / 800 grams
Package includes	ARCHOS 9 Tablet PC, battery, Power charger, Quick Start Guide

Included Software:

TYPE	NAME	DESCRIPTION
Antivirus/ Antispyware	BitDefender Antivirus 2009[i]	Provides advanced proactive protection against viruses, spyware, phishing attacks and identity theft, without slowing down your PC.
Parental Control	Parental Filter	Filter dangerous websites, select the duration that your children spend on the computer and many more control functions.
Complete office software solution	Microsoft Office Home and Student 20072 (NEW)	Easily create and edit all your documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Audio/Video conferencing	Skype™	Make free audio and video calls from your computer to people anywhere in the world.
Photo editing	Xnview	Picture viewing and editing
Web TV and radio player	vTuner	Access to over 11.000 radio and TV stations broadcasting over the Internet.
Email manager & Chat	Windows Live™ New	Manage all your email accounts and chat instantly.
Video creation	Windows Movie Maker New	Create, edit and share your own films in a few clicks
Games Demos	Gameloft New	Hours of entertainment with 5 demo games from Gameloft

The Archos 9 is expected to drop in September.  Final pricing has not been set, but expect it to be in the $500 price range.  Check out the Archos website for more information.  And keep watching this space for our review.

Related posts:

1. Archos Announces New Line of “Internet Media Tablets”
2. FlipStart – Replacing Your Laptop
3. Archos 604 PMP – New Cases & Accessories from Proporta