The Consumer Geek

4 Reasons the iPhone is evil

2008-09-09T13:57:00.001-04:00

From Comedy Central's Root of All Evil

In Canada, watch clip here.

Why free software and Apple's iPhone don't mix

2008-07-30T16:04:00.001-04:00

The iPhone is not a "phone" any more than my laptop computer is a phone. The iPhone can make phone calls, but so can my laptop. Just because it fits in your pocket does not mean that it isn't a computer. As the specifications of the hardware and the diversity of available proprietary applications indicate, it's a general-purpose device.

read more | digg story

Neil Young slams Apple, iTunes

2008-07-25T12:29:00.001-04:00

Folk and rock star Neil Young has issued sharp criticism of Apple and the iPod, Fortune reports. I agree that sound quality is slipping, and this is due mainly to a combination of factors, not only component choices in the DAC and amplifier, for example. Earphone choices are very limited or outrageously expensive, often more than the cost of an iPod itself. Not to mention that ripping quality with default settings in iTunes leaves much to be desired.This is intentional, I believe, just like the Compact Cassette in the 1970s and 1980s, where inferior audio quality was engineered into its design.

read more | digg story

5 Questions: Give Apple the iPhone Challenge

2008-07-24T15:36:00.001-04:00

Give an Apple Genius the iPhone Challenge (Free Software Foundation initiative)

read more | digg story

Other reasons why I didn't buy an iPhone

2008-07-17T10:15:00.001-04:00

I am on Fido, and I found out that they give a slightly better deal on the iPhone than Rogers. The main difference is per-second billing on calls (this really adds up) and unlimited evenings start 2 hours earlier at 7 P.M.

But what bugs me is that there is no MMS messaging on the iPhone. It does not matter what carrier you are on...Rogers, Fido, AT&T, Orange, Vodaphone...this is a limitation of the phone.

Of course you can e-mail, but I have a package that includes free MMS messaging. MMS is great for mobile blogging, except there are no Canadian carriers that work with Blogger :-(

The other really annoying feature of the iPhone is no cut and paste. This is something that even Palm smartphones have.

Also the battery is not replaceable and the memory is not upgradeable. So for now you are locked in to an expensive contract with a dead-end device.

The really big reason is that traditionally I have been an early adopter, and this has burned me quite a bit in the past and put big dents in my wallet. I see similarities with the iPod, which I could not justify when the came out with tiny hard drives and $700 price tags. And now what you can get in terms of features for a quarter of the price is astounding. So I predict iPhones will get cheaper and more powerful and useful as time goes on. I've learned my lesson and have a closet full of expensive junk to prove it. I'm not going to add an iPhone to that junk pile a year down the road.

So it really doesn't make sense to lock in to a 3 year contract, which is a really long time in the technology world. I can hardly believe where we will be in 2 years time with the iPhone when competing devices will be really compelling. And all of the early adopters will be stuck with them or shelling out 100s to get out of their ludicrous contracts.

Cellular plans have peaked in Canada and the only place they are going is down. Especially with competition that will be ramping up in a year or two. Not to mention consumer pressure and regulatory pressure, like the class action lawsuit against the system access fee.

Also I have been on a life simplification kick, and this means getting the technology and communications under control. Which means spending less time with them, and more time on productive work. This means I don't need to be on my e-mail 24/7. If its that urgent, call me. So I am ditching my Treo 650 for a basic Sony Z550a. This is even more than I need.

fsf.org: 5 Reasons to Avoid iPhone 3G

2008-07-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

While there are other reasons to avoid the iPhone 3G (cost of ownership being one of them) this is a pretty good list:

iPhone completely blocks free software. Developers must pay a tax to Apple, who becomes the sole authority over what can and can't be on everyone's phones.
iPhone endorses and supports Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) technology.
iPhone exposes your whereabouts and provides ways for others to track you without your knowledge.
iPhone won't play patent- and DRM-free formats like Ogg Vorbis and Theora.
iPhone is not the only option. There are better alternatives on the horizon that respect your freedom, don't spy on you, play free media formats, and let you use free software -- like the FreeRunner.

Link.

Rogers/iPhone price reduction STILL sucks

2008-07-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

I have to admit nearly caving in and calling a Fido CSR to see my eligibility to upgrade to an iPhone. But after seeing that the $30 6 GB plan tacked on to my existing plan (if they would let me) still does not allow me any text messages or visual voice mail (I don't have voice mail on my cell phone). I also have 25 MMS messages included in my plan, but the iPhone can't send MMS messages so this would also be lost.

My phone bill from Fido would still more than double to nearly $100 including taxes. This is way too much to pay for a cell phone. In fact, I'm wondering how much I really need a cell phone AT ALL...

Update: According to the Fido website, I am not eligible to get an iPhone for another 10 months.

Now Bell and Telus charging for incoming text messages?

2008-07-08T21:14:00.000-04:00

You know what this means, folks...

Another petition!! This time the NDP has set one up.

ruinediphone.com Rogers petition now has over 60000 signatures

2008-07-04T22:51:00.000-04:00

update: The petition is now closed. However there are valuable links to other initiatives to fight abusive mobile telcos in Canada.

click to sign the petition for unfair cell phone pricing in Canada.

The Appliance Geek: Calculating Dishwasher operating cost

2008-07-04T22:47:00.000-04:00

The Appliance Geek: Calculating Dishwasher operating cost

Fido iPhone Press release

2008-06-12T20:49:00.000-04:00

iPhone 3G will be available to Fido customers at $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model on a 3 year price plan.

Glad I didn't buy an unlocked 1st gen iPhone when they were selling on Craigslist for $500. No mention of data plan cost....

Link.

iPhone coming to Fido on July 11?

2008-06-09T19:18:00.000-04:00

According to the Apple Canada website, the iPhone will be available on Fido and Rogers on July 11, 2008. I hope I get contract amnesty and it costs $199. Maybe I'm also dreaming about a $7 per month unlimited data plan. Well, here's to dreaming....

The High Fidelity Geek: Jawbone Bluetooth Headset

2008-04-11T21:31:00.000-04:00

The High Fidelity Geek: Jawbone Bluetooth Headset

Comparing energy and water consumption of appliances - keep or replace?

2008-03-11T17:42:00.000-04:00

Energy consumption is increasingly an important performance variable when comparing appliances. You would think that appliance manufacturers and retailers would be making this information readily accessible but it just isn't happening. The current retail climate seems to not be getting the green message, especially when trying to help, and not hinder buying decisions. Trying to find this information and factoring this into comparison shopping, energy consumption rarely makes it on the spec sheets or is somewhere buried on the manufacturer web site. Using government information sites like at Natural Resources Canada Energy Star databases on line is also not an easy task, as things like model numbers that are exclusive to a specific retailer make it very difficult.

We are still suffering from featuritis and tend to think that energy consumption is something pretty much equivalent between brands. Nothing could be further from the truth. Looking at refrigerators in the 24-26 cu ft. size there is an incredible range of energy consumption values which range from 472 kWh to 732 kWh per year. At current Hydro Québec rates this only means about a $3 per month difference, but if you consider we are running two older 18 cu ft refrigerators for a combined total of a whopping 1,800 kWh per year we would be saving between $10-15 per month by switching to one larger fridge. Payback would be in 10 years on an $1800 refrigerator (like this Samsung RF265AARS my wife fell in love with)

Because our water is metered in Brossard, we would experience an even bigger savings by getting rid of our ancient KitchenAid washing machine and not-so-ancient Kenmore dishwasher for more energy and water efficient designs as offered by LG, Bosch, Samsung or Miele.

For example our washer uses about 80,000 litres per year and about 500 kWh, vs. an LG with a larger capacity (94 litre) tub which is rated at 18,500 L/yr and 150 kWh. If you consider the cost to heat 60,000 litres and the metered rate (approx. $0.001 per litre) we would easily save $10 per month. This is still 10 years ROI for a $1200 washing machine if energy and water costs remain stable (not likely).

A similar story but much less savings for the dishwasher: about a 7,500 litres per year and 300 kWh difference is only $3-5 per month savings in water and electricity.

(We would get a much better ROI on water costs by replacing our 3 toilets with low-flows ... with payback in 5 years)

Of course there is very little energy efficiency improvement for converting electricity to heat, as in the range or clothes dryer. Basically the only way to save money is shorter or fewer cycles and explains why there are no Energy Star ratings for these appliances.

What's the Deal with Toasters??

2008-03-08T18:41:00.000-05:00

Our Cuisinart CPT-180 Toaster is now in for repairs. It only toasts on one side, has become difficult to set (it either burns or makes warm bread) and some of the buttons either don't work or are stuck on. At least Cuisinart offers a 3 year warranty and we can get it serviced locally at Centre du Rasoir. The toaster is barely over 1 year old.

We bought this toaster for its rated performance, its 3 year warranty and its compact size. It was one of the few 4 slot toasters that was rated at 1500 watts. It made excellent toast at first but after about 6 months things started to go wrong with it.

What gets me is that regardless of price, toasters seem to last only about a year. We've been through countless toasters that just get slow, eventually make bad toast, or break, or even catch on fire!

There is no reason for this kind of built-in obsolescence, especially when a toaster is double or triple the price. We just want a toaster that can make consistently good toast for what it should last for (at least 10 years). When I think of my parent's Sunbeam automatic that was bought before I was born and died when I was about 18 or 19 years old, and made consistently perfect toast every single day until it bit the dust.

At least Centre du Rasoir's service is good: If the technician can't fix it, they replace it with a new one.

iPods are not durable

2008-03-07T14:20:00.000-05:00

Two years ago I bought a refurbished 40 GB 4th generation iPod directly from Apple. At the time it was an excellent deal and it came with both Firewire and USB cables, a dock and a power adapter for $259. Even though it was older technology, my daughter's experience with her 5G iPod Video made me think twice, and I opted for what I thought would have been a more durable unit.

Well, it didn't make it to its 2nd birthday. Shortly after my return from Italy, I got the dreaded exclamation mark folder and while I could reset and restore the unit, it would start to click and whir like a skipping record and the exclamation mark folder re-appeared. Considering I am not a heavy user, I was pretty disappointed. And of course Apple priced the repair well above replacement cost.

Since I bought it on my Visa card, I availed myself of the purchase protection insurance, made the claim, and yesterday I received my cheque from the bank.

I replaced it with an 80 GB iPod Classic with a colour screen and the new interface (cover flow is quite nice and having my iPhoto library was a bonus) for $20 less than I paid two years ago for the old one. The new unit is less than half the thickness of the old, and gives the impression of being quite solid with its all-metal case.

It will be interesting to see how long this one lasts. Hopefully it will crap out before two years, and purchase protection insurance will replace it with an 64 GB solid state drive iPod touch...

Rechargeable batteries

2008-02-20T19:22:00.000-05:00

I needed to replace some old 1450 maH Nickel Metal Hydride AA batteries I was using in my Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Mighty Mouse and went out comparison shopping.

What a surprise to find an incredible variance in prices and capacities, without any relationship to price. For example, Costco had Sanyo pre-charged Eneloop kits at 2000 mAH. The Source had 4 packs of Energizers at 1800 MaH for $17.95 and Wal-Mart had 4 packs of Duracell AA at 2650 mAH for only $10.95 (which where cheaper than lower capacity Energizers and other off-brand batteries). But if you bought a kit with a charger you could not get the higher capacity batteries. Weird.

The lesson here is that not all rechargeable batteries are the same, and it is often not clear by the packaging what you are buying.