The point they came down to, however, was that the iPhone is still just plain better.  You can choose to use an open phone, Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Mobile, or whatever for political reasons, but the experience on the iPhone is still smoother, faster, and more reliable (AT&T’s network not included in this particular argument.)

One of the commentators (forgive me for being horrible at picking out who’s who when three guys are all talking at once) brought out the example of being in line at the ATM.  On his Android phone, he doesn’t bother taking it out of his pocket because it will take him too long to do anything worthwhile on it.  With his iPhone however: no problem.

Apple needs to solidify their efforts regarding the App Store and put out some clear-cut, consistent rules for approval.  They need to either push AT&T to increase the quality of their service or open up the phone to more carriers.  But despite not having some notable apps, MMS, tethering, or, in some areas, a reliable network just to make phone calls through, the iPhone still offers the best experience there is.

Unfortunately, it’s unrealistic to expect everyone around me to be quiet, and so the iPhone enters in and solves another of life’s little problems.

This time, with the help of Ambiance, an app by Matt Coneybeare.

Ambiance is like several other apps in that it provides you with looping sound effects.  This includes sounds such as a thunderstorm, wind blowing through trees in a forest, or waves on a beach.  There’s even sounds like R2-D2 beeping, a London train station, or a bathroom fan.  Where it differs is in its execution.

The developer takes requests for new sounds.  Those new sounds are added weekly, and a push notification alerts you when they are ready.  The sounds themselves are very high quality and the loops are quite long.  Most of the time, you won’t be able to notice where it loops and when you do, there’s often a good 3-4 minutes between each loop.

The app also allows you to make a playlist of sounds and determine a set time that it will play each one before switching to the next.  The switch is done via a gradual fade so that it’s not jarring.  Additionally, you can mix multiple sounds together and bring in tracks from iTunes as well.

Ambiance has solved a huge problem for me at work and anywhere else I need to concentrate.  It covers up the sounds around with me without adding its own set of distractions.  I just load up the app, tap my playlist, and get to work.

Ambiance is currently on sale for $0.99:  http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=285538312&mt=8

There is a lite version available for free:  http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305373796&mt=8

Disclaimer:  I am a total Apple fanboy.  Enjoy the bias.

The iPhone has changed my life.  Since I was a child, I’ve watched sci-fi and dreamt of, like the characters in so many movies and TV shows, being able to carry all the information in the world on a handheld device that could also provide me with entertainment and connect me to all my friends.

On June 29, 2007, the iPhone was released into the wild and I began reading all about it.  At the time, I was sadly still clouded by baseless Microsoft love, but I was able to recognize that Apple had changed the game.

My Windows Mobile device suddenly looked like a massive waste of resources.  I attempted to modify it with extra software, all designed to add UI features similar to the iPhone’s.

Soon after, my MS love faded away and I traded in my badge for a set of Apple stickers and an iMac…. followed by an iPod Classic… then an iPhone… then an iPhone 3G, which I then sold, regrettably… then another iPhone 3G, making my life complete again.

Ask anyone… if you see me, I’m more often than not looking down at the screen of my phone.  While walking, while talking, while taking a… well nevermind that.  Suffice to say, it never leaves my side.

It is my all-in-one digital device.

I play games, I watch TV shows, I listen to/watch podcasts, I listen to music, I look up the weather, I read Twitter, I read my RSS feeds, I look up any term or reference that comes up in conversation.  I’m rarely lacking a reason to have my phone out and active.

So, I intend to use my portion of this space to talk about the ways that having an iPhone affects the way I go about my daily business; the things that I now do differently simply because I happen to own this smartphone.

I’ll start it off here with a brief retelling of a story that occurred the very week I first purchased my first-gen iPhone.  I was meeting Rick and a friend at a coffee shop.  At the time, I was working from “home” for a developer.  It so happened, that on this day there was a telephone conference that I needed to call in for.  When the time came, I excused myself from my friends and sat in a nearby, somewhat secluded recliner, and dialed into the conference.

During the call, I switched over to Notes and took notes on anything I needed to remember for later.  Then, when it was being referenced during the call, I opened an e-mail my boss had just sent out, opened the Word doc attached to it, scrolled through it while it was being explained, and switched back and forth between that and my Notes.

When I sat back down with my friends, I laid the phone on the table and said “Totally worth it.”

Let me get back to the beginning first.  I’ve been thinking about picking up a netbook for the last 18 months.  There have been several units through the various iterations from the original 7” Asus EEE PCs, to the current crop of popular 10” units from multiple vendors.

I happened to choose the 11.6” Acer Aspire One, which has the model number 751 here in the U.S.  There were several reasons for choosing this unit instead of the 10” units that are available everywhere.  Key among them was the 1366×786 HD resolution and the full-size keyboard.  The fact that this unit shipped with 2GB of memory and a 250GB drive was only further inducement.

Now, those specs are pretty impressive for a netbook, even with the 3-cell battery included in this unit.  There are 6-cell versions out there too.  The downside for this model is the Intel Atom Z520 processor which clocks in at 1.33GHz.  It’s slightly underpowered in comparison to the N270 Atom chip (or so I’m lead to believe), even though it features hyper threading.

Even with the slower processor, the larger screen, higher resolution, and fullsize keyboard make up for the mediocre performance.  The key to that perspective also has to do with what I use the netbook for as well.  Since I no longer have need for high-power computing functionality like I used to, the system fits my needs quite nicely.  Heck, that’s what these things are for anyway, browsing, reading, writing, and more are the main functions anyway.

Interestingly, that Z520 chip is slightly underpowered for a reason – to squeeze more life out of limited power sources.  Such as the 3-cell battery included here.  I’ve not done any timed or load tests since I’m not into system testing, but rather I can give you some ideas on real-use battery life.  Simply, figure about 3hrs for normal use.  That’s including running either WiFi or a 3G USB modem.  Another nice thing in the power department is the super-small and lightweight AC adapter which, while not pocketable, is quite easy to pack along in smaller bags.

Overall, I’ve been quite pleased with the unit as a whole.  It’s less than 3lbs – 2.8lbs to be exact – and less than an inch thick.  There’s 3 USB ports, Ethernet, and VGA ports, and a switch for toggling WiFi quickly and easily.  Finally, the built-in webcam and memory card reader top off a pretty well rounded netbook.

So, what about that “first” one thing?  That was kinda strange, as it’s the first computer I’ve had that actually had an issue right out of the box.  At least a few hours from opening the box anyway.  Within about 3 days of light use it simply would power off after about 1 minute.  It literally would begin booting and then shutdown.  Even if I went into the BIOS, after about a minute or so, it’d shut down.  I think the first one was damaged or impaired in some way.

So, yes, I’m on the second unit, a nice pearl white one this time, and am quite happy with the swap.  The change from my 2 year old 15” dual core monster is profound, and rewarding for the work I do.  As both a mobile professional and consultant, having a more portable solution with me everywhere is a huge improvement in productivity.

Of course, the 3.0 upgrade last year had significant architectural changes within the browser, akin to the major changes in Windows from XP to Vista.  Last year, I had significant issues with plugins and such as well – which is similar to the software compatibility issues folks had with Vista too.

This time, however, with version 3.5, there were very few issues.  The only one I could point to in fact, was Google Gears which needed an additional week before it was updated to work with 3.5.  Everything else just worked, and worked well.

So, yes, I’m still a committed Firefox user and plan to be for a long time.  The new enhancements & performance of the browser is fantastic.  It really helps to enhance the added portability of the new netbook I picked up two weeks ago as well.

But that’s another post.

No, this isn’t a paid post. I found CompanionLink for Google Android in my searches for a reliable sync tool for Outlook & Gmail, which was maid imperative with my purchase of the T-Mobile G1.

In previous attempts, I’ve used Thunderbird with various contact and calendar sync tools, but they just didn’t cut it.  They also were a manual process for the most part.

CompanionLink is a great tool that just sits and runs in your Windows tray and keeps your contacts, calendar, and tasks synchronized in the background.  Great stuff.

December 15th, 2008 – SBSH Mobile Software announced today the release of the all new SBSH SafeWallet Pro for S60!. Following the recent release of SafeWallet Pro for BlackBerry devices, we are excited to bring today SafeWallet Pro also to our valued S60 users! SafeWallet Pro is a secure storage application designed to help you manage all your private information in one place!

SafeWallet Pro includes a mobile version for your S60 device and a PC companion that will ensure your sensitive information is with you all the time. Use SafeWallet Pro to store any sensitive information such as: credit cards info, online passwords, bank account info, registration codes, ATM PINs, contact information and much more!

SafeWallet uses 256-bit AES encryption, the same standard adopted by the U.S. government, along with security practices based on intelligence forces experience, to ensure the safety of your sensitive information!

SBSH SafeWallet Pro Highlights

Security First – Backed with 256-bit AES encryption engine that meets US government standards. Protect your information with encrypted wallets, Auto-Close preventing SafeWallet from running at the background and more!

Desktop Companion – SafeWallet Pro ships with a PC companion to bring a complete solution for both your S60 device and Windows PC! SafeWallet for PC and S60 automatically synchronize your wallets making sure your latest sensitive information is always with you!

Advanced Utilities – Card searching; Use Favorites folder to access your most used cards; Simple and user friendly interface that allows you to easily manage your wallets, folders and cards; Passwords copy to clipboard and more!

Cards & Templates – Use pre-defined templates to create cards based on your personal needs; Add, edit or remove fields from existing cards; Assign icons to cards and folders from over 250 professionally designed icons.

SafeWallet Pro for S60 offers a myriad of exciting features and innovations! Click here to read the full development note posted at our company forums

Pricing and Availability

SafeWallet Pro for S60 costs $24.95

SafeWallet Pro for S60 can be purchased using the SBSH Online Store at the following URL: http://www.sbsh.net/products/symbian_s60/safewallet_pro/add_to_cart

Downloads and Support

SBSH SafeWallet Pro 12 day trial version can be downloaded at the following URL: http://www.sbsh.net/products/symbian_s60/safewallet_pro/download

For any additional questions/suggestions we invite you to post at our forums: Click here to enter SBSH forums

Or Click here to contact our support team

About SBSH Mobile Software

SBSH Mobile Software is a rapidly growing software firm specializing in the mobile market, developing software solutions for Windows Mobile Professional, Classic and Standard devices, Symbian Series 60 devices and BlackBerry RIM devices. SBSH Mobile Software offers a variety of best-selling applications for the fast growing mobile market enhancing end-users experience and providing added-value for mobile devices.

SBSH Mobile Software LTD is a privately held company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. SBSH Mobile Software was founded in February 2002.

http://www.sbsh.net

Sporting a large 3.5” 360×640 display, the N97 is Nokia’s latest high-end phone, and their first full touch-screen device.  The N97 is mostly a 3G world-phone, missing only the 1700MHz band used by T-Mobile USA.  It does have quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band WCDMA/HSDPA so it will work with AT&T here in the U.S.

As usual with Nokia’s high-end N-series devices, it has the usual complement of Nokia goodness, and a 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss lenses.  Nokia “gets” the storage part too, with 32GB on-board memory and a microSD slot for future expansion options.

Check out PhoneScoop’s quick “hands on” overview (below) from Nokia World in Barcelona, and take a look at the full product sheet from Nokia here.

Via: PhoneScoop | Nokia World: N97 Hands On

Luckily as we progress into the future these all change and the ratio improves as technology improves and volume of scale reduces production costs.  Still, today we have an exceptionally large number of QVGA (240×320) devices on the market, and are only now seeing higher resolution devices being released.  The iPhone is probably the most well known higher resolution device with a resolution of 320×480, basically half-VGA (HVGA), with the T-Mobile G1 sharing this resolution.

The fun stuff is just starting to hit the market though, with 480×640 and 480×800 resolutions in the high-end devices.

All of this begs the question that Pocketables is asking: What is the minimum resolution for the mobile Internet?  Follow the link below to participate in the poll!

Via: Pocketables | Poll: Minimum screen resolution for mobile internet

It’s been the best smartphone I’ve yet had the chance to work with. While I’ve not had an iPhone (and probably won’t) I can tell you that in my experience, Android surpasses S60, Windows Mobile, and Palm.

I’m going to work up a great post about the device, covering the highs and lows of Android and the G1 hardware it runs on. It’s a winner for me, but I won’t deny that there are issues that need to be addressed by Google, and opportunities for independent developers.