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August 2008
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Some iPhone users reporting 2.0.2 update makes 3G network unusable for phone calls Was FiOS a smart bet for Verizon? Yes, but... Aerial photos of Burj Dubai, world's tallest building, which is nearly complete Fort Worth gets it's own Apple Store this weekend Apple offers another free contract extension to MobileMe users Mygazines.com lets you view magazines online for free, but for how long? New iPhone update hits; anyone seeing better 3G connections? 2008 Olympics are another sign that HDTV has gone mainstream Categories
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August 20, 2008
These shenanigans have gone on long enough, and I think it's time for Apple to admit that the 3G iPhone was (and still is) not ready for public consumption. 3G network connections are still reportedly abysmal, MobileMe is in such a state of disarray that Apple has already offered a second free extension to subscribers, and now Steve Jobs himself has apparently acknowledged that there's a known bug that causes some downloaded apps to simply stop working. By all accounts, the 2.0.2 update was a crapshoot, with some users reporting minor improvements, but other 3G iPhone users reporting that they can now no longer make calls at all. The bottom line is that the 3G iPhone is, at this point, simply too unstable to recommend to anyone. If yours is working flawlessly, hey, that's great. You played Russian roulette and won. But the mountain of bugs and glitches is simply becoming too huge to ignore. I'm guessing this situation will be ironed out in a month or so (assuming a full recall isn't necessary) with a collection of patches. But until then, I'd suggest staying away from the iPhone until Apple gets this train wreck back on the rails.  Comments (3) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Do not buy the 3G iPhone" is tagged: 3G , Apple , iPhone , MobileMe August 19, 2008
This doesn't sound good. Ars technica is reporting that the recent software update has left some iPhone owners unable to make phone calls over the 3G network, leaving them with a "call failed" error message. Apparently some people say they can still makes calls over the Edge network, but it sounds like other people are losing the ability to call at all. I know that the traditional caveat in these situations is to say that this issue is likely only affecting a small portion of users. But given all the reports out there -- not to mention the findings in our own poll -- I suspect 3G connection problems are actually a fairly widespread issue. Perhaps not on par with Microsoft's infamous "red ring of death" meltdown with the Xbox 360, but nevertheless something that Apple must be worried about. Comments (1) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Some iPhone users reporting 2.0.2 update makes 3G network unusable for phone calls" is tagged: 2.0.2 , 3G , Apple , call failed , iPhone
The New York Times has an interesting article on the debate among some investors about whether Verizon overspent (about $23 billion) on its fiber optic FiOS network. For most consumers, though, the investment debate is kind of academic. As the article points out, for a $100 billion-a-year company like Verizon, even a FiOS-level expenditure isn't a back breaker, so it's not like the managers at Verizon are scrambling to figure out if they can afford pens and toilet paper at the executive offices. The bigger issue, I think, is not whether Verizon can afford the tech investment (they can) or whether the technology is a big upgrade over existing systems (it is). The real concern I have, as a FiOS customer, is that Verizon is putting far too much focus on signing up new customers and not enough on expanding its FiOS services to those customers once they sign their contracts. In other words, where the heck are my new high definition TV channels, Verizon? Satellite companies, in particular, are soaring past Verizon in this area, and I'm considering dropping my FiOS television service this fall when Netflix streaming finally goes live on the Xbox 360. At that point, I'll be able to get the networks in HD for free via an antenna, stream television shows from Netflix to my TV via my XBox 360, download HD movies from Microsoft's own Xbox 360 video store or the Sony PlayStation 3 video store, rent movies from Netflix's regular rental service, or hook up my laptop to my TV to watch legal videos on a variety of streaming services. In other words, I won't be missing much, and I won't have to pay a monthly fee, other than for my Netflix account, which I'm already paying now. Now, if Verizon does roll out a bunch of cool HD channels, I might stick around. But, at this point, they're not doing much to earn that loyalty. Comments (3) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Was FiOS a smart bet for Verizon? Yes, but..." is tagged: fios , Verizon
Here are some amazing aerial photos of the Burj Dubai, which will reach nearly a kilometer into the sky when completed next August. Frankly, it's a little hard for me to even grasp the scale of this thing. Click on the image for the full size photo. There are additional shots at the link.
Via Gizmodo. Comments (1) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Aerial photos of Burj Dubai, world's tallest building, which is nearly complete" is tagged: Burj Dubai , photos , world's tallest building
At 10 a.m. Saturday Apple will open it's 15th retail store in Texas at University Park Village in Fort Worth. They usually hand out t-shirts to the first few hundred in the door, so stop by if you're in the neighborhood. I'm guessing they'll have a good selection of iPhones. Comments (0) Leave comment
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I'm up to 44 followers now on Twitter, but I have to admit that I still don't feel like I have the hang of this thing yet. But what about you? Are you a Twitter user? Take the poll! UPDATE: By the way, you might want to also subscribe to the Dallas Morning News Twitter feed and the DMN's breaking news Twitter feed. (Shameless plug concluded.) Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Poll: Do you use Twitter?" is tagged: Twitter
Sounds like Apple still doesn't have this whole "cloud computing" thing figured out yet. Cnet posts an e-mail that Apple sent Monday to MobileMe subscribers: We have already made many improvements to MobileMe, but we still have many more to make. To recognize our users' patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60-day extension. This is in addition to the one-month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working very hard to make MobileMe a great service we can all be proud of. We know that MobileMe's launch has not been our finest hour, and we truly appreciate your patience as we turn this around. Read this article for more details. The MobileMe Team Apple is also discontinuing its fairly pathetic MobileMe status blog (no comments, promised posts never materialized), and instead directing users to a new MobileMe status page. Still, as tempting as it is to just bash Apple for their mistakes (and they certainly deserve a fair amount of criticism), Web-based applications are not easy, as even Google, which does nothing but Web apps, can attest. Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Apple offers another free contract extension to MobileMe users" is tagged: Apple , cloud computing , MobileMe August 18, 2008
Mygazines sounds like a great concept: users scan every page of magazines as they hit newsstands, and then you can leaf through the digital copies on the site. It's a total copyright violation, though, and according to Cnet, the magazines have been trying to get the site shut down. It seems like that would be tough, since the site is registered in the Caribbean island of Anguilla and hosted in Sweden. But where there's a will, there's a lawsuit. This is one of those ideas that, like Pandora, the official copyright holders should have thought of a long time ago, and, barring that, should have immediately adopted as soon as they heard of it. Due to what I assume is a tsunami of traffic, Mygazines.com has barely worked for me today, but does seem to be up right now. But, like Pandora, I would guess Mygazines is going to be throttled by the legal copyright holders, who will then go back to business as usual and wonder why sales are falling off a cliff. Comments (2) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Mygazines.com lets you view magazines online for free, but for how long?" is tagged: copyright , magazines , Mygazines , Pandora
This isn't the big 2.1 update that everyone is waiting for, but various outlets are reporting that a 2.0.2 update for the iPhone (and iPod Touch) has become available on iTunes. I don't know if this update does anything to improve 3G network connections, but, if our (admittedly unscientific) poll is any indication, it's a problem Apple needs to address sooner rather than later. Here are the current results on the poll. Feel free to keep voting, and I'll update the numbers later this week if they change significantly:
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| E-mail entryThe entry "New iPhone update hits; anyone seeing better 3G connections?" is tagged: 3G , Apple , iPhone , update
The New York Times has some interesting data on how NBC has upgraded its high definition broadcasts of the Olympics this year compared to 2004: Four years ago, when NBC broadcast the Athens Olympics, the network (which was the first United States broadcaster to shoot the Olympics in HD) offered just 399 hours of HD coverage of six sports, plus the opening and closing ceremonies. Those lucky (or rich) enough to own an HD set were treated to entirely separate coverage, with a limited number of cameras and an entirely different, second-string announcing staff. At this year's Beijing Olympics, the entire event -- approximately 1,700 hours spread across multiple channels, covering 34 sports in 37 venues -- is being shot in HD, using the same cameras and the same on-air talent seen by those with standard-def sets. Thanks to sharp cost reductions, virtually every camera used -- from studio cameras to the tiny "lipstick" cameras embedded in the archery targets that show you what it's like to get hit by an arrow -- are all HD. Of course, that just makes the crummy Web video that NBC is putting on its site all the more annoying. But I would guess that in 2012, most, if not all, of the Olympics coverage on the Web will be in HD, as well. Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "2008 Olympics are another sign that HDTV has gone mainstream" is tagged: HDTV , high definition , Olympics
I've been keeping an eye on the Samsung Omnia for awhile, and the folks at Engadget Mobile recently got to test an import unit of the Windows Mobile device. They reviewed an Omnia that was not designed to be used in the U.S., so I'm assuming that any model officially released here in the States will be capable of using a 3G network. And that was the only real flaw the Engadget crew came up with in their model: In the final analysis, despite its faults, the Omnia's strengths vault it to the head of the WinMo class for the moment, particularly in this form factor. We think that a slide-out QWERTY version would do very well for Samsung as well -- as would a true world 3G model, of course. I think the WinMo -- and even Android -- phone makers have a real opening, with all the stumbles Apple has had with the 3G iPhone, and the Omnia looks like a contender for anyone looking to get a sleek, powerful smart phone. Assuming this thing is available for $200/$300 in subsidized form here in the U.S. at some point, I'd consider it. Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "Engadget has a review of the Samsung Omnia, and I'm still intrigued" is tagged: 3G , iPhone , Omnia , Samsung , smart phones
I ranted a bit last week about the notion that touchscreen monitors are going to become ubiquitous in desktops and laptops, and I said that separate touchpads that rest on your desk next to your keyboard make more sense than making your monitor touch-enabled. Well, in response, Phil Coyne, CEO of Silicon Valley- start-up company SiMa Systems Inc., e-mailed me to let me know his company is working on just that kind of device, dubbed the TOUCHÉ. I'm sure there are other similar devices out there, but this is pretty much what I was envisioning. Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "SiMa Systems TOUCHÉ touchpad device makes more sense than touchscreen monitors" is tagged: SiMa Systems , TOUCHÉ , touchscreen
The iPhone has a notoriously wimpy 2 megapixel camera built in, and strapping this humongous telescope to that feeble camera is not likely to turn you into Ansel Adams. And while everyone appreciates a bargain, the fact that this unit costs just $19 does not inspire confidence. Apple really needs to include a better camera in the next version of the iPhone if current owners are resorting to these kinds of absurd "upgrades." Comments (0) Leave comment
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| E-mail entryThe entry "6x zoom telescope for iPhone camera will brand you as moron" is tagged: Apple , camera , iPhone , telescope August 16, 2008 |
From what I understand Fios is launchin
I don't mean to stomp on what i'm sure
victor, I've come to expect better from
I bought my iphone 3G because I was abo
I agree with bob. A class action law s
After installing the new update (2.02)
I live in Dubai and yes, it is hard to
ever since i updated to 2.0.2 which i h
i haven't installed either update on my
My iphone screen broke after 2 weeks be