See You In 24 Hours

When did life ever get so busy? Between tweeting, friendfeeding, texting, facebooking, blogging &YouTubing, I've found that living in the era of life streaming (which for you non-geeks means posting frquent updates about life online) to become a bit overwhelming.






While a large part of this is due to my iPhone (which makes is easy to tweet, Friendfeed, etc. more often), much of the blame rests with me and my desire to digitalize my life in cyber space for future generations to explore over.

So for the next 24 plus hours I'm going to tune out all social networks and refrain from texting.

Yes, even texting her.



This includes email as well (and I'm turning off push updates so my iPhone won't alert me of the 100 plus messages that come through daily).

What will I do in the meantime? I'll probably read a book or three (as I have dozens on my iPhone that are feeling neglected) or even go see a movie tomorrow (G-force, Harry Potter or the horrendous GI Joe).

So until Sunday, good night all! And don't forget to get some exercise in the sunshine or catch a flick at the movie theatre).

Peace!


--Posted via iPhone

Love Is Like An iPhone

Love is like an iPhone

It keeps me focused on life

Reminds me of what is important

And gets feisty if I cause strife

Love is like an iPhone

You feel lost when its not around

You'll hunt down its last position

And rejoice when it is found

Love is like an iPhone

It's programed to make you smile

It will entertain you for hours

And make stressful days worthwhile

Love is like an iPhone

It can become quite expensive!

But you don't mind the cost

For its quality is extensive

Love is like an iPhone

It knows the music of your heart

It adapts to your changing tastes

And imports only the best parts

Love is like an iPhone

It sucks up time and energy!

It demands a strong commitment

As it requires a lot of synergy

Love is like an iPhone

It must be treated with care

If you abuse it, others will notice

So treat it right and treat it fair

Love is like an iPhone

Its a privilege but not a right

It should never be taken for granted

And never surrendered without a fight

That is why I love my iPhone

And I think it loves me too

I'll never exchange it for another

For no other phone will do

Poem by Darnell Clayton

Note: Images will be add in later!

Palm Pre's Upcoming Failure (And How They Can Avoid It)

Unless you are apart of the alternate reality know as the geek-a-sphere, then you probably have not heard about the upcoming Palm Pre, exclusive to Sprint.

While this device rivals the iPhone in several ways (one of them being multitasking), this device is doomed to fail--although through no fault of it's own (with one exception).



Dude, where's my App?

After being inspired by jailbreaking hackers, Apple launched an app store which everyone from Google Android to Blackberry copied.

To my knowledge, Apple has over 30,000 apps while Android has a few thousand (note: I have no clue what Blackberry's numbers are).

If Palm Pre launches without some App momentum behind them, they may not attract many users because their too busy coveting Stanza, Ocarina or Joost which are on the iPhone (but may not be elsewhere).

Solution: Palm Pre needs to entice the iPhone developer community in order to attract the masses by the thousands.

With many iDevelopers in an uproar against Apple over a delay of payment, now would be the perfect time to "steal away" developers from Steve Jobs.

My suggestion? Offer the first 10,000 developers 100% commission for the first month of operation, and extend that offer for another month for those who end up in the top 10.





Compare yourself, with thyself

When Sprint launched the Instinct, one of their first mistakes was comparing themselves against the iPhone. Not only did Apple receive free advertising, but it showed just how clear the screen was.

Palm (and Sprint) should let the pundits compare and contrast the phones, and not marketing execs (unless they want a public backlash).

Palm and Sprint are doing a great job of this this far, although I fear desperation for attention might kick in ruining everything (especially with WWDC rolling around in June).

Solution: Highlight your phone, wait for the Apple mania to pass (give it two weeks) before proceeding to the next idea below.





Palm Pre What?

While many people have heard of Palm--at least in the corporate world--very few in the mainstream have heard of Palm Pre.

Let's face it, everyone has heard about the iPhone. I know plenty of kids (8 years or younger) who know exactly what an iPhone is and (sadly) think nothing can compare to it.

Suggestion: Since neither Palm or Sprint can match Apple's market share (at least immediately), my suggestion is they introduce the world to the Palm Pre via talk shows like Oprah and Ellen.

They should focus on why the Palm Pre is "Oprah/Ellen friendly," and then give one to every member of the audience (with 6 months free service).

This would generate headlines beyond the realm of geek, and help establish Palm as a serious iConpetitor.





Conclusion: You are probaly wondering why I, an iFanatic would seek Palm and Sprint's success, instead of their demise.

Truth be told while I probably would never exchange my iPhone for a Palm Pre (at least without seriously testing the Pre), I do want a strong rival to appear against Apple, instead of these half baked attempts by the Blackberry Storm (who needs a UI design for their phone) and Google Android (who has a software hardware dissconnect on the HTC).

Palm is currently my best hope that a serious iRival will emerge which will not only save both companies from financial ruin (that would be Palm and Sprint), but it would spare me the agony of hearing "Hi, I'm an iPhone--and hi, I'm an Android Phone" in the not so distant future.

--Posted via iPhone

Is The Ticket To The Future Always Open?

Of all the televisions shows that I have watched since I was little, none have left a larger impression upon me than a Japanese anime flick called Trigun.

Anyways while watching the Trigun anime many moons ago, I came across an interesting quote from the main character, Vash the Stampede:

"The ticket to the future is always open."

With hyperinflation (via massive deficits), swine flu and pychotic dictators preaching nuclear war against their neighbors, I sometimes wonder if the future is going to be as open and friendly as I always dreamed it would be.

Despite the seriousness of these issues, the US is as polarized as ever, with both sides making childish remarks against each other (such as "the party of no" or Telepromter of the US aka TOTUS) instead of finding solutions on common ground.





What ever happened to the help thy neighbor attitude, even if you disagreed with most of their political views?




Perhaps I am naive, but I do know that if we don't figure out how to work together, the US will be finished as an economic power (not to mention a military one as well).

Which brings me to another quote from Trigun by Rem Saverem:




"And if you can keep your vision clear, you will see the future. What happens in our future is our own responsibility."

I think it's time we start working together instead of taking shots at each other, as if the other party were the full reincarnation of the Nazi party.

Because whether we like it or not, it's going to take ALL OF US to solve these unprecedent times--and if we can not even do that then we might as well dust off our passports and start taking classes in Manderin (aka Chinese).

--Posted via iPhone

Blogger Vs WordPress (And Why I Choose Both)

I hate to dissappoint the fan boys and girls on both sides of the fence, but this is not a post bashing one side or the other.

Rather it is simply my reflection of two of the most popular blogging services, Blogger (as well as it's eternal beta Blogger in Draft) and WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com, which I would not recommend using due to it's limitations, which I'll explain below).



Where WordPress Excels

What I love about WordPress can be summed up in one word: design.

You'll won't find a larger collection of beautiful themes outside of this platform, which probably explains why do many Blogger themes are imported from WordPress.

While there are plenty of free WordPress themes out there, I would recommend purchasing a premium theme (like Elegant Themes which is inexpensive).

Another thing I love about WordPress is that it is comment friendly. Instead of using CAPTCHA's or weird puzzles, WordPress users can use Askimet (spelling?) which uses geek magic to decipher between the spammers and the humans (WordPress.org users I would recommend using WP Spam Free which is better--and free!).

These anti-spam plugins keep make the WordPress commenting design much friendlier--unless of course you are a spammer. ;-)

Last but not least the ability to add pages is a plus, which allows you to create an "about me" section, making your blog much more professional.




Where Blogger Excels

Owned by Google, Blogger is the most popular blogging platform online. If I could sum up Blogger in one word, it would be this: freedom.

When it comes to posting media content (whether images, video or iframe documents) Blogger has IMHO no close rival. Users are allowed to embed content from anywhere, without the fear of it being blocked due to "security reasons" (which is why I don't use WordPress.com).

You can also embed content from Google Docs, a feature I found to be lacking in WordPress (both of them).

Over in the Blogger in Draft arena, users can easily adjust the position of the image within the post by simply dragging it, a feature that makes "dressing up" the post all the easier.

This one feature saves me a lot of time, as I don't have to muck with the code in order to find the perferct picture placement.

Users can also upload video directly into Blogger, without the need to upload it on YouTube or elsewhere, which is great way to keep the video on your blog instead of infront of the public masses.

Last but not least Blogger's widgets make it very easy to add, adjust or remove content from your blog, without the need to enter within the admin arena.

Conclusion

While I could have mentioned other items (like WordPress Plugins or specific Blogger widgets), these above pretty much sum up the major differences between the two.

Since neither WordPress or Blogger are meeting my complete needs, I've decided to use both platforms until one of them steps up their game. I already have 8 blogs (4 on Blogger, 2 on WordPress.com and 2 running WordPress.org on my own server).

Both WordPress and Blogger are excellent services, although if you are short on cash I would recommend using Blogger (as you can blog on your own domain for $10/year) although if you prefer to host you own blog on your own server, I would suggest using WordPress.org.


--Posted via iPhone

I'm Officially Ending My Yahoo Boycott (Starting Today)

Ever since Yahoo sold it's soul the mighty Yuan a few years back by illegally handing user information over to the Chinese authority (which resulted in this poor guy being tortured) I decided to boycott all things Yahoo.

While this may seem trivial to Google fanboys (and girls), this meant that I had to give up some very useful services, like Del.icio.us, Flickr and Jumpcut.

Even though Jerry Yang eventually apologized, I still didn't feel like placing my info upon their servers until I felt like the company actually cared about keeping it's users happy than about how many bearocratic rear ends they kissed.

After reading about Yahoo's current spout with Belgium over user privacy (in which they are protecting the user rights of a few douchbags) I have decided to end my boycott by opening a new Flickr, Delicious and Jumpcut account, as well as unblock Yahoo ads online.

I may even join Yahoo Publisher, although for now I am quite satisfied with Google AdSense. :-)


-- Post From My iPhone

Dear iPhone, Your BFF Has Arrived!

My iPhone battery extender has just arrived in the mail.

While I didn't expect it to arrive this early (as the USPS tracker was not updating) I am now glad that I can Tweet/blog/game/do excel sheets/game/heavily edit photos/game/Facebook/friendfeed without having to worry about my battery dying. :-)


-- Post From My iPhone

I'm Suing Google (For Text Spamming Me To Death)

Okay, before this reaches Techmeme, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am not suing Google, rather I am VERY frustrated that one of their online office suites, Google Calendar will NOT stop sending me text messages reminders despite the fact that I sent the STOP command, and even turned off reminders in my gCalendar event.

I thought this was an isolated case, but it seems that numerous folks are experiencing the same thing, on various carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile).

Since these texts are costing me money, I am going to ban Google indefinitely until this problem is either resolved, or Congress grants me a personal bailout.

Note: For those of you suffering under the same thing as well, just simply call your provider and have them block 483-68.

Dear Google, Please KEEP GrandCentral!

Okay, for those of you who have no idea what GrandCentral is, it is like the Gmail for voicemail, organizing your calls and even blocking telemarketers/spam (giving them a "this number has been disconnected" message--heh).

Here is a video explanation below (I think before Google bought them out).

Unfortunately with the recent shutdown of several Google services, some are wondering whether or not Google will be shutting down other services like GrandCentral (which I use on my iPhone thanks to GrandDialer).

Even though GrandCentral is currently free, I am perhaps one of the many users who would be willing to pay a monthly fee to keep it alive.

While Google has not announced any plans to cut any other services, I am attempting to start a mini blog/twitter campaign in order to keep GrandCentral from falling under the Google Axe.

GrandCentral is not only one of the few Google projects that has the potential of revolutionizing its respective arena entirely (in this case voicemail), but also pull its own wait (with a premium feature).

So Google, if you are reading this, please DO NOT DISCONTINUE GrandCentral!!!

Pretty please? :*-(

I was wondering if anyone would


Update (1/27): It looks like Google has some big plans for GrandCentral. :-) Stay tuned!

Sweet! A gOS Netbook That's iPhone Friendly

While I am still planning on eventually purchasing a HP TouchSmart (as you can not beat a touch screen PC), I may have to take a detour and pick up a gOS laptop (as it boots up in both gOS and Vista).

Unfortunately in order for me to use my iPhone, I need to purchase a laptop/notebook that runs Windows/OS X (as iTunes is still not Linux friendly--at least the latest version). Since both are running at a premium right now (especially Apple), the gOS Cloud might suit my needs.

Unfortunately no one has mentioned where/when it will be available (although if anyone knows feel free to inform me in the comment section below).

Update: Forgot to credit LifeHacker for the discovery, plus point readers to the gOS blog for more info. :-)

One Good Thing About Recessions: Cheap Books!

While I am not too thrilled about the overall state of the economy, one thing I have noticed is the abundance of knowledge at cheap prices.

Books that I would never purchase due to the price are now a fraction of their original cost!

This is true for both the online world as well as the physical, as one can examine my (steadily growing) ebook collection on my iPhone.

Ironically, reading all of these books has sparked my interest in writing one myself. I have a few titles in mind, although before I dive in I think I'll check out this book below (which I found many years ago but have put off reading until now).



Note: I may have to hire an artist after the book is done (assuming I finish writing it 6 months from now). Does anyone know of any good artists out there?

-- Post From My iPhone

Google Launching Its Own Browser (Goodbye Firefox, IE And Opera)

Just when I was having even more problems with Firefox 3 (its hogging memory again like its predecessors), Google goes ahead and announces that they are releasing a browser to the world (aka the rumored "gBrowser").

(Official Google Blog) Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build. [...]

Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better. By keeping each tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.

I currently use three different browsers (four if you count Safari on my iPhone). While Firefox is my main browser, I have been finding that the browser often crashes whenever I visit GoDaddy.com, forcing me to open up Internet Explorer 8 (aka IE8).

The situation gets even worse whenever I attempt to open up FeedBurner, in which both Firefox and IE8 are unable to display portions of the page, forcing me to open up Opera.

Hopefully Google Chrome (which is launching tomorrow) will help put an end to this chaos, as the last thing I want is to be juggling between several different browsers (with iTunes, Skype and a half of dozen programs on the side).

You can check out their "cartoon explanation" regarding the new browser over here.

(Hat Tip: TechCrunch)

Will LaLa.com Replace iTunes?

 

I have to say that my love affair with iTunes--despite the fact that they helped introduce me to the iPhone--is quickly coming to an end.

I just discovered LaLa.com (ironically discovered through Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone App) which basically allows me to listen to the full song before I purchase it (something Steve Jobs should have included).

They basically give users two options. You can either purchase a web version (which means you can listen to the song anytime online) for 10 cents, or download the entire song for 89 cents (compared to Apple's 99 cents per song).

Albums are even cheaper, which means that the only thing I will be ordering from iTunes will be iPhone Apps (as I already get my shows from Amazon Unbox--sorry Apple).

Dude! Verizon CEO Is Pissed (About The iPhone)

Is it me, or can you sense the jealousy in his response?

(C | NET) The head of the telecom giant seemed a bit irritated about Apple's march into the mobile phone industry when he answered a question posed by the Financial Times about Apple's chances of reaching the mass market with the iPhone 3G by saying, "There goes the conspiracy again. You're declaring them a winner before they've earned it on the field."

Seidenberg's main contention seems to be that the iPhone isn't a success because it has such a small share of the overall mobile phone market, which is sort of like arguing that GM is more successful than Ferrari because they sell more cars. While it's true that Apple has a long way to go before it dominates the U.S. mobile phone industry to the degree that Verizon does, it's only been a year.

Someone sounds a little upset against Apple. Later on, when talking about Verizon's "plan" against Apple he ends the article by saying:

"Steve Jobs eventually will get old...I like our chances," Seidenberg told the FT.

Sheesh! Talk about bitter! Instead of providing snarky remarks, why doesn't Seidenberg actually team up with an awesome smart phone--you know like HTC Touch Diamond or even convince LG to make another phone (as their Voyager was a let down).

And he wonders why people like me left Verizon for AT&T/Cingular (hint: it had nothing to do with customer service).

For all the iPhone wonders/doubters/apple haters out there, you will not be disappointed with this phone. After using it for about three months (note: has it been this long?) I can not honestly figure out how I used a cell phone before without full access to the internet, a real music player/organizer and visual voicemail.

Not to mention the fact that I can customize it with almost 2,000 web apps! (soon to be downloadable!)

So unless you live in Canada I would highly recommend this phone to everyone! Well, except for Seidenberg that is.

Highlander On Hulu! Sweet!

What can be better than a bunch of guys (and some girls) swinging swords at each other without a care in the world?

Okay, a lot of things can be better than that. But it looks as if Hulu.com has added all six seasons of Highlander! :-)

Here is the first episode below (note: for those of you outside the US, you can use Open Hulu to view these shows).

Dream Car Come True? (Aptera)

Imagine a car that can go 300 miles a gallon (120 miles for electric). Well, imagine no further...

While the Venture Vehicle is still the car I am eying, although I think the Aptera comes in at a close second...mainly because its more expensive. ;-)

Sweet! iPhone Battery Extender (Within 24 Hours)

It looks like I can finally order my iPhone battery extender via Mophie, as there never seems to be enough energy for the phone to go around.

Here is a video review, courtesy of iPhone Buzz:

I'll have to put this on the "must have by next month" list, as I am cash right now (or rather I have the cash, although I don't feel like breaking my budget).

(Hat Tip: Macworld)

Video: LG Vu Phone (iPhone Killer?)

It looks like there is another "iPhone clone," this time by LG (note: to my knowledge LG was the first that came out with the touch screen, but Apple popularized it).

Sprint (via Samsung) released a similar version earlier, although it may need a few more months of development as the phone was crashing in front of the tech press.

LG seems to be more of a finished product, although ironically it seems to be exclusive to AT&T (just like the iPhone). Verizon and Sprint must be hating that. :-)

Sprint Releases iPhone Killer?

Finally, a phone to take on the iPhone! (although I am still in love with mine).

Its called the Samsung Instinct, and from the video below it sure does look fairly interesting.

Its from Sprint, and they are promoting this phone on NowIsGood.com (hat tip: CrunchGear).

They are releasing it this June, which should help them compete against AT&T. It only holds 2GB of memory, although hopefully they will be offering more (as I am approaching 2GB on my iPhone).

My only advice to Sprint is to make sure there are a lot of "third party apps" to go along with this phone, otherwise they will only be able to retain people on their own network at best (as the iPhone is already gone over 1,300 apps).

Radio On My iPhone?

Hey, this is definitely something I never dreamed stumbling upon. And the best part is not even TechCrunch mentioned this (although Eric did suggest something to this effect).

Basically its a "radio" station for your iPhone. It will stream music to your iPhone, giving users the ability to choose which genre they want to listen to (or better yet, the Beatles if that's all your into).

Here's a video explaining the details.

I came across this while searching the iPhone Web Apps, and users can access on their iPhones by pointing their browser at http://www.FlyTunes.fm/.

Update: Corrected post for grammar.

Update: Engadget posted about this about two months ago. You just can't win.