Am I Getting an iPhone 5?

Many, many (many) people have asked me since the iPhone 5 was unveiled on Tuesday if I'm planning on getting one.

No, I'm not.

It's not that the phone isn't beautifully stunning (although, honestly, I can't bring myself to get excited about a larger device to keep in my pocket.  I found the original and subsequent iPhone's dimensions to be pretty well suited to fit perfectly in my jeans pockets.)

And it's not that the new display doesn't look incredible.  It does.

Frankly, it's just that I find myself in the same position I found myself in 2008 when the iPhone 3G (and again when the 3GS) was introduced: I'm still ridiculously happy with the iPhone I have.

I have an iPhone 4 that I pre-oprdered and got on the very first day they were available back in 2010. Do I wish it had Siri?  Sure.  But that's about the only thing I seem to be missing. It still does everything I need it to do very, very well and I'm still satisfied with the speed with which it does it.

But I'm a gadget guy.  Yeah, I know. But I'm not your typical rabid Apple fan who will buy any Apple product, no matter how stupid it is.  I have a conscience.  And a budget. And a family to support.  And I have other hobbies that are expensive, too.

So I'll just sit this one out and wait for a year or so until the iPhone 5S. But if you happen to get an iPhone 5, drop by and let me lick it.... er.... hold it for a minute.

Leaked iPhone 5 Official Video

Sprint to Offer Free FaceTime Over Wireless

From AppleInsider:

While AT&T hasn't confirmed or denied whether it will be charging for the upcoming FaceTime over cellular iOS feature, Sprint says it will offer the service for free when the next-gen mobile OS launches this fall. 

In a report regarding AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson's recent statements pertaining to a rumored fee for over-the-air video chat capabilities, The Wall Street Journalreported that a Sprint spokeswoman confirmed her carrier would be keeping with its unlimited model and is expected to offer the service free of charge.

I'm very seriously considering switching to Sprint now that they have the iPhone and don't seem interested in nickel and diming iPhone customers for the very reasons that people want to buy an iPhone.

On Android

People who claim they are happy with their Android phones are the same people who were happy they got Gobots instead of Transformers because they could pop off the arms and interchange them between robots.

Sure, the results were ugly and didn't work properly afterward, but you could do it.

The Way Reminders SHOULD Work

Dear Apple,

Your Reminders app in iOS5 is a great idea.  I love the location-aware nature of it.  But it's awfully hard to use, and that's not very Apple-ish.  I know, I know.... you're probably tired of people giving you grief about the Reminders app.  But I really do like it.  And I have a suggestion.

I should be able to set up a reminder directly from the maps app.  For instance,  this morning I'm going fishing at Seawolf Park in Galveston.  I searched for it on my Maps app and found it.  I should be able to add reminder for this location directly from the screen where I have the option to save as a contact, share my location and save as a bookmark.  There should be another button directly below those that reads "Set a Reminder for this Location."

The way it works currently, I'd have to add the location to my contacts first in order to set a reminder.  I don't want to do that.  There are lots of places I go all the time - the mall, the grocery store, a restaurant - that I might want to set a reminder for but don't want cluttering up my contacts list.  And since the Reminders app is a built-in app (and can't be deleted), there shouldn't be any reason why it can't have system-wide presence like Maps and does.  Heck, even some non-built-in apps have that kind of access ("Open in iBooks, for instance.)

So there it is.  It's a pretty simple request.  I'm sure you thought of it and just forgot to flip the switch on the code or something when iOS5 shipped.  So get on that, please?  It'll make Reminders a WHOLE lot more convenient to use.

Thanks!

Silly T-Mobile... Misdirection is for Rabbits!

From Appleinsider:

A T-Mobile exec has reportedly denied claims that the wireless operator will land iPhone 5 during the 2011 calendar year, leaving the German carrier as the only major U.S. cell service provider not expected to participate in Apple's launch next month.

The comments were reportedly made by T-Mobile's chief marketing officer Cole Brodman in a corporate newsletter distributed internally on September 15th, a copy of which was photographed and shared with TmoNews.com. 

“We are not going to get the iPhone 5 this year,” Brodman allegedly told T-Mobile employees, without further expanding on the matter.

...and he's correct.  But here's the secret: NOBODY is getting an iPhone 5 this year.  What will be announced (and released) next month is the iPhone 4 S.


Way to spread the FUD and muddy the waters a little there, genius.

Hey, Kids... What Time is it???

From 9to5Mac:

The next generation iPhone has reached the final testing stage (aka “AP” stage) and is now being carried around by high level Apple and carrier executives.

You know what that means, kids? Right! Time for Gizmodo to steal a prototype!

Delusional Analysts and Pipe Dreams

From TGDaily:

Will WP7 trounce the iPhone in 2015?

Sales of Windows Phone 7 devices have thus far been rather underwhelming. But analysts at IDC believe Microsoft's WP7 platform, combined with Nokia's hardware expertise, will help the rapidly evolving OS outpace Apple's iPhone.

However, Llamas acknowledged WP7 will initially only capture a "small share of the market," as Mango-enabled devices are slated to hit store shelves in late 2011.

"Nevertheless, assuming Nokia's transition to Windows Phone goes smoothly, the OS is expected to defend a number 2 rank and more than 20% share in 2015," he predicted.

And Apple's iOS?

Well, IDC exepcts the iPhone to remain a primary force in the mobile market until at least 2015. After an initial "explosive growth period," iOS is projected to grow at a more modest pace as the smartphone market matures and diversifies.







Nice piece of delusional fiction here. What they fail to mention (and that their chart doesn't show with much clarity) is that before WindowsPhone7 can "trounce" the iPhone, it's got to go through Blackberry and everyone who has a Symbian handset will have to get rid of it in the next three years. And in addition - and this is the delusional part - the iPhone would have to remain static, not innovate, and fail to capture any more sizable market share and Android would have to only gain 5% more share. In other words, for this twisted reality to come true, the majority of phones sold over the next four years would have to be Windows phones in order to not only out-pace Blackberry, iPhone and Android, but also to counter all the existing hardware from those manufacturers out there. Granted, the average lifespan of a smart phone is only two years, but with news of more and more enterprise clients actively turning away from Windows Mobile in favor iOS and Android, I just don't see it happening.

There's a huge probability that Blackberry will fail to innovate and implode, potentially opening up market share for WP7, but it's just as likely that Blackberry customers would migrate to iPhone or Android first. This analyst is assuming that Nokia's market share, combined with a Windows phone would be such a juggernaut that they would be damn near unstoppable. And honestly, who wouldn't want a phone from two powerhouses of yesteryear tech? Both companies are floundering wildly and clinging to every ounce of credibility they have left. Just because the maker of crappy, buggy software and the maker of crappy, buggy hardware make a phone together doesn't mean it will be like two ugly people having a baby together - it doesn't guarantee a beautiful baby. Two negatives don't make a positive here.

So, the short answer is: "no." The long answer is "Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

No iPhone 5 in June?

From AppleInsider:

Apple is not expected to introduce a new iPhone at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, as it has done in years past, and will instead focus on software for the 2011 show, according to a new report.

Bull.

Thoughts on NFC and the iPhone

Appleinsider reported a few days ago that Apple has decided not to include NFC - Near Field Communication - in the iPhone 5. I've always been dubious of NFC because of security reasons. I've never understood why people feel that it's acceptable to put some of their most sensitive information - their financial information linked to their bank account - on a credit card or key fab that can be read simply by being in proximity to it. And I wondered why the heck Apple would choose to do such a thing in the iPhone.

Lots of companies are using NFC for payments. But what if that's not what Apple was intending it for?

But while I was listening to an older episode of my new favorite podcast, Hypercritical with John Siracusa I realized what Apple might be trying to do with NFS. The conversation in the episode I was listening to revolved around input and out put and the size of the dock connector. Siracusa mentioned that the iPod dock connector is larger than the size of the shuffle, forcing Apple to use the headphone jack as a sync, and that the thinness of the iPod Touch was approaching the width of the dock connector itself.

But what if what Apple was trying to do was to remove the dock connector altogether?

One thing people - myself included - have been wanting ever since the original iPhone debuted in 2007 was a way to wirelessly sync the content. What if Apple is looking into ways to do just that? What is there is some sort of a NFC chip on steroids that Apple has been playing with that has a fast enough data throughput that it can sync wirelessly via Bluetooth. Now, granted, it won't be as fast as USB. But Apple is known for its tradeoffs, isn't it? And how would you like to never have to plug in your phone or iPod ever again? I'd like it a lot. And I'd especially like that I wouldn't have to remind my wife to sync her phone from time to time. She would just put it down on the desk near her computer to sync it.

An interesting note to this effect can be found on the NFC News blog:

Electronic News: Let's go back to the range. How will a short range be a benefit to the consumer electronics world?
Duverne: NFC can be seen as a connectivity technology that is very short range. If you compare it to Bluetooth, for example, NFC is just a few centimeters, less than 10. The thing about it in terms of consumer electronics applications is, because it is very short range, you can make applications very intuitive. With Bluetooth, when you carry out a Bluetooth transaction, you need to go through many steps and identify which device talks to which device. Because NFC is very short range, it is enabled by a very intuitive pairing of devices. In the consumer electronics world, that is very interesting and we see a number of applications in that space. For using NFC, actually, in combination with other wireless technologies.

Electronic News: In combination with Bluetooth?
Duverne: NFC in combination with Bluetooth for initiating a connection via NFC, then doing the transition of data with Bluetooth, which has a longer range. The way it would work, for example, is you have a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and you want to download pictures from your PC or TV set, you bring the two devices next to each other for initiation of the [NFC] link, then you can take the two devices away and the download of the pictures will be carried out by Bluetooth.

But if the iPhone doesn't plug in, how will you charge it?

Great question, but the tech already exists. It's called inductive charging. I used to have a shaver that could be charged just by placing it into a little cradle. It allowed the shaver to be waterproof and I didn't have to plug it in every day, avoiding wear and tear on connectors. You see inductive charging technology on display in the "charge mats" that are appearing in stores. And in the example mentioned above, my wife could charge her iPhone by placing it directly on her MacBook.

But, sadly, most people who have iPhones use a PC and not a Mac. And even those of us with Macs don't have the newest Mac. So how do people with PCs and older Macs use the technology? I suspect that Apple would need to make available its own flavor of charge pad, which connects via USB to their computer. But such a charge pad would need to come with a new iPhone, not come as a separate purchase, which would drive up the cost of the phone. And if the iPhone comes with its own charge pad, what's the use of building the technology into a MacBook, which would also add expense? I suspect that such dilemmas are why Apple reportedly has opted to wait on NFS.

So it may not be ready yet, but I'd bet that Apple is working on imbedding wireless technologies to sync and inductive charging technology to charge a device with the intent of making the iPhone, iPod and iPad ridiculously thin and light. Wireless is the future, and that means wireless everything.

If anyone can do it, it's Apple.

So You're Not Impressed by My iPad, But Wanna See Me Draw?

From Retrevo:

According to the Retrevo Gadgetology study using an iPad is lower on the list of things men and women find attractive than even reading a book.

Wow. That infographic pretty much sums up my entire college dating experience. Chicks just don't dig artists. And apparently, they don't dig geeks, either. Who knew?

Luckily, though, I found a Girl who's soft spot is for both artists AND geeks. I found the red-headed Holy Grail. :)

No Worries

A friend and I were having a conversation a few days ago after I showed her the "find my iPhone" app. I showed her how you can look up all your Apple mobile devices and find their location. Kristi was in Houston that day, so I showed her that it located Kristi at Cimarron Elementary. She said, "wow. that could be dangerous if someone looked you up and you weren't where you were supposed to be."

I guess that's true. But, as I told her, if you live your life with nothing to hide then there are no such problems. Not that she doesn't. I'm just sayin'.

Verizon Gets Told

From AppleInsider:

According to a report by Ars Technica, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller told members of the press that there would be no software pre-installed by Verizon.

Verizon has been a leading proponent of bundled software on its mobile phones, a practice users often deride as "crapware." In addition to forcing its own V CAST mobile music and app store and Navigator subscription GPS software, Verizon has also partnered with others to include apps for things that users can't remove without rooting their BlackBerry and Android phones.

Finally, someone stood up to Verizon and told them no. I'm not surprised it was Apple, either. Way to go, Apple!

I Expect Better From Apple

Yesterday, the alarm on my iPhone didn't go off to wake me (and my friend Aaron) up so that we could get up to get on the road after a wedding this weekend. My departure time wasn't so critical, but Aaron had a plane to catch. Luckily, I have an internal alarm that works pretty well. I just thought it was the strangest thing that my alarm didn't sound. I double (and triple) checked it and couldn't find anything wrong with the alarm settings.

Then this morning, Kristi had to get up early to get some work done. She wanted to get up between 3:30 and 4:00, but then her alarm didn't go off. Thanks again to my internal alarm, which woke me up at 4:05 so I could wake her up.

So for those that are counting, that's two alarms missed in two days on two different iPhones, both occurring after the new year rolled over. To me, that points to one thing: software glitch.

Then I found this this morning on AppleInsider:

Apple has confirmed an iOS bug where non-repeating alarms fail to ring on the first few days of the new year, recommending that users set recurring alarms until Jan. 3, when the alarms will resume working properly.

As various time zones entered the new year, reports began cropping up from iOS users whose one-time alarms had stopped functioning after the device's clock had ticked over to January 1, 2011. According to reports, the issue affects devices running the iOS 4.2.1, the latest version of iOS.

Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison responded to the reports by confirming to Macworld that Apple is aware of the problem. "We're aware of an issue related to non repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2," Harrison said. "Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3."

Guess what, Natalie? My wife's alarm didn't work on January 3.

Thanks, btw, Apple for letting everyone know about this before this occurred so that we could, you know, not set our iPhone alarms pointlessly and end up being late over the New Years weekend. If you knew about it ahead of time, you should have let us know that there might be glitch.

I expect this kind of shoddy crap from other companies, Apple, but not from you. I didn't buy a Zune, after all.

iPhone vs. Android vs. BlackBerry

From C-Section Comics:

Bed Intruder Song Guy Meets Sex Offender App

Remember when I told you that the Bed Intruder Song was destined to be a classic?

Check this out - in a stunning display of genius marketing, a new sex-offender tracking app for the iPhone features Antoine Dodson, the star of the "Bed Intruder Song" as its pitchman.

Pure genius.

Homemade Spacecraft

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

This seems like something I would be likely to try. Amazing.

Do yourself a favor and read the comments.

What Not to Do at an Apple Store

From iPhoneUserGuide:

Jailbreak a display model iPhone 4...




As funny as that is, the thing that made me laugh the hardest was the very first comment:

Sokobanja Says:
August 3rd, 2010 at 8:01 pm
You should not be doing that

Thanks to Matt.

Another One Bites the Dust

From Wired:

After a long and painful decline, Google has finally put the Nexus One phone out of its misery. After it has shifted the last batch of handsets, the search company will stop selling its first – and possibly last – Android handset.

After a big launch back in January, the Nexus One went into decline. It was sold only through Google's own web-store, and the lack-of a hands-on, try-before-you-buy option kept this online store a "a niche channel for early adopters", according toGoogle.

Good riddance. I'm so tired of hearing about how great and what an iPhone killer the nexus one was (supposed to be).

White iPhone: Your Great, Great, Great Granson's Phone

From AppleInsider:

Details of the manufacturing difficulties Apple has faced in producing the white version of the iPhone 4 have been detailed in a new report, which suggests supply will be extremely limited when the devices launch later this month.

The alleged problems were revealed this week by Chinese-language newspaper 21st Century Business Herald, which said that the manufacturing issues come from a factory in China known as Lens Technology. A worker with the company's quality control department said that the company is still trying to work out the right balance of paint thickness and opacity, in order to ensure the panel allows enough space for the digitizer overlay, but also gives the level of white that Apple expects the product to have.

Industry sources also indicated that each machine owned by Lens Technology can only cut three iPhone 4 glass covers per hour. The report said that the company's current production capacity can only meet half of Apple's demand for the iPhone 4.

I'm not great with the math, but after some quick figgerin' I come up with 72 iPhones a day. The black iPhone has sold 3 million units in just three weeks. It would take 41,667 days - or 114 years - at the current rate just to match what's already been sold.

I'm pretty sure some of the tech will be outdated by then.