iPhone 2.01 Update Available

Disappointed iPhone Owners Abound

iPhone 2.0 / emailing a geotagged picture to Flickr

Emailing a geotagged picture to Flickr doesn't work.

I've been trying to send geotagged pictures to my Flickr account via email. Guess what. iPhone 2.0 strips the EXIF data (that's where the geo tag is) out of the picture before it emails it. Dumb. Why? Security? iPhone users are way past the security issue. Flickr users are talking about it here. I hope Apple fixes this soon.

Update: lockergnome pointed me towards AirMe (available on Apple's AppStore) for geotagged uploads to Flickr.

iPhone 2.0 update - Tardy Developer

One of the guys on my team was late coming in this morning. Why? The iPhone 2.0 update didn't restore his recurring alarms. Damn, you Jobs. Were you late today because of your iPhone 2.0? Maybe I'm just a sucker ; )
--------------------------------------------

UPDATE:

Turns out the iPhone 2.0 upgrade did not copy over my recurring alarm
clock. Damn you, Jobs.

On Jul 14, 2008, at 10:00 AM, Alex Boone wrote:

> Hey guys-
>
> I feel really stupid but I overslept my alarm this morning (by a
> long shot). I'll be in the office ASAP.

iPhone 2.0 update = FRUSTRATION

Friday, July 11th, I loved Apple and hated Apple. I hated Apple because the iPhone 2.0 update bricked my iPhone for a good part of the morning. Restarting iTunes over and over again, hoping for a connection to the Apple update server, isn't my idea of a good time. I loved Apple for the App Store and adding Microsoft Exchange support to the iPhone.

By the end of the day, I was impressed, and felt good about the update. I was still an Apple fan.

After having spent the weekend with the update I'm frustrated. Battery life is a problem for me now and it wasn't before and for some reason the phone likes to shut down completely when I leave it alone for too long. Most likely, some of these problems can be attributed to one, or more,  of the 3rd party applications I downloaded from the App Store. But shouldn't Apple do a better job of protecting the core of the phone from poorly written App Store applications? After all, they do a pretty job of protecting the core of the U.I. from poorly written applications.

iPhone 2.0 might have more bling but iPhone 1.0 was a better phone. iPhone 2.0 will get better with time but I won't be too surprised if some people want their iPhone 1.0 back. Did Apple add too much bling to iPhone 2.0? Apple, remember this, in the end - it's a phone. Still an Apple fan.

1st Apple AppStore Purchase

I just purchased my 1st iPhone app through the Apple App Store. What did I buy? Joe Kueser's Fuel Gauge (iTunes link) for .99 cents. Fuel Gauge is currently #9 on the App Store Top 25 list. I'm going to use it to see just how much gas my 84 Toyota Land Cruiser is sucking down.

The purchase process was amazingly easy. I think the App Store and more importantly the iPhone apps are going to fuel some major growth in Apple's share of this market. Contrasting this experience with my experience installing apps on Microsoft-based SmartPhones - no comparisson.

IMO, developers are going to flock to this platform because it does so much to provide the commerce infrastructure and it doesn't take a whole lot (because Apple provides so much in terms of U.I. guidance and coding tools) to write something that's pretty handy for the iPhone.

WOW - I'm really impressed with the 2.0 upgrade so far. I'm also really like the addition of Microsoft Exchange Support - it's interfacing with our Zimbra server perfectly.

iPhone 2.0 update = Error

Accessing iTunes Store........
Accessing iTunes Store........
Accessing iTunes Store........
Accessing iTunes Store........

Error

Early this morning, I anxiously slipped my battle hardened 1st GEN iPhone into the warm embrace of its' docking craddle this morning to receive the update we've both been anticipating for so long. Nearly shaking, I clicked the button to check for an update in iTunes hoping that the coveted update would be available to my anxiously waiting iPhone. It is! Hooray! I clicked the appropriate buttons to start the update process and sat back to check email and sip my steaming coffee. It's going to be a good day. The stock market might be coming apart on bad news from the mortgage companies and increasing oil prices but the iPhone 2.0 update is here so it's all good.

Error We could not complete you iTunes Store request. An unknown error occurred (-4)
There was an error in the iTunes Store. Please try again later.

Crap, maybe the world really is coming unglued. Now I'm stuck without a phone and I feel like my trusted iPhone doesn't know who I am anymore. Will it wake up and remember me? Come back friend. My coffee is cold now and it's NOT all good here.

I'm not the only one - there are others.

UPDATE 07/11 9:47AM P TIME: Getting some traction with the iTunes store. Restoring and activating now - looks like my phone an I are going to be OK.

UPDATE 07/11 10:11AM P TIME: Still having problems with iTunes and connecting to the iTunes Store but my phone managed to Activate and Restore.

3G iPhone?

Pogue, Mossberg, and Baig 3G iPhone reviews appear. Shiver me timbers. What's the verdict? Good summary of their reactions over on CNET's Crave blog. Personally, I think I'm going to see if the software upgrade for my 1st generation iPhone can meet my needs before I consider the upgrade. Also, I'm kind of interested in finding out how long my 1st generation iPhone can take the abuse before it fails.

What are you going to do?

Yahoo! IM for MAC

New Google Reader for iPhone

I Want an iPhone - David Pogue - NYTimes

iPhone - Can you hear it now?

A next generation web browser and UI really DOES need a next generation network to deliver the next generation mobile web.

iPhone - 700,000 Sold Over Weekend

Apple over the weekend sold more than 700,000 iPhones to rocket past analyst predictions and shatter AT&T's record by selling more iPhones in three days than Motorola's RAZR did in its first month.

The iPhone Review

If you're going to read one iPhone review, read this one.
iPhone Review - Engadget

Steve Gillmor On iPhone

Steve Gillmor's quick-take on the iPhone. Happy or not? Watch the embedded video below and find out. By the way, I'm loving my Motorolla Q on the Verizon network. The iPhone might be great but the network counts for a lot - complaints from switching Verizon customers, accustomed to Verizon's great network, are already coming in. For me, a network with excellent sound quality, coverage, and reliability is more important than the phone. Can you hear me now? I'm not knocking the phone, I'm knocking the network it's tethered to.

Tim Berry and iPhone Drama

Tim Berry: iPhone as Classic Drama - Business on The Huffington Post

Tim Berry, founder and President of the company I work for, has an excellent post up on the Huffington Post about the launch of the iPhone and drama surrounding it. Tim's perspective on the iPhone launch is especially interesting because of his history with Apple in the 80s and his involvement in their business planning.

I'm eagerly awaiting the iPhone introduction, but not just because I want one. I'm looking forward to the drama of Jobs, Apple, and cool gadgets vs. the stock market and financial analysis. I'm hoping that Apple and Steve Jobs can establish coolness as a wild-card measure of long-term health in a stock market world ruled by short-term metrics like gross margins and last quarter's earnings. It's a classic drama, complete with a hero, a fatal flaw, and, I hope, final redemption.

iPhone Optically Excellent and Energized - Now in Hybrid ; )

CUPERTINO, California - June 18, 2007 - Apple today announced that iPhone will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback. In addition, iPhone will feature up to 250 hours - more than 10 days - of standby time. Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

iPhone Available 6 p.m. June 29th Your Time Zone

Mac Rumors Featuring iPhone Details from AT&T Traing Manual

On Friday Mac Rumors published a series of, what appear to be, scanned copies of an AT&T iPhone training manual. They do a good job of summarizing the scans (so you won't have to wreck your eyes trying to read them) and the scanned copies are available as well. Apparently, someone that goes by cindynjgirl79 sent them the scans. The Google search on cindynjgirl79 produces some interesting results - maybe this is cindynjgirl79's MySpace page - it's 3rd in the results. There aren't going to be a lot of surprises left when the iPhone ships on June 29th.

Apple Jesus Phone

Indie iPhone Ad Spacetacular

Al Gore's Office

Check out Al Gore's office setup - 3 wide-screen Apple displays! -- source

iPhone - I'll wait until they get the worms out of it

Apple iPhone receives FCC approval

Apple Inc. on Thursday received the official go-ahead on its first ever mobile handset, as regulators for the Federal Communications Commission gave the iPod maker the green light to commence sales of the device in the United States.

iTunes 7.0.2. Works w/ Vista

Apple is suggesting Windows iTunes users delay updating to Windows Vista until they can get an update for iTunes out. iTunes works fine for me on my Vista powered Lenovo - it was working fine on RC1 and it's still working fine on the Gold bits today. I think this is probably just Apple trying to cast a shadow of doubt on the new operating system from Redmond. If it doesn't work properly - it's Apple's bad - they've had plenty of time to prepare for the Vista launch. Apple is good at making their Windows-based customers feel 2nd class - Microsoft should leverage this in their efforts to market the Zune. I'm going to trade my iPod in for a Zune.

According to a company statement provided by Apple spokesman Derick Mains, "Although iTunes 7.0.2 may work with Windows Vista on many typical PCs, Apple is aware of some known compatibility issues and recommends that iTunes customers wait to upgrade to Windows Vista until after the next release of iTunes, which will be available in the next few weeks." Apple declined further comment. - source

iPhone from Apple Does it All!

My 2007 Tech Predictions

• Windows Vista will be hugely popular.
• Apple's growth in the personal computer space will slow as a result of Vista's success and the next generation hardware that will support it.
• RIA apps., powered by WPF/WPFE and similar technologies, will start to get traction as the line between client-side software and web-based software continues to soften.
• Yahoo! will continue to loose momentum as Google and nimble Web X.0 companies continue to eat away at it.
• Wi-fi everywhere and geo-based advertising will start to catch hold and Google's early efforts in this space will pay off - securing their dominance in the ad space for the near future.
• Microsoft will establish multi-media beach-heads in more American living rooms this year using the xBox 360 platform - re-configuring the gaming system into a Media Center replacement via free updates as unsuspecting users sleep.
• Apples's cell phone will change the way we think about cell phones and cell service forever.

Read what everybody else is predicting for 2007.

NOTE: I reserve the right to add to this list for the remainder of this week ; )

Help Me Buy a Laptop

Leah Culver, who works for Instructables, came up with an ingenious idea to get herself a brand new MacBook Pro - for FREE. Smart, very smart. Congrats. Check out her laptop. Video of Leah etching her new laptop.

Jonathan Ive - Apple's Chief Designer

Who Is Jonathan Ive?
An in-depth look at the man behind Apple's design magic

It's funny, after Apple's announcements this week I found myself wondering what the Apple design team is like, as if by magic I came across this Business Week article profiling Jonathan Ive - Apple's Chief Designer. Great read, offering a quick peak inside Apple's design studio and the creative minds that make it work.

I want Search on my 30g 5g iPod

» iPod enhancements withheld from previous hardware | The Apple Core | ZDNet.com

I'm pissed! I updated my 30g 5th generation iPod, via the new iTunes 7.0 interface, last night expecting the iPod update to add the new Search feature to my iPod interface and guess what - no love from Apple. The linked ZDNet article (above) talks a bit about the frustration I'm describing. By the way, I think there's an error in the article. The author says, "The problem I have is that half of these new software features are available on previous iPods - including the just-discontinued iPod 5g - despite the fact that the hardware is almost exactly the same." I think he meant to say, The problem I have is that half of these new software features aren't available on previous iPods - including the just-discontinued iPod 5g - despite the fact that the hardware is almost exactly the same."

There better be a hardware reason for not pushing the Search feature out to my iPod. If Apple is expecting me to upgrade my hardware for a "should have happened a long time ago" feature like this I'm done buying iPods.

My reaction to Apple's announcements

Thomas Hawk's commentary on Apple's announcement's (watch) Tuesday mirrors my own. I got a kick out of reading his recent post on the subject today.

Someone Check Steve Job's Pipe, I Don't Think That's Tobacco He's Smoking in There

Apple is obviously continuing their push into the livingroom but IMO they're a bit late to the game. iTV feels like too little too late and it isn't even available yet. On the other hand, Apple wasn't the 1st one on the MP3 player seen either - but they delivered a better mouse trap and it paid off, in a big way, the same thing could happen in the livingroom. For me, for now - NetFlix, Tivo, and my flatpanel Sony Wega TV are working just fine. I don't even have HDTV yet. There is a real problem in the livingroom that needs to be solved. What's that? Too many wires, too much complexity, too many choices - people just want to watch and listen. Maybe Apple can solve that problem.

Related: NY Times Apple Plans to Inhabit the Livingroom 

The Lost MAC Ads

Large Display = More Productivity

 
Image - Dell 2405FPW Buy Now $999 (04/13)

Large Display = More Productivity

Reading List:
Apple Study - Measuring the impact of screen-size on productivity
New York Times - Dual monitors increase productivity

Dell 2405FPW, the perfect developer's monitor?

WWJD

Engadget is really doing a pretty good job with their content these days - I'm a big fan. I like there stuff because they mix original content with "blogcopy" - "blogcopy" is the xeroxed stuff most bloggers post, the stuff I post ; ) I loved the WWJD (what would steve jobs do) contest - a contest based on photoshopped mockups of gadgets Apple might produce. I'm guessing we'll see Apple produce a few of these mockups over the next couple of years - I'd like to see the look on Jobs face as he browses the contest results.

my iPod 5g - Continued

I ordered my 5g iPod back in October and my 1st impressions were great. It wasn't my 1st iPod, I was upgrading from a 4g model. I'm still happy with my black 5g 40G iPod but I've got some gripes.

5g iPod Grips from a Recommender:

• It does scratch too easily. I don't support the idea of suing Apple over scratching (or potential for hearing loss) but they should be working to remedy this. I hope it doesn't come out someday that they engineered scratching into the iPod to support the iPod ecosystem. Cleaning up a scratched iPod
• Watching video on the iPod isn't something you want to do often. My wife and I have been watching the new Battlestar Galactica series on my iPod (we don't get the SciFi channel) and it was fun for a few episodes but it's getting old.
• Battery life, especially if you're watching video, is terrible - you can just barely watch a full-length movie on a full charge and that's with a young battery.
• It takes too long to start up - I like l