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Applause: Blaine Cook

I'm clapping for Blaine Cook, x lead architect for Twitter, and I'd like to thank Blaine for all the hard work he put into making Twitter what it is today. Twitter may be experiencing some growing pains but I think Blaine is catching more flack for the problems this week than he deserves. Throw out a Tweet for Blain and thank him for all of his hard work - attach the hash tag #thankyoublainecook. Blain's website - includes phone number and email address if you're looking for his contact info.

Related: Silicon Alley Insider: Lead Architect Blaine Cook Out at Twitter

Email Center Pro Launch Week

In March, I blogged about a new product we're working on at Palo Alto Software called Email Center Pro.

I’m happy to announce that we’re officially launching Email Center Pro (ECP) this week. You can read more about the launch in my recent post on the Dead Simple Software blog. Or here, and here, and here.

If you missed the chance to grab a beta account, don’t freak out, you can still kick the tires by signing up for a FREE account. We're all very excited about this launch - so come on over and check it out.

Soocial Hassle Free

iPhone - Wallpaper

I spent some time over the weekend personalizing my new iPhone - new wallpaper was 1st on my shopping list. Here's what I picked up.

Flickr iPhone Wallpaper Group: Almost 10,000 iPhone ready wallpaper images - I'm sporting Ininja on my walls.

Iconfactory : Freeware : Desktop: A great collection of illustrated iPhone ready wallpaper images - click the iPhone icon to download.

Getting the wallpaper up on the walls of my new iPhone took no time at all. Syncing photos to an iPod or iPhone is easy. 

iPhone - Got one

Scoble Inside Twitter Headquarters

Scoble gets inside Twitter headquarters. Scoble posted An inside look at Twitter yesterday, a video interview on the scene at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, featuring pretty close to the entire staff. There's a lot of good stuff in this interview. Scoble covers everything from their recent round of funding to the technology under the hood at Twitter. Worth watching if you're at all interested in Twitter and services like it - or Web 2.0 bubble companies for that matter ; )

My Twitter Profile. My take on Twitter and services like it - there's a future in the micro-blogging format but I don't really have a use for it in my life or work today. My Friendverse doesn't Tweet so that makes the service pretty useless as far as I'm concerned. Following events or popular people using the service just isn't my thing. Connecting it to SMS just makes my Q really annoying.

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.

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.

Motorola Q vs iPhone

I ordered a Motorola Q on Tuesday from my cellphone provider - Verizon. The Q is coming my way via FedEx, I should have it by tomorrow. The Q is replacing my Motorola RAZR, which I'm quite fond of, but needs at the office necessitate the upgrade. The upgrade also means I won't be getting an iPhone any time soon. Some of you might find this surprising considering my recent iPhone posting frenzy.

Why did I opt for the Q over an iPhone?

1. Cost. The Q, $179 - the iPhone, $499, or $599. 2. Proven track record. The Q is a great phone and a reasonably good PDA - it has the track record to prove it. The iPhone might suck. Even if it doesn't V 2.0 will be better. I'm going to give Apple some time to make it better and cost less. 3. Windows Ecosystem. I live in the Windows world and so does the Q - it remains to be seen how well the iPhone will do in a Windows world. 4. Verizon. Verizon provides the best all-around service of any carrier I've ever used. The phones work, I get great coverage, they don't drop calls, and their customer service is excellent. Switching from Verizion to AT&T (which I've had bad experiences with) for an iPhone isn't worth it. 5. Zimbra. We're switching to a Zimbra mail setup at the office - I know the Q supports Zimbra Mobile - the iPhone may not. 6. Microsoft Outlook. I spend a lot of time in Microsoft Outlook. The Q has great support for Outlook - the iPhone may not.

I'm still a big fan of Apple's products. I have an iPod and I use it almost everyday. I still really like the iPhone and I hope it's great. I'm just waiting for a V 2.0 that's better (more storage, better carrier options, a replaceable/extendable battery) and less expensive. The 1st iPod shipped in 2001 with 5g of storage - today, for the same money, you get 80g of storage and a much better product. I'm going to wait - at least a year. More to come on my Moto Q experience.

Update 06/21/07

See Apple already working on cheaper variants of iPhone 

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

Apple Jesus Phone

Indie iPhone Ad Spacetacular

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.

Me Too

I want what Michael Gartenberger (Jupiter Research) wants. Me too! I also want what Michael already has - a Microsoft Exchange Server. Might be time to look into my own "hosted" Exchange solution.

I love Exchange. Every time I get a new computer or Smartphone, all I do is plug in our Exchange settings and magic happens. All my contacts, calendar items, to-do lists and email flow directly into the new device automatically. Once that happens, if I make a change on one device, it ripples across all the others. Everything is in sync and up to date. It's nice we've solved sync for PIM information but that's not enough for me now. Now I want sync for everything. I regularly move among multiple PCs and other devices like Smartphones. Trying to keep just two PCs in sync is a total nightmare. Stuff gets lost. I want to have (or have access to) every picture I have taken (I've been a digital camera users since 1995), every song in my collection and every document I have written on every one of my PCs. If I take pictures and download them to one of my PCs, I want those photos updated on all my other machines the next time I access them. I want it to happen simply, invisibly and just work. Now, many of you don't switch regularly between a dozen PCs and Smartphones on a regular basis but there are multiple devices in everyone's future. Whoever solves this next generation of sync first is going to win big. Oh. And while we're at it, can I have that cross platform please? - Michael Gartenberger

Folding UMPCs?

UMPC sales have been lackluster this year - they started shipping in March. The 1st year (well almost) of the UMPC feels a lot like the 1st year of the Tablet PC - again, lackluster. I hold Microsoft responsible for my over-use of the world "lackluster." Microsoft needs to find and crown a Marketing Czar that can give Jobs a run for his money. They've got the hardware, the software, and the people talent - what they lack is the marketing talent. All the hardware innovation in the world isn't going to do it - even Fujitsu's folding UMPC will go mostly un-noticed.

Taking the Origami principle to heart, Fujitsu reckon they've got the ultimate UMPC licked, with this swish design for a laptop which literally folds in half to fit your pocket. >> T3

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.

The Microsoft Origami Video

It's the hot news this week - the Microsoft Origami Video. Coming sooooooooooooon.

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 looking at the Apple logo but it's getting old too.
• $400 is too much for a high-tech walkman! Really, MP3 players should cost about $100.

I'd still recommend an iPod to a friend but there's room for improvement in the device. Apple better integrate a phone into the iPod soon or the iPod will eventually go the way of the stand-alone PDA. Still a fan - for now.

TrueCrypt

30 Boxes BETA Sunday

On Sunday, 83 Degrees, will launch the highly anticipated 30 Boxes BETA. 30 Boxes is a new on-line calendaring solution that's apparently has the potential to become the Flickr of on-line calendaring - a lot of people are excited about it. There's going to be a lot going on in this space this year - fire up your calendars.

Reading List:
Thomas Hawk's Digital Connections: 30 Boxes
Om Malik: What is 30Boxes?
Scobeleizer: Calendaring heats up
TechCrunch: SpongeCell, an Ajax Calendar (good list of on-line calendaring solutions)

my ipod 5g

I ordered my ipod with video the minute it was available - the 1st hour to be precise. The verdict - love it! The video quality is amazing. Reviews: Read - PC Magazine Read - ArsTechnica Read - New York Times Read - Wall Street Journal Read - USA Today Read - Playlist Read - PC World Read - Personal Computer World Read - CBS News Read - Personal Tech Pipeline Read - iLounge Read - CNET [Via] engadget

Civilian Harness System Bags

Creative Zen Vision

July 08, 2005

Motorola RAZRBerry

Well, it isn't actually called the RAZRBerry - it's going to be called 'Franklin' - but don't let the lame name ruin it for you. Motorola's RAZRBerry might just kickstart the puttering SmartPhone category. I hope they don't call it 'Franklin' - that brings back bad memories of bad dictionary like devices. Basic SPECs are available here and there but it's all just speculation at this point.

February 25, 2005