Thursday, September 27, 2007

I’m a geek.  I love technology and relish the fact that i can get to any bit of information and be in touch with anyone at any time.  For that reason, I’m looking forward to going off the grid, if only for three days.

For the third time this year, my wife and son are going “camping” (used as loosely as possible since the camper has satellite TV, air conditioning and all of the other amenities of home).  While the style of camping that we’re going to participate in doesn’t hold true “off the grid” status, it’s close enough for me.  My iPhone loses service as soon as we enter the campground.

At first, I wasn’t thrilled about this lack of connectivity, but I’ve grown to appreciate it.  It gives me the chance to relax and recharge myself by disconnecting from that ever-present communication stream.  At the end of three days, I’m ready to delve back into the flow, albeit sometimes I can be a bit too eager. 

I wholeheartedly suggest that everyone take time to “unplug and re-connect” with themselves.  The messages and voicemail will still be there when you get back. 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Watching my son begin to walk and become more mobile has made me take note of the many “firsts” in his life that he will experience.  His first steps, first words, first ballgame, first crush, first heartbreak…the list goes on.  As “grown-ups”, we encounter “firsts” every day, but we don’t react to them as we once did.

The wonder and awe in which he approaches new challenges, that sparkle in his eyes as he wanders into a new world, taking in every little detail and soaking up every experience.  That’s what life is about.  When is that last time that we were amazed by something so seemingly simple as walking? 

Since he was born, I’ve tried to appreciate the finer details in life and look at everything from a different perspective.  It takes some getting used to, and some self-reminding, but it’s a great feeling.  Explore young man, explore.  I’m right along there with you.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

To be an early adopter of technology can be a great experience.  To have the first of something special is a great feeling and can be fun to show off.  Then there are days like today.

At their media event today at the Moscone Center, Apple announced new iTunes features, a new iPod lineup, and a change to the iPhone.  The new features and iPods are great but what really has folks talking are the iPhone changes.

Gone is the 4GB model and the 8GB model received a $200 price decrease.  When I first learned of this change, I was ticked (edited for family-friendlyness).  Why the hell did I stand in line to get the iPhone when it came out?  That’s an easy one, to stay on the bleeding edge…and for the experience.  There are few things that cause such a public stir like the introduction of the iPhone.  To be part of that first crowd was a great experience.  To be one of the first to own an iPhone was a great experience.  Part of paying a premium was paying for…the experience.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, having this price reduction come so soon after the initial release, but due to the enjoyment that I’ve gotten out of the device, and the ease in which I’ve been able to integrate it into my daily life, I’ll choke this one down.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

As an avid user of Apple’s iMovie, I met the iLife ‘08 announcement with both awe and trepidation.  The newest version of iMovie is more than an upgrade.  It’s a rebuild.  From the ground up, top to bottom, brand-spankin’ new.  What has changed is the way that people will edit movies with this software.  Gone is the timeline.  Say hello to snippets and “skimming” (which is a cool feature, regardless of how new the interface is).

The question is, did Apple make a mistake with this redesign.  If you frequent Apple fan sites, you might think so.  After reading and listening to much debate, I’d have to disagree.  This is not their top-level professional program.  That distinction is left to Final Cut.  It’s designed for the consumer, the average consumer, the one that wants to quickly throw together a video or two and show their friends and family (or the whole world if they upload it to YouTube).  This is what I mainly use it for as well, although from time to time, I’ll get a little crazy with the Cheez Whiz.

After looking at the time it takes me to set up a normal clip in iMovie HD versus what it could take me to set one up in ‘08, I think I’ll take the plunge, letting the pieces fall where they may.  If nothing else, it’s taking a fresh look at an “old” process and possibly making it a better one.  Ain’t progress grand?

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

A little more than a month ago I purchased my “dream phone”, a 4GB iPhone and have been impressed on a daily basis by what I am able to do with it.  When the iPhone was first announced in January of this year, I began to salivate over the possibility of a phone that I might actually like, let alone one that would be easy to use.  Before I get into the review, I’d like to take a brief trip down memory lane…

I remember it like it was yesterday.
I was one of the few that stood in line on launch day to get their hands, or at least lay their eyes upon this mythical device.  After an hour in line, I walked out of my local AT&T store clutching my loot like it was pure gold.  From the moment I opened the box, I was amazed.

Apple always seems to nail the little things, the small details that most take for granted.  I however,  seem to relish these miniscule items and am in awe of them with each product I buy.  After lifting up the iPhone boxes cover I sat, dazed looking at the shiny jewel that laid before me.

Nestled in it’s acrylic tray, like a Rolex or fine piece of jewelry, the iPhone was ready to be activated.  Underneath the phone and tray, Apple had neatly packed a slimmed-down AC adapter, USB/20-pin connector, and a mounting dock.  Oh yeah, I seem to remember an instruction pamphlet in there as well. 

After pressing the sleep/wake button, I placed the phone into it’s dock and began the activation process.  Again, a wave of awe as I enjoyed activation from the comfort of my desk chair as opposed to standing around in a wireless store waiting for the dots to be connected.

Once the activation had been taken care of it was time to sync and customize the phone, again a seamless process.  After talking to a friend that had recently activated a phone with Sprint, I found out that it took him almost a half an hour to format an image correctly so it could be used with the caller id.  I told him that it had taken me a minute to do the same thing with the iPhone.  That was almost the end of our conversation.

Day-to-day use.  How does it stack up.
The iPhone is the first smartphone that I’ve owned so I can’t compare it to anything else on the market.  I will say that before I bought it, I did look at offerings from Palm and Blackberry, but just didn’t like the way that they worked.  I also didn’t like the interface setup, which is a huge selling point for me.

I can say without hesitation that having a device that allows me to stay connected to the people that I need to be connected to at all times is a great feeling, especially when trying to get a business off the ground.  I have sent many e-mails from the passenger seat of our car as my wife, son, and I drive down the interstate.  As a phone, it rocks.  As an e-mail device, it rocks.  As an iPod, it rocks.

Shortcomings and glaring issues.
As much as a “fanboy” that I am, I do have a few items that I’d like to see improved on the iPhone, preferrably by a software update or two.  The first item is the calendar application.  I have waited a long time to be able to sync iCal with a device as seamlessly as I can sync with the iPhone, however not all of iCal’s features show through on the phone.  I wish there would be the ability to have multiple calendars on the phone as there are within iCal.  Also, the ability to add meeting attendees and integrate contact information and address mapping would be a great benefit.

The other main item that I wish was different is the e-mail application.  A bulk delete/move feature would be well-used as would the ability to add new folders to an IMAP account (such as Archive and Action Items).  The camera could use some improvement to, but just having a camera on me at all times is a benefit that I didn’t have before.

Does it live up to the hype?
From someone who didn’t think that Apple would make a phone in the first place, this device suites my needs to a “T”.  I look forward to getting many years of use out of it and hope Apple is able to continue to innovate with other products similar to the iPhone.