Category Archives: iphone

Fed up with Apple criticism

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I like Apple products. I continue to buy them when I can. The latest Apple product I purchased is the iPhone 4, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are probably aware of the withering criticism Apple is enduring for the design of its latest iPhone, which centers around the innovative antenna. Lots and lots of virtual ink has been used up on this story so I won’t rehash it here, except to state that I am fed up with all of the criticism of Apple.

A recent blog post from a prominent Apple news-related blog, written by the blog’s editor-in-chief, is a case in point. The writer discusses the recent Apple press conference hosted by Steve Jobs to address the iPhone 4 antenna issue, and describes the event as “acidic in tone,” and “on the very fine edge of insulting.” The writer also makes some valid points about the data presented by Jobs as being “misleading.”

I think many of the criticisms of Apple about this issue have been valid, but I also think they have been overblown to such a great extent that those who voice them are in danger of choking on their own spittle in their haste to vent their spleens. Get a grip, people. I suppose it would also be futile for me to comment that I am quite happy with AT&T as my service provider; because, you know, Big Well Known Tech Wonks state that AT&T stinks so therefore It Must be the Truth.

Below is a comment I left on the above-linked blog post, fwiw:

I am really heartened by some of the responses to this piece, which in my mind, fits into a pattern of negative harping on Apple that simply does not jive with my own experience with decades-long use of Apple products.

Let me acknowledge that Apple isn’t perfect and I don’t expect them to be. Also to note that I think many criticisms of Apple’s overall culture and of Steve Jobs in particular are likely spot on.

However, what I care about is excellence in product design and execution, as well as excellence in customer support. I have never — EVER – received less than excellence from Apple in these areas and this is why I will continue to purchase, use, and recommend their products.

Instead of being put off by this latest “debacle,” I am put off by the overall attitude projected by this writer and the tone of many recent articles published here.

Let me be clear: I’m fine with criticism of Apple. Truly, I am. What I really mind, though, is a pattern of being critical of them over and over again, of an attitude of just waiting to see what we can criticize next about them. Criticize with *constructive* criticism where criticism is due, praise where praise is due. Provide a balanced perspective.

Goodbye, Flickr

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I’ve been saying “goodbye” — figuratively speaking, of course — to a lot of things I’ve used in the past.  For instance, I recently said “goodbye” to using Firefox in favor of Google Chrome.  Now I am saying goodbye to Flickr, a service I’ve used for many years.

Instead of Flickr, I plan to use Google’s Picasa Web Albums (PWA) for uploading and sharing my photos from now on (in addition to sharing them here on this blog.)  The reason for this switch is simple:  Google recently dropped the storage prices to ridiculously low levels.  I’m able to pay $5 per year for 20 Gb of storage.  Compare that to paying nearly $25 per year for Flickr.  I realize that with Flickr, storage at the Pro account level is unlimited, but 20 Gb of storage on Google is way more than enough for all of my online photo albums.

I also realize that Flickr will remain a favorite of photography cognoscenti, and that my switch to PWA won’t hurt Flickr in any way. But there are several other reasons I made the switch besides the cost factor.  Since it was first released, I have used Google’s free desktop photo application, Picasa.  It is head and shoulders above just about every other similar software application out there, particularly with the latest release.  I’ve tried a lot of other similar applications, including iPhoto, and I’ve decided that Picasa is the best for my needs.  There is tight integration between Picasa and PWA, so this tilts the balance in favor of switching to PWA in my mind.  In comparison, Flickr has all kinds of third-party plugins for uploading and downloading files and other stuff, and I’ve tried them all.  Picasa is way ahead in this area and Flickr is at a significant disadvantage.

Also, because Picasa is available on Windows and Mac, I am able to interact with my photos no matter what computer I am using.  This is critical.  I can download photos from my cameras onto any of the computers I use, load them into Picasa, and then sync with PWA.  I can then download them or sync them from PWA to Picasa on any other computer.  I can do all this on my iPhone as well (for this, I use Pixelpipe).

Picasa Web Albums lacks many of the nice features that Flickr has, I’ll admit.  For example, PWA only recently began to track number of views for each photo, as well as number of times a photo is “favorited.”  This was built into Flickr and is much better executed.  In PWA, for example, I can’t see a summary of this data. Instead I am only able to see it on an individual photo by photo basis.  However, over the years I have become a bit frustrated with Flickr’s overall capabilities as well.  Google’s Picasa has excellent face recognition, for instance.  Flickr does not.  Flickr’s overall interface is bland and somewhat stagnant (my opinion).  Picasa Web Albums features much better geolocation capabilities.  PWA also has tight integration with Google Contacts and Flickr doesn’t have anything to compare to this.

I’ve actually used both services for years.  The only substantive thing holding me back from making the switch was the cost of storage on PWA.  Now that it is set at a reasonable price, the decision was a no-brainer.  (And did I mention that the extra storage I purchased for PWA can be used for all kinds of other stuff, not just for photos?)

Moon Shot with iPhone

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Below is a recent photo of the moon taken with my iPhone camera. I’m not sure if it is as good as I think it is, having only viewed it on my iPhone. The point is that sometimes, even in low light conditions, I can get a surprisingly decent photo from the iPhone’s camera.

I’ve started to use the iPhone’s camera a lot more lately despite its significant limitations. Why? Because it is very convenient; it is almost always available to me. This is about the only thing I think is subpar on the iPhone, and I wish it was better.

Looking forward to Spring

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Generally I love the four seasons that we experience here in the U.S. Midwest. I even love winter and snow. But I am getting a little bit tired of the dreariness of winter, and I’m looking forward to Spring. Maybe it’s because I’ve been fighting sickness for too long. I wonder what on earth is wrong with my immune system, because it seems like I get sick quite easily.  Part of that may be due to the fact that I need to get off of my rear end and start exercising.  The hardest part of that is just getting started!  I’m sure that if I exercised on a regular basis, I’d feel a lot better and have more energy.

One of the things that keeps me occupied is an ongoing interest in technology.  For example, I am fascinated with the way in which Facebook has become a sort of standard in my daily life.  Recently I’ve reconnected with a dozen or more high school classmates.  These are people I have not seen or heard from for about 25 years.  I hated high school and I have mixed feelings at times about reconnecting with classmates, but I’ve found that the effort is very worthwhile.  I’ve discovered that out of a class size of about 65 people from a small country town in east central Illinois, my former classmates lead distinguished and interesting lives.  Just to give a sampling, one is a highly successful thoroughbred horse trainer; another is a curator for a famous author’s home, now a museum and a place that’s on the National Register of Historic Places. One of my former classmates worked fulltime while raising a child as a single mom AND earned her bachelor’s degree. Another person is an assistant principal, while yet another person is a vice president for a health care company. One classmate is pursuing the same graduate program that I went through, at the same institution.  Two former classmates  are in the military.  These people are spread all over the United States and in some cases live outside the U.S.  And the list goes on…I’ve even reconnected with former neighbors of the subdivision in the small town I grew up in and we are planning to have a neighborhood reunion soon!

I also continue to be fascinated with the development of applications for the iPhone.  I’m biased of course, but I think the iPhone is, by far, the best mobile computing platform out there.  And it keeps getting better.  For example, one of the upcoming applications will allow me to store, manage, and peruse scientific journal articles.  This app will be called Papers and although its purpose seems rather simple at first, the concept and its implications are huge in terms of the way in which researchers and scientists can interact with scholarly literature.

Even my use of Twitter (it’s a love it or hate it kind of thing) has developed and changed over time.  I’ve come to appreciate its benefits and figured out how I can use it in a way that doesn’t drive me crazy.

Anyway, back to the initial point about looking forward to Spring.  On this Valentine’s Day I woke up to a coating of snow that makes everything look clean and bright once more. I hope though that it melts quickly and that warmer weather, green grass, and Spring flowers will arrive soon.

An iPhone, at last

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I finally possess an iPhone. It took a while but I did it by selling my Blackberry Curve and my iPod Touch. No regrets at all. I feel good about doing this basically without any money out of pocket, and the monthly data charges are actually less than what I was paying for a Blackberry.

As Michele put it (somewhat sarcastically), there is finally some peace in our household :-)

I had a pretty difficult time getting the phone at Wal-Mart — long story — and I would never normally have bought one there but for some odd circumstances. Oh well. I am extremely pleased with the phone.

Ahhhh, vacation

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Finally I am on vacation for the rest of the year. Just writing that makes me feel more relaxed ;-)

I haven’t written much here for a long time because I haven’t felt like it. I go through phases. Right now I am sitting on my couch in my usual spot, sipping eggnogg-laced coffee (sounds gross but it really isn’t, actually), and looking out our living room window at the snow falling. I’m also watching a pesky black squirrel calmly raiding the bird feeders and thinking of ways in which I could put an electrical wire and a remote control together to give him a little shock that would help him avoid the feeders in future…

All of the little kids are already awake and terribly excited because tonight we will open Christmas presents. And I am already trying to be patient and easygoing, which is hard for me to do at times when they get so wired. Michele is at the kitchen table, putting names on stockings. Earlier this week she bought things to fill Christmas stockings for everyone but herself. She doesn’t yet realize that I bought things for her stocking on the sly. Because we traditionally open presents on Christmas Eve, some years when we can afford it, we make Christmas morning special by having the stockings available then.

I had thought about mailing Christmas letters this year but decided against it. We enjoy getting letters and cards from friends but have decided to forego the practice ourselves. Any of our friends and family who want to can follow news about us, photos, etc. on this blog year round. Michele and I are also both active on Facebook.

Now that I’ve mentioned Facebook, I must say that I’ve been really happy to reconnect with many former neighbors, classmates, and family of late through this site. It’s been a great medium for making acquaintances again, sometimes after twenty or more years without contact.

In my previous post I mentioned that I didn’t have a burning desire for any particular Christmas gift. I was wrong. I recently noticed that I can get a refurbished iPhone for $149 and so now I’m thinking about when I could possibly afford to buy one! Honestly, though, that’s not a big deal and certainly not something I really need.

To all readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

WordPress app for the iPhone and iPod Touch

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I’m lucky to own an iPod Touch but I can’t help longing for an iPhone 3G too :-) The main difference between them, for me, is that the iPhone 3G can truly be an “always on” device in terms of Internet access because of its dual wifi/cell capabilities. The iPod Touch can only connect via wifi, and I find that aspect of its functionality too limiting. On the other hand, I don’t want the additional service costs that an iPhone would require.

Just about every iPhone application also works on an iPod Touch, but with sometimes significant limitations. For instance, all of that cool location-based functionality that iPhone users get to have isn’t available for the iPod Touch since it is wifi only. When I’m at work, for example, there is no wifi access that I can use. Well, there is wifi access but I’m prohibited from using it. (Oh how I wish for ubiquitous, free wifi wherever I go!)

I’ve tried quite a few of the free apps in the Apple App store and like most of them, but I was particularly excited to read this a.m. of the availability of a WordPress app. This app is free and it works quite well from what I can tell so far. If you are an iPhone or iPod Touch owner and also manage a WordPress blog then this software is a must-have.

Other apps that I particularly like so far include the Facebook app, Twitterific, WeatherBug, and Stanza (a free ebook reader that I think is quite functional). Another free app that I think is really cool but is more of a geeky showpiece than something practical and useful at this point, is PangeaVR.

Some other library bloggers have pointed out the lack of library-oriented applications for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform. I agree that this is unfortunate and I look forward to reading about new developments in this space soon. I wish I was smart enough to develop something myself, but I’m not.

I’m awake but wish I wasn’t

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I’ve been awake since about 5 am. I wish I was still fast asleep but our golden retriever, Champ, had an upset stomach and desperately needed to go out. I am enjoying the solitude though but hope eventually I can get some more sleep.
As is the case almost every Saturday the question is, what will we do today? Something fun or something necessary like cleaning or doing laundry or getting groceries? We’ll see.

Have I mentioned that I recently got a refurbished iPod touch? And have I stated how much I love this little computer? Because that is really what it is. It is aptly named because that is what it’s all about: touch. Amazing.

And the possibilities for using it just keep expanding. I was quite impressed — unexpectedly — by Apple’s presentation earlier this week of their work on the iPhone and iPod Touch SDK as well as enterprise features. Some of the apps that people came up with in just two week’s time blew me away. I am a Blackberry fan and owner and I know there are a lot of people who scoff at Apple’s work to compete with RIM. Let me just state that if RIM isn’t worried about this new competition then they are fools. I don’t care how many corporate CIOs are quoted making snarky comments about how Apple isn’t serious about the enterprise. What that simply translates into for me is that such people are just miffed that Apple isn’t kowtowing to them. I have little respect for corporate IT organizations.

How you scan the news

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I’ve had a subscription to PC Magazine for a while now.  Honestly, it’s a mixed bag.  Sometimes it contains really useful information; other times, it just seems like a forum for tech writers to blow hot air.  (Case in point, the terrible article written a few issues back by the previous editor-in-chief, Jim Louderback, predicting the utter failure of the iPhone.  This is the same guy who admitted in the most recent issue that he was totally wrong to sing the praises of Windows Vista.  Hmm.)

Whenever I receive an issue, I sit down and leaf through it looking for new and interesting things.  A story that caught my attention was one that discussed a report that studied website users’ eye movements when visiting news sites.  Below is a link to the heart of the report which is a schematic of a website labeling distinct areas where users’ eyes tend to focus, and for what kinds of content.  This is quite interesting stuff to me, not just because of thinking about how FML might be improved, but also in relation to my extensive involvement with a bunch of other people on launching a new library portal at my place of work.  We’re only now at the stage where user testing can commence in earnest.  User tests have been done before but now that we have something solid and functional in place, we can begin to see where improvements in the user interface and experience can be improved.

Pointing fingers at what is not understood

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I haven’t read the nitty gritty details about the whole story, but I understand that Duke University IT folks decided this afternoon that heavy iPhone usage was not the culprit for their network problems, after all. Hm. This, in spite of the fact that various tech-related news outlets have been reporting that the iPhone was definitely causing major network problems there. The real culprit, apparently, is a Cisco network software and/or hardware glitch.

The gist of this story resonates alot with me because I have seen too many instances of this phenomenon, especially from IT: pointing fingers at what is not understood. Whenever something goes wrong in a major way, what gets the blame, it seems, is any service, application, or code that is “not approved” or being used in a niche environment like the library.

This tendency is not unique to IT organizations, of course, but everywhere I have worked, without exception, I have encountered this mindset. I get so tired of fighting this particular battle.

It’s easy to blame or to denigrate that which we don’t understand. The truth is, I’ve done it too at times. I just need to take a deep breath every once in a while, not let this kind of thing get to me, try not to do the same thing to others that I’ve just been complaining about, and keep movin’ on.