Updates

iPhone 4, great phone but what a mess!

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – July 18, 2010

I haven’t posted in a while and for that I apologise, I have been very busy and my own little personal blog has fallen by the wayside.

What has spurred me into action? Well this whole mess with Apple and the iPhone 4.

Now I have to be honest and say I do not own an iPhone 4 so maybe I should just shut up but this is about more than just this one issue and this one product.

I feel it is more about Steve Jobs and his attitude and how that percolates down through the company.

Let us be honest, there is a problem with the iPhone 4, while I agree it is a problem for only a minority of users IT IS a problem none the less, it is a fault, an error of design. If it were were not, we would not be discussing the problem at all.

A free case for all, well that is a band-aid on a cut isn’t it, couldn’t be clearer in my eyes. It doesn’t fix the problem and if we are honest there is no fix, well none that does not involve a recall and Apple are trying to avoid that for obvious cost and embarassment reasons.

I think they will scrape by and we will have iPhone 4 and iPhone 4.1 which will have some modification to alleviate the worst of this issue, it won’t eliminate it, I don’t think you can with the current design but I do feel that small modifications can be made to stop the worst of it.

Now this news conference with Jobs, that I think will be seen as an utter disaster in time. There was an apology but it wasn’t a sincere one, if it were he would not have taken pot shots at everyone else, the press, the customers, the other manufacturers.

In fact by taking pot shots at the other manufacturers he has opened a Pandora’s box that will not close again. They were always looking for some chink in the armour and he has handed it to them on a plate. You only have to look at the statement from RIM, which is damming:

“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.”

I think if that news conference had been handled better and less confrontationally Apple could have bought itself time to get a new model out there with a partial fix. Instead the tornado of hate is still there and I think is growing.

A total mess.

Now, what I think Steve doesn’t quite understand is that he came into this with the iPod, a truly innovational product and nothing could beat it for looks and functionality for a long time, many come very close today but the market has shifted to mobile. They realeased the iPhone again looks and functionality.

To be clear, I say looks, yes that is very important, but it MUST have the functionality to back it up or it is just a pretty thing, akin to the blond bimbo, nice to look at but pretty much useless without the functionality :-) LOL

This is where the iPhone 4 is falling foul, it has lost SOME of it’s functionality and that is a REAL problem.

They are no longer alone in this market. The old guys your Nokia’s can’t compete yet they remain entrenched in their old worlds.

Other companies such as RIM and Android and possibly even Windows Mobile are looking to the future and coming up with desirable products (though I reserve judgement on Windows to be honest) that people want to own, enjoy using, have the desired functionality and usability.

There is competition, so if anyone falls down in this race, they risk falling to the back and that is what Apple are in a danger of doing here.

Why would I purchase an iPhone if I know it doesn’t work properly? I personally own an Android and it does all the iPhone does and 500 times more. It also works and I can hold it in any hand I want, with or without a case.

This is a mess for Apple and it is very damaging, though they aren’t admitting it for obvious reasons.

They have to get a new model out ASAP, a model that says, yes there always will be some issue with the antenna but we have re-engineered it to remove the worst of the downsides, if they don’t the competition will kill them.

Don’t think their little bubble cannot implode, it can and if they don’t act soon, it will.

Apple are NOT invincible, those that think they are need to realise they are being blinded by Apple PR and hype and wake up.

Now, am I just an Android user desperate to get a knife in? No, the iPhone has a place in the market and it should expect a big share of the market, though I see that share slipping.

iPhone sells simplicity and no-manual ease of use. That will always sell, many people will gravitate to such a product line.

On the flip there are those that want cutting edge with all the options and bells and whistles and for those I think Android will win, there are few limits on the platform and offers choice of manufacturer, network, design and fuctionality. Choice tends to win.

I think we will see a 42/38/20 (iPhone/Android/Others) split in the smartphone market for a while then it will become 25/60/15. My gut feeling.

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iPhone 4 and AT&T to part ways?

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – June 8, 2010

Did you read between the lines?

Maybe this is just wishful thinking on behalf of my American friends (we in the UK have three networks that sell the iPhone, sorry!) but it might appear that the AT&T exclusivity deal may be coming to an end.

My first exhibit:

Why do this? Especially after the recent changes to data plans? AT&T are not generally known for their kindness and customer service :-) So my only conclusion is that they have been pre-warned of a change and they are trying to get everyone locked into a new contract before that exclusivity contract expires at the end of 2010.

Now I cannot see AT&T being happy about this amount of data being fired over their network and that is based on past experience with things like Skype, Netflix and Slingbox.

So if that is the case, why is it going to change in 2011? Because someone less restrictive is going to allow something other than Wi-Fi?

Does seem that something is happening at the end of this year.

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I am hooked on We Rule

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – April 14, 2010

I was listening to one of Leo Laportes shows recently, if you don’t tune it, head over to www.twit.tv and checkout things like This Week In Google, This Week In Tech and Munchcast to name but three of his shows, it was on there I heard about We Rule.

We Rule is a free game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, if your looking for a similar game on Android try the free game called Papaya.

They are all clones of the farming game on Facebook, or so I hear (I’m not much of a Facebook fan) and it is extremely simple and yet addictive.

You are given a plot of land, some cash and something called Mojo! Mojo, lets you build things faster and grow crops faster, it’s a bit like waving a magic wand over your crops.

The game is free but if you want to purchase extra Mojo to progress faster in the game then that will cost your from $2.99 for 30 Mojo points all the way up to $29.99 for 800 Mojo points. You don’t need a lot of Mojo to make a difference and as your progress in the game you get free Mojo, so you can enjoy the game for free.

If I make this sound difficult then I apologise as this game is not difficult at all to play, it does suck you into it’s world though.

You grow crops, which grow in REAL time(ish) (carrots take six hours, pumpkins three, Corn only takes 45 seconds, etc). Once you have grown your crops you need to click on them to harvest them and sell them, this gives you cash to buy more crops or other things like houses.

If you don’t harvest your crops in a reasonable amount of time they go bad and you have to clear your plot of land.

Houses, schools, businesses all generate incomes. They do this like crops on differing timescales. Schools in 24 hours, Gems in a few hours and houses in around three hours.

The came continues with you buying plots of farm land, building things, adding features like trees, ponds, fountains, lights, etc

Remember the game is completely free and you can play it totally in free mode, corn is free to buy and earns you five coins in the 45 seconds it takes to harvest it. On the other hand you can decide to go for it and buy yourself a little Mojo to progress.

So far I have a lovely castle with a fair amount of land (land size increases the bigger the building YOU live in) and I did all that with no purchased Mojo, though I did claim 5 extra Mojo points for trying out another of this companies games, offers pop up when you open the game if they are available, kind of cool in-game features are given for real world trials.

Anyway, it’s all very good and very addictive, give it a go, search for We Rule on the app store.

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Skypes poor customer service

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – March 23, 2010

I am at present having some real issues with Skype.

They took money from my PayPal account for a service that was renewed without my knowledge.

Now it may have been buried deep in some small print that they would renew this service but I still haven’t found out where.

Needless to say I have asked for a refund and they are playing some very annoying games with me, contradicting what they say from one email to the next and even though I am spelling out what I need done, they act as if they have never read one word of my emails.

I am giving them one last chance before I fire off one hell of a letter to their head office complete with highlighted emails, this will also be forwarded to the authorities in the UK to see if they can be dealt with under EU legislation.

Why must these companies give us such poor service when the amount of time they spend arguing with us costs more than the amount they are being asked to refund to me.

In fact I even asked them to pop the amount of my Skype account if it was easier, but still the answer is no.

So I have had money taken from me, without my authroisation for a service I do not want, no prior warning given that a charge was going to be taken and they refuse to refund me. Shocking!

If they persist with this, I will cease all of my Skype accounts and I will no longer be accessible via Skype, I will also then post the emails on my site as a warning to others!

I am so angry right now, yes Big Ricky ANGRY! SO ANGRY! LOL

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Review of New Android Phone

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – March 13, 2010

NEW PHONE

I have had my new Android phone for around a week now and I know some of you including Veritable Virgo wanted me to write a review of what I thought of the phone, especially when comparing it to the iPhone so here it is.

Now to be clear from the outset I do not currently have an iPhone and the last one I did have was a 2G but I do have a latest modeller iPod touch so I feel the speed is likely to be similar for this comparison.

The phone I have is an HTC Hero or the G2 Touch as it is marketed here in the UhK and it came in a very small box which is obviously an environmental plus.

INSIDE THE BOX

Inside the box was a tiny charger with a slot in UK mains plug, the US version would come with the same adaptor and a slot-in US mains plug. Also included was a pair of headphones with remote control and microphone, these are 3.5mm and also work on the iPod Touch even for the remote which was a surprise though I have an in-line microphone adaptor and a nice pair of Sennheiser headphones for the iPod which of course now work on the HTC. A USB to mini USB was included but this was keyed so it ONLY works on this phone. Where the normal mini USB tapers in at the sides only one side tapers in, the other is squared off, unusual at the phone itself does accept and charges fine with a normal mini USB lead.

There were no driver disks but a manual and a quick start guide sheet was included. If you plug in the phone to your PC or Mac there is also a built in PDF version of both of these which was a nice touch and if your on a PC there is some sync software. The phone does not currently sync to a mac….though you don’t need it to sync to anything anyway, more on that one later! :-)

VERSIONS OF ANDROID

The phone comes with Android 1.5 (Cupcake) all the Android versions are named after cakes or desserts Cupcake, Doughnut, Eclair, etc. which is kind of fun :-) This is a very old version as they are on 2.1 with the Nexus One and Sony is promising a 2.2 later in the year. The good news is that I was in touch with HTC, whom I must say replied at a amazing speed to me to tell me an update is due out early in April to bring the phone up to 2.1, good news. I think this is something that Google is trying to stress to handset manufacturers that they need to provide upgrades in a timely manner going forward. Remember this is open source, even if Google provides an update there is no guarantee your phone manufacturer will do likewise. Again as it is open source many people build versions that you can install yourself via a process called Rooting which is not unlike Jailbreaking on the iPhone but without big brother breathing down your neck!

OK, as I say this phone is on 1.5 which is slow, so compared to an iPhone it does run slowly when browsing or moving to a new application, this is fixed in 2.1 and it’s only a few weeks away so I will be kind in my review about the speed, it’s not horribly slow, just not as nippy as the iPhone with 1.5 installed. Do not let that put you off though.

My phone comes with HTC Sense which is basically a menu that overlays the screen and gives direct access to the total list of apps installed, the phone and the ability to add shortcuts to the main screen.

SOME LIMITATIONS

There are two major limitations on Android right now and I feel these will be dropped such are the cries of the Android users, you are limited to 1-7 screens of program shortcuts, not that unusual as the original iPhone was limited to 10 I think and I expect that to change and to beat the iPhone. The second limitation you can only install apps to the phones built in memory which is not that large 256Mb in my case, doesn’t sound much does it but so far I have installed tons of apps and I mean tons of them and never run out of space so the apps seem to be less memory hungry to begin with. Again I expect that to change and remember this phone has SDHC card slot, mine has a 2Gb one and I could put in much more so it is expandable and it is expected that you will be able to pop apps in there soon, in fact there are apps that let you do that now, it’s just not an official feature yet, so it is possible.

Those things aside and as I say none of them has limited me in any way yet, so I am ok with this.

MUCH LESS LIMITED THAN THE IPHONE

I have possibly made the Android seem hobbled by some early mistakes in the planning of the operating system but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Take for example the iPhone, don’t like the browser, tough, don’t like the SMS, tough, don’t like buying the high priced iTunes music when you know Amazon has those same MP3′s cheaper, tough. Not so on the Android and this IS the killer thing about these phones, it’s all open source, nothing is barred!

I love the HTC SMS app but there is a better one….so I replaced it, simple as installing an app, easy. There is no standard music store so I installed Amazon, and there are others, just an app, easy. I wanted to try the new keyboard called Swype (swype.com) so I just installed the app, easy! Are you getting my point here, it’s YOUR phone and you do it YOUR way, not the way someone at the top of the corporation thinks you should be doing it, no, YOUR way that fits YOUR life and likes and desires. No apps being pulled here, want that Wi-Fi scanner, you got it!

I HAVE AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM

In fact I have an unusual problem (I listen to Big Fatty! LOL OK I have two unusual problems then hahaha) I cannot receive my WiFi signal in half of the house due to a couple of thick walls. I installed an ethernet over mains pair of adaptors to ship the signal from one end of the house where the router lives to the other where I installed a wireless access point. In effect I now have two wireless networks in my home. Great wireless everywhere but the signal from both never totally dies when you move to the other end of the house, so the iPod never drops it and picks the other up, in fact the Android doesn’t either. So I installed an app that finds the strongest signal and automatically switches to it, so very useful for me. It also finds free WiFi near me when I am out and about and automatically connects to it if I am in range, how cool is that. Does the iPhone do that? Is it ever likely to now they pulled the WiFi apps?

APPS, APPS, APPS AND MORE APPS!

But your probably saying, yes but I like the apps on the iPhone, I worried about that also and was surprised to find most of them are already on the Android platform, in fact things like Seesmic Twitter is getting rave reviews is only on the Android platform at present.

Lets see what kinds of apps I have, first off is Barcode which scans barcodes and can tell you what a product is, but it also scans those square barcodes you often see on UPS boxes and they are used a lot in the Android world, you can scan a barcode on your computer screen or in a magazine and you will be taken to the app store so you can install an app, or to a website and even to download contacts, amazing and so very useful!

I have a BBC News app, Huffington Post app, News reader that syncs with Google Reader (remember I said you never have to sync, it does it all through google!), Facebook which integrates with my contacts list and even imports facebook profile pics as your contacts photos!

Google Maps, which has a very cool mode on the Android called Compass mode, you hold your Android up and do a street view and the view follows your movements with the phone, its like the phone screen is a view into this virtual world, amazing! A similar app is Layar which gives you a 3D world, you hold the phone up and say look for restaurants near me, it shows you them in front of you, you just walk towards the marker and if you keep turning to follow those markers you will end up at the restaurant! OR you can view 3D objects and walk around them again your phone screen a view into this virtual world that is overlaid onto the real world pic from your camera. Mind blowing!

I have an internet radio app, a BBC iPlayer app (think Hulu for the UhK), XE Currency app, DropBox, Fring to do Skype and Voip, Google Mail, Google Talk, Google Translate (which can speak too!), Podcast app called Google Listen that syncs with Google Reader, Mail app, GPS Tracker app to record where you have been, PDF viewer, Twitter clients galore, Photoshop, Shazam, Office, SMS backup app that backs up my SMS conversations to Google Mail, I can watch or listen to TWiT via their app, If I loose or get my phone stolen I can do all those MobileMe things like lock it or wipe it, password protect it, send messages to it, find where it is (oh and this is all free!!!), Voice recorder and Wikipedia and YouTube and I will stop there because I am boring you but you get the picture.

FINAL WORDS

This phone is not limited, it’s far more unlimited than the iPhone and it keeps getting better!

If anyone has any questions i’d be happy to answer them, fire them over to my email address or use the contact form on the website and I will get back to you and maybe post them here if people send a few in.

TELL ME YOU LOVE ME!

Hope you like my review, there are more things to tell but I will have to wait and see what battery life is like, so far it looks fine, comparable to the iPhone certainly.

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I don’t agree with the BBC!

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – March 2, 2010

My reaction to the vast cuts at the BBC and why I think most of them are just plain wrong, badly considered and why Mark Thompson should step down:

Reduction of entertainment and comedy on BBC Four – What it is with BBC Three, why is it so lucky at escaping cuts? Here is the deal. Kill BBC Three, take that content and put it on BBC1 and BBC2 to stop the repeats and hand me downs from other channels like Discovery so BBC1 and BBC2 have new original content, which IS being made, just not shown on the channels to bolster up an unwanted and un-needed BBC three. Don’t change BBC 4 too much, it’s working and is a great TV alternative to Radio 4.

Extending CBBC finishing time until 9pm. – Great, much needed and called for by parents, couldn’t agree more.

Half of the BBC websites will close, including Strictly Dance Fever and Street Doctor. – Not a fan of their pretty much useless extra content websites, setup in the internet rush to get SOMETHING online and really not needed, please just make these when they are of REAL use and REALLY needed, not just whenever a show starts.

Fewer bespoke programme websites. – As I say, great.

Defining publicly which areas of activity BBC Online will not undertake. – About time they knew who they were and what they were for!

Closure of 6 Music. – Yep, plenty of commercial competition, no need for it to exist.

Closure of Asian Network. – Outrageous, possibly the worst part of this whole package of cuts. This market is not fully covered by the commercial broadcasters and is much needed by the Asian community in the UK. There should be questions asked in parliament about this one!

Radio 2 must become more distinctive with at least 50% of speech during the daytime. – Well, that should kill the UK’s most popular station. REALLY, if it gets 50% more speech, what is Radio 4 for then? This kills Radio 2 and removes the reason for existing of Radio 4. Awful decision.

Investment in local radio breakfast, mid-morning and drive-time shows – but shared content at other times. – I have real questions about the usefulness and quality of local radio via the BBC, not sure a lot of it is really needed, plenty of local independants. I would make less stations and make them cover larger areas, it’s a difficult one but are they needed really?

1Xtra and Radio 7 to be aligned more closely with their parent stations (Radio 5 live and Radio 4). Radio 7 to be rebranded as Radio 4 Extra. – Radio 7 becomes Radio 4 with filler from old radio 4 shows. It’s dead.

The BBC’s commercial arm will move away from publishing magazines in the UK. – So what, they will publish magazines in the rest of the world but us, the people that pay for that original content generation that spawned these magazines will get nothing? Why the penalty to the UK? That REEKS of being political.

Will derive at least two-thirds of its revenue from outside the UK by 2015. – Great, lets have some money coming in, the more the merrier!

Spending on imported programmes and films will be cut by 20% – Strange as they seem to have increased it recently.

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Not a good day by any means!

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – February 16, 2010

Hang on a sec….

Take a read of this news report:

Read the rest of this entry »

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And there we have it. The iPad!

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – January 27, 2010

I was right, told everyone it would be the iPad and it was.

Was roughly right on the price too.

I would like one, I can see me using it a lot instead of the laptop for browsing, etc.

It is still a lot of money so I don’t know if I will actually get one.

Would be very nice though.

If I had the money I would get one right away for my mother who is technophobic but we could share emails, she could order things online and we could share photos, would be great.

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It’s Almost Here…….

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – January 27, 2010

Take one tablet to cure all ills :-)

Yes, the much rumoured iPad, iPod Tablet, iSlate, iGiveUp LOL is almost here folks!

I wonder many things right now before it hit’s us in all it’s glory. Was it over rumoured? Is it going to disappoint after all this hype? Will it truly blow our minds? Will it cost too much? Will it only be available to those able to take out yet another mobile credit account in these tough times?

And more to the point am I really going to care after all the fuss has died down?

We shall have to wait and see!

Let us pray:

Our Father, which art in Cupertino,
hallowed be thy name of Jobs;
thy iTablet come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in 1 Infinite Loop.
Give us this day our daily news or magazines.
And forgive us our jailbreaking,
as we forgive them that hack against us.
And lead us not into the temptation of Android;
but deliver us from the evil, that Google does.
[For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.

LOL

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First post of 2010

By
SteveINtheUKok
 – January 5, 2010

So is it tooo-thousand and ten or twenty-ten, have we all decided yet?

Two Thousand and Ten sounds, I dunno, so 2000 :-) So I guess it’s twenty-ten for me!

I’ve been not so well over the holidays, not well at all, but I am looking forward to getting better and the start of a new decade as the last one was pretty awful for many people including myself.

Not that there weren’t some high points and some great things but it wasn’t the best decade to be honest. Too much death and destruction for a start.

No resolutions, I don’t do them, no point, who ever sticks to them, not me that is for sure.

I did get some nice things for Chrimma and of course my new iPod Touch 3G which will probably be obsolete in a few weeks LOL, I did miss it though. I can do so much now and pause a podcast and go back to it. Not to mention it just marking off the ones I have listened to which is SOOOO helpful. You don’t realise how much better the iPod is until you don’t have one anymore! (Take that as a hint to those that haven’t got one yet, there is a reason so many people get them!)

Anyhoo, I am laying in bed as I write this, no, not naked, awwww :-) and I am about to indulge myself…oooh..in an episode of Big Fatty…awww, Archerr and see what the Little Aussie Battler has been up to and maybe a smidge of Wanda Wisdom or Madge Weinstein to top it all off. I love podcasters!

And no, this post has nothing at all to do with the United States Census 2010, Answer the census they’re counting on you! Just such a catchy tune! Blame Big Fatty for planting that tune in my head and I haven’t been able to shake it out since!

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