iPhone

The Trip Home From New Mexico

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Today we had to get up early and make the drive from Santa Fe back to Albuquerque to fly home.  I will take this time to mention we rented a XM Satellite radio for the trip from the rental company since we knew we would be in the middle of nowhere.  Wow, those things suck.  There were times when we didn’t even have any obstruction and it had trouble playing music.  Next time i thin we will be ok with just using music on my iPhone.  The iPhone had a few moments but otherwise it worked pretty well as a GPS.  The problems we had were with the TomTom app having really bad data on POI’s.  Wow it had stuff in there with addresses that were flat out wrong.

Because Santa Fe was so far from the airport and we had to get the rental car back by noon and we didn’t have a flight till 2:30 we got to the airport way too early.  Our luck there was no airport club, wifi or much to do.  We got some more reading in and found a sports bar for lunch.

To yet again prove how small a world it is, when we were boarding the plane M saw her friend Cormac settling into his seat for the flight home.  After we were in the air he came over to talk and it turns out he was in New Mexico for a conference.  We had the same connecting flight in Dallas so we all grabbed lunch before taking off back to NY.  We got back to LGA so late that all we did was head home and crash.

This vacation turned out to be just what we needed.  It was restful, fun, and a great trip.  It is hard to compare to our last trip to Europe but it was awesome in its own way!

Google Apps Premium

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On several occasions I have blogged about Zimbra. In June I decided to switch back to Google apps. For about a month or so I had been playing with both Zimbra and Google apps. What’s funny is I was relatively happy with Zimbra, but when I was playing with android phones I started looking again at Google apps. It seems like nowadays Google apps is universally accessible on multiple operating systems and phone platforms. Zimbra does use Microsoft’s exchange sync but do not as universally compatible as Google apps. The biggest drawback was the limitations on android phones. Even though I ended up not keeping an android phone I actually like the flexibility that Google apps gave me. When I first started using Zimbra I actually A copy of mail both on my Gmail and on my Zimbra account. Recently I have been less concerned about downtime with anyone provider, so that redundancy seemed like overkill.

What I ended up doing was I stopped using Zimbra and started using the free Google apps. Once I got the IOS 4.0 upgrade for my iPhone however I was compelled to purchase the paid version. There was a quirk with each change sync settings and IOS 4.0 that was fixed with the premium version. I tried the 15 day free account and liked it. I ended up canceling my Zimbra account and and now I am only using Google apps. Feature wise I can’t complain about Zimbra. Overall the two products were similar. I do however like the UI of Google apps. Recent integration of Google voice to my Google apps for domains also affirms my choice was the right one for me at the time. The

So far I’ve been happy with my choice for the past few months. I know every year or two I reassess the situation. I did that about two years ago when I switched from Google Apps to Zimbra, any year or so before that when I moved on to Google apps from another mail provider. Let’s hope I am satisfied with what I have now for a few years. Of course if Google doesn’t continue to innovate I’m open to other options.

Google Apps vs Zimbra

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Way back in October of 2008 I started using Zimbra (Hosted by 01.com) instead of Google Apps.  At the time the reasons were based mainly about security and the lack of good syncing from Google Apps to my iPhone.  I also recall the less than stellar Contact management on Google Apps.

Whats different?  We first the Contact management on Google Apps/Gmail is much improved.  I think it is pretty close to being on par with Zimbra, or enough to be really usable.  Secondly they offer Exchange like sync to any devices such as my iPhone.  With those two problems solved plus the fact that Google Apps always was a better email system I was very tempted to switch.

Another driving factor for me was I wanted to try the Nexus One (see previous posts) and having a Google Apps or Gmail account would make Android work so much better.  That was probably the tipping point for the switch even though I wasn’t sure if I would continue with Android.  Google Apps since it now uses Exchange sync works with many devices including both Android and iPhone.

Is there still a security issue with Google Apps, perceived or otherwise?  The short answer is maybe.  I think they will be good enough if I pay for the Premium account.

For years I have paid for mail forwarding services from Dyndns.org.  I love it, but it is not cheap.  It costs almost as much as a full year for 1 mailbox on Google Apps Premium.  What I would do is route mail to my Zimbra account and to my free Gmail account so I had my mail basically in two places in case I lost any one provider.  It was a bit over kill I know, but I got burned before with a regular email provider.  So on top of my mail routing service I also was/am paying for Zimbra.  2gig’s of storage and iphone syncing is about $65.  If I just bite the bullet and go with one host only (google apps) I can save almost $100 if I go for the free services.  If I want to pay for better SLA and more space, etc I am saving 50% or $50.

Any cloud service has some security risks.  I may be a bit paranoid about the whole google has my stuff issues I have so I started using Google Apps again.  I first tried using it with my old Scott.ac domain and used Dyndns to route my main domain to it.  I found that I really don’t think I want to continue to using the mail routing service after it expires so I setup another Google Apps account for my main domain.

I spent the past half a week uploading all my mail archives to the new account.  The vast majority of my stuff is up there now and labeled and is all perfect.

It is now the first time in years that I have turned off the mail forwarding and have all my mail going to only one place.  I did that as a test to see if I will be happy with this setup once the mail routing service expires.  So far, so good.  Knock on wood.  If I am happy in 3 months than I am now I may actually buy the Premium service.

My Barely A Week With The Nexus One

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Back in December I tried T-Mobile and the G1 out as a possible alternative for my iPhone.  The idea was that T-Mobile’s no contract plans might work out for me and if I liked the Android OS enough I would get a newer Android phone to replace my iPhone 3GS.  That experiment ended badly due to the G1 being no where near the iPhone and T-Mobile service sucking as bad or worse than AT&T did where I use it.

I have been eying the Nexus One for a little while since they offer an AT&T version of it.  It is the latest in Android phones and it has some advantages over the iPhone in hardware.  That and it used the same network my iPhone did I was curious to see if I could make the switch to the Nexus One and Android.  I keep saying the iPhone is the best phone I ever had but I would love to get rid of it so I figured I would give it a try.

I bought the Nexus One off of Google’s site.  It arrived the next day.  I give them props for that.  Unlike the G1, the Nexus One hardware was very nice.  Call quality was great, the screen was amazing and sharp.

I will cover in another post my switch from Zimbra (hosted at 01.com) to Google Apps.  I had to make this switch for this test to really work well, but I had been pondering this switch independently of the phone test for a while also.  The point is with a Gmail/Google Apps account setup the process of setting up my contacts, mail, and calendar on the new phone was totally painless.  The fact that Google Voice only works with an associated Gmail account and not Google Apps is a down side, but I survived.

I was all set to jump into the Android OS.  My original plan was to force myself to switch and use the Nexus One for a month.  By that point I will have either wanted to stick with it, or the new rumored iPhone would be out and or announced.  In reality I got only a few days (and not even using the phone for full days) before I threw in the towel.

On the plus side most of the apps I used on my iPhone had equivalent apps on Android.  I would say the vast majority of the apps I used had some sort of replacement on the Android.  The caveat to that is most of them were the Android versions were no where near as good as the iPhone versions.  They either were functionally inferior or just visually looked bad.  The option of more types of apps still had me interested.  Like the ability to have a caller ID app run all the time, or a location based profile app run all the time both were great ideas and reasons why I wanted an Android for multi tasking.  But those advantages were short lived when most of the apps I was used to using weren’t as good.  I have read others talk about this on Android and I can’t understand how reviewers can say Android will beat iPhone until this is fixed.

One major downside that may have pushed me over the edge in not wanting to use this phone was its music player.  I bought a cheap app to sync my itunes playlists to the phone so i was happy about that, but there was no easy way to use the music player when the phone was locked.  With the iPhone when the phone is locked you only have to double tap the round button and you get music controls.  That is huge! If i wanted to get to the same controls on the Android phone when it was locked I had to hit the power button, swipe my finger to unlock and then either have a music widget on my home screen or swipe over to another home screen with the music widget on it.  That just bothered me to no end.  Then I realized the Android OS doesn’t come with a video player.  Really?  And this is supposed to be a nice easily replacement for every day consumers?

The final straw for me was when I was editing an email and I couldn’t use my finder to highlight or move the cursor.  I can with the iPhone (well you have to with the iphone since that is the only input), but with the Nexus One you need to use the trackball.  Why?  I don’t want to use a trackball.  I don’t for anything else, but you kinda have to with this function.  Little things like that bothered me with this phone.  I have read that people say Android is not as “polished” as the iPhone.  They are right.  It isn’t.  I am a savy technical person (or I like to think so) and this stuff bothered me, so not sure what the average consumer would think.  I know several friends who are average consumers who love their Android phones.  My friend Dave just got a new Incredible.  I just don’t get how they are happy, but then again they haven’t used an iPhone.  I chalk it up to each person has their own tastes.

On the flip side Google Voice was fantastic on the Nexus One.  If anything that was one of the main reasons why I tried this experiment.  This plus couldn’t make up for all the short comings.

Lastly the fact that shopping for apps is only possible on the phone was a problem for me.  It worked out ok, but I like to browse on the computer and then send stuff to my iPhone.  Minor issue but still why can’t there be some sort of over the air sync?

In the end I got a few days out of the phone.  I am not worried.  It is in mind condition and will go up onto ebay in a few days.  Android may be popular and someone will be very happy with this phone, but I am happy drinking the cool aid and I am sticking with my iPhone 3GS.  Well until Apple announces something new this month!

The Android Experiment

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A few weeks ago I purchased a used T-Mobile G1 on eBay. It was party to see check out the Android OS, as well as check out T-Mobile service near where I live and work.

Firstly the G1 I got was a bit more beat up than I would have liked, but for the price I paid I kinda knew what I was getting into. I found it harder than I originally expected to separate my experience with the Android OS with my feelings about the G1 hardware. I was not a fan of the G1 at all. It was big, heavy, and I could not stand the curved bottom of the phone, nor could I really use the keyboard because of that uncomfortable bulge at the bottom of the phone.

The Android OS on the other hand was OK. I looked for equivalent applications to what I typically use on my iPhone. I didn’t do a complete search but looked for the top 5-10 apps that I use every day. I was able to find apps that performed the same functions. That was the good news. The bad news was that several of them were just not as polished as the iPhone equivalent. Maybe I am biased, but the iPhone apps just seem more polished than the Andriod counterparts. There were a few exceptions, but in general I wasn’t too impressed with the Andriod apps. On the up side I was happy with some of the types of applications that I couldn’t get on my iPhone. I loved the call blocking app especially since the T-Mobile number I got seemed to have a lot of people calling it. I also loved the Google Voice integration. For me as a Google Voice user it was perfect. I didn’t even tell anyone I got a new #. I just routed calls to the G1 and then used Google Voice to make outbound calls. For me that was the best part of the Android OS. I really miss that functionality on the iPhone.

The second part of my experiment was how is the T-Mobile service. The short answer is it is just as poor as AT&T is where I use it most. I don’t get any reliable signal inside my apartment with T-Mobile. By my window I get 3-4 bars but inside I only get 1-2 if any. Without a signal booster the service is useless in my apartment. If the Android phones supported T-Mobile’s Wifi calling like some of the Blackberry’s do that wouldn’t be an issue, but right now it is a major show stopper. At work in mid town I got slightly better results. I sometimes got decent signal at my desk, but other times it was spotty. Not consistent enough for me.

The bottom line is as tempting as T-Mobile’s no contract plans are, the service where I spend 75% of my work week (home and work) I had spotty service. That means if I want to stick with a GSM carrier I am stuck with AT&T. As much as I refuse to use Verizion I might need to consider. I may end up getting a Verizon Mifi anyway so that might be the trade off that keeps me with my iPhone an AT&T but more on that later.

I will keep my T-Mobile SIM until after my vacation but I don’t see myself keeping it long term. As for the G1, I am going away at the end of the week so I wont have time to sell it before I go, but it will go up on eBay before Christmas. If a AT&T compatible 3G (85mhz & 1800mhz) Android phone comes out I may give it a try again but until then I am sticking with the iPhone. Like I tell anyone when they ask if i like it, the iPhone is the best phone I ever had, but I would love to be able to get rid of it!

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Why I Won’t Buy a Driod

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Motorola, I have to hand it to you. The Droid looks like a great phone. If there was a GSM version I might just pick one up to try it. Unfortunately you only offer a CDMA version on Verizon. I will say that I honestly thought about switching to Verizon for a second. Thankfully Verizon got me to reconsider. Thanks Verizon. What do I mean? Well, I am amazed that Verizon has one of the best wireless networks out there but does everything possible to aggravate customers. I was interested in the Droid. Android 2.0 was intriguing. The generally fast and well covered Verizon network got me further interested in the Droid. Then I read that Verizon is charging a $350 cancelation fee on new contracts that have “advanced devices” aka something like the Droid (sorry I wont spell it DROID). I am frustrated as it is by being locked into the iPhone and it is GSM, so I am sure not going to switch to Verizon and be stuck into a phone and contract for two years that costs $175 to get out of.

I have never been a fan of Verizon’s customer service or the way they treat their customers, but this was the final straw for me. I am fine with having my parents use them since they don’t change phones very often but for me, no way. I am considering T-Mobile since they are going the opposite direction, cheaper rate plans and no contracts!

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Apple Are You Kidding Me?

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I have been a huge fan of Apple and the iPhone. I have always had my criticisms of the company. I have also said that I love my iPhone but would love to find another phone to replace it due to the restrictions Apple puts on the iPhone. This latest stunt by Apple may just get me to drop the iPhone and get something (anything) else. GV Mobile is an app I have used since it came out. It is an app that works with Google Voice. Before GV Mobile I used Grand Dialer that did similar things with the old Grand Central before Google turned it into Google Voice. Why then did Apple just decide to pull all apps that work with Google Voice? I paid for this app, now basically it is killed off? Yeah it will still work for a while but if anything in the OS breaks the app it wont work. This is crazy. How is this not big brother that Apple (or AT&T through Apple) just come in and turn off an app? And why, because it mimic’s iPhone features? So what, I choose to use those mimicked features. Thoughts are it is more likely that AT&T doesn’t want to lose revenue by free SMS via these apps. So can someone explain to me how App Stores are better for the consumer if the handset maker and the provider say what can and cannot be put on my phone? I prefer the day when i can find an app, download it and run it on my smart phone. Worked for years with Palm, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile. Now everyone has their own app stores. How is this progress for the consumer?

I was tempted to pre-order an Android powered My Touch with T-Mobile today. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that the My Touch doesn’t offer Wifi Calling (no android phone does yet). Apple / AT&T get your act together or you will lose a good customer, and I bet I am not the only one.

On a related note I was kind of pissed about what I consider similar crazy tactics by Amazon regarding the Kindle. At least Amazon apologized about what they did, and it doesn’t look like they will do it again. Apple you should learn something from Amazon!

UPDATE 7-31-2009: Finally the FCC is doing something. Questioning Apple, AT&T & Google about what is going on.

iPhone 3GS First Thoughts

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I got my iPhone 3GS on Friday. I was eager to get it when they announced it, but when it arrived I didn’t even want to rush home to take a look. I usually can’t wait to play with new electronic gizmo’s. Either I now have luke warm feeligns about it or I am getting older. I hope I just have low expectations of the new device. In any event I have had the device for a few days and I have early impressions since I can be opinionated about my gadgets.

One major reason to upgrade for me was the doubled capacity that I get with the 32gig unit. I would have gotten a 64gig one if they offered it. I wanted 32gigs last year when I bought my 3G. Ironically since I purged many videos from my 3G before upgrading I don’t even need the entire 16gigs I had. I know that in a few weeks I will use up the new space I have but right now it is weird seeing all that free space in the bar graph when I sync the phone.

I haven’t done that much to notice the speed improvements. Every once in a while I think it might be a bit zippier, but nothing major just yet. The camera is a great improvement, but still didn’t do so hot for me in low light when I was out on Friday. Video was nice, and I used it a few times with Zachary on Sunday but to be honest I am not going to praise that since a phone of iPhone’s class should have had that function already.

I have to say I am not a fan of the cut and paste function. I know I want it when I need it, and it is another one of those things that should have been around for some time, but I have problems with Apple’s actual implementation of cut and past. I have selected text to cut and paste while scrolling through items i was reading. It is actually very annoying. The amount of times that has happened vs actually using the cut and paste function is making that feature more of a detriment to me than a bonus.

The compass function was neat, but i haven’t really had a chance to use it. One downside I did notice was when I brought up google maps when I got out of the Lincoln tunnel on Sunday the Google Map app started spinning around and I had a semi-transparent warning box telling me that the compass couldn’t work and i needed to get away from interference. This wasn’t good since i couldn’t see where i was (approximately) on the map, where the old version on the 3G would at least just give me a blue circle that showed my margin of error. With the map spinning around and the warning box I couldn’t really estimate my location. Hopefully this was a fluke but I am not so sure I saw the last of that message especially in Manhattan.

So far you might conclude I don’t like the new phone. That is not true. It is a great piece of equipment. In my opinion it has unfortunately it has yet to live up to the cost I paid for it. What will improve my opinion is seeing all the new software that utilizes the push technology in the 3.0 software. I know I could have gotten that with my old 3G, but this new functionality on top of the new hardware was the reason for me to upgrade. For now I have to wait since it seems the hardware is a bit ahead of the software written to utilize it. Once a true push IM client comes out, and other nifty new apps such as the Zip Car app and the Tom Tom GPS app then the new phone will start paying for itself. I am also waiting for a push version of Facebook, and a twitter client (Tweetie I hope since I like it and paid for a copy). It is still a great media device that I take with me everywhere. That hasn’t changed, but for an incremental upgrade it has a bit to go before it becomes worth the upgrade.

For now the new iPhone 3GS is just like my iPhone 3G. I love it, it is probably the best phone I ever had, but I would love to get rid of it if I could. What I mean by that is it is a fantastic device but Apple is still too restrictive on the OS, and I would love for someone to come out with something that truly rivals it (Android, and S60 are nice but not there yet by far and I have tried both). Till then I await updated software for my 3GS!

iPod Free, Well Sort of

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For years I would travel everywhere with my iPod. Recently I had a 60gb and then a 160gb models. They aren’t the smallest but had enough storage for extra stuff so I had them vs a mini or nano. One of the reasons I bought an iPhone 3G was so I didn’t have to carry my iPod everywhere with me and just use my phone. At first I couldn’t stand that the iPhone couldn’t use the wired remote that I had with my iPhone. Because I liked skipping through songs I still used my iPod for music even though I had the iPhone. Back in October that started to change. The other day was the first time I actually took my iPod out of my bag to save weight. The only reason I use it now is as a hard drive or if my iPhone is running out of battery power.

The iPhone 3G isn’t perfect by any means but it does do allot of things right. Music and Video’s is one of them. I am happy for that. Now all I need is to be able to teather it to my laptop as a modem.