And how exactly is Apple different from Microsoft???

This morning when I got up I saw my Apps had 3 messages for *updates* to existing applications I had downloaded on July 13th after getting my iPhone 3G. I had to laugh because hasn’t Apple been touting for all these years that they are oh so different than Microsoft? Aren’t they the ones that claim that their product is much better than Windows and they supposedly don’t have to put the consumer through updates/upgrades to software & hardware?

And please don’t even get me started on the updates to the original iPhone or the new iPhone 3G (and those yet to come)….or iTunes updates for that matter. 

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‘Cause it just looks cool

Every once in a while a product comes along and you just have to get it ’cause it looks cool… (well and also it reminds you of the Jetsons and what we all thought life would be like by now with flying cars and robots for maids). The Sony Ericsson MBS-100 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is one of those cool products. It looks great, sounds great and is priced at under $100 which is great for gift giving (or buying one for yourself). This is also a great product for that back to school crowd. Dubbed as the ‘wireless sphere of music’ by Sony Ericsson this speaker truly delivers high quality music whereever and whenever you feel like blasting tunes and your headsets just won’t do the trick. Futuristic styling, great technology and easily compatible with any bluetooth enabled device.

P.S. Sony Ericsson isn’t even paying me to write this!  

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iPhone 3G vs. BlackBerry Bold… enough already

I am so tired of all the comparisons between iPhone 3G and BlackBerry Bold (which isn’t even out yet!). The reality is that there is little to be compared with these 2 devices. At the end of the day any consumer on the market looking for a new smartphone is going to have to decide for himself/herself what features they are looking for and what’s most important to them.

Apple vs. BlackBerry … this is kind of like the old school war between Mac and PC users. There’s always going to be some sort of a rivalry being played up between these 2 companies. (Personally I think Apple always like to build up the hype which they don’t have to resort to that route but nevertheless I think that’s how they like to do it).

Anyway, many technical panel experts are touting the same thing in their comparison of iPhone 3G vs. the BlackBerry Bold: The iPhone is great for internet browser experience but at the end of the day BlackBerry has the email thing down pat so if that’s the main reason you want a smartphone then best to stick with the original. I don’t personally prefer one over the other. Again, it all depends on how you want to use it and what do you do with your phone.

 Having a ton of cool features on your smartphone is great but in all practicality how often do you need those features in your daily life? Instead of focusing on the features between the iPhone and BlackBerry you should think about these types of questions as you make your choice:

1. Do you have time during the day to enjoy portable music, videos, games, podcasts, etc? (If you are like me, none of these really matter since I have to drive to work and back everyday and I have a 6 month old vying for attention most of the time)

2. Are you checking your email every 5 minutes or can you wait for 1 hour intervals? (This boils down to how important are you or how important do you think you are!)

3. Are you really interested in having internet access on the go? This is not a trick question. (Teenagers in Japan may be used to browsing the internet on a 2×2 or 3×3 screen but are you and your eyes ready for this or would you rather wait to get home and check out a webpage on your Dell 22″ widescreen?) 

 4. Finally, what does having a smartphone mean to you? Does it mean having your phone, calendar, email, music, weather, calculator, photos, sms, bank access, and I could go on and on here… If it does mean all those things and more then you’ll be fine with either the iPhone 3G or the BlackBerry Bold. What I am trying to say is whatever choice you make will be the right choice because you made it and not someone writing on a blog.

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iPhone apps … hiccup for Jott

See this email below that I received yesterday evening in my inbox.

Hello,

As CEO and Co-founder of Jott Networks, I’d like to welcome you to Jott and take a moment to address the some registration issues, bugs in our software, and important questions regarding our need for your email address and phone number. We’ve heard your concerns, and want to address them.
Delays registering
During the initial weekend of the app store, many customers had delays in receiving their SMS validation code. These were due to the huge amount of traffic we received at launch. These problems are now fixed, and I’m very sorry for any inconvenience.

Bugs in the application software
Some customers also have experienced bugs in the app. These included duplication of “Waiting for Transcription” messages, messages simply not arriving on the app (though showing up fine at Jott.com), and other crashes. Our testing for the iPhone was very limited due to the launch’s secrecy, and you had to deal with it – for that I am (again) very sorry. The current (1.0.3) version of Jott for iPhone, which is now available as an upgrade in the Apple App store, addresses all of these issues.

Your information and privacy
For those of you that know Jott only through our iPhone app, your questions about the need for a phone number and email address now seem obvious in hindsight. The answers are simple: we wanted every iPhone user to be able to use our existing phone call-based service. It lets you simply call a number – (866) JOTT-123 – and use your voice to send email and text messages to friends, communicate with online services (like Google Calendar and Twitter), and set SMS and email reminders.

In the broader Jott service world, your mobile number a) is your username, b) identifies you when you call us, and c) gives us a number to send text message reminders to when you set them. Your email address a) serves as a reply-to address when you send email messages with your voice, and b) lets you receive optional notifications from Jott.

As for serving ads on the iPhone: we are committed to keeping the application free, and one way to do this is with ads (much like Twitteriffic and other iPhone apps are doing). Most importantly, we will never give away, share, or sell your personal information.
I sincerely hope that if you like the Jott for iPhone application that you’ll tell your friends, write positive reviews, and continue to use it. For those of you who ran into issues, or had concerns, I hope you’ll forgive us, and give Jott another try.

Sincerely,
John Pollard, Founder and CEO, Jott Networks

I have said this before and let me go on record to say it now… I think that 1) Apple should have definitely given more time to companies to test and implement their apps programs prior to launch 2) they should not have hurried up the process so much b/c there’s still tons of bugs in most apps and  they are not ready for the mass market by any means and 3) this whole apple iphone 3G secrecy prior to launch is just a bit too much drama. I mean after all, it is just a phone right???

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Review of Amzer’s Air Case Holster for the Treo 680

Amzer has recently introduced an Air Case Holster for use with the Treo 680, and this is a written review of that product.  It’s available at fommy.com for $34.95 and I think it does a fantastic job of keeping my Treo just like new.   

If you’re not familiar with an “Air Case Holster”, I’ll be delighted to let you in on it.  Amzer’s Air Case Holster essentially comes in two parts, these two parts then work together to do one imperative job.  The job: to protect and preserve the life and quality of your delicate and sometimes pricey device.  The parts:  a strong holster with a fixed ratcheting belt clip and a clear crystal hard case so your phone’s personality still shines through. 

The crystal clear hard case fits the Treo exactly how it should, covering every curve and exposing the necessary controls used to manage your device.  The hard case comes in two parts and is really simple to put together.   I noticed that this particular hard case isn’t difficult to remove, unlike other hard cases out there, which is really great for me and for my nails.  The screen and keyboard remain uncovered for quick and convenient access.  Exact cutouts for the charging port, SD slot, side buttons, camera, speaker, vibrate switch and the stylus make the hard case extremely user friendly. 

 

The holster, is designed to fit a “skinned” or “hard cased” device, so don’t try to use the holster with a naked Treo and then freak out because “it doesn’t fit!!!”  The idea here is to double up your line of mobile phone defense.  With the crystal case on, the Treo smoothly slides “face-in” to the holster, fitting perfectly.   Designed as an extra precautionary step, the phone must be inserted “face-in.”   With the velvet interior lining, I actually prefer to use the holster this way.  The fixed belt clip rotates a full 360 degrees allowing for vertical or horizontal placement when the holster is clipped to your belt or pocket or bag, making everything more comfy.  The holster is made of resilient plastic, tough enough to withstand unintentional drops and the occasional deliberate hurl.

 

All in all, this is a really cool product because you can use the two parts together or you can use the crystal hard case alone.  In regards to phone security, this is an outstanding product, it really gets the job done.   The two products get along famously, it’s like they were made for each other!  Start protecting and preserving your phone today with Amzer’s Air Case Holster available now at fommy.com!

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