Samsung's New iPod Killer

If you’re a fan of Apple or the iPod, you’ll want to check out the new Samsung YP-T10 and YP-P2 mp3 players at the Crave blog. In particular, watch the YouTube video of the touchscreen interface at the end.

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9767104-1.html

I know that that Apple has yet to release their next-gen iPods, so I’m not saying Apple is in any kind of trouble. But it's nice to see a trailing pack forming behind the Apple's touch screen technology. Like they say in Alaska, unless you're the lead dog, then you're just looking at another dog's ass. The Samsung's touch screen software looks competent, and not at all like the Nokia iPhone clone bullshit demo. We've known all along the iPod's success is about the total package, hardware and software. So, lacking a slick content manager like iTunes, Samsung is still way behind the lead dog. It will still be the combination of iTunes and the iPod that delivers the killer blow to all competition.

iPhone's Google Maps Let Me Down

This weekend, I used the Google Maps function twice on my iPhone, and both times it let me down. The first time was during a drive to the suburbs to an IKEA. I was the passenger giving directions. I had printed out directions via Google Maps for our main navigation, but we found ourselves lost mid-trip. I told the driver not to worry, “I have an iPhone.” However, the maps on the iPhone turned out to be useless. One of the problems was the limited real estate of the iPhone’s screen reduced the amount of visible street names on street-level view. And if I zoomed out to broaden my search, you couldn't read street names anymore. Dragging the map around on street name-readable view was way too slow over Edge. There were lots of problems with the loading speed of the maps. At one point, the maps wouldn’t load and I put the phone away in disgust. I also used the phone's Google Maps driving directions to see where we took a wrong turn, but again, the screen real estate combined with the poor zooming and page loading rendered the phone’s turn-by-turn function useless.

The second time that Google Maps let me down was while searching for a Starbucks in downtown Chicago. I went to an address where Maps said there would be a Starbucks, and discovered it wasn’t there. And while walking to another suggested location, I discovered a Starbucks that wasn’t even on Google Maps.

I've also noticed that, in general, the locations of fast food restaurants are incomplete and inaccurrate.

It’s not so much Apple's fault, but a problem with Google adding and maintaining accurate information to their map service. Now to be fair, Google Maps on the iPhone has been useful in the past when I known specifically what I’m searching for, like the Thai-food restaurant near my apartment. But as a navigation aide in a car, it was a total failure.

The iPhone Makes a Good Kitchen Timer

I'm serious, the iPhone makes the perfect kitchen timer. Using the timer under the clock function, set the alert sound to alarm, and you'll see exactly what I mean. Helped me broil a perfect steak tonight.

iPhone Third-Party Apps? Whaddaya mean?

Apple should take the same approach that game console companies do, which is approved software companies put out approved programs for the iPhone that meet Apple standards, whatever Apple declares those to be. That doesn't take out the creativity of the process, because companies can come up with whatever they want. And Apple wants to sell as many iPhones as possible, so they would approve whatever programs the consumers want, as long as they met those performance tests.

iPhone Skin, or to Not iPhone Skin

Here's an idea for all the dozens if not hundreds of companies that will make protective iPhone skins and cases: Make an iPhone skin that looks exactly like an iPhone. Am I the only one who doesn't want to cover up the sexy of the iPhone with a bunch of rubber and plastic? It's like putting baggy overalls on a supermodel. The problem is, I have noticed the back and sides of my iPhone getting scratched up, so buying a case looks imminent.

The iPhone As a Gaming Device: Part III

As usual, hackers beat the professionals. This time they've won by putting a native game on the iPhone. They're calling it the first native game for the iPhone. I thought the NES emulator was the first? Whatever. The game is called Lights Off, and I'd love to give it a try. I'm getting more and more tempted to crack open my iPhone after seeing all these cool possibilities like custom ringtones and games. That's the iPhone I want.

The iPhone As a Gaming Device: Part II

Somebody has put a very rough version of a Nintendo emulator on the iPhone (see YouTube video below). I love the concept of placing the directional pad and the A and B buttons on the touch screen. It'd be cooler if it played the games in wide screen, with the game in the center, the directional pad on the left side of the screen, and the buttons on the right. Hoepfully someone can get the emulator working. Currently, the reports are that it is very slow and the touch screen buttons don't work.



I don't understand why there isn't already a native game for the iPhone. If Steve Jobs doesn't want third party apps, why don't they contract some game designers and make a game or two themselves. Just put one game on it. That's all we're asking for. One game that isn't a crashing, slow-loading, need-a-wireless-connection Web game. I guess we'll have to settle for the excellent Bejeweled for now.

What I Find Useful About the iPhone

One of the concerns I had about the iPhone was whether it'd be useful out in the wild. I mean, I know it's a cell phone, and everyone knows how useful a cell phone is. But what about everything else? Is the "Internet communication device" really that useful out in the world? Is it $600 worth of useful? Here's what I've discovered so far.

Some information lends itself to a mobile environment, and some doesn't. One example of useful mobile information are movie times. If you're out with friends or family and you decide to check out movie time, what are your choices? Search out a newspaper or call the theater. But with the iPhone, finding the movie times is a snap. Of course, that's not unique to the iPhone, but the iPhone gives access to that information in a very quick, intuitive, and pleasant way. Less frustration is one of the iPhone's selling points for me (as long as it doesn't crash!).

Here is a real life example of the iPhone being useful to me. I was walking to a Thai food place near my apartment I had never been to. I noted the address before I left but didn't write it down. Wouldn't you know it, I forgot the address on route. I was on the right street, but now I wasn't sure where it was. Had I walked passed it already, or did I need to go farther? I whipped out my iPhone, did a Google map search, and discovered I had a few more blocks to walk. Peace of mind thanks to the iPhone. Again, I could have done this on another smart phone. But the unique thing about the iPhone was I added all that information: the phone number, the address, the website, to my contacts list for that restaurant, so I could recall it the next time I call for carry out. It's like a new world for my address book, I had never had this level of detail before.

I also use the iPhone at work to check out sites that are blocked by WebSense. A lot of job-related useful information is blocked by WebSense simply because it is on a blog or in the comments of some forum. Don't get me started on WebSense. Anyways, Ive found the iPhone serves as kind of an emergency web browser when my desktop fails me for whatever reason.

Another way it is useful is that it removes a lot of the weight of what's in my pocket. I don't have to stuff both a phone and an iPod in my pocket, just the iPhone. Now, if only I could figure out a way to have the iPhone start my car and open my apartment door, I wouldn't need to carry my keys with me too.

It's hard to judge if the iPhone is truly worth $600. I mean, it hasn't supplied me with tools that are indispensable. I don't have to know movie times when I'm out with friends. It's not like it's a car that carries your groceries home, or your home computer that let's you write, print, or email your resume. I guess the best way to describe the iPhone is as a luxury tool that helps you get more kinds of information quicker in a mobile environment. For business people, of course that could mean a lot of money. But for the average person, it's more of a luxury. Maybe one day there will be $600 worth of information I come across on-the-go, but that hasn't happened yet. Still, it's a very useful and entertaining device.

16% of ChangeWave Members Say They Will Buy an iPhone

In a new low of online news, PC World has an iPhone article concerning a poll by ChangeWave concerning potential iPhone buyers. ChangeWave is an investment research company that "identifies and quantifies changes in industries...through surveys of a network of thousands of business executives and professionals working in more than 20 industries," according to their website. So, basically it sounds like the people polled were a bunch of rich people with various business interests.

So what does this survey say then? A group of around 3,000 rich people said that approximately 450 of them will buy an iPhone. And from that data , PC World extrapolates that the iPhone "seems set to disrupt the mobile phone industry." Wow, I know some people of this world are out of touch, but this seems ludicrous to the point of an advertisment.

First of all, the iPhone has already disrupted the mobile phone industry. Second of all, things won't get really crazy until 16% of everyone who is not a rich person say they will buy an iPhone, since most of the people in this world aren't rich business executives.

iPhone's Safari Still Has Stability Issues

It might be too early to say Safari's stability issues have been
fixed. Last night while listening to the MacBreak Weekly podcast on my
iPhone, I tried to visit the Digg.com iPhone-optimized website, only
to have the iPod software crash on me twice. Today while trying to
visit my Pownce.com website, Safari crashed. So, the first software
update was not a complete success.

In Brief: iPhone Update!

iPhone update v1.01 is finally here! I features "minor" software and security fixes. One of the fixes was hardly minor, as it was a major headache before the update. I am now able to listen to my iPod while surfing Digg.com today. It didn't crash once. The iPhone didn't like Ajax so much before. Hallelujah.