At the end of the day, it’s a phone! It is not the second coming… it won’t feed hungry children… it won’t cure cancer… IT’S A PHONE! It is admittedly cool, but it is still just a means of communication!
Been busy this week blogging all over the place, and I’m just bluntly not in the mood for it tonight. The iPhone coverage is part of it. I’m bored with the thing and I haven’t even touched one!
In the same speech where Steve bestowed iPhone love on all the employees, it seems he also mentioned this little ditty:
He then expanded upon OS X, and what it means for the business. There is one OS group that does Mac OS X for the Mac and the iPhone, as well as “some iPods we’re working on.” Could it be that the next major revision to the iPod video will, in fact, be a widescreen iPod similar to that of the iPhone? We’re not sure, but it definitely sounds like Steve is leaning in that direction.
*slaps his veins* I need my fix Steve… I need my fix.
I know everyone is getting caught up in iPhone hype (I’m looking at you Jo), and yes, I know how excited I was the day the details were announced, but then realities set in; it’s far from perfect. It’s using a slower data connection, the OS takes up 770mb of the fairly small memory, the data plans will kill you… it IS flawed.
Also, remember this is a gen 1 device. Think back to the gen 1 iPods… now think of the gen 5.5 iPods (and who knows what gen 6 will be), it’s like comparing night and day. So, yes, the iPhone is exciting, but I’m not sure I would run out for a gen 1.
Oh hallelujah! I have been waiting for this day to come for ages! T-Mobile has finally launched HotSpot @Home. Why is this exciting? Oh, let me list the ways!
For someone such as myself, I have next to no cell phone coverage in my house. I have to leave my phone on the front window ledge to get one bar, if that. This new T-Mobile service turns any WiFi router in to a cell coverage expander. In theory, you can start a call on a traditional cell network, and as you get neat your WiFi router, the call will hand off to the router, allowing you to go anywhere in your house and continue the call. I have no delusions about the hand off, but the idea of being able to use my phone inside my house finally, is really exciting.
Even cooler is any calls using the WiFi system do NOT count against your minutes. If you aren’t a big minute user, you can get a small package, pay the $10 a month fee, talk almost exclusively on the WiFi network and never use even one of your minutes. It will also handle text messaging and any of the other usual phone features.
For now, the only phone available is the Nokia 6086 , which Engadget Mobile reviewed today. They loved it except for a bit tinny sounding on the audio, but they said that happened both on WiFi and traditional cell networks. Like them, I love the idea this phone has Bluetooth included. I am sure using WiFi and Bluetooth at the same time will drain the heck out of the battery, just plug the handset in, put on your wireless headset, walk away from the phone and let it run off the wall socket. Who wants to hold the handset to their head anyway for a long conversation? And for those who wondered, yes, this phone will work with any open wireless network, meaning coffee shops, schools and so on. So long as there isn’t a login screen, you’re good to go.
Another bonus for me is I work in all metal building with NO reception at all. Well, we have WiFi at work, so I would finally have cell phone accessibility all day long. And, even better, I could use my Bluetooth headset to talk at work as I walk around the warehouse! Yes, I currently use traditional headsets, but I am tired of the cord catching on things and ripping the ear piece off my head!
More than likely there will be more handsets introduced on the not-to-distant future, and I am going to hold out for a bit, but I am so stoked by this whole concept. This technology has been out in Europe for awhile now, it’s about time we got it here!
And therein lies the problem. While I understand Ms. Edwards outrage against the woman, she handled it incorrectly, and played in to her hands. Ann now has fodder for a hundred articles and just as many speeches. While Coulter was visibly shaken by the confrontation (way to stumble all over your own words, Ann), Edwards came off as, well, a bit pathetic. Her thoughts weren’t organized, she meandered, and quite frankly, she sounded more like a mother protecting her cub, than a wife. Not a good public image for a man running for the highest office in the land. “Lizzy! The Russians are being mean to me! Could you call and give them a stern talking to?”
Elizabeth Edwards is correct in that the political dialogue needs to be raised, but you relay this message to the masses by calling into a talking heads pseudo-political show and scold the woman who said unkind things about your husband? Way to raise the bar there. You sank to her level of maturity, true, you used better language and didn’t fall to the level of school yard taunts, but simply by acknowledging her, you fed her ego, and gave her fodder for months to come. “Well, obviously I am relevant to the political process if the wife of a Presidential candidate calls me to tell me to change my style. I am obviously keeping them on the ropes.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending Ann. I can’t stand the woman and would like nothing better than to see her fade into obscurity, which, it almost seemed like she was doing. Sadly, Elizabeth Edwards little “chat” did nothing but propel the snake-creature back in to the limelight. Heck, it got me to break my political neutrality again. (Honestly, I am neutral, I pretty much hate anyone involved with politics… I don’t trust any of them at the end of the day)
One extremely odd thing I wanted to point out from the whole debacle was this: Ann doesn’t pay attention. If she does, then she just makes things up. (Text from the above linked transcript)
Elizabeth Edwards: It did not start with that you had a column a number of years ago
Ann Coulter: OK, great the wife of a presidential candidate is calling in asking me to stop speaking
Chris Matthews: Let her finish the point…
AC: You’re asking me to stop speaking stop writing your columns, stop writing your books.
CM: OK, Ann. Please.
AC: OK
EE: You wrote a column a couple years ago which made fun of the moment of Charlie Dean’s death, and suggested that my husband had a bumper sticker on the back of his car that said ask me about my dead son. This is not legitimate political dialogue.
AC: That’s now three years ago
EE: It debases political dialogue. It drives people away from the process. We can’t have a debate about issues if you’re using this kind of language.
(Audience member yells something.)
AC: Yeah why isn’t John Edwards making this call?
CM: Well do you want to respond and we’ll end this conversation?
EE: I haven’t talked to John about his call.
AC: This is just another attempt for –
EE: I’m making this call as a mother. I’m the mother of that boy who died. My children participate — these young people behind you are the age of my children. You’re asking them to participate in a dialogue that’s based on hatefulness and ugliness instead of on the issues and I don’t think that’s serving them or this country very well.
(Audience applauds.)
CM: Thank you very much
Elizabeth Edwards. Do you want to — you have all the time in the world to respond.
AC: I think we heard all we need to hear. The wife of a presidential candidate is asking me to stop speaking. No.
Did I miss something? Did Edwards at any time ask Coulter “to stop speaking”? No. She asked her to stop personal attacks. This leads one to one of the following conclusions:
A) Ann has no comprehension of what is being said to her.
B) Ann finds it impossible to write without personally attacking someone.
C) Ann just makes crap up to make herself sound like a martyr.
You be the judge, but personally, I think this whole exchange, as distasteful as it was, shows Ann can’t handle being put on the spot. Just as Edwards was obviously not all together, neither was Coulter. For such a “respected” political commentator, she couldn’t think on her feet. That says a lot to me about how this woman really is just nothing more than a “shock jock” and not a true political pundit.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again… please don’t feed the Coulter troll.
Chipmunk… Prairie Dog… who cares, it’s still funny. I have a feeling this is the new version of “All Your Base Are Belong To Us“. Everyone will be whacky for it for a week or so, and then no one will even remember the joke.
The original prairie dog video! Featuring… MORNING MUSUME!
I got an email from Amazon today that their current price for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now 49% off list price, making it $17.99. Okay, that’s not the insane part. They will also send you a $5 gift certificate in August, no sales tax, free shipping, and they are guaranteeing day of release delivery. I ordered mine today.
So, as you all know, I’m dieting, but, dammit, I had a craving for ice cream! So I headed out last night around midnight, hunting for ice cream. I thought “Okay, I’ll be at least somewhat behaved, I’ll get sugar free!” So, I like Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks, it only made sense that I could trust their sugar free version.
Nasty after taste.
Gurgling stomach.
Burping.
It was just nasty in general.
Let’s just say, I will go without ice cream next time instead of eating this nasty pretender to the throne.
He has given an exclusive interview to his hometown newspaper, The Houston Chronicle, wherein he whines some more. How he was betrayed by ABC, and what he said was taken out of context, and he how T.R. Knight was the one to make the uneasy work environment.
All you are doing is making yourself look like a bigger ass. Non-stop whining, threats of lawsuits, you are just making yourself look, quite frankly, unbalanced.
And, again, I have to wonder what would be going on if someone had made a racial slut against Washington? He seems obsessed with “Yes, I said this, but it doesn’t matter.” You know, I might have given you a pass if you hadn’t repeated it at the Golden Globes you idiot.
I just want him to go away. This has reached the point of absurd.
I think I have found my dream backup method… finally.
Couple weeks ago, I heard about a backup service I was unfamiliar with named Carbonite.com (link takes you to a free trial page). The basic premise is you download the software, tell it which files you want to backup by right-clicking them, and walk away. That’s it. Approximately ten minutes after you select a file, the software will automatically encrypt the file(s) and upload them to the Carbonite servers.
Now, say you’re doing your entire My Documents folder, and the next day you open a spread sheet up, revise it, and close out. Again, ten minutes after you close it out, up it goes to the servers.
The Pros: Automatic – Once you pick the files, it truly is automatic, it does the work for you with no effort on your part. One of the biggest reason people never backup their files is too much work.
Colored Icon Marks – The files you pick for backup get color coded dots on them in Windows Explorer. Yellow for waiting, green for backed up. Parent folders get a blue dot telling you at least one file inside the folder is being backed up.
Unlimited Storage – Who knows if this is true or not, but they claim the space is unlimited.
Price – $49.95 a year… yes… a year. $89.95 if you buy two years. I signed up only for one year so far.
There are some cons I’ve found, so let’s be fair and mention those:
The Cons: Speed – The initial upload took forever. Why, I have no idea, but it is only about 1gb per day. I fear when I finally go to move my music folders, we’re talking weeks.
No Versioning – I think they are working on this, but it’s not done yet. For those unfamiliar with versioning, that is saving multiple versions of the same file, so you don’t over-write it.
No support for external drives – Right now, it’s only working with internal drives, but sometime this summer they are supposed to add support for external hard drives and network drives.
Yes, there are cons, but for $49.95 a year, it was worth it just to backup my My Documents folder really. I figure anything beyond that is a bonus to me. So, give the free trial a look, it last for 15 days, the only thing you can’t do during that time is backup video or audio files, everything else is fine.
hmmm I love Buster Keaton, but with three Chaplin films on the list, it seems a bit crowded with four silent comedies.
For all it’s faults, I think the new list makes a bit more sense. It seems a tad more focused, a LITTLE less “Oh, I remember that movie!”, and more about impact.
is now 49% off list price, making it $17.99. Okay, that’s not the insane part. They will also send you a $5 gift certificate in August, no sales tax, free shipping, and they are guaranteeing day of release delivery. I ordered mine today.
