Verizon.....Mmmgh.

Sometimes in life, you have to be grateful for the little things that you have.  I remember a time, when I was a child and I lived in a house that had a back garden that was very difficult to keep up.  In fact sometimes I just wouldn't do it and got stares from my neighbors.  I envied my next door neighbor who had the best manicured lawn that money could buy.  Their kids were the envy of the neighborhood.  One day, while playing soccer in our garden the ball went over to their yard.  Knowing that they were not at home and that they did not have a dog, I climbed over the high privacy fence to get the ball.  To my astonishment the side of the garden, that not visible from my bedroom window, was filled with all kinds of junk - car parts, old dryers and just pure rubbish.  The grass that I coveted was filled with dandelions and weeds.  In fact up close I wondered where the grass was. I jumped back over to my house and took off my shoes so as not to drag that stuff to our grass.  What a shock!

Guess what folks, the old proverbial saying just came true on February 3rd @ 3am EST.  If you thought about watching a CME video while on the road using 3G, think again my friends, think again.  Some things are just better placed verbatim without additional comment:

Verizon Wireless

strives to provide customers the best experience when using our network, a shared resource among tens of millions of customers. To help achieve this, if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless

data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand. Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren’t negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users.

Green grass?  Something to strive for, but so difficult to attain....


LDD.

Is there a software switch proximity error on the iPhone 4?

A few months ago there was a lot of buzz about the proximity solution that was promised with the iPhone 4.  I have still not yet seen this.  I offered a tentative solution to this a few months ago, by showing that if you depressed the Home button, you can press the virtual speaker button on the screen or access other virtual buttons.    Alas, this is not a real solution to the problem.  Sometimes keeping the Home button pressed will also inadvertently bring up the Voice Command screen, something that you do not want while you are on a phone call.  It also defeats the purpose of being able to make a phone call with one hand.

This weekend, I was tinkering with an electronics set in my garage, working with something that I will write about at a later date, called ARDUINO.  It is a programmable logic board that enables you to use simple programming language to do a lot of things, such as turning LED lights on and off etc.  A lot of artists use ARDUINO boards to do light shows etc.  As I stated, I will write about the ARDUINO later.  But while tinkering with this, I noticed something strange.  I was able to use a light sensor to ring a bell.  Akin to a home alarm system that detects a change in the light source, occluding the sensor would ring the bell.  This whole thing is programmed into the ARDUINO .  Just then it came to me!  What if there is something in the IOS 4.0 software that is programmed in reverse?  In other words, what if when the sensor is blocked, instead of the virtual screen going blank as it does if you place the phone next to your face, the screen turns on?

To test this, I made a phone call and decided to keep my finger on the light sensor (located at the top of the phone screen, next to the telephone speaker).  Low and behold, the virtual keyboard showed up and stayed on.  However, when I placed the phone next to my cheek, my cheek kept on pressing keys during the conversation.   I tried it again and it didn't work.  But it worked again on the third phone call.

Of course this could be a faulty sensor, but could there really be millions of faulty sensors around?  The one support for a faulty sensor is the fact that not everyone is complaining about having a sensor problem, but everyone has the same IOS software.  But why would it only happen intermittently?  Is it the light source or is it a software issue?   Could it be that if the proximity sensor is covered from the beginning of the call there is no issue - as I noted with my three calls 2/3 times?  That would not be a hardware issue then, but a software issue in the ROM.   In using ARDUINO, albeit a rudimentary software/hardware platform, I am learning a lot about more complex circuit boards.  And as I state again, rudimentary is the operative word.  There may be a plethora of things going on that account for the sensor issue, but it would be nice if it was just a software glitch that gets fixed very soon. 


LDD.


Addendum:  More testing shows that if I use the iPhone in a relatively dimly lit room, I do not get the flashing virtual screen problems.  This may mean a sensitivity issue in reading the data from the photosensor.   The question that comes with that is if this is correctable via software or is that a hardware (ie. capacitance/resistor) issue?   It would seem that software could compensate for this.  But if it isn't happening to everyone that brings up the hardware debate again.  If an update is released for the ROM, how would that affect people who do not have the problem in the first place?




UPDATE:

THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED.  READ THE FOLLOWING UPDATE:

http://theiphonedoc.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-iphone-sensor-issue-solved.html

GET WELL STEVE.......

3 short words of encouragement to the greatest innovator of the 21st Century.

Clarity on Aperture at $80 and Licensing Issues

So, during my investigation into this software I had two questions that I felt compelled to ask about.  The first, whether the $80 version of this professional grade application was the exact same as the $200+ version available from Apple in disc form?  And what kind of licensing did the downloaded version entail?

The Mac Genius looked up the information and informed me that this was indeed the actual version of the $200 software and not an Academic version either.  So it will be upgradeable in the future. 

In regards to the licensing agreements, he stated that according to Apple, if you - the license owner -  own more than one Apple machine ie. Mac Desktop and Mac laptop, you have the ability to use the program that you have downloaded on both machines without having to pay for the program again.   I asked if that meant that the Mac App store, in similar fashion to the iTunes store, would recognize that I downloaded this once before and not charge me another $80 for the software?  He stated that he was not certain about this, but stated that it should recognize it by the Apple ID.  He recommended downloading the software and networking it or placing it on a disc and installing it on the other machine.

You know, I may start liking this Mac App store after all.   I am not happy about giving up my freedom but there is a certain amount of clarity in this way of doing business.  For one thing, if this is as minimally restrictive as it sounds, I think that the App store will be another major hit for Apple.

I Won't do Mac Store...Oh Wait Did you say Aperture is $80?

Okay, so I was not going to download the Mac app.  Why? Well let's just say that I still like the old fashioned way of finding software, but this App store thing seems to be a compelling way to do business and to find software as long as it does not interfere with my ability to go outside of the box to find the same, say for a lower price point.   I am a really big fan of the Bundles - ie. MacUpdate, MacHeist etc.  For $50 you get about 12 programs (Apps to be politically correct :)).   What will become of these bundles remains to be seen now that the App store has arrived.  When I first bought my Mac in 2007, the Mac Bundles were an excellent introduction to software for my new OS. 

I have always waited for the V1 or first version of anything, ie. iPad, iPhone to pass before jumping in head first.  Not wanting to be on the bleeding edge (ie. iPhone 1 owners), but trying to remain on the cutting edge.  But APPLE knows how to nail you!  And what I thought was a misprint by Apple on the Mac App store has just NAILED ME!

I have been looking for Photo cataloging and editing software to advance from iPhoto.  I wanted to get something a little better than iPhoto which has become extremely bloated with our over 12,000 photographs.  I began this quest in 2009, but halted it after seeing the pricing for the two leading contenders.  Aperture, Apple's own version was over $200.  That was not chump change.  Lightroom by Adobe was about the same $245.  I listened to a number of photography podcasts and friends who were always in two camps - The Aperture lovers and the Lightroom lovers.  The Lightroom fans claimed that theirs was the only true non destructive editing platform with a plethora of third party plug-ins, with cataloging as a secondary feature.  The Aperture lovers would say that the cataloging features were superior and that the plug-ins were catching up to Aperture and that non destructive editing was on par, but Aperture's tight integration with all things Apple made it the superior choice.

Admittedly, I began leaning towards Lightroom due to the fact that many Windows users and a few of my trusted photography friends exclaimed that this was the de facto program for serious photographers.  I was planning on buying it this September, but never got around to it as other things kept on getting in the way.  In the end, I was still on the fence.

But yesterday something peculiar happened.  While scanning the "papers" for news on the new App store, I ran into the top 10 grossing apps on Fortune Magazine.  And there it was.  Aperture 3.0 selling for $80.  Not $200.  I checked the Apple website to ensure that this was not a typo that would soon be retracted.  It was not.  Aperture was $80.  Now, that is a game changer.  One of the things that my friends told me is that once you go to either Aperture or Lightroom there is no turning back.  At $80, did Apple want to make sure that all of its Mac Heads remained in the fold?  Was this another 1-2 sucker punch to Adobe?  If I went to Lightroom would it be possible that Adobe might stop supporting Lightroom on the Mac (ie. Microsoft not creating another Excel version until last year, leaving Mac owners to use a 2004 outdated version of the App for years or Adobe's Flash or Creative Suite issues with updating?).  Support has been my main concern.

So now I have to weigh the pros and cons of the situation.  Should I go to the App store and download Version 3.0* of Aperture?  My mind is telling me yes, but I now have to do more research to see if plugins will be supported and if there are as many worthwhile plugins as found in Lightroom.   Also what kind of licensing would this entail?  Can I install the App on more than one machine (Does the Mac App store make it impossible to "share" a disc on multiple machines in the same location for one fee)?  

Apple has created a compelling reason to stay the course.  A professional photography suite for $80 - that my friends was the introductory price of Adobe's Photoshop Elements on Disc, a rudimentary program that is not in the same league as Aperture.  Apple, you have made my decision making a living hell !  Thanks :).

AppleTV a hobby? Don't count on it........

Perusing the Patent Universe and you will find a very real, very informative patent just given to Apple Inc.
Pop over to Patentlyapple to see how the patent office granted Apple a TV set top box patent.  Folks, this is no hobby!

The best gadget for 2010......

Folks, I know the iPad has had the reputation of being the best device for 2010.  It's on the wish list of many, but here's a story that may make you go Mmmgh?

I had the opportunity to purchase an iPad earlier this year.  It was a gift actually that was to be given to me some time in August.  I passed on the gift immediately.  I was told about how many wonderful apps that were available for it and how the simple act of buying an app once meant that it could be utilized on an iPhone and an iPad.  I was shown the simplicity of reading books and the running of gadgets from remote controlled apps.   I thought that this was wonderful.

However, I declined the iPad!   Yes, folks, I declined the hottest gadget of the year.  The gadget that is simply the best in its class - that of Tablet Computing.  So I know that you are asking the very question that many of my other friends have asked:  WHY?  And more importantly, what is the best gadget, in your opinion, for 2010?

For me, the gadget of the year is quite simply Amazon's KINDLE.

What I did not tell you in the first paragraph above was that I have a very large library of books.  Books that I never get to carry around with me.  They range from novels to sonnets to medical literature.  I have well over 1,000 journals, which I rarely get the chance to read and therefore am subjected to buying a subscription to a Journal Reviewer, reading in depth the articles that are germaine to me.  I rarely get the opportunity to read novels and when I do, I usually don't have the book with me.   What I needed was an electronic book device.  Something that just did electronic books.  I did not want something with email, twitter, You Tube or any such distractions.  I wanted a serious e-book reader.  No tweeting, beeping, ringing interruptions.  Just words on a page.  I wasn't interested in color or pictures.  Just WORDS.

The Kindle or more importantly, The Kindle 3 is perhaps the best e-book reader ever invented.  As of 2010 of course.  The iPad simply does not compare when it comes to reading a novel on the device for over an hour.  I tried to read on an iPad that was loaned to me and I immediately became fatigued trying to read at night.   Additionally, the iPad, excellent as it may be as a mobile utility device, is much too heavy to be considered a dedicated e-book reader or book replacement. It is too distracting, with its apps, alerts etc., to be considered a serious e-book reader.  Now, I am not putting the iPad down, but simply stating that if you are looking to read books and only books, then the Kindle is the better choice.

So, are there weaknesses to the Kindle?  You bet.  First, you really do need to have the same brightness that you would have to read a regular book available to you.  Otherwise, you will need to buy a cover which has a built in light source or buy another light source.  There is no back light, as seen with the iPad.
Second, if you are into color pictures, the iPad is for you.  The Kindle shows only gray scale images.  Again, it is for reading.  Thus I would not recommend it for Magazine reading.  Nor would I recommend it for PDF books.  The manipulation that needs to go on with trying to read a PDF is just not feasible for long articles.
Third, after playing with the iPhone, any Smart phone or an iPad or iPod Touch, you have this feeling that everything that has a small screen needs to be touched to make the words and images move.  Thus page turns, character enlargement etc., are intuitively managed by Touch Screen -- On An iPad.  But not on a Kindle.  There are still ancient Touch buttons on the side and a relatively antiquated hard key keyboard.

But what beauty there is lies in the Software that Amazon has chosen to use.  Let me first say that Linux is always loved and the OS appears to be a version of this.   You can add books to the Kindle in many different ways.  You can use Amazon's WhisperSync which does over-the-air downloads via 3G or Wifi.  And did I mention that the 3G is free, without registering?   Yes, it's relatively slow if you want to surf the web, but for obtaining books, it's wonderful.  You can also Archive by just erasing a book off your KINDLE.  You can save an entire folder, which contains all of your books from the KINDLE to your PC.  This is great if you want to upgrade a Kindle.  You just download the folder and store it on your hard drive.  This also allows you to save files on the Kindle and use its 4 gig memory as a hard drive.  You can upload Audiobooks via this route also or MP3 files.

One amazing feature that I loved was during an hour of reading a classic.  I couldn't move, but I had to go to the bathroom.  Well, you can let the Kindle read to you.  It will ( in its really nice phonetic voice, which I might add is quite human-like) continue reading where ever you have left off.  Really great for bathroom breaks :).

The Kindle is small enough to keep in your bag or jacket.  It can download updates if you like, in the background.  Additionally, you can turn off the Wifi and save the battery.  I have used it for 22 days straight on a single charge once.  Normally, I will charge it on weekends though.  What is good however is the ability to read anywhere, anytime.  And if I forget the device, well, I can continue the reading on my phone if I wish.

One important feature about the Kindle is the lack of a back light.  I point this out because it is very important.  I can read a Kindle for at least an hour straight, without stopping because I do not have a large back light shining into my eyes.  That back light is okay if you are reading at 7pm.  But at 10pm, this is a strain.  I have tried reading my iPhone at night and I hate it.  It's too bright.

Of note, the 1000 journals will not be archived.  For that I am actually going to use an iPad.  The PDF restriction is an issue there.  Also, for technical reading, I really would not recommend the Kindle, at least for medical technical reading.  If you have to jump back and forth, several times, then an iPad is better.  But luckily, I have found a wonderful niche for my Kindle.  It is now the proud provider of all of my classic novels and since they are free, the list is now well over 100 in size.  I look forward to reading Moby Dick and Brave New World many years later and from a different perspective than I had before.  The non reflective nature of the Kindle makes it a winner anywhere.  And the fact that I will not be distracted by the web when I am reading is just icing on the cake.

This is why I am calling the KINDLE 3 with WIFI & 3G the best Device for 2010.