Jul 2007
I Want This Watch
13-Jul-07 01:55 AM Filed in: General Interest
Recognize it? This is the watch from the Steven Spielberg movie Minority Report starring Tom Cruise. I have searched the internet everywhere for this watch and I can't find anything about it. In fact, this image is one I made myself from a DVD rip I made recently. This watch is featured quite prominently through out the movie and I can't believe there isn't more information about it floating out there on the web.
Now, being the iPhone-toting, techno-gadget-junkie that I am, I simply must have this watch - or one very similar to it. How come they don't make any real watches that look or function this cool? The face on the watch indicates that it is made by watch maker Bulgari (can you say $$$) but a quick trip to their website reveals no information about it - in fact it isn't even mentioned. I even searched on the bonus materials second DVD disc that came with the movie and there's not one word mentioned about it. What gives? If anyone can find more info about this watch (perhaps even on eBay), please let me know. I am very much a connoisseur of fine watches and this one would be a real treasure to any collection. One thing is for sure, I'll bet Steven Spielberg has one at home right now.
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My Observations of the iPhone
12-Jul-07 08:10 AM Filed in: Technology
One week after the popular device went on sale, I was able to finally locate an 8GB model at the Apple Store in Southlake, TX and was able to make the purchase without standing in line or camping out in a tent. I've been using the phone for almost a week now and I have a list of positives and negatives on the device. I can tell you that if you've been on the fence waiting to hear if the device is stable and effective, then I can tell you without any hesitation that "yes" - this device is ready for prime time and works exceptionally well. If the initial out lay of cash doesn't prevent the purchase, then there is absolutely no reason to wait on picking one up today.
To begin with, and this is really why I am an unabashed fan of Apple products, the experience in buying and seting up an Apple device is a very rewarding experience. If you've never purchased an Apple product then I don't suppose you will understand what I mean; but the iPhone proudly continues in the tradition of user friendliness and ease of setup and use. Setting up the iPhone was completely painless and I had no trouble with activating my account on AT&T. Everything was flawless and quick. The system for activating a telephone from your home computer was a revolutionary step that had never been done before, so some of the hiccups that were encounted by a very small percentage of early adopters seem to be ironed out at this point. From opening the box to activating and syncing the device to my Mac, the whole process was complete and I was using my iPhone in 5 minutes. Syncing took a little longer because I have almost 700 songs and over 2,000 photos stored on my phone - and I still have about 1GB of storage left over. It was exactly like setting up an iPod - and for the first time ever, I have all of my contacts and calendar appointments on my phone and it didn't take me an hour trying to make it happen.
The phone has performed flawlessly for me for a week now. The internal speaker is loud and clear, and using my Motorola blue tooth head set has been perfect. Pairing bluetooth devices is almost an automatic process. WiFi operability also works very well with the iPhone instantly recognizing nearby networks and prompting you if you would like to connect to them - very easy and simple. Browsing the internet on Safari while connected to WiFi is generally very fast. When using the EDGE network, performance can be anywhere from slightly slower to unusable - depending on your exact location and sginal strength in the area. While in my home area, the EDGE network is pretty quick and I'm able to surf without any major difficulties - performance will vary.
The iPod functionality is exactly the same and of course watching videos on the device is a real joy and easy on the eyes. But there are a few things that need some attention and I will list them below. I can't say enough good things about the phone. Much of the issues that were raised prior to release of the device are, in my opinion, exagerrated. For example, the keyboard works very well and only takes a few uses to get used to the touch. Whether or not you prefer it to a physical keyboard is purely a matter of personal preference, but the keyboard works very well and I've picked it up very quickly. I can use it much quicker and more accurately than any physical keyboard on a smart phone.
MY LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS:
Not in any particular order.....
1. Better selection of ring tones with the ability to use your own music library
2. Connectivity to iTunes over the internet to purchase songs from the device
3. The ability to create folders on IMAP e-mail accounts from the device
4. More applications so you can edit documents - the phone runs OS X and this would be easy to achieve
5. Move from EDGE to 3G networks
6. Redesign the ear phone jack so that it doesn't require a special adapter
7. Be able to play iTunes games on the iPod function
8. A screen that doesn't show finger prints (if that is even possible)
9. A higher megapixel camera (2 MP is very marginal)
10. And of course, a larger flash memory drive would be ideal
MY LIST OF STELLAR FEATURES THAT ARE AWESOME
Not in any particular order...
1. Battery life - absolutely awesome - the best I've ever seen. Can use the phone all day long and only consume half the battery by end of the day
2. High res screen - bright and beautiful - a real pleasure to look at
3. Great interface design - the functionality of the touch screen and software is flawless and well thought out - intuitive - no directions needed
4. Great sound - best sounding iPod I've heard so far
5. Ease of setup - for e-mail and contacts could not be easier. Nothing in the windows smart phone world comes close - at least not in my experience
6. Revolutionary technology - from the touch screen to the accelerometers that disable the screen automatically when you put the device near your face - the intelligence of the phone is truly inspired and performs exactly as advertised
7. Cool factor - enough said
8. Size and weight - after carrying abound an HP wndows smart phone for 2 years, I feel like I've traded in a phone book for a credit card - a welcome relief
9. Touch controls - being able to navigate websites with a touch of your finger, or zoom in and out of photos and documents by pinching is very cool and easy to perform. I hate styluses and I'm glad to be free of one forever
Bottom Line: Version 2 will surely be an improvement - but for what you get in version 1, there's no reason to wait for tomorrow.
To begin with, and this is really why I am an unabashed fan of Apple products, the experience in buying and seting up an Apple device is a very rewarding experience. If you've never purchased an Apple product then I don't suppose you will understand what I mean; but the iPhone proudly continues in the tradition of user friendliness and ease of setup and use. Setting up the iPhone was completely painless and I had no trouble with activating my account on AT&T. Everything was flawless and quick. The system for activating a telephone from your home computer was a revolutionary step that had never been done before, so some of the hiccups that were encounted by a very small percentage of early adopters seem to be ironed out at this point. From opening the box to activating and syncing the device to my Mac, the whole process was complete and I was using my iPhone in 5 minutes. Syncing took a little longer because I have almost 700 songs and over 2,000 photos stored on my phone - and I still have about 1GB of storage left over. It was exactly like setting up an iPod - and for the first time ever, I have all of my contacts and calendar appointments on my phone and it didn't take me an hour trying to make it happen.
The phone has performed flawlessly for me for a week now. The internal speaker is loud and clear, and using my Motorola blue tooth head set has been perfect. Pairing bluetooth devices is almost an automatic process. WiFi operability also works very well with the iPhone instantly recognizing nearby networks and prompting you if you would like to connect to them - very easy and simple. Browsing the internet on Safari while connected to WiFi is generally very fast. When using the EDGE network, performance can be anywhere from slightly slower to unusable - depending on your exact location and sginal strength in the area. While in my home area, the EDGE network is pretty quick and I'm able to surf without any major difficulties - performance will vary.
The iPod functionality is exactly the same and of course watching videos on the device is a real joy and easy on the eyes. But there are a few things that need some attention and I will list them below. I can't say enough good things about the phone. Much of the issues that were raised prior to release of the device are, in my opinion, exagerrated. For example, the keyboard works very well and only takes a few uses to get used to the touch. Whether or not you prefer it to a physical keyboard is purely a matter of personal preference, but the keyboard works very well and I've picked it up very quickly. I can use it much quicker and more accurately than any physical keyboard on a smart phone.
MY LIST OF IMPROVEMENTS:
Not in any particular order.....
1. Better selection of ring tones with the ability to use your own music library
2. Connectivity to iTunes over the internet to purchase songs from the device
3. The ability to create folders on IMAP e-mail accounts from the device
4. More applications so you can edit documents - the phone runs OS X and this would be easy to achieve
5. Move from EDGE to 3G networks
6. Redesign the ear phone jack so that it doesn't require a special adapter
7. Be able to play iTunes games on the iPod function
8. A screen that doesn't show finger prints (if that is even possible)
9. A higher megapixel camera (2 MP is very marginal)
10. And of course, a larger flash memory drive would be ideal
MY LIST OF STELLAR FEATURES THAT ARE AWESOME
Not in any particular order...
1. Battery life - absolutely awesome - the best I've ever seen. Can use the phone all day long and only consume half the battery by end of the day
2. High res screen - bright and beautiful - a real pleasure to look at
3. Great interface design - the functionality of the touch screen and software is flawless and well thought out - intuitive - no directions needed
4. Great sound - best sounding iPod I've heard so far
5. Ease of setup - for e-mail and contacts could not be easier. Nothing in the windows smart phone world comes close - at least not in my experience
6. Revolutionary technology - from the touch screen to the accelerometers that disable the screen automatically when you put the device near your face - the intelligence of the phone is truly inspired and performs exactly as advertised
7. Cool factor - enough said
8. Size and weight - after carrying abound an HP wndows smart phone for 2 years, I feel like I've traded in a phone book for a credit card - a welcome relief
9. Touch controls - being able to navigate websites with a touch of your finger, or zoom in and out of photos and documents by pinching is very cool and easy to perform. I hate styluses and I'm glad to be free of one forever
Bottom Line: Version 2 will surely be an improvement - but for what you get in version 1, there's no reason to wait for tomorrow.