Upgrading the iPhone and the useless iTunes progress bars!

So it’s about time to upgrade to 2.0.2.  I ripped a DVD and put it on the iPhone (thanks to handbrake!) and it was suprizingly easy.  But it took a while to encode so I had plenty of time to do an upgrade.

First step was to download the update . . . over 200 MB!!!  That’s going to take a while  . . . .

Okay, now it has to backup the iPhone.  I get a progress bar from hell that just keeps scrolling by.  After that’s done, another useless progress bar saying it’s extracting the files or something.  Next another annoying progress bar to say that it’s “Prepping the iPhone for an upgrade”.  On and on and on.   Probably more than 5 different progress bars.

After all that it couldn’t install the software (my USB ports are flaky) so it was in “Restore mode” and I had to do the entire process all over again (well, at least I didn’t have to download the update).  Lucky that it backed up the iPhone because everything was wiped out after the restore.  But I did get back all the apps I downloaded as well as the addressbook.  But I did loose all the music and video so I had to sync all that back up.

Two hours later . . . finally done.

Sheldon

Published
Categorized as Gadgets, Rant

iPhone 3G reception problems are real!!

It’s been a while.  I’ve been messing with CakePHP instead of writing . . . but I need to do both.  Anyway, an iPhone rant.

The iPhone 3G reception problem is bad news.  While we were in DC a few weeks ago I was trying to look up maps and stuff and the iPhone was sucky so I switched off 3G thinking DC just wasn’t a good coverage area.  When we got back, I never switched it back (it is Sarah’s phone after all).  Then on Monday (several weeks later) I read that “Tris” (the Tetris clone) was being pulled from the App Store on Wednesday.  I grabbed up the iPhone and downloaded it.  (It’s pretty sweet by the way.)   The download took a while and I remembered about how I switched off 3G weeks ago so I switched it back on and put the phone on the dryer (that’s where we put our phones and keys).  Later that night Sarah does some laundry and I notice the iPhone is pretty hot sitting on the dryer . . . so I put it on the washer.  Next day, all calls are dropped after less than a minute.  At first I thought it was the heat from the dryer . . . but then Sarah said “It’s that Tris you installed!” and then it dawned on me . . . it was because of 3G!!!  I switched off 3G and all is well . . . sorta, I mean, it’s not “twice as fast” and it certainly wasn’t “half the price”.

That said it’s still a cool phone and I wish I had one.  It just sucks that it is advertized as better . . . and it’s certainly one of the most expensive options when it comes to the TCO (total cost of ownership) for a phone.

Sheldon

Published
Categorized as Gadgets

At Google, the limitations are as limited as possible.

Jim and I were talking about “Google Code Jam” and he assumed the language we both know really well, VBScript, wouldn’t be an acceptable language.  I just happened to have read the rules and here is how I sumarized it to him:

“You can use whatever language/tools you want.  You can solve the problem with paper and fax it in if you want.  Want to solve it with Excel with macros, go ahead?  What about MathCAD . . . sure.  ANYTHING.  At Google, the limitations are as limited as possible.  I’m amazed that we even have to register to see the examples.”

Having been to Google I/O and 3D Basecamp and I can vouch that Google tries it’s best to give people every possible option.  Everyone knows about the food selection (but no matter what you’ve read to experience it is to be amazed) but at 3D Basecamp on Google’s main campus, as an attendee, you walk from room to room or building to building following the signs that tell you where to go.  You walk about the halls of Google and, sure, security is watching your every move but there are no signs that say “DON’T GO HERE” or “FORBIDDEN” or “Google Empoyees Only”.  If you happen to wander to an area you shouldn’t be in I imagine those blue shirted security guys and gals will pounce but there is the illusion of freedom as you walk about the campus and it’s refreshing.

Apple raises the price of the iPhone

The big news about the new iPhone is “Twice as fast, half the price” but now we know the truth.  Sure, it only costs $199 but now the data plan and text messaging is the same as the ones you get with a Blackberry (see my earlier post) so essentially the new iPhone costs more than the old one over the two year contract.  Or, to look at it another way, the new iPhone has the same data plan as the Blackberry so now it’s easier to compare the total cost of an iPhone over the total cost of a Blackberry since there isn’t a special iPhone package from AT&T anymore.  I guess Apple is the one pulling something this time, not AT&T.

Sheldon

How does AT&T get away with this?

UPDATE:  Well, with the new iPhone comming out the link to the pricing plan below is invalid.  Thank goodness for the way back machine!!  At archive.org I found the text about the $20 “iPhone Data Plan” that includes 200 text messages, unlimited data and visual voice mail.

The new iPhone means a new post.  Stay tuned.

Okay, so, here is the deal. I get the Blackberry Pearl. Lost my Razr and for $50 (after getting a rebate card) I figure I need a change and the Blackberry charges with mini USB so I don’t need to invest in chargers. As you can tell it was a tough decision. It was!

The Blackberry is okay and it’s cool to have Google maps and GMail . . . comes in handy a lot more than you think. It does lock up and give me the spinning hourglass too much and without Google it would be worthless but it’s a few steps up from the Razr. Not sure if it’s worth the “data plan” fee but still, it is useful. I figure I’ll keep the data plan a few months to see if I use it enough and beside, I can’t let the mobile web pass me by.

Then I get the *second* bill. $40 more than I expect. Last time the “Blackberry unlimited” was charged at $25. This time it was $30. I guess it was prorated the first month and $30 is the normal fee. Okay, that’s kinda steep but that only accounts for $5 increase. Oh, and my wife made a few calls in Canada . . . there goes another $25. Still missing $10.

Going over the bill for the third time and IT’S THE TEXT MESSAGES!!!! No text messages are included with the $30 Blackberry plan . . . NONE . . . For that you gotta pay $5 more.

According to Apple you just pay another $20 per month as an existing customer to get 200 text messages and data. WHAT THE!?

So, to get what I would get with an iPhone (data and text messaging at least) on the Blackberry I need to pay $15 extra per month or $180 more per year! What am I missing?

Sheldon