It is hard being a fan of Apple. Just when you secure bragging rights for the newest gear, they release a newer and better version. Such is the case with the new iphone due out in July.
The real new is the built in GPS. Not so impressive in its currant form, but just wait till 3rd party apps start dreaming up new ideas to use GPS tracking. Imagine walking down the street and having playlists by location? Walking into Best Buy and having the sunday circular come up as you enter. State park audio tours... I can't wait to see what emerges.
There is also 3g internet speed. Not sure this will make much of a difference to me out in the woods of Central Mass. I can't get a normal edge signal in my house- don't get me started on that....
So what to do with your year old latest, but no longer greatest? Part of me thinks that my old one still makes me love it on a daily basis- But.....Ebay has offered a real good solution....
The 2.0 phones can't be hacked yet. Apple has beefed up the tie to ATT's network. To activate the new version, you need to sign up with at&t at the purchase point. That means, using it on a network other than at&t has just become impossible- or at least very expensive. Not so with the first gen. Run a simple program, and unlock your iphone to use any sim card, on any network. Right now, prices on ebay are around $400. They are expected to move further up as the grey market dries up. So, buy an new $199 phone, unlock your old one and unload it on Ebay for a nice bit of $$. I have always had great luck selling Apple hardware on Ebay over the years. It has allowed me to upgrade my laptop every 12 months. I can sell the old one for about the cost of the newer model- Education Discount+loaded with software= new computer.
So, not sure if I plan to sit this one out. AT&T will add another year on my contract (it will reset to 2 years) But while AT&T holds exclusive connection, I will continue to pay for the Apple-crack.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Jott
As I move further away from 30 and much closer to 40, it is harder and harder to stay up to date on the newest emerging things. I remember getting my first walkman at 12 and trying to explain to my Grandfather how cool it was Christmas morning. I can still see that perplexed look on his face: He did not get it, and had not gotten it for awhile.
Lucky for me, I have some former students in their 20's who force me to stay up to date. The newest- Jott. Jott is pretty cool. It allows you to use voice mail to send emails. I have seen this before, but this works very well, and wait for it....is free to use. Set up took me 5 minutes. It allowed me to import my gmail address book, and select those whom I wished to include. You can also use it to send yourself email reminders- much better than the scraps of paper that I am always filling my empty pockets with.
Right now, it can work with any phone- including land lines. They offer a native app for blackberries- and I am sure an iphone version is awaiting the big July app store unveiling.
Give Jott a try. And thanks Nick Allain and Broken Wall films.com for keeping me hip to this web 2.0 thing.
Lucky for me, I have some former students in their 20's who force me to stay up to date. The newest- Jott. Jott is pretty cool. It allows you to use voice mail to send emails. I have seen this before, but this works very well, and wait for it....is free to use. Set up took me 5 minutes. It allowed me to import my gmail address book, and select those whom I wished to include. You can also use it to send yourself email reminders- much better than the scraps of paper that I am always filling my empty pockets with.
Right now, it can work with any phone- including land lines. They offer a native app for blackberries- and I am sure an iphone version is awaiting the big July app store unveiling.
Give Jott a try. And thanks Nick Allain and Broken Wall films.com for keeping me hip to this web 2.0 thing.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
This Can't End Well
Watching Hannah Montana is a train wreck waiting to happen. How long before she rebels as only a 15 year old millionaire who has nobody to tell her no can? Miliey Cyrus looks like a 28 year old playmate. Vegas odds: 200 to 1 she will turn out somewhat normal in 5 years....
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Macbook Air
So Apple. to name a thin computer air. So Apple to make something so cool, that it almost justifies the large price. So Apple, to think ahead and change the way we think and use a computer.
First, let me just say that I love Apple's products. But I don't drink the cool aid blind anymore. In fact, in my kitchen, I have a dell tower running vista, streaming HD content to 3 xbox 360's in the house. And let me go out on a limb here to make you believe me: Vista's media center is better than Apple's solution at this time. So while I am a fan, I am not blindly in love. People can and do better than Apple- even Microsoft.
Lot of people ask me my advice on technology. I enjoy watching and understanding trends. I am a teacher, so it is not important for my job- just something that I enjoy. I find the media trends these days fascinating. The control of a few media houses is all crashing and crashing very hard. They know it, many of us know it, it is already happening. Record stores will go away in a few more years. Digital distribution will be the main form of sharing music, movies and information. The real cool thing: a point I try very hard to make my video students see, is that anyone with an idea now has a voice. You tube, web 2.0 apps, social networking is about to give all sorts of people power to express themselves. This could save humanity and be the true nature of free expression. Digital disruption is going to change the power structure in the world.
So, rant off, back to computers.... The Macbook Air is a very sexy product, and I think Apple gets it. The idea of a wireless world, small computers that we can bring with us, and scaled down specs is the trend of the future. Taking the optical drive out is a few years ahead of the curve. It is not for everyone. I would not even bother installing Final cut, or imovie on this thing. Laptops do not have the hard drive space for serious film making anyway. And with HD entering the home user market, this will continue to become very obvious. Desktops are the best way to use serious apps and this will continue in the future. Macbook pro's will serve a purpose for those users. But this middle child will fill a need.
The Latest from Apple is going to be great for writers, web users, light photo work in the field and home pictures, and organizing your digital life. People who use a computer in their daily lives will learn to love the small size, and adjust to the new specs. I take the small digital camera that fits in my shirt pocket with me all the time. My large SLR, takes way better shots, but I tend to leave it due to size.
So who can buy this sexy thing, that has no real pro power. People who have a desktop machine, who want to be able to do simple computer tasks. Unfortunately, the $1,799 price will limit it as a niche product at first. But prices will come down. Look at the reduction in the iphone. They will gain more power over time as chips get even smaller. You must pay to be cutting edge, and need to be brave to think different. Once again, Apple is leading the way here. You just have to pay a luxury tax to enjoy the ride. So stop the fanboy debate and see this for what it is- a very pricey computer that in true Apple fashion, will drive the rest of the computer market for years to come.
First, let me just say that I love Apple's products. But I don't drink the cool aid blind anymore. In fact, in my kitchen, I have a dell tower running vista, streaming HD content to 3 xbox 360's in the house. And let me go out on a limb here to make you believe me: Vista's media center is better than Apple's solution at this time. So while I am a fan, I am not blindly in love. People can and do better than Apple- even Microsoft.
Lot of people ask me my advice on technology. I enjoy watching and understanding trends. I am a teacher, so it is not important for my job- just something that I enjoy. I find the media trends these days fascinating. The control of a few media houses is all crashing and crashing very hard. They know it, many of us know it, it is already happening. Record stores will go away in a few more years. Digital distribution will be the main form of sharing music, movies and information. The real cool thing: a point I try very hard to make my video students see, is that anyone with an idea now has a voice. You tube, web 2.0 apps, social networking is about to give all sorts of people power to express themselves. This could save humanity and be the true nature of free expression. Digital disruption is going to change the power structure in the world.
So, rant off, back to computers.... The Macbook Air is a very sexy product, and I think Apple gets it. The idea of a wireless world, small computers that we can bring with us, and scaled down specs is the trend of the future. Taking the optical drive out is a few years ahead of the curve. It is not for everyone. I would not even bother installing Final cut, or imovie on this thing. Laptops do not have the hard drive space for serious film making anyway. And with HD entering the home user market, this will continue to become very obvious. Desktops are the best way to use serious apps and this will continue in the future. Macbook pro's will serve a purpose for those users. But this middle child will fill a need.
The Latest from Apple is going to be great for writers, web users, light photo work in the field and home pictures, and organizing your digital life. People who use a computer in their daily lives will learn to love the small size, and adjust to the new specs. I take the small digital camera that fits in my shirt pocket with me all the time. My large SLR, takes way better shots, but I tend to leave it due to size.
So who can buy this sexy thing, that has no real pro power. People who have a desktop machine, who want to be able to do simple computer tasks. Unfortunately, the $1,799 price will limit it as a niche product at first. But prices will come down. Look at the reduction in the iphone. They will gain more power over time as chips get even smaller. You must pay to be cutting edge, and need to be brave to think different. Once again, Apple is leading the way here. You just have to pay a luxury tax to enjoy the ride. So stop the fanboy debate and see this for what it is- a very pricey computer that in true Apple fashion, will drive the rest of the computer market for years to come.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
For the most part,I successfully ignored the myspace fad. I just didn't get it. It seemed like a web page for those who didn't code..yawn. Last year, I read an article in Wired about how facebook could change the world. Again, it just did not seem to interest me. My general thought is that we are already way too connected. Remember those days when we could eat in a restaurant and not get a phone call?
Well,I did it. I am not proud, but I set up a facebook page. At first, I connected with a few odd high school people from my distant past. Then it happened- I received a msg from my first girlfriend from 1985. Instantly, I was thrown back to the 80's. I bragged to my wife that she remembered me as her first kiss. Powerful nostalgia this web 2.0 is....
Then I began to get a few former student friend requests. I was again connected with students from 10 years ago, mentioning they remembered advice that I gave them after class. It was working magic- I was re-connecting with all of the names from the past. The 3,000 former students could once again say "hi."
So, for now, I am enjoying this new form of human connection. And to those students who may have received a friend request, or a "poke," please know that I am not a creepy teacher- my intents are very friendly.
Well,I did it. I am not proud, but I set up a facebook page. At first, I connected with a few odd high school people from my distant past. Then it happened- I received a msg from my first girlfriend from 1985. Instantly, I was thrown back to the 80's. I bragged to my wife that she remembered me as her first kiss. Powerful nostalgia this web 2.0 is....
Then I began to get a few former student friend requests. I was again connected with students from 10 years ago, mentioning they remembered advice that I gave them after class. It was working magic- I was re-connecting with all of the names from the past. The 3,000 former students could once again say "hi."
So, for now, I am enjoying this new form of human connection. And to those students who may have received a friend request, or a "poke," please know that I am not a creepy teacher- my intents are very friendly.
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