iOS 5.1.1 - Siri on car Bluetooth still sucks

I think iOS 5.1.2 will be out before I finished reading the Terms and Conditions for iOS 5.1.1

I find Siri to be picked in the neck but the voice typing on the iPad and iPhone to be pretty darn good.

I find Siri to be picked in the neck but the voice typing on the iPad
and iPhone to be pretty darn good.

Apps Using Dropbox Being Rejected By Apple for Silly Reason

Does Apple have to squeeze every penny they can out of the community?  I teeter back and forth and this has pushed me back into the Android camp.  So lame.  Hopfully the Galaxy S III has a good showing and the Note/Journal comes out for Verizon with some beefed up specs.  I'll jump ship then.  I simply can't take Apple's overreaching ways anymore...

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/05/02/apps-using-dropbox-are-being-rejected-because-apple-is-playing-hardball/

What a day! #Google #Drive AND a 50Mbps/5Mbps connection from @TWCable_SD

#Google #Drive has a file 'viewed' feature.

THIS IS THE BEST NEWS out of the Google Drive launch.  I have found a 'viewed' feature which allows me to know if a client has accesseda file.  While I don't know when it was or who it was, I at least know they did.  Yea Google!  I am done with Box.com, Dropbox, IDrive, and everyone else :D

At least for now...  I am fickle, you know.

Please don't tell me that Google Docs had a 'viewed' feature all along.  I would feel like an idiot.

#Google #Drive Appears to be a Google Docs syncer.

While not what I was hoping for since Google Docs does not report on file access information, it is kinda cool since I have 200GB of Google Docs storage.  I wonder if I am going to be able to maintain that 200GB for $50/year?  Poor SMEStorage.com.  I will have to sync over to Box.com now with SMEStorge.com as the conduit.  That's a lot of data!

Got G-Drive installed and syncing. Please oh please have file access record retrieval!

Article: More proof that freemium games are the ticket to app profits

I sure hope people wake up and boycott freemium apps.  Ultimately they charge way more than the apps are worth and the game play tends to be limited to encourage over-spending, especially from more emotionally driven children. 

I have bought around 1,400 Apps and now check first to see if there are multiple in-app purchase options available.  If there are, I pass the app by.  Please do the same.

Please also recognize the difference between freemium and try-before-buying apps.  In-app purchasing is a great model for try-before-buying apps.

More proof that freemium games are the ticket to app profits
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57418833-94/more-proof-that-freemium-games-are-the-ticket-to-app-profits/

#iTunes / App Store down for 6-7 hours for me. #AAPL has gone to cr*p since iOS 5 and without SJ.

Once again, Apple doesn't 'Just Work'.  I am finding that since the introduction of  iOS 5+ and (coincidentally?) since Steve Jobs passed away that iOS crashes a whole lot more and there is a ton of frustration where there used to not be any.  It reminds of Android 2.0 crashing, quite frankly.  I woke up this morning and I had an offset row of icons on my homescreen on the iPad 3.  What the heck was that all about?  Had to rotate and switch it on and off to fix.  I gave up my jailbreak on my iPhone 4S in an attempt to get better performance out of iOS but the only thing I got was better bluetooth connectivity.  I think iOS 5.1 may crash more than 5.0.

Between the OSX virus, Apple stock dropping 10% in the past week or so, all the law suits, focus on the new campus, and no SJ.  I wonder if the folks over there are too distracted and/or too lax?

Time to go.  Have to force-close iTunes (again).

I reached #Google #Voice SMS limit this morning. GV treated me like a spammer.

I reached Google Voice's SMS limit this morning.  Apparently you can't SMS more than 4 or 5 new people in a 5 or 10 minute time frame.  I was shopping for something on Craigslist and was SMS's sellers when Google stopped me like I was a spammer.  I said a lot of the same things to the sellers and sent links to their Craigslist ads too so maybe that contributed to my loss of service too... Google - if you are listing - GV is ideal for Craigslist and your SMS restrictions are a bit too, well, restrictive!  It with with only 4 or 5 SMS messages, after all.

A possible solution for your Personal Hotspot on working on #iPad 3 - Again, an #Apple product doesn't "Just Work".

For the life of me, I couldn't get my Personal Wi-Fi hotspot to work on my iPad 3. I could connect, but no data. It was p*ssing me off, quite frankly. I was just about to call Apple for support on the subject, which is something I haven't done except when I know something is broken - but decided to try and troubleshoot the problem one more time myself. And I fixed it.

Here is what I discovered:

If there is an apostrophe in your device's name, you can connect but data won't transfer. My iPad 3's name was "Brian's iPad". When I changed it to BPad - Voila! It works!

In typical Apple fashion, they provide few options and do not give the user the ability to name their Wi-Fi Hotspot SSID directly. Instead, they use whatever name the user gave to their iPad. They apparently didn't test this very thoroughly. I am guessing apostrophe's are not permitted in SSIDs.

So if you are having WiFi Hotspot connection issues, check your iOS device's name to see if it has an apostrophe in it. You can change it in Settings - General - About - Name.

Once again, Apple doesn't 'Just Work'.

Post office needs a redesign.

My problem with the post office is that it is too darn confusing. If you knew nothing about the services they offer and wanted to get a package delivered in the shortest period of time, which service would you choose?  Priority, Express, or First Class?  Compare this with UPS.  UPS Ground, 2nd Day, and Overnight.  See what I mean?  Also, when in the post office, it is unclear whether certain packages will be shipped appropriately if placed in certain bins so help from a postal worker is often needed which wastes time.  And their tracking is horrendous.  Most times I receive my package before it leaves some sorting center across the country, according to their tracking, and I have had numerous instances where the tracking still says the package is in transit a month after its delivery.  

I think the Mail Carriers may be right.  Restructure the post office with business minded people - of course they will cost money, won't they?  Maybe some of that Lance Armstrong sponsorship money could help.  Nothing against LA, but his greatest claim to fame is a race outside the US, well - maybe his cancer... But hopefully my point is made.

Mail Carriers Try Own Rescue
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mail-carriers-try-own-rescue.html;_ylt=AkBNb.WDt04slbzg1em7SguiuYdG;_ylu=X3oDMTNyb2M5bHJrBG1pdANGUCBUb3AgU3RvcnkgTGVmdARwa2cDN2I5NWVlMzMtZjk2NC0zZjFmLWFiZWYtM2U2ODc4OTRkYmNkBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyA2RlMjE0NGUxLTg4YTEtMTFlMS05ZjdkLWUxNWIwNTNkYzk3Yg--;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

(Sent from Flipboard)

Sent from my iPad

In San Diego, CA 2/3 major ISPs have bandwidth caps. Time Warner Cable = No Caps, AT&T U-Verse & Cox = Capped. Go TimeWarner if you can.

After learning that Cox and AT&T U-Verse have data limits, I am changing my Internet Service Provider to Time Warner Cable's Roadrunner service.  This decision is not about wanting to download or uploaded massive amounts of data - it is about supporting a company that is not trying to squeeze more money out of its hapless customers who don't have the foresight to realize that the amount of data we are going to use is going to become greater as time goes by.

I understand that Time Warner is testing a tiered pricing plan in Texas based on usage - but it is an additional service to their existing service offerings in an attempt to offer lower prices to light Internet users.  I am ok with that.  They are trying to find a way to provide inexpensive service to people who scarcely use the Internet while promising to always maintain unlimited bandwidth service options.

Also - I am going to try out the 50Mbps/5Mbps service on TWC.  Not only do AT&T U-Verse and Cox have data caps, AT&T doesn't support the speed (in my area) and Cox wants to charge $90 for installation whereas Time Warner is free.

Go Time Warner Cable where you can - please!

#Apple iCloud - 'It Just Works" - Not

Microsoft update licks up computers

Dear Microsoft,

Your solution to viruses and malware doesn't seem to be a good one. Completely locking me out of my computer and other peoples' computers seems a bit of an extreme approach to keeping us from getting infected. If you will, please consider an update that allows me to continue to use my computer. I always get nervous when I have to perform a system restore. It has not always gone so well.

#Verizon will be soon charging for the privilege of upgrading your phone on their service. @Verizon

$30 - That is what you will pay if you upgrade to a new phone on Verizon starting April 22, 2012.

This is the problem with public companies.  They MUST improve every quarter else their stock is in the toilet and the executives can't maintain or improve their wealth.  So we end up with bogus fees to bring the bottom line up.  This has Bank of America's fee to compensate for reduced debit card charges written all over it.

How about adding services with value that we are eager to pay for Verizon?

I will apply a Jeff Bezos quote here, the CEO of Amazon.com:

"There are two kinds of companies, those that work to try to charge more and those that work to charge less. We will be the second."

Verizon is apparently the first type of company.

All I can say is.... LAME

From: Droid-Life.com

Starting April 22 Verizon Will Charge $30 Upgrade Fee When Existing Customers Buy New Phones at a Discounted Rate

By complete coincidence, #MacWorld declares #iTunes a POS on the same day I did. http://www.macworld.com/article/1166274/itunes_time_to_right_the_syncing_ship.html

In 20 years of using #Windows, #Apple #iTunes wins as the program that has required the most force-closes. I despise the program.

I am skeptical:

I recently sold my smartphone registered on Verizon and not only did it take me about 6 hours to do so because of a bug in their list/stolen database, but I was subject to being called a liar by one of the 10 or so Verizon reps I had to go through and I was completely embarrassed because I looked like a degenerate to the buyer  i coincidentally also had at least 3 'dropped' calls with the Verizon reps. which doesn't happen when I am speaking to anyone other than Verizon reps. 

When I sold the phone, I had already registered a new phone on the account and for whatever reason Verizon had accidentally marked the phone I was selling as lost or stolen AND 5 out of 6 reps at the first level of support couldn't even see that the phone I was selling had ever been on my account. I had used it for over 4 months. 

In the end, the lost and stolen group at Verizon said they had made a mistake and took the phone off the list.  Could you imagine if there was a multi-carrier database?  Ugh!  I can't. Seems to me that it is just another layer of bureaucracy that will allow the carriers to point blame outside of themselves and maintain this artificially bloated pricing on smartphones and service. 

Major U.S. Carriers Agree to Develop Centralized Database to Track Stolen Mobile Phones - MacRumors.com
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/10/major-u-s-carriers-agree-to-develop-centralized-database-to-track-stolen-mobile-phones/

Unsung Hero of iPad 3 is 1GB of RAM - Safari doesn't refresh as often and Garage Band no longer 'Optimizes' - Nice!

I can drain an iPad 3 battery in around 3-4 hours. A USB cable longer than 4' is warranted now the the iPad is for more than consumption.

Used Opera Browser today and was pleasantly surprised.

I am not sure why, but Google's Chrome browser has been crashing on me lately. I tried using Firefox for a while, but there is just something about it I don't like. I can put my finger on it. For lack of other options I decided to try Opera, which I haven't really done singed they used to charge for it. I must say. It moves smoothly and has some decent extensions. Many of the extensions seem Euro-Focused, however. I still haven't found a weather extension where I can locate the option to show degrees in Fahrenheit. Other than that, it's been a very positive experience and I will continue to use it until I get mad at it or bored. Basically one day next week is likely.

I gave up my iOS jailbreak today.

I kept running into so many small but significant bugs in iOS 5.01
that I grew the dice and upgraded to 5.1 hoping that they were fixed.
So far I can report that Siri and speech to text via Bluetooth in my
car have been dramatically improved. While still not perfect, they are
at least usable now.

Interestingly, one of my jailbreaks that attached HTML signatures to
my email still works. How cool is that?

This blog post was created entirely by voice on my iPhone via
Bluetooth while driving. Please don't call the police on me.

This is a little embarrassing for Google, but does anyone else notice how much more smooth Google Reader works in IE 9 than Chrome?

I Couldn't Agree More: RIM Doesn’t Need BlackBerry 10 — It Needs a Time Machine

The CEOs of RIM missed what was coming so badly that the smack down they've received seems like a sucker punch.  But really they were just plain ignorant.  I mean, at one point they said that Blackberries would NEVER have a camera.  Isn't the iPhone the #1 most used camera in the world now?  They also thought that their secure back end messaging and physical keyboards would carry them.  As if no one else could deliver such things AND all the other stuff too.

They are so far behind in the mobile game now that they do indeed need a time machine.  Maybe they have some patents that Android could use.

RIM Doesn’t Need BlackBerry 10 — It Needs a Time Machine
http://mashable.com/2012/03/31/rim-needs-time-machine/

I couldn't disagree more - Amazon is stifling the e-commerce revolution

The majority of Internet shoppers want the lowest price - period.  And Amazon provides a competitive forum for that.  And by the way, #2 is eBay (you have to read the article) where people bid for the lowest price.  Thats why customer service is a pale shadow of itself from years gone by.  If people want an 'experience' they will to a physical store that caters to them.  

Amazon is stifling the e-commerce revolution
http://gigaom.com/2012/03/31/amazon-is-stifling-the-e-commerce-revolution/

Article: Google may launch third-party comment platform to rival Facebook

Sweet!  That's probably my favorite thing about Facebook.  It enables me to tag my nonsense onto other people's work.

Google may launch third-party comment platform to rival Facebook
http://www.bgr.com/2012/03/28/google-may-launch-third-party-comment-platform-to-rival-facebook/

(Sent from Flipboard)

Sent from my iPad

I give up on YouTube.

The stars have to align just right for me to get a solid 1 minute of
video out of YouTube. Not counting paid content or movie trailers.
Basically commercials work awesome. Average Joe videos, not so much.
Funny thing: Netflix - flawless. Hulu - flawless. Vevo - flawless.
On my 18Mbps connection every other streaming service works
flawlessly.

Google obviously has some sort of bandwidth throttling going on with
the intention of giving the best service to the most users, and to
paid content, but from where I am sitting, they are failing. I
honestly don't know why I bother anymore. Free only goes so far. At
this point I feel like I have to use tools that download the YouTube
videos in their entirety first if I want to watch a YouTube video.

😡

I would consider pointing the finger of blame at local ISPs, but given
that 1080p movie trailers on YouTube work fine, ISPs being to blame
just doesn't seem likely. I wonder if a Chrome bandwidth metering
extension could help. Keep that data 10 good seconds ahead of the
video being played.

Something. Anything!

http://www.youtube.com/

Been using iPad 3 since the 16th. Yesterday picked i up iPad 2 and its screen looked really poor. I didn't think that would happen.

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

iPad 3 heat levels Low-Down.

Minutes after starting the iPad 3 it is warmer than any tablet I have used across a broader area of the tablet, and I have used many extensively.  Once in a case, its barely noticeable - if at all.  All this attention is much ado about nothing.  UNLESS it causes the iPad 3 to crap out earlier when using outside in the sun, which I had the iPad 1 do to me under not-so-hot temperatures.  No one seems to testing that little gem of a possible limitation.  Otherwise the iPad 3's heat has been a nice companion on these cold early spring days.  But again, let's be strait.  It is warmer than pretty much any tablet out there in within a minute or two of turning on - but its not a big deal.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/252504/not_so_hot_new_ipad_heat_levels_comparable_to_android_tablets.html

Macrumors.com: Study Shows 87% of iPhone 4S Users Use Once A Month

via macrumors.com

And in a related study, 99% of iPhone 4S users have used Siri in the past 6 months. What broad adoption! Siri rocks! Except in your car over Bluetooth. It doesn't work for sh*t there. Which ironically is really where it would be the most handy.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/26/87-of-iphone-4s-owners-use-siri-each-month/

$10,000 iTunes Gift Card Winner

via redmondpie.com

WTH is this gal going to buy with $10k in iTunes credit? That's like $50k credit at the bowling alley.

Why Do Domain Registrars Punish Persistent Customers?

Internet domain registrars all seem to charge you less if you are a new customer which really ticks me off.  On general principal I move my domains to a new registrar every renew cycle.  It's a pain, but I have to let them know the best way I know the way I feel the best way I know how - with my $.  So far www.1and1.com seems to have the best ongoing pricing with any hassles - but they STILL value new customers more than existing customers with discounts for new registrations.

Does anyone know of a registrar that doesn't do this?  (and doesn't charge through the nose)

Angry Birds Space Feels Like a Bait and Switch

Angry Birds has moved to a premium-freemium model. Gotta pay more to
get past the first two 'levels'. The description in the App Store
states this, but you have to click 'more' to see it. I would not have
bought the game knowing this was the case. I'm really becoming
disenfranchised with the whole App scene - especially when a market
trend setter is opting for this path for greater revenue.

When you have to read every ounce of description to know you are not
getting suckered, there is something wrong with the business ethics on
the App Store and now Rovio has firmly planted their flag in the App
Store Junk Yard.

Http://space.angrybirds.com/launch

FBI Downplaying Anonymous Too Much

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/us/fbi-admits-hacker-groups-eavesdroppin...

Anonymous may not have hacked FBI systems, but they seem to know who was associated with the call and compromised their system which shows a degree of insight into FBI operations.

On top of that, this article suggests the FBI does not check to see who is on a conference call before discussing sensitive information.

Anonymous doesn't have to use more sophisticated approaches in dealing with the government, the government is either arrogant or negligent and is leaving the front door right open.

Knuckleheds.