mip's scan

Testing the Rogers Rocket Wireless Stick

Over the past year I’ve looked at technologies that allow me to work effectively while on the go. For connectivity I’ve often relied on WiFi access points that might be found at vendor offices, client locations, hotels or coffee shops. While often these resources work out, they aren’t always ideal. Many times, when I needed connectivity the most, that was the time I just couldn’t get a WiFi access point to work effectively. 

That is why, some time ago I decided to pickup a Rogers wireless USB modem also called Rogers Rocket Internet. This device from Rogers is a Novatel piece of hardware that is like a slightly oversized USB memory key. I usually keep in my bag or sometimes even in my pocket. When needed I simply plug it into the USB port to get it up and running. So, what has the experience been like? 

Here Come the "iPhone Killers"

For years we've heard about the next great iPod Killer.  A music player so revolutionary, it would surely break Apple's dominance.  Yeah right.  What did we get? Wanna-be-device after wanna-be-device.  Why do companies insist on labeling their products as "such-&-such-killers".  It is just dumb.  It introduces unnecessary pressure on the device, which rarely amounts to anything more than a later comer to the party.  It gave us poor devices like the Microsoft Zune which were destined to be iPod-killers but really became bottom-drawer-fillers.

Hence, I had to roll my eyes, now that LG has announced their iPhone killer.  Ummm...didn't they already try that with the Prada phone...which tanked miserably as an alternative to the iPhone.  Well they are at it again now with the Voyager, which looks to be a rip-off of the iPhone.  It looks pretty, sure, but will it perform well?  Will it be anything more than a "me-too" device?  LG has already made a misstep.  They have said this device will be the iphone-killer.  What happens if it isn't?  Wouldn't they have been better off just releasing this phone and letting it stand on its own?

No date or price has been set yet.  I would be willing to bet that by the time this phone hits the market, Apple will already be preparing the next generation iPhone.  What is encouraging about this story, however, is that you can see that Apple really has redefined the market - everybody is trying to imitate them.  What else is new?

Unlocked iPhone

It was the "unlock" heard around the world.  Cellphones are always being unlocked, and in most cases, it is a complete non-event.  But that isn't the case with the iPhone, a cellphone that was starting to look like perhaps it couldn't be unlocked (it took a while..as far as phone hacks go).  Today, Engadget posted details of a software "fix" that will unlock an iPhone so it will accept any SIM. 

I was of course, at hearing the news this afternoon, ecstatic.  I was already formulating a short trip down to the Apple Store in Buffalo so I could buy my iPhone, bring it back across the boarder, apply the software patch (available next week) and begin to enjoy the phone that has capture the imaginations of so many people.

Now, many hours since the afternoon's news, I sit at home thinking.  The initial euphoria has ebbed somewhat for me and I've begun to wonder about "what could go wrong" if I go this route.  The nagging thing for me is this:  Apple has an exclusive with AT&T and I think they won't take this hack sitting down.  If I were Jobs, I'd have my engineering team buy the software from iphonesimfree.com, figure out how they did it and then promptly break it with the next iTunes update.  That is my fear.  That I could buy this phone and be super happy, and then, each time I would sync it with my Macbook Pro, I'd be wondering "what if it doesn't work after this sync?" 

It isn't like you can go without syncing the iPhone.  That would defeat the purpose.  You have to sync to update contacts, calendar entries, music and videos.  And if each sync brings the possibility that the software fix could be broken, then that could leave people holding an expensive piece of plastic.  As much as I want an iPhone, I'm not willing to risk that.  I know, I know, I'm sure that if Apple breaks the fix, then the good folks at iphonesimfree.com will figure out how to fix it again and release the software.  But what if that takes a week?  Even if it took a day, can one reasonably go without a cellphone for a day? 

This is why I think that as awesome as the unlocking software seems to be, it isn't going to be a smooth ride for those trying to go that route.  I hope I'm wrong, but bet I won't be.  What this kind of patch might do, however, is accelerate Apple getting the iPhone legitimately into other markets. Here's hoping!

One Day to Go...And The Reviews Are Coming In

The iPhone is set to officially launch on June 29th at 6pm.  Reviews however have begun to trickle in from folks like Mossberg who have been using the iPhone for a couple of weeks already (aren't they special).

Its a good article/review so I thought I'd point it out to you; I especially liked his video review as well (which you can find embedded in this post after the jump below).  All in all, it isn't a perfect device...no device ever is, but it is a new experience.  To me, that is awesome.  Apple looks for ways to change the paradigm and it looks like the iPhone might be doing just that.  The question will be, however, whether the mass market snaps these phones up.  More importantly, though, will be how Apple works to outpace the competition, who will undoubtedly build new (similar) functionality into their phone offerings.  That is all good news for us, the end consumer, of course, but perhaps not for Apple.  They need to get devices into consumers' hands as fast as possible, or risk losing important segments of the market.  Technology like cellphones changes fast, and if they are too slow in getting phones to market, people will undoubtedly wait for newer models.

Those of us in Canada...well...we're patiently waiting.

Safari 3.0 Beta

For those of you who are Mac-enthusiasts, you probably already know that the Safari web browser, version 3.0, is available for public beta.  If you haven't gotten it, get it....it is a nice improvement.  What you might also know, is that this beta can also be downloaded for Windows.  Yes, that is right...Safari for Windows.  Now this isn't breaking news...it's been out  there for a bit, but then again, that isn't what I try and do here at mip's scan.  I don't want to break news...I want to tell you how I find things to be as I test them OR I like to think about trends. 

So I'll spare you the "how do you like Safari 3.0 beta" post....in short, I like it.

What I do want to kick around a bit is the "Why?".  What motive could Apple have in releasing Safari for Windows? 

The Prada Smartphone

The question of the day is: what makes a great Smartphone?  Many people are waiting for the highly anticipated iPhone, myself included.  But what else is out there?  Many options.  Today I'm pleased to talk to you, via the video posting below, about the Prada Smartphone. 

A colleague of mine picked this up for himself and was nice enough to let me try it out overnight.  You can get my take on this phone by watching the video, but I go back to my initial question...what makes a great Smartphone?  The short answer I think is: Whichever phone best helps you do what YOU want to do.  As much as I really liked a lot of the features of the Prada, its lack of a QWERTY keyboard holds this beauty back.  With a soft-interface (meaning an interface that is create by software rather than hardware), I'm not sure why LG didn't build in a QWERTY keyboard.  Without it, sending emails would be way to cumbersome for me. 

So I'm holding out for the iPhone.  What about you?

The iPhone Cometh

Not much new...except three commercials that show off the upcoming iPhone features....and the launch date in the US.  June 29th. 

Come on Rogers...get this baby in Canada!

To see the commercials, just click here.

Sync Your Blackberry With Your Mac

Many people I know who move from the PC to a Mac and carry a Blackberry are always distressed that they won't be able to sync the two.  Of course if you run Windows in Parallels you can. But what if you don't?

Up until now I'd been using PocketMac with mixed results.  It works but it wasn't overly refined. Enter The Missing Sync for Blackberry, a fantastic application that you must get it you want to sync your Mac with your Blackberry.  It is a robust application, well integrated with Mac OSX and the various items you want to sync with.  I have used it for contacts, calendar and to do's, but if you own a Perl, then you can also sync pictures from iPhoto and music from iTunes.  Nice.  As you can see from the screenshot to the right, it has a nice user interface and is easy to configure and use.  It also places a nice quick access icon in the top right portion of your screen. 

You can get all the details and download from here.

Art and Technology

Over the holidays we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) several times.  Last weekend we went again as my kids are taking some art classes there and I had an opportunity to re-visit some of my favourite things on exhibit, and I noticed a very interesting technical element that was being experimented with.

As I walked into their The Future Now exhibit, where the gallery invites you to experience art through their experimental installation strategies, I noticed a little icon on a number of signs depicting a cellphone.  At first I thought that it was one of those "no cellphones please" signs - you know the ones that are intended to keep people from yapping away on their cellphones while others are trying to quietly enjoy the art around them.  But this little icon didn't have the strikeout symbol on it.  Rather it was encouraging the use of cellphones.  Hmmmm....I was curious.  What they are doing is this.  At certain exhibits, for example, let's take a painting, you will find a sign beside or beneath the work of art that displays the little cellphone icon and a phone number.  It also provides options you can select once the number has been dialed.  An automated recording answers your call and you can select an option to hear commentary on the art you are standing before.  I think this is a great idea.  I've been to museums and galleries where you are issued a headset when you arrive.  What I've never liked about that approach is:

1. you are using headsets and gear that countless others have used
2. you need to listen to the commentary in a linear fashion, hence you can't walk the gallery as you like.

What is really nice about this cellphone approach at the AGO is that it allows you to move at your own pace, it allows you to get commentary on the items you want and it allows you to easily replay something you might want to hear again while standing there.  Everyone carries a cellphone, so the gallery can easily extend this added dimension to art to their visitors without the need to provide equipment.  I wandered from piece to piece, pressing different options (e.g., press 2 to hear a professor of art tell you the history of the piece, press 3 to hear an art student describe the changing roles of gender in art, etc., etc.).  I really was surprised, impressed and pleased to see something like this being tested at our very own art gallery here in Toronto.

Other technology things that the AGO is doing are things like:

• maintaining a blog
• photographing the kids art they do there during kids programs for creation of a website
• providing a podcast

All of these things make art accessible in a different way and I think it is exciting and very positive.  One of the things that the AGO could consider doing was something I saw at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.  There they were leveraging the fact that many many people carry/have iPods, especially young people.  In an effort to reach out to young people they provided art exhibition information on a computer in iTunes at the Museum of Art.  People would simply plug their iPod in, sync the content and then wander from exhibit to exhibit listening to the content. 

So hats off to organizations using technology to make art more accessible.  Art is an important part of society that is often overlooked, when it should be viewed as important.  Good for the AGO for exploring this as well as they undergo their transformation!  I look forward to seeing more of this in my ongoing visits to the gallery.

Some Video Showing the iPhone

Reader gresshoping sent this to me and it is a nice interview and video showing the iPhone and talking about how Apple approached the market.
Enjoy!