Whenever new gadgets come out, there is always a group of people who are first to complain about some software bug, some hardware foul up, some blemish that results in the purchase being the biggest waste of time in their life (up to that moment). I usually look at these things as the normal 2% allocation of complainers. And low and behold, the manufacturer usually comes out with a “it’s not our problem, you’re doing it wrong” answer.
I’m not doing my iPad 3 wrong.
It first started when I was in my living room. I’ve had an iPad 1, iPad2, and now I have number 3. The first and second version never had any problem holding a strong WiFi signal. Granted, back then I had my WiFi router in the room with me. I recently moved the router upstairs next to my home office so I could get an even stronger signal there where I’m typically doing the heavy lifting. When the iPad 3 WiFi was flaking out, I blamed it on the fact that the router was now upstairs, dozens of feet away, with plenty of obstruction possibilities.
Funny thing though. My iPhone worked great. And my download speeds were strong and consistent.
I had problems in places I shouldn’t. Starbucks. My corporate WiFi connection at work, where the signal is bullet proof and blazing.
I had to investigate. I searched around the normal bulletin boards, the support forums, the usual. As expected, all I found was the complaining. And then, I found this, the so called iPad 3 “Death Grip”.
I tested it. And guess what?
I EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME THING!
WiFi antenna blockage just where you don’t want it. Where you hold the bloody device. Turn the thing upside down, and WOW – LIGHTNING FAST INTERNET!
Uh, ahem, Apple. Let’s chat.
This machine I have in my hand cost me greater than $600. The WiFi should work, flawlessly, because it is, uh, a MOBILE APPLIANCE!
That means I walk around with it and it connects to the Internet flawlessly. You know, just like your ad says it does. Just like the wonderfully written ad copy on your website.
Three words.
FIX IT NOW.
Until then, I have to hold the machine like a dork, with the home button on top instead of where it should be, next to my thumb.
It was suppose to be available shortly after the announcement of iPhone 4. Then, it was going to be available “in July”. As of last week, it was going to be released “at the end of July”. Well, fahgetaboutit, says Apple:
White models of Apple’s new iPhone® 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.
Apple hasn’t specified what the problem is. It’s just a color, right? I mean, how hard can it be to create a white phone? I could understand if they were trying to go all crayola 64 color on us, but come on, we’re talking an easy color here, right?
Apple will officially begin selling its iPhone 3GS on Friday, but some analysts are predicting shortages that could leave some consumers disappointed. If advance orders are any indication, the demand for the iPhone 3GS may outstrip the at-launch supply.
AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States, and Best Buy have sold out of inventories for Apple’s latest smartphone.
Apple was still taking orders on its Web site Tuesday, but the June 19 delivery date is not a guarantee. Likewise, AT&T posted a message on its Web site that indicates advance orders will shop seven to 14 days after the order is placed — on a first-come, first-served basis.
I won’t be in any line nor will I be worried about the status of product in stock. I have an iPhone 3G that is a little more than 6 months old, so you know what that means. Yep, I’m stuck in AT&T contract hell. And there’s no way in hell I’ll be shelling out $400 for a new phone. And I won’t buy my way out of the contract either. That’s the way it is.
Yeah, there are ways to get an iPhone 3GS for less, but as far as I’m concerned, the hassles are just too great. So, have fun you new iPhone 3GS users. Have fun with your compass and your 3.0 megapixel camera. I’ll be joining you in another year…maybe.
MySpace, the social network owned byRupert Murdoch’s News Corp, said it will cut 30 percent of its staff to lower costs as it struggles to stay popular in the face of rising competition.
MySpace will be left with about 1,000 employees, it said in a statement released on Tuesday. The company declined to say how many people work at the service, but the percentage suggests that about 400 people will lose their jobs.
The cuts, which were presaged in several blog reports in recent weeks, are the biggest move so far by new management at the social network and an attempt, it said, to return the service to a “start-up culture.”
“Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered by our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company,” MySpace’s new chief executive, Owen Van Natta, said in the statement.
“I understand that these changes are painful for many. They are also necessary for the long-term health and culture of MySpace.”
First of all, why in the world does a social networking website need to employee 1,400 people? And what do those people do? Seems excessive to me. That seems to be a general problem with Web 2.0 sites. Get most of your money from venture capitalists firms. Spend it all so you can go ask for more. Tell the VC’s that you’re business plan is on a slow ramp up, and that you’ll be profitable “soon”.
I think Facebook will be next, unless they find some real way to generate revenue. They won’t be able to get it from users – free is free and I doubt many will pay to keep their profile. It will forever be subsidized until Mr. Deep Pockets gets tired of waiting for the big pay day.
You can’t just pepper a page with a bunch of ads and pop ups and expect it to last. Another business model will have to come along if these things will survive for decades to come.
AT&T today announced plans to upgrade the nation’s fastest 3G network to deliver considerably faster mobile broadband speeds. The network upgrades are slated to begin later this year, with completion expected in 2011.
The upgraded network platform could allow for theoretical peak speeds of 7.2Mbps.
As an iPhone user who is almost always connected to WiFi, it can get pretty frustrating when I have to connect via 3G or (gasp!) Edge Network. By increasing the network speeds, my iPhone is becoming a more valuable device. And now with its tethering capabilities, my Dell Mini and I will be connecting at respectable speeds from hither and yawn. Suh-weeeet.
Do you have to use Microsoft Outlook 2007 for all your corporate email and calendaring needs? If you are like the millions of us who do, you know why many call this product Microsoft “Look Out!” The app is less than sleek. OK, it’s a real sluggard for the most part, and with random errors and lockups, a lot of us face each day wondering what joys it will bring. Well, someone at Microsoft must be frustrated too, because the software giant released a hotfix today that gives the bloaty app a well deserved angioplasty. Now, I know most of you are leary of installing any patch that comes out of Redmond, Washington, and with justification. Hotfixes can turn into Hot-brokeness. Not so here. After installing this thing, my Outlook runs like a rocket, kind of like it should have when it was originally released. The entire app is more snappy than before, and the startup is blazingly quick. Go ahead and apply this patch…you’ll be glad you did.
Download here. Oh, and because it’s delivered in a zip file, you’ll need a password: IBLyKz[k
If you’re new to Twitter and you want some folks to follow, head on over to WeFollow. It’s a new Twitter directory that makes it super easy to follow members of the social networking technology. The directory is categorized by tags so you can find and follow your favorite blogger (shameless plug), actor, news site, or any number of other Twitter types.
Just like they said they would, Apple revealed plans for iPhone OS 3.0 to the world today. Best news? Cut, copy and paste. I know, I know, you’d think that this would have been a feature of iPhone OS 1.0, but no, for some reason Apple wanted none of that. Other best news?
Wait for it.
MMS.
(I can hear all the Windows mobile fans laughing right now).
It seems Twitter is everywhere today. The social networking service is being used by TV news talking heads, members of the U.S. Congress, and celebrities, not to mention the millions of other regular people out there. Some folks use the web to tweet. Others (like me) use applications to update their Twitter status. There are a few apps to choose from – Twhirl, Twitterrific, Spaz, and more. When I first signed on to Twitter, I used the web interface, then switched to Twitterrific (when sitting in front of my Mac), then to Twhirl at work on my ThinkPad, and as recently as two weeks ago, I started to use TweetDeck. I like TweetDeck for all the same reasons other people use the app. I like the multi-pane interface and the ability to search across Twitter. I also like how easy it is to follow other people. Of all the other apps I’ve tried, TweetDeck integrates a feature set that suits my way of using Twitter.
Well, today, the fine folks who develop TweetDeck updated the app to include a feature that now brings it into Killer App status. TweetDeck now integrates Facebook.
In a blog post, the developers announced, “You can click on the Facebook icon at the top and, once you have signed into Facebook and given TweetDeck authorization, this will add a new column full of each of your friends most recent status update which updates automatically once a minute.
From here you can email the update out to anyone, tweet it out over twitter, view the users online status and if they are online right now click on their name (or the green online status indicator) to open Facebook chat right within TweetDeck.”
If you’re like me, you hate checking multiple social networking sites. I love it when everything is located in one place. Sure, I could go to the web and use FriendFeed, but I’m loving what TweetDeck is doing, and now with Facebook integration, it’s becoming my go-to app.
