Miscellaneous Ramblings.... - Computers

Bookmark Chat Rooms in Adium

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:09:50 -0500

If you are one of the many (and happy ) Mac users who make use of the Adium chat client, there is a very simple way to bookmark chat rooms that one visits consistently ( outside of the standard "File -> Join Group Chat" method").

You need to modify the toolbar to add the Bookmark icon:
Right-Click on any open chat window toolbar and select "Customize Toolbar"

Then select any currently open chat room and click on the Bookmark icon - done!

iPhone 2.0.2 Released

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:27:39 -0500

Apple has released iPhone software update 2.0.2. Again, details on what is exactly fixed is not forthcoming from Apple, so the end user must look to user comments in various sites (Engadget, TUAW & MacNN).
Some users are reporting snappier performance, better 3G signal, fewer crashes, as well as no more annoying contacts or keyboard lags. I have upgraded my iPhone to the 2.0.2 firmware update, so I'll be back with feedback after a little bit more usage.
(just a heads-up, the update is 242MB to download).

Update ( 08/22/08 ): Perhaps not too surprisingly, some users are still reporting issues with 3G even after the latest firmware update.

Some iPhone App Store review sites...

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:38:45 -0500

Thanks to TechCrunch, I found a couple a good iPhone App review sites: AppVee and App Store Apps.
AppVee does more in-depth reviews, while the App Store Apps site is more of a review/tricks-n-tips site. Needless to say, I have both of them bookmarked in my del.icio.us account.

Update (08/18/08): Also stumbled across this site today: iPhoneAppPodCast - had a decent review of NowLocal, the new iPhone App that I have been involved in.

iPhone 2.0.1 Released

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:19:13 -0500

Apple has released iPhone software update 2.0.1. Details on what the release fixes are more easily snagged from other sites than from Apple - however, reports trickling in from end users.
Unfortunately, the software update does not correct one of my more annoying issues - the excessively long backup times when syncing the iPhone. Too early to tell yet, but the other annoying issue ( intermittent long pauses when accessing the Contacts function ) seems to be improved.
In related news, apparently Apple is seeding a third beta of iPhone 2.1 to developers.

iTunes 7.7.1 Released

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Fri, 1 Aug 2008 06:25:00 -0500

iTunes 7.7.1 has been released. This version seems to be a maintenance release, with bug fixes that promise more stability.
(Sadly it doesn't fix the infernally long iPhone sync times )

Del.icio.us Site Overhaul

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:03:47 -0500

For those users of the del.icio.us online bookmarking tool, you will be happy to know that the site had a complete overhaul, which included adding an additional domain ( Delicious.com ). Other improvements include performance enhancements as well as more search capabilities. I am stil trying to decide if I like the new or old interface better.

Twitter Commands

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:16:00 -0500

Ever since I have purchased my 3G iPhone, I have been having way too much fun with the various iPhone apps, especially Facebook and Twitterific. So, in an effort to publish even more worthless information on the internet , here are some Twitter commands.

More iPhone Reviews

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:16:00 -0500

For those still on the fence regarding whether or not to take the plunge on the new iPhone, here are a couple of reviews from ARSTechnica, TechCrunch and CNet.

Life with iPhone 3G

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:02:00 -0500

One week with the new iPhone and I had promised to post my initial impressions.
For starters, I suppose the biggest plus is that I have an iPhone at all , especially hearing the news of shortages around the country, which are rumored to last maybe another month.
It should be noted that I am somewhat merging both the iPhone and the 2.0 software review into one.

Pros:

3G Network - I am so happy to be able to leave the Edge network behind, I could care less if the 3G network drains my iPhone battery down to nothing.

Integrated GPS - can anyone say GeoCaching? Also is very nice with GoogleMaps (especially if you are directionally challenged - not that I would know anything about that )

App Store - In my own defense, I will leave out the amount of money that I have spent on apps, but will admit to blogging far more useless information now that I have the Twitterific and Facebook iPhone apps installed. (And I will also leave out the amount of time sunk into playing Aurora Feint and Trism ).

Louder Speaker - There has been some debate about this around the net, but I can now hear my movies without having to practically insert the phone in my ear.

Better Network detection - Supposedly one of the reasons for the plastic back on the phone was for better coverage - seems to work for me.

Better Screenshot features - Can take easily take or capture Safari web browser images (via zooming in on the image and pressing and holding until the "Save" option comes up) or capture a screenshot of the whole screen.

Cons:

Slowness with the 2.0 software - There seem to be two main schools of thought (see comments in article) on this issue:

1.) Upgrading to the previously leaked firmware ( 5A347 as opposed to 5A345, which is the default firmware version that is installed on most phones )

2.) In the Settings --> Fetch New Data -->
Set Push to "Off" and Fetch to "Manually"
~~This seemed to work for me - definitely didn't notice the annoying several second lag when bringing up contacts and trying to select or search.~~
Update (7/22/08): Sadly this doesn't seem to work.

Slowness with iTunes Sync - This seems to be an issue/feature? with the new software wanting to back up everything - supposedly after the first full successful backup incremental backups are supposed to be faster, but not seeing it at this end yet....

No Cut and Paste?!?! - Enough said on this one!

No Syncing of Notes?! - Fortunately thanks to the iPhone app Evernote, this isn't as much of an annoyance as it could have been.

AT&T charging an additional $5.00 for SMS messages - This is more of a complaint against AT&T then the iPhone per say, but it does feel like AT&T is doing a little bit of the old nickel-n-dime action here.

For another opinion on the 2.0 software, my coworker has weighed in with thoughts (twice ) - I should note that I installed the eBay mobile app purely on this recommendation, so if I go bankrupt from uncontrollable bidding, it is not my fault.

3G iPhone happiness.. At last

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:26:00 -0500

After months and months (and months and months ) of endless rumors and a 2:30 hour wait in line, I at last got my hands on a 16 GB white 3G iPhone (we'll skip over the worthless 30 minute wait in the AT&T line only to find out that they only had 30?! iPhones at the store - wtf? ). Fortunately, by the time I actually made it inside the Apple store, the online iTunes store was back up, so I could walk out with my phone activated instead of just a nice looking brick. Initial reviews are that the 3G network speed upgrade, built-in GPS, not to mention the iTunes App store made it well worth the wait. I should have a full review up shortly.
(By the way, for you iPodTouch owners, it looks like the 2.0 software is up and available - and no, I don't know why Apple is still charging for it ).

GMail - Added Feature

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 16:21:23 -0500

For those users of Google's ubiquitous Gmail client, there is now an added security feature which will let you monitor which computers have been accessing your GMail account past and present.

iPhone Upgrade Guide

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 21:45:53 -0500

Apple has posted the iPhone 3G upgrade guide.
In other launch rumors, it sounds like the iPhone 3G will have an 8 am US launch time this Friday (note: AT&T business customers will apparently have to go to the AT&T store).

(Semi) Goodbye to QWorst

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 23:43:48 -0500

After an adventurous weekend QWorst-style, it has finally been pounded into my head that they are shite. On Saturday morning there was a brief (and loud) thunderclap, followed by hail. Something told me to go check my DSL modem, which sure enough was out. Fast forward to 11:30 pm that night ( and I'll leave out the frustrating and boring details of all of the support calls made during the day only to get dropped and have no one call you back or update your case :-/ ),

Finally on Sunday morning ( at 6:00 am ) get ahold of another tech who must have had a magic wand who gets someone to (finally!) do "something" done at the central office and lo and behold the line trains up at last. Ask the tech very specifically to cancel the tech coming out since everything is now working, which he promises to do.

Which of course he didn't - a tech evidently came out to the house on Monday afternoon and left me a voice mail that stated "some rewiring was done on the outside of the house and now everything should now be working" - sigh!! So I come home to no DSL and no phone service either! After over an hour on hold I am told that the techs are gone for the day, but they can schedule one to come out and "unfix" what they "fixed" Tuesday @ 4:00 pm. Right as I am about to leave work on Tuesday, I get another call from QWorst stating that they won't be able to make it because of "a heavy repair load but hopefully they should be able to make the next day".
After days without internet or phone service, it should come as little surprise that my next call was to Comcast. Proceeded to pick up my cable modem and had internet again that night.

(The anti-climatic end to the story is that a quality tech came out on Wednesday and informed that the previous tech had hooked things up incorrectly ( color me surprised ) - at least the Wed tech was good and I actually had working phone service when he left).

Firefox 3 Released

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:00:45 -0500

Firefox 3 has been released (at last!).

iPhone 3G: Arriving July 11th

nospam@example.com (Colleen Velo) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:46:00 -0500

Well, to no one's great surprise, the 3G iPhone GA date of July 11th was announced at the WWDC conference. While that was ecstatic news for the majority, I am holding out (very thin) hope that the rumors of AT&T honoring the subsidized new iPhone price for pre-existing AT&T iPhone owners holds true (although my common sense tells me that there is no reason whatsoever that AT&T will do the right thing by it's customers, but maybe I'll be pleasantly shocked ).