BryanSays.com » Mobile http://bryansays.com Movies, TV, Tech and a little bit of the internet just for funsies Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:27:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 iPad the Model For Others to Beat http://bryansays.com/2010/01/28/ipad-the-model-for-others-to-beat http://bryansays.com/2010/01/28/ipad-the-model-for-others-to-beat#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:29:25 +0000 bryan http://bryansays.com/blog/?p=1343 if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }I’m sure everyone and their brother has seen the news of the new Apple iPad. Its touted as being a revolutionary product. Apple says its to fill void between a laptop and a smart phone. It runs off the iPhone 3.2 OS and as such has alot of the same features of the iPhone minus [...] Related posts:]]> if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }

I’m sure everyone and their brother has seen the news of the new Apple iPad. Its touted as being a revolutionary product. Apple says its to fill void between a laptop and a smart phone. It runs off the iPhone 3.2 OS and as such has alot of the same features of the iPhone minus the phone of course. Here are the main features:

Safari Mail
Photos Video
YouTube iPod
iTunes AppStore
Maps Calendar
Contacts Spotlight Search

I’ve read alot of the commentary online about the advantages and disadvantages. How its just a bigger iphone/ipod touch. How there is no multi-tasking or camera. No Flash in Safari, just like the iPhone.

I believe the iPad is not a netbook but a really polished internet appliance. This is a media consumption device. If you need the features of a netbook, Apple has those features already in their macbook line. I believe apple wants a polished device for doing one thing, consuming media. I think if Apple added multi-tasking, flash, and other “computer” related function, you would get a lesser experience. I do agree that will give the Amazon Kindle a run for its money. At $499 if I had to choose between a Kindle or iPad for an e-book reader, I’d choose the iPad.

I think that now that the world has seen what this device can do, it will become a model for other manufacturers to strive to beat, a benchmark so to speak. The iPad’s launch is similar to when the iPod came out back in 2001. There were other MP3 players in the market but Apple thought “existing digital music players are ‘big and clunky or small and useless’ with user interfaces that were ‘unbelievably awful’.”

As Steve Jobs mentioned in his keynote announcing the iPad:

“Netbooks aren’t better at anything. They’re slow. They have low quality displays and they run clunky old PC software.”

Apple is again trying to build a product different from the rest of the pack that others will try to emulate or surpass. Only time will tell if Apple’s gamble will pay off in the tablet market.

Sources: [Wikipedia] [iPad Keynote]

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]]> http://bryansays.com/2010/01/28/ipad-the-model-for-others-to-beat/feed 0 iPhone 3G WiFi keeps Disconnecting http://bryansays.com/2009/08/21/iphone-3g-wifi-keeps-disconnecting http://bryansays.com/2009/08/21/iphone-3g-wifi-keeps-disconnecting#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:12:50 +0000 bryan http://bryansays.com/blog/2009/08/21/iphone-3g-wifi-keeps-disconnecting if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }I recently purchased an iPhone 3GS and have been loving everything about it. I was upgrading from the original iPhone so this is a huge upgrade for me. One nagging problem has to do with WiFi. I had this problem on my old iPhone and it seemed to follow me to my new one. At [...] Related posts:]]> if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }

I recently purchased an iPhone 3GS and have been loving everything about it. I was upgrading from the original iPhone so this is a huge upgrade for me. One nagging problem has to do with WiFi. I had this problem on my old iPhone and it seemed to follow me to my new one. At home whenever I turned on wifi on the iPhone it would work for one application but when I closed that app, it would disconnect from the wifi. It was very frustrating.

Well I finally resolved this issue and I want to pass along my findings. I found the answer in a MacRumors Forum. I basically had to reset my network settings to get this fixed.

1). Click on the settings button on your iPhone

2). Click the General button.

3). Select the Reset Menu.

4). Select “Reset Network Settings” (This will not reset your whole iPhone, only the WiFi settings).

5). This may take a minute and your iPhone will reboot and you should be right as rain.

Hope that helps everyone.

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]]> http://bryansays.com/2009/08/21/iphone-3g-wifi-keeps-disconnecting/feed 12 5 GPS Apps for the iPhone http://bryansays.com/2009/08/20/5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone http://bryansays.com/2009/08/20/5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:24 +0000 bryan http://bryansays.com/blog/?p=834 if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }I just recently purchased an iPhone 3GS and these five apps are ones I found while doing some research for myself.  Now be warned, I don’t have deep pockets so I have not purchased any of these apps with the exception of Roadee. So instead of being a review, this is merely a list which [...] Related posts:]]> if (typeof Meebo == 'undefined') { Meebo=function(){(Meebo._=Meebo._||[]).push(arguments)}; (function(q){ var args = arguments; if (!document.body) { return setTimeout(function(){ args.callee.apply(this, args) }, 100); } var d=document, b=d.body, m=b.insertBefore(d.createElement('div'), b.firstChild); s=d.createElement('script'); m.id='meebo'; m.style.display='none'; m.innerHTML=''; s.src='http'+(q.https?'s':'')+'://'+(q.stage?'stage-':'')+'cim.meebo.com/cim/cim.php?network='+q.network; b.insertBefore(s, b.firstChild); })({network:'bryansays_zo22co'}); }

5iphonegpsapps

I just recently purchased an iPhone 3GS and these five apps are ones I found while doing some research for myself.  Now be warned, I don’t have deep pockets so I have not purchased any of these apps with the exception of Roadee. So instead of being a review, this is merely a list which showcases each app as described in the apple app store. Each of these apps should work with an iPhone 3G or 3GS. They will not work with the original iPhone since it did not have a GPS built-in.  Keep reading to find out more about the AT&T Navigator, CoPilot Live, TomTom, Roadee, and OSMTrack.

1). AT&T Navigator: $9.99/month

Basically once you download the app, you’ll be billed monthly on your AT&T wireless bill. I would suggest this to anyone that just needs a GPS application temporary like for a vacation or long road trip. The notes on the apple store page says you can cancel at any time.

FEATURES:

  • Voice-Guided and 3D onscreen navigation
  • Automatic rerouting
  • Automatic map updates
  • Real-time traffic updates

REVIEWS:

Review: AT&T Navigator for iPhone – Geek.com
AT&T Navigator GPS Review – PC World

SCREENSHOTS:

ATTNav02 ATTNav03 ATTNav04

2). Copilot Live North America: $34.99

Copilot Live is developed by ALK Technologies and they make GPS software for mobile devices such as the the iPhone, Android and as well as laptops. Unlike the AT&T Navigator, all of the maps are stored on your iPhone itself so the application itself takes up 1.1 GB.

FEATURES:

  • Turn-by-turn voice directions
  • Rather than streaming map information, all of the map data is stored on your iPhone
  • Portrait/landscape display auto-switching
  • Automatic day/night mode
  • LiveLink - apparently you can do location sharing and messaging with other CoPilot users.
  • Live Weather information
  • RV mode provides guidance for larger vehicles

REVIEWS:

CoPilot GPS Live navigation app comes to the iPhone – geeks.com
Co-Pilot Live for iPhone Review – PDA 247

SCREENSHOTS:

CoPilot02 CoPilot03 CoPilot04

3). TomTom for iPhone: $99.99

The most widely known name in GPS finely has a GPS iPhone app but it is expensive! This app is brand name and just came out August 15th.  Just like the CoPilot, all of the maps on the TomTom are stored on the iPhone so the application takes up 1.2 GB.

FEATURES:

  • Turn-by-Turn voice navigation
  • “Tap and Go” – basically tap point A to point B and TomTom displays all the best routes
  • Portrait/landscape display auto-switching
  • Find an entry in your contacts list and TomTom will find the way there (assuming you have their address in the contact list)
  • IQ Routes – TomTom’s trademarked smartest routes.

REVIEWS:

TomTom iPhone App GPS Review – GPSReview.net
Hands on: TomTom for iPhone review – TechRadarUK

SCREENSHOTS:

tomtom02 tomtom03 tomtom04

4). Roadee: $1.99

The Roadee is the cheapest of the bunch at just $1.99. The reason for it being so cheap is because it’s based on an OpenSource project called openstreetmap. “Openstreetmap is like wikipedia for maps,” quoted from the app description. The routing information is calculated and provided by another OpenSource project called CloudMade. I did purchase this app,  so I can talk a little bit about its features first hand. This app is not going to win awards based on its looks. It does some of the basic features needed in a GPS like turn-by-turn “voice” directions.  The developers says they are constantly fine turning the application so expect some updates soon. One of the caveats like AT&T’s offering, the maps are loaded on the iPhone and are downloaded as needed. So if your connection drops  or you have a slow internet connection, this may affect your map and routing info.  The install is only 5.1 MB.

FEATURES:

  • Turn-by-Turn voice directions
  • Ability to plot a course from your home to an address stored in your contacts
  • Rudimentary points of interest
  • Free Driving

REVIEWS:

None

SCREENSHOTS:

roadee02 roadee03 roadee04

5). OSMTrack: Cost $0.99

This last application is not an application for giving you directions from point A to point B. This application is a tracking app that interfaces with OpenStreetMap project mentioned in the previous app. Had to throw a zigger in there to throw you off. This app is designed for people who would like to contribute to OpenStreetmap development in creating better maps for the OpenSource community. This is for the gungho adventurous types that want to go out there and fix all the wrong map data in the world or at least in your own community.

FEATURES:

  • Direct upload to the OpenStreetMap
  • Supports multiple tracks
  • Precise information on current GPS accuracy
  • Compass Rose
  • Supports interruptions (basically has a pause recording button)
  • Both standard and metric systems

REVIEWS:

None

SCREENSHOTS:

osmtrack02 osmtrack03 osmtrack04

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