What is it about the iPhone?

Few phones have intrigued us as much as the iPhone... I mean, why is it so hyped? Why is it so popular? What is it about that phone that makes people want it? Or hate it? Or generally makes people talk about it so much?

... I think I found out what it is, that "thing" about the iPhone, awhile ago. It's all about "loyalty".

A couple of friends and I were havin brunch the other day, and the talk turned to phones, and their opinions about them. Those who already own an iPhone wanted to get the new one, and those already owning a nokia wanted the new n97, and those with the blackberry will probably get either the G2 or the upcoming Storm 2 this 4th Q.

I think the impression that I got.... generally, is that people (if they had a choice) wouldn't want to change that much. Especially if they're already comfortable with the device they have - why mess with a good thing, right? Of course, on the other hand - there are those who do change, some even change often. Some say that these people - are nerds or 'gadget freaks', those who absolutely must have the latest in everything, and is willing to spend for anything that's new. Then there are so those who change - because they're unsatisfied. Like a person wanting a touchscreen because he's so bored with keypads, or those wanting a new phone because he's done everything he could do with his present device - he wants something new.

What would make a person interested? The "thing" about the iphone is that, coz of the hype, the ADs, the fans - mostly the fans, it exerts a certain charm, a certain "pull" that makes you want to be loyal to it.

Just read a couple of forum posts at mac forums, or at mac sites, and you'll see hundreds of posts defending "their" phone to death. It doesn't matter if they're reasonable or is uttering nonsense - the question that comes to your mind is, WHY are they acting this way towards this device in the first place?

Here's an example. a guy posts that he doesn't need a camera, he doesn't mind that his iPhone has no flash, or no video. He "doesn't use them anyway, they're useless", and goes on that "if he wanted good pics he would bring his digicam or his camcorder, blah blah blah"...and he almost always quotes steve jobs saying that "nobody uses video that much anyway". This same guy also posts that he doesn't need mms, doesn't need copy-n-paste, doesn't need stereo bluetooth - in fact, he DOES NOT NEED almost everything the other phones have. (Sounds ridiculous, I know, but believe you me - it does happen.) This guy seems to think that his phone is perfect - that the UI in his phone makes up for everything the phone lacks.

Then last week when the iPhone 3Gs was announced - he suddenly woke up, and is now posting that it is the "greatest phone ever" because it has ALL the things that was added. Things that a few weeks ago - he's so adamant in saying that he doesn't need. Hehehe :D

It kinda makes you ask, doesn't it? What would inspire someone to behave like that? To be loyal to a device like that? To be blind to everything else like that? So what then, would generate all this 'loyalty'?

Apple is the 'underdog' in the mobile phone business, when it entered the market, it had only one phone to sell. One phone with 2 aces up its sleeve - multi-touch and the appstore. And this 'aces' are what transformed apple from being an underdog to what is probably one of the biggest players in the smartphone market.

As is with human nature - we are always pleased to see the "underdog" become a giant, pleased to see david slaying goliath, pleased to see one man (luke skywalker) bring down an empire. This concept that we are pleased to see something small become big - and deservingly of course, is what Apple uses to inspire loyalty.

Like in the first keynote... he could've just said that "the touchscreen that we are offering is different from all the other TS's before"... but no, steve jobs actually posted examples of a samsung, a palm, a nokia - and said that "having a keyboard is unflexible and bad". He outrightly challenged the 'giants'...it was the classic case of the underdog slugging it out with the giant.

And the appstore - noone even thought about making one before. But when they found that it was the "key" to the iPhone's success - they are now head over heels in a hurry to bring out their own.

Those 2 aces is what's so inspiring about the iPhone. For the first time since the phone got popular - it was not about the camera, it was not about the battery or the screen, it was now about the apps. "What app or game do you have now and what does it do?" are the questions being asked. Whereas before, people were asking "How many megapixels does your phone have? "Or does you phone have email?" - nowadays, its taken for granted that your phone already has a camera and email, the main buzz now is about 'what apps are you using?".

This inspiration is what Apple is. This is the thing that makes people loyal. To be part of a group that wasn't there before. To be a part of 'apple world'. Some place they have never been before but was right under their noses.

Anyway... to prove this theory of 'loyalty'...we talked about this one guy. We analyzed his story and discussed its relevance to the theory.

This guy, an officemate of my friend, had started working in their office a couple of months ago. And he was an "apple fanboy" as much as anyone. His whole persona is about apple - has a macbook, has an iPod, has an iphone 3G. But as it turned out, he's the only one with an iPhone 3G, in that office. Almost everyone - either had a blackberry, a samsung, a motorola, or a nokia.

And in times of 'tech talking" as me and my friends call it... he couldn't cope. "Hey rick, could you pass me that ringtone you heard this morning, kinda like it, its catchy"...all he could do was stare. "John, buddy... could you send me that pic of that babe you met last night".... again, all he could do was stare. There was this one time when he got a funny picture and text joke on his phone email and he showed to all of his friends. All of them wanted a copy. Then he remembered - that his phone had no copy-n-paste so he had to retype everything word for word - by the time he finished, and was ready to send it to email, noone wanted it - coz the moment had passed, it wasn't funny anymore. But the final blow came that one time when we all had a picnic, an informal office outing down by the lake, and their office (a sister company) was invited too. It was nothin formal - kinda like a spur of the moment thing, just us employees and no bosses. The affair was going nicely, and he was even showing off his GPS from his phone. Then when nighttime came his phone died out. The timing was lousy coz they were in the middle of discussing something - a place they wanted to see next week. Fortunately, another guy had a 5800 - and he had a spare battery as well. They fired the GPS and continued their talk there.

The iPhone guy felt a little sad. He didn't mind that he lost out on the talk that was going on 0 but what he minded was that, all his friends had spare batts. One even bought a 'mobile charger' (powered by Double A's), and they can continue to enjoy their phones. All he could do was stare. Since noone cant lend him a battery and there was no outlet to charge his phone.

The end to this story was... after about a month or two, frustration after frustration, he sold off his iPhone and bought a blackberry instead. He found out that no matter how 'good' he wanted to feel, no matter how much compensating he does (to himself), telling himself that it's okay to now have this or that feature - in the end, he couldn't make himself feel better. The phone, no matter how pretty it looked, just couldn't do the things he wanted it to do.

Now, with his new phone, he's so "IN" with his officemates - some are even looking up to him for 'tech' advice. :)

Do other brands (of phones) have this kind of "loyalty"? Do other brands make you interested? With nokia, yes - up to a point maybe. But other than apple - I dont know if they can inspire the same kind of passion that fans have for the iphone. And unless apple does something monumentally stupid - it will probably be a long long time to either prove or disprove something similar or something quite like it, in other brands.


cheers!

The iPhone 3G vs the Nokia 5800

well... this comparison is bound to come out some time, it's inevitable.

here's a couple of what I've found in the net...

a feature comparison

20 reasons

comparing the two

in my opinion, it's a matter of taste... if you're perfectly happy with what the iPhone gives you, then there's really no need to look at another phone. On the other hand, if you're not happy with the iPhone, and you have a need for the added features of the 5800 - then the 5800 might just be for you indeed.


cheers!

Some s60 5th edtion themes

5th edition themes are still a little hard to come by... some 3rd edition qvga themes might work, but the majority of them don't.

Anyway, here's a couple I've found so far...

http://www.4shared.com/file/75418831/387bd56f/Temas_5800.html
http://www.brthemes.com/category/5th-themes/
http://www.nokialino.it/?p=1734

And some very nice wallpapers from Daily Mobile

http://dailymobile.se/2008/12/15/nokia-5800-wallpapers-640x360-mobile-wallpapers-gallery-7/


cheers!

Why Digicams keep getting obsolete

My Digital Cameras Keep Becoming Obsolete!

SUMMARY: Digital camera buying advice for those afraid that a newer, faster digital camera will always be available.

As a digital camera owner, this scenario likely applies to you. After visiting a digital camera store, talking to friends, reading reviews, or possibly shopping online, at one time you bought what you thought was the perfect digital camera for your needs. After purchasing this digital camera and using it for a few weeks, you later visited the same store, browsed the same websites, or scanned through the latest issues of those same magazines, and guess what? A newer, 'better', faster, and cheaper digital camera is now available, making your current camera seem 'uncool', agonizingly slow, and obsolete. I can definitely say the above scenario has happened to me - way too often.

I've purchased five digital cameras in the last few years and have friends who have been through many more. Instead of continually burning holes in your wallet, how can you purchase a digital camera that will continue to stay cutting-edge for years to come?

Welcome to the sad truth - obsolescence is inevitable with digital cameras, just as it is with cell phones, computers, television sets, or other electronics. No matter how much time you take researching digital cameras, no matter how much money you spend, sooner or later a new model will be released, making you rue the day you purchased your 'old' camera.

You may be thinking, "I'm ready to purchase a new digital camera. Should I spend the money now and buy a camera, or wait a few months until something better comes along? The one I am interested in buying might become obsolete soon." My advice: unless you are still very happy with your current digital camera and absolutely know a specific new digital camera model will soon be available, go ahead and purchase the best camera you can find. When I mean "best", I don't mean the most expensive, or even the digital camera with the most "bells and whistles". I mean the camera with the best combination of features and value for your budget. Life is short - really short. You could wait, watching the releases of camera after camera, and think, "I'm smart. I'm going to wait until a better digital camera exists." While you may technically save money in the long run, there are larger costs you're enduring - the opportunity and enjoyment costs of not having the right equipment for your needs during the time waited.

If you always wait for the newest crop of digital cameras to be released, you could very well wait forever. Digital cameras continue to advance in technology with no end in sight.

* Megapixels: I remember when one megapixel cameras were all the rage. Now twelve+ megapixels is not uncommon, and if you read this article years from now, who knows what will be the norm.

* Focal length: My first camera had no zoom at all. My old prosumer camera has 7x optical zoom, I have a digital SLR with a 28mm - 300mm zoom lens, and other cameras and lenses on the market have even greater focal distances.

* Speed: Expect continual increases in shutter speeds, plus decreasing startup and memory writing times. And if you own a digital SLR, newer and faster lenses will be released to market. [B]* Image Quality:[/B] New lenses and image sensors will continue to produce clearer, more exact replicas of your subjects in digital form.

* Battery length: Think your digital camera can't last but a few dozen or hundred photos before switching batteries? Even that will change.

You could constantly worry about obsolescence, or you have a couple of other options:

- Plunk down more money and purchase a digital SLR camera instead of a prosumer or compact camera. Unless you are familiar with dSLRs, you may have to spend some time familiarizing yourself with controls and techniques, but these cameras have several advantages. Digital SLRs may have quicker startup and media write times. Since dSLR lenses can be changed, you can acquire different zoom distances and quicker exposures without buying a new camera body. And if later you do purchase a new camera body, if you purchase the same brand of camera you may be able to reuse your current lenses.

- Are you sure you have read your manual and taken full advantage of your current digital camera? Have you learned about adjusting shutter speeds and ISO sensitivity to take faster exposures, white balance settings to make photos seem truer to life, and bracketing so you can better experiment with all of these features?

- As New Yorkers are prone to say, "Fugitaboutit"! Great photography requires more than just great equipment, and great pictures can be made without top-of-the-line electronics. Remember that even with a first-class digital camera, if your composition is boring and your lighting dull, the results will prove likewise.

An ancient proverb states that "the only thing constant is change". Such is true with the development of digital cameras. Don't let life pass you buy while waiting for the perfect digital camera that will never become obsolete. That day may not occur, at least in our lifetimes. If you're in the market for a digital camera, buy the best one available for you, enjoy shooting photos, and don't always be concerned about newly available 'better' digital cameras. Eventually you may upgrade (again), but for the time being, just relax, enjoy your hobby, and get everything you can out of your camera.

from: link

cheers!

stolen phone

ever wonder what happens when your phone gets stolen?

.....................

November 23rd, 2008
After Cell Phone Loss, Wife’s Nude Pics End Up Online



By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

Lesson learned, or rather lesson(s) learned, by Tina Sherman and her husband Philip, of Arkansas:

* Don’t send nude photos of yourself to your husband or boyfriend.
* If you are sent nude photos, don’t leave ‘em on your cell phone.
* If you do leave ‘em on your cell phone, at least password-lock the darn thing.

On the other hand, a $3 million lawsuit could make up for a lot of hassle.

According to the lawsuit, Philip left the cell phone in question at a McDonald’s in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on July 5th. He reported it, and the McDonald’s said they would hold the phone until he returned. Well, they held it, but apparently did more than that.

Tina Sherman and her husband began receiving obscene phone calls. Why? The pictures had been posted on-line along with her name, address and phone number. The pictures have since been removed but the damage was done, the Shermans say.

Things became so bad, the couple moved.

The lawsuit names McDonald’s Corp., Matthews Management Co. and a manager, Aaron Brummley. Now, I’m not sure how McDonald’s itself is liable, or necessarily even the manager, unless he himself posted the pictures.

I’m guessing the pics were posted online by some pubescent teen workers at McDonald’s, who would also have been the most tech-savvy. That fact is unclear, but it is clear the said employees admitted on the website where they posted the nude photos of Tina Sherman that they retrieved the photos from a cell phone found in the restaurant.

That probably makes it easy to say someone is guilty, but McDonald’s? We’ll see if this case is settled out of court, thrown out of court, or whatever.

I’m lovin’ it.

Living in credit

Sigh... living with credit, sometimes it's good, but sometimes - like when your credit does haywire because of some foulup, it can get bad - really bad. 

Check out this article.

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the mobile phone in our lives.

... cellphones have been with us for a long time now. They've become so much a part of our lives, that kids nowadays even wonder, what life was like, more than a decade ago... when phones were not that popular. =)  Anyway, I found another great article... chk it out. 

The good and evil of cell phones

By Julie Deardorff, Chicago Tribune

Your cell phone has the power to kill you or save your life. Talk on it while you're driving, and you're four times more likely to have a crash that will send you to the hospital.

But if you do have a terrible wreck and need assistance, your phone's ICE (in case of emergency) contact -- or your own downloaded medical records -- can tell paramedics whether you're allergic to penicillin or help prevent medication errors.

More than 250 million Americans now subscribe to a cellular-phone service, an 84 percent penetration of the U.S. population, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the leading industry trade group.

So while they do pose some risks, they aren't going away. Here's how this handy device affects your health, for better or for worse.

Positives

-- Health information: Health promotion videos can be streamed to personal devices, such as cell phones, according to Rutgers researchers who tested a soap opera video with a message designed to reduce HIV risk. A special phone being tested in England gives teens undergoing cancer treatment ready answers to their questions about treatment and side effects.

-- Teen tracking: GPS-enabled cell phones are an ideal way to learn more about where teens spend time -- and how it relates to their health behaviors, say researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine. Poor health outcomes, such as obesity and sexually transmitted infections, tend to cluster in certain geographical areas.

-- Weight loss: The next time you're about to order a Big Mac, use your cell phone to text "diet1" with the name of the restaurant and menu item, suggests Joy Bauer, author of Food Cures.

"Within seconds, diet.com's 'Nutrition on the Go' service will send you a reply listing the calories, total fat, carbohydrate and protein in the requested food," Bauer said.

-- Medication compliance: MIT students, challenged with the task of getting tuberculosis patients to take their medicine, devised a testing and reporting system that uses text messaging and offers incentives such as free cell-phone minutes.

-- Crime reduction: Cell phones and cell phone cameras have helped police solve crimes, particularly hit-and-run accidents. Visitors to swiftreport.net can report accidents they've seen and give descriptions and license plate numbers of cars that hit other vehicles and fled.

-- Cardiac defibrillators: In an emergency, a cell phone could be used as a cardiac defibrillator, according to Ben Saketkhou of Boca Raton, Fla., who has filed a U.S. patent on a clamshell phone equipped with electrodes.

"When flipped open and placed on the chest, it delivers a shock to the heart," New Scientist reported. "The phone also sends its GPS coordinates to the emergency services. Just don't hit the wrong button when you're chatting."

Negatives

-- Gap in safety data: Researchers are fairly certain that the use of mobile phones for up to 10 years is not associated with brain tumor risk, but there is some uncertainty with regard to longer use, said Joachim Schuz, head of the department of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark. Also: The impact of cell-phone use on children, whose brains are still developing, needs to be evaluated.

-- Allergic reactions: Nickel dermatitis, the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis in women, may be caused by frequent and prolonged use of cell phones, according to a study by Danish researchers.

-- Sleep issues: Teenagers who use their cell phones excessively are more prone to disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress and fatigue, according to a study presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

-- Carpal tunnel syndrome: "Repeated, prolonged gripping of anything can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome," says Jennifer Valle, an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Valle recommends an earpiece or headset.

-- Behavioral problems in children: A study of more than 13,000 children found that pre- or post-natal exposure to cell-phone radiation was associated with behavioral difficulties such as emotional and hyperactivity problems by the time they reached school age. The researchers warned that the association might be due to other factors -- perhaps mothers who use the phones frequently pay less attention to their children -- but if real, it would be of public health concern, given the widespread use of the technology.

-- Traffic accidents: Simply listening to your cell phone is a little like driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Carnegie Mellon University scientists who found that "listening alone (to a cell phone) reduces by 37 percent the amount of brain activity associated with driving." That's enough to make you weave out of your lane. The Facebook group "I Text Message People While Driving and Haven't Killed Anyone Yet" says it promotes responsible texting.

-- False sense of security: College students -- especially women -- may take more risks when carrying a cell phone, according to a survey of 305 students. In the survey, 40 percent of cell phone users said they walked somewhere after dark that they normally wouldn't go.

link

cheers!

Improve your cellphone's signal

Improve Your Mobile Phone Signal

"Can you hear me now," is more than a smarmy catchphrase. It's also the enraged anthem of anyone who's had problems with cell phone reception. The Shangri-La of "full bars" doesn't have to be a pipe dream, though. Here are some tricks to give that signal of yours a boost.

Contents:

1 Step 1: Ignore the Mystery Devices 2 Step 2: Research the Causes 3 Step 3: Use Deductive Reasoning 4 Step 4: Attempt a Fix 4.1 Change Location 4.2 Try an External Antenna 4.3 Invest in a Repeater 4.4 Switch Up the Phone Position 5 Step 5: Contact Your Wireless Provider

Step 1: Ignore the Mystery Devices

If lousy reception could be solved solely by a slip of adhesive and aluminum, the world would be a much simpler place. In reality, reception problems stem from the myriad topographical and atmospheric obstacles radio frequencies encounter while traveling to/from your phone. The first step to solving this problem is accepting that there might not be a quick fix, and that it may take a lot of experimentation to find the root.

Step 2: Research the Causes

The best way to combat bad reception is knowledge. In short, cell phone networks work via an overlapping grid of broadcast towers (called cells). Each tower has a defined area of effectiveness (usually hexagonal in shape) that interlocks with neighboring towers. Dialing out on a handset effectively secures a patch frequency for the phone to connect and initiate or receive a call. Simple enough, right?

Unfortunately, the Achilles Heel of this setup is the network itself. Compared to other forms of radio communication (i.e., Ham or CB radio), cell phone networks are relatively underpowered when it comes to broadcasting/receiving signal. The redundancy of tower placement combats this problem, but it's still common for cell phone signal to be interrupted by X-factors like:

• Physical Obstructions - Buildings, tunnels, valleys and even mountains can all play a role in poor reception. Although the low power connection between a phone and a tower can be maintained through a number of solid materials, large obstructions and drastic differences in elevation can cause serious problems.

• Electronic Interference - Cell phones are one of many devices sharing the airwaves. It's not uncommon for other high power, high RF devices (and even household electronics) to wreak havoc on the signal.

• Weather - Believe it or not, weather can play a big part in reception. Dense cloud cover, lightning, and even humidity are just some of the weather patterns that impact your wireless service.

• Phone Positioning - Sometimes the biggest problems stem from the simplest things. Details like whether your phone has an internal antenna (and whether the device is being held correctly) can prove to be the difference between receiving or missing a call.

Step 3: Use Deductive Reasoning

Gathering enough data to make an educated guess may take a lot of moving around and test calls, but it's worth it. The key is analyzing the surroundings and noticing how they affect the phone's signal. Having problems while in the center of your office building, but okay outside? Then it's probably a physical obstruction issue. Dropping calls while outdoors during storm season? Consider the role of weather. Only have signal problems on a specific stretch of highway? You get the picture.

Ultimately, the goal is to amass a group of clues that point to the source of the problem. Be sure to take notes (mental or physical) on variables like the time of day when reception is worst, and the locations where you initiate/receive most of your 'troubled' calls. In a work setting, try to take a poll from co-workers with the same service provider. The little details gleaned from fact finding missions like this can help rule out larger problems like equipment failure.

Step 4: Attempt a Fix

Now that you've diagnosed the problem, it's time to attempt a fix. Here are some of the common solutions:

Change Location

No one likes having to run outside to make or receive a phone call. But if installing signal amplification equipment isn't feasible, it's likely that you'll have to think (and call) on your feet. Be it from electronic interference by nearby electronics, or some other stationary catalyst, be sure to remove yourself from the problem area before making a call. If the problem stems from a physical obstruction like the walls of a building, try to move to the perimeter and get close to a window. Cell phone signal is at its strongest in open air settings where there's a clear line of sight between the tower (often located on rooftops) and the handset, so keep that in mind while looking for a new location.

Try an External Antenna

An external antenna is like a beefed up version of the one on your phone. Although the name of the game is extending range with these devices, they come with their share of hassles too. They're typically large, come in high gain (flat areas) and low gain (wooded areas) models, require an additional amplifier and adapters, and need to be mounted outside. Since the phone needs to be physically attached to the antenna to get the benefits, this setup can also put a hamper on mobility. As such, external antennas aren't the greatest solution for intermittent service issues. However, they're worth looking into if you spend a lot of time in remote problem areas.

Invest in a Repeater

Repeaters are a common solution for urban settings. In short, the device receives a weak signal via an external antenna, amplifies it, and then rebroadcasts it over a given area through an internal antenna. Despite being a solid solution for multiple users having signal problems, repeaters have their issues too. Not only do they need at least a nominal signal to work, but they tend to be expensive, and require a some technical know-how to setup.

Switch Up the Phone Position

With the increased popularity of stylish, compact phones comes a host of reception problems. Since most manufacturers have ditched external antennas, it can take as little as a misplaced finger dump the signal and drop a call. Only encounter signal problems after a call is initiated? It could be your hand position that's causing the problem. Try holding the phone with your weak hand (or using a headset) for a day, and see if it that changes anything. You'd be surprised.

Step 5: Contact Your Wireless Provider

Although using the tricks above can help, there's always the chance that the problem is network related. U.S. cell phone providers have been racing to provide the densest coverage in populated areas, but there are still plenty of holes out there. As a paying subscriber, it's your place to let your provider know if their service isn't working for you. Don't be shy about reaching out and touching someone -- you may find out that your problem area is due for a new tower any day now.

cheers!

The new N85 and N79

cheers!

What your phone's color says about you!

cute article... here's the post I made at MR.

link

cheers!