Who Will Buy The BlackBerry Storm?

Although I am an iPhone user, I make no apologies for being a fan of the BlackBerry Storm. Whereas most of the supposed "iPhone Killer" phones are less than threatening, I think the Storm really does stand side-by-side with the iPhone.

It is obviously a better business phone overall with better Exchange integration, MS Word/Excel functions and more flexible email options. Other features that the iPhone doesn't have are as follows: MMS, stereo Bluetooth, video recording, 1.2 more megapixels for its camera, auto-focus and copy & paste.

I have read a lot of articles about the Storm and the lingering question remains: Who will buy the BlackBerry Storm?

People who love the BlackBerry are mobile phone users who generally WANT to have a physical keyboard instead of a virtual keyboard. Even though the touchscreen on the Storm has a sort of "cushiony" feel to it so that it feels like you're pressing buttons, I'm not sure it's a replacement for a real one. So, I'm not sure that current BlackBerry users will be upgrading to the Storm.

Perhaps the Storm will pull current iPhone users who need the features that the iPhone doesn't have? I think so. Some people just have to use it for work. On iPhone message boards that I peruse, many say they will get the Storm for work and use the iPhone for play. As far as I can tell, those two phones complete each other.

Personally, if I was in the market for a mobile phone I would seriously look at the BlackBerry Storm. In the end though, the lack of wi-fi capability would be a dealbreaker. Still, I think the Storm IS the best mobile phone to go head-to-head with the iPhone at this time. It's no surprise that the next iPhone OS upgrade will be available this Friday, the same day as the Storm debut.

UPDATE: Reviews for the Storm are coming in and they don't look good. The biggest complaint: the darned touchscreen.
Engadget
The Boy Genius Report
phonedog.com

RhinoBall - Free Movie Tie-In Game!

If you have read my blog before, you probably know that I like iPhone apps that have movie tie-ins. Some have been more successful than others.

I saw "RhinoBall" [iTunes link] a few weeks ago and I bypassed it because it was free and I didn't know it had anything to do with a movie. But, today I found it again and this 3D hamster-in-a-ball racing game is based on the upcoming Disney animated film "Bolt" that's coming out this Friday.

You have to guide our hamster Rhino to the finish line and at the same time gather these mini-bolts. The graphics are great considering it is a free game. However, the accelerometer controls leave a lot to be desired. I suppose if the controls were spot on then it would be too easy of a game. Before you get to a ramp, make sure you build up enough speed to get some "hamster air." There are movie cut-scenes in between the levels. The app also comes with the movie trailer and a TV ad.

This is a quality free game. I knew a company like Disney, with a lot of money, could put out a quality game app for free. Kudos also to AvatarLabs who actually did the grunt work to develop the game. Download it. Now.

Atari 2600 Nostalgia Ported To The iPhone

A "new" game on the iPhone is a blast from the the Atari past. I'm pretty sure the two games that came with the Atari 2600 was "Combat" and "Adventure." Well, someone has ported "Adventure" [iTunes link] to the small screen of the iPhone and it's free in the App Store.

It wasn't much of a game then, and it still isn't much of a game now. There's three levels: easy, hard and expert. Mind you, this is not a difficulty setting. There are only three total levels which get progressively harder.

You use the accelerometer to move your little square. A tap on the screen picks up or drops an item. It's a very simple game.

Only people who played the original game will want to download this. Still, it's a welcome memory from the infancy of electronics.

Ziibii - The River Of Information

I'm always intrigued by iPhone apps that try to do it all. Most of the time, it ends up being a "jack-of-all-trades, master of none." But, I always HOPE that someone can get it right.

This bring me to Ziibii [iTunes link]. It is basically a feed reader mixed in with Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube updates. And the way you read the headlines is in a most unusual way: Each story is on a "surfboard" that's flowing down a "river." You can always pause the river and swipe to see what's downstream. If you don't like the river view, you can choose to see it in a list.

This free app basically does what it says. Personally, I don't feel that the "river" concept is for me. I also don't feel that having Twitter comments mixed in with everything else really fits. If you see a Tweet you want to respond to, you'll have to get out of the app to do so. Also, YouTube doesn't work very well within the app.

Still, I would have to say that this is a very unique way of reading feeds. It's just not for me.

Slifter For Your Holiday Shopping

It's that time of year again. One of the busiest shopping days of the year is almost upon us. And, I just found an iPhone app that could make your shopping a LOT easier.

Slifter is free in the Apple App Store. It uses your GPS to locate where you are. Then, you type in the product that you are looking for. It will give you a list of products to choose from. Click on the one you want and it will list where you can buy it and the prices. You can also filter by retailer and the brand.

Recently, I bought a TV tuner for my PC on eBay. But, that was after I did some personal shopping with no luck. This app definitely would have saved me some drive time that I wasted.

With this native app, you can also build your shopping list. It would be nice to attach some names to the items for a Christmas shopping list.

And finally, there is a "Hot Deals" tab. Unfortunately, to get the most out of that function, you'll need to give up a phone number. You could also skip it but the app says you will lose some functionality.

I can't wait to use this app for my Christmas shopping. I hope it will save me a lot of time and heartache.

As The Economy Worsens, The iPhone Sells!

As a follow-up to my blog about how the iPhone is no longer a status symbol for the rich, the latest report by comScore, Inc. shows that the strongest growth in iPhone sales have been in America's middle-class.
The price of the cheapest iPhone was cut in half back on July 11th of this year when the 8GB iPhone 3G was introduced at $199. So it's no surprise that between June and August of this year, there have been 48% more iPhone users in the $25,000 - $49,999 annual income range. iPhone users who make $50,000 - $74,999 a year also jumped by 46%.
The report says that people are discovering in this tough economic time that having an iPhone actually saves money. Instead of buying a separate iPod, mobile phone, PDA, GPS device and portable gaming device, you can get all of those functions with an iPhone 3G.
But don't count out the rich just yet. 43% of all iPhone users make more than $100,000 annually.

Rebecca Mader: My New Favorite LOST Star!

On Friday, I was having a bad day. But, I'm much better now thanks to LOST star Rebecca Mader!
She accepted my friend request on Facebook today. Now, I have to admit that she might not accept EVERYONE'S friend request. But, luckily, I have a few friends already on her friend list so I suppose I was a safe acceptance.
Still, it DID make my day. At least I know Rebecca Mader does not feel she's above all of us "normal" people. And I do feel like I have some connections with LOST. I did get to visit the set for one day. I've met pretty much all the main cast members.
Now, I'm waiting for Yunjin Kim to accept my Facebook friend request....

EDIT: A reliable source has told me that the Yunjin Kim on Facebook is probably not the LOST actress. Oh well... I'm just glad to have met her in person... TWICE!

UPDATE: I just made a new "Lost" blog called Ben's Frozen Donkey Wheel. All of my thoughts on "Lost" will be there from now on.

iPhone No Longer A Status Symbol

So, you think your iPhone is still a device only for those rolling in the dough? Think again.
I'm sure by now you heard about the rumors that the iPhone 3G will be sold at Wal*Mart. I know that story angered those who feel that the iPhone should be a status symbol like a Mercedes.
Now, MacRumors.com is reporting that Costco could be selling the iPhone 3G in January for $149.
Keep in mind that the iPhone started out at $599 when it debuted in June 2007. The 8GB 3G currently sells for $199 and the 16GB goes for $299. Evidently, the economic downturn has forced Apple to widen its consumer net.
Ultimately, this is good news for iPhone users because a bigger user base means more support for innovative software. And, hopefully, Apple will get its act together and give us everything they promised at the WWDC back in June 2008.

Rovio: HOT Tech Gadget This Christmas

If I wasn't spending some money to get live television on my computer and iPhone, I might have bought the Rovio WiFi-enabled mobile web cam.
It's super cool: a cross between a simple remote-controlled car and a state-of-the-art web cam with microphone and speaker.
And now, Rovio owners can control their little robot with their iPhone with the free RovioDriver app.
Here's a few videos demonstrating with the Rovio can do:

What A Bad Year For Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners lost their head coach and finished the 2008 MLB season with a dismal 61-101 record.
The Seattle Seahawks are under first-year head coach Jim Mora and are 2-6 with a banged-up quarterback. They are also missing a great running game they enjoyed in their Super Bowl run a few years ago.
The University of Washington Huskies are 0-8 with no light at the end of the tunnel and head coach Tyrone Willingham will step down at the end of the season.
And, to me, the most disappointing news out of them all is that Seattle no longer has an NBA team.
The team that used to be called the Seattle Sonics (or, Supersonics) is now the Oklahoma City Thunder. I just realized that in the past few days when I looked at the NBA scoreboard.
The Oklahoma City Thunder. They may as well be called the Washington Generals, as they will be the inferior team to the "Harlem Globetrotters" of the league.
This is obviously a year of CHANGE in more ways than one. And some changes are more difficult to swallow than others.

John McCain Wins!!!

...in my blog's presidential poll at least.

Congratulations John McCain!

You are the president of iPhone 3G & Me!

I'm the CEO and owner, so I'm YOUR boss! :P

2008 U.S. Presidential Election Results

Keep track of who is winning the presidential race! And don't forget to vote in the poll in my previous blog entry.

Insomniac Presidential Poll

I can't sleep. So, I'm making a presidential poll. I already cast an absentee ballot and I was surprised at all the people who are running for president and vice-president. So, in fairness, I am including all of them in my poll. The poll closes a minute before midnight, Hawaii Standard Time, on Election Day.

Japanese iPhone Commercial

Here's an interesting iPhone commercial from Japan. It features a talking dog who loves the iPhone. If only his paws could actually take advantage of the iPhone's multi-touch screen. :P Enjoy!

Looks Matter More For Female Presidential Candidates?

FOXNews.com is reporting that a study by Northwestern university researchers show a female presidential candidate needs both looks and competence to win over the public, while male candidates can get by with only competence.

However, I believe in the modern age I think looks DID play a part in the presidential elections. Let's take a look back:

• President Bush vs. Al Gore & John Kerry - To me, Gore and Kerry looked like the stodgy Republicans while Bush has always been loosey-goosey. Bush barely wins.
• Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole & Bush Sr. - No contest. Clinton wins hands down.
• Bush Sr. vs. Michael Dukakis - I don't think ANY presidential candidate in the modern era had bushier eyebrows than Dukakis. This election was a case of "who's less uglier." Bush Sr. wins.
• Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale & Jimmy Carter - Who could look better than an actor from yesteryear? Reagan wins.
• Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford - Carter fares much better in this beauty contest. Carter wins.

Except for John F. Kennedy, looks probably did not play a huge role in presidential politics before the mid-70s. They all looked like stodgy old guys... and they liked it!

Have A Safe And Happy Halloween!

Used without permission from @buzzbunny...

My History Of iPhone 3G Cases

Like many other iPhone users, I have gone through a LOT cases in the short time I have had my iPhone 3G.

I tried to get by with a $10 original iPhone silicone cover, but that blocked the 3G's proximity sensor (which is bad because the screen won't disable when you put the iPhone to your face as you take a call).

The cover I really wanted was the Agent 18 ClearShield, which is very nice. I still have it and use it on occasion. I also bought a Marware CEO Premiere leather holster, which fit the iPhone well even with a cover on. While the ClearShield was nice, it is very FLASHY. If I'm not at a fancy party, flashy doesn't suit me very well. Also, the ClearShield is very slippery.

Then, I got a great deal on a black Griffin Wave case. This is one of my favorite cases and I used it for a very long time. I love how it's sleek, but not slippery. It has a matted feel but easily slips out of your pocket. The case is also somewhat transluscent so you can tell I have a white iPhone without blinding you with that fact. The one downfall about this case is that it has a two-piece design. The one time I dropped the phone about 5 feet onto concrete, the cover came off on impact and slightly scuffed the bezel. Although there was no major damage, it was a shame that I couldn't get FULL protection with that design.

So, finally, I came across the Contour Showcase for the iPhone 3G (shown in picture). The case itself is a one-piece design and it comes with a holster. I have accidentally dropped the phone with and without the holster and it holds up very, very well. No damage whatsoever. I love the holster because it has a vertical clip, which is exactly what I wanted. The clip also acts as a horizontal stand to watch movies.

Drive Car In-Game Before Real World

USA Today is reporting Nissan will show off its new 370Z in the game "Need For Speed Undercover" months before it hits the showroom.
The game will be released in stores on Nov. 18.
This comes on the heels of the campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama buying ad space in an X-Box 360 video game.
We've seen software makers advertise their own games in other games they create. Third-party advertisers, however, are a completely different story. The idea of advertising in a completely virtual world is quite bold if you ask me.
Hopefully, this could lead to the underwriting of software to make games cheaper for the consumer. But, I know that's not realistic.

I plan to buy the iPhone app version of "Need For Speed Undercover" and I'll review it here when it is released.

Spore Halloween: Black Cat

I created and uploaded a Spore character called "Black Cat" just in time for Halloween!

Next Time You Go To Outer Space, Leave Behind The Scotch Tape

FOXNews.com has an interesting article about our favorite adhesive: Scotch® Tape. Evidently, Scotch® tape emits X-rays when you peel it off the roll. But, here's the catch: it only happens in a vacuum.

I'd love to see the conversation before the scientists figured this out:

Scientist #1: Scotch® tape... I bet I could find a way this could be hazardous to people!

Scientist #2: Oh really? Bet you $5 you can't!

Scientist #1: You're ON! Uh... let's start with unraveling the tape in a vacuum...

Actually, the article goes on to say that this discovery could lead to inexpensive X-ray machines for paramedics or in places where electricity is at a premium.