Replaced by My iPhone

The following items have been replaced by my iPhone. Granted, my old cell phone did some of these things equally as well.

Paper maps - I never used these much, but I certainly map directions more easily and readily now.

Seven Day alarm clock - I had planned to purchase one of these, but not now. The iPhone allows you to create a different alarm for each day. You can even create multiple alarms in the same day.

Pen-sytle flashlight - The iPhone makes it easy to find your keys and dropped change at night.

Mini photo albums - I don't use these, but now with the iPhone, I show everyone photos.

Paper calendar and planner - I am now much more oragnized than I have ever been. I simply couldn't get used to bulky paper planners.

Point and shoot digital camera - The iPhone works well for when you need to take a quick snapshot...assuming you have plenty of light.

Calculator - In school, I always carried a calculator. Outside of school, I never had one with me. Now I do.

Notepad - The much-maligned Notes application in the iPhone is good enough for my needs. It is great for grocery lists.

Address Book - As I said earlier, I am now much more organized. The iPhone makes storing information, such as street addresses and URLs, much easier than most cell phones.

iPod - Although it doesn't have nearly the storage capacity of my 5G iPod, the iPhone makes it easy to have the iPod with you at all times.

$499 - Ah, yes. As Highway Hoyt likes to say, "Here's the kicker." The iPhone has replaced a nice pile of cash that was in the bank.

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No More 300 Page iPhone Bills

I am an iPhone owner. Today I got a special and free text message from AT&T.

AT&T sent out text messages today regarding removing the call detail from future paper bills.

AT&T free msg: We are simplifying your paper bill, removing itemized detail. To view all detail go to att.com/mywireless. Still need full paper bill? Call 611.

This is no doubt related to this Youtube video.





It is somewhat surprising that AT&T moved so fast on this one. Or maybe not.

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Send to Web Gallery

My "Send to Web Gallery" button has finally been enabled on my iPhone. I am puzzled about what triggered it though.

I updated my iPhone to firmware 1.01 when it came out. Yesterday, I reactivated my .Mac account. Last night, I added my .Mac email account to my email accounts in my iPhone as this article from MacWorld suggests.

It took about 12 hours for the button to show up on my iPhone though. Was it the combination of the .Mac reactivation and adding to the iPhone? Was it a time-released addition that was added by the newest firmware? Or was it simply a push by Apple over EDGE, as some have speculated?

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iMovie '08 in Intel-Mac and G5 Only

The G4 is coming to the end of its run.

According to the fine print on the back of the iLife '08 box, "iMovie requires a Mac with an Intel Processor, a Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0Ghz or faster), or an iMac G5 (1.9Ghz or faster)." Even the Apple salesperson at the Apple Store pointed this out prior to my purchase. This leaves out a number of G4 iBook, Powerbook, and some Mac Mini owners.

In additional iMovie news, TUAW is reporting that due to feature disparity between iMovie '06 and iMovie '08, owners of iLife '08 can download a new version of iMovie '06 for free to run alongside of iMovie '08.

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Apple's New Shipping Suggestion

With Apple's new products comes a new shipping suggestion when you are
checking out in the Apple Online Store:

"A signature is required for delivery of your package(s). We suggest
you select a shipping address, such as your workplace, where you know
there will be someone to sign for your package(s). We also offer an
easy way to pre-sign for your shipment. See our shipping policy for
more information."

Apple's shipping policy is located here.

I have been doing this for years, but it begs the question, "Why won't
Apple offer you the option of not having to sign for your purchases
when they arrive?"

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Apple Event Today

What new products will be released at 1pm EST? The rumors are leaning toward new iPhone-styled iMacs and .Mac enhancements. If the .Mac enhancements are worthwhile, I may just have to reinstate my service.

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My iPhone Wallpaper

What sort of photo do you have set as your iPhone wallpaper? Photo after the jump...(click the link below)

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VisualHub

VisualHub is an excellent tool for all of yor video file conversion needs.

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iPhone Issues

I purchased an iPhone on the first weekend it was released. For the most part, it is a very capable phone. This post is intended to list any issues I encounter while using the iPhone.

Everyone has already commented on the lask of MMS, the inability to add ringtones, and the lack of a flash. The biggest missing feature for me is that the iPhone does not allow you to save pre-defined text messages, such as "I am in a meeting." No one has documented this yet and I am surprised. The first time I tried an iPhone in the Apple store, the lack of this feature turned me away.

Lately, I have been noticing that I cannot hear people very well on the iPhone. Perhaps Apple has implemented some sort of volume limiter on the iPhone, similar to iPods. If so, Apple needs to add a control to allow you to change the maximum volume just like the iPods.

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