Mobile Phones - Death Comes Ringing

Okay, so maybe the title is a little melodramatic, but then so is the news story that appeared on the WFAA newscast yesterday and again this morning. It's also on their website under the title: Data Withheld on Dangers of Using Cell Phones While Driving. The story basically says that the federal government vis-a-vie the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (we do have a government agency for everything) withheld a report consisting of hundreds of pages was withheld from public and congressional scrutiny due to politics. Whoa, shocker! First, the report makes it sound like a government report with hundreds of pages is something new... have they ever seen a congressional bill? Wait, the bigger and more tantalizing shocker was that the report was "squelched" for "politics." Amazing! A political organization reporting to another political organization decided not to share the details of a really long government report due to of all things - politics! I just don't get it.

No, not why the report was withheld, but why anyone is terribly shocked? WFAA went so far as to have a news reporter standing by a Dallas highway "live" this morning to report on the situation. I wanted to throw something at the TV; if only I had that HUGE REPORT! In truth though, they will do a live remote for just about any story. Standing next to the highway is a regular vantage point.

What really shocks me is why this is shocking to anyone, including the  NHTSA. I remember reading about similar reports that had been done stating the exact same thing this report apparently says. Oh, but what is that you ask? Well, simply put that the use of a cell phone while driving whether with your hands or handsfree is just as dangerous. I managed cell phones for years at Fujitsu and read all kinds of reports regularly, and more than one of them said just that. I even passed it around to the managers and staff.

The report as I read it stated that quite simply the concentration required to listen to a conversation where you can't see the person and their body language was so intense that it really distracts you from what you are doing; in a car that would be driving. Apparently our body language makes communication easier. You can tell if someone is happy, sad or angry by just looking in their eyes, at their face or their overall body language. When you are on the phone all you have to go by is their vocal inflection. So, even if you have that new fancy bluetooth kit in your car, your brain still has to work extra hard when you are talking to your significant other about what groceries you need to pick-up on the way home.

Here is my issues with these reports. Um, THERE ARE LOTS OF DESTRACTIONS IN CARS!  One of them could be listening to a report about how driving while talking on your handsfree car kit is just as dangerous as holding the phone. Yes, the radio. I'm sure we have all been listening to music or news and lost our train of thought. Basically your brain goes into auto pilot and drives you home. Only problem is that your reaction time is going to take a dive because of it. I like to listen to books and I know with a particularly good book I can lose track of space and time. Have any kids? Well, I've heard your typical 4 year old can be one hell of a detraction in a car.

Here's my solution - ALL CARS SHOULD HAVE ONE SEAT, NO RADIO, NO BUTTONS AND YOUR HANDS SHOULD BE LOCKED TO THE STEERING WHELE WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION. Too much?

Look, I don't discount that mobile phones (no one calls them cell phones anymore WFAA) cause accidents. I've come close to getting hit by the idiot talking on the phone not paying a lick of attention to anything but the conversation they were on. I've also almost been hit by the person talking to the passenger in the car and not paying a lick of attention to anything but that conversation.

I'm sure that if others are talking as much about this report as WFAA, then there may be a push to out law the use of mobile phones while driving in a car; even with hands free. Earlier this decade Brazil passed a law just like that due to their high accident rate. If we are going to do that though, then we should outlaw eating while driving, listening to books while driving, listening to the radio while driving and any kids that like to ask "are we there yet," every 5 seconds.

I'm all for the government helping to keep us safe. I'm also for people not being stupid while they are driving a quarter ton of glass and metal at 75 miles per hour. You can't regulate stupidity out of people nor the desire for them to stay connected with humanity. Again, if you are going to outlaw mobile phones you might as well go for broke and just outlaw all forms of "distraction from cars." Come to think of it, go ahead, then when my girls want to play music I don't like I can tell them that Uncle Sam says they can't do that while I am driving. There's always a silver lining, even when Death Comes Ringing. - P.S. I should have written this while talking on the phone and driving to work. Oh well, maybe next time.

Free Information - Using Any Phone

David Pogue, NY Times Technology Columnist, posted a story recently about using various information services over your cell phone (or your home phone). One of these services is a 411 service and all of them are free to use (text messaging costs may apply).

Those services are:

1. Goog411 - 411 Service
2. ChaCah - Over the Phone Search Service
3. Jott - Personal Notes Service

The killer service is Goog411. Your home phone provider and your mobile phone provider typically charge to use their 411 service, as much as two bucks per search. Some charge extra to send you a text message or to connect you to the phone number that your searching for. Goog411 is free to search with, free to connect with and free to get a text message. I’ve tried it and it works great. I’m going to save it into my phone for easy use when I need it. On their website there is a video that shows you how to use the service. You can search by name or by category, all you need is a city and state. You can even get a map! All you have to do is say “Map It!” You will get a link to a map (if you phone has internet service) as well as the address and phone number. If you only have text messaging, just say “Details!” It’s that easy! Really, I it is. (You can watch the YouTube video on YouTube --->Click Here)

If you happen to have an iPhone or BlackBerry, Goog411 is really rocking!

Below are links to Mr. Pogue’s video netcast and NY Times article.

Fee Voice-Activated Phone Services (Video)
Cell Services Keep It Easy, and Free (Article)

Best Phone Ever - iPhone

I've waited a little while before posting my personal review of the iPhone. While the phone was released more than six months ago, it still garners a great deal of attention and hype. The iPhone seems to have a following that is nearly as polarized as American politics. People seem to either think it a wonderful device that at the very least changes the face of mobile telephony for ever or that it's just a phone that while pretty is missing key features. While detractors are correct in that some features other phones have the iPhone is missing; they miss the simple fact that the iPhone has the features most people want and does them very well. Best of all, the key function "phone calls" work terrifically; and it is after all a PHONE.

Until someone has actually used the IPhone it's very hard to describe how different the experience is from other so called "Smart" phones, or any mobile phone. I can say this after using both Blackberries and Windows Mobile devices as well as many other phones. Most phones have lots of features, yet do few of them well and most poorly. These features seem added by the marketing department first and then rushed through the engineering department to meet a long decided release date. In stark contrast, the features of the iPhone seem to have been thoroughly thought out by both marketers and engineers then compromises made with the end user in mind. Some features were seemingly left out, while others were added with missing components; both of which Apple new could be added later and since the phones release Apple has done 3 updates, two bringing feature enhancements.

That brings me to one of the iPhones greatest strengths, upgradability. The iPhone was designed by a computer company, and it shows. As much care went into the design of the shell as the operating system, or "OS", housed in the shell. In fact, the minimalist design of the phone seems to have been an outgrowth of a decision to put nearly all controls in the OS instead of on the physical phone. The phone's unique touchscreen gives Apple an amazing edge offering end users a phone that can remain feature rich. If not for this paradigm shift, the iPhone would be just another Smart Phone with lots of buttons and buried menus.

That "edge" will be immediately visible to anyone that picks up the iPhone to make a call, all they do is touch the phone icon and the screen immediately changes to a list of contacts. Flip through your list and choose who you want to talk to.If they are in your computer's address book then they are in your iPhone. If not, you just press the "keypad" icon and you get a full screen phone keypad. Dial the number and the screen immediately changes again to a list of in-call features; including the ability to easily go back to your home screen or even pull up other contacts and call them. In fact you can add more than 5 people to a current call all as simple as pressing the contact button, choosing the person you want to call and once their phone is ringing you touch "merge" and everyone is chatting.

The configurability of the iPhone allows each of its three feature sets play incredibly well together. Those feature sets are: phone, iPod and wireless internet device. As you move from one to another the screen totally changes, getting out of the way when you don't want it and offering you all the choices you want when you need them. The phones touch screen means that one application doesn't have to fight for screen real estate or buttons on the phone with another application. Not only that, each application can undergo a total redesign if Apple feels the controls just don't work as intended, and while unlikely minor adjustments can be made just as easily with little worry of impacting other applications. With the announced SDK (Software Development Kit), software companies will be able to take full advantage of the configurable screen and create unique applications for the iPhone, that take full advantage of its strengths but again have no impact on other great applications. In the end it simply means that the end user doesn't have to make compromises between loved applications as is typically on most phone today.

One of those great applications is Safari, a web browser. Web browsing on the iPhone isn't like web browsing on your computer; but it does give you the ability to view the same web page on the iPhone. Want to read the latest news at www.nytimes.com? It's not a problem, just pull up the site, find the story you want to read and tap twice on the column. The screen will zoom to that story. Just flick your finger up or down to scroll, and tap on any link to view a related story or photo. For those that want more speed and less flash, many websites have built iPhone specific variations. These sites play off of the iPhone's strengths and are formatted for the iPhone's screen. Other companies have built Web Apps that expand the iPhones usability. For example there are several TIP Web Apps. These apps take the cost of your meal, the number of dinners and determines what each person should pay and what the TIP should be based upon the level of service. All done with quick taps on the iPhone's screen, no digging in menus.

Want to watch a movie, or listen to a song? It's easy and movies can be watched in widescreen, with or without headphones; something new for iPods. The screen again changes and once you are watching your movie, all visible traces of the menus and buttons disappear until you need them. Like other iPods the iPhone is a photo viewer, one of the best.

Using the now famous "tap" and "pinch" finger movements, you can zoom in and out as well as pan up, right, left and down. Because apps talk to each other, if you see a photo your mother would just love; pull up the photo options and chose E-Mail. A few seconds later you are on your phone telling your mom to check her e-mail to see a great new photo of her grandson. You can just as easily set that photo as your iPhone's wallpaper or send that very same photo to a web photo gallery.

All the features of the phone are just easy. It's not for everyone. The phone has to be synced to your computer on a regular basis. With only 8 and now 16 gigs of space, constant rotating of content is needed. iTunes is designed to handle this task easily, but that bring up another detractor for some; iTunes is required.

The good news is that this phone works just as well with PCs as it does with Macs. Currently nothing much is gained by having a Mac, short of making an easy experience even easier. The iPhone is also expensive. At $399 and $499 this phone won't be for everyone. That said, it's no more expensive than my last several "Smart Phones" and they were all discounted with a 2 year agreement. While the iPhone requires a contract, there is no discount; but your data plan is about $10 to $20 cheaper than similar plans for other phones. That brings me to the final major detractor, AT&T. While I've been using them for a while with no serious problems, others have had less pleasant experiences. It also means that if you are with Sprint, Verizon or another carrier the cost of switching could be much more than $400. Would I recommend this phone to everyone? Actually, I would recommend this phone to any individual willing to put down the cash to use it and willing to connect the phone to their computer using iTunes at least every few days. Full functionality requires regular syncing. Those two issues aside, this is one of the best phones on the market today. If you want to use this phone for business, check with your IT Dept. BlackBerries rule the IT world and honestly, BlackBerries do push e-mail better than anyone; including Apple. BlackBerries also talk to Exchange fully, while Apple doesn't yet. I currently use both, and while my BlackBerry 8830 serves me well and I'm happy to use it; the iPhone is a joy to use and I use it simply for the joy.

iPhone - Time Invention of the Year

I know what you are thinking.... Time has drunk the Apple iPhone kook-aid. Read the article before you make your decision. I think Time makes some very good points and while I don't know if it should be the invention of the year, only because I don't follow enough of the invention tech news to say, I do believe it has to be at the very least one of the inventions of the year. If you just want to talk about inventions with presense, then yep the iPhone wins hands down.

Read the article, and decide!

Time: iPhone Invention of the Year

Apple Sells 1,000,000 iPhones

Amazing... in 74 days Apple has taken the mobile phone world by storm... and they are only selling them in the United States and only to AT&T (formally Cingular) customers. As the quick press release states below, it took Apple nearly two years to sell one million iPods. Again, I say, simply amazing and a testament to not only the coolness and functionality of the iPhone; but the wizards of Apple marketing. Just makes you want to go out and help them reach 1.5 million phones, doesn't it?

Apple Sells One Millionth iPhone --- Yesterday, just 74 days after its introduction on June 29, Apple sold the one millionth iPhone. “One million iPhones in 74 days—it took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season.” [Sep 10, 2007]

The iPhone Baby - June 29th

If you haven't heard about the iPhone yet, then you may have been visiting Siberia or maybe even the Amazon. Apple says that the iPhone will re-invent the mobile phone industry. Cingular is betting that hundreds of thousands of people will want one in the early days of the release, and that with their multi-year exclusive agreement Apple fans will become Cingular fans; or at least Cingular customers. To be honest, in the Apple or more specifically Macintosh community, the iPhone has got to be the hottest topic around; hotter even than Mac OS X 10.5 which was apparently delayed by Apple in favor of throwing more resources at the iPhone.

Check Out The iPhone Ads

Why is it such a hot item? Well, for starters it is a phone based strongly on the hottest selling handheld music & video device ever, the iPod. Apple has sold over 30 million iPods and re-invigorated the music industry, while also creating a huge iPod accessory industry to boot. Just stop and think how many consumer electronic devices have specifically named attachments for most major car companies higher end cars; just one Apple.

If, for the moment, you forget the fact that this phone has its routes in the iPod then the other reason folks are so excited about the iPhone is that it was fully designed by the minds of Apple, Inc. To Mac fans around the world that means one thing, style meets function. For those that have used all the cool phones on the market, you know one thing, even the best of them are far from great. Hopes are high that the creators of the Mac and the creators of the iPod can be the ones that make using a mobile phone not only easy and fun, but REALLY COOL.

The power that Apple says they will put in the hands of iPhone users is pretty awesome. Never before has a phone had a really easy to use and standard web browser. Never before has a user had random access voice mail. Never before have mobile phone users had e-mail that worked the same way it works on their computer. Never before have folks seen the specs that the iPhone is being presented as having on board in spades.

Does this mean the iPhone will be a killer app? NOPE! Apple has had failures and if they do this wrong or Cingular messes something up, this could be one of the most spectacular failures in recent memory. Worse, if the reception to the iPhone is lack luster and doesn't seem to trend upward, even at a slow pace (as was seen with the iPod) then no matter how good the phone is, it will be seen as a loss for Apple and that while users complain about their phones, they aren't willing to put their money where their mouth is and by an iPhone.

Will I buy one? In the end, if it is only half as good as they say; I think you will see me in a second generation phone. Right now they are saying the phone will cost $499 and $599. That's the most expensive iPod on the market and one of the most expensive PDA phones on the market. Granted, it may be the best of both worlds; but $500 is still $500. Prices will come down and I didn't even get an iPod until the 4th generation and my second one I only got early this year.

So no I won't rush out and get one, but I will be keeping an eye on the June 29th release and what all those new iPhone users have to say.

Check Out The iPhone Ads

Hello - Apple Teaser for the iPhone

I didn't partake in the Oscar festivities this year, although I'm sure my mom did, but I did hear a rumor that Apple would release their first commercial for the iPhone. This was one rumor that turned out to be 100% true! The commercial isn't really about anything and you only see the product for a brief moment at the end, but it is very creative and was specifically designed for Oscar night. Check it out and see how many faces you recognize. Which film won Best Picture anyway?

iPhone Secrets --- Revealed?????

The iPhone, scheduled for release sometime in June, was announced to much fanfare back in January; but even after two hours of a demonstration there were many unanswered questions as well as questions about what Steve Jobs left out of the demonstrations. Apple loves secrets and loves to release some information today and more information tomorrow. The below video analyzes Steve Job's MacWorld 2007 keynote and attempts to read between the lines. Is he correct? We won't know for another few months; although with a teaser commercial expected during the Oscars, we may know more sooner.