Metzcher.com » Telephony

The App Store is Going to Bankrupt Me

Dennis Metzcher — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:59:12 +0000

Apple's App Store, which allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to purchase, download, and install applications, makes it super-easy to get new apps for my iPhone. In fact, now that the "long backups" and "long installs" issues have been resolved in firmware 2.1, installing apps on my iPhone is a pleasure.

It's gotten to the point where I have established a new rule: In most cases, one app must be deleted before a new app is installed. My iPhone's springboard (the set of screens that displays all the icons for the apps installed) is getting full. I have too many apps!

Apple has truly created an amazing vehicle for application delivery with the app store. Impulse-buying, at least for me, is far too easy. I'll just have to police myself a little better, I suppose.

Spore Coming in 9 Hours

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:42:47 +0000

Spore, the new game from Maxis where players can create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers, is due to be released today. According to Spore Illustrated, it will be released in about nine hours (10:00 AM Eastern Time US).

Twittelator Pro for iPhone Getting Even Better

Dennis Metzcher — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:33:11 +0000

Last week, I purchased Twittelator Pro, the mobile Twitter app for iPhone, from Apple's App Store. There were several features that Twitteriffic and Twinkle simply did not have, and I figured that the $4.99 price tag was worth the risk. Since then, I have not used either Twitteriffic or Twinkle once.

8 Hour iPhone Sync Timelapse Video (Gizmodo)

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:08:35 +0000

I just found this today, linked from an Apple discussion in which I've been participating regarding extremely long iPhone backup times. The discussion title is "Backup of iPhone takes around 2 hours!", but the timelapse video below shows that one user would be happy with a two-hour backup.

First Look: Last.fm 2.0 for iPhone (Video Preview)

Dennis Metzcher — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:54:25 +0000

A video preview of Last.fm shows a slick new interface with a few new features that are going to make fans of the service happy. If you want to check out the video, head over to the link below. » Last.fm 2.0 for iPhone (video preview) Via Kevin Rose on Twitter

iPhone Backup Process is Terrible

Dennis Metzcher — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 22:53:20 +0000

For the last two weeks, I've been participating in two threads on Apple's support forums. Like many of the users there, I saw the backup time for my iPhone go from a few minutes to over two hours. This is completely unacceptable, and I've been meaning to write about it, but simply haven't had the time. Now I do.

Third-Party iPhone Apps That I Use (List Created)

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:02:07 +0000

I created a list of all the third-party iPhone apps that I have installed right now. Contact me if you have suggestions for additional apps that fit my taste. » My Third-Party iPhone Apps List

First Look: New Pwnage for 2.0

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:03:05 +0000

Erica Sadun has tried Pwnage for iPhone firmware 2.0.

Apple is Making it Hard for iPhone Developers to Fix Bugs

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:36:56 +0000

iPhone developers are complaining that Apple has not figured out a way to allow them to have others beta test their software. This is, as expected, making it hard for the developers to fix issues with their applications. As a result, users are giving apps bad reviews, harming the reputations of the developers and making the apps less attractive even after they have been fixed.

Buying My New iPhone 3G: A Nightmarish Adventure

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:28:51 +0000

Okay, so I decided a few months ago that I would get the new iPhone 3G as soon as it was available. What I didn't count on was the level of stress that would be involved in purchasing a phone.

Secure-Wipe Your Old iPhone Before Selling (Firmware 1.1.4)

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:47:17 +0000

Now that I have my new iPhone 3G, and have sold my original iPhone on eBay, it is time to remove my data from the old iPhone. Since a simple restore of the iPhone using iTunes does not remove your personal data from the device (it is still there, lurking around, and can be accessed by someone with the proper knowledge), a secure wipe is important to me.

Third-Party Web Browsers on iPhone May Violate Apple’s SDK Agreement

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:33:35 +0000

Last week, I wrote about the possibility of third-party Web browsers appearing on the iPhone when the AppStore launches next month. It seems that Apple beat me to it, including a few lines in their iPhone SDK agreement that may make this impossible, at least when it comes to plug-in support and rendering engines not based on Apple's own WebKit engine.

Flash Lite for iPhone in Development (Adobe F2Q08 Earnings Call)

Dennis Metzcher — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Adobe President and CEO, Shantanu Narayen, responded to a question on the F2Q08 Earnings Call regarding Flash Lite on the iPhone.

BigBoss Issues a Warning to ZiPhone Users

Dennis Metzcher — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:42:09 +0000

BigBoss issued a warning regarding the use of ZiPhone to jailbreak and unlock Apple's iPhone. In a nutshell, he says, "Don't use it", and points to several reasons for his position.

Will Apple Allow Third-Party Web Browsers on iPhone?

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:55:35 +0000

Since today is Firefox Download Day 2008, I began thinking about the possibility of other Web browsers appearing on Apple's new AppStore when the 3G iPhone is released next month.

Guide: Securely Wipe Your iPhone

Dennis Metzcher — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:47:53 +0000

Multinova, over at iPhoneFreakz.com, has put together a nice guide for securely erasing the pre-3G iPhone.

iPhone App List – Firmware 1.1.4 to 2.0

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:48:20 +0000

This is my iPhone app list for firmware 1.1.4. Each app is tagged as either "must have", "nice to have", or "not needed" for the upgrade to firmware 2.0. This list will be updated throughout the months of June and July 2008. The apps are listed in no particular order.

ZiPhone Unlocks iPhone 2.0

Dennis Metzcher — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:14:31 +0000

It would appear that Zibri has done it again and managed to get his iPhone unlocking and jailbreaking application working with the new firmware 2.0 that is due to be released on 11 July. The status report is located here: status.ziphone.org.

Pre-3G iPhones to Become More Valuable?

Dennis Metzcher — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:02:05 +0000

Last night I starting thinking about the entry I wrote yesterday regarding AT&T and Apple dropping Internet purchases and iTunes activation for the iPhone ("Online iPhone Sales and iTunes Activation...Dropped"). This is intended to curb the purchase of iPhones by non-AT&T customers by forcing all who buy the 3G device to purchase it in-store and activate it on-the-spot. So, I think we can plan on the pre-3G iPhones selling for significantly higher than they were a few days ago, before the supplies "ran out". I just checked eBay and 8GB used iPhones are going for about $450. It looks like I'll be paying for my new 3G iPhone with this one.

BigBoss Says Jailbreaking Still Necessary with iPhone Firmware 2.0

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:32:35 +0000

BigBoss, one of the native (jailbroken) iPhone application programmers, says that jailbreaking iPhones will live on long after firmware 2.0 is released.

Clarification on AT&T Contract Extensions for 3G iPhone Purchases

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:09:54 +0000

Ars Technica has gotten confirmation from AT&T that existing AT&T customers can purchase a new 3G iphone when it is released in about six weeks. A customer's existing contract will be replaced with the new contract. This is good news, since many current iPhone owners (myself included) want a new 3G iPhone, and I personally do not wish to be locked down to AT&T for another two years on top of my existing two-year contract. Call it early renewal, or whatever you want, but I'm happy with the deal.

Online iPhone Sales and iTunes Activation…Dropped

Dennis Metzcher — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:15:52 +0000

Great, we'll be spending more time with sales people when we buy our new 3G iPhones this summer, according to Ars Technica.

Unlocked iPhones are Good for Apple

Dennis Metzcher — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:30:34 +0000

Since Apple released the iPhone, many users have opted to SIM unlock the devices in order to use them with carriers other than AT&T. This began a debate about whether or not this was good or bad for Apple. One one side is Apple, claiming that customers who unlock the iPhone are denying them the revenue derived from their exclusive deal with AT&T. On the other side are many analysts, and regular users like me, who claim that Apple isn't being honest. Unlocked iPhones are good for Apple, despite the position the company has chosen to take. In fact, they are great for Apple, and represent a substantial portion of the iPhone market that will only generate additional revenue for the company.

I Might Be Addicted to Twitter

Dennis Metzcher — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:46:48 +0000

I signed up for Twitter about a month ago after much resistance. Even after I signed up for it, I hardly used it for several weeks. Being that none of my friends use it, I could not understand why anyone would care about anything that I posted. I also could not come up with a reason that I would care about someone "heading to work" or "eating salad". I have, however, in the last week or so, found a use for Twitter.