the air

For many months, I had been eagerly awaiting the introduction of a device that I strongly believe would revolutionize the industry. Apple has been able to corner the digital music market quite rapidly and they continue to innovate in that area consistently and regularly. Earlier this month, Steve Jobs - CEO of Apple Inc. - introduced the iPod Touch. Like the iPhone, the iPod Touch has a similar touch-screen and is much thinner.

I know the picture quality is poor, but you can blame my camera phone on that.

Since this is a brand-spanking-new product, I opted to purchase the AppleCare extended warranty. Other than physical abuse if anything were to go wrong with the iPod, Apple will repair or replace my iPod Touch at their cost. Since not very many people have their hands on the iPod Touch, it is difficult to say what problems I may face. I could have waited a few weeks after the device became popular before purchasing mine, but then again, I have been waiting for some time, and I could not wait anymore.

The best part about this iPod is the fact that it does have Wi-Fi (e.g. wireless internet) capability. Now I can browse the web, listen to music or watch videos, all from the comfort of my seat in a boring lecture hall. Did you purchase an iPhone or iPod Touch? I would be interested in learning about what other iPod Touch owners have to say about their device.

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Looks like the author behind the Fake Steve Jobs blog has been outed. I’ve been keeping up with the blog for some time because of the dry humor the author uses. Believe me, since the blog started, hundreds have been trying to figure out who the real author is. Surprisingly, the blog is only 14 months old and is already one of the most popular blogs that people visit for humor. I have to admit, I thought that the real Steve Jobs was the original author behind the blog as a way to mock himself and laugh at others without incurring the wrath of his PR team.

The 14-month-old blog has intrigued and delighted Silicon Valley insiders with its arch comments on Apple, the technology industry and the music business, and turned the hunt for the identity of its anonymous author, the Fake Steve Jobs, into a virtual party game.

So who was it? Apparently the machine behind the blog was Daniel Lyons, a tech writer for Forbes.com. He was outed by Brad Stone, a journalist at New York Times.

Personally, I didn’t want the original author to be outed simply because the mystery made the blog that much more interesting. The real Steve Jobs has visited the site and has said he enjoyed some of the posts and thought they were funny. What are your thoughts on the outing of the fake Steve Jobs? I’m not sure what is in store for the blog, but the author does say this:

pple faithful, here in our darkest hour I know what you’re thinking: What’s next for FSJ? Well, I’m taking a few days off to sit in a lake and do some yoga and meditation and non-thinking. Then I’m coming back next week, badder than ever, with a new sponsor — my homeboys at Forbes.com. Turns out they’ve been reading FSJ and liking it too. Who knew?

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How many of you are truly satisfied with your mobile wireless carrier? I’ve been with Cingular (now AT&T) for the past two years and although I don’t have any issues, I feel as if I’m not getting the most out of my wireless carrier. In fact, I spend almost $110 per month for services that would cost much lower if I were in Europe or Asia. Finally, a company in the US is stepping up to the plate and doing something beneficial for the consumer.

Google vs. AT&T, Verizon & the FCC

Coming soon is a bid for the 700 MHz being held by the FCC. This spectrum was previously used to deliver analog TV signals, but they have since been switched over to digital signals. Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, sent an open letter to the FCC outlining Google’s plan for the spectrum and their commitment to the bid by offering at least $4.6 billion. So what does Google’s plan entail?

1. Open applications: Consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire
2. Open devices: Consumers should be able to utilize a handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer
3. Open services: Third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms
4. Open networks: Third parties (like internet service providers) should be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee’s wireless network

And That Means What?

To put in plain English, Google wants you to be able to access any website or call anyone using any service or device you want. They don’t want to restrict the consumer in making any choices. For example, T-mobile is not allowed to have their customers use the GSM 850 MHz band in certain markets because AT&T is the exclusive owner of that frequency. Hence, it is possible that certain T-Mobile customers may not be able to enjoy service where GSM 1900 does not exist. Google’s plan would change all that and allow any service provider to operate within the 700 MHz frequency.

Google’s plan is designed with the consumer in mind. Google already offers many of their services free of cost because they are able to rake in billions through online advertising. If Google wins, they will add another source of revenue and enjoy even more money. It’s about time a company stood up for consumers and won. It’s time we let the FCC know that we want more choices and more freedom than what we have right now.

Source: TechCrunch

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Yesterday, John Chow posted a ReviewMe review of Poker Sharks, an online multiplayer game that lasts for about 100 days. The objective is seemingly easy. You are in charge of a shark of your choice and you must train and raise it to become the best poker shark out there. Each day, your shark will age by one unit and you can feed it, train it, buy it stuff, and challenge other poker players. You can also take part in tournaments and win poker chips (the currency).

The entire game is a breeze and signing up is also a painless task. The site has about 8 different sharks to choose from; each shark having distinct strengths and weaknesses. I found the site navigation to be pretty easy, but not intuitively explained. However, I have to admit that I did not bother reading any of the instructions or anything. My current rank is 230/282, which is slightly below than John, who was at 221/262 when he wrote his review. Head over to John’s review of the site and don’t forget to signup!

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It’s that time of year now where I have to decide whether to stick to my current wireless carrier or migrate to another carrier. Currently, I am with Cingular, now known as AT&T, and I am pleased with the service so far. However, I am not thrilled with the amount of money I am spending with them every month. Here’s a breakdown of my current plan:

• Family Plan 700 for $69.99 with two phone lines
• Plan includes 700 minutes with Rollover
• $9.99 for an additional line
• $9.99 for 400 text/video/picture messaging with 1 MB internet
• $14.99 for 1000 text/video/picture messaging with 5 MB internet and unlimited messaging to any Cingular customer

If you add up the costs, I am paying about $105 before taxes and close to $130 after all applicable taxes and fees. So what exactly do I use my phone for? Let’s break it down:

• Calls!
• Browsing web
• Texting
• Photos & Video

As you can see, I use my phone for very popular reasons. I don’t text as much, roughly 100 per month. Alternatively, I tend to use the internet quite a bit on my cell phone to check email, weather, traffic reports, news, and killing time. Not surprisingly, Cingular’s measly 1 MB internet plan is not enough and I can easily see the 5 MB option being too small and pricey at the same time. To balance out the high prices, Cingular does offer exceptional coverage in numerous places. So my next question would be who offers the best coverage?

Both Verizon and Cingular boast large coverage areas and either one works for me since I tend to stick to mostly metropolitan areas. However, I am not really interested in CDMA/TDMA technologies since I already have an unlocked GSM phone. In fact, my mom and brother also have unlocked GSM phones so we have no need to purchase new phones when selecting a new carrier. Hence, it is our desire to stick with a carrier that relies on GSM technology. Since my brother and I are the only ones who use the internet on our phones, we don’t really need high speed internet since the current EDGE speeds are quire reliable and satisfactory. Knowing all that, we can eliminate Verizon, Sprint-Nextel, and any other CDMA/TDMA carrier.

My only choices now are to either migrate to T-Mobile or remain with Cingular. I have had experience with both carriers now, but it has been two years since being with T-Mobile. I am not willing to sign a two-year contract. So who do I go with? I live in the Chicago-land area, so those of you who have experience with T-mobile in the area, can you tell me your thoughs? And what about all of you in general, what are your opinions about Cingular and T-mobile? In fact, do you think I should skip both and go to Verizon or Sprint and why? Help a college student out and help me save tons of money on my wireless service.

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