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Recently, Google released their new product Google Voice to its first batch of users on an invite list. Let me say at the onset that Google Voice is a VERY amazing application. It is primarily a modern day switchboard, allowing you to use one Google Voice phone number to redirect a call to up to six phones. This is very useful for business people as it allows one to give out a phone number that could connect to one’s cell or home phone number without giving people your personal number (for example, my GV number is now the number on my business card). Other great features include “Speech-to-Text” voicemail, so a message left on your GV number can be stored in the GV inbox (much like Gmail), delivered via text message, and/or delivered to your email account. It also allows one to send and receive free text messages from the GV number. Google Voice also has incredible international rates. I have a buddy I call in Canada a lot for example, where our long conversations run me $32 - $45 per call on my AT&T wireless plan. With Google Voice, that same call costs .45 to .60 cents! It is important to note that Google Voice is NOT a Voice over IP (VoIP) service. To make calls from GV, I have to dial a number into GV, either by calling my GV number or calling from my computer which in turn redirects my call or dials my phone and redirecting the call respectively. Thus, Google Voice requires an existing phone service to work.

When I created my Google Voice account, there was a message informing me that Google Voice would soon be available for the iPhone. As any enthusiast would, I checked the app store constantly for the app, and eventually saw the app GV Mobile, developed by Sean Kovacs. The app was $2.99 for the premium version (which mirrored all of Google Voice’s functionality) and a free version which allowed only the placement of phone calls. I opted for the free version awaiting a first-party app that would give me full Google Voice capacity for free. A GV app is pretty necessary because Google Voice has a serious caveat – it is incredibly cumbersome to use on a cell phone. As aforementioned, to place a call with GV on a cell you have to call your Google Voice number and then dial the number you want to call. What the apps allowed was full integration with the IPhone’s phone API, so I could simply use my contact list to place phone calls; the rest of the work was done behind the scenes. It worked great; making calls from GV was just like using my iPhone. I decided to upgrade to the full version to have access to the GV voicemail which worked just like the amazing Visual Voicemail. When I deleted the GV Mobile app to upgrade to the paid version, I couldn’t find it in the iTunes store. I thought I made a mistake and decided to Google the situation to see if others had the same problem. It turned out Apple pulled the app and all other Google Voice related apps from the App Store, as well as banned the first-party Google Voice app. Naturally, the developer of GV Mobile as peeved as he wrote in his blog, his app was initially accepted into the app store. He stated that Apple responded to the revocation of GV Mobile by stating it duplicated features the iPhone already comes with.

Now the blame game starts. Apple says AT&T pressured them to remove the app. AT&T says it has no involvement in Apple’s App Store practices. This is not my very strong Apple hatred speaking here, but it makes absolutely no sense for AT&T to object to Google Voice. Let’s consider the following:

1) When the iPhone came to AT&T (it was initially offered exclusively to Verizon) AT&T basically bent over backwards for Apple, giving them pretty much free reign to make the phone without too many restrictions. It stands to reason that Apple has AT&T by the cojones because they have gotten everything they asked from them, and AT&T has too much to lose by losing their cash cow.
2) Google Voice is NOT a VoIP service! In order to use GV, the user still uses their AT&T minutes. This point is still moot because a user has to buy a 2 year contract which AT&T unless they want to pay $600 for the phone. This is not an attractive option for the majority of consumers. The only problem is with text messaging which GV will do for free. But again, why would AT&T complain? More likely than not, a user would get 2 year contract and never presumably never use the AT&T text messages. But they still get their money. Personally, I’d prefer to text with my AT&T plan, and use GV text for business, but that’s just me.

3) If AT&T has a problem with Google Voice, then why didn’t it pressure Apple to remove Skype from the app store? Skype offers calls, free text messaging, voicemail, and full integration with the iPhone contact list API. Most importantly, IT MAKES CALLS! A Skype iPhone app would really be the biggest threat to AT&T because you can completely circumvent using AT&T by putting Skype on an iPod Touch and using the Apple headset/mic. There are still other apps like IM Free and TruPhone that would allow one to circumvent AT&T’s service and iPhone all together.

Now the only flag against Google Voice for AT&T is the international calling rates, which as you saw in my example crush AT&T’s service. AT&T still gets my airtime so while I’m not paying their exorbitant international rates, they are still getting my money. However, I’m willing to wager that only a very small minority of users make a lot of international calls, at least enough to put a dent in their bottom line. Resourceful people probably already use Skype anyway, so AT&T wasn’t getting their business anyway.

It seems to me that the real culprit in this case it Apple. Apple does whatever it can to maintain an Apple only platform. That’s the main issue here. Apple in its attempt to secure its “hip” image, stifles any kind of competition. They call it quality control, I call it repressive. This case clearly illustrates my beef with Apple – they limit my choices as a consumer because they want to draw me to their product. By restricting or stifling competition, Apple funnels consumers in a one way door. I believe the way to attract consumers is not by limiting my choice, but my making your option so appealing, I choose to use your service. And If l like one part of your service but not another, I should be able to customize my experience to my liking. Not with Apple, you are stuck with whatever option they give you and usually don’t have many other ways around it.

The FCC is now getting into the mix. Techcrunch has the story here. They are looking to see if Apple’s banning of Google Voice violates any competition laws. If Google wins, this will be a serious turn of events for Apple, as the floodgates of developers denied for “duplicate functions” will surface (for the record, when the App Store debuted, I said “what is Apple if 3rd party developers could freely develop apps for the App Store? Give up? Windows!”). It was only a matter of time before Apple could keep the lid on the development community.

It’s really too bad Apple has the best consumer Smartphone on the market (I still think Blackberries are better for enterprise usage). If there was a phone that could legitimately compete with the iPhone, I’d drop that sucka like it was hot, well after my new 2 year contract expires =/

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Reports today show that Nintendo’s quarterly profits are down 61 percent. Should anyone be surprised by this? If you are a market analysis type, maybe but if you are a gamer, probably not. According to an article in the NY Times, Nintendo cites “boredom, not recession” as the main cause of their economic woes this quarter. I’m inclined to agree.

Nintendo can boast that they are still doing better than Sony but realistically, the Wii started the new generation console war with a massive lead from which their competitors still haven’t fully recovered. The Wii sports a truly innovate “Wii-mote” controller interface that Sony was quick to emulate right before the PS3 launch with their “six-axis.” Most of the games for Wii use the Wii-mote (that combines a joystick and a wand like a nunchuck) pretty well, but the Wii suffers from a fatal fall I pointed out long ago when the Wii’s specs were released. The Wii is effectively a supped up Game Cube. It lacks native video disc playback, no HD support, it’s web interface is very “2000 and late,” and I’m personally tired of Mario. Mario Galaxy, Mario Baseball, Mario Tennis, Mario Kart, Mario and Friends, Mario this, and Mario That – give me a break! I’ve felt for a long time that Nintendo was a one trick pony, but the Mario brand borers on ridiculous.

The problem with the Wii and the reason why I think the Wii will not bounce back in the Christmas season is the games suck. Use Sony and Microsoft have games that are graphically mind blowing, and are becoming increasingly realistic, more cinematic, more interactive, and more community oriented. The Wii simply can’t compete with the Xbox 360 and PS3 in the hardware department. As a result, the Wii can only hope to release great titles that make even better use of the Wii-mote which is difficult because from what I’ve seen, the controller’s potential seems close to maxing out. Add to this, PS3 and Xbox developers have had a lot of time to learn the consoles, so I trust the games coming out for the Christmas season will be unlike anything we’ve seen before gameplay-wise or graphically, and the Wii will have to resort to its whack-a-mole games to keep up.

The Nintendo Wii is a novelty game system that in my humble opinion, has a limited appeal to the hardcore gamers who comprise the largest percentage sales for any gaming system. It was a great experiment and has lots of potential, but Nintendo needs to stop focusing on gamers of today and project what gamers will want in the future. Until then, Nintendo needs a Golden Eye. You know, the blockbuster first person shooter for Nintendo 64 that is still considered one of the greatest games ever made? The game that single handedly saved Nintendo from failure? Without that one mega hit game, Nintendo is doomed. While I have no degree in finances, I will predict Nintendo will not have a good Christmas if they fail to produce a mega blockbuster hit. It is a problem too big for Mario or Whack-a-Mole sports.

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How to make your iPhone/iPod Touch work with Peripherals

If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you have the coolest phone and mp3 player market (and this is coming from a windows guy!) However, you may find that hi-tech gadget in your pocket is too flashy to work with the cajillions of iPod peripherals, namely FM Tuners and iPod plug-in stereo systems. The easiest solution is to double check that you are buying iPhone or iPod Touch compatible peripherals, but if you’re trying to plug your device into your friend’s stereo system at a party, you don’t have much of a choice.

There is a solution to the problem however. All you need to do is go to the settings window, then switch your phone to “airplane mode.” This effectively turns your phone into and Touch into a regular iPod. I wish I had an explanation for why that works, but the end result is all that matters in the end. In my experience, this technique has worked 90% of the time. There was one fidgety stereo dock that didn’t want to cooperate, and another device that didn’t work at first, but unplugging and plugging in the iPhone again made it work.

So the next time you’re at a party with a lame playlist, you don’t have to let your hi-tech tendencies stop you from becoming the life of the party!

I have to give credit where credit is due – much thanks to my brother for making the discovery.

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As I get older I find myself less attracted to instant messaging, preferring text messaging and better yet, phone calls. However, there are still some people I speak to predominantly through IM so I keep it around. When I do IM people, I’m finding myself gravitating toward Facebook. Facebook has many more advantages over traditional IM: an obviously more detailed profile, the status updates tend to be a truer reflection of the happenings of our friends, and in most cases, we have more friends on Facebook than tradition IM applications.

The problem with Facebook is I personally hate IMing on web browsers. I got to thinking wouldn’t be awesome if I had an application that merged my AIM, Yahoo, and MSN, accounts as well my Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter accounts, and worked just like a traditional IM program? Lo and behold, I stumbled upon Digsby. Digsby is awesome. It is exactly what I was looking for – perfect integration of all of my IM and social networking sites, great interface, customizable, all the newer features of IM programs like IM logging, tabbed windows, file transferring and picture sharing, and gives me new updates for all my networks without having to log in through my web browser. All of your conversations appear as traditional IMs. It seems to access Facebook via proxy because when I log into Facebook, the conversation I had via Digsby will appear on the Facebook site. With multiple skins, you can emulate the look of AIM, or use its own interface which I think it better and less cluttered than AIM. It lacks some of the polish of AIM, and aesthetically akin to an open source app, but that shouldn’t deter most users. I’ve tried other apps like seismic, but the interface was a bit too cluttered and didn’t really have the messaging features I was looking for.

If you want an exceptional messaging application that does it all, works great, and costs you nada, Digsby is the way to go,

Download Digsby Here

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A couple of days ago, Yahoo rolled out their new cosmetic changes to their homepage. It doesn’t look terribly different to me, and they took away my favorite feature of the Yahoo homepage – the ability to preview my newest emails. The homepage aspect to Yahoo’s new look is slightly enhanced. As with the old version the top gossip stories appear on the top of the page, and news stories are found on the heart of the page. However the most interesting feature of the page is the ability to add your favorite websites on the sidebar. I like this feature, but is it really necessary? If you are say a Safari user, your top bookmarks are already in clear view under the address bar. If you are a web browser power user, you probably already implemented similar bookmarks toolbar on your browser of choice. So again, interesting feature, but I’d be interested to see how often people use it.

Yahoo is still a search engine underneath the new makeover and it is still nowhere close to touching Google on that front. So if I’m not searching on Yahoo or using the bookmarking system which is already found on my web browser what is Yahoo good for? Yahoo games! Yahoo has a community with its java based games, notably Pool, Chess, Literati, and Texas Hold ‘Em. Why not build on that platform and turn Yahoo more into a social networking platform where users can post commentary on the stories that appear on the homepage? They have all the tools for it: the Yahoo chat client has been around since the dawn of IM, they have a popular (if flawed) email service, and their brand is still a household name. I won’t suggest Yahoo drop its search platform (even though it will never catch Google) but I think Yahoo needs to stop emulating and start innovating. Create a platform where its existing user base can easily communicate with one another, use the Yahoo Games platform to form micro-communities and I think Yahoo becomes a strong contender. I hope they can turn their act around, but it will take more than a marginally improved interface to increase their revenues.

Episode 7: Microsoft and Sony?
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I finally was able to get a crack at Windows 7 Retail Client v1 today, and must say I’m really loving what I’m seeing so far. I feel that even in its early stages, it runs better than Vista! A review will be forthcoming; I want to spend some more time with the OS first.

In episode 6, I referred to the idea I call the “unifying experience,” the single most important element of an operating system that ties all of its functions together to form a unique and enjoyable experience. For the Mac, the unifying experience is its GUI that is universally shared between all of Apple’s applications. For Linux, it is the vibrant open source community. Windows up until now was lacking that experience – Vista has emulated, not innovated the unifying experience – and as a result, there has been somewhat of an exodus away from Windows to other platforms. Windows seems to have addressed this issue in Windows, and I wanted to highlight this finding, and offer an idea for a partnership that could greatly help windows achieve a unique experience.

Windows 7 has upgrades, if subtle, that greatly improve the way Windows interacts with a wide variety of media. Windows 7 can natively play most every media format (though I still use the k-lite codec packs a force of habit). They are also developing “Device Stage,” a replacement for device manager that offers device-centric information when you connect it to the computer. For example, connecting a digital camera will now show your Coolpix camera with options to transfer your pics or buy ink cartridges from the manufacturer website. Plugging in an iRiver Clix mp3 player will allow you to configure your player and transfer and buy more music. In essence, Windows finally seems to be on track to turn its biggest weakness (and greatest strength) of compatibility with just about every piece of hardware and software known to man into a huge asset. If Microsoft plays its cards right, window will be the place to go if you are a media and peripherals junkie, because linking together many different peripherals is made easier with a simple interface. The simple fact is OSX is not compatible with as many peripherals. Windows can capitalize on this and win back some users, especially those who post hundreds of pictures, video, and music on facebook and myspace everyday, and share their media with friends and family.

To deal the deal for Windows being a media junkie’s best friend, I think Microsoft should partner with Sony. As a composer and producer, I use Sony media products (Sound Forge, Vegas, and Acid) in my studio which is Windows based. I find Sony’s products pretty easy to use, increasingly getting better on the eyes to look at, and extremely high quality. Imagine this, Microsoft partners with Sony’s media division and gets to bundle Windows with lite versions of: Cinescore, a tool for putting together soundtracks; Vegas, a very powerful video editor; and Acid, a music sequencer that is especially adept with assembling loops. This would allow Microsoft to directly compete against Apple’s Soundtrack Pro, iMovie, and Garageband, respectively. The Sony equivilents are sore above Apple’s offering because they are professional level apps. They can combine this partnership with an easy way to use Device Stage to allow a user to publish their works and add it to the web as user generated content, or to their peripheral devices.

Windows 7 stumbled onto something big… let’s hope Microsoft gets it right this time!

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I’m a windows guy. I like to have options in my computing platform because I want to customize my computer experience exactly how I like it to maximize productivity. There is no question the Windows platform is compatible with the widest array of hardware and software, allowing me to configure my user experience to match specific needs. One would assume, if you have a platform that offers so many choices, there is no need for any other. However, some users require fewer options, while others require even more options. I believe that the fewer options a user has when interacting with their technology, the easier it is to use. Conversely, the more options a user has, the more difficult that technology is to use. Furthermore, technology cannot both be easy to use and have many options (technology that is difficult to use with few options is just poorly designed). Thus there is, an inverse relationship between ease of use and functionality, and this relationship is irreconcilable.

Let us compare Mac, Windows, and Linux. Mac is undeniably the easiest of the three to use. It comes installed with pretty much any program you need to get going (strangely enough no games, save chess, and no drawing programs like MS Paint). The GUI is universal, so once a user learns an app, say iTunes, the skills are directly transferable to iPhoto, Safari, Mail, and other apple programs. Apple however, is a closed platform, meaning that it lacks robust 3rd part support and most every aspect to the operating system one way or another is approved by Apple. This creates a very solid and stable system, but it is very difficult to stray too far from the Apple approved path. Therefore, Mac’s ease of use means that it is less functional

Windows is by far the most compatible platform. Just about every single application and hardware works on windows. This means that Windows users can configure their system exactly how they need to run. As a system builder, I have built computers that are solely designed to play games. Of course it can do everything else any other computer can do, but I chose specific parts to maximize processing efficiency, graphics, and sound encode/decoding. I also designed the computer in my project studio that is built to endure high level of processing for extended period of time. The drawback is the lack of standards creates the potential of system mishaps and blue screens. Windows has been trying and failing to create the universal GUI Macs have, but their lack of innovation in this department makes it difficult to create a unifying trend among apps. Thus, if you have 10 programs on windows, you will have to learn 10 different interfaces. Thus, Windows is the middle of the road. It is an open platform, which makes it the most functional operating system, but the lack of a unifying interface makes it more difficult to use than Mac.

Finally, Linux is the most configurable system. Every aspect of the computing experience can be modified exactly to your liking, even down to the placement of your minimize, restore, and close buttons. Though Linux lacks the robust hardware support of Windows, it does have a bevy of free software to customize the user experience to customize their user experience to their liking. This makes Linux a somewhat closed system because it if fully integrated into the open-source community. Also, Linux is compatible with almost all the same internal hardware as Windows allowing similar configurations for personal, enterprise, or server use. However, Linux isn’t what I’d call out-of-the-box usable, though recent versions of the most popular distribution Ubuntu is getting increasingly better with this. For example, in order to play a DVD movie, you have to grab CSS decryption software and codecs from the repository. Some applications require that you go and manually find its dependencies and compile the package to install it. Despite the excellent GUI in Ubuntu, a user needs to be able to use the terminal to get the most out of it. Between a completely configurable interface and a wide variety of software (which is 99% free) Linux is the most functional system. But it is also the most difficult to use.

We can’t have our cake and eat it too. A platform can either let the user define their experience, or create the user experience for the user to enjoy. Though the relationship is in my opionion irreconcilable, creating a unifying experience that helps to mask a platform's short commings is essential for an enjoyable user experience.

Is one model better than the other? That is debatable, but what is empirical is Apple’s stock has increased (albeit mainly from iPhone sales) while Microsoft has lost money for the first time in 23 years. Linux is increasingly becoming more popular for netbooks, phones, and is now making a presence on laptops from Dell and HP. What this indicates is middle of the road is not good enough anymore, and Microsoft is in trouble. Somehow, Microsoft has to create an interface that creates a unifying experience. Mac does this with its GUI. iTunes, iPhoto, the iPhone all look the same. They share the same name. In Linux, the unifying factor is its vibrant and passionate open-source community. Microsoft lacks this. What they do (and it continually disappoints me) is emulate rather than innovate. They see Mac using a universal GUI, so they poorly implemented it with the ribbon interface. Windows Media Player is a cheap iTunes imitation. Microsoft really has to go to the drawing board and create mind-blowing new technologies, or they will find themselves in an unrecoverable flat spin.

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One of my FAVORITE sources for tech information is on the KenRadio World Technology Round podcast which I listen to via Stitcher (killer iPhone app by the way!) He plugged a brand new app called BumpTop, which is an interactive 3D desktop. The concept is simple: use your computer desktop like the one in your office.

We have grown accustomed to using folders to manage large amounts of similar data. With BumpTop, files can be stacked like papers on a desk and flipped through to make a messy desktop with a million icons far more accessible. The coolest feature however is the wall, onto which you can pin items of interest. You can even use a “picture frame” to hang up a photo of the family! The best feature of the wall is the applets. Currently, there is a Facebook, Twitter, and Email applet that lets you automatically post pictures to your Facebook page, send a tweet, and attach files, respectively. This app has some serious potential to increase productivity. Anything that makes the computing experience fasters gets an A in my book.

One improvement I’d like to see is better memory management. BumpTop uses a hefty 128MB of RAM, which makes it on the borderline of useable for power users, and not a great idea for users who do heavy multimedia work. My laptop on which BumpTop is running has 2GB of RAM, and there is no noticeable change in performance at all for normal use, but when I turn on my audio apps for making music, I feel the weight of the memory requirement. If there was a way to streamline the app to use around 35 to 50MB of RAM, I’m sure I can keep it on all the time. It may be out already, but I’d also like to see a theme that has glass walls so I can experience my desktop pictures in full resolution. I download a lot of desktop wallpapers, as well as make my own, so the scaled 3D version distorts the image more than I’d like. Plus, a 3D glass wall would simply look awesome. I also have to say, I’m surprised an apple version of this app isn’t out yet. Windows users tend to organize most of their folders in the “My Documents” folder, while Mac users seem to prefer using their desktops – this could be just the app for a many a Mac user!

Below is a screen of my desktop running BumpTop. In case you’re wondering, I’m running this on Vista Home Premium 32bit (using a customized taskbar) and the dock is from Rocket Dock.



Get BumpTop Here

Cashed strapped Americans are finding ways to save a buck these days. Cost saving measures including traveling less, eating out less, and engaging in less self-indulgent spending practices. The stock of a few companies as a result has skyrocketed. In the short term at least, investing in dollar stores and low-budget stores seems to be the trend. Pasta, a college student staple, has found its way on the dinner tables of penny saving Americans across the country.

Still, another trend in economically tough times is the usage of coupons, which has seen a 90% increase of usage since the recession began. One great site for getting coupons is FatWallet. This site has online coupons that you print out and bring to the store. Not just grocery stores however, Wal-mart, Best-Buy, Home Depot, amongst many others (over 2500 stores) are represented. From $2 off a 6-pack of tuna to 1% off for the sale of a TV, there is a coupon for just about anything. It may not amount to much, but any savings is a good savings.

Check Out Fat Wallet Here

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I recently caught wind of this interesting piece of technology. The concept is simple: bring an XM Radio-like experience to the user without the need for subscriptions and extra hardware. This means 1000 songs in a random playlist that requires zero setup; plug in the micro SD card into the player and you’re ready to go. The playlists come pre-installed with Billboard’s top 1000 songs in various genres.

I like the idea of quick music on the go. This gadget would be GREAT for car trips. It would sell very well at gas stations and rest stops. However, there are a few nagging issues I have with it. First, the player will launch at $100. It includes an FM tuner, a play button, and stop button, and a skip button (no rewind here), and an LCD screen with just the basic info – song title, time, and artist. Comparatively, the SanDisk Sansa 8GB Fuze player is $95 and is a fully featured mp3 player, with syncing capabilities, FM tuner, full song navigation, video playback, and a photo gallery. It also reads the very same SD cards that would play in the Slot Radio player.

The preloaded cards are not configurable. If you follow this blog, you’ll soon learn that one of my biggest technology pet peeves is the lack of customization. The preloaded cards have DRM protection on it so you can’t take your favorite songs on it and put it on a different medium. However, these preloaded cards cost $40 for 1000 songs which works out as 4 cents per song! Personally, I’d rather buy a Sansa Fuze and buy a bunch of those cards until the price of the player dropped significantly to something like $35.

This product is no threat to the iPod in any way, and it is targeted towards a different consumer, the on-the-go, plug-and-play kind. I think because it requires no effort to get working, it will do very well in the market, but the reach probably won’t extend far beyond the novice user consumer market.