Scene from a side road

iPhone Fix-It

2008-03-11T18:56:02Z

The very helpful staff at the local Apple store seem to have fixed my iPhone. The problem was that it wasn't saving new photos. But I use it more as a camera and an internet device than anything else, so this was very important to me.

I was so impressed with their patience at the "Genius Bar." Really, they took lots of time to try to solve the problem. Don't get good help like that much any more.

A Local Mac Genius

While consulting and waiting, I got a kick out of how all of the employees are dressed like Steve Jobs. And, in fact, I noticed even some of the customers seem to dress like Jobs!

There really is a "Mac Look," I guess. And apparently Justin Long is one who has it. And he, apparently, is dating Drew Barrymore.

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The Computer Fixer sez

2008-02-29T09:05:18Z

We took my wife's computer into a tiny local computer shop today. It would no longer start up. Apparently it needed a new hard drive. Sadly, the data on the old one could not be recovered.

I asked the owner if he also works on Macs, on Apple computers, when something goes wrong with them? He said "Yes, of course."

"But the thing is," he added, "with Apples, something hardly ever goes wrong!"

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Today's Apple announcements

2008-01-16T01:13:02Z

I watched the Apple announcements today with great interest. But in a way it is a relief that there is nothing I really have to go out and buy (which the iPhone was). Considering I bought a new computer a couple weeks ago, that really is a relief.

But that doesn't mean there wasn't anything of interest! For me, the best single thing was the upgrade to the iPhone software, and of the improvements there, the chief one is a "location finder" on the wonderful little maps application. Using information from networks, but not actual GPS, maps now can tell you almost exactly where you are. That, to me, is a great improvement to a web applications that was already very useful.

my iPhone with added buttons

There also is a neat and easy way to add new "buttons" to the "desktop." See photo

In the same general camp is an upgrade to the iPod Touch, which seems to me both excellent and necessary. Now a Touch can have all of the applications of an iPhone--except, of course, the ability to actually telephone. I didn't understand why these were left off in the first place, and adding them is a fine step.

I have to wait two weeks, but I am very interested in being able to rent movies and play them on my Apple TV. Of all recent Apple products, that one probably most failed to find a nitch. Well, I think it will have one--a big one!--now.

All in all, for me, this was pretty exciting. I am not going to rush out and purchase the new, very very very thin, portable computer. (Or the new wireless backup drive). I can get along with what I have for a while, and after all, over time, most products are improved, superseded, or reduced in price. So waiting doesn't hurt. But it is nice to know it is out there, setting a new mark for portable computing. I'm sure lots of people with bigger budgets than mine will want one.

Steve Jobs speech is now on the main Apple website, if you want to see it and all these new devices.

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Apple tv upgrade?

2008-01-08T02:24:05Z

It seems like renting or distributing movies and tv shows over the internet is the coming next big thing. Doesn't it have to be that Apple will announce new initiatives in that area soon?

I have an Apple tv, and use it some--but mostly to view photographs or hear music in the living room. My guess is that things are going to change, soon. It would surprise me to have Apple be a laggard, rather than a leader. Apparently that is also what they think over at the New York Times. And so, too, does The Motley Fool, calling Apple the "best stock for 2008."

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Once nice thing

2008-01-01T11:12:13Z

Apple stock in 2007

One nice thing this past year was watching my Apple stock's value rise. It started 2007 at around $80 a share, and closed it out at nearly $200. That is, it way more than doubled.

It is the only investment made chiefly on my own say-so, and the only company I watch a bit. I guess I think "I like the products, so why shouldn't other people?"

But my professional portfolio manager had wanted me to sell it off, thinking I was too heavily invested in that one company.

Wish I had made more "mistakes" like that!

The other major really good thing for this last year was getting married in September. That more than doubled my "quality of life." And the initial investment was even less. It cost only $104 to get married by a Montana Justice of the Peace.

So there were, at least, two nice things in 2007!

And maybe more that I am not recollecting at the moment.

I wonder what will happen on the market when movie rentals for iTunes and the Apple TV are announced? Probably in a couple weeks?

Anyhow, I am not going to relinquish my shares--and certainly also not my wife!

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Trying TypePad as well as Vox with an iPhone

2007-12-29T08:20:17Z

iPhone

I am experimenting with a TypePad blog too, largely because it is optimized for an iPhone. (But there you have to pay). I wish that Vox was set up similarly! Apparently it is for some other web phones, but not for the iPhone. I find that very hard to understand!

But when you travel, it would be nice to be able to input text as well as photos from the iPhone. (Doing photos by email does work great, although I notice on TypePad, the photos seem to get posted with their correct names.

I am wondering if Vox be considered a "social networking" site, like Facebook and MySpace are? I guess some think so. But I have never used the latter. What are the similarities and difference?

Regardless, I do seem to have built up a little "community" here in a couple of weeks. Something around sixty "neighbors." And I have enjoyed the interaction enough that now it would be very hard to give up!

I like about Vox that it is so easy to post a variety of "stuff": text, photos, books, music, etc. Fun! And that i can do the photos so easily from an iPhone (although Apple also provides a simple way to do that--but not text)

But I have some "work to get done," too, some manuscripts to prepare. And I wonder if TypePad isn't a better place for that? For one thing, it is possible to export the blog, and put items in reverse dated order (that is to say, the "oldest items first," which is more appropriate for a book manuscript!

Both Vox and TypePad are offerings from Six Apart.

My main prior blog experience is with Blogger.

Any info or opinions are welcome indeed!

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New Mac Mini--early for Christmas

2007-12-24T01:14:31Z

my new Mac Mini

This wasn't exactly a Christmas present, not really, since I paid most of the cost. But my son got it at the store--and said that the crowd at the Apple store was bigger than at any other place he shopped today. And he paid for part of it also.

Anyhow, I have just fired it up, and am delighted so far. Runs the new operating system (10.5, Leopard). I haven't begun to explore the new features.

In a way, I decided to get a new computer with the new operating system on it, rather than try to install it on my older one, which only barely met the specifications. I think of that as something only Windows users do. But here I am, doing the same thing.

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