Apple knew this but we didn't care either

When did people ever care more about functionality than design; is your iPhone 4 completely useless because of it?  No.  The consumer public has been aware of this issue the last few weeks but are still flocking to Apple stores in droves to purchase the new iPhone 4.  Some of us (females) wear the most ridiculous and uncomfortable shoes sometimes just to look good so that's the same idea right?  We have seen people complaining left and right about the loss of reception under the "Death Grip" but I can't say that I've actually experienced it myself nor have I encountered an individual that is holding out for this very reason.  My fiance hasn't complained much about reception issues greater than her negative AT&T coverage on the previous iPhone 3G, but then again, we both have Apple's Bumpers as our solution to protection.  We're enjoying FaceTime moments and it couldn't have been done without Apple's new iPhone 4.  It also became law this past year that you need a handsfree device to talk in the car, and in other states, you cannot text while driving which might cover browsing the internet and reading up on your tweets.  So what's the big deal?  Put the phone down already while talking. This post is a response to this morning's Bloomberg's article which unleashed a storm startling us out of bed with the inside scoop that one of Apple's senior antenna experts, Ruben Caballero, warned Steve Jobs about how the innovative antenna design might lead to dropped calls.  We all know what the final outcome led to; one of the most beautiful devices on the planet hands-down. Now it's under fire.  Apple's image is under fire being compared to Toyota's recall debacle.  Apple's stock has taken a 9% dive since it's record breaking all time high of $274 and the world doesn't know what to do.  So Apple is finally dealing with this issue.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's event at 10am Pacific Time.  Will Steve Jobs be around?

In the meantime, how do you hold your phone?  Here's how I hold mine

Update: Apple's online store is showing shipping times of 3 weeks from today.  Does this mean a hardware change is in place in their China factories?

The Question: To Buy or Not To Buy, the iPhone 4 - Part 1: Hardware

Here's the article about my internal debate with trying to buy into the Apple's new iPhone 4.  Elijah has been pestering me for a while to start writing for his site; I guess persistence is the key, because here I am writing my first article. Readers: please be gentle with me, it's my first time.

I have a few hesitations with just going to the store and demanding the new iPhone 4, ignoring the fact that I wouldn't be able to do that with the inventory shortages.  So here we go with Part 1: Hardware.

#1: Hardware

I've read enough articles on Gizmodo, Engadget and various other Tech Blogs to know that that the guts of the new iPhone are better than the 3Gs, but I'm still not impressed by it.

-Camera -

Lets start with the 5.0 mega-pixel camera. I know that I should be excited about this, but it feels like we're adding something to the iPhone that probably should of be replaced by some better devices features. When I think of the all the additional mega-pixels that I can add to my sub-par photography skills, it seems like a waste because these pictures will be posted to  Facebook in all its glorious 530x660 maximum resolution. See, with Facebook albums, you are only looking at that small picture. At that resolution, I can't tell the difference if the picture was taken with a 5.0 Mega-pixel iPhone 4 or a 3.0 Mega-pixel 3Gs. Moving away from Facebook, what would I do with those high resolution pictures? Nothing. When I get an urge to look back at pictures of all the fun times I've had, I look at the pictures online to never print them out on a photo printer or edit it in Photoshop. Again, what would I need all those mega-pixels for?

I'm a normal every day user. It seems to me that an internal projector or an actual zoom lenses should of been added to it. Think of the implications of having a projector available to you. Imagine that you are in a meeting and you have a PowerPoint that you want to show the return on investments for your project. Awesome, you just made your company a ton of money using your iPhone. Getting back to the camera, if you have a physical zoom lenses then those pictures would make more sense to me. I hate trying to pinch-zoom for a software zoom on your picture. It seems like cheating and not a good idea in the long run.

-Antenna-

There are a lot of articles and videos documenting the iPhone 4 FAILtenna.  Documenting my frustrations with this would be like shooting fish in a barrel, therefore, I'm not going to get into details about it.  I like the idea of integrating the antenna into the chassis of the device thus adding more space to implement more tech particularly the larger battery.  I just don't get how it made it through QA without someone noticing the "Death Grip feature."  Maybe that's exactly what it is, an undocumented feature.  This could be a new game that was installed with the phone so you don't have to purchase anything though the iTunes Apps Store.  Just knowing that this is still a known issue that's probably software related, creates doubt in my mind about buying a new iPhone.  In the videos that I've seen, that's exactly how I normally grip my phone if I'm looking up something on the go. So this brings me to my next subject, chassis because the workaround for the FAILtenna is put a rubber band around your iPhone so you don't complete the circuit between the WiFi and Cell antennas.

-Chassis-

I like the look of the new iPhone 4, but I'm pretty rough on my phones so an all glass enclosure scares me.  I normally carry my phone in my back pocket because I've grown out of wanting to clip my phone to my belt like it was a Peace Maker and I'm about to get into a gunfight at the O.K. Coral.  I know that I could buy a case to protect it, but isn't that deterring from all the time the designers and engineers spent on developing such a nice looking chassis?  That would be like saying the Venus de Milo is a great piece of art, but since it's no longer structurally sound, we're going to spray it with a layer of rubber around it so that it doesn't further deteriorate.  It's just cheating.  I'll admit, I have a case for my 3GS so, I'm not stranger to cases but that's to cover a metal backing that get scratched up, not a "unbreakable" glass backing.

Bottom line, I still have hesitations about the Apple's new iPhone 4.  I probably will buy one, eventually, but these are some of the things that I think about.  Sorry about the random string of thoughts but it's my first blog.  More to come so stay tuned and keep reading adellelijah!

Hello adellelijah and Hello apple

Greetings readers! This is my first post on adellelijah so I thought that I would kick it off with the fact that Apple is going to address their "FAILtenna" this Friday, June 16th, at 10:00am Pacific Time.

I can't say that I know what they will have to say but I'm leaning towards the fact that iOS 4.1 is addressing the over exaggeration of reception bars and maybe...just maybe...FREE BUMPERS FOR EVERYONE!!!  Since this is my first post and the news isn't really anything more than just an announcement, I'll leave it at that.  Stay tuned for my ongoing internal debate with trying to buy into Apple's new iPhone 4.

The Current State of Apple's iPhone 4

Warning: I get blunt near the end.

Since the release of the iPhone 4, there has been a plethora of praise and negativity culminating in today's repeal of Consumer Reports recommendation of Apple's latest device due to possible interference and degradation of reception.  On July 2nd, Apple released a Press Report addressing this issue found here upon multiple complaints and initial reports of loss of reception.  Consumer Reports demonstrates the loss of reception when the iPhone 4 is held a particular way in this video below.  Mind you, there are multiple YouTube videos that also demonstrate this but there are also fellow tech bloggers that aren't reporting this issue.

During the first week of the iPhone 4's release, Techworld posted an article how an early adopter figured out a way to "improve" and prevent interference with the addition of scotch tape to the bottom left side of the the critically flawed device.  Since then, multiple lawsuits have been filed, a class action suit has been submitted, and random people and friends are inquiring me asking if I'm experiencing the issue.  (list of lawsuits via @Gizmodo)

Bottom line:  AT&T has always been terrible.  I was always using my iPhone 3G on Edge to save battery coupled with the face that the 3G service was horrible.  I've always had Apple's Bumper on my iPhone 4 since day 2 of ownership and cannot specifically admit that I've experienced this issue.  Sincerely, it's not any worse than my two year ownership of the iPhone 3G.  In fact, I'm loving my iPhone 4 which allows me to do SO much more.  Yes, I'm an early adopter, I love Apple Products but I'm not going to be a little bitch and complain about something that a simple a fix can't solve.  Everyone needs to get over the flawed American Mentality of suing companies for "flawed" products and just don't buy the damn thing.  It's not flawed!  How can it be when 1.7 million people bought the damn thing in the first 3 days! (Apple's PR)

Grow a pair, leave AT&T, dump the iPhone 4 and get an Evo already.  Because of the Apple and the success of their iPhones, I was able to sell my two previous versions (1 black iPhone 3G 8GB and 1 white iPhone 3G 16GB) almost paying for the new phones!  It's ingenious that their hold a certain value on the used market which makes me a happy consumer.  Yeah there might be an asterisk and for some unknown reason when Apple was beta testing the design they missed this detail, but come on, the iPhone 4 is awesome!

Why you can never count Nintendo out...

At the end of the life cycle of last generation's consoles, many critics speculated whether Nintendo could rally back from its less than stellar GameCube console, which lagged considerably behind the processing power of both the Xbox from Microsoft and the PlayStation 2 from Sony.  Then in November of 2005 Microsoft kicked off the “next gen” console wars by debuting its Xbox 360, the first console to ever offer the power to play High Definition games.  Microsoft enjoyed a full year’s lead on its competition by releasing its next gen console in 2005.  Finally in 2006, Sony released its PlayStation 3 which also boasted High Def gameplay, and Nintendo released its Wii console which displayed games in a meager 480p. Nintendo bet the farm on the Wii simply because it utilized a novel control scheme: motion controls.  Many critics bet that Nintendo, for yet another hardware cycle, would occupy the 3rd place spot falling prey to its High Def competitors.  What happened over the course of the next 2 years shocked the gaming world, not only did the Wii sell, but it outsold both of its competitors  nearly every month for 2 solid years.  Nintendo, much like Apple, reinvented the way we perceive common things in our lives; they created a paradigm shift.  Many people found traditional gaming too intimidating to really enjoy, Nintendo sensed this and created a control scheme that was intuitive for anyone to pick up and play, and many non-gamers found themselves truly enjoying video games for the first time.

Much like in 2007, Nintendo just created another paradigm shift in the entertainment world.  On Tuesday, Nintendo announced at their E3 presentation (E3 is the Electronics Entertainment Expo the largest gaming conference in the world) a new handheld console called the 3DS.  What is so impressive about this handheld is that not only can people bring games with them on the go, but this is the first handheld console that displays games in 3D...oh and did I mention it does not require any special eye wear of any kind to view the games in 3D?  Not only will this system change the gaming world, but will make inroads in the entertainment industry because it now proves that there is technology available today to manufacture 3D viewing experiences that do not require the viewer to wear a pound of plastic on their face for the duration of a 2 to 3 hour movie or throughout their favorite sporting event such as the Super Bowl.  While pricing is not yet available it is certainly impressive to marvel at the technical feat that Nintendo has accomplished, and only 3 years after some critics predicted the end of the biggest name in video game entertainment history.  It just goes to show you that while many companies choose to compete on price and similar features, the smart companies like Nintendo prefer to innovate their way out of financially depressed times.  If the technology leaders of tomorrow are able to take a page from this book, we definitely have a bright future to look forward to.

Pre-Ordering the iPhone 4 = BIG ONLINE APPLE STORE FAIL

Waking up to a phone call from my fiance in San Diego while I was sound asleep in a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, she informed me that her friend had successfully pre-ordered the newest Apple iPhone; the iPhone 4. I got out of bed admittedly a little excited but fretting the next few minutes (what would turn out to be hours) anticipating the horror and onslaught that the process would be. I was right to suspect that many others would be trying to do the same and lock in an iPhone but now, not only do I despise Apple more so but AT&T as well including this "pre-ordering" process. To make my story short, three hours later, I successfully added an iPhone 4 to my cart, then went back to add another one for the 2nd line on my account. Of course, I was told, when ready to check out, that my shopping cart had too many iPhones! I only had two freaking iPhones! Why didn't you tell me two hours ago that I could only order one?! So basically, after all that, I was no where. Two hours later, I get back to my cart, removed one of the iPhones, placed the order and was forced to repeat the same excruciating experience!

Refresh after refresh, checking eligibility after eligibility, processing on AT&T's servers inundated with multiple failures, I'm going to say that this experience was the biggest failure in online pre-ordering history. If you're going to make an annoucement that pre-orders will begin on the 15th of June, then man **** up and expand your services in anticipation! I better not see some stupid Press Release announcing that they servers were over loaded and they did not anticipate the overwhelming response. That's just going to be another crappy PR Stunt.

Condensed time line:

6:00AM - get up and start trying to pre-order the Apple iPhone 4 (excitement)

6:01AM - the store is down (excited still)

6:20AM - I've been refreshing the screen on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox noticing that Google's Chrome is giving me faster results.

6:30AM - I see that I'm able to actually click the shiny blue pre-order button.

7:30AM - frustrated after multiple attempts to proceed to the next step, I lay back down

7:42AM - I get up again and start the process over

7:50AM - trying to get AT&T the verify that I qualify for the "discounted" price by inputting my phone number, billing zip code and social security number then hit continue.

7:51AM - I think I'm there....but the process fails while authenticating on AT&T side.

7:52AM - I have to start the stupid process again.

8:30AM - I'm pissed!!!

8:45AM - the last freaking thing I want to see a website display is "Oops?!" WTH

8:51AM - You tell me that I can't have it shipping and I have to pick it up!? Do not pass go and try again.

9:15AM - I was successful in pre-ordering 1 iPhone 4 but still have 1 to go

9:50AM - I decide to write this post and vent my frustration! And, no I still have not been able to get pass the processing part.

Throughout this whole time, I'm seeing the Apple Online Store go up then down then up again while noticing that the store address is changing / continually evolving.

First from: http://store.apple.com/us/go/iphone4 then: https://buyiphone.apple.com Good for apple but just a little too late!

Final Thoughts: Standing in line at the Apple store isn't nearly as frustrating but actually fun!?

FaceTime: What it can do for Pilots, Flight Attendants and Frequent Travelers

Just a couple of years ago, Skype took hold of the video chatting world making it easier than the traditional AOL AIM client. Google's Chat made it easy with a quick installation of a browser plug-in, then Apple's iChat came along creating conference calling.  Now Apple ups the bar yet again at WWDC 2010 with a new form of communication called FaceTime.  How awesome is it that with a touch of a finger, Apple calls it "one-tap," one can be connected to your family, friends and loved ones and have...well, FaceTime!  No more pee-pee-ing or poopie phone calls but I fathom they will occur.  But for now, lets just keep our minds G-Rated for the sake of sanity. In 2005, I moved across the country and never got around to buying an Apple laptop for my significant other; one with a built in camera.  Granted I didn't have a newer one either so instead, I bought her a Logitech Webcam.  It has worked well for the past few years, but only if 1) she wants to connect it to her laptop and 2) if its actually within reaching distance.  I had to set everything up myself and do all the "initial" connecting and even give a pep talk into convincing her it was going to be legendary!  It took too much effort, but the end result was worth it.

Now, with iPhone 4 to iPhone 4, FaceTime is going to provide no excuse!  Note that there has to be an available & open Wi-Fi connection nearby to initiate this feature.  Without FaceTime over the cellular network, I am highly confident that Starbucks, Barnes and Nobles, Coffee Bean and other free and popular Wi-Fi hotspots are going to be much more active because of this handicap necessity.  Particularly, hotels that offer free Wi-Fi are going to be able to advertise that if you're an iPhone 4 user, you can stay connected to your family even when poolside or at the hotel gym!  They might even think of carrying them in a rental capacity!  Bringing it home, when I'm flying around the country with a crappy schedule, I won't miss the famed homerun, soccer goal or 3 point buzzer beater.  Not even the birthday parties, first steps or anything of the sorts (this is all pending if a MiFi card or "wireless hotspot" will be able to initiate a FaceTime connection) will be able to escape my absence.  Bottom line, life just got a whole lot more exciting, easier and forgiving.

To hold you over until June 24th, check out the awesome FaceTime video that Apple has put up @ http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/facetime.html#facetime-video

Video summary:  Babies, couples separated by military duty, and even a deaf couple communicating through the iPhone 4 w/ FaceTime!  It's almost heart wrenching and joyous at the same time!

Oh yeah, there's a new Apple app for the iPhone 4 called iMovie where I can edit my HD videos!

Now is the Time for a New Carrier to Host the Apple iPhone

Six months from now, a new carrier wouldn't be able to capitalize and I'll tell you why.  It's simple. 1) Millions of adopters of the original iPhone 3G  flocked to AT&T almost exactly 23 months ago forced to leave their previous carrier and sign a two year contract.  Those contracts are almost up.

2) These AT&T subscribers who did not take the early adopter special and upgrade to the iPhone 3GS last summer, myself included, are now up for a real upgrade but are hoping for a choice.  That's a good reason why I didn't do it and thus have been suffering the sluggishness of the iPhone 3G.  It is truly unbearable especially compared to using my Apple iPad!

3) The new iPhone 4th Generation is going to be announced in less than 30 minutes and if there isn't a "One more thing..." that is another carrier, e.g. Verizon, many of us early adopters will be forced to sign our lives away for yet another two years.

Hence, now is the time, or I guess a couple months back, that the other three major carriers should have been trying to court Apple.  All the initial movement and flow of subscribers that left for AT&T two years ago would have a chance to not incur an Early Termination Fee (ETF) and come back to their cheaper or more egotistic, "I'm better than AT&T" provider.  We can only hope for the best and just follow the awesome live feeds of gdgt, engadget or Gizmodo or whomever you choose. 9to5mac has a great live panel of all 4 awesome streams!  Check it out here.  http://9to5mac.com/livepanel.html

True to form, John Gruber from Daring Fireball posted a remark slyly hinting at a possible new Apple TV and the new name for the iPhone 4th Generation, "iPhone HD" just moments prior to Steve Jobs taking the stage.  Awesomeness!  Google TV, watch out now!  Hopefully, adellelijah will have their chance at WWDC 2011!

It’s a few short hours before the keynote, and what strikes me about this year’s WWDC isn’t any specific rumor or impending announcement. Not the iPhone HD. Not the never-before-seen features in OS 4. Not the new Apple TV. Not the update to Safari with an extension API and “Reader” mode.

Learning CompTIA A+ by Yourself, on the Cheap! Part 2

On day 2 of my quest to earn a CompTIA A+ certification in 7 days, I learned many things.  Among those, my 7-day timeline was entirely unrealistic.  Sure it was optimistic and rather bold, but I truly believed it could be done.  That was before I spent 4 hours this afternoon on 1/3^rd of today’s study material.  I did manage to get through 2 of the 3 chapters I planned so not all hope is lost!  But it turns out, pushing through 200 pages of what is essentially a complex textbook, note taking and all, is not something you really want to do in one day.  I will spare you an updated prediction on the timetable to get through this beast of a book [CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702)]but it should not be far off from my original 7-day goal.  I’m being extra vigilant in avoiding rushing through a chapter only to have to re-read it before taking the certification tests. I made it through chapters 4 and 5 today.  Chapter 4 was on the operating system Windows.  And just as I catch myself thinking, “Geez, I always thought Windows was more complex than this,” I realize that this was only an introduction to the basic elements of Windows.  In depth analysis and breakdown of the specific functions and applications in relation to troubleshooting and repairing a PC with Windows have their own dedicated chapters further down the line.  I should have known it couldn’t be that easy…

Chapter 5 was on microprocessors (e.g., AMD Phenom II, Intel Core i7)  There really isn’t much to be said on this one.  I was surprised to find the concepts behind the theory and functionality of a microprocessor to be less foreign to me than the Windows OS (2000, XP, Vista).

My excitement has yet to lose any of its momentum.  I’m encouraged as I continue to read about the difference between DIMM and RIMM, megabytes and megabits.  If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to catch up to my original timetable over the next few days as I encounter shorter chapters.  In any case, the study must go on!

Until next time…

Learning CompTIA A+ by Yourself, on the Cheap!

First, let me say hello to adellelijah.com and our first readers!  Along with the rest of the team, I will have my formal introduction in the coming week or two.  So keep updating and refreshing this website until then!  I hope to inform you, enlighten you and inspire you.  I will begin my forray into the world of adellelijah with what I hope to be some informative information. What is CompTIA A+ you might ask?  No, it's not a DVD series on improving your grades at school (although that sounds good too).  It's fancy words for "computer tech nerd".  If you've ever wondered how that expensive box under your desk works, the solo monitor that an iMac incorporates, or had any interest in building/troubleshooting/fixing a computer or even making a few dimes while doing it, CompTIA A+ is your ticket!  It's an introduction to the IT world.  In short, CompTIA is a non-profit organization that provides certifications that are internationally recognized.  In this case, we'll journey together and learn about the certification called "A+".  Keep in mind, this book assumes you have at least a basic working knowledge in computers (how to use them, what they're for, etc.).  This certification invloves all things PC (personal computer).  Don't get that confused with the popular Apple commercial dividing the two kinds of computers as a PC also refers to the Apple Computers too.  One might say, A+ refers to PCs and ACs.

By the time you get certified, you should have a moderate to advanced knowledge of all of the hardware (and most software) in your computer you keep at home, at work, or anywhere else.  I've decided to embark on a 7 day mission (despite the advice in the book suggesting 150 hours) to learn CompTIA A+ on my own without shelling out a house payment in the process.  Seven days may be a bit bold for someone to master this skill on their own, but I'm optimistic.  I've decided to go with the CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-701 & 220-702)book as it seems to be the favorite among IT circles.  It's just over 1300 pages of everything I need to know to keep my PC running at it's best and, if I'm lucky, someone else's too!  With the Memorial Day sale at Borders, I saved and bought this book for $38.  It retails for $59.99 USD.  If you use our Amazon link above, you'll be directed to our associate seller site and be able to purchase the book for just about the same!  Book vs classes?  You could take classes that cost you over $1000, not including travel fees, but what's the fun in that?  It's hardly worth writing about.  I was interested in learning this new skill for the cost of one book and the test fees (around $160 per test, two of them).  At worst, it will be a total failure.  At best, I will be qualified to get paid repairing computers at an entry level.

I've decided to document each day of study.  How easy it is to learn the topics, how realistic my 7 day plan is, and just what the heck I'm thinking as I go through this process.   Each day, I will cover a multitude of topics.  This marks day 1.  I've broken the book into 3 chapter segments for each day, in order.  In 7 days, that would have me completing all 27 chapters.  Having already finished the first 3 chapters, I'm left excited and hungry for more!  Though I must remain disciplined and keep to my schedule.  It doesn't hurt that the first 3 chapters were probably the easiest in the book, barely worth mentioning.  The next 3 will be another story.  It's by far the largest segment, pagewise, in my 7 day adventure.  And it only covers, in depth, simple things like Windows, microprocessors, and RAM!  Right...

Tomorrow's update will no doubt be more informative (and probably more pessimistic) than today's introduction.  I do promise that I will be an optimistic contributor to adellelijah and With luck, I will keep to the schedule and be a pro by the time I'm one week older.  You must know that I've started this with a basic working knowledge of most of the hardware that makes up a PC.  I have a general idea of what each component does and I've custom built several PC's myself.  Some working, some not so much.  I encourage you to follow along with me through the struggles and the triumphs with the hope that I will inspire you to go out and learn a new job skill in ultra-speed fashion.  We all know, especially in today's environment, that you can never have too many job skills.  Now I must rest and prepare for tomorrow's mind job.

To be continued...