Entries Tagged 'iPhone' ↓

Hyperlocal Blogging
SEO consultant Matt McGee discusses the growing trend of “hyperlocal” blogs. He mentions the big names like Gothamist, but surprisingly left out a number of localized blogging communities like the Chattanooga-founded Terrablogs, which has been around for years. Coincidentally (or not), I’ll be announcing an exciting new group adventure into this space in just a few days. Stay tuned!

Can Android Vanquish the iPhone?
In a word, no. Seriously, though, Business Week is asking the question. Fair enough, but the fact is that Android is just a software platform at this point. There is no “gPhone” and there probably won’t be a handset manufactured by Google. Perhaps one of the big handset makers will take Android and do something great with it, but I don’t expect any Android phone to be as big a hit as the iPhone. Apple’s “closed system” — which is often lamented by that same crowd waiting for Android — is what makes their products successful and beloved. They control the user experience more than anyone else in this space, and they are the hands-down experts.

Sketch Notes
If you, like me, missed the SEED 3 conference put on by 37Signals, you’ll want to check out these incredible sketch notes from the event. There’s also a great profile of the conference in the Chicago Reader. I’m still processing the vast amounts of info and insights…

Summer on Prince Edward Island
Chattanooga may be the “scenic city,” but PEI looks absolutely gorgeous. I suppose Dan deserves summer vistas like this after enduring the frigid Canadian winter.

Oil & Heaven
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Graffiti artist, I honor the place where your craziness and my amusement become one.

Gadget lovers everywhere were hanging on every liveblogged word of the WWDC Keynote today, where Steve Jobs announced the new iPhone 3G. Thanks to the rumor mills, there were few surprises, the biggest of which might have been the one-month wait until the release date! That aside, there’s plenty to talk about.

35% of the Fortune 500 in the iPhone 2.0 Software Beta
Amid all the talk about which features the new iPhone included or didn’t, I think this statistic was mostly overlooked. We all knew that Apple was going to make a push for Enterprise business, but to have such a high level of participation in the software beta is a big deal. It certainly bodes well for their chances of making a dent in the growing market for business-class smartphones. I also believe this move will position Apple well when (not if) they decide to push Mac sales to the enterprise. A big challenge with the iPhone was convincing CTOs that it was more than “just a toy” and addressing their real concerns about business-related features and security. Watch this video of IT executives talking about the 2.0 software — Apple understands needs of this market. They will surely take the lessons learned and apply them to the Mac.

White is the New Black, Again
When the iPod Classic was introduced in only black and silver, the color that started it all was suddenly gone from the iPod lineup. Now it’s back, as a “limited edition” color for the 16GB iPhone 3G. The white iPhone will be the new tech status symbol come July 11th. Gizmodo has a fun post on the resurgence of white in the palette: Apple Says White is Cool Again, But Is It?

The Future of the iPhone Line
There has already been a lot of griping discussion about the “missing features” from the iPhone 3G. As the WWDC approached, rumors were flying about everything from a front-side video camera for iChat to solar power panels. (Okay, the solar panels were far-fetched.) I think it’s safe to agree with John Gruber that the iPhone 3G is Apple’s big push for market share, not an attempt at a second revolution. What Gruber doesn’t say, but I am inclined to believe, is that Apple will add a higher-end iPhone product to the line at some point in the near future. They will be happy to sell tens of millions of iPhones at $199 and $299, but they also know there’s still a market for $399 and $499 iPhones with more memory and features. They would be foolish to pass that market up, so just as the iPod eventually became a line of products at different price points, so will the iPhone.

My high school roommate (seriously… that was over a decade ago?) Raman has a funny post about his daily desktop architecture projects. I have some catching up to do in the stylish cubicle department. In other Raman news, he has finally succumbed to Twitter.

The always interesting Seth Godin encourages the New York Times, and all of us, to “do what you’re great at.” It’s a simple, but often ignored, branding concept. It’s much easier to expand, expand, expand than to maintain a tight focus. I love his two suggested opportunities for the Times to excel at: what is true, and what is important. He puts it best when he says that there is “Lots of noise online, not so much truth.” I’m tucking those two away for an upcoming collaborative blog project.

Finally, did a leaked AT&T email reveal the launch timeframe for the 3G iPhone? And, should I be getting my Apple news from Fake Steve Jobs? Well, he’s a heck of a lot more entertaining than the dedicated Apple rumor blogs. Just look at this post about “the Hildebeast” bowing out.

Rascal Flatts on a Milk Carton
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Rascal Flatts on a milk carton? If only.

And they could take the rest of CMT with them. Well, Carrie Underwood can probably stay.

Two Masters?
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Urban Night Bicycling ™
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Last night I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a nocturnal bike ride, touring St. Elmo, downtown and the North Shore. Our official pit stops included Big River, The Local and some lady’s front yard near the finish line.

That’s the world-renowned Josh Green posing triumphantly for the camera.

I’ve become a big fan of mobile web browsing over the last few months. Having the “whole internet on your (i)phone” is great, but I’ve also come to appreciate a well-made mobile site. The best example I’ve seen yet is Facebook (or Ta-Da List, if I actually used it). It loses the annoying third-party apps in favor of the essentials, and it’s quick and easy to use.

So it was with a good bit of anticipation that I tried the new mobile beta version of LinkedIn. It, too, is optimized for iPhone and has a nice look, but it is ultimately unsatisfying.

I specifically like their choice of using the Updates tab as the home screen. That’s the first place I look whenever I visit LinkedIn, and I’m guessing that’s pretty common. I’d love to know if they used web analytics or even eye-tracking to make this decision, or if this was simply based on their gut feelings. Browsing through your contacts is simple and the sidebar alphabet listing is a nice touch, since it ties into an existing iPhone convention.

Unfortunately, this is where things start to go downhill. One disappointing omission is the ability to send messages to your contacts or to view your inbox. If I get an email invitation to connect, I’d love to be able to log in on the mobile site and confirm the request.

That’s not what bothered me most about the new mobile site, though. I fully expected that when viewing one of my own contacts, I’d be able to then see their list of contacts (aka “my network”) and maybe even have the option to get introduced or send them a message. When you’re building your brand around your ability to connect people, leaving that functionality out of your site — even your mobile site — is not a good idea.

I really believe this can be a great mobile site if they take another look at what the priorites of their users are. But for now, I’ll be sticking to the standard version of LinkedIn.

Terror on the Walnut Street Bridge
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Farewell EPB Building
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Apparently this is old news, but the demise of the former EPB building is imminent. It’s always a bit sad to see an old building go down, and I’m hoping the future of this site holds more than just parked cars. Viva downtown!