Meanwhile Elsewhere

Over on whitespider1066 I have a couple of posts looking at developments in the mobile phone market place. I’ve done them over there because there was some cross over, and these developments have huge implications for the use of the technology in the outdoors world.

The most recent post entitled “Capped” discusses how the newly introduced data caps from the likes of O2 and Vodaphone will impact the use of smart phones in the outdoors.

In a post called “iPhone Mapping Software Updates Out” I look, well list using screen captures the latest updates to a couple of app updates on the iPhone that use OS map data. At the end of the post I briefly look at the new iOS4 update that is arriving imminently on the iPhone.

Now one of the things that really does get my blood boiling is when companies just don’t get it when it comes to social media, or the use of IT. Sadly there are many companies in the outdoors industry that fall in to this net. It’s only because I care that the it gets to me so. And that is where I am coming from in the ironically titled post “Another Good Call From Cicerone”.

While I’m here I should mention that I am learning to program the iPhone (admittedly slowly, I am trying to help get the new whitespider towers ready for moving into as well). So at some point I will do a post or two about my learning experience.

iTunes U – iTunes Dirty Little Secret

I don’t care what your opinions of Apple or iTunes are, one thing you can’t deny is that there is some pretty good content on iTunes. Whether that is music, podcasts,movies or iPhone/iPad apps. But one thing that gets so often over looked by iTunes users and others is the little promoted iTunes U.

iTunes U is a section on iTunes where education establishments from all over the world put up course materials that can be accessed by anyone. This content whether it is audio or video can be downloaded to a PC/Mac or iPod,iPhone,iPad, well you get the idea.

Apple describes it as “a powerful distribution system for everything from lectures to language lessons, films to labs, audiobooks to tours — is an innovative way to get educational content into the hands of students.”

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

I’m currently using iTunes U myself to do an iPhone development course by Stanford University in the US of A. In iTunes U Stanford have put up video of the lectures, and pdf files of the lecture slides. Then over on the course website at Stanford I can download the course assignments and any related source code.

I can then work through the course at my own pace, doing the assignments and at the end of it hopefully able to demonstrate my new knowledge to a prospective employer.

One draw back is that there is no or very little support for when you get stuck. However you might be able to find that online in a forum or website somewhere. You really do have to be self reliant with studying this way. Plus you are self marking your assignments (if you do them).

Another draw back is that once you have worked your way through the course there is no qualification to put on your c.v.. But for self improvement, or in a world where the Government is not interested in helping the unemployed update their skills to increase their chances of getting a job, at least mentioning that you have done a course will give a good impression to any prospective employer.

So how does this compare with say a paid for online training course? Well apart from the support side and maybe a bit of paper at the end (some just say that you have done the course), I think that they compare very well indeed. The quality of this Stanford iPhone course is really really good, especially compared to an online Java course my previous employer was using to train staff with.

But you don’t have to do that one, there are loads of different courses on there. Go into iTunes U and browse around to see what is on offer. There are even courses from our very own Open University on there.

Now you may you may not be an iTunes fan, and think that the software is a pile of poo (this is not my opinion I like iTunes, it’s not perfect I admit that, but then what software is?) Anyway I would argue that iTunes U is reason enough to install and put up with the iTunes software if you fall in to the iTunes Hater camp. If you already use and like iTunes then make that little side trip into the iTunes U world and have a look around.

Here have a browse online to see what they have. Click HERE

UK iPad Pricing And 3G Pricing

Last week Apple released the prices of the immently arriving iPad in the UK (I'm not going to reproduce them here, they can be found easily enough online).
I don't think anyone is really surprised at the prices, we knew they wouldn't be cheaper than the US. The ripping off of the UK public over the cost of electronic goods from the US is something that has been going on for decades. And frankly it's hard to muster up any anger over the issue. After decades of being mugged, and nothing done by our politicians or Government departments about it (there was an investigation a few years back, but it was a whitewash, and lacked any teeth) I've become numb about the issue.
However there is one issue related to the iPad I haven't become numb to.
Last week Orange became the first of the UK mobile carriers to announce the costs of using an iPad 3G on their data network.
None of their tarriffs offer unlimited 3G data, although they include "free" wifi access, which on some tarriffs is also capped. Go over your capped allowance on what ever plan you choose and it's 5p/MB. Which doesn't seem too bad compared to an O2 international data roaming charge of 13p/MB. But where is the unlimited dataplan like the one I have on my iPhone? The top Orange tarriff will be £25 for 10GB. My iPhone data plan that I have to have with O2 is less than a tenner, and is billed as unlimited (it probably isn't and may have somewhere in the small print a cap).
But the point is look at the difference in what is on offer and the cost.
I'm just hoping that when O2 and Vodaphone release their iPad 3G data plans we will see something more in line with the current iPhone data plan in lines of pricing. I'm not holding my breath, I'm used to being constantly disappointed by these cartels, and the false promise of competition we are sold.



-- Could be remote blogging or just too lazy to fire up laptop/Macbook/netbook. But still this has been posted from my iPhone 3G.

A Moan About Pointless iPhone Updates

Over on whitespider1066.com I've been covering iPhone apps that are relevant to the outdoors or blogging in the outdoors or taking photos. I've even covered relevant app updates.
It's this last coverage that has sparked this blog post and mini rant.
Now I love and respect the fact that iPhone app developers regularly update their apps. Whether these updates introduce new features, tweak stuff or fix bugs. It's all appreciated by a grateful public.
However when you see an update like the following:



The expectations are set for a change to the user interface. It's what the developer has said in their own words.
Yet what is this great user interface update that was so important that the developer HAD to get thus update out?
They changed their loading splash screen. Everything else has not changed.
Was this really necessary? Come on surely this could of been done at a later date with some other stuff like bug fixes or enhancements?
Developers and users often complain about how long it takes for iPhone apps to get approval from Apple.
But is it any surprise when some developers clog up the approval process with pointless updates like this?
The developers need to help themselves sometimes, and not be their own worst enemies.

-- Could be remote blogging or just too lazy to fire up laptop/Macbook/netbook. But still this has been posted from my iPhone 3G.

Happy Easter

No matter what your religious believes are, it doesn't change the fact we are in the middle of a religious holiday. So I'm going to wish you a happy Easter.
But if we remove the religious imagery one of the images that says Easter to me is that of the daffodil.
So here are a couple of photos taken on my iPhone of the 'wild' fenland daffs.






There are also cultivated ones as well.



-- Could be remote blogging or just too lazy to fire up laptop/Macbook/netbook. But still this has been posted from my iPhone 3G.

Wordpress iPhone App Falls Out Of Favour

Over on whitespider1066 I'm now covering in more detail mobiles in the outdoors.
Over recent weeks it has become clear that the iPhone wordpress app has become buggy and unusable. Soo much so that I have moved the app from my iPhone home screen and replaced it with blogpress.
I'll still keep an eye out on the updates in the hope that it will get fixed and once more become my prefered mobile blogging app.
But until then blogpress will be getting some extensive testing.


-- Could be remote blogging or just too lazy to fire up laptop/Macbook/netbook. But still this has been posted from my iPhone 3G.

Why I Won’t Be Using Android Anytime Soon

Every now and again I keep thinking I’d like to dabble with a Google Android phone. I know it’s a moment of weakness for an iPhone fan boy. But I keep thinking well if it is good enough for Leo Laporte then maybe I should give it a serious look.

Now like most heavy iPhone users or fanboys I have the odd app or two installed on my iPhone. Ok LOTS of apps installed on my iPhone.

Well I know that the Google Android phones allow apps to be installed. So if I was to make the leap over to the Google-side then I would need to find versions or equivalents on Google Android.

This is where I find that the Google Android-verse is putting up a barrier to stop me making that leap.

I know that Google Android has a marketplace, it’s version of the iPhone app store in iTunes. However to search the full Android marketplace to see what is there I need a Google Android phone. The only part of the Android marketplace I can see on line is a tiny tiny best of version of the marketplace.

So where in the iPhone world if I have iTunes installed I can search the app store and have a look around, or more importantly there is the web version of the app store as well. So it is easy for me to search and find an iPhone app(s) before deciding if I want to buy an iPhone. The only way on the Android marketplace for me to see if I could make that move to an Android phone and have the same functionality is to buy the Android phone!

This to me seems a bit arse about face from the king of search. And I am not going to make a leap of faith hoping that there are versions of the apps on the new platform. I want to be up and running as quick as possible, producing the same sorts of results I am now with my iPhone if I decide to make that jump over to Google Android. Sadly Google’s not thought things over and just gets in my way of making that decision. Well they make it easy, I’m sticking with my beloved iPhone.