iPhone and the City

EAR Roundup

2009-04-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

We talked about nice things.

And we played pool. (some of us did)

UPDATE: 3G Lies!

2008-04-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

It's just not true. That old WSJ reporter lied about the 3G iPhone!

I wish someone would just get their act together already and the Apple wasn't scared of competition...

IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING AND REALLY, are any of the look-alike phones really going to be successful?

Come on folks, I need to know if I should save up for the new phone!

iPhone Expecting

2008-04-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

So, I bought the iPhone like about two months after it came out and now they tell me there's going to be a better one coming out in 60 days.

I knew this was part of the deal when I purchased the phone. But I didn't think it would happen so soon.

This most credible rumor out there yet to date about the super-fast 3G network ready iPhone is tempting to me. I'd love an internet that not only looks like the one on my MacBook but one that also moves as fast my DSL and this is what I'm told 3G will do.

So, since I don't know how much it will cost, if upgrades will be offered (doubtful), or anything, I guess I'll just start saving, and pick the best candidate/friend to will my first generation iPhone to.

Eddie Radshaw: Connector, Early Adopter or Just Average Joe?

2008-04-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered as I sit through lectures on networks and marketing where I fit on the Diffusion of Innovations continuum. This is one of those common sense marketing concepts wherein there are the innovators who find the products, the early adopters who start to make it popular, the early majority who bring it to the masses, the late majority, and then the laggards. Laggards are people like my dear sister who discovered texting in 2008.

But when I bought the iPhone in late September 2007, just three months after it came out, where does that put me on the continuum? I've always thought of myself as pretty savvy and definitely willing to put money down on something because I have a hunch or just really like it. And, since the most desirable group of marketers to target is the early adopters I like to think of myself as one of them.

This reminds me of how I felt after I read The Tipping Point. I really wanted to be a Salesperson. But I'm actually kind of bad at it. And I thought maybe I was a Connector, but then I don't keep in touch with people I meet on airplanes and I've had too many one night stands. Lately, I've noticed I search online for discount codes before completing online purchases (most recently, I used CouponCabin to get free shipping at JCrew, which saved me $12 on a hot pair of swim trunks that was only available online.) All this might make me a Maven, if only I could commit to this frugal lifestyle.

Someone should create an online quiz to help me confirm my suspicions. (My searches yielded nothing.)

(See the poll to vote on what phase of consumer is currently buying the iPhone)

iPhone, iPhone on the Wall

2008-04-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone out there GETS me.

Gizmodo shone light on a brilliant new case for the iPhone.

As I myself am both obsessively vain and concerned about my iPhone's protection, this may be just the thing I've been waiting for, but too bad iLounge is sold out!

See, I've been using the little silver Apple logo on the back of my iPhone as a mirror since I got the phone. It's the perfect size to quickly check for seeds in mt teeth, look at a potential new zit, or even fix my coif.

Here's a rough attempt at illustrating the multi-functional iPhone:

(I have to say it is VERY hard to take a picture of your reflection!)

But with this new case, I might be able to have a full picture and perhaps not looks so bizarre as I try to get the right angle of my shiny forehead, etc.

But a small price to pay for vanity, if I do say so myself.

Time Management

2008-03-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

Some of my fellow bloggers continue to get lost in this quandary:

With all the things I have to do in one day, how can I find time to blog/read blogs/surf the web/etc. ?

I'm not exactly the archetype of the typical web user-- I like to make time for things and function well, if not above average, on little to no sleep. I am a perpetual reader/sponge for all things ridiculous. Let's face it, if I put half as much time in perfecting my flabby body as I do tweaking my sharp wit and boundless pop knowledge store, I'd be a regulation hottie. (Remember though-- beauty fades, dumb is forever.)

I have to admit though, since I've signed up for Web 2.0 it's been a real challenge to learn how these sites/etc. work. I now belong to 11 social networks (MySpace, Facebook, hi5, bebo, Friendster, Twitter, MyFamily.com, MyYearbook, Digg, LinkedIn, and Doostang). And, a quick update-- 2 friends of mine much closer to my first tier have joined Twitter since I have... I am kind of hooked on writing in Twitter.

There are still all kinds of sites I could join (de.li.ci.ous or Gawker come to mind). There are thousands of blogs IO could read. And apparently, I'm supposed to create my own legit new content for this blog, which is hard when you're not as plugged in as the other bloggers. I mean, I interview the creator of RubMyYouKnowWhat, the only blogger to do so BTW, and I still get minimal spike in traffic.

Time is a hot commodity these days, and it's a big risk for consumers to take precious time to surf the web hoping to find something unique. If we really are suffering from Blogorrhea and too much derivative content, we need to streamline the topics into channels, much like cable TV did in the 70's and 80's.

If there were simple channels with similar content, viewers would have a better guarantee that they were surfing relevant content and not getting lost in a sea of highly optimized sites. This is likely the future of the Internet, which we're already seeing with the increasing popularity of vertical search.

Until such time as we develop a remote control and Tivo for your PC, you're just going to have to rough it like the rest of us pioneers. My suggestion in the meantime, get some kind of iPhone or at least a smartphone so you can search the Internet anytime, anywhere.

Oldies in the City

2008-03-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Given how much you all know I enjoy both Sex and the City and watching old people discover technology and the new millennium... I thought you would appreciate this.

Funny thing about this video (which has horrible sound, btw) is that the whole thing is actually 4 years old (from the TV Land Awards, no less) and it just kind of went viral on Thursday and Friday. WHY? I think it's the impending movie release... timing is everything!

Twittering

2008-03-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

I joined Twitter over the weekend kind of on accident. I mean, I don't really know if anyone reads my updates, and only three people in my Gmail address book were on the site. I'm "following" three of my third-tier friends, even though it looks like they joined the site and stopped updating it over 6 months ago.

But what I love about Twitter is being able to text to update from my iPhone. And it's linked to my Facebook status. And if I'm on Gmail chat, I see my Twitter buddy and send it an update too.

I joined because there is some kind of iPhone SDK app called iTweet. I am still doing research, but I'm curious what others out there do with Twitter. It's kind of the ultimate "seen and be seen" site, right?

iPhone at 37,000 Feet

2008-03-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Today I flew on JetBlue’s BetaBlue plane for the first time. This is the plane that is testing limited Wifi connectivity. I was pretty disappointed actually.
The company partnered with Yahoo and Blackberry to make this happen. What?!
JetBlue is supposed to be a young, hip brand so if it was looking for a cell phone partner, wouldn’t iPhone make sense? Apple already seemed to think so.
And the company recently changed its inflight map service to Google Maps from Yahoo’s sorely underperforming and dated MapQuest.
So, BetaBlue has a low Wifi connection, so if I put iPhone on Airplane mode, and enable wifi I can access some Yahoo mobile pages (limited news, a random flickr page, and some other basic yahoo functions. But that’s it. And, a search of my contacts showed that I had NO friends on Yahoo Messenger. I’m gonna guess they are on Gmail chat. Or even AIM.
iPhone was pretty useless on BetaBlue. I don’t use a Yahoo account for email and I have no friends to talk to. Luckily, there was a nice LiveTV technician on the flight who told me I could send text messages to folks from Yahoo Messenger. Well, as I started doing that I ended up not being able to get the Messenger to work any more. Some kind of 404/343 magic error. So, then I got fed up realizing most of my friends were at work anyway and wouldn’t be responding.
Luckily this is just the Beta test, but let’s hope the real thing is just that—the real internet with all the bells and whistles that JetBlue’s young and hip audience really seeks.
Thank God they still have free TV! (I would have tried to post the entry from the sky but I don't really know how yet.... I'm learning, but I guess, as a good friend told me: Beauty fades, dumb is forever.)

Full disclosure: the writer works in the Operations department at JetBlue in Forest Hills, NY and his opinion is just that. OPINION. The writer did not work on the BetaBlue product launch and his research for this post was based solely on the pamphlets in the seatback pocket and the experience on the flight itself. The opinions in iPhone and the City certainly do not reflect any official opinions of JetBlue Airways, LiveTV or its partners and should not be considered official company information.

Walking and Texting Injuries

2008-03-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

I recently bought two new pairs of boots. They are beyond hot, except they have these ridiculously slippery leather soles.

This morning, after donning the shoes and running to work (late and hungover) I started dashing off a text on iPhone and in all the excitement, I slipped right down the last three stairs in my building.

Since I like to blog based on experience, I decided to pull up another article I've had on the back burner.

It seems that one in ten British people w ere injured while texting and walking in 2007. The article got press in all kinds of places, including CNN/Time.My friend the Odder Adder would probably get a kick out of the ridiculous ads that the UK Directory service 118118 used to protect negligent texters.

While I'm sure more than just 1 in 10 Americans have been injured by texting, I've been unable to find any conclusive data. But, dude, walking and texting is probably better than driving and texting. I don't get too political here, but this a pretty scary idea.

Waiting for Your College Acceptance Letter... and your iPhone?

2008-03-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

I picked this up a few weeks back, but it's just now making its way into writing.

So, it seems that there is a college in Texas, Abilene Christian University, that is offering an iPhone to any incoming freshman this fall. Here's their press release: http://www.acu.edu/news/2008/080225_iphone.html.

Read about on Engadget and apply to ACU if you must. Apparently, the school portends that students will receive homework alerts and probably use some kind of course management webapp.

This is similar to Duke's attempt to give out iPods to incoming students. My guess is people know Duke exists and don't necessarily need more incentive to apply, which is why they ave since scaled back on that. But, really ACU-- don't you think we all see this as a far-cry from homework and an academic stimulus package so much as a marketing tool to tech-starved, MTV-obsessed Texas Christians.

Also, isn't like gluttony or pride a sin? Leave the sinning to the experts (me) and stick to what you know ACU.

Of course, in the fine print, the cost of the iPhone is included in tuition.

Does iPhone Really Make Life Simpler?

2008-03-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have an iPhone. I also carry a blackberry and a 60-GB Video iPod with me in every laptop bag or manpurse. And I'm not alone. I've met others who carry the berry for work, in addition to the iPhone (which I still suspect is for for sex appeal) and the iPod for various reasons.

I'll never be able to move all my songs from iPod to my iPhone (first, it's not big enough, and second, many of the songs were uploaded CD's, so they aren't in my iTunes library).

I also can't commit to the Blackberry for a personal phone. I don't like the web browser and it feels like I'll never escape work. It's also just not as hot of an accessory.

Sadly though, iPhone would never fly to replace my blackberry for work. Typing and the email client both are not integrated enough to keep up with the barrage of emails coming in and out. I also think I will always have a natural tendency to keep my personal and work phones separate. This is super-important for me to be able to separate from work.

How about the rest of iPhone users? Am I the only one who now never leaves home without my iPod, iPhone and Blackberry (valued at just over $1000 when you factor in my Bang & Olufsen A8's)? Maybe I really am more fabulous than I previously thought.

Part Two: The Business of Mobile Porn (Continuing the Interview with Tim Vandecasteele)

2008-03-17T15:44:00.001-07:00

*Mature Content Alert, i.e. NSFW... well, just don't click on some of the links... oh, and if you're under 18, go away*

As I mentioned yesterday, Tim Vandecasteele and I chatted for one hour on Saturday, March 15. There was so much good material, I decided to make this a two part-series (click here for the first part). In this entry, we'll talk about Tim's concerns about mobile porn, legal and ethical implications, and the struggles of optimizing search engines for porn. Don't worry, tomorrow we'll be back to shorter, more digestible bits.

"iPhonePornGrid [iPG] like it is now is more of an experiment," Tim told me. "Does porn work on the iPhone?... indeed, it's super-accessible." Let's face it, of course porn works on the iPhone. It's an easy to use browser that can link to the internet via the EDGE network or any stray Wi-fi. In short, it's perfect for the lonely, computerless guy to whip up some inspiration for very portable way to get his rocks off.

But porn raises all kinds of issues. "I think Apple is afraid of [getting] a bad reputation," Tim says. "Porn is associated with spam and viruses." And, think about it: if iPhone really became a popular conduit for porn, it would make it more enticing for virus developers to create Mac viruses thus tarnishing Mac's superior reputation.

Tim also shared that only 37.69% of the visitors to iPG come through on the at&t EDGE network, meaning that a large portion are using the wifi capability, "so... it will definitely matter if iPhone has 3G." (We'll talk more about 3G in future entries.)

Mobile porn also raises concerns about minors. How do producers ensure that the phone is in the hands of not-so-impressionable eyes? Tim postures that, because iPG does not produce any content, they are able to avoid the legal red tape.

And just who are "they", the producers of iPG? Tim, age 23 and his 22 year old journalist brother. While Tim is in his last year at the University of Ghent studying electrical engineering, his brother, who has less tech experience, "uploads the content."

"The idea of iPG came because RubMyClit was such a huge success and the Google ads actually made some money," or so Tim says. "Too bad Google ads aren't allowed on porn sites-- so I went to AVN ads."

Getting money from a mobile porn site when you don't actually produce content is harder than you'd think. It's not like Tim and his brother at iPG are just middle men in a normal industry. They are running a porn site built for a mobile device. Because the iPhone display is different than a regular monitor, and because the EDGE network isn't as fast as your DSL, iPG seeks to make porn to fit the iPhone and load quicker. Tim says the average user spends 6 minutes and 23 seconds on iPG (to which my response was, naturally: "Well, that's long enough for me sometimes..."). We'll also talk more about how porn drives the development of new technologies in a future entry.

While iPG is not unique (there are many competitors you can read about on this VERY NSFW review site of mobile porn), Tim's model is a bit different from most being that they do not produce any content. "All [the] content is just from affiliate programs," meaning that users can see some content on iPG (quite a lot actually- all straight) and then decide whether to join an affiliate site. Simple enough, really.

"Actually, I want to go to some kind of paying model, but micropayments are not so easy, especially not for porn," Tim pines. By micropayments, Tim is talking about payments like "per picture or per minute instead of the pricier subscription model. "I want to make the payment quick and easy, but I haven't yet discovered the iPhone way of paying."

It's just not so easy to type all that information into the iPhone. But the alternative "micropayments" work a lot like the 900 numbers used to and how voting for American Idol used to: they partner with the phone companies who compile all the "Sir Charges" and put them on your phone bill. "In Europe we have some good SMS payment systems," Tim says. And I don't have to tell you how difficult it will be to make that case with US carriers.

So what does the future hold for iPG? Tim is looking into search optimization, but it's pretty difficult to rank on porn searches (imagining that the two best keywords for iPG would be "iPhone" and "porn", both likely already in hot contest). But Tim seems nonplussed, "In approximately one month I [made] my hosting costs back for a year. The rest are just little extras."

But to be honest, "We're actually looking into buying content of shooting content [if] feasible," Tim says. And, after all, like any guy, Tim says, "I consider shooting as a fun part, that's exactly why we're looking into it."

*I'd like to thank Tim for not only giving me an exclusive first interview, but also just being an all-around nice guy and tolerating my ridiculous line of questioning. We wish you and your brother all the best with your endeavor!*

First-ever Interview with the Man Behind the, umm, you know...

2008-03-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

*Mature Content Alert, i.e. NSFW... well, just don't click on some of the links... oh, and if you're under 18, go away*

The writer was lucky enough to convince Tim Vandecasteele to sit down for a one-hour interview over the weekend. Would you believe no one else has interviewed the man behind the next big thing in sex ed? Readers may remember Tim as the man behind "RubMyClit". In this hour-long Skype conversation, Tim mused about his inspiration behind RMC, the mathematical formula he constructed to get the girl off, and the business of running a start up mobile porn website.

Tonight, I'll summarize the RMC portion of the conversation, and tomorrow, in part two, we'll talk about Tim and his brother's foray into the mobile porn world (a.k.a. iphoneporngrid.com or iPG as I'll call it).

Tim Vandecasteele would be a true American inspiration, if he were American. This 23-year-old son of Belgium and president of the student union of engineers at the University of Ghent is every technologically-advanced frat guy's best friend.

"I was working with my iPhone and one of my friends mentioned what my stroking resembled and I started thinking how I could implement that as I found the idea very cool," Tim told me on Saturday afternoon.

I had so many questions about RMC, and Tim patiently answered them all. Wanna know who drew that amazing representation of the vagina, painted nails and all? Tim would tell you that, at first, he "took a picture, but a drawing emphasized the game element and the fun. It also made it in my eyes easier to accept." And surely, he's right-- it wouldn't be so easy for iPhone users to show their friends at the bar if they were staring into a real vagina.

Ultimately, he found a photo on flickr. "I was looking for a nicely drawn vagina that wouldn't be too shocky," Tim says. "RubMyClit is NOT porn, [it's] just a fun game." And we couldn't agree more.

Many people have asked me if this site is password protected, and the answer is no. Tim doesn't see any legal implications with the game. "If minors want to see porn, they will. And as I said, I consider RubMyClit more as anatomics than porn," he said. (We'll talk more about this tomorrow in the second part of this interview.)

And, ladies, you'll be pleased to know that Tim simplified the mysterious act of stimulating the clitoris to some mathematical formulas. "[The formulas] first react to slow strokes, and later on [to] more rude and faster ones." Tim carefully explained how the javascript application makes it possible to "make her come [sic]" on an iPhone, but almost impossible to do with your normal browser or scroll wheel.

"Everyone has the same one for now, the same speed, and the same rendering," Tim said when asked about the research or personal experience that went into the development. "It is more based on math fun than real-life experience." If only it were that simple.

And, fellow frat boys, Tim and his 22-year-old journalist brother were able to make money off of RMC with the use of GoogleAds. At its peak, after the article on BoingBoing brought RMC to the forefront, RMC was seeing upwards of 15,000 visitors per day. This success led the brothers Vandecasteele to create iPG, although the money has not yet caught up to them. "Too bad Google ads aren't allowed on porn sites," pines Tim.

What does the future hold for RMC? Well, the long-awaited SDK was finally launched, but while Tim was initially optimistic, the initial launch of SDK does not allow porn. "[Because] Steve [Jobs] doesn't want them," Tim would say.

Although RMC's visitors have declined to 300-400/day, I like to think that RMC will get its second wind as iPhone adoption increases. I'm also optimistic because I'd like to see Tim be successful-- he's just so likable and he really seems to know his audience:

"I actually thought about a male version, as I think you might enjoy that more," Tim had the audacity to say to the writer. (He was right of course). "But the gestures just don't fit."

That and the target online gamer audience (i.e. straight guys) probably wouldn't like getting a guy off. Also, let's face it, there's nothing mysterious about getting a guy off.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the second part of my interview with Tim.

UPDATE 3/17/08: Here is the second part: http://iphoneandthecity.blogspot.com/2008/03/part-two-business-of-mobile-porn.html.

The Dangers of Putting Naughty Photos on Your Phone

2008-03-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

My roommate and coworker facilitates many trainings for employees. Often, after the training, attendees come up to her to chat about things and show pictures of children, just because they think she's cool (which she is, btw).

So, one particular day, she was training a particularly attractive gentleman who wanted to show her a picture of his dog on his phone (this gentleman does not have an iPhone). Well, as usually happens, in passing the picture of his cute pup around, the backlit screen went dark.

So, when the phone ended up in my roommate's hands, she exclaimed, "Oh, the screen went dark!" at which point she just pressed a random button.

But she pressed the navigate button. That button that scrolls to the next photo. And it elicited an immediate reaction from this gentleman.

"NOOOOO..." he reached in seemingly slow motion to avoid the inevitable. Because, you see, my roommate had already seen this guy's penis. Yup, that picture you take of yourself to send to an illicit lover and vow to delete,but somehow forget to delete.

This, of course, has become the stuff of training legend at our workplace. I couldn't help but wonder how many other people have had their naughty photos accidentally exposed.

Please, Mr. Jailer, Let My Phone Go Free...

2008-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you read about the iPhone on the internet for too long, you're likely to hear another phrase thrown around a lot: "Jailbreak".

jailbreak. v. To free iPhone of the tyrannical restrictions imposed by Apple disallowing severely technical personalization of iPhone.

There are all kinds of websites out there that offer quick ways to do this that aren't reminiscent of the famed New Jersey boy who figurd out how to crack his iPhone with the soldering iron.

Users are doing this to allow applications to be placed right on their phones, but WHY? It seems so unsafe!

I'll never understand why, really, but I hate downloading music for free-- I just feel like it's going to have a virus and ruin my computer (this is probably also the same reason I pay for porn on the internet, something my friends have long chastised me for.)

So, it's only natural that I don't want to do anything to ruin my iPhone. I'm going to continue researching what it is about folks like me that keeps us reticent to unlock/jailbreak/etc the iPhone. In the meantime, I welcome any speculation.

Are Diaper Dials the New Drunk Dials For the Quarter-Life Crowd?

2008-03-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

Last year, a lot of my friends got married, so many of them now have kids. Last night, I received three consecutive calls on iPhone with no voicemail.

When I woke up this morning I immediately sent a text message to this friend just to check in and make sure everything was ok.

The text I received back was just, "Oh sorry, the baby called you last night."

This of course is a huge throw back to the undergrad days when I would wake up to three or four missed calls and a couple voicemails from drunk friends. There was something annoying yet endearing about those calls and now, with the kids, it's almost the same thing.

I'm intrigued that no one else has coined the phrase "diaper dials". (I did a quick search, but all I came up with were some references to baby monitors and babies used as sundials.)

But it is actually pretty awesome that babies can actually dial numbers. Especially mine! That baby has to scroll through to the "E's" in the contacts and then hit "send" or whatever. I can't help but wonder how advanced these babies are going to be when they grow up, I mean, after all, the most advanced technology I could use as a kid was a hippo piano.

Anyone else have any good diaper dial stories?

*note: updated 3/6 at suggestion of 4141 (see comments) Thanks!

It Was a Matter of Time

2008-02-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

*Mature Content Alert, i.e. NSFW... well, just don't click on some of the links... oh, and if you're under 18, go away*

I've been alluding to this for some time, but it's taken me a while to get the balls to actually post about it.

RubMyClit is an awesome webapp for the iPhone that turns it into an animated vagina that needs to get off. s you rub the screen (it takes some maneuvering with two fingers) the drawing gets flushed and excited and the "Horny bar" goes up and the screen tells you, "Don't stop! I'm so close." (Check out the video demo here; if you have an iPhone, check out the real deal here)

But I couldn't win. Now, I know I'm gay and all, but I love video games. This pissed me off. Surely there must be a gay version. Not sure what that would be since getting a guy off isn't near as mysterious as getting a girl off, but still. A boy can dream can't he?

The program is licensed by Creative Commons, and links to the iphoneporngrid which specializes in creating porn fit for viewing on the iPhone. I know I've mentioned the MACC before, but you can imagine that as we count down the days until Apple launches the SDK (rumor has it it will be announced next week), the porn industry is staring at the iPhone as the gateway to making truly mobile porn.

I'm curious now what kinds of mobile cyber sex sites there are. What will "iPhone sex" look like?

*Update: My friend G* and U-fabulous were both able to get the girl off, and I finished her off once too in just 3020 seconds. That sounds like decent foreplay. Look for my exclusive interview with the creator of RubMyClit on 3.14! Yay pi!*

*Update: Here is the first of my two-part interview with Tim Vandecasteele of RubMyClit fame.

With iPhone All Things Are Possible

2008-02-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

So, half the pop-culture obsessed world saw John Stewart playing on his iPhone last night at the Oscars. (You may remember, the first iPhone commercial ever debuted during last year's Oscars).

But John Stewart playing with an iPhone didn't surprise me. No, instead, it was my parents playing with my iPhone that shocked the hell out of me.

Full disclosure: both of my parents used to be drill instructors in the Marine Corps. This guy was also a drill instructor in the Marine Corps:

My parents are now in their 50's and 60's, living in Indiana, and enjoying a comfortably middle-class existence blissfully devoid of technological advancement. (For instance, my mother received notice from Verizon last year that the cell phone she purchased in 1998 for emergencies, was not going to work when the switch from analog to digital happened in 2007 and she finally had to upgrade.)

But this year has been different for my parents. They bought a new HD LCD TV. They switched to an HD cable box and some asshole salesman at Insight (the Cable company) talked them into DVR. I went home this weekend for the first time in 2008 and my dad, who has had DVR for 42 days now asked me, "So, what the heck is this D-V-R thing anyway?"

Now that the scene is set, enter iPhone. My parents think it's the coolest thing ever that I can get the internet on my phone. They love being able to access imdb to solve movie arguments, pinching the screen to zoom in, and really like googling their old friends to see if we can find them or their obituary. Sadly, they still have no idea what the internet is, or how it works.

What shocked me most was when my mom asked me if I could pull up YouTube because she wanted to see the Superbowl commercial my dad wouldn't stop talking about. (Bonus points for the reader that can guess which commercial was a big hit in my parents' house.) The creepy part is she knew what YouTube was and what we use it for.

It was interesting to see my parents getting so excited over the iPhone. My sister and I have been telling them to dump the 12 year old HP Pavillion in the basement for about 10 years now. Maybe they could upgrade to iPhones.

It's About Protection

2008-02-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Last night, my friends and I went to Princeton to see a seminary production of The Vagina Monologues. This is serendipitous/coincidental/ironic because Jewels recently introduced me to a program for the iPhone that turns the touch screen into an animated vagina which users than fondle until it gets off. I will be writing more about this once I do some research; you see, this post is about protection.

New Jersey really is a foreign place to me. I love traveling and a good adventure, but the NJT and me are not BFF. After leaving work at 5 pm, I finally arrived at the McKay Student Center at 7:59 pm just before the angry vaginas and raucous feminist priestesses took the stage. (Now, this is not a review of the show, but as a side note, it was pretty awesome.)

The real tragedy occurred at approximately 10:27 pm outside of the WaWa near the Dinky Train Station at Princeton. My sister in Indiana sent me a text that said, "We just got new phones and we have text messaging now! Thought u should know!"

My friends were all very amused at her excitement over a mobile trend that was "so five years ago" and wanted to see this message. In passing iPhone to them, it happened. A quick slip, a lot of over dramatic yelling, a dive to cushion it against the nasty puked-on (I'm sure) pavement of the WaWa and CRASH (well, it was probably more just a light scatter)-- iPhone hit the pavement and now has a dent in it.

I realize I've never named my iPhone. Hence the poll.

This brought up a discussion of iPhone protection. There are all kinds of cases out there for the iPhone and I chose to purchase this one from Waterfield Designs in green. It holds the phone, isn't too bulky, and the silky insides clean the grime off the phone in between uses. But, when the phone is out of its nest, it is raw and unprotected. Hence, there is now a dent in it.

It's hard to find the best case though when no one (read: no celebrity) is carrying the same case around. The phone was trendy enough, but who out there is brave enough to lead the world in telling us what case to buy?

Sex WITH the iPhone

2008-02-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

The writer had a rough weekend and accidentally stayed out too late on Sunday, swept up in the President's Day three-day weekend mania. Except, I actually did work today.

Late last night/early this morning, nursing my drunken state with some pizza, I flipped on Talk Sex With Sue on the Oxygen channel. I can't think of any show in the history of television that brings a bigger smile to me face. Sue does a segment called the "Hot Stuff" bag, where she reviews new sex toys.

Well, who knew they made vibrators to go with your cell phone? Sue introduced the "OhMiBod BodiTalk Escort" vibrator that will turn on whenever it picks up cell phone signals. The FCC only lets Sue go into so much detail, but I did my own research online to learn more about how it works and what it costs.

As expected, you basically just have to insert it and go about your business, with a cord attached all day. Obviously, tight clothes are out. Also, you may have trouble explaining away the wire coming out of your pants. But the real question is, exactly what kinds of cell phone signals is this picking up?

I imagine it's probably the same kind of signals that my stupid old school alarm clock picks up when my iPhone rings making these loud clicking noises that always confuse me. But, seriously, if you're out and about, and the phone rings, then what? I'd be hard- (pun fully intended) pressed to carry on idle chatter with, say, ANYONE on my CELL phone while I'm walking around the city, shopping, or on the bus.

I'd write something to sum this up, but Sue does it so well:

"The BODITALK ESCORT is a small, vibrating bullet that -as they say -”fits discretely into all the right places.” Read crotch of your panties or shorts or vagina. It is activated when you use your cell phone. Turn it on and whenever your cell phone rings, you are buzzing for the length of the call. What if it's your mother???…"

"Why do I think they are both kinda unnecessary accessories, like, really, where would you use them? At the office, driving your car, at the kid's hockey game? My testers agreed, but you decide if you can't live without them. It's not that they are bad products – they're just stupid."

If, after all that, and like me, you still want to spend the $59 on it, be my guest. Just don't answer the phone when I call and you're using it. 'K thanks.

iBand

2008-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

Gizmodo reported on this today. I have to admit this greatly appeals to that part of me that loved making music with Mario Paint on my Super Nintendo in 1995.

This new Band, calling themselves iBand, uses two apps created for the iPhone called "Pocket Guitar" and "iAno" but these can only work if you "jailbreak" your iPhone (which voids the warranty, requires skills and knowledge, and kills a puppy).

Imagine how annoying this will become when the SDK comes out And everyone can add this to their iPhone. I am picturing a whole new era of street performers and upscale beggers. But I guess "iPaint Bucket and Trash Can Drums" will need to be created first.

The Power of NOW: Mobile Dating Part 1 of ...

2008-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

*Mature Content Alert, i.e. NSFW... well, just don't click on some of the links... oh, and if you're under 18, go away*

The way I see it, the iPhone should be a lot further along than it is when it comes to online dating, social networking, and, well casual sex.

There are all kinds of mobile or WAP sites for the various dating sites like Match and even JDate, but all of these are just portals to existing content and profiles that doesn't enhance the user experience save for a bit more "real-time" winking and flirting.

However, I require a bit more urgency. And I have high standards for technology. I'm still shocked when I realize a website doesn't have the functionality I expect it to.

A scan of iPhone webapps in the Social Networking category left me incredibly disappointed. Same old, same old . Looking around some of the leading online dating blogs (Collaboradate and the Online Dating Post) promised that 2008 would be the year that mobile dating really takes off in the US.

But seriously, how could there not be a site that takes advantage of the easy-to-use iPhone and alerts potential dates/one-night stands that I'm not only their type, but that I'm also in the same bar as they are?!?

And then I discovered iPling. For one week now, the writer has been a member of iPling. It was a new program and so I assumed it was all about hooking up. I should have known something was up when I went to join and it asked me to check the box to confirm that I was at least 13 before proceeding. Uh-oh.

When I finally figured out how to register, iPling's loose GPS system recognized my Queens address as some place in Iowa (save it all you Queens haters). When I repositioned myself in Manhattan's West Village, I had some more luck. iPling started in San Francisco and is a very new webapp that takes after the popularity of Japanese and European mobile dating/social networking phenomena.

The idea with iPling is that users can find locals in their area who share interest and meet up. I figured this meant casual sex, too. And I wasn't alone...

The interface was nearly impossible to understand and navigate. When it told me I had three words to describe myself I chose "gay, 25, single" just to make sure I got the important stuff out there right away. After I sorted out my profile (btw-- there's no way to post a picture, probably the most obvious drawback of this new program), I could look at the other people who matched my profile in the area. There were 8 on the entire island of Manhattan. Either I had discovered the next big thing or this was the lamest program ever.

Once you see someone you like, you can "Pling" them, which means you send an anonymous text message to their phone alerting them that you're nearby. Problem was, I "Plinged" three women (there was no way to tell otherise) asking them if they were looking to meet up. I know it sounds gross, but I was a.) researching for you, the readers and b.) mislead by what I hoped was another hookup site.

I never received any responses to my outgoing Plings. I left my profile up and active all week and on three occasions I received anonymous text Plings:

They all came from the number "320-75" from users with names like "njdog" and "odnam". iPling let me know that odnam was only 1.28 miles away from me (Njdog was a whopping 29.04 miles away presumably in NJ.) Both users seemed as confused as I was. Another difficult part was that I couldn't just click "respond" to the anonymous text, I had to start the response with a bizarre code like "ipling 2DVTG2." Not very convenient, user friendly, or even fun.

So, with the 13 year old disclaimer in mind, I quickly decided to change my profile to a G-rated one and wait until the real pioneers figure out how to make this site more user-friendly. I am pretty sure sites like this will become more user-friendly when the SDK is unleashed in an upcoming firmware upgrade.

Up next, I continue this foray into the annals of mobile dating and mobile adult content by introducing you all to the MACC.

IDK What An SDK Is

2008-02-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

Since I've bought my iPhone, I've dealt with a lot of more tech-savvy folks telling me that they "would get an iPhone, but I'm waiting for it be more customizable." I have to admit that I only vaguely knew what that meant-- I mean, I've been pretty up front with the fact that I only bought the iPhone because it looked good, not because I actually understood anything about it.

It wasn't until I started IATC that I actually started to learn about all the cool things that iPhone could do. For instance, when the software update 1.1.3 came about, I only noticed that I now had the ability to send text messages to multiple recipients (thank God!), yet I somehow missed the fact that Maps on the iPhone now came with a limited GPS capability. (And by limited, I mean that I can basically locate myself on the Map within about .5 miles.)

But there is all the talk about the SDK coming down the road. SDK stands for Software Development Kit, which basically allows people to create applications for the iPhone home screen. This is kind of like when Facebook starting allowing people to personalize applications and develop all kinds of stupid programs like "My Heroes Ability." Currently, on iPhone we can only use the basic 10 programs (like calculator and maps) and then any web-based applications or Webapps that sites create (like the Facebook one). Webapps are a big part of the mobile dating series I am preparing, so keep a look out for them.

All of the new Apple and iPhone blogs I've discovered in my character study of the iPhone have revealed that everyone is expecting some kind of big announcement about the SDK at the end of February. I am certainly not the one to have the inside scoop but I'd be interested to see what kinds of advancements are made with porn and mobile dating on the iPhone when these potentially easier to promote and use iPhone programs make their long-awaited debut.

Defriending

2008-02-10T20:59:00.001-08:00

So, I'm still on the iPhone commercial kick. This time it involves the Facebook craze.

An interesting conundrum arose today while I was out at a late lunch and gay bingo. (NOTE: That link I found was one of the top ten things that popped up in a Google Image search for "Gay Bingo". Was she a prize? It reminds me of Ralphie's present from Aunt Clara in A Christmas Story.)

I recently broke up with my boyfriend of about four months. We obviously spent the Halloween and Christmas/New Year's party circuit together and met several of each other's friends. Some of whom we've since friended on Facebook. (Actually, I think only he friended my friends, I don't seem to have any of his in my circle.) Our breakup was pretty uneventful (for me) and amicable (still sad), but it begs the question: should my friends still be friends with him?

There is a new word that has come in to vogue with the advent of social networking. Although not recognized by Webster and his friends, it certainly cuts right to the chase.

Defriend. vt. To invalidate a friendship. "I defriended Eddie because he slept with my boyfriend." see also the most recent episode of Degrassi.

I'll admit I was disappointed in the lack of definitive authorities on this matter in the world wide web. Fear not, the writer has since spent a solid 2 hours of his Sunday surfing search results pages, stumbling upon outdated foreign blogs, and watching Talk Sex With SueJo.

The answers seem to vary:
A friend at dinner (mid 30's, straight male, Austrian ex-pat) believes that, in this case, only the person who requested the friendship connection should end it. This is similar to the old phone etiquette rule that he or she who initiates the call should also end it.

Another friend (mid 20's, confused male, starving artist) said he didn't really mind staying friends with my ex. After all, my ex is a nice guy. I also think this particular friend likes to count his friends.

A great post that touched vaguely on this dilemma spoke from the affected ex's perspective. I have to admit, it would kind of suck to get dumped and then watch the number of friends you have on Facebook drop by double digits.

Taking all of this into consideration, here's my hard and fast rule about defriending:
1. Anyone who pisses you off should be defriended immediately.
2. Anyone who commits a grevous offense to a close friend gets defriended no questions asked.
3. Anyone who you haven't stalked, seen, spoken to, chatted with, or thought about in over a year should be defriended during one of those odd days when you're just cleaning our your profile and realize you still list "Desperate Housewives" as one of your favorite shows.

So, take my poll and let me know what YOU think.

Of course, when in doubt, just don't friend them in the first place. I rarely accept friend requests from people I hardly know. (Which is, of course, a huge double standard considering my behavior on other less social and more carnal networking sites.)

Big thanks to the following sites that have helped prepare this post:
Jure Cuhalev
The Slate
Facebook Etiquette (clearly posted by the worst kind of man)

***Stay Tuned!***

The writer has been steadfastly researching iPhone mobile dating technology platforms and selflessly putting himself out there in the cyber dating world just to give you, the reader, the real story on this emerging topic. Look for a series of articles on the subject coming soon!

Serendipity is More Than Just a Tourist Trap

2008-02-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

You should know the writer works at JetBlue. This typically wouldn't be brought up here at iPhone and the City, but, once again, within the same week I start my blog, worlds collide, and this happens:

It's a great commercial and all, and after watching this, I couldn't help but think about how much iPhone has really positioned itself to a mobile market:

Of course, paying attention to sexy news sources like The Consumerist, I found that stupid commericals like that one only yield the following results:

On one of the frequent-flier blogs, an airline pilot writes that only moments after informing his passengers of a weather-related ground hold affecting their flight to Memphis, Tenn., he and his captain received a call from one of the flight attendants. Seems an iPhone-wielding customer in the back had a challenge. "Some guy with an iPhone says the weather is good," the flight attendant says, "and wants to know what the real reason is for the delay. Is something wrong with the plane?

Reportedly, the captain responded with a public address announcement that was sharp enough to elicit audible laughter from the cabin.

"If the passenger with the iPhone would be kind enough," he began, "to use it to check the weather at our alternate airport, then calculate our revised fuel burn due to being rerouted, then call our dispatcher to arrange our amended release, then make a call to the nearest traffic control center to arrange a new slot time (among all the other aircraft carrying passengers with iPhones), we'll then be more than happy to depart. Please ring your call button to advise the flight attendant and your fellow passengers when you deem it ready and responsible for this multimillion-dollar aircraft and its 84 passengers to safely leave."

The full article is here.

At the end of the day, I couldn't help but wonder if the iPhone was making an already demanding and increasingly bitchy techno-fashionista even worse.

Size Matters

2008-02-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

It's fitting that on that day I launch this blog, Steve Jobs tries to outscoop me by announcing that he's making a bigger and better 16GB iPhone:

Apple Doubles iPhone Capacity (CNET).

Ever since I bought my iPhone, everything seems to have become a compeition. I have to be cooler, faster and trendier. Before my conversion, I was a resigned, uninterested and otherwise unengaged consumer of emerging mobile technologies who owned a RAZR and was quite content, thank you very much. Now, it seems every time we're out and my iPhone makes an appearance, it's greeted with "Oh, someone has an iPhone, well now..." Hell, even my ex-boyfriend ended up getting an iPhone shortly before we broke up, in what my shrink has since described as a last-ditch attempt to bring us closer. (!)

When I think back to why I bought my iPhone, I realize I was either:
(a) suffering intense iPhone envy of any myriad of the hot guys I saw carrying one or...
(b) so desperate to be connected that I didn't want to miss out on the next big thing.

Everything about the iPhone involves competition and size. In a matter of months, the bigger iPhone was the clear favorite, the smaller 4 GB was discontinued and its small owners emasculated forever just for having the smallest iPhone. When I was shopping for cases/protection for my iPhone, I saw the words "girth" and "thickness" used freely on packaging. The MacBook Air is the world's thinnest laptop. Look at the Mac and PC guys. You can either be unattractive, middle aged and round, or hot, scruffy, and dark-featured. No need to go into the size issue here.

So, the iPhone really got bigger so that Apple can capitalize on the video feature it launched in software update 1.1.3 that finally added the functionality that users were looking for. I haven't really embraced the movie feature yet, but it's only a matter of time, right?

When it comes to the competition for size, I couldn't help but wonder, does Apple want to be bigger and better or just smaller, faster and a whole lot cuter?