All Entries Tagged With: "Apple"

Windows Mobile and Mac Play Nice with Eltima SyncMate

SyncMate

One of the biggest reasons that I’ve always strayed from Windows Mobile devices such as the Palm Treo or HTC Touch was their inability to easily sync calendar appointments, contacts, and tasks with my MacBook.  Thankfully, Eltima Software has delivered an easy to use solution.  For the past week I have been using Eltima’s SyncMate, a product designed to allow your Windows Mobile device to easily sync with Mac OS X.  SyncMate allows me to stay organized between two different devices.

The first thing you’ll notice when starting SyncMate is the prompt to check for updates.  I’m a firm believer that good software is continually improved with minor fixes or updates.  When SyncMate loads, an easy to navigate user interface appears in true Mac fashion.  A menu bar on the left allows users to quickly select which items they would like to sync with their Windows Mobile device.  Compared to other syncing solutions, SyncMate’s strengths are in its streamlined interface and quick syncing options.

The Main SyncMate Screen

The first SyncMate screen to appear provides simple instructions for syncing, and it allows for the option to sync via USB or Wi-Fi, a handy addition for Wi-Fi enabled Windows Mobile devices.  SyncMate allows users to sync expected items like contacts, calendar appointments, and notes, but other programs like iPhoto and iTunes can be synced as well.

Another nice syncing option is the ability to sync folders.  SyncMate allows multiple folders to be synced between your Mac and your Windows Mobile device.  This is great for people on the go that like to have a backup or mirror of several folders.  Whether it’s a few important word documents, or your favorite photos, SyncMate makes sure your files are shared between your computer and your mobile device.  Other syncing options include syncing bookmarks in Internet Explorer on your device with the bookmarks from Safari.  An SMS manager allows you to edit and create text messages on your Mac and share then with your PDA or phone.

Another difficulty Mac users encounter when they use a Windows Mobile device is installing new software.  SyncMate allows users to easily drag-and-drop applications into the SyncMate menu to install new software.  This easy installation feature allows novice users to install applications just a few clicks.

$39.95 may seem a little pricey to some, but a free version of SyncMate allows you to sync basic information.  Upgrading to expert allows users to experience folder, iPhoto, and iTunes syncronization among other advanced options. This chart breaks down the differences between the free and expert versions.  SyncMate is compatible with OS X 10.4 and higher.  The SyncMate site also features a complete list of supported Windows Mobile 5 & 6 PDAs and Smartphones.  Syncmate is an excellent syncing solution that is easy for novice users but provides powerful syncing choices for those requiring advanced options.

Netbookers Driving Me Crazy with OSX

I’ve pretty much decided that I’m not going down the Netbook route. I just don’t think I’m the market they are after. That said, I’ve been following Kevin Tofel, Dan at Uneasy Silence, and a few others who have successfully installed Apple’s OSX on the MSI Wind, the Eee PC, and now the Dell Mini-9, and it is getting my geek curiosity up. For those not afraid of breaking licensing agreements it looks like we’ve got instructions, a modified install version, and patches to get some basics like WiFi working all floating around.

Strangling the Golden Goose

Mobile is all about getting the Internet in your pocket these days. It appears for some of the major players who are driving the scene it is all about picking customers pockets as well. Apple has led the charge with its iPhone and now that T-Mobile, Google, and HTC have announced the G1, the first handset featuring Google’s Android, there is another big player in the game. Of course the other OEMs and Telcos are still in their fighting for their piece of the pie.

Sales figures on the iPhone 3G are eye-popping, even more so given the problems it has had since it launched. Anticipation is high for whatever Android will see usher into the market over the next period of time. Everybody should be happy, but there are, to my mind, some self inflicted wounds that these companies are dealing with, that while they may not slow down momentum, tell me that they really don’t see the long view. This is analogous to the moves toward capping regular broadband and tiered broadband.

Apple’s way of wrapping its hands around the neck of the golden goose is how it is administering its vaunted App Store. We’ve seen two reports of applications being rejected because they offer functionality similar to Apple’s own apps. One of these developers has publicly said he’ll take his app to the Android platform and good for him. But now Apple is reminding developers that even rejection letters are under NDA and they can’t talk about it. Give me a break. That’s control fascism style, and yes I know that term applies more to government than to business, but it works in this case. In my opinion, and that of many others, Apple’s penchant for secrecy is what led to many of the woes with its iPhone 3G, MobileMe, and App Store releases. But when the dollars are rolling in, it is hard to change bad habits. Let’s not mention here that AT&T’s 3G network is so obviously not ready for the volume of iPhones that are now using it, even though users are paying for that service. All the stuff class action lawsuits are made of.

Now T-Mobile, fresh in the bright lights of the G1 announcements, looks like it wants to eat from the stupid and greedy pie as well. After publicly proclaiming a $179 price for existing users, T-Mobile is hearing it from some of those existing users who are discovering that this only applies to those who are eligible for an upgrade due to how long they’ve been under contract. James Kendrick has a good piece on this about his experience. T-Mobile also forgot to mention a little tidbit that will become a big gotcha as well, I’m predicting. T-Mobile is playing with the English language and the word “Unlimited” in ways that others have before.  But if you look at the fine print, your access can’t exceed 1GB of bandwidth a month. If you do, you can be throttled back to 50kbps.

Om Malik had a post calling for help in creating a BroadBand Bill of Rights the other day. That’s a good call and I support that. But I’d much rather see us enforce some concepts that we already have on the books like deceptive advertising and perpetrating fraud. Unlike those who think it is acceptable to redefine words, I use those in the sentence above with the full and distinct value of their meaning.

We all know how unscrupulous these companies can be, and we are disappointed when they show those despicable faces. But somehow we keep paying the piper and feeding the greedy behavior. It is just a shame that while their innovations offer such promise for the future, their robber baron like business practices show that we haven’t really advanced at all.

The MSI Wind and OSX

I guess this is indicative of all the questions that get answered with “because I can.” Seamonkey as been pushing the license restriction envelope and also some fun with the MSI Wind lately. First he showed off a video with the MSI Wind triple booting running Apple’s OSX, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Now he’s showing off the MSI Wind running VMWare’s Fusion on OSX in which he’s running Windows. A couple of caveats here. Seamonkey has upped the RAM on the device and he’s using a USB WiFi dongle because, well, OSX doesn’t recognize the WiFi card in the Wind.

Side Note: I did the update to VMWare’s Fusion 2.0 yesterday on my iMac and it working like a charm.

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MobileMe Users To Get Another 60-Day Extension

Apple’s MobileMe woes continue and so do the extensions for customers who purchased the service. Yesterday, Apple announced that customers would receive an additional 60–day extension of the MobileMe service they paid $99 for. This is on top of the 30–day extension already granted. Touted as Exchange for the rest of us, MobileMe promises file syncing across devices and platforms and obviously needs some major work before it is ready for prime time.

This news came at about the same time that Apple released a firmware update for the iPhone and iPod Touch taking it to version 2.0.1. While there is no official word, there are reports that the update has fixed some of 3G connection issues that some users were experiencing, while others are saying they see no difference. (I know Matt Faulkner reported that on his iPhone the reception in his house went from 3 bars to 5 after the update. I’m not in a 3G supported area, so it is tough to tell if there is any improvement here.)  As is typical (and just plain silly), Apple doesn’t say anything specific about what the update was targeted to fix beyond a generic “bug fixes,” leaving users to guess what they are looking for.

There is also word that a beta of a 2.1 update is circulating prior to a September release, and that this update will pull the Push notification framework.

GBM Shortcut: The iPhone as a Flashlight

In this GottaBeMobile Shortcut, I take a brief look at three free flashlight applications for the iPhone/iTouch. 

Verdict:  These flashlight applications are handy to have even if they aren’t as good as the real thing.

App Stores and Mobile Devices: A Siren’s Call or a Candy Store?

The news is full today of the apparent and unsurprising success of Apple’s App Store, raking in over $30 million in a month. That news is also rounded out by some other commentary that wonders just how many of those apps people are really using once they’ve downloaded them, and where the real killer apps are hiding.

Couple this news with word from the Washington Post this weekend that T-Mobile is looking to open its own App Store, and it looks like once again Steve Jobs has shifted the dynamic. Although I think we are far and away from knowing what that shift really means beyond the fact that easy, over the air access to applications are a major attraction. (Even though many still counsel that the best way to prevent crashes on an iPhone is to download or update apps from your computer and sync them over.)

I’ve limited myself to the apps I’ve downloaded and they are mostly for specific purposes, not just because they are cool. Do I use them daily? Nope. But I use them as frequently as I did the apps on my Windows Mobile device when I need to accomplish a task.

Many have felt the siren’s call and gone download crazy whenever we get a shiny new device. And many in turn, have felt that enthusiasm fade when we realize it is time to put the device to work. And then comes that inevitable day when you go looking through your start menu or applications and wonder why in the world you ever downloaded this or that app. I don’t think that is any different in this circumstance, nor will it be in the future.

If anything this feeds on a geek lust that already exists, and like all lusty appetites it will fade with time. After all, how many flashlight apps or tip calculators does one really need?

Right Hand Meet the Left Hand: Apple Consumers Get Slapped

Apple has had an interesting month since its launch of the new iPhone, the App Store, and MobileMe. MobileMe is an admitted “work in progress” that costs users $99 a year to participate in. The new iPhone is showing some cracks, (literally and figuratively), while selling like crazy even with inventory problems. But up until now, the App Store was getting by with generally good reviews, even with some bugginess and issues; some of which seem to have been resolved with a new firmware update.

But now it looks like Apple might have bitten off more than it can chew in the App Store as well. From my vantage point I see two problems. First, Apple’s secrecy, and penchant for hiding behind closed walls, is leading to confusion among consumers trying to purchase apps, as well as the developers who create them. Second, Apple’s DRM legacy, apparently has reared its ugly head, just as Apple promised it would when it came to the App store. Apple is now in the process of removing apps remotely  that don’t adhere to some standards from iPhones. Take for example the the legend of NetShare. It has led a short and colorful life as an iPhone app. This application that allowed users to tether their laptop to their iPhone was available, then not available, then available again, without even the developers receiving a clue from Apple as to what was going on. Now it appears that NetShare, and any other app that doesn’t live up to some standards set by Apple, can be remotely removed from your device after you’ve purchased it. The jury is still out if you receive an automatic credit for this, or you have to run the support gauntlet to get your dough back.

The right hand just doesn’t know what the left hand is doing here and consumers and developers are caught in the middle of what is looking more and more like a 3 Stooges slap fest. Apple prides itself on its control of things. Remember that’s why in the beginning they didn’t want 3^rd party stuff on the original iPhone, it was all about control. OK, great. Control things. But, er… um.. if you’re going to control things, don’t let offending applications make it into your store in the first place. Seems simple, right? I would think so. But apparently Apple is either too swamped to do this in some sane fashion, or just doesn’t care. Either way it is no way to run a railroad.

The bottom line here is this. Apple has a good, no great, thing going. Whether through sloppiness or design they are in the process of mucking it up.

UPDATE: It appears the article I linked to has been updated and that Terry White has said the disappearance of NetShare may have been removed due to “bad timing.” OK, fair enough. I think the larger point still remains though. Apple stated up front when they launched the App store that they could in fact remove an app if it misbehaved. Those are ther rules if you want to play. But, who defines misbehavior and when? Apple? AT&T? And why can’t that get defined before loading an app into the App Store in the first place? Again, right hand, left hand.

Have A Great iPhone/iTouch App Idea?

The investment firm of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) is offering up to $100 million to iPhone and iTouch developers that come up with innovative and transformative applications for the iPhone platform.  The investment opportunity, the iFund Initiative, offers money to potential developers regardless of their stage of development.  The FAQ says that KPCB believes the success of the iPhone/iTouch will ignite a new wave of mobile Internet innovation and provide opportunities that are equal to or greater than the PC Internet.  According to the iFund Initiative website, Pelago Inc. is the first company to obtain financial backing, and their application, Whrrl, is now available through the App Store.  Here are a few other bits of info:

• The iFund is open to individuals and companies outside the US.
• They will invest at least $100 million and will come up with additional funds if necessary.
• Applications should be succinct, detailed, and well-written.
• KPCB will reply to application submissions within at least 2 weeks.

Fill out an application to get started.

Photo credit: William Hook

MobileMe Users Get 30 Days Extension Due To Launch Woes

If you’re a MobileMe user who got caught up in the problems around the launch of Apple’s revamp of .Mac, then Apple is saying they are sorry and extending your contract by 30 days. You are eligible if you had a .Mac account active as of July 9, or you purchased the service on or before July 15, 2008 at 7:00pm PDT. (That’s being specific.)

I’ve tried out the MobileMe service only briefly and am looking forward to giving it more of a go once I have the time. Any other GBM users working with MobileMe? Let us know how it is going.

Check out the details at this link.

Better Touch for the iPhone

One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone and iPod Touch are difficulties mastering the touch interface.  Although the touch interface is very easy to operate with your finger, Apple could do more to improve its functionality.  AppleInsider has learned of new patents that suggest Apple might implement fingernail recognition into their future touch interfaces.  The ability to recognize fingernail contact could provide better interaction and possible use of a stylus.

Your friends at Ten One Designs feel the same way, and they’ve come up with a solution to this problem.  They have developed the Pogo Stylus, a stylus crafted specifically for the iPhone’s touch interface.  The Pogo Stylus sells for $24.00 USD and is fully compatible with the new iPhone 3G.  Ten One Designs also offers a service called PogoNotes, a free webapp note taking service.  Although the Pogo Stylus might have potential, it doesn’t take full advantage of inking capabilities without software like Sketches.

Click here to check out Rob’s early impressions with Sketches on the iPhone.

Would you use a stylus with the iPhone or iTouch?

Mobile (Oh My Oh!)Me - Initial Experiences With Exchange For The Rest Of Us

In my opinion, the bigger story coming out of Apple’s June event was MobileMe - offering Exchange-like functionality to the every-day user. Who better to bring some insight into this new offering than one of their targeted customers.  Gary Harrision, a good friend and long-time GBM reader, has been digging deep in to MobileMe over the past several days and has authored this guest review for us:

- Gary Harrison

Like many computer users (especially Mac users), I spent Friday hovering over my web browser, anxiously awaiting the release of the software update for my iTouch, and the roll out of MobileMe, billed as “Exchange for the rest of us”. What are my first impressions?

In a word, mixed. For context, I need to mention that I’m a typical Apple user. Although I have a lot of experience in the computer world, I’ve come to the point where I want computers to, “just work.” That’s a big selling feature of the Apple world, and it’s what moved me to embrace it a number of years ago. By and large, Apple delivers on that promise. In my line of work, I live off a tablet (HP TC1100), I develop curriculum and multimedia on my MacBook, and I have an iTouch that I use primarily as a PDA. When Apple announced MobileMe, I thought, “Right, finally I can have all my data tired together seamlessly!” Did the experience match reality? Not entirely.

First, a word to the wise. NEVER try to do anything Apple on the same day they roll out a major iPhone update. Others have reported on the difficulties they had on getting iPhones activated, iTouches updated, and MobileMe’s installed. After trying for a while on Friday, I decided it wasn’t worth the effort, and waited till the evening.

Later that day, I got MobileMe working on my Mac. Apple suggests that it works best with Leopard (10.5), but does work with Tiger (10.4). I have Tiger, and discovered that, with Leopard, you get a new “MobileMe” app, but with Tiger you have to depend on Sync Services, which I’ve always found a bit clunky. However, logging in to my newly converted “.Mac” account, I found a great looking, Exchange-like web interface – speedy and easy to navigate. Score one for Apple! I checked on my MobileMe online calendar, and it was up and ready to go, although it did have a couple of “doubled” entries. I don’t know why they were there, but they were easily fixed. However, when I headed over to my Address Book, they whole system hung, and I was left watching the infamous “spinning wheel”. Two games of Solitaire later, the wheel was still spinning, and Safari was unresponsive, so I forced quit. Score one for the gremlins.

In the process, I’d discovered one glaring difference between Exchange and MobileMe. With Exchange, the process is seamless – every time I log in on my Mac, Entourage connects to the Exchange server, and I’m updated. MobileMe seems to update (push) on a preset time table – 15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc. You can choose, and while waiting 15 minutes for the “push” is not a problem, it just doesn’t feel as seamless as I anticipated it should (remember, I’m in the, “I want it to just work” camp!).

Updating my iTouch the next day, I found that with only a few setting adjustments, MobileMe was up and running. Expectantly, I made a change in the iTouch calendar, and waited for it to update…and waited…and waited. The update finally worked its way to my Mac the next day, whereupon I was given the choice of which event I wanted to use – the existing one or the updated one. I suppose that’s a good safeguard, but I had anticipated that the latest calendar change would have automatically taken precedence. At that point I could see a learning curve ahead of me!

It’s when I brought my TC1100 into the system that things got interesting. After updating iTunes, I had a MobileMe icon in my Control Panel. With anticipation, I initiated the session, and logged in. The first thing I checked was the iDisk application, and found the interface easy to use and convenient. I tested it by uploading a one page Word document to my iDisk, and was surprised by the return of the spinning wheel. One game of Freecell later, the document appeared in my iDisk. Ditto for the second attempt. Admittedly, my HP isn’t a speed demon, but I as hoping for a bit faster response (and I am on a fast network at home). However, it worked, and it has made accessing my iDisk from my tablet a lot simpler than it previously was.

Now was the time for the final test. I live and die by my calendar, and I really wanted my Outlook and iCal to be in sync. After backing up my .PST folder, I initiated the link. In just a few minutes, it worked…sort of! This was not the fault of MobileMe, but of my understanding of the system. My iCal is set up with a number of calendars of different colors, which are similar to Outlooks categories. I have one for my major client, one for my office, one for my church, one for the amateur radio club to which I belong, etc. When all of these are published under the general title of “Publish”, they merge into a single calendar on the web, so that clients can check for my available dates I assumed something similar would happen with the sync. Wrong! To my horror, after the sync, my one Outlook calendar was empty, to be replaced by about nine separate calendars, each of which contained only their own respective data. Restoring the .PST folder got me back to where I needed to be, but I could see I needed to rethink my strategy. This was not a fault of MobileMe, but rather a fault of my implementation. Score two for the learning curve component.

I can see I’ll have to live with MobileMe for a bit to fully understand and implement it, and quite honestly, that may be more work than I want. Being in the “I just want it to work” camp can set up for some unrealistic expectation with computers. Apple sets a high bar with their fully integrated OS/hardware and MobileMe is a new adventure for them, so I suspect it will take a while for the kinks to work through the system. While I’ve barely scratched the surface of what MobileMe can do (e-mail, for example) I’m going to need to rethink my whole approach to this “Exchange for the rest of us”. But then, that’s the grist for another review!

Gary is the head of a leadership development organization that helps pastors and churches work with greater impact. A former pastor, he has been using computers since the Commodore Vic-20. His first mobile device was a Tandy Model 100 (which he still has) and fondly remembers 300 baud CompuServe internet. He’s married to Marie and they have one wonderful cat. They live in central Wisconsin.

Review: MobileMe vs Exchange, a Users Perspective

Those interested in a layman’s view of the difference between MobileMe and Exchange should checkout this review by GBM forum member NutsnBolts.

Another GBM reader is working up a detailed comparison from a user’s perspective, so stay tuned for more insight.

iTab - Another Mac Tablet Into The Mix

We’ve seen a few before, and Rob did a few videos with the ModBook, but this one on Engadget is a very interesting spin on the whole "Mac Tablet" idea.  Wei of Weistudio has taken a Wacom Intuos tablet and shoved a MacBook inside (not really but just about).

Very well done!

(Site must be getting slammed form Engadget, but here is the image and Link for when it’s back up)

Is Apple ever going to make one of these for real???

MobileMe Launches

For those looking for an alternative to hosted Exchange, Apple just launched MobileMe ( Me.com ) and it looks like a very good alternative. It syncs your Outlook / Mac PIM data to the MobileMe service for syncing with other PCs or Macs. This is not a Mac only solution.

Now your email, contacts, calendars can get synced across multiple devices for just $99 per year or $149 for a family account. Check it out and report back. I’m aware of at least one reader who will be doing a comparison for us of hosted Exchange and MobileMe.

Update: Well, that didn’t last too long. MobileMe is currently down. Check back later if you were having trouble accessing it.

Thanks for the heads up, Engadget