Rant: I think I now hate my iPhone 3G

I can’t relate with my buddy Joel over at Geek.com on his rants since I decided not to buy the 3G variety of the iPhone. I do have the original 8GB iPhone with 2.02 running on it. I keep putting it away to try other devices, then Apple releases another bug fix, so I fire it back up. I have used it 60% of the time since the new software that allowed me to use Microsoft Exchange 2007 was released. Well, Joel dove in and bought the 3G iPhone and from earlier impressions, he liked it. Now, he seems to be changing his toon a tad…

When I first reviewed the iPhone 3G I couldn’t say enough good things about it. I even recommended that existing owners of the iPhone upgrade to it. After a little over a month of ownership, though, I’m contemplating getting rid of mine. My reasons are below.

Head over to Geek.com to see his reasoning, but I will say that out of his issues, the battery life issue is the only one we share. I attribute the poor battery times I get to constant incoming email via Microsoft Exchange. I know I could adjust some settings, but I don’t want to limit Exchange’s ability to get my email to me in a hurry.

Are iPhone 3Gs developing cracks?

Cracks?  It appears to be so based on a post from Engadget Mobile.  There appears to be a series of hairline cracks that are appearing on Apple’s new iPhone 3G. Some think it may be just on the White model but it is more likely that it just shows better on that model, Black would hide it better.  Although it does not have an affect on the usability of the device, it may well end up being a big issue for Apple.

Do you have an iPhone 3G?  Are you seeing any of these tiny fractures?

There is some discussion here at MacRumors forum and here at Apple Discussions

Need Extra Power for that NEW iPhone?

So is battery life a concern for you with that new iPhone? Here is an inexpensive solution from mobile.brando.com.hk

Charge the power station by your USB cable. Plug the power station to your iPhone to charge your iPhone at any time and any where.

Features:

• Test button (for checking the power station’s current capacity
• Animated LED indicator
• Capacity: 1000mAh
• Input: 5V/500mA
• Output: 5V/400mA (max)

Colors:

• White
• Black

MySpace Mobile Application for the iPhone

Getting a new iPhone?  Here is something you can get from MySpace to move through your MySpace network.  Social networking website MySpace announces a highly integrated new MySpace Mobile experience customized and available via the Apple App Store.

The free MySpace mobile application for the iPhone empowers users to seamlessly traverse their MySpace global network on-the-go and boasts key features including instant photo uploading from the iPhone to a MySpace profile. The new MySpace Mobile application is specially designed for the portable screen of the iPhone. This video gives you a demonstration of the Myspace Mobile application for the Apple iPhone.

Should you buy the new iPhone?

I suppose that is a question that current users are asking as well as potential new adopters.  Walt Mossberg from WSJ.com has some very interesting thoughts that you should read if the new iPhone is in your radar.  Battery life and overall cost has to be a consideration and Walt seemed to hit those nails very hard. 

There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.

Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc., has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.

Check out his thoughts here at WSJ.com

The iPhone 3G is coming … Friday

So are you thinking about the iPhone 3G?  Do you know where you can buy it?  You can locate a store near you where you can purchase your iPhone and find out what you need to bring with you by clicking on this link. If you’re new to AT&T, for example, you’ll need your current wireless account number and password.

iPhone 3G syncs with many applications on your Mac or PC. So if you organize your contacts, calendars, music, photos, and other information now, you’ll be ready to sync when you get your iPhone home. Learn more on how to get ready.

 

• Contacts and CalendarsiPhone syncs with iCal and Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, with Outlook on a PC, and with Yahoo! Address Book and Google Contacts on the web.
• EmailiPhone works with the most popular email systems—including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and MobileMe. And iTunes syncs the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC.
• PhotosiPhone uses iTunes to sync photos from iPhoto on a Mac, or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC.
• Music and VideoIf you don’t have the latest version of iTunes, download it now and start a music and video library.
• iTunes AccountIf you don’t have an iTunes Store account, set one up now by downloading iTunes, selecting the iTunes Store, and clicking the Sign In button in the upper-right corner.

3G iPhone In-Store Activation Explained

Looks like the supposed procedure for the launch of the 3G iPhone has been anonymously posted to an online discussion forum according to a post from Gear Diary.

Included is a link to what is said to be an advanced version of iTunes v7.6.3b4 that will allow the stores to “unbrick” the iPhones for in store activation. Apparently the new version of iTunes 7.7 due to be released on July 11 will include this activation mode.

If you are interested, there are a few launch week rules that you might want to check out here at Gear Diary

iPhone Update … No tethering allowed

Well this is certainly a bummer for those that were expecting to take advantage of their new iPhone’s capabilities. 

With the iPhone 3G’s significantly faster data transfer rates and ability to perform voice and data functions simultaneously, potential buyers have become intoxicated with the idea of tethering the device: using it as a cellular modem for laptops — a service AT&T and other carriers offer for many other portable phones. iPhone Atlas has learned, however, that AT&T will not be offering tethering capabilities for the iPhone 3G.

Check out the story here at iPhone Atlas

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GolfFlyover -10,000 Golf Courses for the Apple iPhone 3G

Are you getting an iPhone 3G?  Are you a golfer?

Now you can now get a leg up on their golf game anytime, anywhere thanks to over 10,000 golf course layouts specifically designed for the new Apple iPhone 3G by GolfFlyover, LLC

Just in time for the launch of the new Apple’s iPhone 3G in July www.GolfFlyover.com will have a remarkable 10,000 golf courses fully mapped out from tee to green. This is in addition to their already amazingly realistic 3-D flyovers.    

From the tee to the green, golf course flyovers and layouts give iPhone users an in-depth view of all holes by displaying the distance and layouts in order to accurately measure and plan shots. All course information is provided free of charge with no membership needed to view the courses.

GolfFlyover is creating hundreds of new flyovers every week. In just a few months GolfFlyover expects to have every golf course in America fully mapped out. That is more than 18,000 courses.
Also new to GolfFlyover is their Google Earth 3D plugin for the web browser. Golfflyover one of the pioneering companies to take full advantage of this new plugin technology from Google. Downloading and installing Google Earth is a thing of the past. Simply visit their flyover web page and install a Google’s simple plugin and take full advantage of all Google Earth features inside your web browser.

In addition to the new flyover feature, GolfFlyover.com offers information on the country’s top golf destinations, the PGA Tour, vacation packages, international golf homes, and much more. Visitors can get advice and information on planning a golf vacation around some of the world’s top courses.

Click here to view a CBS Evening News video on GolfFlyover http://www.golfflyover.com/cbs_news.aspx