I've been participating in the GrandCentral Beta for a little while now, and I've been mostly impressed by the service. The amount of customization is spectacular, with the ability to set up various voice mail messages for different groups and people, and setting who can call what phone and when, are just a few of the options that you get to play around with in GrandCentral, and are just a few of the reasons I really like the service.
Recently, Google moved GrandCentral over to the mother ship and officially made the property they acquired a while back part of the big Google family. Now, putting aside that at this point Google really does know way too much about me, I'm mostly happy about this. The interface for the "new" Google Voice is drastically different than what GrandCentral offered, but I'm adjusting pretty well to the new Interface. I'm slightly disappointed though that my contacts list and voicemails did not make the transition from GrandCentral to Google Voice, but I suppose that's what I get for Beta testing a product like this.
One of the things I've noticed is that, unlike most Google products that reduce the amount of clicks it takes to do something, Google Voice actually increase the amount of clicks it takes to do many actions. For example, creating a group in GrandCentral involved hitting a Create button and setting everything up on the next screen, including selecting contacts to be in that group and what phones ring when those contacts call. Now I have to scroll to settings to create a group, then back to the group page to add contacts, then back to settings to select which phones get the message and click the advanced tab to do further customization. Same end result, just a bit more involved than previously.
I also enjoy that they are doing their best to pimp all their products, and it saddened me to realize how deep I am into Google's fold. Take this screen grab for example. This is their screen to demonstrate the changed Call Me Button (a widget you can add to any website that allows people to call you right from the site). If you'll notice, in one screen Google is pimping their Blogger Service, their Chrome Browser and their Google Voice service. That's pretty impressive all-in-all. The sad part? I use all of those. All I need now is a Android phone and I'll be completely entrenched in Google.
The move to Google Voice means a few good things though. First, if it's a "Google" labeled product, it will most likely stay free. The big G will subsidize the cost through advertising most likely, which is fine by me... I think. I was afraid of what GrandCentral would cost when it went Release, so I did not go all in on it, but now that it's looking to remain the same I'm leaning more toward relying on my Google Voice number. Also, the move means that there should be another round of beta invites soon, or maybe even a soft launch. If you're interested in the service, you can sign up to get notified for the next round of invites or check out all it can do.
I'm really excited to see where Google goes with this service, as I think it has a lot of potential. If you get in, let us know what you think. If you've been involved with GrandCentral and recently switched to Google Voice, make sure to drop us a line with your impressions.
Apple's promising 100 new features in iPhone OS 3.0, and while not all of those new additions made it into Tuesday's event, we've got the big ones - that we know about. Here's a rundown of what we've seen introduced:
- Copy, Cut, & Paste: first mentioned and arguably most anticipated, we'll now be able to cut or copy text from all applications, and pictures from the photo album. Yay.
- Multimedia messaging: it isn't a new feature for cell phones, but it's new for the iPhone. And about time.
- Landscape keyboard: across all applications. My sausage thumbs appreciate the news.
- Push notification: not the most coherent system, and non-native, but useful nonetheless.
- In-App purchasing: Remember how the new Kindle app shunts you to Safari for purchases? Not anymore. (In theory.)
- Peer-to-peer networking: good for games but not likely to impact functionality otherwise, at least not until/unless we see native Bluetooth data file sharing.
- Voice memo: another common feature just now being added to the iPhone's native software. Sayonara, 'Recorder.'
- Full search: Spotlight will search your mail, music, videos, notes and contacts all at the same time. AND, all it takes for access is a leftward finger-swipe from the home screen, which sounds very tidy.
- Forwarding of invites and contacts: absolutely necessary for enterprise customers, ho-hum for the rest.
- Stocks: the application has been improved to include headlines for your saved tickers and show charts in landscape mode. Data!
- Turn-by-turn directions: not a native feature and not available with Google Maps for licensing reasons, which disappoints, but still there. Expect to see turn-by-turn real-time directions in apps, but also expect to pay for 'em.
- Stereo Bluetooth: listen to music through Bluetooth headphones unless you have an iPhone Classic ('Classic' being Applespeak for 'Old.')
And there's more. From shaking your phone to auto-shuffle songs to syncing notes with your Mac. Autofill for Safari. Parental controls. It's nuts out there, kids.
Taiwanese PC makers, including ASUS, don't believe that Windows 7 will resurrect the PC industry's fallen sales. ASUS former chairman Honney Shih and president Jerry Shen both went on record to say that the PC industry will require specific hardware and software designed for the OS in order to prompt customers to buy new PCs.
Other vendors have also said that Windows 7's system requirements aren't high enough to merit PC replacement in any kind of appreciable volume, even without an economic crisis that has absolutely everyone cutting back on spending.
PC players not optimistic Windows 7 will drive demand [DigiTimes]
Today's iPhone OS 3.0 event has just wrapped up, and with Den Den on vacation I've yet to piece together all that was unveiled, although some of the highlights include:
- In-app purchases
- Peer-to-peer Bluetooth
- Maps available in any application
- Turn-by-turn directions via Core Location GPS technology
- Push notification
- Apple's own Voice Memo app
- And of course: copying and pasting across all applications.
Finally!
SMS messages and third-party-app text can be copied just as easily as web page or email text, as well as text from Notes. Simply double-tap a snippet of text to select and up pops two grab points that let you resize your text-selection box (and in Notes, at least, we saw a "select all" function). The cut, copy and paste buttons are self-explanatory, but here's one awesome feature that isn't: just shake the phone to undo your last copy, paste, or cut.
Stay tuned for a more measured round-up once the ink on all the press releases dries!
Dear Apple,
You and I haven't always gotten along very well. The root of the problem is that I don't see an inherent value in your product over competitors. Almost across the board with your product line, I feel I can get something as good or better for a better value somewhere else. This is probably a subjective assessment though, as there are others that feel the exact opposite. However, in spite of all our differences, I need to level some real and honest criticism that I hope helps and doesn't come off as spiteful: please fix your Genius Bars.
What I mean is that your Genius Bars are appearing to be less and less adept at their job every time we visit. I'm not a Mac person, but my boyfriend is. He is actually a dedicated fan boy, spending time pouring over Mac forums and only buying Pro line products from you, even going so far as to remain subscribed to your crappy Mobile Me service. He lives and dies Apple. So when we go to your stores to visit your Genius Bar because your MacBook Pro has crapped out on us in three unique ways since we purchased it a few months ago and he is genuinely concerned and trying to work with your staff, there is absolutely no reason he should have to deal with snarky, ignorant and plain out rude staff.
I won't divulge the details of the encounter here, because it's not this encounter that is the issue. It's the multiple other encounters we've collectively faced in the last year. You know, within the same time frame that your store count has grown drastically. For the premium we pay for your "sexy" looking computers and the corresponding Apple Care Protection, there is a modicum of respect and intelligence expected from your staff. There is also the assumption that if you open a store with a Genius Bar, a station whose purpose is to help troubleshoot and fix issues with your Apple products, that the store is a valid location to seek help for issues with your products. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case any longer.
We've come to your stores four times now with different issues, all of which pertain to your MacBook Pro. On each occasion, we have been greeted with such disrespect and dismissiveness from your Genius Bar staff as to indicate that we are not worthy of their time. In each case, the blame for the issue has laid squarely on the shoulders of Apple, not anything we have done. A bent aluminum unibody casing, poorly packaged shipping leading to damage, faulty drives, and completely erratic operations. None of these can be attributed to us, they are faults with your product. But your staff wants to treat us with contempt for presenting them an issue they cannot resolve and cannot be attributed to us. Each time, we've had to resort to calling the generic Apple tech support center and received more efficient and more pleasant service.
If you cannot staff your stores with appropriately qualified and trained individuals, I would suggest that it would be wise to not open said stores. You charge a premium for your product, you should treat your consumers premium-ly. I would not expect a used car salesman to sell me a new Mercedes, and I do not expect my corporate Tech Support guy to help me with my home MacBook. If I so choose to go to your store for support, I should be able to receive top quality service, just as if I choose to call your centralized support line. Perhaps I don't want to wait for my shipping coffin in the mail, or perhaps I feel the problem needs to be shown to someone to fully explain the issue rather than just described over the phone. Whatever the case may be, if you offer me the ability to interact with your company in some way, it is your responsibility to ensure that I enjoy the same experience across the board.
I have been let down by you for the last time Apple. I have stopped using iTunes all together. My iPhone has turned into a cracked paper weight. And, if it were my choice, my husband would not use your computers any more. He manages to find value in your products still, which I can't say the same for myself. I'm not such an absolutist as to say "never again," but I am being very pragmatic when I say that it will take same hard work on your end before I can see myself using your products again. I sincerely hope that day comes again. The world deserves quality computer products, and I thought you could have been on your way, but at the end of the day, your representatives speak more for you as a corporation than anything you sell, and I can't support what I'm hearing.
Sincerely,
JJ
Sci Fi Channel head honcho and NBC Universal Cable Entertainment president Bonnie Hammer has pulled some unpopular moves in her time (such as canceling Farscape), but the recent decision to rebrand the channel with a title that the network can own - unlike "Sci Fi" - may go down as her worst move ever.
Come July 7 the Sci Fi Channel will be rechristened "Syfy," and will sport the "grammatically incoherent" tagline "Imagine Greater."
While the calls of shame and shenanigans have already begun, including some who rank the name change among the likes of New Coke, Hammer (and presumably the lawyers who instigated all of this) said simply:
"We couldn't own Sci Fi; it's a genre...but we can own Syfy."
Never mind that there's already an information technology company that's named SyFi Global or that the new name will be fantastically less descriptive of the channel's content.
Then again, now that BSG's finishing its run, perhaps Sci Fi Channel viewers will "imagine greater" television programming to watch - on other channels. Okay, that's a bluff... I love this channel. Why would they pull an Altria? (When world's-largest tobacco corp Phillip Morris changed its name to something that sounded like "Altruism.") Ms. Hammer, you are a mean lady. There, I've said it.
With tomorrow's big iPhone event in Cupertino, we expect to see the newest version of the iPhone OS. What will the next big upgrade bring? We wouldn't be surprised to see an iPhone extension of the VoiceOver feature and/or an elaboration on the new Shuffle's voice interface. I'm still holding out for some universal cut'n'paste goodness, although Flash is still unlikely.
The XKCD Kindle 2 comic has been brought full circle. Behold! The Kindle 2 laser engraved with those immortal words found on the cover of its spiritual brother, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "Don't Panic."
Grats Adafruit Industries, on having the geekiest Kindle 2 to date, and making me green with envy.
Hit the jump for a video of the laser doing its deed.
First laser etched Kindle 2! The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - "Don't Panic" [Adafruit Industries]
[via: Engadget]
Yesterday Apple passed out invites to a March 17 event in Cupertino, CA to roll out the new 3.0 version of the iPhone OS and the new software development kit that will accompany the updated OS.
It was around this time last year that Apple unveiled the original iPhone SDK, and since then the App Store has seen 25,000 applications - so what will this year's surprises bring? Since most folks have been speculating about new iPhone hardware, but what new software features might we see revealed?
Some are guessing at a voice interface that would follow the new Shuffle's introduction of the VoiceOver feature. That seems as likely to me as anything, and it would certainly make sense for Apple to roll out a new format of interface in digestible phases.
We'll find out for sure when Phil Schiller or Scott Forstall gives us the scoop on March 17, since Steve Jobs is on medical leave.
Apple holding iPhone 3.0 special event next week [CNet]
Once while traveling in France I had the luxury of seeing a workers' strike, only it wasn't a workers' strike, it was the homeless. On strike. So that's French domestic politics in a nutshell.
Add to that delightful mix the recent French trend of holding bosses hostage, it makes sense, then, that if angry Sony workers were going to hold an executive hostage overnight, it would happen in France. And so it did: workers at a Sony manufacturing plant slated to close next month held Sony France president Serge Foucher hostage last night. Why? They were unhappy with their severance packages. Microsoft, listen up.
The Pontonx-sur-l'Adour plant workers released Foucher early this morning - sort of. Actually, they escorted him directly to negotiations with trade union bosses. When asked to explain their actions, the Frenchmen responded:
"He won't listen to us, we didn't find any other solution."
So they barricaded the door to the plant with tree trunks. Foucher, for his part, was merely "happy to be free and to see the light of day again."
Meanwhile the police stood by on the sidelines - to make sure all the kidnapping and resulting talks went smoothly. Only in France.
Sacked French Sony workers release boss from captivity [Guardian]
Every once in a while, there are these little utility applications that I use that just make life easier, and I've decided to share one of the ones I use with you today (and it's free!): Disk Inventory X.
Since I use a Mac for daily use, my recommendations are going to be Mac focused. Sorry, PC folks. I'm sure tiny dancer might have something for you, but today it's all about the Macs.
What does Disk Inventory X do? Quite simply, you point it towards a drive or folder, and let it go. When it's done, you'll get a treemap of your hard drive that shows you exactly how much room each file is taking up on your drive in a wonderful, graphical, and easy to identify way.
The reason I was reminded of Disk Inventory X is that yesterday, the 20GB of free space I had on my startup drive had somehow completely vanished. I literally had 0KB of space left and Mac OS X was yelling at me and throwing a tantrum for being a horrible caretaker and stuffing it so much.
The fact that I hadn't stuffed anything into my startup drive meant I was not amused 20GB had disappeared from my drive, so I got to work trying to find the culprit.
My mind immediately jumped to iTunes 8.1, which had installed the night before. Sometimes weird things happen when you update iTunes, and I feared this was one of those times.
Comparing my iTunes data with my backup drive (unfortunately) acquitted iTunes of all wrongdoing. Damn.
I started searching through my hard drive using my Finder, finding nothing out of place, until I remembered I had downloaded Disk Inventory X some time ago. I figured I'd give it a shot.
I started Disk Inventory X up and pointed it towards my startup drive, let it scan the drive and minutes later voilà! A treemap was in front of me, and conspicuously sitting right in the middle was a very large square that represented a huge file sitting on my drive. Ah hah! Found the fraking bastard!
Clicking on it gave me all the info on the file: the output log file for an application had somehow ballooned to over 20GBs in size! Apparently, the application had got stuck in an output loop and just chugged along outputting to its log file continuously all night until it simply ran out of room on the drive. Peachy. A simple right click on the offending box let me reveal the file in the Finder and trash that file right away.
Mission accomplished.
If you've got less room free than you'd like on your Mac's drives, give Disk Inventory X a try. It's a very easy way to identify those large files taking space on your drive, and at the price tag of $0, you can't go wrong!
Product Page [Tjark Derlien]
Really, Hulu? You're adding social networking features? And you're calling it Hulu Friends? Aside from the fact that it sounds like a euphemism for something rhythmic and messy, Hulu's plan to unveil new social networking features is aimed squarely at advertising revenue, hoping that features that failed to generate lots of income on sites like Joost and TV.com will fare better with Hulu's better content library.
Hulu Friends will let viewers create profiles and share videos, while a "Scorecard" feature will track user activity.
If successful, Hulu Friends would pull in more traffic, generating more income - and since Hulu's business model relies on providing a share of ad revenue to its content providers, increased revenue means the potential to snag even more content.
The data Hulu can track won't hurt either, and more options on the site means more detailed reports to help advertisers target Hulu viewers.
Hulu adding social networking functionality [Electronista]
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3D iPhone glasses. Why?
