Testing does this still update my twitter?

This is a test blog entry to see if this shows up as a tweet.  If you would like to follow me on twitter, you can just browse over to the following address to see what i'm up to:

http://twitter.com/greggasmith

Ok - so various friends of mine were excited about the iPhone for weeks.  I was one of them.  But, due to my situation with devices at work and different service plans and my not wanting to have multiple phone #'s or be required to carry multiple devices - I decided it wasnt for me.  I also found the capabilities that my Blackberry held to be superior to an iPhone.  The 29th came and went and I followed the launch online and cheered on my friends when they got theirs.  I was happy for them that they got new toys. 

Saturday morning - i had swim practice and decided to go to the mall where the Apple store was to try out an iPhone and say hi to a freind who has a store there.  I ran into my friend on my way into the mall and he told me about the people waiting outside all night the previous night and how silly it was that you could just walk in at 9pm and get one without any hastle.  He was surprised i didnt have one since he knows what a gadget freak i am.  I said bye to him and told him i would be back after i checked out the new devices.  I went into the store near where the crowd was looking at the devices.  Lots of rumblings about 'cool'...'too expensive'...etc.  I had seen the training videos and heard all about it.

When I finally touched it boy it was small.  Boy it was light, boy it was thin.  And the screen was fucking thin as all can be.  'Good thing im not getting one' I reminded myself.  I was playing with the features when I heard the words that will go down in infamy - 'Oh yes we still have them in stock'.  SHIT!  They had them - i was sure they would have been sold out. This thing was pretty sweet - now i was saying i should have never went there.  They were going fast - and the dilemma going thru my head was 'Do I say no and walk away without one - and then not be able to get one for weeks?'.  I then went to look at the accessories.  If I was 'maybe' going to get one i would need a case wouldnt I? 

Well long story short I walked out with one and the smallest voice/data plan plus 1500 txt messages a month.  The device is cool, sexy fun.  I cant do everything with it I can with my blackberry but I think i would have been miserable if I didnt get it.

Here's the rundown of what I wish was better on it:

• No ability to put 'If lost and found owner info in front of the lock screen.  This can can also be good if im found dead or under a truck with just my iPhone in my pocket.
• When wanting to call someone they have to be in your 'favorites', 'recent' or address list.  There is no 'type ahead' option when you want to find someone to call in your address list.  Apple needs to borrow from Blackberry on this one.  I have 1500 contacts in my phone and finding one person is hard.
• When my iPhone is locked - i cant quickly look at it and find out if i have any new mail, txt messages, phone calls or voicemails.  All i can see is my screen saver, the att logo, battery strength and signal strength.  A quick glance of wether I even need to unlock the phone would be nice.
• Either there isnt one or i cant figure out how to configure a homepage in mobile safari
• The only way to send a photo you have on your phone or one that you take on your phone is to go into the photo viewer and choose to email it.  Its more intuitive for me to be able to start an email and then decide to want to add a photo from the device.
• Same as above goes for adding a phone to an existing contact in your address book.  You go to the contact and would hope to take their picture and add it right there.  NOOOOO.  You have to go to the camera program, take the picture and then say 'Assign to Contact'.  Seems backwards to me.
  
• The only place my ph # appears on the device is in the Home > Settings > Phone.  I wish that my ph # was shown SOMEWHERE in the Phone application of the device.
• The only way to get to the settings of each of the applications is thru Home > Settings.  If i am in the Mail and want to get to the settings there should be a button or icon for that there - rather than having to go back to Home > Settings > Mail and then go back to the Mail app to use the settings.
• I have had some issues where every time i start a Podcast in my car it always starts from the beginning and forets where i left off.
• When listening to podcast there isnt any time tracking.  Many times someone says - go listed to xx pod cast starting at 10:39 for what you want to hear.  Not an option on iPhone.
• There is no 'one click' call option if a phone number appears in a meeting invite.
• Taking picture of yourself and friend is hard due to the button placement on the device.  Makes it very hard not to drop it.  Just pressing anywhere on the screen should do it.
  

So what do I like:

• Hardware is AMAZING
• Music, podcasts and videos play sound out of the speakers when no headphones plugged in. 
  
• Earbuds work great and you hear conv in stereo
  
• Speakerphone works great
• SMS conv are listed by person not in time/date order.
• Mostly i love this device - it will only get better with time.  Im hooked.
  

Got me an XBOX360 - worth the wait.

New technology and tasty too - Dont worry about all the warnings on the label or those 'chemical reactions'....

Self Heating Latte - Fyi I found these at Safeway

- Test Name: Strategic Alliances with Competitors
- Date: 2005-10-02 08:33
- Test Time: 01:00
- Gross Speed: 73 WPM
- Errors: 7 - Accuracy: 90%
- NET SPEED: 66 WPM

Microsoft is now allowing me to invite friends and family to beta test their new 'One Care' product.  This is a complete suite of products that keep your machine virus free and protected.  Eventually they will charge for the product, but its free now for 1 year if you sign up.  Let me know if you like it.  Im running it on one of my machines at home and it works pretty well.

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Invite your friends and family to signup for the Windows OneCare Beta!
Do you know others who are interested in trying out Windows OneCare? We are now at the point where we would like to expand our group of beta testers. We encourage you to extend Windows OneCare beta invitations to your friends and family. Just have them go to http://beta.microsoft.com/, sign in with their Microsoft® Passport Network credentials, type in OneCare (case sensitive) when prompted for the guest ID, and follow the instructions from there.