There are many useful and fun applications in the App Store.  There are also many pointless apps that seem to catch public attention.  While the list of available applications is long, there are two apps I am still waiting for.  First, I am hopeful that Adium will release a chat client for the iPhone.  Word on the street was that they would release one, but it seems apparent that was just a rumor for the time being.  Second, I have wanted a way to remotely monitor my Mac server.  This is easily the most important machine in my home network, and it provides many useful functions.

iStat widgets and menus have long been available for the Mac, and are a very popular suite of apps for many Mac users I know.  The fact that they are free makes them an even better deal.  If you like them, please donate.  The one weakness is that these programs are focused on local monitoring, and don’t have a mechanism for remote monitoring.   This is fine for seeing how the workstation you are currently using is consuming resources, but ineffective for monitoring a Mac server.

Word of them developing an application that ran on the iPhone and connected remotely to the Mac of your choice was great to hear.  This new app has been developed as part of the iStat team’s new focus on iPhone apps through the company Bjango.

iStat for iPhone, in conjunction with iStat Server (free) running on a Mac, provides remote viewing of that machine’s current resource utilization, operating temperatures, network information, and fan operations.  

You can run the Server component on as many Macs as you like. They each get paired with the iPhone individually, and securely.  The setup requires that you open a TCP port through your firewall (5109), which allows the two-way communication.  An added benefit of the Application is that it will give you the similar resource information about your iPhone, as well as, an option to free up memory.  

So far, this is my favorite application purchased from the App Store.

All that for $1.99, or $2.99 if you don’t get to it soon.

When I bought my first iPhone, and read the many reviews online, there was the occasional murmur from geeks wishing for a tethering solution for their iPhone.  

Tethering is the process of linking your phone to your computer, and using the phones data connection on your laptop.

While i thought it would be kind of cool, I didn’t really care.  The first gen iPhone is EDGE only.  We all know that EDGE means SLOW.  It’s fine for most iPhone tasks like checking email, getting RSS feeds, and mobile-formatted sites.  Otherwise, it is slightly painful to use.  That’s really not a good tethering solution.

Fast forward to today, we have the iPhone 3G now.  If you are one of the lucky folks who have 3G in your area, tethering becomes a much more plausible thing.  The problem is, AT&T still doesn’t have a solution for us iPhone users.

This past week I read an article about a new application in the iTunes App Store.  It’s called NetShare – and it let’s you tether your iPhone.  As soon as I saw that, I immediately opened the App Store and tried to download it.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t!  It was gone.  The article was less than an hour old, and the app was no longer around.  Not sure what the deal was, I just gave up for the moment.  That evening, I was browsing the App Store, and decided to look for it again.  This time it was available, so I grabbed it.

Tonight, I finally had the opportunity to setup it up.  The instructions are very straightforward, but if you need a visual queue, here is a link to a user on the Mac Rumors forum who snapped some screenshots.

Unfortunately, where I live, there is only EDGE.  So the speed of it was pretty dismal (as expected) on my Macbook Air:

The important thing for this test though, is that it actually works, which is all I wanted to know.  The cool thing will come tomorrow, when I go to work.  I work in a city with 3G, and I can’t wait to try it.  I’ll upload a speed test after I get a chance tomorrow.

Unfortunately for most folks, even those in 3G areas, the app is once again not available for the moment.  Not sure what is going on with the store, but hopefully it comes back for the masses.

Update 08/04/2008: 

I brought my laptop to work early today so I could test this out.  I was very surprised and pleased at the speed difference:

One thing of note.  The connection seems slightly unreliable.  I sometimes have to retry page loads, etc, to make it work.

Like most iPhone owners this weekend, I was having a blast with the new 2.0 software.  Also as a .Mac user, I have watched the painful Mobile Me transition unfold (well, it still is).  While waiting for the Mobile Me rollercoaster to stop, I spent a lot of time experimenting with or reading about many of the 500 applications now available for iPhone and iPod Touch users.  Interestingly, I noticed one important application not on the list.

While AIM showed up for opening day to provide its users with a chat program, everyone else was absent.  More importantly, no third party developer had a multi-protocol chat client available!  I was very surprised that an iPhone equivalent of Adium or Pidgin wasn’t available.  Of the 500 applications available, I still find myself crawling back to Meebo, to accomplish something I should have a program for.

Oh multi-protocol IM client developers, where art thou?  Please make an app available.  I would happily pay for such a solution.

The day apple released the iPhone, and in the process, provided only minimal support for its own .Mac service – I was perplexed.  What the heck were they thinking?  Every other Apple solution allowed for total syncing of Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, and more.  Why didn’t the iPhone?  In the age of ActiveSync, Blackberry Enterprise, and other solutions offering full sync of at least email, contacts, and calendars it makes no sense.  The iPhone seemed a perfect match for .Mac services, and therefore a point of discontent as a .Mac user.  (I immediately took the opportunity to provide feedback to Apple.)

To me, this was the one big screw up of the iPhone.  The phone is great otherwise.  Why would they not make better integration?

This week’s announcement of “Mobile Me” finally provides an answer. It just happens to be a bit late - a common theme for .Mac.  It seems as though they finally got the details figured out on making all this push and sync stuff working with their own services; something that should have been done long ago.  When Steve Jobs commented during his keynote that they finally “got it right” with .Mac, it seems that even he recognized the blunder.

The question for Apple will now be, is this enough to draw more people to .Mac Mobile Me? I think there is potential, but it may be a hard sell job.  The ability to keep all your messaging and collaboration data in sync on any of your Apple devices (and even Windows now) is huge in my book.  I no longer have to plug my phone into my Mac to sync that stuff.   To finally have a more complete web-based solution to go with it, definitely a plus.  The 20GB of data storage seems a bit meager on the surface.  However, in the context of how iDisk works (local syncing to your desktop), I can see why larger storage could potentially be a nightmare to keep under control.  I still think they could offer at least 40GB, and sweeten the deal.  After all, they are asking $100 a year.

The web hosting is fine, and good that they have already allowed for personal domain names.  However, this piece still seems incomplete.  Why not include DNS hosting for that domain?  Why not let users have email accounts at their personal domain?  I hope that they work on this part of the package.

All in all, Mobile Me looks like it will be a welcome change, and big step forward.  I hope they continue improving it after launch.

I have had my iPhone since the product was first released.  I have really enjoyed it, and I have always been interested in the updates Apple brings.  I have also played around with the “Jailbreaking” process, which allows you to apply 3rd party applications and modifications to the iPhone.

For a while now, Apple has been secretly working on the iPhone 2.0 software.  Not secretly in the sense that nobody knows, but secretly in the sense that there is no real detail about it, short of some screenshots.

Tonight, I did a search online for iPhone 2.0 beta.  For the first time, there was a copy of the new beta firmware out. “SWEET”, I thought.  I downloaded the file.

I plugged my iPhone into my laptop, iTunes launched, and I was ready to roll.  I option-clicked the “update” button in iTunes, which allowed me to specify which firmware file I used, and I selected this beta.  It went through the full process, and rebooted.  That was as far as it got, it wouldn’t activate!  Ugh.

I decided to attempt a no-no.  I tried to use the Jailbreak application “ZiPhoneOSX” to activate my phone, and things got worse from there.  It was a no-no, as the ZiPhone app doesn’t yet support the iPhone 2.0 software.  Needless to say, it got stuck in a reboot cycle.  No matter how many times I force reset it, or turned it off and on, it was hosed.  It would no longer detect in iTunes, so I couldn’t do a restore.  I started searching on Google, and found a few others stuck in the reboot loop (although they wouldn’t admit attempts at hacking the phone).  Unfortunately, there was no documented solution I could find.

I then stumbled on something.  If I held the “Home” button on the phone down during the reboot long enough, it would eventually come to the screen where it shows the end of the dock cable.  It then showed up in iTunes, and I could choose “Restore”.  I did so, and then let it work through the restore of the normal firmware.  In the end, it would error out, but I had a feeling that the 1.1.4 firmware was back on the phone.  I decided to re-open the ZiPhoneOSX app and choose “refurbish”, which puts the iPhone back to its original state.

After the phone rebooted, iTunes detected it again, and I was able to restore from backup, and the phone is now back in service. Whew, I didn’t permanently kill my $500 phone.

All that to say, be careful when messing with your iPhone.

“Isn’t the iPhone already big?”, you ask.  Well, sort of.  In the smart phone market it is beginning to see a decent percentage and is in second place to Blackberry.  That’s good news, and is a good sign for us early adopters, who from day one hoped that Apple’s first attempt into the cell phone business would pan out.

While the news is good around the iPhone, I dare say it is going to get a lot better (and I don’t say it because I own one).  Think about it, they have sold over 7 million of these already.  7 million of a $400-$500 cell phone.  In the past, cell phones have been subsidized by 2 year contracts, etc.  No such discount here, yet people jump at the chance to get one.

It was interesting to watch as the Engadgets of the world complained and moaned when the iPhone released.  They said it didn’t have enough of this or that, and the EDGE was just so terrible (it is no longer cool to review an Apple product without needing to point out some perceived major flaw, you know, to be “fair and balanced” – can’t be labelled a fanboy).  I am really glad nobody actually cared what they thought.  As usual, their geek perspective is so out of touch with reality, it is humorous.

Anyway, the good news is continuing without much interruption.  Every week I find another co-worker, friend, or relative has purchased an iPhone, and is having a blast with it.  I have never seen that with another new cell phone in the past.

The thing is,  the best part of the iPhone is yet to come.  This past week, they announced the “SDK” (software development kit), which allows developers to make 3rd party application that can run on the iPhone.  Finally, Apple is opening the doors to outsiders.  On top of that, they are making aggressive moves at the enterprise space by adding features like Microsoft Exchange support, with “push” email, calendar, and contacts.  All this is being dubbed “iPhone 2.0″, and it will be a huge hit.

The number of really innovative applications and games made for the iPhone will set the device further apart from the crowd.  Not to mention, the number of companies creating iPhone specific portals is growing by the week.

If 2007 was a big year for the iPhone, 2008 will blow it away.

Wait, hang on, calm down.  Take your Apple fanboy hat off for a moment and just hear me out.

First, I am a big iTunes, Apple TV, and iPhone user.  I am very much interested in an integrated, digital life.  I have gone through the many hours of ripping about 115 DVD’s to an Apple TV quality resolution.  My wife thought I was crazy, but now that all of our movies are quickly accessible on our HD TV, streamed from an “iTunes Server” of sorts, she never wants to go back.  Simplicity and instant gratification.

That is the future.  That is the fast track that we are on.  DVD’s will be going by the wayside, and even the Bluray/HD-DVD war is really not worth fighting about.  Pick a standard and go, because it is only going to live so long (and the companies on both sides of the battle know it.  Microsoft does not really care about HD-DVD, they care about creating a knock down, drag out fight that keeps the world in flux, until they perfect their next delivery system).  The future is digital delivery.  Not sub-DVD quality delivery, but DVD and higher.  This is the whole point of the Apple TV, and it is why Microsoft does the same thing with the XBOX 360.  People want to sit in their house, click a remote, and “boom” the content is there.

Why does this make the Fox “iTunes Digital Copy” on their DVD’s pointless?  Because it is a stop gap measure between today and the future.  Worse, it is a vendor specific (Apple) stop gap, that nobody else has bought into.  Frankly, why would they?  Movie studios have no vested interest in iTunes.  If they can have their way, the same content gets delivered to Apple, Microsoft, and anyone else willing to make a business out of digital delivery.  Furthermore, they are greedy.  Why give something away that they could make as an extra revenue stream? (Not saying this is right, just telling you reality).  Today, the studios see iTunes as a means for more income, not replacing DVD sales income.

Besides the studio issues, how many people will actually use this feature?  If I can choose between a DVD with an average resolution “iTunes” rip, or just buy an HD digital version, I am going to head that way, because it is fully integrated with my Apple TV, and looks a lot better. 

If a teenager with an iPod Touch can just order and download the movie direct from iTunes to their iPod, why would they go to Best Buy and buy the disc?  It’s about convenience.  Apple knows it, and it is how they have made a killing off of music.  They have struggled getting to this place with movies, but they may have found their way on this as well.

I will say this is interesting news.  It means that Fox is very interested in the future.  However, this announcement is purely PR, and Fox knows it. 

It is fairly impossible at this point to not know about the Gear Live videos and discussions about their supposed pre-release version of the next iPhone software update. I have watched those videos, and seen the Q&A portion on their site. It all looks very interesting, and if it is indeed the next version of software for the iPhone, there are some definite welcome additions, like sending SMS messages to multiple recipients.

The “wobbly” icons to signify desktop customization look a little weird.

The thing the makes no sense: How are they able to broadcast this stuff all over the internet without being shut down? This is Apple. You know, the tech company that probably does regular training for the CIA on information security. They usually go above and beyond to protect their information, especially as it relates to upcoming product releases. Two words, “Think Secret“.

If there is one thing that makes me wonder about the validity of the videos, it is the fact that Apple has been silent, and this video is spreading like wildfire. Anyone else think this is odd?

In the ever-changing world of portable computing, are laptops going to soon become a thing of the past? It wasn’t long ago that having a laptop was an indispensable part of my day, even after work. Now, not so much…

A few months ago, we decided to buy a new iMac. We wanted a decent home machine to use for photo editing, and a place to put some learning games for my son. (He just turned two and is addicted to computers, so we figured we would start to take advantage of it).

Subsequent to getting this new machine, I began to debate whether or not I needed a laptop any longer. Well, I decided that I didn’t need my Macbook Pro. I sold it, and picked up a Powerbook 12″ so I would still have a machine to surf the web, check email, etc. This machine had a lot lighter footprint, so it is a great portable machine.

A few weeks later, I began to notice that I wasn’t even using that. I took it around with me, but I didn’t actually use it. Instead, I found myself using my iPhone to check email, surf the web, and read my RSS feeds. It also had my music. I realized that even the ultra-portable Powerbook was more than I needed. I sold it shortly after I got it as well.

For the past few weeks, I have been laptop free. When I am on the go, I have my iPhone. When I am sitting at home, watching TV, I still have my iPhone. It fills that “staying connected” space. When I need to do something important, I have the iMac. For the first time in years, I am without a laptop, and other than the occasional sense of tech withdrawl, I am good to go.

This morning, I saw an article by someone else who has come to the same place. Matt Wood from 43 Folders has made the same move to a laptop free way of life. I do not know if I will stay this way, but for now, it is working out pretty well.

I have daily perused many of the Apple-related news sites for quite a while now (years). I usually enjoy much of the content available, although I sometimes have to filter out the excess fanboyism (yea, nice word).

Since the release of the iPhone, there has been a shift in the focus of a few news sites. While I anticipated a lot of swirl around the iPhone shortly after its release, I didn’t anticipate it would last so long. A good example of this shift is The Unofficial Apple Weblog. TUAW is a great site that I have followed for years. Since late July, there have been many days when I wondered if there was any non-iPhone news in the Apple world.

Worse, many of the iPhone articles really were not front page news worthy. That is not to say it is not good content, but it may not be a priority for most readers. I am sure there is a small percentage of readers that really enjoy the play-by-play of every hack, updated app, and problem found with the iPhone. The rest of us, do not really need all that. A new firmware update, and what it brings, is something we all care about. However, every coding find, or random interface hack, not so much. I think they would have been better served to just have a daily digest of iPhone news that users could quickly browse through, instead of the many days where the entire front page was flooded with it.

On the flip side, it is news, and it’s good content. I think Erica Sadun, who has contributed a ton of this iPhone content is the perfect person to have creating it, as she seems to have developed an in depth understanding of the platform. I also think TUAW seems to be doing the best job of having iPhone content.

Recently, I have seen a shift back. It seems that we are heading back to the rest of the Apple world, where the many significant application releases, hardware updates, and general news regain their place with the iPhone. I am thrilled to see this balance coming back. I really hope it stays (until Apple released the iPhone dev kit).