July 22, 2008
Hmmm, upgrades
So, you may not have noticed (apart from the authentication-fu for a few hours last night) but this blog has now been upgraded to use the latest version of Movable Type. As part of the upgrade, it's also moved onto a new machine, hosted by the wonderful Bytemark (as recommended by the majority in my request for server hosting recommendations).
After some initial complaints about the MovableType install process (upload these CGIs here, upload this HTML there, change permissions, blah blah) it was pleasantly simple to migrate my old content. Just dump from the old Postgres DB, import to the Postgres DB on the new server, point the browser at the MT install, and let the wizard do the rest. As far as I can tell, everything is working, but please do holler if you see any broken links.
July 12, 2008
iPhone must-have apps
I'm sure there will be millions of posts and articles along the same lines (cool iPhone apps), but I'm adding my personal choices because I can. So:
FileMagnet from Magnetism Studios. As Jeremy mentions, this is an insanely useful app. I used it to get the TFL underground map on the phone, quickly and easily. It's £2.99 but well worth it.
NetNewsWire from Newsgator. I'm using Newsgator more and more while working on Windows machines at client sites, having long been a fan of NetNewsWire on the Mac. Although there's a few usability issues to be worked out with iPhone NetNewsWire, it largely does what you need. And you can't argue with the price!
Super Monkey Ball from Sega. Sega win the prize for stupid by not having details of this game or any other on their iphone games website - perhaps they were as surprised as o2 by the release of the iPhone yesterday? - but that does not take away from the fact that this game is awesome.
Remote from Apple. Just do it.
That will do for now - I'll update the list as time goes by.
Technorati Tags: apple, mobile, iphone, purchasing, review, software
July 11, 2008
iPhone
When the original iPhone came out I spurned it in favour of my n95. The idea of downgrading to Edge/2.5G didn't really appeal to me, but I promised myself that when a 3G version was released, I'd rush out and buy it.
And so this morning, that's what I did.
The benefits of the iPhone 3G over my current N95 are marginal: the iPhone has a better screen, but the N95 has a better camera, can shoot video, and can send MMS. The real killer for me, and the reason why I migrated (not upgraded, but moved sideways) was for the usability and integration with the desktop. Support for the N95 through iSync is average, the Nokia Multimedia Transfer utility is average beta-quality software, and sucker that I am, I have some DRM music that won't play on the Nokia.
So, this migration is all about integration and ease of use. Please, no more badly-mangled calendars and address books.
The bitter pill in all this is that I have to go back to o2. My very first mobile was on BT Cellnet, and I stayed with them when they became Cellnet, then o2. But years back bad experiences drove me to Vodafone, and more recently bad experiences with o2 for business left me swearing I'd never use them again. Ah, how easily our standards slip in favour of having the latest shiny plaything.
o2 lived up to my expectations this morning. I was outside Carphone Warehouse in Ealing when it opened, and about 9th in line for sign-up. Sadly, for almost two hours the o2 servers were unable to process credit checks (buckling under the load). I suppose they only had a year to prepare for this.
First impressions of the iPhone itself: excellent. The text input is a bit tricky for me at the moment, but apart from that it's a joy to use. The integration with iTunes and the App Store is excellent. The 3G network is fast. And most important of all - syncing of contacts, calendars, music and films all works flawlessly.
Technorati Tags: apple, iphone, iphone3g, itunes, n95, nokia, o2
