It's home... just not working yet

Oh, I wish activation would be instantaneous, but apparently not. I'm still waiting on the email from AT&T that will unlock this little beauty, but here it is... the iPhone.



Check out some line images... that's John Aravosis from AmericaBlog I was next to... an excellent linemate!





I have to say, AT&T has so far been pretty miserable to work with. The folks in the store meant well... I think... but they never bothered to explain that the receipt I got included a pretty important number for activation in iTunes. I figured it out... but it might have been nice to be given the heads up? Also, I'm not diggin' the wait for activation... the iPhone is a fancy paperweight until it goes through, and I want to get syncing! Physically, this thing is gorgeous. The few things it allows me to do pre-activation tells of good things to come... we shall see.

Interesting sidenote... a Capitol Hill line sitter (we have pros here) traded her #11 spot to a wealthy-looking gentleman who rolled in around 5:00ish. Must have been nice not to wait for 5 hours...

UPDATE: I'm activated and syncing... first videos on the iPhone will be episodes 4-7 of Arrested Development, Season 3. Sadly, they'll be watched at the emergency vet while they take a look at my girlfriend's mysteriously ill cat...

Almost there!

minutes away from the door opening... The line's getting surly over the one poor soul who wants her non-iPhone serviced. Good luck to her on that....

Line update

Oh good... It's raining. This shouldn't be easy, I guess. upside? If you were waiting for the buyindie podcast, the show has been produced while in line. Multitasking for clients is a Nineball tradition since March 2007!

In line...

Well, the wait begins. I'm number 7 in line at an AT&T store in DC. Number 8 just rolled up with a chair... Wishing I brought a chair. Lots of people swinging by asking the questions you'd normally predict...

Garageband on iPhone?

Forgot to post this from the other day... someone's dreaming of Garageband on iPhone. Not sure if this is (a) feasible, or (b) practical, but it would certainly be cool to be able to use the iPhone as a podcast recording device. It would require a dock connector gizmo that could hook up to a decent microphone (or mixer). Might be nice to haul the iPhone around rather than a laptop for mobile recording...

iPhone: The wait ends... and begins

Just how bad do you want to have the iPhone on you when you go out tonight? Here's a big hint... do NOT go to an Apple Store. Seems that people are lining up like crazy at malls all around the country to get the iPhone. However, if you've got an AT&T store nearby, there might not even be a soul in line yet. I just got off the phone with a store within a couple of blocks of my office and they have nobody there yet. Apparently the hoardes are likely to arrive around noon.

Kinda makes this guy seem a little... um, over the top?

We're going out tonight with some friends around 8 to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday tomorrow... if all goes well, I'll be the geek... loser... mindless automaton... toast of the party.

I may look back on all of this and mock myself... in fact, I should probably start the process early. I'll have plenty of time in line to do so this afternoon...

The death throes of my Treo

Ironic... My Treo will finally serve a fantastic function. I'll be able to post all about my iPhone line waiting with it...

Strange, it feels almost like I'm using it to cheat on it. Hmmm. There has to be a better analogy. Still haven't decided which DC area store will be hosting me tomorrow... Given the crazy heat, I'm leaning towards one of the Apple Stores located in an air conditioned mall...

Mossberg weighs in on the iPhone

Walt Mossberg is the Wall Street Journal tech writer... he's apparently a big enough deal to procure an early iPhone from Steve Jobs. It's not like his approval will make or break the iPhone, but it certainly gives the first non-Apple testimonial as to the features, benefits, and (gasp!) shortcomings of the little beastie.

The verdict? Mikey likes it:

Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes adds steps to common functions.

Check out Mossberg's (or Goatberg, as Fake Steve Jobs calls him) review here.

UPDATE: Critical consensus... the iPhone lives up to the hype. I have to say, I'm honestly surprised in some ways. I figured there would be one major reviewer that would throw stones, but it looks like this phone's the real deal (albeit with some flaws).

Mac vs. PC

iPhone break... this video's making the rounds. Too funny:

iPhone saga part 67: Service plan announced

This was a real sticking point for me... how much will this little slice of heaven cost me per month? Answer... less than Sprint charges me for my Treo! I expected to take a little hit, but it turns out the newly announced service plans from AT&T are better than I expected... starting at $59.99 per month, inlcuding internet and data use. It's official... I'm getting one.

BUT... I hasten to add, I am not going to be this guy. He's first in line at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Five days in advance. Congratulations sir... you're either (a) totally crazy to want the iPhone that badly, and/or (b) have a very strange concept of time invested to profit ratio for your plan to get wealthy by selling that sucker on eBay at 6:01 PM on Friday night... Try those real-estate tapes by that Rich Dad-Poor Dad author or the "tiny classified ads" guy instead.

Phun with iPhone

I love the Washington Post... totally understating Friday's launch:

















Also, check out this probably soon-to-be ex-Apple employee trying to impress chicks at a Silicon Valley party this weekend (thanks Cult of Mac):

iPhone: More info than ever before!

The latest iPhone demo video on the Apple website brings us more info than ever about this little beastie I like to call "Christmas 2006" (since I hoarded Apple gift cards since then to pay for the sucker)... looks like it has an intuitive interface and should make you the king of all geek gatherings. Also, I suspect it would be a cool thing to whip out at a bar next to the hot woman or man you're trying to start a conversation with... "why, yes! this IS an iPhone..."

Of course, my girlfriend is almost certainly already sick of me speaking of my soon-to-be new phone. I'll have to stick with impressing the geek gathering...

iPhone... seriously, some day I may stop posting about it

I'm out in the country enjoying a semi-vacation, but I can't help to post... again... about the latest iPhone news. Glass surface and an 8 hour talk-time battery!

Um, yeah... news, sort of. The real question I pose to myself (apparently publicly now) is whether I'm going to be one of the sad suckers camping out to get one of these beauties. After a very nice gift from the girl, I now I have Apple gift cards aplenty to cover the cost. But a first generation electronic device? Isn't there some rule that only suckers buy those, considering the price comes down and the quality goes way up a mere few months later?

This is my disease. Apple knows it... so does Nike, I think. In any event, assuming I have the iPhone next Friday, you better believe I'll be blogging about it...

Site refurb

Made a few changes to the site this afternoon... mostly cosmetic behind the scenes coding stuff, so I won't bore you with the details. Check out the new contact page... we're bicoastal now!

Making the microphone upgrade

You've started to podcast, and you were smart... you used the built-in microphone in your computer or you bought an inexpensive USB mic. You like it... it's not a fad. Let's make your show sound better with a microphone upgrade!

The best mics for recording your voice are condenser microphones. The sound is simply warmer and more professional. I could go all geeky and explain how and why these sound better, but quite frankly that's some other guy's blog...

A couple of suggestions:

The Samson C01U... this mic sounds great and it has the added advantage of plugging right into your computer directly with USB. It has great sound, and it's relatively inexpensive for what you get... usually around $90.

The Samson is great if you only have one person. If you have a multi-person podcast where everyone is in the same room, it's time to go to a multi-mic setup. The problem with the Samson for this is really a problem with USB... you can only have one sound input for the vast majority of computers, so even if you have multiple USB ports, the computer can only handle one mic at a time.

The solution? A mixer... this is a device that sits outside of your computer that takes in multiple audio devices (i.e. more than one mic!) and mixes it all together into one signal that goes into your computer. I use a Behringer mixer and Behringer condenser microphones for the bulk of my multi-mic setups. The microphones need what is called "phantom power" from the mixer to work properly, and my mixer has phantom power for two mics. That's a good starting point for most podcasters, unless you have some zany morning zoo crew kind of show with 74 people in the room. Good luck to you on that... but I digress.

For beginners, I suggest a mixer that connects to the USB port of your computer. There are several good ones, but I like the Alesis best. That will run you about $100-150. Next, you'll need some mics... I like the Behringer's I use (<$50), but there are some other good inexpensive ones by Samson as well (about $70). You'll need to get some XLR cables for the mics... they connect to the mixer and power the mics... they'll run $10-15 apiece (and you can get them from your local Radio Shack or online).

As Steve Jobs would say.... boom! You've got an upgraded mic setup for pretty cheap. You'll be amazed how much better your show sounds with better mics!

iPhone email: more nothing

Details... we'd like some details. So far Apple has done a great job of telling consumers the exact same thing about the iPhone... over and over again. How much will the iPhone service plan cost? What's the contract details? Nothing. For those of us who kind of care about operating cost, particularly considering the high price tag of the iPhone, it's starting to get a bit old.

In any event... here's the latest info from Apple as it appeared in my mailbox:

iPhone arrives on June 29. iPhone features an amazing mobile phone, is the best iPod we've ever created, and puts the Internet in your pocket with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps. And iPhone makes it all easy to use with its revolutionary multi-touch user interface. iPhone syncs with your PC or Mac just like an iPod, so organizing your content now will help you start calling, texting, emailing, surfing, listening, and watching even faster when you get your iPhone. Here are a few suggestions to help you get ready:

Making a call with iPhone is as simple as tapping a name. You won't need to re-enter all your contacts because iPhone syncs with the address book you already use on your computer—Address Book or Entourage on a Mac, or Outlook or Outlook Express on a PC. If you keep your contacts on the web using Yahoo! Address Book, iPhone can sync with them, too. To get ready for iPhone, organize your contacts in one of these applications and make sure they're up to date with the latest phone numbers and email addresses. If you don't have contacts on your computer, don't worry. You can still enter them directly into iPhone.

Using its built-in calendar, iPhone lets you check your appointments with the flick of a finger. iPhone uses iTunes to sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer—iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC—just like it does with your contacts. If you don't already use one of these applications to manage your appointments, now is a great time to start, so you'll be ready to sync when your iPhone arrives. If you choose not to use a calendar program, that's OK. You'll be able to enter appointments directly into the iPhone calendar.

iPhone is the first phone to come with a desktop-class email application. So now your phone can display rich HTML email with graphics and photos alongside the text. iPhone will even fetch your latest email every time you open the application and automatically retrieve your email on a set schedule, just like a computer does. iPhone works with the most popular email systems—including Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and .Mac Mail. If you're not already using one of these services, now would be a great time to get an account. iTunes will make email setup on iPhone a breeze by automatically syncing the settings from email accounts stored in Mail on a Mac or Outlook on a PC. Don't worry if you're not on one of these email services; iPhone also works with almost any industry-standard POP3 and IMAP email system.

iPhone has a 2-megapixel camera and a gorgeous 3.5-inch display, so it's a great way to enjoy and show off your digital photos. iPhone uses iTunes to sync your photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Album, or any picture folder on a PC. You can carry thousands of photos on iPhone, but you can start by creating an album or two with 50 to 100 of your favorite photos, so that when you first sync your iPhone, you'll be ready to quickly show off some of your best shots.

iPhone is the best iPod ever. Its beautiful, 3.5-inch widescreen display allows you to easily enjoy the music, TV shows, and movies you have in your iTunes library. If you already use iTunes, you can start getting ready for iPhone by creating a playlist of a few hundred of your favorite songs. If you don't have iTunes, now is a good time to download it and start a music and video library. That way, when you sync your iPhone with iTunes, you'll be able to take your favorite music, as well as a few of your TV shows and movies, with you wherever you go.

To set up your iPhone, you'll need an account with Apple's iTunes Store. If you already have an iTunes account, make sure you know your account name and password. If you don't have an account, you should set one up now to save time later. To set up an account, launch iTunes, select the iTunes Store, and click the Sign In button in the upper right corner of iTunes. Sign in and you're ready to go.

WWDC keytnote a yawner?

Maybe Apple is getting too good at building excitement... the reviews on the Steve Jobs keynote yesterday are a bit mixed. I think there were a few interesting things (the iPhone info and the fact that Apple is releasing a version of its Safari web browser in Windows) but overall it was a little flat.

With that ringing endorsement... check it out here.

iPhone: podcastable?

MacWorld reports that the iPhone will support developers to create applications for the device:

This capability is being exposed through the full version of Safari that will run on the iPhone, said Jobs, using “Web 2.0”-style technologies like AJAX that will enable developers to create content that “looks and behaves exactly like apps,” integrated with the iPhone and iPhone services.

Ok, so this could be exciting. If you've read my ramblings before, I've been hoping that there would be some way for the iPhone to wirelessly nab podcasts on the fly. It seemed that the version of iTunes on the iPhone would not do this, but perhaps a developer would be able to tap into the Safari development capability and hack up a podcatcher? THAT would make the iPhone super cool for podcast consumers... no more need to sync up with the computer for the latest episode of [enter fave nineball media production podcast here]. Slow? definitely if you're just on the mobile signal... fast as heck if you're in a WiFi hotspot. Get on it developers!

All Apple all the time

Today's Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote just kicked off... there's been a ton of speculation (planted and lovingly watered by Apple's secrecy) leading to this morning's unveilings. Not sure if anything will impact podcasting or other new media, but rest assured I'll post my thoughts later this afternoon if Jobs lowers the boom on anything like that...

Podshow's Suck Less bashing

I definitely don't want this blog to devolve into Podshow bashing, but they seem to keep tripping over themselves lately. The latest innovation from the network is a listener feedback system called "Suck Less" (as in... "help us suck less"). It's basically a demographic questionnaire that gets users points for gift cards and the like. In promoting this, Podshow has slapped a pre-roll ad to every one of their podcasts, and that has met with grumbling from a lot of podcasters. Check out the latest Podcast 411 for some thoughts on that... including one author who decided not to go with Podshow because he did not like the preroll ad. It's even come to the point where some enterprising individuals have posted instructions for listeners on how to use iTunes to automatically trim the preroll ads from Podshow podcasts...

I've never been a fan of preroll ads... 60 seconds is a long ad for something that presupposes that some members of the network (apparently) suck at what they do. Not something I'd want my listeners to hear before my shows start...

Podshow hacked (?)

Apparently someone got into Podshow's mailserver and wreaked some non-damaging havoc. Not cool, but they definitely have made their share of enemies over the last couple of years. Bizarrely enough, since the hacker only sent an email and did no other damage, some people are skeptical that there was a hack in the first place. Ahhh... the drama of podcasting.

iPhone hype

Is the iPhone hype approaching "kiss of death" stage? The NY Times weighs in....

Also... is there a new, secret application in the iPhone that was revealed (sort of) in the tv ads? Let the crazy speculation begin!

Blog World Expo

The Blog World Expo in Vegas this fall bills itself as "The first and only tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of blogging and new media." Something tells me there are some other heirs to that title, but no matter. Looks like this one has a lineup of big hitter companies sponsoring it, and frankly... Ontario, CA.... Vegas.... Ontario, CA... Vegas. Hmmm.

I'm tentatively hitting the New Media Expo in Ontario this September, but if the buzz on this show builds up, I might just be heading to Vegas too.

It's official: iPhone in stores June 29th

Apple's made it official... the iPhone drops June 29th. Check out the new iPhone ads... judging by the hype alone, Apple will likely sell as many iPhone s as it can get into stores in the first week or so. If the supply creates waiting lists, this could be an interesting summer. However, if the iPhone isn't a decent product, I can see Apple taking a serious beating. We shall see starting June 29th...