A start to a post-modern, 2.0 election...
After the California primary earlier this year where my touchscreen voting machine literally rebooted in mid-vote, this time around I was wondering what California and/or San Francisco election officials would do. Sure, my buggy e-voting machine did have a paper receipt behind glass next to the machine that looked to have captured my choices accurately, but the whole experience was not particularly reassuring. What about those folks in states that do NOT have a paper record next to the machine?
This election, with all the hype, all the California propositions that really matter, is one where an independent record could be vital. (Of course, this is San Francisco, so it may be a bit of overkill) This is, after all, one of the most important elections in recent times. At least those of us under 35 seems to think so.
The Provisional Ballot Box is readied in San Francisco
(Credit: Kevin Ho)
A record of my vote...
(Credit: Kevin Ho)As per usual, at the most inopportune time when I was already running late, I decided to sync my iPhone as I was getting ready to leave home today. Like clockwork, iTunes asks me if I'd like to update to Firmware 2.1. Would I? Unlike last time, I actually downloaded the update and took off to make my a Saturday class.
During a break, my fellow iPhone-laden class attendees got out their iPhones to check email, text messages and voicemail and the discussion turned to Firmware 2.1.
"Did you get it?" one fellow classmate asked eagerly.
Some of us had, and others, like me, had not. The only visual difference the few of us noted was that the iPod's song listings now listed the artists as well as the song title. But it was funny that we were talking about a firmware update like schoolgirls gossiping as the discussion quickly shifted to cool iPhone applications. Seismographs to levels to games....
On the way home, however, I ran into two of my friends who work at an Apple Store here in the Bay Area. One is a general floor rep and the other a Genius Bar rep. Both were touting the update as getting a new iPhone (essentially making the life of the Genius Bar rep a whole lot easier, me mused).
From what I've gathered from everyone I talked to today about the update (the whole point of non-geeky types talking about a firmware update is not lost on me) is the following: Somehow, Apple has increased 3G performance AND improved battery life in one fell swoop. Perhaps, some theorized, Firmware 2.1 has addressed 3G network access issues that drains battery life. Whether this involves AT&T slackening 3G access standards or if the change is on Apple's end doesn't really matter to me. The details behind the conclusion aren't critical to a lay user like me and my classmates. We saw a Firmware 2.0 iPhone placed next to a 2.1 and noting that 3G reception on the 2.0 was 2 bars while the 2.1 iPhone had 5 bars. Really? More bars everywhere for everyone AT&T?
Can't wait to see if this Firmware update finally makes good on AT&T's slogan of 'fewer calls dropped,' which has, thus far, rung hollow with the iPhone 3G.
In a crazy world, Apple would announce a "we-are-so-sorry" iPhone swap today: All first generation iPhone owners and all new iPhone 3G owners would be given a new free iPhone Plutonium, which, of course, has endless battery life. Perhaps this massive reset could be founded by the liquidation of Halliburton or perhaps as part of a massive government effort to promote consumer-spending, oh wait, that was Fannie May and Freddie Mac....
Stranger things have happened. What's the line? We can only hope for change?
But seriously folks, the biggest complaint I've seen (and experienced) is dismal battery life. By the end of a typical day's usage, the iPhone 3G battery is craving to be recharged after a few hours of standby and a just a few calls. This is pretty subpar, even for the most ardent of iPhone devotee.
A close second gripe: (and perhaps an even more fundamental flaw) is the "Call Failed" message that is much more common now than with the first generation iPhone. Apparently, this is based on the iPhone searching for a 3G network in favor over the EDGE network and not being able to do it quickly enough. AT&T and Apple point fingers at each other while we wait.
Public enemy no. 1: sustained battery life that can't come quickly enough.
(Credit: Kevin Ho)
These are the days I dread, but like in some sense. Release day for an iPhone firmware update. This always happens: I'm on my way out the door to work and want to synch my iPhone just to update any playlists or iCal entries when "BAM" - an update is available, "would you like to download now?" iTunes asks invitingly.
Of course I do, even though I have no idea what the difference between 2.0.1 to 2.0.2 is, it's just that it's better, right? (I would hope so, but take it on blind faith that something is improved). Also, a .1 of an update shouldn't be too big or involved, right? No, I always overestimate how long an update takes. In this case it's about 250 MB and about 10 minutes (so far), this includes the time to download, install, and not to mention a just-in-case-all-else-fails backup. Well, the benefit is that this install limbo period forces you to wait, pause and even take time to blog. A nice moment of calm in my day. In my case it means my commute is actually shorter because I would have missed all the rush hour traffic. (Tell that to my boss!) But also, let's hope this .1 of an update is worth the .2 of an hour that I've devoted to it. (or .3, or .4 of an hour...)
The whole Freeiphoneswap.com process (see part 1) got me worrying and thinking about fraud. And, with frustrations about the iPhone's battery common among bloggers and friends alike, you know there is a lawsuit looming out there as some plaintiff-side law firm will want to take Apple to task for allegedly misrepresenting the iPhone's battery life (both the first generation and 3G). Whether these would-be rentseekers have a claim a jury would buy will be seen.
But thinking about it, Apple says this about the iPhone's battery life:
Talk time: Up to 5 hours on 3G Up to 10 hours on 2G
Standby time: Up to 300 hours
Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G; Up to 6 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 7 hours
Audio playback: Up to 24 hours
All of this with a whole bunch of footnoted caveats about testing being one pre-production models in May 2008 with this feature turned off, that one turned on, and that fact that no animals were harmed. But did they take into account all these 2.0 applications? The fact that people would be using their iPhones to do a lot more than talk, surf the new slowly, email or text? Probably not. All of these footnotes are probably enough of a caveat, c-y-a claim for Apple to argue that they never intended for anyone to rely on these estimates or that they made a warranty about battery life, i.e., no fraud, false promise or negligent misrepresentation, essentially, buyer beware. And with that, it'd be hard to muster a claim of fraud. In any case, legal or otherwise, Apple's claims about battery life didn't seem amount to very much. Just in case, these are the elements of fraud in California:
The tort of deceit or fraud requires: (a) misrepresentation (false representation, concealment, or nondisclosure); (b) knowledge of falsity (or 'scienter'); (c) intent to defraud, i.e., to induce reliance; (d) justifiable reliance; and (e) resulting damage. Engalla v. Permanente Medical Group, Inc., 15 Cal.4th 951, 974 (1997).
Apple has, however, put this page up with tips and suggestions about extending battery time, is this all they're going to do? Well, the jury's out on that one.
Ni hao? The iPhone's Chinese language support screen.
(Credit: Kevin Ho)One solution to the what-to-do-with-the-iPhone-1.0 dilemma that occurred to me over lunch with my grandpa on Tuesday (in San Francisco's Chinatown no less) was to give him my old iPhone 1.0.
My grandfather is an immigrant and a jolly, happy type who stays vibrant by talking with his friends from church or with family members. But because English is not his first language and because he's not as tech-savvy as his grandchildren, he has often found dealing with a typical cell phone difficult. The technology gap, generation gap, and language gap all posed by a typical cell phone's user interface (Nokia in this case) were oftentimes frustrating. After all, who can remember to press UP and * to unlock a phone?
With the iPhone's 2.0 firmware, with international language support (including simplified and traditional Chinese) and with the easy interface, however, the path was clear. After showing him and asking him if he understood what the menus meant on my iPhone 3G (as a test run), we were convinced that it was time for him to upgrade to an iPhone--and that a 1.0 iPhone would be more than fine.
Pleased with ourselves, our next problem was that it took us awhile to navigate and convert my iPhone 3G back into English. Even after that switch back every now then (especially with texting), I notice the iPhone slipping back into Chinese mode. It too seems to be stuck in a foreign tongue. But the fact that my grandfather can understand and use an iPhone well enough to help me guess my way back into the English mode is great example of what a universal user interface should be like.
For those of us who have a hard time deciding what to eat or where to dine out, Urbanspoon has made a slot machine/roulette application (complete with 'pull' slot machine sound effects) to help us make a decision on where to eat. The application will determine your location from the GPS feature (which is still a pretty marked and powerful feature to the iPhone 3G that invariably raises privacy issues) and you can select he criteria you want, i.e., neighborhood, cuisine and price. And, for some inexplicable reason, you literally shake the phone to activate the selection feature. The wheels spin and your restaurant is selected (Alternatively, you can push the button too). It's a kind of Magic 8 Ball effect. Strange, but amusing.
Urbanspoon with its gourmet result.
(Credit: Kevin Ho)All sounds good in theory, but in actual application, it's a little, well, beta. "California cuisine" encompasses a sweeping and surprisingly large number of restaurants. Also, the $$$ price guide is a bit off with some joints being way above and some being way below. And, in terms of content, well, given that San Francisco's Mission District is home to many Top 100 Restaurants, Burger King was definitely a surprise result.
How 1.0 iPhones use battery life with the 2.0 firmware and all those tantalizing applications is something that may be worth considering against the iPhone 3G's voracious appetite for power. During the past weekend, as new applications get tested out, I've seen the iPhone 3G use more and more power with the charge indicator gradually slipping away, ultimately flashing the "low battery" warning. This warning wasn't something common with the 1.0 iPhone I had. In fact, I had never seen that "low battery" indicator even after 7 days of camping-like condition on the AIDS Ride.
Of course, with 3G, improved sound quality, GPS locating, and very loud ringer, it would make sense that battery life would suffer. Short of putting a stick of plutonium in the iPhone 3G, it would seem a safe bet that power chargers will get a good workout with the iPhone 3G. Invariably, battery fatigue will soon follow and Apple will have a secured a revenue stream of captive iPhone users who will eventually shell out $80 for battery replacement. That or third-party chargers for cars (or solar chargers) will see increased sales. Either way, this is where the 3G falls short.
Loopt has an appealing application that allows you to track your friends and allows them to track you on a graphic map. It's kind of like a GPS-sonar radar that I've just discovered on the iPhone 3G. But, is this application really more like an electronic leash? Will your significant other track you? Will moms and dads track their children this year? Yes, Loopt has an extensive privacy policy that discourages/prohibits kids under 14 years old from using the service, but even one of my most 'public' friends (both online and in off-line) was actually hesitant about installing Loopt on his iPhone 3G. Disclosing your location to a third-party seemed to bother him greatly. The thought is that if you're near a store that is having a special you may get an SMS-text bulletin or coupon. The ultimate direct-marketer's dream once Loopt obtains some demographic information. Your movement patterns are one thing, but add-in your physical location, shopping patterns, travel patterns... You've become a human cookie.
To me, it's not necessarily the third-parties I'd be concerned about, but would disclosing your location to first-parties, i.e. your friends and family, be the best thing? We are all entitled to privacy of course. (Well, penumbras of privacy under the Constitution). Some choose to have Dick Cheney-like undisclosed location privacy, while others have Martha Stewart ankle-tracker privacy. But, balancing privacy requires takes a certain amount of prudence (or sanity perhaps) that will evolve as the line between public and private blurs even more. At least, at this point, Loopt allows you to opt out and only updates your location when the application is launched. What happens then you can't opt out any more? That'll throw all of us for a loop. (Sorry for the pun).
Was it worth the wait? The 5-hour phone service/text/data outage? Do you really have to get the new iPhone on the first day? The first weekend? From a rational point of view, the answer is probably not. But, from an admitted early-adopter Apple-phile, a resounding hot tamale train YES is the answer. But, this is not without caveats of course (battery life, hassle, and jittery/buggy application crashes). Overall, the new iPhone 3G is slick. The applications (which work 90 percent of the time) are even slicker (many worth special attention to come in the next few posts). Sound quality is much improved. The handset feels bigger, but is lighter. It's more than a refinement over 1.0, but I wonder if that has to do with the 2.0 firmware update that allows those long-awaited, legitimate third-party application bringing in outside innovation.
iPhone 1.0 say hi to iPhone 3G
(Credit: Kevin Ho)In any case, with the white 3G version that yours truly got, people stop and notice and ask questions like they did last year. Today, I've already had two people stop and ask about the iPhone when they noticed it wasn't the typical one that we all have grown accustom to seeing. Sure, they've seen iPhone before, but when they spotted this one, which is different (it's white for Pete's sake) they stopped and asked to see it and the new applications with a lot of attention paid to the GPS-maps feature (deservedly so).
The fact that people stop, look and ask, and that there are still long of people willing to spend part of their weekends in line is pretty fascinating - even given the tough economic that 2008 had over 2007. As the Field of Dreams quote goes: If you build it, people will come.
