Carl Setzer

I like my Androids Though there are some temptations iPhones attract me Amazing accessories And there are many more apps

I'm suffering a bit from Android Envy, centered around the app Mighty Text. This makes Android phones more compelling to me. And, sadly, there isn't an iPhone version, nor competing product...well, at least not on Windows . Now I get Apple, and understand why they haven't/won't make a Windows version of the product: Apple's drive for their products integration. Perhaps, though, there's a way for Apple to build a tool and expand their market-share of another Apple product: Safari . My idea: integrate iMessage functionality with Safari. Let me send/receive SMS messages via my iPhone from my Safari browser. That would drive me to use Safari nearly exclusively. Right now, on my work PC, I use (in order from most to least used) Firefox, Chrome, IE, then Safari; on my Mac, Chrome, Firefox then Safari. I tend to only use Safari extensively on my iPhone. So, here's a way to expand Apple's hold in one market, increase the functionality of a key tool, and hel...

After I upgraded my iPhone 4S to iOS 6, one of the big issues I was faced with was flagging emails in my personal domain (which is hosted by google apps). This is set-up via Exchange. Turns out the problem is manically simple: the optional domain setting. Under Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > "account name" > Account, after "Email" (which is how you name this guy) & "Server" is "Domain". After changing this from blank to "google", the ability to flag in this account came right back. iPhone on good health! I'll add more about my iOS 6 update journey soon.

I've been wondering these past few days whether the iPhone's huge array of applications will be THE driving force for it. Or, on the other side, whether the seeming dearth of them for the Blackberry might keep folks away. Will the average user be satisfied with a few key apps, or will they be swayed by the masses available for the iPhone? I'm not sure, myself. The main things keeping me away from the iPhone are the lack of a keyboard (I'm just not convinced that the touchscreen is that grand - know too many people who hate it) and not being able to swap out the battery. For those put off by the price, here's an option for you: the Peek . A pretty basic device, but should really help move people into the mobile email space. If they allow apps to be developed it would be a solid game changer. We'll see.

Engadget has a cool piece about LG’s iPhone-esque device. It convinces me that the format developed for the iPhone will be very popular. I haven’t had a chance to really research this, so I don’t know if this uses Symbian, Windows Mobile, or what. We’ll see, I guess. Not too much to excited over, but something interesting, nonetheless. iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth? Two sparsely-buttoned large, touchscreen phones: the Apple iPhone , and the LG KE850 (which already won the International Forum Design Product Design Award for 2007). Separated at birth, or possible lawsuit number two for Apple? You decide.

Apple Waves Its Wand at the Phone - New York Times One of a zillion articles on the debut of the iPhone. Dave Pogue has one key piece missing from most others: he's actually handled one (albiet for around an hour). I really appreciate Pogue's review, especially in lieu of the aforementioned point. If you're excited by the thing, this a great piece to give you some insight about how the thing actually works. With that in mind, another good piece on all of this is over at Treonauts . They've done a great job comparing the Treo 680 and the iPhone. Another good piece to read is this one at the NY Times. It gives a good explanation about Cingular's motivations in all this. In here, I have one point to argue with Roger Entner an analyst with Ovum Research (Ovum? Anyway...). He's arguing that the price point ($499) will limit its appeal. He needs to look at the iPod, and how it was introduced. I would gamble that Apple has several lower cost options in the works (the i...