Archive for iphone
Now that I am using wordpress 2.7, I thought it would be good to test the iPhone app for wordpress. This is written on the app itself. I would say that although useful it seems to be more favorable to blog from a computer. The iPhone is suited to short spurts of typing, more on the realms of SMS or twitter.
The capability of quickly adding photos and the tag/category functionality seems full featured, as shown by a photo of my dinner I made from Cook with Jamie.
The app did crash when I tried to load this post from a local draft – it looks like the iPhone app needs a bit more work.
Blogging from the iPhone? 6 out of 10 points.
A quick one today, but worthy of note is the upcoming now out Wordpress iPhone Application.
This means an update of techdebug.com is on the cards…
You can read about it on the dedicated iPhone page.
via TUAW
July 9, 2008 at 22:45 · Filed under iphone
As I posted late last night – Vodafone had not announced their pricing. They did – then retracted it. This is a major factor for an IT and tech geek who currently uses Vodafone. I’m now seriously thinking of taking my business to Telstra (I use them for Cable and Internet already – so…?!). I have partially ruled Optus out due to their lack of non-metro coverage and decisions to expand their 3G using 900Mhz technologies.
I tried to pre-register with Telstra. They still have sent me as much as Vodafone. Nothing. So I decide that pre-registering is a waste of time. Off to the stores I went:
- A Melbourne CBD Vodafone store – “Sorry we don’t have any information yet”
- A Melbourne CBD Optus Store – “I can’t find the flyers so I don’t know the data rates, but I think you get the 16GB for $2 a month on the $80 cap”
- Telstra’s T-Life Melbourne store – “There is no info in store, come back Friday”
The Telstra bloke actually spent most of the subsequent three or so minutes expanding on my coverage comment. He mentioned “3.5G” at least 5 times, even when I said that the iPhone is a 3G device; not specifically catered to the NextG higher speeds (14Mbps).
So it is left up to me to ignore all the bally-hoo and just make a decision.
As Koops tells me: “Just buy one from elsewhere and use your computer data card to tether it via wifi”. Maybe that will be the way I go too. It’s either going to be a Friday morning purchase, or stick with my old nokia for another couple of months.
Bottom line, Vodafone has may have (see late minute official pricing) lost a customer – They missed the opportunity to NOT think of this as just another phone.
July 9, 2008 at 02:24 · Filed under iphone
If Vodafone Australia don’t release their iPhone pricing/data or respond to my Pre-registration ASAP (and I mean by midday Wednesday only 48 hours before launch) I’m going to unfortunately have to go elsewhere.
What is the point of their pre-registration when:
- One hears nothing back from it except a “Watch your inbox”
- One goes into a Central Melbourne Vodafone shop and they say “We are not owned by Vodafone so don’t know about pre-registration or when the pricing is available”
- One rings the Vodafone Connect number and can NOT find any option – menu – or area that will answer your iPhone questions
- Optus and Vodafone 3G offerings outside Metro areas will use 900Mhz – WTF Carriers!
In fact their automated Phone system hung up on me twice and I gave up calling.
It looks like I’m going to have to go Telstra or Optus. Hmmmm. It may have to be Telstra since:
- they have Nationwide 3G coverage using 850Mhz – iPhone supported
- They will offer free WiFi access at their hotspots (aka any McDonalds)
- It’s that easy to port my mobile numbers away from Vodafone
I know Telstra have yet to list their data usage pricing; but it can’t be as any worse than their previous offerings.
I will take this moment – for the first time – to note here that although I’m not a Telstra employee I currently work on their IT Transformation. So it may be in my best interest to “show company colours” around the office – and have my phone continue to work as I travel the lifts of the many Melbourne buildings.
Come on Vodafone – you will be losing a customer and $2000 a year in money spent on your services. As other bloggers and news outlets have mentioned, they are cutting it too close.
Telstra have now announced they will be selling the iPhone as well. According to the Age, since Telstra’s NextG network covers 99% of the population the iPhone will get good coverage due to it using the 850Mhz 3G frequencies.
Additionally the Age have reported on the pricing Telstra will offer on their bundles:
The cheapest monthly plan will be $30, paying either $279 upfront for an eight-gigabyte iPhone or $399 for a 16Gb model. Customers who do not want to pay upfront could sign up to an $80 plan for the 8Gb model or a $100 plan for the 16Gb model.
I’ll still opting Vodafone for now, but lets see what the Vodafone pricing and data usage policy will be compare to Telstra’s. If they are almost the same (and I doubt it) it could prompt me to jump carrier. The coverage that NextG have is unrivalled in this country – but has been pricey to use for data so far. SMH Blogger Adam Turner correctly speculates that even though the pricing is out, there is no mention of data usage. Don’t get too hyped about Telstra’s offering just yet. Despite the fantastic infrastructure they are usually the most expensive.
Just to show I’m not entirely biased, Telstra are taking pre-registrations at their website. Thanks to for the heads up on this.
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