iPhone = fail
So I’m visiting friends up north, but my iPhone has died. And by died, I mean it felt like it was going to catch fire. If you need to get ahold of me, try calling Kenny.
Why I ditched NetFlix
vs.
I’m probably not the first person to tell you that NetFlix is pretty darn cool. They have a great library of movies, zero late fees, and a reliable delivery system. Their site even does a good job recommending movies to watch. But NetFlix just isn’t for me.
After looking at our usage statistics for the last year, my friends and I decided to cancel our shared NetFlix account. It was just too much overhead for us to send movies back through the mail. Admittedly, this was probably due to laziness, but NetFlix’s fee-less structure really doesn’t encourage you to send movies back on a regular basis. In the end, we were paying about $7 per movie. Paying the subscription fee just wasn’t worth it.
Paying $3 to $5 per movie on iTunes is much more reasonable. With my Apple TV, I can browse and preview movies directly on my TV. After I finish watching a movie, it’s automatically “returned” for me. As long as the iTunes movie catalog is expanded, I think I will be more than happy without NetFlix.
One minor quibble: Did you know that Gone Baby Gone is available to purchase, but not rent from iTunes? How dumb is that?
Halo replaced my TV shows
The writer’s strike forced most of my favorite television shows to go off air this winter. I really thought this would lead to me renting/watching more movies, but I’ve been playing Halo 3 instead. I wonder how many Xbox LIVE subscriptions will expire once the TV shows are back in full force?
On a related note, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were just as entertaining during the strike. But I’m still grateful their writers are back.
Macworld keynote follow-up
Here are my initial impressions/reactions to the Macworld 2008 keynote announcements:
I think this was a no-brainer for Apple. I’m still hoping that backing up to drives attached to Airport Extremes will return in a future Mac OS X update. Although I wouldn’t mind buying this when I need a router of my own, right now I’m leaning more toward a Drobo Share unit instead of a Time Capsule.
Steve didn’t share anything unexpected here. Surprisingly, the leaked video that circulated last month was 100% real. I have already updated my phone and played with the new features.
I’m thankful I can add web pages directly to my home screen, but I have to say that the location feature in Maps is unbelievable. I know it’s not as accurate as a GPS, but it’s close enough for getting driving directions, which is all I really need. Thank you Apple and Google!
I can’t wait until February when 3rd party applications will greatly expand the capabilities of the iPhone. If it’s not obvious, I absolutely love my iPhone.
iTunes Movie rentals and Apple TV “take 2″
I’m most excited about the revised interface for the Apple TV. I keep hitting “update software” on my Apple TV, but Apple hasn’t released the update yet.
As for rentals, I think I will prefer iTunes over NetFlix or a local video store because I’m really only interested in recent movies, I can’t stand late fees, and I don’t watch movies often enough to justify a subscription service. I’ve been tempted by OnDemand, but my cable box has such a horrible interface. It’s laggy, poorly organized, and it has the gall to display advertising.
From what I’ve seen so far, the Apple TV will make the process of finding content — movies, TV shows, and podcasts — much more enjoyable. (Heck, I already spend hours on YouTube with my Apple TV.)
Ultimately, I will own one of these stunning laptops. My original MacBook still has life in it, and I think I would need a more powerful desktop to justify losing so much storage. And, Firewire Target Disk mode, you will be missed.
Summary
All things considered, this keynote wasn’t nearly as exciting as last year’s. I doubt Apple will ever top the iPhone keynote. Incremental improvements to the iPhone keep me excited, but nothing will overcome the “I can’t believe they’re doing it!” feeling I had last year.
Macworld 2008: There’s something in the air
Since everyone is doing it, I’ll join the group of bloggers hoping for an awesome Stevenote. Here are a few things (in no particular order) that I hope will be revealed tomorrow:
- iPhone update with GPS-like locating abilities, more horizontal screen modes, and the anticipated SDK
- Apple TV update (software and/or hardware) that includes movie rentals (please make a deal with Netflix, Steve!)
- A super thin MacBook and a cool dock for it to live in
- It wouldn’t be a wish list without pleas for an improved .Mac service
- Something that I haven’t thought of. I love surprises.
Remember to check back tomorrow to see how satisfied/crushed/excited I am!
Resolutions 2008: blogging
My commitment to blogging in the last year — well the last three years, really — has been pitiful. Resolving to do better each year hasn’t made much of a difference, so I think I’m going to make some changes.
The largest contributing factor to my blog’s declining activity is that I try too hard to emulate my favorite blogs. A lot of them cover Apple very closely, and a good number of them post photography on a regular basis. Any coverage of Apple that I provide is usually secondhand. And it’s pretty obvious that I haven’t been able to keep up with posting photographs lately.
My blogging goal for this year is to post more about my professional life. During the day I’m the Media Communications Manager at Midland Public Schools. I spend a good portion of my days working on web applications and, most recently, a course management system (CMS) called Moodle. At the very least, chronicling my work accomplishments will fulfill my desire to self-monitor my progress, but the Internet may also find an appreciation for what I’m working on.
Hello, 2008!
Re-kindling my love of reading
My (early) Christmas gift to myself this year was an Amazon Kindle. It’s a $400 eBook reader that lets you buy books directly from Amazon. There are many fair criticisms of the device (the price tag, for one), but I really think that encouraging myself to read is worth $400.
Until now, the only fiction book I had finished in the last year was the final Harry Potter book. That’s pretty lame, considering how much I used to enjoy reading. I usually avoid reading by convincing myself that I have more important things I should be doing. But procrastination always gets the best of me and I end up watching TV instead.
So the best feature of the Amazon Kindle isn’t the long battery life, convenient online book store, or even its brilliant E Ink screen. No the number one feature of the Amazon Kindle is guilt. I will be forced to read more often or I will be a fool for spending $400 on a newfangled book.
Another photo of Lucas taking a nap
I really like this photo of Lucas. One of the side effects of getting a full time job is that I haven’t felt like doing much photography. Hopefully I can break that pattern. I really need the creative outlet.
Back to the photo… I’ve learned that babies sleep a bunch. And, according to Jerry, Lucas slept through the night for the first time yesterday. I’m sure Jerry and Lacey are very thankful.