Well here’s a shocker, the UAE has banned a technological doo-hickey.
Yawn. Must be a Tuesday.
One of the new features in the new Apple iPhone 4 is FaceTime, a video calling feature.
But apparently the UAE has banned it on the iPhone 4, which launched there on Saturday: “No FaceTime in UAE, reported working in SA unless phones are updated“.
If I had to guess why, and this is just a shot in the dark here, it’s because of either porn or VoIP.
The Emirates doesn’t care for either.
Back in April the Travel Channel aired an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations shot in Maine (see Bourdain in Maine).
Now, last week, the episode went to Dubai!
Here’s a clip:
It’s for sale on iTunes if that’s the way you get your cable TV.
I’m actually glad I didn’t buy an iPhone 4.0.
And I’m not even being facetious.
Did you see how “Apple Offers Free Cases to Address iPhone Issue” and that Apple even admitted “iPhone 4 Drops More Calls Than iPhone 3GS“?
Yep, I’m waiting for iPhone 5.0. Well that, and a job.
Uh-oh! Did you see this in the New York Times: “On iPhone 4, a Mystery of Dropped Calls“?
Apparently there are concerns that holding the new iPhone 4 in one’s left hand results in poorer signal performance, including dropped calls.
And I’m left handed!
So I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have one!
Yay?
Apple’s new iPhone 4 is being released today.
Think I’ll just wait until iPhone 5 comes out in 2011.
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about Apple’s new iPhone 4 they revealed yesterday. It seemed like I’ve wanted an iPhone for the last three and a half years. Oh wait, I have (see iPhone).
In fact, I’m pretty pissed off that I don’t have one.
One of the reason’s that I’d like a real job – I mean, other than health benefits, sick days and vacation days – is for a real paycheck of which I could spend gobs and gobs towards an iPhone and data plan. That’s where they get you, you know, that monthly data plan on top of the already outrageous cellular plan. I just can’t afford that right now. And that upsets me.
I’m also really jealous of my friends who do have iPhones, which these days is most of them. Every time I get an email from a friend and the last sentence is “sent from my iPhone” it grates my nerves. Why do they get an iPhone and I don’t?
Mostly because they’re not a temp, I’d assume.
In fact, now that I think about it, other than “sloth” I think I experience the full set of Cardinal Sins each time I think about the iPhone:
Wrath: see above
Greed: I want I want I want I want
Sloth: n/a
Pride: I’m supposed to be an Apple fan without an iPhone?
Lust: Okay, similar to this case to envy.
Envy: see above
Gluttony: My Motorola RAZR works just fine, really.
So wait, did I just prove Apple evil? Crap.
Forgive me Steve Jobs, for I have sinned …
Awwww …
If you missed last night’s episode of Travel Channel’s No Reservations that was in Maine it’s available to purchase on the Apple iTunes Store now.
Mine’s downloading as I type …
Wow, I guess I’m glad that I don’t have an iPhone: “The Scary Truth About Your iPhone.”
Naw …. I still wish I did.
Yes, I’d like a Apple iPad when they come out in 18 days. But I’m wary of being an early adopter, especially on new Apple products. You might remember when Apple cut the price of the iPhone by $200 two short months after it came out. Plus sometimes new products have bugs, especially when they’re as new and untested as the iPad.
So I’ve thought up a more economical use of my $500.
Well, theoretical $500.
Take a Refurbished Mac mini 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, which happens to sell for $499 – the same price as the current iPad. Add a $20 cable you can hook this up to your television: instant home entertainment system.
For the past 3 1/2 years we’ve used our 5.5th Generation iPod to play movies and TV shows to our TV (see iPod, TV and Me). That’s fine, and works quite well, but only holds 30 GB of entertainment. The Mac Mini has five times that, plus external hard drives.
Also it would be a hub for all of our music, which right now reside upstairs on a hard drive out of reach. Sadly our laptop has nowhere near the space needed. But with a Mac Mini we could play the songs over our network; all of our music would be at our fingertips anywhere in the house.
So while, yes, I’d like an iPad, I think the Mac Mini would work better for us in the short run. I know eventually we’ll have gobs of cash with which to buy all of the neat toys our hearts desire, but for now …
Awwwww yeah:
You might have seen this already: “iPad Available in US on April 3.”
Got an email from a former coworker yesterday telling me about another coworker’s new book.
At the bottom?
“Sent from my iPhone.”
I hate those words.
I was so jealous – not only of my author friend but also my iPhone-having friend – that I almost threw my back out.
It did throw me into a shitty, jealous mood all afternoon though.
Last month I mentioned how the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where Liz and I went on our honeymoon, has the Apple iPhone but no App Store (see Mauritius App Store).
As you can imagine, an iPhone without apps is like Christmas without presents.
Well I’m happy to report that on Thursday Apple announced nine new App Stores – including Mauritius.
Josh finally lives in Maine again
after four years at Boston University, a stint in Southern California with
Walt Disney Feature Animation,
and two years in Dubai, UAE,
where he created and wrote
Newlywed in Dubai.
