Kevin J Edwards

Here’s what we did live today at Research@Intel Day 2010. It was a lot of fun and I have to say that I love the people I work with as much as the cool gadgets I get to play with. The event took place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. If you live anywhere near the museum, you should really check it out. If you missed the event, be sure to check out what we produced below or at Research@Intel Day 201 videos at ConnectedSocialMedia.com.

An in-depth review follows. Here’s the take-away:
iPhoneTrip allows you to rent a SIM and use it abroad very cheaply. It works extremely well, and is well worth the money. It’s a must-have if you plan on flashpacking.

Pros: Incredibly easy, relatively cheap compared to other options, allows you to travel in ways not possible before. If you also use Google Voice and Skype it makes iPhoneTrip even better/cheaper.

Cons:
You may find yourself over-dependent on your iPhone. You run the risk of being too connected to people/co-workers back home. You’ll use your iPhone so much that you’ll want extra external batteries.

Bottom line:
For me it came out to about $60 a week versus well over $100 on a slow day. I couldn’t afford that, nor could I have done this trip without my iPhone.

Read more below for how I used it with my MacBook Pro, Skype, and Google Voice for free voice calling and SMS messages:

As I prepared for my Europera 2010 trip, I looked into options for using my iPhone 3GS. Coming from America with AT&T the option was to take out a mortgage and pay AT&T outrageous sums of money for international data roaming and sell body parts for a few minutes of voice time.

Another option could have been to get a SIM card in Europe, or even buy an iPhone in Europe and sell it before I leave. Neither of these options would work because I’m traveling to so many countries that I need to be able to freely roam without limitation or concern.

I stumbled across a site called iPhoneTrip.com. Now we all know when something sounds too good to be true, it always is. Except for when it isn’t, and I’ve got to say that the iPhoneTrip SIM has totally exceeded my expectations.

What is it?
It’s a way to cheaply use your iPhone abroad.

You have two options, you can rent an iPhone from them, or you can rent a SIM from them. I chose the SIM rental as I already have an iPhone 3GS configured exactly how I wanted it.

Now before signing up, I scoured the Net looking for personal reviews. I couldn’t find any with real authority and credibility. I actually saw a few posts from others who were highly skeptical and thinking it may be a scam. So here I am. Someone with an online history and credibility…and someone who’s written/produced reviews for such media companies as CNET amongst others.

The SIM from iPhoneTrip arrived via FedEx as promised, the day before departure. I was able to pop it in and test it before leaving. Yes, it worked in San Francisco.

First stop on my trip was London. I got off the plane and inserted the SIM. Almost immediately it picked up the local carrier and gave me 3G coverage. Many European carriers don’t support aGPS, which means that, as I found in London, it can take a long time to find your position if you’ve moved far since the last time it had a satellite lock. It also means that it can’t find your position at all if you are deep indoors. The solution to this is to just be patient. Before arriving at a destination, pull up Google Maps and get walking directions from your train station to your hostel, then start using it as a map until the GPS kicks in and can track your position.

Google Maps is awesome when flashpacking. Take advantage of it with any number of Wikipedia apps that show you what’s around you so you can see cool stuff along the way.

The apps I’m using the most are:
Skype
iTranslate
iConvert
Fizz Weather
Facebook
Hostelworld
Google Voice (via Cydia on jailbroken iPhones or webapp)
iRail
WikiMe
Shazam
Motion Alarm

I’ve also been beta testing an augmented reality app that I can’t divulge too much about yet, but it allows you to use the camera and GPS to point at something and the iPhone returns information on what you’re looking. This technology is going to be very big.

The iPhoneTrip SIM doesn’t require that you jailbreak your iPhone. They don’t mention that you might find that it works better even if you do. I’m also traveling with a MacBook Pro and because my iPhone 3GS is jailbroken, I’m able to tether my MacBook Pro, which is just what I’m doing right now…on a train somewhere between Dresden and Prague.

Also, with a jailbroken iPhone, you can run Skype over 3G (or even Edge). This means that phone calls Skype to Skype are free. Phone calls Skype to landlines back home are free with a $12.95 subscription, and Skype to cell phones are incredibly cheap.

Since you’re replacing the SIM, the phone number on your iPhone changes. You could forward your original number to your iPhoneTrip number, but I didn’t want to do that, so I had my original phone number forwarded to Google Voice. This allows me to read a transcription of the voicemail, or hear the voicemail for free, and then Skype call them back if needed.

Google Voice also allows you to send and receive SMS messages for free. You’ll want to alert people back home to your Google Voice number, so they’ll recognize the SMS as coming from you.

It’s really amazing how well this works and how critical it is on my trip. James Bond never had anything like this. Think about this… I don’t speak a word of any language for most of the countries I’m going to (except a little bit of Spanish). No problem, I get in a taxi and hand my iPhone over to the driver who sees that I want to go to the opera house. Along the way he stops and I can here him talking on the radio. I pull up iTranslate and ask if he’s lost. He nods his head as he’s arguing with the person on the radio. I pull up Google Maps and him my iPhone again. He smiles and we’re back under way. I want to emphasize this point here: I was in Berlin for a matter of minutes and I’m able to ask a taxi driver if he’s lost, and then provide him with step by step directions.

Hey, what’s that building? Out comes the iPhone.
I wish my friends back home could see this now. Posts to Facebook.
I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me. Enters phrase in iTranslate.
How much is that in $US or US measurement. Enters amount in iConvert.
Etc…

I could go on and on with all the uses of the iPhone when traveling abroad, but the key point here is that iPhoneTrip allows you to actually use your iPhone for a very reasonable price. It’s also 100% seamless. You do nothing but replace the SIM and turn data roaming on (if it’s not already). Your iPhone will automagically connect to whatever available carrier there is in whatever country.

Keep in mind that you’re going to be using your iPhone constantly, especially if you’re doing a lot of walking around. You could charge your iPhone on most but not all trains and at most but not all hostels. I’d highly recommend getting some cheap external iPhone batteries. Look for the ones with high amperages. I bought 3 from Monoprice.com that are 2200mAh for about $14 and can completely charge by iPhone twice before needing recharging themselves. These also work well because they charge using the standard USB docking cable and can be connected to your iPhone while charging, thus charging both. That’s also where Motion Alarm comes in. I’m sleeping in hostels that are mostly dorm or ensuite style. With Motion Alarm, I can plug in my iPhone, external batteries, and MacBook Pro all with my iPhone on top. If someone moves any of it or my backpack, the alarm goes off on my iPhone. I still keep it all hidden on my bed between me and the wall.

iRail and HostelWorld apps are great for looking up specific travel information. To make things easier, I created a spreadsheet that lists all of my trains, cities, hostels, operas and other activities and then saved it in PDF form. At any time I can pull this up on my iPhone and see where/when I’m supposed to be someplace.

This is the coolest, most adventurous trip I’ve ever taken in my life. It’s amazing how much the iPhone adds to the experience and how iPhoneTrip enables the use through reasonable pricing.

If you’re interested in learning more about my Europera 2010 trip or having any questions, please follow me on Facebook at:
facebook.com/kevine

If you’re going to BlogWorld & New Media Expo – Las Vegas 2009, let me know, because I’ve got connections!

From Connected Social Media, a preview of BlogWorld & New Media Expo 2009:

From Connected Social Media, Making The First 32nm Microprocessor With Intel Rock Star Sanjay Natarajan:

Sanjay Natarajan is an Intel rock star and director of logic technology development for the worlds first microprocessors built with 32 nanometer process, codenamed Westmere. Sanjay shares how Intel has reinvented the transistor again, improving upon Intels leading 45nm processor by creating smaller gate pitch and higher drive performance. He talks about using immersion lithography technique for the first time, and how different teams across Intel optimized new energy efficiency and performance features that will be available inside all new Intel Core microprocessors in 2010.

Expect to see much more at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2009.

No official word yet on this innovative technology being in an Apple Macintosh, but that’s just Apple being silent about future products as usual. Meanwhile my iMac and MacBook Pro are starting to have that “it’s time to upgrade” feel to them.

One often overlooked advantage of Apple’s switch to Intel architecture is that we have a much better insight into Apple’s product roadmap since it will be bound to follow Intel.

While the exact date of release may be an unknown, we can look at what the 32nm chips bring to the table and plan accordingly. In my case, I’m still on a Intel Core Duo, not the Core 2 Duo. As a result, running Snow Leopard gives me a slight benefit, but I’m going to see a huge jump when these new 32nm Macs are released.

Ok, so you want my prediction? I have no credible insight into this. I’d start looking for 32nm MacBook Pro or iMac rumors on AppleInsider.com, Engadget, Gizmodo or MacRumors for leaked info, but personally, I’d really like to get a new MacBook Pro before CES 2010.

[update: this bug seems to be fixed in WordPress 2.9 Beta 2]

[update: this bug is back in WordPress 3.0.1 and is still present in WordPress 3.4.2. It may have been in WordPress 3.0 and other versions as well]

After a couple of days of agony thinking that my WordPress database was seriously messed up, I discovered the bug that was causing enclosures to disappear turns out be considered a “fix/feature” by WordPress Org.

WordPress 2.8 not only places auto-enclosures like previous versions of WordPress, but it also auto-removes enclosures if there’s no link to the media file in the post body.

To keep your enclosures from disappearing in 2.8, you can place a link to the media file in your post body…of course this may be a redundant link or an unwanted link.

Why anyone would want auto-enclosures is beyond me. This functionality is really annoying and problematic. It also saves no time as entering the URL in the enclosure field and then using the enclosure to place a download link where the post is displayed is much more efficient…and logical…aren’t these templates we’re talking about? Why would we duplicate copy and code in every post?

So to fix this fix without having to place the redundant link to the media file, you need to edit the file at:
../wp-includes/functions.php

Simply delete or comment out lines 1164-1168. [Update: in 3.0.1 it’s lines 1184-1191] They look like:
foreach ( $pung as $link_test ) {
if ( !in_array( $link_test, $post_links_temp[0] ) ) { // link no longer in post
$wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare("DELETE FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE post_id = %d AND meta_key = 'enclosure' AND meta_value LIKE (%s)", $post_ID, $link_test . '%') );
}
}

Unfortunately of course this code will be added back again if you update WordPress (unless they see the error of their ways).

I would love to offer this as a free plug-in, but I don’t think there are any hooks for this in the WordPress API. I could be wrong as I’m not experienced at all in plug-in development for WordPress.

UPDATE: WordPress 3.3
I didn’t check this with each version, but in version 3.3 it’s line 1219 to 1226 which has this code:
foreach ( $pung as $link_test ) {
if ( !in_array( $link_test, $post_links_temp[0] ) ) { // link no longer in post
$mid = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare(“SELECT meta_id FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE post_id = %d AND meta_key = ‘enclosure’ AND meta_value LIKE (%s)”, $post_ID, like_escape( $link_test ) . ‘%’) );
do_action( ‘delete_postmeta’, $mid );
$wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare(“DELETE FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE meta_id IN(%s)”, implode( ‘,’, $mid ) ) );
do_action( ‘deleted_postmeta’, $mid );
}
}

UPDATE: WordPress 3.5
I didn’t check this with each version, but in version 3.4.2 it’s line 427 to 434 which has this code:

foreach ( $pung as $link_test ) {
if ( !in_array( $link_test, $post_links_temp[0] ) ) { // link no longer in post
$mids = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare(“SELECT meta_id FROM $wpdb->postmeta WHERE post_id = %d AND meta_key = ‘enclosure’ AND meta_value LIKE (%s)”, $post_ID, like_escape( $link_test ) . ‘%’) );
foreach ( $mids as $mid )
delete_metadata_by_mid( ‘post’, $mid );
}
}

To find the code each time, I’m searching for “$pung as $link_test” and then reading the entire block of code. It changes, but it’s pretty easy to spot and comment out. Also it’s worth noting that this file won’t necessarily be changed with incremental updates. Still, I wish they would fix this.

Discussions about this issue are taking place on WordPress.org.

According to AppleInsider, “Restrictions drove U2 to switch sides from Apple to RIM“, Apple lost the sponsorship opportunity for U2 to RIM due to Apple not being willing to appease U2. I’m not that big of a fan of U2 (and forget the “but U2 sucks” comments), the fact is, U2 is HUGE. While artistically I think they ran out of substance a long time ago and are running high on gimmicks, they do get millions of people engaged in what they’re doing around the world.

From U2’s perspective, they want to be treated like the artistic Gods they think they are. They want *something*, anything that their status gives them exclusive access to, so they can seem cutting edge.

Apple, isn’t so accustomed to placating in this regard, and probably has the perspective that they’ve got all kinds of high priority partners to provide direct support and access to, such as Microsoft (Office for the iPhone), or Adobe (Flash).

Given the clash of corporate and brand protecting egotistical giants, I could see how there would be a conflict between U2 and Apple.

But this ultimately ends up hurting Apple.

U2 goes on and does something with RIM for the Blackberry, which will probably be something with less whiz-bang bells and whistles. However, Apple loses the promotional opportunity completely. Furthermore, Apple loses some of its edge as the media smartphone as opposed to just the smartphone. In other words, some people may see the Blackberry as just as hip, cool, and media savvy, but better for business use than the iPhone. The opposite of this of course would be Microsoft offering Office for the iPhone as an exclusive.

Of course all of this assumes that the article at AppleInsider is correct, and Apple lost U2 for reasons other than RIM simply just deciding this opportunity was worth pouring a boatload of cash into and simply outbidding Apple.

The bottom line though is that this is yet another example of how Apple needs to open up and play nicer with partners. Somehow though I can’t imagine Steve Jobs is spending his time off right now ripping up iU2 photos.

Related blogs:
Techmeme
Bono and Steve Jobs No Longer BFFs
Why is U2 endorsing the BlackBerry?

ThePhoneLounge has an article iPhone 3.0 isn’t all good… which focuses on in-app sales, which is a new feature in iPhone OS 3.0, expected to be released early this summer.

This is more than just allowing purchases to be made through a back-end system such as Amazon for example, this allows developers to provide upgrade functionality in their apps. This could be all kinds of things from upgrading from a lite version to a full version, buying additional maps for GPS apps for the iPhone, buying avatars or next levels for games, or subscription based services.

The fear here is that developers will nickel-and-dime users in an effort to constantly extract as much cash as possible instead of providing an upfront known price associated with the app.

And this is what I think:

1) Most developers have been really good about providing value for their apps. There are a lot of $1 apps. Even more so, there are apps which are very useful that are free because there’s a business model that doesn’t involve charging for the app. There have been many exceptions where people overcharge, but people usually price compare and competition is pretty high.

2) The ratings and rankings system will filter out abuse. People charging too much for their apps are given really bad reviews in the iTunes App Store. People can be brutal with their iTunes reviews. It’s almost as bad as Yelp.

In the end, most developers will be conscientious enough to be responsible to begin with, or will learn quickly that they must be reasonable with the in-app sales.

I guess we’ll find out soon.