Email Facepalm

You would think that in today's age of computers in the workplace, the most basic form of work place communication -- that being E-mail -- would be the most effective form communication with colleagues. After all, this is an age of omnipresent technology, where you can access your work email from your notebook, pc, work mobile phone/blackberry/iphone, VPN from home ... and you can do so when you become available. That is, you can't "miss" it, because you're not in a meeting -- it's just there once that meeting is done.

However, on my current contract, it seems I am sending email to the Gliesa 581 system, as I never get an immediate reply and I almost always have to do a "manual" walk over to the persons at hand to get the information I need. In addition, I've started to email with just itemized points (no long winded sentences like my blog, clusters of chaff .. just to the point). A majority of the time these emails only require a "yes" or "no" answer. I still don't get it.

I have tried the "I will assume this is true if you don't reply" type emails, but they don't work either. I've been in meetings and burned some people, and that's not my intention as a contractor. (VP asks XYZ, I say ABC, Engineer says it's not that way, I retort I emailed them and they agreed because they didn't reply, Engineer gets roasted by VP for not replying) Of course, sometimes, I have to open a can of whoop a$$ (keeping in mind, I'm usually brought in when the locals aren't doing their job, dragging their feet, or unable to complete the tasks at hand). Oorah!!! :P

Anyway, it seems I have to continue sending emails and doing a manual follow-up -- wasting time as I walk around the building looking for people. It seems email is a big waste of time, but needed -- but the real question is, is there anything else on the horizon that will replace it? IM can work, but people never answer those either. Ideas? How about a cruel "Star Rating" system for your colleagues at work? (Don't email David, he has a 3 star rating for replies, so you know you'll have to go find the guy) That would be awesome. ;-)

Foursquare, Gowalla, and social network business models ...

As you may or may not know, I am a "part-time" user of both Foursquare and Gowalla. I say "part-time" because I normally forget to open the applications up when I go somewhere (unless I am out eating lunch by myself, or waiting for somebody and I find myself bored so I fiddle with my phone). With SMSs pretty cheap here in the Czech Republic (1 kč per SMS ... or, about .05 US cents), it's just much faster to SMS people if I want them to join me. Basically, what I really lack is incentive to use such apps on a normal basis.

Of course, in places like New York, where Foursquare was born and rules the city, you're much more likely to find "deals" ... ie ... electronic notices/coupons related to the places you visit. A somewhat crude form of location based advertising ... not quite as fancy as our Jellingspot data server we used to sell back in the early 2000s (bluetooth location based services platform), which we shelved a few years ago (no "easy to use" app stores existed then). But, it works.

Even this, however, isn't the greatest incentive. If they really want to grow -- they need to learn about viral marketing and/or viral sales teams. Imagine if I set up locations in Gowalla, and then made .1 cent for every check-in? Ok, maybe a bit far fetched, but maybe I could make a deal with my favorite locations -- for every check-in you bring them, you get .1 cent?

There are a ton of mini-viral marketing/sales activites they could do to stimulate exponential growth of their app use. A kind of virtual francising. This would be incentive for me to use and spread the usage of these applications. Heck, even a simple monthly lottery for people who check in would be a nice incentive. Everytime you check-in (at certain locations for example), your name goes into a virtual hat ... end of the month, there will be a drawing where you can win, ABC, XYZ, etc. Think about it. Thousands of users would then be pushing your product. You don't have to cough up a bunch of cash (although somekinda Google Ads like business model could be cooked up ...). Food for thought ...

Illustration from: http://topnews.net.nz/

Handplaning

Well, I just noticed on my boy Justin's facebook page that he re-posted a totally awesome blog post from his friend Brian over in San Francisco who is really passionate about handplaning. [Check out his awesome GoPro video in the blog post]

What is handplaning? Basically, it's body surfing with a small board on your hand, which gives you more lift and more control in the water. Like a one handed "bodyboard" ... but, there is no board on your body -- just a fin on your hand. It looks totally fun!

Anyway, the guys who made Brian's handplane over at Enjoy Handplanes take old surf boards, cut off the noses, and make some cool ass looking handplanes. How cool is that? Recycling old surf boards to give a part of them a new life in the water. I think that's totally cool, so much so, that I'm gonna have to order one. Not sure how much handplaning I can do in the Vltava, but it's definitely a lot easier to travel with a handplane than a surfboard when I *do* get a chance to hit up some waves. Check them out!

Apple TV: New vs. Old

Recently Apple launched its new Apple TV for the amazingly low price of 99 USD (75 EUR / 1865 Kč). The previous Apple TV was considerably more, depending on the amount of storage you wanted. But, that's no longer an issue with the lastest Apple TV, because they no longer include ANY storage, so now you don't have to pick. ;-)

I could list the plethora of differences between the "old" (and my opinion) Apple TV and the new one, but the fine people over at Digital Trends have done a pretty good job comparing the New Apple TV vs. Old Apple TV.

What I will say is this -- cloud computing (ie... all of your hard drive storage is on the internets, not on your local computer) overall is pretty cool and I'm definitely not a cloud computing hater. I like it. But, Apple TV's new "stream only" approach is kinda limiting in some ways. What if I want to buy a movie? I can still buy movies on the old Apple TV ... and even via iTunes on my PC. But I cannot do it directly via the new Apple TV. I can only rent. This means I have to go into my office, turn on my computer, fire up iTunes, BUY a movie ... download it in total, and THEN! I can stream it from my PC to my new Apple TV and watch it in my living room on the large LCD TV ... seems like a longer process just to watch a movie (more steps in the revenue cycle, I think, aren't usually wise). Doesn't look like I can lug the new one to my mountain cottage either to watch movies (would need an internet connection to watch movies). I guess the limited internet connection mountain cottage types aren't their target market.

On the other hand, it removes some of the craziness of "syncing" content between systems (I mistakenly deleted a purchased movie off of my iTunes on my PC, and it then "synced" (deleted) on my Apple TV, so I lost the movie I purchased) ... so from this side I think it's cool. The netflicks integration seems pretty cool tool.

All in all, still a pretty cool device with very limited competition ... but, with a 99 dollar price tag, I think Apple TV is really going to cross the market place chasm now ... just wait and see. But I don't think they needed to remove some of the cool stuff they had before ... they could have just improved what they had, instead of cleaning the slate so to speak.

Back on E85

So, I thought I'd post something new that WASN'T really related to what I do for professionally for work, but what I do for "fun". In this case, it's moving my Subaru back to E85 fuel for the race season. You know, E85 .... 85% moonshine and 15% normal 95 oct. (91 in the US) fuel -- which totals up to 109oct (105oct US). With Winter's long grip on Prague officially over, it's time to go E85 again for the following reasons:

1. It's 40% cheaper than normal 100oct. (96oct US) fuel ... which is about 8.50 USD per gallon now.
2. It produces 70% less emissions than standard petroleum based fuels.
3. With tuning***, I get another 10-15% horsepower and more engine safety.

Now, I don't run E85 in the winter, because I don't drive my Subaru STI much in the winter, and because it's extremly difficult to start the car on E85 when it's cold out. If you don't have an engine blanket, good luck getting it started (unless your car was built as a Flex-Fuel car, then the ECU (car computer) will know what to do).

However, it's warmed up a bit, so now no problemo. To run E85 in my Subaru I had to add a higher capacity fuel pump and larger fuel injectors. E85 requires that you spray 30-40% more fuel than standard gas when using it the way I am (1 to 1, ethanol doesn't have the power as standard gas, so you need more of it to product the same amount of energy). Using the opensource software RomRaider, I am able to tune and make changes to the car's ECU map so that it will run E85. In this case, playing with the fuel scaling and timing. Don't try this at home kiddies ... if you screw up, you'll blow your motor. ;-) Once done, ta-da! Add E85, update ECU map, and you're good to go!

Naturally, I just explained it "for dummies" as details might be just a bit too much for you if you're not familiar with ODBII ports, ECUFlash, MAF scaling, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, something new for you today, if you have any questions about what you need to do to get on E85, let me know, I'll be glad to consult ... now, back to real work I go (oh, wait, still looking for work myself :P) ...

"Lean Manufacturing" in software ...

The term Lean Manufacturing has been around for a while, but it seems that it has been re-discovered by a few marketing teams in a few of the larger ERP systems (I hate this term ERP, but I'll use it for reference) solution providers, and I'm getting spammed about how to "make my business 'leaner'".
I have no intention to drill deep into Fordism at this point, as it is a really exhaustive topic (and well worth researching if you're unfamiliar with it) and not really suitable for an ad hoc blog post. What I will say (and to really water it down and simplify it) is that in terms of software solutions for logistics/production companies, is that the goal of any information system you implement should aim to reduce the amount of manaual work employees perform or remove the need for any manual work altogether.

The great majority of systems (ERP, SCM, MM, IS, --> insert acroynm here) capture information well (including the system the company I work for implements), but they do a poor job of automating processes or removing the "decision time" process. In other words, you collect a plethora of information about, say, what items are in your warehouse, but very few of these systems are ordering supplies for themselves (ie... when a store's shelf is empty or the supply depot is almost exhausted, very few outfits have automated re-ordering of goods in demand, and still depend upon shop assistants and students to do "inventory" or "by-site" management of goods ordering).

There are a few systems out there (not being fully used by most of their customers), that automat the sourcing process, including the contracting process, ordering process (by Demand), etc ... but for the most part, especially in this part of Europe, product chain management is extremly poor. The local giant Tesco or Hypernova or Albert should NEVER run out of something (unless it's seasonal), but they do all the time. For example, items I buy all of the time seem to run out, and isn't replaced for days, sometimes even weeks -- even when their other stores on the other side of town have a shelf full of the same goods. "Real Time" analysis and movement of items by demand shouldn't be some rare function of an information system and a comapany's procurement organization, it should be the norm.

The point is, if you are a manager of a large company needing an information system to help you capture AND improve your current production/procurement processes, just don't follow the other sheep and invest in "popular" tools (especially those subsidized by a government, cough, cough ...) ... try doing a bit more research first, and if you're completely lost, contact a professional outside of those companies to help you garner your proper requirements (it doesn't have to be me! :P) ... you'll be glad you did.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Well, this definately isn't going to help your business at all, but the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is out. If you are wondering why some of your employees may be calling in sick more often lately, or why they're not even bothering to show up to work (cough, cough), this may be the reason why.

I must say, however, that you can learn a lot about business from playing such first-person shooters, especially when playing online against other real people. 1. Team work is essential to winning. 2. Real-time communication is a major advantage, especially as it relates to information about knowing where your enemies are located. 3. Having the right-tools (Heart-beat sensor enabled rifle vs. pistol) definately can make the difference between pawning some noob or getting stabbed.

Just think about it ... I'm off to, hmmm ... work on some business proposal for a customer :P (if you're playing this on the PS3, let me know, I'll be happy to skool you online!)

How NOT to sell software ...

Recently, I was looking for a good photo/picture editing program and a good video editing program ... since I don't own a Mac (yet) that comes with awesome software out of the box, and Microsoft's free picture and video editing tools are completely worthless (shocker!), I went looking to buy something.

I used to be a big Paint Shop Pro guy, so I of course went to see what they currently offered -- turns out that Corel now owns them and the software is called Corel Paint Shop Pro. Downloaded the trial version, and it was very similar to the older versions I knew well. Ok, found my photo/picture tool. I saw Corel had a video editing application called, Corel VideoStudio 12. Downloaded the trial, it wasn't bad either, and pretty easy to use. Ok, that was easy. On their webpage, I noticed they had some nice package deal for both applications for one-low price. Great! Let me buy it ... go to buy it, and of course, it won't let me buy it for the low-price because, and get this ... I'm not in the USA. I am then given a link to pick UK, EU, or some other countries. I picked the EU ... but of course, no nice package deal. Normal price but in euros instead of dollars -- in in short, the software would cost me almost two-times as much. WTF?!?

Now you'd think if I somebody were coming from say the Czech Republic or another former-Eastern Block country, the price might be ... and I'm going out on the limb here saying this ... at least the same? (cheaper would be crossing the line). In an area where software piracy is higher, wouldn't you want to entice people to use legal software by having a lower price (or at least equal) to fit the local's budget?

I know when I worked at a very popular software firm in the past, the price was publically the SAME for everybody -- in dollars. And when the dollar took a hit and got weak, ooh, well ... it was just that much cheaper for the rest of the world (the US was 50% of the market and Europe the other 50%). We even lowered the price on a case-by-case basis when people wrote to us from countries with much lower GDPs. Maybe that's why that company I worked for is still thriving, despite having fierce rivals backed by much larger corporations.

It's really no wonder why companies like Corel, who used to really be king of the hill, have just become standard.

No SMS vCards on iPhone?

Unless I haven't figured something out, it seems you cannot send a vCard via SMS from say, a Nokia (in this case my wife) to an iPhone (in this case, me). WTF? I remember being able to do this back in the old skool days with my Siemens C35i phone, but I can't get a .vcf (vCard) file sent to my iPhone via SMS? Please somebody tell me that I am just doing something wrong?

Back from the Dead

Well, the summer is winding down, so it looks like I'll start to blog a bit more ... less car racing, less beer drinking, less fight tournaments, and more posts about the nerdy stuff that matters!

Nothing new to report, except that my Nokia N95 finally died, so I got an iPhone ... I am such a sell out! It's pretty cool in a lot of ways, and I HATE it in many others ... I'll post some thoughts about it when I get time ... in the meantime, if you're an iPhone user, you have to get Doodle Jump .... can you beat 30055 points? Get some!

Prince2 Certifed

So, after a long week in the UK, I am now officially (after years of practice) Prince2 Certified. Weeeeee. Was it worth the 4000 Pound I spent for training, hotel, food, and of course Ale and Pies? I don't know, but it is what it is.

As for this blog, I've been so busy, you can see not much is being updated. Once I am "ramped up" on this new project, I will probably start blogging more, but my focus will probably be more Supply-Chain related, than mobile or tech ... not that I'm getting away from tech or mobile, but there are many fine blogs out there already discuss this stuff, while not much exists on the latter. We'll see!

A late Happy New Year to everybody!

Hypernova, meet Supply Chain Managment...

I couldn't help but post a "non-technical" opinion today. Yesterday, while shopping for groceries, I went to purchase my normal catch of canned tuna from Rio Mare (yeah, premium Tuna, I roll like that). I noticed Hypernova was selling the following:


1-Can Pack: 59.90 CZK
2-Can Pack: 139.90 CZK

?????

That means, if you buy two, 1-can packs, you pay 119.80 CZK ... but if you buy 1, 2-can pack, you pay 139.90 CZK. Hmmm, ok. So I bought two, 1 can packs and saved the 20 CZK.

Now, it doesn't really take a genius to know something is wrong here. The cost of packaging 1 can vs. 2 cans is obviously more (Economies of scale anybody?), not to mention when you rid yourself of a 2-can pack, you free up more shelve space for more goods. Also, customers *generally* lower the cost of purchase by purchasing in bulk (while 2 cans to 1 isn't really bulk, the same "theory" applies). In other words, the one 2-can pack should have been cheaper than 2, 1-can packs.

Apparently, the fine folks at Hypernova haven't taken any Economics 101 classes, and they need to learn a thing or two about Supply Chain Management and Marketing ... I'm available for consulting services should you guys want it (because you DO need it!).

Jablotron Car Alarm (GSM/GPS)

Well, I just recently picked up a cool car alarm from Czech maker Jablotron that is GSM and GPS* enabled. My car now has its own SIM card! When the alarm goes off, it calls my phone and sends me SMS to tell me what has been disturbed (door, window, trunk, hood, ignition, etc...). I can send short code SMS messages to arm, disarm, check its status, gets its location via GSM-Triangulation, or get its GPS coordinates. It's pretty neat.

Coupled with a third-party website/partner that can do real time security monitoring for your car, they even allow you to track your car via online maps to find your car anytime you want (I can even see it in my phone browser, which is a good thing too). It will create a "travel log" of locations you visited, too, if you enable it (excellent for supply-chain / fleet management gigs ... or for the psychotic husband tracking his wife's every move). And just to be a super annoying neighbor, I can set the alarm off remotely for 5s seconds, for example, just in case I feel like it (I can set my alarm off from Greece when on vacation if I want -- don't ask why).

All in all, if you're looking for a good autoalarm, check (he said check) these guys out. Hopefully, they'll come up with a GSM-camera for the car, too, so I can monitor my car with video at night -- that'd rock the house. Let's go Jablotron, get the little pin-hole cam hooked up too!

* I was too cheap to put the GPS module in ... it won't work while it's in the garage or in undergroud parking, so for me it was considered a waste of money (3000 CZK, 170 USD, 120 EUR difference) -- but, if somebody steals my car, I'll wish I had it so I could find its precise location [unless they get it into the chop shop quickly], instead of getting 200-500m near it using GSM-Triangulation.

Apple "3G" iPhone arrives in Prague ...

Well, it has been a bit more than a week since the Apple "3G" iPhone hit the market here in Prague. People with who had very little idea of what an iPhone was 1 month ago, are now pounding their greasy fingers on the iPhones screen, thanks to the relatively low cost no thanks to carrier subsidies. Nobody quite knows what to do with it, however. With a touch of humor, my own carrier, Vodafone, has called friends offering the "3G" iPhone (these friends already having the initial version of iPhone) and that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. My friend's conversation went something like this:

Vodafone: Hello! We now sell the Apple 3G iPhone, it's the greatest phone on the planet, don't you want to sign up for a contract and get it?

Friend: Why would I want the 3G iPhone, you guys don't offer 3G in the CZ.

Vodafone: Hmmm, but it has GPS now too!

Friend: Can you download the maps locally onto your iPhone?

Vodafone: Yes

Friend: Have you ever played with an iPhone?

Vodafone: Yes, we have one here.

Friend: Go play with it again and call me back when you know the answer to th question.

Obviously, not all customers have a clue. Most will just say "ok, let's do it" -- the marketing is silly. Signs for the iPhone are everywhere, but nobody really knows why it's so good (functionality wise) ... it's call comical really. I have been lectured by another colleague that I should get it becaues it has GPS. When I state I've had GPS functionality for more than a year with my stale Nokia N95, they're really not sure what to say after that (besides I can listen to music on it -- which I guess I can, but I can on my N95 too ... but I prefer my iPod Nano).

At any rate -- I noticed that previous iPhone users were mostly happy about the fact that they can configure their iPhones to access the companies Exchange environment -- this feature alone seems to be the only reason most previous iPhone users are bragging about the new iPhone. This definately has been a change agent -- those folks who have iPhones and had to carry Blackberries for corporate email have finally "converged" -- which is something that Apple has been good at doing, and if they can continue, they're going to give Blackberry hell.

Now where is the Nokia N96 so I can say I have HD TV abilities (but of course, my carrier won't support that, just like it doesn't support 3G) on my phone. I need a "notch up" in the cool department. :P

Mobile Slingbox Chill'axing ...

Well, last week I was in the UK on a biz trip, and I did a sweet impulse buy of a Slingbox SOLO at the airport (Terminal 5, despite all of its glitches and its over-price construction costs, it certainly has enough gadget stores in it for the likes of me!). In case you've forgotten what a Slingbox is, it basically is a stand-alone TV server that "slings" (hence its name, clever eh?) or pushes out your home TV connection out to the internets -- and you pick the signal up with a software TV client (on your notebook desktop pc, or mobile device). It works really really well. I watch my Dad's TV back in the states on it from time-to-time. I picked one up mainly so my girlfriend's sister can watch Czech TV while she's abroad (they don't sell the Slingbox here in the Czech Republic, go figure...).

At any rate, the other obvious reason I picked one up is because Sling viewing on my Nokia N95 is *really* good. I mean, REALLY good. It looks super clear and the audio comes in great (*** only via Wi-Fi-- EDGE just isn't fast enough for Sling viewing). Most modern shopping malls in the CZ have free Wi-Fi, so at lunch I'm usually watching the news on my mobile -- and people freak out when they see TV (full screen) on my phone. Even my colleagues who sport iPhones drool at the fact they can't do that (Apple, make a deal with Slingbox to get their client on your new 3G iPhone -- that would be yet another selling point for me to get an iPhone). Check out which devices are currently supported for mobile Slingbox viewing ... (30-day free trial)

Anyway, enough of the rambling -- I have some Slingbox TV to get viewing ...

3G iPhone Puzzle

Well, more and more chatter is starting to pick up on the Blogosphere and tech head sites about the pending release of the Apple iPhone II or 3G iPhone. What we do know is that many industry folks with "inside" knowledged, coupled with the statements from carrier CEOs, have pretty much "proven" that a 3G iPhone is soon-to-be on the shelves for purchase.

However, aside from "3G" (ie... a faster connection), what else is a likely "3G" iPhone going to bring? Well, it's really anybody's guess. Naturally, a plethora of folks have demanded, myself included, that integrated GPS be added for once thing, and a more open or friendly Bluetooth environment. Additionally, the ability to code apps and install them (via iTunes AND Bluetooth) is a must (yeah, yeah, I know that the platform is opening, but thus far, it's still a pretty closed one).

I have stated in previous posts what I'd like to see in a "super" iPhone -- basically, the same features that the Nokia N95 has had for more than 1 year. These technical features and abilities, coupled with Apple's great eye for usability, would make it a staple phone in my thirst for phone gadgetry! Let's go Apple! Woot, woot

2008 .... B - U - S - Y - !

I haven't had much time to write, as I've been extremly busy (this consulting stuff is hardwork!) .... that, and just being totally lazy and indifferent to all of the technologies flying around out there (I'm keeping track, but I feel sorry for bloggers trying to keep their blogs up-to-date about what's going on, shssh). I think, with the little free time I have after work, BJJ training, and reading ... I prefer to play Call of Duty 4 on my PS3 instead of update you folks :p

Whatever the case, keep your eye out on the iPhone II coming out in June -- I may finally pick up an iPhone if it includes:

1. 3G Speeds
2. Integrated GPS
3. Better Camera/Video recorder (doesn't have to match my N95, but it should!)

If Apple can do this, I'm there!

Now who wants some on COD4??? ...

Nokia N95 vs. Apple iPhone II

Well, it has been a while since I last blooged ... a very busy work schedule, not to mention I broke my leg and recently my hand (thank Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training for that), I haven't gotten to blog much as of late.

Anyway, iPhone talk has started to become standard lexicon here even in Prague, so it's time to revisit the Nokia N95 vs. iPhone discussion again. Having played with a few iPhones now, I can say openly that the iPhone is a LOT more stable and a lot more usable than the Nokia N95. My N95 has a host of stability issues (slow GPS start-up time, crashing on larger webpages, freezing when an application tries to determine which access point it should use, etc....). I have updated my firmware to the newest version, and that was more than 2 months ago when it came out, and no updates since that time. Nokia is very slow with updates. They really should release minor versions on a regular basis (with change/bug-fix log), specifically for their early-adaptors and champions ... pissing us off is not a good idea.

The iPhone is a superior phone when it comes to usability ... what it still lacks to put it far ahead of the N95, however, is:

1. Flash support in its browser
2. Ability to select more than 1 message at a time (organization features kinda suck)
3. GPS (that's a given)
4. 3G (another given)
5. Open Bluetooth (to send/receive pictures, business cards, etc...)
6. Open platfrm (I believe this is gonna change soon)

The Nokia N95 is still a better device to have when you find yourself in unchartered lands (having maps is nice, but if you can't find a street name, it's a moot point to have MAPs) -- not to mention, you cannot save maps locally ... no connection, no maps on the iPhone. The photo and video quality of the N95 is just super. I used my N95 on my last holiday to Greece (leaving the video cam at home), and it worked perfectly. Great DVD quality video, and excellent photos. The iPhone will have a BIG HILL to climb when it comes to knocking off the N95 in this territory.

I'm both happy, and greatly disappointed with my Nokia N95 ... Nokia could pay it a lot more attention and get their Series 60 platform in more order ... I think if the iPhone starts fixing its shortcomings (and Apple has a history of listening), the iPhone is gonna turn into the "to have" phone while Nokia's offerings slowly slide back into the abyss. Hope that's not the case, but we'll see how the Finns react. If they react at the same speed they are fixing bugs in the N95, they're good as gone.

Nokia N95 vs. Apple iPhone

I don't mean to bash the iPhone -- I haven't seen one nor played with one yet. However, looking at the spec sheet leaves much to be desired, and the marketing for the iPhone (and the idiots in the mass media outlets that keep swearing it's the next greatest thing since sliced bread) is getting pretty damn annoying -- especially for ANYBODY who knows basic things about mobile phones (I suspect, the iPhone will only take off in the U.S. and the U.K. -- whereas the rest of the planet will not buy into the retarded hype ... but I've been wrong before). The iPhone just isn't that great, feature wise -- I like how these guys spoof Apple's famous commericals to compare the Nokia N95 vs. the iPhone.

Now when I go back to the states, I'm going to have to hear all of the parrots ranting about how great the iPhone is -- and I'll be like the guy in the video talking crap about it.

Nokia N95: I pulled the trigger

Being the penny-pinching miser that I am, I was kinda skeptical about spending so much on a phone that I didn't think was worth it -- but I did ... so far, the phone is impressive, but it's not blowing off my socks. In the coming weeks, I'll give my impressions of using the N95 in more detail -- and some of the apps I've already started to use (fring, truphone, its maps app, etc...). So far, the phone is good, but has some usability issues I think Nokia could improve. More reporting later ... gotta go search for more fun software to install :-)