5.31.09

The last day of May and the weather is gorgeous! Makes me want to get outside and do something fun in the sun 😀 but instead, I just sit here and Blog…

Tomorrow will be June 1 and June is PACKED with all sorts of stuff to do beginning with our 3-day trip to the Mall of America. On Thursday Sari has her recital. Next Monday is my mother’s second chemo treatment. The following weekend we go to Ellijay for a week and the last two weeks of the month Sari Beri will be going to camp at the Wilds. Before you know it, it will be July 4th!

I’m almost done with the 5th section of the Coffee Master program and I was wrong about there not being any coffee tastings in this section– I think I’ve done 6 or 8 so far. I’m really getting nervous about the whole certification thing 😮

I worked at Lovejoy on Wednesday and may be working over there more in the coming weeks. They are closing that store but don’t have a date yet. Most of the employees have left for other jobs and they only have 5 employees now. I blistered my thumb pretty bad on their bar #1. No one remembered to tell me that the auto shut off doesn’t work on that bar

Apple briefs staff on wireless iPhone movie and TV downloads

The iPhone 3.0 operating system release will include new support for direct downloads of movie and TV content from the iTunes Store, according to people familiar with Apple’s internal training materials.

Last week, a Salon blogger covered initial reports of a new iTunes Store interface for downloading movies and TV directly on the iPhone, including support for movie rentals.

Beta testers of iPhone 3.0 can already access the new interface from a special URL.

The new interface is mostly functional, although featured content blocks were marked with F.P.O (for positioning only) placeholder art and all attempts to download any video content return the error “the item you’ve requested is not available.”

Now however, AppleInsider has learned from people familiar with Apple’s training program that new self-guided training materials being distributed to familiarize AppleCare agents with the features of iPhone 3.0 software “definitely covered” the ability to directly download movies and TV shows on the device itself, rather than just syncing video content through iTunes.

read more…

Will the next iPhone have iVideo?

The new iPhone hardware expected to ship this summer from Apple Inc. is rumored to have a video chat capability supported by MMS, among other new features.

Today’s roundup of rumors and speculation about the upcoming iPhone hardware also suggest that there will be a 32GB model, a boost from the current 8GB and 16GB models.

But the reports raise questions about why the iPhone doesn’t have an expansion card slot for unlimited storage capability, especially if users will be storing massive amounts of video from video chats, video streams off YouTube or other places.

Whether the iPhone will support video chat, or some version of real-time videoconferencing, was a big concern of some developers and analysts at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference last year. Some expressed disappointment that various video features were not included in the iPhone 3G.

In March, Apple said the new iPhone 3.0 software would support MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, along with 100 other new features such as cut-and-paste and stereo Bluetooth.

The MMS software reports indicate to some observers that the next iPhone (due out July 17, according to some speculation) could support iPhone video chat, which would be possible with a good camera and microphone and a fast wireless connection.

read more…

AT&T details 7.2Mbps 3G, backbone upgrades

AT&T today explained some of the key details behind a planned upgrade for its 3G network, including improvements to the infrastructure underneath. Having initially run a trial, the carrier now says it plans to start upgrading its network to 7.2Mbps HSPA this year and should have the faster service in place on all its connections by 2011. While actual speeds are likely to be lower, the peak is twice as fast as for the existing 3.6Mbps network.

The speed and capacity upgrades partly corroborate reports of an iPhone-inspired upgrade to AT&T’s network, which may be strained by video uploads made possible through the next-generation iPhone. They also potentially address frequent complaints about an overburdened 3G network that, in key cities like New York and San Francisco, has resulted in frequent dropped calls and 3G data often being slow or simply unavailable.

Multiple rumors have floated that Apple will give the next iPhone a 7.2Mbps 3G chipset from Infineon that will automatically use the added speed when it exists on the local 3G network.

source: electronista.com

5.26.09

Back from a 4-day camping trip. Loads of laundry done, still more waiting to be done. As Scarlett said, “Tomorrow’s another day…”

Click here to see pictures from the trip.

After escaping to the Suburban from the rain on Saturday night we decided to take a trip into Jackson to find a Bruster’s. The second scoop is free when it’s raining! Peach ice cream– YUM! I’d been wanting some for a while 🙂

On Sunday, after a wonderful bacon and eggs breakfast, we took the long 2 1/2 mile hike on the historic and the tranquil trails. It was very nice 🙂 Then it was time for lunch and an afternoon-long game of Phase1o, except for Rachel who slept most of the afternoon. She joined us at the end but Chris still won.

A great dinner again Sunday night with grilled chicken and vegetables. We rushed to finish as a big thunderstorm was approaching. Then we retreated to the Suburban for a second night. It didn’t last long and we were able to enjoy Rachel’s DELISH apple cobbler dessert that she cooked over the hot coals in a Dutch oven. I think it was the best thing I ate all weekend! AND, I wish I had some more right now. 🙂

A very nice trip despite the weather, mud and bugs, and we plan to do it again possibly up in the north GA mountains the first weekend in October.

This is the last week of school and I am so glad of it! I love the summer and the unpredictable schedule.

On Monday the girls and I will head to the Mall of America for 3 days. I am SO looking forward to it!

My mom continues to improve and was even able to sit at the sewing machine yesterday and get some work done. Every day she’s a little better. Her next treatment will be a week from Monday.

Rumor Round-Up: Everything We’ve Heard About the Next iPhone

This month, the Apple rumor volcano erupted with purported details of the next-generation iPhone. Various blogs claim receiving tips from informed sources about features in the highly anticipated handset, such as a magnetometer (digital compass), a video camera and a speedier processor.

Here, we round up every rumor that’s appeared about Apple’s next iPhone, which many are betting will be announced June 8 at the Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. We’re also accompanying each rumor with a percentage rating for its probability to be true, as well as our analysis.

When WWDC arrives, we’ll present a report card showing which publications were correct and which were wrong. And of course, we’ll grade ourselves on our predictions, too.

With that said, here’s everything we’ve heard about the next iPhone:

Speedier processor and more RAM
Source: Daring Fireball; Apple iPhone Apps; MacRumors; WeiPhone
Probability: 95%
This is pretty obvious: Any hardware upgrade typically receives a performance boost. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has historically been one of the most accurate with Apple rumors, and his sources tell him the next iPhone will have a 600MHz processor (up from 400MHz). That would make the next iPhone 1.5 times as fast as the current one. Also, a recent job listing reveals that Apple is hiring a low-level iPhone programmer who is familiar with the ARMv7 Cortex mobile processor, which is much faster than the current iPhone’s ARMv6-based chip. As for memory, we’d expect Apple to increase RAM to complement the processor upgrade.

Magnetometer (digital compass)
Source: The Boy Genius Report; Daring Fireball; WeiPhone
Probability: 90%
A large amount of evidence indicates that the next iPhone will feature a magnetometer, a 3-axis compass that will greatly enhance its global positioning capabilities. Developers testing the iPhone 3.0 beta have found system files and screenshots referring to a magnetometer, which suggests the hardware feature will appear in the next iPhone.

Same industrial design as previous models
Source: WeiPhone; Daring Fireball
Probability: 90%
All the probable rumors suggest this will be an incremental upgrade, so we would not expect Apple to change much in the industrial design. That would mean the screen resolution should remain the same. Also, Apple would hesitate to change much about the overall form factor, as it would require iPhone application developers to dramatically change their apps just for the new phone.

Storage options increased: 16GB and 32GB
Source: Daring Fireball; Apple iPhone Apps
Probability: 80%
The current iPhones come in two models: 8GB and 16GB. Upping the storage to 16GB and 32GB is a small, incremental upgrade, which would allow Apple to maintain the price points for the handset.

$200 and $300 price points to be maintained
Source: Daring Fireball; Apple iPhone Apps
Probability: 75%
Apple’s iPhone 3G was a tremendous success, selling over 10 million units in 2008. Apple relies on hardware upgrades to boost sales numbers, and given the solid performance of the previous iPhone, the company has no strong incentive to reduce the handset’s costs.

Video-recording and editing capabilities
Source: Engadget; MacRumors; BusinessWeek
Probability: 70%
Some developers have published screen captures of a video interface discovered in iPhone 3.0 beta. A major complaint about the current iPhone is its inability to record video, so it would be surprising if Apple didn’t deliver this feature. We would give this rumor a higher rating if there were evidence of video-editing capabilities. Currently, we haven’t seen any.

Sleeker design
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
Probability: 60%
No solid evidence of this, but the traditional evolution of Apple products is they get slimmer and sleeker.

1.5 times the battery life of the current models
Probability: 60%
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
A major complaint about the iPhone 3G is its meager battery life. Therefore, Apple will most likely claim the next iPhone has improved battery life. We’ll have to test the next iPhone’s battery life to see if Apple’s claims are true.

OLED screen
Source: Apple iPhone Apps; Register Hardware
Probability: 20%
An obscure iPhone blog reported a rumor that the next iPhone will feature an OLED screen. However, this is unlikely as OLEDs are expensive and would likely drive the iPhone’s price points higher. Evidence of this feature is scant.

Glowing Apple logo on the back
Probability: 20%
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
Unnecessary. Rumor comes from an obscure blog with little cred.

Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
Probability: 20%
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
No evidence of this. We’re not sure why Apple would choose to remove this band.

Rubber-tread backing
Probability: 15%
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
Unlikely, as it would be ugly, and Apple likes pretty things. Also, the rumor comes from the same obscure blog as the one above.

Built-in FM transmitter
Source: Apple iPhone Apps
Probability: 10%
We see no compelling reason for Apple to put this in the iPhone, as it is not a feature that users have been demanding, and it hasn’t appeared in other iPods.

source: wired.com

5.23.09

So here we sit, hiding in the Suburban from the rain. We’re camping for the Memorial Day weekend– 4 days. So far the weather has been pretty good– that was up until about 45 minutes ago. A big downpour with wind gusts chased us to retreat to the car [at least the girls]. The guys are being “manly” about it and making sure the tarps don’t get blown away. Sweet of them– it’s a guy thing. Fortunately, just before the storm hit, we had just finished a wonderful dinner 🙂

Today we went hiking and boating.

Dinner tonight, provided by the O’Neals, was YUM-O! Tomorrow night we are responsible for dinner. They’ve certainly set the bar high.

Rachel also has a Dutch oven and plans to make an apple cobbler.

We had Jiffy Pop and S’Mores last night.

The facilities here at High Falls are pretty nice. I don’t think I’ve ever been here and I do find it a bit odd to be sleeping in a tent when my nice comfy king-size bed is not too far away.

I guess the oddest thing is that just across the road [not park property] there is the High Falls River View Cafe and it seems that just a few weeks ago they’ve started having a live DJ and music that blares into the night from their hugh outdoor deck overlooking the river. This weekend they are having a 4-day extravaganza or something like that. Last night it was quite disturbing! Loud music of all kinds and you could hear the DJ loud and clear. At one point we could hear him hollering, “Y’all stop that fighting… don’t do that now…” or something to that effect. Soon after, the police, an ambulance and a firetruck arrived. We spoke to a park ranger today about the situation and really, because it’s outside the park, his hands are tied. He just suggested if it happens again tonight that we call 911, tell them it’s not an emergency and log a complaint. I suppose if the place gets enough complaints against them they might tone it down. I’m sure last night they had to have been violating some noise ordinance. It was REALLY loud! So unnerving when you think you are getting away to some peace and quiet!

My mom has had 3 rough days. However, I don’t think it’s really gotten as rough as it’s going to get, yet she’s said several times already that if the chemo is going to make her feel this bad she’d rather die from the cancer. It’s kind of early in the game to start saying stuff like that and it really concerns me. Seriously, it scares me. This is only treatment 1 of 7. She’s never really ever been very sick so she doesn’t know how to handle it. I pray that she will not say that again.

Yesterday I passed the 4th part of my Coffee Master and started on part 5. This is really the last segment as segment 6 is the certification. Part 4 had about 9 coffee tastings. They were fun but a lot of work. I haven’t really had an opportunity to look into section 5 but I don’t think there are any coffee tastings. Next week I work at Lovejoy for 3 days so I don’t know how much of the Coffee Master stuff I’ll get done over there. I’m getting kind of anxious about the certification part as I will be questioned in depth about my Coffee Master knowledge by the district manager.

Tomorrow we will hike more and maybe boat more and who knows what else. It’s relaxing, a nice change of pace and a lot fun! 🙂