Maybe the Blackberry 9000 doesn’t want to be an iPhone killer
Posted on March 30, 2008
Filed Under Internet & Technology, Macintosh, mobility | 3 Comments
I’m beginning to drool over the upcoming Blackberry 9000, now that it seems to be a reality.
It has everything I already love about my Blackberry 8800, plus wifi, a faster network and a camera. I know that rumors also say iPhone is due for an upgrade later this year to AT&T’s faster 3G network.
Some of the Mac press refuse to see what’s attractive about the Blackberry over the iPhone, like this tidbit from MacDailyNews:
“Uh oh, RIM shareholders. If this is all RIM’s got, you guys and gals might want to quickly add “former” ahead of that suddenly scary description of one of your portfolio positions, as it’s now painfully obvious that RIM has learned nothing in the past 15 or so months since Apple unveiled the iPhone,” SteveJack writes.
“It’s the same old, same old in an iPhone-inspired wrapper. And that should fail to inspire much confidence in RIM,” SteveJack writes.
MDN is an extreme example because it’s a site where Steve Jobs can rob a bank at gunpoint and they’ll turn it around into a positive message for humanity, but it’s become typical to measure the Blackberry by an iPhone standard.
Some of us genuinely enjoy our Blackberrys for what they are, not as some sort of second fiddle to the iPhone. If I wanted an iPhone, I would have bought one. Sleek design can only take you so far.
I’m relieved that RIM is staying true to its focus on functionality first and foremost. Given a choice, I think I may still choose Blackberry when both companies roll out their new devices in a few months. When I want to use my phone to update Twitter or send an email, I’m thinking of the message, not the tool. I think the iPhone’s awkward keyboard will always be a barrier for me. We’ll see what happens when I have the opportunity to walk into an AT&T store later in the spring and (hopefully) hold both devices.
When it comes to technology, in my opinion, the best design quickly gets out of the way and doesn’t have to try too hard. This is why I still feel that the MacBook Air is an interesting proof-of-concept but will fail long term unless there is more thinking towards functionality than just being “impossibly thin.” Maybe it was impossible for a reason.
Frankly, If RIM can adapt the browser on a Blackberry to work better with “iPhone enhanced” sites, that may be all it takes for me to stick with their devices and never look back.
WordPress 2.5
Posted on March 30, 2008
Filed Under Blogging | 1 Comment
I was originally planning to wait before upgrading this blog to WordPress 2.5. I usually like to read what others have to say before diving in for myself. But then I was poking around the dashboard on my blog and I saw that the fabulous WordPress Automatic Update plug-in had been updated to version 1.0 to work with WP 2.5. That, and the fact that WP 2.5 supposedly allows you to insert code with the visual editor on. I backup my database every night, so I decided to hold my nose and jump in.
Using the WPAU plug-in, the upgrade took about 3 minutes from start to finish. No problem at all (that I can see).
There are some things I like right away. I like the tighter editing window. I like new dashboard which puts more emphasis on my stuff than WordPress.org self-selling. I like the change in language from “slug” (which no one understood) to “Permalink” which makes more sense. I like that superfluous settings are tucked away, while things like the post status and tags are front and center.
Hmmm…only thing that seems a little weird is the fact that it’s giving me Pacific time for draft saves, rather than Eastern/UTC -4 (time zone is set correctly in blog settings).
And yes, I only posted the above screen shot so I could play with the new integrated media upload tool. 
Trouble in the AIR
Posted on March 28, 2008
Filed Under Internet & Technology, Macintosh | Leave a Comment
After extensive searching, I can’t believe I’m the only person who is having trouble getting Adobe AIR apps to recognize my default browser.
My default browser (Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger) is an Intel-optimized build of Firefox 2.0.0.12, aka “BonEcho” that a guy named Neil Lee is nice enough to whip up for us Mac folks.
Why not regular Firefox 2? BonEcho has some configuration tweaks which make it run a tad smoother on Macs. It also contains pretty form widgets. If you’ve ever seen the ugly form buttons on a Mac running Firefox 2, you know what I’m talking about.
But wait, you say, Firefox 3 beta 4 is optimized to run smoothly on Macs and has pretty form widgets! I know, I know. I tried it for a while. Not stable enough for me yet. Too many crashes and it was especially buggy with the Remember the Milk plug-in that I now heavily rely on. Not to mention how much I hate the heavy default Mac theme. Why do Mac windows have to be so dark and dreary?
So back to AIR… My favorite Twitter client is Twhirl, written on Adobe AIR. I’ve tried many other clients, including Twitterific, and this one just feels right to me.
BonEcho is set as my default browser system-wide, and every application that has a click-through link doesn’t have a problem with this and opens the link as expected. Except for AIR ones.
Every time I click a link in Twhirl, I get this:
“Close Firefox: A copy of Firefox is already open. Only one copy of Firefox can be open at a time.”
If I close Firefox (BonEcho) and click a link, same problem.
The problem happens with other AIR applications I use (such as the outstanding Google Analytics app), too. So it’s not an issue with the individual app. I have an email in to Adobe, but I’m curious if anyone had any ideas to make this work.
I know it may be related to an invisible .parentlock file. However, as soon as I delete that file and try and click another link it comes right back. The problem is AIR.
If Word, Excel, Zinio, Text Wrangler, etc. can recognize that a hyperlink should open in BonEcho without complaining about it, so should AIR.
Connection Cafe interview with yours truly
Posted on March 27, 2008
Filed Under Blogging, Nonprofit | 2 Comments
I was honored when the folks at Convio asked me to be the first interview they featured on their new Connection Cafe blog on nonprofit technology.
Anyone who has ever had a real-life conversation with me knows that two subjects you can’t get me to shut up about colorectal cancer and nonprofit technology. Someone who wants to hear what I have to say on both topics better grab a cup of coffee and settle in before reading.
Seriously, thank you so much to Jordan Viator who could have edited me down to “visit CoverYourButt.org, take action and use Salesforce/Convio” but instead decided to go light on the editing pen, giving readers a really good picture of what C3 is about and how and why we’ve been operating the past 3 years.
By the way, the picture on the post was taken at the NTC Science Fair. On my head is the NTENny award I received at the NTEN member reception for Most Likely to Win a Pulitzer by Blogging, hence the “take this picture quick because I feel really silly” look on my face.
Thoughts from NTC
Posted on March 21, 2008
Filed Under Nonprofit | 1 Comment
I am so glad I finally made it to a NTC (Nonprofit Technology Conference). I’ve been here in New Orleans since Tuesday night, heading home tomorrow morning.
I get jazzed about technology…not just about what it does or all the geeky parts, but about the problems it solves. Even before I started working for C3, I leaned towards the nonprofit world and nonprofit clients. I feel like I’ve been a nonprofit geek my entire professional life, but I didn’t know it until a couple of years ago.
I’m surrounded by people who react to this stuff as I do. Folks who think about how technology can and should change the world, and not just “isn’t this cool?!?” They’re just as passionate about the nonprofits they work for or represent as they are about the tools they use. Brilliant people who could make much more money working in the private sector but instead focus on using their geek for the greater good. Inspiring.
Over the next few days I’ll parse it all into smaller, more coherent posts on relevant topics. For now, some personal and babbling highlights, generally in chronological order…
