Libraries of tomorrow

Library, Hermitage of st Bernardine, Stroud, NSW | Photo by Friar's Balsam

A random thought/idea came to me today.

Last year Amazon began allowing loaning books between Kindle users. In addition they just announced (this week I believe) that libraries will now be able to purchase Kindle versions, for patrons to borrow and read on any Kindle enabled device.

(FREE software is available to read Kindle books on iPhone, iPad, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phone devices.)

You can loan a book to anyone with an e-mail address via the Kindle Manager (as long as the publisher has enabled lending).

So as I was thinking about how this might be an awesome avenue for sharing ideas and material with not just my friends next door, but my friends across the pond, I started thinking…
Continue reading Libraries of tomorrow

To iPad or not, that is the question

iPad 2 with Facetime
iPad 2 with Facetime | Photo via Apple PR

So I’ve never been an Apple fan-boy like my friend Thomas. But I do use an iPhone 3G on an almost hourly basis these days.

And recently I’ve started considering purchasing an iPad2 as well… but I’m not sold on the idea as of yet.

You see my biggest complaint with the iPad is that its seems to be solely about media consumption — which is how it was seemingly pitched in the beginning.

But now as more and more apps flood the market, the tide seems to be changing. There are more and more options out there for creating as well as consuming content. And with that in mind, my mind is shifting as well.

Now I can see the iPad 2 doing many of the things I might use it for.
Continue reading To iPad or not, that is the question

G1 vs iPhone 3G: Comparing video

As I continue using my “new” iPhone, I thought it would be interesting to compare the video quality of my mobile phones… the G1 I used up until a week or so ago and the iPhone 3G I’ve been using since.

Granted, these aren’t the phones you’ll be buying in the stores anymore but if you’re looking for a re-furbished/used phone on ebay or elsewhere, this might help you make your decision. Last check showed an unlocked G1 for $75 on ebay or an 8GB iPhone 3G for $160.

These videos were recorded on the phones (I had to download a camcorder app for the iPhone) and uploaded straight to the web.

The video quality is comparable but the iPhone has the weird screen ratio. That may bother some – may not bother others.

G1:

iPhone:

Like my still photography, I still like having a dedicated device for video (at least until I get a phone with better video quality) but appreciate having video on my phone for spur of the moment things.

Do you use video on your phone or do you use a video specific device like the Flip UltraHD Cam?

iPhone vs Android initial thoughts

Me and my iPhone 3G
Me and my iPhone 3G

Well I’ve done the unthinkable… I’ve switched to an iPhone… for the time being.

After several months of using a rooted G1 and Cyanogenmod 6 (Android 2.2) on AT&T the phone was becoming more and more unreliable. While the last few weeks (since the stable version of Cyanogenmod 6 was released) I haven’t had too many problems, after missing a vital text message early Saturday morning, I gave into Laurie’s request to consider getting a different phone.

After all, with twins on the way and her at 34+ weeks… it’s probably best I have a phone I know I can count on.
Continue reading iPhone vs Android initial thoughts

15 reasons you should buy an iPhone instead of an Android phone

iP4
ip4 | Photo by The Juggler

A week ago, I flashed my G1 with the Cyanogenmod 6-RC2 Operating System for the 4th time in just a couple weeks.

It was starting to get a little annoying.

Thankfully, I finally decided to do a complete wipe and flash (essentially formatting the phone and reinstalling the OS from scratch) and I haven’t had any real issues since then.

However, I did tell Laurie (who’s a proud iPhone owner) that having to flash the phone several times made me know for sure that there were only a few people I’d recommend rooting and flashing their Android phone to.

So rather than recommending the process to you again — I thought I’d offer a change of pace — 15 reasons why you should buy an iPhone INSTEAD of an Android phone.
Continue reading 15 reasons you should buy an iPhone instead of an Android phone

10 things you can do with YouVersion on your mobile device

YouVersion

I’ve been using YouVersion for some time, both online and on my mobile devices (first two BlackBerry’s and now on my G1).

It’s amazing how powerful a platform YouVersion is. And there’s a number of cool things you can do with the platform, both online and on your mobile device — all for FREE.

So here are the top 10 things you can do with YouVersion on your mobile device…

10. View comments and contributions from more than 6 million readers around the world.
9. Follow along with one of 22 different Bible reading plans.
8. Replace that 17 pound Bible you’ve been lugging back and forth to church.
7. Bookmark passages for later reference.
6. Tweet your tweeps with links to your favorite Bible passages.
5. Share your thoughts with others by responding to polls and leaving comments through YouVersion Live.
4. Put a massive Bible search engine to work, so you’re no longer left saying, “It’s somewhere in the back…”
3. Find 41 different ways to say “Jesus wept.”
2. Read the Bible, in your favorite translation, anywhere and everywhere.

So what about number 1? Well, that’s for you to tell me.

YouVersion is all about how you put it to use.

So let us know, in the comments below — What’s the #1 thing you do with YouVersion on your mobile device?

Don’t have YouVersion on your mobile device? You can get it for Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, Java, Mobile Web and Palm WebOS.