Staying in Sync with MobileMe
Posted 16 July 2008, 16:39 in Technology 1 Comment
The MobileMe service by Apple was widely promoted as “Exchange for the rest of us.” And for those who do not know what exchange is, it is basically a messaging and collaborative tool developed ironically by its rival Microsoft.
When I first heard about this service, I got really excited. Not because of its push messaging service, which allows you to receive email notifications the moment someone clicks on the send button. I was more exited about the possibility of syncing my calendar and address book between my iPhone, computer, and the web without the need of actually hooking my phone physically to a computer. To me, that is what this service is really about.
MobileMe, however, has a much clearer mission that solves a much clearer problem. It’s meant to keep the e-mail, calendars, address books and Web bookmarks on all of your computers — Macs, Windows PCs, iPhones and iPod Touches — synchronized in real time. —David Pogue, NY Times.
See, the revolutionary idea about MobileMe is that once you update your appointment on the iPhone, that data is automatically transmitted up to MobileMe and down to your computing devices. You do not have to physically hook up your iPhone to your computer nightly to backup your address book and calendar!
While push email is exciting to see in action, there is one main disadvantage. To use MobileMe’s push email service, you will need to use their me.com domain. There is really no way to configure your iPhone to use the push email service without using the @me.com domain name. I agree that it is a really cool and short domain, but I am totally against the idea of using an email address that I have to pay for the privilege to use (for example, using an email address assigned by your ISP), since you’ll be stuck paying for a service just for its email address.
What I found MobileMe’s push email service useful, however, is using it for notification purposes. For example, American Express (and most financial institutions) emails you a notification when there is a new statement or if your bill is due. By configuring your notifications to be sent to your @me.com address, you will be instantly notified if your bill is late, or if you have gone over your credit limit.
For more technical purposes, I have also set my servers to notify me if something goes down or if customers are in need of assistance (very useful). Since MobileMe’s push email service is instantaneous, I will be able to react to any notification the second it reaches my iPhone.
Sure MobileMe has push email, but what you really get for $100/year is syncing without the cable.
Related Articles: In Sync to Pierce the Cloud | TUAW Review: MobileMe | Apple Apologizes for MobileMe
Related Links: Exchange Server
TV networks want you to Hulu
Posted 7 December 2007, 17:05 in Technology Leave a Comment
After many, many years of not knowing how to deliver their television content over the Internet, big media companies are finally taking a stab at it. Hulu, a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp, is a video on demand service that delivers television content on the Internet for free.
Up until recently, the only way to download free episodes was through technology such as BitTorrent. Television networks have been on a uphill battle for years, trying to remove sites like tvRSS from distributing links to their television shows online. It has been a losing battle for sure.
Although Hulu is still in beta, I was fortunate enough to receive an invite by the Hulu team to test their new service.
The Good
Shows. There are a lot of shows to choose from. Some of the more notable ones (that I would probably watch anyway) include The Family Guy, The Simpsons, The Office, The Girls Next Door, and Keeping Up with The Kardashians.
Viral Compatible. Hulu understands viral marketing by allowing sites to embed (see below) videos directly onto sites like mines. They also allow you to email links of shows or clips to friends.
Firefox Ready. Hulu does not discriminate users through proprietary technology such as Windows Media Player. Instead, like YouTube, they delivery their content through Adobe’s Flash technology, which allows anyone (whether they are on Windows, OSX, or Linux) to view their content.
HD Content. Although Hulu’s HD Gallery is limited to movie trailers at the moment, there is a slight possibility of offering television shows in high definition. C’mon, who wouldn’t mind watching the Girls Next Door in HD?
Free. Who likes to pay for anything that they can watch on TV? Hulu offers a way for people to “go legit” by watching shows legally over the Internet for free.
The Bad
Advertisements. Someone has to pay for this service, and unfortunately, there are ads. Ads are kinda-sorta tasteful, as it pops up at the beginning, middle (about 3-4), and end depending on the show you’re watching. Each ad is about 15 seconds each.
Profile. Registration will probably be required. And believe it, your account will be used used to track which shows you’re watching, what genres you tend to watch, among other things. Media companies will definitely be monitoring your watching habits.
CBS/ABC. Not all networks are signed on, yet. Though I’m not sure what CBS & ABC will do, since they are not part of this joint venture.
Limited Availability. Hulu is currently available to United States viewers only. Per their FAQ, support beyond the US borders will eventually happen.
Prison Break on Hulu
Here’s a sample show for you to enjoy:
Related Links: Hulu | Hubbub over Hulu | No clown, Hulu looks great
The Ultimate Mobile Device
Posted 1 September 2006, 16:46 in Technology 1 Comment
Funny. I need a new cell phone. I haven’t seen any new phones that’s worth shelling out more than $200 lately. My Motorola Razr has suffered its share of drops and makes an irrirtating buzz when in use. Boy would it be nice to have a phone with a 6.3 mega pixel camera.
