IPhone Brain Drain...as in Battery...and Then Some

Let me start by saying, PCs are great, but Mac is at the top of my list. Although Mac, like other personal computers, is now capable of running alternative operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, and Microsoft Windows, the latter of which is considered to be the Mac's biggest competitor, our Macs are not configured to run any alternative operating systems.

When I decided to purchase a new cell phone, I debated between the iPhone 3G, and the Instinct from Samsung. It was not an easy decision, but the Instinct won hands down even though it doesn't sync with my personal Macs.

The Samsung Instinct has improved many of Apple's best features. The phone is not only easy to use, it makes super calls, acts as a top-notch Web browser, and the GPS navigation and speech recognition are fantastic.

With the iPhone, every application was specifically designed to be accessible with your fingertip. The touchscreen detects your body's electrical charge when it comes in contact with the device, enabling it to determine where you pressed. Sounds good so far...unless you happen to be a female with fingernails. And yes, guys have fingernails too.

To be clear, I don't mean the glued-on fingernail variety...more like "factory equipment" for women who are fast typists, or not so fast typists, with nails. According to an article published in the Los Angeles Times, many women believe the iPhone is unfairly designed to be completely unusable by women with long fingernails.

I won't comment on that article because I haven't done the research, but I believe that a grain of that is true. On a personal note, I found the iPhone much harder to use.

The iPhone 3G's battery is also far from ideal due to a bug feature with a non-serviceable, built-in battery, combined with AT&T's 3G network that can wipe an iPhone's battery in a flash.

This problem has been met by the accessory market with a range of external batteries. Some function as "dongles" that attach to the bottom, while others are built into protective cases.

At $99.00, Incase's Power Slider appears to rise to the top for performance with a 1330 mAh 4.2V battery, which offers about 120 percent of the iPhone 3G's own 1150 mAh battery. The case measures 5.1 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.86 inches thick, and weighs 2.5 ounces. Incase says the Power Slider can deliver 330 hours of standby time, 26 hours of audio playback, 7 hours of video playback, 5 hours of talk time on 3G, 10 hours on 2G, as well as 5 and 6 hours of Internet use on 3G and WiFi, respectively, and from reviews that I've read, it does just that.

As far as spending an additional $99.00 to correct an iPhone problem...it's a non-issue for me...putting fingernails aside.

Coming Soon To An Office Near You

Did you ever wonder what can be done to help keep workers focused? Let's look at e-mails.

I'm sure you'll agree that the sheer quantity can be overwhelming at times. The good news, at least we hope it's good, is that we may soon have an e-mail "triage program" to rank the importance of messages. This new program will use probability models. Ready to sign up?

Saving Tech $$$$$$$$$

Nine times out of ten, rebooting your computer, and all of the equipment connected to it, will solve any problems that you might have. When you turn off the computer, wait 10 to 15 seconds before turning it on again.

I even recommended this to a friend of mine who was having TV issues...audio, but no picture. It worked. That was just a hunch with the TV, and I can't swear that my suggestion was the solution, but the set is now working.

Remember Public Wi-Fi Is Just That...PUBLIC

Think twice before checking your e-mail, bank account, credit card, etc. in a public Wi-Fi area. Go for a walk, enjoy the mall, have a cup of java, but unless it's critical, don't go online. Nearby hackers can capture your passwords even on an encrypted public network. So unless you're looking for new "friends" who can give you grief, don't do it.