iGot an iPhone

So, a few days ago I got myself a shiny iPhone 3G on the 4th of this month. I was so very happy with my purchase and informed people of such and show it off at work etc. Then later on when I was an hour away from finishing work, I pulled my iPhone from my pocket only to see it had a large crack in the screen.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, shit, shit" were my words when I saw the damage. Somehow that got supressed and I managed to remain calm about the busted £400 piece of technology which I had only had for four days. Got home and rang Apple to enquire as to whether I could get it fixed. The glass was broken, but the phone worked to enable me to ring them. I spoke to one rep whose name escapes me and he was very kind about the whole thing. I was then passed on to a senior technician, who I had to e-mail pictures to:


Pretty fucked huh? Though after e-mailing the photos I was told it would cost £X for it to be repaired. I rang Apple back up to organise a meeting at the Genius Bar at my local iStore, and was suprised to get one for the next day (considering I rang Apple initially at 5pm). It was all sorted, and though it would cost me money to get it sorted, I was okay (i.e. not stressing or raging) and headed off the next day to get it sorted.

Got to the Apple/iStore on Friday, and checked in. Pleasant so far. I then waited patiently to be seen (I'm in customer service, so know how to be a 'good' customer) while the guy ahead of me was complaining at one of the Apple guys. I got there nice and early and was seen promptly by a guy named Adrian. Conversation went as thus:

Adrian: "What can we do for you?"
Me (J): "You'll see when you see my iPhone."
I pullled the iPhone box from my bag and opened it up to show the wreck of the thing.
A: "Oh, that's not too bad, I thought it would be a box of pieces. So, we can replace your phone for you. Have you got everything backed up?"
J: "No, haven't had time."
A: "Have you connected it to iTunes since the initial set-up?"
J: "Yeah."
A: "Then it's all backed up."
He explained how to retrieve the data once I reconnected the new iPhone and explained that UK iPhones can't make ringtones from iTunes on Windows, but that a program called Garage Band took care of it all on Macs. Yet another nod that I should migrate myself to a Mac some time this year.
Then he went off to get a new iPhone, and shoved my now old one in a box, and then in a drawer behind him, presumably to be repaired.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned guy that was ahead of me and was complaining was still doing so as if it were the guy's fault. I hate customers like that. He was still whinging when I left.

Anyways, got my new iPhone, packaged it back up and then restored it when I got home. Remembered to thank Adrian for all his help with it though. The iPhone is almost as important as a lung, so there's no need for a review. However, some apps can have one.

Lightsaber™
Price: Free
An app simply for fun, which is now sponsored by LucasArts. Allows you to wave around your iPhone like a lightsaber™ and makes the appropriate sounds. The gentle glow of the lightsaber when you're holding the phone still, and the strikes when you make quick motions. Customisable lightsaber™ too. 7/10 for fun.

Remote
Price: Free
This very useful. Control your (or someone else's) whole iTunes library from your iPhone. Play creepy music at your friends house when you're passing by, or make them think someone's hacked their computer by rickrolling them wirelessly. 9/10.

midomi

Price: Free
You can use this app to identify any song currently playing, or even sing 10 seconds of a song in to it if you have a tune stuck in your head and it will show you a preview of the song and link you to the iTunes store to buy it if you want. It's pretty awesome. 8.5/10

Pac-Man Lite
Price: Free
If you don't know Pac-Man, leave now. This version allows you to swipe your finger for directions, turn the iPhone or even us a d-pad for moving Pac-Man around. Only one level, but that's all you need for a quick Pac-fix. 8/10.

Showtimes

Price: Free
Showtimes grabs your current location and shows you what's on at the cinemas around where you are. It will also show you movie ratings and trailers for films. You can change the cinema location, but it will always choose the closest one. Excellent for a movie goer like myself. 9/10

Twinkle

Price: Free
Let me just preface this a bit, and say Twitterific is horrible. Twinkle or Twitterfon should be promoted by Apple rather than Twitterific. Twinkle allows you to post to Twitter, and gives you a look at those using Twinkle nearby. Definetley get this if you tweet. 9.5/10

That's all the apps currently on my iPhone, so some day soon I'll review the ones I have since deleted, but for now that's all.

Web Impact

No, not that kind of web. The internet web (a little rant on that phrase later perhaps). Those of you that follow me on Twitter as well knew that a blog post was in the making. A few days ago I was thinking about the web as I say, and how what we influences what happens in the future.

I find myself these days, signed up to a ton of sites, which I do try and regularly visit and I have the same username everywhere since at least 2008, which is eight years. I guess it's a nice name to have and it allows for some synergy. I have had other users recognise from different websites which is always nice. I wondered whether searching for my own name via Google would bring up many results, so I started to type away in to Firefox's search engine bar as usual. p...k...m...n...t. Then something odd happened.
I am a search result suggestion! Admittedly the second one, but I feel I have contributed little to the web, definetly not enough for anyone to need to search my name out. It's not like searching for example, the user DarkAlex who does all that custom firmware for PSP's. There's about 23,000 hits by the way for me. I know this is due to me having joined and contributed in these many sites and my blog and such, but it's still geekily cool.

I thought more about if I had influenced the internet in some way, and I suppose we all do. Every time you make a blog post, make a comment, digg a story or read an article, or even listen to some music you alter the internet and create discussion amongst people, no matter how few.

Let's call this example person Jeremy James.

Jeremy is linked to your blog via a friend, via a social networking site on a messenger. Jeremy is now able to read your blog posts at his leisure and decide whether he wants to return.

Just as he's about to click off the site, he notices your Twitter badge, and visits your Twitter page, where you have just tweeted about Sum 41. Jeremy remembers them and thinks he and you may think the same things about music. From your Twitter page, Jeremy visits your last.fm page and indeed sees that you have "Super" taste.

In another tab, he is still reading your blog, and see what you think about Macs. He agrees with some of your points, but disagrees with most of them.

Later at work, he discusses Macs with his co-workers and gets their opinions on them. He also uses your points in his discussion (one such instance of your influence on Jeremy). Later when he's finished work, he walks on by an Apple store. Thinking about your blog post again he goes in and has a little play on a Mac.

A week or so and more thinking, blog and tweet reading, Jeremy buys a Mac with his next paycheque. This was an indirect result of what you have written about on the net.

So that example was a lot longer than I planned to have it, but hopefully you get my point. What you say on the internet can affect people in the real world. I would caution you and tell you to "Be careful what you say" but there's freedom on the internet.

So go fuck a potato and come back and read some more influential posts when you have time.