The Apple iPhone -- Hype or Savior?

Over the past 6 months, everyone has been debating whether or not the iPhone will be the product which takes Apple into the next decade in profits. While Apple has been short on details, they have definitely been one of the down sides of the iPhone.

When Steve Jobs failed to announce a SDK for the iPhone, the silence in the auditorium definitely showed the extreme disappointment of the developers. While Apple may think that their announcement that developers could create applications for the iPhone through the browser, this was not enough for anyone in the room.

The iPhone is the leading edge in design and with that, most developers I know expected to be able to produce applications that could run on the same level as the base applications. This is particularly true for the game developers such as ID and EA, who Apple seems to be in bed with on the computer platforms but failed to give them anything that they can hold onto for a future with the iPhone.

But under the wraps is apparently the ability to produce Cocoa based applications for the iPhone. Although this was let out of the bag by a developer at Apple, Inc., nothing official has been seen and is likely not to be let loose until at least October with the release of their next OS release, code named Leopard.

So while every news organization has been following in the hype mode of Apple, little has been done to really put it out there beyond the fact that it is another cell phone. If that changes, the potential for the iPhone to actually take over the market of the PSP and other hand held game consoles.

Are we short changing our military

I was talking to my Sr. Partner the other day about what it was with the military and the fact that a Marine SGT with 2 kids qualifies for food stamps. How was this possible? But then there was an article on the internet about the fact that the water at Lejuene, North Carolina was contaminated, causing several ailments include cancer and birth defects among the children born at the base.

How was this possible that something like this contamination went undiscovered for many years affecting some 75,000 families? How is it possibile that many of our military bases have become dumping grounds for all sorts of chemical waste over the past 50 years without someone standing up and crying "Foul"?

We must first look at the fact that the military is a beurocracy all to its own. The only people allowed on the bases other than the families of the military men are the beurocrats themselves.

Is it possible that we also dont care enough about these young men and women who put their lives on the line voluntarily and perform heroic tasks everyday? We have abandoned our troops in a manner not unseen since Vietnam. To make it worse we sweep the lack of support under the carpet due to the popular lack of support for a war.

We have to support our troops with the money and the proper living situation otherwise, it wont be long when another country just attacks us and takes over, forcing us into their way of life rather than the way of life that our fore-fathers wanted for us.

A ride on the Washington State Ferry

One of the best kept secrets of Washington State has been its ferry systems. Going between points that are too far to drive or that cant be reached by any method other than boat or plane, the ferry is one of the best ways to get there.

Of course, there is the perverbial get in line and wait bit going on with it. I got in line going against the morning traffic and was on in about 15-20 minutes. It is then an hour to Bremerton. But the ferry ride cuts off about a half tank of gas in my truck and I can go all the way from Seattle to Shelton and back on a quarter tank of gas.

I decided that since I had my laptop with me that I would sign up for the Wi-Fi access on the ferry. While everything seemed ok at first, once I got about a quarter of the way into the trip, the access died. Iam not sure that this is normal but the cost also will be a thing that will deter people from using it.

*Monthly Unlimited Access Plan - $29.95 (1st month $14.95)
*Daily Access Plan - $6.95/day (24 hours)
*One Time Use Plan - $2.95/per 15 min ($.25 per min after)

Unless you are a daily traveler who has to be in contact at all times, I would not recommend this.

Once the connection died, I used my trusty bluetooth connection on my cell phone which got me through the rest of the trip. I am sure that while most people will not need this level of connection during the ferry ride, it was nice to know that it is there.

But the one thing that makes it all worth while is the view of the Olympic Mountains as you get closer to Bremerton. The view is breathtaking on a clear day and definately worth the trip.

Temporary marriages....but only in Iran

Check out this article about the latest idea in Iran:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070603/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_temporary_marriage

Its almost as if we have this already in America with the way the divorce rate has gone through the roof. Imagine if we had this kind of law here. Maybe then we could do away with Divorce almost totally.

Google offers Street er...streak views

Googles new "Street Views" apparently is offering users much more than they are bargaining for. The new zoom and street level view combination allows users to put themselves almost into peoples living rooms.

But the view apparently does not stop there. Between a street corner nose picker and the wild girls of summer at Stanford university, people are getting views that they could never have imagined.

Is this the beginning of the loss of privacy and the true "Enemy of the state" syndrome? Or is this just innocent fun for everyone? Only time will tell, but obviously it does need more research if people are showing their goodies to the world on a system open to everyone. (I can see the decency police on this one real fast).