It’s no secret that AT&T has become the wireless industry’s whipping boy lately. Dropped calls, slow wireless Internet connections and spotty network coverage complaints have aggravated many AT&T customers, and many iPhone users have been begging Apple to open the phone to other networks, most notably Verizon. The iPhone is handicapped by being tied exclusively to AT&T’s inferior network, according to these critics.
But yesterday, a wireless industry researcher announced that poorly designed iPhone hardware likely is the primary cause of AT&T customers’ connection problems. The researcher says the iPhone’s chipsets have trouble connecting to cell towers, resulting in poor performance for both voice and Internet connections. Analysts say that AT&T actually is better than Verizon on metrics ranging from network coverage to download speeds to rollover minutes. The problem with AT&T’s network is that it is overwhelmed by iPhone data traffic, which is estimated to be twice that of a typical smart phone.
So like millions of other iPhone users, I hope Apple offers the iPhone through Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint when its exclusive deal with AT&T expires this summer. But unlike most of them, I’ll probably stay with AT&T. I just want Apple to spread the massive amount of bandwidth demand across multiple providers’ networks rather than just AT&T’s. That move alone should instantly fix AT&T’s network issues. And while Verizon’s marketing executives may salivate at the thought of offering the iPhone, I can guarantee you its network operations executives are scared to death. AT&T has seen the iPhone wreak havoc on its once-strong brand reputation, and I doubt Verizon has any silver bullet that will protect it if it experiences a mass migration of iPhone users.
Do you hate your company-issued computer? Of course you do. Your IT department is in charge of what computer you get, and its goal is to reduce cost, not increase your efficiency. That’s why you probably have a 2004 Dell laptop that couldn’t process its way out of a paper bag. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were in charge of your computer? If you could select whether you got a PC or Apple? And if you could load whatever applications helped you do your job the best way possible?
While that may seem like a pipe dream, it could be closer than you think. Stodgy old Kraft Foods has seen the light and made a number of changes recently to empower employees to be more productive. For example, the company gives employees a stipend so they can pick the smartphone they want, and it also has started a pilot program that allows employees to pick their own laptops. As if that weren’t impressive enough, Kraft also recently ordered its IT department to stop blocking consumer and social media Web sites. It figured that employees who couldn’t access those sites might fall behind important industry trends.
I don’t know if Kraft’s strategy is the future or simply the exception that proves the rule, but let’s hope it is the start of something new.
From the desk of Elaine Schoch…
If you have an iPhone you more than likely have a favorite app – or 20. App of the Day isn’t a new iPhone app but rather a new website that features community-nominated iPhone and iPod touch apps everyday. Given the sheer number of apps out there weeding through them to find really good ones can be taxing. App of the Day features a new app everyday but also lets users search for previously featured apps to see what the community has said about them.
App of the Day could be very useful if a large number of people register and participate in nominating apps to be showcased. If you have a few apps you love, register and nominate – oh, and share them with us too!
From the desk of Elaine Schoch…
I found myself on the patio at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans last weekend chatting with a friend who is an IT director and asked him my favorite iPhone owner to iPhone owner question – “what is your favorite app”. The typical five-minute conversation turned into an hour. (Seriously, how geeky is it to be sitting at Pat O’Brien’s talking about iPhone apps?!?) Two of the 55 he had that I really liked were 1Password and Bump. Ok, to be honest after a Pat O’s Hurricane I’m doing well to remember two…
1Password
This nifty little app will store your important information like passwords, credit card info and membership numbers so you don’t have to. The cool thing is that it also encrypts the information and has an auto-lock to keep the data protected if your iPhone is lost or stolen.
Bump
I typically find myself without business cards at the most inopportune times – like at new business meetings. Bump makes swapping contact information and even photos as simple as ‘bumping’ the two phones together. (I also use Contxt – you can send/get contact info via SMS.)
From the Desk of Ef Rodriguez…
We judge people every day. Sometimes based on appearance (“That boy could use a perm!”) or sometimes by word choice or diction, as our vocabulary is often a window through which others glimpse how well we performed on the SAT verbal component.
[NOTE: The author achieved a perfect score. Raise the roof.]
One of the new ways that we judge people owes a debt of gratitude to Señor Jobs and his marvelous iPhone. Have you had coffee with someone recently, chatting amicably, when your cohort asked to see your iPhone to “see what apps you have”?
Beware! You are being judged!
For a skilled app appraiser (appppraiser?), it takes only moments to determine what kind of iPhone user you are.
- Which Twitter app do you use?
- Do you still have that wack lightsaber app from the iPhone’s launch?
- Is your iPhone stuffed with LITE versions of apps because your incurable avarice won’t allow you to put down a couple bucks for the full version? Jerk.
Think about these things as you scroll through your pages of apps (you do have more than one page of apps, right?). Are you proud of what your iPhone says about you? Just as this particular device enables us to be social at all times, the same schoolyard rules apply.
I’ll see you and your iPhone at recess, loser.
From the Desk of Jeremy Story…
First T-Mobile/Microsoft, and now Apple. It hasn’t exactly been a banner week for personal cloud computing.
From the desk of Elaine Schoch…
This weeks iPhone apps I’m loving.
Starbucks Card Mobile
I’m a caffeine junkie and Starbucks is my dealer. So, it’s no surprise I’m dying to try Starbucks new app – Starbucks Card Mobile. It gives you a virtual Starbucks Card so you can pay for your drink with a bar code in your iPhone. Right now it’s only available in 16 locations in Silicon Valley and Seattle. Note to Starbuck – when you come to Denver please let me know. I can make a few recommendations on test locations, of course they’re close to my office so I can share my feedback.
FoodScanner
I’m still trying to get back into my skinny jeans after having a baby so I recently joined the DailyBurn to help track my workouts, find fitness programs, etc. (Perhaps I should cut Starbucks out of my diet too…) So I was excited to see its new iPhone app – FoodScanner. It’s the the first food journal iPhone application that incorporates a barcode scanner to let you quickly input multiple variables of nutritional information. You just scan the barcode on the package, and then tap the number of servings you consumed. It’s super easy and the best part is the information syncs with the your DailyBurn account or the app can serve as a standalone food journal.
If you have any good apps you recommend let us know…
From the desk of Jeremy Story…
Do you know anyone who is passionate about a PC? Me neither. But I do know people who slip into a near-clinical depression when they are separated from their MacBooks. Passion is what separates great brands from average brands. Passionate employees develop great products, and passionate customers become more than just customers –- they become brand advocates.
I started thinking about how passion has propelled Apple, and conversely how a lack of passion has been a drag on Microsoft, when I read an article about Microsoft trying to poach Apple retail store employees to run the new Microsoft retail stores. The first problem is that Microsoft’s retail store strategy inexplicably continues a trend of trying to beat competitors by emulating them (the “iPod killer” Zune, the “Google killer” Bing, etc.). But the larger problem is that Microsoft is hiring away people who are passionate about Apple and expecting them to be just as passionate about PCs. It simply won’t happen.
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