Doh! 3G May Not Be Available for That New iPhone.

You’re counting the days, ain’t ‘ya?  In just a few short weeks, you’ll have that shiny new iPhone, all tricked out with the latest 3G technology.  Oh, yes… you’ll be blazing through the Internet at screaming near-broadband speed.  Or will you?

I was cruising through the AT&T website, and stumbled across the 3G vs. Edge Network coverage map, and one thing jumps out – if you’re not in an upper-tier market, that new iPhone may not be running any faster, because 3G may not be available.

AT&T tells us they are rolling out 3G at breakneck speed.  I’m sure that’s true.  But, on July 11th, some fairly large markets will still be waiting.  A quick look shows towns like Omaha, Savannah, Wichita, Shreveport, and even artsy Santa Fe are 3G-less.  Similarly, if you’re anywhere in Iowa, Vermont, Wyoming, or Alaska, you’re out in the cold.  And, the website gives no real idea when all that is going to change.

So, if you’re planning to feed on the faster Internet that the new iPhone promises, and you’re going to pay for it, it would be smart to make sure that you are getting serviced.  For a short time, anyway, if you can see cows anywhere near where you live, 3G is still in your future.

I live in Memphis.  I’m good.  But, I’m buying the new BlackBerry.  And, that’s another post, entirely.

So, What Do I Do With That Old iPhone?!

Apple Zombies around the world are awaiting the Big Day, July 11th.  That’s the day when the new iPhone, the one that operates G3 and has other enhancements, makes its entry into the market.  That day, people will line up to replace the iPhones they bought just months ago with the newest, shiniest object from Cupertino.

So, this begs the question, “what do I do with my old iPhone?”  Excellent question!  Up to now, there has been a bit of an aftermarket for those Apple gadgets.   eBay is full of 8 and 16 gig units (I said “units!”) “loaded” with music and even a few movies.  Sure, even when deactivated, the WiFi on the older phones will still work.  It’ll still make a really nice (though slightly larger) iPod Touch.  But, let’s face it – the old iPhones will be yesterday’s news – like used cigarette butts on the ash heap of history.  And, who wants that?

FireFox 3 for Mac: A Zombie’s First Look

Perhaps I haven’t been keeping up.  I was surprised to read today that a new version of my favorite Mac web browser, Firefox, just became available.  Dubbed “Version 3,” it claims a new look, some enhancements, and a few goodies I have yet to try.

Despite my obvious status as an Apple Zombie, I really prefer Firefox to Safari, so I loaded it right away.  At first blush, I am liking what I see.

The first thing one notices is a slick, silvery new appearance; it looks a lot like Safari, to be honest.  It’s cool lookin’, especially when you start typing an address in the toolbar (Just try that.  Go ahead; I’ll wait.).  But, is there any more power under the hood?  It would appear so.  Firefox 3 seems quite a bit quicker, due in large part to better memory management, loading pages noticeably faster than its predecessor.

Set-up was easy, of course.  And, gosh, the price is right.

I see no reason not to try the new FireFox.  The software can be found here.

A full review will come once I have become better acquainted with the new browser.  I am sure the review will be positive.

peterbaskind@gmail.com

New BlackBerry vs. New iPhone… Who’s on First?

So, now we know a firm date on the new iPhone, the race is on. New BlackBerry vs. iPhone… which hits stores first?

July 11th will see the minions of Apple Zombies lining up for their latest fix of brains – and a new toy. But the exact date for the new BlackBerry is less certain. Pricing and release date info say that the new BlackBerry Bold, the name picked for the RIM smartphone, will be in AT&T stores in “July.” No exact date is offered. Release dates for other providers will follow AT&T.

While Apple Zombies are a mindless, obedient bunch, buying whatever they are told, I am not sure CrackBerry addicts are quite so motivated. They do, after all, have jobs and lives (not “un” lives), so time is limited. Still, it ain’t called “CrackBerry” for nuthin’.

Cost for the new BlackBerry will actually come in slightly higher than the new iPhone. So, guys like me, who really like their BlackBerrys, are saving pennies.

Brains…

Chris Crocker? Dang. Not a zombie.

I’m a bit disappointed.

OK; I’m a Republican. But, still, I am amused by self-made Internet celebrity and Brittany Spears aficionado, Chris Crocker. I find the fellow Tennessean, who’s fame is now well into its 16th minute, oddly funny, and very occasionally insightful. Sometimes, anyway.

I just assumed that someone who seems so Internet savvy would dine on the same brains as the rest of us Apple Zombies. But, nope. I was just watching one of his angst-filled videos, and noticed a PC running in the background. A PC! Even if Mr. Crocker had an SUV (and, come on… he drives something far more fabulous), it would not sport a white Apple sticker. Dang.

So, Chris doesn’t dine on brains. But, then again, he has been quite open about eating other things.

‘Hope you have a few extra hundred bucks. Steve needs it.

Apple Zombies unite! Camp out in line. Lie to the wife. Whatever!

July 11th – the day before my birthday – the new iPhone is out! Slimmer, faster, better, or so Steve tells us.

The new phone will boast G3 technology, better browsing, and promised longer battery life – hopefully enough to satisfy the hungriest zombie who endlessly wanders the Earth in search of brains. And, Steve.

So, I wonder. Will we see those scenes on TV July 12 (did I mention that’s my birthday), as Apple Zombies triumphantly walk out of the Apple Store, fists in the air, proving that they have heeded the calls from Cupertino to pony up more cash? Stay tuned, folks.

Oh, and bring an extra $100. While the base 8 GB model is black, the swankier 16 GB version comes in white. And, all good Apple Zombies will want to show that off, right? It’ll match that little Apple sticker on the back of the SUV.

Brains…

Eddie Izzard Plays Memphis. “Stripped” to an Apple Zombie?

Eddie Izzard, the brilliant, executive transvestite comedian played the Orpheum here in Memphis last night on his “Stripped” tour. The sold-out show was insightful, irreverent, and just plain funny – the sort of show one expects from Izzard.

What I wasn’t expecting was to find out that Eddie may be an Apple Zombie. He, too, seemingly worships at the alter of things beginning with “i.” Some have reported that Eddie has appeared on-stage with his iPhone, which he uses to read Wikipedia. While I didn’t see it here in Memphis, he made references to it, between observations of Noah’s Ark, giraffes, and appendices.

“Ever notice the GPS feature in the iPhone is a bit dodgey, “ he asked. “You try to find your position, and it gives it to you within a 6-mile radius. Well, F&*%; I know that much!” Um. Yeah.

Eddie is off to Dallas next, and returns to Tennessee in a couple of weeks to play Nashville. Eddie Izzard live at the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman? That is a bit surreal, now isn’t it?

Looking for brains in all the wrong places…

Imagine. You’re young. You’re bored. You’re an Apple Zombie. And, you have no place to go.

Sadly, that seems to be the predicament for two Bay-area teens, Daniel Fukuba, 17, and Eric Vicenti, 16. According to these brain munchers, they have been banned from the Palo Alto Apple Store for downloading third-party software onto an iPhone on display there. A big no-no, it seems.

The local paper has the full story – a horror tale for those us of who meander through our local Mac outlet, mindlessly trying to give money to the Grand Collective. But, at least for now, it may be that young Daniel and Eric will need to get their brains take-out.

Did I say “brains?” Yum.

Review: BlackBerry vs. iPhone. An Apple Zombie’s Perspective.

I am an Apple Zombie, a brain-numbed follower of all things that come from Cupertino. So, I should be carrying an iPhone, right? Well, not so fast.

I have written extensively about my iPod Touch, the entertainment device, identical to the iPhone, without the phone. So, before deciding on a smart phone, I became quite familiar with the iPhone platform. Still, I bought a BlackBerry.

To be sure, I love my iPod touch. When I bought it, I was using a Motorola KRZR phone, which had almost no ‘net functionality, so the ability to use WiFi on my iPod was revolutionary for me – almost life-changing. Finally, I was able to keep up with the world - away from home. I learned every public and non-public WiFi site in Germantown, and visited them often to pull email or read the Drudge Report. And, I could even listen to Kanye West at the same time (and, yes, I realize I just referred to Drudge and Kanye in the same paragraph).

So, can we call it the Eye-Phone?!

You know…  it’s tough to be Bill Gates.  You think the iPhone is really cool, but, alas, carrying one around the party circuit in Seattle just wouldn’t be cool, now would it?  So, what’s a multi-billionaire to do?  Make your own!

At the “D: All Things Digital” conference on the West Coast, current MicroSoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, unveiled what MS calls a “snipet” of the new Windows 7 OS, coming out in the next year, or so.  Among the Widgets Gadgets is a neat-o new touch screen feature that allows one to move objects, stretch them, and otherwise just play.  A demo can be seen here.  Look familiar?

Look — I love touchscreens.  But, I’m thinkin’… maybe MS should work on stability FIRST, and new Mac-like features second?  I’m just sayin’…

Perhaps Bill enjoys a tasty brain now and then?

Word: Mac 2008. Did MS just fix my crashing bug?

Well, I hope this is fixed, anyway…

One of Mac’s selling points is that it runs Microsoft Office well. In fact, a new Mac ad called “Pep Rally” touts just that. Well… maybe not so fast.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a problem, which I had written about here on the blog. When I launched Word: Mac 2008, the new version of the program I live on (I am an attorney, after all), it crashed as soon as the splash screen came up. Again and again. Dang. It got to the point that I couldn’t even load the update; Office wouldn’t load to my HD. Huh? Word was now useless, and this seemed to be a common issue, as several other folks had written about the same thing.

Fortunately, it may well be that MS has fixed this issue. A couple of days ago, I opened Excel (oddly, other Office: Mac 2008 programs ran fine), and was told there was a “critical” 180 Mb update. “Would it even load?” I wondered. Amazingly, it did, and has run well ever since.

Its funny, though. Whenever I mentioned this problem to my PC friends, they laughed snottily, and said disparaging things about Mac. Hmmm. PC people — living in their virus-ridden, buggy, annoying netherworld. It does seem as if the problem was on the MS side, now doesn’t it.

Is this permanently fixed? Y’all stay tuned.

Brains…

OK. Some quick zombie content…

As newcomers to Applezombies are learning, this is a blog about three things: Apple computers, Applezombies – those mindless idiots (like me, really) who believe everything Steve Jobs says is gospel, and zombies, the undead who feast on the living, and have fun doing it.

Well, we’re getting a lot of traffic today, mainly looking at Apple content. So, I would be remiss if I didn’t add some new zombie content. Fortunately, NBC accommodates.

I found this video clip on Hulu, one of my favorite sites. It’s silly. Ok, really silly. But, oddly, it tickles me, and has a cool zombie dance at the end. And, let’s face it – in the post-Michael Jackson Thriller video era, there just hasn’t been enough zombie dancing. So, enjoy. And, eat some brains. Fresh ones, if you can find them.

Yum.

peterbaskind@gmail.com

Memphis Zombie Walk 2008

The smell of fresh brains still permeates Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. Yes, last night was Zombie Walk 2008 here in the Bluff City, as our town’s Undead Community meets for fellowship, fresh air, and to dine on the Living.

Zombies lumbered past the FedEx Forum, home of the NBA’s laughing stock Memphis Grizzlies, by Coyote Ugly, Hard Rock Cafe, and other tourist traps, and finally in the shadow of the statue of Elvis, the King of the Memphis Undead.

Yes, it was quite a night. And, we have photos. Lots and lots of photos. I have cleaned the blood off my camera, and loaded a selection to a Flickr page. Enjoy them, share them, pass them on, like the curse of the Undead.

Brains…

peterbaskind@gmail.com

A new movie for the Undead Community?

Word has reached the editorial staff here at Apple Zombies that finally a movie is due in theaters TODAY featuring BOTH the Undead and strippers. As Yakov Smirnoff would say, “what a country!”

Jenna Jameson, the somewhat-mainstream American porn actress, stars in Zombie Strippers, a movie that asks the question we have all pondered — what would happen if a virus were released in a Nebraska strip club that turns strippers into brain-munching zombies. An aside… are there strip clubs in Nebraska?!

No word, yet, on whether the release (I love using the word, “release” while discussing people like Ms. Jameson) is timed to coincide with Zombie Walk Season. But, we will report when word filters in.

See you at the movies.

Brains…

peterbaskind@gmail.com

‘Tis the Season…

Perth had one. Toronto is gearing up. And, soon, it’ll be Memphis’ turn.

Yes, it’s Zombie Walk time, when the Undead Community congregates, and lumbers through town, feasting on the brains of the living. Oddly, here in Memphis, the Walk is Downtown, nowhere near the local Apple Store. But, you can bet some of the walkers will be wearing their iPods as they mindlessly follow the crowd.

Pictures? Oh yes, there will be pictures.

Brains.