Monthly Archives: June 2007

Apple and AT&T announce plans for iPhone

[Finally.](http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/06/26plans.html)

Take a look at the bottom of the page for a chart. In the last column, $99 a month gets you plenty of minutes, unlimted data and mobile-to-mobile. That’s what I have today with Sprint and in March of 2008 when my contract’s up, you can count on me switching. The unlimed data is something I was hoping for and that means I can kill my Twitter notifications via SMS and use a Widget.

Sweet. Thank you AT&T for doing the right thing from the get-go with unlimited data plans!

Happy Birthday Tammy!

Today’s Tammy’s birthday, the first we’ve spent apart since we’ve been together for nearly 12 years. I miss her terribly as only a husband and best friend could. Since we can’t be together today, I’ve taken some steps to make sure she knows I’m thinking of her…

Happy Birthday!

Back in the Saddle

One of the things that no one tells you about riding a bike is saddle sores. I’m sore in a place that you *only* feel when mounting the bike. Ouch! I rode again this morning, making a loop around the neighborhood for about 20 minutes of exercise. At 6AM, the streets are still mostly empty and that makes for an easier ride.

The iPod Shuffle that Tammy got last year (the one that looks like stick of gum has been very valuable. It certain relieves the boredom of riding but it’s hard to strike a safe balance in volume levels. Modern cars are quiet enough that you hear the tire noise long before the engine’s sounds. I think I’ll invest in mirror of some type. Recommendations?

Please Stop Shipping Beta Software

I’d like to ask all of the technology companies out there to stop shipping beta software. You’re lowering the benchmark for software. You’re giving people something that doesn’t work quite right for free. You’re delivering two sets of expectations to your customers. “Beta” is starting to mean “I’m not smart enough to figure out a fix to this bug”.

A beta test of software used to mean something. Tests were put in place and the testers (or users) had an expectation to test for bugs and report those to the programmer. Beta software has been used been many companies as a way to “ship” but give them an out when things go wrong. Instead of saying “we make shitty software” they say “it’s a beta!”

As of this morning, 4 of the top 25 listings of Mac OS X software on VersionTracker were labeled “beta”.

If it’s good enough to send to the general public for “beta testing” then ship it.

Gettting Fit on a Bike

I rode my bike today. Not bad if I was say 12 years old, but it’s the distance that made the difference. Here’s the breakdown of an hour’s worth of bike exercise:

* 1 mile to the Signal gas station to get air for the tires. It’s free, not like the brand new place across the street which wants 75¢. I didn’t buy water here and it would come back to haunt me later.
* 2 miles to the point of no return “Eastgate and Catalpa” on the map linked above.
* 3 miles to from the point of no return to the Royal Bend on the map. That was the point where I realized I was tired, hungry and needed water very badly. I’d left the house without water or eating breakfast, intending the workout to go 25 minutes.
* 2 miles from Royal Bend to the Kum and Go convenience store where I got Gatorade, water, a banana and a Snickers bar. I finished them all before heading on. My legs felt like they were filled with lead but in 10 minutes, the electrolytes and sugar kicked in and I started the trip home.
* 1 mile to Eastgate and Catalpa a second time.
* 3 miles later and I’m home

That was 12 miles in a little more than an hour. Fun but it sure seemed longer than 12 miles.

The next ride is Tuesday and it’s supposed to be 30 minutes. We’ll see how far I can get.