Secret to App story: $1875 per day

Want to learn how to make your iPhone app appear in Apple's top 100? Or learn about one app's success story. Read this article on TheAppleBlog

How bandwidth caps hurt your Mac and what Apple can do about it

Interesting article I wrote on bandwidth caps and specifically what Apple can do about it.

Book Review: Facebook Me!

We all know that Facebook is the hottest thing since maybe Friendster (anyone remember that?) or MySpace (does anyone go there anymore?), and unfortunately, Facebook constantly reinvents itself.

Whether you are logging on to Facebook for the first time, or are a pro, "Facebook Me!" will teach you some valuable tips and tricks on how to maximize your usage. The author takes the novice user through ever aspect of Facebook including a heavy emphasis on privacy and security. In particular, Awl's book will survive most Facebook interface changes because he focuses on the core values of why you are on Facebook and what you hope to accomplish. He handles such tricky issues as friending your boss and coworkers as well as to how to deal with friends who send you invites to every application known to man.

Awl gives great advice to new users on how to follow proper social mores on Facebook as well as how to prevent getting viruses on it. Experienced users will benefit from Awl's suggestions on topics such as how often and what to say in status updates and most important, how to check Facebook from work. Business owners in particular will benefit from this book's excellent explanation of pages, groups, and advertising on Facebook.

The book is extremely well organized so more experienced users can focus on the subject that interest them the most. A detailed table of contents helps readers hone in on their particular topics of interest and excellent use of color screen shots helps everyone visualize his descriptions. Although Facebook will surely redesign it's interface and the pictures will then look different, the concepts of keeping up with friends and acquaintances are at the core of Facebook. Awl's book is about how to use Facebook effectively, not merely a "how to" guide.

Pros: Well organized, detailed, perfect for novices and experienced users
Cons: Still doesn't tell me whether I should friend my Mom or not

Five out of Five Dogcows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

First Look: iPhone 3GS

So the day finally arrived. I had to have something new. This was one of the only times I have waited in line for technology. But was it worth it.

Like previous years, it seems, AT&T was disorganized and confused. Multiple lines, frustrated customers, and some walking out empty handed.

I started camping out at 2:30am and was the fourth in line for my local store in Lawrence, KS.


Two of the people in line were "pre-orders" which meant they would get to go into the store at 7am. Other people had to wait until 8am or until after all pre-orders were fulfilled. Everyone was pleasant and polite from about 2:30am until 6:00am.


The first woman in line got there at 11:00pm on Thursday after she got off work. Two high schoolers before me were pre-orders and had their mom in tow.

At 7:00am the pre-order folks started being allowed in the door.


A small disagreement ensued when the store manager said that the rest of us would have to wait until 9am. Never argue with a group of iPhone users who can quickly pull up AT&T's website on their phones, showing that the opening time for the general public was 8:00am!

Around 7:30 the pre-work pre-order crowd started arriving and were aghast and quite ornery that they couldn't just walk in and pick up an iPhone. Never have I been to an AT&T store or Apple store when I could just walk in and be helped; you need to meet with a "host" or "concierge", give them your name and wait in line. One gentleman started getting physical, but quickly realized forcing his way in would probably cause him to loose his iPhone.

Around 8:00am we walked in and I met with the guy with whom I confirmed upgrade eligibility yesterday - except he was wrong, or we miscommunicated. The reduced-price upgrade is per line not per account. A second line on a family plan is almost never eligible, because in their mind it's only a $10 phone. Huh? I pay $225 a month to AT&T and they say my account doesn't generate enough revenue for 2 iPhone 3GSes. Arrrgh. Being the gentleman, I let the spouse get the iPhone and I was quite irate, but realized I was helpless. I wasn't going to pay another $200 dollars. I don't know why, but the iPhone 3GS sounds way too much like the Apple IIGs


Read about the rest of my experience over at TheAppleBlog

Dave is now Writing for The Apple Blog

I'm honored and excited to be writing for one of the top Apple Blogs on the web. Please continue to read my writings at The Apple Blog I'll continue to post links here to my TAB writings as well as do writings for some other blogs.

Thanks to my loyal readers for encouraging me and giving me great ideas!

Book Review: The Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide by Chuck Toporek

The Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide is designed to be a quick overview of the "gotta know" features of OS X. This is not a how-to guide or a step-by-step book; it is what we call in the biz "quick and dirty," give me what I need to know as quickly as possible. This book answers the typical questions an intermediate to advanced user needs to know when switching over to or supporting Leopard. There is no fluff in this book and very few pictures or illustrations. This is not a beginners book, but an ideal book for support technicians or people who don't want to have to contact a support technician. The book assumes a strong background in Mac fundamentals.

Primarly, Toperoek takes you through key functions of the UI such as the Finder, Dock, System Preferences, and the Leopard apps that had signficant changes. He briefly describes each function in Leopard and all the options related to it. This book helps you answer the question of "How do I" and "What does this function do?" Short, sweet and to the point. It's includes the 20% of the Leopard functions you'll use 80% of the time If you ever wanted to know the keyboard shortcut to any command in Leopard, it's in this book. The index is almost as powerful as Apple's Spotlight function and quickly allows you to hone on the questions you need answered.

A short review for a short 200 page half-sized book, but like the magna carta it is short yet very valuable!

Pros: Excellent overview of key Leopard functions geared towards intermediate and advanced users
Cons: No tutorials or pictures, but the technical Illuminati don't need such things.

5 out of 5 dogcows








Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Hardware Review: Pogo Stylus

The iPhone, as many people know, is an absolute masterpiece of form and function. However, all these functions are useless if you can’t actually touch your phone. Dirty or gloved hands render the iPhone completely useless. The Pogo stylus bridges that gap, allowing you to use a stylus to control your iPhone.


When the iPhone’s touch sensitivity works, it works great! However the first week I owned my iPhone I realized how vulnerable my phone was. I got a flat tire and began to change the tire when I ran into some trouble removing one of the lug nuts and decided to call roadside assistance. Oops. My hands were greasy and grimy and I simply couldn’t control my iPhone. Without paper towels or anything I was in major trouble. From then on I carried a disposable phone in the car with me! Similarly, in the winter, my iPhone also wasn’t terribly useful with gloves hands. Again, my expensive smart phone was dumbed down by a thin piece of leather. While this hasn’t happened to me, I’ve seen women with long sculpted fingernails look about as stumped as Edward Scissorhands with an iPhone. Why deny them the ability to use an iPhone?


Unlike other smart phones, you cannot use a regular stylus since the iPhone relies on the electrical impulses of your fingertips or other body parts. The Pogo is a stylus designed specifically for touch screens. The bottom of the stylus has spongy material designed to activate touch screens. The Pogo stylus was not as responsive as my stylus was on my old Palm Pilot, but the Pogo was still extremely useful. The material at the bottom was soft and won’t scratch the iPhone, and in fact, helped clean mine a bit. I was even able to use it with my GPS, keeping my hands warm on the cold days.


The Pogo package comes with a clip to help keep the Pogo Stylus connected to your iPhone without creating bulk. Unfortunately the clip did not work with my external iPhone case, but people who keep their iPhone naked will have no problem using the Pogo Stylus. At $14.95 the purchase of a Pogo Stylus is about the best investment in protecting the usability of your iPhone. You may not need it today, but at some point you’ll need your iPhone and your hands will be dirty, wet, or otherwise inaccessible. That Pogo stylus will allow you to make the call! I keep one in the glove compartment and another in my laptop bag.



Pros: Allows iPhone use in situations you can’t directly touch the screen

Cons: Clip doesn’t work if the iPhone has a case

Five out of Five Dogcows



Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right