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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

iPhone Quest

Monday, July 14th, 2008

I don’t think Apple and AT&T want me to get an iPhone.

We have now gone to six stores in two states and still no iPhone. Apple’s Kahala and Ala Moana stores were both sold out as of noon today and a worker at the AT&T Kapiolani store said call back later this afternoon.

The Instinct and Voyager are beginning to look pretty good.

Our Webmaster, Scott Morifuji, had a very disappointing experience in signing up for his phones, so I’m hoping he’ll blog about it shortly. It was a lesson in why you can’t take any store employee at his word when he says, “Trust me.”

Battery life appears to be a major issue with these phones. Scott keeps the 3G on and notes that by noon his charge is half gone. John Garcia turns his brightness down and doesn’t use 3G all the time, and still the drain is pretty noticeable.

If you bought an iPhone, let us know what your experience has been, good, bad or in between.

I promise to keep the drooling to a minimum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iTunes activation issues; iCoffee

Friday, July 11th, 2008

 

According to Engadget, Apple is having trouble activating phones right now.

This also extends to people upgrading to the latest 2.0 firmware on the original iPhone. If you run the upgrade now, you’ll be left with a bricked phone until the activation servers come back online.

There are already two people in line who ran the upgrade before coming here, and their phones are dead right now.

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6:15 - Apple employees are serving Starbucks coffee

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Just got off the phone with Sandee. The at&t store that she’s at ran out of phones.

She’s going to try and find an apple store to see if she can get one.

iPhone: the long wait

Friday, July 11th, 2008

I’m in Dallas waiting in a long line for an iPhone. It is 9:15 and there are at least 50 people in front of me. The good news is we are actually inching along.

We are told the white version is sold out and they expect the 16GB model will sell out as well.

People are walking out with AT&T packages to sporadic applause from the poor schmucks like me still in line.

My husband and I are taking turns holding a place in line so that I can blog from a Starbucks nearby. Wouldn’t you know it, AT&T has no wifi.

I hope Scott has better luck. Maybe he’ll get his 16GB and can laugh at me.

 

AT&T in Dallas ran out of iPhones within three hours. Some die-hard consumers hung around hoping there would be another shipment.

 

 

iPhone 3G day

Friday, July 11th, 2008

It’s less than 5 hours until the launch of the new iPhone in Hawaii.

My original plan was to go to Kahala Mall, but we’re instead going to Ala Moana and wait it out there. It can’t be anywhere as bad as last year, where I waited 11 hours for the original iPhone.

Read Robbie Dingeman’s story on the long lines expected today.

If you have an original iPhone, you can already install the 2.0 software which enables the App Store. According to some of my friends who managed to snag it early yesterday, they say that this new upgrade might change their plans to get the 3g model.

Sandee may also be checking in later, if she’s able to get one in Dallas.

If you’re planning to wait in line, let me know.

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I’m here with my wife, my friend Chad and a whole other bunch of people waiting for the iPhone. We’re about 20th in line.

It was interesting to watch everyone running in from the parking lot like a pack of wolves.

I ran into Rich Coughlin, who planned to be first in line, but didn’t quite make it. He’s about 5 or so spots in front of me.

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Here’s Rich and his friends standing in line.

On our way here, we passed the Kapiolani at&t store, and there were already about 30 people waiting in line at 4:45.

The TV crew from KITV is here, looks like they’re setting up to do a live broadcast.

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Advertiser web designer John Garcia is in line too.

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I’m standing in line in the exact same place as last year. Weird.

 

Calling all groups and nonprofits

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Pretend you’re lying prone on a psychiatrist couch because I know your problem.

You’re part of a group or a nonprofit and you’ve got a Web site, but it isn’t working for you. The soccer club’s Christmas picture is getting mighty moldy and that message from your president is so last year.

It’s causing you extreme anxiety because you can’t reach your Web designer to post news in a timely fashion. Or he wants to charge you a bundle to update the pages. You visit the site, but you’re the only one.

Stop beating up on yourself. You’re afflicted with a condition that’s all too common called Web site drift. It comes on quite suddenly when your Web designer sets up your site, then sends you adrift.

Rather than relive past Web site memories that can only hurt your self-esteem, we’ve got an option for you to consider.

We’ve been running workshops for non-commercial groups and nonprofits to teach them how they can create their own simple Web page on our site to promote their news and events. They can blog, network with members and post photo galleries. This stuff is so easy, they can maintain all of this themselves.

And best of all, it’s free. How’s that in the age of gas prices that are so high they make your nose bleed?

One group that has taken us up on this offer is the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Association. Check out the page we helped them create but which they maintain themselves. Members or their families can keep up with up with events and news about veterans. They blog, leave messages and post photo galleries.

Other groups have also taking steps to build their own pages on our site. Once we get several in line, we’ll set up a central page for groups/nonprofits that will point users to the right place.

If you are intrigued by the possibility that you can get a grip on your Web drift, call me at 525-8063 or e-mail at soshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.

We’ll rescue you from your lonely, castaway life.