I’m totally disappointed with this thing. Anyone know if it’s a big deal to turn it back in and have them reactivate our old iPhone 3GS’s?

The only positives with the iPhone 4 have been the (much better) camera, the LED flash/light on the backside and the screen resolution. Don’t get me wrong, these are awesome upgrades from the 3GS, but not enough to make up for the iPhone 4’s short-comings.

In the last month I have been taking strict notes on our (my wife and I) upgrades and those I know who have iPhones (3GS’s and 4’s). It seems that those who recently bought the iPhone 4 without owning a previous iPhone are stoked on their purchase, and I am stoked for them. Those who have not yet upgraded, and still own a iPhone 3GS, have been my control group along with the two 3GS’s that I have not gotten rid of yet.

Those of us who “upgraded” have seen measurable deficiencies in the new iPhone 4 compared to the older iPhone 3GS…

• The iPhone 3GS’s battery lasts quite a bit longer than the iPhone 4’s – I have not changed anything in the way I use the thing, so it’s rather obvious it’s the phone itself
• Reception with the 3GS was adequate, the iPhone 4 reception is terrible. Some may say that this is an AT&T issue, but I have literally been standing next to 3GS users and they have no issues
• Luckily, with the iPhone 3GS, in those places where phone reception was terrible texting still worked (and it worked great). The iPhone 4 has a hard time sending texts due to lack of reception. Again, this has been tested several times standing next to 3GS users as they were doing the same thing – the 3GS iPhone wins over the new one hands down every time
• Even when it does send a text, half the time my recipients do not get it till the issue I was texting them about has already past. This is happening way too frequently with this phone. I would think that this was an AT&T issue, but the iPhone 3GS users standing next to me don’t have the same problem – it’s obviously the phone
• I’ve never had a phone which drops calls randomly, the new iPhone 4 does. Usually, if you’re having a hard time with reception, you find a spot and stay there for the duration of the conversation. Everything is usually good. The iPhone 4 will just drop the signal. I know it’s not AT&T cause the person standing next to me on an iPhone 3GS is having no problems at all – it’s the phone!
• The 3GS download speed via Wi-Fi is way faster than the iPhone 4. I have tested this extensively – there’s no comparison
• Lastly, I have to restart the iPhone 4 quite often (once every few days) cause, well how would I explain it… it seems like the cache is full and it becomes really slow to respond. This never happened with the iPhone 3GS. After talking to other users, it appears to be common for iPhone 4 users only

Anyway, it’s pretty obvious that this thing is a lemon (and I am an avid Apple Maniac). I hate to say that, but “I want my money back!”

OK – everyone is really surprised that I don’t have one yet and they’re always wondering why…

Tell you what: when it runs OSX and has a USB 2.0 port I’ll buy one…

I have an iTouch, and it’s the perfect size for what I use it for. I don’t need an iTouch the size of a piece if paper…

Basically, right now, it’s just a big (expensive) toy. I want something that looks like the iPad but does what my MacBook Pro does. It would be great if they could shrink it a little (to the size of a half an 8.5X11 piece of paper) too!

Anyway, I’m totally not sold on something that is big enough and expensive enough to really do some serious work yet is simply a large iTouch…

So, a few weeks ago, I was watching the news and they were talking about Texas and how the School Board over there was going to change the History Curriculum.  I haven’t seen what they are changing it to, but I saw the arguments on both sides – I’m not sure which side I would be on cause I don’t know what they are teaching the kids now…

I recently bought “America: The Story of Us” on iTunes (I get a lot of History stuff in there) after reading the Customer Reviews.  All the reviews were really positive, but after watching the series I was really depressed – these people think this is a good series on the History of America?!?!?  It’s a Cliff Note version of what we natives call “White History.”

What I do know is that the history I was taught was completely incorrect (basically, “America: The Story Of Us” in book form).  As a Native American, who has studied the History of Native American’s my whole life, I knew what I was being taught was incorrect as I was in the class – but I memorized it well enough to pass the test and let it go.  Problem is, all the kids around me saw it as “The Truth.”

For the History Channel buffs,  we got a “America: The Story of Us” version of what should be a combination of the series’ “500 Nations”, “American Experience: We Shall Remain”, “Founding Fathers & Founding Brothers”, “The Revolution”, “The Presidents”, a few “Digging For the Truth”‘s, a few “History Channel Specials” and much-much more…

We got gipped of an education!

Anyway, I came up with a Video Curriculum for my kids – which teaches them American History from as many view points as possible.  I did the same with World History.  The cool thing about it is that watching it sparks curiosity which sparks the want of reading in the kids – so they can look for and read the info themselves…

I haven’t seen a history text book for many years – my kids are home-schooled – but I’m willing to bet my kids know a lot more than the parakeets the same age who are simply regurgitating the incorrect version of history from a single source looking at it from a single view point…

Here they are, if you wanna check them out:

World History

American History

If you’re wondering how they are in the order they are in, check out the next two links. They are the same lists with the dates and descriptions. I watched them several times to get the dates right and put them in my play lists in the correct order…

World History by Date

American History by Date

I actually do not have cable in my home. My T.V.’s only input is my iPod which has these two playlists in it. This is the only thing any of us really watch in our house…

I love this mouse!  With this little program called “Better Touch Tool” you can make it do many-many-many things that I never thought possible with a mouse.  If you have a new MacBook Pro, you should download that software as well.  It really makes your track pad do a lot of things that the System Preferences won’t…

Very cool thing happened last week (actually it was the week before that)!  I was doing a show for Apple!  The day that Steve Jobs announced the iPad was their final night.  Pretty cool being able to share in the excitement (as a big time fan of Apple).  I got Apple SWAG too – oh yeah!  I’d tell you what it is, but I don’t want anyone messing with it, so I’m not gonna tell ya…

I really love this little 13″ MacBook Pro – I can’t say enough about it…

Sorry for not writing in here for a while (I write quite frequently in FB)…

Anyway, had something interesting to share cause I’ve been asked many times lately how I am able to get things done so quickly without really trying (at least it appears that way to the people asking).  There’s really two factors:  the first is how I “see” things and the second is that I just get it done. Let me explain, and I’ll start off by saying that, my way of “seeing” things is not seeing them as they are, but as they will be.  I have a saying (that I probably stole from someone else, but can’t remember who) that “it’s all about the prep”.  It really is…

Example 1:  Before I start writing code I can actually see the GUI and functionality in my brain. I can see the GUI/functionality of it as I’m writing it although all I can actually see with my eyes is the code. I’m sure many people who write code can “see” the same thing I am “seeing” – I just never asked anyone.  Above and beyond that, I always write things in that aren’t necessarily requested/needed for now but may be in the future (so if I need to add functionality two months from now, I merely have to activate the code – it’s already there)…

Example 2:  When setting up a show, before I even walk in the room I have a picture in my head of the end product. Everything! I “see” where every speaker, projector, light, piece of truss, cable run, hang point, P&D, etc will go because the picture of the show is in my head. I’m not just thinking about Audio, Video, or Lighting – the whole picture is in my head (often the end result is 90% of what I thought it would be, the other 10% is from others doing what they do).  Above and beyond that, I always add things that may be requested (such a POD power and VGA)…

Anyway, that’s how I “see”.   As I’m doing something I have a picture of the end product in my head and just work toward that – then I add things that I think may come up – I just get it done man.  That’s how I do it…