bloggie blog

I joined Twitter 1,000 days ago in January of 2008. When did you join? Oh, I see — after I did. That’s okay, don’t feel badly. We couldn’t all be Livia’s co-workers back in the day.

Anyway, in honor of my longer-than-thou time on the Twitter, I post a few favorites, a handful of Tweets Gone By.

I like a nice, clean tweet.

Burgers and more!

When people encounter new information, facts may not be as important as beliefs.

I don’t #MM, #WW or #FF. But I might start doing #TT and #SS just for the ambiguity factor.

You’ve heard about the digital divide, right? There will always be inequalities in the world, but this phrase refers to the new ways in which we are seeing a divide between the haves and the have-nots with new technologies.

Today I would like to take a moment to applaud AT&T on this front. Here in LA, some of the wealthiest neighborhoods have the worst AT&T coverage. I’m talking about the Hollywood hills, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Man, do I admire the Socialist-Commie-Pinko-Democrat-Bleeding-Hearts at AT&T who brazenly do not cater to their richest constituents.

AT&T, you looked at the only neighborhoods in town that could afford iPhones, and you told them to suck it. You go, AT&T!

As an iPhone user, I’ve been intrigued by the changes AT&T has proposed in its data rates. “Intrigued” because it seems like that rare change that will benefit a ton of consumers. (See David Pogue’s take.)

However, I use a lot of data. Twice the amount needed to qualify for the $15/month savings that I’d hoped for. And since the new plans are capped, maybe it’s not worth giving up unlimited for any cap in order to save $5/month. The included graph shows my data plan usage from AT&T’s wireless account page. I’m at 400 MB/month pretty consistently. What’s your usage?

As mentioned previously, I downloaded a very fun iPhone app called iCaroler (iTunes link). It’s a great way to start the Christmas season! You play with carolers, muting or highlighting the Victorian singers in your choir while they sing very fun arrangements of some Christmas favorites. I don’t know why it’s fun, but it is!

It’s even better when multiple people play with your carolers. A friend squealed, “I love it!” after just a few seconds of setup between iPhones.

That was a few days ago. This morning she texted me: “I’m having serious iCaroler withdrawl!” Enough said — worth 99¢ right there!

A few items from my Thanksgiving in Utah:

When I landed, my brother Nathan was about 20 minutes late in picking me up, so I bought the Salt Lake Tribune and learned that Donny Osmond and Real Salt Lake were big winners locally. Nice. (BYU beat Utah just minutes before my return flight, but either way there, there was going to be a big local winner.)

My sister Julia bought a great old house this year. She’s put a lot of work into it, and on Black Friday she rounded us up to do the same, without even resorting to Tom Sawyer reverse psychology. I swore not to participate in Black Friday, but we forgot and went to The Home Depot for some lighting supplies. It was quiet.

I was cold. Inside. My parents and my sister keep it cool.

Used Windows 7. Okay, I guess.

The Farming Game has stupid rules regarding “a” winner vs. “the” winner.

AT&T’s network in Los Angeles is the real problem. Works great in Utah.

Downloaded very fun iPhone app called iCaroler. Great way to start the Christmas season! You play with carolers, or even better, multiple people play with carolers … which I haven’t quite tested yet.

Received random, unexpected email from GOGII: “Dear _____, Your password has been reset.” Should I be worried?

As of today, I do not have a car. I bid farewell to Saabie Saab, a lovely leased 2007 Saab 9-3 that I returned today. I then took the bus / subway / feets back home.

I was carless a few days right before I got Saabie Saab and the world has changed since then in one important way: Google Maps for iPhone now has excellent public-transportation options for Los Angeles. I used it more than once today. I’ll use it again tomorrow. The next car is a few days away still, so until then I am (a) Greener Than Thou and (b) grateful for Google.

This is how I get street addresses from my home computer to my iPhone with ease.

The tricky part for most users is this one requirement: Have a server somewhere that runs PHP and that can send you email. If you have access to such a server, here’s an easy solution I call Mappie Map. It’s kind of like iPhoneSender, but you don’t have to type in an email address every time you use it.

1. Create a file in the html root directory of your server and name it iphone.php.

2. Edit iphone.php with this text (replacing YOUREMAIL with your actual email):

< ?php
function mystrip($s) {
	$s = trim($s);
	$s = str_replace("\xA0",' ',$s);
	$s = preg_replace('/\s+/','+',$s);
	return $s;
}
$to = "YOUREMAIL";
$address = $_REQUEST["address"];
echo $address . "<br />";
$subject = "Map: " . $address;
$address = mystrip($address);
$message = "http://maps.google.com/?q=" . $address;
$from = "Mappie Map YOUREMAIL";
$headers = "From: $from";
mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);
echo $address;
?>

3. Drag this link [Mappie Map] to your Safari bookmark bar.

4. Right-click the Mappie Map link in your Safari bookmark bar and select “Edit Address.” Replace YOURSERVER with the URL of your server root, such as www.FirstnameLastname.com.

5. You’re good to go! Click on the Mappie Map bookmark link after highlighting an address in your web page, a new window pops up showing the sent info which you must close manually, and you’ll soon get a message from Mappie Map. Just tap on its contents, and the address will now appear in your iPhone’s Maps app without you having to type it in.

I find this real real handy. Leave a comment if you find it handy, too!

The new iPhone is good, so I think it’s time to tell all the world once again information that I find really helpful as I try to get around town. This is how I get street addresses from my home Mac to my mobile iPhone with ease.

Requirements:
0. Want to get a street address to your iPhone more easily.
1. Use Safari or Firefox on your computer at home. (IE is untested.)
2. Have a server somewhere that runs PHP and can send you email.

Basically, if you have access to a server, here’s an easy solution I call Mappie Map. It’s kind of like iPhoneSender, but you don’t have to type something every time you use it.

First, create a script file on your server and name it iphone.php:

< ?php
function mystrip($s) {
	$s = trim($s);
	$s = str_replace("\xA0",' ',$s);
	$s = preg_replace('/\s+/','+',$s);
	return $s;
}
$to = "YOUREMAIL";
$address = $_REQUEST["address"];
echo $address . "<br />";
$subject = "Map: " . $address;
$address = mystrip($address);
$message = "http://maps.google.com/?q=" . $address;
$from = "Mappie Map YOUREMAIL";
$headers = "From: $from";
mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers);
echo $address;
?>

Then drag this link [Mappie Map] to your Safari bookmark bar and click on it after highlighting an address in your web page.

Of course, you’ll have to edit the bookmark first, with your server name; you’ll have to edit the other script with your email info, too. Once it’s running, click on the bookmarklet, a new window pops up showing the sent info which you must close manually, and you’ll soon get a message from Mappie Map. Just tap on its contents, and the address will now appear in your iPhone’s Maps app without you having to type it in. I find this real real handy. Leave a comment if you find it handy, too!

In April, somebody stole my iPhone. My life shifted in April — and it was hard to sense how much of that shift was from the loss in communications for a few days. Other things contributed, to be sure: focus on my indie film, the seasons, I hit a sense of being in LA rather than being new to LA, I had a horrible audition, etc. The point? Well, today I got a new iPhone (white 16GB 3GS), and now that I have an iPhone again, I am wondering if some of the goodness that I had in my life in the first quarter of 2009 will return. Not that things have been bleak without a gadget, but there was a shift. So I’m watching for another shift. We shall see….

Here’s how often I use “Coverflow” view when in iPod mode: never ever ever. In fact, every time my iPod goes into that useles, maddening album-art mode, I die a little inside and/or swear a lot outside. IT SUCKS!

Please, please, please: how do I turn it off for good?! Ten bucks to the first that can show me how.