Sunday, October 12 -- 2:20 p.m. -- out and about

In case you haven't been reading the rumors this weekend, the buzz is about the possibility of Apple launching it's own HDTV with Apple TV/wireless iTunes streaming capability built in.

Now you know that I'm not a rumor site, but a few things need to be said here.

First, I believe Tuesday is about laptops. If there's a one more thing moment from Steve it will most likely be the software that runs on it so maybe a peek at iLife 09, but other than that, I don't expect a TV launch.

Second, many sites are saying that Apple won't get into HDTV. Oh I beg to differ. It will ... Just not Tuesday.

So why is HDTV so important ... Especially if Apple TV exists?

Simple. By creating a TV, Apple can have built in tuner/DVR Functionality. Will it partner with TiVo or a similar company? Maybe, maybe not ... But think about what Apple would have with an HDTV that the competition wouldn't ...

Yep. The remote control. Your iPhone/iPod touch.

Before the iPhone was launched, I said that the iPhone would eventually be THE device. Your remote. Your electronic wallet at stores/Starbucks ... THE device.

And I am standing by that.

Think about the pieces. The little things that operate separately that will one day be put together into a giant puzzle:

-- iTunes
-- Back to my Mac
-- Apple TV

The list goes on and on ...

So yes, I can easily picture me being in Pittsburgh, my Apple HDTV in Chicago and forgetting to record "How I Met Your Mother." So I use my iPhone to sign into my TV and set up the recording.

But darn it, I have a 4 hour delay at the airport so I need to pass some time. I know ... I'll stream a show from my DVR in Chicago to my iPhone. Luckily the size of my DVR is pretty giant because the Apple HDTV has 2TB of storage on board.

So yes ... I'm convinced the "rumors" are true. But it's easy to "forecast" something as "news" when it's a slow news day.

All of this started a long time ago ... And the only reason we are closer to seeing this technology is because we are another day in the future.

That said, my grand idea of Apple creating a wifi picture frame that streams photos directly from iPhoto so grandmothers who live far away from their grandkids can watch them grow up still doesn't exist. But I feel much stronger about the HDTV.

Those are my thoughts. Now's the part where I ask for yours. Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for calling.

Saturday, Oct. 11 -- 7:46 p.m. -- out and about

Just a reminder that I'll be flying Tuesday and Wednesday -- visiting friends in Pittsburgh -- but that doesn't mean I won't post a thing or two should something big happen.

And with new Macbooks expected Tuesday, I might even find myself near the Shadyside Apple Store. If new laptops are actually available right away I might actually get to see them first hand.

All that is speculation for now, but just planning ahead.

Our Twitter audience is growing like mad lately. Keep it up! Remember that when I can't get to the blog that chances are I can get to Twitter because I only need to text message as opposed to having an Internet connection.

So sign up at www.twitter.com/iptib and join the fun.

In the meantime, I'll be posting Monday.

Thanks for calling.

Friday, October 10, 2008 -- 3 p.m. -- out and about

You could use your notepad to write down what you need at the store, or you can use one of the plethora of apps in the App Store that specialize in lists.

And there are many. I was intrigued by Grocery IQ from the start and turns out I was right.

I paid $4.99 for it, and wouldn't you know that Apple apparently went ahead and named it app of the week -- I didn't even know Apple was reviewing apps. Anyhow, the developers knocked 60% off the price and it's now selling for $1.99 -- it says today only, so I assume that's Friday.

That said, if you are interested in this app either because you are or because of my review, it's worth it at $1.99. One of the reason the app got 4 stars and not 4.5 stars is because I was going to say that $4.99 is too steep. I understand that people work long and hard on these apps and there has to be some sort of compensation for it, but when I see competition and know what's out there, $4.99 is a little bit steep.

That said, whatever you pay for it, Grocery IQ is a neat and easy way to traverse the aisles of your favorite store. And, if you aren't going to be doing the shopping, you can create a list and e-mail it to the lucky person that will. It's pretty well thought out and laid out and features many name brands and the ability to edit aisle names.

So ... if you use this app in your favorite store and nowhere else, you can tell it that the rice is in Aisle 7, as opposed to the rice/bread and cereal aisle. And, if you buy something all the time -- like Diet Coke -- you can add it as a favorite and get to it that much easier next time around.

Here's some general information from the Grocery IQ Web site that I hope will help you:

Find It Fast: Grocery iQ's grocery search engine contains more than 130,000 items, empowering you to build lists with highly specific entries such as "Extra Crunchy JIF, 12 oz." instead of "Peanut Butter" with just a few taps. No more calling home to see which item you should buy!

Save Time: Grocery iQ stores your favorite items and shopping history, making list creation quick and accurate. Stop trying to decipher someone else's handwritten grocery list at the store!

Stop Wandering the Aisles: Drag and drop categories of grocery items on your iPhone into the order of the aisles of the store you're shopping. Automatically, your list will re-order itself to match the layout of the store. Now you can walk through the store just one time! No more re-tracing your steps to find that one last item you missed!

If you can get it today for the $1.99 price, it's that much better. But no matter when you purchase it, if you are looking for a top-notch list app in the App Store, Grocery IQ is a pretty solid buy.

Let me know what you think of course. Do you have another program that you like better or is there something specific about this one that you like? Love to hear from you in the comments, of course.

Thanks for calling.

Friday, October 10, 2008 -- 1 p.m. -- out and about

My parent publication, RedEye, is doing all kinds of amazing stuff with social media -- integrating Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more into its every day reporting and the print publication. Over there, we're asking questions on Twitter and printing the best answers when space allows.

It's a great way to get folks involved, which is something I've been trying to do for you all on iPTIB for a long time now.

So I thought I'd extend that even further and ask a question -- not every day, but when time and topic allows -- that I'll turn around and showcase here for everyone to see.

It's yet another way to incorporate Twitter into the blog. So I'll use this as yet another request that you sign up now and try it out. It's not only easy and a great way to keep up with the blog, it's also fun and free.

The great thing about Twitter polls is that you can answer in any way you want, as long as you do it in 140 characters or less -- that's all that Twitter allows. And when you reply, please start your response with @iptib because that tells me that you are answering the question.

Today's question is on everyone's mind, of course ... How is the economy affecting you when it comes to what you buy? Are you not purchasing apps or iTunes albums or new MacBooks? Because we have an international readership, I expect to get a variety of answers which I'm looking forward to.

Thanks for participating and thanks for calling.

Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 -- 12:23 p.m. -- out and about

I'm hearing all kinds of reports about problems accessing the iTunes store, whether it's buying music or apps or updating apps or syncing purchased music. Most common report is an error 1020.

But now I'm starting to hear that things are normalizing, although not everyone has had success.

I'm not sure what's behind it and I haven't heard anything back from Apple yet on the matter, but it seems as though if it's not working now, the best advice is to wait a little while and try again.

Just wanted to give you an update in case you were wondering. Thanks for all the great reports on this.

Thanks for calling.

Friday, October 10, 2008 -- 10:44 a.m. -- on my couch

Hi, callers. Forgive me if I didn't seem around the past day or two -- I was/am a little under the weather and am trying to get back to normal.

As I was searching through new app RSS feeds this morning, I got the idea to pose this question to all of you -- it's one that made me think: Do you even use mobile Safari anymore?

I'm not picking one over the other. Personally, I love a really good app, as they simplify things to a point where I have no need to click on 20 pages.

Case in point the wonderful app from Major League Baseball. Oh my, what a great app. It's one app that I'm already committed to buying next year, no matter what the cost is. Yes, it's done that well and you'll read on other sites that it's not fair because the app is useless at the end of the season and must be purchased again next season.

True on the repurchase, but not on anything else. I spent $4.99 on the app and although I know it will likely cost more next season, I've saved a bundle in not having to click and load on other Web sites to get the same information.

I think that when answering the original question that that's what it's all about. Are you using an app that pretty much just mirrors a Web site into its own icon and potentially paying for that app, or are you getting a functionality that goes a step or two or ten beyond what's possible in mobile Safari?

Oh, back to what made me laugh this morning. I haven't tried these, but there are two coffee-themed apps available this morning that help you find your nearest joe. Ask anyone and they will tell you that I'm a coffee junkie, so this should be welcome news.

Personally, I'm all for apps that add functionality to the iPhone. I appreciate the variety and I think you do as well. But if I'm wrong tell me.

So are you using mobile Safari or pretty much going the app route when possible -- and, are you looking forward to sites possibly going the all app route to avoid mobile Safari?

Or ... do you still love mobile Safari just as you've always have and consider apps and surfing to be to separate things?

Let me know. Could make for interesting discussion.

Thanks for calling.

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 -- 11:49 a.m. -- on my couch

First Apple did it ... they set up a section on their Web site that allows folks to fill out important information before heading to a retail store to purchase a new iPhone.

Now, AT&T is doing the same thing and I for one am happy to see it.

When you go to the above-linked page you will be greeted with another link:
Save time at the store — get prequalified for your iPhone 3G now. Set up my account.

And it's here where you get the ball rolling, and, if all goes well, your trip to your nearest AT&T store is fast enough where you still have time to grab a Jamba Juice before heading back to the office.

AT&T actually did something similar, albeit more manual, on the day of the iPhone 3G launch. Before anyone knew -- with the exception of Apple, probably -- that the iTunes servers were going to implode, AT&T sent representatives out to the Chicago Loop store line with papers that allowed you to enter pertinent information, select plans, colors, etc.

So if not having enough time was an excuse you were using to keep from buying an iPhone, you either have to find a new excuse or take the plunge.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Thanks for calling.

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 -- 9 a.m. -- on my couch

Seems that there are an increasing number of sites lately keeping track of what's new in the App Store. And more power to them because Apple isn't helping the searching process.

This site called 148apps.com intrigues me because it has a section where it keeps track of price drops. So if your favorite app shed $2 from its price, you'll know.

The site also offers a look at the 148 newest apps and it says it updates every hour via RSS and even via Twitter.

Who knows ... you might find that perfect app at the right price, so check out this site and let me know what you think.

Thanks for calling.

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008 -- 11 p.m. -- at my desk

Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away

I'm writing this because somebody out there is going to get my automated out-of-office reply depending on which e-mail address you use. And no, the Go-Gos song is not my ringtone.

I'm using up my vacation days to do some traveling and just rest up a little bit, so you won't see "at my desk" until a week from Sunday.

In the meantime, I'll be flying and doing other things, but I will be plugged in ... I'm always plugged in. There might be sometimes when I can't respond right away, but I'm here.

That's why I'm going to take another opportunity to ask you to please sign up for Twitter if you haven't already. When something big happens or there's something I really want you all to know, the quickest way I know to do that is to send it via Twitter.

Just click on the link above, create an account if you haven't already, click on the follow button and you'll get the messages that I send. I use Twitter for conversation and for breaking news, so even if I'm not on vacation, it's a great thing to have and use if you enjoy iPTIB.

That said, my travels will give me the opportunity to try out some GPS features -- not leaving the U.S., but I'll be in places that I haven't used my iPhone 3G before, so I'll let you know how it compares to using it in Chicago.

In the meantime, send me your e-mails like you always do but use the iptib address that's in the right rail and I'll get it that much faster.

Thanks for calling.

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008 -- 11:44 a.m. -- on my couch

So I'm looking at my RSS feeds for new apps this morning and I see something striking. There are 4 apps in a row all dedicated to one thing: e-mail in landscape mode.

I must admit ... I am an equal opportunity iPhone mode user -- sometimes I'm up and down and others I'm landscape. However, I can certainly see the appeal of landscape e-mail.

And this falls under the umbrella of why don't I have this already as part of the original iPhone experience? I still don't know why I don't have an incredible texting monster that does MMS and chat. I still don't know why I don't have cut and paste. I still don't know why I can't see how many characters I have left in a text. I still don't know why I don't have a little icon showing me when the ringer is off ....

For an iPhone blogger pretty immersed in the news, there's a lot I don't know.

But the good news is that we have a development community that's thinking about what we don't know and those apps plus the others out there that do the same or similar things will only make our experiences better.

Only problem is that when Apple eventually gets its act together and provides the feature and makes it look like they came up with it, the additional apps won't be as shiny and exciting anymore. But for now, I send amazing amounts of kudos to the developers who are making sure we have what we need now.

Here's a few just as a sample to show what's out there (all links open in iTunes).

Compose

Sideways

Lettera This one actually makes your iPhone look and act like an old-fashioned typewriter -- it's a nice and nostalgic touch and while it might not be practical, it's imaginative. I like imaginative.

Wide Email

So if you are looking for landscape e-mail, here's a way to get you started.

In the meantime, what other things that seem so simple are you looking for? I'm sure developers are thinking just like we are, but what's the one thing -- besides cut and paste since we all know that one -- that would be the must-download app?

Let me and everyone know in the comments.

Thanks for calling.