There was a great article written by David Pogue in the New York Times Technology Section that discusses some really cool free services available to all cellular phone users.

Here’s a link to the article: Free Services to Inspire Your Cellphone

If the above link no longer works, you can find the text of the article here.

Yesterday was the second 2-hr. part of the 2-day 4-hr. season premiere of the sixth season of 24. I LOVE 24! While I wasn’t able to watch the second two hours yesterday, I luckily recorded them and have since watched the second part of the season premiere…it was REALLY GOOD! The show is awesome…and the writers somehow manage to keep us guessing and in shock even in this sixth season…and the actors do a damn good job pulling off the good writing! Who else think’s 24 is a really good show? Voice your opinions in the comments section of this post.

It seems to me that the software of today is very bulky, invasive, and intrusive at times. When you install a piece of software, you have no idea exactly what it might do to your system that you don’t know about. It could install additional programs that you didn’t authorize, it could modify customized settings that you didn’t want changed, it could install processes and services that run in the background of your computer or at startup and slow your system down (or cause other problems), and it could even interact with core system and operating system components in ways that you didn’t expect or want (even potentially causing instability and problems with your system as a whole).

And this problem is not even just limited to software any longer. I just recently purchased a Western Digital MyBook External USB Hard Drive, and after hooking it up, I proceeded to double click on the drive icon in My Computer to access the drive. Granted, I should have been more careful and right-clicked on it instead, but I figured it should have been a blank newly-formatted hard drive, and the only result that could come from double-clicking on it would be to take me to the drive so I could begin using it. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Instead, the drive had software on it that was set to autoplay when a user double clicked on the drive icon, and when this autoplay started, it proceeded to install a diagnostics utility on my machine without informing me or giving me the chance to opt out. This was incredibly invasive and incorrect, and while I immediately removed the software, there was no way it should have ever been installed without my knowledge, consent, and approval.

I think software manufacturers and distributors need to be much more transparent in their approach. They need to make customers aware in very plain and simple terms exactly what their software (or hardware in some cases) will do and what it will install on the user’s machine (everything, from additional programs to background processes to changes to the system (such as adding context menus, etc.)). I know that you usually receive some long-winded boilerplate terms and conditions page when installing software, but it is almost always skipped right over because it is filled with confusing legal language, and the information (if it is even there) is usually so buried that it would take quite a while to locate and piece together). Why can’t software (and hardware) manufacturers simply provide a short list of exactly what is going to get installed on a user’s system and what is going to potentially get changed? That way, user’s can decide upfront if they even want to install the software, and then if they do, be aware of what is really happening “behind the scenes.” I think it is very irresponsible of software manufacturers not to provide this information to consumers, and I hope that at some point, if they don’t willingly agree to do so, they are forced to do so.

Pretty funny…

Jon Stewart, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” on the new Democratic Congress: “Those sworn in included a diverse group of Democrats, from Minnesota’s Keith Ellison, America’s first Muslim congressman, who chose to be sworn in on a Quran, and 89-year-old Robert Byrd, sworn in on not just a Bible, but the Bible.”

Jay Leno, “The Tonight Show”: “The president now says the government has the right to open anyone’s mail at any time without a warrant. How crazy is that? President Bush finally decided he wants to read something, and it’s our mail.”

Comedy writer Jim Barach: “President Bush has asked Congress to help balance the budget within the next five years. Congress says it’s possible, mainly since Bush will be out in two.”

Comedy writer Jake Novak: “For the second week in a row, the number one movie at the box office was ‘Night at the Museum,’ proving once again that Americans are more willing to go to a movie about a museum than visit an actual one.”

Barach on the meteorite that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home: “At first the residents just assumed it was a warning shot.”

Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Lindsay Lohan had to have her appendix removed. You know you’ve been partying too hard when even your appendix wants out.”

Courtesy of Ken Rasak and Newsday.com

It seems to me that there are some great similarities between the monopoly that Microsoft was purported to have established with its Internet Explorer web browser being bundled into all copies of Microsoft Windows several years ago and with Apple’s apparent monopoly with their iPod and iTunes system.

First, I don’t think that Microsoft was really at fault several years ago with their inclusion of Internet Explorer with all copies of Microsoft Windows. It was pretty obvious that Microsoft was moving towards incorporating IE as a core system component of their operating system, and thus including it was necessary to allow for the evolution of the operating system. If they had specifically prevented other web browsers from being installed on the system, then it would be a different story, but to simply include their own (which was really just a part of the OS) is hardly an issue. Today’s consumers expect that when we purchase a computer, it will do much of what we need it to do right out of the box. This includes such basics as being able to browse the Internet (as well as many other things, such as CD burning, etc.). I think that Microsoft was simply operating as a responsible business looking to grow their products by including IE in their OS as a core component. Don’t get me wrong…I think there are other times and things that Microsoft has been wrong on, but I think that in this case Microsoft may have gotten a raw deal. Of course, I don’t really know all the fact, but only what I recall the media reporting and what I remember occurring. Pleaes feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here…

On the other hand, if Microsoft did get in trouble for doing this, then I certainly think Apple should get in trouble for their “monopoly” with their iPod and iTunes music store. It would seem to me that there is no reason that you can’t use the iPod to take advantage of other music services and stores available publicly (such as Yahoo!, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.). Specifically, it seems Apple has locked the iPod into the iTunes store for music purchases, which is very similar to what Microsoft was accused of doing with their locking customers into the Internet Explorer web browser with the purchase of a Windows operating system. Sure, you can load other music onto the iPod (such as CD’s you own, etc.), but in the same fashion you could also have loaded other web browsers onto the Windows operating system. The concern back then, as it should be now, is the dominance of the initial product (iPod and Windows operating system) and the unfair competitive advantage this gives the associated product/service (iTunes and Internet Explorer). However, the real difference between these two cases is that the inclusion of the Internet Explorer browser did not specifically preclude the addition or use of another piece of software. In the case of the iPod, there is very limited (and none in some cases, such as subscription based services) capability to use other music stores or services.

For instance, I am very much a fan of the subscription based Napster service and utilize the Napster To Go service so that I can pay a fixed monthly rate and download as many songs as I’d like on my computer and portable music device. However, this service, along with any other music store or service is not available to iPod users unless they first purchase the music track outright, download it to their computer, and then transfer it over to their iPod. Any subscription based service just can’t be used on the iPod. This severely limits customers such as myself, as well as other music services that are now losing big portions of their market because Apple has chosen to lock them out.

It is extremely unfair that this should be occurring, and I think the time is right for a lawsuit against Apple for this very unfair competitive advantage that they are using.

I’m honestly surprised that there is not a bigger uproar regarding this very unfair situation, both to consumers and music stores/services. However, at the very least I wanted to make my position clear and hope that others follow suit and sometime soon a change occurs.

UPDATE (1/16/07)

I just came across an article published by the NY Times that speaks exactly to this issue…how incredibly ironic that I find it just a few days after posting the above…

Want an iPhone? Beware the iHandcuffs

If the above link no longer works, you can find the text of the article here

As some of you know, I’m a big user of mobile devices, and my newest device is the Sprint Treo 700wx. I decided that to make my life easier, as well as to help other mobile users, I was going to set up a webpage of all my mobile-formatted bookmarks and favorites. The web page itself is very basically formatted to make it viewable on a mobile device, and the majority of the links on the page take you to other popular site’s mobile formatted pages (i.e. MSNBC Mobile, eBay Mobile, Yahoo Mobile, Google Mobile, etc.). The site is located at:

http://mobile.marcbressman.com

I can’t guarantee that all the sites will work on every possible mobile device out there, or that all the links are even live and active any longer, but the majority of them should still work.

If you have any other sites or links that you think should be added, or you would like to see on this list, please contact me and let me know. Enjoy!

Jay Leno, “The Tonight Show”: “Saddam Hussein was executed last week by hanging. Or as they call that in Iraq, death by natural causes.”

Conan O’Brien, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”: “A cell phone video has surfaced of Saddam Hussein’s hanging, and officials are trying to figure out who shot the video. People who were at the hanging say it was probably the guy who kept yelling, ‘Hey, keep it down. I’m on the phone here.’”

O’Brien on former President Gerald Ford’s funeral: “All the living presidents were there. That doesn’t happen often. They all got together. President Carter called Ford a wonderful man. Bill Clinton called Ford a true American. And President Bush called Ford the guy who invented the automobile.”

Comedy writer Alan Ray: “Pat Robertston says God told him of a major attack on the U.S. in 2007. The televangelist fears what a devastating loss of life would mean: fewer contributions.”

Comedy writer Jim Barach: “Vice President Dick Cheney praised deceased former President Gerald Ford for pardoning President Nixon. He added that he can only hope the next president will have the same wisdom and philosophy.”

Ray on the new Indiana Jones movie that will begin shooting in 2007: “You can tell the treasure hunter has aged. Now when he outruns villains, it’s to the men’s room.”

Courtesy of Ken Rasak and Newsday.com