Jason Unger

Vonage's iPhone App is Pointless, Thanks Google/Apple/AT&T

Posted by junger - 10/21/09 at 07:10:21 am

Even before we got our first iPhone (Debbie's 2G), I've been talking about the major impact an app like Vonage could have on the device.

Think about it. For us Vonage users, with a mobile app, we could:

• automatically forward our landline to our cells while on the road
• get access to all of our digital voicemails and transcriptions
• see our latest inbound and outbound calls
• even make calls on our cellphone through our landline number

It'd be an amazing app. But it's not even close to the one we got. Yes, I know you can do most of these things by visiting their website, but it's slow, not mobile-friendly, and does more than an app needs to.

Instead, Vonage puts out a Skype-like mobile calling app, targeted at non-Vonage users who want to be able to make calls over WiFi (and now 3G). So you have to buy minutes to make calls. And can't do anything whatsoever related to your landline account.

It's totally pointless. Why would Vonage ignore their current users by making an app that doesn't do anything useful for them at all?

Well, there may be a legitimate excuse. But it's a total cop-out. And I doubt it's the actual reason they used to justify making this pointless app.

The ideal Vonage app sounds a lot like Google Voice. You know, the app that currently has Apple/AT&T/Google under scrutiny from the FCC. Being able to have "one number to manage them all" is great for users … not so much for telecom providers. Especially if it's not their number.

Considering they've never been an especially cash-steady company, Vonage doesn't have the ability to get caught up in a legal mess. But it's a dumb argument, since all of the app features are currently available — just in an annoying, non-usable fashion.

I don't know who to blame for this, so in a spirit of fairness, not only will Vonage take blame for being wimps, Google, Apple and AT&T also need to be called out for causing this situation.

iPhone Mixed Family Plan Pricing Revealed

Posted by junger - 07/01/08 at 02:07:24 pm

Got a first-gen iPhone you want to mix with a new, 3G unit in an AT&T family plan?

Here's how it's going to be priced, according to an AT&T CSR I spoke to today (this is assuming you go with the lowest, 450/700 minute plan):

- The phones share a voice plan ($69.99 for 2 units)
- The 3G model pays a monthly $30 data fee
- The EDGE model pays its normal $20 data fee
- The EDGE model still gets its 200 text messages built in
- The 3G model can add text messages at the indidividual rate ($5/month for 200, $15 for 1500, $20 for unlimited)

Total that up — for a 2 person family with one 3G iPhone and one EDGE iPhone, both at the lowest plan:

$69.99 (voice)
$30 (3G data)
$20 (2G data)
$5 (200 text messages for 3G)
=
$124.99

Presumably, you will pay the data rate for each additional iPhone added and $9.99 more for voice, so another EDGE phone would be $29.99 more and another 3G phone would be $39.99 more.

Compare that to the 2 line, 3G-only FamilyTalk plan.

At first, it seems reasonable — but consider that two individual plans would cost you only $10 more and you'd get 200 more voice minutes.

When I spoke to the CSR today, she had to go to a higher-up to find out this info — so hopefully AT&T gets their act together and distributes it to store reps soon.

Now that Debbie has an iPhone, this is most likely the route we're going (especially since she gets to keep her text messages).

iPhone 3G: What you need to know (AT&T)

Why the iPhone is the Future of Remote Controls

Posted by junger - 05/02/08 at 09:05:48 am

The iPhone is the perfect device to function as the ultimate convergence remote.

Think about it. Remotes suck. Nearly everyone agrees that there's not a truly great remote out there. They have too many buttons, poor user interfaces, and sometimes even use a stylus (which is ridiculous).

Even worse than remotes, however, are keyboards. Since Media Center PCs and Internet-connected consoles/TVs are an active experience (which is a bad idea, in general), you need a keyboard.

But really, who wants to use a keyboard with their TV? Nobody.

To balance the active interaction of typing in URLs (keyboards) with the passive experience of changing channels (remotes), you need a device that can function as both. The iPhone, with its portable form factor and touchpad keyboard, can.

(Sidebar: I call remotes a passive experience because you can't go OUTSIDE of what it allows you. You can only go up or down. Like the elevator vs. the Wonkavator)

Obviously, the iPhone is not the first touchpad controller commercially available. But nearly everyone who has used one agrees it's one of the best.

In the home automation space, both DIY solutions and manufacturer-created options for controlling your home systems have popped up.

SpeakerCraft's Jeremy Burkhardt has even said the iPhone will kill keypads.

"I hate to say it, but this is the beginning of the end for keypads," says SpeakerCraft president Jeremy Burkhardt. "Soon any keypad that isn't emulated on a device like the iPhone will be obsolete."

But don't you need some hard buttons — like for power, volume and channel? Well, maybe. There aren't a lot of hard keys on the iPhone — one power, two volume and a sleep — but I don't see that as a huge hinderance.

The idea here is that the iPhone may not permanently replace your universal remote (since you can't be talking on it at work while someone else wants to change the channel), but when you're in front of the TV, you whip it out of your pocket, bring up the interface, and do everything you need.

When you just want to see what's on, you've got the simple channel/volume/power interface. When you're on YouTube and want to search for a video, the keyboard pops up. It's the best of both worlds.

As I was writing this, Dave Zatz posted a video where he's controlling his TiVo with his iPhone over Wifi, using some Crestron functionality. See? It's starting.

Considering that so many consoles and TVs are getting WiFi, the capability is there. All we need is the official functionality.

Image of the GUI is from Residential Systems Design, which does Crestron and AMX programming.

iPhone Earbuds Come in Strawberry, Apple Flavors

Posted by junger - 04/09/08 at 08:04:43 am

So I received a package from a public relations company on Tuesday with the expectation of getting a pair of AirDrives for iPhone earbuds to review online.

With a $99 price tag, it's $70 more than the standard Apple offering. (You can't use a normal headphone/microphone combo because of the iPhone's recessed jack– unless you go the Patrick Norton route).

Much to my surprise, it wasn't the AirDrives inside the FedEx box … it was two boxes of FruitaBu organic smooshed fruit twirls.

Yup, somehow I ended up getting strawberry and apple fruit snacks instead of iPhone earbuds. Oops.

So what's a FruitaBu? Here's what the included press release says:

FruitaBu was designed to evoke wonder and excitement in children while enabling them to enjoy organic fruit anytime and anywhere.

Yeah … okay.

So in order to provide you with expert coverage, we're getting experts to weigh in on the FruitaBus. Debbie is taking them into her preschool, where 15 3-year-olds will have the chance to taste the snacks and share their thoughts.

FruitaBu: Join the Fruitolution!

My Best Idea, 1 Year Too Late

Posted by junger - 04/08/08 at 08:04:08 am

I have a million ideas for products. Literally.

Ask anyone who has ever worked with me, especially Andrew, who I've dragged along on a million cockamamie plans to strike it big.

(My biggest fault is that I have difficulty following through with new ideas, but that's a whole other story.)

Now when it comes to product ideas, it's easy to think of something that serves little to no purpose and has no chance of making money (see: Web 2.0).

So when I was browsing the DVD rack at Best Buy last year, I came up with what I thought would be a useful and potentially profitable idea.

You see, I always have this problem of not knowing when a "deal" is actually a good deal. Is that TV show boxset actually a good price? Is that thing cheaper here? How would I know?

These days, the answer is an iPhone (no, I did not have the idea for that — someone else did). But if you don't have an iPhone, how can you comparison shop when you're no where near a computer?

Simple: SMS information about the product to a service, which spits back prices from Amazon, Froogle, Buy.com, etc. Then you know if you have a deal or not.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Too bad I was one year too late on it.

iPhone users have their own application for it, pricecheckah. And even Amazon is getting into it, offering products for sale by text message.

Obviously, it's a good idea, if there at least three services doing it (or something like it). I'm not convinced it's a dumb idea to try and run with it, but I'm not nearly as excited about it as I once was.