Just over one year ago Apple announced the App Store and told developers that their new platform was going to offer developers the ability to make applications that could do almost anything! As we sit here a year later we now know that is not the case as Apple rejects apps based on what can only be described as murky rules that change based on what apps are submitted such as in the case of Google’s VOIP app.

After speculation that AT&T asked that Google’s app not be allowed onto the app store the matter is being further investigated by the FCC. None-the-less this is not sitting well with the one demographic that Apple should care the most about. iPhone owners…

There are countless blogs spewing rants about Apple and how the company rejected an App offering a feature that they were looking forward to. This creates unrest in an otherwise extremely loyal base of customers. Even worse is the moths of development that many of the coders have spent on working on apps that seemingly meet Apple’s rules only to get rejected for what seems to be emotional reasons on the part of Apple and their partners.

Now enter Microsoft, with a new way for angry and confused iPhone developers to recycle their code by porting their software to windows Mobile. This move from Microsoft allows them to play catch up with other mobile platforms and creates good will with App Store developers by allowing them to salvage months of work and effort spent on software previously rejected by Apple. Microsoft has also announced that their app store offering will be available for older versions of Windows Mobile giving cross-over developers access to a new user base of over 30 million windows Mobile devices.

So i guess we will see if this move from Microsoft enables a change of heart in Apple’s hard line dealings with App Store developers…

read more: Microsoft Courting iPhone Developers — Windows Marketplace For Mobile — InformationWeek.

I purchased the iPhone 3G to replace a Treo 750 the weekend that it was released. Since then i have experienced a love/hate relationship with the shiny, thin and ultra sheek iPhone. I really miss the ability to invite an attendee to a meeting using exchange e-mail (And dot even get me started with cut and paste…) however those features while convenient, are not essential to my everyday life. The two un-excusable features that are missing from this ultra modern cutting edge piece of hardware to me are:

A decent Bluetooth Stack.

Tethering.

The first i fear will never see an answer as the pre-installed Bluetooth stack on the iPhone is delibratly crippled as the hardware is completely capable of any bluetooth feature that is currently in use anywhere in the world today, DUN, PAN, Hands free, OBEX, Headset, A2DP etc… all are supported by the hardware however by no mistake they were left out of both the original iPhone and the newer 3G iPhone. This may be for marketing reasons or simply because Apple does not want to allow further access to their extremely closed platform. There are however efforts to improve the Bluetooth stack on the iPhone being undertaken within the communities built around the jailbreaking groups out there which (Thankfully!) allow the installation of apps on the iphone that exceed apple’s restrictive policies. These efforts have not as of yet produced any fruits however it is early and we will keep monitoring them for developments.

The second issue which i understand from a business perspective is really annoying. I do not want to carry around a 3G modem card, usb drive, cord or anything else for that matter. I have a phone, and i have a Netbook. That is what i carry around with me there are no dongles, no cords, or anything else for that matter. Given all of that Why on earth would i not want my iPhone to function (Like every other phone i have owned since 2002) as a bluetooth modem? I can do this with my Nokia 3650 but i cannot with this ultra modern, ultra sleek marvel of technological mastery!?! Seriously Apple and AT&T, you are killing your business customers and pissing them off over petty features that are easily accomplished with devices that for the most part are “Free with 2-year contract!” Once again, were it not for the jailbreaking community, this too would be a reason that any one reading this could buy my iPhone on eBay. Thanks go out to an old but Great developer that has been adding what should be a standard feature to devices for years, Internet sharing! PDAnet, a product of June Fabrics Has been lovingly ported to work on the iPhone! This software is a breath of fresh air for people wanting to add Internet sharing to their iPhone without the annoyance of a messy SOCKS proxy (And for now at least, the cost!) PDAnet is currently FREE! anyone that has had Palm or windows mobile devices, and wanted this functionality in years past knows about PDAnet as it has beet a top selling product from the beginning but at this price grab it now because PDAnet traditionaly is over $30.00USD (and worth it if you ask me!)

Until Apple and AT&T get some religion and move to officially support these most basic of features you can catch me siphoning Internet with PDAnet on my shiny new Acer One on a park bench near you!

-Joe Harper

P.S. If you have a diffrent view let me know in the comments. I would Love to hear what the readers have to say!

Below is a sign I found hanging on a soda fountain at a 5 Guys burgers and fries in Atlanta, GA. Even though they only sell hamburgers and french-fries we can all learn a lot from their business model.

All of us should aspire to the ideals shown by this burger joint!

“You, the customer, are the most important visitor on our premises, You are not dependent on us, we are dependent on you. You are not an outsider in our business – you are part of it. We are not doing you a favor by serving you . . . you are doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so. Thank you, Five Guys”

When was the last time you encountered customer centric service at any business? If you have I bet you remember it and make buying decisions based on that quality of service. Let’s try to be as customer oriented as this fast-food chain and I am sure that success will follow

P.S. While my wife and I were at the restaurant we were treated in a manor that showed that for 5 Guys, the sign is not just a lofty goal but a practiced methodology. The pride in what they do is apparent the second you walk through the door.

Visit their website:

http://www.fiveguys.com

I see Twitter as just that, an exchange of ideas mixed with a few “Dude I just ate a slice of pizza, it was AMAZING!” comments. But the overwhelming current of Twitter seems to be the dissemination of information between like minded people in an open and convenient format. The only problem is that I don’t have any followers, which makes it more like a painfully long phone based seminar and my line is muted. Even if you agree with the host you cannot say anything back and I find it odd that I keep replying to people that never hear my replies… any way, I digress.

So I found a few resources that claimed methods of building readership and increasing the number of followers on Twitter.  This article on doshdosh.com happened to be the most realistic and helpful for me. I am going to be trying my best to create quality content and all the while linking it to my Twitter feed.

The method of following 10,000 people and hoping that they follow me in return seems a bit tacky, and is a good way to get a black mark in a community that is as connected as Twitter. So for me it will be content, conversation and posting as the answer to my twitter goals.

So help me out and follow me. I promise that I will keep the tweets coming and keep my content relevant. If you promise to do the same perhaps I will follow you so we can keep the information flowing. And as far as the hour of work is concerned… let’s just call it research.