Free AT&T Wi-Fi for iPhone Users at Starbucks

Here are the instructions from the AT&T website:

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

Windows Automatic Restart

Dear Microsoft,

I understand that there are many security issues with Windows. I understand that because of the security issues, you have auto installed the necessary patches to plug up those security holes. I understand that in order for those patches to take effect, it requires Windows to restart.

But please, please dont force an automatic Windows restart without my permission. Please dont give me a 5 minute countdown every 5 minutes. Sometimes, I need to go to the bathroom for 5 minutes and I dont want all of my open programs to end abruptly. I have already allowed you to download and install the updates automatically and whenever you want, so what more do you want from me? Nevermind, go ahead! Take control of my computer. Install whatever you want. Reboot my computer whenever you want. I dont care anymore. You use it.

But at least consider this. How about putting a tiny button on the 5 minute countdown dialog box that says, "Do not restart and do not remind me anymore. I solemnly swear that I will restart my computer the next chance I get".

Your extremely annoyed user,
Roger

Tivo + iPhone = :)

Time is a luxury these days, especially with 2 needy boys. No more time to sit on my couch and watch my HD shows on my Tivo. But now I have a solution - watch my Tivo recorded shows on my iPhone during my weekday commutes to work.

Setup

1. Tivo Series 3 - to record TV shows.


2. Tivo Wireless Adapter - to send shows wirelessly to my computer.


3. Wireless router - to receive shows wirelessly.


4. Tivo Desktop Plus - to manage/transfer and convert shows to compatible iPhone format.


5. iTunes - to sync shows to iPhone.


6. iPhone - to watch shows.

Now you might think this is a big hassle, but I already had most of this set up already. The only new thing I added was the Tivo Desktop Plus Software to make this entire process complete. The software unfortunately is not free ($24.95) but is well worth it as it does practically everything automatically. Believe it or not, the only manual thing I do is sync my iPhone. Dont believe me? Well, let me explain.

First of all, I just configure Tivo Desktop Plus to download to my computer any TV show on my Tivo ie. Heroes, Prison Break, Terminator. These are .TIVO files. Secondly, I tell it to convert the .TIVO files into the iPhone format .mp4. Lastly, it adds the shows into my iTunes library. Keep in mind that all of the above is only a one time set up. So now, whenever a new episode of Heroes has been recorded on my Tivo, it will also be waiting for me in my iTunes library in which I just have to sync my iPhone. Major kudos for Tivo for simplifying such a complex process. The Tivo software doesnt work 100% of the time. Sometimes, it doesnt transfer over the recording automatically. Or it transfered the recording, but didnt convert it to mp4. Had some issues with some Heroes episodes. But maybe its because NBC adds some DRM into its shows. Who knows.

Not only can I transfer my Tivo recorded shows, but I can also transfer Caden's as well. ie. Teletubbies, Wiggles. Now Caden can watch his TV shows when we're on vacation like when we're on an airplane OR in the hotel room. Huh? Yes, Apple sells an iPhone AV cable in which you can hook your iPhone up to a TV. But Im still debating whether or not to spend $49 on it. Yes, Apple is charging $49 for that stinkin' cable! What a ripoff.

Web 4.0

Here is my prediction of the Internet in the future.

Internet Software (Web 2.0)



Today we are seeing a huge growth in rich internet applications. The web no longer consists of pages for just viewing. Instead, we are seeing pages that interact with the user, communicate with other services, and process information. So I call it, "Internet Software". Many businesses are creating and selling Internet Software instead of the traditional shrink wrapped software that you install on a home computer. For example, Microsoft creates software such as Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. But Google has created an almost identical set of software on the web called Google Docs. Why is software moving to the web?

1. Inexpensive - No manufacturing or shipping costs. Hosting/traffic fees are insignifcant.
   


2. Easy Upgrades/Fixes - Updating Internet Software can be quick and easy. For example, let's say there is a huge security bug in the product. For Internet Software, you just have to perform the fix to the 1 application. As soon as that is done, the millions of people who use the application will be instantly using the fixed version . For shrink wrapped software, millions of customers would have take the initiative and seek (download) out the fix (patch). And we all know how often companies try to force those updates onto us with their annoying updaters that secretly run in the background of our computers.
   


3. Reach - Practically anyone can use Internet Software regardless of OS or platform.
   

The line between Internet Software and boxed software is starting to blur. We see plenty of sites that allow you to edit video, edit images, play music, do your taxes, manage your finances, play games, and the list goes on. So I dare you readers to try to answer this one question, "Can you name something that you can do on your local computer that you cannot do using a particular website?"


Bye Bye Computers
Say goodbye to computers as they will be replaced by "terminals". I can envision just a thin touchscreen LCD display. That's it. All it does is connect to the Internet wirelessly. And of course, there will be other portable terminals as well ie. cell phone, tablets, etc. I wanted to point out that these "windows" to the Internet will not need much processing power whatsoever. They just need to be capable of displaying the Internet. So where does all of the processing and heavy lifting take place? The Cloud of course.


The Cloud


Remember Internet Software? So all software will be running on the Internet by now. All processing will be performed and handled by the Internet servers. So what else does that mean? That means that you wont be spending your money on a computer with the latest Intel CPU processor chip along with gigs of RAM and a high end graphics card. Instead, you will be purchasing to rent/own an Internet computer (dedicated or shared) that will process all of your Internet Software applications. So the more you spend, the faster processing speed you will get or the more server space to store files/information or the more Internet Software applications you get. So just think of it like buying a computer that is not physically placed at your home, but instead exists somewhere in Internet Cloud. Your terminal will be able to connect to your Internet computer so that you'll be able to perform or execute commands.

A good example of the Cloud is Apple's MobileMe. With this online service, you can store and manage your contacts, calendars, email, and files in one central place. After you set everything up, it can automatically synchronize with any of your devices such as your PC, Mac, or iPhone. So the Cloud stores everything and pushes the information to your devices. The concept of the Cloud pushing information to your device is a very important concept. All the work is done via the Cloud instead of your device. Your device just acts like a receiver.


Terminals
We are already seeing the trend today from the largest manufacturers like Apple, Dell, and Lenovo. They are creating mini laptops aka. "netbooks" and computers which dont have much horsepower but good enough to surf the internet on the go.

Dell Inspiron Mini 9





Lenovo Idea S10




Apple MacBook Air




Dell Studio Hybrid



Mac Mini



Apple iPhone