Software Review: ReQall for your brain

It's time for another DigitalLifestyle.tv software review. This time I take a look at a web app to keep your sh*t in order. Are you someone who forgets pretty much everything (except to bring your iPhone with you at all times)? If you are (I'm not) ReQuall is for you.

Cost breakdown: FREE

ReQall is a web based organization platform with a social netowrking tie-in (what doesn't these days). The web end is very web 2.0 offering To-Do's, shopping lists, notes, photographic memory (what?!?!), and contacts. It has email, IM, calendar, RSS, and text message integration (pretty much covers all means of communication).

To-Do's, shopping lists, notes and contacts are pretty straight forward. Anyone who's used a pen and paper understand what this is all about. Photographic memory is a pretty slick feature that allows you to link to a Picassa (thank you Google) web album so you can remember stuff. I like to think of it as an idiots guide to shopping. For example, if you need cereal you can put cereal on your to-do list (BORING) OR you can take a picture of the cereal box after you finish it and then email the picture to your picassa web album which will sync to your ReQall and BAM, you've got a picture shopping list. I'm sure there are other things you can do with it too...

All joking aside, I really do like this next feature. ReQall has integrated voice access so you don't need to wait for Edge to add something to your shopping list. Instead you can dial into your ReQall and speak your action and item. ReQall then places your voice action into the appropriate section of your lists. I tried this feature out and didn't run into any usability issues.

Props to ReQall for getting their iPhone optimized page right. I don't need a special URL like m.losemymindrememberingthisurl.com or mobile.nonsense.iphone.com. ReQall site recognizes you're using an iPhone and redirects you to their iPhone optimized site . . . lets be honest, this is the way it should work.

In all, I'm not sure how much I'll end up using this software but it is pretty slick and the voice integration takes it to the next level. I think you should give it a shot . . . those folks at QTech put out a polished Beta.

Apple and Adobe, say you're sorry, and shake hands

Apple, I want you to look at Adobe. Adobe, look at Apple. Now both of you have been misbehaving lately. Adobe, there's no need to upset the Apple faithful by claiming there won't be 64bit support in most Adobe apps anytime soon. Apple, shame on you for pinning Safari quits on Adobe (see image above)
Apple: "But he does! Adobe always crashes Safari!"
Adobe: "I do not! You just need to let users disable/enable plugins."

Stop it both of you. Now let's talk about the iPhone for a minute.
Adobe: "I don't wanna!"
Apple: "I'm not allowed to speculate!"

Ok, ok. Adobe, you said you have Flash working on a jailbroken iPhone, right?
Adobe: "Yeah, and we'd release it too, if Apple would let us!"
Apple: "Your app is nothing but a battery-draining, web clogging, poopy head."
Adobe: "Oh yeah, you're just scared people will prefer Flash and it will become a mobile standard just like on the web!"
Apple: "Am not!"
Adobe: "Are too!"
Apple: "People prefer QuickTime anyhow."
Adobe: "Oh yeah, then why do I have an installed base of nearly 98% of all computers?"
Apple: "Oh yeah, well QuickTime powers iTunes, the world's biggest online music store!"
Adobe: "Yeah, and you have to use Photoshop to make the graphics because Aperture's stinky!"
Apple: "Aperture isn't for making graphics, stupid."
Adobe: "Fine. I'll just develop my apps for the PC only!"
Apple: "Fine. and I'll make the iPhone Microsoft Silverlight friendly."
Adobe: "Fin-- oh wait. you don't mean that do you?"
Apple: "No... I guess not. It just came out.

There, now see, you both have something in common. I'm going to go back inside. Why don't you two play in the sandbox for a bit and see if you can come up with a solution...

Both of you, stop it. Seriously.

AT&T to blame for iPhone "delay"?

From the moment Steve left the stage at WWDC, we were shocked that neither the iPhone 3G, or more surprisingly, the Apps store, was ready for immediate use/purchase.

During our live coverage, we even wondered why Apple would've moved the WWDC up to June, then had the most important product launches in July anyhow. The answer, according to one source, could be AT&T. AT&T has been working around the clock to get 3G service to as much of the country as possible. However, that breakneck pace may not have been enough. Because of the integration between the 2.0 phone software, and the 3G iPhone, it would've been cumbersome to launch one without the other, not to mention lessening the PR value of the launch: after all, why would you want to give people a month to realize all the fun new stuff they can do with their current phone, before trying to sell them on a new one?

So the "delay" (if that's truly the case) should mean a better 3G experience, and added hype for Apple.

WWDC All Over Again

Maybe you missed out on our live coverage of WWDC the first time around. Maybe you think if you watch it again, this time Steve will announce the Apps store is available immediately, or maybe you just want something to listen to get through the work week.

In any event, below are the links to our live WWDC video coverage and analysis. Enjoy it, all over again...

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Ready for a phone buying trip to 1992?

Many years ago, the only way to buy a cell phone was to go into your local carrier store, pick a phone, get it activated, and leave. If you want to take a trip back in time, it looks like Apple might be ready to fulfill your wishes.

Curiously absent from the phone info, is any mention of purchasing the phone online. Further, reports are starting to surface indicating you have to activate the phone in the store, and there might be a penalty if you don't activate within 30 days.

The original iPhone broke new ground, and Apple showed the industry an all-new, and for the consumer, far more convenient way to activate phones. What seemed to be a bold move towards a new customer-empowered world, has fallen back to the old bricks and mortar purchase and activation model.

At the original launch this may have made more sense. After all, the phones could be sent anywhere in the world to be unlocked and used. Now that 22 countries will have the iPhone with several more before the end of the year, the black/grey market for the phone is shrinking. It's a terrible time to decide to fall back to the old way of doing business. Although come to think of it, we didn't have copy and paste, or MMS on phone in 1992 either. Thanks for the trip, Apple.