iCloud Mail is Puking Today

It appears all is not well with the iCloud servers today. I've been unable to retreive my email for a couple of hours now. All the other iCloud services seem to be working though I've been stuck trying to open the web mail app for the past half-hour or so. Back with more later...

UPDATE 15:10 CDT: Mail appears to be working again (although a bit slowly). On occasion my Mac asks me for my password again, even though I keep it in my keychain. Things are definitely not up to snuff, but at least it's working now.

I really can't complain. I transitioned myself and two daughters over from MobileMe without a hitch. I'm hearing others weren't so fortunate. Today's uh-oh is the first we've experienced. If this is the worst that happens, I'll count myself lucky.

End of an Era

Last month, after Mr. Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple, I wrote about his many accomplishments and why I thought he would go down in history as one of the world's greatest inventors/entrepreneurs. Little did I know how soon we would be writing his obituary. Even though I'm a real Apple fan who has seen Mr. Jobs in person giving one of his famous keynote addresses, I never met him or even saw him off-stage. So why do I feel this great sense of loss?

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We Are All Much Poorer Today

DON'T BUY 1Password 3.9!

I never thought I'd hear myself utter those words. I've probably been one of AgileBits' most boisterous proponents, recommending 1Password for the past four years in every medium I possess. This blog, our MacTexan podcast and the MacNoob blog have all had posts and segments dedicated to 1Password evangalism. With the Mac App Store release of version 3.9 I must rebut myself.

When I got the email notification from AgileBits announcing the release of version 3.9, I was all too happy to spend twenty bucks for the privilege of downloading 1Password from the MAS. While there are few visible changes from version 3.8.5 (the most recent non-MAS version), the promise of a free upgrade to version 4 and automatic updating was more than enough reason for me to spring. Turns out, IT WAS A BAD IDEA! Version 3.9 is a giant step backwards from the usual error-free, reliable releases I've come to expect from the 1P guys. After installation I soon realized I was working from a very dated keychain database and the Dropbox support, while advertized, wouldn't work. When I tried to point version 3.9 to my keychain file stored in my Dropbox folder, the button for doing so was greyed out and nothing I did would change that. I spent countless hours fighting failed imports and corrupted databases before finally surrendering and reverting to the 3.8.5 version stored in a Time Machine backup. In the process, the 1P data on each of my iOS devices was FUBAR. Thankfully, Dropbox and Time Machine saved my bacon but I still don't have the new MAS version of 1Password I paid for. If you want my advice, DON'T UPGRADE YET.

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The iPad's First REAL Competition

The greatly anticipated Amazon tablet (dubbed the Kindle) is expected to hit the streets before the Christmas buying season begins. M. G. Siegler at TechCrunch says he’s played with the new device and reports the new 7” tablet will be available sometime in October. So what makes the new Kindle different from every other Android tablet and why will it be the first to challenge the iPad?

Content, content and more content.

Unlike every other iPad “competitor”, Amazon has the content infrastructure in place to provide buyers with a true “end-to-end” experience. It’s something the Samsungs and Motorolas of the world don’t have and can’t provide. This complete solution including great hardware, a sound and user-friendly operating system and a convenient, well-stocked content market is what has made the iPad so successful (with over 80% market share). Take away any one of these three ingredients and the iPad would be no more successful than the HP TouchPad. Motorola and Samsung both make great hardware and the latest Android build, while no iOS is arguably good enough, but users wanting movies, music and more apps for their device are forced to navigate through a hodgepodge of content providers with no unified method of getting apps and media purchased and installed. Amazon is the only company that seems to get it. Their MP3 store has been on-line for years now and Amazon Prime customers recently got access to a wealth of movies. Additionally, according to Mr. Siegler, Amazon plans to open their own app store. If there’s one thing Amazon does better than anyone, it’s operate an on-line market. The Android Marketplace won’t even work on the new Kindle’s forked Android version that Amazon is customizing specifically for this device. Word is, it won’t look like any Android version we’ve seen.

So, it looks like Apple is finally going to have some competition in the tablet space. I say GREAT! Competition drives lower prices and innovation and so far, no one has mounted a serious challenge to the iPad. Amazon certainly has the chops to do it.