For a user to receive data from through the internet there is a least software running on the servers and and software running on the clients end to get this to work, however I don’t this this is the point Tim is trying to make. I like to think of the concept as software allowing you to do more with the device, than if the software was isolated.

Take for example the Foxtel’s IQ cable box. It allows you to view channels, record shows, bring up an EPG all on the device. This functionality is extended through an iPhone App or their website which allows you to program your IQ box through the internet. It has extended your experience from using the software on the device itself, to using web software/ application to view the EPG, schedule in shows to record without using the IQ box directly.

This has extended to other areas inside your home, take a look at the gaming industry. Sony has create an online community, integrated with its products called the Playstation Network (PSN), Microsoft has done the same with X-Box Live and Nintendo with their online community (although very limiting).

I’ve been trying to stay from examples such as Google Maps, E-Mail, Search, Images, Docs, etc simply because it there is so much to talk about and how their software through API’s, Common Protocols, Applications, etc allows their own software to be used on a wide range of devices, but really if you look at any of them you could drill down and see how they are examples of software above the level of a single device. In fact, Minterest.com published an article recently called ‘Over 60 Google Products & Services You Probably Don’t Know‘ that gives you a break down on what Google offers. There is actually a fair few I didn’t know about and haven’t used.

Another similar example of been trying to escape is how the iPhone connects into iTunes on your computer. This then allows you to configure the device, sync selected data such as photos, music, playlists, applications, bookmarks, etc. While iTunes is allowing you to download music, update software on the phone, subscribe to podcasts, add lyrics to songs, download album artwork, etc all without using the iPhone itself. This can all then can synchronised back to the phone. Apple have then added in another software component called mobile.me which could deserve a post in itself (Take a look at Anthony Nicolaides’s post on ‘MobileMe above the level of a single iDevice‘ to find out more).

Looking back on how far we have come in nearly three years. There is still a lot more companies can achieve by providing ‘software above the level of a single device’ as there a still plenty of gaps above. With cloud computing increasing in popularity and continued progression of technology it really is becoming an easier world to live in. All we need now is for companies to not lock themselves into a ‘walled garden’ and the ease of synchronising myself to the digital world will become second nature (Wow! I feel like a holiday, looking at how much I use technology in my daily life.. perhaps I’ll Google holiday resorts on my iPhone).

I heard that Virgin? has this enabled for free.

Telstra up until last Saturday, there simply was no option to do this. ZDNet Australia (amongst other news sites) have a post on this if your interesting in the finer details you can check out over here or jump straight to the comment on the Telstra’s forum here.

Now it is enabled it is easy to get working.

1. Plug your iPhone into your PC and open up iTunes
2. If you don’t get prompted to update your carrier settings you will have to do this manually
3. To do this manually, click on your iPhone and click “Check For Updates”
4. It should then prompt you to download these settings, do that and your set.

If your like me though, this didn’t work. I would click on the ‘Set Up Internet Tethering’ option and I would get a prompt telling me to call Telstra or go to their website.

The problem was fairly simple, but out of my control. To get data on the iPhone previously I’ve had to change the APN settings to telstra.wap as telstra.iph didn’t work. Now to check this, if you set your APN settings to telstra.iph (should be this by default) try and browse the internet on the phone. If you can’t do this (like I couldn’t months ago when I first got the iPhone), I manually changed this to telstra.wap as I knew data worked on my previous phone.

After getting a called escalated to level 2 technically support. We tried the basic things and we both couldn’t figure it out until I remembered what I had to do get data to work on the phone. The guy on the phone reset my network profile / enabled the settings and I was then instantly able to browse data on the phone through the telstra.wap APN Carrier setting, and thus when I clicked on setup Internet tethering this just worked.

Now I’ve got the option and the technical staff at telstra can help out the next caller better to. Let me know how you go!

On a side note, OPTUS ? seriously $10 to get this feature enabled. If I went on a <$30 BYO phone plan with you which included 150mb+ data and $150 worth of phone calls. I’m not willing to pay another $10 for nothing! Lift your game. Did I mention your mobile network doesn’t compare to Telstra’s in terms of coverage/speed/performance (as much as it pains me to say it), why would you place greater hurdles upon your users?

Applications:

• WordPress – allows me to login to my website and write a blog entry, etc
• TwitterFon – allows you to post a twitter update, search tweets, see that latest trending topics
• Shazam – Can listen to a song for 5 – 10 seconds, and then identify it – then you can youtube the video, twitter it, etc
• Remote – An app from Apple that I had to download, allows you to control any iTunes with your iPhone
• VLCRemFree – An app that allows you to control VLC player on a pc (some manual configuration on your pc and with the application itself)
• Koredoko – Displays all the photos you’ve taken on your iPhone on a map! This is what geo-tagging photos is meant for!
• 9-Toolbox -Inclinometer, Tip Calculator, Load, Date Calculator, etc (A useful one to have ready)
• FAC Free – Fake a phone call on your iPhone (you can think of the reasons)
• Ping Lite – Allows you to ping another pc/ subnet, trace route, telnet interface (not for everyone, but I’ve found it useful)
• Road Trip LE – Monitors your fuel usage/costs and plots them (haven’t used this enough to get a feel for it, but seems good so far)

Games:

• Blowfish
• Paper Toss
• TapDefense
• BailoutBen
• GeoDefense Lite
• ZA! Free
• StickWars Lite
• Tap Tap Revenge 2
• Airport Mania

Other:

• Created a Google Calander Shortcut
• Created a Gmail Shortcut
• Had fun with “Insults”

Yet to form an opinion on:

• Snarl Traffic
• Nova
• MiniPiano
• Flashlight
• TonePad
• Here I Am
• Dictionary
• WikiTap
• Dictionary! (different to above)
• RDP
• Drum Meister Lite
• MyPaint Free
• TuneWiki

• Blogs
• Blogging
• Blogshphere
• Web 2.0
• Social networking
• Online Interactions
• Enterprise 2.0
• Tweets

Is what it is all about these days. Interactions between platforms, instant communication and feedback. Suddenly a target audience of a few because an audience of many.

I’ve just bought myself an iPhone and have found it incredibly easy not online get online and use, but through the app store. Download a wordpress app to post this article, download a twitter app to see what is going on (I created a twitter account last night) and post (photos included).

With a little bit of work I was able to integrate the two together on my site automatically. So I thought I would share a quick story about how I first used twitter, before creating an account.

A co-worker and I were having lunch outside, enjoying a burger at the the local fish and chips shop (Fish Kitchen) and we started seeing smoke in the air. We all had guesses of what it was and with our bad sense of direction we didn’t get close. On the way back to work we started seeing the news choppers flying over head, we knew this had to be big news and with a tip from a passer by, it sounded like a pub had caught fire.

So we made a competition to see who could find out what was happening first back in the office. I did a few searches on google news. It didn’t turn up any results, so I thought I would try twitter for the first time. With a few searches of ‘pub fire’ I soon found out that it was the Norman Hotel that had caught on fire. A few more tweets and I found out the #hashtag which had been created and I started getting photos of what was happening in real time. I had clearly won the competition and it at least 15 minutes before the mainstream media posted anything. Around 5 minutes later before mainstream media had ant photos. Another 5 – 10 minutes before they posted video from the choppers.

The craziest thing was that it was twitters that had posted links to the news articles as they were been posted, not the media themselves. In a competition to get the news out. Social networking sites like Twitter were miles ahead and it really gave a sense that the power is with the people. I even found that I was really well informed and there were photos the media just didn’t have (A guy working opposite took a photo as he was clearing the area, another one with fire trucks, etc).

Now that I’m on twitter, have an iPhone in my pocket. I’m ready to bring you “the news first”, “as it happens”, because why write it down on paper for just myself?