You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

TECH: Podcast: 2010 E3, Nintendo 3DS, New XBOX, iPhone 4

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

TECH: Podcast: 2010 WWDC, iPhone 4, & Team Fortress for Mac

I’m not dropping the phone because it’s not a great phone or because of AT&T’s coverage, nor am I dropping it because of their piss-poor service. I’m ditching because of their new data plan pricing, just announced this morning.

One of the biggest reasons I find that people don’t switch to the iPhone is that it’s too expensive — not the phone itself, but the minimum iPhone plan runs about $100 a month. After you pay for the required 3G data plan, the minutes and the texting, you are left paying quite a hefty price. My counter argument is normally that it’s worth it, that having that unlimited data connection and non-stop access to the Internet is a life-changer, that it will change your daily routine and the way you communicate with the world.

A year ago, Apple announced it was bringing the much requested tethering feature to the iPhone. For those who don’t know, tethering is a feature that allows you to use your phone as an Internet connection, making it possible to use a laptop or other wireless device in a location where there is no WiFi but  your phone gets 3G service. The catch to this announcement? The iPhone would have the tethering option in almost every market internationally, but AT&T would not yet be supporting tethering in the United States. AT&T said it needed to get its already over-taxed network prepared to be able to handle tethering, and promised that tethering would be available to iPhone customers by the end of 2009.

Well, here we are — it’s June of 2010 and guess what? My iPhone still can’t tether. That puts AT&T six months past their own deadline to provide tethering to its customers. This morning they announced that tethering would finally be available with the release of iPhone OS 4.0 in the coming month. Better late then never — or is it?

With tethering, AT&T also announced new data plan pricing schemes for its customers. Currently on both the iPhone and the iPad, customers pay $30 a month for unlimited data. Under the new pricing scheme, however, customers will have the option to pay $15 a month for 200 megabytes of data (and $15 a month for every 200 megabytes after that) or $25 a month for two gigabytes of data (and $10 for every gigabyte after two).

For those who want tethering, they must have the $25 plan and pay an additional $20 per month. AT&T touts this as a great way to give customers more flexibility and reduce their charges as only (according to AT&T) 2 percent of iPhone users use more then two gigabytes of data a month.

This is a smokescreen. 200 megabytes of data will be beneficial to only a handful of people. I am hard pressed to see how it would suffice for even the lightest of iPhone users. Many customers will switch to the cheaper 200 megabyte plan not realizing how much data they actually use and will find themselves needing more — and paying AT&T $15 more, which comes out to $30, saving them no money with a lot more hassle. The $25 plan will be admittedly beneficial to most people — they can save $5 per month as two gigabytes will be enough for them.

However, of the supposed 2 percent of people that use more then two gigabytes a month. I am one. I love my iPhone. I use it for email, GPS, a plethora of apps, and streaming video and audio. I stream most of my podcasts as it saves me the hassle of having to sync my phone and wait for podcasts to download. Considering I listen an average of three podcasts a day, this comes out to a lot of audio being streamed over my phone.

I also love some of the streaming video applications. When the NCAA tournament happens, there is an app released every year that allows you to stream the games at a pretty good quality. The Major League Baseball app allows you the same convenience, not to mention the coming Netflix app. The ability to tune into a game in progress is one of the best uses of my iPhone. It’s great to get a text saying such-and-such is three outs from a perfect game and being able to instantly, no matter where you are, tune in to that game on your phone and catch history.

Apple is all about the user experience. Everything about their product design is geared towards convenience and ease. If I want to download an app, one click and it’s there. If I want to listen to a podcast, one click and I’m able to do it. Watch a game in progress or use the GPS? Apple’s goal is to make it seamless, thoughtless, and natural.

To me, AT&T’s new plans run contrary to that policy. No longer will these things be thoughtless — you will be worrying about how much you have left on your cap. Want to watch that video? Listen to a podcast? Play with Google Earth? Better check your cap first, because you don’t want to go over. It would seem to go against the form factor and design mentality — and perhaps demonstrate an ever-growing gap between the companies.

AT&T has stated that current customers can keep their unlimited plans, but all new customers will have to make the choice. I will be keeping my unlimited plan, thank you very much, but I don’t know for how long. What happens when my upgrade is available and I want to pick up the next iPhone? Will I be able to keep my unlimited plan then? What flaming hoops will I have to jump through in order to keep it?

That is why I won’t be getting another iPhone — not unless AT&T changes the pricing scheme or the phone becomes available on another network. In the age of unlimited broadband connections, AT&T wants to take us back to the AOL/Earthlink pay-by-the-minute business model of Internet access.

Why should I go along with it? There are some really great Android phones out there (which, by the way, now offer tethering applications for free) whose pricing plans can hopefully offer me the ability to use as much data as I want. I just don’t ever want the day to come when I get a text saying,”Hey, Tim Lincecum is three outs away from a perfect game” and I can’t watch it, because I’m just a few megabytes away from my AT&T data cap.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Tech Podcast: Google IO, Google TV, & Emails From A Hurt Locker

The first thing you notice about the iPad is how responsive it is. It’s incredibly fast, and it’s the most responsive touch screen I’ve ever used. Rarely do I register bad touches or find that it didn’t pick up my finger. Everything you do on the device feels fast, from switching between applications to launching websites to even the simple act of switching between pages on the home screen.

Typing on it is also surprisingly effective — when held in the portrait (vertical) orientation, my hands are large enough that I am able to use just my thumbs as I would on my iPhone. When used in the landscape (horizontal) orientation, the keyboard is about the same size as the keyboard on a netbook and I am able to type almost as fast as I would on a tactile keyboard — and this is just after a few days. I’m sure with a few months practice I’ll be able to type at a really decent pace.

The built-in applications that come with the iPad are all vast improvements to their iPhone counterparts. The calendar application seems especially more robust. The Safari Web browser is significantly improved to function more like a desktop browser than the iPhone version. Probably my favorite application out of the built-in ones is the Photo app.

As a photography enthusiast, it’s great to be able to have my entire digital photo library on hand, and able to be displayed and viewed whenever I want on a high resolution screen. The best thing about the photos app though is its interface and the gestures within it; The first time you begin pinching and swiping to navigate the photos is the first time you feel like you are holding the future in your hands.

While there are not nearly as many native iPad applications available as there are iPhone apps, there are still over 3,000 available for download, not to mention that the iPad will run most of the iPhone apps. I have already tried out a significant number of iPad applications and, while I won’t go into detail on them individually, on the whole I have been very impressed by them. I can’t wait to see the applications we have available in a few months.

Of course, the device also has its known negatives. It cannot use Adobe’s Flash player, which is used on many Internet sites to stream video, as well as display a lot of games (Farmville). I personally don’t mind the lack of Flash; In fact, I kind of like it. The iPad browser is extremely stable and fast, and I’ve always found Flash buggy. And I’ve found that a lot of the Web sites I normally visit have started using the iPad-compatible HTML5 to display video.

The iPad also doesn’t currently multi-task. However, this is coming with the OS update in the fall, and to be honest the iPad is so fast at switching applications that I have yet to find a situation in which I would need multi-tasking.

In the world of technology, it’s a general rule that you shouldn’t buy the first generation of a new device — they are always buggy, and normally with the second generation all the kinks are worked out. This is not true with the iPad. When it comes down to it, despite its few shortcomings, the iPad is a fantastic device. It doesn’t at all feel like a “first generation” device — the hardware and software are extremely well polished.

At the end of the day though, the question everyone asks is do they need an iPad? Do they need something in addition to their smart phones and computers? If you think there’s a place for the iPad, if you see the role it would play in your day-to-day technological life, then I would highly recommend it. If you don’t see where it would fit into your life, then there’s no reason to get it.

However, I would recommend playing with one regardless. Stop into the store and check out what the fuss is about, because this style of mobile computing is the future of technology — and at some point you will want to be part of it.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

TECH: Podcast: Internet Privacy, Alan Wake, Steam for Mac

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Tech: Podcast: HP/Palm, iPad Sales, Apple Hates Flash

A while back we talked about Better Place, a company helping to visualize and build the infrastructure needed for the EV to thrive on. What wasn’t known at the time was how many big name auto manufacturers were actually going to be putting out these vehicles. Let it be known that while there aren’t going to be a huge amount of cars to pick from, one key factor will be the kind of EV you choose.

There’s going to be a strict division between types of EVs. Automakers are either taking the pure-electric route or opting for a hybrid-electric engine. The all-electric category is obvious — you plug these bad boys in and they run purely off the electricity for their 100-200 mile range. Top speeds vary, but you’ll have no trouble taking them on the highways. Don’t be expecting to sit in the passing lane like you’re used to though.

Examples of this pure-electric vehicle will be the Nissan Leaf, Coda Sedan, Ford Focus BEV, and the Tesla Model S. All these cars have strict reliance on the energy stored in their (mostly) lithium-ion batteries. Speaking of lithium-ion, while it might be the way to keep your EV going at present, keep an eye out for new battery tech that will extend the ranges of your favorite pure-electric.

Option one sounds good, but how about option two? Well, with the hybrid-electric you’re getting your first 40-60 miles on the batteries. After that a pseudo-typical combustion engine kicks in — not to power the drivetrain, but rather to generate the electricity required to move the car.  This is supposed to provide a big boost towards the efficiency of the gas engine. For example, the Chevrolet Volt claims a fuel efficiency of 230mpg, but the EPA has no way of testing this new technology, so they’re protecting themselves by doing some fancy math and saying it’s closer to 85mpg. Either way, you’re still looking at reliance on fossil fuels. Not good if you want to stick it to the man, but then again what happens to road trips with the all-electric vehicles? Something tells me these plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) will bridge the gap for consumers weary of complete reliance on the former kind. The Prius PHEV (pretty obvious name) will be Toyota’s push into the market, but not until next year.

Regardless of the differences between EVs, we’re seeing a concerted effort to make this a viable and, in fact, thriving industry — so much so that not everyone wants your EV to look like an EV. The previously mentioned Tesla Model S and Chevy Volt are for the more image conscious of us, but if you’re looking for something truly eye-popping, you might want to wait for the Fisker Karma. (You might be waiting awhile — no one outside the company has even test drove it yet.) This head-turner is a hybrid-electric powerhouse that almost makes the $90,000 price tag worth it. That is, of course, more than twice the cost of the typical EV that will be hitting the market this fall.

If you’re still a little critical of EVs really catching on, you might want to stay quiet about it. Being “that guy” who swore electric cars would never make it, when in a couple years your grandpa is driving one, could be a little embarrassing.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Tech Podcast: iPad, iPhone OS 4.0, and Sprints 4G Episode 1

Except Microsoft is taking a different route than the motion controller. They’re taking the controller completely out of the equation by using a host of sensors designed to read your body. Yep, pretend like you’re driving a car, shooting a gun or even fishing and you can play your favorite driving, shooter and fishing games.  If this sounds good to you, then you’re the exact kind of gamer the monopolistic company is looking for, which is to say you’re not (a gamer, that is). You see, this sort of virtual technology has never caught on, and yes, this isn’t its first incarnation.

I remember playing VR games in Vegas nearly ten years ago, and it was lame. Why? Because if you’re pretending to grip a steering wheel, aim a gun or cast a net and there’s nothing in your hand, then you’re going to have no connection with the game you’re playing. But isn’t that the point of video games — to play them, to disconnect from reality? Oh wait, that’s what all entertainment is designed to do. Maybe that’s the thing: to reach a level of gaming where you don’t feel like you’re playing a game. Perhaps this is supposed to make the virtual world more real.  It’s an interesting concept and is the entire idea behind Project Natal. It’s also a giant gamble.

Sony, on the other hand, is taking a page right out of Nintendo’s playbook. Instead of a cheap knock off though, Sony is putting the motion controller on steroids, handing it over to NASA and making it the next Mars rover. Natal’s tech is impressive, but where the Wii failed, the PlayStation is probably going to succeed (i.e., reinvent the gaming controller). Using the already existing Playstation Eye and a wand-like controller, Sony will be able to achieve a level of accuracy, precision and response time that will make geek dreams of becoming a true blue Jedi Knight (or Sith Lord) a reality.

Unfortunately, pictures of PlayStation Move (as it is officially called) have brought up some people’s concerns of “looking stupid.” I say it’s no more stupid than anyone playing Wii Sports, or even using no controller at all. Besides, you’re playing video games — who cares what you look like?  The revolution the PlayStation team is going for is more a bridge between hardcore and casual gamers. We can both enjoy Move’s goofy-looking glowing ball while we shoot up our enemies or cast our line.

Having owned a PS3 for years now, I find nothing in Project Natal that might draw me away. On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed the Wii’s controllers and have almost picked up my second console on a number of occasions, so Move is perfect for my gaming habits. All bias aside, Xbox will definitely benefit from a re-invigoration via Natal, since nothing new has come its way for a while now. PS3 just came out with a newer, slimmer model, which rolled with a nice price drop, so Move will just add to the recent momentum Sony has been experiencing. Combined with Netflix hitting the PS XMB this fall (and getting rid of that pesky disc in the process), Microsoft might start falling behind in the ever-violent console war.

With the release of these new technologies, Wii will become obsolete, which is good because it was always just old tech packaged with a fancy controller. Look at it strictly on a console basis — Nintendo never came out with a next-generation machine. The Xbox is still only a gaming machine that will soon read your movements. The PS3 still has developers working hard to unlock its potential, with games like Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, and Final Fantasy XIII as probably the most impressive examples of what the PlayStation can really do. Along with being the only future-proof Blu-Ray player, it’s a fairly indispensable piece of home entertainment hardware.

Regardless, we’re looking at every gaming system finally taking steps to be more than just a fifth-generation Atari — and that’s a very good thing.