Expert Blogs
Brightcove brings HTML5 video to Time, NY Times, and more
By Ben Stallings, March 29, 2010
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According to a story on MacRumors, the video provider Brightcove is making HTML5 video playback an option for their customers, including Time magazine and the New York Times. This is big news for those of us who build Web sites with lots of videos -- like this one -- and would like them to work on the iPhone, iPad, and other Flash-free platforms.
Meanwhile, on Verizon: free Skype calls coming next month
By Ben Stallings, February 16, 2010
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Skype on the iPhone is old news, but the most frequent complaint about the iPhone app is that it doesn't work over AT&T's 3G network -- you have to be in WiFi range to make or receive a Skype call. Meanwhile, those of us with other smartphones haven't even had that capability, hitting our heads against shaky, unfriendly voice-over-IP (VOIP) implementations such as Sipdroid. But today's announcement of a partnership between Verizon and Skype promises to bring Skype to
"best browser ever" - without Flash and Javascript support?
By Ben Stallings, January 29, 2010
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According to the Adobe Flash Platform Blog, the new iPad's Web browser, promoted as "the best browsing experience you've ever had," will not support Flash content any more than the current iPhone and iPod Touch browsers do. Says author Adrian Ludwig,
Haiti Earthquake survivor uses iPhone to survive
By Ben Stallings, January 22, 2010
MSNBC and the Today Show report on the story of American filmmaker Dan Woolley, who was trapped under rubble by the Haiti earthquake and survived for nearly three days with the help of his faith, his blood-stained journal, and his iPhone and (separate) camera.
He specifically credits the iPhone's alarm clock (for keeping him from falling asleep while in shock) and an app that has been identified as Pocket First Aid and CPR, by Jive Media LLC.
AT&T cookie glitch allows customers to access each other's Facebook accounts
By Ben Stallings, January 16, 2010
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The Associated Press reports that at least twice now, a glitch at AT&T has sent the wrong Web "cookies" to customers' phones, allowing them to access other customers' data on unencrypted sites such as Facebook, and to unintentionally send mail from the other customers' email accounts: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20100116/D9D8O2L00.html
The story predicts that encrypted sites such as banks and e-commerce sites are probably not affected by the glitch, since it's unlikely that the the private key would be sent to the wrong device. As a Web developer myself, this story helps to underscore for me the importance of putting any confidential data on an encrypted site!
Apple gets a greenwash from Greenpeace's anti-greenwashing guide
By Ben Stallings, January 8, 2010
One of the stories coming out of Las Vegas this week cought my eye: Greenpeace has issued its 14th quarterly report on "greener electronics," and Apple is prominently and repeatedly mentioned as one of the three most responsible companies. One problem: that's not what the report actually says.
iPhone wish list: Universal Back Button
By Ben Stallings, December 7, 2009
Yesterday I bought a new phone: an HTC Droid Eris, based on Google's Android operating system. Why not an iPhone? Because by sharing a Verizon plan with my wife's family I can save some $40 per month and get better service than AT&T offers in my area -- the maps don't lie; although there's nothing wrong with AT&T's "coverage," they have no 3G service in vast areas of the country, so when you buy an iPhone here you don't get what you pay for. But that's not what this blog is about...
BlogPress, a blogging app that does Drupal!
By Ben Stallings, December 4, 2009
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My role as Web Developer for iPhone Life keeps me focused mainly on what goes on behind the scenes. The software we use, Drupal, wins awards for its functionality, not for its user-friendliness. And when I work behind the scenes, I'm not using an iPhone or iPod touch to do it. So when one of our bloggers pointed out that she couldn't post from her iPhone, that was news to me. It seems Mobile Safari doesn't yet support enough JavaScript to run our Wysiwyg editor. While we wait for Apple to improve the browser, well, there's an app for that!
Most cell phone users don't notice unicycling clown
By Ben Stallings, October 20, 2009
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In case we needed another reminder of why it doesn't matter that the iPhone can't multitask, a study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology indicates that most of us can't, either.
Specifically, 75% of people walking down the street while talking on their cell phones did not notice a unicycling clown passing them. (Oddly, neither did 50% of the people who were not talking on cell phones, so really the phone conversation only cuts our attentiveness by an additional half.)
Read about the study in
RichardSolo 1800 backup battery
By Ben Stallings, September 12, 2009
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The biggest problem I've had with my iPod Touch is that I don't use it very often, so I don't realize the battery has run out until I want to use it, and then it's usually inconvenient to plug into an outlet or computer -- I want to use it right away! Fortunately, there's a gadget for just this situation: a backup battery. The one I have is a RichardSolo 1800, pictured at right. It lets me use the iPod right away, and if I leave it plugged in it will take the iPod battery all the way to full charge. Then I can plug the battery into a wall or USB port at my convenience.
