With many people having problems with their iPhone 4, I decided to call Apple and try to get some support issues answered. Luckily, they have an iPhone Support Hotline. I was able to get through quite easily. I recorded my phone call so I could share it with other iPhone 4 users who may be experiencing problems similar to myself. You can listen to the entire phone call below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

What Are People Saying?

That was HYSTERICAL!!!!!!!! Honestly, better than most Saturday Night Live skits by far. Just great! As they say, the best comedy is centered in the truth. This is a MUST listen to anyone having issues. You’ll still have issues, but it WILL make you feel better. If you don’t agree, press 5.– Apple Discussion Forum User

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So I bought the audio book iWoz. It’s an autobiography by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer. I should have known what I was getting into by reading the full title: iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It. From the title on, Steve never stops telling you how important he was, how smart he is, and all the great things he invented that you didn’t– because he’s just that much smarter than you. Gag me with a spoon!

It was really hard enduring the first hour of the book. If I had to read the print version, I’m sure I’d have tossed it out my window before the second chapter. It got to a point in between him telling me all the blue ribbons he won at science fairs and how he was the only one in the world who could do x, y, or z, that I had to shut off part one, and go to part two. It was a bit better, but not by much.

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Adobe® Flash® is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash Player is optimized for high performance on mobile screens and designed to take advantage of native device capabilities, enabling richer and more immersive user experiences. – Adobe

How annoying are flash ads? How hard does Flash hit your CPU, fans, and RAM? If you are using a desktop, chances are you don’t have to worry about overheating and jet-turbine fans. However, if you are running Flash on a laptop, you may notice your lap getting a bit hotter, your fans getting a bit louder, and your system overall acting a bit more sluggish than normal. This is Flash.

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Apple’s latest invention is here, and it looks really good! The best part, I won’t have to spend much, if anything, out of pocket. I have a new 3GS I bought in April, and it’s in MINT condition. Also, unlocked phones sell for big prices on eBay, as people can used them with carriers other than AT&T. Presently, you cannot buy an iPhone retail without a contract with AT&T.

I didn’t get the upgrade price of $199, but I didn’t get the top price of $599 either. My price fell square in the middle. Not much to say about the phone now, other than it’s awesome. You can visit the official page for more information.

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It’s been a long time coming, but Pac-Man turns 30 today– that is if you are Japanese. American arcade buffs will have to wait until October for the milestone. Where did the time go? Visit the official Pac-Man website.

My first recollections of Pac-Man were from inside a dark arcade. A little yellow character eating dots being chased by ghosts, all the wile being encased in a soft, blue glow from the maze pattern. Even until this day, when I see that blue glow I instantly go back to the early 1980s. Thankfully I have an original arcade “cocktail” machine, so I can pretty much get my fix anytime I want. You can find out more about my Pac-Man machine and the restoration I performed on it. I don’t know which was more fun, playing the game or fixing it.

Without A Thought For Tomorrow

When I was a kid back in 1982/1983, I was a total Pac-Punk. I had the stickers, cereal, Mac & Cheese, video game, slippers, and countless other Pac-Paraphernalia. And don’t forget about the cartoon! It wasn’t until The Transformers about a year later that I gave Pac-Man a game over. But I never really forgot about him. Besides my arcade machine, I have Pac-Man on both my iPhone and my iPad. The iPad version is really nice. However, you can’t hide in a “T” anymore. Don’t know what that means? You’re probably too young. For a great Pac-Primer, visit The Virtual Pac-Man Museum.

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To prevent another DMCA takedown notice from Apple Inc., I’ll try not to let any “trade secrets” slip out during the course of this posting. This text has been vetted by the Lizard Legal Team and is suitable for dissemination to one and all.

First a brief primer. The DMCA, or Digital Millennium Copyright Act, is a law intended to protect copyright holders from copyright infringers, in theory. The umbrella is quite large, and makes illegal, amongst other things, the reverse engineering of DRM or any methods used to circumvent copy protection tied to digital products. The principles of protecting copyrights is noble, as there needs to be a way to prevent others from improperly using someone else’s creation or content. Sadly, the DMCA is being abused by companies to limit and restrict the free-flow of information and technologies.

For a more in-depth look at the DMCA, head on over to Wikipedia. Now, let’s get to the part where this concerns scriptedLizard.com.

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Here is my contribution to “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” And why am I doing this? Well, my reasoning will be made clear in a separate article, but it’s related to the censorship of South Park. On an artistic note, I think my depiction of Mo’ looks a bit like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In the United States of America, we have the 1st amendment, which provides everyone the RIGHT to freedom of speech. This right not only extends to polite and good-intended speech, but thankfully, speech which is offensive or hateful. In short; you get the good with the bad.

WARNING: KEEPING YOUR IPAD TOO CLEAN MAY HARM YOUR SECURITY.

Sitting here on a rainy day, iPad in hand, a few things are going through my mind. Firstly, how secure is this device? I mean, it has a 4-digit password and offers the ability to wipe the drive after 10 incorrect login attempts. But is that really enough security?

I use the 1Password app on my iPad to encrypt and store all my login and sensitive information. My 1Password database has a master password of 20 characters– both alphanumeric and symbolic– so I’m not really worried about that very sensitive data. But what about my email accounts and notes, etc.?

The more I use the iPad as a replacement for my MacBook Pro, there is bound to be a larger amount of sensitive data spread throughout the device– residing as both encrypted and clear text. And since the iPad is smaller, lighter, and more portable than my MBP, there is a greater chance of me losing it or accidentally leaving it sitting at a table and walking away.

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Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc., released an open letter to its customers, and indeed the world, about why Apple has rejected adopting Adobe’s Flash technology as a standard for it’s mobile platform. Most of what Steve said, I’ve heard bantered around before, but this open letter puts some nice touches on the ideas behind why Flash is no good for Apple. Below is a snippet. You can read the full statement here.

Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short.

The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple’s mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content. And the 200,000 apps on Apple’s App Store proves that Flash isn’t necessary for tens of thousands of developers to create graphically rich applications, including games.

New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind. –Steve Jobs

In response to the censorship of South Park, I will be participating in “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” EDMD will take place on May 20, 2010. On that day, I will also publish my South Park article, which will cover the source of this revolt. I have a lot to say on this, but I’ll save it for a rainy day.