Calling Star Blazers Fans -- iPhone App for Yamato Movie Released

Fanboy has some pix and a step-by-step guide to the new iPhone app promoting the recent animated Yamato movie (not, apparently, to be confused with the upcoming live-action Yamato movie, though I was initially confused).

Uh, what about us Nexus One (and other Android) users?

Nexus One Sales Disappoint, but Sales Expansion Continues: Next Stop, Wal-Mart

Listening to public radio news last night, I heard a reporter mention that Google's Nexus One smartphone, thought by some to be a potential "iPhone killer," had sold only 20,000 units in its first week. Compare that with 1.6 million in sales of the iPhone 3GS in its first week, and you might expect Google and HTC executives to be updating their resumes.

But I think you'd be wrong. (For one thing, every single Google employee has a personal net worth north of $4.6 billion, so they're just in the office out of crazy devotion anyway.) Seriously, though, as the news report pointed out, Nexus One has only been available through a Google online store so far, and many (most?) people like to see and touch a product before they buy it, especially if it's as expensive as the unlocked version of Nexus One: more than $500.

Now comes reports that Nexus One will be sold soon from Wal-Mart, though whether it'll only be through Wal-Mart's web site or in its stores is not yet clear. Allegedly, the phone will be sold with a multi-year contract to various wireless carriers. If true, this is a smart move by Google and Wal-Mart. It'd be really smart if it will in fact be available in stores, so potential buyers can get that touch-feel experience.

As I've noted here before, I am one of the early purchasers of the Nexus One, and I'm dearly in love with it. As I lay on the couch this past weekend recovering from a very bad cold that had turned my voice into a sub-Harvey Fierstein gravel, I discovered that I could stop typing my text messages. Instead, I just select the microphone option, speak my response, and hit Send. Even with my voice nearly unrecognizable by me, the service worked perfectly with everything I said. I've been an annoying nerd evangelist around the office this week, showing off this feature to people (though I'm happy to say my voice and health have pretty much returned to normal). That's just one of the features of this beautiful new phone that I like so much.

Ultimately, I neither know nor care if Nexus One is an "iPhone killer." The iPhone's a great product, and Apple deserves every bit of success they've had with it. (Arguably, they could have had more; I would have an iPhone if they hadn't restricted it to AT&T since it came out. Thus did Steve Jobs deliver me into the arms of Google.) Just as Nexus One integrates with Google's suite of online applications, iPhone integrates with Apple's premium suite of hardware and OS. Both are smart strategies; both have given us quality smart phones.

Google's Nexus One, Redux: More of the Same, and Why That's Good

About nine or ten years ago, I was an editor at Internet World magazine, working in cool metallic modern cubicles in Manhattan, surrounded by a number of great editors and designers who were, frankly, smarter than I was. It was a great place to be to learn more about all of the new technology and online trends that were happening or about to happen. One such trend that caught my attention and was a continuing irritant to me was the announcement every so often of a new device. A PDA to do this. A handheld to do that. A cell phone to do something else.

I thought at the time, I don't want to carry one device for my schedule, one device for calling my friends, another device for getting mapping directions, and another device for playing games. Put them all (and more) on one device, and then it becomes magic. Then I don't have to carry around two or three or four different stupid devices, with the inherent danger of breaking or losing one of them. (Which I would; I'm a klutz. My main impetus for getting contact lenses was that I broke my glasses too easily.)

Lo and behold, Steve Jobs was reading my thoughts -- in an entirely non-remunerative sort of way, alas -- and Apple eventually produced the game-changing iPhone. It's a beautiful product, and it revolutionized the cellphone industry. I didn't get one, because Jobs did something else he likes to do, which is to keep things very close to him, so you couldn't get an iPhone in the United States unless you were an AT&T customer. Since I was already happy with T-Mobile, and I knew the hazards of other cell phone companies, I decided to wait.

Eventually along came the G1 smartphone, which T-Mobile sold. And now we have the Google Nexus One, which T-Mobile can't sell but does serve, and I am one squeeky happy customer. But that's more than you needed to know.

However, not all people need or want the same thing. My webmaster was telling me earlier today about his choices. He moved away from an iPhone this year to a separate phone and PDA. His reason was that he didn't want to have all of his important functions on one device, which, if destroyed or disabled, would render him helpless with his work and private lives. As his colleague, I was impressed with his reasoning, even if I was saddened that I couldn't effectively evangelize for the Nexus One.

I just found it interesting that there are good reasons out there to go in the opposite direction from the one I was requiring of the handheld device industry.

One device, many uses still seems like the way to go. But technology companies would be missing a market opportunity if they were purely lemmings and didn't pay attention to customers with other needs.

(But really, but the Google Nexus One. You'll love it.)

Daily Bliss: Google's Nexus One on T-Mobile

AT&T reportedly has to pay between $5 billion and $7 billion to make its 3G wireless network competitive again. That must be quite a shock, considering that AT&T seemed to be on the top of the world since it got its exclusive U.S. rights to sell the Apple iPhone. But competition and development are cut-throat in the high-tech world, and AT&T will have to spend big just to compete with Verizon.

Me? I chose neither. After a terrible experience with a different carrier (which shall remain nameless but unfortunately is still in business), I switched to T-Mobile something like seven or eight years ago. I haven't regretted it. I upgraded to the the G1 smart phone from T-Mobile when it first came out and was very happy with it. My only complaint about it is that it started seriously dying in the past couple months, and I finally had to drive a stake through its heart this past week.

People might call me stupid, but I ordered another phone from the same manufacturer -- HTC -- and stayed with T-Mobile. (Long story; I was just out of the warranty period for another G1, and I was too early to be able to upgrade within T-Mobile's existing plans.) But I stuck with T-Mobile because its service has been great, and the phone that lured me was the new Google Nexus One. It's a beaut. I adore it. Phone calls, Google services, music, video, photos, apps galore. Unlimited texting and internet use. And the interface is friendly. The service is super-fast (I get all four bars in parts of my house where I used to barely get one bar). I could go on, but I can see your eyes starting to glaze over.

Is T-Mobile perfect? No, certainly not. But they've taken good care of me, and I have not had any horror stories about them to share (unlike my previous carrier, which again shall remain nameless so all you can guess is that it wasn't T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon). Now, mobile phone companies are like airlines: Everyone has very different opinions about them based on their individual experiences. I have no problems with United; I've heard other people rant about how much they hate United. I have ranted about US Airways; friends have raved about how perfect it is. So I'm sure there are T-Mobile haters out there, just as there are people who hate AT&T and Verizon.

But you know what makes a huge difference? I had two phone calls with customer service at T-Mobile in the past week. Each time I spoke to someone (a different person each time) who was very helpful, friendly and sounded like they were doing customer care instead of customer service. They were able to answer all of my questions. I don't know where they were; they sounded like they had southern accents, so I'm imagining Alabama or something, but then again they could have been a couple helpdesk people in Mumbai doing really good Southern U.S. accents. If so, then they get kudos for that, too.

We've all had experiences where a technology or service wasn't working, where the directions for troubleshooting were impossible or didn't address our problem, when the people on the support line were indifferent, hostile, or unhelpful. Businesses should know that these phone support people -- who likely are paid way below their real value to a company -- can make or break a customer relationship. It's a good place to invest at least some of that $5 to $7 billion that any big company has to spend to upgrade its "system."