5. Shazam

More music. More music. More music. Already considered an industry standard, Shazam fully integrates with the iPhone’s native environment, allowing you to seamlessly discover, buy and share tunes simply by holding your iPhone to music for just a few seconds.

Key user features:

• Tag music: identify music anywhere - whether it’s on the radio, TV, in a movie or in a store.
• Build your own soundtrack: instantly create your favorite playlist.
• Get the music: go straight to iTunes to preview and buy.
• Music Videos: see related videos of the track on YouTube.
• Capture the moment: personalize the tag by taking a photo and adding it to ‘My Tags’.
• Share the moment: send track details to friends via integrated email.

The latest version of Shazam is available for free and can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store on iPhone or at iTunes in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand.

4. Yelp!

Yelp.com is a data-intensive site bulging with user opinions and social-networking features. The iPhone app was clearly never intended as a replacement, but as a companion for the lost or weary to seek out a craft store, animal shop or grab bite to eat. That much is evident by the read-only quality, mobile-specific mapping and call functions, and the de-emphasis on social networking.

3. Pandora

Pandora Radio is your own FREE personalized radio now available to stream music on your iPhone. Just start with the name of one of your favorite artists, songs or classical composers and Pandora will create a “station” that plays their music and more music like it.”

Gone is the walkman. No need to lament the death of your favorite tunes though. Create your own radio station with Pandora.  The 3G iPhone benefits from this app more than previous generations, as the music can stream faster, so there’s little to no down time between tunes.

2. Wordpress for iPhone

Wordpress has redefined blogging on the Internet so why not redefine mobile blogging?  The fact that you can snap pictures where ever you are and enter them into your posts right from your phone is more than a little impressive.  Start with only a few sentences or write a full novel, there’s no post-limitations from the iPhone version to what you would get on your normal PC web-based version.

1. Facebook

Facebook is a key player in the game of life now. It has become the epicenter of mobile life and the Facebook app for iPhone gets you connected on the spot. The app fully integrates with your current Facebook account where you can see your wall, post on others walls, take pictures and immediately upload them to your Facebook’s “Mobile Uploads” gallery and best yet, can even use the Facebook’s “Chat Room” right from your phone and talk to your friends in real-time.They’ve already had a version update that added a bunch of features to the already feature rich application and undoubtedly is the best looking / coded  / functioning and practical application available. A solid choice for #1.

If only Delta had contacted MinuteFix. Perhaps then 150+ passengers wouldn’t have had to stare at the seatback video screens for over an hour trying to decipher what all that code rubbish was. We could have been watching a movie instead.

Photo taken with Treo 650 camera phone.

There is no reason that a technically advanced mind should have to suffer bad clothes. Not when web commerce favorite threadless is having such a great sale. It is there you can pick up this incredible tee (collared, no less) and show your heritage.

We have all heard the old adage “You gotta have a gimmick.” Of course I never thought I would see the day when it would become the mantra of an Internet browser. Of course, when you are Microsoft and you are seeing your stocks slip, your head honcho start taking time off, and your products losing retail placement, you begin to adhere to “by any means necessary” as well.

For those who don’t know, the BETA download for Internet Explorer 8 is out and it has some bells and whistles that have all the tech journalists talking. The first and most obvious of these is the “porn mode” in which when you browse in this mode, it leaves no tracks in your browser. It is rightfully called “InPrivate Browsing” but we all know a NSFW device when we see one. This may cause problems for technicians and troubleshooters as now we will have no idea where a malicious code was picked up or a virus downloaded from. We won’t even know what pages have been surfed.

On the flip side of the coin though this is a great feature for anyone who is uncomfortable with the rising Big Brother level of user tracking that online ad companies do nowadays. That stealthy monitoring is the obscenity everyone encounters on the Web. I mean, nobody really wants Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Microsoft and other tech companies following us around the ‘net, building customer profiles and targeting us with SPAM. This sort of privacy is long overdue.

Keep in mind, Internet Explorer 8 won’t restore the level of privacy that existed before the Web. It also won’t satisfy privacy fanatics who have more complex ways to mask themselves online. But IE8 will make it easier for average users to have more control over their browsing privacy…oh, and it looks attractive too!

I had a really cool call tonight. It was about 9:15pm EST and I was in ‘Q’ when David from Burbank, California logged in with a Windows 2000 problem. Windows alone freaks me out because I have been on Mac for about six years now. But Win 2000? I thought that was a computer joke, not a real operating system. Hmmmmmm. Anyway. David was having problems getting his desktop icons to respond and kept getting “Access Denied” messages. As David and I went through some basic questions and tests he began telling me how much his computer meant to him. You see, David is a professional storm chaser and specializes in tornadoes. His computer is his primary weapon and companion. It was so fascinating to hear him talk about the role of technology in modern meteorology.

After we had solved his problem (issue with admin permissions) he told me what an awesome company MinuteFix was and how he was dually impressed with my willingness to help and to give him my phone number should he have problems while on the road chasing. He promised he would pass on our information to all the other chasers he works with. Before we hung up he said he appreciated my speed and reminded me that in life, like in storms, every second counts!

Photo courtesy of www.extremeinstability.com

I do hope that we are all prepared for any sort of technology based issue that may come down the pike. For just a second, let us assume that a seemingly young man contact MinuteFix and says that his MP3 players is having issues buffering a song to play it in its entirety. He assures us he is using Windows XP and iTunes as an interface. What he fails to leave out is that the computer processor is also serving as a brain for a highly amplified radio system that boasts some 3000 watts of heavy hitting subwoofer sound…..and all this jury rigged on a bicycle.

Ok, so maybe that is a bit fantastical. But if this movie is any indication of the future, you better start reading some audio magazines now!

• It seems that not all was what it seemed for the opening of the Beijing Olympics. Two days ago Beijing organizers confirmed that some of the fireworks display featured prerecorded footage.
• It seems that Apple does know how to share. About 600 Best Buy stores will begin selling the 3G unit. This should be pretty interesting, I think, since the iPhone is exclusive to AT&T and Verizon has a kiosk in every Best Buy. Could a merger be in the works?
• Knowing when to buy and when to sell is a science in the investment world. I bet all those people who never sold their Apple shares from the IIPC days are feeling pretty good now.
• Community is key and WOM is a must in the marketing sector right now. No one knows that better than Mac.
• Dell knows Walmart and Walmart knows everyone. At least that was part of the story behind Dell computers being sold at the mega- box store. But why would Dell want to become affiliated with such a corrupt and capitalist chain?

The August 1st print edition of the San Jose Business Journal finally realized what we have known all the time - MinuteFix is set to disrupt through revolution the precepts of customer service and technical support. Featuring CEO Diego Orjuela, the biz journal gave a great insight into the ideas and theories of MinuteFix as well as introducing us in print to the movers and shakers of “the Valley.”

Unfortunately the article only ran in the print edition and archives are only available through e-subscription, I highly encourage you to search for the article. In fact, because I am so proud of the team here at MinuteFix, I have made a .jpg of the article available for download here.

• Perhaps Apple was a bit overzealous in pushing out the 3G iPhone and, in extension, the MobileMe platform. Yesterday Mac Mail was down for a few hours causing a loss in communication for a number of users.
• Do you want to impress your friends on the next night out by ordering your food in the native language of the menu? Well, if you have an iPhone Google is ready to help you do just that.
• Geotagging has become increasingly popular with photographers and especially Flickr addicts. I guess you can’t like about that picture of the “African mountain lion you were 5 feet away from in lower Ghana” if you actually took the shot at the San Diego zoo. But seriously, Nikon has just launched the Coolpix P6000 point and click has amongtst other things a full size ethernet port, GPS capabilities and 13.2 megapixels of digital glory.
• Windows Media Player 11 is availble for download on the Microsoft site if you don’t already have it. Borrowing from the cult classic Spinal Tap, MS ensures us that you can now “turn it up to 11.”
• If you’ve tried to catch the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics you may have noticed that many of the videos have been removed and a photographic montage put in its place. While quite annoying it has left many watchers wondering what is behind the censorship. With no concrete answers you may find it interesting to read about the onslaught of copyright infringement suits that have been implemented in less than a week.

At MinuteFix we do more than just get rid of a virus and install some free software. We do much, much more. One of those things is we also offer advice on any area of expertise our Technicians may have. For some it is the Mac platform. For others it is PC Gaming. And yet for some it is PDA’s, camera phone and cell phones. But how can we know what to prepare for? Well, find out what is saturating the market. According to Amazon the top 5 selling cell phones as of today are:

5. Sony Ericsson W580i Black Phone
4. Pantech C810 Duo Smartphone

3. AT&T Tilt Smartphone

2. Motorola RAZR2 V9 Phone

1. BlackBerry Curve 8320 Smartphone Titanium

Image by DPStyles

Many of make YouTube a mandatory stop on our daily browsings. So I thought today would be a good day to take a look at their top 5 videos.

Personally I was expecting something like lonelygirl15 or a Spider-Man trailer or something to be number 1. But no, the most popular video of all time on YouTube, so far, has been Evolution of Dance by comedian Judson Laipply. Added to YouTube on April 06, 2006 it has amassed 55.8 Million views. It’s had 60,476 comments, the first of which was: “That was freaking AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!!” The comments for this video are still going strong today - the latest 6 comments have all come just today as I was writing this post.

• Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend video, uploaded by RCARecords 5 months ago, has amassed 50 Million views.
• My Chemical Romance’s Famous Last Words is third, with 35M views.
• Guitar, is fourth with 26M views. It’s 5 minutes of Queen-like guitar licks, by some very talented dude.

And coming in at number 5 (and perhaps a cult classic now showing a new side of J-Tim):

• SNL - Digital Short - A Special Christmas Box (comedy)

I can’t speak for anyone else but it seems like everytime I look through a drawer or a box or something that may resemble a storage container I come across computer parts, software, books, etc. In the past I have just thrown it away. I remember I once put a working PC (that I no longer had a use for) on the side of the road for garbage. I am almost ashamed to tell that story now.

On the opposite end of the spectrum I had the chance in 2004 to run a computer recycling initiative and I have been an advocate of it since. So I thought today would be a good day to recommend some ideas for recycling your PC. No matter where you live, there are refurbishing centers and you can access a huge database just by visiting this site on the TechSoup site.

But before you just take out a hunk of mechanical junk to be reused, allow me to offer some tips (courtesy of TechSoup).

1. Determine if your old computer can be reused.

   If you have a computer that is less then five years old, chances are that it can be put to good use by someone else. Rather than donate equipment directly to a charity or school, however, it is usually best for all involved if you can send it to a refurbisher, especially if you need to wipe your hard drive or are uncertain about the computer’s condition. Refurbishers will ensure that equipment they send to nonprofits and schools works well and runs legal copies of software, and that any e-waste is disposed of properly.

2. Recycle old and broken hardware.

   Any equipment that is not working or is more than five years old should be tagged for recycling, i.e. responsible destruction.

3. Contact the refurbisher or recycler before donating.

   Call the organization or check its Web site to ensure that it accepts the type of computer you plan to give away. Some refurbishing organizations, for example, will refuse anything older than a Pentium II. While you may be tempted to donate equipment directly to a favorite local school or charity, remember that refurbishers are generally better equipped to repair and upgrade computers. They will then pass on ready-to-use equipment to those who need it, often at little or no cost.

4. Remember the accessories.

   If you can, include the keyboard, mouse, printer, modem, packaged software, or any other accessories you use with the computer. Schools and nonprofits can almost always put them to good use, and most organizations only accept complete systems.

5. If possible, keep the operating system intact.

   If you are donating hardware with a preinstalled Microsoft operating system, keep in mind that the license is only valid when used with the machine on which it was originally installed. Since charitable organizations usually cannot afford to purchase and license new operating systems, a legal transfer (whereby the computer and operating system stay together) is always preferable. While Linux and Macintosh operating systems have different requirements, as a general rule, try to include the operating system software with all donated computers whenever possible.

6. Provide the original software media and documentation.

   To ensure that the software transfer is legal, pass along the original disks, media, Certificate of Authenticity sticker (usually on the computer), user manual, and other documentation that came with the equipment.

7. If you clear your computer of personal information yourself, it’s best to use disk-cleaning software.

   “Personal information” includes your Internet browser’s cache, cookies, history; your email contacts and messages; your documents; your recycle or trash folder; and all nontransferable software. The best way to clear this is with a disk-cleaning utility that overwrites all the sectors of your hard drives, making your data unrecoverable.

8. Follow computer delivery instructions.

   Many recycling and refurbishing organizations have specific locations where equipment can be donated, while others have delivery instructions they expect donors to follow.

9. Keep a list of what you donated for your records.

   Remember that tax season will always return — and you are likely eligible for a deduction if you donate to a nonprofit refurbisher. Most school or nonprofit refurbishers can provide a tax receipt upon request. Business donors can deduct the un-depreciated value of the computer, and individuals can deduct the current market value of a computer.

10. Plan for future donations.

    Rescue a box from the recycling bin and use it to store the documents that came with your new computer, so that when the time comes to donate it, you’ll have everything in one place.