When you talk about phones, talk about the phone

When you talk about an operating system, talk about the operating system.An interesting trend is rising and it's one that confuses me as much in my involvement as that of others.iPhone vs Android debates are fucking massive. Forget hunger, religion, politics, economics or anything else that might matter to most. iPhone or Android, where do you stand and how far will you go to defend your fanboy-ism?Let me state outright that I have never used an iPhone for an extended period of time but I do own an iPod touch (my second one) and have for years.I am not an iPhone hater. I think I am a fanboy hater. I am a hater of blind and ignorant obsession displayed by iPhone users. Kind of like Manchester United supporters actually.Anyways, I digress.Increasingly I am hearing the debate around how pretty the iPhone and how shitty Android is. That's a bit of a misnomer. If you are going to tell me that the iPhone itself, the hardware, the actual phone is pretty then you have to further state what phone, precisely, you are comparing it to. Chances are you don't know what Android device you are looking at. You aren't educated in all things Android (nor am I).The point I'm making is this: I use a Samsung Nexus S running Android. If iPhone users are going to compare my phone to theirs in an aesthetic sense then they should be comparing their iPhone to my Samsung Nexus S. Not to "Android".Comparing your phone to my operating system is like comparing iOS (the iPhone's operating system) to Samsung, Motorola or SonyEricsson. Wrong. Yes there are versions of Android running on each and each can be customised but let's just be clear about what we're talking about.Furthermore, I think that I need to get off this fucken high-horse. I baited this morning with a tweet about some new iPhone features but the truth is I like the iPhone 4S. I think the updates are great and I think that the game is on.I don't think there are clear battle lines drawn from the consumer perspective. If you want an iPhone, get one. If you like Android get that too. If you hate what you've got then you should switch. There are no allegiances here, it's technology and it should enhance and simplify your experience of certain things. If the device isn't up to your standard then toss it.Last note. How hot is the new Motorola RAZR?

Zoopy JHB covers its first event... almost live

Last night, instead of joining the thousand or so people partying at the iPhone 3G launch, I was slaving away at my laptop for almost 5 hours.This is not to say that I didn't have a blast, the VIP section was a treat as they always are.The event was one that was intended to be a tester for the Zoopy JHB crew. It was our first major live event that we covered.Terri Hayward and Klaus Bauer (the Zoopy crew) did a sterling job if I do say so myself. They proved that Zoopy can get the interviews, be on top of events and provide top class coverage as it happens, when it happens - to quote a great radio station.Some of highlights included speaking to Shameel Joosub, the MD of Vodacom, DJ Fresh from 5FM, the very first official Vodacom sold iPhone owner and Dot Field the Chief Communications Officer at Vodacom. We were taking photographs, doing interviews and uploading for almost the entire evening and it showed.Zoopy recorded some great stats yesterday and a great achievement for us was having our content shown on CNBC Africa over lunch and in a late afternoon show.So here's to many more events being covered, many more shows being seen and many more interviews being done.If you have an event coming up that you think could do with some almost live coverage, drop me a mail: nic at zoopy dot com.

iPhone protectors without the iPhone

So we all know by now that I have an iPod Touch and I have done a few things to it to make it my own. One thing that I haven't done but that has happened is the scratches on the metallic part of the Touch.I am not pleased about this at all. I did what any Apple supporter would do, I went to the Apple shop yesterday and I asked them if they had any iPod Touch covers/protectors. Low and behold, they didn't.What they did have was the iPhone cover/protector. Let me ask a question: Why do they sell iPhone covers if there is no iPhone in SA?Then, my next and most obvious issues is that if you can get iPhone covers in to SA then why, OH WHY, can't you get iPod Touch covers in to SA?And lastly I have a suggestion for Apple for their next range of iPhones/Touches: The front of the Touch is made out of a "scratch proof" glass substance, why not make the entire iPhone/Touch out if this substance. Maybe keep the metallic back part but cover it in a thin layer of the "scratch proof" glass?

The IPhone - Can It Make Calls?

I think the IPhone is hot. So does everyone else. I have yet to read a post from any blogger talking about the basic functionality of this groundbreaking phone.Can this phone send a text message? Can I make a call and will it be crystal clear? If it can't do these two basic things properly then I don't want it.I mean that. I want to be able to do the basics incredibly easily with an almost 100% success rate before I know that I can teleport myself to planet Zookefrokenbakc and back with the IPhone.So I ask again, has anyone made a call or sent a text message using the IPhone?

IPhone IFever becomes an IFrenzy

I admire Apple on so many levels for so many different reasons. Lately It has been thanks to my MacBookPro that I admire Apple (I am converted).However right now it is the Iphone "IFrenzy" as I have coined it, that has me intrigued. Apple makes announcements but there is no need for them to. They simply need to fart and people like the aroma. The Iphone is set for release in the states very soon and this information has people in a tizz. Bloggers are blogging about it, techies are teching about it and laymen are wishing they knew what it could do.Here is a video to give you a bit of insight:Wow. But with a price tag of around $499 I think I'll give it a skip. In fact, I wont need to as it is unavailable in SA for the next, um, ever just about.Back to my fascination with Apple. I am sure they have had their ups and down as a company. Hell with Microsoft capturing a large majority of the industry Apple have done a sterling job but not without their fair share of stuff ups.What absolutely amazes me is that they cannot go wrong at the moment (last 3 or 4 years). They simply "let something leak" to the press and they are sitting pretty and riding the wave of rumours that extend throughout the blogging community world wide. Let's just be serious for a second here, they are so good at what they do that as a South African blogger with almost no access to the IPhone I am blogging about it and posting video footage about it. That is incredible.As a young businessman I am definitely trying to take a page out of the Apple book and learn from their unbelievable ability to whip up a media frenzy on a whim.

iPhone at the Oscars

For those of you who managed to watch the Oscars last night good on you. Helen, Forest, Martin and others walked away with a golden statue of a naked man missing the good bits.If you were awake and did not miss a single ad break (and if DSTV/Mnet didn't make the ads local) you could possibly have seen the very first iPhone advert! The commercial is over 18Mb to download so if you don't have a worthy connection (not sure what I am talking about "worthy" pah) don't bother.The commercial features a collection of scenes from television and film with stars saying “Hello” on a telephone. Nice idea and there is even an awesome Back to the Future scene.

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