Meebo for iPhone Finally Arrives and Brings Speedy Push Notifications With It

After it’s release earlier this week, I have been using the Meebo iPhone app and testing it out. I actually stopped using IM clients about 4 years ago when I got a full-time job.

However, I’ve since had a desire to use Facebook Chat on the go, using Facebook’s iPhone app, but that was no good because the open had to be open in order for you to remain signed in to chat.

Google Voice Introduces Web App To Circumvent Apple App Store Rejection

Some months ago, Apple rejected Google’s app for Google Voice, apparently nudged by AT&T to stop customers using Google’s free VOIP phone service, thus forcing them to continue to use their wireless phone plans.

Google then abandoned plans to make a specific iPhone app, instead opting to produce a web app, which can be accessed from any mobile device.

They released the updated web app a couple of weeks ago and they truly have done a fantastic job.

It looks like an app, is easy to navigate, has full functionality including SMS, calls, contact, settings and voicemail and even has a keypad to make a call directly from the web app.

iVideoCamera Finally Brings 3GS Video Recording To iPhone

iVideoCamera is the first iPhone app that I’m aware that of that brings iPhone 3GS style video recording to older models of the iPhone.

In the past few weeks, there have been a flurry of apps that perform video recording, such as Qik, however, they typically involved uploading the videos to their servers or keeping local copies within the app. Where iVideoCamera differs is that you can export the video to your camera roll, as if the iPhone had recorded it natively, as it does in the 3GS model.

The Farce Of The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

The recent news of the “crotchbomber” trying to blow up a Trans-Atlantic flight bound for the States has reignited my grievances with the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA was formed after the atrocities of September 11, 2001. It was an action that forever changed how air travel operated. We’ve seen our identification requirements bolstered, the carriage of liquids onboard is very limited and you have to take off half your clothes before you’ll ever be allowed within half a mile of an aeroplane.

Watching BBC iPlayer Outside the UK – Now Using Google Chrome

Following up from my earlier post, where I described how you could watch BBC iPlayer (or any geo-restricted content for that matter) from outside the UK. The process involved using Firefox and a plugin called FoxyProxy.

Since then, I have taken a liking to Google Chrome as my web browser, because it is so much faster than anything else out there. However, until recently, it didn’t have extensions, the very function which allows you to use FoxyProxy on Firefox.

Now that’s all changed however and Chrome has opened up its doors to extensions.

IMDB Releases iPhone App

For movie fans and couch potatoes, there has been one online location that has always been the first place to look when looking for film information such as cast, plot and photos – IMDB (Internet Movie Database).

Up until now, there has been little in the way of an iPhone offering that could provide the same level of information as imdb.com. I had previously used the Movie Star app which pulled select data from
IMDB, but it wasn’t well presented and there was a lot missing.

Dropping Vonage In Favour Of Google Voice

When I first moved to the States from England three years ago, one of my first tasks was to ensure I had a viable way of calling my friends and family back home. It was around the time that Vonage was becoming really popular and unlimited calling within the US and back to the UK (among other places) for $24.95/month seemed like a great deal. And it was. It piggy-backed on your Internet connection, so there were monthly line service fees as there was with a conventional home phone.

It’s Beginning To Feel a Lot Like Christmas (well, not really)

This coming Christmas will be my fourth Christmas here in Florida. As we move into December, I can’t help but notice that despite Radio 1 DJs starting to churn out a couple of Christmas songs, it just does not feel like Christmas to me.

I’ve decided there may be several reasons: the first of which is just that I’ve been working so hard lately, that I’ve next to no time to do anything but work and sleep.

The second reason is that for the very reason Florida is such a popular winter destination, it takes away somewhat from the Christmas feel. The traditional Christmas scene features snow, not sun and sand.

America – The Land Of Polar Opposites

Most people wouldn’t lambast you if you made the statement that America is a land of polar opposites.

It’s a place where the world’s wealthiest people live alongside those who work three jobs and still can’t afford their bills. It’s a place where you can get the finest education in the world, but where the brightest students can also miss out on every opportunity. It’s a country where racism rages, yet where also the Statue of Liberty stands with open arms. It’s got one of the most diverse social make-ups on the planet, yet social integration is still so unheard of.

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

This posted was written for Blog Action Day 2009.

There are many issues which society tends to agree on one way or another – for example, murder is wrong and charity is good. However, there are also a few controversial issues which have divided families, communities, nations, religions and friends for hundreds of years and will continue to divide people. Issues falling under this category that come to mind are euthanasia, abortion and government welfare. Climate change is another such issue.