It was just a phone

While I was in Canada, to save money we decided not to buy the rather expensive Canadian data roaming plan for my iPhone. So, for the entire trip, a time during which I was not on vacation but keeping current on work and doing writer and fan things, I could not check my email on my phone--nor stock prices, nor the weather, nor the news. In fact, all I could do with the damn thing was make phone calls.

I have to tell you, it was mighty strange and definitely unsatisfactory. I'm all for going offline on vacation, and I try to do that as much as possible, but during normal business I like to stay connected. I've come to depend heavily on my iPhone for connectivity when I'm away from my notebook. I was in a restaurant, for example, and wanted to look up the meaning of a French word on the menu. I pulled out my iPhone for a quick check and--I put it away again.

All the people I know rely to greater or lesser degrees on their notebooks and phones and Internet access as a way to augment their readily available data. Losing that support in a place you've come to count on it really does feel like losing a mental appendage. I'm not at all comfortable with that statement, but it's definitely true.

Next time I'm in Canada, I'm going to think harder about that stupidly expensive data roaming plan.

30 Days of Night

We watched this vampire flick tonight, and it was okay but no more. The setup was promising, and the portrayal of the vampires was at least a bit more ghoulish than normal, but it ultimately failed to deliver the suspense I'd like from such a film. If you're a die-hard vampire fan (or, I suppose, a hardcore Josh Hartnett fan, though I wouldn't admit that in public were I you), then check out this DVD. Otherwise, give it a pass.

In completely unrelated news, my iPhone, which is now my full-time and only mobile phone, has earned both my love and my hate. It garnered my love with its interface, form factor, display, email abilities, and many other great traits. It's evoked my wrath by having crappy signal in one very important location: my home office.

AT&T, if you're listening, put a cell tower closer to my house!

Stupid software tricks

I own an iPhone. No, I didn't wait in line for it on the Friday it went on sale, but I did pick it up that Sunday. In many ways, most ways, it's quite exceptional, and I quite like it.

Yesterday, I received an email message on it that contained a string, a long complex string, that I wanted to save in a different place. No problem, right? You just copy and paste the string.

Wrong. As best I can find, you can't copy (or cut) and paste on the iPhone.

How stupid is that?

Apple, release an update now!