UPDATE: January 16, 2010.  It’s time for my annual renewal of MobileMe.  Instead of renewing MobileMe for $99, I purchased MobileMe Individual (Updated 2009 Version) at Amazon for $72.49 with free shipping.

If you’re interested in signing up for MobileMe to use the iPhone’s new Find my iPhone feature, buy it from Amazon and save money. 

Apple charges $99 a year for a single user.  Instead, buy MobileMe
from Amazon for $67.89!  What you get in the MobileMe package is a code for MobileMe as shown in the picture below.  This is for both new users AND renewals.  Buying MobileMe from Amazon is like getting a $31.11 coupon off MobileMe!
The family pack is also cheaper on Amazon the MobileMe Family Pack
is only $119.99 vs. $149 when signing up with Apple.  The MobileMe Family Pack [OLD VERSION]
is slightly cheaper- $116.50 and since it’s just a code, it should work exactly the same.

Here are some quick impressions after using my iPhone 3GS this past weekend.

Speed
The iPhone 3GS is a lot faster than my first generation iPhone.  Surfing on WiFi is nearly as fast as surfing on my computer.  3G is definitely better than EDGE and I’m greatful for that, but it’s still kind of slow.

Battery life
I hear that the iPhone 3GS has better battery life.  Maybe it’s because I’m using the iPhone so much, I’m not really seeing it.  I’m pretty much looking for my battery charger by the early evening.

Speaker
The speakers are way louder than my first generation iPhone.  Finally, I can hear my ringtones.

GSM Interference
Maybe it’s the 3G, but my first generation iPhone would cause my speakers to buzz if the phone was placed to closely to my computer.  The 3GS doesn’t seem to have the same GSM interference problem.

Video Recording/Camera
The video camera was the feature that I used the most.  While the video quality isn’t as great as my HD video camera, it’s quite good.  And the fact that it’s part of my phone means that I’ll be able to capture more moments as I always have my phone with me.  Daylight video is very good, but low light video captured in a restaurant was pretty dark.  Image stabilization would be a useful feature as it’s hard to keep the iPhone completely steady while shooting videos.  But, iMovie’s image stabilization should be able to smooth it out.

I shot most of my video with the camera held in the upright position.  When imported into iMovie, the clips were shown sideways in the preview window.  I haven’t figured out how to rotate the video without cropping it.  I think it’s probably better to just shoot video with the iPhone turned on its side.

The camera’s touch focusing worked really well.  Mostly, it improved the light balance of the photos by sampling the object that you’re taking pictures of.  If you’re taking a picture of a person with the sun behind them, normally the person’s face will show up dark.  By using the touch focus and touching the face, the iPhone will adjust to the face.

GPS
This is my first experience with GPS in a phone.  Google Maps work great, but what intrigues me more are applications that use location services.  I tried using Loopt with a couple of my friends and I think it’s really creepy.  The program allows you to see the location of your friends who sign up with Loopt.  I spent the whole day checking on my friends time to time seeing them go to the Original Pancake House to Ikea.  When my friend was in the Original Pancake House, it actually listed the restaurant as the location, not an intersection.  I think the only use for this is for keeping track of family members.

Amazing high speed camera movie.  I think I can watch Jello bounce all day.

I-Movix Sprintcam v3 sample shots from David Coiffier on Vimeo.

A couple of weeks ago I walked by the Kenwood Apple Store and it was closed for remodeling, reopening on June 12.
Yesterday, I went to the Apple Store with my Mac Pro that needed some repairs.  Lucky for me there was still two months left on my 3 year Applecare warranty plan.

The Apple Store is still recognizably Apple, but the look is very different.  The whole center part of the store used to be shelves of software which have now been replaced by large tables and stools where laptops were being demonstrated.  Most of the non-computer product has been pushed into the corners in the back with only a small wall of software being displayed.
It was 3:00 Wednesday afternoon and the place was packed.  Lots of people waiting at the Genius Bar and people in every stool trying out the Macbooks.  In contrast, I walked by the Sony Style store and there were probably a total of 7 people inside.    

Great video of Shepard Fairey at work creating one of his fine art pieces

Shepard Fairey from Arkitip on Vimeo.

ESPN.com: Arrests number 18 in aftermath of title
There’s more violence here than in Iran.  And for what?

Pictures of a rally for Moussavi in Tehran, Iran.  It is reported that hundreds of thousands of people have turned out.

More crowd pictures.

NYTimes.com: China Requires Censorship Software on New PCs

China has issued a sweeping directive requiring all personal computers sold in the country to include sophisticated software that can filter out pornography and other “unhealthy information” from the Internet.
…
“This is a very bad thing,” said Charles Mok, chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society, an international advisory group on Internet standards. “It’s like downloading spyware onto your computer, but the government is the spy.”

Called Green Dam — a reference to slogans that describe a smut-free Internet as “green” — the software is designed to filter out sexually explicit images and words, according to the company that designed it. Computer experts, however, warn that once installed, the software could be directed to block all manner of content or allow the government to monitor Internet use and collect personal information.

China has been blocking and filtering information for a long time, but not like this.  The ability for the government to monitor, block, and capture personal information on an individual’s PC is frightening.  The Chinese government in the attempt to control information might unwittingly be creating a bigger issue and battle than democracy- the right to privacy.