Brian's Blog

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-24 http://ff.im/3di5o #
• New from my blog Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-24: Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17 ht.. http://tinyurl.com/p5vfj5 #
• New from my blog Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-24 http://ow.ly/8ZgQ #
• Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer http://ff.im/3fyiJ #
• eduify | write faster (BETA) – Home http://ff.im/3fyiH #
• App Store Approval…Why is it so Inconsistent? http://ff.im/3gJco #
• Windows Vista SP2 Available for Download http://ff.im/3gJcn #
• New from my blog Windows Vista SP2 Available for Download: Service pack 2 is available for downl.. http://tinyurl.com/pq8vmk #
• New from my blog App Store Approval…Why is it so Inconsistent?: I have read a lot over the past .. http://tinyurl.com/re6rbf #
• Court says no exclusive cable rights in apartments

  http://bit.ly/r9KX7 #

• New from my blog Verizon MiFi: I recently got my hands on a Verizon MiFi to test out, and I will.. http://tinyurl.com/pdncfs #
• Verizon MiFi http://ff.im/3joJU #
• Brian Tiede – Retaggr Profile http://ff.im/3jvVj #
• New from my blog Verizon MiFi http://ow.ly/9vjg #
• Hulu Desktop http://ff.im/3mcqx #
• Top 10 Free Apps (Friday, May 29, 2009) http://ff.im/3nJKP #
• Top 10 Paid Apps (Friday, May 29, 2009) http://ff.im/3nJKR #
• Spymaster — For your eyes only. http://ff.im/3nJWX #
• Google AdWords http://ff.im/3nMBL #
• New from my blog Top 10 Free Apps (Friday, May 29, 2009): Click on picture to go to the iTunes s.. http://tinyurl.com/n24o8n #
• New from my blog Top 10 Paid Apps (Friday, May 29, 2009): Click on picture to go to the iTunes s.. http://tinyurl.com/mzbbz4 #
• New from my blog Top 10 Paid Apps (Friday, May 29, 2009) http://ow.ly/9Z47 #
• Ready for vacation #
• On the road to South Dakota for a guy’s weekend fishing trip #

Click on picture to go to the iTunes store

PEOPLE Celebrity News Tracker	Brushes	Type Drawing
ZENONIA	StoneLoops! of Jurassica	Tetris
Sonic the Hedgehog	Sparta	Amateur Surgeon
Ringtone Recorder PRO

Click on picture to go to the iTunes store

Rollercoaster Rush FREE	Toobz Free	PeekababeLite
YPmobile	iMafia II – FREE for Limited Time!	World War – FREE for Limited Time!
Fishing Frenzy	Unblock Me FREE	Flashlight.
Warbots – FREE for a Limited Time

I recently got my hands on a Verizon MiFi to test out, and I will be going on a little trip to the middle of nowhere, and according to Verizon’s website, they have coverage there, so I will be giving this a good test.

If you aren’t familiar with what the MiFi device is, in a nutshell, it’s a broadband card that you don’t have to tether to your PC, plus it’s a built in wifi hotspot for up to five devices to connect. I can’t wait to give this the full test, and my review will be coming as soon as I get back.

I have read a lot over the past year about the app store and the unknown approval process, when Steve Jobs first introduced the App Store in June of 2008, he laid out a simple set of rules for the store: no porn or malicious apps that invade your privacy. This sounds pretty straight forward and simple, but the fact of the matter is, it’s far from simple, the fact is, Apple’s approval process is shrouded in secrecy, and little is known how it works, and it’s largely inconsistent.

I love the app store, and have over 1,000 of them in my iTunes library, of course I don’t use all of them, and most of them have never even been transferred onto my iPhone or iPod Touch. I have to give credit to Apple for reviewing all apps and making sure they don’t contain malicious code, but the thing about the whole process is that they need to publish the rules, and make it clear to developers so they can work together to make better apps. I’d like to share a story with you about one app and a developer.

There was an app called Lyrics, which displayed lyrics for the songs in your music library, good app, I don’t have it, but I love having the lyrics for my songs, and use a good couple programs to pull them into the iTunes tags, but back to the story, everyone knows that some music contains bad words, and there is nothing we can do about it, Apple first rejected this app because of the songs that had bad words, so he installed a profanity filter and the Lyrics app got approved. Little to Apple’s chagrin, the developer installed an Easter Egg, and with a few smart swipes on the options screen, the user could turn off the profanity filter, I think that’s a good idea for the developer to do, but this could also introduce a bunch of issues in the app store.

This is just one story, a more prominent story is the NIN app, and the update that was rejected because of the song closer, and if you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you all know that song, Reznor followed up with a passionate response that included the facts that you could by The Downward Spiral on iTunes, with the profanity, he also said that anyone could by the movie Scarface uncensored, and what happens if someone swears in the forums on the app, they don’t have any say on what the users do, he also goes on to say that he just got some spam about f-ing hot Asian teens through the Mail program on his Mac, and he just saw some porn in Safari on his iPhone, and the final words “come on Apple, think your policies through and for f’s sake get your app approval scenario together”.

This is an ongoing issue, as I love the NIN app, but here’s one last example of an app that got approved, but shouldn’t have, and that’s the Baby Shaker app, where you got a crying baby on your screen, and had to shake it until it shut up. What the frack was Apple thinking when they approved that one, they finally pulled it after a bunch of public outcry, but again, if they would publish their approval standards and be consistent, maybe we would have some developers making apps that don’t consist of a fart app.

The last thing I would like to say is why don’t they just add an explicit tag to apps that may contain profanity or they deem explicit, then leave it to the parents to use the parental filters so their kids don’t download those apps, they do that with music and movies, why would it be so hard to do it with the apps. So I say to all the developers, keep making good apps, and I would love to help test and review any app, so please don’t hesitate to contact me. To the readers, please share your app store issues in the comments.

And just remember, that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Service pack 2 is available for download today bringing better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, native Blu-Ray support and faster search, for the full list visit the TechNet article here. You can download the installers below, or wait until June 30th for it to appear in Windows Update.

Download Links:

Vista Service Pack 2 (32-bit)

Vista Service Pack 2 (64-bit)

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17 http://ff.im/2Zb2E #
• New from my blog Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17 http://ow.ly/7sXq #
• New from my blog Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-17: New from my blog Twitter Weekly Updates .. http://tinyurl.com/o39g5f #
• Google Video http://ff.im/30ZWP #
• Microsoft Office Live http://ff.im/31gJf #
• YouSendIt http://ff.im/31A2Y #
• Liked “Leo Laporte Pops HIs Ball 2009″ http://ff.im/33yXw #
• Star Trek Legacy http://ff.im/33NGa #
• My Phone http://ff.im/34XBv #
• Going in for root canal wish me luck #
• Trespassers William – Lie in the Sound http://ff.im/3590a #
• Jet – Radio Song http://ff.im/35901 #
• root canal, check…pain meds, check…next item is to pass out #
• twtBizCard :: twitter business card (via @btiede) http://ff.im/35s9N #
• iPhone ringtones http://ff.im/35s9L #
• PayPal http://ff.im/35s9J #
• SugarSync Manager http://ff.im/36cP0 #
• Kludget Engine http://ff.im/36kd6 #
• Microsoft Office http://ff.im/36rVh #
• Microsoft Setup Bootstrapper http://ff.im/36w16 #
• Microsoft Vine http://ff.im/36QcL #
• Shutterfly http://ff.im/36X2D #
• iPhone Configuration Utility http://ff.im/373xy #
• Nifty Windows 7 Tip http://ff.im/37csq #
• New from my blog Email ‘n Walk – A Simple but Useful App: I know a lot of you try to email while.. http://tinyurl.com/r4nknn #
• New from my blog Nifty Windows 7 Tip: I have been running Windows 7 full time since the beta, an.. http://tinyurl.com/rykgl3 #
• Microsoft Office InfoPath http://ff.im/38qVM #
• Microsoft Office Workspaces http://ff.im/38upg #
• Media Center Tray Applet http://ff.im/38up7 #
• Cjr7100en http://ff.im/39NLm #
• Gmail Inbox Preview Shows Message Blurbs While Loading [Gmail] http://ff.im/3bbWG #
• New from my blog Top Free Apps (Friday, May 22, 2009): Click on picture to go to iTunes Store Va.. http://tinyurl.com/oopyo2 #
• New from my blog Top Paid Apps (Friday, May 22, 2009): Click on picture to go to iTunes Store Sp.. http://tinyurl.com/ovlfbu #
• Microsoft Office Send-a-Smile http://ff.im/3bqBK #
• Geek Chart – Your Geek Chart http://ff.im/3bIUZ #
• Seesmic Desktop Updates: More Facebook Comments, Less Twitter Spam http://ff.im/3bLJH #
• New from my blog Top Paid Apps (Friday, May 22, 2009) http://ow.ly/8PmA #
• Microsoft Office Project http://ff.im/3cqwJ #
• finally watched season 1 of sons of anarchy, can’t wait for season 2, it’s a great show #

Click on picture to go to iTunes Store

Sparta	Amateur Surgeon	Ringtone Recorder PRO
Underworlds	Classics	The World Factbook ‘09
Resident Evil:Degeneration	Star Trek	SlingPlayer Mobile
Tiger Woods Golf

Click on picture to go to iTunes Store

Vampires Live 30 Loyalty Points Free	Mover	Suicide Girls -Flip Strip
iMob 35 Respect Points	Urinal Test	4400+ Cool Facts
Amateur Surgeon Lite	E! Online	How to Videos from Howcast.com
Kingdoms Live 30 Legend Points Free

I have been running Windows 7 full time since the beta, and found this nifty little tip. If you hover over the taskbar you get a preview of the windows or tabs that are open, however if you middle click on one of the windows, that window will close.

That’s a nice little feature, and Windows 7 is becoming more and more impressive the more I use it. Have you made the jump to Windows 7, if not, let me know what OS you are using in the comments.