I’m not at Apple’s press event for iPhone OS 4. I wish I were. I’m an equal part pleased and disturbed by the seven “tentpolls” (note that I am reading other site’s liveblogs.

1 – Multitasking. At last. The “tapping home for the multitask dock” sound a heck of a lot like the switcher in WebOS, but really, how many ways are there to do task switching that works? Still, I’d be surprised to see the Palm faithful reaction (you know, the other two guys out there).

The other bits of their multi-tasking, push, ability to control, etc, are just like what every other smartphone OS has had, including Windows Mobile which had it from the start (and is now removing it, because they Hate Freedom).

Note that Multitasking won’t work on the models prior to the 3GS, which makes perfect sense. Those of you who’ve been waiting for a friend’s hand-me-down iPhone 2g, now’s probably the time. Those of you who just got an iPad can enjoy your wait till Fall (ah, the curse of the early adopter).

And for the record, I can’t wait to see how the inevitable multi-tasking of network apps slams AT&T’s already strained network.

2 – Folder. This is a mix of Spaces & Stacks for the desktop, ported down to the iPhone OS, and it’s honestly brilliant. The “hold to move your apps” thing is now on just about ever phone too, but melding to make folders? Almost perfect. Intuitive and slick.

3 – Unified Inbox . This is absolutely my favorite, more than multi-tasking. This is the feature that sold the Pre for me, and is having me go back. Add to that the multiple Exchange servers, attachments, and this is insanely useful… especially on a device like the iPad.

4 – iBooks. A great feature, but a “tentpoll”? Really?

5 – Enterprise stuff. The stuff average users don’t realize they need, sounds totally unsexy, and is Serious Business. That is, assuming your smartphone is for work and not just a toy, and you work in a corporate environment that doesn’t insist on Blackberries.

6 – Game Center . Like the Xbox live app for Windows Phone 7, but not. WP7’s app is a way to access/update stats for your console device on your handheld. Gamecenter is more like actually having Xbox live on your mobile device. Imagine if a Nintendo DS or PSP had this. Insane amounts of potential for gamers.

7 – iAds. And now comes the part where I want to wash my brain out with bleach. This is arguably a better way to serve advertised content on the iPhone (which I get is a necessary evil), but the demo they did of the Toy Story 3 App is less an “ad” and more a “cool mini app that you can download paid content in”. That’s insanely cool, but it’s more than just an “ad”.

It’s a good example of a Solution in Need of a Problem, from an end-user’s perspective. Just enable the ability to buy things within apps, call them apps, and lose the stupid naming scheme. As a friend of mine said “I can’t wait for the Viagra iAds.”

As all but the people waiting for their Magical iUnicorns suspected, no Flash, Java, or Verizon (for that, you can get a Pre Plus or an Android phone).

Frankly, iAds as a concept sullies all the other good stuff for me, and it’s not that sullied – I just think it’s nothing widely different from a traditional App. But what do I know?

I’m going to do my best to get some Hands On time with this as it gets closer to launch date, but as always, I am at the mercies of a limited budget.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how services like Twitter, Forsquare or Google’s Buzz are a stalker’s dream if used (im)properly. Now there’s a new site bringing even more attention to it. Pleaserobme.com. A simple specialized Twitter search engine, it shows just how many people announce when they’re not home. Couple that with other services that show just where your home is, and you may as well hang up a sign that says, as the site does, please rob me.

This is part of a larger issue that I think we’ll be hearing more about. I’m sure the last thing some people want is for their bosses to do a Twitter or Buzz search on them. On the plus side, paranoid spouses have a way to keep track of their significant smothered (and yes, that’s a plus. Tracking anklets are expensive). Being the cute girl at the comic shop probably gets a lot more awkward when all the seedy guys* who keep staring at you suddenly know exactly when you’re there.

This is not a doom-and-gloom “BURN YOUR GPS ENABLED DEVICE”. Technology is not the culprit on this one. Indeed, you don’t even need a mobile device to leave this particular door wide open. What it is (to this blogger, anyway) is a call to common sense. If your address is out there, don’t announce when you won’t be at it. If you’re pretty sure your address isn’t out there, tweet away.
In the meantime, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in my Panic Room. Watching you blog.

*No, I am not saying all guys at comic shops are seedy. I’m talking about a specific type. The skeevy guys who think that handing a girl a Neil Gaiman comic means she’ll fall in love with them.

FlyScreen adds support for Google Reader! – FlyScreen Blog

Actually I have been looking for a good Google Reader for the Android. I’m going to sent up my blog-post-by email account up on word press so I can (to use an old term) Moblog!

Holy cow, what a week. Every time Mordy or I sat down to write a post, something else happened. I’m going to try to condense it all into one week, going by topic. Bear with me:
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While at the Finnish Embassy in DC last week, I learned what the word Ovi (as in the Nokia Ovi Store) means in Finnish and wanted to pass the translation on to you.

Ovi: Entrance, door