Library Voice

This time of year, I’m glued to the television each night to watch coverage of the world’s greatest race, the Tour de France.  Despite the scandal of last year’s doping allegations, I’m still very interested in the sport, and I hope that it will recover.  Several are blogging the tour, and I’ve subscribed to a few of the blogs.

The Tour de France for the rest of us is “for those of us who stand on the outside of the Tour de France looking in. It tries to get past techno-babble and opens up the heart of this great cycling event to the rest of us. Enjoy the ride!”

Martin Dugard also covers the tour.  He is the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing Lance (Little, Brown), a behind-the-scenes look at life at the Tour de France.

The TDF Blog also provides coverage, pictures, and videos of the race.

Looking at getting an iPhone? Ars Technica has a rather extensive testing and review of the iPhone. Some of what they put the phone through will make your cringe, including dropping the phone from a 3rd story window and sliding it down a sidewalk face down. In the end, Ars gave the phone an 8 out of ten, citing the following:

Pros:

• Web surfing experience is superior to other phones
• Overall SMS experience is great
• Practically non-scratchable
• Looks fantastic in every way
• Easy to use, self-discoverable
• Soft keyboard is definitely usable
• iPod interface rocks

Cons:

• iPhone is currently locked to AT&T
• No worthwhile Exchange support
• No wireless syncing over Bluetooth or WiFi, must tether via USB, no modem use at all
• Extremely quiet ringer/alert/speakerphone volume
• Windows version of iTunes cause a few hiccups
• Application support is weak
• E-mail implementation feels weak, uninspired

Personally I am very happy with my Treo 700p, as the range of third-party applications allows me to do things that the iPhone cannot do. The Treo is definitely not as sexy as the iPhone, but it does a great job keeping me connected with my calendar, texting, calls, email, and much, much more. I’ll eventually get around to writing a post about what I use my Treo for. I think the iPhone is a great product for some, although the price is a little high. Honestly, I’m more excited about the impact that Apple’s latest gadget/fashion accessory/phone/ipod will have on other phone providers. As a long-time Palm user, I will be curious to see how (or if) Palm counters Apple’s new offering.