iPhone: Two steps forward, one step back

I look forward to a time when I can take a photo with an iPhone and have the device automatically upload in the background. But I can’t help feeling held back by the iPhone’s one-thing-at-a-time architecture.

Here’s a case in point: Today I was on the District Line platform at Victoria when I spotted a ‘Bluetooth Douchebag’: A chap wearing a Bluetooth earpiece whilst operating a BlackBerry Storm. In the underground (“tube”). Where there is no signal.

I whipped out my (Orange) iPhone 3GS and snapped a picture. I’ve twitpic’ed it. The problem? I’m on the tube too going from station to station so the signal is up and down. I’m trying to send the picture by multiple methods from my iPhone but each time, because of the unstable connection, the transmission fails and then times out. I feel like I’m back in 1995. The numerous methods I’m trying all seem to need a proper connection. They can’t transmit 2k… Then another 3k… Then another 50k. It has to either work first time or not at all.

This is hugely inconvenient as I’m now reduced to shepherding my data connecitivity. All of a sudden I need to watch signal strength and estimate throughputs trying furiously to dodge the stupid failure messages. It’s also massively inconvenient because the fault-tolerant technology exists. ShoZu developed it years ago. But you need background processing for that.

I know many will ask, ‘How often are you wanting to transmit a douchebag photo whilst on the tube’, but that’s not the point. I had fault-tolerant data connectivity managed by ShoZu 3 years ago on my Nokia/Symbian devices. More and more it’s clear to me that the iPhone, in many respects a genius device, simply doesn’t meet my rather demanding requirements. I’m still delighted by the strange feeling of contentment and capability that washes over me when I grasp my Nokia N86 (complete with ShoZu installed).

Posted via email from MIR Live