You see, I downloaded a 2.2GB GPS app, NDrive USA (ndriveweb.com), and while this app is horrific at memory management it’s a good little GPS program that gets the job done at a cost of only $2.99. So what’s the big deal? Well, I downloaded it from my iPhone (I do all my app management on my phone) and iTunes just refuses to accept it. I’ve “Transfer Purchases” 4 times and while each time it puts the app in the “Mobile Applications” folder, iTunes still refuses to load it, saying it’s “not a valid application”. This means if I sync my phone iTunes will rip that app off of it like a day old band-aid on a hairy leg.

Typically this would not be that bad (the app thing not the band-aid thing, that would suck) since iTunes let you re-download purchased apps for free, unlike purchased music. So I’d just download it again and off I would go. Well, here’s the twist. That app has been pulled from the store so I can’t download it again. This means if I lose it from my phone for some reason it’s gone. NDrive says they don’t know why the app was pulled and their working with Apple to get it back on the store. Good luck with that.

So let’s recap:

• I bought a huge (2.2GB) GPS app that has super crappy memory management but does what $50 GPS apps do for $2.99
• I purchased it from my phone and downloaded it via wifi so it only exists on my phone
• “Transfer Purchases” moves over the app file, but iTunes refuses to load it as an “app”
• The app is no longer on the app store so I can’t re-download it meaning if I lose it from my phone it’s gone forever
• A sync would erase it (as it’s not in iTunes) and a sync is required to upgrade to iOS4

Oh yeah, that last one…there’s the rub. If I want to upgrade to iOS and get all the awesome features that should have been on the iPhone months ago I’ll lose my app. So, what do I do? I haven’t talked to Apple yet but I plan to. I doubt they will even care about my problems, I mean, they’re not Google. So I’ll keep plugging away trying to find a solution myself. If you have any bright ideas please leave me a comment.  If I figure this out I’ll update the post.

First off, how about a $5 discount for using the online service?  That’s call an “incentive”. Penalizing people for going to a branch is called a “deterrent”.  We all know that the greedy, grubby hands down at the RMV, DOT, and governor’s office wouldn’t think of offering to charge less for something. That’s just silly.  Secondly, you should be giving the poor people who have to go down to a RMV branch $5 just for having to deal with some of the state’s worst employees. Most of the people I have dealt with down there are nasty and rude, not to mention they seem put out when you ask them to do their job. There have been some exceptions, but they are by far the exception.

This has to stop. The state just keeps asking for more and more and continues to give less and less. We need to start holding our elected officials accountable for this nonsense. Unfortunately I believe we need to remove them from office.  The fact is the elected officials today have a mindset that they can do anything they want and the people of this state will just take it. We need to start sending messages to beacon hill, continue your nonsense and you’ll be out of a job.

Next time you vote I hope you remember all the fees and taxes the state charges you and the very little you get in return.  I know I will.

Ref: Effective March 1, Online, Mail & Automated Services Will Cost Less than Branch Services

Anyway, I thought I’d do an attack ad with the equivalent intellectual prowess the “This Bush is Brown” ad.  Here it is:

This Martha is a crook.  This crook is a Martha.

Both of these women have robbed people of their personal property.  One by lying, cheating, and being downright dishonorable. The other by lying, cheating, and being downright dishonorable. By continuing to support either one you send the message that lying, cheating, and being dishonorable is how you want your country to be.  It will continue to corrupt our great country and continue to cost us more.  Here is a quick comparison:

As you can see, neither Martha is right for this state.  Make sure on January 19^th you don’t pick a Martha.

Am I the only one who sees the government acting a little tyrannical lately.  If they take back this personal property from these AIG employees what will stop them from taking your personal property?  Don’t even pretend it’s not “personal property” either.  As soon as it left the government’s grubby little hands and went into the hands of AIG one could argue it became AIG’s property.  Certainly when it left AIGs hands and went into the hands of the employees it became their personal property.

If the government wants to make some legal argument against the AIG employees and prove that they broke some laws they can recoup the money that way, however, abusing the tax system to take it back forcefully is wrong.  Just like it was wrong to give AIG the money in the first place.  Just like it was wrong to ignore the warning signs of Fannie and Freddie.  Let’s stop the wrongs, please, before I have to explain to my preschooler how, while 2 wrongs don’t make a right, sometimes 16 or so do (at least if you’re a liberal.)

Link: Schumer: AIG employees should return bonuses or face high tax – CNN.com

I head out the door, podcastless, and am forced to turn on the radio.  Being a fan of talk radio, I naturally tune into WTKK.  The problem, Don Imus is on until 9AM.  Once in a blue moon he is talking about something I care to listen to but usually he is saying something that makes me think, “This idiot has a syndicated radio talk show!?!?”

Still, I have discovered something, listening to Imus is like a little punishment for forgetting to download my podcasts.  It reminds me to download tomorrow or face another hour of mind numbing Imus dribble.  So the next morning I think, “Crap, I better download my podcasts or I’ll suffer a bout of Imus.”  The only thing that saves me is if I am running late Michael Graham comes on just after 9.

However, this really isn’t about Apple and iPhone, this is about the DMCA in general.  This stance, if it is approved by the courts, set a precedent. That precedent is that you can’t use stuff you buy the way you want. So most people will just say “so what.”  With iPhone I kind of agree.  Apple gives a majority of the people what they need and a slightly majority what they want via iTunes.  Still, what about other things you buy.

Think about a few items in your house right now and imagine if all of a sudden the makes tell you how to use it.  Your coffee maker will only take coffee from certain makers.  Your toaster will only toast certain brands of bread.  Your car will only allow you to put in “super” grade gas.  It may seem ridiculous but I bet 50 years ago people would look at things today and find a few of our everyday experiences ridiculous.

Link: Apple Says iPhone Jailbreaking is Illegal | Electronic Frontier Foundation

I have delt with so many people like this.  This is what happens when people don’t fund local schools.  This is why, even if you don’t have kids, you should support your local school system (even if it isn’t perfect).