This is follow up to the previous post about iPhones internet power and SMS text messaging (the power). With the launch of the app store AOL has led the way with its AIM iPhone application. Twitter and Pounce also followed with their own apps. But AIM has had the capability to send SMS text messages and so does the iPhone AIM application as this lifehacker.com article and others have already described. Of course, the really cool feature is it doesn’t cost you any extra to send SMS text messages through AIM. Then again, you could just use AIM to chat, or twitter, or pounce, or Google Talk, email, or even call them. While SMS is the only one of these at the moment that can interrupt your workflow, not being interrupted may even be a better side-effect of not using SMS.

I’m sure many of you have heard that Apple really struggled with their iPhone 2.0 launch. It seems like everyone had trouble getting their phones activated and their iPod touches updated to the latest version yesterday as their were issues with iTunes store server.

I personally felt like Apple was mocking me as periodically through the day iTunes would tell me that a new software version 2.0 was available to upgrade. But, as soon as I clicked upgrade it opened a window to tell me that 1.1.4 was the latest version.

Fortunately everything seems to be working again this morning. I’ve been able to update my iPod touch to the latest software version 2.0 and even sign up for a free 60 day trial of MobileMe.

Check back here soon for a review of both.

Although I have still yet to purchase an iPhone (I’m waiting until after the mass hesteria that will ensue Friday morning at Apple stores and AT&T outlines around the country) I thought it was interesting that the folks over at macrumors.com have discovered the location of the iPhone 2.0 firmware.

Yes, it is true, that you can download the iPhone 2.0 Firmware here:

iPhone1,2_2.0_5A347_Restore.ipsw (download link).
According to the article at macrumors, the firmware is slightly higher than previous builds they’ve seen and will require a bit of attention while installing.  It appears, that for the install to function properly that all media on the iPhone will be erased.   Luckily, iTunes will allow you to back up all your media onto your Mac or PC before the installation.

Additionally, to install this firmware you must hold the Option key while pressing the “Check For Updates” in iTunes.

Head over to macrumors.com for more details.

According to demographics, I am too old to “get” SMS txting. That’s OK. I actually don’t want to get it. In fact, not having an SMS option is a compelling reason for me to want an iPhone. Why? There are few reasons.

First, text messaging is a lot like email. Actually, text messaging essentially is email with restrictions and extra cost. If I’m already paying for the bandwidth, I shouldn’t have to pay more for small text challenged emails to my BFF. In fact,  you can easily go to most cellular websites and send your BFF a txt:

• T-mobile
• Sprint
• Verizon
• att/cingular - Send an email to number@txt.att.net

Secondly, one of the taglines for the iPhone is that you have “the power of the internet in your pocket.” Having the power of the internet in your pocket automatically makes SMS Text messages obsolete. I mean, you can watch youtube videos with no additional bandwidth cost, but txting costs extra? At least the data plan is unlimited. But with the new iPhone 3G plans, I’m not sure if AT&T gets it because they continue to charge extra for SMS text messages (like it’s worth extra). Yet maybe they do get it because SMS is optional. Either way, I am still perplexed with an article from AppleInsider recommending you play it safe and get the 200 sms text messages for $5 more per month. Let’s consider some alternatives:

• You can use Safari on the iPhone to go to each of the above sites and send an SMS text to whomever you want. Additional cost to you: $0.
• Send an email. It’s not all that different.
• You can use instant messaging instead. There’s the new Gtalk web-app which is nicely suited for the iPhone, or you can use meebo.com and get all your instant messaging clients included in a one stop web-app.

• You can use twitter and tweet from your iPhone instead of txt.

Consider for a moment that these web-apps (and sites) are available right now (no new iPhone required). Come July 11th, when the app-store is also goes live, all of these applications (or similar ones) might be found on the app-store as native iPhone applications. The added bonus is with an iPhone 2.0 app, information can now be pushed to the phone. This means you can be interrupted with any number of application messages, just like text messages except without the additional monthly costs. Of course, iPod Touch owners are not left out with these web-apps either. All you need is some Wi-fi.

As the iPhone makes good on its promise to bring the power of the internet in your pocket and as competitors follow, text messages will become increasingly irrelevant. Kind of like that thing you did when you were young because it was cool and everyone else was doing it and then one day you were like “this is so immature”. It’s all part of growing up.

Although Finder, OS X file management application, has many built in features and capabilities it can be enhanced in many ways.

We’ve mentioned previously how Automator can help you quickly convert files to different formats and show hidden files in Finder. Today’s tip will help you quickly upload files to FTP locations from within finder.

Before we can get started on the application we’ll need to download and install an FTP Plugin automator task from “Upload to FTP”

To create a Finder Plugin to make file uploads to FTP sites quick and easy, follow these steps:

1. Open Automator and select a custom workflow
2. Add the “Get Selected Finder Items” to your workflow
3. Add the recently download “Upload to FTP” automator workflow
4. Update the FTP Details with information about your FTP Site
5. Save your workflow as a Finder Plugin

If prompted, to allow a “perl” application to accept incoming network connection, feel free to allow it.

Now that you’ve created your workflow, you should be able to select a file in finder, right or command click a file, select More, then Automator, and the plugin that you created with your Automator workflow.

After selecting the plugin OS X should take the file and upload it to your FTP site. If you view the FTP site from another application the files should be added to the directory detailed in your Upload to FTP portion of your recently created plugin.