Steve Jobs is sick, we all know that. But not Apple. The company is still running as it was and still doing as well, with capable people running it. Let’s leave SJ to recover and look beyond SJ in Apple.
Apple updated their iLife and iWork application suits to give affordable but robust tools for consumers to use. Are they worth the money? Here’s a quick look at the new features of iWork’09.
Apple updated their iLife and iWork application suits to give affordable but robust tools for consumers to use. Are they worth the money? Here’s a quick look at the new features of iLife’09.
Just gonna make one – no new Mac mini, but a MacTV – putting the Mac into the AppleTV.
It will have at least 1 TB harddisk, with an option for an optical drive or a second harddisk, with mini Display Port, HDMI port, component video port and a mini DVI port. There will also be Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 support and 802.11n WIFI and BlueTooth built-in.
There will be a new Media Server software that will replace Front Row that can manage and edit media – a part iLife, part Front Row hybrid application.
There will also be an update to the Remote software for the iPhone that can control the new Media Server software, but also comes with a remote Touch Pad to serve as a mouse, and a full-screen keyboard so that you don’t need to BYOKAM.
Lastly, when you press Comd+Ctrl+SpaceBar+Z, a rainbow will form just on top of the Mac TV to give it a nice glow.
That’s my last minute Macworld 2009 prediction.
Steve Jobs’ non-appearance at next year’s Macworld might signify a change that Apple’s taking for the future – according to Kermadec at the Oreilly Blog
Simpsons at the Mapple Store
The Simpson’s latest episode had a short segment making fun of all Apple fans, the famous glass cube Apple store, Steve Jobs and also the memorable 1984 Ad when the Simpsons family goes to the mall. See the short clip after the jump.
Andy Finnell’s post about pricing of iPhone apps available now in the iTunes Store brings up quite a few issues not just about pricing, but also on known shortcomings of the iTunes Store that Apple should look into.
The problem that you’re likely to have, like most developers, is setting a price that you can live on. The temptation will be to price your app too low, such that developing the application isn’t sustainable. You might have the best of intentions, but in the end you’ll cause the premature death of your business before it even gets a chance. So why might you be tempted to price your iPhone application so low?
To be honest, as consumers, we will definitely prefer to see the continuity of the current pricing situations, aka more $0.99 apps. But as pointed out in Andy’s article, we’ll end up with many apps that stayed at version 1.0 with not much improvements or with developers dropping out of the market with the unsustainable pricing situation now.
Also with regards to the iTunes Store, with only two ways to sort through the apps in their respective categories, it will be difficult for developers to help push their apps to the top of the pile unless they price it attractively (either $0.99 or FREE) or they get the boost from advertising and marketing, which most of them won’t.
So which do you prefer? Should developers price their apps based on their value or keep as it is now and risk going into oblivion?
Hope you are well. The last we saw you, you and your doggy pals were going up a private jet to some place for a lengthy holiday with your owners. Fancy that right, after swallowing a mobile phone years ago, you have pretty much stepped up, even flying on Lear jets with your owners.
Since your trip, many things have happened. For example, people now can switch their telco operators from one to another without changing their numbers with a fancy name called number portability. Although it isn’t perfect, some people have jumped camp between GREEN, RED or ORANGE.
Also, wherever you happen to fly to with your owners, I am sure you would have notice this new phone that has been making waves over the past year. You know, from the fruit company that many loves and many more hate, called the iPhone. Its a phone which is unlike any other phones you have seen and it is one that is changing the way phones are being used. But I am sure you would have heard and seen enough to know that.
RED somehow managed to get a head start over you and ORANGE to launch the phone last week. The launch was quite a blast with their shop tied with a giant pink ribbon and thousands appeared just to grab the phone, even if it took them 6 hours or more waiting. I know because I was there. However, the price plans they offered on first sight, was decent but not superbly attractive, especially the part about data.
Basically it wasn’t good enough for me to switch camp. I have been Greenie for years and I would still want to stay Green. Just being able to watch soccer matches on my mobile for free makes it all worthwhile!
Since the launch, I have friends and colleagues who have taken up the offer and gotten their iPhones. It looks good. I played with their phones and it really felt good in my hands. I even spent time helping my colleague set up their phones and install apps. It was pretty easy out of the box. How many phones can you use out of the box without a manual?
My friends know that I have wanted the iPhone since it was launched last year. I even started downloading apps from my iTunes account so that I am prepared. Prepared for what?
Sparky, I am hoping that what your owners said to the press is true, that you will bring the phone by the end of this year. It’s almost September and only three months till Christmas.
Christmas, you know, the time when people gives presents to each other? I am sure you get doggy biscuits or some new leash to wear on your neck for Christmas. I will be over the moon if I can get the iPhone before Christmas.
I am sure your owners will begin talks with the people from the fruit company and considering that the phone will definitely be the best seller for some time, your owners will definitely want a piece of this pie before they start jumping to the RED camp.
I know they have been busy, like launching Demand TV, putting up trials for the Mobile TV or maybe it was the recently concluded Olympics…but can you just give them a little nudge and make them do that a wee bit faster?
Furthermore, it will also give you another excuse to be on TV and the papers. Fancy eating an Apple soon Sparky?
After such a long wait, the phone will be launched this Friday morning – 12.00am to be exact by SingTel. However, I am not getting it. YET. As much as I’d want to get the iPhone, the packages offered by SingTel are not attractive enough for me to drop Starhub and switch, losing the discounts on the various services I am rewarded for being a Starhub Hubber (Broadband, Cable TV and Mobile).
What irks me is the apparent lack of understanding of how the iPhone will change the usage patterns of people when they start exploring the features and the apps available on the iTune Store.
When the iPhone 3G had its worldwide launch on July 11, much grievances were at the lack of affordable data plans offered by telcos. A classic example would be Rogers from Canada.
Looks like SingTel does its maths with the same calculator. During launch period, the iFlexi plans offers 1-3GB of bandwidth per month, but this bandwidth will be reduced after the initial launch period.
In TODAY, they explained why they never offer an unlimited data package:
SingTel spokesman said the telco does not see a need to offer a plan with an unlimited amount of data. It is consistent with market offerings. Users are chalking up less than 100MB of data a month. A majority has single-digit usage.
Yes that is true in the pre-iPhone era where phones have small screen sizes and most apps had less than stellar performance when hooked onto the net. But with iPhones, just looking at the defaults apps available, being online is one major feature of the iPhone.
Yes there is Wireless@SG but time and time again, the WIFI provided has been sporadic in its uptime. Furthermore, you need to login every time you want to use it (auto-logoff after a short period of inactivity) makes it a pain with the iPhone.
So even though I’ve waited more than a year to get the iPhone, it will not be in my hand come this Friday. I do hope Starhub don’t screw me up by offering a worse deal than what SingTel already had. I will really turn green…
