Randy Newman and Steve Job’s Keynote at MacWorld

If you didn’t see the 90 minute MacWorld keynote here is a quick summary of the product launches yesterday.  Jobs photo courtesy of Apple.  

• Ad:  Hi I’m a Mac and I’m a PC — New Years ad ran which poked fun at Vista…what are you going to do in ’08…  Then Jobs enters stage.
• Time Capsule:  backup hardware device the same size as the Apple TV product.  Two models both include Airport 802.11N in a 500MB and 1TB configuration.  Priced at $299 and $499 works in conjunction with Time Machine (back up system) which is included in OS X Leopard.
• iPhone: 4M sold in the first 200 days (averaged ~20K/day); currently has 19.5% MSS (more than combining the bottom three companies – Palm (9.8%); Motorola (7.4%); Nokia (1.3%).  Enhancement announced:
  1. Maps w/ locations (joint effort by Google and Skyhook Wireless (drove the US & Canada mapping 23M wi-fi hot spots and allows triangulation on the hot spots.  Google triangulates off cell towers and Apple uses both systems in iPhone for identifying location)
  2. Webclips (clipping links to favorite web sites or sub-site
  3. Custom home screen (up to 9)
  4. SMS multiple people at the same time was only one prior
  5. Chapter search for videos and song lyric’s displayed if available
  6. Free software update for all current owners which include the above enhancements
• iTunes: 4Billion songs sold through iTunes; Christmas day sold 20M songs in one day – highest ever; 125M TV shows sold (more than any other service); 7M movies sold (more than anyone, but didn’t meet expectations).  Enhancements announced:
  1. iTunes Movie Rental (music users have not wanted music rental); Studio’s on board at launch (20^th Century Fox, TouchStone, Miramax, MGM, Lions Gate, New Line Cinema, WB, Disney, Sony, Paramount, Universal – essentially all of the studios; More than 1000 films by February
  2. Films available for rental in the 30 days after DVD release
  3. Watch anywhere (PC, iPod or TV)
  4. iPod Touch added 5 new apps including maps, email, SMS, web clips and chapter search
  5. Didn’t state, but looks like progressive download as the movie starts within seconds of the rental purchase
  6. 30 days to watch the movie and 24 hours watch it once started
  7. Can transfer the movie watching to another device in the middle (start on a PC then xfer to iPod for a flight)
  8. DVD quality, but also providing Hi-Def (100 titles today growing fast) with 5.1 Dolby surround sound
  9. Pricing is DVD library release – $2.99; DVD New Release – $3.99; HD library – $3.99 and HD new release – $4.99
  10. Service started today in the U.S. and goes International later this year
• Apple TV: stated that we’ve all missed (Microsoft, Netflix, Nubu and other logos on screen) how to get the movies to the flat panel in the living room.  Apple TV was designed as an accessory for iTunes & computer, but it’s about Movies, Movies, Movies.  Enhancements announce:
  1. Price dropped from $299 to $229
  2. All new user interface
  3. Leverages the new iTune movie rental service
  4. Rent directly from the Apple TV box – no computer needed now
  5. Photo from Flickr can be streamed or from your dot mac accounts
  6. Will auto sync with your computer if you want
  7. Free software upgrade to all existing users and get the functionality
• 20^th Century Fox: Jim Gianopolos (Chairman & CEO) on stage to discuss movie rental deal.  Talked about biz models being super important, gushed about how great it is to work with Jobs and put a major plug in for Blu-ray winning the format war as the crowd applauded.
• MacBook Air: launched a new ultra-thin MacBook to compliment the notebook line up. Standard model priced at $1799.  Model with the 64GB SSD flash over $3K,.  Compared the “Air” to the Sony TZ series which had previously set the benchmark in this category.  The thickest part of the Air is thinner than the thinnest part of the Sony for comparisons.  Features:
  1. .76 to .16 thin (no optical device, can get one external if you need)
  2. 13.3 inch LCD back light display
  3. Full size and backlight keyboard
  4. Multi-touch (similar to the iPhone – swipe, pinch etc.) capability on the trackpad
  5. 80GB HDD and optional 64GB SSD (pricey however)
  6. 2GB memory and 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo (C2D) standard or optional 1.8GHz
  7. 802.11N and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
  8. Usage model changing and driving wireless even for software download – now leverage a PC optical drive across the network
  9. Talked about environment: mercury free, arsenic free glass, Bromide Fire Retardant (BFR) and PVC free
  10. 56% less packaging waste
  11. Jobs applauded the joint effort and working with Intel
• Intel: Paul Otellini was invited on stage to evangelize the 30% reduced form factor of the C2D.  Gave Jobs a souvenir of one and gushed about how great it was to work with Apple.  For those of you into little known factual tidbits, it was interesting to note that the video graphic overlay while Paul walked on stage used the old Intel dropped “e” logo.  The graphic/name/title on the projected stage TV was correct.
• Summation: In the first 2 weeks of the New Year Apple launched:
  1. Fastest ever Mac Pro desktop system
  2. Time Capsule
  3. Software updates for iPhone, iPod Touch along with new apps for Touch
  4. iTunes Movie Rental
  5. Apple TV (software upgrade) along with HD video content
  6. MacBook Air – Ultra thin laptop
  7. Last slide stated…And there’s still 50 weeks left….
• Randy Newman: Music artist extraordinaire played a couple songs for the audience.  Newman photo courtesy of YouTube. He starts by telling us about his trip to Europe, where he noticed that “they don’t like us so much.”   And he sang a song he wrote about it…”A Few Words in Defense of Our Country.”

 A couple of parting thoughts about Randy Newman.  The song choice was odd.  If Apple signed off on the first song he sang they have some guts.  A little piano ditty that compares the U.S. to Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia and Europe during the time of the Inquisition.  Now that’s an interesting mix of art meeting commerce.  Highly political and bashed a number of things which will only add to the blog fodder I’m sure.

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26 Years Later Mobile Penetration at 50%

November is an important month in the global mobile business.  First off, Apple launched its iPhone in the UK, Germany and France, after a successful launch in the US. Google put a line in the sand on the mobile space with the release of Android and the formation of the Open Handset Alliance.

According to a report from Informa Telecoms & Media , worldwide mobile penetration hit 50 percent. The report states there are 3.3 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide. At the end of September there were mobile networks operating in 224 countries, which is up from 192 countries in 1997 and 35 in 1987. Even though there are now an estimated 3.3 billion mobile subscriptions activated currently, its important to note that some countries have a mobile penetration rate of more than 100 percent, meaning some users have more than one subscription.

And in related mobile news, Apple plans to release a developer kit for the iPhone in February.  That is notable since they have routinely controlled access to many of their products, but now will welcome software written by outside programmers.

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Wand Waving My iPhone Remote

Odds are that as a developer you went to college, earned a degree to specialize in something and avoid a career serving up burgers and fries at the local grill. But now day’s developers are spending most of their week developing mobile applications for the fast-food giants.  That’s ironic! 

According to Adweek, consumers are facing mobile advertising saturation and a growing number of brands are turning to mobile developers to create interactive wireless services and tools in lieu of conventional mobile media buys.  Advertisers are investing in “branded utility”–i.e., services they believe enable their customers to perform tasks, rather than interrupt the mobile experience. 

And speaking of branded utility, AppleInsider reports that Apple filed a series of patents for sensor layouts, mobile sensors and compliant conductors, together indicating they are working on a multi-touch device that recognizes more intricate gestures–e.g., grabbing or swiping motions with one or more fingers–and selectively disables input depending on context. In the patent, Apple explained that pressure-sensitive technology could recognize rolling, tilting, or twisting motions for manipulating content in 3D. And because the touch controls need not be flat, the technology would enable more unique and ergonomic device designs. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the day where I can twirl and whirling my iPhone to buy a burger and then roll that perfect 300 bowling game!

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ISEF Winner Hacks iPhone

Did you hear about the student George Hotz, 17, Glen Rock, New Jersey who was awarded “Best of Category” and received a $5,000 Intel scholarship and an Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology-based notebook? 

He spent the summer trying to successfully unlock the iPhone  Hotz runs a blog and you can find all the information on how-to there. 

In the picture (right), Hotz was a 2005 – Intel ISEF finalist when he was 15 and showed off his project titled, “The Googler”. 

ISEF is sponsored by Intel and has been administered by Science Service since its inception in 1950. Science Service is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages. 

After Hotz unlocked the iPhone he put it up on eBay and was getting a lot of bids over $10K.  However this morning on his blog site he states the iPhone has been traded.  It seems that Terry Daidone, the founder of Certicell contacted Hotz and offered to make a trade for the iPhone. Hotz traded it for a Nissan 350Z and three 8GB iPhones. Hotz is sending the iPhones, unlocked if they wish, to jpetrie(the first donater), gray(the reversing genius), and iProof(who is truly amazing at finding stuff online).

Hotz left for school yesterday, presumably going fast in a 350Z…don’t all 17 year olds drive fast?!  Sort of beats my “What I did this summer?” story… 

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iWait in iLine

Image credit, Gabe Rivera of Techmeme

In reading RSS feeds this morning people started lining up at 3am in Palo Alto. It’s a once in a life time event…well, that is until the next game console gizmo releases this fall. They are all there at the Apple store…podcasters (Robert Scoble), the Zooomr CEO (Thomas Hawk), the CTO (Kristopher Tate), legendary Apple developer Bill Atkinson, Digg founder (Kevin Rose – hey Kev, still waiting on that return phone call…guess you’re busy!).

Speaking of PR, Zooomr knows how to get free press.

What sticks out in my mind is that homeless guy (at least he looks homeless from the picture) wearing a Zooomr sticker on his shirt, sitting 5th in line. Now $600 is a lot of money to spend on a combined phone/iPod, but to get your Zooomr logo on the front page of media all over the country—that is priceless!

And speaking of PR (blunders?) a semiconductor company in Santa Clara, CA — launched/unveiled the latest phase of it’s expanded 2nd Life presence — on the same day as the iPhone launch — rounding out what is now known as the Intel Island.

Cool, but a rather difficult day to get PR visibility with all the iPhone noise…

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The iPhone Countdown

Okay I’m getting ready…sleeping bag – check, bottled water – check, fruit & nut snack – check…for the camp out at the Apple store. Who’s in with me?

The reviews are coming in from the “VIP” journalists. You know the ones we can’t make buying decisions on products with out their advice: Walt Mossberg (Wall Street Journal), David Pogue (New York Times), Steven Levy (Newsweek) and Edward Baig (USA Today). As you would expect nothing but super duper praise for such a revolutionary device and nothing but cold water on the inadequate AT&T EDGE network.

What do I think about the iPhone? I couldn’t tell you as the sample unit I thought I would get somehow got lost in the mail.

So, in place of the real thing I’ve found a cardboard cut-out of the iPhone and assembled the device. You too can print one out and assemble.

My color cardboard cut-out is “superb,” “revolutionary” and “beautiful”…see? I can spread the hollow rhetoric on the most-hyped mobile phone ever too.

If I left you unfulfilled with that cardboard cut-out then see a snappy video “review”, which entertains vs. truly analyzes. These days, it’s getting more difficult to tell the difference between credible news by objective professional journalists and what I read on joesixpack.blogspot.com.

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China Mobile – More Subscribers Than The U.S. Population!

Imagine every man, woman and child in the U.S. with a cell phone — now imagine they all ring at the same time!! Its possible now that China Mobile, the worlds largest mobile operator, recently announced that its subscriber base grew to 301 Million, surpassing the total population of the United States.

Now that we’ve establish that everyone in the U.S. could have a cell phone…there are some real abuses of wireless technology being perpetrated all around us, and the time has come to create some social order out of this cell phone chaos. Can we have a moment of silence from all the Snoop Doggy Dog, melodies, and listen up – paaha..leaseee!

I thought about generating a top 10 list on how not to use your cell phone. We’ve all seen etiquette blunders and most of these seem like common sense rules to me, but they get broken every day. So, I have just 2 Big Daddy rules:

1. You can’t speak louder on your cell phone than you would on any other phone. Especially on Airplanes. These things have sensitive microphones, and it’s gotten to the point where I can tell if someone is calling me from a cell because of the way they are *SHOUTING*, not how it sounds. If your everywhere unlimited signal cuts out, speaking louder won’t help, unless the person is actually standing next to you.

2. Don’t attempt to impress anyone with your cell phone ring or number of blueteeth (plural Bluetooth?) enable devices attached to your Batman-esque utility belts or purses. Not only is using a cell phone no longer impressive in any way shape or form (unless it’s one of those really cool iPhones months before it ships), when it is used for that reason, you will be immediately identified as a communication poseur.

2 rules 2 remember. Simple.

I say, let’s talk less and invent ways to use cell phones that don’t involve that distasteful habit of synthesized ring tones or actually talking on them! For example, Jaxtr, a service that lets you take calls, texts, or voicemail from anyone on the web, without handing them your phone number.

Now that’s less conspicuous!

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Sip That Delicious iPhone Haterade…

 

Everyone has chimed in on how the Apple iPhone will fail to translate into sales in the business sector — and even Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer, laid into the iPhone during an interview which starts with a laugh reminiscent of the Howard Dean barbaric yawp . Then there’s Ballmer InformationWeek interview:

I don’t think this would be a very interesting announcement if anybody else had announced exactly the same product.

Oh yeah, let’s all continue to sip the haterade until June, at which point we’ll all run out to buy iPhones (Ballmer included). Need more haterade juice? Check out:

– This Engadget article on the iPhone’s profit margins
– This ComputerWorld article on how Steve screwed up
– This InformationWeek report on the iPhone in IT
– and the interview with Steve Ballmer

  So for a little levity just know that the iPhone will and can do it all.

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