The foundation of the Internet is based upon marketing & without a successful business model the Internets technological progression will stumble to a halt.
Twenty-six years and four months ago, an idea to globally interconnect a limitless number of computers was realized. This idea was to offer a new form of communication that had incredible potential. Sharing information was now made possible making web pages/applications universally accessible. Needless to say since then it has been indexed, commercialized and perpetuated. Indeed it has grasped the attention of millions and taking the term, “global media” to an entirely new level. It is the greatest record of mankind ever created with literally millions of new pages being made each and every day, demanding and proclaiming it worthy of our attention.
In case you haven’t heard the iPhone application development industry is in full bloom. Apple’s WWDC keynote address had a major focus on the iPhone and plugged several application development companies as part of it. Although the Apple notebook prices were cut up to $700 and a new updated Operating System, “Snow Leopard” is coming out in September (only costing $29 for the upgrade) the iPhone stole the show and its not just Blackberry that’s getting annoyed at all of this attention, digital agencies are also feeling the strain.
The application gold rush... is it over?
I recently read an article written by Mark Walsh, a Mobile Intellegencer for MediaPost Publications. The article claimed that iPhone application development was becoming over-saturated with more applications being submitted to the App-Store than sales of iPhones and although it had some great information, I must say that I feel it was tainted due to sheer frustration.
So after all the hype of a new iTouch and we get a speaker, a bevelled back and a $70 price cut?!
Well actually that is not all, take of the hood of the new iTouch and you will see that there is more to the touch than meets the eye. You will find hardware that includes a bluetooth chip, which means with a software update it will have the potential be able to sync without being connected to your computer through the iPod cable and maybe even your phone. Although currently it is probably for the Nike iPod chip.
But here is the real juice. Microphone hardware support. What does that mean? The ability to make calls for free through VoIP. All you will need is a WiFi connection and Skype is your best friend. Free calls through Skype on your iTouch, hey I may even buy another one!
UPDATE: Now you can download FRING and have Skype on your iTouch! That means $3 a month for free calls nationwide (if you get a microphone for it}! With the new iTouch there has been proof that it can be compatible with a microphone! The following video demonstrates this. I have even heard rumors that you can buy a microphone for the iTouch now… Networks beware!
So the new Apple MacBook as arrived, poor college students must feel ripped off, however I am sure the free iTouch has softened the blow. I won’t lie, I am loving the new trackpad! Check it out here.
I will tell you, however, that I was expecting a quad core announcement especially as Dell have planned to introduce them as early as next year.
Express your opinion in my poll, don’t be shy tell the world what you really think!
Apple’s September 9th “let’s Rock” event was nothing more than disappointing. Sure a new iPod nano that has a few more bells and whistles is great, however not quite the icing on the cake. Many were expecting some quad core MacBooks seeing as the competition namely, Dell has introduced the first quad core laptop in the U.S. Apple has always portrayed itself as the great innovator of technology however in the laptop regard Dell seems to have beaten them to it this time.
But as I have been musing over the reasons for Apple’s decision to only announce the introduction of iTunes8.0 and a new iPod nano, I am willing to give them a break and this is why.
Whilst I was visiting my universities bookstore, getting mightily “ripped-off” for books, I couldn’t help but feel sad inside at all the students buying 2 yr old laptops for todays prices and believe me there were many! So many infact I started to wonder why Apple would do such a thing to helpless, poor, vulnerable students who want to be different like everyone else!
Well after some thought I began to think that if Apple did decide to announce new laptops straight after most of the students in the nation had just shelled out at least a $1000 for an “old” MacBook, well that just might not go down so well. More-so I started to reason that these very students who had just bought these MacBooks are in-fact the determining factor of Apple’s success for the future and a shake-up in the key consumersview of the companies integrity could seriously damage both its brand image and financial future. I am sure Apple are very aware of this and although it is innevitable that a MacBook update is in the works, they may hold out just a little longer so that the students do not feel that it was books alone that ripped them off!
It has been rumoured for a while now that Apple has been working on concepts for a new Apple tablet. With the iPhone and iTouch being such a big hit with its clever touchscreen, Apple are now looking to push touchscreen to the next level.
However are you ready for a mutli-touch computing experience? That is the golden question, anyone spending millions in R&D undoubtly saying “yes!” however here is a couple of reasons to think otherwise.
- Fingers on the screen = lots of smudges
- A keyboard on the screen = less screen real estate
These reasons alone pose serious issues with the plausibility of this concept. However, it has been done with the small iTouch and so why not something larger?
Apple hype is here for the September ’08 updates to the iTouch, iPod nano and MacBook lines. Some saying the date is to be September 9th. Here is some juice for you though.
Kevin Rose recently posted a Youtube video on what we can expect to be announced within the next couple of weeks from Apple. Here is the video.
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