Macgasm

I subscribe to many Apple-related RSS feeds. As you would expect, my news reader has been flooded with iPad noise for months. I cannot refresh the Google Reader page without more iPad articles showing up. So, I want to know why we care so much about a device that isn’t even available. Why do people crave the same recycled nonsense about the iPad week in and week out? The news sites write about it because their users want to read about it. Sadly, there just isn’t much actual content.

Our little nerdy community is well known for our special brand of echo chamber. Original, thought provoking content is at a minimum. The bread and butter of our news is sensationalized nothingness. A search on google news brings forth nearly one thousand articles for “iPad Camera.” That is one thousand articles about a feature that doesn’t exist on a product that is not available yet. Does anybody else see a problem with this?

To be fair, the iPad isn’t alone. We got the same treatment with the iPhone as well. My peers in the Apple news community create un-content for the consumption of their audience. I can’t blame them, and I certainly can’t blame Apple for exploiting a large avenue to market their products for free. I don’t even blame the readers. I do, however, want you to take a look at the reasons why you seek out this speculative masturbation of made up fluff. What does it give you? What does it provide? Are we just going through the motions?

I am left scratching my head. If you really want a this certain type of content, I can provide it. I won’t feel good about providing it. In fact, I will feel quite uneasy, but I am here to write about things that might interest you. If you’re not interested, there is no reason for me to write in the first place. I have a picture in my head of what is interesting. I use the picture to choose what topics I write about. Unfortunately, that picture isn’t matching up with your pictures lately.

Please, give me your feedback. Let me know what it is about Apple that leaves you desiring fairy tales about the mythical Yellow Submarine iPod and super secret unreleased iProduct that my cousin’s roommate told me about. I sincerely want to know what motivates you. You can comment on this post or hit me up on Twitter.

Photo Credit: NeoGaboX

“Attention all Microsoft employees.  Is this thing on?  As I was going to say, the only approved mobile smart phone that can be used on the Microsoft campus is a Windows Mobile phone.  That means no BlackBerrys, Google Androids, and above all, NO iPhones.  You know who you are, so cut it out!”  All joking aside Microsoft employees are having to hide their iPhones from management.

Cult of Mac reports on a Wall Street Journal piece that iPhones are frowned upon at the Microsoft campus in Seattle.  This must make it difficult for Microsoft employees to hide their iPhones from management.  I mean if they use their iPhones like I use mine it would seem impossible for someone not to notice that they are using it.  I practically use mine for everything at work.  I use it to take notes during meetings, or I write down information for something important, then I email it to myself for later review.  I’ve even take pictures of areas or equipment and email them to my boss.

However, recently Microsoft went as far as to only allow the expensing of Windows Mobile smart phones.  So, that leaves out BlackBerrys, Google Androids, and iPhones.  They didn’t say you can’t buy them or that you can only buy a Microsoft Mobile smart phone, Microsoft just won’t expense any other smart phone but their own.  I can understand brand loyalty, but this is getting down right childish.

Whenever someone asks me what kind of smartphone they should get I always tell them to get an iPhone, and I explain to them the good and bad points of the iPhone.  I mean it’s their money, so if they want a Google Android or a Blackberry smart phone that’s their decision.  I’m not going to force them to get something that they will be unhappy with for two years.  However, most of the time they come back and say that they wished they got an iPhone because of x, y, and z reasons.

I remember reading some months back that Microsoft held a company meeting, in which an unsuspecting employee used his iPhone to snap a picture of Steve Ballmer.  Ballmer saw what this employee had done and decided to make an example of this poor guy.  He snagged the phone from his hand and took it on stage where he proceeded to pretend to step on the iPhone.  Really Ballmer? You’re going to take your employee’s phone and make a spectacle of him because he’s got an iPhone? Grow up.  I’m not sure what the outcome was with the guys iPhone.  I’m guessing he got it back, but he probably also got stern talking to from Ballmer.

I understand brand loyalty all to well.  However, you shouldn’t berate your employees over their phone selection.  If you want your employees to use your products why not make a product that they will want to use?  Just saying.

Photo Credit: IMG_3769

Article Via Cult of Mac

Were you one of the lucky few to get up early and place your order online for the coveted Apple iPad?  If you did, you are one of the few that will have early bragging rights that you got yourself an iPad, and be the envy of all your friends. If not, you might be standing in long lines, or pay a little extra on eBay to get your iPad.

Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac is reporting that due to high iPad sales there might be shortages in our future.  Does this mean there’s going to be rioting in the streets?  Will those who didn’t get up early on Friday morning to reserve their iPad be left out in the cold?  I doubt it.  It sounds more like PR hype to me than anything else.  Earlier in February everyone was saying that Apple was only able to produce 300,000 iPads.  Now the new count is at 700,000 iPads.

I’m reminded of when the iPhone launched, and people wanted to buy as many iPhones as possible to sell them on eBay.  They thought that Apple was going to have a limited stock of iPhones.  To the contrary, after the initial rush of customers, there still were iPhones available.  Only shortly after that did they run low, but they seemed to be able to keep up with demand.

On Friday morning I read two reports.  The first that Apple was selling 20,000 iPads per hour, and the other report stated that they were selling 25,000 iPads per hour.  So, if Apple were to sell 40,000 to 50,000 iPads in two hours, that is a small fraction of the 700,000 that have been produced.  Even if Apple sold 25,000 iPads an hour for a twenty-four hour period, they would have only sold 600,000 units.  That would still leave 100,000 units available.  I seriously doubt that, that type of momentum kept up for a twenty-four hour period.

More reports are going to be coming out in the weeks to come.  Some will have a great outlook on supply, while others paint more of a bleak picture, and cause people to say, “darn I wish I pre-ordered early”.  Whatever the case may be, Apple is in the business of making money not losing money.  So, if you didn’t order on Friday the 12th, I’m sure you’ll be able to get your iPad.  Maybe not on launch day, but shortly after.  What do you think?  Do you think there’s going to be a shortage?  Or, do you think it just a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt)?  Let me know by leaving your comment in the comments section below.

Photo Credit: iPad Apple

Article Via 9to5Mac

What I love about my iPod Touch is the fact that I can waste time on it in a lot of different ways. Especially when I’m waiting anywhere where they don’t allow cell phones. Here enters Flood-It! by LabPixies. It’s a free app that is also a very addicting game.

It works by changing the colour of a square starting in one corner, floods those same coloured squares touching the original, and expands across the board like a virus. You have to fill the board with one colour in a certain amount of steps – that amount of steps depends on what difficulty you choose. Did I mention it’s free?

Not only is it addicting, but you get to choose between 12 different 6-colour colour schemes to play the game in and 3 different difficulties. It seems like a mindless game, but if you want to win you’ll have to find a strategy to fill the board quickly enough!

This free, fun, and colourful game is a must-have time waster on your iPod Touch or iPhone. My record is 18 on the small board – can you beat it?

Anyone who thought that iPad’s were going to continue to fly off the proverbial shelves as fast as they were during the first day were clearly smoking something. Hey, the worlds excited, we get that! But, continuing to sell 120,000 iPads per day is a tall order.

Anyone who follows Apple releases knows that there is a giant early adopter community, and when they’re paired up with journalists, and bloggers, it become quite evident why so many of the iPads were being locked up (at a rate of 25,000 per hour). We have a vested interest in getting our hands on these devices first.

Daniel Tello speculates that the sales rate should drop to about 30,000 sales per weekday and around half of that during weekends, which seems like a more sustainable rate of sale. Keep in mind that these numbers are best-guestimates, and based on the belief that Apple’s using sequential order id’s on iPad purchases.

Whether the pre-order rate continues it’s high volume remains to be seen, but one thing’s for certain, people trust Apple.

Can you think of any other company that has consumers lining up to buy a product that hasn’t been released to the general public? You can call it fanboism if you want, but it’s still pretty damn impressive.

Chart Credit: Daniel Tello

Article Via Brainstorm Tech

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All of Apple’s portable and mobile products have non-removable batteries.  The iPad is not any different.  Apple claims that they are able to achieve longer battery life with the battery integrated into their devices.  Now some people who travel overseas have found this undesirable, because they can’t switch out the battery during their flight.  They have a valid point; however, there are external battery packs that can give your laptop that extra juice it needs to complete your flight.  Personally, I don’t care either way.  I’ve had my MacBook for almost three years and not once have I had a need to remove the battery.

The other reason why people are against having the integrated battery is because they can’t swap out the battery when it no longer will hold a charge.  At first Apple charged a fee to replace the integrated battery on the iPhone.  Now if you have AppleCare with your iPhone you have one complementary battery replacement.  Apple is also offering a battery replacement program for the iPad, but it’s not what you would expect Apple to do for a battery replacement program.

Slash Lane, for AppleInsider, is reporting that Apple will replace your iPad, that’s correct replace your iPad and not the battery if it will no longer hold a charge or be able to be charged.  There will be a $99 fee for the replacement, plus $6.95 for shipping; which comes to a total of $105.95.  If your are in the United States the $99.00 fee will have local taxes assessed.

This, in my opinion is a small price to pay to receive a replacement unit.  If you look at the low end iPad at $499 with the same sales tax you’ll be paying $547.65.  You would be saving $432.05 with Apple’s replacement program.  For full details on Apple’s iPad battery replacement program click here.  I’m wondering if Apple will do the same with the iPad battery replacement program like they did with the iPhone, and offer one complimentary iPad replacement.  Then you would only pay $99 for AppleCare.

This is something we will have to wait and see with time.  AppleCare in this care would more than pay for itself if Apple went this route.  I have AppleCare for all of my Apple computers, as well as my iPhones.  Trust me when I say that the AppleCare’s have paid for themselves every time.  Let’s see if AppleCare will pay for itself with the iPad battery replacement program.

Photo Credit: iPad Gallery Collection

Article Via AppleInsider

How often do you find yourself with a dead iPhone or iPod and nowhere to charge it? A dress that is being featured tonight at the annual Cornell Design League Fashion Show could ensure that this never happens to you again. The dress contains cotton fibres that are coated with electrically conductive nanoparticles. The coating is thin enough that the flexibility of the cotton is maintained, allowing it to be woven or knit and comfortably worn. These fibres are used to construct solar cells that feed into a USB charger that is tucked into the waist of the dress. The power generated is perfect for charging smartphones and MP3 players. This technology was developed in the laboratory of Juan Hinestroza, assistant professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, in collaboration with the universities at Bologna and Cagliari, Italy. The dress was designed by Abbey Liebman, one of Dr. Hinstroza’s student. Of course this technology does not have to be limited to dresses. I am already cringing at the double entendres that such technology is bound to generate. Can I plug my iPhone into your underwear? Your bra sure gives me a charge. And so on.