They could release a revolutionary 60-inch 4K TV for $99 with built-in nanobots to assemble and dispense free smartwatches, and people would complain that it should cost $49 and the nanobots aren’t open enough.
Category Archives: Apple
Looking for a backup assistant?
The Nexus devices weren’t the only thing Google rolled out this week, they just dropped an amazing update to their iOS search app
I don’t know what else this app does because I’m too busy playing with voice search.
Words flash on the screen as fast as you say them and the results come back quick as well. There’s even a voice option if you really want another robotic assistant. Google obviously put a lot of work into making this really fast.
Some will be quick to compare it with Siri but it’s not really a fair comparison. Yes they both share similar functions but Siri will always have the advantage of being available from the lock screen. Of course she isn’t always working so Google will probably see plenty of use.
Comparisons aside, the app is a great example of what Google can do it they really want to show off. Now if only they’d give us a killer Gmail app. Please?
Tap the tiny links.
Of all the major changes Apple made to the app store in iOS 6, this one is driving me nuts.
When I update an app, I like to check out the change log before installing. The tiny text link is frustratingly hard to hit on on the iPhone screen and I end up opening the app description. As you can imagine, the problem doesn’t exist on the larger iPad screen.
Luckily the app store is HTML 5 and Apple can update on the fly. With any luck they’ll tweak the font size soon.
That looks familiar
Philips just announced a new cordless phone line and the S10 model looks really familiar.
Who “designed” this and why is Philips letting it go to market?
Click the image to go to the Philips Flickr account to take a closer look.
Is this where we’re at?
Are you angry that Apple is calling their new device the iPhone 5? If so, you need a vacation.
Today my Twitter and RSS feeds are bursting with discussion about the name of an unreleased smart phone.
A name.
Is there nothing else to talk about? Are we so desensitized to how amazing these devices have become that we’re writing 300 word blog posts about a naming convention?
The definition of disappointment
According to Ina Fried, the second quarter iPad sales were disappointing.
For any other company, 11.8 million tablets would be a lot to sell in a year, never mind a quarter.
I just like that quote. If Asus had sold 11.8 million tablets in a year, they would throw a 2 week celebration on a huge yacht in the middle of the ocean. Here, we have an article bemoaning the poor sales of 11.8 Million iPads in 16 days.
Sixteen days
Let me repeat this for emphasis. In sixteen days, Apple sold a number of iPads that would make their competitors dance with joy, even if that number were for all 4 quarters combined.
Let’s not forget that the new iPad has had some availability constraints which would limit the number they were able to sell along side the lower price iPad 2.
I thought I’d dig around for the Samsung Galaxy Tab sales numbers but it seems Samsung doesn’t make those public. Instead, I found this NPD press release which claims the total sales figures of all non-iPad tablets in the first 10 months of 2011 was around 1.2 Million. In other words, Apple sold something like 10x that number in 16 days. I are disappoint.
I know nothing of the markets or how these analysts work but it befuddles me how we can hold a company to made up standards and then write articles like this when they don’t hit it.
Time for some company
Nick Bilton for the New York Times
In the last week I have asked Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, Microsoft and others about their >reports on labor conditions. Most responded with a boilerplate public relations message. >Some didn’t even respond.
The answer from Barnes & Noble, the maker of the Nook e-reader, was typical. Mary Ellen >Keating, a senior vice president, said only, “We don’t comment on our supply chain >vendors.”
Lenovo e-mailed a general report on sustainability. Samsung, which sells more cellphones >than Apple, gave no response.
Ever since Apple came under fire, I wondered when the outrage would grow to encompass the full scope of offenders. Interestingly, the main focus remains on Apple, despite the number of other companies that Chinese factories to manufacture their goods.
I’d be curious to see an investigation into this. Any company that turns a blind eye to dangerous working conditions should be held responsible. Don’t think this is only a problem that exists in Apple’s world.
Another disappointing launch
“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold―the strongest iPad launch yet,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
Only 3 Million sold in ~4 days. I bet the other tablet manufacturers wish they could experience this level of failure.
In need of a watchdog
An excellent point, why doesn’t Apple have this covered?
The 4G deception
The iOS 5.1 update has caused my iPhone to start lying to me. Gasp!
