Okay, so this video has been making the rounds throughout the blogosphere which showcases a creation called the walking iPad. So far, this iPad mod been heralded as “incredible”, a “must-see video” and an “amazing feat”. [See video below]
Now we have seen many iPad mods recently and we will say many more in the days to come but I have got to say that this one is just ridiculous. Sure this little iPad furby with it’s big innocent googley eyes and friendly demeanor is cute but what’s the point? There is no functionality and contrary to the name it’s received, (the “Walking” iPad) I did not see it actually move anywhere. It merely shimmied left to right a little bit. I’m all about the cool mods and new ways to use your iPad but this one just doesn’t make the cut. Perhaps that is too harsh, you make the call.
Along with Google announcing its TV solution, Engadget reports that the next version of the Apple TV is on its way. This project has been in progress for a quite some time, long before Google TV was announced.
The Apple TV will be capable of full 1080p HD. It can be used to watch videos from Netflix along with all the content that the current Apple TV shows, like YouTube, podcasts and more.
The Apple TV will run on the same internals as the iPhone 4, down to that A4 CPU and a limited amount of flash of 16GB storage. It is said that the device will be small, just a power socket and video out. Essentially, it will be as small as the iPhone but without the screen.
The size is not the only thing that’s changing. Apple is also moving away from the model of local storage to cloud-based storage. Users will also have the option of using a Time Capsule as an external storage component.
The best part of the Apple TV is the price, $99. With a price tag that low, Apple is going to make a lot of fan boys very happy.
Here we go again. The title says it all; Apple’s string of leaks continues with the latest gadget being an iPod touch which with a built in camera. Tinhte, the Vietnamese company familiar with Apple leaks, has the first pictures of the newest device. As explained by Engadget, the “DVT-1″ stamp on the shows that this is an early design verification test unit used during product testing. This means that it may not be the final design. The serial number identifies the iPod as a late 2009 third generation iPod touch. Potentially, this device was one of those that never made it to production.
The most notable features are the 64GB hard drive inside and of course, the 2 megapixel camera on the back. Also, it does not appear to be taking the shape of the leaked iPhone 4g. The new iPod looks intriguing but it remains to be seen if it is fake or not, and with all the buzz and recent history of Apple leaks we wouldn’t be too surprised. Note to Apple: it may be time for a security overhaul.
The Adobe/Apple battle continues today with the release of a brand new advertising campaign from Adobe.
Adobe’s weapon of choice: L.O.V.E
Many have heard of the recent, “differences of opinion” between Apple and Adobe, inflamed by Steve Job’s choice words towards Flash. In Jobs’ 6-page article, “Thoughts on Flash“, he explains his sentiment that Flash is not the way of the future, in a very articulate, well thought out manner. Today Adobe responds with a tongue-in-cheek web ad which simply states “We [heart] Apple”.
The web ads, which can be found at TechCrunch and Engadget, are linked to a statement by the two co-founders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke entitled “We [heart] Choice”. In their statement they go on to claim “We love Flash and HTML 5. We love our 3 million developers. We love authoring code only once. We love all platforms and devices.”
Then statement by the co-founders continues by describing what Adobe doesn’t love, including:
…anybody taking away our freedom to choose what you create, how you create it and what you experience on the web…If the web fragments into closed systems, if companies put content and applications behind walls, some indeed may thrive – but their success will come at the expense of the very creativity and innovation that has made the Internet a revolutionary force…We believe that consumers should be able to freely access their favorite content and applications, regardless of what computer they have, what browser they like, or what device suits their needs. No company – no matter how big or how creative – should dictate what you can create, how you create it, or what you can experience on the web.
According to a recent Engadget report, the original Apple / AT&T contract signed in 2007 was a for a five year period. Until now, the agreement between the two companies had but rumored to be 5 years but never independently confirmed. Citing an Apple Brief and a Court Order stemming from a class-action law suit, Engadget shows that the original agreement between the two IT giants was intended for five years. Therefore, their unique relationship would be exhausted as early as 2012.
Here are the telling quotes from Apple:
“The duration of the exclusive Apple-[AT&T] agreement was not ’secret’ either. The [plaintiff] quotes a May 21, 2007 USA Today article – published over a month before the iPhone’s release – stating, “AT&T has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for five years-an eternity in the go-go cellphone world.”
…
“[T]here was widespread disclosure of [AT&T's] five-year exclusivity and no suggestion by Apple or anyone else that iPhones would become unlocked after two years… Moreover, it is sheer speculation – and illogical – that failing to disclose the five-year exclusivity term would produce monopoly power…”
Of course this all happened in October of 2008, and as Engadget puts it, “Contracts can be canceled, amended, and breached in many ways, and AT&T’s spotty recent service history plus the explosion of the iPhone and the mobile market in general have given Apple any number of reasons to revisit the deal.” It’s not for sure if this contract still holds, but for now, as the AT&T/Apple contract nears its end, it will be interesting to watch just how the key players (Apple, Verizon, and AT&T) act.
