Tag Archives: apple

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO From Apple

Posted on by
Reply

Announced yesterday, Steve Jobs has tendered his resignation as CEO of Apple. Tim Cook is now CEO and from the whispers of the internet it seems like he has acted as CEO for quite some time.

I didn’t think I’d be emotional when Steve Jobs resigned – but I am. The man has had a great impact on my life through his work at Apple. I write these words on an Apple laptop, I make phone calls on an iPhone, and I relax with my iPad.

I’m looking forward to an Apple post-Jobs. I’m sure they’ll still come out with great products and software. However I know that I’ll always miss a Steve Jobs keynote. No one can give a keynote like Jobs.

Mac OS X Lion Review

Posted on by
1

Apple released their new operating system earlier this week, Mac OS X Lion. Like most upgrades there’s a lot different from the last version of OS X, most notably Mission Control. It’s an OS upgrade that very much adheres to its maker’s philosophy: opinionated and decisive. Is this good?

I’ve had the pleasure of playing with Lion for the past couple of days. I’ve used it extensively while at work and while lounging at home. Is this upgrade worth your time and money? Read on to find out.
Continue reading →

Week of Links 004

Posted on by
1

Sorry about the delay for getting this post online. It’s been a wickedly busy week and I figured it be better to take my time with this post rather than rush it. Lots of great goodies for you here. Read on, and enjoy!


Continue reading →

iPhone 4 Launch

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t think many people got a lot of work done today. Between the sweltering weather and the launch of the new iPhone 4, I can only imagine people were doing their best to not get caught slacking off. I was up at the crack of dawn this morning – 6:30am – and stood outside my local Apple store with my friend for the iPhone 4.

I wasn’t even getting the phone, I just figured it’d be a fun thing to do with my buddy who I haven’t seen in a long time. Even though we got there at 6:50am, and the store opened at 7:00am, we were still far back in the Reserved line. Don’t even get me started about how long the non-reserved line was. I feel sorry for those people. Except for the people who brought foldable chairs. Those people I just admire for their smarts.

After waiting in line for an hour we finally got inside and I got my hands on a demo unit. The first thing that came to my mind after picking up the iPhone 4 was how solid it felt. And I heard that word tossed around repeatedly: the iPhone 4 is a solid piece of hardware. Getting past the great and comforting heft of the device is the screen. The screen is glorious. Seriously. It’s so clear that I caught myself squinting at text on the screen – due to habit – and realizing that there was absolutely no need to strain my sight. The screen is vivid and absolutely gorgeous.

Past that the ‘multi-tasking’ of iOS 4 was very snazzy. After you activate the multi-task feature and hold your finger on an app you are presented with the option to exit out of open apps. This process was much easier than I could have ever imagined. I was expecting to receive a confirmation box asking if I “was sure I wanted to close that app” but no, iOS calmly and serenely closed the app without any fuss or mess. So lovely.

Unfortunately I’m stuck on my family’s plan on Verizon. If I could get the iPhone 4 I would, however I am not in the financial position to strike out on my own on AT&T. I saw the Motorola Droid X is coming out on Verizon in July and it looks really nice. I’m quite tempted to get it, Verizon iPhone rumors be-damned. But for now I’ll chug along on my BlackBerry Tour, and try and keep my complaints to myself. For all you out there with the new iPhone 4 I have only one thing to say to you: FACETIME!!!

What Apple Introduced on Monday

Posted on by
Reply

Apple’s WWDC has come and gone. The day was ruled by the (now) newly announced iPhone 4. There was no mention of other product’s being upgraded. As you read in my last post there were possibilities of the Mac Pro being updated along with the MacBook Air and many of Apple’s other products. However that was not to be – the iPhone ruled the day.

If you surf over to Apple’s iPhone webpage they’ve posted a video that is not only a great advertisement for the iPhone but also gives a very good overview of what is new in iPhone 4. If you don’t want to watch the video here’s a brief run-through of its new features:

FaceTime – Video calling on your iPhone. Thanks to the addition of a front-facing on the iPhone 4 you can now have face-to-face chats with anyone else who has an iPhone 4 and is on a Wi-fi network. I can already imagine how amazing it will be to experience this feature in action.

Retina Display – iPhone 4’s display has been vastly improved over the iPhone 3GS. It has 326 pixels per inch, making its screen quality purportedly comparable to printed text. If anything else everything on the iPhone 4 will look sharper, clearer, and more authentic.

Multitasking – I hope this needs no explanation but if it does: Finally you can run apps concurrently. You can leave Pandora streaming in the background as you browse the web on Safari. Yes, please!

HD Video Recording – Record 720p video at 30fps on the iPhone 4. But what good is recording video if you can’t edit video..?

iMovie on iPhone – This one surprised everyone. You can now edit movies right on your iPhone 4. This includes adding transitions, titles, and including an audio soundtrack. This still blows me away.

5-Megapixel Camera – 5 megapixel with LED flash. Also it can do that whole HD Video thing too.

There’s many more features that were announced but really I’d be wasting your time if you read them here. Apple’s site has so many more pretty pictures. I’ll hopefully get some opinions up here later but for now that’s your Apple update. Enjoy! :)

What Apple Might Introduce on Monday

Posted on by
Reply

On Monday Apple is holding their annual Worldwide Developers Conference. For the past three years Apple has announced a new version of the iPhone at this conference and this year is going to be no exception. However there may be a few other announcements, some that may excite people far more.

Here’s a neat list of what may be announced on Monday.

New iPhone – This doesn’t need any explanation as most people are already aware of what the current iPhone is and what it can do. The new iPhone will come with iPhone OS 4.0 and most probably a front-facing camera. Along with those two improvements there will probably be improved battery life and faster speeds.

iPhone for Verizon Wireless – The likelihood of Apple introducing an iPhone for Verizon Wireless is one that has been debated and hoped for since its introduction. However will this happen on Monday? If you’ve been following me then you would know that I think this year is probably the surest bet, however I have a sinking suspicion that Apple may announce the Verizon iPhone later this year. Patience is a virtue, iPhones are awesome.

Introduction of iTunes.com – Everyone knows about the iTunes Music Store. It’s a place where people can buy and download songs. However what Apple may introduce on Monday is ‘iTunes.com’, a new subscription-based way to purchase and listen to music. The announcement of this would not be a surprise due to Apple’s recent purchase and shut-downof Lala.com. Lala.com of course was a streaming music company. Seems to make sense.

New Mac mini – The Mac mini, Apple’s entry-level desktop computer, has not been updated in almost a year. For an Apple product a year is a long time and most assuredly a sign that change is coming. Couple that with recent news that Mac mini supplies are dwindling leads one to think things.

Updated Mac Pro – The Mac Pro, Apple’s flagship desktop, hasn’t been updated in over a year. This one is almost a shoe-in.

Updated MacBook Air – Same for the MacBook Air – hasn’t been updated in over a year. And with the way technology has improved since it was last updated I can only guess what may change.

MobileMe Service Becomes Free – MobileMe is currently a subscription based service offered by Apple that is somewhat similar to the cloud-offerings of Google. However its $99 dollar cost versus Google’s $0 cost for similar services is one that can’t be beat. Personally I am really hoping that this happens.

So there you have it! Come Monday, 1pm EST, we will begin to know what new products Apple will be selling. Rest assured I’ll have a post up detailing the news!

Have a good weekend!

Verizon iPhone Update

Posted on by
Reply

These Verizon iPhone rumors keep appearing.  And I keep eating them up.  Oh how I yearn for the Verizon iPhone.

In today’s edition of “Verizon and Apple Sitting in a Tree: i-P-h-o-n-e-y” I have one update.

Summarized nicely from MacRumors:

Pegatron has been contracted to make a CDMA iPhone, insiders claimed today. The scoop is short but would have the ASUS manufacturing arm building phones that would likely go to Verizon and possibly other carriers as well. A deal would help Pegatron take off as a major supplier, DigiTimes said.
…
But this is not the first time Pegatron has been singled out as the manufacturer for a Verizon-compatible iPhone. The Wall Street Journal first revealed that possibility back in March.
…
The WSJ believes that the next iPhone will launch this summer, but the CDMA (Verizon) iPhone won’t begin manufacturing until September.

That makes some nice sense to me.  Keep an announcement of a Verizon iPhone secret until September to discourage people from waiting.

Well I guess I’m just going to either wait for an early surprise announcement, wait until September for the announcement, or look silly waiting for a ghost.  And for the record: I aint afraid of no ghost.

iPad and Me

Posted on by
3

On Saturday I woke up before the birds began singing to wait in line at my local Apple store for the launch of the new iPad. I was there for two reasons. The first was to buy an iPad – which I did and now own. A full review will be posted as soon as possible but for now let me say this: this device is great fun. And before you make up your mind about whether you like it or not let me offer one piece of advice: go to your local Apple store and play with it for five minutes. That’s truly the only way to get an accurate idea of whether this device is for you.

The second reason why I was at the Apple store was to film a promotional video for the Niente Peaches comedy group’s upcoming film Charlie Christ: The Gospel According to Fools. I have recently joined this ensemble as Director of Marketing. We’re in the last round of filming and the film should be complete sooner rather than later.

At the Apple store this past Saturday we got a lot of footage and last night my friend Ernie finished compiling the video. It’s now on YouTube and I’ve posted it below for easy viewing.

After you finish watching the entire thing I’d like you to remember this note: The last scene was acting. I was told to perform and there you see my Oscar-worthy performance.

Video found after the link.

Continue reading →