Apple iPhone 5c a win for google.

 

I have to admit I was pretty disappointed with what Apple revealed on Tuesday, not so much the new phones rather the price point. Like a lot of other commentators out there I was expecting an 5c iPhone to come roughly $200 dollars less than the current 5 iPhone. Not the $60 as it turned out. In our house it has already sparked the discussion maybe we should move to android...

But where I think things will unravel with Apple in the long term, is competitiveness for the battle for the Ecco-system. If I look at what I spend with Apple the majority would be on music, movies and rentals. Not the actual hardware. But I can see apple loosing this battle if people aren't using their technology.

So yes, the winner of the iPhone 5c launch is google.

 

iBookstore and Amazone Kindle bookstore

Yesterday I was checking out the 'Australia Lonely Planet', I got it from the library and thought that it would be a good reference. Until like all these books they go out of date.

First I checked out 'Book depository"', my first preference for a physical copy. Cost $23.65. Not bad considering this includes postage.

My next option was iBooks which is my prefered option. I'd like to keep my books in the 'Apple ecosystem' Cost $39.99, I nearly choked!

I thought I have a look at the kindle book store. Cost $16.49, a fair price.

Then there is google books. Nothing available as an ebook...

 

What is it with Apple and books? I can understand why they charge a premium for there products but when they are competing with others why can't they be at least close? Over double the price of Amazon books is just not good enough. I'll just keep looking through my borrowed copy from the library and take notes.

 

Goodbye Mactalk

There are some RSS feeds which I really enjoy getting, one of them is Mactalk. Mactalk is an Australian website for news on apple as well as a forum where members help others and discuss apple products. I used to really enjoy getting my 'morning news' with a picture of 'Steve Jobs'. Then...

• The feeds became truncated; meaning that you had to go to the actual website. Painful but a few websites do this so that you visit there site and cast your eyes on some of there adds. The price you often pay for good news.
  
• a few months later, everytime you went to the MacTalk site on your ipad I was asked do you want to download some forum application. Again painful
  
• After Christmas I was getting 'Sponsered feeds' These had actually no conection at all with anything, Apple. Not what I want on my RSS feed
  
• I had noticed when reflecting that there were really no real Australian Apple stories like old times, most were just blah rehashed from other American sites.

A lot of these issues and reasons are discussed in this post from MacTalk; much of which I didn't know. But for me its to late. I can get my news from American sites and my forum lurking will happen at whirlpool.

Its interesting to read that according to alexa, Malktalk pageviews have dropped 33% and bounce has increased 1% to 80% of visitors only go to one page. It looks like I'm not the only one moving on.

HTC Desire 18 months on...

Its been 18 months since I switched from the iphone 3G to the Android HTC Desire. I've some mixed feeling about the device, but ultimatley I wont be continuing with Android. While I think Google has given manufactures a solid operating system my biggest gripe is the manufacturers and telecom carriers havn't continued to upgrade them on older devices including the HTC Desire.

When I had the iphone I had about two upgrades; and from what I can gather the phone is still getting upgraded!

On a positive note, physically the phone has been solid. Its still operating even considering the phone has been dropped a few times.

Its also been good to see Google often upgrading their app store. But its not enough to hold me....

Apple and censorship again...

Image via Wikipedia

Another example of Apple and censorship, for thinq::

An 'unofficial' WikiLeaks App which contained published documents from the Cablegate leaks has been withdrawn from the Apple App Store.
The $1.99 App created by developer Igor Barinov has been removed from sale without explanation despite the fact that all of the information contained in it is publicly available.

 It makes me wonder why anyone would buy an apple product...

Related articles

• Apple Store Removes Wikileaks App (koolnews.wordpress.com)
• WikiLeaks App Yanked from App Store (readwriteweb.com)

Apple the moral arbitor

Image via Wikipedia

Interesting that Apple has removed from the app store the "Manhatten declaration". From Christianity Today::

Apple's iTunes App Store has removed a program for the Manhattan Declaration after critics decried the declaration as "anti-gay" and "anti-woman."
The app, which went online in October, enabled users to sign the declaration, visit the website, and take a survey relating to the declaration. Change.org posted a petition--which picked up over 7,000 signers in a few days--asking that Apple remove the "anti-gay and anti-choice" application....

....Observers have long puzzled over Apple's criteria for accepting and rejecting apps; in fact many people accused Apple of a double standard when they rejected a number of apps designed specifically for the gay community. The company said they rejected the apps for objectionable content, though many say that the cited content was no worse than that available in apps the company has accepted (like the one promoting the recent movie Bruno).

Apple in its quest for control has now become a moral arbitor for what is wrong and right. I think its a worrying situation when really large companies start to champion morals and ethics. Another reason that I'll be sticking to android. Apple should just stick to making good products.

Related articles

• "Apple Upsets the LGBT Community With the Approval of the Manhattan Declaration App" and related posts (ismashphone.com)
• Apple removes anti-gay iPhone app from the App Store (intomobile.com)

Apple and Torrents

Image via Wikipedia

Read this on Slashdot

Apple recently approved an iPhone app called IS Drive, which lets users check and manage downloads from ImageShack.us, while also offering users the option to use the company's BitTorrent service to download files to their ImageShack account. Once Apple got wind of what the app was capable of, however, it was promptly removed from iTunes."

Another reason for me not wanting to have anything to do with Apple and their products. For me I use torrents for legitimate reasons such as downloading Linux iso's. Another reason to choose Android.

Apple

Image via Wikipedia

The Age Green Guide had a great review on smart phones this Thursday (August 12th p22), by Adam Turner. He summed up beautifully why I don't want to go down the Apple route ::

Apple has a long history of treating iPhone application developers with disdain and iPhone owners with contempt. iPhone  applications mysteriously disappear from the online app store when they clash with Apple's business model or with those of Apple's business partners....
Apple head honcho Steve Jobs is famed for his arrogance when dealing with customer complaints. When details first emerged of the iPhone 4's reception issues Job's flippant response was "don't hold it that way". He eventually conceded the reception problem was a serious issue and Apple now offers a few case to iPhone 4 owners, which alleviates the problem.

And why I prefer Android::

Android's flexibility is its strength. Such flexibility lets phone makers build a variety of devices to meet different needs, while it also lets users run applications they want and customise the phone as they see fit. It's a stark contrast to Apple's one-size-fits approach. Now Android is reaching a critical mass, Apple's heavy-handed approach to dealing with developers and customers could work in Android's favour.

ipood

One of the reasons I can't stand Apple inc, is because of its apparent lengths it takes to sue. Sue over names or images or patents which may remotely look like thiers.

The latest I've spotted is the 'Ipood' from Sea to Summit.

From the Sydney Morning Herald.

General manager Rob McSporran said the company dubbed the trowel "iPood!" and registered it as a trademark in Australia in October 2006.
"We identified that there was a hole in the market for a sturdy poo trowel. Many cheap ones on the market are plastic and break easily and people end up leaving bits of plastic all over the place," Mr McSporran said.

"The purpose of the product is to help people be responsible, to educate people, but talking about burying your poo tends to turn people off so we had a bit of fun [with the name]."

It had been on the market for seven months before Apple's lawyers swooped, asking Sea to Summit to cancel its Australian trademark registration, withdraw applications in the US and China, and change the product name once the stock ran out....

...Mr McSporran said the company, which has 40 employees and was established 20 years ago, decided to abide by the request because they didn't have the resources to fight it.

"We have changed the name to Pocket Trowel, which is a bit boring," he said.

This story also annoys me because of the legal issues. Sea to Summit could legitimately use the 'ipood' name but chose not to fight because of going against a company with resource beyond all but a few Australian companies.
I just don't  think the legal system should be about the biggest kid on the block winning.

Iphone good bye

 

Christina had disaster hit her hard last week. She lost her Iphone! Unfortunately we had the month before canceled our insurance. 

We decided that the cheapest way out for us would be to get a new SIM card and buy a pre-paid. Cost $49. A lot cheaper than the insurance.

We worked out that Christina would have my Iphone, as she uses the diary pretty extensively for work. I would have the pre-paid Nokia. 

In some ways I looked at the demontion of a 'smart' phone as a bit of a positive challenge. I found that I was a bit to connected. The ability to 'just check', twitter, facebook, the weather, etc etc instantly has taken a bit of life away. The other reason is that I'm no Apple fan. 

I own an Imac and in some ways even though the majority of times it does 'just work', there is an Apple vortex that is associatied with it. You are tied in with Itunes, one of Apples many cash cowes. There is also a type of persona which Apple like to project in there marketing that you are 'Cool'. No thanks.

So I wiped the hard drive of my Imac and put on Ubuntu! Initially I thought I was stuffed when I got intermittent booting and discovered that it was dependend on whether there was the Virgin USB modem plugged in or not. I think it looks pretty good an Imac booting up Ubuntu. 

I think there will be a few good things for me not stuck in the apple claws. I should get a bit more life out of my hardware. As well as getting stuck in the Apple upgrade envy.

Karma, Icon....

 

I spotted this image on my daily reading of 'Mac Talk, Morning news'. It has a differnt picture of Steve Jobs every day. What caught my attention was "Your stealing- it's best not to mess with Karma".  I'm not sure of the context of the photo or the text imprinted on it. It looks like somthing that I could Steve Jobs approving. He has for a long time messed around with eastern philosophy.

After reading Steve Jobs biography "Icon", I came to the conclusion, that Jobs is ruthless. A man that in the board room if he didn't get his way could blow up. 

Yet it is overseas labor which disturbs me the most::

China Labor Watch, which monitors Chinese factories and is based in New York, blamed Mr. Sun’s death on “Foxconn’s inhumane and militant management system, which lacks fundamental respect for human rights.” The group said it published an in-depth study of Foxconn last year, detailing its abuses.

Yes Watch your Karma!!!!