I'm breaking out my crystal ball and taking the collective stirrings on the net about Apple patents, the MacBook Air, iPhone and our old pal Newton and making my prediction about Apple's next big thing. Hold onto your hats, folks - this could be revolutionary.
It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.
Folks who follow the methods of Steve Jobs read this as a clear indicator that Apple has an eBook reader in the works. I agree with this assessment and couple it with other tidbits of information.
Apple has had a slate of recent patent applications that serve to further my prediction for Apple's next big thing. Among them are two of greatest importance. Electronista does a good job of describing the clamshell structure of a possible new iPhone. This may come to pass, but the application of this technology is not, in my opinion, limited to an iPhone device. When you couple the dual-sided touch-screen panels with a larger input device you have what amounts to a book-sized reader with multi-touch capability. Take a look at the images Apple included in the filing of the patent:
In a nutshell the patent uses a dual-sided input such that either side of the device could be used for tactile input. When closed it could act as a tablet and when open it could function as a notebook. Keep this in mind.
The problem with eBook reader so far has been they do not mimic the reality of reading books. They are bulky at best and even when thin they lack multiple functionality and are therefore limited to what they can do.
Now take into consideration the (some say) surprising success of the MacBook Air. It lacks some of the ports and embedded devices (DVD drive for example) that laptop computers are "supposed to have" and yet users of the new laptop are gushing about the experience of using the Air. This new form factor bodes well the development of a whole new category of machine - a revolution that Apple is certain to be first to bring to market.
Lastly consider the Newton. The Newton helped to create the market for PDA's but it never shook off bad press it had gotten for the handwriting recognition software it used. Back in 2004 Steve Jobs made mention of pride in a PDA they never shipped and some believe the Cupertino company never gave up hope on a PDA. Just today it is being reported that Apple has placed an employment position for a Handwriting Recognition Engineer. If you think Apple isn't mulling a new PDA you're nuts.
So onto my prediction then ...
Apple's next big thing is a laptop/tablet/PDA/book reader. Apple's next big thing will raise the bar on what we expect from a mobile computing platform.
Consider a multi-touch clamshell device that you open like a book and flip pages with your hand as though you were really flipping pages of a book. Imagine closing that book and writing on the cover with a stylus as you make notes. Imagine a software-only keyboard brought up by a single icon along a dock. Imagine using multi-touch for manipulating files. It goes on and on.
I have seen a lot of predictions for the iPhone clamshell and a lot of predictions for the dual-screen multi-sided input device as a laptop. But I think what is missing in these predictions is that Apple will want to redefine the whole landscape of expectations.
In a smaller form factor we might see a paperback sized eBook reader/tablet/PDA with browsing similar to the iPhone and in a larger version we would see a full-blown MacBook sans hardware input.
When this form factor comes into being I will be first in line to buy one.
What do you think? Possible? Probable? Let me know!
Way back in January of last year I had made mention of the iPhone as potential gaming platform and now it seems with the SDK released that Apple is unveiling what back then was a prediction - the iPhone as a handheld gaming platform.
Around the net I see buzz about this subject, but one thing missing here seems to be the price tag issue and so as I was considering this still more it occurs to me that really it's not about the iPhone as a gaming platform. It's about the iPod touch as the game platform.
With the power of OS X, the SDK, the 16 GB of Flash storage and the 128 MB of RAM the iPod Touch looks to me to be the best bet for Apple to offer a device capable of kicking some serious gameplay butt.
If Apple markets the downloadable games and the Touch as the platform for gaming they can attract the kids who don't need, won't get or otherwise can't have a cell phone plan.
The fanfare of the early adopters of the iPhone has long ago worn off, but the continuing climb in market share for the device suggests there is a continued desire among folks to be on the bandwagon and to enjoy the iPhone. Many families have more than one phone, and many friends share in the delight of iPhone ownership. Yet until recently networking with other iPhone owners was to be managed outside the realm of the iPhone.
Now along comes Fon11.com with a social networking platform for iPhone users. This nifty application (currently in Alpha release) allows iPhone owners to connect with others and offers among a host of features the following:
Live Phonebook (when contacts update numbers yours get updated automagically)
Friend Locator (see who is in your neighborhood!)
Mobile Broadcaster (Twitter for iPhone?)
Mood Indicator
Availability (set if it's a good time to contact you)
Favorite Places
Landmark Directory
... and of course more.
Anyone using Fon11 I'd like to hear of your experiences.
I was astounded to find an interest among iPhone users to somehow stay tethered to their Microsoft Outlook accounts, but along comes HyperOffice to deliver just that. They now provide iPhone the ability to take Outlook on the road in iPhone style.
You can now use your iPhone as an effective business collaboration tool to:
* Update personal and group calendars, contacts, tasks and notes * Manage projects * Share calendars, contacts, tasks and notes * View and Edit personal and shared documents * Send and receive Email * Manage internal teams and intranets * Manage mixed teams and extranets
The software-as-a-service model for iPhone connectivity to Outlook account information appears to be ramping up to be a popular iPhone addition.
The web browser on the iPhone has its' quirks and so we're going to cover some of the methods of using the iPhone browser here with a series of tips.
To go to the top of a long web page without having to scroll, simply tap on the status bar at the top of the iPhone screen. You will immediately jump to the top of the page giving you access to the address bar without scrolling.
One of the best tips I can offer for iPhone users in love with e-mail is to avoid using the same name for two accounts. Don't do it!
The iPhone Mail application will get confused and will copy the settings from one account directly onto the other. Fixing the situation by simply renaming one account will not work - you'll need to delete one of the accounts and then re-create it altogether, which is a huge loss of productive time for playing games instead.
With the recent release of the iPhone UI building toolset, Joe Hewitt brings a great collection of tools to bear on the burgeoning iPhone apps space.
A collection of JavaScript resources and CSS bundled together, Hewitt has given developers a suite of code that includes the following features:
1. UI controls
List groups, on/off switches, and fieldsets that look like the iPhone "Settings" app
2. Linking to external pages via Ajax
Links to external URLs are now loaded via Ajax and inserted with animation into the page. When a link is loading, it will show a nice activity indicator while the user waits.
To see this in the demo, click on the "Stats" link.
With the collection of scripting available to leverage for the development of more iPhone web apps I am looking forward to a bevy of new web2.0 applications with rich design.
Apple announced yesterday that the 4GB iPhone will be phased out and the 8GB model will see a price drop of $200 bringing the device to the four hundred dollar range. For early adopters of the iPhone this may be a bit hard to swallow and possibly encourage these same people from being eager to rush out and buy new Apple devices in the future.
There have been many folks who spoke in doomsday tones about the move Apple was making to get into the cellular phone market, but the price cut is akin to the moves made by cell phone manufacturers across the spectrum. That is, release a new phone and slash its' price within a year. This runs counter to the typical Apple method of cutting prices on products only after a couple iterations of the device, but it seems a shrewd decision by Apple in time for the holidays to gain wider acceptance of the device.
The iPhone will be issued a software update that introduces the iTunes Wi-Fi Store. Using the Wi-Fi ability of the iPhone you can now wirelessly buy tunes direct from your iPhone and synch them with iTunes when you get home. But where to use this new service? Try Starbucks. Apple and Starbucks are rolling out a special service (complete with a bottom row button on the iPhone) that allows you to see what the last ten songs played at a Starbucks location were and buy them directly via the Wi-Fi iTunes store. Pretty darned cool.
What to do with those tunes? How about make a ringtone. For an additional 99 cents you can now create a ringtone on your iPhone with many of the songs in your iTunes library. iTunes now has a new tool to enable you to select a portion of a song (up to thirty seconds long) and create your own custom ringtone.
So a price drop, Starbucks partnership, Wi-Fi iTunes store and dropping the low end phone model. Big news. Just in time for the holiday season ....
It's starting to happen ... little pushes here and there and folks are rolling out all sorts of cool stuff for the iPhone. Though this doesn't quite shatter the game platform of the PSP you can get your Qix on the iPhone if you are in the mood for a little retro gaming.
It's out and it's selling like mad and the reviews are coming in with a mix of those waxing poetic and others having activation problems who are cursing the device.
iPhone has managed to capture the hearts of many of those who waited in line for the estimated half million units sold in the first 24 hours. "It's awesome, it's the best thing I ever saw in my life," said New York private detective Jerry Gregory. "Once people see this phone they are going to want one. Everybody I show this phone wants one, even people who were anti-iPhone."
The sentiment runs deep among many early adopters that this is quite simply the most gorgeous device ever brought to market. It does not score 100% in all departments, but it raises the bar on cell phone design in ways that only Apple could do.
Some customers have experienced delays in activating the phone. AT&T spokesperson Michael Coe remarked "We are working on any issues on an individual basis with customers who were impacted." Nearly all customers have been able to activate their phones within five to eight minutes, he said. That doesn't take the sour taste out of the mouths of those who waited so long for the iPhone only to find themselves unable to get activated for as long as 14 hours.
The "wows" are being heard as people describe the ease of use and gorgeous UI Apple has built into the phone and they seem to far outnumber the "whoas" of those having troubles.
It's official - Developers can create web 2.0 Apps for the iPhone. Given that the iPhone comes packed with the full Safari browser it makes sense that Steve Jobs would announce this as the development platform for the iPhone, but I think many developers are likely disappointed they cannot code natively to the OS and have to mange the applications as delivered through Safari.
Apple also released Safari for Windows which might go a long way toward attracting developers who are typically outside the Apple development circles, though it remains to be seen.
The fifth iPhone commercial has come out and has been grabbed onto YouTube. Here ya go:
One thing I find interesting is how seemingly simple it is to manage the browsing of the NYTimes site - moving columns, expanding the view to make it grow, etc.
AT&T President of National Distribution Glenn Lurie let slip in an interview recently that:
You have the widgets, some of the Google applicationsthat are coming - there are just so many things here that the price will not be an issue.”
Yes, folks, Google applications that are coming. We know about maps, but is the Calendar feature going to be Google's and what about Blogger? I am thrilled to learn there are more things to expect from Google on the iPhone and I am eager to discover what those might be.
What would you like to see on the iPhone coming from Google?
Sony has announced plans to develop the Sony PSP into a device to compete with the iPhone. Though there are no announced specifics about the changes in store there are some broad strokes painted by the deal inked with UK based BT.
The deal announced by the two calls for adding wireless broadband communications inclusive of high quality video calls, voice calls and messaging. BT has made a name for itself by providing these broadband services in the UK. The PSP will fit into the scheme of already existing infrastructure.
There is nothing divulged about possible design changes to the PSP beyond the goals of achieving the connectivity. I have to wonder if the PSP and Mylo merge together in this scenario. In an earlier post comparing the iPhone to the Sony Mylo I thought it was a good device for the target crowd of internet connected device users who do not want a monthly contract cost - such as college students. The new PSP will debut in Europe where BT operates.
I am curious to see how a PSP rebranded as a phone may look. I suspect it will have some of the appearances of the Mylo but wonder about the game controls of the PSP. It will be curious to watch the developments here.
What's your take? Does Sony have a shot at the iPhone market with a newly tooled PSP?
I've been mulling over the release strategy of the iPhone from Apple and have to say these guys have got it right. By not allowing any pre-orders they take the must-have gadget to the arena of the usually hyped gaming consoles - with people lining up outside stores to buy one or succumbing to the "I gotta have it" crazies and plunking down three to four times the retail value through E-Bay or the like.
Apple has already gotten over (I think the figure is) 40 million dollars worth of free advertising since the announcement of the device with every corner of the tech industry watching. Sites like this one have sprouted up everywhere and everyone has something to say about it.
AT&T has not been as tight-lipped as Apple though the few scraps of leaked information have really been less than earth shattering news.
One thing is certain, when the doors open on sales for this device it will be everywhere. Evening news, business reports, blogs, newspapers ... everywhere. Will the iPhone create the same cult addiction as other apple products only this time coupled with the craze of newly released gaming consoles? I'd take the bet it will. Your opinions?
In an earlier post questioning if the iPhone was a smartphone or not I made mention that applications for the device to be released by Apple could challenge the notion of what a smartphone is. The idea of useful widgets for download and eventually opening the iPhone to third party developers has gained traction with recent statements from Steve Jobs during a shareholders meeting.
Jobs mentioned that allowing third party development for the iPhone is something that Apple "is wrestling with". My belief is that they want to maintain control of the user experience to some extent, but also want to gain acceptance in the enterprise market as a workable alternative to other smartphone devices.
By holding back on announcing the ability to develop for the iPhone, Apple gets one more bite at front page tech news. I would not be surprised to find a very slick development environment already in place at Apple that could hasten creation of "approved" apps for the iPhone. I think the concern from a sales point of view is that competing applications for the iPhone could eat at potential profits of sales for add-ons.
If third party apps are developed for the iPhone what would you like to see? What do you think is coming down the road?
AppleTV is not the focus of this blog -the iPhone is - but there is something to be said for the way in which Apple is tackling the living room. The commercial (below) shows the way in which Apple is making inroads to the daily life of so many and the implications for the iPhone are simple - this continues the reach of Apple into the home.
With the iPhone schedules to release in a few short weeks it will be interesting to see how these devices will rate as video display devices. The Sony PSP play movies albeit in a special disc format, but Apple TV brings to bear a killer combination with iPhone that if linked together with iTunes could prove to be THE platform for portable movie display.
Any bets on how long until the iPhone storage starts tripling?
It's beginning to happen ... the chips are falling and so, too, soon will the jaws. Yes folks, rumor has it the iPhone will be running a version of Final Cut Pro!
The fine people over at MyiPhone have blogged about this and it seems that things are starting to take shape. As I mentioned before I expect the OS X backend of the iPhone to lend power enough to the device to tackle all sorts of unforseen markets.
Do you think Apple will be offering blog space for iPhoners? Snap pics, shot vids, edit and upload all via your iPhone? YOU BET!
I wonder how long until the FM radio transmitters for iPhone become available so you can listen to your tunes over the car radio - or for that matter your phone calls.
Where are the car chargers, car docking devices so you can have your iPhone in the cup holder?
I guess even with insane market buzz we have to wait for the majority of these items to show up.
What do you think? Bumper crop year for accessory makers?
Three years ago (June 2004) Apple and BMW announced a seamless integration between the BMW audio system and iPods. Fast forward to the coming iPhone and one has to wonder with the rumors of a BMW Series 7 equipped to integrate with the iPhone is the hoax it is being portrayed as or not. Gadgetell fairly debunks the original claim, but what matters here is not the fact it may be malarky, but rather the truth behind what likely WILL happen in the not so distant future.
Apple is well aware of the cult following they have managed with precision engineering and incredible interface design and everyone from Nike to BMW has been keen to team up offering products that further the Apple experience within there own realms of expertise.
The naysayers want us to believe that iPhone will flop. Steve Ballmer of Microsoft would have us believe Apple is doomed and Windows Mobile is the end-all be-all. But the truth of the matter is this: iPhone will debut to smashing success and grow despite whatever the pundits, technophiles and Blackberry lovers want to believe. The cash will flow and the cult of iPhone will join the iPod in changing what we think about mobile devices.
Will BMW step up to the plate and integrate the iPhone? Somebody will.
One million. That's a lot of anything, but it is certainly a lot of people who have signed up with AT&T/Cingular asking to be notified when the iPhone becomes available.
One million people who want a product that is not yet available. One million people who trust Apple to do something different and to execute it well. One million people subscribing to the idea that this device is exactly what they have been waiting for.
Steve Jobs had set a target of a 1% market share in 2008 which is ten million units. If a product that is not even released can garner the enthusiasm of a million people I cannot imagine how this is going to take off when people actually see the device in the hands of their families, coworkers and friends.
One million people have asked to be contacted about this device. One million people who want this device enough to go out in search of more information.
One million. Anyone still doubt Apple can pull off a 1% market share? I think the biggest problem they will face is meeting demand.
There are a lot of rumors and speculation in the blogosphere about the future of the video iPod with the upcoming iPhone release. Some are saying that the iPhone, once available, will cannibalize sales of the iPod. Others believe Apple will release a beefy version of the iPhone minus phone in order to offer a widescreen video iPod. I believe something entirely different because Apple is a company that, afterall, sloganized "Think Different".
[Note: Thank you to the great philosophers Calvin and Hobbes for verbing nouns like "slogan".]
The anticipated 6G video iPod should have a beefy 80GB or more of storage in order to allow the neediest video junkie the ability to download all the feature films, video podcasts and music videos they desire into the palm of their hand and watch in the brilliant resolution of an iPhone form factor. They should be doing so under OS X for handhelds (ala iPhone) and with multi-touch user interface.
Or should it?
What if it was instead the iPhone form factor with OS X for handhelds with less storage but wireless synching to Apple TV? What if the package still had WiFi and still allowed internet connectivity and all the IM ability of the Sony Milo?
The market for the iPhone and the video iPod are not the same. Though the ballyhooed iPhone is the convergence device, the widescreen iPod contained in the device and sixth generation Video iPod are - in my opinion - two different things.
What is the target market for the next generation iPod? I think it is likely we will see a device that does not require signing a two year expensive monthly contract. I think it is likely we will a device that incorporates the sexy aspects of the iPhone, bringing the iPod line into the OS X world. I think it is likely we will see Apple push the Apple TV as the hub device and a slimmed down (not beefed up) video iPod with less focus on storage and more focus on user experience.
In an earlier post about the iPhone as a PSP Killer I mused about the iPhone being positioned as a handheld gaming console and now it seems others are running with the idea:
The US Patent 6768066 filed way back in 2004 it seems Apple has thought of using the accelerometer in a gaming tablet of sorts for some while. The insistence that all software for the iPhone will be Apple produced does not gel too well with the idea that the platform will open to game developers, but I think this is really Apple just maintaining control over the experience. I think it won't be too long after the iPhone release that we see several things which lead to a larger adoption of the iPhone:
New versions of the device with much larger storage capacities.
Lower price points as sales begin to increase and competitors enter the market.
Apple certified development process whereby all sales are handled through iTunes.
Wireless integration and sync abilities with iTunes and perhaps Apple TV.
As mentioned in my earlier post about the iPhone introduction, Gaming Consoles was one of the markets mentioned in the MacWorld announcement when Steve Jobs was discussing possible sales figures. I simply do not believe this was a mistake. I think Apple is gunning for the living room in every way and I think the iPhone is the device to get them there.
Imagine your Apple TV becoming a game console and you can download iPhone versions of games alongside the newest title playing on your HDTV. Imagine when you purchase your Ghost Recon on Apple TV you also get the handheld version.
Do you see what I see? Integration, integration, integration.
Back in the days of John Sculley at Apple (circa 1987) there was a concept called the Knowledge Navigator and now with the multi-touch coolness iPhone brings to bear on the UI plus the smashing capabilities of OS X PLUS the recent speculation that Apple may be coming out with a Flash RAM subnotebook .... does anyone else see how this clunky concept can become a cool real-world device in a way that only Apple would be capable of pulling off?
Tablet PC's haven't really made it into the home like laptops, but I think Apple has a shot with a hybrid between laptop and iPhone - blending the size and capabilities of a laptop with the UI of an iPhone .... imagine running your iTunes and Apple TV from a tablet "Knowledge Navigator" - the Mac Tablet comes to mind.
Apple and Cisco have reached a mysterious settlement agreement over the use of the name iPhone. Although I predicted Apple would prevail in this post here I did not expect it to take place so soon.
Part of me wonders if the genius that is hype builder Steve Jobs actually worked with Cisco to launch the lawsuit in an attempt to gain exposure for BOTH parties' devices.
Cisco Systems and Apple said last Wednesday that the agreement allows Apple and Cisco to use the iPhone brand on their own products. Also, the companies said that they would explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security and of consumer and business communications. The brief announcement made no reference to any financial agreement, nor did it specify how the two companies might work together. Representatives for Apple and Cisco declined to comment further, citing confidentiality restrictions.
One has got to wonder if this was in the works on the eve of the unveiling of the iPhone.
This is an interesting little device and I thought I would do a brief comparison between the upcoming iPhone and Sony Mylo.
Both provide for communication via voice albeit the Mylo requires Skype as well as a wi-fi connection to achieve this. I think this is pretty brilliant though for the college crowd as they are likely to be both Skype savvy and have access to a connection.
Both provide MP3 playing although it's pretty clear that Apple has the lead in acceptance for this market. One thing the Mylo offers iPhone does not, however, is that it also plays other file formats and allows you to stream music to other Mylo users (although not share files) much like the Zune.
The screen on the Mylo is of course not comparable to the iPhone weighing in at a scant 2.4 inches with 65,536 colors.
Neither Mylo nor iPhone are game platforms and I wonder if Sony intends to incorporate some Mylo functionality in a new generation of PSP devices.
Mylo offers web browsing comparable to iPhone with scrolling and zooming in a full blown browser much as iPhone does with Safari. Mylo uses the Opera browser.
Mylo comes loaded with 1GB of Flash RAM but allows for memory stick PRO Duo so it can be expanded. Off the shelf this leaves Mylo pretty anemic compared to iPhone.
The fact Mylo allows you to connect to Yahoo IM, Google Talk and Skype means this little beast is capable of something iPhone is not and for the target audience I think this is pretty cool.
All in all the Mylo is a great niche product for connectivity - especially for the college crowd. The Mylo site itself and the advertisements make it pretty clear this is the target group for Sony. With communications without monthly access fees I think this device may be a hit.
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