iPod
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Another week, another
Talking Tech podcast. We've gone high-tech, migrating from an Olympus digital recorder (which mysteriously locked up and remains so until someone from Olympus returns my e-mail) to Apple's
GarageBand (sweet!). Anway, where was I? Oh yeah, Talking Tech. This week, Kevin and I take a look at Apple's stellar
fourth-quarter results, including the fact more than 39 million iPods were sold in fiscal 2006. We also explore the "new and improved"
Internet Explorer 7, and take a skeptical look at the virtual world/Second Life phenomena. If you have suggestions, comments, etc., you can
e-mail us.
Written by Mark Evans on October 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
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Mike Urlocker has a good post today on Sony's decline from disruptive innovator (transistor radio, Walkman, portable TV, betamax video camera) to struggling consumer electronics player. His take is as Sony got bigger, it became more concerned about protecting market share than innovating and taking chances. Mike's thesis mirrors a column I did recently in the National Post.
Written by Mark Evans on October 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Yep, that's what I hear by keeping my ears open.
Apple's upcoming iPod-like phone (aka "iPhone") will be available exclusively from Cingular when it becomes available next year.
Check out more of the story here.
(I guess being the largest U.S. cell phone carrier does carry some power ...)
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on September 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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Always like the concept of the U2 iPod, and now it's been updated with a new lower price (still garners a premium, though, according to some recent blogs.
Obviously, you've seen the band involved in promos for Apple's products and now with Disney so involved with movie downloads on iTunes, will we see a Disney iPod from Apple?
I know you can get Disney skins, but how about a real one?
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on September 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
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If you want some insight into why the iPod is such a smash success - and why Microsoft's Zune will have a tough time getting a solid market foothold - check out National Post Robert Fulford's recent column. At 74, Fulford likely falls outside the iPod's "target market" but the fact he finds his Nano "the finest private luxury object of this century so far" reflects how the iPod has resonated with so many consumers (more than 60 million and counting to be precise). If Fulford starts publicly pining for an iTV device, you know Apple has scored another home run.
Written by Mark Evans on September 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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Does anybody really know the price of Microsoft's new Zune?
(Does anybody really care? Hey, sounds like a tune from Chicago, or Chicago Transit Authority as the band was originally known.)
Seems Apple's new iPod pricing threw Microsoft for a loop, according to reports, so the retail pricing for the product is still up in the air.
Lots of intrigue about how to market a product in this story, with one of the key marketing "Ps" (there are four) -- price -- still a big question mark.
Is this anyway to run a company?
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on September 19th, 2006 with no comments.
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Griffin Technology offers oodles of products for the iPod -- not a bad way to run a business!
The PowerBlock Travel is the ultimate travel pack; it can charge your iPod wherever you go. The twin flat-blade, non-polarized prongs fit into any twin-prong outlets -- ideal for international use, but, more importantly (or "at least"), the package includes adapters that cover every kind of AC connection you'll encounter in your globe trekking. PowerBlock handles voltages from 110 to 240 AC, converting seamlessly to the 12 Volt DC that you (actually your gadgets) need.
What's more, the PowerBlock Travel includes a Griffin dock connector cable for your iPod.
Now you never need to leave your iPod at home -- no matter where you go! Don't leave home without it!
MSRP: $34.99
www.griffintechnology.com
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on September 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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My column in today's Financial Post looks at how Steve Jobs and Apple are focused on getting a strong foothold in the digital living room - a potentially lucrative market also being targeted by Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Cisco, etc. My take is that Apple has as good a shot as anyone because it's a world-class industrial design company that makes ultra-cool, user-friendly devices. iTV - the much-hyped device that will wirelessly connnect the TV to Macs (and, I suspect, PCs) could be the next Newton but I doubt it if the iPod's success is any indication. Read/Write Web believes Apple will get the design of the iTV rights but thinks access to content (movies) will be a big challenge. For an extensive look at the iPod/iTunes empire, check out Daring Fireball.
Written by Mark Evans on September 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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According to an article in the U.K.'s fine newspaper, The Guardian, mainstream adoption of Apple's iPod is making it less cool. (Really?)
This is from industry analysts who speculate the music player has peaked in popularity.
Adding to the iPod's apparent "trouble" are mobile phones with music players. (If only they got it right ...)
Now industry analysts are noted for predicting the future, which in the land of gadgets is very hard; seems their crystal balls sometimes need to be cleaned (or maybe they just get fogged up a bit).
Think they've got it right this time?
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on September 11th, 2006 with no comments.
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Apologies for the totally over-the-top headline but I was looking at two different stories this morning, which at first blush don't have much in common but seem connected in some way. The first is a story in the Observer about "Why the iPod is Losing Its Cool", and the second is about a conference in San Francisco later this month called the "Future of Web Apps" featuring - among others - Michael Arrington. So how are they connected? Well, they're both leading, lucrative brands in their respective industries with a huge amount of influence and little competition. The iPod is still the MP3 device to own despite efforts by Dell, Creative Labs, etc., while Arrington is arguably the King of Web 2.0 given TechCrunch is regarded as the arbiter of all things Web 2.0. Arrington's status as king was confirmed last month when Business 2.0 magazine had a photograph of him on the cover in a story about the business of blogs. What separates Arrington from many people in the Web 2.0 crowd is he's a true, dyed-in-the-wool entrepreneur with the energy and drive to aggressively seize a huge and fertile opportunity. Steve Jobs is doing the same thing with the iPod by pumping out new iPods just to make sure competitors don't grab a market foothold. But - and this is a big but - at some point even the strongest brands can lost some of their zest. Maybe the Observer story, which talks about declining sales and a consumer "backlash", is a true depiction of the iPod but maybe it just reflects the idea consumers are always looking for the next new and shiny thing because even cultural icons like the iPod become to lose some momentum over time. The same thing could perhaps be applied to Arrington, who is seemingly everywhere and anywhere within the Web 2.0 world given his expanding empire (blogs, consulting gigs, start-ups, parties, conferences) Don't get me wrong, TechCrunch does a great job of covering the Web 2.0 landscape and it clearly continues to have a large following (96,312 FeedBurner subscribers). At some point, anyone/anything starts to lose some freshness. Perhaps it's the need to have new voices or maybe I'm sitting way too close to the "Web 2.0" fire that Arrington helps fuel. Will I stop reading TechCrunch? No. Are there any indications Arrington is losing his mojo? No. In a sense, Apple and Arrington face similar strategic challenges: maintaining their market leadership positions while, at the same time, keeping their brands vibrant and vital. No doubt, it's a nice problem to have.
Written by Mark Evans on September 10th, 2006 with no comments.
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In my Web 2.0 world, money talks as much as cool, new ideas and services. This is why MySpace's move into the digital music business is so intriguing because it's another way one of the world's most popular online destinations is trying to create a viable business. MySpace plans to sell songs from three million independent bands through an arrangement with Shawn Fanning's Snocap. “The goal is to be one of the biggest digital music stores out there,†MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe told the New York Times. “Everyone we’ve spoken to definitely wants an alternative to iTunes and the iPod. MySpace could be that alternative.†No doubt, this is an ambitious strategy but fraught with many questions. For example, how much sales appeal will these three million bands actually have? MP3.com, for example, painfully discovered there was little interest when it attempted to sell non-mainstream music a few years ago. Another question is whether MySpace "members" have any interest in spending money online and, if so, how much? We're talking about teenagers who have disposeable income but how much will be left for MySpace digital music after clothes, wireless bills, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing MySpace's plans because any effort to exploit a user base of 106 million members is a positive - and there's lot of good things about diversifying your revenue base beyond advertising. As for MySpace creating an alternative to iTunes and the iPod, that could be a Don Quixote-like assignment. If MySpace really wants to get into the digital music business, it would be better off trying to carve off its own niche rather than trying to knock off an institution such as iTunes. Perhaps it could position itself as the place to discover undiscovered bands. Mathew Ingram also has questions about the "sale-ability" of MySpace's three million band universe, and he makes a good point that the traditional record companies are the ones who really should be worried. Rob Hyndman is far more bullish, suggesting the music labels will be "eager to to get first dibs on whatever the MySpace model manages to develop".
Technorati tags: MySpace, iTunes
Written by Mark Evans on September 2nd, 2006 with no comments.
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Looks like today's blogging is all about more and more.
Now we have Universal Music, home to artists such as U2, planning to make its catalog of recordings and music videos available for free on an ad-supported Web site that will launch later this year.
According to the buzz, SpiralFrog.com will split advertising revenue with the recording company.
Users can download an unlimited number of songs or music videos if they register at the site. Tracks cannot be burned to a CD, but users will be able to transfer music to portable media players equipped with Microsoft Windows digital rights management software.
However, the service will not work with Apple's Macintosh computers or its market-leading iPod music players. (Is that a good idea?)
Fine reporting from The Washington Post.
www.spiralfrog.com
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 31st, 2006 with no comments.
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Here's another gadget that I wished I had inverted -- it's simply called Cordgo, and in a way that is what is does (or enables you to do).
A one hand-operated cord adjustment and storage accessory, Cordgo's durable, lightweight design fits in the palm of your hand to deliver cord control.
No more dangling iPod cords, cell phone cords, MP3 player cords; in fact, any cord up to 3mm in diameter.
Cordgo was designed to perform as an integral component between cord and digital device so it adjusts the cord automatically to "the perfect length."
It eliminates the tangling and physical interference of a cord and can be clipped to your belt, arm band, key chain, car visor, bag or slipped it in your pocket.
MSRP: $9.95 (and now with a "buy one, get one free" offer, plus free decals that can be affixed to the face of the cover)
www.cordgo.com
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Not too many gadgets hit the age of 50, especially in the world of computers, but the hard drive is still going strong at 50 years of age!
(I never would have guessed!)
(An age that many may feel depressed about while looking longily at retirement, which looms not that far on the horizon).
Now, analysts are predicting that more drives will be sold over the next five years than in all the previous years combined.
The hard drive has become ubiquitous, being used in everything from iPods to TiVos to cars (that sounds funny)-- and still in computers, for that matter.
Nice brief from CEA Smartbriefs, which points to the always reliable The Mercury News, which has the whole great story.
And yes, that big bad thing to the left is the first hard drive, with 50 spinning, 24-inch-wide disks covered with red paint.
(Like the red paint touch -- wonder why they picked that color? After all, it was an IBM product that came out of the lab in Silicon Valley -- San Jose, to be exact).
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
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I blogged a while back about Macy's plans to add kiosks to sell gadgets in its department stores.
Now (and I know you Macy's fans have been waiting for this!) comes plans for bringing back the Electronics Department! Yes, it hasn't been in Macy's since 1997, when electronics superstores (and less than stellar products, like Fisher audio) chased it away.
The plans call for a limited selections of electronics, including DVD players, iPod vending machines and other small gadgets.
For those of you who do remember, the new department will be "considerably" smaller than the old ones.
Check out American City Business Journals for more info.
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 21st, 2006 with no comments.
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According to recent poll published in the Los Angeles Times, young people aren't that crazy about mobile TV.
(Do you think maybe the screen size has something to do with it?)
The poll indicates that this important group may not be embracing mobile video at the rate that many in the entertainment industry assume.
Just about 50% of young adults and 40% of teenagers say they have no interest in watching TV on computers, cell phones or iPods.
Multitasking has to stop at some time!
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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Remember the earlier blog about DVD kiosks?
(I hope so; it was only 24 hours or so ago ...)
Well, now Macy's is getting on the gadget kiosk bandwagon to make its "retail experience" even more interesting.
Macy's is planning to install self-serve robotic vending machines that will offer iPods and most likely other popular gadgets. The roll-out will be at 180 Macy's stores this fall (which is sadly not that far away).
You know, this is a good idea, but I still like touching and holding the gadget before I buy it -- wonder if the kiosks will have some sort of rubber gloves you can wear like in those scary laboratory sci-fi movies? 
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 11th, 2006 with no comments.
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Here's a Sunday morning ethical issue to chew on based on a true story. A women comes into a busy drugstore in downtown Toronto to ask the pharmacist a question. After she leaves without buying anything (no customer information is collected through a credit card transaction), the pharmacist discovers the woman has left behind her 60GB video iPod with music and family photos on it. Several weeks have past and the iPod remains unclaimed - perhaps because the women is unable to remember where she left it. So, what do you do? Do you take over "ownership" of the iPod given it's unlikely it will ever be reclaimed? And, if so, what do you do with the 12GB of music and photos on the iPod that belonged to the woman who lost it? Do you just use the other 48GB just in case the iPod owners shows up one day?
I'm not sure but the ownership issue could be resolved if the iPod owner registered it with Apple/iTunes. If I remember the process correctly, you need to provide a serial number located on the back of iPod during the registration process. Perhaps the pharmacist could send an e-mail to Apple, which could then track down the owner and re-unite her with the iPod. If anyone has any suggestions, pass them along.
Written by Mark Evans on August 6th, 2006 with no comments.
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Maybe it's the intense heat (hot as blazes!), but seems to be a drop in gadget use on the train this morning.
(I thought everyone was goin' mobile!)
Last time, seems that just about half the commuters had some sort of gadget that they were using to pass the time (mobile phone, iPod or other MP3 player, notebook computer, Blackberry), but today that percent dropped to less than 1 in 10 (that 10% -- but let's not rush back to school quite yet).
Today, we had a couple of Dell notebooks (one IBM ThinkPad -- or was it Lenovo?), an iPod, Blackberry and Treo -- and that's about it.
Let's see if gadget usage increases in the fall, when it should be cooler ...
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 1st, 2006 with no comments.
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PortalPlayer, a fabless chip company based in San Jose, California says that company CEO Gary Johnson is leaving the company for opportunities in the start-up land. The company became a stock market darling because its chips powered the red-hot iPod.
“My true passion is in leading companies through their initial rapid growth,” said Mr. Johnson. “When I joined PortalPlayer, the company had one product and very limited cash. Today, it has several design teams working on products for three major personal multimedia player markets and nearly $200 million in cash.
Or is he getting out of dodge! While PortalPlayer has grown as a company, it is finding hanging onto Apple as a customer a tough act. Apple is now buying chips from Samsung and Sigma Designs for iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle respectively. Lately there have been rumors that Nvidia might become a supplier for Apple’s next generation video iPod.
In the second quarter of 2006, PortalPlayer’s sales declined to $34.6 million from $44.6 million in second quarter of 2005. In first quarter of 2006, sales were just over $72 million. Profits plunged from $6.5 million a year ago to about $1.4 million.
Written by Om Malik on July 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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John Gruber, arguably one of the best writers on all things Mac puts Microsoft’s Zune under the microscope and says …
Is that not the epitome of metastatic corporate bureaucracy? One division within Microsoft spending $100 million or more to launch their own closed media player system; another division charged with lining up “partners” for the PlaysForSure platform that Microsoft’s own media player division deems not good enough. Isn’t that like inviting guests to your home for dinner and serving them hot dogs while you yourself eat a steak?
Michael Wolf of ABI Research recently emailed in response to my Zune post and added that Microsoft shouldn’t have taken the “closed model” approach of Apple. “Think if they were to let Real Networks and the MTV service and Napster sell onto the Zune as well,” he wrote in. “I think it would be a major incentive for the consumer. They can still say ‘we provide choice’ instead of ‘we’re doing what Apple is doing.’”
Written by Om Malik on July 25th, 2006 with no comments.
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Much excitement today about Microsoft's announcement that it is planning on developing an iPod competitor to take on Apple directly.
What's funny is that Microsoft goes one way, Apple goes another (so what else is new?).
Seems Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer has strongly hinted that Apple plans to offer a mobile phone. (Slimmer than Moto?)
"We don't think that the phones that are available today make the best music players -- we think the iPod is," he said. "But over time that is likely to change, and we're not sitting around doing nothing."
This from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Bloomberg.
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 24th, 2006 with no comments.
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As several news sites
have reported, Microsoft plans to release a new music and entertainment player and accompanying software under the "Zune" brand this year to challenge the
Apple iPod media player. The latest Apple iPod plays both music and videos with the ability to download TV shows and
now even full-fledged movies via iTunes.
Microsoft hopes to take some of the 70& marketshare from Apple which has dominated the portable media player market.
The sad thing is, Microsoft could have dominated this market had they minituarized the bulky PocketPC years ago. The PocketPC enjoyed some success, but never really took off. Part of the reason was that PocketPCs were too bulky to use as an MP3 player while jogging on a treadmill or just walking down the street. Even when
Dell launched the Axim series of PocketPCs, which were thinner and lighter, it was too late. Blackberries stole the show for remote email access and the iPod stole the show for portable music leaving PocketPCs out in the cold. Even though the PocketPC could do remote email, play mp3s, as well as GPS navigation and other functionality, it unfortunately suffered from doing too many things "ok" and did not do
one thing really really well.Dell discontinued the Axim PocketPC series, and Windows Mobile 5 finally put the final nail in the coffin for PocketPCs. Why have a dedicated PocketPC PDA when you can get a Windows Mobile 5 smartphone that is a PDA plus a phone, and all the other functionality - mp3 player, calendar, email, etc.
Personally, I'd rather Microsoft offer a smartphone that can store >20GB of music and video content rather than try and compete with Apple's "one trick pony" iPod, which doesn't have smartphone functionality. All of the cellphones or even smartphones I have used have a terrible built-in MP3 player or didn't have enough storage. Most smartphones use SD/miniSD cards instead of hard drives to conserve battery power. If Microsoft were to offer a Windows Mobile 5 smartphone with >20GB of multimedia storage, decent standby/talk time, and an intuitive user interface (iPod-like) then I'd buy it in a nano-second.
So Microsoft, take my advice and forget about competing with the iPod with a single purpose "Zune" media player and instead offer a compelling converged device that does everything the iPod can do and more all on an easy-to-use smartphone. As a gadget-lover, this would be my dream device and I'd auction off my current iPod on eBay faster than you can say "buh bye iPod."
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 24th, 2006 with no comments.
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So Microsoft is going to get into the music device business - imitating the same “integrated experience” philosophy as Apple has successfully deployed to carve itself a big share of the portable music player and online music business. Devices, the store, the whole nine yards. Hard drives, wifi, wireless discovery … It is as comprehensive feature set you can get using Microsoft Word’s copy & paste feature. Okay, I am being mean 
! (Engadget has the details, so no point in repeating them.
If there is a sense of panic inside Infinite Loop, then Jobs’ army must also be feeling vindicated. Their way is the only way to make sense of the inherently complex online world. It might be the start of a long drawn out of war, except this time don’t find Apple to be the loser … just yet.
More on that some other day, but the real and perhaps the only story in the news is that Microsoft’s partners - from device makers to music services - just got double crossed by the company they choose to believe in. I like to call it Zun-ked (a tiny take off on Punked.)
Let me break this down: Zune - the devices, the platform, and the store/service - will compete with everyone from Apple (of course) to Creative Technologies, iRiver, Samsung, Archos, Rhapsody, Napster, Yahoo Music and anyone dumb enough to buy into Microsoft’s visions of Urge, Media Player, PlayForSure etc.
Microsoft could argue that Zune would be unique and those others can still do business. But it is also a classic example of why Microsoft is lumbering bureaucratic morass wrapped in a can of conflicts. A modern day version of medieval fiefdoms, perhaps? Take for instance, Urge which is built into Windows Vista, and is what I guess you could call an almost integrated experience. What happens to consumers when faced with the choice of Zune or Urge!!! Answer - iPod.
Michael Gartneberg, analyst with Jupiter Research is spot on when he writes at the very end of his analysis,
Early market share, however, isn’t likely to come from disgruntled iPod users looking to switch. The real losers in the short term are likely to be the likes of Creative, iRiver and other former partners that have failed to deliver to market share from Apple and will now find themselves not only competing with Apple but with their former partners from Redmond.
Ironically, this is not the first time those who have chosen to believe in Microsoft have been double crossed. There was the unceremonious killing of the Smart Display. That left guys like Samsung in the lurch, especially after spending millions on that. I has posed that question to a visiting team of senior Samsung executives, but never really got an answer.
With Zune, Microsoft might have set a precedent in warning off companies who might want to partner with them in the future. Regardless, the Apple-Microsoft duopoly is an interesting opportunity for rest of the industry to come together and figure out a way to work together on open standards. Unfortunately it is not going to happen, so we will watch this game and see who wins.
Written by Om Malik on July 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
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So many gadgets, so little time ...
Wanted to open up the lines of communication and hear from you about what you consider the best gadget of the summer.
It can be a pure summer play -- like a CD radio that also includes a fan to keep you cool -- or it could be an all-around handy dandy gadget -- like a DVR/VCR combo unit. Or anything else for that matter.
Let us hear from you on your favorite -- and why (in 50 words or less, please).
Our expert panel will judge all entries and one lucky winner will receive some kind of gadget from us -- no, it won't be an iPod, like so many other offers ... or something from Pirates of the Caribbean either ...
So let us hear from you!
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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ThinkSecret, the guys sued for revealing
Apple secrets,
is at it again with a rumored Apple video rental service in the works that will allow you to rent videos for download to a video iPod. Apple CEO
Steve Jobs is rumored to announce the availability of movie rentals on iTunes at next month’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Although carried on the iTunes site, I wonder if this means they'll call it iVideo? According to ThinkSecret, Apple has agreements with Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros, with others in the works.
Unfortunately, it appears that Hollywood and the movie studios have gotten their way with a strict rental model that forces the video download to expire using DRM (digital rights management). Whether or not the video expires after a certain date or after a certain number of playbacks remains to be seen. I'm not one for expiring content - unless it is heavily discounted - otherwise I'd rather purchase the content outright even if it costs a little more. I should point out that it doesn't cost the movie studios hardly anything to distribute their copyrighted material over IP, so they should be able to heavily discount video rentals that are downloaded. But don't count on $0.99/movie (ala iTunes music) downloads - that's just wishful thinking. (
Note: iTunes currently offers TV show downloads and other video content, but currently not movies)
MovieLink offers digital downloads/rentals as well as the ability to purchase and own movies.
CinemaNow also offers movie downloads -
even HDTV versions, as does
MovieBeam. So what Apple is doing is nothing new. What they bring to the table though is the ability for users to easily access digital media all from their online iTunes store. They truly bring a rich user experience that makes it easy to purchase music and "soon" movies. Still, I'm betting that Holywood will still place a high premium on movies and TV shows that will force users to get their video content for free on P2P sites such as Bittorrent, eDonkey, etc. Until Hollywood finally gets it and offers movie & TV downloads for a reasonable price, they will suffer the same Napster effect that finally brought about the inexpensive $0.99 music download (and lower).
I wonder how successful Apple has been with their
current video downloads on iTunes.com which offers TV shows for just $1.99? I doubt Hollywood will allow $1.99 for movies - or if they do, you probably only get 30 days to watch the movie.
Also, really Apple should rename iTunes to iMedia or iEntertainment if they're going to expand into video and other content. Hmmm, better go check and see if those domains are taken.
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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The
BBC has a story on how the British Phonographic Industry wants political leaders getting together at the G8 Summit to talk about Allofmp3.com, the Russian music service selling music for 10% of regular prices.
Allofmp3.com claims it's doing nothing wrong because it "operates in full compliance with all Russian laws". AllofMP3, which is the second-most popular music downloading site in the U.K., is an interesting beast because the fact you have to pay to play allays some or much of the guilt felt by many consumers who had been shying away from free services such as Kazaa and BitTorrent but not quite willing to use iTunes yet. Granted, paying $1.42 for Rihanna's
hot, new CD,
"A Girl Like Me", doesn't seem quite right but it's on the up and up until someone (
Vladamir Putin, the RIAA?) says it's not. For now, the G8 should ignore the music industry's pleas for help so it can focus on the real issues such as the growing crisis in the Middle East.
Written by Mark Evans on July 16th, 2006 with no comments.
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You know, gadgets don't have to look cool to be cool, but it certainly helps. (Exhibit #1 please: the iPod).
Well, if you love design and all things gadgets (and Beyond -- remember that from seeing Click! recently?), then the recent issue of Business Week that featured "The Best Product Design of 2006" is must reading.
According the article, design teams from Asia nabbed a quarter of this year's gold awards, up from 8 percent in 2005. What's more, the bar of excellence is moving ever higher; design has become strategic, the very core of their efforts to differentiate what they make and do.
Take a look at the 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs), which is sponsored by BusinessWeek and judged independently by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Here's an excerpt from the article:
What were the key surprises this year? The strong showing by Asia is clearly one of the most striking trends. Panasonic won six awards, twice as many as the next winner and far more than any U.S. or European corporation. China’s Lenovo Group computer maker took two golds, the most of any company. Samsung Group won a gold and two silvers and still leads all global corporations, including Apple Computer, for the most idea wins over the past five years.
Wha'ts really interested is actually seeing all of these neat product designs -- you will not believe how cool some of them are! (And even for what might be consider "uncool" products.)
Read all about it at www.businessweek.com.
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 10th, 2006 with no comments.
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Loved the Allsop Splash Pack DriPod so much that we've just added another one to keep some of my precious gadgets dry this summer!
(And no, that is not a giant tongue!)
The Splash Pack is an air-tight case for your iPod that features a triple seal, heat-sealed headphone jack, it's fully submersible to almost 10 feet (three meters to be exact).
The lanyard makes it easy to hang it around your neck, drape on your beach lounger or strap to your kayak.
Not just for iPods, it can be used with many small electronic gadgets, like another MP3 player, digital camera or cell phone.
Price: $19.99
www.allsop.com
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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on July 7th, 2006 with no comments.
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Thinking about July 4th and how the holiday (at least for me) brings of thoughts of fireworks, BBQs and the beach ...
Now, with all of the noise about MP3 players and iPods and personal music players, whatever happened to beaches filled with boomboxes on July 4th?
Yes, they are loud, often play music we don't want to hear, but they do foster a sense of community when you're at the beach with friends.
Are there still "No Radio Playing" signs at your local beach?
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