Recent Comments:
TUAW poll: How much iPhone data have you used? {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Jul 19th 2007 9:29PM Since Launch:
Sent: 44.2 MB
Received: 370 MB
I love WiFi.
-Baldwin
Ask Engadget: Best wireless router? {Engadget}
Jul 5th 2007 10:02PM Apple Airport Extreme 802.11n.
Best Router I've EVER owned.
I purchased the Airport Express when I was trying to set up wireless. This was after I purchased and returned: 2 linksys routers and 1 d-link router. After I pluged in the Express everything worked FLAWLESSLY. I recently purchased the Airport Extreme and it works even better! I will never buy another brand of wireless router. The other brands (at least the ones I tried) do not have the consistency that I needed. I even had my laptop right next to the Linksys and the tech support guy didn't know what the problem was. Apple's router has performed extremely well, and works well with Mac or Windows PCs.
-Baldwin
Seagate crams 250GB on a single Barracuda platter {Engadget}
Jun 7th 2007 10:49PM So, how much storage is on the drive? 250GB?
-Baldwin
iPhone to run $300-400 after contract? {Engadget}
Feb 16th 2007 2:58PM Does anyway else think this graphic is SCREAMING Photoshop?
Considering that they used a Black background for the iPhone, when on Cingular's website they have a pic of it on a white background?
Also, the price looks really steep when they don't even tell you waht the iPhone Does!
Yes, this is made up folks!
-Baldwin
Video of LG's KE850: it's no poser {Engadget}
Jan 14th 2007 1:35AM You dont have to use the stupid scroll bar in Multi-Touch like you have to on the LG. You can simply drag your finger anywhere on the screen and the list or webpage or photo will drag with your finger.
I noticed that he had a stupid scroll bar, Olypus tried that on the M:Robe and it failed, with Multi-Touch I don't have to move my finger to the side of the screen, I can simply drag it anywhere.
Verizon is still laughing at those cingular punks..
Baldwin
President
ThinkShoppingOnline.com
Video of LG's KE850: it's no poser {Engadget}
Jan 14th 2007 1:30AM This is why Verizon is not worried about the iPhone...they have LG.
HAHAHAHA
Baldwin
President
ThinkShoppingOnline.com
iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth? {Engadget}
Jan 11th 2007 2:24PM I think the LG will be a CDMA phone, because...
when people go up to the VERIZON or SRPINT counter and ask...
"Do you have the iPhone?"
"The iPhone, that thing sucks! Get the LG it's better, it's 3G!"
and so, they sign a Verizon or Sprint contract and Apple looses out on anouther sale...
oh well...the iPhone it still better...
Go Apple!
-Baldwin
http://www.thinkshoppingonline.com/
Cingular scheduled to rebrand as AT&T by iPhone launch {Engadget Mobile}
Jan 10th 2007 5:01PM YAY!
That Means cheaper DATA for the iPhone!
Can anyone say Unlimited for $19.99?
-Baldwin
http://www.thinkshoppingonline.com/
For some, iPhone could cost up to $1349 {The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)}
Jan 10th 2007 2:13PM Do you honestly think someone with bad credit will be interested in a 500 dollar phone? I used to work for Cingular and you have to completley trash your credit to get a deposit, and even then most of the time it's either 100 or 250.
I'm a college student and I have NO CREDIT what-so-ever. I went into a Cingular stor the other day and they punched in my info and they said that I had "no deposit" so, if someone with NO CREDIT can get "No deposit" you must have pretty crappy credit to get a 750 dollar deposit..
Have a nice day,
-Baldwin
http://www.thinkshoppingonline.com/
Final Macworld predictions? {Engadget}
Jan 8th 2007 4:20PM "The First 30 years were just the beginning. Welcome to 2007."
So, here goes....
How do the iTV and the Apple Phone relate?
well, to start out with, they haven't been released yet, but aside from that..
Once upon a time, Napster To-Go was created and the subscription music service was born..
but, that flopped right?
right, but for the simple reason that it wouldn't work on iPods that people already owned, and the mp3 players on the market still sucked.
a short time later, speculation surfaces that Apple was interested in creating a subscription service
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=950
Fast Forward
Apple begins selling TV shows and Movies in the newly renamed "iTunes Store"
Fast Forward some more tot Today
Apple has the largest online music library.
Apple has the largest online TV Show library, with over 56 networks.
Apple has the most popular Movie Store, and with the success of the TV Shows, is sure to add more studios.
Apple is now KING of the Content...
but, there is anouther King of Content...
Enter Google
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/...29173747.shtml
So, what does this mean for 2007?
The answer lies in iTV and the Apple Phone.
iTV
well, we already know a ton about the iTV...
but, quite your crying, The iTV has, and will never have, a DVR or TiVo like interface...
why?
TiVo is dead.
The iTV will NOT include now or in the future a DVD or Blu-Ray player..
why?
DVD is dead
Blu-Ray is dead
HD-DVD is dead
(I can hear everyone crying)
I'm sorry, but the simple fact of the matter is, is that the iTV's greatest feature is in Apple's Subscription Service
The service would be similar to Napster To-Go or Rhapsody, but on the iTV everything would be streamed (with the option of saving after download, similar to QuickTime).
For a low price, make one up (i like $24.99), you would get unlimited Music, TV Shows, and Movies streamed to your computer or iTV device.
Of course, the iTV will funcion as a simple media streamer if you opt-out of the service, so in reality, if you want one right now, and you dont want the service, this dosn't change anything...
You would still have the ability to make playlists of streamed content, or you could simply download it and listen/watch it offline or on your iPod.
TV shows would be added immediately after broadcast.
The interface would be similar to Front Row's use of Movie Trailers, but it would be much more powerful and be fully integrated in a spotlight like search.
You would have the option of scheduling shows and movies to download when they become available, you would have a list of shows to watch, just like you do on your TiVo, but you wouldn't have to fast forward through the commercials...
Certain networks such as CNN and ESPN would provide a live feed of their networks with commercials..
the downloaded shows and movies would remain at their current resolution for a while, but over time increase to 480p, then 720p, then 1080p (just like the Apple movie trailers). this makes blu-ray pointless with it's expensive equipment and even more expensive movies.
For the price of a blockbuster subscirption (in my hapyy world), I get everything
and of course, viral content would be provided by Google....
Before you shake your head and say "no way"....
consider the fact that the Movie Studios and TV Networks PREFER the subscription model and are only "selling" them in iTunes because it's so popular, but, in the case of the movie studios..that has yet to be seen...
Now, for the main event...
Apple Phone
some people have wondered if Apple will even make a Phone, but the simple answer to the question is...
They have too.
I took a class with this guy who asked the class if there was anyone who wanted to buy his iPod..
I asked him why he was selling it, and he said that he recently got a new phone that plays music, when he got it he thought he would still use his iPod, but after a while, he used it less and less favoring his phone, which he had on him all the time anyway.
most people don't purchase a phone with the intention of ditching their iPod. The ditching happens over time, because people get used to the convince of having their music with them all the time...
I always have my phone in my pocket, I don't have my iPod in my pocket all the time...
iPod is dying....
The phone will be UMTS/HSDPA Only. No GSM. (shock and Aww)
If you don't belive that...why the hell did Apple put ONLY an Express Card/34 slot on the MacBook Pro when you couldn't buy an cards for the slot?
One of my friends works as a Cingular sales rep and Cingular recently sent out a memo that 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) coverage was now in every market with a population over 100,000 people. In another memo shortly after that Cingular instructed sales reps to sell 3G phones, becasue the GSM network will be phased out in the future like the TDMA network.
Cingular is going to shift it's services to a Packet Data voice service....in other words VOIP.
For the simple reason.....it's cheaper.....and that means....more moeny for us!
So....what's Apple to do?
Create an MVNO...but with a little class.....
I recently read about how much phone manufactures hate carriers, because of their specific demands.
Plus, if it were to be on Cingular, like ThinkSecret has suggested, it would break Cingular Music offering, which is based upon Windows Media file format.
MVNO is simply the best option for Apple, because it lets them do whatever they want. Steve & Co. cannot stand being out of control (a la iTunes fixed pricing)
There has been a ton of speculation over whether the MVNO will be though Cingular or Tmobile...
but, sit back for this...
how about both of them?
why not?
The phone would simply use whichever network was availible, and if both were available it would use which ever was cheaper for Apple.
and since this phone is packet data only (UMTS/HSDPA), the prices will actually be a lot cheaper than what people think...
(in my perfect world, and all things apple simple....$59 a mouth, the wireless sweet spot, for Unlimited Voice, Data, and Text)
actually, its not outside of the realm of possibility, considering that Cingular offers unlimited Data on a laptop card for $79 ($59 with a voice plan) and since I can pay a bit extra on skype or vonage and make unlimited calls on my laptop....whats the difference?
Oh yeah...and Apple isn't going to do the silly contract subsidizing thing...if people will pay $299 for an iPod, they will pay $299 for a phone....
You will actually be able to just "buy the damn phone", and nothing is really required...this way you can buy it as a gift or just for yourself...
The phone will be unlocked when purchased, but, you will be encouraged heavily to sign up for Apple's MVNO. If you live in the USA, it's really the best choice, because going with either Tmobile or Cingular, will gain you LESS coverage.
So, why is Apple going to create an MVNO?
to tie it in with their media service that your getting on your iTV...
the service wouldn't even be an extra charge, it would simply be included in the wireless mouthly fee (my perfect world $59 a mouth)....
This phone wouldn't even be similar to an iPod, it'd be so much better....
Imagine having Apple's ENTIRE library of Music, Movie, and TV Shows with you EVERYWHERE.
Anything could be sent Over-The -Air directly to your phone.
of course, if you really wanted to keep the song (or if you weren't using Apple's MVNO), you could purchase it over the Air, just like iTunes.
The Phone would have a limited amount of storage, but it really wouldn't matter, because, you would be getting all of your content immediately over the air. You could even make streaming playlists similar to Rhapsody.
Is this such a streatch? Sprit already offers full length tv show streaming to people's phones. Verizon offers over the air music purchases....whats one more step?
The way this can be accomplished is by making the phone UMTS/HSDPA only, because this will keep the cost very low for Apple.
but, they dont intend to make much moeny off of the service anyway....because the SERVICE (a la iTunes) attracts people to buy THE PHONE!
well, thats all I can think of for now....will it hit at MacWorld? depends on a lot of factors...but, I would say sometime in 2007...
Thanks...talk it up!
