Looks like Apple may have a surprise for us all on March 6th, a week later than Apple’s originally announced February release of its iPhone SDK. In its invite, Apple specifies that, “Some exciting new enterprise features,” will on the agenda at the Town Hall in Building 4 on Apple’s Cupertino campus on March 6th. Could this be the Exchange Direct-Push SvenOnTech first reported on last January that Apple is working on?
With e-mail push for corporate customers the number one request of the iPhone, such an “enterprise feature” would put another boast into iPhone sales for sure and finally giving Blackberry some mean competition. It’s clear Apple is aware of business men and women’s needs based just on this statement contained within the invite. It’s even possible that Apple may announce support for Blackberry BAS (push) server as well which would then cover the two most popular methods of receiving e-mail for business professionals.
Time will tell and it is our hope that Apple will impress with such an announcement next week.
This story sits a little close to home as I have been personally been installing T-Mobile HotSpots for nearly two years nearing 200 stores installed in Northern California in that time period. With Starbucks’ announcement yesterday (and I had an install for Sacramento called off minutes before pulling into the Starbucks parking lot), AT&T customers have much to benefit starting this spring. Those with AT&T broadband services will have unlimited Internet service at any of 7,000 Starbucks stores. Starbucks Card holders will receive 2 hours a day free with an option to purchase a “session” for $3.99. Unfortunately the statement does not explicitly state if AT&T cellular (formally Cingular) customers will obtain free or discounted Wi-Fi access. The statement did say, “AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.” Hopefully that means smartphone users, i.e. iPhone. If you do not fit any of the above described users, than you can pay $19.99 per month and have access to an additional 70,000 other hotspots world-wide.
Analysts are a bit surprised as to why Starbucks has left T-Mobile for its Wi-Fi access but having spoken to many “partners” (Starbucks terminology for employees) myself, it’s obvious why T-Mobile lost a great contract. The number one complaint I heard from partners was why did customers have to pay for the access? The second major complaint was that partners also had to pay for the access. Now both of these complaints are answered with the AT&T deal with more than 100,000 partners and, again, all AT&T broadband customers receiving unlimited free Internet access. Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer of Starbucks Coffee Company, echos this in his statement released Monday, saying, “This is what our customers have been waiting for — free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi.”
What does this mean for iPhone users? Outside of the unclear statement for free Wi-Fi access, it does open a world of possibilities for Apple’s smartphone holders. AT&T has provided point-of-sale systems for Starbucks for ten years and now with a public Internet connection in all Starbucks’ locations by year-end, it will make for a perfect synergy to let Apple exploit its already golden relationship with Starbucks. Apple’s free iTunes use at many locations today could expand to the ability to order a Latte or pound of Komodo without even being in the store. Based on Starbucks statement of “comprehensive communications agreement”, it’s easy to see Apple adding the capability to iPhones and Wi-Fi enabled iPods to make an order without having to walk up to the register. The user would simply make payment via their iTunes account and walk over to the Barista and pick up their drink. What market potential for both Apple and Starbucks to offer its customers. This would aid Apple in future sales and help Starbucks increase traffic to its stores. With T-Mobile, a competing carrier of AT&T, this would have been a bit difficult for Apple to work out. Now, it seems it’s just a matter of sending Steve Jobs down to San Antonio and speaking to some of the brass at AT&T corporate.
Other incentives for iPhone and iPod users could come from this deal with AT&T and Starbucks which may not make Apple’s rumored five year exclusive contract with AT&T so bad after all.
You will finally be able to truly conquer Time Machine and Spaces with Apple’s latest update, 10.5.2. With the ability to turn off Space’s funky spring view of the folders, you’ll be able to go back to that great simply listing of Tiger. Also fixed is Time Machine’s inability to see some external hard drivers as well as automatically popping up the status window when running. Also noted by Apple is, ” Improved general stability when running third-party applications.” That would be nice since 10.5.1 seems to crash so many of my applications when I was on that awful rev. No specifics if Windows Network shares are fixed, but this comment, “Addresses a hanging issue that may occur when connecting to an AFP network volume,” on Apple’s release notes seems to indicate maybe you mixed network folk should have no more issues.
Leopard users can initiate download via there Software Update on their Mac.
For a complete list of fixes in the near 400 MB upgrade, take the leap below…
Billed as the site, “All things Apple. Past, present and future,” ThoughtDifferent.com chronociles the past of Apple.com as far back as July 1997. Unlike the Way Back Machine (Internet Archive), ThoughtDifferent seems to be a bit heavier in complete pages of Apple’s past site. Presented in the Cover Flow format, you’ll be able to go back month by month (if available) and then a single click brings up the page (an image) with history to it on the left side. The oldest page in the archive from July 1997 tells us that, “The earliest homepage found shows how radical the new design was. In 1997 this style (and still is) was a standard layout for a page. Cluttered with text and information and graphically not too pleasing on the eye.” It still amazes me how bad web pages looked back then…and I thought they were cutting edge at the time!
You can look at this page and remember that OS X once wasn’t the big news, but rather Mac OS 8 (and its “Platinum” look) was. Also found on the page is Newton’s Internet Enabler 2.0 giving Newton users access to Ethernet.
Boston still had Macworld in the summer, Mars was saying hello to NASA’s Sojourner and Apple was showing of QuickTime VR of the planet, and you could win a PowerBook 3400/200. Oh, don’t forget about Apple’s eMate, either. 
Aaah, memories…
Like it did with the Mac Pro just a week prior to Macworld, Apple has again upgraded some hardware without any fan fare. This time it was the highly speculated announcement at Macworld for the iPhone. Off a few weeks from the Apple-based trade show, the speculation was on mark and now current iPhone users feeling tight at the belt line can pay $499 for this beefier memory phone. Those that have been holding out for more memory now have their wish.
No details from Apple as to if any other hardware has changed internally as requests for details were ignored. So, it may be very possible other things were upgraded or maybe even added. Time and a firmware upgrade will only tell.
As a side note, the iPod touch also doubled its memory from 16 GB to 32 GB. Let the new iPhone rumors begin…
Incipio Technologies, Inc. announced the launch of its newest lifestyle accessory for the Apple MacBook Air, the Orion Sleeve by Incipio. The Orion Sleeve is Incipio’s answer to Apple’s ultra thin, ultra light notebook computer. Just as thin and just as sexy, the Incipio Orion Sleeve protects in style. The Orion sleeve is made of synthetic leather and ultra durable high density foam and is lined in luxurious soft micro suede . Weighing in at just under 7.5oz (215 grams) and 6mm thin, the Orion Sleeve offers excellent protection, elegant style and focuses on simplicity.
On the eve of Apple’s highly anticipated public release of the MacBook Air - Incipio has immediately released its stylish and protective cases for the MacBook Air. The Orion Sleeve is available directly on Incipio’s website in limited quantities. “Incipio continues to be the first to market, supporting Apple’s highly successful product line.” stated Andy Fathollahi, President of Incipio. “We are excited about this product as it is truly a perfect match for the MacBook Air and our first major notebook accessory. We think that our customer’s are going to be extremely pleased with the Orion Sleeve”
Features of the Orion Sleeve for MacBook Air:
- Thin and Lightweight - Weighing in at only 7.5oz (215 Grams) measuring only 6mm thin.
- Available immediately in 4 colors (Black Absoluto, Randy Red, Burnt Orange, and Olive Green).
- Lined in luxurious ultra suede.
- Assembled using Incipio’s ultra thin and durable flat lock stitching.
- Forms to fit the MacBook Air, providing users a custom fit.
This product as well as hundreds of other products are available at www.myincipio.com as well as selected retailers across the country and throughout the globe.
Well known Apple accessory designer, Power Support has announced the latest in protective accessories to keep your music safe. The revolutionary Black Crystal Jacket Set is customized to keep the damage to your iPod Touch at a minimum. Power Supports Black Crystal Jacket Set for the iPod Touch is just what you need to compliment the aesthetics of the iPod touch, without impeded use of the touch screen.
- Rotating stand allows either vertical or horizontal viewing of the screen
- The crystal jacket allows for protection from dust, scratches, and impacts
- The slim style of the Crystal Jacket won’t add bulk to your iPod.
Now you could probably guess my excitement last week during the Keynote when Steve Jobs announced movie rentals…in High Definition (HD). Two great things that I had been longing for and here they were, right before me. Yes! But I also noticed that Apple’s CEO mentioned this during the Apple TV update and made no stipulation to if the HD would be on both AppleTV and iTunes. I guess raising my hand for a clarification would go unnoticed, so off to the Apple booth I went to find someone who could answer that. After bouncing off a few Apple employees, I finally found one who could answer my question. The answer, “No iTunes support.” Well, would it ever come to iTunes I begged? “I don’t know. Maybe.” Joy.
Here’s the deal with HD and AppleTV. The upgrade supports Dolby 5.1, common to HD set-ups but not exclusive in addition to the menus and other additions. Apple must feel that that coupled with the fact most watch movies from their couch in the living room (or their bed in the bedroom), support for us Mac users isn’t needed. But the thing is, a vast majority of DVD players and HD players (Blu-ray or HD-DVD) aren’t hooked up to audio systems taking advantage of the bliss of digital sound coming from the discs or to even attached to HDTVs (initial install base is at single digits.) Expect similar results out of Apple TV 2.0. Further added frustration to this thought is that Apple’s own web page states, “Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is not available with all HD rentals.”
Another interesting hitch to all of this is the fact that current Apple TV owners will be able to upgrade their firmware and receive HD content without the ability to hear that 5.1 sound. (Kinda kills the audio argument for Apple at this point, I guess.) Erg.
Looking to the visual aspect, what makes a plasma or LCD TV more special than my 30 inch Cinema HD display? Let me repeat my monitors name, Cinema HD. Um, don’t you think, Steve, that my Cinema HD device is just a wee-bit perfect for HD movies? In fact, I’d say it’s freakin’ over kill it’s so good!
So where’s the HD in iTunes, then? I don’t have to have 5.1 audio support, but it’d be nice to have it and with many after-market sound card options, Dolby’s theater performance isn’t an issue. Dying to push my Cinema HD screen to its limits, I’m tired of SD (Standard Definition) content on my lovely screen that I nearly had to hock my first born for to afford it. Give me something, Steve. What gives?
My only hope is my thinking that Apple TV 2.0 gets HD first to push more of Steve’s “hobby” off the shelf. Once the sales are serious enough for Steve to be pleased with them, I think we will see HD on iTunes and finally on my Cinema HD display.
Macworld was a great time last week even if nothing ground breaking happened other than a very thin and a very expensive laptop was released. In my book, Apple TVs update and HD movie rentals was the big news. But what bugged me more than anything was the lack of something and that something was the missing feature of Cut-n-Paste in the iPhone. Without a doubt, this has got to be the most annoying omitted ingredient of the iPhone and yet still, Apple continues to ignore this chasm. Yes, chasm! I can’t understand why there isn’t more of an uproar about this must-have option in such a versatile device. I’m tired of typing in long web addresses from notes, address book notes, and iCal note fields that the iPhone seems to ignore and translate into hyperlinks. I’m tired of typing in redundant information into notes or iCal entries. I’m tired of hand copying text from web sites into other applications. Heck, try typing, from memory at best, long WEP keys for protected wireless networks! Tired, tired, tired! What gives?!
Well, I hunted someone down at Macworld to give me the answers and after a long search and pass off after pass off from Apple employee to Apple employee, I finally got an answer. The deal is, Apple is aware of the desire for this option and it is working on it in the labs as we speak. The trouble it is having is implementation. How to easily call up a copy or cut option and then the paste action. It’s probable that the zoom bubble (the one that brings up the edit cursor) is the issue as it has removed the obvious tap and hold position from Apple to use for a pop-up menu of some sort. Text selection is another difficulty to sort out. Certainly, the cursor could be added to the menu selection; however, Apple wants to keep this as simple as possible and that added step would not lend itself to simple.
My source would not give me any details other than to say that it has been working on the solution for some time and that there was no immediate release for it. So at best, we can hope that the interface hurdle will be leaped over very soon.
As to Exchange, a straight answer was more difficult to pull out of my Apple source. Yes, Apple knows that there are business professionals that want support for it (and Blackberry Enterprise Server) and Apple is not ignoring this demand. The source would not go as far as to say that it’s being worked on, but when I asked for clarification by questioning, “So is Apple not working on a solution?” he simply laughed and said, “Apple’s aware of the Exchange need.” So, take that at face value, business professionals.
While there is a slew of other unanswered features many have called for since day one, such as voice dialing, these two were my main concern and I was glad to at least get some kind of answer. My source suggested letting Apple know of my fire desires in encouragement that this would help push for a quicker resolve. So, folks, if you agree with my needs, head over to Apple and let them know now!
Savant Systems LLC, with a visionary approach to control and automation that emphasizes reliability and a maintenance-friendly open platform, has announced the introduction of the first ever home automation and control platform based on MAC OS X Leopard™. The company that brought you the revolutionary surface touch ROSIE Coffee Table has created a home control package utilizing a controller called ROSIE and a proprietary configuration tool called RacePoint Blueprint™. This package is the ultimate media experience for Apple developers delivering the best-in-class user interface that Savant has become renowned for within the CEDIA custom installation community. “For the first time, developers have a control and media platform that enables them to sell their Apple-based applications into the CEDIA marketplace via the Savant product suite,” said Savant president Jim Carroll. Participation in the Excellence in AV program will allow third party Apple developers to operate seamlessly in Savant’s system environment.
Savant’s graphical programming environment, called RacePoint Blueprint™, provides Apple developers with an application channel into the CEDIA industry. Savant’s unique combination of configuration software (found within RacePoint Blueprint™) combined with Quartz® Composer and Automator provides Apple developers with an extraordinary automation and control system for many vertical markets. Developers will have the capability to control and interact with such devices as flat panel displays, DVD players, AV receivers, set-top boxes, Apple TV® projectors, lighting, window treatments, and other equipment commonly deployed in multi-room residential settings as well as business installations and theatrical productions-without writing a single line of code. ROSIE delivers intuitive and graphically-rich control and has exciting interactive multimedia capabilities such as integration and interaction with many Apple®-based applications including iTunes® multimedia content and AirTunes™.
Carroll also said, “Developers can now have their applications invoked with the simple push of a button from any of our OS X-based interface technologies that include 5, 7, 9, and 12-inch in-wall touchpanels and a 13.3-inch wireless touchpanel along with Apple’s iPhone™ and iPod® touch. Savant’s touchpanel application takes advantage of the unique user interface of Apple’s iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The developer’s application can be accessed via Savant’s rich GUI. The entire Savant user interface can be accessed on the iPhone™ and iPod® touch with one hand.