Macworld Thoughts
Last week San Francisco played host to the Macworld Conference & Expo, the culmination of weeks of rumors and speculation that had the gadget-obsessed teetering on the brink of sanity.
Fake Steve Jobs said it best:
The suspense is killing you, right?
So I was just hanging out in the executive sweat lodge with Jonny and we were laughing about how all the fanboys are just salivating and drooling and peeing in their pants this week wondering what we're going to announce next week. Jonny says that in the world of an Apple true believer this week, the week before Macworld, is either the best week of the year, or the worst, or both. He says you're all like a bunch of kids on Christmas Eve, all amped up on sugary treats and unable to sleep.
If you're pressed for time, the luscious Veronica Belmont (a title given to her by FSJ which I am further propagating) posted a video of the keynote, compressing the 90 minute presentation into 60 seconds.
The big announcement was of course the MacBook Air, which I found a little underwhelming as I really couldn't see its niche. The general consensus is that you can tell what Apple will release by trying to find holes in its product line. It's clear that there was a need for a device more portable than a MacBook and more functional than the iPhone. The industry was speculating everything from a sub-notebook, to a tablet, to a combination thereof.
It was assumed that after the recent release of the Eee PC by Asus, the Taiwanese manufacturer that supplies many of the components for Apple's laptops, that something similar would pop up with an Apple badge, nicer aesthetics, and a premium price tag.
Instead what we received was not so much a sub-notebook, but an anorexic MacBook. The laptop has a similar footprint to Apple's current laptops, yet could readily be considered a downgrade in almost every way except weight, thickness, and the multi-touch track pad. Merlin Mann of 43folders hit the nail on the head: "MacBook Air got small on the least interesting axis to me."
So who is this for? It's not meant to be a primary machine, and even as a secondary machine it doesn't deliver as much as a MacBook Pro for slightly more money or the MacBook for considerably less. It's great "if you're kinda rich and want a fourth computer," quipped Merlin.
That's pretty much the target audience. "I already ordered mine" said Dave Sifry, founder of Technorati, hours after the keynote. It seems if you want a Mac, aren't too worried about the price tag or its inherent drawbacks compared to other laptops in its class (a travel laptop that doesn't allow you to change batteries?) then this is the laptop for you.
Gizmodo seems to have the same view, exemplified by this excerpt from an interview with Mike Abary, senior vice president of VAIO product marketing:
Sony had a similar vision for an ultraportable once, a carbon fiber notebook in 2004 called the X505 that eschewed the optical and was 0.3 inches thick (compared to 0.16 of the Air) at its thinnest segment. It wasn't that well received, and research later pointed out that "Thinness is not the holy grail". Making something that thin and sexy cost it too much usability.
...
Ultra portables from Sony have evolved into the TZ, complete with LED backlight, a small but usable keyboard, plenty of ports and built in 3G data. So it is possible that Sony believes they are in many ways 4 years ahead of Apple in their understanding of what consumers want.
When the NYTimes pushed Jobs on the issues of limited storage, he responded, "Maybe this isn't the computer for you." I asked Mike who they thought the computer was for. "Beats me" was the initial reply, but came up with an answer: The extremely design conscious.
So there's your new Mac. Except Macworld really isn't about Macs anymore, is it? In fact, Macworld hasn't been about Macs for several years now thanks to Apple's resurgence in other markets.
Previous Macworld events had turned into iPod trade shows, with cases and accessories making up a significant chunk of the exhibitor list. Last year was completely devoid of Macs, with all attention being paid to the iPhone with a little Apple TV thrown in.
To give credit where it's due, there was more of a Mac presence this year. "I expected an iPhone show" said famous Photoshopper Bert Monroy while guest hosting on This Week in Tech, "but there was a return to a lot of Mac software". Leo Laporte, host of This Week in Tech agreed, "Microsoft released Office 2008, Intuit was here" referring to two companies that have historically been dragging their feet updating their Mac software.
There was also a respectable showing of Mac games, actually warranting their own pavilion this year. Aspyr Media won a Macworld Best of Show for its port of Guitar Hero III, and also demoed The Sims. CCP Games showed off EVE Online, and EA showed off Spore, though sadly you could only create characters. Not an impressive showing, but it was nice to see.
Aside from that however it's clear that Apple is focusing away from the Mac. In the last five years there have only been three new Macs introduced to the market; the MacBook Air this week, the MacBook in 2006, and the Mac mini in 2005. Despite changes to their names and internal components, Apple's professional laptops and desktops have remained fundamentally unchanged since 2003. Five years is a long time in the computer industry, and even longer for Apple.
The other announcements made by Apple this year further reflect this, with software updates to both the iPhone and Apple TV, the stars of last year's Expo - more underwhelming news from Apple, the updates having been long rumored and lacking in anything groundbreaking.
Movie rentals at $2.99 for old titles, $3.99 for new releases, and $4.99 for HD titles are coming to the iTunes Store and the Apple TV. The prices and selection are competitive compared to Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, but fall short Netflix's offering.
Netflix stole some of Apple's thunder when it announced unlimited streaming access to all of its unlimited plan customers. Netflix's unlimited plans start at $8.99, which means for less than the price of two HD movies on iTunes you can have unlimited streaming access on Netflix. Netflix also offers 6000 titles for streaming, six times more than Apple's for-rent selection.
It seems then that Netflix is right on Apple's tail, offering more bang for your buck with similar services. However, other companies that have tried to compete with Apple have failed in one crucial area: getting content away from the computer and onto televisions and portable devices. Apple has the Apple TV and an install base of 100+ million iPods and 4 million iPhones. Netflix's service doesn't event work on Macs, much less other devices.
Netflix did make an announcement earlier in the month about a set top box built by LG Electronics that will deliver movies to HDTVs at no additional cost, save the price of the box itself. However it won't be available until at least the second quarter, and is still a far cry from Apple's offering.
Engadget sees this as a sign that the two companies, despite having similar strategies for bringing digital media to the consumer, are aiming at different audiences.
After speaking with Netflix's Reed Hastings, it was found that the vast majority of its streamable content was "older," and considering that users of this service can never look forward to brand new releases being available, the cost (i.e. free to most mail-in subscribers) makes sense. As for Apple, it's able to focus on crowds who are looking for a more robust, generally fresher selection, but of course, you'll pay the premium each time you indulge. Furthermore, Netflix has yet to make transferring video to any display / device other than your monitor easy, and while an LG STB is indeed on the horizon, the differences in content selection are still likely to lure separate eyes.
One thing remains clear, with products from Apple, Netflix, TiVo (via a collaboration with Amazon's Unbox), Microsoft, and the critically well received upstart VUDU, digital distribution has become a viable alternative to traditional outlets like TV and hard copy rentals and this makes the Writers Guild strike all the more poignant.
Our own FearTheReaper had this to say about the recent announcements.
The Apple TV deal has huge implications for the writers strike.
The studios have been claiming that this here internet is just too confounding and complicated; meaning they just don't know how they are going to deliver movies and film to viewers in the future.
Turns out they knew all along. They were clearly hoping we would cave before this announcement, so they could walk away with billions of dollars for years to come. Now all the cards are on the table. We know what they were up to and we know their business model.
There has been a lot of activity this week in Hollywood. Deals being cancelled, the DGA possibly negotiating a deal. All very interesting timing with this announcement.
Apple TV is clearly the future. And now it is here. And we want some of that sweet cash.
But Apple TV's newfound features aren't just a game changer for current studio produced content. They lower the hurdle for new user-generated content as well. Apple TV now allows you to subscribe to podcasts without the need for a computer at all, leap frogging TiVo's own announcement about supporting HD podcasts later this quarter.
There was a strong focus on podcast training at Macworld this year. An entire studio was set up for the purpose of podcast production. Dozens of sessions were made available to attendees on how to raise the quality of production, how to connect with musicians and other artists to collaborate on projects, and how to monetize and market what you produce.
We're likely to see this trend continue as the line between podcasts and traditional programming becomes blurred. Again FTR offered some poignant thoughts.
Only a matter of time. Yesterday we had all the picketers in one location and EVERY writer I talked to was making a show for the web. Tons and tons of good stuff coming.
The studios have already killed themselves.
There are already several well-produced shorts that exist only on the internet, and with the current mood of content producers towards studios, this strike could be the best thing that ever happened to digital distribution.
Another part of Macworld this year that had absolutely nothing to do with Macs was Web 2.0's presence. Pownce, the microblogging social network, held its launch party on Wednesday, celebrating its launch on January 22. Meanwhile, TechCrunch held its inaugural Crunchies, an award ceremony celebrating internet startups and innovators on Friday.
"I'm surprised there aren't more Web 2.0 companies exhibiting this year," said blogger Robert Scoble, "Google was one of the most popular booths." Indeed it was, and that was only partly due to them giving out Google socks, the only swag I relented on. As the line between desktop applications and web applications blurs we will see more exhibitors showing web only products.
It's clear that this show has become more than a gathering of Apple fanboys drooling over the latest toys from their favorite company. Just as Steve Jobs has transformed Apple from a computer manufacturer to a vehicle for digital production and distribution, so has the conference and the people who attend it.
AceT apologizes for the tardiness of this article, he was excitedly doing things and meeting people you probably couldn't care less about.
Tuesday Tasting: Strippers, OSX and STDs
Each week, Ariel Waldman serves a tasting of the latest in sex and tech.
Mac Creates Best Platform For Porn
Despite the disparities over the new OSX version, many seem to agree that it's the best UI for viewing porn. A new comic from the Joy of Tech outlines the ins and outs of getting the most out of your Mac. From using Quick Look to glance at desktop cuties or Time Machine to find those deleted photos of an ex-girlfriend, the new interface enhances your intimate photos. OSXXX may soon be a reality at the current pace of porn and technology, but would a Porn Genius Bar really look like something straight out of the '70s?
Progressive Dating Sites Encourage STD Education And Support
STDs are an unfortunate reality to dating and social networking today. A couple of sites are dedicated to shed light on the subject while protecting and respecting online privacy (unlike Facebook's recent fumbles). Two recent examples:
Club462 is taking the bold step of addressing these sensitive topics and incorporating them into the world of “mainstream” online dating and friendships, through the use of online private and public discussion groups [and] education forums...
PositiveFriends is a network more geared to those living with STDs and the education thereof. By setting up various privacy settings depending on comfort level as well as the ability to blur profile photos so as to remain anonymous, the site lets users cozy up to the service on their own time.
Woman Strips For Weather Station
Okay, okay, she's just digital, but it's always fun to play with pocket-sized gadgets. The Stripping Weather Girl Station isn't exactly turning on any of the gadget blogs (which says a mouthful), but it might be a cute PG-rated gift to put in the stockings this year. It's fairly simple: it gets warm, she strips, it gets hot, she strip, it gets cold, she still wears a mini dress and heels. There were so many clever routes this could have taken. A gadget that could get heterosexual guys hard while advising women what to wear based on the weather would definitely have some kind of a demand.
Tuesday Tasting: Leopard Lust, Facebook And Feel Ups
Each week, Ariel Waldman serves a tasting of the latest in sex and tech.
Kelly Bares All For Leopard Unboxing
No doubt, by now you've seen all the unboxing and read all the bitching about the recently released Leopard Mac OSX. While we've yet to screw with our system, KellysArcade has seemingly done just that. Stripping down for her system upgrade, Kelly took photos of her Mac fangirl fetish and provided us with quite the fleshy photo album. We can't help but concur with Fleshbot, these might be the sexiest set of unboxing photos we've seen.
Mobile Phones Attempt to Fend Off Feel Ups
With a rise in train riders with wandering fingers, feel ups have become a problem for many female commuters in Japan. The "Anti-Groping Appli" is a mobile phone application that flashes threatening text-based messages and sounds at potential perverts. With messages like "Excuse me, did you just grope me?" "Groping is a crime," and "Shall we head to the police?", the phone attempts to be an anti-social object for women who don't want the "hassle" to be heard. We'd recommend a quick elbow to the gut instead before grabbing for your phone.
Risque Facebook Application Goes IRL
Naughty Gifts is one of the most used applications among Facebook fetishists. Gifts like blue balls, whipped cream and pearl necklaces are given as virtual play things for other profiles.
"The kids of MySpace appeared to be more deviant than their Pottery Barn Facebook counterparts," said the St. Petersburg-born developer, a member of several women's advocacy groups including the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. "Facebook users, much like Southern senators, kept their naughty sides under wraps and it made sense to make an app to bring out the naughtiness."
Going.com, the creator of the craze, is now taking the toy teasing to a series of IRL parties, from San Francisco to New York. The events are sure to be interesting, as giving ball gags as gifts might be best left for behind glowing screens. [via]
Visionary Apple Designer Honored by the Queen
Jonathan Ive, the creative wunderkind who shot to fame as the designer of the original iMac has been honored by the Queen of England and been given the title Commander of the British Empire (CBE). His work includes the G3, G4 and G5 PowerMac towers, the "lamp" iMac, the iBook line, the ill-fated Cube, and the generation-defining iPod media player.
He had been working at Apple for 6 years before his creative partnership with returning Apple pioneer Steve Jobs began in 1998. This collaboration led to a string of computer and media products that can only be described as some of the most revolutionary of our time. He is now the senior vice president of Industrial Design at Apple.
note: Getting a CBE doesn't mean that Ive will now be referred to as "Sir", that is reserved for Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE), and the highest order of the British Empire, the Knight Commander or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE).
Rip DVDs to your Mac with "HandBrake"
Want to rip DVDs to your Mac and take your movies with you? Or maybe make iPod video ready files. Trying a number of different ripping apps, but no luck? Then check out freeware app HandBrake. It does one thing really well. Makes DVDs into nice manageable mp4's all ready to watch on the laptop or iPod. A 2 hour feature takes about an hour to rip, and makes a file of about 5-8 hundred megs depending on length of movie and your import settings.
My move is to load a few DVDs onto the MacBook before taking a trip. Having a drive full of good stuff to watch is like gold in the hopeless purgatory of the airport waiting room.
So give it a try - it works great and is freeware. At the moment there are Mac and Linux versions with the Windows version coming.
Track Your Favorite Bands' Tours with the OnTour Dashboard Widget for Mac OS X
Now you can track your favorite bands' tours via the OnTour Dashboard Widget for Mac OS X. Get concert listings and ticket purchase links for your location and for all the artists in your iTunes music library coming though your town.
OnTour is freeware and only for Mac OS X.
(via Lifehacker)
Cool Widget, Security Update for OS X
On Tour is a nifty little OS X widget that scans your iTunes library, and lets you know if any of your favorite bands are on tour.
Lifehacker says:
OnTour the widget gets its info through OnTour the website, which is a nice concert tracking site similar to (but probably not as good as) event tracking site Upcoming.org. However, if you're looking for concert notifications for artists you like (e.g., artists in your iTunes library), the OnTour Dashboard widget is a must-have.
And all you Macheads should immediately run Software Update, because Apple patched a bunch of holes over the weekend, including at least one that already has an exploit out in the wild.
An exploit for one of the 15 vulnerabilities patched by Apple on Friday has been posted to a malware Web site, Symantec said Monday. The code, which has appeared on the "milw0rm" site, exploits a bug that Apple Computer identified within the operating system's kernel. According to the security update advisory Apple released Friday, the flaw is in a kernel error-handing mechanism known as "Mach exception ports" that controls programs when certain types of errors are generated.