12/12/12 — A Cool Birthday

Yes… my next birthday will not only be 9 days before the end of the world, but it is a really cool looking date… 12/12/12.

How many people can say they have a cool birthday like this?

My sister would have come close. Her birthday was 7/7. However she passed away at the end of 2003, 3-1/2 years too soon for 7/7/7. But we all know that is not the same… because you would really write that as 7/7/07. Granted, I would just go with 07/07/07, but that’s me. My sister isn’t around to give her take on it.

The real problem with this super cool day for a birthday is that it lands right in the middle of the week. I want to have a cool birthday party for this birthday, but how many people will show up for a birthday party on a Wednesday???

Do I move it to the Saturday before or after, 12/8/12 or 12/15/12, respectively? Then it is not as cool. If I have a party… just before the end of the world… on a Wednesday… any chance for friends to come in from out of town are nil.

What would you do?

Or… I could just wait until the year after the world ends… I turn 50 in 2013… which is also a good chance for a cool birthday party… and one I would have on a weekend. This way my 6 closest friends that live out of town won’t have an excuse not to come. BTW… 3 of those 6 friends… I was Best Man at their weddings.

Can iTunes in the Cloud Make Me Cool?

I am loving the idea of a feature of iTunes in the Cloud… iCloud stores your purchase history. With this feature you can re-download any previously purchased song. My sons have downloaded countless songs over the years… and they did this all on my account.

So… I can download all the “cool” songs my sons have bought. Will this make me cool, listening to all this hip, new music? Probably not… after all, who uses the word hip anymore.

I am a little stoked about the iTunes Match feature. This will allow you to have iTunes look at all your songs… and it will add any songs it finds to your iCloud library, even if the source of the song was of questionable origins. This is a paid service, so you will have to cough up $24.99 per year. When you use this service iTunes will replace your music with 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free version from its own catalog.

For people who have acquired music in an unethical manner, this could be looked upon as an amnesty program. Pay the $25 for one year… and after you have downloaded all the songs form iTunes just delete the old copies. You are instantly legal. Then drop the service.

I am sure that I am not the first to think of this, and I am sure that not many people will do it either. Think about it… you would be replacing open MP3 files with proprietary AAC files. Although they are DRM-free, they are still AAC files. Essentially you would be locking yourself into Apple’s eco-system. This would not be worthwhile as I am still using my Zune HD. However, if/when I get an iPhone this is looking like a way for me to get my entire library in a consistent format.

Since I am in the market for a new phone… I have a couple of hard decisions to make.

I’ll keep you posted.

iPhone 4S – Are You Dissapointed?

There seems to be a lot of outcry over the underwhelming announcement of the iPhone 4S. People seem to be let down it was not an iPhone 5.

Get over it.

Clearly people have a short memory. When was the last time Apple did a product announcement that was not a disappointment? Here are the times when people really were blown away:

1. iPhone (Original)
2. MacBook Air (Original)
3. iPad (Original)

That’s about it. It is the same thing every time. Mac Fanboys spread rumors for months leading up to a major announcement. But in the last 6-8 years Apple has really only had three truly major announcements. Every other announcement was just more of the same.

In this case we get a dual core processor, improved graphics, 8 MP camera & 1080p video recording. What more do you want. Siri… if that works as well as it is hyped might be cool, but I don’t put a lot of faith in voice recognition yet. But it is nice to have.

Let’s take a little trip down iPhone memory lane. The original iPhone blew people away. Shortly after it launched people wanted more… so they got more… the App Store followed shortly after. It was inevitable that Apple would allow developers to create apps for it, so this was nice but not revolutionary. The first three iPhones all look a LOT alike. Sure, it got a little slimmer & a little faster, but the basic design was still there… iPhone, iPhone 2, iPhone 3, iPhone 3S, iPhone 3GS. All the same general appearance. And let me remind you… all still work with the same OS as the iPhone 4.

So why would anyone believe that Apple would get away from the basic design of the iPhone 4 after its first run. I would venture to guess that when they do come out with the iPhone 5, it will look mighty close to the iPhone 4 (No… this is not a rumor for next’s years iPhone 5… but probably more likely than all the rumors that will fly around).

Apple came out with the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air a few years ago. How much have they changed in general appearance since they initially launched. None… just incremental improvements in the hardware over time.

The same disappointment happened over the iPad 2. How different was it from the original. Not much. I little slimmer, faster, etc. No retina display, no USB ports, no SD card slot. Just minor improvements to performance. About on par for Apple.

I am not surprised that Apple did not include 4G with the iPhone 4S. Two reasons. First, and most important, Apple stays away from bleeding edge technology. It is all about the user experience. 3G is pretty fast. We have become impatient, so we want faster. Apple would rather have a reasonably fast phone that worked more reliably than to have a faster phone with less reliability… or a smaller audience (4G is not as widespread as 3G).  Second… why not milk the iPhone 4 for all it’s worth. Have an iPhone 4S now that is twice as fast… and then when 4G is more mature, and the chips are smaller inside the phone, Apple can release an iPhone 4GS. Then the iPhone 5 can come after that… and it might be time for a fresh design to go with the new hardware.

My only disappointment with the iPhone 4S is that is did not get an edge-to-edge display. I wanted that for selfish reasons. My 47 year old eyes are having a harder and harder time reading my current 3.5 inch screen without reading glasses. I was hoping Apple would increase the viewable area (no… I was not expecting a huge increase in resolution from the retina display… that would be foolish) to make it easier for us older people… and to compete with the wave of 4+ inch Android phones.

As you know, because Sprint loves me I am eligible for a new phone on Nov 1st. I am a little short on cash at the moment, so I have a little time to think this through. I need to get a little hands on time with some of the large screen Android phones. Presently these are my choices:

•   $29 – Nexus S 4G (4.0″, 16GB)
•   $99 – HTC EVO 4G (4.3″, 1GB ROM, 8GB microSD)
•   $99 – Samsung Epic 4G (4.0″, 1GB ROM, 16GB microSD)
• $199 – Samsung Galaxy S ll, Epic 4G (4.52″, 1GB RAM, 16GB ROM)
• $199 – HTC EVO 3D (4.3″, 4GB ROM, 8GB microSD)
• $199 – Motorola PHOTON 4G (4.3″, 16GB ROM, 1GB RAM)

The EVO 3D isn’t really in the running. 3D is too much of a gimmick and I would not pay extra for that. Looking at this list I see two phones that stand out… the Samsung Galaxy S ll and the HTC EVO 4G. Of course, there is the iPhone 4S now at Sprint.

It looks like I will be heading to my local Sprint store near the end of the month.

Zune… Dead!

Microsoft officially killed the Zune… even though everyone already knew it.

I love my Zune HD. It still has a feature I have never seen in an Apple portable player… HD output vie HDMI to a TV. Yep, I can pump 720p video from my Zune HD to a TV through the dock and HDMI cable. I pack this with me on every trip I go on. If the TV in the hotel/motel room has HDMI I am golden.

What I don’t understand is WHY??? Apple has the iPod Touch and the iPhone using the same OS. Why didn’t Microsoft just migrate the Zune to the Windows Phone 7 OS.

I guess this is another reason for me to look at getting an iPhone.

iPhone 4S on Sprint

I have been hoping that the one rumor about the iPhone 5 was that it was coming to Sprint. Hooray!!! I am not as disappointed as many others are going to be that we did not get a 5, but instead got a 4S. Certainly there is no reason to upgrade from 4 to 4S.

I was hoping for a larger screen, though. A 4 inch edge-to-edge screen in the same size body, so that all the cases still worked, would be cool.

I just wrote about the iPhone vs. Android and how that impacts my Zune. I have about 35 GB of music. With my 32 GB Zune I only sync songs that I have rated, which is about 15-16 GB. This almost dictates me getting a 32 GB iPhone if I get one at all.

Do I really want to buy a $300 phone? Or do I want a 4+ inch Android phone?

Maybe I need to check the latest Android Phones from Sprint first.

Sprint Loves Me!

I was checking my current phone plan status on Sprint’s web site. I was wondering when I would be able to get a new phone… in case the iPhone comes to Sprint. Well, Sprint loves me! Check out this notice it put up when I clicked on the link for my current plan:

They love me so much they will let me get a new phone almost 3 months early. That is sooooo sweet. And this coincides with the rumor I heard that Sprint will get the iPhone in October.

How nice is that? Does Sprint love you too?

Toshiba Joins the Ultrabook Scene

First Samsung, then Lenovo… now Toshiba. PCMag has a little info on the Toshiba Z835. A slimmer laptop than the R835, which is at the top of my list of choices for a new laptop.

The laptop market looks like it is heating up quite nicely as I am getting ready to get a laptop near the end of the year.

I can’t wait to see reviews on these three.

Another Laptop Possibility – Lenovo U-Series

First Samsung announces its the Series 7 laptops that will go on sale on Oct 2, then Lenovo shows off 3 laptops in its U-Series. Supposedly based on Intel’s new Ultrabook specification… Lenovo showed CNet its U300s, U300 & U400.

The U300s is supposed to go head-to-head with the MacBook Air… which as you know if you read my recent laptop comparison is the holy grail. The MacBook Air is just too expensive at $1,299. But the U300s at $1,199 is no bargain. I am going to stay under $1,000 when I buy a laptops.

However, the U300 and U400 are going to be more affordable at $799 and $849, respectively. And the U400 is going to be a 14″ laptop. Hopefully they will put the 1600 x 900 display on the U400 and it could make a nice Christmas present to myself.

It looks like the laptop race is on. Let’s see what it brings.

Samsung Series 7 Laptops

I just published an article on laptops I am considering. I left the Samsung Series 9 off the list of possibilities because it is way too expensive.

Samsung just announced the Series 7 laptops. Two new laptops… 13″ & 15″. According to PCMag, the 13″ laptop is closer to a 14″ because the bezel is so small they were able to fit a 14″ screen into a 13″ chassis. Nice. And the 14″ screen comes at a resolution of 1600 x 900. Perfect!

If you read my article you will see I am on the fence between the Toshiba R835 and the Lenovo T420i. The R835 is only 3.2 pounds and gets 6-7 hours of battery life (depending on who’s review you read). The T420i is a 14″ laptop that can be had with a 1600 x 900 resolution display.

The Samsung Series 7 has the chance to beat them both. If the weight is reasonable, and the battery life is good then I might have to put the Series 7 on the top of my list.

Should HP Revive the TouchPad

In my last post I informed you about HP’s announcement that it was discontinuing the TouchPad less than 2 months after introducing it.

Then HP dropped the price from the already discounted $399 to $99. And I missed it. I heard about this too late to buy one. In fact, I chuckled all weekend as I saw commercials on TV showing the $399 price. Damn!!!! I want one.

O.K. So, you must know by now that everyone sold out of the TouchPad when its price dropped to $99 (for 16GB) and $149 (for 32GB). So why doesn’t HP get back into the TouchPad game.

Hear me out… the TouchPad was not selling — Best Buy asked HP to take them back. But that was at a price of $499 (or $399). Once they dropped to 100 bucks… Ba-Bamm! They flew off the shelves. And keep this in mind… they flew off the shelves even though it was a dead product.

If a discontinued tablet at $99 is better than an iPad at $499, how much should the price be for HP to outsell Apple with a fully supported product. HP could bring the TouchPad back at $199 for 16GB and $249 for 32GB and it would still sell like hot cakes.

They could charge the extra $100 because it is not a dead product. And they would sell so many of them that the Apple iPad would instantly have real competition. Remember, developers go where the numbers are. That’s why so many companies are writing software and games for the iPad. If the numbers swung toward the TouchPad because it was less than half the price of that Apple product… where would the apps be? Yep… in WebOS… on the TouchPad.

I wrote about this before. If you want to beat Apple you have to be better… and cheaper. HP just proved that you can beat Apple by being a lot cheaper, and only have to be good enough. They should continue the TouchPad at $199 or less… and watch the flood gates continue until Apple is playing catch up.

If you sell it cheap… the customers and developers will come.

One more thing… Apple makes 30% on every app sale… for doing nothing but having an App Store. HP could do the same thing. That’s how you make the profit. You sell the hardware at a loss… to beat Apple… then collect only 20% of the app sales… to undercut Apple again. This will bring all the people to your platform and you win.

Will HP have the guts to finish what they started? NO! Maybe BlackBerry or one of the Android tablet makers will take up the gauntlet that HP threw down.

Cadillac ELR – Chevy Volt With Class

Cadillac has announced it will produce the ELR. This is an extended range electric car. Sound familiar? It should, its basically a Cadillac version of the Chevy Volt…. and I want one.

I love the idea of a premium small car that happens to get great gas mileage. Wow! I hope this really does make it to production. It will be at the top of my list… when I have a garage with an output to plug it in to.

 

HP TouchPad – Easy Come… Easier Go

Wow, HP already threw in the towel on its webOS based TouchPad (link) after only 48 days on the market. Get this… PCMag just reviewed the TouchPad this month. Yesterday HP announced it would discounting support for all webOS devices. That was fast!!!

I am reminded of a scene from You’ve Got Mail. Tom Hanks, Dabney Coleman & John Randolph are talking about another Mom & Pop book store that just closed down. They we making shooting gestures with their fingers. Pow, pow… another one bites the dust.

I wonder if Steve Jobs is doing the same thing in his office today? At the least he must be thinking it.

So… will Blackberry be next to drop out of the tablet wars… without ever putting up a real fight?

Will The Challenger Survive???

This post is inspired by this article in Automotive News. They wonder if it is already time to put the Challenger out to pasture… after only 4 years. How sad.

I should have titled this post, When Will The Challenger Pass?” With its poor sales numbers it has little chance of lasting. It has two major flaws:

1. It is too big and heavy. This takes its toll on all aspects of performance. The V-6 Mustang can beat the standard Hemi Challenger to 60, and gets a good deal better gas mileage. Unfortunately, since this is built on a shared platform that is big and heavy there is nothing Chrysler can do about it.
2. The interior is a parts bin job. Why didn’t they design a retro looking dash. I know I saw one in some of the early concept cars. The Camaro has a retro styled interior. It is not practical… with four gauges at the end of the console where you can’t see them at a glance. But it looks cool, and today’s cars are so much more reliable than the sixties and seventies cars these cars take their styling from… who cares how easily you can read the gauges. They work and look cool. The Challenger could do this if they wanted.

So, with a car that is slower and gets worse mileage… and has an interior your grandmother would like, but your friends won’t… it is only time before sales continue to drop.

There are only a handful of diehard Mopar fans out there willing to drop nearly $40K for a car with a cramped back seat and no style on the inside to match the styling on the outside.

If you want to save the Challenger you need to act quickly… which they can’t. Do a quick redesign on the interior… mostly with the dash. Also, offer a stripped down V-8 version. Give it a catch name from the past… like a Rallye Edition. Strip it of power windows, sound deadening, and fancy stereo/nav equipment. Put in a plain jane stereo is a standard DIN opening, with room for a double DIN stereo. Let the aftermarket play with the car.

And sell this stripped down V-8 Rallye Edition for $23K. And don’t let dealers mark it up. It will sell like hot cakes. Too bad no one at Chrysler can think outside the box.

If you are a Mopar fan at least they are bringing back the stripped V-8 pickup with the new Express. You get a 390 hp Hemi V-8 in a RAM 1500 EXPRESS for $22,830. A Challenger like this will bring back the Muscle car days. Too bad we won’t see it.

Chevy Volt’s Residule Value Based On Tax Credit

I just read this article on Automotive News. And they report that Kelley Blue Book is claiming the Volt will be worth $17,000 after three years.

They say that is 51% of the value AFTER the $7,500 tax credit the original purchaser gets. In reality… I think they are undervaluing the car, because the 42% of the selling price of $41,000 is how you should view this. Since the feds have changed the rules on these rebates, it is possible that some people won’t get as much of the rebate, as others.

But this is something that is really tricky. Since there is no incentive in the used car marketplace, where to you put the udes car value for something like this.

Is this car really worth so little, down from $41,000 to $17,000 in just three years. Or do you have to consider it as a $33,500 because Uncle Sam picked up part of the tab.

What do you think?

Subscriptions on Android Tablets

Not to be outdone by Apple’s new venture with Hearst, it looks like we have a larger selection of magazines coming to Android Tablets.

According to this article from PCMag.com – Time, Inc., Hearst, Conde Nast, Meredith, and News Corp. are teaming up to provide subscriptions to Fortune, Time, New Yorker, Fitness, Parents, Esquire & Popular Mechanics from their respective publishers. All will initially be available on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but will follow with other Android devices by the end of the year, plus have at least 40 publications available in that same time frame.

Notice that Hearst in the company that recently announced its deal with Apple. Clearly they are hedging their bets by taking on the two platforms.

I have to say I am glad. Competition is good for the consumer. If companies make exclusive deals with Apple or Google it will limit their audience. I am not sold on the iPad… yet. And I worry that Apple’s good — but very closed & locked — ecosystem will be more beneficial to Apple than its users.

I can’t wait to see how the magazine market looks two years from now. It will be interesting.

Android 3.1… Let the Fun & Competition Begin

After reading this article on CNet about Google I/O, their developer conference, I am stoked about the upcoming competition to the iPad and the fun this means for consumers.

At this point in time (today) the iPad doesn’t have any real competition. But with Android 3.1 on the Xoom, it is starting to happen. Android 3.1 is coming with a music service that sounds a lot like Amazon’s Cloud Player. You will be able to upload your own music to stream to your device. I am sure there are a lot more detail which will include some easy way to buy music or have a subscription service like Microsoft’s Zune Pass.

Android 3.1 also includes movie rentals. You can browse and rent movies. The movies will be downloaded so they can be watched when you don’t have an Internet connection (like on an airplane). Of course, it comes with all the restrictions we hate… you have up to 30 days to start watching (not a issue in my opinion), but have to finish watching it within 24 hours of starting it (a mild issue). I think you should get 72 hours… so it is more like renting a movie at Block Buster. You have it or 3 days. How much of a big deal is that.

Anyway, the other interesting items are USB device support for keyboards and cameras and such. I think Apple needs to start worrying. I can’t wait until they battle each other on better on price to get these devices to be more affordable.

I am about 90% sure I won’t ever get a laptop… because a tablet will do at least 90% of what a laptop would do for me. So… Google & Apple… battle it out to see who will get my money. I can’t wait to see what the Xoom II or the iPad 3 will offer. That should be when I make my purchase.

Hearst puts Magazine Subscriptions on iPad

Hearst is going to be providing subscriptions to Esquire, Popular Mechanics, and O, The Oprah Magazine on the iPad. Prices will be $19.99 a year. This according to PCMag.com.

I am not familiar with the price of those magazine’s subscriptions in print, but 20 bucks a year seems a bit high. Maybe it is me, but I want the reduced cost of printing & shipping of a magazine to be reflected in the price of a digital copy.

I subscribe to a few automotive based magazines. With special offers I am usually paying less than 20 per year for each of them. Plus, at the end of a year I box them up and save them. Having a digital copy would be easier to “back them up” at the end of each year… or would it?

I want to know that after my subscription runs out that I won’t have any trouble reading the magazines in the future. For me… I read the automotive magazines for entertainment. But when I look to buy a car I use the magazines like Car and Driver and Road & Track for research. If/When I get another classic I will use Hot Rod, Car Craft, Super Chevy and/or Mustang Monthly for research on any project car I would buy.

I applaud Heart for going this route… but they should be providing more incentive with a lower price — even if that lower price is an introductory offer — to lure in new subscribers.

iPad 1 3G – $429-$529 New From AT&T

AT&T wants to ride the wave that is the discounted iPad 1. You can get a 3G equipped iPad 1 from the AT&T web site for $429 for 16 GB (down from an original price of $629) or get a 32 or 64 GB version for $529 (regularly $729 or $829, respectively).

This is an extra $100 savings from the clearance price Apple is offering for the same hardware. You have to sign up for AT&T’s dataplan, but since the first month is free and there is no indication of a contract you could cancel the plan before the first month and keep the savings.

And yes… the iPad 1 with 64 GB + 3G is only $529 (the same price and the 32 GB).

This is a very tempting deal. For a mere $30 more than the cheapest iPad 1 just a couple of months ago… you can get the top of the line iPad 1 from AT&T.

Hurry, while supplies last.

iPad 1 for $399

In yesterday’s post about the iPad 2, I mentioned that I expected Apple to sell the 16 GB iPad 1 for $399. Well, it’s seems I was a day early… because you can indeed get the iPad with Wi-Fi 16GB (first generation) for $399. You do know this means… while supplies last.

Want to save even more? Get a refurbished iPad for only $349. It even comes with a full warranty.

When I looked at Craigslist I saw people trying to sell iPads for higher prices than these. The part I love… they tell you how much sales tax they paid. Sorry people, but sales tax does not count toward you selling your unwanted iPad. Did you tell the auto dealership at trade in time how much sales tax you paid on your old car? I didn’t think so. So don’t tell us what it was for your iPad.

Apple’s iPad 2 Arrives

Well, all the rumers can stop… or start for the iPad 3… since the iPad 2 has come out. So what do we get? In a nutshell:

Faster (dual core processor)
Thinner (8.8 mm vs. 13.4 mm)
Lighter (1.3 lbs. vs. 1.5 lbs.)
Cameras front and back (expected)
Gyroscope (really?)

The updates to iOS 4.3 don’t really count for the iPad 2, they will be available to the iPad 1. Facetime is a given for the cameras. So… what didn’t we get:

128 GB version
Higher resolution screen
Stereo speakers
Thinner bezel
SD card slot
USB port
Landscape connector (for keyboard docking)

I supposed my biggest disappointment was that they didn’t announce a reduced price for the original iPad. I thought for sure they would follow the MacBook way and sell the 16 GB iPad 1 for $399. That would totally squash the competition that is still trying to catch up to the iPad 1.

All in all this is a typical Apple upgrade. An evolutionary step, but hardly revolutionary. I guess it is too much to expect back to back revolutions from Apple.

What do you want/expect/predict will be in the iPad 3?