Super Kool iPhone Firmware Update 1.1.3

Gear Live is not only featuring a screen gallery from the new and upcoming 'super kool' iPhone firmware update, but now they are featuring a video to prove that the new features are real!

As you can plainly see, the iPhone's firmware 1.1.3 has a lot of cool surprises, such as the ability to send an SMS message to multiple people and the Google Maps application now has the ability, via cell tower location triangulation, to pinpoint your your location. Gear Live also stated that you can also add web bookmarks to your home, and, as well, that the home screen itself now supports pagination.

The iPhone's firmware update process is probably, in my opinion, the biggest strength of the iPhone. Since the iPhone is not closed as existing smart phone's are by their physical controls, the iPhone can not only add significant improvements to its already great features, but entirely new features in future updates such as those already detailed by Gear Live. If a new feature, for example, needs new buttons - not a problem - Apple can simply add them in the update. Nice!

Of course, physical improvements will be made in future iPhones, including, of course, the ability to use the faster G3 and G4 networks. However, that said, if you have a first generation iPhone you won't be left out in the cold as Apple will continue to add ever greater value to existing iPhone's both now and in the future, making the early adopters look all the smarter compared to purchasers of other phones which tend to become outdated relatively fast.

Over all, the iPhone firmware update 1.1.3 is looking promising, but as cool as it is, I am certain that this update will look rather lame compared with future updates that will bring and do even more for the first generation of iPhones. I don't know everything that future updates will bring, but I'm certain that they will include not only more functionality and stability, but an ever increasing list of new features that will extend the life of the first generation iPhone far beyond that of other and lesser smart phones could ever hope to achieve. The first generation iPhone, I am sure, will out live several versions of existing smart phones, be they from Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung or anybody else.

In conclusion: first generation iPhone purchasers will prove to be the smarter of the smart phone purchasers and for a long time to come! Now if only I could get a hold of one here in Canada?

And thats my 2 cents 4 this miserable, wet, snowy Monday, Decemeber 31, 2007. Happy 2008 everyone. See you, God willing, Wednesday, January 2, 2008 as I, most likely, will be away tomorrow? 

Photo: GearLive

If GearLive servers are busy, as they have been, here is an alternate link:

Tuaw

Blog-4-the-Day: Child Blogger Nick Chatter's - Kid Reviewer

In a past, "Blog-4-the-Day," feature, I did a review of Meghna's blog, " Delve Into The Mind Of A Budding Blogger. " This a great blog, but the greatest thing about it is that it is penned by a 12 year old girl from India! I never would have believed that a child could be so talented or articulate, and now, believe it or not, I am equally amazed and delighted to report that she's not the only talented kid blogger out there. Another great child blogger, that I have discovered, is 13 year old Nick Chatter from the sunny state of Florida. His blog is called, "Kid Reviewer" and is a great read even if your not a kid.

On his profile Nick states: "I like pie, and donuts, and monkeys. I've just turned 13 years old."

A lot of 13 year olds, I'm sure, may also like pie, donuts and monkeys (Maybe that's why I'm so popular with the kids - I kind of look like one?) but how many of them can create a blog that is written in such an intelligent and entertaining way as Nick or Meghna? I don't know, but its probably not that many and its quite amazing that any child their age can write so well.

Frankly, to be honest, I'm rather a little bit jealous of these two, because when I was their ages I was still playing cowboy and Indians and could barely write out my own name and now these precocious children can already write better than I do as an adult!

Oh the shame - the shame of it all!

Also, amazingly, Nick, believe it or not, is not only the author of Kid Reviewer, but he is also involved, or connected with two other blogs as well, "Cloverfield Movie News" and "I.C.E. Writers Forum." Well, that certainly proves that this boy is not lazy - nope, no lazy bones in his young body that I can see.

Ok, he's not lazy, but as a blogger is he any good? Of course - you don't think I would be featuring a bad blogger for my "Blog-4-the-Day" feature otherwise, would you? The truth is, this kid shows considerable talent and even greater potential than a lot of adult bloggers out there and, I believe, no doubt about it, that if he continues to improve and write as he has been doing that there is no telling how far his talent can take him.

Nick divides his Kid Reviewer blog into sections such as Movie, Books, Video and Web Reviews. From his book review section he recently gave a delicious five "donut" rating for a book called, "Ender's Game" by the author, Orson Scott Card. Wow, a lot of kids might read a book here or there, but how many kids do you know that actually can write an intelligent review of one - one that you can actually enjoy reading and learn something interesting from? Not many, I'm sure, but Nick is one who clearly can.

Some other interesting reviews recently covered by this very 'cool as beans' kid blogger are as follows:

Kids Cartoonist Web Site

Cloverfield Widget Contest - Exclusive Footage

Slusho! Video Contest - Fan Commercials

Bratz, Saggy Pants, and Scarface Article and Burnout Revenge for PS2 from his Video Game review section.

Well, there you have it folks - a budding writing machine in the works and possible future literary star! If I were a match maker I would team him up with Meghna and see what and how many block busting 'Harry Potter" type manuscripts the two of them could dream up together.

Seriously, if I were to bet on either of them becoming a great writer, be it as a journalist or novelist, I think my money would be in pretty safe hands! I can easily see Nick becoming the next"'Fake Steve Jobs," or the next great news or magazine writer or editor. Nick has the talent and the potential to do either and it will be fun to watch him as matures to see just how far he will go in the wonderful world of writing. I wish him the very best of luck - he deserves it.

So, in conclusion, please, by all means, go and visit Nick's great site, Kid Reviewer today (I still can't believe he's only a kid!) and see just what a smart, pie, donut and monkey loving kid is capable of.

So Nick - keep up the great work and make us all proud. I'm looking forward to seeing you either working for the New York Times, Washing Post, etc., or seeing you on the best selling authors lists someday and remember when your rich and famous, I also love pie, donuts and monkeys too!

And thats my 2 cents on another amazing child blogger, 4 this Friday, December 18, 2007.

Finally! iTune Movie Rentals & Soon!

It is being reported by MarketWatch and others that soon Apple will being offering iTune movie download rentals and will officially announce the service at next month's Macworld in San Francisco.

The news has been very good for Apple's stock as it, once again, surged pass the $200 level. Currently its $202.34 after hitting a record high of $200.96 just yesterday! I expect that if this news is indeed true, and I have no reason to believe otherwise, then we can expect Apple's stock to really surge around MacWorld for this and other reasons.

Walt Disney, whom Steve Jobs is currently the largest share holder, is currently the only other movie company to make their movies available on iTunes, as Apple has been stymied with the rest of the studios in landing any deals. The addition of Fox should be a great catalyst in bringing the remaining and other reluctant studios firmly into the iTunes market place and cementing its position, even more, as the world's largest and easiest legal download service.

However, the most important thing about an iTune movie download service would be in relation to Apple TV, which is being rumored to be in for a major upgrade itself at MacWorld! This, I believe, is the real reason behind the creation of the Apple TV in the first place, and that the main reason why it hasn't caught on already, the way that some have hoped, was because of the said lack of content - in other words - the lack of movies!

The upcoming Fox/iTune's deal would radically change that scenario and couldn't have come at a better time as the Apple TV device which, though very well engineered, is almost useless without any significant movie content to run on it. This deal will break that handicap and allow for a much wider adoption rate for the device.

Also, the news of a Fox/iTune deal is not only great news for Apple, iTunes, Apple TV, but, most importantly, it is great news for consumers! Consumers will now have the benefit, or option, of going to the movies without, well - going to the movies, or the local video store! To be able to download recent high quality movies to your computer and then have them wireless beamed, via Apple TV, to your HD flat screen is going to be just the ticket for a lot of folks. I'm not much of a movie goer myself, but there are millions of movie fanatics that would go for such a system, a system that could do for Apple what a lot of people originally hoped Apple TV should have done by now.

Who knows, this deal with Fox could be the start of something that could even make a person like myself into a movie fanatic? This is just one more reason that I, and millions of Apple fans around the world, are looking so eagerly to the next January's MacWorld on the 15.

I just can't wait......... I just can't wait!

And thats my 2 cents on any possible iTune movie rental deal 4 this cloudy Thursday, December 27, 2007.

2007 A Bumper Crop For Apple - 2008 ?

2007 has been undeniably good to Apple Inc. - very, very good indeed. Its also been very, very profitable with annual sales of about 24-25 billion dollars and growing at an amazing clip. It is estimated that 2008 could see revenues grow to about 34 billion plus for the Cupertino based giant.

2007 was also a year which saw Apple seemingly grab most of the tech world's top headlines as it did with the iPhone which even overshadowed the giant CES annual spectacle in Las Vegas. Some are now even speculating that Apple will, once again, over shadow the CES next year too.

So, can Apple do it again this year? A lot of analysts are predicating it may, in fact, not only do so, but are also predicting it will include a newer and better iPhone, and that Apple will be introducing a new 'ultra-slim' MacBook that will completely do away with current mechanical drives and feature a 'flash' drive system that would also do away with any DVD or CD rom drive that could also help produce another bumper crop of Apple goodies in the next year!

Some people, and I hope they are right on this, are also predicting that Apple may introduce its iPhone 'Multi-Touch' system and apply it directly not only to Macs, but also to a rumored tablet. I'm not sure about the tablet idea, but the Multi-Touch capabilities in a Mac or laptop would be insanely great. I can imagine all of the benefits of being able to move pictures around on the screen with ones fingers and the magnification of such objects with just a simple touch and the ability to draw directly on the screen. This would be a huge thing, as it would be basically giving users a portable Microsoft type "Surface" device for a fraction of the cost and size and would utterly shame Microsoft, who have seen their device delayed more than once. But isn't that the history of Microsoft?

Already Fortune is reporting that Amazon lists Apple as enjoying half of the spots on its top ten top electronic seller's list, including the top spot held by the Nano. A quick glance at the Amazon's site also shows that the MacBook is the number one top seller of laptops too! iMacs enjoys 4 of the top selling desktops, but in the past, it has gobbled up to 7 or more spots!

Not only have a lot of people noted that the Mac is back and taking market share from both Windows and Linux, many of these people are predicting that Apple will continue to gain market share and, as well, mind share at an increasing level. Amazingly, as of this writing, Apple stock is riding higher than ever with a price of $198.20 and a market cap well over 173 billion, up over 123% or so for the year and a great testimonial to how well of a bumper crop Apple really had for the year! $200+ per share may be broken by the days end, who knows?

Electronista also reporting that all media players are seeing a slow down in sales except for, you guessed it - the iPod. Some analysts are saying that the iconic device may break its own holiday sales record from last year with sales of up to 25 or more million for the quarter!

Yes, without a doubt, 2007 has indeed been a bumper crop for Apple with the successful launch of the iPhone, Leopard, updated iMacs and iPods, but what about 2008 - can we expect more of the same, or will 2008 be surely what Apple's competitors are hoping for, a year of decline? That will depend on many things of course. Things such as the economy both nationally and internationally. Things such as supplies constraints, could also hamper Apple's prospects for the new year. That aside, however, I'm predicting that Apple will continue to amaze us with new products and services because for one thing: Apple doesn't lack any less from the innovation or vision of its past, and as long as it continues do in the future what it has been doing in the past, the economy, etc., aside, I expect and hope not only to see yet another bumper crop from Apple Inc., but a bigger and better bumper crop for the coming year at that!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this sunny Monday, December 24, 2007.

PS. I will be away for the next two days so most likely I won't be posting again till Thursday the 27th.

Soon - Ultra-Thin Macs at Macworld?

Fortune, AppleInsider , Bloomberg's and others are reporting that the chances of seeing an ultra portable from Macworld this January is high - very high!

AppleInsider reports that, "Apple Inc. will form a closer bond with once-rival Intel Corp. early next year when it begins building a new breed of ultra-mobile processors from the chipmaker into a fresh generation of handheld devices.... "

They also reported that, "By last March, the two industry heavyweights were admittedly on to something when Deborah Conrad, vice president and director of Team Apple at Intel, told a group of CNet reporters that Apple's way of looking at the world was making Intel "think different" about its own business."

Apparently, the close cooperation between the two is what led to the development of the Apple TV, which according to several sources, is about to bumped up to Apple TV 2, which should prove to be a major update indeed, and one that may address it's biggest flaw - the lack of down loadable movie content, including movie rentals.

If reports are true, it wouldn't be much of a surprise as Apple and Intel both operate a mammoth, 150,000 sq. foot, research and development center at Carnegie Mellon University with some 1,500 employees, so reports that Apple is about to become the largest supporter of Intel's "Menlow" Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform is an almost given.

So, will Jonathan Ive's fabulous design prowess give us another stunning Apple device to lust over this coming Macworld? I and millions of others certainly hope so? I'm very curious to see what Apple will come up with next and the idea of a tiny notebook that had no mechanical hard drive is intriguing. Imagine a laptop with a super sharp LED screen and 64 or more gigabytes of solid state memory.... think of the possibilities! Why, I'm drooling already, even though I may never be in the market for such a device, others, by the millions, most likely will jump at the opportunity to buy the latest technological marvel from Apple.

As much as I love the design of Apple's latest creations, the MacPro and MacBooks, I do hope, if they, in fact, introduce an new ultra portable, that Apple will surprise us with a completely new and compelling design. Apple is widely unrecognized as the most innovative tech company in the world and its industrial designs are the best on the planet.

Can they continue to push the envelope? Well, if I were to bet on it, I would definitely say that the answer would be a resounding yes - and I think that my money would be safe!

Not only is Apple expected to come out with a super duper ultra portable, it is expected also to introduce a newer iPhone, one with, at least, 16 gigabytes of memory, and who knows, maybe even greater than that, with even more new features to boot.

What ever Apple brings, or unveils at January's Macworld, on the 15th., Steve Jobs will undoubtedly put on a good show, a show that will not only demonstrates his skill of showmanship, but one that will show off Apple's amazing ability to design and create astounding and lust producing gadgets - gadgets that its competitors will be bending over backwards trying to copy.

And thats my 2 cents for the delightfully sunny and mild Thursday, December 21, 2007.

Did Apple Legal Kill Off Think Different?

Did Apple legal bullying kill off the popular Mac rumor site, Think Secret? I don't know, but I suspect that others are asking that question with the recent news that Apple's and Think Secrets legal woes have been finally settled, to every ones satisfaction. The details, of course, are secret and that is what makes people wonder exactly what went on behind closed doors.

Even though the author, Nick "dePlume" Ciarelli, himself says that he is happy about the recent decision to settle and cease publication, but many others, including yours truly, are not happy, no, not one little bit. As part of the agreement to end legal proceedings, Think Secret has agreed to shut down and cease publication, at the request of Apple. But was that necessary? As long as the details are secret, we are left to wonder, and we, most likely, will never really know, so your guess is as good as mine?

Think Secret officially reported today:

"PRESS RELEASE: Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret's publisher, said "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

Wow! This is amazing, absolutely amazing and its no wonder that so many are calling this a major mistake. This does not, and let me repeat, this does not paint Apple in a very positive light! This clearly seems like a form of legal bullying that does more than shut down a great website, but is a warning shot to anyone who reports something that a giant corporation doesn't approve of!

If this is so, than this is case of one party basically taking our right of freedom of speech and throwing it in the garbage pile simply because they can. I can see Microsoft and some others using such tactics but it would a big disappointment to me, an avid Apple fan, if this were true. Personally I find it hard to believe that Apple is that kind of company, but it could easily be construed as such, which is not good for Apple.

I personally agree with the assessment from PC World when they say,"The loss of Think Secret has massive implications in the Apple community, which has exploded over the past year. Since its launch in 1998, Think Secret was never 100-percent accurate with its predictions--but it created a buzz effect throughout the Web. Applenova, the official Think Secret message board, still thrives with 11,000 active members, 26,000 discussions, and 200 to 300 members viewing the message boards at any given time."

This whole sorta affair is unfortunate, but it just goes to prove that one of my previous attorneys was correct, " How much justice one gets out of the legal system is directly proportional to how much one can afford to pay!" In other words, there is one law for the rich and another one for the poor. How can one defend oneself, as a mere mortal, against a giant corporation with $15 billion in extra cash and God only knows how many brilliant lawyers at its call and beckon?

I can understand how Apple, or any other corporation, large or small, would want, and frankly have the right to protect themselves from people reporting top secret projects, as it was claimed that Think Secret did,but to silence and kill off one of the best websites out there seems to be going a little too far. If true, Apple may have killed off what it thought was just an irritant, but Apple also just gave itself a black eye in the process, regardless of how right Apple was, or wasn't?

In-conclusion, I don't know the full details, so I can't say for certain that Apple was the bad guy in this case, but from what I can see it could easily be construed as such. I just hope that Apple doesn't go after every little blogger or main line press every time it doesn't like what they are reporting. I love Apple and its great products and its 'Think Different' approach and wish them the best, as I do to Mr. Ciarelli and others of such minds.

I don't know the full extent of this legal agreement, but I do know that many of us will miss you Think Secret and sincerely hope that its author will prosper in any and all future journalistic endeavors?

And thats my 2 cents on this sad story 4 this Thursday, December 20, 2007.

Is Microsoft and the Window PC Fading?

Applematters asks, in a recent post, the question: "Will the Next Decade See the End of the Dominance of the Windows PC?"

Good question, but the answer will depend on several key points:

 - Will Apple continue to excel in what is now their strong point: Innovation and design and their 'Think Different' approach to things, or will it become complacent and let down their guard?

 - Will Apple's competitors, Linux, Microsoft and the PC manufacturers adapt their thinking and apply 'Apple's think different' philosophy in place of their own worn out thinking and business philosophy that has left the world a legacy of 'ho hum' software and hardware?

So far, Apple has not shown any less innovation or design prowness, but in fact, more and more. Its chief competitors, namely Microsoft, Dell, Gateway, etc., have shown that whether out of envy or desperation, that they are indeed willing  to copy Apple as can be seen in products such as Vista's Aero and other eye candy, Linux's copying of OS X inteface goodies such as demonstrated with Beryl, Complz, etc., and, of course, by companies such as Gateway and Dell in their 'all-in-one' computer designs. But is it enough now, or will it be enough in the future?

Truth is, that despite the fact that Apple competitors may like to brag and boast about Vista, Linux and all of the hardware and software copying of Apple products, none of them, in my humble opinion, have yet equaled or bested Apple in either the software or hardware side, at least, so far. 

But will that change? Yes, I think there will be a major shift in the world of high tech but that it will be mostly in favor of Apple - if that is, they continue to fire on all cylinders as they have been doing ever since the return of Steve Jobs some ten years or so ago. However, Apple competitors will also be the better off for copying Apple, but I don't think that advantage will get to the point that it will seriously threaten Apple's continuing rise in the market. But then again, as I have been many times in the past, I could be wrong, dead wrong.

As Applematters has pointed out, "Apple has proven one thing: even in the computer industry, despite what is believed, there is room for proprietary systems."

Yes, how true. I live in a city that seemed, up until recently, anti Mac and anti Apple. To tell someone that you were an Apple user was one way to earn a lot of sinister stares and downright laughter and scorn. Not any more. Now I see people buying iMacs, iPods, etc. by the truck loads. And those people who are not buying Apple products are not only not saying nasty things about the Mac or Apple, but a lot of them are telling me and others that "maybe next time, "I will get a Mac?" This has been a huge change in thinking and is great news for Apple and its legends of dedicated fans. Apple is no more the laughing stock of the industry, as it has become the driver of innovation in not one, but three big industries: computers, mpg 3 players and, of course, cell phones!

Applematters also asks the question, "Why is it that when it comes to any other technology, compatibility is less of an issue? Sure, there’s media compatibility, but all these things can run any OS they like.

In the games area this is most evident of all. Have you ever browsed the junk mail and seen how many games platforms there are now? Wii, Playstation, XBox, DS, PSP, PC, Mac (sometimes), etc. In the games market, if you can make a decent platform, developers will come to it. The argument of supporting multiple platforms seems to have become redundant."

That is another excellent question from this excellent website. Personally, I see more and more developers bringing their once previous 'Windows only' software and hardware products over to the Mac and I predict that we will see even more - a virtual avalanche of developers of both software and hardware as they rush to bring their wares to the Mac, not because they necessarily love the platform, but simply because they love the ever growing market penetration that the Mac and other Apple products are attracting in ever increasing numbers.

I remember, like it was yesterday, that the idea that Microsoft was so entrenched, so big, so rich and powerful that they couldn't be stopped. This thinking has happily been changing and now Microsoft and some of its giant partners, like Dell, are being viewed the way that Apple once was - beleaguered and in trouble!

No, Microsoft is not unstoppable, but then again neither is Apple or anybody else. Apple has proven and is continuing to prove that the underdog can, if it works its butt off,  win and profit in a world dominated by others and even trade places - some are actually beginning to believe that Apple can turn the market upside down and become the number one seller of computers and software, replacing Microsoft in the process!

Will that ever happen? I don't know, as I'm no more a propet than the next guy, but I do believe that it can increase its share of the market significantly higher than it is now and that it can profit extremely well as an alternative to the lack luster world of inferior 'knock-off' products found in the Microsoft camp.

And thats my 2 cents 4 this rather nice and sunny Wednesday, December 19, 2007.

iPhone Japan - Early 2008?

Millions around the world covet the iPhone, including little old me. It has been a success where ever it has bee introduced: the U.S, Britain, Germany and France, and now it looks like the device is about to hit one of the most important markets of all, Japan, in the coming year.

It has been reported that Steve Jobs has personally met with DoCoMo's president, Masao Nakamura, to discuss an offer to allow them to sell the iPhone in Japan, and also, that executives from both DoCoMo and Japan's No. 3 operator, Softbank, have both made multiple trips to Apple's headquarters in recent weeks.

Japan, as most of us know, is not only a very big market, but also a very sophisticated and technologically advanced one, and to make any inroads in Japan a cell phone provider or, in this case, manufacturer, such as Apple, needs to be just as sophisticated and technologically advanced or even more so to succeed.

Apple has yet to sigh a deal with the Chinese as Asian nations tend to think a differently than western nations. Japan, however, despite being an Oriental nation is in actuality far more Occidental in its thinking and should, hopefully, be an easier nation to do business with than China. So far any deal between Apple and the Chinese have failed because of Apple's demand to share revenues. At least, if this is the case with DoCoMo, Apple has Softbank to fall back on.

So, will the iPhone succeed in Japan? That, of course, is for the market to determine, but I think that if anybody or any product can succeed in Japan, Apple and the iPhone are the ones to do it. Already the iMac is a smash hit in Japan. I remember when the first Apple store opened in Tokyo's Ginza district the line ups lasted for blocks and blocks. Here's the Youtube video to prove my point that Apple can succeed in Japan!

The Japanese people and market may be sophisticated and advanced, but, then again, the iPhone is the most sophisticated and advanced phone in the world and I can't see it failing. We have to wait and see if and when the iPhone is released, but the betting is that it will be soon be in early 2008 and that the Japanese version on the iPhone, may be in fact, the very first one to sport the long sought after G3 capability.

We shall see.

And that is my 2 cents 4 this sunny, relatively warm, Tuesday, the 18th. of December, 2007.

Photo: Apple Japan

New Virtualization Software: VirtualBox

If your running an Intell based Mac and wish to run Windows or Linux, in a virtual environment, you are in luck, because now there is a new virtualization kid in town, a kid that just may give Parallel's and VMware's virtualization software a run for their money.

The new kid's name is: VirtualBox, a open-source project that can be downloaded  here.  VirtualBox presently runs on OS X (Intel based Macs only), and, as well, Windows and Linux boxes and can easily accommodate a large number of guest operating systems.

Infoworld is currently running an excellent article on VirtualBox, comparing it to the more established virtual developers, so, by all means, if your into such software than head on over for a detail look into this free alternative. Who knows, it just might be your cup of tea?

Personally, as far as this computer user is concerned, Mac OS X, be it Tiger or Leopard, is all I need for about 99.9% of my computer tasks, but still, having the ability to run other OS's is a big plus, a plus that can cover you in certain areas, that the Mac alone can't. Of course, we men just love to have the bragging rights that comes with such virtualization software. Well, I do anyway. 

More and more people, in record numbers, are switching to OS X and having the ability to run other OS's on the side is, no doubt, just one of the many reasons driving them to adopt this amazing Unix based platform.  

As far as I can see, the more reasons people have to switch to OS X, the more people will actually do so, and that means that more developers will continue to be attracted to developing for the Mac,  as it's market share numbers continue to push ever skyward, all at the expense of the Linux and especially Windows platforms, and thats a good thing, a very good thing indeed.

And thats my 2 cents 4 this extremely miserable - we just got a nasty snow blizzard last night, and I''m totally sore and mad as hell because I had to shoveled fifty million tons of snow on this snowy, windy day of Monday, December 17, 2007.

iPhone Already Bigger Than Windows Mobile?

Daniel Eran Dilger of Roughly Drafted has just posted an excellent article that shows that Microsoft's Mobile software is not doing particularly too well these days when compared to Symbian and the iPhone. This is remarkable considering how Microsoft's colorful CEO laughed and put the iPhone down after Steve Jobs introduced the device back in January. Mr. Ballmer basically bragged about how superior Windows CE was to anything out there and predicated that the iPhone wouldn't garner much market share.

Well, as Daniel Eran Dilger sates:

"In its first full quarter of sales, the iPhone has already climbed past Microsoft’s entire lineup of Windows Mobile smartphones in North America, according to figures compiled by Canalys and published by Symbian. That puts the iPhone ahead of smartphones running Symbian, Linux, and the Palm OS, but behind the first place RIM BlackBerry. The figures mesh with retail sales data already reported by NPD, which similarly described the size of the US market with a 27% chunk bit out by Apple’s iPhone.

Apple’s debut at second place across the entire North American smartphone market region for the third quarter ending in September is particularly noteworthy because the iPhone was only being sold in the US, and is only available through AT&T; all of the other mobile platforms are available to Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile as well as AT&T."

Wow, in its first quarter of sales the iPhone has already zoomed past Windows Mobile's smart phones, and they have been in the business since 2000, a full six or seven years ahead of Apple's first phone! I am eager to see where the iPhone places after its first year in comparison to Windows Mobile.

All-in-all, if your interested in the iPhone or in the general market for smart phones than Dan's excellent article is a must read as he lays the facts bare for all to see, and those facts can't be too pleasing for the giant from Redmond.

Given another six or seven years I can just imagine what Apple will do? Holographic displays, telepathic communications, a full-fetched Star Trek communicator, who knows?

But seriously, simply based on what Apple has demonstrated in the iPhone already I'm sure that what ever direction that they take with the iPhone we will probably be amazed at what they can do, very amazed.

Hopefully, what ever Apple comes out with in the future it will include better cell phone audio quality, because according to some who have an iPhone its not quite as good as some of its competitors.

Secondly, I really hope, because I think it is most importantly - I pray future iPhones will feature new and lower prices. The iPhone by virtue of its innovative elements certainly can and does charge a premium, but already, in that area and some others, its competitors are already coming out with iPhone 'killer' phones that are pretty darn tooting good!

No, the above phones may not quite be the 'killers' that some would have you believe, but hey, they are better than the iPhone in sound quality, price and a few others areas, and no, they are not compelling enough to get me to consider them over an iPhone, but they are, none-the-less, pretty tempting.

So, will Apple deliver? I think so - its just the waiting, in the meantime, that kills me!

And thats my 2 cents for this snowy, grey afternoon of Friday, November 14, 2007.

Windows 7 To Blow Away Apple's 'Multi-Touch?'

Tom, the genius behind the incredibly cool blog, The Small Wave, has the wonderful ability to cut through the chase and get to the bottom of things as he did today with the post, "Screw Apple Multi-Touch, Just Wait Until Windows 7.0!!"

A lot of people, like Tom, have been reporting on and mentioning the reaction received from the Microsoft blog, Tablogger, which proudly stated, and I quote, "I will say that if you are impressed by the "touch features" in the iPhone, you'll be blown away by what's coming in Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales."

A lot of people, as I said, are commenting on that quote, but Tom has been the one who best refutes such a 'ridiculous' statement. You can read and should read Tom's post, as he refutes the Microsoftie like nobody else can. Tom lists many good points, but I wish to focus on the fourth point Tom presented, which is this:

"Just as it’s safe to assume Microsoft will not deliver for three years, it’s known that Apple’s Multi-Touch interface is already in use by 1.5M people (and climbing). It will have matured and improved considerably -- and its user base greatly increased -- in those same three years. Bottom line is this guy doesn’t have a clue what competition Vienna will be facing in 2010."

Right on Tom. I couldn't have said it any better, since Tom is a much writer and better blogger than I. I agree, of course, with all of his points, but the above quote is especially dead on.

I remember when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone, which after all the press that it received, seems more like ten years ago than the year that it has, and that Steve, at the time said that the iPhone was only the first of many to come, that they had more versions of it and, of course, 'Multi-touch, etc.'

It is my belief that we haven't seen all that their is to the current 'Multi-Touch' as seen in the present iPhone, nor will it be the last. To suggest such would be the height of foolishness. No, I think that we will soon see many, many improvements in 'Multi-Touch' that will blow away the current version of the iPhone just as Apple's current iPod Touch blows away any and all previous iPods and, for that matter, any other mpg player.

Further more, without a doubt, when Steve said that they planned to enforce their rights on the existing two-hundred and more patents I don't think he was bluffing! Apple didn't spend untold millions, if not billions, to develope 'Multi-Touch' so that other companies, including Microsoft, can just come in and copy and or violate their patents.

My 2 cents on the upcoming Windows 7 'touch' features is that I will believe it when I see it. Yes, maybe Microsoft will blow the current version of 'Mult-Touch' out of the water, but the point is that by the time they do, Apple wouldn't have been standing still and I'm convinced that they will soon reveal a lot more to Multi-Touch than we have seen thus far and a lot more will come to light in this area as the years progress.

Could it also be true that a lot of what is in Microsoft's 'Surface' or 'Touch' features already violate Apple's 'Multi-Touch,' that I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does. Microsoft and Apple have renewed a five-year patent agreement that basically allows them to copy each other anyway, to an certain extent, but whether that includes 'Multi-Touch' features I don't know? All I know for sure is that many companies, not only Apple and Microsoft, will be trying to get in on the action and it will guarantee that we are about to see a very exciting time concerning such technologies.

Before closing it is interesting to note that TabLogger stated, "Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales."

Think about that one, the Tabblogger suggests that they are having a hard time convincing OEM's, which have obviously seen what he states will "blow away Apple's Multi-Touch," and they aren't buying! Apparently Microsoft's 'Touch' features can't really be very good, now can they, if they are having trouble getting OEM's on board!

My translation of that is simple: Stop bragging and show us the goods! If Window OEM's are not convinced its any good than the buying public, personal and business, won't either!

And thats my 2 cents 4 Thursday, November 13, 2007.

Photo source: Microsoft

New Year = New iPhone's?

According to Appleinsider, the one indispensable Mac rumor site, we are about to see not one, but two new iPhone revisions in the new year, including one minor and one major one. This is from researchers for the Godman Sachs investment bank.

Appleinsider reported that, "In a note to clients on Tuesday, analyst David Bailey advised clients that his Far Eastern contacts have lead him to believe that "Apple has several important new products lined up for 2008," though none of them are expected to pack the same punch as the company's inaugural iPhone handset.

Among them is a second-generation iPhone currently in the "final design phase," the analyst said. The handset is expected to "have a similar form factor as the current version although it could have a different look and will probably include 3G capability."

Bailey estimates that the next-gen iPhone will launch sometime during the second half of the year, but also believes the company will tie over consumers with "a smaller upgrade with more flash memory earlier in the year."

Meanwhile, the analyst's Asian contacts have also led him to believe that "Apple will be making changes to Apple TV" sometime in the second half of 2008 "which could include an LCD display."

Certainly the 3G model is one that is not only highly anticipated, but if you ask me, one that is absolutely vital for the continuing success of the iPhone. The iPhone is doing  incredibly extremely well despite its lack of 3G, but it can't remain that way forever. The incrediable innovation and features set of the iPhone, not to mention the incredible hype surrounding the device, has carried it through and allowed it to succeed where lessor devices would have fallen flat on their faces.

Hopefully, Apple will wow us with even more cool features for the iPhone and allow it to attract an even bigger share of the market. Also, the decision, on Apple's part, to allow third parties to develop applications specifically for the iPhone, I am convinced, will play a major part in the iPhone conquering even more market share from its competitors, including business customers. 

One patent that Apple was working on, and I hope that they use in future iPhone's and computers, is their innovative 'Two-Way' screen. The screen not only emits information to the user, but incredibly also collects information from the user and its surroundings - in other words, it watches you as you watch it! The Two-Way' design lets the entire screen act like one giant camera lens and thus would eliminate the need for a built-in camera. One advantage of such a screen is that it allows other users to view you 'face-to-face' rather than the way that web cameras do, which gives a look a little off center and unnatural.

Golman Sachs is also reporting that Apple will completely update all of its current computers and I'm hoping this is true. Steve Jobs said about six months ago that Apple was going to be bringing up 'killer iMacs' in January, most likely at Macworld in San Francisco, which starts on the 15th. of the month. Obviously, Goldman Sachs must like what they are seeing as they have a Buy rating on Apple stock, predicting a stock rise to $205. It traded this morning at $192.94 at the time of this writing.

In-conclusion, it is looking, as many analysts are predicting, that this is going to be the best damn year for Apple since the company was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne some thirty years ago! 

Not only are more Macs flying off the self, all at Windows expense, but now, even the consumer iPhone, is being used more and more in the corporate world. And then there's the iPod to factor in and you can see why so many analysts are bullish about Apple. I'm bullish for Apple too!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this sunny Wednesday, December 12, 2007.

Weird Tech News !

Even though the idea came to me, I never, ever in a million years, thought it would happen, something so strange and weird, but it did - the age of the digital tombstone is here! Yes, as weird as it may sound, the digital tombstone is already available according to a story in CNN'S Tech section.

The office manager, Maria Schlitzberger, of the Schlitzberger and Daughters Monument Co. in Houston, said that her company has already sold one of the $2,000 devices which allows visitors to view a memorial on the device's seven inch screen. It takes about four hours of sunlight for the device to power a ten minute presentation of the deceased complete with pictures, sounds, music, etc, all displayed on its 7 inch screen.

According to CNN's report, they state that, "Chuck Summers, retail sales manager for Moore Monument and Granite Co. in Sterling, Ill., has had the device for about three months and is awaiting his first sale, too. He's got two good prospects but no signed deal.

"We range from $5,000 to $8,000 on a typical stone. When you tack on another $2,000 for the Vidstone, it gets pricey for the people in the area," he said.

But there are other issues besides the price -- like which way will the tombstone face, since the player is solar powered.

"If the stone is under a tree, it is not going to work very well. If the stone is faced to the west instead of the east or north instead of the south, it is not going to charge as well," Summers said.

Sue Pergolski, owner of Wausau Monuments in Wausau, which has sold tombstones since 1909, has heard of the device, too, but is skeptical about the market for it, given its price and 15-year expected life.

"I can't imagine that they could make it so it would last forever," said Pergolski, who is even hesitant to sell etchings on tombstones, wary of how long they will last.

"We kind of have the old-fashioned ideas. We want it to look the same in 50 years and 100 years," she said.

Still, she added: "With baby boomers starting to look at monuments, maybe the electronics will be more attractive."

This is an idea, as I said, that I thought of before, but to actually see it happening is something that I thought might never happen because of so many different factors such as the weather, durability of the electronics, cost, etc. 

The basic idea of a digital tombstone is cool, but at a price of $2,000 I would be more tempted to buy a new 24 inch iMac for someone among the living (myself, for example!) than to spend it on the dead, no matter how precious they might have been. Now, for instance, if the dead could play solitaire on it to help pass away eternity, then it might be another matter, but as things stand now, I can't see it really catching on, especially until the price comes down and the durability and other issues are resolved.

This next story is also weird, but considering it involves the government, it is a little more believable. According to a report out of the U.K. from the Daily Mail , June Clark, who was injured and placed in a wheelchair for six years struggled to have the government stop paying her a 600 British Pounds per month disability payment, but they adamantly refused. 

But why, you might ask, would a woman want the government stop paying her a monthly disibility when she qualified for it? Well it just so happens that June's 58 year old husband, Stuart, just happens to be a minister and after praying in faith, June simply got up one day and folded her wheelchair, threw away her pain killers and reported to the government that she that she no longer needed or deserve the disability payments and wanted them cancelled! 

In other words - she was instantly and miraculously healed and she felt that she was no longer entitled to, or needed the money. 

Now you would think that the government would be thankful and simply cancel her benefits, now wouldn't you? But, wait - remember this is the government we're talking about here!

According to the Daily Mail, the weird part is, "After I got healed in January 2006 I went to the doctor to check it out with him," she said yesterday.

'He said wait six months.'

'But after four months I felt uncomfortable taking benefits when I didn't need them. I contacted the offices to ask to come off the benefits.'

But officials told her that the system was unable to recognise an apparently miraculous recovery.

Mrs Clarke had been awarded an allowance for life and the computer wasn't programmed to allow the payments to end until her death.

'They said: 'We haven't got a button to push that says miracle.'

She then saw a government doctor, who was baffled about her recovery but declared her fully fit."

Well, after going through a great deal of trouble to convince the government, they finally relented and stopped her payments and now poor June has to repay some 3,500 pounds back to the government - money that she was paid while she tried for the past four months to get stopped!

Well, if you ask me, since she tried for six months to have the payments stopped, and for six months the government refused to accept the money, she shouldn't have to pay that money back. Clearly it was the stubborn attitude of the government and their 'weird' regulations that resulted in June having to fight the government for the last couple of months in the first place. They should have given her that and a reward for bringing the situation to them, as most, or at least, many folks simply would have continued to have claimed the money for the rest of their lives, even though they no longer qualified for it.

So, in-conclusion, the weirdest thing about June's weird case was how weird the government reacted to her blight, which doesn't sound all that weird when you consider how governments work anyways!

And thats my 2 cents on these two, but I'm sure not only weird tech stories, 4 Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Photo AP via CNN

A Look At Software: Dream Recorder - A Catcher of Dreams!

Applegazette is, without a doubt, one of the better Mac related websites out there and a site that is constantly bringing its readers the newest and coolest in Mac news. Recently, as of ten minutes ago, they brought to my attention a very interesting piece on a new software title, 'Dream Recorder.'

What is it; what does it do? First of all, Dream Recorder was designed to be used with the latests MacBooks or MacBook Pro lines of computers, but, as the developer points out, you can, if you wish, use your desktop model if your prepared to sleep with it. The purpose of Dream Recorder, as Applegazette reports is:

"You spend 1/3 of your life asleep. If you’re curious about what goes on during that time - you might want to check out this interesting application I stumbled upon - Dream Recorder.

The application is a sleep monitoring program that detects body movement with professional night vision tracking for iSight cameras.

If you’re obsessed with your sleep habits, Dream Recorder can help you track it in ways you didn’t even know were possible."

This sounds quite remarkable, and is something that I thought was only possible to achieve in a professional sleep clinic, but now, with the help of Dream Recorder and your trusty Mac computer, you can now be a 'dream catcher' right in your own home.

Unlike professional sleep deprivation centers, Dream Recorder requires no wires to be attached to your person at all - just your Mac and a working iSight camera is all that is needed by the software to do its magic. Some of the features of this amazing sounding software are:

The software was designed to allow you to wake up full of energy and even has a snoring detection system with anti-snoring whistles, what ever they are.

The software comes with the ability to play relaxing music, enhancing the mood for better sleep. Of course, this inclundes full iTunes integration, allowing for dream feedback and wake up melodies.

An automated voice controlled audio notepad for your notes that can record anything that you might mutter at night while dreaming, but I don' know about that one, that sounds a little scary if you ask me?

And, as the developer points out, you can using Dream Recorder also create your own quicktime movies of yourself, allowing you to record your night time body movements, which is also something that seems equally scary to me, but oh so interesting! Interesting indeed.

As a sleep monitor, the developer states, "Many sportsmen use Dream Recorder to monitor their night time recovery. For this purpose, Dream Recorder is fitted with a statistics section keeping records, nights after nights, for many parameters.

Dream Recorder helps you recollecting your dreams. Select a sound to gently wake you up, just after a dream, and tell them, before their memory vanish. Dream Recorder will detect your voice and log them for the next day.

Dreams are an endless source of inspiration, and Dream Recorder is used by novelists, painters and creative people in general."

I have friends that are sportsmen, hunters in particular, and maybe this is just what they are looking for since hunting at odd hours usually gets their sleeping cycles out of sync? For me, I'm not sure I need or want such software, but I have to admit that it's certainly sounds interesting, and who knows, maybe, just maybe I could benefit from such novel software, as I am one of those poor souls with a definite sleeping problem - I just can't seem to get enough qualitative sleep!

I am certainly interested in this amazing sounding software and, like me, if your a sleep deprived person, or one that is just curious about what happens to you when you sleep, and also interested in the claims and possible benefits that such software might bring, than I suggest that you head on over to the software's developers site listed below, and, while your at it, stop off and visit the great folks over at Applegazette too.

And thats my 2 cents for Monday, November -whoops, I mean, December 10, 2007.

Dream Recorder

Applegazette

iPhone Conquers the Business World?

Is the iPhone conquering the Business World? Well, not quite yet, but the iPhone, despite being dismissed by many, and especially those by its competitors, as being too expensive, slow and only a consumers phone, the iPhone is doing very well thank you.

 And according to a recent Reuters piece titled, "Apple iPhone winning corporate fans despite flaws,' the laugh may be on them, as the iPhone is breaking records not only for the purchases of home phone sales, in both the U.S.A and Europe, but now, also, as the Reuters piece suggests, the iPhone is making inroads in the corporate world, despite, might I point out, that it was never intended to do so in its current form.

Accordingly, Reuters reports:

"Although sought out by high-end consumers, Apple products have never been accepted widely by business, so major corporate adoption of the iPhone would be a breakthrough.

"It's fun," de la Cruz said in Boston at an industry conference earlier this week. "It's so popular."

Indeed, it is popular enough that software makers such as SAP, Salesforce.com Inc (CRM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and scores of smaller developers are letting sales and finance teams work away from the office on their iPhones.

On Monday, SAP broke with precedent by saying it would introduce a version of its upcoming customer relationship management software for the iPhone before launching versions for mobile devices from RIM and Palm Inc (PALM.O: Quote, Profile, Research).

The reason? SAP's own salespeople were clamoring for it, saying the iPhone was easier to use, according to Bob Stutz, SAP senior vice president in charge of developing customer relationships."

You can read more of the Reuters piece with the link at the end of this post, but in the meantime, I must say that the above Reuter's statements say a lot."

Steve Ballmer laughed at the iPhone when asked about it when it was first announced, but chances are he is not now. Nokia, Palm and other competitors can put on a brave face and basically laugh along with the CEO of Microsoft too, but if I were a fly on the wall of their respected boardrooms, I bet that it is not laughter that I would be hearing when ever the iPhone comes up, but rather a lot of cursing and anger aimed squarely at the genius's at the Cupertino's headquarters of Apple. I would think that its not only cursing that I would hear, but also, most likely, a sense of frustration and doom as the Cupertino giant forges on with its plans to make the iPhone the best of the best, which, of course, in many ways, it already is.

Reuters also points out,"But analysts said several things need to happen before the iPhone becomes a serious challenger, the most crucial of which is more support for corporate e-mail.Blackberries became an indispensable part of the business world for their ability to forward e-mail from a corporate network straight to the phones."

I agree with this assessment and think that Apple is already planning such a move. One of the great strengths and beauty of the iPhone is simply that being OS X based, Apple at anytime, can simply add features such as the ones above and deliver them easily via a firmware update.

I remember well, from Steve's iPhone announcement, that the first iPhone was just that - the first. He stated that it was just the beginning of many iPhones models that were to be introduced. Well, if thats the case, considering how disruptive the first model was, then I expect that future models are going to be just as disruptive as the giant from Curpertino flexes its muscles in the marketplace.

I also agree with the following quote, "What really made the iPod take off was when they made it compatible with Windows. So if they made the iPhone compatible with Windows e-mail, meaning Outlook, that would really make sales take off," said Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research."

Yes, I think this would be great and would allow the iPhone, which is already one of the biggest success's in the mobile space, to really take off.... BIG TIME! Also, the inclusion of an optional physical keyboard would also alleviate a major concern for many business users and would prompt even more iPhone business sales.

As well, they point out that the lack of a faster network such as G3, was one of the main reasons that some potential business buyers are delaying purchasing an iPhone. They are waiting for something other than the limited nature of the iPhone's current EDGE Network. I don't blame them on that one. I am waiting for that one too, and hopefully, by the time the iPhone arrives here in Canada, it will be a done deal?

I truly hope all of these happen, even though personally I don't think the physical keyboard is as important as some business people say it is, but hey, if their the ones buying the phones, then by all means, I say give them what they want.

A faster 3G network is also really important, and according to some surveys that I have seen, I'm not alone on this one.

So, in-conclusion, I too, like a lot of business owners are looking anxiously for the day, and hopefully very soon now, that Apple announces their new iPhones, and expecting most, if not all, of these business issues will be address. Lets hope so anyway?

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Friday, November 7, 2007.

http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN0654362420071206?

New Apple Patent To Bring More Games?

Appleinsider, one of the best Apple related information sites, is reporting that Apple Inc. has filled a new patent for a multitasking touch-screen for mobile gaming. Gaming has been, up to now, one of the weaker areas in Apple's comeback so it is welcome news indeed. Does this mean that Apple is now taking gaming more seriously than in the past? Let's all hope so?

Apple insider reports the following quote:

"One aspect of the invention provides a game input area (surface or plane) that can receive input for multiple applications including an interactive application executed in connection with a scene displayed on a display," the filing states. "Input is directed to the appropriate application based on one or more locations (e.g., points, positions, regions, portions) of the input area effectively identified when input is received (e.g., when input is entered by a person by touching a particular position on a touch screen)."

Now that sounds interesting, doesn't it? Even more interesting is that they further quote:

"More particularly, the input area for a gaming application can effectively overlap or include a number of locations that are designated for a non-gaming application (e.g., a media playback application) and/or designated as such only if input is received in a particular manner (e.g., pushing or pressing of any location, or a particular designated location, would result in sending the input to non-gaming application)," the filing continues. "As such, a location on the input area can be designated, for example, for a gaming application if input is received in a particular manner different than that designated for the non-gaming application (e.g., tapping or touching the region would send input to a gaming application, but pressing would result in a media player function)."

You can read more info from the Appleinsider link below, but what I want to stress is the need for far more gaming input on Apple's part for the Mac and other Apple devices. Sure, there are now lots more games, compared to the past anyway, to be found now on Apple equipment, but its not enough. So many times in the past and even now I am constantly being 'ribbed' because of the Mac's lack of high quality games by Window users and even by Linux geeks who, frankly, if they only would admit it, have even far fewer commercial choices then the Mac. Gaming isn't that important to me, but to the Mac's continued growth, which is roaring along at a very nice clip these days, it could be extremely important.

The fact that Macs now run on Intel processors, the ever growing interest of game developers to port their wares to the Mac because of its increasingly larger market share, and now, the above patent filling (among others) to me, at least, is very welcome news as it suggests that finally Apple is really beginning to get dead serious about gaming.

If Apple really is serious about gaming there are still things, however, that it still must do besides what it already has done and is currently doing. For one thing, how about giving us even beefier graphic cards. Here is one area that the Mac is constantly being put down a lot by Window and Linux people. Not only should Apple be offering beefier stock graphic cards, but also they should be giving us the ability to add newer and more powerful cards, should and when they become available in the future. Having a great card now isn't so great when someone, shortly after you bought your Mac, comes out with a newer model that puts your card to shame.

Yes, I admit, that like millions of people, I am smitten by Apple's cool and down right fabulous all-in-one designs, but hey, if the Gateway One can accommodate better internal upgradability, if so desired, in their all-in-one, then hey... Apple should too. After all, since the Gateway One was basically copied from the iMac anyway, I, therefore, should that think Apple has the right to copy one of their competitor's better ideas, in this case, more expandability! The Gateway One easily opens in the back and allows for beefier graphic cards and hard drives, etc. iMac users could and should have that ability too. 

All-in-all, without a doubt, Apple under the wise and capable leadership of its founding father, Steve Jobs, is moving in the right direction, but not fast enough, if you ask me. It would be better if Jobs moved Apple even faster in the gaming arena, because whether your a gamer or not, gaming is a very important reason why people buy computers in the first place. 

If Apple would beef up their gaming abilities in their devices, just think how much more of a greater impact it would have in finally getting even more switchers to move to the Mac platform? The more Apple gives its potential switchers what they want, and in this case, more  gaming ability, the more that they will give what Apple wants - more switchers and a bigger percentage of the market.

Common Apple, quite playing games and give us greater ability to play even more games, a lot more! If you do, it is you, Apple, in the game of market share, that will end up being the biggest winner of all!

And thats my 2 cents on the new Apple patents and gaming on the Mac 4 this bright, warm Thursday, December 6, 2008.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/12/06/apple_filing_details_multitasking_touch_screen_for_mobile_gaming.html

Pics-4-the-Day: Magnificent Rivers!

They say that rivers all flow to the sea, but they also flow through history as some of the most important and interesting places on earth. Rivers give life to cities, forests and agriculture. Rivers have always fascinated people, myself included, so as one of my 'Pics-4-the-Day' features I am featuring several pictures from several magnificent and beautiful rivers, all taken from the wonderful archives of Flickr.

My first river photo, seen above, is from the Yarra river that flows through the great city of Melbourne, Australia. This night time photo is a symphony of color and comes to us from tengtan's photostream. The reflection on the water and the myriad of colors are just spectacular!


Ah, what can I say about the next photo titled, "Moon River?" Is this the one that inspired the song of the same name? I'm not sure, but it easily could be, as it is picture perfect! This wonderful pic is brought to us by the fine photographic collection to be found in pairadocs' photostream.




From Daniel Starrason's Flickr photostream, we see a wonderful photo, that to me, is utterly stunning in its color and composition! This picture was taken in Iceland and could easily be used to promote tourism in the country. Looking at this amazing photo puts me in a dreamy mood, and makes me want to visit Iceland this very minute. A great shot if ever there was one!


From far off Laos, Yoke's photostream brings us a view of an unnamed river flowing through Vang Vien. I don't know the rivers name, but I do know that what ever it is called, you can also call it beautiful, very beautiful. The jagged mountains remind me of China and the lushness of the forest on the opposite shore are inviting and make me wish I was there to drink in of its beauty.


When it comes to post card type rivers one automatically thinks of our next river, the magnificent Rhine in Germany! The river is wide, stepped in history and is an important waterway for this important and great nation. I love the many castles that grace this beautiful river. This great shot from rogausters' Flickr stream really highlights the beauty of this mighty river, which is just one more of the many reasons why I love this country so much.


Our next Flickr photo comes to us from Nat's wonderful collection and is of a river that I know very well, since I was born near it. This river is what many call the Rhine of America and, as you can see it is absolutely beautiful and very much like the European counterpart, minus the castles! The name of this half-a-thousand mile long beauty is the Saint John River which flows from the mighty Bay of Fundy in the south of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, to the north in the state of Maine. Many times, as a child, I would walk along the banks and drink in, not of its water, of course, but of its inspiring beauty!


Further highlighting the beauty of the Saint John river, we find hayward home's Flickr photo called, "Beautiful Day." This photo is absolutely beautiful and seems more like that of a great painting than that of a photograph, a quality that all great photos have.



From the Saint Johns river, but not the one above, but the one in the great sunshine state of Florida, we have this charming and rustic picture. This great shot comes to us from Paul G's Flickr photostream and the scene is again, picture perfect! Don't you just love how those trees frame the little church and the path leading to it and the river in the distance? I do, and this pic is just another reason that I love Flickr the way I do!

So, please check out these and the many other marvelous river pictures from the Flickr sources listed below: (PLEASE NOTE: All photos are the property and copyrights of their respected owners.)

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=2085820062&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1697490698&size=l

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1198058421&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1438479175&size=l

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1514321997&size=l

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yokels/1391362455/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/overexposed/538621733/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgarf/1562096817/

A Story 4 Meghna - The Coughing Coffin

Author's Note: Meghna is an award winning blogger who, at the tender age of 12, loves creative writing and who regularly enchants her readers with wonderful little stories of her own creation. I already did a review of her blog, 'Delve into the Mind of a budding Blogger,' before, but this time I thought that I would take 15 minutes to write an original story for her, and of course, for any who may wish to read it. So, for Meghna here is my story, or should I say - your story.


Sanjay brushed the sweat from his brow and brushed back his dirty hair from his weary and even dirtier face. He was hungry, tired, wet and cold as he went about his daily chore of digging through the garbage heaps at the edge of town, hoping, in the process to find something, anything that he could sell to get enough to eat.

Life had not been kind for him ever since his parents, both successful film producers, died in a mysterious car accident two short years ago, but to Sanjay, it was a lifetime. His only remaining family member, his uncle, Rashsid, cheated him out of his parents estate and forced him to fend for himself on the mean city streets of the bustling city of Mumbay.

He went from designer threads to torn and shattered rags, from a well feed belly to an empty one, and one that often keep him awake from the pain of too little food. From bright eyes filled with hope, to darker eyes filled with hopelessness, Sanjay was now reduced to scavenging in garbage heaps in order to survive. Long gone were his hopes to go to film school and become a film producer like his parents. Those dreams were replaced, thanks to his parents accident and the scheming of his harsh and cruel uncle, to the nightmare of trying to survive for just one more day.

Sanjay was alone, scared, confused and hopeless, but he was still proud. Too proud to beg like some of the other boys his age, so he continued to pick through the heaps of garbage in hope of finding something he could sell that would ease the pain of his empty belly, but it looked like this day he was going to come up empty handed once again.

Finding nothing of value, Sanjay decided to go home, if you could even call it that, because home was nothing more than a hole under a bridge. This was his home for most of the past two years, one were he most often went hungry, leaving him with nothing to do but grieve for his parents and his lost hope of becoming like them, a film producer.

As Sanjay started back home, however, he was suddenly startled by the the sound of a cough. Sanjay looked around but cold see no one, so he assumed he was just hearing things. No doubt, it was his mind playing tricks on him again, as it often did when he was really hungry.

As he continued to leave, he heard, yet once more, the cough. But were was it coming from? He could see no one around, at least, not close enough to account for the cough. Sanjay's was even more startled as he then realized that the cough was coming from deep within the rubbish pile itself! But how was that possible - was there someone, or something buried deep within that stinking mess?

Sanjay was frightened and he wanted to run away, but he couldn't. What if someone needed help, would he abandoned them in their time of need as his uncle had done to him? No, he knew that he couldn't do that, no not ever! Sanjay started to dig feverishly through the garbage trying to locate the source of the cough. Suddenly, his hands hit what felt like a small wooden box. He pulled it out and was amazed that he found what looked like a miniature coffin!

Then, even more startled, he heard the cough again...... it was coming from within the little coffin itself! The cough grew louder as Sanjay's heart almost jump out from his chest in fear, and as the sweat poured down from his shocked and astonished face! What was making that cough? Was there a rat or something inside? Sanjay didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he just had to know. So, carefully, ever so slowly, Sanjay's quivering fingers peeled the coffin's lid open to reveal something absolutely amazing, wonderful and totally unbelievable! There before his astonished eyes was a gold covered mask, a mask that coughed up gold coins from its opened mouth!

Sanjay rubbed his eyes not quite believing them. Fait had been very unkind to him since his parents died, so it had to be fait playing a cruel joke on him! Where they genuine coins or fakes? Sanjay didn't know, but, none-the-less, after making sure that no one had seen him, he placed the little coffin in his dirty old bag that he used to hold scrap in, while he placed the five gold coins into his pockets, grasping them tightly in his closed fists, too scared, much too scared that he might lose them or that someone might see and take them from him.

Sanjay left the rubbish heaped and headed back to town. He was still famished, his stomach ached with pain, but he didn't seem to notice as much as his head was filled with the thoughts of the amazing treasure now hiding within his bag, and of the five gold coins that he grasped so tightly in his hand still hidden in his pocket.

Sanjay tried his best to look like nothing was out of the ordinary, and he was doing a good job, or so he thought, but as he headed on to his hole under the bridge, however, he was startled by the booming voice of a big man, a man he knew well.

"Hey boy, get over here... your hiding something from me,!" said Bandi, a local scrap dealer and gold seller.

"No sire, not me Mr. Bandi; I'm in a hurry to go somewhere." replied Sanjay, convinced that somehow his secret was out of the bag, just as surely as the coffin was in his bag.

"Listen Sanjay," Bandi ordered, "I know gold, I can smell it a mile away and I know that you got some, so give it to me." Bandi then grabbed Sanjay by scuff of his shirt and forced him into his shop.

Sanjay was never scared of Bandi before, after all, Bandi bought most of his scrap metal when he was lucky enough to find any. But Sanjay was afraid now. How did he know he had the gold coins, he thought to himself - had someone seen what had happened at the garbage heap and informed him?

Bandi then sat Sanjay down and gave him a reassuring wink. "Now listen here Sanjay, I don't care where you got that gold. I don't care if someone gave it to you, or if you found it, or if you stole it... I just want it and I will pay you handsomely for it." He then pulled out the largest pile of money's that Sanjay had ever seen in his life... and this time it was all his!

Sanjay couldn't explain how Bandi knew that he had the five gold coins, but then again, he couldn't exactly explain how, what, or where the coughing coffin came from, or how it coughed up those five coins to begin with. Sanjay simply handed Bandi the coins not knowing what would happen next. Bandi handed Sanjay, as promised, the pile of money which he took and placed in his dirty old bag besides the magic coughing coffin.

After traveling a short distance from Bandi's shop, Sandjay then ran and ran, as fast as he could. He was certain Bandi was going to reclaim his money. Maybe he would even report that he had stolen it to the police and he was going to repeat his lot in life... a life of never ending troubles, heartache and pain. Maybe Bandi would even have him thrown in jail and he would take the magic coffin away from him, he simply didn't know?

Sanjay's mind raced with a million different thoughts, none of them which seemed to make any sense at all, except for one - his stomach was screaming for a morsel of food, so he thought, at least, that if he was going to jail for being falsely accused of stealing Bandi's money, well then, at least, he would go to jail with a full belly.

Sanjay took a small sum of the money and bought so much food that he couldn't possible eat it all, and since he hated to waste anything, he donated most of the food to some nearby beggars, some who seemed to be in worse shape than even he. After a full stomach, Sanjay started to walk back to his hole under the bridge but thought, "Well, if I'm going to jail for buying some food with Bandi's money they can also, if they wish, put me in jail for spending a little on some clothes and a nice warm and dry place to spend the night.

After Sanjay bought some very nice, but not too expensive clothes, he rented a room near the main Mumbay rail station. "Well, since I'm probably going to jail tomorrow, thought Sanjay," I will go to jail, at least, with a good night rest under my belt!" Sanjay with his belly full and his mind full of questions and thoughts concerning this most unusual day, finally laid his head on a pillow and fell fast to sleep.

Sanjay woke up very late the next morning, something that he had never had the luxury of doing before. It was almost noon and his previously full belly was empty again. He was sure he was going to hear a knock on the door and then the police would finally take him away for a crime he never committed, namely stealing Bandi's money. However, 30 minutes went by and no police knocked on the door, so he waited a little longer, fully expecting them to come at any moment, but they never did, so Sanjay gave a big sigh of relieve and started to believe that the money was really his after all.

Every day the coughing coffin would cough up more gold coins and everyday Sanjay would trade them to Bandi for paper money that he used for food, clothing, shelter and for charity. Sanjay soon had more than enough money to not only live on, but to hire Dr. Keejani, a private investigator, and the best in all of India. He hired him for one purpose and that was to get to the bottom of his parent's mysterious death, one that he and others suspected his uncle in having a part, a nefarious one at that.

Days went by, days that turned into weeks, months and years, while Sanjay, in the meantime, continued to go to film school, learning more and more about making movies and becoming a little more like his parents each day. Soon Sanjay started to produce small video ads and actually began making a small and successful income from from them. Later, he then went on to produce several documentaries, several of which became very successful. One video triumph lead to another one, and then another. After Sanjay finally graduated from film school he started his own movie production company, The Sanjay Movie Works, from money he got from the coughing coffin and his rising film income.

Meanwhile, after all this time, Dr. Keejani had what he wanted, what he longed for all these years - proof that his uncle had arranged the death of his parents. Dr. Keejani and Sanjay had his uncle charged and after several months of work the courts found his uncle guilty of the murder of Sanjay's parents. The courts not only vindicated Sanjay's suspicions about his uncle, but left him with full control of his parents fortune that Rashid had stolen from him years before.

A little while later, Sandjay reached another victory - he won the right to produce a new Bollywood movie based on a book by one of India's youngest and greatest writers, a writer he heard of and longed to meet and one that many Bollywood and Hollywood producers have been trying to land for a long time. The writers name was Meghna, one of the world's most creative writers, who began her career as a budding blogger several years ago around the tender age of 12.

Strangely, as soon as Sanjay began to make money from his production company, he found that the more money he earned the less money the coughing coffin coughed up until finally, the day the court awarded him his parents estate, the coughing coffin stopped coughing up any more money altogether! Sanjay was surprised and curious as to why it did so, but he was not at all sad - he now had more than enough money to live on, more than enough to produce movies and enough to help his fellow country men, those less fortunate than he - especially the children, who, like himself, had to fend for himself by scrounging through garbage heaps in hopes of scavenging just enough to sell and live off of.

Sanjay didn't have to much time to think about the coughing coffin, he had movies to make and a literary superstar to meet in Delhi, Meghna. Finally, the day came to do so and he was introduced to Meghna, a writer who was as beautiful as she was talented. Of all the writers Sanjay had the pleasure of meeting in his line of work, Meghna was not only the greatest, but was clearly different then any of the rest. She was modest and humble, much like himself. He didn't quite know why, but this writer was special. He could feel it in her warmth of her hand, the warmth of her conversation and the warmth of her spirit, a spirit of excellence that ran through all of her work, from the day she started blogging to now as one of the world's most famous and successful writers.

Sanjay and Meghna talked for hours on her book and the best way to bring it to life on the big screen. They talked even more hours about themselves, their dreams, their hopes and their values which seemed to be so much alike. Meghna asked Sanjay about his parents and all of the struggles that Sanjay had to endured to get to were he was now - one of the greatest and most famous of all Bollywood producers.

Meghna was so warm, so nonthreatening that Sanjay felt, after holding it in for all these years, he would tell her about the magical coughing coffin. Meghna was stunned, she could barely believe her ears, and wanted to know more and she begged him to let her see it.

"Please, oh please," Meghna begged, "I just have to see it. It would make a great story for a book - even a movie, if you wish to share it Sanjay." she pleaded.

Sanjay had never told a soul about the coffin before, even though he believed that Bandi somehow knew, but now the idea of telling the story to the world was something that had never crossed his mind. He did see that Meghna really wanted to tell the world about it through her marvelous gift of writing and she wanted him, with his equally wonderful gift of movie telling, to produce a film on it too.

"Ok, Meghna, for you I'll do it."

"Oh thank you Sanjay; you won't be sorry, I promise!" Meghna exclaimed as she planted a big kiss on his cheek, something that he didn't expect but loved and wish he could had more of.

Sanjay and Meghna then raced off in his silver Mercedes to his home, not that far away, to examine the coughing coffin. Sanjay sat Meghna down in his second floor office and reached under a sofa were he kept the amazing miniature coffin in the same old bag that he had as a boy. But to Sanjay's shock it wasn't there - but were did go, what happened to it?

"Meliah, come quick!" he shouted to his maid.

"What is it Sanjay, why are you so upset?" Meghna asked nervously as Sanjay seemed to be very, very upset, almost panicking.

"The coughing coffin - its missing! I had it here only three days ago before I left to meet you! What happened to it, this is too terrible!" he told her just as Meliah came running in wondering what all the commotion was about?

"What is wrong master Sanjay?" asked Melia, clearly concerned over his anxious face and pacing.

"My sack, the little dirty bag that I kept under the sofa... it's gone! Do you know anything?" Sanjay asked.

"Why, yes." Meliah replied, "I'm sorry, but before you left you told me to clean the place and throw out anything that was rubbish and that bag was so dirty, with only an old dirty box inside, so, I guess that I threw it out!" Meliah cried, "I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

"Yes, I forgive you. Its my fault, don't cry." Sanjay told her. "Just tell me when and were you threw it out."

Meliah pointed to the window and Sanjay knew everything. "You threw it in the dumpster outside my office?" Sanjay gasped and then rushed to the window as she nodded.

From the window Sanjay, Meghna and Meliah watched and witnessed an amazing sight and sound. There below them was a little boy, dirty and hungry, just as Sanjay once had been, as the boy pulled the dirty old bag from the dumpster and just as he opened the coughing coffin. There, after all this time, the sound of coughing came from withing the coffin, along with the clinking sound of more gold coins spitting from its mouth.

Sanjay, Meghna and Meliah, who knew nothing of any of this until now, watched as the boy looked around, just as Sanjay did years ago, and started to sneak off with the the wonderful treasure inside.

Sanjay startled the boy, who nervously look back up at him. "Hey boy, I think you should go and see Mr. Bandi. I think he can trade what you are hiding in your pockets for something that you could really use. But keep what's in the bag a secret and use it wisely and for the good of others as well as yourself!" Sanjay added as the boy smiled back and ran off to Bandi's gold shop to exchange the gold coins for money.

"But why are you letting him get away with such a treasure?" Meghna, who was completely amazed by Sanjay's action, curiously asked.

Sanjay looked Meghna in the eyes and told her, "Because - the coughing coffin wasn't really mine after all." Sanjay answered. "No, I realize now that the coffin belongs to no one, but is only on loan to whoever it feels is the one who is the most hopeless of the hopeless, like I was then and that boy is now. I know now, the coughing coffin will help that boy the way it helped me, and someday still, it will pass into the hands of another less fortunate soul to work its magic yet again. The magic coughing coffin is really a magical box of hope for the hopeless!"

At that point Meghna knew that Sanjay was more than a handsome young man and a great producer, but was a very compassionate and wise man, and her heart, from that point on, attached itself to his heart and his to hers. They looked deeply into each other eyes, but said not a word to each other, none were needed - they knew now that they were made for each other, brought together by the coughing coffin!

Sanjay may have lost the treasure in that old dirty bag, but he now was blessed with an even greater treasure - Meghna's love and admiration, as he felt the warmth of her hand in his and as he looked into the warmth of her smiling face.

As a now fortunate boy made his way towards Bandi and a new and better life, thanks to the magic of the coughing coffin, so too, Sanjay and Meghna, hand-in-hand, went on to realize that they had the greatest treasure of all - their new found love, a love brought together by the magic of that old coughing coffin.

Meghna, the greatest Indian writer and Sanjay, the greatest Indian film producer, from that day onward became not only the best of friends, but eventually man and wife. Their love was as legendary as was Meghna's gift of writing and Sanjay's gift of movie magic.

Together Meghna and Sanjay worked to bring inspiration to millions of people around the world through her wonderful writing and Sanjay's wonderful movies, just as the magic coughing coffin brought them inspiration and good fortune and to all of those who were lucky enough to become, for a short time, the possessors of it!

Meghna's Blog: http://meghnaspages.blogspot.com/

My review of Meghna's blog: http://my2cents4theday.blogspot.com/2007/11/next-jk-rowlings-blog-4-day-presents.html