Today, the world lost a great man. Steve Jobs was a brilliant businessman. He was a natural salesman. Beneath it all, though, Steve was a geek.
He knew what we, as geeks, wanted. He knew what would get our brains moving and hearts pumping. He understood that power, speed and functionality could be beautifully packaged in such a way that all the world would want to have it as their own. He knew and understood because he was one of us.
It’s official. The next generation iPhone is the iPhone 4S. Though Steve Jobs and his trademark, black turtleneck were noticeably absent, Apple new CEO, Tim Cook took the stage and delivered the much-anticipated details regarding what will undoubtedly become the company’s next big money-maker.
Much to the chagrin of many, the iPhone 5 didn’t appear. That doesn’t mean the iPhone 4S doesn’t come with noticeable improvements over its predecessor, the iPhone 4. Of course, the show included reports on Apple’s recent financial successes, store openings, etc. That said, we know that’s why you’re here, so we’ll get straight to the list of specifications and features that were unveiled during the big Apple event.
October 4, 2011 is finally here. As any respectable tech geek knows, today Apple is set to unveil the next-generation iPhone. Will it be called the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 or, perhaps, the iMegaPhone. Okay, that last one is a stretch, but it has to be something exciting, right? While you may not have received a personal invitation from Apple to attend the event, you can join the connected masses who will be among the first to know its specs and features, through the techno-magic that is live-blogging.
For whatever reason, Apple decided against live-streaming the event, via its own website. There’s no need to worry, though, since there is no shortage of tech sites who will be live-blogging for your bandwidth-consuming pleasure. As in the past, we’ve put posted the schedule for various time zones, as well as a list of sites on which you can watch. It’s always advisable to get in early, turn on the auto-refresh, so you don’t miss a moment. It also doesn’t hurt to open up a few different live-blogs at the same time because…lets face it…some of the live-bloggers don’t post as quickly as others.
These days, it seems there is a mobile phone to fit everyone’s unique needs, tastes, and budget. A yet-to-be-released device from Denmark-based Aesir is pushing that idea to the limit. The Æ+Y Phone comes in two models. Typically, the difference in pricing has to do with a mobile phone’s storage capacity, features, etc. In the case of the Æ+Y Phone, the difference has to do with the materials of which it’s made.
This work of mobile phone art comes in an 18-carat, yellow gold model and a stainless steel model. Yes, you read that correctly. After reviewing the image gallery on Aesir’s website, it truly is an impressive device. How much will the Æ+Y Phone set you back? The term “sticker shock” is taken to an entirely new level, when speaking of the device. That’s because the gold model will set you back approximately $57,300. If that’s a bit of a stretch for your budget, you can always settle for the stainless steel model, which can be yours for a mere $9,900.
Yesterday, Nintendo announced, via press release, that the next update for the Nintendo 3DS will include the ability to record video in 3D. Additionally, the company also touted the upcoming release of a new slidepad accessory for the device and new games like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
In a separate press release from a few days earlier, Nintendo lauded the fact that sales of its first 3D gaming device increased by 260 percent, since August 12, 2011, over the previous month’s sales. With the new accessory, games, device features, and sales increase, one would assume that things were great for Nintendo. Upon closer inspection, though, this might not actually be the case.
An exhibition currently on display at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art seeks to show people how technological objects, such as cell phones, computers and automated kiosks, have become an integral and artistic part of our daily lives. Entitled Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects, the exhibit focuses on the evolution of technology towards direct interaction. The art aspect of direct interaction can be seen in how developers and engineers create the visual design and communication interfaces of the object.
In an interview with Reuters reporter Anthony De Rosa, Paola Antonelli, the exhibit’s curator, says that while people have always formed relationships with objects, the ones being formed with technological objects are much more complex. Antonelli explains, “The relationship used to be emotional, but now, because of digital technology, we expect that communication to be much more explicit.” Based on these increased expectations, technological design includes previously expected aspects of form and function but has also added an additional aspect of a script through which people interface with the technology. You can see the complete Reuters video below (requires Adobe Flash), and more information on the exhibit is included after the break.
Who am I kidding? I already gave away the fact that GSL doesn’t have a real, verifiable iPhone 5 prototype to send you into a fit of delirious tech-joy. Additionally, I’m not going to tell you that the iPhone 5 might be made of a previously undiscovered, super-lightweight metal from Mars or that, allegedly, it may have a Pez dispenser integrated into the body of the device. I won’t even tell you that the iPhone 5 could possibly serve as a universal remote for your entire home theater system.
Though the photo submitted super-secretly and anonymously by Twitter’s very own @dbone15 (oops…let that one slip) is a very impressive rendering of what the device might look like, it wasn’t exfiltrated from Apple’s servers or found in a bar or Photoshopped in any way, shape or form. How do we know this? It’s because he readily admits it was drawn with highlighters, by his 15-month old daughter, Sophie G. He may or may not have helped her out a little with the Apple logo, but I can let that slide. After all, it is a fake prototype. Those last two words bring us to the actual point of this post. Read on, and it will all become clear….hopefully.
An iPhone 5 Prototype (Artistic Credit: Sophie G., 13-month old tech geek)
This morning, Bloomberg broke the news that the U.S. Department of Justice, via, for lack of a better term, its parent company, the U.S. Government, formally filed a complaint to stop the proposed acquisition of T-Mobile assets by AT&T. Back in March of this year, GSL published a post on the proposed acquisition and detailed how we thought customers could emerge as the real winners.
For better or worse, though, it appears that the U.S. Government feels that such an acquisition would constitute a violation of U.S. Antitrust laws. Specifically, the complaint cites that a completed and approved deal would “substantially lessen competition” among the companies that make up the U.S. wireless market.
It’s been a few months since Google launched Google+, its latest venture into social media. As is usually the case, sides were immediately chosen. Some lauded Google+ as the next big thing. On the other side, critics claimed it was no more than a feeble attempt to emulate Facebook. What was expected was for the debate to fade away, leaving Google+ users to post animated .gifs to their heart’s content. Of course, the critics would move on to their next target.
That isn’t the way it has really played out, though. No, Google upped the ante by quickly disallowing private profiles. I posted a piece on the private profile policy back on July 6, 2011. I expressed that it didn’t really matter, since one could choose to populate their profile with real or false information. I still thought it would all work out fine. Then came Google’s decision to begin suspending profiles with pseudonyms. This seemed a bit dicey, but there did seem to be a mechanism in place to request a review and validation of one’s pseudonym of choice. If favorably reviewed and determined to be for non-nefarious purposes, the person could keep using their pseudonym. It seemed simple, right? It was…until Google became an active combatant in the Identity Wars. The only problem is that it’s still difficult to discern who Google views as the enemy.
This morning, one of the lead stories over at TechCrunch reported that all Android phones released in 2011 by AT&T will have Android version 2.3, or as its more commonly known, Gingerbread. The news itself isn’t that exciting unless you’re a consumer who was planning on upgrading your device during the second half of this year. The list of AT&T devices includes the HTC Inspire 4G, LG Phoenix, Motorola Atrix 4G, and Pantech Crossover. Apparently, those who already own these devices will be able to upgrade them to Gingerbread within the near future.
What does this mean for the green (read: new) and average Android users? The answer is “not much”. The TechCrunch post throws around technical jargon, like “root” and “CyanogenMod” that many of us tecnophiles understand. The average Android user may recognize what it means to “root” their Android, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want or even know how to do it. What the whole thing really reminds us is that, despite their technical goodness, Android devices, their various OS versions and residual app compatibility issues make smartphones seem rather dumb and, ultimately, may influence potential buyers to choose….you guessed it….an iPhone.
