Jonathan Ive – a good Poker player

Jonathan the start designer behind Apple who is responsible for the iPod, iPhone and iMac design and a native Britain did open a few months ago the rumor he might leave Apple (Cupertino) to spend more time with his family in England.

Jonathan Ive 1999 Mac World:

Jonathan Ive today:

Jonathan had an amazing career at Apple and made a big change not only for Apple, once an overweight unattractive guy is now a guy which looks good on TV. His appearance on TV (keynotes and videos) with his British accent makes him one of the best presenters Apple ever had. Only Steve Jobs might come better over the air, but only because he has his own charisma.

After a short time at the London design agency Tangerine, Jonathan Ive moved to the United States in 1992 to pursue his career at Apple Inc. He gained his current job title upon the return of Steve Jobs in 1997, and since then has headed the Industrial Design team responsible for most of the company's significant hardware products.

Today Jonathan is Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. and all new hardware products at Apple have his signature. He is the highest designer at the second big company in the world. 3 years ago he agreed on a handcuff agreement with Apple not to leave Apple for three years – his compensation for this was $30 Million. Just a few months before his contract ended he started the rumor he will leave Apple. I believe he never did want to leave Apple but to get a better financial deal with Apple Inc. The best thing to do is to threaten your company you want to leave. This always helps when the company does believe you are an important asset. And for sure Ive is a very important asset for Apple Inc.

Apple’s success is not only based on Steve’s vision but as well the ability of Ive to give products a look and feel which let the consumer believe the products are better than others. Ive and Steve have one thing in common; both don’t deliver a product which is in their mind not perfect. Steve once did not release the NeXT cube because the black was not the black he envisioned. Sounds familiar? How long do we wait now on the white iPhone?

Ive is getting a $24 Million check end of this month for his stocks and I am pretty sure he signed a new 3 years contract with at least $60 Million compensation or a lot of stocks (source PcMac)

Be honest, why should he leave, to be together with your family? This is an argument if you don’t make millions; otherwise the money is good enough to move the family or to see them every week.

On the other hand he has not made millions yet to allow himself to start his company and be financial as successful. Moving to another company would be downsizing. There are not many big companies in the UK he could join. Big names in the UK:

• BP
• Vodafone
• HSBC Holdings
• Tesco
• Barclays
• GlaxoSmithKline
• AstraZeneca
• Standard Chartered
• National Grid
• BT Group

 (source Timesonline UK)

None of them are really sexy companies for him to work with. If he wants to stay in electronics then leaving Apple and joining another company will not resolve in living in the UK - More likely US or Asia.

Therefore the only thing he could have done is to leave Apple Inc. Move to Britain and live from his savings. He wants more for sure.

Another possible outcome could have been that he stays with Apple but works from Britain. This would have been a win for him to.

He played Poker and he won.

So you think Apple computers are expensive?

I hear all the time how expensive Apple is and that there is no reason to switch just to pay a premium. And if we don't look deeper the price of Apple is in average 30% more.

IPhone:
The iPhone 4G 32GB is $299 which is around $100 more than other smart phones, however none of them in the lower price range have as much build in memory. Example: HTC EVO 4G, the price is $199 and same features like the iPhone (plus 4G), however the internal memory is only 1 GB, extra micro SD card with 32GB costs another $70. But the big difference is the quality of the camera, nobody yet could match the photo quality of the iPhone.

iPad:
The iPad costs between $499 and $829. All are 10 inch the only difference is to have it with 3G and the memory size between 16GB and 64GB. All other high quality tablets running on Android are not cheaper, they are even more expensive and have mostly only 7inch screen.
Example: Motorla - XOOM Tablet 3G with 10 inch screen. This tablet runs on Android and is available at Best Buy for $799,99 but has only 32GB memory. The iPad with 3G and 32GB is only $729.

Notebooks:
The cheapest notebook from Apple is the MacBook Air or just the MacBook starting at $999. Notebooks from other vendors are starting in average at $500. This is half of the price, but unfortunately as well half of the quality and speed.
Let us compare a notebook which is almost identical to the MacBook air in speed, size, design and quality. The Samsung 9 Series.
MacBook Air:

Samsung Series 9:

This notebook comes very close to Apple, but unfortunately the price is far from a competition. The notebook will be priced around $2200, twice than the MacBook Air.
The Specifications of Samsung 9 series laptop:



Samsung 9 Series Specs ($2230):


CPU: Second Generation Intel® CoreTM i5 Processor 2537M (1.40 GHz, 3MB; turbo up to 2.3 GHz)
Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 bit) / Windows® 7 Professional (64 bit)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 * Storage (max): 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
Screen: 13.3-inch HD LED-backlit SuperBright Plus display (400 nit)
Resolution: 1366×768
Graphics: Intel HD GT2 Integrated Graphics
Speakers: 3 watt (1.5W x 2) stereo speakers and 1.5 watt sub-woofer
Battery: Lithium Polymer; up to 6.5 hours
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n; WiMaxi
Weight: 2.89 lbs.

Apple MacBook Air Specs ($1299):

Product Height 0.7"

Product Width 12.8" Product Weight 2.9 lbs.

Product Depth 8.9"

Processor Brand Intel® Processor Intel® Core™2 Duo

Processor Speed 1.86GHz

Battery Type Lithium-polymer

Display Type Widescreen LED-backlit (1440 x 900)

Screen Size (Measured Diagonally) 13.3"

System Bus 1066MHz

Cache Memory 6MB shared on die Level 2

System Memory (RAM) 2GB

System Memory (RAM) Expandable To 4GB

Type of Memory (RAM) DDR3 SDRAM

Computer Hard Drive Size 128GB

Digital Media Reader or Slots Yes, select memory card slots

Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 320M

Video Memory 256MB (shared)

Built-in Webcam Yes

Wireless Networking Wireless-A+B+G+N

Bluetooth-Enabled Yes

Speakers Internal

USB 2.0 Ports 2

Laptop Weight Ultraportable (5.5 lbs. or less)

Operating System Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Included Software iLife '11 and more

ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes

Drive Capacity 128GB flash storage

Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce 320M

There must be a reason that Apple is now Number 1 mobile PC manufacture in the World.

Yes Apple seems to pricey, but when we compare competition with same features then Apple is not more expensive. But one thing almost none of the competition has is the the beauty and aesthetic and ease of use with almost no viruses. Only Apple can offer this at the moment.

Cheaper iPhone on the way?

New Yahoo is reporting that Apple is producing a new cheaper iPhone which will be $200 without a contract. Not sure if this makes sense. the current iPhone costs Apple $191, so they could sell for under $300 and no contract and still make money on it.
Apple most expensive components are the glass screens where they could save money, but Apple is not famous known for reducing the quality of a product design to save some money. All other components are more or less needed.
I think Apple might include in the iPod Nano a phone, which would make a lot of sense, the could sell it under $200 without contract (if the technology fits into it) and it would be still not a competition to the ipod touch. Consumer is already able to buy 3Gs iphones for $49 at ATT with a 2 year contract. Or we can buy the iPhone 4 at eBay without contract for $200.
Even if there is an iphone without contract, the carrier will ask you to sign a contract. More likely that Apple will open the iPhone 5 to all carirers in the US and the consumer can choose which they want to use. Maybe they will offer then contract free voice and data plan where the user will pay on the go.

In case Apple would produce a cheaper phone then why buying an iPod touch?

I honestly think if Apple brings a cheaper phone for the reason written in the article, then it will be a totally different form factor than the iPhone 4 and it will be still high quality in design and material. There is no Apple product on the market which has not a specific Apple signature in design and material. There is no reason at all to change this just to keep up with Android. Apple is not just an OS, it is hardware and software bundle, and there is no other phone sold so much like Apple iPhone.

I have the iPod Nano and only three things i am missing. Bluetooth (for my headset), Apps to download (to play some cute games on it) and the ability to make phone calls. I am wearing the iPod Nano on a wristband which would be great as a phone.

Mobile Games not on the Run

Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios for EA Mobile at Electronic Arts, spoke at the Dice Summit about myths around mobile games.

And i have to agree mostly with him. Even i am, as an example, play more mobile games at home on the porch or in the bathroom than on the road when i am travelling.

However i believe dedicated Mobile gaming consoles will be in the future only for niche player, the hard core players. The biggest reason is the price per game. On the iPhone, as an example, i can get Tiger Woods Golf for $0,99 for the PSP i still need to pay $19,99 to $29,99. I used to have the PSP and played every day Tiger Woods till it got stolen. I never replaced the PSP but started to play my favorite games on the iPhone or iPad. It is not as good as on the PSP and less functions but much cheaper than buying a new PSP and the games.

Article below found at GamesBeat
Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios for EA Mobile at Electronic Arts, spoke at the Dice Summit, the elite game industry conference in Las Vegas, where he talked about the major myths about mobile games. Here are the myths described by Boatman, an 11-year veteran of mobile games:

1. Myth: People play mobile games on the run. The truth is that 47 percent of the time, users play mobile games while at home. At home, they can more easily download games over their own wireless networks. About 12 percent of the time, users play games during a commute. About 1 percent of the time, users play games in an airport. Users play mobile games in the restroom about 7 percent of the time, play at work 14 percent of the time, play at school 3 percent of the time, and play in other places for the remaining 4 percent.

2. Myth: The top mobile games are all casual. Casual games are snacks, where you play for a short time while waiting in line. But Boatman said that at different points in history, casual games have dominated the top games on mobile platforms. But hardcore games are an under-served market on the iPad, iPhone and other smartphones today. Hardcore games such as Epic’s Infinity Blade and EA’s DeadSpace have shot to No. 1 on the iPhone and iPad, showing that users appreciate hardcore titles as well.

3. Myth: One size game fits all platforms. But mobile game platforms are multiplying and splintering. Quite often when phone makers change screen resolutions or screen sizes, they force changes in game development. Developers have to adapt by making many versions of their games to run on all the relevant platforms. Android in particular is causing a big splintering.

4. Myth: Brands don’t matter. EA, of course, believes that brands rule, since it has launched titles such as Need for Speed — a racing game brand familiar to hardcore gamers — to great success on the iPhone. Over time, Boatman pointed out, the number of brands in the top ranks of the mobile game charts are based on brands. Right now, eight of the top 25 iPhone games are brands.

5. Myth: This is as good as it gets. Boatman says the mobile game industry will be far different in three years and will make huge progress.

My Top 10 Products in 2010

The year is almost over and many new things came to market. Here is my top ten list. I chose only things i actually used or own.

1. iPad (starting at $499)
   The iPad is amazing, Apple did create a new niche of products and the sales are big. Everybody thought we don't need it but at the end we bought it. My mother in law is over 70 and i gave her a kindle, she did not like it, because screen too small and no Internet surfing, games or email Then we got her the iPad, she loves it, she understands how to use it and she can finally play some cool kid games with my son (2.5 years old).
2. Microsoft Kinect (starting $189)
   The kinect is a must have for the xBox360. It is so much fun to play with and not need to have a controller in the hand. It even recognize you automatically when you walk in front of the camera. The kinect is just the beginning, pretty sure soon we seen computers and TVs with similar technology.
3. AR Drone ($299 from parrot.com)
   The coolest must have remote controlled helicopter. The remote is either your iphone or iPad. The AR Drone has two cameras that you can see were you are flying. If you are more than two with an AR Drone, you can play battles and shoot virtual missiles (extra software $2.99). The best augmented reality toy so far.
4. Windows Mobile 7
   Windows did wait long, but this time they did it right. The took time to invent their own OS totally different looking than iPhone or Androids. The phones are working great (browser however sucks). A lot of things like bing look better on phone than the website. Google's Android looks like a cheap copy of iOS no real own invention, and much more buggy than Windows mobile 7.
5. Nook Color ($249)
   The original Nook looked nice but the OS was not really stable and the screen OK, The Kindle from Amazon much better. However Barnes and Noble stepped up and the new Nook Color is not only great for color books or websites, the touchscreen is so needed. I still don't know why the kindle has no touchscreen. eInk is nice, but takes for ever to switch a page. B&N understood and decided to bring a color Nook which is not eInk, but who really needs eInk. For me eInk in readers is old school from early 2000.
6. TikTok and LunaTik (starting $34.95)
   TikTok and Luna Tik did not only raise $1 Million at kickstarter but are as well very cool wristbands for your latest ipod nano. These bands make your iPod nano to a stylish watch (http://lunatik.com/)
7. Apple TV 2 ($99)
   The new Apple TV is easy to set up, cheap to get and does not need a full blown keyboard like Google TV. Has much less features than the Google TV but it works. Google TV is very buggy not good executed, horrible UI. Apple did it just better and much cheaper. Google TVs are priced around $300 either as an add on or build into the TVs. $300 is too much for a device which needs a remote as big as your notebook keyboard.
8. Facetime (free)
   Ok facetime is not really a product like the others, it comes with iphone but it is the best video calling software i used so far. Much better image quality than skype or fring for Android. Again, Apple seems to bring only products out if they are fully tested (most of the time).
9. Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
   I still have many devices i can't remote with my iPhone. Therefore i got the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote and it is easy to set up and works just fine with my Bose system, LCD TV and and even i control my Apple TV with IT. I went from 4 remotes down to one. This is great.
10. Instant Paper
    How many times do we see articles and have no time to read them? Instant paper is a Mobile app, is available for various platforms. By just typing the words you will have the service facility from this device. Them to your mobile device, As its Instapaper’s browser plug-in, you will easily find your favorite article then press ‘Read Later’ so that you can do another work on it.

If you want to see a list of top 100 gadgets, then click here.
2Leep has many lists of tops and flops in 2010, go here.

Ipone 3G and iOS4

In an older post, i talked about how we should not upgrade the iPhone 3G with iOS4 because the performance will be so slow that it is almost not usable anymore. Unfortunately there is not an easy way to go back, after the latest version is installed.
http://justhiswords.blogspot.com/2010/06/don-upgrade-iphone-3g-or-3gs-if-you-don.html

A friend of mine did send me this funny video which does exactly show what i was talking about. It is a parody of Apple iPhone commercial.

Finally i don't care what I type

There is a new software for your smart phone or ipad. Blindtype allows you to type whatever you want, how you want and wrong as you want and it stills correct the text very well.
It is not yet released, but when it comes out, it is the ultimative helper for bad typing like i do it.


What is BlindType?
It is a revolutionary system that:
Eliminates touch typing  frustrations 
Allows for super sloppy typing 
Helps you type easier and faster   
Constantly adjusts to the user's "perceived" keyboard and typing style
Just type the way you are used to - no gestures, nothing new to learn!
With BlindType, users can type on the touch screen the way they are used to, but without the traditional need to constantly focus on the keyboard. Although this would typically lead to countless spelling mistakes that would be impossible to autocorrect, BlindType predicts what the user intended to write with a success rate not previously seen on any other system.
Coming soon to a touch screen near you. Supporting all major devices, including iPhone, iPad and Android phones. 
See video from their website: http://blindtype.com

Jailbreaking iPhone is not illegal

I found this article at MacWorld today:

If you jailbreak your iPhone to add third-party software, you can do so with the comfort of knowing you aren't violating copyright laws, after a federal ruling came down on Monday.



The U.S. Librarian of Congress ruled on Monday that consumers who circumvent digital protections on smartphones to install unapproved applications—a practice often colloquially known as “jailbreaking”—for noninfringing reasons should be exempted from prosecution under the anti-circumvention section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).


The proposed exemption on jailbreaking was first put forth in 2008 by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which argued that users should be allowed to jailbreak their phones to install, for personal use, legally acquired third-party software. Apple, for its part, argued against the exemption in an extensive filing contending that an exemption for jailbreaking would lead to more widespread piracy and additional support costs for the company. Two software developers, the Mozilla Corporation and Skype Communications, filed documents in support of the EFF’s argument.


The DMCA specifically prohibits the circumvention of copy-protection technology such as Digital Rights Management (DRM). Every three years, however, the Librarian of Congress—on recommendation of the Register of Copyrights—issues a ruling on classes of materials that are exempt from that stipulation for noninfringing uses. The rulings expire after three years, meaning that the previous exemptions granted in 2006, 2003, and 2000 are no longer valid today. The other exemptions granted by the Librarian on Monday allow circumvention of protections for copyrighted material on DVD for educators, documentary filmmakers, and noncommercial videos; software to allow phones to connect to cellphone networks; breaking video game protection measures for the purposes of testing; obsolete computer programs requiring a dongle that is broken; and e-books where protections prevent the use of screen readers and read-aloud functions.


It's worth noting that the jailbreak ruling does not force Apple or other handset makers to remove copy protection from their software. Rather, those users who do choose to circumvent the protections will not be subject to criminal prosecution for the act of circumvention. In addition, the ruling only provides for jailbreaking for the use of legally-acquired software, meaning that users cannot use it as a defense for installing pirated applications.


It remains to be seen what effect, if any, this will have on mobile software development. Jailbreaking has been commonplace since shortly after the original iPhone’s release, and despite repeated attempts by Apple to prevent it, the practice continues unabated. At the same time, Apple has no history of pursuing legal action against either individual users who jailbreak their phones or those parties who develop the jailbreaking methods.


In theory, the exemption could legitimize the third parties who are already creating software that does not require Apple’s approval, which in turn may open the door for established companies such as Mozilla to create software that Apple would otherwise not approve—an iPhone-native version of the Firefox Web browser, for example. That said, however, any program developed would be at risk of becoming irrelevant when the exemptions expire in three years (if the jailbreaking exemption is not renewed).


There’s also the possibility that the act of legitimizing jailbreaking may prompt Apple to relax some of its strictures on the development of iPhone software, but given the runaway success of the App Store, that seems unlikely. On the flip side, it also potentially gives Apple fodder for those who argue that App Store stifles competition; the company could use the exemption ruling to argue that apps that don’t meet Apple’s standards can be distributed via jailbreak—though that eventuality doesn’t seem particularly probable either.


In sum, while the ruling is certainly a win for the EFF and the jailbreaking community, don’t expect it to change the status quo instantly or dramatically. For the most part jailbreaking remains a technically-savvy niche practice among the millions of current iPhone customers.