Just a few WWDC 2010 Predictions and thoughts

    I am quite excited about WWDC, if I had prepared enough ahead of time I could have actually gone this year, but alas I have not and I will be watching the live blogs like many others. I do have a few thoughts as to what we will see.

    I'm sure that we will see the next iPhone. I'm pretty sure it will be much like the Engadget iPhone that has been shown already. It'll be available in both Black and White. My guess is that it will also be available in 32GB and 64GB models. The iPhone 3GS 16GB will become the $99 model; and it will be the black model.

    I'm not sure when the next iPhone will be available; I tend to think it'll be around the 20th or so. This will give time for the phone to be able to get to the stores as well as allow developers to get their applications to be submitted, approved and in the store before the phone is available.

    The second thing we'll see is a new build of Xcode for something new, what, nobody is 100% sure. Some are suggesting a revamped AppleTV. Xcode could allow the other iPhone OS devices to be used as a remote (even more than it is now).

    I'm almost sure that we will also see a demonstration of some new applications from many of the developers that will really show off iPhone OS 4.0, which has already been announced.

    What I would like to see released is the iPad 4.0 beta software. I don't know if this will be released, yet this would be a nice surprise for those who would like to test iPhone OS 4.0's additional features on their iPads.

    I'm not sure what else is going to be seen at WWDC this year. There are a few other rumors, including Safari 5 with more HTML 5, Free Mobile Me for everybody, iTunes Cloud/Re-launched LaLa service and who knows what else… let me know what you think we'll see tomorrow.

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    iPad App wwrite now available

    I thought I'd let everybody know that an iPad app I wrote, wwrite is now available in the iPad app store. wwrite allows you to do more than just write text, it allows you create templates and use them over and over and over. If you're interested it is only $1.99 in the App Store.

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    Thoughts on ACTA and how the country is failing

    I have been hearing more and more about the ACTA treaty and the outrageous 3 strikes law that it imposes upon citizens. I for one do not stand for the law at all, and in particular the '3 strikes provision'. I do not believe as though any user should be banned from the internet because they were merely ACCUSED of committing copyright, without any actual trial to prove guilt. I do not feel as though this is a precedent that the government should even agree to.

    The entire ACTA treaty being 'negotiated' in secret is a tremendous blunder on the part of the government. If this is how items are going to be negotiated, then I fear there may eventually be an uprising and revolt against the government with anarchy and rioting. It may not happen with this treaty, but it will eventually come to that. This act needs to be open to the public, allowing citizens of Illinois and the United states to voice their opinions and oppositions for or against items within the treaty. This should be the highest priority for any representative for the Citizens.

    As technologist Molly Wood puts it in her post (available here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-20000480-256.html) on CBS Interactive's Cnet.com, if this treaty goes through Citizens cannot do anything digitally without fear that they are somehow violating a treaty, which is not entirely enforceable. In my opinion, this is not acceptable and completely reprehensible. There is no reason why I should not be able to make a copy and use my media however I deem fit. No, I understand that I do not have a right to re-sell the digital formats, but I should be legally allowed to put a copy of a DVD or even a Music CD on my iPhone, Zune, desktop computer, laptop or any other digital device I see fit and consume that media in whatever way I wish.

    In addition to the ACTA treaty the DMCA law that was enacted by congress does not allow users to use their rightfully purchased media for anything except how it packaged. I am not allowed to take a cell phone that I have legally purchased and 'unlock' the software because it would violate a provision within the DMCA. Because of the DMCA I am being told that an item that I cannot do what I want with this legally purchased item. This equates to somebody stating 'Sure, we will let you purchase this t-shirt, but as long as you agree to the following terms:

    1. You will not allow anybody under the age of 20, yet not above the age of 28 wear this t-shirt.
    1. You cannot wash this t-shirt, except with appropriate detergent, and it must be of Brand-X, and if it is not, we are going to sue you because you violated our terms of agreement.'

    This type of archaic law needs to be modified to allow individual users the right to use products, within reason, how they see fit; and to be able to do so without fear of prosecution. No, somebody cannot use a copyrighted song (which is the next topic) as background music for their movie without getting the rights, but if they want to be able to put it as a background to a montage of pictures it should be fully within their rights to do so without the fear of persecution or prosecution and jail time.

    On the topic of copyright, Copyright laws in the United States have gotten out of hand. How is it that an entity can effectively hold all restrictions on an idea in perpetuity? Take any song written before 1930. Sure those are now part of the public domain, but any Beatles song, any Elton John song, any song by any artist that was recorded during recent memory still retains the copyright on that song. How is this even remotely reasonable? This includes songs from the 1970s, yes, some of these songs may be popular, but their viability within the market to generate a significant revenue is very limited. I cannot fathom the extent that the United States Congress has become so beholden to the Recording Industry, Hollywood, and everybody who has money that they are willing to put he freedoms and rights of the citizens behind the desires of a company. How is it that the United States congress has lost their way and has allowed themselves to be in the back pockets of an industry that continues to 'claim' failure, yet somehow manages to have 'record' profits for the year before. How is it that the representatives of the citizens allows the needs and freedoms, that the US was founded on, to be trampled by an entity?

    I do not feel as though those with money should be able to control anything. It should be those without money who end up controlling something. It should be that the majority of what is wanted is what is passed into law, not what whims a corporation has to continue it's antiquated business model should come at the expense of an individual. We in the Untied states have put more emphasis on the rights of companies, big corporations and have used the "law" (read ability for those companies to grease the palms of the politicos) to allow companies, like The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), to stifle innovation and creativity. All because users are afraid of being indebted, for life, because all they wanted was to put a song on a cat video and upload it to video sharing sites like YouTube.com; however they are not allowed to because the copyright holders (who are greedy) say they are not allowed to do so.

    I believe as though copyright should be completely reformed. According to research by Cambridge Professor Rufus Pollock (paper is at http://www.rufuspollock.org/economics/papers/optimal_copyright.pdf), the optimal copyright is approximately 14 years. This would give the copyright owners the ability to monetize their works in whatever way they see fit, yet, once it goes out of the collective conscious and becomes a thought in the back of their minds, other can then use the original work for their own projects. This would allow the original artist to possibly, once again, come into the collective mind of society If 14 years is too difficult for some to calculate then make the term 15 years. The effective copyright now is 99 years. How is that any individual should be allowed to retain a copyright well past the time that they are deceased. This makes no logical sense.

    The United States government is failing it's citizens, and by taking action against the big companies we can make the US a better place for all. This can mean a return to the top of success, innovation, education and creativity. If we fail to do so, the US will only become a former power who will end up bowing the will of a greater power and what kind of life is that. If I say so, it's not a life at all.

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    Apple iPad Pre-order now Available.

    Apple's 'Magical' device known as the iPad is now available for pre-order in the United States. Along with the actual iPad, the accessories are also now able to be pre-ordered.

    Apple is doing something a bit different with the iPad. They are treating the device much like any desktop or laptop Mac. When you go to the iPad Pre-order page you are presented with each of the six different iPad choices (as shown below).

    iPad.Choices

    Once you select your specific iPad you are presented with a page that asks which accessories you would like to purchase along with your iPad. The accessories you can add with your iPad are:

    iPad.Accessories1

    The iPad Dock, the iPad Case, iPad Dock to VGA Connector, iPad Keyboard Dock, iPad 10W USB power adapter, and Apple Wireless bluetooth Keyboard. Now the most peculiar part of this is that there are of different ship times for a few of the accessories.

    The iPad Dock, Case and iPad Dock to VGA Connector are all slated to ship by April 3rd, while the iPad Keyboard Dock is schedule to ship in Mid April and the iPad 10W USB power adapter are slated to be available in Late April.

    The Apple Wireless bluetooth keyboard, which will work with the iPad, is available now from the Apple Store.

    Here are the links for each of the accessories individually.

    Keyboard DockiPad CaseiPad DockiPad 10W USB Power AdapteriPad Dock to VGA Connector

    There is, however, a missing accessory. The missing accessory is the iPad Camera import dock adapter. The Camera Connector appears on the iPad Specifciations page, but it does not appear anywhere within the store. This can be a problem for some who want to be able fill up their 8GB SD cards with RAW pictures and immediately offload them to their 64GB iPad for storage.

    iPad.CameraConnector

    Apple also has pricing for Apple care for the iPad. If you purchase Apple Care you will receive support not just for the iPad itself, but also the accessories, iTunes, iWork for iPad, the iPad OS and wireless networking issues. The length of the iPad Apple care is for up to two years, meaning the initial year and one additional year. This is where Apple is making the iPad more like an iPod than a Mac

    If you wish to pre-order your iPad now, use any of the links below or visit the Apple Online Store.

    16GB Wifi-only

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    32GB Wifi-only

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    64GB Wifi-only

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    The Wifi + 3G models will be shipping 'Late April' according to the Apple Store.

    16GB Wifi + 3G

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    32GB Wifi + 3G

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    64GB Wifi + 3G

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    Images sources Apple.com

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    Apple iPad Event Highlights

    Here are the highlights of the Apple iPad event from January 27th, 2010.

    Apple Event: 01-27-10: The iPad

    iPod update: "Sold our 250 Millionth iPod".

    Retail Store: 284 Retail stores worldwide. Holiday Quarter, over 50 Million visitors

    App Store: over 140,000 applications in the App Store 3 Billionth Application download within around 18 months

    Apple was started in 1976 34 Years later, 15.6 Billion in Revenue Over $50 Billion a year company.

    Revenue is from iPods, iPhones and Macs. Apple is a Mobile Devices company.

    Apple stacks up, largest mobile devices company in the world. Larger than Sony's Mobile devices, Bigger than Samsung's mobile devices, By revenue, bigger than Nokia.

    Apple invented first laptop. It came with TFT screen.

    Apple reinvented the phone with the iPhone.

    Devices between Phones and Macs must be far better at some things.

    Browsing the Web Email Photos Watching Video Enjoying Music collection Playing Games Reading eBooks

    Some thought a Netbook. "Problem is that Netbooks aren't better at anything". "They're just cheap laptops".

    iPad: very thin Customize your own background Browse the web. Best Browsing experience you've ever had. Albums are shown as stacks of photos. Flip through them

    Built-in calendar Built-in Address book Maps that works with "Google's backend".

    iTunes Youtube, including in high-def "Awesome to watch movies"

    Much more intimate than a laptop and more capable than a smartphone.

    Demo

    Maps: includes street view

    0.5" thin 1.5 pounds 9.7 inch IPS display Full capacitive multi-touch 1GHz Apple A4 Chip. Memory, I/O, Processor, Graphics all in one chip. 16GB - 64GB Flash storage Wifi 802.11N Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Speaker, Microphone, 30-pin connector, Accelerometer, and Compass 10 hours of Battery life. Over a month of standby

    Enviornemntally Arsenic-free BFR-free Mercury-Free PVC-free system Highly Recyclable

    iBooks:

    "Stand on [Amazon's] shoulders and go beyond that" Bookshelf (looks like Delicious library) Portrait will show both pages iBooks Store: Fully integrated with iBooks Rest of the 'publishers' starting on the 27th of January, 2010. 'New' badge shows which items are new. Tapping left goes back, right goes to next page Five fonts to choose from Baskerville, Cochin, Palatino, Times new Roman and Verdana. All come with the ability to change font sizes. Epub Format, most popular open book format in the world.

    iWork

    Keynote: Runs in landscape orientation can arrange slides in groups Pages:

    Text only in landscape mode auto-wrap around images, even when moving image

    Numbers:

    Multiple keyboards available Forms can manipulate tables

    Three completely new applications Each $9.99 compatible with iWork Mac versions Easily Connect to projectors

    WiFi + 3G Two Data Plans:

    250MB of data per month $14.99 Unlimited data $29.99 per month Breakthrough deal with AT&T Free Use of Wifi Hotspots for iPad Wifi + 3G Activated on iPad pre-pay, No contract - cancel anytime

    International deals by June - July iPad 3G models are unlocked Uses new GSM Micro SIMs

    Pricing:

    Wifi 16GB $499 Wifi 32GB $599 Wifi 64GB $699

    Wifi+3G 16GB $629 Wifi+3G 32GB $729 Wifi+3G 64GB $829

    Worldwide availability 60 days Wifi + 3G models in 90 days Accessories:

    Dock. Picture Frame with slideshow Keyboard dock. Full size mechanical keyboard Cover: Protection for iPad, stand for stepping and stand for watching movie

    iPad Tech Specs
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    Look Back at 2000 - 2009: Welcoming in 2010

    Over the past 10 years quite a bit has happened. Anything from four attacks on 9/11/2001, to the US electing it's first Black President.

    We lost many celebrities and influential people over the past 10 years. Some of those celebrities include Chris Reeve, Pope John Paul II, Michael Jackson, Charles M. Schulz, Sir Alec Guinness, Jim Varney, Walter Matthau, Christopher Hewett, Dale Earnhardt, George Harrison, Jack Lemmon, Perry Como, Johnny Unitas, John Gotti, Milton Berle, Ted Williams, Barry White, Bob Hope, Charles Bronson, Gregory Peck, John Ritter, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Nell Carter, Julia Child, Marlon Brando, Ray Charles, Rodney Dangerfield, Ronald Reagan, Yasser Arafat, Arthur Miller, Don Adams, Johnny Carson, Peter Jennings, Richard Pryor, John Spencer, Anna Nicole Smith, Aaron Spelling, Don Knotts, Jack Palance, James Brown, Kirby Puckett, Peter Boyle, Robert Altman, Saddam Hussein, Steve Irwin, Dan Fogelberg, Evil Knievel, Ike Turner, Kurt Vonnegut, Luciano Pavarotti, Merv Griffin, Robert Goulet, Arthur C. Clarke, Bernie Mac, Bo Diddley, Boyd Coddington, Brad Renfro, Charlton Heston, Eartha Kitt, Estelle Getty, George Carlin, Heath Ledger, Paul Newman, Sydney Pollack, Tim Russert, Billy Mays, Brittany Murphy, David Carradine, Dom Deluise, Dominick Dunne, Ed McMahon, Edward Kennedy, Farrah Fawcett, Frank McCourt, James Whitmore, John Hughes, John Updike, Les Paul, Patrick Swayze, Ron Silver, Roy Disney, Soupy Sales, Steve McNair, Ted Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, and William Rehnquist. These are no where near the extensiveness of the loss of those who we lost over the last decade.

    Some of the biggest stories over the last decade include, the collapse of the 'Dot Com' bubble, Y2k fizzle, The attacks on 9/11/01, Enron, The London Bombings on 7/7/05, The Afghanistan War, Hurricane Katrina, The Death of Pope John Paul II, The Florida election debacle of 2000, The War in Afghanistan, The fall of Saddam Hussein, The loss of the space shuttle Columbia, Enron, Nuclear Tests in North Korea, Virginia Tech Shootings, The I-35 Bridge Collapse, The collapse of the economy, China Hosting Summer Olympics, Gas Price Surges, NHL Season cancelled and who knows what else.

    Some of the biggest tech stories include Bill Gates Stepping down as CEO of Microsoft, the Rise of Google, the resurgence and later dominance of Apple, the iPhone, the iPhone, BlackBerry, 3G Wireless, Cloud Computing, Software Pirating, Bit-Torrent, Social Networks, online video streaming, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, E-readers, USB Flash Drives, physical media dying, Tivo, DVD, to Blu-Ray, the GHz Wars, YouTube, Skype, Microsoft being ordered to 'break up' and countless other phases. We have seen Moore's law continue without abatement.

    What will the '10s hold in store is anybody's guess. Increase in cloud-computing, alternative energy increases, Continued missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. Miniaturization will continue, along with reliance on the Internet for all communications. The increase in mobile computing will definitely rise.

    All of this would not be possible without the miniaturization of technology, the increase in speed, and the diligence of companies in trying to be the best and outsell, outsmart, and out maneuver the competition.

    What would I like to see for the next decade, that's a good question. I'd like to see major copyright reform, the work to begin on documenting all human knowledge, and increased progress. I would like to see World Peace, but I know it's unrealistic.

    What does everybody else want in the next 10 years. Leave a comment and let me know.

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    Message To Apple Fanboys And Girls From @jasoncalacanis on This week in Startups (#twist)

    This is a Rant from Jason Calacanis. Thing thing to remember about what he says is that he states that fanboys are the ones who think Apple can do no wrong. There are plenty of us that think Apple is a great company, makes innovative products and is pushing the market. Yet, we're the ones who are also willing to criticize Apple when they make a mistake.

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    iPhone 3GS review

    I've only had my new iPhone 3GS for a few hours yet I have found the biggest improvement; the new Camera. Below is a comparison of both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS cameras.

    IMG_2152IMG_0012

    Both pictures were taken from the same distance from the keyboard. I used both of my ultra-compact iPhone power adapters along with my old iPod Mini as a stand. The second one is so much clearer because of the auto-focus and higher pixel camera. The auto-focus is such a nice feature. I still need to try the video though.

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