06/29/2007
TowleTech V.62
Oh my god the iPhone is finally released right now ahhhh [die]. What more can be said that hasn't been already? It turns out that people really are willing to line up -- for days -- for a $500 cell phone. But that's because it's not just a cell phone. Reviews this past week seemed to all agree: there are some shortfalls, but the iPhone deserves to be called revolutionary. After all, the multi-touch user interface, as we've seen over the past few months, is the future of computing, and this is really the first consumer device available that has it. It is also the long-rumored wide-screen touch iPod that fans have been anticipating for almost two years.
If you're not currently in line at an Apple store near you (hi, Andy!), then you a) are sick of hearing about the iPhone or b) want to read all you can since you can't afford to be a part of the actual experience of owning one. In that case, you're in luck: not only is there no lack of news coverage of the feeding frenzy, and not only are pictures of the iPhone unboxing beginning to surface, but Apple has once again updated its site in the past few days with over a dozen video clips that are the next best thing to playing with one in real life. Yep, it's iPhone porn.
Too bad you didn't get a retail job at an Apple store: every current Apple employee in the United States will receive an 8GB iPhone.
But not everyone wants an iPhone, in which case Motorola does a pretty good job of offering up sexy alternatives. New Moto phones coming down the line include the RAZR 2 -- thinner and yummier than earlier RAZRs (which, if you ask me, are still one of the nicest looking/feeling phones out there) and the RIZR Z8, a "media monster" with a sweet curved slider design. The next version of Motorola's popular Moto Q smartphone is also on its way.
MySpace as officially launched MySpace TV, a video sharing site for its bajillions of users which will compete with Google's YouTube.
We've covered the effort on the part of internet broadcasters to challenge royalty fee hikes that would put many out of business. This week thousands of those sites participated in a "Day of Silence" in protest of the new fees that are supposed to begin July 15th if Congress does not intervene. SaveNetRadio.org says that the radio silence resulted in 14 million hits to its website and over 350,000 calls to Congress in support of the Internet Radio Equality Act. The site claims that the 15th will be "the day the music dies" if the act is not passed.
The United States Department of Energy is the first consumer of IBM's latest -- and fastest -- supercomputer. The room-sized computer operates at "petaflop" speeds thanks to its 294,912 processors, and can crunch 1,000 trillion calculations per second. That truly is super.
Tech Video of the Week There's no shortage of iPhone parodies, like this one from Comedy Central's The Soup. See, everyone can put an iPhone to good use!
TowleTech is written by TR correspondent Daniel Williford.
Posted 8:59 PM EST by Daniel in TowleTech | Permalink
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The Soup is on E!
Posted by: Charlie | Jun 29, 2007 9:50:39 PM
Can you really be that excited about the iphone. I really love you blog, read it everyday, but please stop putting so much attention to a phone. Its a phone....and a year from now it will still be a phone.
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 30, 2007 12:50:43 AM
Yeah, I really couldn't give a shit about the iphone. Who cares...
Posted by: Greg | Jun 30, 2007 2:22:19 AM
Apparently you both care enough to waste your time spreading negativity around.
Posted by: doug | Jun 30, 2007 7:41:47 AM
Much of the iPhone bitching is remarkably like the same bitching when the iPod was introduced in 2001--complaints about cost, "Why do we need this? I've got an mp3 player already", etc.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=500
Posted by: John C | Jun 30, 2007 9:35:25 AM
It certainly looks swell.
Unfortunately, I have trouble affording my rent. The phone will have to wait. I'll stick to my Zach Morris phone for now.
Posted by: David | Jun 30, 2007 9:56:16 AM
I think we need to be careful when we label something as "revolutionary"
These days we call "revolutionary" a new gadget that manages to distract us a little bit more than our previous gadget...
and I don't think that's revolutionary.
Posted by: goldend | Jun 30, 2007 11:06:20 AM
What's your point, John C? That once again, Apple releases a product with fewer features that already exist in comparable products, puts a shiny new UI on it (no doubt, the UI is amazing) and relies on people who've drunk the Apple kool-aid to proclaim it "revolutionary"? We knew that already.
Posted by: Scott | Jun 30, 2007 11:38:17 AM
Actually, it is revolutionary. It's a handheld computer in a phone size form. You can browse actual web pages - not the most popular pages your service provider decides to modify so your phone can view them.
It has a totally intuitive touch interface. You really only need to use the manual to figure out how to setup your email retrieval.
Best of all, the software will be updated, enhanced and added to through software updates like any other computer.
No doubt, just like the iMac and iPod before it, the iPhone will really hit it's stride next year, when a couple more models are available and the already refined software really gets packaged to individual needs.
The fact that the complexities have been hidden in the background make it revolutionary - as the industry moves towards bulkier and more awkward devices, just as with the iMac and iPod, Apple has just single handedly changed the course of industry-wide R&D and engineering standards.
Posted by: BeeDee | Jun 30, 2007 12:21:31 PM
The Soup is on E!, not Comedy Central.
Posted by: Chris | Jun 30, 2007 3:41:45 PM
Sounds like BEEDEE had a big ol' sip of that kool-aid. :)
Posted by: sparks | Jun 30, 2007 4:46:49 PM
I've been an Apple kool aid drinker, er, product user since the 128k Mac I bought in 1984. I've owned a SE, a IIsi, a Quadra, a Centris, 2 iMacs, 2 eMacs, a Powerbook PPC, a Titanium PB G4, an Aluminum PB G4 , and 3 iPods since then. I like the look/technology behind the iPhone, but something in today's NYTimes flipped me out: the battery has a 400 to 500 power ups lifetime before it needs to be replaced. And the only way to replace it is to send it into Apple for them to do it. Do I want my $500 phone/computer to be out of my hands for the length of time it's going to take to put in the new battery? I think I'll wait on the phone for a while.
Posted by: Cody | Jun 30, 2007 7:15:47 PM
I have been drooling over the new iPhone tv ads. for fun I did a retrospective post on phones:
http://rickrockhill.blogspot.com/2007/06/our-love-affair-with-telephones.html
Posted by: Palm Springs Savant | Jun 30, 2007 8:06:05 PM
uh, cody, your citation of the number of times (and clearly this is merely conjecture on the part of the revered NY Times) the iphone battery can take a charge is pretty much the length of time a user would have the phone (i.e., two years). there has always been alleged controversy over apple products and their batteries. i still have an ipod mini that i use everyday at the gym and charge every night while asleep and it's at least 3 years old and have yet to have a problem with the battery in it. and for all those who are griping about the price of the phone, i bought mine for $634.94 (connecticut sales tax at 6%). that boils down to .87 cents a day for the phone if you use for the typical two-year cell phone plan. carpe diem rather than caveat emptor.
Posted by: sean | Jul 1, 2007 1:04:19 AM
Hey, I added you to my blogroll. Could you take a look and see if my site is worthy to be on your roll? :-)
Posted by: Eric | Jul 1, 2007 4:24:05 AM
I'm typing this on my iPhone right now and just wanted to tell all the haters to not worry so much about how people spend their money. This phone is easily the most innovative piece of technology for general consumption I have ever seen. Its not perfect but its damn close. And trust, it is revolutionary because it will force other phone manufacturers to put up or shut up.
Posted by: britton | Jul 1, 2007 3:29:06 PM
i just wonder that if i drop my wallet on this revolutionary pupp, aren't i going to get mugged for it ??
Posted by: A.J. | Jul 1, 2007 3:54:26 PM
Wow, you guys truly propose using this thing for only 2 years and ridding yourself of it when you pay another $500? Such a lovely, disposable society we have going. I'm sorry, but it all sounds kind of sick to me.
Posted by: scientitian | Jul 2, 2007 9:28:40 AM
It's my money, I work for it, if I want to spend it on an iPhone, or another iPhone in 2 years, how is that your business or your place to judge? Screw off.
Posted by: CarrieB | Jul 2, 2007 3:01:13 PM
Are you willing to spend $500+ on technology you have never used and are not able to try prior to buying. That is my biggest issue with the iPhone. I would like to try the touch screen keypad technology, prior to having to use it 'always' on my phone.
Posted by: cathy | Jul 2, 2007 4:20:13 PM
You can certainly do whatever you want with your money, but if I want to say "that's wasteful and materialistic," (because it IS) how is it any of your business to stop me? Do I need an iphone? Hell no! I could buy groceries for almost 5 months with that much dough. And I'm guessing the novelty for everyone will wear off pretty damn fast. Does that stop the internet, TV, radio, print news, from telling me how great it is roughly 12 times per day? If you ask me, it wouldn't hurt for consumerism to screw off a little.
Posted by: scientitian | Jul 2, 2007 8:46:34 PM
What's even better... is if you're an AT&T employee... you get... oh wait... nothing.
Posted by: Christopher | Jul 2, 2007 9:33:52 PM