icecrums

The best thing about having a blog is Macworld predictions time. Here are mine:

Steve is going to come out on stage and put out record iPod and Mac sales for the holiday quarter.

Taking into consideration the now famous teaser “There’s something in the air” he is going to call it the year of wireless (just like the disappointing year of HD announcement a couple of years back).

Things that might be unveiled:

Apple TV 2.0 : with direct movie downloads over WiFi, a la Podcast (or Netflix-like cue).

iTunes: movie rentals from all mayor studios. $3-6 USD per 24 hours period.

iPhone SDK: a preview with a few early third party developers (probably showing off games). It won’t be a technical demo, but rather a show and tell type announcement.

Appliance-like Wireless Media Backup: Via John Gruber

But so why not sell a device as a dedicated product — a big 500 GB or larger hard drive (or array of them) with built-in AirPort networking. No need to attach it to a separate AirPort base station, no temptation to use the device for anything other than one purpose: backing up via Time Machine. Just plug it into a power outlet, run through a simple configuration tool a la AirPort Utility, and it’s ready. When it first appears on your network, your (Leopard-running) Mac could prompt to ask if you’d like to use it for Time Machine, the same way it prompts when you first plug in a new USB or FireWire drive.

Macbook Air: the most talked about new product since the iPhone. Apparently there is a huge demand for an ultra-portable mac laptop since the PowerBook 12″ was discontinued. If all the rumors are correct, it is going be less than 1 inch thick, no ethernet (usb adapter) and have an external drive. When I started reading the rumors, I was unsure if I would buy something like this, but after looking at my usage habits I realized it makes total sense. I hardly ever use my DVD drive and ethernet conection. I think Apple pays more attention than we might give them credit for. And for the big umff (courtesy of my brother) wireless battery charging. Although it’s nothing new…nobody has actually done it in a big product launch.

New rumors(wishful thinking) are stating that it might even come with a AT&T wireless card. If that is true, Apple might really be helping AT&T find new revenue streams through data.

What would really seal the deal on this ultra portable would be a new local .Mac-like sync for the laptop-desktop. A huge problem with having a small laptop and a desktop is always syncing stuff. If you could dock your ultra portable into a desktop and sync it fast, it would make it the ultimate Mac accessory (the irony).

Ohh and the usual software updates: 10.5.2, iTunes 8 and iPhone 1.1.3 firmware upgrade.

At the beginning cellphone were huge. I remeber that they were considered weapons and not allowed into high profile soccer matches. Innovation only came from new smaller form factors. After a couple of years of smaller and smaller ridiculous phone people stopped being impressed. In the early 2000 camera phone came out as means of innovation. But still phone features were limited by carriers and not but consumers.

When the iPhone came out it was more than a device, it was more of a wake of call to consumers. They could actually own something that was worth using. An easy to use, cool phone (that can withstand falls….I’ve dropped mine several times) and was a pleasure to use.

I do admit it has small flaws, but it’s a new platform and a true game changer. As Fred Vogelstein from Wired put it:

The iPhone cracked open the carrier-centric structure of the wireless industry and unlocked a host of benefits for consumers, developers, manufacturers — and potentially the carriers themselves.

The iPhone has changed the wireless industry and now manufacturers are willing to take risks with true innovation and not just two faced phones like 2007 CES.

(Via Max Sez.)

Businessweek is reporting that Sony BMG is dropping DMR in Q1 2008. This is a mayor break through because it comes a week later after Warner went DRM-less with Amazon. The Amazon MP3 store is gaining too much traction in content deals for Apple to ignore and they need to fight back soon.

If I was a betting man, I would think that Apple is preparing to announce a DRM free exclusive deal with Sony BMG this coming Macworld. The reason: Blu-ray. Sony needs Apple for Blu-ray as much as Apple needs Sony for content.

Both the fight for the next gen DVD format and digital content distribution is heating up, and they need all the partners that they can get.

This is my guess based on today’s two rumors: The Macenstine and Businessweek ones. Funny that both come in on the same day.

(Via Mashable!.)

With less than two weeks to go, here is what we got flying around:

iTunes:
-iTunes movie rentals from Fox and Disney
-New Apple TV
-Apple + Jay Z record label
-The Beattles in iTunes (just for speculations sake)

Mac:
-Sub Compact Notebook with external optical drive
-Notebooks to gain multi-touch input device
-Blu-ray adoption(not just announcements like last time, but actual products)
-10.5.2

Pro:
-Something secret for the Final Cut meet up

iPhone:
-iPhone 1.1.3+ software upgrade
-New iPhones with double storage (same form factor)
-3G announcement

UPDATE: Two rumors merging -> Apple TV + Blue-ray

A big thank you to Macenstein for reporting this. As my feed reader kept updating the Think Secret website, with new articles, I just kept wondering: What the h@#l is going on there? Was it all a publicity stunt, or did he regret closing due to the bad press he got for digging in and/or being paid off?

(Via Macenstein.)

So Apple officially opened the doors to their online Mexico Store, which is the obvious first as a Latin American move.

Now, think about the most extreme emerging market in the world and the third biggest country south of Rio Grande: If you said Colombia, you’ve probably seen the title spoiler.

Colombians want Macs too!!! Most people are weary of purchasing them due to support concerns(although there are authorized support specialist in the country).

How hard would it be to open an office, put up a couple of ads and “officially support” the country. Dell hires companies to help them with support. Apple could do something very similar and expand at a higher rate in Latin America.

(Via TUAW.)

Great software deserves great recognition. Mostly Mac software…lol. In this year’s Reader’s Choice in the “Mac Gem of the Year” category there are three programs I regularly use:

1Password

Handbrake

MarEdit 2

There are different experiences I get from using software that range from a “this is really stupid!” to “It’s so good I want to write something like this someday”

MarsEdit 2 falls into the later. It is so simple, but yet so useful by making blogging a pleasure!!!

Other programs that have fallen into that same category are: NetNewWire, Acorn, Appzapper and Deliciuos Library(because of the cool interface and camera scanner).

I know votes are private but, Daniel: I got your back here!

By the way: I love all three programs and use them a lot!!! They are all in my software recommendation page!

Click here to vote.

(full disclosure: this blog is written in MarsEdit)

(Via MacWorld.)

Why Apple gave the iSight “end of life”, I will not understand? Sure all Mac now come with iSight built in except for the Mac Pro. Those users have to use a not so cool model from other manufacturers or pay a premium for a used one on ebay. The camera used to cost $149, now it’s going for over $200 for a used one. Screenshot below for a completed auction (I found one going all the way up to $284!!!!). I shouldn’t have sold mine!

Interesting read on what we can expect for the iPhone SDK.

(Via Daring Fireball.)

When Apple announced the delay of Leopard(because of the iPhone), they said it would ship in October. As for the iPhone Apple said June, so they actually took all the time they could and released on the 29 which was by the way, the last Friday of that month. Therefore if they follow the current pattern and release on a Friday at 6pm (just like Tiger and the iPhone), Leopard should be showing up in shelves on the 26th of October. That would mean that an announcement should be made as early as this week in terms of pre-orders. I can’t wait to install it. Favorite feature: Spaces, Core Animation and native Ruby on Rails support. I hope Mac developers offer discounts on the Leopard upgrades to their apps. I especially want to see what TexMate and Delicious-Monster have in the works. This is going to be a developer’s release(cool features for developers to create sexy apps) thus a release for the next generation of indy software that will benefit consumers. 2007 is going down in history as the year of mayor OS updates: Vista, Leopard and the best of the best, according to their CEO…Amiga OS 5(he said it’s better than OS X…lol).

(I do hope that Leopard is much more stable than when Tiger got released!)