WSJ On "Preview" Version of Quickoffice

WSJ does a pretty good tech segment.  For those of you who have full access, you can attest to this fact.  Here's one where Quickoffice for the iPhone was semi-reviewed.  So let's get into it.  Two years into the iPhone's product cycle, Quickoffice is the first full-blown office suite. 

For folks who use Palms and Blackberries for work, you might be familiar with the app.  Quickoffice's arrival couldn't have come at a better time as more and more businesses are opening up to the idea of adopting the iPhone into their rank of tech gears.  How does it stack up?

When I first heard about Quickoffice, I was puzzled why they didn't simply wait until iPhone 3.0 is out so that it can take advantage of the new features.  Regardless, it is out and WSJ's post on the app has allowed me to save $20 until a more robust version is out.  So, what did WSJ's reviewer like or dislike about it?

• Liked the cut-and-paste.  However, this isn't iPhone 3.0's implementation.
• Able to save files locally.  Able to retreive or send files from a PC, Mac, or online storage.
  
• Has an e-mailing function.
• Unable to open attachments from Mail.  An OS limitation.  Not Quickoffice's fault.
• No spell check.
• No autocorrection.
• Landscape editing limited to word processor.
• Unable to happen Microsoft's newer file format.

WSJ think it's an "OK" start but needs work.  I think it's a great start just to have Quickoffice available.  There is definitely a lot of work that needs to be done before the iPhone version is as robust as other Quickoffice versions.  In fact, it would do the iPhone owners great service by incorporating some iPhone specific features like multi-touch.

Source:  WSJ

Note:  Speaking of the Wall Street Journal, there is also a WSJ app in the iTunes App Store.  It's free to download and you have full access to the paper.  Free for now.  Reportedly, RM isn't happy with that so access to WSJ may not be free for much longer.

iPhone Intel:

After Apple's event to preview iPhone 3.0, I realized that not much will take place between then and until iPhone 3.0 come out in the "summer". And summer pretty much covers, well, all summer. So, it stands that we expect things to be quiet.

To my delight, that has not been the case. There has been no shortage of information about Apple, rumors that come from "well-placed informants", rumors that stem from other rumors, and just plain old stuff Wall Street analysts make up.

And as it is today, people are getting more and more of their information through the Internet. Blogs, news sites, blogs on news sites that quote blogs, and so on and so forth. It's a cycle that is feeding itself. We all need eyeballs. Yes, readers.

So, lots about Verizon and Apple. Pre Nano and ATT. Verizon with Microsoft. CDMA versus GSM. Apple's 10" tablet. So, what is going on with Apple's mobile gears and plans in the coming months?

These are what we know:

• iPhone 3.0 is coming out this summer. If Apple sticks to their habits, we are looking at end of June or early July.
• To coincide with the availability of the new mobile OS, new iPhones will be launched. This where we stop. We have no idea of there will be other mobile devices. Wishing it won't make it so. Having said that, I'm wishing Christmas comes early this year. Wishing really, really hard.
• We'll hear a lot about Snow Leopard at the WWDC. While Apple would like the focus to be on the next Mac OS, there will be information about iPhone 3.0.
• We know there are feature within iPhone 3.0 that were not talked about at last month's preview.
• Tethering is coming. Apple could not announce it at the preview since it would unveil too much at that time.
• There will be boring demos at the WWDC, about 1.2 or 1.3 billion apps downloaded, the number of iPhones and iPod Touches in the wild, and other self-congratulatory remarks.

So, there you have it. Wanting adjustments to mobile plans, relishing in new technologies behind the new iPhones, wishing Steve Jobs will make a surprise appearance, and wanting longer battery life in the iPhones won't make it so. Wanting Verizon to say "I'm sorry I ever doubted you" to Apple isn't going to suddenly going to make Cupertino develop a CDMA iPhone.

We have 6-8 weeks (possibly longer) of excruciating waiting to do. Meanwhile, enjoy the increasingly outrageous posts, rumors, Photoshopped pictures that will alleviate some of the anxiety. Just don't take them in as Apple gospel.

Nine Inch Nails Comments on Apple's App Approval Process

I'm loving Nine Inch Nails' response to their app being rejected by Apple. When it was brought to my attention last week, I knew given their "coolness" with the very same Apple crowd, this was gonna be an issue.

Here is what they said according to Macrumors. Be warned, there are bad words used here. I'm keeping them in there because I want readers to know the full brunt of the anger Apple's idiotic app approval process has generated.

Here goes:

From: iPhone Developer Program
Date: April 27, 2009 11:44:12 AM PDT
To: help@store.nin.com
Subject: nin: access 1.0.3: Application Submission Feedback

Please include the line below in follow-up emails for this request.

Follow-up: XXXXXXXXXX

Dear Craig,

Thank you for submitting nin: access to the App Store. We've reviewed nin: access and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store at this time because it contains objectionable content which is in violation of Section 3.3.12 from the iPhone SDK Agreement which states:

"Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple's reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users."

The objectionable content referenced in this email is "The Downward Spiral". Since the app is live on the App store, please make the necessary changes to the application as soon as possible, and resubmit your binary to iTunes Connect. Thank you


Regards,

iPhone Developer Program
****************************


Now, "The Downward Spiral" the album is not available anywhere in the iPhone app. The song "The Downward Spiral" I believe is in a podcast that can be streamed to the app.
Thanks Apple for the clear description of the problem - as in, what do you want us to change to get past your stupid fucking standards?
And while we're at it, I'll voice the same issue I had with Wal-Mart years ago, which is a matter of consistency and hypocrisy. Wal-Mart went on a rampage years ago insisting all music they carry be censored of all profanity and "clean" versions be made for them to carry. Bands (including Nirvana) tripped over themselves editing out words, changing album art, etc to meet Wal-Mart's standards of decency - because Wal-Mart sells a lot of records. NIN refused, and you'll notice a pretty empty NIN section at any Wal-Mart. My reasoning was this: I can understand if you want the moral posturing of not having any "indecent" material for sale - but you could literally turn around 180 degrees from where the NIN record would be and purchase the film "Scarface" completely uncensored, or buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto where you can be rewarded for beating up prostitutes. How does that make sense?
You can buy The Downward Fucking Spiral on iTunes, but you can't allow an iPhone app that may have a song with a bad word somewhere in it. Geez, what if someone in the forum in our app says FUCK or CUNT? I suppose that also falls into indecent material. Hey Apple, I just got some SPAM about fucking hot asian teens THROUGH YOUR MAIL PROGRAM. I just saw two guys having explicit anal sex right there in Safari! On my iPhone!
Come on Apple, think your policies through and for fuck's sake get your app approval scenario together.

This truly speaks volume about the kind of work that Apple ahead of it in order to make its policies make sense to developers.  I'm sure Cupertino didn't really foresee this when they came up with the guidelines but they really should have.  In fact, outside of porn, anything else can be allowed to go into the app store.  

Or else, jailbreak apps galore.

Source: Macrumors

Onxo: DS and PSP Didn't Worry About iPhone Then. How About Now?

That's the question Onxo examined today.  Inspired by a post I read over Gizmodo today (must read for all gaming fans), I started wondering about Apple's prospects of supplementing Nintendo and Sony as the mobile gaming leader.

While that issue may be up for debate for years to come, what isn't is the facts that surfaced in recent days about Apple's moves on the mobile front and data that point to Cupertino gearing up for a mobile gaming war.

• 35K apps in the App Store.  Of those, more than 9,000 are games.  
• 37 million iPhones and iPod Touches.  We might see 70-80 million by the end of 2009.  
• 1 Billion downloads in about 9.5 months.  The next billion will not take that long.
• New iPhones coming in June along with iPhone 3.0.  
• Back-to-school iPod Touch giveaways with Mac purchases.  
• Apple commercials with iPod Touch and gaming.
• App Store seeing more games from tier one developers like EA and Sega.  
• Apple's recent hiring of former graphic chip heavyweights.
• Apple's chip takeovers in the last year.

These are just the facts and events that has taken place.  This is more than just about iPhone.  It's about creating a gaming ecosystem that is backed by powerful devices.  Furthermore, after years of watching Apple, I can say with confidence that pretty much is tied in with the Macs and maybe even Apple TV.  This is something that Sony and Nintendo cannot duplicate (though both Sony and Nintendo have their own gaming networks that Apple can't duplicate at this time).  

On top of that, we are certain that additional mobile devices, perhaps a tablet, is on tap in the next year or so (I love to be wrong about the timeline and see it sooner rather than later) that can add a whole new dimension to the gaming market.  

I don't know if Apple will be able to catapult itself ahead of Nintendo and Sony but it's certainly got the momentum, resources and deep pockets to do it.  I'm sure Nintendo and Sony aren't sitting idly by while Apple makes its run.  I can't wait to see DS2, PSP2, and whatever Apple's got on the market to fight it out for our hard-earned dollars.

Via Gizmodo and Onxo

Deal Not Likely Between Apple and Verizon - But Mobile Users Will Gain

USA Today, yesterday (not today), printed a report about information from folks high up in the echelon of Apple and Verizon that the two are in talks about deploying the iPhone in Verizon's network. This is dipping dangerously into rumors territory here but it's actually another point I wish to make. Whether this is true or not doesn't matter. Whether this is Apple playing ATT off Verizon doesn't matter. What matters is that this information is considered mainstream and it was leaked to the public specifically to influence the course of an deals between Apple and Verizon and Apple and ATT. So, let's take a look at how this affects the mobile market.


First, let's go through why an Apple-Verizon alliance won't happen. According to All Things Digital, Verizon didn't get into bed with Apple because of how Apple structured their deal. As recently as last week, Verizon said it was the technology. Apple said as much in last week's earnings call with analysts. CDMA doen't go global, according to statements by current Apple CEO Tim Cook. Well, apparently, even after Verizon launches LTE services in 2010, the voice portions will still be built on CDMA technology.


One likely scenario going on here between Apple and Verizon is to create a device that uses the LTE service san the voice plans. Otherwise, there won't be a deal. Here are a couple of other issues that truly matters about this article and the way information was leaked:

• Innovation - other mobile device makers may get spooked by any Apple-Verizon alliance.  They'll need to double, no, triple their effort to come out with competitive devices.
• ATT may want to extend their exclusive deal with Apple.  Apple is simply playing the "Verizon card" in any talk going on to cement future deals.  I'm not a financial guy but by all accounts, iPhone is help ATT stay competitive with Verizon.  
• Another issue is the LTE technology.  VW has said their network will go live in 2010 and 2011 for ATT.  Apple can't be happy about being stuck with 3G when RIM, Sony, Microsoft, and the others get a year's head start with LTE.  Apple's talk with Verizon could be just the thing in getting ATT with the right motivation to hustle on their LTE deployment.  Don't be surprised in the next few months, ATT makes a statement about how they miraculously managed to give the green light on LTE in 2010 instead of 2011.
• Verizon might truly be motivated to get iPhone on their CDMA network.  Worst case, VW doesn't get the iPhone and they'll go back to the media and say what they have been saying all along that Apple wanted too much control.  At the same time, it'll for ATT to spent time, effort, and resources to secure iPhone exclusivity.  By all accounts, VW is doing just fine without the iPhone.  
• It's about control.  If VW does want iPhone on their network, they would have to agree to the original terms. And I'm guess Jobs and company have added a couple more things they want from Verizon.  Now, make no mistake.  Apple isn't trying to wrestle control of the wireless networks away from Verizon or ATT for the good of the consumers.  It's about money and control for Apple.  We, mobile warriors, may indirectly benefit from this.  

Like we've said at the top of the post, we don't see the iPhone on Verizon's network anytime soon.  Definitely not in 2010.  ATT has put too much into the iPhone to let it slip away.  But the reason for the leak about Apple and Verizon negotiating over the iPhone is obvious.  It's too put pressure on ATT.  It doesn't matter if the leak came from Apple or Verizon.  I'm putting my money on Apple.

Regardless, you can bet all the major players in the mobile market is watching any kind of develop closely.  But their jobs are clear.  Even though RIM owns the smartphone market, everyone is trying to produce an iPhone killer.  At the end of the day, if we see innovation speed up and device deployments advanced, we all win, iPhone users or not.

Related Links:

• USA Today 
• All Things Digital 
• Macworld - Wishful Thinking...we totally agree.

Apple's App Store: 1 Billion Served!

Source: MacdailyNews

Apple On Netbook: Crappy Tech With Cramp Keyboards

Apple has some not so nice things to say about the netbooks on the market today. On the point about keyboard (yesterday's earnings call), I'd have to agree. As for the rest, I'm not so sure. LED screens. The Atom chips aren't bad considering they run Leopard just fine.

But I do understand where Apple is coming from on this. The netbooks feel cheap. The keyboards are small, even for me. And from MSI Wind (MacWind) to HP, Sony, and EEE PC, the plastics are just flimsy and you truly do get what you paid for.

I never bought Apple's argument that if folks want a netbook equivalent from Apple, they should go with the iPhone or iPod Touch. Here, we know that it's merely smoke screen. I don't know if anyone really bought it.

But do buy what they say about Apple having ideas about the netbook market and they're watching it closely. And these ideas have been cooking at Apple for a while now and we should see the end results pretty soon.

The netbooks really aren't meant to be a substitute for a laptop or desktop nor was it meant to duplicate the computing and Internet experiences of a fully-equiped PC. And I think there is where philosophical differences come into play.

If Apple wanted to, they can start shipping out a netbook with OS X installed on there on technologies they consider to be subpar to satisfy a small segment of financial analysts and Web pundits who will never rest until they see an official Apple logo on a netbook. It's simply not in Apple's DNA. What will happen is anyone's guess.

Apple isn't ignoring the netbook segment of the market. When Apple finally release their finely tuned mobile device, I hope it will finally put to rest any more talk about netbooks.

Note: When Apple finally address the netbook issues, look for those who are never satisfied to go back and talk about the iPhone nano and why Apple will never survive without it.