iPhone K - K for Keyboard

I got a chance to play with the Blackberry Torch today. Not a bad device. Okay, I'm sure the e-mail part is as good as before but that's about all there is to say about it.

The new Blackberry OS is a welcoming upgrade but still hard to navigate. So the reviews have been more kind than they really are even though on the whole, reviews haven't been great. I think people didn't forget how long it took to get here and how far still it has to go.

Having said that, wouldn't it be something if Apple came out with an iPhone K, K for "keyboard" that has a similar form. Know this, this would blow the lid off the market. Millions upon millions of users will immediately quite Blackberry and switch over to the new iOS device.

Okay, okay, I know. Steve Jobs isn't too keen on this and we will never see an iPhone with physical keyboards. This is all about the vast investments in multi-touch that has actually worked out very well for Apple. Nevertheless, you cannot dismiss the millions of users who will never migrate over to the iPhone because their old-school bias against the lack of a physical keyboard.

Frankly, I can type very fast on the iPhone and I think in the long run, not having to exert any kind of physical force on those tiny keys will stave off any kind of joint problems I might develop.

But I just want to put out there about iPhone K. There is a market for it. But we'll never see an iPhone with a slide-out keyboard.

With PC Sales Down, What Does iPad Need To Spur Its Downfall

A couple of independent reports out says that the PC market isn't benefiting from the back-to-school rush. On the other hand, Apple's products are still selling well and the recent refresh of its Mac line should continue to spur the hto streak of double digit growth.

What's amazing is that there are indication the iPad is hurting netbook sales and even hurting some low-end laptops. So, what does Apple need to do to make the iPad even more appealing and further cannibalize PC sales?

What Might Be More Rare Than An iPhone or iPad?

What might be more rare to find than an iPhone or iPad? How about an Apple store. There's only about 300 of them worldwide with most of them residing in the States. So when one opens up in your neighborhood, it's a cause for celebration.

At the newly opened Covent Gardon store in England, folks are still waiting in line. No. Not waiting in line for an iPhone or iPad. They're still waiting in line to GET IN!

Personally, I'm blessed to have FIVE Apple stores in area that I go to, depending on which of town I'm in.

More at Electric Pig

Stig Lasson, Macbook, And "what's an umlaut"?

I've read the first two books of the Salander-Blomvist trilogy and I'm taking a short break from the third, the the final in the series for a while.

One of the cool thing about the book the choice of mobile devices in the book. Palm devices and Apple Powerbooks used by the main character. And as Hollywood work to remake the series from the original novels, separately from the Swedish movies, I can only hope that the writer and director retain some sort of authenticity by using Apple's latest and greatest mobile gears - the iPhone and the Macbook Pro.

And yeah, I would like to see them slip in the iPad. It only make sense to do that. As for the Millennium office, I want to see iMacs on every desktop of the reporters.

Is it going to happen? It would be a missed opportunity for Apple not to "contribute" in some way to the movies. For now, as we wait for word on any future work and what shape the movie will take, here's a funny and well-written take on the Millennium series.

Mikael Blomkvist, the male protagonist, has a bit of problem with his iBook (this was waaaay back in the PowerPC days) and needed Lisbeth Salander, the female protagonist, to help him with it. Anyway, I know now what an "umlaut" is. It's titled "THE GIRL WHO FIXED THE UMLAUT".

More at the New Yorker.

Tweets: Handseeing, Game Center, And Apple's Social Agenda

Twitter is great for sending short messages and I’ve gotten pretty good lately at sending out limited text but still get the point across. But once in a while, you’re on to something and you just can’t get in out in just 140 characters. So, I’ve done what I think is a creative way of doing it. Just sent out a bunch of tweets and identify them with part numbers.

Here, the subject is Apple’s forthcoming Game Center and Apple’s alleged interesting in purchasing a Chinese gaming company called Handseeing. Instead of writing the whole thing again in prose, I’ll just do the easy thing and reprint the tweets here. So on to the subject matter at hand.

• #mobile #gaming #apple attempting to buy chinese gaming firm but #Handseeing VP went public, likely trying to drive up price. (part 1)
• #mobile #gaming #apple first, you don’t try to shake down Steve Jobs like this in public, surprise if deal goes through now. (part 2)
• #mobile #gaming #apple trying to buy chinese firm really shows its commitment to china & importance of the market (part 3)
• #mobile #gaming #apple likely to link #handseeing (if deal goes through) to augment #game center in iOS 4 later this year (part 4)
• #mobile #gaming #apple not likely to keep those responsible 4 this public leak from #handseeing. Tien Bo, the VP needs new job soon (part 5)
• #mobile #gaming #apple’s #game center likely to be special. Wonder if it can do what others haven’t done or managed to do (part 6)
• #mobile #gaming #apple should also extend #game center to the Mac as well (part 7)

Game Center, albeit late, is going to be a center piece of Apple’s mobile strategy from this point on.

And is anyone really fooled by the fact that Apple is going to use GC for only keeping high scores? I highly doubt it. There are so much possibilities. As with any good business leader, I’m sure Steve Jobs has considered everything. GC features will grow and may eventually migrate into nongaming apps.

For instance, if messaging is added, users can use it with Facetime which then can become a very important messaging tool for business. Want another example? How about when GC gains the ability to purchase in-game goods? That can also eventually be extended beyond gaming into real world commerce.

BBC Looking At iPad As Its Main PC; Others Can't Be Too Far Behind

BBC is looking to replace some laptops and even desktops for their staff. Okay, I’m big on the whole tablet concept but the amazingness of this is quite shocking.

Merely months on the market and its potential yet to be fully realized, the iPad has gone from what analysts thought to be a fad to fade quickly once fanboys get it in their hand has continue to grow. With more than 3 million sold in just three months, this is even before Apple has made it available in most of the countries.

Not only is the iPad invading traditional Windows territory, the iPad and iPhone is likely bring a long a lot of Macs as well.

Essentially, Apple’s ecosystem of providing seamless and enjoyable user experience along with easily accessible content and apps has paved a way for others into Appledom.

Why is BBC doing this? Portability. Ease of Use. And the 3G + WiFi provides instant access to data and communication. Bigger screen than mobile phones. All of this at an affordable price.

Personally, I’ve been running my mobile life on the iPad as well. E-mails, writings, gaming, and even VOIP when needed. I’ve got the 32GB WiFi-only model. And when I’m on the go, I can tether it to my jail-broken G1 or iPhone.

More at Macworld.

Steve Jobs, We Need Alternatives To ATT - They Charge Us Too Much For Data

ATT has made truckloads of money off iPhone users, loyal Apple fans, who love the products that Apple makes but we've suffered greatly at the hands of an inept wireless providers.

Heck, even Steve Jobs has thought more than once to ditch the exclusivity deal with Ma Bell. And this should be the last draw: iPad users in the US pay more for data than most other users in the world. How much more?