Monthly Archives: July 2012
Apple’s New OS X Upgrade Mountain Lion Is A Roaring Success
Special thanks to CultOfMac.Com for the video.
Excuse the cheesy title and my deepest apologies if others already jumped on the roaring bandwagon. I wanted to get this blog topic up before the next OS X update. Wink!
By all reports, it looks like the latest and greatest OS X update from Apple, Mountain Lion, has lived up to its expectations.
The new cougar runs like a baby on Apple’s computers and laptops and the new features accompanying the installation of Mountain Lion have been met with positive and favorable reviews. No whining this time from the tech blogosphere, unlike what we heard after the Lion update a year ago.
I installed Mountain Lion last evening and the process was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. For $19.99, this upgrade comes packed with loads of features that brought a huge smile of relief to my face.
I love the new Dictation feature – it is extremely accurate and an absolute time-saver.
Also, iCloud is now working at full speed, synching all of your documents, data, calendars, emails, notes, contacts, reminders and more between all devices, including your Mac. It is a veritable dream come true.
Furthermore, you can Tweet, iMessage, Email, Facebook (the latter coming in the Fall) and more from pretty well anywhere.
Personally, because I love Photography so much, I enjoy the fact that I can share my photos directly from iPhoto. Another time-saver. If there is a photo in iPhoto I want on my iPad or iPhone, I just iMessage it to the device and save it on that device. Quick and easy.
The above video focuses on 30 OS X features but, to gain knowledge of everything Mountain Lion can accomplish, you must have a tour of the upgrade over at Apple’s Mountain Lion page.
Have you downloaded Mountain Lion yet? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Apple Needs To Release A Kids’ Product With A New Name
It’s all in the name. A new name, especially in the tech world, attracts attention, especially if it designed by the mother of all tech companies, Apple Inc.
Presently, rumors abound and refuse to die down until, finally, an Apple event in the Fall of 2012 reveals all.
We know that the new iPhone will be released – the last product with which the late and great Steve Jobs was intimately involved from start to finish. By all accounts, it is going to be revolutionary and will absolutely sell like hot-cakes because of Steve Jobs’ involvement.
However, in the wake of the newest announcements that the iPod Touch is going through a revamp stage, everyone is in a frenzy. Will the new iPod Touch be the rumored iPad Mini? I touched on this very topic a couple of days ago but it bears repeating.
I feel that Apple should release a newly sized product with a new, spiffy name, for no other reason than to peak the interest of the consumers.
Picture a newly sized device, programmed specifically for kids and, perhaps, per-loaded with some kid-oriented apps related to Education, Music, Games, Problem-Solving, Books etc.
And it should be made of material that can withstand the rough and tough handling by children and tots. Water and drool-proof as well. My 18-month-old grandson may still be teething and learning to speak but he spends half his day playing and drooling all over my iPad.
Then christen it with a new, high tech name that will have the parents running in droves to grab one during the holiday season. iTot? ChildPad? IPadJunior? iToy? iPod Pro? iPod ‘Tween? iPod Prime?
Now, it’s your turn to add a name or two – I have to clean the drool off my iPad now. 🙂
The Ongoing Saga Of The IPad Mini: A Tech Toy Hiding In Plain Sight
Finally! An article that makes creative sense regarding a smaller version of the IPad.
Computerworld.Com hit all kinds of personal nerves and buttons. It is brilliant! It is genius! And like many innovative solutions, basking in simple and obvious rationale.
Here is a summary of Computerworld.Com’s article:
“One month before Apple shipped its first touch tablet, I predicted in this space that the iPad would become the “Children’s Toy of the Year.”
That column was somewhat controversial, because people were viewing the iPad as a high-end luxury item for technology fans, not a toy for children.
It turns out that the iPad was a combination of the two: It became the “toy” of choice for the children of technology fans who buy high-end luxury items.
iPads for children became a surprisingly huge phenomenon, which toy companies and others jumping on board with apps galore.”
The article goes on to say:
“In fact, the appeal of iPads to kids is the biggest problem with the phenomenon. Go into any Apple store, or check out the Apple section at Best Buy, and you will always see very small children mesmerized by the device.
Apple clearly encourages this. They tend to have a “kids table” at Apple stores, which “have iPads tethered to the table. I call this the Ronald McDonald approach to future sales. Teach very young kids that your brand is associated with fun, and they’ll become lifelong brand loyalists.”
I can say without hesitancy that this is the absolute truth. I have seen my grandchildren devour iDevices while their other toys sit in the corner, longing for their company.
And, perhaps, just perhaps, Steve Jobs was toying with us when he said that the consumers would need sandpaper to file down their fingers in order to manipulate the apps on the 7″ iPad screen.
However, he was talking about adult consumers, not children and, certainly, not toddlers. Their little fingers are the perfect size for a ChildPad.
Over the past few months, my 18-month-old grandson has discovered the notification center, the home button, the volume button, the “on-off” button, various apps that he loves and can start them without assistance. It is incredibly mind-boggling to watch the process.
And the size of the preferred device is directly proportional to the age of the child. For instance, my 18-month-old and 2.5-year-old grandsons prefer the iPhone while my 6.5-year-old granddaughter prefers the iPad. The smaller iPhone fits more comfortably in smaller hands and is not as heavy.
Oh yes, an iPad Nano or a ChildPad valued at under $200.00 would sell gangbusters at Christmas, especially with the launch of iOS 6 this Fall, enabling a parent to add restrictions on which apps a child can access.
Leave it to Apple to create the obvious. A best-selling tech toy hiding in plain sight. Could this have been Apple’s plan all along? Was Steve Jobs merely trying to discourage competitors from beating them to the ChildPad launch via his sandpaper comment? Hard to say – but it makes for juicy discussion.
Update: Another name for this children’s iPad? The iTot (taught)
Research Study Regarding People’s Reactions To The Death Of Steve Jobs.
Picture courtesy of GadgetShip.Com
Does everything need to be analyzed? Why is it that we cannot grieve or show elation without a psychologist invading the deepest recesses of our mind to figure out why we, well, feel?
The latest study focuses on the grieving patterns of affected people over the death of Apple Inc. co-founder and genius, Steve Jobs, last October.
Now, I admit that his passing over-whelmed me. I found out about his death while typing on my IPad, the mobile device he envisioned and that went on to break sales records. It was tough news to swallow.
However, grief over the passing of anyone will affect all of us in different ways. It’s the nature of the beast.
I remember when John Lennon was murdered and how catastrophic it was to his many fans. I counted myself one of them but did not grieve as deeply as other people. Some were more attached to his music, his message, his charisma, than was I.
On the other hand, Steve Jobs touched so many people in different ways. For me, he unlocked a dormant area in my brain that allowed me to combine my artistic and technological passion.
The artistic was always there – I am an established musician. But, the technological remained hidden, beyond my reach. Although I often dreamed of how I could add more technological components to my concerts, it seemed far beyond my reach.
Yet, with the evolution of Apple products, Steve Jobs embraced the artistic – technological partnership and, thus, artists from all walks of life became naturally attached to Apple. He emphasized the importance of technology in the arts and made the tech world more exciting and fun. It attracted not only artists but also people from every walk of life. And, of every age.
So, it is only natural that people mourned his death. We lost a genius, someone who took enormous risks in order to make the world a better and more exciting place in which to live. He was not a perfect human being, but, in terms of his technological contributions, he came as close to perfect as one could attain.
Yes, all over the world, people mourned the passing of a modern day genius and one didn’t need to be researched to wonder why.
We lost one of the great inventors of our time, a historical figure who monumentally changed the world. He left a huge void and, yet at the same time, an enormous legacy by ensuring that Apple Inc would remain an exciting and innovative company for generations.
[Rumor] Apple IPad Gets Smaller, Amazon Kindle Gets Bigger And The World Is Flat
Do you see what I mean? How ludicrous are the rumors that Apple is going to release a smaller iPad this Fall while Amazon is going to release a larger version of its Kindle device? I really think the world has gone mad – well, the tech world most definitely!
Everyone is chomping at the bit over the rumored release of an iPad Mini. Now, from the depths of Mashable.Com comes this article:
Apple is working on a smaller version of its iPad tablet, cheaper than the current model, the New York Times reports citing several people with knowledge of the project.
The new, smaller iPad will have a 7.85-inch screen diagonal and will cost “significantly less” than the “regular” iPad, which starts at $499.
Meanwhile, Amazon is working on a bigger version of the 7-inch Kindle Fire in order to compete with the iPad, claims a developer briefed on Amazon’s plans.
It’s as if no one can make up their mind anymore about what size will work or not so, hey, why not just produce a bunch of tablet sizes and see which one the consumers like the most?
Well, I love my iPad and I have no desire for anything smaller. Yes, it could be cheaper but, like all things, the price will come down over time. Remember those ginormous TVs and the ginormous cost associated with these products? The prices lowered over time.
And this is exactly what will happen with the iPad and other technological devices. As they become more common place in the home, business and education sector, the prices will become less threatening to the average consumer.
So, an iPad Mini at a lower price will be meaningless. But a full-size iPad at a lower price – now that’s a different story.
Do you agree or disagree? I may be wrong and you may be right but we can agree to disagree, right?
GrannieTheGeek.Com 