Category Archives: Technology
Apple’s iPhone Event Scheduled To Take Place On September 10th
So much is resting on the success of Apple’s Press Conference on Tuesday, September 10th. So. Much.
As astutely demonstrated in this CNN article, Apple’s iPhone has taken a bit of a tumble from grace due to Samsung’s stronghold in the Smartphone Market.
Here is an excerpt from the CNN article:
“But as phones running Google’s Android operating system, particularly Samsung’s, have gained in popularity, iPhone owners have increasingly found themselves looking around and wondering, “Why can’t my phone do that?”
Many Android phones have bigger screens than the iPhone. Some are water-resistant and can even snap photos underwater. Android apps can update automatically. Users can control Motorola’s new Moto X phone with their voice, without touching it. And that’s just the beginning.
Add to that the fact that many in the tech world saw the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 as incremental advances, not the seismic leaps forward we’d come to expect from Apple, and you’ve got the more pressure on the company to ramp up the “wow!” factor.”
It really is quite perplexing isn’t it? It’s almost as if there has been a major shift in Apple’s chain of command.
And, indeed, this is what has happened. With the untimely demise of Apple Co-Founder, CEO and visionary, Steve Jobs, I truly believe that the company has remained rudderless for some time. They are beginning to realize that one cannot duplicate genius at the drop of the hat.
And, although Steve made certain that the company was firmly solidified with the proper personnel once he resigned, he forgot one important missing element – HIM.
So, on Tuesday, September 10th, all scrutinizing eyes and ears will be on Tim Cook and Co. as they present two new iPhone models (one expensive and one less so), an upgraded Apple TV unit and what? That’s it? Oh yes, the iOS 7 upgrade and, perhaps, a fingerprint sensor in the high end iPhone.
Which, for me, is fine. I mean, really, what else can we expect? Technology has proceeded at such a frantic pace that we need a bit of a breather just to absorb it all.
And enjoy it!
I am excited for the new iOS 7 platform and especially excited for the fingerprint sensor. And if I never have to use the HOME button again, it will be huge cause for celebration around here. That button is one glitchy, annoying hot mess. It’s time to bury it.
So, here’s to tomorrow and all that it brings. It all begins at 10:00 AM Pacific.
I will add another topic tomorrow and live blog the event right here. Now can someone please tell me what the S stands for in the proposed iPhone 5S? Perhaps, as a family member suggested, it merely means $!
Walt Disney Company To Honor Steve Jobs With Prestigious Award
Well, this sure made my day.
The late and great Steve Jobs will be receiving the 2013 Disney Legends Award, slated to take place on August 10 during a three-day event associated with D 13 Expo.
The event has been a long-standing Disney tradition since 1987. The award honours those individuals who have exemplified extraordinary creativity and innovation in their life’s work.
Also receiving the award this year are Monsters University stars Billy Crystal, John Goodman, the late TV icon Dick Clark.. The compete list of recipients can be seen at TheHollywoodReporter.Com.
Steve Jobs is the perfect candidate for this award as his ties with the Walt Disney Company is the stuff of legends.
Here is what the Hollywood Reporter had to say:
26-year tradition, the Disney Legends Awards program honors those who are “contributors to the Disney legacy.” Each honoree receives a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture and will participate in a handprint ceremony. Their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the company’s Burbank headquarters.
“The Disney Legend Award is our highest and most coveted honor,” said Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger. “It’s reserved for the extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the Disney magic, the men and women who push the limits of innovation and creativity to ensure Disney remains truly special.”
Over the years, a total of 237 Disney Legends have been honored. Past honorees include Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello, Peter Jennings, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Walters.
Congratulations to all and a special Mickey Mouse high five to the late Steve Jobs.
How To Gain Control Of Your Facebook Privacy Settings
I haven’t posted in a while but this article pushed all the right buttons, making me want to share this with anyone who listens.
Mashable.Com published a great article addressing how one can fully master the ever-changing Facebook Privacy Settings.
I don’t know about you but I have become increasingly frustrated with Facebook’s ever-evolving platform. It has been more than confusing – it is frustrating. And it compromises many of our existing Privacy Settings.
The article focuses on all the key privacy issues that pertain to us – like Photos, Followers, Timeline, Tagging, Apps ( I rarely login to Facebook via an App – just saying…), Likes etc. you name it – it’s there.
It is a cohesive and detailed summary so you need to set aside a quiet block of time for yourself to absorb the article and make the suggested changes.
However, isn’t your privacy worth the time and effort? Mine sure is. And remember, the ultimate privacy option is to simply post nothing at all. No pictures, no status updates nothing. But, there is no fun in that is there? Just be careful!
That being said – please join my Facebook Page. I may not know everything about the technological revolution, but, together, we can try to make sense of this exciting era in innovation.
[VIDEO] Apple TV – The Way It Should Be
Okay, after seeing this remarkable Apple TV Concept Video, I have to say that I am just about done here with my remote control.
This video, brilliantly envisioned by Sam Beckett, makes you want to diss your remote control and cable/satellite subscription with every passing minute.
This video’s creator perfectly showcases how seamless and fluid an iTV experience could be, using Siri as a means to search deep within the programming database for information pertaining to shows, artists, recording times etc. it is remarkable. Truly remarkable.
This is what Macworld had to say in the article accompanying this video:
Siri could be used to set recordings, and there’s a intuitive TV Guide and Genius feature that would make discovering new shows quick and easy. In a forum post on The Verge, Beckett explains that he hopes to develop the concept further in the future, by adding App Store, FaceTime and Recordings app demonstrations.
So, Apple, let’s get moving here. How much longer do we have to wait to experience the full extent of what technology can contribute to our television viewing experience?
And, to the TV networks – get with the plan. Cable and satellite are so passé and so is the crappy remote control experience. We are in the touchy feely/voice activated phase of technology and I do not plan to spend the rest of my senior years living in the past.
How about you? Do you think this is the year that Apple finally cracks the television market? The answer: it better be!
Via Macworld
Apple Aggressively Getting Rid Of The Baggage As Another One Bites The Dust.
Sounds to me like some head honchos became complacent without Steve Jobs around to keep them in line.
Well – surprise! He left the right people in charge who are not afraid to delete anyone who can’t assume responsibility for and professionalism in their work at Apple Inc.
There must be a lot of feathers flying behind the walls of the Cupertino based office. First Scott Forstall and now this.
According to iPhoneInCanada.Ca and Bloomberg.Com, who quoted an unnamed source, this is what happened:
Apple Inc. has fired the manager responsible for its troubled mapping software, seeking to win back the trust of users disappointed after the program debuted in September, according to people familiar with the move.
Richard Williamson, who oversaw the mapping team, was fired by Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information wasn’t yet public. Cue, who took over last month as part of a management shakeup, is seeking advice from outside mapping-technology experts and prodding digital maps provider TomTom NV (TOM2) to fix landmark and navigation data it shares with Apple.
I tried to find a picture of the dude but a bishop keeps popping up over at Google images. Don’t think that’s him.
In light of all this firing and rehiring, Apple has now entered a major transitional phase – the post-Steve Jobs era and the beginning of the Tim Cook era.
And, like it or not, he is making his mark. I like this man – he is classy, yet shrewd and not afraid to implement monumental changes to the Apple Ecosystem.
GrannieTheGeek.Com 