My iPhone
February 18, 2008
I bought myself a new tool. That's right, it's a tool. It's so much more than a phone and it's useful enough that just calling it a gadget degrades its rightful place in the business world. The iPhone is great. It's cool and fun and useful and handy. Apple has once again shown the world that it dominates the technology industry in finding the perfect balance of form and function. User-friendly doesn't quite describe the experience of using it. Spend 5 or 10 minutes with one and you'll have discovered probably 95% of what it can do - and not because it has limited features, but because it doesn't take anyone long to figure it out. Set up your email? Check. Listen to music? Check. Watch a video? Check. Anyone who likes to spend a few hours that first day learning how to perfectly set up their new gadget will be a little disappointed. Personalizing it takes a few minutes. I've only had it for a week or so and it's already old-habit for me. Have a few extra minutes while you wait somewhere? Check your email or jot down a note. Make a phone call simply by pressing a phone number (whether it's in an email or on a webpage, it doesn't have to be in your contacts). It has allowed me to be more efficient and take advantage of what used to be wasted time. I don't need to mentally keep track of hundreds of little details all day - I just jot down a note and review it when I get home. I couldn't be more pleased and I expected nothing less from Apple.
MacWorld 2008
January 23, 2008
Earlier this month Apple unveiled a new, ultralight, ultraportable, ultrathin notebook - the MacBook Air. At its thickest point, the MacBook Air is just three-quarters of an inch thick. At its thinnest, 0.16" - which is about one-sixth of an inch, the entire computer fits into an office envelope. To put it into perspective, the Sony Vaio FZ series notebook is .98" at its thinnest, and 1.4" at its thickest.With a price tag starting at $1799 and no optical drive (or ethernet port), some critics are less than enthusiastic about Apple's latest creation. Time will soon tell whether Apple does for the ultraportable notebook market what it did for the cellphone market with the infamous iPhone.
Apple Affiliate Program!
November 29, 2007
I am very excited to announce that Falmouth Design is now an Apple Affiliate! I'll be setting up a little "marketplace" in the near future, but for now, here is a link for the iPhone to get started:
$399, free shipping and you can add gift wrapping for only $5!
Apple iPhone
November 27, 2007
Proving once again that Apple leads the field in GUI design, the iPhone is a thing of beauty. Seeing commercials for it is one thing. Going into an Apple store and running your fingertips over the glossy surface, tapping out a URL, scrolling through a website with a flick of your thumb - that is an experience. For anyone who appreciates quality in design, the iPhone does not disappoint. It's intuitive - no need to read a user's manual to figure out how to make a call or add an entry to the address book. It's pretty - oh, so pretty. It's cool. It's fun. It's a tool, unlike anything currently on the market, that does all these things that utilitarian phones do with style. And that is what makes it undeniably an Apple product. I don't often care for having the latest gadget - it was quite a few years before I had an iPod (and that was only because I got one free when I bought a MacBook Pro). My cellphone (gasp!) is just a cellphone, not a MP3 player or game player, and it doesn't have a slide-out keyboard. But the iPhone is different. I don't just want an iPhone. I covet an iPhone. For the moment, there are other priorities ahead of getting a $400 gadget, handy and useful as it may be. But someday, someday soon I hope, I will own one, and when I do, I'll be sure to write an article on my brand-new iPhone.
Google Desktop for the Mac
April 4, 2007
Google's popular Desktop software, previously only available to Windows users is now available for Mac users running OSX 10.4 and up. Once it's done indexing my hard drive, I'll post an update as to how it works. Download Google Desktop for the Mac.
Eight-Core MacPro
April 4, 2007
Apple is now shipping an eight-core (dual quad core) MacPro workstations. Starting at just under $4,000 ($3,997) for the eight-core model, Apple once again raise the bar to a new level of speed and performance. Apple MacPro
Apple TV Now Shipping
March 22, 2007
From: Apple For $299 (free shipping) you can now integrate your television with your computer. From Apple.com "With Apple TV, you can enjoy movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts in your iTunes library, plus photos and movie trailers, on your widescreen TV — wirelessly, from your Mac or PC." Based on Apple's success with other home user products (such as the iPod), this could change the way many people watch television. Initial reviews report that it is (not surprisingly) easy to use and, like most Apple products, it just works.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Now Available
March 15, 2007
From: Adobe Aimed at professional photographers, Photoshop Lightroom is Adobe's answer to Apple's Aperture software. "New Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom™ software is the professional photographer's essential toolbox, providing one easy application for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs so you can spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the lens." Both applications claim easy-to-use photo management tools and efficient workflow for photographers.
Why Apple's 'consumer' Macs are enterprise-worthy
March 9, 2007
From: Computerworld Citing benefits such as reduced risk of viruses and ease of use, many companies are switching to a Mac platform. Companies are finding that even the "home user" line of computers is more than adequate for most business needs. "(Y)ou can't buy a Mac without at least 512MB of RAM, Bluetooth, 802.11g Wi-Fi networking, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire and even a remote control -- and that's before you consider the included software. None of the base business models of HP or Dell even comes close to that."
Apple Delivers In-Flight iPod Integration
November 14, 2006
From: Apple.com "Apple® today announced it is teaming up with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to deliver the first seamless integration between iPod® and in-flight entertainment systems. These six airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge their iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the seat back displays." The iPod integration will be offered on these airlines beginning in the middle of 2007.
