Gadgets Blog » Apple

The debate over Internet piracy is a difficult item to resolve. For one, no amount of ethical or legal banter can stop the fact that thousands, if not millions, of files are stolen off the Internet on a daily basis. Arguments against piracy are simple and straightforward: its intellectual property and taking it is against the law. Arguments in favor of it, for lack of a better phrase, tend to focus on where the money goes and dodge around the legality of the issue. Torrenting, which draws on pieces of files spread across a larger peer-to-peer network, has become the go-to means for piracy, as it allows for both increased download speed as well as protection from authorities. A torrent begins with numerous computers contributing to the download, sending a small part of the file to the computer attempting to obtain the file. Thanks to programs that enable these downloads, piracy continues to spread.

So imagine the confusion when a torrenting program showed up in the Apple App store, of all places. Apple has been notorious for strictly monitoring the content that enters the story, preventing it from having adult material as well as programs that place users in online security risks. This program though, a spin-off of the widely-used BitTorrent computer program, managed to slip in under their radar. Called “IS Drive,” the program didn’t come bearing BitTorrent’s trademark recognizable name, but the functionality remains largely the same. The program is capable of linking users with Imageshack’s torrenting software, allowing users to manage their downloads from their mobile device. Even screenshots of successfully completed downloads are possible, making the app appealing to heavy downloaders.

In Apple’s staggering line-up of products, gadget after gadget has seemingly entered the public consciousness. Since the introduction of the iPod, Apple has built a 21st century empire based around a strong brand image. Their products are innovative and simple to use, appealing to users across all demographics. The iPhone, iPad, and their new line of laptop computers have made them a relevant company after languishing in Microsoft’s shadow throughout the 1990s. Earlier this week, in addition to updates to their flagship products, Apple unveiled a new vision for a product that has been less than stellar: Apple TV.

Its not that this is a particularly new concept, or one that Apple hasn’t made an attempt at before. Apple TV originally was a little-known product offered up by the company, a small box plugged directly into your television. The device could access a video store and the internet through a simple connection, enabling you to stream videos to your big screen. While the idea sounds great on paper, slow connection speeds and poor availability doomed the project in the early days. It enjoyed a small following, but nothing compared to other mainstays of their company.

The new Apple TV looks to fix a number of these flaws. In what seems an attempt to recreate the success of the iTunes Music Store with videos, the new device features a wide array of videos available for streaming. There is a bit of a catch, however. First of all, the user is only able to “rent” the videos, meaning that instead of downloading them to a permanent library, you’re forced to stream them off the internet instead. For users wanting a handy collection, the new Apple TV doesn’t seem to be the right choice. Surely there’s a better way to implement this television and video-watching from the Internet idea.

Count this as the most recent development in the smartphone wars. With the world taking on Apple’s beloved iPhone, other phone manufacturers are faced with a steep challenge. Ever since its release, the iPhone has been the definitive smartphone, bringing a wide variety of features not previously known to casual phone users.

Recently, however, the battle has intensified. Apple, who for so long seemed invincible, appears to have stumbled during the course of this iPhone antenna debacle. The iPhone, it seems, is no longer perfect as we once thought.

Therefore, today’s news story is perhaps no surprise. According to an article at BBC News, shipments of Android-equipped phones shot through the roof in the 2nd quarter of 2010. The numbers, compared to the same period of 2008, show a staggering 886 percent increase in shipments. The number can be attributed to a number of factors.

First and foremost, Google’s operating system has resonated with developers. Companies from HTC to Samsung have been developing phones with Android, providing a solid opportunity for an operating system that isn’t Apple’s. Google’s reputation as a computing giant is perhaps exactly the type of name-recognition needed to combat Apple.

With a lineup of sleek and sexy gadgets, few tech buffs can fault Apple for bringing some of the most intuitive technology to market. Even in spite of their steep cost, there is a certain sense of wonder that surrounds most Apple electronics. Even though I was a longtime PC user, I’ve grown immensely attached to my Macbook Pro, making it difficult and somewhat weird to use other people’s laptops that aren’t Apple.

There are many features I’ve grown attached to, but perhaps none so much as the most essential part of computing: the mouse. Apple’s TrackPad interface has to be one of the defining characteristics of their latest laptop series. And now, desktop users are able to get in on the action as well.

Stop the presses! This week marks a new generation in smartphone-dom, as well as Apple fanboy-ism. The release of the iPhone 4G, despite some worries about the number of available devices on the market, triggered a mass-rush to pick up the hot item. Apple’s been on a roll the last few months, with the iPad only setting the tone for this week’s new gadget. With Steve Jobs and company poised to take over the world, and the tech news-media salivating over the company’s every move, it seemed like nothing could possibly go wrong. Right?

Unfortunately, there seems to have been a bit of rain on Apple’s parade. The much-anticipated next-gen iPhone was indeed released to thrilled crowds of gadget-lovers, but a second wave of reports began streaming in that seemed to point to some serious engineering failures on the part of Apple. Namely, the new iPhone has some issues with its WiFi and 3G reception caused by interference from the user’s hand. While any wireless device experiences a bit of this interference when in use, the iPhone’s issue is related to the lower left hand corner of the device, a common area to be covered while holding the phone in your hand.

Of course, the folks over at Gizmodo are likely giving each other high fives while smugly blogging about the device away from the official Apple press conference. After the whole “stolen iPhone” debacle involving a prototype device that Gizmodo, one of the web’s premier tech blogs, may or may not have acquired illegally, Steve Jobs and company declined to allow the website to have access to the press conference to announce the iPhone 4. While this may have been seen as a slap in the face to the company, Gizmodo went ahead and cockily began their second-hand coverage of the iPhone with a link to their original unveiling.

Indeed, the iPhone 4G is the latest and greatest of Apple gadgets, meaning the media furor that had only died down slightly after the release of the iPad can once again rise up and around the electronics company. Of course, for the most part this is entirely deserved. The iPhone is filled with features that make any tech aficionado drool. The resolution on its screen is better than most print magazines, and equals that of the iPad. It may be slightly bulkier than the old iPhone, but the features more than make up for this small inconvenience.

Yesterday’s top story in the technology world generated a huge amount of buzz, which is perhaps to be predicted. First and foremost, it involved the Media’s Favorite Company, Apple. This in and of itself guaranteed that here would be a disproportionately large media coverage, but to make things even better, the story pitted Apple against Microsoft. Indeed, according to an article in Business Insider, there’s a new king of the computing world as Apple’s market capitalization finally overtook Microsoft’s.

Before we get into analysis, let’s take a look at the raw numbers. At the end of the day on May 26, Apple’s market capitalization was sitting at $222.12 billion. Microsoft’s was close by, but distinctly less at $219.18 billion. The companies are the second and third most valuable American corporations, behind only Exxon Mobile.

According to one calculation of enterprise value, Apple is worth $200 billion, with Microsoft worth $197 billion. Market capitalization is the value assigned to a company based off its equity. Equity, largely in part, is determined by stockholders. So the second numbers become more important, as other calculations take factors such as outstanding Assets and Liabilities into consideration. Still, Apple stands as the more valuable company.

While the iPad was the media darling of the technology world long before its actual release, consumers have perhaps been less willing to jump on board the Apple bandwagon than the company might have hoped. The iPad, for all its flaws, is certainly a unique gadget with the capability to really shake up the computing industry.

At the same time, it also presents consumers with a bit of a quandary: what are we supposed to do with something that walks and talks like an iPhone, but can’t make phone calls? Add in complaints regarding the tablet’s inability to multitask and the scenario seems ripe for competitors to step in.

On that note, Dell officially unveiled what could be a legitimate contender in not only the tablet market, but also the realm of smartphones. Unveiled yesterday and dubbed the “Streak,” Dell’s tablet is noticeably smaller than the iPad, and boasts several features that could make it an attractive alternative.

Now that Apple’s brand new tablet has had some time to gestate on the market, the forces of the free market are slowly beginning to show off the best in third party developments for the device. While Apple has been criticized for excising strict control over what is allowed to be installed onto the iPad, there are still a host of applications that are must-haves for those lucky enough to have their hands on the latest gadget. Today we’ll be taking a look at some of the best applications that can redefine the capabilities of your tablet.

ABC Player $FREE!

One of the premier iPad gripes is that it lacks Flash support, placing the future of online movies somewhat in question. However, developers like ABC managed to sidestep this possible issue with the introduction of their own video-playing application. For no charge, the ABC Player gives you commercial free access to some of the hottest shows on TV, including Grey’s Anatomy and Lost. If you’re looking to catch up on your favorite shows on-the-go, this is a great option. It’s certainly hard to beat the price!

Amazon Kindle $FREE!

While the iPad comes with Apple’s direct challenger to the Kindle, iBooks, Amazon struck back by ingeniously offering their own iPad app, completely free of charge. The books look fantastic on the vivid iPad screen, and the addition of touchscreen technology means you actually get to turn the pages, a nifty feature for those aching for paper-and-ink. It’s easy to purchase a new title, with one-click buying, and your old Kindle library makes the transition for no charge, a great source of singularity between gadgets!

InstaPaper Pro $4.99

Not everyone is lucky enough to have 3G support on their iPad, which makes an application like InstaPaper Pro invaluable. While surfing the web from the comfort of a WiFi hotspot, InstaPaper allows you to save web pages to your iPad, allowing you to easily read them later. Additionally, InstaPaper reformats pages to look nicer, so they read easily on your tablet. A must-have if you are stuck without 3G support on your iPad.

NetFlix $Free! plus subscription fees.

NetFlix is quickly becoming the mecca of online video, and with good reason. With an ever-growing supply of TV shows and movies, NetFlix offers a wide selection of content that can be streamed through an Internet connection. So long as you’ve got WiFi nearby, you can select from a wide variety, and on the large iPad screen, it’s great to share with a friend and curl up for an episode of Arrested Development.

Now that we’ve settled into the post-iPad euphoria, finding technology and gadget articles not involving Apple’s latest tablet was a bit of a challenge. So instead of pouring more iPad related news onto the Internet, I’m going to make a nice compromise. Half of today’s news briefs will involve tablets, and the other half of today’s news briefs will involve something awesome. Namely, ROBOTS! Let the games begin.

The folks over at BlendTec have created quite the amusing YouTube series with their legendary “Will it Blend?” The premise is quite simple: popular electronics versus BlendTec’s Total

Blender. The results are quite violent and spectacular, and it’s netted the BlendTec channel just shy of 100 million upload views. Yet today, many tech aficionados might find themselves a bit revolted by their target of choice: the beloved Apple iPad. If you thought the iPad’s size might prevent it from falling victim to the maw of the blender, well perhaps this video isn’t for you.

And if you’re a tablet fan, but you find yourself seething over the inflexibility of Apple’s device, then this next clip is probably up your alley. Boasting spunky dance music over a craftily-edited video, HP introduces their upcoming Slate tablet, which should be the preeminent PC response to the iPad. While the video doesn’t really elaborate on the specific features and specifications of the Slate, it does show off some nifty touch screen technology and a bevy of applications that could provide a sufficient competitor to Apple’s sexy aluminum machine. However, a disclaimer at the end of the video states that the device is still seeking FCC authorization. So it’s not quite ready for shelves, sadly.

And now, as promised, ROBOTS!

A Raleigh, North Carolina competition pits robots designed by teenagers against each other, drawing over 1200 robotically inclined high school students. The competition, called For Recognition and Inspiration of Science and Technology (which seems like a roundabout title for it’s acronym, FIRST), calls upon the students to utilize their knowledge of engineering to craft some impressive machines. Students are competing for internships and $12 million in scholarships, as well as a trip to Atlanta for the national FIRST expo.

None of their machines are likely to be in the uncanny valley, which is more than can be said for our final news brief. The Japanese Geminoid series of eerily life-like robots has it’s latest incarnation, Geminoid F, which is capable of mimicking human facial expressions and looking far too human from a ways off. A product of the Japanese Intelligent Robotics Laboratory and Kokoro, a robotics manufacturer, Geminoid F was modeled to look like the woman pictured next to her, and at first glance, it’s incredibly effective. You might not be able to understand the language in that video, but the technology is certainly impressive!