Related Articles: Let’s Stop the Whining
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Why We Need Steve Jobs
6/23/2009 12:00:00 AMI just spent an hour waiting in a line at an Apple store to buy a product I do not need. It's the new top-of-the-line iPhone 3GS, and it costs $299, and I waited in line for it even though I already have last year's iPhone 3G model, not to mention a NEWSWEEK-issued BlackBerry, a low-end Nokia "feature phone," and a new Palm Pre, albeit a loaner unit. Why did I do this? Well, the new iPhone has a faster processor than its predecessor, and a better camera, and it shoots video. It also has more memory, so I can carry around more songs or movies. But really, I did it because I trust that whatever Apple puts out will be worth the money. I did it because I always want to have the latest and greatest from Apple. You see, Apple and its loyal customers (like me) have made a deal: it'll keep improving its products at a fantastic pace, and killing off its own products. In return, we'll keep buying whatever it makes.
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Bumper Crop
6/8/2009 12:00:00 AMThere was loads of speculation that Apple CEO Steve Jobs might make a surprise appearance at the company's annual developer conference in San Francisco today. In typical Apple fashion, the company did nothing to stamp out those rumors. For example, they might have simply told people that the rumors were not true and that Jobs would not attend the show. Instead, Apple exploited the hype and let everyone sit there waiting for Jobs to show up, proving once again that there is nothing, and I mean nothing, these guys won't do to get their fanboys worked into a frenzy. Alas, in the end, Dear Leader did not show. But the company unleashed a barrage of new products, including a new iPhone that sets Apple even farther ahead of its rivals in the smart-phone market. In fact, at this point Apple appears to be almost untouchable in this space, which is turning out to be the most important sector of the computing market.
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The Spy In Your Hand
6/6/2009 12:00:00 AMDon't talk: your cell phone may be eavesdropping. Thanks to recent developments in "spy phone" software, a do-it-yourself spook can now wirelessly transfer a wiretapping program to any mobile phone. The programs are inexpensive, and the transfer requires no special skill. The would-be spy needs to get his hands on your phone to press keys authorizing the download, but it takes just a few minutes—about the time needed to download a ringtone.
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The Palm Pre: iPhone Killer?
6/4/2009 12:00:00 AMApple fanboys can breathe easy. The new Palm Pre smart phone has arrived, and while it's a terrific phone, it's no iPhone killer. But it does have some things that the iPhone lacks, like a physical keyboard. Its software and user interface are magical. And its multitouch screen is arguably better than the multitouch screen on the iPhone, which pioneered this technology. Despite all this, and despite what Palm's sugar-daddy investor, Roger McNamee, said a few months ago, not many people are going to race out and dump their iPhones in favor of the Pre. I know I won't.
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TECHNOLOGY
Stop, Thief!
4/29/2009 12:00:00 AMFor most people, a lost or stolen cell phone means calling your service provider, shutting down your account and moving on with your life. But losing a cell phone is less about the inability to place a call than it is the sudden absence of your most personal data—photos, e-mails, browser history and music collection. So there's something to be said for recovering, rather than replacing, your handheld device of choice.
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TECHTONIC SHIFTS
Apple’s New Weapon
4/18/2009 12:00:00 AMTying the hands of a person who is speaking, the Arab proverb goes, is akin to "tying his tongue." Western soldiers in Iraq know how important gestures can be when communicating with locals. To close, open and close a fist means "light," but just opening a fist means "bomb." One soldier recently home from Iraq once tried to order an Iraqi man to lie down. To get his point across, the soldier had to demonstrate by stretching out in the dirt. Translation software could help, but what's the best way to make it available in the field?
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