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Does Apple feel the heat from Kindle Fire?

Published by TechJohnson on November 3rd, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Since the release of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, there have been many speculations that Apple may be feeling heat, but is this true? Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will be the first to tell you that they are feeling absolutely no “heat” at all. In fact, Apple is not concerned at all about competition from the Amazon Kindle Fire. You might as well put Apple in a fire-proof box!

Even though the Kindle Fire has a cheaper price tag, Apple will still win the hearts from many due to the fact that it’s made by Apple. With that being said, this will always help Apple keep the iPad on top of the competition. Here is what Reitzes had to say:

While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products. The more fragmentation, the better, says Apple, since that could drive more consumers to the stable Apple platform. We believe that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad eventually but not compromise the product quality and experience.

The real question is, will Apple change the price of the iPad 3 (if that’s what they will call it) or continue to keep the price tag higher? Do you prefer the iPad 2 or the Kindle Fire? Leave your thoughts.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, iPad 2, Kindle Fire

Did Steve Jobs Crack the Code to Building an HDTV?

Published by TechJohnson on October 21st, 2011 | No Comments »

Ever since the recent passing of Steve Jobs, many articles have been circling the internet about numerous topics. Every topic has stood out in its own form but nothing like this. Did Steve Jobs really crack the code to building an HDTV?

The following is an interesting quote from the Washington Post that details a revelation from Steve Jobs to biographer Walter Isaacson.

“He very much wanted to do for television sets what he had done for computers, music players, and phones: make them simple and elegant,” Isaacson wrote.

“I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,’ he told me. ‘It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud.’ No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. ‘It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.”

If you think about this in a more in depth field, you will find this to be really interesting. It has been rumored that Apple will be entering the TV business since the beginning of time. Do you think Apple has just been waiting for the “code to be cracked” from Steve Jobs or is this just another rumor? Another rumor is that Apple’s Siri Voice control could play a big part in Apple’s HDTV venture.

How many of you have a firm belief that Apple will enter the HDTV business and create something “revolutionary” just like they did with phones? I see Apple having the true potential to change the way we all know TV to something far more advanced. What do you all think about this? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Tags: Apple, HDTV, Steve Jobs

Dell attempts to take down MacBook Air line, again!

Published by TechJohnson on October 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »

Dell seems to be targeting the MacBook Air lineup. If you recall, this isn’t the first time that Dell has attempted to take over this particular line. In 2009, Dell released the Adamo which was suppose to rule over the MacBook Air. Just to give you guys an insider, that has failed and Dells Adamo was discontinued earlier this year. The photo is the Adamo from Dell.

According to our resources, the new ultraslim laptop could come around the CES time frame. There was also a separate report rumor that said Dell is prepping an Ultrabook. The Ultrabook would be Windows camp answer to the MacBook Air. At this point in time, it is unknown if this is the same rumor that our sources are referring to.

Whatever the case may be, it truly seems that Dell is taking the push at the MacBook line. This past week, the Round Rock announced the XPS 14z which seems to be aimed directly at the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Also, this past May, Dell announced the XPS 15z which is directed towards the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

If the reports are true about Dell releasing this model until CES 2012, it would be exactly three years after it announced the Adamo. That timing would also coincide with Intel’s announcement of its next-generation processor. Could this mean that Dell would be one upping the MacBook Air in terms of their processor?

What do you think about this model from Dell? Do you think it would be a MacBook Air “killer?” Will you be purchasing one?

Tags: Dell Adamo, Killer, MacBook Air

Your iPhone could be worth $250

Published by TechJohnson on September 29th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

For all you Apple Fan Boys/Girls out there with any iPhone before the 4, this may not apply to you. I’m sure you could get some type of money for your phone though! Many consumers of the current iPhone 4 say they will be making the switch over to the new iPhone once it is released. If over 40% do so, what will happen to their current iPhone 4′s?

They may want to use their iPhone as a cup holder, a door stopper, an alarm clock, and maybe even a hockey puck. What if they could potentially be gaining money back for new clothes, paying off a phone bill, buying one of those new Kindle Fire devices…the list could go on.

Nextworth’s electronics buyback service is guaranteeing $250 for all 16GB and 32GB AT&T iPhone 4′s “in good working condition with no heavy scratches or cracks” between now and the day before Apple announces the next iPhone. Apple plans to announce the new iPhone next Tuesday.

This sounds like a great idea, but what happens if people send in their current iPhone 4 and Apple doesn’t announce the new iPhone? If this is completely true, does this sound like something you would consider? Do you think this is all a scam? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Tags: $250, iPhone 4

Spotify is now available to everyone in the United States

Published by TechJohnson on September 23rd, 2011 | No Comments »

No, I’m not lying by the title. Spotify is truly available to everyone in the United States! Spotify is a popular service that lets you stream any song to your computer or device. That’s basically what it is in a nutshell. The service use to only be available if you received an invitation. Now, Spotify goes live for everyone nationwide with no invitation required.

Another cool thing that Spotify launched besides going live for everyone is a new partnership with Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg announced at yesterday’s developer conference that anyone signing up with their Facebook account gets six months of the unlimited listening plan.

Spotify has a free plan and a paid plan. The free plan lets you listen to 10 hours of music with some commercials here and there. The paid plan allows you to listen to music at an unlimited amount. With Facebook giving out 6 months of the paid plan for Spotify, I expect to see Spotify’s rankings sky rocket. What happens after your six month period ends?

After your free period expires, you can still stream music for free but you will be converted to the ten hours a month. If you don’t want to only listen for 10 hours a month, you can sign up for the paid plan. Believe it or not, it’s a very cheap plan for only $10 a month. I may actually consider signing up becuase I listen to so much music when I’m working and blogging.

If you currently don’t use Spotify, what are you waiting for? It’s a better version of Pandora. In my opinion, I think Spotify will rule the internet with streaming music. Are you happy that Spotify is now live to the general public? Will you be purchasing a $10 a month plan to listen to music at an unlimited rate? Leave your answers and thoughts in the comments.

Tags: Live, Spotify, United States

White iPod Touch is Next, Only?

Published by TechJohnson on September 20th, 2011 | No Comments »

If you were expecting the new iPod Touch to include a higher-resolution camera, higher-resolution display, build-in 3G, and more…you may be waiting a bit longer for this update. According to a report from MacRumors, there’s exactly one notable change coming to the next iPod Touch. The only thing that is notable is the fact that there is a new coat of paint on the device. It’s not confirmed yet, but it seems to be that the next line up of iPod Touch’s only include a white model. Nothing new in terms of design and hardware.

Here is a report:

Only minor changes are expected for the existing hardware, with the addition of an oleophobic coating for the display and a revised ambient light sensor seemingly being the main differences. Otherwise, we expect the models to be nearly identical to the current fourth-generation iPod Touch model.

Of course, this is all rumor but it’s something that many of people may be excited for. Personally, I would rather Apple do something a bit more exciting then just painting the black to white. I believe it’s time to upgrade the iPod Touch again if they will be coming out with a “new” iPhone.

What would you like to see in the next generation iPod Touch? A better camera? Lower Prices? Bigger Screen? Faster Processor? I’ll take them all, but what would you personally like to see?

Tags: iPod Touch, White

Mobius rechargeable solar battery case for iPhone available now!

Published by TechJohnson on September 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

Etón today announced the availability of their Mobius NSP300B Rechargeable Battery Case for iPhone 4, which was originally announced this year at CES.

The admittedly stylish (for having a solar panel strapped to it, that is) case packs in an 1800 mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, high-efficiency monocrystal solar panel, and micro USB to charge the battery on cloudy days and nights. Other features include LED charge indicator lights and a stand by switch to turn off direct power transfer. In other words, hitting the stand by switch will let you to collect power without using it, allowing you to control when the case is actually powering your iPhone.

As you can see from the chart below, Etón estimates approximately 1 hour of solar charge will provide you with up to an additional 25 minutes talk time, 20 minutes of data usage (3G), 35 minutes of video playback, or 145 minutes of audio playback. In comparison, a fully charged case will provide you with an additional 5 hours talk time, 8 hours data usage and video playback, and 32 hours audio playback.

Other features of note… it weights 3.4 ounces (96.4 g), includes a micro USB cable, and has dimensions of 61.9 x 129.5 x 22.2 mm (W x H x D). You can grab the Eton Mobius NSP300B Rechargeable Battery Case on Amazon now for $78.

[via 9to5mac]

Tags: iPhone, Mobius, Rechargeable Battery

First 27-inch Thunderbolt Apple Cinema Displays? (photos)

Published by TechJohnson on September 15th, 2011 | No Comments »

Apple’s new 27-inch Thunderbolt Cinema Displays have begun popping up out of the blue in consumers’ homes. If the photos of true, the new display looks very identical to the previous generation of the 27-inch Cinema Display from Apple. The key feature on the new model is the Thunderbolt port. This display also has a USB, FireWire 800, and an Ethernet port built into the display.

As amazing as this sounds, do you think it’s all true or all a rumor? If true, would you consider purchasing one of these only for the added Thunderbolt display or wait until the new model? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Tags: Apple, Cinema, Displays, Thunderbolt

Apple to Discontinue iPhone 4 Bumper Case

Published by TechJohnson on September 15th, 2011 | No Comments »

As Apple’s next-generation iPhone festivities come closer to reality, Apple appears set to discontinue their Bumper case – the controversial $30 accessory which Apple provided free of charge to users complaining about their iPhone 4 antenna connection. Some have said that $30 is a bit expensive for a piece of rubber.

As Apple transitions its iPhone line to the iPhone 5, some may not find Apple’s discontinuation of an iPhone 4 accessory surprising. But, there are the countless rumors pointing to Apple retaining the iPhone 4 design for their fifth-generation iPhone.

With Apple apparently set to discontinue the Bumper, the next iPhone may require an updated Bumper or may even feature an all new design. Of course, there is also the possibility that Apple has simply decided to discontinue the Bumper but still retain the iPhone 4 design. After all, an 8GB iPhone 4 has been rumored.

That being said, Apple is set to discontinue the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4 – according to stock constraints of the product in major regions.

[via 9to5mac]

Tags: Bumper Case, iPhone 4

MacBook Pros to get Pre-Holiday Speed Bump?

Published by TechJohnson on September 13th, 2011 | No Comments »

It looks like the MacBook Pro line could be next for a hardware upgrade, according to a new report.

According to some sources, the MacBook Pro line will introduce new models of its Pro portables with speedier Intel processors. They claim to be ready in time for shipping for the Holiday Shopping Season. Another source says that it’s possible to be ready for shipment sometime this month. I suppose only time will tell the true facts.

Just how big of a speed increase are we talking about? AppleInsider points to Intel’s latest crop of quad-core Core i7 chips. The current i7 chip has a normal speed of 2.7GHz and the new boost may be a 2.8GHz in terms of speed. Because this isn’t a huge bump in speed, would we be able to clearly see the difference? That’s my main question.

Since the MacBook Pro line was only updated in February, do you honestly see a small update for the coming Holidays? Personally, I don’t see that to be plausible. Apple is very behind on being faithful to the yearly release of the iPhone. I would expect to see a new iPhone before we see a new release in the MacBook Pro line. That’s just my personally opinion.

Do you think we will see this update for the coming Holidays? If we do, will we be able to see a clear speed difference? Leave a comment on your thoughts.

Tags: Bump, MacBook Pro, Speed

Mac Mini “High- Density” Data Center

Published by TechJohnson on September 13th, 2011 | No Comments »

Have you ever dreamed about a high-density data center using Mac OS X instead of Windows OS? You now can do just that with this amazing Mac Mini Vault. The Mac Mini Vault is a 48U APC cabinet that lets you have a collection of up to 140 Mac Minis that allows you for a high-density data center.

The shelves in this vault are specifically designed for easy access to all power buttons and ports with individual slots that are pre-wired for internet connectivity. In simple words, everything is very simple to access and there is pre-wired spots for your Ethernet cords to plug into. At the top of the vault are several Cisco Gigabit Switches with redundant fiber connections to the data center’s backbone network.

Each cabinet provides remote power cycling capability thanks to six APC switched Power Distribution Unites.

Here is a quote from the press release:

Mac Mini Vault is a part of the CyberLynk Family of Technology Companies. This organizational structure provides the building blocks of great customer service and support. CyberLynk owns the physical data center, IP addressing, and infrastructure. Skilled and experienced CyberLynk Engineers provide around the clock support. Phone support is available during business days as is Free HandsOn Support. The Free Hands-on Support covers any instance where an engineer would need to physically hook up a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the machine.

The bottom line of this product, a very expensive solution to having a home/work data center.

What do you think of this? If this was affordable, would you buy one with all the Mac Minis? Do you think it would be powerful? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Tags: Data Center, High Desitiy, Mac Mini, Vault

Get a Free Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with Samsung TVs at Best Buy

Published by TechJohnson on August 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

Now this is most certainly one of the sweetest promotions I’ve seen in some time … or at least it was at first sight. Best Buy has announced that customers who purchase select Samsung HDTVs between August 21 and August 27 will get a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.The free tablet is, of course, the base model — that’s the 16GB Wi-Fi only device, which Best Buynormally sells for $499.99. Only two Samsung TV sets qualify for the deal — the 46-inch 3D HDTV for $1,499.99, and the 55-inch 3D set at $1,999.99.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Best Buy says this promotion is “part of a campaign dedicated to selling big-screen TVs, not tablets.” However, you have to wonder whether the struggle to sell Android tablets — or, in fact, anything that isn’t an iPad — has something to do with it.

Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester analyst who covers the tablet market, says that promotions like this one are the only way Android tablets can compete with Apple’s iPad:

“This [bundling] is what they should have been doing from the beginning. Other than the iPad there is no convincing standalone tablet. The only way anyone else can compete is by bundling.”

However, this isn’t one of the best bundles, according to Epps. Samsung’s 46-inch 3D set is already overpriced, with a similar LG set selling for just $999 on Best Buy’s website. “It’s like bundling two losing products together,” Epps said.

That takes a bit of the excitement out of this promotion. What looks like an awesome deal at first sight is actually a little disappointing when you realize that a similar LG set can be purchased for just $999 — $500 less than Samsung’s model.

So, if you’re looking for a TV and a tablet, but you’re not so keen on Android devices, you can pick up the LG set and a 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad for the same price you’d pay for the Samsung deal.

Which bundle would you be more interested in?

[via TechnoBuffalo]

Tags: Best Buy, Samsung

Tour of a Geeks iPod: Summer 2011

Published by TechJohnson on August 16th, 2011 | No Comments »

I stole this idea from David Di Franco when he did a “Tour of a Geeks iPad”. You can find this video at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/3fslack

Instead of completely stealing his idea with the iPad, I’ll start it up with my iPod Touch. The main reason is because I don’t own an iPad, yet

I hope to do this every season so expect more videos like this. Enjoy the video and if you have any questions about an application, don’t hesitate to ask!

Tags: Geeks, iPod, Tour

Apple to Hold Media Event on September 7?

Published by TechJohnson on August 12th, 2011 | No Comments »

Break out the salt, but only a little bit of it, as it appears we may have a potential target date for the announcement of the iPhone 5.

According to Japanese news source Kodawarisan, the date of September 7 has been selected for an Apple media event, but as to what we will actually see there is not known. The prevailing rumor, of course, is the introduction of the iPhone 5, iOS 5 andiCloud, with a potential for a smattering of new iPod releases. Traditionally the early September events have been strictly about the music player, but with the delay of the new iPhone this year, it looks like they may be sharing the stage with the iPhoneannouncement.

As for the rumors of an iPad 3 or iPad HD being announced on this date as well, that appears to be getting less likely by the day.

How reliable this date is remains to be seen, but Kodawarisan said it was from a source in a postion to know. We’ll just have to wait and see. If the true date, we should know by the end of this month or the first day or two of September.

What do you think of this being the potential announcement date for the iPhone 5?

[via TechnoBuffalo]

Tags: Apple, Media Event