iPod Touch Launches: The iDon’tPhone

iPod Touch Launches: The iDon'tPhoneApple have launched the next generation of the iPod, the iPod Touch. Not surprisingly with a name like that, it’s got a touch screen, a la iPhone.

Think of it as an iPhone without the phone – let’s call it the iDon’tPhone shall we.

All of the big fuss that’s been jabbered about for ages on tons of news sites and blogs for the last month or so has come to pass – much the same as day follows night. Can you tell we’re pretty jaded about Apple at the moment? That and the _endless_ hysterical excitement associated with it.
Continue reading iPod Touch Launches: The iDon’tPhone

All Laptop Batteries “Dangerous”: Experts

All Laptop Batteries Japanese experts have warned that the fundamental technology behind lithium-ion cells – the batteries that currently power most laptops and mobile phones – is inherently iffy and the design must be changed toot de suite for the safety of consumers.

Professor Masataka Wakihara of the Tokyo Institute of Technology – who has the unusual job of advising the Japanese Government about battery safety – has said that changes must be made to the manufacturing process to ensure that they are robust enough for everyday use.
Continue reading All Laptop Batteries “Dangerous”: Experts

Skype IM+ For Palm, WM, Mobiles And iPhone

Skype IM+ For Palm, WM, Mobiles And iPhone With the folks at Skype continuing to ignore the loud pleas from Palm OS users, German firm Shape Services have created a Palm Skype compatible client, IM+ for Skype, which is also available for BlackBerry, Symbian S60 v3, Java powered phones and Windows Mobile Pocket PC platforms, with an iPhone version in beta (see below).
Continue reading Skype IM+ For Palm, WM, Mobiles And iPhone

New iMac launched

It looks like Apple has done it again, this time with their latest incarnation of the iMac.

Apple has stuck with the same format for the last few generations of iMac – everything in the screen, sitting on a stand – clearly reducing the bulk of the case with each iteration.

As components become more integrated, so the depth of the screen becomes slimmer. This time they’ve use the old trick of keeping the side of it thin, had have the back on it expanding deeper.

It looks very good on it.
Continue reading New iMac launched

Fake iPhone From China: Video

Fake iPhone From China: VideoDarn clever those Chinese. Not only have they copied the iPhone, but they went and did it _before_ the iPhone was released – this video dates back to 10 May.

The branding it a little confused, sometimes tPhone, other iPhone, but it looks very similar, even down to the much-publicised ‘green balls’ wallpaper.

Now the actual iPhone is out, we can only imagine the quality of the copies that are being bundled into boxes and making their way over to all corners of the world.

With the change of approach to IPR from the Chinese government – they now see their future as a creative nation, so want to protect ideas – copy products like this will be a thing of the past.

Video after the jump
Continue reading Fake iPhone From China: Video

iPhone Give 55% Margin Say iSupply: Apple Share Rise

iPhone Give 55% Margin Say iSupply: Apple Share RiseiSupply did one of their usual Teardown’s on the Apple iPhone, estimating that they are on a 55% margin for each 8Gb phone that they sell.

The Teardown involves taking new consumer devices apart, as soon as they’re released, and working out how much they cost manufacturers to build and therefore how much profit – or loss – the sale of each device brings.

Such is the influence of iSupply these days, the news of the very healthy margin appeared to cause a rise in the value of Apple’s shares, up 4.9%.

The bill of materials and manufacturing costs totalled $265.83, with the iPhone selling for $599.

Given the close-to-lunatic media coverage (you’ll have noticed that we’ve been rather restrained, if not a little dismissive of the madness), we suspect that there’ll be triples all around at Apple’s 1 Infinite Loop office and some big celebrations over the 4 July holiday in the US today.

iSupply

Universal in Dispute With Apple Over iTunes

Universal in Dispute With Apple Over iTunesUniversal, the planet’s biggest music corporation, has told Apple that it won’t be renewing its annual contract to sell music through iTunes.

According to an anonymous executive cited in the New York Times, the mighty Universal Music Group of Vivendi will now market music to Apple at will, leaving the company free to remove its songs from the iTunes service at short notice if pricing and terms can not be agreed.
Continue reading Universal in Dispute With Apple Over iTunes