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At the Apple event, Will “X” mark the spot for the new iPhone

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Update:: New iPhone 8 Gold has arrived. Some early pics.

iphone 8

 

apple keynote

Today, the highly anticipated announcements from Apple took place at the Steve Jobs theatre, as they do every year. But this year was inherently different because Apple was in the new magnificent location (see drone footage), and the iPhone, really the first smartphone, was introduced 10 years ago. I’m going to give a few facts and specs below, but Ill let the pictures tell the story. Bottom line is that Apple is great, the iPhone is better than last year’s, and technology is held together by companies like Apple. The iPhone X is here and it looks awesome. “All you need is love” was the message that Apple and Tim Cook opened the conference with, and I believe that is what all their employees put into their products.

If you want to watch the full Apple keynote go here.

apple keynote

On a side note, as it relates to love, Apple literally just donated 5 million dollars to the HandinHand2017 Hurricane relief as I was writing this.

iphone 8
So the quick summary from the event is that there were 3 major announcements.

  1. A New Apple Watch – Series 3 (See more here)
  2. An updated Apple TV 4K (see more info)
  3. And of course the new iPhones – 3 models iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X

 

iphone 8 animationiPhone 8 and 8 Plus specs:

  • Still has a physical Home button
  • 4.7-inch display for iPhone 8;  5.5-inch display for iPhone 8 Plus
  • Glass surface on front and back
  • Wireless charging using Qi standard (can be charged using third party wireless chargers that also use Qi)
  • LTE Advance for faster network connections
  • Water and dust resistant
  • Powered by an A11 Bionic chip, two performance cores
  • 12 mega-pixel camera with two new sensors and optical image stabilizers
  • “Portrait Lighting” feature uses the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus’ dual cameras to sense depth and rework the lighting while you compose the shot
  • Highest quality video ever in a smartphone
  • Shoots video in 4K
  • New gyroscopes and accelerometers for augmented reality
  • Both models available in 64 GB and 256 GB
  • iPhone 8 starts at $699, iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799
  • Comes in silver, space gray, gold finishes
  • Pre-order opens Sept. 15, available Sept. 22

 

iPhone X animationiPhone X

Basically the same as the iPhone 8 with these features.

  • Edge-to-edge display
  • Glass on front and back (same as iPhone 8)
  • Water and dust resistant
  • Comes in space gray and silver finishes
  • Super retina display (5.8-inch screen, 458 pixels per inch)
  • OLED display

No more home button on the “X”

  • Raise the phone or tap on any part of the screen to “wake up” the device, swipe up from bottom to go to home screen
  • Rather than pressing the home button, the phone unlocks by recognizing your face using the TrueDepth Camera System (infrared camera, floor illuminator, dot projector and front camera).
  • It works night and day, and learns your face over time so it cannot be duped by a photo or mask. Every time you glance at iPhone X it detects your face, takes an image, and checks it against a photo you took earlier.
  • When you take the initial ID photo, you move your head around so Face ID recognizes you from different angles. All processing is done on iPhone X and not sent to server to protect face data.
  • Face ID works with apps that use Touch ID, and can be used to verify payments.

The camera

  • Dual optical image stabilization
  • Larger and faster sensor
  • Quad-LED true tone flash 

Size and price

  • iPhone X available in 64 GB and 256 GB models
  • Starts at $999
  • Preorders available Oct. 27, ships Nov. 3

Full photo gallery here.

 

Video Gallery

Apple says end of an era for the iPod

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Apple announced that the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle would be discontinued and were halted from sales last Thursday. The end of an era for some popular gadgets. But have no fear, Apple plans to continue selling its internet-connected iPod Touch. It should be no surprise to anyone since smartphones are mainly used for listening to music, videos, and taking pictures, with an occasional phone call.

nano shuffleThe Nano and Shuffle came out in 2005 as less expensive and smaller alternatives to Apple’s standard iPod, but the company stopped updating the Nano and Shuffle several years ago. Knowing that many may be nervous buying a iPod Touch, Apple doubled the storage capacity of its top-of-line model to 128 gigabytes. That version costs $300. An iPod Touch with 32 gigabytes of storage sells for $200. The company’s sales of iPods peaked in its fiscal year 2008 when the devices generated revenue of $9.2 billion. The iPhone at that time accounted for $1.8 billion in revenue that same year.

touch
The current iPod Touch

End of an era for Apple

It truly is the end of an era for Apple, as the iPod was a treasured gadget by Steve Jobs. The iPod introduced by Steve was one of the most innovative gadgets if all time. And not just for the hardware, but he changed the music industry and how we listen to music. For me it seems like yesterday he introduced the iPod in 2001.

Steve knew how to sell Apple products especially when he liked the product, and he believed in this product. By the time he was done on stage, it seemed perfectly natural for Apple to make a music player. Its design blew everything else out of the water. It was beautiful and it was well engineered.  

“A thousand songs in your pocket,” he said.

ipod shuffle era

The iPod name isn’t being totally phased out — Apple’s newest audio products are AirPods and HomePod. And the iPod Touch was recently by far the best-selling iPod. One reason Apple may be phasing the iPod Shuffle out is that it doesn’t have Bluetooth, which means it won’t work with Apple’s latest wireless headphones, AirPods. Neither iPod supports Apple Music, Apple’s online streaming service for audio and video.

Why it’s always sad to see a good gadget phased out, it has great replacements and they had a good run. It’s time to move onto the iPhone 8! Another historic Steve Jobs gadget.

“Hello” iPhone – The evolution over 10 years

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all iphonesThe TV commercial for the iPhone only had one word in the ad – “Hello.” It would be the pinnacle of accomplishment that Steve Jobs had worked his whole life towards. He drove this innovation smart and tough. The association with AT&T was bold, but a neccisity to make the iPhone an exclusive toy. The iPhone became so popular and  it put Blackberry out of business, changed the way we listen to music and ultimately built the house of Apple – the new Apple campus.

TV commercial for the first iPhone – “Hello”

10 years ago today, the tech, phone, and consumer industry changed forever. The iPhone was shipped and in the hands of the consumer. I had the Palm Treo which seemed so magical, but then the iPhone came out and I felt like I had the oldest tech around. It had a full touch screen! No need for buttons – yikes.

treo and iphone

As we near the debut of the new iPhone in September of 2017, the 10 year mark which is today, June 29th, 2017, we are is reminded just how much we love our phones. We have spent billions of dollars and created an empire. Ironically, I have never owned an iPhone, but I love Apple, and I love everything they do for technology and consumerism. I feel compelled to write about the iPhone because it was an invention, not just a phone. I thought I’d let the pictures, videos and charts tell the story.

Steve Jobs made the announcement just 6 months previous to the launch, and the promise of a tech revolution looked real. He stated that…

“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything … One is very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career. Apple’s been very fortunate. It’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world.”

The evolution of the iPhone (minus the iphone 7)

iphone evolution

iPhone 1 – 2007iphone 1

iPhone 2 – 2008

iPhone 3- 2009

iPhone 4 – 2011

iPhone 5 – 2013

iPhone 6 – 2014

iPhone 7 – 2016

iPhone Fun Facts

Here are some Interesting Facts about this iPhone:

  1. iPhone started as a Tablet Project, but when the Apple employees came up with an iPad design with a virtual keyboard, Steve Jobs thought that they can apply this technology to a phone and this is how, iPhone came into existence.
  2. Exclusive rights for selling the first iPhone were Turned Down by Verizon – (LOL)
  3. Apple, when looking for a carrier partner to sell the first iPhone insisted that the device will only carry the Apple’s Logo and not that of the carrier.
  4. The App Store by Apple was the first online space that offered downloading an app legally.
  5. All the iPhones in the iPhone advertisements show the time 9:41. This is the time when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007.
  6. While Samsung and Apple are the biggest rivals, but not everyone knows that Samsung makes the processors for iPhones.
  7. In 2007, iPhone was awarded as the “Invention of the Year” by Times Magazine.
  8. In 2012, Apple sold 340,000 iPhones per day. A whopping 125 Million iPhones for the year.
  9. Apple’s iPhone has higher sales as compared to everything being sold under the label “Microsoft”.
  10. Apple’s iPhone in Brazil is Twice More Expensive than in the USA.

iphone chart

 

Apple’s HomePod – Is this the next big thing? A robot without legs?

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apple homepodAs expected, Apple has announced their version of the Amazon Echo and Google Home, a voice assistant – called the HomePod (releasing in December). Announced at the WWDC 2017 show, Apple has added quite a few hardware to their ecosystem besides the Homepod, but that’s for another story. The voice assistant, HomePod, will hopefully put Apple in the game. While they missed all the excitement of this technology, the question is can they do it better? One would hope so with all the money Apple can throw behind it. However, their voice activation software “Siri,” has fallen from grace since it first debuted in 2011. I mean you could make the case that Apple had the voice activation technology in the household first, but it had no purpose. Amazon had provided more purpose, Google has provided more depth in data, and maybe Apple will combine the 2 and wrap it in a futuristic look.

So to be clear, Apple has released this technology as a great “connected speaker,” and not a voice activated command center. This rivals the Sonos type speakers that have been out for some time and connect well throughout the house. Sonos is expensive and so is Apple unfortunately – $349. Although, the smart marketer in me says this is a way to incorporate it into your home under the guise of a speaker with a purpose. And then  let the concept of a sound device become a necessity for the home. I mean who can live without 7 tweeters?

homepod tweeters

At the end of the day this supports Apple iTunes which has been falling out of favor as well. But those die-hard Applers who live for Apple’s ecosystem, this will provide a new channel for the consumer to interact with the ecosystem. And of course buy stuff. I think this is a big question for Apple. Can someone use it outside the ecosystem? Or does this divide the Apple/Android market even more?

“Apple is a technology company that leads innovation with their products and software platforms, providing seamless experiences across devices, and empowering people with breakthrough services.” – Interbrand 2016

smart home

The answer is yes and no. For music, it will be tied into iTunes and the apple store. Control of your home can use third party devices but Apple will make it very attractive to use everything tied into their Home Kit. And again when you stay in the Apple ecosystem it can be a great experience. One that usually edges them over the competition from a user experience standpoint. My gut feeling is that Apple will won the race on sound and compatibility.

siri, home, alexa

If Siri, doesn’t get way better, Amazon and Google will continue to dominate the information/data feedback to consumers. People love to ask questions to their robots. Even silly stupid stuff. In 2016 it was “What is Pokemon Go?” But there is so much more you can do with your robot without legs. Here is a list of commands from a previous story.

person using voice search

 

So, to all the robots without legs out there, “there’s a new sheriff in town.” Well in December anyway. The HomePod will add a rich sound in your house, provide answers to those silly questions, and lock the doors on your house. For me, this Apple utopian ecosystem and robot that controls my life – this idolizes the future as described in Ray Bradbury books. We’ll reconvene in December to ask Siri the hard questions.

HomePod as explained by Apple

HomePod Sexy Pictures

homepod

The tech race to glucose monitoring will be a Win-Win

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apple glucoseIt was reported today that Apple has a secret team working on sensors that will monitor and assist in the treatment for diabetes. Actually it has not been a secret as they have been working on this for a couple years, but it sounds like they may be closer. The rumor is that Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers to work at a nondescript office in Palo Alto, California, miles from corporate headquarters. They are part of a secret plan, initially envisioned by Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non-invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes. Jobs envisioned wearable devices, like smartwatches, being used to monitor important vitals, such as oxygen levels, heart rate and blood glucose. 

“In the US there are 30 million people with diabetes”

Make no mistake, a breakthrough like this would be a huge money maker. Just in the US there are 30 million people with diabetes – maybe not all Apple watch owners, but you get the picture. It could turn the Apple Watch into a “must have” rather than a “nice to have” for people who would benefit from an easier way to track their blood sugar – no more pricks to the finger.

google glucose
Apple isn’t the only technology company eyeing opportunities in the space. Verily, Google’s life sciences team, is currently working on a “smart” contact lens to measure blood sugar via the eye, and it partnered up with DexCom in 2015 to develop a glucose-sensing device no bigger than a bandage. Verily is also working with Sanofi to do the same thing. Sanofi announced the end of last year that “the company will leverage Verily’s experience in miniaturized electronics, analytics, and consumer software development, with Sanofi’s clinical expertise and experience in bringing innovative treatments to people living with diabetes.” 

Whether or not its not all about the money, a tech breakthrough like this will positively affect so many people. Having known so many people with the disease myself, I can say that even simplifying the task of measuring your blood everyday, will be a big relief for diabetes patients. May the best tech company win – as well as patients. Win-Win.

The glucose monitoring software is already there.

Tech Companies are Redefining Themselves in Silicon Valley

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Silicon Valley real estate is on fire again. Tech companies are reinventing themselves through architecture. While the Apple spaceship has caught the eye of everyone recently, many other tech companies are setting up new digs for their headquarters too. Google, not to be outdone by Apple, is building a new headquarters in Mountain View, as well as Nividia, Google West, and Facebook which was just completed. Check out the new Silicon Valley.


Google Headquarters

The whole project is a part of Mountain View’s North Bayshore Precise Plan — an environmentally-focused effort to revitalize the underdeveloped area along Highway 101. The final campus will be nearly 600,000 square feet. There will be 45,000 square feet of interior landscaping and nearly 20,000 square feet of public walkways.

Incorporating designers and architects from New York, London, and Santa Monica, the campus is intended to have fully developed indoor and outdoor spaces that incorporate “native habitats and vegetation.” What’s being called a “Green Loop” will run through the campus, pathways that will snake through parks lined with cafes and shops. Google is designing this section with the public in mind — a sort of National Mall to its Washington Monument.

 

Facebook HQ

With Facebook recently topping 10,000 employees, growing its ranks 48 percent in the past year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg needed a new building. In March, Facebook opened the doors on the new space, which Zuckerberg partnered on with Frank Gehry—and it opened the doors to CNBC’s cameras for the first time.

Gehry created the world’s largest open floor plan in the world, and Facebook commissioned local artists to decorate it. The 430,000 square-foot space fits 2,800 employees, and Zuckerberg has a desk right in the middle.

facebook hammockThe goal of the building—MPK20 (for Menlo Park Campus building 20)—was to be to create a space that’s eco-friendly and reflects Facebook’s mission to connect people.

facebook HQ
FaceBook Headquarters

Nividia HQ

Nvidia, a graphics chipmaker, has put grand plans for a Gensler-designed facility across from their current Headquarters on hold for an undetermined period of time. If built, the triagular-shaped structures will yield 1M square feet of office space, and bring bold architecture to cookie-cutter Santa Clara.

nividia

Google Bay View Campus

Google has pushed back plans to build a massive new “Bay View” campus on the former site of the NASA-Ames research center in Mountain View. The project is now scheduled to be built in three phases, with construction wrapping up by 2022. The new buildings will house between 3,500 and 5,000 employees, and will feature stunning views of the Bay and surrounding wetlands.

google bay view

Bonus round HQ – Amazon

Amazon.com this week revealed plans for three verdant bubbles in downtown Seattle, joining Apple’s circular “spaceship,” Facebook’s Frank Gehry-designed open-office complex and a new Googleplex on the list of planned trophy offices. This is being built in Seattle but check out this design.
amazon hq

 

 

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