Apple iPad

Apple finally announced the long anticipated tablet PC, which they called it – iPad. Before it was released, many people or analyst anticipated this gadget might become the “Gadget of the Year in 2010″ and it has indeed created a Hype.

After looking through the features it offers now, I think the only feature that I like best is the Multi-Touch Capability. It has indeed brought a whole new way of user experience that fit nicely into our life.

Multi-Touch Capability is Just So Cool

Look at the following photo, as iPad is now offering you a 9.7 inch screen that you can now physically typed on a virtual keyboard like a real keyboard. This is cool user experience.

iPad Multi-Touch Keyboard

iPad also offers a new photo organizing feature called stack. I used a similar feature on Aperture and I like it a lots on Aperture. iPad now brings it to a new level, you can stack photos using your thumb and index finger. This is another Cool user experience…

Stacking Photos on iPhoto

For people who like gaming… as the iPad is now much larger compared to iPhone or iPod Touch, integrating with the accelerometer, you can hold it with your both hands like a steering wheel and start racing on it… Plus, you can use your thumb to control on the screen too.

This has no doubt added another level of coolness to user experience.

Gaming like a Steering Wheel

Finally, together with the iPad announcement, Apple also introduced a new store. That is iBook store. There is an iBook app in the iPad that you can purchase book and read it. Using the Multi-Touch technology, you can now flip books on the iPad screen just like you are flipping a book.

Apple has raised Multi-Touch technology to a new level. Typing on virtual keyboard, stacking photo, gaming and flipping iBook are 4 COOL user experience on the iPad that I like.

Have fun…

Flipping on iBook

Apple Aperture Photography Software

I have been using Picasa, iPhoto, Adobe Bridge and Photoshop to organize, edit and touch up my photos so far. Until recently that I started to explore the RAW format photography and also started playing with the latest Aperture photography software created by Apple.

My experience on Aperture so far : Wow… it is simply amazing.

I like Aperture for 2 simple reasons now:

1. Easy and Quick Photo Management
2. Easy and Quick Image Processing

Aperture Photo Management

I can organize photos by project which is fairly similar to Album in Picasa or Event in iPhoto. But it has some added functionality that I like.

1. I can duplicate the photos and it automatically keeps the version for me without destroying my master copy.
2. I can stack all the different versions or similar photos together to keep the screen very neat and easy to find photos. Otherwise, if you create 10 versions per photos and you have 100 photos, glancing through 1000 photos is not a pleasant experience.

Aperture Image Processing Capability

Picasa & iPhoto are great software to start and it does offer some simple image processing capability. On the other hand… Photoshop is a powerful software to provide a spectacular image processing engine. However, duplicating the exact image processing to another photo is not an easy process to understand. Using its batch processing function is also quite a difficult task too.

I think Aperture fill in the gap in between. It offer the simple interface like Picasa or iPhoto for adjusting, editing, or touching up the photos. And it offers a great way to store the image processing settings as pre-set and I can simply click and apply the setting to other photos.

Sample Photos Before and After

I started playing with the color adjustment setting. The following photos show the original photo before processing by Aperture and edited photo after processing.

Aperture has made a huge difference.

Before Processing by Aperture

After Processing by Aperture

Apple Remote App

I came across the following YouTube today. Apple has quietly released a new version of Remote Apple for iPhone or iPod Touch. It extends the functionality to control the Apple TV on top of iTunes.

If you are using Remote App to control your Apple TV, you can now enjoy the multi-touch feature to scroll the songs or movies on your Apple TV. This definitely add a new dimension of “Cool” feature compared to the old remote that use button to scroll up or down.

Apple’s Remote App on iPhone

iPod Shuffle 3rd Generation

New iPod Shuffle

Apple has been releasing lots of new products in the past 1 week, firstly the improved version of iMac and MacMini, and it is now the turn to see the new iPod Shuffle!

The design is very nice and simple, I like it as it has not control buttons on the device. You can control the song and volumes on the earphone cable instead. From design point of view, it is very innovative and nice. But practically, you will need to buy a new earphone cable from Apple if it is faulty, more costly. You spend more money and Apple make more money…!!!

I do not know if this is true or it is just a rumour as I am not seeing update or annoucement on Apple website yet.But I just find that this latest gadget is just a cool invention to change the way we use a PC.

The tagline says “One Button. Endless Possibilities“, that’s also a cool marketing statement.

“People who use keyboards are standing in the way of human progress,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

I will be eager to see the official news release from Apple and see what will Apple announce at the MacWorld conference.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Now the question is: What’s inside Steve Job’s mind? Why is he making such a bold and drastic decision?

Here are a few scenarios and possibilities:

• His health condition
• Apple succession planning for someone else to start taking over
• Apple has NO product to launch

Steve Job

Can Apple Sustain The Hype without Steve?

Regardless whatever reasons behind this decision, I am sure this signal that Steve Job’s presence and era in Apple is coming to an end. Apple has experienced a difficulty situation while its founder Steve was not in the company. Will history repeat itself that Apple will be taking downhill again?

Although Steve has been instrumental to turn Apple around, there is increased acceptance of Apple products, but I think the big success really came from its iPod, iTunes store and its latest iPhone devices. Some improvement on the Mac unit sold but it has reported to be no growth for Mac compared to PC last month.

It might have come to a point that Apple has to reinvent itself to bring some new innovation to the table. But if without Steve Job, can Apple Do it? I have doubt now!

Macworld without Apple Is NOT Macworld

On its face, Apple announced in the press release that Apple (AAPL) has cheaper and more effective venues for reaching its audience — on its own terms and its own schedule. This was cited as the reason for the Macworld exit.

My first impression is that this decision will be a BIG blow to IDG. Why is Macworld called a Macworld without Apple presence? Apple is the inventor of Mac. If Apple does not support or endorse the event, why would other support it? I am always looking forward to see the news of Macworld for only one reason, to listen to Steve to see what are the new product lineup that is coming up. Being an engineer myself, that’s the most satisfying moment to see how technology innovation is changing people life.

So, will I still follow Macworld news if not new announcement from Apple? Probably not!!!

There was already some friction between IDG and Apple dated back in 2002 while IDG decided to move Macworld from San Francisco to Boston. IDG chief Charlie Greco, apparently thinking at that moment Jobs needed IDG’s expo more than the expo needed Jobs from the following quote:

“You know how badly they want to do San Francisco,” [Greco] said. “We don’t have to let them.”

Maybe Apple is taking revenge and stab IDG for its arrogant ;-)

Apple iPhone Update 2.2

Apple iPhone Update 2.2

According to Apple website, here’s a series of new features and improved that is found in iPhone update 2.2.

What I like Best!!!!

However, I saw an article on Digital Inspiration that Apple is hit with a disappointing sales in India…

Disappointing Apple iPhone 3G Sales in India

Disappointing Apple iPhone 3G Sales in India

According to the article, the high price tag is the reason to explain for slow sales of iPhone 3G in India. Well, I do not know about India market enough. Maybe the price tag is indeed too high for the general public to take on. I will argue that the India mobile operators is not putting in enough effort to promote the phone.

Many phone operators are actually subsidizing the iPhone by locking down the subscriber wtih a contract. So, I would say the high success rate in many countries are contributed by the high subsidy given by the mobile operators. There are many people here in Singapore got the iPhone 3G for FREE simply because they are a heavy mobile phone user by subscribing to a high end mobile plan. Unfortunately, SingTel has annouced recently their profit margin was hurted due to heavy subsidy of the iPhone 3G.

In view of these, maybe India Mobile operators are the smartest in the world NOT to subsidize the iPhone… ;-)