In Steve Jobs’ keynote speech at the WWDC, he announced that there is a free beta version of Safari available for XP and Vista at Apple downloads. Safari commands a decent 5% of the browser market share and a Windows version will significantly increase this figure.
Not one to complain at being able to play with some free software, I downloaded the beta and had a look around. There’s nothing ground breaking, but I guess Mac users knew that already, the standard multi-tabbed browsing, a funky snapback facility and the usual bookmark, history functionality we’ve all come to expect from a half-decent browser.
However, the main push of Safari for Windows is based on its speed. According to the Safari download page it out strips the other three main browsers in HTML & JS performance and on launch speed. I’m not too sure if that’ll play a major factor in whether the average Windows internet user picks Safari as their browser of choice but more competition has certainly got to be good.
As a web developer I wouldn’t use it that much as I’ve got too many plugins hooked up to Firefox but obviously testing my sites in Safari has now become a whole lot easier!
Apple is trying to persuade film studios to allow then to offer movies for rent via iTunes. The rental service would be a direct challenge to cable and satellite TV operators.
Apple already has deals with Walt Disney and Paramount to sell their movies via a download, but other studios are reluctant to strike similar deals due to the negative impact on DVD sales the downloads may have. However they may be more open to the prospect of movies rentals via the internet.
It is suggested that movies would cost US$3 for a 30-day rental, with the ability to transfer the movie to another device such as an iPod. Software would prevent the movie from being copied.
Another shrewd move by Apple if they pull it off. With a lot of people using PCs as a home entertainment unit, what could be easier than downloading your movie rentals straight to the unit. However how long would it be before a hacker breaks the software? ;)
Another rumour? Well sort of, the guys at engadget have been told that June 29th is the date advertised in the next series of iPhone commercials. The source? Someone who ‘works in television’. Again all a bit ‘bloke down the pub told me so it must be true’ kinda thing, but one thing is for certain the launch date isn’t between June 1st and June 3rd ;o)
Anyway here’s the famous Conan O’Brien iPhone ad skit to tide you over until the new ads come out which, hopefully, will confirm the 29th.
Not a new concept, having a sex toy hooked up to an iPod, but Ann Summers’ iGasm has certainly ruffled some feathers at Apple if only for the ads. The promotional posters for the iGasm are similar in style to the iconic iPod adverts, with a silhouetted character and bright background. According to the British newspaper News of the World this has caused Apple to send a letter to Ann Summers demanding the posters be removed or else.
“We hope this request to remove it immediately will prevent us having to consider further action.”
The response from Ann Summers CEO Jacqueline Gold is playful to say the least!
“Perhaps I can send them an iGasm to put a smile back on their faces!”
Hopefully Apple will see the funny side of this and lighten up a little bit, and anyway you have to have bought an iPod to use the iGasm. I would have thought that was a win-win situation for all concerned. Oh well, here’s the ad to brighten up your day.
Three days away from the start of June and the rumours are flying around about when the iPhone will hit the shelves of your nearest AT&T store. The truth is nobody really knows, at any rate those who are blogging and reporting about it don’t really know. Here’s a list of the current suspects and the source of the rumour
June 20th - made popular in Google Groups as being reported on CNBC’s ‘On The Money’ program. Check out the video at Gizmodo. CNBC had contacted an AT&T store to obtain the date, yet the same store stated that there are no pre-orders yet there may be a waiting list?
June 12th - Gizmodo were informed that’s when their iPhone would be available by a Cingular rep.
June 11th to 22nd - AP contacted eight AT&T stores to obtain this range of dates
So what does this prove? As we said at the beginning of the post no one really knows and more importantly your local AT&T certainly doesn’t appear to know either! So we can all continue guessing when the launch will be or get back to doing something slightly more rewarding ;o)
As an aside, the opening paragraphs of the AP article
Shares of Apple Inc. rose Friday after a media report stated the company’s much-anticipated iPhone will be released June 20.
Apple shares added $1.83 to $112.52 in afternoon trading. Apple’s shares have been rising steadily over the past year, hitting an all-time high of $115 on Wednesday. Growth in recent months has been fueled by speculation and consumer excitement over the hybrid phone and media player.
At least everyone has made back their losses from the tumble a couple of weeks ago.
Never underestimate the power of the blogger. Engadget posted about an internal email at Apple stating that the iPhone and Leopard launches were to be delayed to October and next January respectively. Later Apple stated that the original email was a fake and the product launches are still on track.
Despite there only being twenty minutes between engadget’s post and the response, Apple’s share price fell by 2.2 percent. Needless to say Apple investor’s would have been none too pleased at the power of the blog.
However there’s an interesting follow up article at the Inquirer regarding a post at Information Week. The post suggests that engadget behaved irresponsibly and it was naive journalism to post about the email without checking with Apple first.
Lessons learned in Journalism 101, however, would have prevented the debacle.
The post at IW seems to be confusing journalism with blogging - sure there are many similarities but a blog tends to be an opinion rather than a ‘news items’. They try to blame engadget for the share price dip yet surely that was more due to the nervousness of the shareholders than anything else. Also this is not the first time a company’s share price has moved due to rumour or speculation - in fact the markets thrive on such movements.
No, as far as I’m concerned engadget did the right thing reporting information as they discovered it.
As an aside the Apple share price currently stands at $109.44 - over a dollar up from where it stood PRIOR to the fake email post. If I was a Apple investor (of the less nervous variety) I would be cracking open a cold one right now and saying ‘Go, go, engadget’.
As the build up to the still yet unknown launch date for the iPhone begins, The Boy Genius have managed to get hold of the AT&T pre launch sales brief. A few interesting points on the brief
The exact date has not been announced, specific dates should not be provided to customers. So how will people know when to start camping outside AT&T stores?
There should NOT be any additional speculation/discussion about pricing. Like that’s gonna happen!
NO pre-selling is allowed. So it’s not worth chatting up the pretty sales girl at your AT&T store to save queuing up on the day
All this points to large and unruly queues forming outside AT&T stores from the end of May. Get ready for the ensuing chaos.
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In Steve Jobs’ keynote speech at the WWDC, he announced that there is a free beta version of Safari available for XP and Vista at Apple downloads. Safari commands a decent 5% of the browser market share and a Windows version will significantly increase this figure.
Apple is trying to persuade film studios to allow then to offer movies for rent via iTunes. The rental service would be a direct challenge to cable and satellite TV operators. 
As the build up to the still yet unknown launch date for the 
