The Tablet!

After an enormous amount of speculation and hype, the iPad finally landed today. Of course, it didn't measure up to the expectations because, frankly, our expectations were way off the charts. And of course, most of the surprise was gone because of all the leaks. Here are the main take-away points: it's great-looking, nice-handling, and it extends the current iPhone/touch object handling and interface methods. The inclusion of iWork for the iPad was a big plus. Pricing for the 3G service was definitely amazing, especially the no-contract deal. That means you could activate the AT&T service for a month when you're on vacation or out of town for business. The connection to the existing App and iTunes Store is great, including apps, music, movies and TV shows. iBooks—nice! The page-turning interface is amazing! The on-screen keyboard is interesting—gotta try it out to see if it's really workable. Battery life was way more than what everyone expected. The dock and dock/keyboard were really nice, as was the binder/display. Perhaps the most underrated feature will turn out to be the A4 chip that powers the iPad—an Apple designed chip. First time. Ever. What was left out? Well, no optical gear for either photos or video, face recognition (okay, that was a wild speculation), video-conferencing or taking photos. No TV hardware or software, so there's no live TV. No Verizon wireless service. No multi-tasking apps. No on-screen Post-It notes. But all that is probably responsible for the biggest news—pricing. Apple split up the into three memory configurations and Wi-Fi/3G to offer various prices that start at $499. That's way below the highest speculative price of $1,000. For many, that would be a sufficient device—no 3G and basic memory. Add 3G service for $130 and you've got a $629 tablet that can do lots of things on the road. Questions? Plenty. Why did Steve announce it now, instead of closer to the release date? Why did he not mention a specific release date, but only 90 days (FCC approval period?)? Did AT&T retain exclusivity in exchange for the improved wireless pricing and contract? No SD slot, but an external adapter (and USB adapter, too)? What apps come standard: stocks, weather, etc.? Now, it's up to us—everybody—to decide if the iPad fits a particular need in our tech lives. I'll bet it will, especially if the iBook store gets rolling.

Fired After Volunteering in Haiti?

You may have read the Facebook page that sets out the story of Jeremy Holt, who apparently worked at an Apple store, but was a member of Airline Ambassadors, a non-profit charity group originally formed by airline employees. After the Haiti earthquake, Holt was offered the opportunity to fly to Haiti to perform recovery work for five days. He called in to report being off from work once, while Apple's policy apparently is to call in for each day of absence. When Holt returned from Haiti, he learned he had been fired for violating the company's time-off reporting policy. Since the story was posted on-line, it's generated lots of comments, both supporting Holt and vilifying him. First, it's impossible to know the truth--is the story real, did it happen as described? Second, you have to wonder why Holt made the story public. And then you have to question the very premise being marketed here—"Because sometimes SAVING LIVES is more important than 'Company Policy," according to the Facebook page. There's no obvious answer to the first question, but it's pretty obvious that the answer to the second question is--Holt wants his job back. As for the premise, it might be overdramatizing Holt's contribution to the recovery effort. At least 20 countries are involved in a massive air, sea and ground mobilization. The U.S. military alone has 10,000 soldiers on the island, with another 12,000 U.N. personnel. Scores of airplanes are arriving each day with tons of supplies. While I applaud and recognize the efforts that a single volunteer can make, Holt's absence or presence wasn't pivotal. That fact leads us to the final point: Holt willingly considered all the factors, made a decision, and is now living with the result. To now put the responsibility--or blame--on Apple for sabotaging the Haiti relief efforts seems incorrect. Further, to make the matter public and hammer Apple might not be the best strategy. What happens when you get you job back, Mr. Holt? Just like old times?

Want To Become a Video Blogger?

One of the country's most prolific tech bloggers is California-based Leo Laporte. His Twit.tv show is just one of his many video and audio blogs that cover every aspect of technology, gadgets and more. He streams hours of shows from the dining room of an old house in Petaluma (N. Calif.), bringing in video of guests using Skype, and mixing in screen shots of Web sites and product demos. Watching the show on-line, it's impossible to see what I saw earlier this week, sitting in as an audience member. Leo can talk intelligently about any aspect of tech with a guest, all while doing all the production work: switch between video sources, adjust the audio, type on a keyboard to surf the Web, give a Nexus demonstration, and read commercials. He doesn't have an on-air engineer, but does all the work himself. It's much like playing a Wurlitzer—all the audience knows is that wonderful music is coming out, even though the organ player is working hard at the keyboard. Of course, Leo did have a 30-year radio career to prepare him for his first "podcasts" way back in 2004. It's hard to believe that it's progressed so far in just six years. The lesson: Leo is in a class by himself, smart, funny, talkative and devoted to technology. If you want to see an expert having a great time working, tune it to Leo.

Apple Actually Confirmed a Store

It's the first known confirmation of a future Apple store in response to a press inquiry. Apple retail spokesperson Amy Barney told Pioneer Press newspaper reporter Julio Ojeda-Zapata that the company will open a store in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis. She did not say where the store will be located or when it will open. Previously, in response to every known press inquiry about a future store, spokepersons have universally said, "We have made no announcements about that location." What's the difference this time? Why is the Minneapolis press getting a break? Well, it's not the first time, and it's explained by noting that Ron Johnson's home town is Edina, a Minneapolis suburb. If you're from somewhere else, no comment.

The Sad Downfall of Sony

You may recall that Sony was the king of electronics back a few years ago. But they slipped several years ago and have never been able to regain their glory. Their current position is no better demonstrated than the press conference the company held at CES on Thursday, so full of empty references to innovation and creativity, and so full of self-serving marketing, promotion, revenue references and numbers. The comparisons to Apple and Steve Jobs is impossible to ignore. CEO Howard Stringer, 67, lumbered onstage to introduce Taylor Swift, praising how many albums and recordings she's sold—and how much money she's made for the company. Swift gave a canned speech about how Sony products are part of her every-day life, and how she'll be documenting her singing tours over the next year. Then she sang a song. It was a sad version of what Steve Jobs does: introduce the new products, and then tells the audience, "This is why we do it," followed by a performance by John Mayer or Tony Bennett. As Singer left the stage, he joked that the press must wonder why Swift had singed with Sony. “Maybe you’ll call us cool again, who knows?” Stringer said. After that, it was nothing but confusing product IDs and specifications, and talk about 3D TV. But since it was guys in suits, it had none of the "We love creative" feel of a Jobs presentation, who was listening. In fact, I watched the press conference live on Ustream, accompanied by a fast-scrolling column of comments—they were all scathing in their ridicule of Stringer and his speech. They wanted new products, and were impatient to hear about them. Watch the video (jump forward 20 min. because the event started late) and compare Sony vs. Apple yourself.

What? 3-D?

Talk about a TV revolution! First cable TV and the Internet split off viewers from the major networks by the millions. And then in response, advertisers dial back their spending on broadcast TV commercials, and start looking for viewers elsewhere. As a result, superior network TV viewing has become harder to find. In a related move, TV manufacturers have had their own problems. Having made the transition from tube-type TVs to flat-panel models, the companies began seeing purchase patterns change—no one buys plasma TVs under 42 inches these days. So now, the TV networks and device manufacturers have a plan to get the revenue flowing again—three-dimensional television? Yikes! If fact, Sony has said that its 2010 TV line-up with be heavily devoted to 3-D models. You may know that movie makers have been trying to figure out how to use 3-D for 50 years, and have only recently found an artistic standard ("Up" and "Avatar," for example). But it's hard for me to believe that television will be able to create artistically-decent programming for 3-D. Or for that matter, that 3-D TVs themselves will actually provide a satisfactory experience. To me, it all boils down to a scheme to get everyone to ditch their current TVs and buy new.

A Tiny Year-End Review

I'm not inclined to issue complicated year-end reviews or to predict the future, especially with the predicted arrival of a new Apple product that may be called iSlate. I will only point out that, first, Apple is not about hardware. Instead, it's about the experience created by a combination of hardware, software and interconnections. Everything Apple is interested in doing now is defined by the user's creative, social and enjoyment potential. Think about the iMac, iPod and iPhone, and then ponder what the device itself is worth—virtually nothing without the accompanying software and interconnections (usually Internet, but maybe something else). Second, the effect of Apple's products travels way beyond the device itself. They have redefined entire other companies, products and even entire genres. The way people listen to music has been redefined forever. Many other people and companies deserve some credit (Napster?), but Apple was the company that finally (after years of urging by Steve Jobs) convinced music companies that digital downloads were the future. The iPhone set the standard for what a cellular phone should be—take a look at how other companies now package their phones for superior unboxing, the screen size and resolution, the software, the app stores. Apple's ability to reach out, and to redefine an industry is really one of its everlasting hallmarks. Now…2010? I will only say that Apple enters a niche only when it can make a substantial change across the entire niche. The iSlate will not simply be a hardware device. It will be a game-changer, at least for the publishing industry (books, newspapers, comic books, etc.), but maybe also for TV and movies. All of these industries are on the verge of change, just like music. The iSlate—and Steve Jobs—may be just the thing to push these industries forward in 2010.

First Netbook, Now Smartbook?

Just when I thought I had a handle on the term "Netbook," along comes the "Smartbook." Tell me that companies aren't manipulating the terminology of technology, desperately trying to create new niche. Of course, it's been done lots of times before, but aren't they really squeezing it out for this one? Of course, their success is entirely enabled by consumers who are struggling through the early stages of the new age of information—where do we read news stories? How do we watch movies? On what device do we watch what we call "television?" It's all in flux, and the odds that it settles down soon are very small. In the meantime, tech companies get to speculate on what we should be using for all our computing and information tasks, and manufacturing devices to generate revenue. Seems like the process should originate from the other end—with consumers—and then companies would manufacture what we need and want. If it worked that way, we consumers wouldn't be engaging in this ridiculous naming game—smartbooks?