The New iPad Nano with Touchscreen
Posted by Bobby Solomon • September 1, 2010 • Apple & Design
Earlier today Apple announced another batch of revised goodies and of course I ate every second up. But I think my favorite part of all the announcements were these new iPod Nanos which I’ve been calling “iPad” Nanos in my head all day. These little beauties now feature 1.5″ touch screen displays which feature 4 little icons on each screen as well as paging to support more icons and apps. The little guy even has an FM tuner for all these hippies that still want to listen to the radio, though it might be nice to tune into KCRW as I ride my bike to work. I’ve already pre-ordered mine in black, I’m pretty excited to play with it.
Fast Company has also pointed out that we now have a real Dick Tracy watch.
Bobby
Meet Flipboard
Posted by Bobby Solomon • July 22, 2010 • Apple & Video
Last night I had the chance to download a brand new iPad app called Flipboard, which is sort of an aggregate feed made up of your social networks and websites. This description sounds like a lot of existing products out there but what makes this one different is the way the content is being presented. The way I see it it’s somewhere between a traditional magazine/newspaper but with the quickness and flexibility of a web page.
But finding that middle ground is quite difficult as I don’t think anything has really been able to reach that sweet spot. But Flipboard is honestly the closest thing I’ve ever seen to getting it right. The way the pages flip are smooth, the pagination at the bottom expands as you go and gives you a sense of time, the pictures expand as you click on them… basically they got the details very right on this program. I also can’t imagine trying to use a program like this on any device but the iPad, it is 100% made for a medium sized, touch screen device and nothing else.
Currently though the demand for their service has crippled their servers, obviously because they’re doing something very right. So you’ll have to wait a little while to use the social aspects (Facebook, Twitter) but you cans still dive in to the news, tech and style sections to get the idea of what they’ve dreamed up. I really think this is going to get some people’s attention and hopefully smart people will steal some of the great idea Flipboard has to offer.
P.S. The music in the video is a cover of the Aphex Twin song Flim by the jaz trio The Bad Plus.
Bobby
The Updated Mac Mini
Posted by Bobby Solomon • June 15, 2010 • Apple & Technology
Earlier this morning Apple released a new Mac Mini onto the world and I was quite surprised at some of the subtle design tweaks that are looking great. First is the all aluminum body which is way better than the janky plastic top on previous versions. Now the overall body is much cleaner and sleeker looking including how it wraps into the back of the computer.
But what I really love about the new design is actually the bottom of the computer. Most people probably won’t ever upgrade their computer themselves, but Apple has designed an easy access hatch so you can swap out (I’m guessing) the RAM or memory of the computer. You simply rotate the black disc on the bottom of the computer and voila, you’re inside. I’m a firm believer that what’s most important are the small details and this is a perfect example.
Bobby
Possible Inspiration for the Apple iPhone 4G
Posted by Bobby Solomon • April 20, 2010 • Apple & Design
Upon seeing the photos of the new iPhone 4G (or whatever you wanna’ call it) I was immediately curious why the shape had suddenly changed so drastically. But knowing Jonathan Ive and how his brain works, you start to realize that Dieter Rams’ design ideas are some of the most basic building blocks of all modern day Apple products. So I did a little digging and came across the two images above from a Dieter Rams Flickr pool and I have to say that the resemblance is definitely there. Having one material wrap around another like that is a nice touch and I think that it’s a nice iteration to liven up the current slab that is the iPhone.
My only real beef with this design are the two, independent volume buttons. I really like the feeling of the current volume rocker and how it’s one piece of metal. I’d guess that it’s a little less intuitive to tell which button is which by simply touching. Clearly I haven’t found one of these lying around in a bar or anything, that’s just my feeling. Otherwise I’m pretty excited to see if this shape is the real shape or if they’re still in the design process, though I think either way people are gonna be excited.
Bobby
The iPad: A 2.5 Year Old and Me
Posted by Bobby Solomon • April 8, 2010 • Apple & Video
I had to post this video simply because it brings to mind so many ideas of the future to me. What we have is the 2.5 year old daughter of Laughing Squid writer Todd Lapin using an iPad for the first time… and completely understanding how to use it. In my mind I can’t imagine a better way of defining whether a device is successful. The idea that a toddler, who most definitely has already mastered an iPhone, can then in turn already know how to use an iPad is pretty phenomenal in my opinion.
I still haven’t currently bought an iPad, though I’ve had several chances to try them out, a lot of my co-workers at MySpace have them. What I’ve come to realize is that the iPad is a device meant mainly for consumption, much like a television or even a radio. The emphasis on that sentence is mainly, because obviously Apple has given you options like Words and Numbers for you to be able to create on it, but I feel like those are secondary programs, and I think Apple feels that way as well, since you have to buy them from the App Store.
I think the main point of this to device is to browse the web, watch movies, listen to music and play games… consumption. In turn, trying to create on a device like this is an entirely different, and I believe, a somewhat difficult experience, at least out of the gate so far. I equate this to my personal needs, mostly. I would love to be able to do all of my blogging from this magical device, but unfortunately, I think it would be quite difficult to edit and crop photos and then upload them to my server. Then to actually write out posts (without the aid of a physical keyboard) would also be difficult, or at the very least, not as easy as it would be “normally”.
All that being said, I think as long as you know what you’re getting into, that it’s more like a television, not your laptop, then you should be good. Will I be getting an iPad? Yes, I think will be. Will I also be purchasing a laptop to work from? Absolutely. But my thoughts drift to the future of a generation of kids who won’t be using mice to navigate a screen, where the world is at their fingertips. You know where this is leading us, right? Straight into something out of Minority Report.
When Steven Spielberg made Minority Report he hired a team of futurists to create a realistic vision of the future based upon current technologies and the paths they’re heading down.The computer system that Tom Cruise uses in the movie is entirely gestural, working on a large, ethereal screen where he moved around large chunks of information. There are already prototypes of these kinds of systems floating around, but they really have no foot in reality quite yet. But I feel like the iPad is a step in that direction, though eventually even having a touch screen will begin to feel outdated.
I know a lot of you aren’t big fans of Apple and like to cluster me in the pile of fanboys, but I think that’s a biased opinion. In my opinion, Apple is the only computer company in the world truly innovating in every way. Sure, there are companies all over the world creating similar devices, but why aren’t people lining up around the block for their products? And please don’t say that Apple has good marketing, that’s a weak excuse. Advertising and marketing is a part of business, and if you can’t keep up in that way then how the hell are you ever going to sell anything?
Final thing, if you agree or disagree with me and want to leave a comment, just be sure to be coherent and respectful. I’d rather have a conversation then have to delete people.
Bobby
I left my wallet AND my keys at home this morning. I guess I'm officially crazy or old (or both).
