Most Recent: iPod
Posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 3:01 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: iPod, Apple, Computer, Laptop, Technology, MacBook, Games, iPhone
iSmacked: The MacBook Backlash has Already Begun
It didn't come with the same kind of bluster accompanying the latest iPod or iPhone, but the recent launch of Apple's latest MacBooks did come with its fair share of hype. Although on paper, it seemed to be warranted. The addition of new high-end Nvidia graphic chips and multi-touch track pads made it look like the world of intense gaming, which requires high-end video components to play sprawling, graphically-intense games, may finally be coming to Mac.
The specs looked impressive but the starting price of $999 disappointed a lot of people in the market who expected more competitive price points. For the people who were looking to get the latest MacBook anyway, it probably didn't mean all that much, but it was still disillusionment enough to make Apple's stock drop. The backlash didn't end there.
Initial reviews of the new Books have so far been not-so gentle. For one, the aforementioned track pad to help navigate your way cannot be replaced if it is damaged, so you?re already in trouble if you get a little physical with your laptop. The keyboard has also proven unpopular. But if you're looking to replace it, you'll have to remove 80 screws, which is probably more trouble than it's worth.
With an adverse response to even a little moisture and some models even reportedly missing important keys (see if you can find the letter b on this model), it hasn't taken long for the MacBook hype to subside. While it seems to run high-impact applications more efficiently, the absence of Blu-Ray indicates this may be more of a gateway model, so you could be best off waiting for the next line of MacBooks, whenever that may be.
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Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 6:12 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Carl Zeiss, Cinemizer, MyVu Crystal, Travel, Movies, iPod, Technology, Entertainment, Electronics
Watch Movies on Your Glasses
Watching your favorite Blu-Ray DVDs on a new 60-inch plasma is the typical enjoyable home entertainment experience. Then there's the occasional desperate attempt at iPod video viewing. This is not how you were supposed to watch the Godfather.
But some manufacturers are trying to provide a new way to watch your mobile video without squinting. The finest example so far is the new, limited-edition Cinemizer video eyewear from Carl Zeiss. While plenty of tech companies have made a play for this emerging video eyewear market, most of them have been lacking either in design or technology. Such is the case of Toshiba's massive head-mounted unit, where they've taken a mobile medium and turned it into a neck-straining monstrosity.
The Cinemizer, on the other hand, brings a slick design that interacts with your iPod to simulate a four-foot screen at a distance of almost seven feet away. Only 500 of these golden-edition Cinemizer models have been made, providing impressive and clear video straight from your iPod and iPhone. Cinemizer reviews have been strong so far and the new golden version is one of the few video eyewear models that you might actually consider wearing in public. Of course, considering how many New Yorkers we've seen engaged in their texting to such a degree that they almost walk into oncoming traffic, it's probably not a good idea.
For anyone requiring this kind of entertainment during their cross-country or trans-Atlantic flights, there are similar models also earning strong reviews, particularly the MyVu Crystal, an iPod-compatible personal viewer that also happens to look pretty good on your face.
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Posted on Friday, November 14, 2008 at 6:40 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Cars and Moto, Ferrari, Gadgets, Apple, ipod, Handheld, Technology, Scuderia Spider 16M
Tired Ferrari Gadgets Don't Work Without the Car
Like every other major sports car manufacturer, Ferrari has been doing plenty of work to lend their brand to other products. They may have reached a boiling point recently, though, with the release of the latest Ferrari-branded Vertu phones (retail price around $10,600). While they feature the same leather and stitching you'd find in the sports cars' interior, you won't find any special features that justify the price tag. If you want a special Ferrari toy to play with, you're best off looking at cars and gadgets in one tidy package. It?s a combination the company is only now getting into and should try to do more of in the future.
Like the phone, there's also talk of the new Ferrari 16GB iPod touch, another product long on hype and short on features. Unlike the phone, the iPod comes complimentary with Ferrari's incredible new Scuderia Spider 16M. The limited-edition iPods come packed with Ferrari content, including photos, video, and engine audio (which seems like an unnecessary feature). It's the inclusion of the sports car that saves this bizarre combination of brands, something Ferrari's other branding partners should keep in mind. If you're going to use the car's label, you might as well include access to the car with it.
With only 499 of them made, the car itself is awe-inspiring enough without the complimentary iPod. It's an open-top version of the famed F430 Spider, the howling, aluminum-body convertible so powerful it measures 8500 rpm in first gear, topping out at 193mph as Ferrari's fastest-ever road car. Inspired by the Formula One racecar that won the 2008 Formula One Constructor's Championship, the 16M even features the six-speed F1 gearbox you'd find in their racing models. All of which makes it the closest thing to a Formula One vehicle you can get without bribing Ferrari driver and 2008 Formula One runner-up Felipe Massa. Maybe you could offer him the Ferrari iPod?
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Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 4:01 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Music, Apple, iTunes, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bloomingdales, Beatles, iPod
New Beatles Box Set Comes with Special iPod, Which is Kind of Annoying (and Confusing)
With Ringo Starr shutting the door on Beatles memorabilia seekers, Bloomingdales has the answer for some (Beatles fanatics in particular) but not all. Enclosed in a specially-designed case, the new box set includes 13 original Beatles CDs, two masters albums, the quasi-comeback Love album, and a completely unnecessary guitar pick engraved with the Beatles logo. It?s a nice gift idea for die-hard Beatles fans but could otherwise be a pain for the people who prefer their music in digital form, which we calculate is roughly 99% of music listeners.
With only 2,500 available, the $795 set is exclusive, endearing it to true Beatle hardcores. Unfortunately, while the set revolves primarily around a special numbered collector?s item 120GB iPod engraved with the Beatles? and Abbey Road logos (again, endearing to fanatics), you?ll have to upload all that music yourself.
A special-edition iPod with the entire Beatles catalog pre-installed on the music player would have worked much better. Considering iTunes secured the Beatles catalog for $400 million last March, that should have been the concept behind this box set.
Besides the time you?ll be wasting uploading music, you won?t be saving money either on a $800 investment in a music collection retailing for roughly $350 on Amazon.com. Somehow the engraved guitar pick doesn?t make up for this oversight. However, if you are a true Beatles fanatic or simply want to send a bizarre backhanded gift/cruel joke to someone, it?s really not a bad idea.
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Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 11:02 AM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Art, Design, MWM, Rolito, Aya Kato, Microsoft, Zune, Microsoft Zune, Technology, Music, Apple, iPod
While it's been lost in much of the iPod hoopla, Microsoft's Zune wireless digital player has steadily been chipping away at the handheld market share. While most handhelds don't offer much in the way of newfangled design, Microsoft has launched their all-new Zune Originals Collection, featuring exclusive designs by some of today's most compelling and vibrant artists. Zune Originals already allows users to customize their own designs using laser-engraved text and artwork. But some new artists have been added to the collection, including MWM (Matthew W Moore), Rolito, and Aya Kato.
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