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iPod and Apple machardware  The new slogan was "Say Hello to iPod", reminiscent of the already familiar "Say Hello to iMac", was launched on October 23, 2001 with the release of one of the most important products from Apple in its history.  A few days earlier, Apple created a stir, when it invited the press to a product announcement "is not Mac".  The product was a hit for Apple, eventually overshadowing the Mac division in revenue.  The iPod and iTunes have revolutionized Apple and the consumer world. iPod is not based on a new concept.  Companies before Apple released hard drive based music players, but none had the charm and elegance in the Apple implementation.  Unlike the competitors, the iPod used a high speed FireWire interface to transfer files on and off of it, and it used a tiny hard drive, that made the device a quarter of the size of comparable products.  Besides the specifications, the iPod offered an intuitive interface and a beautiful enclosure.  Even the ear buds were different and unique.  Almost all audio equipment was black, but Apple created a set of ear buds that were glistening white.  Everything in the design was there to make the user experience a better one. The iPod was almost not released by Apple.  The products creator, Tony Fadell, had shopped the idea to Phillips and RealNetworks before proposing the idea to Apple.  Fadell found a welcoming enviroment at Apple, who agreed almost immediately to produce and market the device. The iPod was so small that it can slip into a shirt pocket with ease, and with a Sony battery that lasts for ten hours on a charge.  On the inside, the device had a tiny 1.8 in. Toshiba hard drive, weighing around fifty grams, far smaller than even notebook hard drives.  Apple did not develop the operating system or MP3 player software.  The operating system is from Pixo, a company staffed by many former Apple employees, and an MP3 player from PortalPlayer.  Pixo's operating system has been implemented in many portable telephones allows for fast develpment on limitted deviced, taking up 155 kb.  Since the original iPod, Pixo was acquired by Sun, though not before Apple bought the rights to the iPod's operating system. There was only one serious flaw with the iPod, and that was the price,  The machine cost $400, making far from accessible to many consumers.  Some lamented the lack of PC support, though Jobs promised a PC version very soon after the lauch.  In fact, weeks after the lauch, third party utilities cropped up that enable iPod users to sync with their PC. Several limitations were present in the first version.  There was no remote control,despite a connector designed for such a puropse, there are no games, except for the breakout game included as an easter egg, the dial was subject to problems, and the software implemented limitting anti-piracy policies. One month after the domestic launch of the iPod, it was launched in Europe, accompanied by new peripherals.  Several companies were selling charging adapters, FM broadcasters and a plethora of cases.  By the end of 2001, Apple had already sold 125,000 new iPods. Like all Apple products, a major update was released several months later.  In March of 2002, a 10 GB version of the iPod was released.  Along with the new iPod, came a software update that included several bug fixes, and a new equalizer.... </> Hardly four months later, in July, a new 20 GB version was released, with a major price cut for the 5 and 10 GB versions.  The new iPods are also PC compatible, using MusicMatch to sync with the player.  A new calendar and artists search was included into the software that shipped on the new players.  Unlike the earlier versions, the new iPods came with a remote control attached to the ear buds, which Apple soon released to existing iPod users as an add on.  The most obvious physical change in the iPod comes in the scroll wheel.  No longer is it a physical wheel, instead it is a touch sensitive wheel similar in function to a touchpad. To many's surprise, Apple abruptly discontinued the iPod in France, because they did not respect a European statute that required that all portable music players be limited to 100 decibels.  Apple relented, and by October, iPods were back on sale in France.  Shortly before New Years, Apple announced that it would ship special edition iPods that would feature text or graphics engraved on the back.  A customer could opt for their own design, or choose the signature of Madonna, Tony Hawk, Beck or the NoDoubt logo on the chrome back.  The service cost $50. The end of the year comes quietly for the iPod, having sold already 700,000 units in the year of 2002.  Steve Jobs announces the availability of the third generation of iPods, that are now smaller and have a different button layout than the previous version.  The new versions come in 10, 15 and 30 GB versions, allowing customers to carry 7500 songs in their pocket.  Gone is the FireWire connection, and in its place is a connector that can interface with both FireWire and USB 2.0, for PC's.  Along the bottom of the iPod is a new connector that allows the device to be connected to a dock. The biggest update in the iPod came in iTunes, not the hardware.  With the third generation iPod, Apple released their iTunes Music Store, allowing for users to download tracks for $.99, then burn them to a CD, play them using iTunes or sync them with their MP3 player. All the success garnerd by the iPod did not go unnoticed by the other Apple in music.  Apple Corps, the holders of the Beatles copyrights, sued Apple for infringement on previous agreements with the launch of the iTunes Music Store.  The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court. After years of advertising using the traditional white backdrops, Apple starts the famous sillouettes series of ads.  In 2003, the silhouettes appear on Television and in print.  The campaign was very successful, and recognized by Magazine Publishers of America, and the Cannes film festival as the top ads of the year. In June of 2003, Apple shipped its millionth iPod, and by September of the same year, it had sold 1.4 million.  Apple replaced MusicMatch on the PC with its own iTunes, allowing for PC users to use the iTunes Music Store and sync the songs with their iPod.  Coincidentally, MusicMatch had started its own music store during the same time, and was cutting into Apple's potential sales.  Despite Microsoft announcements about its coming music store and player, Apple remained the number one seller in the market, with a %50-%70 market share.With the release of the iTunes Music Store, Apple also released its 40 GB verison of the iPod. Customers were not all happy with Apple.  Users of the original iPod noticed that their batteries were not delivering the promised run times.  Apple responded by replacing the battery of affected iPods for $99. Apple was preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh at the end of the year 2003.  Rumors were afoot about special versions of the iPod and ac to celebrate the anniversary, which would occur weeks after the MacWorld Expo San Francisco on January 6.  Toshiba had announced at the end of year that it had released an even smaller hard drive.  The drive was 1 inch wide, and had a 4 GB capacity.  At once, a flurry of rumors of a miniature iPod surfaced.  Journalists determined that it would probably cost around $70 to manufacture a player around the new drive, inspiring hope in many analysts and fans that Apple would be able to take on the low end flash based player market, which still constituted a third of all players sold. Steve Jobs waited until the last fifteen minutes of his Keynote to mention the iPod.  Apple now controlled a third of the entire MP3 player market, with almost 2 million units sold.  He also announced that Apple would replace the low end 10 GB iPod with a 15 GB version with no price increase. After those announcements, Jobs announced that there is a new member of the iPod family.  The analysts were proven correct in their speculation of a new, smaller player to compete with flash based players.  The new player, the iPod mini, was to be outfitted with a new 4 GB hard drive, in stark contrast to eh hundreds of megabytes offered by flash based players of comparable prices.  Apple redesigned the scrolling wheel to take up less space, and repositioned the play controls around the wheel.  The iPod mini was available in five colors.  The ear buds were also redesigned to reduce background noise in  loud environments. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh debut, Apple redid the classic 1984 ad to give the hammer wielding woman an iPod. In the days following the announcement, Apple informed the press that it had used a Hitachi drive, not the expected Toshiba.  Apple also updated the software from 1.3 to 2.1 on all available devices. Rumors are as essential to Mac users as oxygen is to fish, a few days later, the New York Times publishes an article speculating about a video version of the iPod, based on an ad posted several weeks before by Apple for an engineer experienced in video for the iPod team.  Steve Jobs refused to comment, stating simply that there is less demand for portable video as there is for portable audio, squelching rumors about the video player and an iPhone at the same time. A brand new partnership was announced on January 8.  Apple and HP would join forces marketing the iPod and iTunes Music Store.  HP would include iTunes on all of its PC's as the default music player and store, ignoring the Windows Media Player software.  Apple was also to create a HP branded iPod that HO would sell with its systems.  The deal came to fruition with the year 2004.  HP stuck to the traditional white clad iPod, but otherwise the announcement rang true. The analysts who were skeptical of the iPod's success years before loved the iPod, and predicted Apple dominance in the market for years to come.  Apple was selling many millions of iPods, and its market share was rising dramatically.  The iPod brand was a solid and attractive one, with many celebrities toting the stylish devices around with them.  Perhaps, the most unique use of an iPod was the replacement of audio tour guides in the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and Chenonceau with iPods loaded with special audio tracks.  In fact, even BMW jumped on board, including a special iPod interface on all of its new cars, allowing the iPod to play through the speakers and be controlled through the stereo.  The iPod was a phenomenon. Steve Jobs appeared on the cover of Newsweek announcing the release of the 4th generation of iPods.  The new iPods now had the same scroll wheel as the iPod mini, and is much smaller than the older version.  The new models debuted with a hundred dollar price cut across the board, and a new version of software, 3.0.  The update included primarily interface tweaks and a few new applets.  The new HP+iPod is based on the 4th generation iPod, and was released in September of 2004. A few days later, RealNetwork disturbed the iPod's peaceful world by announcing that it's new software and music store would be fully compatible with the iPod.  RealNetworks did not approach Apple about using their software, instead, they backwards engineered the system that is used to sync copy protected music to the device.  Real calls its new system "Harmony".  Apple promised that Apple would sue to remove the feature from Real's software.  Many in the industry observed that the threat was strangely reminiscent of Microsoft.      iPod photo, the next blip on the radar, appeared several months later, in November.  The new player features a color screen capable of playing music and slideshows of photographs.  Apple also released a U2 special edition of their iPod, in all black with a red scroll wheel.  The U2 version is bundled with a digital boxed set of music from the group.  To celebrate the launch, the group did its very first advertisement.  Apple did not have to pay U2 for their endorsements, U2 figured the iPod was enough recognition. 5:09:50 PM

Smart phone predicts owner's behaviour By John Leyden Published Thursday 25th November 2004 15:53 GMT US boffins are developing mobile phones which learn user's daily habits so that they can become "mobile digital secretaries". Going beyond the calendar feature common in many current mobiles, the "smarter smartphone" learns about people's preferences by logging calls and noting when application like cameras are used. Location-based functions allow the phone to keep record where you work and socialise. The phone also makes note of Bluetooth pairing bonds, in theory allowing it to build a profile of who you socialise with. This information would be sent to a server which processes data and returns suggestions or reminders. Beyond predictive texting the phone is touted as a device that predicts what you will do. The New Scientist reports possible applications include reminding you not to drink too much the night before an important presentation. Some people might balk as the idea of being monitored - and nagged - by their personal technology. But US scientists reckon they've hit on a winner. The technology is the brainchild of Nathan Eagle and Sandy Pentland of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The system is based on mobile messaging software called Context, written by developers at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki Institute of Technology led by Mika Raento. The software build a profile of user's routine by asking them what they're up to when they come into range of a new mobile mast. The New Scientist reports that the software has been installed on 100 of Nokia 6600 smartphones in a trial involving MIT students. Data is downloaded onto a server at MIT and processed using pattern recognition software. Boffins reckon the phone can help students work out how long they have spent partying and working in a week or how long it is since they last saw a friend. It might even be able to work out the strength of a friendship. Results from the trial could be useful to researchers investigating how social networks build as well as technologists, New Scientist reports. ® 5:08:38 PM

Internet Movies 1 hour, 2 minutes ago Dan Tynan I love movies, but I'd rather eat stale popcorn than wait in line at Blockbuster. So I joined Movielink and Starz Ticket on Real Movies. Both let you download films from the Internet and watch them on your PC. CinemaNow has a similar service, but a fellow can watch only so many movies. My quest: to find out if they're a better deal than Netflix, my DVD-by-mail service of choice. Here's how they stack up. Selection: Browsing Starz's 150-odd movie titles is much like cable surfing at 3 a.m.--not surprising, since the films are also part of the Starz movie library. Who can forget Two of a Kind, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, or Smokey and the Bandit III? (Answer: everyone but Starz subscribers.) Movielink, in contrast, serves up 900 films, including recent Oscar winners like Cold Mountain. Netflix offers a whopping 25,000 DVD choices. Game over. Price: Starz's $13 a month for unlimited downloads may seem like a bargain, but what do you do once you've rented the five flicks worth watching? Movielink charges $1 to $5 per film--but mostly $5. That's about $4.99 more than I am willing to pay for movies like Bio-Dome. With Netflix, I can rent up to three DVDs at a time for $22 a month. We'll see 12 to 15 movies in a good month. It's a much smarter deal. Convenience: With Netflix, you add movies to your list, and the discs are sent to you as they become available. Movielink and Starz let you download movies to watch later (or alternatively, in Movielink's case, as they download; Starz expects to offer streaming). That's more convenient, right? But the services are hobbled by the studios, which give movies to them a month after they hit the video stores, and impose silly rules on when you can watch films. On Starz, for example, you can watch a movie at any time, provided you do it while the film is still available on the site and within 24 hours of starting it, but not more than three times, except during a blue moon in months that end in "r." (Okay, I made up that last bit.) Starz lets you burn films to disc, but you can only play that CD on up to three PCs. Movielink gives you 30 days to watch a movie, but you must finish it within 24 hours of starting it or pay $1 for another 24-hour license--no burning allowed. You can keep a Netflix DVD for weeks and watch it a hundred times. That would be stupid, but you could do it. Playback: To simulate a real movie-theater experience, I connected my notebook to a digital projector and watched Blue Crush (from Starz) on the wall of my living room. The picture was almost as good as with a DVD. But Movielink was a mess. One file that I downloaded was corrupted and wouldn't play. I had to reinstall Movielink's media software and download Bride of Chucky all over again. When the film did finally play, it stuttered and dropped frames. Netflix DVDs do have a high schmutz factor, and this can cause playback problems, but a quick wipe with Windex and a tissue usually fixes them. The verdict? Movie download sites are a good idea done poorly, at least so far. But when Netflix launches its own download service next year, in partnership with TiVo, I'll be one of the first in line to sign up. And I won't even have to get off the couch to do it. contributing editor Dan Tynan really wants to direct. 5:03:21 PM

TiVo Pop-Up Ads Raise Consumer Concerns (AP). AP - Digital video recording pioneer TiVo Inc. has long promised "TV Your Way." But the company's plans for pop-up ads and restrictions on copying have sparked worries that the service may be eroding consumer control in favor of Hollywood and advertiser interests. [Yahoo! News: Technology] 5:00:38 PM

Use Any Surface As Interface: Sensitive Object. Imagine any flat rigid surface becoming the potential interface to any computer software, home appliance or live communication system you have access to. That is what a French start up company has already started delivering with a new technology appropriately...... [Robin Good's Latest News] 4:44:39 PM

Learning Object Repository Software. Review and comparison of six learning object repositoriy solutions: HarvestRoad Hive, Intrallect Intralibrary, NorthPlains Telescope Enterprise, Ex Libris Digitool, Concord Masterfile and Dspace. The products are compared on a matrix of 44 features and 10 feature groupings. Worth reading as well is the discussion and background, as the authors interview various learning object experts, such as Ed Walker and Mike Mattson. One of the authors, Scott Leslie, also identified additional open source tools, but these weren't included in the report (unfortunately). MS Word document. The spreadsheet, in XLS format, is available here. Via EdTechPost. By Scott Leslie, Bruce Landon, Brian Lamb, and Russell Poulin, WCET EduTools, November 12, 2004 [Refer][Research][Reflect] [OLDaily] 2:52:32 PM

Keynote Address on Workflow Learning. Want to understand Workflow Learning and what all the fuss is about? Take twenty mintues to listen to my keynote presentation from the Workflow Learning Symposium. The Debut of Workflow Learning just went up online. Ted Cocheu and his team at Altus Learning sync'd the slides with the video, so you can hop around (red arrow) if you get bored. My talk leads into a presentation by Gloria Gery. When Gloria came up with the notion of electronic performance support systems, it was a radical way of thinking. We finally have the IT horsepower to implement what Gloria has been suggesting. Here's rough sketch of the antecedents of Workflow Learning. Family Tree An informal family tree for workflow learning. If the notion of fusing work and learning rings your bells, please join us for the presentation and for other Workflow Symposium events now online. [Internet Time Blog] 2:22:24 PM