simplicity

The new iPhone is in one word beautiful.

The first thing I noticed when I took this technical marvel out of its box is the form-factor and size. Unlike its predecessor the iPhone 4 does not feel like a piece of plastic. Every single minute detail is beautifully crafted in a way that only Apple could do. The phone feels perfect in my hands. And it’s down right amazing how much Apple has been able to pack into such a thin case.

The second thing I noticed is the screen. I can’t say enough about the “Retina Display”. I don’t know how to put into words what it’s like to look at this screen. One has to see the screen at work to appreciate it.

One of the, I won’t say downsides instead let’s say repercussions of the screen is that it makes the iPads screen look inferior. Another repercussion of the new iPhone 4 is that it uses iOS 4.0 which the iPad currently doesn’t… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to double click home on the iPad hoping to see the fast-switch bar pop-up.

The major issue I’ve noticed is the signal degradation problem associated to the ‘death-grip’. I’ve noticed it at work but not at my apartment. I’m hoping that Apple will somehow fix this…

Had absolutely no idea  that Google Docs new document editor is missing some key functionality:

The problem with the new editor is that it lacks many features that were previously available in Google Docs: translation, editing CSS and HTML, document settings, custom dictionary, comparing revisions etc. These features will probably be added to the new editor, but users expect to find new features in a major update, not missing features.

Another issue is that most documents will open in the old editor, while recent documents will open in the new editor. Google will offer an option to migrate the existing documents to the new format, but users shouldnt have to deal with converting between formats.

It’s going to be a kick in the pants to a lot of people who will be migrated to the new editor.

I’ve been using the iPad for a little less than a week and I’ve really enjoyed it. Im eating some of my words from my previous post on the iPad announcement but at first sight it definitely reminds me of a giant iPhone/iPod Touch although after using it for awhile you realize it is a lot more. It’s really a hybrid laptop. I’ve had the chance to exclusively use it for a few days because my MacBook was in the shop. The only issue I have is that some web pages have parts that don’t work correctly like the Facebook friends listing that pops up. Also, the iPhone apps run well but look awful. I need a version of the reeder app for the iPad and a Facebook app. Also it would be great if meebo would get an ipad app out there. Other then those issues the device itself is fantastic. It’s basically the Internet in your hands. I’ll have more thoughts on this and the new iPhone 4.0 os when I have some more time.

By the way this post was written on the iPad

I was like any other tech-geek yesterday, stuck in this euphoric optimistic mindset.  I immediately thought back to the days leading up to the iPhone announcement in 2007 and the announcement itself, I remember being completely speechless during that entire presentation.  When Steve dragged his finger on the glass screen and the items started scrolling it made me giddy.  And while there were a lot of negatives about the iPhone that day (no 3G, no multi-task, closed system, no SDK) the phone itself, the technology, the idea behind it, and how Apple was designing it there was this feeling that something special was being built there.  That is exactly why yesterday had that extraordinary feeling, the feeling that Apple could possibly match what they did for the iPhone and surpass that made yesterday that much more special.  However, after the announcement I was left a little bit disappointed as opposed to euphoric.  Granted that the iPad had a lot of hype to live up to and anything with that much hype obviously won’t and can’t ever live up to it, but I’ll be honest I felt a little ‘blah’ after everything was said and done.  That does not mean I am any less optimistic about the iPad, I think it has a lot of possibility it’s just the entire announcement was more or less underwhelming.

I don’t think anyone had doubts regarding what was going to be announced.  The public, analysts, critics, and competitors all knew what was coming.  There’s a reason why Amazon announced their SDK at such a ‘coincidental’ time.  But I was left wanting more, more information, more on what it does, more on how it does it.

From a visual and technological standpoint the thing looks like a tech-geeks dream: thin, light, and powerful.  The glass screen, the design, the multi-touch it all just oozes Apple.  I wouldn’t be a tech-fan if I didn’t say that I wanted one and that I will probably get one, but that doesn’t change the fact that they paraded the iPad around as an oversized iPod/Touch.  My gripe was that they didn’t show any features other then a bigger screen that makes this any better then an iPod/Touch.

However, from Apple’s perspective it makes sense not to announce anything about the underlying architecture and OS until a developer presentation as opposed to a first showing.  Though, it does surprise me that a new piece of hardware only got a minor revision for the iPhone OS, I imagined that instead of going to 3.2 we would see the iPhone SDK updated to 4.0.  Out of everything yesterday, I think this disappointed me the most.

While many people were expecting Apple to also announce that other carriers besides AT&T would get the iPhone I was happy that this wasn’t announced.  Though I am an Apple shareholder and letting other carriers sell the iPhone would result in larger profits for the company, as an Apple fan I’m glad.  There’s exclusivity with Apple products, some of their products are almost luxurious: hard to either get or too expensive to buy.  With the iPhone there has always been that level of un-attainability, the first one was really expensive and the recent version have only been on AT&T.  As a result, people either have to spend a lot of money or make a significant change to purchase one.  I can only assume that Apple will eventually make this announcement, but I’m glad they didn’t just yet.

Finally, there weren’t any surprises, no ‘And one more thing’.  This didn’t fit the mold of typical Apple announcements.  Usually there is something significant that you can grasp to at the end of the announcement that leaves you far more intrigued then the actual product announcement.  The only real surprise yesterday was that they had a love-seat on stage as opposed to a table or desk.  This was obviously done for the marketing of the device.  Apple wants to show you that you can use this device in the comfort of your living room.

However, besides the technology, there wasn’t anything that left me with awe

Twitter seems to be at over capacity right now.  I can only imagine that this has to do w/ the aftershock in Hati.

For drivers who already share movies via Netflix and stream music rather than buying CDs, the idea of sharing a car is the natural extension of a hip, financially smart, and environmentally conscious urban lifestyle.

After all, drivers who give up their cars and switch to Zipcar say they save an average of $600 per month. Car sharers report reducing their vehicle miles traveled by 44%, according to Susan Shaheen of the University of California at Berkeley, and surveys in Europe show CO2 emissions are being cut by up to 50% per user.

via Car-rental, auto industry react to Zipcar’s growing appeal – Aug. 27, 2009.

A good read about where the car ‘borrowing’ market is headed. I think it’s got a huge set of legs as long as it’s simple and easy. That’s where I think Zipcar really excels, it’s incredibly simple and cheap. Not to mention it’s wireless technology is pretty effective. My friend who does this a lot can’t stop talking about how great it is and how easy it is.

If the plan is to go public next year, I bet a large amount of investors are salivating over the potential of getting their hands into this pot. I do have to mention though that the best part of the article is this:

Griffith’s hard-charging manner has alienated some of his nonprofit competitors. As Zipcar was preparing to launch in Chicago in 2006, he asked Sharon Feigon, I-GO’s CEO, for a lunch meeting. She says that when Griffith asked her what her exit strategy was, she replied she didn’t have one; I-GO would keep growing and serving Chicago. Then she remembers being taken aback by his next comment. “He looked me in the eye and said, ‘You can’t expect to survive. We’re going to crush you.’”

Amazon just purchased Zappos for $807 million dollars (stock exchange). Congrats to Zappos, their a fantastic company with an absolute ridiculous appreciation for their customers. It’s great to see a company and their employees getting paid for doing a great job. As a result Jeff Bezos sent a message to the employees of Zappos. The video is great, except for the scary laugh Bezos has.

The CEO of Zappos also wrote a letter to the employees which I found to be an interesting read.

Friend pointed this out, check out feature #1. Is it me or did marketing really screw up here?

Windows 7 Features

Thanks @taylorgnh for the pic.

WolframAlpha is a new web-based computational knowledge engine which goes live next week. I just had the opportunity to watch a screencast showing off the engine and it looks phenomonal. I recommend watching it, I’m sure you’ll be impressed.

Michael Saul Dell was not even a teenager when he began first venture, Dell Stamps. When it earned him $2,000, he was hooked. He knew being an entrepreneur was what he wanted to do.

When he was 16, he began selling newspaper subscriptions. He sifted potential customers through the city’s mortgage and marriage licence lists. The idea was spectacularly successful. Within a year, he had earned over $18,000; it was more than what his teachers at school were paid. By the time he finished school, he had bought his own BMW.

He launched PC’s Limited, a company that would custom build computers and sell them directly to users, while he was still in college. As the company grew more and more successful, and Dell grew more and more disinterested in his studies, he struck a deal with his parents — he dropped out of college and had three months to prove that the business was doing well.

Dell never looked back. Today, he is the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world. He is worth $17.3 billion and is ranked No 11 on Forbes’ richest Americans list.

via rediff.com: Must-read entrepreneurial tips.

I don’t know if these are ‘Must-read entrepreneurial tips’, some of them are straight from ‘Direct from Dell‘

A few of the other tips such as

I learned very early to surround myself with talented people who challenge convention, offer new ideas and relentlessly drive for improvement. And to let those people thrive. Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people… or find a different room.

Are things that you come across in reading about successful businesses and successful entrepreneurs. Even though, I think it is still a good refresher.