Cult of Mac

An Alabama iPhone 3G owner filed suit in Federal court yesterday, seeking class action status in a complaint against Apple’s ‘twice as fast at half the price’ marketing blitz.

The petition claims “[Apple] expressly warranted that the Defective iPhone 3G would be ‘twice as fast’ and would otherwise perform adequately on the 3G standard or protocol.” The plaintiff claims she and a class of “thousands, perhaps tens of thousands” of consumers were duped by the company’s marketing into buying a product that does not perform as it was advertised  and asked the court to force Apple to repair or replace the iPhone 3G, and award  an unspecified amount of money in damages.

Apple has yet to issue a statement or response to the suit.

Via ComputerWorld

Image via Wall Street Journal

UPDATE: The original reference to Chiat\Day as creators of the campaign referred to in this post was incorrect. We regret the error and any confusion it may have caused.

Microsoft is launching a $300 million advertising campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld to try and slow the juggernaut that has seen Apple take increasingly big bites out of the Windows maker’s dominant share of the personal computer market.

Seinfeld, a known Apple/Mac fan, will reportedly take $10 million to look the other way and come up with one-liners to help transform Microsoft’s stodgy and serious image in the public mind.

The campaign, created by Chiat/Day, the agency responsible for Apple’s legendary 1984 commercial,  MDC Partners’ Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, will also feature comedians Chris Rock and Will Ferrell (who starred in a Mac “switch” ad years ago). Apparently up in Redmond they don’t think Apple’s recent success is funny at all.

Via WSJ

Hulger’s P*Phone handset comes in Black, Red, Pink & White, with iPhone adapter.

We held a caption contest last week in which we asked readers to play photo editor and come up with an appropriate caption for the image below, with the winner to receive a Hulger P*Phone handset, with iPhone adapter, in the color of their choice.

The response was so great, we picked four winners! Read their excellent captions after the jump and click through to Hulger’s 20% discount URL that lets every Cult of Mac reader win this one.

iPhone speed tests conducted through TestMyiPhone initially appeared to confirm our report earlier today suspecting the upgrade to 2.0.2 firmware may have had a negative effect on 3G connectivity, according to a site administrator. Closer looks at the data in response to a Cult of Mac request leave the question of causation unresolved, however.

“[We] did make a new file to get the average upload/download for both 3G and EDGE,” reports the admin, adding, “this is much more accurate and based off just the last 24hrs.” And there does appear to be a decrease in comparison with historical data comprising the over 175,000 3G and EDGE tests done on the site.

But closer inspection of 3G and EDGE test trends over the past week show no correlation related to the 2.0.2 release on Monday.

In response, then, to the question that has the internet buzzing over 2.0.2’s effect on 3G connectivity, whether it fixes bugs that have been widely reported, if only by anecdote, or whether it has actually made things worse for some users, we can fall back on the old quote attributed to Mark Twain. The one about there being three kinds of lies in this life: lies, dammned lies, and statistics.

The iPhone 2.0.2 upgrade seems to have caused a significant drop in download speeds, according to statistics gathered by the Test My iPhone website.

The site, which allows iPhone users to test their iPhone’s download and upload speeds, shows that speeds for iPhones tested in the past 24 hours are significantly slower than the average speed in tests done prior to Monday’s release of the 2.0.2 firmware upgrade.

Prior to the upgrade, the average iPhone download speed is 2227.93 kbps (averaged from nearly 600,000 total speed tests made at the site).

But in tests made over the past 24 hours, the average is just 1429.31 kbps.

That’s a decrease of nearly 36 percent.

With widespread reports of 3G connection issues, the drop in download speeds seems to indicate that instead of fixing connectivity problems, the 2.0.2 update has actually made things worse. However, there could be several reasons for the speed decrease — from meteorological conditions to a spike in traffic on AT&T’s network.

The speed decrease may simply be  a bug in the site’s reporting tool. The average global download speed and the average upload speeds are the same: Both are 2227.93, which looks fishy.

We have contacted the site for further information, but have yet to hear back from them.

Apple released the 2.0.2 firmware for the iPhone a couple of days ago with cryptic release notes indicating “bug fixes.”

By yesterday afternoon, however, it seemed the company may be playing whack-a-mole with some issues, including widely reported 3G reception problems, and that disaffected users may be waiting until September for another shot at stable functionality across the iPhone product line.

Steve Jobs has written at least one iPhone customer, admitting that up to 2% of the iPhones out there could be suffering from “a known iPhone bug” that crashes 3rd party apps and will be fixed in the promised September 2.1 firmware release.

One thing is certain, with millions of iPhones now in the stream of commerce and credible expectations of Apple selling another several million in the next four months, if things are really broken the problem will soon move beyond a couple hundred complaints on Apple’s support forum.

Next time you’re running out for some organic produce or fresh-grilled unagi, if you’re in Texas, you might want to swing by H-E-B, where you can pick up a MacBook while you’re at it.

Who said Apple’s distribution model is restrictive?

Via AppleGazette

China has apparently shut off access to iTunes after discovering some Olympic athletes downloaded and have been playing Songs for Tibet, an album produced by The Art of Peace Foundation to raise funds to support “peace-related projects that are dear to the Dalai Lama”, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader whom China regards as subversive.

The group made the album available as a free download just prior to the start of the Olympics in Beijing on August 8 and encouraged Olympic athletes to download and play it on their iPods as a subtle protest during the games.

Via SMH, Australia

First generation iPod nano customers who have experienced their battery overheating should contact AppleCare for a replacement, the company said today, after scattered reports of some devices with battery problems that cause them to give off smoke or sparks.

Apple’s statement put the number of affected units at less than 0.001 percent of the devices, which were first released in September 2005. The problem units have been traced back to a single battery supplier. There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod nano model.

Via CNet

Apple has doubled its share of the mobile web browser market since launching iPhone 3G six weeks ago, according to Pacific Crest technology analyst Andy Hargreaves. Still quite a small pebble in a large pond, at 0.31% of the total mobile browser market, iPhone’s “accelerating web usage highlights…key long-term advantages” for Apple and the company’s investors, Hargreaves says. Coupled with the recent announcement that iPhones will be carried at Best Buy outlets beginning in September, he predicts Apple will easily sell more than the 3.5 million iPhones Wall Street expects in its third quarter.

Despite some continuing worry about the health of the general economy, Hargreaves and other analysts see the iPhone as very bullish for the price of Apple, Inc. shares. Consensus targets are in the $200 – $225 per share range; the stock closed today at $173.53.

Via CNBC

Apple Magsafe power adapters have apparently failed at high enough rates the company is now offering to replace them free of charge, whether your MacBook (13-inch Late 2006), MacBook (13-inch), MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) or  MacBook Pro (17-inch) is out-of-warranty or not.

Any Apple-Authorized Service Provider can make the switch for you, or you can take the adapter to the Genius bar at any Apple retail store.

Reservations recommended.

First generation units of Apple’s mini music player, iPod nano continue to pose a risk of catching fire while charging, according to these pictures provided by a reader at Consumerist over the weekend.

Apple agreed to replace the device.

Ministry of Industry, Trade and Economy officials in Japan are investigating similar reports of nanos overheating there.

Apple, Inc. ranks first in customer satisfaction among its PC industry peers for the fifth year in a row, posting the highest score ever recorded in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Apple’s 85 score is a full ten points higher than runner-up Dell, which joined Apple as the only computer companies in the University of Michigan survey to record increases over their 2007 scores.

Claes Fornell, a professor at the university and head of the ACSI, said, “we have never seen a gap between the leader and the rest of the pack this big,” but acknowledged Apple’s lead was likely affected by widespread disappointment with Windows Vista among HP-Compaq, Dell and Gateway consumers.

Apple’s score also does not reflect the customer service turmoil the company has tried to weather since launching iPhone 3G and MobileMe in July, problems Fornell expects will cause Apple’s score to level off in next year’s survey.

Via CNet

• TapeDeck 1.1 – 1.0 reviewed here: https://tinyurl.com/646hba – has added MP3 import/export and YouTube support: https://tapedeckapp.com/ #
• Simple WindowSets 2.1 – 2.0 reviewed https://tinyurl.com/5oyyle – has added modifier key commands: https://tinyurl.com/5b97uo #
• CG: I love I Love Stars, a menu-bar-based iTunes ratings app. If only someone would combine it with iTunesMenu… https://tinyurl.com/5pfegt #

UPDATE: I just downloaded the 2.0.2 update myself, and overall, it does seem an improvement. Backup is now much quicker — less than a minute with my 16-Gbyte iPhone 3G (which has about a dozen third-party apps installed). Apps seem snappier. The Contacts app, which was annoyingly slow, now loads instantly and scrolls smoothly with no lags. Keyboard also seems much better. It used to hangup occassionally, especially in Mail, but so far no lags at all (however, many people report that the lag gets progressively worse until a hard reset). It’s too early to tell if 3G reception problems are fixed — but then I’ve not had consistent problems. It’s always been unpredictably spotty.

With widespread complaints of iPhone 3G reception issues, you’d think Apple would say whether the latest iPhone software update — version 2.0.2, released Monday afternoon — addresses connectivity problems.

But no. In inimitable Apple style, the release note for the 2.0.2 update says simply that it includes ‘bug fixes.” Nothing more. Thanks Apple. So helpful.

To top it off, 2.0.2 apparently doesn’t fix 3G reception. According to commenters at Apple’s discussion forums, 3G reception is just as bad, and in some cases, worse than before.

“I was getting none-to-2 bars on 3G here in my home, stationary position,” reports commenter Jettergear. “After the 2.0.2 I am getting nothing but a solid NO SERVICE.”

However, it’s not all bad. Others say that the painful lags with the onscreen keyboard and scrolling are much improved.

“The phone is A LOT snappier now,” reports commenter alangsam. “Contacts works much snappier. Email is much snappier – almost instant. SMS is almost instant. Overall BIG improvement.”

Apple already promised a 30 day extension to .Mac subscribers and those who bought subscriptions to MobileMe prior to July 15. In the wake of continuing difficulty getting its web services product firing on all cylinders, Apple has increased the extension of free service to an additional 60 days for anyone with a MobileMe account activated prior to Midnight Pacific Daylight Time, August 19.

Gerry Purdy, a veteran mobile analyst with Frost & Sullivan says the next generation or two of Apple iPhones will have to adapt to different user requirements as Apple builds the franchise to address its growing audience. In a recent report to clients, he cites the many shifts Apple made in the iPod family to cater to different users, saying we can expect it will do the same with the iPhone.

Specifically, Purdy sees the phone being spun into separate consumer and enterprise models, with the consumer device focused on multimedia and ease-of-use features, while enterprise customers will get a phone that offers more ways to work with data and interact with enterprise services.

In all models, Purdy recommends that Apple add a small infrared (IR) transmitter so that future iPhones can be used as a universal remote in the home, a micro scanner so that all 1-D and 2-D bar codes can be easily read (useful for both consumers and enterprise customers), and a Near Field Communications (NFC) chip so that all iPhones can be used at retail to ‘swipe’ by credit card payment terminals. He agrees software would be necessary to make these three additions work properly, but sees the App Store and Apple’s iPhone development partners provide multiple solutions to those problems.

Another recommendation he has for all models is that Apple ‘open up’ the iPhone by adding a microSD slot that would allow users to add peripherals or more storage.

Purdy would like to see an iPhone “nano” that retails for $99 and an “extreme” version of the phone with an 8 megapixel camera and 32GB of storage for $499.

“What’s fun about doing a product roadmap for another company is being able to pretend that you’re working for them and that you’re in charge of Product Marketing,” Purdy says, adding, “of course, Apple’s Product Marketing team might feel differently about what they believe customers want and what they plan and will offer over the next year or two.”

Apple’s Enterprise efforts have been met with harsh criticism lately on the business front, but the company’s inroads to the luxury hospitality sector have been impressive. While complaints about inattention to potential security flaws and problems with Exchange integration have gotten much of the technology press’ attention, Apple’s Enterprise Sales Group has been quietly working to install its computers everywhere in the hospitality industry, according to an AppleInsider report.

Building on the success of its Starbucks integration with the WiFi iTunes Store, Apple developers are now working to build similar location sensing services for ordering drinks, accessing reminders and messages, and other services related to a guest’s stay in hotels and on cruise ships.

According to the AppleInsider report, hotels have actually asked for Apple’s help in bringing iTunes-style simplicity to their luxury accommodations. Many hoteliers are “struggling to reach the digital demographic” and “to differentiate themselves,” explained Bradley Walker of Nanonation in a seminar on Macs in the hospitality industry. “You’ve been to the Apple Store,” Walker said. “If you could recreate that in a hotel, that would be a very attractive place to stay.”

The iPhone can help you test your political savvy, have some fun and get ready to cast your ballot in the Presidential election with the $0.99 game Fit 2 Vote, available now at the AppStore. With updated quotes coming out every two weeks, the game presents you with statements made by one of the two candidates, which you identify by tilting the iPhone to the left for Obama, to the right for McCain. Once you’ve answered 50 questions correctly, you’re deemed Fit 2 Vote.

Via Switched

Apple makes products people just can’t keep from trying to make better. Whether these “mods” actually improve the inventions coming out of Cupertino is a matter of some debate, but the latest one for iPhone makes the Apple logo on the back glow like it does on a Macbook. If you speak or read Russian you can learn more at gPda.ru.

Via Sizlopedia

For those of you following along at home, we’re counting down the greatest Mac Moments of the past 25 years. This week’s is sure to be controversial.

We’ve got no idea what the 25th Anniversary of the Macintosh will bring, but we certainly know what we’d like it NOT to be. The 20th Anniversary Mac was a trifecta of bad, underpowered, overpriced, And while it was a beautiful machine, it looked like it was designed Bose instead of Apple.

For more thoughts on the topic, Craig’s interview with TalkingHeadtv.com is below.

August is back-to-school month and in the era of increasing glasnost between Apple and its prime competitor up in Redmond, WA, students can save 30% on Microsoft’s Office 2008 for Mac until September 8th with the purchase of any Mac at Apple resellers and Apple retail stores across the US.

A full list of participating Apple resellers is available at Microsoft’s website. Click on the “Save Now” link.

Sega’s Super Monkeyball made news this week for racking up the most sales among paid apps in Apple’s first month of business with the AppStore, a tsunami of consumer love amounting to $30 million in new business for Apple and its third-party iPhone application developers. But a report at Gizmodo says “the best implementation of iPhone tilt control is conceptually identical to a seven-year-old Game Boy title, which itself was based on the old wooden marble-in-a-labyrinth puzzles that have been around since, well, who knows?”

After all the novelty and hype have settled on the iPhone gaming front, will we continue to see the platform as something as revolutionary as Apple’s cadre of evangelists would have us believe it is? The Gizmodo report points out that, as least with respect to games that rely on the iPhone’s accelerometer to make things interesting, “A portable gaming device that…can make sensitive games like Crash Bandicoot Racing and Monkey Ball almost unplayable” isn’t truly portable and in fact may be little more than an impressive, elaborate gimmick.

Via Gizmodo

The New York Times reports that today, just down the road from Apple’s headquarters, two Georgian men will present what they claim to be incontrovertible DNA and photographic evidence of Bigfoot.

Even more startling, is that one of the gun-happy rednecks in question appears to be holding the Fabled Mac Tablet.  Sasquatch’s next of kin were unable to confirm or deny that he was a beta tester for the tablet due to “NDA issues”.

Ten years is one of those nice round numbers that always sparks nostalgia and reminiscing and (hopefully) waves of warm and fuzzy feelings, whether its focus is a sports career, a marriage or a business enterprise. Today, in the world where Cupertino, CA is the center of the universe, all thoughts are on iMac, Apple’s user-friendly, all-in-one desktop computer that said hello to the world on August 15, 1998.

The iMac has grown and changed in many ways throughout its ten years of existence, but remains possibly Apple’s best-known and most accessible calling card for a growing market of consumers curious about the complete user experience at the root of Steve Job’s business philosophy.

We present here a gallery of iMacs, from then to now and our anniversary greetings. We’re looking forward to the next ten years.

With AT&T claiming a 1% dropped call rate, in general, on its cellular network, a reported 2% – 3% dropped call rate for iPhone 3G traffic would indicate something of a problem. It’s a problem neither Apple nor AT&T are willing to acknowledge or comment on presently, but reports indicate Apple is hurrying to push a software upgrade to one of the chips inside the iPhone made by Infineon, some say in hopes of staving off a potential product recall.

Have you experienced difficulty with getting on AT&T’s 3G network in places where it’s available? Have you had problems with dropped connections when moving between high-speed and slower-speed networks during calls and Web sessions?

Let us know in comments below and we’ll keep you posted with further news about the chip upgrade.

Via Business Week