Only in San Francisco....

Do you see professional bloggers from NOTCOT on a lawn in the Presidio opening up their new MacBooks, so they can blog about it

Stunning machine - single block of aluminium, backlit LED, and laser cuts for indicator lights.

Add your WiFi hotspot to the iphone / ipod Touch database

I have been looking around for a way to do this.

Apple don't run this database themselves - it's managed by a company called Skyhook. Given Apple's descent into evil that might provide some comfort to you non-Apple fanboys out there.

It's easy.

Go to this link.

Enter your address and fiddle with the marker to locate it correctly.

Enter the MAC address of your WiFi router - you'll probably need to google the model of your router to do this.

Wait 7 days - when you use the maps application on your iPhone / iPod Touch, hit the center button on the lower left and Boom - there you are.

Will probably help a bunch of other apps that use this data - would love to know what they might be!

Two diametrically opposite Apple experiences

Two very different AAPL experiences today

1. The Bad

Graph says it all - stock price is seriously tanking. I am not so much of a fanboy that I will hold onto this forever. 

Managed to get out a 'local maximum' but it's still hurt.

According to Valuecruncher, it's still overvalued. I'd say that might be the case but getting in once things settle down  could mean some profit. 

2. The Good - here's the reason why I would still invest. The Remote app has been updated to allow Genius playlists to be set remotely. I am using Genius a lot since iTunes 8 came out and having to go to my Mac to set it was starting to annoy me. I've become somewhat reliant on the remote app.

Why I like apple stuff is that this stuff just happens - most other companies who deliver media products seem to leave these gaps going on forever. Somehow AAPL seems to work out what's important (to me at least) and makes sure it gets delivered.

Ben blogged about how can Apple get away with being evil. My view on this is clear - it has built a reputation over the last decade of delivering on its promise. It is having some mis-steps of late but it does this more often than not. That's why people cut them slack. In my mind it's a great way of building your brand.

Vodafone offers 'cheaper' iPhone data plans

After significantly reducing the trust of its customers, Vodafone has offered new data plans for the iPhone in NZ.

The Good

- Customers who bought iPhones under old plans can change 

- Vodafone appears to have listened to customers when shaping these plans

The Bad

- It's a small incremental change at the margin - monthly fee reductions with corresponding voice minutes and txt quota reductions.

- Customers remain disappointed from the early promise and there is no apology for that disappointment. Possible that Vodafone think they have got away with this. Especially since plan changes can incur a penalty.

- There is no high end plan that offers good value. In fact no high-end plan at all above 1GB.

My thoughts

- My pick is that Apple have forced this change - this is only incremental and comments on stuff and Geekzone seem to represent the tone.

- Vodafone NZ is in the dogbox with Apple - supply is being drip-fed to them (confirmed from two separate sources)

- It is going to require a lot more changes along these lines to regain customer trust for Vodafone. Expect to see more incremental changes.

- An opportunity still exists for Telecom to shake up the mobile data market and take some seriously high ground.

iPod Touch + Remote + Airport Express = WIN

I posted a while back on how I thought the combination of iPod Touch, the Remote app and an Airport Express could end serve as a poor man's Sonos.

Finally got myself an Airport Express last week - and it is as good as I thought.

We have 2 macs at home - I can select either Mac as the source and can select a number of outputs to stream the song to.

How does it compete with the Sonos?

Cost - this is a hands down winner - $700 for a 32 G ipod Touch (you could pay less), $80 for a second hand 802.11 G airport express. Compared to $1500 + for a Sonos, this rocks. And you get an iPod.

Usability - Equivalent - compared to the Soundbridge I had earlier, Arlene can use this happily. That's a serious win.

Functionality - Sonos still on top with its ability to select different output zones, cue up songs (a very social feature) and a single database of tracks. Having said that, the volume control for the Remote app is a useful bonus.

It was the world's easiest sell to go in for another couple of Airport Express units. Next will be to file all the CDs away.

Funniest thing, Arlene spotting the flaw with not having a server capability in iTunes 'Even I think that's dumb'. Apple have to fix this soon. I'd probably pay for a version of the remote app that allowed streaming to different zones and the ability to cue up songs, even the Soundbridge had that.

And a nice touch - you can use the Remote app to enter in WiFi keys on Apple TV.

Media is a long-game - Apple shows the way

Great to see movies available on iTunes in NZ today. I have a US account that I have been using for buying movies, music, TV shows and apps but have used it sporadically based on the hassle of getting credit into my account as I don't have a US credit card.

Today's announcement has reminded me of how important it is to have a long-term view if you are going to enter the media market.

I've been lucky enough to be involved in the majority of Telecom NZ's media offerings over the last 7 years. There will be a bunch of you who are disparaging about Telecom's efforts here - fair enough.

The one thing that frustrated me the most was the lack of a commitment to a long-term plan by Telecom to its media strategy. Basically, depending on the exec involved, it veered from one play to the next, driven by short term objectives. This is not just true of Telecom - other telcos and ISPs locally have had the same approach, and Vodafone globally and locally has been schizophrenic about its approach.

Apple's approach is driven by an appreciation about the fundamentals of the media industry.

1. It is not possible to make money in media over the short-term or even the medium-term. The margins are too slim - less than 10%. Over a long term - say 5 years - with a consistent approach, all those individual sales of low margin items add up, you build an audience and then you can monetise that in other ways (including advertising). Apple is starting to look more and more like a pay TV play the way it is going with apps and media sales. Check the graph - 5 billion songs in 5 years!

2. The media business is built on relationships - no relationships, no trust, no deal. I like dealing with media people if only for the fact you can legitimately talk for hours with them trying to find common ground and that is a legitimate business reason.

It's basically a long tail with people relationships. Today's announcement by Apple is about adding some more to that long tail.

This appreciation has meant that Apple has been able to work through the Universal issues, release DRM-free music and, its my pick, will be the first store to launch Beatles tracks - the Holy Grail for some at least.

Planning on a media play for your business ? Don't go there unless you have a 5 year plan and the support to go with it.

Why Vodafone introduced the NZ iPhone plans

There is a very clear reason why Vodafone introduced the initial contract plans for the iPhone - reducing ARPU for postpaid customers.

This article suggests postpaid ARPU fell around 10% in the quarter. Ugly. Driven by the current economic situation as opposed to the competitive situation, in my opinion.

That being the case, iPhone presented an opportunity for Vodafone to increase ARPU through higher rate plans with a lower initial hurdle. All very sensible but as we know the marketing execution did not have the intended result.

I had a look at the Vodafone site today to check my facts on the iPhone plans - being offline for a couple of weeks I missed that the high end plan that caused all the angst seems to have been removed and it is much clearer that you can use other existing Vodafone plans. I was going to say that Vodafone had introduced these plans purely for raising ARPU but it appears that they listened (to some extent) to their customers post-launch and at least tightened up the information. 

Related I heard a rumour (unsubstantiated) that they are in the dog-box with Apple as a result of the negative publicity around the iPhone release. Probably opens up another window for Telecom as I assume being in the Apple dog-box means that iPhone stock allocation from Steve Jobs is not forthcoming...

iPod Touch Remote + Airport Express = Poor Man's Sonos

I've been playing around with various 'cheap' versions of ways to get my iTunes library playing through my stereo.

I could not justify a Sonos based on the price tag but it would be fair to say that all other versions have met with frustration with the household around ease of use. The proof being that we still have 100's of CDs near the stereo - much to my chagrin.

The four methods I have used to date have been

1. iPod in cradle - not useful for those who haven't used one before and locks your ipod in one place

2. Roku Soundbridge - good size and price, cumbersome UI

3. Squeezebox - bit big, remote better but still lacking in intuition.

4. Airport Express - easy to install - you just have to keep walking to the other room to control the music.

Options 2 & 3 also fail with playing protected tracks from iTunes, which is the stuff I have bought most recently so that is a pain.

The Sonos is the ultimate device - easy remote and amps with selectable speakers. Main issue is its price tag of close to $2k. I tried to purchase the one at the office that wasn't being used but no joy.

So the Remote application seems to be a great solution - all I need to do is get another airport express (previous was on loan) and I can control the remote speakers from the iPod Touch. I would take an old 802.11 g version if someone has one lying around (ok, I am cheap!). Probably doesn't have the killer feature of cueing up your next song, but on balance (and the fact you can use multiple Airport Express devices) then I'd go for that.

Unfortunately does not solve the iTunes server issue - papers over the cracks really as you can see all the servers but still means song replication on multiple servers which must be a relatively easy problem to solve.

Any other ways that people are using that could work better ? Especially for the non-technically oriented family members ?

Magnum Mac After Sales Service

As a bit of an Apple fanboy I am usually reminded that while Apple's products are great, their  after sales service is usually pretty poor.

I've been dealing with Magnum Mac , the local Apple reseller in Wellington on a couple of issues

1. A noisy fan on an imac purchased from the refurbished Mac site - great deals on that site

2. A battery on my MacBook Pro that would discharge to 50% and then completely switch off - no sleep, just off.

In both cases they've done a really good job.

For the iMac they changed out all the fans, realised it wasn't those so then got a logic board in. It took a while to get to the bottom of this and I had to ask them what was going on but they nailed the fan noise. Looks like they disconnected the RHS speaker so iMac will be going back in.

As an aside the one piece design of the iMac makes it very easy to transport into Magnum Mac - just keep your original box!

For the MBP battery , they went one better. After pointing me to the apple site on battery recalls, (check the site out - extends warranty on your MBP battery to 2 years) I took the battery in. It got sent to apple and they claimed it was outside their policy. I asked Magnum Mac to check again and today I got a new battery. And it goes - even better.

I would highly recommend Lester and the crew at Magnum Mac with any repairs - they definitely look after you.

iTunes server?

Rod has been continuously amazed about the lack of a home iTunes and iPhoto server set-up. To be honest I agree - with a macbook and an iMac at home I don't like the mucking around we have to go through to sync up music and photo collections. Gets even worse when you store your photos on the imac, yet take the macbook on holiday and put pics on it.

This code might be starting to point to whether Apple are finally onto it. WWDC will no doubt tell. Hopefully it is not just another bonjour implementation.

Hat-tip to Philip for the code link.

Freeview HD on a Mac

With Freeview launching their HD box a few weeks ago, and not having taken advantage of HD goodness I 've been wrestling with whether I can justify another box in the lounge alongside MySky, Xbox and a Media Centre.

I am planning to ditch the Media Centre for an Apple TV based on UI alone - it's just too complicated for anyone who doesn't know the set-up.

I've been talking to Philip about this who is *the* man to talk to about all things apple.

He has put me onto Eye TV which he has been testing for a while now.

Philip confirmed yesterday that Eye TV v3 can happily record Freeview HD locally with readily available EPG feeds.

I am planning to hooking that up to a simple antenna, recording shows on the mac and pitching them to Apple TV. More work for me but one less box in the house.

And if enough people ask, Philip can start his own blog so I don't claim his ideas without attributing his input :)