With my own father (nearly 60) more frequently borrowing my iPad, Carey’s experiences spawned an unorthodox question: can someone be too old to own an Apple product (iPad or otherwise)? Or, in another way, can one “grow out of” Apple?

Well, I shall start by pointing out that Apple is not the same as a pair of slacks, or that hideous Christmas sweater your grandmother gave you those many years ago. I do not believe one can grow out of, or can become tired of, Apple. Apple, to my continued surprise, is a dynamic company, constantly reinventing itself, with the implicit help of its patrons. It, somehow, seems to tap into the baser instincts of our technological psyche and shapes its products to suit us best: technology perpetually tailor-made.

How does Apple do all of this? I believe I have narrowed my answer down to this:  Apple maintains a legacy of simplicity, a commitment to elegance, and a responsibility to the person and the personality.  By these few guidelines, Apple remains relevant to the techie and the layman, the young and the old: me and you.

By creating an interface that appeases the lowest common denominator and rejecting the esoteric, Apple provides more capability to even the most technologically illiterate. By minimalist elegance and removing colloquial clutter, it maintains public appeal. And, by doing all of this and more, it keeps us informed, educated, and entertained, not to mention connected to one another. Apple supplements our person and personality.

Call me what you will, but my father once called Apple “a toy company,” and Pete Carey thought he only required his Windows PC. Now that they both have used the iPad, their tones have changed. The “toy company” fascad has melted away and Windows has been sloughed off. The curtain has lifted, the mistro has tapped his baton, and the show has begun. Come, young and old, to the greatest show on Earth — the one you hold in the palm of your hands.

Department of Justice

San Jose, CA — According to many prominent news outlets, including the New York Times and CNET news, Apple is going under the microscope of the US Department of Justice regarding the pricing and promotion of digital music on Apple’s iTunes Stores.

Reports have indicated that DoJ investigators are looking into allegations that Apple used its superior market clout to pressure record labels into refusing Amazon.com exclusive access to pre-released music.

Sources told CNet that Apple threatened to pull promotion of any albums that were a part of Amazon’s “Daily Deal,” and at one point complained to Sony Music about an Amazon deal involving new music from Alicia Keys. CNet’s sources added that the the investigators are more interested in Apple’s overall place of dominance in the digital marketplace than just their issues with Amazon. CNET has more here.

According to an interview conducted by the New York Times, Daniel L. Brown, an antitrust lawyer at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton was quoted as saying, “Certainly if the Justice Department is getting involved, it raises the possibility of potential serious problems down the road for Apple. Without knowing what acts or practices they are targeting, it’s difficult to say exactly how big a problem this is. But it’s probably something Apple is already concerned about.” The New York Times has more here.

According to FMQB radio news, sources noted that this inquiry is still in the very early stages, and that the DOJ often does such research before any formal investigation is launched. FMQB News has more here.

Now, let’s compare the major innovations, first for the user, then the developer.

USERS:

The greatest addition to the OS and one for which users have been begging for since 2007 is MULTITASKING. Since that time, Apple has said that they have not wanted to sacrifice precious memory space and battery life for multitasking. However, they have reportedly found out how to implement third party multitasking, making the dream a reality. On their website, Apple elucidated how this will change the user experience: “You’ll be able to make a Voiceover IP call while playing a game or checking email, find a restaurant on Urbanspoon while listening to Pandora, and more.”

To my dismay, however, multitasking will only be available with iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009). That means if you have an iPhone (3G) or 1st /2nd Generation iPod Touch, you’re out of luck on this feature. Apple says the hardware just doesn’t support the new software.

The message is clear: if you’re interested in taking advantage of all the new features that OS 4 has to offer, it’s time to part with your out-dated device.

THAT MEANS MY 3G HAS TO GO! It seems my decision to trade in my iPhone 3G for the iPad 3G makes even MORE sense than before. (Read that article here: Trading in my iPhone for the iPad.)

Another new feature that Jobs premiered today is FOLDERS. If you have pages and pages of apps on your iPhone, iPod Touch or new iPad, Folders will enable you to, as Apple says, “Organize apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity. ” This also means that you’ll get faster access to your favorite apps and browse and manage up to 2160 apps at once — many more than the current limit of 180 apps.

The next new feature is an app, namely iBOOKS – the iPad’s little brother app for the iPhone. While some consumers have recently complained that iBooks is only available for the iPad, Apple revealed this app for one last “In your face!” or, as Ali G might prefer, “BOO-YAH-KA-SHA!” According to Apple, the iPhone app, like the iPad version, will allow users to flip through the pages of a book they’ve downloaded from the iBookstore. In the new iBookstore, released in conjunction with the iPad, users can browse tens of thousands of books — many of which are free. You can even check out reviews and read sample pages before you buy.

The last major update is ENHANCED MAIL. Apple has coalesced email accounts making the mail client even easier to use. They report users can now “see messages from all their email accounts displayed together in a unified inbox, switch between inboxes more quickly, organize messages by threads, and even open attachments in third-party apps.”

Summary of updates for Users:

MULTITASKING
FOLDERS
iBOOKS (already available on iPad)
ENHANCED MAIL
BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD SUPPORT, and with SPELL CHECK (already available on iPad)
USER-DEFINED WALLPAPER
TAP TO FOCUS when recording VIDEO & 5X DIGITAL ZOOM for the Camera
PLAYLIST CREATION
GAME CENTER – iPhone game achievements, leader boards, and match making (think like Xbox Live!)

DEVELOPERS:

The new Beta SDK will be available to developers, starting TODAY (4/8)! What will be available to them in this new OS, you ask? To start, the iPhone OS 4 has 1,500 new APIs and, thanks to the new multitasking feature, developers can utilize background audio, VoIP, location data collection, and local notifications (no more “push” notifications).

For applications, one of the most innovative changes comes with the new iAd. iAd is Apple’s answer to more interactive mobile advertising that can be integrated directly into the app without needing to shut the app off. This comes compliments of Quattro Wireless, consolation prize and competitor of AdMob, who, though initially in acquisition talks with Apple, was stolen away by Google. The irony here is that, now, the Federal Trade Commission (the people who OK  or stop companies from a merger that would create a monopoly) has blocked the acquisition fearing monopolization of the mobile and internet ad industry. It’s as though, “if Apple can’t have them, no one can!” What a jealous lover Apple can be!

With this new iAd integration, free apps will feature rich media ads that will “combine the emotion of TV with the interactivity of the web.” Therefore, while iAd will keep you in the app, it will take over the screen and even add interactivity — using HTML 5 for video. For developers, Apple will offer a 60 / 40 split on revenue, and users can even buy apps straight from an ad.

Summary of updates for Developers:

Thanks to the new multitasking feature:
BACKGROUND AUDIO
BACKGROUND VoIP
BACKGROUND LOCATION DATA, both with live GPS for background turn-by-turn, and cell tower-based
FAST APP SWITCHING
LOCAL NOTIFICATIONS including “push”-like notifications but from the app itself, bypassing the need for a “push notification server”

iAd (it’s a big one, so it gets its own line…)

IN-APP SMS
MAP OVERLAY
“QUICK LOOK” to preview documents
PHOTO LIBRARY ACCESS
CALENDAR ACCESS
FULL CAMERA ACCESS
VIDEO PLAYBACK / CAPTURE
“DATA DETECTORS” for dates and address
AUTOMATED ANALYSIS: performance / power testing

In the Q&A section, Jobs and Scott Forstall (SR. VP of iPhone Software) took questions regarding the new multitasking. When asked how one closes the applications when multitasking, Forstall responded “You don’t have to. The user uses things and doesn’t ever have to worry about it.” Jobs added, jabbing at the netbook computer culture, “It’s like we said on the iPad, if you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager, they blew it. Users shouldn’t ever have to think about it!”

Thanks for looking out for us, Jobs! You’re the man!

Julius Genachowski, head of the FCC, at a hearing last month

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled to limit the power of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) over internet traffic. What makes this extraordinary is that the decision will allow ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to block or slow specific sites and charge video sites to deliver their content faster to users.

Under the banner of “net neutrality,” the FCC was poised to require ISPs to provide equal speed coverage to all users. However, the service provider giant Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) contested that the FCC had no jurisdiction in the matter and that ISPs should be granted the ability to increase control over the content of the internet they provide.

Comcast’s concerns for their content speeds came after increasing network congestion from users of a file sharing program called BitTorrent, which is infamous as a major source of pirated media and software.

Conservative supporters have weighed in on the ruling saying they are philosophically opposed to granting further power to the FCC who are already famous for their control of other media including radio and television. Moreover, they argued against the government’s interjection saying that ISPs should be free to set their own policies and the prices for their services.

After the decision, however, Comcast released that they have since changed the management policies that lead to restricting access to BitTorrent and originally brought this case to court. Yet, despite Comcast’s claims that they will remain “committed to the FCC’s existing and open internet principles,” this court decision leaves the possibility for abuse open with only the guarantee of an oligopolist for protection.

This is especially unsatisfying for consumers with the impending Comcast majority stake acquisition of NBC Universal, which currently owned by General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Vivendi (EuroNext: VIV). With NBC Universal, the temptation to favor NBC cable channels and discriminate against other broadcast groups would be greater and make Comcast more likely to take advantage of their position as an ISP. In practice, for example, Comcast could prioritize NBC video streaming services over competitors.

Some consumers fear that without FCC oversight, such abuses could occur indiscriminately. However, until the FCC is granted control over internet traffic, it is the opinion of this publication that the only protection the general public would have would be in the competition of the free market.

In February, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced that it would begin testing its own fiber optic system, connecting homes, schools and business, in an attempt to one day become an ISP itself. Boasting speeds of 1Gbps (Giga bites per second), Google would be poised to compete with Comcast if it could find ways to make its system affordable. Google’s entrance into the ISP market without ulterior motives would represent better assurances that ISP providers will remain honest suppliers of the world wide web.

Ironically, Google has earlier “net neutrality” to thank for its success, foremost, as the most widely used web-based internet search engine. Google stock went public in August of 2004 and closed Wednesday at $563.54.

Before you write this off as the psychotic ramblings of a raving mad man, hear me out!

Because I am a radio hobbyist, I feel this is the best way for me to explain this, as it was also the immediate thought I had right before this revelation. In 1996, the F.C.C. (Federal Communications Commission) released its famous Telecommunications Act which lifted restrictions on radio station owners limiting the number of stations they could own in each market. This lead to a buying frenzy in a period of, what is known today as, “consolidation” where leaders in the broadcasting field began buying stations in each market by the crate load. This widened the profitability gap between large commercial owners and individual owners. Thus, out of the fray, companies like CBS, Cumulus, Citadel and Clear Channel (owning the most with 1,190 of the 13,660 total stations in the US) changed the landscape of the radio industry with their nearly monopolistic hold over it.

In recent years, however, the radio industry has begun hemorrhaging money — losing their most profitable demographics to streaming radio (i.e. Pandora and Last.FM). This was due in part to a stagnation that occurred because of their contentment with mediocrity. In short, they did not search out new content like they had before when they were in ardent competition, each looking for an edge. This provided a chink that outlets like Pandora and Last.FM have happily filled. Since this time, radio industry leaders have slowly begun to deconsolidate — realizing that their most profitable structure is not particularly in owning as many stations as possible, but in most efficiently utilizing their already present infrastructure and matching up with content think tanks. In fact, in our home of the Bay Area, this is the case with Channel 92.3 (once Channel 104.9) who, after moving to the stronger 92.3 FM frequency, was put on the chopping block by owner Clear Channel who had deemed it a profit loss. When I last checked, they were put into a Trust, with Clear Channel poised to sell them.

Now, what does this have to do with my move from the iPhone to the iPad? Well, it has to do with this realization of what is most “profitable” (I use the word liberally). Should I, like the radio giants did, consolidate as many of Apple’s products as possible? To what end?! Specifically, I couldn’t wrap my head around the necessity of having an unlimited data plan for the iPad 3G on top of my current combination phone and unlimited data plan on my iPhone 3G.

As I compared and contrasted the iPhone and iPad, I realized something: “YES! WHAT PEOPLE SAY IS TRUE! The iPad is a GIANT iPhone!” So, instead of not buying the iPad, I shall sell my iPhone, buy some cheap phone through AT&T and have the iPad for everything I’ve always wished I could do with my iPhone!

What are these things, you ask? THE ANSWER IS IN ITS SIZE! The iPad’s size offers more usability! I don’t want to watch movies on the puny Nano or my iPhone! Throw it away! I don’t want to play games which require my two thumbs that take up two thirds of the screen! Throw it away! I don’t want to type notes and contacts with that tiny keyboard! Throw that iPhone away — and give me the iPad instead!

You thought THIS would happen? fo' realz?!

I have believed for many years that, while man’s technological innovation up to this point has been defined by building things smaller and increasingly more powerful, there would come a point when his creations would stop decreasing in size when they began detracting from his maximum capabilities. For me, that time has come.

What else can I say other than, anyone wanna buy an iPhone? Other wise, I’ll give it to the “Will It Blend?” guy…

Netflix comes to the iPad

San Jose, CA  –  Last Saturday, when the iPad made its premiere, fellow Genius, Zander and I drew a small crowd in the crowded Apple Store at the Oakridge Mall on Blossom Hill as we expounded the virtues and vices (though few) of the new iPad. Perhaps it was because from the moment we got our hands on it, we couldn’t stop talking about it! “Strange! It’s smaller and heavier than I imagined,” I started. And while I began to complain about the dull pain in my left arm as I typed, Zander pointed out that, despite the weight, its size would be its most endearing quality for many.

Our comments, audible to many in the crammed store, made people recognized us as “geniuses” and we began fielding questions ranging from the iPad’s lack of multi-tasking and Flash to whether it would support expandable memory.

And though it was the first time I had held that particular iPad, nothing seemed to catch me by surprise — nothing, that was, until I noticed the Netflix app.

As I hadn’t yet heard of the Netflix app, it seemed out of place as I selected it from the iPad home screen. But what surprised me most was its performance! As a subscriber, it took only seconds to enter my user information, select a movie from the home screen and begin watching. In fact, it seemed to perform even BETTER than the “watch instantly” function that I frequent on my computer (which is free as part of my Netflix subscription).

Reflecting upon the iPad as Zander and I walked out of the store, I kept returning, in my mind, to the Netflix app. Initially intrigued though I was, it didn’t take long to realize the company’s motivation in creating the app. As a Flash dependent site, Netflix could either make this step to bring their business to the iPad or die at the hands of their newly disinterested and frustrated constituency.

This, I believe, is the nature of the predicament that many Flash dependent companies face today. They can make the laborious shift to HTML5, which is Apple’s suggested approach as they now do battle with Adobe, or they can design apps which natively integrate their content with the iPad. While Netflix may ultimately convert their site to run on HTML5, they have made an ingenious decision to now bring this new app into the fray to help close the time gap caused by the move to HTML5.

This decision is not unexpected, however. It was the move which Youtube made, making their app standard on all Apple mobile devices, and now it is Netflix’s move. This choice, I believe, might even be part of the reason why, on Monday (4/5), Netflix stock (NASDAQ : NFLX) leaped 6.65% to $79.99 a share — an increase approximately equal to the entire growth seen this past March.

MOST INTERESTING, however, is what this may ultimately mean for Netflix and other sites alike: FLASH DEPENDENT SITES MAY NOT NEED TO CHANGE TO HTML5 AS APPLE WOULD LIKE. Though Apple’s product popularity gives them powerful influence on internet consumption, I believe this is not the “death knell” of Flash. A game changer though it may be, Apple’s refusal to support it, while also allowing sites to make apps which run their content, does not represent the complete abolition of Flash as has been previously anticipated.

If Flash fails on the internet level, not necessarily the video delivery level, it will be due to its drawbacks as a code, NOT because the “Church of Apple” decrees it to be so.

Want to find out more?!

Visit the websites of the companies discussed in this article: Netflix, Apple, Adobe.

Download / Check out the Netflix app from the iTunes Store!

JOIN THE DEBATE! Let us know what you think! Have you gotten your hands on the new iPad? What are your thoughts on the Netflix move to app based content?

"Line 2 - 2 Lines, 1 iPhone"

Who knew the answer to the AT&T problem would cost just $0.99!

It can save you money. It can make calls where AT&T’s signal is weak, which tends towards EVERYWHERE. It can even turn the coveted iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone! (Can you give me an “AMEN”?!)

The new Line2 app by Toktumi (yes, like “Talk to me!”) has pitted capitalism’s virtue of competition against the monopolist grip that AT&T has had over iPhone uses since its release in 2007. While previous apps like Skype and TruPhone promised similar consolation, Line2 is a far cry from their limited capabilities and more likely to be the source of frustration amongst AT&T execs.

Line2 gives your iPhone a second phone number — a second phone line, with its own voice mail, contacts list and the like. On their website, Toktumi imagines that you’ll distribute the Line2 number to business contacts, while maintaining your regular iPhone number to friends and family. Your second line can even be an 800 number or you can transfer an existing number.

To that end, Toktumi offers a raft of Google Voice-ish features that are intended to help a small businesses look bigger: call screening, Do Not Disturb hours and voice mail messages sent to you as e-mail. You can create an “automated attendant” (“Press 1 for… ”) that routes incoming calls to other phone numbers. Or, if you’re pretending to be a bigger business than you are, route them all to yourself (which is something I’d do…).

Line2 also turns the iPhone into a dual-mode phone. That is, it can make and receive calls using either the AT&T airwaves as usual, or — now this is the best part — over the Internet. Any time you’re in a wireless hot spot, Line2 places its calls over Wi-Fi instead of AT&T’s network.

For most, this is the greatest plus. Where, after all, is cellphone reception generally the worst? Right! Inside that burning building when I tried to call 911 that one time. Well, assuming the place isn’t burning down, you are most likely to have Wi-Fi in your house or your office building — meaning clear and reliable reception indoors.

Line2 also runs on the iPod Touch. When you’re in a Wi-Fi hot spot, your Touch is now a full-blown cellphone, and you don’t owe AT&T a cent.

The “cash money,” however, is where Line2 differentiates itself from other similar apps like Skype and TruPhone. Line2 is the first app that can receive incoming calls via either Wi-Fi or cellular voice, so you get the call even if the app isn’t running. Moreovoer, let’s say you’re on a Wi-Fi call using those other programs, and someone calls your regular iPhone number, your first call is disconnected whether you like it or not. Conversely, Line2 offers you the chance to decline the incoming call without losing your Wi-Fi call. Not to mention, those rival apps also lack Line2’s call-management features, visual voice mail and conference calling with up to 20 other people. AND Line2 is the only app that gives you a choice of call methods for incoming and outgoing calls.

With SO many features for $0.99 (and a $15/month), it’s unbelievable that AT&T isn’t putting up more of a fight. Granted, Toktumi only released Line2 this past February, they are well on their way to making AT&T feel a little hot under the collar.

Move over AT&T! Mine Kapitalism is here to stay!!!

Want to try the Line2 app?! Find it at the iTunes Store (here) or on Toktumi’s dedicated website: line2.com

What do you think about this new app? Will you be getting it (to replace a competitor’s app or supplement your iPhone)? Let us know what you think!

Since its founding in 1997, Netflix quickly grew into the successful, publicly traded company it is today by uniquely cornering the movie rental market. Unlike competitors, Netflix cut costs by doing away with fixed customer rental locations and opted for central distribution facilities from which they would mail discs to customers. In this system, they provide customers with unlimited movie rentals from a huge movie library, with selections in DVD or BluRay form, at one low, monthly, flat rate. And, best of all, there are no late fees!

This revolutionary system single handedly brought movie rental giants, such as Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, to their knees leaving them scrambling to find ways to compete with Netflix’s winning system. However, this seems to have been in vain, as Netflix reports annual revenues above $1.3 Billion!

What does this have to do with computers, you ask?

Well, seemingly unbeknownst to Netflix, there has been a quiet movement brewing that combines both the affordability of the Netflix system and the ingenuity of some software developers, namely those who developed a program called Handbrake.

Now, I think this is the part where we at The Real Mac Geniuses should say, before we continue, that we share this information in a non criminal activity encouraging or endorsing way. Look at it like this: you know how movies don’t let you fast forward through all that FBI stuff that no one ever reads? Pause a movie one of these days and note that it excplicitly says,

“The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted word is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.”

Yeah! That! BOO!

It turns out that, when the FBI wrote that, they had certain innovative people in mind like those who began using the method I’m about to describe!

Here’s the deal:

On average, Netflix subscribers receive, watch and return their movies in approx. 1 to 3 weeks. Moreover, normal subscribers, in order to view one of those movies again, must wait for Netflix to redeliver the movie (per the person’s movie cue). However, some computer savvy subscribers employ Handbrake to record the movie when they receive it, thus allowing them to watch it whenever they want. After, they return it immediately (or ASAP), maximizing consumption.

Here’s how it works. Upon opening Handbrake, the program automatically detects the location of the movie on the loaded DVD. However, instead of trying to copy the movie file from the disc (which I think is nearly impossible), Handbrake plays the movie and records the output. Granted, this takes some time, but, after a half hour or so, the subscriber has a perfect replication of the movie saved to his hard drive! It’s that simple!

What are the risks? Well, meeting a overly friendly inmate named “Bubba” in federal prison who frequently compliments your “pretty mouth” is one! However, I wish I could say there were more, but, for the most part, these shady subscribers (pirates, sans eye-patch?) do not sell, publicly display or distribute their copies and do not openly attract attention. Granted, there probably are people out there who load them onto peer sharing or bit torrent sites, but, if that were the case, my last copy of Throbin’ Hood (Prince of Beaves) would have downloaded much faster than it did… Just kidding! I don’t use bit torrent sites…

This marriage of Netflix and Handbrake (and the like) ultimately hurts the movie providers (Apple included) who eventually experience declining revenues. That is, as customers become more dependent upon their own illegally assembled libraries, they are less likely to draw from these corporate movie suppliers. If Netflix doesn’t raise subscription prices or somehow render copying applications defunct, widespread pirating could ultimately lead to reduced movie title diversity or even the shut down of these providers. Is the latter very likely? Hard to say, but this is the business of pirating movies.

Moral of the story? There isn’t one, as best I can tell, and I wrote the article!

~BC

What do you think? Leave a comment below!

The iPad may very well go the way of the iPod Touch or Apple TV come March and April. I fear that sales, though initially good at the hands of Apple geeks (who would as happily buy Jobs’ tissues as they would any other product bearing the fruit’s silhouette), will ultimately level out because of public disinterest.

However, the more obvious outcome will be that, as the iPad flies off the proverbial shelves, intelligent free thinking individuals will hack the iPad (since at heart it runs the iPhone OS) and make the iPad everything that Apple forgot to make it – they will make the iPad what they need it to be, not what Apple wants it to be for them.

Both the methods of hacking, or more vernacularly called “jailbreaking” for iPhones or iPod touches, and using Apple devices in ways in which they were not intended has become the backbone of the Apple universe. As an example, I wanted to finally put a TV into my room and, being the Mac junky I’ve become, my fist inclination was to find something from the Apple Store to use with it. I first looked to the Apple TV, but, to be honest, I hated it! Its OS is eerily similar to Front Row, an app on my Mac that’s way too sluggish and buggy to be considered useful. I had to ask myself, what would I be gaining with the Apple TV? An HDMI output for my HD movies and TV shows? Certainly not for $200!

And that’s when I noticed the Apple Mac Mini – conveniently located adjacent to the Apple TV in my local Apple store. It was just as petite, it’s DVI output could easily be converted to HDMI with similar clarity (after all, you don’t need proper HD until screen sizes of 42” and up), and it seamlessly transfers media from my MacbookPro over my wireless network thanks to the new Home Sharing function. That means I can share movies, TV shows, and music that I’ve already bought. And that’s just how it matches the Apple TV! I can multitask, use any software I please, have a camera perched on top of my TV screen for Cisco-esque conferencing, iChat, or Skype and I’m not limited to media I can find in the iTunes Store. That means I can do things like play Flash games and stream Pandora or Last.FM. All of this, starting at only $350 more over the Apple TV.

I liken my experience in choosing the Mac Mini over the Apple TV to the current technological speed bump that is the iPad.

If it weren’t for alternatives like the Mac Mini, Apple TV might have higher sales, instead of Jobs having to brand it an “experiment” or a “hobby” just to save face. As I found an alternative to simply accepting a deficient device, the iPad’s saving grace will be hackers that create something better than it once was.

No one often says this openly, but the Real Mac Geniuses can: Apple depends upon the innovation of its Research & Development teams just as much as it depends upon the ingenuity of the hackers at large – dragging Apple, kicking and screaming, to become a better technology company.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!