Words from the Woz

Steve Wozniak is many things: electronics enthusiast, author of iWoz, former fifth-grade teacher, plane-crash survivor, ex-reality-TV-boyfriend of D-list comedian Kathy Griffin, and, oh yeah, co-founder of a company called Apple. You might have heard of it.

Today, he put on the hat of former engineer as he spoke to a room of techies at the Intel Developer Forum. The message for them: be true to yourself and don’t give up on your dreams - even if the people around you can’t comprehend them. A guy who was tinkering with circuitry at age 10 and mapping out 1s and 0s on paper as a young adult, he said he could have worked as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard - a job he landed while in college - for the rest of his life.

But his engineering design of the personal home computer - a concept that was unheard of back in his day - and the pressure from friends (as well as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs) prompted him to move forward with the launch of Apple. The biggest problem for him: he had no desire to run a company. He wanted to be an engineer - and that’s what he continued to do while Jobs, his counterpart, hustled to sell the product and drum up more business.

“I’ve been at the bottom of the org chart since we started,” he said, joking that he is Apple Employee No. 1. “Sometimes, I’ll walk into an Apple store and tell someone that I’m an employee and they’ll ask me for my employee number.”

He smirked and the audience at IDF erupted into laughter. His morning session was less a keynote speech as much as it was a peek into the life of Wozniak.

A shy kid, Woz said he wasn’t one to speak up much or ask questions. He just did stuff to see what would happen, tinkering with circuitry, reading computer books and manuals and experimenting with a “I wonder what will happen if…” sort of attitude. Back then, he mostly hung out with other electronics enthusiasts so his group of friends understood his interests. Others did not.

Some of most innovative technologies are born from small groups. That was his experience, as well, though much of his work was done solo. Could he do that sort of work now? No way, he said. He no longer has hour upon hour of down time to dive into computer code the way he once did. And the stress that comes from being a meticulous techie is something that he probably couldn’t deal with today.

But he said he has no regrets of how things turned out. And he encouraged the developers, engineers and other techies to pursue their dreams and visions, as well. It’s how life-altering products - something like the personal computer - are created.

The Intel Developer Forum concludes today.

Gallery: Candid photos from IDF.

iPhone trashes BlackBerry Bold at web browsing

Mobile Computer's side-by-side comparison does not look good for RIM

August 21, 2008 8:55 PM

The BlackBerry Bold has attracted attention as a smarter, sleeker BlackBerry, with a much better web browser. As Mobile Computer says: "Thanks to added support for a whole host of recent web standards (CSS 2.1, HTML 4.01 and JavaScript 1.5, to name three), web pages now render flawlessly and look fantastic on the razor-sharp 480 x 320 screen."

However, MC then put two devices side by side -- a Bold and an old 2.5G iPhone -- on Wi-Fi and showed the difference. The result, above, is that the iPhone does a Usain Bolt while the Bold runs more like me after a double helping of pizza. As MC says:

Even with just its 3G connection active, the Bold still lagged behind the iPhone 2G with its EDGE connection. Either Apple is doing something right or RIM is doing something wrong with their respective web browsers, but whatever the case, it's a pretty poor show for the Bold.

One problem is that the BlackBerry Bold wasn't actually using the Wi-Fi connection. As madseeg says on YouTube:

In this test i'm connected to Wifi, which is evidenced by the white wifi indication being lit the whole test. You'll also notice the absense of the EEEeeeEEEE gsm noise that was in their video indicating that the bold was in fact not on wifi for browsing, but was on 3G then dropped down to EDGE and was interfering with the camera's mic.

But even on this BlackBerry-only video, the BlackBerry page download is still much slower. The iPhone is, therefore, still the champ.... unless someone can show otherwise.

Apple's (AAPL) Back-To-School Sales "Massive," Says RBC

Dan Frommer | Aug 21, 08 10:29 AM

From Silicon Alley Insider: Apple's (AAPL) Mac business continues to show no sign of slowing down: RBC analyst Mike Abramsky now expects the company to ship 3.04 million Macs in the September quarter -- representing 41% year-over-year growth and 22% quarter-over-quarter growth -- up from his previous estimate of 2.8 million.

This based on the latest results from RBC's technology adoption survey, which he says translate to "massive Mac sales... demonstrating resilience despite a sluggish consumer spending environment." What's helping? Among other factors: Apple's back-to-school promotion for college students that offers a free iPod touch -- $299 value -- with qualifying Mac purchase.

Abramsky expects Apple's global market share to reach 4.2% in 2009, up from 2.9% in 2007.

Apple Sued Class-Action Style for "Defective iPhone 3G"

Enticed by those tricky ads, Alabama resident Jessica Smith rushed out to get one faster than the iPhone 3G's Google Maps could tell her where to go. After a month of it being slower than she expected, only able to touch 3G 25 percent of the time and an "inordinate amount of dropped calls," Ars says that yesterday she slapped Apple with a class-action lawsuit over the "defective iPhone 3G."

While the idea of someone in Alabama using an iPhone might take a second or sixty to process, she actually lives in Birmingham, one of the state's few bastions of civilization, which AT&T has blanketed with solid 3G coverage (though congestion is always a possible issue). Given the huge amount of noise about the problems with the phone's 3G—and even Apple's tacit admission of the issue with the 2.0.2 update—she estimates in the suit that the class spans "perhaps tens of thousands" of people.

The actual basis of the suit is that Apple broke its warranty that it would "perform adequately" on 3G. She's asking for Apple to be forced to repair or replace all "defective iPhone 3G" units, plus damages, interest on "monetary relief" and attorney's fees. The suit hasn't actually been made class action yet, but if it does, then this could get interesting. If nothing else, we might learn from the suit where exactly the phone's problems lie, and that might be worth the ride, even if it takes a long time to get there. [Ars Technica]

The best iPhone apps for foodies

Posted by Jessica Dolcourt Post a comment

(Credit: CNET Networks)

In this day and age when every other person is a self-described foodie, finding the best mobile application to point you to a taste bud-bending experience requires as much discernment as finding the authentic voice from among throngs of folks who think they know good eats.

I'd be lying if I didn't claim snobby epicurean tendencies, myself.

This headstrong belief in one's own taste credentials is exactly what fuels the need for informative and well-designed food-finding applications. Too simple and a foodie will shun it. Too esoteric and it could alienate a growing segment of people who really care about the art and science of meal-making.

I've recently studied several restaurant-recommending applications for iPhone and other mobile platforms, including Yelp and Urbanspoon for iPhone and Zagat To Go for Windows Mobile, Palm, and BlackBerry, and wondered how relative newcomers Munch ($0.99) and LocalEats ($0.99) compare to these more established services.

Munch for iPhone turns out accurate results, but what's with the ratings?

(Credit: CNET Networks)

There are, of course, things to laud and criticize with each app. Munch's interface has a great method for quick-launching searches for pizza, Mexican, and so on from icons in the screen navigation. You can select other cuisines from a scrolling list. Munch returns wonderfully accurate search results, but is devoid of context. There are no reviews, no Web site listings, and every restaurant we looked at was rated with 5 empty stars. That's doable if you want a listings app, but for anyone trying to make intelligent choices, it just won't work.

LocalEats fares much better. The app brings you the best 100 (or more) restaurants in 50 U.S. cities as determined by a team of foodie professionals, authors of the online dining guide Where the locals eat. The benefit is that unlike Urbanspoon, no national chain even thinks of making an appearance. You can search each city's highest-rated establishments by alphabetical order, cuisine type, or the best of each category. For larger cities you can also search by neighborhood.

Each restaurant listing shows the location details, price range, and amenities. You can tap outbound links to open Google driving directions, place a call, or open the Web site in Safari. A good start, but if you're browsing, the application is still shy on context. There is a one-out-of-five rating, but no reviews or summaries that diners can employ to break a tie, and the price range should be listed on the thumbnail entries you see before tapping in to the details page. It's fair to manage the expectations of the avid eater--many of the "best" restaurants are also the priciest. I've also come to appreciate in-app browsers like Urbanspoon's, which allow you to return to search listings after plotting the restaurant's location, and now I think every good application should have one. As it stands, every time you view a Web site or map, you'll have to reopen LocalEats and navigate back to the restaurant detail page to do anything else.

The stylish LocalEats for iPhone engages foodies with the bestof the best, but is thin on description.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

My own snobbish ways made me question some of the "best of" choices enough to ask for the LocalEats team's credentials. Why should I or anyone else trust their judgment above the thousands of eaters who frequent Yelp.com or Urbanspoon.com? Though LocalEats' editorial team is topped by a food writer and chef, LocalEats also leans on alternative weeklies, restaurant surveys like Zagat, and reader opinions to keep people fed in all 50 cities. That would explain why a few specific results seem more like the crowd-pleasing winners of local contests rather than true finds.

What this does more than anything is open the debate on methodology. There's an application's functionality and design, but what makes a foodie's favorite restaurant-finder may also come down to approach. Guesstimating by the masses a la Yelp is tricky when you're unsure if your (excellent) taste in food matches everyone else's (questionable) taste. A 4-star average from 200 reviewers is heartening, but disappointment can nevertheless ensue. We've all been there.

Then there's Urbanspoon's tactic of mitigating eaters' vote on restaurants with links out to critics' reviews, which the snooty diner in me finds readily acceptable. I'm also partial to Zagat's summaries of witty user reviews because they let diners match multifaceted preferences to the restaurant's food and personality. Unfortunately, the only way to currently get to Zagat from the iPhone is by surfing to zagat.mobi on Safari.

No iPhone app stands out now as the undisputed best, but for my dining discovery habits, Urbanspoon and Yelp still give serious eaters the most information to chew on. The attractive-looking and right-minded LocalEats could use a boost, but isn't all that far behind.

The Rumor Room: iTunes Unlimited

By definition, nearly all tips we receive about Apple future product intros are wrong. After all, we're not Engadget. People aren't going to risk their jobs to deliver insider information.

That being said, a tip that shot into our mailbox this morning really tickled my fancy: not because I think it's accurate but because I really really want it to be true. Our anonymous tipster laid out a description for iTunes Unlimited that I thought was brilliant. Although this guy (by definition) does not work for Apple, he really ought to.

He suggested that the late September Apple event would introduce several great items that we'd love to see but haven't been holding our breath for. These are disk access for the iPhone and iPod Touch and iTunes Unlimited.

His take on iTunes Unlimited goes as such: For just $129.99 (or $179.99 bundled with MobileMe, or $99 for current MobileMe subscriptions), you would buy unlimited music access for one year. This would offer you 256 Kbps music, or as Steve would boom it, "The highest quality digital music subscription service ever." You could download and play directly on your computer or iPhone/iPod and the option to "buy and keep" would replace the subscription version of a song with a downloaded version.

I totally love this idea. It's not the first iTunes subscription rumor we've heard, either. I'm not betting that would happen. But it brought a huge smile to my morning. What do you think of iTunes Unlimited? If it were available, would you buy it?

Thanks, extremely creative anonymous tipster

Citigroup Tests, Likes RiM’s “Bold” But No Game-Changer

Citigroup Tests, Likes RiM’s “Bold” But No Game-Changer

Posted by Tiernan Ray

What’s the killer app on a BlackBerry? Right, watching “Talladega Nights”! Citigroup analyst Jim Suva has a note out today detailing his experience testing the forthcoming Research in Motion (RIMM) BlackBerry, the “Bold.” He says one of his tests involved watching the comedy movie about race car driver Ricky Bobby, which showed off the pretty screen on the device. (It is nice, I’ve seen it.)

Suva has recently made known his belief that the Bold will be an important factor for RiM in the second half of ‘08.

He lists several positives, including voice-dialing software by Nuance Communications (NUAN), and the fact that the Bold will work in Japan and Korea, which should be important for business travelers. “Completely new web browser with HTML support is a big improvement from the Curve and Pearl,” in Suva’s view. (But check out this video showing pretty putrid surfing on the Bold over Wi-Fi compared to Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone.)

But he also lists as negatives some of the same knocks tossed out about Apple’s iPhone, and this is interesting because the Bold will be first offered on AT&T’s (T) wireless network, the same as the iPhone, setting up some potentially meaningful comparisons. “We had a few occasional 3G signal dropping troubles at some locations especially on high-rises building streets & on our 34th floor (EDGE picked up immediately but slower internet speeds),” writes Suva. He thinks RiM have delayed introducing the Bold because it wants to iron out the 3G kinks with a software patch. He also lists “smudges on the screen from our extended testing” and a puny 2-megapixel camera. Nothing about battery life in the report.

In conclusion, writes Suva, “We are positive on the Bold (strong product but not a game changer), and we believe it will appeal to business users who travel internationally, but less so to consumers given its likely high price ($399.)” Suva has a “Buy” rating on RIMM shares and a price target of $160.

My first thought it is, Who would watch a movie on the Bold’s little screen? (I’ve held the thing, I wouldn’t want to watch a movie on it.) And secondly, RiM has been targeting the consumer market, along with the small business market, for some time now as its area of growth. If this device is not a consumer device, as Suva implies, then this product is not as important as it would seem at first blush.

That said, I’ve written recently that my own impression of the Bold is that it’s a good upgrade and will be a must-have for some Crackberries.

RiM stock today is up $4.58, or 3.6%, at $130.45. Apple is up $1.54, or .9%, at $175.06