Blackberry Tour Photo Tour

Just thought I'd add this photo that I found of the Tour to the page. The phone looks pretty cool. At first I thought this was a competitor to the Pre and the iPhone, but now I think they're just aiming at folks that like the previous Blackberries, but want to give them a new option. My reasons for suspecting this is that the screen is smaller than the iPhone and the Pre (actually, the Tour's screen is the exact same resolution as the iPhone, but it's on a horizontal angle whereas the iPhone is vertical for most uses.

Compare the above dimensions to the dimensions of the iPhone, it looks like this phone is very small, weighing in at a little less than the iPhone and a little shorter height wise. It is however a little thicker, which is understandable.

Size and weight¹

Height:

4.5 inches (115.5 mm)

Width:

2.4 inches (62.1 mm)

Depth:

0.48 inch (12.3 mm)

Weight:

4.8 ounces (135 grams)

Is Palm a Serious Threat to Apple

Tonight Palm announced earnings, and though they had a loss, it wasn't as bad as some expected. One of the headlines that came across the screen was that Palm's new CEO had learned a lot from his days at Apple.

So this begs the question: does Palm now pose a serious threat to Apple? Palm has been doing phones for longer than Apple (I currently have a Palm phone which I actually like a lot, and no, it's not the Pre). Sure the Pre looks pretty cool, and though I haven't used one yet, every report that I've seen seems to imply that the Pre will be the first real competition that the iPhone has seen. That's saying a lot right there.

The iPhone, which as a sort of "cult" following, needs competition to make it better. However, Palm which looks like it will be now focusing completely on the Pre may have a significant advantage over Apple. In my opinion, the iPhone's greatest downfall is it's limited expandability and the fact that it is tied to AT&T. Palm, though initiall y offering the phone with Sprint, isn't stuck with them (correct me if I'm wrong).

All in all, I think the Pre could be a pretty stiff competitor to the iPhone and that Apple should really beware of the new kid on the block.

AT&T: Definitely Holding Apple Back

The commentator on Marketwatch.com wonders if AT&T is holding Apple back. For example:

The new phone goes on sale June 19. Apple claims it will be up to twice as fast as the current 3G iPhone, but I don't yet see how. It won't be taking advantage of AT&T's ballyhooed faster network because the network won't be ready. AT&T is not even starting to deploy its new network until many months after the phone is out.

Apple instead must be souping up the new iPhone with faster processors or other chips, along with its new 3.0 software. The phone now has additional processor-intensive functions, such as a more powerful camera, video recording and playback. Apple says in its spec sheet on its Web site that it tested its new iPhone 3G S over current 3G and WiFi networks.

I would agree that AT&T is definitely holding Apple's iPhone back. For example, the Blackberry Storm isn't even really competitive against the iPhone; it's bulky and slow. However, I would buy one before I would buy an iPhone because I don't like and will never use AT&T. Palm has just introduced their Pre, and while it's initially only offered on Sprint, word on the street is that it will be available on other networks before long. Once it becomes available for the network that I'm on, I will definitely give it a serious look as my next phone. Of course by then the phone will have probably evolved into an even better device with more features and abilities than it currently has.

The point is that until Apple can get beyond their exclusive agreement with AT&T, they will be held back from reaching a large portion of potential customers.

Palm Pre on Sale Now

Palm just launched the new Pre phone which is noted as the biggest potential competitor to Apple's iPhone to come out so far. What are your thoughts about this phone? Do you think it will pose a serious threat to the iPhone? Will any phone ever be a threat to the success of the iPhone?

I think the Palm Pre has some serious potential, especially since it has a tactile hardware based keyboard (one of the biggest flaws, in my opinion, of the iPhone is that you can only type on the screen). To know how the Pre will really stack up, I'll definitely have to get my hands on one, which looks like it may be relatively difficult to do, similar to how the iPhone was difficult to find (unless of course you lived close to an Apple store) when it first came out.

The long term success of the Pre of course will be usability. Palm products have usually been very easy to use in the past, so my thought is that the Pre will probably be no different. However, this again is something that I will be able to make a final verdict on once I actually manage to get my hands on one.

Nokia N97: Another Android/iPhone?

Nokia N97 from Jesus Diaz on Vimeo.

Is Apple Getting Ready to Update Apple TV

Probably more than any other facet of Apple, we've seen rumor after rumor regarding iTunes fade away in the sunset. Of course, many of those delightful plans were likely shot down by the likes of the MPAA, RIAA and other so-called content guardians, but we say all that in order to depress your hopes on this one. For whatever it's worth, an undisclosed source at CNET has confirmed an AppleInsider report that Cupertino is prepping an on-demand video streaming service for the next iteration of iTunes.

Whether this is true or not, there definitely has to be something new in the works at Apple with regards to iTunes and Apple TV. Apple is like Google in that they are constantly working on new projects and new technologies. How else do you think they'd come up with something like the iPod and the iPhone both of which are unique products that have been hot sellers.

A New iPhone in the Works: Rumor of iPhone 2, 1

According to AppleInsider, there's a new iPhone in the works. Here's what they have to say:

A poke around the latest iPhone firmware by Mac Rumors has found a product string for iPhone 2,1, a version of the handset that has never been publicly available or else visible in previous firmware.

The 2007 launch iPhone identifies itself as iPhone 1,1, while the current iPhone 3G lists as iPhone 1,2, indicating that it's a minor revision of a similar design. As with similar practices for Macs, Apple's choice of 2,1 implies a major update for the handset; the second-generation iPod touch is listed as iPod 2,1 and includes slightly faster internal hardware as well as a significant external redesign.

And while such company-produced leaks rarely hint at the state of the future hardware, a developer tracking ad views from PinchMedia claims to have seen requests coming from iPhone 2,1 devices; the discovery suggests that test iPhones are functioning at a level which lets them connect to the web.

Of course there's a new iPhone (or multiple ideas for iPhones) in the works. That's just a given when you consider that Apple is a company has introduced this new product and you could argue an entirely new platform of mobile computing. They have to keep innovating and producing new products to survive.

From using the iPhone, I'd say that it's pretty cool. Of course my biggest beef with it is that you can only use it with AT&T and not with any other cell phone service provider. But of course there are other enhancements that could be added to it too.

Obama Keeps his Blackberry

Now that's change we can believe in.

Will all the cyberterrorists now leverage their attacks on the Blackberry platform or is that all smoke and mirrors. That remains to be seen. However for now, this does give a lot of credibility to the Blackberry and elevates them above the competition, including the iPhone.