Deacon’s gamertag jacket

Lookie Look what Deacon from Unscripted 360 received from Microsoft(Being that he is an Xbox MVP). His very own Gamertag Jacket. Is it geeky? Yeah Kinda but a true xbox gamer would sport this jacket like a badge of honor

This represents a whole new level of nerd-ness. Just for the record, 1. I don’t want one of these, and 2. I’d never wear an article of clothing with my online video game name on it. Even I have my dignity…well ok, a little dignity.

1. The device is hugely over hyped, it’s only popular because it has the Apple name on it. The device, and the technology are nothing more than a rehash of what already exists on more affordable devices. The hype has nothing to do with special features because there are devices that cost 1/3 of what the iPhone will cost that do all the same things (and more). This, without a doubt, the most over hyped product in a decade.

2. Due to Apple’s choice to lock down the phone in terms of 3rd party apps, the iPhone will be severely limited in terms of customizability. The plethora of Windows Mobile 3rd party apps covers just about any need you could have. Need a feature? download a 3rd party app. This is not the case with the iPhone. Need an app? Maybe Apple will make one, but they will sure as hell charge you for it.

3. The touchscreen (multi-touch, whatever the hell you want to call it) really is pretty useless when you consider the fact that you cannot “touch dial” with this phone. The tactile sensation of pushing a button is severely under appreciated and people will see that when they try this full touchscreen. Also, the fact that you’re touching the screen this often will very likely lead to all kinds of scratches and smudges…my favorite thing on a screen.

4. The lack of a replaceable battery is an absolutely idiotic move. Cell phones are not like MP3 players, and this is what Apple fails to grasp. Sure, your iPod dies and you can live without music, but your cell phone cannot die because it is a very important device (to some people). The sad thing is that Apple did this ONLY to screw customers out of more money, and for no other reason. On a similar note, business/corp users will never put up with this idiocy because most of them currently carry at least one additional fully charged battery because they expect the standard cell phone battery to die during the day. With the iPhone, you don’t have this (obvious) luxury because Apple wants to screw you. That is nice of them huh?

5. The price is aimed at the wrong market. The price is suitable for business/corp users who might be willing to pay $500 for a phone. However, this is definitely not a business/corp phone due the lack of syncing with Outlook and the lack of support for MS Exchange. Therefore, they must be aiming at “normal” consumers, and a 16 year old kid (for example) is definitely not going to be running out and pay $500 for a phone that is sitting on the shelf right next to a $100 that does all the same things.

6. The network and the carrier (Cingular/AT&T) are all wrong. One of the key features that Jobs described about this device was it’s “full powered” web browser (Safari). This is all good and nice except for the fact that the network speed (2.5G) that Cingular/AT&T offers is painfully slow compared to competitor’s 3G networks. So, you have a “full powered” web browser, but a sub par browsing experience. wonderful. Cingular/AT&T might be the largest cell phone provider in the US, but that by no means makes them the best. It’s funny that they claim to have the fewest dropped calls and yet they don’t actually provide evidence of this so called study. Also, if you plan on using your shiny new iPhone to its full extent (including the built in wifi) you will likely have to shell out close to $200-$250 per month for all the services you will require. Sounds a little expensive huh?

The ironic thing is that Windows Mobile 5 ( and soon to be 6) does everything the iPhone plans to do, except all the nerds (they are the only ones who will actually buy this device) are blind to that fact because it doesn’t say Apple. 

Apple swipes Visual Voicemail from Citrix

Earlier this week, Apple bragged about teaming with Cingular on its Visual Voicemail software that runs on the iPhone. The voicemail application displays caller information and allows users to pick the order in which messages are played back instead of forcing you to hear messages in a sequential order.  Such features won’t impress Citrix, which has been selling Visual Voicemail software since it acquired Net6 in 2004.

“Visual Voicemail enables Call Pilot voicemail users to have a visual indication of the number of voice mail messages in the mailbox, the senders of these voice mail messages, the time of the voice mail message, and the length of the voice mails,” Citrix notes on its website. “Visual Voicemail enables users to take a quick glance at their list of voice mail messages to check for important ones – without having to listen to all their messages.”

Citrix happens to have a deal in place that allows customers to use Visual Voicemail on Cisco’s IP phones. Cisco recently put such gear under its iPhone brand, making use of an old trademark. 

Do you seem to notice a pattern here? Apple has announced a product that not only infringes on 1 patent, but it in fact infringes on at least 1 more as well. Of particular irony is this quote from Steve Jobs (captain Douche Bag himself):

“Just as the Macintosh was a breakthrough in 1984 for its mouse, and the iPod in 2001 for its click wheel, the iPhone’s stroke of genius is this new ‘multi-touch’ technology,” he said, according to The Economist. “And boy have we patented it.”

Patented what? Someone else’s patent? How ignorant and arrogant can you be?

On Cisco’s iPhone Trademark

If the tables were turned, do you think Apple would allow someone to blatantly infringe on their rights? How would Apple react if someone launched a product called iPod but claimed it was ok to use the name because it used a different video format? Would that be ok? We know the answer – Apple is a very aggressive enforcer of their trademark rights. And that needs to be a two-way street.  This lawsuit is about Cisco’s obligation to protect its trademark in the face of a willful violation. Our goal was collaboration. The action we have taken today is about not using people’s property without permission.

This is precisely what I have been saying since the announcement. Apple would throw a fit if some other company came out with an iPod that only was an FM tuner (for example). A name is a name, and a name is trademarked and Apple damn well knew that. Personally, I hope the courts bend Apple over and absolutely destroy the iPhone and require all kinds of royalties and damages to Cisco.

What Apple did is arrogant, stupid, and hypocritical to the point of being almost funny. You want another example of why I hate Apple? Here ya go.