Apple, Mac, & iPhone News...
February 22nd, 2010
Morning all,
Interesting reports from Reuters out of China made up the bulk of our internet search for news today--we all know Apple is highly secretive about its products, but we prefer to think about it as little as possible...
Also, an update from the App Store (come on, like you haven't noticed already) and a look at a price cut on iTunes--who knows? Maybe a trial run for 99 cent TV shows will change the world again.
Foxconn and Secrecy
Metal detectors, special sizes and specifications, last minute requests and aggressive leak consequences are just a few of the tactics Apple uses at its production facilities to maintain their trademark level of secrecy. Aside from the scary military-esque connotations, don't you think it's kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? You know, crazy innovator keeps trade secrets under lock and key, turns out incredible product after incredible product, refuses to reveal even the tiniest snippet of information...may we suggest a spin off to you, Mr. Jobs?
Golden tickets in iPad boxes with a tour for the lucky winners...maybe this is the answer to lukewarm iPad reception!
We're kidding, kind of--we are very excited about the iPad here--but the fact that Apple's dedication to absolute secrecy has become akin to obsession is a little scary. This article goes into great detail, and we'll leave it to you to decide how much or how little of the story you want to know.
App Store Purge
For those of you who finally decided to pick up one of the myriad wobbly boob applications available we're sure the weekend's App Store update was a crushing blow. But we're going to agree with most of the tech pundits speaking about the issue and say that even though it appears prudish to remove apps no racier than what you can watch on daytime TV it's a good move for Apple. The App Store is theirs, and they have to sell their brand...and Apple's brand doesn't need the boost these apps provided.
Sure, if you're running Safari you have free reign over the internet, but Apple's not trying to control that. Yet.
Schools and parents everywhere, rejoice!
iTunes TV Shows
Pricing has been an issue since humanity began the bartering system, and let's face it: the closer to free it is the more likely we are to buy it, whether we need the it in question or not. Currently priced at $1.99 for standard def and $2.99 for HD, TV shows on iTunes are much more expensive than other media, especially considering most of us already pay for cable. We would still stick with our DVR over shelling out twice for the same programming, but we have to admit we;d be ore tempted at the 99 cent price point. Can Apple's innovations in other industries convince big cable companies to try it out? So far, no dice. But we think it would be a great trial run and we'll bet that the volume of sales would offset the price cut...
Would you pony up if TV shows dropped in price? Tell us on Twitter.
Till tomorrow, Newsies...