Reach Out and Unlock Someone

CNet has a great little story today on why we're likely to see more and more "unlocked" cell phones coming into the U.S. market. Unlocked phones are devices that can be used on any carrier's network, instead of the current model where cellular carriers subsidize the cost of new phones to attract adn retain customers. Notice this juicy little nugget about the iPhone:

But experts say tiny cracks are forming in the current model that could challenge mobile operators' dominance whether they like it or not. Apple, with its iPhone, has the brand recognition and established retail channel to easily sell millions of devices on its own. Initially, that device, whose price starts at $499, will be sold exclusively through Cingular. But experts say it's possible that Apple may eventually sell it directly to consumers.

"I think the first time there will be a threat will be if Apple unlocks the iPhone and sells it in its stores," said Lin. "It's already priced near the high end, so subsidies won't make much difference, and Apple already has such good brand recognition."

Finallly... A Journalist Not Swayed by the iPhone Hype

Stephen Colbert manages to reference both punchcards and Segway Polo leagues in his takedown of the Apple iPhone. Apparently he's "flaccid with rage."

YouTube finally realizes it can do TV better than TV can do itself

It's been a wild week for home entertainment buffs (Which is basically everyone at this point. Even my mom has Netflix.). Apple introduced its set-top multimedia box, the Apple TV. Also, YouTube is considering starting its own conventional television channel.

Everyone knows the days of analog TV and shipping DVDs through the mail is waning. And it looks like some kind of universal home entertainment server is the direction we're headed. Wirelous routers and satellite dishes are great, but faster network access and better monitor technology means your TV in five years will be a lot more like your computer than the TV you have sitting in your living room right now. And the obvious technical challenges posed by this will be completely destroyed by an online experience that's faster and more visceral than old TV.

The internet is pretty much already at the point where it's better at TV than TV -- a fact apparent to anyone who realizes they just killed two and half hours surfing YouTube and Wikipedia.

Reach out and touchscreen someone

Your phone will never be the same. At last, that was the theme of yesterday's announcement that Apple will indeed be launching its iPhone in June. Is all the hype justified? It might be.
The new device is so groundbreaking because of its radical implementation of touchscreen technology. Yes, various PDAs and the iPod itself have been using some forms of touch technology, but that was only in a limited form -- not nearly what the iPhone promises to deliver. I think the main lesson from this is that touchscreen will be the main method users will interact with their devices. Buttons and styluses (styli?) are gone. Machines as versatile and complex as the iPhone will make physical buttons obsolete sooner rather than later.
Check out what Time had to say about Apple's approach:

They began by melting the face off a video iPod. No clickwheel, no keypad. They sheared off the entire front and replaced it with a huge, bright, vivid screen—that touchscreen Jobs got so excited about a few paragraphs ago. When you need to dial, it shows you a keypad; when you need other buttons, the screen serves them up. When you want to watch a video, the buttons disappear. Suddenly, the interface isn't fixed and rigid, it's fluid and molten. Software replaces hardware.

One area of the launch that wasn't so inspiring, though, was Apple's "singular" to offer the iPhone through only a single U.S. cellular provider. The rumors before the phone's launch were that Apple would offer the iPhone as an "unlocked" device -- meaning customers could use it with any cellular provider they wished. To the frustration of a lot of people, it won't happen right away. And that's too bad, because Apple's foray into unlocked phones could have had a massive effect on the industry overall. Customers willing to pay the $500-600 cost of an iPhone probably won't want to also be stuck with a contract for cell phone service. They'll want to shop around.