iTunes, meet Mobile Me
First it helps to look at what Lala.com has been offering to users, the ability to sync their music libraries onto Lala and then stream that music to any web browser from any computer, just by logging in. Right away this suggests to me that Apple is looking for a new feature to boost the feature set of it’s highly criticized Mobile Me service. Mobile Me, among other features, is a service that gives registered users the ability to work with their iLife files through a web-based interface. Sharing your iPhoto images, uploading your video creations from iMovie, etc. Apple has said publicly that it is planning new features for Mobile Me and this seems like a perfect fit considering iTunes is technically part of the iLife suite.

But that’s not all…

A subscription-based music/video service?
In addition to online music library distribution, Lala.com also offers the ability to “purchase” songs for unlimited playback for $0.10 per track. Of course you can’t download it for that price, it’s $0.79 to purchase an MP3 of the same song. Apple of course offers a very similar service with their iTunes Store… minus the subscription based service. Many speculators take this as a sign that Apple is planning to offer a subscription service for iTunes, which also seems possible despite Apple’s statements to the contrary in the past. But there are some technical issues this could address as well, such as their movie rental service.

As it stands, when you rent a movie from iTunes you have to physically download that video to your hard drive in order to watch it completely. Yes, it will stream once the download has started, but the entire video file must be downloaded in order to finish the movie only to be deleted once your rental period has expired. What if they could stream that rented video from the cloud to your device without ever having to transfer the 1GB+ video file to your machine? Even the experience of purchasing movies from Apple TV could be improved if you had the option to store the movie on the cloud instead of downloading it that already full hard drive on your computer.

In the news recently there have been reports of Apple pitching a subscription-based service to some of the television networks. This platform also seems like a great solution for an online television subscription service…

A few dropped hints
There have also been a few product features here lately that hint that Apple is moving in the direction of a media center or server to client relationship with some of its products. Apple TV most notably has the ability to stream content from your iTunes library to your television without having to physically transfer large video files from your host computer to the Apple TV. And because of the prices of Solid State Drive technology Apple is unable to increase hard drive capacities on its flash-based devices, such as the iPhone and most of the iPod line, users are unable to transfer their large music and video libraries onto these devices.

So what would a service like Lala.com do to remedy this problem? They provide the storage and stream the content to your device over your internet connection (or mobile network). So now instead of selecting a subset of your music library to import onto your iPhone you simply sync your iTunes library data with this new service and instantly have access to all of your music instantly. And it wouldn’t stop at iPhones and iPods either, you can bet this service would be hugely popular for media center products like the Apple TV who’s hard drive is much too small for the average digital media collection. Many folks who’ve gone DVD-less are filling 1TB+ drives so quickly that most storage solutions aren’t large enough, even their home PC.  It’s a perfect example of cloud computing and truly a great idea if they’re looking to add value to Mobile Me.

I left Thursday morning and drove to the AT&T store in Muncie Indiana. It was the closest place I could find that actually carried the iPhone. The company I work for offered to purchase the phone for me so I was off to pick it up and get it setup right away.

The features of the iPhone have been discussed ad nauseum and frankly I’m tired of hearing all of the feature overviews. What I will say is that The iPhone is an incredible device. It’s the first gadget I’ve ever used that actually exceeds the hype and marketing surrounding it. What’s so amazing about it? Everything works exactly as you might expect. The interface is so clean and simple and inviting and even for a person like myself with large hands it’s easy to navigate around without hitting the wrong buttons.

Here are a few of the things I’ve loved about the iPhone that I didn’t expect:

1. It brings new value and enjoyment to apps already on my computer
   I’ve always used iCal and Address Book for managing events and contacts, but neither was an app that I used every day. The fact is that I wanted a way to access that information even if I wasn’t on the computer. Until I didn’t have a way to do so. Now if I create an even in iCal and set an alarm it’s transferred to my iPhone and I get a friendly little sound when the alarm is triggered. My contacts are all synced to the iPhone and are instantly accessible with the tap of a finger. I’m especially excited about the ability to have a nice photo of all of my contacts that is displayed any time I receive or make a call to that person. Very cool indeed.

2. Truly usable portable video player
   I was pretty skeptical about whether or not I would actually want to watch a movie on a screen that’s 3.5 inches wide. However after spending some time watching YouTube videos, podcasts and even portions of feature-length movies I have to say that I enjoy it very much.

3. Data syncing from iPhone to computer
   I never got into the whole PDA thing (maybe because my life was never complicated enough to warrant having one). However, now that I’ve got the iPhone and can quickly and easily add an event to the calendar, a contact to my Address Book or even purchase songs from the iTunes store I’m wondering how I ever lived without that ability. I thought of a song I wanted to purchase from iTunes and since I wasn’t near the computer I decided to purchase it on the iPhone. Once I returned to the computer and docked the iPhone I was happy to see that the purchased song was transferred to my music library instantly.

4. The keyboard is actually nice
   I’ve got big hands. I was somewhat worried that the small, touchy keyboard in the iPhone would be a little too small for me to comfortably type on. Much to my surprise it’s actually wonderful. I don’t do the whole double-thumb express just yet but I get by pretty quickly using a single finger. I’ve been updating Twitter, replying to emails and surfing the web (including filling out forms, wow) with ease.

Here are a few features I’d love to see on the iPhone in the future:

1. Voice activated commands
   My free LG phone from Verizon allowed me to call a contact in my address book by simply saying their name. As far as I can tell the iPhone doesn’t have this ability, however I think it’s reasonable to expect that feature in the near future.

2. One touch speed dialing
   I would love to be able to display the keypad, hit the number 1 and have it automatically call my wife. Again, a feature that my LG phone had that seems absent from the iPhone. The favorite contacts list is nice but it’s a little difficult to use if you’re not looking at the phone.

3. A more robust iTunes mobile store
   Don’t get me wrong, the fact that I can purchase songs with my phone is awesome. Since I had never owned a smart phone before now this isn’t something I ever expected to have on a portable device. However it’s obviously a very watered down version of iTunes. From what I’ve seen you can’t access/subscribe to podcasts, preview/download music videos or movies or tv shows and I believe audiobooks are missing as well. I know that most of these are high bandwidth items but it would be nice if they were at least available if someone wanted to purchase them. How cool would it be if you could order a movie on your iPhone and when you returned home you find that it has been downloaded to your computer/Apple TV?

So, in short the iPhone is wonderful. I’m so thankful that my employer was gracious enough to allow me to get one and I can’t wait to start developing for it!!! Have an iPhone? I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you like and what improvements you’d like to see.

More color options for MacBook

Apple has made it clear over the last couple of years that it is trying to use its popular iPod to help and sell more of their computers, and to a large extent they’ve been very successful at doing so. In most cases this has meant MacBooks (previously iBook) that closely resemble the industrial design of the iPod. Smooth curves and glossy white as well as black finishes are obvious similarities on both the iPod and the MacBook. So, now that we’ve got a highly colorful assortment of iPod Nanos can we expect Apple to roll out new color options for the MacBooks? We’ll see! I have to admit that a lime green MacBook would almost put my MacBook lust over the edge.

iTunes Movie Store Rental Option

Apple didn’t exactly surprise the world when they announced the inclusion of movies on the iTunes store. There had been speculation for many months before the event that suggested Apple would do so. However, what was surprising was the lack of movie studio support and the absence of a rental option. Purchasing a digital copy of a movie is a great idea, but paying around $10 for it isn’t that enticing when many DVDs are nearly the same price.

I believe we’ll see a new DRM-controlled rental option on the iTunes movie store. You pay $3 or less for a digital download of the movie that will play as expected on your computer for 30 days or so. Then, after that period, the file (which can no longer be played) can be deleted.

Apple Video Tablet

Some time ago there was a big to-do made about Apple patent filings for what appeared to be a large tablet PC with a touch screen display that was around 8�? in size. After the TabletMac was all but dismissed some others started to speculate about the possibility of this being a new portable video device that Apple was planning to release. With Apple’s recent interest in the movie field this seems highly possible. It also sounds like a good companion to the iTV. Movies streamed wirelessly to your portable video screen anyone?

Some other well known predictions that I also agree with are:

• Video iPod with larger, widescreen display
• iPhone
• iTV release (finally)

However, those who have visited Apple’s website recently likely noted the new graphical feature which states “The first 30 years were just the beginning.�?. So could we all selling Apple’s announcements short?

Todd Dailey has written a wonderful guide (with photos) called “Restore your iPod nano to new condition with a $4 can of Brasso” to show you how to make your iPod look like new for the cost of a can of Brasso ($4 currently). His pictures make it very clear that this is indeed a great second chance for those of you who decided not to opt for a protective case for your investment.

I’m a fan of several podcasts for different reasons. Below are a few that I listen to regularly.

The Ricky Gervais Show
I’m a HUGE fan of BBC’s The Office and Ricky Gervais is the man who played the wonderful David Brent. This podcast is hosted by the two writers of The Office (Gervais and Steve Merchant) as well as the increadibly funny Karl Pilkington (whom is usually the target of Ricky and Steve’s brutal assault). The show captures many of the bits of humor that make The Office so great and it’s a great way to get your dry english comedy fix until Extras is out on DVD. They’re only going to produce 12 episodes (they’ve done 9 so far) and then they’re taking a break, so get on the train while you still can!

Website: http://www.rickygervais.com

Photoshop TV
I’ve always been a little overwhelmed by how many different things Photoshop is able to do and like most users I have only mastered part of its capabilities. So, I decided to check out Photoshop TV and find out if it might assist me and growing my Photoshop skills little by little. I’m very excited about this podcast, which features several tips and tricks on every episode. So far I’ve watched about 5 episodes and I’ve learned at least 1 (usually 2) tricks that I didn’t know before each time I’ve watched it. It’s hosted by three well known people in the Photoshop community known as “The Photoshop Guys“. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking to further your Photoshop skills or find out how other professionals use the software.

Website: http://www.photoshopguys.com/

ABC’s Lost: The (Enhanced) Transmission
Hosted by Ryan and Jen from Hawaii (where Lost if filmed) The Transmission is considered by many Lost fans to be the best Lost podcast out there. Each show they now only recap the previous episode and talk about their ideas for the show but they also have some information about filming locations (which sometimes will give you a taste of what’s coming up in the show). At close to 2 hours long it’s one of the longest podcasts I’ve seen which I think is great. They also feature the Lostline which allows show listeners to call in and leave their ideas/thoughts about Lost for others to hear.

(UPDATE: Ryan and Jen announced today that they are ending their podcast for scheduling reasons. However, if you’d like to hear their back episodes I believe that they will still be available.)

Website: http://www.hawaiiup.com/lost/

The Officil Lost Podcast
This podcast is hosted by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, both writers for Lost, and contains some wonderful hints about the show as well as a short segment where they answer fan questions. This podcast is pretty short but the quality of the hints they give out makes it worth listening to.

Website: http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/podcasts/

Cinecast
If you’re a movie buff looking for an outlet Cinecast is for you. Sam Hallgren and Adam Kempenaar offer up some of the most in-depth reviews that I’ve ever heard and so far I trust their opinion more than I trust Ebert and Roeper. They really dive into each movie they review and give you all the information you need to decided rather to check out a film or not. They also do older films, which is pretty unusual. I enjoy hearing about older films that I’ve missed, it has given me many film ideas for my Netflix queue.

Website: http://www.cinecastshow.com/

I don’t have the kind of cash on hand to just go out and buy a $400 gadget usually, but I received money from several people for Christmas and ended up having enough that I could afford it. You know how it is though, as soon as you have the cash you think of a million other things that you would like to spend it on… I went on a shopping trip to Indy with my dad and my brother, our target being Best Buy. I had all but put the iPod out of my mind, deciding that I didn’t want to spend all of my money on one item. After spending an hour or longer looking around Best Buy and not really finding much that i wanted I decided it was time to bite the bullet. I asked my dad if we could go over to the Apple store, which was a few miles away and we were off (not before waiting in a huge day-after-Christmas-is-return-day line at Best Buy.

When we arrived at the Apple store, which is situated in an upscale shopping mall in northern Indy, and I headed in while dad and Austin tried to find a parking spot in the overly-crowded parking lot. Once I got into the store what I saw was complete chaos, the small store was filled to the gills with people all I wanted to find out was whether or not they had any black, iPods in stock so I could get one and leave. They have small areas setup for people looking to purchase an item with a credit card and have no discounts or coupons to claim, but I wanted to use my student discount so I couldn’t use those stations… I had to wait in the long line. I waited, and waited for around 15 minutes and finally got the front of the line. I felt like Ralphy and his Brother on A Christmas Story when they wait in line forever to see Santa and his evil elves, I was so excited. I stepped up “Do you have any black 60Gb iPods in stock? Okay, how much would that be with a student discount? Great!” The total for the purchase (with tax) ended up being around $391, about $30 cheaper than the full price with tax. I was happy.

The ride home I stared at the bright screen wishing that I already have some music on it so I could test out the headphones. When we finally arrived home it was time to begin ripping all of my cds and putting them onto the iPod (a process that took the better part of two days). Once I was done with my music I wanted to try some video, so I purchased an episode of Lost from the iTunes Music Store. Pure bliss. The image quality of the screen is even better than I hoped for with a resolution of 320×240.

I’ve been getting more use out of my iPod than I expected. Not only do I use it at the gym and in my car while I’m driving, but I’ve even consolidated all of my music from home and work and have therefore saved a total of around 15Gb of space between the two computers. Now I take my iPod to work everyday, plug it into my computer and play music directly off the iPod! It’s so great!