iPhone 4, 3GS outsell competition in Q2 says NPD Group

NPD’s just published their Q2 2011 Mobile Phone Track service report, which lists the top five selling smartphones in the U.S. for the months of April-June of this year. they are:

  1. Apple iPhone 4
  2. Apple iPhone 3GS
  3. HTC EVO 4G
  4. HTC Inspire 4G
  5. Samsung INTENSITYII

many people would correctly assume that the iPhone 4 would be on top, but it’s interesting that Apple’s iPhone 3GS — which launched more than two years ago in June 2009 — is sitting at the #2 spot and outselling more advanced, more powerful, 4G android smartphones.

Sure, the fact that the phone now sells for $49 with a two year AT&T contract (or free if you buy today) can account for some of its popularity, but there are several newer Android handsets that would be on the list if price were the only factor.

the fact that the iPhone 4, which is 14 months old, and the iPhone 3GS still top NPD’s smartphone chart is a testament to Apple’s combined hardware and software ecosystem. when the 26-month old iPhone 3GS is still outselling dual-core 4G Android handsets it suggests that, in a post-PC world, regular consumers care about tech specs less than ease-of-use and good design.

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Taptera Secures $2 Million Funding for Enterprise iPhone and iPad Apps

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 24, 2011 — /PRNewswire/ — Taptera, a leading developer of Apple mobile enterprise apps, today announced it has secured $2 million in Series A funding led by prominent Silicon Valley investor Terence Garnett. other participants in the round include salesforce.com and an impressive array of leading CEOs, Silicon Valley investors and luminaries including M.R. Rangaswami and David Murphy.  Garnett will also join the company’s board of directors.

Taptera will use the funding to develop a revolutionary portfolio of Apple iPad and iPhone apps that will profoundly advance processes for sales, operations, collaboration and creativity.  Taptera’s first app, called Colleagues, is a powerful mobile employee directory that will be unveiled this fall.

“As an enterprise investor, I’ve witnessed an explosive transformation with the rapidly growing adoption of Apple’s iPhone and iPad platforms in the corporate market,” said Terence Garnett.  ”Given the proven track record of Taptera’s leadership team in building enterprise Apple applications during their time at Genentech and in partnership with salesforce.com, they are poised to influence and advance the multibillion dollar Apple-centric mobile enterprise application industry.”

the Taptera team includes:

Co-Founder and CEO Chris O’Connor, who has 18 years of experience bringing innovative IT solutions to Fortune 500 companies. At Genentech O’Connor spearheaded the company’s move to empower its workforce with creative and cost effective mobile applications.  his mantra is “Great employees deserve great apps.”

Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Dan McCall, who is obsessed with creating products that people love.  while at Genentech, McCall built and managed over 30 critically acclaimed Apple mobile apps.

Chief Design Officer John Ellenich, a master of visual arts has designed several award-winning consumer iPhone and iPad applications including FlightTrack, which is in the App Store ‘Hall of Fame’.

Chief Technology Officer Mike Janson, a veteran technology leader with more than 20 years of experience.  Janson joins Taptera from salesforce.com where he directed teams that developed Salesforce Chatter, one of the most well-known collaboration tools in enterprise.

“Taptera gives businesses a fast, effective and secure way to empower their mobile employees,” said Chris O’Connor, co-founder and CEO of Taptera.  ”Our apps are an excellent way for a company to capitalize on their recent mobile investments while delighting their employees at the same time.”

“Taptera is going to transform the way you think about enterprise mobility,” said Dan McCall, co-founder and chief product officer.  ”Simply put, we’re making the best enterprise off-the-shelf apps you’ve ever seen.”

About Taptera

Founded in 2011, Taptera builds fast, beautiful, secure off-the-shelf mobile apps for the enterprise.  Headquartered in San Francisco, the leadership and development teams have a strong record of entrepreneurial success and come from companies including Genentech, inc., salesforce.com and Mobiata (acquired by Expedia.)  for more information visit taptera.com.

Duff: Can Apple be Apple without Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs decided to step down as CEO of Apple this week, but it’s not the end of Apple, and it’s not the end of the world.

We can expect Jobs to stay on as figurehead of the company, and we can trust Steve’s judgment as a manager, as he leaves a hand-picked team behind.

Jobs’ health has been declining for a long time, so this should not really be a surprise to anybody. I’m sure Apple will be fine for the next few years as the company rolls out long-term plans and makes incremental improvements in existing products.

But without Jobs to provide vision and crack the whip, who’s going to make the next iPhone?

Or, to be more specific, who’s going to build my Dick Tracy watch?

The technology is almost here. We’ve got the touch screens, the Bluetooth headsets, the onboard processing power and the video displays.

Alpha geeks are already building customized bands and walking around with Nanos on their wrists. it can’t be long until somebody adds a phone.

Will Apple still have what it takes to build that next big thing? Will they still have the most valuable stock in the world, the only sure thing left in this crazy market?

Will the spirit of Steve Jobs prove to be as powerful as the man himself?

I was watching a documentary this morning and saw a common thread in how friends and admirers describe the man. Steve Jobs is not really a CEO. they describe him like a religious figure — a cult leader dedicated to the idea of Apple as fervently as religious leaders are to God.

The “idea of Apple” is harder to explain, but it comes from the 1960s, from a culture that embraced freedom and passion and creativity. Apple was about breaking boundaries and shattering stereotypes.

Jobs once slammed Microsoft by characterizing it as a boring establishment company, saying they had no taste, no style and no vision.

Apple took its ideas from beautiful things in the real world. their audio equipment was built for people who love music. True Type fonts were created from the example of beautiful books. While other companies put technology first, Apple put people first.

Start with a design that people will love, then make the widgets fit.

At Apple, design comes first. the rest of the technology world has followed that example, to the point where Jobs’ vision has become ubiquitous.

I’m writing this on a PC, but I’m using True Type fonts and a windowed operating system. I’ve got beautiful pictures and beautiful music at my fingertips, and I’ve got an Apple product plugged into the back.

More than anyone else, Steve Jobs saw computers as things that people would use — things that people would live with and work on, day in and day out. Not as toys, or tools, or shopping kiosks, but as devices that people would form a connection with — the same way they form connections with the cars in their driveways and the clothes on their backs.

The iPhone is the ultimate product of Steve’s vision — a computer that does so many things, it doesn’t really feel like a computer anymore. a modern smartphone is a phone, a camera, a photo album, a music player, a book reader, a calculator and a day planner.

Take a trip back to 1984 and pick out all the devices you would need to carry with you to match the capability that now fits in a 5-ounce square. Steve Jobs didn’t invent the phone, the camera, or the music player, but he brought them all together and made them fun to use.

Apple’s business is using computers to deliver beautiful things. they did it so well, the whole world had to follow their example.

Are there still some visionaries left at Apple, or is it destined to become another Microsoft — a competent but conventional company, bogged down by turf wars and corporate overhead?

Google can handle technical stuff, but they have no flair for design.

Without a visionary to guide them, geeks inevitably produce ugly-but-functional interfaces that only look cool to other geeks.

Can Google hire a design guru and force its engineers to put humans first?

I don’t know much about Tim Cook, Jobs’ designated replacement, but I’m willing to bet the spirit of Steve Jobs will carry Apple into the next decade before somebody changes the world again.

THE PAGE STOPS BUT THE BLOG GOES ON. TALK BACK TO MICHAEL AT MICHAELDUFF.NET.

iPhone/iPod Game Review: Burn it all – Journey to the Sun

I sat on my bed listening to The Toadies wail out their hit song “I Burn” on iTunes and thought to myself, “They’re right!” Fire is bright! Fire is clean! never felt so alive.

It was a rough day though and I didn’t feel very alive; I was beat. I wanted to sit around a bonfire with loved ones, soothed by the crackling sounds and easy conversation. however, I faced the ugly truth — city life doesn’t offer much escape or the opportunity to sit around such a fire, and the frantic pace never leaves enough free time to truly unwind. I turned the music volume up and stewed in my frustration.

Then, my iPod came to the rescue; I downloaded a new game called Burn it all – Journey to the Sun, a gripping, well-designed puzzle game by Pastagames and BulkyPix. it let me pour the pent-up stress from the day into my touchscreen in a fast-paced, challenging, and beautifully designed way. I was, and remain, hooked.

This app is enthralling because the gamer controls the unique character — a little flame whose sole mission is to burn all the pieces of rope and various obstructions (like demonic bats and wooden shapes) in each level while avoiding harmful, intuitive enemies, such as water dripping from icy stalactites and sometimes helpful (see: blowtorch effect), but mostly frustrating steam vents. The worst villain of all, however, is the insistent timer which counts down when your fireball’s time is up. there are unlimited lives, but the sense of urgency and motivation to get through the worlds doesn’t die down with each victorious win or annoying failure. Instead, one feels driven to return to old turf and perfect the score, even after completing all the offered levels. An achievement badge is unlocked every now and then to spur on the elated and downtrodden alike.

The stages increase in difficulty as one progresses through the worlds (toward the ultimate goal of the sun), but several exciting variants are added here and there to keep the game interesting and addictive. there are several different flame types with specific talents (my favorite is the green one that seemingly burns through everything with ease), and distinct ropes also gradually unlock, each burning at individual rates to maximize strategy and keep things fresh. Lastly, there are a few thrilling explosions and a some surprises I wouldn’t dare ruin as your fiery ball of deceiving cuteness travels along its smiling way. I downloaded Burn it all – Journey to the Sun when it first hit the App Store for free (full version is an affordable $0.99), and immediately became enamored with the adorable, personified flames, numerous puzzle possibilities (over 100!) and glinting diamonds as rewards for completing each stage in record time. there are four worlds currently to conquer, but World Five is highly anticipated and set for release in upcoming weeks. some exciting new features hinted at include 25 new puzzles with Elevator Gameplay (I’m intrigued), Magic Keys to collect, assisted Control Mode, some 3D/4D effects for 3GS phone and iPad 2 owners, language conversion modes (and some slightly outdated extraterrestrial ones), and more.

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Ergonometric Concerns of Laptop Use

We love the portability of our laptops as they free us to work everywhere. Being able to tote your entire office from your car to home boosts productivity and employee happiness. however, this freedom comes with a downside as laptops are some of the most ergonometrically unsatisfactory devices around.

Laptops present several points of concern. first, you generally look down at your laptop, holding your head in this uncomfortable position for hours at a time. Second, your screen is never more than an arm’s length away from your body, causing you to hunch over. Lastly, your wrists are pressed against the 90-degree angle of the edge of your computer. taken together, it’s a perfect recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome and a stiff neck.

A laptop stand elevates your laptop off your desk so that you can hold your head at a more natural angle. it holds your computer at an angle so that your wrists are no longer digging into the computer’s edge. Ideally, you can use it with a wireless keyboard so that you are no longer tethered to your laptop.

The Griffin Laptop Elevator Stand

Not all laptop stands are created equal. In addition to providing an ideal ergonometric solution that frees you to use exterior input devices, such as keyboards and mice, the Griffin Laptop Elevator Stand solves other problems as well.

Unlike other laptop stands that grip the entire bottom of your computer, the Griffin Laptop Elevator Stand has only two points of contact with your laptop so that almost the entire bottom is exposed to the air. This exposure means that heat can dissipate easily from your device. We’ve all experienced the hot lap that triggers worries of overheating. these worries are a thing of the past with this Griffin laptop stand.

You may be reluctant to purchase yet another computer accessory as these contribute to the general electronic clutter of our lives. After all, who among us doesn’t have a box of random cords, chargers, remote controllers and other electronic detritus? If you compute regularly on a desktop, the Griffin Laptop Elevator Stand doesn’t fit into this category. you will soon get into the habit of automatically putting your computer on top of the stand whenever you approach your desk. unlike other stands, this one is designed to maximize desktop real estate because it allows you to store peripherals underneath your laptop.

Priced reasonably, the Griffin Laptop Elevator Stand is sure to make your work life easier. you will want one for both your home and office.

Top 10 great-sounding amplifiers from $40 to $450

Jolida FX-10 Integrated Amplifier

(Credit:Jolida)

This Top-10 list of great-sounding solid-state and vacuum-tube amplifiers includes headphone amps and vintage models. most are light on features, so if you need autosetup, GUI menus, AirPlay,iPod/iPhone/iPad compatibility, home networking, HD Radio, Bluetooth, HDMI switching, digital-to-analog converters, Dolby and DTS processors, that’s not the main plan. The focus is on amps that provide the maximum sound quality for a minimal investment, but I included one receiver with some of those goodies.

I’ll do a top-10 affordable speaker list soon.

Dayton Audio DTA-1 Amplifier ($40)

It weighs almost nothing, looks cheap and flimsy, but Dayton’s Class T amps have developed a strong following for one really good reason: people really love the sound. The DTA-1 puts out 15 watts a channel and has a mini 3.5mm analog input jack on its rear end. It’s also nice and little, just 2 inches by 6.3 inches by 3.3 inches. The DTA-1 T-amp can run on 8 AA batteries or the included power supply.

Electric Avenues PA2V2 Portable Headphone Amplifier ($60)

Gary Ali has hand-built well over 8,000 Portable Pocket Amplifiers since 2004. he now sells the Version 2 model, the PA2V2, for $60, and that price includes shipping charges (he’s in Toronto). You can use the amp with a laptop, TV, radio, iPod, MP3 player, or gaming system. I used the PA2V2 running off my iPod Classic’s line-out multipin connector, with a CablePro right Angle iPod Dock to 3.5mm plug. It sounds amazing for the money!

Dayton Audio DTA-1 Amplifier

(Credit:Parts Express)

The Electric Avenues PA2V2 Portable Headphone Amp

(Credit:Electric Avenues)

NAD 3020 Integrated Amplifier (used prices range from $50-$300)

I recently bought a 31-year-old NAD 3020 integrated amplifier on eBay for $66. It was rated at just 20 watts per channel into 8 ohms, but it can deliver as much as 58 watts into 4 ohms, and 72 watts into 2-ohm speakers! I doubt any of today’s $1,000 receivers can handle low impedance (4 or less ohm) or difficult to drive speakers as well as the 3020 can. It has a terrific-sounding phono preamplifier, so the 3020 is ideal for serious vinyl buyers on a budget.

Sherwood RX-4105 Stereo Receiver ($120)

Yes, they still make stereo receivers. this 100-watt-per-channel receiver won’t wow you with an overstuffed features list or a dazzling LCD display, but it seems well-built. It weighs nearly 20 pounds, more than most $300 5.1 channel AV receivers with the same power rating. You might wonder how that can possibly be, but the answer is simple: the AV receiver manufacturers are overly optimistic about their power ratings. Amazon currently sells the Sherwood for $91.77.

Topping TP30 Headphone & Speaker Amplifier ($129)

The Topping TP30 isn’t just a headphone and speaker amplifier, it also sports a built-in USB digital-to-analog converter! The amp delivers 15 watts per channel to 4-ohm-rated speakers (10 watts into 8 ohms), and has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front panel. With its extruded aluminum chassis, thick machined front panel, and solid-metal volume control knob, the TP30 wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end desktop system. I use this one on a daily basis.

Bottlehead Crack Headphone Amplifier ($219)

The Bottlehead Crack Headphone Amplifier is an awesome-sounding vacuum tube design. not just good for the money; if it was four or five times as expensive, I’d still love the sound. The $219 price is for the build-it-yourself kit version, which is the way most people buy them. Bottlehead also sells assembled Cracks for $369.

Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver ($249)

Rated at 50 watts per channel, the TX-8255 sports “A” and “B” speaker output connectors and can handle difficult to drive 4-ohm rated speakers. If you’re getting into vinyl, the TX-8255 has you covered with a phono preamp. Hook up a turntable and you’re good to go. Amazon sells Onkyo’s TX-8255 stereo receiver for $155.

Dynaco ST-70 Tube Power Amplifier (used prices range from $300 on up)

Designed by David Hafler in 1959, the stereo 35-watt-per-channel tube amp is legendary for its sound quality. It sold in huge numbers, so it’s not all that hard to find working ST-70s today. The design is easy to modify; a lot of surviving units have been done over. If you want classic tube sound on the cheap, a Dyna Stereo 70 would be a good place to start. I owned one in the 1980s and really loved it.

Bottlehead Crack Headphone Amplifier

(Credit:Steve Guttenberg)

Denon AVR-1712 AV Receiver ($399)

The Editors’ Choice Denon AVR-1912 receiver is a wee bit too expensive to fit in here, so I opted instead for the very similar AVR-1712. both receivers are loaded with features, so if that’s a biggie for you, and still want decent home theater sound, pick up one of these Denon receivers.

Jolida FX10 Integrated Tube Amplifier ($450)

It may be just a 10-watt-per-channel stereo amplifier, but with the Jolida FX10’s blue LEDs lighting up the EL-84 power tubes and 12AX7 small signal tubes in the glass case, the little amp looks especially cool at night. The brushed aluminum chassis and safety-glass tube cover are a big step up quality-wise from what you find on similarly priced AV receivers. And with the right speakers, the sound will be a lot more musical than what you’ll hear from a receiver. ten watts can surprise you.

Reviews: iNature Kiano 4 Case with Keyboard for iPhone 4

We’ll tell you up front that although we really wanted to like Kiano 4, the high price tag and some serious idiosyncrasies in its performance torpedoed it as a viable accessory relatively quickly. To start with the positives, iNature was relatively ambitious with the design, using an attractive glossy-backed and matte-sided frame to hold the iPhone 4, leaving huge gaps in the top, bottom, side, and front but using a mostly glassy back that looks relatively Apple-like. In addition to a hole for the iPhone 4’s rear camera, Kiano 4 has a glossy-finished typing surface that slides out of the case’s back, using magnets and a spring to create a satisfying pop-out effect.

The keyboard is illuminated, with five rows of keys including half-height number buttons, a full QWERTY typing surface with a centered space bar, and only slightly inconvenient delete and return key locations. It’s certainly one of the very nicest-looking keyboards we’ve seen for any iOS device, and though the white version’s lighting can wash out the letters under some circumstances, iNature warns about that in an included instruction manual, and provides a way to toggle the lighting off with a double-key combination.

Another positive to the design is iNature’s thoughtful approach to charging. In addition to including a micro USB to USB cable, which plugs into Kiano 4 right alongside where a Dock Connector cable will connect to the iPhone 4’s bottom, the company packs in a unique Y-shaped USB splitter so that your iPhone and the keyboard can easily recharge together. The battery inside Kiano 4 lasts for 5 hours of active typing or 30 hours of standby, supposedly going into an auto-off mode after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Unfortunately, this battery life turns out to be the first of Kiano 4’s several significant disadvantages relative to its rivals, which typically get 30 to 45 days of standby time—Kiano 4 was just not designed to properly manage power. and it was an actual issue in practice: we came back to the case after two days and found the battery dead, auto-off feature be damned. if you’re still seriously considering Kiano 4 at this point, you’d be advised to turn off the keyboard illumination early on.

Soon after using it, though, we started to wonder why iNature didn’t just do what most of its rivals have done, and include an obvious power button somewhere on the keyboard. instead, the company hides what it calls a “Bluetooth Toggle Switch” underneath the rear keyboard housing, and includes a plastic pick-like tool to switch it on and off, or to remove your iPhone during its first, second, and third initially difficult extrications. it also maps quite a few functions, unusually including even Bluetooth pairing, search, and the like to double-button combinations on the keyboard. Clearly, the company had to make some serious compromises in order to squeeze five rows of keys into such a small, narrow space—surface area only a hint bigger than what’s available on the iPhone 4’s screen, and only then by enough to accommodate the half-height number keys. Other keyboards go much wider, with superior results.

The critical problem Kiano 4 has is that the keyboard is really not very good. its physical keys are all noticeably smaller than the virtual ones on the iPhone 4—the number keys are almost ridiculously so—and they feel far less responsive, using membrane-based buttons that feel sort of like pressing down on tiny glossy plastic dots. we found typing to be far less accurate on Kiano 4 than on just using the iPhone 4’s virtual keyboard, and slower besides, deriving even less satisfaction from the feel of these physical keys than from the lack of response from Apple’s virtual ones. iNature has come up with a good-looking solution, but not one we’d actually ever want to use.

It’s also worth briefly mentioning that iNature disclaims a couple of things in Kiano 4 that can be taken for granted in other iPhone 4 keyboard cases. Unusually, the company includes warnings in the package regarding risks of damage to the keys and back, noting that the sliding mechanism can peel off the keys if forced, and that the back of the case can be scratched. a piece of film is thus included to protect the back, but a properly designed case really shouldn’t need such a thing, and users really shouldn’t have to worry about accidentally destroying the typing surface by sliding it out, either.

In short, although we wanted to like Kiano 4, the reality of actually using it fell far below reasonable expectations. iNature has come up with one of the smallest and least usable iPhone 4 keyboards, saddled it with comparatively poor battery life, and then offered it all at a higher price tag than any of its rivals. We’re sure than the design seemed great on paper, but apart from its nice looks, Kiano 4 falls so short of what users should expect from an iPhone 4 keyboard case that we have no reason to recommend it to anyone; once again, you’ll likely do better with the virtual keyboard your iPhone 4 includes for free than with what you get here for nearly $100. Hopefully iNature will go back to the drawing board, learn from its mistakes, and produce a better sequel for the next iPhone.

Hurricane Irene: New York City Live-Blog

With Hurricane Irene barreling toward new York City, I’ve decided to stay behind in my Manhattan Financial District apartment — located smack-dab in the middle of “Evacuation Zone A.” Keep refreshing this page as I live-blog the storm from my perch above lower Manhattan providing either the first pictures of Hurricane Irene new York City damage — or a whole lot of nothing. (LAST UPDATED – 8:17 PM EST)

Either way, I’ll be here — and live-blogging as long as the power’s still on or the battery in my laptop/iPad/MiFi/iPhone has a drop of charge left.

UPDATE 34 (08/28/2011 – 8:17 PM EST) — MATT: new York may have dodged the worst of it, but the worst of it seems to have landed in the Catskills and parts of Vermont. Bridges destroyed and an entire town have been completely wiped out.

UPDATE 33 (08/28/2011 – 2:16 PM EST): That river they’re boating on in the photo on the left? It’s not a river. It’s Route 18 in new Brunswick, NJ.

UPDATE 32 (08/28/2011 – 12:51 PM EST): Check out these images of the horrific devastation from our sister site, Gawker.

UPDATE 31 (08/28/2011 – 9:50 AM EST): It’s over. It’s barely spittin’ outside right now. but there’s been some flooding down in the South Street Seaport. also, you definitely shouldn’t drive through standing water. unless you absolutely have to. This guy? he didn’t have to.

I’m going to have some breakfast and take a nap.

UPDATE 30 (08/28/2011 – 9:00 AM EST) — MATT: The National Hurricane Center just downgraded Irene to a Tropical Storm with winds of 65 MPH. It just made landfall over Coney Island.

UPDATE 29 (08/28/2011 – 7:24 AM EST): thanks to Jim Roberts over at The new York Times for sending along their great gallery of reader images up. Some of the shots are absolutely beautiful. A few aren’t.

OK, so take a glance through those — I’m heading downstairs and outside. I’d ask you to wish me luck but it doesn’t look like I’ll necessarily need it. things aren’t looking as bad — yet — as this was hyped up to be. I mean, come on, we’re only three feet above MLLW.

UPDATE 28 (08/28/2011 – 7:08 AM EST): MLLW is at 8.20 ft. The normal MLLW is 4.77.

UPDATE 27 (08/28/2011 – 6:47 AM EST): My decision to head downstairs will be entirely determined by this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chart here showing tide height in Battery Park. High tide should come at just before 8:00 AM EST. already the water is well above where it normally is — but still not horrifically high.

It looks like it’s about eight feet higher than Mean lower low Water (MLLW). The normal high tide is only four feet higher than MLLW. That means we’re only talking about a difference of four feet. I’ll be concerned if I refresh in 30 minutes and Battery Park is showing well over 14 feet higher than MLLW — ten feet higher than normal high tide — because that’s inundation height.

UPDATE 26 (08/28/2011 – 6:09 AM EST): Nice nap. Not much has happened here in lower Manhattan. planning on peeking outside shortly — as soon as the light comes out. I still have power. We’re hearing areas of Jersey will be out of power for days.

UPDATE 25 (08/28/2011 – 1:07 AM EST): so, you know how people are saying this Hurricane Irene thing isn’t a big deal? Check out this video of the rain coming down I just took over at Pearl and John St. in new York’s Financial District. now imagine that much rain for the next, you know, eight hours. Whoa.

OK, I’m going to take a nap for a few hours. I’ll be back up around 4 AM — unless I lose power. see ya real soon! Why? because we like you. M-O-U-S…E.

UPDATE 24 (08/28/2011 – 12:59 AM EST): I just found El Bloombito — a parody of Bloomberg’s press conferences where he attempts, horribly, to read Spanish.

UPDATE 23 (08/27/2011 – 11:29 PM EST): just heard new Jersey had its first casualty — a surfer. Note to self — stay away from large quantities of seawater. Got it.

In other news, we’re going to head downstairs and make another short trip down to see if we can get to the South Street Seaport. This is what it looked like two hours ago when I made my last venture out-of-doors.

UPDATE 22 (08/27/2011 – 10:50 PM EST): Sometimes-intern-like person, Leeeeena the Jalopchick, has stopped by the Jalopnik Hurricane Irene not-so-mobile headquarters here in Manhattan. everyone say hi.

Also, check out that amazing shot of new York’s Times Square looking dead as a tomb. also, also, please don’t flame me if there are casualties — you know I didn’t mean it like that. K? Thx.

UPDATE 21 (08/27/2011 – 10:32 PM EST): I have the very first video of Hurricane Irene damage in new York City, and it’s… totally un-American? OK, actually, it’s totally sad and lame.

UPDATE 20 (08/27/2011 – 10:28 PM EST): Mayor Bloomberg is giving a press conference where he’s telling people to “stay inside,” and announced two kayakers floundered off the Staten Island shore and had to be rescued by harbor personnel. They were immediately ticketed. Yeah, that was to be expected. Frankly, I knew it as soon as he started with “Off the shore of Staten Island, two kayakers…”

UPDATE 19 (08/27/2011 – 8:01 PM EST): I’m heading back out again to check out the South Street Seaport. Apparently, police cars are warning people away from Battery Park, so that’s not going to work.

A number of people have asked me what it takes to cover Hurricane Irene. Although I explained most of what I had in the first update on this live-blog, here’s a photo showing most of my survival gear — although food is in a separate bag, but the Beefaroni is representative of it.

UPDATE 18 (08/27/2011 – 7:35 PM EST): just heard thunder. Told by someone in Brooklyn they’re seeing lightning strikes there. be careful wandering about in the rain, folks.

UPDATE 17 (08/27/2011 – 7:15 PM EST): There’s only 45 minutes to buy alcohol in Hoboken, NJ. Hurry up if you want to get smashed in Jersey!

UPDATE 16 (08/27/2011 – 7:04 PM EST): I’m having dinner right now before I head back outside, but first, I wanted to point you to Tamara Warren’s piece over at Forbes on cars and hurricanes.

Also, just got the following instant message from Joel Johnson, the editor-in-chief of our small artisanal sister site obsessed with the cult of video games:

Joel Johnson: SCOTCH SUPPLIES == SOLID GOAT CHEESE RATIONS == SECURED

And then he signed off. The man’s got his priorities straight, don’t he?

UPDATE 15 (08/27/2011 – 6:13 PM EST): Lauri Apple over at our sister site obsessed with power — no, sadly, not the electric kind — has a story up about the “Rikers Island situation.” Best line:

“New York City’s Department of Corrections’ failure to develop an Irene-related evacuation plan for all the prisoners trapped inside Rikers Island has pissed off people who still remember what happened to prisoners during Katrina, and also those people who oppose drowning. there are still many such people in America (they’re all on Twitter).”

UPDATE 14 (08/27/2011 – 5:55 PM EST): according to NBC News, the new York Port Authority says it will close its five airports through Sunday; no word yet on Monday.

UPDATE 13 (08/27/2011 – 5:51 PM EST): I’m back from checking out Battery Park here in lower Manhattan. There’s maybe a half a dozen joggers out on the streets — and another dozen or so weather reporters doing live shots remarking about how difficult it is to see the Statue of Liberty from the shore. you know, on account of the rain, and the clouds, and the fog, and the Hurricane Irene.

Strangely, I was able to see it and get a photo with my little Canon S95 point-and-shoot. I don’t know what fancy-schmancy HD video cameras the assembled weather-reporting press corps is using to shoot with — but I could see the Statue of Liberty just fine. And my camera only costs $395 and I bought it at Best Buy.

UPDATE 12 (08/27/2011 – 4:21 PM EST) — Matt: Ray Wert is out again to grab some photos, I’ve posted a crazy shot of an empty Grand Central Station. would be perfect for a giant game of laser tag.

UPDATE 11 (08/27/2011 – 3:14 PM EST): Heading back out to take some photos of the South Street Seaport. There’s a bunch of old-timey ships docked there. I’m sort of wondering what’s going to happen to them. I’ll be back soon. If my mom calls, tell her not to worry.

UPDATE 10 (08/27/2011 – 2:57 PM EST): I too am wondering why this guy’s whipping his penis out on The Weather Channel. The video at Gizmodo’s NSFW, FWIW.

UPDATE 9 (08/27/2011 – 2:52 PM EST): another band of rain is coming in. again, huge rain drops. Falling hard. And just as quickly, it’s over. I hear the bands of rain start to grow tighter and tighter together, until they become continuous. That is not something I’m looking forward to.

UPDATE 8 (08/27/2011 – 2:29 PM EST): This New Yorker’s car covered in packing tape and plastic sheeting is the funniest thing I’ve seen today.

UPDATE 7 (08/27/2011 – 2:06 PM EST): with all my gear spread out around me, I’m now wondering how others here in new York City are preparing to weather the storm. Drop your pics of your gear in the comments below.

UPDATE 6 (08/27/2011 – 1:48 PM EST): back in my apartment. Opened up the package I received earlier. It was from my friends at Home Depot. after hearing about problems I was having procuring supplies for covering Hurricane Irene on twitter, the team in Atlanta overnighted me a barrel of supplies including some great AA-powered LED waterproof flashlights, two torches with handles, a rain poncho, a hard hat, coveralls and some other useful supplies for trying to cover Hurricane Irene.

And I can use the bucket to pour water to flush the toilet. Yes, it’s the perfect example of how a web journalist with a lot of followers can toot his own horn by talking up how social media can reward people. Yay!

I kid, it’s totally cool that they sent what I’m now calling my “Hurricane Prep Bucket.” I’m truly thankful for their help.

UPDATE 5 (08/27/2011 – 1:32 PM EST): new York City’s buses and subways officially shut down an hour and a half ago. It’s really eerie seeing Police “Caution” tape up at every subway stop.

Although, to be fair, the Fulton Street subway stop, due to the MTA’s building of a brand-new transit center, is regularly shut down.

Mike Grynbaum, transportation reporter at The new York Times has a great piece up right now on what it takes to shut down the nation’s largest mass transit system.

Speaking of infrastructure, despite earlier statements that ConEd would be preemptively shutting down power in parts of Manhattan, they’re now claiming that won’t be the case. Good to know. It means I’ll have power for at least as long as it’s able to stay running. Hopefully through the storm, but we’ll see.

UPDATE 4 (08/27/2011 – 1:17 PM EST): Ran across the street to the Duane Reade to pick up a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke. Waiting in line I found a woman buying a slew of batteries. When I asked her where her flashlights were for those batteries, her response back to me was “I just wanted to have batteries. just in case.” Huh. Yup, glad to see new Yorkers aren’t hoarding at all.

UPDATE 4 (08/27/2011 – 1:10 PM EST): The building management just told me that they’re turning off hot water at 2:00 PM. They’re unsure when power’s going to go down. Since I live on the 17th floor and won’t have access to elevators, this ought to be fun. I’d contemplate packing up all of my gear and heading down to the lobby to wait out the storm tomorrow, but I’m concerned that both of the building’s stairwells empty out of the building rather than into the lobby. That means if I need to move to higher ground and I’m in the lobby — I have no way of doing it. This seems like bad architectural planning in my mind.

UPDATE 3 (08/27/2011 – 1:03 PM EST): one of the first big rain bands just whipped through lower Manhattan. The drops are actually rather huge. but then, just as soon as it starts, it stops.

UPDATE 2 (08/27/2011 – 11:43 AM EST): with just 16 minutes until new York City shuts down the subways and buses, I’m going to head outside and get a few photos of preparation for the storm. also, I have a mysterious package that just arrived downstairs. It may very well be from the good folks at Home Depot — who offered to help provide me some supplies to cover Hurricane Irene from here in the Financial District.

UPDATE 1 (08/27/2011 – 11:01 AM EST): It’s cloudy. A few sprinkles. new York City is shutting down mass transit in just over an hour. I’m finishing up my Hurricane Irene prep here in my apartment. Here’s some of what I’ve put together:

• Potable Water: Emergency management protocol suggests you have one gallon of water per day per person. There’s just me and I expect to be without power/without access for — at most — 24 hours. thus, I’ve hoarded ten gallons of potable water and 20 small bottles (six of them are frozen in the freezer to act as ice). I hope it’s enough.

•Non-Potable Water: I’m planning on filling up the bathtub later this afternoon before the power to the building is shut off.

• Food: 10 power bars, five cans of Beefaroni pasta, a few bags of potato chips, a dozen bananas, a bunch of grapes, four apples, four cans of an Ensure-like protein drink, a box of Starbucks Via instant coffee, a jar of pickles, a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, two small jars of grape jelly and a couple steaks in the fridge (I’m planning on cooking them around 4 PM tonight as a last meal ahead of the power going out).

• Flashlights: two LED lanterns, two mini LED maglights, and about 40 batteries.

• Radio: My trusty Radio Shack 200 channel PRO-404 scanner.

• Communications: an AT&T iPhone 3G (fully charged with a mophie battery pack and an Energizer XPal battery pack), a Verizon 3G iPad 2 (fully charged), a last-gen MacBook Pro (fully charged), a current-gen 13″ MacBook Pro (fully charged), and a Sprint mobile HotSpot. Wish I had a UPS, but I’ll just have to conserve power, I guess — no playing video games or reading comic books on the iPad!

• Clothes: Waterproof jacket (although I wish I had a Paddington Bear-like yellow jacket with a hood — anyone nearby have one in an XL?), waders, LL Bean Maine Hunting Boots, Detroit Tigers baseball cap (plus some clean underwear, socks, sneakers, t-shirts and pants in a waterproof XL Ziplock bag inside of my ruggedized gym bag.

• Reading material: Kindle, magazines, books, newspapers.

• Cameras: A Canon S95 and a Contour+ 1500, plus my iPhone and iPad cameras.

Photo Credit: BerkowitzRtrs/Reuters

you can keep up with Ray Wert, the author of this post, on Google+, Twitter or Facebook.

Analysis: iPhone 4 on the cheap? – Macworld Australia

News

Talk of a lower-priced iPhone 4 sweeping news outlets and Apple blogs isn’t exactly a shock, an analyst said today.

“Totally expected,” said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, of the news – first reported by Reuters – that Apple will launch a “lower-priced” version of the iPhone 4 “within weeks.”

That Apple will downshift the iPhone 4 to a lower price point when it introduces the next-generation model, and slash its storage space from the current minimum of 16GB fits its practice, said Gottheil, pointing to the company’s history.

When Apple debuted the iPhone 4 last summer, it did exactly the same with the previous year’s smartphone, the iPhone 3GS. then, Apple dropped the US price of the 2009 model to US$99 from US$199 as it halved memory from 16GB to 8GB.

And the company did almost the same thing the year before. With the introduction of the iPhone 3GS in June 2009, Apple kept selling the previous year’s low-end 8GB iPhone 3G, cutting the price to US $99.

In the US, the 8GB iPhone 3GS now sells for US$49; Apple and AT&T cut the price from US$99 in January 2011.

Rumurs of a specially-designed cheaper iPhone regularly surface, but have never panned out: instead, Apple has simply dropped the price of last year’s smartphone.

“Apple seems to be able to have it both ways,” said Gottheil. “on one hand, it doesn’t want to cheapen the brand and scare away people who will pay for the newest model. But on the other hand, it wants the breadth of distribution that a lower-priced iPhone provides.”

The strategy of selling the newest iPhone at full price and last year’s smartphone at a discount has worked, said Gottheil, who argued that there’s no reason why Apple would change that practice.

“the iPhone’s average selling price shows no downward trend,” said Gottheil. “It’s still north of US$600. That means there’s no substantial drop in the subsidy it’s collecting from carriers for the lower-priced iPhones.”

According to Apple’s most recent quarterly earnings statement, each iPhone sold produced an average of US$655 in revenue, down just US$9 from the US$664 average per iPhone sold of the previous quarter.

In other words, Apple’s making about the same amount for its older-generation iPhones – during the second half of 2010 and so far this year, on the iPhone 3GS – that it earns from sales of its newest model, the iPhone 4.

“That’s good news for Apple because they get to broaden the market,” said Gottheil. “For people who wouldn’t pay US$200 for a new phone, now they have you as a customer [when you pay US$99 or US$49].”

The same goes for carriers, who make money not on the sale of the device, but on the long-term contract customers must sign to obtain a new iPhone. AT&T, for example, earns a minimum of US$1,300 for each customer it signs up for a 24-month data and calling plan.

Most analysts, including Gottheil, expect Apple to introduce a new iPhone – alternately dubbed the ‘iPhone 5′ and ‘iPhone 4S’ – no later than October.

That’s when Apple will take the existing iPhone 4, strip it of some of its memory and sell it for at least half the price, said Gottheil.

Gottheil said a clue that that date is fast approaching was best Buy’s one-day deal on Monday, when it gave away the iPhone 3GS to anyone willing to commit to a two-year contract with AT&T in the US. (The only iPhone that works on rival Verizon’s network in the US is the iPhone 4.)

“That sounds like they’re trying to get rid of [iPhone 3GS] inventory,” said Gottheil of the best Buy offer.

Some analysts believe that a less-expensive iPhone would help Apple boost sales in emerging markets, such as China.

But Apple has been doing quite well, thank you, in China using its current strategy. Last month, Apple said that what it calls ‘Greater China’ – the People’s Republic, Hong Kong and Taiwan – accounted for 13 percent of the company’s revenues for the quarter that ended June 30.

Although Brian White, an Wall Street analyst with Ticonderoga Securities, believes Apple will roll out the new iPhone 5 as well as what he called a “simplified iPhone 4″ in China this fall, Apple has other cards to play there besides a cheaper iPhone.

“With growing expectations that the iPhone 5 will be an October launch, we believe the international roll out could prove faster than previous iPhone releases,” said White in a note to clients today.

White has estimated that there will be 125 million subscribers to 3G data plans in China by the end of the year, and said the number could reach 250-275 million by the end of 2012.