Apple has a big unveil -- and the products were OK, too...If your TV is bigger
than 50, you're a glutton...and AT&T Wireless has a message for many of us,
and it's not good news.
Welcome to the Buzz Report. I'm Brian Cooley in for Molly Wood -- who no
longer uses a Mac and dumped her iPhone -- as she vacations in a savanna in
Swaziland hoping to avoid the Apple hype this week -- if only it were that easy.
First, the Gadget of the Week!
The gadget of the week is ... Steve Jobs. Certainly the coolest thing on the stage
this week at the Apple event was Him.
In spite of a year of medical hell, he looked pretty much the same -- made easier
by the fact he only has one set of clothes.
He trotted out the "other" Gadgets of the week, including Nanos with a video
camera -- you can almost hear them swallowing hard over at Flip.
iTunes 9 with virtual LP's -- sounds like a once & out gimmick to me.
iPod Touches with new capacities and prices -- but not cameras, annoyingly.
And even more annoyingly, no Beatles music!
Plus everyone's favorite corporate engraved tech gift, the Shuffle, now talks to
you. No thanks, I get enough dumb silicon talking to me reviewing car navigation
systems.
But most importantly the leader of the most important company in consumer tech
is back at the helm and whether you're a consumer or investor you feel a little
better about Apple today. Welcome back, Steve.
Now the news.
Palm strapped on a pair and launched its new smartphone on the eve of the
Apple event. But those cojones looked pretty shrivelly when the name was
announced.
The Pixi.
It's like a thin, non-slider Palm Pre without Wi-Fi, aimed at teens and young
adults on a lower budget. But that's the same generation that thinks of Wi-Fi like
their parents did dialtone. And the samegeneration that popped out the womb all
jaded and cool, so you give them a device called the PIXI!?
Yeah, I know, Apple has all the cool "i" names wrapped up.
Microsoft has "Zune", which sounds like the frontman for some edgy Romanian
indie rock group.
Android's cool because it conjures the whole robot thing.
BlackBerry is hip because, well, ... anyway.
Carrying a Pixi is a cool way to start a new school year or whole new school with
a product that says, hey, meet me between classes and you can check out my
Pixi and then beat my ass because I'm a dork!"
That better be one damned strong device.
As you sit back in front of your ginormous flat screen today, know that the EPA
wants you to feel bad about it.
They want Americans to think of 50" TV's the largest they can conscionably buy -
- it's an energy consumption thing.
To throw down a gauntlet, going forward, TV's that are bigger than 50" -- even
much bigger -- will have to be as energy efficient as a 50" or no Energy Star label
for you. And the standards only get tighter in the next 2 years. We rate energy
consumption on TV's now and lemme' tell you, the big boys use a lot more juice.
But as long as you bring it home in your Prius I guess you're still cool.
And since Molly isn't here this week, it falls upon me to keep AT&T Wireless
honest. A big job, yes, but made a easier this week by them sending out this
memo:
Dear S.F. and NY;
Up Yours.
-- AT&T
You see they put out a schedule for upgrading 3G network that HSPA 7.2
technology. And, well, those two iPhone-loving, 3G-gobbling, AT&T glitchiness-
hating cities aren't on it. Just a vague promise that other cities will get it next
year. Next year's a long time. Enough to run out my contract.
If you're in L.A., Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, or Charlotte, congrats -- you'll
be hooked up by end of this year.
Lemme' know what it's like to see a web page load.
That's the Buzz Report, I'm B.C. Don't worry, Molly's back next week.
