Newton’s Lore

If you were frustrated at getting your iPhone/iPod Touch/MobileMe activated over the weekend you weren’t the only one (although I’m sure you could have found something better to do!). Someone took the time to come up with an “I’m an iPhone” video, and JoyOfTech also had a take on the BlackBerry schadenfreude, short lived though it was. Or check out “How to get broke by buying an iPhone”
Meanwhile, Australians weren’t left out of the picture with a certain phone company’s activation system going offline before the launch. Which was probably better than Optus (i)phone users in Queensland being unable to dial emergency 000.

Some folks on MacTalk.com.au mentioned (and probably compiled) this Google spreadsheet containing an Australian iPhone 3G pricing comparison.

Some friends of mine have written an article for Media Culture called iTunes Is Pretty (Useless) When You’re Blind: Digital Design Is Triggering Disability When It Could Be a Solution.
Check it out!

Although I’m somewhat suspicious that the claim that pod in iPod stands for “Portable on Demand”, seems more like a backronym coined by those wanting to use it to attempt to avoid being sued by Apple’s Lawyers.

Meanwhile some folks find podcasting less than inclusionary (sadly for a lecture series on Disability Inclusion!)

Personally I think the iPhone will suck from the ‘You have to look at it to use it’ point of view. Buttons at least make phones easier to use without looking at them. Perhaps some accelerometer based gesture user interface (although difficult to use in your pocket without looking somewhat suspicious Roll on the haptic iPhone.

Incorporating some iPhone categories this year (because hey, they’re cooler than those boring old Macs), we have

• Best iPhone Web Application - Remember The Milk for iPhone and iPod touch 1.0 You’ll never forget the milk again! (runner up was AP Mobile News Network 1.0)
• Best Mac OS X Leopard Application - ScreenFlow 1.1.1 from Vara Software Limited for capturing and producing screencasts. (Runner up was the cool Bee Docs Timeline 3D Edition 2.1 for producing 3D timelines, strangely enough)
• Best New Mac OS X Leopard Game - Guitar Hero: III Legends of Rock 1.1 (Runner up Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars 1.09)
• Best Mac OS X Leopard User Experience Macnification from Orbicule BVBA (Runner up, Checkout 2.1 point of sale system from Werck BV)
• Best Mac OS X Leopard Graphics and Media Application - Screenflow 1.1.1 (Runner Up FotoMagico 2.2 from Boinx Software Ltd.
• Best Mac OS X Leopard Student Product - Squirrel (alpha), a financial management application from Axel Péju (runner up Flow 1.0.1, an FTP client with editor and QuickLook from Brian Amerige)

According to The Australian’s IT section, Apple Australia have announced the availability of iTunes U in Australia. Content will be provided by some of Australia’s leading universities including

• The University of Western Australia
• The University of New South Wales
• Griffith University
• Swinburne University
• Otago University
• Australian National University
• University of Melbourne

Conveniently these universities are already running automated lecture capture or recording systems.

If you want to trade in your mobile number (and no doubt some privacy) for a chance to win a 24 carat gold plated iPhone you can do so here.

MacDailyNews reports that Apple’s market value is now four times as big as Dell’s. Perhaps it’s time for Michael Dell to sell up and give the money back to the shareholders?

The iPod portaParty gives you a space to plug in your iPod and get down.

The Apple University Consortium has announced innovation Seeding Grants, primarily aimed at students. Participants are provided with a mentor, equipment and resources to complete the project and must share progress via a blog with the ultimate outcome being licensed via open source, creative commons or similar licensing.

barinya reports that the Australian Apple iPhone rollout will be occurring in June, (as pretty much everyone expected) to coincide with WWDC (Stevenote June 9th) and the opening of the Sydney Apple Store, and that dealers have been informed of this information. Local Mac resellers will be able to sell them, and they’ll be unlocked, and available on more than 1 carrier (which implies they’ll be 3G). Hopefully given WWDC’s byline of “A landmark event in more ways than one” they’ll also be including GPS capability…