9.14.2007
9.13.2007
Expectant New Baby
As mentioned earlier, I've been working on finding the replacement for my Krups XP4000 espresso machine. After going through research from different sites including CoffeeGeek.com, I found this Gaggia Carezza standing out. 21 and 85 reviewed this products on CoffeeGeek and Amazon respectively and the average rating is roughly 8 out of 10, not bad for an espresso machine in $200 range.
Darnit Palm. What Happened to You?
- You used to be my favorite gadget maker before iPod came to existence.
- You made sleek, slim, and nice handheld PDA which I loved so much and used over the course of two years.
- You were always there for Mac users when they want a PDA that doesn't crap out on the Mac.
- Your Palm OS was probably the best PDA operating system even now compared to that run on the iPhone.
- Your Treo has been a close competitor of Blackberry even though you don't have backend solution like them.
- You made my current mobile device, although I hate Windows OS to the bone and it's kinda thick, I still like look and feel of your hardware, compared to those thick and old HTC models.
Now...
- You announced the partnership with Microsoft to have Windows Mobile, which your OS is far more superior, on your devices.
- You came up with "stuck-in-the-middle"-sized mobile concept Foleo, and then killed it even before it was born.
- Your PDA-only devices have features that are far more superior the iPod Touch for a long time but they no longer sell.
- Lastly, You came up with Palm 500v, which run Windows Mobile and does not have touchscreen. This is just your own version of Motorola Q which looks like an ugly T-mobile Dash. Only reasons people bought the Treo over Windows Mobile devices or Blackberries are your OS and the touchscreen.
9.12.2007
Saab Transformers
I've seen this commercial for ages, long before the Transformers hype, but totally forgot about it. Although GM is a big sponsor of Transformers the movie, they didn't really feature Saab in there. Saab 9-7x sucks but the ads looks really cool though.
No More Price Cut Analysis - Steve Jobs Got Pissed
All right folks. This is why I said my earlier blog post was the "last words". But you people didn't believe me, just kept going on about it. Now, he's pissed. Enough now guys; if you continue, he'll be screaming and won't cut any price again. We won't have any material to write next time.
The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Enough with the iPhone analysis stories already
The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Enough with the iPhone analysis stories already
9.11.2007
Gift Idea
Since you are the reader with good taste, I would like to present you some gift idea for upcoming special occasions.
First, for gentlemen who are into watches, I recommend the luxury octagon 18K Audemars Piguet with brown genuine crocodile leather strap. This timepiece is equipped with Tourbillon to ensure accuracy.
Buy now from Amazon by clicking the image below and you will receive 29% discount equaling $48,000, which is enough for you to purchase another Chardonnay Pearl Lexus GS350 All Wheel Drive with Bird's-Eye Maple Accent Trim to match the watch.
Second, another watch for Him. Featuring perpetual calendar, sub-dials for day, month, year, and moonphase, this timepiece has power reserve of forty-four hours. Click link below for extensive reviews from sixteen distinguish individuals who own and are impressed with it.
Lastly, if you feel uncertain of crazy trafficker around you on freeway, I recommend JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank. This would do the charm. Click the image below to see comments from one hundred and sixty customers. Order now folks, only two are left in stock at the time this post is written.
Like other Amazon product links you'll find more in this blog, once you buy anything through the clicks, I'll receive a cut of commission from the Associate program. And if you get anything in this post, I'll be your best friend, promise.
First, for gentlemen who are into watches, I recommend the luxury octagon 18K Audemars Piguet with brown genuine crocodile leather strap. This timepiece is equipped with Tourbillon to ensure accuracy.
Second, another watch for Him. Featuring perpetual calendar, sub-dials for day, month, year, and moonphase, this timepiece has power reserve of forty-four hours. Click link below for extensive reviews from sixteen distinguish individuals who own and are impressed with it.
Last Words on iPhone Price Cut
What's going on here?
Like mentioned in the prior blog post, Apple slashed $200 or 30% the retail price of their overly hyped iPhone, two months after they introduced the phone at $599. To make the early buyers feel better, Apple offers a $100 store credit to all the buyers.
The early adopters must have been hurt here then?
Oh yea... Angry rants popped up all over the country right after Steve Jobs announced this in an Apple's event last week.
What's behind this?
No one can give the definite answers on this except Steve himself or the Apple PR who have been tight-lipped. Expectedly, they're not going to say anything. Some of the hypotheses are:
1) Apple wants to boost the Christmas sales.
2) Similar to 1), they want to wow investors with Q3 and Q4 numbers, which they will.
3) They are doing price discrimination by time, letting people who are willing to pay premium buy the phones first, then broader mass which intends to pay cheaper prices will jump in after the price cut.
4) They want to release the inventory, preparing for the next revisions with 3G and other updates.
Do you think they made any mistakes from the beginning?
From economic perspective, there's nothing wrong with this logic. Early adopters naturally have suffer from the high early acquisition costs. Everyone who bought the iPhone knows about it and accepted it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have paid $600, which is three times higher than other average smartphones in the market.
$100 seems to be quite cheap for a compensation for a loyalty fan. If you're Apple, would you do anything differently?
No... I'm sure most people who own the iPhone love the devices. They're happy with it for the past couple of months, and can be a little angry to themselves for paying more than they should have. Offering money back for this reason is very unusual in this industry. Offering Steve Jobs' apology in the last paragraph of their open letter is even more unusual.
Some people are talking about Apple's fanboys. If I'm Apple, I wouldn't even worry about them. Apple has done this to the fans so many times with the iPods, laptops, and the desktops. Apple has done an incredible job in fading out and in their products. The distributors can senses a slight demand shortage, and before they realize, boom... new products are on the shelves. The fans are so used to buying Apple's gear, and then seeing the new devices in the same line at cheaper prices released a week later.
More importantly, their stock has already rebounded. People will forget about this price cut and the stock is going to make all time high again after the next earning report.
What do you think will happen to the iPhone?
The price has reduced to the point that mass is willing to pay so it's going to flow out of stores like water this holiday season. Price will not drop lower than this. For the longer term, Apple will make faster, thinner, prettier iPhone with larger storage and more features and gradually launch it at the similar price even with the carrier's partnership.
So AT&T is and will be pretty happy, huh?
Not exactly. Although they have switched, upgraded, and broken cellphone contracts of a million wireless users, they haven't really enjoyed the benefits and cross-sales of iPhone services. For example, Apple offers a tool to make ringtones from iTunes purchased songs. Or the access to iTunes music store through Starbucks' T-Mobile Wi-Fi network. AT&T will sign up at least a couple of million more users over the next two contracted years. However, I don't see this partnership lasting very long - Apple is so dominant in the relationship which can upset AT&T, Sprint has advanced AT&T in terms of technology (WiMax iPhone, anyone?), etc. After two years are over, Apple will see who can allow them to make most money. If no player stands out, they're going to unlock the iPhone.
As a consumer, what would you do?
Well... Quite hard to say. First thing is that, don't buy Apple's devices because they're cool. Apple's products are better than gorgeous most of the time. But think of it more on the features. Don't buy an iPod if you love staying home and spend five minutes driving to work every day. Then, if you think you really need a device, buy it early. I bought my 30 GB video iPod from the first month. Now it's not even outdated and I feel it worths my money. Finally, having a price protection credit card especially for buy stuff from Apple is not a bad idea.
Like mentioned in the prior blog post, Apple slashed $200 or 30% the retail price of their overly hyped iPhone, two months after they introduced the phone at $599. To make the early buyers feel better, Apple offers a $100 store credit to all the buyers.
The early adopters must have been hurt here then?
Oh yea... Angry rants popped up all over the country right after Steve Jobs announced this in an Apple's event last week.
What's behind this?
No one can give the definite answers on this except Steve himself or the Apple PR who have been tight-lipped. Expectedly, they're not going to say anything. Some of the hypotheses are:
1) Apple wants to boost the Christmas sales.
2) Similar to 1), they want to wow investors with Q3 and Q4 numbers, which they will.
3) They are doing price discrimination by time, letting people who are willing to pay premium buy the phones first, then broader mass which intends to pay cheaper prices will jump in after the price cut.
4) They want to release the inventory, preparing for the next revisions with 3G and other updates.
Do you think they made any mistakes from the beginning?
From economic perspective, there's nothing wrong with this logic. Early adopters naturally have suffer from the high early acquisition costs. Everyone who bought the iPhone knows about it and accepted it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have paid $600, which is three times higher than other average smartphones in the market.
$100 seems to be quite cheap for a compensation for a loyalty fan. If you're Apple, would you do anything differently?
No... I'm sure most people who own the iPhone love the devices. They're happy with it for the past couple of months, and can be a little angry to themselves for paying more than they should have. Offering money back for this reason is very unusual in this industry. Offering Steve Jobs' apology in the last paragraph of their open letter is even more unusual.
Some people are talking about Apple's fanboys. If I'm Apple, I wouldn't even worry about them. Apple has done this to the fans so many times with the iPods, laptops, and the desktops. Apple has done an incredible job in fading out and in their products. The distributors can senses a slight demand shortage, and before they realize, boom... new products are on the shelves. The fans are so used to buying Apple's gear, and then seeing the new devices in the same line at cheaper prices released a week later.
More importantly, their stock has already rebounded. People will forget about this price cut and the stock is going to make all time high again after the next earning report.
What do you think will happen to the iPhone?
The price has reduced to the point that mass is willing to pay so it's going to flow out of stores like water this holiday season. Price will not drop lower than this. For the longer term, Apple will make faster, thinner, prettier iPhone with larger storage and more features and gradually launch it at the similar price even with the carrier's partnership.
So AT&T is and will be pretty happy, huh?
Not exactly. Although they have switched, upgraded, and broken cellphone contracts of a million wireless users, they haven't really enjoyed the benefits and cross-sales of iPhone services. For example, Apple offers a tool to make ringtones from iTunes purchased songs. Or the access to iTunes music store through Starbucks' T-Mobile Wi-Fi network. AT&T will sign up at least a couple of million more users over the next two contracted years. However, I don't see this partnership lasting very long - Apple is so dominant in the relationship which can upset AT&T, Sprint has advanced AT&T in terms of technology (WiMax iPhone, anyone?), etc. After two years are over, Apple will see who can allow them to make most money. If no player stands out, they're going to unlock the iPhone.
As a consumer, what would you do?
Well... Quite hard to say. First thing is that, don't buy Apple's devices because they're cool. Apple's products are better than gorgeous most of the time. But think of it more on the features. Don't buy an iPod if you love staying home and spend five minutes driving to work every day. Then, if you think you really need a device, buy it early. I bought my 30 GB video iPod from the first month. Now it's not even outdated and I feel it worths my money. Finally, having a price protection credit card especially for buy stuff from Apple is not a bad idea.
9.09.2007
M-velope Video - Final Cut
Remembered the clever marketing campaign that Google asked Gmail uses to submit the video of them passing the M-velope?
See below for all the featured videos that people at Google has edit into a single.
Once again, Google rocks. Not that they just asked their customers to create a video that is, in my opinion, good and fun to watch enough as a TV commercial for free, they have with a nominal efforts identified the Gmail die-hard fans around the world. These people can potentially in the future spread out the words about new marketing campaign or product features to their network, helping to boost feature adoption. Lastly, they promoted the submissions of homemade, creative, copyright-free, video, in YouTube. Of course you know, YouTube is also owned by Google and dies to build strong community that regularly posts fun videos.
10 points to Gmail marketing team, or probably it's an engineer who has this great idea and makes this happen during his/her 20-percent time.
See below for all the featured videos that people at Google has edit into a single.
Once again, Google rocks. Not that they just asked their customers to create a video that is, in my opinion, good and fun to watch enough as a TV commercial for free, they have with a nominal efforts identified the Gmail die-hard fans around the world. These people can potentially in the future spread out the words about new marketing campaign or product features to their network, helping to boost feature adoption. Lastly, they promoted the submissions of homemade, creative, copyright-free, video, in YouTube. Of course you know, YouTube is also owned by Google and dies to build strong community that regularly posts fun videos.
10 points to Gmail marketing team, or probably it's an engineer who has this great idea and makes this happen during his/her 20-percent time.
Real Saab Lover's Blog
Thanks to Technorati. I found one blog owned by a real Saab enthusiast who lives in New England. His blog, nicely named Saab History, displays a bunch of what's going on in Saab community around the world esp. the ones around New England. Too bad I've moved away across the country from Boston. But I own the Saab anyway, and I would never buy a car in Boston. Train frequency and coverage, cost of ownership, and Zipcar availability just make it irrational to own one over there.
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