[Ben]

As we all know from Twitter etc, Apple (http://www.apple.com/) are streaming today's "Keynote" live. This is either the new 'standard practice' for these sorts of things, or they've got some really cool stuff to show off...

I'll be tuning in! How about your rest of you? Any predictions?

Watch here! http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1009qpeijrfn/event

[hecatae]

what's the link to the stream?

found on whatmobile.net


It came as a surprise to everyone tonight when Apple announced that they would be live streaming video of their September media event across the web. The news, however, was somewhat dulled by the fact that Apple announced that the stream will only be viewable on an OS X 10.6 Mac or an iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad). The reason for the limitation isn't entirely arbitrary, as Apple is using a new streaming technology called HTTP Live Streaming which was introduced alongside Snow Leopard's QuickTime X and iOS 3.0.

While the protocol has been proposed as a standard, so far Apple is one of a few companies who has implemented it. As a result, the video will only be easily viewable on the specified platforms. There seem to be some advantages to the system over existing streaming technologies. Notably, there should be no router/firewall issues as the stream is sent over standard HTTP protocols.

If you're not sure you will be able to view stream, you can try loading this HTTP Live sample stream that Apple has provided.

For non-supported readers who are desperate to watch the stream close to live, it seems likely that you will be able to watch it -- at least in stops and starts. The HTTP Live Stream protocol is based on very standard technologies. The stream is simply provided in an MPEG2 playlist (m3u file) that is added to as the stream continues. These standard playlists will load in VLC for both Mac and Windows. VLC, for example, will play the above sample stream using this url:

http://devimages.apple.com/iphone/sa...rog_index.m3u8



VLC will load all parts of the stream into its own playlist. It works fine for this pre-recorded stream as the entire playlist is already constructed. The catch for tomorrow's live transmission is that VLC doesn't know that more will becoming, so it looks like you'll have to repeatedly reload the playlist manually to get the next few segments. It's not an elegant solution, but with some persistence, it seems like it will work.

looks like I be able to watch by forcing thru VLC

[Ben]

I think Apple are making us wait for that. I'll update the original post once it's out there :)

I'm really hoping that Apple shows some love to the iPod today, and that we get something iPad related too.

I'm also in the market for an AppleTV, so getting clarification on what direction they're going to take that would be brilliant. No hard drive would be a big plus I think, needs to be more of a gateway unit. CAT6 at home will take care of the rest! ;)

[Ben]

Watching on the iPad! Awesome! Screen rotation so smooth even with the stream full screen.

120m iOS devices now out there in the world.

230,000 iOS new devices activated per day.

Steve does like all the stats ;)

[@NickyColman]

Well, that was pretty much as I expected.

The rampant rumours of late have taken away many of the surprises.

• iPod Touch with Retina Display and HD recording - check!
• Teeny weeny iPod Nano with multi touch - check!
• TV with Netflicks and rentals - check!

The biggest surprises to me were Ping, Apple's new music centric social network and the new iOS 4.1 update that allows HDR pictures.


The rest seemed very predictable. Still good though.

[Ben]

TV ordered. That didn't take long! :)

I find the iPod Touch a curious device. Always have. But then I've never been a standalone MP3 player fan, so I guess that's why. I suppose it'd be a really nice device if I didn't want an iPhone. Surprised it's the best seller, but it can do so much now that I suppose it's an obvious choice. Apps! It's all about apps.

Ping I can't wait to play with. I think it needs to go further, but if the integration into iPhone and iPod Touch is OK then it should get started just fine.

[@NickyColman]

Hmmmm, see I dont like Ping already.

First, the name. 'Ping' - WTF? To me it doesnt sound anything like an Apple name. It sounds, dare I say it, like Apple have tried to be trendy. Which is just bad! There are already various services that sound exactly like it! Ping! Chat from the App Store, Ping.FM, Bing Search, Ping.com.

I think Apple would have been better off calling it MyTunes/MiTunes/MeTunes/ etc.

Second, I cant see it being very social. The service is very much a way to flog us more content and varying ways. Stevie baby showed us how to comment on a post of a particular artist. Now, imagine for a second just a tenth of all registered iTunes users also commenting on that very same post. Unless Apple have some clever trick up their sleeve, it seems any social interaction will be washed away with a tide of "ZOMG!!!! THIS CHUNE ROOOLS!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:!!!!!" and so on.

I really hope Apple can surprise me and draw me in with this one. I really do.

[Ben]

See, I like "Ping" as a name because perhaps to "ping" something will become to iTunes (and music in general) as "tweeting" is to Twitter. I love to tell people when I'm listening to a song that I love, so "pinging" it out to the world works for me!

I've got to say, the artist interaction bit interests me least of all. In fact, my Facebook is overrun with crap from artists/shows in my profile all of a sudden - I might remove the lot!

[The Mullet of G]

Some cool stuff, but most of it was as predictable as Steve Jobs' attire. Also I read somewhere on Apple's site that iTunes 10 would be available on the 1st of September, its the 2nd here and still no iTunes 10, currently I don't care much for Ping or the other changes, it would simply be nice to have a version of iTunes that doesn't require hardware from Cray to run smoothly, I'm not holding my breath but heres hoping.

[miffed]

Nice to see the Shuffle returned to its former "buttoned" state - I have one of the current ones , and while it is absolutely brilliant for my needs , all I have heard is whinging about from people that want to use their own headphones. It is a shame that such a cool device has such a bizarre restriction. but thats all over now
Nano looks great ! Indeed the iPod of choice at my gym , usually along with armbands or neckstraps - adding a clip to the Nano and reducing it to shuffle esque proportions make it a no brainer , in fact I am so certain that these will be a hit with gym users , that I am tempted to sell them over the counter !!

Apple TV just became a "must buy" - £99 !!! Got to be worth a punt !

iPod touch , Great to see it get one camera , let alone two ! , A4 , retina display , Gyro - I have often said that I can see the day when I'd choose to use an iPod touch tethered to an Android phone rather than an iPhone , well it looks like that day has come ! I just wish it had a better speaker !

Great stuff , a bit miffed at having to wait till November for iOS4 for the iPad though !

[The Mullet of G]

Nice to see the Shuffle returned to its former "buttoned" state - I have one of the current ones , and while it is absolutely brilliant for my needs , all I have heard is whinging about from people that want to use their own headphones. It is a shame that such a cool device has such a bizarre restriction. but thats all over now
Nano looks great ! Indeed the iPod of choice at my gym , usually along with armbands or neckstraps - adding a clip to the Nano and reducing it to shuffle esque proportions make it a no brainer , in fact I am so certain that these will be a hit with gym users , that I am tempted to sell them over the counter !!

Apple TV just became a "must buy" - £99 !!! Got to be worth a punt !

iPod touch , Great to see it get one camera , let alone two ! , A4 , retina display , Gyro - I have often said that I can see the day when I'd choose to use an iPod touch tethered to an Android phone rather than an iPhone , well it looks like that day has come ! I just wish it had a better speaker !

Great stuff , a bit miffed at having to wait till November for iOS4 for the iPad though !


Agreed on the iPod Touch, before buying an iPhone 4 I was using a 3rd gen Touch tethered with a Nokia 5800, it was actually a pretty sweet combo and between them they covered a lot of bases, I just wish I'd been a generation later as the new touch looks totally awesome and is packing some seriously hot tech in that sexy slim body.

The new Nano is bound to be the gym buddy of choice, it might even take a slice of the market that would normally buy an iPod Touch, currently the kids all have the iPod Touch, but I can see a lot of them going Nano.

[Hands0n]

Also I read somewhere on Apple's site that iTunes 10 would be available on the 1st of September, its the 2nd here and still no iTunes 10,

Its here today ... I reckon it came out during Pacific Time day which is well into our night - they're 8 hours behind us.

[miffed]

I'm giving Ping a go , but unfortunately it is over-run with Spam already !

Real shame IMO, as potentially it could be really cool (perhaps not , I am still undecided personally)

[3GScottishUser]

Sorry Apple fans, one word to describe their latest annoucement.... underwhelming....

The big news is whats happening in Berlin at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Samsung and Toshiba have launched tablets to compete with the iPad.

Just about every TV manuafacturer is including WiFi and an Integrated browser and video viewer in their new range of LED/LCD offerings.

Wake up Apple.... your daft TV box that bombed has no prospect other than with Apple diehards who want to pay more money to buy hardware that funnels commissions from PPV facilities.

Sony and others who have PS3 installed in homes already have hardware platforms in place in millions of homes to offer services in competition to Sky and Virgin as broadband capacity expands.

Apple have as ever created some new markets, been greedy and will loose them just as fast as they gained them. The iPad was nothing new really, just an update and a less connectable tablet that HP and Microsoft debued in 2003. They will be thanking Apple for reigniting interest and with Android, Chrome and Windows 7 and a hungry amount of hardware makers, there will be plenty of options for consumers by Q1 2011 in terms of tablets.

[miffed]

Will be interesting to see how the "Tablets to compete with the iPad" fare .....

.... Well , I say that , but having seen dozens upon dozens of Phone touted to "rival the iPhone" that have amounted to nothing , all by people insisting that the iPhone has now had its day...... , Just like the iPhone , I think the iPad will go from strength to strength and continually up the ante , the other manufacturers may eventually enter the same ball park ,but thats about it !



Let's re-grroup on this in a year or so's time ?

[Hands0n]

The Keynote was the usual affair, very typically Apple and what we have all come to expect - highly professional, well organised, good content and a bit of humour. There really wasn't anything on view to set my pants on fire. But then I'm not an iPod man - the iPhone does what I want and need. The only thing I am really waiting on is iOS 4.x for the iPad to liberate it from the hamstrung iOS 3.x that it is currently running. Its coming, I can wait, no biggie.

So, to digress for a moment.

Apple have as ever created some new markets, been greedy and will loose them just as fast as they gained them.
It'll not happen, no matter how hard it may be wished, desired or prayed for. Apple are a major business in it for the duration and will succeed as they have done for their entire existence. Its not about "fanbois" or any other such negativeness. Plain and simple, they make a product that people want, and are prepared to pay for. Plain and simple, they have their market and a ready supply of buyers.

The new and upcoming challengers to the iPad are very welcome to try. But they do face some pre-existing challenges, and the bar is already set very high. With the Android devices there is the little matter of Google not allowing non-handset devices access to Market. That may be overcome, but for now that is a potential issue. We have yet to see the prices too.

I do rather think that it is way too early to be predicting the demise of not only the iPad but the entire Apple corporation.

[3GScottishUser]

I do rather think that it is way too early to be predicting the demise of not only the iPad but the entire Apple corporation.

Apple has not had a smooth ride continually exibiting growth, indeed they nearly went bankrupt because they ran out of steam after the original mac became a specialist device.

They have been lucky with ipod hitting the market at the right moment and have expanded on that by developing iPhone and iPad but they are up against very hungry and talented consumer electronics companies which are very different from the sleeping golioth Sony corporation from whom they won the portable music player market.

I don't believe Apple are in mobiles or tablets for the long term. I suspect they are opportunists making as much as possible from fashionable premium products. There is little evidence that they want to expand their phone and tablet products to the real mass market in the way that google will with Android and perhaps others will follow. Just my assessment as I have not seen any attempt by Apple or their distributors to bring the iPhone or other key products within reach of more customers.

[Hands0n]

But thats the whole point. Apple are, perhaps, the electronics equivalent of Gucci, Levi Strauss, Armani, Balenciaga, Sass and Bide, Hugo Boss, Bulgari, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Roberto Cavalli, Chanel, Chloé, Juicy Couture, Christian Dior, DKNY, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Ed Hardy, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Diane von Fürstenberg, Valentino Garavani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Gucci, Guess, Hermès, Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Oroton, Prada, Oscar De La Renta, Narciso Rodriguez, Sergio Rossi, Chado Ralph Rucci, Ferdinando Sarmi, Victoria's Secret, Elsa Schiaparelli, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood and Ermenegildo Zegna. To name but a few :)

It is abundantly clear that they are selling to the higher end of the market. They have established a very strong global brand and sell off the back of it like any other self-respecting brand does.

But that also belies Apple's true strength - the brand grew out of quality product, when they finally started producing it. And Apple realised very early on that they needed to create a supporting infrastructure for their product. For the iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone and now iPad and iTV that infrastructure is iTunes. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that iTunes delivers a superb one-stop-shop for not only content but product support (backup, restore, update, library management etc). They did this in a way that no other company has quite matched to date.

The iPhone itself is yet another testimony to how Apple simply get it. That being how the user interacts with a machine. And they have made it so simple that the first-time user of an iPhone is able to get to grips with it in mere minutes without any instruction or a manual. That same simplicity of use carries across all of their portable product.

Make no mistake, Apple are a financially strong company with a particularly strong global brand. These two things alone mean that they could probably sell ice cubes to Eskimos and sand to the Arabs as long as it was in an Apple container!

Then to aim this product at a premium market, one that Apple know will be substantially smaller than the lesser brands will sell into, and still make a stupendous profit each year shows that Apple is doing things right. It is pressing all the right buttons. Apple would have to start doing lots of things very wrong to realise the ruination that you are predicting.

Bottom line, Apple have no burning need or desire to become mass appeal. What they sell already pulls in a handsome profit. Of course, the shareholder will always want a bigger divvy year on year, and that will press Apple to try and generate more revenue. All the signs are that they will continue to do so and can quite safely leave the other manufacturers to their own corner of the market.

One can wish it all one wants to, but Apple isn't going away any time soon. You would be quite safe to buy Apple shares (or even their product).

[miffed]

BLIMEY !!! Just seen the price of the Galaxy Tab !!!!

At nearly £700 I think it is a safe bet that Apple needn't worry about the iPad bombing out just yet :D

[3GScottishUser]

That is rather more than I expected but it has a bit more connectivity and an AMOLED screen so it's perhaps priced to reflect the technology on-board.

Knowing Samsung it's a starting point and if it gains momentum then I'm sure there will be further offerings at much lower prices especially once LG and the Chinese offer alternatives.

[gorilla]

At nearly £700 I think it is a safe bet that Apple needn't worry about the iPad bombing out just yet :D

And this is the problem for Apples competitors. They see Apple making quality hardware and selling at a premium and they hope to emulate their success. But, consumers while consumers expect to pay a premium for an Apple branded product, they do not always expect to pay premium prices for the competition. For me, the iPad was £100 more than I wanted to spend on a 'gadget' and I was waiting for the launch of an android tablet, but having seen the Samsung and read about some other rumoured devices, I'm now starting to think I'll just wait it out for iPad 2.

Android tablets need to hit the £200 price point to compete against the iPad, IMO (and I don't want to try one of those £100 ones you get on deal extreme (http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.android)!)

[hecatae]

i'd be quite happy with an Apad from www.hiapad.com

[miffed]

^^^ All that glitters !! - Seriously , these things are awful , I know someone who bought one and smashed it to pieces because it was bad beyond belief.

[Hands0n]

Why is it that people seem to think that to compete with Apple's iPad all they have to do is create the hardware and stuff in a copy of the Android OS? It is a whole lot more complex than that. Which is something that the rest of the pack are going to find out over the next 18 months.

All that glitters ... indeed.


Specifications

Hardware specifications for the Rockchip based Apad iRobot Android Tablet, Batch 2:
CPU: RK2808a Chipset (ARM9 @ 600 MHz + DSP @ 550 MHz dual-core)
Operating System: Android 1.5
Supported Languages: English, Chinese, others
Display: 800×480 7″ LCD
Input: Resistive single point touchscreen
Sensors: Accelerometer
Camera: .3 Megapixel camera (extrapolated to 1.3 Megapixels)
Audio input: built-in microphone
Audio output: 3.5 mm jack, integrated speakers
Networking: 802.11 Wireless b/g
Peripheral Support: USB HOST (mouse, keyboard, memory stick, more untested)
Battery: 3000 mAH, 2 hours continuous use wifi on, 4 hours reading time wifi off
RAM: 128 MB
ROM: 2 GB (optionally 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB)
Expansion memory: Transflash (microSD) up to 16 GB
Supported video formats: MKV (H.264 HP)/RMVB/MPEG-4/FLV/MPEG-1/MPEG-2 up to 720p
Supported audio formats: MP3, WMA. FLAC, AAC, AC3, OGG, WAV
Supported picture formats: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
Dimensions: 190.5 x 118.5 x 14.7 mm
Weight: 332 g (iRobot plastic shell. The iRobot M is a little heavier)


And then there is no App Store (Market) because Google do not permit non-mobile phone devices access to Market. That may change in time, but would you want to bet your £200 on it?

There is no Flash support in Android 1.5.

Wireless is b/g only ...

Organising your media on Android is a world apart from iTunes/iPod/iPhone/iPad

And so it goes on ...

Expect lots of tears ...

[hecatae]

Why is it that people seem to think that to compete with Apple's iPad all they have to do is create the hardware and stuff in a copy of the Android OS? It is a whole lot more complex than that. Which is something that the rest of the pack are going to find out over the next 18 months.

All that glitters ... indeed.



And then there is no App Store (Market) because Google do not permit non-mobile phone devices access to Market. That may change in time, but would you want to bet your £200 on it?

There is no Flash support in Android 1.5.

Wireless is b/g only ...

Organising your media on Android is a world apart from iTunes/iPod/iPhone/iPad

And so it goes on ...

Expect lots of tears ...

you should read the batch 1 issues

http://myapad.wordpress.com/

link has a screenshot with google market, and apad is alreay up to batch 3?

[Hands0n]

you should read the batch 1 issues

http://myapad.wordpress.com/

link has a screenshot with google market, and apad is alreay up to batch 3?

Yea, but isn't that a Custom ROM isn't it? Not quite the iPad experience LOL