Commentary

Apple Unvarnished
All things Apple: iPad, iPod, iPhone and Mac

  • Apple App Store Finally Gets Subscriptions

    February 15, 2011 08:49 PM | Kurt Marko

    Those of you who, like me, have been wondering when you'll finally be able to ditch dead tree magazine and newspaper subscriptions in favor of your iPhone, iPad or Touch; well our days in the wilderness are about over. Apple finally announced their new App Store subscription service today, opening to all publishers a feature introduced for News Corp's The Daily a couple weeks ago. Oh, sure, you've been able to browse Web sites since Day One, but we all know these weren't designed for handhelds, seldom make efficient use of tablet real estate and often use iOS-unfriendly Flash. The Daily's site gives a good illustration of what's possible. Much as the iBook and Kindle apps have done for books, Apple's subscription service could finally be the key to making the iPad an all-purpose replacement for periodicals.

  • Will Apple Rock The Phone World Again?

    February 10, 2011 07:26 PM | Kurt Marko

    Apple, which long ago ditched the 'computer' in their name, is known more as a phone cum mobile device maker and digital content distributor; and rightly so, their last earnings report showed these non-computer segments accounting for three-fourths of their revenue, with most of that coming from the iPhone. Having defined the smartphone feature set with a high bar all others must match, and with the Verizon model flying off the shelves, one wonders what Apple will do next? How about utterly changing the wireless business model by decoupling the device from the carrier.

  • Is Apple (Finally) Stepping Up Its Security Game?

    January 29, 2011 01:09 PM | George Hulme

    Apple's reported recent hire of noted security author and expert, David Rice, is yet another step the company has made in the past year to help improve its sloppy security image.

  • Codec Wars: What About Mobile Devices And Content Sites

    January 26, 2011 07:53 PM | Kurt Marko

    Last week I commented about Google's decision to eliminate support for the H.264 video codec standard from Chrome and while I initially focused on the implications for PC users, given the growing use of mobile browsers, I wondered if the ramifications could be even more significant for them. Well, on further reflection, I'm not too worried, at least yet.

  • Verizon iPhone, Can You Still Hear Me Now?

    January 13, 2011 08:16 PM | Kurt Marko

    By now everyone knows that Big Red is finally getting the iPhone, but as a happy DroidX user and long-time (15+ year) Verizon customer, I greet this with mixed emotions. Obviously the iPhone 4 is probably the slickest, most elegant app phone out, although not so much that I'm going to rush out, pay the full-freight unsubsidized price and ditch my six-month old Droid. Really, I'm happy Verizon and Apple have come to terms and look forward to an LTE iPhone 5 later this year (or whenever LTE comes to my hometown). No, my concern is for Verizon's network.
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