After almost 24 hours to process just what the hell happened yesterday in Yerba Bueno I decided to give my two cents on the Apple iPad.

First, a small disclaimer. I own a MacBook, which took about the last two years to convince myself to purchase. I have a realistic look at Apple; I am by no means an “iFanboy” so, I will try to do my best in giving a fair and honest assessment. Oh, and by the way, I will mix in some of my opinion because that’s what I know the best.

The name iPad = overall fail

Ok. The name isn’t too bad, but if only after an hour of being announced something is being made fun of on Twitter and around the web (iTampon?) the name may not be the greatest. I felt the same way when the Wii was announced, so in time it may be OK. All connotations aside iPad sounds like iPod with a terrible Jersey accent. It wasn’t the greatest part of the God Tablet.

Input

As of right now we know of two ways to input on the iPad. One is the virtual keyboard. The second is the optional keyboard dock.

When I first saw the huge virtual keyboard enabled on a picture at Engadget, I thought to myself, “How in the hell am I going to use that?” The keyboard seems too big and typing with one finger at a time is not efficient at all. I see how one could place it on their lap and then type “regularly” on the virtual keyboard. To be honest I don’t see this as being comfortable at all.

The keyboard dock is cool, but why in portrait mode? I’d say that Steve SEVERALLY screwed this part up. What laptop or computer do you know of that has the screen sitting in portrait mode? None at all. Sometimes being different for the sake of being different isn’t “creative,” it is just trying to be different. What if I want to watch a quick video while docked? Now I have to watch it in a smaller size because I don’t have the width in portrait to view it.

Hardware

You can check out the specs here for the iPad. The screen seems large enough and from reports is “beautiful.” The unibody design is attractive. The Apple A4 chip is their own silicon and makes me wonder how far that will go (maybe into newer MacBooks). WiFi or 3G will be included. No camera.

To be honest I wasn’t shocked or too impressed by the hardware. It’s pretty and I am sure is made of high quality components. But really it’s just a large iPod Touch with 3G capabilities.

Content

The iPad’s iTunes integration looks very good. I am sure that the experience will be excellent. Not enough for me to drop the money on it though. I have a MacBook that can do the same media functions as the iPad, plus everything else I would ever need. Consuming media on this device is something that most consumers will probably do, I guess, but I think that having laptops that are around the same price will serve most consumers better.

eBooks

Here is where Apple could have made a huge difference; they could have thought of new innovative ways for students and professionals to use textbooks and manuals and created a new way of interacting with them. But they didn’t.

Did I miss something yesterday? Is there no way to annotate any type of notes on the iPad. A text book being displayed on a nice crystal-clear 9.7″ screen is useless to me if I can’t take any notes on it! Showing me a few “slick” animations when you are turning a page on your virtual book is really just a smoke screen blocking that they have missed the mark on the proper way to read and use digital books on a device. How sad.

I was assured that Apple was going to revolutionize the idea of eBooks. What they did was just follow the crowd which is not a normal stance for Jobs and Company.

Conclusion

The iPad is underwhelming. And because of that, there are a couple of larger points to make about mobile technology, the tech industry, and the tech media.

The tech media is crazy and it is truly out of control. I couldn’t believe how many bloggers and industry “experts” got most aspects of the iPad wrong. There were rumor after rumor after rumor on this damn tablet and most were incorrect. It is almost embarrassing. I understand that the media gives the people what they want to hear, but the impression that has been made to me is that the tech media just reports anything that they think may be true. It’s upsetting, and because of that I will try hard not to fall into that pit with all the rest.

Because of the push from the media I feel that Apple was almost forced to release this product. Jobs has been quoted saying that he didn’t think eBooks would succeed because no one reads anymore. I understand that he got the whole “no one wants video on their iPod” argument wrong, but after the presentation yesterday I got a sneaking suspicion that this device was forced from Apple. I don’t think that Jobs truly believes that it is as magical as he says it is. Therefore it’s hard for this cynical guy to get excited about it.

We’ll see where the iPad goes from here. As of right now though I’d say that the iPad will be for a select few gadget hungry, Apple loving folks that do not include myself.

Two things today that caught my fancy with our favorite little robot; Android.

ColorWare

First, the company ColorWare is offering the service to give your Nexus One a new paint job. It’s only available in the US and costs $175 and a good, long three weeks away from your beloved, but you aren’t getting 3G coverage so it doesn’t really matter, right? Or, you can buy a brand spanking new unlocked Nexus One with colors of your choice for a hefty $800. All you need is a larger obsession for Android than me plus the $800 smack-a-smoli. Now all ColorWare needs to do is offer this service for my Droid.

You know, for $175 or $800 I would be so afraid of picking the right colors. I change my mind ALOT and being stuck with the same colors might make me regret it.

FunMail

A cool app for Android was released yesterday: FunMail. In a nutshell FunMail allows you to write out a text message and apply the text to a “relevant” picture. You can then send it to anyone who can receive picture mail or even email it.

Some of the choices of “relevant” pictures are spot on, and well, some are not. You can get kind of creative with what you want to say with your message and picture or just leave a lot up for interpretation. Or you can be completely inappropriate. It’s a lot of fun.

A couple of things about FunMail I don’t like is that there is a link on the bottom of the picture. I know that they have to get the word out, but maybe offer a cheap paid version that removes the link at the bottom. Next, you have to register by text message for the service. Seems like a little much for something that doesn’t do a lot and that may only be used a handful of times.

These two should satisfy the cheap-o and the baller out there.

Credits: Engadget, Techcrunch

The FCC sent some letters to all the US mobile phone carriers today (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mob, and Sprint) including Google which asked them to explain how they make the early termination information known to consumers. They believe that consumers are confused about ETFs, especially because they are different at every provider.

Well, thanks FCC for inquiring on something that seems fishy, but do most consumers even care about ETF?

I say no. Unless they are an obsessed type of gadget hound like myself that needs to have the latest greatest device that is available. Other than that, most consumers I imagine don’t even know what the ETF is or when most carrier’s ETFs increase. Here is what the FCC thinks about all of this:

The absence of a standard framework makes it especially important that consumers have a clear understanding of terms and practices of individual companies, which will allow them to compare services offered by different providers on a clear and consistent basis

Once again, I say it doesn’t really matter to standard consumers. They will make the choice of a new device based on it’s price, features, and service, not the possible early termination fees. If consumers are worried about ETFs then they will buy unlocked or used phones on eBay or from other consumers and activate them without contract. Either that or they will go with a service like Boost or Virgin (both sub-par from my experience).

One more thing. If someone buys a new device from any of the four largest US carriers they still have to pay full price for any of the plans that go with the phone. I thought that these phones were subsidized? If so, when someone buys a brand new device they shouldn’t have to pay as much for service.

So, do early termination fees really matter? Or is the FCC just trying to become another consumer watchdog that wants consumers to think that they are doing something important?

PCWorld and many others have been reporting for the last couple of days about the rumor that Apple will end it’s iPhone exclusivity on Wednesday along with the announcement of their new tablet. This has been coming for a while; I am actually surprised that it has taken Apple this long to break out of their agreements.

Release the hounds

When the iPhone is opened up to other carriers we will soon see the real test of networks other than AT&T. I personally think that a network like Verizon could handle the network load, but without some real world testing it remains to be seen. It will be interesting to see how these other US carriers handle the iPhone epidemic that is approaching.

New Networks, New iPhones

So, with the end of exclusivity one has to consider that a new and improved iPhone will be released. I highly doubt Apple will end their agreement only to go to T-Mobile; if they want to take over they will have to create a CDMA version that will work on Verizon that also may have the newer LTE technology as well (when Verizon moves to LTE). I HIGHLY doubt that Apple and Verizon would release a strictly LTE based phone until possibly next year. Just because LTE is being tested in the US, doesn’t mean that it is anywhere close to being rolled out.

So, CDMA iPhone? I think so. If Apple wants to truly kill it on Wednesday their “one more thing” will be a CDMA iPhone on Verizon for a summer release. I’d say a revolutionary tablet and a new iPhone on a network that can handle it would be pretty stellar.

Last year continuing into this one, rumors have been flying about an upcoming Apple Tablet.  As this month continues and we get closer to the Apple event on the 27th, bloggers and even the mainstream media are on fire about a gadget that we don’t even know exists.  So many tech commentators are predicting that the Apple Tablet will be announced, while others are still unsure.

So, really how is this announcement going to leave us feeling afterward?

Shock and Awe

The biggest thing that Apple has to contend with is itself. When you release a revolutionary device, and it actually revolutionizes an industry, you have one hell of an act to follow. Most business people, investors, and geeks expect something HUGE on the 27th. We will need something that will shock us and make us believe that we must have the product immediately, no matter the cost.

Too Big to Fail?

I have a small feeling that Apple will announce something completely different than what everyone is talking about and here is part of the reason.

The New York Times reported that the Apple Tablet was basically a done deal and this is what will be announced and demo at this event. Isn’t it funny that the NYT is a company that would LOVE to be able to distribute their overpriced media on something new and fresh, just in time to save their dying industry? Call me paranoid, but there is nothing wrong with a great conspiracy theory.

I digress. If Apple doesn’t announce the tablet or something that is revolutionary, many, many people will be disappointed. It sucks that we have to rely on this one company for the next best thing in consumer tech, but they have set themselves up for it. Really though, with all of this anticipation and the possibility of no delivery, Apple could take a small hit in the stock department, but I have a stronger feeling that they will announce the infamous tablet and make all of us fanboys and girls happy ones.

So, how are we going to feel about this thing? Are we going to run out the day it’s released and buy it with no thought that it may just be a huge iPod Touch? Or are we going to be skeptical this time around?

Today Palm gave a fancy presentation at CES, not only to announce the new Plus series for Verizon but also to showcase some awesome new features such as pure 3D gaming, video recording and editing, and new services and tools for developers that will may even allow you and I to develop a quick web app for the Pre. After watching Microsoft’s sleepnote last night, Jon Rubinstein and crew gave an amazing presentation that really showcased his company’s strengths. Looks like a little of that Apple keynote juice rubbed off.

Anyways, this new Palm stuff is excellent; they truly have upped the anti and may even make me a little jealous of the new Pre coming to Verizon. But really, with all of the crazy, wild Android rage at CES this year, does webOS have enough gas to make it this year? Some were speculating in 2010 prediction shows that Palm may not make it this year; that they may actually crumble. Yet after this presentation and bundle of announcements, this tech guy think that they will make it.

Too enticing to fail

If nothing else, here is the reason that Palm will make it: being developer friendly. Having video taking and editing, being on a good network, and 3D gaming is important, but as we have seen all last year and what we will continue to see this year is that app stores are what is important. The only way to have excellent app stores is to entice excellent developers. With Palm opening up hardware utilization with code they are trying to open the flood gates for developers. It has also been said by many developers how much more superior the development tools for webOS are in comparison to Android and even iPhone. That coupled with a more open platform than the iPhone, Palm is trying hard to entice users and developers while creating good will.

I believe that Palm will make it this year and I also believe that they are creating a great platform for developers that other companies would kill for. The question now is, with so many Android and webOS devices headed to multiple carriers, which phone and platform to choose?

With today’s news about the Nexus One, how it may or may not bet an iPhone “killer”, and how Google is challenging the way that we purchase cell phones in this country, I need to write this letter to both Google and Apple to let them know that they could potentially take over the mobile landscape:

Ok, I know that you guys are two different companies and everything, and that you are in competition with each other, but I think that your real problem here is the cell companies, not each other. You both can obviously create some awesome platforms and devices so now I need you to create an awesome network to go with them.

Yes, Verizon is grand (my current carrier) and the others are OK too, in most places, but I need some ubiquitous, fast, inexpensive coverage of this country pronto. You both have the money to do it and I am sure that the ol’ FTC wouldn’t mind if you just took over some white space as long as you grease their palms a little.

So, this year just do it. Your current and future devices require some awesome coverage. How will you make your money advertising this year without it? No need to rely on these bloated and slow companies anymore. Just let them know who’s boss.

Thanks.

This doesn’t seem too absurd, does it? If any tech company could do this right now it would be Apple or Google. Google seems to be closer to doing something like this than Apple, mostly because Google is a company of engineers that enjoy some creative destruction and have little to no PR skills.

With the coming of the Apple Tablet and Apple’s purchase of Quattro, we can see that advertising as well as app stores are important to them as well as Google. This is obviously where the money is going to be made this year as regular online advertisement is not doing so hot. What better way to make sure that you make some money than controlling everything yourself?

Maybe there is an easier way than destroying huge corporations to make sure that your platform runs at full speed? Maybe not.

I purchased an awesome ebook last night about blogging, motivation, and “making it big”, called Beyond Blogging. It is rather inspirational. You can check it out here. This book has got my head spinning.

Anyways, I was thinking about the state of blogging and tech blogging in general and thought about what I like about becoming a tech blogger, what is challenging, and what I completely dislike about it. Tech blogging and the tech media industry is extremely saturated with sub-par writing and a bunch of copykats (really a lot of blogging is this way). One of the things that have stood out after reading some of this ebook is the idea of what tech bloggers are going to have to do to stand out this year and in the future. Just blogging isn’t enough anymore.

What will us tech bloggers have to do? Here are some things that I think are needed to stand out in this crowded niche:

Find a “sub-niche” of tech. “Gadgets” is even too broad.

This is something that I am trying to figure out right now. “Tech” is way too broad, especially for one person to cover. Just take a look at a site like CNET for instance. They have about 20 different podcasts and a ton of different editors. They cover “tech” well because they have the resources to do it. A one man blog like mine and many other tech bloggers can’t cover the entire industry. That is why we need to find a niche in tech and stick to it.

Podcasting and screencasts are almost necessity

Almost any decent tech blogging outfit has some sort of screencast or podcast. It seems anymore that simple writing is really not enough. People need information, yes, but they also need to be entertained a little. This will definitely keep them coming back.

One of the best tech empires I can think of is TWIT (Leo Laporte and friends). Leo has really figured it out with ways to inform and entertain at the same time. If you haven’t listened to any of his podcasts or watched any screencasts I highly suggest them, especially if you want a model for the best way to approach it. Leo has been online forever and has been doing video and podcasting for a long time. Nowadays, these platforms are pretty much necessary to stick out at all. Everyone just writes.

Creating excellent content that is different

Sounds easy, huh? Not in the slightest.

Tech blogging is an extremely snarky industry, just read anything on Gizmodo or Engadget to see what I mean, and because of this you really can’t be a dry writer. It is important to write well about important things to you and others and somehow put your own spin on it. I can’t tell you how to do it really, just that it needs to be done. Without having your own voice in tech blogging you will be seriously buried.

Also, tech bloggers seem to have a little ADD. They take one thing, analyze it, comment on it, and then never come back to it. If you want to really stick out keep a theme going for as long as you can and make sure to adapt and add to your content all the time.

Hopefully 2010 is Tech-Hacker’s year to make some headway. If you can think of any other tricks to stand out in this saturated niche, please let me know. Unless you want to hog it all to yourself.

It appears that Verizon is going to keep up the old business model of nickel and diming it’s customers to death with the Motorola Droid, their flagship device, by charging $15 extra a month for MS Exchange support.  The net seems to be amazed by this; that Big Red is actually going to charge their customers more for services that they want to use. The real problem that the Droid is going to face won’t be pricing, it will be targeting.

More of the same, nothing to see here

Verizon is tied with AT&T for the most expensive plans in America as Sprint and T Mobile duke it out for the best price (value would be the wrong word here, at least in my area). Verizon has consistently charged the same amount of money for all smartphone data plans and add-ons; $29.99 for “unlimited” data plan on top of a $39.99 or higher voice plan and $15 extra for Exchange support (for Business accounts). This isn’t anything new and for consumers to think that “things will be different” now that Verizon is more “open and loving” with Android, they better think again or stay with Sprint or T Mobile.

Consumer Phone? The Droid?

This isn’t the only news with this story, something that struck me odd was that Brenda Raney, a spokeswoman for Verizon, said that the Droid is “a consumer phone.” The comment was used to explain that most consumers won’t be using Exchange and since the Droid is a “consumer phone” that customers need not worry about the higher priced data plan.

This is where Verizon is not thinking clearly and may really miss the target market with the Droid. From every review of the device that I have obsessively read, the Droid is not for a “typical” consumer. A “typical” consumer phone would be something that is user friendly like the iPhone. The Droid is not a phone that one can just pick up and instantly know what they are doing. For geeks the phone is great but this isn’t a “consumer” phone.  Anyone can take a look at the Droid commercials and understand that this phone isn’t targeted to everyone. Not everyone cares about “open development” let alone even know what the hell it means.

The Real Problem

The Exchange pricing for the Droid is not the real story here, the story is the misconception of what Verizon thinks that the Droid actually is. If Verizon keeps this kind of attitude towards the Droid, that it is an iPhone “killer” and a consumer phone, they are going to seriously frustrate a ton of customers that want a phone that can play cool games and play their latest MP3s. Verizon needs to recognize and appreciate the Droid for what it is, a smartphone with a lot of power and a large learning curve for standard consumers.

Can normal consumers use the Droid without frustation?

Looks like Apple is up to digital media takeover again. This time they are trying to put the hurt on cable companies with a $30 TV subscription model through iTunes. According to All Things Digital, Apple is trying to work out some deals with the cable networks and content providers to offer this model to consumers. TV only on my computer doesn’t sound that great. What other ways will Apple have to approach this model?

The iTablet, iSlate, iWhatever

Considering there is some kind of Apple tablet in the works, one would think that Apple may add this TV subscription service to their lineup around the same time the tablet is released. This is cool, having TV on your tablet, but only for a small percentage of people.  Personally, I could live without a device that gave me live or pre-recorded TV while on the go. I have Sprint TV on my Palm Pre and I don’t even use it. This consumer would not be well marketed to at all with a tablet with TV.

Apple TV. You’ve heard of it, right?

This seems like the best place for Apple to introduce a TV subscription model. The problem is is that no one really owns an Apple TV mostly because their are better options. Most people that would be in the market for an Apple TV would probably use a Mac Mini or even build their own home entertainment computer and use something like Windows Media. Although Apple TV makes sense this can’t be exactly what Apple is targeting; the current market is way to small. Maybe with a ridiculous Apple TV Set they could make some sort of impact in the living room.

iPod, iPhone?

This may be the ticket. People are crazy about their iPhones. They want to do everything with them, like turn them into remotes, car starters, GPS trackers, everything. The best part for them is that they can. What is better than being able to catch up with your latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy on your precious iPhone. Well, for them, absolutely nothing.

Apple has an uphill battle to try and market this TV subscription model on anything other than iPhones/iTouches, and even that won’t be one easily. One thing that Apple is good at though is making people think that the NEED something, just like they did with the iPhone. So, Apple may be hypnotizing all of us come January into thinking that we need a 10′ tablet with TV on it everywhere we go. Be prepared.