CapMac iPhone SIG

Apple officially announced this morning that Steve Jobs will deliver the Keynote at next week’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. He will return briefly from medical leave to open the landmark event.

In recent weeks, Apple has been encouraging major consumer press outlets to attend WWDC2011 – an unusual move. Media coverage at the event is usually limited to trade and technical media. The release this morning also promised a widely-rumored preview of Apple’s new cloud-based offerings.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m PDT. At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS X; iOS 5, the next version of Apples advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch; and iCloud, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.

We will feature complete details and analysis of the event, and links to live feeds as they become available.

Early this morning, Apple posted its the 500-thousandth app to their iOS App Store – reaching that amazing milestone just 34 months after launch.

Even more exciting, is that Apple’s focus on iOS apps is just beginning. Much of the code and functionality of iOS is being integrated into the new Mac OS X Lion, creating even greater opportunity for Apple developers.

The real tribute isn’t for Apple – it’s for the thousands of developers who have found a new home, and in some cases, riches – in the powerful new codebase and API’s of iOS.

Got a great idea for an app but don’t know where to start? Perhaps you’re already a developer on another platform and considering adding iOS and OS X to your skillset?

CapMac and Austin Community College are sponsoring a free, two-session ‘Introduction to iOS Coding’, for everyone who is interested in creating apps and wants to know how to get started.

The sessions will be held Saturday June 18th from 9 ? 12 am and Saturday July 9th from 9 ? 12 am in room 103.2 of the ACC campus located next to Highland Mall.  The sessions will be taught by developer Andrew Donoho who, in addition to being a member of CapMac, is a teacher in the Continuing Education Department at ACC.

CapMac is proud to celebrate Apple’s half-million app milestone as we also salute Austin area developers who have contributed their time and talents to make iOS one of most successful operating systems of all time.

On May 19th, Apple Retail quietly marked it’s tenth anniversary. With 324 stores, in 10 countries, and almost 31,000 employees – Apple Retail has become the quiet giant of international retailing. It wasn’t by accident.

Every detail from fixtures and layout, to lighting design, product mix, and employee selection and training has been reviewed, tweaked, and honed to perfection. Ron Johnson, Apple’s Retail chief, and his big boss, Steve Jobs are like that.

They knew that for Apple to succeed where so many others had failed, would take more than products and a nice store. It would take a team of employees and managers with talent, drive, and focus – and compassion. Folks who feel that technology can improve lives, and are eager to share that passion with their customers.

Apple has never forgotten its roots. And it has been Ron Johnson and his spirited team who have taken it to a whole new level in just ten short years.

But the real strength lies in the talented men and women of Apple Retail. For them, retail isn’t a maligned college-days experience, but a higher calling. Their talents and Apple’s tools have helped create a place where people can encounter technology on their own terms, and in doing so – adopt it into their own lives.

And judging from Apple’s stellar success in the past ten years – they must be doing something right.

Gary Allen’s InfoAppleStore offers rich details on every aspect of Apple’s retail operations. Two highlights are quotations taken from several Ron Johnson’s presentations, and Apple Retail at-a-glance. They make fascinating reading.

Darn. I’m on the ‘no fly’ list for Rapture. Well, as Clayton Williams said, I guess I’ll just have to sit back and make the most of it. And yes – there are apps for THAT too. So while you contemplate life without those good religious folks that routinely run amuck on MoPac turning your daily commute into an Earth-bound Hell…. here are a few apps to ponder:

How to Profit From the Coming Rapture by Steve and Evie Levy When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When God gives you rapture, make millions! Your ship has finally come in, my friend, the rapture is the investment opportunity of a lifetime. You’ve got 7 good years before the Armageddon so if early retirement is something you’ve been dreaming of, you have about four years to squeeze as much cash out of the Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and other heathens as you can.

Adobe Photoshop Express So, the verdict is still out as to whether or not God sucks people up to heaven COMPLETELY naked, if he does it so fast that he sucks off their naughty bits, or if he just grabs you khakis and all, but regardless, this is something you’re going to want to get a picture of. Now since they’ll be ascending to heaven to quickly, it may be tough to get a clear shot. Photoshop’s sharpen feature should help you tighten things up a bit before you post to your Facebook wall.

Best Buy Looting is wrong kids. Like during the LA riots, it’s not cool to bust open a window and help yourself to some poor sap’s goods he needs to sell. Now if that poor sap happens to be raptured and no longer NEEDS those goods to make a living, well, that’s a different story all together. Assuming all those cops go flying up to heaven (which, since they are all pure souls, I’m sure they will), the stores of the raptured are really just fair game. It would be downright sinful to let that Kinect just rot on the shelves. Now, we all have our vices..for some of you, you’ll want to replace this with the Sephora app or the Ikea app, but for me, I’m hitting Best Buy…and tiling my house with iPad’s Yee Haw!

When Christians Disappear – The Rapture Not all of us went to vacation bible school and got that joy joy joy joy down in our hearts. The only rapture we know is that Blondie song. So if you were one of those poor heathen kids whose grandma secretly had to baptize you in the bathtub while your parents were out playing slots, this is the app for you. It’s like the Cliff’s Notes on the rapture.

Disaster Readiness Maybe I’ve mistakenly made this rapture seem all fun and games. Apparently there’s going to be some tribulations, nothing we haven’t already gotten used to this year, you know, like earthquakes and big waves. This is why we loot early, to make sure we’re comfortable and prepared when the tribulations arrive…in other words, while you’re hauling those diamonds out of Jared’s, make a quick stop into target and grab yourself some Off spray for the locusts and some bottled water for when all the taps start pouring blood. This app should help you prep for any other surprises that come along the way.

Rapture_Detector_1.0 Not entirely sure about this whole rapture thing? Are you one of those people that always has to play it safe – you’ve got your boxers on while everyone skinny dips? You’re willing to host the rapture party but at the last minute you’re ducking out for the nearest priest? Know that the rest of us are going to fully declare you a party pooper, but if you are really that doubtful, this is the app for you. Just first off, know that you’ll need a working car or some good shoes. Through the magic of push notifications, this app will alert you 30 minutes before the rapture and direct you to your nearest house of worship. Better hope there’s not a line.

Rapture Raptor So you saw Jurassic park and you’re really stressed out. You know they work in teams, you know they’re smart, you know they have these crazy claws that will rip out your gut. Wait wait…did you think we were talking about RAPTORS? No sweetie, we said RAPTURE. I could see where you would be confused, I mean, they both have about a .0000000001% of actually appearing. Actually, raptors probably have a higher chance of showing up, I mean, that’s just basic science..you know, dino DNA in the amber and all. But if you’re still really concerned about the raptors coming May 21, you can at least alleviate your stressasaurus with this app.

[ Thanks to Yahoo ]

CapMac iPhone + iPad Meetup  |  Thursday, May 19th, 2011   7:00 – 9:00 pm

Your iOS device can do magical things for you. This month we’ll explore the magical, and sometimes mystical ways your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch can transform your life.

Learn to crunch and compress movies, carry and share documents, and explore new places… The answers and apps are out there… and we’ll show off the best this Thursday – join us.

Be sure to bring your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch – and join the hands-on fun.

Plus…

• iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch news and hints
• Celebrate Apple Retail’s tenth anniversary — join the secret celebration
• Developer’s Corner – local developers share their ideas and latest app creations

Arrive anytime after six to visit and eat – IHOP offers a wide choice of food and beverages at reasonable cost.

Drawing for free door prizes for all who attend — everyone welcome — bring your friends.

IHOP South Mopac  |  901 S MoPac Expsy  |  Austin, TX 78746  |  +1 (512) 327-9284

The American Customer Satisfaction Index, released today, shows declines in customer satisfaction at AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA.

Sprint showed the best increase over the course of three years, from trailing the second worst provider by 15 points to the top of the pack. Sprint is now tied with Verizon at 72, which fell by one percent for a second year in a row.

Timing couldn’t be worse for AT&T, recently agreed to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion – a deal that could close next year if regulators approve.

AT&T has argued that the merger would improve both their network quality, and customer service – while reducing ultimate costs to consumers.

‘Bigger isn’t always better’ opined Claes Fornell, designer of the ACSI study, and a professor of Business Administration at the University of Michigan ‘It’s common to find that customer satisfaction drops after a merger… and total costs often increase, not drop’.

ACSI gave AT&T a score of 66, down from 69 last year. It’s the company’s worst score since 2006, the year before it started carrying the iPhone. It’s also the lowest-ranked of the four national carriers – after being bested by Sprint last year.

Apple is continuing their efforts to support those affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, by offering ‘special servicing’ for damaged Macs, iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. The service is free of charge, until June 30th.

The company advises customers in the affected areas to call local retail stores and schedule drop-off of the damaged equipment for repair. Free pick-up and delivery can also be arranged if available. The affected areas include the Nagano prefecture and the Tohoku region. The page warns that some services may not be fully operational at all times, such as telephone support in English, and that hold times may vary depending on demand.

The Great East Japan Earthquake struck the region almost exactly two months ago in the early-morning hours about 44 miles off the Oshika peninsula. In addition to the damage caused by the earthquake itself, the resulting tsunami flooded many areas as far as six miles inland, in many cases washing away whole towns. So far, authorities have reported 15,000 dead, with many thousands still missing.

The ongoing release of radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, has added to Japan’s concerns as they attempt to recover and regroup as a nation.

Within hours of the disaster, Steve Jobs offered Apple’s Japanese employees and their families unlimited special assistance as they faced what may be the most severe crisis in the nation’s history.

Details of Apple’s unprecedented generosity are outlined in Kevin Roses’ blog.

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Rumor-mongers and insiders are having yet another field day bandying about details leaked by reliable sources about a new iPhone due this September. Don’t believe any of it. In fact, I’d urge you to quit listening to this media drivel, it serves no purpose. Well, except one – it damages Apple.

Here’s how. Everyone – even PC types – are trying to emulate Apple. The reason is simple: Apple makes neat stuff that works, makes a healthy profit, has a world-leading brand and reputation, and high-flying stock appreciation.

What follows home-spun success? Greedy scavengers. In this case stock manipulators intent on micro-trading their way to unearned wealth by triggering run-ups – or sell-offs – in Apple’s stock [AAPL].

How’d they do that? Rumors, speculation, half-truths, and issues like ‘antennagate’ and ‘locationgate’. These starched-shirt, sandal-wearing hooligans are not our friends. They are driving the intense, BS-driven speculation that causes meteoric rises and catastrophic falls in Apple’s stock price. They know precisely when to buy or sell AAPL because they are triggering the spikes and drives with their own rumors and misinformation.

And I’m not the only one that thinks so. Just yesterday the SEC and Department of Justice announced that AAPL’s stock volatility for ‘no material reason’ gives them reason to suspect ‘an element of manipulation’ governing its daily trades. Strong words, backed by strong investigation, one would hope.

Don’t feed the frenzy and shyster micro-traders.

Anyone who truly knows anything about future products isn’t talking. Educated guesses build industry cred and careers, but they can’t score you a priority spot on launch day. Anyone living under a non-disclosure agreement [NDA] can give you a litany of reasons why loose lips sink launches, and give competitors a leg up.

If you follow Apple, know that the best day to launch a product is when it’s freaking well ready – and not one day earlier. No one wants a product, software, or service that launches early or badly. Jobs still fumes about that ill-fated MobileMe launch. He should – it damaged the brand.

Apple repeatedly shows its loyalty and appreciation for its consumers – shouldn’t we show them same restraint and respect?

Next time someone engages you in rabid rumor-mongering… remember that the stock price you’re tanking may be your own.

The rain dances worked. RadarScope on my iPhone finally delivered. After tantalizing images of severe weather all day yesterday, at 8:41am today a sudden clap of thunder heralded real rain.

iPhone and ipad users have loads of options for good reliable weather apps, many for free, some at a premium. In the next few days we’ll look at some of the best, including RadarScope, which features impressive granular detail, along with amazing ease of use. That functionality comes with a $ 9.99 price tag – but as a long time user, it’s worth every penny.

Sit back and enjoy the rain… there’s more headed our way, RadarScope says so.

The 1964 World’s Fair was amazing. It showcased a world of new possibilities and dreams: the Ford Mustang, and the Boeing 747 conquered earth and air… and for the space between, AT&T introduced the PicturePhone.

Visitors to the AT&T Pavilion stood in long lines for a brief opportunity to say hello and be seen by equally-bewildered visitors at a similar contraption at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. Transmitting a speedy two black and white images per second, AT&T hailed the PicturePhone as the preferred communications medium of the future.

Whiz your time machine almost 50 years hence – and realize that those geniuses at Bell Labs were right.

Video conferencing is destined to become the hot new medium – only instead of humongous landlines, and trunks of equipment, the PicturePhone of today fits in the palm of your hand. And now thanks to technological advances – today’s FaceTime or Skype technology spans countries or oceans with pristine images and sound – for free.

Families and friends can visit for hours, with nary a charge for long distance – or any charges for that matter. Businesses can save on travel and hospitality expenses, not to mention time lost in airports. Distant grandparents can visit at a moments notice, without having the cleanup the spare bedroom. And distance learning, and healthcare become a reality, not just a far-fetched expensive dream.

Now the limitations aren’t technical, or financial – they’re philosophical. The only nay-sayers are the bandwidth gatekeepers who need to find a way to monetize a technology they weren’t smart enough to bring to market or popularize.

Of course, I’m speaking of AT&T. Some things never change.