Where are those YouTube ads?

OK so there's a special prize for anyone smart/YouTubed-up-enough to report a YouTube video running one of their supposedly dinky new ads.

Beats me!

Apple launches new versions of iLife, .Mac & Pages

Well Apple has kept busy (even given the launch of the iPhone) as they have recently announced new versions of iLife, .Mac and Pages.

iLife 08 updates all the applications that reside within and shows the power of Apple's partnership with Google thanks to integration with Google Adsense and Maps with iWeb 08.

Pages starts to take on Microsoft Office with a word processor and spreadsheet (numbers).

And .Mac gives you loads more storage - which lets face it we're all going to need if we use even half the new features in the above mentioned!

Apple sells 3 billion songs topping Amazon

Apple has just announced selling their 3 billionth song through iTunes. And while they're chucking numbers about - their library now offers 5 million songs, 550 TV shows and 500 movies. What's with all the 5's?

Oh and apparently they are no longer the 5th (again) largest music retailer in the US - they've just overtaken Amazon and Target to become the 3rd. I guess that makes them about a year away from becoming number 1!

Facebook - going, going, gone!

Who's gonna buy Facebook?

Given that today they announced hiring Youtube's CFO who joined them right before they got bought buy Google - you've gotta ask yourself who's gonna snap up Facebook?

Well its between Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

Yahoo gets the prize for the most desperate. Microsoft the most confused and Google the most powerful. So, if its cash their after Facebook will go with Microsoft. If its partnership/merger status then Yahoo and if its sheer cool and stock WOW its gonna be Google.

My money's on Google.

Major iPhone bug!

Do not try sending a Youtube video by email in your iPhone.

It'll crash, freeze and do nothing else (including powering off or syncing) until the battery is discharged.

Bug or what?

Come on guys. I can't even make a call...

Emergency? Yeah.

Apple launching a Nano size iPhone

It looks like Apple is planning a follow up cellphone to the iPhone (which is a marvel of form and function) based on the iPod Nano. Apparently it'll cost around $300 and offer more limited functionality than the iPhone.

Will it be called the iPhone Nano?

Apple sure are serious about the mobile space. Mind you, given how well the iPhone is selling - so they should!

Day 6 with my iPhone - I'm hooked!

I realize now that after using my iPhone for 3 days I'm hooked. Early connections stresses and strains are slowly fading from my newly organized ego.

Actually this is the device I have been waiting for for 20 years. I'm not that old! I was interviewed on prime time British TV in the early 1990's (it's a long story) and I pronounced the future of the 'digital diary' (well it sounded good then).

A device that effortlessly takes care of your life, wife and strife all from the inside of your over-tight denim pocket. Organizer meets diary, Filofax, calculator and one day even phone. And since those early days a stream of digital organizers, PDA's and then Smartphones tried and failed.

And I should know for my great, great... grandpa invented the worlds first ever commercial diary. Then I ran one of the leading Smartphone software companies etc etc. (Obviously before becoming the professional photographer that I am today).

So now I feel like I have finally arrived - or at least my pocket organizer nirvana has. Welcome iPhone - good job Apple.

Why? Find out in the upcoming days... And I even have my portfolio in my pocket (photography not stocks dozo!).

4 Million iPhones sold on Friday!

Given that I broke the records for time with AT&T customer care over the weekend they handed me the following scoop this morning.

Apple shipped 6 Million iPhones to Apple and AT&T stores on Friday and 4 Million were sold.

Yep, 4 Million! On Friday alone.

Day 3 with my iPhone

After another hour on the phone bounced between AT&T and Apple I decided to stuff trying to set up a family plan and went ahead and registered my phone as an individual account and separate line.

Bingo, I'm provisioned. 3 days later and no family plan.

Now I have to talk to AT&T yet again to convert my new line to a family plan. AAAH!

Pray for me...

Day 1 with iPhone - Disaster!

So, I queued for 2 hours last night to collect the most expensive cellphone on this planet and was promised that signing on is 'a breeze'.

I get up this morning excited about Day 1 with my iPhone.

I plug her in and wait while iTunes updates itself for the iPhone. Maybe 5 minutes. That's OK.

I then wait while iTunes takes me through the set up process only to find out that if I want to set up a family plan I can't do it through iTunes and have to call AT&T. I mean its just a friggin' family plan - not a shuttle to Mars!

After an hour waiting for someone at AT&T to pick up I give up. Today is a busy day for me - I have a gallery opening. After all I spent a fortune on a (i)phone/organizer so time is money - right?

At this point I have queued 2 hours at the Apple store and a further hour waiting pointlessly for a customer service rep. Nearly 24 hours later I still can't activate my iPhone. I feel as hung up as the guy in the picture.

iPhone, iDay... iDamnedmess!!

Queuing for my iPhone

OK, so I joined the geeknorati last night at an inconspicuous mall in Long Island (to avoid rambunctiously pointless queues) and dished out a small fortune to, well, say I got one of the first iPhones.

Plus if this does prove to be iDay (or not) then I thought my kids should see it (assuming it's not the not!).

OK, so the kid part was reaching. I just couldn't resist...

We returned way late so I'll be gearing up today. Think of me.

iPhone, uPhone, eyePhone

iPhone, uPhone, eyePhone...

The queues swirl about the Apple grid like snakes surrounding prey.

Every commentator has had their say - and say. Say it big coz it's a blitz. 1 million users or 100 million - its still the coolest phone launch yet. Or is it moviePhone?

So Nokia poo-poohs and Motorola stumbles.

I just wanna know where I can get one come the weekend. Heads up?

iPhone, i-rock, YouTube?

Apple's iPhone - one week and counting - has just got hotter than ever. Not only can you rock to iTunes tunes, but now you can roll with YouTube vids. Thank God for the longer life batteries.

Yep, one of Apple's first applications for their nifty little mobile handset is a YouTube streamer. After Google Maps of course.

Up next? Blogger.com, iWeb updater, MySpace and some token gesture to ailing Yahoo! After all Steve does like Jerry. (Not the cat!).

Yang to do for Yahoo what Jobs has done at Apple

Yahoo has followed Apple's successful strategy today by announcing that their much needed turnaround will be spearheaded by co-founder Yang.

Out with Semel and in with the young CEO-in-waiting.

Yang will have Decker at his side to manage things day-to-day and will finally get to spearhead the company he successfully founded.

But can he turn this mother-ship round? If he focuses on taking on MySpace from a portal perspective while being a strong number 2 to Google in the ad space - he might even stand a chance.

He'll also need some of the visionary genius that surrounds Jobs - maybe their new found partnership might rub it off!

MusicStation takes on the iPod and iPhone

A start-up called Omnifone run a buy a UK entrepreneur called Rob Lewis (hey, I know you!) is about to launch a rival to iTunes - in Europe and Asia.

They have teamed up with most major handset makers, 30 mobile operators and the 4 big music labels to offer a service called MusicStation which allows you to download unlimited music to your mobile phone only (no CD or PC) for $15 per month.

Given the reach, the service could be available on hundreds of millions of phones and be available before the iPhone outside the US.

Steve Jobs may have finally found his match. The only potential flaw in the system I can see is not being able to copy my MusicStation music to my PC. Maybe that'll come down the road.