Happy Face

He believes taking the piss is fun.

Ranger could learn a thing or two from him about being a professional back up.

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course…it probably isn’t. The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”. This is what was on my mind following today’s Apple event. It’s essentially the story of the iPhone. Apple took something ordinary, a phone, did some extraordinary things to it, and then made it re-appear in grandiose fashion. It’s a great trick. It’s so good, in fact, that I think it’s fair to call it true magic. The problem, if you want to call it that, is that Apple has now been doing this trick since 2007. Granted, they have other solid tricks too (they are far from the one-trick-pony claims that several of their competitors face). But the iPhone is the best trick in their bag. And in the last few years, some people have gotten sick of seeing it. But it’s important to remember that just because you’ve seen a show before, it doesn’t actually make it any less magical. It’s a perception issue. Yes, that’s also Apple’s problem — if they wish to entertain. But the reality is that the entertainment value of these events is just icing on the cake. It also probably doesn’t help the current Apple regime that Steve Jobs was especially good at pulling off “The Prestige” part. But the true core of the company with regard to the iPhone has always been about “The Turn.” And I think that was more clear than ever today. Look at the main video being displayed on Apple’s homepage. It’s several Apple executives talking about just what went into pulling off turning the ordinary smartphone into something extraordinary. Yes, again. To some, this repetition is now boring. But I think Apple looks at it the opposite way: they’re perfecting their trick. Look at the mobile landscape right now. There are two companies that are making any money in smartphones: Apple and Samsung. Or, put another way: Apple and the company Apple just won a billion dollar-plus judgement against for copying their smartphone designs. So while some may find Apple’s trick old hat now, no one else has figured out how to pull it off — except for the company doing a mediocre copy of the trick. I’d argue it’s because everyone is focusing on The Pledge and The Prestige, but Apple is the only one focusing on The Turn. They’re the only ones photographing their assembly process with 29 megapixel cameras to ensure that a machine picks the exact inlet from 725 unique cuts. They’re the only ones who spend three years working on earphones. They’re the only ones who would go out of their way to try to re-design a device to look and act similar even though the bulk of it has largely changed. That’s the thing — when people say they’re disappointed about the new iPhone, what they’re really saying is that they’re disappointed it doesn’t look that much different from previous version(s). But again, not only is that true, Apple went out of their way to make sure that was the case. Just listen to Jony Ive in the very beginning of the video: When you think about your iPhone, it’s probably the object that you use most in your life. It’s the product that you have with you all the time. With this unique relationship that people have with their iPhone, we take changing it really seriously. We don’t just want to make a new phone. We want to make a much better phone. Apple is not and will not change things just for the sake of change. And while some may now be clamoring for this change, the paradox is that if Apple did make some big changes, many of the same people would bitch and moan about them. Apple is smart enough to know that in this case, most people don’t really want change, they just think that they do because that’s the easiest way to perceive value: visual newness. Apple’s focus remains on The Turn, the process by which they make the ordinary extraordinary. But even with a masterful Prestige, it’s hard to convey that commitment. That is, until you walk into an Apple Store and pick up the product. While it lacks the pomp and circumstance of a Prestige on stage at some big event, this interaction is much more intimate, and as such, much more powerful. You may not perceive it directly, but the care and craft of The Turn percolates through your hands and eyes. Within minutes or even seconds, you just know this is something different. Something far beyond what others are doing with their false magic. You want this. You need this. That’s why Apple is now the most valuable company in the world. And that’s why you will buy an iPhone 5. And an iPhone 6. And beyond. You’re upset about The Prestige, or the lack thereof. But it’s all about The Turn. http://m.techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/the-iphone-5-event/

Best bit of the weekend is waiting in the Chinese after placing the take away order. The anticipation is reaching a crescendo :masturbationburn:

straight up racist

It was unimaginable that anyone could have knocked Microsoft from their perch in the late 90s. Not being able to predict the future doesn't lose an argument.

I am Magnolia-fan

2J making me realise I'm wasting my time listening to the new Yeasyaer album here. Not half as good as their last one.

2 tubs of Haagan Daas? Careful now.

The iphone screen could always have done with extending imo. The potential problem is they've lengthened the phone too, rather than just the screen into all that empty space there already was.

http://news.consumer...in-the-icl.html I think this is the pertinent bit of your article there Chez. I don't stick with Ford cars to this day because they were the ones that perfected the art of automobile construction back in the 20s. I buy the best, most feature packed, reasonably priced product currently available, whoever innovated the building blocks.

Glad you noticed......I'm one of the few people that won't have it. I buy a replacement battery for £15, rip the back off my ipod and perform the open ipod surgery required to bring it back to life for another 2 years. Not quite what apple intend. Edit: Still ganning strong, old skool.

But the man who invented the tom tom didn't issue a press release at the time to say "I've invented a satellite! WOOT!!"

I love apple. I still see my 10 year old ipod as the best thing I ever bought. They aren't beyond criticism though. After a decade I'm still not sure why their portable devices are considered "disposable" and no-one bats an eye at paying £200 for an MP3 player that will die a permanent death in 2 years.

I was voicing a vague recollection.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Mobile_device_charger_standards

So claims of innovation within Apple should recognise that much of the innovation was done externally and bought into their house due to massive purchasing power. I'm not making any claims as to the innovation of Google or android. I said earlier that I like how quickly they take (steal) the best of what Apple are producing and integrate it to their system. If apple don't own the rights to something they don't appear to want it anywhere near their phone....even if it makes for a better phone. Related to this, how come apple have got away with introducing a new charger? I thought rules had been brought in to standardise the micro USB because billions of chargers were going into landfills every year.

Isn't it. I recommend googling the specs of your own fridge and hoying them up. Think mine is like a normal fridge, just longer.

Apple were the first to introduce multi-touch on a mobile device, but they didn't invent it. They bought it off Fingerworks.

I know Google play is mint because i use it for all of my apps which I can access from any machine. The music side of Google play is the only part we in Europe aren't supposed to access yet. But in terms of features available and cost, even this Cult of Mac writer agrees there's little Itunes Match can beat it on for a user, only the artists get more from it (apparently).

Best phone I ever had. Loved it.

I was wondering that cos the apple podcast app has got a shitload of 1 star reviews... http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/podcasts/id525463029?mt=8

Apple has sold less than one fifth as many units of the 4s as Nokia sold of this.... Mere pretenders to the crown

Doesn't even have an ice dispenser

Hoover make shit hoovers. It's all about Dyson these days.

You're the one getting all Sweary Mary and agitated We were just having a nice chat about the merits & pitfalls, to help inform our next upgrade.