Apple Tablet To Change Media?

Back in January this year we reported on the rumour that Apple could be developing a killer device - new larger iPod Touch, which we predicted would clearly not only rewrite the notebook world but obliterate the eink readers in a heartbeat. Now that rumour is closer to reality and the Financial Times and others are reporting that Apple is racing to offer a portable tablet-sized media computer in time for the Christmas shopping season.

Forget the 1984 Kindle, Sony and the ever coming Plastic Logic this could be the Walkman and iTunes plus moment for video, TV, Music, Audio and of course ebooks. It will be the same as the step change from black and white TV to colour but with all today's channel offers!

The touch-sensitive computer is predicted to have a full colour, 10 inch screen and have internet connectivity like the iPod Touch with full access to the web and to Apple’s online stores for software and entertainment. It will be coming to market at a time when video streaming is taking off, mucis streaming is hear, downloads could not be easier and importantly for books when market hype is starting to met market demand.

The big question is not whether there is a market demand for such a product aligned to a service such as Apple’s, nor is it about whether Apple will create a great device but on the price and service ties. It will be interesting to see if the service to support the device is tied to an exclusive carrier or open and whether the price can remain low enough to be a ‘no brainer’ for Christmas. If the price can be competitive with the current iPhone and iTouch it certainly will move.

Start saving now, a major media step change is about to happen.

IPhone 'Stock Dumping' Fuels Runours

Play.com is selling unlocked iPhones in the UK. The unlocked device is sold SIM-free, enabling users to be able to run the handset on any mobile phone network of their choice. However the privilege comes at a price with the unlocked 8GB iPhone costing £549.99 and the 16GB £599.99 with stocks already sold ou of the 16GB.

Carphone Warehouse recently confirmed that it would start giving away the 16GB iPhone for free when customers sign up to a two-year O2 contract for £34.26 per month.It appears that old stock is certainly being cleared to make way for the model expected in June.

BoyGeniusReport claim that Apple is also set to a $99 3G Apple Netbook this summer. At this price Apple will have to make changes and it is rumoured that the Netbook will possibly ship with Apple's own iPhone OS 3.0. Apple may be going for a cut down Netbook that will not compete with its cheapest Macbook, at least not for now. Maybe a iPhone OS based netbook with a keyboard and that much rumoured 10.1-inch touchscreen giving us a large version of the iPod Touch and a compelling device that would live between the laptops and the mobiles and certainly a ebook competitor to rival any eink player with Apple apps to boot!

Democratisation of Ads

Today we read about a young student Nick Haley, at the University of Leeds, England. He created a commercial for the iTouch, posted in on YouTube, which was viewed by thousand and got discovered by Apple marketing execs, and was commissioned by Apple’s ad agency to collaborate on a “professional” version of the ad. Watch the original ad by usingthe link below or clicking on the icon in the screen.One its impressive,two Wow!, three we want an iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKQUZPqDZb0



What is relevant is that people are finding ways to express themselves via community sites and also are offering ideas to those who would not normally see them. Is this the new way to promote content and creative ideas? – Yes. Will there be some hidden gems? – Yes. What is important is the ownership of those ideas and ensuring that IP is rewarded and not abused.

We have already commented on Lego, Chris Anderson and what we call the democratisation of literature, now here is the democratisation of advertising.