Official iCreate Blog > 2008 > April

VS

Apple really better explain what’s going on with iMovie or I’ll be forced to shout about a serious error in the Cupertino clan’s decision making.

We’ve all heard the iMovie ‘08 debate. Yeah, it’s faster and it’s allegedly easier to use but it lacks half the features found in the previous version, iMovie HD.

Tonight is a case in point. I have some movie clips I want to publish but I want to add a little reverb to them for a nicer sound than the current flat living room tone.
Bereft of any iMovie ‘08 audio tweaking beyond volume adjustments, ducking, normalisation and fading, I have had to export a project from iMovie ‘08 in full quality (not a swift procedure), open it in iMovie HD to add the desired audio FX and then export the project again ready to be re-imported into iMovie ‘08. I even encountered problems that required the use of QuickTime Pro to convert the video from iMovie ‘08 into a format that could be used in iMovie HD.

The result? Over an hour spent converting before I came close to hitting the Share on YouTube option. I’m not going to lie, I’m writing this while I wait for the second of three movies to convert.

It’s all very well making iMovie accessible to the masses and easier than ever to learn but, beside from the obvious market share seeking, why punish us lovers (and masters) of iMovie HD, Steve? If I don’t see iMovie HD rebranded as a mid-range application before long (or some kind of FCE/iMovie HD amalgamation) I’m going to cry.

Funnily enough, although there are some cool new features in iMovie ‘08, all I really want is a “Share on YouTube” option for iMovie HD. Then I’d probably be less bothered by the whole thing, use the previous version for my own editing needs and tell my blind grandmother with chronic arthritis and a severe drinking problem to try out iMovie ‘08 because it’s really easy to figure out and, quite frankly, she wont care about the output.

I’ll tell you why I love Macs…

This weekend my MacBook and iMac stood up to a solid series of creative and entertainment-related tasks that further confirmed my belief that Apple makes the best computers and software regardless of whether you’re a consumer or business user. Almost every aspect of my weekend involved Mac OS X somewhere along the line…

Saturday Morning - While my iMac happily ripped a DVD in the study I worked on a Keynote presentation on my MacBook along with breakfast and some freshly downloaded iTunes tracks streamed to my living room sound system via AirTunes.

Saturday Lunch - Keynote presentation complete I exported the document out and into Microsoft Powerpoint (not through choice) and fired up Parallels to check Windows compatibility (horrible, I know!). All was fine, saved and uploaded to my iDisk ready for Monday morning.

Saturday Afternoon - GarageBand came into play with two recordings of acoustic songs ready for my upcoming iWeb site. Exported to iTunes and previewed them through my surround sound system. Not bad. Designed the music page for new iWeb site and dropped in the new MP3s.

Saturday Evening - Friends arrive for drinks, MacBook attached to TV and stereo provides musical backing via Front Row. Discussion of last summer leads to a viewing of an iMovie project I put together a year ago. Streamed from iMac to TV via MacBook.

Off to a birthday party, digital compact in hand. Drinks and an early hours finish.

Sunday Morning (mid-morning) - Struggle out of bed, coffee and paracetamol. Copy last night’s photos into iPhoto. Use Facebook Exporter for iPhoto to tag and upload images. Entertaining comments begin to filter into my inbox.

Sunday Lunch - Another birthday today, taking a friend out for lunch. Meet in town, iPhone provides contact number for seafood restaurant as well as directions.

Decide what I want to eat via online menu en route to restaurant.

Sunday Evening - Tired. Settle on sofa, MacBook in position attached to the TV. Watch ripped DVD through Front Row and sleep like a baby. iPhone set to wake me up for work on Monday with reminder to post new blog entry…

Hello again, its been another week of checking out the latest products to go with your Apple lifestyle. This time around I’ve got an iPod case and some speakers for you to look at…

This offering from Gear4 is very good case for your iPod Touch. Its called the iVAk and as well as being made from very tough plastic its got a built in hard screen protector so there’s no fumbling around with flimsy bits of plastic and worrying about air bubbles getting in the way of your display. It does however mean you need to be a bit more forceful with your finger while navigating menus and using gestures. The iVak also features a built in kick-stand so you can set your iPod down to watch some video, this is great for when you’re traveling. The case itself is scratch resistant and has a nice thin profile. It will set you back £24.99 and is a great for overall protection, the built in screen protector offers massive piece of mind when your iPod is in a pocket or bag. For more information go to www.gear4.com.

For those of you who like to get their music out there as often as possible, portable speakers are a must. This impressively compact system called the BlackBox mini from Gear4 has a great sound for its size and will run off of four AA batteries, USB or mains power. Because of its tiny size there’s no dock but you can connect an iPod using the provided mini-jack lead. It also has Bluetooth, so you can stream tracks from your mobile phone. The controls are touch sensitive and the whole unit is a deep glossy black. The mini also comes with a carry case so you can easily take it wherever you want. A unit of this quality doesn’t come cheap, despite its diminutive size. This one will set you back £49.99 and you can get more information by visiting www.gear4.com.

There are reports being leaked across the web that we will see an update to the iMac range on Tuesday.  From the information we’ve gathered (via Geeksugar and Engadget) there will be no cosmetic changes, just a speed bump and some bigger hard drives.

Lest hope this is the first in a series of releases by Apple that will include new MacBooks, MacBook Pros and then the all singing, all dancing 3G iPhone. Joy!

02 has reportedly had a huge run on 8GB iPhones this weekend with many stores selling out of the device.

This is, of course, a result of the recent £100 price drop for the smaller capacity iPhone model that began last week. Carphone Warehouse is also reporting strong sales.

While the news is good for the mobile networks across Europe who will benefit from increased iPhone sales, there’s no hiding the fact that this is unlikely to be a move to generate income but a hasty stock clearance for the much rumoured 3G iPhone, due anytime.

To buy or not to buy? It all depends. You can get a cheap iPhone right now but at the same time there could be a far more advanced model available in under two weeks. Tough call.

Hello ladies and gents, we’ve seen some better weather down here in sunny Bournemouth, the snow has gone and the sun has come out. As a result Ben has been poncing about in a couple of questionable hats, made out of wicker or hemp or something…

Anyway, here are a some more bits of kit for you to take a look at:

Digital photo frames are becoming more and more mainstream these days, and why not? If you’ve got great snaps, this is the perfect way to get them in a frame as soon as possible. Despite the terrible name, the DF7220 from Parrot has some good features – you can connect it to your Mac or send pics via Bluetooth. There are a range of options for viewing including a couple of slideshow options and even some stock photos of random people for you to use if they’re better-looking than your friends and family! Unlike a lot of Digi photo frames, this one has a nice simple frame and decent resolution. Well worth a buy for £99 and a good reason to take your camera wherever you go so you can quickly upload those priceless snaps of people in embarrassing predicaments . For more information visit www.parrotshopping.com/uk

Agent 18 make very good cases, including this Touch Shield for the iPod touch. They’re made from very tough plastic and have a very thin form factor, so they’re not adding too much bulk to your iPod. They clip together in two halves, offering good protection against spills whilst giving you easy access to all your ports and buttons. The only failing with this case is that it doesn’t come with a screen protector, so unless you buy one elsewhere the most vulnerable part of your iPod is at risk. Still, for £13 you can’t go far wrong and you’d have enough change from a score to buy some separate screen protectors if you really want them. For more information check the Agent 18 website at www.agent18.com

…

Everybody knew that, when the iPhone launched with its revolutionary touch screen interface, there would be pretenders to its throne pretty soon. 
LG & Samsung lead the pack at present with their respective takes on digit-driven mobiles but, as we all know, they’re still simply mobile phones with advanced control features. Apple has time on its side as other manufacturers race to better the iPhone but will surely be confounded when the much rumoured iPhone 2 makes its appearance this year. Back to the drawing board for the competitors. I worry, however, that consumers still don’t “get” the iPhone in the UK. They don’t quite know what it offers (even with the constant ads on television) and they certainly don’t appreciate paying for a phone up-front before signing a contract and thus forgoing a subsidy on the handset as is the custom here.
Sales figures have, apparently, been pretty sub-standard for the iPhone in the UK. No specifics have been provided but some very vague statements from O2 suggest they’re not as happy with the five-year iPhone deal they’ve signed up to, as they were pre-launch.In light of this I’m intrigued to see a new wave of ads in O2 store windows and on TV for the LGKF700. This is by no means an iPhone killer but, in the eyes of the consumer it could be a tempting option over here. 
Exclusive to O2 (as we remember from the iPhone ads) the LG phone offers touch screen AND a keypad, a three megapixel camera and, most importantly, web browsing with 3.5G technology. 
Still, not as good as the iPhone but to the man on the street it’s certainly an option. Depending on your contract you can get the phone free or for an up-front payment of up to £159.99 a clear £100 cheaper than the least expensive iPhone.
We’re definitely getting into mobile web technology here and the iPod is still going strong but, consumers want the best deal and what they perceive to be the best device. The core advertising its “3MP”, “Touchscreen”, :”3G” and “full web browsing” are likely enough to sway a consumer in favour of the LG device over an iPhone. 
Perhaps O2 is toning things down while we wait for the new iPhone models but it does seem like its promoting “banker” models of phone over Apple’s device, likely even further denting iPhone sales. 

We’re working on a really great cover concept for issue 55 of iCreate. Obviously, I can’t let on just what it entails right now but trust me, it looks cool.

I’m getting worried though. Everytime we near completion on a cover we really, really love Apple decides to launch a new product or significantly update an existing one.

Well no more. Even if the MacBook and MacBook Pro are relaunched with leather exteriors and the ability to hover above a desk, I’m going with my original idea. The new product may well feature on the cover but as a part of our planned concept.

I’m sure Apple is doing this on purpose.

Rant over. Apple, take note.

Hello girls and boys, hope you’ve been enjoying the great British weather over the weekend, you can’t beat a bit of snow in April. I’ve got a treat for you today, I must say. There are, as usual, two items in my little report and the first is one of the coolest I’ve seen…

iCovers - iPod Classic cover

iCovers are a new type of case for your iPod that allows you to choose from a massive range of artwork to spice up your favourite MP3 player. They are a very thin, (less than 2 mm) and made with premium 3M vinyl and adhesive technology. They’re basically super strong stickers that will give you scratch protection whilst keeping your iPod looking as slim and as cool as ever. They are crafted using the same process and materials used in making the stickers for F1 cars, which is pretty cool in itself. The stickers are finished with an ultra-clear, scratch resistant and anti-slip glossy coating for added durability and a photo quality finish. When you get these cases out of the packet its very clear that they will protect your device, the material has a tough quality and can be removed and reapplied easily, so you can buy more than one of these and change them around as often as you want. The lack of bulk also means you can use all your docking accessories without having to remove the case. The only downside to these is that they’re not offering any protection in a dropping situation, but most cases don’t. The case for the classic will set you back £15.99 and you can select your design from www.styleyouripod.com, there’s loads to choose from so get online and give them a look, and also watch out for more coverage in the magazine.

Incipio - iPhone Bikini case

If you thought the iPhone was lacking a little cleavage, then why not give it some extra sex-appeal with the Bikini from Incipio? The company is quick to point out that this is not a proper case, so don’t expect any protective value whatsoever here – as with bikini-clad beauties on the beach, it’s all about the aesthetics. So if you’re planning a trip to get some sun this summer don’t just pack your own beach togs, dress you’re iPhone for fun in the sun too. Check out www.myincipio.com for a range of colours, these cases will cost you £10.99.

www.beet.tvWall Street Journal columnist and iCreate favourite Walt Mossberg has openly stated that Apple’s iPhone will be 3G in 60 days.In a matter of fact yet casual comment during the Beet.tv executive summit in Washington, Mossberg stated: “Broadband on these cellphone networks is limited and I’m not talking about the fact that iPhone isn’t 3G, it will be 3G in sixty days.”Now we all know Walt and Steve Jobs are good pals, making this quite a worthy claim, especially considering Mossberg is one of the few journalists to receive Apple’s products before they are launched. (Steve, if you’re reading, can you put me on this list too?).Referring to the Apple CEO while discussing streaming media options at the same conference, Mossberg said:”Believe me, I know this guy. If Steve Jobs thinks that a streaming service would be the right way to go and sell him a bunch of iPod and Macs, he’ll turn it on tomorrow. It’s not a religion.”Good friends with the CEO. Exclusive clearance to test new kit. We think this is a particularly meaty rumour that may well turn out to be true.www.ipodobserver.com To further add fuel to the iPhone 3G fire, T-Mobile in Germany has begun offering discounted 8GB iPhones for those who sign up to 2 year contracts. With rumours pointing to poor German iPhone sales this could be a one off but… with new “Black iPhone” whispers circulating, could be we see consumer and pro offerings in the future?If so this could be how things pan out:Pro iPhone (2nd Gen) 3G compatible, 16GB & 32GB - Full price, no discounts. Available in blackIntermediate iPhone (1st Gen) 8GB & 16GB - Standard pricing or discount for 2 year contract. Available in silver.ConsumeriPhone nano (iPhone Air?) - Stripped down, 4GB - fully subsidised with contract. Available in multiple colours.We know how Steve Jobs likes his products to sit in the market (see MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro etc) and we also know how much he values the iPhone, hence no subsidy with contracts. Could this be the compromise?

EDIT: Appleinsider.com is reporting on aesthetic tweaks to the MacBook line as part of Apple’s ongoing “green” effort. Plastic casing is said to make way for aluminium enclosures which, once again, points to a brand conformity through the notebook line. The MacBook Pro is also due for a visual revision with design elements “borrowed” from the new iMacs. Black, aluminium and glass once again.