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For years I’ve used ReBoot Canada for all my technical recycling needs and have recommended them to my clients as well. Basically, ReBoot takes your old equipment – computers, laptops, monitors, cables etc… – and either recycles the parts properly or repurposes them. As a bonus it even issues a tax receipt. ReBoot has just started a summer campaign called Canada Summer Ask. Below are the details:

Join the fight for computer literacy.

In Canada there are over 10 Million households that do not have access to a home computer, and internet access. While reBOOT wishes to continue helping any and all that are on the wrong side of the digital divide, we cannot do so without your assistance.  As a registered charity, we rely on the generosity of Canadians to support our important, and relevant mission.

Summers have always been very slow times for both financial, and computers donations for reBOOT.  This year is particularly challenging due to tough economic times.

As a result we need friends of reBOOT to chip in one of the following three ways:

1) Cash donations, tax receipt will be issued (for every $100 we can rebuild a machine, and provide to a person in need – simply go to www.rebootcanada.ca and click on the Donate Now button).

2) Donate your office’s and/or personal old computers to reBOOT

3) Tell everyone you know about reBOOT and pass along this ask so that they can help out too.

We need your help now so that we can continue to advance the fight for computer literacy.

So, if you have old equipment or wish to support this essential service I encourage you to do so.

ReBoot Canada – http://www.rebootcanada.ca/

What a week it’s been (follow the links for details). New iMacs, MacPro’s, a new 27″ Cinema Display, a new Magic TrackPad offering, a strange Apple battery charger product and of course, the Canadian release of the iPhone 4! Whew! Given the recent drama of Antennagate and the poo pooing of the iPhone’s reception issues it’s interesting to note two recent thumbs up reviews (caveat: the Aussie recommendations make specific mention of and suggestions to use an approved ‘bumper’ case) from Australia and Norway’s largest newspaper. The Norwegian review actually states that it feels the antenna issue is a US specific problem as it’s testing did not find the same issues:

The paper suggested poor mobile networks may be the cause of the US reports of iPhone 4 antenna problems. It cited Amobil, a Norwegian mobile phone news site, as having ‘tested the iPhone 4 thoroughly, without finding any evidence that it is improperly constructed. All modern mobile phones have integrated antennas, and it is normal that they are affected by how the phone is held,’ VG said.

I’ve suspected this for a while as many people report awful cellular reception when visiting major US cities. Canadian carriers announced their data plans with Rogers/Fido and Bell both offering iPad 3G data plan sharing for an extra monthly fee. Of all the new products Apple released this week the one that caught my attention wasn’t the fancy new machines or even the Magic TrackPad (as cool as that may be). It was actually the new battery charger. This is a great add-on for most users as all Desktop Macs (sans the MacMini) come with the battery-powered bluetooth mouse and keyboard. The charger comes with 6 rechargeable batteries and an intelligent charging unit – a nice environmental touch and weird and unexpected new addition to the lineup.

I’m not sure I will be running out to get the new iPhone 4 just yet – partly because I think I want a white model this time and their release is delayed due to manufacturing issues – and partly because I don’t really need a new phone. My nephew will be getting his tomorrow so I fear subscribers to this blog will be subjected to another un-boxing video as he is keen to keep this new tradition alive (and it’s fun). Perhaps after I see his new shiny device my desire level will rise and the risk of succumbing to it’s purchase will overcome me. We’ll see.

I’ve been asked to comment further by a number of readers on Apple’s response to the iPhone 4 antenna issue. This is a device that is currently unavailable in Canada and I’ve yet to actually see or hold one to test out the problem causing all hoopla. However, my feeling is that Apple, like Google with it’s street view project privacy issues, would have loved for this to have gone under the radar. They totally underestimated their client base and felt the pressure to respond.  The idea of a recall was already partially addressed with the extension of a return policy – a kind of voluntary recall. They’re going to give away free bumpers/cases to anyone who bought an iPhone and is going to buy one until September 30th. I suspect a slight redesign after that. They also tried to dilute and deflect the issue by pointing out signal weaknesses in their competitors devices. Perhaps valid, but I somehow expected a higher road to be taken. The press conference began with the video song below – quite catchy and fun – about the iPhone 4. The chorus of the song goes:

If you don’t want an iPhone 4 don’t buy it
If you bought one and you don’t like it bring it back
(but you won’t)

This is the jist of Apple’s response. For some this will strike as arrogance. Others may see this as Apple poking fun at itself. I tend to side with the former. For Apple I think this is still a non-issue that has gotten totally blown out of proportion. As they tried to point out – most of the 3 million people using the phone aren’t experiencing this as a problem in day to day usage. The return rate is much lower than was the case following the release of the iPhone 3GS. I think the Consumers Report recommendation retraction really hit the folks behind the Apple veil. Throughout the Friday event it seemed to me that Steve Jobs was irritated – Apple hasn’t gotten bad press like this in a while and this device is another one of his babies. I’m not concerned about the lack of a recall as the problem can be worked around and from reports in the field even if it is held in the ‘death grip’ position calls are not dropped per se unless one is in a very weak cellular zone. They have been forced to address this, admit it and will probably fix the design. The important issue here is transparency. Apple got called out and is responding because the information got out. People wrote about their experiences.The press broadcasted it to the world and change is coming.

For me I’m disappointed with Apple’s handling of the whole affair and in a way they’re not really admitting to anything. I’ve written it before – not everything Apple does is good. They’re a company, a corporation, with shareholders to please. They’re not the underdogs anymore. They don’t operate out of a garage. They are an industry leader and as a leader I hope for more. The good news is this is a company that can evolve. I hope lessons are being learned.

For those of you wanting to see and hear the Steve Jobs distortion field conference:

July 16th Press Conference

and judge for yourself. Apple has also created a special iPhone 4 antenna page which goes over antenna issues in general, comparisons with other smart phones etc…

iPhone Antenna Performance Page

Meanwhile, RIM was none too happy being drawn into Apple’s antenna issue and issued the following statement:

“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.” - Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie

Oh my! The free bumpers/cases offer that Apple is initiating will end September 30th. Does that mean there will be a slight design change in the next round of manufacturing?

As we wait for Apple’s press conference on the iPhone antenna issue today it’s good to remember their other major iOS device continues to explode with great success. The iPad is ideal for many purposes and music is definitely one of them. The band Squeeze, whom I love, appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a couple of nights ago. Watch out for the piano solo section.

Some are suggesting the recent antenna issues with the iPhone 4 – you know, the Steve Jobs described non-issue  where if a user holds the new phone in a certain way the signal dies, calls are dropped, but just get a case for it problem – is Apple’s Vista. You remember Vista – Microsoft’s flop of an operating system release:

“It looks like the iPhone 4 might be their Vista, and I’m okay with that,” said Kevin Turner, Microsoft’s chief operating officer, in a keynote speech at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC)… Earlier in his talk, Turner poked fun at the reception problems that have dogged Apple’s iPhone 4 since its June 24 launch. “One of the things I want to make sure you know today is that you’re going to be able to use a Windows Phone 7 and not have to worry about how you’re holding it to make a phone call,” Turner said, referring to the Microsoft mobile operating system set to debut on smartphones this fall.

Apple isn’t helping matters either:

Apple appears to be panicking in its reaction to the widely-reported antenna issue plaguing most iPhone 4s — in its latest maneuver to attempt to ‘unthink’ the problem, company moderators appeared to delete threads which referred to yesterday’s Consumer Reports findings — only to change their mind and open these discussions again a few hours later.

This is referring to the Consumer Reports recent bombshell, which initially recommended the iPhone 4 as THE PHONE to get, but has since temporarily removed it’s recommendation until the antenna issue is addressed:

It’s official. Consumer Reports’ engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone’s lower left side—an easy thing, especially for lefties—the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you’re in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can’t recommend the iPhone 4.

Well, it appears Apple is finally going to address the issue, maybe, as it has just announced that it is hosting a press conference this Friday exclusively related to the iPhone 4:

Apple on Wednesday invited select press to a special press conference to be held this Friday in California. Apple would only say that the press conference would be regarding the iPhone 4.

Recall? Free bumper cases? More Explanations? The weird thing about this issue is that’s it’s not universal. It is reproducible, but not everyone is experiencing it to the same degree as it seems very dependent on the reliability of the network where one is using it. In any event, it should be an interesting moment.

This independent video combines two great inventions that go together well. Apple loved the concept so much they even posted it on their website. Enjoy!

So what is going on? In 1997 Apple was on the verge of collapse, it’s loyal followers were bemoaning it’s end. A deal had been made with the Microsoft devil to prop it up – the end was indeed nigh. Here we are, June 2010 and Apple is now the largest tech company in the US ahead of Microsoft itself. It releases hit after hit – the iPhone, iTunes, the App Store, beautifully designed laptops and desktops, the iPad, the iPhone (again!). People line up for their product releases days in advance, camping out, similar to how we line up for rock concerts.

They sell millions of devices in a matter of days. The release of the iPhone 4 yesterday is their biggest launch yet – with between 1 to 1.5 million of these things sold on the FIRST DAY!. Now there have been bumps and blunders along the way. I don’t like everything Apple does or the way they do it. The news surrounding yellowish screens, reverse button placement and an antennae design flaw on the new iPhone 4 are breaking out all over the web (Toyota anyone?) causing some consternation among customers and glee from its competitors. The government is investigating them for issues ranging from Privacy complaints to anti-competitive behaviour. Somehow Apple will weather these storms.

But how has this success come to be? I came across a interesting article today from Fast Company that tries to delve into just what makes Apple tick. It’s a long piece, but worth the time. The top ten ingredients explored are summarized below:

{1} Go Into Your Cave

{2} It’s Okay to Be King

{3} Transcend Orthodoxy

{4} Just Say No

{5} Serve Your Customer. No, Really

{6} Everything Is Marketing

{7} Kill the Past

{8} Turn Feedback Into Inspiration

{9} Don’t Invent, Reinvent

{10} Play by Your Own Clock

To get the details behind each of these check out Farhead Manjoo’s article on the Fast Company Website.

If you haven’t heard or noticed or attached your iPhone or iPod Touch to your Mac or PC today Apple’s latest and greatest mobile operating system is in the wild. Once you do you’ll be greeted with an opportunity from iTunes to upgrade your iPhone to version 4.0. Important Note:

OS 4.0 isn’t compatible with the original iPhone or the iPod touch. iPhone 3G and second-gen iPhone touch devices will get the update, but key features will be missing.

The 2009 iPhone 3GS and current generation iPod touch will gain all the new features, including multitasking, folders, wallpapers, unified inbox, multiple Exchange accounts and more

The iPad will get its turn in the fall. I’ve gone over some of what’s new in a previous post and there is lots of info all over the net and on Apple’s website. It is very important that you upgrade to iTunes 9.2 – either through Apple’s Software Update under the Apple Menu or through this link as it is required for organizing the new folders structure in the new OS. Below is an excellent 10 minute summary of all that’s in store after the update is complete:

Apple’s online service MobileMe just got a major facelift. Offline for a few hours last night it has returned with a new interface for Mail (borrowing heavily from it implementation of this service on the iPad), new navigation features, a new Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application and more. Details can be found here – MOBILE ME – WHAT’S NEW.

I really like the new Mail interface and hope they eventually bring this approach to the Mac OS desktop version. It responds and respects typical keyboard shortcuts like select-all, delete etc…I have to say that it’s not quite clear what to do when you hit the new page. Logging in takes you to Mail. Gone are the navigation tools/buttons to access each service. Instead, there is a cloud icon in the top left of the page. Clicking on this brings up a process-like pop-up window which offers up the different components – calendar, contacts etc…I’ve been using the beta of Mail for a while so I had figured this out quickly, but I suspect some users won’t know what to do right away. Also, one has to click on this cloud icon every time you want to switch between the different parts. This seems silly as it’s now added an extra mouse click to navigate. The service seems to remember the last component you were using and upon logging in after logging out takes you back to that area – potentially useful, potentially annoying. I’ve also noticed that my contact/calendar sync is totally out of wack on my various machines. The recent changes may be the culprit as the sync service had been very stable since the last major overhaul they made – which caused a major headache back then as well. Each component has gotten a slight make-over – Check out this post from 9to5mac.com for more screenshots. Not everything Apple does is perfect and I’m not sure this is a home run – more just a single at the moment.

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