We're All A-Twitter

Yes, it wasn't so long ago, that we were dissing Twitter. We didn't quite get it, and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Much like grandpa trying to program the VCR, it was just too newfangled for us.

Well, at long last. The Digital Lifestyle has entered the Twitter age. You can follow us @TdlLive . Yes, that "follow" is probably supposed to be a link somewhere. No, we don't know where it's supposed to link.

Also, that's the official twitter account for the site, meaning multiple people will "tweet." We'll use initials to differentiate. Since I'm the main tweeter, no initials for me (Ryan) I know, it's elitist...

Today twitter, tomorrow... Loopt? Don't hold your breath

TDL Live This week: (12/1-12/8)

It's the Cyber Monday edition of TDL Live! After dealing with some site load issues (thanks Cyber Monday...) TDL Live was a hoot. No aluminum foil was harmed in making this episode:

Show Notes:
A coming of age for YouTube
http://news.cnet.com/a-coming-of-age-for-youtube/
YouTube has announced it will auction off search terms as part of an ad program, called Sponsored Videos, designed to enable anyone to expand the viewership of their videos. YouTube also said last week it obtained rights to post full-length movies produced by a large film studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. What this means is that YouTube has given up on the idea that user-generated content can be a successful standalone business.

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Psystar case reveals Apple's shaky e-mail retention policy
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/11/19/filing-apple-employees-responsible-own-lawsuit-record-keeping

According to a recent legal filing (see page 7) in the Psystar vs Apple antitrust case, Apple employees are responsible for maintaining their own documents such as emails, memos, and voicemails. In other words, there is no company-wide policy for archiving, saving, or deleting these documents.

This could pose a problem in the event of a lawsuit. In recent years, companies have been fined millions after failing to retrieve old emails and other files required as evidence.

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Microsoft modifies Zune subscription model

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4AJ21420081120

the software company's modified subscription plan would allow owners of Zune to keep 10 tracks per month, which has an estimated value of $10. The users can also add those tracks to their permanent collection.

The company said agreements have been signed with the big four music labels -- EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group -- and also with a few independent distributors.

A Zune Pass would allow the user to download music and the downloaded content can be shared among up to three PCs and three Zune devices, the company said.($14.99/mo)

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MacBooks slow down with battery removed

http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/11/21/macbook.slow.wo.battery/

Apple's newer MacBook range continues to exhibit an unusual design behavior that slows the system down when the battery isn't attached, testing by Gearlog confirms. Although only publicized in a support article from August that predates the late 2008 refresh, the unibody systems deliberately throttle back the processorwhen relying only on AC power.

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THE Black Friday Deals at Apple That Weren't

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Simpsons Rag On Apple

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Linux successfully ported to the iPhone, iPod touch

http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/12/01/linux.on.iphone/

Devteam member planetbeing has successfully reverse-engineered the iPhone and iPod touch platforms torun the open-source Linux 2.6 kernel. The port is still in the beginning stages of development, with limited functionality that lacks support for the touchscreen, sound, accelerometer, baseband and wireless networking. When the device is powered-on, OpeniBoot gives the choice of booting the iPhone operating system or a separate mode for the Linux kernel.

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Mac web share hits 8.9% while Firefox tops 20%

http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/12/01/net.apps.share.nov.2008/

Net Applications has revealed both Apple and Mozilla bringing Microsoft's share of the web to historic lows for November. The Mac's usage share of the more than 40,000 websites tracked by the Internet firm has now reached 8.87 percent for the past month; the increase is a major jump from the previous record of 8.23 percent in September and is enough to have pushed Microsoft's Windows below 90 percent usage online for the first time in years.

Microsoft has also taken hits from rival web browsers. Usage of Mozilla's Firefox has topped 20 percent for the first time (up from 19.97 percent to 20.78 percent) and has been the largest single contributor to a decline in Internet Explorer share, which has again reached a years-long record low at just 69.77 percent of Net Applications' view of the web. The researchers attribute the spike partly due to the timing of special events like the US presidential election and to an extra number of days off helped by Thanksgiving, all of whom contributed to heavier web use.

Apple's Safari and Google's new Chrome browser have also supported the downfall of the Microsoft browser. Safari jumped from 6.57 percent in October to 7.13 percent in November while Chrome moved up slightly from 0.74 percent to 0.83 percent.

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BlackBerry Storm Doesn't Blow Away Reviewers

http://www.internetnews.com/mobility/article.php/3788061

New York Times technology columnist David Pogue tags the Storm as the "BlackBerry Dud", and is a bit miffed over the missing traditional QWERTY keyboard.
"It's like an iPod without a scroll wheel. A Prius with terrible mileage. Cracker Jack without a prize inside," Pogue seethed in his review last week.

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Blockbuster (BBI) Looking For Streaming Partners To Go After Netflix, Apple
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/12/blockbuster-looking-for-streaming-partners
Like rival Netflix, Blockbuster (BBI) is hoping to build itsnew streaming service into as many living room gadgets as possible. Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes,

Smart (if obvious) strategy, but Blockbuster is about a year behind Netflix (NFLX), which already has deals to build its streaming service into Samsung and LG Blu-ray players, Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox 360s, Roku Web video set-top boxes, and TiVo (TIVO) DVRs.
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More iPhones sold to females in Australia
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,24732123-5014239,00.html
APPLE'S iPhone has surprised the tech set by finding more homes in handbags than suit pockets.
Australian mobile phone companies confirmed more women than men were buying Apple's fancy iPhone, with one source saying up to 70 per cent of iPhone sales were to females.

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Apple offers free licensing for Mini DisplayPort spec

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/12/01/apple-offers-free-licensing-for-mini-displayport-spec

It turns out that the company is offering no-fee licenses to anyone interested in developing products that use the Mini DisplayPort specification.

Mini DisplayPort is an Apple-designed miniature version of the VESA-approved DisplayPort, which fully supports the protocol while offering a more compact connector.

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Macworld Expo early bird registration extended

http://www.macworld.com/article/137228/2008/12/expo.html?lsrc=rss_main

Registration for the upcoming Macworld Conference & Expo has been extended by one week, now ending on December 8, 2008.

The early bird registration gives attendees the opportunity to purchase their tickets early and save some money in the process. Prices vary from $25 for an Expo Only badge that gets you onto the show floor, to $1,695 for a Platinum Pass that grants you access to two Power Tools sessions, one Market Symposium, sessions in the Users Conference and MacIT Conference, access to feature presentations, keynote viewing, lunch, a party ticket and exhibit hall access, for $1,695.
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Apple's Black Friday Sale Items Revealed

OK, I'll admit upfront, we don't know how much you could save on Apple products Friday, but we do have a good idea of what will be on sale. Go ahead and take a closer look at that Apple promo graphic ahead. Having worked at Apple, and also having observed these sales pics before, the answers are right there:

Items Expected To Be Discounted:
iMac
all iPods (except perhaps the shuffle)
iPhone Bluetooth Headset
MacBook
Apple iPod Accessories
MobileMe (while not pictured, it's perpetually $30 off)

What You Should You Not Expect To Get a Deal On?
MacPro towers
MacBook Pro (chance of a discount)
iPhone
Third-party products, with a few exceptions
The new Apple monitor

So while not written in stone, there's your quick guide to whether you need to brave the Apple store Friday morning. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and don't forget we're back Monday with TDL Live at 9PM ET.

Also, if you plan on shopping Apple's sale from home, please consider using this link to help support TDL!

Apple Price Matching Not News

Considering we're the only major Apple blog created by former Apple retail employees, I figured we should set the record straight on reports of price matching at the Apple Retail stores.

1. Price Matching is Not New
Managers have always had some flexibility with judgement calls on price matches. Truth be told, you were far more likely to get a price match four or five years ago, when there was a slower pace to the stores, and CPUs made up a larger portion of the business. That said, generally price matching only applied to the system/Apple products. I remember a gentleman wanted to purchase $700 in iPod accessories once upon a time, and was shocked he couldn't get a discount. Let's face it, even though he had a high item count, $700 is small potatoes in Apple retail. Which brings me to:

2. Price Matching is Not The Same as Cutting a Deal
You should not expect now to get any more of a deal for being a frequent customer than ever before. Don't confuse someone else selling an item for less, with wishing Apple would sell you something for less.

3. Price Matching isn't the Same As Rebate Matching
Macmall, and other online businesses do a good job of offering Apple bundles: Perhaps a free printer, mouse, software, and case, all AFTER rebates. Don't expect Apple to match the after-rebate price.

4. Apple Can't Break The Law
I wouldn't expect Apple to do anything to the price to get it to equal a sales tax-free purchase. It might seem trivial, but I recall many times when people threatened to go to a tax-free store (in tax free Delaware) rather than buy from us due to tax. Apple is not the tax man, and they won't be cutting into their profits to even out the tax burden of buying in-store.

So while it's great to get a better deal, don't read too much into this retail "change." It's a bit of a non-story as price matching as always existed to some extent.

Hey Apple, The Netbook Train is Leaving the Station

On a trip to the local Costco earlier today, I saw quite a clamor. No, it wasn't just the checkout lines stretching back half the store (didn't anyone get the recession memo?) It was people of all ages checking out the HP 1000 Netbook. After waiting a bit to play with it, I've got to say, it's a solid computer - for what it is. I think 75% of the people playing with it may have thought they were using a full-blown laptop miniaturized, and for many of them, it may have been just that. If you intend to simply surf the internet, check email, and write some word documents, (which is still all many people need to do) then you may never notice the underpowered Atom processor.

Personally, it struck me as the ultimate blogging tool. The ability to throw something under 3 pounds into a bag and go, is impressive. If it had 3G wireless connectivity built-in, I may have even pulled the trigger. Are you listening, Apple? This is a product, actually a whole category of products, that are starting to gain mainstream traction, and there isn't an Apple-branded option to be found. The HP Netbook had a solid, but not MacBook Pro solid, feel. The fit and finish, again, not up to what you would expect from Apple, was still significant.

The days of selling an $1100 laptop as an entry level computer are over. Having 80% of the functionality in something at 40% of the cost, and 50% of the weight will appeal to many.

Apple's reluctance/delay in making a splash in this market category could be the biggest under-reported story to the company's future.