Some Apple repairs are best left to the experts

All those shiny Apple products are great, but when something goes wrong, it's not always best to crack open the case, and start poking around. To keep you, our loyal reader safe, we present the Apple repairs you should never try on your own:

Ads are coming to the iPhone

According to this fine blog, Ad Mob is bringing ads to the iPhone. GREAT:

This week, AdMob, a San Mateo, Calif.-based mobile advertising firm, launched a marketplace for ads on the iPhone 3G that includes such big brands such as Ford, Electronic Arts, Universal Pictures, Land Rover and Jaguar. AdMob's aim: Serve up a new kind of engaging mobile ad that will spur more sales of advertisements targeting mobile phones.

Read the full entry here.

Latest Google-killer a dud

I don't know which is more fruitless: trying to create an iPod/iPhone "killer", or a Google "killer." Today marked the public launch of cuil.com (pronounced cool. Quick tip: if you have to tell people you're cool, you're not.) Cuil is a search engine created by former Google employees. Don't get too excited about this being the next big thing though.

Putting cuil through its paces, reveals an engine far less than ready for prime time. We tested using search terms near and dear to our heart. First, "the digital lifestyle". Our site does not appear in the first "page" of results. I use quotes on page because rather than present the results in a traditional site name/description list, cuil shows a small paragraph of info from the site. The end result being that you have to click through several pages to see as many default results as Google. This wouldn't be a problem if the top results were actually what you're looking for.

Next we tried a search for "Apple news rumors". While we love our friends at macrumors.com. I'm not sure that having 8 of the top ten results point to different subsections of one site helps anyone. Long ago, Google perfected the "more results from this site" option. Cuil should do the same. They intend to make it easier to find information, rather than websites, but in our quick tests, cuil did neither.

Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of room for improvement in the world of search. As you know, our site thrives on Apple news and rumors, but other than this post, is rare that we actually use those words in posts. Once someone creates an algorithm that can look at a posting on a MacBook Touch, and know that's an Apple rumor, we'll be getting somewhere. Chances are, Google will figure this out long before someone else. Trying to beat them at this point is like setting out to create a "Kleenex killer." Google = search. Period.

Former Motorola Exec Tries for the Best of Both Worlds

Looks like former Motorola exec, Michael Fenger, tried his best to have his cake and eat it too.  His former employer was not so keen on Fenger violating his non-compete agreement, especially since Fenger hopped the fence to join Apple’s iPhone  division. 

            Motorola apparently offered Fenger millions of dollars, stock options and restricted stock units as part of his non-compete agreement with Motorola, which furthermore stated that he would not join a competitor for at least two years after leaving Motorola.  However, Fenger took the Vice President of Global iPhone sales position less than a month after leaving his position at Motorola and of course after he had already accepted the cushy non-compete deal from Motorola.

            Beyond Fenger violating his strictly bound non-compete agreement with Motorola, the new Apple exec also hired for Apple two Motorola employees who have access to Motorola’s trade secrets and information on customer relationships. 

            Motorola’s attorneys have urged the court to bar Fenger from working for Apple or a competitor for at least two years, as stated in his non-compete agreement.  Motorola further demands damages in the form of repayment of stock options from signing the non-compete.

            As always, the ending to this story is in the hands of the judicial system.

 This blog was based on information found at reuters.com

Checkword for iPhone Review

If you're not a Scrabble player, you can ignore this post. But if you are, then Checkword could greatly streamline your search to the age-old debate, can I use this word?