iPhone sold 270,000, lower than expected.

Will Steve smile last? Personally, I don't believe what Analyst said, I will buy the iPhone eventually (maybe wait to 2nd generation).


The following part is from WSJ today (7/26/2007).

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has been a magnet for hype. But the company's iPods and Macintosh computers were the stars of the quarter.

The Cupertino, Calif., company said record sales of iPods and Macs helped the company post a 73% increase in its fiscal third-quarter earnings and a 24% rise in revenue. Apple also said it sold 270,000 iPhones in the period and reiterated its goal of selling 10 million of the cellphones by the end of next year.

Redefining the Surface--Microsoft Style

It's time to think outside the box and Microsoft is demonstrating it today. Ever since Steve Jobs demonstrated multi-touch screen in his forthcoming iPhone, there has been a lot of speculations on what this technology means for user interface and consumer interactions. In our discussions of the 3 laws by 3 domain matrix, we clearly were expecting new form factors for the computing not just cell phones but other devices and applications as well. We recognized that we are at the dawn of pervasive computing where the computer is hidden and unobtrusive.

These two videos from Microsoft illustrates the possibilities. Now, it's time to think of applications and what they mean for greater customer value.

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See the competitive implications for Apple?
Who else?

Evolution in Color Display--Sony Style

We all know that we are limited by the size, weight and shape of digital displays.
Sony Corporation has developed a razor-thin display that bends like paper while showing full-color video.

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what new ideas and functionality can you begin to visualize once this goes from the lab to mainstream much as LCD displays and plasma televisions have invaded our daily lives?
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It is a breakthrough because it is not only thin but can be bent by a human hand (and presumably not lose its shape). Sony spokesperson said:

"In the future, it could get wrapped around a lamppost or a person's wrist, even worn as clothing," said Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa. "Perhaps it can be put up like wallpaper."

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Apparently there is a demo video but I have not been able to locate it. I will post it when I do. The news article describing this is here.

On the heels of our final exam, this Fast Company article is a good profile of Disney's efforts to adapt to the digital age. It profiles Albert Cheng, the executive vice president of digital media, and talks about his efforts to turn Disney into a leader in the digital entertainment world.

"ABC has been the real leader here," says Will Richmond, founder of Broadband Directions, a market-intelligence firm. "They're pushing into uncharted territory." That explains what Anne Sweeney, the co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney-ABC Television Group, calls the company's unofficial mantra: Create what's next. And that's where Cheng's team comes in. "We've aggregated all the great thinkers and fast movers in this group," she says. "It's a lab."

Disney's digital startup is turning the conventional television network into what Cheng calls a "branded multiplatform ecosystem." In the process, it is changing TV viewing as we know it. You can gather online in private TV rooms to watch the teen drama Wildfire; compete in online fantasy leagues around the cads and prima donnas on daytime soaps; vote online for plot points in the High School Musical sequel (43 million votes tallied); or read the Grey's Anatomy staff blog. ("Let me tell you," one of the show's writers begins, "the day after we see Izzie and George have sex is a pretty frightening time to come on here and try to explain why.... We know you're shocked. We hear you.") The new platforms are also inspiring new types of content, like the online mini-telenovelas spun off from Ugly Betty, one of ABC's prime-time hits.

DRM-free Music?: Amazon follows Apple

Amazon announced today that it plans to launch an online music service that will sell only DRM-free music tracks. EMI Music Group--which has already announced a similar arrangement with Apple iTunes--is a major label under this arrangement. In addition, there are supposedly 12,000 unnamed labels.

Amazon indicated that its DRM-free MP3s will free customers to play their music on any device-- such as Apple ipod, Microsoft Zune and others (in addition to burning CDs). EMI is clearly seeking to broaden their channel to consumers beyond Apple itunes store with this arrangement.

Does this pose a major competitive threat to Apple iTunes? Only if certain labels decide to distribute their music through Amazon (and not Apple). Otherwise, it is competitively neutral between Apple and Amazon while allowing the music labels to have multiple channels.

The question then is: Will Wal-Mart be far behind?

Shift Happens: Globalization and Information Technology

This may be worth watching and thinking about..
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I am sure you can make a presentation that lays out in simple-yet-powerful ways, how IT impacts business (and society) in a broad sense.

Good Luck 2007 Graduates!

Web 2.0: Who is Sick and Where?

Here is an interesting web 2.0 initiative that is interesting. Will it really be updated and accurate?