Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"CBS Interactive today released the 2010 March Madness application ($9.99 app store). Big difference over last year? 3G streaming of games! It is just a shame that the iPad won't be out until April."

You can get the paid app here, for $9.99 USD, but the free "lite" version has highlights and pretty much everything the paid version does except for the live streaming video of the games. I agree it's too bad the iPad won't be available for it, but at least you will be able to use the iPad with MLB At Bat 2010!

"With spring training beginning this week, Major League Baseball has rolled out today the 2010 version of the popular iPhone app, At Bat 2010."

Last year At Bat 2009 was a great app, but it was priced at $9.99 USD if I remember correctly. MLB At Bat 2010 is available now in iTunes for $14.99 USD. This is causing me to really debate the need for it, even though I did get a lot out of last years version. I don't see a lot of upgrades for $5.00 USD premium over the previous version. Now if this works on the iPad, which I'm assuming it will, then I may have to change my way of thinking. Anyone out there going to spring for this version?

"Apple has nailed down the number three spot on BusinessWeek's fourth annual customer service awards, falling in right behind LL Bean and insurance company USAA, and way above companies like Amazon and Dell. The awards were based on survey results from a few different places, and Apple scored an A+ in both Quality of Staff and Efficiency of Service thanks to its Genius Bars and helpful Specialists inside Apple Stores."

You can see the list here, and it shows that Apple has improved almost 10% from the 2009 ranking. For LL Bean they improved almost 11% from 2009 and USAA improved about 1.5%. 

"Apple has posted a QuickTime audio webcast of Apple's February 23, 2010 presentation at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference."

You can hear the entire presentation over at Apple, audio only, and it lasts for about 45 minutes.

"The Mac Observer is pleased to announce the recipients of our Editors' Choice Awards from Macworld Expo 2010. We chose eight products that we feel represent the best of what was shown at the conference and expo, and like last year, there were lots of great products worth considering."

This is a best of list like the one Macworld came up with, but you will note right away there are different products on this list. They even include the HyperMac battery we noted a few days ago. This list isn't categorized, it is just their opinion on the best overall products, regardless of type, that were introduced at the 2010 Macworld Expo.

"Experience the best of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games with the NBC Olympics app. Follow all the action with the live real-time updates on every event from Vancouver. Check out NBC Olympics video clips and highlights, news stories for every sport, results & schedules, and updated medal counts. Plus, you can follow your favorite nations, sports and athletes on Facebook and Twitter - all from your phone."

Once they fixed a few bugs, they turned this into a pretty good app for following the Olympics in Vancouver, and best of all it is free. Or you can always check out the mobile Yahoo site at m.yahoo.com/olympics that has updated Olympic coverage. If you are actually planning on attending, check out the two "essential apps" according to Macworld in their article posted here.

"When it comes to Macworld Expo, there's one question that Macworld editors are asked without fail: What are the most interesting products at the show? And that's the idea behind the Macworld Expo Best of Show awards-to highlight the products that stand out at the show."

Macworld kicked off yesterday so might as well see just what they thought were the best products. I especially like the FastMac U-Socket shown above. How clever is that? You can go here to see the slide show of all 11 of the best of show products.

"A special Macworld 2010 conference session - targeted at corporate and business decision-makers - will attempt to demystify the entire process of producing custom iPhone and iPad software, from start to finish."

This particular session will be held this Saturday, the 13th, from 10:30am until 11:45am. In a short 75 minute presentation, they plan on covering the "entire spectrum of developing software, both in general, and for the iPhone and iPad in particular." Ambitious to say the least!

"What will Macworld 2010 look like without Steve Jobs? For starters, the annual gathering of Mac fans will see less than half as many exhibitors Feb. 9-13: 220 this year versus 500 in 2009, the last year Apple said it would officially support the San Francisco event."

I was hoping they would have more exhibitors than what they are expecting so they might be around for a few years. But I imagine the Apple faithful will show their support in order to keep this show going. They moved it to February (this week in fact) so that it didn't conflict with CES, of which Apple was a part. What are your thoughts? Anyone out there attending?

"Macworld Expo's iMacworld 2.0 app for the iPhone and iPod touch is available at Apple's iTunes-based App Store in time for the show's February 9 kick-off."

If you are going, this will be a handy app to get around, since it has information on all the vendors and locations at the Expo. It also lists all the speakers and conference sessions as well as giving you the search ability for all events and products during the Expo, which runs from February 9th through February 13th, 2010 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. More info on the Expo at their Web site.

"Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2010 first quarter ended December 26, 2009. The Company posted revenue of $15.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $11.88 billion and net quarterly profit of $2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.9 percent, up from 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 58 percent of the quarter's revenue."

And to top it off, according to the report, Apple "sold 3.36 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, representing a 33 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 100 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 21 million iPods during the quarter, representing an eight percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter."

Pretty solid quarter, and according to Steve Jobs, they are "planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about." Can't wait for tomorrow.

"The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off this week and analysts are expecting the predominant themes to be connectivity and mobility. Mobile devices such as new Android devices and tablet computers are expected to be a big focus. Meanwhile, outside of CES, Google and Apple are both expected to make announcements regarding their future plans this month."

The show starts tomorrow. so for more info, head on over to the CES 2010 website.

"My current city of Chicago isn't really suffering for Apple Stores -- the one on Michigan Avenue kind of makes up for any other missed areas around here, as it's the nicest and biggest one I've seen (but then again, I haven't been to the ones in New York near Mr. Rose). But it's good to hear that we're going to be getting another store, this one a little bit outside the Loop, on the city's northside."

So after dropping plans to build a store on State Street in downtown Chicago, Apple signed a lease recently for 18,000 square-feet of land at 1560 N. Halsted Street in Chicago. The store is expected to be approximately 15,000 square-feet when it is completed in early 2010. Plenty of access as the location intersects a couple of bus lines as well as the Red Line (rail system).

"On the heels of announcing its plans to bail on Macworld Expo next year, Apple will be instead attending the more generic Consumer Electronics Show in 2010, according to sources familiar with the matter. The blogosphere has been passionately arguing both for and against an Apple appearance at CES, which is held in Las Vegas rather than Macworld Expo's San Francisco. Sources close to the company have indicated to AppleInsider that the move is a done deal, a remarkable turn of events given that CES has long been dominated by Microsoft's product announcements issued in keynotes delivered by Bill Gates and now by CEO Steve Ballmer."

If this is true, then Apple has pretty much embraced their new identity as a consumer electronics brand. It won't take long to know if this one is true, but I sure as hell hope it isn't because CES is a pain in the you-know-what for average people to attend. I've only done it once, and it was utter and complete chaos, not to mention mostly boring garbage. I'm sure Apple would have one of those gigantic setups like Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony have had for years, but it just wouldn't be the same for attendees. The flip side, of course, is that it would be much easier for me to go to (I can always make an excuse for a trip to Vegas!).