Apple, Mac, & iPhone News...
February 2nd, 2010
Hi folks,
Hope you enjoyed our Magnum Photo newsflash...here's a little bit more on iPad leaks, smart phone information and Amazon's teetering stock prices.
Apple's rocking the boat again--but this time we may not be thankful for it.
File Sharing
Because of ambitious software offerings like the iWork suite, Apple's needed to think about a new way to use file sharing on the iPad; the file directories have to have a little more desktop feel to them to make them easy to save and find again. A developer leaked information to AppleInsider that file sharing would happen wirelessly between desktop computer and iPad and that each application would save all related files in their own installation directory.
How easy is that? No more searching through file hierarchies, wondering where the heck that file saved when you clicked...and the fact that you should be able to drag and drop shareable files like your iPad is directly connected makes that easy as pie as well.
Nokia Cuts Prices
Well, slashes would probably be more accurate. Demand for cheaper smart phones has never been greater and with the gap between mid range phones without iPhone-like operating systems and super phones closing we could see a real shift in the market coming up soon. Nokia cut prices on its base model smart phone (the 5230, if you're being particular) from 170 to 120 euros.
Yes, we'll do the math for you. That's a price cut of $85--from $239 to $154. It's like a smart phone sample sale!
We're kidding, yes, but the cut (which Nokia says is a normal business thing they do a few times a year) really puts the hurt on smaller handset makers who aren't necessarily pumping out phones with tons of features that work like computers. We wonder which ones will survive...Darwinism is always so interesting when you're left unaffected by the results!
Amazon Down
Stock prices and customer support are falling for the value minded internet retailer since it announced Macmillan's victory in the battle to raise e-book prices. Up to $12.99-$14.99 from Amazon's great $9.99 price, those books may wreak havoc in the rest of the publishing world as big houses try to up their profits without thinking of their customer's needs. Amazon stock fell around twelve percent yesterday in total, ending up at $115.98 per share.
Unfortunately, the upturn in pricing is due to Apple's deal with five out of six of the biggest houses to sell e-books in the iBookstore, and while we're happy to have Apple competing with the Kindle we hoped that the competition would lower prices, not raise them.
Are you an e-book buyer? Will you pay $14.99? Tell us on Twitter.
Till tomorrow, Newsies...