The new iPhone 3GS went on sale Friday morning with new and improved features that may draw more business users as Apple moves to challenge the dominance of BlackBerry 
.The lines are not as long and the frenzy not as strong as Apple saw with previous iPhone launches, but the demand on the street seems healthy. Advance orders may have helped reduce the long waits in lines at retail stores across the country.
“We understand that customers are eager to get their hands on this great new device,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets. “So we’ve worked hard to make the experience as easy as possible.”
Despite the preparation on AT&T’s part, reports of Apple’s servers lagging under the strain of new iPhone 3GS activations are widespread. Complicating matters is older iPhone owners trying to download the iPhone OS 3.0 software to their devices. But it’s the new operating system that may help draw business users to the new iPhone.
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June 19th, 2009
Apple will officially begin selling its iPhone 3GS on Friday, but some analysts are predicting shortages that could leave some consumers disappointed. If advance orders are any indication, the demand for the iPhone 3GS may outstrip the at-launch supply.Both AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States, and Best Buy have sold out of inventories for Apple’s latest smartphone.
Apple was still taking orders on its Web site Tuesday, but the June 19 delivery date is not a guarantee. Likewise, AT&T posted a message on its Web site that indicates advance orders will shop seven to 14 days after the order is placed — on a first-come, first-served basis.
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June 17th, 2009
Despite a down economy, The Walt Disney Company is getting a jump-start on the back to school shopping season with a line of products aimed at high-tech kiddies aged six to 12.On Wednesday, Disney announced a partnership with ASUSTeK Computer to develop the Disney Netpal, a netbook computer for children designed to be Web-safe and user-friendly. ASUS makes the Eee PC netbook and leveraged its industry experience to help Disney develop the Netpal with parents and kids in mind. The netbook will list for $350 at retailers like Toys “R” Us and Amazon.com and will be available in late July.
“Today’s kids are a digital generation,” said Chris Heatherly, head of Disney’s Toymorrow team and vice president of toys and consumer electronics for Disney Consumer Products. “Parents are comfortable with their kids using the Internet, but they want to be assured that their kids are having a safe online experience.”
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June 17th, 2009
Does Bing have Google shaking in its boots? Google may indeed be concerned about Microsoft ‘s breakout Bing launch, analysts said.According to the New York Post, Google cofounder Sergey Brin is so rattled by the rival search engine that he has assembled a team of top engineers to work on urgent updates to the site. The Post also reported that Brin himself is leading the team to determine how Bing serves up its results.
“I do think Google is taking Bing very seriously,” said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. “According to the early traffic indications, there has been some bump for Bing.”
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June 16th, 2009
Caterina Fake has a hunch. She is betting Internet users want help making decisions, and she thinks she can do a better job of offering advice than the flip of a coin, rock-paper-scissors, or even Yahoo Answers.Fake, the founder of the popular photo-sharing site Flickr, launched her latest venture to help people answer questions like “What should I be for Halloween?”, “Do I need a Porsche?”, “Should I dump that loser?”, and “Is Phoenix a good place to retire?” The new Web site, Hunch.com, officially launched Monday.
“Hunch helps you make decisions and gives you results it wouldn’t give other people, getting smarter over time as more people use it. We would like it very much it if you would like it. We like it! So very much!” Fake said.
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June 16th, 2009
