Blog, posts for Category 'Rants & Raves'

So,

If you have been following what's written on the Web about the iPhone and the AppStore, you know there has been a lot of (out)rage about Apple's "censorship" on iPhone Apps.

They rejected many Apps on the basis of being gross, violent, tasteless (fart apps anyone?) and who knows what. And people have been complaining that Apple should just open the floodgate and that the public would make a difference between Apple and the Developers.

Oh, really?

Here's what happened today...

You might be familiar with the news that an iPhone app was allowed on the AppStore, then later pulled by Apple, which purpose was to silence a crying baby by shaking him violently (yeah, tasteless, stoopid etc.).

10' ago I was watching the news on one of France's national channels (France3) and they talked about it! OK, some families associations in the UK made a fuss about it so it made the news.

But then, here is how the "journalist" introduced the subject: "Apple has released an application that allowed people to silence a baby by shaking him violently".

Let's watch this is slo-mo: the way it is presented is that Apple MADE that application, then pulled it later on because people complained. But, wait, isn't Apple only providing the "shop"? Aren't people supposed to make a difference between the pipe and the dirty sewage waters going through it? Yes, in a perfect world.

So Apple had a 2'-long segment on National TV News about how they released a baby-shaking app. Great PR...

You can bet that Apple will continue to be as tight on their approval process as they can be.

Oh, by the way, did you know that, according to the same journalist, "Apple's online boutique has a billion different apps available"? Yeah, me neither...

North Hall is a strange beast. There is no connection between South Hall, where the main action is, and North Hall (which is physically located accros the street), so you have to walk (gasp!) through a long tunnel like hallway to reach it. And then, you're into WeirdLand.

North Hall is where they hide dirty and shameful secrets, companies offering wacky products, like a mechanical speaker/megaphone for iPod, a church-oriented "worship presentation software"(does it run on the Jesus Phone?) or hand-made fine felt fabric MacBook and iPod sleeves, straight from the 60s...

But then North Hall has also some pretty big players, some with giant booths, like Acura (apart from the fact that they compare themselves to Apple on posters, what's the link with MacWorld?) and some with tiny floorspace, like IBM and Netgear.

An interesting thing in North Hall is the pretty large number of iPhone apps developpers, like Polar Bear Farm, Mobile Warrior or Appigo.

North Hall also hosts Aperture training sessions, live music and empty spaces. And the Electronic Fronteer Foundation.

So, be careful, if you're not nice, you might end up exiled to North Hall Hell.

So, this might be the last MacWorld Expo, even if IDG has posted banners announcing MacWorld 2010.

At least, this will be Apple's last MacWorld, that's for sure. And although it does not seem that there are less people on the show floor this year (maybe the "last one" effect?), there is a distinct lack of excitement, it feels just like another trade show (appart from the bunnies, of course).

Maybe it's the fact that there was the usual over-expectation before the Keynote. I mean, the iLife updates are quite significant, and iWork.com could be BIG, but when people were expecting a new Mac mini, Snow Leopard, a new iPhone and whatnot, of course people will be disappointed. This is probably the BEST argument for Apple to drop MacWorld and only organize events when they have products to announce.

That said, the Apple booth seemed a bit empty, but the rest of the Moscone halls were packed with the usual bunch of major league players and wacky third parties.
Overall, I think that it's a good MacWorld, although it's hard to say if the Expo can survive without the Apple "halo", just like the Paris Apple Expo died after Apple cancelled its participation.

"Put your music. Where you want"? Along with this picture??? Oh my gawd!

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