Image: sxc.hu

Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon all allowed sports betting, even though it was federally banned in 1992. These four states were allowed to continue offering sports betting due to a grandfather clause – they already offered sports betting and so could continue.

The NCCA has often used rules regarding holding events to make political statements. You can read more about their decision to limit events at ESPN.

Post from: EveryJoe

NCAA Limits Event Locations Based on Bets

iCreate, one of the world’s leading Mac/Apple themed magazine just made it to the shores of the Philippines. Last Oct 10, 2008 iCreate was formally launched at the Powerplant Mall in Makati.

Mac users in the Philippines will surely get a treat from this mag. It offers tips, tricks and how-tos. This is what sets the magazine apart from its competitors. While there are reviews and write-ups about hardware and software, the articles on how to make the most out of your Mac makes this magazine indispensable. It’s something you’ll read over and over again.

If you live in the Philippines make sure to check out the local version of iCreate. Get your copies from leading bookstores and magazine shops.

Post from: EveryJoe

iCreate Comes To The Philippines

I wish more had happened on the Macintosh front. I love what has happened with the iPhone, but I really want to see something new from Apple in regards to computers.

I am excited to see that Snow Leopard is coming out. I think this will not be a for everyone upgrade, but it should increase speed and reliability and open doors for the future.

I think the biggest problem with the “high” that is an Apple Event is that I am already over this one and looking for to the next big thing Apple has coming.

—-

Don’t forget… You have until Sunday Night to Comment on any of the WWDC posts to be entered to win a copy of Text Expander. Don’t miss out.

Post from: EveryJoe

WWDC is Over

To sum it all up in one sentence, I’d say it was ok. It wasn’t mind blowing, it wasn’t bad either. I was hoping for more but I wasn’t disappointed with what I saw. I think over the past years, I’ve learned to manage my expectations.

This keynote was really about the iPhone and it’s ecosystem. Steve kicked of the keynote talking about the sessions of the WWDC briefly. Then told the audience that he would like to talk about the iPhone.

Notable item, Steve is really getting his people more and more involved in the keynote. Taking the time to mention that Scott Forstall and Phil Schiller would be helping him with the keynote. He also mentioned that in another session Bertrand Serlet will give the attendees a peek at Snow Leopard. The next generation of Mac OS X.

What does this tell me? Steve is really starting to transition and allowing people to get used to seeing other people during keynotes. In fact Steve’s time is significantly less during this keynote than past keynotes.

The iPhone 2.0 enterprise software was first to be discussed. This incorporates a lot more enterprise features. Something that will really gain inroads into RIMs market share. Enterprise features such as push email, push calendar, push contacts, global address lists, etc. are now built-in the iPhone. 35% of Fortune 500 companies participated in a beta program that Apple launched for the iPhone 2.0 software. This says that Apple is really serious in getting a significant market share in the business market.

A video was shown featuring enterprise customers. This was cool.

After the video, Steve brought out Scott Forstall to discuss the SDK of iPhone 2.0. He talked about how developers have now access to tools and APIs to develop apps similar to how Apple does and what Apple uses.

The SDK rocks. From the glimpse that was shown it really seems that the iPhone platform is miles away from other mobile platforms. The SDK looks easy to use and allows developers to build applications rapidly with great features.

Scott brought out several developers to demo apps that they’ve built for the iPhone. Sega was first up and demoed their “Super Monkey Ball” game. Ebay followed, demoing their auction app. After Ebay came one of my favorite demos of the keynote, Loopt. They develop apps to help you find friends that are near to you. Combining social networks with location based services. This to me rocks.

Typead, a blogging software was also demoed. Associated Press followed suit with their own iPhone app. Another company that did a demo is Pangea Software which previewed two games for the iPhone. Both of them rock. Enigmo is a puzzle game software. The next game is Cromag Rally. A prehistoric racing game. Both of them use the iPhones accelerometer to control games.

Another cool demo was given by Mark Terry. He developed an app called band. It’s virtual instruments that you can play, program and record music on your iPhone. Nice!

Major League Baseball had a demo as well.

I loved most of the apps demoed, games especially but the one that I loved the most was the ones from Modality and MIMVista. The previewed two apps. Netter’s Anatomy the first is an app for learning anatomy is from Modality. They’re also launching other apps for education after it. MIMVista’s app is about medical imaging software. It gives doctors a powerful tool.

I loved both apps because they have the most potential to change lives by educating people and the other app by making medical information available at the palm of your hand.

The last app was from Digital Legends. They developed a game worthy not only of a phone but a hand held gaming device as well.

Apple also demoed a way to push notifications for apps via push services.

Steve Jobs came back and demoed more business applications that come with iPhone 2.0. The most notable of which are support for iWork and Microsoft Office documents. So you can view Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Word, Powerpoint and Excel files on your iPhone. Neat.

Language support is also now available. That’s the great thing with virtual interfaces. You can do so much more than physical interfaces. It’s all done via software.

Another highlight of the keynote was given by Phil Schiller. Mobile Me. This new service by Apple takes over .Mac. It’s touted as “Exchange for the rest of us”. The demo rocks. This web based services is so advanced that it really resembles a desktop experience. Now the $99 price for yearly subscriptions sounds reasonable. I haven’t seen web apps this polished.

After the Mobile Me demo wrapped up. Steve announced iPhone 3G. Wow. What a surprise! [insert sarcasm here]. Everyone knew this was coming. Still it was great to have it a reality. Things to note is the integration of 3G, GPS, better audio quality, and improvements to the software.

The iPhone is also available in two colors (16GB model). It also does away with the metal back and replaced with a plastic back.

The iPhone featured a dramatic price cut. It now costs only $199 (8GB) and $299 (16GB) with a plan from a partner mobile provider. Apple also changed the way the sell the iPhone. You need to buy it from the Apple store or mobile providers store. You need to activate there. This will really make it more difficult for they grey market. The good thing is that the iPhone will be available in 70 countries by the end of the year. Most of us will be able to get a legit iPhone soon.

All in all the keynote was ok. One troubling thing though is that Steve Jobs looked so thin and gaunt. Inviting people to speculate that there’s something wrong with his health. This will be detrimental to Apple. Steve is Apple. That’s one of their biggest problems. If something happens to Steve, Apple stocks will take a serious dive. I’m worried. Not because of Apple stocks but Steve is really one of a kind and made Apple what it is today. I pray he’s healthy and the weight loss is just that. Weight loss.

I can’t wait to get my hands on a legit iPhone and to try out all the great apps being developed for it.

Post from: EveryJoe

My Thoughts On The WWDC 2008 Keynote

Basically, it is Leopard with some major improvements. (snow leopard).

There is some speculation as to whether Apple is going to charge for this release when it comes out next year. On the one hand, the things they are doing are going to be major improvements in speed. On the other hand, with no new "features," it is just a major update, not a new release.

Personally, I am almost never an early adopter, so whether it is free or not, I will get the advantage of getting other people’s feedback before I purchase. If it it really is faster, it will probably be worth the investment.

It is still a long way off, but what do you think?

http://www.apple.com/macosx/snowleopard/

Tags: osx, mac, snow leopard

Post from: EveryJoe

Snow Leopard – The Next Big Cat From Apple

The good news, is that the keynote was just as exciting as I had hoped. The iPhone 2.0 software is official and the 3G iPhone is just around the corner. The iPhone is going to be cheaper than I was originally prepared to pay (which is good), and some of the apps that are coming out for it are absolutely amazing.

They also released the new Mobile Me service as a replacement for (and huge upgrade to) the current .mac service. Only instead of just being .mac rebranded, it is MS exchange with an Apple twist. And hopefully, done right. .mac was slow and sluggish and didn’t quite do everything I wanted it to do. Hopefully Mobile Me will do it right.

Now of course WWDC isn’t over yet, but we’re still missing some stuff here.

Steve talked briefly about "Snow Leopard," the next Mac OS, but he differed it to a later session. But other than that, they didn’t talk about anything Mac. No new hardware mentioned. No upcoming software or OS features.

It’s not over yet, but I have to say I wish there was more Mac going on.

So what’s your initial reaction?

Post from: EveryJoe

WWDC 2008 Keynote Recap

Over the next week, we are running a contest on The After Mac. We are going to give away 2 licenses to TextExpander. I wrote a post last week about how great TextExpander is. (Writing about it has actually gotten me using it more, and surprisingly, the more you use it, the more useful it becomes.) Jean from over at Smile On My Mac gave me two licenses to give away and I thought WWDC (a second Christmas for Mac fans) would be a good time to give away some extra presents prizes.

So here are the rules:

• Only on topic comments will be counted as entries.
• Use your name and email address. Anonymous comments won’t count.
• Apple fanatics can sometimes cause disagreements. That’s ok. Just keep it civil.

So keep your eyes open for new posts as the details emerge from this year’s WWDC. Be a part of the conversation and get a shot at one of two licenses for the amazing TextExpander.

Tags: WWDC, Apple Community, TextExpander, Contest

Post from: EveryJoe

WWDC Conversation Equals Free Mac Software

The iPhone

This is by far the most anticipated product that is coming at this year’s WWDC. Of course we don’t know its coming, but since we know it’s coming we can write with confidence (I love Mac rumors). The first generation product was amazing. No argument here. But it needed just a little more. More speed. More battery life. More programs. And ideally, more discounts. Out of the box, the current version of my phone does more, runs faster, and lasts longer all while costing less than the current iPhone. Please Steve, come through with the new iPhone next week.

.Mac

Again, current rumor says we see an upgrade next week, but in its current form and price I can’t see why people pay for this. The potential is huge. Integrated into the OS the way it is, it could be the solution for so many little things. But this service is slow. And as a laptop user, it was sometimes buggy connecting and disconnecting as I switched offices. I don’t like the potential new name, but would love to see some improvement here (and again, a drop in price would be nice).

AppleTV

This is probably the product I want to like that I am closest to liking as is. Except. It is HD only and yet Apple still hasn’t quite solved the HD content problems. Until I get an HDTV, this isn’t even an option for me. But once I do, I want to watch HD content on my new HDTV, not SD content.

MacBook Air

This is so close to the computer I want to buy. So close. Definitely needs better battery life before it is an option for me. On top of that, what I really want is a 13.3" MacBook Pro. I want the dedicated video. I want the faster processor, more ram, and all the benefits of being on the Pro paltform. I just want it smaller. If Apple doesn’t release anything new in the next 6 months, the MacBook Air is likely to be my new computer come September/October, I just really wished I like it more than I do considering the price.

What about you? What do you wish Apple would just get right so you could fall in love? Hopefully next week will bring not only new products, but better products we can fall in love with all over again.

Tags: .mac, iphone, macbook air, apple tv, WWDC

Post from: EveryJoe

Apple Products I Want To Like

Only 13 more days until WWDC!!!!

I can’t wait. If there was a tree and colorful lights in the livingroom, I’d think it was Christmas. I am excited. I am dying to here the Steve Jobs Keynote. I am talking with friends, speculating on just how good it might be. I am lamenting with friends about my potential disappointments and they aren’t even here yet.

I don’t ever remember getting myself so hyped up over a particular present that getting it was anti-climatic and not getting it was crushing, but that is how I feel leading into every major announcement from Apple these days. The rumor engine gets going and there is no hope of being satisfied.

We want Steve’s keynote to be spectacular, but we already know what he is going to say (or at least we think we do). If he says what we expect… well… that was what he was supposed to say. We’ve known that for weeks. If he lets us down… we’re the three year old standing amidst thousands of dollars of presents throwing a tantrum because we got Malibu Barbie instead of ballerina Barbie (and we all know that kind of thing leads to killing sprees (see Adam’s Family Values)).

So here’s my Christmas List WWDC List for this year. And since I’ve been peeking, I am pretty sure I know what I’ll be getting.

• A New iPhone – Not just any iPhone, mind you, but something mind blowing.
  • 3G (or better)
  • Worldwide travel capable (including Japan and Korea)
  • More storage
  • Cheaper (or at least cheaper for the locked version with an unlocked version at current price).
  • Video
  • iChat (preferably utilizing the above mentioned video
  • Basic MMS picture/video messaging (I know that you can send pictures via email, but my Mother-in-law can’t receive pictures via email so I need plain old boring MMS like any other piece of crap phone can do).
  • Application store
  • Music/TV/Movies downloadable over 3G
  • GPS integrated into other apps more tightly (geo-tagging pictures, for instance).
• ?????

At this point, the iPhone is basically it. I mean I know we are getting the iPhone and it is going to fulfill my every dream (sarcasm), but what else? I would really like a new computer, personally. The Mac pro is out of my price range and everything else just isn’t quite what I want (other than maybe the MacBook Air). But nobody is talking about anything else.

So at this point, Steve better come through with the iPhone. You are going to have a lot of disappointed 3 year olds if you don’t. And if all you come out with is what is listed above, expect to sell a bunch, but expect a huge yawn from the crowd rather than a standing ovation. We already know we are getting that. Give us something more.

What are you hoping for in the iPhone? Or better yet, what are you hoping for other than the iPhone, because honestly, even though I want one (and plan on getting one soon), I am tired of hearing about it.

Post from: EveryJoe

WWDC Is Like Christmas for the Mac Faithful

If you haven’t had a chance to see Leopard in person yet, Apple has set up demo days in participating stores. The event runs through these dates, Nov. 23-25, Nov 30 – Dec 2 and Dec 7 – 9. The event is across Asia. Check this page for the participating stores/resellers.

Post from: EveryJoe

Leopard Demo Days