At the last Keynote I was excited, wondering what Apple was going to introduce. It was so boring then I cannot even remember what was launched or discussed? A price drop perhaps? A new iPod shuffle? In any case this time round I wasn’t to be fooled and didn’t hang on my laptop waiting for the ‘next big thing’ but instead cooked a Thai curry and casually glanced at the Macrumors feed. *sigh* – another Apple disappointment? Or perhaps not.

We’re going to be developing iPhone Apps soon because I love Apple products and the App store is one of the best things about the iPhone plus we’ve got some great ideas that seem perfect for the platform. Finally I feel the iPhone offers enough to seriously rival features of other smartphones but not because Apple are first or offering say the best camera with the highest number of megapixels but because Apple seem better at implementation than anyone else.

However I have to say this incremental update to the iPhone, especially when faced with Nokia’s new N97 and Palm’s re-entry into the market with the ‘Pre’ could have been more impressive. Touting features such as tethering (I think I was doing this 5 years ago with my Nokia 6110??), video (Hello Apple – this is really old news in mobile), MMS and so on are just bizarre. It’s almost as though Apple feel they have invented the mobile phone and that all other manufacturers’ contributions mean nothing.

Both Nokia and Palm have made a concerted effort with their new devices to tap into the here and now, the realworld. Palm’s excellent use of multitasking is enough alone to guarantee a huge number of fans and Nokia are on a bit of a roll with their touchscreen phones since the very popular and cheap 5800 was launched. The N97 takes things onto a new level – great 5mpx camera with Carl Zeiss optics, good low light performance and lens cap, video, great widget based home screen and full qwerty backlit keyboard…the list goes on.

For many the iPhone is still playing catch up with features on other devices but it is Apple’s incredible PR machine and brilliant UI that ensure it’s edging closer to world smartphone dominance.

Whilst Kara Swisher at All Things Digital denies that Google are ‘not in late stage talks’ to buy Twitter, the groundswell of thought is that it makes perfect sense for both parties. Twitter lets users post short 140-character messages and increasingly has moved beyond simply the friends following friends scenario into a serious news delivery platform. Twitter was initially hindered by server outages and still has some way to go in confirming features currently enabled by third party apps but is offering users an easier and faster way to connect than Facebook.

Whilst Twitter turned down an offer from Facebook recently the Google rumours perhaps make more sense. Google’s business model is about search and so far it has not been able to offer a compelling social space. Twitter users are seeing how the service is not simply about viewing someone’s status but can also be about search. This is crucial to Twitter’s business model because whilst social hubs carry huge amounts of users they often struggle to find ways of generating revenue. However search can make money as proven by Google. 

Where Twitter works well is in near real-time results. If Google can tap into this and then strive to combine the excellent functionality of so many third party Twitter apps then this could be a very powerful tool indeed.

Where does this leave Facebook? Recently the popular social networking site came under attack by millions of its users who found the new design and functionality confusing. The simplicity but power of Twitter and the external third party apps tapping into the Twitter API mean that this social hub now might steal people away from an increasingly bloated Facebook.

Please click HQ button – for some reason I couldn’t force the HD / HQ embed here.

As the latest iPhone OS gets previewed other manufacturers are well aware that Apple, whilst playing catch up, can often usurp their competitors, even in an industry alien to the tech giant. As such Nokia are deciding to revamp their ‘N’ Series offering with the much hyped N97 most probably being the first to launch. Sporting a new Symbian touch OS first implemented in the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Nokia have big plans and make some interesting points in the above promotional video.

One thing does ring true in this slickly edited piece – ‘Can it be fun when I want to be entertained and can it get out of the way when I want to get a job done’. Simple words but this speaks volumes. How d’you leverage not only social networking and media AND devices to become both business and entertainment tools.

Harman Pro UK, leading producer of pro audio products featuring brands such as AKG, BSS Audio, Crown International, dbx, DOD, DigiTech, JBL Professional, Lexicon Professional, Soundcraft and Studer asked us to produce an original brochure showcasing their stadium sound products. We produced something that highlighted the individual venues whilst making sure that any photography also paid close attention to the specific products installed.

Don’t get me wrong, in the main I celebrate Apple Computer just like the next Apple fan but this relationship seems somewhat tempestuous. Here’s why…

Apple innovate, produce fantastic looking hardware and no-nonsense, streamlined and ultimately incredibly user-friendly operation systems. I’ve owned a mac since the LCIII many years ago and have always looked forward to the next Apple product launch. In years gone by some have been groundbreaking, forward thinking and worth the hype. The ‘Wallstreet’ Powerbook was one of the real milestones in Apple’s laptop portfolio as was the Titanium Powerbook. They both offered real advances in power at the time coupled with great fresh looking designs.

Then the G5 blew people away with it’s supercomputer power and speed. However this couldn’t be translated into a laptop and hey presto, PowerPC was ditched in favour of INTEL. From hereon things get a little weird at camp Apple.

A professional laptop the ‘MacBook Pro’ was launched. Whilst sporting the speedy INTEL chips it looked exactly like the old Powerbook G4 model. Not impressive. Worse still at launch virtually no native software was running on the new Mac Intel platform. By the time Adobe had got their act together Apple had launched the cheaper and more attractive MacBook range. Sure, the screen was smaller, the connectivity slightly less, the speed down a bit – but in reality the MacBooks offer almost identical computing power for a much lower price.

So things became less groundbreaking and more about tweaks and hype.

Take the next big Apple launch – the iPhone. Yes, the GUI is awesome but in reality the device is poor in comparison to say the Nokia N95 8GB. No GPS, no 3G, no MMS, no video, poor input method via touchscreen, poor phone audio and appalling camera. So herein lies the point where Apple really slowed down in ‘wowing’ their hardcore fans of yesteryear. The iPhone sells off the back of the iPod hype and has been a success in terms of a first launch into the cellular market but offers nothing new apart from the GUI which other firms will be quick to emulate and better.

Then we have the MacPro – expensive, fast but only really suited to those in 3D or Video. The iMac again, like the MacBook, offers comparable specs for a cheaper cost. Underwhelming.

So what’s HOT in Apple’s current portfolio?

Well when I heard that a small, professional notebook was going to be launched I genuinely thought that this could redeem my previous disappointments with Apple. Remember the 12″ Powerbook? i.e. Power in a tiny package? I thought Apple would do something like that but apply it to the current MacBook line.

And so the MacBook Air. Thin, light….and…..erm…thin and light.

The MacBook Air is once again more a product of hype than of substance. I can do without the optical drive, not a problem. I don’t REALLY need Firewire although it’s an omission that will disappoint some. The screen and keyboard are great. But 80GB hard drive? That’s a step backwards. Worse still the USB port is tucked away under the machine via a flap so many items simply won’t plug in especially 3G dongles…ouch. And the price. It’s too expensive.

What Apple should be doing is slimming down the MacBook but offerring decent HD sizes and RAM options. Then providing a radical and exciting design for their ageing MacBook Pro as well as BluRay and 3G.

Oh well – I guess I’ll have to wait until the next Keynote!