Is Apple stealing ideas from iPhone developers?

Another useful tool banned from the iPhone App Store

Apple is doing a good job at driving developers to circumvent the official App Store sales mechanism and motivating users to jailbreak their iPhones. The company has rejected another useful application, Angelo DiNardi’s MailWrangler, because it “duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail.”

In a post to his blog, DiNardi says his application, which allows users to add and access multiple Gmail accounts “simply directly loading and showing Gmail inside of an application,” adding “How you can confuse Gmail with Mail.app I’m not sure.”

MailWrangler also lets users see threaded views and google contacts, archive (quickly), star messages and more–functionality missing from Apple’s Mail.app.

Apple previously rejected Podcaster-–an iPhone application that lets people download podcasts directly to their devices without going through iTunes-–from the App Store. It also removed NetShare, an application that allows the iPhone to be tethered (used as a wireless modem), encouraging some users to jailbreak (enable unofficial application installation) their phones and install the easy-to-use iPhoneModem tethering tool.

DiNardi quips “I guess I should just write another flashlight or glowstick application to actually get published. That’s the only apps Apple seems to want in the store.” 

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Apple recalls millions of iPhone 3G power adapters

Apple Inc. today recalled all power adapters it packaged with iPhone 3G phones sold since mid-July in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico and several Central and South American countries.

The number of affected users will be in the millions. Analysts have recently pegged iPhone 3G sales as high as 6 million since its July debut, with the U.S. market remaining Apple's largest. The company has not stated its quarterly iPhone 3G sales, but CEO Steve Jobs said Apple had sold more than 1 million in its first weekend of availability.

The adapters, a redesign from the bulkier version included with the first-generation iPhone, pose a shock hazard, said Apple in a release on Friday afternoon. The company will exchange all eligible adapters free of charge through mail-in or walk-in programs at its own retail stores starting Oct. 10.

"Under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock," said Apple, which said that although it had received reports of broken prongs, no injuries had been reported.

Apple told users to immediately stop using the small adapters, which are about the size of the plug end of an extension cord.

In lieu of the adapters, and until replacements are received, users should charge their iPhone 3G phones by connecting them to their Macintoshes or PCs with the USB cable that came with their iPhones, Apple said. Alternately, users can turn to third-party adapters designed for the iPhone -- such as car chargers -- or the larger USB adapter that Apple sells for $29. Ultracompact adapters purchased separately by customers may also be eligible for replacement.

Adapters identified by a green dot on the bottom, however, are replacements that are said to be safe to use. Adapters sold with the first-generation iPhone, and those packaged or sold separately with iPhone 3G phones in other countries, are also not affected.

Starting today, iPhone 3G owners can order a replacement online starting today, or they can take their current adapters to an Apple retail store starting Oct. 10. Online orders, however, won't begin shipping until Oct. 10. Owners will need to provide Apple with a mailing address as well as their iPhone 3G's serial number if ordering a replacement online; those who ask for a replacement at an Apple store starting next month must also bring in their iPhone 3G.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission did not issue an accompanying alert, as it sometimes does when companies recall defective products.

Apple last launched a major safety recall in August 2006 when it recalled some 1.8 million lithium-ion batteries made by Sony Corp. that had been sold with its iBook and PowerBook notebooks. Last month, Apple's Japanese subsidiary offered to replace iPod nano batteries because of overheating issues.

This is the first recall for the iPhone, which Apple launched in June 2007 and then relaunched in its current 3G form on July 11 of this year.

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Apptism: an Alternative to Apple's iPhone Apps Store

All it takes to set of a storm of controversy on the Web is for is one really good iPhone application to be declined by Apple; everyone buzzes about why Apple is accepting certain iPhone apps and not others. If you want to expand your iPhone horizons beyond the App Store or just want a different way to browse available applications, take a look at Apptism, a new site that aggregates iPhone apps from around the Web and allows you to purchase and download them directly.

The App Store is a great source for finding new tools and applications for your iPhone or iPod touch, but it's not the end-all listing of iPhone applications on the Web. A number of developers who have made excellent and functional applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch have been told that Apple won't allow their app on the official Apple store for one reason or another. In some cases it's because the app duplicates the functionality of an existing application; in other cases, the rationale is less specific.

In any case, iPhone and iPod touch owners looking for those apps have to get them from the developer directly, or the developer has to invest in Apple's "Ad-Hoc" distribution method. If you just want quality apps for your device and can't find what you need on the app store, try Apptism. The bulk of the store's applications are hosted at the app store, but the service is looking for developers with their own apps to highlight and feature.


But Apptism is more than just a clearinghouse for applications. The service lists detailed information about each app along with reviews and news about the app elsewhere on the Web; it even allows Apptism members to post their own reviews and comments about the app. The most popular free and paid applications are featured at the top of the page and in the sidebar. The service is tracking almost 3,700 iPhone applications, and if you're looking for something specific, you can browse by category or keyword search at the top of the page.


Accounts at Apptism are free, and once you're signed up you can comment, rate, and review applications on the site. You don't need an account to download the free apps, and most of the paid apps will take you back to the Apple app store to pay for them before you can download them.

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iPhone app development offers rich rewards

Wall Street is a major downer these days, but the runaway success of the iPhone 3G and Apple's App Store is spurring a heady wave of enthusiasm in the venture capital community, a wave that will float the boats of many independent developers.
Consider these numbers: One million iPhone 3Gs were sold in the first three days it was available. Even more impressive were the 60 million downloads from the App Store in 30 days. It's no wonder that investors are ready to throw money at all things iPhone.
[ Not everyone loves the iPhone 3G, and to be fair, the launch had some very noticeable rough spots. ]
New era of startup capital
Back in March, Kleiner Perkins, one of Silicon Valley's leading backers of new technology, launched iFund, a $100 million investment initiative to fund "market-changing ideas and products" that extend the iPhone and iPod Touch platform.
It's much too early to know how the fund will perform, of course. But it's clear that the early going has knocked the socks off the money mavens at KP.
"In six months, we've received over 2,700 plans. To put it in context, that's about 20 times what we received in a similar period last year. Out of that group, we've funded five companies, totaling more than $30 million of investment," KP partner Matt Murphy wrote in his iFund blog.
Of the five companies under the iFund umbrella, GOGII aims to create a new social interaction and marketing platform; iControl offers the opportunity to stay connected in real time to family, property, home, and business, anywhere, anytime; ng:moco is billing itself as the first iPhone-only games publisher; and Pelago will allow iPhone 3G users to discover the world through the eyes of their friends and people they trust.
To put the torrent of App Store downloads in context, Murphy says users have each been downloading an average of eight apps in the first 30 days, whereas fewer than 25 percent of users of other smartphones download any apps at all. Those that do, he said, download an average of 2.5 apps per year. That means a relatively small base of handsets is dramatically outperforming the other 250 million, Murphy said.
As I wrote last week, it was clear at the recent Demo conference that developers are rushing to make their mobile applications iPhone-compatible, while those who don't may very well be putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
The bottom line on iPhone app development
Sales figures released by Taptaptap, which has developed two iPhone apps to date, give a good idea of the potential for developers. "Total sales for the month was $75,177 and after Apple's cut, we ended up with a grand total of $52,815," Taptaptap announced in its blog, showing a cut of 30 percent for Apple. Any developers out there care to weigh in on how that compares to other deals?
Taptaptap co-founder John Casasanta, a longtime Mac developer, expanded on the sales figures, noting: "The sales are reported for the period of June 29th to August 2nd. But because the App Store opened July 10th, the period is actually 24 days. So over the course of those days we took in an average of around $2,200 per day."
I have no idea what the company's bottom line looks like, but a small shop that brings in a couple of grand a day is off to a great start.
As KP's Murphy put it: "No more building apps and spending 12 to 18 months to get carrier business deals."

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed comes to iPhone

Star Wars The Force Unleashed

You use gestures on the screen to invoke actions, such as casting lightning on this generator.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed puts you in the role of a secret apprentice of Darth Vader, sent on a quest to destroy the last of the Jedi. The game’s timeline is set between the events depicted in the movies Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Developed to tie in with a tie-in novel, action figures, comic book and other merchandise, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sends you off across the galaxy to track down and kill the last remnants of the Jedi, on the run from Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine following the Great Jedi Purge. You assume the role of “Starkiller,” a powerful Sith in training with burgeoning Force powers, which you wield to crush your enemies.

To that end, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the iPhone features 3D graphics and gameplay that leverage the iPhone and iPod touch’s touchscreen interface. You make gestures using your finger that are then translated into actions within the game. You can use gestures to invoke Grip, Lighting, Jedi Mind Trick and other powers.

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iPhone apps for IT pros

Few gadgets have captured the imagination of both geeks and ordinary folk alike as Apple's iPhone has. Despite the significant segments of both populations who greeted the iPhone with a resounding "meh", millions have shelled out for the handheld super-smartphone. And if you're an IT pro, you may be staring at your shiny black plastic-and-metal $200 up-front expenditure and thinking, "Now what?"

Fortunately, the answer to this question is not the shoulder-shrugging and closet-consigning that might have met previous fads like the Pet Rock. The reason -- well, one of the reasons, anyway -- that IT pros would be partial to the iPhone in the first place is that it's a real Unix-based computer under the hood. The long history of iPhone jailbreaking goes to show how eager people are to get at that functionality, even risking warranty voiding and phone-bricking. But the advent of the iPhone App Store has now given geeks a more licit means to turn their phone into not just a geeky toy but an IT tool -- and one that your IT managers might not ban from the premises (and might even pay for!)

So, while the masses enjoy finding restaurants and playing off-brand versions of classic board games, IT geeks will want a something a little meatier, and a little more job-related, to fill their iPhone-ing time. This article will cover some of the apps that can improve your professional and hobbyist IT life. They're all available from the App Store -- no tales of jailbreaking woe or triumph here!

Going old school with the command line

If there is one traditional first reaction of a geek to a new computing device of some sort, it's "Can I get a command line on it?" True command-line hacking on the iPhone itself might not be available, but there are a number of terminal emulators out there that bring the experience of clicking keys on a black-and-green-screened VT100 to the palm of your hand.

But a terminal emulator does more than just offer nostalgia; it also provides a handy way to control remote machines from afar -- in this case, anywhere you have cell phone connectivity. Admittedly, for the IT pro a tool that makes it possible for you to be Mr. or Ms. Fix-It while watching TV or relaxing on the beach could be a mixed bag -- but perhaps five minutes of interrupted vacation time is a good use of time if it can avert a larger disaster down the road? 

Better still is the chance to subtly monitor or update your servers under the conference table while the sales VP is droning on about something or other in the weekly staff meeting, yet again.

There are actually three capable and well-regarded terminal emulators available for the iPhone: TouchTerm, pTerm, and iSSH, all for less than $5. All have roughly equal feature sets and various pros and cons, summed up nicely here.

I want my VNC!

Of course, a lot of the computers you'll want to monitor have needs beyond the command-line. A common tool in the help-desk's arsenal is VNC, which allows remote control of a variety of Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X desktops. With a VNC server on your computer and a client on your iPhone, you can use your phone as a remote control or remote trouble-shooting tool.

There are two VNC apps out there: Jaadu and Mocha VNC. Jaadu is from the same developers that brought out the beloved Touchpad Pro (a jailbreak-only app). Both are unfortunately lacking SSH encryption, so you can use them at your own risk; but for everything from mailing a document you accidentally left on your home computer to yourself to using your iPhone as a remote control for PowerPoint, these apps can help you out.

Targeted tools

If you're a sysadmin, you might need some specific information from your servers in an easy-to-digest form, or simple commands that don't require the overhead of a full-on terminal connection. Network Utility provides a great way to ping a server, scan its ports, get IP address and WhoIs information, and even see its physical location on Google Maps. Web Tools offers similar functionality, but doesn't have its own Web site -- search in the iTunes Store to find it.

How about one very specific -- but very useful -- bit of functionality, waking up a sleeping computer? There are a couple of iPhone apps that implement wake-over-LAN, Sleepover and iWOL. Both are an excellent complement to VNC, as you can now gain access to even computers that are dozing fitfully.

Yes, you can even edit text

You're probably never really going to use your iPhone to, say, tap out a 1,200-world article about iPhone apps for IT professionals. (I'd like to claim that I did just that while riding the bus or something, but truth be told my budget won't allow for my very own iPhone just yet.) Still, there may well be times when you want to make a tweak or two to anything from a memo to an HTML document -- and why should you have to pry your hands off your phone to do it?

One of the very few apps I've seen on the App Store with reviews almost all four stars or better is TextGuru. TextGuru is a fairly versatile text editor with a host of features that you would hope to see in a full-featured desktop editor, including (sakes alive!) the cut and paste functionality missing from the iPhone OS itself. There's also FTP On The Go, which, as the name suggest, primarily presents itself as an FTP client, but also has a built-in editor for those documents you access over FTP. (Unfortunately, SFTP isn't supported at the moment.) One of the problems with document editing on the iPhone is that the gadget takes an odd approach to file saving -- rather than a single filesystem, each app has its own little sandbox to save things in. These editors both work around this limitation in kind of kludgey ways, but that's necessary, given the limitations.

Most techies probably aren't as worked up as most about the lack of Microsoft Office support -- right now, you can look but not touch -- but surely the ability to edit a PowerPoint presentation will come in handy, when it gets here. A couple of different companies are working on Office-compatible editors, including DataViz, whose DocumentsToGo provides the same functionality a number of other platforms. (If you're interested, sign up on their slightly ominous notification page.

Just tell me what to do

Finally, with all the apps listed here, you might actually be getting too much information about your systems, which can really overwhelm a poor techie's decision-making processes. What if you just need a simple answer, and you need it now? Well, you can always consult the Magic 8 Ball, now in convenient iPhone form. Is it more convenient than lugging a physical plastic 8-ball around with you everywhere? All signs point to yes!

More apps a comin'!

The iPhone App Store is still in its infancy, more or less. There will be more apps, and improvements on the ones listed in this article, in days to come. And there might be some that I missed here! If you're in love with your iPhone as an IT tool -- or are miffed at what it can't do -- feel free to chime in in the comments.

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Worth Reading? VC iFund for iPhone Has a Blog

The venerable Silicon Valley investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) has already spent $30 million on iPhone-related startups and now it has launched blog. Right, just what we need, another blog. But this one should be of keen interest to those following the iPhone, particularly developers and others in the mobile industry.

"We're closest to the iPhone and that's where so much of the action is," Matt Murphy, who heads the $100 million iFund, told InternetNews.com. But expect the blog to cover broader industry topics, like Murphy's first post, which included coverage of the recent CTIA conference and some thoughts about the carriers' embrace of more open models. He says future posts will include guest bloggers and others at KPCB involved with various iFund-backed companies.

This week's first entry had one bit of news, that the $30 million investment to date includes an unannounced venture slated to launch in Q1. The iFund was announced with great fanfare earlier this year when CEO Steve Jobs first announced plans to offer a software development kit for the iPhone.

The four announced iFund releases are: Pelago, a company that offers "social discovery and location sharing" through an application called Whrrl, available now; iControl, a home automation and monitoring service slated for the Q1 of 2009; ng:moco, an iPhones games company which will ship its first titles later this month which is live on the AppStore and GOGII, "a new social interaction and marketing platform" set for launch later this year. The GOGII Web site indicates the company will offer text messaging services that connect individuals with groups that share common interests.

Given the iFund's perspective, there's likely to be a fair bit of boosterism for the iPhone as in the first entry that included comments like:

First and foremost. the iPhone. In a word, "Wow!" 1M 3G devices in 3 days and an estimated 6M in 7 weeks.

Second, the astonishing success of the AppStore. "Double Wow" ."

But Murphy insists even with the iFund's close ties to Apple, the blog will be an independent voice. "I think the main goal is that we're looking at so many different ventures around the iPhone ecoystrem and mobile that we have a lot of observations and discussions internally as well as externally," he said.

"The blog is another way for us to communicate with entrepreneurs and open up a line or channel of communication around this burgeoning, rapidly changing area," Murphy added.

There's an entry planned for later this month on monetization that Murphy said will discuss where the mobile industry needs to mature in helping developers realize revenue sooner.

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Google's Android no match for iPhone - yet

Anyone expecting the Google mobile operating system to change the market as Apple's iPhone has over the past year will probably be disappointed - for now.

Industry insiders who have worked on Google's Android system say it will struggle in the near term to match the consumer enthusiasm generated by the iPhone, which redefined the touch-screen phone market and greatly improved mobile Web surfing.

Instead, Google sees Android as an open source platform for designing mobile devices and says it will encourage innovation by allowing outside software developers to tinker with the system and create better mobile programs and services.

But these things take time, and the first phone using Android, code-named the Google "Dream" phone, is unlikely to wow consumers. The device is made by HTC of Taiwan. Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile unit reportedly intends to introduce it in New York on Tuesday.

"I'm not sure the consumer experience is significantly better than that of the iPhone," said Rajeev Chand, a wireless analyst at the investment bank Rutberg, who has tried out an early version of Android. "When the iPhone came out, the experience was several orders of magnitude better than anything that was out there."

Google, its partner carriers and application developers hope the Android platform will drive even more mobile Web surfing than the iPhone, which has helped mobile Internet use rocket in comparison with other smartphones.

But unlike Apple, which keeps a tight grip on the iPhone's hardware and software, Google will have less control. Android will be open to developers to create component technologies in almost any way they can imagine.

Google's engineering-led culture appears content to introduce the first Android phones as a kind of science project that will be rapidly improved afterward. But Google will not have the kind of leverage in mobile that it is used to in the PC world, where it dominates Web search. Phone carriers have a huge say over how devices are designed and what data services are accessible over their networks.

While Android could offer real promise in terms of technology and usability it is unlikely by itself to change the restrictive nature of the mobile industry, said John Poisson, founder of Tiny Pictures, a developer partner of Android.

"Carriers in each market will still control how it gets implemented and on which devices and in which form," Poisson said. "Android lives and breathes at the pleasure of the operator."

Another problem for Android is how to explain what it is to consumers. Unlike the iPhone, which came on the back of Apple's hugely successful iPod music player, Android is an unknown brand, even though the Google name has plenty of cachet.

"People forget these things get to customers through the retail channel and marketing," said Frank Meehan, the global general manager for mobile phones and applications for the Hong Kong telecommunications conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. "We operators struggle with how to market this phone. There's nothing really unique about it and we can't say it's a Google phone."

Despite the concerns, mobile industry executives say they welcome Google's entrance, as its deep pockets will help meet the increasingly high expectations of consumers for mobile services. From a developer's perspective, Android's advantages over the iPhone or Nokia's Symbian operating system is that it is open source, which means Google is sharing its software code and making it easier for third parties to develop compatible applications.

Apple's second-generation iPhone applied the same strategy and offers more than 3,000 third-party applications through its App Store, but the company still retains some control.

"Android promises to be the most open platform for building mobile phone applications that we've seen to date, because it's based on very familiar tools and technologies," said Jason Devitt, co-founder of Skydeck, a new service that will allow users to manage their cellphones over the Web.

Some hope that Google's entrance can galvanize mobile advertising, which is still in nascent stages.

"All these devices are resulting in better usage and that's what advertisers want and they're growing their spend," said Jason Spero, vice president of marketing at AdMob, a marketplace for mobile advertisers.

Google is hoping to generate revenue through its existing search advertising and related services by the addition of mobile to PC. "Google's power comes from the freedom of choice, in terms of the component technology and services that can be laid on top," said Cheng Wu, founder of Azuki Systems, a mobile Web technology company. "The only thing they want to control is the kernel of the operating system and the ability to data-mine for search and advertising down the road."

Eric Auchard contributed reporting from San Francisco.

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Apple’s Capricious Rules for iPhone Apps

Alex Sokirynsky spent two months, working nights and weekends, to write an application called Podcaster for the Apple iPhone, allowing people to listen to and watch Podcasts on their phones.

He was encouraged because he had written a few dozen Web-based applications that worked with the first-generation iPhone, all of which were promoted by Apple’s Web site. And he was quickly approved when he applied to download the iPhone software development kit, unlike many who faced inexplicable delays.

On Aug. 14, Mr. Sokirynsky submitted his application to be distributed through Apple’s Web store. It was his turn for an inexplicable delay. Last week, Apple finally contacted him, saying it would not distribute Podcaster. “Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes,” Apple said, according to Mr. Sokirynsky’s blog.

 

This is very curious. Yes, the iTunes software does allow users to download podcasts to their personal computers and transfer them onto their iPhones. But Mr. Sokirynsky’s application does two different things: It allows people to stream podcasts over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. And it allows them to download podcast files wirelessly to watch or listen to them later. These are both functions I’d love to see in iTunesthe iPhone, but they are not there yet.

Moreover, Apple allows all sorts of apps that duplicate various aspects of its own software. For example, several developers offer versions of the Apple Contacts application that manages names and phone numbers. There are downloads that similarly overlap with Apple’s maps, stocks, weather and photo viewer applications.

Much more significantly, Apple has allowed music streaming applications that directly compete with its music download business, such as Pandora and LastFM Internet radio. When I spoke to Tom Conrad, the chief technical officer of Pandora, shortly after the launch of the iPhone App store, he told me that he saw no signs that Apple was worried about competition.

There are even a bunch of applications that allow for the streaming of podcasts, sometimes among other functions, including vSnax, Stitcher Radio and Truveo. There is an application meant solely for watching the Diggnation podcast. (These other applications don’t offer to download podcast files, as Podcaster does.)

What is more, Apple has denied that it is motivated by thwarting competition even when that appears to be what it is doing. For example, it says it doesn’t ban Adobe’s Flash player from the iPhone to favor its own QuickTime software; it argues that Flash uses too much processing power for the phone.

So does Apple actually have rules or standards for what iPhone applications are and aren’t allowed to do? It hasn’t published any. It didn’t give any helpful information to Mr. Sokirynsky suggesting how he might change the application.

So far, Apple won’t say. I first sent an inquiry Friday afternoon to Natalie Kerris, the head of Apple’s iPhone PR department, asking what the standards are. She quickly wrote back, saying, “I’m not familiar with this particular app, so let me look into it.”

On Monday, Ms. Kerris did not respond to several phone calls and e-mail messages.

In the mean time, Mr. Sokirynsky is trying to sell Podcaster through a complex back door, which Apple calls “ad hoc distribution.”

I bought Podcaster and it seems rather handy.

I can’t see how distributing the program will hurt Apple. If anything it will make the iPhone a tad more valuable. On the other hand, treating developers capriciously is most certainly going to discourage them from spending nights and weekends working on new and useful applications that may give more people reasons to buy an iPhone.

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iPhone charger helps make device more business friendly

 Those of us who use Apple's iPhone find it increasingly useful for many applications. I use mine for phone calls (of course) along with checking the Net for messages on a regular basis and more. I can get a lot done from just about anywhere I am using it.

However, my objection to the iPhone initially was battery life. If I use it for listening to music, surfing the Net, reading books, etc. etc. that is going to drain the battery. Then making those late-in-the-day phone calls when I can't get near a charger (think airplane rides and walking around a new city) won't happen.

Well, that problem is in the past. Mophie has released a simple, easy to apply and fun to use battery charger for the iPhone. I'm using it now on my 1st generation iPhone and it works like a charm. From their spec sheet it gives a standby time of up to 250 hours, audio playback of up to 24 hours (nice when listening to educational podcasts on those long days), talk time up to 8 hours (that should take you through the midnight hour on those extra-long business days), video playback of up to 7 hours (for training videos) and Internet use of up to 6 hours (I like it!).

What the spec sheet doesn't say is the intangible, business benefit. If you think your battery is going to go out, you will naturally refrain from making calls. You tend to ration your remaining battery life. For an aggressive, successful salesperson, this could mean not making those important calls because you don't want the call cut off in the middle of the conversation. With the Mophie Juice Pack (love that name!) you just slide your iPhone into the pack and voila! You're back, ready to go with up to 8 hours of talking time remaining. If it produces one extra sale in a year, you've probably paid for the $99 unit.

Be sure to watch the video of this I produced (available at www.TerryBrock.com) so you can see it in action.

This illustrates an important technology for iPhone users. Even more important, what Mophie has done is vital for successful business today. Find a real need in the marketplace, make it easy (important!), fun (very important!) and cool (welcome to the 21st Century!) to use. Make your product affordable and something that your target market can embrace easily.

If you use an iPhone (1st Gen or new 3G), you need to check out their site and see what all this Juice can do for you. I'm certainly juiced about it!

(Juice Pack, www.mophie.com, $99.00)

Portable, Personal Home Theater

I love learning. I love to watch video educational material and produce a lot of it. When I first saw eye-wear available for watching a DVD or other video from your personal eye shades I knew it was going to be good.

But I had not seen the Vuzix AV920 yet.

To describe this device as incredible, awesome and outstanding would be an understatement. I recently got the Vuzix AV920 and got it hooked up to my iPod classic 80GB player. I was able to watch several video sales podcasts on a recent cross-country flight. Unfortunately, the flight only lasted about 2 minutes (at least it seemed that short!).

When you get the AV920, you might want to do what I did and that is to remove the earbuds which are attached to the unit. They have poor sound quality and can even hurt as they poke you in the ears. Instead, use your regular ear buds. I use my Able Planet headphones (luxurious!) and drift into my own relaxed, cushioned world of enjoyment with the help of the AV920. To call it merely an "enjoyable experience" would be like a stark-raving thirsty man in the desert saying that the refreshing, clear bottle of water was "adequate." You've got to try the AV920 yourself with one of your favorite videos to understand the dazzling experience.

Recently I demonstrated this to an audience where I was speaking and asked one of the participants to try it out. Yes, he loved it and those around were amazed how he was also engulfed into his own world of relaxation and amazement somewhere in the heavens watching video. When he finally came back to Earth (we had to drag him back!), he was delighted. He talked about the business benefit this would have. You can have a video of your product or service and show it to a client. They will be totally immersed in your message on video and you will have their undivided attention. It would make good business sense for a company to have several of these with accompanying video players to allow all key customers the thrill of your new video of your product or service. Better than a stand-alone video, it engulfs the prospect into your pre-designed message.

The business benefits of this technology are outstanding. You capture attention in an age of ever-expanding attention grabbers. This way you have your prospect's complete attention. That can generate more sales by using this creative, unique approach.

And who said you can't have fun while selling and making money? 

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