Posts Tagged ‘Apple’

Getting my iPad 2 at the SXSW Apple Pop-up Store!

Mar 12 2011

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited to shoot a one of these videos, but I couldn’t help myself. After covering the iPad 2  launch with Brian Brushwood for TWiT Live for hours and interviewing all the ecstatic new iPad 2 users leaping out of the Apple store, I wanted one to call my very own.

If you missed the live show you can listen or watch TWiT Live Specials 66: iPad 2 Launch here!


Woot! 32GB White Wifi iPad 2.


Brian shows off his new iPad 2

The Apple Pop-up Store in downtown Austin had one of the most enthusiastic crowds I’ve ever seen and perhaps the geekiest with SXSW going on.


Inside the Pop-up Apple Store.

The Pop-up Store location was so secretive, even the Apple employees didn’t know where it was going to be until the day of the event. I honestly can’t believe they put up this store in less than 3 days! It looked exactly like a regular Apple store.


Scott (Camera+ dev too!) and I are just wee bit excited to get our iPads!


Sexy white iPad.

Tomorrow should be another great day, I will be party-hopping with chief TWiT Leo Laporte himself and maybe… just maybe… we’ll see another crazy crowd surfing episode at the Diggnation party :P You can watch us live starting at 9pm CST on TWiT Live.

Awesome TWiT crew minutes after we finished our live coverage!


Leaving with my LOOT!


Scott, Phil & I take an Uber pedicab back to the hotel to set-up our new iPads!

On Sunday, I’ll be on This Week in Tech with some amazing guests. The action starts at 5pm CST! If you are in SXSW come by Momo’s for the Live taping of the show and a meet and greet!

Camera+, The Ultimate iPhone Photo App

Jun 7 2010

Best iPhone Camera App Ever and my first App ; )

Camera+, the App that I’ve been working on for over a year, is now available in the App Store.

Woooo! *does a happy dance*

If you’ve been following my Twitter, Tumblr or Flickr stream, you’ve probably noticed a lot of iPhone shots pop up recently from my trips to New York and San Francisco. Now I can finally share the amazing app that created all those cool FXs!

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5 Reasons I’m not buying an iPad

Apr 2 2010


Celebrating my first iPhone… a year and a half after my American neighbours.

I’m going to be a total party-pooper and say, “nay” on purchasing the new Apple iPad. “Ohh, but it’s so shiny and new. You know you’ll want one when you see it,” say the fanboys. True, it is shiny and new, but I still don’t want one.

That doesn’t mean that I won’t sweat and quiver a little when I hold an iPad in my hot little hands, but the moment will be fleeting and easily replaced when I grasp the 16-35mm f/2.8 I have my eye on.

Besides feeling mentally bloated with the sheer number of iPad related articles in my RSS reader, chatter on Twitter & Facebook, and unboxing and app preview videos on YouTube, I actually feel quite underwhelmed by the product. Here are the reasons why I’m not buying an iPad:

1. The iPad is not available in Canada yet.

Canadians and International customers are snubbed again. It’s like the iPhone all over again. All the Americans grinning with their new fancy toy, saying, “Haha. Want one of these? Hey? Want one? Well, you can’t have it. So ha!” What’s the deal? I live 1 1/2 hours from the US border. Couldn’t just pop a few in an air canon and send some our way?

2. I already own an iPhone.

I love my iPhone. It’s light and small and fits in my back pocket. It has 3G so I can use it outside of my house when I actually need to be connected to the internet and google maps, as I have the tendency to wander. It has a plethora of cool apps and I can even take pictures with it!

3. Any gadget without a camera is useless to me.

It should be a rule that every gadget has a camera. If I could take pictures with my toaster I would. Think about it. Toaster cam. Actually, add a video camera to that and live stream it on YouTube. Done.

4. I own a laptop.

I get it. Laptops are heavy to truck around. Even the Air can weigh you down after a while. But, laptops can actually do useful things like run Photoshop and Final Cut and they have actually have real keyboards that are attached to them! And honestly, who would ever go on a trip without their laptop?

I am an extreme multi-tasker. When I am on a long plane ride, I don’t watch movies or play solitaire, I edit photos or videos. If all I could do was look at pictures and videos and flick them around, I would become so frustrated.

5. I don’t have $500-$800 kicking around in my back pocket.

As a photographer I have a long list of “Things I need” that should and will go before buying something as frivalous as an iPad. Sure it’s cool, but I’m going to be honest with myself and my financial situation and groceries unfortunately have to come before gadgets.

It’s not that I don’t think it’s cool, it is just a completely impractical product for me. Honestly, I just don’t think I’m the right demographic for the iPad. For me, functionality and simplicity trumps any shiny, new fun thing.

What about you? Are you gonna buy the iPad or save your money and buy a sweet new lens?

Mostly Macworld Keynote 2009

Jan 11 2009

I apologize for my lousy blogging lately. Macworld has been insane for me. I was on my feet from 7am – 3am, running around the expo doing Macbreak interviews, being a guest on Macbreak Weekly, recording TWiP, and looting booths for schwag (the most important thing at MW), and attending a few shindigs.

I plan on writing a detailed post on my reflections of Macworld and my top picks of the Expo in a few days. Before I give you my thoughts on the keynote, I’d like to hear yours.

Were you disappointed with this year’s Macworld keynote?

Like say the fact that they didn’t even mention Snow Leopard or release a new mini or iMac or, like announce something cool other than the ability to DRM-free your previously bought itunes music for $0.30 a pop? 30 x 14GB of music = I don’t know, you do the math.

There is a super awesome prize for the person who makes the best comment. So breathe in and let it all out. Please don’t make Steve cry too much. Think about his hormone imbalance. Please.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll still love you

Oct 14 2008

 

Picture 81 Picture 78 Picture 79

Mostly Lisa & MacBook Air 4 ever… mostly

No matter how fancy or thin or sleek or polished the newly released MacBooks and MBPs look, I promise to stand by you, my lovely MacBook Air. Those flashy new guys may be faster, more powerful, or just plain better, but we have a special “connection” you and I. We’ve been through the good and the bad, haven’t we? And that’s not something I’d just throw away for some cheap thrills. And they would be cheaper. Word on the interwebs is a lot cheaper, as in under $1000. But even that wouldn’t sway me because I am committed to YOU. Ok?? I’m glad we had this talk.

Uh. What now?? You want me to stop looking at leaked photos on engadget or all reading all the hype on apple insider. I’m not.. I.. I.. just followed a link from twitter. You know what? You need to start trusting me here. You can’t just start monitoring everything I do from now on and holding my internet history against me! You know I clear the cache after 3 days anyway.

What? You’ve changed my preferences? Deleted all my passwords from my keychain? And you’ve stopped synchronizing with my iPhone? And you are not currently not accepting any bluetooth devices. Well that’s just great. *hmph*

Look, your beef is with me. Don’t take it out on the peripheries. And if you want to throw all that attitude at me, then why don’t I bring up the fact that I will never ever be truly satisfied with your ONE USB hub? And since we are being totally honest here, your hub is kinda flimsy and *cough* a little bit small. What’s that? You’re sorry for being so inflammatory and rude. Ok ok. I accept your apology.

But remember, jealousy will get you no where. There will always be others splashing their bits n’ bizznizz all over the net, and I may be tempted. Yeah, I’ll admit it, I’ll look, but there’s no crime in that. It’s completely natural to check out another Apple laptops stats, but I promise I will not stroke anyone else’s keys or snuggle up in bed with anyone but you…. mostly.

Let’s remember the good times, like when I got you. Look how happy I am!

Are you gonna stand by your old laptop, or trade it in for a newer, younger, prettier model?

Are you gonna buy a new MB or MBP?

Do we really need another NEW iPod?

Sep 9 2008

So word on the internets is that Steve is planing on releasing a new iPod today. Seriously? When is he gonna slow down a tick? Can’t we just chill with the iStuff we have? I have a 80Gb Classic and it’s ace. Before that I was chilling with a mini for almost 2 years.

And honestly, I haven’t even got used to having an iPhone. I feel powerful knowing I can whip out my iPhone and completely disengage from any conversation, no matter how important it is. I gotta have more cowbell! Tink tink tink. :-D

Apple hype and over consumption is like a thorn in my side these days. I recently watched “Manufactured Landscapes”, a startling documentary following Canadian photographer, Edward Burtynsky, as he documents both the destruction and creation of humanity. The sheer magnitude of e-waste ie., computers, tvs, cables, phones, dvd players, iPods is literally astonishing.

50% of our recycled computer waste ends up in China where workers heat up the circuit boards and hand strip the components of all the precious metals which are mostly toxic. As you might imagine, this isn’t so good for the people living in these e-waste dumps or the earth “in general”.

The point is: I love new gadgets with a firey passion, but I think the world could live without another new iPod. WALL•E FTW!

Since I wrote this post and my blog was down for a while, thanks WPCandy :/, Apple did in fact release some new shiny iPods.

new ipoddds

I have to admit, that ditching the small & stumpy nanos for a rainbow of slim & sexy design is way cool. As for the new Touch… having the iPhone makes it obsolete, so.. yeah. What do you think? Are you gonna buy a new iPod? & most importantly:

Do we really need another new iPod?

Apple Hype: Good or Beyond Bad?

Jul 24 2008

Apple Hype Monster

You must know by now, that I am a wee bit of an Apple fan girl. Obviously. It’s tough to question my loyalty to Apple. Well except the fact that I still have that late 90s Compac desktop sitting in my living room. I just can’t get rid of him, he’s like my personal WALL•E.

Nevertheless, my loyalty for Apple is unquestioned. I may not be die hard enough to say, camp out for days in front of an Apple store to pick up the first released iProduct, but I’ll properly follow the guys that are and feel a quiet self-reflective disappointment that I’m too lazy or apathetic to camp out for days in front of an Apple store. I try to make up for this by posting zany Mac-related videos.

With that being said, I’m going to say something controversial… mostly so be forewarned:

I wish Apple would fix the problems with their current iProducts BEFORE hyping, advertising, then releasing the next gen iProducts.

Especially with computers. Sure Steve, go nuts with the iPods, but your loyal, creative, freelancers and students really need consistent, bug-free machines to work all the time in order to pay rent and hand in artsy school stuff.

I don’t know about how your Macs are running, but mine are far from smooth sailing. Don’t get me started about Leopard. The worst appears to be over, but OSX continues to reek havoc on audio firewire interfaces. It’s not that Mac aren’t lovely and oh so aesthetically perfect I make cooing noises when I stroke the brushed metal, but experiencing regular kernel panics, the spinning pinwheel of death, force quitting, overheating, fan noise, and major battery fail are not memories that are adding to my love of Mr. J’s Empire of hype.

Speaking of hype, ahem, the 3G iPhone, which was just released last week, receiving such massive hype that no one actually ended up getting one. Huh? I don’t get it. Me neither. What is the world coming to when iJustine can’t get a freaking iPhone?!? And already the Apple rumour mills are churning with the pulpy goodness of new sleek and sexy MacBook Touch.

Now as someone who recently got a MacBook Air, is still paying off a Mac Pro, and is still emotionally attached to last year’s MacBook, when I hear about a next generation release or major upgrade to a better, faster, more awesome and streamlined machine than the one I just bought last week, I don’t feel anything related to happy. In fact I feel a little ill, then hysterical, then I get on the line with Apple, and then I wait, and wait, and crrrrrrrrry when my call gets disconnected.

Too much Apple. Too often. Too much exposure and hype and advertising and mainstream blah! Remember when Macs were so underground that you had to fight tooth and nail to get even an once of respect? Like that time you were thrown out of computer camp for refusing to use a PC. Oh you weren’t thrown out of computer camp? That was just me? Ok fine, but It was important for me, at the age of 12, to really lay down the law. Oh and remember when you were the only one with sweet graphics in your 4th grade essay on tornados cuz you had Paint? Yeah, those were the days. Now, anyone from Beyonce to (puke) Spencer from the Hills (don’t ask me how I know that) can use and abuse a MacBook Pro. But, it’s all good right? More money for Apple, more live John Mayer keynote performances, better products for us… Yes? Or more like a n-n-n-No!

What do you think? Has Apple’s mainstream hype and lack of product accessibility (ahem… iPhone) got you feelin’ less than perky? Or are you jacked into your feed reader jumping with glee when your Apple RSS gets all kinds of new, sweet iProducts & Software?

What do you think of Apple hype?

My Endless Pursuit of an iPhone in the UK

Jul 18 2008

Just arrived back home to beautiful sunny Vancouver. I rarely blog about the weather, but maaaaaan it was cold, rainy, cloudy and nothing like summer in England. You get sun for 5 mins, just start to relax, then boom! ominous cloud and rain! I’m writing an angry note to the Queen!

So I still not in possession of an iPhone. I seriously can’t believe that I could not find a 16GB in England. They were all sold out everywhere and there were massive wait lists just to get on a list to get an iPhone. You gotta respekt apple for the incredible hype power they have.

I’ll probably wake up tomorrow, walk out of my house, and find they are selling iPhones at the corner store. Oh cruel fate!

PS. I promise a non iPhone related post asap. Just gotta get through the multitude of photos and videos and biscuits i bought.

PPS. I got totally pulled over AND interrogated for 1 hour at customs in Vancouver because they didn’t believe that:

  1. I was a photographer;
  2. I’d stayed so few days in the UK without some ulterior motive like, say, drug running;
  3. I traveled so much in the UK (London – Cambridge – Bury St. Edmunds – Leeds – Derbyshire (Alton Towers!!!) and back;
  4. The MacBook Air was so small;
  5. Someone could spend $50 on biscuits (I reckon they’ve never been in Marks & Spencer);
  6. I had not laced said biscuits with Narcotics.

Note to self: Next time lie about the biscuits.

Date with Harry Potter & my Canadian iPhone

Jul 12 2008

So yeah… No iPhone for me as all of Europe is sold out! Most stores only carried 2 of 16GB and 18 of the 8GBs! So by the time I arrived in London at 3pm they were long gone. I’m going out today to take a spy round the O2 store in Bury St. Edmunds, where I’m staying. Must fondle one before the day’s out.

to iPhone or not to iPhone?

Jul 10 2008

Mostly 3G iPhone
(yes! i finally found one to fondle. so thin and light).

So i’m just about to board my flight to London in jolly ol’ England (I’ll be there for a week), and i thought i’d throw up a post asking that question that everyone is asking today:

Are you gonna buy the new iPhone?

I’m on the fence right now.

If you buy one (especially first timers), flickr a photo and link it in the comments. It will make me jealous, but i’ll try to be happy for you.

PS. I may get one, I may not. We’ll see tomorrow… if I make it through Platform 9 3/4…