iPhone, the new storm after iPod

iPhone, the new baby from Apple hit the US.

The scene from the movie [Minority Report] in which Tom Cruise navigated through the electronic data by running his fingers to and fro in mid air amazed me. Now, I can perform the same trick as Tom on iPhone - the latest baby from the Apple's family. However, I have to wait till 2008 for iPhone to arrive in Asia. I am not crazy about gadgets but iPhone is too cool not to write about.

iPhone was launched on 29 June, 2007 in the US with much excitement, disapointment and frustration. Let me take you on the emotional transition in that order.

In January 2007, Apple announced its new invention - a mobile phone tagged with the superbrand prefix 'i' after iPod. To fans of Mac and iPod, the introduction of iPhone will be another of their pround possession: "I have a MacBook, an iPod and an AppleTV, now look what I've got - an iPhone!" To Apple, it is an extension of brand royalty. When iPhone was finally launched, thousands of iFollowers camped outside Apple and AT&T stores waiting eagerly for the shutters to open. iPhones are sold @ 164 Apple stores nationwide. Each customer is entitled to purchase up to 2 iPhones on a 1st-come-1st-served basis. News reported that all iPhones at AT&T stores were sold out when it debuted on Friday; Apple stores would not disclose if they had run out of stock by Saturday. However, not everyone in the US is excited about iPhone.

If you stay in eastern Wisconsin and the Madison area in the southern part of the state, sorry baby, there is no network for iPhone to work. Cingular, the largest wirless carrier in the US, solely owned by AT&T Inc, and Apple's exclusive US carrier partner for iPhone is still working on expanding it network coverage in the US. Until the problem is fixed, 30 million US residents will watch with envy while 270 million others are already talking on their iPhones. But those who have bought the iPhones and have a network in their cities had their share of frustration too.

Although activation of the mobile phone service can be done at the comfort of your home at any time you want in front of your computer, many iPhones' owners encountered delays when doing so. AT&T spokeman attributed the delay on Saturday to "high volume of activation requests" that were taxing the company's computer servers. One iPhone's owner waited 18 hours in vain staring at a cool phone not acting cool at all. "It looks cool, but I can't do anything with it," he said. "I'm angry and frustrated and feel like I wasted my time standing in line." AT&T would neither disclose how many customers were affected nor how long they would have to wait further. The company assured customers that they are working to reslove the problem the soonest.

Appealing Product Features

The demonstration on Apple's website is enough to make you go 'WOW' without even seeing the actual iPhone. The instructions were clear and simple. I give iPhone 3 S - Sleek, Sophisticated and Stylish. The iPhone is branded as a revoluntionary mobile phone that rides on a 3-in-1 product mix: a quad-band GSM phone with EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies, a 3.5-inch widescreen iPod and a forbidable Internet communications device (too many features to name them here that I suggest you visit apple.com). The best part of iPhone is its multi-touch interface technology which uses our fingers to navigate around the spectrum of features on a small phone. Flip, glide and tap are all the actions you need to do on the iPhone's screen - just like the way Tom Cruise did suavely in [Minority Report]. Here are the major features I like about iPhones:

Intelligent touchscreen keyboard

Touchscreen is refreshing to me compared with the conventional keypads found in other mobile devices. The QWERTY keyboard appears only when your application requires. Thus, you have a bigger viewing area.

Visual voicemail

I always find it vexing to listen to prior voice messages before getting to the one I am interested in. With iPhone's visual voicemail, I can scan a list of my voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to prior messages. Bravo!

Cover flow

This is just a fun feature when browsing the albums that I want to listen to. Instead of scrolling down for a particular album, I flip the album covers on the screen just like the way I flip my CD album.

Built-in sensor

I hate to rotate photos in my mobile phone because I never get my clockwise or anti-clockwise direction right. Ok, call me dumb if you want to but iPhone's built in sensor works for me! My photos will appear landscape or portrait in the way I rotate the phone. That really improves my viewing experience.The sensor also helps to preserve the iPhone's battery life. It will adjust its brightness accordingly to the envrionment and when you answer a call, the display is automatically turned off to save power.

Google Mapping

I don't drive but this feature is useful for the passenger too. Supposingly, I drive and I am looking for a Thai restaurant in NYC. I search 'Thai restaurant' and few locations pop up on the map. I can check the traffic condition in these areas before deciding which one to go to. Once I select a restaurant, I click on its telephone number to make my reservation. Then, I key in my starting location and destination and hit enter. The estimated traveling time with traffic and distance appear. Thereafter, it provides me a turn-by-turn instruction to get that. Isn't it wonderful?

Headset

Although this is just an accessory, it is as cool as the iPhone itself. When I press the headset button, the music I am listening to fades away and I am alerted of an incoming call.

Having delighted myself in iPhone, this phone has its flaws too. Afterall, it is a smart phone but not a perfect phone. For iPod's users like myself, these flaws are not deterrants to pay USD499 for a 4GB model or USD599 for a 8GB model. We are so used to the iCulture that the continuity of function in a different gadget is enticing enough for an impulsive purchase. But again, I am not a gadget geek. A phone is good when it performs its basic function best: make and receive calls. When I want to take pictures, I get a digital camera. When I want to read and reply emails on the go, I get a palmtop. When I want to listen to music and watch videos, I get a portable device.

I already have a Sony Cybershot, an IBM Thinkpad and a (RED)iPod. I guess I can give iPhone a miss next year.

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Watch a slideshow of 9 iPhone alternatives and you decide if you still prefer the iPhone.

This article is listed on jaiku.com under iPhone Grouped Entries. Jaiku is a way to connect with friends by sharing short messages called Jaikus on the web and mobile. Jaiku is based in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

I got a (RED) iPod as a gift last Christmas. It was pretty easy to get started with the iTune Jukebox, an interface that facilitates the transferring of songs from CDs to iPod. I was having a kick transferring songs after songs until the "Keith Urban - Days Go By" CD. It doesn't allow me to transfer the songs to my iPod. I knew I have picked a 'Copy-Protected' CD. It is among the copy-protected CDs released by EMI. Last year, the company abolished its copy-protection on all their CDs. If they have followed SonyBMG's footstep earlier, I could be listening to Keith's songs on my iPod now.

I am not upset that I was unable to have Keith's songs on my iPod because there are more unprotected CDs than protected CDs among my collection. Afterall, copy-protected CDs only enterted the market not long ago. The move by record companies to protect their music irk the consumers because copy-protection was executed at their expense. These CDs not only restrict playing on their existing media players, some plant booby traps in the form of malware in their PCs. The latter created a backlash against Sony BMG which led to the elimination of copy-protection on all CDs eventually.

The copy-protection on CDs rose from the abuse of the right to the CDs that consumers bought. The fine print at the back of every CDs state clearly what can't be done to that CD. A typical one read like this: "Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited." In layman term, this means just enjoy the music and don't mess with the CD. After working in the music licensing industry for 6 years, I spoke to a lot of ignorant individuals and companies that were clueless about this. The basis of imposing restriction on consumers is this: When record companies sell their CDs to music retailers, who in turn sell them to consumers, they did not sell away their right to the songs in the CDs. Just think. Hypothetically, if all copyright owners (record companies, composers and publishers) reached a consensus to sell away their rights of every song released in a CD, don't you think that an average CD will cost a bomb and not price at SGD18.00?

Copy-protection on CDs is a passé. Another form of copy-protection - Digital Rights Management or DRM entered the music industry with the rising trend of selling music out of the brick-and-motar way. This time, copy-protection on music that are sold online i.e. digital music. Unlike copy-protection on CDs, DRM affects both the consumers and online muisc retailers, and indirectly the digital device manufacturers such as Microsoft (Zune) and Apple (iPod). Basically, DRM restricts access to and usage of digital music.

On 6 February, 2007, a call to drop DRM was exalted by Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. Since the release of his powerful missive, titled "Thoughts on Music" on Apple's website, techies and music fanatics are reading between the lines as Mr Jobs outlined 3 scenerios on the future of DRM technology and recommended its abolishment. The major four record companies, Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI are currently adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards Mr Job's proposal.

Though I have been speaking the tongue of copyright, I want to enjoy my music in peace without knowing the details of their business fight. Sooner or later, I will get to reap the fruit from their battle as Mr Jobs had put it across in his proposal:

"The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat."

His arguements were not new in the industry; however, they were louder because he is the world most famous and powerful apple seller. Every company argues from their point of view to their advantages. In other word - a hidden agenda. Apple didn't introduce iTune for consumers' convenience, Microsoft didn't produce Zune for no reason, the record companies didn't sell music to advocate the value of music, and consumers didn't buy a product just because the sellers advertised it as the best. All parties know what's the best for them.

The prevalance of online piracy demonstrated the vulnerability of music in the face of technology. Consumers no longer enjoy the music in the way it should be like the older days, and technology no longer delivers music in the way it used to. Thus, the tussle of the 3 Cs - Copyright owners, Content providers and Consumers.

When music are shared freely online for free, the record companies (copyright owners) will not be happy because their CD sales are affected. To counter this, they took infringers to court and imposed copy-protection on their CDs and later digital music. Each DRM is different from another, such as Microsoft 'Playsforsure" and iPod "FairPlay". That's when licensing comes into the picture. With every company writing their own DRM software program, this means that music consumers purchased from a particular online store can only be played on the so-called official player of that store, ex. iTunes only goes with iPod. The restriction pisses consumers and heated discussions storm into online forums and blogs. Somebody has to do something. And Mr Jobs did. He proposed an interoperable system which consumers could buy music online from any stores and play them in any players. Consumer will surely be happier, but it would be at the expense of the (1) content provider (i-Tune), which means exposing the DRM (in the form of licensing) to competitors, a scenerio which Mr Jobs painted as leakage of secrets, and the (2) copyright owners, which means no protection to their music, turning it into easy prey for pirates.

In today world of technological prodigies and anti-copyright mavericks, software programs can be developed to circumvent these so called copy-protection if secrets of the DRM is leaked. As Mr Jobs put it:

"Such leaks can rapidly result in software programs available as free downloads on the Internet which will disable the DRM protection so that formerly protected songs can be played on unauthorized players."

Sorry, sir but consumers will embrace it with a heartbeat given the flexibility to play downloaded music on more players. The industry by now should know what is of interest to the consumers. And in actual fact, they care alot because their products and invention are nothing if nobody is buying them. But at the same time, content providers care a lot whether DRM can be abolished in the long term because firstly, the consumers don't like it and secondly, It would be hell to modify the existing DRM should the leaked secret get emploited by DRM haters. Hence, Mr Jobs suggested a third alternative - to abolish DRMs entirely. He seemed to have consulted his crystal ball and was pretty confident that the big four music companies would agree to let Apple and (others) distribute their music without any DRM protecton. His reasoning?

"The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy."

He made a good and strong point, and I totally agree with him. DRMs is a good try to curb online piracy but not effective. It will not work because no matter how secured the copy-protection is, it is still not written by God. A locksmith can break a lock made by another locksmith. DRM is a software program written by a programming genius and its codes can be broken by another programming genius. When there is a will, there is a way. Terrorism won't stop because terrorists are convinced that their action is perfectly righteous according to their religious belief. Therefore, crippling their network by an eye for an eye strategy will not work. Re-brainwash the brainwashed terrorists is the key to effectively bring the world to peace. In more civilised term "Education". Likewise for music piracy.

Copyright organizations, record companies and educational institutions worldwide have preached against piracy. Websites of oganizations like Pro-music and IFPI have enough information on copyright to turn away any pirate who sincerely wants to be a good citizen. So are they any improvement after all have been said and done? Surely yes. A handful out there must have already learned to respect copyright. The lessons are pretty easy to understand; it is just a matter of whether they want to be taught or prefer to be stubborn and learn their lessons the hard way. The industry was optimistic about copyright education on its onset, but is now acknowledging the fact that nothing beats the free culture of online music.

In my opinion, it all boils down to how a person perceives the value of music. I'm not talking about its monetary worth but its creative value to the industry and its personal value to you and me. Let's sidetrack from music and talk about jeans. Considering factors like colors, design and styles remain constant, would a jean lover buy a pair that instantly shapes the butt to that of Ricky Martin or J.Lo and costs only SGD18.00, or wear a free pair that doesn't accentuate the butt? Someone who truly loves music will hold its creation in high regards and
will not mind paying SGD18 for a CD even if he/she is offered a free pirated copy. The free culture of online music is for the greedy and the fake music fans. As Eminen had said: "If you can afford a computer, you can afford my CD". On the same note that computers are so affordable nowadays, anyone can be a 'Pirate of the Musicbean'.

Statistically, the age of people who engage in online piracy falls between 15 - 35. I name this group 'domestic pirates' who steals music comfortably at home. To educate these pirates, we have to first educate their family members. The industry and authority could collaoborate on an educational kit 'Music Piracy and your Family' and mass mail it to every parents. The objective is to reach out to parents who are computer illiterate and ecourage them to attend basic computer and Internet classes to effectively understand their kids' online activities. At the same time, the educational materials should be directed at (1) convincing parents that online piracy is the same as walking into a record store and taking CDs without paying, and (2) changing the mindset that when people do get caught, they can't be their kids. When copyright education is delivered door-to-door to each family, the concerted effort by all the other parties (copyright organizations, record companies, educational instituitons) is reinforced. When more people become anti-piracy, pirate syndicates will be losing their customers. Copyright education is not for these illicit organzitions because their mission is to make money. The plausible way is to first target their customers, reduce their demand and punish them by laws.

If music is treated as a free entertainment without an appreciation of all the hardwork behind, combating piracy is a losing battle. And please don't bullshit that music will be extinct one day if piracy continues. Personally, I don't see that it will be possible unless it is the end of the world. Ongoing education and down-to-earth facts are the essence to a healthy environment for everyone to enjoy music - peacefully.