Apple's "Come see our latest creation" event (Jan 28, 2010) is less than a week away, and rumors and soaring higher than ever. As with any other major Apple announcement (read: iPhone), rumors soar to the point where you don't know what to believe any more. The revolutionary iSlate device is supposed to change the market, as the iPhone did. Given Apple's track record of successful products, this will be one them (especially in the multi-touch department).

iPhone on Steroids

Nobody REALLY knows what Apple's hiding up their sleeve, but it most likely has to do with eReaders, portable computing beyond the Mobile Phone level, and a completely new way of consuming media.

An article from the Business Insider reported that Apple has had talks with NYT, WSJ, Conde Nast, Harper Collins and so forth about content distribution. On top of readable media, Apple's also interested in mixing video into the picture, which may be great for those on the go, provided there will be fantastic battery life. And as you may figure, Apple's definitely dabbling on the gaming side as well, teaming up with EA to show off what it can do.

Now, this is starting to sound a bit familiar, right? Yes, the iPhone. Just like how the iPhone introduced a new wave of portable computing and data consumption, Apple is aiming to do the same with the iSlate. They already have an established App Store, a fantastic base of developers, and a loyal user base. There's no better time to try and pitch a new product to those looking for the next greatest thing.

I read somewhere a long time ago that the display technology for this device was going to be revolutionary. If Apple is targeting both traditional media AND digital media consumers, they better have a screen that works superbly well for both tasks. It's one thing to introduce a fantastic new way of interaction with a device, but if you can't look at what you're doing for a long period of time, it goes to waste. Read on for more...

Spontaneity is a human characteristic that is unlike any other. The things that come out of spontaneity are, well... downright amazing. Some of the best ideas in the world (whatever they are) were sprung up this way, and that's a fact whether or not I prove it to you.

Impulse Wave is going to be a new series of posts based on impulse discussions, thoughts, ideas, and so forth. I am positive that this is going to be an interesting series, provided new installments get posted regularly. This series is going to require your feedback, so make sure you keep up by subscribing to the feed.

Style and Organization: Since a lot of the content for this series will come from text-based discussions, there will be excerpts posted from the dialogues. I am also considering posting full conversations (edited, of course) so you don't miss any juicy details... and the drama.

User contribution: This series will be the first to invite the public (that's right, you!) to participate. If you want to share your thoughts, email me. I'm waiting.

A few weeks ago I learned that Adobe Flash CS5 will have the functionality to create native iPhone applications. I thought to myself, "Holy cow, this will allow anyone who knows Flash to create iPhone apps!" I've always wanted to make iPhone apps but the lack of Objective-C programming skills prevented me from doing so.

If Flash CS5's iPhone application authoring does what it promises, the future of app development is in for treat. This means that anybody with ActionScript skills can make iPhone apps/games. The average user will become the "average developer" very quickly. It appears that this will erase the dividing line between design/development professionals and the average Joe.

Click here to view the Adobe Labs page for iPhone Apps.

Despite the high chance of crap-output from developer-wannabes, this will  give people an opportunity to create quality products. From what Adobe Labs has shown so far, it proves that this model works. In the meantime, I'll be boosting my ActionScript 3 skills, learning to make some awesome apps.

Feedback: Does this make you want to develop for the iPhone, or will this saturate the App Store with even more fart apps?

It's been confirmed that the latest OS X 10.6.2 build nixes support for Atom processors. This means (for now) that you won't be able to update your OS and continue running your Hackintosh Netbook. Apple's fight to keep iTunes exclusive to products whose names start with an "i" has been strong (read: palm pre).

Apple hasn't had a problem with supporting the Atom processors, but all of a sudden they're picky about it. To me, this can only mean one thing - Apple's shutting out competition. I think they're cooking something up of their own that might be a little "Netbookish." Some rumors say that they're building a device that will completely change the way we consume media on the go.

Something like this is probably since Apple has a history of reinventing existing products and concepts -- iPhone, Mac mini, Mighty Mouse, iMac, Unibody Macbooks, etc. They also have a history of being involved in media consumption with iTunes music, movies, and TV shows. Books and magazines, with an eBook reader of their own, may be a logical target. Would you be interested in a revolutionary $599 iReader?

I intended to write about Apple going green when they launched the new Macs earlier this year, but I felt the urge to wait, and so I did. Apple has truly done it this time with their entire line of MacBook Pros and the iPhone 3GS.

The MacBook Pros are the greenest Macs Apple has yet to deliver. All models of the machine (13, 15, and 17 inch) are EPEAT Gold rated and meet the Energy Star 5.0 requirements, which isn't even out yet. This makes the machines consume less electricity, and easier on the environment.

Speaking of the environment, both the MacBook Pros and the iPhone 3GS are made mostly out of earth-friendly materials, which are also easily recyclable.

• Highly recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure
• Mercury-free LED-backlit display
• Arsenic-free display glass
• BFR-free
• PVC-free internal cables

The iPhone 3GS shares a lot of these features as well. All of Apple's products ship inside of much smaller packaging which is great for several reasons: Easier to ship more units per airplane, easier to carry, easier to store, less garbage in the dumps. Everyone wins.

It would be amazing to see companies utilize more environmentally friendly materials. This is a great start, and I am glad that Apple is trying to pioneer being fully green, or as green as they can be. Which other companies, other than the ones that specialize in green tech, actually manufacture products of similar nature? Post in comments below, please. 🙂

I predict that some day, we will have a way to teleport technology we buy straight to our homes. No jetplane delivery, no fumes, no packaging garbage.

To many, this year's World Wide Developer's Conference will be the most exciting and future defining Apple event to date. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 3.0 software on March 17, I knew that the iPhone was going to go beyond the existing lead it already held over its competitors.

Before the unveiling of the iPhone 3.0 software, I was absolutely certain that the Palm Pre and the Android platforms were going to give Apple a run for their money. Boy was I wrong. I always preach the idea that if a company doesn't keep a heavy eye on its competitors, it will begin to fall short. When Apple set a goal to sell 10 million iPhones within the first year, they stuck to it and sold well over their desired mark. This is simply because they have an ingenious R&D department that knows exactly what needs to be done to stay ahead of the game.

Okay, enough about the software. The iPhone is close to hitting the 2-year mark and we have only seen 1 hardware update that wasn't too significant (addition of 3G, GPS, and a flush headphone jack). Rumors around the web are going nuts trying to predict what the next major hardware update is going to be like. The original iPhone set a new industry standard for the things that should be expected in a smartphone. There have been no major performance upgrades in the last 2 years, yet the iPhone still outperforms most phones of its kind to this day. If the next version of the hardware is unveiled come the 8th, I cannot imagine how ahead of its game it will be.

Now to talk a bit about what's to come for the Mac OS. More after the jump...

If you are serious about design, you probably take other people's work pretty seriously - especially if they're good. A lot of designers always talk about the great things they encounter on the web and in magazines, and wonder when their skills are going to match those of others. I have one word for them: Copy.

By trying to replicate the techniques other designers use in their work, you can learn how to approach things differently. For example, when I was new at Photoshop, I would always try to achieve various results by experimenting with all the tools, layers, masking, and so forth. If you think you lack the technical knowledge to do this, a simple Google search will perform wonders.

Things to do for Web Designers:

1. Put together a list of websites that you love.
2. Open your application of choice for web design and start laying out one of the websites.
3. Try to replicate color, gradients, shapes, and placement of content elements as best as you can.
4. If there is something you cannot do, you can find a tutorial, or do something you are familiar with that will look just as good.

More after the jump...

Today is day 1 into the second month of the New Year, and things are looking pretty bright at the moment! I would say that January was pretty productive, but more needs to be done. My internship has been going pretty well as major changes are going to be taking place very soon.

Now that school is back in session, my daily to-do list has grown 10 fold. So far, it has been a good thing since I have to stay on top of the game, but it is bound to get harder as my classes are advanced level design courses. One course I want to talk about in particular is Advanced Web Design. Our goal throughout the course is to develop and deploy a live website, indexable by search engines, with active affiliate programs. Most people in the class don't have any experience in this, but it will be great to see what I am up against come this Tuesday. Continue reading...

By now, most of you have probably heard about the rumors of Steve Jobs preparing his retirement. Although we may never know whether or not this is true, it is clearly evident that changes are occuring.

So many famous moments have been recorded into the history books at these events throughout the years, primarily the iPhone. I wonder if Apple is going to do something HUGE for their last and final Macworld appearance, or if it will be a quiet departure.

Continue after the jump for the list:

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are dealing with a high or drunk person, keep one thing in mind: Agree to whatever he says, and try to walk away from the situation!

The last thing you want is getting into some kind of trouble by upsetting the irrational man, who can possibily be a danger to you, others, and himself. On the other note, try to refrain from being that person people may want to avoid as well. I don't believe there's any excuse to hurt your body in such way to experience temporary pleasure (if that's what you want to call it).

Question: Have you ever been in a dangerous/uncomfortable situation involving an intoxicated person?