Apple reports that it's App Store is generating a miilion dollars a day in revenue for the past month since it opened its virtual door. That's a lot of people paying for these apps. I and my circle of friends have all downloaded a bunch of them on our iPhones, but they are mostly free. I, being the big spender, have paid for only two apps (Super Monkey Ball and Ambiance). I guess it's a numbers game. The more people using the iPhone, the bigger the chance they will eventually pay for an app or two. I also noticed the Apple stock price has gone up each day following the announcement on August 11th. Let's hope it keeps it up, the stock price and the apps sales.
Ming Pao reports (in Chinese) that iPhone 3G online preregistration at 3 Hong Kong is at 60,000, demand far exceeding the 500 iPhones alloted for launch on July 11. There was supposed to be a list out today of those lucky 500 random individuals who get their iPhones on the eleventh, but I can't find the list on 3 Hong Kong or Apple Hong Kong websites, yet. Cross my fingers and hope my name is on that list.
[Update: 09 July 2008] The list is out. Neither I nor any of my friends or family got on the list. Another news source states there are actually 10,000 iPhones for Hong Kong, but the number still doesn't match up interested buyers.
Just when I thought price of the iPhone 3G unlimited data plan is pricey at HK$498 a month, I learned that some countries' carriers don't offered unlimited plans at all. On top of that, their plans are *really* pricey. For the 1GB data plan, it costs HK$1,120 in Australia, and HK$418 in Switzerland, plus HK$3.08 per hour talk time for the latter. Wow, it makes my unlimited data plan here in Hong Kong seems too cheap. [via Daring Fireball]
It's good news for those waiting for a cheaper MacBook Air with SSD, and bad news for those who already got one. Less than 3 months after I received mine, the price of the MBAir SSD is now US$2,600, a full $500 less than the previous price. I had always expected the price of SSD to go down, but did it have to be by that much and so soon? Now I know how suckered the first batch of iPhone buyers felt when Apple lowered the price shortly after it came out. But, hey, like I said, it's good news for those looking to buy one, unless you can wait another few months for the price to go even lower, or the capacity of the SSD to double. I love and hate technology at the same time, sometimes.
I just got to try out Dropbox, an online storage that's still in beta. It has a Mac and Windows client that works like any folder on your desktop. Throw files in them and they will sync automatically. Then access your files on different machines that have Dropbox, or not, because you can also access them in a browser. You can also share files and folders inside Dropbox with others. What sets this apart from iDisk is that Dropbox is fast, which makes all the difference in the world--the difference between using it frequently or only on occasion.
Dropbox is a lot like Evernote, my favorite note manager, which lets you access your work simultaneously on a PC, Mac, or on the web. Where Evernote is for notes, Dropbox is for files and folders.
I have several invites to give out. Leave your e-mail in the comments and I'll send you an invite. I have less than 10.
3 Hong Kong has come out with pricing plans for the iPhone 3G, to be launched on July 11th. The plans start at HK$188, HK$268, HK$328 and HK$498. The first three include only 500MB of data per month, whereas the last one comes with unlimited data. So for most technophile, HK$498 is the only option. My friend has even gone so far as to create a spreadsheet to compare plans. Needless to say, she and I are both getting the HK$498. You can register online to be one of 500 to get the iPhone with a free leather case on July 11th. Let's hope there will be enough to go around, or at least till I and my friends get one.
I never felt smarter. Less than two weeks of selling my 8GB iPhone for HK$3,000, Jobs unveils the much anticipated, expected 3G iPhone, but for only HK$1,550. I can buy two new ones from the money I got from the old. Of course I'll spring for the 16GB 3G version for ~HK$2,350, which still leaves me with HK$650. The launch date in Hong Kong will be on July 11th through 3 Hong Kong.
Adobe rolls out Acrobat.com, an online service to create, collaborate, share files and documents. Also, the new desktop version of Acrobat 9 integrates with Acrobat.com to store, collaborate, and share PDFs with others. Opening an account is free, and it comes with a generous 5GB of space. If you already have a Buzzword account, it will take you to creating an Adobe ID. Although Buzzword is a slick, online word processor, and a welcome staple of Acrobat.com, ConnectNOW is probably the most powerful component, allowing online meetings with screen sharing and videoconferencing.
I'm a sucker for ultra-portable notebooks. That's why I'm using a MacBook Air. But while I was waiting impatiently for my Air, a bunch of other new PC ultra-portables came on the market that was so enticing I almost jumped the gun and bought one. Thank goodness my Air arrived just in time. Version 2 of Asus's Eee PC (900) is the first one to get my attention. With a 8'9" LCD and a 20GB SSD for HK$4,000, it costs less than 1/6 of my MacBook Air with 64GB SSD. But when I tried the Eee PC at a retailer, the keyboard and trackpad were too cramped for comfort. Then there's the HP 2133-Mini Note PC. Also an 8'9" LCD, but the keyboard is a lot roomier than the Eee PC. In fact, the whole computer felt more sturdy. It comes with a 120GB hard disk for HK$5,000. And now there's MSI Wind U100, with a 10" LCD and 80GB hard disk for about HK$4,000. Too bad Palm's defunct Foleo, with specs and price similar to these, was introduced ahead of its time. If it were to come out today, it would probably be a hit, too.
I usually use Yahoo! Finance during trading hours to track stocks, and yesterday I noticed a new feature on its site: real-time quotes. I read in SCMP that it's served by BATS Trading, and it's all about getting the most hits. According to the article, Yahoo lost to Google last month for the first time as the most visited websites by Americans, 140.6 million vs. 141 million. Ouch. But what a way to get visitors flocking back to Yahoo.
