How funny would it be if those lines outside of Best Buy for the new Blackberry Storm weren't because of iPhone-esque anticipation, but because of service glitches and in-store recall so that customers that pre-paid for the newest smart phone weren't able to receive it? Ha-ha? That's what you get for trying to replicate Steve Job's technology, bitches.
Either way, the lack of phones isn't due to an overwhelming demand for the hybrid: If you are already a Verizon subscriber, your re-up with the service (if it includes a free phone upgrade) might end with the network carrier paying you to take their newest product off their hands.
Society photographer Patrick McMullan is launching his own magazine. Of sorts. It will be called PMc ("pee-mick"), cost only 99 cents, come out every other month, and able to be held in your hand. That is, provided you have an iPhone, because that's where you're going to have to download this fashion-luxury thing. That PMc will be distributed on a tiny screen is actually a bonus, because readers will be less likely to notice the blurry shots taken by Mr. McMullan's shaking hands.
"A good way to keep your trademarked product name from beginning a sentence is to insist on writing it with a lowercase initial." See: iPhone, eBay. Though this rule only may only apply to print headlines; online the Times went with "iPhone Users Plagued by Software Problems," but in changed up the wording to create the stylebook-friendly, "In Line for an iPhone, and Then Prevented From Turning It On." [CSM]
In relaying Time magazine's report about Japan's elder porn industry, we missed this item from yesterday, also from Time, about how the new 36 iPhone is going to be a hot bed for porn. The magazine reports an uptick in Google searches for "iPhone porn," even though Apple, officially, bans adult content from its offerings. So either: Time magazine really is on the cusp of cultural trends, or they're so desperate for newsstand readers and pageviews that they've resorted to the same link bait as most blogs.
Oh good, so you heard some fancy new telephone was announced by a computer company that nearly went bankrupt not so long ago? Then you're all up to speed! All up to speed, except, for the new Apple iPhone's new television advertisement. So here you go. Enjoy the Robert Downey Jr. voiceover.
OH FUCK YOU, GOOGLE Look, so we can't afford an iPhone. Whatever, AT&T service sucks anyway. What good is having a GPS on you at all times, anyway? And besides, that touch screen is impossible to type on. Yeah, we're totally content with our generic flip phone. Oh, so what that the T9 feature doesn't really work. Whatever. We can still send and receive text messages with it. Look, if we wanted to surf the internet, we'd get a computer. Just stop rubbing it in.
CONTINUED »
Congratulations, Apple!
After endless hype, countless most-emailed articles and ultimately screwing your early adapters, Time has the iPhone the Best Invention of the Year.
Just when we thought we were done hearing about the iPhone, it's end of the year round-up time. We're excepting at least three more iPhone covers before 2008.
Can't afford an iPhone but want one in heaven? (If this is true, you're an idiot.)
Well, for just 3,999 Taiwanese dollars or $122 this paper "sPhone" can be yours. Friends can burn it your funeral, and you'll receive the real thing in the afterlife.
With the iPhone's web browsing, talk about dying and going to heaven.
[Gizmodo]
It’s not Wednesday, but news that the iPhone has sold 1 million phones has put us in a betting mood.
At some point, New York Times emailers will get their fill of iPhone news. Sadly, that time has not come.
An article about iPhone overseas charges is currently number three on the New York Times’s most email list. This article should not be confused with a separate piece about the 300 page AT&T bill for the iPhone, which also made it to the most emailed list. With only 1 million actual iPhone users, who is doing all this iPhone emailing?
Even though iPhone sales have no bearing on iPhone users (or anyone really at all), the odds are still good that this article will crack the top ten.
But, please, iPhone owners, together we can make a difference. Think before you email—no one cares about your phone anymore. Leave room for articles from the Science section that need the most emailed list to be read at all.
From CNN: "After the price of an 8 GB iPhone was reduced to $399 from $599, CEO Jobs agrees to give store credit to those who paid the original price." Wow, that's like a $200 differential! Unfortunately, it turns out the store credit is only worth $100.
From Gizmodo: "The price of an 8GB iPhone just got lower, and the 4GB iPhone is on its way out, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He announced the 8GB iPhone's new price will be $399, down $200 from its original $599 price."
Translation: All of you tech geeks who waited in line for three days and skipped work for the privilege of shelling out $400 for a cell phone now officially have last year's model. Also, you overpaid.
• Paris Hilton flashes some nipple on the pages of German GQ, then finds out her precious teddy bear tested positive for Herpes…type two.
• Gays aren't buying rumors that a secretly gay Jake Gyllenhaal has an illegitimate lovechild. When reached for comment, a flaming homosexual replied, "Secretly gay? Puh-leeze. That's wild"
• You’re mom is right, you could lose some weight. New York comes in as the 38th fattest state.
• "Careful, Ashley, stop!" they cried. But it was too late, and Ashely went over the side.
• CNBC anchor Erin Burnett becomes Daily Show fodder. And finds out that the Money Honey hates her. Presumably, because she's hotter.
• The iPhone hacker proves he has lots of brainpower by working 800 hours straight. Not even stopping to shower.
• Backstreet Boys: Are they too cool for school? Or just a bunch of washed-up no-talent fools?
• Hillary Clinton is said to dress even manlier than war hero John McCain.
• This America's Got Talent contestant's routine wasn't supposed to include falling flat on his face.
• Lady Bird Johnson dead at the age of 94.
• David Beckham is all about the little girl's Fruit of the Looms
• Lil' Kim shows us that magical nipple slip, one more time.
• Maybe we aren't as green as Al Gore thought we were. Or maybe we just don't want to sit at home and watch Bravo all day.
• If we had a Roy Lichtenstein-esque picture of ourselves on a shirt, we'd probably wear it around, too.
• Apparently, the iPhone also makes a great smoothie.
Ever wait in line for eight hours and spend $600 on a phone only to have it break after a mere four days of usage?
Joe Hutsko has.
In what some are considering the Worst Thing To Happen To Anyone since the infamous 8-hour Blackberry Blackout, an unprepared Hutsko found himself forced to spend a fateful afternoon contemplating "life without iPhone." Thankfully, his overpriced telephone—with the annoying mascot—was (eventually!) restored to good health, leaving Hutsko to pick up the pieces and wonder where exactly he went wrong.
Shot outside the Midtown Apple store on Friday when the iPhone was released, the above clip shows the cyclops mascot from Hungrr.com – a relief organization that has its sights set on feeding Hurricane Katrina victims – being harassed by what was claimed to be a Fox News producer type, who can be seen arguing with the orange costume for getting in his shot when he has to go live with a report!
Eventually, the newsie made good on his promise to get the police involved; the NYPD can be seen threaten him with spending some time in jail for meandering about in the same area as thousands of others. Apparently he was "loitering," or, like, infringing on the freedom of the press in some twisted way. CONTINUED »
• Eight years ago, The Early Show's Julie Chen made waves within the media world when she agreed to host CBS' Big Brother, thereby "blurring the lines between news and entertainment." Now, she sits back and reminisces about a time when "journalism ethics" was more than just an oxymoron.
• CNN's relaunch provides visitors with veritable "easy button," plus pervy close-ups of Central Park sunbathers.
• AMI delays filing annual report detailing the precise amount of money hemorrhaged yearly by their under-performing, rumor mongering publications.
• It turns out, certain corporations are using Google advertising for their own personal gain.
• Roughly 700,000 people spent $600 on a new phone because the hipster Mac guy told them to.
• Grey Lady found innocent of improperly withholding documents, guilty of charging non-subscribers for the privilege of reading Maureen Dowd.
• Jamie Lee Curtis has trouble adapting to this newfangled invention called "television." Also, she hopes this whole "reality tv" thing doesn't catch on.
• Britney Spears decides to steal Beyonce's gay, mermaid flair.
Stuck in the office on July 4th? This will distract you for approximately 1/1000th of your excruciatingly boring day.
• Turns out this brand new $600 iPhone isn't nearly as good as it's cracked up to be.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar had better pray that her hat is potty-trained.
• For a limited time only (a.k.a. until the release of The Simpsons movie) the retail chain formerly known as 7-Eleven will now be known as "Kwik-E-Mart," and will sell Squishees, Buzz cola, KrustyO's and other Simpsons inspired products. Which isn't blatant commercialism so much as "pop culture commenting on pop culture commenting on itself," explains a biased marketing exec. Plus a rare opportunity to make overweight cartoon enthusiasts even fatter.
• Brits trying to court US readers who fancy a tawdry sex scandal along with their morning tea.
• The iPhone is slightly less boring, equally as overpriced as it initially appears.
• WFAN fuels rumors that Don Imus may be unveiling some new racial epithets on a radio station near you.
• Jericho producers are planning a long future, which—in television lingo—means "more than seven shows."
Today In Thompson is our semi-regular report on Syracuse University pop culture professor and professional quotation Robert Thompson — and the press' endless appetite to engage him in soundbite. Multiple times a day, you can find Thompson expounding on this celebrity or that TV show, ad infinitum. More to the point, it shows how lazy we can be in showing how lazy journalists can be when it comes to getting "insight" from "experts."
It's a slow news Monday (well, for some fields) which means we're digging into the weekend for this edition of Today In Thompson. Watch as everyone's favorite professor of pop culture (read that again, because it's his real title) expounds on professional wrestling, the iPhone, and G-rated movies. CONTINUED »
Editorial Director
