Hasta La Gadget!

When someone says that he or she is going to pick up an Apple Mac computer, you would most probably think that said person does have a pretty full bank account to begin with. After all, Mac computers do carry the reputation (which is not that true anymore these days) that they are more expensive than their PC counterparts. For folks who want the Apple experience without the need for so much firepower, here is news for you – there is a spanking new updated Mac mini that carries with it a third generation dual-core Intel Core i5 and quad-core Intel Core i7 processors, while carrying integrated graphics which are touted to be up to 65% faster than its predecessor. The updated Mac mini will feature 4GB RAM (maximum of 16GB), a quartet of USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt support, HDMI output, an SDXC memory card slot, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire 800 ports.

All of those will be crammed into the very same compact aluminum form factor, without causing it to overheat or consume more juice than it ought to. In fact, the Mac mini is capable of meeting stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieve an EPEAT Gold rating. Sipping on just 11W of juice when idle, it has been claimed by Apple to be the “most energy efficient desktop computer in the world”. You can pick up the Mac Mini from $599 onward if you are interested, depending on the configuration.

Press Release
[ Apple updates their Mac mini, is cheapest Mac to date copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Price was perhaps always the most anticipated feature of the iPad mini, and now it’s proving the most controversial. My Twitter stream has been filled with arguments back and forth on the iPad mini’s $329 price tag, with many weighing in saying it’s too expensive and that Apple missed the mark.

It’s a funny discussion in a lot of ways, because it’s one that people often have around Apple products, especially at the introduction of a brand new line or device. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the following headlines from 2010, shortly following the original iPad’s introduction.

• John Squires: iPad Is Big And Beautiful But It’s Too Expensive
• Could Apple’s iPad Be Too Expensive For Brits?
• Apple iPad Price Still a Concern
• Analysts Suggest iPad Might Be Too Expensive For Holiday Gift

And, maybe my favorite given all that’s happened since:

• Dell: iPad is Too Expensive, Will Fail in the Enterprise

So while a lot of similar headlines are popping up this time around, we now have the benefit of hindsight to add some clarity to the discussion. There’s also a fair number of logical reasons Apple has priced this tablet correctly, history lessons notwithstanding.

1. Brand cachet

Apple operates as, and is perceived as a premium brand. With some of their recent pricing accomplishments, including the MacBook Air starting at $999 and the iMac now beginning at $1299, it’s easy to see why people might think Apple is playing along with the rest of the market’s race to lower prices. But that’s not how Apple competes, and that’s not how it ships product.

Much of the value in Apple lies in its brand cachet, something which is especially powerful in emerging Asian markets, but also still very effective in established regions like North America. Apple is seen as a maker of premium goods, and they emphasized that amply with this iPad, bringing back a lot of the same rhetoric they used to portray the iPhone 5 as a precision instrument, on par with the finest mechanical watches.

2. Measured by quality

Apple’s identity as a luxury brand clearly has a strong marketing component, but it also arises naturally from making great products. The iPad mini is meant to compete on quality with others out there in the smaller tablet space, not price, just like the Mac does in the notebook and desktop market (where its growth outpaces the rest of the industry, by the way).

Almost all of Apple’s marketing around this device focuses on its ability to exceed the competition in terms of usability, design and quality of experience. That’s also how it has traditionally marketed the Mac. With the original iPad, it had a leg up in that it was forging a new market, but it’s coming late to the small tablet space. Still, by competing on its own terms, and delivering a product that definitely does feel more polished than other options out there, it’s saying the extra $129 you’ll pay versus others is money well spent.

And Apple’s right on that score. As I mentioned in a Branch discussion on the subject, the iPad displays approximately 49 percent more content when viewing web pages horizontally than the Nexus 7, according to Apple SVP Phil Schiller, and at $329 it’s around 49 percent more expensive than the Nexus 7

3. Apple is a hardware company

Apple sells hardware, and that’s its main concern. Amazon and Google are not hardware companies, and don’t pretend to be. They sell devices because it furthers their own primary agendas (e-commerce for Amazon, search and ad revenue for Google) and can accordingly do so at a loss.

For Apple to market a device it must be profitable. And not just profitable, but within their acceptable range of what defines profitability, which means significant gross margins made on every device. Otherwise, it’s not worth Apple’s time to make that product, and it won’t be made.

The iPad mini is priced where Apple can price it while still creating a quality product that doesn’t feel like a crippled device, while still satisfying their profitability requirements. If it was a 7-inch tablet with a single camera and a much thicker design, I’d say it was overpriced, but as it is, if you look at what it can do, it’s more than competitive and meets Apple’s business requirements for bringing a new product to market.

Those claiming this iPad is too expensive are either forgetting the past or forgetting what kind of company Apple is, but I don’t think consumers will be among that crowd. But you don’t have to take my word for it: pre-orders start Friday, and we’ll probably learn soon after just how much appetite there is out there for Apple’s latest innovation.

Last week a live action trailer for Halo 4 was revealed and it was directed by none other than Fight Club’s David Fincher. For those who missed it, the trailer basically gave gamers some background information regarding the game’s character, Master Chief. While it was certainly pretty entertaining and kind of epic, it might not be as interesting to those who are more concerned about the gameplay rather than the storyline. Well the good news is that a new trailer for Halo 4 has been released, and this time around it shows some footage from the gameplay which should give gamers an idea of what they might be able to expect from the game when it has been released. So if you’re wondering about the game, check out the gameplay footage in the trailer above. Halo 4 has been pegged for a 6^th of November release, so we guess we won’t have to wait much longer to get our hands on the game! Who’s excited?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Halo 4 live action launch trailer directed by David Fincher leaves us wanting more, Halo 4 leaks, Microsoft targets pirates,

While games like Diablo and Torchlight are fun in their own right and in a clickfest kind of way, we guess after a while it does get somewhat repetitive and boring. Runic Games’ Max Schaefer in an interview with Indie Game Magazine Radio revealed that he hopes to introduce changes to the company’s latest game, Torchlight 2, and make the game more dynamic as opposed to just killing monsters and looting them and moving on. While this is in no way a confirmation of the upcoming features, Schaefer revealed that he would like to see creation tools being introduced to the game. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Torchlight 2 for Mac still a couple of months away, Torchlight 2 to be released on the 20th of September,

Last year at IFA, Samsung introduced a new class of handset with the launch of its original Galaxy Note, smartphones with huge displays (5-inch+) that we internally call “phablets”. Its successor, the Galaxy Note 2 features a larger display (5.5”), a faster quad-core processor, increased RAM (2 GB), Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) and an awesomely enhanced S-Pen stylus  for sketching or writing directly on the phone. Given the state-of-the-art spec list, the Galaxy Note 2 should be really fast and deliver high performance.

Some people would argue that this is not a phone anymore, since it is too large to carry in the pocket and also that you may look ridiculous with this gigantic phone on your cheek when you place a phone call. However, I usually get tremendous feedback regarding the form factor from men who wear jackets (with a large internal pocket) and women who carry purses. I personally love the device (version 1 and 2) and, to challenge the size argument, Hubert did carry it regularly in his jeans’ front pockets and he was fine.

In this review, will cover how it feels to use the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in the real world. Ready?

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Preview, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to be unveiled at IFA 2012?,