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I’m not sure why companies like The Sharper Image and Brookstone ever got into the business of rebranding technology with their name or why they would think that the average consumer would assume quality from their name, but I suspect they’re reconsidering those thoughts as BusinessWeek is reporting that The Sharper Image has filed for bankruptcy protection and is planning on shuttering 90 of their 184 stores.

Sign of the times - hard retail market - or destiny?  I’ll let you decide.  Personally I think that gadget gifts are better received when they have a recognizable name, and if it weren’t for the success of Osim and their acquisition attempts for Brookstone, I believe that they wouldn’t be far behind.  Unfortunately, with both of these gadget companies changing, companies like Best Buy are bound to become “more popular” which means that the consumer will have fewer choices for whatever tech gadget they choose to buy.

~geek

I should have known it would never last, but I was very optimistic when I purchased an HD-DVD player from Wal-Mart last year for the outstanding price of $99.99.  I justified it by saying “Microsoft is behind this,” and thinking that worst case I could play regular DVDs on it, too.  Unfortunately, I believe that the final nail has been placed against the pine top of HD-DVD’s coffin.

Wal-Mart has officially announced that they will no longer stock or sell HD-DVD media by June.  Their HD offering will continue to support the increasingly popular Blu-Ray, and they’re not alone.  Netflix and Best Buy are also pulling HD-DVD from their offering, effectively ending any chance the format had of success.  So, if the consumer hasn’t spoken, the retailers have.  They’ve picked their format and like it or not the consumer is going to have to suffer the consequences.

As always, I would love to know your thoughts.

~geek

Is AppleTV the worst product of 2007?  My opinion - yes and no.  Yes, I think that the implementation is very un-Apple, because it’s not unique enough to compel Apple devotees to purchase one.  After all, most of these users already have a TiVo (or equivalent) and aren’t going to buy something just to watch iTunes content.  MTV, for the most part, already covers much of that market.

On the other hand, I think that there is promise here if Apple can get past where they are today and add content for television with the same success that they’ve managed to get musical content.  Imagine, if you will, you could go to AppleTV and buy first-run movies electronically instead of on DVD.  Perhaps, because you’re purchasing digital content you can even burn that out to a DVD and have the best of both worlds?  I believe that people are going this way and that some company will win the battle.  Perhaps it’s not too late for Apple, but they need to get moving and promoting with the same passion that they do their other products.

~geek

Chalk another one up for the Apple legal team.  A press release was issued from Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher today.  It read as follows:

December 20, 2007 - PRESS RELEASE: Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret’s publisher, said “I’m pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.”

My thoughts are pretty simple - someone gave him some information that they shouldn’t have and pissed off Apple.  He lost.  Too bad, so sad.

 Geek

I will admit to being a fan of Palm.  Despite everything, I want them to succeed, because I think that they were ten years ahead of everyone else in their thinking.  Unfortunately, I also believe that they’re now years behind the competition and that sticking to their form-factor has limited their success in some senses because they haven’t gone away from the style that made them successful in the beginning.  Changing the color just wasn’t enough for most die-hard techies.

On the plus for them, though, Verizon is now carrying and marketing their 755P smartphone that will allow Verizon users to get their fix of this now aged phone.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Too little, too late in my mind.

~geek

There was a time when buying a Dell desktop or notebook computer was like buying an original Model T Ford - you could have it in any color you wanted so long as it was black.  Or, in the case of their notebooks, some shade of black.  Like the automobile industry, the computer industry has changed and no longer following the pack, Dell has become a leader and is offering computers in a variety of colors and styles that are both unique and, dare I say, attractive.

With their push to more retail storefronts, it’s not becoming apparent the the changes at Dell are about more than slapping on a layer of paint.  Dell is changing as a company, maturing and being forced to use something other than “the lowest price” to compete.  For one, I like the change, and I look forward to what Dell will be offering in the years to come.  I just hope that the company can keep changing and growing and do it all without losing what it is that makes them special - competitive pricing, complete product offerings, and a relatively simple buying experience.

 ~geek

It’s been a rumor, and now it’s official.  CompUSA has announced that they will shut their doors after the heavily discounted holiday season.  My recommendation: don’t buy any extended warranties.

Sorry to see this group go, but it’s difficult to compete as number three and their advertising, customer service, and management haven’t matched the competition in recent years.

More information at Bloomberg.

~geek

For those of you that remember, the Sega Dreamcast was one of the best, highest quality video consoles ever made.  Unfortunately, like so many other good technologies it failed and left the market very quickly.  A rumor recently surfaced that there might be a Dreamcast 2 on the horizon and today there’s another rumor that there will not be a Dreamcast 2.  My feeling - never gonna happen.  Good and bad for the consumer, but the world just doesn’t need another console right now.

~geek

I can’t be alone in thinking the iPod mania has gone on for more than the normal 15 minutes of fame, and while I do believe that the personal media player is the one of the greatest inventions of the last 50 years, I’m quite done seeing all the iPod docks and accessories that come across the wire every day.  And, now, moving the iPod accessories into “fine furniture” just seems to me to be over the top.

Pottery Barn (one of my favorite stores) is now selling the Piedmont iChair, which is being marketed as “one of life’s classic comforts.”  Come on, it’s a chair with some speakers built into the headrest.  Somehow I doubt that this is going to create the “first-rate listening experience” that is being claimed.  What I really think is that companies have gone too far followingthe fanfare that Apple has created with their star.

~geek

There’s a lot of talk this morning that the Apple iPhone customers in Germany can “purchase” an unlocked iPhone for an additional 600 euros. The move comes on the heels of a temporary injunction against German wireless carrier T-Mobile, which is by law prevented from selling a handset locked to a single wireless network.Apple is also required to offer unlocked iPhones in France after a six month period according to local law, which may push the company to offer the iTunes unlock in that country. The iPhone will be released in France on Thursday, November 29th.

As someone that’s ruled the iPhone out because it won’t work with Verizon, my carrier of choice, I’m wondering how the iPhone evangelists will take this news.  Especially those that have jailbroken their phone in the US only to find that it voids their warranty and causes endless hassles when Apple does decide to update their software to muck with the hackers.  Of course, on the other side of that coin - isn’t it nice to know that Apple can “remotely” jailbreak their equipment?  Someone was planning ahead!

~geek