Whenever an event sells out in record time like the 2011 Worldwide Developer’s Conference just did, one always wonders why event organizers didn’t see this coming and expand as necessary. But when looking to expand an event such as WWDC, there are a number of factors that Apple has to consider before taking that step.

Location: Moscone West in San Francisco

San Francisco’s Moscone Center can certainly accommodate more than the traditional 5,000 attendees normally allotted at WWDC. Apple could decide to make use of the full convention center and take over both the North and South venues as well. But location is not the issue. In fact, if it were, relocating to a location like Las Vegas could potentially accommodate all of Apple’s registered developers (were each to buy a ticket) without issue.

So if keeping things small and confining the conference to just 5,000 attendees is what Apple has determined is key to puling off a successful conference, then perhaps simulcasting to multiple locations or repeating the event in various regions of the world is a better way to deal with increased demand.  This makes perfect sense in the entertainment business, where entertainers are looking to maximize time spent in front of fans.  But WWDC is not about entertainment, and as much as Apple would like to spend more time with developers, it’s not nearly as easy to do remotely.

Speakers: Apple Engineers

That leaves just one scarce resource as the true reason Apple can’t afford to expand the WWDC to accommodate more developers.  The presentations and materials that are showcased at WWDC are of the highest quality (speaking from personal experience).  Each presentation is lead by an Apple Engineer. During WWDC 2010, one of the presenters had a live demonstration that started going badly, and the presenter started to choke.  Within minutes a second presenter stepped up and took over an alternate demonstration and the topic proceeded on schedule without anyone walking away feeling like they’d missed out on something.  In other words, Apple puts the same time and energy in its conference at it does it products, and that becomes much harder to do once you start playing with size.

Conclusion: WWDC 2012 Will Sell Out in Minutes

So long that Apple insists that the speakers at WWDC are all Apple Engineers and other product-related associates, then WWDC will continue to sell out in record time.  Pulling off an annual conference of this quality, using the very staff you also depend on for your core business is a very expensive undertaking.  The location will likely never change because of its proximity to the very resources (Apple employees) that make the conference a great success.  It will also likely never be repeated in different locales, given Apple’s relentless release schedules for its products (taking time out for conferences threatens this schedule).  The only opportunity would be to possibly simulcast the event around the world, and such event ever occurring at this scale in multiple locations worldwide would also be difficult and costly to pursue — likely more so than the ultimate reward would merit.  So be prepared to be close to an internet connection in 2012, because WWDC ticket sales are likely to break records yet again next year, because Apple isn’t likely to make big changes even in the face of strong demand.

Image courtesy of Flickr user adamjackson1984.

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(German Chancellor Angela Merkel promises a more rapid shift to renewable energy sources during a speech in the Bundestag lower house of parliament on March 17)

The consensus view in Germany is that Angela Merkel’s abrupt reversal on nuclear energy after Fukushima was a transparent ploy to shore up support in an important state election in Baden-Wuerttemberg. If indeed that was her intention (she denies any political motive) then she miscalculated horribly. Her party was ousted from government in B-W on Sunday after running the prosperous southern region for 58 straight years. But what if Merkel was really thinking longer-term — ie beyond the state vote to the next federal election in 2013? After the Japan catastrophe she may well have realised that her chances of getting elected to a third term were next-to-nil if she didn’t pivot quickly on nuclear. There are two good reasons why that is probably a safe assumption. First is the extent of anti-nuclear sentiment in Germany. A recent poll for Stern magazine showed nearly two in three Germans would like to see the country’s 17 nuclear power plants shut down within 5 years.  The nuclear issue was the decisive factor in the B-W election. And you can bet it will play an important role in the next national vote — even if it is 2-1/2 years away. The second reason why the reversal looks like a good strategic decision from a political point of view is the dire state of Merkel’s junior partner in government — the Free Democrats. It was the strength of the FDP which vaulted her to a second term in September 2009. But now it looks like their weakness could be her undoing in 2013.  Merkel probably needs the FDP to score at least 10 percent in the next vote to give her a chance of renewing her “black-yellow” coalition. Right now the FDP is hovering at a meagre 5 percent and it is difficult to see how they double that anytime soon. The nuclear shift widens Merkel’s options in one fell swoop. Suddenly the issue that made a coalition between Merkel’s Christian Democrats and the Greens unthinkable at the federal level has vanished. Her party set a precedent by hooking up with the Greens in the city-state of Hamburg in 2008. Now she has more than two years to lay the foundations for a similar partnership in Berlin. By then voters may see Merkel’s nuclear U-turn in a different light. And only then will it be truly clear if it was a huge political mistake, as the Baden-Wuerttemberg vote suggests, or a prescient strategic coup.

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Sounds like things are getting tense over at AMC’s biggest hit show ever.

Amid reports of heated negotiations between “Mad Men’s” creator Matthew Weiner and AMC, the network announced that the show would indeed return, but not until 2012.

While there were reports that AMC wanted two characters eliminated to save on costs, there was no word as to whether that plan was scrapped or if some of the cast’s jobs could still be in trouble.

The fifth season of the show was in jeopardy as AMC also pushed for a reluctant Weiner to cut three minutes from every episode so they can sell six more 30-second advertisements, according to The Daily.

But while the show will be returning, it will be 17 months after the series’ fourth season finale, in March of next year. According to Deadline.com, Weiner was ready to produce material for a summer 2011 premiere, but the network said its slots were full with its four other original series and it would not have space until March of 2012.

Weiner, who will make $30 million over two years from his new contract, was never resisting the negotiations because of his salary. Instead, he was reportedly upset with the requested changes to advertising placement and the cast lineup.

AMC reportedly never wanted to eliminate any of the major characters, according to the report, but the actors in question were recurring stars.

We doubt new full-figured style icon Christina Hendricks would be on the chopping block.

PHOTOS: The Lovely and Talented Christina Hendricks.

Weiner recently complained about their being too many chefs in the kitchen when it came to his hit property, saying in January “everyone wants a piece of it now. They are fighting over who gets the biggest chunk.”

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If you own a DS, you’ve probably chanced upon Final Fantasy III for the platform, which was released around four years ago (based on the original FFIII from 20 years ago).  Well, an enhanced version is now available for iOS, giving iPhone gamers a chance to play the classic RPG title.
While drawn from the DS version, this new iteration actually

View full post on Latest Cell Phones, iPhone Apps, Android Apps, News & Reviews – Phone Blog

We’ve seen some pretty ambitious hand warmers in our day, but we’re pretty sure this one takes the cake. Keyglove is an Open Source Hardware (OSHW) project that’s intended to eliminate those clunky keyboards and unmanageable mice from the computing process altogether, instead engaging a series of conductive sensors that, when touched together, mimic a keystroke. The mitt’s creator says the traditional mobile keyboard is “either too big to be portable, or too small to be easy to use,” adding that his solution would eventually become second nature just like touch typing. Keyglove is an Arduino and AVR-powered device that also incorporates an accelerometer to control mouse movements. It’s apparently fully customizable and allows for a total of 60 unique touch combinations — impressive, sure, but it took us long enough to figure out the home keys on the real thing. If you dream of a world full of one-handed typists, check out the video after the break, or follow the source link to find out how you can donate to the project.

Continue reading Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video)

Keyglove ditches QWERTY for one-handed computer control (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Groups are “in” when it comes to apps, and a new iPhone app aims to use groups to differentiate its note-taking capabilities. Rocketr (free) is a simple, no-frills, cloud-synced, note-taking web application which just got an official iPhone client. Its most appealing feature, though, is the ability to share notes with a community of editors, and to share notebooks with an even wider audience, too.

In stark contrast to Evernote, which offers a catch-all for a wide variety of inputs, Rocketr sticks to the basics: white on black text. But that’s not to say it’s simple. It has quite a few nifty tricks up its sleeve, not the least of which is automatic syncing with Rocketr’s website, where you can retrieve your notes at any time from any browser-enabled, internet-capable device.

But Rocketr goes beyond other note-taking apps — and even MobileMe’s note-syncing services — by introducing a social element. First, you can add an unlimited number of editors to your notebooks who will also be able to add to and change the content of notes they’re added to. Second, you can make an unlimited number of public notebooks that will be viewable by other Rocketr users, who can comment on (web version only for now), follow and star your notes for later reference. Rocketr provides three free private notebooks, and presumably, the plan is to later add the ability to have more for a price. The Rocketr web app is currently only available as a beta, but you can sign up for an account through the iPhone app without an invite code.

Rocketr also lets you add notes by emailing go@rocketr.com with the email address associated with your account (you can add as many as you like), or by tweeting with the hashtag #rkt (once you connect your Twitter account to your Rocketr account). It’s a simple, yet effective, way of making sure you’ll be able to easily find tweeted thoughts again later on once the moment’s passed, or to quickly file info in a RT for later use.

The iPhone app lets you quickly add new notes without ever having to leave the note-taking view, thanks to a simple add button that quickly files what you’re working on and brings up a fresh composition screen. I can see using the app at conferences as a great way of quickly switching gears during a Q&A, for example.

But Rocketr’s real potential is in its social aspects. The ability to follow and be followed by collaborators as well as others who share your interests opens a whole new world when it comes to the ability to gather and share informal feedback. That could be very handy, for instance, when working with an editor pool to coordinate event coverage. Or when preparing a meal plan and shopping list for an extended family dinner.

Rocketr was developed using a lean startup approach, and it isn’t yet a perfect app (commenting has yet to be introduced, as I mentioned, and you can only create new notebooks using the web interface), but it’s more effective than many other shipping apps that aren’t free, and developers promise lots of updates to come. Evernote might intimidate some with its wealth of features, but Rocketr keeps things light and breezy, almost like the difference between a detailed, time-stamped project log and a pocket-sized moleskin. If you’re looking for a smart, capable note-taking app that never seems like a chore to use and plays nicely with others, give Rocketr a try.

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After selling 90 million iPhones from 2007 through 2010, an important base-ten milestone has almost certainly passed, the sale of the 100 millionth iPhone. Expect a self-congratulatory press release next month, but now is the time to think about the next 100 million iPhones.

According to NPD (via Fortune), the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and the iPhone 3G held the first, second, and 10th positions among mobile phones in the U.S. in 2010. Most of the rest were Android devices. According to Gartner, Android as a platform took second place worldwide among smartphones in 2010, and will almost certainly pass Symbian for first in 2011. Apple and iOS will have to settle for third in 2011, passing RIM’s BlackBerry OS. While the trend toward Android market share dominance will not be reversed, the real concern is whether Apple intends to continue to compete aggressively on hardware anyway. The signals are mixed.

After yearly releases of new iPhones, it’s now rumored that a hardware-free WWDC means no iPhone 5 until fall at the earliest. One argument for such a delay is an LTE iPhone 5, but every month, if not week, there are new Android smartphones to choose from, compared to just the iPhone 4 and the previous year’s iPhone 3GS from Apple. Can anyone imagine there being just one model of iPod? How about one iPod in one color? Nearly a year after the release of the iPhone 4, Apple is still promising (but has yet to deliver) a white iPhone 4.

Another issue related to dearth of iPhone choice, namely carrier exclusivity, still exits, continuing to negatively impact iPhone’s sales. In the U.S., the iPhone is available on Verizon and AT&T, representing approximately two-thirds of mobile subscriptions. That’s the equivalent of not selling the iPhone in all of the southeastern U.S. It’s even worse in a country like China, a major focus of Apple’s future growth. The iPhone is currently available only through China Unicom, which accounts for about 20 percent of wireless subscribers. The iPhone needs a larger presence worldwide now, and a larger-screened iPhone wouldn’t hurt, either.

Looking at the list of top-selling smartphones in the U.S., two of them also have 4-inch displays: the Droid X and the EVO 4G. According to NPD Group, consumer demand for smartphones with large displays grew to 24 percent of the market by the end of 2010, while growth in demand for smartphones with displays the size of the iPhone was flat. While rumors of the iPhone 5 having a larger screen have been inconsistent, the demand for such a device is clearly there .

Another market where there is demand is at the low-end of pricing, and the $100 Android phone (no contract required) is already here. However, the low-end market is at least recognized by Apple for its importance. From Forbes, at a meeting with analysts, COO Tim Cook asserted the company was “not ceding any market,” and that Apple didn’t want its products to be “just for the rich.” That sounds reassuring, but until Apple launches a prepaid iPhone for $200 or $300, it’s just talk.

Apple has had great success with the iPhone, but the current limited design choice, limited carrier options, and limited pricing could take away from that success.  More models, more carriers, more price points: That’s the way forward for the second 100 million (and more) iPhones.

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No longer CEO of FreshDirect, we look back at Richard Braddock's experiences when he was "The Boss."

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Check out the brand spanking new ‘JACKASS 3.5′ movie poster, and its only here at FOX411.com.

This time, the ‘JACKASS’ movie franchise is moving online, with the first episode of what will be weekly installments going live on the  Joost.com on April 1st.

Thats’ right – April Fool’s Day.

The never-before-seen film, directed by Jeff Tremaine, was made specifically for the web, and it features over 85 minutes of all-new content, including never-before-seen stunts, pranks and general gross-ness from merry pranksters Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and the gang.

So buckle up, people.

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Reuters correspondent Peter Graff in Baghdad writes following the death of journalist Sabah al-Bazee:

For those of us who work in the Baghdad bureau, it is always a shock to look back through the collected photos of one of our Iraqi colleagues. We think we are used to those old scenes. But seen one after another, the images compiled over eight years of carnage by a single journalist like Sabah al-Bazee still have the power to freeze your blood.

There’s a photo that Sabah took showing the bodies of a family killed during a botched U.S. military raid on their home in 2005. Three small children wrapped in blankets, who look almost like they are sleeping, snuggled with their parents, their faces pale and lifeless in the dust.

The first word that colleagues around our office were using on Tuesday to describe Sabah, who died in an attack in his home town of Tikrit, was “enthusiastic”. The second, heard from several and meant as a sincere compliment, was “almost childlike”.

Like many of our Iraqi colleagues, he was young. Just 23 or so when he started taking pictures of war for a living. He had boundless energy, constantly pestering our reporters, photographers and cameramen for tips at how to hone his skills. How do you square that boisterousness with the bone-chilling images he photographed over the seven years he worked for us?

“Sabah was an enthusiast, always on the phone, keen to get the news and to tell it,” writes Alastair Macdonald, Baghdad bureau chief from 2005-07. “He had an energy and courage that meant he thought nothing of driving the 100 dangerous miles between Tikrit and Baghdad at any hour to deliver video and pictures. I recall that his work rate could sometimes exhaust colleagues, and yet Sabah never seemed to stop smiling.”

Macdonald continues: “When I worked with him, at a time when Iraq seemed to be descending ever deeper into bloody chaos, life to Sabah seemed somehow joyful. I remember him showing up late one night, unannounced, at the Reuters bureau in Baghdad which felt under siege. It was Dec. 31 but we had little cause to celebrate. What brought him down to the city on a frightening night like this, we asked. ‘Happy New Year!’ he laughed, offering presents all around. It was a generosity in Sabah which we shall all remember amid the sadness.”

In 2006, Sabah photographed the appalling bombing of a Shi’ite shrine in Samarra, the event that, more than any other, triggered Iraq’s descent from a low-level insurgency into sectarian civil war.

The attack that claimed his life was one of the worst in years, in a country that is struggling to move beyond the bloodshed. Gunmen blasted their way into the provincial council building in Tikrit, seized hostages and executed them. Fifty-three people were killed and nearly 100 wounded. Sabah, who was killed by shrapnel, was outside the building, trying as always to get the news and to tell it.

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