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iPhone 4 arrives at Walmart (update: and Best Buy!)
Check out that sweet, sweet box. Yes folks, we seem to have received our very first in-the-cardboard picture of the retail iPhone 4 out in the wild. We don't work at Walmart, so we can't verify this one for ourselves, but our tipster says Apple's latest phone has just landed in the big box retailer's storehouses. P.S. -- Before you start frothing at the mouth, the CDMA coding on the box in the background relates to an LG 290C handset also stocked by Walmart. Update: A shot of a Best Buy arrival is past the break.
Robots to invade Scottish hospital, pose as 'workers'
A new £300 million ($445 million) hospital is set to open up soon in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Why would you care about that? Maybe because laser-guided robots will play a fundamental role in the facility's daily running, including the disposal of waste, delivery of meals, cleaning of operating theaters, and (gulp!) drug dispensation. We're told they'll have their own underground lair corridors and dedicated lifts, with humanoid employees able to call them up via a PDA. It's believed that using robots to perform the dirty work will be more sanitary than current methods, but we have to question the sanity of anyone who believes this isn't the first step toward the robot rebellion. Well, it's been nice knowing you guys.
iPads arriving a day early in UK
People, calm yourselves! Our inbox has been overflowing with excited Brits telling us their iPads are either en route or already delivered, a whole Earthly day ahead of the promised May 28 launch. We're sure the UK is not alone, as we've already witnessed an unboxing video from Italy claiming to be the first to take delivery in Europe, so consider this a friendly reminder if you're expecting to receive a magical device in the near future: objects in your Apple shopping basket may be closer than they appear. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Content company raises $2 million to develop for iPad
Thinking Screen Media is a content platform developer, putting together a content delivery system designed to bring information to "millions of connected screens worldwide." Now, it seems that many of those screens might be iPads. TechCrunch reports that they've raised a whopping $2 million just to switch their development aim to the iPad. They currently have an iPad app up and running in the store, and they've got a number of other investment sources already. However, according to the report, this money is specifically for the iPad. Of course, in the larger scheme of things, this is small potatoes. A content channel is pretty useless unless it's delivering content that people actually want, and $2 million is loose change for some of the larger content companies. This is a significant investment in terms of its scope, though. Even a smaller company like this is heavily investing in the iPad and Apple's platform as a major part of their business.
How to make $150 million in a day
Seth Godin has a great post up that serves as a good capper on what may have been Apple's best product launch ever. He puts the money made by Apple last Saturday morning at around $150 million, and even if that's not exactly right, I have to say that having been through a few Apple launches now, I think the iPad's launch was the smoothest and easiest opening I've seen -- for all of the complaints and problems people who haven't bought an iPad seem to have, those who did buy one on Saturday seemed happy to me. So how did Apple pull it all off? As Godin says, they started years ago. Apple is one of the only companies in the world with not only the power to set up limits on access on a device this big, but also keep a rabid fanbase hyped and waiting. Apple has created an image designed exactly for releasing products like this, with the secrecy and speculation and announcement events, and so on. And the company has backed up that image with pristine engineering and design -- as Godin says, rather than be everything to everyone, it promised a few things to a certain group of people (the iPad can't do Flash or multitask or take pictures), and then delivered (but it can do the things it does really, really well). And perhaps most importantly, when launch time came around, Apple's management didn't focus on "launching," they focused on simply getting the product into customers' hands. The iPhone had all kinds of issues with setup and purchasing and activating and so on, but Apple went out of its way during the iPad launch to make sure customers had the iPad when they were supposed to --waived shipping fees, plenty of inventory in stores, and a push for delivery at exactly the right time. That's how you make $150 million in a day: Promise what you'll deliver, and deliver what you'll promise.
Amazon patents packaging surveillance, says it's for our own good
So here's the sales pitch: Amazon wants to film the packaging and preparation of your goods as they get ready to ship out in order to make sure your order is properly fulfilled and addressed. Stills or the whole video are then forwarded along to you, so you can check 'em out. Granted yesterday, the patent for this oh-so-complex monitoring system is actually quite specific -- it's only operative if your order includes "at least one book, food item, bottle of wine, flowers, or jewelry," so it's not like Amazon can keep everyone else from doing this -- but hey, it also references verification of "collateral items," which is a fancy way of saying it'll be used to make sure third party fliers and advertisements make it into the box along with the stuff you actually want, so it's not all roses and sunshine. [Thanks, JagsLive]
Don't panic over these iPad delivery exceptions
Lots of TUAW readers have written in today, worried about their iPad deliveries. Since they received shipment notices, many folks have been tracking their progress, and are now seeing messages like: UPS INTERNAL ACTIVITY. SHIPMENT IS HELD TO VERIFY COMMODITY DESCRIPTION WITH THE CUSTOMER FOR CORRECT CLASSIFICATION "Your package has experienced an exception" If you received one of these notices, you are not alone. Apple has taken similar measures in the past to make sure that deliveries do not arrive before the official release date. In fact, Boy Genius Report suggests that Apple is purposefully withholding clearance papers for the iPads to make sure that they are not delivered early. As anxious as these next few days of waiting will be, and as nerve-racking as it is when this is your iPad, I fully expect that 99.99% of the iPads scheduled for delivery on Saturday will be delivered on Saturday. We've also heard directly from someone who works "for a certain shipping company" who reports that they will have double the number of drivers out in their particular delivery area on Saturday, due to the increased traffic. I would expect that other areas would see similar increases. Nobody who works for a shipping company wants to have to go back to Apple and explain why they couldn't meet delivery needs. That being said, the same source does not expect exceptions to be made for areas without Saturday delivery, so you may have to wait until Monday for your iPad to be delivered. Don't panic -- we're sure UPS will do everything it can to get your iPad to you on time. If you're not sure about the delivery policy in your area, you may want to contact UPS to verify. Image via UPS.com. Please note, this man is not actually delivering an iPad. If you see him, do not try to wrest it from his hand.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation wants to be on the iPad
ABC is making moves to bring their content to the iPad, but before you get all excited about seeing the Lost conclusion on Apple's tablet, let us point out that we're talking about the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, not the guys who write Jimmy Kimmel's checks. The down-under version has told Adobe that they want to build content for the iPad as soon as possible, and while Flash is tied up in a lot of back-and-forth lately, ABC confirms that they're excited to bring some kind of content to the iPad, even though they're not sure exactly what content yet. Why? They're convinced the iPad is a whole new outlet for content consumption. They aim to use the iPad to "bring about a very different relationship with our readers than other platforms," and their head of strategic development says the iPad could create a whole new category of mobile content. While the iPhone is made for more quick hits of content delivery, the rep says that "with [the iPad] you can imagine people sitting back on the sofa and enjoying something longer." After seeing the form factor in action at Macworld last week, we can, too. It'll be very interesting to see the types of content that come from a device like the iPad, and it's great to see big content companies jumping at the chance to create it. [Via iPad Insider]
Apple tells UPS to stop overachieving, puts brakes on early iPhone 3G S deliveries
Just because UPS can get you your iPhone 3G S a couple days ahead of its official launch date doesn't mean Apple wants it to. We're getting a bunch of tips rolling in with updated tracking information for shipped 3G S orders folks have placed through the online Apple Store, confirming that Apple has actively coordinated with its shipper to hold on to the packages until "a future delivery date" that isn't specified. We can only assume that'd be the 19th, but our question is this: can you just march down to your local UPS branch and try to pick it up yourself in the meantime? Carriers often require that at least one delivery be attempted before you can waltz in and grab the package, but it might be worth a shot later today.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Some iPhone 3GS orders set to be delivered tomorrow (Update: not likely)
Waiting days in the blistering sun for a phone that more level-headed folks (that is, not us) will be able to get by simply waltzing into a store a few days later just isn't what it used to be, is it? As iPhones make the inevitable transition from wildly-anticipated objects of lust to commodities, it seems that Apple's putting progressively less effort into carefully orchestrating and micro-managing launches -- and if you want solid proof of that, look no further than the shipping tracking numbers coming off of the online Apple Store's order status site where you'll find that some iPhone 3G S units should be in buyers' hands tomorrow. If you're counting, that'd be a full two days before the official release of this Friday -- and while we suppose the company could have some agreement in place with its carriers to hold onto the units until the official release, we're not giving UPS that much credit.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: It seems that many, if not all, of the individuals with tracking numbers leading to phones already stateside are now seeing the following status update on their packages: "THE RECEIVER REQUESTED A HOLD FOR A FUTURE DELIVERY DATE. UPS WILL ATTEMPT DELIVERY ON DATE REQUESTED." In other words, Apple's having these guys queue up the phones until they give the word, presumably not until Friday. Maybe some distribution centers with loose reputations might let you run down there and pick 'em up, though? Worth a shot, right?
Some iPhone 3G S orders set to be delivered tomorrow (Update: not likely)
Waiting days in the blistering sun for a phone that more level-headed folks (that is, not us) will be able to get by simply waltzing into a store a few days later just isn't what it used to be, is it? As iPhones make the inevitable transition from wildly-anticipated objects of lust to commodities, it seems that Apple's putting progressively less effort into carefully orchestrating and micro-managing launches -- and if you want solid proof of that, look no further than the shipping tracking numbers coming off of the online Apple Store's order status site where you'll find that some iPhone 3G S units should be in buyers' hands tomorrow. If you're counting, that'd be a full two days before the official release of this Friday -- and while we suppose the company could have some agreement in place with its carriers to hold onto the units until the official release, we're not giving UPS that much credit.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: It seems that many, if not all, of the individuals with tracking numbers leading to phones already stateside are now seeing the following status update on their packages: "THE RECEIVER REQUESTED A HOLD FOR A FUTURE DELIVERY DATE. UPS WILL ATTEMPT DELIVERY ON DATE REQUESTED." In other words, Apple's having these guys queue up the phones until they give the word, presumably not until Friday. Maybe some distribution centers with loose reputations might let you run down there and pick 'em up, though? Worth a shot, right?
US TiVo users pick up Domino's Pizza ordering / tracking abilities
Clearly catering towards the wants, nay, needs of the average American couch potato is TiVo and Domino's Pizza, which have collaborated in order to bring on-sofa pizza ordering to broadband-connected TiVo subscribers. If you'll recall, this service was actually announced for Australia earlier this month, but users in the US of A get the first chance to indulge. 'Course, this is far from the first unorthodox method of ordering pizza, and the lack of a scheduled delivery option is certainly a weak point, but this widget does reveal that all sorts of differentiating applications could eventually find their way to a TiVo box near you. Feel free to give it a spin tonight, but don't blame us if that backlit remote gets dimmed from grease seeping into the crevices.[Via ZatzNotFunny]
Boeing delivers DirecTV 11, DirecTV signs for it and waves goodbye
We'll be totally honest -- we have absolutely no idea what significance lies in DirecTV "taking on-orbit delivery" of the DirecTV 11 satellite, but regardless, it has happened. Boeing announced today that it had done its part in delivering the bird to the satcaster, even though it launched back in March and isn't expected to start dishing out HD content until September. We'll just take this as a sign that things are humming along nicely up there, cool?
Japanese mobile game rewards players with real fish
It used to be that just getting a high score was the be all and end all of game accomplishments. More recently, amassing Achievement points became the all-consuming passion of gamers. Now even that seems passé as a new Japanese cell phone game rewards played with real, raw fish delivered right to their door.Ippon Zuri ("pole-and-line fishing" in English) lets DoCoMo users in Japan's Fukuoka area set bait, cast their lines and wait for the virtual fish to bite. When they do, a slot machine game appears and, if all three numbers match up, the fish is caught and, as Pink Tentacle describes it, "a message is then relayed to the wholesaler, who picks up the real-world equivalent from the local seafood market and delivers it, whole and raw, to the player's doorstep." Kind of reminds us of Activision's Atari 2600 badge program, except updated for the new millennium ... and with raw fish!We think this is a great idea, and can't wait for the concept to be applied across the gaming world. Win a real trophy for success at virtual sports games! Win real cash for success at virtual game shows! Win a real disembodied skull for success at a first-person shooter! Er ... scratch that last one.[Via BB Gadgets]
Pizza Hut serves up SMS ordering: "lg ?? w xtra chz, plz"
Pizza Hut has joined rivals Domino's and Papa John's in implementing a nationwide order-by-text service, giving customers even easier access to its tasty-but-greasy fare. To take advantage of the "Total Mobile Access" feature, you have to visit the Pizza Hut website for a one-time registration of your mobile number, along with setting up your so-called "pizza playlist" to enable easier ordering. You can also satisfy your pizza jones by hitting up the same site on a mobile browser, which provides an optimized version of the desktop ordering system that has been in place for several years.[Via InformationWeek]
The life of a Hobbit: Pies and Postal quest guides at TTH
As everyone knows, a large portion of a Hobbit's existence is occupied with consuming pies, and nosing around other Hobbit's business. But behind the scenes, there are the middlemen that allow this to continue. Who delivers these pies? Who moves the mail that other Hobbits have the pleasure of trying to sneak a peek at? If you know where to start, you could very well be fulfilling these duties, and be rewarded for your efforts to boot.TenTonHammer has made a guide that covers the Lord of the Rings Online Shire delivery quests, including the Postal Delivery and Pie Delivery quest lines. These quests involve sprinting around the Shire -- sound familiar? -- trying to avoid the Nosey or Hungry Hobbits (depending on which type of delivery you are making) and steering clear of water to get your package to its destination. Of course, it's much easier when you've got a game plan, so check out the guide before you begin your courier career.
Leopard delivery delays hit some areas
Brian A. sent a tip to say he called his FedEx delivery manager in Huntsville, AL, and they told him that they were backed up with Leopard deliveries. Apparently, they weren't able to make the 10:30 AM deadline in some areas, and though delivery is still scheduled for sometime this afternoon, they'll be showing up late. How late? We're not sure, but hopefully not too late for Apple stores to receive their copies. Hopefully, this is just a hiccup in shipping, and not the start of a widespread delay.In other news, reader Don also had a problem with his Leopard delivery-- when checking his tracking number with FedEx online, he noticed to his dismay that someone named "Ramirez" had already signed for his package (and he doesn't know anyone named Ramirez). He called Apple and they blamed FedEx, saying that FedEx was reusing tracking numbers, and the signature Don was seeing was for a different package.And even if you have your copy, you may still be having problems-- Paul got his copy in Australia last night, but says Software Update has been zerged to death. With so many people trying to sign on and get their new apps, it may be a rough road for installers this weekend. Good luck out there.Update: We've also heard about a delay out of Indy. If you were expecting Leopard in the US by 10:30am, odds are you don't have it yet.
The iPhone and vestigial Widgets
Yesterday, I posted about Widget.app, a utility to run OS X widgets on your iPhone. Widgets and the iPhone share a closer relationship than that post suggests. When you create a folder at the root of your tree called /Widgets and populate it, the widgets actually show up in Springboard--the iPhone home screen. When you tap widgets, the iPhone attempts (and fails) to run /System/Library/CoreServices/Dashboard.app. This application does not actually exist or, at least, did not ship with the iPhone. It's clear that Apple designed expandable Widget support for iPhone but cut it out at some stage of the design/delivery process. Thanks to BloomFilter
Dominos now accepting pizza orders via SMS... in the UK
If you thought ordering pizza online was the best thing since Deep Dish, you'll be delighted to know that the next logical step in getting pizza to your mouth with minimal effort is here... if you reside in the UK, that is. Reportedly, Dominos is now allowing customers surrounding its 470 UK-based locations to place their orders via SMS, and this move comes after "successful trials" that began in July. To utilize the service, you must first enter in your details online, but after that initial registration, pizza is simply a text away. Impulse eaters, rejoice.[Via TechDigest]
Further iPhone launch day details unearthed
Alright, you already knew what day the thing was launching, then you discovered the time, and finally, you realized that you wouldn't even have to get off work early on the left coast thanks to all sales happening in local time zones. For those still obsessing over what will go down just a fortnight from now, BGR has discovered that "all AT&T stores will be closing up at 4:30PM" while employees set up those cutesy iPhone displays, toss back a few Red Bulls, and hopefully receive their shipments from the (potentially armored) trucks. At 6:00PM, either the doors will open back up or the fanatics will force their way in, and the outlets could stay open "as late as midnight" to satisfy the demand. Oh, and make sure you bring some spare change along -- word on the street is that a bevy of typical accessories (chargers, cases, etc.) will be tempting you as you wade through the checkout line.[Image courtesy of Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
