New directions in Apple customer service

One of the factors in my switch to Apple products was the level of customer service afforded, both online and via my local Apple retail store. I’ve had only one hardware related issue to date with the myriad devices (and there have been quite a few) I’ve purchased, but a short visit to my local retail outlet resulted in my faulty device being swapped out by the manager. No questions, no hassle, just friendly and quick help- something few retailers have been able to provide at all, much less to the level I was afforded.

To continue this positive relationship with their customers MacRumors reported recently that Apple’s online store will be expanding their support via chat (traditional text chat, screen sharing sessions, and online sessions to help set up new devices) to include the UK, Germany, Spain, and Brazil. US customers have already been able to access these advanced online support features, helping those that lived in a market area without an Apple retail store. 

Unfortunately MacRumors also brought us news of changes at Apple retail stores that could have a negative impact on customer relations.  The report reflected news of reductions of part time staff and cutbacks in staff hours on the heels of an admission by Apple that they had “messed up” in adjusting their staffing formulas for retail outlets that would have resulted in significant cuts to staff.

The changes are thought to be the result of the departure of former retail head John Browett who had campaigned for the focus of the stores to be customer satisfaction, while new CEO Tim Cook is thought to favor a more financially-focused approach for the retail operations. While the retail outlets should undoubtedly produce a profit, I’ve always felt that an organization that specializes in premium products such as Apple should provide an overall atmosphere to reflect that commitment. Much as BMW uses their comprehensive maintenance program to reinforce their brand image as a quality product, Apple should (even at the risk of losing out on some profit) focus on providing the best possible customer experience. The shift to using profit as the primary statistic to evaluate store performance is in my opinion a mistake, but I’ll defer to Mr. Cook’s business acumen. Time will tell if the change in strategy will be successful.

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A little retro gaming for OSX

While the rapid march of technology has afforded gamers some incredibly powerful gear capable of some amazing feats, video games have a rich legacy of titles and platforms that haven’t lost their shine over time. A game doesn’t have to match the graphics of Crysis to be enjoyable, and sometimes the combination of simplicity and nostalgia can offer even more than cutting edge software.

For years my go-to source for older games was MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). I was a child of the arcade, spending a good bit of my formative years trading quarters or tokens for a few minutes of electronic joy. While I and my friends loved arcade games, they weren’t the only means of interactive electronic entertainment’ that crown went to the titan of the day in home gaming Nintendo. Now, thanks to a recent article at OSX Daily we get news of a way to relive the games that made Nintendo a household name.

BSNES Emulator does for the SNES what MAME did for arcade games- provide a virtual environment for the original game software to run on your Mac. The emulator is a replacement for the older SNES9x emulator that works only on older versions of OSX. Per the authors BSNES focuses on accurate reproduction of the games rather than performance, and lacks the hacks and optimizations that some emulators offer.

The OSX Daily article offers some tips on how to get the best appearance and a diagram showing the keyboard control layout. If you really want to get the most out of the emulator you’re far better served by a USB game controller than the keyboard controls.

If you have fond memories of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, BSNES is your ticket to nostalgic joy. Even those that didn’t grow up with eight bit graphics and MIDI music may discover why it so loved.

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The most adorable remote ever

For those of you still waiting for the mythical Apple television set Neatorama brings news of a new remote that just might be the cutest TV accessory ever made.

The ApriPoko is a voice-operated robot that acts as a universal remote control. It observes what you do and asks you about it in order to learn how to operate your devices. ApriPoko detects infrared beams typically used in handheld remotes and can duplicate their signal. Once it has learned how to duplicate the functions of your current remotes ApriPoko is controlled via voice commands.

While not available for sale, it does show promise for voice-controlled home devices as is rumored for Apple’s integrated television.

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More (Mobile)Fun!

I’m very happy to share with you that one of my favorite European accessory vendors, MobileFun.co.UK, has announced the opening of their US website- MobileFun.com. 

To celebrate their new virtual store, MobileFun has slashed the price of their lineup of Kindle Fire cases to just $9.99. Those of  you that prefer the UK website aren’t left out; all purchases from the MobileFun.co.UK site get a free Stuckbuddy mobile accessory by entering the code BUDDY during checkout. The Stuckbuddy is a universal stand that attaches to the back of your device to keep it at a more useful angle for viewing- simple, useful, and easily deployed and removed.

If you’ve been looking for something to complete your mobile device experience, check them out. They have a great lineup, no matter what device you love.

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Apple V Samsung

The jury verdict is in, and Apple is being touted as the big winner in their patent dispute with Samsung. The monetary awards were substantial, but the affirmation of Apple’s assertion of Samsung’s overt copying of their designs and technology is likely more important to the organization.

Samsung was found guilty of infringing on several Apple patents, including the “bounce back” effect when scrolling at reaching the end of a page or document, the “pinch and zoom” control, “double tap to zoom”, the patents concerning the iPhone’s physical appearance and home screen, as well as some other minor points. The infringements were largely declared willful, and in full knowledge that they were in violation of legal patents. The monetary damages totaled just over $1 billion.

Samsung had some minor victories; the jury found that the Galaxy Tab did not violate Apple’s patents concerning the iPad and that patents that they owned disputed by Apple were indeed valid. The jury sided with Apple on all of the accusations placed by Samsung, and no monetary damages were awarded.

Also of note was the jury’s decision that Apple did not prove that Samsung violated antitrust obligations regarding its FRAND patents, leaving Samsung free to charge Apple for their use in Apple products.

The decision closes the first chapter of these industry titan’s legal struggles. Samsung has vowed to appeal the jury’s decision, leaving the resolution of the disagreements between the two in limbo indefinitely, but for the short term Apple is declaring a victory for protecting innovation.

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A charming intergalactic puzzler

The big gaming companies in the world of iOS (Zygna, PopCap, Rovio, etc.) get tons of attention paid to each new offering in the iTunes App Store. I prefer to focus on the smaller independent gaming publishers; organizations that put out fantastic products that may fly under the radar due to the overwhelming number of apps available.

Digital Dreams Games is a perfect example of such an organization. The budding  indie game developer hasn’t been around long, but in their short existence the founding trio has been prolific, releasing a total of six games (two specifically for iOS devices). Considering that there are well over 700,000 active apps in the iTunes store (stat courtesy of 148apps.biz) such a small newcomer is very hard to spot, but their latest offering Cowbeam is worthy addition.

The oddly named game focuses on the story of Hank the alien’s amorous frustration. He’s found the love of his life in a cow from Earth, but is at a loss because he can’t win her heart with his otherworldly physique. The gameplay consists of finding lots of cows throughout the universe for him to research so he can devise the perfect bull body to win the affection of his crush.

Cowbeam is at heart a riddle-based puzzle game. Each solar system contains a cow, and you’re provided a limited number of choices to find it amongst the solar system’s planets. Each planet has a clue, such as the planet with the cow has craters or doesn’t have rings. Some planets have bonus stars as well- you’ll need to collect them to unlock later levels or additional planetary picks. Each planet’s cow is unique addition to your gallery patterned after it’s host planet.

While the concept is a simple one, the gameplay is engaging due to some very well done 3D graphics and excellent use of the touch interface. The player spins the planets of the solar system to bring the desired planet to the forefront, then spins the planet chosen to search for hidden icons signifying clues, stars, or the elusive cow. Should you find the cow Hank’s ship zooms in and beams it up. Run out of guesses and you’ll have to start all over again with a new set of clues waiting for you.

Cowbeam is charmingly engaging. While each solar system takes just a few minutes, the game isn’t quickly finished- it contains over 50 levels spread out over 9 galaxies, and the difficulty level ramps up appropriately as you go further into the game. Even though you may find your cow, you must also collect stars to unlock additional galaxies, and the stars have no clues to help you find them (although they do provide an additional pick, making your task a bit easier). The crowning jewel of the game is it’s artwork and animation; the cutscenes are as entertaining as most of what you’ll see on Cartoon Network lately, and the game’s overall artwork is outstanding.

Cowbeam was enjoyable to play for multiple reasons- my aforementioned affinity for indy developers, the whimsical plot and animation, but most importantly it’s a unique take on an simple idea. With dozens of imitators and ripoff games out there, games that actually offer something new are well worth my time.

Cowbeam is compatible with all iOS devices (although for iPhone users they recommend iPhone 4 or later; 3GS performance has been less than optimal) and is available now via the iTunes App Store for just $1.99.

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Another win for OSX gaming

While it hasn’t reached the level of it’s competitor, OSX has become a viable platform for gaming. The expansion of gaming client Steam to OSX was one of the factors that got me to make the switch from Windows- while not every game in their ever-growing library is available for OSX (but my mainstays Half Life and Left 4 Dead are!) the list of compatible games is respectable, and when you include the offerings of the OSX App Store the numbers and genres of games increases exponentially. 

The list just grew a bit larger thanks to Steam’s latest addition for OSX- Counter Strike: Global Offensive (courtesy of MacRumors). Global Offensive is the latest edition of Valve’s flagship combat series last renewed in 2010. The new edition isn’t groundbreaking but does offer some noticeable improvements by offering new gameplay modes, matchmaking, and leader boards. The hardware requirements are fairly modest, so even older Intel-based Macs not relying on integrated graphics should be able to handle Counter Strike: Global Offensive capably.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive is available for download via the free Steam client now for just $14.99.

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Another iPad accessory no one was waiting for

I like to take a break from pontificating on occasion to share with you oddities that I don’t think anyone would have thought of, much less brought to market. Hence, I bring you the iTypewriter (courtesy of LaughingSquid) designed by Austin Yang. The device replicates the experience of typing on an old manual typewriter via your iPad. Just place your iPad in the accessory, and as you press the keys a mechanical arm swings up and taps the corresponding spot on the screen with a stylus-like arm.

I’ve seen a lot of keyboard accessories for the iPad, but nothing even remotely like this. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) the iTypewriter isn’t in production yet- it’s still just a concept.

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Wider acceptance of ditching paid television

Any of you that have read my posts in the past are aware of my advocacy of cutting the cable, or getting rid of your paid television provider. I’ve had both cable and satellite television service, and both have been a less than rewarding experience. I found that I was paying far more (even on the less expensive plans without premium channels) than the four or five channels I watched were worth. Toss in extra fees for HD content and a DVR and you have a healthy monthly fee for the privilege of subsidizing a lot of channels the majority of viewers never watch.

A recent article posted by Engadget does an even better job illustrating the the flaws in paid television, and the growing acceptance of cord cutting. While still not an option that will suit everyone, I’ve been more than happy with my overall experience sans cable or satellite service. Between an antenna-powered TiVo, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and iTunes I’ve been able to watch about 90% of what I want to watch as easily if not moreso than I would have been able to previously. Some content (like Game of Thrones) can’t be legitimately viewed in a timely fashion, but for those that aren’t afraid of being nabbed for piracy even shows of that ilk can be had. The one thing I miss the most is sports programming, in particular football. While my favorite teams are still broadcast, I do miss ESPN and greater access to games that paid service provided, although Comcast’s provision of ESPN 360 online streaming channel helps temper my loss.

As Engadget points out in their article, content providers should have learned from the recording industry’s piracy battle. They attempted to force consumers into a single means of content, the CD. Bit by bit they have been forced to embrace other means of distribution and consumption, but could have profited far more if they had been of the mindset to mold the budding technology rather than attempt to block it.

While I’ve enjoyed having a media center PC for the past few years, it’s not an option many will choose (or possibly even be able to afford). The demand has spurred innovation: Roku, Boxee, Google TV, and Apple TV are all viable options for streaming digital media to your living room. Roku has expanded their lineup to include a diminutive version of their set top box plugging directly into an HDMI port that looks more like a thumb drive than anything else. Google is partnering with several TV makers to bundle Google TV into the set, eliminating the need for a box entirely. Apple has yet again been the target of wild rumors, with suggestions that the Apple TV may be expanded to offer a cloud-based DVR and App support to go along with its existing streaming capability.

Ditching cable was as much a financial decision for me as anything; even with the cost of Netflix and Hulu Plus taken into account I saw an immediate monthly savings. I already had experience with media center PCs and had the framework for a digital home theater already in place, but for those that aren’t tech savvy or don’t want to commit the same kind of money have multiple options. If you’ve been considering it, the transition has been getting easier and easier. Now might be the time to make the jump.

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Hello from Key West

Even the hardest working people need a vacation eventually, and I’m no exception. The destination of choice this time was Key West (embarrassing to admit I’m a Florida native but had never been) and it’s everything you’d imagine. If you’re looking for a vacation destination they Keys should be on your list; if you go The Mermaid and Alligator bed and breakfast is highly recommended- the owners were very kind, the service was excellent, and the location was perfect- walking distance to every corner of Key West’s historic district.

While there I was surprised to see how much Apple has infiltrated what was a strictly Windows/analog world. A couple of vendors had iMacs instead of PCs behind their counter, and several were using iPads instead of registers entirely. When picking up some amazing Mexican chocolate from a small boutique the vendor took payment via his iPad encased in a custom swiveling plexiglass enclosure; he tapped on full color images to select what I had purchased, swiped my card via a headphone jack card scanner, then flipped the case over so I could use my finger to sign for my purchase on the iPad’s screen. The transaction was very quick and convenient: no paper receipt to sign, no fumbling around the register for a working pen, and the receipt was emailed to me immediately (also giving the merchant a chance to enroll me on his mailing list).

Another encounter with an iOS-using merchant was at the almost-too-good-to-be-real dessert restaurant Better Than Sex. The bed and breakfast concierge had made reservations that were entered into an iPad app, when I arrived the greeter dragged an icon for the reservation to an open table to mark the arrival and mark what waiter would be serving the table.

I understand better why Microsoft is rushing to market with their Surface line of tablets in the face of growing hardware partner displeasure. As iOS devices enter into markets and functions that had been the sole domain of Microsoft products important revenue streams are imperiled. I’ve seen many a small merchant using iOS devices to take card payments, keep inventory, make orders, and other productivity tasks that Apple was never known for in the past. The very nature of how businesses get tasks done is rapidly changing; I’d wager Steve Ballmer and company have seen one to many innovations pass them by.

UPDATE: I’m not the only one that’s noticed the expanding business use of iOS devices. TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) recently posted an image of a customer self-serve kiosk using an iPad. The concept is elegant in its simplicity- just pick what you’d like, swipe your card, and an associate brings your order to your table. I love technology.

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