Schadenfreude and Apple

I’ve hesitated to write something in depth on the so-called “antennagate”. My experience are pretty clear. Like many others, I have had no issues with my phone affecting normal use. The way some of Apple’s competitors have responded to Apple’s issue is something that I think is noteworthy and is the subject of this month’s Macworld column.

Rather than focus on Apple, antenna design, and attenuation, Apple’s competitors in the smartphone business should be telling more compelling stories about why their devices and platforms are best-of-breed. That’s the only argument that will ultimately win the hearts and minds of users, period. Bashing Apple’s devices simply won’t work. If Greek mythology has taught us anything, it’s just how dangerous hubris can be. I’d argue schadenfreude is right up on the list of traits to be avoided at all cost. The market is not a zero-sum game. Apple need not fail for others to succeed and compete effectively.

RIM needs to make the BlackBerry business-sexy

I’ve been spending some time with the new Blackberry Torch post RIM’s event a few weeks back. It’s been a mixed experience (more on that in the future) but it’s also been very revealing in how it relates to RIM’s business market. That’s the topic of this month’s Computerworld column.

When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, RIM refocused efforts on the business user while Apple targeted the mass market. The first iPhone clearly could not meet business needs. Over time, however, both Apple and Google, while wooing the mass market, have made huge strides in adding more business-required support, positioning themselves to capture the hearts and minds of both the business user and the consumer, who in many cases are one and the same. RIM’s challenge now is to keep delivering on the needs of the enterprise while at the same time packing the BlackBerry with the sexiest features that will truly drive end-user interest. If it doesn’t do this well, RIM is likely to lose share and ultimately become no more than a footnote in the mobile market that it helped create and define a decade ago.

Calling Oliver Stone

Sure, there are those who think the moon landing is a hoax. There are those who insist that the US was behind the 9/11 attacks. Let’s not forget the second shooter on the grassy knoll. The tech industry isn’t immune either. If there’s a crazy explanation for something, someone’s been sure to offer it as fact. This week’s Engadget column talks about some of my favorite tech conspiracy theories.

‘m not sure where the conspiracy theories come from but we know their subjects aren’t limited to technology companies and industry figures. Whether it’s an alleged secret iPhone recall or two competitors releasing new products at the same time to ruin the other’s plans, there are always people who seem to expect the worst in human behavior. Some of it is probably post hoc ergo propter hoc thinking — people often imagine if one thing follows another, one thing caused the other — and sometimes it’s just imagination run amok. Of course, it’s hard to prove a negative, so the stories keep churning. Perhaps one day Jamie and Adam will tackle tech industry myths and put some of these to bed on Mythbusters. In the meantime, what’s your favorite urban technology myth or conspiracy theory?