Type of Article: MacTech Blog

By Greg Mills

As I have maintained, the prospects for RIM’s PlayBook appear grim. The stock market took it out on them yesterday savaging RIM’s stock prices. Analysts seem to agree with my assessment that RIM’s days are numbered and that PlayBook is fatally flawed.  RIM’s cell phone sales numbers have declined five quarters in a row.

Meeting Apple’s iPad price points on PlayBook sounds like a great idea, but is there any profit left? RIM also has to cut in retailers and compete with Apple’s sleek industrial manufacturing footprint.

Per a new patent (number 201110071977) at the US Patent & Trademark Office, Apple is considering using graphics and multi-touch gestures in lieu of, or perhaps in addition to, text on future iDevices for accessing music, contact lists and more.

Apple is already planned to beef up its Face recognition technology in iPhoto and perhaps iMovie, as indicated by a new patent (number 20110069085) at the US Patent & Trademark Office. The patent is for generating slideshows using facial detection information.

By Greg Mills

Apple takes heat for about anything they do, it seems. A conspiracy theory built upon the design of iPhone security screws blew over a few weeks ago. Apps that take political points of view or make a social statement tend to be the latest point of dispute. Political correctness seems to be in the eye of the offended.