National Treasure - Goofy sets up home theatre
I just saw national Treasure tonight and enjoyed it. A couple hours of entertainment about guys piecing together clues. However, the biggest clue for me was the short Disney film that proceeded it. It was about Goofy setting up a home theatre system. Has anybody else seen this? Does anybody else see it as a big clue?
Now let me put this film in context. Steve Jobs is Disney's largest shareholder. Disney owns Pixar. Apple is about to update AppleTV which ironically, has no tv built in - yet. Many of us guys here on this forum have been saying Apple is about ready to enter the living room entertainment market with more electronics. Apple has said they are going to introduce another major product this year.
Goofy showed how ridiculous buying and setting up a home theatre is, including the one hundred and one remotes, all the wires, complex instructions, etc. Is Apple trying to tell us something?
The 3d enhanced Disney castle clip at the start of the movie, the iPod opening up to be a spy gadget, the Apple Mac book pro - all show Apple tie ins. Does anybody else see what is coming? Is Apple and Disney setting the stage for solving this "goofy" situation?
Everybody and their mother knows Apple is about ready to introduce movie rentals and deals with all or most of the major studios. All the clues fit together and Apple and Disney are setting the stage using Goofy. It wouldn't surprise me if Steve Jobs mentions or even shows this Disney video when he introduces movie downloads, an updated AppleTV and maybe even more living room products - an Apple solution for the living room. I think this is where the new product Apple hinted about is going to hit.
It all ties together just like the movie. Jobs will take to the stage and be like the "Gates" of the movie, piecing together all the clues and everybody will be in the audience going like duh, how come they didn't get it. Jobs will be beaming and the press will all be gushing how Jobs pulled a prank on us.
Or it wouldn't even surprise me to see Nicolas Cage -ie. "Gates" - appear on stage putting the pieces together. Steve Jobs would be like the President. Boy would we all like to see into his little book of secrets. Wonder what is on page 47? Bet Jobs will show us.
I also wonder if they used the Playfair cipher as a play on Apple's Fairplay encryption in iTunes. I wonder if there are other clues I am missing.
Now I have no inside info about Apple and Jobs, but this analysis stuff is what I am good at. You have to admit there are connections - lots of good ones. Is it all just coincidence or is it all part of a master plan? If so, this will be one of the best Macworlds yet.
Now let me put this film in context. Steve Jobs is Disney's largest shareholder. Disney owns Pixar. Apple is about to update AppleTV which ironically, has no tv built in - yet. Many of us guys here on this forum have been saying Apple is about ready to enter the living room entertainment market with more electronics. Apple has said they are going to introduce another major product this year.
Goofy showed how ridiculous buying and setting up a home theatre is, including the one hundred and one remotes, all the wires, complex instructions, etc. Is Apple trying to tell us something?
The 3d enhanced Disney castle clip at the start of the movie, the iPod opening up to be a spy gadget, the Apple Mac book pro - all show Apple tie ins. Does anybody else see what is coming? Is Apple and Disney setting the stage for solving this "goofy" situation?
Everybody and their mother knows Apple is about ready to introduce movie rentals and deals with all or most of the major studios. All the clues fit together and Apple and Disney are setting the stage using Goofy. It wouldn't surprise me if Steve Jobs mentions or even shows this Disney video when he introduces movie downloads, an updated AppleTV and maybe even more living room products - an Apple solution for the living room. I think this is where the new product Apple hinted about is going to hit.
It all ties together just like the movie. Jobs will take to the stage and be like the "Gates" of the movie, piecing together all the clues and everybody will be in the audience going like duh, how come they didn't get it. Jobs will be beaming and the press will all be gushing how Jobs pulled a prank on us.
Or it wouldn't even surprise me to see Nicolas Cage -ie. "Gates" - appear on stage putting the pieces together. Steve Jobs would be like the President. Boy would we all like to see into his little book of secrets. Wonder what is on page 47? Bet Jobs will show us.
I also wonder if they used the Playfair cipher as a play on Apple's Fairplay encryption in iTunes. I wonder if there are other clues I am missing.
Now I have no inside info about Apple and Jobs, but this analysis stuff is what I am good at. You have to admit there are connections - lots of good ones. Is it all just coincidence or is it all part of a master plan? If so, this will be one of the best Macworlds yet.
Comments
Also, wasn't page 47 blank? That is because Apple will write that page.
Come on folks, this is getting fun.
If it had BlueTooth or IR, you could stream images and video directly from your cell phone and video camera.
That's right: an all-in-one package that does everything right out of the box. That is what the Mac sorta is for computing (albeit no built in printer). The technology all exists now; just needs somebody to throw it all together. That's what Apple did with the iPod.
You could make a projector version that would work well, too.
For a lot of not-so-tech-savvy people, this would be great.
I just saw national Treasure tonight and enjoyed it. A couple hours of entertainment about guys piecing together clues. However, the biggest clue for me was the short Disney film that proceeded it. It was about Goofy setting up a home theatre system. Has anybody else seen this? Does anybody else see it as a big clue?
I hate to admit it, but I had the EXACT SAME thought!
If so, this will be one of the best Macworlds yet.
Yes because it's going to put the Mac back into Macworld. Apple TV is not a true Mac, nor is an ipod, nor is an iphone.
It's possible there will be a hint of these products but if they pull anything like they did last year, people (including me) are not going to be happy at all.
This can be in the 'one other thing' segment though.
Yes because it's going to put the Mac back into Macworld. Apple TV is not a true Mac, nor is an ipod, nor is an iphone.
It's possible there will be a hint of these products but if they pull anything like they did last year, people (including me) are not going to be happy at all.
This can be in the 'one other thing' segment though.
Seriously, because who would want the invention of the year to be announced at one of their biggest keynotes of the year?
The audacity!
If they release a new AppleTV, who cares? There are still other chances to release other products. I don't have, nor do I even like the AppleTV, but they just released a Mac Pro and the "one more thing" is probably going to be the ultra-compact. So why not release the new AppleTv or maybe a Mini/aTV combo?
Gee, everybody is always debating how many Apple employees can dance on the head of a pin...
The answer's 42.
Seriously, because who would want the invention of the year to be announced at one of their biggest keynotes of the year?
The audacity!
Mac users look to MacWorld for Macs not phones or TV devices. IMO those products should have an event all to themselves or rename the event to Apple Inc showcase.
If they release a new AppleTV, who cares? There are still other chances to release other products. I don't have, nor do I even like the AppleTV, but they just released a Mac Pro and the "one more thing" is probably going to be the ultra-compact. So why not release the new AppleTv or maybe a Mini/aTV combo?
Nah, the small Mac laptop will be one of the highlights along with the Mac Pro. There has to be a Mini update or a replacement. Then there's Leopard of course and some talk about SSE4 and 10.5.2. Maybe some details about touch sensing technology and how that applies to the Mac.
2008 is supposed to be off the charts, which means MacWorld should be too and I don't think Steve is one for hyperbole.
How can this thread have almost 300 views and so little comments? Did people not see the Goofy video?
I don't think anybody cares about the Apple TV and they'll care even less if the rumor is about Apple making an actual TV. It's hard enough to get people to buy the Apple TV alone without shoving it in the back of a screen and telling people they have to get a new TV. Given Apple's display pricing, there's no way they can be competitive.
It makes sense from their perspective to do it because they don't have to worry about compatibility but it makes no sense from a consumer perspective to buy it.
If Apple updated the Apple TV, made it run cooler, knocked £100 off the price and added a simple PVR with an analogue and digital tuner, I'd buy one right away. There are next to no analog hard drive based recorders to be found. This sucks if you can't pick up a digital signal very well (this is actually quite a lot of people) so it's a gap in the market Apple could fill without people having to own a computer.
There's a small clip of the video here (click the goofy image) but it doesn't really show enough to see a hint of an Apple product:
http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=p...no=3497&page=3
If Apple goes the bigger route, then the new AppleTV could be very much like a Mac mini or like an iMac. This system would actually be a mac running OS X, just in a different form - just like the iPhone.
For years people have talked about computers in our frig, our microwave, our coffee maker - and I always shake my head and say yeah right. Maybe some embedded processor to manage temperature but not a LCD screen and a CPU that is going to keep track of how much milk I have on hand. However, putting a computer into the entertainment system makes a lot of sense today.
When somebody looks at all the needed components and adds up the price, it is easy to see how that money could be allocated differently for a better system. I know many people already have some entertainment components, but they also have lots of remotes, lots of wires, lots of devices that take up space, and lots of complexity. Most of their existing component are mostly outdated components. The average person is like goofy trying to put it all together and operate it.
With Digital tv coming soon, many people are going to have to upgrade their tv sets - even a lot of those HDTV-ready sets. Lots of people have sets without HDMI, etc. Then there is the whole Blu-ray thing. People will want to upgrade their DVD players too. So between HDTVs Blu-ray, and digital tv transmission, there is a great opportunity for Apple to jump in a provide an elegant solution.
I think Apple has been keeping AppleTV a "hobby" because the timing wasn't right. However, now is the time. On the heels of the success of the iPhone, Apple has shown they can enter a new category and hit a home run.
This new Apple system could have a HDTV with iSight, a 5.1 wireless surround system, one remote based off the iPod Touch, and one small shelf unit like the Mac mini, or optionally included in the tv like the iMac. Add a blu-ray/dvd slot and run an updated version of front row that ties directly into iTunes for music, movies, and tv,
The system could do video conferencing plus run many games, maybe not the latest first person shooter ray-traced stuff, but stuff many people would still enjoy, especially if it were live and interactive over the net. The Wii showed there is gaming beside first person shooter games.
There would be one electric cord that plugs into the wall and that is it. Or if the computer component was not included on the back of the tv, one wire connecting the tv to the computer component. If you lose the remote, you can use the tv as a touch screen, just like the iPod.
One could also use email on the device using the new wireless apple keyboard. It could be use for browsing the web. It could also sync with iCal, Address book, play photo slide show and home movies edited in iMovie.
Yes, this is going beyond just the Mac, but so is Apple. They should change the name of the event from Macworld to Apple world, or something like that. There is Disneyworld, and now you have Appleworld. Epcot may have started as the city of the future but Apple is the computer company for this ideal.
Apple can introduce developer kits for the iPhone and the new entertainment center. There are lots of possibilities here, like security systems, home control, etc.
Apple can also introduce their own "label/network" which allows anybody to publish their own music, tv shows, podcasts, and movies. Apple can track the interest in all this media and rank them so people can see what people are truly interested in, not just what the networks, labels, and radio stations tell us about. This helps provide the missing marketing link.
Apple could also sell advertising for people wanting to boost their market and sales. Apple would become a behemoth in advertising.
While this is a lot of stuff going on, I do not think the Mac would get lost in the shuffle. It has an important role to play. The computer world is becoming a system of systems and we need Apple to become this giant that makes it all work together. What good is developing software for recording music and movies if one cannot get distribution for their creations?
An updated Apple TV is an integral part of this equation.
I'd feel more comfortable with using an example like a motorcycle at the detroit auto show or something like that. I agree, two different products. Here's the catch though. If BMW were to hold a BMW convention that showcased the new F800S next to the 335d, people would be okay with it because they are both the ultimate driving machine.
While they are aimed at different uses, the convention is a chance for companies that build 3rd party accessories to show off their new stuff. It is an Apple convention. Just because iPhone, iPod, and AppleTV don't have "Mac" in their name doesn't mean that they aren't produced by Apple. If anything, THIS show would be more aimed at the peripherals and WWDC would be aimed at their actual notebooks/desktops/AiO's since those are the only things that can really be developed right now.
Mac users look to MacWorld for Macs not phones or TV devices. IMO those products should have an event all to themselves or rename the event to Apple Inc showcase.
Once again, the name MacWorld isn't one that is coined by Apple every year. It is a publication. The association with "Mac" in a computer name wasn't official with them until 2006 when the MacBook Pro came out. Mac NERDS look for MacWorld to be for just computers. Regular consumer-level average Joe's look at it for whatever they come out with.
Nah, the small Mac laptop will be one of the highlights along with the Mac Pro. There has to be a Mini update or a replacement. Then there's Leopard of course and some talk about SSE4 and 10.5.2. Maybe some details about touch sensing technology and how that applies to the Mac.
I think it will be a highlight. The "One more thing" is usually the thing that is talked about. Just because it isn't first doesn't mean that it isn't emphasized. It is more the grand finale. Honestly, if they announce a NEW product, every refresh will look stupid. Anyways, it will be the talk of the town that afternoon through the rest of the week if it is announced.
I understand people not being excited about the AppleTV as it is now, but everybody seems to be interested in it if it morphs into something different. There is the smaller/cheaper route but there is also the bigger route. That is what I am interested in.
If Apple released a TV, would you sell the TV you have now and buy one that Apple offered? If Apple TV is still standalone, I don't think it will be bigger. It's already bigger than the Mini footprint-wise but just shorter.
I think the only way forward is smaller and cheaper.
With Digital tv coming soon, many people are going to have to upgrade their tv sets - even a lot of those HDTV-ready sets. Lots of people have sets without HDMI, etc. Then there is the whole Blu-ray thing. People will want to upgrade their DVD players too. So between HDTVs Blu-ray, and digital tv transmission, there is a great opportunity for Apple to jump in a provide an elegant solution.
I think the desire or need to upgrade is hyped up way too much. DVDs will be around for a while and I don't hear anyone complaining about the quality - most people I know are pretty happy watching ipod quality TV shows even on their computer. Concerning the digital TV thing, all you need is a digital tuner and these come with outputs that connect to a standard TV. The cost to upgrade can be as little as £15 for a digital receiver and no change to the TV (I did that recently).
I think Apple has been keeping AppleTV a "hobby" because the timing wasn't right. However, now is the time. On the heels of the success of the iPhone, Apple has shown they can enter a new category and hit a home run.
I don't like that trend. Apple spot a new market, 'hit a home run' then move on to a new market leaving the other stuff to rot. Apple seem to have great difficulty multi-tasking.
Apple could also sell advertising for people wanting to boost their market and sales. Apple would become a behemoth in advertising.
Let's not even go there. That would make them like Google and probably a rival. There's enough advertising around that Apple don't need to hop on that bandwagon. It would just drag their brand through the gutter.
While this is a lot of stuff going on, I do not think the Mac would get lost in the shuffle. It has an important role to play.
Try telling that to 2007. That was one of the worst years the Mac has had simply because Apple made it all about iphone and Apple TV. Absolutely nothing until around WWDC was ridiculous. The updates were all relatively poor besides the Macbook Pro. The Mac Pro was the worst - a single CPU addition.
The computer world is becoming a system of systems and we need Apple to become this giant that makes it all work together. What good is developing software for recording music and movies if one cannot get distribution for their creations?
An updated Apple TV is an integral part of this equation.
I don't think the Apple TV is well thought out in this respect at all. The way to achieve good distribution of content is by offering a device people actually want. An overpriced, underfeatured wifi box that sits beside the TV will never be good enough when the XBox 360 is just £80 more and for that you get next-gen HD gaming included.
I actually think that Apple should scrap the Apple TV altogether and just put all the focus for media distribution on their ipod. People like ipods so why not simply make a dock for the TV like they have docks for hi-fi systems? Then just upscale video from the ipod onto the TV. ipods run a form of OS X themselves now too.
This has the added advantage that you can take the video round to a friend's house and show it easily on their dock. Whatever syncing of media will happen by plugging the ipod into the computer and at a much faster rate than the Apple TV will sync media wirelessly.
WWDC would be aimed at their actual notebooks/desktops/AiO's since those are the only things that can really be developed right now.
I suspect this WWC will have some focus on the iphone developer tools as the SDK will be out in February. There should be some talk about new software too and the Leopard developer tools.
The "One more thing" is usually the thing that is talked about.
I've always thought of the one more thing segment as the thing Apple want people to talk about least. The Mac Mini was kind of the one more thing in one of the recent events.
I've always thought of the one more thing segment as the thing Apple want people to talk about least. The Mac Mini was kind of the one more thing in one of the recent events.
I don't think the Mini ever was a "one more thing." The PowerBook G4, MacBook Pro, and video iPods were "one more thing" products. I'd say they were more of a focus than anything else after their announcement.