jmgregory1

anantksundaram said:

The more important question: what's up with that smoky, deep pink, partially obscured Apple?

With the black background and the organic-looking swirls of color, it's likely a reference to the OLED touch bar. Or Apple is going to perform some type of seance at the event and have Steve Jobs make the presentation from "the other side".

Microsoft just does not seem to have a good track record with critical-use applications like the NFL Surface tablets and their Sync system in Ford cars / trucks.  I've rented Ford cars and trucks and over the past few years and twice had the head unit completely shut down and require me to dig into the manual and figure out how to reset it (because stopping and re-starting the car didn't fix the problem).  It would be one thing if it were just the radio that went down, but the head unit incorporates so many other systems - it just shouldn't be something that can crash the way the Sync system did.

The NFL, like Ford, made a bad decision to work with Microsoft, driven by money given to them by Microsoft, not by what's best for the customer.

I would bet that Rick Osterloh is having a Groundhog Day moment right now.  It's curious that Google bought and sold (and lost a ton of money on) Motorola Mobility, and then brings in the now former head of MM to try doing the same thing again.  And again they're offering a product (in the Pixel) that doesn't seem to be competitive - much like Motorola did.  If Google really wants to be in the hardware business, they better have a lot of money set aside and a dedication to spending years making product (including product that doesn't sell well - because you need failure in order to learn how to do things right).

I certainly wouldn't bet money on it - they'll maybe give it 12-18 months before they reorganize and "shift" resources to other areas.

dachar said:

One small thing to remember when traveling. You can't use wireless devices on an airplane.

Absolutely not true. You can use BT headphones without exception. Check the regulations. I've been flying for more than a year using my BT ANC headphones.

I'll be picking up a pair for sure, as I've been waiting for Apple to get back in the BT headset game (not interested in Beats).  They'll go nicely with the Plantronic Pro headset I use for traveling (given the active noise canceling and 24 hour battery life), but they're just too big for everyday work use.  I'm really excited about these headsets and the new iPhone, surprisingly.  I figured I was completely happy with my 6s+, but dang is that new glossy black version really great looking and the tech certainly has improved inside.  The added water resistance is great too.  I say all in all, it was a great presentation and Apple will see significant gains in sales of iPhone and Watch, imho.