The iPhone has been officially released, but not under its expected Apple parent. It seems Cisco has had the copyright for the name since 1996, and under its subsidiary Linksys has released a wireless, Skype compatible phone with that exact name.

In, dare we say it, iPod white, the phone looks like any other wireless phone released over the last year. The rather dull looking phone with perhaps one of the most anticipated names in the history of mobile phones looks set to disappoint cult-like followers of Mr Jobs and prompt Apple to come up with a new name.

But what is in a name? The iPhone name has been thrown around the internet for the last three years (google has over 11 million hits on it) and the yet-to-be-out phone already has a fan base of millions. Apple has known about Cisco’s trademark for years and has presumably taken actions to come up with a catchy name by now. The trouble lies in finding a name that will propel the company into a new iPod frenzy, undoubtedly the best known mp3 player in the world.

Brand awareness is a funny thing, and Apple might have taken a step in the wrong direction by not telling future customers that the iPhone is out of the question as a name and has been for a long time.

I can’t think of a name that even comes close to the iPhone. Feel free to suggest names for the phone in the comments; we will make sure to pass them on to Steve.

Posted by December 19, 2006 12:14 PM | Comments (0)

There are a million reasons why the worst kept secret in the world, Apple’s upcoming iPhone, will succeed. Unfortunately for the Cupertino company there are even more reasons why it will not.

When Apple first introduced its iPod range of mp3 players it solved a big problem for consumers; space. The music players had up to that point been severely lacking in storage capability and the public knew it.

Enter Steve Jobs with his funky glasses, bean bags in the office and beautiful design. The iPods took the world by storm, and has no doubt been the catalyst to Apple’s other successful products.

Ultimately, however, Apple is not a phone company. The last ‘revolutionary’ product that came out of the hipsters was the Mac mini, which largely flopped.

The mobile phone market is extremely competitive, and newcomers normally don’t do too well. Not only do the manufacturers have to compete on technology and performance, but getting in on lucrative deals with the carriers as well.

Apple also has to take into consideration the frequency that people trade in their cell phones. Unlike a high end mp3 player, mobile phones can be traded in as often as twice or three times a year, according to trends and emerging technology. Apple can not afford to jump on an already frantic race to always be first to market as well as being competitive on price.

Ultimately, end users will be very interested to see Apple’s offering, but the hype will die off eventually. It is therefore my bold prediction that the iPhone will, after initial curiosity, crash and burn.

And yes, you can hold me to that.

Posted by December 12, 2006 3:54 PM | Comments (17)

When Seagate CEO Bill Watkins spoke to Fortune senior editor Jeffrey M. O'Brien last week, he showed an openness usually reserved for cynical media commentators and reviewers. Over a dinner in San Francisco the outspoken Texan told the reporter about Seagate’s ultimate goal.

"Let's face it; we're not changing the world. We're building a product that helps people buy more crap - and watch porn."

Watkins goes on to comment on a range of issues, from his own board members to the HP scandal, the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD war and about saying no to meetings to watch his beloved football team.

When asked about the recent scandal involving HP, and if anyone has taken notice, he says: "Wall Street certainly didn't. I saw it and thought, it's good to know there's a board of directors more dysfunctional than mine."

Is it politically correct? No. Is it refreshing to hear someone outline company policy in the simplest possible terms? Absolutely. If anything, the interview should earn Seagate’s top man more respect amongst his own team and the shareholders. It is not always as rosy as many executives want us to believe, and the spin factor is rife when it comes to promoting a company or its products.

So thank you Mr Watkins, for showing us that some CEO’s are still living, breathing people.

For the full interview, go to Here.

Posted by December 4, 2006 12:59 PM | Comments (1)