Waiting for the iPhone… – A report

0:00 p.m. This is the time when the first iPhones will be sold in a Swisscom store in Zurich. I did not want to get in queue so early as there are plenty of other opportunities to buy one of the brand-new 3G iPhones in Switzerland. But I will certainly arrive punctual at one of the many Swisscom stores at 6:30 a.m. to belong to the first ones possessing this new device. I am very excited because I think that this is going to be a great phone with so many new features compared to the first version of the iPhone that I already bought last year. 

I hope there won’t be too many people around so that I can get one before sun sets again. I guess that here in Switzerland many people are really looking forward to buying it. I have just watched a TV report about the iPhone sale and they showed a huge crowd of people waiting in front of the only Swisscom store that will sell it at midnight.

Furthermore, there is much news around on Swiss Apple sites, as on macprime.ch They have changed their normal interface to a special iPhone report page where people can send in texts and photos about their experiences. 

I think I should turn in soon in order to be fully awake next morning and to enjoy the shiny new iPhone without the wish to sleep. Wish me luck…

See this Flickr group with photos of the crowd waiting in Zurich: http://www.flickr.com/groups/iphone-day/pool/

 

UPDATE:

There was really a huge crowd waiting in front of the store. And the worst was that they had very few iPhones in stock. For example, there were only 8 (!) black 16 gig iPhones around. I had to wait about less than 2 hours after they opened the store for the first customers. The activation, which had be done in-store prolonged time for shoppers waiting. I was very lucky to belong to one of the first standing in queue because when I left the shop again there were about a hundred people waiting!

Bedankt, Oranjes!

In the last two weeks, the Swiss capital Berne, dived into an orange sea of colors with the fanciest and funniest fans I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, for the Oranjes, it was already over after the quarter finals of the EURO.

I know this has already been done officially, but now it’s about time for us bloggers to thank you, Nederlanders, for this great party and the football fever you brought to our country! You have certainly been the friendliest fan base of all teams playing…

BEDANKT EN TOT ZIENS!

Oh, yes, before I forget: There is an official page by the city of Berne: http://www.oranjebern.ch where you can upload your photos and revive emotions!

Copyright note (image): Some rights reserved by Flickr user kaspar.loosli

Pre-Macworld thoughts

As every year, Apple invites to its great event in San Francisco, where Mac enthusiasts from all over the world participate. Of course, the highlight of the event will again be the great keynote held by Steve Jobs, who is known for releasing innovative and revolutionary products. And people have already begun speculating months before what this year’s sensation(s) could be. Because everyone is writing a let-me-tell-you-what-I-predict article, I will not. The only thing that I can do is write about reliable rumours of the online press so far.

1. New thin subnotebooks with the name MacBook Air (with flash memory, maybe?). Could it be that Apple is going to add a subnotebook to its MacBook family that is ultra-thin and relies on EDGE and Wifi, as it does the iPhone. Because of its lightness it should get the name MacBook Air?

-> A good indication might be the banners with “There’s something in the air” inside the Moscone center, which where hung up there recently:
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/11/macworld-san-francisco-theres-something-in-the-air/

2. New version of the iPhone (software). What is certain at the moment is that Apple will bring out a new iPhone firmware with number 1.1.3. This will fix some minor issues and bring improvements. You can now drag icons around on the menu screen as you wish because developers are able to code third-party apps with the new SDK they got at the MacWorld.

-> Screenshot gallery at GearLive: http://www.gearlive.com/gallery/category/C51/

-> Icon-drag-around evidence video at Gizmodo:
http://gizmodo.com/338948/iphone-firmware-113-video-and-evidence-confirms-update-is-real-breaks-unlock-third+party-apps

There are also some rumors going on here in Switzerland that Apple might release the iPhone in February here, this time with 3G inside and the ability to watch TV on-the-go (with the help of the new SDK). This would then mean, that Apple is going to release the new iPhone throughout Europe and maybe not restricted to certain carriers.

3. New iTunes offers in Europe (including new iTunes software): In a new release of iTunes, you would be able to download movies in whole Europe, finally. Offers would vary from buying a movie or just renting it for 24 hours. (Maybe Apple will sell HD movies as well (or just with a higher resolution), but this will take a while as they have to prepare their servers for the rush.)

Another feature could be a YouTube video section directly in iTunes, where you can watch the movies and download them afterwards to your iPod or iPhone.

4. A new, improved Apple TV (therefore the indication “air” = Wifi on the banners). For all the new offers in the iTunes store, a new device has to be created to cover all needs. Many have complained about Apple TV because it was either too limited to certain video formats or there was a lacking internet connection as it is known on PS3 or Wii devices. They would have to rely on the more expensive Mac Mini. Apple could bring out a faster, more compatible Apple TV. Key features would be the seamless integration of iPhones (as remotes or something else) and the internet as an information source for weather information and RSS feeds and the like.

So, maybe I’ve not mentioned all of the ongoing rumors but I’ve certainly picked out the most reasonable ones because the keynote cannot last forever.

Appenzell in a nutshell

The canton Appenzell Innerrhoden is a charming little region in the east of Switzerland. It is the smallest canton of Switzerland in terms of population. Therefore it could preserve a rich traditional culture which has endured modern times. The countryside is very hilly and most of the people still live in their farmhouses of which many exist until today. The houses were often renovated or newly built in the style of Appenzell.
That’s why many people love this region to go hiking or enjoy the time in one of the good restaurants around Appenzell city. For those of you who’ve never heard of that region, I will show you some nice pictures which I have taken on my journey to there. (Remember that all pictures are copyrighted by me so if you want to use them elsewhere, let me know.)

This is the “Hauptgasse” of Appenzell with the traditional houses which didn’t change their appearance for a very long time (“Hauptgasse” means main alley).

Here you can see the restaurant sign of the Café “Fässler” which is very known in the whole canton and maybe even Switzerland. If you know the children’s book “Albertli” you must definitely know it. In the café you can get very delicious “Biber” (a honey pastry which knows every Swiss child).
Maybe you’ve noticed the special style of the windows. They all have one vertical and two horizontal timbers. That style is very common in the whole canton and every time you enter the canton by train or by car you can really see that you are in Appenzell.

This is a typical farmhouse on the countryside of Appenzell with the green pastures in front of it.

I hope I could give you an idea of Appenzell, a small canton which is not only famous for its cheese.

Further information on Appenzell: www.appenzell.ch