About a month or so after the release of the Apple I-Pad i.e. The Apocalyptic Juggernaut that supposedly marked the obliteration of every other laptop in existence, the initial crazed furor had given way to an odd feeling of anticlimactic resignation.
Initially, the breathless reviews ranged from "heralding in a new age for computerkind!" to "a touch of brilliance" and so on and so forth, listing and describing the iPad's varied functionalities and whathaveyous in minute, excruciating detail. You had several self proclaimed tech gurus waxing eloquent about the otherworldly metal and plastic sleekness, the crisp jewel-like display, the feeling of reading an e-book or a comic truly being an experience rather than a dreary chore; and on and on and on, the praises were sung, and Steve Jobs could retreat to wherever cackling evil geniuses with the pulse of humankind in their hands lived - probably a living breathing structure made from the sloughed off spare parts of rejected Apple experiments. A truly fearsome prospect. Digressions aside, the iPad's greatness was deemed unparalleled. And all was well with the material world. Or so it seemed.
Fortunately or unfortunately, after the furor died down, people actually stopped to breathe and take stock of this supposed breakthrough in transformative devices and the verdict was unanimous.
What was the iPad, exactly?
A glorified iPhone, only larger and flatter and shinier? A portable flatscreen TV/ Video player of sorts? An application which provides an otherworldly book reading experience? Surely that cant be it? It was meant to be transformative! Melting the boundaries between form and function and human need, it was supposed to be the next IT device. But does it really fit the bill? What bill was there to fit? Was there even a niche for this sort of pretty TV/Large iPhone/Flatscreen/Book reading/interweb surfing all-in-one sort of thing?
Turns out, that the non-existence of a category for the iPad was only an issue for tech dinosaurs and disgruntled PC users (some would argue that there was no difference between the aforementioned groups). There was indeed a niche, albeit a highly selective one, but exist it did.
The iPad as it stands, fills up the gap between iPhone and laptop, and if one wonders if there was indeed a 'gap' in the first place, the arrival of the iPad signals resoundingly that 'yes, yes you tech ignoramus, not only was there a void, but here is THE TOOL to fill a void whose existence you weren't aware of'.
This of course is a worrying prospect, as it would most definitely pave the way for future products to fill unknown voids we might possibly have, in the course of our meager existences. What about the yet to be recognized need to fill a niche between a smoothie blender and say, the iPhone? Or surely the niche between hair dryers and the iPad?
As long as we remain unaware of our own personal existential black holes, we only exist to give Steve Jobs and his ilk to come up with more cripplingly shiny new products we never knew we needed, but must possess as soon as we set eyes on it. Realistically speaking, it is a pipe dream at best, and laughable at worst.
In the meantime, you might as well cave in and succumb to the jewel-like sleekness of the portable TV/LCD/book reading/hypnotic interweb experience (and so much more) that is the iPad. You know you want to.
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Saturday, October 9, 2010
Ipad
iPad: naming faux pas or mass conspiracy?
Does the Apple iPad marketing team possess at least one member belonging to the female of the species? Or is it an insidiously subversive ploy on part of Steve Jobs and his moste evile masterminds over at ye Apple Central on Mt. Doom to subjugate womenkind and hypnotize them into being perma-customers of Apple?
Perhaps, there is a far bigger stake in the technology game than we've been let on. The iPad has been heralded as the marker of the Second Coming, a kaleidoscopic receptacle of wonders for the media savvy anointed ones, but considering Steve Jobs and his velutinously infallible marketing squad, how can one explain a name which sounds crapulent at best and at worst, resembles a laughably dim-witted ad campaign for feminine hygiene products? Considering the rapacious cunning with which the CEO of Apple steers his company's helm, could such an obvious faux pas escape his all-seeing self?
On the outset, it seems clear cut. Sexism is still a major issue in the workplace and mayhaps the company would have benefited in more ways than one if there were women populating its upper echelons. Or there is a far bigger, more dangerous issue at stake here- that the iPad is not what it seems. Yes, this reeks of subterfuge.
What if the iPad actually happens to be a bug/homing device meant to digitize a woman's menstruation cycle, to be stored on an obscure FTP server, silently filing away her body's internal processes during That Time of the Month? Women everywhere would suddenly find themselves be able to perform the (frankly) unrealistic and chimerical acrobatic feats and cheerfully pointless flailing of limbs telegraphed to them in many a menstrual product commercial. Having lured the necessary targets into a false sense of euphoria, Steve Jobs can now use the incriminating, highly sensitive information quietly filed away on the aforementioned FTP servers (month after month) to manipulate the poor hapless women as he so wills. Thusly, a whole new set of 'consumers' have been added to the repository of Applesuperfanboysandgirls through the iPad.
There will also be those women, who will attempt to fight Steve Jobs villainy, tooth and nail, but they might as well be brandishing miniature teaspoons to drain the ocean. For, the second generation versions of the iPad with a real keyboard and a foldover cover dubbed the iFold, would ensure that women who dare to transgress would iFoldover in pain every time they try to peruse their iPads, as a particularly grisly warning.
Of course, all this would only be the abject worst case doomsday type scenario, and realistically, Apple probably would not have a) Bothered to consult a female of the species (who needs the opinion of teh wittle wimmins when you have macho tech manly men positively crackling with manliness) and/or b) There simply weren't any women present in Apple's iPad marketing squad; an incredibly problematic situation if that was indeed the case.
But, you can never be too careful. Watch your iPads ladies, in case it starts behaving strangely and by extension, YOU start behaving outlandishly. Forewarned is forearmed after all.
The Downside of Social Media
Recently I read a blog that the incoming MI6’s (that's the equivalent to the CIA in the USA) head was ticked off. Apparently, his wife had posted pictures of him and his family and God forbid - details of his residential address in London on Facebook.
This is as good as saying - Hey, come and get me. The British government, naturally, was not amused. But neither was I!
This got me thinking. The blogger had also posted details of Sir So-and-So’s wife’s Facebook details which I saw. This is actually a double whammy. Not only should he have not have had access to this sensitive information, I should not have had it too. It is lucky that I am not a fanatic lurking in an internet maze waiting for just this kind of information.
Facebook – the name is self-explanatory. It is an open book where everybody loves to post their personal information online for all to see.
Well, you could say that you and I are not heading MI6, so what difference could it make to anybody what I post.
But think again. You post updates about your upcoming holiday in the Bermudas. Mr. Breaking-Open-The-House-In-The-Night-Specialist, “Thank you for telling me that you are taking a holiday with the missus and the kids in Bermuda.” Not only have you very kindly provided him with your address but you have also told him that the house is perfectly empty and practically begging to be burgled.
It seems to me that the whole world is caught up in the social media buzz. Everybody seems to be busy pounding away information about what they eat, when they sleep, what they like to drink, what food they love. Even what they think, for God’s sake!
Everybody has got so caught up with the so called “transparency” frenzy that they show a bit too much about their personal lives.
They forget that there could be a dark side to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and even blogs. There is no information which can be termed private. You can argue that this information is meant for only for friends and family. But you forget that there is a stalker waiting for any tidbit of information.
Information about your children, their names, their ages – anything… a pedophile can use all of this. And I am not being frivolous when I state this. Pedophilia is a malaise our society could well do without but social media sites like Facebook and Twitter just encourage them.
Consider this – you are drinking coffee with an acquaintance and probably sharing some information about your company. Earlier days, you could say – Hey, this is off the record.
I haven’t heard the term – Hey, this is off the blog!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Make Sure A Well Written Real Estate Cover Letter Accompanies Your Offer
Is the offer you are making backed up with a well written and informative real estate cover letter? A competent real estate agent should always include a cover letter when presenting an offer. If he has not, he is surely working against your interests.
It is often said that too much paperwork clutters up the desk, as it does your client's mind. That may be true, but it is also true that not having any paperwork at all gives the impression that you take a very casual approach to any business. It could give the impression that you do not take things seriously - ergo that you will not deliver on promises. That is exactly the image you do not want to portray if you are a serious buyer. That is exactly why a Real Estate cover letter is so important when you are negotiating a deal on property.
A well written and informative cover letter accompanying the offer tells the seller that you are serious and professional. It also lets him know that you have taken the trouble to find out all the facts about the market and his property.
There are certain facts which when put down on paper appear more authoritative and official than when it is just spoken. It gives the seller a lesser chance to counter it. For example if the cover letter speaks about the costs of property in the neighborhood with cold facts and figures it will be difficult to deny it. By writing officially that comparable real estate in the same neighborhood sells at such and such a price and that is the reason why the price you are offering is fair the seller will find it hard to rebut.
By telling him how you have arrived at the offer you have made, you may be able to justify a 5 % to 10% reduction from the price the seller wants. And when we talk about properties in the millions of dollars this is not something to be sneezed at.
A good real estate covering letter must have a friendly tone but also subtly point out that the market is down and prices are falling everywhere. It should also convey the fact that you are very interested in the property because you like it. It should also let the seller know that you have examined similar properties and have liked some of them. The seller should understand that yes – you would like to buy his property but that if for some reason the deal falls through, you do have other options.
In conclusion a well written real estate cover letter will also tell the seller that he is dealing with a professional real estate agent. It will reinforce the fact that the agent has the best interests of both the buyer and the seller.
At San Diego home finder we believe that your satisfaction is paramount. We are proactive and innovative to give you that extra edge when you deal through us. A properly written Real Estate Cover Letter is just one more of our services.