The iPod changed the way we listen to music and the way we buy music.  The iPod and iTunes changed the way we buy music.

A few months ago I wrote about how newspapers will have to rethink the way they distribute content to their readers or they will surely see a decline in readership in the next ten years.  Many large newspapers in the United States have already had to close shop.

Amazon came up with the Kindle but it did not quite satisfy the need that consumers had.  Apple has the ability to see a need and with Steve Jobs at the helm they know how to make it every consumers dream product.

The new iPad is a tablet computer like no other. I believe that this is just the first step in a revolution of content delivery for newspapers.  Soon this is how we will all get our news.  Apple has already signed content deals with a number of companies like Time magazine and The New York Times Newspaper.  Also a number of book publishers have signed content distribution and subscription deals with Apple.

As I watch this launch online I am excited and quite amazed at what I am seeing.

To view photos and a minute by minute summary of the event please visit http://live.gdgt.com/2010/01/27/live-apple-come-see-our-latest-creation-tablet-event-coverage/

I know that I will have to get one of these iPads as soon as they are available in South Africa. The applications are limitless.  Let’s just hope that unlike the MacBook these iPads will be more affordable in South Africa.

MacWorld has always been a platform for the introduction of new products in the Apple range and this year was no exception. Along with some minor announcements like the upgraded features for the iPhone and iPodTouch and new functionality and features of the AppleTV, Apple launched the new Apple MacBook Air.

Said to be the world’s thinnest laptop, this laptop is sure to become one of the sought-after items in 2008. It is nearly as thin as your index finger, it has a 13.3 inch wide­screen LED display and a full-size keyboard.

I love the multi-touch trackpad which is one of those features you can’t live without after you have experienced it. Through finger movements on this touchpad you control the screen. This may sound like the regular touch pad on all laptops, but it is much more functional and as soon as you know some of the gestures, you will see how much time you save by using them. The MacBook Air is also engineered to take full advantage of the wireless world.

Apple has long been at the forefront of innovation in the online distribution of music and now they are taking it to the next level with the online rental of high definition movies. This laptop is also well-equipped to facilitate these services and with its ultra portability this is a product I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Innovation keeps the industry alive and through these advances other manufacturers are also forced to push the envelope. I think we will see many advances in the laptop market this year.

Die hele wêreld sit in afwagting vir vandag se groot bekendstelling. Die iPhone word uiteindelik vandag in die VSA beskikbaar gemaak.

Die afgelope paar maande is dit al waaroor die Tech-gemeenskap op die web kon gesels. Daar is groot verwagtinge op Apple om ‘n uitsonderlike produk beskikbaar te stel, maar niemand weet nog regtig wat die iPhone gaan bied nie.

Apple is bekend daarvoor dat hul produkte uiters gebruikersvriendelik is en dat tydens die ontwerp van hul produkte die gebruiker se ervaring prioriteit is. Gaan die iPhone voldoen aan al die verwagtinge wat bestaan?

Van die GPS tot die iPod, videospeler en ander web en rekenaar funksies is baie van die dienste reeds beskikbaar op selfone soos die Nokia N95. (Indien enigiemand weet hoe om die GPS op die Nokia N95 te aktiveer laat weet my asb, want my diensverskaffer weet nie).

Apple het ook aangekondig dat gebruikers YouTube videos direk op die iPhone sal kan kyk. Die vraag is net of jy nog ‘n oproep sal kan maak na ‘n paar videos, want die batterylewe van die iPhone is nog ‘n raaisel.

Daar word verwag dat duisende entosiaste vandag voor die Apple winkels in die VSA sal begin tou-staan om van die eerstes te wees wat die iPhone sal besit.

Ons in Suid Afrika sal maar ‘n paar maande moet wag om presies te kan sien waaroor al die opwinding gaan aangesien die iPhone moontlik oor ‘n hele paar maande in Suid-Afrika beskikbaar sal wees.

Apple verseker gebruikers egter dat die iPhone ‘n deurbraak in die gebruik van ‘n selfoon is, indien ons kyk na Apple se geskiedenis is ek geneig om hulle te glo.

 Adobe Photoshop is in my opinion probably one of, if not the best graphic design software available at the moment. With the advances that has been made in the latest release of Photoshop a new standard has been set.

Photoshop is however only one of a variety of creativity software products that is produced by Adobe. The products give you a way to unleash your creativity in the fields of photography, video, web design and graphic design.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Adobelive event which was held in Johannesburg and I also invited interested readers to join us at the event.

We quickly realised that there was quite a bit of interest in these products in the Free State and that as a designer it is often very difficult to stay up to date with product changes, design trends and tips and tricks when designing. You can always join groups in the larger cities but it will take huge effort to attend these events.

On Tuesday, with the support of Adobe, we launched the Free State Adobe User Group. The idea is to give each and every professional and amateur designer, photographer and video producer who uses Adobe products to have a place to share ideas and also gain new knowledge from other users. Joining the group is free of charge and is aimed at building a community and stimulating exploration and discussion between the members.

I would like to invite everybody who is interested in attending some of these informal discussion sessions to send me their contact details. I will then be able to add you to the emailing list and I will let you know when we will have the next meeting. Adobe will also get top designers from all over the world to join us and share their secrets.

ONE of the biggest software companies around is Adobe. It is possible that you do not know the company’s name, but I am sure you will know product names like Photoshop and Adobe PDF Reader. In the Adobe range there is a huge number of products which cover everything from graphic design, video production, web design and general utilities you just can’t go without.

Adobe has just released their Creative Suite 3 and after using some of the beta products in the past few months I must say that these new versions of these programs are definitely worth a closer look.

On 31 May Adobe will be hosting the AdobeLive event in Johannesburg.

AdobeLive has become a firm favourite on every creative and business communicator’s calendar. The event is in its fourth incarnation and promises to offer even better value to attendees with tracks for design, video, web, document services, e-services, motion graphics, best practice and more.

Aimed at a niche design market, the event is sure to be one of the most sought after events on the design calendar in Southern Africa this year. AdobeLive in Concert will cater to some 1 500 industry and enterprise designers treating you to both an exhibition of fabulous products and services, as well as a full day conference with some of the most informative industry personalities and experts.

Dreamagineers International have provided ClickKliek with two event tickets to the value of R1 260. If you are a user of Adobe products and you are interested in attending the AdobeLive event, email your name and details to info@dreamagineers.com. (Terms and conditions apply and transport to and accommodation in Johannesburg not included).

Ander gebruikers kan dan maklik daarna gaan luister en beoordeel hoe goed dit is. Apple Inc, Mini, 5fm en Coca-Cola is die borge van hierdie projek en jy kan daagliks groot pryse wen.

Jy neem jou eie podcast (oudio of video) op en nadat jy jou gratis geregistreer het, laai jy dit op die blad.

Ander gebruikers kan dan na jou podcast gaan luister of daarna kyk en hulle kan dit beoordeel. Daar is R250 000 se pryse wat gewen kan word.

Staan elke dag ’n kans om ’n iPod Shuffle te wen. Al wat jy hoef te doen is om na die ander podcasts te luister en te beoordeel. Dit kan nie makliker wees nie.

Gaan vandag nog na die blad om te luister en te kyk!

En indien jy iets het om te sê, neem dit op en plaas dit op die blad vir ons almal om na te luister.

Jy kan dalk binnekort beroemd wees.

Het jy al jou gratis faks-tot-e-pos-nommer gekry? Sover het 200 lesers reeds hul gratis faks-tot-e-pos-nommers ontvang.

Indien jy nog nie jou nommer het nie, tik jou naam en van in ’n e-pos en stuur dit aan info@clicksa.co.za. Die diens is gratis en maak dinge sommer baie makliker. Dit kan jou onderneming honderde rande per maand bespaar.

Please remember to listen to the ZA Show Podcast  from Cape Town! Please vote for this podcast!

This phone has a wide screen for watching video and surfing the internet. All controls are on the touchscreen and with the 200 new patents that were registered during the development, this phone has an user interface that meets all expectations.

Music, video’s and games can be downloaded directly from iTunes with the phone. This phone is much more than a phone, in the sense that it combines a PDA, an iPod and a phone. I hate using a stylus when working with a PDA and with this phone you will not need to worry about that – just use your fingers. The html based e-mail interface will let you read your e-mail and browse the internet on your phone without loosing any of the graphics or having to go to a site specifically designed for a mobile device.

The proximity feature that has been built into this phone will also switch off the screen when it is placed against your ear when talking on the phone. This cuts back on battery life.

The phone will also automatically switch between the wide screen  mode and the portrait mode, depending on the way you hold it.

In my opinion this is a revolutionary product and I will be in line to get one of the first ones when they finally become available in South Africa.