Apple's September iPhone Event Brings Nothing New of Note

The new iPhone is an incremental improvement over the previous generation. Highlights:

• A thinner phone with a software update.
• A 4" screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, as previously featured by the Sony XPeria line of smartphones
• Panorama mode within the camera, as previously featured by Samsung and other Android vendors
• Facebook integration, so they can collect information on what you do with your phone
• The offensive remark that they know best how to make a comfortably sized phone, and the consumer just doesn’t get it. Apple, as a prospective buyer I think your new phone is too small.

What the iPhone does have going for it is a far more sensible e-mail client and groupware tools than all other mobile platforms. This is eclipsed, however, by the wide selection of software available in the App Store, announced today to have surpassed 700,000 titles. Much of this software comes with unintended and unrestricted consequences to the user’s privacy. The amount of potential harm to personal privacy is rather staggering. I remain convinced that with the advent of the iPhone/iPad and their obvious success, Apple has abandoned all interest in the empowerment that’s possible in personal computing. It’s now a high-fashion cash grab and the entire PC industry is too stupid to avoid following suit. Depressing.