Is Apple a Tech Company... or a Religion?

Walk into an Apple Store sometime. Notice anything? The bright lights, the minimalist design, the reverent silence. The smiling employees dressed like disciples of modern technology.

Everything feels intentional. Everything feels sacred.

It's less "electronics retailer" and more "cathedral of consumerism."

Now before the Apple faithful begin drafting angry emails from their iPhone 17 Ultra Max Pro Plus Air Supreme, hear me out...

Apple may have created one of the greatest marketing achievements in human history. Not because they sell phones. Because they sell identity. 

Most companies sell products. Apple sells belonging.

That's why discussions about smartphones often sound less like conversations and more like theological debates. Tell an iPhone user you're switching to Android and watch their face. It's the same expression some people make when a family member announces they're leaving the church.

"Why would you do that?"

"But iMessage!"

"What about FaceTime?"

"Are you okay?"

The reaction is rarely about the phone itself. It's about leaving the cult... er, uh, I mean "tribe".

What's fascinating is how often Apple users celebrate new features as revolutionary when Android manufacturers introduced them years earlier.

Wireless charging. Widgets. Always-on displays. Customizable home screens. USB-C.

Many of these features existed in the Android world long before Apple adopted them. Yet somehow when Apple introduces them, the conversation becomes: "Apple just changed everything."

It's marketing wizardry.

Apple doesn't always need to be first. They just need to convince people they're first.

To be fair, Apple deserves enormous credit. 

• Their products generally work well together. 
• Their ecosystem is incredibly convenient.
• Their customer support is often excellent.
• Their branding is unmatched.

None of this happened by accident. This wasn't luck. This was decades of carefully building an emotional connection with customers. The genius wasn't creating fans. The genius was creating evangelists. 

• People who voluntarily market the product for free.
• People who defend the company online.
• People who line up overnight for product launches.
• People who feel personally attacked when someone criticizes a freaking phone.

That's not customer loyalty. That's customer devotion.

People have an incredible talent for turning preferences into personalities.

• Sports teams.
• Political parties.
• Video game consoles.
• Smartphones.

We love joining tribes! 

Apple simply mastered the art better than almost anyone else.

So are iPhone users part of a cult? Not exactly.

Apple users aren't sacrificing goats to honor of Tim Cook. (At least not publicly.)

But Apple has created something remarkably close to a modern consumer religion. A community built around shared beliefs, symbols, rituals, and identity.

And whether you love Apple or hate Apple, you have to respect the achievement.

Because convincing millions of people that a $1,200 phone is a lifestyle choice rather than a phone might be one of the greatest marketing victories ever recorded.

How to Make Your Wedding More Memorable

VOTE for the app here!

A wedding is one of those moments in a couple's life that will always be remembered.  Even for those who may marry multiple times there are usually a lot of great times that are captured during those moments.  Moments that a lot of us may want to relive countless times in the future.

Photographers and videographers can make or break those memories, but now there is another option that can turn your wedding photos into something that you and your loved ones can truly relive forever.

WedCam is simply one of the coolest and most innovative phone apps that I've seen in a long time.  It takes your memories and literally brings them to life.  Who wouldn't want that for their wedding?

Check out the example of how it works below:

Imagine being able to relive the magical moments of your wedding not just through a beautiful photo album, but also through your phone or tablet!  WedCam takes your photos and brings them to life with their amazing technology.  You, your friends and your family can forever enjoy that special day without the hassle of mailing DVDs to each and everyone who wishes to see it.  WedCam gives a more convenient and fun way of experience those nuptials all over again.

But WedCam needs your help! Qualcomm and Unity are rewarding and recognizing developers and their apps that showcase Qualcomm® Vuforia™ vision-based technology. The app that receives the most votes from the Unity Developer community wins $10,000 cash, a Unity 5 Pro License (2 top runners-up will also receive the licenses), and more!

Voting ends September 9 so get your vote in today and support an amazing technology!

Visit the WedCam YouTube Channel for more demonstrations of other things the app can do!

*Available at the App Store and on Google Play or just visit www.WedCamApp.com.

i Don't Hate iPhones

The iPhone 5 has been announced and Twitter has lost its mind. People are tweeting the same info over and over again in an attempt to be the first to announce something we've known since the early summer.

Then again, maybe that's unfair.  I'm a geek, so I keep up with that type of stuff.  I knew about the "secret" announcement a while ago from information "leaks" on the Web.  Now that the day has arrived, like the previous four iPhone launches, I don't care.

Well, let me retract that.  The first iPhone was a big deal, but I was working with AT&T (Wireless) at the time, so I was immersed in it.  Long hours and crazy demands during that time period.  From what I hear, the same applies now.  No vacations are allowed for employees during an iPhone launch week from what I've been told.  That's the way it was when I was there, too.  But, there's the thing: I don't care for iPhones.  They don't thrill me any more than a pair of Nike Air Jordans that people stand in line for every other season.

Let me run down a list of reasons why I'll be once again passing on the "new" iPhone:

1) I hate paying new money for something that looks like an old product.  Although this iPhone does look a little different and better than the i4s, it's still basically the same phone with upgraded software and processor.  I like my new products to look new.  Don't buy my car, put an air freshener in it and try to sell it back to me at a much higher price.  That's what Apple (and EA Sports, too...) tend to do in my opinion.

Why everyone who owned an i4 ran out to buy an i4S is beyond me.  They virtually only got an upgrade to Siri and I can vouch for the fact that she works nothing like the commercials.  Samuel L. Jackson would be cursing out the real Siri and Zooey Deschannel would have been met with "I don't understand" replies.

2) This is more of a question: do all iPhones have to have that same old tired applications layout?  Can you customize an iPhone at all?  Someone will have to fill me in on that one.

Same old screen? (Source)

3) I refuse to stand in line to buy something that everyone has.  I like to be different.  I will admit that if I thought that iPhones were the absolute best cell phones out there, then I'd own it.  But, since I know that there are other phones that get just as good, if not better, ratings, I'll pass.

Now, there are some things about the iPhone that I do like:

1) Powerful processing is important when it comes to phones.  Apple does a great job in this department which is why their products tend to run so smoothly.  The new A6 processor is expected to be double the power of the previous i4S which is impressive.  Rumored to be quad core, this phone could run rings around a lot of the competition.

2) Apple's marketing strategy is absolutely amazing!  Now, that has nothing to do with the performance of the phone, but Apple's ability to tweak a product, put a "new phone" price on it and still cause people to stand in line for it is amazing!  Their Apple-only environment insures that everything is completely compatible and works flawlessly together from iTunes to the Apple TV.

3) Apple is the reason smartphones are so great these days.  The reason Motorola, Samsung and others got off their butts to improve their products is because of the original iPhone.

Having said all of that, the iPhone is no longer the leader in technology.  Sure, they'll make a ton of more money than the other companies, but the technology is very 2011.  More like early 2011.

• At one time, iPhones were unmatched when it came to memory capacity, but now the Galaxy III also has models with 64GB storage.  

• Although Siri was a big hit and was one of the first of its kind, it doesn't nearly perform as well as the TV ads insinuated.  Some Android users would argue that Google has a better product in Iris ("Siri" spelled backwards).  

• iPhones are just now getting to a 4" screen while the Samsung Galaxy III is almost pushing 5".  

• Apple is just now getting their phone to LTE while other phones have been there for a while now (granted LTE is still limited).

• The Retina Display looks great, but the resolution of an iPhone isn't HD at all (1136 x 640).  In fact, the front-facing camera has a higher resolution (1280 x 720) than the phone itself.  But, the display on the iPhones do look really good.

My next phone is on the far right (Source)

So, to those who think that just because I call things like I see it that I'm a hater, then whatever. I Don't hate iPhones. Heck, I have a second generation iPad and I love it.  I just don't give any technology the benefit of the doubt without making a comparison or two first, that's all.  Some people just want something simple that works and frankly, you can't go wrong with an iPhone.

2010: Year In Review (Jan. - Mar.)

Here's a look at some things that went down in 2010 that I thought were worth mentioning:


1/22 - Conan gets booted from the Tonight Show - This was foul to me. Jay Leno came off as an egomaniac who wanted to throw his weight around after his failure of a show collapsed at 10 PM ET. Luckily, Conan landed on his feet at TBS and is doing fairly well there.

Worth mentioning: 1/27 - Apple reveals iPad - Everyone likes iCandy, right? While they're very useful during a commute, to me, it's way too much money for a conversation piece.)

2/19 Tiger apologizes - For what, I'm unsure. The cheating was between Tiger and his wife. For those of you who think that he owes you anything because you were fooled into thinking he was the Golden Boy, then you need a hug. Tiger lost a family at home, endorsements and from the looks of it, some of his golf game over some Waffle House babes. I hope he still gets free "Covered and Chopped" hashbrowns.

Worth mentioning: 2/7 - The Saints win the Super Bowl - I still can't believe this one. The Bad News Bears of the NFL shocked the world and pulled a Buster Douglas on Peyton and his Colts. This is a team that was so bad when I was growing up that the fans wore bags over their heads at the games. Now they are World Champions. Now I have to listen to folks yell "Who Dat!!??" until the Falcons get revenge on them and knock them out of the playoffs. Yes, that was a prediction that will make Scott smile.


3/23 - Obama signs health care overhaul into law- 22 pens were used to sign this bill (I need stock in Office Max). John Boehner described it as a "somber day", but at least he didn't cry. I guess we'll have to wait and see how this bill turns out.

Worth mentioning: 3/15 First full body scanners installed at O'Hare - Now you can check for bone fractures before catching a flight out of town. I didn't experience any of the troubles some travelers mentioned while on my trip to Orlando earlier this month. I guess big guys in glasses don't fit the profile.

Check out Apr. - Jun.
Check out Jul. - Sep.
Check out Oct. - Dec.