Jul 30 · Air Jordan X - Chicago 45 - White - Black - True Red - Look See Sample
Last month, we brought good news that the Air Jordan X will be making a Retro comeback this March in the classic White/Black/True Red Chicago Bulls colorway. Apparently, we almost got these last year as part of the Air Jordan X/XIII Countdown Pack. This colorway was originally considered for the Air Jordan X edition of the pack, but was eventually replaced by the Dark Shadow version instead. The above sneaker is a look see sample, one of only six that were produced. It sports the White/Black/True Red color scheme and has Jordan’s comeback number, “45″, stitched onto the ankle. This is just a left shoe sample, available without a partner on eBay, but would still make a nice addition to a lot of collectors’ Air Jordan displays. You can check out a bunch more pics after the jump while you’re waiting for the Retro version to hit stores in March.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Motorola Sholes Android phone... Possibly headed for Verizon?
On the lookout for the Motorola / Android / Verizon trifecta, we dug up some handset renders over at motofan.ru that seem to fit the bill quite well, thank you. According to the site, "Sholes" is a 3.7-inch (480 x 854) touchscreen device that will make its debut in the U.S. in October, featuring: 512MB storage, 256MB RAM, support for microSD / microSDHC up to 16 GB (an 8GB microSD ships with the phone), a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, GPS, and the expected connectivity (USB, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi), audio, and video formats. And if the translation wasn't hopelessly garbled, the source is also saying that this bad boy will support both CDMA and EVDO Rev A . No word on a price yet, but if this phone does make it to the realm of the real it'll be nice to see a Moto / Android device that doesn't look like it belongs in the hands of a tweenage girl (yeah, we said it, Morrison). See for yourself after the break.
Entelligence: Six is much too much
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.
Last week, fellow columnist Ross Rubin talked about the state of mobile platforms and how the era for launching new platforms has come to an end. I tend to take a different view of the mobile market. There are currently six major platforms vying for the hearts and minds of users and third party applications developers -- RIM's Blackberry, Microsoft's Windows Mobile, Apple's iPhone, Nokia's s60, Palm's WebOS and Google's Android -- and there's simply no way the market will support that many device ecosystems. But there may yet be opportunity for other players to enter the market.
This is not a new phenomenon. In the early 80s there were a multitude of personal computing platforms. Atari, Commodore, Radio Shack, Texas Instruments, Apple and even Timex (yes, Timex) all were in the personal computing business, long before IBM entered the game. All survived for a period of time selling to an enthusiast market with a focus on out of the box featuresets. Once the target became the mass market, however, user expectations changed from the out of box experience (which essentially meant programming in Basic) to additional capabilities provided by third party software. The success or failure of each PC platform was decided in no small part by the availability of third party software. Exclusive titles, best of breed titles, and titles that appeared on a given platform first determined winners and losers. The same thing is happening today in the mobile space.
The first wireless email devices (which were the ancestors of today's mobile devices) focused only on the out-of-box experience they provided and the core feature of email (and later on, web browsing). Even though all platforms had some degree of third party support (most notably Palm and Microsoft) most non-enthusiast users did not bother with those apps. Of course, the iPhone and Apple's App Store have changed everything. Apple marketed the iPhone not only to the business professional and the enthusiast but to the mass market. In doing so, it positioned core device features like email, web browsing, and voice as table stakes in the smartphone market. The new differentiator isn't the device itself but the added features provided by third parties.
More importantly, Apple provided a direct conduit for third parties to reach consumers through both iTunes as well as on the device. We've now seen efforts from the other five players to launch their own application stores and begin to reach out in greater ways to third party developers. As with the personal computer, it's these third party developers that are going to define which mobile platform wins wins and which loses. And like the personal computer space, six competing platforms will not all be able to gain sufficient traction to survive over the next three years. While we won't likely see a consolidated market with one overwhelming player as we did in the PC space (how that happened is another story for another day) we will likely see three platforms capturing the lion's share of the market with the rest slowly fading into the sunset along with TI/99a personal computer.
But that doesn't mean the market is closed. When Apple entered the market, there were many skeptics who said their effort was too little and too late. While there would be huge inertia working against any new entrant, we've seen from both Apple and Palm that new platforms can be launched effectively, capturing both mindshare as well as market share. While the PC industry is somewhat stagnating as both Microsoft and Apple prepare to launch new desktop OSes that are far more evolution than revolution, today's mobile platforms have dramatically upped the degree of functionality and capability. But none are perfect. There's plenty of room for innovation in the mobile marketplace -- someone will develop the next platform that leapfrogs the current generation. The question is whether it'll be one of the today's players or someone we've not heard from -- yet.
This is not a new phenomenon. In the early 80s there were a multitude of personal computing platforms. Atari, Commodore, Radio Shack, Texas Instruments, Apple and even Timex (yes, Timex) all were in the personal computing business, long before IBM entered the game. All survived for a period of time selling to an enthusiast market with a focus on out of the box featuresets. Once the target became the mass market, however, user expectations changed from the out of box experience (which essentially meant programming in Basic) to additional capabilities provided by third party software. The success or failure of each PC platform was decided in no small part by the availability of third party software. Exclusive titles, best of breed titles, and titles that appeared on a given platform first determined winners and losers. The same thing is happening today in the mobile space.
The first wireless email devices (which were the ancestors of today's mobile devices) focused only on the out-of-box experience they provided and the core feature of email (and later on, web browsing). Even though all platforms had some degree of third party support (most notably Palm and Microsoft) most non-enthusiast users did not bother with those apps. Of course, the iPhone and Apple's App Store have changed everything. Apple marketed the iPhone not only to the business professional and the enthusiast but to the mass market. In doing so, it positioned core device features like email, web browsing, and voice as table stakes in the smartphone market. The new differentiator isn't the device itself but the added features provided by third parties.
As with the personal computer, it's third party developers that are going to define which mobile platform wins and which loses. |
But that doesn't mean the market is closed. When Apple entered the market, there were many skeptics who said their effort was too little and too late. While there would be huge inertia working against any new entrant, we've seen from both Apple and Palm that new platforms can be launched effectively, capturing both mindshare as well as market share. While the PC industry is somewhat stagnating as both Microsoft and Apple prepare to launch new desktop OSes that are far more evolution than revolution, today's mobile platforms have dramatically upped the degree of functionality and capability. But none are perfect. There's plenty of room for innovation in the mobile marketplace -- someone will develop the next platform that leapfrogs the current generation. The question is whether it'll be one of the today's players or someone we've not heard from -- yet.
Philips Wake-Up Light with Dock for iPod
For those of you that don’t need those extremely loud alarm clocks, it might be nice to wake up in a much more calm manner. With this Philips Wake-Up Light, you can wake up a little more gradually, instead of getting a very abrupt start to your day. All the while it can charge and play your iPod or iPhone by utilizing the built-in dock. It might not be something that would be ideal if you’re sharing the bed with someone though. Especially since the light does get brighter over a slightly extended period of time.
It takes it a total of 30 minutes to reach the maximum amount on the light. Which means you set the alarm for one time and it starts preparing you before that alarm ever goes off. Once it does go off, you can set it to wake you up with nature sounds, the FM radio or with music directly off of your iPod or iPhone. The light can also be turned on to be used as a bedside lamp. So although it is a slightly bulky clock, you won’t have a need for a lamp to be on the end table as well. You can purchase the clock for $199.99 from Amazon.
Air Jordan 60+ (Sixty Plus) Blk/Red
We saw a 60+ Points DMP of Air Jordan 1 Retro Highs and there’s a whole slew of 60+ colourways of the original on the way. It’s time now for the ‘original’ colourway of the shoe that started this scoring celebration. The Air Jordan 60+ comes to us in a mix of black suede and faux snakeskin. Expect touches of varsity red and white like the Chicago Bulls uniforms MJ wore during the various years represented in this mashup. They’re slated for an August 15th wide release, but Vault got ‘em early and you can also find them on ebay now.
Style: 364806-061
Color: Black/White-Varsity Red
Air Jordan 3 "True Blue" Detailed Pics
The wait is over, the Air Jordan III (3) Retro in it’s OG colorway of White and True Blue have finally been retroed and will be available shortly at select Jordan Brand retailers. The rumor is that these will not be sold in the US and will be an International Release only, but we are waiting to confirm the rumor. This pair of Retro’s are almost identical to the pair that was originally released in 1988, but of course the difference like many of the Retro Jordan III’s and IV’s is that the “Nike Air” logo on the heel has been replaced with a Jumpman logo. Images via Kix-Files
Style: 136064-141
Color: White/True Blue
Concepts/Nike SB Dunk Low - Yellow Lobster Sample - On eBay
Right in the middle of the Blue Lobster hysteria at the Concepts release event back in June, the show was stolen by a pair of Yellow Lobster Dunks that created a lot of buzz and speculation. It turns out that only 34 pairs of the Yellow Lobster Dunk were made and given to Nike SB friends and family, as well as the crew at Concepts. These will never be released for retail, but this pair was given away at the Sneaker Pimps event in Boston last weekend. Given the extreme rarity of the shoe, this may be your only shot to get a pair now that these have just gone on eBay. Be prepared to drop some scratch though, because there are a lot of sneakerheads out there willing to go all out for such a scarce collector’s item. Even if you’re not ready to break the bank for these, you can at least take a look at some detailed photos after the jump. Thanks to Andre for the heads up. Photos: SUPREMExCLIENTELE.
> eBay: Concepts x Nike SB Dunk Low - Yellow Lobster Sample
Air Jordan Force Fusion IV (4) =White/ Cement
The task of legitimizing the often scrutinized Fusion line seems to be falling to the Air Jordan Force Fusion IV. While a lot of sneakerheads have no love for Fusions, the Air Jordan Force IV seems to have a good shot at converting some of the naysayers. The Air Jordan IV is one of the most beloved models in the storied Air Jordan catalog and this hybrid model does a great job staying true to the original look. The use of original colorways is another big selling point for the Fusion IV’s, and as you can see the classic White/Cement color scheme is looking as crisp as ever. These kicks are not scheduled for release until August 1st, but VaultHarlemalready has some in stock and so do some eBay sellers. Keep reading after the jump for a look at some more pics, including a shot of the two classics that were combined to create this new model. Additional photos:95Soleman.
Color: White/Varsity Red-Cement Grey-Black
Style: 364342-162
Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier III - Cool Grey Reptile
The Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier III is back again, this time in a colourway that’s an exact copy of the latestZoom LeBron VI (6) Low. These have that clean mix of cool grey nylon and Nike’s new bumpy reptilian leather pattern. They have white on the Swoosh and speckled midsole, plus splashes of bright colour on the tongue. You can expect these soon at select Nike Basketball retailers or go ahead and grab em today from eBay. Photos: RMK Store on eBay
Celeb Shoe Sighting... More Jaspers, DC, and more!!!
Carmelo Anthony was spotted in Los Angeles at the launch party for TAG’s new signature series of body sprays alongside his fiance, LaLa Vasquez, as well as Ludacris and Rob Dyrdek. Melo who is known for often having some of the best Jordan’s in the game since he’s been a member of Jordan Brand since his Rookie Season, was actually seen wearing a pair of the Louis Vuitton x Kanye West Jasper’s in the Grey and Pink colorway. Some other notable celebrities who were also seen at the event were Lance Gross, who was seen wearing the same pair of LV x Kanye West sneakers as Carmelo. Joel Madden who was spotted wearing the Nike SB Angel & Demon Dunk’s again.
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