Venting the vapour

Feb

Posted by J Russell

News

smelly vapour It’s been over seven months since Sling Media announced a player for the iPhone. We’ve seen some demos, but still not even a target date. Next up is SiriusXM, recently teetering near bankruptcy; do you think a “killer app” streaming truly unique content might have made an impact on their bottom line? I know quite a few Stern fans that would have waited in line for two days to purchase an iPhone and a new SiriusXM subscription (with a new wireless streaming subscription of $12.99 per month, wink wink). And finally, there is Adobe; who has just announced Flash products for a score of mobile phones, but not the iPhone, for sometime in 2010.

These are not small, fringe companies; they are the leaders of their respective markets. Why have they failed to deliver products for the most innovative and best selling mobile phone in the U.S.? Can I scream it? WHAT IS THE #@!%# PROBLEM? Is it Apple? AT&T? Is it Steve Jobs? Whatever. Just deliver the goods. Where’s the apps, man?

I am an iPhone disciple, and I can live with its shortcomings (lacking cut and paste, native MMS, etc.) but I will turn on these guys in a flash (pun intended) if competing products come to the party. Hell, thanks to Slacker and WunderRadio, I doubt I’ll be renewing my Sirius subscription (after five years), and at this point, I’m rooting for Hava to deliver an app so I can replace at least one of my Slingboxes (in service for three years). I know Flash will not be easily replaced, but someone, somewhere will deliver if Adobe can’t (or won’t). And even Apple shares the blame, and is by no means irreplaceable. The Storm is improving, more Android phones are coming, and the Palm, among others, is gaining ground. After two years of dominance, the iPhone needs some help, and we need these companies to deliver.

Until then the vapour continues to rise . . .