In a humorous moment during this week’s TUCON, Tibco CEO Vivek Ranadive asked Citi CEO Vikram Pandit how he balances bitterly competitive customers
Vivek: Coke and Pepsi?
Vikram: I drink half and half
to laughter from the audience
Vivek: Google and Apple?
Vikram did not have as humorous a response.
Next time he should flash a photo of my Android with the new iPhone5 EarPods. Best of both worlds. I have been able to get on 4G for a while and can continue with Google Maps, while enjoying my iTunes on the Amazon cloud with superb new acoustics.
The EarPods continue the masterful industrial design tradition of Jonathan Ive. Says iLounge
“Unlike any of Apple’s In-Ear Headphones, EarPods are not designed to seal your ear canals, and don’t include silicone rubber tips. Instead, they use a distinctive hard plastic molding to achieve most of the same functionality: the little speaker in each earbud is covered by a plastic waveguide that channels sound directly into your ears, using three slit-shaped ports at their outer tops and bottoms to let the speakers breathe. Apple says that the shape came from measuring the geometry of hundreds of ears, finding a happy medium that will be comfortable, stable, and sonically impressive across more users. It also allows you, for better or worse, to hear more ambient sound around you while listening to audio or making phone calls.”
Talking of design, the Apple store where I bought them has become even more minimalist. No POS terminals, the receipt printers are hidden below the tables, and the associates are flashing EasyPay tags encouraging you to mobile pay and make the stores even more minimalist with fewer associates.
BTW, I want to see how Vikram’s Union Square branch evolves. I wrote about it in my chapter on Design Elegance in my recent book.
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