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Apple Cancels Long-delayed AirPower Charging Mat (venturebeat.com)
One and a half years after announcing a wireless charging mat for iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods called AirPower, Apple has unexpectedly cancelled the accessory. From a report: It notably missed its expected shipping dates multiple times, including a potential release alongside the second-generation version of AirPods and charging case this week. "After much effort, we've concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project," said Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio in a statement today. "We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward." Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, adds, "This is fairly unprecedented and unbelievable. The AirPods even have a picture of the AirPower on the box."
I would argue that the Newton was pretty innovative.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
And a Palm Pilot is just a notebook with electronics and a cell phone is a landline with the wire cut.
Apple has been innovative in the sense that they know what people want out of the product and develop it out. There were cell phones and smart phones when the iPhone came out (most notably Windows Mobile) but they sucked and nobody wanted to buy one, they were indeed a Palm Pilot and a Cell Phone in one package but the software treated it as two different modules, no integration, you had to sync contacts manually on and off the SIM card, if you were lucky you got IR to work to transfer data from your computer, but otherwise you had a serial connection (yes a 9-pin D-Sub) to use it.
Computers existed before the Apple II but they were for geeks and curiosity. Nobody knew how to put them in the classroom, living room and make it usable.
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The LG Prada. The iPhone was a blatant rip-off. Apple was going for a menu driven, resistive, phone before LG showed them how to do it.