Apple Moves To iTouch POS

Apple Sales people will soon be using the iTouch instead of the current mobile checkout system away from the Pocket PC to the iPod touch, several sources claim.

A distinguishing trait of Apple Stores is the ability of clerks to handle payments away from a fixed station; the company has, however, been using Pocket PCs for this purpose since 2005, in spite of launching the iPhone and iPod touch in 2007. The move to the Touch is said to be coming in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season, and already in effect at a Valley Fair Mall location in Santa Clara, California, possibly as a trial.The Touch is said to have said have several advantages, such as speed, finger control, a small size and better reliability. Clerks must use a stylus to control the Pocket PC, and it is considered prone to crashing and losing its Wi-Fi connection. "I hate these things," one user is said to complain. "In the middle of a transaction, I'll hit 'next' and end up dumped back at the login screen. It's so frustrating." The unit is in fact alleged to have been partly responsible for long lines during the iPhone 3G launch in 2008.

A major advantage for Apple corporate should be expenses, as new Pocket PC terminals cost between $800 and $1,000, and the company must pay not only for their maintenance but backups to ensure breakdowns do not disrupt business. Using first-party hardware is expected to cut down on both initial and follow-up costs.

It is that the Touch transition did not happen earlier mainly because of firmware limitations. Checkout clerks need barcode scanners and credit card readers, and these could not have been easily (or cheaply) supported for the Touch prior to iPhone 3.0. The code's support for third-party point-of-sale gear and software leaves little reason to use a Pocket PC.

The Windows 7 Failure

Check this out - Look at how "buff" Justin Long is! Hubba Hubba!

"Never Met You Yet"

Michael Bublé's new song. He wrote it himself!

Ronan Keating gave the eulogy at Stephen Gately's funeral service yesterday and he had a difficult time keeping it together as he paid tribute. He referred to Stephen as a brother, a friend, a husband, and his "wingman" and when he got to 'husband and his wingman' he literally brokedown and had to repeat the words. It was heartbreaking to hear. Later Ronan sang his song "I Was Loved By You" to say goodbye to his 'wingman'. That song with photos now appears on YouTube and below:

Kevin & Scotty

Another great Brothers & Sisters kiss...

Boyzone's Stephen Gates Dies

UPDATE Tuesday, October 13: Boyzone star Stephen Gately, whose body was found in a house on the Spanish resort island of Mallorca, died of natural causes, according to autopsy results released Tuesday.

A post-mortem showed Gately, an Irishman, died as a result of a pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, the Balearic Islands Superior Justice Tribunal said in a statement.

"The signer of the British group Boyzone died from natural causes, owing to an 'acute pulmonary edema'," the court statement said.

"The autopsy carried out this morning showed there were no signs of violence to the body," it said, adding that Gately's remains could now be flown home.

Gately was found dead on Saturday in a house near Port d'Andratx on the western tip of Mallorca. The singer had gone to Mallorca with his partner Andrew Cowles. The two were wed in a civil union in 2006.

The court said tissue samples from the singer's body would be sent to a laboratory in Barcelona for further analysis, and that unless information contradicting the autopsy result emerged, the investigation would be closed.

How very sad to lose such a wonderful talented young man.