This may be one of the fewest times when Microsoft has not told a fib. For years big brother Microsoft has been growing a reputation of lies and deceits, but today they seem to changing all of that (even if it’s just momentarily). Recently Microsoft has hired Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the ad agency behind the campaign pairing Bill Gates with Jerry Seinfeld, to recruit ‘unwitting subjects by posing as a market research firm studying laptop purchasing decisions’. It still tickles me pink to know that Microsoft would rather hire ‘dumb, computer illiterate’ people to help promote their products. It’s almost as if Microsoft is saying ‘If your dumb, then buy Windows. If your smart, go with Mac’, but we won’t get into that today.

According to the ad agency,  participants found on Craigslist (apparently that’s another site in which unwitting people use. Hell, don’t  a lot of Nigerian scams run off of that site?) were given between $700 to $2,000 to buy a computer fitting certain criteria, and were told they could keep the computer they selected. One ‘unwitting’ participant named Lauren was told to buy a 17″ notebook for less than $1000. She was then filmed entering an Apple Store where she couldn’t find one. Lauren then heads to Best Buy and selects a $699 HP machine running Windows. That experience was turned into a 60 second TV spot for Microsoft after the agency told the buyer that the purpose of the excursion was really to promote Windows.

Of course the new ads don’t go into details on hardware purchases; they simply make the case that PC laptops can be found for cheaper, playing up tight funds in the tough economy. Best Buy actually does sell the DV7-1245DX, an HP notebook with 17″ screen, but it lacks fast wireless 802.11n, fast Gigabit Ethernet, digital audio inputs and outputs, weighs 7.75 pounds, and only features the screen resolution of Apple’s 15″ notebooks: 1440 by 900. Technically, it is a 17″ notebook in terms of size, but it doesn’t have the 17″ resolution of Apple’s MacBook Pro, which is 1920 by 1200. Hmm, I guess that’s why they were looking for “unwitting” participants.

“This notebook has the worst screen I have ever seen in my life. It’s the 1440×900 screen and the viewing angles are so poor that even when sitting directly eye level with the screen it is totally washed out. If I go a little bit off-axis the screen results in a negative image. I was using the default settings. Unfortunately I didn’t read reviews before I purchased.” One HP buyer pointed out in regards to  this model series.

Not to mention,  the HP notebook runs Windows Vista, rated by ChangeWave as having the lowest operating system satisfaction rating in rankings that were led by Mac OS X Leopard and also included Linux and Windows XP. Many PC makers continue to add a “Windows XP downgrade” as a feature on their new PCs. This makes it particularly interesting that Microsoft would advertise its product by citing the price of the hardware it runs on, rather than calling attention to any of the features in its own product. It’s not that Microsoft hasn’t tried. Vista’s first “Wow” campaign portrayed customers in a state of pleasant shock when using it.

So in closing, Micorsoft seems to know it can’t fool the computer geeks, or the enthusists, so it looks for the ignorant, unwitting to pray on in an attempt to show other unwitting or ignorant potential buyers that ‘hey all this fuss about Mac’s is nothing, choose a PC it’s cheaper’, but sometimes cheaper doesn’t mean better. That’s like comparing a hooptie to a Lexus. Now understandably, not everyone can afford a Mac. That’s where Microsoft can come in and say ‘Hey, if you cannot afford highend, go with PC’ (FW)

A clause in the Apple/developer agreement for the App Store, if enforced, could put a financial pinch on developers. Apple already gets 30% take of every sale made from its store. That means if an app sells for $10, the developer gets $7 and Apple gets $3, which is arguably a hefty share for basically being a distributor. Apple claims the fee includes advertising and access to Apple’s loyal user base, as well as an easy way for potential customers to find the developer.

Recently though, TechCrunch has noticed a clause regarding refunds that it says has the potential to bankrupt developers because they are required to pay a steep out-of-pocket fee to Apple if an App is returned. Courtesy of CNET, FW has  obtained a copy of one of these agreements from a developer who signed on recently. Here’s the clause from Section 6 titled “Responsibility, Liability and Indemnity”:

6.3 In the event that Apple receives any notice or claim from any end-user that: (i) the end-user wishes to cancel its license to any of the Licensed Applications within ninety (90) days of the date of download of that Licensed Application by that end-user; or (ii) a Licensed Application fails to conform to Your specifications or Your product warranty or the requirements of any applicable law, Apple may refund to the end-user the full amount of the price paid by the end-user for that Licensed Application. In the event that Apple refunds any such price to an end-user, You shall reimburse, or grant Apple a credit for, an amount equal to the price for that Licensed Application. Apple will have the right to retain its commission on the sale of that Licensed Application, notwithstanding the refund of the price to the end-user.

The clause basically says that if for any reason a customer wishes to return a previously purchased iPhone application within 90 days, Apple “may” choose to give a full refund. According to CNET, Customers deserve full recourse in the event someone sells them a bum app, “but here’s the twist of the knife”, If Apple gives a full refund to the customer, it could well expect the developer to reimburse Apple their original 30 percent take for the sale. Essentially, as CNET explains, if Joe iPhone plays with this developer’s $10 app for a while, decides he’s bored with it and manages to convince Apple to give him a full refund, the developer could have to return not only the $7 he got from the sale, but also an additional $3 he never saw. Imagine the fear bulding in the developers reading this who sell study aids to teens, or any sort of temporarily needed application.

The developer who spoke with CNET pretty much summed up what’s likely to be a widespread sentiment, which is that Apple is the only game in town right now and as some would say in Chicago you have to pay to play. “Funny, I just acknowledged that agreement last week and thought that clause was weird. Oh, well, no negotiating power I guess,” he said.

Written By: Fareed Warrad | March 16, 2009 | 04:48 PM EST

Dell (Dell) Adamo Laptop Less than an inch thick with a 13-inch screen, the Adamo supports three USB ports and an eSATA jack, which could be used for plugging in an external hard drive.

Everyone these days is taking note when it comes to design ingenious and beauty in regards to Apple’s products. Everyone including Dell, who just released it’s new Adamo Laptop, ts first stylish, high-end, ultraportable laptop that flexes the company’s design muscle against Apple’s MacBook Air. “Dell’s Adamo is aimed at the affluent PC buyer willing to trade style for horsepower and features found in more mainstream laptops. The system is unique for Dell because it’s clearly meant to appeal to people not interested in a low-cost business or consumer system, which is Dell’s typical offering.” Antone Gonsalves of InformationWeek said.

“While Adamo is unlikely to generate volume sales, the machine, like other high-end systems, makes up the difference with a higher profit margin. Ultraportable laptops, which have full-size keyboards, are lightweight systems that are larger than mini-laptops, called netbooks, but smaller than mainstream systems.” Gonsalves continued.

Alex Gruzen, senior VP of Dell’s consumer products, said in a statement “While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch, and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch.”

Adamo’s stylish features include a chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum, like the MacBook Air; a scalloped backlit keyboard; an edge-to-edge glass display; and a choice of onyx or pearl colors. The system is 0.65 inches at its thinnest point and weighs four pounds, which is a pound more than the Air. Adamo is also a bit larger, at 13 inches wide. The baseline Adamo version includes a low-power 1.2-GHz Intel (NSDQ: INTC) Core 2 Duo SU9300 processor. Customers can opt to pay more for a 1.4-GHz Core 2 Duo SU9400 chip. The processor falls short in horsepower compared with the Air’s 1.6-GHz Core 2 Duo in the standard configuration and a 1.86-GHz Core 2 Duo in the more expensive model.

The Air arguably has more powerful graphics with the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor versus Adamo’s Intel GS45 integrated graphics. However, side-by-side testing of the machines has yet to be done, so it’s too early to say whether the Air outperforms Adamo. The Dell system is available with up to 4 GB of DDR3 memory and includes a 128-GB solid-state drive. Like the Air, the system has no optical drive, but Dell sells an optional external Blu-ray or DVD combo drive. Dell also sells external hard drives for Adamo. The Adamo has a 13.4-inch display and built in Bluetooth and 802.11n wireless technology. It also has an Ethernet port, something Apple was criticized for not having in the Air. Adamo runs 64-bit Windows Vista and gets up to five hours of battery life, according to Dell.

According to Gonsalves, Dell started taking pre-orders of the Adamo on Tuesday and expects to start shipping the system March 26. The starting price is $1,999, which is more than the Air, which starts at $1,799. Dell, however, is less expensive than another potential competitor, Hewlett-Packard’s Voodoo Envy, which starts at $3,000. Dell introduced Adamo in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The event, however, was meant more as a tease, since no details were disclosed.

I just read an article from CNET claiming that “Apple, the makers of the IPhone, have filed a set patents for a Wii-style wireless controller that looks to be made for the Apple TV and could be used for a number of applications.” The patent filing, including the image above, clearly shows an icon for Safari, as well as images that appear to be an iPhoto-like app.” CNET corpsonent Mat Hickey said in the article. He continued on stating “The filing, which describes a ‘remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system,’ specifically uses the Apple TV as a reference. Could this mean games on the device?”

Obviously the current version of AppleTV is not exactly a feature rich prodcut but for what it does do Hickey claims that “I love the device. I have one and use it almost every day. It’s the easiest way to get my movie fix on in my living room, and the Flickr and YouTube functionality is amazing, as well as fun at parties.”

Either way if Apple is planning on introducing games onto the AppleTV then it wouldn’t be a streatch to say that pretty soon Apple will become a formidable apponent in the gaming console industry. Think about it, Apple introduced powerful (at least for a mobile device) low cost games on the IPhone and IPod, just think what it could do if it moved that platform onto the big screen? Be afraid Microsoft and Sony, be very afraid!

Originally Published: 03:00 PM EST

Proving once again that the best way to reach Americans’ brain is through their funny bone, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show continued his warpath aimed at irresponsible financial reporting by CNBC, specifically calling Jim Cramer out for his comments on how easy it was to profit from misinformation aimed at Apple.

Calling it “disingenuous at best and criminal at worst,” Stewart grilled Cramer, the host of the frantic energetic “Mad Money” entertainment show, for his act of being “doe-eyed innocent” while celebrating the admittedly illegal shenanigans of hedge fund managers.

Stewart played clips of Cramer describing — shortly before the iPhone was first announced — how hedge fund managers could spread lies about the product through either gullible or willing media sources, creating either fear or excitement that would distort the company’s stock, allowing the fund manager to profit.

Fomenting the market

In the clip filmed for The Street, Cramer notes that this practice of “fomenting the market” is “actually blatantly illegal, but when you have six days and your company may be in doubt because you are down, I think it is really important to foment.” Cramer specifically cited the example of stirring up rumors that Apple’s iPhone would be rejected by both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and that it wouldn’t be ready to demonstrate in time for Macworld in 2007.

Apple’s stock performance leading up to the 2007 unveiling of the iPhone made it a prime candidate for foment and manipulation, as media figures spewing misinformation could easily cause temporary, panic-induced drops that manipulators could then use to profit dramatically from. Other companies, including Microsoft, had seen so little change in their stock price since the 2000 bubble popped that they simply couldn’t be manipulated as easily.

Fomenting the market against Apple, however, “is very easy, because the people who write about Apple want that story. And you can claim that it is credible because you spoke to someone at Apple, because Apple isn’t in [a position to comment on unannounced products]. It is an ideal short.”

Originally Published: 11:20 PM EST

The latest, most petit version of Apple’s iPod shuffle music player can be disassembled without major challenge, according to a new tear-down report, which notes that the player is compatible with third-party headphones if all you want to do is listen to music straight and not control playback or volume.

Apple’s third-generation shuffle was announced just yesterday with 4GB of storage and a new aluminum design that’s smaller than a AA battery. The controls, somewhat controversially, have been moved to the earbud cord, with VoiceOver speech technology for navigation.

The Apple teardown experts at iFixit have posted their first look at the new shuffle, observing that a single MacBook Pro 17″ weighs as much as 286 of the miniscule players. Even more tiny is the battery, about the size of a dime, with a 73 mAh capacity representing less than half the size of the power reservoirs used in previous shuffles. The weight of the entire shuffle is less than 11 grams, and the rear cover and clip by themselves weigh as much as the rest of the components.

As part of its examination, the iFixit team found the new third-generation shuffle isn’t compatible with the second generation dock, nor did the third-generation cable work with a second-generation iPod shuffle.

“Interestingly enough, normal headphones can still be used to listen to music,” the solutions provider says. “The only drawback: without Apple’s proprietary headphone playback control, you will not be able to change songs or adjust the volume.”

Before taking it apart, the technicians couldn’t resist placing the diminutive device into a police line-up for a size comparison against a quarter, nickel, dime, PEZ dispenser, SanDisk flash drive, and paper binder clip. While it’s not the row’s smallest suspect, the shuffle is certainly guilty of being significantly shorter than the dedicated flash drive and just slightly taller than the binder clip.

“We begin by inserting a metal spudger into a crevice between the rear cover and the rest of the shuffle,” iFixit wrote. “Inserting the metal spudger creates a gap big enough to insert an iPod opening tool.” Sliding the tool across the length of the gap dislodges the left side, then the same procedure is applied to the other side to pry the device open. Once inside, the team was impressed with the clean, simplified interior design (”Is this the future? A single IC, a battery, and some user interface components”).

With the outer casing removed, the electronics and battery weigh just four grams, or less than a single sheet of paper. While it’s a little bit of a challenge to separate the two halves, once inside there’s only one screw to remove.

iFixit noted the back aluminum cover is “fairly easy to bend,” recommending caution whenever dealing with that part. With the full shuffle taken apart, the CPU, RAM, and 4GB of flash memory can be seen on a multi-layered stack connected to the battery, while the headphone jack and shuffle switch come out as one unit. According to a stamp inside the casing, the device appears to have been built on March 3rd, meaning iFixit’s lucky shuffle had been assembled no more than nine days before being dismantled.

Below are all of the internals (”There are not many parts in this iPod”) laid out for comparison with a dime the iFixit team said they found inside (geek humor).

For the full disassembly guide, complete with additional details and photos, is available at iFixit’s website.