You can’t even buy the new Apple TV but already the prognosticators are weighing in. John Patrick Pullen in Fortune:

The previous version of Apple TV was dubbed “take two.” Will the new model be known as “strike three?”

Why the hard knocks for a device not even on the shelves? Steve Jobs three months ago:

No one wants to buy a box. You just end up with a table full of remotes, a cluster of boxes… and that’s what we have today.

Imagine the scenario one year from now. Netflix, Boxee, NFL, MLB, NBA, and all network channels streaming, one way or another, through iPhone, iPad, iPod touch—to Apple TV.

Ping is the iTunes version of social networking for music. Yet another way for iTunes users to find music. Wade Roush of Xconomy thinks Ping could be Apple’s undoing:

There’s no integration with Facebook or even with your contact lists, so it’s virtually impossible to find real-world friends to connect with. For a social networking tool, this is a bit of a problem.

Agreed. Ping is Apple 101. Start with something simple and elegant, then expand. Imagine TV shows, movies, books, and especially apps—all built in to Ping, which then connects direct to Facebook and Twitter.

Adding a social networking interface, on top of all of iTunes’ other functions, is like grafting another limb to the forehead of an octopus. It’s just too much.

Agreed. And yet iTunes works for over 100-million dedicated customers. How long before Apple revamps iTunes?

Consumer Watchdog’s take on the Don’t Be Evil video featuring Google CEO Eric Schmidt as ice cream salesman.

We’re satirizing Schmidt in the most highly trafficked public square in the nation to make the public aware of how out of touch Schmidt and Google are when it comes to our privacy rights. America needs a ‘Do Not Track Me’ list and Google is Exhibit A in the case for it.

The video is hilarious, and paints a stark contrast to Google’s carefully crafted persona.

Kate MacKenzie in Mac360 analyzes the logic behind Ben Kunz commentary on Apple’s use of pricing decoys.

Is Apple spreading prices and products over a migration line just to get me to spend more money, or, is Apple giving me more for the money I have to spend?

Yes. Duh.

Yes. That Kate MacKenzie.

Where’s the App Store for Apple TV? Don’t rule out Apple’s ruling your living room. Peter Burrows in Bloomberg Businessweek.

A big question will be whether Apple opens an App Store for Apple TV. If it does that, and history repeats itself, thousands of developers might then race to create programs suited to the TV.

Is Apple thinking in this direction? Yes. If Apple TV sells millions and millions of units at $99, you can bet the farm there will be Apple TV apps.

Seth Weintraub in Fortune on the activation debate between Apple and Google:

A Google Spokesperson told me: “The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services.” —meaning that Jobs’ assertions were wrong.

It doesn’t matter. Google’s Android wins the unit market share war. Apple wins the revenue and profit war.

Brian X. Chen in Wired takes Apple TV for a spin:

All in all, it’s a cool device, and for $100 it’s going to pose a serious threat to the Roku Netflix player. But as a TV replacement, it’s still not there yet. Maybe later.

Agreed. But at $99 a few million iPhone and iPod and iPad users will give it a try.

Good summary of Apple’s terrific music event from Michael Gartenburg:

Overall, it’s an important refresh to the lineup and at the same time sets the stage for a number of interesting directions for the future.

Best fall line up ever.

Whatever the official or unofficial reasons may be that Flash isn’t running on iPhones or iPads, apparently Flash is running all that well on Android phones. Ian Betteridge in Technovia:

Pretty bad. In fact, if you’re thinking video, utterly unusable... Ignoring the broader reasons for Apple wanting to keep Flash off its platform, it’s clear that Flash is simply too processor-intensive to work properly on mobile-class processors as currently specified.

Great video demonstration of Flash on Android.

Nicole Martinelli reports in Cult of Mac on the success of an iPhone stethoscope app:

So far, some three million physicians have downloaded the $0.99 iStethoscope to be able to monitor the heart rates of patients on the go.

It’s an impressive number but there’s no mention on how many of the iStethoscope apps are in actual use.

80 percent of doctors say they expect to be using a smart phone by 2012, this inexpensive app definitely quickens the pace of many. Although the heart-monitor app is undoubtedly handy, it does sound slightly awkward to use without a bit of practice.

How long before our doctor’s appointments are face-to-face via FaceTime?

Hit whoring is alive on major online publications and from notable technologists. Dan Frommer in Business Insider on why he dumped Hulu Plus (hint: it’s not what you think it is):

While Hulu did a fine job technically getting the service up and running, it just wasn’t worth the $10 per month I was paying.

Why?

Mostly because I never used it.

Why not?

Again, my personal preference plays into this a lot, so I’m not saying that Hulu Plus won’t be better for some/most people.

Sigh.

Jonny Evans in Computerworld on six of Apple’s most notorious failed products.

1. The Puck Mouse
2. The G4 Cube
3. iPod HiFi
4. FireWire
5. Pippin
6. Steve Jobs Challenge

#6 is stupid. #1, #2, #3 and #5 are spot on. FireWire has a successful niche and prospers, but it’s not ubiquitous (USB).

Amar Hanspal in The New York Times on Autodesk bringing AutoCAD to the Mac.

This is an endorsement from our side that design and engineering customers are taking the Macintosh seriously again.

Indeed.

Gartner’s Tom Austin joined the iPad party.

My iPad hasn’t replaced my Tablet PC. And it hasn’t replaced my company issued notebook computer, my personal photo and music editing machine or any of the other computers in my apartment. It’s just made them more secondary.

Confirmed. And…

The iPad is transformational because it just simply works. It comes on in a couple of seconds. Reboots? You’re kidding, right? I am sure I will want to or have to reboot my iPad someday. That day hasn’t come yet.

Confirmed. And…

The iPad is a mortal threat to most user PCs in existence today. I’m sure Microsoft and Google can come up with their own iPad equivalents. And I hope they’re more competitive than Zune.

What’s a Zune?