the buzz log

Steve Jobs knows a thing or two about marketing. The man could stand next to a rack of invisible clothes, and people would still ohh and ahh. Fortunately, Apple's founder and CEO skipped the iPantsuit and announced a new iPhone instead.

For techies, the big news is that this version will have 3G support, which allows for faster web surfing and downloads. For those who don't know a 3G from a TV, the new price was the main attraction. Whereas the original iPhone initially retailed for $599, the new one will start at $199. Sounds good, but as Buzz visitors are learning, it's wise to read the fine print.

Several articles point out that while the physical phone is much cheaper, data plans are now more expensive. According to the Machinest, the iPhone's exclusive service provider, AT&T, will raise its monthly rates by about $10 a month.

Still, with the lower price point, many folks are sure to hop on Apple's bandwagon. Searches on "iphone," "iphone 2.0," and "iphone price" dialed up big gains. But cost-conscious queries on "iphone data plans," "iphone monthly costs," and "prices for iphone plans" were also significant. Are folks wising up to bigger fees? Maybe so, but queries like "buy iphone now" indicate many of Jobs' minions are more than willing to pay up.

Filed under: Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, iPhone

Music artists seeking overnight fame, send audition tape to Steve Jobs.

Okay, maybe building an Apple product isn't the most cost-effective way to promote a singer. Then again, Yaël Naïm might politely disagree. The Israeli singer is the latest to sing sweet for the company's newest product. Her buzz has scaled up 550% in the past week.

Those searching for "yael naim wikipedia" will learn that the Paris native's song has made iTune's Top 100 downloaded songs. The tune itself, "New Soul," has hit the top 50,000 in Buzz terms, and more people are still seeking out what that "macbook air commercial song" (+117%) is.

But does it sell the product, or merely add to the cool mystique that Apple has cultivated in its design aesthetic? According to searches, the song is especially popular among females (59%) in the eastern half of the United States. Naim has been the object of broader geographical inquiry, with St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and New York taking an especially close gander.

Compare that to core group researching "macbook air," which has three times the searches than the song: They skew older (13-44 versus song fans 13-29) and have slightly more males (53%). The lightweight laptop geographical Search spread is wider, albeit also concentrated in the eastern half.

Whatever conclusions you can reach from these above tidbits, feel free to share. One thing does seem clear: Singing the praise of Apple isn't just a passing jingle. Steve Jobs might be able to add record exec to his bio soon enough.

Filed under: TV, Apple Computer, Music, Advertising

Our ears are still ringing from the prerelease hype for the Apple iPhone. Wall Street's senses must have been muddled, too. Even before the revolutionary phone was on shelves, analysts put a shine on their crystal balls, divining that Apple would sell anywhere from hundreds of thousands to a cool million of the products in its first few days on the streets. Yet after iPhone carrier AT&T announced a "disappointing" 146,000 activations in its first weekend, Wall Street wanted to hang up the phone on Apple.

Now that the hype and hot air have come down to earth, we see that sales were in line with what Apple predicted, and notably outperformed initial sales of Apple's other success, the iPod. The buzz on Apple's phone came in crystal clear as well. In its first 30 days on the street, the "iphone" query maintained a strong position in the top 100 searches, and even ticked up a precocious 8%.

Of course, there were a few other relevant searches in the iPhone's first month, including "iphone problems" (+4,652%), "unlock iphone" (+6,208%), and "iphone sucks" (+470%). All of which dials in on the fact that a product and a company's value are defined well beyond Wall street's jibber-jabber.

Filed under: Apple Computer, Gadgets, iPhone