Don't come crying to me if it's an iPhone 4 in disguise

Sentimental or stupid? Steve Jobs' death pushes iPhone 4S preorders to a newApple record

You can call it nostalgia, or you can simply call it techie hysteria.

No matter what you call it, you have to call it like it is.

After more than one million Apple disciples preordered the newly announced iPhone 4S in a single day, the computing colossus declared it "the most for any new Apple product ever launched."

Seeing that the previous single-day preorder record was set at a mere 600,000 with the (fatally flawed) iPhone 4, we'd have to agree — an existing record was mangled in the iPhone 4S process.

While perhaps Apple's hoping that these numbers will impress you, let's step back and look at what happened between the momentous product launch on Tuesday and the preorder on Friday.

Well, first of all, the third-largest cell phone carrier in the country, Sprint, finally got its service plans on the smartphone of our generation — joining the likes of the second-largest cell phone carrier in the country, AT&T, and the largest cell phone carrier in the country, Verizon.

Top three, baby. Apple's got the biggest dogs in the bag now. Does that 1,000,000 number still surprise you?

Something else happened last week, too. Oh, what was it? Hmm. I'm scratching my chin beneath my black turtleneck, but I can't seem to click my mouse on it.

Oh, that's right. Apple's cult-worshipped founder, Steve Jobs, suffered an early and untimely death on Wednesday, a day after the product launch. Who wouldn't want to get a piece of the last pie Jobs contributed to?

But whatever. The fact of the matter is, people want the iPhone 4S, and they want to be the first to have it.

I know the feeling. I felt the same with the iPhone 4. Then I paid the price for being an early adopter.

But hey, more than 1,000,000 of you have zero qualms! Are you among the throng that will be the first to own Apple's latest and greatest? Are you worried? Thrilled? Not buying into the iPhone hype?

Sound off in the comments below.

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accessibility brings empowerment

Autonomous cab company cruises into Houston with wheelchair-accessible rides

Courtesy of Cruise

The six month program is available is more than 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

A California company with autonomous cabs has announced a new pilot program in partnership with a provider of wheelchairs and mobility solutions.

Cruise has teamed up with Numotion for a six-month wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) pilot program in Houston, offering free transportation for qualifying Numotion customers, according to the companies. The program will operate in over 90 Houston-area ZIP codes.

“Numotion is excited to partner with Cruise to offer a seamless and convenient solution for wheelchair users in the Houston area. By providing transportation to and from repair appointments, we're alleviating a significant stressor and providing a way for our customers to receive their service and repair faster,” says Mike Swinford, CEO of Numotion, in a news release. “We're constantly striving to innovate and improve the lives of our customers, and this collaboration demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing beneficial customer experiences."

Cruise entered the Texas market last year, with Houston services launching in October 2023 before the company put all operations on pause following a California crash. This is the first Texas announcement for Cruise since the pause.

"Accessibility is core to our mission at Cruise. This pilot program with Numotion is doing more than providing accessible rides – it’s about empowering people in the community with greater mobility and independence, while also building learnings to better our service in the future," says Craig Glidden, president and chief administrative officer at Cruise about the new pilot.

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The story originally was published on our sister site, InnovationMap.