Much, much more

There's no use in pretending that the iPhone release date isn't the big news-driver for this week. As much as many folks are looking forward to their shiny new phone, however, I can't help but think that the biggest news over the long term isn't the iPhone itself, but rather, the new set of features and expectations that Apple is bringing to the market. A new standard in user interface is the most visible change, but we're already seeing carriers compete with the iPhone by adding services like video calling to their services. It tends to work out this way--a great new product drives other companies to compete by adding new features and functions to their offerings. Oh, sure, I'm looking forward to seeing iPhones in the wild--but what I'm really looking forward to is the new product and service offerings coming in its wake. -Curtis