Guest blogger Bart Weiss is president of the Video Association of Dallas.

Before I start I have to give 2 disclaimers,

1. I have Apple bias.

I like their products. They consistently produce products that help me be more creative and productive. And they have the perfect balance of form and function.

And 2. I like new gadgets.

So the announcement of the new 3 g iPhone gets me really excited but more than that, I see it as the beginning of yet another paradigm shift.

And by the way, it comes out on July 11^th my birthday (hint hint).

It has been clear to me for a while that the mobile device is the next thing. What a computer, or a phone, can be is evolving. Usually, people don’t use all of a cell phone’s functions. But Steve Jobs said yesterday that 80 percent of iPhone owners use at least 10 applications, so clearly, to them, it is more than a phone. And as speeds become faster, so will the number of apps people use.

Then there is the application store. It is easy for third party developers to make applications, so the iPhone becomes a platform for innovation. You can see the recent pitch from a Rangers game right after it happens, find out where your friends are on the GPS (and either go to see them or avoid them) and play games in a new way. Because of the way the iPhone senses movement, your phone becomes the viewer and the controller, I am not a gamer but this is cool. And most of the apps were made in 2 weeks. Who knows what is coming.

The other important part of this is the price. It will be half of what it used to cost, so I assume it will sell and sell, which means more users which means it will be the way for people to communicate and innovate.

Aside from all the biz productivity and game apps, I am excited about what kind of artistic experiences can be produced on the phone. We’ll see.

All in all,

It’s a good thing.