AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I found this site, Apptism , that collects all apps on the iTunes app store and does it's own presentation.  There are two main features some users might find useful. If  you recall Podcaster, a podcasting app, that was reject by Apple that became the poster child for all that is wrong with, what some would say, Apple's draconian grip on app approval and development.  Well, there is another way to add apps to your iPhone, the ad-hoc distribution system, if you want an app that Apple will not allow onto the app store.  There's a reason why this was created and not really meant for most iPhone users.  It's relatively new so I warn you to use it with a certain amount of risk. Now, here is the best part about Apptism.  I hate the reviews that are allowed on the app store.  I know you do too.  Some guy would give one star because he felt he can or because he isn't willing to pay for it.  Something ought to be done against that. On Apptisml, ...

Initially, we thought about not posting an update for the Mac or the iPhone today because there was nothing that happened the average users will need to know about or have the news make any kind of impact on their mobile experience. So, Apple app store censorship, while old news, will likely pop up again in blogs, podcasts, and in the end one of two things will happen.  Either Apple relents (a bit) or developers just go quietly into the night and end-users will never know that a great battle was fought on their behalf. If there is anything of significant today, it's Steve Jobs in Europe looking frail and chatting it up with EU regulators on online sales issues. iPhone-iPod Issues: Appleinsider has a post on manufacturing and supplies maneuvers in the background that we may not know about.  It's an interesting read.  Highly recommended.  It's one of those things we read in books about Jobs or Apple.   Onxo wants more some Japanese style games for the iP...

I was wondering about what Japanese themed RPG are out on the app store for the iPhone and if not, when will they be out. Well, then I saw Vay (head over to Macworld ).  But we're not here to talk about that.  I'l have a review this weekend or next week. But Vay is it!  No more.  Now, I know Pokemon is Nintendo property but Sega, Konami, or anyone do not have anything to compete with Pikachu? Heck, I'll settle for Cardcaptors or Digimons.  In a year, there will be 40 million iPhones worldwide.  In addition, there could be anywhere from twenty to thirty-five million iPod Touches.  For a combo of sixty to seventy-five million potential consumers, it looks right for these Japanese video game studios to jump into the pond. And if these Apple devices are indeed more power than PSP and the DS and as powerful as the PS2, it's time to see Xbox and PS2 type games on the iPod. Judging by the review for Vay, there definitely is a market for Square a...

Not happened in Mac and iPhone land today.  If you took a stroll around the Web today, you'll see a lot of ruckus being made about Android and Storm. Incidentally, these two smartphones will fight for attention next week.   Though I wonder if Apple may try to disrupt it with Macbook updates.  That would be swell.  I get an Android phone and a Macbook.  Sweet. iPhone-iPod Update: Feeling nostalgic?  Well,  iPodNN  reports Apple will have 4GB iPod Nanos, just like my first gen Nano, available in certain international markets.  I wonder if this is a defensive move against the likes of cheaper MP3 players and deteriorating global economic events.   MacWorld  discusses deploying the iPhone for business. Onxo  discusses iPhone and other mobile reporters. Mac Update: Roughly Drafted  has details on the next Adobe Creative Suite.  Just in time for those Macbook things we keep hearing about. While not really Ma...

We've got tons of social apps available to us for the iPhone.  Twitteriffic, Twinkle, and Facebook just to name a few. They're mostly for us to stay connected with our friends and family on our daily lives or whatever happens to be on our mind. Now, CBS is taking it one step further.  CBS News wants iPhone users to be their eyes as reporters much like what CNN's iReporter is for all mobile folks.  I discussed this a bit at Onxo .  It's a phenomenon that is here to stay and I think something mainstream media will utilize more over time. Check out the app on CBS' eyemobile on iTunes.

In about a month, we'll be able to see what kind of staying power the iPhone as with Android phone being released in October and Verizon just going live with their Storm page. We posted some analysis on Verizon Wireless' counterattack against the iPhone.  It appears to be a sign of weakness but you be the judge of that.  I am pulling for Blackberry as I think they've got very neat phones. I just hope VW doesn't pull down RIM down if sales are not good after hyping it. iPhone-iPod Update: Air Sharing is an app that works as a wireless drive.  it's free for only two weeks.  Just a reminder. Virtual Monkey -  you're suppose to take care of it.  Feed it and, well, just be a good parent to it.   Virtual Conquest - turn-based strategy game.  Link isn't work.  It may be like Risk.  If only someone can make an Axis and Allies game. Apple's Remote has been updated with the Genius feature. Verizon readies for war on iPhone.  We ...

One thing in politics is you want to focus on your message and you want to avoid mentioning your opponent, right?  That's before the mudslinging got to where it is today. Well, Verizon will be doing the latter when they launch their counteroffensive on the iPhone 3G with the Blackberry Storm.   Crackberry has some notes and a video on Verizon indoctrinating their troops when it comes to Storm versus the iPhone. Never mind that the Storm is a phone with limited computing capabilities while the iPhone and iPod Touch is a true mobile platform built from the ground up.  So, the comparison isn't apple to Apple but some-kind-of-a-berry to Apple. Ask yourself this.  Of the two, which are we like to see mobile devices being born out of the underlying technology?  One thing is for sure, we're likely to see an Apple mobile device with additional mutli-touch functionalities before we seen something like that from anyone else, let alone RIM. And truly, what do...

One of the problems the iPhone has, and it has many in Japan, is the level of sophistication and years ahead of what American mobile users with respect to mobile features such as e-reading, gaming and other forms of mobile entertainment, and paying with the mobile phones. I hate to say this but with the exception of Microsoft's Windows (and Michael Jackson), foreign companies have a tough time cracking Japan's domestic market with entrenched players who often enjoy social advantages, and at times, aid from the government.   WSJ  (via  Macdaily News ) indicated iPhone's price but it's not that.  This is a nation of very sophisticated and particular consumers with some owning more than one mobile devices. Cost ain't a thing. More likely, it's what the iPhone cannot do. Used as a debit or credit card. Used as a public transportation pass. Used to watch TV. Lack of emoji for messaging (can't this be fixed with apps?) Just like what Apple was forced to...

After waiting more than 48 hours, I decided it was enough time between the initial release of iPhone 2.1 when we reported on Onxo on Friday and when any major problem might crop up. So far, the biggest issues concerning the new update seem to be the lack of concrete evidence that 3G issues are history and battery life has indeed improved. So, I took my mom's iPhone and took the plunge. What has it been like since? Before I get into that, the 2G iPhone had already been been unlocked and jailbroken previously uand worked beautifully with T-Mobile and T-Zone with 2.0.2 using QuickPwn . The first thing I did was to download the update (~240MB) and hooked up the iPhone to it and request the update be installed. Meanwhile, I downloaded the new version of Quickpwn. The application from the wonderful folks of iPhone Dev Team . The update, I had expected iTunes to tell me I had a sim card that did not work with the iPhone. Here's the surprise: it didn't! I couldn...

Electronista is reporting a Citibank analyst speculating the next generation Macbooks may be on the way to the stores. While it is only a speculation at this point, the time frame for a refresh of Apple's portable Macs makes it very plausible. Analysts do one of two things: report on things heard from someone who is married to the taxi driver who knows a cousin whose friend works at some factory in China or looks at old calendars and guessitimates within weeks of when Apple usually made their product introductions and report on that. I don't know what " field checks " mean but he might be right this time. He gets a "gold star"! Suggestion: If you want a new Macbook but can wait a couple of weeks, let the blogs brew over this one and see where we're at then. iPhone-iPod Update: iPhone sales flop...in Japan but doing well everywhere else (Via Macdaily News through WSJ ). I think Japan is a market where Apple cannot dictate to the users what the...

Hello.  I created Onxo to discuss OLPC's XO computing but with the dirth of updates and at times it did not seem like XO was viable, I decided to discuss other mobile issues.  I'll continue to post Mac or our favorite mobile platform, iPod Touch or the iPhone, on Onxo but you can come here for all Mac information if you like.  Thanks and, always, love to hear from you.