AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Last weekend, more than one million iPhone 3GS's were sold and who knows how many more since.  We won't know until Apple reports their earnings in July but some smarty-pants Wall Street know-it-all have already predicted 7 million for the current quarter. Regardless, that means lots of folks will notice how the battery in the iPhone can't be changed out and if they're heavy users, the newcomers to the iPhone family might notice the battery life can be quite short. So, we've republished our battery tip from Onxo and added a few new ones to account for iPhone 3.0 and some neat ones from CNet.  From my past experience, these minor adjustments and behavioral changes to our mobile uses have helped extend my iPhone's battery life thorough a day of mobile computing and entertainment. More at  Onxo Mobile Tips .

Via MacDailyNews, Toronto Star is reporting Bell Canada Inc and Telus Corp have been collaborating on creating their own GSM network to the tune of $1 billion to entice Apple to let them carry the iPhone. According, the report, launch is expected this fall and the two Canadian wireless providers will be paying huge sums to Apple for the honor.  Previously, It was only Rogers that carried the iPhone, allowing it to pretty much have its way with iPhone customers with sky-high rates. So, competition is good.  But I wonder if there are additional implications for folks in the US.  There has been no work of Verizon Wireless building a GSM network on top of its CDMA network.  But there are other GSM competitors to ATT in the United States. T-Mobile, I'm looking at you.  Previously, I had stated the possibility of Apple punishing ATT for not keeping up its end of the partnership by launching the iPhone with T-Mobile.  Well, it's not really possibility but m...

How many of you know that Google has more than just Maps and Google Earth on the iPhone?  Yahoo has two apps, Yahoo and Yahoo Messenger. Well, if you don't know, I understand.  Both Google and Yahoo don't really push their iPhone apps all that much on users.  Google is probably torn between supporting Android and keeping Apple happy.  Yahoo has said it'll dedicate more resources to the iPhone development at the cost of other mobile platforms. However, with Google and Yahoo making the maiden iPhone introduction, both companies have not really done all that much for our favorite mobile device.  And with push notifications now a feature that's likely to play a prominent role with the platform, I'm disheartened to say that neither of these companies have updated their apps with push notifications. And it stands to make sense that Yahoo and Google offer push notification.  First, there's Google.  The app is nothing more than an app with icons that lin...

There has been grumblings about ATT in recent weeks.  First, it's ATT.  Second, when Apple unveiled iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 at the WWDC keynote a couple of weeks ago, we find out that ATT has not pulled its weight in the iPhone partnership. So, talks about Apple and Verizon hooking up intensified, if not in reality then at least with tech bloggers.  I even called out that Apple may even bring the iPhone to T-Mobile just to let ATT know that the iPhone has outgrown it.  Seriously, bring just the iPhone 3G at $99, $149, or even the original price of $199, and Apple will have no problem find millions of T-Mobile fans switching to the only other GSM network in the US. More and more I think that's not likely to happen.  So what should Apple do?  Well, Apple has created a viable and advanced mobile platform of the which no one has seen before.  When Apple came out with the iPod Touch, even ATT was surprised. Perhaps Apple can surprise ATT once more w...

This is news some time ago but I've just seen the video of how Jorge Colombo used an app called Brushes on the iPhone to create last month's New Yorker cover. It just shows how much mobile creativity and computing has come in the last couple of years.  There's a short video of how Jorge created the cover at  Onxo Gadgets .   What's amazing is that we're only scratching the surface of what the creative mobile society can do with their mobile devices.  I'm more than certain that we'll see more amazing things in the coming years.   And this is only possible given the mobile revolution that Apple had ushered in since the original iPhone.  Imagine the kind of creative energy that'll be unleashed when Apple eventually lets loose a multi-touch tablet.

I wrote earlier about my failed attempts to connect my Bluetooth headset to my iPod Touch.  I couldn't figure it out but now I know why.  Well, someone else figured it out. To make the long story short, you need a BT headset that supports AD2P standard, a standard allowing for audio to be streamed. So, if your BT headset or ones you're thinking about buying doesn't support AD2P, iPod Touch might or might not see the headset.  And even if it does, it won't work. Also, if there is a mic on your BT headset, it won't work.  See I was thinking a BT headset would be my ticket to avoiding having to buy a new wired headset with a mac from Apple to use the Voice Memos app.  No go.  Apple didn't enable it.  At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple enables BT mic for VIOP with a later update or simply left it out to force folks to buy the headsets. Whatever the reason, well, we'll can only guess but we won't really know.  But I hope this answ...

Apple will likely stop counting how many apps there are for the iPhone and iPod Touch once the 100,000th app has been reached.  Because we may eventually see 250,000th.  500,000th.  Or even the millionth app. A some point, the app business is going to be bigger than it is today, both in terms of the number of applications and the number of apps that will eventually be downloaded.  You think it's impressive Apple got its one billionth download in 9 months?  How about about the 2nd billionth in five to six months or the next billion after that in 3-4 months when China joins the iPhone craze? By then, we might be 75-100 thousand apps in the iTunes app store while Android Market may well reach over 10K.  But how does Apple manage 100,000 apps in the app store as it currently exists?  And if Apple's competitors are willing to admit this, they are waiting to see what innovative means Apple will conjure up to do just that. Already, developers have gone ...

One of the most exciting features I was looking forward to with the iPhone 3.0 update is the Bluetooth access with iPod Touch.  In particular, I was looking forward to using my Motorola BT headset as a mic along with my trusty Touch. With apps like Skype and Voice Memos featured prominently in the minds of Touch owners, I was excited at the prospects of Touch owners being able to use their existing headsets, negating the need to buy a sanctioned wired headset be would a welcoming addition. Unfortunately, I'm here to save you some googling and tell you that doesn't appear to be a feature for the iPod Touch Bluetooth.  I've gone through a few forums and no good news. Most people were unable to connect their iPod Touches and their BT headsets.  A couple of users pointed out that the iPod Touch will only pair with stereo BT headsets.   I'm continuing to see if there is a workaround through my knowledgeable friends or the forums.  For now, we march on an...

Dear Senators, particularly John Kerry, I hope that you continue to press the FCC on the wireless "gatekeepers" not just on exclusive deals on phones but also on their messaging and net neutrality issues.  But as for the iPhone deal that ATT has exclusive access to, don't worry about that.  It's over.   And MacObserver made a great point in their post in this matter. While most executives at Apple are working on iPhone numbers - how much they'll sell today and how much to order for the days ahead, Steve Jobs is fuming over how many billions of dollars are left on the table because of ATT.   Where to begin?   Customer dissatisfaction.   A 3G network that was not ready for the iPhone 3G, then or today.   Claims to support net neutrality but handicaps Slingplayer and Skype while MLB, OrbLive, and a few other apps get a pass (More at Onxo ).   An iphone upgrade policy that punishes, rather than rewards (I'm a bit iffy on this one but I'm just so mad at the ...

A couple of weeks ago when I went to my local Best Buy to check out this upstart mobile device that was labelled a challenger to our dear iPhone, I was told that Best Buy may be getting their own allocation of iPhones. In fact, I stumbled onto a site yesterday that supposedly had a screen shot of their iPhone distribution.  I don't know if that was real or not but I have not reason to believe it is what it appears to be at this point. So far, ATT seems to be running out of stock while Apple has things stacked their way.  I suppose that's a smart move.  Get folks to go to the Apple store to get the iPhone and at the same time check out all the cool Macbooks and iPods while they're there. For the most part, hanging out at the Apple store is pretty cool.  I certainly do see a potential for some stores to offer a coffee bar for folks to hang out.  What do you think?  In fact, Apple had considered doing this in the 90s, which as we know did not pan out but...

It's not like many of the features like cut/paste are new to us but finally having it available on our favorite platform is truly truly "about f2#$% time"! I was finally about to download 3.0 around midnight last night.  Came home earlier but connections were refused a number of time so I decided to go workout.  After dinner and messing around the house a bit, I finally decided to give it a try. First thing I tested out was the cut-and-paste feature.  Flawless.  Then I wanted to test out the push notification feature but I didn't really know which apps offer it.  There was no IM apps that I like except I had Yahoo's app.  It didn't seem to work.  I was not able to tell if the app simply didn't support the feature or push didn't work. And the push notification is the one to watch this weekend and in the coming weeks.  It was built as the sensible substitute to allowing apps to run in the background since that would decimate the battery life on the iPh...

You've likely read or heard about Hulu working on an iPhone app.  Well, it's a killer app if there is one.  While Apple might tolerate a Hulu app (it has allowed TV.com and a few others to offer apps that stream videos), ATT will never go for it.  ATT sucks bit time.  There, I said it.   Back to the subject at hand. Point your mobile browser here:   NBC Mobile .  You can watch many videos including full episodes.  It was a sweet discovery and I'm glad to be sharing it with you. For other mobile sites that offer videos for your iPhone or G1, go to  Onxo Mobile Tips .  

So, the iPhone 3.0 should be available for download on the 17th.  I said it "should" be available.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. It is too earlier in the iPhone product history for us to try and discern how good Apple is with the mobile OS.  So far, their track record has not been all that great with respect to updates.  Even features such as push notification is late.  Nine months late to be exact. Therefore, it isn't inconceivable that something may pop up at the last moment and delay things for a couple of days.  Like Apple has indicated, there are 40 million iPhone and iPod Touches out there.  It's going to be crazy with that kind of numbers download 250MB each. For now, let's just say we're looking at Wednesday but it could be Friday or next weekend until it is available.  But for my iPod Touch, my $10 is all set. Note:  I think this is a major upgrade and Apple should charge $10 for all the new features in iPhone ...

CNet provided Apple the opportunity to overtake other gaming platforms in five easy steps.  Since I'm a mobile fan and am an iPhone devotee, I already consider the iPhone platform to be my choice for gaming, at least for the next couple of years. What's interesting is the poll that CNet put in the article.  The results did surprise me. I was able to gather two things from the poll.  First let me say this that isn't a scientific poll as those conducted by professional consultants and even those are wrong half the time.  But CNet did provide an opportunity to say where the state of mobile devices and smartphones are and what it means to its users. Apple fans are nuts.  And we're proud of it.  However, this would not be the case if Apple did not come out with innovative products with the ease of use, app support, and design, I'm pretty sure this won't be the case.  From Macbooks to the iPhone platform to the changing iPod lines, as long as Apple c...

WWDC 2009 has come and gone.  And it was one of the best I've seen in a long time.  After all, Apple has to make up for a lackluster Macworld, that ended up being the last Macworld keynote ever. Now, PC World, on behalf of bloggers and critics, is already doing some Monday morning quarterbacking - focusing on things that were missing from WWDC.  Let me be clear, I don't like spreading rumors but, boy, I love them.  Over the years, it's always been rumors, some rooted in truth and others just really really out there, sustain the reality distortion field in between Apple product updates and media events.   On Apple and Onxo will not traffic in rumors but PC World's article of missing things from WWDC has provided me an opportunity to deal with this.  By address some of the points PC World has brought up, I'll preempt them before they become rumors. Brilliant, eh?  I'm just gonna pick a couple here and make you head over to PC World to read the...

Who wold have thought that someone else would get booed more at an Apple event than Microsoft. That's exactly what happened to ATT.   When Apple started delivering the iPhone for ATT, Apple really delivered.  In the beginning, it was a true partnership.  But with prior 3G issues and now ATT not being able to deliver all the features iPhones 3.0 promises, ATT is starting to look more like a liability. But ATT still needs Apple and its iPhone to fend off Verizon and its arguably better network.  Now, it's all about playing defense for Ma Bell.   Here's why .

You were a great friend.  To many of us.  Isn't that right, people? After the WWDC 2009 keynote, you were left without a companion in the Macbook lineup.  Just you with your white plastic case but very powerful system inside.  Why just last week, Macworld had you pegged as the faster Macbook than your former teammates, those unibody Macbooks with their aluminum case and LED screens.   But it was you who has been there with us every step of the way, going back to the G3 days.  Then G4.  Now Intel.  You put us through school.  Launched blogs and careers.  Heck, you've probably made those two-man developer teams rich who developed their awesome iPhone apps on you.  You did it all.  There was nothing you couldn't do. Now, it looks like Apple is prepping you for retirement.  These are going to be the last generation or two of Mac users, switchers, and thousands of school children who will get to know you.  You continue to...

If you're like me, you couldn't be at the WWDC and spent the morning following five or six live blogs providing updates from San Francisco.  And with each update, the more excited I got.   New Macbooks.  Sales figures (40 million iPhone and iPod Touch users).  Snow Leopard and iPhone 3.0.  And finally, iPhone 3G S.  I had trouble containing my excitement.  Oh, and three cups of coffee didn't help the situation.   Now hours later, with time to digest the data and allow the reality distortion field to wear off a bit (I'm sure Steve was near by projecting his legendary RDF), I have to ask myself this question.  Did what we see today revolutionary or evolutionary?  Or worse, was Apple merely catching up with features that has been available to the mobile market but has managed to implement them more elegantly and user-friendly? I can't shake the feeling that there's been a reinventing of the wheel or simply making the wheel easier to use....

We're starting to generate some reviews and app analysis. But I'm focusing more on creative contents, ebooks, and games. The first one I'm reviewing is Wattpad, an ebook file sharing site, that has created an iPhone app for iPhone and iPod users to gain access to its library. I use Wattpad along with eReader, Stanza, and the Kindle app daily but I especially like the free material that is being shared for readers. More Wattpad review at Mobile Goodness

I've waited a whole day to weigh in on the announcements from the WWDC. I've made some notes but I'm not about to weigh in just yet. For some reason, this is very different. This is a very different beast up at Cupertino. Maybe it's because there is no Steve. But it's more. Just a few quick notes here: Phandroid wondered if the $99 iPhone 3G was an attempt to clear out the stock. No. It's not. I've wondered about that myself but this is Apple going for the kill. The iPhone is the one to beat. And here's what amazing about the competition (except maybe Android): they're trying to beat the iPhone with smartphones. Folks, the iPhone and iPod Touch are a part of mobile computing platform (iTablet will be too when it's finally released). The iPhone just happens to be a handheld computer that makes phone calls. Moving the 13" Macbooks up to the Pro league. It's been talked about as a mini Pro but who would have thought that Apple...

Over at  On Android , I've updated my user experience with Cupcake and I focused on the onscreen keyboard. Go on over and see if the new Android OS has made things better for G1 users and how it compares to the iPhone's input scheme.

I think this picture from Engadget says it all. It's from their post from a Sprint store that started selling both Palm and Sprint's savior, Pre. I'm going to reserve judgment until I get a chance to visit a Sprint store and hold one in my hand but if nearly every review out there indicates problem with the hardware, basically the cheap feel of the case, and wholesale complaint about the keyboard, I'm going to go on the limb here and say that an iPhone or traditional Palm PDA form factor is in the works. I've read a couple of posts about a WebOS Centro as well. As you know, Palm is now loaded with a bunch of former Apple executives and engineers. Maybe the Pre's design is what the iPhone could have been and Jobs simply dismissed it. Now, the Pre's design is a push of of those ideas that Apple rejected. Now, only the WWDC. Maybe we'll see something about the iPhone. Maybe we won't. I still very happy with the iPhone and all that it can do. I...

Walt Mossberg does indeed know that Pre (going on sale this Saturday) is being pit against the current iPhone and it has a lot of folks excited. But next week, Apple may finally show us if there is anything else in iPhone 3.0 that they've kept from the public. There's been a lot of speculations about unannounced features and hardware additions. Walt seems to believe that Apple will be surprising us at the WWDC or whenever new iPhones are announced. In fact, he seems to believe that claim strongly. Over on Onxo , we've summarize the current reviews (most came online in the last few minutes) and the Pre is probably the device most people will look to if the iPhone doesn't exist. So just in case you're wondering, based on the reviews, the Pre is pretty good but the iPhone is still the go-to mobile device. Here's are some perceived advantages the Pre may have over the iPhone: physical keyboard, WebOS, background apps, Synergy, removable battery. Now, I did ...