AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I play a lot of games on my mobile devices and since they're covered by many other sites, I normally shy away from bring it up here. But seeing this game on Touch Arcade today, I have got to share this with you. There's a PC version if you can't wait but the iPhone version is coming and it is a perfect match for your iPhone or iPod Touch's finger-friendly multi-touch screen. More at Touch Arcade

I have debated whether I should upgrade my 2nd generation iPod Touch when Apple upgrades the iPod Touch hardware this fall with similar specs like the iPhone 3GS. My hope is that the fall upgrade will also bring us the elusive iTablet but as I have mentioned in other posts, I don't think it'll be released until 2010.  But if we are surprised for one reason or another, this is one that I hope to be wrong about. Back to the question of whether I should upgrade or not.  Appleinsider is reporting on a report that the iPod Classic could be upgraded this fall and it won't be the last.  Not only that, it may have a camera.  In fact, I think Apple can extend the life of the Classic with just such a move. As I've said, this puts my upgrade plan into a tale-spin.  The new iPod Touch is likely to be upgraded with a camera as well.  So this even things up with the Classic.  However, the Classic will have a larger storage.  And I can do with a player wit...

Here is the order of how I think best to read a book today: With a real book On a dedicated reader like Kindle. On the screen of a tablet PC.  This includes the XO.  Tablets allow the user to orient the screen. On the screen of a laptop or netbook. On a mobile device like the iPhone or iPod Touch. Now, here is a list of preference in terms of overall usefully to a dedicated mobile warrior such as you and myself: On a mobile device like the iPhone or iPod Touch. On a dedicated reader like Kindle. On the screen of a tablet PC.  This includes the XO.  Tablets allow the user to orient the screen. On the screen of a laptop or netbook. With a real book. Notice the Kindle sat in the runner-up position on both list.  After coming up with the list, that was a surprising realization for me as well.  It's not just Kindle.  Sony's eReader and whatever readers Barnes and Noble will share with in early 2010 also fall into this category. But if you're a traditional bookworm, a real pa...

Eventually, the iPod Touch may get its own GPS chip. There's a lot of moving parts in the mobile landscape that has a good chance of making that happen. But before that occurs, the iPod Touch is pretty much left out of the GPS business part of the app store. There is a solution on the way. TomTom's car kit is a cradle with its own GPS unit inside and it is suppose to work with the iPod Touch. In truth, when do you really need a GPS anyway when you live in the cities? If you said "in the car", then you're right. Watch the video demo and you can see just how seamless TomTom has made the car kit for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It even comes with a charger and a connection to play your music in the car. Impressed? Well, it will set you back $200. $100 for the TomTom app itself and $100 for the car kit.

There's are just too much heat on Apple, ATT, and it's money making scheme, the iPhone. I think when Apple launched its iTunes app store a year ago, it didn't expect this level of success. The growth has been phenomenal. But given the growth trajectory, there is bound to be a lot of growing pains. Hence, all those complaints from developers whose apps sat in approval purgatory or simply cast out of the bounds of the app store for one reason or another. The latest uproar from bloggers and media (including an ongoing FCC inquiry) is the rejection of the Google Voice app. That has turned on a lot of heat on Apple. I'll leave the story out in this post but the bottom line is that all the attention on Apple is making it difficult for them to reject any apps that the bloggers will perceive as anti-competitive behaviors by Apple or ATT or Apple's approval process gone awry again. But at the end of it all, I am not sure this has impacted the iPhone's popularity wit...

Here's one example of how Apple rumors get spun and created. Electronista is reporting on another report about an Nvidia executive talking about a media pad.  From that, Electronista reports that it is possible they're talking about the rumored Apple tablet. Folks, let's me be clear.  I want to the Apple tablet really really badly.  But not enough where I am going to find every post about mobile tech to be about the iPhone, iPod, or the iTablet.  And for the record, I believe it's coming.  2010 at the earliest.  Not going to be sooner.   In fact, if past rumors are "true", Apple is likely to be using its own chip designs than off the shelf parts like Nvidia Tegra. But I encourage you to click through and read it as it does seem that some exciting new NVidia-powered media pad is coming our way.  My take it this isn't about Apple but more about Android or WM.  Love to be wrong about that though. Source:   Electronista , Hexus

Yesterday, Yahoo went ahead to call out Apple on their Yahoo Messenger approval.  The lack off.  Well, it turned out that Yahoo was trying to jump on the bandwagon to bad-mouth Apple's dismal app approval process without doing it own homework first. Reported on CNet News, Yahoo posted a blog titled "And so we wait...on Apple".  The CNet post titled to max out the effort of the Yahoo blog, Ms. Sarah Bacon of Yahoo called out Apple for the "somewhat unpredictable process".  Well, Bacon, it's gonna get a lot more predictable for you and Yahoo from now on.  First, Yahoo needs to do something about this. Yahoo had pulled out their update to Yahoo Messenger to add more update and Bacon was left out of the loop.  It's funny because you'd figure that someone on her team might know a thing or two about what's going on. No wonder Yahoo has been in such a dismal shape compared to Google and has to look to Microsoft for search helps.   Two weeks ago, Yah...

I knew straight away that Apple would never allow the original C64 emulation to get into the app store a couple of months ago when it was first reported.  It was an exciting prospect but, honestly, Apple's knee-jerk reaction would be to turn away any emulation apps.  I think everyone knew that was going to be the case. But for most folks, we wonder "where's the harm in a two decade old computer"?  Well, the fear is many folks will start turning out emulators for other systems.  Palm is the obvious pick.  That's what I'm interested in.  And maybe Windows Mobile and others. But Touch Arcade is now reporting that a C64 app maybe coming to the iTunes App Store.  Apparently, the developer was contacted by a high-up at Apple and he or she tweeted "big news coming.  Thank you to EVERYONE for the support".  I don't think we can confuse this for anything other than that a Commodore 64 emulation app is on the way. I never had a C64 or the C128. ...

Right now, Apple accounts for 1/3 of all Wi-Fi use by one measurement and 25% of all music sold in the United States. And to top it off, iTunes accounts for almost 70% of digital music sold.  69% To be exact.  That means other attempts by music labels and iTunes-wannabes (ahem, Amazon, ahem) has done nothing to change how much folks embrace Apple's mobile and music strategy. I am certain that DRM-less change and the ability for iPhone and iPod Touch users to download music wirelessly helped. But what's incredible how iTunes continues to dominate the market.  It makes me wonder just who are buying all these music from iTunes?  But I have to offer a cautionary note.  Music industry growth aside, there may come a time when digital growth may peak or slow.  That means don't expect to see 25% share that Apple currently enjoy is going go be 30% next year or the year after that. A large percentage of the US music buying is still being done offline.  M...

We've all assumed by now that the iTablet from Apple, imagined or otherwise, will be in the form of a tablet, making itself very much different from the netbooks that are now flooding the market.  It would satisfy the analysts and bloggers, not to mention mobile warriors like us.   Plus, such a form factor would allow Apple to say their netbook answer is not a netbook.  But the issue many folks have, even if Apple were to go this route, is the input methods.  Some people aren't going to be happy with this - typing on a screen even if Apple has demonstrated with the 40 million + iPhone and iPod Touches in the wild that its touch implementation works just fine.   You're always going to have to small number who swear by physical keys.  So, I think perhaps Apple might offer a different solution.  A middle ground.  Because of the large size of the iTablet, there is space for Apple to create hinges and a port for a detachable keyboard should the user choose to use one. It woul...

By all accounts, Apple's new North Carolina data center , is for something huge.  500,000 Square feet.  By other standards set by Microsoft and Google, most of their data centers are around 200,000 to 400,000 square feet. So, what is Apple doing with this kind of room and the processing power that is sure to occupy this place? Well, there are tons of speculations.   Mobileme reliability - boy, does it need it. iTunes expansion - movies, TV, music, apps. iLife expansion to challenge Google and Microsoft's office plans Less reliance on 3rd party servers and services Support for new unannounced services and products Take your pick.  I think it's all of the above.  If the data center in NC is specifically built for one or more of the above services, others will be built in no time.   But looking at the list, it's telling to see where Apple thinks the future of wireless and computing is headed.  And Apple is simply getting ready to innovate in those areas.  More important...

These days, iPhones aren't in shortage in the sense that there are long lines.  But even now, you can walk into an Apple store and not find the model or color you want. Well, prepare for more shortage if International Business Times' report are correct.  And I have reasons to believe that they are indeed on the money with this one.  According to the report, 5 million iPhones will be bought by China Unicom.   There are numbers like value and cost attached to it but that's not that big of a deal.  What's a big deal to me is that the number seems awfully low.  It has a subscriber base of 140 million, almost twice the size of ATT. I am sure the small number is a conservative run to see how it goes.  These iPhones will have no Wi-Fi and is WCDMA, whereas existing iPhones on the market are GSM units.   Already, the unofficial number of iPhones smuggled into China for use stands around two million, I am sure these official units will be really well received by the local mobi...

Yesterday, I spoke about GPush, an iPhone app that let's the user know when he or she has new mail from the gmail account, and how it can serve to help point Google work around the lockout by Google and Apple. Then at the end, when I tried to buy it, it was not available.  I had assumed that the app may have been censored or pulled.   Well, good news.  The app isn't in the store yet.  However, the developer, Tiverias , pointed it out on their Twitter feed that they're still working on it.  Apparently, it was not quite ready yet. But hopefully, they'll get it out to us soon enough.  If you like to be kept up to date, you can follow their feed here at Twitter. Can't wait!

GPush is an incredible app.  No, I've not yet had a chance to use it yet and I don't know if I want to just yet.  It's probably because it isn't more than a notification app for Gmail. I want more.  Early, I had wondered whether push notification can be enabled somehow through Safari.  Well, that's a question for iPhone 4.0 or later.  The reason I asked about that is because Google is working on getting Google Voice to work through Safari after ATT, maybe Apple, rejected it and pulled out 3rd party apps that supported Google Voice. Google Voice alerts you via Gmail when you get a voice mail.  However, it doesn't do that for SMS yet.  I'm guess it's at the request of wireless providers looking to protect their lucrative stream of revenue. Now, maybe there is a workaround.  GPush is a good example and I'm hoping other means may be possible in the future (Growler, please do something).  According to the GPush developer, it provides notific...

Now, that Apple is likely to engage in full-blown war with Google and it's mobile weapons, Android, Chrome OS, and its excellent collection of webapps, I began to think about Latitude's rejection. Early, I examined the possible reasons for Apple rejecting Google's Voice app and Google's encroachment into the OS market.  At Onxo  (must read), I speculated that it is possible Apple has VOIP and ereading functions for the iPhone platform. Now, focusing on Latitude, I wonder if Apple is set to challenge Google Maps and other mapping selections from the likes of Yahoo and Microsoft. We had all assumed that ATT is the culprit behind GV's rejection.  But suppose it's not.  Suppose, however unlikely, it's all Apple's doing.  Latitude is just so unlikely that Apple will reject something so trivial that may not really have a huge following. So, if Apple rejected Voice because it has its own iChat alternative waiting in the wing, could Apple rejected Latitu...

Apple is delaying the inevitable.  Everyone was watching the Google Voice rejection and talking about the FCC investigation.  Apple should have just lumped everything in there.   While many believe Spotify is a threat to Apple's iTunes, I'm not so sure.  It's music is only one aspect of a mobile experience.  If Spotify does TV, movies, and apps, then I think Apple would have cause for concern. Still, the silence from Apple on Spotify app is deafening.  I hope Apple does approve the app because I've been using it and it's incredible.  Better experience than anything Napster, Real, or Microsoft has ever created.   That said, I do look forward to the drama that'll be created if Apple does reject Spotify's app.  FCC asking more question.  ATT says to blame Apple.  Google looks on with interest.  And more importantly, will Phil Schiller take time out of his busy schedule to explain the rejection like he did yesterday about the dictionary censorship ? You can ...

Disclosure:  I'm an Apple shareholder.  It's from mutual funds and stuff from eons ago.  So, obviously, I'm interested in the financial well-being of my favorite computer company that has over the years provided me with the tools to be productive and mobile.  Powerbooks, Macbook, Mac Mini, iPhones, and iPods. While I'm happy that an Apple tablet will add $1.2 billion a year to the bottom-line (which means now, doesn' it), I'm first and foremost a mobile warrior just like you.  Busy, moving, and all that jazz.  What I really am interested in is how it'll change the computer and mobile industry. Just like the iPhone changed mobile computing, I want to know how the tablet will change it even more.  The iPhone is no smartphone.  It's a very mobile computing device.  The iTablet, if you will, will have to take that a step further in the following areas: Close the gap between mobile communication.  If Apple negotiate its way into a data with the wireless c...

By now, you know that the FCC is looking at Apple, ATT, and Google for the reasons behind why 3rd party Google Voice apps were pulled and why Apple rejected Google's official app for Voice. Now, there was more uproar by the tech bloggers when a dictionary app was rejected for censorship reason - as it first appeared.  Now, Apple has responded to that situation with an explanation. It's not he-said-he-said that I'm talking about here.  The meat of this post is that we're even talking about Apple making any kind of explanation regarding its actions at all.  Perhaps, the FCC's letters to the three parties here has spurred Apple to be more open already.   Think that if the FCC wasn't looking at ATT's iPhone exclusivity deal and app rejections that Apple would even care what bloggers and developers are talking about?   Yeah, that's right. Link:   Apple's Response

There has been talks about Apple going with Verizon with their next mobile device.  iProd.  iPad.  iTablet. We don't really know with certainty that it's coming but with faith not that borderline on religion, I think it's coming.  Now, the word on the street is that Verizon is double-timing their effort to get LTE up and running.  Apple will then release the next revolutionary production on the LTE network. Given ATT's performance and propensity to interfere with the app store dynamics, it stands to reason that Apple will have less reason to trust ATT's network and goodwill. Having said that, there are some things we should know about LTE networks.  Right now, it cannot do SMS or voice.  No voice protocol has been decided on.  More at Onxo that is a must read. Now, the ideal situation for future VW-Apple-device customers is that we can get on the LTE network without interference from Verizon.  Plus, it's purely data.  That means...

"What iPhone issues?  Works fine for me" is the general response I get when i talk to the folks around me about app rejections and Apple's draconian app policies.  They loves their iPhone 3GS's and take every opportunity to brandish it. And come to think of it, why would they care?  99% of the folks out there don't care that ATT, through Apple, rejected the Google Voice app or that Slingplayer only works through Wi-Fi.  The iPhone serves their needs and to them, that ought to be the headline.   Nor do they care that Apple has rejected apps for anti-competitive reasons.  The iPhone works.  Period.  Gaming?  Tons of them. Facebook.  Yup.  Browsing the Web.  Piece of cake.  Looking for a restaurant or ATM.  Couldn't be easier. More often than not, it's ATT's spotty network they bitch about.  Would they recommend the iPhones to their friends and family?  In a heart's beat.  Would they continue to stick with their iPhone when their contracts are up? ...

With Google CEO's leaving Apple's board of directors and the many posts now about it and a growing call or speculation about a new Silicon Valley rivalry between Apple and Google, it stands be believe that Apple will eventually launch a salvo or two at Mountain View. And should that happen, it'll be interesting to watch.  Very very interesting.  Two giants separated by less than 10 miles (according to Yahoo Maps - trying to stay neutral in this battle, avoiding using Google Maps).   One potential area where Apple can really shine is in the area of search, and maybe even hurt Google a bit.  If Microsoft can get Bing working after all these years trials and errors, Apple's years of software and Spotlight development experience can come up with a viable search product and maybe shake things up in the search market. At least that is also what one ZDNet post is thinking as well.  I've long wondered about this ever since Android came on the scene.  We all know Apple...

Google Voice is a problem on two fronts for Apple but it's not a threat.   First, I've been using Google Voice on my G1 and I'm loving it.  If ATT folds under the pressure I'm hoping the FCC is bringing to bare, I'll love it even more on the iPhone.  So what if I'm using GV on the iPhone?  I will still love the huge app stores, the games, MobileMe integration (which I don't get on the G1), and other iPhone specific functions. Second, GV serves to compliment MobileMe because let's face it, Apple needs to add more features to MobileMe.  Free SMS would be great.  Chatting would be even more awesome. So, it's not a threat but GV creates problems for Apple.  One, bad publicity.  If you're aware of Apple's rejection of GV app, then you know what I'm talking about. The other problem is that it highlights how behind the curve Apple is when it comes to cloud computing.  And it's very very far behind.  It's even behind Microsoft.  That...