AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I think thousands of iPhone users who also subscribe to Netlifx are eagerly waiting for Netflix to release an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. As the article from 9-To-5-Mac showed, it will not be so easy. The iPad version was ported to work on the iPhone. Furthermore, you will need a jail-broken iPhone to use it. Given the result, you probably wouldn't want to just yet. At the very least, not with this version. The iPhoned Netflix app took 25% of the battery life after 15 minutes of viewing, took a lot time to process, and it crashed quite often. It can inferred perhaps that is why there is no ABC video app for the iPhone either. It will take some work to make it happen. So for conspiracy theorists, sorry to say that Apple is not keeping such apps from us. I would rather have Netflix, Disney, and others take their time to optimize their apps for the non-iPad devices. And I don't think we will have to wait long with the timing of the next updated iPhone release and iP...

Skype just released an update allowing the iDevices running the iPhone OS to make calls overe 3G. I just tried it with the iPad over WiFi and 3G. I also tried with the iPhone over WiFi. For the time, I think I am happy with this ability. The quality was par but if you move around with the iPad, the quality degrades for so reason. I hope Skype will make some adjustments for the 3G calls. I know a lot of people who are counting on Apple and Skype to pry them from the clutches of the wireless providers. -- Post From My iPad

Do I want just about any app on the iPhone or my iPad? Well, sure. Maybe not any app but I would not mind the freedom should the desire arises. No, I'm not talking about porn. But...for those who do, I think I have a solution for Apple. Two separate and distinct app stores. And I am not speaking of sanctioning Cydia or any of the jail-broken options. Even I would not go there unless I absolutely have to. And Cydia is sitting on my homepage even now. So, what is this guy talking about, you ask? Simple. One app store will exist just as it is now. On top of that, there will be a second app store with everything else. For the sake of this post, let's called the current store as we know it as iTunes App Store or iAS. The second store will be called freedom App Store or fAS. iAS will simply operate in ways as we have come to know it. Approval processes and all. Essentially, trusted but restricted. Then there is fAS. Here, any app that isn't going to get Apple's...

We're not likely going to see Firefox on the iDevices though it does seem more likely after the entry of Opera into the app store. However, I wouldn't quite count on it. I think it was done at a time when there is a lot of attention and negative press directed (in some ways, I think rightfully) at Apple's App Store policies. Fear not. Mozilla will represent. Firefox Home. Mozilla is putting the final finishings on the app that allows the user to sync history and bookmarks across the various platforms supported by Firefox. However, don't look for the familiar feel of Firefox on the Mac or the PC. As a matter of fact, it won't be the Gecko engine at all. Perhaps, Mozilla might be able to make the appearance look like Firefox but, in order not to run afoul of Apple's approval process, it will be based on Webkit, the underlying browser engine that powers Safari on the iDevices, OS X and Windows, as well as Chrome from Google. Is this a smart move by Mozilla...

With anywhere from $6 to $9 billion in app revenue by 2014, depending on who you choose to believe, I think here's a small piece of action for me right? I think so. Even it's a couple of bucks, there are a couple people will just buy any app just to test it out. Maybe I'll give it out for free and then collect revenues from the ads. I am pretty sure I'll give the iPhone market a try first given how much Steve Jobs has hyped iAd if I plan on going about the free app route. Plus, Apple just announced today a new program for indie authors to submit books to the iBooks store. As a matter of fact, I just just mention this in a post at On Apple . I will be tweeting and updating my progress. I hope you will also consider giving writing apps a try as well. Whether it'll be for the iPhone, Android, or another platform, there is certainly plenty of opportunity for a create soul to make some extra money. -- Post From My iPad

Frenzy is not the word I'd to describe the mobs that have sprung up from all over the countries that are part of the first of many wave of iPad launches.  That would be an understatement and a wrong depiction. I'd say it's more of a block party.  For international readers, think of it as festivities that spontaneously take place out of nowhere without planning.  Certainly, outside of plans by Apple to offer coffee and donuts (well, we were given donuts, not sure what they gave in Japan), no one asked that the crowd show up. No one said we should call the media and have them do live broadcasts of launches.  But it happens anyway.  Why is that?  I honestly can't say.  I think society has changed in such a way that we treat our gadgets as "man's best friend" (or "a woman's best friend").  They allow people to do things they could not previously.  SMS was a huge advancement in social exchange but the iPhone really revolutionized how we consume in...

I have wondered why Apple included iWeb as a part of the iLife too. I understand that it's a part of iLife and MobileMe integration but it's not all that useful as a tool beyond personal use. In the beginning, I used it to put up videos and pictures of my family and friends and to share them. Then later, Apple offered the ability to use a number of features that one might think iWeb can be used for business purposes too. iWeb allows Adsense integration, HTML input, ability to set up your own domain name, and to publish podcasts. These are not features to be used for someone who just wants to share news, videos, and pictures with friends. So where can Apple take iWeb next? Well, I am hoping two features be added. See, these days, its about apps and mobile. What do I want Apple to include in the next iWeb update? First, I love to see Apple give us iAd integration but still keep Adense as well. Apple went through all three trouble to innovate ads, it might as well compete wi...

Video-conferencing is coming to the iPlatform.  You know what else would be cool?  If you can toggle between the frontal camera and the back camera. It's a reporter's dream.  Cameramen, you're screwed!   I am sure by now, you know that the next iPhone has a frontal camera for video conferencing.  So what does that mean for the future of visual communication? I think most folks are still thinking about this.  We've seen in on TV in scifi but we hardly use it in real life.  Almost every I know has a webcam in their laptops, certainly on their Macbooks. And it's rare that we sit there and actually chat with anyone for a length of time. I've communicated with folks overseas.  Families mostly.   But the iPhone offers a true mobile experience.  Can you imagine talking to a friend while you sit at a Starbucks or stroll through the mall?  Yeah, I think I'll be doing stuff like that in the beginning. And if I'm a reporter and I see a news br...

I will be getting an Android device soon. I already have a G1 and I am looking for an upgrade. I've yet to decide if a phone with Android 2.2 installed is my next phone or the next iPhone with iPhone 4.0 installed. That's the point. Now, before I go further, I just want to make somethings clear. Some Android devices, at this time and point, are excellent alternatives to the iPhone 3GS. Take the HTC Incredible for instance. I got the opportunity to play with the Nexus One over the weekend for an "extended period of time" and I think I can be happy with it. The Droid, well, not so much. So, I repeat: some Android devices are good alternatives to the iPhone and with the right one, you can't get go wrong in that direction. However, folks are comparing Android 2.2 to iPhone 3.0 and making the switch. Hey, if they're happy with that comparison, more power to them. I know that many folks who have made this mistake end up coming back to the iPhone, sometimes...

For the majority of users of Apple products, we really don't care too much about the struggles in wireless politics and the open warfare between Apple and the rest of the industry. Nevertheless, it's good to know the maddening pace of innovation and the visions for the mobile computing future from Apple, Google, and others. As you may have heard, Android is doing well. Even if you don't get the iPhone as your next mobile device, going with an Android would be a wise choice. That's how good it is now. In the past, I wouldn't have recommended it. But with Nexus One, Evo, and Incredible from HTC powering Google's mobile growth, it has highlighted some shortcomings of the iPhone. However, with iPhone 4 release weeks away and, possibly, a new iPhone, Apple will practically erase any advantage the Android has and put the mobile market back even further. So right now, sit back and see how Steve Jobs will dazzle us at Apple's next press event in June. ...

The regular OS X the backbone of everything Apple these days.  It's used across the board on all of Apple's hardware. Mac.  iPad.  iPhone.  iPod Touch.  And even Apple TV. However, it's the iDevices that is getting the bulk of the attention these days.  It used to be that when new Macs are freshed, websites trip all over themselves trying to report on the specs, benchmarks, and any changes in the exterior aesthetics.  Sure, we love a looking Mac these days but with the Macs in parity with the PC computers because of the Intel chips everyone pretty much use now, there just really isn't a lot to get excited about. Now, it's the iDevices that hold the backbone of Apple's growth engine.  The iDevices are Apple's ambassadors to the world to convey what Steve Jobs see the future of computing, entertainment, and content distribution should be like.   With it, it'll be the iPhone OS that will be the differentiating factor.  Development on OS X w...

It used to be that any time Apple introduces a new Macbook revision, it was cause for celebration in the blogosphere. These days, unless we get something extraordinary, you hear it for a day, maybe two, and it's back to iPhones, and now, iPads. What does this say about the state of mobile computing? How about our expectations of of a digital mobile life? Arguably, we are more excited about the next iPhone that we just were with the last Macbook Pro refresh and today's Macbook update. And believe me, the 2.4Ghz speed increase and a 43% uptick in battery life to 10 hours ain't nuthin' to sneeze at. I am sure the Macbook will be a huge hit with the fans and anyone looking for a first rate laptop. Still, it isn't the huge attention draw it once was. I do foresee a day when Apple blurs the line between the iPad and the low-end Macbook. How? Adding more traditional Macbook features to the iPad, such as camera and mouse support while simply killing off the Mac...

This is today’s blog-tweets on the iPhone. It’s incredible how stories on Apple suddenly have a life of its own. But that’s because Apple is a beloved company that came out with product after product that changes the computing and mobile experiences. Most of us, mobile warriors, like it. Of course, there are those out there will unwilling or unable to accept it. If even you aren’t fine with how Apple does its business (which is to make money), you have to at least appreciate what they’ve done to shake things up. The latest story is Apple’s contract with AT&T and that has provided the Internet a lot of posts, clicks, and ads. Fine with me. Now the tweets: iPhone: lots of reports on Apple_AT&T contract. Engadget found court documents declaring the contract was for 5-years, through 2012. (part 1) iPhone: USA Today previously reported contract ended in 2009 but AT&T negotiated extension. No one will know for sure. . (part 2) iPhone: 5-year old contract ...

I just stumbled across this video on The Unofficial Apple Weblog that shows some guy assembling the next generation iPhone. For the most part, I don't like trafficking in rumors but given the similar looks between this device and the one Gizmodo uncovered (bought, stolen), it's a lock. It's not a rumor. The only thing that matters really is when we'll see this device. Any guesses? more at TUAW .

If mobile has its own version of the Bill of Rights, tethering ought to be like the third or fourth amendment guaranteeing this right. Seriously, right? Look at the lack of tethering for iPhone users on AT&T while users on Sprint and Verizon Wireless probably find it strange how backward that sounds and, yet, iPhone users pay over to AT&T a bigger bill than their compatriots from other wireless providers. -- Post From My iPad

I do a lot of writing on my iPad. Emails. Docs. Blogs. The most I've ever written is four pages. So it got me thinking about novels. Can a best seller be written on the iPad? The biggest issue to me would be typing. After more than a month of the iPad, there is a lot of getting use to with the onscreen keyboard. I have realized that I need to watch my finger placements. However, if one is motivated enough to this, I don't see this as a problem in the long term just as I am determined to write the bulk of my blogs on the iPad. But there are other aspects to writing a story or novel than just hacking it out on a keyboard or screen. On the Mac, there is the Storymill that works for some writers. And in fact, about half a dozen such applications for the Mac. When it comes to the iPad's bigger siblings, there is no shortage of creative applications. I guess what I am saying is whether there are enough tools for the iPad that can allow a writer to do his or her work on ...

What's cool about mobile devices is the ability to do a majority of the what we consider to be daily Internet and some computing tasks. And to even more resourceful users, much more can be done. Watching videos, that's another matter. Sure, if you're on Android device, iPhone, or most other devices with Google links, chances are that you have Youtube. Well, we don't have Hulu yet and the iPad just got Netflix. So where does that leave everyone else and everything else? Youtube. The problem with mobile Youtube is that it is difficult to find anything beyond a lot of user-created materials. I had hope to see a lot of TV and animation shows but it has been hard to "search" for them. No longer. I just stop. What I did find the shows on Youtube that I want to watch on my G1 or iPhone, simply copy and paste the URL from YouTube to a mail and send it to yourself. After you received it, click on the links and most videos will play. I haven't had issues with a...

Apple's iAds should worry people in both good and bad ways. Apple is shaking up the mobile market while it is limiting choice. On the other hand, Google is the beast in the ad arena and this is why the FTC is asking around wondering if the $750 million deal for AdMob would go through. Word is that the FTCisnt keen on approving the deal. The question for me is why. The mobile ad market is young and, in dollar amount, insignificant. It will be years of innovation and shakeout before we know how the mobile ad market will look like and whether we are still looking at banner ads or ads that are more interactive like standalone apps. Maybe there's even more creative means to deliver ads. However, I do want to see the Feds keep their nose in things to make sure things are on the level and that no one is leveraging their position to wipe out competition. I want to see iAds flourish and others trying to keep Google host. The mobile market is big enough for multiple platforms. It is ...

Here's an aggregate of today's tweets that I put up called "Flash War". The day started looking quite promising as the media latched onto "reports" from "sources" that the FTC and the Justice Department are negotiating with each other about who should look into whether Apple did anything wrong not wanting substandard apps in the iPhone platform.  I think iAds could also be thrown in. However, there is certainly no indication that an investigation would even be initiated.  After all, Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and advisors to other administrations, believe the FTC has better things to do than to investigate Apple (okay, the Justice Department is another issue). The tweets: Flash War: Adobe mouthed off to the feds to get them to look at Apple's SDK agreements. Stupid, stupid, stupid... (part 1) Flash War: Adobe should shut up and work hard to make Apple regret it. Go crying to others is just weak (part 2) Flash War: Apple i...

I bought a keyboard dock for the iPad when it came out a month or so ago. Along with the case, it was a very good investment. Yeah, it's how I see all of my Apple related gears. After all, I suppose I could invest that money in Apple stocks rather than Apple goods. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I am currently hacking away on the iPad keyboard now. In terms of footprint, it's much smaller than my Macbook and it's about the same size of the iPad when it's laid on the tabletop in the Apple case. With the keyboard along with the iPad, you've got a very portable mobile platform. However, I do have issues with the keyboard dock. It's not ergonomic to carry it around in a book or messenger bag. The back of the dock protrudes out and creates an unnecessary thickness. It's unfortunate because the portability is unmatched for a tablet with a keyboard. I hope with the next design, Apple will make the dock detachable so the user can store the dock inde...

You know by now I've been okaying with an iPad for a bit now. A month ago. Now, I am playing with an iPad 3G. More precisely, it's my Mom's iPad 3G. It is a mixed bag as far as how I feel about it. First, my iPad is a month older. Not dated by any sense because the iPad is the same as the iPad 3G except the iPad 3G has a cellular antenna in there that provides wireless Internet from AT&T. I have had sporadic access to the iPad because it doesn't quite belong to me. It's my Mom's iPad. She spent some time getting to know it but it was really my job to maker sure the iPad is configured as closely as possible to her iPhone. Let me get to the 3G service first. Configuration was a piece of cake. I did it while i was participating in a live radio show on planetary and rocketry show. It took all of three minutes to get everything up and running. The next thing I did was run the newly minted mobile service though few sites I visit on a regular basis. It was re...