AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Last time we went out to dinner with a bunch of friends, it started off well enough but as the night went on, it devolved into. iPhone-fest, or a smartphone-fest (not everyone had an iPhone). Folks were texting, updating their social status or checking in, just gaming. A couple of folks even texted each other from different ends of the table. It was partly why I gave up using my G1 and iPhone with data. I am using an iPod touch with an iSpot but its not the same as an integrated device like the iPhone. But today, my aunt and uncle, as well as a few of their friends came to visit. I served them tea and they chatted. They had not seen each other for weeks now. I left them for a while and came back to the living room. It was quiet. And it was a sight I never expected to see. My uncle was playing Angry Birds on his iPad, my aunt was hacking away on her iPhone trying to solve a sudoku puzzle, another aunt was playing mahjong on her iPad, and another of their friend was playing who knows w...

There are a lot of expectations that Apple will release the next iPhone in the fall rather than the summer.  It truly defies what Apple has done in the past.  I myself have argued that Apple will stick with its annual update.  Now, we are a week from May and it doesn't look like Apple will be holding its annual April event to introduce the next iOS  So does this mean that I'm wrong and that we are looking a later date for the next iPhone release?   Well, I came across this post from TUAW that articulated three points support the fall iPhone assertion.  I'm not afraid to admit that I'm wrong.  I'm not wrong...yet. Three Reasons Apple Will Release the iPhone In The Fall: First, the two iPhone models just got released.  What?!  That's right.  The CDMA iPhone was just released by Apple and Verizon in February.  It's now late April, 2.5 months ago.  And as you know, Apple sold 2.2 million of them CDMA models in about six weeks. ...

It's been confirmed through a photo that the President of the United States has an iPad 2.  Obviously, Mr. Obama is not the first head of state to use an iPad nor will he be the last.  And dozens if not hundreds of law makers also make use of Apple's revolutionary and "magical" (not my word) device in the course of service to the public.  And with the news that the iOS device, specially the iPhone, may be keep information about the whereabouts of the user in a file on the iPhone and iTunes profile, is this a danger or violation of privacy that we need to worry about? No.  It's a concern.  If it's a bug, it needs to be fixed.  If there is something more to it than that, we should get to the bottom of this.  Google's Android, its openness is debatable, is not curated and, it soo, also record geolocation of its users. To be fair, I like to see all mobile companies get an opportunity to defend this specific practice before we go nuts about it.  And I ...

It's late April and there is still no iOS demo from Apple.  However, Boy Genius Report is showing off some pictures with a demo or engineering white iPhone unit working on T-Mobile's network.  Yes, this is kinda of like a rumor.  No one knows what this truly means and it opens the door for fun speculation.   So, does this mean that the iPhone is coming to T-Mobile?  Well, let's just say that it will.  What we are not sure about is whether by the time the iPhone makes it over to T-Mobile, T-Mobile will still be called T-Mobile or it'll be called AT&T.   But there is a way to find out.  Just before Verizon got the iPhone back in February, there were signs.  AT&T made moves to try to lock in iPhone users deep into their contract, 12 months in, by enticing them with early upgrades.  Then also, Verizon made some moves with its cancellation penalties.   Right now, I would look to see if T-Mobile makes similar moves that mirror wha...

Apple sold almost 19 million iPhones.  3 Million of them went to AT&T while 2.2 million CDMA versions were sold on Verizon's network.  Two point two million of a 9 month old, albeit fantastic, mobile device.  Who's buy them and which company had the most to lose from the Apple-Verizon partnership? Three Distinct Groups: Let's examine who's buy these iPhones on Verizon's aging CDMA network that does not allow the user to talk and access the data through the 3G network at the same time.  My guess is that its a mixture rather than greater subset of anyone particular group.  With over three million iPhones activated with AT&T, it is suffice to say that plenty of people stuck with Ma Bell despite its reputation of spotty network.  I am sure a large segment of the market went with Verizon that defected from AT&T.  After all, more than a few stuck with them because of the iPhone.  The demand was bad enough that Verizon struck a deal with Appl...

It's one of those things that I think companies know about and do but doesn't want to talk about it.  Keep tabs on their users is a gold mine for companies.  Companies like Google and Facebook want to be able to know what we're up to and how to best monetize that information.  Others like carriers might want to know how to best optimize their networks.   So why does Apple want that information?   It's too soon to tell.  Supposedly, this information isn't something new and have been covered in the past without fanfare until a couple of security "experts" decided to bring it to our attention.   Personally, I'm not worried - not yet.  And it's not like this information is something that Facebook, which is a lot more dangerous to privacy, will ever get it.   Still, I want to know why Apple is gather this information.  Supposedly, it could be a bug where information were not purged as it was supposed to.  And yes, Apple can ("is" to some...

Given how fast the iPad 2 is selling compared to the original iPad a year ago and the growth of the whole ecosystem that supports it, I wonder if the tablet market, specially one that is dominated by one player, is growth too fast.  And why is it growth so fast?    This year, it's been estimated that Apple will sell about 30 million iPads, quite possibly 45 million with a few really high-end predictions putting it at 60 million.  Let's just take the 60 million iPads for 2011 and say Apple manages to sell 60 million by 2013.  Sit back and take a look at those numbers.  That's a big big jump from 2010 to 2011, about 2x.  Then from 2011 to 2013, another 2x.   By 2013, the tablet market as a whole may reach 100 million tablets.  Then where would it go from there?  200 million in another 24 months?  Here's where post-PC comes into play.  Something has to give.  That means laptop sales, with the netbook segment of the market hav...

It's late April and still no iOS 5 intro. Still, something is cooking over at Apple. And this is an example of what might be in store. Foursquare execs were found on Apple campus. Would anyone just visit Apple for the heck of it? Maybe. However, there is a strong possibility that they had a meeting there. After all, checking into Apple campus is a pretty exciting thing considering all the wild speculations, even from myself, about Apple can transform MobileMe into. Would you want a free MobileMe account with check-ins that might have special deals only for iOS users? You bet I would! Here is where things are interesting and it isn't just some random check-ins that some people do when they drive by randomly. Erin Gleason, the public relations manager, checked in and mentioned she was moving into the next meeting. Then the next location of the check-in was was at Apple. The check-in was done by Dennis Crowley, with Gleason present as well as Foursquare's business dev and p...

This was suppose to be the year that competitors put a stop to the iPad assault on the tablet.  Rather than anything that has taken the consumers by storm, the Xoom and Playbook are filled with reviews about the great potentials these tablet platforms possess.  Howeer, in the wrap-up sections, it's all been "when the updates come...". I'm sure Apple's first mover position has advantages but it can't be all that.  Forget about the lack of lines at Best Buy or anywhere else in Canada where RIM has home-court advantage, what's disconcerting is that the executives at these companies are clueless or in denial.   I'm generally upbeat about things but for the rest of 2011, I'm not about the tablet market.   Here's one platform I'm holding out for that I think can still give Apple some competition.  HP's Web OS Touchpad. As long as they don't rush it out like Google and RIM did with theirs, they ought to have some awesome features that can ...

I've been typing on my iPad for more than a year now. And I don't think I'm alone in saying that I like the virtual keyboard very much. Light touches and generally accurate if you learn to trust it. However, I think I am in the minority on this issue. It's not because there are most people who don't like typing on the iPad. Rather, it's because most people don't type on the iPad. Either way, is there a need for those cases outfitted with physical keyboards that turns the iPad into a netbook? First of all, I don't think I've seen one that I like. I don't like the Kensington rubber keyboard. It's, well, rubbery. And it's not the only maker of keyboard-combo-cases that use a silicone or rubber cover. There are also ones with hard cases but they are still far from perfect. The Zaggmate case has these side walls that, from the pictures, feel weird to me. Besides the fact that I haven't found the perfect keyboard with a cas...

(This is a must read post from Apple fan, John Gruber on "Cutting the Cord".  It a very good analysis on why we're just are not to leave the PC behind when trying to get media onto our mobile devices.  I've offered a few notes myself below.) One of the issues with regards to mobile is that a lot of them requires the user to still sync it with a PC.  Specifically, we are talking about Apple iOS ecosystem here.  Android, on the other hand, is all set to go once you get it out of the box.  Having said that, there is a distinct difference between activation and sync and loading up the mobile devices with apps and media. To date and as far as I know, all Android devices are ready to be used once the user activates it wirelessly.  There is no need plug it into a PC first.  Simply type in your Google information (or set one up if you don't have one) and you're off to go.  And in the background, data is by synced.   On the other hand, all iOS devices...

Most people don't know this but cookies are not just for monsters and children (or me).  They're trackers, simply no way of putting this delicately, that are probably following you wherever you go on the Internet The Federal Trade Commission has called for online advertisers like Google to provide a mechanism for users to opt out of being tracked.  Personally, that's the stupidest thing I've heard of  Why should users have to opt out?  It's like Facebook all over again.  Give these guys an inch, they'll take a mile. So Mozilla built into Firefox 4 a more comprehensive option to block tracking.  IE9 from Microsoft has it and Apple's Safari will soon join these two browsers with the feature. So, if you don't like being followed, check out Firefox and IE.  From what I gather, it's not a perfected solution but it's a start.  Congressional action may be coming to help guard user privacy.  It'll probably have more bark than bite given expected inte...

Acer's PC share took a huge dive.  Recesson?  Nope?  Intense competition from HP and Dell?  Not exactly.  But there was competition in a big way and it was called the iPad.  The top 3 PC makers in the world were hit and hit hard as both Dell and HP lost 2% and 3% respectively while Acer, who relied on netbook sales, has seen a dramatic collapse. Acer's problem being netbooks exacerbated its fall but the market as a whole has taken a hit from the hottest new mobile phenomenon.  And let's be honest here.  Analysts and what-have-you will call it the tablet market but it's really just the iPad  After all, during this dramatic fall on PC sales, it was pretty much just the iPad owning 80-90% of the tablet market. In the next 12-18 months, we'll start to see the iPad's share as a percentage of tablet sold (not pushed out to vendors) drop.  Then we can truly call the tablet market for what it is. And in 12-18 months, I fully expect more shrinkag...

Last night, the blogs started buzzing about a potential new iOS device or, possibly, the Apple TV that may soon get app support or access to the App Store.  Right now, it's being called a placeholder. Since removed, it was designated "ix.Mac.MarketingName". What could it mean?  Well, it mentioned "Mac" so could Macs be getting the ability, one that I have long advocated, to run iOS apps? Or could it be just the Apple TV gaining the ability to run apps entirely?   And maybe, just maybe, this was an innocent error in the coding.  I know what I want to believe this is but I'm not ready to get excited over it just yet.  Heck, it could even be about iPhone 5. More at CNet .

With a prosumer camcorder, you can now make a relatively Hollywood looking movie.  But you'll still need a computer and the right software to put all your video together into a final product. The prosumer camcorder has been relatively affordable now and Apple has just made it even more affordable to set up your own studio with the new 64-bit Final Cut Pro X coming in at just $299.  I don't know about you but I think it's an awesome deal down from the $999 that it used to cost.   What's pretty awesome is the background rendering that is now possible.  Not just that, the new FC can offload some tasks to the GPU, giving the app greater performance and faster workflow. I think the Final Cut Express was coming in at $299 to begin with.   Why is Apple low-balling the software price?  To sell Macbook Pros that now come in quad-core variants.  Just as iTunes is there to help Apple sell iPods, iPhones, and iPads, I am beginning to believe that Apple will use it...

Here's why I think an updated iPhone will come at the usual update time in early summer. iPad 2 and competition. The iPad 2 with it's dual core is out and it makes no sense for Apple to put off the next iPhone and fragment the iOS ecosystem with diff types or chips. That's a very important factor to consider. Simply put, Apple will not fragment the user experience. The second reason, just as important, is the rest of the fast moving mobile competition. Where are all these talks about the iPhone being delayed until the fall? Elementary, my dear mobile warriors. It's coming from Apple. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

I managed to get here at the Apple store just after four am. And I am freezing my butt off. But hopefully, this will be the last weekend for me to be doing this. As a matter of fact, this will be the last week I do this. If I cannot get the model I want, I am just gonna order it online. As crazy as this is waiting for a product that has been out more than a month, this will be a memorable moment in my life. I am about three hours until some at the store tells us if we will be able to get the model we want. And then maybe you won't have to read anymore posts about this. Well, not until iPhone. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

You might know by now that Acer will be selling its new Iconia tablet, 10" running Android 3, Honeycomb, exclusively through Best Buy.  It's basically the same specs as the Xoom except for the looks.  What would you get?  Sticking with iPad 2 or waiting on the Playbook or Touchpad? Let's focus on the WiFi versions of the tablets here since the Iconia is WiFi only.  The WiFi-only Xoom comes in at $600 on sale now at Staples while the Iconia won't be available until later in the month.  And Acer has priced it at a low low $450 with 16GB of storage.  That is $50 lower than the base iPad 2.  But the iPad 2 is the iPad 2, the standard bearer of the tablet market.   Of the three, which should you get?  Or wait? Well, as I mobile fan, I'm gonna be getting a Honeycomb device for sure but when the Xoom came out at $800 with the 3G version, it was priced out of the amount I was willing to spend.  And the $600 WiFi only certainly had me thinking, m...

When Sling Media made available an app for the iPhone and iPod touch it was a game changer as far as I am concerned. With the Sling Pro, I was able to watch television from just about anywhere I can and when I wanted. I know of someone who has hooked up a DVR, a sat TV setup, and some contraption to stream video. And the iPhone app worked well with the iPad. Until recently. There is a separate iPad version of the Slingplayer that requires a newer version of the Slingbox hardware. I don't get why that is? I think it's shameless that the Slingbox Pro that was out only a couple of years ago cannot work with today's iOS player. To say that it is irritating is putting it mildly. And if I wanted to use the regular iPhone app on the iPad or, heck, just on the iPhone, I am forced to upgrade the firmware as well. And I get the feeling that Sling is trying in a very sneak manner to get me to update the Sling. Just a feeling but a feeling nontheless. I think the iOS ...

Here's a post from Daily Wireless that question adding spectrum as the reason for AT&T buying T-Mobile.  Maybe it is.  Maybe it isn't.  Maybe it's related to why T-Mobile is where it is at today and it all goes back to the iPhone as some blogs have suggested when it failed to first acquire the iPhone  Maybe.  I admit it's a little Glen Beck-ish but hear me out.   If the DW post, which questioned (like I did) the reason behind why AT&T wants T-Mobile, is not true, then what is the reason AT&T buying T-Mobile be about?  After all, T-Mobile's 3G network operate on the AWS band, which is why a 3G device that runs on AT&T's network will not work with T-Mobile's 3G network.  The two just don't mesh.  And if AT&T wants to convert T-Mobile's current 3G network into a wider LTE one, that might make sense but it's a lot of work.  Very very messy. So if it's not about spectrum, what's it about?  And after all, T-Mobile's HP...

It's been two cycles where the iPhone has not been upgraded to a higher capacity.  And with the just released iPad 2, the maximum storage capacity remains 64GB.  However, with the just released NAND flash memory, we could be looking at the next iPhone with increased capacity.   If patterns hold, we could be looking at a low-end 8 GB iPhone 4 and a 32 GB and 64 GB iPhone 5 (I like iPhone 4G better).  And it also possible that we can see a midway upgrade with the iPad 2 in the fall or just before Holiday Season with the capacity of the iPad 2 increased.   With the new memory, it affords Apple a greater flexibility than its competitors.  How would you like the  8GB iPhone 4 at $49 or $99?  Or with Apple possibly increasing the iPad 2 storage capacity while keeping the same price points, Apple can add a newer low end model with 16GB for $449 or even lower at $399. And this, as a happy iPod touch owner, I do look forward to a 128GB model.  It'll g...

Interest among kids, rather teens, could make the lines this summer, or fall, things to expect upon the release I'd the iPhone 5. Currently at an all-time high, a survey by a Wall Street outfit has teens ready to march to Apple's mobile tune. I guess the lines are pretty bad now for the iPad 2, I really don't want to see what the iPhone 5 lines are going to be in the US at Apple stores now that Verizon is expected to join AT&T in the iPhone rush (I still don't expect Sprint and T-Mobile have the iPhone this year). Other than positive news about this survey, Apple should actively cater to this demographics. After all, the halo effect from the iPods and iPhones from the youth will mean sales for other Apple products and services. Whether the future is the iPad or the Macbook, or a future MacPad someday, Apple should make sure iOS updates include youth-friendly functions. Twitter, Facebook, or double down on it's own social efforts. Regardless, get ready to wait i...

CNN has a post dedicated to the iPhone 5 rumors on its frontpage.  Maybe I'm nearly the end of my work day and I'm tired so I'm not thinking clearly but I don't think there's anything wrong with that.  Just wanted to note it.  Maybe the mention of "iPhone 5" is a click-bait and I want in on it.  Well, that's what I think why CNN put the post and link front and center.  Seriously.  That or it's really really slow news day and that the impending shutdown of the federal government isn't big enough of a draw (pushed to the left of the website) or that CNN sources doesn't think it'll happen. Whatever the reason, what is not amiss is the fact that Apple's mobile strategy is now mainstream.  Technology, especially mobile tech, is no longer the domain of geekdom but that it belongs to society as a whole.  It's why there are long lines a month after the iPad 2 was launched, why it's sold out everywhere in the countries Apple has laun...

I fully expect for the keyboard to go away one day when someone develops an even better input apparatus to replace it.  Obviously, I'm not that someone so I have no idea what it is.  Can a multi-touch platform capable of displaying a virtual keyboard be it?  I know a lot of people will hate it but I think I can get used to the idea. If you have an iPad or a smartphone like the Droid X or the iPhone that does not have physical keyboard, you're already using it.  Some people like it. Others don't.  I'm okay either way.  I'm faster on a regular keyboard but I grew up using a typewriter.  Lots of kids today will only know about multi-touch, like my nephews. And Apple has been granted patents just to create a virtual keyboard of sort.  And one that could change patterns and shapes to the needs of the user. One of the strange things, years after the various newer generation Star Trek shows went off the air, the glass displays that gave the officer contr...

One of the things I expected from Apple's fresh of the Macbook Pro in March was the exclusion of the optical drive, the DVD reader/burner, with something else that is more aligned with Apple's mobile vision. That did not happen. However, GIGAOM has a cool post for those good with tools and taking apart computers to mess around with. Replace the drive with an SSD. Now, this isn't like the older Powerbooks that Apple used to make in the 90s when you can just swap out one expansion solution for another. It doesn't quite work that way. This solution presented, for someone like me, is like brain surgery. But I am sure many of you can give this a go. The total cost is about $400. At the end of the day, you get extra storage space, speed, and, as the writer said, great for developers. Me, I just like having more room. THE FUTURE. Repeating what I said at the top, I thought Apple would have and could have replaced the DVD drive and use the space for something e...

This is the very first post I've sent from from an iPad 2. Feels and looks the same as any old iPad. Well, except for the camera facing me from the right and the Smart Cover that is propping up the iPad 2 at an angle for easier typing. It's overcast in Pasadena, city about 10 miles or so northeast of Los Angeles. You know, where those Rose Parade is held each and every single year. While this isn't a review, I can say that the screen is very good despite sitting here in the outdoors where I am at at a coffee shop. The overall feel of the screen does seem to be brother than the original iPad with the setting at 50% brightness. Since I've passed along my iPad to my nephew a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would need to get reacquainted with the layout of the virtual keyboard but it's all second nature to me at this point. And I only was able to get my hands on the iPad 2 yesterday, I cannot say just how fast it really is. With the original iPad, it was loaded to the...

iWeb is the way to go for simple folks like myself who want to create our own sites and manage it ourselves.  Apple has made that such easy, albeit a bit more restrictive than I would like.  It's why I also use Rapidweaver.  Now, news come that Apple has patented iWeb for the iPad.  The question I'm sure many are asking is if such an app will ever see the light of day.  Heck, I'll settle for even a glimpse of it in the darkest of alley.  Okay, makes no sense but you know what I mean. I'm hoping Apple will make this happen.  There are a few things Apple has to do to make sure it works on the iPad as well as on the Mac. I've been using iWeb in conjunction with MobileMe to run my Greenjava website, a depository of relevant news on politics, economy, mobile, and coffee.  It works.  Not great but much better than anything that I've come across. But I cannot do that on the iPad.  The thing that is so robust about other web and blogging platfor...

I struck out again this morning at the Pasadena Apple Store. I take comfort in the fact that the iPad I ordered from AT&T is here. But given the demand among my family, I will probably relinquish it. I've got a favorite aunt who I want to surprise on Sunday. Meanwhile, I checked around local area Apple stores in LA. Quite a few of them still have iPads in stock as of this writing. I don't want to give you hope because the quantities are limited and I encourage you to call around. For instance, the Glendale store has the 16GB White Verizon model but nothing else. The Target on Colorado Blvd near Lake has the 64GB Black Verizon models. None of them are the 16 GB white AT&T one that I want. Still, if you're more open to other offerings, a little leg work and you should be able to get your hands on one. But you'll have to be quick.

Has anyone discussed this on the blog or anywhere else? Here I am at the Apple Store in Pasadena hope to even get a glimpse of the 16 GB ATT white iPad 2 that I have yet to be able to get for myself. What is interesting about waiting in line today is that I have been seeing a stream of Apple employees walking by and into the store. And the sheer numbers is amazing. I estimated about thirty people walking past us and into the store. I don't even pretend to know how many folks it takes to run a successful retail operation like an Apple storebut that is an awful lot of people. Not only that, there is an air about them that is vastly different from the other employees just arriving at the other retail stores. It's not arrogance. I've dealt with many of these Apple people in the past. And they are some of the nicest people who has not only a job to do but an strong desire to do their tasks well and provide the customers with the best help possible. And it became pretty easy to ...