AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

A world with no Android. That will never happen nor will Apple fans or fans of other mobile platforms want to see that. It is hard to fathom just what will come out of the ITC ruling today that HTC infringed on two key Apple patents. Will Apple and HTC work out a deal or will Apple say no to any deal. A lot of blogs now seem to suggest that a deal will be worked out. A deal in Apple's favor but a deal nonetheless. There is evidence to suggest that could happen. After all, Apple indicated that it was trying to resolve its patent and trade-look complaints with Samsung. So a deal could still happen. But many Apple watchers have also said Apple isn't in the business of licensing patents. This is a stark difference from what Microsoft is doing with its Android competitors. And maybe Apple's unwillingness to license its patents is at the heart of this epic mobile struggle. However this plays out, I don't see this as the beginning of the of Android. Nor should anyone else. An...

I've got six or so apps on my mobile devices that I use to help me with workout, losing weight, and eating right.  But none of that matters without putting in the hard work and a willingness to.  According to CNN , Jamil Macias made that hard choice and effort after seeing how he looked from his pictures. Since then, he has ran a half marathon and is feeling pretty good about himself.  The thing about Jamil's workout and diet is no secret at all.  It's his toughness and willingness to make it happen.   CNN's post offered some details about what he did, ate, and went through.  The story is the same for all of us.  We're either a Jamil or we're not.   I rarely get to post about health and mobile.  So, whip up your Blackberry, Android, or iPhone into shape with the right apps and get the ball rolling.

All day, I was waiting for another round of lawsuits, maneuvers, or filings between Apple and Android device makers it was suing.  Just when I thought the day was going end quietly, this happened: The ITC ruled that HTC has violated two of Apple's patents.  HTC is appealing but if HTC doesn't win the appeal, it would need to come to terms with Apple.  And Apple does not have a history of licensing its patents.   Closely watched is also the other major lawsuit between Apple and Samsung.  It's not over but this is definitely a major setback for HTC. Could a ban of HTC products result?  I hope not.  If you're worried, better go out and get your HTC devices as soon as you can.    Source: CNet , TUAW .

I had always thought that Microsoft did not enter the social network market because it had one.  Facebook.  After all, it was an early investor and there are close relationships between the two companies. According to T3 , the secret project is called "Tulalip" is Microsoft's own social network - this news comes on the heel of the successful Google Plus launch with already 10 million users.   Personally, I'm kind of tapped out now.  Plus works for me and Microsoft is going to have to do a lot of incredible stuff to make me want to even consider starting up a profile with it.   I wonder if Facebook had prior knowledge of this and how they feel about it.   From the looks of it, Microsoft could be trying to be an aggregator to other social networks (both Facebook and Twitter were featured prominently on the front page) and working with them instead of just competing with them outright.  Yesterday, I wrote about an Apple patent that creates a mean for App...

This is another one of Apple's perfectly timed leak aimed. And the intended audience is an audience of one:  Samsung. Maybe you've heard of TSMC.  They are a Taiwanese chip foundry and Apple is currently working with them to see if their skills are up to snuff to be Apple's main chip supplier their next generation of iOS devices.   According to Reuters , whether TSMC gets the order and how much of it will depend largely on yield.  In the post, an analyst based on Seoul said something that was interesting.  Apple and Samsung have had a deep and long relationship.  It won't be an easy breakup.  He also asserted that there are intellectual property issues that will make it hard for Apple to remove itself from Samsung.  I'm not sure about that point since Apple's own team designed their chips. How will Samsung take this TSMC leak?  I think they were expecting something like this already and there could be some panicky shareholders or the Korean p...

With the open war raging between Apple and Samsung, Apple could be looking else where to source their component needs.  And it likes the first one to be moved from Samsung is Apple's next CPU to be used in their iOS devices.  Of course, this could be a potential short term hit on Samsung's finances but I'm not sure with the market growing so fast, Samsung can find other customers, like Amazon or even its own mobile division, to pick up the slack.  The Galaxy S II is selling on par with earlier iPhone sales. There is one main reason why I like to see Apple make a clean break from Samsung.  Curiosity.  Plan and simple.  Nothing more.  Nothing less. If Apple isn't sourcing or provide some information to Samsung so that they can manufacture Apple's components, is Samsung able to continue to push forward their mobile efforts? There would be no cheat sheet that Samsung is able to rely on. And if so, Apple really doesn't have a case in the public court of opi...

People who work hard for their money out to be paid for it.  I know, sometimes, it's easier to just get something to free off the Internet than to go into a store to buy something.  But with digital media so readily available now and cheap, it has never been easier to just buy it rather than pirate it.   Apple has made it very easy to find and download music, video and apps.  And while video is on the higher side of the cost curve, music and most apps are not.   And Apple ought to do more about this.  According to Appleinsider , they highlighted one developer who was frustrated that Apple's social gaming service, Game Center, even works with pirated copies of his game.  I can't believe that people are so unwilling to just pay the $1 for it. I know there are people who there who just refuses to pay for one damn song or app.  I think they are on the extreme. But put yourself in the developer's shoes.  You really are fine if people take away 90%...

Based on traditional PC sales along, Apple is nowhere near the top internationally but it is now the number 3 PC maker in the US.  And base do this assessment, US PC makers have something to worry about but globally, they can probably go about their business as usual. That's one perception.  This is the one advocated by Microsoft and its partners.  This is the perception that is sometimes supported by data that the tablet market, 70-80% of it is the iPad, isn't cannibalizing PC sales.   According to Gartner , PC growth is 2.3% above what it was last year, a big 66% miss. What's also interesting is Gatner's refusal to acknowledge the impact of the tablet market.  Reading their post, they made a very transparent effort to dance around the issue about tablets and the impact the iPad on the market as a whole and used words like "shifting resources", "period of adjustment", and "changes to their product mix". So it begs the question about what t...

For real estate, it's location, location, location.  For social networks, it's privacy, privacy, privacy...in conclusion, Facebook is doomed.   Macworld listed 5 things that Facebook can do to fight back against Google Plus.  I think the article needs to be written and use the points commenters brought up as the place to rewrite the whole post and conclude that Facebook will soon face a world of hurt.   Because those points are the exact same thing that Plus or anyone can do can.  What Facebook is unwilling to do is protect the privacy if its users.   Source: Macworld  - most of the time, Macworld has great posts but honestly, don't waste your time reading this one.  Nothing offered is a game changer

Here's a good post on Google Plus and what they called "Social Networking Fatigue" from GigaOM . While Circles is pretty much the crown jewel of Plus and its ease of use allow for users to control who sees what they post and share, lack of use as time goes on actually exacerbate the privacy question.   So far, I don't seem to have that issue.  And just because this situation of users simply putting new contacts into a default circle does not mean they cannot go back and made changes.   Rather, the re-sharing is a bigger concern for me than who to put into which circle.  But I encourage you to click through and read more about it.  

Is Apple about to out-Facebook Facebook or double-plus Google? Is Apple going to be the check-in place to rule all other check-in apps? Okay, none of what I wrote in the previous sentences make a lot of sense. So how about this? Apple’s newest patent, is a reflection of what it thinks about social networks and services. Apple wants its app on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac to engage multiple social networks, not just one, and let the user combine all his or her social needs in one place. In fact, 9to5Mac has found some fields the still beta iOS 5 that indicate fields for other social networks. Google’s Plus is likely not included since it’s so new. On top of that, Apple can allow the user to integrate its own quasi-social services like Ping, Game Center, FaceTime, iMessage. Write one message on iMessage and send it to Facebook and/or Twitter at the same time. On a side note, remember how Facebook wouldn't play nice with Apple’s Ping? With Google Plus easier and be...

According to WSJ , Amazon is coming out with their own tablet to compete with Apple.  This is a lock as far as I'm concerned.  And I'm glad they waited so patiently to do it now.  After all, Amazon is under a lot of pressure to compete with Apple and, traditional rival, Barnes and Noble (BN). When Nook Color was leased by BN last year, everyone thought Amazon would respond in kind.  Instead, it patiently laid the ground work for its media empire to be ready first.  First, it offered an alternative app store for Android.  Then it readied its music cloud locker.   And when the Kindle tablet launches a couple of months from now, it'll likely have a video component as well to the Amazon ecosystem.   However, there are a few questions we don't yet know: What is the size of the screen? 8", 9", or 10"? Will it have 3G data access?  Or will we see multiple models? How much storage will it have? Will there be a special sponored version to keep cost do...

We all know that Google is a major player in the power and green tech industry with hundreds of millions, even billions, invested in solar plants and green farms as well as grants for search.   Cleantechica has a list of some companies that are also working to use renewable power to help them cut back on use of traditional power sources. And this being a mobile blog, I'm happy to say that some companies involved have mobile involvement.  Nokia, Adobe, Starbucks (for its mobile payment), Intel, Motorola, and Cisco to make a few.  And guess what?  Where is Apple in all this? Anyway, it's fantastic that these companies are conscious of their social and environmental responsibilities and their willingness to set an example for society in general.  Kohl and Whole Foods (with its conservative CEO) both source 100% of their power needs from renewable sources.  I hope the rest will follow.  Imagine if all of Forbes 1000 get their power needs from geothermal, ...

CNet go this scoop that a hiring company in the UK is looking for temporary workers to get traininge in selling iPhones.  And to be a part of this special project during this period of time.  The timing jives with all the chatter about when Apple is going to unleash the next iPhone. On top of that, the lucky hire will be given the title "Apple iPhone Sales Specialist".  It'll look good when Apple lets him or her go at the end of October and looks for a job with Microsoft retail or something.  Nice title to go on the resume. While this is a UK posting, Apple launches the iPhone 4 in the US and Britain at the same time.  And with an orientation in the middle of August, we should see a earliest launch window of late August but probably early through the middle of September.   So, if you're thinking of getting a new iPhone, don't.  Stop.  There is absolutely no compelling reason for you to get one at the moment  Yes, you can wait a month or so.

Remember a while back, a Chinese man built robots out of crap he found? Well, this dude is just as impressive. He build his own tablet. It looks like even has an Apple logo but runs Windows. But then you wouldn't really be able to tell at first glance that it isn't an Apple product. It looks like a mini-iMac. And after the initial launch, the UI even looks like OS X. It's a long video. I suggest you skip to about the 16 minute mark of this 20 minute video. Hey, if I'm Lenovo, HTC, Samsung, or even Apple, I'd hire this guy right away. I'm sure he could have this running just about any OS. Android, Windows, and even OS X. Source: Yahoo News .

During the last recession with the whole housing and financial meltdown of 2008, Steve Jobs vowed that Apple will innovate its way out of the recession.  And it did.  It grew faster than most other companies  And put a lot of cash in the bank.  And amazingly, its retail business has grown beyond the wildest dreams of pundits and analysts.   USA Today's post  mentioned that Apple now accounts for a fifth of retail growth.  It's not bad for a singularly narrowed focus on few lines of consumer products.  Just wait until Apple gets into, oh, say, HDTV or something like that.  In the same post, it suggested that Apple's growth could serve as a litmus test for retail sales.  I suggest this to be a major failacy.  While companies were laying off people during the recession, Apple sales were growing and hiring people.  By that measurement, we had no recession. It just goes to show that Apple is an entirely different entity all on its o...

I think everyone interested in the history of mobile and how it got here should read this Boy Genius Report post on RIM.  It's a good place to jump in to get an idea of where things are, how the industry works.  It's also about brilliance and blindness that went together.   RIM is by no means finished.  It's fans are as loyal as any I've seen and they've got a foothold others can only jealously covet:  the enterprise market.  If anyone company can return super-duper growth they've experienced in the last from the "pretty good" growth now, it's them. At the same time, the post served as a reminder to other companies that what's happening to RIM can also happen to them.

I don't know why this news is out now but I am sure this leak was not accidental or a wink-wink type. There was a lot of details involved. According to Appleinsider , Apple will offer the iPhone to China Telecom to run on its CDMA network. Ordinarily, Apple swears its partners regarding deals to total secrecy. But this leak had the taste of previous ones that suggests it was someone close to Apple who authorized it. Why now? A couple of reasons come to mind. Apple's earnings will be out next week. Could this be a way to give the stock a bump if Apple misses earnings estimates? After all, even if Apple does meeting or slightly beat estimates, it may not be enough to the hedge funds or Overtly demanding investors who swear only by the whisper numbers. Or it could be a ploy in Apple's negotiation with other Chinese mobile carriers like China Mobile. If two of its main competitors start offering the iPhone before it does, maybe that is enough for a deal more favorable to Appl...

CNBC is reporting some Wall Street analysts considering just what kind of an impact Apple would have on the HDTV market as well as the content market as we know it today.  And it seems like they have already concluded that an Apple-branded HDTV is coming.  Let's take a look at this this means from the market and what it means for us, between now and until Apple actually does release something. Now, about us.  Well, this is just a couple of Wall Street guys chatting among themselves.  Speculating.  And keep in mind that they are more often wrong than not and never has made any effort to explain the errors of their reasonings.  So, here's what to expect in the short term. According to CNBC , the people who had a hand in the global financial meltdown of 2008 and various bubbles through the last couple of decades, Apple's HDTV means that it would have secured enough content that will drive a whole 10% of cable viewers towards its ecosystem and other streaming s...

According to Macrumors , 34% of iPhone users think they have 4G and digging deeper into Retrevo , the company that conducted the survey, 29% of Android users think they have 4G. I had expected that iPhone users are smart and more educated about their circumstances but after the initial read of the post, I thought "wow, iPhone users are stupid".  But doing a second and more thorough read, the reasons became clear. The 4G being marketed by AT&T and T-Mobile certainly doesn't help.  You know, and I know, and most people know (66% of iPhone users and 71% of Android users) know that it's not true 4G.  But the marketing is marketing.  How those two carriers are allowed to do this is very perplexing and disingenuous.   I like what Retrevo is suggesting.  We need to know what the clear speeds are from carriers.  AT&T is probably scared of this because they now have one of the slowest networks in the US.  And only Verizon among the major carriers h...

AT&T will be reworking the insurance for mobile, specially the iPhone start on October 4th.  9to5Mac seems to suggest this means that new iPhone should debut around that time.   It's very strong evidence.  This will allow Apple to introduce the next iPhone in September along with the annual refresh of the iPod line, and possibly the next Apple TV and related media services.   Source:   9to5Mac .

If you're an Android fan, you probably feel like the world whole is against your favorite mobile platform and Google and just about everyone is trying to do whatever they can legally to make it happen.  You're not alone. These days, all fanboys and advocates of every mobile platform probably feel like the whole world is against them. The latest example is the Nortel patent bids in which a consortium lead by Apple outbid Google.  And while Google wasn't exactly ally-less, it had Intel on its side, doom and gloom about its enemies using those patents to suppress and isolate Android.  And then we also have to ask why was Sony allied with Apple, the folks who bring us the Xperia devices running on Android.  Where was Samsung, Motorola, and HTC?  Why did they not come to Google's aid with their own billions?   Then there are all those dozens or so lawsuits against Android device makers on like four continents.  Heck, Microsoft likely makes more money from ...

Here, I've spent a lot of time talking about iPhones and iPads.  And I felt that I've left Apple's Macbook line out of the discussion for the most part.  And it's not just me.  It's virtually everyone who write about tech, specifically, Apple's mobile tech and vision. Perhaps, it is because we just at the beginning of the post-PC era but are now well into it.  It doesn't mean that PC will go the way of the dinosaurs.  They'll remind a big part of our lives.  It is just that we will not be talking about it in ways we've done in the past.   Two things will happen.  The personal computer will continue on an evolutionary trajectory.  Faster, lighter, longer battery life.  But no more beyond that.  It is possible that it may be folded into something like that tablet.  And if needed, it can be turned into a PC with a docking station at home, school, or the office. Motorola's Atrix that runs on Android could be a glimpse of this futur...

A few updates on Google Plus.  It's growing...and fast.  I had a feeling given the number of people already on Plus and the interests (folks begging for invitations), this is the fastest growing social experience ever. According to Minyanville , we'll have ten million on Plus by tomorrow.  With a confident 99% accuracy rate, Ancestry.com's Paul Allen did some estimates with people's names and the US Census data.  But wait, what about the tons of people that I invited from overseas.  EU, the Middle East, India, and Asia Which has led me to believe that Plus may be bigger than just the 10 million figure.  And yes, my fellow mobile friends, size does matter (just in this case...just in this case).  I don't think Google will be issue any press releases for a while.  After all, given Google's past "beta" experiences for their webapps, it'll be like this for a couple of years. Privacy However, not all is rosy.  Aside from the on and off invitation...

Can Apple's Notification Center become a center piece where all app notifications, gaming, and social updates converge – an umbrella or sort that ultimately make it irrelevant which platform the user supports? I can simply go to the NC and read updates, post comments, retweet, or simply lurk as some on social network users do, reading up on updates from friends and families.  All of this is done without leaving NC. Or I can get an invitation, reminder, or meeting time from other calendars (Google) and important to my iCloud calendar with ease.  Again, without having to go into a specific app or entering my iPhone's calendar app.   Obviously, it cannot do everything but it can probably do everything well enough and eliminate the couple of steps to go into an app, wait for it to launch, and then work through it.  This approach would allow Apple to make iOS' Notification Center the foundation for to build on the whole experience.  And there is talk that iMessage co...

Apple recently boasted about its 15 billion app downloads.  By any reckoning, that is an impressive number.  And $4.5 billion paid out to developers.  That's not bad considering that most of the apps downloaded were probably free. And according to Macnn , the average selling price has rebounded to $1.44 per app and this should only increase as the level of sophistication also increase with the release of new API, functions from new OS updates like iOS 5.  This is a reversal from a year ago when prices dropped from 2009 to 2010.  What changed?  The sheer number of apps increased and likely users found that they can do more with their iOS devices beyond just free apps.  I guess this is time for me to hit the iOS dev books again.

There has been a mot of attacks on Wall Street from the 2008 financial meltdown to a series of idiotic reports over the years. And mainstream media is has a lot of blame to go around. And this Marketwatch about the iPhone only served to reinforce that view. It only served to my own opinion that the media an Wall Street is failing to take responsibility for its ignorance and erosion of standards. The post is about how the iPhone can regain it swagger. Really? The 13 month old iPhone 4 still has an impressive adoption rates and continues to outsell individual competitors needs to regain its swagger? How ridiculous! What's more idiotic is the suggestions offered by the writer. First, he brought up Steve Jobs. WTF!? Then it said that Apple needs a new ad campaign. I'll give him that. I happen to think it works and since this is a subjective matter, he is entitled to his own opinion. Then it brought up suggestions that Apple improve download speed and phone functionality by forcin...

eWeek examines Apple's consortium win in the Nortel patent win that seemingly denied Google and its allies that included Intel from owning the rights to some valuable 4G technology. And certain anti-trust enforcers are looking into the exchange. It'll be months and perhaps up to a year before we seem what the Nortel patent winners plan on doing. Exact some blood from Google's hardware partners or simple stunt Android in the market through the courts in an attempt to kill it outright. Like the post mentioned, there are dozens if not hundreds of lawsuits against Google and Android device makers all across the world. HTC is already paying Microsoft per device sold. Microsoft reported is asking for up to $15 per device from Samsung. Trouble doesn't end there as Apple has launched a massive legal attack on HTC and Samsung. And Oracle is going after Google over Java that could potentially cost the search giant more profit than it has made from Android so far. Still, all the...

According to Google insider, via Silicon Insider , Buzz had tens of millions of initial "buzz" and looked like a winner before it just fell off the cliff. Why would Google Plus be any different? Former Googler Sam Johnston said just as much. But maybe it's my bias but G+ has some things going for it that Buzz didn't have. First, it is not Facebook. In it's short life, Facebook has faster than anyone expected but it has continue to give the media/blogs reasons to distrust it. Privacy violations and changes on the fly has created a backlash almost every time Facebook unveiled a new feature. Second, one can argue that Google isn't a model guardian of user privacy, Google is currently facing a series of government fines and antitrust probes. G+ is still in beta but it is probably not too keen on giving users pause with any new feature that it is attempting to exploit user information on the scale Facebook does. One of the reason Buzz died so quickly was the vast...

Recently, one of my friends came to me and asked about blogging. He wanted to create an online journal more than blogging for public or a limited viewing. It was a way to sort his thought. I gave him the option of that most others would offer. Wordpress, Tumblr, Blogspot, and even social networks. All of the above blogs give the user a range options to limit who can see the updates, blogs, or short messages. With Google Plus (G+) and the ease with which one can create circles, I think my friend can do just that easily. Are there any other options that are available for use in this manner? I think we will probably see a better G+ blogging option in future updates. There is already a very strong tech following among its users and I have also noticed people defining new ways to use it. This isn't to say that Facebook won't offer more versatile option in the future or over blogs offering more integrated social options. But I did realize that creating a private journal as opposed t...