AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

My friends' dog Louis doesn't like me. He just bit me. Just look at him. He's adorable. I don't know. This isn't the first time I've been bitten by one. So it got me thinking about apps dealing with pets. There are a bunch. Mashable has a few that you might to check out. But how about those of us who are victims of man's best friend? Like a whistle to ward them off or something. Anyway, maybe I am just not a dog person anymore. We had a chow-chow and that had never happened. And this my second time getting bit. It wad a different dog before this. A big dog then.

I started blogging because I wanted to share my experience with the XO laptop, the very first batch from the OLPC project.  It was a good laptop for the price.  The first ever netbook of sort that was under $300.  It was $250 actually.  Good bet.  Still got it. Then I moved on.  MacWind, another Macbook.  Then a Dell.  iPads.   Now, I've come across something that might be just as perfect for a mobile device that I can use for writing, surfing the Web, and 90% of other tasks I do on a laptop or iPad on the cheap.  I'm not saying I would get this but for $70, it's hard to pass up. The device is manufactured by an Indian company, Bharat.  Not much on specs but this is what has me interested:  It has a solar charging unit.  What I like to know is just how much power this sun-powered unit for the tablet.   I think we are nearing a time when our mobile devices' battery will be augmented by solar power.  Sitting under ...

TI promised by 2013 that our mobile devices, probably those that power Android or Windows Phone devices will be able to power our mobile needs for a whole day per charge.  I can't tell you how long I have been waiting to hear this and how badly I want this today. Today, the longest battery life in a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet is the iPad 2 with a real life battery of 11 hours and the Xoom with about 10 hours.  The smartphone battery mileage varies from device to device and as you well know, they don't come close to what the battery life on the tablets sport. Now, I suppose TI is talking about smartphones rather than tablets.  Imagine your mobile device, Android, Windows, or iOS, being able to run as long as you need no matter. This is what we know.  According to  Phone Arena  via  TechCrunch , the 2012 chip, OMAP5, will have three times the performance and five times the graphics chip of the current TI chip on the market.   It'll ha...

I think my title to this post said all that needs to be said. Well, there is more actually. S&P also has a negative outlook on the US and there could be another downgrade 12-18 months from now. Basically, S&P said what neither party has the guts to say: the White House and Congress decided on a deal that raised the debt ceiling but did not go far enough to cut the deficit. And they decided to put off the issue like they have always done. So there you have it. Sad, eh?

Pico means "little' in Spanish.  Or one-trillionth according to a definition I dug up.  So, Macrumors along with other blogs this morning are wonder why Apple registered this the domain, www.applepico.com .   So, what can it be?  The speculation is that Apple could be considering adding pico projectors to the iPhones but I higher doubt that Apple would consider registering a domain name just for a specific feature. There are two possibilities. One is that Apple may be refreshing the iPod line with an entirely new product.  Pico, by definition, is smaller than a nano.  I don't know if Apple is going to shrink the nano even more.  It just doesn't seem possible but I want to throw this out there to cover the basis. The other like possibility is that this pico could be a new iPhone.  The iPhone pico.  Apple could just as well call it the iPhone nano but I wouldn't put it past Apple to just screw with the media and bloggers. ...

When Steve Jobs says something, everyone listens.  And you give his words, ideas, or rants or weight.  The same goes for someone like Bill Gates, Eric Schmitz (when he's not being creepy), or Larry Ellison.  But when Stan Shih, the founder of Acer, does the same, you listen politely, wait until he leaves, and ask incredulously, "he can't seriously believe that, does he?".   That's the feeling I got when I read that the Acer founder calling the Macbook Air a "short-term phenomena".  Seriously, you wennies in Acer PR really let this guy loose without a leash? Dude also thinks that lower price and convenience are things that consumers want.  I'll give him points for lower price.  But what exactly does he mean about convenience?  Seriously?  Convenience for what? It was Acer that help made the netbook market what it was at its peak.  The Taiwanese computer maker saw its fortune rose as the mini-laptops took off.  But once the iPad came ...

I wonder if the tablets outside of Apple will be another race to the bottom with Apple occupying the $500 and above market while the rest of the pack enters the race to the bottom. The Touchpad has been out barely a month and HP has already dropped the 16 GB model by $100. What does this mean? Has HP's Touchpad already failed to catch on? What does this mean for the tablet market in general? Perhaps Android 4 will slow down the pricing pressures while Apple could conceivably enter the sub-$500 price point with a cheaper iPad 2 that has less memory. More analysis/speculations at  Clouding Around .

According to  Appleinsider , Apple execs visited with a Royal Bank of Canada analyst.  The analyst came away with nothing to add about new products but did say that Apple will address the low-end market with an "innovative, category-killer experience".  And until Apple can do that, there will not be a low-end iPhone. Obviously, that does not say much.  But let me take you back a bit to a couple of years ago.  Apple was faced with a similar situation with other mobile products but the same sets of inquiries. Once upon a time, Apple executives was quizzed about why they're not in the netbook market and what they plan on doing about it.  And in another lifetime, Apple was asked about what they plan on doing to address the $500 segment of the laptop market.   And in addressing the netbooks, Steve Jobs sheepishly said the iPhone was  Apple's answer to the netbooks .  Okay, if you think long and hard, I guess you can make that case.  And of co...

Obviously, Apple's iPhone is doing very very well.  Apple is now officially the biggest smartphone maker in the world coming in at 19% ( WSJ ).  Apple basically leapfrogged the former leader, Nokia which still managed to ship 15.7%. So when one analyst estimated that Apple may reach 30 million iPhones for this Christmas quarter, one has wonder if it's possible.   In the latest quarter, Apple managed to sell more than twenty million iPhones without a new model on the market.  It's like that there was a lot of pinned up demand for the new iPhone.   New iPhone and Christmas - a very potent combination.  On top of that, Apple will have Verizon Wireless' 90 million+ customers that could be waiting to get their hands on one.  Also, Apple might bring the iPhone to a third carrier in the US, Sprint.  Maybe even T-Mobile USA. On top of that, with China being such an important market to Apple now, and Apple could bring the iPhone to Greate...

It looks like the days when mobile warriors who park themselves at Starbucks for a couple of hours are no longer welcomed.  At least, that is the case in New York.  How about you?  Do you have the same experience at your local Starbucks outside of NY? I don't see that happening at the local stores around me.  However, a local Borders store, before getting closed down a few months back, blocked off the outlets.  And let's just say that it did not improve the traffic into the bookstore.  As mentioned in the Yahoo post where I read this, I doubt there is an official Starbucks policy.  And WSJ was able to obtain a statement to this effect.  I think they're going to take a way and see policy and gauge the traffic.  I reckon these locations in NY probably have a very high foot traffic.  And even if the "laptop loungers" end up going elsewhere to do their mobile stuff, there are probably more than enough traffic to replace them. Again, locally,...

You know what I'm going to do if I win the lottery tomorrow?  I'll put some of that money and invest in Evernote and/or Springpad. Both are cloud-based services that allow you to sync your life - they are indesensible tools for today's mobile warriors.  Basically, a not so full-sized version of Google's webapps and certainly something that I would like to see Apple move iCloud towards.  Both are cloud-based note-taking services that allow the user a lot of freedom move notes around, sync them, and are easily accessible on the Web or apps.   And yes, I use both services and swear by them. And they sit squarely on the bottom doc of my iPhone and on the center home page of my Triumph.  I use Evernote every day. I write posts and notes and sync them.  When when I'm at Starbucks, I can access the notes from my iPad or phone (or my Macbook Air)  And I can't go back to anything else because there isn't anything else like this. There simply is no webapp with d...

Looks like Apple legal will have a new target:  Fake stores. According to CNET , some of the targets are also in the US.  That's right.  The US!  Fushing, New York!  Then again, isn't NY like the capital of fake stuff in the US? I don't know just how anyone think they can get away with it  Honestly, if you can't fake Apple gears, you might as well fake the stores to sell real Apple gears.  That's as far as you'll get.

Consider how well certain companies did in the last recession, it's possible that should we enter a second recession in the US, it may well mean that companies that are ready for it could do well and even better once economies around the world start to grow again. In the last recession, Apple promised to innovate its way out and it certainly did.  Macs continued to outpace PC sales even to this day.  Out of the recession came the iPhone 4 and the iPad.  Trust me when I tell you that Apple may be up for another recession.  It's international growth engine continue to hit on all of its cylinders.   Certainly Google with its massive search lead could also weather any recession nicely.  It still has to contend with the Android lawsuits that its partners are facing and that uncertainty should only be a blip if that at all. Microsoft's Office and Windows empire might take a hit.  At the same time, the next Windows Phone update, Mango, is just about to reach ...

Apple's patents are about putting some distance between itself and its competitors.  Apple's products carry with it's the DNA of the original Mac philosophy of "just works", ease of use, and elegance in its designs.   What anyone else does about their own designs and functions matters very little to Apple as long as they do not infringe too much on Apple's work.  And more than just Android being a threat in the market, Apple felt that Android's dominance happened because a competitor like Samsung came in and copied not only key functions but also how it looks and feels. And while I don't agree with Apple 100% on this issue, you cannot help but feel that there are similarities between the iPhone 3G and 3GS with the Galaxy phones.   You also have to ask where would Apple's competitors go if they did not help themselves to some features like multi-touch?  I am not excusing their behaviors but only to point out that their recourse would be to reinvent ...

In pre-Lion, any version of OS X, there was no auto-correction and when we got that in iOS, I had wanted to have that be made available natively to the Macs for years.  And with the arrival of Lion, that feature has come.  At first, I had not noticed. It was only when I read Macworld's post on turning it off that I realized it was there.   For instance, I typed in "this is noly a test".  In the past, my Macbook would have left it there until I make a correctly.  Now, this is what I see "this is only a test". So, why would anyone want to turn it off?  I understand the issue that the feature might insert the wrong word from time to time but I see that more likely to happen on the iPhone more than on the Mac.   I might consider turning this feature off for only one reason:  if my spelling gets worse.  Seriously, I have already seen my spelling worsen in the last couple of years.  In the past, I would attempt to be more careful spelling out...

It appears Microsoft is not willing to let this drop. Earlier, I wrote that Microsoft's general counsel disputed Google's assertion that Rockstar, the group that included Apple and Microsoft, won the Nortel patents impede Android.  Well, Microsoft tweeted and provided a picture of the e-mail in which Google turned down Microsoft's overture. Here is the tweet link . I'm going to give Google the benefit of the doubt and see what they have to say about this.  The date in the e-mail was October of 2010.  I had assumed that the bidding was more recent.  Given that it had been a while since the overture and Google never reconsidered, it showed that Google's plans for the Nortel patents were to serve as defensive weapons.   This is turning into a firestorm for Google.  And it is really making Google look pretty bad right about now.  More than a few blogs, including this one is chiming in on the matter ( WPCentral , Electronista ).   For the moment, I ca...

Well, well, well...what have we here?  Let's recap.  Today, on Google's official blog, Google trashed Apple, Microsoft, and others for using patents to prevent competition and for gaining up on Android.  For the record, I agree that the motives behind Apple and Microsoft joining forces to make slow down Android and make it more expensive than, well, free. Well, we all knew that Apple would not respond this these charges.  And in no uncertain terms, Google's blog post was very angry and left no room for that doubt that it was not happy with the results.  So instead of Apple speaking up, Microsoft spoke up for the team. Microsoft's General Counsel Brad Smith said Google was asked to join with with them.  The eventual winner was a coalition of companies dubbed "Rockstar":  Apple, Microsoft, RIM, and Sony.  When offered the chance to join with them, Google turned it down.   Furthermore, Electronista made a very valid point:  i...

Google's official blog was just updated with the most direct shot at the patent wars and against Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, and they mentioned other companies (who are they?).   Google crying about Nortel patents...on some level, I agree with them.  Those above companies are coming after Google for various reasons and fight proxy patents wars or directly used Google as in Oracle's case over Java infringements and licensing.  And yes, the companies that rallied around Apple for the Nortel patents were gaining up on Android.   Let me repeat that again:  the companies mentioned in the Google blog, with the exception of Oracle, are gaining up on Android.  They don't like the way it looks, they don't like the way it smells, and they don't like that it's free.  And while Microsoft seems content with royalty payments, Apple isn't interested in any resolution short of making sure Android makers do not infringe in its patents.  For Steve Jobs, it's not mon...

I haven't really paid attention to the patent wars outside of the US but perhaps I should.  Samsung is currently prevented from launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia because Apple had won an injunction against Samsung. Initially, Samsung wanted to launch the tablet in the next week or so but has not put that off indefinitely until the legal proceedings are completed or a temporary stay on appeal. Apparently, the Australian legal system works much faster than it does here in the US .  So, it does give us a glimpse of the future should Apple win some kind of a legal injunction against other Android device makers.  This is what it will look like. This is a victory for Apple.  At the same time, you have to wonder just how many 10" Galaxy Tabs Samsung will sell going up against the iPad 2.  It have might made more sense to stop the sales of the smartphones. Source:  Bloomberg via Appleinsider .

Time Inc issued a press release indicating their commitment to tablets, the publishing anc consuming platform of the future, with plans to publish all of its magazines in digital formats. Time, People, Sports Illustrated, and Fortune are among some of its more notable titles that I read.  Well, not People but you can't help avoid back-copies of them when you visit a doc's office. Time has already made available some magazines in the iTunes Apple store via dedicated apps.  The same is for the Android Marketplace.  What's notable is that HP's Touchpad will also be a part of the mix.   What is also notable is the absence of some devices like Kindle and RIM's Playbook.  I reckon they should be able to access Time Inc's library of magazines once RIM release's the Android player app for the Playbook and Amazon's Kindle tablet goes on sale later this fall.  Still, no native support for the Playbook would be a huge blow to RIM. Also, Time Inc boasted 28 million ...

There are conflicting report regarding the next iPhone.  The case leaks from China last week seems to suggest the similarly sized iPhone to the current iPhone with a tapered back while today's widely circulated post suggests something differently. According to Business Insider via iSource , the next iPhone will sport a larger screen with a thinner bezel.  And it'll like be powered by A5 chip, currently used in the iPad 2.  How did the analyst, Shawn Wu of Sterne know this? Well, he did what other analysts have done.  They check the supply line.  However, he seemed more interested in communicate to investors that the next iPhone could a bigger deal than just a mild upgrade. My question is just how much bigger.  If his information is true, a 4" display to replace the 3.5" Retina display used by the iPhone 4 and the iPod touch makes more sense than the 3.7" display that some blogs have reported. After all, if you're going to go big, you might has well...

Foxconn, according to a Chinese report, will begin to replace Chinese workers with one million robots to improve margin and efficiency.  Foxconn is a manufacturing company that make up a lot of smartphones, tablets, and laptops.   Right now, Foxconn has 10k such robots deployed in its factories but that number will increase to 300K by next year and one million in three years.  These robots will be tasked to welding and assembling where possible. As I understand it, how much many workers will these robots replace?   Furthermore, I wonder if this means that an army of these robots eventually mean more future manufacturing of mobile gadgets, PC, and other techs done in the US, resulting in higher employment here in the States.  Or that Foxconn or another manufacturer could set up regional factories to more quickly distribute the final products. Japanese firms like Honda and Toyota routinely put on display advances in robotics that seem to be far more advanced than ...

Apple is said to have hired an international header hunter to help them look for a new retail chief.  This information came from WSJ and of late, WSJ has printed a couple of questionable posts regarding Steve Jobs and Apple. Having said that, this post regarding Apple's plan makes sense.  The international market is increasingly more important to Apple as growth.  In the last few years, Apple became increasingly reliant on the international markets for its sky-rocketing growth.  Apple's revenue in China alone was $3.8 billion in the last quarter, an increase of 6X from a year ago. And with a strong brand, there is much Apple can benefit with a continuing strong retail presence.    Source:   WSJ ,  Appleinsider .

Is the iPhone about to surge ahead once the next iPhone is out?  According to a survey with very small sampling, it seems to be the case.  But let me say this again, it's a very tiny survey sample.  On top of that, there are places in the world where Android is a more affordable choice than the iPhone.  And there are also a large parts of the world where the iPhone isn't even available. When the iPhone became available on Verizon, no one thought that Apple was going to suddenly turn the tide against the Android.  Even fact, as Apple sold more iPhones through the third quarter, Android not only held its grown but managed to grow its share domestically in the US as well as internationally where it is closing in on 50% of the mobile market.   To be fair, Apple does control two-thirds of the profit in the mobile market.  All things considered, I think Apple would rather have profit than market share right about now. For Apple's achievement, all this was do...

So far, everyone seems to think the T-Mobile takeover by ATT will sail through despite a bit of pockets of resistance, even with some powerful US Senators thrown into the mix.  But I think as examples of anti-competitive moves by ATT and loss of opportunities due to lack of choice in the market emerge, we might see things turn against the deal. Take this Cablevision opposition to the deal.  According to Tmonews , they want to work with T-Mobile in setting up a GSM network for Wi-Fi and cellular broadband but are unable and unwilling to work with ATT.  Should the merger go through, Cablevision would not be able to partner with anyone else.   Should there be a lawsuit, I don't see Cablevision having much of a case.  However, bringing this to public attention would help make the case that no matter what ATT says about the deal being good for consumers, it most certainly does not make it so in reality.   It all comes down to this.  If the merger goes throu...

According to Reuters , the NSA and other intel agencies will be at Defcon in Las Vegas looking to see if they can find themselves a few hundred hackers to help protect the nation and maybe dish out a few attacks here and there against rogue nations. Unfortunately, they won't be alone.  Corporate America will also be looking for some helping hand as well.   Seriously, if you're in the right field at the right time, you can find a job even in at the beginning of a double dip recession we're in. So, are you that guy?  Obviously though, you can't be some loner.  You'll have to be able to fit in and work with others.  If you've got the skillz, give it a shot.  After a few years, those high-paying tech job in the private sector will still be there waiting for you.  Won't wont hire someone with a resume that said he or she worked for the NSA.

I was really excited when there was word that Apple was in talks to buy Barnes and Noble.  Until something happens (not happening doesn't count), I remain hopeful.  Meanwhile, Technologizer via Daring Fireball , here are some companies that Apple left on the tablet. Here are just a couple: Pixar doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but why Apple did not buy Palm I'll never know.   There was talk that Apple should buy Nitendo and given how Nintendo is stumbling now, Apple should take another crack at it. Here are a couple that doesn't make sense at all: Universal Music - Apple doesn't want to deal with contents. Maybe when they run out of things to take over.  This includes Disney which previously bought Pixar from Steve Jobs AMD - The company bleeds money and there is no tech they can offer today.  Apple's choices of buying chip startups has so far made the difference in the smartphone and tablet war. Here are a couple that might work for Apple:   Adobe...

I decided to go ahead and buy an extra 20 GB of iCloud storage.  Now, I've got 25 GB in all.  You might think that I'm feeling a bit foolish consider that iCloud is still in beta.   Well, most and more people around me are getting the iPhone and iPad because it's so easy to use and so seamless to integrate into their lives.   However, if your mobile life is not as integrated to the iOS and OS X ecosystem as I am but want to be able to have similar cloud storage experiences, there are other options. 9to5Mac has a couple of competing services, Dropbox and SugarSync, that can be used beyond Apple's wall-gardened.  Having said that, they offer very different terms and privacy guards that Apple offers.  So if you're just a regular mobile user, you ought to be fine. However, if you're a developer and have certain files you like to keep as your own, you may want to consider your options carefully beyond price and storage capacity.  So read the terms of servi...

Edge, a new HTML 5 animation tool from Adobe.  Anyone who is interested in creating simple animations for website, I recommend download this beta and giving it a test drive. In Macworld's post here, they give us four things to watch out for.  One point they mentioned is that this will not replace Flash.  My take:  Not yet.  Also, it's geared towards mobile.  However, it doesn't mean if you're creative, you can't use it for anything else.   Give it a try.  It's free anyway, for now. Source: Adobe .

I mentioned last Friday that I would point out something within the framework with what Apple has shown us that points the Apple tablets with less than 10". That feature is the new split keyboard that will soon be available in iOS 5. And this split keyboard will allow Apple During a few financial calls back, Steve Jobs disparaged those tablets on the market with less than 10" screen. It was the 7" Galaxy Tab that Steve Jobs are up in arms about. Steve Jobs basically said that unless users are able to file down their fingers to tap at the screen, it would make no sense for users to operate a tablet with a less than 10" screen. As I was listening in on that call, I thought to myself, "well, the iPhone and iPod touch had a pretty small screen. In fact, they are 6.5 inches smaller than the 10" iPad and they seem to work just as well". I think what Steve Jobs was ranting about in particular was the keyboard. As for trying to type with both hands ...

I eager wait for the arrival of Skype app for iPad.  I've been using the iPhone version on the iPad and I just have had enough of it.  I do quite a bit of IM on Skype and it just was maddening to type on it. As you know, Skype was recently bought out by Microsoft and there is no way we can tell what Microsoft intends to do with it.   For now, I'm just going to think small and appreciate the arrival of a native iPad app.   On another issue:  FaceTime.  It's Apple's video chat solution.  Could se see some kind of an improvement with the arrival of iOS 5?  There is chatter that Apple may being 3G to the iPod touch (I think it's more likely a larger sized iPod touch with 5-7").  I would love to see FaceTime and Skype go head-to-head. Source:   Appleinsider .

After being handed a setback by ITC that ruled HTC violated two key Apple patents and having the S3 patents that Apple's Mac alleged violated be ruled unpatentable, HTC was in a much weaker position in the courts and bargaining position.   Hence, HTC suddenly became malleable to sitting down with Apple and negotiate an agreement with Apple.  That was last week. Today, we learned that HTC filed a suit against Apple in the UK and the war between the two is likely to escalate to the level of fighting between Apple and Samsung spanning continents in multiple jurisdictions.   Why?  Is HTC simply trying to rattle Apple a bit?  On the surface, one could see this as a ploy to bring Apple to the tablet.  However, I've got another explanation. Apple took the olive branch from HTC, broke it in half, and threw it right back at it.   And if I'm right, all the Android device makers will have to deal with Apple in just such a manner.  Apple does not file paten...

Apple has a deal with ABC, Fox, and possibly others that allows Apple TV to stream TV shows they bought.  When I first read about this earlier this morning, I had to reread the post to make sure it was what I thought it to be.  And this was made possible through an Apple TV update available today. ( Macworld ) If you buy a TV show from a studio has such a deal wtih Apple, you can now download the TV show but also stream it live through Apple's servers to your Apple TV and onto your HDTV.  This certainly has me closer to buying a TV after all. What's missing is that some studios and channels have not yet agree to this.  Hence, users reported that some TV shows are missing.   And while Apple now allows TV shows to be redownloaded, I wonder how soon before Apple allows users to simply stream TV they've gouth.  Furthermore, are we any closer to a TV subscription?

I'm gonna make this my thing for the fall until the next iPod touch comes out.  3G access is something I've wanted for the iPod touch but never got and now it's likely Apple is shipping an iPod touch with 3G.  My question is which one. See, I've been using my iPod touch with my Clearwire iSpot until I bought new Android and iPhone recently.  It was my mobile battle platform if you will.  As a mobile warrior who insisted on taking that extra leap into what I think is the future, a future where there are no voice plan but data only plans, it was a grand experiment.   My set up was not as robust as I would have liked largely because the VOIP options were spotty.  Now with Apple likely to release a touch with 3G, I reckon Apple should have an option for VOIP in development in the future.  Perhaps, there could be a FaceTime option for just voice.   So, would this just be a conventional iPod touch upgraded with a 3G modem?  I think not though becau...

If you add both Mac and iOS shares, you get 8.57% of total Web access  What this means is the likelihood of the iPad making some inroads into the typical browsing behavior of its users and creating spike that could in a couple of years even rivaling the Mac even as Apple's computers continue to grow. What it does mean is that future share loss will come mostly at the expense of Windows.  And with the new Macbook Air releases that coincided with the release of OS X Lion and back-to-school sales, Apple may further gain market shares.  It isn't inconceivable that we will see Apple's duo of OS X and iOS reach greater than 10%. And depending on when the iPad 3 comes out with other Macbook Pro updates, well, I don't want to go overboard and speculate just how much higher Apple's Web access share will go. Source: Macnn .

I find this information highly suspect given the movements in the retail market, both by Apple and its carrier partners but still, it would be of interest to those looking at the next iPhone as an upgrade. According to  Macrumors ,  AllThingsDigital  sources place Apple's plans to launch the next iPhone in October instead of the early to mid-September date that had been flying around Though it could happen, it is highly unlike to happen.  This would place the iPhone launch squarely into the iPod update time frame.  And while you might say "that would make sense", all the price drops for the iPhone 4 and free iPhone 3GS (refurbished) are taking place now or could start next week.   In the past, Apple's carrier partners typically lower their iPhone prices about a month before the next upgrade happened.   AllthingsD began their post, defiantly declaring "they're wrong" about the September timeframe that other blogs and news posts have been advocating. ...

So for the 7" tablet market is largely confined to the Android flavor running Gingerbread or an even earlier version.  They also sport an across-the-board 1024 x 600 resolution.  And  it is only the most recent version of Honeycomb that will support 7" tablets natively. And now, Samsung has improved on the 7" screen with a WSVGA resolution 1024 x 768, one that we continue to on LCD and notebook screens.  And this has not only a good chance of being adopted by Android device makers but perhaps even HP.  Or maybe even Apple? Sharing a common resolution across multiple platforms could be a boom for developers.  Perhaps there are basic frameworks for their developments that can then use across platforms.   And for HP, it could offer a smaller 7" Touchpad sharing the same resolution as the bigger 10.1" Touchpad.  Developers certainly would be happy about this.  It would allow them to develop one app for two tablets without modification.   And...

PC Magazine has a pretty good post that I've kept locked away in my Instapaper account for about a week or so that I finally got around to reading.  Then I reread it and thought I share it with you.  With $76 billion in the bank, which is simplifying things a bit, Apple had more cash available to it than the US federal government (until Congress passes the debt ceiling and budget deal worked out by Congressional leadership and the White House).  And instead of wastefully throwing it away as dividend, stock buybacks, or reckless buying up companies, Apple used it to help secure components and reduce costs. First, Apple uses its cash to help finance building new factories that could build out new technology faster.  When new tech comes to the market, the cost could be prohibitive to adopt.  And because Apple can almost guarantee its that its devices, like the iPhone, will sell in great numbers, Apple can be sure that its investments in this manner is sound.  ...

iCloud, though the public has not seen it, has been regarded as Apple's newest weapon and its best hope to supplant the services offered by Google, Microsoft, and others.  It will be what MobileMe was meant to be.  And it could be Apple's final effort in trying to convince users that it knows what cloud computing is. Even at this point, iCloud may well be nothing more than a glorified online storage for files, photos, and music.  But as with everything Apple, it offers pinpoint improvements over time and adds new innovative features and apps when they feel it has been baked well enough. And it could be possible that as iCloud evolves further, it could merge with iOS and OS X further in the coming years.  Just as what we are seeing now, iOS and OS X share features and that could become more so with whatever OS comes after Lion Google's Chrome OS is a vision that we could see future embedded devices head towards.  And though that could be challenged by Windows and...