AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Greed may be a good thing (thought I disagree), so is fear. It’s a very well-known fact that Apple wants to sell us hardware at a profit margin that its shareholders can respect.  It’s also a very well-known fact that Apple doesn’t want to do anything like owning contents or creating apps when it doesn’t have to – it lets others do the work for it.  However, there is one exception:  when Apple feels threatened. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Apple will be replacing Google Maps on iOS with its own mapping implementation.  Apple has already bought two companies that we know of and I won’t bore you with what they do and how they’ll fit into Apple’s iOS and OS X ecosystems because no one knows for sure yet. And with this new mapping app, Apple will displace Google on hundreds of millions of devices.  It’s perhaps the fear, which has now been realized, that Google went out and bought Android.  In the early days, the fear of being shut out lik...

The headlines today are buzzing with what Tim Cook said about Apple’s TV plans, Siri, and Facebook.  Which is to say that what he said is kinda what Steve Jobs would have said which is to say that Tim Cook said nothing new. There, I’ve said it. On television, Apple is said to be very interested.  Who in consumer tech today isn’t?  Apple TV or Apple HDTV. Or would it be an Apple cinema screen that is 40+ inches and up with Airplay support? On Siri, more to come.  Obviously.  It’s in beta now and we can expect more.  And we want more.  So, this was expected.  It isn’t as if Tim Cook was going to say “nah, we’re done…we’ll have Siri speak Mandarin and then we’re finished.” On Facebook, this is where it’s more interesting.  Facebook wants Apple’s customer data and Apple isn’t keen on providing that.  The issue is who will blink first or some sort of compromise will be struck.  Zuckerberg has shown to be his own man after not be...

Source:   Blastr . Sometimes finding the right Friday movie to post is a bit daunting because there is so much to pick from.  So many great shows and movies out there.  Not this week.  This is the first clip I'm posting that is from across the Pond. Doctor Who.  This is a 3-min video called "Good as Gold".  I suppose it's like a webisode of sort.  I like to see more of this from shows and movies.  I like to see a lot more of it. Apparently, the script for "Good As Gold" came from a school contest.  Go figure. Hope you enjoy this.  I did.

Source:   The Verge . Looks like Google is slowly but surely putting more effort into making mobile Google+ apps with more features that are, well, more mobile. Makes sense since Facebook has shown that it simply cannot make money as users stop using desktop versions and, instead, spend more time on mobile. According to The Verge, there are strings in the codes that references "events" and "local".  Both are welcoming news as far as we're concerned.  I reckon this could be the events feature that Google has featured about in a separate app and local like means check-ins and probably deals. We won't know for sure but I think Google realizes that it'll be just as hard for it to make money off ads on its mobile apps as it has been for Facebook.  And going local with local commerce where Google can get a bit of each transaction may well be how it can monetize Google+ and other location-based features. Let's hope we see this sooner rather than...

Source:   On Apple , MacObserver . In our previous post, we suggested that Apple's HDTV won't be a TV at all.  If anything, it will only be an Airplay-ready display.  Oh, it'll be HD but it'll likely lack even a TV tuner.  For that, you'll have to pay extra for an accessory, likely, from a third party. Apparently, others agree.  I'm glad that Forrester is turning to the corner to this idea.  And more and more, I think this is also what Steve Jobs said when he told his biographer that he cracked the TV conundrum.  Don't make a TV.  It's that simple. This is also supported by folks who have "seen" the Apple display as a giant Thunderbolt display . This Apple HD Display will serve as the center of all living activities while Apple's iOS devices serve as conduits through which content flows. And if you want extras like paid TV subscription like cable, Netflix, or iTunes content, you just have to pay extra for this.  All apps ...

It's official.  NYT has sold its soul and, now, it articles are mostly based on biased pieces that hit individuals or companies based on access or not.  And in Eduardo Saverin's case,  ES granted NYT  an exclusive interview without any sort of in-depth analysis whatsoever. I read the whole piece thinking I would find some hard hitting questions about Saverin's betrayal of the country that gave him and his family sanctuary.  He claimed his giving up his US citizenship was for other reasons other than avoiding paying taxes.  NYT mentioned a thing or two about the estate taxes but never drilled him further. Folks, use Google+, use Path, use anything but Facebook.  The dude is a jerk and NYT bought the act.

Today, Apple-centric sites are quoting a Wall Street analyst in saying that a sub-9.7” iPad will do well in school and be quite popular with gamers.  To that, I say, “no #$%, Sherlock!”  I think many bloggers are getting lazy.  The thing that would be more fun than talking about this is speculating how a 7, 7.85, or 8 inch iPad would impact not only the market but also change how tablets are used. Let’s do that here.  First, battery life.  I think I can say for everyone who has own an iPad, tablet, or laptop is that battery life is very important to just about every mobile warrior.  That’s like the first amendment of any mobile warrior’s bill of rights.  What’s the point of not having long-ish battery life on any mobile device. If the 7” iPad can keep up with the iPad in terms of battery life, look out.  You’ll be seeing a lot more of these devices on the go.  Be it for students, gamers, or business uses like delivery drivers or a mobile...

This is short.  Google TV is pretty good but it isn't spectacular because there are other platforms out there that does much of what Google TV offers.  And if Apple's supposed HDTV isn't awesome, it will fail.  In essence, Google TV has been Zuned and Apple's TV will be zuned if it is merely a "me, too" HDTV. It was foreseen with Microsoft's failed Zune experiment.  And this was as much as admitted by the man Microsoft tasked to make Zune go after the iPod.   Robbie Bach  essentially said it was chasing the iPod with a product that wasn't offering anything new in ways that could get people to abandon Apple's music player. This is the same thing that is happening to Google TV.  I don't have to buy a $300 Logitech device when a $50 Roku will do.  Nor will "Google TV" HDTV, with a premium in the hundreds, entice me to buy it when, again, a $50 Roku will do. That said, I am still not sure that Apple's rumored HDTV will be just ...

Is the tablet going to be the new camcorder, for older folks?  I was at my hospital yesterday where I go to donate blood and platelets.  Speaking with one of the nurses, she told me how she felt relaxed after her vacation to Hawaii and that she'd bring pics to show us. When I asked her what camera she used, they said, "I used the iPad, you silly..." Wow, I was thinking to myself.  But you know what?  I can see this pick up over time.  In fact, we haven't seen more of this because I think the iPad 2 camera just was not quite there.  And Android devices didn't really have any good camera and video apps. I think we'll see more tablet users, especially ones more portable, take them on vacations and use them as their digital camcorders and cameras. My nurse has an iPad 2 so I don't think the pics will turn out great.  Even she said something about that.  But she did say the videos came out awesome.

Some say that President George Washington is the best POTUS we ever had.  Probably.  But others say that it's our sixteenth president,  Abraham Lincoln .  Let's just say that it's a tie.  How about that? However, as far as I know (according to Hollywood), President Lincoln is the only vampire hunter that ever sat in the White House.  And in this day, that makes him the awesomest, most badass POTUS. I'll be honest.  When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was the dumbest idea ever.  It's like "Hollywood, you've ran out of sequels and remakes to do already?!"  But after watch the trailers, I was like "wow, this works." Here's this Friday's movie clip, a trailer for Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter!!! Have a great weekend!

Source:   iMore . Sometimes, you can end up talking a bit too much about Apple and iPads or iPhones in one day.  Unfortunately, looks like we’re not done.  Oh, and other, I don’t like to write about rumors or report on them but this one is worth commenting on with just a tad of analysis. iMore  reporting Apple will release a 7” iPad this October, probably along side the new iPhones and iPods, for, get this, $200-$250.  As a mobile fan, I’m saying “BRING IT!”.  We think there is  definitely a great chance  that we'll see a sub-9.7" iPad in Apple's future.  Mostly, because kids have small hands, hence, tiny fingers, that can navigate smaller displays easier. There a couple of things worth noting about the iMore report.  First, they punctuated by the source of this information has been very good.  Good but certainly not infallible.  Second, they report that the display will have the same resolution as the new iPad. Had ...

Source:   MSNBC . I don't care for Mark Z of Facebook.  I think Facebook's privacy policy as this.  It doesn't have one.  However, between the Zucker and Wall Street analysts, I'm gonna stand with the Hoodie Man. So, Wall Street dudes who think him wearing a hoodie to investor meetings, you can go do you-know-what with yourselves.  He's gonna make you guys richer by virtue of violating people's privacies but he's gonna need to be himself to continue to do that. So, if you think he's disrespecting ya'll...well, then, don't invest with him.  Oh, wait.  You can't help yourself because you're all about making money.  So, take his disrespect and shove it up where it don't shine and sit down. On MSNBC's informal poll, 3 of 4 of us don't think he should capitulate to Wall Street attire.  Maybe it's you investors who should show respect and show up in hoodies. BTW, Facebook ain't worth $100 billion, you Wall...

I'm gonna call it now.  Apple TV will be dead or practically irrelevant for those of us who have an iOS device or two.  And once it does, there will be an app on your iPhone or iPad called Apple TV.  It'll likely just be called "TV" for simplicity's sake.  And via Airplay, you'll be able to drive content to future Apple high resolution displays . If you think about it now, the Apple TV really is a hobby.  It's there because Apple needs us as beta testers to see how we use television of tomorrow and how we interact with content via our phones and tablets.  It's really all that is about at this time. Once Apple has figured out how to go forward, and according to Steve Jobs, they have, I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve the Apple TV hardware as we know it.  And that is precisely why the Apple TV will go away. In the near future, Apple displays will not only support Retina Display or higher resolution than today's HDTV but it'll suppo...

Maybe there isn’t going to be any Apple HDTV at all.  Maybe Steve Jobs said one thing about cracking television just as Siri came out and people put two and two together and came up with crap rumors.  Maybe all along, these talk about and HDTV in Jony Ive’s labs are just Retina Displays with built in iOS functions that will be running off Macs and iOS devices. I got thinking about this because of more and more reports about HiDPI icons hidden within OS X.  The thing about this is that my theory would go against anything that is out there about HDTV which maxes out at 1080p.  Obviously, Apple displays and even the new iPad Retina display is much much higher. You know that and I know that but Apple probably doesn’t care.  They’re looking to the future and they’re getting working on scaling displays so that as we move beyond 1080p, Apple could well be in an excellent position to provide the displays and, yes, eventually their own TV sets to drive contents...

Source:   CNET . The gist of this CNET is that Apple's new iPad wasn't what they originally planned.  Let's look at the current iPad and see how it has gone contrary to what Apple has been releasing for the last decade. First, the 2012 iPad is heavier.  Also, it's thicker.  Since the original iPod in 2001, each subsequent release has been smaller.  And at times, lighter.  We had the original iPod that was then released with the iPod mini 2004.  Smaller.  Then again, Apple "mini-mized" the mini with the iPod nano in 2004.  And now, the nano is even smaller.  And don't forget the the Shuffle which is, likely, really really small. And the Macbooks?  We've got from backbreakers to 2 pound Macbook Airs.  And there's talk in those Internet pipes that Apple could go further and make the regular Macbook Pro lines even lighter as well. Also, take the Apple TV.  Boy, that thing is much thinner and ligher than the original...

We are a little more than one month away from Apple's World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco.  We'll likely see Apple unveil it's next iOS update, iOS 6.  And there is no shortage of suggestions.  I think I'll start collecting posts that offer Apple unsolicited advices. Here is one from TUAW .  They've got a list of fifteen and I'll point you to them for you read the full list.  On Apple sort of started on it in our post about how Apple can put some distance between itself and Samsung after its latest Galaxy S III failed to excite Android fans.  We also discussed in our previous that Apple can kill off Windows 8 by allow apps with Metro like UI to start popping up in the App Store. Now, I would like to take one of TUAW's suggestions and discuss it some more.  The Notification Center.  They went into details about what they like to see in Siri but I also think the Nofication Center features have been grossly under emphasized. ...

According to MSNBC via Christian Science Monitor (no other major online sources picked this up, BTW), there was a major cyberattack on US natural gas companies, focusing on the pipelines.  The alert was issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  What's interesting of note is that it started more than a month ago and even Canadian companies may also have been hit as well. Suspects, anyone?  China?  If this took place before the blind Chinese activist episode, then I'm likely to rule them out as suspect number one.  Could be green dudes with big mojos to take on the US government or the gas companies. More at Clouding Around .

RIM has its own arcane UI from eons ago (well, years) and Apple has its Palm-like UI on iOS.  And Google has its desktop like UI.  Now, Microsoft has its Metro UI.  It's nice.  I've played with it and I think there is a case to be made among mobile warriors to check it out.  However, Apple and Google can kill Windows 8 in its track now by allow/encouraging development of UI that looks and works like the Metro. Other hardware developers like HTC and Samsung have developed their own skins on top of whatever Android version they're running.  Only the iPhone doesn't allow for such a thing because, well, only Apple uses iOS. But what if Apple and Google allows apps that have UI based on the Metro concept?  Don't say it can't happen.  First, Google allows just about anything to go into Google Play.  And more recently, Apple approved  Tapose , an app, from  former Courier chief  before Microsoft killed it. J Allard  ...

What did you think of the second Tron movie?  Well, I thought the ending was lame.  I don't want there to be spoiler for folks so I'm not going to get into it.  However, I did like the new take on the grand scheme of things.  I just don't know if Tron 3, supposedly it's a done deal, will do much better. However, I'm betting the animated series, Tron Uprising will be pretty awesome.  It'll run on the Disney XD channel starting this June.  I'm pretty excited.  I've cut the cable a long, long time ago so I'm hoping this'll show up on Hulu or something. Meanwhile, here are the clips of it so far.  The first clip is from Comic-Con.  The second is the first trailer and the third clip is the latest trailer. Have a fantastic weekend!!!

Source:   iSource Typing on the iPad can be easy or hectic at times.  I'm general fine with it but as can see in this video, it can improved up. What do you think?  I like this a lot.  Being able to shift and drag would be an awesome feature.  How likely is Apple to implement this?  I'm not sure.  We've seen this done on regular laptop keyboards and with the mouse.  So, it isn't as if Apple will be implementing something totally new like their copy-cut-paste scheme. Personally, I've been training myself to do more dictation.  It has saved me a lot of time and, over time, I've gotten a more natural feel for it.  

With CompUSA and Circuit City gone, we should have guessed Best Buy’s better days are ahead.  Apparently, that wasn’t the case. When Best Buy reported bad earnings earlier, it was like the end of the world as far as big box electronic retailers are concerned.  In the brick-and-mortar space, who really does BB have to compete with?  Walmart?  Target?  Okay, Costco? Then the attention quickly turned to Apple’s gears at Best Buy.  Why?  Because despite close relationships with Apple, Best Buy selling Macs and iOS devices doesn’t bring in the big bucks because of the thin margins.  So, the best that Best Buy can hope for is that Apple displays and products will bring in foot traffic.  And with Walmart and Target potentially opening up mini-Apple stores (they’re more like small areas dedicated to Apple stuff), they are looking to bring in a higher income audience. But I think that could be the wrong way to go about it.  Rather than just ...

Source:   Cult of Mac . Tablets are wonderful mobile computing tools.  But have you tried to use your iPad or any other tablets in bed?  How about ereaders too?  Doesn’t matter.  Great tools when you’re using them upright. Really bad idea if you’re laying in bed and holding it up. I’ve had it slip a couple of times and really smashed my teeth in.  And guess what?  It happened to this kid in Taiwan when her iPad slipped out of her hand and chipped her front teeth.  Hope they’re baby teeth. Video to follow.  So, parents…Tabs, regardless of screen size, iPads, Kindles – great to use when it’s not hoving over your face.  Oh, and the mom went out to buy a case of her daugther’s iPad.  I don’t think it’ll help, lady.

The latest numbers showed that Apple has gained much since the iPhone went on sale over at Verizon and Sprint and it's lead over Android in the first quarter of 2012 could extend further from what I can see with its biggest competitor:  the Galaxy S III. Pic from Android Central So far, the response has not been overwhelming.  It's an evolutionary improvement from the II to the III and Samsung added a Siri-copycat that does do much.  It's as if Apple did not give Samsung enough to copy from with the iPhone 4S and their engineers and designers don't what else to do. Am I asking for a 10- or 12MP camera?  No.  Bigger screen?  Would be nice but not really.  I definitely want better battery life and if Apple can be so good as to make that wish come true, I'm definitely upgrading from my iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.  That alone would do it for me. However, I don't think that would be enough to make everyone else happy.  So, where are a few ...

Here is a video from  Android Central  I found on Youtube of the just unveiled Samsung's new high-end device, Galaxy S III. It's got a quad-core CPU (dual-core for some markets like the US, maybe), 4.8" screen, and 720p.  It also has a 2100mAh battery and we're gonna need it to power this huge screen.  There are other bells and whistles like voice control, kinda like Siri. There isn't anything here that is going to have current Galaxy S II users upgrade in drove or iPhone users to defect.  4.8" screen is like but I wouldn't want this on a phone.  Maybe if Apple releases an iPod touch with a 5" screen, I would go for that. Putting a 5" screen next to my small head when I am talking on the phone just looks kinda weird.

Source:   Fortune . From this chart from  Asymco, it's very easy to see who's making the big bucks in the mobile market and how things have changed since 2007, when the iPhone was introduced.  Back then, Nokia was the king of profits.  Today, well, it's the iPhone maker, Apple. Some hard and fast data: Apple has less than 9% of the handset market but accounts for 73% of all the profit. Android accounts more more than 50% of the market share but probably has the rest of the 27% profit. Of the 27% profit for the Android device makers, Samsung, now the world's biggest handset shipper, has 26% of that 27%.   Apple and Samsung has smothered the dollar count with 99% of the profit. However, a second chart (which I'm gonna make you click over) shows that it isn't as if Apple or Samsung is taking money away from others.  Rather, it's that the pie has grown since 2007 but it's these two rivals that are getting the lion's share of the profit.  ...

Source:   iDownload Blog Gimme, gimme, gimme!!! I want this concept iPhone 5 as envisioned by  Antoine Brieux, a French designer.  So far, the  device looks quite like what I described  as how Apple could give us a bigger than the current 3.5" Retina Display without doing too much to make the next iPhone's body bigger, thus, harder to use with one hand. In may difference from what I described and this concept iPhone is the home button is gone.  The screen itself is the home button.  How that'll work UI-wise, I can't say I have a good idea for.  However, given that multi-touch gesture on the iPad that allows the user to swipe between apps and for the multi-tasking panel at the bottom, Apple can certainly go that route. Yeah, I want this iPhone!  Recently, I told a friend of mine that she should go ahead and get the 4S because I don't think the body of the device will change too much.  Boy, if Apple does unveil the ...

RIM showed off its newest but yet to be released Blackberry 10 OS today.  So far, all signs points to things stabilizing in the short-term for RIM if the Canadian mobile giant can deliver as promised.  However, how long before things start crashing down again?  Don’t get me wrong.  We want RIM to succeed but it’s not as simple as coming up with a mobile device that is on par with the current mobile trend-settings like Android.  Look at how long it took for the Playbook to get features like e-mail?  And even then, the Playbook has not managed to make any kind of inroad in the tablet market. Let’s say RIM manages to deliver on what’s promised – a new Blackberry handset running the latest and greatest OS with some very impressive features, what then?  It would not only have to show that it can keep up with the big boys but RIM has to show what it has planned beyond that.to give supporters what is beyond mobile. For a while, RIM might be able to do a...

Just got this in my inbox from WB.  Said it's a new trailer for the sure super hit, The Dark Knight Rises. Definitely the must see movie of the summer. Sorry, Avengers is awesome looking but Batman is where the story's at - pain, sweat, and, of course...Vengeance! I've already watched the trailer 3 times before I realized I haven't shared them with you yet.  I'll be watching this in 3D on IMAX.  Hopefully at an Arclight theater without kids yapping and texting (or kicking the back of my seat).

Source:   Boy Genius Report . We know that Apple had contemplated creating its own wireless network through a bunch of WiFi hotspots that obviously did not happen.  Perhaps some day, we might see that happen with White Spaces.  Until then, the best opportunity for Apple to become a wireless provider is as a mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO.   Billed as an "industry expert",   Whitey Bluestein said Apple has the resource to make this happen.  However, he doesn't say how Apple will go about making this happen, if it's even on Tim Cook's plate at the moment.  He doesn't suggest that Apple will operate as a MVNO either. As much as  I like the speculation,  I'm going to call this one now:  not going to happen.  If there is actually rumblings about this, it's more likely Apple-generated to get the carriers to fall back in line regarding any shift in subsidies.  And it would make sense for carriers to give...

Source:   Electronista . The Walking Dead game is out.  In the first episode, you have many decisions to make that will be critical to your survival.  You play Lee, a convict who will lead a group to safety or becoming food for the walking dead. This is like yesteryear's Choose Your Own Adventure books except you'll being playing this on your Mac or PC.  Mobile versions like those for the iPhone and iPad will be out later this summer.  Me?  Ain't gonna wait until then.  This is what I'll be playing this Friday! Here's a video from the developer on the game dynamics.  First, the trailer. Episode 1 Video: Interview with Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead I especially like the world that is being created here.  You're not focused on the comic and television main character, rick Grimes, a sheriff deputy who was hurt in the line of duty and woke up in a world overrun by the dead. Here's an extensive video...

I've been trying to figure out just how Apple can make an iPhone with a bigger screen without screwing up the resolution and forcing developers to redo all of their apps to make it work on a potentially and mostly speculative bigger screen for the next iPhone. A few weeks ago, there was talk that perhaps Apple can make the iPhone taller to accommodate a longer screen.  Obviously, this would break the current 3:2 ratio.  If so, so be it.  I don't see Apple necessarily married to this if it can provide a more meaningful mobile experience.   What I don't think is absolutely necessary for Apple to do is to change the form factor of the iPhone by making it longer.  If you have an iPhone, take a look at it.  There's a lot of space on the top where the mic and Facetime camera are.  Also look at the home button area at the bottom.  Can the home button be modified a bit - make it smaller and wider or even get rid of it completely.  The whole bo...