AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I saw this on Facebook so I thought I'd share it with folks still in school.  You know, with school starting soon and all.  It's in Chinese but I'll summarize at the bottom. Three pictures: The first one is during summer break. The second one is two days before school starts. The third one, you guessed it, is after school has started. Enjoy!

Source:  Mashable . A solar charger for mobile devices that doesn't suck.  Well, here we have it.  And I don't know it will suck or not but I think I'll be funding this Kickstarter project because it is the closest to the Holy Grail of mobile solar charging that I have ever seen The SunVolt Solar Power Station charger offers the ability to charge devices via the sun (on a clear day) as quickly as if you had your mobile devices plugged into a regular old socket.  Obviously, others have promised similar performances but results have varied - generally from not working to very slow at best. What I like to be able to do is to plug this also into a portable battery that I can use as an emergency when I don’t need to charge my devices at that moment. Obviously, having a backup battery would be very useless in many situations. Personally, I thought of a few right away: a wind or rain storm that knocked our our power last November, this past weekend, I was at a ...

Source:   Information Week ,  The Droid Guy . I've seen plenty of promising iPad challengers come and go. If you're even a remotely interested observer of the tablet market or have walked to Staples or Office Depot here in the US and see dust collect on the selection of  Android tablets, you'll know what I'm talking about. However, Samsung is persistent.  Very.  And with the Galaxy Note 10.1, losing the, perhaps cursed name, "Tab", it could see better success.  Android needs this.  Google needs this until it can come out with its own Nexus 10 to compete with the iPad.  And let's never forget that Surface is just ready to pounce on the tablet market. The Galaxy Note has done well - to the tune of 10 million sold world-wide.  Perhaps, it could translate into success for the 10"1 version. And just as this all starts, we're looking for Apple to assault the 7 to 8" tablet segment of the market in a few weeks.  As a mobile fan, we can...

Source:   Cult of Mac . Here's a 3D mock-up of what the next iPhone could look like based on a lot of credible information coming out of very good sources, sources that are traditionally Apple's leaks. If you're looking for something dramatically different from the iPhone 4 and 4S, you'll be disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, there's plenty to like about the new iPhone if it's anything like what we see in the video. Bigger screen, bigger battery life, improved insides like CPU and perhaps LTE. It may even be thinner as well. But from a fashion sense perspective, there is not the change from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4 in terms of the form factor.  But hey, it's probably not gonna stop me from upgrading my iPhone 4 to what is sure to be another insanely great product from Apple.

Source:   Blastr . First, you can never get enough of Batman, especially the latest Dark Knight Rises.  Seriously, you just cannot.  So, some fans decided to take it upon themselves to make a short using action figures (fine...collectibles.  Happy?) and punched some a most excellent video. See for yourself.  Actually, after watching this, I'm more enticed to want to go back out this weekend and watch DKR again.  You just can't get enough of it. Did I already say they did a great job?!

Source:   Square . Starbucks is going to be working with Square, you know those guys with the mobile payment reader, and even investment some large sum in the company.  Just what they'll be working on together is something that I am not too sure about just yet. It's not like Starbucks needs Square's credit card reader because Starbucks already have those and even mobile apps for users to charge their drinks on. However, Jack Dorsey, founder of Square, specifically mentioned that Starbucks will integrate a directory to allow local businesses with Square support to be listed.  Interesting and it remains to be seen just how effective this will be. In fact, I had always thought of Square a company that builds the credit carder for the iOS devices.  However, I didn't know that they have an app for consumers as well.  Though I've never used it, I suspect it's a lot like Starbucks' own app or even more simple to use. And judging the all the attention ...

Source:   Appleinsider . So far, it looks like it's an Apple's iPad market in China.  In the last three months ending July with Apple only beginning to sell the iPad 3 in late July, the iPad has a 72% market share compared to everyone else with mainly Android tablets bringing up the rear. It'll be interesting to see where Surface sits when it begins selling in China.  Windows is very popular there so it's possible that Microsoft could have a shot at second place down the line. Regardless of what happens, the iPad isn't likely to have such a dominating share as other tablets with newer devices like cheap 7" versions hit the market.  However, the Chinese market is huge so there is plenty of pie for everyone. The question is where devices like the Nexus 7 will fit into all this and if Google, Microsoft, and Lenovo can afford not to take some risks to gain sales quickly.  Let's see how Surface or a variant from an OEM does there against the Android ta...

Tim Cook is a master of the supply chain as many attributed Apple's ability to move quickly to new technologies while managing to scale relatively quickly to meet demands and keeping its profit margins high.  But Apple's long-term strategy to provide mobile warriors with a wide selection of devices covering a a range of prices could be what will lead the company to eventually dominate the mobile market - and I'm talking about mobile devices like tablets as well as laptops. Here's is some of why this could happen as discussed in this CNET post .  The gist is that Apple has the high-end covered with the Macbook Airs and the current price range of the ultrabooks of $800-900 occupied by the ultrabooks also sits the high-end iPads. Obviously, ultrabook buyers will go with the Intel-based laptop because they need something that is more traditional than just the tablet but the iPad is increasingly gaining traction as a producitvity device.  And sales of Windows laptops are...

Pull to refresh is a feature that we can't live without on our mobile devices.  Also, inertial scrolling.  Boy, is that useful.  And double tapping a screen to zoom in?  Awesome.  I use this feature everyday. As a matter of fact, I use all of the three mentioned features above on my mobile browser and apps just about every time I hold up my phone or tablet.  And yet, Apple down the patents for the latter two features. And this is also the issue among a few that is going on now between a patent lawsuit between Apple and Samsung. Last week, Google said that some of Apple's more valued (by Apple) should be open for all to use, maybe with a small licensing fee.  Obviously, Apple disagree. I'm kinda torn about this.  On one hand, I'm not sure about patenting features like these.  On the other hand, some very smart people did figure out what the best touch UI features that they feel work best and it doesn't necessarily mean it is m...

Aside from the hard work and dedication of the scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern Calfornia that accounted for the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on late Sunday night, there is another factor for it. Apple gears.  And just about every device was well-represented inside the control room. The pic says a lot doesn't it?  Now, I'm wonder just what future rovers would look like if Apple's world-class designers and engineers were to be asked to design the next generation of rovers and spacecrafts and how Samsung would try to copy that. Source:  Appleinsider .

One of the better scifi movie that came out of a book that was also better than the book was Starship Troopers.  You might disagree with me but I think the movie took the idea and did one better than the author. Since, the first movie, we have seen others that followed up. And on top of that, was was a computer-generated cartoon version that was quite awesome for its time and even today. Now, get ready for Starship Troopers:  Invasion.  I've already pre-ordered it.  You can see for yourself why. Release is mid-August thereabout.  I can't wait.  Maybe if this movie does well, we'll see a new series for TV or even mobile games for the iPhone and Android.  Obviously, there is a large contingent of fans who can't get enough of these bugs and their human exterminators!

Source:   Mashable . Interesting post on colleges having trouble meeting the wireless demands on their networks.  The thing with this is that those colleges without adequate wireless Internet services should be pointed out because our students need them - it's practically as important as having oxygen. US News And World Report does an  annual ranking of the best schools .  Maybe they ought to include a section for schools best able to meet the mobile and technological demands of their students. More than 3/4 of US higher education institutions have problems meeting their students' wireless needs.  This is absolutely horrible.  And the thing is that it'll get worse quarter after quarter, sememster after semester, not just by year. And not just with students armed with smartphones and laptops but tablets will increasing become an integral part of their learning process.  Here are some disturbing information: Only 68% of schools offer unlim...

Interesting Appleinsider post  here about how Apple will use its own maps to replace Google Maps and deny Google valuable information about iOS users. I have to wonder if all this matters much in the long run.  It isn’t as if Google, with only location information data from Android users, arguably with a larger installed base than iPhone users, won't be able to create awesome new features and services.  In fact, Android users has had better mapping services from Google for years.  And it’s not as if Google Maps will suddenly disappear from the App Store either. It's only with iOS 6 that iPhone users will gain some parity with Android map apps from Google. Whether it is Apple, Google, or even Microsoft, their services has to provide value in ways that is unique it its installed base.  Maybe that’s what Apple is hoping to do.  However, last I check, there are quite a few Google developed apps and they’ve enjoyed a lot of downloads. Anyway, competiti...

Another example of (stupidity) why texting and driving don't mix.  It should be in the came category as drunk driving as far as I'm concerned. The idiot in the case lived but I hope they billed him for all the clean-up.  I might sound harsh but what if he had drove head-on into a family of four with young kids and killing them all - one of the kids could one day become a great doctor who find a cure to a disease or solve our energy problem? It's a must watch video.

Source:   Arstechnica . Microsoft will be abandoning the "Metro" name and in its place, the UI will be called "Windows 8-style UI". Talk about a mouthful.  Why the change? According to Ars, it's because a German company threatened to sue.  With Windows 8 launch happening soon, Redmond figured it would be easier to just work around it.  Unfortunately, while Microsoft put on a brave face about how "Metro" was only a code-name, a look around its website shows that Microsoft had long term plans for "Metro".  I mean, it's all over the place. Hope this doesn't trip things up for Surface and subsequent tablet and phone launches.  We general mobile fans and consumers need a strong Microsoft to compete in the market place.

Source:   blastr . I get scared easily but I love it.  Having said that, after watching Paranormal Activity 3 in a theater with a friend, and there were just the two of us in there for the matinee, we went back home and rented Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 to catch up. Needless to say, I did not sleep with the lights off for nearly a month.  It was only a powerful windstorm that knocked out power for three days that I had the lights off at night.  And my house is freaking filled with mirrors and very reflective windows. Well, Paranormal Activity 4 will soon be upon us.  And here is the trailer.  The only reason I was brave enough to watch it is because I'll have a house guest with me for a couple of weeks. See the end of it?  Puts a whole new perspective on using Facetime, Hangout, or Skype. Also, here is another movie, The Possession, that...sigh, I don't know why I do this to myself.  Yes, I look forward to scaring myself when i...

While there has been a lot of speculations about the screen of the iPhone, whether it'll have NFC (near field communication) chip to go along with Passbook, and how thin it'll be, I have wondered about what kind of camera it'll have. It's conceivable that Apple could go with the same camera as the iPhone 4S because of all the above features I've mentioned.  It could be that there will be enough new features and a form factor for the next iPhone that Apple doesn't see any need to upgrade the camera this time around. On top of that, let's not forget the CPU upgrade that the iPhone is likely to get.   Another factor that I think Apple might keep the camera at 8MP with marginal improvement at that is because of storage.  Let's say Apple goes ahead with a 10MP or 12MP camera upgrade.  The storage could be an issue for the 16 GB version of the new iPhone.  Then again, it could be because of the added storage requirement for photos that will drive u...

Source:   BGR . AT&T is disputing a post on BGR that its managers are telling store reps to steet customers looking for iPhones towards competing devices on Android and Windows Phone.  I don't know if AT&T is necessarily the ones doing it but I reckon Apple's competitors might provide incentives for them to do that while AT&T turns a blind eye. No one would put it past AT&T and its Apple's competitors to employ such tactics.  There's nothing wrong with that by the way.  However, you can just feel the intense feelings and regrets coming from AT&T for giving Apple so much power over its customers back in 2007 when the iPhone first came out. Seriously, otherwise, why would AT&T put so much money in trying to help sell the Lumia devices from Microsoft and Nokia? Anyway, AT&T disputed the assertion but it doesn't say that its competitors are not behind it.  In the long run, it is hurting only itself and its customers.