AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Source:   TUAW ,  Twitter ,  CNN . Earlier, we learned that a store clerk's life was saved when his HTC Android device saved his life by stopping the bullet of a robber.  Now, we learned that an iPhone cable saved the life of a Los Angeles sheriff deputy.  This isn't the first time we've heard of smartphones saving the lives of their owners. Maybe I should start wearing my tablets and smartphones when I venture out.  Maybe the Google Glass will save someone from a head shot.  Who knows, right? Back in 2007, an iPod saved the life of an US soldier when it stopped the bullet from an AK-47 fired by a terrorist.  Then again last year, another soldier who was hit in the leg was lifted away for medical attention.  The iPhone in his pocket deflected the bullet's trajectory away from his femoral artery.  Had it been severed, he would most likely have died. By the way, supposedly HTC will replace the clerk's damaged phone with an HTC O...

Accords to CNET , Australians prefer the Playstation 4 from Sony by a 2-1 margin over Microsoft's Xbox One. Personally, I've already preordered an Xbox One and plan on keeping it despite some uncertainties and favorable views from the media for the PS4. For Microsoft, making sure the Xbox brand stays on top is very important. It's one of their bright spots outside of the business and Windows divisions. Lose the next gen console badly, Microsoft can kiss the consumer market good-bye. Remember, in the coming years, the incumbent players in the console market may have to contend with dark horses like media boxes running Google's Android. There are at least half a dozen media boxes running Android that might have potential to serve as a media box and as a gaming console like the Nvidia Shield . Heck, maybe even the Apple TV. I don't know if Apple has TV hardware aspirations but I do know they've got their eyes on gaming in the living room. - Posted using BlogPress

I think the iPad mini with the new Retina Display will go on sale on November 15th, two weeks after the iPad Air goes on sale.  That's my own prediction and nothing more.  I think I have a perfectly logical explanation for thinking it'll be on the 15th, and not any other Fridays in November - that being the 8th, 22nd, or the 29th. And obviously, we can forget about November 1st, this Friday since that's the date Apple picked to start selling the iPad Air. So, what makes me think that Apple will begin selling the new iPad mini with the new Retina Display?  Just some common sense and picking the odds.  Obviously, it can't be the 29th, that is Black Friday.  Apple is not going to try to deal with a rush of Black Friday shoppers and the iPad mini crowd.  No way they'll do that. That leaves the 8ths and 22nd.  I don't think it's the 8th because it'll only be a week after the Air goes on sale and, personally, if I run Apple, I would give the Air a b...

The iPad 2 will probably go down as one of the best iPad since the 2010 original iPad and, perhaps, along with this year's iPad Air.  Sorry, mini, you're, well, a mini.  It explains why Apple is still keep the iPad 2 around, at least for another year.  So, what makes the iPad 2 such a rocking indispensable tablet? Let's get the Apple angle out of the way.  By now, the iPad 2, which from what I've been able to find out, is still in high demand.  And given that it's already more than 2.5 years old, Apple is making a hefty margin on it and adding to its growing pile of cash. So, why are people still buying it?  It's $399.  And probably lower if they're bought on lots of hundreds or thousands.  Businesses and schools come to mind.  Tim Cook unveiled yesterday that Apple has an unprecedented 94% of the tablet share in education.  And schools are looking at the full sized iPad to give their students.  I'm willing to get a large number...

There is an ongoing financial call between Apple and analysts right now.  One of them asked  a question about the iPad and Tim cook mentioned something about iPad mini with Retina Display shipping later in November.  He might have also mentioned late November. I'll be listening in tonight to review the financial call. I'll check back if there is anything new about this.  I think we should get a definitive ship date from Apple next week, after the Air has had a full week of sale. My guess would be 15th, two weeks after the iPad Air has gone on sale.

Remember the TV series, Lost?  Of course you do.  After the first season, I stopped watching it. And I didn't get into it until the whole series became available on Netflix.  And 24?  I waited until the DVD set is out every season and binge-watched it.  And these days, with movies or TV series that I wanted to avoid learning info about, I make sure I don't read the title or posts that have spoilers.  I did that with Star Trek Into Darkness and I had no idea what would happen going into the theater.  I was more blown away than most other fans.  And I also do with same with The Walking Dead. And fans who go online and search for every bit of information about a movie or TV series before premieres end up not being as excited as they should be.  There's an element of a let-down.  That "wow" factor is no longer there when you know what to expect for the most part. Well, that's the same thing for the Apple media events and products that th...

Obviously, I'm not made of money.  I wish because I would not be writing posts like this: I’m thinking about getting an $299 iPad.  I rather be able to say I WILL BE GETTING an iPad mini.  Not the new one with the A7 chip but the one from last year at $299. Yeah, that price point got me.  I know that it's essentially an iPad 2 in a smaller form factor and a smaller screen at 7.9" than the regular 9.7" iPad screen.  Why now and not at $329? First of all, I will be getting a T-Mobile version of the 128 GB iPad Air to replace my 2010 32 GB iPad.  It's a big jump.  And with the iPad Air, a lot of it will be for work.  Be going a lot of work on there.  It'll essentially replace my Mac.  I'm still out on whether I'll be getting a new Macbook Pro.  I'm trying my best to hold off on that for another year.  My Air for a lot of entertainment use. Second, that’s what the $299 iPad mini will be used for.  Entertainment. ...

Lots of people had the same reaction when Apple told us the next iPad would have a new name: iPad Air. Momentary silence and then polite applause. Me? The same. Then I thought "iPad Pro, next?" Then the next thought was "iPad Air versus MacBook Air". 9.7" Versus 11.6" screens. Not a big diff but the iPad wins because it had a Retina display. Both have long battery lives: 10 hours versus 9 hours for the iPad and MacBook respective. The iPad Air wins on weight but the MacBook Air runs Mavericks. While the IPad starts at $499, a 128 GB model moves it into the MacBook Air price range. Even closer if you had the cellular version. Oh, yeah, the iPad has a cellular option that the MacBook doesn't. In a few years, with Apple improving the iOS and the iPad, especially with the 64-bit chip, the line between what we can do on the iPad and the MacBook will be further blurred. The computing and graphics power of the iPad has been increasing faster than on the PC s...

I've pretty much stopped downloading stuff I buy from iTunes onto my hard drive at home because of the cloud, specifically, iCloud.  With the ability to re-download movies, TV shows, and music from iTunes, I did not find the need to store them locally.  That is until today.  And frankly, I'm surprise it took this long for the story to get traction and, even then, it's still not widely being reported. Apparently, a few movies from Disney are not longer available for play or download.  Disney.  Apple's best buddy, Disney.  It's almost like Buzz and Woody.  Their association has to do with the fact that Steve Jobs was the CEO of both Apple and Pixar and Jobs eventually sold Pixar to Disney.  On top of that, Bob Iger, Disney's CEO, is on Apple's board. So, I'm was perplexed and skeptical that this  9to5Mac post  about a user who found himself unable to download Lion King.  It was one of the first posts I saw this morning.  I...

Whenever I can get a great deal on things I like, I feel pretty good about it.  When I can get it for free?  Hallelujah!  That's what Apple made possible on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013, during their iPad media event when Apple showed us their vision and paved the way to the future. Many things are being talked about and sportscentered (like that?  I just turned the ESPN Sport Center into a verb) over.  One of them is how Apple has made a lot of apps free.  iLife.  iWork. And of course, the soul of all Macs, OS X.  This year's update is called Mavericks. Of the three, Mavericks and iWork are being talked about in a specific manner:  how this will impact Microsoft. To put it into context, we have to take a couple of steps back.  Apple may have started the personal computer revolution in the late 70s and really turned the world on its head with the Macintosh in 1984.  Then, Microsoft was but an app company by today's s...

This BGR post is clamoring for mutiple account support for the iPad.  Maybe all iOS devices including the iPhone and iPod touch.  Well, you can forget about it.  iOS devices are more personal than personal computers have ever been.  This is probably the reason why Apple will unlikely ever offer multiple account support. What Apple might offer one day is a sandbox feature that allows someone, say the owner's child, access to the iOS device when turned out and can only exit once the user's print or pass code is entered once the device is returned to the rightful owner. That's as much as I see happening. Today, smartphones and tablets are carried around by their owners.  They're typically not shared at all.  The husband has one.  The wife probably has one.  Maybe even the kid.  Try prying that iPhone or iPad from their hands. Besides, it's in Apple's self-interest that it gets its mobile devices into the hands as much individuals as pos...

Initially, I thought it was just the iPad but it looks like T-Mobile will offer 200 MB of free data a month to all. I think this just about says it.  Supposedly, they've got a $10 a month plan as well.  I can see them going with one GB for $10. This pic from T-Mobile's twitter feed just about says it. Tmonews has more information. The gist is that you can get unlimited data for $10 a month with the first 500 MB at LTE speed.  And you know what happens after that, right?  It's down to EDGE speed of course.  For none intensive use like messaging or e-mailing, that ain't bad at all. Then there's the T-Mobile scheme that allows you to pay for the tablets over the life of 24 months.  Already know that part.  Nothing new there. This definitely is a game changer.  Guess which network I'll be getting my tablets from from now on?

Apple's iPad event yesterday did not disappoint.  I got my target Macbook Pro and an assortment of new iLife and iWork. But I also need a new iPad.  Sure, I've got two of them in my mobile arsenal but I'm gonna be passing my 4th gen one to my nephew.  And as for my 2010 original iPad?  It's getting a lot of mileage as a home tablet for streaming videos and whatnot. So, I'm in the market for a new iPad.  Before the event, I was gunning and hoping for an iPad mini with Retina display.  I love the Retina Display on the iPad but that thing weighs more than twice that of the mini.  And I'm not that particular about using my tablets with one hand, not like I do with my phones, so that isn't an issue. See, I carry around lot of gears and notebooks still.  So, any less weight off would be great. Then Apple dropped the iPad Air.  And with it, comes a new form factor that comes in at 1 pound.  And to make matters worse, while Apple did of...

There's so many direction I can go with this and I think I will go with all of them.  Because it's fun to speculate about Apple products and how this will impact mobile warriors. First, I've got a late-2010 Macbook Air, the original iPad, iPad 4th gen, and an assortment of iPhones and iPods.  I'm just an Apple fan like that.  In general, I'm a huge mobile fan.  Got Google and Microsoft gears too.  But Apple has been more fun to talk about because of its history and secrecy. So, imagine the surprised looks on many people's faces, those at the live Apple event, those watching them on their Apple gears, and those following the live blogs, when Apple announced the "iPad 5" will be called the "iPad Air". So then I got to thinking almost immediately once the shock wore off.  Air?  Doesn't Apple already have a successful product called the Macbook Air?  Two of them if I remember correctly. So, it's Air versus Air.  iPad versus Macboo...

It's been nearly a month since I've got my iPhone 5s.  Been using it extensively.  That's obvious since I'm a mobile warrior just like you and it's been like that since my iPhone 4.  Having said that, I have to admit that thought I had the iPhone 5, I was looking pretty hard at the iPhone 5c - the green version.  I didn't go with it because I wanted the newest that Apple had to offer with the 5s, the speed, the upgraded camera, and, of course, Touch ID.  And I wanted 64 GB. Still, the 5c is in its own right something that works for many people.  I think some folks were disappointed in the fact that the iPhone 5 form factor is no longer available and in order to get one, you have to go with the 5s.  Also, the colors may not be for everyone.  Perhaps, this is why the 5s schooled the 5c in the beginning.  After all, which iPhone that Apple has ever released been outsold by last year's model at a lower price.  The 3gs outsold the 3g in the...

I've been thinking about getting a new Macbook. I'm considering moving over to the Pro version. Right now, I've got the 11.9" MacBook Air. The main reason is that I think I can use more power in the graphics department and also I really have been spoiled by the Retina Display on the iPhone and iPad. Even so, I can't help but wonder the customer base for traditional PC is shrinking by the day. For instance, right now, I'm am writing this post through the iPad. I'm using a Bluetooth keyboard. Lots of people already do that. Well, the difference here is that I'm mirroring the iPad screen to the HDTV that I'm beginning to use more and more. All this is made possible by the ease of use Apple provided with Airplay and the Apple TV. If you've got an iOS device capable of mirroring its screen and have $99, you can do the same thing. You end up with a pretty neat "PC setup" that works brilliantly. The only issue that I can...

Source:   T-Mo News . The Internet is bursting with new that T-Mobile is ending grandfathered plans and forcing users over to its newer Value Plans.  It's still too early to tell just how this will impact a vast majority of its users and the level of "evilness" is involved  here, we should give T-Mobile the benefit out of the doubt given that it's been one of the more friendly, or less evil, of all of the major carriers. It did acknowledge that for some users, it'll end up costing more but also with added benefits as well. Personally, I could care less about added benefits like unlimited talk and text since I hardly use either. Come to think of it, only T-Mobile texts me about payment and account updates. I'm currently on a $30 prepaid plan that offers 100 minutes of talk time. But get this.  I also get 5 GB of high speed data.

Tracking packages are fun especially if it's something you've been waiting for eagerly.  At times, it feels like it's Christmas, you know?  Kids have been using NORAD to track Santa for years.  However, while Santa does make door-to-door delivery and you lose track of him just before you go to bed on Christmas Eve, we don't lose track of UPS or FedEx in the same way.  Once our packages get on the trucks, we do lose track of them.   I think there has to be a way for the delivery companies to offer a way for customers to track when they are thrown into trucks for delivery.  Now, while some of the folks who have been online in forums talking about similar situations, some want UPS and others to offer GPS information about their packages.  I don't think that works but I wonder if there is an alternative solution that might work better and safer for the drivers. Little more than two weeks ago, I was eagerly tracking my iPhone 5s delivery all the way...

Source:   Yahoo . I've done this before.  I'm so absorbed in my book, tablet, or whatever in public that I sometimes I notice what's going on around me.  I'm a perfect victim for a pickpocket for worse.  Well, that's what happened to a group of commuters on a train. As surveillance video showed,a  man took out a gun and waved it around but no one noticed.  Then he sort of gave up and put it back inside.   "These weren't concealed movements — the gun is very clear," District Attorney George Gascon said. "These people are in very close proximity with him, and nobody sees this. They're just so engrossed, texting and reading and whatnot. They're completely oblivious of their surroundings." He even wiped his nose with the gun in his hand.  Just seem so casual.  I can't imagine what he was thinking.  In a way, he was probably shocked that he was getting away with it.  Until he decided to escalate things and shot a college kid...

UPDATE:  ALLTHINGSD CONFIRMED 22ND AS APPLE'S MEDIA EVENT FOR iPad AND OTHER GOODIES! ( ATD ) It's a new week.  So it is worth noting that we are inching closer and closer to the October iPad and even Mac event.  I just want to quickly point that that the date of the invitations sent out for the iPad mini event and the event itself last year was a week apart. Today is Tuesday,  obviously.  October 8th. That means for an Apple event to take place next Tuesday on October 15th, we need to see the privileged few bloggers and journalists receive and brag about their Apple invitation today. This pic here was from the invitation last October. As I've mentioned in a previous post , Apple is likely to host their event on October 22nd and with the new iPad will probably go on sale on November 1st.  Plus, Nike, a close Apple partner, will be hosting their own event next Tuesday.  It's unlikely the two companies will host concurrent events even if they ...

You've got to see this!!!  There are those among us who have abilities beyond what's confined by physical laws and, you know, whatever. You've got to see this to!

I wasn't not aware of this but with iOS 7, the voice of Siri has changed.  It's too bad but again, I couldn't tell.  However, Susan Bennett does.  See, she's the original voice of Siri.  And for the longest time since 2005 on July days in Atlanta, she recorded voices that would later be known to millions for those who iPhones and iPads and even to those who don't. Siri has become a social icon and we have Bennett to thank for that.  Here's more on  CNN .

Nike is hosting an event to unveil it's second generation Nike Fuelband, which I'm am a fan of ( Redmond Pie ).  That and in of itself is nothing to get all that excited about given that the American public has a weight issues and are more comfortable being couch potatoes, but rather the date of the event:  October 15th. October 15th is one of the two days that are likely to be used by Apple to host its iPad unveiling.  The second one is October 22nd ( On Apple ). Here's the thing.  It's unlikely that Nike takes its cue from Cupertino so it sets its unveiling date any day it's pleased.  Having said that, Apple and Nike are good partners and likely in close consultation. If both companies unveil their products on the same day, I can tell you whose products are going to get a lion share of the attention from bloggers and the public at large. Assuming that both companies have spoken and worked out their schedules, October 22nd would likely be the day Apple ...

It was just announced that Apple bought Cue ( Appleinsider ), a Google Now-like service.  It occurred to me that the app stores, whatever you call them, have for years been a sort of service incubators for mobile players. Siri bought by Apple.  Bump by Google.  Google also bought an office suite or two like Quick Office.  I seem to recall that both Microsoft and Samsung have also dipped into the app store and plucked out an app maker or two.  Both Apple and Google have bought map app makers too. Even Facebook, a mobile player of sort but not a mobile platform/device maker, even went into the app store and bought out Instagram for $1 billion. More of this is going to happen in the years to come as competition in the mobile space as well as the future of computing in general continue to become a bigger and bigger slug-match among these cash rich tech and platform companies. So, if you're an app maker or is considering it, keep this in mind.  Selling t...

Does it matter that Samsung is cheating on benchmarks for its Galaxy Note 3?  No.  Not to me since I assumed that they did, would, and will.  And I've not cancelled my Verizon Galaxy Note 3 order.  However, the question many are asking and taking sides on is whether this matters that they're cheating or not. And the answer is absolutely it matters.  And this is why so far,  Apple and Motorola/Google (Macrumors)  has not gone into the benchmark game. Most of us don't buy our smartphones or tablets based on just benchmarks.  Okay, in the past, some of us might make that decision to go with a certain PC maker or customization based on that.  However, most of today's mobile devices does not allow chip or memory customization like the PC market. So, being able to claim on a benchmark test that could be important to some device makers, especially Samsung because it is facing public relations pressure because if patent issues, copying issues, ...

Although I have no specific information, I think we should the hearing from Apple regarding a new October iPad event fairly soon. Perfect like everyone else, we wait for Apple to tell us when to mark calendar and call for the live blogs does who are fortunate enough to be invited to Apple's campus for the iPad event. It's already October 3rd. Its typical the Apple give you a couple weeks to prepare. That means, we can text and it sent to fall on October 15th or the 22nd. Both of those days are Tuesdays. And we all know how Apple love to do events on Tuesdays. I'm willing to wager that if it's the 15th, we should hear those privileged few bloggers and tech reporters to begin to receive their invitations this week. However, it is on the 22nd that's likely to fall on next week. Then the following up question is how long after that will we be able to pick up or ordering the new iPad. That's a little hard to guess. It really depends on inventory build up A...

There.  You see?  iPad 2 is still on sale after it has been out since 2011.  We've gone through the iPad 3 in the spring of 2012 and then the iPad 4 the Christmas shopping season later that year.  Nothing in the spring of 2013 so we know something's up for Christmas of 2013. And that would be the iPad 5.  I wonder if the iPad 2 will remain on sale?  After all, sitting at $399 with 16 GB, it's enticing.  Schools or folks who just want to save that extra $100. They can go with the iPad 2. My feeling is that it'll still be around.  Maybe it'll be called the iPad Classic and might get an upgraded CPU to go with the times.  If that's the case and if there is enough demands, Apple can continue to put the iPad 2 with CPU updates each year without increasing the screen resolution. However, it's also possible that Apple will get rid of it entirely.  Maybe drop the iPad 4 down to the $399 spot with 8 GB of storage for anyone who's interes...

The title of the post didn't quite get it.  Essentially, Blackberry is in a lot worse shape than they thought.  Worse than Wall Street expected as well.  Essentially, things are unraveling at a rate that Blackberry had not expected and the pace is picking up as customers look else where for their mobile fixes. How's this to wake up to.  A $400 million charge out of its cash reserve, which Blackberry is burning through rather quickly, is 4x the expensive it thought it would cost to cut about 40% of its workforce.  Essentially, someone screwed up majorly. It also says that the company could be worth less than what the Canadian insurance/financial company, Fairfax Financial, is paying for with the  deal valued at $4.7 billion .  As of this moment, Blackberry has dipped below  $4 billion . The worrying thing is the defection.  I know this feeling as I expected it as an Apple fan back in the late 90s when many around me, particular the unive...