AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Here is an interesting analysis ( The Street ) of what it will would like should Apple remove Google from Safari, Apple's default browser, as the default search engine.  Financial terms aside, it would be interesting in speculating what would serve as Apple's default search engine instead and how that would impact mobile computing going forward.  And while Microsoft's Bing would serve as the logical heir, do not forget how Apple's Tim Cook is really making privacy an issue that would put DuckDuckGo in the running. The Street article cover much of the basis for why Apple will dump Google. Google is a major competitor to Apple in multiple markets - computing (OS X versus Chrome OS), mobile (Android verus iOS, Google Now versus Siri), wearables (Android Wear verus Apple Watch), and their growing ecosystems (App Store, Apple Music, iTunes verus Google Play, Google Music). That's just today's competitive market where the two tech giants overlap.  Months and years fr...

According to reports ( MacDailyNews , CNN ), Apple has bought a fingerprint identification company, Privaris, that could help make the home button disappear and move the fingerprinting scanner that we now use for TouchID onto the iOS screen itself.  Furthermore, it could bring TouchID to other Apple products like the Mac as well. Remember that to make TouchID a reality and as useful as it is today, Apple sought and bought AuthenTec back in the middle of 2012 ( Phone Arena ).  And when did TouchID show up on the iPhone?  A year later on the iPhone 5S in September of 2013. If history is any indication, perhaps we might see a radically redesigned iPhone without the home button and the TouchID moved to behind the screen itself and opening a whole host of new real world uses.  Of course, my next immediate thought is how will Apple address all the smudges on the iPhone 7 or whatever Apple will call the iPhone in 2016?  Furthermore, consider that Apple's new hot sellin...

Apple will now pay artists royalties due them during the three free months trial period.  ( The Next Web ).  And this was in direct response to Taylor Swift's open complaint about Apple's previous policy of not paying artists royalties during the three months free trial. It's great PR.  At least, some might think that.  For Apple, this is not about money.  However, it does speak to how Apple can maneuver more quickly under Tim Cook.  It also says that Apple feels at ease in bending some rules or doing away with them when it feels it will not have adverse affect on the company's bottom line.  This u-turn certain won't hurt Apple's image. To be sure, this will have a long-term implication in the music industry.  See, there was mention that Apple would pay the artists during the free trial period.  No mention whether the labels would get a penny.  Perhaps, this was Apple's move all long.  Playing a couple of moves ahead of everyone els...