AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

When iPhone 13 was released, it seemed to everyone that the M2 chip for the Mac would be coming out soon. So far, speculations about that has continued to ramp up on nearly a daily basis. And based on the latest update from the Internet, this is where we are at with the M2 chip and it raises a lot of fun questions. So, I’m going to sum up what I am reading right now. Let’s go through it together. The M2 will not debut until the second half of 2022 with newly redesigned MacBooks, that may or may be called “Macbook Air”. As a long time Mac user, I do not mind the MacBook Air if the name fits the size and use. But that’s another chat entirely.  Typically, second half means two things: Apple can introduce the M2 at its annual World Wide Developer Conference in June or at a separate event in October after Apple unveils the iPhone 14 in September. We just hit April so we will likely see more information leaked or speculated about the M2 specs itself like it’ll be based on TSMC’s new 5nm ...

 I figure I need a MacBook for coding.  As I continue my slow coding trek, I assumed that I need a Mac in order to do that. However, I’m still at the level where I can get away with a Mac while I use online sources and apps to beef up my coding muscles. This week is going to prove it. I will be having a change of scenery as I am staying closer to work so we do not have to suffer the Los Angeles traffic. LA is flat and you have to drive pretty much everywhere you go. This morning, I packed my wife’s MacBook Air, I was about to put my 12” Macbook into my bag when I realized that I have been doing a lot of work on the iPad mini and the iPad Pro over the weekend.  Over the weekend, I did the following in terms of productivity: Research products Sketched some artwork Writing Used Numbers (Apple’s spreadsheet) and Google Sheets (Google’s spreadsheet) Worked on online store (Yup, starting a hobby to learn how e-commerce works.  What better way than to create an online store...

One of the things I expected from Apple's fresh of the Macbook Pro in March was the exclusion of the optical drive, the DVD reader/burner, with something else that is more aligned with Apple's mobile vision. That did not happen. However, GIGAOM has a cool post for those good with tools and taking apart computers to mess around with. Replace the drive with an SSD. Now, this isn't like the older Powerbooks that Apple used to make in the 90s when you can just swap out one expansion solution for another. It doesn't quite work that way. This solution presented, for someone like me, is like brain surgery. But I am sure many of you can give this a go. The total cost is about $400. At the end of the day, you get extra storage space, speed, and, as the writer said, great for developers. Me, I just like having more room. THE FUTURE. Repeating what I said at the top, I thought Apple would have and could have replaced the DVD drive and use the space for something e...

I bought my aluminum 1Ghz Powerbook eons ago and it has not been on my lap for more than two years since I bought the late-2008 unibody Macbook back in December of 2008. And guess what? It still rocks. See, one of the reason I went with the Macbook was that it had a great screen that the LCD on the Powerbook just could not keep up through over the years of being used and abused as a productivity device and media device. Still, it has a lot of uses that cannot be matched in ways that an aging Windows machine cannot. First, the keyboard on this particular line of the Powerbook is still second to none. The keys are responsive and is, depending on your opinion, a starkly different from the chicklet forms on the newer Macbooks. And that's say that the current keyboards on the Macbook are also excellent. I imagine that many of you out there in Apple land has more than a few Powerbooks still up and running at home. So you know what I am talking about. Whether you've p...

I've had the Macbook Air for a couple of days now. Let me recap. I almost didn't get it because Fedex bungled the order (for like the nth time) and, in disgust, I nearly rejected the shipment from Apple. And what a perfect writing machine it is. I mean it's not just a glorified typewriter. Well, that had been my intent but now, I realized just ho powerful this little guy is. And what is can do isn't little at all. I've always wanted to write for a profession but lacking talent and the time, I've had to do it on and off through the years. But technology, especially mobile tech, is at the point where I can do this at any time and almost anywhere. And I have been exploring just what is the best way to go about writing a fictional novel. I've started a bit during last November's National Novel Writing Month ( nanowrimo ) in my own way. I didn't finish but I was about three quarter of a way through before I kind of set it aside for the Hol...

Would you be interested if iOS can one day (it probably will) be powerful enough (it probably already is) to become a full-sized Mac. Well, I think I just kinda of answered that question for myself. And I got this idea after spend some time with the Atrix at the ATT store when I was pre-ordering the 3G iPad 2 a week ago and I saw it at a Starbucks over the weekend. And I'm not the first one to come up with this idea for the Mac or the iOS devices. But I'm writing this post on my brand new Macbook Air. Boy it is light. And if Apple were to morph future iPads into a sort of a laptop with a dock. A while back, some blog, I forgot which one, even thought it might be a neat idea if Apple was to get rid of the trackpad and in its place, allow the user to dock their iPhone or iPod touch. From there, the user can synch data and use the touchscreen as the trackpad. Obviously, that is not likely to happen given the complexity of this setup. Steve Jobs would never allow it...

First, let me say that anything that I do on the Macbook isn't what I would call true Web development in the sense that there's coding with HTML or Javascript. In fact, all I use are iWeb, Rapidweaver, and a few open source graphic programs. However, aside from graphics, the iPod touch and iPad doesn't seem to be able to do both well. However, if I am wrong, I love to be corrected. To date, there is no iOS version of the iWeb or popular Web site creator, Rapidweaver, or anything else like it. Only a couple of days ago, Realmac Software , maker of Rapidweaver, said that while an iOS version isn't off the table, it will be a major undertaking. For now, I'll have to go with the Macbook Air, the smallest and lightest of the Macs to do these heavy lifting for my mobile needs. However, I eager look forward to the day when my iPad can perform all the mobile needs that I require.

By now, you know that Apple is doing quite well in some countries, more than the 3-4% of global sales that some firms like to publish. In fact, if you include iPad into the mix, as these same firms equate netbooks as regular laptops, Apple would be the largest PC maker in the world. In fact, Apple has 15% of the OS market in the US. But this charge here is a clear demonstration of just how far Apple has come in general and specifically, the Mac. That's right, this is about the Mac. And the Mac isn't going anywhere as many bloggers and tech pundits fear. Now, not to rehash what you probably know through your day's browsing, but I want to focus just on how Apple can further make inroads into the psyche of the other mobile users. And let's face it, from now on, it's about laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Actually, in Apple's case, it's Macbooks, iPads, and iPhones. (Oh, and let's not forget the iPod touches. However, the touches do not get t...

I'm gonna get a lot of grief for this but I'm going to say it. The 11.6" Macbook Air is a high-end netbook. Don't get me wrong. I'm very close to getting it. Now, I know last week that I was leaning towards the Macbook Pro but after discussions with some mobile warriors about specs, needs, and costs, I have taken on a new perspective about it. Including that I think it's a netbook. However, it's a very well designed netbook with a lot more muscle than most low-end laptops packed with a lot of innovations that most PC laptops will not see for years to come. Having said that, here is why I think it's a netbook and why it's worth the money. A lot of people I know who bought this, most of them are writers and bloggers, bought the 11.6" version of the MBA over the 13" version and have fallen in love with it because if the light weight, longish battery life, and has enough processing power for the times when you absolutely have to...

2010 Was about the iPad and after we have had a couple of days to digest Steve Jobs' March 2nd iPad 2 introduction, it is beginning to look like the Apple CEO is correct:  2011 is going to be about iPad 2.  And if you don't believe me or Steve, take a look at the hit the Motorola Mobility stock took today.  Down more than 5.5% on a generally up day in the stock market. And from the number of folks selling their iPads for the iPad 2's, it looks like Apple's biggest problem is making enough to satisfy demand. But we have to look at the big picture.  The PC market in 2011, as forecasted by Garner, will grow only 10.5%, down from nearly 16% from an earlier projection. And 2012 growth was also lowered.  That happened?   Specifically, the iPad and, in general, the tablet market.  Now that Apple has proven that there is a market for a mobile device with a long battery life that allows users to consume media and remain product, mobile computing is change drama...

I had dinner with a friend tonight.  Dumplings, scallion noodles, and more dumplings.  Before dinner, I had some time to kill. I got to the restaurant early.  A lot earlier than I expected.  I guess with the $4 a gallon gas, more folks are staying off the California roads.  If this dinner was not pre-arranged a while back, I probably be home glad that my SUV was not taking me to the poor house. So there I was, sitting around waiting.  Then I figure I could get some work done.  No games.  Real work.  I made a few calls overseas using the Skype app on the iPad.  During the call, I checked on some Excel files, PDF, and Binged something.  Then I made another call to a dealership that we're trying to sell a car to and checked out the paperwork that was e-mailed to me in PDF.   After that, I updated my cities in We Rule and We City.  Made my moves on Words with Friends.  Then, it was back to looking at some research for wor...

It's taken a while but solid state drives, SSD, are coming nicely. What I mean is that I see them more and more as an option from the major PC makers. Everyone from Dell to HP to Apple, its MacBook Air being very popular over the Holidays and demand has not let up, are using them as a premium add-on. Now we are seeing SSD sizes at more affordable prices. Not only that, the drives are bigger. Still, I am not quite ready to pluck down $1,500 to $2,000 for a 480GB drive. For that kind of money, it would be more economical to get a whole new laptop. Say a MacBook Air with 256 GB or storage. So what is in your laptop or MacBook? Have you moved onto a SSD or consider making the move in the near future? - Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

Over the weekend, I took my MacBook out for some time at Borders. I had to do work on the laptop that I cannot do on the iPad at this time. And this is an older MacBook. Late 2008 and the battery life has been put through it's paces in the last couple of years. According to a battery utility, it's got 80% left of the original charge left. When it gets to 70% or less, I'll probably have to decide if I should get a other battery or invest in a new MacBook. I turned it on and it attached itself to the free wifi. And the battery indicator said there was 2.5 hours of work I could do. But I wanted to spend my afternoon there working so I turned off the wifi. It has been quite some time since I've done that. The long battery on the iPod touch, and specifically, the iPad has really spoiled me. The battery life jumped to four hours! I was there for about four hours and got about three hours of work done so there was some change left in the battery had I wanted to stay longer. Bu...

I do own a couple of shares of Apple that I did not sell from way back when things were still bad. As a believer, albeit naïve at the time, I thought things would turn around. The naïve part would have come true had Steve Jobs not entered the halls of Apple Proper and took things over and shook the music, PC, and, now, the mobile markets. I was watching a CNBC video today where two analysts, pretty much clueless about tech and what we mobile warriors are about, took both sides of the Apple stock. One thinks it’ll go up while the other thinks things about to come to a head for Apple’s stock price. Where do I stand?

After some hairy moments with Fedex on the delivery of my iSpot, I finally got in after days of back and forth with more customer service agents than I hope to deal with. And yeah, I am very happy with this mobile investment. In fact, I was able to get it up and running in less than 5 minutes of opening up the box the iSpot came in.

I have the late-2008 unibody Macbook and since then, this has been the best Mac that I have owned.  Well, second best.  I still think my Powerbook 500 still rocked during the days.  You can't beat two battery packs.  You just can't.  But the Macbook comes pretty close and this two-year old just got better. I got 4GB memory modules in the mail today.  I wasn't too excited.  These days, my iPad is my go-to device for mobile computing.  At times, it shares duties with my iPod touch and the G1.  So what's two extra 2GB of memory going to do make me love the Macbook more than the iPad? Well, wow.  After installing the memory model, I am getting a totally different impression of the Macbook.  And more than that, I regret not maxing out the Macbook from day one. Everything just seems to happen faster.  Mail, Safari, and Rapidweaver flies and pages loaded up faster.   And if you read my blog, you know that I take every opportunity...

Upon learning that Apple will be going all out with SSD instead of traditional hard drives has me thinking that that the era of power efficient and relatively safer memory storage is upon us for every day mobile warriors and corporate drones. Apple wasn't the first to come out with SSD but does that matter? Nor was Apple the first to have USB in the iMacs but that didn't matter either. However, Apple made it okay to have USB in PCs and it was quickly adopted as a standard. And for SSD adoption, The MacBook Airs with SSD only options made it okay for for mass adoption for even consumer lines. I imagine that by this time next year, Apple will have moved a majority of its macBook lines with SSD options. This will be followed by other PC makers, like Sony and its Vaio laptops. Keep in mind though that hard drives are not going to go away for a long time. But for folks whose data are very important and requires more insurance from accidents, these excellent prices from Apple are we...

The newly refreshed iMac today is unlike anything on the market. We've seen tons of iMac killers come and go over the years and the iMac still reign supreme as an all-on-one computer. And why? It offers no compromises. So this is why I think the best combo for a mobile warrior who needs power is an iMac with an iPhone or a 3G iPad for mobile needs. Let's face it. If you can afford a Macbook along with an iMac, great, but most folks I know can't. Let's not get into the Magic Trackpad yet. That's story for another post on how I think it can be improved. But the iPad and iPhone can double as a great trackpad with a number of 3rd party apps in the iTunes store. The one main compromise is that while on the road, mobile computing is entirely restricted to the iPhone or iPad. For 95% of what you'll need to do, Apple's iOS devices including the iPod Touch is provides everything you need. The only issue is whether you'll need cellular Internet o...

In reading a CNet article about how iOS features can make it on to the Macs, I thought of how Apple can use the iPhone to sell more Macs than the halo-effect the iDevices have already generated for the rest of Apple's business. Allow anyone who owns an iDevice, including the iPhone, iPad, or the iPod Touch, to use their apps on the Mac and only the Mac. For the hundreds of thousands if not millions of Macbook owners, wouldn't it be great to use our apps with our Macbooks with the multitouch trackpads? This would sell tons of Macbooks. But hey,I don't to leave out iMac, Mac mini, and the Mac pro either. There was talking last week of some sort of a multitouch pad for the desk-bound Macs. This pad will enable every Mac to use iOS4 apps. Once more, Apple will be smart to make this a Mac specific feature. The question is how likely is this to happen? Not likely. But as the saying goes, improbable but not impossible. At D8 and during his WWDC keynote, Steve Jobs s...

It used to be that any time Apple introduces a new Macbook revision, it was cause for celebration in the blogosphere. These days, unless we get something extraordinary, you hear it for a day, maybe two, and it's back to iPhones, and now, iPads. What does this say about the state of mobile computing? How about our expectations of of a digital mobile life? Arguably, we are more excited about the next iPhone that we just were with the last Macbook Pro refresh and today's Macbook update. And believe me, the 2.4Ghz speed increase and a 43% uptick in battery life to 10 hours ain't nuthin' to sneeze at. I am sure the Macbook will be a huge hit with the fans and anyone looking for a first rate laptop. Still, it isn't the huge attention draw it once was. I do foresee a day when Apple blurs the line between the iPad and the low-end Macbook. How? Adding more traditional Macbook features to the iPad, such as camera and mouse support while simply killing off the Mac...