Signing Into iCloud On iPhone Helps Get Around One iCloud Account Per Device Limitation

I have more than one iCloud accounts where I keep personal data separate from other more public facing data (blogs and other writings, coding, and business endevours). To my knowledge, there is no way to have more than one iCloud Drive. 

As many of you know, you can add accounts from Google, Outlook, and even other iCloud accounts onto your iPHone or iPad but you are really limited to just one main iCloud account. You should be able to access mail and calendar. Well, what about notes and iCloud Drive? Then you are out of luck. I have come across users, though not many, would want to be able to address more iCloud features from multiple accounts to an iPhone or iPad. Even more have asked for the iPad to support mutliple users. Me? I just want to be able to access different iCloud drives on the iPhone or iPad. 

So, I decided to see if I can log into iCloud through the browser. And guess what? It works. I can access emails and notes. Pretty much all the iCloud features though there are limitations. For example, I can look through the drive for files but I cannot edit them directly through the browser on the iPhone. I believe you can do it on the IPad. It is not as efficient as being able to do the edit on the native apps. On the iPhone, you end up with an Open or Download option. 

Once you download it, the file gets saved into the iCloud Drive assigned with the account you signed into. I suppose that is fine. After you edit the file, you can link it back to the account you signed into on the browser by sharing the file. As with most things, if you try hard enough, you can find a way forward or a workaround but it is almost never ideal.

But I’m very glad that this option si available. It is interesting to me why Apple even allow such much access through the browser given how much they rather have users go to the App Store to download and use the apps they need instead of web apps. This brought a bit of nostalgia to before the App Store annd when many web apps ere not yet available in the App Store.

Note: I am writing this on the Notes app through the mobile browser.

AI Buddies Because Agents Are Too Formal (and Intimidating)

AI agents are poised to revolutionize how we interact with technology. Imagine AI as a helpful assistant, integrated into apps and features, that proactively aids us in work, school, and daily life. These "agentic AI" are designed to be autonomous, making decisions to achieve specific goals without constant human input.

Apple users with devices supporting Apple Intelligence will get a taste of this with the iOS 18.4 update, which promises a significantly enhanced Siri. This updated Siri will represent an early step towards agentic AI.

AI and I - What I used AI for This Week

Last Week was a busy week in terms of AI news due to Deepseek. Since last Monday, January 27th,  the AI landscape has changed quite a lot. Still life goes on and I do what I have to, including the use of AI chats.

Before I get into that below, I am concerned with the interaction between the new administration and tech companies which could result in AI models and services that do a disservice to users. Let me just leave it at that for now. 

• I used ChatGPT to see what answers it has about Deepseek. I away very interested in trying to see if OpenAI’s true thoughts about it somehow came across. I even pointed out that Deepseek distilled using ChatGPT. I got nothing new. I basically suggest to ChatGPT that is should be upset. It was not - it did have concerns but then it also praised Deepseek on its overall achievements. 
• I also asked Gemini what it thought about Deepseek and the possibility that it used ChatGPT for distillations and not Gemini. Gemini said it was a matter of avail, cost, and performance for specific tasks. 
• I used Copilot to help identify trends with some Excel data. It was limiting and frustration. I could only provide a small set of data from a big Excel file. I did not have the version of Office 365 that has Copilot built into Excel. I started looking into if there are open source models that are trained specifically for data analysis. Gemini suggestions that are not any but it did suggest Llama 2 for my needs.
• I asked Copilot the same question and it suggested BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) and GPT-3 from OpenAI. I will need to do some additional research find one that suits my needs.
• Gemini suggested that I try to run an LLM on Colab. I read that it was being done. I suppose it is a better way before doing it locally on my MacBook Air. 
• Who are the Yuuzhan Vong? Copilot told me and which Star Wars novels to read about them.
• What is a nautical mile? What about a knot? I learned it a long time ago in high school and got a refresher on Startalk but I used Copilot to give me a refresher. 
• Eratosthenes was the first to ever measure the circumference of the planet we called home. How he did it was simple but showed how far ahead he was of everyone else. ChatGPT and a model used by Duckduckgo confirmed it.

One other note about using AI this week: on occasion, I had to verify the facts provided. I think I will continue to have to do this for a while. In the beginning, my worries was all about possible hallucinations. Given the times we live in, fact checking is a fact of life. It is no different when using an AI chat to obtain the answers we need.

Workflow With the Original iPad And iPads From Today

I am in the market for a new iPad but I have not quite gotten myself to pull the trigger on a new one because I simply have not decided what my workflow will be like. Simply put, I am still fine with my 2019 iPad mini though I do need something bigger when I eventually upgrade. So, I have been thinking long and hard about my workflow and, naturally, became a bit nostalgic to the day when I first got my original iPad. 

If you compare the original iPad to today’s iPads, it is natural to note how far we have come since 2010. In many ways, too many to mention here, we have come a long way. I definitely could not have used the original iPad as a laptop replacement as many have done today. One thing that the original iPad had that many of today’s iPads do not have is its simplicity - its ability to offer a distraction free environment. 

Personally, this is an important element of all of my workflows. In the early days, it was easy to stay focused on what you were doing on the iPad because the OS was a lot simpler and apps were a lot limited. There is an argument say that the original iPad was more for content consumption rather than for productivity. I agree all iPads are great for reading and watching videos but the original iPad worked well for tasks like emailing and writing. In terms of generating text content, the lack of distraction made it just as good as a tool for writing as any iPads today, possibly better because it was just the email and notes apps. 

With iPads today, there are different focus modes, apps that offer more features, and have completely replaced laptops for some users. You can do a lot more with an iPad which means that you end up spending more time doing other things like content management whereas with the original iPad, you just write and deal with the content  elsewhere like on the Mac.

And I do want Apple to add more software and hardware features to the iPad. But it is entirely up to the user to decide how to create a workflow that best suit them to take advantage of one of the versatile computing platform ever.

AirPods Pro 2 - What New Features Can We Expect Or Want (Part 1)

I received a pair of AirPods Pro as a gift. Prior to that, I had avoided spending $250 on these little Bluetooth earbuds that I knew I had a good chance of losing. But after using it for more than a year now, I eagerly await the next version of the AirPods Pro and can’t wait to see how AirPods Pro 2 would be better than the original version. 

As an Apple fan, you would think that I would have been all over the AirPods when it first came out. And if not the original AirPods, then I would go for the AirPods Pro because of its new form, active noice cancellation features, water proof against sweat, and longer battery life.

But I didn’t buy it because knowing myself, there was a good chance I was going to lose it. But so far, I’ve  misplaced it many times but have not permanently lost one earbud or the whole set yet.  I’ve listed many other cheap pairs that I bought from Amazon so I have been pleasantly surprised. 

Now I know I can be remarkably responsible in this respect, I am looking forward to the next version of the AirPods Pro. Let’s start with what we know so far:

• It will come in the second half of this year.  My guess, and probably yours, it is that’ll be here in time for the Holidays.
• There could be features what adapt to the user - usage, ear size, etc. 
• Price will stay at $250, the current retail price of the AirPods Pro 
• . But I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that is possible Apple might price it higher at $279 due to rising costs. And yeah we will buy it. I doubt people will grumble about it given the rate of inflation and just recently, Apple also hiked the entry price of the new iPhone SE by $30. The price was noted but few complaints. 
• Better battery life. I am guess an hour at most. While your mileage may vary, I do want my gadgets to have longer battery life but at no time have I ran out of juice because I could put the AirPods into the case for a quick charge. Maybe one of the two did run out of battery once but I was able to continue using the other one while the other one charges. For reference, the Beats Fit Pro from Apple with ANC offers six hours. 
• Better sound quality. I do not have discerning ears so while I appreciate any improvement Apple makes, I doubt the audio quality of my audiobooks and podcasts will sound any better. That’s what I listen to most. Having said that, Apple is all about innovations so we can expert some crazy awesome improvements. 
• New design. Given how compact the Beats Fit Pro is, I expect the AirPods Pro 2 will looks more like the Fit than the original one. However, I am worried about audio quality from the microphone. 
• There may be some health features but I’ll be honest about this one: so far, this sounds more like wishful thinking. If anyone is waiting to get health features on the AirPods, I recommend to just go ahead and get the Apple Watch. 

More information will leak from Asia, Apple watchers with insider info, and certain well connected analysts. Those information above are pretty sound and I expect most of that to be pretty accurate. Next, I’ll hit the features that we are all hoping to have on the AirPods Pro 2. 

SWYPE Confirmed Previous Talk with Apple

Source: Mac Daily News, 9to9Mac.

This is huge and it looks legit. SWYPE has spoken to Apple about getting the SWYPE keyboard layout on the iOS devices. However, that is not to say that the talks went anywhere. On any given day, Apple is approached about new technology, features, or app ideas. Apple might even reach out to companies as well.

However, with Tim Cook in charge, I can see the possibility of Apple opening up a few cracks in its walled garden for a privileged few like Twitter, Vimeo, and even Facebook.

In the interview, Aaron Sheedy, a SWYPE VP, only confirmed that talks had taken place and called Apple smart. My guess is that Apple did not say yes (but it didn't completely closed the door on the idea) and SWYPE calling Apple smart was a way of it trying to make sure it doesn't run afoul of Apple's good grace regardless of whether Apple was receptive to SWYPE bring a keyboard option on the iPhone.

If this happens and SWYPE is an option in the future, just think of the possibilities. There are other services that could come to iOS was an option that was previously unavailable. We already have options of search engines and emails, so maybe one day, we might see Apple open to allowing users to change their default mail or browser app.

 

Posted with Blogsy

CNet Analysis: iPad 3 Was Plan B

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 Apple TV.

So, we have a pattern of Apple making things lighter and thinner.  The new iPad definitely does not fall into this pattern.  Compared to the iPad 2, it's a tad thicker and 0.1 lb heavier.  And believe me, I can feel it.  Okay, it's probably all in my head but we know it is heavier and thicker.

Now, battery life.  You'd think Apple would be in the habit of making battery life longer or stay the same with each new hardware revision.  The new iPad isn't able to keep up with the iPad 2.  In fact, the "new" 2012 iPad 2 has a longer battery life than the 2011 iPad.  According to Anandtech, Apple started using a newer A5 chip built on a 32nm chip manufacturing process versus the older 45nm process.  However, the new A5X chip continues to be manufactured using the 45nm process.

The CNET article pressed that Apple was supposed to use newer IGZO screen from Sharp instead of Samsung's screens.  However, Sharp was unable to meet Apple's needs in time with the quantity that Apple requires.

The IGZO screen would have allowed Apple to continue to keep the new iPad as thin and light as the iPad.  Apple could have possible made the new iPad thinner and lighter.

I don't know if this is true.  What the writer failed to address is the much bigger battery in the new iPad versus the iPad 2.  That battery was needed to power the Retina Display, regardless of if the the screen is amorphous silicon screen from Samsung or the IGZO screen from Sharp.

At the end of the day, we have what we have.  The new iPad, whether was plan B or C, or even D, it's an awesome tablet.  And if the new iPad failed to live up to Apple's normal standards, it continues to put distance between itself and the rest of the tablet market.

Apple's Tim Cook In China: Expect More Of These Visits By Execs

Tim Cook was spotted in China via a Weibo account (TechNode via Appleinsider).  Weibo is China's version of Twitter.  As I said before, China's growing mobile use will have influence on mobile development and directions app developers take in the future.  And the influence won't just be isolated to Apple.  Others like Google and Microsoft will be impacted as well.


While the linked posts focused on the iPhone, you have to know that there is more to it than that.  Apple recently added to its Mac OS a few social and video sharing features native to China, like Weibo



In the past, there were talks that a major hangup between Apple and China Mobile was largely due to CM's request to add apps and revenue sharing for apps which Steve Jobs has explicitly ruled out.  So, the direction of iOS development could be influenced further as Apple has staked its future in the Middle Kingdom.


How about other mobile players like Google and Microsoft.  Microsoft realized its large following could be key to getting back into the mobile game while forked versions of Android are pretty popular right now.  Google and Beijing has had a chilly relationship but Google has maintained a sizable research and development outpost in China.


For Apple, it finds its iOS following somewhat behind.  With the potential addition of China Mobile as a carrier in a year or so from now, Tim Cook and his team could be in a for a real challenge trying to meet demand with the next iPhone.

Apple's Split Keyboard Makes It Possible For Tablets With Less Than 10" Screen Sizes

I mentioned last Friday that I would point out something within the framework with what Apple has shown us that points the Apple tablets with less than 10". That feature is the new split keyboard that will soon be available in iOS 5. And this split keyboard will allow Apple

During a few financial calls back, Steve Jobs disparaged those tablets on the market with less than 10" screen. It was the 7" Galaxy Tab that Steve Jobs are up in arms about. Steve Jobs basically said that unless users are able to file down their fingers to tap at the screen, it would make no sense for users to operate a tablet with a less than 10" screen. As I was listening in on that call, I thought to myself, "well, the iPhone and iPod touch had a pretty small screen. In fact, they are 6.5 inches smaller than the 10" iPad and they seem to work just as well".

I think what Steve Jobs was ranting about in particular was the keyboard. As for trying to type with both hands in landscape mode, the 10" screen on the iPad is just perfect. In the portrait mode, you're forced to tap at the keys or use your thumbs but unless you've got a larger than normal hand, you can have problem trying to reach for certain keys while trying to hold the iPad at the same time.

This is where the split keyboard comes into play.

Now, consider trying to do the same on a 5" to 9" tablet. A full sized keyboard on these screens might be possible on a 9" screen but anything below that, you have to have a child's hand to be able to peck at the keyboards in landscape mode accurately. And if you try typing in portrait mode, everything from a 6" and bigger screen, you run into the similar problem you do know with the 10" tablet. Depending on the size of your hands, you will have a hard time typing with your thumbs while trying to steady the tablet.

This is where the split keyboard in iOS 5 comes into play. The split keyboard would allow Apple to make a smaller sized iPad or a bigger sized iPod touch and allow the user to be able to type with their thumbs more easily, thereby, eliminating the problem of trying to type to peck at the keys with your fingers as you type.

Here is a video the split keyboard works. See how with split keyboard allows you to type and reach all the keys and smaller icons without having to try and reach the middle of the screen with your thumbs.



On top of that, the increasing chatter about and iPod touch with 3G modem makes very little sense. I think the people who are leaking these news may not have all facts. I think it makes more sense that there could be a smaller sized tablet, or, again, a bigger sized iPod touch with the room for a 3G modem and a large enough battery to give this tablet sufficient battery life.

And the split keyboard would work great on it. So, what do you think? Do you think I'm on to something or am I just grasping at straws? The main point here is this. Apple cannot ignore the mid-sized segment of the market indefinitely. It is a spot where Apple's competitors could try to grab a foothold in the tablet market and expand from them. Apple will eventually have to nip it in the butt. And one more thing: Apple, particularly Steve Jobs, has a way of saying that Apple won't do something but exactly a year or so later, do exactly what they said they wouldn't do.

They said they would never make an iPod that plays video. Jobs said no one in America reads anymore but we all know where we are with iBooks. And what better way for Apple to do a 180 on the no 7" iPad than to come out with one a full year later - complete with iOS 5, split keyboard, and 3G access.

Next iPhone: Features That Compel Upgrades

It's no secret that the next iPhone is coming in months.  Since we did not get a new iPhone back at the WWDC in June, we did get a preview of iOS 5.  And where is there a new iOS version, there has always been a new iPhone.

That much is certain.  What is not certain at this time is what features will be included in the new iPhone and whether they are enough to compel upgrades and cause defections from other mobile camps.  What would feature or features will you need to compel you to trade in your old trusted mobile friend that has been a constant company for the last year or more.

• NFC - this is probably a very good feature to have - and it should future proof the next iPhone.  However, future is the future and Apple has not said if they will be offering a broad plan to make mobile payment available to iPhone users.  NFC obviously isn't just for mobile payment.  A Mac with NFC can allow users to use their iPhones as logins or to exchange files.  And if you think NFC terminals are going to be rare, PCs, specifically Macs with NFC, are going to be even more rare.  Nice feature to have to will no compel me to upgrade.
• 4" Screen - hmmm...this is a hard one.  The 3.5" screen that currently sits atop my iPhone 4 and iPod touch are very nice.  The retina display is simply awesome and unmatched in the industry.  The likely step up next is going to be 720p.  Maybe.  even at 4" with the same resolution as the 3.5", such a new screen on the next iPhone would still be consider one of the best screens on the market - besting anything available on Android devices.  But as far as PPI goes with the same resolution as the 3.5" at 960 x 640, it would be a step down.  Naturally, something closer to 720p would make sense.  
• A5 chip - over the weekend, I processed some video on using the iPhone version of the iMovie and e-mailed them to my relatives and friends.  The A4 ship inside the current iPhone is plenty fast but, boy, could I have used the A5.  Watching the progress bar advance felt slower and slower with each e-mail sent.  We only limited to 1 minute of video per e-mail so 30 minutes of video equals 30 e-mails.  And the cutting and adjusting and then processing it clip for e-mailing got tired really fast.  The A5 could have potentially move that progress bar twice as fast and let me go quicker to the next video.  A compelling reason to upgrade.
• Battery Life - I find the iPhone 4 battery life to be very good.  But I want more.  You really can't get enough battery life if you're a true mobile warrior.  I've heard reviews of the iPhone 4, a whole host of other Android devices, and a few others like Blackberries and WP7 devices.  And for those reviews that said they can get through the day without charging, I think they need to be more honest.  Most of the time, they mentioned the battery life they tested is under "moderate" use.  You cannot say that anymore.  Just as mobile uses and habits have changed since the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, testing of these mobile devices have to reflect that how mobile warriors use their devices today.  I've been going through the day with on the lighter side of moderate use.  But I think most users are on the heavier side of mobile use these days.  If the next iPhone can me through heavier than moderate use, it is definitely a major plus.  I like to see if the next iPhone can have similar battery life as the iPad.  It's probably too much to ask but anything close to that would really have me lining up the day before the debut.
• Form factor - I came from an iPod touch for most of the year.  Boy, is that device light.  The iPhone 4 is no brick but for such a thin mobile device, it can feel deceptively heavier.  You get used to it.  Lighter would be nice but I wouldn't want to go there if it sacrifices power or battery life.  It's likely Apple will doing everything it can, short of being the laws of physics to get the next iPhone even lighter and thinner.  I've seem some of the mock-ups for the iPhone.  There are a couple that I am partial too.  I don't see form factor as anyone's deciding factor whether to upgrade to the next iPhone or pay the full price for it.  It would really depend on how much thinner and lighter the next iPhone is over the iPhone 4.  If I can feel the difference in weight between iPhone 4 and the next version, yeah, I might be interested.

Those are currently the five main features that I can think of that might give current iPhone users, particular those who are not on the iPhone 4, and those who bought something else because the iPhone was not on any other network other than ATT.  

How about you? What would new iPhone feature would give reason to upgrade?  

Apple Server Hacked - Should We Continue To Trust iCloud?

iCloud is the next foundation upon which mobile computing and just about every one of Apple's technical strategy is going forward. However, even Apple is not invulnerable to hacks.

In a tweet, Anonymous or its associate hacker group, Lulz Security, managed to hack into an Apple server. Though not a whole lot of information was stolen, the message was received loud and clear. Luckily for Apple, they're not the main target at this time.

According to the hackers, they're busy. In a tweet, they stated that "Apple could be target, too. But don’t worry, we are busy elsewhere".

This is particularly worrisome as Apple will make iCloud a large piece of the iOS 5 and OS X ecosystem. Apple has yet to say a word about this. This is typical Apple behavior. They almost never say anything for days or weeks when requested for information.

Just last week, Apple was forced to patch a security hole in its developer website after a hacker group threatened to expose it. According to Macworld, the phishing hole was exposed two months ago.

I reckon we could hear from Apple on this matter sooner rather than later as iCloud is due to launch this fall. As a mobile warrior, I am very excited about iOS 5 and having my data easily accessible from iCloud. Still, unless Apple puts security above all else, people will not be able to trust this.

After all, during Apple's WWDC keynote this year, Steve Jobs pointedly asked in a rhetorical question, why the users should trust them on iCloud when they're the one who brought us MobileMe.

Source: NYT.

No iPad 3 This Year - iPad 2 Backlog Still Immensely Popular

I'm going to say it again: Apple will not be releasing a new 9.7" iPad this year. There will not be any iPad 2.5 or iPad 3. Why? Just take a look at the backlog that still exist at Apple's online store in the US.

Then take another look at the iPad waiting period for Apple's online store in other countries. 1 To 2 week wait everywhere.

And if that's not enough, go to Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, three authorized resellers outside of Apple, and see if you can pick up the model you want. Chances are, you can't.

On top of that, the iPad controls nearly 90% of the global tablet traffic and 97% of the US Web traffic for the tablet market.

Still not enough evidence that there will not be a new 9.7" iPad coming out? RIM has cut back on orders. As have Acer. And tablet makers are said to be turning to Windows 8 to combat the iPad because Android 3, Honeycomb, has failed to catch fire with consumers.

Keep in mind that I said no 9.7" iPads. There is no reason for Apple not to release an iPod touch with 5", 6", 7", or even a 12" iPad (which I doubt anything beyond 10" is possible)this fall.

A smaller iPad or a big iPod touch is definitely within the realm of possibility. It would certainly help take some demand pressure off the iPad 2. And cannibalization of one Apple product for another isn't something that Cupertino is going to worry too much about.

So, no iPad 3. Not until late winter or early spring of 2012.

iMessage Versus Everyone Else; Developers Has To Evolve Or Become A Wiki Has-Been

One of the best examples of survival of the fittest, evolutionary pressure, or natural selection can be seen in how the mobile market is evolving. And with the introduction of iMessage in iOS 5, due this fall, we are seeing a lot of changes, or talk of changes in SMS, and how others like RIM's messaging implementation will be affected.

iMessage is already being herald as a winner. In the past couple of weeks, I have tried a few multi-platform messaging apps that served well enough. However, as with anything Apple, they can encroach at any moment into an field or function, that apps served, not previously available in its OS.

Developers of Whatsapp, Kik, KakaoTalk, and probably a couple of dozens others face a difficult choice this fall. Innovate or attempt to survive on other mobile platforms and leave iOS mostly to iMessage.

Like I've mentioned before regarding iCloud's impact on other cloud storage solutions, incumbents like Dropbox can see a silver lining in this. Apple competition does not necessarily mean the end of the world. There are positive examples of how Apple helped competitors.

• Just like the iPhone brought a lot of attention to smartphones.
• iTunes made it okay to download music.
• iOS-based Apple TV has been great business for Roku.
• iPad has developed a whole new mobile computing market that Microsoft previously failed to ignite on fire.  While sales of non-iPad competitors haven't caught on, it is only a matter of time before Android, Web OS, Playbook, and even Windows 8 begin to serve as strong alternatives to Apple's tablet offerings.

I am sure there are a couple of other examples. I reckon iMessage will force many innovate. And innovate goes both ways, doesn't it? Apple has a history of developing a great app only to allow it to languish. Sometimes, they come up with an incredible update such as Final Cut or allow it to due a quiet death (I am beginning to think iWeb and Ping will go down the latter path).

What of Blackberry Messaging, BBM? Word on the blog street is that RIM will release an app for both Android and iOS. And WSJ reports that Google is working on their own multi-platform messaging app or reinventing gTalk to compete.

So, I think messaging platforms will benefit from the attention that iMessage is going to bring. Instant messaging could also get a second wind as a result.

Everyone wins right? Wrong. iMessage, BBM, Google's offering, and the other messaging apps as a whole will put a big dent into the SMS growth - a cash cow for the wireless cartels across the world.

I don't have to tell you just what a rip-off SMS is. And I am safely in the majority as far as this opinion goes. While analysts do not see a sudden torrential shift in the messaging market, I think they are wrong. Dead wrong.

I predict a huge drop in the next 12-18 months as the revenue from texting takes a big hit. Just like the app developers threatened by iMessage, the wireless industry across the world will need to change. Somehow, I don't see that happening. Maybe a few can move and innovate quickly enough but most will wake up one day and wonder just where their steady and reliable billions in SMS profit went.

iMessage is both good for the wireless industry and great for mobile warriors regardless of whatever mobile platform your smartphone runs on.

External Keyboards for the iPad - Not Necessary At All

I've been typing on my iPad for more than a year now. And I don't think I'm alone in saying that I like the virtual keyboard very much. Light touches and generally accurate if you learn to trust it. However, I think I am in the minority on this issue. It's not because there are most people who don't like typing on the iPad. Rather, it's because most people don't type on the iPad.

Either way, is there a need for those cases outfitted with physical keyboards that turns the iPad into a netbook?

First of all, I don't think I've seen one that I like. I don't like the Kensington rubber keyboard. It's, well, rubbery. And it's not the only maker of keyboard-combo-cases that use a silicone or rubber cover. There are also ones with hard cases but they are still far from perfect. The Zaggmate case has these side walls that, from the pictures, feel weird to me.

Besides the fact that I haven't found the perfect keyboard with a case, I don't think I really need one. And I think more and more people are realizing that as well.

Once I get into a rhythm (and inspired), I can hack out a good page or two relatively quickly on the iPad. In coffee shops that I've seen, people using their iPads they type are increasing little by little.

For the rest, they seem to be using their iPads to consume media than actually doing work on there. For instance, while I was waiting for my car to be ready at the dealership today, there were quite a few iPads. Six that I could see. And everyone of them seemed to be reading or watching videos on them. No typing. They've got cases but they appear to be the standard Apple cases. No keyboards.

I'm not saying that there is no need for these keyboard cases at all. I'm just not sure they will have mainstream appeal for a major of the iPad market.

Futurize Your Macbook By Replace Optical Drive With SSD

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 else. A natural option would be another drive.

Me? I would have loved to see another battery in its place. Yeah, I'm a total battery life guy. Longer the better. You can never have enough battery power.

For this option, there is no DIY solution like the SSD solution presented here. For the battery option, well, we'll just have to wait and see if Apple thinks battery life is as important as I think it is.

I'm guess Apple's more likely to replace the optical drive, and they will one day (probably next year), with more storage than battery. Hey, I'll take that too.

Until then, this is a DIY SSD solution looks pretty good.

More at GIGAOM.

Powerbook 1Ghz: My Old Girl, But Still Sexy

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 passed this along to your kids, parents, or just having it sit on the side of your workstation to play music through iTunes or as a file server, you know what I'm talking about here.

There's life yet in this awesome piece of Apple engineering for years to come. There will not being any more updates from Apple and have not been for a long time. However, what is there is quite stable and fast.

I've maxed out the PB to the 2 GB of RAM. There simply isn't more you can do beyond that. And for what you can continue doing on these PowerPC Macs, you don't need more than that.

Anyway, it's a good walk down memory lane and great knowing that road is still being traveled. And as if I needed a reminder, the Powerbook seems to be agreeing with me by warming my laptop on this cold night.

So, do you still have a pre-Intel Powerbook in your household, apartment, or dorm? If so, what are you using it for?


- This post was written and sent from My Powerbook

Macbook Air: Perfect For Writing

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 Holidays.

Back with the Air, I'm back! It's months until November but Script Frenzy is here. I'm not much of a script anything. But I will draw upon the hundreds if not thousands of Script Frenzy participants and hack out my own novel.

This time around, I hope to accomplish a few things. I want to see how the Air does as a writing machine (with some Internet research and note taking, Web work) and three applications that are commonly used by writers for the Mac - Storymill, Storyist, and Scrivener. And since they're offered as demos for about 30 days, the length of the Script Frenzy contest, I can use them without paying for it until I can adequately decide which one works best for me.

It'll be a month long project that I am looking forward to.

Motorola May Be Onto Something With Atrix And LapDock

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. The design team would rather quit than let this happen.

And doing it the way Motorola designed the Atrix sit behind the screen on the Lapdock is just as clumsy to say the least. But it can work.

The Jonathan Ives and his team has to be working on this concept right about now. Apple's iOS and Mac team are already trying to figure out how, if they haven't already, such an integration works.

Will it happen with iOS 5 on iPad 3 or iPhone 5? Probably not. But it will happen.

This will likely happen once the mobile chips that power the iOS devices are powerful enough that it can duplicate much of what a regular Macbook can do today. Already, OS X is integrating a lots of what Apple picked up from creating the iOS experience.

Perhaps, we'll see iOS and OS X merge into one unifying OS. And when that happens, we might have ourselves a MacPad that can work as a standalone tablet or when hooked up to a dock or monitor, it becomes a Mac.

Distortions On iPod Touch Screens After 4.3 Update

Has anyone experienced some slight but very annoying distortions on their iOS device screens after applying he iOS 4.3 update? I have not seen it on the iPad but I started noticing it on the touch after a couple of days.

And then I did some checking around the Web and found that other folks seem to have similar experiences. Honestly, this is the first time in a while that I've had an issue with Apple's OS of any kind, iOS or Mac, not counting a few quirks with the Lion beta.

Hopefully, Apple will deal with his sooner rather than later. Perhaps we'll see a fix that will come with the Apple TV flicker.

Xoom Is Faster Than The iPad But the iPad 2 "Zoom" Past The Xoom A Few Times Over

Rationalization from a lot of folks, especially Apple-friendly blogs, about the lack of specs about the iPad 2 during Steve Jobs' March 2nd iPad 2 keynote was that Apple is all about the whole experience. And that is correct. However, you can't help but feel a bit nervous for the iconic "post-PC" device for the lack of information.

And this came in light of the fact that what we knew at the time did nothing to assure us. However, over the weekend, Anandtech put all that to rest? What's the answer?

Let's use some math reference. Is "Zoom > iPad 2 > iPad"? No.

It's more like "Zoom > iPad" but "iPad 2 >>>>>> Zoom"!

That right, in Anandtech's review of the speed test, year-old iPad, while slower than the Zoom, held its own against the more recent Nvidia Tegra 2 powered Android tablet, the iPad 2 really blew away the Zoom is a few of the benchmarks.

Powered by Imagination Technologies'PowerVR SGX 543MP2, part of the magic behind iPad 2's new A5 chip, it is capable of displaying 9x (though we all know that's a bit of a stretch) the muscle over the iPad. I'm already impressed with the iPad's graphical prowess but, now with Anandtech's confirmation, I can't wait to get my hands on an iPad 2 to see for myself the speed.

What's significant is that Tegra 2 has been billed by the tech media as the mobile chip to rule them all. Obviously, Apple's investment in a few chip companies over the last couple of years has paid off big time.

The iPad 2 as a whole is faster than the flagship Android tablet by 2x to 5x.

Granted, the Xoom is powering a higher resolution screen but at the end of the day, your average Joe mobile warrior isn't going to care about that. Heck, they're not even going to care that the A5 ran circles around Nvidia's offering.

What we want are the apps, media, and ease of use. Just the whole mobile experience. Apple still has an edge on that but I don't think it's as clear cut as these numbers. What Apple needs to do is innovate on the software front as well. Personally, I want a strong Android coalition to challenge Apple.

Competition is what drives innovation and changes the dynamics of the market. Apple fans want it. Android fans want it as well. Certainly, I do too.

Still, impressive numbers all around for the iPad 2. I cannot wait to see what game and app developers can cook up with this kind of muscle.

More at Anandtech, a must read especially if you're into technical stuff.