AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

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 ...

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 ...

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....

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...

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 don't talk about rumors but I really took this one with a huge shovel of salt. And here goes. The rumor today is that Apple will be abandoning the glass plate that currently houses the back of the iPhone 4. I highly doubt this with one exception and I'll get to that at the very end. There are three reasons why I think this is a major load. First, Apple has so far followed through with the same design for the iPhone 3G and the 3GS. The first iPhone design was a classic but abandoned likely due to reception issues and it was just way to easy to take apart for Apple's comfort. And the iPhone 3G and 3GS looked virtually the same. And let's face it, it was a nice evolutionary change but the iPhone 4's industrial design rocked. And it would be a shame if iPhone 4G, iPhone 5 (whatever Apple ends up calling the next iPhone), abandons it. It remains hugely popular. The one stumbling block, and though only another rumor, is that the white version was giving...

I don't write a lot about Sprint because it kind of chugs a long but doesn't do much else exciting. And it's on WiMax so it like it is off to one side doing its own thing. So here is the 2nd Sprint post of the day. And ironically, I am writing about what Sprint isn't doing. While T-Mobile is off dissing the networks that the iPhone runs on on TV and Web commercials, Sprint doesn't seem to say much of anything else about CDMA iPhone. After all, Sprint's WiMax is faster than what Verizon and ATT's 3G networks. So it has just as much marketing weapon as T-Mobile. So I wonder if this is indicative of who is getting the iPhone and who isn't? About fourteen months before Verizon go the iPhone 4, it did the same thing with some cute animations. At this point, I am just not hopeful that my network will be getting the next iPhone. And if Sprint is supposed to get the CDMA iPhone next, it would not make sense to diss a phone that it might be getting next...

First, I know nothing about what Apple is going to say in advance for March 2nd unveiling of the "iPad 2".  Zero.  Nada.  I'm not even going to get into what others say Apple will unveil.  Frankly, they're just delicious rumors for blog readers.  I'm gonna get ahead and make my own predictions and analyze each point and how iPad 2 is going to specifically influence the tablet market and the mobile market in general. March 2nd Event:  I'll have my venti mocha from Starbucks, wait for 10am PST.  I would have gotten the day's work done earlier in the morning just so I can spend the rest of the day pouring over the analyses, blogs, and, of course, even offering an opinion or two of my own on Apple's latest and greatest.   What is different this year is that Steve Jobs won't be there.  It'll likely be Tim Cook, Apple's headmaster until Steve returns.  He'll run through the numbers on Apple's successes over the Holiday quarter, the recep...

Okay, so we know that Apple will be unveiling the next version of the iPad on March 2nd.  And while I expect rumors about it to surface through the weekend, I fully expect them to be the "take it with a grain of salt" type.   Already, Engadget is backtracking on some of their earlier "confirmations" about the iPad and there were more than a few "I told you so" from other blogs.  One source versus another.  One leak that seems to go contrary to another but just as juicy. However, after reading them, I find them a bit lacking.   Sure, the Apple electrified the tablet market and we are on the verge of a bunch of competing tablets.  But a tablet is tablet.  Apple might add a camera or two to the next iPad.  Apple is likely to jazz things up a bit with faster processor and more memory but as far as hardware goes, I don't see much advances beyond what we can realistically expect.   Take the Mac fans' collective reactions to the new Macbook Pro lin...

The mainstream media has not caught on to it yet and I've talked about it here from time to time. But be prepared to be bombarded with tons of media reports, blogs, tweets, and e-mails about it in the coming weeks or months. At week at the Mobile World Congress, near field communication, NFC, was being talked about as if it is the next holy grail of mobile. And to a follower of mobile happenings like myself, this is a big thing. In as few words as possible, NFC allows payments be made through mobile devices. Think of this as what you can already do at Starbucks. You can order and pay through the app. Well, this will happen in a much much better way. There are a couple of devices on the market with NFC capability, specifically, Google's Nexus S. But as with some technology, being first doesn't mean much. However, it is largely expected that Apple's next iOS hardware updates, including the next iPhone, will support mobile payment. And I expect an explosion of next...

In one of my tweets from the live Sony Play Event just now, and yes, the main focus was the Play and not the other Xperia devices, I mentioned that Verizon will be adding the Play to its arsenal this Spring. And with the iPhone and Droid, Verizon will have quite an all-star lineup. And dispite this addition, I only mentioned Droid as being screwed in all of this. Why? First, Droid is Droid. Hefty device and specs-wise, it's at the top. However, it is not a particularly well built device. I know some folks will disagree. I think its appeal has been somewhat limiting because of its image. It's why Verizon desperately needed the iPhone. With Playstation Suite coming to Android and now Sony's dedicated gaming mobile phone, Play, it will appeal to the same crowd that were attracted to Droid to begin with. It's unlike to have any impact on iPhone adoption on the Verizon network and certainly it is no threat to the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4G if Apple releases an LTE vers...

After dinner, I finally got an opportunity to play around with the brand new Mac app store that appeared magically on Intel Macs all over the land, provided you upgraded your OS to 10.6.6. Once that little business has been taken care of, you'll notice a small icon that appeared on the left-hand side of the dock. So, good is this app store for? And who does it benefit? And will this translate into something that will be as successful as the iOS app store?

Is this about Apple and its iOS versus everyone else more like iOS versus Motorola versus Samsung versus RIM versus HP versus Sony? I can go on and on and name more companies in the mobile and tablet market. However, the gist is with many of these same companies fight to for a piece of the Apple pie, what are we Apple fans suppose to think about it? Well, first, I want to say this is a great thing. More likely than not, competition has given us a lot of tech that we might not have otherwise seen on the market. Google and Android has certainly up the game. And let's be honestly, there are areas where Android is doing better than iOS such as voice control. And it becomes necessary for Apple to try to catch up or surpass any advantage that Android might have over the iOS. And that is a great thing. Today at CES, we saw a slew of tablets based on the Tegra 2 chip by Nvidia promising to run on Honeycomb, Android only version for tablets. And from the looks of things, Andro...

My needs are simple as far as what I want from Apple on Wednesday. I don't mind being blown away but I sort want to see Apple move in the direction I think Steve Jobs and friends has been planning for years. The full integration of iOS and OS X. For a few years since Apple made available the iOS SDK, there is something that has been working very well that no one has given it much notice unless you're an app developer and something that I was exposed to as I give programming a try. The iPhone simulator. It works great and with the advanced multitouch pad and OS X gaining a lot of iOS features, it only makes sense for Apple to allow iPhone and iPad apps to run on Macs. This is a natural evolution But it would be a revolutionary concept. And imagine the sales pitch with this one. Get a Mac and you can run iOS apps. Or got a Mac? You can download apps from iTunes and if you get an iOS device, you can take those apps on the go! Is this going to happen? Frankly, this has just as m...

Yesterday, I altered my T-Mobile wireless data plan: now, I am without data on my G1, iPhone, or my upcoming Sony Equinox. I have done away with wireless data completely. Why? I find that I am too connected. At work, home, Stabucks, and bookstores. Not to mentioned between stops at intersections and anywhere that doesn't readily offer free wireless broadband. However, today, it was different. This afternoon, I went to a supermarket deli area for continuing work on my iPhone development. There was no Internet access there. But that was fine as I was able to get considerable amount if work done. But then I went to my cousin's house for dinner. While he has wifi access, I didn't want to ask (he would have seen it as begging since he detests anything Apple), I held off on it. It was problematic, not because I could not check my emails or tweet my about my withdrawal but I had a few missed calls that went directly to my Google Voice voicemail. The only solution was to call the...

I've just got the new 32GB iPod touch for a few hours. Haven't gotten to know it well yet. One of the thing that sticks in my mind as I try to clean myself of Steve Jobs' reality distortion field is that this touch is being called an iPhone without the contract. Is it?

As you know by now, Apple just updated the iPod lineup. Well, I'm just gonna briefly talk about the nano. As squarish as it is, the 6th generation iPod nano with multi-touch is just a precursor to something better next year or the year after: an iPod Touch nano. With the smaller body, the new nano is definitely an update, but not necessarily an upgrade. For me, I'm going to be picking up a 16GB 5G green iPod nano from Amazon and forgo the 6th gen squared body multi-touch iPod nano. Why? Well, first, it's $20 cheaper than the 6G nano. Plus, you can still play video and has a video capture, even if it is not the greatest quality in the world.

Many bloggers and reviewers are wondering why Apple chose to use glass for the back of the iPhone 4 instead of plastic or metal? After all, the iPhones of previous generations from the 2G to the 3GS were all doing fine with plastic backs. I think there's more to it than just aesthetic. While hold the iPhone 4 this week during typing and gaming sessions, my fingers were absently gliding over the smooth glass back. My first thought was that the iPhone 4 was sturdy and the industrial look was a good change from the previous physical forms.

Yesterday, I went into what the next iPod Touch will look like. Now, let’s have fun with what I think the next iPod Touch will have in terms of features might migrate from the iPhone 4. I’m going to try to be realistic about what features we’ll see and not a whole wish list of what I like to see. FaceTime . So, let’s start with FaceTime. On the surface itself, I would say forget about it. But as many have pointed out, including Dave the Mobile Warrior, Steve Jobs declared that there will be millions of FaceTime devices for people to chat with by the end of the year or something like that. I specifically remembered him saying something along that line. Camera or cameras? Also see the next section on iMovie for the iPod Touch. By now, it’s likely we’ll see two cameras. One for taking pictures and another for FaceTime if Steve Jobs’ words are correctly interpreted. And while I like to think that Apple will be forced to subjugate iPod Touch users with lesser cameras, I don’...

ATT is now saying that after working through things with Sling Media, the next update for the iPhone app will support 3G streaming. Let me repeat: once the update is available, you can stream video over ATT's 3G network using the iPhone app Slingplayer. You pay $30 for an app, you kind of expect to be able to use it when you want to, where you want to, and how you want to, right? Well, if you're like me and you play $30 for the Slingplayer, you had to be tethered to a Wi-Fi access point or hotspot. Well enough since just about everywhere these days have a wireless hotspot.  Starbucks, MacDonalds, Borders, and Barnes And Noble. What if you're not frequenting these social places or anywhere else where Wi-Fi access is unavailable? Well, you're out of luck. What changed? Techno-magic. It's as simple as that. I'm not kidding. This is what ATT said in their press release: AT&T been been working collaboratively with Sling Media since December to tes...