According to a study commissioned by Intel and Microsoft, computer power efficiency has doubled every 18 months.

It has an additive effect. As components become smaller and faster, or through other innovations like faster memory, graphics card, and efficient screens, the system as a whole becomes more efficient.

Interestingly, no mention of how more efficient programming or better coding could also make the system become even more efficient.

Source: Greenjava.

iPhone: Rumors, Conjectures, Wishful Thinking, and Clandestine Sources

It's been a slow news week for Apple. Certainly, Steve Jobs' resignation as CEO of Apple still has people buzzing some what but that was fine for a while. Now, I think the blogs that report on the Apple world wants to move on. And it really shows. Take this post from the NY Times. It basically summarizes all the rumors and minute details about the next iPhone that we have already read about on the blogs. It claims that the iPhone is only weeks ago. Heck, that's what I've been saying as well. And I didn't need the NY Times to tell me that. It just seems that mainstream media has been quite behind on this. It's likely that the Times, WSJ, Bloomberg, and others are just being used to spread information, mostly disinformation. And their willingness to participate is just shows that they're no different from blogs. In fact, I think most blogs have better sources and information than anything one else. That the NY Times would just take information from all the blogs out there and summarize them and claim that they came from sources is just, well, you fill in the blank. You've noticed that I haven't included a link to them. The reason is obviously. I won't perpetuate what they are doing. But it doesn't mean that just because the NY Times have not been able to develop their own information that the Apple related blogs are not moving forward. It's nothing that is going to tell us what the specs of the next iPhone will have or when we'll finally get them on the market. But the cycle of news coming out shows that something we are closer than ever. For instance, we've seen screen protectors, cases, and chatters from carriers and even Apple itself about iOS 5. While they don't tell us anything else about the next iPhone, we can expect Apple to dazzle us. After all, the mobile war is heating. From what I'm seeing, Android devices coming out in the next month or two will be sporting some pretty impressive specs. Apple would be wise to have been prepared for that. For months now, top Android devices have been powered by dual core mobile processors while the iPhone is still using the A4 chip, the original chip that came with the iPad last year. If Apple does upgrade the chip in the next iPhone, that leaves the screen, camera, battery life, and the design. Personally, I like to see an 8 to 10MP camera capable of 1080p recording, larger screen even if we just leave the resolution as it is, and, most important of all, battery life like the iPad 2. As for the design, I'm happy with the iPhone 4 design but if Apple does somehow make the next iPhone lighter and thinner, I could go for that as well. Now, see how I've written this post. It's not rumors. It's not information left by mysterious sources at the foot of my front door. Rather, they are conjectures and wishful thinking on my part.

Increasing Cost Of Wireless Data, Another Carrier Increased Cost

First, we lost unlimited wireless Internet access.  And now, it looks like we're going to be have to bear added cost of continuing our mobile experience.  It's not much, about the cost of a venti drink at Starbucks but it will add up.  It started with Virgin Mobile when they increased their prices a couple of months ago, and now, Boost Mobile is also increasing their mobile cost by $5.  

Here's the sad, sad news.  This could be just the beginning.  And keep in mind that with AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile on the menu, things can only become worse over time.  It's unlikely that the AT&T and T-Mobile merger will make things better for us.  In the case of Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, I don't think it's the case of greed but it may have more to do with the cost of doing business.  This I can understand.

At the same time, I hope the mobile carriers can sympathize with us mobile warriors who live on Main Street - things are not exactly rosy in this economy now.  

Note:  Perhaps this price increase could also mean that we'll see better mobile devices in the prepaid market.

Source:  Android Community.

Playbook To Get Price Cut & That Won't Be Enough, It's Over

Playbook has already been clobbered in the tablet market by the iPad.  There is no double that about.  And if you don't want an iPad, you buy an Android tablet.  At $500, there is a lot of competition for RIM's Playbook which only comes in at 7".

And despite just how well built or how solid the specs are, no apps means no apps means only the most dedicated RIM fanboys will buy it. And even then, they have had to suffer through an incomplete OS.  In yesterday's financial call where RIM unveiled a profitable but admittedly difficult quarter in the numbers of Blackberries and Playbooks shipped, actions were promised.

iPad And Windows 8 Tablet Compared In 10 Min Video

This will double as Friday's movie as we see the iPad 2 go head-to-head with the yet to be released Windows 8.  We won't see this new toy from Microsoft for another year.

Still, it looks good enough at this time.  I think all current Android and Apple fans should take a look and see if this is Microsoft's comeback in the tablet and mobile market.

Video at Clouding Around.

Next Year's Macbook Air To Be Faster As Intel Chip To Natively Support Offloading Non-Graphic Op to GPU

I know the the title is verbose. Coming from a science background, this title is short.  What it boils down to is Apple's OpenCL.  It's the ability to allow the Mac to offload certain non-graphic operations to the video processor in your Mac and allow them to help out the main processor, the CPU.

This feature is ready supported in many graphics processors (dedicated or integrated), the GPU, from AMD and Nvidia but not by Intel's current integrated graphics processor.

I think the Macbook Air is plenty fast for what it was designed to do.  Personally, I think heavier lifting should be handled by the Macbook Pro line.  Still, I'm never one to pass up on anything faster.  

We can see up to 60% increase in speed from the Macbook Airs by this time next year.

Source:  Appleinsider.

Google To Spend Hundreds of Millions to Make Youtube Work More Like A TV

According to some insiders, Electronista is report that Google may be willing to put in serious money to make sure that Youtube has enough content to be relevant.  As for content, we're talking about TV and movies, not just stuff that some dude with a camcorder and an Internet connection puts up.

Screen Protector Suggests 4" Screen And Bigger iPhone

This is a picture of a supposed screen protector for the next iPhone.  With the iPhone 4 laid on top of it, we can clearly see that the next iPhone will be bigger.  Quite a bit.  It means bigger screen and probably a bigger battery.  

From what I can see, it definitely is a 4" screen, an increase from the current 3.5" screen that the iPhone 4 and iPod touch sports.

This could well be what gets me to upgrade.  Faster CPU and a better camera would help as well.  It comes down to battery life as well.  I know, I sound like a broken record on the battery issue but I think as mobile warriors, we need to be free from the power outlets.

Give me close to iPad battery life and I'll be happy.  

Now, there's a chance this may not be legitimate.  There is another picture that showed an elongated home button that I'm gonna make you click over the Macrumors and the original source to check out.  

Why the elongated home button you ask?  I don't know.  I see a future iOS devices make use of the bezel and they would serve to some more sophisticated functions.  

Source:  Macrumors.

Does Groupon, LivingSocial, & Other Services Provide A New Way Of Living For Mobile Warriors? Maybe

I love to see Groupon, LivingSocial, and these gift-certificate services take off.  I think they're absolutely an indispensable new social service that is far more important than anything Facebook can ever provide.  And I welcome what Google will bring once they bring Deals to more cities around the country (in the US).

Initially, I was cool to these companies.  I don't need that many massages or work on my face (it's too late for me, unfortunately).  However, I am seeing a lot of deals for yoga, gyms, and other workout regimes.  And you still get your massages as well.  

So I wonder if one times things right, an user can maintain a healthy and active life just through the use of these coupons.  Recently in LA, there are martial art lessons, juigitsu, yoga classes, hypnotherapy (I don't know how effective these are), pilate classes, and I can go on. 

I would not say they're a great deal but they're decent enough if you want to try different things in your life.  Ultimately, these companies offer a chance to change how we live our lives.  We can end up trying something new and likely it.   And these workout-type deals come once or twice a week.  Add them to your regular workout if you have one and you can be looking a pretty healthy life.

And then obviously, there's the food too.  Whole Food deal from LivingSocial a couple of days ago was a hit.  I'm considering this hot dog deal for Pasadena that I can use tonight if I want to.  $16 for only $8.  Sounds like a good deal.

And not just for food and working out, there are theatre tix and cultural classes like ceramic making.  

All in all, I'm beginning to look at these sites differently.  And I'm beginning to see online news sites offer local deals.  It allows a mobile warrior to find new exciting things locally and explore the city in new ways

Right now, these deals are kind of limited but as businesses change, or new ones pop up with younger and tech and social savy owners, I see this segment of the market explode big time.

And it helps that they all have mobile apps on the major platforms.  

Samsung Prime Will Debut Around Same Time (Or A Bit After) iPhone 5

It looks like two high profile mobile devices, Apple's next iPhone and the first Android 4 device, Prime by Samsung, will be going head to head next month.  According to Droid-Life, an e-mail captured in a screen shot from a Verizon employee suggests this to be the case.

Obviously, the e-mail can be faked.  Nevertheless, this only confirms pretty much what everyone expected.  Furthermore, Prime will have some pretty good specs.  However, while there are rumors about specs for the next iPhone, no one knows the details at all.  At least not publicly.

While Prime may not (this could be Google's next Nexus phone so it can still happen) going to get the debut that the iPhone will on multiple carriers and regardless of the specs, it should be interested to see how iOS 5 and Android 4 go head-to-head in this mobile fight.  

As for specs, Prime is supposed to get a 720p screen.  

Source:  Droid-Life.