AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Would you like Apple to be on the current trajectory of making iPadOS more like MacOS through efforts like Stage Manager or simply let the iPad Pro run macOS? I am sure deep someone at Apple in the R&D department has an iPad Pro running MacOS and is loving it and lament that it is not allowed to escape the confines of the laboratory.  Okay, this is just me guessing really hard but I do not think it is out of the realm of possibility given that Apple has a history of doing this kind of thing. Even while Apple was selling Macs running on PowerPC, they had a parallel track of OS development on Intel's X86 chips that went on to do very well. And then of course, while Apple was selling Intel-based Macs, Apple was preparing to move the Macs over to chips developed in house. And so far, Apple has decided to make iPadOS more, well, iOS-like rather an allow the M1 and M2 iPads run MacOS. All the while, Apple is trying to increase a segment of users who want to only use their iPad Pro as...

Dear Santa, How’s your vacation been? Christmas 2022 was another resounding success. Credit to you and your elves. I know you treat them well and they’re just great wonderful magical creatures paid with union wages, great healthy care, education, and everything.  I don’t blame you for the inventory and inflation issues due to COVID. That’s all on us mortals. Now, I want to discuss something with you and you will realize that I’m actually doing this for millions of other Apple fans out there.  I would really appreciate it if you could send a couple of your top elven designers to Apple in Cupertino and design the next iPad mini.  There was chatter about a year ago that Apple is working on an iPad mini Pro. If this is not true, whoever started this false rumors deserves to be on your naughty list for the rest of time. But if this is true, an iPad mini Pro with Apple’s upcoming M3 chip is exactly what millions of Apple fans and I want. I’ve started 2023 on a very nice track s...

 There are a lot of chatter this week about the upcoming 15” MacBook Air that will be added to the 13.3” version currently on the market. Perhaps I’m not seeing it but I am not alone judging by the number of blog posts today about it, a few think that Apple should have gone the other way - a 11” or 12” MacBook Air would be the better route to go.  The question we have to ask is why is Apple making a 15” MacBook Air? And why is it called a MacBook Air? To be exact, the bigger MacBook Air will have 15.5” which is a mere half in from the 16” MacBook Pro. Apple probably believe that people who want a bigger screen but are not willing to pay for the professional specs will opt for a lower end laptop with a similarly sized screen. Not a bad line of thinking. Except this is the Mac market, not the Windows PC market. I use a 15” Windows laptop for work. I think it came from Costco and cost about $700. The 13.6” MacBook Air starts at $1199. How much would a 15.5” version cost? Let’s us...

We will not be like Dick Tracy and do video calls on the Apple Watch any time soon if ever and I’m fine with to given privacy issues - I don’t want or need a camera on my watch. But I would like to be able it watch old Dick Tracy cartoons and the one movie starring Warren Beatty on my Apple Watch. It’s going to happen. And I think it will happen soon.  Why? Have you seen the screen size of Apple Watch these days? As a proud owner of 44 mm (1.73”) Series 6, the screen is plenty big for my aging eyes  once in a while, some video will play on my watch  it’s small but watchable  in a pinch if you happen to be waiting in line and have a minutes to kill.  Short form videos would be an excellent example of why we should be allowed to watch videos on the watch. Folks are are fortunate enough to have the Apple Watch Ultra on their wrists have unanimously noted how big and bright the screen in at 49 mm (1.93”) and a few have even suggested that they would love to watch vi...

 I want Apple to give me Stage Manager on the iPhone when I connect it to a TV/monitor via Airplay or cable. I know that Apple probably will never go this route because I would love it if Apple makes the iPhone the everything device for us mobile users - including individuals and companies as well. To do this it'll take something former Apple VP Phill Schiller said, "courage" . When he famously said the word "courage" in front of a crowd for the iPhone 7 unveiling when Apple "courageously" removed the headphone jack.  Now, it is time for Apple to be courageous again - the low hanging branches of mobile features for Apple is slowly harder and harder to come by. We can expect better camera year after year but other than that, what revolutionary features can we expect. In the past, I have written about health features that Apple can add to the iPhone, turning it into a medical tricorder if both doctors Leonard McCoy and Beverly Crush would approve of. Tha...

If you like the original iPhone SE with its 4" screen or even iPhone 12 and 13 mini, you would probably be interested in the iPhone 14 mini. Alas, it is not to be with this year's iPhone upgrade cycle. Apparently, Apple does not think the mini has sold enough in numbers to qualify for an update. However, I do not think that the mini will be going away any time soon. The addressable market for users who like smaller iPhones or phones in general is quite big. That is not the issue here. The really issue is that the mini is not selling in sufficient enough quantity for Apple to invest in making the mini a part of its annual iPhone refresh.  While we lament the loss of the iPhone 14 mini, we can expect Apple to continue to sell the iPhone 13 mini for least another year. Apple knows that there is a market for the mini and the company will want to recoup as much of the investment as possible.  More likely, Apple will see the iPhone 13 mini another year as a hold over until there it ...

At first glance, you might think that the title of this article is a clickbait considering that China is the second biggest economy in the world and Western countries have made tens if not hundreds of billions from Chinese consumers. However, this access to the Chinese market really can end overnight - either at the whim of the totalitarian government in Beijing because perceived slight by the company or another zero-COVID lockdown as the rest of the world adjust to living with the pandemic. Like any government or organization that has grown to a size that is too big for its own good or to be able to be effective, Beijing is no different. However, it is controlled by one man at the top and has only a few individuals who get together to set policies. Control is absolute and dissent is nowhere to be seen on the surface. Mention Tibet or truthfully state that Taiwan is an independent country, you can find your company suddenly under the microscope of the state controlled media and social ...

We have seen quite a number of iOS and iPadOS features that have migrated over to the Mac. Perhaps, it is time that the Mac give a little back. After all, if not the for Halo effect of the iPod and, later, the iPhone and iPad, perhaps the Mac might not be as successful as it is today.  Let's see what some of the great features that the Mac gain from the iOS/iPadOS. First off, the App Store quickly comes to mind. The proliferation and success of the app economy with the App Store meant that Apple has naturally would duplicate the App Store on the Mac. While the success of the Mac version of the app store is somewhat dubious, I have not bought any app from outside of the App Store in years.  And of course, this next revolution function that people today are taking for granted: multi-touch. It first appeared on the iPhone in 2007. And now, it is common place on the trackpad for the MacBooks and Magic Trackpad.  I am sure if we dig back, we can find a dozen or so more - Boo...

 I can go for a year or two without a new iPhone because I think I'm not missing much when it comes to the incremental upgrades between one iPhone and the subsequent one. Better processor is great as is improved camera but for my daily needs, I just do not see the difference. However, I believe that Apple can get users to upgrade more often if Apple upgrades the iPhone with health related sensors.  I am sure you already know that there are apps that can measure your heart rate - press your index finger up against the flash on the camera and it is able to read how fast your heart is beating. I've also seen one done through the selfie camera.  However, I think there are other sensors that Apple can add to the iPhone that can make the iPhone a health companion the way the Apple Watch is for me and tens of millions of users. I am not expecting a Baymax when I mentioned companion. At least not yet. Perhaps one day. But until that day, I think I can settle some health sensors t...

I do not know if Apple will ever release another 12" MacBook (regardless of whether it is an Air or a Pro but there has been a lot of attention focused on it recently. As someone who will need a new MacBook soon, but not immediately, I can afford to wait at least a year.  I am currently writing this post on a 2016 12" MacBook that I bought for the purpose of writing and some light professional work. The professional part is debatable but I definitely have gotten a lot of milage out of this MacBook. I love the size and for a while the battery life. The keyboard is fine though the right shift key is giving me issues. And the speed is fine enough for browsing the Web, coding at a beginner level, and, of course, writing. In a year, should my coding turn into more than just a hobby and other professional needs arise, I will be have to start the upgrade process. And by then, a 12" MacBook?  I'm hoping Apple just make it happen already in a year or so. Arguments for i...