Would Apple Invite International Coverage for the WWDC Keynote Just For Demos And Previews?

Apple is inviting a lot for foreign journalists to the WWDC in San Francisco beginning on June 7th.  What's interesting is that we've known for months that there will be no new hardware introduction as it has been in previous years.  After all, the World Wide Developer Conference is about developers and software.  So why the hoopla over OS X and preview of the next iOS?

Well, it's hard to say.  It is not inconceivable for Apple to trying sneaking an iPhone in there.  But I highly doubt that.  Having just made that point, if Apple is trying to drum up world-wide coverage of the keynote speech (no one knows who's giving it so far), it better be much more than just about the next Mac OS Lion and what's going to be in iOS 5.  

And it definitely better not be just an intro with a bunch of demos.  That is not worth a trip across the pond or across the Pacific from Australia.  After all, it's not like they'll be going to LA or NY. This is San Francisco after all.  Right, not much going on there.

However, if Apple is to sneak in the next iPhone, that definitely would be something.  That's my pony wish with Santa and Easter Bunny all roll into one.  

New Windows Phone 7 Update "Mango" Has What It Takes To Go Against iPhone And Android

This is a very interesting day indeed as Microsoft outed the next Windows Phone 7 update.  Multi-tasking and more social friendly features are coming our way. 

 

What's also interesting is that Microsoft confirmed Nokia mobile devices running Mango is in the works.

 

What this means for the mobile landscape is anyone's guess right now.  It really depends on when Nokia gets their WP7 phones out on the market.  I'm gonna go ahead and say that they will be rushed out on a limited release in Nokia's backyard where home field advantage might still mean something.  If it does come out around the Holidays, it may have to contend with a newly released iPhone (4GS or 5) and whatever else Google has coming with an Android update that features Honeycomb UI.

 

What I'm interested in seeing if this will reverse Nokia's fortunes and, if so, at Apple or Google's expense.

Now, we'll have to see if Microsoft can actually deliver the update on time. That itself is the trickiest part of all.

 

iPhone 3GS Rumored Not To Run iOS 5 - Wrong!

Not going to happen.  There's a rumor that the iPhone 3GS will not run iOS 5.  I think that's false. 

 

If anything, it will not be able to take advantage of all the new features in the next iOS upgrade but it will still be able to run more than a few cool features that are coming our way 

If I had to speculate right now, I would have to say any Siri integration may not work for the 3GS because of the higher level of processing power that is required.  Of course, it really depends on Apple how they implement it.  After all, Siri works even now on just fine.

 

 

 

PC Market Is Big Oil Companies As Tablet Market is to Green Tech Revolution

Finally, I’ve found a way to merge two topics I find a lot of interests in and maybe this will be an awesome click bait. Nah, I’m kidding (but not really). So, I have been reading a lot of posts of late about how the iPad really isn’t cannibalizing PC sales but rather that consumers are holding on to their old PCs older. Hey, that could be what’s happening and it go a long way in explaining why both HP and Dell are both experiencing a slow-down in the consumer PC market. It would definitely explain why Acer’s netbook market collapsed, people simply are very very satisfied with the netbooks.

This would go contrary to the earlier reports that the iPad sales, along with other tablets, are hurting netbooks and low-end laptop sales.

Here’s where I’m gonna to go “freakanomics” on you. People are definitely holding on to their personal computers, desktop or laptop, longer. And the reason is because many folks have bought a tablet and find that they can do most of what they do on their PC and don’t see a need to upgrade just yet.

Obviously, there will be deniers. PC-birthers who USA Today said were like global warming deniers. Let’s call them “tabniers”. Well, the tabniers are out in force.

Hence the title of this post. The companies that sells PC, like HP, Dell, and Lenovo are like big oil today, BP and Exxon. It’s my opinion, that they hold onto what’s making them money, their cash cow, but have little or no plans for tomorrow. When the oil runs out for the energy companies or when demand for PC shrinks to the point it makes no sense to make them any longer.

Sure, HP has Web OS and I applaud their thinking. Dell is going with Android as is everyone else but they really have no idea why they’re doing it. There isn’t an organic feel to their gears. It’s like they’re coming out with tablets because they are afraid what not to and, yet, they don’t seem to get why people want the iPad to begin with. Don’t believe me? Just look at the promotions when the Touchpad comes out. See if HP give is equal marketing with its PC products.

And we know that Dell says almost nothing about the Streak. Look at its sales. If Dell really gets the tablet, it would use one of its existing laptop brands like Insperion instead of creating a a brand new one with arguably, a different naming scheme than they the’ve come up with in the past. The problem is no one recognizes it and if Dell thought “Streak” would be cool and “down” with the younger market, well, then they’re the only one.

All the old PC companies, HP probably has the best chance to make a splash in the tablet market. And even they are moving too slow. In about a year, we may well be talking about the Kindle and Nook tablets along with the iPad. Let me tell you this. The people buy Kindles and Nooks are from the older generation. And if you think consumers are holding off on buy or upgrade their PCs, you just wait until the boomers stop buying PCs and opt for Barnes and Noble’s offerings.

Note: For my click-bait post, I will talk about how big oil can survive the green revolution (not the one going on in Iran) and the first one to be the Apple of old energy will eventually dominate the world. See, click-bait.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

iPad Provides A More Intimate Experiences Between Computer and Owner

Intimacy.  That is the word that is put to the personal computing experience the iPad has brought to mobile computing and entertainment.  And while the iPad cannot get more intimate than the iPhone since it doesn't fit in the pocket of our jeans, the fact that it can do much more while it sits on your laps.

It's on the moment you need it and it can easily take you through a work day or on a flight.

I'm not sure that people, even iPad owners realize what's going on.  Their relationship with their iPads is vastly more different than with their laptop or smartphone.  

I thought of this while I was looking at the original MacIntosh.  The very first one. The boxy thing with the smallish screen in black and white. Yeah, that one.  It was computing on a vastly different even than the Apple II or the IBM PCs around that time.  

The new UI with the mouse as the controller gave users a level of control that was not achievable.  And through the decades after, the experience has largely been the same with Windows or Mac OS.  

That all changed with the iPad.  Apple took that intimacy shared between user and computer onto a whole new level.  And the iPad is a little more than a year old.  We are only scratching the surface of what the iPad can allow us to achieve.

If anyone wants to compete more effectively with Apple, they need to realize this first.

Apple's MobileMe Down For Some; Doesn't Bold Well for iCloud

MobileMe mail is down for some folks and Apple has acknowledge that.  So far I haven't seen anything worse than the number of refrehses that I have do do on a daily basis.  Still, this can't be a good thing for Apple.

There's expectation, rumors about iCloud notwithstanding, that Apple will revamp it's cloud services.  

So, this late into the game with WWDC just weeks away does not give me confidence that Apple has its cloud issues licked.  

More at Macnn.

Siri Is Nice But Hardly Use: Hope Apple Addresses It

Voice is great but even with Android having a huge lead in this department, I still see people hacking away on their Google e-mails or texting rather than speak their messages.  Here's the reason why.  We have not been trained to use voice after decades of trusting the keyboard.  And while iOS app, Apple's Siri, is pretty need, Apple needs not only build voice capabilities into the iOS but give us a reason to use it.

Take Ping on the other extreme.  It's okay but we have no reason to use it.  With the rumored voice capability that is forthcoming, I'm sure Apple will vastly improve on Siri.  But will that be enough?

I've used Siri to look things up  I've used it to look up definition of words.  I've put Siri in the dock to force myself to use it.  Practice using it so that I'm more comfortable with voice and when the time comes, I'll be able to take advantage of iOS 5's voice abilities.  But that's me.

I'm sure you don't go to such extreme to use Siri or get yourself comfortable with voice input/output.  

I have no expectation that the iOS update will allow me to chat with my iPhone the way folks on the Enterprise is able to make queries of the computer onboard the starship.  However, I think Google will probably take us there sooner rather than later.

What I do expect is for Apple to attempt to make the use of Siri and other voice capabilities more second nature, and less of a conscious effort that I have to put in now to use it.

On another note, any other interest uses of the current Siri that you can think of?