IN Mobile - China Or India, Who Has the Lead? And Influence Of BRIC

We know that a bunch of mobile gadgets are being manufactured in China. Your laptops, netbooks, and PC certainly are. So are many smartphones. And we certainly know that Apple's iPhones and iPad are made in China (but designed in California). And then we hear a lot about some tech jobs outsourced to India.

I recently had a conversation with a friend who made a trip to India to do some work with his counterparts there. Now it has me wondering just where the manufacturing is in India and how much outsourcing of some development jobs are sent to China?

I reckon because India has a large English speaking population, it could be easier for US companies to set up offices in India.

And could we soon have devices "Made in India"? And does it matter?

Certainly. Take for instance the iPhone. It's only recently that the iPhone 4 was made available in India, nearly a year after it was released in general use in the US. And China has had the iPhone 4 for months. Certainly where the device is manufactured has some bearing on availability.

On top of that, China is currently one of the largest app market in the world. In fact, It is the second biggest after the US market for Apple's iOS app store (MIC Gadget).

Supposedly if the iPhone was available in large markets like India or other BRIC members at an earlier date, it is conceivable that the app and iOS development could be greatly influenced by the native population of mobile warriors.

The same could be said for other mobile platforms like Android and Blackberry. It won't be long before Apple gives more attention to markets like India that I consider underserved. And it would be foolish for any tech giants to do so much longer.

So perhaps devices will probably continue to be assembled in China for the foreseeable future but I am certain that app development from other BRIC nations will have greater influence sooner. And for US and EU users, we can feel that influence as well.

Pics Of Google Plus Webapp For Mobile

For those of you that have access to Google Plus (through your own means or through me), you may be accessing your profile through your Android app or the browser on your PC.

Here are a few screen shots that I've captured on my iPhone to show you. It works exactly the same on Android devices. I have to say that Google has done a great job with their mobile dev. This is way beyond what Facebook has been able to do.



This is the homepage of sort. Nothing ground-breaking here.




This is the stream page where you can write updates and share them with which ever circle you wish.




This is the circles page. This manipulation for sharing your stream updates with specific people is very easy. You can't do this easily on Facebook so expect Facebook to copy this. Hey it is how the industry works sometimes.




This is the profile page. It's like the stream page except this page allows you to focus one specific individual in your circle.

Again, Google has come a long long way since their mobile search and email pages. With the Plus effort, Google has leaped over everyone and showed just what can be done to create a Webapp if you are willing to innovate.

With Plus, Google has take a huge swipe at Facebook and blurred the line between native and Web-based apps.

Latest On Google Plus: Invitations Still Halted And Loophole Still Closed

Hi, this is a quick update on the Google Plus situation.  On Friday (7/1), I put out a notice on my blog that how those of us with access to Google Plus can invite family and friends into Plus.  It was not a direct invitation but a way to e-mail stream update to people.  From there, they can click on the "Learn more about Google Plus" icon and gain access that way.  

As far as I know, I was able to add those of you interested in getting a Google Plus account as of early morning the next day.  Luckily, I was able to invite a few dozen and was pretty happy about that.

But those that received the email after that or read their e-mails too late were shut out.  And I tested it against this morning and the situation remains the same.  And Google has not opened up on our pages official invitations to invite friends from within our stream page.

I will continue to reply to those of you who e-mailed me for access.  When things change, I will e-mail you directly again and post a new blog post notifying you of the change.  I hope to get all of you on Plus as soon as possible and hope that we remains friends after.  Since this experience, I have made friends from all over the world.  

I can tell you this about Plus.  It is truly a remarkable experience.  

More at Onxo.

Another Tablet Use: Law Firms Give iPads To Clients To Stay in Touch

The iPad is the tablet right now. There just is not way of going around it. However I believe it's only time until we see Android tablets in greater numbers in homes, schools, and workplaces. Meanwhile here is a prime example of how tablets are currently being used and and where can go from here.

Many attorneys are already using iPads in the offices and courtrooms. However, a couple of lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona had gone a step further. They equipped some of their biggest clients with iPads that will allow the clients to stay in touch with their cases and attorneys.

Think about this. This is a field that has required updated informations at all time. But there are other fields that require up-to-date information for easy consumption.

According to Arizona Central, Fennemore Craig is a personal injury firm but it looks like other types of law practiced could benefit greatly as well. iPads and other tablets used to help with disseminating information or provide informative information through presentations.

This practice could be put to uses in other industries. What'd amazing is that the use of tablets in such a manner is just a transplant of what we can already do on laptops and netbooks but the form factor of the tablet about the size of a notepad is managed to transform the perception of mobile tech and allowed more to be done than just on PCs.

What other uses are available to us on tablets will increase exponentially in the coming years. And yes, while it will happen, it will take years.

For instance, while the iPad is now more than a year old, we still don't see university and Hugh school students carrying around tablets instead textbooks. And yet, we know that day will come. Already, more ebooks are being sold on Amazon than physical books.

If you work in the law industry, imagine going into a meeting with a client with your iPad, Xoom, or Windows tablet and have the interview automatically recorded and transcribed. Then you can just as easily manipulate the information into formats that can be used by other lawyers and the courts.

That day will happen. It could be a while but the day is coming. And imagine the amount of papers, man hours, and other expenses be saved because of this.


- Posted using BlogPress

State of iPhone and All Things Mobile For Apple

Here is a good post from MacObserver summing on up on all things mobile for Apple, the iPhone, and Android competition. See, if you are new to the Apple blog scene, there are tons of sites dedicated to Apple news, rumors, and like this site that focuses on entertaining speculations and analysis.

While I love reading rumors, I don't report on them though occasionally I skirt around this self-imposed ban by speculating about their validity and pointing readers to them.

The MacObserver is a good jumping off point if you like to know more Apple and the latest speculations on when the next iPhone will be released and what features could be added.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

AT&T Provides iPhone Insurance On July 17th

Starting on July 17th, AT&T will begin offering insurance to iPhone users.  For new owners who sign up within 30 days of activation, they can sign up for iPhone coverage for $5 a month.  More information at Macnn.

What I do find interesting is the timing of the issue.  In the past, typical changes mobile plans and policies take place weeks or just a couple of months before new iPhone are introduced  AT&T did just before the iPhone 4 went on sale by ending unlimited data plans. 

So with this insurance policy change, I reckon it's one of recent signals that the next iPhone is coming sooner rather than later.  What other signs are there?

Verizon Wireless, which started selling the iPhone in February, will pointed end their unlimited data plans on July 17th.  

More than rumors, the timing of moves by mobile wireless providers can provide us with more valuable information about Apple's iOS releases.  How would you like to see the next iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) in August?

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.