State of Emotional State of Mobile Fans

If you're an Android fan, you probably feel like the world whole is against your favorite mobile platform and Google and just about everyone is trying to do whatever they can legally to make it happen.  You're not alone. These days, all fanboys and advocates of every mobile platform probably feel like the whole world is against them.

The latest example is the Nortel patent bids in which a consortium lead by Apple outbid Google.  And while Google wasn't exactly ally-less, it had Intel on its side, doom and gloom about its enemies using those patents to suppress and isolate Android.  And then we also have to ask why was Sony allied with Apple, the folks who bring us the Xperia devices running on Android.  Where was Samsung, Motorola, and HTC?  Why did they not come to Google's aid with their own billions?  

Then there are all those dozens or so lawsuits against Android device makers on like four continents.  Heck, Microsoft likely makes more money from patent fees than selling Windows Phone licenses.  

And Apple fans are always embattled no matter what.  And they certainly find those lawsuits that Apple has lobbed against Android phone makers justified.  Everyone has taken to Steve Jobs and Tim Cook's line that Apple patented the heck out of the iPhone and won't be shy about defending it.  And they haven't.  

Still, in Appledom, since the original iPod, has had to face a number of iPod, iPhone, and iPad killers for more than a decade. Yes, there are even iPod touch and Macbook Air killers on slow news days.

So, let's continue on to other platforms.

As for Blackberry fans, the Palm and, now Web OS, fans can sympathize.  After owning the PDA market, Palm's market lead was usurped by Windows Mobile phones.  And misfire after misfire including the latest Touchpad, Web OS still has yet to gain any noticeable mind-share among mobile warriors outside of a few hard-core users.

Fans of RIM had hoped that Playbook would give them a rally cry after RIM missed a couple of quarters worth of earnings (while still extremely profitable) and slowing growth (still growth but just not as fast as competitors).  Of 400K shipped, RIM CEOs, during the last financial call, pointedly said there was no data on sell through but moments later they were happy with their data on Playbook sell through.  Which is it?  

And the delays, delays, delays.  All that has led blogs to swamp the subject of RIM in trouble and rumors of buyouts.  I'm not as close to Blackberry as I am with the other platforms but I do know what BB fans are going through.  While Apple and Palm went through their own dark days, RIM's darkest day so far has them putting billions in the bank.  

Oh, and we come to Windows Phone.  With Mango, the next major update from Microsoft, there is hope.  I don't know if these fan boys feel as embattled as the rest.  This is a brand new platform.  It certainly has its fans but it's too early for them to feel like the world is out to get Microsoft.  We'll revisit this someday.  But these fans should know that Microsoft is a seasoned corporation with a lot of tricks up its sleeve.

Now, let me throw in the video handheld guys.  Let's just focus on Nintendo.  It's DS line has made Mario and friends billions but iOS has come along and really disturb things.  But if anyone has as loyal a following as Apple, its Nintendo.  And there was hope that the 3DS would put all the naysayers to rest but dismal sales and lack of games has only reinforced the idea that Nintendo is no longer with the times.

And the slow roll-out of the update was irritant, speaking as a happy 3DS owner.  I reckon the next handheld from Nintendo will resemble more of a smartphone than just a dedicated gaming device.  Speaking optimistically, I think the Japanese gaming giant has had a lot of time to learn from the market.  Realistically, any changes won't come until after gaming market evolves even more.  

Nintendo is going to have to go after a fast moving target and hit a bull's-eye.  If anyone can accomplish the impossible, it's Nintendo.  The new unreleased Wii might give it some time and fans something to cheer about.  But time is short and we will be reminded on a daily basis just how Android and iOS are eating away at what is traditionally Nintendo's domain.  

So in conclusion.  Fan boys everywhere.  As long as the progenitors of your mobile platform continue to innovate and compete hard, you have every reason to be proud of the mobile selection you've made.  There is no reason to feel insecure or paranoid.  However, yes, everyone is out to get you.

Apple's Other Portable Devices: Macbooks Deserve More Face Time From Apple's Marketing

Here, I've spent a lot of time talking about iPhones and iPads.  And I felt that I've left Apple's Macbook line out of the discussion for the most part.  And it's not just me.  It's virtually everyone who write about tech, specifically, Apple's mobile tech and vision.

Perhaps, it is because we just at the beginning of the post-PC era but are now well into it.  It doesn't mean that PC will go the way of the dinosaurs.  They'll remind a big part of our lives.  It is just that we will not be talking about it in ways we've done in the past.  

Two things will happen.  The personal computer will continue on an evolutionary trajectory.  Faster, lighter, longer battery life.  But no more beyond that.  It is possible that it may be folded into something like that tablet.  And if needed, it can be turned into a PC with a docking station at home, school, or the office.

Motorola's Atrix that runs on Android could be a glimpse of this future.  Our iOS devices will take on more PC roles as it gains more processing and video power.  

Or, it could morph into something unrecognizable by today's standard.  I had envision a home server that acts as a private cloud for other mobile devices to work off of and to store files or stream media.  

Either way, those futures are still a long way off.  I'm loving my late-2007 unibody Macbook and my late 2010 Macbook Air.  And they've got a lot of milage on them of years and years to come.  And I hope Apple continues to make great portable PCs and promote them just as hard as they do the iOS devices.

Google Plus Has Only 10 Million Users; Privacy Issues Surface

A few updates on Google Plus.  It's growing...and fast.  I had a feeling given the number of people already on Plus and the interests (folks begging for invitations), this is the fastest growing social experience ever.

According to Minyanville, we'll have ten million on Plus by tomorrow.  With a confident 99% accuracy rate, Ancestry.com's Paul Allen did some estimates with people's names and the US Census data.  But wait, what about the tons of people that I invited from overseas.  EU, the Middle East, India, and Asia

Which has led me to believe that Plus may be bigger than just the 10 million figure.  And yes, my fellow mobile friends, size does matter (just in this case...just in this case).  I don't think Google will be issue any press releases for a while.  After all, given Google's past "beta" experiences for their webapps, it'll be like this for a couple of years.

Privacy However, not all is rosy.  Aside from the on and off invitation issues, running out of space, and occasional slowdowns, I still am watching the privacy issue very close.  The biggest deal for me is that Google is forcing everyone to use their names.  According to CNet, Google is "trying to build a service without pseudonyms, anonymous cowards, or impersonation".  

Hey, I am all for that but there are instances that can be worrisome.  First, you can bet that all our Plus profiles are searchable online regardless how well you try to limit your exposure.  You can hide your e-mail from the public but there is much we are still learning about Plus.  Furthermore, with each new feature Google implements on Plus, we have to watch carefully the implication it has our on privacy issue.  

Nevertheless, the ease of use compared to Facebook has very reassuring at the moment.  

I like to see Google address the profile issue more. I understand Google's reasoning behind there (through there is a potential sinister tone to it if Google decides it wants to do away with "do no evil").  In CNet's post, it brought up a very good point.  Facebook and Twitter was important helping foster changes in a couple of Middle Eastern nations.  By Google's Plus rules, that would have been impossible.

And on a level closer to home, what about harassment?  Cyber-bullying?

Digging deeper into the CNet post, the issue of avatars came up.  It is not fraudulent, and simply a digital/cyber representation of the real person.  And much of the time, creating avatar instead of using one's real name goes back to the issue of protecting one's privacy.  Nothing more and nothing less.

Here's where things stand at the moment.  Plus is still in beta and we'll need Google to acclimate the service to reality and the needs of its users.  

Here's a quick Google search on "Plus privacy issues" that I encourage all who plan on using this social network going forward.  Personally, that Plus is a strong competitor to Facebook is good enough at this stage.  And yes, this is a multi-year beta.  I'll give it a year before I make a call on it.  

So far, I'm loving.  

Just ten million?!  As far as how many people are using this?  I think it's upwards of twenty million.  Seriously, the Internet is more global and spread out than ever before.  While totally unrelated, consider today's box office receipts.  I like numbers and in the last decade, Hollywood movies with big budgets rely more on global market to make money while relying the domestic market to recoup the cost of production and marketing.  

Consistently, I'm seeing a 1:3 spread for receipts.  Now, I doubt at the moment that Google Plus is seeing this kind of a ratio.  But having one US Plus user for every user outside of the US isn't impossible.  Facebook today has a 4.5:1 ratio, global to North American user (750 million global; approx 165 million in the US and Canada).  

So I peg my figure close to twenty million.  And even if I'm wrong, 10 million users just after a couple of weeks ain't bad at all.  As defections continues, new ways to use Plus find its way into the network, and, if positive word of mouth continues, we could find ourselves closer to 100 million users by the end of the year.

Apple Can Turn Notification Center Into A Social Media Aggregator

Can Apple's Notification Center become a center piece where all app notifications, gaming, and social updates converge – an umbrella or sort that ultimately make it irrelevant which platform the user supports?

I can simply go to the NC and read updates, post comments, retweet, or simply lurk as some on social network users do, reading up on updates from friends and families.  All of this is done without leaving NC.

Or I can get an invitation, reminder, or meeting time from other calendars (Google) and important to my iCloud calendar with ease.  Again, without having to go into a specific app or entering my iPhone's calendar app.  

Obviously, it cannot do everything but it can probably do everything well enough and eliminate the couple of steps to go into an app, wait for it to launch, and then work through it. 

This approach would allow Apple to make iOS' Notification Center the foundation for to build on the whole experience.  And there is talk that iMessage could be coming to the Mac as well.  I certainly hope to see a Mac version of the Notification Center in future OS X updates.  Should that happen, Apple could go a step further and eventually integrate iMessage, Calendars, Weather, and a few other widgets directly to the Notification Center, dramatically simplifying the user experience.

Great News For Developers: ASP Is Up

Apple recently boasted about its 15 billion app downloads.  By any reckoning, that is an impressive number.  And $4.5 billion paid out to developers.  That's not bad considering that most of the apps downloaded were probably free.

And according to Macnn, the average selling price has rebounded to $1.44 per app and this should only increase as the level of sophistication also increase with the release of new API, functions from new OS updates like iOS 5.  This is a reversal from a year ago when prices dropped from 2009 to 2010. 

What changed?  The sheer number of apps increased and likely users found that they can do more with their iOS devices beyond just free apps. 

I guess this is time for me to hit the iOS dev books again.

Marketwatch Post Shows Wall Street And Mainstream Media Does Get Apple's Mobile Vision

There has been a mot of attacks on Wall Street from the 2008 financial meltdown to a series of idiotic reports over the years. And mainstream media is has a lot of blame to go around.

And this Marketwatch about the iPhone only served to reinforce that view. It only served to my own opinion that the media an Wall Street is failing to take responsibility for its ignorance and erosion of standards.

The post is about how the iPhone can regain it swagger. Really? The 13 month old iPhone 4 still has an impressive adoption rates and continues to outsell individual competitors needs to regain its swagger? How ridiculous!

What's more idiotic is the suggestions offered by the writer. First, he brought up Steve Jobs. WTF!?

Then it said that Apple needs a new ad campaign. I'll give him that. I happen to think it works and since this is a subjective matter, he is entitled to his own opinion.

Then it brought up suggestions that Apple improve download speed and phone functionality by forcing carriers to bend to its demands. Seriously. I wonder if the writer met with a challenge to generate clicks and found writing something about the iPhone could probably so that.

The post also mentioned the need for a better camera. Okay. How? What features? No suggestion was offered. It is as if he read all the iPhone rumors out there and simple put this point in based on the rumors that the next iPhone could sport a better resolution camera.

Then he comes to the point about the battery life. Given my issues about today's mobile devices and battery life, you would think that I would agree with him. Yes but the flippant way he bought it up made it seem as the iPhone has the worst battery life in the market, when in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

These idiots will be the death of our society. How can someone who so wisely decided on the iPhone as his mobile device be so...sigh.


- Posted By Mobile Means

Apple's Nortel Patent Win - To Inhibit Android But Changes Nothing For Main Street Mobile Warriors

eWeek examines Apple's consortium win in the Nortel patent win that seemingly denied Google and its allies that included Intel from owning the rights to some valuable 4G technology. And certain anti-trust enforcers are looking into the exchange.

It'll be months and perhaps up to a year before we seem what the Nortel patent winners plan on doing. Exact some blood from Google's hardware partners or simple stunt Android in the market through the courts in an attempt to kill it outright. Like the post mentioned, there are dozens if not hundreds of lawsuits against Google and Android device makers all across the world. HTC is already paying Microsoft per device sold. Microsoft reported is asking for up to $15 per device from Samsung.

Trouble doesn't end there as Apple has launched a massive legal attack on HTC and Samsung. And Oracle is going after Google over Java that could potentially cost the search giant more profit than it has made from Android so far.

Still, all the major bidders had been clear to participate in the process. So it is unlikely that regulators will block the winning bid.

What does this mean for us on main Street? The average mobile user won't see much of a change in selection of devices or functionality of any of the mobile platforms because of this.

It all comes down to access and money. There are plenty of brilliant people out there on all sides who have worked this out.

The winners cannot be too overtly eager to go after Android while they will take a hard stand. Google and Android makers will have to accept the consequence that they did not do enough to win those Nortel patents.

It would be weird to see Apple padding its profit margin through proceeds from every single device sold by its competitors.


- Posted By Mobile Means