Microsoft Launching Own SocIal Network? I thought It was Called "Facebook"

I had always thought that Microsoft did not enter the social network market because it had one.  Facebook.  After all, it was an early investor and there are close relationships between the two companies.

According to T3, the secret project is called "Tulalip" is Microsoft's own social network - this news comes on the heel of the successful Google Plus launch with already 10 million users.  

Personally, I'm kind of tapped out now.  Plus works for me and Microsoft is going to have to do a lot of incredible stuff to make me want to even consider starting up a profile with it.  

I wonder if Facebook had prior knowledge of this and how they feel about it.  

From the looks of it, Microsoft could be trying to be an aggregator to other social networks (both Facebook and Twitter were featured prominently on the front page) and working with them instead of just competing with them outright.  Yesterday, I wrote about an Apple patent that creates a mean for Apple's iOS devices to serve as an agnostic umbrella gateway to other social networks. I reckon this could be Microsoft's strategy.  

Perhaps it's taking a page out of Sauron's playbook: One social network to rule them all.  This is getting good.

Apple's TSMC Leak Aimed Squarely At Samsung And Its Investors

This is another one of Apple's perfectly timed leak aimed. And the intended audience is an audience of one:  Samsung.

Maybe you've heard of TSMC.  They are a Taiwanese chip foundry and Apple is currently working with them to see if their skills are up to snuff to be Apple's main chip supplier their next generation of iOS devices.  

According to Reuters, whether TSMC gets the order and how much of it will depend largely on yield.  In the post, an analyst based on Seoul said something that was interesting.  Apple and Samsung have had a deep and long relationship.  It won't be an easy breakup.  He also asserted that there are intellectual property issues that will make it hard for Apple to remove itself from Samsung.  I'm not sure about that point since Apple's own team designed their chips.

How will Samsung take this TSMC leak?  I think they were expecting something like this already and there could be some panicky shareholders or the Korean public who might want to know what Samsung is doing to clear up this mess with Apple.  

Furthermore, Apple probably learned a very valuable lesson from all this as well.  Trusting a partner to the level Apple is doing with Samsung, who works with you and competes with your products in the multiple markets, isn't a good idea.

Oh, and let's not forget that Apple is about to compete in the HDTV market.  I'm pretty sure Apple will solicit bids from all parties but it will look mighty hard at someone else other than Samsung.  Also, if you think negotiating with Apple is difficult now, wait until Samsung tries to get its HDTV business.

Reuters has more details.

Apple Versus Samsung - A Divorce Would Settle Question About Competition And Who's Copying Who

With the open war raging between Apple and Samsung, Apple could be looking else where to source their component needs.  And it likes the first one to be moved from Samsung is Apple's next CPU to be used in their iOS devices.  Of course, this could be a potential short term hit on Samsung's finances but I'm not sure with the market growing so fast, Samsung can find other customers, like Amazon or even its own mobile division, to pick up the slack.  The Galaxy S II is selling on par with earlier iPhone sales.

There is one main reason why I like to see Apple make a clean break from Samsung.  Curiosity.  Plan and simple.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

If Apple isn't sourcing or provide some information to Samsung so that they can manufacture Apple's components, is Samsung able to continue to push forward their mobile efforts? There would be no cheat sheet that Samsung is able to rely on. And if so, Apple really doesn't have a case in the public court of opinion.  Furthermore, I like to see just how divergent mobile technology can potentially get.

This would allow each side to compete more fiercely than ever before.  I was always uncomfortable with Apple and Samsung's business relationship being so close especially when they are also competitors.  I think a final divorce would be in the best interest of both sides.  It would settle my curiosity whether Apple is trying to stymie competition or needed a peak into Apple's iPhone and iPad to compete.

$1 App - If You Like It, It's Worth Paying For It

People who work hard for their money out to be paid for it.  I know, sometimes, it's easier to just get something to free off the Internet than to go into a store to buy something.  But with digital media so readily available now and cheap, it has never been easier to just buy it rather than pirate it.  

Apple has made it very easy to find and download music, video and apps.  And while video is on the higher side of the cost curve, music and most apps are not.  

And Apple ought to do more about this.  According to Appleinsider, they highlighted one developer who was frustrated that Apple's social gaming service, Game Center, even works with pirated copies of his game.  I can't believe that people are so unwilling to just pay the $1 for it.

I know there are people who there who just refuses to pay for one damn song or app.  I think they are on the extreme. But put yourself in the developer's shoes.  You really are fine if people take away 90% of your revenue?

As for sharing, on principle, I'm okay with that but I know of no one I've shared my media with who deleted after they watched it or if they like it, went out or online to buy their own copy.  

Apple Mac Sales Up To 10% In US Market, Tablets, Particularly iPads, Gets No Respect

Based on traditional PC sales along, Apple is nowhere near the top internationally but it is now the number 3 PC maker in the US.  And base do this assessment, US PC makers have something to worry about but globally, they can probably go about their business as usual.

That's one perception.  This is the one advocated by Microsoft and its partners.  This is the perception that is sometimes supported by data that the tablet market, 70-80% of it is the iPad, isn't cannibalizing PC sales.  

According to Gartner, PC growth is 2.3% above what it was last year, a big 66% miss.

What's also interesting is Gatner's refusal to acknowledge the impact of the tablet market.  Reading their post, they made a very transparent effort to dance around the issue about tablets and the impact the iPad on the market as a whole and used words like "shifting resources", "period of adjustment", and "changes to their product mix".

So it begs the question about what the market will look like when manufacturers start to use Windows 8 with ARM chips in their tablets?  Does Gartner and other data companies include Windows tablets but not those based on iOS or Android?  Or are they simply trying to level the playing field for Microsoft until it is ready to enter the tablet market?

See, if Gartner had included iPad sales into the PC mix, iPad and Mac sales would catapult Apple into the number position in the US and second place worldwide for 2011 so far.  Extrapolate that into 2012, Apple's iPad and Mac sales growth could make Apple the biggest PC maker in the world.  

Obviously, Gartner and others simply cannot accept such a disruption in the market.  At least not until Microsoft enters the tablet market.  IDC, another company that release PC sales figures, does not include tablet sales but they did at the very least acknowledge that the iPad had an impact on the poor PC performance in general.  

Source:  Infoworld

Macworld's Suggestions To Facebook Is A Waste of Time

For real estate, it's location, location, location.  For social networks, it's privacy, privacy, privacy...in conclusion, Facebook is doomed.  

Macworld listed 5 things that Facebook can do to fight back against Google Plus.  I think the article needs to be written and use the points commenters brought up as the place to rewrite the whole post and conclude that Facebook will soon face a world of hurt.  

Because those points are the exact same thing that Plus or anyone can do can.  What Facebook is unwilling to do is protect the privacy if its users.  

Source: Macworld - most of the time, Macworld has great posts but honestly, don't waste your time reading this one.  Nothing offered is a game changer

Google Plus Privacy: Circle Fatigue

Here's a good post on Google Plus and what they called "Social Networking Fatigue" from GigaOM.

While Circles is pretty much the crown jewel of Plus and its ease of use allow for users to control who sees what they post and share, lack of use as time goes on actually exacerbate the privacy question.  

So far, I don't seem to have that issue.  And just because this situation of users simply putting new contacts into a default circle does not mean they cannot go back and made changes.  

Rather, the re-sharing is a bigger concern for me than who to put into which circle.  But I encourage you to click through and read more about it.