What Does Angry Birds (the game) Have In Common with Nazi Germany

So, I ask you - what does Angry Birds, the all time popular mobile game have to do with Nazi Germany?

Angry Birds, if you don't already know, is about these pissed off birds try go get at the pigs for stealing their eggs.  Kids stuff.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Apparently, Glen Beck equates the birds to the wealthiest 1% while the pigs have taken their eggs to redistribute.  Ooookaaaay, so someone has not taken his meds agin.

According to Macworld, Beck then proceeds to make a connection to the Nazi and even his co-hosts had no idea what he was talking about.

So you Android and iPhone users who play Angry birds (myself included), we're the richest people in the world and the socialists are stealing our eggs and we could be Nazis.  Or not.  

State of the Tablet Market (Mashable)

Mashable has a post that gives a very good state of the ereader and tablet market.  It's a recommended read for all mobile fans.  It doesn't get into what is being sold and which mobile platform has the pole position in the market.  What it does is provide concise information on who is buying the tablets and how they are using them.

I've highlighted some information from the post but I've left the bulk of information from the post for you to read when you click through.  Here are some interesting information I like to share with you.  I've focused mostly on the tablet.  To me the ereader is a device fit for one thing.  Reading. 

• In 2010, 10.3 million tablets sold, 6.7 million ereaders sold.
• Household with $150K is twice as likely to own a tablet
• Household with children, 12% already own tablets
• Growth of single function devices like the ereaders will slow as tablet sales pick up steam and acceptance among consumers.

This last point explains a lot of chatter about Amazon's Kindle tablet and why even before the iPad debuted last year, I predicted Amazon will have to release a multi-function Kindle.

And what are we using our tablets for?  Here are the top five things people use a tablet for:

• Browing the Web
• Viewing photos
• Emailing
• Playing games
• Watching video

As you can clearly see, people are using their tablet mostly to consume contents.  While many of us mobile fans see an even greater role for the tablet in our lives at school, work, and the home, that day is not here yet.  The iPad came out only 15 months ago and tablet makers are still learning about the possibilities the tablet presents as a utility.  

I like to see this issue visited each year to help us see the evolution of the tablet and the changes as it relates to how we use it. Right this moment, the tablet market is basically the iPad.  As more Android tablets and Windows 8 tablets next year enter the market, we can see a whole different shift in the marketplace  One that we might not recognize.  And that is a good thing.

Source: Mashable

Madmen On Netflix Now!

Okay, for some reason, I'm pretty excited about this though I don't know why. I've never even seen the show but I've heard all of my friends talk about it.  Now, Madmen is available for streaming on Netflix.

I'll probably give this a go after I am through with Star Trek: The Next Generation.

There are four MM seasons.  I hope that's it.  One of the things I hate most about TV today is cliffhangers.

Source:  Huffington Post.

Lion Installation Fiasco; Cannot Wait For iCloud And Hopefully, iTunes Match Support For Video

I can't wait for iTunes Match.  And you know what?  I can't wait for video that I buy from Apple for the same treatment.  

Over the weekend, I attempted to install OS X Lion on my 2008 Unibody Macbook.  Earlier, the attempt to install Lion on my late-2010 11" Macbook Air went through without a hiccup.  No so with the MB.  In fact, it tells me that the HD is locked and I'm was not able to get beyond that point.

I've done some searches through the forums online but no one seems to have the solution I needed.  While I did back up the most important personal files through Time Machine, there was one problem.  A lot of my latest videos from iTunes were not backed up. 

 

I KNOW that this is my fault but I just wasn't thinking at the moment.  

Hence, I can't wait for iCloud and iTunes Match fast enough.  And I can't wait until iTM has video support as well.  In light of the rumors that Apple is doing its due-diligence on a potential Hulu buyout, iTM may not happen.  However, the likelihood of Apple buying Hulu is nil.  So I think iTM support for video is more likely to happen.  

Oh, my Walking Dead and newly downloaded Harry Potter movies…

App Store and Mac Store Are Now Open To 33 New Countries and Territories

Effectively immediately, the iOS app store and the Mac store are now open to 33 new countries and territories.  It's All Tech has the full list.

However, the listen doesn't really say anything.  I reckon most of the people in the world have not heard of half the countries and territories part of the list of 33.  So, I went to Wikipedia and added up the population to give us a perspective.

In all, the 33 new fronts has a combined population of around 375 million with Nigeria account for 155 million alone.  Together, they have a combined GDP of 850 billion USD.  

I can't say that this means much.  Nor do I think these territories have that many Macs or iOS devices.  Having said that, it is better to for Apple and developers to be ready once Apple finds a way to increase its presence in these new markets.

Apple Staffing Up For the Fall - Back-To-School And iPhone Launch

Reports are circulating that Apple is staffing up for the fall as the back-to-school season gets into full swing.  An added element to all this is that Apple will be launch the new iPhone 4GS or 5 around the time students follow campus stores and, likely, Apple stores for their mobile gears to tackle the new school year.

We can safely assume that the new staffing will be for both purposes.  Therefore, it does not give us additional information to pin down a timeframe for the iPhone launch.  My guess is that I'll be lining up right around early September.  How do I know that?  I don't. It is just a gut feeling.

Having said that, there is one way we can know for sure.  Apple will have to hold a media event for the iPhone unveiling.  The time of this is critical.  If we are going to see the iPhone in early September, that would mean Apple will be holding its event about two weeks before it goes on sale.  An early September launch could mean that we'll be learning from Apple in about three weeks.  

Another way to look at it, we can keep an eye on the iOS 5 beta progress.  We are about half way there with the beta releases from Apple.  In the past when Apple held developer events to introduce new iOS versions, Apple held the event in April with iPhone launches about 8-10 weeks later.  Going by this fact, we are looking at an iPhone launch early September as well.

I think these approaches are a better measurement of gauging when we'll see the next iPhone rather than "trusted" sources or leaks.

Watch Out, Android And iPhone! Mango Is Here

If Apple's fruity brand is any indication that a benign fruit can be potent, then you ain't see nothing yet with Mango.  That is, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.5, Mango.

Wow, I totally screwed that one up didn't I?  

Well, Mango is the WP OS that Microsoft should have released a year or so ago but did and decided to go with WP7.  And while WP7 was a markedly departure from the icon style UI, the tile UI was much different and there was much to like about it.  So much so that Windows 8's UI is modeled after it.

And now, Mango is on its way to manufacturers and we could be seeing new Mango devices later this winter.  And with Nokia's support, Mango could be a true force to be reckon with.  And given the legal trouble that Android makers find themselves under with Apple and Microsoft, it is possible that more than a few of them will be looking at Mango to avoid future legal issues.

Google has got to be watching this closely.  On top of that, Mango's new features and mobile implementation shows just what Microsoft is about.  You never want to count Redmond out no matter what.  

And that means not even iPhone is safe.  Apple and Microsoft may both be going after Google through proxy wars, it doesn't mean that competition between these two bitter enemies ceased or took a break.  I expect the fight to continue as before.  No, I expect the fight between the two to escalate even more once the Android issues are resolved and the two companies goes gunning for each other again.

What Mango brings to the market is a full-featured modern mobile OS that can stand toe-to-toe with Android and iOS.  In fact, Microsoft has a secret weapon.  And that Nokia.  

So, for anyone who thought that the mobile war is settling down with Android taking close to 50% of the market and Apple's iPhone coming in around 30% and the rest belong to "others", think again.  

Obviously, nothing is a lock when it comes to mobile.  Microsoft, Nokia, and other WP makers will still require to convince the mobile warriors that Mango devices are what they want and need.  And that's not going to be easy with Android 4 devices and iPhone 5 sweeping through the market this winter.

Source:  Arstechnica.