Hulu - Worth The Price? Yes And Much Much More

Yahoo is considered to be one of the top bidders for Hulu and it makes sense for the Web portal to try become something beyond just providing Web contents.  After all, things haven't turned out the way they expected one of the survivors of the first wave of Internet companies from the late 90s and the first tech bubble.

Hulu is fast becoming one of the top destination for watching television shows and movies.  And note that I used the term "television shows".  That remains to be so today but will change.  Let me introduce the term "episodic shows".  The reason for the change is also the reason why Hulu is worth many times more than what's being bid on.  

And it'll be worth so much more than whatever the winner pays for. 

Sprint Says No To WiMax Playbook

I don't know what this means for RIM's Playbook plans for future grades and such but in the short-term, this piece of news out of WSJ ain't good.

Sprint has decided against going ahead with a WiMax version of the Playbook. I would have thought that since the Playbook is the only tablet for use by the US government, RIM's tablet would soon have a lot of wind on its back.

And we know nothing so far about what plans RIM has for its future tablet plans. My recommendation is that it focuses the the superphones first. Those are already pretty late as it is.


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Preparing for An Apple Event

There are some things the general public look for to.  Fall premiers of new seasons and new TV shows.  The first kick off of the NFL season.  I'm not talking about preseason but the first week when the crowd is just nuts about the whole experience.  Then there's the Apple events for us geeks.  We get a few of these a year.

You've got WWDC in June and a September iPod event.  And along the way, we might see the iPad launch in the spring.  In the past, there was more.  Macworld keynote.   Until this year, we had the iOS introduction in April.  So, you can't blame us for getting excited about these Apple events.

Want an Ultrabook? Well, You Can Thank Apple For That

I have a 11" MacBook Air. And I love it. More than even the iPad...almost. And it looks like with the death of the netbook, Intel is looking to replace them with te ultrabook.

Ultrabooks are a new class of light weight notebooks inspired by Apple's MacBook Air and the iPad. Don't believe me? Them believe Intel's Greg Welch, director of Intel's Ultrabook division. And Intel is putting $300 million into this new effort to keep the PC alive longer.

Furthermore, it was Apple's telling Intel that it was dissatisfied with Intel's mobile effort that served as a wake-up call. Because of Apple's unhappiness with the power hungry chips, Intel worked to lower the typical 35-40W power consumption down to about 15W.

So yeah, we can thank Apple for this. Looking forward to see Windows ultrabooks to complete with the MacBook Airs next year.

More at WSJ.

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iPhone 5 Could Have A Sibling - iPhone iCloud

According to MacNN via Apple 'N' Apps, Apple could be releasing a $400 iPhone san the storage we are typically used and will rely mostly on iCloud and other cloud services.

First, ANA stressed the number of sources they have on this breaking news to validate it.  Second, the $400 price point for this iCloud iPHone is exactly in the ball park of how much Apple is willing to let loose an unsubsidized iPhone go for on the market.

The goal is to have to iCloud device leverge cloud computing and allow Apple to save hundreds if not billions in storage cost.  To further reduce costs, Apple will be using many of the same components as the iPhone 4.  Which leads me to believe that in addition to the iPhone 5 this iCloud device, the iPhone 4 could still be on sale after the iPhone 5 is released.

On top of that, the new iPhones will have upgraded components like the processor and share similar designs. It's said that the iCloud iPhone will look like a smaller iPad while the iPhone 5 will look more like the Macbook Pro.  That part is a bit strange to me but we'll see it when we see it.

My concern is the data plans.  Just how will Apple deal with the constant needs of the iCloud iPhone to access the wireless network.  And Apple cannot completely leave out the storage.  I think 2 GB of storage would be the minimum required and 4 GB would be idea in this scenario.

Source: Macnn via Apple 'N' Apps

Mobile: Once Hardware Patent War Is Over, Apple Needs To Focus On Software

At some point, the patent wars between Apple and the rest of the world will have to end.  Its competitors will find a way to get around those patents.  These skirmishes are meant to buy Apple some time, to stunt the growth of Android or even kill it.  It's good for Microsoft to say the least.  Then what?

Looking at the PC market as a parallel, when the first laptops came out, couldn't the first maker patent that idea and prevent others from producing a competing one with a keyboard with a LCD cover attached to it?  The clam shell design?  

In some sense, Apple is doing the same thing with the iPhone and iPad.  Okay, not exactly the same but similar.  Again, competitors will wise up and work around Apple.  At that point, it will be Apple who has to answer.

New compelling designs will be out but the key to all of this is going to be iOS.  In a 5-6 years, it's possible that iOS and OS X will merge or be virtually indistinguishable.  And it'll always be the Apple's control over software and hardware designs and a clear mobile vision that will win the day.

London Rioters Use Mobile and Social Media to Spread Violence and Anarchy

If you win, you're a rebel fighting against injustice.  If you lose, you're a looter, anarchist and/or criminal. The Egyptian protesters wanted to change their country for the better.  And those kids on London streets?  To those on the streets of England at night, this is what I have to say to you (I made sure to not say "the UK"):  you guys are criminals and opportunists looking to use an unfortunate event for your own nefarious gains.

There  is one connection I like to make between the Arab Spring and what's going on in London.  And that is the use of social media and mobile tech to spur action.  But that is where the similarities end.  The Egyptians used social media like Facebook and Twitter and mobile tech to exact political change in hopes of building a better future for their country.  That was what also happened in Libya and neighboring Tunisia.  

However, according to Wireless Week, the use of mobile tech and social media in London is nothing more than gangs looking to assert its power and use the opportunity for theft and destruction of public properties.  They directed one another to areas where they can cause problems and loot stores for goods.  It was nothing about trying to bring about social, political, or economic changes like what happened (is happening) in North Africa but selfish and twisted individuals forming a mob to profit themselves.

Blackberries are very popular among the looters and rioters as they can send messages to each other relatively easily.  RIM has indicated it will work with authorities to track down those instigating the violence.  

This Wireless Week post is a must read for everyone looking to understand the impact of social media and mobile tech.  It also excellently pointed out how the same technology used by the London criminals to create mayhem are also being used in positive manners: helping the affected community connect, spreading news and updates, and how they can help each other out.  

This is a very important lesson for authorities and I'm sure social anthropologists will be pouring over the events to see just how social networks and mobile are changing society, in both good and bad ways. 

Note:  The article is a reprint from the AP.