Voice Commands Could Put Us Closer To Star Trek Like Computer Commands

I always like how characters in science fiction novels and books are able to interact with their computers in ways that seem beyond the reach of anything we have here.  Computers that can interact with us as holograms or through auditory inputs and outputs.

Google's Voice Actions are pretty good and second to none in the mobile market.  Apple's Siri is impressive but nothing close.

However, third party solutions are paving the way for innovation in this field.  Couple with voice commands and better AI, we have Star Trek like interactions with our computers and mobile sooner rather than later.

So meet the Voice Chat Robot app that is leaps and bounds beyond what's on the market.

More at Greenjava.

I'm hoping that Apple will update Siri beyond what we already see.  Siri is pretty cool to use but it doesn't make us want to use it very much.  I've also used Dragon Dictation on the iPad and I hope that'll improve with iOS 5 as well.

Reading on A Mobile - We Aren't Doing It Enough

I had to go bring something to my dad this morning at his temple. I took advantage of the down time and decided to use it to write, game, and read.

So I decided to just read for a while. An ebook. Deadline by Mira Grant. Feeds was on the Nook and Deadline on the Kindle. I know, why mix the format? I have no idea why I did that.

I sat in one of the lectures but with language barrier keeping me from knowing that was being discussed, I decided to amuse myself a bit.

I read about 30 minutes. You know? It's one of those things that we don't do enough.

I started off on this with the original ebook reader, the Palm III.

I have so much distractions on the Anroid and iOS devices that reading ebooks hasn't really been an activity I do enough of.

According to a study commissioned by Intel and Microsoft, computer power efficiency has doubled every 18 months.

It has an additive effect. As components become smaller and faster, or through other innovations like faster memory, graphics card, and efficient screens, the system as a whole becomes more efficient.

Interestingly, no mention of how more efficient programming or better coding could also make the system become even more efficient.

Source: Greenjava.

iPhone: Rumors, Conjectures, Wishful Thinking, and Clandestine Sources

It's been a slow news week for Apple. Certainly, Steve Jobs' resignation as CEO of Apple still has people buzzing some what but that was fine for a while. Now, I think the blogs that report on the Apple world wants to move on. And it really shows. Take this post from the NY Times. It basically summarizes all the rumors and minute details about the next iPhone that we have already read about on the blogs. It claims that the iPhone is only weeks ago. Heck, that's what I've been saying as well. And I didn't need the NY Times to tell me that. It just seems that mainstream media has been quite behind on this. It's likely that the Times, WSJ, Bloomberg, and others are just being used to spread information, mostly disinformation. And their willingness to participate is just shows that they're no different from blogs. In fact, I think most blogs have better sources and information than anything one else. That the NY Times would just take information from all the blogs out there and summarize them and claim that they came from sources is just, well, you fill in the blank. You've noticed that I haven't included a link to them. The reason is obviously. I won't perpetuate what they are doing. But it doesn't mean that just because the NY Times have not been able to develop their own information that the Apple related blogs are not moving forward. It's nothing that is going to tell us what the specs of the next iPhone will have or when we'll finally get them on the market. But the cycle of news coming out shows that something we are closer than ever. For instance, we've seen screen protectors, cases, and chatters from carriers and even Apple itself about iOS 5. While they don't tell us anything else about the next iPhone, we can expect Apple to dazzle us. After all, the mobile war is heating. From what I'm seeing, Android devices coming out in the next month or two will be sporting some pretty impressive specs. Apple would be wise to have been prepared for that. For months now, top Android devices have been powered by dual core mobile processors while the iPhone is still using the A4 chip, the original chip that came with the iPad last year. If Apple does upgrade the chip in the next iPhone, that leaves the screen, camera, battery life, and the design. Personally, I like to see an 8 to 10MP camera capable of 1080p recording, larger screen even if we just leave the resolution as it is, and, most important of all, battery life like the iPad 2. As for the design, I'm happy with the iPhone 4 design but if Apple does somehow make the next iPhone lighter and thinner, I could go for that as well. Now, see how I've written this post. It's not rumors. It's not information left by mysterious sources at the foot of my front door. Rather, they are conjectures and wishful thinking on my part.

Increasing Cost Of Wireless Data, Another Carrier Increased Cost

First, we lost unlimited wireless Internet access.  And now, it looks like we're going to be have to bear added cost of continuing our mobile experience.  It's not much, about the cost of a venti drink at Starbucks but it will add up.  It started with Virgin Mobile when they increased their prices a couple of months ago, and now, Boost Mobile is also increasing their mobile cost by $5.  

Here's the sad, sad news.  This could be just the beginning.  And keep in mind that with AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile on the menu, things can only become worse over time.  It's unlikely that the AT&T and T-Mobile merger will make things better for us.  In the case of Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, I don't think it's the case of greed but it may have more to do with the cost of doing business.  This I can understand.

At the same time, I hope the mobile carriers can sympathize with us mobile warriors who live on Main Street - things are not exactly rosy in this economy now.  

Note:  Perhaps this price increase could also mean that we'll see better mobile devices in the prepaid market.

Source:  Android Community.

Playbook To Get Price Cut & That Won't Be Enough, It's Over

Playbook has already been clobbered in the tablet market by the iPad.  There is no double that about.  And if you don't want an iPad, you buy an Android tablet.  At $500, there is a lot of competition for RIM's Playbook which only comes in at 7".

And despite just how well built or how solid the specs are, no apps means no apps means only the most dedicated RIM fanboys will buy it. And even then, they have had to suffer through an incomplete OS.  In yesterday's financial call where RIM unveiled a profitable but admittedly difficult quarter in the numbers of Blackberries and Playbooks shipped, actions were promised.

iPad And Windows 8 Tablet Compared In 10 Min Video

This will double as Friday's movie as we see the iPad 2 go head-to-head with the yet to be released Windows 8.  We won't see this new toy from Microsoft for another year.

Still, it looks good enough at this time.  I think all current Android and Apple fans should take a look and see if this is Microsoft's comeback in the tablet and mobile market.

Video at Clouding Around.