Google And Microsoft (Mostly Google) Move Into Hardware Is For Profit - Could Be Bad for Samsung

Source:  Cult of Android.

If you look at the chart below, you'll begin to see why perhaps Google is getting into the hardware business.  So far Google has done a fantastic job on Android but it has seen its subsidiary Motorola stuck in the mud while Samsung, its partner and future rival, reap in all the money and glory.



I still believe Google's move into hardware is more about setting things up for the future, regardless of who makes the hardware (though I'm sure Google prefers we buy theirs) as long as it remains the backbone for our searches, purchases, and apps.

Maybe Microsoft sees the value of hardware sales too but it's most likely interested in making sure it stays relevant in the mobile and post-PC era.

For Android poster-boy, Samsung, the talk about moving over to Tizen in the future, becomes more and more urgent.  The trick is to one day install a non-Android OS on its Galaxy-class hardware and convince people they won't lose a beat when they move away from Android to Tizen or Bada.  It'll be hard but if anyone has shown resiliency and willingness to take risks, it's Samsung.

I think Samsung could take a hit but it won't go away.  How bad will depend on the Tizen game plan and excecution.  For others like HTC, Dell, HP, etc, boy, things don't look too good.  And if you're wondering about Apple, it'll be alright in the short-term.

LEGO Michael Jackson Dances!

Source:  Mashable.

This could be the start of something new using Lego pieces to create dance routines.  But first up, my man, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson!

Woohoo!!!

Hey, Apple: Macbook Air with Retina Display Coming? Google Kinda Has One Already

Source:  On Apple.

Okay, so Google released the best chromebook that anyone has ever seen on the market, including HP's.  What's so different about Pixel, the name Google gave it, is that it has a higher resolution display than anything on the market coming in at 2560x1700.

While a comparison between Pixel and Apple's Macbook Air makes no sense given the OS, specs, and Apple's app store ecosystem, it'll happen because that's what most pundits and bloggers will want.  It's unfortunate but I do want to point out one thing.  If Google can release a Retina caliber display for a netbook, why can't Apple for the Macbook Air?

We know it’s only a matter of time before Apple releases a Macbook Air with a Retina Display and eventually do away with non-Retina displays for the Macbooks.  Obviously, sooner would be better than later for Apple fans.  So, where are we now with the resolutions?

• Chromebook Pixel: 12.85" -ish display with 2560x1700 
• Macbook Air: 11”  1366 x 768
• Macbook Air:  13”  1440 x 900
• Macbook Pro With Retina Display:  13.3”  2560-by-1600
• Macbook Pro With Retina Display:  15.4”  2880-by-1800

Somehow, Google has managed to get more pixels per inch into its chromebook than Apple right now.  I’m still on my late-2010 Macbook Air with the 1366x768.  I’m definitely not going to be switch just because the Pixel has a Retina Display but I do know this.

Apple would be wise to release its Retina Display Macbook Air sooner rather than later even if it’s at a premium over the Pixel.  After all, we are talking about a Mac, OS X, and apps that the Pixel may never see.

Source:  Google.

Wow...just, wow...I did not think this was going to happen this quickly.

More thoughts on it later...for now, know that it's main competitor is Apple. Specifically, the Macbook Pro with Retina Display.  Here are the more important specs:

• 13" -ish display with 2560x1700
• Touchscreen - not even Apple has that. However, you may never see a Macbook with touch display. 
• 3.35 lbs
• Intel Core i5 running at 1.8Ghz, HD 4000 integrated graphics - same GPU as those on Apple's Macbooks (those without dedicated GPU).
• 4GB, 32 GB onboard storage, 1 TB cloud storage for three years
• 5 Hours of battery life - Apple's are closer to 7 or 8 hours.
• 100 MB of wireless data via Verizon.

For now, we know who Google is gunning for with this - Apple and Micrsoft.  At $1,299, I wonder who its target audience is.

Theory: Better Quality Apple Devices In the Future Because Foxconn Has Higher and Happy Returning Workers

Source:  Cult of Mac.



Interesting theory on why Apple’s Foxconn factories are hiring less workers this quarter.  The reason is, according to CNN, is that more workers are returning from their Chinese New Year break than previous years because of better treatment by Foxconn as mandated by Apple.

If you’ve got happy workers, it could also mean they are happier about their work.  And that probably will translate to higher productivity as well as quality.

PlayStation 4: Event Was A Disappointment But Potential Is There; Sony Should Have Provided More Details

Source:  Engadget, Insider.

I thoroughly loved the PlayStation 4 demos yesterday.  I eagerly await its arrival in November or just before the Christmas shopping season starts.  But, boy, to say that the whole PS4 unveiling was a sorry affair is an understatement.  There are plenty of questions that Sony needs to answer so my personal judgment, and maybe yours too, should be put on hold.



Apparently, others are not so kind.  Such as Goldman Sachs who was not blown away.  I’ve got a few issues but again, I don’t think we should judge until we know more and right now, Sony is holding its cards very, very close to its chest.

So much so, in fact, that the US head of PlayStation sounded weary. And this is the guy who will lead Sony’s PS4 effort in the US!  In fact, he doesn’t know what the specs are but he hopes that it won’t cost $599 like the PS3 did.

Given the specs that Sony has laid out so far, I reckon the cost cannot be more than $250-300 if you grab similar components from online electronic retailers.  Sony should be able to market it at $399 a most.  Maybe even $299.  Sony should forget about trying to make money off the hardware entire like Amazon and Google and go after making money from media and game sales or ads.  After all, isn’t that why Sony seems to be making a big push for indie development?

Heck, there are even signs that Apple is heading in that direction.  Sure, Apple will make wants its pound of flesh from hardware sales but that’s Apple. Sony could have been Apple but that’s another story entirely.

Apple's Macs Hacked Via Java Bug

According to Reuters, Apple confirmed it was hacked via a Java bug.  A new tool from Apple will be released to fix the problem.

Wanna bet it's from a five-lettered country that starts with third letter of the alphabet, ends with the first letter of the alphabet, and "hin" in the middle?

According to Daring Fireball, Java is the means of the attack.