Myspaced: Facebook Home Downloaded One Million Times, Just One Word: Pathetic

Source:  Media Post.

Facebook Home has only been downloaded one million times since it came out.  You might that that's a lot but consider that Facebook Home isn't just any other app but, rather, it attempts to give Android users the feel of getting a new device.

Put it another way, it's Facebook phone versus Android in a way.  And given how many more millions other devices sell than Facebook Home is downloaded, it's an utter failure on so many levels.

I’ve got one word for that.  Pathetic.  Facebook is on its way to getting marginalized in ways that should shock its shareholders.  It’s being myspaced by a plethora of social apps that does not need to have any kind of centralized network like Facebook to anchor them.

And more apps are coming.  Facebook can try to spend another billion to buy up the next hottest app like it did with Instagram but it can’t keep doing that for ever.  It’s looking to buy location/map app Waze (Wired) but users of the app will have to take notice of Facebook knowing where they are going to be ever single second of their lives.

Scary.

On another note, you can get the Facebook phone built by HTC for 99 cents now (Ubergizmo).  It’s already been deemed a failure by many tech pundits and it looks like the market agrees as well.

Word is that around 10K units were sold.  Maybe there's two words to describe this:  pathetic and myspaced.

Macbook Redesigns: Could Be Narrower and Lighter Airs Be Coming?

The Macbook Airs are great.  Just great.  My only complaint about them right now is that their battery lives could be longer.  I know, I know.  With me, it's always about the battery life.  However, I don't think Apple is looking to prolong the battery life of the Macbook line any time soon.

In fact, if there is a redesign as some suggests, and it's likely to happen given how little the Macbooks and Macbook Airs have changed except for the Retina Display Macbooks.  Just how would Apple change the Air?

It just happened that I was walking down the street today with my 11" Air.  It was light.  Not iPad light but it was not difficult to carry in my arms for about a third of a mile.  Now, I've got little girl arms and muscles so you can understand.

I took a look at the shell, the whole form factor.  I really don't think Apple can make the Air any thinner.  Lighter?  Sure.  See, the bezel of the keyboard?  That's about what?  Half an inch?

I think there is room for Apple to shave off anywhere from 1/4" to 3/8" and still give the Air a sturdy feel.  On top of that, I figure Apple will save a few ounces as well as build material and come out very much ahead.

Also, take a look at those iPad folio keyboards.  Some of them have little room between the outer most keys and where the keyboard case ends.

And while the Airs are not that heavy, currently 2.38 lbs and 2.96 lbs for the 11.6" and 13.3" models, respectively, I like to see the 11.6" model go down to less than two pounds of possible.  And maybe the 13.3" model can do down to 2.5 lbs.

The question is how likely is this to happen?  Well, Apple has learn from building the iPad mini with the smaller bezels than the regular iPad and we are certain we'll see a redesigned iPad with similar form factor as the mini, meaning lighter and thinner bezels.

Given that the Macbook Air has more room for Apple's engineers and designers to work with, it's more likely than not that we'll see this happen.  Apple has gone lighter and thinner for the iPhone and iPad.  It's time they do the same, at least in terms of weight and the thinner bezels for the Air as well.

Google Lost Another FRAND Case to Apple: Motorola Buyout Not Paying Off Yet (If Ever) - What Else Can Google Get Out of Motorola?

Source:  FOSS Patents.

I haven't been following any of the mobile lawsuits for a couple of months and suddenly, I'm reading a string of losses for Google's Motorola (and Samsung to some extent).  Now, it looks like another Wisconsin loss could put Motorola versus Apple case back on grounds that is more favorable to Apple.

So far, Google's use of Motorola's mobile and essential patents in lawsuits against Apple has not worked out well.  Most of the patents used by Google in countersuing Apple (Apple did start most of the patent lawsuits) are deemed FRAND patents (wiki).

Essentially, FRAND patents are patents pooled by companies that are deemed essential for standards and companies have pledged to license them on reasonable terms.  And many courts have deemed their use in lawsuits unfavorable while some government bodies have begun looking to Google and Samsung for using FRAND patents in suits.

And if most of Motorola's patents are either FRAND patents or too weak to be used against its competitors, what exactly is Google getting out of Motorola?

So far, we have not seen the super Android device coming out of Motorola yet.  We may still but even now, Google is looking to other companies to build its Nexus devices.

I have been excited when Google bought Motorola in the belief that we'll see an innovative mobile leap ahead of the market in much of the same way the iPhone leaped ahead of the market in 2007.  Still there is hope.  Google has been trying to downplay any hope of an exciting new Android device out of Motorola.  I believe it's a smoke screen.

I think it's time for the patent wars to end.  Steve Jobs' thermonuclear war against Android has not panned out the way Apple had hoped.  Tim Cook has indicated that while Apple is not willing to be the research lab for the rest of the industry, he is willing to find a solution outside of the courts.

Back in November of last year, Apple and HTC came to a resolution to their patent dispute.

It's time for Google and Samsung to do the same.

Siri – Number One Job Is To Make Things Easy

Yesterday, I finally had it with AT&T for my phone and Internet service.  So I switched to my local cable provider.  Good riddance to those arrogant bastards.  On the day when my new cable Internet service, phone service, and TV shows are on, I get to call AT&T and say good-bye.

However, I used Siri to remind me in 11 months what I have to do:  call my cable company to make sure they’re not the ones who’ll end up screwing me over after their one-year special is up.  See, I’ll be paying $105 for faster Internet service, TV, and phone for a little over $100 after tax and everything.  In a year, that’ll go up another $25 and another $25 after that.

So, while as much as I hate AT&T, I want to pad my wallet so with Siri’s help, I’ll be shopping around a bit to see if my cable company will keep my rates the same or will I be going back to AT&T or someone else.

But this post isn’t about how I hate AT&T. I’ve written plenty on that and I’m sure you have come across others on your own.  This is about Siri and the ease of use.

So far, people have been discussing how Siri is intelligent and it’s constantly being compared to Google Now and many other voice-centric services.  However, like humans, you can be intelligent but sorely stupid as well if you don’t get the context.  I know a lot of humans like that.

And while setting up a reminder about a year away is child’s play, it goes to show that future development of AI like Siri or Google Now has to be first about being easy to use and useful.

Specifically with Siri, Apple has to see what other services its iPhone and iPad users perform that Siri can help out with.  And when Siri does become available on OS X for the Macs, the needs of PC users may be different or require additional services for Siri to perform.

New Intel Chips Give Me Hope Of Better Graphics And Maybe Retina Display

Source:  Engadget, Anandtech.

Updated:  Appleinsider states the current Macbook Airs uses the low-power U-series chips which would might mean that any Haswell chips Apple employs for the Airs should only have the HD 5000, not the higher Iris or Iris Pro.  The HD 5000 would provide around a 50% increase in graphics performance. Whether that is enough to power a Retina Display on the Macbook Air and provide it with sufficient if not longer battery life is the main issue.

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Intel released details about their forthcoming CPU, Haswell, with bette graphics that could really provide more headroom for your next laptop, specifically, I'm talking about the Macbooks with Retina Displays.  The Macbook Pro and the Macbook Retina Display models both now sport Intel's native graphics processor but only the Pro version has a dedicated graphics processor unit.

The current Intel graphics unit is the HD 4000.  The new Haswell chips will sport the HD 5000.  Aside from an increase in number designation, there will also be the Iris versions, 5100 and 5200, that provides twice the performance of the HD 4000.

It'll support more memory at 128 MB, twice the bandwidth, 4K display, and faster encoding/decoding.  In general, it's just faster.  But will we really see the difference?

Well, probably depends on what you would do with laptops powered by these new chips.  Obviously, if you're using your laptop, say a Macbook, to surf the Web or check e-mails and social media, probably won't see a big difference.

However, if you do some heavier duty work on your Macbook, you likely will see a bigger change in performance.  Currently, I'm on a late-2010 11" Macbook Air.  It's doing it for me but I am almost ready for an upgrade.

And as a part-time gamer, I welcome any increase in graphics performance and frame-rate.

Obviously, the elephant in the room is whether these new performing graphics units will allow Apple to fit Retina Displays on the Macbook Airs while maintaining performance and battery life.  Basically, better performance and displays without trade-offs.

Haswell with better graphics performance could be what Apple is waiting for.  Personally, I feel the Macbook with Retina Display works well enough but labors when it's asked to perform some heavy lifting.  It's one reason why I've waited.

Furthermore, I've gotten used to the light weight of the 11" Macbook Air and I'm not going back.
And yes, I've had this little guy do some graphics intensive work and it looks like Haswell could allow that as well as powering a Retina Display.

Kickstarter: Star Wolf - From Former Star Trek Writers Who Want To Show Networks We Don't Need Them Anymore

Source:  Kickstarter.

I'm in the midst of forming my thoughts on why science fiction shows doesn't work on television despite a few hits like Star Trek and the X-Files.  Any other shows have had to struggle with the idio network executives who simply don't get it or are too chicken to take risks.  Meanwhile, I came across this Kickstarter project formed by former Star Trek writers.  Along with an A-list of designers, music writers, and producers, they're going to produce Star Wolf.

And in reading the synopsis of the story, the series producer and writer, David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana were right.  TV execs would never have picked this up. and even if someone were to do it, like SyFy, there will be too much interference from the network and its parent company.

Take Stargate series, SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe.  Those shows were profitable with dedicated followings but it was still not enough for the network.

Anyway, I don't know if I would like this series or not but it's science fiction and from the folks who gave us years of awesome trekness.  So, why not.

Back them now!!!  And let's enter a new era of online video entertainment.  Screw the networks!!!

Social: Is There A Time When It's Okay To Be Tracked?

I abhor Facebook.  I think its campaign to erode privacy to allow Facebook to sell the best product it can, you the Facebook users, to the highest bidder is just horrible but it essentially undermines what privacy is all about for generations of users and it'll only get worse over time.

It's why I am not on Facebook and it's why more folks are waking up to the realization that they don't want to be sold by Facebook to advertisers.

However, not all tracking is bad if there is a benefit to the user as well.  Sure, companies like Google track users and also pushes ads out to us but at least we are getting great suites of apps and services.  Facebook offers none of that.

Take Google Now.  It's been on Android for a while and most people who use it love it.  And now, it's also available in limited functionalities for the iPhone.

So yes, Google is absolutely not giving away its apps and services for free out of the kindness of its corporate heart.  It’s doing it so it can shows you ads and buy goods and services from/through it.  It wants to sell ads that you want to see and click through.

So, while some have issues with that, and I certainly do at times when companies try to pull a fast one on us regarding privacy issues (that does include Apple and Google), there is good to providing some trusted companies with a certain amount of personal details like search results and some geolocation data.

Apple collects info so that it can ultimately provide you with services or apps you want and design/engineer hardware so that it can sell you hardware.  Google does it because it want to make money but it does provide valuable apps and services.

Google Now is a good example.  Siri is also a good example.  Google optimizes searches to help users become more efficient.  All of these services require some information be collected.  At times, we give Google more information than we should or even realized that we are doing it.  It's why we have to keep an eye on Google and other companies that maintain huge databases about its users or subscribers so that no abuses happen.

I have had issues with Apple and Google in the past regarding their privacy issues and it's important that we as mobile users raise our concerns when warranted.  In general, I think companies and governments collect more information than they really need.

At this time, society is faced with a lot of new technology and mobile/social computing practices that no other generations have had to deal with.  There will be companies like Facebook who will keep tearing away at the walls of privacy or a government agency or legislation that overreach.  We just have to push back hard and make sure we don't give up too much freedom or privacy in the name of free and/or useful products.

There is a balance that can be reach.  It's a delicate balance but it's doable.