Steve Jobs Hated Fox News And Did Something About It

Okay, maybe like Steve Jobs, Rupert Murdoch was a disruptive force and that's why Steve seems to be okay with him.  But that did not stop Jobs from tell to Rupert face that he's blowing it with Fox News and pointedly asked if that's how he wanted to be remembered.

On top of that, Jobs did something about it.  He pulled all Apple ads from Fox News.  It's an interesting dynamics between the two giants of our era.  Right now, the Murdoch empire has no problems ripping into Apple as WSJ has consistently done in the last year with lame click-bait posts.

I'm sure Tim Cook and the Murdoch clan does not have the close relationship between Jobs and Murdoch.

Source:  Cult of Mac.

Surface Tablets May Not Be Selling Well But It Could Win the Long Game

Surface RT/Pro (Microsoft) may yet take a sizable pie of the tablet market and create a halo effect for Windows Phone in the mobile market.  This is not to say that it will happen.  Apple, Google, and anyone else will have to keep innovating and make sure it doesn't happen.  

You're thinking what is this guy talking about?  Surface sales barely register.  True but Microsoft isn't in this for a year or two.  Not like HP, Palm, Blackberry, or Cisco who all gave up easily.

I'm trying to remember a product in which Microsoft just hit it out the park.  Can you remember one?  

No One Microsoft Product Was An Instant Success Out Right

Windows?  No.  Internet Explorer?  No.  It's dominant position is due to some illegal and shady tactics in which Microsoft was fined a lot of money.  Both products are still going strong.  Xbox? Right now, the Xbox 360 is probably the most popular console in the world and the next version is even more highly anticipated than Sony's Playstation 3.  

Sure, there's the Zune and the multi-year failure of the Windows Mobile platform.  Windows Phone 7 was just as much a dud as its predecessor but Windows 8 for Surface and smartphones really stopped the bleeding.

Importance of Mobile Computing - Future is Tablets, Smartphones, and Wearable Devices

And given how important mobile is the future, Microsoft will keep throwing billions after billions of dollars at it until something sticks.  It has no choice.  The PC market in general has been stunted by a changing computing environment as well as the success of the iPads and Android tablets.  On top of that, the iPhone dominance in enterprise has proven that not everything needs to have anything to do with Microsoft or the Windows logo.

The day will come when the PC market, which won't go away, will become a niche market for those who need heavy lifting by their computers.  Windows sales will shrink and that would impact other profitable divisions and products like Office.  And those products are what brings in the billions in cash every quarter and allowing Microsoft to throw billions at money losing products.  

Unable and unwilling to give up, Microsoft may not be selling a lot of gears but it remains a part of the conversation and that is just as important at this point.

Next Step

Microsoft will continue to advance its R&D for mobile and Windows.  Surface 2 products will address some of the shortcomings pundits have with them.  For instance, the next Windows 8 update will bring back the Start button.  Microsoft is not above admitting that it has made mistakes.  It also isn't above trying to duplicate the successes of its competitors.

On top of that, Microsoft does innovate.  And it's most dangerous when it's behind.  And while Windows 8 has been blasted for confusing users, I'm not so sure that will continue indefinitely.  With one OS and one interface, Microsoft has made it more difficult for traditional Windows users but over years, the comfort level will increase.  

With the new UI, Microsoft has basically tried to trim years of learning for users and instead of releasing changes in increments like Apple might do, it has decided to leap years ahead, creating pain and chaos in the interim but could reap in benefits going forward.  

There is a risk to that.  The current chaos in the Windows market may for users into the arms of Apple and Google but then again, it's not like Microsoft has that big of a share to start.  It's a risk but one worth taking.  It's a disruption to be sure but one that could benefit it in the future.

Surface RT and Surface Pro symbolizes the hybridization between today's tablet and PC experience.  It's not elegant.  Not yet.  And eventually, it may be a route that Apple has to take.  For years, Apple has slowing added iOS features into OS X and visa versa.  

The difference is we know what the future of a hybrid tablet-PC looks like from Microsoft because we have the Surface.  Apple has shown that it has something in the works.  Maybe Apple's future hybrid iPad-Mac will work.  Maybe it is going about it slower than Microsoft.  

Maybe Microsoft will continue to innovate with the Surface that eventually becomes something that is more desirable than anything Apple can come up with.

Adobe Goes Subscription And, Soon, Maybe Apple's Warranty Service, So Why Not Everything Else?

Source: Arstechnica.

Adobe is going cloud-based and subscription for its Creative Suite. Microsoft has already done that with Office and more companies have gone down similar paths or are considering it.

Take Apple. It's AppleCare warranty products, currently are sold in an individual basis per device, could become subscription based soon. For Apple, it could be a changing landscape of how business is conducted. Recently, Apple was targeted by the self-serving Chinese central government over warranty issues.

What's to keep Apple from launching subscription services for other Apple products like OS updates and even iTunes services. iTunes Match is already something that Apple has offered since November of 2011. It's generally considered to be a precursor for a full on music streaming service. Furthermore, Apple is looking to strike a deal for video subscriptions as well.

For Apple, they will likely take their time with this and see where the market is headed. Netflix's services started with the DVD services with streaming added later only. However, there was a major in the summer of 2011 when it attempted to separate the DVD and streaming subscriptions. Apple is likely going to take its time to avoid repeating of Netflix's mistake.

All said, there is nothing that is going to keep Apple from going down the subscription route, for warranty, hardware or app services, or, eventually, more iTunes content.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

OS 10.7: Airplay Support From iOS To Use Mac Display Would Be Great, Keyboard & Mouse Support Too

I have one wish for the next OS X upgrade.  I know that with some apps, we can use the iPad's screen as an extension for the Mac if you need a secondary screen.  It's not a setup I've done but it's something I'm looking into.

What I'm interested in is being able to Airplay from an iOS device to the Macbook's screens.  This would be an awesome setup that would entice upgrades of Macs and iOS devices that may create a very sophisticated and beneficial halo effect for all of Apple's products and ecosystem in in general.

Such augmented Airplay features would also work with the iMac's screen or even a Cinema Display.  And I'm not just talking about mirroring.

Mirroring would be a great first step. But I like to see it go further.  When the Mac with the display is being used as the Airplay display, it should automatically know and allow added features to be implemented.

For instance, the user would be able to use the Mac's keyboard to control the iOS setup.  Say you have your iPhone mirrored over to the Macbook Air, you can then use the Air's keyboard to type a letter or surf the Web.

We may even see the iOS device use the Mac's Internet connection rather than the iOS's own to save power.

Such a feature could use the power-saving Bluetooth implementation rather than through WiFi.

If such a feature is introduced by Apple, we likely won't get everything at once.  We'll probably get mirroring to start and maybe the keyboard function.  The rest could come later as Apple wait and see how it works out and what features would make the setup better or as demanded by users or Apple itself.

There is plenty of need and use for such an implementation.  Gaming and watching videos comes to mind quickly.  You might have a presentation on your iPhone but nothing else to show it on but your client's Macbook Pro.  Or you just want to do a screencast or some form.

The thing is such a tie-in is a natural progression on both the iOS and OS X.  There is a school of though that Apple will eventually merge iOS and OS X into one OS, not unlike what Apple has now for Windows 8.

So, creating this new Airplay feature to merge an iOS device for use on a Mac screen would help Apple go a long way in trying to research for the future.  It'll be like when iPhone users began using the iPad.  There was little or no learning curve at all.

If Mac and iOS users become familiar with new functions in such a setup that could serve for a future mobile platform, any hybrid OS that Apple could eventually move to will be very familiar to users with all the powerful features and more.

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.