Great News: Online Video To Surprise Physical Sales and Rentals

Source:  Engadget, Bloomberg.

You want to know what disruption is like on a huge earthquakesque style?  Revenue from downloads like iTunes and Google Play and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon will surpass sales generated from DVD sales and rentals.  You can be sure the studios as well as any stores, brick-and-mortars or online stores, knew this was coming.   Perhaps, they did not think it would happen this fast.

Only in the last year have I noticed significantly more dicounts and bundles of online movies.  It's typical for Google to offer discounts on select movies but hardly on iTunes. And this year, I'm noticing more price cuts.  I'm guess DVD sales have slowed an Blu-ray has not delivered the content developers and studios to the promised land.

This is significant as we should see more parity in terms of prices and offerings between online versions and physical versions of movies and televison shows.  This will be in part to draw attention to the ease of downloading or streaming videos and not having to go to the stores to pick up a movie or wait for the UPS guy to deliver it. 

To make matters worse, or better depending on who you are, online revenue will also surprise box-office takes by 2017.  This is also signficant largely because skyrocketing prices of movie tickets.  Consider that a ticket will probably cost $15 each, or $20 (maybe more) if you watch it in IMAX or 3D, versus waiting a few months, sometimes weeks, to download and own it and watch it in the comfort of your home entertainment studio for about the same price. 

Does this mean we will be able to watch the next Avengers movie with family and friends on your 80" 4K setup?  Not even close.  The studios will have some foks with really good spreadsheet kung fu who will figure out how best for the studios to maximize their profits in light of tech changes and social movie watching behaviors.  It's possible some movies will be available for streaming or purchase the day it hits the theater.  I've often seen indie movies go that route.  This is especially true if there are limited releases. 

However, we never want to say never.  Let's just the studios will listen to their Silicon Valley partners and understand that the best way for us to part with our money is value and convenience. 

Showtime Follows HBO On Apple's Platform

Source: Variety.

So, CBS will be bringing its premium channel to Apple's platform as an exclusive for a short while.  No word on how long that window will be.  I'm sure with HBO's exclusive with Apple coming to an end, Android devices will soon be able to venture into Westero (Game of Thrones - HBO site) soon.

This is just another step forward in breaking the old TV model and venturing into the future of video entertainment.  Note that this is only a very small step.  It will be a while before Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Google, and maybe the social networks can wrestle control of video content away from entrenched and well funded cable companies with a lot of influence in Washington and state capitals. 

No work on when Apple and Showtime's exclusive deal will end.  I do have an Apple TV and I look forward to watching Homeland (official website).

Apple is currently working on deals with content providers to offer a subscription service to its customers.  Meanwhile, Google isn't standing ildly by.  Google is also putting together a package via Youtube (Bloomberg).

Take this a step further, it is not out of the realm of possibility that traditional tech and social media giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook could also get into the content creation business.  Microsoft already dipped its toe with TV show development.

Look for more to come.   Future has started.

Former Sapphire Plant

Source:  Cult of Mac.

Interesting read here regardind Apple's plans for a command center at the former sapphire plant in Arizona that went bust last year.  Apparently, Apple is looking at using it in such a manner that some executives from Cupertino may be moved there and the rest of the workforce will be local hires.

The first question is what exactly is a command center?  The bride of a starship comes to mind but I doubt it.  And Apple has no space program (that we know of).  There is the CarPlay and possible car technology program that Apple is working hard on that might benefit from this Arizona site.

Moving its car project once it matures and requires more space for R&D and maybe production in the Southwest would be idea.  Keep in mind that Arizona was once in the running for Tesla's battery plant that Reno, NV eventually won.

That is just speculation on my part.  A quick look on Wiki for Mesa, Arizona, where Apple's plant is located, yield some information that might be ideal for Apple to create a campus.  First of all, it's mostly removed from the prying eyes of Silicon Valley and the relentless Mac blog community.  The state is more business friendly than California is in general and in getting Apple's sapphire plant in the first place, the state has demonstrated a willingness to work with Apple.  When the sapphire plant went bust, Apple promised to do something with it and it has kept its word and then some.

Maybe all this command center is just a more sophisticated data center than most.  Maybe not.  With Apple and its incredible innovative energy, you never know what it will be up to. 

Apple Chips For iPads And Intel Chips For Macs: Now, Fight!

Here is an interesting post (Two Guys And A Podcast) concluding that Intel's days are numbered as far as Apple using Intel mobile chips are concerned as Apple continue to push forward with speed on the A-series chips used in iOS devices while Intel seems to be standing still or moving forward at a much slower pace. The post concludes that Apple's how chips should over take Intel's like the Core M chip being deployed in the new Macbook. And when that day cames, Apple will replace Intel chips with its own in Macs.

That is the rational and conventional thinking.  However, I have a different take.  We have all heard the rumors regarding the new iPad Pro that Apple is working on.  It was supposed to unveiled by now.  Obviously, it has not and there are plenty of rumors explaining why that is the case.  My take is that perhaps, Apple is waiting on a new generation of chips that should be unveiled later this year can serve as the heart of the new iPad Pro, much faster than the current A9 in the iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6, that could more effectively compete with the Intel Core M. 

When the iPad Pro comes out, it will make for some interesting choices for consumers.  Apple will let the iPad Pro and Macbook fight it out in the market place.  If you want a laptop, go with the Macbook.  If you want a tablet with multi-touch that may also have the new Force Touch technology, more horse power than the Macbook (though most consumers will not be able to see the difference), and even longer battery life than the Macbook's 9 hours, then the iPad Pro is your choice, not to mention an accessory case that doubles as a keyboard.  Of course, Apple marketing will not pit one device as superior over the other. 

And for the next few generations of Macbooks and iPad Pros, Apple and Intel will leapfrog each other with claims of higher horsepower and greater efficiency.  And even if Apple does fall behind with the iPad Pro and Intel pulls ahead with its chips, Apple can still win in the end because people will have picked the Macbook over the iPad Pro. 

However, from what I'm reading regarding just what Apple's own chips can do versus what Intel's Core M can speed up to for some tasks, this is one area where Intel might have the advantage.  The Core M can go up to 2.6 Ghz if called upon.  No word on how Apple's chips do in this regard.  Having said that, on the low-end, that might not matter in day-to-day mobile computing tasks.  And this is an area where Apple can excel because of the tighter hardware-software integration on the iPad than on the Macbook since Apple did not design the Core M.  This is an area that matters most to people who have decide between a Macbook or and iPad Pro.

For any heavy lifting required, Apple Mac users will go with an iMac, Macbook Pro, or even a Mac Pro. 

Personally, I welcome the Macbook as it is now.  I'm not saying that this is for me. First, I'll have to wait and see what the iPad Pro is like and then there is the fact that I still have a relatiely new (18-month) Macbook Pro that performs beautifully.  My only gripe is my MBP has only 7-hour long battery life.  While it has done and performed as expected, I would not mind an extra couple of hours of battery life. 

The Macbook isn't for everyone.  It isn't for pro's.  Nor is the iPad for everyone either.  I do believe Apple has a multi-year roadmap that is clear and executable under Tim Cook.  We saw the future with the Macbook Air and it'll take a couple more years for us to get to wherever Apple wants to take us in terms of the next stage of mobile computing. It was a great time to be alive when the iPhone came out in 2007 and revolutionize mobile.  It'll be just as exciting in the next few.

Virgin EV Against Tesla, Apple Likely To Go At It Alone

There is plenty of chatter that Richard Branson is up there with Elon Musk as far as space goes but Branson is missing something Musk has and is considering getting into that game:  electric cars.  That in and of itself isn't news.  What I had originally though of, for all of ten seconds, is that maybe Virgin should partner with Apple.  But the more I think about it, the more I believe Apple will likely go at it alone - no deals with Mercedes, MBW, Telsa, or anyone else.

After all, the most likely partner Apple is likely to go with is Telsa and we already know from the poaching war that it is not going to happen. 

However, Branson's entry into the high-end electric car market should be a welcoming move for auto lovers.  Competition.  And that is what Telsa lacks even as it continues to innovate.  And while a Virgin challege is good, it won't be like the kind of competition and disruption that Apple can bring. And the Apple way is what will likely end up with Apple doing it on its own.

Imagine in 4-6 years when Apple, Telsa, and Virgin's electric cars are all going up not just against one another but the offers from traditional auto makers like BMW - beautiful sleek and fast cars that run 400+ miles on one charge powered by a green power grid. 

Of course, for a fact, only Tesla and BMW are major players in the electric car market.  Apple's entry is still just a rumor and there is just as much as chance as we'll see an Apple car as likely not.  Short answer is no one knows despite all the smoke from Cupertino. 

As for Virgin, Branson's musing about Virgin's entry into the auto market are just a few off the cuff comments.  Nothing more.  Not even a whiff of smoke.

But we can dream of the possibilites, can we?

With 2015 Macbook, Apple May Mark a Turning Point From Intel In Favor of Its Own Chips

It's like 2015 is going to be remembered as the year when Apple set in motion for its in-house developed chips to replace Intel chips in Macs.  This started with Apple using a relatively underpowered, by today's standard, Intel chip in the new Macbook as the much anticipated iPad Pro wait in the wings to be introduced with an updated iOS 9 more suitable for power users.  And this iPad Pro will sport a brand new A-series chip with comparable computing power but a longer battery life than the Macbook.

In fact, the iPad, since the very first iPad introduced by Steve Jobs, have a longer battery life than most of the Macbook variants including this 12" Macbook.

One can assume, then, that Apple will allow this new Macbook battle it out on the market with the iPad Pro.  Let the users decide what works better for them.  A traditional laptop against tablet.  Also, this won't be just an iPad with a bigger screen and a more powerful chip. Apple will probably accessorize the new iPad Pro with a cover that doubles as a keyboard, not unlike what we see with the Surface Pro from Microsoft (for discussions over Apple "copying" Microsoft in this regard, we'll leave it out for another day).

Of course, this is mostly speculation since there is hardly any concrete information about the iPad Pro, what features make it a pro version of the iPad, and if Apple will even release it (probably).  For veteran Apple watchers, it is a well known fact Apple worked on many projects that never seen the light of day.

Once we know all about the Pro, then we can begin to gain a clearer picture about Apple's CPU going forward.  There are discussions going on about how the 2015 Macbook was like the original Macbook Air when it was released.  It was underpowered and overpriced.  Perhaps this Macbook is.  Perhaps not.  But most agree that by the third iteration, it should be the Macbook that Apple wanted it to be.  And it may be the replacement for the Macbook Air.

Let's wait and see six months from now when the new iPads are released.  If the 2015 iPads are close in computing power or as powerful as the Macbook, it may well be that the iPads will eventually replace the consumer-class Macs.

Apple TV: Recent TV Moves and Deals By Apple Explains Why There Is No App Store Yet (If Ever)

There are no apps on the Apple TV other than those that Apple put there.  Video, music, podcast, and Netflix to name a few are the only ones there.  In fact, there are quite a few choices for users to select regardless of music, video, or live streaming media.  What is not there is an app store that many have been asking for or rumored about.  And to be frank, there may never be an app store for the Apple TV.

Apple has so far been adding "windows", if you will, that allows the user to consume content without any actual interaction.  No social graph.  You can play games on your iPhone or iPad via Airplay, mostly through mirroring, hardly ideal.

And let's face it, the currently Apple TV is good enough for streaming and Airplay, nothing more.  And until Apple updates the hardware on the Apple TV, we won't know what Apple may have planned. 

And once Apple's own streaming video service is available, it might be all that Apple needs - more content.

If anything, Apple will add apps relating to its "kits".  By that, I mean HealthKit and HomeKit.  There is so much potential there but Apple will likely move slow on those fronts as well, especially HomeKit.  It could take years for something tangible to develop, a "wow" factor that has so far been missing.  For the most part, Apple is happy to sit back and let others play with them and let developers and hardware makers figure out how to best use Apple's services. 

And if you think about it, what apps do you really need on the Apple TV that works better on a TV than on an iOS device.  Games quickly come to mind but Apple's support for third-party hardware like game controllers has been muted.  Again, it just feels like Apple was testing the water with the controllers until they see a breakthrough.  Apple TV plus an iOS equals a gaming console. 

There have been rumblings about a new Apple TV each and every single year but in 2014, it did feel like Apple was finally going to open up the floodgate a bit.  Apple stopped calling it a "hobby" for one thing.  And with the recent price cut, the $99 price point is available for a newer Apple TV.

Let's just see what the rest of 2015 have in store.  Or 2016.