AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

There has been grumblings about ATT in recent weeks.  First, it's ATT.  Second, when Apple unveiled iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3.0 at the WWDC keynote a couple of weeks ago, we find out that ATT has not pulled its weight in the iPhone partnership. So, talks about Apple and Verizon hooking up intensified, if not in reality then at least with tech bloggers.  I even called out that Apple may even bring the iPhone to T-Mobile just to let ATT know that the iPhone has outgrown it.  Seriously, bring just the iPhone 3G at $99, $149, or even the original price of $199, and Apple will have no problem find millions of T-Mobile fans switching to the only other GSM network in the US. More and more I think that's not likely to happen.  So what should Apple do?  Well, Apple has created a viable and advanced mobile platform of the which no one has seen before.  When Apple came out with the iPod Touch, even ATT was surprised. Perhaps Apple can surprise ATT once more w...

This is news some time ago but I've just seen the video of how Jorge Colombo used an app called Brushes on the iPhone to create last month's New Yorker cover. It just shows how much mobile creativity and computing has come in the last couple of years.  There's a short video of how Jorge created the cover at  Onxo Gadgets .   What's amazing is that we're only scratching the surface of what the creative mobile society can do with their mobile devices.  I'm more than certain that we'll see more amazing things in the coming years.   And this is only possible given the mobile revolution that Apple had ushered in since the original iPhone.  Imagine the kind of creative energy that'll be unleashed when Apple eventually lets loose a multi-touch tablet.

I wrote earlier about my failed attempts to connect my Bluetooth headset to my iPod Touch.  I couldn't figure it out but now I know why.  Well, someone else figured it out. To make the long story short, you need a BT headset that supports AD2P standard, a standard allowing for audio to be streamed. So, if your BT headset or ones you're thinking about buying doesn't support AD2P, iPod Touch might or might not see the headset.  And even if it does, it won't work. Also, if there is a mic on your BT headset, it won't work.  See I was thinking a BT headset would be my ticket to avoiding having to buy a new wired headset with a mac from Apple to use the Voice Memos app.  No go.  Apple didn't enable it.  At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple enables BT mic for VIOP with a later update or simply left it out to force folks to buy the headsets. Whatever the reason, well, we'll can only guess but we won't really know.  But I hope this answ...

Apple will likely stop counting how many apps there are for the iPhone and iPod Touch once the 100,000th app has been reached.  Because we may eventually see 250,000th.  500,000th.  Or even the millionth app. A some point, the app business is going to be bigger than it is today, both in terms of the number of applications and the number of apps that will eventually be downloaded.  You think it's impressive Apple got its one billionth download in 9 months?  How about about the 2nd billionth in five to six months or the next billion after that in 3-4 months when China joins the iPhone craze? By then, we might be 75-100 thousand apps in the iTunes app store while Android Market may well reach over 10K.  But how does Apple manage 100,000 apps in the app store as it currently exists?  And if Apple's competitors are willing to admit this, they are waiting to see what innovative means Apple will conjure up to do just that. Already, developers have gone ...

One of the most exciting features I was looking forward to with the iPhone 3.0 update is the Bluetooth access with iPod Touch.  In particular, I was looking forward to using my Motorola BT headset as a mic along with my trusty Touch. With apps like Skype and Voice Memos featured prominently in the minds of Touch owners, I was excited at the prospects of Touch owners being able to use their existing headsets, negating the need to buy a sanctioned wired headset be would a welcoming addition. Unfortunately, I'm here to save you some googling and tell you that doesn't appear to be a feature for the iPod Touch Bluetooth.  I've gone through a few forums and no good news. Most people were unable to connect their iPod Touches and their BT headsets.  A couple of users pointed out that the iPod Touch will only pair with stereo BT headsets.   I'm continuing to see if there is a workaround through my knowledgeable friends or the forums.  For now, we march on an...

Dear Senators, particularly John Kerry, I hope that you continue to press the FCC on the wireless "gatekeepers" not just on exclusive deals on phones but also on their messaging and net neutrality issues.  But as for the iPhone deal that ATT has exclusive access to, don't worry about that.  It's over.   And MacObserver made a great point in their post in this matter. While most executives at Apple are working on iPhone numbers - how much they'll sell today and how much to order for the days ahead, Steve Jobs is fuming over how many billions of dollars are left on the table because of ATT.   Where to begin?   Customer dissatisfaction.   A 3G network that was not ready for the iPhone 3G, then or today.   Claims to support net neutrality but handicaps Slingplayer and Skype while MLB, OrbLive, and a few other apps get a pass (More at Onxo ).   An iphone upgrade policy that punishes, rather than rewards (I'm a bit iffy on this one but I'm just so mad at the ...

A couple of weeks ago when I went to my local Best Buy to check out this upstart mobile device that was labelled a challenger to our dear iPhone, I was told that Best Buy may be getting their own allocation of iPhones. In fact, I stumbled onto a site yesterday that supposedly had a screen shot of their iPhone distribution.  I don't know if that was real or not but I have not reason to believe it is what it appears to be at this point. So far, ATT seems to be running out of stock while Apple has things stacked their way.  I suppose that's a smart move.  Get folks to go to the Apple store to get the iPhone and at the same time check out all the cool Macbooks and iPods while they're there. For the most part, hanging out at the Apple store is pretty cool.  I certainly do see a potential for some stores to offer a coffee bar for folks to hang out.  What do you think?  In fact, Apple had considered doing this in the 90s, which as we know did not pan out but...