AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Apple has the exclusives to sell Beatles music for some period into 2011.  That was what the special announcement was done on Apple's website and iTunes this morning. And while I am especially happy for Steve Jobs who had been talking about this for years, I can't help but felt a tinge....no, let me back that up.  A big, big disappointment in what was not announcement. Were we so naive to think that Apple will make some sort of a big deal after all of the Christmas has been set in stone?  I remember distinctive three and four years ago, rumors would fly that something from Apple would be announced in December.  Those two years, it had all been about that iPad.  Well, folks, it didn't happen.   Then two years ago, Apple had to issue a special statement telling people nothing new will be announced before Christmas.   Then last year, no one said anything about a special announcement.   And this year?  Well, on Monday, we had that cryptic message...

I have the late-2008 unibody Macbook and since then, this has been the best Mac that I have owned.  Well, second best.  I still think my Powerbook 500 still rocked during the days.  You can't beat two battery packs.  You just can't.  But the Macbook comes pretty close and this two-year old just got better. I got 4GB memory modules in the mail today.  I wasn't too excited.  These days, my iPad is my go-to device for mobile computing.  At times, it shares duties with my iPod touch and the G1.  So what's two extra 2GB of memory going to do make me love the Macbook more than the iPad? Well, wow.  After installing the memory model, I am getting a totally different impression of the Macbook.  And more than that, I regret not maxing out the Macbook from day one. Everything just seems to happen faster.  Mail, Safari, and Rapidweaver flies and pages loaded up faster.   And if you read my blog, you know that I take every opportunity...

Sprint was my first mobile carrier back in the days when they went nuts on everyone and offered a $75 plan with one thousand any time minutes.  At the time, everyone was like what are they doing ruining the cash cow that was largely still charging by the minute. So I am not surprise that Sprint, though not thriving as it should, is still innovating in ways with plans and devices.  Such as the ZTE Peel for the iPod that offers a case as well as the ability to connect to the 3G network.  And it also works as a mifi for you to connect to other devices.  And it's a decent price at $80. And that's the good part and it pretty much ends there.  Now the bad part.  It only works for previous generation iPod touches.  And if you're like me with the latest iPod touch with the camera, it doesn't seem to support it.  What's worse that for such a case, it doesn't offer support to charge the iPod touch on the go. Now come the worst part of the deal.  It so ...

It is more often now that we hear of companies adopting the iPad for enterprise use.  Heck, every executive at Apple from Steve Jobs down crow about it to anyone who'll listen.  Apparently, small businesses are paying attention and demonstrating the effectiveness of Apple's new iOS device, the 10" iPad. The main thing here is the ease of use.  It isn't often that employees will adopt technology outright.  However, the popularity of the iPad as well as the ecosystem Apple created over the years has made it easier for companies to integrate into their workflow. Industrial Mold & Machine in Ohio has done just that.  They took it a step further with a social network using  Socialtext , a network for employees. From this Macworld post, there are a few unanswered questions. I wonder if this is the 3G or the wifi version of the iPad that they are deploying.  Regardless, receiving pushed emails and schedules, work status, and to submit requests makes every...

I spoke to Apple and ATT over the weekend regarding a billing issue with AT&T for my iPad 3G.  Apple, interested in my opinion on the call with the gentleman who I spoke with, sent me an e-mail about the experience and asked me to rate it.  It was a multiple choice type of survey with a box at the end asking what else I think the service representative could done to help me solve the issue. Here is my response: NAME OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REP did great with my call.  My issue was ATT itself, and NAME OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REP was not able to do anything in that regard but he pointed me in the right direction when even ATT's own people couldn't. ATT service is horrible.  I've got T-Mobile.  Please make iPhone available on T-Mobile. Or get ATT to learn from T-Mobile on how to provide great customer service.  I've got two iPhones and an iPad 3G through ATT.   Each time I had an issue, it takes an average of 3 days and at last an one (one call too...

I don't know why in this day and age, parents would allow their children to venture out along. These are kids and we live in different times. Maybe this is why I don't have kids of my own. If so and your child goes out tonight or any other night and is armed with a mobile device or smartphone, there are solutions available for you to keep traces of them via GPS or other location-bases apps. Trick-Or-Tracker, an Android app is something that works pretty much as tracking app that allows parents or guardians to track their children wherever they are. It's a $100 app that does have a Halloween trial period. On the iPhone, there is the Family GSP Tracker that has among other features, lets your love ones know that you're looking for them and lists sex offenders in the area. It runs from $3.99 to $5.99. Here is an MSNBC video on this subject. I think this works for parents not just on Halloween but also for all times and events. Are there other apps that work better for ...

Okay, parents and kids...and monsters and the platoons of Ironmen and Woodies and Buzzes, it's finally Halloween. So how do you protect yourself in the darkness which you will eagerly go into? Well, chances are it's not vampires or the undead that we have to worry about but rather it's the very much living. Yeah, regular old humans. There are going to be lots of kids in the neighborhood especially with Halloween falling on a weekend, even if it's a Sunday night. So for mobile warriors, here's a tip. Charge up your mobile phones, iOS/Android devices, or other smartphones. Then set the screen to full brightness and let them stay on linger than you might normal would. This will not really help as a flashlight but it can act as a signal to drivers that there are people in the vicinity. There are apps that function as flashlights but I have never given them any thought so I don't know how well they work. I know that there is even an iPhone lighter app. But the best...