AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I've been typing on my iPad for more than a year now. And I don't think I'm alone in saying that I like the virtual keyboard very much. Light touches and generally accurate if you learn to trust it. However, I think I am in the minority on this issue. It's not because there are most people who don't like typing on the iPad. Rather, it's because most people don't type on the iPad. Either way, is there a need for those cases outfitted with physical keyboards that turns the iPad into a netbook? First of all, I don't think I've seen one that I like. I don't like the Kensington rubber keyboard. It's, well, rubbery. And it's not the only maker of keyboard-combo-cases that use a silicone or rubber cover. There are also ones with hard cases but they are still far from perfect. The Zaggmate case has these side walls that, from the pictures, feel weird to me. Besides the fact that I haven't found the perfect keyboard with a cas...

(This is a must read post from Apple fan, John Gruber on "Cutting the Cord".  It a very good analysis on why we're just are not to leave the PC behind when trying to get media onto our mobile devices.  I've offered a few notes myself below.) One of the issues with regards to mobile is that a lot of them requires the user to still sync it with a PC.  Specifically, we are talking about Apple iOS ecosystem here.  Android, on the other hand, is all set to go once you get it out of the box.  Having said that, there is a distinct difference between activation and sync and loading up the mobile devices with apps and media. To date and as far as I know, all Android devices are ready to be used once the user activates it wirelessly.  There is no need plug it into a PC first.  Simply type in your Google information (or set one up if you don't have one) and you're off to go.  And in the background, data is by synced.   On the other hand, all iOS devices...

Most people don't know this but cookies are not just for monsters and children (or me).  They're trackers, simply no way of putting this delicately, that are probably following you wherever you go on the Internet The Federal Trade Commission has called for online advertisers like Google to provide a mechanism for users to opt out of being tracked.  Personally, that's the stupidest thing I've heard of  Why should users have to opt out?  It's like Facebook all over again.  Give these guys an inch, they'll take a mile. So Mozilla built into Firefox 4 a more comprehensive option to block tracking.  IE9 from Microsoft has it and Apple's Safari will soon join these two browsers with the feature. So, if you don't like being followed, check out Firefox and IE.  From what I gather, it's not a perfected solution but it's a start.  Congressional action may be coming to help guard user privacy.  It'll probably have more bark than bite given expected inte...

Acer's PC share took a huge dive.  Recesson?  Nope?  Intense competition from HP and Dell?  Not exactly.  But there was competition in a big way and it was called the iPad.  The top 3 PC makers in the world were hit and hit hard as both Dell and HP lost 2% and 3% respectively while Acer, who relied on netbook sales, has seen a dramatic collapse. Acer's problem being netbooks exacerbated its fall but the market as a whole has taken a hit from the hottest new mobile phenomenon.  And let's be honest here.  Analysts and what-have-you will call it the tablet market but it's really just the iPad  After all, during this dramatic fall on PC sales, it was pretty much just the iPad owning 80-90% of the tablet market. In the next 12-18 months, we'll start to see the iPad's share as a percentage of tablet sold (not pushed out to vendors) drop.  Then we can truly call the tablet market for what it is. And in 12-18 months, I fully expect more shrinkag...

Last night, the blogs started buzzing about a potential new iOS device or, possibly, the Apple TV that may soon get app support or access to the App Store.  Right now, it's being called a placeholder. Since removed, it was designated "ix.Mac.MarketingName". What could it mean?  Well, it mentioned "Mac" so could Macs be getting the ability, one that I have long advocated, to run iOS apps? Or could it be just the Apple TV gaining the ability to run apps entirely?   And maybe, just maybe, this was an innocent error in the coding.  I know what I want to believe this is but I'm not ready to get excited over it just yet.  Heck, it could even be about iPhone 5. More at CNet .

With a prosumer camcorder, you can now make a relatively Hollywood looking movie.  But you'll still need a computer and the right software to put all your video together into a final product. The prosumer camcorder has been relatively affordable now and Apple has just made it even more affordable to set up your own studio with the new 64-bit Final Cut Pro X coming in at just $299.  I don't know about you but I think it's an awesome deal down from the $999 that it used to cost.   What's pretty awesome is the background rendering that is now possible.  Not just that, the new FC can offload some tasks to the GPU, giving the app greater performance and faster workflow. I think the Final Cut Express was coming in at $299 to begin with.   Why is Apple low-balling the software price?  To sell Macbook Pros that now come in quad-core variants.  Just as iTunes is there to help Apple sell iPods, iPhones, and iPads, I am beginning to believe that Apple will use it...

Here's why I think an updated iPhone will come at the usual update time in early summer. iPad 2 and competition. The iPad 2 with it's dual core is out and it makes no sense for Apple to put off the next iPhone and fragment the iOS ecosystem with diff types or chips. That's a very important factor to consider. Simply put, Apple will not fragment the user experience. The second reason, just as important, is the rest of the fast moving mobile competition. Where are all these talks about the iPhone being delayed until the fall? Elementary, my dear mobile warriors. It's coming from Apple. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch