AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

What Apple has planned for iOS 6 will largely be known by Monday after the keynote.  New features, new apps, and, hopefully, some surprises as well.  For instance, there is too many in the media that has reported on Apple replace Google Maps with its own implementation for that not to be true.  Furthermore, Google’s hastily put-together media even to showcase its own future mapping offerings suggested this as well. How about other Google apps?  The other one that quickly comes to mind is Google’s Youtube app.  Will that be replaced soon enough?  After all, Apple has replaced Youtube with Vimeo on the desktop iMovie app.  They haven’t done it yet on the iOS app but you can bet that’ll happen sooner rather than later. I reckon it’s possible that Apple could displace Youtube with Vimeo starting with iOS 6 since that’ll also happen with an iMovie update once iOS 6 is released, likely this fall. However, Youtube remains a popular app and destination ...

Cnet and macstories have pics showing iOS 6 banners being put up for Monday's keynote address by Apple's execs. What will Apple unveiling?  There's a lot of chatters/rumors/speculations as to what Apple will offer iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.  New features like Apple's own mapping app is often speculated about as is the possibility of a link up with Facebook, finally. A couple of things to watch out for.  How will Apple address app screen resolutions if the iPhone gets a new screen size and resolutions?  At the same time, will there be features that Apple won't talk about that it might hold off until October when the new iPhone is expected? Also, Tim Cook offered very little on Siri other than that there is much that it can do.  When will we hear more about that?  Monday or in October? More at macstories and cnet .

Source:   Wall Street Cheat Ask Google how things are with Apple?  Well, the relationship between Apple and Google is like the US and USSR at the height of the Cold War at best.  Not long ago, the two were allies in a war against Microsoft.  Then mobile war with  iOS and Android trying to get ahead ruined everything.  Now, proxy wars are being waged and there are blogs that are dedicated to tracking them. But this is about Facebook, the current reigning social media king. You’d think that Google and Facebook’s competition would mean that Facebook and Apple could hook up.  That has not been the case.  In fact, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg likely fought over how they could work together and nothing came of it. However, last week, there is signs of that but Facebook’s main patron has always been Microsoft.  Tim Cook complimented Facebook and asked for patience on what Apple and Facebook could be working on.   And now, this post...

Here’s a crazy idea that I got from reading this Toucharcade post that said Microsoft might release an app that will allow the Xbox to stream content to phones and tablets.  While that’s interesting and all, I think it is a small step towards what Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony should be doing with their console ecosystem and the first one to implement what I’m about to suggest could have something that will not only save their gaming business but possible dominate it. The TA post suggests that Microsoft’s Xbox app could augment the game playing experience.  The example provided is one where playing Halo could allow content to be streamed to a tablet and display maps or other information pertinent to the game play. However, with us all being on the go these days, even for some hard-core gamers, I think it would make sense to give users more content away from the living or bedroom.  This is why I suggest that if one of the big three console makers could allow use...

Source:   Techcrunch . It's official.  Given what TC is saying and what Tim Cook said earlier this week at the D10 about Facebook.  Essentially, Tim had some kind words for Facebook and asked the audience, those present during his live interview and those of us watching from the Web, to "stay tuned" about collaboration between Apple and Facebook. When Apple graced us with Twitter integration in iOS 5, it was not surprising that Facebook or Google+ were part of it.  After all, there was some falling out between Apple and Facebook, mostly between Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckie (boy billionaire who lost 40% or so if his net worth since Facebook's IPO), over Ping that left Ping pretty much dead from day one and Facebook looking very much weakened without any mobile strategy to speak of.   As for Google+, well, just one word:  Android.  No way Google+ will find its way into iOS outside of official apps.  No way Google+ will be integrated in...

Greed may be a good thing (thought I disagree), so is fear. It’s a very well-known fact that Apple wants to sell us hardware at a profit margin that its shareholders can respect.  It’s also a very well-known fact that Apple doesn’t want to do anything like owning contents or creating apps when it doesn’t have to – it lets others do the work for it.  However, there is one exception:  when Apple feels threatened. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Apple will be replacing Google Maps on iOS with its own mapping implementation.  Apple has already bought two companies that we know of and I won’t bore you with what they do and how they’ll fit into Apple’s iOS and OS X ecosystems because no one knows for sure yet. And with this new mapping app, Apple will displace Google on hundreds of millions of devices.  It’s perhaps the fear, which has now been realized, that Google went out and bought Android.  In the early days, the fear of being shut out lik...

The headlines today are buzzing with what Tim Cook said about Apple’s TV plans, Siri, and Facebook.  Which is to say that what he said is kinda what Steve Jobs would have said which is to say that Tim Cook said nothing new. There, I’ve said it. On television, Apple is said to be very interested.  Who in consumer tech today isn’t?  Apple TV or Apple HDTV. Or would it be an Apple cinema screen that is 40+ inches and up with Airplay support? On Siri, more to come.  Obviously.  It’s in beta now and we can expect more.  And we want more.  So, this was expected.  It isn’t as if Tim Cook was going to say “nah, we’re done…we’ll have Siri speak Mandarin and then we’re finished.” On Facebook, this is where it’s more interesting.  Facebook wants Apple’s customer data and Apple isn’t keen on providing that.  The issue is who will blink first or some sort of compromise will be struck.  Zuckerberg has shown to be his own man after not be...