AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Apple will start selling the $99 Apple TV in South Africa.  It’ll probably cost more so the $99 price is US only. There is a bit more information at M acnn .  What can we take away from this?  Well, it’s probably unlikely we’ll get an update to the Apple TV any soon then.  The reason is because if Apple is just starting to sell the Apple TV in a new region, an update would make the current model just beginning to go on sale already obsolete.  Of course, Apple could be looking to stagger sales of the device but that’s not likely the situation here.  This isn’t like the iPhone. I’m hoping that I’m wrong.  Still, what can Apple update to the current Apple TV other than the OS that would give us more apps or features?  I don’t see a major hardware update to the Apple TV (like being able to display 720p to 1080p video) unless Apple has decided to add a major feature like being able to handle major 3D video games or something like that. Plus, I’m...

Here is a list from an analyst who offered very sensible predictions on what Apple may do on 2013 with respects to its product update.  It's all hardware so nothing about software, services, or cloud updates.  I think both should continue to go hand-in-hand as far as updates go.  That's Apple's claim to innovation and ease of use after all. It's from M acrumors .  I'm not in the biz of regurgitating rumors but since this is only a prediction, which is as good as any I've seen or I can come up with, I'm willing to pass this along to ya'll.  Having said that, I do have some comments. iPhone: I don't know about iPhone getting a shorter update cycle or colors.  Even fingerprint sensors.  I think we will definitely see an updated CPU.  It's also time for new camera sensors as well as smarter iOS that brings Apple's mobile apps and services more in line with its competitors.  Though I don't know if it'll happen, the battery life iss...

Source:   Engadget . On stalker skills scale, I think I'm about a four, maybe a five if I use Google instead of Duckduckgo.  And I don't use Facebook anymore so if I wanted to stalk someone, I would be kinda shut out. But if you're a stalker and you're on Facebook, I reckon today Facebook's new social search engine would benefit you greatly. So far, I have only heard how people and see what you're doing made all the more easier but nothing about not having what you posted kept from any search results. And Mark Z claimed that ads displayed will not be influenced by the search.  I don't buy that.  Maybe he's telling the truth about this today but if investor pressure keeps up, FB will eventually turn on that switch and, believe me, there is such a switch. What's interesting in today's press event is that someone asked FB about working with Google since Microsoft's Bing is involved.  FB nicely threw it back and said that it was willing ...

Source:   WSJ . A Chinese court fined Apple for copyright-related ebooks in its App Store.  Well, well, well.  Isn't that interesting since China is one of the biggest violators of copyrights, trademarks, and patents.  Yet, finds Apple in the wrong here? WTF...

Here is a video from  Bloomberg  interviewing David Kirkpatrick of Facebook Effect and seemingly nice guy John Scully, failed CEO of Apple because he's a marketing guy and not a product guy, on the future of Apple. Hardware success Software success Cloud - Apple has challenges but is getting there.   On Apple's competitors, Amazon is great at cloud but is finding hardware difficult and challenging while it does no understand software at all.  For Microsoft, it has no history of success in hardware which I beg to differ since the Xbox has lay waste to Nintendo and Sony in the console business.  However, I have to agree that Microsoft's other ventures have not done well, Zune and Surface to date. For Samsung, it has a supply chain like that of Apple but relies on Google for software and cloud support and doesn't see it build out its own ecosystem like Apple's iOS-iTunes empire. Both men are very bullish on Tim Cook but they don't say why.  At ...

I really detest DigiTimes, you know, the go to site that Apple and tech bloggers, publications, and even Wall Street analysts go to to spice up their readership or report.  But the inside joke here is that everyone and their grandmother know that DT is almost always wrong when it comes to Apple news. Even now, bloggers would quantify what they report from DT by saying that this bit of news is probably wrong.  So why report on it? I'm hoping that once Apple shifts manufacturing away from Asia to Brazil, NY, or wherever else, DT will have less leverage over time.  And what's funny, at least to me, is that I'm now able to detect which blog posts are using DT as their source. These days, bloggers are now adding that while DT is wrong on Apple facts, they're generally okay when it comes to components so it's okay when it comes to reporting on their information as it relates to Apple.  Well, as bad as DT's record is even now regarding components, even that shoul...

Source:   Appleinsider ,  WSJ . While I hate to report on rumors, I kinda want to take this up because of the implications for not only mobile, as you will see, but how we live our lives going forward.  The WSJ is reporting that Apple is interested in acquiring a home automation company started up by Blake Krikorian. You might not know who BK is but you’ll know his previous work:  the SlingBox, which I’ve got two of. So, the story goes that Apple is interested in acquiring the company Group R2 Studios.  However, both Google and Microsoft are also interested.  So far, R2 has only an Android app.  It’ll be interest to know what is it that has three of the biggest mobile, cloud, and computing companies on Earth so interested. What’s worth noting is that Microsoft has made some wave into the living room with Xbox while Google is dominating with Android units sold. However, it’s Apple that has third party gears, albeit only a few, that can be refer...