AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Source:  Engadget , Bloomberg . You want to know what disruption is like on a huge earthquakesque style?  Revenue from downloads like iTunes and Google Play and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon will surpass sales generated from DVD sales and rentals.  You can be sure the studios as well as any stores, brick-and-mortars or online stores, knew this was coming.   Perhaps, they did not think it would happen this fast. Only in the last year have I noticed significantly more dicounts and bundles of online movies.  It's typical for Google to offer discounts on select movies but hardly on iTunes. And this year, I'm noticing more price cuts.  I'm guess DVD sales have slowed an Blu-ray has not delivered the content developers and studios to the promised land. This is significant as we should see more parity in terms of prices and offerings between online versions and physical versions of movies and televison shows.  This will be in part to draw at...

Source: Variety . So, CBS will be bringing its premium channel to Apple's platform as an exclusive for a short while.  No word on how long that window will be.  I'm sure with HBO's exclusive with Apple coming to an end, Android devices will soon be able to venture into Westero (Game of Thrones - HBO site ) soon. This is just another step forward in breaking the old TV model and venturing into the future of video entertainment.  Note that this is only a very small step.  It will be a while before Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Google, and maybe the social networks can wrestle control of video content away from entrenched and well funded cable companies with a lot of influence in Washington and state capitals.  No work on when Apple and Showtime's exclusive deal will end.  I do have an Apple TV and I look forward to watching Homeland ( official website ). Apple is currently working on deals with content providers to offer a subscription service to its cust...

Source:  Cult of Mac . Interesting read here regardind Apple's plans for a command center at the former sapphire plant in Arizona that went bust last year.  Apparently, Apple is looking at using it in such a manner that some executives from Cupertino may be moved there and the rest of the workforce will be local hires. The first question is what exactly is a command center?  The bride of a starship comes to mind but I doubt it.  And Apple has no space program (that we know of).  There is the CarPlay and possible car technology program that Apple is working hard on that might benefit from this Arizona site. Moving its car project once it matures and requires more space for R&D and maybe production in the Southwest would be idea.  Keep in mind that Arizona was once in the running for Tesla's battery plant that Reno, NV eventually won. That is just speculation on my part.  A quick look on Wiki for Mesa, Arizona, where Apple's plant is located, yield s...

Here is an interesting post (Two Guys And A Podcast) concluding that Intel's days are numbered as far as Apple using Intel mobile chips are concerned as Apple continue to push forward with speed on the A-series chips used in iOS devices while Intel seems to be standing still or moving forward at a much slower pace. The post concludes that Apple's how chips should over take Intel's like the Core M chip being deployed in the new Macbook. And when that day cames, Apple will replace Intel chips with its own in Macs. That is the rational and conventional thinking.  However, I have a different take.  We have all heard the rumors regarding the new iPad Pro that Apple is working on.  It was supposed to unveiled by now.  Obviously, it has not and there are plenty of rumors explaining why that is the case.  My take is that perhaps, Apple is waiting on a new generation of chips that should be unveiled later this year can serve as the heart of the new iPad Pro, much faste...

There is plenty of chatter that Richard Branson is up there with Elon Musk as far as space goes but Branson is missing something Musk has and is considering getting into that game:  electric cars.  That in and of itself isn't news.  What I had originally though of, for all of ten seconds, is that maybe Virgin should partner with Apple.  But the more I think about it, the more I believe Apple will likely go at it alone - no deals with Mercedes, MBW, Telsa, or anyone else. After all, the most likely partner Apple is likely to go with is Telsa and we already know from the poaching war that it is not going to happen.  However, Branson's entry into the high-end electric car market should be a welcoming move for auto lovers.  Competition.  And that is what Telsa lacks even as it continues to innovate.  And while a Virgin challege is good, it won't be like the kind of competition and disruption that Apple can bring. And the Apple way is what will likely ...

It's like 2015 is going to be remembered as the year when Apple set in motion for its in-house developed chips to replace Intel chips in Macs.  This started with Apple using a relatively underpowered, by today's standard, Intel chip in the new Macbook as the much anticipated iPad Pro wait in the wings to be introduced with an updated iOS 9 more suitable for power users.  And this iPad Pro will sport a brand new A-series chip with comparable computing power but a longer battery life than the Macbook. In fact, the iPad, since the very first iPad introduced by Steve Jobs, have a longer battery life than most of the Macbook variants including this 12" Macbook. One can assume, then, that Apple will allow this new Macbook battle it out on the market with the iPad Pro.  Let the users decide what works better for them.  A traditional laptop against tablet.  Also, this won't be just an iPad with a bigger screen and a more powerful chip. Apple will probably accessoriz...

There are no apps on the Apple TV other than those that Apple put there.  Video, music, podcast, and Netflix to name a few are the only ones there.  In fact, there are quite a few choices for users to select regardless of music, video, or live streaming media.  What is not there is an app store that many have been asking for or rumored about.  And to be frank, there may never be an app store for the Apple TV. Apple has so far been adding "windows", if you will, that allows the user to consume content without any actual interaction.  No social graph.  You can play games on your iPhone or iPad via Airplay, mostly through mirroring, hardly ideal. And let's face it, the currently Apple TV is good enough for streaming and Airplay, nothing more.  And until Apple updates the hardware on the Apple TV, we won't know what Apple may have planned.  And once Apple's own streaming video service is available, it might be all that Apple needs - more content. If a...