AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

Source:  CNBC . Here is a story about the original iPhone and it's lack of keyboard compared to the most popular smartphone at the time: the Blackberry.  It was David versus Goliath though whether Apple or Blackberry was one or the either was uncertain at the time and only time will tell which we know already.  But the story behind how Apple's iPhone came to make up for not having a physical keyboard showed just how people will find a way around a solution if the necessity for the solution exists. Apparently, keyboard solutions Apple was develop just was not accurate enough.  I had been using the Windows Mobile devices and I know just how bad virtual keyboards are.  Perhaps Apple could have call it a day with what they had up to the point and it would have been better than anything else on the market but that was not enough. So, Scott Forstall stopped development on other aspects of the iPhone until a viable solution was found.  It was a bit of AI and think...

I'll get right to it.  There is no reason why Apple cannot provide mouse support on the iPad.  They can and they should.  It is certainly not an issue as far as trying to figure out the best US experience or the coding to support it.  It is likely Apple had mouse support for the iPad way, way, way back then but just decided that touch was what they wanted to go with.  It's likely that they've figured out the best way to implement a mouse on the iPad and even figured out the best and unique ways to use it.  And they just chose not to support it. If I had to take a guess, it is an issue of philosphy.  Just like Apple will not support the Apple Pencil or touch on the Mac, it's the same as far as mouse support on the iPad.  After all, Apple is placing the iPad as  potential replacements for tens of millions of PC and Mac users, shouldn't they at least afford us some sort of a transitional UI experience? Let's just say if that I can use a mouse wi...

For many years after Apple introdued the iPad, sales were increasing at a rate that eclipsed even some of the best selling smartphones during their early days.  It was thought that the PC market would die of a quick death after the failure of the netbooks and there was no answer from the PC guys for tablets like the Galaxy.  Microsoft's own misguided attempt with the Windows RT versions seemed to have put to bed the dominance of the Android and iOS in the tablet market.  Windows was in trouble as PC sales slowed. Well, not so fast.  The PC market did continue to decline for years but lately has shown some resilience and growth in some market even as the general world-wide sale has dropped.  It was mainly due to Asus ( Gartner ). However, it doesn't seem like people who stopped buying PCs are replacing them with tablets either.  Hence, this is likely why the smartphone market continue to experience robust sales with annual upgrades.  Now, the question i...

Apple reported an earning, that by most standards and even Apple standards, was very disappointing.  Let's face it.  Aside from a slight Mac surprise and expected declining iPad sales, the quarter did not meet street expection - iPhone sales fell short.  However, more disappointing is the fact that much of what happened could have been prevented and stock should be up instead of treading water on the red end of the pool.  In the days to come, only the promise of higher dividends will keep the stock from tanking further. Aside from an anemic iPad launch talored to get iPad users to upgrade their iPad 2, 3rd/4th generation iPad, and the iPad Air, we have not seen any major product launch or upgrade since the iPhone 7/7S.  At this point, I'd even settle for an iPod refresh.  This isn't to say that Apple is not doing anything at all.  It's likely the company priorities have shifted and the iPhone remains a major focus as it is what is bringing in the vast ...

Pointing out the obvious, this BGR post points out that Apple is winning the premium segment of the phone market (still don't like calling it the phone market since most people do not use their iPhones or Android devices as phones anymore) - and the lead Apple has over Samsung (and not really anyone else has any meaningful share here) has increased. It's likely that Apple can increase its lead even more with the next iPhone, no matter what Apple calls it, since it will likely have a new design and features.  What Samsung can do to slow down Apple's increasing lead in terms of percentage is make sure it has a flawly Galaxy 8 and Note 8 launch.  No more exploding phones - it's that simple (or not quite that simple).  But Apple can really put this thing to bed if it answers Samsung's one unique feature in its premium device:  that the Note has a stylus.  Of course, Apple would never support the use of a stylus on the iPhone.  So, it can add Pencil support to ...

Source:  9to5Mac Almost immediately upon learning about the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro, the next thought that occurred to me was when Apple will bring it to their standalone keyboard. I've left it on the table for a bit and allowed it to simmer for a few days. With Halloween on the horizon, I didn't think about it until I read the above post from  9to5Mac  which they showed a rendering of what an Apple Touch Bar keyboard will look like. I'm not sure if Apple brings the Touch Bar to the external keyboard, it would be just a simple strip like what we see on the MacBook Pro. If you believe that is all Apple will do, then don't expect it to happen this way. First of all, the jury is still out for me on the Touch Bar. I'm not a professional. I'm just a regular Mac user like the most of you. It's too early to see just how useful it will be outside of Apple's reality distortion field and video and photo cutting rooms. Being able to access ...

Source:  Patently Apple via 9to5Mac . The title to this post says it all. What we want to get into is why it is important that while come accessories are cheaper when you do not buy directly from Apple, at best, they could create unexpected results on how your Apple devices work and, at worst, pose a danger to you.  Apple launched a lawsuit against a counterfeiter who sold many cables and chargers on Amazon, declaring them as the genuine items.  And for a steep discount than what you would otherwise have to pay for from Apple, it sounds like a great deal.  Except it is not. These counterfeit items have not gone through Apple's own standards for safety testing for consumer use.  And there lies in the problem.  Uncertified chargers and cables may be more prone to overheating, catching fire, and shock users.  There are plenty of stories you there you can read if you google - people who decided to go with that $2 charger being sold on the street corner ki...