3G iPhone's Coming This June?

Well, another week, another iPhone rumor. The current rumor has the British site Tech.co.uk reporting that the investment firm UBS is telling their clients that Apple will deliver a new iPhone - a G3 equipped one, sometime this June! Even before that, Telefonica's CEO had said that he was expecting a G3 iPhone even earlier than that - like come this May! According to the British site, Apple has named Infineon Technologies, a German firm, as supplier of chips for the iPhone and signed a $65 million, seven year deal with the firm for both 2 and 3 technologies.

If Apple does indeed ship a G3 iPhone come either May, or June, it will be doing so almost one full year after launching it in the United States. Combined with recent statements from Tim Cook, Apple's CFO, it all makes sense. Steve Jobs did say, with a grin on his face, when he introduced the iPhone at Macworld, that the first iPhone was just that - the first! He promised many more models, and at different price points and features, would be eventually released.

As far as the iPhone goes in Britian, O2 has already reported that the iPhone was by far it's biggest and most successful launch of any device ever, but I'm sure, however, that as big and as successful as it was, it would have been even far greater if it had the G3 capability from the get go. Of course, this means that a lot of iPhone customers, especially in Europe, are going to feel rather cheated if and when the G3 version comes out, and especially if it comes out really soon. Tech.co.uk is advising it's readers to wait it out, which is advice that I heartedly second.

So, the question is: will Apple release an updated iPhone sooner than in the fall as originally predicted? Again, your guess is as good as mine, but still, I believe it is not only possible, but even more likely for two main reasons: One, people have been demanding a G3 iPhone and their cries are getting louder and harder to ignore: Two, people have also been demanding a built-in keyboard, and frankly, whether Apple thinks they need one or not, this has been one of the bigger complaints against the phone and I believe that Apple is listening and will respond accordingly.

Yes, I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm predicting that Apple will indeed release a newer model iPhone, if not several new iPhone's and that relatively shortly. With the iPhone SDK coming out early next month, and Apple's stock in the tank, I believe that Apple will now go to the limit to "Wow Us" with newer and more powerful iPhone's. I'm predicting, well, really just hoping and dreaming, that we will not only be seeing G3 iPhones really soon, but after Tim Cook saying that Apple will no longer be married to just one company, as in the case with AT&T, we are now about to witness a virtual explosion of new developments regarding the iPhone. Currently, the original iPhone is still not available in Canada because it can only run on one company's network. If recent statements are true, well, then maybe, just maybe, I will finally get the opportunity to own one, and one that can be had from more than just one carrier, as sadly, is currently the case now?

The iPhone is just too big and important for Apple to dilly-dally around with, and Apple is not going to be satisfied with just grabbing one percent of the smart phone market, so they have to make some bold moves and make them quickly before the competition has time to catch it's breath. No, Apple has been hinting that it's about to go after the business customer and I think it safe to say we are in for some major announcements along this line. The current iPhone, though not designed as a business phone, has none-the-less, has been getting a lot of attention from business users. Now is the time to capitalize on that demand while the time is ripe and I firmly predict that:

Apple will not disappoint us - major advances in the world of the iPhone are coming, and coming soon - so hold on to your hat!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this mild, sunny Thursday, February 28, 2008.

PS. Here is a YouTube video of a new iPhone game that shows the potential that the SDK will bring to the iPhone.





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Apple's Enormous Potential Calms Wall Street: Apple Stock Surges!

Wow, what a difference a day or two can make on Wall Street. Apple's stock, after being pummeled hard for the past month or so over the credit crisis and other economic news, saw it's stock surge today by $5.48, or 4.39 %. This is after Apple's CFO, Tim Cook's, calmed the waters by saying that the company was still on track to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of the year and that it's other products were all showing enormous potential for growth. This is welcome news indeed as others were casting doubts that Apple could make it's sales projections for the iPhone, among other issues.

Many are reporting, such as the Baltimore Sun and Fortune and others, that Tim Cook did a great job in calming and assuring Wall Street that all of Apple’s three primary businesses were doing extremely well as he fielded questions on the state of each. His answers, as demonstrated by the sharp rise of Apple's stock, was music to Wall Street's ears, as other economic news sent most other shares heading south.

Mr. Cook made his remarks in a wide-ranging question-and-answer session at the Goldman Sachs Investment Symposium in Las Vegas. Mr. Cook explained about the “missing” iPhones and the possibility that the iPod market was becoming “saturated,” and he further went on to point out why the Mac’s market share has been seeing such explosive growth and what Apple was hoping to achieve with the Apple TV, which to my way of thinking, may become one of Apple's greatest success's ever, and one that will change the entire landscape of the entertainment industry and how such products and services are delivered.

Wall Street, as stated above, has been very concerned recently about the million or so missing iPhones, but Mr. Cook just smiled and stated, "It means there’s great demand for the iPhone,” helping to further calm the street's jagged nerves. Apple also hinted that it was not concerned about iPhone hacking, or that it would continue with the model hammered out between AT&T and itself.

Mr. Cook further also went on to point out that when it came to the Mac, it was is growing at the very healthy rate of over 40%. According to Mr. Cook, "The ceiling for the Mac is nowhere in sight," and cited statistics that the Mac was experiencing a dramatic resurgence in education, but with only 7 million Macs sold out of some 260 million PC's, the Mac still has a lot of room for further growth, and it is growth, more than anything, that gets the street's attention these days.

My view is that a lot of the concern over Apple was way over blown in the first place. The fact of the matter, is that Apple has never enjoyed such great sales, profits, or has shown such tremendous potential as it does today. I expect, baring something catastrophic event like a flown blown depression, or War World III, or something of the like, that Apple can not only expect to maintain it's current momentum, but actually increase it and increase it substantially. Apple is now recognized as one of the world's most innovative companies, if not the most innovative company on the planet. Apple's mind share is also at an all time high, thanks in part to the success of both the iPod and the iPhone and now due, more than ever, to the Mac itself.

Apple's stock is up today, but will it remain there? That depends on the national and international economic front. If the world economy remains basically stable then there is no doubt that Apple will rocket to even greater success, both in the near and long term. If it isn't, then Apple will not do as well, but other companies, I believe, will do even worse. Apple, as a luxury goods producer is a little more insulated from the rest of the economy, as it's customer base is usually from a stronger economic background. The low end computers are being sold to people in the lower income bracket, who are more likely to suffer, unfortunately, in an economic downturn.

All-in-all, in conclusion, I'm very happy (and so is Wall Street) that Mr. Cook was able to dispel a lot of the concerns regarding Apple's product line and it's future. Questions of any potential iPod saturation, or lower iPhone's sales figures, and that of questions regarding the Mac, have been weighing heavily on Wall Street, but they really shouldn't have been because - Apple is among the best managed and most profitable of any company in the world, questions that Mr. Cook helped answer !

So, what can we expect from Apple in the future?

Simple: more of the same, but a lot more of it...... a lot more innovation, more products and even more services. This means that we can all expect better iPods, Macs and iPhones with more performance for the buck - after all, innovation is in Apple's blood, and it can do nothing but innovate and by doing so, becoming a more profitable and better Apple in the process!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this mild, sunny Thursday, February 28, 2008.

Photto: Balitmore Sun

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Microsoft Handed Record $1.4 Billion Fine, But Was It Justified?

Brussels has spoken and the E.U. has handed down it's largest fine ever. The sum, a record $1.4 Billion dollars, is for Microsoft being in contempt of an anti-competitor ruling that the commission leveled against Microsoft in March of 2004. According to the BBC:

"The ruling said that Microsoft was guilty of not providing key code to rival software makers.

EU regulators said the firm was the first to break an EU anti-trust ruling."

Wow... now that's a hell of a pile of green backs! The question is: was the E.U. right in fining Microsoft the way it has? My answer is partly yes, and partly no. Yes, because, as we all know that, in the past, Microsoft was clearly guilty of trying to stop it's competitor's, be they from Netscape, Apple, Google and everybody else. In fact, I remember reading that Steve Ballmer was once quoted as saying something to the effect that: "Microsoft doesn't create cool ideas; we take other people's ideas and make them our own!" I only wish I could remember when and where I read it, as it was years ago.

On the other hand, what I really disagree with is why they are punishing Microsoft. That is simply the fact the E.U. demanded that Microsoft had to open up it's code to other developers - it's competitors! Not complying with that order will now cost Microsoft big bucks, but it's not the first time the Redmond giant had to pony up big bucks. Previously, they paid the commission fines for the sums of 280 and 497 million Euros! As far as opening up Microsoft code, this is just plain wrong. But why is that? Simple:  Microsoft's code may be full of bugs and may be crap (according to some), but it is still, none-the-less, their crap, and they have the right to protect it, just as any one has the right to protect their property, be it their home, car, etc.

Ask yourself: would the E.U. ever think of telling Volkswagen, Siemens, Mercedes, or any other European company that they had to let their competitor's, such as General Motors, or Toyota, have access to their work, and work that they spent billions of dollars on and years in the making to create? I don't think so! No, the E.U. is a government agency that pretends to be working on the behalf of it's citizen's, but in my humble opinion, it is really working on it's own agenda, an agenda to make itself a more powerful player on the world's stage.

Yes, I know that Microsoft is quilty of anti-competitive practices, practices that should and must be remedied. Microsoft should be fined, but not for not complying with some government agency that can't tell it's left hand from it's right. No, never should a government be allowed to be able to get away with telling private companies, or individuals for that matter, that they have to just give up what they have labored for years to build up. What's next? Are they going to demand that Boeing give up it's billions and billions of dollars of research and just hand it over to it's competitor's, like Air Bus, for example? How about forcing Apple to give up some, or all of the work and it's patents for the iPhone just so Nokia can better compete with it? I don't think so!

In conclusion: Microsoft's code, as crappy as it might be, is still Microsoft's. This record fine is not only a bad thing for Microsoft, but also for Apple, Boeing, IBM and every other private company, be they American, Chinese, Japanese, etc. The American government should step in and not just to protect Microsoft, but to also protect every other American company who will eventually be forced to comply with the E.U.'s decisions - decisions it masks as consumer protectionism!

And thats my 2 cents on this distrubing and dangerous E.U. decision 4 this Tuesday, February 27, 2008.

iTune Is No. 2 And On Track To Becoming No. 1 In 2008!

Well, well.... it seems that the big four music companies, Sony, BMG, Warner and Universal's attempt to weaken iTune's hold on the music download market, by propping up Amazon's music service with DMR Free music, isn't doing so well, or going as well as hoped, as iTunes has just emerged as the second largest source of legally obtained music!

Not only that, but others are now reporting that iTune's is certainly on track to becoming the biggest of them all sometime later this year, replacing Walmart in the process! As The Guardian reports, not only is iTunes big in the U.S., but iTunes is increasingly becoming really big in Europe! The author of the report, Charles Arthur, says:

"Why is that bad news for record labels? Because they've created a monster which isn't particularly willing to listen to their demands. Apple has become the Golem, Frankenstein's monster: so keen are the record labels to undermine its position that they've entered into arrangements with pretty much anyone else to sell non-DRM-protected music (hello, Amazon!). Universal, led by Doug "a dollar per Zune" Morris, has torn up its contract with Apple (so although the iTunes Store can sell songs, it doesn't have a long-term contract; Universal could pull them any time)"

Yeppers... it seems that as the music industry struggles to diminish Apple's commanding role in music, Apple, none-the-less, just keeps on getting bigger and bigger! One of the reasons for this, I believe, is because Apple keeps pushing the envelope and making, in the process, iTunes better and better all the time, both in it's ease of use and new features. I personally love iTunes and as others have pointed out, the service is just so intuitive, so simple and so enjoyable to use that it can be down right addictive! But it is a gentle and kind type of addiction.

One of the great features, that I really love, is iTune's "FREE" weekly selection feature, where you can download a song for free! Yes, and not only is the feature free - it is a feature that has allowed me to personally discovered some great music and some great artists.... ones that I most likely never would have discovered otherwise! This is not only great for iTune users, but also for the artists themselves, because of the simple reason that once you discovered a new and great talent, you are all the more likely to return and purchase even more of their music in the future. In other words: iTune's free track of the week is a win-win for everyone involved!

Of course, just as iTunes has become more and more successful, the record industry, in-turn, has become more and more desperate to slow it down, because they fear that it will lessen their control to gouged their customers for more money. Tom Reestman, the genius behind the amazing blog, The Small Wave, has written many insightful posts on the stupidity of their reasoning, such as this one here , and, as well, I might add, many others besides.

In conclusion, as far as this little blogger is concerned, the music big wigs are not only ungrateful for all the benefits that Apple has brought them through iTunes, but, as Tom points out so elegantly in his posts on the subject, they are down right foolish, childish, arrogant and stupid in their moves against iTunes. I think it looks good on them and that despite their "ganging up" on iTune's they are, for now at least, losing and iTunes is winning, by becoming an even bigger and bigger force in the music space. iTune's not only helped the music industry, but it's customers as well, as it gave them what the wanted - ease of use, selection and lower prices.

May iTunes (and Apple) continue to grow and may the music industry's big four just grow up and stop all of their childish pranks and start working with Apple and iTunes in order to help deliver an even better experience for music lovers everywhere. As for me, even though I had a few "illegal" tracks on my computer, I have replaced them all with the "legal" versions and all in thanks to iTunes. iTune's great service has been one of the best things that ever happened to the music industry; I just wonder if and when they will ever come to realize it?

And thats my 2 cents 4 this cloudy Wednesday, February 27, 2008.


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The New MacBook Pro's Are Finally Here!

Finally.... they are here.... the new MacBook Pro's! Apple has finally updated it's high-end laptops today with faster Penryn based processors and included (as expected) the MacBook Air's wickedly cool multi-touch track pad. I've been waiting to buy such a beast for a long while now and I'm pleased that I waited. The new Penryn based laptops now come with a minimum of 2 Gigabytes of ram, which is certainly welcome news, and, as well, newer and larger hard drives of up to 300 GB. The now standard 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, however, can be easily upgraded to 4GB.

Another nifty upgrade for the MacBook Pro is in the graphic card department, as the Pro's NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT can now have up to an optional 512 MBytes of video memory. Previous cards were limited to 256 MBytes . However, it is the new multi-touch track pad, for me anyway, that is the real star and the most welcome new feature. Already, the multi-track capabilities of the regular, or older models, put them far ahead of any other laptop out there in the market place, but now, with the more powerful multi-touch track pad, that lead can be only expected to grow larger. The ability to more intuitively zoom and rotate pictures, or browse web pages in Safari, etc., has got to have the other laptop OEM's in a jealous fit.

When you also consider the convenience of the MacBook Pro's illuminated keyboard, it's built-in ambient light sensor and the motion sensor, the newer MacBook Pro is a winner and one that will be all the more difficult for Apple's competitors to match. Sadly, the new MacBook Pro's design is still based on the old MacBook Pro - visually they are identical, for the most part. However, it's not that big of a disappointment, for me at least, because the old design, in my humble opinion, is, by far and wide, still the most elegant design of any laptop to date. Still, many people, myself included, where hoping for a newer and fresher design that would have raise the bar ever higher.

Also updated along with the Pro is the MacBook. Featuring a 13-inch glossy screen (a free option on the Pro), it too is even now more of a better deal, and all around a much better computer. I can only feel a little sorry for all of those recent MacBook and MacBook Pro purchasers, who, no doubt, are feeling a little down right now and maybe even a little envious as the newer models certainly are a welcome upgrade.

So, in conclusion, let me say that the new updated MacBook's and MacBook Pro's are great news for anyone, like myself, who is planing to purchase a new laptop from Apple. The cost, as usual, is no greater than before, but the options and standard features are certainly greater! No matter what, or when you buy any piece of high-technology these days, the fact remains that as soon as, or shortly there after, they are going to come out with a better one for the same price, if not even a lower one!

Such is life in the fast lane of technology.

And thats my 2 cents on the updated MacBook's and MacBook Pro 4 this Tuesday, February 26, 2008.


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FINALY: A Multi-Touch MacBook Pro Soon!

Finally, after what seems to be an eternity, evidence has emerged that Apple is about to update it's professional laptops! AppleInsider is now reporting that MacBook Pro part numbers are beginning to crop up in inventory systems worldwide, and that means - you got it - brand new MacBook Pro's!

Well, all I can say it's about time, as the present MacBook Pro's, as fabulous as they are, haven't been updated, at least, in style or design, for literally years now and they are getting to be a little long in the tooth. However, If all goes as expected, the new MacBook Pro's will be here soon and they are about to get the MacBook Air's wickedly cool multi-touch track pad! Believe me, that one feature alone totally distinguishes the MacBooks from the rest of the pack of Window or Linux based laptops, as nothing else out there can even begin to touch it.

The other day, out of boredom, I decided to try out a new Toshiba Satellite and HP laptop at a local retailer. I couldn't believe how unnatural their track pads felt when compared to the natural feel of the MacBook's! I kept trying to do things the Mac way, but the experience, on the PC laptops, ended up being quite frustrating. Compared to how naturally your fingers on the MacBook's required little thought or movement, the Toshiba and HP laptops (nice machines, none-the-less) seemed, on the other hand, rather sluggish and nowhere near as pleasant or convenient to use. The Mac track pad, in the end, is so head over heals better than any other, that I could never, ever go back! Too bad PC users don't have a clue as to what they are missing! I don't know if, or when, such multi-touch Mac like track pads will ever come to PC laptops, but until they do, Window and Linux laptops will always seem clunky when compared to the Mac.

In addition to the multi-track pad and it's new touch controller chip, the new MacBooks are also expected to based on the Core 2 Duo Penryn processors that scale up to 2.6 GHz. A good thing indeed, as they should provide lots of extra power while providing considerably better battery life. A nice touch, a very nice touch indeed!

According to AppleInsider, the new MacBook Pro's could be here this Tuesday! I hope so? But be it this week, or be it next week, I can't wait. I do say, that the sooner, the better. I've been dying to buy a new MacBook Pro, not only because it's better looking, has more unique features such as it's multi-track track pads and it's built-in motion sensors, etc., but also because they just happen to run what the others can't - OS X! Also, they will, if your so inclined, run virtually everything else under the sun! Now thats what you call a laptop, and thats what you call a MacBook Pro!

So, in conclusion...... come on Apple and hurry up with them MacBook Pro's already! I've been inkling for a new laptop, but the MacBook Air (which I read is selling like hot cakes) just doesn't cut it for me. No, I want a beefier, sexier and more powerful beast, one with that amazing multi-touch track pad. In other words - I want a new MacBook Pro, and I want it now!

And thats my 2 cents 4 today, Monday, November 25, 2008.

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It's A Crazy World: The Ultimate iPhone and iPod!

Steve Ballmer  balked and laughed at the iPhone once. He declared that at $500, and without a service plan, that it had to be the most expensive phone in the world! Ha, ha, ha, if that is the case, then please don't tell him about the modified iPhone from the folks at Amosu, because they will sell you one of Apple's pride and joy for the measly sum of $40,000 dollars! 

Yes, ok, I admit it, mind you, that your new fangled iPhone will come equipped in a very pretty case, one that just happens to be covered in a girl's best friend - diamonds!  And oh, come to think about it, you can also buy one of Apple's cheapest iPod's from those crazy (and apparently rich)  Norwegians, to go along with your diamond encrusted iPhone, but please............. you can forget about the recent price drop, because this little iPod will set you back another $40,000! But again, as with your iPhone, your new iPod Shuffle will be covered in even more of those shiny, bright diamonds!

So, who can complain? Not me!

So, in a world on the verge of economic collapse, with the credit crisis and all, you can at least feel good in knowing that in buying these babies, you did your part in helping prop up the economy in these very troubling times ! Come to think of it, after all, what's a measly 80 grand for both an iPod and a iPhone? Pocket change, I say!  As for me, I plan on doing my part to help the ailing economy by ordering three of those diamond encrusted iPhones and maybe a half-dozen or so of those equally encrusted diamond iPod Shuffles. So, the question is: how many can I put you down for? After all -you have to admit, that they make excellent gifts for the paper boy, your local postman, meat cutter, etc. 

However, while I'm doing doing my part in helping the economy by buying them, could someone please remind me to wake me up in fifteen minutes - I have an appointment with my psychiatrist. (if your thinking of paying $80K for a diamond encrusted iPhone and iPod, then you probably need a psychiatrist as much as I do too!)

So, in conclusion, kidding aside, personably let me say that I would never pay such a huge premium for the ultimate iPhone or iPod, even if I was loaded like uncle Steve, or even, good old uncle Bill! They might call them the ultimate iPod and iPhone, but,  I say that you would not only have to be ultimately rich, but ultimate nuts to buy them!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this last post of the week, Friday, February 22, 2008.

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Vista SP1 Gone Bad! So Bad You Can't Have or Even Use It!

Finally, after a year of Vista and all of the horror stories that went along with it, now Microsoft has effectively given both Linux and OS X yet another big boost by coming out with a little something called: Vista SP1!

That's right folks, there has been so many problems with the SP1, that in effect, according to iTWire , it may just be the best ad that a Mac or Linux fan could have ever asked for! In a post today they stated:

"First, it was a 5 year delay for Vista minus plenty of features, drivers and software compatibility. A year later, Vista SP1 ‘launches’, but few can get it yet. Then two SP1 pre-updates launch, only to have many reports of endless rebooting. What more can Microsoft do to convince people to try a Mac – or Linux?"

It seems that people who have tried the SP1 have had an endless cycle of reboots, which Microsoft has temporarily fixed by simply removing the SP1 from being downloaded! Wow... you know that something is really good when they have to prevent people from using it! I'm only kidding, of course, because it's anything but a joke to the people who where either forced to buy Vista with a new machine, or for those people who upgraded to Vista in hopes of getting something better.

These reports of Vista's SP1 problems are in stark contrast, by the way, to what we have been reading in regards to OS X. For example, just today, after reading iTWires post on the woes of Vista's SP1, we are reading of the praise of people who have been using Leopard OS X! It seems as the Vista woes keep piling up, so does the praise pile up for it's chief competitor - OS X Leopard! Edward Mendelson, writing for PCMagazine, states:

"After three months with Apple's Mac OS X Leopard Version 10.5, I have three main things to say about it. First: Despite minor problems, it's by far the best operating system ever written for the vast majority of consumers, with dozens of new features that have real practical value......."

This is only one recent review, I could easily quote reviewer after reviewer who have written similarly that OS X is the best OS ever written! Microsoft used to love to say that, "The Wow Starts Now" in regards to Vista, but not so anymore. They have basically given up on Vista, according to some publications, and are now desperately trying to get people to talk up Windows 7 in hopes of getting people to "hang on" a little longer, while they try to clean things up. Can they clean things up? Not according to some and certainly not if based on their past record. Its incredible that such a large, rich and talented company could constantly keep screwing things up - but screwing up is what they do! It's a talent, I guess?

Meanwhile, over in La, La, Land, Paul Thurrot wants us all to think of just how really great the SP1 is when he writes that:

"Overall, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an excellent upgrade and an important milestone. It should erase any serious complaints about the OS and eliminate most deployment blockers. If you're running Vista, install it as soon as you can. If you're not, you've run out of excuses. Highly recommended."

Of course, his recommendation is hardly worth much when you consider that it is coming from a man who also said, in the very same piece, in regards to Vista, "........ gouging out the innovative Instant Search UI that was so ahead of its time that competitors like Apple, Google, and others spent the past several years duplicating it in their own products and then claiming they invented it."

What bullshit! It doesn't matter when or if Microsoft first announce that they would include such a feature - its who actually produced it first! Talk is cheap, and Microsoft is big on words, but little on action. While Microsoft was talking, Apple had it's instant search up and running in the marketplace for over two years or more! If I say that I'm going to come out with a new way to run a car simply by using water for fuel, does that mean if someone, in the meantime, actually builds a water fuel car, that I am the inventor of it? No, it certainly does not, and Paul knows that, and if Paul is correct, then let Microsoft sue Apple and especially Google for whom Microsoft has an absolute hatred for that boarders on insanity! No, the truth is that the instant search "thing" has absolutely nothing what-so-ever to do with Vista's SP1 pack! This is just more proof of just how desperate Paul and Microsoft are in trying to make Vista look good.

News flash Paul: It ain't working! Vista is BAD, not Good, otherwise, why are we hearing of all of the horror stories associated with Vista and, as well, it's first service pack?

In conclusion, I believe that it is clearly in the best interests for people NOT only to NOT install the SP1, but, for that matter - NOT to upgrade to Vista in the first place! Fortunately, most people are not! Good for them! Vista and it's SP1 may not have done much to help the failing giant from Redmond, but it sure as hell does a lot to help both OS X and Linux - they might, in fact, just spend some money for an ad that states:

"Switch to a Mac; switch to Linux!"

Yes, Vista and the Vista SP1 is just that bad!

And that's my 2 cents on Vista's SP1, 4 this cold, but sunny Thursday, February 21, 2008.

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Finally: Self-Cleaning Clothes?

Self-cleaning clothes are the things of dreams, but now thanks to Australian researchers it could be a reality and soon! Technology Review is reporting that the researchers:

".... have found a way to coat fibers with titanium dioxide nanocrystals, which break down food and dirt in sunlight. The researchers, led by organic chemist and nanomaterials researcher Walid Daoud, have made natural fibers such as wool, silk, and hemp that will automatically remove food, grime, and even red-wine stains when exposed to sunlight."

Even though they go on to say that it might be a full two years before the wool industry adopts such a "self cleaning" feature, it's not that far away, and it would , I believe, be incredible to have clothes that simply cleaned themselves by being directly exposed to sunlight. All-in-all, the above link is a good read and I only hope it comes true.

Personally, as a professional slob (but, according to some, however, I do wear my dinner quite well - thank you, very much!) I could use such self cleaning clothes. It only takes what seems like minutes, sometimes only seconds, before I'm covered head to toe in dirt, and that just after leaving the shower, so such a possibility would be greatly welcomed by little old me! Not only would we lazy people love self-cleaning clothes, but the time and frustration of not having to wash so much would be nothing short of fantastic.

Will it really be possible to wear clothes that clean themselves? The above article certainly makes it seem possible and even probable, but we will just have to wait and see. The industries that deal in cleaning clothes, however: the laundries, soaps manufacturers and washing machine companies, etc., no doubt, will try and spread doubt on such a fantastic idea - after all they will potentially lose billions if such a thing were to catch on!

One might add if such a technology could also be applied to things other than clothes - never having to wash your car, or boat, or floors again would be nice, would it not? Technology Review is already reporting on self-cleaning, fog-free windshields, so I suppose that anything is possible.

The idea of self-cleaning clothes certainly has always intrigued me, but frankly I never thought I would live to see the day that it would happen. All I have to do now is try and hang in there for another two years or so and I may see my wish come true, who knows?

The question that comes to mind, of course, is just what cost will self-cleaning add to the clothes we wear? I wouldn't mind paying a premium for self-cleaning clothes, but since most of us don't have the bank account of a Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Carlos Slim, this might be a problem if the price addition were too high. Like most tech things, however, you could always expect the price to drop and drop drastically as self-cleaning clothes popularity rises.

If the day of self-cleaning clothes ever comes, I, like millions of people, will probably celebrate by dancing in the streets. So, just in case, in the mean time, I think I'll look into some dancing lessons!

And thats my 2 cents on a dream I hope to see happen, 4 this Wednesday, February 20, 2008.

Photo Credit: American Chemical Society

Apple to Advance Multi-Touch Big Time!

AppleInsider has posted that a new and ambitious patent filing from Apple that hints that it is working on an advance version of it's multi-touch technology for future notebooks that goes far beyond what any notebook or hand held device, including the new MacBook Air, or iPhone/iPods, are now currently capable of.

According to AppleInsider, what is particularly interesting is that "The panel is split three-ways, offering a distinct set of customizable options for "Standard," "Basic," and "Advanced" multi-touch operations." This will enable Apple's multi-touch technology to do, among other things, things that enable gestures for file operations, editing operations and web browser operations. These "Advanced" operations include gesture sets for operations that neither the iPhone or MBA have current support for, as stated above.

They go on to report that, "..... Apple explains that by using a combination of the thumb and two other fingers, users of the advanced multi-touch trackpad technology would be able to invoke commands for copy, paste, cut, redo, and select all. Similarly, by using the thumb and just one other finger, users would be able to create new files or open, save and close existing ones."

Well, if you thought that Apple was about to rest on it's laurels, think again. No, I think that Apple's multi-touch features, as featured in it's current products, are still yet in it's infancy. Just as the old vinyl records seems so ancient and inefficient when compared to DVD's, and other modern devices, the present multi-touch features will also seem ancient and inefficient when compared to whats coming.

In other words: we haven't seen nothing yet!

As with all technology, the world moves on and what Apple and others are now doing will evolve into newer areas and products that will simply blow our minds. The iPhone's multi-touch features have already changed the landscape in the mobile space, and will no doubt, be also used for other products in other industries that should result in the same - a virtual revolution in how we interact with our devices, be they electronics, including phones, computers, hand helds, etc. But not only that, no, we can expect that multi-touch will also be applied to everything, from the cars we drive, the televisions we watch, the radios that we listen to, to the stoves, fridges, washing machines, and what ever else you can think of!

So, in conclusion, let me state that we can all expect that multi-touch enabled devices are about to have a huge impact on the world around us and for the better. Multi-touch technologies, of which Apple through their acquisition of FingerWorks (one of the original multi-touch companies) is one of the pioneers, and the front runner, and I believe that multi-touch is a very welcome development that will soon be advanced beyond anything that we ever thought possible!

Multi-touch, along with voice recognition, is the future, but will it really make a difference? You can bet your last Tootsie Roll on it! I, for one, can't wait to see what and how multi-touch will transform our lives.

So, bring on the future - bring on multi-touch!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

Apple to Buy Sony?

There are rumors that Apple may be interested in buying Sony, the Japanese icon of industrial design, and one of the biggest electronics success's of the century. Some are saying that Apple acquiring Sony would be a good thing, as seen here and here, while others, of course, are saying the opposite, that it would be foolish.

It seems incredible that Apple, the once former underdog, and one that people kept predicting would be going out of business any day now, is now even in the position to consider acquiring a giant such as Sony, is amazing and stands as an incredible testament to Steve Jobs managerial skills.

Apple, despite the fact that it's stock has been pummeled over the recent economic turmoil, is still worth far more than the Japanese legend: some 109 billion to Sony's 44 billion! Not to mention that Apple has virtually no debts and has close to 20 billion dollars just sitting in the bank makes it even more viable for Apple to acquire just about anything that it wants these days!

Williams Pesek (linked above) says that merging with Apple will help Sony because of the "cool factor". He states:

"Few words roll eyes like "synergies," and yet Apple and Sony would enjoy a bull market in them. Sony needs to restore the "cool factor" it once had and Apple now owns. Apple needs Sony's content — movies, music — to sell to its iPod and Apple TV enthusiasts. Why negotiate deals with record labels and film studios when you can own them?

Apple probably wouldn't mind controlling the Blu-Ray technology that analysts say offers lucrative revenue streams. Sony would give Apple the game franchise it lacks. Its camera line-up also could serve Apple well — an iCamera, anyone? Or an iPhone equipped with one of Sony's high-definition camcorders? And don't forget Sony's impressive stable of patents.

Japan also is a market that Apple has yet to dominate. It's not just Japan's flagging economy. It's also about the large number of domestic rivals with a high level of name recognition in a fiercely competitive market.

You won't find a more mobile-phone-obsessed population anywhere than Japan. Adding some Sony designs to the iPhone alone could mean huge profits. And Apple might find Sony's distribution channels helpful in boosting its Asian business."

Yes, I agree that there are many, many advantages for both Apple and Sony in such a move, but also, many, many risks. For one, on the positive side, Blu-Ray is the future and it would be nice to see Apple controlling it. Secondly, the music and movie entertainment aspect is a huge one. This is one that would be a great asset for iTunes and give Apple even more control and sway (as if it doesn't already have that it in spades already!) and make it a little harder for the music companies to threaten or gang up on Apple, as it has been clear that they have been doing of late.

A third positive for Apple would be Sony's manufacturing capabilities. Televisions, cameras and other electronic gear could eventually be woven into Apple's portfolio. I do believe, that Sony actually owns a fair bit of manufacturing plants that could easily be turned into facilities to manufacture iPods, iPhones, Macs, or whatever? Yes, it would cut out a lot of middlemen out of the picture, reducing Apple's costs and raising it's margins, which are already among the highest in the world.

A fourth possibility that could benefit Apple would be that it could make it easier for Apple to conquer the Japanese market as already stated. Sony is a leader worldwide, but it is especially so in Japan and it could give Apple an image that few foreign firms could ever hope to match, and one that could greatly enhance it's mind share among the gadget craze Japanese, something that so far has been difficult, if not down right impossible for foreign firms to do thus far.

Are there negative for Apple in any Sony merger or acquisition? Yes, of course, as I stated above. For one thing, Sony is not governed from the top down as is Apple is with Steve Jobs. No, sadly, it is governed, more or less, like Microsoft and other huge business's - by committees. This is a way of doing business that is anathema to Apple. It prevents a company from being able to move on a dime the way Apple is famous for. A lot of people could never get around to designing, let alone bringing to market a product such as the iPhone, OS X, the iPod, etc., because the various competing committees involved would all be at logger heads with each other and stifle such products in the process and long, long before they ever had a chance to see the light of day!

I'm not sure what they would call any potential merger or acquisition, but knowing that both companies, apart from their management style, are very much alike and that they both bring a very lot of very desirable technologies and assets to the market, (Sony holds over 25,000 patents!) I believe that such a merger or acquisition, on Apple's part, is at least worth serious investigation.

However, the question remains: would such a scenario actually be good for Apple, or for that matter, Sony? I don't know, I'm not an expert on such matters, but I do know that Steve Jobs has long held Sony in high esteem, a model of what Apple wanted to be, and despite any negatives, I bet that the positives of such a merger or acquisition, no matter how small the odds may be, would still have to be very intriguing for Jobs.

With all that said, I'm sure that before Apple would ever seriously considers acquiring Sony, regardless how tempting it might be, that Mr. Jobs will do what he has done in the past: he will do what is best for Apple! Personally, I like the idea of Apple acquiring Sony, but not if it is going to drag either one or both companies down. For now, the odds of Apple actually seriously considering such a move is very small to my way of thinking. But, then again, what do I know?

And thats my 2 cents 4 this raining (and I do mean rainy!) Monday, February 18, 2008.

The iPhone Rocks On!

Well, it seems that the nay sayers were all washed up in their claims that Apple's iPhone would not make much of an impact.

According to mocoNews.net the iPhone continues to roll on, or as I would say "Rocks On". Today, its a whole different story as many are now praising the much-hyped device and backing up that up with some rather interesting statistics.

Google, for one, was shocked when they saw that it had seen 50 times more searches on the iPhone than from any other device! Wow, if thats failure, then I like to know what Apple's nay sayers have been smoking? What ever it is... it isn't very good! Gundotra, Google's head of mobile operations, said, “We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again.” I think that maybe the iPhone's nay sayers should check what ever it is that they have been smoking, because, by all accounts, the iPhone's acceptance is the exact opposite of where they said it would be.

Continuing, the same article, from mocoNews.net, also stated that a whopping 95 percent of AT&T's iPhone customers regularly surf the internet! Even more interesting, 30 percent of those using the iPhone were new surfers to the mobile web. Wow, with statistics like that I only hope that whatever I plan to do in the future will be as much as a failure as the iPhone! I can only imagine what Steve Ballmer - you know, the guy who likes to predict failure for just about anything that Apple ever does, is now thinking, as he, hopefully, reads this?

Well, it seems that the iPhone is far, far from the failure that others said it would become, and for proof of that you only have to look at the iPhone's competitors - just about every single one of them is now coming out with a touch screen phone, and phones that bare a striking resemblance to the iPhone! Copying something is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and by now, the iPhone should be a bright red from blushing.

ComputerWorld who noted that EETimes, (who are covering the Mobile World Congress), quoted that: "It's the User Experience, Stupid", and so it is. Yes, the iPhone's tremendous success is due to the user experience, and the convenience of being able to use it intuitively, easily and in new and novel ways. The iPhone certainly has it's share of iCandy and that too has contributed to the use of the device, despite, what I might add, many others have said would actually retard the phone's acceptance.

What makes the iPhone the success that it is, is also what makes Apple's other products so desirable - the user interface. This is why the Mac is now taking away so much market share from Windows, something that not all that long ago seemed impossible for it or anyone else to do. It is also, I believe, what will make the newly updated Apple TV 2, a huge success - if not Apple's biggest. Apple's TV 2 will succeed and it will be for the same reason - the user's experience from Apple's amazing ability to create easy and fun to use interface's.

Dana Blankenhorn and Paula Rooney stated in their ZDNet blog, that both the iPhone and Google's Android are more of an "internet client" than they are phones. And so they are, which brings to mind, yet another factor in Apple's success's, including that of the iPhone, and it's their ability of Thinking Different! Yes, by thinking different, or out of the box, Apple approaches problems in totally new and different ways that gives us totally new solutions! Solutions that allow us of doing things in unique and different ways, as demonstrated by the iPhone's incredible multi-touch capabilities.

Also reporting for ZDNET's, Jason D. O'Grady and David Morgenstern, reported in their blog that Google and AT&T where "shocked" by the iPhone usage! And indeed they should be, because, despite what the critics have said about the iPhone, it has become a huge success and it has made, in the process, of a lot of those critics look utterly foolish and, frankly, it looks good on them.

Will Apple be able to continue to leverage the iPhone's tremendous success? Will it's competitor's come up with equal or better smart phones?

That question will yet to be answered, but if the iPod is any indication, then yes it will! Apple didn't sit still on the original iPod - it kept improving and advancing the device in ways that completely astounded many, including little old me. Likewise, even though I can't say for certain, I do believe that Apple will advance the iPhone in ways that makes the current model look like the original iPod does to the new iPod Touch! Now that is saying a lot, because as cool as the original iPod was, it now looks ugly and lame in comparison.

In conclusion, I can barely wait to see the second and third generations of the iPhone. Coming from a heritage based on the original, I'm convinced that future generations of iPhone's (and iPod's too) will simply blow our socks off!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Friday, February 15, 20088.

The Amazing Anti iPod Theft Device!

Macenstein has posted some pics of an amazing, and I might add sneaky, device that could help cut down on iPod thefts, which, as everyone knows, these days, is quite serious, due to their extreme popularity!

Yes, if your worried about having your highly desired iPod stolen, you can now simply fool potential thief's in thinking that it is an undesirable Sony Walkman instead!

Cool and sneaky all rolled up in one!

And thats another 2 cents 4 this Thursday, February 14, 2008.

iPhone Tops Customers Satisfaction Ratings!

Apple's iPhone has barely been on the market for a year now and yet, incredibly, it's impact is has been nothing short of spectacular and has left the rest of the telecommunications firms scrambling to catch up! 

For one thing, at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, it has been revealed that the iPhone has totally blown away the established cell phone companies in customer satisfaction!

Anup Muraka, the technical director for Adobe, has revealed that a recent study showed that the iPhone had a whopping 77 % 'extremely satisfied' rating; Rim, the maker of the very popular Blackberry, on the other hand, came in second with a rate of just 50% as was reported here and here.

As EEtimes reported:

"In an ominous note for mobile operators, the iPhone respondents credited their happy experience not to AT&T, the channel through which iPhone services were delivered in the U.S, but to Apple, the device maker.

The panel, whose title was It's the User Experience, Stupid agreed that iPhone represents a model for mobile operators to follow, but they reached little agreement on how to follow."

It is amazing that even though Apple does not like to even show up at events such as the Mobile World Congress, or the huge CES show every year in Las Vegas, Apple, none-the-less, is still very much present at these events, at least, in the thinking of the attending delegates! Apple has become the 800 pound gorilla - and everyone is eager to know it's next move, and just how big of an impact it will have on what everyone else is doing.

Despite being the new kid on the block, and despite not have the years of experience of the traditional mobile companies, Apple still beat them when it came to the most important factor in any business - it's customers and their satisfaction!

But the question is why and how did they do it?

The main reason is simply that Apple has been one of the few companies that actually focus's it's efforts by looking at things from the customers point of view and this is why, more than any other reason, that makes Apple what it is - the top in customers satisfaction, be it in mobile phones, software or computers and OS's! And this is why, despite not having a G3 phone, or a physical keyboard, things that others insist it must have, Apple still succeeds as it's competitors lag behind!

That's right, it really doesn't matter how cheap you can make something; how many features a product has; how much money you spend promoting it, or what not - if the customer can't really understand, or worse - easily use it, then the product is flawed and it's satisfaction ratings will go down! Apple understands this better than anyone and it is why Apple continues to push the envelope in customer usability and satisfaction - constantly making it's products, or services, easier, simpler and more pleasurable to use and so easy that even a little child can intuitively start using it.

Packing in so many features, no matter how cool they might be, that the customers either doesn't need, or easily grasp, or can use, is primarily why Vista is such the mess that it is today, and the reason why OS X is making such huge inroads into the Windows camp and why it will continue to do so in the future.

Though Apple, like everybody else, is certainly not perfect, it will, as long as it continues to focus it's developments around and from the customers point of view, will continue to forge ahead and fly past it's competitors, and I predict, that if the trend continues, Apple will become one of the most valuable and influential companies on the planet, which it already is, of course.

It will just become all the more so.

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, February 14, 2008.

Apple TV 2: A Game Changer?

Apple has just updated Apple TV 2 and many people, such as Don McAllister, are making a big fuss over it and predicting that it "will be a game changer" and I agree. Apple TV 2, if promoted right, could be the biggest thing since cable! And I mean that sincerely. (for tutorial: click above video)

First of all, the very idea that one no longer has to leave the house and fight with traffic to get to the local video store, in and of itself, is a big game changer. To be able to simply and, at ones leisure, view a list of movies in the category of your choosing and then presto.... 30 seconds later you are watching that movie is the stuff of the future. I remember, as a skinny, pimpled faced, little kid, dreaming of such a scenario and now, thanks to Apple - its a reality! Being able to preview movies before renting them, of course, is also a big plus, and one that you won't get at the local video store.

Another huge thing with Apple TV 2 is the ability, for a measly dollar more, is having the option of being able to rent movies in glorious HD! With large screen HD sets selling like hot cakes these days this is indeed a very big deal! Having to watch a movie in low resolution is always a bummer, but especially so when viewed on your new $2,000 HD set, but now, thanks to Apple, this is something that we won't have to worry about much longer.

Will Apple's TV 2 be a success? You bet it will. Even though there will be a few kinks to iron out, as there always are, eventually, with the arrival of more and more content, Apple TV 2, (and it's copy cats) will ultimately change home entertainment forever, and its about time. With people already raving about Apple TV 2, you can bet that more and more people are going to be coming to the same conclusion: that Apple TV 2 - is TV done right!

Gizmodo, by the way, has an excellent review of Apple TV 2, and as they state, "Browsing for movies is a fairly easy task, with a Top Movies section listing the most popular movies available right now, along with a genre browser and a search function. " Yes, and its that ease of use, I might add, and a growing list of content, that will make Apple TV 2 the rip-roaring success that it failed to do the first time around!

Like them, I believe that content is king. Apple will, as they usually do, start out small, but also, like Gizmodo, I think that they will eventually succeed in bringing, well.... just about everything, and anything, that you could possibly want or hope for to people via Apple TV 2, and especially now that it no longer needs to be tethered to a computer to work.

Apple TV 2 may have taken a back seat to the sexy unveiling of the MacBook Air, but believe me, this could and should do more for Apple than the MBA ever could have hope for. The Apple MBA is for rich folks, the selected few, but the Apple TV 2 is for the masses, and, at it's price point, will make a bigger splash - a far bigger splash, and a splash that is going to end up putting a lot of water on the faces of the traditional providers of content, manly TV, Cable and Video rental companies.

In conclusion, if Apple plays it's cards right, Apple TV 2 may just become one of the biggest success's of all time and could radically change the television landscape for years to come. If I were a cable TV provider, broadcaster, or video rental company, I think that I would be quaking in my boots right now and for good reason. Apple may just have disrupted not only another major industry, but several in the process - cable, TV broadcasting and the motion picture industry, just as they did with the iPod and iTunes store.

And thats my 2 cents on Apple TV 2, 4 this Wednesday, February 13, 2008.

MacBook Air Video Review

In addition to my latest post on the MacBook Air, below, here is an interesting video review of the same from The Telegraph in the U.K. The two reviewers, despite the complaints of many, highly rate the MBA, giving it a 8 and a 9, out of a possible score of 10!

You can view the video review here.

Enjoy

And thats another 2 cents 4 the day 4 Tuesday, February, 2008.

MacBook Air Sales- Will They Succeed Or Fail?

According to a report from AppleInsider , Apple's ultra-thin, ultra-sexy MacBook Air is selling very well and generating a lot of interest, but not nearly as well as the first Intel based MacBooks. So, then, just how does the new MBA sales compare to that of the MacBook? Will it succeed, or will it be like the Mac Cube - a technical success but a complete sales failure?

Well, for one, as stated above, the MacBook Air is certainly peeking a lot of interest and drawing the crowds in, but the sales, as AppleInsider pointed, are not exactly breaking records. The biggest concerns, as they mention for the MBA's slower sales, is naturally the price. The price remains an obstacle for most people, myself included, and especially when you consider that it's high price doesn't even include a dedicated DVD! That really makes makes one say - ouch, if anything!

Personally, as much as I like the MacBook Air, the fact that for a little more money one could walk away with a prestigious MacBook Pro makes it a no brainer for me. I'd take the larger screen, beefier graphic card and faster processor any day over the MacBook Air, but still, the MacBook Air is just so damn sexy and sleek that it can't but help promote lust in the eyes of the beholder eyes! Truth is, despite it's shortcomings - I still want one and I want one bad!

Still, despite the slower sales, the MacBook Air is already successful in that it points the way for not only future MacBooks, but also PC laptop's as well. Already, the specially redesigned Intel CPU that was created for the MacBook Air is now being ported over to other manufacturers, so the incredible small foot-print of the MBA should start showing up on other laptops that feature that not-so-loved OS that Redmond is trying it's best to cram down people's throats.

Of course, one must point out that, the MacBook Air is a computer that wasn't exactly designed for the majority in the first place, so it shouldn't be expected that it's sales would be as high as the immensely popular budget MacBooks. No, this is a special machine for people in special circumstances. The rich and those who can afford to spend money for a second computer to tag along with, or people in business who travel a lot as many, these days, are known to do. Yes, if your one of the jet set who can afford to spend the money to make a flashy fashion statement then, well, you can't go wrong with the MacBook Air as it draws people's attention the way pigs are drawn to a muddy, puddle of muck, or flies to a horse's - you-know-what?

The biggest and most interesting thing about the MacBook Air, and one that is expected to show up in the next MacBook Pro, and, hopefully, by the end of this month, is the iPhone like multi-touch pad! This is the one feature that absolutely made me flip over the MBA! The ability to do what was done in the demos on that little pad was amazing! Mind you, software has to be written to enable the feature as it does with Safari, iPhoto, etc., but its well worth it when it does.

Of course, I read that a lot of people think that Apple should have added multi-touch to the screen of the machine itself, but when you actually think about it - do you really want to put your greasy fingers all over your screen? I don't, for one. I think that the risk of scratching the screen unnecessarily is too much to ask, and besides, having the need to continually wipe the screen clean all the time is a real bummer. No, just as one quickly gets used to using a mouse or a track pad to move things on the screen, I'm sure one can easily get to learn how to better manipulate objects on the screen via a multi-touch pad and a lot safer too! Besides - imagine the cost of a multi-touch screen?

In conclusion, I'm eagerly looking to seeing, in Apple's next quarter, just how well the MacBook Air is selling and in what numbers? The MacBook Air may not be the laptop for the "rest of us", but it's innovations, as they inevitably always do, will trickle down to us less financially enabled folk.

No, I don't think that the MacBook Air is going to break any sales records and especially when compared to the MacBook which is more than good enough for most folk. However, whether you have a MacBook, or MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air's strengths will naturally strengthen them and add great value for the rest of us, whether the MBA is a sales success or not - it will still be a success in driving Apple's laptops to even higher heights!.

And that is my 2 cents on the MacBook Air 4 this Sunny, but oh so cold, Tuesday, Ferbruary 12, 2008.

Gaming: What's Is Apple Up To?

Is Apple about to enter the gaming market? According to several sites that may, in fact, be the case. It seems that Apple has extended their logo rights for and including the following: hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines and toys, namely battery-powered computer games”.

Some are speculating that Apple will make a major project announcement at the end of the month, with some saying that it may include not only a new iPod SDK; MacBook Pro (my fingers are crossed) but, possibly, just possibly, some type of announcement regarding Apple's gaming strategy for the future .

I'm not sure whether Apple is planning their own gaming console, like the Ex-Box 360, Nintendo, or Sony Playstation, because such an undertaking would be extremely challenging. However, that could also be said for any company entering the cell market and we all know how Apple did on that score, so, I guess it's possible? They have already been noted to be advertising for people to work in gaming, but until Apple publicly announces just what their specific plans are, we are all left to speculate, which can be as fun as it is frustrating.

With Apple's famous vertically integration expertise, Apple, more than any other company, could succeed, I believe, in gaming, but the question is just what exactly are they up to? Gaming could involve so many, many things as previously stated. Hand-held units, upgraded gaming abilities for both the iPhone and iPod, and all the way up to a full blown gaming console, but since it's Apple's, their lips are sealed. Apple's renewed interest in gaming could also simply involve the software development of games for computers, the same as any other gaming developer such as EA Games, etc.

According to SeekingAlpha, Steve is the type who loves to control the whole widget in-order to bring the very best possible user experience to his customers. If Apple were to bring to the gaming arena what they have already brought to phones, music players and, of course, computer systems, then we will indeed, all have a lot to look forward to, as nobody, and I mean nobody has shown the high level of skill of bringing everything together, be it software, or hardware, in such a way that the whole functions as one beautiful, simple and elegant device the way Apple has done, time and time again!

In conclusion, we will all just have to wait to find out exactly what Apple is up to in gaming, but gaming is important to a vast percentage computer users, so obviously, it is important to Apple and it's continued success, so I'm both hoping and predicting that Apple will eventually announce an exciting new era in gaming that will only hasten the continuing rise of the Mac in the future, both, in mind share and, as well, market share.

I also predict that what ever Apple does in gaming, it will not only be big, but will it will also have a big impact on the PC gaming side and even gaming console side - as it will certainly inspire major changes in how others do gaming for the simple reason that: Apple is the leader in technology, while others are left just scrambling, head-over-heals, to follow in it's path.

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Monday, January 11, 2008.

Finally: Justice 4 iTunes?

I have long said that the major music companies could be held responsible for collusion and other anti-business practices in their handling of iTunes, and now, finally, The Department of Justice has taken notice and issued letters of inquiry, and demanding information from the big, greedy music companies, Warner Music (WMG), Universal, and BMG.

This move is primarily based on the music companies plans for a competing service to be called, Total Music; which, in my opinion, would have resulted in nothing more than Total Crap for the music consumer.

This move, on the part of the Department of Justice, is naturally receiving a lot of attention as can be seen here and elsewhere on the net today.

I knew from the day that the greedy music companies gave exclusive DRM Free rights to Amazon, while denying them to iTunes, even though they first asked for it, something was fishy, very fishy indeed. There are laws in place that are there to protect business's, be they big, or small, from collusion and even though the music companies understood that, they none-the-less, went ahead with their plans to damage Apple's iTunes, or in other words - bite the hand that feed them!

Yes, as sorry as the state of the music companies are in these days, I tend to believe, that they would be in a lot more of a sorry state if it had not been for Apple and it's innovative iTunes service. After all - Apple invested untold millions of dollars to not only set up, but to maintain their music service - the music companies invested none! The iTunes service enabled the music companies to offer their wares to millions and millions of customers that they would not have had access to otherwise, but instead of being grateful they remained true to their from and remained greedy!

iTune's was the only thing that helped the music companies in their fight to fend off free-unlegalized downloads, so what do the music companies do in appreciation - they fight Apple, the only one to fight unlegalized downloads that ended up benefiting both the consumer and the music companies!

I heartily agree with 24/7 Wallst.com when they stated:

"The law is the law and that may not change, but a situation where an industry cannot unite to save its own hide reflects a perverse sort of justice. The music publishers can't do much to Apple. It already holds the higher ground."

Let me be the first to say that I welcome The Department of Justice's legal inquiry into the collusion of the music companies, those greedy, selfish companies, who, had they been allowed to get away with their greedy plans, would have ended up in a disservice not only to Apple and iTunes, but more importantly, to the very customers of those same greedy music companies.

Again, if the music companies get away with their greedy scheme, we the music lovers and their customers, will have not only ended up eventually with less choice in how we purchased our music, but will end up also paying higher prices in the future and to be sure.... DRM music will not only be here to stay, but will most likely end up becoming even more Draconian in it's implementation then ever before! Make no mistake - the advantages that they gave to Amazon is only temporary! As soon as iTunes, in the music companies minds, is no longer a threat, those advantages will be removed!

Let's hope, in conclusion, that The Department of Justice can help rain in these greedy music companies, otherwise, Apple's iTunes won't be the only one getting screwed - we, the music consumer, will be screwed as well and - screwed BIG TIME!

And that's my 2 cents 4 Friday, February 8, 2008.

The Great OS X, Linux and Vista Hacking Contest!

The great OS hacking contest is about to begin next month in Vancouver. This year the hacking competition will pit Vista, Leopard OS X and Microsoft's Vista againt each other.

CanSecWest security, who is sponsoring the contest, will be repeating their previous 2007 PWN to Own context contest where researchers competed to win a MacBook Pro and a $10,000 check. According to reports from ZDNet:

"The fur is flying right now about which is more secure: Linux, Vista or Leopard," Ruiu told ZDNet.co.uk on Thursday. "Linux guys have their propaganda; Windows guys are saying this and that; Apple guys have buried their heads in the sand as usual. I guess the proof is in the pudding."

This great hacking contest will be held from the 26 to 28 of March and should be interesting to watch. Last year's $10,000 was believed to have been provided by TippingPoint, but I have yet to hear if there will be a monetary prize this time around, but I do know that several laptops are being offered to the winners.

What I want to know is: how fair will the competition be? Last year Dino Dai Zovi and Shane Macauley won for their successful zero-day QuickTime vulnerability, which they used in compromising a Macbook. However, a lot of people thought that this was was unfair because of the way in which it was handled. After several days of failing to crack into OS X directly, the organizers changed the rules, at the last minute, and instead simply allowed the winners to crack into Quicktime, and thus allowing the MacBook Pro to be compromised! Originally the goal, of the contest, was to directly compromise the OS, not an application, but what ever!

Their success in compromising the Mac through Quicktime would be almost impossible, some have noted, to repeat in the wild - so what's the point? This is the one big thing that has left a bad taste for a lot of people, including yours truly.

Another reason that this should be interesting is that unlike last year, when Microsoft was a major sponsor of the event, Vista was not challenged at all. Neither was Linux. Only OS X.! This time, whether Microsoft is behind the sponsoring of this event or not, Vista will be on trial. Since many people, security experts among them, believe that Microsoft has juggled the facts ( or so some claim) to make it appear that Vista was far more secure than that of either Leopard or Linux, it will be interesting to see what happens. Is Vista really as secure as Microsoft says it is? Well, we may finally find out and hopefully see proof of whether it is or not.

Personally, I'm sure that Vista is far more secure than previous versions of Windows, but, however, some how I doubt Microsoft's claims of superiority when it comes to security.

So, which OS will come out on top? Linux? Leopard? Vista? I don't know any more than any one else, but considering that last year that the organizers had to change the rules, at the last minute, in order to declare a winner, I won't be surprised if its Vista. Why? Not because I believe that it is more secure, as I have said, but because I have this sneaky feeling that the whole thing is nothing more than a staged event designed to make Linux and OS X both look bad, and naturally, Vista look good. If Microsoft is in anyway involved, than I have my suspicions, and rightfully so, considering the way that they have acted in the past.

So, in conclusion, I can only hope that this contest will be conducted fairly and cleanly, and that the better OS will win? The big question, in my mind, remains if it is indeed going to be fair competition.

After last year's riga-ma-role, I have my doubts!

And that is my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, January 7, 2008.

What Vista & Microsoft Really Needs

Wow, I can't believe that the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, really believes that what Vista needs is a bigger advertising budget as being reported here .

Sorry Steve, what Microsoft and Vista really needs is not a bigger advertising budget. It doesn't matter how much you spend on Vista advertising when, in fact, Vista is, for the most part, utter crap! Not total crap mind you, just mostly crap.

Microsoft has already spent over a half-billion dollars advertising Vista, an OS that isn't worth 2 bucks, let alone what they are asking, so why waste more ad dollars now?

No, what Steve has to do, if he really wants to help both Microsoft and Vista is to own up to the bigger problem at Microsoft: it's leadership!

Yes, that's right. It was and is still the biggest problem with the company. After all, Microsoft has more money, more brain power and resources than most industrial nations and yet they still consistently fail. Yes, I know that the X-Box 360, Windows Mobile are certainly very popular - but they are all losing money! In other words, they are all business failures.

Buying Yahoo, if they ever do, won't help them much in their war against Google either. The reason is also simple: the leadership behind Google is far better than that of Microsoft's thats why. Google's leadership consists of a younger and more consumer focus leadership; a leadership interested in pushing the envelope of innovation and that of it's customers interests. Microsoft's leadership, on the other hand, is an older and more backward looking one, one that is more interested in pushing it's outdated and profit driven goals than one of true innovation and that of it's customers interests.

To prove my point on how important good leadership is, one need only to look at Apple. Yes, its hard to believe now, but before the leadership of it's current CEO, Steve Jobs, Apple was in trouble - like really, really big and serious trouble! Before Jobs, Apple was a was a ship without a rudder, drifting aimlessly on very choppy seas and in very real threat of sinking.

Before his incredible leadership, Apple was losing more and more market share, not to mention top employees. Apples' stock was down in the low single digits; moral was low and what was being reported in the press was anything but good. How well I remember reading headlines about Apple being a former great company; a has been and nothing more than a footnote in the annals of computer history. It was a trouble and beleaguered company and one that the main street press gloated that was going out of business any day now.

Today, everybody, yes I mean everybody from the main street press, Wall Street to the man or woman on the street, knows that Apple is now recognized as the most innovative company in the world, a classy and flashy, first rate American icon - one of precious few that is regarded highly overseas. From the rebirth of the Mac, OS X, the iPod and now the incredible iPhone, Apple is firing on all cylinders and the reason is simple: the leadership of Steve Jobs.

Mr. Steve Ballmer is totally wrong in his assertions that what Vista really needs is a bigger ad budget. Obviously, if Vista was doing as good as it was supposed to be doing, they wouldn't be needing more money to advertise it. No, what Vista and, more importantly, Microsoft needs is a new and dynamic leadership. Uncle Bill is stepping down to run his multi-billion dollar charity, but I think its also because he knows that its time for new blood at the top of Micrsosoft. Too bad Ballmer didn't recognize that too.

Yes, the sad truth is that if Mr. Ballmer really wanted to advance Microsoft as a company, then its clear that he has to first clear out the top dogs at Microsoft with a younger and more dynamic leadership, and that also means that Ballmer himself has to go! It is Ballmer and the other older, top dogs - it's top leadership that is the real problem behind Vista and just about everything else that Microsoft does these days. The longer the current leadership stays at the helm at Microsoft, the longer it will remain what it is now - a cumbersome, slow, bureaucratic, lame and ineffectual company, one drifting aimlessly for the lack of real leadership.

Windows 7, I firmly predict, will most likely be just as Vista is now - a major disappointment, as long as Steve and his top brass stay on as Microsoft's leadership. What Vista needs; what Microsoft needs - is to fire it's top leadership and replace it with an irreplaceable type of leader, one like Jobs (good luck on that one!) and all those that surround him such as Jonathan Ives, Phil Schiller, etc.

Mr. Ballmer do Microsoft and it's customers the most important thing that you can possibly do: LEAVE! For the love of Microsoft, while there is still time, do what is right for the company, it's stockholders and it's customers - give it great leadership by resigning yours and the rest of the old guard.

And thats my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, January 6, 2008.

Photo: http://www.viewimages.com

Another Windows Expert Officially Switches to Mac!

The case of Windows users switching to the Mac are now a common day occurence. Millions have done so already and millions are expected to make the switch in the future.

There are many reasons why people are switching, of course. Some have to do with the ease of use and the down right cool factors that make up the Mac; others, on the other hand, have more to do with the everyday frustrations and agony of using Microsoft's, "it's good enough," software. Software that seems, by it's very nature, to naturally just add more "bloat" and unwanted features that nobody asked for.

One of the biggest factors for switching, of course, is simply that OS X and the Mac simply "just works". As Jay's blog points out , "So, I switched to a Mac and the commercials don't lie. They're better. Period."

Well said Jay.

Of course, as nice as it is to see everyday folks, in everyday situations, in every field of work, everyday switching to the Mac, it's even more revealing to see the big guys switching - you know, the Window and Linux experts, who now are switching with regularity. This is because they have been around town, sort of speak, and they know their way around software and hardware, so when they speak it kind of stands out and makes you take notice.

Recently, after a long digestion period, Windows expert, Chris Pirillo, has finally stated that he is officially switching to a Mac. He offically stated :

"The night this video was recorded…. I FINALLY ordered my Mac Pro!!! Yes, that’s right. I’m making the switch, and my Mac is being built, baby!"

However, even though Chris has finally and officially become one of the millions of Mac switchers, he also states that he will not, by a long shot, be giving up completely on Windows - he's just running it under Boot Camp on his new MacPro! After all, he makes his living by being a Windows expert, and he can now add his considerable experience to the Mac's community and help, no doubt, many in the stampede of new switchers just as he has done with Windows. Chris is a favorite of mine as he regularly dishes out a lot of great advice on a myriad of subjects.

Well Chris, now that you are an official Mac switcher, may I extend my official welcome to you, and, also, a big thank you on behalf of all of the people that I know that you will help, in the future, when they too switch to the Mac as you have.

One of the big factors in Chris's decision to 'officially' switch, was because of all of the great open source Mac software, of which, I might add, is quite considerable. Just as the Linux community has a plethora of open source programs and, all at the very affordable price of FREE, so does the Mac. In fact, the Mac's open source community not only gives the new Mac switcher tons of new and great open sourced software, but many, many unique ones at that. Open source programs such as Quick Silver are not only fabulously, fabulous, but have no real equivalents on either the Windows or Linux side!

As Chris states in his blog:

"Freeware is what has driven me closer and closer to use a Mac exclusively. I currently run the live stream off of a Mac Mini. I use CamTwist, which allows me to add video effects. It allows me to integrate live weather from Weatherbug. And of course, I can also add in our live chat. I use a free IRC client called Colloquoy. Knowing I couldn’t find Windows-equivalent software, I made this choice."

Of course Chris is not the only Windows expert to make the switch, many others such as Scott Finnie have previously done the same. These expert Windows switchers are very good for the Mac community because they bring valuable and unique skill sets that can only help improve upon the great experiences that the Mac already brings to market. Their vast knowledge of the inner workings of Windows or, for that matter, Linux, can only bring a better understanding that in, and of itself, will help convince even more Window users to switch to the Mac.

The big thing about all of these switchers, of course, is that it is increasing the Mac's market share to the point that Window developers are also switching to the Mac by bringing more of their formally Window only apps directly to the Mac! This, in turn, makes the Mac user's need to run virtual software, such as VMWare or Parallel's, or even Apple's Boot Camp less important. This too, in and of itself, I believe, is yet another factor that will drive additional Windows users to finally make the switch in the future!

All-in-all, the above factors have helped make for a remarkable transformation of the once lowly Mac into the power house that it is today. Since the Mac's hardware can now run more software than either Windows or Linux, no one can ever again argue that the Mac has no software to run! This has been one of the biggest complaints issued against the Mac and one of the biggest reasons people wouldn't switch - even people who really wanted a Mac!

No more!

So, let me say, in conclusion, once again, I wish to officially welcome Chris to the Mac platform, and as well, all of the other Window and Linux experts who have, or will in the future do so. But, most of all, I wish to also officially welcome all of the regular switchers - the millions of them to the Mac! It is these people, us regular folks, who, after all, are the real backbone of the Mac community, or, for that matter, any other community, and who together help define what the Mac is today - a vibrant and growing community of dedicated users.

May all these switchers - as stated before and now in the millions, continued to experience the joys of the Mac. The future looks bright and the future looks Mac!

And thats my 2 cents 4 this snowy, but mild, Tuesday, February 5, 2008.