The Pre To Use iTunes - Is Palm Going Too Far?

Amazing, absolutely amazing, but it's true - Palm's music strategy for it's new Pre is for it's customers to use - get this - the iPhone's music technology, Apple's iTunes!

Not only did Palm develop the Pre by poaching Apple's John Rubinstein, one of the fathers of the iPod, and other ex-Apple engineers, but now they have the audacity to base the Pre's music syncing service on Apple's iTunes! Unbelievable!

Do they have no shame? Apparently not.

Not only that, but the Palm is the first company that has decided to arrogantly use and defy Apple's multi-touch patents, daring them, in the process, to do anything about it! Apparently, when your desperate - you do some pretty desperate things, and trust me - Palm is desperate, because if the Pre fails - Palm fails!

In the meantime, a lot of people are smugly assuming that the Pre is going to be a big hit, and maybe it will be, who knows? However, regardless of whether it will be or not, I have to agree with Walt Mossberg's analysis as reported in the Washington Times:

"But according to Mossberg, even a hit phone might not be enough to overcome the company’s substantial woes: a cash crunch, an otherwise depleted product line, and an exclusive deal with a carrier, Sprint, that is losing customers in droves."

As hyped as the Pre is, apparently it's not as great as some would have you believe. One of the things that Palm likes to brag that the Pre has over the iPhone is it's built-in Qwerty keyboard, but now according to BGR, who recently scored the first hands on with the Pre, they write:

"Additionally, things aren’t looking good for that QWERTY either. And hey, you know we take them keyboards seriously! When you try and type on the top row of keys, your finger hits the bottom part of the front piece and on top of that, you often hit multiple keys at the same time while typing. It’s actually really frustrating and doesn’t bode well for such a fantastic social communication/personal/business tool."

Even though BGR states that, "The screen is really responsive and blends right in with the casing — awesomely executed and the capacitive touch is so damn beautiful.", they also state that it's still not as good as the iPhone's, or in their words, "We’d rate it just behind the iPhone but in front of the T-Mobile G1 as far as screens go."

I have no doubt that the Pre is a great phone, but come on people - do they really have to blatantly poach on Apple's work and employees, and do they have to do it so arrogantly and shamelessly? Personally, as much as I like some of what I have read about the Pre, I don't like they way they are going about it, ripping off Apple in order to do it. John Rubinstein, Fred Anderson and the other ex-Apple employees may have worked for Apple, and they may have worked on the iPhone, iPod Touch, etc., but that doesn't mean that they own the technology or that they have the right to use it in any which way they please!

The question is: what is Apple going to do about it? Will Apple go after Palm as Tim Cook, Apple's CFO and interim CEO hinted they would do to anyone who poached on their intellectual property? I don't know, but I am hoping that they do just that. The truth is, Palm is in such poor financial shape that Apple doesn't have to even win it's case directly in court, all they have to do is stretch out the legal process until Palm is forced to bleed it's last remaining penny. I don't know if Palm is in debt or not, but I do know that Apple isn't and that any money that Palm may or may not have to fight off Apple, it's no more than pocket change when compared to Apple's almost $30-billion in cash reserves.

Unless Palm and Apple can come to some sort of mutual agreement, then I think that Apple should simply sue Palm out of existence, and the Pre along with it. It will serve Palm right for bringing out the Pre and using iTunes for music syncing, and while blatantly thumbing it's nose by using technology covered by Apple multi-touch patents!

And that's my 2 cents 4 Friday, May 29, 2009

Illustration via: Engadget

The Woz Says: Steve Sounds 'Healthy', Not Sick!

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has stated that after recently talking to Steve Jobs, that he sounded 'energetic' and 'healthy'.

It's been Apple's contention all along, ever since he left on a six-month medical leave of absence, that Mr. Jobs would be coming back to the helm of the electronic giant at the end of June. Mr. Wozniak comment, made on the sidelines of the All Things Digital conference, should reassure those interested in Jobs return, and, hopefully, at the same time, also help to silence some of the rumors that Jobs was deathly ill and wouldn't be returning, at least for long or in the same capacity.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Mr. Wozniak as saying that Jobs, “doesn’t sound like he’s sick,” and apparently he doesn't seem to be suffering from any kind of major health crisis either. Good news indeed, even though Mr. Wozniak clearly stated that he never asked Mr. Jobs about his health directly.

This news is especially good news after one of Mr. Jobs lawyers recently stated that he was too sick to attend a hearing for the demolition of his historic Woodside mansion, the Jackling House, a house that Mr. Jobs never liked and had been trying to tear down for years, but one that others claimed was too historic and had fought to have preserved.

Well, when I read that Jobs application to have the old Jackling House torn down was granted, it was obvious to me, that if Jobs was really that sick, that he wouldn't be planning on tearing down the old place (he said it was too big for his family) and build a smaller, more homey place in which to live, now would he? Mr. Wozniak, more or less, just confirmed my suspicion that Jobs health is a lot better than is being reported by some.

Hopefully, Mr. Jobs is indeed healthy and that he will also be returning, at the end of June, to once again head the company that he not only helped to build, but that he also helped to rescue from near death after returning as CEO some ten or eleven years ago. Today, Apple is a $34 billion dollar (and growing) giant, who's hit products, such as the Mac, iPhone, iTunes and iPod, have set the trend for many other companies to follow!

After undergoing successful surgery for pancreatic cancer, and then after appearing increasingly gaunt during media events in 2007 and 2008, Mr. Wozniak's recent comments on Mr. Jobs apparent good health is welcome news indeed, and should also be music to the ears of Apple stock holders who have been hit hard on rumors of Jobs health in the past.

And that's my 2 cents 4 Thursday, May 28, 2009

UPDATE: It's been confirmed that a very healthy looking Jobs has returned for a meeting at Apple's Cupertino headquarters. Way to go Steve! Welcome back!

Steve Jobs photo via: The Tech Chronicles, San Francisco Gate

Zune HD Confirmed!

We don't know exactly when, or all of the exact specifications, but one thing we do know is that the Zune HD is for real and should be released sometime this fall!

According to the official Zune HD site, the new Zune HD will feature:

- a vivid OLED touch screen with multi-touch navigation.

- HD radio which features both information on the song being played and, of course, much better sound quality than your everyday radio station.

- HD video out, supporting 720p HD movies, TV shows and videos

- wireless features, allowing you to connect and update content via WiFi hotspots and allowing you to stream millions of songs

- and last, but not least, a dedicated web browser featuring multi-touch navigation.

This sleek new looking Zune is obviously Microsoft's attempt to steal the thunder from the iPod Touch, but does it? Can it? I doubt it, and it's not because I'm an Apple lover, or either a Microsoft hater either. It's because, as sleek as it is, and despite it possibly being the best Zune by far, and who knows - it maybe even be the best player anywhere, other than the iPod itself, but, in the end - it's still no iPod Touch.

The new Zune HD will, like everything Microsoft does, have a copy cat version of Apple's App Store, but in the end it will still be Microsoft's app store, not Apple's wildly successful App Store with it's 35 to 40,000 apps of every size and description. It's the App Store, more than any other single factor, that makes the iPod Touch (iPhone too) the most compelling player on the market. To best the iPod Touch, well Microsoft is going to need some luck to catch up, let alone to actually surpass it, and when I say luck - I mean a lot of it!

No doubt, Microsoft is a company that can't be counted out. After all, one of it's best attributes is that it rarely, if ever, gives up until it succeeds! However, I have to agree with Zune owner Dan Nosowitz, when he writes in Gizmodo the following:

"I'm a proud Zune owner myself (somebody had to take over as Angry Windows guy after Adam's defection, right?), and while I think Zunes are great, I'm not thrilled with what I've learned so far. It'll be a polished and great-sounding player, I'm sure, but I really want to see something that pushes boundaries, and to me, that doesn't mean HD radio. We'll update with the full press release and hopefully some more info as soon as possible."

Just as Microsoft is planning to bring out the updated and new Zune HD, so likewise, Apple planning to release several major new iPod's updates, including iPod's that may include built-in cameras that will transform them into some pretty decent photo devices, complete with built in photo enhancing software! Not only that, but the ground breaking iPod Touch, which the Zune HD is clearly aimed at, is expected to be morphed into a super iPod (media tablet) and should finally end up being Apple's answer to the netbook craze! This baby will come with a giant 9 to 10 inch multi-touch screen along with various other cool features, and yet again, it will go hand-in-hand with all of those ten's of thousands of apps from the App Store!

So, in conclusion, let me say that as cool and as interesting as I think the Zune HD appears to be, I still think it lags behind the current iPod Touch and, more importantly, I think it's about to be blown to smithereens when Apple, once again, ups the ante with it's expected iPod software and hardware updates - so stay tune to the Zune and on what Apple plans to do to keep ahead of it and the rest of the curve.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Zune HD image via: the Zune HD site

Zune HD UPDATE via: Gizmodo

For Immediate Release

May 26, 2009

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. - May 26, 2009 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company's end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

"The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we're proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. "Delivering on Microsoft's connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world."

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

· Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don't like the song playing on your station's HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

· The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.

· The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*

· Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.

· Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass music subscription service, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover more music. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more content from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are - in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* Supported 720p HD video files play on the device, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272 - not HD resolution. Zune HD and AV Dock, and an HDTV (all sold separately) are required to view video at HD resolution.

HD Radio™ and the HD Radio logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp.

Drool Worthy Apple Tablet Designs Concepts!

The net is full of chatter and speculation that Apple is about to introduce a Mac Tablet, a virtual 'netbook' killer, of some kind.

As you can see here, the net is also full of artist's renderings and mock ups of just of what such a Mac iTablet might look like.

Today, I am featuring just six of many such conceptual designs, some of which I think you have to admit are rather striking and very sexy looking, if I do say so myself.

To the left and below are two of my favorites. These two renderings are based on actual, honest-to-goodness, Apple patent filings, and feature either a notebook or tablet like device that can double both as a mobile device, or that of an iMac desktop computer! To me this is absolutely and undeniably one of the coolest concepts that I have ever seen! It's brilliant actually, and to me and my way of thinking, it's like having the best of both world's all rolled up in a 'two-for-one' concept that is unbeatable.

We find below yet another striking concept, this one of a very thin and sleek looking black beauty - one consisting of a tablet that can be combined with a wireless keyboard that can allow it to also double as a desktop. Cool and very, very sexy looking if you ask me.

Above, via the fine folks over at Gizmodo, is another fantastic looking concept. This sleek and stylish concept certainly looks very worthy of something that would have come out of Apple's famous design studios. I, for one, would snap up one of these babies in a heart beat.

Another black beauty is the device seen above, one, that even though not as striking as some of the others, is still a find looking device any which way you wish to view it. However, the two conceptual beauties seen below are even sleeker yet.

Below we see the conceptual MacBook Touch, a device that apparently can also double as a great electronic musical instrument. No doubt, this is one concept that in it's simplicity looks absolutely stunning.

So, there you go, several interesting and intriguing conceptual designs that could possibly emerge in the not too distant future, and could be coming soon to an Apple store near you. At least I hope so, because even though these are just conceptual renderings, all of them are drool worthy and something that I would love to see. No doubt, as good as these conceptual mock ups all are, Apple has something even more compelling, and even more interesting up it's sleeve. The first concept is probably the most likely to happen, in my opinion, since it's base on real Apple patents, but what ever Apple finally does to address's the growing popularity of netbooks, well - it can't come fast enough for me.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Meet the iTab - Customized Mac Tablet!

As you can see from the above YouTube video, some people like Wei, a LifeHacker reader, are just too smart and too impatient to wait around for Apple to come out with a tablet device of it's own, so he just went ahead and built one for himself, which he calls - the iTab.

How did Wei do it? Simple: he simply married a MacBook with that of a mid-level Intuos Graphic Tablet and the results, as you can see, are really impressive indeed. Of course, what's really impressive, to me, is all of the details and hard work that he put into it, as he illustrates here, if your so inclined to try it yourself.

Yes sir, as impressive as the iTab is, it's not the type of thing that you would ever see a dummy like myself ever contemplating, let alone actually attempting to build. This is not only because I lack the smarts of a guy like Wei, but even more so - the patience!

However, if you have the patience, the smarts and the money, well, you can also attempt to build you own iTab using Wei's extensive instructions above, but being the lazy bloke that I am, I think that I will just wait for Apple to come out with it's own tablet, as some are expecting it will eventually do. In the meantime, however, I can easily understand why one YouTube person commented, " Hey dude, are you serious, this is awesome man! Your brilliant ! Put it it into business! You gonna be Jobs the second~!"

Well, I don't know about being Job's the second, but Wei is definitely one smart dude who did a really brilliant and professional looking job on this thing. My hats off to him and all of the other genius's out there who are capable of doing such amazing transformations. Nice job Wei and way to go!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 25, 2009

Is Apple About to Kill the NetBook?

According to numerous reports, Apple is about to answer the netbook question by introducing a new device that, some believe, will totally shake up the nascent netbook market, and quite possibly, kill it in it's present form factor.

InformationWeek is reporting that analysts are beginning to say that Apple could find a very healthy market for a $500 - $700 device, one that's more powerful, easier to use and far more functional than the current crop found in todays netbooks.

Consumers, they say, are willing to pay more for a device that offers them more functionality, features and ease of use than your typical netbook offers, which for many, are much too small and too underpowered compared with traditional laptops and desktops.

Evidence for such a new Apple device, one that would bridge the gap between it's more expensive MacBooks and those of it's iPhone and iPod Touch lines, comes from Gene Munster, an analyst from Piper Jaffray, who sights various Asian component contracts and recent Apple patent filings, plus comments from Apple's acting CEO, Tim Cook, and Apple's acquisition of chip designer PA Semiconductor.

Over at ZDNet , Larry Dignan says that an Apple tablet is indeed coming and that it will shake up the netbook market. He says that such a device could be ready for release sometime in 2010, which would be a bummer as some people, myself included, are hoping for such a device to be announced as early as next month's WWDC to be headed by Phil Schiller. Of course, even though such a device, a super iPod Touch to some, may not be released next month, nothing says that it can't or won't be announced ahead of time. Apple rarely does this, however, but there have been occasions in the past where it has, such as with the iPhone.

Munster, Larry reports, wrote:

"Between indications from our component contacts in Asia, recent patents relating to multi-touch sensitivity for more complex computing devices, comments from Tim Cook on the April 22nd conference call, and Apple’s acquisition of P.A. Semi along with other recent chip-related hires, it is increasingly clear that Apple is investing more in its mobile computing franchise. Specifically, we expect this to result in a larger (7″-10″) touchscreen tablet that will launch in 1H CY10. Additionally, Apple’s consistent message that it refuses to launch a “cheap” portable netbook, and its desire to differentiate itself in a maturing market before it’s too late (similar to the timing of iPod and iPhone), plus its gradual addition of multi-touch technology to all of its core products (iPhones, iPods and Macs) leads us to conclude this product will be a touchscreen tablet (not a netbook). "

Fortune is also reporting that any new Apple tablet for 2010 will be 'Dramatically different' from what we have seen so far in the PC netbook space.

For one thing, the new device will most likely employ a new type of OS X, and one that is much closer to that of the iPhone rather than that of the desktop version. It would be a new and very complicated OS, and it would include very rich multi-touch and possibly facial recognition capabilities. Hopefully, it could also include specially designed PA Semiconductor chips that not only would make any multi-touch capabilities faster, more responsive and easier to use, but also ones that Apple's competition will have a hard, if not impossible, time to copy.

Well, all of these different reports are certainly very interesting, and what, if anything, this impending new Apple device would mean to the booming netbook market place will be very interesting to watch develop. Could it really be the netbook killer as some are claiming? Could it have have the competition bending over backwards in a mad dash to copy and keep up with Apple yet again?

Possibly, but until a very conservative, secretive and tight lipped Apple actually spills the beans and gives us more to chew on, we are all left, in the meantime, in the dark to make educational guess's based on the few scraps of information that we discovering here and there.

I certainly hope that Apple's answer to the netbook will address the biggest complaints of such devices, namely that they are too underpowered, lack decent sized keyboards and screens. Well, at least they do for people like me. For me and many others, netbooks are still not exactly the most enjoyable things to work with. They certainly have their place, I guess, but they are not quite there yet for many, so any new Apple device that would address these netbook issue's would be very welcomed by the public indeed.

So, is Apple really going to introduce a new device that will kill off the netbook? Again, maybe, maybe not? But if anything, it should really shake up the netbook market up and possibly to it's very core, just as the iPhone did in the mobile space.

All we know for certain is that Apple is back in the kitchen and they are cooking up something special, and from the whiffs coming through the kitchen door it not only smells different, it smells exciting and like something that could be another game changer!

2010 is only six months away, but that's forever in the tech world. Hopefully, if they can't bring it to market before then, at least they will hopefully spill the beans and let us know a little more about it next month. But knowing Apple, I wouldn't hold your breath on that one happening anytime soon.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 22, 2009

MacTablet mock up via: Frato Blog

OS X Security vs the Security Experts

There's a big mess with OS X's security, according to security official Landon Fuller.

He's talking about a flaw that actually has more to do Java then OS X, but it's a flaw that has gotten Mr. Fuller steaming mad, mostly because even though Java's creator, Sun Microsystems, fixed the issue some six months ago, Apple has yet to fix it in OS X!

Fuller is so mad, in fact, that he has posted the attack code, which exploits the flaw, in hopes of forcing Apple to finally take action in fixing it.

ComputerWorld reports:

"Fuller's proof of concept code runs Mac's Say software to make the computer say "I'm executing an innocuous user process," but it could be adapted by criminals to run malicious programs on the computer."

ComputerWorld also writes that Security vendor SecureMac advises Mac users to disable Java in their Web browser at least until Apple fixes the issue and, they state:

"This vulnerability could be exploited to perform 'drive-by-downloads' commonly used as a means to infect computers with spyware, or any arbitrary command with the permissions of the executing user," the company said in a note on its Web site. "All a user has to do is visit a web page hosting a malicious Java applet to be exploited."

Even though Apple has acknowledged the issue, they have yet to give any clear time frame for fixing it. Personally, until it's fixed, I have decided to take the advice of SecureMac. Who knows, the last thing I want is for some criminal out there to use this Java flaw to somehow break into my bank account and transfer all my money - all two-dollars-and-a-quarter - from my account to theirs, somewhere in Nigeria!

Even though I laud people like Landon Fuller, and others by bringing these issue's to the front line so that Apple and others can fully address them, I'm not too sure I agree with them when they publish any of their proof of concepts - concepts that can help inspire and abet criminals in using them in order to scam us trusting souls out of our hard earned cash!

To me, this is totally irresponsible on their part. If I could prove that I was personally scammed out of my $2.25 by the direct actions of hackers who used any of these security proof of concepts, published by people like Fuller's, then I would be more than mad - I would sue them for any and all direct and indirect damages! I would be looking for damages that would go far and beyond the lost of my two-plus bucks too!

Security researchers, and security firms, are supposed to be in the business of helping to protect us from these criminals - not in actually aiding these same criminals by publishing their proof of concepts so that every Tom-Dick-and-Harry hacker out there can adapt them to and for their own nefarious ends!

I, for one, think that legislation should be adopted and put in place to help kept these so-called good guys (security researchers and firms) from potentially harming us indirectly by aiding these so-called - bad-guys! When people publish these proof of concepts, even though they may be motivated by good intentions, they none-the-less put us all in potential harm's way - and that's the way it shouldn't be!

The question is: who are these security experts really helping the most by posting their security proof of concepts? Themselves, we the consumer, or the criminal hackers out there?

To people like Landon Fuller and others, I say: "Thanks, but no thanks!" Surely there must be better ways of bringing Apple and other big companies to take their security more seriously then by publishing security proof of concepts that may, or may not, assist criminal hacker's in targeting us all the more.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 21, 2009

Apple Granted New Integrated Sensor Display Patent - Could This Lead To A More Secure Mac?

Macnn.com is reporting that Apple has been granted several patents for technology for it's Mighty Mouse, and most interestingly, for me, one for an integrated sensor display, and one that Macnn says could theoretically simplify or expand various Apple products.

Quoting Macnn, "The end result could be used by any number of Apple devices, ranging from handhelds to desktop and notebook Macs. It would theoretically support a variety of purposes, such as integrating a webcam directly into a display, allowing for more natural conversations and eliminating the need for separate design space. By extension it could be used in an optically-based interface, thanks to more precise gesture tracking than would be possible with a smaller sensor."

I like the part of integrating a web cam directly into the display ever since I read about it some time ago. Such a system would give the Mac, iPhone, iPod and other Apple devices, yet another leg up on the competition, especially in the area of making them more user-friendly.

But could it actually be used and lead to something far more important - like a much more secure OS X, for example?

I can see Apple integrating a type of facial recognition ability with such a display, and one that could be used to log into your Mac and administrative accounts. Such a live facial recognition ability, combined with this integrated sensor display, would make it next to impossible for fraudsters to hack and log into your Mac accounts, since they wouldn't have a clue as to what you looked like. Trying to guess or steal your password is hard enough, but trying to fool your system with a live facial recognition system, well, good luck on that.

Of course, even if hackers knew what you looked like (bloody unlikely), I would expect that such an integrated display sensor could also be combined with other security measures to make it even more complicated for anyone to circumvent the security of your Mac or other Apple device. Not that it would be impossible, mind you, but it certainly could make it so incredibly difficult that it wouldn't be worth the time and effort for criminals to even try to circumvent your now super ultra-secure OS X device!

As cool as being able to use such a display system as a web cam for chatting, etc., the security implications for such an integrated display sensing monitor could take OS X's security to a level that Windows 7 and Linux OS's could only dream of.

Whether or not Apple finally comes out with such an integrated sensor display, or whether or not it will be adapted for security purposes remains to be seen. However, I, for one, will be keeping my fingers crossed on this one. Such a security feature on the Mac (and other Apple devices) would make it one of Apple's biggest selling points, and would give it a big leg up on the competition and could advance the Mac, and other Apple devices, over all market share at the same time.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Apple patent drawing via: Macnn

How Will Apple Respond After The Palm Pre Officially Launches, June 6?

When it comes to the delivery date of the Palm Pre, the waiting and guessing is over - it's June 6! Sprint officially announced the date and Pre fans are going wild in anticipation of getting their hands on one. The price, after a $100 mail-in rebate, will be $199 on a two-year contract.

Now that the speculation about the Pre's official release date has ended, now it's time to begin to speculate on what Apple might do in regards to the Pre, which defiantly and blatantly is rubbing it's nose in Apple's face by including the multi-touch features of which Apple just happens to hold the patents rights? Will Apple, as they have promised, vigorously defend those patents, and two, if they do, can they actually succeed in enforcing them (Palm obviously thinks they can't) to remove multi-touch from the Pre, and could this end up in Palm's ultimate demise?

The Palm Pre is not only rubbing their nose at Apple by violating it's multi-touch patents, but doing so just days before Apple is expected to officially reveal it's newest OS iPhone update, and most likely several new iPhone models as well!

Both Palm and Sprint, in my humble opinion, are taking some very big and serious chances here, and with some very serious consequences if Apple reacts as it has promised to do, but these are chances that are necessary because both firms are desperately in need of the Pre succeeding, and that goes especially for Palm itself.

By introducing the Pre, Palm might be facing possible extinction from Apple's legal department, but if it doesn't introduce the Pre then it's definitely facing extinction for sure - the Pre (believed by some analysts) is Palm's last hope for survival! For Palm it really doesn't have much of a choice. With the Pre it might have a chance, but without the Pre it has no chance what-so-ever of surviving any more than a few more years at best.

So, will Palm's big gamble pay off? That is the $64,000 question, as they say. The Palm made it's mark by originally muscling in on Apple's Newton turf and now, quite apparently, they plan to do the same by muscling in on Apple's iPhone turf - but this time with the help of former key Apple employees, like John Rubenstein, who worked on developing Apple's multi-touch equipped iPod Touch!

As nice as the Pre is, it's fate, to a large extent, is going to depend on whether Apple can, or will, vigorously enforce it's patents on it's multi-touch mobile interfaces. If Apple doesn't confront Palm with it's deliberate violations, then what is going to stop any and everyone else from doing the same? Both Apple, and Palm itself, would lose any distinct advantages since Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, etc. would be able to copy anything they like from either the iPhone of the Pre! It truly would be a free-for-all, with devastating consequences for both the iPhone and Pre. In my mind, Apple simply can't afford to sit back and let Palm get away with using it's iPhone's multi-touch capabilities. Something is going to have to give, but the question is what, and also by whom?

Palm can't stop Apple from incorporating a physical keyboard, or allowing it background apps, or a dock (something else that Apple holds the patent for), or much else, but if Apple can enforce it's patents it just may just might be able to stop Palm from including multi-touch capabilities in the Pre. If Apple can and does decide to enforce it's patents, then I hope they do it quickly and they do it vigorously. I'm all for competition and what have you, but only if it's done fairly and without the arrogance of Palm rubbing Apple's nose in it's own mulit-touch patents as it has done with the Pre! If Palm wishes to compete with the iPhone, let it do so with it's own innovations, not Apple's and it's patents!

This is going to be an interesting and important tech story to watch develop. The fun, as they say, is yet to begin!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Pre image via: Sprint

Latest Snow Leopard Video and Screenshots Leaked!

Above, you can see a sneak Snow Leopard video by YouTuber, LeopardOctober. I'm not sure if, or how long it will be before Apple legal puts a stop to this video, so enjoy it while you can. (Sorry, Apple legal has since legally shut down this video, and rightfully so, and it is no longer available for viewing!)

You can see even more screenshots here, and, as well, you can read a few more details from the fine folks over at Macnn.

Al-in-all, the video and screenshots certainly look great and they personally wet my appetite for even more Snow Leopard details, details which should be finally revealed, in all their glory, early next month at Apple's WorldWide Developers Conference, which begins with a keynote by Phil Schiller on the 8th.

According to Macnn, "QuickTime X has meanwhile been given a facelift, providing the interface with a black viewer, much like the fullscreen mode in QuickTime 7.6. New functions include a Trim option in the Edit menu, a Panoramic mode in the View menu, and a Share menu that enables sharing videos through iTunes and MobileMe Gallery."

In the meantime, on another topic, my assertion that WolframAlpha is going to be big may still come to pass, but as ZDNet's Larry Dignan points out , Wolfram has problems with a lot of different types of various searches, and something that I can personally attest to. It's all a little frustrating to be sure, but then again, of course, it's still very early in the game and hopefully Wolfram will be able to 'beef up' the system in the near future. I agree with Larry when he writes:

"Overall, Wolfram/Alpha reads like an encyclopedia. It’s handy at times, but the big question is whether the search engine can break out of niche-ville. Sure, geeks like the presentation and it Wolfram/Alpha can be handy for deep dives, but the average person will want some sort of results every time. In that regard, Wolfram/Alpha may be a disappointment."

You can check out WolframAlpha for yourself here, and the Snow Leopard sneak screenshots via the links above.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 18, 2009

Snow Leopard screenshot via: Macnn

The Next Big Thing: Wolfram Alpha

By all accounts, Google is the best dang tooting search engine out there - period! But, of course, it's not the only one. There are always those, who, for one reason or another, will prefer rather to use Yahoo, MSN Search and the numerous other smaller search engines such as Viewzi , Excite, and whom have you?.

However, despite all of the claims, to the contrary, of some other search engine wannabes that they were just as good, or even better than Google, now comes a real honest-to-goodness challenger: Wolfram Reaserch .

Tonight, WolframAlpha, three days earlier than expected, is finally going live! Not only that, but they will also be featuring a live webcast of it's new system as it is being brought online as well! In the meantime, you can watch a quick demo Stephen Wolfram himself here.

All I can say is WOW! This looks really, really amazing and is something that your definitely going to want to check out for yourself. Rather than try to do justice to this new and exciting release, I will simply list two much more capable reviewers for your consideration.

First, is from Searchland.com who in an article titled, " The Wolfram Alpha "Fact Engine," says:

"......it won’t be a replacement for Google or a traditional search engine. But it looks like a promising new resource to gather all types of answers."

That's certainly true, Google, love em or hate em, are here to stay, but trust me, Wolfram is going to be big - very big and it's not something that is going to fade into the woodwork as many others have done so in the past! I think that Wolfram is about to become a very big thing, along side that of Google, and it's impact could be just as significant as that of Google itself!

The other review comes from the fine folks over at TechnologyReview.com, who illustrates Wolfram as being capable of doing the following:

"Let's say you want to know the caloric and nutritional information in a recipe you are making for your family. If you enter "2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 2 cups milk" in Wolfram Alpha, it will give you a nutrition label that reflects the combined values of those foods (after first prompting you to specify which of the several kinds of milk you are using). And if any normalizing of units was required, it will have done it already. If you enter similar search terms in Google, you will get a list of recipes and nutrition websites. Useful, to be sure, but it's up to you to scroll around to find the right data, and then break out the calculator. That's as good an example as any of the potential value of Wolfram Alpha, assuming the launch goes well. But that's not to say that Google won't tap the same U.S. Department of Agriculture databases and come up with something similar."

Wow! I don't know about you but that sounds absolutely amazing! And yes, even though it's being billed as being complementary to Google, it certainly will have some distinct advantages over Google in certain areas, and again, as Wolfram themselves point out:

"....... the new engine as something complementary to, and not in competition with, Google. (In short: Google uses elaborate means to find you the right Web pages, while Wolfram amasses databases and deploys myriad equations to compute answers for you.)"

Well, I don't know about you, but from what I have been reading I'm personally stoked - really, really stoked about this and I just can't bear to wait a minute longer for it to finally arrive.

Whether or not it lives up to it's potential, I honestly can't say. All I will say is that something tells me that this is for real - the real McCoy and that Wolfram Research is soon going to daily become a very real and big part of the way in which we all do research from here on out.

In conclusion, I certainly hope everything all goes as planned for Wolfram Alpha, and I heartedly welcome and wish them all of the best for what looks like will be a very successful upcoming launch and an even more exciting future.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 15, 2009