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

Will This Year's WWDC Introduce New iPhones, Or Not?

With Apple's annual WWDC conference taking place next month, it's expected that Apple will not only be shedding more light on Snow Leopard and on the iPhone's new OS 3.0 software update, but, in addition, it's expected to reveal one or more new iPhone's.

But maybe not?

That's because one Wall Street analyst is advising clients that his best guess and bet is that any new iPhones or other new hardware will be delayed by several weeks until after the WWDC event in order to accommodate the return of Steve Jobs to Apple as CEO, expected at the end of June.

Piper Jaffray's analyst Gene Munster, in a note to clients, believes that based on Wednesday's WWDC keynote plans, it's now very likely that the event will focus entirely just on software, leaving any iPhone, or other hardware to be announced later by Steve Jobs after his return.

Mr. Munster is betting that any new iPhone, or other new hardware, would make a bigger impact at a surprise event, an event that could allow Mr. Jobs to stir up and wow the media in a way that only he has been known to be able to do. Regarding Jobs announcing any new iPhones or other such hardware, Mr. Munster wrote:

"We continue to expect multiple models, possibly a high-end iPhone with improved specs from the current version and a low-end version with lower capacity and fewer features along with a reduced pricing plan...."

I think that Gene Munster makes a good case. With so many wondering, if not down-right worrying that Mr. Jobs may never return, or if he does, return only in some type of limited capacity, that it would be a shot-in-the-arm to have Jobs return and then personally introduce any significant new hardware himself, rather than at the WWDC. Such a presentation on Mr. Jobs part would send a huge wake up call to the entire industry and would raise confidence in Apple, and helping, in the process, to silence all of the Steve Jobs and Apple doom-sayers out there at the same time!

As much as I hate to see any new iPhone's or other hardware delayed, I think that having Steve introduce them later rather than earlier by another Apple executive, would make for a far bigger impact than otherwise would be the case. As good as Phil Schiller, Tim Cooke and other Apple executives are, the fact still remains that no one else within Apple, or from out side of it, is quite as capable of doing a presentation quite the same way that Steve is famous for!

Mr. Munsters makes a good case of delaying any new iPhone hardware announcement until after the WWDC in order to allow Mr. Jobs the honor. However, whether or not it will it actually happen this way, I can't say for certain, but personally, I'm betting my last 2 cents that it will, and that Jobs will do it with a style and impact worthy of his past showmanship!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 14, 2009

Apple Attacks Microsoft's Attack Ads!

Well, here we go again - Apple has now responded to Microsoft's attack ads with it's own attack ad as seen above in this YouTube Video clip. I must say that I rather like most of the recent ads, both from Microsoft and Apple, and I must admit that it's kind of fun watching the two titans battled it out with each other in the media.

Of course, when it comes to the truth in advertising, I tend to take it all with a pinch of salt. Ads can be fun, educational and interesting, but they can also tend to stretch the truth somewhat as we all know. Personally, I not only prefer Apple's products to Microsoft's, but also their ads. I find them funnier, and to me funny is just as important as the truth in advertising. However, as far as the truth in advertising goes, when it comes to Microsoft's ads, well, don't to find much of it in Microsoft's offerings according to some people like John Molloy who writes for ZDNet.uk,

In fact, Mr. Molloy calls Microsoft's ads, particularly the new ad pitting the cost of the Zune's subscription service with that of the cost of the iPod's, basically all lies and nothing but. In a recent article of his titled, "Microsoft's Perfect Storm", he writes:

"The marketing team think they have hit a perfect storm attack on Apple where as in fact what they have done is just drawn attention to the fact that they lie. They lie with stats, they lie with numbers but when you strip everything away they just downright lie. They have not won this war and yet they keep throwing money at it."

I have to agree with John, because for one thing, as ChannelWeb reported, if you were to actually fill up your Zune with an equal amount of songs via Microsoft's subscription service, well not only would you have to continually fork over $15.00 per month (or else you'll lose all of your songs, minus ten free selections per month), it would actually end up costing you not $30,000 versus the iPod, but it would, in fact, actually cost you a whopping $45,000 to fill the Zune - that's one-and-a-half times as much!

As questionable as someone actually buying $30,000 worth of songs is, what is really interesting is the simple fact, that at ten free selections per month, it would not only cost you one-and-a-half times as much to fill up the Zune as compared to the iPod, but it would also require some - 240 years - in order to do so! Sheesh, like give me a break, will yah Microsoft?

So there you go, you can't just take any old ad at face value, and that goes especially for Microsoft's recent anti Apple, anti Mac and anti iPod attack ads, which, if not quite factual, are at least entertaining.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm expecting to see a lot more fireworks to ensue as Apple and Microsoft continue to battle it out in the media, so my suggestion is that we all just sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Will Microsoft Outsmart Apple's Smartphone With A ZunePhone?

Wow, Engadet and Gizmodo have both reported that after denying to their-blue-in-the-face that they weren't interested in releasing it's own smartphone, it appears that Microsoft is in the process of actually doing just that!

A Microsoft's Office Twitter account ran several interesting tweets that stated:

"June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers", and then a real surprise tweet stated: "New product launch, that's all I'm allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone\Pre. "

Well, I don't know how anyone could interpret that any other way then Microsoft is, in fact, planning to come out with their own branded Zune smartphone of some-kind!

Even though it sounds that way, as Gizmodo pointed out, it's leaves some doubts, especially considering that these tweets are being posted through Tweetie, a Mac client. Infact, in an update Gizmodo stated the following:

"This Twitter account is link to from the OfficetheMovie website, but at best that makes the Twitter account the official mouthpiece of a part of the marketing team for a Microsoft product with little-to-no relation to the Zune project, not an infallible voice of the Zune division, much less the company as a whole. It'll be interesting to see how this is dealt with when Redmond wakes up. [Neowin]"

So, is Microsoft, or is it not, going to introduce a new Zune HD smartphone? Hell if I know, but it wouldn't surprise me one itty-little bit. Microsoft denied that it would ever produce an iPod competitor, but they none-the-less introduced the Zune so nothing surprises me here.

I, like many others, am dying to see what any Zune smartphone would look like and what it would entail in features, but until June, well, like everybody else I guess I will just have to wait it out. However, it's the statement that one should put off buying either the iPhone or the Pre that has especially peeked my curiosity. Could any Zune HD smartphone really be that good that we should put off buying a Pre or iPhone? Personally, I just can't imagine how anyone could top either one of those phones, but you never know and it's that not knowing that will drive tech bloggers, myself include, nuts until we find out more info.

If any ZunePhone is anything like the present Zune player, it should be nice and all, but I doubt if it will be any real iPhone or Pre killer. It will offer more and stiffer competition for sure, and it should make for some interesting times, but until or unless we can find out more info, then I will take all of this as more of a rumor than a fact.

So, will Apple and Palm have anything to worry about, and can a Zune smartphone really outsmart the iPhone and the Pre? Maybe? Maybe not? We shall, as I have already stated, just have to wait and see. It's that waiting part, however, that is killing me!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Illustration via: Engadget

UPDATE: Apparently the whole Tweet was not from Microsoft's Office/Movie site, but just a deliberate hoax that was created to get attention to an article about iPhone piracy, as the source of the hoax states here.

Is This the World's Next Famous Landmark?

Far, far away there is this fairyland, a land of can do, where anything is possible, or so it seems , a land called - Dubai! In Dubai they build bigger, better and taller than anywhere else on earth, and frankly, unlike anywhere else too.

Now, according to DesignBoom.com there is a proposal by a company called Vision-Vision to build this huge, enormous, absolutely incrediable and, believe it or not (remember: this is Dubai!) a moving and talking statue! Yes, people may tell stories about other great statures, but this gesticulating mammoth will be the first to tell passerby's stories, and thus leaving all of the other great statues of the world dumbstruck in silence!

Yes, you read right, an enormous story telling statue called Al Haawati (the storyteller) for Zaabeel Park in fabulous Dubai may just become a reality. Apparently, it will have elevators that can whisk you to a night of dancing in it's built-in disco, conveniently located, of course, in it's massive head. The views from his eyes will be nothing short of spectacular, but again, this is Dubai!

At it's base it will house a children's entertainment center and I'm sure that this is one stature that will quickly become one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks ever, on the scale of the Statue of Liberty, Rio's Statue of Christ, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, etc.

I'm not sure of the height of this thing , other than it's very, very tall. However, by judging by some of those nearby fabulous skyscrapers that Dubai is so famous for, I'm guessing that this thing stands a lot taller than John Wayne ever did in his saddle. It looks to be between, judging by it's neighbors, to be about 100 to 200 meters or more - 300 to 600 feet - as tall as a thirty or sixty story office tower! Wow, this little country of Dubai may be small in area, but boy, oh, boy, they are anything but in imagination and daring!.

Of course, that is if it is ever built? But remember: this is Dubai, and if it's built anywhere it will be right here in the fabulous desert fairyland of Dubai, where apparently they don't know the word for it's impossible! For the rest of the world yes, it might be impossible, but in Dubai it's just another possibility and another ordinary and normal day - normal for Dubai that is.

I don't know if it will be built, or if it is, that we can expect it to eventually go on a date with New York's grand lady, the Statue of Liberty, but I think that they would make a great couple, don't you? After all, the world can never have enough giant statures to remind us how small wee people are, so I say: go Dubai, go!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 11, 2009

Illustrations via Gizmodo, DesignBoom.com and the DesignBlog

Will Windows 7 Be Microsoft's Turtle To Apple's Rabbit - Snow Leopard?

A lot of people have been singing the praises of Microsoft's upcoming Vista 2 operating system, better known as Windows 7. It's reported to be more stable, less annoying, much simpler to use, with a host of new OS X like features, such as it's heavily OS X influenced new TaskBar, and best of all.... it's touted much faster speed, one of the biggest goals of the newly renamed OS.

However, it now appears that Windows 7, which originally seemed to be peppier than Vista, doesn't quite cut-the-mustard as they say! Yeppers, according to new speed tests, Windows 7 Release Candidate is actually only slightly faster than Vista after all. In fact, according to InfoWorld, "... the differences may be barely noticeable to users."

Wow, now that was something that, according to previous reports, that I didn't expect at all. It seems that after testing Windows 7 RC against the latest version of Vista, with WorldBench 6 software, on various different machines, both old and new, consistently resulted, for the most part, in barely any speed increase for Windows 7 over that of Vista! There were some exceptions, of course, such as some nice speed increases when using Nero 7.

I don't know, but I think that I smell an opportunity here for Apple and it's famous "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" campaign. After all, if anything hurt Vista it was the perception that it was slower than XP, something that eventually got it's reputation into trouble in the first place.

If this speed perception remains after Windows 7 is finally released, at the end of the year, or early next, then I agree with InfoWorld's statement:

" One of the major complaints about Windows Vista was the fact that it was consistently slower than Windows XP. If Windows 7 doesn't significantly improve that situation, it may fail to convince people to move away from Windows XP."

If it turns out that Windows 7 is indeed barely faster than Vista it will be bad enough, but just imagine how much worse it will be for Microsoft's highly touted "new" OS if Apple meets it's goal of making Snow Leopard super fast via it's Grand Central and Open CL features? Wow, now that could possibly be one hell of a nightmare for Microsoft's marketing department!

Recent reports that Windows 7 is barely faster than the latest version of Vista is a downer, to be sure, but it at least it makes me look forward, all the more, with much greater anticipation to the final release of OS X Snow Leopard, which, by all accounts, seems to be gearing up just as Apple promised it would be, namely not only being super secure, super stable, but above all - super, super fast!

So, will Windows 7 be Microsoft's turtle to Apple's rabbit, Snow Leopard? Well, based on the most recent speed reports for both OS's, that might just end up being the case after all, but time will tell.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 08, 2009

Windows 7 screenshot via: ZDNet Australia

BlackBerry Overtakes the iPhone, But For How Long?

I knew this was coming - that people would be predicting that the iPhone's reign at the top of the smartphone heap is about to end, ever since the Blackberry took the smartphone number one selling spot.

Some might even go so far as to predict that the Blackberry could eventually kill off the iPhone, now that it has become the number one selling smartphone!

Well, if you ask me for my 2 cents worth, all I will say is - POPPYCOCK!

That's right, people can say and believe all they want, but I will say again - poppycock! The recent reports of the Blackberry overtaking the iPhone may be interesting, but it's nothing but a short-term gain for the Blackberry. I don't expect it to last for long.

The reason is because the Blackberry, as nice as it is, is nothing more than a copied cat version of the iPhone, and copy cat versions are never as good as the original. The Blackberry's recent gains weren't due to it somehow becoming suddenly a better phone in anyway shape or form!

So what is the real reason that the iPhone slipped (temporarily) behind the BlackBerry in sales?

Simple: everyone and their dog knows that the iPhone is about to get a major makeover come next month! Not only for the iPhone's hardware, but also for it's underlining OS X based OS 3.0! Now that, my friends, is clearly the main reason why the Blackberry temporarily gained at the expense of the iPhone! Of course, there are other reasons too, because after all, the Blackberry is a great business phone, but as far as being the number one selling smartphone don't count on it lasting for too much longer! The upcoming iPhone/iPhone's and software are about to trounce the Blackberry and all comers!

As Silicon.com pointed out, J D Power recently showed that the iPhone was the biggest winner in it's second annual Power awards, namely for being the most satisfying among all phones, in every single category other than battery life! That is why the iPhone is so popular and why so many other smartphone competitors have yet to kill it off. People are simply holding off for the new iPhone, and that is the main reason for the Blackberry's temporary number one sales position.

No, it's not that the iPhone has suddenly become inferior to the Blackberry, or two, likewise, that somehow the Blackberry has suddenly become a superior product to that of the iPhone, or that people somehow simply stopped loving their iPhone's. No, it's the knowledge that Apple is about to introduce a superior iPhone, and one that, if it lives up to the hype, is going to shortly, very, very shortly put the Blackberry back in it's place and where it belongs in the number two sales position!

So, if your smugly assuming that the Blackberry's recent showing (in sales anyway) is a guarantee that the iPhone is now on it's way out, then think again! Your about to be sadly mistaken, because once the newest iPhone, or iPhone's, make their expected appearance at next months annual Apple Worldwide Developer's Conferance, not only do I predict that the iPhone will regain it's number one showing in sales, but I also predict that it will considerably widen it's lead over the Blackberry and all other contenders as the number one selling smartphone!

Another factor to also consider is that the iPhone's exclusivity with AT&T is just about up. This means that the iPhone should suddenly become available to triple the number of people wanting one, but only if they can have one on their carrier of choice, such as Verizon!

In conclusion, RIMM had a great quarter selling some 7.8 million phones, but if I were them I wouldn't count on it lasting too much longer. I say enjoy it while you can Blackberry fans, because the iPhone is not only here to stay, but it's here to stay as the number one selling smartphone of all time.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 07, 2009

Blacberry photo via: ComputerWorld

Will Apple Out Kindle the Kindle?

Today Amazon introduced a newer 'jumbo' sized Kindle, something that some are hoping will be an alternative to buying regular physical newspapers and magazines, which, sadly as most already know, haven't been doing too well of late. Whether or not it helps salvage the traditional hard-copy press yet remains to be seen however.

Engadget, as you can see in the photo above, just posted some pics of the new larger Kindle just moments ago. As you can see, it looks pretty much the same as the current model, but should have, in addition to it's larger size, a built-in PDF reader as well.

Many other companies, such as Sony, among others, are also expected to be readying their own competing E-Readers as well, so it will be interesting to see how they fair with Amazon's ground-breaking device.

However, what is really interesting is that in addition to the iPhone and iPod/Touch already being touted as an E-Reader, albeit in miniature, Apple is also expected to be about to introduce it's own 'jumbo' iPod Touch on steroids, and possibly as early as next month. How it could effect the Kindle and other E-Readers, I believe, is going to be very interesting.

Even though Apple's new device is expected to be similar in size to the new 'jumbo' sized Kindle, around 9.7 to 10 inch's in diameter, it will feature something that the Kindle lacks - a vivid color screen! The new 'jumbo' Kindle is still built around a B&W screen which is adequate for displaying most newspaper content, but still leaves a lot to be desired when displaying magazine like content. As an E-Reader, Apple's new device should trounce the Kindle for it's color capabilities alone.

Then again, not only will Apple's expected new device offer color, but in addition - rich multi-touch capabilities as well. Unlike the Kindle with it's physical keyboard, Apple's new baby will probably only come with a touch-keyboard, but for those people who now find typing on the iPhone's small touch-screen rather difficult,well, they may be pleasantly surprised with the larger sized touch keys that could be available on the new device.

Also, besides being able to double as a color E-Reader, Apple's new device will also be a fully dedicated music and video player, a hand-held gaming unit and a fantastic internet surfing device rolled-up into one! Not only that, but it's expected that it could also feature rich photo and video recording capabilities as well - two features that could put it miles ahead of not only dedicated E-Readers, but as well, for other devices such as netbooks and tablet PCs? When you add in the advantage of being able to access Apple's ground-breaking AppStore and it's over 35,000 apps, then you may just have a device that will put all other digital devices, the Kindle included, to shame!

In other words: who needs a Kindle, be it the regular sized version or the jumbo one? No one, that's who? Personally, I can't see any justification in spending hundreds dollars for a B&W E-Reader when for a few extra bucks you can have an all-in-one, multi-touch iPod Touch on steroids! Such a super 'jumbo' sized iPod Touch, in fact, could be Apple's answer to the netbook craze, and as well to those people who championed the PC tablet, a device that has never quite taken off the way that it's promoters, including Bill Gates, predicted that it would.

I welcome the new 'jumbo' sized Kindle, as I do those devices from Sony and others. I think that the Kindle, netbooks and, as well, tablet PCs are very interesting devices indeed. However, what I find even more interesting and intriguing is the possible impact, if any, that Apple's expected new 'jumbo' size iPod Touch will have on E-Readers such as the Kindle, netbooks and tablet PCs in general.

Could it be possible that Apple's upcoming 'jumbo' iPod Touch, on steroids, could actually out Kindle the 'jumbo' Kindle?

I don't know about that, but I do know that we are about to find out - and soon!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Consumer Reports: The Best Laptops - MacBooks

Just yesterday I did a post on one of Apple's biggest selling points - it's high satisfaction ratings. Now AppleInider is reporting that Consumer Reports upcoming June study shows that when it comes to MacBooks vs it's PC cousins, Apple's offering easily sweeps it's PC competition!

In virtually every area Consumer Reports looked, it gave the lead to the MacBooks. From every size, from the near-ulraportables up to desktop replacements, the MacBooks clearly bested their PC offerings in areas that included performance, design, versatility as well as battery life and screen quality.

As AppleInsider pointed out, this commanding lead only widened in the larger notebook category. In fact, what is quite interesting is what AppleInsider wrote below:

"In the 17- to 18-inch category, the 17-inch MacBook Pro extended the gap even further, notching 80 points where the best Windows PC again earned a score of 64. Symbolically embarrassing for Microsoft, the exact same HP Pavilion dv7 that actress Lauren thought was a better deal in the first Microsoft commercial placed well behind Apple's contender, sitting in fourth place with 59."

There you go! Even though Apple's desktops didn't quite come out on top, they did come in at a close second. Apple's support, however, for both it's laptops and desktops, came in at first place and besting it's PC rivals.

All-in-all, Apple's strategy to build the best, but not the most computers seems to be paying off for Apple as it posted it's biggest earnings in a non-holiday period in it's history. A history that just happens to include one of the worst recessions in all of history, and a recession that resulted in Microsoft losing money for the very first time in 23-years!

With Consumers Report recent study, among many others, I think that Apple's advertising agency is going to have a field day rebutting the recent Microsoft ads, ads that are debunked clearly and easily with the recent Consumer Reports findings.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Graph via: AppleInsider

Another Major Reason Why the Mac is Better than a PC!

PCAdvisor.com says that there are hundreds of reasons to choose a Mac over a PC, and they go on to list 8 major ones, as the ones below:

1. - Macs are consistently consistent

2. - The joy of predictability

3. - Who needs security headaches

4. - Crud, or the lack thereof

5. - Details count

6. - Apple is one of the world's best software companies

7. - The Apple Store's Geniuses rock

8. - Hey, Macs are PCs

However, out of the many reasons, not listed above, on why a Mac is better than a PCs, one of the most important reasons is simply the satisfaction that you get with a Mac, and this is something that is borne out, time and time again, in the various satisfaction ratings that are constantly being published.

The Mac's satisfaction ratings are consistently head and tails above those of cheaper priced PCs, and, as well, those of the higher-end PCs as well! Apple's great satisfaction rating are due in part, of course, to all of the 8 reasons PC Advisor lists above. And just like PC Advisor's number one point, Apple satisfaction rates are also consistently pretty consistent as well, just as the various surveys point out!

It's quite common these days for outfits like CNet to post articles like their recent, "Apple tops PC customer satisfaction survey." This satisfaction applies to more than just Macs, but also as well to it's software and other Apple products, and just as Gizmodo recently pointed out with the iPhone and their recent post titled, "JD Power and Associates ranks iPhone First Among Smartphones in Customer Satisfaction"

What's really interesting with all of these high satisfaction ratings, is that they fly-in-the-face of Microsoft's recent ad campaign that denounces the Mac as being too expensive. The old adage, "You get what you pay for" certainly applies here, because despite what Microsoft calls "the Apple Tax", Apple none-the-less just happened post the greatest profit in it's history for a non-holiday period and this in the worst recession in history! Contrast that with Microsoft's recent financial posting, one which saw it post it's first loss in 23 years! Somewhere in there, well, there's a lesson to be learned here.

The lesson here, I guess, is that regardless of a recession or not, quality may cost extra, but quality counts and it counts a lot! I guarantee that the quality of the Mac vs PCs is one thing that you won't be seeing Microsoft's ads pointing out anytime soon. Nor will they be point out that those cheaper PC's, in their ads, also come with much cheaper screens, battery life, cheaper cases and cheaper and inferior electronic components! Not all Core Duo 2 yields, for example, are of the same quality or cost. The higher quality yields, the ones that Apple typically uses, come at a higher price and are thus reflected in their price. The lower quality yields, on the other hand, come at much lower prices - prices that PC OEM's absolutely need in order in order to compete among them selves, as PCs are pretty much the same among all brands, making lower prices the only difference.

If Microsoft's ads were honest, they would compare high-end Macs to the higher-end PCs such as the HP Voodoos and Sony Vaio line, all of which are pretty much equal in price, if not even more so! Don't hold your breath on that one, however, because as it is now, Microsoft is only comparing high-end Macs with low-end PCs, because they know only too well they can't compete on quality or satisfaction! Microsoft's ads are pretty much the same as comparing a low-end Ford, or low-end Chevrolet to that of a high-end Mercedes, or BMW! A Mercedes, or BMW. might cost a lot more than your typical family sedan, but the quality, power, durability and sense of satisfaction that you get is definitely well worth the extra cost!

It's all pretty much just like owning a Mac, iPhone, or an iPod as compared to that of any other PC, smart phone or MP3 player. Yes, as great as PC Advisor's 8 reasons are, for me, it's the satisfaction factor, more than anything else, that really makes the Mac a much better choice than a PC, plain and simple!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 04, 2009

Wyzo The Media Browser

If your like me, a browser fanatic, then today is a great day. That's because Mac and Windows users (Linux soon) have a new browser to play with.

This new browser, still in the beta stage, is called Wyzo and it is described as being a "media browser", a browser that they claim can supercharge your downloading by as much as 10x faster than FireFox, on which it is based!

Wyzo describes five main new features, which are as follows:

- Supercharged Downloads: Your downloads just got quicker! Wyzo incorporates multi-source downloading wherever possible to dramatically accelerate your web downloads - supercharge those downloads!

- BitTorrent Integration: Downloading BitTorrent files has never been easier - Wyzo lets you browse and download torrents right from within your surfing environment - thats right, no other software required!

- CoolIris - Cinematic Web: Transform your browser into a lightning fast, cinematic way to discover the web. Watch your favorite movies, TV shows, YouTube and music videos right within your web browser!

- Quick Switch Tabs: Quick switching makes it that much easier for you to switch between your active tabs. Now, simply pressing Ctrl+Tab presents you with a highly visual, intuitive tab switching format.

- Mouse Gestures: With mouse gestures, now you can execute various commands and user scripts with five types of gestures. Drag, scroll and click your way around the web with ease!





As stated earlier, Wyzo is built on the same Mozilla technologies that FireFox is built and, as such, it's fast, secure and reliable, and something that I can attest too in the brief time that I have been using it. Even though Wyzo is based on Mozillia's FireFox, it's creator's, the British firm Radical Software, lists the following major modifications:

* FireDownload accelerates regular http downloads up to 10x!

* A Bittorrent plug-in called FireTorrent. It places the torrent downloads in the same Window as normal downloads. Torrents with a single click!

* Wyzo's user-friendly new skin

* A new startpage, which lets you search a large amount of search engines.

* A variety of other extensions that enhance the user's browsing experience, including CoolIris, Ctrl-tab and FireGestures.




Well, there you go, a new browser with some pretty nifty new features. Even though I have only been using it for a very brief time, I must say that thus far -- me is liking it and me is liking it a lot, except that when I did a test download of a 42.9 mbyte file using their Firedownload accelerator, it didn't seem that much faster than without that featured checked! With the Firedownload checked, it took 1:04 minutes, compared to 1:19 minutes with the accelerator turned off. Of course, I've only been playing with Wyzo for about a half hour, and at the time, my internet was running a tad bit slower than normal. I will have to play with it a little more before I can make a final judgment.

Overall, I really like Wyzo, and I'm sure that after it leaves it's beta stage, and as I become more accustomed to it, I will probably even like it a lot more. In the meantime remember: it's still beta and your mileage is bound to vary. None-the-less, if your a browser fanatic like myself, and if your up for something new, something a little different and a little refreshing, than by all means download Wyzo for yourself and take this new media browser out for a spin.


And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 01, 2009
Illustrations via: Wyo