The First iPad Clone Rip Off: The iPed

The iPad, like many Apple and non-Apple products, is manufactured in far off China, but so too are the numerous rip-off clones which invariably arises, and that now includes the iPad clone, the iPed, as seen above, which obviously takes its name and its general good looks from the iPad.

One big difference, of course, is that this alternative clone runs an operating system based on Android rather than the iPad's iPhone OS, and, in addition this slightly heavier device only features a slow-poke 600-MHz RockChip processor, as well as a much lower resolution screen measuring only 800 x 480 pixels. In comparison, the iPad features a blistering fast A4 custom Apple chip, running at 1-GHz., and its screen resolution is a much sharper 1024 x 758 pixels. One advantage that the iPed does have, however, is that it offers a full gigabyte of RAM compared to the iPad's much more limited 256 megabytes. The iPed also features support for up to 16 gigabytes of storage via a micro-SD card, and the nicest part is that the iPed also features a much, much lower price of approximately $150, or only about one quarter the price of the iPad itself!

The iPed's biggest distinction, at the moment, however, is simply that it's the very first iPad clone of what should be many, many more to follow. In addition to what I predict will be a virtual flood of cheap Chinese iPad rip offs, we should also soon see a flood of real, honest-to-goodness genuine iPad alternatives from companies such as Lenovo, HP, Asus, Acer, Dell, among others.

One such iPad alternative, recently shown off at this year's Computex trade show in Taiwan, is namely the impressive looking Windows 7 based ExoPC slate seen below. ExoPC offers up some pretty amazing hardware and software features, including its very own cool graphical user interface that piggy-backs on the top of Windows 7's, which, to be quiet honest, is an OS much better designed and suited to be use on a regular PC desktop, rather than that of a tablet.

In conclusion, the iPed may be just the very first cheap, water-downed iPad clone, but it definitely won't be the last, just as surely as the ExoPC slate won't be the last real tablet alternative either. After all, nothing succeeds quite like success, and thanks to the incredible success of the iPad, you can bet your last pair of pink colored bloomers and silk striped panty hose, that as far as tablets goes, there's simply no going back now - the tablet's time has now finally arrived, and all thanks in large part to the overwhelming success of the iPad itself!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 31, 2010

Apple's Stock: Anything But Ordinary

Well, just as I predicted yesterday, Microsoft temporarily reclaimed its top spot as the world's biggest and most valuable tech company, but, at the end of the day, only to lose it once again to Apple. This should continue to happen, back and forth, for awhile yet, but the wind, as they say is clearly blowing on Apple's back, not Microsoft's.

With the Mac, iPods, iPhones and now the iPad seemingly big hits in overseas markets, as well as the U.S., NBC's stock analyst, Jim Cramer remains extremely bullish on Apple's stock, even though he normally advices people to sell most of their stocks when the market is up as it was yesterday, but as he states in the opening CNBC video. Apple's stock, however, as far as Jim is concerned, clearly isn't what you would call your ordinary, everyday type of stock and for very good reasons. It is, however, rather one of the very few stocks that he advices holding on to, at least until it finally hits in and around the $300 range. Currently, as of this writing it's approximately in the $253 plus range.

As far as reports for the iPad's first day of overseas sales goes, they seemed to be going extremely well, where hundreds even queued up for the iPad at the Carrosuel du Louve mall in Paris, where the iPad also even outshone the queue of people waiting to see the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa!

Also, in the neighboring and beautiful nation of Germany, the Deutschers were also seemingly excited to finally get their hands on their own iPads as well. In fact, the German publication, WirtschaftsWoche, reported that the mighty German insurance giant, Allianz SE, Europe's biggest, is now seriously considering equipping thousands of its reps with company supplied iPads for use in the field! Lucky stiffs - me is so, sooooo jealous!

Also, the American publication, BusinessWeek, stated in an updated post on iPad overseas that:

"‘..... Countries outside the U.S. are likely to account for 43 percent, or 3.5 million units, of iPad shipments this year, Mike Abramsky, an analyst at RBC in Toronto, wrote in a May 20 report. The U.S. will probably be the biggest market with 4.7 million units, followed by France with 805,000 and the U.K, with 585,000, according to the report."

In conclusion, with hit products such as the iPhone, iPod, iTunes, the App Store, the Mac, and now suddenly the iPad, is it any wonder why Jim Cramer is just so dang-tooting bullish on Apple's stock and on why he calls it "a must own", and why it stands out in stark contrast with not only Microsoft, but pretty well much everyone else's stock, as well.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 28, 2010

Video via: CNBC

Apple vs Microsoft: The Unthinkable Has Happened - Apple Is # 1; Microsoft # 2!

It had been predicted that at some point, possibly even by the end of 2010, Apple's high-flying stock would eventually reach parity with Microsoft's and then, most likely, surpass it.

Well, that day has come early and Apple now finds itself in the enviable position of being the world's most valuable tech company, knocking and toppling, in the process, mighty Microsoft down into second place.

Of course, that was yesterday and that could all change by the end of today, with Microsoft reclaiming the top spot. In fact, I personally expect that the two super-sized tech giants to sea-saw each other, back and forth, until eventually, barring an all-out depression or complete market collapse or something along those lines, Apple should, I believe, eventually emerge well ahead of Microsoft and that for the foreseeable future.

Of course, all of this hasn't gone unnoticed, and all of the big news organizations have been quick to note this amazing accomplishment. I remember it so well, while growing up how Window fan boys would forever torment me on how much bigger and superior Microsoft was. They would constantly remind me how tiny and insignificant little old Apple was, compared to Microsoft. By pointing out just how much bigger Microsoft was, they basically implied it was bigger because it was better than Apple. They claimed that the Mac was nothing more than a measly toy computer. Real men, they assured me, used real computers, meaning, naturally, Windows based computers. They would forever ask me: "is Apple still in business", or assure me that if it was, then "it was about to go out of business any day now!" How well I remember them singing and taunting me with Microsoft's little ad jingle: "Were do you want to go today?"

I found it rather interesting, however, that after reading many of the comments about this story on various other sites, that the general theme seemed to run along the line that: " it didn't mean a bloody thing; that market cap was meaningless; that Apple's stock was way, way overvalued and was heading for a big, big crash", etc., etc.

It seems funny now, but, I remember just how these people used to argue that Microsoft's past market cap only proved that they and their Windows computers were so much more superior than Macs and Apple, but I guess that times have changed and that having a bigger market cap only applies to everyone, of course, except Apple.

As far as Apple knocking Microsoft down to 2nd place goes, the New York Times published this interesting quote:

“It is the single most important turnaround that I have seen in Silicon Valley,” said Jim Breyer, a venture capitalist who has invested in some of the most successful technology companies."

Not only did the New York Times article point out how significant this was, but they also give a quote as to why it happened, on why Apple is now suddenly more valuable than Microsoft:

"Mr. Jobs helped create “the best desktop computer, the best portable music device, the best smartphone and also now the best tablet,” said Steve Perlman, a serial entrepreneur who was an executive at both Apple and Microsoft and is now the chief executive of OnLive, an online gaming company."

In conclusion, I knew, in my heart-of-hearts, that the day would eventually come when Apple would one day surpass Microsoft in size, power and influence. Truly, as said, this is one hell of a fantastic comeback, no matter how you slice or dice it. Nonetheless, it still seems a little unreal to me that Apple, who was once consider to be just as good as dead, has finally now surpassed its old nemesis, the once seemingly unstoppable Microsoft. It would have seemed impossible - virtually unthinkable in the past, but this is the present and the unthinkable has indeed happened -- Apple is # 1; Microsoft is now just #2!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 27, 2010

Gates & Jobs photos via: New York Times

Sony's Incredible Roll-Up OLED Screen!

Sony has recently announced a new "Rollable" OLED Display that is so thin, so flexible that it can easily be wrapped around a pencil!

Wow, now that's what I call impressive, as you can easily see in this video. Sony hasn't announced if or when they will actually produced such a display, but you can bet your last pair of pink and purple color knickerbockers that they are working hard to deliver a commercialized version, since the possibilities are virtually endless.

For one thing, such a rollable screen would mean that you could, for example, make a mobile phone that could easily fit into a small side pocket when not in use, but the instant that you needed, you could simply unroll it, much like a scroll, into a much larger device! Scrollable devices would mean that you could take a device, like an iPad, and simply roll it up and tuck it away in your back pocket! In other words: you could literally make a smaller device that was literally bigger! Smaller when not in use, but larger when in use.

Of course, current OLED devices are unfortunately very expensive to manufacture, which could be a real sticking point. In the future, however, as these things become so much more popular and easier to produce, they could also likewise become far cheaper to produce and employ. After all, it doesn't matter how good a product is if no one can actually bloody afford to buy one.

Sony's roll-able screen, if it can be made cheaply enough, would suddenly make resizable devices possible, thus making iPhones, iPads , e-book readers and what not so much more adaptable to different conditions and needs. As thin and as cool as a rollable screen is, people really love touch devices these days, so my question for Sony is can they also make them with multi-touch input? That I'm not sure of, but if someone can figure out a way to do so, plus cheap enough, then it could very well help turn the present world into a type of futuristic Buck Rogers or Harry Potter type of world.

At one time, I can remember when pocket calculators were extremely expensive, and yet they have now become so cheap and common place that you can buy them for practically for next to nothing, and so too, hopefully, this will also become the case eventually with roll-up-screens.

Imagine, if you will, if you could produce them cheaply enough, they could be used on bottles, cans and boxes as video labels! Imagine, again, the possibilities. For example, such a video label could not only show the the contents of the package, but it could also show you how to use the contents. A video label on a can of tomatoes, could not only show you the contents, but by simply pressing a point on the label it could list tomatoes recipes or nutritional information! If something needed to be assembled, no problem, because rather then reading some long, boring and hard to understand instruction book, all you would have to do is simply press the video label on the box and presto - a video demonstration of the product being assembled and how to properly use the thing!

Wow, in conclusion, this to me sounds just so futuristic. I can easily see the day when video labeling becomes as common placed as cheap calculators. At this point its all just research, but on going research is proceeding rapidly. Presently the rollable screen is only capable of displaying a resolution of 432x240 (121ppi), a brightness of 100nits, with a 1,000 to:1 contrast, but it can already display up to astounding 16M colors!

In the end, Sony's new roll-able screen technology could result in turning the world into a type of Buck Rogers, or Harry Potter futuristic type of place much sooner than we might care, or dare to even dream of.

I say bring it on baby!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this wednesday, May 26, 2010

Photos via: Sony

Flash On Android Confirms That Steve Jobs Was Right All Along!

Google and other Android fans might love boasting that Android's latest update gives them the ability to run the whole Flash experience, but their definitely not going to be boasting of its performance..... because it sucks big time!

Thankfully, PocketNow recently did some testing and as you can plainly see from the opening video the results are not good. Flash just happens to slow down the overall phone's performance, and I mean significantly so!

PocketNow's tests, of course, also validates Steve Jobs original arguments and statements that Flash is basically just trash and it is, in my humble opinion, just one more nail in Flash's coffin. Steve, as most now know, has already given us his thoughts on Flash and from what I can see he is more-or-less spot on.

In conclusion, the Android fan boys can brag all they want on this buggy, resource hog, because as much as they love to brag about having Flash, iPhone users can also brag even more so about not having a buggy, insecure and battery and performance hog slowing down their phones to a bloody crawl! Apparently, as of this writing, readers who took part in a Poll Daddy poll conducted by Gizmodo also tend to agree as a whopping 50% of them said that Flash wasn't worth it, and that they would simply prefer to have a speedier surfing experience..

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 25, 2010

A Few Good Mac Desktop Pics

Today, I'm extremely short on time, so I'm posting this extremely short post on a few really cool Mac desktop picts that I've recently discovered.

Desktop pics, or wallpaper, are still one of the easiest and best ways to customize any computer and these six pics, which you can easily enlarge and download by clicking on each one, are all splendid examples of some of the finest Mac styled wallpapers that you'll probably find anywhere, like the splendidly blue Apple sunbeam logo seen above.

Below, we also find yet another equally cool pic, only this time of a black & white Apple logo that I'm currently displaying on my screen as I write this. It's simple, elegant and just about as Apple as you can get. Immediately, and directly below it, I'm including yet another recent favorite of mine, and one of a particularly nice grayish, glass Apple logo.

As much as I like grayish backgrounds, I just love blue ones, and this one above I just happen to especially, really, really, cross-my-heart, honest-to-goodness, and hope-to-die...... love! And why not? Its simple, yet elegant and, most important of all.... there's that nice little Apple logo tucked neatly into the lower left hand corner to top it all off.

The last Apple logo desktop pic is yet another recent favorite of mine..... Apple on wood! I just love how the rich brown color of the wood contrasts with the shiny and polished metallic Apple logo. Why, what can I say, but peachy, just peachy!

My last wallpaper, above, isn't really an Apple logo pic per say, but its still a nice one nonetheless. I call it, " Mr. Big Head", and no wonder..... apart from those big ears and those tiny feat, why, this little guy is literally all head and nothing but head! Again, its simplicity and the sheer purity of its white background and, not to mention, of course, the fact that this little guy is simply just soooooo..... dang-nab-bit cute, kind of makes this little bloke a big winner in my book any old day!

In conclusion, if your into Macs and associated Mac desktop wallpapers like I am, then, hopefully, you'll also will love these wallpapers as much as I do, and if you do, then by all means..... just click-em and enjoy-em! You can check out these and other cool Mac desktop pics here, here and still more here.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 24, 2010

The Next iPad: What Will It Include?

The iPad has only been out for a mere few weeks now, and yet recent surveys are reporting that even in this brief period of time it has already reached an extremely high satisfaction rate with consumers, and its future demand is now soaring into the stratosphere!

In fact, according to these recent survey's, conducted by Change Wave, the iPad has now an incredible satisfaction rate of some 91%, while its demand is now even greater then before its pre-launch, which was at the time some pretty-dang-bloody fantastic to begin with.

Of course, this isn't very good news for someone like Amazon with its Kindle, or other e-book companies like Sony, or whom ever, but if your a consumer then it is not only good news for now, but it is about to get better, a whole lot better in the not too distant future. How long it will be before Apple releases the next model of the iPad, that I really don't know, but what I do know is that Apple has a solid history of quickly updating and improving its products and I suspect that is going to be the same case here.

In fact, the iPad is now so popular that reports are also saying that, at least in the U.S., it is actually outselling the entire Mac line of computers! I don't know about you, but that's pretty dang impressive when you consider that Apple sells more than 110,000 Macs each and every week in the U.S. alone! However, even though that sounds quite impressive to me, the iPad itself is now selling over 200,000 per week in the U.S. - that's almost doubled that of the Mac! The only product, in fact, that is out selling the iPad is the iPhone which currently has weekly U.S. sales of around some 246,000 per week!

As impressive as these numbers might be, I believe that when the iPad finally launches over seas its sales are going to sky-rocket through the roof. RBC Capital Markets's, Mike Abramsky, for instance, believes that Apple will sell not only some 8 million iPads this year, but he also believes that Apple has already pre-sold some 600,000 iPads in the countries where the iPad will soon be available, namely: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan and, of course, including my favorite land of great beauty - Germany.

Yes, like any first product, the iPad certainly contains some flaws, but don't worry, because I will bet you a million, zillion crawdads (whatever in hell those are) that the next iPad is not only going to correct most, if not all of them, except of course maybe the one about adding Flash support. Yes, the second and third versions of the iPad, I believe, are going to introduce a lot more functionality and features that, in the process, is going to make the current iPad look rather tame and somewhat primitive by comparison. These could, or at least should, include:

- a faster and more powerful version of Apple's blisteringly fast A4 chip, possibly called the A5 - who knows?

- the current iPad's screen is certainly great, but the next version some believe may also be offering up the option for an AMOLED screen! Ohhh...... la-lah, now that would be sweet, yes, as sweet as two peas in a pod, though of course it would also probably be expensive as hell!

- an iMac like dock, and one that would allow you to just slip it in, and out, just like you do with a CD disk, thus converting your mobile iPad into a real, live desktop computer, and complete with at least a 21.5 inch multi-touch screen! Yeah baby! And, hopefully, as well, it would also allow you to take full advantage of even faster and beefier memory and graphics from within the dock.

- greater connectivity, or the ability to connect to peripherals such as printers and other USB devices such as hard drives, cameras, monitors, etc., etc.

- more memory and storage options.

- greater OS software enhancements and features.

So, as great as the iPad currently is, in conclusion, all I'm going to say is, " you ain't seen nothing yet baby", because the next, or second iPad is going to blow the first one out of the water! Ok, maybe not completely out of the water, but it will be bigger, faster, meaner and a much leaner machine. Android and WebOS based tablets, not to mention Window 7 based ones, should start appearing in the later half of this year so Apple can't afford to just sit back and take it easy, and believe me, they won't, you just watch and see.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 21, 2010

Apple And Diane: The Little Woman vs The Big Company - Woman Wins!

Apparently, the old saying that "the squeaky wheel always gets the grease" is true. At least that was the case for one handicapped women on a very limited fixed income, Diane Campbell, who recently made headlines after being refused the opportunity to purchased an iPad with cash.

Fortunately, as you can see in the video below, ( or here if video isn't working!) for Diane the outcome, in the end, was rather sweet:

Unfortunately, for Diane, however, her problems all began after Apple had put in place a 'no cash policy' to help ensure that everyone who wanted to buy an iPad could get one. This was because the iPad's popularity had become so huge and in such high demand that many scalpers arose, buying hoards of them to resell at higher prices over seas, and thus making the already limited supply of iPads all the more so.

It's precisely because of these disgusting scalpers that Apple's 'no cash policy' was put in place, and by enforcing only credit card purchases Apple was much better able to remove scalpers from out of the picture, and helping, in the process, to ensure that people were able to not only able to buy an iPad, but to do so at fair market prices. Thanks to scalpers some people were paying as high as $5,000!

Fortunately, however, and thanks in part to Diane and all of the bad publicity resulting from her plight of not being able to buy an iPad for cash, something which some have called unpatriotic and un-American, Apple has now decided to completely reversed its corporate 'no cash policy'! Yes, thanks to good old Diane, Apple's 'no cash policy' is no more!

Apparently, however, this new cash purchase policy only applies to customers who purchase and create an Apple account in store at the time of purchase. This isn't much of a big deal big anyway considering that creating an account is a necessary part of activating every iPad in the first place.

Well, in conclusion, not only does the squeaky wheel gets the grease here, but it only goes to show how it is possible for just one little person, in this case Diane, can effect change even on a big and powerful company such as Apple! The best part for Diane, however, is that not only did she make it better for everyone else who wanted to buy an iPad with cash, but when it came to cash itself, she didn't have to part with any of her own because Apple decided to gift her an iPad for all her trouble and for helping to bring its 'no cash policy' short comings to their attention!

Way to go Diane!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 20, 2010

Another Vietnam Apple Scoop: This Time For An iPod Touch With Camera!

Vietnam may not be a great world power like the United States, Russia, China or Germay, but when it comes to scoring secret Apple prototype scoops, well then it's a bloody superpower

After scooping and showing off another iPhone 4G prototype and after first revealing the new updated MacBooks before anyone else suspected a damn thing, here we find the Vietnamese scooping every other nation with the latest iPod Touch prototype - this time with a built in video camera!

The question on my little pea-sized brain is how in hell are they doing it? How are they getting all of these scoops before anyone in a more technologically advanced nation are able to do it?

Obviously, it would be quite natural to assume that there is a leak somewhere along the supply chain, like maybe, just maybe they have connections with someone on the inside of one of those Chinese suppliers? I have no way of knowing, of course, but you have to admit that seeing all of these leaks coming, out of the blue and all of a sudden, from beautiful, but otherwise tiny little Vietnam tends to make one rather suspicious of just how these charming people can scoop all of the other big news sources from one of the bigger, more technically advanced nations.

Well, in conclusion, I don't know just how on earth they are doing it, scooping everyone else on top secret Apple prototypes goes, but I'm kind of hoping that maybe next they'll give us the big scoop on rumors for the next upcoming, and long over due, MacBook Air update? If anyone can do it, why I'm now sure that it will probably be someone from Vietnam.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Apple Now Posed To Become The U.S.'s Largest Company?

Several days ago, the financial site SmartMoney did an article that suggested that Apple, which was once long thought of as being the tech world's biggest underdog, is now in the enviable position of soon becoming the biggest company in all of the U.S.!

Yes, that means even bigger than big old Microsoft itself, and not to mention also the current largest U.S. corporation, Exxon Mobil! Wow, now that's a far cry from the days when Dell's CEO, Michael Dell, utter his infamous words of what he thought that Steve Jobs should do with Apple when he stated: "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders."

That was 1997, this is 2010. Things are radically different as Apple finds itself sitting suddenly at the number three position, while Dell, on the other hand, has slipped to the 78th. Apple's market cap, the overall value of its stock, is now a whopping and mind numbing $231 billion to Dell's $29.8 billion!

Of course, market cap isn't the only measuring stick that can be applied when comparing companies to one another and when it comes to sales, well - what the hell, Dell is still a little ahead of Apple at number 42, but the question is for how much longer? Apple, unlike Dell, or any other company, is about a lot more than just computers these days. Apple is also about being a big player in the mobile phone space, as well as music players, music distribution and software distribution through its popular iTunes and App Store. In all of these regards, Apple has completely changed how the world does business. Even the venerable Mac line of computers have seen a big revival of sorts. In April, for example, it's being reported that Mac sales are up by a resounding 39%, with analysts now predicting that Apple could sell as many as 3.2 million Macs for the June second quarter - its best ever! No wonder why some are now predicting that Apple is well on its way to surpassing Microsoft and maybe even Exxon as the biggest of them all.

So, will, or could, Apple actually surpass Microsoft, its old and long time rival, in size and power?

Maybe, just maybe? At least it's certainly possible, but it's not entirely guaranteed.

However, in conclusion, it's certainly looking more and more likely that it will each day. Of course, a lot is going to depend on external factors, such as the overall economy, meaning not only that of the U.S. itself, but that of the world as a whole. For example, the recent economic crisis in Greece has not only been hitting world economies hard, but individual companies as well, Apple included. This one crisis alone has resulted in Apple's market cap, for instance, dropping to $231 billion from a high of around $245 billion! Ouch, now that smarts. However, barring such future outside influences, Apple is indeed posed to topple Microsoft both in sales and market cap. It has already surpassed it when it comes to money in the bank, I believe, so it's not that hard to imagine seeing it toppling both Microsoft, or maybe even Exxon, for the much coveted title of the being the largest, biggest, most tremendous, huge and the most colossus company in the U.S.

Now, who would have ever thunked it?

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Will HP Challenge The iPad With A WebOS Tablet?

Palm, as we all now know, was recently and successfully acquired by computer giant HP. However, HP apparently almost lost its chance to buy the ailing former kingpin of the mobile world. As turns out, Engadget reported that it was only one of five companies that were caught up in a fierce bidding war for the troubled company.

Engadget also reported that at one time some 16 companies were initially contacted about possibly buying out Palm, and being the curious type of a little bugger that I am, I dearly would just love to know the names of those companies, and that goes especially for the final five. Could one of those companies have possibly been Apple? That we may never know, but it was my sincere wish and hope that Apple would have bought the company rather than HP or anyone else.

The main reasons were, of course, to help keep Palm's considerable trove of patents out of the hands of anyone wishing to use them against Apple, and secondarily to help keep WebOS out of the hands of its competitors as well. The main reason it's believed that HP bought the company, in the first place, was to get its hands of WebOS, and you can bet your last nickel that it will use said OS to develop a competing tablet OS to challenge Apple's now wildly successful iPad.

Of course, this would make a lot more sense than using a full-blown desktop OS such as Windows 7, and this is the main reason why, I believe, that HP ditched their highly anticipated Slate tablet that Steve Ballmer so confidently showed off at the last big CES show in Las Vegas. The iPad has proven that, if anything, a traditional desktop OS is not needed or preferred, and that a slimmed down OS, such as Apple's iPhone OS, makes for a much more compelling, fast and efficient tablet OS offering.

WebOS itself, of course, was designed to run on mobile devices such as the Palm Pre, but it would just as easily also make a good OS for other devices, and, as you can see from the YouTube video below, some bright guy did just that, he actually had gotten WebOS to run on one of those nifty Dell laptops! As Gizmodo also pointed out, it isn't exactly going to make people run out and abandon Windows 7 or anything and, of course, that's not the point here, but rather that WebOS is, or at least can be used for more than just a phone OS.

WebOS in its current form may not have gotten that far in the market place under Palm, but under HP I'm expecting bigger things, and that goes especially in the area of tablet computing. Whether, or not, of course, it will pose that much of a problem or that big of a threat for the iPad is still yet to be seen. By the time HP finally gets WebOS running on a tablet it may already be too late. By then, the iPad's may just have had too big of a head start for it, or others, to ever catch up. And, of course, Apple isn't going to exactly just sit by and let HP or anyone else to catch up to the iPad if it has anything to say. I'm expecting that Apple will continue to evolve the iPhone OS, making it far more powerful, lean, mean and sophisticated than in its current form and that by doing so, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for others, including HP's new WebOS baby, to ever catch up to it. That doesn't mean that it's impossible, of course, because as we have already seen, anything can happen.

However, that said, and in conclusion, I'm convinced that HP will indeed make a WebOS based tablet to challenge the iPad, and that it will, in one form or another, will end up making a big splash in the market place. At this point however, I'm just not sure how big.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 17, 2010

Palm and HP hybrid logo via: Engadget

The $189,000 Solid Gold iPad: Get Yours Today, While They Last!

Some people might prefer to buy themselves a nice little house, or even a nice spanking new German luxury sports car, like my fav.... the SL 550 Mercedes, if only they had an extra spare $189,000 or so burning a hole in their pockets, but hey.... if you already have either one of those then here's good news, maybe even great news.... Stuart Hughes of Liverpool will now sell you, for that same low price, a nice, shiny new iPad..... made of SOLID GOLD!

Yuppers, we are talking about that nice, shiny yellow metallic stuff here folks, but warning: you better hurry and get your order in right away, while the getting is good. Thats simply because of the fact that there's only ten of these yellow, metallic babies to be had! Oh, and speaking of good, just think how good you'll look at Star Bucks the very next time you have to sit next to those poor iPad users with their measly aluminum iPads... oh, let me tell you...... they're just going to be so jealous, so jealous I tell you! Or better yet, just imagine how good you'll look while innocently walking down some darken alley in some crime ridden big city neighborhood. Yuppers, once again, them poor folks are just going to be so jealous and envious! (Just let me know where to send you flowers?)

Of course, if your a little worried about buying just another solid gold object then you really needn't be worried at all. That's because your getting yourself more than just a solid chunk of shinny yellow stuff here....... yes, your also getting a device with an Apple logo, encrusted with some 53 shiny and oh so sparkly diamonds!

As far as this uniquely designed and crafted by Katherine Huges Gold iPad SURPREME EDITION goes, well its creators have this to say:

"For the most elite individual, we bring you the the worlds 1st solid gold and diamond ipad. Encrusted with 25.5 cts of ‘I'F' Flawless diamonds, a magnificent total of 53 individually set sparkling gems dwell beautifully in their solid 22ct Apple logo. The rear and screen surround are made from a single piece of solid 22ct gold, weighing an immense 2,100 grams.This most luxurious ipads appearance is outstanding even down to the precise polishing to reveal its most beautiful harmonious appearance. A magnificent combination of top of the industry technology and unrivalled craftsmanship was invloved in creating this masterpiece.

The ipad is the Wi-Fi & 3G , 64GB version."

Well, in this crazy and uncertain economic climate, that certainly makes me feel a whole lot better when I personally order myself one of these truly unique, and not to mention truly expensive iPads. Oh wait, darn it.... I just remembered..... I'm still waiting to win the lottery so I guess that means that there will be one more of these gems available to be snapped up by one of you guys, my dear two or three readers out there!

In conclusion, what can I say, except that if you also happen to be really greedy, and really, really rich, then you can also order yourself a shiny new and solid gold MacBook Air and gold iPod to go with your lovely new gold iPad! For little old me, however, well it's rather tuff being a poor boy, but hey, if you got the money honey, then go for it! You can order your very own 22ct solid gold iPad right here.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 14, 2010

HTC Suite Against Apple: Is It Winnable Or Laughable?

Various news and technology sites have been describing HTC's law suit against Apple, the iPhone and the iPad, as being seemingly rather weak at best, but I think that TechChrunch puts it best when they state:

"HTC is facing a serious patent infringement lawsuit from Apple covering 20 of its patents for touchscreen devices. Today, it finally responded with a vague press release announcing that it is countersuing Apple for infringing on five patents of its own. Yup, it took more than two months to find those patents, which it doesn’t even disclose in its release. And the company won’t tell us what patents are in question. I guess we’ll just have to wait until the complaint turns up."

Techcrunch isnt' the only one, of course, who are pointing out what is seemingly, at least for now, to be a very weak case against Apple. I've have read of others of similar opinion, but until HTC can show us the 'beef' then I'm personally not going to put much stock in any of HTC's claims. Of course, anyone can sue anyone, over anything, at anytime old time, but unless or until HTC can give us more information then their patent suit comes across to me as being nothing but a little bit desperate and it makes them look like they are grasping at straws, but then again, based on the scanty information of HTC's provides, at least at this point anyway, who really knows? As Techcrunch brought out, it does seem rather strange that it took them a whopping two months to come up with those five mysterious patents and to make their counter claims.

Like the fine folks over at Techcrunch, in conclusion, then I too think that HTC's so called exhibit number one, namely the opening YouTube video, makes for a pretty lame excuse and defense, and I have to agree with Techcrunch who very astutely observed:

"But if that’s the best argument HTC can muster against Apple, it better keep looking for more patents."

In other words: at least for the time being, HTC's counter suit comes across, to me anyway, as being more laughable then winnable, but we shall see.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Latest iPhone 4G Prototype Leaked! This Time A With A Screw-less And Seamless Design!

Well, well.... what do we have here? Yuppers, it seems to be a brand new leak of the next iPhone 4G! Not only that, but at least for the time being there is even a YouTube video of it in action that you can view here, but be forewarned it's all in Vietnamese!

The photo above and elsewhere, via AppleInsider, shows the same basic design as those revealed in Gizmodo's hotly controversial pics, but alas..... without them screwy screws that tend to mar the overall design!

These particular prototype pics come from a Vietnamese site called TaoViet.vn, which offers additional pics here, but please note that the site may be down due to high traffic. The site seems to be, since I can't speak, read, or understand the language of this interesting land, an Apple fan site of some kind, and one of the most interesting facts that they bring out, in their own tear down, is that the next iPhone will indeed be sporting the same speedy Apple A4 chip that we find in Apple's latest blockbuster, the iPad! This should give the next iPhone some very real bragging rights, as well as a very real performance boost!

In conclusion, I really don't know how on earth these guys, all the way in Vietnam, got their hands on one of these babies, but maybe some guy acidentally left it in a Saigon bar, or should I say in a Ho-chi-Minh City bar? I also must say, that I really like the new squared-off design as first revealed in Gizmodo's hotly contested photos, but the seamless, screw-less version me likes all the more. These pics, no doubt, will help slow down demand for the current G3S model, but boy, oh boy, on the other hand, they should also help stoke sales for the next 4G model once it becomes available some time likely next month.

I can't wait.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Android Sales Have Beaten The iPhone 3GS, But Will The iPhone 4G Beat Android?

Is Android really demolishing iPhones sales as Seth Weintaub reports for Fortune?

Well, according to a report from NDP, Android sales have now just recently past those of the iPhone for the first quarter of this year. As a result, Android's 28% not only surpasses that of the iPhone's 21%, but it also knocks the iPhone down from second place to third place in the smart phone category!

So, is this the end of the line for the iPhone? From now on can we expect to see the iPhone whither away only to become no longer relative anymore, while, on the other hand, Android based devices rises to completely take over the smart phone market?

Don't count on it!

First of all, Android's temporary ousting of the iPhone isn't necessarily because people prefer it over that of the iPhone as recent survey's have shown. For example, one recent survey actually showed that the majority of the largest mobile provider, Verizon, actually preferred to buy the iPhone over all others. The only reason that they did not end up actually buying the iPhone was simply because they couldn't, since Verizon simply can't sell it!

The survey conducted by ChangeWave Research brought out one very interesting and significant fact: namely, that a whopping 54 percent of Verizon's customers have clearly shown that they would prefer to buy an iPhone if only it were available on their provider of choice! So, does anybody then really think that Android, which is available on Verizon and just about every other carrier including AT&T, would really be selling just as well once the iPhone finally becomes available on Verizon?

I, for one, don't bloody well think so!

The main reason why a lot of people are buying Android models is simply because they are the closest thing to the iPhone, and phones that they can buy without actually switching over to AT&T from their preferred carrier. Of course, millions of people have already done just that, but millions of others simply refuse to switch to AT&T from their present carrier.

Android hasn't brought any real innovation to smart phones as far as I can see, and despite what people claim to the contrary, all Android has done was just to simply offer phones with bumped up specs, such as bigger screens, higher resolution cameras, or maybe a slightly faster processor. Android, on the other hand, certainly wasn't the first to offer a touch screen, let alone a multi-touch version, or the first to offer a true web browsing experience, or what have you. No, it was the iPhone that did all that, Android basically tries to convince people its better because maybe, on a short term basis, the hardware it runs on might have an OLED screen, or higher resolution camera, etc. Everything else about Android is a simple and clear violation, as far as I can see, of the iPhone intellectual property. It was the iPhone that revolutionize smart phones by bringing multi-touch out of the shadows and into the open and out of the dark and into the lives of millions of users who otherwise would still be stuck with the antiquated devices of the past, and that means devices like Windows Mobile, RIM or Palm Treo.

Another major reason why I believe that Android's sales have temporally surpassed those of the iPhone's is simply because carriers have also resorted to basically giving them away! Yes, Android devices are basically a dime a dozen these days and carriers have resorted to tricks such as offering two phones for the price of one, etc. They are in other words, nothing more, and nothing less then cheap iPhone knock offs. There are literally dozens of Android phones out there, but there is still only one iPhone and that masks one important fact - no single or particular Android model, be it the HTC Hero, EVO 4, or the Nexus-One, etc., can boast of matching the iPhone in sales. It's only collectively that they surpass it, so the impressive and recent Android numbers are not as necessarily impressive as it first might seem.

Still, another major reason for Android's recent sales numbers is because carriers have also spent huge sums of money on advertising, trying to convince their customers that their phones have everything and even more than that of the iPhone, but the question is for how much longer?

That's right, if Apple wins its legal case against HTC, and hence Android, then all of those millions of Android phones out there may suddenly find themselves limited or even totally banned! I've read reports that patent lawyers have given Apple a far greater than 50% chance of winning, so I'm not too sure I would want to take my chances personally in buying an iPhone wannabe. Who's going to want a phone if a lot of its functionality is suddenly taken away from it? Not me and I presume not too many others either. Of course, I bet you a million, billion licorice sticks that if Apple wins this one, many are going to bitch that Apple is once again limiting innovation in the market place! Mark my words, they will be up in arms over any Apple legal victory in protecting its intellectual property, or to be precise its some 200 plus iPhone patents.

Probably, however, the biggest reason why Android has temporarily gained on the iPhone is simply the facts that Apple only sells the one phone (in two versions, the 3G and the 3GS), and only updates it once per year, and because of this most people are holding back purchasing an iPhone, on the knowledge that the next one (in part thanks to Gizmodo) will be available as early as next month. Trust me, once the pent up demand for the iPhone 4G is finally released and it becomes available in June, or shortly there after, I strongly suspect that the next quarter of smart phone sales are probably going to look different, a lot different, than what we saw in the first quarter.

So, in conclusion, will the next iPhone, the 4G or what ever it is called, finally beat back Android into sales submission?

Well, at the end of the day only God knows for sure, but maybe it will, and then again maybe it won't, but I personally and strongly believe that it will. Android's recent rise may be seen as being impressive and all, but, in the end, it could be very short lived indeed. The introduction of the next iPhone and any possible legal success on Apple's part, could, and I believe it will, be the tipping point and one in the favor of the iPhone. In fact, if Apple's wins, as suspected, in its patent war, then Android may become more than just a crippled device, it might actually end up becoming as good as dead!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Android vs iPhone sales chart via: NDP via ZDNet

New 2010 MacBook Air This Tuesday?

AppleInsider is now reporting, that according to Australian Macworld, they have information that come tomorrow, Apple will be unveiling a new major product refresh that could be a much rumored 27 inch IPS LED Apple Cinema Display, or based on the model number of MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA, a much more likely major overhaul of the MacBook Air line.

Australian Macworld based this on "whisperings" that the current MacBook Air was "difficult to come by." AppleInsider, however, itself pointed out that at least in the U.S. the ultra thin Air still shows a 24-hour shipping time frame, which is more indicative that there are still plenty of Airs in the supply chain.

Many people have commented that the Air has been long overdue for a major update, but that it has been delayed due to a shortage, more than anything else, of Intel's new 32nm ultra portable Core i5 processing chip, which runs at a maximum speed of 1.86GHz, complete with an onboard integrated graphic chip, that was the real culprit in delaying any update, much as was indeed the case with the recently updated and long overdue MacBook Pros themselve.

In conclusion, I dont' know what I would like to see more, the introduction of a new 27 inch Cinema Display, or the introduction of a newer and more scintillating MacBook Air, but being the greedy little bugger that I am, well I'am kind of hoping that it will be both. As far as any new MacBook Air goes, I also hope the upgrade will include more than just the insides guts of the machine, but rather also the overall external look and design of the machine as well, as the current model is beginning to look rather faded and outdated in comparison to newer ultra thins such as Dell's Adamo series.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, May 10, 2010

Current and Interesting iPhone TidBits

The next iPhone isn't here yet, but in the meantime there's a lot of interesting iPhone news to be had, such as eBoy's upcoming iPhone game FixPix, and one that Engadget calls "the greatest thing ever made". I don't know about that, but certainly it's nothing short of being one-hell-of-a-mind-blowingly cool game, as you can see for yourself in the short video preview below:

Another interesting bit of iPhone news is the report that someone has successfully ported Google's copy cat version of the iPhone OS, Android, to the iPhone's hardware! Hmmm, I wonder just what the old Steve boy happens to think about this one? Seriously, even though Android, as far as I'm concerned, is nothing more than a blatant rip off of the iPhone OS, and one that doesn't really provide anything new or interesting over that of the iPhone itself, I still must admit that the idea of being able to selectively boot up more than one OS on your phone is kind of cool, though it's hardly necessary considering that the iPhone OS itself is arguably the better OS of the two, with far better apps and a far, far greater selection.

When it comes to the iPhone, well Appleinsider reports that Apple is considering a new and totally unique method of recognition - heart monitoring recognition! Yes, you read that correctly, apparently Apple has already applied in which Appleinsider writes:

"A new Apple patent application, entitled "Seamlessly Embedded Heart Rate Monitor," was revealed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week. It describes a hidden, built-in iPhone sensor that would detect a user's heartbeat when the phone is picked up. That biometric data can be used to identify an individual".

In another iPhone related tidbit, AppleInsider is also reporting that come this summer, Visa and Apple are aiming to simplify making Visa transactions by enabling the iPhone to make wireless payments with a special iPhone case made by DeviceFidel. According to DeviceFidel:

"iPhone users will be able to make Visa mobile payments in retail stores, at fast food restaurants, in taxis, during sporting events (such as at baseball games), and also make purchases at vending machines that have contactless payment terminals," the press release read. "Thousands of merchants throughout the U.S. have already upgraded their payment terminals to allow consumers to make Visa mobile payments."

As cool as the idea of being able to use your iPhone to automatically swipe and make instantaneous Visa transactions, or running alternative OSs, or as cool as heart monitoring recognition, or super cool as playing mind-blowing games such as FixPix all are, all I will say, in conclusion, is that with the next iPhone just around the corner, well we all can expect that there's going to be a lot more interesting things and tidbits yet to come regarding the most interesting and fascinating of all smart-phones, and I mean a lot, lot, lot more.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, May 07, 2010