The iPad And The Courier - Together At Last?

It has been twenty long years, but finally Apple has now gotten so big, so powerful and so rich that it has not only surpassed Microsoft in capitalization and revenues, but now in one of the most important of all business metrics profit.

In addition, as many know, Apple has also surpassed Microsoft on something that they like to think that they first pioneered, tablets! The iPad has not only killed off Microsoft's previous implementation of tablets, but Microsoft's once future big tablet hope, its highly praised Courier tablet, was itself killed off by none other than Microsoft itself! Ironically, it is through a piece of software, called Taposé, running on the iPad, seen in the video below, that could actually save the Courier, or at the very least the concept!

According to its developers, Taposé brings:

".......... the once hyped Courier functionality to the iPad. For us, it was an obvious decision to deliver such a superb product to tablet users. The creativity, productivity, and attractive user interface coalesce into one outstanding product. The ingenious split interface design allows users to interact with multiple apps simultaneously in the company of Taposé collections."

Personally, I was never really that keen on the Courier concept, but I am keen on the idea that Taposé has the potential to give those, and there are many out there, who really loved the Courier concept what they want. Right now Taposéis just a concept itself, but if your one of the many who loved the Courier and want to see it, in one form or another, in the market place, then, by all means, you can help the developers do just that, by helping support them through KickStarters here.

In conclusion, even though Taposé doesn't give you the Courier's two folding screens of the original, it does, however, give you the most important part.... its functionality. Even though Taposé developers have already met their goal of raising the needed $10,000 to kick start the project, I'm a little surprised that, of today, they have only raised some $12,100 as of this writing. Considering all the complaints, crying and wailing that occurred after Microsoft killed off their Courier concept, I would have thought that they would have easily raised far more money, which, when you think about it, may actually have a lot to do with why Microsoft killed it off in the first place. Just saying.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, April 29, 2011

Courier pic via: HuffPost Tech

Will We Ever See A Nokia Tablet?

Nokia is the one major OEM that has yet to come out with a tablet of its own. Apparently, one of the biggest reasons is because Nokia doesn't just want to become another me-too device like those which have thus far come from the likes of RIM, Dell, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, HP and Asus, etc., all of whom have so far failed to kill off the iPad, though not from a lack of trying, and according to Nokia's Stephen Elop:

"There are now over 200 different tablets on the marketplace, only one of them is doing really well. And, my challenge to the team is I don't wanna be the 201st tablet on the market that you can't tell from all of the others. We have to take a uniquely Nokia prospective and so the teams are working very hard on something that would be differentiating relative to everything else that's going on in the market."

Well, I have to agree that Nokia's approach is a smart one indeed, and if anyone is to seriously take on the Apple juggernaut they're going to have to come up with something that is a tad bit better than what we see now, like Android, an OS that is not only fragmented, but anything but free and one which some observers are saying is still rather half-baked, with very few real tablet specific apps. Since Apple is perceived as a high-end seller, Mr. Elop, however, considers that Android is a much bigger threat to Nokia, since it can potentially match Nokia's various prices for phones on the lower end.

Already, as pointed out by The Inquirer, Microsoft is doing its best to point out that Android is anything but free, as you can see in the video above, and it is doing everything in its power to thwart the Android's growth in the market place.

So, will Nokia ever deliver a tablet of its own?

In conclusion, that is something that only they can answer, but I'd be willing to bet you a zillion-and-one gum-drops that they will indeed eventually do just that, and when they do, it will be more than just another me-too device like we have seen thus far, and who knows, it might even be the real iPad killer !

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, April 28, 2011

Sources: The Inquirer and Engadget

Apple Tracking iOS Devices: Is It Really A Case Of 'iSpy Gate', Or A Case Of 'iHypocrites'?

Apple has finally spoken about the recent so-called 'iSpy' fiasco, saying basically that it is due to a misunderstanding and several software bugs, bugs that it should readily fix in the next few weeks in an iOS update. As the Washington Post point out, the three areas that Apple intends to fix are as follows:

- a bug that allows storing of WiFi information for a period of up to a year. Apple says that this information, which helps iOS devices more precisely calculate its location via cell towers, should be for a period no longer than seven days.

- the second bug is one that backs up that information on a persons computer, which is more highly vulnerable to being hacked than a mobile device.

- finally, Apple plans to fix a bug that downloads a file to phones which have all “Location Services” turned off, and to encrypt that file specifically to those devices it’s running on.

You can read Apple's press release here, but in conclusion, you can bet that no matter what Apple says, or does, people are going to protest that it's not enough. The funny thing is that people, and especially the government, who are bitching about this so-called 'iSpy Gate' are nothing but 'iHypocrites', since it has been put into law, for the past ten years, that all cell phones must be able to track their users!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this dreary Wednesday, April 27, 2011

iPad Wannabees: The Sony S1 And S2

Not to be left out of the stampede to come up with an iPad killer, Sony is now preparing to release, in the fall, not one, but two new Android based tablets, the S1 and S2.

The S1 is a 9.4 inch slate featuring a Tegra 2 cpu, which also happens to come in an odd wedge shape which, according to Sony, makes it easier to hold and use, and according to ComputerWorld, it also includes " an infrared transmitter into the S1, so it can be used to control gadgets around the house, such as a television or Blu-ray Disc player. It also supports the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) consumer electronics networking standard and can send audio and video content over a Wi-Fi network to be played on other devices. Using this technology, for example, a movie could be purchased on Qriocity and streamed to a DLNA-equipped television (from any manufacturer) through the tablet. "

The S2 is also an other, to me anyway, odd looking tablet, featuring dual 5.5 inch folding screens. Sony is aiming this tablet specifically at gamers since one of the screens could easily be used for the game itself, and the other screen for controls and what have you? Naturally, the S2 will be fully PlayStation compatible.

In other tablet news, Asus's new Eee Transformer 10.1 inch tablet is now for sale on Amazon in the U.S., though I will be damn if I can find a price for it on their site. According to Engadget the Eee Transformer is apparently already sold out, with only Best Buy showing any in stock.

RIM's new PlayBook on the other hand can be ordered from MacMall with Android 3.0 on board! After playing with the PlayBook on several different occasions there certainly a lot of interesting facets to it, but overall I can't say that I really like it that much, and compared to the iPad 2 it frankly sucks! But then again, so does all Android tablets thus far. Sure, some of them like the Eee Transformer's cool keyboard dock add on is nice and all, but it or any Android tablet adds up to an iPad 2.

For one thing, and in conclusion, as far as I'm concerned, a tablet with out a lot of native apps is like a beautiful German car, but without gas! As sexy as a Mercedes SL 550 might be, for example, without any benzene or gas, it ain''t going anywhere baby! So too, a tablet without a lot of apps isn't going too far either, so as far as this German car lover ( and pretty much everything else German) goes, there's still really only one practical choice when it comes to tablets..... the iPad!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this rainy Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Windows 8 To Finally Bannish The "Blue Screen Of Death"!

Finally! Yes, after suffering for years from the curse of Microsoft's 'Blue Screen Of Death', Microsoft will take steps in Windows 8 to finally, and forever, eliminate it!

What's even more surprising is how simple Microsoft's will achieve this lofty goal: By simply replacing its 'Blue Screen Of Death' with that of a 'Black Screen Of Death'!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, April 25, 2011

Source: Gizmodo

Did Apple Just Replace Nokia As The World's Number One Mobile Company?

Move over Nokia, you are no longer number one when it comes to mobile phone revenues! Yes, in just four years that crown now goes to none other than Apple, and all thanks to its ground-breaking iPhone.

Nokia, of course, is still number one when it comes to the total number of units shipped, some 108 million last year alone, but Apple's smartphone is bigger than all of those phones combined when it comes to revenues, and that includes both Nokia's dumb and smart phones combined!

Strategy Analytics states:

"In wholesale revenue terms, we estimate Apple was the world's largest handset vendor in Q1 2011, overtaking Nokia for the first time. Apple is now the world's largest handset, smartphone and tablet vendor.", and they further stated: "The term "handset" refers to the aggregated total market of smartphones, feature phones and basic phones combined. For example, Nokia shipped 108.5 million handsets worldwide in Q1 2011."

In other words: take that Android! For all the millions of Android handsets sold, that its fan boys love to brag about, they can't hold a candle when it comes to the iPhone and what really matters the most to business...... revenues! The question comes to mind why that would be? Is it because Android phones are basically your average, everyday and cheap throw-a-way product? After all, as they say, "you get what you pay for", and Android is so-called FREE!

So, did Apple really replace Nokia as the number one mobile company?

Well, in conclusion, at least when it comes to the revenue side, then the answer is a resounding yes! And just as the business world reels from the news of Apple's latest and historic second quarter results, the news that Apple is now also the world's biggest mobile company, at least revenue wise, has got to be one hell of a kick in the old face for not only Nokia and Microsoft, but even more so for all those Android braggarts out there.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny Friday, April 22, 2011

The High-Quality, Low-Cost Tablet: The Amazing Asus Eee Pad Transformer

Up until recently, no one seemed to be able to match one of the iPad's greatest strengths.... price! Now Asus has not only matched, but it has actually beat the iPad with a price of $399 for its 10.1 Eee Pad Transformer. For an additional 100 smackeroos you can upgrade to its 32 GB model, with an additional $150 gets you a keyboard that transforms your tablet into a laptop!

Of course, the biggest problem with the Asus Eee Pad Transformer is its half-baked OS, Android's HoneyComb. As far as I'm concerned, besides all the problems associated with Android, including its well known fragmentation issues, and its host of mostly crappy apps, the insecurities from a growing list of malware, Android is among other things a legal mess as it is built on stolen IP from both Apple and Oracle. In other words, there is the very real prospect in the near future that Android could be severely crippled or even completely killed off by the courts! Oh, in addition to having mostly crappy apps, there are less then 100 apps that have been actually created for HoneyComb!

In conclusion, as you can see from the video above, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer is one hell-0f-a-cool device, offering the unique ability, at the lowest cost yet for a quality tablet, to instantly transform itself into a regular laptop if you so desire. Too bad it runs Android.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this gloomy Thursday, April 21, 2011

iOS To Android.... Ha, Ha; Smell Ya Later!

After watching the above video, or reading the following, I can imagine Nelson, from the Simpson's, pointing his finger condescendingly at Android users and saying: " Ha, Ha! That's because, despite what Android users think, iOS is screwing Android big time when you count the total number of all devices using iOS over those running Android, and that by a large margin too..... a whopping 59%!

I've never been too keen on bragging, but Android users, (not all of them, of course) really seem to love getting under the skin of iOS users by bragging that Android sees some 350,000 activations per day, and that it's open (but not really!), and that its more innovative and what have you? This I have always found to be a little amusing on their part, since Android is nothing but a blatant rip-off of iOS and that it never really took off until it first decided to totally copy the iPhone's U.I., and in every conceivable manor No wonder some, like this recent analysis give Apple the upper hand in its recently filed case against Samsung.

In conclusion, even though Android is slightly ahead of the iPhone in smart phones, when you factor in the iPod Touch and the incredible success of the iPad, iOS totally blows away Android and all comers, so, when it comes to Android vs iOS, as poor little Nelson Muntz would say: "Smell ya later!"

And that's my 2 cents on iOS vs Android 4 this gloomy, dark, dreary Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Window Tablets: The Ever So Cool Evolve Maestro C

One of the coolest iPad wannabes is the one above, the Evolve Maestro C. This Windows Premium based, Atom powered, computer has a slick interface, but, for me, what really makes this tablet stand out among all of the other iPad wannabes is its keyboard cover, which is almost Apple-like in its use of magnets which conveniently attaches the keyboard/cover to the tablet!

In conclusion, the ever-so-cool Evolve's Maestro is absolutely one of the best tablet designs that I've seen to date, and as far as this old bloke goes, it's miles ahead of anything else that I've seen outside of the iPad itself. Way to go Evolve.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Source: NetBookNews via Engadget

Is The iPad Really Killing American Jobs?

Jesse Jackson Jr. has been crying, believe it or not, that the iPad is directly responsible for killing off thousands of American jobs in the area of paper books, book stores, newspapers, magazines, text books and other industries that Americans have been traditionally employed to produce.

After reading about Mr. Jackson's concerns last night I'm not too sure if I would go so far as calling Mr. Jackson "ignorant" as does Gizmodo and BusinessInsider, but I do believe that he's going a little overboard here and, most likely, all in order to just score some political points at home.

The truth of the matter is that if the iPad was manufactured in America rather than China, then American high wages and other associated costs, including those involving government red tape, would probably result in the iPad becoming so expensive that no one could afford to buy one, including Mr. Jackson, in the first place!

Even though Americans could easily produce iPads just as good, if not even better than the Chinese can, they simply can't produce them at the low cost that the Chinese sweat shops can. Just as Mr. Jackson's ranting is more about politics then the iPad, also for those same political reasons he won't be conveniently telling us how that for every job lost due to the iPad, newer high tech jobs are being similarly created in America in the engineering, design, sales and advertising, as well as other fields!

So, is the iPad really killing off American jobs?

The answer is a resounding NO!

True, some jobs are going to be lost, but that has always been the case when old industries are replaced with newer ones. This has been true in the past; this will be true in the future as well.

In conclusion, even though Mr. Jackson's belly-aching is just a lot of political hot air, if he truly wants iPads manufacturing jobs going to Americans rather than the Chinese, then he and the nation as a whole, has to adopt a new and better work ethic, one that is more-or-less similar to what the hard-working Germans and Japanese exhibited after the war, and who's workers where willing to put the good of the nation above that of their own.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, April 18, 2011

Roger McNamee: Apple To Lead 10-Year Cycle Of Tech Growth!

The Flip isn't the only big flop in the world of tech these days, as Cisco's now discontinued video recorder joins Roger McNamee, one of the world's biggest tech investors, in a recent interview did his own flip/flop on Apple. Mr. McNamee once arrogantly boasted and predicted that Palm's WebOS based Pre, which he heavily invested in, would eventually doom the iPhone by winning over all of its users, and once stated that:

"You know the beautiful thing:June 29, 2009, is the two- year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later".

Well, that was then and this is now and Mr. McNamee is now saying that Apple will go on to lead a 10-year cycle of technology growth due to its iPad and App Store eco-system. Now that's what I call a major flip/flop if ever there was one. When it comes to technology, Mr. McNamee further goes on to state that the smart money will be going to tablets which, in turn, will undercut the traditional role of PC's, and he further states:

"At the same time, you've got the rise of tablets, which I think will replace them to a certain extent.

"Think of this as Windows goes down and Apple rises, and maybe other people do too, but that's a big thing,"

Mr. McNamee also, by the way, doesn't think all too much of Android, because as he adds:

"The problem is nobody makes any money from it. You know, Google doesn't protect the hardware guys. There's no anti-virus protection on it.

"I'm just really worried about the day if you own an Android tablet when some 16 year old kid in the Eastern Bloc presses a button and erases everybody's hard drive. Seriously."

Mr. McNamee isn't alone on that thought either, as one of the world's biggest gaming developers, John Carmack, basically thinks the same, that there's not enough money to be made on Android, and he stated:

"It’s just fun to develop on iOS. We’d show people what we were working on and they’d go ‘Oh, when are you going to ship that? And I’d say “next month” and they’d go ‘Aww, I wanna work on an iPhone title.’ It’s hard to make a rational business decision to say I want to take resources from something else and put them on this. We did actually hire a person to be our Android guy, but it looks like he’s going to get stuck on iOS development!”

Well, in conclusion, you can catch Mr. McNamee's full video interview here, but I will state that after hearing all of his arrogant past attacks on Apple, I find Roger's flip/flop remarks to be both surprizing and refreshing at the same time.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, April 15, 2011

Easily Turn Your iPad Or iPhone Into A 3D Device

Today, I'm taking the day off to go on a nice long, and hopefully very relaxing 25 mile urban hike across town, so this post will be of necessity, exceedingly short, and as you can see from the above video it revolves around a Japanese company who claims that with their software and their specialized piece of film, that it can upgrade your beloved iPhone or iPad into a 3D device!

NewSight Japan's 3D film and software, as far as I can tell from the video anyway, looks interesting, but neither quite all that impressive either, but possibly with specialized apps, well, then..... who knows? I'll just have to wait and see it in person before I can make any final judgement, but I must admit that I rather like their concept of easily upgrading your iPad or iPhone into a 3D device without actually having to physically rip the bloody things apart, or having to jail-break them!

In conclusion, and simply based on the video clip alone, it's hard for me to say whether this thing is the real deal or not, or if its just another gimmick. It would be nice, however if NewSight Japan's simple 3D solution works, because I, for one, really love 3D things and 3D things that are also easy to use and also cheap to buy.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, April 14, 2011

Source: Engadget

The iPad Eats Into TV And Radio Time!

The video above shows an early build of HP's WebOS for tablets. It's interesting, that even though this beta 1 is still a long way off from being ready for public consumption, it's quite amazing how WebOS's browser and mail applications have a very 'OS X, or iPad' look to them!

No doubt HP, like every other electronic OEM out there is hoping that their wannabe iPad clone will be just as successful as Apple's. And no wonder, since a recent survey by AdMob shows that tablets ( meaning basically the iPad) are having a major and profound impact on consumers.

Allaccess.com, a music site, noted that the iPad is even now beginning to impact the amount of time that people are spending on radio and TV, and quoted AppleInsider as reporting:

"Tablets are growing in popularity and changing the way that we consume content," the report noted. "People are spending considerable time with tablet devices and using them to play games, browse the web and search for information. Growth in the tablet market is only accelerating with companies releasing new products, and media companies and developers creating content specifically for these new devices."

With tablets already eating into PC sales, and especially those in the netbook and laptop category, and now beginning to eat into the time that consumers spend listening to the radio, or time spent watching TV, it's no wonder that HP, HTC, RIM, Motorola and everyone else and their big fat momma is rushing to get in on the act, which Microsoft once boasted would be the next big thing, but one that they utterly failed to deliver. Like the rest, Microsoft also has its hopes on conquering the tablet space as well, and some are even speculating that it could even demo its Windows version of the iPad in June.

In conclusion, as great as some of these wannabe iPad knock-offs appear to be, it is believed, by many analysts, that they won't be able to catch up to the iPad for another several years yet, at least until 2015, and if then! A lot could change between now and then, but for now it looks like Apple and its iPad will continue to be the driving force behind the over all market, and one that it it single handily created over night.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this cloudy Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Two Awesomely Cool iPad Apps: Head Tracker 3D, And PlayFace Pro

In the, "I don't need it, but I've just got to have it department, " you can now add two new iPad apps to the list, the utterly cool Head Tracking for iPad: Glasses-Free 3D Display seen above, and PlayFace Pro seen below.

PlayFace Pro is, more-or-less, a professional version of Apple's own Photo Booth, but on steroids, and one that works in both video mode and still camera mode. It's avaiable now for 99 cents in the App Store.

However, as far as Head Tracker 3D goes, I'm not sure if it is actually available to the public or not, or whether it's just a demo? The one thing that I do know, however, is that it's bloody dang-tooting cool, and that's for damn-tooting sure!

MacStories says that, "EHCI Research Group have created one of the most impressive and, overall, amazing tech demoes for the iPad we’ve seen recently. By combining head-tracking technology that uses the iPad’s front facing camera with basic 3D graphics, they have developed a glasses-free 3D experience that doesn’t require the accelerometer, but it’s entirely based on the camera and the movements of a user’s head in front of the screen."

I heatedly agree!

In conclusion, let me say that PlayFace Pro and Head Tracking are both fantastic apps, but the latter is one, for me anyway, is the one that really blows my mind! I can also see, in the future, it being adapted for use in other programs and it really goes to show just what the iPad is capable of, so I say hats off to both of these find programs.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Humor: Presenting The iBoy!

Israel might be small geographically, and have a small population, but apparently its one that is very big on talent, and one that has done exceedingly well in various and unique fields including, according to Wikipedia, being among the leaders in stem cell research, and with its eight universities being among the world's top in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science and economics, as well as many others.

Well, apparently, Israel can also be very creative and funny as well, as you can see in the video parody called "iBoy", a humorous look into Apple's ever expanding universe of "i" devices.

My favorite part in this parody is when the parents of Nimrod tell him that they are going to give him a new brother. Since Nimrod notices that his mother doesn't exactly look pregnant, in other words... fat, how could that possibly be? "Will he be from God?" he asks. His parents tell him "No," but.... "Almost..... from HIM", as they point to a clip of Steve Jobs demoing iBoy on stage!

This Israeli video, in conclusion, is a great parody on Apple's ever expanding world of "i" devices, and it also happens to be funny stuff, very funny stuff indeed, so enjoy!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, April 11, 2011

Source: Engadget via: Mako

The iPad And Every One Else

Like many companies these days, Clorox is now giving their employees their choice of company issued phones, with both Android and iOS being the two leading choices, leaving phones from BlackBerry, and others, the big losers.

Out of some two thousand Clorox employees, for example, a whopping 92% of them picked the iPhone 4 over the two remaining choices, namely Android and Windows Mobile 7, which saw 6% going to Android and the remaining 2% choosing Windows Mobile 7.

When it comes to the tablet space iOS and Android, more-or-less, pretty much sums up the choices of the Clorox employees above. Not only does iOS, with the iPad, command more than 70 or more percent of all tablet sales, but according to CNet, it also dominates the choice of retailers when it comes to advertising and display space. As you can see from the opening photo, via CNet, the iPad clearly gets unique billing, where as all of the other tablets are simply lumped together as mere tablets, diminishing their over all value in comparison. CNet points out that the above photo "hints at the challenge facing Motorola and other tablet makers...." when competing with the iPad's now dominant position.

If it's hard for other tablets to compete with the iPad for retailer's attention, they at least hope that they can compete by offering higher specs, and if that doesn't work, then by offering lower prices, something that they have thus far failed to do. Acer, however, is squarely gunning for the iPad by lowering the price of its new 10-inch Tab Iconia A500, for the reported low price of $450.... $49 lower than the iPad's base price.

The new tablet boasts some pretty impressive specs too, like a 1GHz Tegra 250 SOC, a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 LCD screen, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of flash storage, a 5 megapixel camera around back and a 2 megapixel imager up front, HDMI-out, among others. And yes, it will also feature Google's 'locked-down, and half-baked' Honeycomb Android OS to boot. Something tells me that Acer's lower price comes at a high cost.... mainly they are, most likely, losing money on each and every tablet sold!

Despite the fact that the iPad 2 now dominates both the retailer's attention and the lion-share of all tablet sales, many believe that the days of the iPad dominance is soon be coming to an end. It almost seems as if they believe that there is some kind of law that states that anyone other than Apple can eventually succeed. Apparently this is because they have been brainwashed into believing that Apple is ultimately bad because of its freakish control, and that others, and that goes especially for Google and its Android platform is ultimately good and will prevail simply because it is open and free. The truth is that Android is a patent-plagued OS rather and anything but really open and free. The so-called notion is that anyone who buys into Apple's 'wall garden' are all basically brain washed, and nothing more than mere Mactards from drinking Apple's 'kool-aid'! Well, as far as I'm concerned, these people are nothing but people who themselves have all been brain washed after drinking, likewise, Microsoft's and Goolge's own flavor of 'kool-aid'.

For legal reasons alone, I have my doubts that Google's Android will even survive, let alone ultimately triumph considering all of the patent mess it has woven itself into, which is is probably why Google is desperately willing to spend up to $900 million or more to buy Nortel's old patent port-folio in hopes of helping to defend themselves against Apple, Oracle and others patent claims.

In conclusion, iOS and Android may now be the two top mobile OS's, but the notion that Android is 'open and free', and therefore it will eventually prevail over iOS is nothing but a lot of bunk, pure and simple. Apple's iOS is off to a running start and if anybody thinks that Google's locked-down, fake open-platform will ultimately win, well they are delusional and have been drinking the Google/Android kool-aid for a little too long.

And that's my 2 cents 4 my last post of the this week, Friday, April 8, 2011

Motorola's Xoom Sales Vs The iPad 2

Motorola arrogantly boasted in its Super Bowl commercial, seen here, that its new Xoom tablet would, more-or-less, relegate the iPad and all others to the history bin. They were convinced, that combined with higher specs and HoneyComb, Google's optimized version of Android for tablets, the Xoom would crush all comers, and especially the iPad.

Well, so far, guess what?

Yuppers, Google's HoneyComb has suddenly become not so opened, and the Xoom sales themselves have been anything but bone-crushing. In fact, the Xoom's sales, Android's premier tablet, have reportedly , thus far, already been slashed to a paltry 100,000 units or so! Now compare that to the 15,000,000 plus units that the original iPad 1 has sold, well, then I guess that Motorola should be pretty-dang red-faced by now!

It should also be noted, that as great as the original iPad sales were, the iPad 2 is now selling out even faster, with people still lining up to get their eager hands on one weeks after it debuted! Compared to the slashed-down 100,000 units, or so, for the Xoom, the iPad 2 may now have already sold as high as million or more units in its very first month!

As Fast Company put it, the iPad 2 is not only selling like 'hot-cakes', but : "Apple's iPad is selling in a way that makes hot cakes seem slow..." In fact, the iPad 2 has been selling so dang-dog-fast that it is believed it may have been directly responsible for actually delaying other tablets, such as RIM's new PlayBook, as Apple gobbles up most of the necessary components needed to keep pace with the iPad 2's demand.

In conclusion, the Xoom may not be exactly doomed, and, like other tablets, it may eventually sell well in the future, but, for now, there is a growing perception that the tablet space, now dominated by the iPad, won't be all that easy for anyone to simply snatch away, as can be easily discerned by the Xoom's sales numbers vs those of the iPad 2.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Xoom photo via: Cnet

GoPano Micro: 360 Degree Panaramic Video Comes To The iPhone 4

It looks like the iPhone 4 is about to get something that no other mobile phone presently has, at least that I know of anyway, and namely - honest-to-goodness 360 degree panoramic video recording! Yes sir, boys and girls, as you can see from the above video, GoPano micro is a fine-and-dandy hardware and software concept that will easily allow your beloved iPhone 4 to to do video in the round, and on the go!

The Pittsburgh creators are currently seeking backing on the site KickStarters. Their goal is to raise some $20,000 to 'kickstart', or fund, the project by May 14. Well, believe it or not, they have already shot past that $20,000 goal by already raising a whopping $32,606 as of this writing and climbing!

The developers of GoPano describes their project, from the KickStarter site, this way:

The GoPano micro is a lens for the iPhone 4 to make 360º panoramic videos! Just snap the lens to your iPhone 4 and press record to make cool interactive 360º videos. Use it to record all the action of your favorite sport, record your next meeting in 360º or just as a fun toy for the summer.

The GoPano micro will record everything around you simultaneously. You can go back to the recorded video and choose to view any perspective, any angle at any point in time. The GoPano app allows you to upload your 360º video onto our web platform and share 360º videos with your friends. You can watch 360º videos uploaded by others in the app or on the web site. (the GoPano lens records everything simultaneously and not just the scene on the screen, you can pan & zoom in/out anywhere in your recorded video).

I don't know about you, but I think that GoPano is a fantastic concept and one that I would definitely be interested in supporting and, as well, using personally. The idea that you could shoot, record and then display everything in a 360 degree panoramic view is something that would be perfect as an educational tool, or as well as showing off points of interest from your recent vacation in a way that ordinary photos or video ever could hope to do!

In conclusion, it is projects like GoPano micro that help to make the iPhone and the iOS platform the richest and best eco system out there, bar none, and another reason to choose it over the inferior copy cat platforms, be they Android, WebOS, or Windows, or whatever.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this glorious sunny day, Wednesday, April 6, 2011.

Source: Engadget

Some Claim That Android Is A Mess, But Is It Really?

Fortune recently did a post, on a survey, which indicated that Android developers now consider it to be a total mess. The survey was conducted by Baird's William Powers, and involved some 250 developers who highlighted the following problems:

Device fragmentation. 56% of Android developers said that operating system fragmentation among the various Android devices was a meaningful or "huge" problem, a percentage that actually increased over the past three months.

Store fragmentation. Several developers expressed concern over Android app store fragmentation. "Generally," Baird reports, "developers seem to prefer a unified, single store experience like Apple's App Store."

Ease of development. iOS outscored Android, but both were considered far easier to develop for than, say, Research in Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry OS or Nokia (NOK) Symbian.

App visibility. "iOS continues to lead," Baird reports, "followed by Blackberry, with Android still receiving poor marks in this category." Developers are particularly concerned about the level of "junk" apps in the Android ecosystem.

Ability to get paid. iOS leads here too, followed by BlackBerry.

Fragmentation is something that many Android fans have simply refuse to acknowledge and I've heard them repeat, time and time again: "what fragmentation?" Well, fragmentation is a very real concern and so much so, that it's now the main excuse that Google is now using to lock down Android, making it anything but 'open' as they love to boast so frequently.

Google always claimed that Android's biggest advantage was that it was free and open, allowing anyone to add or change anything they wanted, and thus, in the process, giving its users more freedom and better choice. What it has done, in truth, was to provide them with a wild-west scenario, and one which gave rise to a host of lousy and crappy apps, and devices that were rarely, if ever, updated!

Well, now that the cat is out of the bag so to speak, Google is now apparently replacing their wild-west, free and 'open' approach, to one much more in line with Apple's so-called 'closed' system, a system that helps protect it from all of the malware, lousy apps, confusing updates and all of the other nasty Android inconveniences. Even though Google is now hypocritically going for a model closer to Apple, some believe that it will only back fire for Android and actually go on to strengthen both its iOS and Windows alternatives, at least according to a recent post by eWeek.com, who states the following:

“Google’s value proposition was that they would be vastly easier to deal with than Microsoft and let the vendors better differentiate,” Rob Enderle, principal analyst of the Enderle Group, wrote in an April 1 e-mail to eWEEK. “They found that this led to a lot of crap being released on the market and they sucked at vendor collaboration. They are now rethinking that approach by being even more controlling.”

However, he believes Google’s attempts will ultimately backfire. “In effect Google, after failing at being different from Microsoft, is going to try and beat Microsoft at Microsoft’s own game. That virtually never works, which will likely force them to get closer and closer to Apple’s model.”

The end result, he added, is a failure in the making: “Rather than figuring out how to make their idea work they are killing it by being too unwilling to form more cooperative relationships with their OEM partners.”

Well, I must say that if Google's hypocritical 'lock down' to obtain greater control of their patent plagued platform continues, then it definitely will back fire on them and big time! If this is indeed the case, and it certainly looks that way to me, then they'll have only themselves to blame.

There seems to be a lot of people out there who actually believe that Android is unstoppable, that it is far bigger than iOS, but when you actually compare iOS's web usage to that of Android, then, as you can see here, Android isn't as big or as cool as its fans make it out to be.

So, is Android really a mess as some claim?

Well, in conclusion, and as far as what I can see... absolutely! And not only that, but it's a very, very big mess at that!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this wet and dreary Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Android photo via: IndiaTechNews

Are These Leaked Photos Of The Next iPhone 5?

The site, iPhone5jailbreak.net, recently posted what could possibly be leaked renderings of the iPhone 5, and all I will say is...... wow..... are these sexy or what?

I don't know if these are the real deal or not, but, boy, oh, boy, if they are then all other smart phones are going to end up looking pretty dumb in comparison.

As you can see, this thing is beyond thin, and its screen, more-or-less, takes up pretty much the entire face of the device, leaving just a small sliver on the top and bottom.

If sex sells, and this is the real deal, then this baby is going to sell like hell! I honestly can't say that I've ever seen a phone look anywhere near as hot as this cool baby looks!

Another pic, below, shows what is believed to be the iOS 5's new notification system. Well, like the device itself, if this is indeed the case, then it too proves that the software will look just as sexy as the device that it runs on.

The larger 4 inch screen is quite evident in these renderings, and was something that others have been predicting the iPhone 5 would have, in addition to the same blisteringly fast multi-core A5 chip found in the iPad 2, and its equally impressive graphic capabilities.

In conclusion, even though I've never heard of the site iPhone5jailbreak before, and I have no idea of what kind of track record that it may, or may not have, I'm, none-the-less, sincerely hoping that the upcoming iPhone 5 looks as sexy as the ones above, because, if they do, coupled with the rumor that Sony will also be providing the iPhone 5 with its very impressive 8 mega pixel camera sensor, and the ugly, but true, fact that Android's so-called open system is really anything but, could all end up meaning that the above great looking iPhone 5 could also have an even greater and brighter looking future ahead of it.

And that's my, I rather be in Germany, 2 cents 4 this Monday, April 04, 2011

The Little Apple Store For Little Kids!

Wow, the PlayMobile above is a fantastic, miniature Apple Store for kids that will have them living the good old iLife at home, and could have kids lining up around the block up to play with it!

Too damn bad it's only a comedic spoof, and a good one at that. But I want .......... one, I really, really want one!

Man, would this thing really go great with my Steve Jobs action hero figure, and, if I had one, trust me, I would definitely let my baby nephews and nieces play with it....... NOT!

Gizmodo says that this could easily become the most sought after April fools joke yet, and I believe them. Hee, hee, I must admit that the little figure of Steve Wozniak riding his little thing-a-ma-jig cracks me up big time, and, as well, that other little figure of that other Steve.

I especially cracked-up over the line, "Frankly, if something exceeds your ability to understand how it works, it sort of becomes magical. Thankfully, for most people, that's a pretty low bar." Hey, that would include me too, baby!

In conclusion, I honestly think that this PlayMobile spoof, if it were a real product, would actually sell quite well, and I desperately want Apple, or anybody for that matter, to start selling it in their stores, and, of course, even better...... online. I definitely would buy one, for sure, and maybe I would even let my little nieces and nephews play with it..... for a buck, that is!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, April Fools Day, 2011

Via: ThinkGeek and Gizmodo