Even though a lot of people loved and got excited over Microsoft's Courier Tablet concept I never did. True, I admit that it looked a wee bit cool and all, but as you can see from the photo on the right it looks a little too flimsy, and a little too easy to break along those hinges.
Editor's note: You can read the rest of this post here.
Millions of Android users are still using older and uglier versions of the OS. Couple with the fact that many of those Android apps tend to suck compared to iOS versions, as you can see here in this video, and it's easy to see why Apple is blowing away Android with up to 90% of all app revenues!
When it comes to Android apps it's not just a case of iOS having more of them, but higher quality ones to boot as the above video clearly demonstrates. In fact, even one ex-Googler has admitted that when it comes to the perfomance of Android apps, well they will never probably never run as smooth as those for similar iOS versions. Apparently, when it comes to developing for Android developers prefer iOS not just because it's more profitable, but because it's a lot easier to develop for as well.
According to this blogger, developing for Android sucks because:
"It is more expensive. It takes more time to test, and special case for so many different devices and different capabilities. All the assumptions you get for free with iOS go out the window on Android. This adds up to buying more devices for testing, more development hours and more testing hours.
Even if you build something that works great on most versions of Android, you can’t prevent people from installing your app on a unsupported device, or an older version of the OS. And then they have the nerve to leave bad reviews. It sucks to put all that work into something and then get a bad review from someone with a device you didn’t test or intend to support.
Google and the Android app store doesn't support shared accounts. The developer builds your app and submits it (yay), but then you want to login and see the how many downloads you have. Too bad you can’t.
Android users don’t seem to like to pay for apps. If you have a free app, that’s great – but where most iPhone users will gladly fork over $0.99, Android users don’t have that same tendency, making it much harder to monetize your hard work."
Unfortunately, as bad as Android apps for mobile phones suck in comparison to the iPhone versions go, well it's a lot suckier when it comes to tablet versions of Android apps. The situation is so bad, in fact, that one of tech's biggest sites, PC World, wrote a post that stated that: The iPad Wins Because Android Tablet Apps Suck: An Illustrated Guide.
Sascha Segan wrote in his post above that the first big problem was simply finding Android tablet apps in the first place! iOS has over 120,000 high-quality apps written just for the iPad, plus another 430,000 plus phone apps that run on it as well! Android, in comparison, only has a few hundred tablet apps.
Another problem with Android table apps is that they are just 'plain ugly' according to the author, and he states:
"Way too many Android apps fall back on a design that looks like a late-20th-century WAP site: a stack of modules designed to look good on narrow screens. Unfortunately, that design is completely inappropriate for a tablet."
You can see his list comparison of Android and iOS apps here.
Responding to Sascha's post, another writer, Joshua Howland, wrote:
"Simple fact: developers want money.
The tablet market is going to be driven in large part by the developers. The applications on the devices are what make them useful to our individual needs. Not to sound like Phil Schiller, but Android developers aren’t making tablet apps, they’re just blowing up phone apps.
It doesn’t matter that users don’t want blown up apps. It doesn’t matter that users want apps developed specifically for a tablet sized device. It’s not worth the developers time to develop a full tablet version of their Android app."
Even though Android, or Windows 8, tablets may be able to compete with the iPad on the hardware side of the equation, no specific hardware, and no matter how good it is, or even if it's better than the iPad, it's still rather useless with out great apps to take advantage of that hardward. For this reason alone, and just three iPads later, CNN's, Julianne Pepitone, wrote:
"..... other tablets are still dead on arrival."
In conclusion, and in consideration of the above problems associated with Android on the app side of things, is it any wonder that there is a need for a site called: Android Gripes?
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, March 28, 2012
Opening Android graphic via: Techchunks
Yesterday's announcement that Hon Hai Precision, also better known as Foxconn, was buying a 10% stake in Sharp's LCD business has left some wondering as to why it would be interested in what is becoming an increasingly money losing business. Today, Reuters is reporting that the reason may be due to Apple's long rumored entry into the television business, a move that some are saying could completely revolutionize the entire TV business much as the iPod, iPhone and the iPad have already revolutionized their particular industries, and Reuters wrote:
"That could put the Taiwan firm in a strong position to push for orders to make the Apple TV, potentially taking the business from Korean rivals such as LG Display (034220.KS) while furthering Hon Hai's aim to move beyond contract making and boost its brand profile.
"Hon Hai is already the assembler of Apple's iPhone and iPad, it needs the next driver, which is Apple TV," said Yuanta Securities analyst Vincent Chen. "It's something that Terry Gou cannot afford not to do. But this is a very big gamble."
Foxconn is already one of Apple's biggest and most important suppliers and the reasoning goes that its stake in Sharp will help to tighten Foxconn's relationship with Apple which has proven hugely profitable for the Taiwanese firm.
In conclusion, I don't know if Foxconn's recent stake in Sharp was due to Apple's rumored upcoming Apple TV or not, but it's certainly a very real possibility, and one that resulted in seeing Hon Hai's shares raise as much as the allowable maximum 6.9 percent in a trading session in Taipei on Wednesday, and one that also saw Sharp shares correspondingly jump some 15 percent in Tokyo, but speculation that it is due to Apple's rumored TV is just that, speculation.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this not-too-bad-of-a-Wednesday, March 28, 2012
My post was about Commodore U.S.A.'s design for its new Amiga mini, a blatant rip-off of the Mac mini.
Commodore, of course, wasn't the only one to ever rip-off one of Apple designs either. Dell rip-offed the Mac mini design itself with its Dell Zino series as seen in the photo on the right from DesktopReview.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this dreary old Tuesday, March 28, 2012
TechNode, among other sites, is reporting that Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, was in China recently. It's speculated that he was there to talk to China's big three mobile carriers about its upcoming iPhone 5, or iPhone 6 depending on how you look at such things.
Bloomberg also reported that Mr. Cook was there to express that Apple had plans to make a "greater investment" in China, which is now Apple's second largest after the U.S. and Bloomberg went on to state that Mr. cook had:
“great meetings” with Chinese officials, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based spokeswoman, said by phone today, without naming the officials. Cook earlier in the day posed for photos with customers at Apple’s store in the Joy City Mall in Beijing’s Xidan shopping area. "
It's Friday and another week has just about come and gone and in the world of Apple news, well it's been a busy week indeed with the third generation iPad launch and all.
As expected, Apple sold a record number of the new shiny devices, some 3 million plus, the "the strongest iPad launch yet," according to Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Philip Schiller, and that's just for the new iPad itself, this doesn't include the iPad 2, or even the new iPad preorders!
Of course, it wouldn't be a new Apple launch without all of its critics jumping in to highlight all of its flaws, including the latest, its so-called "its too hot to handle" accusations. Thankfully, and inspite of all of those foolish assertions, there are a few level headed reviewers out there that have effectively debunked all of that silliness.
Since the new iPad has only been out for a week or less, I especially found Mike Schramm's post: "New iPad already five percent of iPad web traffic" to be of considerable interest, and to be honest, if true, it's nothing less than astonishing! Five whole percentage points in barely a week... whoa... now that is what I call astonishing indeed!
Another surprising post was Tuesdays post, by Agam Shah, entitled: "In-Stat: Apple to be top mobile processor company." At first glance I thought that meant that Apple was about to surplant Intel overall in chips, but apparently that only includes chips for mobile devices that are used in the likes of the iPhone, iPod or the iPad. As Agam Shah wrote:
"Apple does not have a large gap to overcome. The company last year shipped about 176 million processors in devices such as the iPad and iPhone, representing a 13.5 percent market share. Intel took the top spot with 181 million processors shipping in mobile products such as laptops, a 13.9 percent market share."
The Gadgeteer also reported on the new Crux360 Keyboard Case for the new iPad that I happen to think looks rather spiffy if I do say so myself. As you can see below, it's a sharp looking little rig now isn't it? I highly recommend watching its video here, because, as seen in action, it looks more than spiffy, it looks down-tooting functional as well!
Last, but not least, is my FaceBook friend, Adam Harting, who has yet again posted another excellent piece, entitled: "The Good, Bad and Ugly - Apple, Google, Dell." I won't dwell on the Bad or the Ugly aspects of the post, but I do like what he says about Apple, including his summary of its winning strategies:
"Apple keeps winning. It’s leadership in smart phones continues, as the market converts from traditional cell phones to smart phones. And its lead in tablets remains secure as it sells 3 million units of the iPad 3 over the weekend. In every area, for several years, Apple has outperformed expectations as it leads the market shift away from traditional PCs and servers to mobile devices and using the “cloud."
In conclusion, there are a lot more interesting posts that I could have easily included in this week's wrap up of Apple news, but, then again, I don't really have either the time nor space to post them all, but, needless to say, the above posts were among my favorites for the past week.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny, warm and glorious Friday, March 23, 2012
Newer and more modern devices are planned to make things a lot simpler to build, use and repair. However, apparently that wasn’t quite the case back in the old days as you can see in the above photo of this fantastically complex looking German Hamann 505 mechanical calculator from the 1960s.
Editior's Note: Read the rest of this post here.
In conclusion, no, it might not be in English, but then again, you really don't have to listen or understand the words as all you have to do is just watch it and then start laughing. I certainly laughed, and I'm sure that you will too!
And that's my 2 cents on European comedy 4 this Wednesday, March 21, 2012
To my knowledge, Steve Jobs was the first to speak of the "post PC era", an era that would see mobile device sales replacing those of more traditional desktop units.
Apparently tablets, led by the iPad, seem to be vindicating Jobs predictions as a new report shows that the iPad is now growing by a whopping 156% at a time when traditional desktop sales have been rapidly shrinking, and at the current rate it's easy to see tablets easily overtaking PC sales in the very near future indeed.
Take for instance the sales of the new iPad. It has sold no less than a staggering 3 million units in its very first three days alone! Consider too, that the very first iPad was considered to be a rip-roaring success after selling only 300,000 in its first day, than it's mightily clear to see that there is a growing trend here that is undeniable.... tablets are indeed the future, not PCs!
After all, it took the very first iPad some 80 days to reach the three million unit mark sold..... yes, a whole bloody eighty days! The iPad 2 itself, a much more successful product, took another some 28 days to reach just one million units, so apparently all those who had bitched in the beginning about how lousy and unimportant the iPad was are going to have to find something else to bitch about.
In fact, Gizmodo, just today, reported that the tablet trend can be clearly seen in a listing of Apple's top managing hierarchy which no longer lists any senior OS X managers among them as it once did in the past. Of course, the notion, as they pointed out, that OS X was about to die is not really quite true, because what is happening isn't exactly the death of OS X but rather its transformation from a traditional desktop OS to a more mobile OS way of doing things as demonstrated by both by Mountain Lion and Windows 8.
In conclusion, even though it's becoming increasingly clear that tablets are replacing desktop PCs, PCs themselves won't be exactly going the way of the Dodo bird anytime soon either, as also noted by Steve Jobs himself. He famously declared that: "I think PCs are going to be like trucks," vehicles that some people will always want and need, but for the majority of people it's still cars that sell the most. Yes, and despite all of the cynicism that critics gave on the original iPad, its sheer staggering sales are proving the Steve Jobs predictions on mobile devices were spot on the money.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Steve Jobs photo via: ExtremeTech
Yes, I have to agree with Gizmodo when they describe Apple's sudden announcement that they are going to hold a special and sudden conference call to highlight what it will do with its vast holdings of cash, some $98 billion of it!
The Apple call, to be held at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) has already resulted in Apple's stock, in early after hour trading, to go up by a whopping $13.75, or some 2.35% per share, as of this writing.
When it comes to the world's richest company, its CEO, Tim Cook has already previously stated:
“I’d be the first to admit we have more cash than we need to run the daily business. So we’re actively discussing it. I only ask for a bit of patience, so we can do it in a way that’s best for the shareholders.”
I'm not sure exactly what they will announce, of course, but what ever it is, well I just hope they don't blow it. Share holders have been demanding a dividend for some time now, or at the very least they would like to see Apple make some kind of stock buy back, but I'm hoping it does neither. If they do spend money, however, I hope they make and announce some significant acquisitions, and who knows, maybe even a super, duper and major acquisition, like I dunno .... how about buying out Samsung, AMD, or even Intel, etc.?
As far as the stock buyout option goes, well Reuters is reporting that according to Shaw Wu, analyst with Sterne Agee, when it comes to that, well he states:""
"........ the value to shareholders of a stock buyback would be more questionable: "The issue with (a) buyback is that the payback for investors is not as tangible. With a dividend, you get a check in the mail."
"Wu doubted there would be a stock split, saying it would be more difficult for Apple to beat consensus earnings forecasts."
According to the smart money, Apple will either do a:
- Dividend (either one-time or regular or combination of both)
- Stock buyback (one-time, regular, or combo)
- Nothing
In conclusion, I actually like the last option the best .... doing nothing! Basically, I like the idea of Apple simply keeping its huge cash horde and holding on to it for a rainy day. For one thing, that pile of cash ... and the bigger the better.... gives Apple some pretty major options that other companies can only dream of about, like making major acquisitions, or investing in significant R&D, or, quite frankly, simply giving it the power to crush its competition legally if ever it needed to, such as is the current patent war raging between itself and Android!
And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny Monday, March 19, 2012
Apple logo via: Gizmodo
PS: Apple calls for $10 billion buyback and $2.65 per share dividend!
Today's the day, the day that the new iPad goes on sale and just like previous roll outs, fans of the popular iProduct are lining up to get their mitts on one, as seen in the above photo of people lining up at the Fifth Avenue store in New York , via AppleInsider. AppleInsider reported that:
"At Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York City, the massive line waiting on Friday morning for the 8 a.m. sale of the new iPad was so long, it wrapped all the way up W 58th Street."
Wow, now that's mad, absolutely mad!
Of course, New York isn't the only place on the planet were iPad mania is taking place. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that fans lined up for two blocks in Tokyo, and that according to the first customer in-line, Ryo Watanabe, a 19-year-old college student:
"The fact that the display has gotten better is a big enough reason for me to get it," he said.
Mr. Watanabe had taken turns waiting in line for some 37 hours with his 20-year-old friend, Kento Inoue. He's already an owner of the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and of the previous version, the iPad 2. He was around the 14th in line to buy the iPad 2 at its launch, so Mr. Watanabe was determined to be first this time around.
In conclusion, it will be interesting to see, at the end of the day, just what kind of sales the new iPad will have generated in comparison to the previous tablet. The hype surrounding the iPad was enough to see Apple's stock hit the $600 per share mark yesterday, and it will be interesting to see if it repeats that lofty height yet again today, all helped by customers like the famous one in the above video.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this so, so Friday, March 16, 2012
Opening photo via: AppleInsider
The reviews of Apple's new iPad are in and writers, for the most part, agree that it's a winner and especially more so because of its Retina Display.
Edward C. Baig, in the opening video review, believes that "nearly everyone" who gets their hands on a new iPad will be "delighted." He also believes that it "snatches the crown" from the iPad 2 as the "finest tablet" customers can buy.
He even goes so far as to say that the iPad's Retina Display is "a screen to die for" and "the thing that will have you salivating." As nice as the first and second-generation iPad displays are, he was absolutely "blown away" by the new Retina Display.
Walt Mossberg, the veteran tech columnist for the Wall Street Journal, wrote:
"Walt Mossberg of All Things D called the iPad's new display and move to LTE "massive" upgrades.
"Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription—you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn’t nearly as sharp as it could be," he wrote, later adding that it was the "most spectacular display" he had ever seen in a mobile device."
MacWorld's Jason Snell, in the video review above, wrote that the new iPad was "markedly better" than its predecessor on nearly every front."
Other reviewers mostly agree that the iPad is a winner, including these noted writers:
Rich Jaroslovsky, Jim Dalrymple, David Pogue, John Gruber, Vincent Nguyen, MG Siegler, Josh Topolsky, and Fox New's Clayton Morris went so far as to say about the screen:
"It makes text on the screen simply astonishing, and the Internet has never looked so good. It's quite simply the best screen for reading I've ever seen.."
In conclusion, after reading the above reviews on the new iPad I must admit that I'm pretty stocked and I can barely wait to finally get my grubby little hands, and especially my eyes, on one of these babies! In fact, the reviews have been so positive, so glowing that I'm afraid that I might end up being a little disappointed when I do.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, March 15, 2012
But you know what I didn’t know?
Editiors note: Please read the rest here.
Oh boy, those crazy and comedic genius's over at Scoopertino have gone and done it again as they spoof Siri in the video above. In this short video we see and hear Siri singing her little integrated circuits out in her rendition of Led Zeppelin's rock classic, "Stairway To Heaven"!
According to Scoopertino:
"Tim Cook and his executive team had been toying with creative ways to tighten Apple’s stranglehold on the world music market — but the light bulb went on the moment Tim learned that Siri could carry a tune.
The plan is simple: cut out the music companies and re-record the songs — all 12 million of them — with Siri on vocals.
“We have every intention of paying for the music rights,” explained Cook. “We just don’t see the need to pay the performers and middle men.”
Well, well, as if I wasn't already happy enough to hear that Apple has decided to update Siri to better function here in Canada and now they go and do this! Seriously, Siri sounded better than I expected but I would dearly hate to hear her monotone voice actually replace all of the lyrics in all of iTune's 12 million plus songs, because as cool as Siri is, is ain't no dang-tooting Adele, Helene Fischer, or Celine Dion!
Scoopertino is a riot, of course, and my favorite part of this funny post is when they write:
"Producer Tom Corwin is a believer. “I just came from a recording session of Siri singing Mr. Tambourine Man, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. She not only put more emotion into it than Bob [Dylan], she could direct me to the nearest Starbucks without missing a beat.”
In conclusion, as much as I love Siri, I find her singing painful, that is if you can even call it singing, because sing she can't! Come to think of it, she sings almost as bad as I do in the shower.... and that's bad, really, really bad! Personally, I love you Siri, but frankly, my dear.... your rendition of "Stairway To Heaven sounds more like the stairway to Hell!
And that's my 2 cents 4 this dang depressing Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Via: Gizmodo; Source: Scoopertino
He also believe that it will be coming some time this September and he believes that it will included a much larger screen with LTE 4 capabilities, and he believes that it will take at least 25% of the 1 billion units that are expected to be sold in the next year.
Editors note: Please read the rest here.
Edward C. Baig, in the above video review, says of the new iPad:
"The display is spectacular. Apple also improved the camera, added dictation and, on some models, the ability to tap into the speediest available cellular networks. Apple did all this without sacrificing much battery life or jacking up prices. The iPad 2 stays in the lineup and is cheaper."
He also describes describes its new Retina Display as:
"A screen to die for. The display becomes your window into all those apps. And the brilliant screen on the new iPad is the thing that will have you salivating.
You're probably thinking the displays on the first iPad and the iPad 2 were pretty sweet, and you'd be right. Watching movies, reading books, surfing the Web, playing games and admiring photos on the older tablets is not an unpleasant experience.
But then you have a look at what Apple calls the "retina display" on the new iPad, technology first applied to recent iPhones, and you're blown away."
You can read the rest of his review here.
Mr. Baig isn't the only one either who is describing the new iPad in glowing terms either. One of my favorite writers, David Pogue of the New York Times, writes:
"jaw-droppingly good" when optimized for the new iPad's display. Apple's own apps, for instance, are "just incredibly sharp and clear," while Amazon's Kindle app has "relatively crude type" because it hasn't received a Retina-ready update.
As the "world's first tablet that can actually show you hi-def movies in full 1080p high definition," HD videos looked "dazzling."
And the world's most veteran tech columnist, David Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, describes the new Retina Display as:
"Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription—you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn’t nearly as sharp as it could be," he wrote, later adding that it was the "most spectacular display" he had ever seen in a mobile device."
Writing for the Washington Post, Joshua Topolsky glowingly writes:
"This display is outrageous. It’s stunning. It’s incredible," he wrote. "There’s something almost other worldly about how good this screen is. For rendered text or high-resolution images, it just looks like a glowing piece of paper."
MacWorld's Jason Snell writes about the new iPad as:
Sure enough, the third-generation iPad blows away every other iOS device in terms of graphics performance. In our tests using the GLBench 3D graphics testing app, the third-generation iPad could draw a complex 3D scene at the full frame rate of its display, 60 frames per second, without breaking a sweat."
Other new iPad reviewers such as Rich Jaroslovsky, Jim Dalrymple, John Gruber and Vincent Nguyen all seem to agree, for the most part, that the new iPad is a winner and clearly the new iPad is going to be the tablet to beat. With its vast native library of apps, great OS and hardware the question remains if it's even beatable? Only time will tell on that one?
In conclusion, all of these great reviews have all gotten me stoked, and that goes especially for the iPad's new Retina Screen which Jim Dalrymple stated:
"Trust me, even if you watched the introduction video, you still have no idea how good this display is. You really do have to see it to believe it."
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, March 15, 2012
Source: AppleInsider and Gigaom
I'm certainly no prophet, but even I could have predicted that the previous, and impressive sales of the last two versions of the iPad were about to be eclipsed by its third version, or as Apple is now calling it, the new iPad!
In fact, reports are saying that sales of the latest and greatest iPad, as the old proverbial saying goes, "... are literally off the charts!" If you want an iPad, well, you can still order one now, but actually getting your hands on one is going to take you a little bit longer than you might have originally wished for. In other words, if you want a new iPad it will definitely be later than sooner!
And for good reasons too, as MarketWatch, among others, are now all reporting that:
"...... the developers say the device's new high-resolution screen, which the company calls a "retina" display, and increased processing power would allow them to make more appealing programs. Analysts also lauded the addition of next-generation wireless technology, known as 4G, which allows customers to surf the Web at dramatically faster speeds than in the past."
Apparently, after being only available for a few days, all preorder stock is now utterly and completely sold out! No surprise there, of course, because after all, as great as the first two versions were the third one puts them both to shame with its far better 5 mega-pixel camera, beefier A5X procesor and quad core GPU, 4G speed,and, as we all know by now, its mind-blowing Retina Display that packs over a whopping three million pixels into its 10 inch frame.
In conclusion, and according to some analysts, such as Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, we can expect that Apple may easily sell as many as 9 million of the higher resolution little suckers in the next quarter alone, and it's also increasingly looking like one of those purchasers is going to include little old me!
And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny and delightful Monday, March 12, 2012
Apple logo with 4G iPad via: PCR.com
Some of the five publishers, which includes, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Penguin Group, Macmillan and HarperCollins Publishers, are already believed to be in early settlement talks with the U.S. Dept. of Justice in a case that could reshape the entire digital-book market by driving down prices overall, but also potentially shifting market power away from publishers to Amazon.
Apple, however, is not keeping quiet over the allegations, and as Gizmodo quoted and wrote:
"Apple claims that publishers were left to set their own prices, and it can't be held responsible for them being high, reports Paid Content. Essentially, it points to the idea that Amazon's ebook prices were artificially low—which in some cases they were—and that publishers tried to restore normality by shifting prices. No blame, according to Apple, lies at its door.
Apple is also keen to point out that the debacle is purely an ebook issue. Interesting, as the Department of Justice lawsuit hints that the price fixing was a way of slowing Amazon's entry into the tablet market. In response, Apple has said:
"...if Amazon was a "threat" that needed to be squelched by means of an illegal conspiracy, why would Apple offer Amazon's Kindle app on the iPad? Why would Apple conclude that conspiring to force Amazon to no longer lose money on eBooks would cripple Amazon's competitive fortunes?""
Well, the above statements from Apple seem to make perfect sense to me, but than again, I really don't know if they're telling the truth or they're just trying to simply protect their ass. However, if there were a plan, by Apple or the publishers, to slow down Amazon by concocting some sort of price-fixing scheme than it clearly seems to have backfired!
Again, and in conclusion, I can't see why on earth Apple would need to resort to any price-fixing in the first place, or why they would have to lie in order to cover their tracks but until further information comes to light, I'm simply not going to pass judgment on either Apple or any of the publishers in question.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, March 09, 2012
Via: Gizimodo; source: Paid Content
iBook logo via: regardingjohn blog
First of all, yes it's that HD screen.... all 2,048-x-1,536 glorious pixels of them! In fact, the little 10 incher packs in more pixels than most 60 inch HD TVs out there, utterly putting them to shame! With its new Retina Display, icons, text and graphics all seemingly just jump out of the screen and in all of their luscious glory!
Yes, Apple haters will scream that it only has a dual-core A5X chip, but the truth is that the iPad's previous chip, the A5, could already out perform most, if not all, of those other quad-core chips out there and the A5X should do even better this time around. Besides, it's the quad-core GPU that really makes the difference here anyway, and it shows in the buttery smooth demos that we saw yesterday, and according to some experts it even gives the new iPad graphic capabilities that even out do the XBox 360 and Sony PlayStation!
Also, I was very, very impressed with some of the software upgrades and especially so for iPhoto. I can see this thing even being picked up by professional photographers for use in either the field or studio, and yes, it was that good.
According to C/net's Charles Cooper, there were four take aways that he found to be of particular interest and ones that sends a clear message to Apple's competitors:
- Elvis has not left the building
- Anybody still in the rear view mirror?
- Business to take the plunge
- Nobody cares what we didn't get
And when it comes to the first point, yes Elvis hasn't left the building, or should I say Steve Jobs spirit hasn't left the building. You can see that Steve's vision for Apple and the iPad are still pretty much at play here, from the presentation to every detail in the product itself. I'm sure that Steve is looking down somewhere with a big smile on his face right now.
As for the second point, no, the iPad may not include everything that everyone wished for, but on the other hand it included more than enough to keep most people happy. Apple never really was the kind of outfit that would include something just for the sake of including it. We got all that we really needed and that's what counts the most.
Thirdly, when it comes to business the iPad 2 has already made a very big impression on big business (and small ones too) and I would expect the new iPad to make an even bigger impression. Jonny Evans even thinks it goes so far to say that the: "New Apple iPad kicks the rest of the PC industry while it's down!"
When it comes to the iPad, it is already changing the way in which businesses communicate internally and interact with their customers, with business's such as Xerox and SalesForce using it for customer engagement, Cedars-Sinai for hospital applications, and companies like GE for training and currency tracking. EntreprenetteGazette, for instance, lists over 30 different ways that you can use the iPad in business which you can read here. It was even reported that a staggering 95% of all Fortune 500 companies are now testing the iPad for use in their business's!
Mr. Cooper's last point was that nobody really cares about what we didn't get. Yes, it would have been nice if we got Siri instead of just voice dictation, but for now, to be honest, voice dictation is the most important feature of Siri anyway, and I'm sure that Apple will eventually add Siri in iOS 6. The fact is that there are so many improvements to the new iPad to keep most people happy: better camera, better CPU, better GPU, better screen, bigger and better RAM (1GB), better software (iLife and iWork), and better pricing ..... it's not going up as some predicted it would!
My 2 cents on the new iPad is that it is a winner!
No, if your an Apple hater you'll always find something to bitch about, but when it comes to having, and enjoying the best possible tablet experience, with the best quality apps and accessories then the best choice for most people will still be either the old or new iPad.
In conclusion, the biggest and most intriguing thing, however, to come out of yesterday's new iPad unveiling was when Tim Cook teased us with this little tidbit:
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, March 07, 2012
Opening image via: TheiPad3.Info
When it comes to HMTL 5, which is sometimes described as the very future of the internet, it is now being reported by Andrian Kingsley-Hughes, among others, that iOS is three times faster than Android when it comes to HTML5 performance, and when it comes to this most important technology he surmises: "Summary: Android has a long way to go if it plans to catch up with iOS when it comes to HTML5 performance, and given that HTML5 is increasing in relevance, Android needs to catch up, and catch up fast."
His conclusions are based on performance tests conducted by Spaceport.io, which you can view in PDF form here.
As Adrian points out, some of the scores are rather interesting indeed as you can see below:
- iPhone 4S: 252
- iPad 2: 327
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus: 147
- Samsung Galaxy Tab: 65
- iPhone 3GS: 53
- Kindle Fire: 25
When it comes to Android, it's quite obvious that the above bench marks are ones you won't be seeing boasted about in any Android brochures or advertising as they tell quite telling. It's bad enough that Android is already the worst platform when it comes to mobile security, or the fact that Android also suffers from that nasty little problem of fragmentation, but now this poor HMTL5 performance showing is just another reason to why to stay clear of the world's top selling smartphone.
As Mr. Kingsley-Hughes also noted:
"HTML5 isn’t just a web thing; it also serves as the platform for a completely new range of applications and games. The faster a device (especially mobile device) is at handling HTML5, the better it will be when it comes to running these applications and especially games, which put a greater load on the hardware."
So, in conclusion, with a seemingly endless parade of Android phones hitting the market, with their also seemingly endless parade of sizes and features, there now also seems to be seemingly endless reasons on why not to buy and Android device, as Android's HMTL5 performance, insecurity and fragmentation suggests. No wonder too that one ex Googlers has even publically admitted that: Android may never be as smooth as iOS!
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, March 07, 2012 HMTL5, Android and Apple logos via: Antsmart.com.au
As each passing day goes by it seems that Google and Motorola are getting themselves into more and deeper hot legal water.
Besides Apple winning injunctions such as this one, or the fact that it looks like their alleged double-dipping on its FRAND patents could end up finding Googarola quilty of massive EU antitrust violations, it is now also being reported that Motorola and Google have now been ordered to forcefully give up their Android trade secrets to Apple!
Bloomsberg is reporting that U.S. Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner has decided to order Googarola to give up its Android data based on a patent suit that Apple filed in 2010. Motorola, however, responded by stating:
"Google's employees and documents are not within the ‘possession, custody, or control' of Motorola, and Motorola cannot force Google to produce documents or witnesses over Google's objections."
Ouch! Now that didn't sit too well with the judge, so we'll see where that one goes.
Back to Judge Posner's decision, it means that Motorola Mobility and Google itself must hand over any and all information regarding Google’s pending $12.5 billion acquisition of the money losing mobile-phone maker, and as such it could give Apple a possible leg up in its legal fight against Android, which Apple considers to be a 'stolen product'. Naturally, Google and Motorola don't exactly like this one one measly little bit and will no doubt try to fight this nail-and-tooth!
Herr Mueller, the world's most quoted patent expert, recently stated that:
"Apple scored a breakthrough court victory today against Motorola (Bloomberg was first to report). Its importance can hardly be overstated. This is so huge that it even begs the question of whether Google's strategy for its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility has failed before the deal is even formally closed (they're still waiting for some regulatory approvals)." (emphasis mine)
He also went on to write:
"Other large companies have learned before Google that it's not a good strategy to provoke antitrust intervention on different fronts at the same time, or in short succession. Google has enough antitrust worries, and it's now buying a company that in the preliminary opinion of high-ranking German judges appears to be committing an ongoing antitrust violation.
All things considered, Google as a whole may be better off by acting reasonably and cooperatively on the Android patent front.
The coming months, or years, will show how far Google is willing to go only to fight for the right to infringe third-party patents."
So, in conclusion, one can not but help ask the question: what-in-hell is Google up to anyway? Obviously, they want to stop Apple from stopping Android dead in its tracks by using its recently purchased Motorola patents as well as those from IBM, etc., but considering all of the legal setbacks that Android is now facing it seems clear to Herr Mueller, and others, that Google is basically just 'cruising for a bruising'!
And that's my 2 cents for this reasonably sunny Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Broken Android image via: DigitalTrends
Rumors of Apple introducing a 7 inch plus iPad continues to resurvice, with a so-called iPad mini being, more-or-less, confirmed by none other than one of Apple's biggest competitors themselves, Samsung!
Of course, the whole idea behind any so-called iPad mini would be to help offset potential lost sales to the only non-Apple tablet that is actually selling in any large numbers these days, namely Amazon's Kindle Fire, which has already sold in the millions of units despite of only being on the market for a few short months.
The Kindle Fire runs on a crippled version of Android, but offers a huge library of digital content consisting of books, movies and the like, and pretty much as does the iPad via its iTunes store. What the Kindle Fire has, however, is a much more consumer friendly price, and a price that is obviously resonating with millions of customers worldwide.
Of course, any iPad mini would basically be nothing more than an over glorified e-book reader as far as I'm concerned, much like todays Kindle Fire, but if Apple could price it low enough, let's say around the $199-$299 price point, than it could seriously effect, or should I say... rock the whole tablet market, seriously impacting the sales of other cheap tablets and leaving Apple with the majority of both the low and high ends of the market to itself.
However, if reports are true that Apple will still be offering the iPad 2, but at the significantly lower price of $299, than it would seem less likely to me that Apple would need to introduce a seven inch plus tablet in the first place. Yes, a 7 inch iPad mini would certainly be more portable then the 10 inch iPad 2 or iPad 3 versions, and despite the fact that some people seem to prefer the smaller size, I'm still not convinced that it would be reason enough for Apple to actually build one. Some even think that a $299 or lower iPad 4 could litterly kill off all other cheap tablets, including the Kindle Fire.
Meanwhile, as Wednesday's introduction of the iPad 3 nears, it is being reported that it will be a significant upgrade indeed, or at least I'm hoping that it will be. The next iPad is expected to include not only a considerably sharper display technology, but may also include for the first time 4G LTE technology, which, of course, would also include technology that is largely covered by Nortel patents that Apple recently purchased at a cost of several billion dollars. It's even being reported that Apple is testing the next iPad 3 which includes the next version of iOS, or iOS 6.0.! That doesn't mean iOS 6.0 will actually be available when the iPad 3 launches, but who knows?
In conclusion, whether or not Apple will ever introduce a seven inch version of its popular tablet is yet to be seen, but I'm pretty certain that come Wednesday its next iPad is going to wow a lot of people, including myself who am not that easily wowed by anything! And, hopefully too, any cheaper iPad 2 will also wow a lot of people who were thinking of buying either a cheap Kindle Fire, or another cheap tablet, to end up buying themselves an iPad instead.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, March 05, 2012
Cheap Android knock off tablet image via: M.I.C. gadgets
When it comes to the World's Most Admired Companies, Fortune again lists, and for the fifth straight year in a row, that the most admired of them all is none other than - APPLE!
Fortune states:
"To say it was another big year for Apple would be a gross understatement. With the passing of Steve Jobs, questions swirled around the company’s future. But under new CEO Tim Cook’s guidance, Apple continues to prosper.
The company's annual revenues climbed to $108 billion, led by an 81% increase in iPhone sales -- a jump that doesn’t factor in the runaway success of the iPhone 4S -- and a 334% spike in iPad sales, due in no small part to the revamped iPad 2. Increased sales across the board explain why shares soared 75% during the company’s fiscal year to $495."
Out of the world's top 50 most admired companies, Apple's new arch foe, Google, is listed as being the second most valuable on the list.
The top 10 out of the list are as follows:
1 - Apple
2 - Google
3 - Amazon
4 - Coca-Cola
5 - IBM
6 - FedEX
7 - Berkshire Hathaway
8 - Star Bucks
9 - Procter & Gamble
10 -Southwest Airlines
As AppleInsider noted:
"Apple ranked first in its industry for nine different "key attributes of reputation," including innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products/services and global competitiveness.
The publication's most admired list is generated through a survey partnership with global management consulting firm Hay Group. The surveys ask executives, directors and analysts to rate companies for each of the attributes."
In conclusion, despite the depressing news of its founder death, Steve Jobs, Apple had a very good year indeed, if not even a down-right spectacular year, and a year which saw Apple become the world's most valuable company of them all, and, as well, a year where it was once again named its most admired!
And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, March 02, 2012
Apple Logo via: Tip
Above is the newly released trailer for Waking Mars, a $4.99 iOS game by Tiger Style, and which is currently now available on iTunes.
This highly anticipated game sets you on Mars, or should I say beneath its surface and the goal here is to bring it back to life, or as its creators say:
"WAKING MARS is a one-of-a-kind adventure in which you jetpack through subterranean Mars encountering a host of extraordinary alien lifeforms that operate as a living, breathing ecosystem. Learn and master the behaviors of these creatures to create ecosystems of your own design if you are to survive and discover the secrets of Mars’ past."
As you can see from the trailer, Waking Mars has some great visuals and it's available for both the iPhone and the iPad, but knowing me I think I'll take the iPad over the iPhone when it comes to playing this little gem of a game. The alien life forms buried deep within the mysterious red planet are, well..... weird, but in a very fun and cool way! But that's what you would expect, more-or-less, from any alien creature otherwise they wouldn't be that much fun at all, now would they?
The requirements for Waking Mars are as follows:
iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
In its review of Waking Mars, SlideToPlay writes:
"On the surface, it’s a fairly standard sci-fi story, although its fiction is way more detailed and well constructed than nearly any other game on the App Store. But what really sets the Waking Mars apart is its atmosphere. As you make your way deeper into the caverns of Mars, you'll come upon beautiful vistas and strange formations. You'll also find a good deal of diversity in the organisms underground, from plants that hurt or heal you to primitive lifeforms that gather seeds for food. They've created a magnificently realized world here, with its own internal logic and beauty."
I must agree with them, the atmosphere in Waking Mars is truly delightful, and as AppShopper also noted, Waking Mars was also designed exclusively for iOS, with intuitive touch screen controls, as well as nearly two hours of critically acclaimed original music, and also featuring Game Center Achievements and Leaderboards, as well as the ability to Tweet Research Progress to all of your friends back here on the good old Earth!
In conclusion, even though I'm not much of a gamer myself, being the oldie that I am, but this is one game I think that I could really grow to love as much as any of the few games that I do play, such as BeJeweled 3, Majong or solitaire, so what-the-heck, if you have any gaming blood circulating in your veins then, by all means, check Waking Mars out.
And that's my 2 cents 4 this snowy and gloomy Thursday, March 01, 2012
