Google Hypocrisy: Is Android Really Open Or Close?

Some have previously stated that when it comes to open-source projects, that Android was the most closed of them all.

VisionMobile, for instance, compared eight different open-source projects including: Android, Qt, Symbian, MeeGo, WebKit, Linux and Eclipse  and found that Android scored the lowest rating of them all, a measly 23%.  In comparison, the three most open projects were: Eclipse which received an OGI (Open Governance Index) of 84%, followed by Linux (71%) and Apple's very own browser layout engine, WebKit (68%).

However, according to the world's most famous patent expert, Herr Mueller, Android is apparently just as closed as Apple's own iOS, and this is apparently based also on Google's very own statements!

While boasting of how important being open is to innovation and freedom for cusomers, Google is now claiming, according to Herr Mueller, that some aspects of Android, particularly when pertaining to its Nexus line of Android devices, are just as much a trade secret as iOS is and, therefore, just as closed as iOS is!

Apparently, if Herr Mueller, whom I have the greatest of respect and admiration for, is correct, than Google is indeed attempting to have its cake and eat it too, because as he writes:

"Google indeed wants to have it both ways. It wants to keep Android closed like the iPhone in some contexts but at the same time demands legal privileges, including the privilege to infringe anyone's intellectual property, because Android is supposedly "open". Google's claim that the Galaxy Nexus source code is just as much of a trade secret as the code running on the iPhone contrasts with what Google told the ITC two months ago in connection with Apple's complaint against Motorola:

"Exclusion of Motorola's handsets and tablets would also threaten Android, the only freely adaptable, open-source mobile platform developed and distributed in the U.S. Android's open, generative platform will facilitate the next round of innovations in mobile computing and fuel the U.S. technology sector [...]"

"Unlike Apple's much less flexible iOS, generative platforms such as Android encourage innovation, promote self-expression, and protect individual freedom, providing consumers and industry with substantial value."

In conclusion, I agree with Herr Mueller when he states that it would be nice indeed if Google could either come clean or admit that Android was not really an open platform in the first place, or (more ideally) that it would at least honor its own open-source promises. I also agree with Herr Mueller when he writes: ".....if Google buys Motorola, I'm afraid we'll see more "trade secret" claims than ever."

And that's my 2 cents 4 this bitterly cold, but wonderfully sunny Monday, April 30, 2012

Image via: Nokkiaar

Great iOS Games: Sky Gnomes By Foursaken Media

I'm not the biggest gamer out there, but I do like cute, cool and nifty little games occasionally and that would definitely include Foursaken Media's very cute, cool and nifty game of  Sky Gnomes which TouchArcade recently reviewed here.

As you can see in Touch Arcade's video above, this an engaging little game in which you are a gnome speeding straight down through the sky while riding a homebuilt rocket as you try to collect as many snowflakes, coins and other items, as you can in an effort to reach a landing zone as quickly as you possibly can, or as Foursaken Media's officially puts it:

Welcome to the world of Sky Gnomes! These little guys live high in the clouds and have only one passion in life: racing! Every day they're tinkering with their snow engines, building new parts and customizing others to go as fast as possible - falling straight down! Take control of one of these speed-obsessed gnomes and enter into the daily Sky Gnomes Tournament, where you'll be competing against players from all over the world in one of the most interesting multiplayer racers to ever hit the App Store! Customize your engine, dodge dangerous weather, and race like never before in this simple to learn, pick-up-and-play racer. Every day is a new chance to become a Sky Gnomes Champion, so get racing!

Sounds like fun, hah? Well, it is, and what is even better is that the developers have now just sweeten the game with the first of many planned content updates. The biggest addition of Sky Gnomes is that it has added two brand spanking new characters to the game, namely: Girly, the female racer, and the ever so skinny racer aptly named, of course,...... Skinny! Both of these new characters come with their very own set of unique rocket stats, which offer a fresh change of pace from the original racer Gnomey. However, these new racers don’t exactly come cheap, as they'll set you back  a whopping 10,000 coins.

All-in-all, and in conclusion, Sky Gnomes is a great game and a great addition to any iPhone or iPad gaming library, and its just one of the many fine games that you'll find featured and reviewed from TouchArcade,  who gave the game a four-and-a-half star rating.



And that's my 2 cents 4 this rainy, but mild, Friday, April 27, 2012
Source: TouchArcade

Is Apple Considering Using OLED's?

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has taken out a patent that would improve OLED brightness control.

This is interesting because Apple has thus far avoided OLED displays and it raises an even more interesting question:

Could Apple finally be considering using OLED's?

That we don't know quite yet, but so far Apple has been avoiding it as much as its competitors have been embracing it. One of the problems with OLED displays, as noted by AppleInsider is that:

"The filing, entitled "OLED Driving Technique," explains that traditional LCD brightness is adjusted by simply increasing or decreasing the amount of light emitted by a backlight. But that's not possible with an OLED display, as each pixel on an OLED screen emits light individually.

That means device makers must adjust the amount of power supplied to each OLED pixel, making it a far more complex endeavor to adjust brightness than an LCD display with a dedicated backlight."

Some people, like Forbes contributing writer, Nigam Arora, also thinks that Apple's refusal to use OLED's displays could eventually cost Apple big time. Of course, there are reasons why Apple prefers LED's to OLED's, as used in its current products, as Mr. Arora notes that traditional OLED's, like the ones that many Android devices use, suffer from various and sorted problems such as those below:

"Traditionally it has been difficult to mass produce OLEDs. Further OLEDs structures are inherently unstable. OLEDs were also limited by the life span of organic materials that transferred light. For example historically materials used in blue OLEDs had a life span of 14,000 hours to half original brightness, compared to 40,000 hours for traditional LEDs.

Traditional OLEDs also suffered from color balance deficiencies. Materials used for the blue color deteriorated more rapidly than the materials used for other colors. Since most displays of today use only three colors red, green, and blue, this color imbalance issue has been a serious problem.

OLEDs have also suffered from screen burn in issues, not dissimilar to plasma displays. Certain OLED materials also are damaged by prolonged exposure to sunlight."

That said, there are certainly advantages to OLED's too, such as their brightness and color saturation which makes images just seem to jump out at you, as they are so vivid, and especially noticeable when you compare them side-to-side with most LED's.

Mr. Arora, by the way, is an engineer and a nuclear physicist by background, and he has founded two of Inc. 500 fastest growing companies, as well, he has been involved in over some 50 entrepreneurial ventures. In other words: he knows what he's talking about and is the type of guy that you simply can't dismiss so easily. He also pointed out that if the development of OLED technology continues at its present pace it will end up becoming a big negative for traditional LED providers, like those who produce all of Apple's current crop of devices, which is also why he wrote:

"There are rumors that Apple is investing $500 million to $1 billion for the next generation of displays. Several informed sources contend that these will be OLED displays." 

So, could Apple really be serious about using OLED's in the future?

In conclusion, I don't really know for sure, of course, what Apple will do, but I everything that I see seems to indicate just that, and this goes especially for any rumored Apple TV.  If this turns out to be the case, then Apple's future is not only looking bright, but a hell-of-a-lot brighter and a hell-of-a-lot more colorful to boot!



And that's my 2 cents 4 this absolutely glorious sunny Thursday, April 26, 2012

Opening OLED image via: SamyHub

Apple Announces WWDC2012 To Be Held June 11 - 15; Will It Bring New MacBooks Pros And New iMacs?

Boy, oh boy, Apple just announced that their next World Wide Developer Conference will be held this June 11-15 and I, for one, just can't wait.

No, I'm not a developer, but since this event just happens to be one of the biggest Apple events of the year it also means that there could always be some pretty big, and very juicy announcements and not just on the software side, but the hardware side as well.

Of course, Apple will be shedding  new light on both OS X and iOS 6, and  according to Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, Philip Schiller:

"We have a great WWDC planned this year and can’t wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers,” and I can't wait to find out more.

As the great tech site, Mashable also noted:

"It’s interesting to note that WWDC 2012 is happening approximately two weeks after Tim Cook takes the stage at AllThingsD‘s D10 conference, which probably means we’ll learn a bit about WWDC’s program in advance."

What has me excited the most is the fact that, in the past, Apple sometime uses its WWDC events to also announce new hardware as well. Could this mean that it will finally announce those long rumored MacBook Air like MacBook Pros? I hope so, and, not only that, but, hopefully, as well, the next generation of the iMac which are expected to get some of that new Intel Ivy Bridge goodness, as well as some nifty non-glare screens. And who knows, maybe they'll even get some of that iPad and iPhone Retina Display goodness to boot?

In conclusion, this year's WWDC2012 will be bringing more than 100 Apple engineer technical sessions, staffed by more than 1,000 Apple engineers, as well as the Apple Design Awards, which recognize the very best in iPhone, iPad and Mac apps, and, as well, give attendees the opportunity to connect with other iOS and OS X developers, but at the admission price of $1,599, and, hopefully, this year's WWDC will also include Apple announcing those brand spanking new MacBook Pros and iMacs.




And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, April 25, 2012

WWDC2012 logo via: APPLE
NOTE: AppleInsider just reported that WWDC2012 sold out in less than 2 mealy hours!

Is Android Really In Trouble?

Android, no matter how much you love or hate it, has some serious problems these days.

One of these, of course, is its seemingly never-ending patent troubles. Already, this has resulted in Google gobbling up Motorola Mobility for some $12.5 billion, and who knows how much more it will end up costing Google when it's all said and done?

Another major headache for Android is its security issues, and so many that it is now consider to be the most insecure of all mobile devices. Basically, as far as some are concerned, when it comes to security, there is very precious little of it, which is why you can easily end up having Android Trojans like this new one.

The third and biggest issue for Android is simply the complicated issue of fragmentation. This is one issue that just won't seem to go away, and, is in fact, one of the major contributors to Android's lack of better security.

All of the above, according to Jay Yarow, are some of the reasons on why he believes that, "Android Is Suddenly In A Lot Of Trouble," and he he writes:

"The mobile story for 2011 was the rise of Android.

It looks like the mobile story for 2012 is not going to be so good for Android. It appears as though the operating system is in choppy waters, and is suddenly facing a lot of trouble."

For starters, he points out that one of Android's biggest problems is Facebook and he writes: "This is bad news for Android, because it shows that  a developer can build a massively successfully product that the world goes crazy for without even using Android."

Facebook now has over 901 million people registered with it in total, and some 500 million of those are now using it on mobile devices, devices which Google had hoped to control via Android. Potentially, I would think that this would mean that Facebook could end up being in the drivers seat when it comes to generating ads on those mobile devices, and ads that are going to end up profiting Facebook a lot more than they will Google, and it is controlling those ads that was, no doubt, the biggest reason on why Google developed Android in the first place..... ouch! This means, according to Jay, that when it comes to critical developer support, iOS is in the drivers seat, and as he wrote:

"This sends a clear message to developers: Build on iOS first, Android second.

AppceleratorThis is already playing out -- developer interest in Android has begun slipping. When developers treat Android as a second class platform, consumers will be soon to follow."

Another troubling Android issue is tablets. When it comes to Android tablets, well, it ain't just happening, at least not yet. Lovers of everything Android were predicting that Android was going to steam roll over iOS in the tablet space, just as it did on the mobile phone side. So far, that has not been the case as the iPad continues to not only set the stage, but completely dominates it.

I also agree with Jay when he points out that one the main reason why Android over took iPhone sales wasn't because it was a better product, but rather simply because the iPhone, at the time, was tied exclusively to AT&T and was thus out of reach for millions of people around the world who wanted one.  In the begining, iOS was basically a sitting duck, and was virtually dead in the water, but now that the iPhone is no longer bound to AT&T, the iPhone growth rate has been eating into Android's, and it is now Android that seems to be dead in the water as iOS grows at the expense of Android, as it slows and stops growing.

As Jay also pointed out, the Kindle Fire was and still is the only real successfully based Android tablet out there, but it's also a tablet that has been forked off of Android and some believe that this means that Google's Decision To Buy Motorola Was A 'Big F-U' To Its Partners, and this could all mean that this is the year, or maybe next year, that Android really starts to fork off into ever more Kindle Fire like tablets, forever fragmenting Android beyond recognition.

In conclusion, is Android really in trouble?
It's obvious, from reading Jay's post, that Android is now experiencing some trouble, but is it as bad as Jay suggests?  That I don't really know? However, if the recent Arab Spring has taught us anything, it is that things can change, and change fast, and without warning. Android might be in trouble today, but that can always change tomorrow, because nothing changes as fast as it does in the world of tech.





And that's my 2 cents 4 this rainy, and I mean rainy, Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Android logo via:  MobileAppTracking

The New iPad Hits South Korea And Samsung's Pride

Above you can see people lining up for blocks to buy the new iPad. Nothing unusual here you say? Well, actually there is, because...... this time the line up is in South Korea, and, yes, the same South Korea that is home to the electronic giant Samsung, and, yes, also the very same Samsung that is locked in many legal and costly battles with Apple for doing so!

A little while back it was reported that Apple's now iconic iPad was beating Samsung in its very own back yard and the above video clearly backs up and proves that in spades. It's now believed that Apple's iPad accounts for as much as up to 80% of all tablet sales in this very patriotic nation. Now that has got to hit were it hurts the most... Samsung's pride.

In conclusion, even though Samsung is now well known for copying just about every little detail it can from Apple's own playbook, the one thing that it can't seem to copy is the same enthusiasm and love from its own countrymen that they have for the iPad!





And that's my 2 cents 4 this rainy Monday, April 23, 2012.
Via MacRumors

Tim Took Makes Times 100 Most Influential List

Time has just recently released its list of the top 100 most influential people in the world and that list includes Apple's very own Tim Cook, who replaced Apple's iconic CEO after his death last year.

I must agree, just as Time stated, replacing Steve Jobs would be one of the most difficult things for anyone to do, but Tim Cook has, so far done it, absolutely brilliantly. In fact, Glassdoor recently named Mr. Cook as being the most popular CEO for 2012! Of all of the top 25, the soft-spoken Mr. Cook took the top spot beating out the likes of Ernst & Young’s Jim Turley, Qualcomm’s Paul Jacobs and Google’s Larry Page.

Time Magazine described Mr. Cook as being not only soft-spoken, but "... genuinely humble and quietly intense.." and the "... son of an Alabama shipyard worker and a homemaker... " who ".. hasn't missed a single beat. "

Not only has he lead Apple to new heights, but according to Time:

"He has indelibly imprinted his leadership on all areas of Apple — from managing its complex inner workings to identifying and shepherding new "insanely great" technology and design breakthroughs into the product pipeline."

Of course, Mr. Cook is not new to leading Apple, the world's biggest and most valuable tech firm, because he's been there before, running it on several different occasions after Steve Jobs was forced to take several medical leaves of absence. Even though, as Time points out, that he can be very thoughtful, and projects calmness he , "... .. can be tough as nails when necessary. Like the great conductor George Szell, Cook knows that his commitment to excellence is inseparable from the incredible ensemble he leads at Apple. Szell was noted for saying, "We begin where others leave off."

In conclusion, Time itself nails it in their closing, when describing of Mr. Cook, as they wrote:

"Cook's chance has come. What a beginning! "

And that's my 2 cents 4 this dreary, rainy, oh, how I wish I was back in good old Deutschland, Friday, April 20, 2012

The iPhone 5: To Be The Biggest Smartphone Release Of All Time And Include LiquidMetal Body And Larger Screen

Yesterday, I watched in horror, as Gizmodo posted the above video of an iPhone being used, with a hammer of all things, to crack a nut on!

What looked, at first, to be an utterly nutty thing to do, of course, was nothing more than a demonstration of Buff Labs new protective, anti-shock, coating that gives devices like the iPhone the equivalent of an armor suit, and this is the kind of thing that I would surely hope that Apple would, hopefully, add to the next iPhone, which, by the way, some are saying will be the ".... Will Be The Biggest Smartphone Release Of All Time."

As Bill Shope at Goldman Sachs, and also reported by Business Insider noted :

"Apple is ready to release a new iPhone (he calls it the iPhone 5) in the September-October time frame, and Shope says,"the iPhone 5 launch is likely to be one of the most important smartphone product cycles we’ve seen to date."

He's right. Everything is set up for Apple to have the biggest smartphone release of all time. It will be on more carriers than ever. It will probably release a phone that runs on LTE, the high-speed wireless network. It will probably get a hardware refresh making it look brand spanking new."

In conclusion, I too have the sneaky, gut feeling that Bill Shope is right on the money, and that the next iPhone, or whatever it's called, will indeed be one hell of a dozy of a phone, and one that will have the competition quivering in their tracks, with a larger screen,and quite possibly employing the use of liquid metal, an incredible material with some pretty incredible qualities.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this cloudy Thursday, April 19, 2012

Conceptual Apple Designs By CiccaresDesigns

Anybody will tell you that nobody really knows what Apple is going to be up to next, but that doesn't mean that we can't dream, speculate, or imagine what they could be up to.

However, in the meantime, the fine folks over at Ciccaresdesigns are not just sitting around waiting, as they actually dare to dream, speculate, and render what Apple could be up to next with their own amazingly sexy conceptual designs as seen below, starting with what could be the much rumored about iPad mini:

The tastefully done rendering of the iPad mini, as nice as it is, is not quite as sleek or sexy as Ciccaresdesign's rendering for their concept for the iPhone Air, or the iPhone 5, both seen below. Now these are two designs for a phone that I, or anyone else for that matter, would surely be proud to be seen sporting:

Well now, as striking as the above Ciccaresdesign iPhones are, the one design that really strikes me as being strikingly, striking is their sleek, sexy and uberly cool looking design for Apple's so-called and upcoming iTV, or Apple TV, or whatever else on earth they end up finally calling it. As you'll notice, the screen is slightly curved, very thin and dag-nabit, just as sleek, clean and as smooth as anything that you'll find anywhere, at anytime, so be sure to check out the rest of their renderings on their site:

I'm not sure how Ciccaresdesign can keep coming up with all of these modern and innovative designs, but in conclusion, I just hope that they keep em coming, and if you happen to be listening Mr. Tim Cook, could you please consider adding some of these Ciccaresdesign goodness the next time you release one of your next iDevices..... please, oh pretty, pretty please!

And that's my 2 cents on great design for this Wednesday, April 17, 2012

Blast From The Past: The Game Changing Apple II Turns 35!

Time magazine has an interesting in depth look back, some 35 years ago, at the computer that has generally been credited with ushering in the home computing revolution..... the venerable and game changing Apple II computer.

It was on April 16 and 17, 1977 that some twelve thousand proto-geeks crammed into San Francisco’s Civic Auditorium to attend a new event called the West Coast Computer Faire. It was here that a new and futuristic gizmo now known as the “personal computer” was first introduced to the world. Folks marveled at the various microcomputers on display, and other related gizmos, from the likes of Cromemco, IMSAI, Northstar, Ohio Scientific, Parasitic Engineering, and, of course, and, at the time, the tiny company known as Apple Computer Inc.

Harry McCracken, the author of the post, has assembled a collection of memorable Apple II photos, and goes on to suggest 14 ways to mark its anniversary, and he noted that of the 180 different vendors on display, the Apple II didn't get much attention at first, but as he wrote:

"It didn’t take long until it was obvious that the Apple II was going to matter. The machine started shipping in the summer of 1977, and by the end of the year, it was gaining fame as was one of a trio of consumer-friendly, ready-to-use systems that were taking the personal computer beyond its hobbyist origins. The other two were Commodore’s PET 2001, which had also been displayed at the Faire, and Radio Shack’s TRS-80, which was announced in August."

Ah, I remember those three iconic computers well. The Apple II I never owned, but I did covet one back in the days. The Radio Shack TRS-80 I never wanted to own, considering it the ugliest of them all back than, but I do look back longingly at it now. The Commodore Pet, however, was the machine back then that was the glimmer in my eye, and it was my very first computer as I wrote in an earlier post.

Back to the venerable Apple II, it was this computer that went on to help to establish Apple as not only one of the greatest companies of all time, but the biggest of them all, at least when it comes to its market cap, and this all in spite the horrible stock fallout recently.

Of course, as Mr. McCracken pointed out, the Apple II wasn't actually the very first computer out there, as earlier computers such as the IMSAI 8080, which I have previously written about here, clearly beat it to market. However, such computers as the IMSAI 8080, were geared to only a limited few people who were geeky enough to be able to use them. These computers required putting them not only physically together, but also requiring the user to write their own programs and even, to a limited extend, the OS itself! The Apple II, however, brought the computer to the masses, thus making them accessible for the rest of us technology challenged. The Apple II helped to virtually turned an otherwise inaccessible product into an accessible one, and, in the process, turning them into appliances.

In conclusion, as Mr. McCracken also noted, "the Apple II readied the world for the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and, come to think of it, every other major technology gadget of the past 35 years. More than any single other computing device, it’s the one that crawled out of the primordial ooze and scampered assertively in the right direction. Countless others followed its lead, and continue to do so."

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Apple II photo via: Wikipedia

The iPad Running Windows 8

Above is a video, with crappy music, of Microsoft's Windows 8 and its cool Metro U.I. interface running on an Apple iPad, and I must say so myself that it's looking rather good indeed.

The iPad is not directly running Windows 8, of course, but rather through SplashTop's remote desktop software, and software which allows you to stream Windows 8 from a nearby desktop directly to your iPad. SplashTop's software is mostly intended for developers in order to help them debug their software, since there are naturally very few Window 8 tablets on the market as of yet. SplashTop highlights some of its software benefits, on their site, as giving software developers the ability to:

- Swipe from the right to view the Charms menu
- Swipe from the left to switch apps
- Pull down from the top to close an app
- Swipe slowly from the left to run two apps side-by-side ("snapping")
- Pinch to navigate files, folders, apps and data with Semantic Zoom
- And more

When it comes to Microsoft's Metro U.I. on a phone, or on a desktop, I can't say that I care much for it at all, but on a tablet it feels, looks and runs pretty dang sweet! For Microsoft's sake, it better since it is literally, no joking aside, betting the whole farm on it. If Microsoft's best attempt to take on the iPad fails, then some are predicting that Microsoft's future will be looking rather grim indeed.

Of course, I personally don't have the foggiest clue as to whether Windows 8 will fail or succeed, but some are already saying that it will be an utter failure. On the other hand there are others who say that Windows 8 tablets will eat into Android tablets lunch, but considering that Android tablets having exactly been setting the world on fire lately that's not saying much.

In conclusion, Microsoft's Metro U.I. on tablets looks great. It's original, unlike Android which more-or-less basically rips off iOS almost to a tee. I"m not sure if Windows 8 will be enough to trounce the iPad on its own turf, but I have a sneaky feeling it will give it a good run for its money. I actually like the Metro U.I. on tablets, which is something that I would rarely, if ever, say about anything from the Redmond giant.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this so, so Monday, April 16, 2012

Could Google's Stock Fall To A Big, Fat Zero?

I've never heard of James Altucher before. He's an investor, programmer, author, and entrepreneur, and, as well, the Managing Director of Formula Capital and is the author of 6 books on investing, with the latest being, I Was Blind But Now I See and FAQ ME.

James Altucher has also caused a bit of a controversy for asserting that Google's stock may be heading to a big, fat zero! He outlines his reasoning in an article he wrote for Techcrunch entitled: Why Google Might Be Going to $0.

Apparently this claim is all based on patents, and in this case some pretty old ones going all the way back to the beginning days of search and a company called Lycos. Apparently, Lycos, a company that I once thought was a completely dead search engine, is still apparently still alive and kicking, and it had some original patents that were sold, and resold many times, and are now in the hands of a company called Vringo, who's stock has recently doubled on the prospect that Google is in violation of those patents, and thus it's owed a very great deal of moo-lah indeed.

According to this report, by the Wall Street Cheat Sheet, at one time Google used to be one of Lycos's biggest customers, and since Vringo's patents are believed to be ones that could effect Google's AdSense and AdWords, from which it derives some 97% of its revenues, if found guilty Vringo could demand a huge, no, let's make that a monstrous amount of money.

In conclusion, I really don't know that much about the this particular case or its claims, but if found guilty I would think that Google is in a very deep pile of you-know-what? As Mr. Altucher says in his article, you can decide for yourself by checking out how Google does its search thing here, and how Vringo's patent claim supposedly does its thing here, and as he also states: ".... it looks like the exact same to me."

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, April 12, 2012

Google image via: TechChrunch

PS. Barron's reports that Mr. Altucher's Techcrunch's article has helped boost Vringo's stock by some 86%!

Apple's High-Flying Stock: Can It Continue?

In early morning trading Apple's stock has been up some $7 per share, leaving the stock trading at a whopping $635 per share. Yesterday, however, before a broad market declined over European debt fears, the stock hit another all-time record of some $644 per share, giving Apple another record: the second company, after Microsoft, to ever hit or surpass the magical $600B capitalization mark!

This is truly amazing, as the BBC also noted, when you consider that Apple's stock was trading for a measly $3.19 in 1997, a time when the company was also facing the stark and very real prospect of bankruptcy.

Amazingly, even despite problems over the recent FlashBack security issue, or the iPad's so-called heat issues, or its Foxconn worker issues, or issues with the iPhone 4S's battery, or even a recent stock downgrade, Apple's stock seems to be defying the odds. Some are even calling for it to reach the lofty heights were we could see Apple go to a whopping $1,001 dollars or higher, with some even contending that there is a real case for Apple possibly becoming the first and only company in history to ever hit the unthinkable market cap of $1,000,000,000,000 ....... yes, that's one trillion dollars boys and girls!

In conclusion, I, of course, have no idea whether Apple's stock can continue to soar as it has been doing. After all, there's no guarantee that any company, including Apple's, can defy the odds forever and continue to perform as Apple has been able to do, but it's sure fun watching to see just how far and just how high it's stock and market cap can go, and it's also easy to see why NBC's analyst, Jim Cramer, is calling Apple's stock the, “greatest growth stock of our lives.”

And that's my 2 cents 4 this dreary Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Opening graphic via: HotHardware

How To Build A Hackintosh: A Video Guide

If you have a hankering for a powerful, adaptable Mac, and one with expansion to spare, but, like myself, lack the money to actually buy a spanking and expensive new Mac Pro there's always the old Hackintosh route.

Building your own Hackintosh, of course, is not only a lot cheaper than buying an Apple machine, it's also not for the faint of heart. However, on the other hand, it's also one of the most satisfying if you can actually pull it off. Anybody, more-or-less, can build themselves a regular, old run-of-the-mill, Windows or Linux box, but building a Hackintosh, thanks in part to Apple's closed system architecture, can be a whole lot more challenging to say the least.

However, if you have the fancy of doing so, InsanelyGreat is doing a video series of posts chronicling their own attempts of building a real live, honest-to-goodness, i7 based Hackintosh, and one that you might find a big help if your ever interested in building your own as well.

In the first, and opening video above, you can see their list of more-or-less 'certified' components that the Hackintosh community has found to work well in the past, since not just any old frigging motherboard, graphic card, or what-have-you, will simply work out-of-the- box when building your own Hackintosh as they would with other PC builds.

Below, the second video shows their first attempt at building a Hackintosh and, what do you know, it actually ........ WORKS ......., why.... IT'S ALIVE, it's alive, I tell you! Yes sir, and dag-nabit, after seeing it work it rather makes me, myself and I, just want to rush out and do the same. Seriously, they have spent approximately only a measly $1,100 dollars to build a rig that, even though it's not quite as sexy as a Mac Pro itself, is still, more-or-less, just as powerful and as capable as Apple's own rig, but a hell-of-a-lot easier on your wallet to boot.

In conclusion, I'm planning on keeping up with their progress, because, quite frankly, even if your loaded with dough, you know, this thing still looks like it would be a lot of fun trying to to build simply for the experience gained. After all, anyone can build themselves a regular old run-of-the-mill Linux or Windows box, but building a Hackintosh, well now, that would make you the boss!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, March 10, 2012

Rumors: iPhone 5 To Launch In May, June Or October

Another day, another iPhone rumor. This time, however, as reported here, it's coming from a supposedly Foxconn recruitment manager, and one that claims that they, Foxconn, are hiring an additional 18,000 new workers to help fulfill a new order from Apple for the next iPhone, which is also expected to be released sometime this October.

The Foxconn's Taiyuan factory official allegedly gave all the details to South Korea's Maeil Business Newspaper, but whether it is accurate or not I can't say? However, the latest so-called leak contradicts an earlier report that stated that the next-gen iPhone will be debuting this coming May or June.

I don't know, of course, how dependable these contradicting reports are, but I do hope that the next iPhone will be a lot more exciting than the last one, the iPhone 4S, which was seen as being somewhat disappointing, even though it bested basically every other smart phone out there. Remarkably, in spite of all the criticisms, the iPhone 4S went on to become the biggest selling smart phone in history and it saw the introduction of Siri, an artificial intelligent personal assistant. Siri, itself, is expected to be significantly updated in the upcoming release of iOS 6.

In conclusion, all I know is that besides a major or significant upgrade to Siri, what I really would love to see in the next iPhone, the iPhone 5 shall we call it, is a larger screen, but not too, too large as we have been seeing in many of the Android and Windows phones out there. Some of these things have been getting so big that they are becoming somewhat of a challenge to use. I don't want to see that happening, but a 4 or 4.3 inch iPhone would be bloody damn sweet if you ask me.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this wet, dreary Monday, April 09, 2012

iPhone 5 concept via: iPhoneinCanada

Apple Stock Price Finally Surpass's Google's!

Thanks to Google's stock losing some ground yesterday, and Apple gaining some, what I've been waiting for, but wasn't really sure would ever happen, well happened ..... Apple's stock just surpassed that of Google's price of $632.32 per share!

Apple's stock just hit the sweet little old $633.68 per share mark at the end of closing yesterday, and besting the search giant for the first time ever.

What does this mean exactly? Not much, and especially since Apple's stock is but a little over a dollar per share higher, but it does mean a lot when you consider that Apple has considerably more outstanding shares than does Google. In other words: Apple is a hell-of-a-lot more valuable than Google, or for that matter, any other company on the face of God's green earth!

Talking about market cap, Apple's, the world's most valuable company by far, now has an astounding cap of some $ 590.82B! Google, on the other hand, is barely worth one third of Apple, or some $ 205.59B. Apple isn't quite yet 3 times as more valuable, but it's clearly headed in that direction. To me, what is really interesting is that Apple is now worth more than a whopping $ 190B more than the world's former market cap champ, Exxon, who's value is still an impressive $ 399.78B, making it the world's second most valuable company.

AppleInsider, for instanced, noted that:

"While the two competing and collaborating tech companies now have nearly identical stock prices, Apple's has appreciated 160 percent over the last two years, compared to the roughly 12 percent gain Google has realized over the same period.

Apple's market cap is now larger than the combined valuations of Google, HP, Dell, RIM, Microsoft, Nokia, AMD and Motorola Mobility, with a couple billion dollars to spare."

Not only have I waited for Apple to eventually surpass that of Google's lofty stock price, like I did when it surpassed that of its old and mighty nemesis, Microsoft, or when it recently took the crown as the world's most valuable company, I did so from a background where I remember when Apple was down and trodden and headed for the history bins. Apple was then the butt of jokes, and Windows lovers would forever tease me by asking, "if Apple was out of business yet?"

In conclusion, I can remember like it was yesterday when Apple's stock price was around a measly 6 or seven dollars per share, and its market cap was around a paltry $ 1.6B or so, and when Mr. Michael Dell infamously stated, in 1997, that if he were Steve Jobs, "...... I shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders," and now look where Apple is! Simply amazing, isn't it?

And that's my 2 cents 4 this absolutely glorious sunny Friday, April 06, 2012

Apple Stock image via: MoneyWeek

The Sexiest Mobile Phone Ever: ADR's Concept iPhone 5

Jonathan Ive, and Apple in general, are world famous for their design chops. Name just about any product that they produce and you'll find a product that is not only functional, but virtually a piece of art as well.

The iPhone, especially the 4S is no exception, but as beautiful as they are ADR Design's concept for the iPhone 5, as seen above and below, absolutely make Apple's current and previous designs look oh so..... blah!

I don't know if Apple, or anyone else for that matter, could actually produce ADR's design, but boy-oh-boy, do I definitely think that they would be a fool not to attempt to. I mean, just look at this thing.... it's drop-dead gorgeous! It's so slim, and so sleek that it just begs you to reach out and caress it.

Even though the design is based more-or-less upon the current model, it is nonetheless a much better implementation of it that I've seen thus far. It sports a larger screen, the one thing that I really would love to see in the next iPhone, but its not so freakishly big like some of those retarded looking Android knock-offs that I've seen, and phones that seem to be getting bigger just for the sake of getting bigger! Seriously, are they miniature tablets or humongous phones, I just can't tell the difference sometimes.

What is interesting about ADR's fabulous iPhone 5, or 6 concept, depending on how you view such things, is, in their own words:

"First of all it’s sim-less: it doesn't use a simcard by our phone mobile operator. It can grab your data directly by the mobile network, also in 4G LTE.
It uses a new audio section, with two panel speakers, on the rear of it aluminum forged unibody.
All the controls are now on the top and the edge is so thin!

The great news is the new iPhone haven’t just one retina display. It has three ones!
One strip screen is on the top, to show you all the network infos, clocks, notifications and so on.
The bottom one is for App dock, multitasking panel and so on.
The central one is only for the desktop: more space, more freedom."

In conclusion, you can see even more iPhone concepts here, but I personally think that ADR's design is by far the most incredible and sexiest phone concept ever, and one that virtually makes all other phones, including Apple's current models, look down right ugly in comparison, so Mr. Cook, Mr. Ives, please, for crying out pizza with anchovies, and for the love of all that is good, right and decent...... please copy this thing............. please, oh pretty, pretty please!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, March 05, 2012

U.S. Smart Phone Share: Android Is Still In The Lead, But iOS Is Catching Up Fast

Apparently, all of the people who were predicting that Android would kill off iOS devices by now were a little too hasty in their predictions as Neilsen is now reporting that iOS has, more-or-less, clawed its way back to the point where its sales, in the U.S., almost match's those of all Android devices combined. Android still maintains its lead, but just barely, with some 48% of the market compared to iOS's 43%.

As you can see in Neilsen's chart above, iOS sales for new smart phones have increased rather sharply despite predictions of some Android worshipers who prophesied its death by now. That hasn't happen yet, but it more-or-less seems to be what's happening to Nokia, Microsoft's Windows Phone and, as we all know, Research In Motion and its beloved BlackBerry. In fact, Android and iOS together can now claim over 90% of the smart phone market in the U.S.

iOS's sharp rise can be attributed, in part, to the iPhone 4S and iOS 5, and its much smoother and better performance, but also probably because people are discovering the many problems that go along with Android, such as its security, or should I say its lack there of, and its app market that pales both in the quality and in the numbers of apps compared with that of iOS, and, of course, last, but certainly not least, Android's infamously big problem with fragmentation.

Android's fragmentation is so bad, in fact, that it means that its latest and greatest OS isn't even available yet on most Android devices. Truth is, however, that Android's latest OS version, ICE, or Ice Cream Sandwich, is now beginning to explode ..... almost doubling in its use, from 1.6% of all Android devices to a whopping 2.9%!

Wow, ICE after all this time has barely managed a measly penetration of less than 3 bloody percent! This is amazing considering that so much time has passed that Google is now readying its replacement, Jelly Beans, which would mean that anyone who finally upgraded (the few lucky ones that is) will still be running an older and outdated version of Android in a few months or so.

Ginger Bread, Android's now much older OS, amazingly still commands a whopping 63 plus percent of all Android devices. Most new Android phones, I believe, come with Ginger Bread on board, not ICE! In other words, owning the latest Android hardware doesn't guarantee that you'll necessarily end up getting the latest Android OS along with it. Most new Android phones are still running on and older version of the OS, and all thanks, in part, to its wide spread issue of fragmentation. Google, with Motorola Mobility, could always reign Android in, much as Apple does now with iOS, but even though that would mean that even though Android's quality would go up, and its fragmentation likewise would also go down, so too, in all probability, would Android's sales also go down as well, since it would mean that Android's so-called open nature , one of its so-called biggest and best features, would be hardly anything but, except maybe in name only.

In conclusion, is it any wonder, when it comes to Android, that people like Jason Perlow would write: "I'm sick to death of Android", because, as he also points out, in a recent update:

"Google has begun rolling out Android 4.0.4 updates for selected Nexus and Wi-Fi Motorola XOOM hardware, but not the Verizon LTE Galaxy Nexus yet.]

So the bottom line is, as a consumer, how much is one willing to tolerate this? If someone like me who is an astute observer of the industry has to do such intense research on which Android device to buy based on the potential for ongoing support and then ends up getting burned in the process, what is the average consumer to do?"

And that's my 2 cents 4 this mild, but cloudy Wednesday, April 04, 2012

The European Commission And Motorola: It's On Baby!

If you were wondering if, or when, Motorola would be formally investigated over its use, or should I say miss use, of its FRAND patents, then wonder no more.

That's right, after both Apple and Microsoft submitted complaints to the European Commission it is now officially launching not one, but two formal investigations into Motorola.

Of course, Motorola Mobility is claiming that they have done no wrong, as noted by the BBC, with Motorola stating:

"Motorola Mobility is confident that a thorough investigation will demonstrate that it has honored its Frand obligations and complied with anti-trust laws..."

Well, we're about to find out if that is the case or not. However, how long that will take is anybodies guess at this point. Even though I, personally, find the evidence to be overly stacked against Motorola they are, of course, under the law, completely innocent until found otherwise guilty.

What is really interesting is that Motorola Mobility's investigation comes not that long after the E.U. had already formally begun an investigation against another Android OEM, Samsung, for its alleged miss use of its FRAND patents. What we are seeing here is a legal process that if, Samsung or Motorola are found to be guilty, could end up being a major blow against the entire Android platform overall. I'm not sure if being found guilty would kill Android off, but I certainly do believe it would go a long way in crippling it, and that thought has got to hurt Google and its Android partners quite considerably.

Getting back to Motorola, as you can see in FossPatent's chart below, Motorola is being anything but fair when it comes to the licensing of its FRAND patents, and especially so in regards to Microsoft and Apple, by demanding a royalty rate that goes far above anything that is anything but reasonable, or fair and non discriminatory.

Microsoft, for instance, now pays some $6.5 million annually to license over some 2,339 patents, which I also believe includes some 50 from Motorola, regarding wireless and video encoding tech. However, Motorola wants to increase its royalty rate on its 50 patents to what would end up seeing Microsoft paying out a staggering $ 4 billion annually to Motorola alone, and just for those very same, and very few patents.... that's over 600 times as much as it presently does now!

As bad as that may sound, the really bad news for Microsoft, and really, when you think about it, for everyone else... consumers included, would be that every other patent holder would end up demanding to get the same type of payout as Motorola's, thus pushing up the cost of Microsoft's products to the point that they would be virtually priced out of the market! I've read somewhere, I believe, that if Motorola were to actually get what it wanted it would mean that the cost for an iPhone, for example, would jump from around $600 per phone to something more along the lines of a whopping $160,000 plus per phone!

Now that is what I call not only unfair, unreasonable and totally discriminatory, but utterly and totally insane!

In conclusion, if what I've been reading is to believe, than it's time that Motorola, Google and Samsung where investigated vigorously, and if found guilty, that they are vigorously dealt with with the same degree of extremism that they sought to inflict on Apple, Microsoft and others. If Google thinks that it can get away with this, well, Herr Mueller, the world's most quoted patent expert, stated:

"Google is already being investigated by the European Commission for suspicions of abuse of its dominant positions in search and online advertising. Now its $12.5 billion acquisition target Motorola Mobility is being investigated, and if and when Google closes the deal, it will effectively buy itself into two more EU antitrust investigations. It's time for some people in Mountain View to realize that a multi-front war against competition authorities, on three continents in parallel, is a war that they won't be able to win."

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Opening European Commision logo via: Technofierce.com

Ashton Kutcher To Play The Iconic Steve Jobs

Variety is reporting that tech savvy Ashton Kutcher will be playing the role of Steve Jobs in an upcoming film depicting the world famous tech visionary.

As you can see in the opening photo via AppleInsider, via the Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Kutcher's Getty Images do appear to have an uncanny resemblance to the tech genius at least when he was a young man back in his former hippie days, and at the beginning of Apple.

Mr. Kutcher apparently will be shooting the new bio film while on hiatus from his recording of Two and a Half Men, a role he took over from disgraced Charlie Sheen. In addition to Mr. Kutcher playing Steve Jobs, Sony Pictures is considering hiring either George Clooney or Noah Wyle to play the part the iconic founder of Apple in another biographical film based on Walter Isaacson's official biography. Interestingly, Noah Wyle previously played the part of Steve Jobs in the movie, "Pirates of Silicon Valley."

In conclusion, and in consideration of all that Steve has done in changing the lives of just about everyone in the modern world via computer hardware, software, music, and movies themselves, there couldn't be any better subject for a movie than Steve Jobs himself.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this sunny, mild Monday, April 02, 2012