Android Device News

This month's most unusual or important Android Devices.

First some really annoying news:
Samsung rumored to put chips in accessories to curb sales of unofficial products

Details on Samsung’s purported plan to kill unofficial accessories

Samsung gets more like Apple every day.

Smart Watches

Smart watches, not glasses, I think are the next big thing. One of the primary reasons is fitness tracking.

The Time Has Come For Smartwatches – ReadWrite

AIRO wristband tracks not just sleep, exercise and stress, but also what you eat

I was interested until I saw the price. Does this thing use Intel/Windows or something? :-)
Qualcomm Toq release date set for December 2, will cost $349

Review: Withings Pulse with built-in heart rate monitor

Neptune Pine smartwatch gets reinvented, reaches Kickstarter target in less than a day - Android Authority

Tablets

Inexpensive Unu Tablet Also Acts as Media Center | Sci-Tech Today

This $279 tablet is considerably nicer than an iPad 2:
Archos 101 XS 2 tablet coming in December for $279 - Liliputing

You'll be able to buy a 20 inch, 4K tablet in January (for $6000) - Liliputing

Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 visits the FCC - Liliputing

Kid's Tablets

MEEP! X2 tablet for kids is faster, slimmer, still costs $150 - Liliputing

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids priced at $230, arrives to the U.S. in Nov.

Phones

Samsung changed their minds, it is clear that a small phone has its place in the US market:
Samsung brings smaller version of S4 to US - KansasCity.com

Motorola's make your own smartphone out of modules is so different and interesting, I'm including three articles about it!
Motorola's 'Project Ara' modular smartphone setup switches out hardware like apps

Motorola's Project Ara aims to build modular, upgradeable phones - Liliputing

Motorola Taps 3D Systems To Produce Parts For Its Crazy Modular Smartphones | TechCrunch

The Moto G is very interesting. This is a real Apple killer in the long run:
Motorola Announces The Moto G: What The iPhone 5C Should Have Been – ReadWrite

Moto G unboxing and first impressions

Miscellaneous Devices

Acer's new 2560 x 1440 pixel smart display has Tegra 4, Android - Liliputing

Devon's Ceptor thin client-on-a-stick now available for $99 - Liliputing

Here's how Dell's Wyse Cloud Client works (pocket-sized thin client) - Liliputing

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ARM and Intel News

I've been watching the new hardware coming out for the holidays, and there is very little Bay Trail.
What little Bay Trail is there is in tablets or hybrids and tends to be the slower version and has small screens.
Bay Trail technology Celeron and Pentium are making some appearances in laptops, but there is a serious problem. At least with Windows, they are only in touch screen laptops. Worse most, possibly all, have only 2 gb of memory and they all have standard hard drives. As it is the same specs from several OEMs, one wonders if Intel is not putting these restrictions on the OEMs to keep these systems from undercutting the still expensive ultrabooks. To me it looks like the intentionally crippled netbooks all over again.

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Notes from Chrome Dev Summit 2013

I watched all of the first day of the Chrome Dev Summit live stream and part of the second day.

I won't summarize the sessions as they were highly technical and fast paced.
You can find the sessions and schedule at: http://developer.chrome.com/devsummit
Day one and day two live streams are recorded on YouTube.

Here are some interesting tidbits that were revealed:

1. Google is taking the offline web very seriously. A few years ago, they talked about being continually connected. This has stopped. They fully realize that there are just too many situations where you have no or poor connectivity. Going forward one can expect to see many tools and APIs to help handle the issue.
2. Dart 1.0 was released a few days before this conference and was a major topic. Google made it completely clear that they believe that Dart is now ready for the production of commercial grade apps. This includes those pieces of Polymer that are present in the Dart library. Google is using Dart internally in a big way.
3. They did a really good demonstration of Web Media APIs. At least in Chrome, most of these are ready to use. They gave some very impressive demos. Firefox and Opera are busy catching up.
4. Chrome Packaged Apps are a complex topic, but the summary they gave managed to touch many areas. This is a ripe area for developers, with Windows and ChromeOS already having full support and MacOS and Linux nearing completion. One sad piece of news though, the parallel track for mobile versions of Chrome Packaged Apps delivered via PhoneGap is a bit behind schedule. At this point they are not expecting the Android version to enter "betaish" until January. They made a great case for being able to leverage one JavaScript (or better yet Dart) code base to deliver an application across different platforms and devices.
5. Portable Native Client is now ready for prime time. (This is a way to put C/C++ code safely into a web app, preserving near native performance. PNaCl automatically translates your code for the underlying client architecture (Intel/ARM)).
6. Their performance sessions were extremely in depth. It is amazing what you can do with Chrome Developer Tools to improve performance.

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Chromecast News

It looks like we may be getting close to the average app developer being able to release something for Chromecast:
Chromecast May Be Breaking Out Soon – ReadWrite

Here are some of the latest things to become available for Chromecast:

Google Chromecast app released outside the US - SlashGear

Hulu Plus for Chromecast live on iPhone « Hulu Blog

Pandora’s iOS and Android apps now support Google’s Chromecast streaming stick — Tech News and Analysis

HBO Go Chromecast added to Android and iOS apps

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

It's no wonder it's an Android app, imagine trying to get an update through the Apple App Store in the middle of a military operation!
Tap to bomb: new Android app lets troops call in airstrikes

All the Evidence that Time Travel is Happening All Around Us

Report: Elon Musk Wants to Make Bond's Lotus Submarine Car a Reality | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

China's Building Cities So Fast, People Don't Have Time to Move In

Sad and strange:
Chinese Couple Sold Baby For iPhone | TIME.com

Somebody's found something Siri is actually good at:
Your iPhone Is Now Officially A Pokédex

Cave art depicting early Americans’ sex lives suggests people inhabited Americas 18,000 years earlier than believed | Fox News

What TED Talks Will Be Like When the Zombie Apocalypse Arrives

Why have normal smartphone notifications when you can use the smell of bacon?

I live a few dozen miles from this:
BAD IDEA: Hotel from The Shining Will Build on a Pet Cemetery

This even made the BBC's "Now Show" (a radio news show):
Dell users get claws out over laptops that stink of cat pee | Technology | theguardian.com

This made an amazing amount of news, and is definitely strange:
Google’s mysterious barge is actually an ‘invite-only’ showroom

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Tablet and Smartphone Market Share 3Q13 (IDC)

These numbers are according to IDC:

In the smart phone market, IDC did not break out by OS, however, we know Nokia had 8.8 million units sold in 3Q, so that would be 3.5% of the market, making Windows Phone overall < 4%. IDC says that Apple's share was 13.4% down from 15.6% last year.

World Smartphone Marketshare 3Q13
Android	~82%
Apple iOS	13.4%
Windows Phone	~4%

Windows tablet market share was listed only as "struggling" by IDC, I'll give it 4%, it may well be significantly less.

World Tablet Marketshare 3Q13
Android	~66%
Apple iOS	29.6%
Windows Phone	~4%

IDC, in the tradition of market analysts sucking up to the companies they cover, said:

However, with the new iPad Air shipping November 1st and the refreshed iPad mini with Retina scheduled to roll out later in November, IDC expects Apple to enjoy robust shipment growth during the fourth quarter.

This is of course silly. Apple unwisely raised the price of its new mini. It has severe screen supply problems with the new mini. Mini and iPad 2 sales dominated last holiday season. Android vendors have plenty of new tablets for the holidays not shipping yet too. Add to this iOS 7 woes and it is very likely that Apple will fall even further behind in 4Q13 and IDC surely knows this. Beyond marketshare loss, a contraction in number of units shipped (4Q12 vs 4Q13) is not out of the question.

Samsung's share grows while Apple's declines in Q3 smartphone market - Computerworld

Worldwide Smartphone Shipments Grew In Q3 While Chinese Demand For Low-Cost Android Devices Hurt Apple’s Market Share

IDC on tablet market in Q3: Android up, iPad down, Windows struggling | ZDNet

Apple's tablet lead shrinks as Android gains momentum | PCWorld

iPad market share dips to less than 30% while tablet market grew 7%

Nokia Lumia sales hit record 8.8 million in Q3, North America doubles | The Verge

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Apple Censors iOS 7 Users Talking about Warranty Rights

The lead story in this Apple news update is that Apple is censoring its support blogs to keep users from finding out about their warranty rights.

Apple censors Lawrence Lessig over warranty information; iOS 7 mess grows

Make sure you read Lessig's post as well:
Wow, or from the When-Apple-Became-the-Borg Department

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"Live" Blogging the Apple iPad Event

[Synopsis: Apple launches two new iPads. Neither are cost competitive with Android. iPad mini with retina display costs $399!!! It clearly is delayed, time will tell whether or not supply chain problems will make it essentially unavailable for the holiday season. OS X Maveriks will be a free upgrade. All in all one can regard the new iPads as an early Christmas present for Android vendors. These tablets, especially given the problems with iOS 7 and the A7 processor that is in the iPhone 5S and both new iPads, virtually guarantee a great holiday season for Android.]

This "live" blog is just my reactions to the Apple iPad Event. I tried to watch it via live stream, but Apple is apparently incompetent about such things. This is the third event in a row where they have screwed this up. Did everybody competent there move to Google or something?

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More on iOS 7, iPhone 5S Problems

Well, the floodgates are opening. Because Apple commands so much ad money, many places avoid criticizing anything Apple. But once a few places do so, it becomes OK to talk about the obvious.

Anyway, I feel vindicated, I've only been talking about this since the day iOS 7 released [link, link, link, link]. The volume of news stories about individual bugs made it clear that iOS 7 had significant problems. Also, many Apple users just flat out do not like it.

I want you to take away three things from this article (and the ones linked to above):

1. Apple has released its worst upgrade ever. It fails so badly it is kind of like Windows ME and Windows 8 combined.
2. The iPhone 5S has sensors so faulty that it seems likely that Apple will have to recall all of them.
3. iPhone 4 and 4S users are in major pain and Apple will not let them downgrade. If you have a 4 or 4S and have not yet "upgraded" you really should not do so. Apple should let these users downgrade.

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Legacy Platform Update (Apple iOS, MacOS X and Microsoft Windows)

I generally intend to do this post once a month or so, but as Windows 8.1 released today, it seemed warranted to do an extra post this month.


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ChromeOS Revolution Update

Wow, this is what Amazon's best-selling laptops list contains as I write this (10/12/2013):

• #1 Samsung Chromebook
• #2 HP Chromebook 11 (White/Blue)
• #6 Acer C720-2800 11.6-Inch Chromebook
• #7 Acer C710-2834 11.6-Inch Chromebook
• #36 Acer C710-2833 11.6-Inch Chromebook
• #37 11.6" Acer C7 C710-2856 Chromebook
• #89 Acer C7 C710-2847 Chromebook

Amazon doesn't publish such details, but the Samsung Chromebook has been #1 on the list nearly every day since it shipped about a year ago. (It's possible it has been on the list every day, I've never seen it not be #1 on the laptop list.) The top two laptops are both Chromebooks and ARM-based, not Intel-based.

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

Nokia Wants to Use Lightning to Charge Your Phone [VIDEO]

If you were trying to prove your embarrasing mapping system was all fixed, you certainly would not want to route motorists onto an airport runway. However, if you did do that by mistake, surely you wouldn't do it again?
Apple maps route to AK airport runway reactivated - Times Leader

The funniest part is that a phone that is truly gold-plated only costs 5x what an iPhone 5S does.
The Gold HTC One is a $4,400 limited edition plated in real gold

IEF 2013: Get ready to buy your last light bulb ever - Absolutely FABulous | TechEye

Strange, definitely creapy news:
U.S. military commissions real-life liquid armor Iron Man suit | DVICE

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Chromecast Status

Recently, the biggest news is that the Android Hulu Plus app supports Chromecast.

The Chromecast is selling very well:
Go On, Guess What Amazon's Top-Selling Gadget Is Right Now – ReadWrite


The big question everyone is asking is when will Google let developers release apps?
This has led to speculation that Google is favoring "Big Copyright":

Chromecast, 2 Months Later: Where Are All The Apps? – ReadWrite

What's Holding Up New Chromecast Apps? Nothing ... But Google, That Is – ReadWrite

Numerous competitors are in progress:
Mozilla developing Chromecast killer with tab mirroring from Firefox for Android

Roku Strikes Back Against The Chromecast Menace – ReadWrite

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Android News

During the latest blog format change, I reduced the amount of Android I cover.
Android is an incredibly rich platform and if you really want to know what's going on, try Android Authority, but be prepared to get quickly overwhelmed.

Here's a summary of what's been important in the Android world in the last few weeks:

As always, Samsung is a "leader":
Android benchmarks: Almost every major device maker is cheating - Liliputing

The Apple bloggers try to make a big deal of this, but to me it is just as sign that Android really is the #1 computing platform. Back in the days of workstations, benchmarks were cheated on (CPU and compiler). Then came the PCs (CPU and graphics cards), when that started, you really just knew that Windows was ruling the world. Now, the computing world has moved on once again.

Not only does Android ship the most devices per quarter, but its installed base has probably passed Windows. (Windows has long claimed a billion users (which realistically is a device count), though one thinks it might have shrunk a bit. Google claims 800 million Google Play devices. That would not include Amazon or White Box devices not using Google Play, so it is likely that Android now has more "users" (devices) than Windows.

Anyway, it is clear where the numbers and growth are, so the hardware folks are cheating there now. They shouldn't do it, but they do and they will.

Android has over one billion activations! - Android Authority

This next one I think is important because it points out some weaknesses in Android. One can only hope Google is thinking about these things.
With HP’s Slatebook X2, Android’s Not Ready for Work Yet | TIME.com

One reason I've not had much Android news is that most of it has been device or app news. Also, I don't like to cover rumors. However, some stuff does seem to be known about KitKat and the Nexus 5 [which may be called the Nexus 4 (2013) as the new Nexus 7 is Nexus 7 (2013)].
Google Partners with KitKat for the Next Version of Android (Not a Typo) | TIME.com

Nexus 5 design, Android 4.4 KitKat features detailed in new photo leak; LG-D821 gets second Bluetooth SIG sighting

At last it will be easy to find tablet apps.
Play Store change will make tablet apps more visible, starts Nov 21

Google did some research on Android's level of malware, this article covers it:
Contrary to what you’ve heard, Android is almost impenetrable to malware - Quartz

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Legacy Platform Update (Apple iOS, MacOS, and Microsoft Windows)

iOS 7 News

iOS 7 continues to reveal an unprecedented level of bugs. If you get your Apple news only from Apple fan blogs you may not realize just how bad the problem is. Here is one metric (searches done around 1pm MDT on 10/11/2013):

Google News Search String	Items Returned	Days Released
"ios 7" bug	21,500	23
"windows 8" bug	8,460	351
(All of Jelly Bean) "android 4.3" bug +"android 4.2" bug +"android 4.1" bug	4,390	471

In a mere 23 days, the bugs in iOS 7 has generated 5 times the number of news stories that Android Jelly Bean bugs generated in over a year. The use of the word "unprecedented" seems thoroughly justified.

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Celebrating 40,000 Pageviews

The blog is now 10 months old.

We have a new #1 most viewed post at 6,000 pageviews:
Arm vs Intel Benchmarks

#2 has 5,500 pageviews:
How to Live with Windows 8

#3 has 900 pageviews:
Alternatives to Microsoft Office

#4 has 690 pageviews:
Are Google (or Any Cloud-based) Products Trustworthy?

#5 has 680 pageviews:
Why Ultrabooks Do Not Sell Well and the Future of Laptops

#6 has 670 pageviews:
Microsoft's Best Buy-based Windows Stores - Impending Spectacular Failure

There are 327 posts.

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Added Z3740 (Bay Trail at 1.3ghz) Benchmark

This is the processor in the new Asus T100.
There is only one benchmark value in Geekbench at this time, but it seems reasonable enough.
As always visit Arm vs Intel Benchmarks to see the chart (you can always access this via the Resources section at the top right of the page).

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Non-Android Linux and Open Source News

I use MongoDB as my main database in my business. I really do not like SQL, MongoDB is easy to use. It is amazingly small. Our main server is an atom-based 4"x3"x1" box with a 16gb ssd and an external 2TB USB drive. It has 1gb of memory. Mongodb is so efficient that we've seen no need to get a bigger server, even though several other functions are on that system too.
MongoDB Leads Big Data With $150 M Infusion, Attracts Partners IBM, Microsoft And Saleforce.com - Forbes

Wow, a Firefox OS box!
VIA APC $79 computer can now run Firefox OS (or Boot 2 Gecko) - Liliputing

Free Software Foundation celebrates 30th birthday - Stallman looks back | TechEye

The author of this list has really good taste in what he chose:
10 open-source alternatives for small business software | PCWorld

French National Police Switch 37,000 Desktop PCs to Linux | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com

Analysis: Can SteamOS drag the PC game industry over to Linux? | Ars Technica

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Arm and Intel News

While I've seen a few investing sites talking Intel up this week, but they've mostly taken it on the chin. Bay Trail is great and I'm sure it will make some very interesting inexpensive Windows laptops and hybrids, but its ability to make inroads into the tablet world remains to be seen. It's good, but the momentum is on the ARM-side. Intel has to be better than ARM to overcome that.

This next doesn't surprise me... what surprised me is that Lenovo dabbled with Intel on phones at all.
Intel dumped by Lenovo phone project - Playing it safe with Qualcomm | TechEye

Applied Micro is "the most likely immediate threat to Intel". These are server oriented chips based off ARM, but with enhancements.
Intel faces threat from tiny Sunnyvale upstart - SiliconValley.com

Well, it's good to see Intel facing yet more reality...
Intel labels Ultrabooks a "Failure" | SemiAccurate

While Apple used it's own design for the A7, there is reason to believe the Cortex A5X will perform similarly (indeed probably better, especially when handling 32-bit code). A lot has been learned since AMD designed the "Intel" x86-64 standard. Apparently there are some significant efficiencies in handling the new ARM 64-bit instruction set. This article talks about it from Apple's perspective, but it likely applies to servers as well.
Intel Corporation (INTC): Intel: Apple's A7 Chip Reveals Dangerous Trend - Seeking Alpha

I'd really love to know Bay Trail vs Haswell vs ARM real pricing... but the companies involved are infuriating when it comes to trying to find such information.
Intel ships low-power Core i3 Haswell chips for tablets, notebooks - Liliputing

Allwinner unveils Allwinner A80 Octa processor - Liliputing

The videos are worth watching (especially the second one).
ARM demoes a Cortex-powered future (videos)

Developer Boards and Mini-Devices

Today's SoC's really have to come on a board before you can use them. This new section of this regular post will cover this area of devices.

Cubietruck dev board with Allwinner A20 dual-core CPU now available for $89 - Liliputing

This looks really nice, my next server may be based off this one:
$139 Intel NUC with Bay Trail chip on the way - Liliputing

Arduino boards to run full Linux thanks to TI’s new ARM-based chipTechie News

Intel supplies open-source Galileo computer with Quark chip, targets DIY crowd - Computerworld

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Android Device News

As I said last time, this post is done on a monthly basis and contains those devices that I find unusual or important. It is FAR from exhaustive. Small developer oriented boards are moving to ARM and Intel News as the SoCs generally need to be delivered on a board... in other words, they are now a "chip".

Google Glass and Competitors

My gut tells me that glasses as an always worn consumer platform is likely to fail - at best it is likely to be a fad. (Note, I only mean this statement for the next couple of years... with significant changes in battery life, weight, resolution, etc. it could change, though I still have doubts.) On the other hand, glasses as a specialized device for a specific use is already common. As the price for the technology falls, surely one will see it show up in gaming.

This company has shipped 50,000 devices (aimed at sports), uses Android:
Uh-oh Google Glassholes: Sugar daddy Intel strokes HUD goggles upstart • The Register

Ion Glasses Are a Stylish Alternative to Google Glass [VIDEO]

The Glass Development Kit Launch Will Finally Allow Glass To Live Up To Its Potential

Google announces U.S. Glass tour, starting with Durham on October 5th

Smart Watches

Nissan enters wearable tech market with Nismo Concept smartwatch- The Inquirer

Really, the only watch announced so far that I actually am intested in seeing:
Qualcomm Toq battery lasts for days, works well in bright light

I have real concerns about a smart phone tied to one place right against your body. Cell phone radiation is a known problem if you have prolonged exposure close up to one area:
A.I smartwatch is also a standalone Android smartphone (video)

Tablets and Phones

This next article is a good overview of "cheap" tablets now available. I include it because its the first review I've seen that includes a "white box" tablet in the set of tablets covered (the Hisense Sero 7 Pro). In many ways it is competitive with the iPad mini (which is now hopelessly behind most branded, Android 7 and 8 inch tablets).
Best Cheap Android Tablets (September 2013)

This tablet will be sold rebranded by NVIDIA partners:
NVIDIA unveils the Tegra Note (reference platform for Tegra 4 tablets) - Liliputing

HP really getting into Android:
HP Slates 7-HD, 7-Extreme, 8-Pro and 10-HD Cover Full Android Spectrum | Ubergizmo

This is a serious, decent smartphone for $189. Should be perfect for Junior High kids, so your world won't end when they squish it!
Kogan introduces $189 Agora quad-core smartphone - Liliputing

Amazon's not my favorite place for things Android, but for some users it seems to be a good place:
Review: The Kindle Fire HDX Is the Amazon-centric Tablet Finally Done Right | TIME.com

Looks like Android's going to have the 2013 holiday season to itself (well, technically Windows is there too... but will anyone notice?):
Reuters: Retina iPad mini may not launch in 2013 due to supply constraints

Other

Not Android, but I think the start of new competition for Android tablets. Not thrilled about pricing, but interesting none the less:
Hands-on: HP Spectre 13 x2 - first fanless detachable Haswell notebook

GameStick $79 Android game console hits the FCC, launching in October - Liliputing

Yet another use of Android in an unusual way:
RCA Internet Music System is a stereo powered by an Android tablet - Liliputing

Look back at older posts, I've been saying that custom hardware was just around the corner:
Now even supermarket chains are making cheap Android tablets | Ars Technica

Why, or why Samsung, did you make this only work with Samsung phones?
Samsung launches $299 HomeSync Android-powered media center - Liliputing

See, see, see... yet another way to get your own custom hardware:
Oracle introduces a DIY tablet, the DukePad - Android Authority

Spike Kickstarter Project Puts Accurate Laser Measurement Hardware Right On Your Smartphone | TechCrunch

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

Another case of where the impossible sounding title is exactly what the article is about:
Any Animal That Touches This Lethal Lake Turns to Stone

Vending Machine Dispensing Google Android Gaming Apps Launches in Japan - International Business Times

Yes, you too can have a light saber... well, not exactly:
Scientists Catch Up With Jedi in Understanding Light | Science | TechNewsWorld

Lot's of Apple Strangeness Again

iOS 7 design sparks new Japanese porn craze - Pocket-lint

Steve Jobs' childhood home could become protected historical site

Samsung sends spies to uncover Apple's iPhone line phenom | Mobile - CNET News

Sorry, iOS 7 does not make your iPhone waterproof | Digital Trends

Terra Motors' electric scooter is a $4,500 iPhone accessory | The Verge

New Book Erects Photographic Shrine to Apple - WSJ.com

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Bill Gates Asked to Step Down as Microsoft Chairman

Reuters reports that 3 of the top 20 Microsoft investors are pushing for Bill Gates to resign as chairman.

The three investors are concerned that Gates' presence on the board effectively blocks the adoption of new strategies and would limit the power of a new chief executive to make substantial changes. In particular, they point to Gates' role on the special committee searching for Ballmer's successor.

Exclusive: Time for Gates to go, some top Microsoft investors tell board | Reuters

The article says there is no sign that Gates will actually be forced out, but it surely is a sign of serious trouble at Microsoft.

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What Microsoft and Apple Need to Learn from the Blackberry Fiasco

The Globe and Mail is running a really good, in depth story about how Blackberry failed.

I think it contains some important lessons for Microsoft and Apple, both of which have been dominant, but are slipping at an alarming rate.

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Added Exynos 5420 Benchmark

This is the 1.9ghz version of the Exynos Octa series. This one can have all 8 processors running at once. In the benchmark listing there are only 4 showing, so I assume it is running on the 4 fastest (this is consistent with the results). Click to see the benchmark page.

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Non-Android Linux News

A lot of really important Linux news this time...
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Non-Android Linux-based Mobile OS News

Even in the Linux world the desktop is diminishing:
Linux Development Report: Mobile Vendors Storm The Linux Bazaar – ReadWrite

Latest Tizen sightings: Samsung phone, Intel laptop demo · LinuxGizmos.com

Samsung Tizen OS to spread to TVs and other home appliances

Jolla's Sailfish OS now supports Android apps - Liliputing

First stable build of Ubuntu for phones, tablets coming October 17th - Liliputing

ZTE Open Firefox OS phone is available again for $80 (unlocked) - Liliputing

ZTE sells about 100,000 Firefox OS phones, new model coming in 2014 - Liliputing

VIA APC $79 computer can now run Firefox OS (or Boot 2 Gecko) - Liliputing

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Why Do Consumers Put Up with Apple?

Back when Apple failed in the mid-1990s, there was an odd phenomenon that was widely noticed. It seemed that no matter how badly Apple treated its customers, no matter how ridiculous the pricing, no matter how buggy the software or how bad the hardware, there was a large group of people that were convinced that Apple had just delivered the greatest thing ever. As Apple grew worse and worse, long after the vast majority of people realized they just weren't that great anymore, large numbers of these Apple fans would anxiously await the latest Macs and would line up at the stores overnight to buy them. After a while, only these Apple fans were buying and you would see huge sales in the first few days of release, then sales would trail off to tiny numbers.

Well, it looks like it is happening all over again. Apple has made it's worst iOS release ever and combined it with phones that at best are boring. Yet, if you go over to an Apple fan blog, like AppleInsider, you would think Apple had actually done something well. AppleInsider is particularly odd in that it seems to think that Apple's ridiculously high profit margins are a good thing.

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Apple DID NOT Sell 9 Million iPhones This Weekend

Monday, Apple made this press release:

Apple - Press Info - First Weekend iPhone Sales Top Nine Million, Sets New Record

This press release is a blatant attempt by Apple to distract from their very flawed iPhone 5S/5C launch. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray tells the real story to Bloomberg News here. Counting launch sales as Apple has traditionally counted them, a less than exciting 4 million iPhone 5Ss were sold to consumers this weekend. And an additional, but even more disappointing, 1.5 million iPhone 5Cs were sold to consumers. Remember that this launch was Apple's largest ever in terms of geographic regions. It should have been easy to have a record launch.

So his explanation of the discrepancy with Apple's 9 million number? Well, 3.5 million of those sales were simply sales to the channel of iPhone 5Cs but that were not sold to consumers yet. To be clear Apple only sold to consumers 30% of the available iPhone 5Cs. Apple was clearly trying to cover over their less than exciting sales numbers... Never before have they included sales to channels in their launch numbers.

Let me repeat: Never before has Apple included sales to channels in their launch numbers.

Gene Munster tries to put a good face on it by saying that the 5.5 number exceeds the 5 million sales of the iPhone 5 last year, but he's conflating the two iPhones. The 5 million number last year was for just the iPhone 5, the new flagship phone. The corresponding number for this year's flagship, the iPhone 5S is only 4 million. If you consider the fact that the launch was is in more regions this number is even more embarrassing. He does say that the supply of the iPhone 5S was constrained due to problems with the fingerprint sensor... but even so, it was very late in the weekend before iPhone 5S supplies ran out.

There is really no way around the fact that this launch was substantially less than the iPhone 5 launch. It is disturbing that Apple tried to hide this fact by changing what they include in launch numbers.

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

What's especially strange is that they admit some use of some "unethical" materials in the phone:
World’s first ethical smartphone unveiled – and the pre-orders flood in

Believe it or not, the title is exactly what the story is about:
South Korean Skyscraper Will Disappear Daily | Tech Blog | TechNewsWorld

Almost everything about iOS 7 and the iPhone 5S and 5C could be considered "strange", sometimes even humorous. Example 1: Apple's use of a 64-bit chip in a 2Gb phone is strange. Example 2: Defense of Apple's use of 64-bit chip in 2Gb phone is both strange and humorous. However, these next 4 stories stand out as being especially strange and/or humorous:

Watch A Cat Unlock The iPhone 5s Using Touch ID And The Fingerprint Sensor | TechCrunch

Man installs iOS 7 update without complaint | IT Business

Welp. That's that. Miley Cyrus hates iOS 7. | VatorNews

Pay someone to wait in line for your new iPhone with TaskRabbit - Sep. 19, 2013

Using homeless to buy new iPhones sparks outrage, anger - latimes.com

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iOS 7/iPhone 5S&C - Screams of Anguish

If you only watch the Apple news from Apple blogs or from the mainstream trade press (that are dependent on Apple advertising revenue), you may not have seen much yet, but it's coming... an wow is it. The selection of links below is from me scanning about 4 hours worth of news today. I avoided duplicates as much as I could. If a story had numerous listings I tried to limit its presence below to 2 articles. The last 2 days has seen hundreds of stories like these. By Monday or Tuesday it will likely be thousands.

Some particular problems you should be aware of:
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Apple's iOS 7, iPhone 5X - the Tragicomedy Begins

A few hours ago Apple started releasing iOS 7 to its customers. Already the vast majority of the news media is suggesting that one might wait a month or so before upgrading. I've only seen one article suggesting you jump in now... that was on Lifehacker (I think the author was trying to start an online party for early adopters).

For a company that prides itself on making things that "just work"... they've clearly done a poor job.
Here's a selection of the articles that have just come out, it is no where near exhaustive (imagine how big the list will be in a day or two):

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Added Apple A7 Geekbench 3 Results

The results come from AnandTech, which has a detail write up about the chip:

AnandTech | The iPhone 5s Review

Here's the link to the updated benchmarks chart: Arm vs Intel Benchmarks

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Suddenly, Everyone's Looking to Leave Microsoft Office.

Several days ago, I ran across this article:

Quip Is Bringing The Word-Processing Era To Its End – ReadWrite

Last week, Apple announced that iWork would be free.

Yesterday, I laid out a case why one needs to be preparing to leave both Microsoft and Apple in:

This Week, Apple and Microsoft Self-Destruct; Looking to the Future: Chrome Apps, Android and more.

The first step I encourage is to stop using Microsoft Office (or Apple's iWork), pointing to this resource on my blog (published back in February):

Alternatives to Microsoft Office

Well, imagine my amusement when I was going through the news today and saw these:

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

This Lego Robot Strips Kindle DRM One Page Turn At A Time | TechCrunch

Google Chrome plug-in will block mentions of Miley Cyrus, twerking

Microsoft’s Now-Deleted Anti-iPhone Commercial Is The Funniest Thing From Redmond Since Windows RT | TechCrunch

Prepare to cringe: Microsoft's video ads across the decades | Microsoft - CNET News

This is the first in a series of Dilbert comics where Dilbert gets in trouble with the NSA.
Basically, his company has bad backups and loses all its data, so Dilbert pulls it back from the NSA's database... the NSA doesn't like that.
Dilbert comic strip for 09/06/2013 from the official Dilbert comic strips archive.

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Non-Android Linux and Open Source News

The argument in this next articles is that the attitudes of Linux users are a significant part of the problem:
The real problem blocking Linux support for apps and games

This is a big win for MariaDB (and a big loss for Oracle's MySQL):
Google Waves Goodbye To MySQL In Favor Of MariaDB – ReadWrite

LibreOffice is really taking off.
LibreOffice 4.1.2 RC1 - Neowin

Watch out Microsoft, Collabora is bringing value added LibreOffice | Muktware

LibreOffice conference 2013 in Milan - CIOL

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ARM and Intel News

Intel stock is simultaneously getting numerous buy and sell ratings. It's not as crazy as it sounds. Intel's new chips and pricing will mean lesser profit margins. However, they are doing the right thing in facing the inevitable. Thus, their long term outlook is positive. This is in stark contrast with Microsoft and Apple which are both refusing to do those things essential to having a future in this new world of inexpensive, consumerized computing. If you are following at all the enterprise trade press, you will see that even IT and servers are facing consumerization.
Jefferies Group Upgrades Intel Corp. to “Buy” (INTC) - Ticker Report

I keep seeing a lot of trade press saying the Tegra 4 isn't doing well. However, I've seen far more announcements of devices using the Tegra 4 than the Snapdragon 800. It's probably true that the Tegra 4 isn't appearing in many phones (which sell in much larger volumes than tablets). But I see plenty of Tegra 4 tablets, hybrids and all-in-ones.
Nvidia shows off uses of a Tegra 4 SoC - Aiming beyond the Shield | TechEye

This isn't exactly a chip... but then with the new SoC approach for Intel, this sort of approach is the way things will be. I include this, because it shows just how serious Intel is about reforming past behavior. Their first NUC was priced so poorly (and required crazy expensive SSD cards) that it was literally cheaper to buy a Mac-mini. With this, you can make a nice Linux Desktop/mini-Server for $200.
$139 Intel NUC with Bay Trail chip on the way - Liliputing

Now this is exactly the sort of news a consumer wants to see:
Intel Baytrail vs. NVIDIA Tegra 4: too close to call - Android Authority

Intel Developer Forum overview:
Intel shows off fanless PCs, new phones, $100 tablets and wearables at IDF | ZDNet

While Intel is not so far behind this time, ARM actually has shipping products in wearables:
Chip makers seize opportunities in hot wearable-computer market | PCWorld

More IDF news:
AnandTech | Intel Demos 14nm Broadwell: Up to 30% Lower Power than Haswell

This is about the new ARM Cortex A57/A53 processors.
64-bit processors and 4GB of memory coming in 2014 - Android Authority

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This Week, Apple and Microsoft Self-Destruct; Looking to the Future: Chrome Apps, Android and more.

In a very real sense of the word, both Apple and Microsoft self-destructed this week.

This post is about what you need to do to prepare for their possible demise. It gives a summary of why Microsoft and Apple's futures look iffy. Then it shows you reasons you need to care about this immediately. And finally, it will give pointers to alternative platforms for you to explore.

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Apple's Profit Addiction Leaves Little Hope for Future

Well, we've all had to time to absorb Apple's latest "event" and the necessary time for the famous "unreality field" to wear off. (Did it seem to you that the field's effect was weaker than it ever has been before?)

Frankly, the news is grim. Apple has chosen profit margins over building solid products that "just work". Apple has always had this odd notion that "good products" and "expensive products" go hand in hand. This is largely true when products are new; when infrastructure and supply chains barely exist. But once "consumerization" of a product occurs, trade offs have to be made, different levels of products have to be aimed at different groups. Apple seems unable to make reasonable trade offs, or live with reasonable profit margins.

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Microsoft Died at the IDF

I don't mean that you won't be able to get Windows for the next several years, or that very large enterprises won't still be sending Microsoft a lot of money for a while. What I do mean is that Microsoft's death spiral, that I've been talking about for a while, is likely no longer stoppable. Microsoft might live on as IBM did after its fall, but their plunge, destroying Windows and its entire ecosystem, is now pretty much a given.

Take a look at this slide from the second keynote at Intel's Developer Forum Wednesday. You can be certain that the ordering is not an accident. Look where Windows is!

Now you might say that I'm making too much out of one slide. But things like this went on the entire event. Simply put, Intel and the OEM's have rebelled. They have made it clear they are not waiting for Microsoft to fix its Windows 8 mess... they are moving on to other platforms _now_. They haven't abandoned Windows yet, but are making it very clear that could happen.

I'm far from alone in believing Intel was sending that message. Consider these articles (I've shown some excerpts, but I strongly encourage you to read the full articles to get the full effect):

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Bay Trail - Intel Is Competitive With ARM At Last

You can see new benchmarks here: Arm vs Intel Benchmarks

Basically, performance-wise, the Bay Trail z3770 chip is on a par with Nvidia's Tegra 4 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chips.

Earlier reports of low benchmarks and TDP/part numbers for Bay Trail, appear to have been fakes.

Intel is not releasing "TDP" numbers, but that may just be because Bay Trail's power management is very unusual. I think it is likely that for brief instances a Bay Trail chip can be outside the normal tablet envelope, but quickly returns to an acceptable level, making it fully usable in a tablet. Practical TDP estimates by several benchmarkers at Intel's IDF say it's something like 3 watts, which (assuming that's true in real-life conditions) is amazing.

I do have one concern though. Intel's burst mode might possibly have adverse effects on game playing. Essentially, the chip alters its speed dynamically for both CPU and GPU... that may be upsetting when playing an action game that requires appropriately timed gestures.

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Apple Announces Metallic-Beige iPhone 5S; iWorks now free

No live stream.... am relying on live blogging from Apple Insider and Engadget.

They have built a new temple in Stanford, the old one was overcrowded.

Rehasing iOS7

New ringtones! (snicker)

iOS 7 will be free, starting September 18th.

Rehashing iWork

iWork + iPhoto + iMove are now free.

iPhone 5C green, yellow, blue, white, red, 4" retina display, A6 processor, LTE, no Wifi ac.
With 2 year contract 16gb $99, 32gb $199.


iPhone 5S "black", "gold" and "silver" think metallic dark gray, metallic beige, and metallic light grey.

Has A7 processor, which is 64-bit (hope they put in lots of RAM, that's the drawback of 64-bit). Will apps all be running in 32-bit mode though or will we have "FAT" binaries like on MacOS? Not sure from the live blogs I was following, but it looks like there is 32-bit compatibility and I'm guessing FAT binary support.
They are claiming "up to" 2x performance increase... I'll wait for benchmarks.
I hope it's true, that will make the next round of ARM chips well into laptop speeds.
(Not at all sure why you need this in a phone though. Should be good in the iPad.)

The have added a "motion" coprocessor. Will enable better fitness apps.
Claiming 10 hour in-use battery life. (Again, I'll wait for reviews before I believe that.)
It's clear they have improved the camera... Lots of fancy names and "features", but it's not clear how much is hype. At least some of it has been on non-iPhones for a while. It does not appear to reach Lumia 1020 levels of capability, but it may be close. Will have to wait for reviews using actual photographs.

Does have finger print sensor. The technology came from AuthenTec, which made finger print sensors for lots of laptops... it was rather poor in practice. One assumes Apple has improved it. However, things like hand cream, sunscreen, dirty hands, gloves, etc. will render this far from a panacea. [Can't you just hear the East Coast-based press screaming about this, come Winter?]
The Moto X approach is probably better.
Meet Motorola Skip, the Moto X NFC-based unlock accessory

Pricing 16gb on contract $199, 32 gb $299, 64gb $399.
iPhone 4S stays in lineup, free with 2 year contract.

In stores, September 20th.

I'm sure the camera will be good, certainly much better than before.
It is still a tiny phone and iOS 7 still lags Android (with yet another Android update coming next month).

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

How the NFL is using Microsoft’s Surface to keep players safer | Digital Trends
Picture the scene, a player is down on the field, queue the spinning and dancing trainers with a Microsoft Surface tablet. I am one of the trainers, I "click" out the kickstand... where can I set this, I think? Oh... I guess I'll just have to hold it, "clicking" the stand back in. Wow, this is heavy and awkward. The lead trainer says, "This guy's in serious shape, quick look up his record".  I turn on the device... strain to remember my "live.com" (or whatever they're calling it this week) account, log in and say, "Does anybody remember the name of the medical records app?" I scroll left to right through 5 screens and can't find it. A coworker shouts, use search, just try medical. I respond: "How do I search?" (I'm never using this thing -- always use Android) I try swiping from the top... no, that didn't work. How about from the bottom? Oh, wait I've spotted the app, it was on the first screen, but it got lost among all the other changing tiles. Launch app... oh I need to search for the correct player... how do I do that.  Try swiping from the left! No... damn, I just switched to the desktop somehow... how do I get back? Lead trainer: "We're going to lose this guy... HURRY!!!" Oh, somehow I got back to Start. Try swiping from the right... great, I see "Search" (enters the players name). Oh, no... it just did a web search... "There's a brief synopsis of the guy's medical problems on Wikipedia, will that do?", I ask the Lead Trainer? Lead trainer: "Never mind, he's dead".

I live in Colorado... it's ironic that I only heard of this from a British tech news source:
Colorado citizens queue for a licence to hunt drones - Licence applications just shy of 1,000 | TechEye

This one's only strange because, it probably can't work very well yet.
Alcatel One Touch introduces pico projector smartphone dock - Liliputing

Can Katy Perry Sell Microsoft's Nokia Lumia Smartphone? - Forbes

Apple iPhone 5S subject of anticipation and jokes - AAPL - Investors.com


These last two are certainly strange... but humorous, or just pathetic?
Apple's 'Stanford 2' retail site opens to crowds and lines

iPhone 5S 5C Launch Lines begin forming at Apple Store | BGR

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Chinese Chips and Devices, the Rise of the "White Box" Manufacturer

I never really paid much attention to "White Box" manufacturers until I started buy Android TV sticks to experiment with. These manufacturers, usually Chinese, are rapid becoming important in the Android ecosystem. Sadly, many of these items are difficult to obtain in the US.

When you look at these devices, you may be tempted to think... well they've got low-res displays, or not as fast, etc. Just remember the rise of the "Japanese transistor radio" (and associated songs) and what that led to.

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More on NSA Overreach Scandal

This first article is a great overview article, with links to the major places.
Links 08 Sept The Weekend's NSA Revelations - Forbes

Another good summary article:
NSA uses supercomputers to crack Web encryption, files show



Calls for reform are now going mainstream:

It's time for Congress to reign in the NSA, clearly define the limits of data collection | syracuse.com

Fire NSA's General Alexander - Baltimore Sun

How To Reform The NSA - Forbes

Opinion: When will President Obama get serious about NSA reform? - Kenneth Roth - POLITICO.com



The rest below talk about the serious effect the NSA revelations are having on American firms that are now viewed as suspect:

Legislation Seeks to Bar N.S.A. Tactic in Encryption - NYTimes.com

Google encrypts data amid backlash against NSA spying - The Washington Post

Google Speeding Up New Encryption Project After Edward Snowden Revealed Projects Bullrun And Edgehill

NSA Breaks Data Encryption, Tech Firms Break Trust | Privacy | TechNewsWorld

Is Windows 8 a Trojan horse for the NSA? The German Government thinks so | PCWorld

Microsoft Windows 8 NSA back door alleged | BGR

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Watching Microsoft's Death Spiral #7

For the first time, there looks like there might be some hope that Microsoft's death spiral might slow (some).
[Previous WMSD posts: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6]

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Chromecast Status Update

This is a look at what's news about Chromecast since it's initial rollout.

I'm giving a brief presentation for my local Google Developer's Group next week, and this is a collection of the information I've gathered for the presentation.

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NSA Can Decrypt SSL Data

Generally, I try to keep this blog out of politics, but the NSA's really gone too far this time.
Just the fact that it is now known this can be done would lead criminals to try and do it too.
And are we sure that isn't already the case?

And who's going to trust the NSA's Secure Linux now?

And what about AES encryption... supposedly the NSA had a hand in "making it more secure".


N.S.A. Foils Much Internet Encryption - NYTimes.com


This ReadWrite article alerted me to the NYT article above. The NYT article is lengthy, this article provides a short synopsis.
Encrypting Your Data? The NSA May See It Anyway – ReadWrite

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

Most of these are humorous.

▶ Breaking News: Secret of Samsung Technology caught on tape - YouTube


BBC News - Who, what, why: How does a skyscraper melt a car?


Kit Kat hilariously mocks Apple, Jony Ive in new video - Android Authority

Well, I guess it's nice to see the computing industry return to rock star like status:

This one's quite complicated:
Let’s Google the hussy: Mistress of Brin a top search on own Web engine

Robert X. Cringely on the Brin affair:

In case you need another reason to hate Google Glass | Cringely - InfoWorld

She seems to attract an amazing amount of controversy (Google her):
Yahoo's Marissa Mayer: Hail to the Chief - Magazine

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Non-Android Linux and Open Source News

Don't get too excited about this next, it was only a 50,000 run.
Jolla smartphones sell out » Telecoms.com

In less than 5 years, I'm projecting that a micro-business that has a need for a specialized computing device (as an example, look at UPS's wireless delivery pad they developed several years ago), will be able to have that device created for them (in tiny volumes) for a cost similar to what it takes to have semi-custom software delivered today. In 10 years it will even be cheap.
For $50, you can build a custom Android or Linux mini-computer

The title sounds silly, but I think this guy has a good handle on a major problem with Linux:
What Linux really needs is more fun - TechRepublic

The first 10 paragraphs of this next article (which goes on to be about Linux distributions) are quite amusing... be sure to watch the video, it one last tribute to Steve Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer retires: A dark day for Linux! | ITworld

ZTE's $80 Firefox OS mobe sells out on eBay • The Register

Linus Torvalds celebrates 22 years of Linux with nostalgic message | PCWorld

Gee this makes me feel old... no wait, that's just me being old:
Graying Linux developers look for new blood | ZDNet

I see these best of things all the time... but this one is different. First of all it contained several things I'd never heard of before. And... drum roll... it contained four commercial apps.... imagine that commercial apps for Linux. [Three games <= $20 and a $50 finances app.]
25 Best Linux Apps

KDE Connect brings together your Android phone, Linux desktop - Liliputing

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Android Device News

Android devices come out so often that I've given up trying to track them. Instead, what I'll be doing is providing a monthly "links" post that highlight the most important, interesting or unusual devices that have arrived that month.

Accessories and Watches

Meet Motorola Skip, the Moto X NFC-based unlock accessory

Nymi Is A Heartwave-Sensing Wristband That Wants To Replace All Your Passwords & Keys | TechCrunch

Lilbits (8-13-2013): Casio's new watches control music playback on your phone - Liliputing

Casio's response to smartwatch competition? "We're ready." - Android Authority

Toq: A Smartwatch That’s Qualcomm, Inside and Out | TIME.com

These next 2 articles are about the Galaxy Gear (Samsung's new watch).
Galaxy Gear Integrates Fitness Apps, Competes With Trackers – ReadWrite

Samsung Draws a Big 'Meh' for Clunky, Pricey Galaxy Gear Smartwatch | Mobile Tech | TechNewsWorld

So far 4 companies (Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm and Casio) have announced smart watches before Apple.

Cameras

First look: Sony's iPhone-compatible QX10 and QX100 Cyber-shot lenses

Samsung Galaxy NX coming in October for $1700 (Android-powered DSLR) - Liliputing

Tablets/Hybrids

Starting to see a lot of reasonable stuff from relatively unknown places:
Alcatel OneTouch Scribe Pro to rival Samsung's Galaxy Note in size, note-taking ability - Liliputing

This sort of thing was bound to be coming... a tablet specifically made for a specific kind of professional:
Wacom introduces Cintiq Companion Android and Windows 8 tablets for graphic artists - Liliputing
Music is another area I think one will see covered soon.

First big name tablet geared specifically to kids:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids now official, coming first to South Korea

AnandTech | ASUS Officially Announces Transformer Pad TF701T with 2560x1600 Display

Phones

It's not every day I feature the AppleInsider article for a review of Android products, but they did a good job here:
Samsung shows off Galaxy Note 3 'phablet', new Note 10.1 tablet, Galaxy Gear smart watch

I anxiously await full reviews of this phone's camera:
Hands-on: Sony Xperia Z1 review - Pocket-lint

The Rest

Android Computer-in-a-Projector: The New EPICT EPP-100

Hex: A copter that anyone can fly! by Benjamin Black — Kickstarter

GameStick $80 game console set to ship in September - Liliputing

LiliputingCuBox-i mini PCs can run Android or Linux, sell for $45 and up » Liliputing

Itsy-bitsy $45 computer sports Android and Linux | Crave - CNET

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ARM and Intel News

Well, I'm sure we're all anxiously awaiting the Bay Trail launch on September 11th.

Here's some news to tide you over:

More on ARM moving into the next big thing (while Intel is still playing catch-up in the maturing mobile market).
ARM low power processors take us closer to the Internet of Things

I don't follow the server market closely, but when "Avoton" was announced, it seemed rather ho-hum. Anybody got a good link giving an overview of what the near-future state of the low-power server market is?
Intel to ship new Atom server processors next week

This next article hits Intel hard on its LTE failings. Also points out that Intel is failing to make Android inroads. I have to agree on the Android point... I'm not seeing anybody doing anything with Bay Trail... perhaps the announcement on the 11th will bring news. I'm seeing bragging from Intel about how Bay Trail changes things, but zip on a actual substance. I even saw one rumor today saying Bay Trail would roll out in late 2013 and early 2014 (which would be too late; in fact that would bring it into competition with ARMv8 chips where pretty clearly it would just lose). It's looking like Clover Trail all over again... nice chip, 6-12 months too late. (Motorola used to do this relative to Intel... oh, the irony!)
Intel’s post PC strategy is faltering

Microsoft seems to think it has a "PR" problem or an "OEM" problem, not a "Windows 8 is faulty" problem. Does Intel suffer from this sort of delusion as well? From the outside, it is clear that Intel's problem is that it isn't delivering anything the mobile market wants. Apparently Intel believes it has a "PR" problem.
Intel to fire entire PR team - It’s the cascade effect

A list of the new mainstream processors, with pricing. It's fine, but at a time, when it really needs to be great.
Intel launches Haswell desktop processors

This next article is a bit hard to read, but it makes some interesting points about Bay Trail vs Haswell. It also tells some things about chip pricing I didn't understand before. If someone knows of a clearer source for this information, I'd love to see a link in the comments below!
The important point from the article is that the nature of Haswell chips' design forces the chip to be expensive. This forces "$330 Celeron" laptops to use old technology. Bay Trail side-steps this problem. His argument is that Bay Trail should work great as the chip for low-priced laptops (the ones that actually sell well).
Intel Corporation (INTC): Intel: Where's Haswell? - Seeking Alpha

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Watching Microsoft's Death Spiral #6 (Nokia)

Well Microsoft hit the accelerator pedal on it's death spiral today.
Earlier death spiral posts: [#1, #2, #3, #4, #5]

Microsoft announced it is buying Nokia's Device & Services Business (plus some patents) for 7.1 billion dollars. Essentially, this is Nokia's handset business.
The bulk of this post is from a comment I made on Mary Jo Foley's "All About Microsoft" blog on ZDNet. MJF wrote an article asking: Does its Nokia buy thwart or fuel a possible Microsoft break-up?

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Watching Microsoft's Death Spiral #5

Well, Microsoft is clearly continuing its Death Spiral [#1, #2, #3, #4]

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

I stumbled across some "hate" blogs this week:

Linux Hater's Blog

AppleHaters

Windows hater's blog

I HATE WINDOWS

Like everything else in the computing world, there's better hate support for Windows. :-)


Would you like your own tricorder? (works with iOS and Android)
Scanadu | Sending your Smart Phone to Med School


I always love it when Karma bites Apple for being so litigious.
(This first link is from a French site.)
Watchdog warns Apple over ‘Champagne’ iPhone - The Local
(The second link is from an American site.)
French wine snobs warn Apple not to release a ‘champagne’ iPhone
Perhaps they can name the color 'Maveriks'... no wait, they've already used that. :-)
I know... beige!!!!!
Yes, the new iPhone color is beige.

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Strange, Possibly Humorous News

The U.S. government has finally confirmed the existence of Area 51

Basically it substitues pictures of Ryan Gosling (no idea who that is) for all the pictures on every web page you view. Definitely strange and possibly humorous.
'Hey Girl' Ryan Gosling Google Chrome Extension | BostInno

There's just got to be a reasonable limit on dpi of screens, right?
Full HD who? 2560 x 1440 Quad HD LCDs for smartphones announced by LG Display

This is odd in that it is an actual phone on your wrist. Given battery life and tissue exposure to radio waves issues, it seems a really bad idea to me.
Omate TrueSmart: $199 smartwatch that makes phone calls (Kickstarter) - Liliputing

This will let you do a 3D scan of objects up to 8 inches tall. Left unanswered is why someone outside of a few professionals and hobbyist would actually want to do this. Of course the same applies to 3D printing. Nonetheless, 3D printers are supposed to be available this holiday season. Will any of this work with the 3D television that nobody seems to be using?
MakerBot Digitizer pre-orders open, shipping mid-October for $1,400

You have to see the video to believe it... leave a comment if you actually make it to the end... I've never been able to... too awful.
The Most Embarassing Thing Microsoft Has Ever Produced (sic... should be Embarrassing)

10 Steve Jobs videos even funnier than Ashton Kutcher's movie - Investors.com

Watch: Steve Ballmer's most infamous moments

Facebook Addiction: A Shocking Cure

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Yet More Benchmark Revamping

I now have Geekbench 3 results for all but Clover Trail and Bay Trail processors. Clover Trail technically sold in many Windows 8 tablets/hybrids. Apparently they did not sell well, not one GB3 benchmark.

I added some additional lower-end Intel laptop chips.
(The Celeron 847 is also the chip used in 2 of the current Chromebooks.)

Earlier I added the Snapdragon S4 Pro chip used in the 2013 Nexus 7 (but forgot to mention it).

I corrected an issue with the i7-4770 GB3 numbers.

My positioning of the Clover Trail and Bay Trail chips in the chart are probably correct (give or take a row).

Arm vs Intel Benchmarks

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Guess Who Just Dissed Apple?

I regularly complain about Apple. In particular about how stodgy they've become. About their prices. Well, about lots of things. I have pointed out that they serve an "elite" market. (A market with premium pricing that relies substantially on status and innovation for success, fashion and sports cars being traditional examples.) I have further pointed out that Apple is no longer cool... the tipping point for where the sudden fall starts in such a market.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times has just laid out a case containing many of the points I've been expounding:

On The Symmetry Between Microsoft And Apple - NYTimes.com

True to his economist's roots, he gives his blog post a really boring title. But the post itself is far from boring.

Here's some quotes to get you to read the article:

Back in the 80s, Microsoft and Apple both had operating systems to sell; Apple’s was clearly better. But Apple misunderstood the nature of the market: it said, “We have a better system, so we’re going to make it available only on our own beautiful machines, and charge premium prices.”

--------------

So, my problem with Apple. In general, the thing about Apple is that it reflects the spirit of Steve Jobs, who knew what was good for you — and left you no way to do things differently. And if you are an atypical user, you end up putting a lot of effort into fighting iOS in order to do simple things.

I cannot think of better way for chills to be sent down the spine of the Apple faithful than him writing that post. Could it get Apple to change its ways? I'm not holding my breath.

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Microsoft: Ballmer Retiring - Board Now the Problem

In case you missed it (how?), Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced he will retire within 12 months. MSFT is up 7% or so... many Microsoft dependent people are rejoicing/saying goodbye as befits their personas.

I'm glad to see that Ballmer is leaving - Microsoft should have ousted him in the middle of the Vista fiasco. Had that happened, things might be very different now. But as to Ballmer leaving now... it's a step in the right direction, but just one step. Letting him linger for as much as 12 months has to be the worst idea ever... hopefully it is just the board letting him leave with dignity and the reins will be passed much sooner.

The fact remains that Microsoft is in for a very grim holiday season... and if they do not move very quickly on a real reorganization, they may miss 2014's holiday season as well. If they miss both seasons, how much of a consumer/small business presence will they have left?

The most disturbing news got kind of lost in the shuffle of Steve Ballmer bashing. Business Insider covers it here:
Microsoft Becoming Device And Services Company And Microsoft Is Giving Up On The Software Business!

Basically, the chairman of the board committee that is handling the CEO search said:

“The board is committed to the effective transformation of Microsoft to a successful devices and services company,”

We are talking about a company that just lost billions of dollars on its first computers and that just had a 3-day outage for its flagship Outlook.com service.

OEM's are rebelling against Windows 8/8.1. Lenovo just announced it would be putting a partner's start button on all of its computers and that the partner would also have an app store (that competes with the Windows App Store) installed as well. Few believe Windows 8.1 will be accepted any better than Windows 8 was. Windows 8's biggest problem is that it tried to force customers into what Microsoft perceived as its future, not what the customer needed to get work done.

The entire "devices and services" strategy fits that same pattern... it is what Microsoft wants, not what the customer needs or wants. [You should have seen the salesperson at Staple's explaining to a middle-class couple that they could either pay a lot as a one time fee or pay a yearly fee for Office. The couple was clearly outraged. Guess what will happen when they discover LibreOffice/Google Docs.]

Microsoft's board should think twice before tying the hands of an incoming CEO with a "devices and services" strategy that, to date, has clearly failed.

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