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.
Read more »Sunday, 29 September 2013
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.
Thursday, 26 September 2013
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
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
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, 22 September 2013
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
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
Friday, 20 September 2013
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:
Read more »
Some particular problems you should be aware of:
Read more »
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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):
Read more »
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):
Read more »
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
The results come from AnandTech, which has a detail write up about the chip:
Here's the link to the updated benchmarks chart: Arm vs Intel Benchmarks
Here's the link to the updated benchmarks chart: Arm vs Intel Benchmarks
Monday, 16 September 2013
Several days ago, I ran across this article:
Last week, Apple announced that iWork would be free.
Well, imagine my amusement when I was going through the news today and saw these:
Read more »
Yesterday, I laid out a case why one needs to be preparing to leave both Microsoft and Apple in:
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):
Read more »
Sunday, 15 September 2013
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
Saturday, 14 September 2013
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
Thursday, 12 September 2013
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):
Read more »
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):
Read more »
Wednesday, 11 September 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
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).
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
iPhone 4S stays in lineup, free with 2 year contract.
In stores, September 20th.
It is still a tiny phone and iOS 7 still lags Android (with yet another Android update coming next month).
Sunday, 8 September 2013
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
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
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
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
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
Friday, 6 September 2013
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.
Read more »
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.
Read more »
Thursday, 5 September 2013
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
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
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
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
This one's quite complicated:
Let’s Google the hussy: Mistress of Brin a top search on own Web engine
Yahoo's Marissa Mayer: Hail to the Chief - Magazine
▶ 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:
She seems to attract an amazing amount of controversy (Google her):Yahoo's Marissa Mayer: Hail to the Chief - Magazine
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
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
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.
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.
First look: Sony's iPhone-compatible QX10 and QX100 Cyber-shot lenses
Samsung Galaxy NX coming in October for $1700 (Android-powered DSLR) - Liliputing
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
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
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, 3 September 2013
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?
Read more »
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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