Technology

This is my last post about how awful Windows Vista is…

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

…for a while, anyway. In truth, I haven’t posted about the age-old question for quite some time. Part of that has been the resurgence of the Mac (now the number three computer company in the world), which has been widely covered elsewhere. If you’ve missed it, just google “Mac market share” and bone up on it through recent news articles.

In many ways the question has been answered by most tech writers out there today. Windows Vista is a commercial failure across the board. Why is that? I know of a few people that are perfectly happy on Vista (just a few) and they really don’t know what they are missing, or why Vista has such a bad rep.

I’m okay with that. Use what works and don’t worry about it. But if you are interested in what all the fuss is about, this recent piece in the New York Times lays out the issues for Microsoft very well. If there is any empathy for a huge company like Microsoft, this may be the appropriate place for it. Getting to a version of Windows that is on par (under the hood) with Mac OS X will require enormous effort:

Windows has put on a lot of weight over the years. Beginning as a thin veneer for older software code, it has become an obese monolith built on an ancient frame. Adding features, plugging security holes, fixing bugs, fixing the fixes that never worked properly, all while maintaining compatibility with older software and hardware—is there anything Windows doesn’t try to do?

Painfully visible are the inherent design deficiencies of a foundation that was never intended to support such weight. Windows seems to move an inch for every time that Mac OS X or Linux laps it.

Speed and performance are now the real differentiators between Mac and Windows—not of the hardware, but the software. People will need significantly higher-end hardware to get the most out of Vista—or for Microsoft to add features that Mac OS offers without a noticeable performance hit. The price point debate on Macs versus Windows now has a new wrinkle. How much computing muscle do you have to buy to get close to parity with a Mac? The answer may surprise you. Macs can do more for the money.

Overcoming the gap will require a complete rewrite of Windows, as the NYT article explores. However doing so would pose great financial and brand risk to Microsoft—a catch 22 that could further alienate customers and drive more people from the platform.

There may come a day when a new Windows overcomes its past and works as well or better than other systems. That would be great. But as former Apple software architect Avadis Tevanian told the Times, the question is whether Microsoft “has the intestinal fortitude” to pull it off.

With Bill Gates now officially retired, the future of Windows is anything but secure. I hear they are readying a huge Ad campaign to go after Apple's Ads. I can understand wanting to do this. But I think $100 million would be better spent in an R&D lab figuring out what to do about Vista's present and future speed issues.

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WWDC 2008: A shiny new thing

Friday, May 16, 2008

I really have one prediction for this year’s WWDC Stevenote, and I may be very wrong. But I think I’m just may be right—even when Intel and others are trying to poo-poo any rumors to this effect.

On June 9 Steve Jobs will have “one more thing” to talk about after he opines on the 3G iPhone, OS X Leopard and new MacBook designs. That thing will be a multi-touch OS X slate computer with an intel processor and a host of WiFi and cell-based internet capabilities (like video chat and a touch browser). It will not be a phone. It will not be a PDA. It will not be a laptop. It will not be an iPod. It will do everything these devices do—but in a new way. All by touching, tapping, pinching and gesturing.

While Microsoft thinks itself innovative by showing off a concept “table” the size of a 80s-era Galaga machine, Apple will have all that and a bag of chips in your mobile hands by the end of this year. Of course, if you do eat chips you may want to wash your hands before getting your MacTouch all greasy.

If you think the MacBook Air was thin, what ‘til you see this. The multi-touch revolution is on!
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Touch the third great platform

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Last week Apple introduced its SDK for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Whereas often Apple can be accused of over promising (or over hyping) and under delivering, this presentation was a case where they exceeded the conventional expectations of most tech heads. Yes, you’ll need to get the new goodies (starting in June) from the iTunes Appstore exclusively. But the announcement makes it clear that this is a mobile computing platform with the potential for a new kind of software application.

In short, the coolest stuff you’ll see on an iPhone or iPod Touch hasn’t been coded yet. The sky is the limit. Plus, a $100 million venture capital fund for software endeavors targeting the touch platform, and a strong enterprise push via compatibility with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, along with Lotus Notes, and the future looks quite exciting. Check out some of the demos they included in Thursday’s presentation.

John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm partnering with Apple, sees the iPhone and iPod Touch emerging as the “third great platform” for software makers after the personal computer and the worldwide web. Here’s Doerr quoted in the London Financial Times:

“In your pocket, you have something that’s broadband and connected all the time. It knows who you are and where you are. That’s a big deal. It’s bigger than the personal computer.”

Will it be bigger than the PC? Wait and see.
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Steampunk that Mac

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

For those unfamiliar with steampunk as a fantasy genre of literature, animation and film, see this wiki. Until yesterday, I had no idea this was also a genre of computer modding. Indeed, it elevates modding to an artistic craft.

The amazing inset pictures are of a steampunk conversion of a Mac Mini. While this type of thing is pretty “out there,” you have to admire the vision and skill that must have gone into this. The keyboard alone is extremely cool.

But the ultimate is the case for the Mini itself. The hand-painted lettering and artwork (or maybe it’s decoupage) are amazing. And while the form factor is the same as before, you can totally believe the resulting object is an antique tin box—something your grandmother might keep her sewing needles and thread inside of, rather than a 2.3 GHz Intel dual core CPU.

I’d go another direction for the monitor, however. While this one has the appearance of an antique vanity mirror (flat screen), I’d be more inclined to imagine it as a cinemascope or other period appropriate visual technology held together with some crude brass and machine rivets. Some kind of crude projector and film screen would be fabulous.

This beautiful ensemble was created as a wedding gift for the bride, so a more feminine approach is totally appropriate.

I'd love to see this done to a current model iMac--exchange the aluminum for some brass and rivets. Or even my G5 iMac. It's available for treatment in case any enterprising modder is interested. Truth be told, the G5 generates so much heat that I'm sure steam power would be a definite possibility.
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Life-long learning anywhere, anytime

Saturday, January 26, 2008

This is what I love about iPod and podcasting. While many think of podcasts as 2005’s big technology story, it continues to evolve. This L.A. Times story is an excellent account of how iTunes University podcasts are bringing high-end lectures from leading professors to the far reaches of the country and beyond.

And even cooler: Bethel University and Seminary content is also available via iTunes (although the link isn't public). This makes me want to tap into this big time. I plan to literally load up on any pertinent media communication lectures I can. Plus, as much free seminary content as I can handle.

In addition, both Woodland Hills and Open Door are now podcasting sermons with video for free. Wonderful. I'm now getting in two sermons a week on my bus ride, thanks to my super sweet new iPod Touch.
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Beacon shines far beyond Facebook

Saturday, December 08, 2007

The flap over Facebook’s Beacon isn’t over yet. New research from CA’s Threat Research Group reported this week indicates that the service extends further than they initially let on.

“Facebook’s controversial Beacon ad system tracks activities from all users in its third-party partner sites, including from people who have never signed up with Facebook or who have deactivated their accounts,” said Stefan Berteau, senior research engineer at CA’s Threat Research Group.

Ultimately this type of tracking information is designed to more effectively commodify the audience for marketers—which is how Facebook and its investors hope to further monetize the success of the burgeoning social network. What concerns me, almost more than the privacy issues, is that the awareness of Beacon may be quite low among the mass of Facebook users or non Facebook users who visit and do business with affiliated sites. So consider this my (tiny) contribution to making sure people know about it.
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Target’s Rounders outed

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Related to my prior post, we’re now to the point that audiences can work a little harder to extract some perks from advertisers for helping market products to other audience members. Check out this little Facebook scandal from Target corp. The very existence of a marketing effort like Rounders is very telling as to just how far Smythe’s “audience commodity” has come in the Web 2.0 age.

What amazes me is that people in the target age demographic (no pun intended) buy into the corporate-hipster speak when it’s so pathetically contrived–like the 40-year-old youth worker that tries to be “relevant” by using the vernacular of the cool kids. Of course, the millennials may be gaming “the system” to get the rewards. But at less than $100 in value on average, is becoming a marketing stooge in the eyes of your friends worth it? If so, I'd like to set up a meeting with you to discuss a business opportunity with Amway.
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Social media pokes at Smythe’s blindspot

Saturday, December 08, 2007

I can’t resist saying I told you so (it may be a little too early for that), but the news about Facebook last week and this week should give social media users pause.

Facebook has been pressured to (kind of) reverse an earlier decision to use purchasing or commercial activity data to poke (send messages) to member’s friends about the things they have purchased, etc. (via a technology they call Beacon). They’ve added an opt in feature. The only trouble is that you are asked to opt in every time you make a purchase. The AdWeek article explains the issue in more detail.

The corresponds very well with communication theorist Dallas Smythe’s theories of the “work” of the audience commodity. While he had TV, Radio and Newspapers in mind when he wrote about this in the 70s and 80s, his ideas continue to manifest themselves in commercial use of Web 2.0 social media. Some more from Smythe:

A threadbare myth which is still a part of the propaganda of capitalism is that of consumer sovereignty—that the consumer is in charge and in fact chooses freely between the many thousands of different commodities daily pressed on him/her. The people are told they can always “switch off” if they do not like a program, newspaper, or magazine. And the use of “ratings” do decide which commercially sponsored programs will be continued and which dropped is sometimes called cultural democracy. After all, should not the majority rule? These propaganda themes ring hollow when one realizes that [product marketers] are not throwing their money away when they pay for advertising. And when one pursues the question, what kind of “work” is it which audiences do for advertisers? What sort of work is it which is not paid money wages, must continue from childhood to death, and must wait for the next hour or day before it is presented to the workers? The only comparable form of labor is slavery. It is tempting to think of referring to audience power as mind slavery. Slavery however, means ownership of the person. And the term must be rejected as applying to audience members in the core area because they are legally “free” to try to control their own lives.

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Kindle wants to burn a hole in your pocket

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Services we don’t need, so people can charge us fees we can’t afford: That’s how I sum up the Amazon Kindle. Here’s what I mean.

You may have seen this week’s Newsweek cover story on Amazon’s new Kindle book reader and platform. Okay, it won’t fit in your pocket, but excuse the metaphor in my headline. Besides being a downright fugly-looking machine, it seems Jeff Bezos can join the ranks of other CEOs that think consumers are just waiting to fork over more of their money given the right P.T. Barnum-esque pitch. He’s wrong.

Walt Mossberg gives it a fair review over at the WSJ. Here’s what uncle Walt didn’t cover in much detail. That cell network the Kindle is tethered to costs money. And since it isn’t a cell phone, you don’t pay for it in a talk time plan. Here’s what they expect people to pay for (besides the obvious price for book downloads): While you can subscribe to newspapers, periodicals and blogs, getting them on the Kindle will cost anywhere from 99 cents to $14 per month. And no, you can’t just use a web browser on the Kindle to get to them. Plus, if you want to move a personal document to the Kindle, Amazon will charge you a fee to do it. Why? No sync.

Instead of coupling the device to the PC and allowing people to freely sync data and move their owned media freely across platforms, Bezos decides to fly in the face of more than 100 million iPod sales and make the Kindle a standalone wireless access reader that charges the user for everything you could possibly think of.

Try again, Bezos. And this time, put the consumer higher on your list of priorities. Shareholders may have been excited last week (no doubt with those dollar signs dancing in their heads), but don’t expect them be giddy when they realize nobody’s going to buy this thing.

Why would anyone need to buy a book on the fly so often that an expensive cellular delivery approach is the only option? Books take time to read. I have no issues with browsing my book purchase on Amazon via my Mac, iPod Touch or BBerry; downloading it (which provides a backup, by the way) and then syncing a reader device (like Sony’s). But that’s not how the Kindle works. To Kindle, PCs and the real internet don’t really exist apart from Amazon’s messed up version.

I really like this concept and the digital paper technology going on here, but apart from that, the only thing about the Kindle that works well is the online store for purchasing books, according to Mossberg. And that’s just not enough when the object you are holding in your hand is clunky, ugly and exists mostly to find ways to empty your wallet.
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Leopard leaps ahead

Friday, October 26, 2007

I’m just full of Microsoft criticism today. But I can’t help myself. With Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard shipping as of tonight, I had to include this video clip of Walt Mossberg at the WSJ highlighting the most significant features, along with clearly proclaiming its superiority over Windows Vista. And for all those who may make the (sometimes valid) economic argument, please note this fact: Leopard, priced at $129 for everyone, bests Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, priced at $319 (price from Amazon.com). (Pictured: Mossberg w/Gates and Jobs.) Enjoy uncle Walt’s highlights:

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Ads in your face

Friday, October 26, 2007

Color me cynical, but I’ve never thought there was a long future in the walled garden social media approach of Facebook and Myspace. I’ve always been irked by visiting personal websites that require registration or membership to experience fully. This bias has kept me out of the game and out in the wilds of the Internet with my own site. At the same time, I totally get the excitement over what these platforms offer and how people use them. But the big business question has always been, how do you monetize it? This leads to a theory of mine about social media: The more you monetize it, the less people like it.

Yesterday it was announced that Facebook cut a deal with Microsoft, accepting a cash infusion/investment of $240 million to carry it into the glorious future of profit. This deal, while not an acquisition, is significant in the battle to monetize (read: profit from) facebook, with Microsoft outbidding Google for access to the faces of Facebook.

As Google’s market cap approaches Microsoft’s, this deal makes social media the battleground in internet technology. News Corp’s acquisition of MySpace and Google’s grab of YouTube, both in big money deals, had put Facebook on the watch list. While CEO Mark Zuckerberg may think a less audacious investment deal allows Facebook to retain its autonomy, we’re talking about Microsoft. Don’t count on it.

As the monetization of social media commences in earnest, I’d be interested in hearing how users react over time. Like my Thesis is investigating, this is the first steps in audience commodification in the Web 2.0 context. With the boundaries of personal privacy so fluid in the Facebook world, it’s hard to predict how deeply impacted the audience will be, and how they will react.

Here’s a great quote from the San Jose Mercury News story:
“To meet Microsoft's lofty expectations, Facebook must not only expand its audience but also change the nature of the site, said Keith Benjamin, managing director at the venture firm Levensohn Venture Partners. People today go to social-network sites to catch up with friends and keep track of events - not to buy products, he noted.”

In other media coverage, I’ve found reports that most Facebook users drop out of the network once college is over. What will Microsoft’s investment be netting when the party’s over—or shifts to the next new thing?

Will the walled gardens become more like virtual ghettos of targeted marketing, will most users simply adjust and cope, or will a backlash take hold?

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You can skype if you want to.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

It’s true. I’ve had issue getting video chats to work via iChat, and I think this has to do with my home network setup (which needs an overhaul). But I can’t wait to fix that, so I’m trying skype just to see if it works. If you have skype and video capabilities, look me up and let’s test it out. Someday I hope to do video chats like a real grownup techno geek. (Although I’m sure it’s more exciting for me than it is for anyone else that will see my mug online). You can now see my skype status in the sidebar.

Get your skype here.

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Touching off the podcomputer revolution

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

The iPod moment. Sounds a little pretentious, I know. But bear with me. As a student of communication and journalism, this is a fascinating time for media. So pardon the commercial--because it's really more about what it is changing in media.

I recently got my hands on my nephew’s new iPod Touch. Getting it functional required upgrading his long-in-the-tooth eMac running 10.3 to a current 10.4.10. Mission accomplished. This allowed me to spend some time with the Touch.

Now, I’ve used Palms and Blackberries. And I would define them as computers. But comparing these to an iPod Touch or iPhone is like comparing a desk calculator to a PC. Both are computers with screens, but they are worlds apart.

Holding the iPod Touch in my hands and navigating its functions made me realize that the “real” podcomputer had indeed arrived. And it’s going to change everything for traditional media. I’m not alone in this realization.

The linked article by Jeff Jarvis, writing in The Guardian, gets at the media implications of this new class of devices: “These new devices represent the next generation of the computer: small, sleek, powerful, portable. Everything that the computer, the web, and the browser have done to content - enabling it to become infinite but personal; instantaneous yet permanent; unrestricted by medium because it offers all media; and enriched by the conversation around it - is now in the palm of your hand.”

To that, I would only add, everything is now at your fingertips. The implications for newspapers and TV are enormous. As an editor of The Guardian newspaper (UK) is quoted as saying of the impending ‘iPod moment’ for his medium, “the world of newspapers will shudder on its axis.”

I highly recommend the whole article. Jarvis is a professor of journalism at City University in New York. He blogs here.

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iShock and awe

Friday, September 07, 2007

If you were anywhere on planet earth this week, you already know about Apple's big iPod day Sept. 5. Equally notable was the massive price drop on the iPhone--by $200 bucks. Much has already been blogged about this, and how Apple's most faithful early adopters got screwed. Well, Steve Jobs extended an olive branch Thursday by offering all 8 Gb iPhone owners $100 store credit to make nice about it. I'm not going to comment, since I can see both ends of this--plus, I didn't happen to be an iPhone early adopter (thanks to my long-lived 2G iPod and a 2-year Verizon contract to wait out). However, Robert X Cringley's column has go to be some of the best insight into the possible thinking of Mr. Jobs on this--and he even throws in a bit from Mr. Gates' perspective.

All that's left now is to decide which one of these babies I want for Christmas. There are Apple keynotes that are underwhelming. And then there are Apple keynotes that deliver on every rumor, and then some. Wednesday was the latter.
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New fruit

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Finally, after all the iPhone, iTunes and iPod mania has settled down, new Macs. I post with mixed emotions as I type this on my now obsoleted iMac G5. Sure, my CPU was obsolete with the Intel transition, but the hardware design remained the same (plus, I still run a fair amount of PowerPC native apps). But today, I no longer have the freshest Apple on the block. Behold, the new iMac line.

It will probably be two years or more before I move on to this model and cascade what I’m using today to the family. But at least I have a new reason to visit the Apple store (my only refuge when the kids talk me into going to the MOA).

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Wii will get in shape

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

That’s what I keep saying to myself (since my great diet of 2000-2001). If anything has the potential to help me (or Mii) get in shape, it could be this. This new Wii controller and set of games/exercises should make it state-side next year. Although, I may decide to join the Y as a supplement to the Wii. That has a nice ring to it: Y & Wii. Hmmm.

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Why they call it the Jesus phone

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Okay, I promise this will be my last iPhone-related post this month. But this cracked me up. David Pogue, technology columnist for the New York Times, does a send-up music video on the iPhone. Also added to the blogroll, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs--a super popular blog by one known as "fake Steve Jobs." Also hilarious.

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iPhone pwns your PC, you just don’t know it yet

Friday, July 27, 2007

Seeking Alpha, an investment industry trendspotter, recently published a story by Andrew Melcher that lines up with my longstanding podcomputing predictions—and generously dishes out some doom and gloom for Microsoft’s ability to compete. I would never go this far, but I must admit, reading this makes me a little giddy. As the computing paradigm begins to shift toward mobility—and make no mistake, it is shifting—the old Mac vs. Windows OS battle is back on. This time, Apple has the edge, because size matters, and smaller is better.

“The smaller Apple OS has a critical advantage here.” Writes Melcher. “It will be at least another year before flash memory chips are big enough to power a standard Windows bloatware device. It seems that Windows will be stuck without next year's absolutely-must-have functionality - platform ubiquity.”

Then, Melcher moves into nearly insane (or insanely great, depending on your take) territory with this assertion: “Once a critical mass of people leaves Windows, the only source of power Microsoft ever really had (its user network) will evaporate. At that point, Apple handhelds stop being a million user curiosity and starts looking like a $600/unit global communication standard/network that will eventually replace nearly a billion desktop computers.”

Beyond Microsoft, Melcher also predicts doom and gloom for cell phone hardware manufacters: “The likes of Nokia will simply not be able to create functions valuable enough to compete with … iPhones that are also dockable Apple computers. iPhone's offspring could dominate node computing and communication by bridging both ends of the mobility continuum. After all, if you had a dockable Apple computer in your pocket—a device that could always access the Internet for free—would you need another computer, or a cell phone?”

Think the iPhone is just an overhyped fad? Maybe so, but the idea behind it isn’t. In the near future, computers will look like the iPhone pictured above. Just dock it to a keyboard, mouse and large screen wherever you have WiFi knocking about.

The desktop or even laptop PC as we know it is a dead man walking.

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The aesthetic wisdom of crowds

Saturday, July 21, 2007

My other life as a mediocre graphic designer has allowed me to be a part of many leading edge technology trends over the years. Consider: the Mac GUI, Pagemaker, the laser printer, Zip drives, Photoshop, digital cameras and photos, modems, the world wide web, etc. It’s been geek heaven. Yet, sometimes simple things I’ve stumbled upon as super gnarly for graphic design work, are also part of much larger technological, societal and business trends. That’s true of istockphoto.com.

iStock is one of a few commercially disruptive social networks that harnesses masses of amateur and professional digital photographers to resell their work via the internet on a royalty free, generous usage rights basis. The Wired article link gives you a better picture of what it is and what it has done to the stock photo world and beyond. As a designer working for non profit clients on a shoe-strong budget, iStock is fan-freakin’-tastic. For professional stock photographers, not so much.

"With microstock, it’s much more a conversation between the photographers and designers in the audience," Khoi Vinh, design director for NYTimes.com, said. "It’s a different kind of marketplace; they [photographers] can adapt much more quickly. You'll see over time microstock get much more sophisticated and varied, and there’s going to be a stylistic difference between microstock and big stock houses. It’s an entirely different economic gain, so it makes for different creative gain as well."

My personal (and perhaps obvious) observation is that iStock’s runaway success is the result of a convergence of four distinct technologies and/or trends: 1) Web 2.0 social networking technology, 2) the proliferation of photo media due to wide adoption of digital photography, 3) open source/crowdsourcing, and, of course 4) Photoshop—the ability to readily manipulate and use disparate graphics and photos to create “new” art to suit new purposes.

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Wii love it

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Dawnshelle and I decided to get Dad (that’s me) a Wii for my birthday (recently). Now, I know what you may be thinking: “You both decided to get it? Right, Todd. Nice way to justify it.” Well, we wanted to get the whole family into something more active and group oriented than sitting on the couch playing sedentary console games. That meant no Xbox 360 or PS3. Plus, the Wii fascinated both of us based in what we had been reading and seeing in the commercials.

I must say, it’s been a lot of fun so far. Of course, my 8-year-old is asking me to play it with her every night (and I’m very conflicted about this because I have homework to do). But the great thing is being engaged together in a game like tennis or golf or bowling (all played standing up, swinging your arms). Now, you can trick the Wii and play this stuff sitting on your butt. But what for? Getting up and doing the real deal (in a video game sort of way) is half the fun—the other half is watching someone else do it. Downside: Wii doesn’t play DVD movies, so there isn’t an opportunity to replace a TV component.

mom

Pictured above is our family Mii’s (our personal Wii characters, players). We haven’t created a Mii for Everett, yet. And the Mii’s here are subject to change as we tweak them. For example, I added a hat last night to hide my sad, balding head.

Last night, Dawni and I even snuck downstairs to bowl a couple games after the kids were in bed. I never thought I’d be playing video games with my wife—but there we were. Dad Mii bowled a 171 (six spares and two strikes). “Nice Throw!”

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Do you Digg me?

Friday, June 29, 2007

I do get a little carried away with adding new features to my blog. But remember, one of my goals is to learn how to do some of these things. So, I've added some social bookmarking links at the end of each post. Now, if you want to spread the word on a particularly notable, brilliant or, perhaps, insipid post on TSAWWT, you can "Digg" it (or whatever) by clicking your preferred bookmark link and logging in to spread the word. I'm interesting in the web proliferation factor of blog communication and the mechanisms that make that work. Instead of adding a whole bunch of them (there are many), I'm going just with Digg, del.icio.us and Technorati for now. Anyway, if you like something and think it is bookmark-worthy, click the links and give a shout out. And if you prefer one you don't see, let me know and I'll look for the code to add. Thanks.

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More on the rise of the podcomputer: YouTube, Safari, Facebook and iPhone

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Okay, so I get all psyched to write this post, and then Cringley basically steals my whole idea. Oh, well. Great minds….

For the rest of us, here’s a little insight on where we are, right this moment, in technology history. To put it briefly, there’s a lot of paradigm shifting and disruptive technology emerging this summer—more than anyone can afford to ignore, because it is likely to affect your future computing life. You just might not know it yet.

First, let’s back up to the beginning of the month and recap Apple’s WWDC. The biggest news leading up to this event was Apple TV’s addition of YouTube video access. I blogged about this earlier in the month. Then, in the Keynote speech/demo by Steve Jobs, Apple announced two very significant things. First, the iPhone would open up Safari for web application development, meaning that web developers would be able to write web apps for iPhone. This wasn’t necessarily the news software developers wanted to hear (they wanted access and an SDK for the iPhone version of OS X), but it was extremely significant nonetheless. Second, Apple released a beta of its Safari Web browser for Windows XP and Vista. Crazy? Why reignite the web browser wars now, you might ask? Well, stay with me here a little but longer.

This past week, Apple announces some significant upgrades to the final iPhone hardware spec, and sneaks in a new application. And what do you know, it’s YouTube on the iPhone. Thanks to Google and Apple, viral video is now mobile. It’s not hard to imagine this taking web video to a whole new level. But beyond video fun, Safari for Windows, Google and the iPhone signal a paradigm shift for software. Web distributed applications are starting to make their play for the mainstream—and the platform is increasingly mobile. This has the potential to displace established software applications and operating systems. Apple recognizes that Safari on Windows means more use of distributed applications and web 2.0 application development that will reach beyond the PC to their mobile platform.

More evidence of this can be seen outside of Apple and Google. On May 24, Facebook launched the newest version of the Facebook Platform with APIs and services that allow outside developers to create apps for the burgeoning Facebook social networking site. Marc Andreesson, original founder of Netscape, posted an excellent look at the new platform on his blog—recommended reading. The Facebook platform, like Google’s distributed apps, represents web-based software in an increasingly web 2.0 world. Now think about Facebook and Facebook apps on the iPhone. Safari’s already there, ready and waiting—now on both ends of the PC vs. Mac dichotomy.

And as I predicted back in August 2005, prior to iPhone, and again in January of this year, the new mobile platform iPhone represents is evolving toward the podcomputing concept—and web 2.0 will be the source of the killer apps of tomorrow. See how Cringley pegs this from his column this week:

“Remember that a key component of iPhone marketing is that the device will run a version of OS X, making it more computer than phone. When the iPhone finally ships and some techies have voided their warranties and torn the thing apart, they'll probably find it uses a processor running at a gigahertz or more -- by far the fastest processor ever put in a mobile phone -- a processor more powerful than that in my Mom's PC. With all that power locked inside, of course some users will want to imagine their iPhone AS their PC, which Apple -- at least for now -- would rather not enable because it might hurt Macintosh sales.”

How long will Apple wait? My prediction is long enough for the software paradigm to complete its shift.

Fascinating times, these.

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Nikola Tesla in the home office

Friday, June 22, 2007

If you’ve seen The Prestige, then you’ve had a fictionalized taste of Nikola Tesla (courtesy of David Bowie). One of Tesla’s quests was to transmit electricity via wireless means—a feat he achieved in a cruder, more dangerous form. Someday it may be possible to get the earth’s power completely carbon free by beaming energy to the surface from an array of solar collectors in orbit, thanks to Tesla’s vision.

Well, this latest advance takes the idea right into your home. Wireless data transmission meets wireless power transmission in the home office. Say bye-bye to even more wires. I, for one, can’t help but think that lead-lined clothes still might be a good idea. But who am I to stand in the way of technological progress.

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Snappy new blog feature

Sunday, June 17, 2007

I've added Snapshots code to my blog entries--after messing around with how to make it work for a few weeks. You may notice new pop-ups emanating from the links or a little bubble icon next to each link. Mousing over those will create a popup search engine preview of the linked page, if available. I hope this is helpful. I've liked it at a few sites I've seen it, and I'll try to keep the pertinent links to a minimum to avoid it becoming an reader annoyance. Also note, these are not a form of advertising. TSAWWT is an Ad free site (except for cool things I want to put an unpaid plug in for).
tour_motto

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I love being right

Saturday, June 02, 2007

It’s true. Who doesn’t? This week Apple announced two Apple TV enhancements that I predicted in January when the product hit the market. First, a much larger hard drive option—allowing people to go to from 40 to 160 Gb. Second, a software update in June that will bring the entire world of Google’s YouTube videos to Apple TV. Trek on over to the January, 2007 TSAWWT archive and read the post entitled Apple TV 1.0 reflections, to see my original prognostication or wish list.

If you think of Apple TV as a computer (it has already been hacked by hobbyists to run a full version of OS X), then think of YouTube content integration as Apple TV’s first killer app. The more I ponder this, the more I’m convinced. Most people have 50 to 150 channels of professionally produced television programming (okay, some of it is not quite “professional’ grade, but you get the point). At the same time, more and more people are logging into YouTube to watch user-generated content on small little PC screen video players. YouTube on AppleTV brings user-generated content into the television entertainment context in a big screen way, all navigated via the simple Apple remote. This will be a catalyst for a whole new TV experience. It will be huge.

So what was I wrong about? Two other features that we haven’t seen…yet. The first is a way to rip DVDs to your digital library the way iTunes does for music. I now doubt this will happen. Instead, I think Apple is interested in selling media directly through iTunes, since DVD content is less used than music for repeat playback and Apple can’t monetize DVD media people already own (ouch). The second is a USB camera with iChat capabilities for Apple TV. I fully expect this to happen when the time is right. Wait for it.

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Mutual admiration society

Saturday, June 02, 2007

It's been a while since these two have done an interview together. In fact, they haven't appeared together in video form since the 1997 MacWorld when they buried the hatchet on the alleged Microsoft IP theft of MacOS for Windows and Microsoft helped save Apple with a $150 million infusion. So, here's a bit of Steve and Bill at the WSJ D:5 All Things Digital conference. Some great reminiscing and fascinating discussion.

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Al Gore’s high electricity bills…

Monday, May 21, 2007

…could have something to do with his Mac rig (pictured). Exhibit A is Al’s three 30-inch displays running in extended desktop mode. For those unfamiliar with the tech underlying this, it requires an additional video card running in the already high end Mac Pro tower computer to provide a total of three DVI ports, plus the three $1,799 30-inch Apple HD Cinema Displays, each with their own power supplies.

Sure, it’s a dream rig. But what is it that Al does with all that screen real-estate (90 inches). And how many carbon tradeoffs does he need to neutralize all that energy consumption? Undoubtedly it must have made creating “An Inconvenient Truth” a little more convenient. He’d better not let Tipper catch him playing World of Warcraft on that thing—it is a tax-deductible business expense, after all.

Ignore this if you’re sick of my Mac apologist rantings

Saturday, April 14, 2007

For those that may be interested, another edition—even when I said I’d not be doing too much of this in the future. I lied.

I’ve often tried to explain the security difference between Windows and Mac OS X. It’s something I’m asked about fairly often. Rarely have I been able to provide such a user friendly yet sufficiently explanatory answer as the one provided by Paul Venezia, writing an article for InfoWorld entitled, "The Myth of Apple's Insecurities." Note, InfoWorld is not a Mac magazine—not by a long shot. It is an IT trade publication, and its writers focus mainly on that market, which is dominated by Windows PCs and servers, but also a fair amount of UNIX servers. So consider the source when reading the quotes below and the linked article. This is not some Mac PR hack writing. This is someone who knows what their talking about. Also, when you read the word “network,” remember that the internet is the network that matters.

“If an OS is built on shaky ground, everything layered on top will suffer. This is the position that Microsoft is in now. Apple was in this very position at the end of the last century. They decided to start over, providing a clear upgrade path and supporting legacy applications on the new platform.”

“Apple had to rebuild their entire OS. They did, with a huge helping of public code [Free BSD UNIX] vetted over the decades and proven secure and reliable. Microsoft didn't. They’re faced with massive-scale exploits like the spreading ANI vulnerability. That affects every Microsoft OS, server and workstation alike, across the board. This gives us a glimpse into the code shared between generations of Microsoft OSes, and it's not a pretty view.”

Apple and EMI walk the talk

Monday, April 02, 2007

Sorry for the number of posts concerning Apple. Today was a big day: the beginning of the end for DRM-laden digital music. Apple and EMI announced DRM-free music via iTunes, plus higher bit-rates for higher quality playback. A good thing has just begun. I neglected to post when Steve Jobs posted an open letter on Apple.com February 9 calling for record labels to do away with DRM as bad for music and music fans. After a first quarter with falling CD sales, EMI is ready to differentiate itself from the pack with this bold move. Bravo! Video from CNBC below:

Apple TV's disruptive technology

Sunday, April 01, 2007

I have to admit that I didn't expect the Apple TV to get as much attention as it has been getting since it began shipping a couple of weeks ago. But, then again, I didn't think much of the iPod's impact when I first beheld it at an Apple store five years ago. Why could something so simple and pretty limited in scope create a fundamental disruption the TV marketplace? Carl Howe, writing for investment site Seeking Alpha, offers some compelling reasons for your consideration:

"Apple TV is about to attack the fundamental assumptions underpinning the TV business just as the iPod cut the legs out from under CDs and radio stations. How? Because with Apple TV combining the flexibility of the Internet with a living-room, big-screen experience, consumers now will:
1) Vote for programming with consumer dollars [instead of via the viewer rating and ad-supported paradigm], 2) Watch what they want, when and where they want it, 3) Enjoy TV programming a la carte."

Check out the entire article here.

Vista security flaw curses the cursor

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Of the many things I could have posted in the past three months about Windows Vista (poor reviews, security issues, steep upgrade requirements, copied features), this one is perhaps the most damning indictment. It seems that the cursor itself—that pointer/hourglass icon that you mouse around and click things with (really the heart of the GUI experience itself)—is vulnerable to a recent malware exploit in all versions of Windows, including Vista. See it in action via video here. All you stalwart Vista and XP PC owners be sure to get that forthcoming patch. Beyond belief. Sorry, but can I mention that my Macs live off of a high speed Internet connection that’s on 24-7 and I’m running no antiviral software? Sure, I have a firewall on my router and in Mac OS X, but I have never had a viral infection of any kind—six years of Mac OS X and counting.

I’m not really going to be posting too much more about why people should dump Windows PCs for Macs. Consider this post representative of 1,000 other reasons people should dump Windows. Yes, I’m an unashamed Mac fanatic. But I’m also seeing the writing on the wall. The Mac is hip again. The need for fanatics like me to evangelize is waning. To some, Apple’s recent market share increases may not seem like much, but it has everything to do with momentum increasing against the MS hegemony. The days of a single dominant OS—or even the relevancy of a dominant OS—are numbered. Evidence of that? Dell is now offering Linux as a preinstalled OS for consumer desktops and laptops.

Reach out and touch your data

Sunday, March 04, 2007

last summer some buzz was being generated on the blogosphere about a paradigm shifting design for the iMac by fan and designer Adam Benton. In case you didn't see them, I include a couple shots here.

future_imac4

What makes this particular design idea interesting is the forthcoming Apple iPhone's multitouch interface and the rumor from this past week that Apple is prepping new Mac displays that include multitouch capabilities.

While the iMac design shown here may not be exactly what future Macs look like, it makes it easier to imagine a touchscreen and clear/glass-like interface--something a little like the translucent, touch-your-data computer interface showcased in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report in 2002.

minority_report_interface

With Apple's multitouch patents and innovative computer design chops, I fully expect more human interfacing in the future, birthed on the Mac platform.

Qwest finally gives it away

Thursday, March 01, 2007

After suffering with cheap and slow 256 Kps DSL service from Qwest, I received the offer I had been waiting for (seemingly forever) just a couple of weeks ago. For the same monthly price I was paying, I could enjoy a five-fold speed bump (to 1.5 Mbps DSL) if I agreed to a 2 year commitment. How could I resist? I’m now exploring the strange flavors of YouTube without waiting for the darn download to catch up to the streaming. Thanks, Qwest. My loyalty is growing. Sorry about all the YouTube linked posts. Little time to write lately.

Apple TV 1.0 reflections

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Just wanted to post about what I would like to see in the Apple TV that hasn’t been announced in the just-released version 1.0. By now I think we can begin to understand the Apple TV box will serve to connect people with their Macs' and iTunes', paid-for content, rather than act as a TiVo/DVR device.

There are pros and cons to this. The biggest pro for Apple would seem to be creating more demand and use for iTunes-purchased video. This is a paid content strategy, as opposed to a commercial broadcast strategy. But, because of how the TV and movie industries have evolved differently from the music industry, it does not provide a complete digital solution for the paid video content people already own a boatload of (DVDs)—at least, not yet.

I’d be willing to fully embrace this approach if two things happen: First, storage capabilities must increase so that people can manage the storage of as many videos (TV and films) as they do songs in iTunes. This will come, but has a way to go (1 Tb drives are just now hitting the market. Apple TV's 40 Gb drive won’t cut it). Second, a solution for ripping DVDs and HD DVDs/BluRay video into iTunes must become more mainstream and usable (built-in to iTunes like the ability to rip CDs)—beyond third-party apps like Handbrake. Those two desires notwithstanding, I’ll probably get an Apple TV anyway, since I can connect to my network and access my Mac content from the home theater.

But beyond the cons of content side, there is one more feature that I hope and pray comes to the Apple TV box: iChat AV. And why not? Hook up a camera to that USB 2.0 port and you should be in business. I’d love to video conference from my media room HDTV. I don’t think Apple realizes this yet, but video conferencing on this large and personal scale would be a killer app for personal communication. Add to this a simple Apple-style interface option to access Web video via Google/YouTube (via the remote control), and you could unleash hours of mindless viral video fun in the home theater. I think these things are coming, but we’ll have to wait a little while longer to see them.

The Apple iPhone and the rise of the podcomputer

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

For all of you wondering about my reaction to today’s Macworld "Steve"-note speech, I’d like to draw your attention to a post from a while back—8/29/05. That’s when I predicted (or dreamed up) the idea that the hand-held (an iPod) could become all you needed for a mobile PC. And I didn’t mean like a Treo or Palm or Windows CE. I meant a fully functional image of your computer that you could just port-in to a PC setup (CPU, keyboard, monitor) and use. With OSX on board, software and data storage, the device would allow you to take your full computer world (digital life) with you anywhere.

Fast forward to Apple’s announcement today. How close am I? Well, it's definitely not exactly what I was thinking, but it's darn close (it does have WiFi, after all). Plus, we can expect this to evolve much like the iPod and the Mac have evolved.

You really need to follow this link and check this thing out to understand it. Lev Grossman of TIME magazine had this to say: "Apple's new iPhone could do to the cell phone market what the iPod did to the portable music player market: crush it pitilessly beneath the weight of its own superiority. This is unfortunate for anybody else who makes cell phones, but it's good news for those of us who use them." The rest of this article is outstanding.

Yes, today was a good day to be a Apple addict. Dawni has frozen our joint account.

All the Macs I have known

Saturday, December 16, 2006

As promised, here is my Macintosh owner's anthology, spanning 15 years. All of these machines were used for my graphic design business at one point or another. This only includes Macs or Apples I have purchased. Going back to college use, we can include: Apple II, Apple IIe, Mac Plus, Mac Classic, Mac IIci, Mac Centris and Mac Quadra machines. Okay, I am a total geek, but I hope the personal history is fun for everyone:

MacLC3

Macintosh LC III
CPU: Motorola 68040 25 Mhz 80 Mb HD
Owned circa 1992-1995 [Sold to a friend]
Status: Unknown, presumed running Mac OS 7.2

PowerMac7100-66

Power Macintosh 7100/66
CPU: Motorola/IBM PowerPC 601 66 Mhz 250 Mb HD
Owned circa 1995-1999 [sold to brother-in-law for college]
Status: Donated to school, presumed running Mac OS 9.1
Fun fact: This was the most expensive Mac I have ever purchased

iMacBlueberry333

iMac 333 "Blueberry"
CPU: Motorola PowerPC G3 333 Mhz 6 Gb HD
Owned circa 1999-2002, 2005 to present [sold to parents, then reclaimed after their Mac mini upgrade]
Status: Running Mac OS X 10.2.9 "Jaguar" on home network

TiBookG4

PowerBook G4 Titanium
CPU: Motorola PowerPC G4 550 Mhz 20 Gb HD
Owned circa 2002 to present
Status: Running Mac OS X 10.3.9 "Panther" on home network via airport wireless

eMac

eMac G4
CPU: Motorola PowerPC G4 800 Mhz 80 Gb HD
Owned circa 2004 to present
Status: Running Mac OS X 10.4.8 "Tiger" on home network via ethernet

imacG5

iMac G5
CPU: IBM PowerPC G5 2.1 Ghz 250 Gb HD
Owned circa 2006 to present
Status: Running Mac OS X 10.4.8 "Tiger" on home network via airport wireless

Requiem for a TI-99/4A

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Recently I mentally traced my fascination with computer technology back to its source. The photo and link will tell you all you need to know about my first, real computer.

The Texas Instruments TI-99/4A.

It’s hard to imagine I had the patience, but I used to spend hours writing text-based game programs in BASIC. The process involved loading my code from a cassette tape into the TI’s memory. From there I’d dream up an intricate web of multiple choice tasks for the game player to navigate the storyline. Make a false move, and you were dead—game over. I had dreams of releasing my fantastic adventure games to the world someday. Those were the days.

I never really did any programming after that. I think this had to do with my own aptitude for code being pretty limited. I’ve always been a words and pictures guy, out of my element when exposed to complex mathematical systems. So all my experience in middle school on Tandy TRS-80s and Commodore 64s never made a programmer out of me. Instead, I gravitated toward my friends’ who had Ataris and ColecoVisions, and stuck to playing cartridge games (I had 3) on my TI.

From there, I transitioned toward becoming an expert user rather than a creator. I learned to type in high school on an Apple ][ (my choice), and used a lab of Apple IIe computers in college (freshman year) to compose all my papers. By my sophomore year I became involved with the college newspaper and a dedicated lab of Macintosh Plus computers (circa 1990), some with external 20 Mb hard drives. After my transition to my alma mater, I upgraded to a lab with the latest Mac IIci models and a laserwriter doing graphic design and editorial work for the college magazine. By then, there was no looking back. In fact, I didn’t use Windows until I demanded to use Windows 3.1 software for my first full time job out of college (for AmiPro and MS Word). Subsequently I never touched a DOS PC.

In future posts I’ll do an overview of the Macs I have owned, and where they all ended up since my first actual purchase.

I would, however, like to extend enormous gratitude to my parents for purchasing the TI 99/4A for me. I know it must have been a sacrifice at the time. It was a catalyst for my future geeky life, and I am very grateful.

Xmas in Cupertino moved to January

Friday, December 08, 2006

January’s MacWorld is shaping up to be the mother of all rumored product launches. Here is quick list (in no particular order) of what could be announced:

- The iPhone cell phone (slim and smart/PDA models)
- Widescreen iPods with touch screen click wheels (possible WiFi)
- iTV launch in final form and detail
- MacOS X Leopard (set to launch in Q1 or Q2 in 2007—could be sprung early)
- iWork w/Numbers spreadsheet App
…and one more thing, of course.

Just to tide us over through the holidays, I somehow missed this great Wired article published in October. It details the development and birth of the iPod. For technology history buffs, this has all the interesting details on the design and production process involved.

One more dark horse prediction: OS X for PCs.

Speed: A new reason to think different

Saturday, December 02, 2006

It’s kind of a strange new world now that we have Macs and Windows PCs running on the same Intel chips. It leads to new questions about operating system performance that deserve some exploration: All chips being equal, what would be the performance difference between running the same applications in Windows Vista or MacOS X on the same hardware configuration? Why would anyone switch from Windows to Mac to run Adobe Creative Suite, for example? Why would anyone care?

Here’s where things get interesting. As many PC users will discover in 2007, Vista has a lot of high gloss user improvements and security features making it more akin to the look and feel of MacOS X. But, I suspect, what people also will soon discover is that an entirely new disparity between Windows and MacOS X has emerged—and rather quickly: system speed. For all its improvements, Vista is huge and requires a big bite of the PC's processing power to run. Many will be alarmed to see what the minimum and suggested system requirements are--all before their favorite apps get their share.

Brian Caulfield for Red Herring: "Meanwhile, Microsoft struggled to lash a fresh batch of innovation together with the massive amount of software and hardware the Windows operating system has to orchestrate. Windows was already so sprawling that Sun Chairman Scott McNealy once referred to Windows as a 'welded shut hairball.' 'It’s being driven by the inability of debugging and development efforts to scale up,' said Linux advocate Eric Raymond of Vista’s many delays. 'In other words, Vista is too big to work.'" (Portion excerpted from MDN)

All things being equal (CPU model and clock speed, RAM and video processor), OS performance will be a whole new ballgame. Next year let’s watch the Mac go head to head against a Windows Vista machine running the same software, and let the fun begin. I can see the new Ad campaign now: all your software runs faster on MacOS X.

Note to self: Don’t get too smug

Monday, November 27, 2006

My friend recently posted a comment which politely told me to lighten up and let it go when it comes to my Mac/Apple evangelism. I had recently posted that the inventor of the internet uses a Mac.

After reading his comment I clicked over to my Mac Daily News RSS feed (yes, I am that much of a Mac geek) to find this post: "Al Jazeera Chooses Apple Macintosh Technology."

Needless to say, I laughed out loud. So this post is dedicated to Pete, and his words of wisdom. But will I stop posting my overzealous, nearly militant pro-Mac rants? I dunno. They make some pretty good Kool-Aid in Cupertino. I'll probably follow this post up with a righteous slam of Microsoft.

Perhaps I should seek treatment. Anyone want to organize an intervention?

Inventor of the Web uses a Mac

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Just a little pro Mac propaganda (it’s been a while). Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist who is credited with creating the world wide web--the internet as we know it, uses a MacBook Pro. (Sorry, it’s not Al Gore after all.) Picture and link provide some nice proof.

Gee. He’s pretty smart. I wonder why he uses Mac OS when 95 percent of the rest of the world uses Windows?

As for the linked story, his concerns are interesting—especially in light of mediated communication theories. I’m gonna flag this clip for my advanced media communication class coming up next session.

Is this for real?

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Not sure what to make of this, but a few weeks will tell us whether this is a load of bull or the real deal.

Full wide screen video, touch click wheel on the screen and WiFi or wireless of some kind. Could it even be a cell phone device?

Kind of makes that brown Zune look like trash even more than it already did (if that’s even possible). And this is just a speculation on the design posted on engadget—not the real device. Still, that looks like it makes a lot of sense. Touchscreen click-wheel that disappears after a click. Not available in brown.

Yesterday Apple joined Product Red and introduced the Red iPod nano. Not really a nano guy, but that would be pretty cool. Bono was on Oprah to introduce Chicago and the U.S. to Product Red merch from several merchants. I think someone is gonna get somone a Red t-shirt for Christmas this year. Edge?

You say goodbye, I say Helio

Sunday, October 08, 2006

I’ve run across the “so hot right now” device that gets close to what I’m looking for in the wished-for WiFi iPod or MS Zune. The Helio is a socially networked mobile device/cell phone. It integrates voice, text, camera, video, music, web, IM (AIM, iChat or Yahoo), games and the clincher—myspace features. Interact with MySpace mail, view pages, post comments and photos, and add new friends.

The success of the Helio experience will come down to the usability of the interface, with its numerous extensions to text messaging, web and MySpace features. But this is the device to watch. Whatever Apple has cooking with regard to the rumored “iPhone,” Helio may just be the unintentional market research and prototype. If Helio gains traction, add a brand like Apple to the mix and there you have it! Check out their web page for details. Could they be any more Apple-like in their aesthetics?

And maybe Wifi isn’t the answer I've been predicting. Maybe cellular network technology, which is ubiquitous in it’s coverage, is the channel and data network pipeline to carry an iPod or iPhone into the socially networked communications future. Helio seems to think so

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Ever wonder about those holographic, 2-D intergalactic communication devices you’ve seen in the Star Wars movies? First, it was a recording of that memorable and desperate message from princess Leia stored in R2-D2: “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope.” Then, in later movies, it seemed to be the video phone of choice a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Robert X. Cringley thinks this is one of the possible but heretofore hidden features of the Apple iTV device. He points out in his latest column that the USB 2 port on the device could have a variety of uses—but he thinks it will run an iSight camera allowing an H.264 video conference from your home theater HD big screen TV (just as iChat does today on the Mac).

Maybe it’s not all that earth-shattering. Yet, how many of us are able to do this today? Would we be interested in a life-size interactive image of our family and friends from far, far away to converse with and share other media? I know my answer is yes.

I like Cringely’s vision here. And while it’s hard to predict just what Apple has waiting in the wings, I think this would be fantastic.

Zune shares like a bad virus

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

I had high hopes for the WiFi capabilities of the Microsoft Zune. Sadly, I think my hopes were misplaced. Why am I not surprised? Oh yeah. Microsoft built this thing. Actually, it’s built by OEM Toshiba and MS just slapped their name (and maybe software) on it.

It seems the only thing the WiFi is good for is beaming your pal (who also has to have a Zune) a song you want to “share.” This sounds nice, except that the Zune wraps any content (any and all content) in an additional DRM scheme that limits play to 3 times or 3 days—whichever comes first. After that point, the lent media dies—unplayable, unsharable, unconceivable.

And that’s it folks. That’s all the Zune’s WiFi does. Nothing more to see here. Move along.

I’ll go on record right now and say that if Apple does WiFi in its 6G iPod (which is a big if), it will be done right.

Oh wait, the Zune comes in brown.

God is my DJ

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Check out this WSJ article (a freebie) concerning the iPod Shuffle’s claim on random play, and the mathematical debate involved in being truly random (hint: it isn’t). The article goes all the way into quantum physics and chaos theory. It’s a good read, even if you hate iPods.

The article points out is that it is difficult (impossible) for humans to develop truly random numbers (via purely algorithmic methods) without tapping into the unpredictability of the universe. The fact that this reflects on the iPod shuffle is an amusing comment on its place as a cultural artifact and object of technology.

I have often thought that my iPod, when in shuffle mode, could be directed or influenced by the spiritual. For example, when the perfect song cues up and plays at just the right moment. I think, “Cool! God is in my DJ today.” Whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter. I know that God knows I am getting something new from Him out of an unpredictable song choice—and I know He’s always interested in that.

Finally, I can sleep at night

Saturday, September 23, 2006

This is the App you can’t live without that you have been living without all your life. For all you with Mac OS X Tiger running, this little widget is the answer to your non-apple software version upgrade/update manager dreams.

Ever want to make sure MS Word has all it’s current updates and patches? How about Adobe Acrobat? Put them into this little gadget and let it find out for you with the click of a one-button mouse.

Apple of your Ive

Friday, September 15, 2006

I’m not sure that most people are aware of all the fantastic product designs that have originated from Apple VP of Design, Jonathan Ive.

This gifted Brit has developed a core of uber-talented industrial designers at One Infinite Loop that have rocked the consumer technology world over the past decade: Apple Newton, iMac G3 through Intel, iBook, iPod, iPod mini & nano, Mac mini, Powerbook Titanium, Mac Pro, etc. You have to view all of this work in a timeline gallery to get an idea just how much of an impact Ive has had. Now you can.

If you’ve interested, read this recent article from BusinessWeek and take a digital walk through the Ive portfolio slide show to see the product designs he has been a part of. His work is just one of the many reasons I am a Mac fanatic. (I’m also a Lego maniac, but that’s for another post).

It's Christmas day

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

The calendar says September 12, 2006, but it's Christmas day in San Francisco. Steve Jobs unwrapped a bevy of new iPod and movie-related goodies in a special media event held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Check out the event playback on Apple's site.

The most exciting new gadget is the forthcoming (Q1 2007) iTV module. Wireless networking of all your digital content from your Mac (or PC running iTunes 7) to your HDTV home theater. This is truly a game changer in digital convergence. Check out the details here.

And how 'bout that crazy small 2 GB shuffle? And I love this about Apple: Let's make the iPod hard drives bigger--and knock $50 off the price while we're at it. The new iPod is available in a 30 GB model at a lower price of $249 and an 80 GB model for $349. Not the wide screen iPod the market was half expecting, but the prices will move some units this Fall.

I am, however, disappointed. I expected an iPod with WiFi--and stand by my previous assertion that this little piece of tech could spark a whole knew game in mobile music and social interaction. I was also looking for this device to have an iSight camera to provide handheld video chat capabilities. For now Apple is content to let the Microsoft Zune (also forthcoming) be the test case for a WiFi device. This may be Jobs acting out of his gut feel for what will catch on. Steve's gut is usually right.

For now, I'm just gonna keep dreaming my WiFi iChat iPod dreams. Of course, iTV will be coming to my home theater next year.

I'm definitely not a genius

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

The past few days those of you using Microsoft Internet Explorer (MS IE) for Windows XP to get around the internet may have noticed a display glitch on my page. All my posts are being shuffled far down the page. I’m hoping that by the time you see this post the problem has been corrected. It seems that amid the hubris of tricking out my sidebar with new features, some tiny detail in the code created this issue on the Win XP platform (much to my chagrin).

Here’s my story: I’m able to preview my site code on the Mac in Safari, MS IE, Netscape, Opera and Firefox (all Mac OS versions). But unfortunately this does not give me a clue as to what it will look like in Win XP IE. So I have to test (view) the page live from someone else’s Win XP computer to make sure it is rendering properly.

This is a bit embarrassing. But, at least, now you know why this may happen once in a while. It’s simply not worth it to me to shell out a few hundred bucks to boot my Mac into Windows XP just to see if its finicky IE browser will render my page properly.

If you run Windows XP, allow me to recommend Firefox. It kicks all over MS IE, is more secure, user friendly and correctly displays my site 99% of the time regardless of the platform.

I believe in evolution

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Now that I've got your attention, you may be noticing some evolution taking place with TSAWWT. I’ve discovered and implemented a few features that I’ve been wanting on the page for a long time.

Recently added to the sidebar is a FilmLoop animated slide show. This is a software-based internet photocasting tool that updates my web page in real time. I’ll be featuring recent snapshots in that box. Right now you are seeing photos from our recent vacation out West. The software for FilmLoop is free, so go ahead and download it for some photocasting fun (Mac or Windows).

In addition, I brought back my reading list to the sidebar to highlight the current books I am reading or have read recently. This version is powered by LibraryThing, which is an online social networking technology that centers around people’s personal libraries—kind of a myspace for people who love books. Its blog tool allows me to easily generate the list, book cover visuals, book links and it automatically updates my site when I add or delete books—no code changes required. The images link to Amazon, and the titles are linked to LibraryThing. Check it out some time.

I do need some opinions. Since I’ve moved to category tags for all of my posts (on the right sidebar), I am considering getting rid of the monthly archive. My reasoning is that everything is available in the category views in reverse chronological order. The archiving system of Rapidweaver only allows this ever growing sidebar list which takes up more and more space, every month. I’d rather get rid of it and replace it with a recent posts section and a recent comments section.

Tell me what you think? Would anyone miss the monthly archives?

I’ve also added details on the technology being used for TSAWWT on the About Me page, in case anyone is interested. This is geeky fun for me, but also provides information to anyone that may want to use the same platform or get the code for various site features. Share and share alike.

Future plans for the rest of 2006 are implementing a simplified URL (such as www.tsawwt.com) to begin to build traffic, a blog roll tool to make my links list more effective and easy to update, permalinks and maybe even a new site design (if I get bored with this one).

Windows Vista: the Devil you don't know

Friday, August 25, 2006

I haven’t posted a smug rant about Microsoft Windows for a few months now, so I’m due. I apologize in advance for any offense this may cause.

There are three things every devoted Windows user should know about the forthcoming (and oft delayed) Windows Vista upgrade:

Thing Number 1: Every feature in Vista has been available in Mac OS X for more than a year—and in some cases, up to five years, such as the liquid/aqua aesthetic they are calling "Aero." If you think those Vista “gadget” apps are cool, you should see Mac OS X.4 Tiger’s widgets on the Mac. And if you want something like Mac OS X.5 Leopard’s forthcoming Time Machine real-time backup or Spaces feature, you’ll have to wait for Microsoft’s next OS release, scheduled for the twelfth of never.

Thing Number 2: Vista is still built atop the same problem core that good-old Windows 95 was built on. That means that security and bugs will continue to be an issue. Top Tech News said in an article Thursday, “Testers and pundits alike say Vista Beta 2…is plagued by bugs and blue screens.” Robert Scoble, former MS blogger advocate and co-author of Naked Conversations, said this of Vista Beta 2 in his Blog this week: “This sucker is just not ready. It feels like it needs a good six more months.”

While Vista should be more secure out of the gate than XP was, there’s some good reasons why Mac OS X has offered better security over any Windows flavor for the past five years running. And, as David Pogue points out in his New York Times column today, it’s not because there are fewer Macs out there.

Thing Number 3 (and this is the biggest one): Vista will likely not run well (or at all) on your existing or aging PC. At this point Windows Vista involves a huge amount of legacy code and some pretty significant minimum processing and RAM requirements. If you bought a good performing machine for XP, NT or 2000 three or four years ago, Vista will likely require another upgrade to make you Vista capable (see this on their own requirements page). And you'll have to fork over more for the really cool premium edition. Say hello to planned obsolescence. Thank you, Windows monopoly.

Since Mac OS X came out, each version (X.0 through X.4) has run on PowerPC G3, G4, G5 and current Intel processor-powered Mac hardware at respective, if not better than previous, system performance (allowing for the suggested RAM requirements). While this won’t be the case in perpetuity, it is a testament to the modern foundation of OS X that my 2002 PowerBook G4 550 MHz is as useful to me now as it was when I bought it—even more so with the additional features of newer Mac OS releases.

Leopard

Now that you are well informed about the future Windows Vista holds, it may be advisable to keep using Windows XP for a couple more years. The most current build of XP, while annoyingly in your-face at times, is mature. Perhaps it’s better to stick with the devil you know.

Really Simple Stupification

Friday, August 04, 2006

Well, for anyone who cares, I finally figured out why my RSS feeds and summaries have been a little loopy. (Does anyone even subscribe to my TSAWWT feed?)

MS Word and other programs have long had this great feature called smart quotes and apostrophes, which automatically replace the keyed character (the vertical kind) with a curved or “smart” character—in this case, an apostrophe that curves open to the left for contractions and possessives.

This is great for visual text, but not for code. To an RSS feed, characters of text from my blog (which have real meaning to human beings) are just bits of code. If it doesn’t recognize the code it sees, it either replaces it with something else or drops it altogether. How draconian.

Here’s the rub. My habit of writing posts in MS Word and then putting them into Rapidweaver later has created a code-related error I have recently discovered. When I use a curved apostrophe in a story headline, my RSS headline feed (which I use in the sidebar of the site) listing my most recent posts replaces them with question marks. Annoying. I’ve also discovered that when I include a photo in the code for the first line of text, my internet RSS feed omits the lead-in summary text completely from the feed. Infuriating!

Well, knowledge is power. Now that I know about this, I can revert to boring old vertical apostrophes, rearrange my photos and better conform to the legalism of RSS.

Dot Mac scoring a dot bomb

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

I’ve been a .Mac user for three years or so, using it for web hosting (this Blog), Email, iDisk file sharing and several other useful features. I’ve noticed on occasion that there are minor network outages that affect Email, iDisk or web sites, etc. On the wild Web, this is par for the course.

Recently, however, Apple has been under fire (see article) for a rash of major .Mac outages and a poor response to its customers. I haven’t personally been affected much since I’ve not being using .Mac too heavily (although I did have some issues posting to my blog on Sunday). Being a paid customer I totally sympathize with others that have been frustrated by this. I hope Apple gets on the stick and makes it right with them. I love .Mac, but agree that it is overpriced. The more you can get out of it, the better value it becomes. Something like this makes the price completely unreasonable.

My take on this problem has a silver lining. I think Apple’s new iWeb application is getting some serious use by more and more users, which is taxing the .Mac infrastructure more than ever before. iWeb has a pretty memory intensive (inefficient) but beautiful web page creation and file structure framework. So, in the case of this outage, my guess is that popularity coupled with the awkward code of iWeb has been .Mac’s main issue. That’s just conjecture, but It seems plausible. Also, it looks as if they are adding more features and a blog for members, which is good.

Nonetheless, Apple should fix this—and fast.

Free lunch, for a limited time only

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

I recently saw Rupert Murdoch on Charlie Rose discussing the News Corp. purchase of MySpace last year. The discussion with this venerable tycoon of media was fascinating, to say the least. One thing that struck me, however, was how much of a risk this $580 million purchase really is (although a far cheaper price than it would likely fetch today). Murdoch stated that now he had to find a way to “monetize” MySpace—make the endeavor profitable. For all the fun and games people are having with social networking technologies, aside from pure ad plays, not many people know how or if it will make money.

A quote from Robert X Cringley’s latest column about YouTube illustrates just how much uncertainty even the creators of these wildly popular technologies have about profitability:

“I met this week with managers for a VERY large Internet property—one that offers variations on all the current social networking fads like MySpace, FaceBook, and video sharing like YouTube. Why did they think people submitted this material that could often be viewed as personally embarrassing or exposing inner thoughts to any wacko with a DSL line? They hadn't a clue. A table full of ultra-smart executives in their early thirties had no idea whatsoever why anyone would be so reckless as to use their service. They were simply too old to make sense of it and knew that. But whether they understand their members' motivation or not, they'll gladly take the tens of millions of advertising dollars such a phenomenon represents.”

The column also mentions the wild success of YouTube—which up to now has resulted in no profits (like MySpace). Advertising is a great way to generate revenue, don’t get me wrong. But I’m starting to believe that one of the primary attractants to sites like YouTube and MySpace—all user-generated content sites—is the free lunch. Once you add more pervasive advertising and look for additional features to “monetize,” you begin to degrade this appeal. The next logical step is to charge for membership and features.

No matter how cool a technology is, the free lunch can only last as long as the venture capital that created it. Once you go IPO, the shareholders want to get paid. In other words, get it while you can.

Way too Zune to say

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

There's a lot of posting out there in the pro-Apple blogosphere about Microsoft's upcoming Zune device. It’s rumored to have a WiFi capability—something I've been looking for in the iPod. This fall will bring the first salvos in a new battle in the digital media marketing war: A new iPod (with unknown new features and design) vs. the Zune from MS.

Most Mac/Apple enthusiasts are pretty smug about this, painting the Zune as a sure loser before it gets out of the starting blocks. I’m not going to let myself be so dismissive. If the feature set works and hits the market right, all bets are off.

I’m becoming more convinced that a portable device like an iPod with WiFi and social interactivity could lead to unintended technological disruption (and that’s a good thing). Think about how podcasting came into being. Here the marriage of iPod mobility and Web RSS gave birth to a disruptive new feature turning the iPod into a time-shifted media distribution channel. Someone somewhere said, “hey, what if we did this with it?” And podcasting was born. RSS pushed podcasting and v-logging into the mobile space opening a whole new avenue of content. This fundamentally changed iPod/iTunes, the Web and the digital audio market.

So what’s the next disruptive technology? I don’t assume MS even knows, but that doesn’t mean that someone somewhere couldn’t accidentally stumble into it while messing around with some clever Zune hack. The next question becomes could MS co-opt it as effectively as Apple.

A WiFi connected mobile video and audio device holds the potential to lead to an unintentional technological advance. My hunch is that it would be social in nature (think mobile myspace social networking features).

Now, Apple could beat MS to the street with the new iPods this Fall. (A new full screen WiFi iPod with integrated iSight, iChat, and eBook features please?) But will they? Wait and see. In the mean time, let’s not assume MS couldn’t stumble onto the next big thing, as hard as that may be to believe.

Why I shouldn't even be doing this

Friday, July 14, 2006

In some ways, blogging is nuts. I know I must have some core need to digitally carve my initials onto cyberspace, but I do enjoy the writing outlet. July marks an entire year of TSAWWT—and I think this will be the year I get a little more serious and organized about it. But lest I get too high and mighty, here is a brief article that I think offers some important truths for any individual or organization that is considering starting a blog: Top 10 Reasons Your Company Shouldn’t Blog, by B.L. Ochman. Just for perspective, my struggle is with numbers 6, 7 and 8.

Trolling for WiFi and a good piece of strawberry pie

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

As our tech lives continue to evolve, it occurred to me this year that Web access at Cornerstone (or during Cornerstone) was becoming harder to live without. My fellow camper, Doug Glynn, had the good sense to bring his wireless laptop with, which we both made good use of. I think I would have blogged a bit had I been able to use my own machine and software setup (the downside of software-based blogging).

So here’s some huge props to the First Baptist Church in Bushnell, IL for providing free (if sometimes unreliable) WiFi internet access in their church parking lot about three miles from the fest. Their pie and homemade ice cream social turned into a makeshift internet café last week. Too cool. God bless you kind folks.

As for the phantom WiFi at the campsite, ‘tis a mystery we will have to explore further next year. We spent some time driving around the Cornerstone grounds trying to pin down where the signal was emanating from, but to no avail. We’ll go after it again next year.

Amanda boom or bust

Friday, July 07, 2006

If you’ve ever visited Rocketboom, you are familiar with its famous face, Amanda Congdon. Sadly, Congdon has split from the videoblog after a disagreement with partner, Andrew Baron. You can read about it here.

I’m not a Rocketboom addict (probably due to my slow DSL connection at home), but I will miss Congdon’s dry, yet cheery delivery of web 2.0 news and assorted tech strangeness. I don’t know if Rocketboom could ever be the same.

Job opening at Microsoft

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

With Bill gates moving to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation full time by 2008, there will soon be a job opening at Microsoft for a Chief Software Architect. If you are interested in the position, make sure to watch the MS job site and get your resume sent in quick. You’ll have to beat out public radio commentator, Rico Gagliano, who already has a resume and a cover letter on its way. Here’s one excerpt to give you an idea of what you’re up against:

“Though I have never been the head of Microsoft before, I believe I am an outstanding candidate. For instance, unlike most people in the world, I was able to permanently rid my Windows desktop of that stupid cartoon paperclip.”
Click here to read his entire cover letter.

The road ahead less traveled

Friday, June 23, 2006

I haven’t posted on tech for a while, but two pieces of news make it high time I did.

The first, Bill Gates has announced he is stepping down at Microsoft. While I don’t want to minimize the stated reasons for his departure (focusing on his charity foundation full time), you can’t deny that this is the end of the road for him as a tech mogul (or the end of The Road Ahead, as it were). Windows Vista in beta form is getting poor reviews, and the lateness of the release continues to astound just about everyone. I don’t need to pour salt in the wounds of MS. I think the epic technology and business battle between Gates and Jobs has come to a close. Tech pundits like Robert X Cringley see a looming exit for Steve Ballmer, as well. I hope so. For me, MS is like a presidential administration that you’ve lost all respect for. When the next election rolls around and a new regime is voted into power, you feel like democracy can get a fresh start (if your candidate wins, that is). I think with different leadership I could respect MS again. It will, once again, be interesting to see where they take the company from here.

One thing is for sure, the monopoly that once was (and still is) will never be the same. And that’s a good thing. Plus, you can’t ask for Gates to do anything better than find great new ways to put his enormous wealth to work for the good of humanity. Maybe that TIME magazine cover with Bono went to Bill’s head. If so, we should thank Bono for nudging yet another person in power down a new road of global impact. (Really, though, Gates was well on his way without Bono's help.)

The second is personal. I recently migrated from my PowerBook G4 550 MHz to an iMac G5 2.1 GHz. Here is something I discovered last night. I made the right choice. For part of my work I have to rasterize 23 megabyte eps images in Photoshop (I know, that’s just a bunch of mumbo jumbo—bear with me). This task typically takes about 15 minutes per file on my old TiBook. Annoying, but something I learned to live with. Last night I did the same task (using the same version of Photoshop) on my G5. I hit the enter key and began to count. As I watched the progress bar progress rapidly across the screen, I became very excited. The G5 ripped the image in less than 10 seconds. I ran from my office to tell Dawnshelle (and thank her for letting me get the G5).

Appledobe

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Then, check out Cringley’s column this past week for a possible peek at Apple’s applications strategy. Together with last week’s prognostication, a potential seismic shift is building underneath the PC software world.

The big picture strategy for Apple that emerges is threefold: 1) Make the OS irrelevant to Windows users who leverage Intel and Mac OS X (see the prior post). 2) Neutralize MS Office with Open XML standards-supported OS X office apps from Apple. 3) Dominate all other major creative pro software for Windows and Mac OS X by buying Adobe.

If those three elements come to fruition, sit back and watch Apple’s market cap zoom past Microsoft within 18 months. Will it happen? Ask Michael Dell—it just happened to him. I invite your thoughts.

The best of all possible worlds

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Check out Robert X. Cringley’s column from two weeks ago. In it he contends that Apple is preparing to move beyond Boot Camp at some point to a Mac OS X that can run Window’s apps without requiring Windows. He even goes so far as saying that he has it on good authority that Apple already has this running in the lab (and probably has for months, if not years). He also claims he has some pretty deep insight into the infamous 1997 Apple-Microsoft stock investment and patent case deal that may hold the key to how this would be possible via access to the Windows API included in the deal (now that Macs are on the Intel platform, of course).

I’d have to say that reading this made me a little giddy. Why? Consider that Windows Vista will hit the market hard in early 2007 (or likely later) with a much reduced set of features from it’s original scope (more like Windows XP SP3). Also consider that most malware affects the OS and the browser rather than other apps. If you can run an OS with next to no security risks (like the Mac OS) and then run your native Windows apps with no performance hits and without running and maintaining the Windows OS, then wouldn’t that be the best of all possible worlds?

If this does happen, look for Apple to market this to Windows users this way: Why upgrade to Vista when you can run all your Windows apps without Windows at all--in an OS that’s more secure and years ahead of it? I can’t wait.

Dowsing the flame

Thursday, May 04, 2006

I learned a lesson recently. It didn’t take much, but I thought I’d blog about it to remind myself. No flaming. When reading web articles, posts, etc. I’m going to do everything I can to pause, reflect and then, if I do decide to comment, avoid flaming the author or other commenters.

I did write a flaming comment post about an interview I read a few weeks ago. It was no big deal—nothing really offensive or personal. Just too harsh. It didn’t take long for me to start to feel really bad about it. Honestly I should know better—I work in public relations, where the first rule is the make friends with your public audience. Plus, I’ve always striven for a Jesus type approach to my communications work—tell the truth, love my enemies, forgive, etc. At least I am comforted knowing that the Holy Spirit holds sway with my conscience.

So if you ever catch me doing that to someone else’s article or post, call me on it.

Why Windows will run better on a Mac

Monday, April 17, 2006

Apple has received a boatload of media attention since releasing Boot Camp Beta, in what can only be seen now as a stroke of marketing genius in the wake of the Microsoft push back of Window’s Vista. Perhaps the best analysis of this I’ve found thus far is from Daring Fireball.
BootCamp

Most PC pundits are expecting support for Boot Camp to be integrated into Mac OS X 10.5 harnessing Intel’s on-chip virtualization capabilities which will allow simultaneous running of Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and Unix varieties—with a shared clipboard between systems. That’s just gnarly.

But that’s not the half of it. PBS columnist Robert X. Cringley has a fascinating take on it in his latest column. He posits that Macs provide perhaps the best Windows experience sheerly by making it run insulated within the protection of OS X (and making a clean erase and reinstall of Windows an easy process--something MS suggests should be done often, but is too painful for most people to contemplate). I’m not sure if I buy all of it, but it sure makes you think. When looked back on in a few years, this will either be seen as a non event, or the defining moment of Apple’s business strategy to topple the competition in spite of the OS they offer. Time will tell all. Michael Dell must be worried.

Blogging in the clouds

Monday, April 17, 2006

I’ve added another experimental feature to this site for the right sidebar, something I’ve been wanting to add for a while: a Tag Cloud (see the linked wikipedia entry for the definition). This one is provided by ZoomClouds, and is based on my Blog’s RSS feed. When you visit, you can check it out to see Tags associated with my most recent posts. More yummy RSS goodness. Now I’m looking for a way to list my latest comments in the sidebar.

Just browsing

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

And who said the browser wars were over? Seems like every weapon Microsoft has in its arsenal is facing new challenges to its dominance (OS, search, browsers, media players). Microsoft’s security-riddled Explorer continues to lose share to Firefox/Mozilla on Windows, as well as concede share to Safari on the Mac (see link report). Firefox has now moved to over 10 percent of users. Explorer has dropped to a still commanding (but slipping) 84 percent.

Hell freezes over…again

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

You may recall a few short years ago when Apple released iTunes for Windows—an announcement Steve Jobs heralded by saying, “Hell freezes over.” And while the tantalizing possibility of running Windows XP on a Macintosh began to pick up considerable momentum when Apple moved to Intel chips, I guess I never thought I’d see this day. At least not this quickly. But it has happened. And it’s for real. This is no April fool’s. Macs on Intel can now download new Boot Camp software from Apple, and run Windows XP right on the Mac at native speed (bye, bye Virtual PC).

This announcement comes just over three weeks after the clandestine contest to boot Windows on a Mac was officially won. It’s no coincidence.

So what’s Apple’s strategy here? Two fold. First, sell as many Macs as possible. With the Windows Vista release pushed back to 2007, Apple is positioning itself to gain back PC market share throughout 2006. Their shares rose nearly 7 percent on the announcement alone. Second, advance the Mac OS X platform. This may seem counter intuitive—running Windows to get more people to use Mac OS X. But in this new scenario, OS X becomes the ultimate Trojan horse. You can make the direct Apples to Oranges comparison (pun intended)—a true head-to-head. A Mac gives you access to two OS possibilities—something a Dell can’t do (Three systems, if you count Unix and X11). I think people will be much more comfortable purchasing a Mac knowing they can get at Windows apps natively if they need them (most won’t)—there’s no more down side risk for the consumer. And the Upside? iLife, Front Row, iChat, beauty, truth, enlightenment, world peace….

Who said the OS wars were over? Things are about to get interesting.

Windows Vista merely broken glass

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The release of MS Windows Vista to consumers has now been pushed back to January, 2007, much to the dismay of the computing world. Even for Microsoft, this is a pretty amazing setback. They will completely miss selling Vista to consumers for the Fall 2006 back-to-school season and the holiday season. Here’s is a compilation of tech reporters reacting to the news, provided by MDN. Even better, check out Daniel Lyons in Forbes.com. I can’t make this stuff up.

Windows XP was released in October of 2001. More than half a decade later, a serious upgrade will finally be delivered. Even if you count service pack updates, there were only two released (SP1 and SP2) in that time—and those added no real new consumer-level functionality. Contrast that with the release of Mac OS X in 2000, and the subsequent release of four full scale versions since then, each one adding new features and refinements (like zero-config. networking, iChat AV, Expose, iLife apps, Spotlight and Widgets, to name a handful over the course of six years).

400px-All_boxes_of_apple_os_x_releases

My prediction is that Apples Mac OS X v10.5 “Leopard” will pounce before Vista is truly released. Leopard’s release is planned for early 2007 as well. What should have been a foregone conclusion (Vista releasing in 2006) is now much more interesting to keep an eye on. Apple has yet another golden opportunity to gain back some market share.

Could Origami unfold Apple's closed iTunes/iPod system?

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Last week saw the announcement of a preview of a Microsoft device (built by OEMs) known as the Origami—a paperback-sized computer that runs Windows XP and includes a seven-inch touch-screen and stylus.

origami

The device itself (Samsung’s version pictured above) is not earth shattering (and a little bulky), but here’s the implication to consider:

No device to date has been able to open up the closed iPod + iTunes system (purchase media from iTMS for any devices beyond the iPod. Until now, this has been a huge advantage for Apple. They have been in the enviable position of commanding 70 to 80 percent of the digital music marketshare, and have not had to license their FairPlay DRM to any other device maker. This has been the bane of Microsoft for the past four years.

But then there is Windows. Apple launched iTunes for Windows in 2003, essentially opening the floodgates on demand for the iPod and iTunes media distribution. This key ingredient in their success also left open this possibility—that a portable PC device of this configuration with its own hard drive could allow people enough portability while giving them access to their iTunes media via a standard Windows OS. Maybe, just maybe, people will dig having a 7 inch screen to watch their time-shifted TV on, while at the same time having their iTunes music on hand and the ability to purchase both online—all married to a full-function computer with WiFi, MS Office, Email and PDA functions.

It remains to be seen if this kind of device will catch on. But of all the supposed “iPod killers,” this one has the most compelling possibilities as a video device. If only Microsoft understood what Apple does: design is the killer app (the pictures I’ve seen make it look pretty klunky). Of course, if it runs Windows, that also means it can catch a nasty virus just like its desktop cousin. While iPods occasionally crash a hard drive, PC viruses are no threat.

In light of the tantalizing possibility of iTunes on the Origami, you can bet that Apple has thought about this. Watch for more new devices from Apple in the next two months. They’ve filed so many touch screen patents, that I can’t imagine there not being something on the way, and soon. Look for a surprise on April 1 (no kidding) when Apple turns 30 years old.

The new Mac mini gets huge

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Digital video (DVI), Digital audio I/O, Firewire, USB 2.0 times 4, Intel Core Duo CPU, DVD play/burn, iLife, WiFi, Bluetooth, Apple media remote, OS X Tiger, Front Row with Bonjour zero-config. networking, gigabit Ethernet. If you understand any of these items, you’ll be interested to know the new Mac mini has them all—standard. And all in the same 2 inch high, 6.5 inch square form factor. Insanely small. Insanely great.

This will be the heart of my new home theatre. It’s only a question of when. Don’t be surprised if I never leave my basement again. You can still reach me on .Mac and iChat AV, provided I will have still bothered to dress and bathe myself. Howard Hughes has nothing on me, baby!

Just when you thought it was safe to check this blog

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Lest anyone think that my blog would cease to publish or pass on unabashed Macintosh evangelism, here is a delightful piece by Bill Shein that humorously sums up the plight of the stubborn and beleaguered Windows PC user that refuses to switch: "I'm Not Buying a Mac." There’s something here for everyone, including a nice send-up of Mac zealotry. Touche.

Contrarian opinions of Steve Jobs

Saturday, February 04, 2006

I know certain readers will be interested in the linked article concerning “Five Things Steve Jobs Has Misled Us About in the Last 30 Years” by Blogger JackWhispers. My Disney/Pixar post was perhaps a bit of propaganda on Steve’s apparent genius. So here is a critical look at the man to help bring some balance. While I could do an apologetic on some of these points, there’s no reason to. They are valid enough to consider—although the last point about the Pixar-Disney merger isn’t very well thought out (even if it does turn out to be true). So read on if interested, perhaps while you sip some more refreshing, Apple-flavored Kool-Aid.

Also note the recent article in Wired about Steve’s poor comparison to Bill Gates with regard to charitable giving. Gates does really start to shine in this regard in recent years. However, the Wired article assumes that Steve Job’s wealth is easily made liquid, which isn’t the case for a majority shareholder (in Pixar’s case) or a CEO (in Apple’s case). I say, give Steve some time to figure out what he will do with his new $3.7 billion in Disney stock he’s just been handed. It’s only been a week. Also, look for Apple to release a RED product in conjunction with Bono’s new retail charity effort. If you’re the betting kind, put your money on a red iPod. Regardless, to the article overall I say, point taken. If Steve isn’t giving something back, he needs to—especially if he believes in karma the way he’s spoken of it in the past. If he is giving, and wants to be very private about it, perhaps he’s being a bit too private. I’m sure shareholders would be supportive these days.

The thesaurus evolves

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

When I was a kid I thought a thesaurus was some sort of long-necked leaf eater from the Jurassic period.

Later, I came to depend on its vocabulary enriching abilities, much like my Honda depends on cheap oil, the residual energy source formed by the remains of the plants and animals from the same epoch.

Enter another animal altogether: The Thinkmap Digital Thesaurus. I continue to be amazed at the emerging digital communications technologies of Web 2.0. This one’s worth checking out for writers, students and others who work with words on a regular basis. It’s a little like the music genome project you may have seen, but a lot more useful in my line of work. I’d like to see Thinkmap apply this approach to other things: The Bible text (like a chain reference) and Christian theologies or even church history.

Search me and know my blog - Beta

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

I’m currently testing some new code allowing people to use Google to search my blog pages. Admittedly I don’t have the slightest idea how or if this really will work. It’s not a built-in feature of Rapidweaver, so who knows. I do know Google does capture my text based on global searches I have done—so this has a shot at working.

Find the “Search Me” field on the right sidebar, click into the field and type a keyword(s) search. All you regular readers and lurkers, test it out and let me know by leaving your comments. Thanks muchly. Please note, it does take some time for the most recent posts to be "out there" long enough for Google to track down.

By way of updates on the Blog software front. Early reviews of iWeb are that it’s really cool, but may lack more advanced blog features. I’m still waiting to get my Tiger and and iLife upgrade (my choice) to test it out. It would be nice if iWeb tapped into a Spotlight-like feature via .Mac and allowed for a robust site search. That alone might push me into the iWeb camp. Going to investigate that one further.

Also, I’ve eliminated the all-to-pretentious “what I’m reading now” section in the sidebar. Nobody cares. I may do that on it’s own page in case I’m wrong and somebody does. If I really want to crow about a book, I'll post about it. And, I’ve downsized my picture on the about me page. Again, pretentious and too large.

Steve finally gets Mickey’s ear

Friday, January 27, 2006

The major business and entertainment news this week impacts film, TV, computers, iPods, the vacation industry, and the Internet all at once. The repercussions likely will last for years. Media giant Disney has acquired Pixar animation studios for $7.4 Billion in stock. Macsimum News offers a summary of the news here. The Washington Post has it here.

Many analysts are calling this the watershed event in digital video, as all of Disney’s media content opens like a floodgate to flow into iTunes. There is no going back now. And that’s just one piece of the puzzle. As Steve Jobs becomes the largest individual shareholder of Disney and takes a seat on its Board, look for Disney with Pixar inside to rise above its more recent animation miscues to become the icon of excellence it once was under Walt et al. Look for ill-conceived sequels to Toy Story and other Pixar treasures Disney was planning to plunder to get canned or seriously rethought as John Lasseter is given the reigns at Disney animation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pixar stays put in boutique form—even as a sub brand within Disney—and might even incorporate what’s left of Disney animation into its existing structure, rather than the other way around. Many at Pixar were former Disney animators driven out under the Eisner regime.

Steve Jobs is certainly flying higher than ever before. He purchased Pixar for a pittance from George Lucas’ ILM in the early 80s when it was a fledgling software company that made little animated short films to demonstrate its creative code. Steve recognized its untapped potential and remade the company into a digital animation storyteller. This was at a time when Steve had recently been ousted from Apple by its board of directors (Steve, by his own admittance, was quite volatile back then) and was nursing his startup, NEXT Computers. NEXT, while not a raging success as a computer company, would be acquired by Apple in 1997 and bring Steve back to the Apple fold while also providing the rock-solid BSD Unix basis for Mac OS X, released in 2001.

But this announcement is about the future of all media, entwining the Disney empire, Pixar and Apple all at the same time. Monica Rivituso wrote for SmartMoney on Tuesday: “Mark my words: Jobs hasn’t even gotten started. As far as he’s concerned, tech and content haven’t gone out on their first date yet, let alone gotten hitched. He hasn’t even begun wrapping content and tech together, effectively forging ahead where no one else has been able to. And now he’s a gazillionaire (his Disney stake is estimated at $3.7 billion), so really, there’s no stopping him.”

As a Pixar and Apple fan who is also fond of the Disney of old, I’m excited and nervous at the same time. Of course, Ethan, Emma and I are really looking forward to seeing Cars in the theater this spring. It will be Ethan’s first feature film/theater-going experience at 2 years old. Moms and Dads, start your engines.

Tasting sinful new flavors of blogging

Friday, January 13, 2006

I’m 6 months into blogging now, and already I am contemplating making a platform jump. I’ve learned a lot using Rapidweaver, but with the advent of two .Mac-based tools that are out there as of today (iWeb from Apple and Sandvox fomr Karelia) I’ve got more options to mull over.

Macworld’s much anticipate keynote was Tuesday, and I had my Web news feed piping in updates every three minutes (thanks to MDN) to enable me to read the very latest words Steve Jobs was uttering during the big show (did I ever mention I was a geek?). Apple’s iWeb was announced, along with a slew of improved features for .Mac. The nice thing is that iWeb will be a part of my next iLife update—and I already subscribe to .Mac services. So, I will be able to test that out without too much capital expenditure. In response, Karelia is offering Sandvox as a beta release—so I get a risk free trial there, too.

Rapidweaver is going to have to go head to head (to head) with these new apps. I know many fellow bloggers out there use established internet-based platforms for blogging (blogger, typepad, etc.)---which do offer some nice advantages over the software-based packages (better portability, anywhere updating, communities). But for me this is better as it keeps me from blogging at the office when I should be working for the man (I need some discipline), and it integrates so well with my complete computing environment (server space, software, media and site management, etc.). Your mileage may vary.

I’ll keep you apprised of my results over the next few months.

Meanwhile, someone please try to keep me from ordering a new MacBook 15.4 inch Intel Core Duo or iMac 20 inch Intel Core Duo (or both) before I bankrupt my family for good. Emma and Ethan better learn a trade, because the college fund is toast. Adam and Eve’s forbidden fruit surely must have been an Apple (with a dual or quad core inside, of course).

Why you will love TV advertising

Friday, January 13, 2006

For some, love may be too strong a word. You may expect it from me, however, being someone who has more than a passing involvement in the advertising game. Truth be told, I’ve never been directly involved in TV advertising (except that one time my then girlfriend—now my bride—was involved as talent in a local ad spot). But my work with local ad agencies has helped grow my interest in TV ads to the point that now I truly enjoy watching a good TV ad. It makes the Superbowl much more interesting for a kid from MN who only associates the big game itself with painful memories of crushed purple dreams.

So why post about this as Superbowl XL and its Superbowl of TV ads loom in the near future? In a word: Google. Robert X. Cringley recently posted his 2006 tech predictions column with a fascinating vision of how Google will change TV advertising as we know it.

Of course, most people say they hate TV advertising—but most people also love a clever ad spot. Personally, is see good advertising as a craft, and consider bad advertising to be something else. Still, as the internet has proven over and over again, content is king. And this is truer still when it comes to how people react to today’s TV advertising. Often a bad ad is really just the wrong ad.

Let me explain. Have you ever found yourself terminally annoyed by TV ads for the latest impotence or migraine medicine, when what you really need is a good car mechanic. Or forced to sit through an Ad for Covergirl lipstick as a 35 year-old male (who isn’t a drag queen)? What if the only TV ads you ever saw were for items you actually needed and/or wanted? And, what if they were specifically tailored and updated on a moment by moment basis? Consider this vision of the future excerpted from Robert X. Cringely’s latest post:

Google is an advertising company. Their edge is granularity. No one uses Google AdWords to push toilet paper because everybody uses TP. But if you want to sell custom Warlock capes or hand-machined shifters for discontinued Studebakers, Google can charge advertisers a huge premium (per prospect) because these customers are too expensive to find any other way.

…right now, everyone in the country watching “American Idol” sees the identical commercials at the same time, except for two ads at every half-hour mark, which are inserted by the local station. So the state-of-the-art in TV ad granularity is buying only a million people, instead of a hundred million…. VIRTUALLY EVERY TV AD IS WASTED ON PEOPLE WHO AREN'T REAL PROSPECTS. The entire programming chain is profitable DESPITE the fact that practically the entire audience is freeloading.

…imagine if everyone watching “American Idol” only saw ads for things they might really buy? Or, better yet, only saw ads for things they had already expressed an interest in? The value of those same 30-second commercial slots would increase by orders of magnitude.

Google imagines a world where only single people see match.com ads, and people who can’t drive see ads from taxi companies where others see Toyota campaigns. Where fraternities see ads for strip clubs, beer, Cancun weekends and LSAT prep courses, and only seniors (and their adult children) see ads for Alzheimer’s drugs. What would be the value of that increased efficiency, capitalized into present dollars? Ten billion? Fifty billion? I say the value is $100 billion -- 25 percent of the total U.S. advertising market and 15 times Google’s current size.

Google is going to let the telco and cable companies burn their capital building out IP-TV, knowing that Google will still be the only game in town for the crux of the whole thing: the ability to show every viewer the specific ads that companies will pay the most to show him at that specific moment. What Google wants to do…is SERVE EVERY TV COMMERCIAL ON THE PLANET because only they will be able to do it efficiently. Only they will have the database that converts those IP addresses into sales leads, only they will have the servers and disk space close enough to the viewers to feed the ads. Only Google will have the chops to run a constant, real-time auction for the next ad every consumer is about to see, and then serve that ad at the moment the program goes to commercial.

Suddenly, everybody can (and, really, must) advertise on TV, because it’ll be so specific...and so dynamic.

That will be something to see.

Consumer retorts

Friday, January 06, 2006

My father-in-law gifted us with a subscription to Consumer Reports (CR), which I have very much appreciated in the past year. One of the things I have been happy to see has been a warming toward the Mac platform in CR’s computer reviews and ratings. Still, with the increased coverage, there have been some inaccuracies in how CR refers to Mac Security and Viruses/Spyware/Malware and the like. I think getting this right is very important for all of you in my circle of friends and family that are unsure about making a jump to a Mac. So, in the interest of complete accuracy, I offer this response to CR penned by a Mac user named Martin Hill (from the UK?) posted in the comment forum of MacDailyNews December 13. It is packed with facts and stats from Symantic and others, and it really makes an excellent case for Mac OS X’s security superiority over Windows XP. For all those committed to their PC platform of choice, please ignore (or read on if you are curious). The numbers alone (from Symantec) will blow your mind.

"Thank you for a useful and interesting report on buying a Computer. However, there are a few inaccuracies in your “Windows or Macintosh” and Security sections that result in somewhat less than balanced report.

The “Windows or Macintosh” section mentions that the ratio of viruses targeting Windows vs Mac OS X is 1000-to-1. Although this seems impressive, the ratio is considerably more extreme being of the order of 140,000 to 0. As Kelly Martin, the content editor for Symantec’s publication SecurityFocus said in April 2005: “There are no viruses on OS X—not a single one. Just as Windows users have become accustomed to 140,000 viruses, Apple users have become accustomed to none.”

You cannot in all conscience include the 60 or so bits of malware that targeted the old Classic Mac OS 9 which do not affect the modern Mac OS X (which is almost as different an architecture as Windows XP is from the Mac). Unlike viruses for earlier versions of Windows (eg Win 95) which can and do affect Windows XP, Mac OS 9 viruses cannot harm Mac OS X which ships with every new Mac (and has done so for 5 years now). The Classic environment has not been bundled with OS X for quite a while now.

Your report also mentions that “Viruses and spyware are also far less likely to target Macs than Windows PCs.” This statement, again, while positive to the Mac platform, also ignores how extreme the contrast is—there are *still* no reported instances of spyware or adware that work on the Mac.

Here are the raw statistics for your information:

Microsoft Windows:
Viruses and Worms = 140,000 (Symantec Security Focus)
Spyware and Adware programs = 78,000 (http://www.pestpatrol.com)
Burrowers = 40 (http://www.pestpatrol.com)
80% of PCs infected with spyware (webroot.com)
Last year (2004) alone:
- 500 new Trojans (http://www.pestpatrol.com)
- 500 new keyloggers (http://www.pestpatrol.com)
- 1,287 new adware apps (http://www.pestpatrol.com)
- 7,360 new viruses and worms (symantec.com)

Mac OS X:
Viruses and Worms = 0
Spyware programs = 0
Adware = 0
Keyloggers = 0
Burrowers = 0
Trojans = 3 (symantec.com)
Last year (2004):
- 1 Rootkit (symantec.com)

When you look at the actual data, it becomes pretty obvious that with zero worms, viruses, spyware or adware recorded targeting it, the [CR] statement “fewer viruses and spyware” sounds like a glaring misdirection. Mac OS X remains the safest, pest-free OS by a far larger margin than you imply, a fact which would get much larger attention in a more accurate report.

Note that Trojans can’t spread by themselves. They are bits of code that pretend to be something innocuous and need to be downloaded and opened by an authorized user. In the case of the three targeting Mac OS X, two are harmless while the third deletes a user's home directory if run by that user.

Note also the Rootkit discovered on a couple of OS X machines is a set of scripts that requires root access to be turned on (turned off by default on all Macs). The hacker then also needs to know the root password and the malware has no mechanism of spreading and infecting other computers by itself.

Note that 37 vulnerabilities in Mac OS X noted last year (which were promptly patched by Apple) does not constitute “increased attacks on OS X” as some commentators have stated as no attacks using any of these vulnerabilities have been recorded. Security firm Mi2g states: “Mac OS X and BSD Unix [on which it is based] are the “world’s safest and most secure 24/7 online computing environments.” John Gruber also has a useful article on why Windows suffers so much malware.

However, no software can be perfect and it would be foolish to say there won’t eventually appear some malware targeting the 15 million-plus OS X users out there—however, today is still not that day. Mac OS X has been sitting untouched for 5 years now pretty much without blemish which speaks to a very impressive security story even if/when some effective malware appears. This is something your [readers] should be hearing more about if they are going to make balanced decisions about which computer to buy."

‘Nuff said I think.

Fight the power, free the artists

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

EMI’s CEO in Europe recently said he expects Apple to change iTunes to offer variable pricing of tracks within 12 months. Read the entire clipping for yourself for more on the back story.

It’s hard to accept the assertion that more popular artists should garner higher prices. At first blush, classical economic theory would say that an increase in demand, all other things being equal, would lead to higher prices. And the inverse would be true of lower demand. But there’s one crucial difference. With digital music in iTunes, supply is infinite in scale (practically speaking)—meaning there will always be enough (and then some) supply to meet demand. That being the case, greater demand only drives more clear profits for the distributor, record labels and artists with next to zero supply costs (Apple bears the bandwith costs associated with demand). Because digital music is an intangible with infinite supply, the labels think they can make the market on price as demand increases (not unlike a cartel). To my mind the labels have to make a much stronger case for variable pricing. I think I know what that case is: greed.

Music labels have finally accepted the fact that the economics of music distribution have been forever changed. And now they want in on a bigger share of the profit. Of course, they did nothing to bring this new age of product distribution about. There’s no merit or logic to the claim that their popular artists should get a greater price tag on top of greater unit volume. Yet, they say they deserve a raise. I guess that’s what I’d do if my artist roster just didn’t pull in the jingle it once did and shareholders were breathing down my neck. It seems a lot easier than the hard work of finding and developing better artists.

But it may be even more insidious than simple greed. It also may be the hoped-for method of label negotiation with artists, similar to the promoted radio airplay environment of the past. Joel Spolsky lays this out well in his “Joel on Software” blog:

“What they really want is a system they can manipulate to send signals about what songs are worth, and thus what songs you should buy. I assure you that when really bad songs come out, as long as they're new and the recording industry wants to promote those songs, they’ll charge the full $2.49 or whatever it is to send a fake signal that the songs are better than they really are. It’s the same reason we’ve had to put up with crappy radio for the last few decades: the music industry promotes what they want to promote, whether it’s good or bad, and the main reason they want to promote something is because that’s a bargaining chip they can use in their negotiations with artists.”

So maybe it’s about greed + power: power over artists, and power over the consumer.

Should Apple cave in to what amounts to petty extortion, I think it may be time for the consumer’s voice to be heard. Seek out the good artists on iTunes that are cheaper—and frankly more deserving of the money. Buy direct from the artist when you can (via a festival or concert). Urge your favorite artists and independent labels to hold the line on iTMS price. Avoid labels and artists that attempt to extract more than the accepted market price of $.99 per track (which is already more expensive than it really should be). I’m not suggesting an all out boycott, but let your wallet send a message. If iTunes and iPod really is driving the music market the way I think it is, such a message can be heard loudly. If you think there was a backlash when the industry began to sue people for illegal downloading, get ready for legions of iPod owners with a legit cause. Don’t think record labels are immune to the effects of motivated state attorneys general, the DOJ or class action lawsuits.

This news comes at a time when the iTMS has moved from fourteenth in 2004 to become the seventh largest retailer of music worldwide. Also announced this week, Apple has sold 30 million iPods so far.

Needless to say, the stakes for artists and music fans are high.

Switch now, or pay later

Friday, November 11, 2005

I really liked the Apple Mac “Switcher” advertising that ran a few years ago (even Ellen Feiss’ infamous stoned-eyed testimonial—pictured here). What is amazing to me now is how far Mac OS X has come since then, while, at the same time, Windows has stagnated. People pretty much face the same problems contending with viruses, spyware, etc. that they did four years ago. Does anyone care to know that I have never, ever, encountered a virus on any of my Macs in the 14 years that I have owned them? My father-in-law recently put in a new motherboard and hard drive into his Compaq P3—to the tune of nearly $500. He’s also spent sums on anti-viral software in the past. Now, hardware can fail—so I’m not saying I’m immune to a hard drive crash or motherboard meltdown. It could happen to anyone on any platform—even a Mac. But my real question to everyone in my Windows using family is, what has Windows done for you over the years to make you so loyal to it? If you ask me the same question about Macintosh, be prepared to listen to me blab and blab for hours on end. And you’re saying, “Yeah, but you’re a nut case.” Okay. I can accept that. But don’t you think there’s a little bit of insanity inherent in putting up with Windows abuse for all these years when an alternative is available? Will you still stick with Microsoft when they begin asking you to rent your software instead of buying it? You heard right—that’s what’s coming next from Redmond.

Waiting for wireless Godot

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Well, I have pretty much been blown away again by Apple’s new product onslaught in the past 30 days. First, the iPod nano (which is so much smaller in your hands than the TV commercial can really convey). Then, this week, the new iPod with video and iTunes 6. Add to this a revised iMac with standard WiFi, a new super cool Apple media remote, Front Row media software, the touch sensitive Mighty Mouse and a built-in iSight camera—all former options or new features—all included in the same iMac prices as before ($100 lower on the 20 inch iMac), and you can see why I’m trying to outrun the raging technolust welling up within me. I’ll have to stay away from the MOA Apple Store a while longer--perhaps move to a secluded monastery with no broadband for a time.

In all this, I was predicting a WiFi and internet enabled iPod (more so than the video iPod the market was expecting). Back to my concept of a future podcomputer, I still think the WiFi capability could be a compelling feature that brings with it a new internet and communications experience centered around mobile digital media and human interaction.

Well, I’m still waiting. But don’t be surprised if this is next year’s big iPod innovation. This year, it’s all about the videos baby. Achtung!

Of course, Robert X. Cringley has a very fascinating (as always) perspective on this over at PBS. Check it out, and if you have the stomach for it, read the second half of the column on the Google AdWords research his friend is conducting. If you’re into mathematics and game theory (from John Nash, featured in the film, “A Beautiful Mind”), you’ll be in heaven.

Can you hear me (chat) now?

Saturday, October 15, 2005

While my readership is pretty small right now, Windows users may have experienced a glitch in my main page content in the past week (text was being pushed way down the page). Troubleshooting this caused a dearth of new blog entries. Please allow me to explain. (Warning: boring technical details follow.)

You may have noticed, I discovered how to add linked graphics to the sidebar on my page. Most of these are more eye candy (and for the sake of learning how to do it), but the important one to note for AOL instant messenger (AIM) and iChat users is the new iChat status box.

This box will show “ONLINE” with a green dot when I am available to chat via my computer. If it shows “OFFLINE” and a red dot, then I am not available to chat. If you click on this box, it will boot your AIM software and contact me for a chat. Pretty cool. Sorry to you MSN Messenger users. Get AIM if you want to chat live with me. It’s free, just follow the link to AOL.

The reason for the glitch was related to the size of the ONE campaign graphic I added (a worthy campaign that everyone should learn about—just click on the link to find out more). It only affected IE 6 for Windows—no surprise (he said with disgust). The upside if being forced to use Windows at work is that I get test all my web code in IE 6 (whereas my pages looked fine in Firefox, Safari and Omni web browsers). In any case, a few minutes on the RapidWeaver forums and I found the easy fix. As you can see, it works fine now.

So chat with me when the box goes green (or even audio and video conference me if you have the ability to with iChat).

Innovation, inspiration and exploitation

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

I’ve seen two new signs of Microsoft’s true nature emerge in the past two week. First, the new interface for Office 12 sports a brushed metal/platinum interface with aqua-fied tabs (inspired by Apple’s iLife applications and Mac OS X interface designs which date to 2000). Second, Microsoft announces that Windows Vista will have applets called Gadgets (inspired by the popularity of Mac OS X Tiger’s Dashboard and Widget applets). Add to this the Mac OS X Tiger’s Spotlight features that are promised for Vista, and you get an even better idea why the Apple banners at the January MacWorld launch of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger read, “Redmond, start your photocopiers.” At the time it struck me as pretentious. It was, in fact, downright prescient.

So of all the talk about innovation by Microsoft president Steven Balmer recently, what he really should be calling it is inspiration—or more accurately, duplication. Thankfully, the vanguard of the computing world is recognizing this more each and every day. Check out this article from PC World columnist, Stephen Manes (not a Mac apologist or booster).

I really can’t see why anyone would still want to buy or use an operating system from Microsoft after reading this kind of thing. It would make me afraid and exploited. Rise up folks, and get thee to an Apple Store near you.

Apple's plan for total world domination

Monday, August 29, 2005

I’m now a huge fan of PBS' Robert X. Cringely. Every column he has written lately has been deviously predicting an Apple coup-de-tat in the PC world. Well, he did it again. Check out this week’s interesting viewpoint, beginning with Microsoft’s obsessive attentions to competing with Google.

If you think MS is not obsessing, note the Fortune magazine May 2, 2005 cover story, “Why Google Scares Gates.” All the while, Apple may be mounting a potent, stealth offensive on the real battle ground: The OS.

I’ve always thought the iPod would make an excellent bootable disk for a computer. Think about it: you’d have your “computer” with you all the time. Just dock it via USB 2.0 or FireWire 400/800, and boot the host computer with the iPod as the drive. Fan-freakin’-tastic, I say. With Apple moving to Intel CPUs, any generic Intel PC can be the “host.”

Enter Cringley’s latest column. Put OS X 10.4 on each iPod (the 20 to 80 gig models)--include it free with iPod purchase--and you basically give every owner a free Mac. Is your Windows PC fraught with viruses and spyware? Boot into Mac OS with your iPod and see what you think. Brilliant! I coined a phrase for it: "Podcomputing."

Pamplona in Henrico County, no bull

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

You gotta eat your Wheaties if you want to get an Apple iBook for 50 bucks.

The AP headline says it all: "RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- A rush to purchase $50 used [iBooks] turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line." Link to the full story here.

What flavor of crazy is this? Glad nobody was gored.
-Todd

Dancing my little jig

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

John C. Dvorak, columnist for PC World Magazine offered up a remarkable column today as he sized up the announcement from Microsoft about name the new version of Win OS, Windows Vista, set for release next year. It seems the new fad among IT pundits these days is to trash the new Win OS and pump up the rock solid Mac OS X Tiger. I never thought I would see the day.

Check out these excerpts from his column today:

"As readers know, Microsoft has announced the name of its new operating system, which was followed by a collective yawn from the computing community. Vista? As in 'Hasta la Vista, baby?' That name might be appropriate as a symbolic goodbye since it might be the end of the line for Microsoft's dominance in the OS business. I'm not saying that Microsoft is doomed as a company, but its reign as the OS dominator may end fast if things go the way I see them headed. The new OS is getting zero buzz. Zero. There has been nothing like this since Windows Me. And now the name Vista, along with the new Microsoft Vista logo, has made it worse. Could anything be less exciting?"

"Vista will open the door to what I believe will be a radical change in the computing landscape. The trends are clear. Once the new Mac OS appears next year it will gravitate toward the existing x86 community much more rapidly than anticipated unless Apple does some incredibly dumb things to stop it. Personally I cannot see what they can do or why they'd want to stop it. Right now, and as much as x86 users do not want to admit it, the Mac OS is already better than Windows in its modern look and feel as well as its functionality. I see too many smart people with Mac laptops nowadays... [But] is this what we want? How much more of Steve Jobs can we handle? Do we really want to hear him say 'I told you so?' If it gets some excitement back into desktop computing, yes, we do. I think we can take it."

Read the full story here.
indextop20050412

To all those in my extended family still afraid to switch, if this column doesn't change your mind, I give up. Hug your PC and all its viral infections, spyware and bloated, clunky OS. Try not to be offended as I dance my little jig of snobbish vindication. After all, I've been preaching this gospel for 15 years.

The revolution will be televised

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Part of this blog is a chance for me to play the futurist, however ludicrous that may be to the outside world. So if you've read the previous post about Robert Cringely's take on the Apple Intel news, then this may make a bit more sense, which is why I chose the Quicktime banner below for this entry's graphic.

centertop

There has been much made of the recent Wall Street Journal speculation that Apple has an impending announcement about some kind of video iPod up its sleeve. This may or may not be the case. Either way, while the Apple device may be an important piece of this puzzle, WSJ seems to be missing some of the more interesting implications of connecting this speculation with the Intel deal.

To start with, any sort of a video iPod really makes no sense as a potential sea change in the movie industry if you only think about the distribution of existing video. We already have pay-per-view, DVDs for rent or sale, Netflix, and other options. The idea that people would purchase downloads of films already in the video market makes little sense. I don't see a portable video device enticing that many folks.

So what's the big deal? The convergence of HD home theater and a distribution method for first run feature films. What's that you say? You heard me, first run movies in your living room at the same time they are released to the cineplex. Now that I have reflected on that idea for a few days, it's the only thing that makes sense. It's the only thing I'd be willing to pay $9.99 for.

What does this mean? Well, there's good and bad. This would be a very disruptive technological shift for the entertainment business. Run of the mill theaters would fall on hard times. Only movie houses that make big screen movie going into a social event would survive and thrive. As painful as this would be for some business owners, overall I think it would be a good thing. There are already too many less than tolerable theaters in my town. Quality experiences would win out, whether that's in the home or in the local theater.

Intel and Apple would build the gateway technology, DRM and online distribution infrastructure. For Apple, this makes the iTunes Music Store more of a model for this than the iPod. Of course, I can see the incremental steps in this process: selling music videos (which in itself could revitalize an art form that MTV has all but bled dry), TV programs, etc. And a new portable device from Apple is probably in the mix (in the form of a portable DVR like Tivo), but not necessarily playing the same role in this equation that the iPod has played in digital music.

So there's my futurist rant for the moment. Note these recent news reference points for more background.
An Intel venture in digital distribution of first run movies
Apple announces a new research center at Carnegie Mellon to collaborate with Intel

Very interesting indeed.

The Mac goes Intel

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Well, it's been about a month since Steve Jobs announced the switch at the WWDC. For those not deep inside the cult of Mac, this may seem really trivial. But for those of us for whom Apple is the corporate embodiment of a minor deity, this is a major shift.

This has opened a flood of new rumor generation concerning what Apple has in store for the future (besides much faster Macs). Wait and see. It's gonna be fascinating ride. For some of the more interesting guesses, check out this column from Robert Cingely. He may be nuts, but what if he's not? Mind-blowing implications.

I, Cringley: "Going for broke" June 9, 2005
And check these latest editions out (and get the I, Cringley RSS feed while your at it):
I, Cringley: "More Shoes" July 14, 2005
I, Cringley: "When Elephants Dance" July 21, 2005

Podcasting has arrived

Sunday, July 10, 2005

iTunes 4.9 just launched with new podcasting support. I've been in the midst of pushing this professionally for about two months--see if my company (to remain nameless) can make use of this rapidly expanding medium. I've already signed up for a few, and will be making a note of them in this blog for those that would like to see what kind of junk I fill my iPod with (beside a ton of music). To do this for yourself, upgrade to iTunes 4.9 ASAP. Apple has really done a nice job with this right off the bat--and the future is wide open.

Download iTunes 4.9
And check out these podcasts right away:
Cedar Ridge Community Church/Brian McLaren
Woodland Hills (not yet podcast via XML, but you can download sermons dating back to 1993)

All you in serious teaching, preaching, talking ministry, get on board. This is the future! I hope to be catching those Doug Glynn podcasts real soon.