Hey all and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Let’s see what is going on this week.
Microsoft delaying tablet OS until 2012?
For some reason this does not surprise me. People are not looking for a desktop OS solution on their tablet devices, if that were the case Apple would run Snow Leopard on the iPad. I think people are starting to have Windows Fatigue and when you spend time at a workplace on a workstation that runs Windows, you just want to pull out a device and escape from that. Besides, who wants a BSOD on their tablet?
Samsung Chief Disses own Tablet after iPad 2 Announcement
Say what you will about Lee Don-Joo VP of Mobile for Samsung, but he clearly expects better from their 10.1” Galaxy tablet and he isn’t afraid to hold back his words about the matter. I like his style, will hurt its sales but I like it!
Skype to show Ads
Skype will now display ads on its home tab. Was only a matter of time and it will be interesting to see if the added revenues will allow it to make some services that they now charge for, free at some point. They should start to roll out the ads this week.
Local Assistant Principal named Apple Distinguished Educator
Finally today I want to give a shout to Niki Peel who is the Assistant Principal at Tupelo High School for being named by Apple has an Apple Distinguished Educator for using technology in educating students. Congrats Niki, you definitely deserve this high honor!
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Come back by Thursday where we will have more Apple news in AppleTalk Thursday. Have some iPhone and iPad news that has come out since last week.
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #9
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday where we discuss all things Apple. Let’s see what is going on in the world of Cupertino today.
iPad in the Enterprise Marketplace
The iPad which btw is still not even a year old yet, is making great strides not just with the general public but also in the enterprise market. In-fact 80% of Fortune 100 companies are already deploying or piloting the iPad according to Apple in its recent earnings call. Imagine what the 2nd generation iPad will do.
Apple could benefit from Nokia-Microsoft partnership
An analyst with RBC Capital Markets has speculated that with Nokia abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone 7, the move opens up possible significant gains for the Apple iOS, Google Android, and possibly BlackBerry (remember them?). Course he also stated that Microsoft could see gains as well (insert laugh track here).
MobileMe for FREE and the mini-iPhone Rumor
So lots of talk this past week of a possible smaller and less expensive iPhone and also an updated MobileMe that will not only may be free but will offer cloud based access to music and photos. This would seem to make sense as it would help Apple fight off the Android market and give that data center in North Carolina a purpose.
iPhone 5 with a Slide out Keyboard and a Bigger Screen?
Another rumor is that Apple is working on iPhone 5 prototypes one of which has a slide out keyboard while another model would have an 8MP camera but otherwise be the same as the iPhone 4. Yet another rumor speculates that the next updated iPhone could have a 4” screen up from the current 3.5” screen. I am not putting much stock into either rumor as this point, but it is a lot of fun to talk about.
Apple and Samsung, partner and competitor
Apple will soon be Samsung’s biggest customer with a $7.8 Billion deal for Samsung to manufacture the screens for the iPhone and the iPad’s. On the flip side of the coin, Samsung has announced a new 10” Galaxy tablet with 16 or 32GB configurations. No word on pricing yet.
Apple debuts App Store Subscriptions
On Tuesday, Apple made it official with App Store subscriptions from within the app or in-app subscriptions. The move opens up an area for content to digital newspapers, magazines, and music based services. Apple has also advised developers they have until 6/30 to comply with the new method in their apps. This of course is not making a lot of developers happy. On a side note, The Daily which has been plagued with crashing issues, has extended its free subscription to the end of February. I was really happy with it at first, but lately not so much. Will be interesting to see who follows The Daily with a similar app.
Kindle iOS Update
Speaking of developers that will soon be effected by Apple’s new rules, Amazon has updated their Kindle app with a couple of handy features. One shows the progress bar on the home screen of your book shelf showing where you are on your books, another now actually shows what physical page number you are on which makes it easier to site passages to people reading a physical book. This is also a feature Amazon just updated on their own Kindle devices as well.
Verizon handling iPhone Traffic Smoothly
There was a lot of talk on how the Verizon network would handle the iPhone’s once they got into the wild, well it appears it has met the challenge without a hitch. Very good news for Verizon there!
iOS App Reviews
So for this week’s app reviews I wanted to focus on online radio apps. There are quite a few of them out there and I use a few of them.
Pandora (FREE) - Course the most popular radio apps out there is Pandora. By choosing an artist or a song, it will play tracks similar to that artist or song for hours! They also have an iPad specific version as well. It is a free service however if you pay the $36 per year subscription, it allows you to skip more tracks up to 6 per hour I believe.
iHeartRadio (FREE) - This application allows you to listen to 750 radio stations across the US. I use it to listen to KFI out in Los Angeles, a station I listened to all the time when I lived out there.
TuneIn Radio (99 cents) - TuneIn Radio is similar to iheartradio but it tends to offer more radio stations so it might be worth the 99 cents to buy and use and it has an iPad version too.
SiriusXM (FREE) - If you are a subscriber to SiriusXM, then this is a nice app you have your stations with you all the time. This has been handy for me when I am driving a car that doesn’t have satellite radio. My truck was in an accident this week which does have an sat radio unit and since I am in a loaner, I can play the stations through my AirTrip device through the car stereo.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
iPad in the Enterprise Marketplace
The iPad which btw is still not even a year old yet, is making great strides not just with the general public but also in the enterprise market. In-fact 80% of Fortune 100 companies are already deploying or piloting the iPad according to Apple in its recent earnings call. Imagine what the 2nd generation iPad will do.
Apple could benefit from Nokia-Microsoft partnership
An analyst with RBC Capital Markets has speculated that with Nokia abandoning Symbian for Windows Phone 7, the move opens up possible significant gains for the Apple iOS, Google Android, and possibly BlackBerry (remember them?). Course he also stated that Microsoft could see gains as well (insert laugh track here).
MobileMe for FREE and the mini-iPhone Rumor
So lots of talk this past week of a possible smaller and less expensive iPhone and also an updated MobileMe that will not only may be free but will offer cloud based access to music and photos. This would seem to make sense as it would help Apple fight off the Android market and give that data center in North Carolina a purpose.
iPhone 5 with a Slide out Keyboard and a Bigger Screen?
Another rumor is that Apple is working on iPhone 5 prototypes one of which has a slide out keyboard while another model would have an 8MP camera but otherwise be the same as the iPhone 4. Yet another rumor speculates that the next updated iPhone could have a 4” screen up from the current 3.5” screen. I am not putting much stock into either rumor as this point, but it is a lot of fun to talk about.
Apple and Samsung, partner and competitor
Apple will soon be Samsung’s biggest customer with a $7.8 Billion deal for Samsung to manufacture the screens for the iPhone and the iPad’s. On the flip side of the coin, Samsung has announced a new 10” Galaxy tablet with 16 or 32GB configurations. No word on pricing yet.
Apple debuts App Store Subscriptions
On Tuesday, Apple made it official with App Store subscriptions from within the app or in-app subscriptions. The move opens up an area for content to digital newspapers, magazines, and music based services. Apple has also advised developers they have until 6/30 to comply with the new method in their apps. This of course is not making a lot of developers happy. On a side note, The Daily which has been plagued with crashing issues, has extended its free subscription to the end of February. I was really happy with it at first, but lately not so much. Will be interesting to see who follows The Daily with a similar app.
Kindle iOS Update
Speaking of developers that will soon be effected by Apple’s new rules, Amazon has updated their Kindle app with a couple of handy features. One shows the progress bar on the home screen of your book shelf showing where you are on your books, another now actually shows what physical page number you are on which makes it easier to site passages to people reading a physical book. This is also a feature Amazon just updated on their own Kindle devices as well.
Verizon handling iPhone Traffic Smoothly
There was a lot of talk on how the Verizon network would handle the iPhone’s once they got into the wild, well it appears it has met the challenge without a hitch. Very good news for Verizon there!
iOS App Reviews
So for this week’s app reviews I wanted to focus on online radio apps. There are quite a few of them out there and I use a few of them.
Pandora (FREE) - Course the most popular radio apps out there is Pandora. By choosing an artist or a song, it will play tracks similar to that artist or song for hours! They also have an iPad specific version as well. It is a free service however if you pay the $36 per year subscription, it allows you to skip more tracks up to 6 per hour I believe.
iHeartRadio (FREE) - This application allows you to listen to 750 radio stations across the US. I use it to listen to KFI out in Los Angeles, a station I listened to all the time when I lived out there.
TuneIn Radio (99 cents) - TuneIn Radio is similar to iheartradio but it tends to offer more radio stations so it might be worth the 99 cents to buy and use and it has an iPad version too.
SiriusXM (FREE) - If you are a subscriber to SiriusXM, then this is a nice app you have your stations with you all the time. This has been handy for me when I am driving a car that doesn’t have satellite radio. My truck was in an accident this week which does have an sat radio unit and since I am in a loaner, I can play the stations through my AirTrip device through the car stereo.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday Tech Talk #80
Hello all and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Can’t believe this is #80, only 20 more to go to numero 100! Let’s see what is going on this week!
Microsoft paying Nokia Billions to adopt OS
Wow, Microsoft, it has come to this, you have to pay people to be your friends? Generally speaking when you license out your OS to a hardware maker then you are the one getting paid...not the other way around. Oh Microsoft, just call it a day and just make X-Boxes, that is one thing you have excelled at.
Pandora going Public
Pandora announced on Friday it will be going public but did not specify as to when. They hope to raise $100 million in an IPO. This may be a great buy actually and I may add it to my portfolio, will probably fare better than my SiriusXM stock.
AT&T Rolls out Unlimited Calling to Any Mobile Carrier
Last week AT&T announced it will now offer its cell customers the ability to call any mobile phone no matter the carrier, for free, but there is one catch, you have to change your texting plan to an unlimited one. Haven’t decided if I will do it or not as most of my cell contacts are already AT&T users. Also if you send them a text message they will apply 1000 minutes to your plan if you happen to be an iPhone owner.
Kindle Getting Real Page Numbers
Kindle will be rolling out a software update to its devices as well as third party apps over the next few months that will add the actual page # on the page you are reading. Currently it just shows you the percentage of book you have read.
HP bringing WebOS to its PC’s
Wow, another hit to Microsoft possibly as HP is looking to deploy its in-house OS when it purchased Palm, into its PC’s. Join the club HP, it has worked for Apple for years!
Verizon Shows Off Voice-Over-LTE
Verizon this week is showing off the ability it will have to use voice and data at the same time when it makes the jump to LTE from CDMA, currently on the CDMA network you cannot do both, something AT&T has used against them in marketing. Can we say LTE iPhone 5?
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for more talk about things in the tech world!
Microsoft paying Nokia Billions to adopt OS
Wow, Microsoft, it has come to this, you have to pay people to be your friends? Generally speaking when you license out your OS to a hardware maker then you are the one getting paid...not the other way around. Oh Microsoft, just call it a day and just make X-Boxes, that is one thing you have excelled at.
Pandora going Public
Pandora announced on Friday it will be going public but did not specify as to when. They hope to raise $100 million in an IPO. This may be a great buy actually and I may add it to my portfolio, will probably fare better than my SiriusXM stock.
AT&T Rolls out Unlimited Calling to Any Mobile Carrier
Last week AT&T announced it will now offer its cell customers the ability to call any mobile phone no matter the carrier, for free, but there is one catch, you have to change your texting plan to an unlimited one. Haven’t decided if I will do it or not as most of my cell contacts are already AT&T users. Also if you send them a text message they will apply 1000 minutes to your plan if you happen to be an iPhone owner.
Kindle Getting Real Page Numbers
Kindle will be rolling out a software update to its devices as well as third party apps over the next few months that will add the actual page # on the page you are reading. Currently it just shows you the percentage of book you have read.
HP bringing WebOS to its PC’s
Wow, another hit to Microsoft possibly as HP is looking to deploy its in-house OS when it purchased Palm, into its PC’s. Join the club HP, it has worked for Apple for years!
Verizon Shows Off Voice-Over-LTE
Verizon this week is showing off the ability it will have to use voice and data at the same time when it makes the jump to LTE from CDMA, currently on the CDMA network you cannot do both, something AT&T has used against them in marketing. Can we say LTE iPhone 5?
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for more talk about things in the tech world!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #6
Greetings everyone and welcome to another installment of AppleTalk Thursday, a blog about all things Apple, from Macs to iOS devices and everything in between. Let’s see what is going on in the world of Apple this week!
Apple beats the Street
Results for Q1 sales are in and Apple easily beat the Wall Street estimates. Recording revenue of $26.7 Billion in the first quarter of 2011 with earnings her share of $6.43. During the quarter Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones (86% increase over last year Q1), 7.33 million iPads, 19.45 million iPods (a 7% decline over last year Q1), and 4.13 million Macs which is a 23% over the same quarter last year! Morgan Stanley analyst Kathy Huberty is estimated that Apple may sell 100 million iPhones and 40 million iPads in 2011. If you are an Apple stockholder like I am, this has to put a big smile on your face! That should be good enough for Apple to top Microsoft in quarterly profits for the first time in 20 years.
TiVo releases iPad app
Good news for TiVo users, there is an app for that...in the form of an iPad version. It acts as both a program guide and a remote so that is pretty cool. Let’s see if DirecTV can come up with something as cool for their users. It does require TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box as well as a TiVo account to be of any use of course.
Tim Cook smack talks Windows and Android iPad wannabes
The more I hear from Steve Jobs stand in COO Tim Cook, the more I like him! He is willing to go toe to toe with Ballmer on smack talk. Here he refers to as the Windows tablet as big, heavy, and expensive and refers to the Android tablets as “scaled-up smartphones”. Keep it up Tim, I love it!
Apple and AT&T new deal great for consumer choice
Apple and AT&T have a new non-exclusive deal in place in the US which ends all exclusivity deals for the iPhone worldwide. So now Apple can offer the iPhone to any GSM and CDMA carriers in the US. Great news for T-Mobile, Sprint, CellularSouth, and other carriers. This is smart strategy for Apple as it will put it in a more competitive position against Android devices.
Giffords recovery and therapy includes an iPad
While we continually hear awesome news regarding the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, news last week that one of her doctors mentioned she is even able to scroll through an iPad makes it even more awesome! By having the ability to navigate through the functions of the iPad, it means her Fine Motor Skills are doing very well and she has since been moved to Houston for further treatment where her condition this week was upgraded to Good. We continue to pray for the full recovery of Congresswoman Giffords here at TupeloGeek Media.
Apple brings on former NSA analyst to head up global security
Apple has hired David Rice to be Director of Global Security starting in March. Previously Mr. Rice has worked at the National Security Agency as a Global Network Vulnerability analyst and for the Navy as a Special Duty Cryptologic officer. This will help Apple as it addresses security concerns with enterprise clients.
Verizon dangles the unlimited data carrot to iPhone 4 switchers, $20 hotspot tethering plan
So this is how Verizon will persuade users to upgrade or switch over to the iPhone 4 next month. For a limited time, Verizon will offer people buying the Verizon iPhone 4 the unlimited data plan. After that Verizon will indeed move to a tiered data plan similar to AT&T. In addition it also announced its Mobile Hotspot plan will be $20 per month with a 2GB data cap with each additional gigabyte costing $20. To counter the move of unlimited data plan, AT&T is quietly allowing users who once had the unlimited data plan but moved to one of their tiered data plans, is allowing users to switch back to unlimited data providing they had their iPhone prior to the June data plan change. This means if you got an iPhone with AT&T after June you are SOL...sorry! That being said, one analyst suggests Verizon could sell 19 million iPhones in 2011 alone.
iPhone and iPad extend lead over Android devices in Enterprise in 2010
Adoption of the iPhone and the iPad in the enterprise sector continues to do very well. Far outpacing Android devices while Windows mobiles devices decline in adoption according to Good Technology. Here are a couple of charts that puts things into perspective.
Pretty impressive if you ask me! I really love that Windows Mobile is imploding, payback is a...oh wait got to keep it clean here. ;)
The Daily to launch within weeks
James Murdoch, Chief Executive of NewsCorp in Europe and Asia and son of Rupert has stated that The Daily digital periodical for the iPad will be available in the US within the next 2 weeks initially followed by launches internationally, in addition he confirms it will cost 99 cents per week on a reoccurring subscription something that will be rolled out as part of the iOS 4.3 update.
Next gen iPhone and iPads supporting NFC?
Although slow to rollout in the US, the idea of Near-Field Communications is starting to catch on. Basically allowing a user to pay for items by a wave of their mobile device, the feature maybe built into the next generation of iPad and iPhone devices. This might be something I personally might use depending on the security of NFC when making a purchase such as what would happen if someone got a hold of my device and decided to go on a shopping spree? Something to consider.
Apple App Store approving 4.3-compatible AirPlay third party apps
Looks like the App Store is approving third party developers apps that take advantage of AirPlay. Hmm could Netflix and Hulu Plus app updates be not too far behind?
iOS App Reviews
So this week I thought I would focus on some fitness and health related apps as I know a lot of people have that at the top of their New Years Resolution list.
Lose It! (FREE) - This is a great app for tracking your calories! It allows you to enter in your exercise routine and your food intake so you know just where you stand on your daily calorie cap so you can hit your target weight loss goals. I am on a 2 pounds per week plan so I can hit my goal in 39 weeks.
RunKeeper Pro (FREE until end of January) - RunKeeper has an outstanding app to enter in your workout routine so you can see how your are doing on your workouts. It is usually $9.99 but if you get it this month it is FREE! Don’t let the name fool you though, it is not just for runners but also walkers and people using equipment at fitness centers too.
CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club (FREE) - Another good calorie tracking app is CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club. I have both Lose It and CalorieCounter as I haven’t decided which one works best for me. I will follow up with my decision soon but they are both good apps.
Nike+ GPS ($1.99) - Of course there is the Nike+ system which relies on the sensor in your shoe for records but Nike also has a GPS related app that is similar to RunKeeper Pro and cheaper on regular price by $8.
Well, that should give you a running start on fitness apps for the new year. That is going to do it for this extra packed issue of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Apple beats the Street
Results for Q1 sales are in and Apple easily beat the Wall Street estimates. Recording revenue of $26.7 Billion in the first quarter of 2011 with earnings her share of $6.43. During the quarter Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones (86% increase over last year Q1), 7.33 million iPads, 19.45 million iPods (a 7% decline over last year Q1), and 4.13 million Macs which is a 23% over the same quarter last year! Morgan Stanley analyst Kathy Huberty is estimated that Apple may sell 100 million iPhones and 40 million iPads in 2011. If you are an Apple stockholder like I am, this has to put a big smile on your face! That should be good enough for Apple to top Microsoft in quarterly profits for the first time in 20 years.
TiVo releases iPad app
Good news for TiVo users, there is an app for that...in the form of an iPad version. It acts as both a program guide and a remote so that is pretty cool. Let’s see if DirecTV can come up with something as cool for their users. It does require TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box as well as a TiVo account to be of any use of course.
Tim Cook smack talks Windows and Android iPad wannabes
The more I hear from Steve Jobs stand in COO Tim Cook, the more I like him! He is willing to go toe to toe with Ballmer on smack talk. Here he refers to as the Windows tablet as big, heavy, and expensive and refers to the Android tablets as “scaled-up smartphones”. Keep it up Tim, I love it!
Apple and AT&T new deal great for consumer choice
Apple and AT&T have a new non-exclusive deal in place in the US which ends all exclusivity deals for the iPhone worldwide. So now Apple can offer the iPhone to any GSM and CDMA carriers in the US. Great news for T-Mobile, Sprint, CellularSouth, and other carriers. This is smart strategy for Apple as it will put it in a more competitive position against Android devices.
Giffords recovery and therapy includes an iPad
While we continually hear awesome news regarding the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, news last week that one of her doctors mentioned she is even able to scroll through an iPad makes it even more awesome! By having the ability to navigate through the functions of the iPad, it means her Fine Motor Skills are doing very well and she has since been moved to Houston for further treatment where her condition this week was upgraded to Good. We continue to pray for the full recovery of Congresswoman Giffords here at TupeloGeek Media.
Apple brings on former NSA analyst to head up global security
Apple has hired David Rice to be Director of Global Security starting in March. Previously Mr. Rice has worked at the National Security Agency as a Global Network Vulnerability analyst and for the Navy as a Special Duty Cryptologic officer. This will help Apple as it addresses security concerns with enterprise clients.
Verizon dangles the unlimited data carrot to iPhone 4 switchers, $20 hotspot tethering plan
So this is how Verizon will persuade users to upgrade or switch over to the iPhone 4 next month. For a limited time, Verizon will offer people buying the Verizon iPhone 4 the unlimited data plan. After that Verizon will indeed move to a tiered data plan similar to AT&T. In addition it also announced its Mobile Hotspot plan will be $20 per month with a 2GB data cap with each additional gigabyte costing $20. To counter the move of unlimited data plan, AT&T is quietly allowing users who once had the unlimited data plan but moved to one of their tiered data plans, is allowing users to switch back to unlimited data providing they had their iPhone prior to the June data plan change. This means if you got an iPhone with AT&T after June you are SOL...sorry! That being said, one analyst suggests Verizon could sell 19 million iPhones in 2011 alone.
iPhone and iPad extend lead over Android devices in Enterprise in 2010
Adoption of the iPhone and the iPad in the enterprise sector continues to do very well. Far outpacing Android devices while Windows mobiles devices decline in adoption according to Good Technology. Here are a couple of charts that puts things into perspective.
Pretty impressive if you ask me! I really love that Windows Mobile is imploding, payback is a...oh wait got to keep it clean here. ;)
The Daily to launch within weeks
James Murdoch, Chief Executive of NewsCorp in Europe and Asia and son of Rupert has stated that The Daily digital periodical for the iPad will be available in the US within the next 2 weeks initially followed by launches internationally, in addition he confirms it will cost 99 cents per week on a reoccurring subscription something that will be rolled out as part of the iOS 4.3 update.
Next gen iPhone and iPads supporting NFC?
Although slow to rollout in the US, the idea of Near-Field Communications is starting to catch on. Basically allowing a user to pay for items by a wave of their mobile device, the feature maybe built into the next generation of iPad and iPhone devices. This might be something I personally might use depending on the security of NFC when making a purchase such as what would happen if someone got a hold of my device and decided to go on a shopping spree? Something to consider.
Apple App Store approving 4.3-compatible AirPlay third party apps
Looks like the App Store is approving third party developers apps that take advantage of AirPlay. Hmm could Netflix and Hulu Plus app updates be not too far behind?
iOS App Reviews
So this week I thought I would focus on some fitness and health related apps as I know a lot of people have that at the top of their New Years Resolution list.
Lose It! (FREE) - This is a great app for tracking your calories! It allows you to enter in your exercise routine and your food intake so you know just where you stand on your daily calorie cap so you can hit your target weight loss goals. I am on a 2 pounds per week plan so I can hit my goal in 39 weeks.
RunKeeper Pro (FREE until end of January) - RunKeeper has an outstanding app to enter in your workout routine so you can see how your are doing on your workouts. It is usually $9.99 but if you get it this month it is FREE! Don’t let the name fool you though, it is not just for runners but also walkers and people using equipment at fitness centers too.
CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club (FREE) - Another good calorie tracking app is CalorieCounter by ShapeUp Club. I have both Lose It and CalorieCounter as I haven’t decided which one works best for me. I will follow up with my decision soon but they are both good apps.
Nike+ GPS ($1.99) - Of course there is the Nike+ system which relies on the sensor in your shoe for records but Nike also has a GPS related app that is similar to RunKeeper Pro and cheaper on regular price by $8.
Well, that should give you a running start on fitness apps for the new year. That is going to do it for this extra packed issue of AppleTalk Thursday. See you all next week for another edition of all things Apple!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
AppleTalk Thursday #4
Hey everybody and welcome to another edition of AppleTalk Thursday. We have a bit of Apple news to discuss this week so let’s get right into things.
Mac App Store is Here
Of course hours after last week’s AppleTalk Thursday went out, Apple rolled out the Mac App Store as part of the 10.6.6 update. Among the notable apps is Angry Birds and Flight Control HD which are popular games on the iOS devices and the Twitter app (formerly Tweetie). They also are selling the iLife (3 of them anyway) and iWork apps, although the iWork apps are still the ’09 variety and not the updated iWork ’11. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand each sell for $14.99 which if you add them up, come up to $45, a single license copy of iLife ’11 sells for $49 in optical media format but you can actually install the apps on the Mac App Store on multiple computers so if you add in the Family Pack cost of $79 you are getting quite a deal. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers sell for $19.99 each compared to $79 for optical media single copy and $99 for Family Pack. Of course not all the developers have jumped on board yet, they maybe taking a wait and see approach. But I love it, it is like having one big software virtual mall. It also scans your other apps that you have pre-installed and will alert you to an update for it if that application is part of the store. Apple has reported it had 1 million downloads of apps in the first 24 hours of its launch.
Verizon gets the iPhone 4
I discussed this on Tuesday Tech Talk as it broke that day. I had quite a bit of information on it and you can find that post here. What has not been determined yet is the cost of the data plans from Verizon for the iPhone. One would think they would be the same as the data plans for their other smart-phones. But the fact they are throwing in a mobile hot spot device (MiFi) to connect up to 5 devices to it, is pretty sweet and reinforces Verizon’s confidence in their network where AT&T had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a still pricey tethering plan for the iPhone. Now comes word that the iOS 4.3 update will include mobile hot spot feature as part of the OS so clearly, Apple by teaming with Verizon can negotiate with AT&T from a position of strength for a more competitive tethering plan. The Verizon iPhone will go on sale on February 10th at Apple and Verizon store locations as well as their online stores. Also of note Verizon and Apple will sell a CDMA based iPad as well.
Microsoft fights Apple on “App Store” trademark
Microsoft being the crybabies they are (see Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer), have filed an objection with the US Patent & Trademark Office over Apple’s plan to trademark the term “App Store”. Hey Microsoft, it sucks to be dominated doesn’t it? In my opinion, Apple was the first to launch such a store way before Android and Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry so they should get the right. Be creative enough to come up with your own name losers..oh wait this is Microsoft we are talking about...they have no imagination!
Jobs and Murdoch to launch The Daily on January 19th?
The much rumored iPad only digital magazine The Daily is expected to be announced on January 19th in San Francisco. If it is anything like NewsCorp’s Wall Street Journal app for the iPad, then it would be well worth subscribing to at the 99 cents per week expected cost.
Apple eliminated restocking fees
Wow, first Best Buy and now Apple will be eliminating restocking fees according to an article from 9 to 5 Mac starting this past Tuesday. Not heard anything confirming this so take the article for what its worth.
AT&T and Apple lower price of 3GS iPhone to $49
If you just want to get an iPhone but don’t need the latest and greatest there is good news, both Apple and AT&T have dropped the price from $99 to $49 on the 8GB 3GS iPhone. So if you missed out on the Radio Shack and Best Buy offers, the deal is here to stay. iPhone 4 pricing remains the same though.
iOS App Reviews
Apple Remote (FREE) - If you have an AppleTV did you know that with the Apple Remote app you can control it from your iPhone or iPad? I have used both for controlling mine and I actually prefer it over the line of sight based remote that comes with the AppleTV. Course it can also play iTunes content from your Mac(s) while you are sitting in the recliner or pulling into the garage and pulling a nice prank on your unsuspecting significant other who thinks your Mac is possessed all of the sudden (Yes, I did this once.)
Goodreads (FREE) - If you are a user of Goodreads and have an iPhone, then this app is a must have! For those that don’t know, Goodreads allows you to share what books you are reading, have read or want to read with other friends that are book readers. Think of it as Facebook for book worms. So sign up for the service which is free and download the app. You can find me here to see what I’ve been or will be reading.
Green Bay Packers (FREE) - Ok so I am a bit bias here as Green Bay is my team in the playoffs right now being that my Chargers and Titans failed to make it this year. But this is a good model for how any sports team thinking about making an app should follow. Videos, schedule, injury updates, etc. it is all there.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Look forward to sharing more Apple related news with you here same time next week!
Mac App Store is Here
Of course hours after last week’s AppleTalk Thursday went out, Apple rolled out the Mac App Store as part of the 10.6.6 update. Among the notable apps is Angry Birds and Flight Control HD which are popular games on the iOS devices and the Twitter app (formerly Tweetie). They also are selling the iLife (3 of them anyway) and iWork apps, although the iWork apps are still the ’09 variety and not the updated iWork ’11. iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand each sell for $14.99 which if you add them up, come up to $45, a single license copy of iLife ’11 sells for $49 in optical media format but you can actually install the apps on the Mac App Store on multiple computers so if you add in the Family Pack cost of $79 you are getting quite a deal. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers sell for $19.99 each compared to $79 for optical media single copy and $99 for Family Pack. Of course not all the developers have jumped on board yet, they maybe taking a wait and see approach. But I love it, it is like having one big software virtual mall. It also scans your other apps that you have pre-installed and will alert you to an update for it if that application is part of the store. Apple has reported it had 1 million downloads of apps in the first 24 hours of its launch.
Verizon gets the iPhone 4
I discussed this on Tuesday Tech Talk as it broke that day. I had quite a bit of information on it and you can find that post here. What has not been determined yet is the cost of the data plans from Verizon for the iPhone. One would think they would be the same as the data plans for their other smart-phones. But the fact they are throwing in a mobile hot spot device (MiFi) to connect up to 5 devices to it, is pretty sweet and reinforces Verizon’s confidence in their network where AT&T had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a still pricey tethering plan for the iPhone. Now comes word that the iOS 4.3 update will include mobile hot spot feature as part of the OS so clearly, Apple by teaming with Verizon can negotiate with AT&T from a position of strength for a more competitive tethering plan. The Verizon iPhone will go on sale on February 10th at Apple and Verizon store locations as well as their online stores. Also of note Verizon and Apple will sell a CDMA based iPad as well.
Microsoft fights Apple on “App Store” trademark
Microsoft being the crybabies they are (see Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer), have filed an objection with the US Patent & Trademark Office over Apple’s plan to trademark the term “App Store”. Hey Microsoft, it sucks to be dominated doesn’t it? In my opinion, Apple was the first to launch such a store way before Android and Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry so they should get the right. Be creative enough to come up with your own name losers..oh wait this is Microsoft we are talking about...they have no imagination!
Jobs and Murdoch to launch The Daily on January 19th?
The much rumored iPad only digital magazine The Daily is expected to be announced on January 19th in San Francisco. If it is anything like NewsCorp’s Wall Street Journal app for the iPad, then it would be well worth subscribing to at the 99 cents per week expected cost.
Apple eliminated restocking fees
Wow, first Best Buy and now Apple will be eliminating restocking fees according to an article from 9 to 5 Mac starting this past Tuesday. Not heard anything confirming this so take the article for what its worth.
AT&T and Apple lower price of 3GS iPhone to $49
If you just want to get an iPhone but don’t need the latest and greatest there is good news, both Apple and AT&T have dropped the price from $99 to $49 on the 8GB 3GS iPhone. So if you missed out on the Radio Shack and Best Buy offers, the deal is here to stay. iPhone 4 pricing remains the same though.
iOS App Reviews
Apple Remote (FREE) - If you have an AppleTV did you know that with the Apple Remote app you can control it from your iPhone or iPad? I have used both for controlling mine and I actually prefer it over the line of sight based remote that comes with the AppleTV. Course it can also play iTunes content from your Mac(s) while you are sitting in the recliner or pulling into the garage and pulling a nice prank on your unsuspecting significant other who thinks your Mac is possessed all of the sudden (Yes, I did this once.)
Goodreads (FREE) - If you are a user of Goodreads and have an iPhone, then this app is a must have! For those that don’t know, Goodreads allows you to share what books you are reading, have read or want to read with other friends that are book readers. Think of it as Facebook for book worms. So sign up for the service which is free and download the app. You can find me here to see what I’ve been or will be reading.
Green Bay Packers (FREE) - Ok so I am a bit bias here as Green Bay is my team in the playoffs right now being that my Chargers and Titans failed to make it this year. But this is a good model for how any sports team thinking about making an app should follow. Videos, schedule, injury updates, etc. it is all there.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of AppleTalk Thursday. Look forward to sharing more Apple related news with you here same time next week!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday Tech Talk #76
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. A lot of stuff to cover with CES last week and the iPhone-Verizon announcement earlier today so I’m going to get right into it.
Verizon Gets the iPhone!
Yes, the big day a lot of people have wished for has happen! Earlier today Verizon and Apple announced the iPhone 4 will go on sale on February 10th at Verizon and Apple Store locations as well as online on their sites. Here is what we do know, the 16GB will have the $199 and 32GB will be $299 both with a 2 Year Contract (same as AT&T), however Verizon is throwing in a mobile hot spot device with the iPhone that can connect up to 5 devices...take that AT&T tethering! Also the CDMA based iPhone deal with Verizon is NON-exclusive so Apple has the freedom to allow other CDMA carriers in the US to carry the phone as well. Not sure if AT&T still has an exclusivity on GSM based iPhone’s in the US but I doubt they do which may be good news for T-Mobile. I would love to see the iPhone on many US carriers as possible as it helps in fighting off the Android and Windows Phone 7 for market share. If any more details come about, I will have more in AppleTalk Thursday.
MySpace lays off 47% of Workforce
Just announced today is the news that MySpace will layoff about 500 employees or about 47% of its workforce. I can’t say I am surprised, with Facebook finding more and more ways to innovate, MySpace is quickly falling behind in the battle of social network sites. They are owned by NewsCorp and one has to wonder just how much longer Rupert Murdoch is willing to hold onto this operation.
Facebook to go Public in 2012?
Although Mark Zuckerberg continues to deny it, an interesting article here hints at an April 2012 Initial Public Offering for Facebook stock. It would be interesting just to see what it would be valued at on a per share basis. Something rivaling Google I would think. Only time will tell though if this will happen. But in another interesting story, LinkedIn may become the first social media site to offer an IPO.
Ballmer: Windows 7 is an OS for all devices
Uh, no its really not! I really don’t need anything made from Microsoft in my personal tech ecosystem! I don’t use any of the Office products anymore (thanks Google Docs), I don’t know anyone that uses MSN Messenger so no use there either. At this point I am living Windows free and loving it so Steve take your operating system and stick it where the sun don’t shine...Redmond!
AT&T LTE Plans
AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega announced that AT&T will start to deploy its next generation LTE wireless network and capable mobile devices around mid-2011 (hey isn’t that when the iPhone gets updated?), with plans to have it completed by the end of 2013.
LG annonces SmartTV Upgrader
LG is getting into the battleground with AppleTV, Roku, and GoogleTV boxes that offer internet based services for your TV. Like the AppleTV, it has a similar shape and requires WiFi and an HDMI capable TV to connect to. No pricing mentioned in the article but I would say $99 would be the price as it is similar to the AppleTV.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Be back next week for another installment.
Verizon Gets the iPhone!
Yes, the big day a lot of people have wished for has happen! Earlier today Verizon and Apple announced the iPhone 4 will go on sale on February 10th at Verizon and Apple Store locations as well as online on their sites. Here is what we do know, the 16GB will have the $199 and 32GB will be $299 both with a 2 Year Contract (same as AT&T), however Verizon is throwing in a mobile hot spot device with the iPhone that can connect up to 5 devices...take that AT&T tethering! Also the CDMA based iPhone deal with Verizon is NON-exclusive so Apple has the freedom to allow other CDMA carriers in the US to carry the phone as well. Not sure if AT&T still has an exclusivity on GSM based iPhone’s in the US but I doubt they do which may be good news for T-Mobile. I would love to see the iPhone on many US carriers as possible as it helps in fighting off the Android and Windows Phone 7 for market share. If any more details come about, I will have more in AppleTalk Thursday.
MySpace lays off 47% of Workforce
Just announced today is the news that MySpace will layoff about 500 employees or about 47% of its workforce. I can’t say I am surprised, with Facebook finding more and more ways to innovate, MySpace is quickly falling behind in the battle of social network sites. They are owned by NewsCorp and one has to wonder just how much longer Rupert Murdoch is willing to hold onto this operation.
Facebook to go Public in 2012?
Although Mark Zuckerberg continues to deny it, an interesting article here hints at an April 2012 Initial Public Offering for Facebook stock. It would be interesting just to see what it would be valued at on a per share basis. Something rivaling Google I would think. Only time will tell though if this will happen. But in another interesting story, LinkedIn may become the first social media site to offer an IPO.
Ballmer: Windows 7 is an OS for all devices
Uh, no its really not! I really don’t need anything made from Microsoft in my personal tech ecosystem! I don’t use any of the Office products anymore (thanks Google Docs), I don’t know anyone that uses MSN Messenger so no use there either. At this point I am living Windows free and loving it so Steve take your operating system and stick it where the sun don’t shine...Redmond!
AT&T LTE Plans
AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega announced that AT&T will start to deploy its next generation LTE wireless network and capable mobile devices around mid-2011 (hey isn’t that when the iPhone gets updated?), with plans to have it completed by the end of 2013.
LG annonces SmartTV Upgrader
LG is getting into the battleground with AppleTV, Roku, and GoogleTV boxes that offer internet based services for your TV. Like the AppleTV, it has a similar shape and requires WiFi and an HDMI capable TV to connect to. No pricing mentioned in the article but I would say $99 would be the price as it is similar to the AppleTV.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Be back next week for another installment.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Tuesday Tech Talk #75
Greetings and Happy New Year everyone! It’s the first Tuesday Tech Talk of 2011 and after taking last week off, there is a lot to catch up on so let’s get right into things!
Firefox 4 Beta 8
Mozilla released its beta version 8 of Firefox 4 a few days before Christmas. I decided to give it a try and wow it is FAST! It is pretty much as responsive as Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari browsers. Quite impressed and I can’t wait to see how the official release will be when it is rolled out this year.
AT&T Launches WiFi initiative in Problem spots
AT&T will be launching WiFi spots in urban areas where it has had trouble with coverage. The spots are NYC and San Francisco. Among the areas to be covered are Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral which will make smartphone carrying Catholics like myself happy when visiting. Also later in 2011, they will launch WiFi at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.
RIM Playbook battery issues
Uh oh, it looks like Research In Motion may have stuck its foot in its mouth with all its iPad trash talking and playing up their Playbook tablet. Now comes word they are having a hard time matching the iPad’s battery life...can we say, “Marketing FAIL”? If you're going to trash talk your competition, it may help that your product can walk your talk! I still love you Canada though.
Paul Allen refiles patent suit against almost everybody
The world’s most insecure billionaire is at it again! After having his first suit tossed out by a judge, Paul Allen has refiled his patent suit against Apple, Google, eBay, Amazon, etc. Wonder how soon this one will get tossed? I will say it one more time, Paul your company ripped off the Apple GUI but you don’t see the 2 Steve’s suing you and Bill do you? You insecure jackass!
How to polish up your LinkedIn Profile
Read an interesting article on MacWorld about overused buzzwords in LinkedIn profiles and how to simplify your profile. Worth a read if you are maintaining a LinkedIn profile
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. We have the Consumer Electronics Show starting on Thursday so next week there will be a lot to talk about. See you next week!
Firefox 4 Beta 8
Mozilla released its beta version 8 of Firefox 4 a few days before Christmas. I decided to give it a try and wow it is FAST! It is pretty much as responsive as Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari browsers. Quite impressed and I can’t wait to see how the official release will be when it is rolled out this year.
AT&T Launches WiFi initiative in Problem spots
AT&T will be launching WiFi spots in urban areas where it has had trouble with coverage. The spots are NYC and San Francisco. Among the areas to be covered are Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral which will make smartphone carrying Catholics like myself happy when visiting. Also later in 2011, they will launch WiFi at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.
RIM Playbook battery issues
Uh oh, it looks like Research In Motion may have stuck its foot in its mouth with all its iPad trash talking and playing up their Playbook tablet. Now comes word they are having a hard time matching the iPad’s battery life...can we say, “Marketing FAIL”? If you're going to trash talk your competition, it may help that your product can walk your talk! I still love you Canada though.
Paul Allen refiles patent suit against almost everybody
The world’s most insecure billionaire is at it again! After having his first suit tossed out by a judge, Paul Allen has refiled his patent suit against Apple, Google, eBay, Amazon, etc. Wonder how soon this one will get tossed? I will say it one more time, Paul your company ripped off the Apple GUI but you don’t see the 2 Steve’s suing you and Bill do you? You insecure jackass!
How to polish up your LinkedIn Profile
Read an interesting article on MacWorld about overused buzzwords in LinkedIn profiles and how to simplify your profile. Worth a read if you are maintaining a LinkedIn profile
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. We have the Consumer Electronics Show starting on Thursday so next week there will be a lot to talk about. See you next week!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #71
Hello folks and welcome to a late edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. A lot of news since last week so let’s dive right in.
iOS 4.2 has Arrived!
The big news for iPad users is iOS 4.2 is here! What that means is if you have an iPad, you can now arrange apps into folders saving you lots of screens to slide through to find your favorite app (I reduced my screen from 6 to 1) and you can also multitask on it as well. It is awesome to run Pandora in the background on the iPad now especially when you consider the speakers on the iPad are much better than the speaker on the iPhone (on my 3GS anyway). In addition the update is also for the iPhone and iPod touch, it allows all of the devices to perform AirPlay and AirPrint operations. With AirPlay, if you start to watch say a YouTube or iTunes video on your iOS device, you can choose to switch it over to your AppleTV device. It works pretty awesome as I like to browse YouTube videos on my iPad and play them to my TV. Also it works for music as well. With AirPrint, if you have a supported printer (currently 11 HP printers with ePrint), then you can print documents and photos from your iOS devices. However, if you don’t have one of those 11 printers, there is a sweet workaround from Printopia. For $9.95, it will allow you to print to any printer that is shared on a local WiFI network. They also offer a demo version so you can try before you buy, but it is worth the $10! It also allows you to send files right to your DropBox or directly to the desktop of your computer, so it does more than just print.
Netflix offers streaming only plan
On the same day as the iOS 4.2 release, Netflix revealed a $7.99 streaming only plan for US customers. They also raised prices on the disc plans as well, but with more and more content available via streaming, we decided to drop our plan down from 3 discs to 2 and save about $3 a month.
Stuck at JFK on Delta, play with an iPad
Some eateries at the Delta terminal at JFK airport now have iPad’s at booths where you can order food and drinks from it and use it for general browsing. The good news is you don’t have to order food to use the devices. Course with 10 million iPad’s sold now, chances are you probably already have one.
Microsoft stores not matching Apple Store success
To the surprise of well nobody, Microsoft’s retail stores are not coming close to matching the success of Apple retail locations. Could it be that people know a rip off when they see one and will visit the genuine article? I mean what will Microsoft offer at its stores that is Microsoft made beyond Windows and Office? The computers they sell are third party brands you can find at Best Buy.
Windows Phone 7 a Flop?
Developers are quite concerned about building apps for a phone that despite much publicity, has not had the sales impact it had hoped for. Quite frankly, they are fighting an uphill battle, you have the iOS, Android, and Blackberry fighting for market share and that is not including HP’s PalmOS, all fighting for market share, it is hard to carve out your own with that much competition. Not to mention the interface on the phone is not appealing at all as compared to an iPhone or Android device. Only time will tell but as of right now, they are slow out of the gate.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week back on the normal time frame.
iOS 4.2 has Arrived!
The big news for iPad users is iOS 4.2 is here! What that means is if you have an iPad, you can now arrange apps into folders saving you lots of screens to slide through to find your favorite app (I reduced my screen from 6 to 1) and you can also multitask on it as well. It is awesome to run Pandora in the background on the iPad now especially when you consider the speakers on the iPad are much better than the speaker on the iPhone (on my 3GS anyway). In addition the update is also for the iPhone and iPod touch, it allows all of the devices to perform AirPlay and AirPrint operations. With AirPlay, if you start to watch say a YouTube or iTunes video on your iOS device, you can choose to switch it over to your AppleTV device. It works pretty awesome as I like to browse YouTube videos on my iPad and play them to my TV. Also it works for music as well. With AirPrint, if you have a supported printer (currently 11 HP printers with ePrint), then you can print documents and photos from your iOS devices. However, if you don’t have one of those 11 printers, there is a sweet workaround from Printopia. For $9.95, it will allow you to print to any printer that is shared on a local WiFI network. They also offer a demo version so you can try before you buy, but it is worth the $10! It also allows you to send files right to your DropBox or directly to the desktop of your computer, so it does more than just print.
Netflix offers streaming only plan
On the same day as the iOS 4.2 release, Netflix revealed a $7.99 streaming only plan for US customers. They also raised prices on the disc plans as well, but with more and more content available via streaming, we decided to drop our plan down from 3 discs to 2 and save about $3 a month.
Stuck at JFK on Delta, play with an iPad
Some eateries at the Delta terminal at JFK airport now have iPad’s at booths where you can order food and drinks from it and use it for general browsing. The good news is you don’t have to order food to use the devices. Course with 10 million iPad’s sold now, chances are you probably already have one.
Microsoft stores not matching Apple Store success
To the surprise of well nobody, Microsoft’s retail stores are not coming close to matching the success of Apple retail locations. Could it be that people know a rip off when they see one and will visit the genuine article? I mean what will Microsoft offer at its stores that is Microsoft made beyond Windows and Office? The computers they sell are third party brands you can find at Best Buy.
Windows Phone 7 a Flop?
Developers are quite concerned about building apps for a phone that despite much publicity, has not had the sales impact it had hoped for. Quite frankly, they are fighting an uphill battle, you have the iOS, Android, and Blackberry fighting for market share and that is not including HP’s PalmOS, all fighting for market share, it is hard to carve out your own with that much competition. Not to mention the interface on the phone is not appealing at all as compared to an iPhone or Android device. Only time will tell but as of right now, they are slow out of the gate.
Well, that is going to do it for this week’s Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week back on the normal time frame.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #66
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. We’ve got several things going on this week so lets see what is going on.
Mac Office 2011 Today
Today Microsoft releases Mac Office 2011. AppleInsider offers an extensive review on the software. Hopefully there is also a 30 day download on the website to see if it is something I would have an interest in. I’m in a position now where I use Gmail for all my email and Pages or Google Docs for word processing, so I am probably not an Office customer, but your mileage may vary.
More sneak peak of Lion
AppleInsider also has a sneak peak at more features of OS X 10.7 Lion. Notably, a Year view in iCal and an iTunes look to Apple Mail. I’m sure the closer we get to Summer 2011, we are going to see a lot more features in Lion.
Current vs. iCal Lion Look
Current vs. Mail in Lion look
Ray Ozzie leaves Microsoft
In yet another blow to Microsoft and Steve Ballmer, Ray Ozzie their chief software architect is leaving the company in yet another high level departure. One thing has become certain, Steve Ballmer is an embarrassment to the company as CEO and these people see the writing on the wall. Ballmer is clearly not the “idea man” that Bill Gates or Steve Jobs are and Microsoft’s lack of innovation under Ballmer, is showing through to everyone. As a result the depth chart at Microsoft has become very thin as compared to Apple with Jobs having Phil Schiller, Jonathan Ives, and company behind him.
Windows Phone 7, No Customized Ringtones
So say for whatever reason you are interested in getting a Windows Phone 7 over an iPhone or an Android phone (why you would want to?). There is something you should no that is a key thing for me, there is no way to add your own custom ringtones! LAME! Just stupid and pointless but, do you expect anything more from Microsoft? So think before you buy a phone from a company known for its virus infected, BSOD operating systems. I’m just sayin’!
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. I hope to have something exciting to share with you all next week in terms of tech goodies and a review. Have a great week!
Mac Office 2011 Today
Today Microsoft releases Mac Office 2011. AppleInsider offers an extensive review on the software. Hopefully there is also a 30 day download on the website to see if it is something I would have an interest in. I’m in a position now where I use Gmail for all my email and Pages or Google Docs for word processing, so I am probably not an Office customer, but your mileage may vary.
More sneak peak of Lion
AppleInsider also has a sneak peak at more features of OS X 10.7 Lion. Notably, a Year view in iCal and an iTunes look to Apple Mail. I’m sure the closer we get to Summer 2011, we are going to see a lot more features in Lion.
Current vs. iCal Lion Look
Current vs. Mail in Lion look
Ray Ozzie leaves Microsoft
In yet another blow to Microsoft and Steve Ballmer, Ray Ozzie their chief software architect is leaving the company in yet another high level departure. One thing has become certain, Steve Ballmer is an embarrassment to the company as CEO and these people see the writing on the wall. Ballmer is clearly not the “idea man” that Bill Gates or Steve Jobs are and Microsoft’s lack of innovation under Ballmer, is showing through to everyone. As a result the depth chart at Microsoft has become very thin as compared to Apple with Jobs having Phil Schiller, Jonathan Ives, and company behind him.
Windows Phone 7, No Customized Ringtones
So say for whatever reason you are interested in getting a Windows Phone 7 over an iPhone or an Android phone (why you would want to?). There is something you should no that is a key thing for me, there is no way to add your own custom ringtones! LAME! Just stupid and pointless but, do you expect anything more from Microsoft? So think before you buy a phone from a company known for its virus infected, BSOD operating systems. I’m just sayin’!
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. I hope to have something exciting to share with you all next week in terms of tech goodies and a review. Have a great week!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #64
Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Please excuse the late edition this week, I had some lower back pain that made it difficult to sit in a writing position for an extended period of time. The good news is I am much better now and Phillip Rivers I am not apparently when throwing around a football on a beach. So with that in mind, we have a lot of tech news to catch up on.
iPhone to Verizon...No, Seriously This Time
So I have tried to stay away from the whole “when is the iPhone coming to Verizon” chatter in this space because quite frankly it was a whole lot of rumor and speculation from less than credible sources. But now we have the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times saying that in fact, Apple is preparing a CDMA based iPhone for Verizon in the early part of next year. To add further credibility, Verizon brick-and-mortar stores will start selling the iPad on October 28th in conjunction with MiFi mobile hot spots.
So what does this mean for me personally? Well, my contract with AT&T expires in June which is right around the time of the 5th gen iPhone which no doubt will sport a GSM and CDMA-based models. I will let my contract run out and then decide at that time who to sign up with. Verizon no doubt has better coverage but the drawback of CDMA is you are not able to access data and voice at the same time...that is a major issue for me. If they can work out that issue, then it is a no brainer, I will sign up with Verizon whom I had when I lived in L.A. and Nashville before moving to Tupelo where at the time Verizon didn’t have coverage until they bought Alltel in 2008. Not to mention that as of right now, Verizon still offers an unlimited data plan to new customers where AT&T does not (I am grandfathered in with them on that right now). So that is my take on the Verizon iPhone talk, what do you think?
Apple “Back to the Mac” event
Next Wednesday, Apple will be hosting a Mac based event on its campus. Speculation is we will see iLife ’11 and iWork ’11 make their debut along with possible upgrades for the MacBook Air and a sneak peak at OS X 10.7 (Lion). I will either delay Triple T next week or have a special blog about the event on Wednesday.
Steve Ballmer Speaks Idiot Again
Every time Baldo Ballmer says something stupidity comes out. Yes, Steve it is true the Microsoft brand does mean something to users...CRAP! Even fertilizer can have a brand Steve, doesn’t mean I want to smell it just the same as a lot of people don’t want to use Windows but have to because of a backwards thinking business culture.
iPad All time fastest selling gadget
Speaking of fat Dr. Evil, this will not make him a happy camper. Yeah, how many Kin’s did you sell again Steve?
Facebook introduces Group Chat
Facebook has announced a new feature called Groups. It allows you to create a group of friends to share posts of common interest. For example, I can create a group called Football to basically post all my NFL and College football updates in and it would only be viewable to people that also like football. I really like this new feature and can’t wait to use it.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
GetGlue (FREE) - This new social media app allows you to share just what your watching, reading, playing, listening to, wine your drinking, or topic you are thinking about. Also has an iPad version.
Tango (FREE) - So you don’t have an iPhone 4 or the newest iPod touch for FaceTime? Well no problem Tango is here. It even allows you to use a 3G connection too. Course if you have an iPhone 3GS or earlier it does make it hard to chat without the front facing camera, but I am willing to try it.
Angry Birds HD($4.99)- I have heard Fr. Roderick and others talk about this game for the longest time but never tried it...until now. Boy is this game both fun and a major time suck. No I mean it really is, I was playing it until 4am last night and only stopped because my iPad battery drained and had to recharge it. This is crack on an iPad. Oh yeah, there is an iPhone/iPod touch version for 99 cents too. No, I am not buying that version cause then I would really have no life.
PlainText (FREE) - This is great for making quick notes while on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It also syncs with your DropBox account too. I use it to make notes for my blog without using my BlogPress app.
Justin.tv (FREE) - If you want to live video stream right from your iPhone, then you should check this out. I have tried uStream’s app and found it to crash or not work, but Justin.tv works like a snap and it is easy to find anyone that is streaming live on Justin.tv, on your iPhone as well. With uStream it only list the “popular” streams. In addition, my live chat room stream is now Justin.tv based.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for news from the Apple event.
iPhone to Verizon...No, Seriously This Time
So I have tried to stay away from the whole “when is the iPhone coming to Verizon” chatter in this space because quite frankly it was a whole lot of rumor and speculation from less than credible sources. But now we have the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times saying that in fact, Apple is preparing a CDMA based iPhone for Verizon in the early part of next year. To add further credibility, Verizon brick-and-mortar stores will start selling the iPad on October 28th in conjunction with MiFi mobile hot spots.
So what does this mean for me personally? Well, my contract with AT&T expires in June which is right around the time of the 5th gen iPhone which no doubt will sport a GSM and CDMA-based models. I will let my contract run out and then decide at that time who to sign up with. Verizon no doubt has better coverage but the drawback of CDMA is you are not able to access data and voice at the same time...that is a major issue for me. If they can work out that issue, then it is a no brainer, I will sign up with Verizon whom I had when I lived in L.A. and Nashville before moving to Tupelo where at the time Verizon didn’t have coverage until they bought Alltel in 2008. Not to mention that as of right now, Verizon still offers an unlimited data plan to new customers where AT&T does not (I am grandfathered in with them on that right now). So that is my take on the Verizon iPhone talk, what do you think?
Apple “Back to the Mac” event
Next Wednesday, Apple will be hosting a Mac based event on its campus. Speculation is we will see iLife ’11 and iWork ’11 make their debut along with possible upgrades for the MacBook Air and a sneak peak at OS X 10.7 (Lion). I will either delay Triple T next week or have a special blog about the event on Wednesday.
Steve Ballmer Speaks Idiot Again
Every time Baldo Ballmer says something stupidity comes out. Yes, Steve it is true the Microsoft brand does mean something to users...CRAP! Even fertilizer can have a brand Steve, doesn’t mean I want to smell it just the same as a lot of people don’t want to use Windows but have to because of a backwards thinking business culture.
iPad All time fastest selling gadget
Speaking of fat Dr. Evil, this will not make him a happy camper. Yeah, how many Kin’s did you sell again Steve?
Facebook introduces Group Chat
Facebook has announced a new feature called Groups. It allows you to create a group of friends to share posts of common interest. For example, I can create a group called Football to basically post all my NFL and College football updates in and it would only be viewable to people that also like football. I really like this new feature and can’t wait to use it.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
GetGlue (FREE) - This new social media app allows you to share just what your watching, reading, playing, listening to, wine your drinking, or topic you are thinking about. Also has an iPad version.
Tango (FREE) - So you don’t have an iPhone 4 or the newest iPod touch for FaceTime? Well no problem Tango is here. It even allows you to use a 3G connection too. Course if you have an iPhone 3GS or earlier it does make it hard to chat without the front facing camera, but I am willing to try it.
Angry Birds HD($4.99)- I have heard Fr. Roderick and others talk about this game for the longest time but never tried it...until now. Boy is this game both fun and a major time suck. No I mean it really is, I was playing it until 4am last night and only stopped because my iPad battery drained and had to recharge it. This is crack on an iPad. Oh yeah, there is an iPhone/iPod touch version for 99 cents too. No, I am not buying that version cause then I would really have no life.
PlainText (FREE) - This is great for making quick notes while on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. It also syncs with your DropBox account too. I use it to make notes for my blog without using my BlogPress app.
Justin.tv (FREE) - If you want to live video stream right from your iPhone, then you should check this out. I have tried uStream’s app and found it to crash or not work, but Justin.tv works like a snap and it is easy to find anyone that is streaming live on Justin.tv, on your iPhone as well. With uStream it only list the “popular” streams. In addition, my live chat room stream is now Justin.tv based.
Well, that is going to do it for this edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. See you all next week for news from the Apple event.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #54
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Lets see what has been going on over the past week.
New Mac hardware
You do remember that Apple also makes these great computers call Mac’s right? Well we could be seeing some updated Mac Pro’s, iMac’s, and Cinema Display’s later today according to John Gruber of Daring Fireball. I’m pretty much set on the Mac hardware front for a while myself but I always love to see the new stuff come out and what it is sporting under the hood.
iLife ’10 with mysterious new application
We could also be seeing a new version of iLife next month and according to a site called Mac 4 Ever from France, it may be adding a new application and doing away with iDVD. Also iLife will be written in 64-bit and the iDVD will be available as a download if needed. It will also have improved integration with social networks. It also states an August 7th release date (Saturday), it is unlikely for Apple to release a software application on a weekend as it usually a Tuesday release or sometime during the work week. Stay tuned!
Microsoft to give employees free Windows Phone 7 devices
Call it a perk, I call it Microsoft’s attempt inflate its mobile phone market. Course we all know how well the Kin did.
Google Image Search now with Ads
Google announced last week a new way for advertisers to push their products via Google’s Image search. Like it does with link searches, photos of similar things you search for will pop up at the top. For example if you typed in “Converse” then a link for Converse Shoes will be below a picture of their latest shoes. I haven’t tried to search for “lower intestines” yet to see what that will pull up though.
Verizon going to limited data plans
Boy these cell phone companies remind me of the airline industry, when one company makes a change in their data plans, the other follows. Course with AT&T and Verizon being the 2 biggest out there, look for them to set the industry standard on data plans. Yes, the all you can eat data plan is going the way of airlines not charging you for bags unless you fly on Southwest of course.
Joss Whedon to Direct The Avengers
The biggest announcements to come out of Comic-Con in San Diego this week was that Joss Whedon of Firefly fame will indeed direct The Avengers movie and that Mark Ruffalo will be playing the Hulk in it and not Edward Norton.
Sorry but no app reviews this week. Just haven’t really played with anything new in the past week. Thanks for coming by and see you all next Tuesday!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #52
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Excuse me for not putting out a Triple T last week as I was out of town celebrating my 38th birthday. Had a great time in Pensacola though!
iPhone 4
Since this is my first Triple T since the iPhone 4 went on sell, I thought I would spend a few minutes on it. In its first 3 days it managed to sell 1.7 million units worldwide. Then came the “death grip” stories. This forced Apple to look into the matter and discovered something that has plagued all iPhones, a false bar reading. Apple stated a software update will be out within the next few weeks for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPhone 4 to resolve the issue. Now for the features, it shoots awesome 720 HD video! No, I do not have one but videos are starting to pop up on YouTube with videos shot with it. My favorite is 156 Turns. For now I will keep my 3GS one though.
iPad browser share passes Android market share
For you Android fans out there, put this in your pipe and smoke it! Not much more to say so I will leave it at that. I continue to enjoy my iPad of course.
iPad in a plane
SportsairUSA has made a new airplane called the iCub and part of the planes dashboard includes an iPad. You can use it to browse weather radar and other key things to flying.
Microsoft kills the Kin
Only 6 weeks into its release and Microsoft pulled the plug on the Kin. Yes I know, this will come as a disappointment to the tens of well 10’s out there that wanted one, but with the competition between the iPhone and the Android, the interest in the Kin was severely lacking. Course it could also have something to do with the fact that Microsoft lacks a creativity gene in its being and people see through that now.
New Six Billion Dollar Hotel opens in Singapore
Here is one for Steve Austin (not the wrestler/actor). 55 story tall hotel with a 650 foot swimming pool on the roof overlooking the skyline. Want a room? It will cost you about $520 a night...and people say we are in a global recession.
Google Voice goes Public
Good news if you have been waiting to use Google Voice but never got an invite, you longer need one. Google Voice assigns you a number you can give out to family and friends that will ring any phone of your choice, you can even assign certain contacts to certain phones. We have been using it to make long distance calls for some time now.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
DC Comics (FREE) - Good news for fellow DC fans, the publishers of Batman and Superman and other awesome comics has its own reader app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. You can now read away from anywhere.
TomTom ($49.99) - I have been using Navigon’s MobileNavigator for some time now but after the 4.0 release, the current version of it no longer works but I hear an update is in the works. In the meantime I still had to travel to Pensacola so I bought TomTom for the iPhone and I have to say I really like it. Biggest thing I like is it has multiple voices to select from and of course it is 4.0 ready so I was able to bounce between it and Pandora with no hangups.
Well that will do it for this edition of Triple T, I can’t believe this is number 52! This officially makes 1 year of Tuesday Tech Talk for me and I look forward to many more to come.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tuesday Tech Talk #44
Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Tuesday Tech Talk. Quite a few diverse topics this week so lets see what is happening.
HP buys Palm, kills the Slate?
This is interesting, on the same week that HP bought Palm they are apparently deserting plans for the Windows 7-based HP Slate. My theory, why would HP need Windows 7 on a tablet device when they now own a mobile OS company? This reminds me when Apple bought Steve Jobs’ NeXT company which we all know became OS X on the Mac. I don’t think the HP Slate is dead, I just think the Windows part of the Slate is dead. Kudos to HP for picking up Palm, could be a wise move on their part here.
Kraft Foods BYOC policy
Kraft Foods is apparently putting in a new policy allowing its employees to buy whatever computer they desire to use at work and will help out with the purchase providing the employees do their own tech support. Basically if your a Kraft employee but are a Mac or Linux person, then you are in luck! Now if only my employer had a similar policy.
The Apple vs. Adobe War Intensifies
It’s becoming a real billionaire he said/he said thing here. I see some truth on both sides here. Weighing on the matter is Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager of Internet Explorer and his blog post on Microsoft siding with Apple on HTML5 based video content.
Nokia N8 HD Video Sample
Truly amazing video here for a mobile device. Worth checking out!
Fourth Generation iPhone released for Sale during WWDC?
Interesting article here from Mashable speculating that the new iPhone may go on sale during the WWDC. Pure speculation at this point and I still think a late June release is still more likely.
World’s Largest Curved Plasma Display in Japan
I would love to see some sports on this screen!
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
AccuWeather (Free) - This is a very cool app. I just downloaded it and will do a side by side comparison to the Weather Channel app. Sadly AccuWeather has not produced an iPad app yet while the Weather Channel has.
uStream Live Broadcaster (Free) - This can be a cool app, but it has one key flaw. Whenever you are broadcasting, if you get a SMS text or an alert from another app, it ceases to broadcast. Otherwise it is very nice to use, you can even setup an instant poll.
Well that is going to do it for this week’s edition of Triple T. See you all next week!
HP buys Palm, kills the Slate?
This is interesting, on the same week that HP bought Palm they are apparently deserting plans for the Windows 7-based HP Slate. My theory, why would HP need Windows 7 on a tablet device when they now own a mobile OS company? This reminds me when Apple bought Steve Jobs’ NeXT company which we all know became OS X on the Mac. I don’t think the HP Slate is dead, I just think the Windows part of the Slate is dead. Kudos to HP for picking up Palm, could be a wise move on their part here.
Kraft Foods BYOC policy
Kraft Foods is apparently putting in a new policy allowing its employees to buy whatever computer they desire to use at work and will help out with the purchase providing the employees do their own tech support. Basically if your a Kraft employee but are a Mac or Linux person, then you are in luck! Now if only my employer had a similar policy.
The Apple vs. Adobe War Intensifies
It’s becoming a real billionaire he said/he said thing here. I see some truth on both sides here. Weighing on the matter is Microsoft’s Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager of Internet Explorer and his blog post on Microsoft siding with Apple on HTML5 based video content.
Nokia N8 HD Video Sample
Truly amazing video here for a mobile device. Worth checking out!
Fourth Generation iPhone released for Sale during WWDC?
Interesting article here from Mashable speculating that the new iPhone may go on sale during the WWDC. Pure speculation at this point and I still think a late June release is still more likely.
World’s Largest Curved Plasma Display in Japan
I would love to see some sports on this screen!
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch/iPad apps
AccuWeather (Free) - This is a very cool app. I just downloaded it and will do a side by side comparison to the Weather Channel app. Sadly AccuWeather has not produced an iPad app yet while the Weather Channel has.
uStream Live Broadcaster (Free) - This can be a cool app, but it has one key flaw. Whenever you are broadcasting, if you get a SMS text or an alert from another app, it ceases to broadcast. Otherwise it is very nice to use, you can even setup an instant poll.
Well that is going to do it for this week’s edition of Triple T. See you all next week!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday Tech Talk #11
Ok it’s another Tuesday which means another edition of Triple T.
Apple Music Event
Tomorrow is the Apple music event, smart money points to iPod touch and nano’s with cameras. If your holding your breath for Beatles though then you might want to exhale before passing out. Also look for iTunes 9 with Blu-ray support.
Microsoft
If Microsoft were a human being they would probably need a therapist for their insecurity issues. I mean come on, you got what over 90% of the OS market and yet your worried about Mac and Linux? I mean yeah IMHO both are better than your OS but come on!
audioBoo
Ok so if your not using audioBoo yet and you own an iPhone or iPod touch, then you really need to. Basically it’s a short audio blog up to 5 minutes in length. You can find my feed here. Oh and you can add all your friends boo’s into your RSS reader or iTunes. It treats it as if it were a podcast.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch apps
A new segment as part of Triple T is This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch apps. Each week I will pick a few of my favorite apps I am trying. Here are this weeks.
AAA Roadside - This handy little app makes notifying AAA a whole lot easier. No need to talk to a person or dig out your card, just file it within the app. Upon first time setup you will enter your AAA card number and it will be stored within the app.
audioBoo - Couldn’t mention audioBoo above and not mention the actual app to do your recordings on. It also allows you to listen to recent boo’s from everyone else although as of now, there is no way to set it to just your family and friend’s boos.
Facebook - Facebook has updated their app with cool new features. You can now break down your news feeds by groups you set up like Family, Personal friends, and group names. Oh yeah and you can post photos right from the app (and video with an iPhone 3GS).
SiriusXM - If you subscribe to SiriusXM your iPhone or touch is now an instant radio (internet access required). I have found myself listening to different music and talk stations at Joe Joe’s and around the house.
TUAW - If your a Mac fan like me then you should have this app for The Unofficial Apple Weblog. All the latest news right in the app.
Well that is all for this edition of Triple T. I will be posting about the Apple Music event tomorrow some time.
Apple Music Event
Tomorrow is the Apple music event, smart money points to iPod touch and nano’s with cameras. If your holding your breath for Beatles though then you might want to exhale before passing out. Also look for iTunes 9 with Blu-ray support.
Microsoft
If Microsoft were a human being they would probably need a therapist for their insecurity issues. I mean come on, you got what over 90% of the OS market and yet your worried about Mac and Linux? I mean yeah IMHO both are better than your OS but come on!
audioBoo
Ok so if your not using audioBoo yet and you own an iPhone or iPod touch, then you really need to. Basically it’s a short audio blog up to 5 minutes in length. You can find my feed here. Oh and you can add all your friends boo’s into your RSS reader or iTunes. It treats it as if it were a podcast.
This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch apps
A new segment as part of Triple T is This Week’s iPhone/iPod touch apps. Each week I will pick a few of my favorite apps I am trying. Here are this weeks.
AAA Roadside - This handy little app makes notifying AAA a whole lot easier. No need to talk to a person or dig out your card, just file it within the app. Upon first time setup you will enter your AAA card number and it will be stored within the app.
audioBoo - Couldn’t mention audioBoo above and not mention the actual app to do your recordings on. It also allows you to listen to recent boo’s from everyone else although as of now, there is no way to set it to just your family and friend’s boos.
Facebook - Facebook has updated their app with cool new features. You can now break down your news feeds by groups you set up like Family, Personal friends, and group names. Oh yeah and you can post photos right from the app (and video with an iPhone 3GS).
SiriusXM - If you subscribe to SiriusXM your iPhone or touch is now an instant radio (internet access required). I have found myself listening to different music and talk stations at Joe Joe’s and around the house.
TUAW - If your a Mac fan like me then you should have this app for The Unofficial Apple Weblog. All the latest news right in the app.
Well that is all for this edition of Triple T. I will be posting about the Apple Music event tomorrow some time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)