Google Stops Censorship In China

Google has stopped censoring results in China.

Google.cn is redirected to google.hk.  Google will also indicate to users when the Beijing is trying to apply filters to results.

Hope no one at Google in China gets arrested for this.

Yahoo, MSN, Apple, and others.  Follow this example please.  May not be good for your bottomline or shareholders but, at least, you'll have a soul.

Note:  I am a shareholder in all above mentioned companies.  I don't mind taking a hit for this move.

Sprint: We've Got Your 4G Right Here

Really, Sprint has 4G now. WiMax. It's in some places. Nowhere near where I live but somewhere. And Sprint is attempting to push this on iPhone users. I'm sure others fit into this category as well.

In the latest advertising spot, Sprint mocks AT&T's 3G network and attempts to supplement it by offering its unfinished, albeit existing, 4G network.

It's a clever spot. I'm not sure the iPhone users ought to be its target audience. I think it's more of the iPod Touch and Wi-Fi only iPads that Sprint should be going after.

Enjoy.



It's very Apple-esque. AT&T, your move. Oh, right...LTE in 2012, is it? No wonder Sprint isn't in that big of a hurry to push out WiMax to the rest of the country.

Palm's Problem: I Don't Know Where To Start

I'm going to to second guess what Rubinstein and others have done at Palm. As a matter of fact, at any other time, against any other foes, I would say Palm had a great chance of changing the dynamics of the mobile market.

In the after hours of trading, Palm tanked about 15%, making its market value under $800 million. Sales fell short and forecast even more so. Things just aren't going well for Palm at the moment. In fact, things are stacked against Palm in just about pretty much every way.

Still, this isn't unlike the days when Apple was on the brink of extinction. The main problem at Palm isn't its technology or products. WebOS is amazing and the Pre is pretty cool, compared even to the iPhone. The problem is that everyone expected the large number of former Apple alumni (execs and engineers) who joined Palm to resurrect Palm the way they did (in their own ways) with Apple.

The fact that this didn't happen is going to be a great case study for business schools all over to dissect and analyze. In executions, there are difference between Apple and Palm. In timing, the Pre went up against the 3GS and Android. And then there was the iTunes fiasco of trying to make iTunes think the Pre is an iPod.

Against the odds, I am hoping that things will turn around for one of the premier mobile companies. It has an unique technical DNA unlike anything else seen at Microsoft, Google, and even, Apple.

Just today, Rubinstein blamed Sprint for some of Palm's woes. I don't know that's how I'd do it, alienating a partner that you still need. I think Palm needs to "think different" about how they want to execute their plans. They've got the OS and hardware that does along with it.

Perhaps, it's time for Palm to be bold in some way. It may need a bigger partner, like HTC or Motorola. Palm can also consider licensing its OS and technology to other companies.

To be sure, it needs to do something. Timing is going to be key with whatever Palm does.

Note: I love to see a WebOS tablet.

Mobile No Longer Special But Necessary

I'm beginning to think that having access to mobile Internet is no longer something special. In fact now, it's almost a necessity if you've come to rely on it for much of your day-to-day activities. I'm not talking about updating Facebook or texting your peeps.

Company e-mails comes to mind. In my work, I'm constantly researching and searching for what my clients need. For personal needs, paying bills and scheduling and coordinating this weekend's dinner with friends is made a lot easier with group calendar.

I suppose what I'm saying is that more people now have access to wireless Internet and we're at a point where we are comfortable with adapting it to our lives. In fact, I'm pretty comfortable with watching my NBA games on my iPhone.

Being able to do that isn't all that special anymore.

Mobile App Wealth To Jump In 3 Years

According to a report from commissioned by GetJar, a bit self-serving since it's an app store but doesn't make it untrue, app business could explode by 2012 to the tune of $17.5 billion. Here are quick facts from the report:

• 92% Growth year over year from 7 billion downloads in 2009 to 50 billion by 2012.
• $17.5 Billion by 2012 - a market value greater than the CD market of nearly $14 billion.
• Asian app downloads will exceed Western regions but will require a different monetary models.
• Europe will hit $8.5 billion by 2012.  North America will hit $6.7 billion in the same time frame.
• Advertising-based apps will account for 28% of app revenue in 2012 - up from 12% in 2009.
• Average selling app price in 2009 is $1.90 but will decrease by 29% by 2012.

One of the highlighted fact in the report is who will come out ahead at the end of the day.  It is unclear how many app stores will spring up and who will be left standing.  The report believes a mere few will be left by 2012 to share the app revenue of $17.5 billion.

Even now, Google, Apple, and others are attempting to create an device-app-content ecosystem to cultivate as much as the demands of mobile users as possible.  I'm sure Android Marketplace, Apple's App Store, and a couple others will be around.  It'll be interesting to see if any of the more independent variety will be around and what kind of impact they may have.

So, anyone still looking to get into the app business, now's the time.

More at Business Wire, CNet News.

Thinking Beyond Web 2.0 and Mobile Is Needed For Protesters and Dissidents

One of the reasons I started blogging about mobility and mobile devices is that I loved my OLPC's XO. Unfortunately, the device hasn't taken off as I had hoped but I've had plenty of other mobile issues to write about.

Now, I'm going to get into mobility and censorship. Bottomline: current social and mobile tools are not adequate to circumvent regimes bent on oppressing its citizens. Sites like Twitter and Facebook can easily be blocked. Ask Google how it's doing with it's Chinese search engine.

In fact, I'm not sure any tools created on existing technologies and Internet protocols will be effectively. The main advantage dissident groups may have is the ability to move quickly to avoid giving the government time to adjust.

Obviously both sides can create new tactics. But I've got an idea from one of the things I've spoke to Dave the Mobile Warrior. Remember when you're kids, and you can create a two- or three- way communication device with cups (cans) connected by a string?

Well. I don't think those anti-government protesters are going to carry around cans with strings all over the place. But I spoke to Dave about creating what I like to call a "puff network" by string together a bunch of access points and creating a small Internet. Your own Internet that allows you to do everything you want and provide access to those you trust.

Obviously, that's not going to work since the demonstrators are always on the move. It's not going to work for those Chinese dissidents trying to bring democracy to Beijing. But if someone can program an app that allows like minded mobile devices or laptops to share bandwidth using obfuscating protocols, would it be possible create these puff networks that is constantly moving and making it difficult for regimes to track individual movements?

Here's a scenario. A few thousand protecters are trying to find a place to demonstrate their ire against an issue or government. Instead of texting, since it's being monitored by the government, the leaders can send out messages via a private puff network accessible to trusted individuals who can share it by word of mouths. Dissidents can use these puff networks to share ideas and papers with others, effectively bypassing monitors and other censor apparatuses.

I'm leaving out a lot of details here but I believe this can be achieved. I'll leave the technical details to folks like Dave the Mobile Warrior and other technically inclined readers to think this over.

Personally, I think it's kind of cool to be able to string together access points and mobile devices to create a puff network. You can share music, movies, or any other files with people you trust. You can own your own Internet.

Crazy? Well, that's for blogs are for. It's why I enjoy writing about these things. No, it's not crazy. Someone prove me right.

Tablet Success Depends On Complete Ecosystems

Duh, right? Just look at the success of the iPod and now the iPhone. Apple has created a complete ecosystem of connection, content, and services. In-Stat's latest report on this segment suggests that this is also going to be key to determine the success of tablets.

This is why Apple has been furiously trying to get the studios to lower prices, be open to new revenue models, and opening up content on the iTunes store. This is why Nokia and Google are trying to add their own services to compete effectively.

In-Stat, really pointed out two factors but I combined both into one. They pointed out that Kindle has a wireless connection, making it a complete system, more so than the iPhone. The Kindle has wireless connectivity while the iPhone requires a paid service. That is true but once Kindle emerges from the depth of Amazon's own R&D labs, it will be more hungry for content, which means a more robust wireless service. And that would make the Kindle less appealing in this regard.

The second matter In-Stat reported on is the ecosystem. Of course, they don't say it like that.

They did make one interesting point that Steve Jobs brought up during the iPad event. The tablets sits snuggly between the smartphone and the laptop, making it potentially very attractive to consumers because of portability, and, in my opinion, cost of entry.

It also examines the following points:

• Examining the evolution of the mobile electronics market
• Comparing tablets to other mobile devices
• Evaluating the keys to success in terms of technology, content/applications, wireless services, and business models
• Providing an outlook for both consumer and commercial segments of the market
• Analyzing the bill-of-materials of a tablet and forecasting the future trends
• Examining the initial products and strategies of some of the initial market entrants, such as Apple.

I do believe this isn't just my inner-"geek-wannbeness" talking but I am very excited about the tablet segment of the mobile market.  Since seeing its descendants on television and movies, and my re-imagining of how tablets can play a viable part on Stargate Atlantis, I've been waiting for the days for powerful tablets with useful applications, wireless Internet access, and long battery life (longer the better).

There is a lot of pinned up demand for just such a device.  With Apple's own silicon, Nividia, and Qualcomm's chips, it looks like it'll be for real this time around.  Microsoft and Intel made a valiant attempt with the UMPC a few years back.  I think this time, it ought to work.

More at In-Stat.