Sometimes Apple/Jobs Just Goof'd

When the iMac first came out, it had a tray CD-ROM.  Then the moved onto a slot based while its competitors continue to use tray CD-ROM but they can burn CDs which the iMac could not.

At the time, I remember thinking it was just another move by Apple to offer incremental upgrades.  It turned out, as you will read in the book, that was not the case.

Sometimes, Apple, as forward looking as they are, can still screw up.

Back to today and the iPhone. Not having 4" screens.  No NFC chip.  Keeping Siri only on the iPhone 4S.  I don't know.  Maybe it could be a calculated move.  However, I am not discounting the possibility that Steve Jobs just does not see the 4" screen as right for the iPhone just as he doesn't see a 7" iPad as something viable.

Expecting NFC?  Well, Apple has a few patents but we may still not see it.  I go to Starbucks a lot and I'm able to make payments with my iPhone.  No need for an NFC app.

So, what are reasons for some omissions of features for the iOS devices?  Who really knows.  Maybe there will be another book about Steve that explains all this or we'll have to wait for one about Tim Cook or Jony Ives.  I do know this.  Apple is very much fallible.  The only thing is that they are heck of a lot more often right than not.

And this is imperfection, a human characteristic, is what makes Apple as a company and story so compelling.

Subscription Comes To iOS Gaming; Totally Expect Other Computing/Mobile Platforms To Follow Suit

This is one of those things that came out of the left field.  Far, far left field.  Apple is allowing a gaming developer that many Mac gamers should be familiar with, Big Fish Games, to utilize the subscription model that Apple developed for magazines and periodicals and let users subscribe to play games on a monthly basis.

Terrific deal?  You'll have to be the judge of that.  However, it is just another mobile innovation that we like to see.  Don't be surprised if this feature is adopted for other uses as well and not just gaming.

I reckon it's possible for studios to release sets of video in a similar fashion.  Take SyFy.  They can release an app just for science fiction fans to indulge themselves with content from the network and other materials.

After all, multimedia does mean multimedia.  And for any developer or studio out there looking for additional revenues, well, this could be it.  Google, Microsoft, or even Facebook could be doing something similar.

And it doesn't have to be just for handsets like the iPhone.  This subscription model for gaming can be extended to tablets (iPad) and onto the PC as well.  Facebook could be a great platform for just such a service to be launched.  Movies, TV shows, games, ebooks, etc. are just the beginning.

It is something for you?  Personally, I tend to buy games and only games that I like with replay value.  However, to entice users to sign up, BFG can offer added value for some games like new levels.  Angry Bird would be a perfect game just for something like this.

Source:  Bloomberg via Cult of Mac

Friday Movie Clip: Mission Impossible 4

No longer a Tom Cruise fan?  I don't know one way or another.  I just like a good movie with actions, explosions, and any attempt to develop a story.

MI4 seems to have all of them.

What do you think?  In the poster, TC actually looked like Lestat again with the longish hair.

Source:  Digg.

Apps for Google TV - Could Be Interesting If Done Right

Google TV now supports apps.  And they're already showing up in the Android Marketplace.  Will this be how Google moves into the living room and stay there for good?  On top of that Google TV now support Honeycomb.

However, I like to see just how Google plans on bring an Airplay-like feature to the whole experience.  With compatible smartphones and tablets, we can see a whole new experience in gaming - especially if you consider the accelerometer and the compass.

On top of that, Google is like at bring more entertainment values to the whole experience.  This is especially critical if you take into account that many mobile warriors multi-task with their tablet or smartphones while watching TV.  Google is aiming to bring an integrated experience and expand on that.

Imagine watching a show and using the tablet to get information about the actors or the story behind it.  It could open up a whole interactive experience that goes beyond what we already have with DVD and Blu-Ray.

And to make the whole experience more seamless, Google streamlined its interface and integrate search with multiple video sources to make it easier for users to find the video they want to watch.

All in all, it's a great improvement.  This is what Google TV should have been like from day one.  And I'm still curious just how apps for the TV will be different from those on other devices.  Can't wait to see.

Source: Google TV.

Siri: Week Two, Any Change In Your Mobile Routine?

It's been two weeks since the iPhone 4S went on sale.  By now, I'm guess about 6 to 8 million iPhone 4S's have been moved off the shelves and into user hands all over the world.  I reckon we'll see 10 million by the weekend as the 4S goes on sale in more than half a dozen countries.

So, I think I'm in good company when I ask you.  Has Siri changed how you do things with your mobile device?  Now, if you're new to the whole smartphone scene and the 4S is your first mobile device, I can safely say that you're blown away.

For the rest of us, Siri could be the reason why we upgraded.  And I can tell you this.  I'm blown away just by what it can do as well and it's only in beta.

What can it do?  Well, it cuts down on a whole lot of tapping away on the screen.  You speak to Siri, make a request. Task done.  Making calls, sending messages or e-mails, or schedule an alarm or appt.  But that's the easy part, isn't it.

It's the search for answers.  And if your questions are directed, you can get most answers from Siri directly.  No more opening the browser and typing in your search.  No more opening up Google app or going to search. It really bypasses the whole routine.

Maybe this is why I've been reading more than a few posts about the threat that Siri is to Google and search as we know it in general.  Imagine what happens in a few years.  Never mind that.  Just think what'll happen once Apple brings Siri to OS X on the Mac! This alone could change the whole PC dynamics even further.

As you can from above, there is still a few things that Siri cannot do by command.  I don't know if this is a beta thing or not.  I am pretty certain that most tasks like this will come to us soon.

You'll be be getting a couple more posts on what I think Siri can potentially do once its out of beta and when migrates over to the desktop.  

600 Miles Per Charge EV? Toyota Is Working A Battery To Do Just That

How would you like to be able to drive from San Francisco to San Diego on just one charge?  Boston to DC with plenty of room to space.  Or round trip from NY to DC, also with room to spare?  Los Angeles to Vegas and back, again, with room to spare?

You get the idea.  Well, Toyota is working on a battery for tomorrow’s EV that will have a range of 600 miles per charge.  Toyota is close to completing this “solid state” battery, giving consumers exactly just what they want.

More at Ugreen (Greenjava).

Today, It’s Android Versus iPhone But Could Tomorrow Be Galaxy Versus Nexus?

In most people’s mind, there is a three way battle between Apple, Google, and Microsoft. These three tech giants are fight on multiple fronts, mobile, search, and the future of computing quickly comes to mind. And it does seem like they’ll soon take their epic war into new fronts. The living room could be next. Or could it be the automotive industry?

But could another rivalry be in the making?  Once Google finishes digesting Motorola, it's conceivable that Google could favor it over its current Android partners.

Will we see a Galaxy versus Nexus war a couple of years from now?

More at Greenjava.