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Month July 2011

Mid-Year Observations

So here we are into August 2011 and 8 months deep into what just yesterday was a new year. Now we are well on our way to another holiday season and anticipated industry events like CES and MacWorld 2012 still ahead of us. What is clear at this point is that things have dramatically changed over the past year.

Social Media has dominated the headlines and even movie screens. Tablets and Smartphones capture most of the press attention and sales. Acquisitions and mergers seem to be on the rise in what is a consolidation frenzy. Broadband providers are preparing to squeeze every dollar out of users and are throttling down heavy users unwellng to pay more for data.

Apple has become the heavyweight in technology and innovation. Agile companies like HTC riding Apple’s coattails are reaping big profits but it looks like there will be a storm of litigation headed to the courts soon.

Many previously successful big-time companies has seen drastic reversals of fortune and must reposition themselves and get innovative if they really plan to endure and thrive into the future. This will mean mastering trends, new product spaces and changes in user interests and choices.

All-in-one iMac Computers

Draft: This past week Apple reaffirmed their strong commitment to offering perhaps the best all-in-one computer available in the marketplace. A whole lineup of new powerful iMacs joined the long-popular iMac lineup bringing significant and welcomed power enhancements that should bode well for anyone considering setting up a new computer lab with multiple units.

The new iMacs are all Quadcore (i5, i7) processors and each sports an AND Radeon Graphics Processor. New Thunderbolt technology will permit use of external drives and Thunderbolt-ready displays. Apple’s FaceTime supports HD Video callsmyWPEdit Image

World of Retail Sales 2011 and beyond

If there is a single Important factor that   has changed from off-line sales to online it’s in the world of retail sales. There  once was a time when  most  computer consumers were  virtually dependent on  taking long drives to walk into  big box retail stores  in order to purchase  most of their computers, software  and accessories. Thanks to  the innovations and foresight of companies such as Amazon.com over time that has changed  dramatically.  in the mad rush to online sales the whole computer buying public to a  very large extent now shops online for most of their  basic and advanced needs. Companies that were entrenched in retail sales searches egghead, CompUSA, OfficeMax, Best Buy, Fry’s, Circuit City and various others have seen their market slip away to morph into a new industry that is difficult to measure or anticipate demand.

Innovative companies such as Apple Computer saw this as an opportunity and opened up their own stores. Even Microsoft in 2011 is venturing into the world of company-owned stores.

Companies such as RadioShack and Walmart and also saw this as an opportunity and got busy incorporating computer sales into their mix of offerings.

So here in 2011 is anyone’s guess as to where this issue to resolve. Online sales are growing stronger all the time. Off-line sales are holding steady. Direct sales are going through fits and starts.

Super Editor: BBEdit

If you are a serious Mac user and have done any level of coding or web development you have probably used, are addicted to, considered using or at the very least have looked at using BBEdit. by Bare Bones Software.

This powerrful and versatile editor’s tool has been a rock solid staple in many code developer’s arsenal for many years and unlike other more lightweight or limited options has managed to maintain and improve steadily over the years and through web innovation anf huge web development changes.

In all the hustle and bustle of movement towards bite-sized apps and specific tools BBEdit has received very little attention and actually seems to be a best-kept insider secret among knowledgable Mac users.

If you have done your research and homework and are considering doing any level of advanced web coding you really owe it to yourself to take a good hard long look at BBEdit. (A hint: For once. read the manual!)

Your Own Talk Show: Talk Shoe

Talk Shoe

There are a great many worthy online services that are far too underutilized by the millions of available online users. Many of these for a variety of reasons disappear and die off before their time. One of better of these carries the witty name of TalkShoe.

TalkShoe fits loosely under the genre of “podcasting” and is really more like Skype for podcasters, being about community calling that enables listeners to join in, or create, and listen to Live Interactive Discussions,

Conversations and Podcasts and Audioblogs

If you’ve ever had a desire to host your own talk show then Talk Shoe is the exact right combination of tools supporting your new ambition.

Hosted Community Calls can be discussions, conversations, talk shows and podcasts. Recorded Community Calls can be listened to, downloaded, or subscribed to. And if your Community Call becomes popular, you might be able to make a little money too with the TalkShoe Cash program.

Talkers & Listeners

Friends and associates, as well as the general Internet surfer can find and join a Live Community Call. Connect with people of common interests, and make new friends. You can choose to talk, text-chat, or just listen along.

Bloggers & Podcasters

Connect with your podcasting and blogging audience. Create, schedule and run a live show. You can do it live with others, or upload existing podcast episodes.

When you’re finished recording, your show is listed on TalkShoe, and can be listed on your blog, iTunes, and other podcast directories.

To start a Community Call

Sign-Up then click the Create button. There, you’ll describe your Community Call, schedule it, and invite anyone you want. You can schedule it in the future, or even right now! When your Community Call goes live (or up to 15 minutes before) you join as the host, and record when you’re ready. What makes a good Community Call? Really anything that interests you and you’re passionate about. You can also upload existing podcast episodes. And you can also download and edit your recorded Community Calls. If you need some assistance, we recommend you watch our video demos

Or just participate or listen in

First, find a live or recorded Community Call viewing our Community Call Directory, where you’ll find all sorts of Community Calls that may interest you. If you want to join a Live Community Call, you can just listen in, or we recommend downloading our TalkShoe Live! Pro software to begin talking and chatting live. And if you don’t find a Community Call you like, why not create your own!

To get started read their HELP link and If you are still unsure of your skills they have free training for prospective hosts: Tuesday June 7th (7pm EST /4pm PST); + other dates/times -

TalkShoe Live! Pro 

The Pro version software provides many unique features and widgets allowing you to easily integrate into your blog, website, Facebook, MySpace page, and more. There’s a single player that lists all of your recorded, upcoming and live shows!

Earn some money

Well, you can build a listening audience and earn some revenue through their TalkShoe Cash program.

Indispensable Resource: Tech Crunch

Crunchbase

Tech Crunch has massively elevated itself in my opinion to become one of my favorite research tools. I used to rely on Hoovers to locate corporate information. Recently I stumbled onto Tech Crunch’s CrunchBase and am hooked. CrunchBase is a free database of technology companies, people, and investors that anyone can edit. I am absolutely shocked and surprised that not one person or website informed me know just how great a resource CrunchBase is.  Heads up! If you are looking for leads, contacts in your local area or companies to work for or with CrunchBase is the right tool for you.

You can learn and personally edit everything about companies or individuals.

FEATURES:

  • Location Search: Search companies in CrunchBase by location. Browse Startup Offices
  • Embed Widget: Display information from CrunchBase on your website and we’ll link back to you! Learn more
  • BloggerBoard: See the top blogs and which companies they write about. Go to BloggerBoard

 

Back from short vacation!

It was unannounced and unexpected but I needed some time away from working on my site to wonk on my recovery from stress-related stroke. I hope to be back in the flow of info research and news posting ASAP. However, I did attend a conference or two and have compiled a whole pile of stories to research and write up.

There have been a few things that have occurred in the industry in my absence.

  • Apple rolled out OS X Lion exclusively online
  • Google+ is gaining momentum

Stay tuned!

OS X Lion exclusively in App Store ($29.99)

OS X Lion

OS X Lion

Apple is billing OS X LION as “the most advanced desktop operating systemMac OS X Lion is now available in the Mac App Store. Snow Leopard users can upgrade to the newest cat-named release for $29.99.

Apple has also decided to officially drop the Mac OS X Lion name and just call it OS X Lion.

OS X Lion delivers more than 250 new features and according to some has taken the best parts from iOS and married them it to the best of OS X.

Before you eagerly dive right in, go through the installation process and review tips and available guides to preparing your Mac for Lion.

Apple also states that it is “built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation, OS X is engineered to take full advantage of the technologies in every new Mac. And to deliver the most intuitive and integrated computer experience.”

FEATURES:

View Mission Control

Swipe up on the trackpad to get a bird’s-eye view of everything running on your Mac.

Switch between open apps

Swipe three fingers to move from one full-screen app to another.

Two-finger scroll

Slide two fingers up or down the trackpad to scroll through documents, websites, and more.

Tap to zoom

Double-tap the trackpad with two fingers to magnify a web page or PDF.

Pinch to zoom

Zoom in and out of photos and web pages by moving your thumb and finger in a pinch gesture.

Swipe to navigate

Flip through web pages, documents, and more like thumbing pages in a book.

Built-in Apps

OS X comes in a single version that includes a collection of Apple-designed applications. Not only do they let you surf the web, make video calls and have text chats, manage your contacts, and accomplish other day-to-day tasks, they also work together to make you more productive — and let you have more fun.

Finder Enhancements

The Finder gives you easy access to all the files on your system. It lets you find, organize, and access practically everything on your Mac — including applications, files, folders, discs, and shared computers on your network. You can sort files by kind, application, date modified, date added, or size. But with so many files on your computer, finding a specific one can be a challenge. Not on a Mac. Features like Spotlight and Quick Look make locating the file you’re looking for effortless — even if you don’t know the filename. Say you’re searching for a document, and the only thing you recall about it is the phrase “surrealist painters.” Open Spotlight, start typing “surrealist painters,” and your Mac generates a list of files that contain those words. And with Quick Look, you don’t need to open an application to verify that you’ve found the right file — view a full-screen preview by hitting the space bar. Want to share a file with someone nearby? Just drag and drop to send it to the person wirelessly with AirDrop.

Auto Saving

Say goodbye to the worry and the hassle of manually saving your work. Auto Save automatically saves your work, while you work, without you having to do a thing. Versions creates a new version of a document each time you open it and every hour while you’re working. It saves only the differences between successive versions, so the impact on your disk drive is minimal. Just open Versions to see the current document next to a cascade of previous versions. You can copy and paste between versions or revert to an earlier version. And when you share a document, you share only the most recent copy.

Full-screen Apps

full-screen apps that use every inch of your Mac display. You can have multiple full-screen apps open at once — along with multiple apps in windows. And it’s easy to switch between full-screen and desktop views. Mission Control gives you a bird’s-eye view of all your windows and full-screen apps, and allows you to instantly navigate among them.

The upgrade is not without its issues. Mine have been reapeated freezes that caused me to have to cold restart my computer. I think these are related to Autosaves but I am not sure. As more users chime in I am learning of additional issues.

Please do your homework prior to upgrading or be prepared for a few “surprizes” and interuptions to your productivity.

Warning: If you still have some Power PC Applications installed that you use, you will not be able to continue to use them once you upgrade to OS X Lion.

 

SUPER COOL: Google Product Search

Google Product Search Beta

If you are a consumer contemplating a significant purchase anytime soon there is a site you must visit. It is Google Product Search.  It is coming through Beta and has benefitted from Google’s failed experiment with Froogle and the result is a service that can prove essential for the enlightened diligent shopper. The site can also be a boon to sellers in ways that no online mall can match. Their policy of no fees or ccommissions permits every manufacturer to list their products free. The lantern result should be the ultimate buyer’s resource.

There are times when the big player cannot even understand or play a game they helped invent. create. or propel into success. Such is the cast of Google in the world of Product Search.  After several attempts at  price comparison services namely Google Products and Froogle, is a price comparison service by Google Inc. They are in beta test stage.

Google Product Search is different from most other price comparison services in that it neither charges any fees for listings, nor accepts payment for products to show up first. Also, it makes no commission on sales. Any company can submit individual product information

 

Apple Stores Lookout: Here comes Microsoft!

microsoft-retail-store

microsoft store

Is there anything that Apple is doing that isn’t being copied? No, not even their stores.

A long time back high-flying Microsoft made a major decision not to do the brick-and-mortar retail store thing. Now nearly a decade later they are making a u-turn on that decision by planning to go street side deploying 75 new retail stores across the U.S. over the next 3 years.

In an announcement made at Microsoft’s 2011 Worldwide Partner Conference recently in L.A.. Microsoft explained that having stores provides the company with an insight in their consumers needs and requirements. The 75 new retail stores join Microsoft’s existing chain of 11 retail stores which have been built over the last two years.

Even with 75 stores appearing over the next 3 years Microsoft still has a long way to go to match Apple’s 320 International stores which have helped Apple grow their retail success, to $3.2 billion in retail sales in just the first quarter of 2011.

Microsoft used to rely on Retail chains, most now extinct to push P.C. wares. Apple, once left out, leapfrogged over all that at the right time, and in the right way and found enormous success on their own.

Time will tell how successful this move will be, but at first glance it seems a very good thing for consumers and a real “wake up call” for the few remaining computer retail chains that have failed to deliver the goods and capture the trust and loyalty of consumers or new markets.

Apple’s patent blow to HTC, Android in trouble?

Apple Lawyers must be doing handstands and cartwheels in the hallways of Cupertino’s 1 Infinite Loop and HTC and Google counterparts may be scrambling for ledges to leap from.

In what is a “Digital Nuclear bomb” Apple has delivered a massive patent blow to HTC and Android forces may also be in deep doo doo.

Late Friday July 15th an ITC judge ruled that smartphone maker HTC has infringed two Apple patents, and it seems likely that every single Android device out there infringes the same patents.

This is a very significant development since these two patents are also in dispute between Apple and Motorola and Apple and Nokia. This decision is also landmark in that it is the first legal judgement that finds Android in infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.

How serious is this ruling for HTC? 10 on a scale of 10. The worst-case scenario is that the ITC imposes an US import ban against all of HTC’s Android products. That’s just how serious can be is for HTC.

Due to recent altercations and accusations Apple is unlikely to grant HTC a license for these or other patents and will be likely to make damages claims that could break if not bend the back of HTC if they are unsuccessful in turning the tide or cresting the wave.

Even worse. This has severe implications for all Android products on the market, irrespective of the maker.

It’s hard to see how any Android device could not infringe them, or how companies could work around them. All Android devices infringe the same patents that HTC has been found infringe.

HTC claims that is has found ‘alternate solutions‘ to these patents, but observers aren’t optomistic that they can pull it all together in time to matter or that the patents can be successfully worked around.

Android is at the center of 49 federal and ITC infringement suits. So this is really serious!

The decision is not yet final, but if affirmed, HTC faces an import ban against its products in the U.S. market before the end of the year. Patents are also asserted against Motorola and it’s very likely that all Android devices infringe them.

HTC has vowed to fight on.

Note that the language of those claim charts often appears to indicate that the asserted infringement is proven for only one device. The ruling will ultimately affect all products that have the same (or materially the same) infringement pattern.

July iPhone 5 Rumor Mill

Here we are in July, and contrary to rumors there is no new iPhone, and no clear verifiable hint of when it might arrive.

Last year by this time Apple had already begun shipping the iPhone 4 and every single previous model had been announced in June, except for the very first iPhone unveiled in January 2007.

So, now that June has come and gone and WWDC is over, whats up? SITUATION: iPhone is the Apple’s biggest money maker, even above the iPad.

My take is that Apple may be preparing to release a new iPhone. Most rumors, however, point to a September event.

With competition ramoing up and getting more traction, how different should or would a new iPhone be?

New iPhones may just be mild upgrades to the iPhone 4, with cosmetic changes or it could be a major rebuild in order to out distance mounting competition. Many expect that the new version will be both thinner and lighter than its predecessor and more like the iPod Touch.  It could include an edge-to-edge screen. Internally we may even see a switch from Infineon chips to Qualcomm. A camera upgrade seems very likely. LTE and NFC are often discussed but , but no hints indicate those as possibilties.

PROBLEM: Competing against the iPad

Tablet

The marketplace is not exactly beating down the doors to get to Android tablets or HP’s TouchPad, and sales are at best lackluster for most other available tablet offerings, mainly of the Android variety.

All of this certainly must be very welcome news to the market leader, Apple, and must cause deep fear and trembling among numerous other would-be tablet competitors.

They are all scratching their worried little heads wondering what’s happening and why this is a nut too hard to crank or why this situation is so hard to analyze.

They really need to understand the reasons things are not going as well or easy as planned.

QUESTIONS they are asking:

  • Is Apple so far ahead they are unassailable?
  • Is the tablet market soft or fleeting?
  • Could this simply be marketing or promotion issues?
  • Are current price points too high?
  • Are tablet features to thin
  • Are available apps too few?

The early reviews of most tablets have been decent for the most part, but definitely not raving nor outright disappointing either. Point-by-point product comparisons do not really tell much of a cogent story to anyone making serious purchase decisions.

Tablet device after tablet device has failed to live anywhere near up to potential or hype. There are numerous issues with most of these devices, including poor battery life, buggy software, poor selections of apps,  or problems with weight,  size, thickness, pricing, ease of use, OS, UI, device specs, or capacity.

Major players cannot afford to loose in this game and risk becoming also-rans in the emerging mobile space race. If their leading tablets don’t succeed and only sell in limited frustrating quanities they may be looking at the end of their run.

So, here are a few things competitors might consider:

  1. Cut their losses and get out of the tablet market.
  2. Cut prices and offer significant discount options
  3. Increase features, and apps
  4. Come up with a device thats that’s as good or better than the iPad.
  5. Go all out to attract developers and talent.
  6. Partner with other major players.
  7. Focus on specific sizeable market segments (enterprise, education, healthcare)
  8. Increase hardware power and capacity.
The struggle for tablet dominance is not a done deal. The doors to tremendous opportunity are still wide open. The true test and gauge of efforts will come over the holidays and into the coming new year.
It will be very interesting to see who is still in the game, and exactly what they will come up with or do to succeed.
I believe in competition and wish them all well.

Lifehacker.com’s new Look and Feel

Lifehacker

Let me start by saying that I have been a fan of Lifehacker for a long time. I subscribe to, depend on and thoroughly enjoy their excellent RSS feed. Now their website has come up to snuff.

Lifehacker.com has a great new look and User Interface (UI). This website rebuild now allows for much better and effective tunneling into Lifehacker’s posted articles and information.

If you prefer the older blog presentation you can revert to it.

You can also select posts by popularity, timeliness, or see a list of top stories , if none of those get it you can use the search field to hunt for specifics.

I really do like it, maybe not quite as much as I love the GDGT rebuild but definitely much more than many others that I have been subjected to in recent years.

Lifehacker.com

The Old “Bait and switch”

Bait_&_Switch

I just ran into an example that spells out the perils of not reading down to the last line or the fine print these days.

The first line says “Try 1 month FREE! Then, only $3.99 per month”.

The last line says:”Starts at $29.96 after FREE trial”.

RED FLAG! Once you’ve bitten into the apple and enter your credit card info you have unwittingly contracted for a hard to cancel monthly recurring charge of 29/mo. until (and if) you can turn off the spigot.

The saddest thing about this is that this was a big time, well known usually trusted company (company name redacted) pulling this loathsome despicable trick. Desperation or corporate profit pressures must be able to drive some businesses to extremely questionable measures.

Independence Day: July 4, 2011

July 4th, 2011

Happy POST Independence Day!

Thanks to all the elements and influencers that estabished the Freedom and Liberty we enjoy and that worked so hard to free society from the shackles of monarcy and slavery that stood in the way of the rights of the people, whether  they lived up to their lofty words or not (Washington & Jefferson).

We have emerged from several millennia of centuries of struggle and centuries as a nation to stand hopefully united to build a brighter future. Still at times we are divided certainly, but with a strong promise remaining that has often been difficult for us to maintain, protect or defend.

Many thanks also to God-inspired folks like Lincoln that trusted the “better angels of our nature”, to carry us through to new times and opportunities. Yes, we do still face challenges, and continue get it wrong, but we can still succeed in overcoming these obstacles without turning to hopeless hatred and senseless violence.

Happy Independence Day!

People Trapping: Social Media Gone Wrong

trap

Before the turn of the 19th century, In the final years of the 1900′s Wild West plainsmen trapped bears, beavers and other animals in a lifestyle that hurried the near extinction of many once plentiful species that once roamed the hills, valleys and rivers of these rich and ancient lands.

Today, in what is essentially a “Digitally-assisted “Wild West”, Social Media and Web 2.0 has turned all of us collectively and indivually Into commodities to be bought, sold and bartered like chips at a casino. Unique individuals as Internet users are for sale by marketers, conmen scammers and whoever else for reasons and motives we do not know nor are able to perceive or anticipate.

The really sad thing is that in most cases we have opted in not knowing or expecting the repercussions. In exchange for this or that free bit of info Are we cede pieces of personal information to services such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Those bits of information are fueling marketers that in most cases don’t have our best interests at heart.  Again sadly, once the horses are out of the stable. That’s it! Nothing you can do can erase the a mistake of poor judgement. The honey pot that draws us in can be free stuff, information, supposed opportunities, or friends and followers. It is all just bait to lure in and “trap” unsuspecting victims.

We are all now reduced to the status of commodities!

The Rise and Fall of MySpace

Myspace

The rise and fall of MySpace is one of the most spectacular episodes in the technology era.

There are of course lessons to be learned, reputations to be damaged and certainly stacks of money to be lost.

There will also be possible opportunities to be foraged from the smoldering mess, and trends to be studied and understood.

Companies like FaceBook and Twitter are doing everything they can to analyze exactly what happened to MySpace in order to avoid winding up in a similar situation.

Investors are probably going to be just a little more cautious before they buy into the hype of social media and pursue pricey acquisitions without thorough, stringent and exhaustive due diligence.

Music used to be MySpace’s area of dominance. They hosted millions of artist and band pages. At one point they had over 35 million visitors per month. Some pages allowed streaming music, with full artist control over their sites.

MySpace even held the promise of completely redefining music and culture across many diverse communities and markets. Then at its high point Newscorp Billionaire Rupert Murdoch stepped in with deep pockets and swooped up Myspace, then in ways we are only now beginning to understand, it all came apart and they ran it in the ground.

How do you explain such a spectacular flame out? You can’t explain it. Except to say that It was probably bound to happen. MySpace came on early on in a formative new trend before it became fully formed. So fast forward to 2011. Here we are deep into Social Media and it is still forming. For instance, Cloud Computing and tablets are poised to change just about everything. Investors in software and hardware companies are furiously scrambling to redefine and reposition themselves in order to avoid getting creamed by the impending changes.

GoDaddy Sold for $2.25 Billion

GoDaddy

There are very few things in Tech that surprise me but this one did.

GoDaddy Sold for $2.25 Billion
Many may have expected it or even predicted it, but I didn’t see it coming nor had I evenheard a hint of it, but now we all know. GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain registrar, known for hot women in their ads, has been sold to three powerful private equity firms namely, KKR & Co., Silver Lake Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures, for an amount said to be as much as a massive $2.25 Billion dollars. The 3 firms have agreed to take on GoDaddy’s significant debt. But of note, GoDaddy is a good earner and over the past three years GoDaddy has experienced serious growth with sales steadily increasing. Founder and longtime spokesman and company icon, CEO Bob Parsons is positively predicting further growth of the company under the new ownership. It is expected that they will use the new finances to expand internationally and to recruit and secure new talent.

It will be very interesting to see how the other domain registars and Hosting companies like 1&1, and Squarespace react to this news.

Tablets Compared: NY Times


I just found an interesting N.Y. Times article comparing tablets.

If you are in the market for a new tablet you just might want to check out the article first, and if you can sort out all the specs it might help you make an informed decision or at least keep you from making a costly mistake. If you are anything like me after gathering all the relevant information you just might throw up your hands and go for the leader of the pack. In this case that would be Apple’s iPad, of course. A few of the tablet market competitors are quite compelling but in the area of Apps Apple reins supreme and has them all beat, hands down.

In my case the rumor of a possible new iPad 3 expected sometime around September may cause me to hesitate, but if it has the potential of losing me money and business I’ll bite the bullet sooner.

 

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