April 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
« Mar   May »
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  

Month April 2012

Entries 13 Total

My Two Favorite Apps

Apr 30, ’12 9:38 PM

My favorite app: Appy Geek

In just a few shorts weeks Appy Geek an app for gatering technology news and information has catapulted itself into becoming my app of choice. It went from marginally functional to absolutely superior in one fell swoop and should loudly demonstrate to other app developers that quality and talent will win out. It has totally blown away every other tool I used to gather tech news. The interface is powerful. The feature are many. It is a bullseye winner on my old out of date HTC G1 Android Phone that I hope to use for years to come.

To see Appy Geek click here.

My second favorite App: Catch

I use Catch for my news notes and drafting my posts. I take copius notes on my HTC G1 (Android) and export them to my desktop for editing. I turned to Catch when Evernote became highly unreliable, ultimately unuseable and tech support was lacking. As a high level of note taking is essential to my work and profession I really needed a solution that delivered on its promise and potential. I can say two weeks in that Catch has indeed delivered. I just discovered the Online desktop component of Catch.

I started using MacJournal until it too upgraded itself out of correctly functioning.

What a relief to find an app that takes quality and performance seriously. Catch is a catch. Watch this company vlosely they have a clue and know what to do,

A great app from the Android sandbox at Google I/O was Catch.com. It is the SF based company that purchased AK Notepad, one of the first notepad apps available in the Android Market.

The Catch developers have introduced a feature-packed app which with cloud and local hooks allowing users to take notes, photo notes, voice recording, geo tagged notes and more, and then save them, sort them and categorize them with hash tags.  Note etrieval extremely easy

To see Catch click here.

Comments Off

Customer Coraling

Apr 28, ’12 3:43 PM

Devious Strategy

I have just become aware of a new industry strategy possibly becoming a trend. Companies often offer shareware, prototypes, trials, and freebies to get you hooked and build a critical mass of users to test, perfect or spread the word. Once the product reaches maturity they callously scream “monetize” and in turn discontinue your use or access to it until and unless you pay to move up to their latest greatess master strategy or improved product. Sometimes they even hold your previous information and data for ransome. One example I point to is Google Docs getting bundled into Google Drive. This strategy reminds me of the tactics that Microsoft became infamous for in the earlier days of computing. Some would consider this brilliant still others would see this as sneaky and devious.

I intend to monitor this to see if in fact it is a strategy becoming a trend. I have been caught in this grind four times now in the past two months and it is beginning to bother me enormously.

Comments Off

Bits and Bytes Friday 4.27.12

Apr 27, ’12 6:00 AM

I am probably not alone in getting a real certain sense that we are well on the verge of a great sea change in the world of emerging technology and communications.

Every major player is busy engaged in the tasks of reshuffling staff, redfining business models, exploring marketing strategies, honing down their roster of product offerings and reining in costs and expenses. In what seems like valiant but greedy money-grubing attempts to reach billions in potential profits, deals and valuations. I am reminded of the movie quote “You know what’s cool?” BILLIONS!!

  • Microsoft working hard to get back in the game
  • Nokia fighting a wave of bad news and setbacks
  • Yahoo atempting to turn itself around
  • HTC back to the business of innovating
  • Oracle in court v. Google and now HP
  • Apple’s mixed news and reactions on recent sales

Other Bits

  • Yahoo busy reorganizing for the future
  • Google Drive hits the scene
  • Intel steps forward with a new Lava Xolo smartphone
  • Facebook still moving on new “Buffy” phone
  • Apple Malware on the move
  • CNET’s Bonnie Cha heads over to All Things D.
  • Rupert Murdoch under scrutiny in inquiry
  • Patent ownership becomes a game of monopoly
  • Apple’s WWDC 2012 is on but SOLD OUT

MORE TO COME…

Comments Off

Avon late to Social Media party

Apr 24, ’12 8:41 AM

Sometimes when a company has pioneered a new direction in business they may be a bit tardy or slow in picking up on an even newer innovation or change in market direction. When that change could benefit or even perfect the original invention they will eventually wake up and get a clue. Such is the situation and case with the usually high-flying Avon. Avon cautiously took its time and sat on the sidelines of the recent whirlwind emergence of social media far too long, but no longer.  Now that the economy is in free fall and Avon is losing traction in door-to-door sales Avon is about to get nimble and dive into social media, especially utilizing Facebook.

This will probably be the on-going scenario with most similar specialty market leaders. They will wake up one morning and suddenly realize that the world as they knew it has changed and what will determine their future and survival will be their ability to survive and thrive in the midst of change.

Comments Off

More Samsung naming Madness

Apr 21, ’12 4:31 PM

I just caught wind of a brand spanking new Samsung phone and soon as I saw the name I threw up my hands gave gave up on hoping they would wake up. The Samsung Galaxy S III Silhouette. You’ve gotta be kidding me! Seems that Apple by casting off naming conventions they had it right to jump off and change the name game with the newest iPad.  This will soon become the butt of jokes and a source of pundit’s ridicule. Before that this situation will only get worse until HTC, Motorola and others get slapped in their pocketbook by consumers titred of trying to decipher these naming arcane conventions. Guys get a clue!

Comments Off

Bits and Bytes Friday 4.20.12

Apr 20, ’12 6:01 AM

April is flying by and news in Bits and Bytes for this past week are dominated by new and upgraded smartphones and serious litigation over Java code, patents and intellectual property that could impact Google’s Android world.

  • Oracle’s Ellison and Google’s Page take the stand in SF trial
  • Zuckerberg buys Instagram without Facebook board involvement
  • Verizon extending 4G LTE Network To 27 New Markets
  • Acer Iconia Tab A510 available now
  • Apple working hard to stem impact of Flashback malware
  • Intel redies costly ‘Cove Point’ Ultrabook-Tablet Hybrid
  • New Oakley Smart Glasses to challenge Google Play product
  • New Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera $2,995
  • Intel’s Medfield phone coming real soon!
  • Market for Wearable Devices heating up
  • Pundits declare “Physical media is dead”
  • Chris Pirillo explains Why Tech Bloggers Hate Microsoft
  • Netflix CEO’s Complaints re: Comcast draw FCC involvement
  • Apple and Samsung CEOs set to have a “sit down” over disputes
  • Intel to Report $12.9 Billion 1st-Quarter Revenue
  • Select Companies still pushing hard for 3D, now on tablets
  • FTC will Fine Google Over Safari Privacy Bypass move
  • Trapit (a news Aggregator) Hires Yahoo Editor Liz Lufkin
  • Summer 2012 Nokia Lumia 900 coming to T-Mobile
  • Groupon Acquires Ditto.me Social Recommendation/Planning App
  • Sergey Brin claims net is under attack by govt., Apple & Facebook
  • NAB 2012 in Las Vegas wrapping up
  • Comcast being taken to task for skirting net neutrality
  • Microsoft at it again!: 3 Windows 8 versions: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro’ Windows RT
  • Nokia’s debt rating downgraded again
  • ASUS fix for Transformer Prime GPS
  • Backblaze 2.0.4.488 – Online BU; $5/mo. unltd storage, 15-day trial
  • Google Chrome OS draws worthy praise
  • Smart homes take a next step
  • Intel Ivy Bridge chips
  • with quad-core due soon, power-efficient ultrabook chips later
  • Google Drive moves forward
  • Two More Mac OS Trojans Discovered
  • Public unhappy: FCC Rules Google Wi-Fi Snooping Legal
  • Samsung reveaing “Next Galaxy” May 3
  • iPhone 5 release date & features rumor abound
  • Google+ generates love/hate reactions
  • Motorola moving from TI to Qualcomm Snapdragon
  • Apple Shares on bit of a rollercoaster
  • Yahoo! turn-around plan includes dumping products (Appy Geek)
  • Apple stores revenue 16X better than average retailer (Techmeme)
  • T-Mobile Announces HTC One S: $199 w/Contract due by Apr 25
  • Most competitors attacking Apple primarily on price
  • Sergey Brin: My Apple and Facebook critique was “distorted”
  • Huawei Ascend P1 slim Android device to arrive in May
  • China parts orders hint at potential Apple iPad Mini
  • Xtex My Tablet 7 is just $150, runs Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Lava XOLO X900 Intel’s smartphone market entry by Apr 23
  • Free Snow Leopard update moves older MacOS users to iCloud
  • Nokia going through changes, sales chief resigns, $1.7bn Q1 loss
  • Samsung Galaxy S III chosen for quad-core processor
  • AMD takes one on the chin: $590 Bn loss
  • FCC derided for soft Google fine.
  • Microsoft posts 3Q revenue gains
  • Verizon boasts support for Windows phone
  • Splunk (big data analysis) IPO goes live on Nasdaq
Comments Off

Oracle v Google

Apr 18, ’12 1:18 PM

Now that Ellison and Oacle is squaring off against Page and Google it seems that we are about to witness a blood in the streets battle unlike any other in this technology-driven age. The fight seems to center around Java code used by Google in Android. Oracle has in its acquisition of SUN acquired ownership of Java and now seeks to protect it or at least reep the benefits of ownership.

The entire Android world is anticipating this will not adversely affect the Android ecosystem in any way that will slow up the momentum of said rapidly growing and evolving platform.

A few pundits saw this coming back when the deal went down especially given the nature of Oracle and their desire to capture vital shares of the market. Google recently made an offer in compromise to Oracle that was turned down leading to the current litigation that has the Corporate big-wigs taking the stand to make their case. Surely we will see code experts hoping to break down for less-adept others the ifs, whats, and hows of all this. Apple will in the meantime sit off to the side having wisely abandoned use and dependence of Java code quite a while back.

Now the s**t hits the fan we will undoutabily learn more than we ever desired to know about the working of Java in the world of mobile device.

Buckle up your seatbelts and strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride surely to become a possible best-selling movie or book in the future.

Comments Off

Bits and Bytes Friday 4.13.12

Apr 13, ’12 8:00 AM

Another Friday the 13th and for some a reason to look both ways when crossing and to buckle that seatbelt. For the less superstitious a day to play the Lotto or Trifecta at the races.

Either way there lots going on in the realms of things tech. Here is a brief compilation of the bits I find most compelling and worthy of deeper investigation and research.

  • Microsoft Office 2007 users get a 6 month support extension
  • Court narrows reach of computer fraud law [Reuters]
  • We collectively spend 35 billion hours on Internet. [Mashable]
  • Appeals court: Terms of service violations not a crime [arstechnica]
  • $$$ Monetize YouTube. Make Money with Pay-Per-View Videos
  • D-Link MovieNite 1080p streamer now $59.99
  • Wave of OS X malware hits Apple Mac OS users
  • FCC in effort to make stolen phones useless/worthless [CNET]
  • US Cell Carriers Building Database To fight Smartphone Theft
  • US stolen phone blocking system in the planning stages
  • DoJ antitrust suit against Apple, 5 publishers re: e-book prices [arstechnica]
  • Yahoo CEO spells out new corporate structure
  • Sony cutting 10,000 jobs worldwide [Appy Geek]
  • AOL $1 bn patent deal with Microsoft  [Appy Geek]
  • Amazon in-app purchasing available to Android & Kindle Fire devs
  • As anticipated, Yahoo in midst of reorganization
  • Toshiba coming out with New All In One PCs w/Ivy Bridge
  • Toshiba also Announces 3 New Excite Android Tablets
  • Toshiba Unveiling Satellite L800 and C800 Series Laptops
  • Toshiba refreshing Satellite and Qosmio laptops with Ivy Bridge
  •  [Rumor] LG D1L Android Smartphone With 4.7″ Display in May?
  • Signs indicate Tech Startup Market Hot Again!
  • $1 bn Instagram Deal = Valuation More Than New York Times
  • Apple’s Market Cap Hits $600 Billion!!!
  • Sony Projecting Even Deeper Loss
  • Pundits weigh in:  Google Tablet may Fragment Android Market
  • Iran killing standard Internet to launch “clean” alternative
  • Low cost Indian Aakash 2 tablet getting Android 4.0
  • Utah Health Dept. discovers 750,000 additional stolen records
  • D10 Speakers: Tim Cook, L. Ellison, Meeker, Myhrvold, Pixar & Visa
  • AT&T’s Lumia Launch Splash sputters but device sales REDHOT
  • Whoa: Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn from the ranks to the tank and Shares Jump?
  • Safety Concern: Fake computer chips may put lives at risk
  • 665 Million Tablets By 2016, 45% iPad Devices [Gartner]
  • Microsoft building $112 Mil Wyoming  data center [TheNextWeb]
  • Canon Cinema EOS C500/C500 PL about to become real product
  • Samsung Galaxy Player 3.6 v. iPod Touch comparisons being made
  • Intel: 75 Ultrabooks w/3rd-gen HD 2500 & 4000 GPUs [Engadget]
  • FREE: OS X Flashback removal script  from F-secure
  • Canon announces 4K video digital cinema camera [Appy Geek]
  • Samsung announces Galaxy Tab 2 7- & 10″ models [Appy Geek]
  • Samsung Galaxy Note hitting market sweetspot (Phone+tablet)
  • Samsung 3.6- and 4.2-inch Players in the pipeline
  • Facebook rolling out Groups for Schools
  • HTC Titan II getting decent reviews so far
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (USA) $400 tablet
  • Adidas deploying smart sports uniforms’ for MLS All-Star Game
  • Sony ambitious $926 million restructuring, 10,000 Layoffs
  • Intel working with 10 vendors on Windows 8 tablets
  • $150 Sony Xperia SmartWatch now shipping now
  • T-Mobile optomistic about HTC One’s potential
  • Yelp starting to fall out of favor, weak reviews
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Tablet getting strong reviews
  • Apple reputation damaged by Doj price fixing suit
  • Unauthorized Android apps see your data without permission

Thats only a portion of all the news from this past week. Be sure to tune back in on Fridays for more Bits and Briefs aggregating all the week’s news thats fit to print.

As KSAN’s Scoop Nitsker usd to say “if you don’t like the news go out and make some of your own!”

Comments Off

Content is King?

Apr 7, ’12 12:48 PM

Every few months for the past decade some major source loudly shouts that “Content is King!” and then all the attention gets shifted over to slick devices and snappy applications. Recently Social Media has grabbed the spotlight and headlines, all leaving content as the spice and seasoning that decorate other things.

On one hand developers look to make theirs on apps and solutions, creative users place their hopes and prayers on creating and monetizing compelling content. Of course big buck manufacturers bank on building the devices that aggregate and leverage it all.

 


Comments Off

Application Evolution

Apr 7, ’12 12:06 PM
From the beginning of our long convoluted tech journey we have used applications and suites that offered the promise of solving our most perplexing problems and filling our basic daily needs. Although they were buggy or incomplete ar first they promised to improve over time with use, feedback, support and continued development. This while and as technology itself continued to expand and evolve.
Somewhere along the line probably about the time of the emergence of mobility and apps all of that changed.
Companies set out to reduce their work down to bite-sized solutions that cater to emerging  trends and usually inadequately solve our problems or address our needs sometimes they do not do this at all, they aren’t about that.
Because of the low cost of these apps there usually is limited or no support nor reliable upgrade path. This happens to be the mobile world we now inhabit.
Comments Off

Bits & Bytes Friday 4.6.12

Apr 6, ’12 7:30 AM

Now that you’ve survived the tricks and treats of April 1 it this is a good time to get back to the ever-changing truth of things in technology. Bits and Bytes this week do not fall into any particular theme but are scattered widely across the whole tech ecosystem. If any rise heads above the muck and mire it surely must be the mounting persistence and prevalence of patent suits and an increase in competitive attacks disguised as unsubstantiated rumors.

Let’s get down to it:

Bits & Bytes Friday 4.6.12

  • Flashback OSX trojan concerns the Mac world
  • Google innovates Eyewear with Project Glass
  • Auto Innovator Ferdinand Porsche passes
  • Comscore: Android has 50% of US market
  • Philadelphia schools may get $35 Indian “Aakash” tablet
  • Is Apple really at war with Android? Maybe
  • Yahoo Lays Off 2,000 Employees — 14 % of Workforce
  • HP Lab’s leader Prith Banerjee leaving
  • Rumor:  iPhone 5 going into production?
  • Is RIM to ceding consumer markets? Maybe, maybe not!
  • RIM launching BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (for businesses)
  • Point of Discussion: Can RIM Make a Comeback?
  • Massive VISA, MasterCard Breach reported
  • Facebook goes after Google with new search functions
  • Nokia Lumia 900 launching TODAY in NYC
  • Barnes and Noble NOOK Audio coming soon
  • MetroPCS’s New  $70 LTE Plan (Throttling-Free)
  • Facebook Striking Back at Yahoo With Patent Claims
  • Google v. Oracle Patent Case going to Trial
  • New HTC One X starting to gain traction
  • iPad tops Consumer Report”s tablet list
  • ESER presents $50 Android tablet
  • HP’s Envy Spectre 14 Ultrabook is cool
  • iPhone Outsells All Smartphones at Sprint & AT&T
  • Dell buys Wyse Technology to get Cloud Patents
  • Apple, DoJ May Settle re: Ebook Pricing
  • Hyundai A7 Android 4.0 ICS tablet $110
  • LivingSocial kills Instant deals
  • Rumor: Siri to MacBook Pro by summer 2012
  • iPhone market is red hot in Japan
  • New HTC One S possibly to T-Mobile by 4.22
Comments Off

Lack of Diversity in Tech Industries

Apr 5, ’12 3:19 PM

Frequently I travel from San Francisco to Silicon Valley and I have noticed a drastic and obvious decline in cultural diversity in the workplace of companies that fuel the engine and build the future. Ths seems to be true across most sectors of technology from development to manufacturing and marketing to Social Media. There are particular cultures that did show up in sizable numbers but there are definately others that are sorely absent. You can plainly see evidence of this in overall level of cultural participation or lack of it in technology-focused tradeshows and industry events.

This is quite puzzeling considering all markets are spending big bucks purchasing the latest smart devices and advanced entertainment systems.

If companies are given to wonder where new customers and markets can come from they really need look no further than into the next neighborhood.

Smart companies can easily foster accelerated growth by sponsoring learning labs and training centers to spur skills acquisition and career development in excluded and marginalized communities completing the work of previous efforts to bridge the Digital Divide rather than exttending or reinforcing it.

Comments (1)

Is there new life for RIM after all?

Apr 1, ’12 6:28 PM

Houdini and David Blane should take note if RIM is able to shake off the shackles of failure and missed opportunities. For a company that in essense fumbled the future and almost an enterprise market that others still have not been able to claim RIM still has a shot. But they absolutely cannot afford to fail even in the least little bit.

To get back in the game RIM is going to have to do the near impossible:

  • Come up with much improved devices
  • Capture a critical mass of developers and app builders
  • Develop an OS platform superior to iOS, Android etc.
  • Find deep pocket investors and partners willing to go all in
  • Develop marketing campaigns that win users over
  • Convince analysts that there is still life left in RIM
  • Design devices that excel beyond all others

True, these are significantly huge challenges that seem insurmountable at first and second glance.

My good friend Ron Jones used to say “nobody has a monopoly on brains”.

Yes, RIM can still pull themselves out of the hole they have dug for themselves with healthy doses of genius, innovation and brains. It will be very interesting and instructive to see just how they will attempt to do it, if they still can. RIM the ball is in your court. Time for a 30 footer at the buzzer.

Comments Off
Performance Optimization WordPress Plugins by W3 EDGE