The End of 2010
We are at the end of another amazing year in Technology. Apple has released the iPad and the rest of the computer manufacturers have scrambled to produce something that can compete. We have seen the iPhone 4 and have already heard rumors for the iPhone 4G (?) as well as the iPad 2; which is not a surprise since Apple has not changed their release schedule since 2007 when they released the iPhone. Those release dates make sense and I don’t see them changing.
HTC and Samsung have also produced the most compelling second tier SmartPhones. I have to admit that the I wish I had the cash to buy and test these other devices. I have seen the HTC Incredible and it is a compelling SmartPhone, I would also have liked to see the Droid X, HTC Evo, and the Galaxy S phones up close.
We have seen false starts [JooJoo - discontinued] and demo’s [PlayBook]; however, only one company has a compelling Slate [or Tablet] product. Samsung has released the Galaxy Tab, the only real contender in the Slate market. I would love to have one of these to test and use for a month or two. I really like the form and think that it could be a very useful and usable device. I also think that its 7″ and 16:9 screen size is a useful size. In other places … Archos has a few devices yet, because they do not have the same footprint or power in the US market, they have gone mostly unnoticed by the populace.
We have several other Slate devices that are rumored to be coming soon; however, all I am seeing is VaporWare.
The desktop computer market is becoming old hat. I will agree that they are needed in the business world, but I can actually see more people moving to a Slate PC for everyday usage. I know that I could go Slate for 85% to 95% of the things that I do, if I have a 3G [or4G] connection. I have to admit that with a few specialized Apps and more HTML5-based websites … I could be quite happy. I don’t have a problem syncing my Slate to a central or main PC, especially if it provides a full hard drive back up. I would love to see Wi-Fi Syncing for everything but OS updates.
I believe the Touch Interface will start to migrate into a whole lot of places and many of them will be places it doesn’t belong. A few places I would like to see a Touch Interface is on a fridge with weather and some other applications – grocery lists and meal planning options to name a two more. Another place could be bathroom mirrors with a built in floor scale and historical medical data. I would be happy to stand on a scale/device that could read Weight, BMI, Blood Pressure, among other bio-readings.
Well, 2011 dawns and 2010 has waned. What will happen this year in Technology … is anybody’s guess … unless you work for Apple!
iron wil
Dick Tracy Realized!
I came across this today on Wired; sWaP = Phone, MP3 Player, Bluetooth, Camera, Video, and more. It is a great concept and I am sure that it works. I am not sure who the mobile provider is, but I think it is a great idea.
I would like to see the Nokia Morph realized, it is a much more compelling device.
iron wil
A new Direction
This last month I have been wondering what I should be doing with my career and what direction I should take. I have been struggling with going into management or pursuing a security cert direction [CISSP]. Part of my problem is that my company is not really into paying for Boot Camps or the week long training courses with the certification test at the end.
As I have been going through this process I started listening to Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk. In this book he focuses on pursuing what you love and doing that one thing. I took the initiative and started to write down the things that I love to do. One of those things is my religion which I dedicated to … the other is my job and hobby. Computers! So, I started to write about the things that I like about computers and what drives me and what things I really like about computers.
While these things were rolling around in my head; I remembered that my boss told me he didn’t want to lose me since I am his resident Apple expert … then it hit me, Apple Certifications. The group I am working for right now will create a need for more Apple hardware and those who know how to use and monitor and SysAdmin those machines.
Thanks Gary for getting me to think about what I am doing and where I need to move my career.
iron wil
A Busy Month
This last month and change has been very busy and I have seen several interesting links and information. Nothing that has been riveting or exciting. I could just blame the commute or Angry Birds, but that has not been a deterrent before.
I did find a new place to grab some interesting NetCasts. Learn Out Loud. I have picked up several new NetCasts and have included them in my regular feed. I suggest you check it out if you have an interest in Biographies, History, Literature, Philosophy, Politics, and Technology [among several other subjects]. They report they have over 25,000 audiobooks, MP3 downloads, and videos.
iron wil
Apple told the Future in the Past!
UPDATE!!!
I was listening to a recent netcast, probably MacBreak Weekly #214 or Windows Weekly #176, and they were discussing the USB port on the back of the Apple TV. I really started to think about that port and and the iTunes software. I also felt that my iTunes Server could be met with Apple activating that port for external hard drives. This could make the Apple TV an iTunes Server IF they add the ability to manage Accounts, Purchase Content, and allow iTunes to act as the intermediary. Personal Profiles would allow one iTunes Account to manage multiple users (or device profiles) with Bonjour running Apple could enable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Syncing. This would solve the iTunes Server issue mentioned below.
I have noticed that a few videos and articles have surfaced over the last [thinking] 3 years and they are all pointing to the future of where Apple said it was going in the 80′s. The Newton was their first attempt at a mobile product that would fill the space of the ‘hand-held communicator’ or Dynabook that was talked about by Alan Kay. In my recent post, the video shared by TUAW, talks about being able to stream media on the fly. To have total access to your books, music, movies, and documents no matter where an individual is located … they only need access to the internet.
Today we have 2 ubiquitous internet devices from Apple, the iPad and iPhone. These two devices deliver the majority of the internet to you on the go. We know that we can buy, rent, listen, and watch content as long as we are connected to the internet. Yeah for 3G and GSM!!! We now know that Apple is working on “The Orchard” a large data center in North Carolina. Apple has now released the updated Apple TV that delivers all of your iTunes content to your TV plus NetFlix and hopefully much more as they continue to work on this platform. I have heard some discussion for the Apple TV where we can push Hulu, MLB, or even games to our living room or bedroom TVs via AirPlay (or Apps).
With Apple rolling Apple TV and AirPlay out to their 160 million registered iTunes customers they have an instant [upon purchase] test bed. To play with and work through all the bugs and legal issues. They have a willing audience of “Fan Boys” that have already ordered their new Apple TV‘s. They have users like me that will be purchasing one after they start shipping.
Now, what is missing? One huge thing I think is missing is an iTunes server. Yeah, I know that HP’s MediaSmart running Windows Home Server with the plug-in will act in this fashion. What I am looking for is … think a Mac Mini Server form factor that we can add external hard drives to for increased capacity! [The one extra cool feature would be that we could add more iTunes Servers and they would span the network. I am thinking of a Drobo + AirPort Wireless Network Extender + SAN.] We could stream right from that instead of from the family iMac. It would function as the iTunes back-up for the whole family, accounts for each user. This would then be coupled with “The Orchard” so that we have 3 copies of our media and we can then stream anything we own to anywhere! Now hold on and don’t forget that Apple purchased Lala.com and they had a really good balance of being able to push music that you already own for 10¢ each track and the ability to buy new music.
So, if I have a DVD or digital copy of a movie, then I have to pay the 30¢ licensing fee and Apple drops a copy in my Orchard account. Then if something happens to our Mac we have a copy of everything in the “Cloud”. The way I see this service really being delivered is via MobileMe. I am not sure if it would be 99$ still or if it would be free. I think that free would ‘force’ people to move their content there because there is no barrier to entry. I know that I would start right away. I know that it would cost me; but if I could have the guarantee … I would be compelled to do it right away. We have 2 Macs and 2 iPhones and it would be a no brainer for my wife and I to jump on that right away.
It is very clear to my mind what this will look like and how it will work. Unfortunately, I don’t actually know and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to write this.
iron wil
Project 2000 featured AirPlay!
In my regular purusal of my favorite websites, I came across a post on TUAW. Found Footage: Project 2000 from 1988 on the direction of computing.
After watching this video and seeing the September iPod announcements and the new Apple TV; it really solidifies even more the direction that I think Apple is headed. If they get there watch out, it will be amazing!! Think of ubiquitous computing to the next level. Your TV is connected to your network and you can push video or anything else to it.
I can use my iPad to push a Keynote that I am working on to the TV to check the scale and get an idea of how it will look. I will be able to put up a spreadsheet and a website I am working from and other resources. Using the Apple TV and the iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. It allows for a family or coworkers to share and collaborate in the office. It moves us closer to the Star Trek interface. Where the screen changes and we can use voice commands to navigate, work, and interact with the computers that will surround us.
What really surprised me was that the TUAW writer didn’t even get to these points. He missed the kid pushing his project to the ‘chalk board’ from his hand-held device.
The future is coming and Apple is bringing it!!!
iron wil
Leadership Now!
I came across a new website today that deals with leadership and becoming a leader.
iron wil
