The announcement will come with the June 6, sold out, Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to be held in San Jose, California next week and preview the future of the Macintosh operating system and it’s mobile operating system, iOS.  Will Apple shake up the cloud computing industry, with the introduction next week of its iCloud service, like it did with the music industry with its iTunes platform?

Speculation abounds as to whether Apple’s cloud computing platform, dubbed iCloud will introduce music and video streaming for its iTunes platform and/or its platform for syncing, storing and sharing media, similar to Dropbox, Box and Mozy.

Imagine having a central place online on a remote Apple server, storing all of your digital media, music, movies, photos and e-books that you could share or stream, anytime you wanted or  anywhere you wanted from any Internet-enabled device?  Welcome to Apple’s iCloud; an extension of its ecosystem that may just very well shake up the cloud computing industry.

Cloud computing has been around for some time, but has largely been on the back burner in many consumer’s mind.  Perhaps Apple will invigorate the cloud computing industry by offering features and functionality that people want, at a price point that makes it no-brainer to have and to use.

Apple has inked deals with the Top Four Record Labels:  Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner Music Group.  Apple is in a unique position to provide DRM (digital rights management) licensed music to its subscribers, but the question in many consumers mind is at what price?

This will certainly be convenient for many who have used Amazon’s Cloud Music service for storage, streaming and sharing media and it can only get better because consumers love choice.  Choice ensures that we have a quality product and service from at least one and sometimes more than one provider.  As to which service provider, Apple’s, Amazon’s or Google’s Cloud Service will ultimately capture the largest market share is anyone’s guess, but Apple is certainly moving in the right direction by ensuring that its ecosystem provides the richest and most fertile environment for anyone who wants to enjoy the ultimate, intuitive experience in mobility and user interface.

There’s an app for that, but is there a data plan for that?  We know that consumers have choices as to the hardware they use to interact with the apps they enjoy, but the lack of more affordable data plans is certain to impede the growth of any mobile device over the short term.

Sure there are those who are immune to some extent with the current data plans provided by the wireless carriers, but the overwhelming number of people who would love to take the plunge and upgrade to a smartphone or tablet computer consistently express their displeasure with the data plans available as being too expensive when you compare the amount of data you receive.

A lot of attention has been about what specifications a smartphone or tablet has compared to this smartphone or that tablet, but the reality for most is how much will my data plan cost me?  There isn’t enough competition in the data plan offerings to satisfy the number of folks wanting a more affordable data option.

I’ll illustrate a case in point which is in no way, an isolated incident.  I have a factory unlocked iPhone that I purchased in Hong Kong when I use to live in North Point area.  I can put any SIM card in it and it works beautifully worldwide, except the United States.  When I’m in the United States, I have to be mindful of the wireless carriers trying to lock me down with a two-year contract, just to get a “decent” data plan.

Of course there are prepaid data plans for the smartphones, but none for a factory unlocked iPhone.  There isn’t anything special about a factory unlocked iPhone other than the fact that it was never locked with some wireless carrier’s subsidy lock in the first place.  So, my options for an iPhone data plan in America are a pitiful 50 MB data plan with H20 Wireless, which is an AT&T reseller, a pathetic “unlimited data plan with Simple Mobile, which actually runs on 2G (Edge), just like the T-Mobile data plan offered.

I love the iPhone, but I don’t like the expensive data plans that are offered for it.  In fact my displeasure with the limited data plans available for my iPhone has forced me to switch to an Android handset that offers unlimited data, for a fraction of the price that I was paying.  The Android device was a bit of a learning curve and one month later, just like when I started with the iPhone, is a continual learning curve, but I’m making progress.

I keep reading these tablet computer shipments will reach 44.6 million this year according to IDC research firm.  Up 2.5 times from the 2010 year.  Well, if 44.6 million table computers are going to be shipped this year, how many of them are bound for the United States?  I couldn’t find the answer for that, but I will say, I anticipate a lot of those new tablet computer owners are going to be disappointed when they find out how much it is going to cost them for the amount of data they actually need to get the most out of their devices.

Tablets are great for surfing the Internet and streaming television broadcasts, movies and music, not to mention viewing photos and sending them to friends and family, but all of those activities will put you over the limited data plans that are currently offered in America.

Data plans for mobile devices will impede their growth in general and in particular, keep more than a few people from even purchasing the devices, especially if there is a wireless carrier bundled with it.  I know that there are many people who are price sensitive to what a data plan cost, but from the many people that I have met in my travels here in America, most express concern about how expensive data is here in the United States.

The short-lived best deal out there was Clear’s iSpot for Apple devices such as the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad, but not designed to be used with the Macbooks.  As you may have guessed, there are a lot of smart people in this world and someone found a way to use Clear’s iSpot for any Apple device including laptops, so Clear abruptly pulled the iSpot and so too, went the $25 a month unlimited data plan.  One of the best deals out there in recent memory.

I travel a great deal for alternative medical care and I spend an horrendous amount of time, waiting to see the doctors or medical staff and it sure is a blessing not to have to worry about how much data I’m using.  I know the world isn’t perfect and neither is my health, but the moments of joy I get from my mobile devices, helps to compensate from all the pain associated with a fatal illness.  I can take my iPhone or iPad anywhere in the world and have a blast with it, but when I’m in the States, all of the fun that I had abroad, comes to a crashing halt, because data in American is quite expensive, but it hasn’t stopped me from hoping that I’ll be able to reach the full potential of my devices when I’m here one fine day.

Apple’s 2nd generation touch tablet, the iPad is expected to arrive before Spring 2011, to a worldwide audience of gadget lovers and serial upgraders.  The iPad 2 will help to clear the fog surrounding the myriad of touch tablet computers currently available by competitors and soon to be available by competitors.  Apple’s first-mover advantage in the tablet computer sector is recognized as the most successful tablet computer maker in the world.  A host of computer makers have tried in the past, but it was Apple that set the tablet computer market on fire and other computer manufacturers have been playing catch up ever since.  See why Apple’s lead challenges the conventions of the sector.

There is an Apple Event scheduled in San Francisco on the March 2, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.  All those concerned about the latest and the greatest, who follow what Apple does, will be watching, for no other reason that Apple has set the benchmark in which all other tablet computers will be judge by and compared to.  Here are the elements that we think will be made known from the Apple Event on March 2 out in San Francisco.

The iPad 2 will get an upgraded mobile operating system, iOS 4.3 that will have enhanced social networking features and offer a personal hotspot feature.  Apple’s iOS 5 mobile operating system, in all likelihood will be introduced with the third generation iPad with support for Apple’s Cloud Service.

The iPad 2 will be thinner, sleeker and lighter than its 1st generation predecessor and offer an expanded RAM of 512 Mb.

We anticipate that the next-generation iPad will have an upgraded and faster processor.
A dual-mode processor that uses both GSM and CDMA networks, such as AT&T and Verizon, to include a dual-core graphics processing unit for 1080 video output.

An updated display that is of a higher resolution than the 1st generation iPads, but not the Retina Display that is in the 4th generation iPod Touch or the iPhone 4.

An updated GPU (graphics processing unit) offering improved video rendering.

A embedded camera in the front and rear, so that you can use FaceTime and maybe even video conferencing.

A SD slot to expand memory storage to take further advantage of the 60,000 plus iPad apps is expected in the third generation iPad.

NFC (Near Field Communications) for mobile payments may appear with the 2nd generation iPad.

No matter what Apple presents next week at its event in San Francisco, all the speculation will have come to a rest as the tablet computer wars begin.  Each tablet computer not manufactured by Apple will have to have 4G, next-generation capability, expandable memory and/or cloud storage access, a comprehensive security interface for enterprise (business) clients, a robust mobile apps store, contract and contract-free options and a competitive price point.

For Apple to continue their influence among tablet computers, the next-generation iPad will have to have compelling features and functionalities that exceed the first generation iPad and the essence that started it all, to make the device go viral.  The second generation iPad has to go viral if it is to rule the tablet computer sector.  The second generation iPad has to be the subject of discussion among associates, friends and family.  It has to take on a life, all of its own to capture the essence that translates into record satisfaction and sales.

One of the advantages of the multi-core processors for handset and tablet computer manufacturers is of course speed, but the question that you might want to consider is at what cost to your battery life?  Users can anticipate near computer speed and rendering of videos and music.  See why the push for adopting multi-core smartphones will continue to wet the appetites of consumers for years to come.

If we are to see any kind of growth in the 3D smartphone and tablet sector, handset and tablet makers will have to help promote the creation of 3D content, so that consumers worldwide have a reason to purchase their 3D product offerings.

Nvidia Corp. has introduced the Tegra 2 dual-core processor for smartphones and tablets.  The Motorola Atrix 4G sports a Tegra 2 processor, as too, LG’s Optimus 2X.  Qualcomm has expanded its line of Snapdragon single core, dual core and is introducing a quad core processor for smartphones and tablet computers with reported speeds up to 2.5 Ghz per core.

Dual-core smartphones are becoming more commonplace with LG’s Flex, HTC Revolver, and multi-core units, such as the Droid Bionic.

Multiple core processors from Nvidia, Broadcom, Qualcomm, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instrument, Samsung and others will help fuel the growth of mobile Internet devices to the extent that a secondary market of used smartphones, tablet computers and netbooks will become available for new entrants into mobile Internet consumption.

An ecosystem of DRM (Digital Rights Management) as it relates to online content, cloud computing support and more than sufficient data caps (currently at 5 Gb) will help to foster the proliferation of multiple core processors.  Netflix, Hulu, Blockbuster Online, Red Box, Joost, OnLive, Gaikai, Stream My Game and Instant Action are just a few of the companies jockeying for relevance in the mobile arena.

Adoption of multiple core processors will largely depend on price points of the devices and whether those devices are tied to contractual data plans.  Some members of the public will welcome a subsidized device, while others will refrain from any device tied to a data contract.  There will certainly be winners and there will certainly be losers in the multiple core processor arena and content providers and consumers worldwide will ultimately decide who thrives and who perishes.

The iPhone has taken third place as the most popular smartphone platform in the United States, for the fourth quarter of 2010, according to ComScore, an Internet Tracking and Marketing Company.  Google’s Android Operating System is the second most popular smartphone platform in the United States, during the fourth quarter of last year, with Blackberry OS, the most popular smartphone platform for the fourth quarter last year.

Why is this important to understand?  It really isn’t if you’re satisfied with your smartphone and its platform and are not a “serial upgrader” or “first adopter,” when new technologies become available.  For those who like to be associated with being the first or the most popular, it, I guess does matter, if not for you, definitely for those who are concerned about their public image.

The iPhone as we know it is under attack for the premier leader of smartphones here in the United States and worldwide.  Google’s Android operating system is freely available to any handset manufacture that wants to use it and many handset makers have elected to do just that.  The number of Android activations here in the United States outpaces the number of Apple iOS activations, but that may soon change with the introduction of the iPhone on Verizon’s wireless network and this year’s release of the iPhone 5 and second generation iPad.

The iPhone has lots of competition with the host of Android devices configured to run on 4G wireless internet, dual-screen smartphones from Kyocera (Echo), dual-core processor smartphones from LG, HTC and Samsung later this year, Near Field Communication or NFC smartphones from Google, Nokia and Research In Motion (RIM).  The iPhone will be pushed to the extent of its form factor, user interface and operating excellence to meet its challengers head on.  The impact of the competition for the iPhone, is that future iPhone generations will evolve and push the envelope of technology in a way that is elegant and intuitive.  Consumers worldwide will benefit from all of this innovation, no mater what platform they choose.

In the smartphone sector it’s not about which smartphone has the most “bells and whistle” or gadgets within a gadget, but which smartphone offers the user the best overall experience while at the same time achieving and answering the very question repeatedly, that compelled the user to purchase their smartphone in the first place.  When someone asks you why you purchased the smartphone you have, you shouldn’t even have to open your mouth, just let them hold your smartphone for a few minutes and let them bond with the device that you have come to appreciate without even doubting why?

Verizon’s iPhone 4 will be available February 10th and there is strong demand for a cdma version of the iPhone.  You can get the Verizon iPhone, just the way you like it, without a contract.  Get the Verizon 16 Gb iPhone without a contract for $649.99 and the 32 Gb Verizon iPhone for $749.99.  With a Verizon contract, the 16 Gb iPhone is $199.00 and the 32 Gb Verizon iPhone for $299.00, with a 2-year contract.  See the frequently asked questions regarding this offer from Verizon.

Pre-orders for existing Verizon customers for the iPhone will begin around $200 or $300, with a 2-year contract, on February 03.  Sales to the general public starts on February 10, 2011.

Verizon iPhone data plans are $29.99 per month for unlimited data.

Remember the Verizon iPhone will feature the ability to become a portable hotspot to enable up to 5 wi-fi-enabled devices, but will lack the ability to talk and surf the Internet at the same time.  To enable your Verizon iPhone as a personal hotspot, there is an additional charge of $20.00 per month on top of your existing data plan.  Your personal hotspot data plan will have a 2 Gb cap, with additional charges if you go over this limit while using your iPhone as a personal hotspot.

To get the complete frequently asked questions regarding Verizon’s iPhone, go to Verizon Support.

Verizon will carry the iPhone beginning February 10, 2011. You can preorder the Verizon iPhone beginning February 3, 2011. Verizon and its partner, Vodafone have the iPhone. Apple’s growth of its ecosystem with the introduction of Verizon selling its iPhone, extends Apple’s mobile operating system to compete with Google’s Android mobile operating system. The question that has yet to be answered is, how many people will switch from Google’s Android smartphones to an Apple iPhone from Verizon?

Verizon has been promoting its version of 4th generation mobile internet as LTE (Long Term Evolution) and smartphones that will run faster on it. Now that Verizon has the iPhone, it is quite likely that Apple’s iPhone 5th generation will have the ability to fully exploit Verizon’s network and give it an competitive advantage over the other wireless carriers. At the present time, Verizon’s iPhone will run on its 3G wireless network.

A good bit of how well the iPhone does on Verizon’s wireless platform will be attributed to its tiered or non-tiered, voice and data plans. They may be comparable or better than AT&T’s current offerings. iPhone enthusiasts can expect essentially the same design as the current GSM iPhone, but for Verizon iPhone, the addition of CDMA and no SIM card. Cosmetically, the single black antenna strip with the GSM iPhone has been moved from the top to both sides of the Verizon iPhone.

Also, on the back cover of the Verizon iPhone is the absence of the “FCC CE !” symbol below the iPhone Model number, primarily because the Verizon iPhone is intended for the U.S. CDMA market only. When you open the Settings Button, you will note the feature for a Personal Hotspot. The Personal Hotspot feature gives you the ability to enable up to 5 wi-fi devices using your Verizon iPhone. You can elect to connect to the Internet over wi-fi, bluetooth or USB.

Verizon, if anything like its European partner, Vodafone may even offer at some time, a prepaid or pay as you go, iPhone. Of course, the Verizon iPhone buyer would pay full price for the hardware and whatever Verizon charges for its wireless services. Verizon has elected to discontinue early upgrades and discount credits. Those Verizon customers who are still under contract at the time of the February 10th iPhone launch, will have an opportunity to upgrade to the iPhone if they are half way through their contract, but subscribers will have to check with their local Verizon store for details.

The Verizon iPhone will be available at $199.00 for the 16 GB version and $299.00 for the 32 GB version, each with a 2-year contract. There is no information available at this time regarding the Verizon iPhone’s data plan. Those wishing to switch from their present wireless carrier to Verizon, may want to keep in mind that there is no simultaneous voice and data, that is you can’t talk to someone while surfing for information at the same time. This may upset bluetooth headset users.

Apple has in the past been ahead of its competitors in predicting where the smartphone market is going to be, rather than where it’s at now. Apple’s forward thinking and its willingness to invest in its future with its research and development has kept it ahead of its competitors. When Apple executes its business model, it does so with the intent of taking its devices to the next level, but not always at a price point that excites the masses and there is a reason for that; quality costs a little more and the user’s experiences that are largely positive, speaks volumes about its products.

Who shall lead and who shall follow?  This week the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) begins in Las Vegas and the theme will be all about mobile devices, most notably touch tablets, smartphones and dual-core chipsets.  Apple has set the standard for what many have come to expect from a touch tablet and a smartphone, so it will be interesting to see which of the 35 or so manufacturers have actually created something new and exciting as opposed to an Apple-like tablet computer or an Apple-like smartphone.  Will we see new leaders in the smartphones and tablet computers arena or will we see, copycats and more of the same?
Innovation should be at the core foundation of the numerous mobile devices presented this year at the CES, but we will have to wait this week and see for sure.  What one or many of the 35 or so consumer electronics manufacturers bring to the CES will determine whether or not they remain relevant or irrelevant in this highly-competitive sector.

Apple is now worth over $300 billion and if Apple continues with their innovative streak, they’re sure to have a robust 2011 as well.  Much of Apple’s success can be attributed to the sales of four key products: its Macintosh line of computers, the iPhone, iPods and iPads.

Apple this week will introduce the opening of its Mac Apps Store to support its Macintosh line of products.  The availability of iPhones for other wireless carriers will be ready by Spring to compete with the rising influence of Google’s Android devices.  A second generation iPad will be available before summer to reinforce Apple’s dominance in the touch tablet computer sector and the next-generation Apple OS, named “Lion.” will solidify Apple’s ecosystem.

Some companies will innovate by first, separating and becoming distinct companies.  Take Motorola for example.  Motorola split itself into two companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.  This will enable Motorola to compete in the smartphone sector more effectively.  Motorola Mobility produces its cell phones and set-top boxes.  Motorola Solutions concentrates on police radios, bar code scanners and government electronics.

Other companies new to the smartphone and tablet computer sector will build both smartphones and tablet computers that seamlessly communicate with each device with their newly-created ecosystem.  Vizio, who for most of us, is recognized for its televisions is entering the mobile device market with a smartphone called Via and a tablet, also called Via (Via Smartphone and Via Tablet).  Vizio names for their smartphone and tablet may change in the future.  Vizio is introducing in its Android tablets with an 8-inch screen, GPS, a micro SD slot, HDMI output with three speakers and a IR Blaster with universal remote.

It’s not enough to have a well-known and respected name in the consumer electronics industry.  What matters most to the majority of consumers are features and functionalities that makes their lives easier and more productive while on the go.  Apple has set the de facto standard, but their is plenty of room for someone to come in with an innovative smartphone or tablet that the consumers want and demand.  The challenge for many companies is to decide if there in this sector for the short term or the long term.  This mobile device market is not for the faint at heart as many companies will find out later this year.

Samsung, the world’s largest electronics company.  Samsung is the number one manufacturer of flat panel televisions, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and memory chips. Samsung is also, the world’s second largest mobile manufacturer takes aim at Apple’s iPod Touch 4th Generation, with the Android Galaxy Player.  This is a battle in which Samsung is well-prepared.  Samsung has some insights as to what the internal workings of the Apple iPod Touch is all about, since it has been producing the ARM-based processor for Apple, that is also used in its Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab.  What else do the devices have in common?The Samsung Galaxy Player is rumored to have the same functionality as Apple’s iPod Touch 4th Generation, but the question for many is whether the Galaxy Player also have that immeasurable “cool factor” associated with Apple products?  Apple’s iPod Touch is essentially like an iPhone 4 without the phone of course and a natural transition for many iPod Touch users who eventually graduate up to the iPhone.  Perhaps that’s what Samsung has in mind with its Galaxy Player.

Samsung’s Galaxy Player will have the same processor that it uses in its phone and tablet and is pattering its Android Galaxy Player after its Galaxy S mobile phones, minus the phone functionality and the Super AMOLED display.  It is an Android 2.2  (Froyo) operating system.  A front-facing VGA camera, a rear 3.2 megapixel camera and be available in 8GB, 16 GB and 32 GC versions.

In order for Samsung’s Android Galaxy Player to garnish favor and dominance in the mp3 marketplace worldwide, it will have to be more intuitive, more innovative with features and functionality than the iPod Touch 4th Generation.  The Samsung Android Galaxy Player will have to have a user-friendly interface and an overwhelmingly positive user experience.

The heart of an Apple device lies in the wonderment of its legacy devices and stability of its operating system. Many people love Apple hardware because it complements their software and vice-versa.  Problem-free software can make or break, a user’s experiences, whether positive or negative about a device.  If, the software performs flawless with its intended hardware, people will praise it, but if it doesn’t, the consumer won’t let the manufacturer off so easy.  Why isn’t Samsung using its own operating system, Bada, used in the Samsung Wave S8500 (Vodafone, UK) in the new Galaxy Player?

Another concern is the rather lack of pedigree or previous portable music players beyond its Galaxy Player 50, which may be the crux of Samsung’s effort to upseat the Apple iPod Touch in the mp3 marketplace.  Apple has an audience that is familiar with its products and loyal to its user interface, so that makes it easier for Apple to introduce products, such as its iPod Touch.

Samsung will may have to educate the public to its Galaxy Player and put in place a support network worldwide that Apple device users have come to expect.  If, Samsung is in the mp3 marketplace for the long term, it will have to mimic or exceed the expectations of mp3 users globally and at a price point that doesn’t offend prospective buyers.

Samsung will also have to populate an ecosystem of apps (think, iTunes) native to the Galaxy Player and set up a Android Galaxy Player Apps store to distribute those apps. Samsung currently uses Google’s Android Apps Marketplace, but to help reinforce its brand it will have to get developers to embrace the Galaxy Player Apps Store for continual growth and sustainment or Samsung will have a tough time in the future.

If, Samsung extends its influence to the recording and film industry for special pricing for its Android Apps Store users, then it may do very well competitively, but in order for Samsung to thrive in the mp3 marketplace, it will have to be more innovative and a “game changer.”  Unless Samsung is prepared to shake up the industry with something that the consumer feels that they must have, then they will be just another choice for an mp3 player.

Whether Samsung can take the number one position in the mp3 marketplace currently held by Apple’s iPod Touch remains to be seem.  Samsung is a behemoth of a company and a formidable competitor to Apple in this sector.  One thing is for sure and that is Apple can no longer ignore the advances of Samsung and other companies who seek to diversify its mobile device market where it leads.  Worldwide consumer acceptance and experiences with both devices will ultimately signal who the winner will be and time will be the greatest judge.

There are no pricing information or availability timelines for the Samsung Android Galaxy Player, but we do know that Samsung will showcase it at the upcoming International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas.

People either love Apple products or are challenged by Apple products and some people blame Apple products for their discontent for anything technical, be it software or hardware.  Apple seems to be everywhere and its influence will only grow as more and more people demand a better user experience.  Here’s my opinion why?

There is the commonly held belief among computer users that a computer is a computer and what’s the big deal?  Well, there really is no big deal if you’re comfortable with what you’re using and you want to extend your comfort zone and try something different and maybe even unique, like an Apple computer.

It’s not until you boot up your preferred machine that you realize that maybe, just maybe, there may be something a bit interesting about what sort of user experience you’ve got yourself into.  If, you approach your experience with an open mind, you just might be surprised and entertained.

Programs that you may be familiar with suddenly behave differently or have a different interface or name, but the outcome is pleasantly the same for the most part, save a more enriched feature or two that adds to its expanded functionality.

The joy of not having to contend with countless virus definition updates and subscription costs over the years leads to a feeling of security that a minority of computer users enjoy, even though they are associated with being the Number One computer company in the world.

Even after more than a decade I am constantly fascinated by the features my machine has that enables me to do the things I do to make an earnest living.  Like a family member when it is time to upgrade, I hold my loyal hardware close by my side, only departing with it after the prospective buyer has assured me they would care for it as well as I had.  Only after I’ve purchased a new machine or new-to-me machine does my   heart begin to fill whole again.

It feels great to be in the company of machine that does what you want to do when you want to do and it does it well.  No more upsetting technical nightmares that use to come like a thief in the night, but in the daytime, while you’re working on some serious project.   Things get done ahead of time with plenty of time to enjoy yourself with your machine and quite frankly, more time to enjoy everything else that’s important in your life.

I don’t have to tell you about the silent pleasure that comes from pulling out your machine in a crowded coffee house and watching quietly the glances of others, as if to compare what you’re going to work on with what they’re working with.  It’s a choice and some choose to have a machine that constantly needs tweaking, maintenance and virus  definition updates to keep going, but there are those who may be in the minority, but enjoy our machines the majority of the time, because we can.