Decoding Share Prices: Amazon, Apple and Facebook

Mon, 28 May 2012 22:37:45 GMT

Jean-Louis Gassée (venture capital guy and former senior Apple executive) has an interesting piece on Amazon, Apple and Facebook share prices, P/E ratios and other factors affecting these businesses.

Read his illuminating article here.

Microsoft to simplify Azure product names

Wed, 09 May 2012 06:20:59 GMT

Microsoft has announced new, simpler titles for it's cloud service offerings. It may also signal a removal of the Azure branding altogether.

Old name = New name

Windows Azure Compute = Cloud Services

Windows Azure Platform - All Services = All Services

Windows Azure CDN = CDN

Windows Azure Storage = Storage

Windows Azure Traffic Manager = Traffic Manager

Windows Azure Virtual Network = Virtual Network

AppFabric Cache = Cache

AppFabric Service Bus = Service Bus

AppFabric Access Control = Access Control

SQL Azure = SQL Database

SQL Azure Reporting Service = SQL Reporting

Paul Thurrott has some additional thoughts here.

Introducing Google Docs, I mean Drive

Tue, 01 May 2012 06:05:57 GMT

Yes Google Docs is getting a name change. It's now (or soon will be if you haven't opted in as yet) called Google Drive.

Plenty of articles are saying that Google is now offering cloud based storage, but it had been for a couple of years. See this blog post from Jan 2010 which noted you could now upload any file type.

So what's new with Google Drive? Two main things really: synchronising files with your PC or device (think Dropbox), and third party app integration with the Docs/Drive UI. They're unrelated features, so if synchronising files locally doesn't do it for you then don't be put off, in my opinion the exciting news is the third party app integration.

Google has a few third party integrated apps right now to play with, for example Lucidchart (think Microsoft Visio). Previously you would be writing your proposals in Google Docs, and then open Lucidchart in a new window to work on your flowcharts: open a new window, browse to Lucidchart, log in, choose your chart, and start working on it.

The experience was separate and disjointed. But now you can see your Lucidchart's in your Google Drive folders right beside your documents and spreadsheets. Click a document and it opens in Google Drive. Click a chart and it opens in Lucidchart. You have the same experience when creating a new doc or chart, just choose it from the Create menu in Google Docs. No separate website to visit.

Hmmm, so if I do my email and calendar in the browser, my documents and spreadsheets in the browser, and every other app I use is available in the browser, then what's all this operating system stuff for? Chuck me that device thingy with the browser on it and I'll use that.

Here's the official Google blog post introducing Google Drive to find out more.

Flashback: The iPhone unveiling

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:49:47 GMT

Time for some nostalgia! It's hard to believe that the original iPhone was unveiled over 5 years ago. Even harder to believe that Microsoft really only now has a credible alternative to the iPhone with the Nokia Lumia 710 and 900. Now multi-touch and hi-resolution touch based devices are the norm.

You can watch Steve Jobs at his best unveiling the iPhone to an eager audience in San Francisco on January 9, 2007. A YouTube video of the event is available in two parts: part 1 and part 2.

The original iPhone shipped on June 29, 2007.

Apple's share price was $89 on the day of the iPhone announcement. It was over $97 by the close of the next day. Now, in April 2012 it is $636!

The next driving hazard?

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:34:25 GMT

When I first heard about Google working on glasses with an integrated video screen, I thought it might be a case of Google copying Apple's false project concept. But sure enough, it seems we're getting one step closer to being constantly online.

Read more here (or just watch the cool video).

Why the new iPad isn't a disappointment

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:54:24 GMT

We have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with new the 3rd generation iPad. Once you get a load of that Retina display, it’s hard to go back to anything else. The retina display is simply stunning, the iPad really is all about the display and if you improve the display you improve the whole experience. Text and images are rendered to perfection and look fabulous. We can't imagine how the display could be improved, it's so good that books and magazines now look superior to their printed counterparts!

Anandtech have an extremely in-depth review of the 3rd generation iPad here.

The bar has well and truly been raised and we hope to see retina or High DPI displays for desktop and notebook computers later this year. We can't wait.

Do I leave now or go for a beer?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:01:18 GMT

Google Maps now includes NZ traffic information. See if you're in for a slow drive home at maps.google.co.nz before you go, or on your device for an alternate route home.

The Cloud just got cheaper

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:12:38 GMT

On 14 Feb Microsoft reduced the price for SQL Azure. Now (8 March) they have reduced the price for Azure Storage and Compute. This is great for customers, and I'm sure it won't be the end of the price cuts. Prepare yourself folks, we're in a Cloud War. Read more.

Cracks appear in Windows corporate dominance

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:15:33 GMT

Apple sold $US12 billion worth of iPads and iPhones to enterprise customers in 2011 and that could more than double to $US28 billion by 2013, Forrester estimates.

How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:33:43 GMT

The New York Times has a very interesting article that challenges the preconception that manufacturing is performed in China purely because of low labour costs. This is part of the argument of course, but increasingly the end-to-end supply chain, skills, and capability is more important.