The Tech Edit

The success of Google+

Sam Barillaro — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 04:49:54 +0000

While taking a look at Google’s Project Glass concept video, I thought I would take the opportunity to see how successful Google+ really is. I did this by comparing the Project Glass Google+ page and the concept video on YouTube.

At least YouTube is doing well.

Note: Figures are as of 7th April 2012.

What are Google Glasses for?

Sam Barillaro — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:35:46 +0000

After watching the Google glasses concept video it didn’t take long for my initial reaction of, wow this could be cool, to turn to reality.

Many have stated their opinions on the video, including some parodies of the clip. It wasn’t until halfway through reading Trevor Gilbert’s take on PandoDaily I stopped. I asked myself, what problem do these glasses solve? What need are they tending to? Maybe I’m missing something, maybe in the future we will all walk around with these glasses because it’s just too much for us to carry a mobile phone with us. Maybe. Or maybe Google just wanted to drive more traffic to Google+.

Inspired by…

Piracy and our sense of entitlement

Sam Barillaro — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:55:25 +0000

A lot has been said lately regarding the whole piracy debate. No one (in their right mind) thinks it’s right, but there is some disagreement as to whether consumers are at fault due to an unrealistic sense of entitlement, or content providers who are making it difficult for their customers to simply pay for their content.

PandoDaily has seen the latest in this saga with two of their writers debating the issue. The argument for privacy, and the parody on our sense of entitlement.

I won’t begin to go through the issues with the parody argument of stealing an iPhone, but I get the point. Yes, we as consumers can be quite demanding, especially now it has become so easy to get and consume content. Is that our fault as consumers? These channels to procure content exist and they can’t be removed without breaking the Internet. Content providers can either fight the inevitable, or they can embrace the opportunity to reach a larger, global audience, in almost realtime.

For me, nothing sums it up better than Marco’s post. It’s not about what’s right or wrong (or grey). It’s about being pragmatic. Sense of entitlement or no, trying to fight the inevitable isn’t going to solve the problem.

Inspired by…

iPad 3 Predictions

Sam Barillaro — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:00:49 +0000

With the iPad 3 almost upon us, and my iPad 1 already sold, there’s not much left to do but guess what Apple have in store for us.

Retina Display
The obvious prediction. It’s been a while since I remember something being so certain before an Apple product launch. Of course the one thing we can be sure of is that nothing is certain.

iPhoto
Maybe not iPhoto exactly, but Gruber made a prediction and I tend to agree. It’s great having a higher resolution screen, but there needs to be something to take advantage of it. Photos on the iPad are great. There’s no easier way to browse photos with friends and family than on the iPad. Especially if you use AirPlay to an Apple TV. The one thing that’s missing. A way to manage your photos straight from the iPad.

1080p Movies
Again, what better way to show off retina display than 1080p movies. Currently HD movies from iTunes are 720p, which just won’t do justice to that beautiful Retina Display. This also lends to the rumor there’s an Apple TV update imminent.

Games
Gaming has already been a big sell for the iPhone 4S and I don’t see it stopping there. The iPad 3 will bring along improved hardware no doubt. Along with Retina Display, this means an improved gaming experience.

Update
In my haste to get my predictions down, there were a couple I missed…

Siri
Not really a prediction. There doesn’t seem to be a reason why Siri won’t be ported to the iPad.

Photo Stream & iOS 5.1
This would be the perfect opportunity to release iOS 5.1 to the public, hopefully bringing along some much needed improvements to Photo Stream. There are some glaring issues with Photo Stream. One of the biggest being the inability to control what photos appear in the stream, or for that matter, delete individual photos in the stream. This granular control is desperately needed if Photo Stream is going to be of any use.

ASUS Zenbook review

Sam Barillaro — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:08:33 +0000

An in depth review of the ASUS Zenbook. One of the first entrants in the all new Ultrabook market, which up to now is the Macbook Air. To sum things up…

If ASUS can fix the trackpad issues then it’s worth considering, however the display in the MBA alone is reason to opt for it over the Zenbook, even for Windows use.

- AnandTech

More than this

Calvin Chong — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 10:57:30 +0000

I’m typing this on my MacBook Pro, while my iPhone streams music (purchased from the iTunes Store) to the Airport Express. Later I might watch a show on the AppleTV, then do some end-of-day reading on my iPad.

So yes, I could thank Steve for all he has done for computing. Out of his vision and drive were borne these amazing products. And these products then went on to redefine entire categories—remember how computers/smartphones/tablets looked like before the Mac/iPhone/iPad?

But to me, it has always been about more than this. More than technology. It’s about us and how we can—in our own small ways—do our part to improve this messy world of ours. Have a talent for product design? Design a better milk carton. A carpenter? Build a better chair. Write software? Code the hell out of that function.

Be better in whatever you do.

Steve’s was a philosophy on life. On finding and pursuing your passion. Not settling. Going against the grain. Having the courage to stand up for what you believe in. For simplicity. And truth.

His passing reminds me—more than ever—that life is just too damn short. You spend so much of it on work, so why not do what you love? What excites and inspires you? What can you make to make the world better?

You’ve got to find what you love.

I’m glad Steve found his.

Heard it all before…

Sam Barillaro — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:34:52 +0000

…radically improved 3D graphics performance compared with Flash 10 – on the order of 1000 times improved, according to Nguyen. – The Loop

The next version of Flash will be good. Promise.

Windows 8 (Metro) Boot Time

Sam Barillaro — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 23:27:31 +0000

This new fast startup mode will yield benefits on almost all systems, whether they have a spinning HDD or a solid state drive (SSD), but for newer systems with fast SSDs it is downright amazing. -- Building Windows 8

The Metro view boots at a decent speed. Now we just need to see it booting into the traditional Windows view. After all, we wouldn’t want any compromise.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcH8n_oFf0c

Google buys patents (aka Motorola)

Sam Barillaro — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:44:22 +0000

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. – Larry Page, Google CEO

Now Google can be “open” and “closed”.

Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio. – Larry Page, Google CEO

How exactly does one large company buying another large company for patents increase competition? Google now has more patents that it will use to block competitors. Oh, I mean, defend itself from all those evil companies that are out to get them.

Facebook Messenger ain’t no iMessage

Sam Barillaro — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:17:35 +0000

But the service that should be perhaps more worried about Messenger is the still-unlaunched iMessage.
- MG Siegler

Disagree.

Siegler makes a bunch of true statements, but the biggest reason — the biggest advantage — that iMessage will have is that it is seamless.

- Ben Brooks

Agree.