iSights.orgtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-14608502011-11-16T12:08:09-07:00Keeping an eye on Apple and technology...TypePadWhy is Siri only on the iPhone 4S?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20162fc7a825b970d2011-11-16T12:08:09-07:002011-11-16T16:37:23-07:00Ars Technica wrote in a recent article... "It’s clear that Apple’s decision to limit Siri to the iPhone 4S and not roll it out to previous iterations of the device was not motivated by the hardware constraints of older iPhones." Really? Well, let's dig deeper into the article. When a user speaks to Siri on a 4S, the phone records the audio and compresses it with the Speex codec, an open audio format that is...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/11/why-is-siri-only-on-the-iphone-4s.htmlHow long will Amazon lend books for free?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2015436ecd8cd970c2011-11-15T12:41:57-07:002011-11-15T12:41:57-07:00"... Amazon just pays publishers the wholesale price each time a Prime member downloads a book from the lending library..." Okay. And I get that Amazon does this as part of the Prime membership... but just how long do you think Amazon will keep it up? Since a customer who uses this costs Amazon more than the cost of the Prime membership, either one of two things will happen here: 1) Amazon will drop the...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/11/how-long-will-amazon-lend-books-for-free.htmlMicrosoft's "Vision" Of The Futuretag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2015392bc5dad970b2011-11-01T12:25:54-06:002011-11-01T12:32:51-06:00It seems that Microsoft's done their own "Knowledge Navigator" video that demonstrates their vision of the future. Watching the video, it seems that we’re primarily talking... Star Trek - Voice access and pads. Minority Report - Gestures and cameras and transparent screens everywhere. Avatar - More transparent screens and sliding data off one device to another. So, other than ripping off Roddenberry, Spielberg, and Cameron, and other than slapping their name all over everything... What’s...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/11/microsofts-vision-of-the-future.htmlThe Google Narrative: Open Is Bettertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20153928dec0b970b2011-10-24T14:04:46-06:002011-10-24T14:04:46-06:00I ran across the following comment today "The narrative about Google is different [from Apple's], often involving its strength in creating platforms for open-source/community development..." Yep, smart marketing move there. Google is in fact very involved in open sourcing technology and creating platforms for development... Except when they refuse to do so with their search and map technology... Or when it suits them to withhold "open" source for the "good" of the platform... Or when...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/10/the-google-narrative-open-is-better.htmlThe iPhone Upgrade Cycletag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2015436095fd5970c2011-10-10T16:28:26-06:002011-10-11T00:51:27-06:00Ever notice how the really sweet iPhone upgrades appear in the middle of your two year contract? There's a reason for that. With the iPhone 4GS, we've now gone through four iPhone upgrade cycles, and from in the process we can now make a guess as to Apple's overall iPhone business strategy. First, let's take a look at the major feature upgrades across versions: The original iPhone: Touch-screen. iOS. 2MP camera. EDGE. iPhone 3G: New...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/10/the-iphone-upgrade-cycle.htmlFor Stevetag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20153921da45c970b2011-10-06T12:07:12-06:002011-10-06T16:15:55-06:00I was going to simply list every Apple ][, Apple ///, Macintosh, Powerbook, MacBook Pro, iPod, iPhone, and iPad I've ever owned, list every Apple OS and program, and in that list illustrate the effect that Steve and Apple have had on my life over the years, both personally and professionally. But it's not that easy. Not that simple. It's not just the hardware. Or the software. Because he gave us more than a set...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/10/for-steve.htmlAndroid App Store Passing Apple's In Five Months? Hardly.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e881dd5bc970d2011-04-27T18:09:37-06:002011-04-27T18:11:37-06:00According to a new report from analytics outfit Distimo, if Google’s Android Market maintains its current rate of growth it will surpass Apple’s App Store to become the largest app store in number of applications in just five months. You can see the blue growth line for Android set to pass the green Apple App Store line in the chart below: Oddly, however, Distimo analysts chose to break out iPad applications into their own distinct...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/android-app-store-passing-apples-in-five-months-hardly.htmlDesperate Congressman Claims Apple And The iPad Are Killing U.S. Jobstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e201538def9a3a970b2011-04-17T20:38:16-06:002011-04-17T20:39:07-06:00In an abysmal display of economic ignorance, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL), made the claim Friday that Apple and the iPad are killing US jobs. Why? Because everyone who works at failing bookstores like Borders is losing their jobs. People who work in the publishing industry will lose their jobs. In fact, he makes it sound as if everyone will lose their jobs to the people making iPads in China. Unfortunately, Jr. isn't considering the...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/desparate-congressman-claims-apple-and-the-ipad-are-killing-us-jobs.htmlApple Employees: It Gets Bettertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e60f18fdc970c2011-04-15T02:39:16-06:002011-05-06T14:25:49-06:00As part of the It Gets Better campaign to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth, employees at Apple have created a video with their own stories about coming out and overcoming adversity. Worth watching. And if you know someone it might help, then please, pass it on. [The Trevor Project]Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/apple-employees-it-gets-better.htmlAre Retailers Pushing iPad Accessories?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e877459bb970d2011-04-11T15:25:44-06:002011-04-11T15:26:24-06:00Does a bear.... never mind. I went to a local Verizon store because of an issue I was having setting up the Verizon 3G account, and had to sit though a speal about how one of their knockoff screen protectors was practically a requirement. "Don't you care about protecting your investment," the salesman asked? "Do you WANT your iPad's screen scratched? We've already had three returns!" I thought about pulling my 9-month-old scratch-free iPhone out...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/are-retailers-pushing-ipad-accessories.htmlTaiwan's HTC seeks to differentiate its Android phones with new features.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e876af8ff970d2011-04-11T12:20:51-06:002011-05-06T14:26:56-06:00Adding bells and whistles to the interface doesn't really help differentiate one Android device sitting on display from any of the others. Why? Because they hardly ever sit out on display. Almost all of the retailers have shelves lined with little non-functional plastic bricks. From them, you choose the hunk of plastic in the color and shape you think looks best, take it to a salesperson and then -- and only then -- might you...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/taiwans-htc-seeks-to-differentiate-its-android-phones-with-new-features-ina-fried-mobilized-allthingsd.htmlGoogle: Do No Evil.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e6079ac99970c2011-04-08T07:58:41-06:002011-04-08T08:01:26-06:00One response to yesterday's article was simple, direct, and to the point... "Not an article, just a bitter fantasy story." I will admit the article was a little heavy on the sarcasm. and more than a little tounge-in-cheek. But so is most satire. You see, when a companies' mantra is "Do no evil", you tend to hold them a slightly higher standard. When a companies' mantra is "Do no evil" and they do one of...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/google-do-no-evil.htmlHi! We're Google and we're pretty not evil.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e874c8c09970d2011-04-07T02:05:10-06:002011-04-08T08:02:29-06:00Hi. we're Google, and we're totally dedicated to the concept of free and open source software. Well, pretty dedicated. Okay, we're dedicated, just as long as it suits our purposes. And the purposes of the carriers who put an old version of our OS on their locked-down phones. I mean, yes, you know and I know that you can hack them and download an update and probably get it to work. Only takes a couple...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/04/hi-were-google-and-were-pretty-not-evil-1.htmlGoogle's Crackdown On Android Partners Is Needed... And A Mistake.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e604ac1ca970c2011-03-31T14:28:46-06:002011-03-31T14:28:46-06:00According to Bloomberg, Google is cracking down on fragmentation. Android partners will soon need to have plans pre-approved by Google. If they don't, Google will block access to updated versions of their "open" source Android software, prevent inclusion of standard Google apps like Gmail and Maps, and exclude them from the Android Marketplace. By doing so, Google is looking to "encourage" better hardware standardization, and to minimize the number and types of changes manufacturers can...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/03/googles-crackdown-on-android-partners-is-needed-and-a-mistake.htmlThe Fastest MacBook Pro... Evertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e869876ec970d2011-03-09T02:00:44-07:002011-05-06T14:27:38-06:00A recent article on TUAW rates the various MacBook Airs and Pros, and concludes: "If you don't do a lot of heavy-duty graphics/video work and want the fastest computer you've ever used, take a good long look at the MacBook Air." "The MacBook Air is much more than just a light computer that starts up quickly. It's a computer that very nearly eliminates waiting for any of the normal tasks that most people do all...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/03/the-fastest-macbook-pro-ever.htmlWhere's The New MacBook Pro Form Factor?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e2014e5f712678970c2011-02-24T13:54:08-07:002011-05-06T14:27:56-06:00Apple just introduced new MacBook Pro models with faster processors, GPUs, high-def iSight cameras, and Thunderbolt, a new high-speed 10 GB/s data transfer technology that twice as fast as USB 3.0. But read the comments regarding these announcements, and you'll find a ton of complaints about how Apple didn't deliver on the rumored change to the super-slim, ultra-light MacBook Air form factor. (Of course, if they had, then everyone would be complaining about how they...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/02/wheres-the-new-macbook-pro-form-factor.htmlCan Verizon Execute?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20147e17fb963970b2011-01-12T03:08:46-07:002011-01-12T03:12:26-07:00Verizon is getting a second chance at the gold ring, but even with the iPhone success is NOT guaranteed. Verizon is going to have to execute and make their customers happy. The question is: Can they pull it off? This is more than an academic question. Yesterday, for example, it seems that interest in the Verizon iPhone was so high that Verizon's web site suffered several outages and disruptions in service. All eerily similar to...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/01/can-verizon-execute.htmlGoogle's H.264 Double Standardtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20147e17e0611970b2011-01-11T21:50:06-07:002011-01-11T21:56:32-07:00Google just announced that they're dropping support for the H.264 video codec in their Chrome browser. Instead they will support WebM, Google’s recently introduced open-source, royalty-free codec. They're also going to support Theora, another open compression technology that no one uses. Is it just me, or is this a clear double-standard? Google states that they're dropping H.264 in order to support more "open" technologies. Okay, fine. But why, then, are they supporting a proprietary technology...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2011/01/googles-h264-double-standard.htmlScared Of The Cloud?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20133f400d13f970b2010-09-08T16:22:44-06:002010-09-08T16:47:14-06:00Adam Jackson at GigaOm recently ranted on why he's scared of Apple and Amazon and the coming content cloud. He gives the usual reasons: corporate control. Locked-in content. Potential business failure and content loss. But why the focus on Apple and Amazon? It's not their fault that iTunes and the Kindle store have DRM'ed content. Adam needs to be ranting at Time Warner and Viacom and New Corps and Bantam and Random House. It's the...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2010/09/scared-of-the-cloud.htmlWhy Android Will Win The Smartphone Wartag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d06e69e20134851156e7970c2010-06-28T16:42:27-06:002010-06-28T16:42:27-06:00While reading yet another iPhone 4 review, one reader comment caught my eye. "Do these iBoys really believe the iPhone can win against the onslaught of Androids?"
Nope. It can't. And here's why.Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2010/06/why-android-will-win-the-smartphone-war.htmlWhen Is New Not New? On The App Store, Of Course!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-566271472008-10-06T13:39:13-06:002008-10-06T13:39:13-06:00Apple recently pulled the "Show All New Applications" menu item from the iTunes based version of the App Store, apparently deciding that the "New" applications block at the top of the page served the same purpose. It doesn't. Especially when the "New" applications are cherry-picked from all of the new submissions and--worse--the entire list is only updated once a week. If that. As the above screenshot shows, as of today, October 6th, the most recent...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2008/10/when-is-new-not.htmlIs Apple stealing ideas from iPhone developers? No.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-558822442008-09-20T00:58:15-06:002008-09-20T00:58:15-06:00iPhone Atlas is running an article asking if Apple stealing ideas from iPhone developers. The Atlas article, in turn, is based primarily on accusations being made by Jonathan Zdziarski, best known for the iPhone 2.0 "emergency call" passcode hack. Fundamentally, Jonathan accuses Apple of attempting to patent a home screen idea previously used by an application called Intelliscreen. He writes, "At the worst, this is an attempt to steal a concept. At the very best,...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2008/09/is-apple-steali.htmlWorthless App Store "Reviews"tag:typepad.com,2003:post-556205642008-09-15T07:00:00-06:002008-09-15T07:00:00-06:00Is it just me, or are you also getting tired of all of the application "reviews" on the App Store that say nothing more than "first post", ask "who would want this", complain about the price, or offer some other in-depth opinion of an application... that they don't even own. I'm especially fond of the "reviews" that complain about features and point you to some other application, often free, that supposedly does the same thing......Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2008/09/worthless-app-s.htmlPlug In Your iPhones: Software Update 2.1 Is Readytag:typepad.com,2003:post-555224142008-09-12T07:23:39-06:002008-09-12T07:23:39-06:00If you have a 3G iPhone, or an original iPhone that you've upgraded to 2.0.2, then it's time to plug it into iTunes 8 and click that "Check for updates" button. Why? Because the new iPhone 2.1 update is now available from Apple's servers. Weighing in at 237.8 MB , it promises: Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls Significantly better battery life for most users Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes Improved...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2008/09/plug-in-your-ip.htmlWhat's Apple's Mystery Product?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-530592222008-07-22T04:43:14-06:002008-07-22T04:43:14-06:00According to AppleInsider, Apple's chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer revealed that the company will make a key "product transition" that cuts back on its profit margins to help shut out rivals. As such, the forums and chat rooms are busily dissecting each and every word and attempting to apply them to Apple's product line. Are we talking new MacBooks? New desktops? New iPods? What? Personally, if Apple's serious, and if they REALLY wanted to take...Michael Longhttp://www.iSights.org/2008/07/whats-apples-my.html