Archive | October, 2011
An Incredible Loss
What can be said that hasn’t been said already? Wednesday brought the news that we had all expected for some time now, but not this soon. Steve Jobs, arguably one of tech’s greatest visionaries, gone at the age of 56. As a journalist, you’re taught to separate yourself from the story, and I did in the initial minutes and hours after the news broke.
But now I’ve had some time to sit and reflect on the day’s events, and it floors me. I don’t think we yet grasp the true gravity of what has happened, and we very well may not for months if not years to come. In the simplest terms this is an incredible loss.
Technology’s Great Reinventor
5. October 2011
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Some more thoughts about the life and legacy of Steve Jobs, in an obituary I wrote for TIME.com.
Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
5. October 2011
Lots more thoughts to come, but for now, a photo I snapped at Macworld Expo in 2008. That’s Jobs with the original MacBook Air. And he’s wearing the smile I’ll think about when I think about the extraordinary impact he had on a company, an industry, and an era.
Xbox 360 TV is a Proving Ground for Everyone
5. October 2011
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Microsoft isn’t disrupting the cable industry by bringing subscription TV to the Xbox 360. It’s hardly even disrupting the cable box industry. Still, this could be the start of something big.
Verizon, Comcast and other television providers around the world are partnering with Microsoft to put pay TV programming on the Xbox 360 this holiday season, but the content will be limited compared to what cable subscribers already get through their cable boxes. Verizon’s bringing a “selection of popular live TV channels,” and Comcast is only offering on-demand shows. A smattering of other individual channels and services, including Bravo, EPIX and HBO Go, are tagging along.
India’s $35 Tablet Returns! (For $45)
5. October 2011
The Indian government has succeeded where so many iPadversaries of 2010 failed: It actually delivered on its plans to launch a cheap tablet.
Sure, the Aakash tablet took longer than expected. And at a $45 unit price from U.K. manufacturer DataWind, it’s more expensive than the $35 prototype the Indian government showed off in July 2010. But according to the Times of India, it’s still the world’s cheapest tablet, and it’ll be commercially available for around $60 in November. (The $45 version is going to 100,000 students in India for free as part of a pilot program.)
Pioneer Does Augmented Reality–in a Visor
5. October 2011
I’m in Tokyo for CEATEC–the Consumer Electronics Show of Japan–and have been roaming the show floor and discovering nifty stuff. Some of it will show up in the U.S. eventually; some of it won’t.
Pioneer, which makes lots of aftermarket electronics for cars, is demoing a rather unusual visor. It’s an augmented reality heads-up display–Pioneer calls it an AR HUD–that uses lasers to overlay text and images on the road ahead. By doing so, it can do driving directions that use the world around you for imagery, not a digital recreation on a screen in the dashboard.
The technology should show up in commercial form in 2012, Pioneer says–in Japan at first, in a model that can be installed as an aftermarket accessory. It may be built into cars later, and should reach other countries. The price hasn’t been set yet.
(Full disclosure: I spoke at a CEATAC keynote and the show subsidized my travel costs.)
Siri Brings Apple’s Vision Full Circle
4. October 2011
In 1987, then CEO of Apple John Sculley described a device known as the “Knowledge Navigator” in his book Odyssey. Described in its simplest terms, it was a personal assistant that allowed the user to navigate information in an interactive way. The user would be able to speak in natural language, and the artificial intelligence would reason out the intention of the user. Watch it in action in this vintage Apple-produced video.
As you can see, the interaction is very human-like. The command-based method of interaction –which is so common in the voice recognition platforms of today — is nowhere to be found. This method is just not the way the average person thinks. While us techies may think in this manner, everyday consumerS would be more comfortable talking to the device because they don’t have to remember a set of commands.
Get Ready For Fancy 3D Flash Games With Unreal Engine 3
4. October 2011
When I think of Flash gaming, I usually picture colorful sprites on 2D backgrounds in games like FarmVille and Bejeweled. But that may change with Epic Games bringing its Unreal 3 engine to Adobe Flash.
During Adobe’s MAX conference, the two companies demonstrated Unreal Tournament 3–originally a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 title–running inside a web browser. Scads of modern games are based on Unreal Engine 3, including hits like Mass Effect and Epic’s own Gears of War series, and Flash 11 will be able to tap the hardware acceleration necessary to run these games within a browser.
Microsoft on the Windows 8 Start Menu
4. October 2011
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Curious what’s on the mind of the people who are creating Windows 8? Microsoft’s Windows team blogs the thinking behind its decisions in posts that are sometimes remarkably detailed. It’s published a post that’s the first of a series on the Windows 8 Start menu, which has nothing to do with any previous incarnation.
I think that Microsoft is making a mistake by removing the classic Start menu from Windows 8 altogether. If you’re in the desktop running conventional Windows programs and click Start, you get instantly dumped out into the very different world of Metro. It’s a jarring and unpleasant experience, even if you like Metro, and I think that Windows 8 skeptics are going to see it as an argument against upgrading. But I’m still glad that Microsoft is explaining why it’s doing what it’s doing.
Here it is, The iPhone 4S
4. October 2011
Well whaddya know, all those rumors about the “iPhone 4S” were true. This phone looks completely the same from the outside — but don’t be fooled. “Inside it is all new,” Phil Schiller says. An A5 chip powers the device, long rumored to make its way into the iPhone lineup. This would mean the iPhone gets a dual-core process: something many top-tier Android devices have had for several months.
No more dual model iPhones. The phone has integrated GSM and CDMA, meaning it would operate on any of Apple’s partners. This obviously must save the company some money as it doesn’t need to produce two sets of phones, or for that matter worry about the development of two phones.
The iPod is Getting Some Love (and Updates)
4. October 2011
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Well, the iPod wasn’t necessarily supposed to be part of the festivities — at least I thought — but Apple took the time to push out some updates to its products. The Nano is going to get a refresh with user interface enhancements, including a watch face for those of you who might want to wear it as a watch. The enhancements are minor, and you’ll still get it in the same seven colors beginning today. The 8GB is on sale for $129, and 16GB for $149.
The iPod touch will gain a white version and remains basically the same device, just with iOS 5 enhancements. Prices have changed though, the 8GB is now $199, with the 32GB at $299 and the 64GB at $399.
Apple vs. Foursquare
4. October 2011
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Did Apple just take on Foursquare? It’s new Family and Friends app seems like it is. While it’s not “checking in,” it will allow iOS users to share their location at preset times. Could see this becoming a big hit for families on vacations…
Presenting iCloud
4. October 2011
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After finally giving us a solid release date for iOS 5, iCloud was the next topic. As is already happening, iTunes moves to the cloud and will be automatically synced to all devices. Photo Stream would do the same, keeping your photos in sync. Backups would also be taken to the cloud, as well as the Find my iPhone app. Essentially, it’s become a free version of MobileMe, pretty much as promised.
iOS 5 Up First
4. October 2011
As expected, Apple devoted a significant section of Tuesday’s event to iOS 5 given by iOS chief Scott Forstall. Since we’ve already gone over the major points of iOS 5 back during WWDC, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the most exciting new features.
iOS 5 introduces iMessage, essentially Apple’s response to BlackBerry Messenger. Conversations can be started on one device and then finished on another: that is because the app is push-based. Obviously this has the carriers a little concerned because after all those text messaging plans are just another way to get another $10, $15, or more out of you every month. Most of your friends on iPhones? Well, obviously you’re not going to need so many text messages.
It also debuts notifications in a more Android like format, where you swipe from the top to see them. This is a great feature for those like me who get several in a row before looking at their phone, and then have to cycle through all those popups which gets seriously annoying.
Twitter integration’s another notable feature, which would be found across the camera, Safari, and maps apps. Developers would be able to also integrate Twitter into their own apps. I have to say that’s great and all, but what about Facebook?
Game Center gets some important enhancements which Apple likely hopes will push it to the forefront. Achievement points, friend recommendations and photos are just some of the additions, which makes it much more like Xbox Live (which it should be anyway).
But you really care when its available, and that’s October 12th. And oh yeah, it’s a free update.
Looking for Our Liveblog?
4. October 2011
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If you’re looking for our liveblog, Harry’s in Japan. But thanks to the fine folks at Macworld, we’re simulcasting their liveblog here: http://www.technologizer.com/iphone5. Join us!
(UPDATE: CoverItLive, which Macworld uses, seems to be having troubles–we recommend the live coverage at gdgt, which is working great.]
No LTE, No WiMax for iPhone 5
4. October 2011
Here’s one nugget for you all to feast on ahead of the announcement. Yesterdays report on Boy Genius Report that the iPhone 5 would be an Sprint exclusive with WiMAX is being panned by the Wall Street Journal: Greg Bensinger reports that the device will neither run on LTE nor WiMAX. I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.
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6. October 2011
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