Rumors

From the fine folks over at ReadWriteWeb, who posted some thoughts about Facebook Connect.

I find this whole push for more data openness very intriguing, however the potential for abuse increases along with the wider adoption.  One wonders how much damage could be wrought upon Facebook with a critical security exploit.

However, there are going to be some very neat mash-ups between handheld computers (formally known as cell phones), such as the iPhone and Google’s Android, and the Cloud full of data (Facebook, Google, etc..).  Think Steve Jobs isn’t looking for another horse to bet upon, as Google looms as a burgeoning competitor.  Steve isn’t naive, and has seen another company rise a similar path, if not by different methods.   Microsoft 20+ years earlier.

Curious, is there anyone left out there that thinks Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Facebook, made the WRONG decision by passing up on earlier offers?  Even in this down economy, Facebook is positioned to be this cycle’s Google.  Right in time, as it seems that Google is moving up the food chain, and becoming what Microsoft once was.  Natural evolution of technical giants, perhaps.

Same as it ever was.

Technology Apple, business, google, microsoft

Ars Technica (I love these guys) has a piece pondering the future of the Apple Mac mini. 

I have one of the first generation G4 models given to me by a frustrated friend.  It has never been a stable platform, and it seems to stem from inherent heat issues.  I’ve not played with one of the newer Intel based Mac mini’s, so it’s entirely possible they have stablized and fixed the heat issue.

Apple Apple, hardware

I have spent many hours working on documents and emails on my Mac Air, and have to learned to love the multi-touch trackpad and gestures.  I am nearly as comfortable with my Air’s trackpad as I am with a traditional mouse and keyboard setup.  This is a first for me, as I have always preferred my wired (battery life still sucks under moderate-heavy use for wireless keyboard/mouse combinations) traditional setup, however the Air’s flawless trackpad is winning me over.

All of which begs the question…when will an Apple-quality glass touchpad (USB or Bluetooth) for my desktop keyboard be available?  I would snatch one up immediately and retire my laser mouse.  Let’s get on this Apple, or Kensington, or Belkin or whomever.  Not a cheap piece of plastic with limited resolution, but the full glass multi-touch trackpad, comparable to the new Mac Book Pro’s and Mac Air’s.  

Apple Apple, interface

The first few days…

So far, so good.  I was one of the early (stupid?) adopters of the 2.0 software release last Thursday (7/10/2008) and was the victim of a rebooting/freezing/freak of a phone.  As Friday rolled around, and it was announced that the leaked version was 3G iPhone ONLY…well..  Guess it was a sign to invest a bit more time in the actual firmware upgrade.  Shame on me for being impatient… I should know better…

Fast forward to Saturday, when I went through the fairly arduous procedure of resetting my phone, downloading the new software, reinstalling it… all while crossing my fingers, dancing around my chair 3 times and chanting a ceremonial chant.   Everything seems to be kosher now, and after completing the AppleTV upgrade to 2.1, the new Apple Remote.app is working great!

Battery life seems to be a touch better.  My phone is about 4 months old, and to gain battery life at this point of it’s life cycle is a nice benefit.  The phone seems to navigate a bit faster, also.  But, there are two shining stars of the 2.0 upgrade.  

One is the long overdue update from .MAC to MobileMe.  

After updating both my Mac Pro and Air with the MobileMe/iTunes/Quicktime update, everything seemed to sync more reliability.  I haven’t noticed much of a speed bump, but having my iCal/Address Book and Safari bookmarks automagically push out to my iPhone over the air vs. USB docking/syncing is a VERY nice upgrade.

However, the biggest shining star is Apps! Apps! Apps!  Some of the most useful applications in the iTunes - iPhone Apps gallery are completely free.  I have had a few hiccups, such as when an iPhone .app simply returns to the Home screen randomly. In most cases, data is not lost and the app is smart enough to return me to where I was upon relaunch.

Overall, I believe the update is worth the hassle, that should be far less of a problem for those who wait on the official process to propagate throughout their setups.  I am forgoing the upgrade to a 3G phone at this point, except perhaps a premature, catastrophic end to my current iPhone, as the new features haven’t been compelling enough to separate more money from my wallet…yet.  As the GPS/Social networking apps gain more momentum, the more precise GPS may prove useful.  However, until they implement copy/paste, or some other new functionality (3rd generation?), I will be skipping the 3G/2nd Generation iPhone.  Pick a cheap 1st Gen up on eBay…better deal!

Apple Apple, iphone, mac