Archive for the ‘Thoughts on Technology’ Category

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – Arthur C. Clark

“I want to put a ding in the universe.” – Steve Jobs

Having the reputation of the area’s longtime Apple expert, it was not surprising that I received so many questions what I thought about Steve Jobs and what it meant now that he has passed on. I put off writing this article because I wanted enough time to contemplate – but also because I was honestly not prepared to let go.

No single man has had the impact on the technology world that Steve Jobs has had, at least since the introduction of the personal computer. Nearly every technology that you and I use today – from the mouse, to the PC, to the way we listen to music today, even the phones we use – has the mark of Steve Jobs. No, he didn’t invent most of the technologies that we use. But he either brought them to market first, or figured out how “the rest of us” could best make use of those technologies. Did you know the world wide web was invented on a computer that a Steve Jobs company designed? Without Steve Jobs, even the Internet as we know it today may not exist. Given how ingrained technology is in our world, it is easy to say that no single man has had the impact on our very lives that Steve Jobs has had.

As for myself, my introduction to computers was on an Apple IIe. Apple was widely used in education during the 80′s, and I learned on Apple computers for much of my early life. Since then, my life and career has somehow been intertwined and influenced by Apple and other technology creations by Steve Jobs (NeXT, Pixar). The more I learned and experienced all sorts of different technologies, the more I realized that Apple products were different and special. Apple products have always been known for their ease of use and the fact that they make technology accessible to everyday people. Making technology easier to use and accessible to my clients became the mission of my technology business. It is no stretch to say that Steve Jobs has been the biggest influence in my career.

It can be said that we lost Steve Jobs too soon. But I think that one of the reasons Steve Jobs had such success resurrecting Apple was because he knew that his time in this world was short. Knowing that he only had limited time to perfect and implement his vision of technology in our world, he became super-focused on making this happen. Perhaps we wouldn’t have the Apple products that were introduced in the last 5 or so years without this intense focus. Steve Jobs didn’t waver from his mission and he has now shown much of the world how technology should be – not the tangled mess most of us were familiar with in the 90′s and early 2000′s.

It is incredible what an outpouring of grief and gratitude the world showed when Steve Jobs died. It is clear that he did impact the world in a way that even I didn’t fully grasp. But now that he’s gone, it is up to rest of us to continue his mission. We must continue to push for the best technology possible. We can not allow technology companies to settle for mediocracy. We must continue to make the investment in ourselves to seek out the technology that best fits our lives. We can not allow ourselves to simply accept the technology that so-called experts say is the best for us. Above all, we must understand that technology is much too important to take for granted. If we all commit to take the reins that Steve Jobs has left behind, nothing will be impossible.

One of our local TV stations ran a segment tonight warning their viewers about potential security risks with smartphones. They basically identified two risks: malicious apps and phishing texts. I have no issue with their warnings about suspicious text messages, and I hope that most people are savvy enough to recognize junk texts as illegitimate (would you really give away your social security number to a random text?). But I have a serious issue with their portrayal of malicious apps.

Simply put, they only speak vaguely about “phones”, “smartphones”, and once mention “tablet”. Yet every device they showed was an Apple iPhone or iPad. And there is the rub. Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) can NOT get malicious apps. Let me say that again so there is no doubt: Apple iOS devices can NOT get malicious apps. (A few of you out there may argue that jailbroken iOS devices can get malicious apps, but if you are the type to jailbreak your device, then you know well enough what you are potentially getting yourself into.)

This is one of the main advantages of the tight control Apple retains over their App Store. The Apple App store is the only way of installing apps on iOS devices. Every single app must be specifically reviewed and approved by Apple before it is allowed to be made available to the public. By controlling the only method of installing apps on iOS devices, Apple ensures no malicious software can make its way into the iOS “ecosystem”. Other smartphone platforms, namely Android, do not offer any control over the apps that their devices can download. Consequently, there are already many examples of malware for those platforms. Some technical people argue against Apple’s system, claiming that it isn’t “open” or that it restricts the freedom of software developers. But I guarantee you that owners of iOS devices could care less about “openness” or the freedom of developers – so long as there are plenty of useful and malware-free apps available. 200 million iOS devices sold (as of June 2011) seem to back up Apple’s way of doing things.

So while the news segment never specifically mentions the iPhone or iPad, by ONLY showing video of iOS devices, even going so far as to show the Apple App Store, the clear insinuation is that Apple iOS devices are as susceptible to malware as any other platform. As I have explained, this is blatantly WRONG. While I do not believe this news segment was meant to be deliberately misleading, it is unfortunately spreading misinformation.

To be fair, if you own any smartphone besides an Apple iPhone, you should pay heed to this news segment’s warnings. I would also give the same advice to those that own any tablet besides an iPad, but Apple’s complete and utter domination of this market means that likely not a single person reading this article actually owns a tablet that isn’t an iPad. (There is no “tablet” market, there is only an iPad market)

Bottom line, if you own an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you have nothing to worry about as long as Apple retains control over their App Store – which there is NO sign of that changing any time soon.

If you haven’t already read about the Macworld 2009 keynote speech, you can read my live blog of the event here.

As many people expected, Apple didn’t have any earth shattering announcements at this year’s Macworld keynote. Of course, it’s not every year a company can come out with a product like an iPhone or a MacBook Air. Certainly, the atmosphere after this year’s keynote announcements is much more subdued than last year’s. But overall, I think today’s announcements shows Apple’s strengths and how they will continue to lead the industry in innovation, even when introducing what at first may seem rather mundane.

For example, the technology behind the Faces feature in the new iPhoto 09 seems straight out of hollywood. The software literally can recognize people’s faces so that users can organize their photos by who is in the picture. All of a sudden, the landscape of photo organization software has changed. No other software has this technology with such a user-friendly implementation. Similarly, with the Places feature, Apple has now taken the Geotagging phenomenon and brought it to the masses. The technology is very simple, but Geotagged photos can now be organized in many and varied ways. Combined, the Faces and Places features allow users to more easily organize and create photo slideshows, books, and create other photo projects that they may not have been able to before.

This theme of empowering users has been the hallmark of Apple technology since day 1. But it seems that in the last few years Apple’s accomplishments have really started to take off at a rate unprecedented. A lot of it has to do with the digital media revolution. Most of the digital media technologies were not invented by Apple, but Apple has led the way in allowing users to make the most of it. Where would we be today if Apple had not invented the iPod? Would there be such a large market of people using portable digital music players? Most likely not, as no other company has come out with a device as compelling as the iPod or a music service as compelling as iTunes. What Apple has done for digital music, they are trying to do with digital photos and videos.

Apple’s “Learn to Play” feature in Garage Band is one of the most innovative new technology features, not just from a technology standpoint, but from a business standpoint as well. What other company could come up with an entirely new revenue source such as this? People, especially young people, will be buying up training sessions by popular recording artists and interactively learning to play instruments. Not only will this feature make them direct, recurring revenue by selling the training, but this feature alone may cause another spike in Macintosh sales. Nothing like this exists on any other computer platform and will not likely for some time.

iWork 09 seems to be a good upgrade. Nothing earth-shattering, but Apple quietly continues to improve their productivity software. However, the Keynote Remote app allows integration of presentation software and a handheld computer like never before. Powerpoint is quickly becoming the tool of yesterday.

iWork.com has to potential to change the way people share documents forever. Why e-mail when you can share and collaborate on documents on a web site?

The Mac Box Set will probably sell like hotcakes to users who have Macs that are older than a year. For the price, it is almost silly NOT to buy it as compared to any of the 3 individual products.

The new MacBook Pro 17″ really shows Apple’s prowess in designing things that are simply technological marvels. In one fell swoop, Apple improved working battery life, improved the lifespan of a battery, and is helping the environment just by redesigning the way they implement batteries in a laptop. It took a lot of out of the box thinking and some risks, but in the end, it will probably change the way all laptop manufacturers create batteries.

And finally, the announcement that iTunes is going DRM-free is yet another example of how much power Apple has, not just in the computer industry, but in media as well. A few years ago, there would have been no way in hell that the record companies would have allowed a DRM-free music store to exist (DRM is a general term for technology that restricts the way digital media can be copied). But Apple’s success with iTunes has showed record companies that users ARE willing to pay for music on-line when presented with an easy and inexpensive method of doing so. Now by removing DRM, this process will become even easier.

So that’s it for day 1 of Macworld 2009. I will write further posts over the next couple of days summing up interesting things I may see.

Click Here to read my live Facebook blog.

See selected photos from Marcel’s Macworld 2008 trip. Just click here to view the photos with complete with staggeringly witty commentary.

I’ve now completed exploring the entire Macworld expo. As well as researching all the products on the floor, I’ve met many people and their companies. I’d like to recognize a few.

Thanks to Accura for providing their “Accura Lounge”. By far, this lounge area had the fastest, most stable Internet connection in the entire expo. This connection allowed me to do several things, such as having video conferences with my wife and daughters at bedtime.

Thanks to Eric Rasmussen of Central Computers. Yesterday I went into Central Computers to buy a cable, and even though the store was somewhat busy, we was friendly and answered a few questions I had regarding what items were hot sellers. He also showed me an interesting new item, the Asus Eee PC, which I will share more of later. He then informed me of a party for Mac software developers that would take place next door to the computer store. Not having any plans last night, I made it a point to check out the party. At this party, I met several interesting people.

One of these interesting people was Mark Peason of Plasq. Plasq is small software development company with many of its employees from Australia. Mark is from Australia and we had an interesting conversation about American accents and the new Apple products, among other things. One fun thing about conferences like this is meeting people from all over the world that share many of the same interests as you.

Another interesting Australian from Plasq I talked to was Rachel Prins. We had an interesting talk about the Apple II and Commodore 64, as well as her own business. If you are a fan of the 80′s cartoon and doll line, Jem, check out her site, www.jemgirl.com. She offers a doll customizing service and many of her clients are from the United States.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Macworld expo. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for anything further to report.

As I sit down in the comfortable “Blogger Lounge”, courtesy of Microsoft, I have completed visiting the entire south convention hall of the Macworld expo. I still need to complete the west hall, the smaller of the two halls. I have seen many interesting products, of which I’m sure some future Tech Toys of the Month will come from. I actually was able to get my hands (and eyes and ears) on two products I’ve talked about before: the Myvu and iMuffs.

The Myvu are basically glasses that let you watch video in a virtual big screen. I tried them on and they basically do what they say. I can see that these glasses may become very popular with video game players, especially “Guitar Hero” players, as it can make the play of the game more immersive.

The iMuffs are wireless headphones for iPods. I tried them on and was surprised how light they felt. The sound was very good, and the headphones stayed on even when I shook my head. As I wrote about before, the buttons on the headset control the iPod. I tested these functions and they worked as advertised. I also met the President & CEO of the company, Mark Pundsack. He was manning the booth and I didn’t realize who he was until I took his card. He gave me a 20% off coupon, so if you’re interested in a pair of iMuffs, let me know and I’ll give you the coupon code.

I had a chance to pick up the MacBook Air. It is amazing how light it is. It really feels like it’s full of nothing but air. The specs say 3 pounds, but the weight is so evenly distributed that it feels lighter than that. Until you get your hands on one, it may be difficult to understand the fit and finish of this product. One of my concerns with the Macbook Air will be its durability. Apple reps claim the laptop will be durable. The aluminum they’ve used does feel very stiff and strong, but only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more reports from Macworld …

It was one of, if not the most, anticipated Macworld keynote addresses in a long time. Considering 2007 was Apple’s best year ever, most wondered how Steve Jobs and Apple were going to follow-up. Interest was extremely high as the line to get into the keynote address wrapped all the way around the Moscone Convention Center. In fact, I could not see the keynote in person because the auditorium’s seating quickly filled up and overflow was directed to several conference rooms where a live simulcast was being shown.

So just having watched the keynote address live and somewhat in person, here are the highlights:
Apple Introduces their “Time Capsule” which is basically a combination wireless router and hard drive. It will integrate directly with the Time Machine feature of Leopard, which will make backing up very easy for users with multiple Macs in a home or small office.

The iPhone and iPod touch receive some nice updates that adds features and functionality. The iPhone update is free, but the iPod Touch update costs $20 – I’m not sure why Apple is charging iPod Touch users or if it will be worth the backlash they will receive.

The MacBook Air is introduced. It is the world’s thinnest laptop. Almost impossibly thin. Yet it does not compromise on features or performance. It will be a big hit with those who want an impossibly thin laptop, of which there is a large market. Don’t forget, all Mac computers can run Windows now too. So it is also the world’s thinnest Windows computer. At $1799, the pricing is in between the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Remember, smaller does not mean less expensive in the world of technology!

The biggest thing to come out of this year’s keynote in my opinion, is the introduction of movie rentals through iTunes combined with the upgraded ability of the Apple TV to play these movie rentals. Yes, you will be able to point and click on your computer or right on your TV and instantly download and watch movies in DVD or HD quality. All for reasonable rental costs. I think a quote from the movie The Incredibles is appropriate here: “I’m geeking out just thinking about it!” And I won’t be the only one geeking out about it. This service has huge mass market appeal.

What is amazing is that Apple has lined up support from every major movie studio – an absolutely incredible feat which shows just how much power Apple has in the industry today. This means that all major movie releases will be available for rental on iTunes.

The AppleTV has been updated to not only allow users to rent movies from iTunes directly from their TV, it also eliminates the requirement of a computer to use it. At first this may not seem like a big deal but think about this for a moment. Anyone – regardless of their technical knowledge – will be able to pick up an AppleTV and start renting movies from their TV. And they will be able to buy all the other things iTunes offers, such as music and TV shows as well. So now the market for iTunes has just become all that much larger. And when I say larger, I mean gigantic.

One very nice thing Apple did is that all current AppleTV owners can download the update for free. Which only makes the fact that they’re charging $20 for the iPod Touch update all the more perplexing. Can you tell I own an iPod Touch? (thanks to my lovely wife).

The addition of movie rentals was the missing piece of the puzzle to make the AppleTV a hit. The AppleTV now has the potential to change the way we think about renting movies. Look for the AppleTV to be THE hottest tech item this year. And look for Apple to make money hand over fist with the rental of movies via iTunes.

On that note, if you are interested in picking up an AppleTV, please contact me. While the AppleTV will be easy to use, there are a few technical considerations to be aware of. As well, I can help you get your hands on an AppleTV or any Apple product – which may be a difficult thing to do as word spreads about the news coming out of the Macworld Expo.

I came across an interesting article on someone’s blog that I’d like to share with everyone. Click on the link below, give it a quick read, and then come back to this article for a few thoughts I had.

Notes on My Technology Upheaval

Obviously, the main point of the article is that Vista is not ready for primetime, which I’ve written about previously. Had she read my other article about Vista, she would have known how to buy a computer without Vista.

Second, note that she spent “many hundreds of dollars” on Geek Squad visits, yet they couldn’t resolve her problems. She’s not alone. Among my clients that had previously used Geek Squad, they all tell stories of multiple visits, unresolved issues, and huge bills. Had I become involved in a situation like this, I would have almost certainly resolved the problems for a fraction of the cost. If the problems were not resolvable at the time because the vendors’ software or hardware were problematic, I would have quickly determined this. Then I would have taken the time to explain to the client why the problems were not resolvable, again, at fraction of what the Geek Squad charges.

Finally, her experiences with the Mac, and more notably, how happy she is being able to run Windows on her Mac are worth noting for those of you that are resisting switching to a Mac. There are a lot of people who would like to switch to the Mac (or at least, get away from Windows) but who put it off because they feel “tied down” to Windows. The reality is that the Mac can run MORE software than any other platform in the world. This is because it is the only platform that can run all the software made for the Mac, for Windows, and for UNIX.

It’s nice to see other people’s experiences back up what I preach, which is why I found this article so interesting.