Weekly Download

Link: Poor memory? Blame Google →

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Tarun

The actual article is behind a paywall via Science, but this quote was particularly telling:

Just as we learn through transactive memory who knows what in our families and offices, we are learning what the computer ‘knows’ and when we should attend to where we have stored information in our computer-based memories. We are becoming symbiotic with our computer tools.

Incidentally, Google also makes the “where” easier by making you ‘feel lucky’. Also, it is telling that this article decided to pick Google, rather than the generic term ‘search engine’, as their target.

Posted in Google, Research | Tagged google, memory, search | Permalink | Comments Off

Possible Privacy Hole in Google+

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Tarun

I noticed that if a friend of mine decides to share a link with me, the share falls in the range of a “limited network” and is only visible to me. This share is only visible to two people: myself and the sharer.

If I wanted to share his post from my stream, I may do so by clicking share. Google+ is aware that the original share was in a limited network, so there is a message that pops up:

This post was originally shared with a limited audience — remember to be thoughtful about who you share it with.

I can still decide to share the post anyway, but there is a problem: the share attributes the original poster. So if Johnny had a link from someecards.com and shared it only with me, I can reshare this link with my extended circles (but not public circles) and the share would attribute Johnny as the originator of the link.

This yields an unintended result: Johnny is exposed as a sharer of potentially explicit content, unbeknownst to him. In fact, I could exclude Johnny from seeing my reshare, but his name would still be attached to the post. I could simply create a circle with everyone but Johnny included.

The implications for this privacy hole are obvious: a person’s name is at stake if the share was meant to be private. But, there is also a general point that needs addressing: when you share a link with someone with confidence, what does it mean? I find it can mean:

Johnny has given you (and only you) permission to reshare the link with his name on it.
Johnny has shared the link with you so that the link stays with you.

Option 2 seems like the more intended purpose of a limited share. If Option 1 is the case, then perhaps Google+ doesn’t have a problem. But, it seems more likely that users would want their privacy maintained. The ideal fix would be to eliminate attributions on reshares entirely, or not allow reshares that were intended for a limited network.

Posted in Features, Google | Tagged bug, googleplus, privacy | Permalink | 3 Comments

Link: LTE Not the End of Carrier Separation →

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Chris

For a year or so my friends and I have enthusiastically awaited the arrival of real “4G”. When I say this, I mean LTE. Carriers are using all kinds of gimmicks and tricks to call their networks 4G, but the fact of the matter is they aren’t there yet. Verizon is first to party as it has already rolled out its LTE implementation in several markets. Over the past year or two I’ve assumed, along with many others, that when AT&T pushes out its LTE implementation, users would be able to take their device from one network to the other. This is currently not possible because Verizon runs on a “CDMA” network while AT&T runs on the more popular (globally) “GSM” network.

In the past few days it has come out that even though they will be using the same type of network, they will not be using the same spectrum of that network. What does this mean for you and me? Well, it looks like we’re not going to be able to jump from one carrier to another and keep our same phone, at least not unless the manufacturer of the phone puts a radio that covers both spectrums….

Posted in Android, iOS, Mobile, WebOS | Tagged 4G, AT&T, edge, GSM, LTE, t-mobile, verizon, vzw, wirless | Permalink | Comments Off

Weekly Download #3: Mac OS 10.7 (Lion)

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Tarun

ROAR! Chris Robbins gives his take on Mac OS 10.7, Lion.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:28 — 63.0MB)

Posted in Podcast | Tagged apple, Lion, podcast | Permalink | Comments Off

iOS + Mac OS = 10.7

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Chris

We are likely a week away from the official release of OS X 10.7, Lion. I have been testing this operating system since Developer Preview 1 came out. I must admit, at first, Lion seemed like something I just was not interested in. When Steve took the stage and said the goal was to bring the best of iOS to the best of OS X I was quite skeptical. I personally like my mobile devices to be my mobile devices and my computer to be, well, my computer. After a few solid months of wrestling with the OS, I’ve come to a few conclusions have a few things to share.

Let’s start with some of the pleasant notes:

Resume & Auto-Save

Resume, from day 1 was a feature I loved. Running an OS in its early development stages can lead to some problems and quite a few restarts. For the first time ever previewing an operating system didn’t make me want to hurt someone when it crashed. Just as advertised, the machine ends up right back where it was before the restart. Now that the OS is a little more polished, the restarts are less frequent but it is still fantastic to know that I no longer have to worry about losing any data.

For the first time in my computing life, I do not feel like I’m stuck waiting to restart my computer. Little updates or new installs are no longer something I have to strategically plan out. When I want to install something, I install and do not blink an eye at the idea of restarting anymore. I also find myself actually turning my computer off a little more often. In the past I would never dream of turning my computer off, it was always a quick shutting of the lid for sleep mode. While this is still the most convenient when it comes to bringing the computer back up next time, it still isn’t too bad when you do power it back on.

Auto save and resume to me go hand and hand. The only time I have ever really lost a document is when I’m restarting and somehow miss the save prompt when the computer starts to restart. I have tested the feature a few times and can attest to it working. Certainly this will be helpful for some people.

Mission Control

Mission control was a feature I was quite displeased with at first. I felt as though Apple had done something all wrong. I loved Expose and the way it kept everything organized. When I launched Mission Control for the first time, I almost reverted back to Snow Leopard instantly. I thought this was a cluttered mess that made no sense. Now that I have played with it for several months, I must admit I’m quite in love with the new feature. It really makes things easy when using the full screen apps. This feature is something you will just have to get used to, but when you do, you’ll find that it is actually wonderful.

iOS Features to the Mac

Deep integration between the two operating systems was clearly the goal with Lion. In my opinion there were some features that brought significant improvements to OS X while there were others that I’m still shaking my head wondering what exactly the point is.

When it comes to Launchpad, it just doesn’t make sense to me. I see where they were going with the whole “your apps are all in one place” feel, but to me, the applications folder does a fine job. Given that you have to actually push a button or make a gesture on the trackpad to get into Launchpad, it seems pretty pointless. This to me makes the feature more cumbersome than it does helpful. Perhaps I am missing something here, but I do not think I am. This is a feature I’m predicting just doesn’t catch on all that well.

One iOS feature I did not like at first, but quickly fell in love with is full screen apps. I feel like Apple is on to something here that will take off quite well. I feel like as a Mac user I’ve always wanted to be able to see multiple windows at a time and did not believe in the maximize button. This has all changed with the full screen applications. I do not feel bothered or distracted by anything else while working anymore. I feel as though everything is out of my way when I’m working in a certain program. When I get iChat messages they will pop up in the application I’m working in. This genuinely bugs me now. I’ve gone from wanting to see everything in one place to someone who loves have all of my screen for each individual app. Spaces was something I never really fell in love with, but this feature is now a “must-have.”

A feature I loved from day one with Lion that came right from iOS: multi-touch gestures. The gestures make moving from desktop to desktop (Spaces) a breeze. As previously mentioned, I love using full screen applications now. I can quickly move between these full screen applications with a quick swiping gesture. The “tap-to-zoom” gesture has also been a nice added bonus. Like its iOS counterpart, it does a great job of zooming in on content you want to take a closer look at. The one feature I did NOT enjoy was the new style of scrolling. Apple is trying to mimic the iOS scrolling where a downward two finger motion sends you up and an upward motion sends you down. This is the complete opposite of how it has been done on an Apple trackpad for years now. I feel as though it is going to be a difficult learning curve for many users. I turned this feature off on the first day and still have yet to try it again. I do not think I will be making the switch until I’m forced to…

Having iOS 5 has made this experience a little unique. Apple has built in some nice integration between the two with iCloud and the new version of iTunes. This new version of iTunes can be had on 10.6, but I still feel as though it is worth a mention. I have officially “cut the cord” from my life. Wireless syncing has been fantastic thus far. The integration runs deeper than just wireless syncing. Users of the iWork suite will find their documents sync up wonderfully. Documents in the Cloud is a new feature of Apple’s new service iCloud that will save people lots of headaches. I can now go to a pages document on my computer, edit it, save it, and magically, it is back on my iPad ready to go.

This is a quick little review of some of the most note worthy items within Lion. Next week everyone will get to experience for themselves and really formulate an opinion on the OS. In the mean time, feel free to send any comments with questions about a new feature or how something works.

Posted in Apple, Features, iOS, Uncategorized | Tagged 10.7, apple, developer preview, Lion, mac, operating systems, OS X, snow leopard | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: Google Earnings for Q2 2011 →

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Chris

In our podcast last week we talked a little bit about cash and how companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple are using it. Some people are a little frustrated over the amount of cash each of these companies has on hand, but continues to hold on to.

Google has just released their Q2 earnings for fiscal year 2011 and showed some great success:

Cash – As of June 30, 2011, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $39.1 billion.

Google has quite a bit of cash on hand, but as mentioned before, this isn’t always a bad thing. That is plenty of money for innovation and development. What do you think should happen with this cash on hand?

Posted in Business, Google | Permalink | Comments Off

Building an Ecosystem

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Tarun

Microsoft is gearing up to release the next version of the flagship OS, Windows, next year. More importantly, this release will supposedly define a new branding of Microsoft that hopes to provide a consistent experience across all of a Microsoft user’s devices. Here’s a small bit of the quote pulled from Andy Lees, the president of the Windows Phone division:

Windows has always spanned different PC form factors. And with Windows 8 we’re going to take this to a whole new level including tablets.

The concept derives from Microsoft’s overall opinion that the tablet is a type of PC. In the Microsoft perspective, a tablet should do everything a PC does and give the same experience a PC does. A Windows 8 tablet will supposedly look and feel like a Windows 8 PC. The strategy is peculiar and has so far not proven successful with their current tablet releases mimicking Windows XP, but perhaps the OS can be polished up to fit a tablet factor with some significant UI changes that are more touch-friendly.

Horace Dediu makes an observation as to what this change would mean:

For example the new [business] model comes with different cycle time of product development (deep, integrated, yearly changes), different ecosystem (apps), different cost structures (high R&D in hardware), vast scale (device economics, components, ramps), and potentially new distribution (operators in the channel mix.)

A problem with Microsoft is that there is too much copying and not enough innovation. Microsoft recently noted that they wish to continue their retail store expansion, which provides a computer buying experience similar to that of Apple. Microsoft also is pushing to the tablet and mobile phone sector — areas they previously abandoned in the early 90s. The firm is also trying to create an App Store business, which still pales in comparison to the Apple App Store, Android’s Marketplace and the Amazon store.

Does Microsoft know that Post-PC era equates to Post-PC-business era as well? The new concept of this generation is selling services, not products, and platforms, not just software. Microsoft is still trying to be old Microsoft in more ways that has been previously pointed out: Windows hasn’t been completely refreshed until just now with 8, while other companies have completely revamped their operating systems. Customers do not just want a PC, they want a great, out-of-the-box experience. This experience can only be had when an ecosystem is in place. Deep integration with all of the products provides a consistent, useful experience; not just an experience that acts like a consistent one.

Amazon understands that the ecosystem is the key to success. An Amazon tablet would be the sum total of all of the services that Amazon provides: reading technologies, applications, music, movies, and even general shopping. Amazon took the time to slowly build each piece and understand its core business. Microsoft has tried to place their core business on everything they do — which results in an awkward experience in places you don’t expect the old-PC to be.

Posted in Amazon, Apple, Business, Features, Microsoft | Tagged ecosystem, microsoft, strategy | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: What Else Is New? →

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Tarun

Of course, Microsoft is chasing Apple, which has more than 320 stores, including 86 abroad. Microsoft actually was once ahead of Apple on the retail front, opening its first retail store in 1999 at the Metreon shopping center in San Francisco. But Microsoft abandoned the effort, shutting the store a little more than two years later. After witnessing Apple’s retail success, Microsoft revived the store strategy in 2009.

Posted in Apple, Microsoft | Tagged apple, microsoft, retail | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: Attorney Argues Encrypted Laptop Password is Protected Under 5th Amendment →

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Tarun

This case is set to make a legal precedent, so it is worth noting the implications. If Ramona is protected and is not required to reveal the password that decrypts the data on her laptop, passwords can be said to be contents of one’s mind. Thus, she would be protected under the fifth amendment. From the EFF:

[T]he Supreme Court has explained that a witness might be “forced to surrender a key to a strongbox containing incriminating documents,” but not “compelled to reveal the combination to a wall safe.” …Forcing an individual to supply a password necessary to decrypt data is more like revealing the combination to a wall safe than to surrender a key: the witness is being compelled to disclose information that exists in her mind, not to hand over a physical item.

The government has not asked her for the password, but simply for her to “unlock” what is on her computer. The defense believes this is the same thing: the contents on a computer that are locked are from the mind of the individual. The EFF also believes that the government does not have any specific evidence they are sure to find. So, this case also seems to be protected under the fourth amendment (unreasonable search & seizure).

Posted in News, Security | Tagged encryption, legal, password | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: The VideoChatting Madness →

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Chris

With all of the recent talk about video chatting I felt it was important to give the readers close comparison between all of the services that are currently out there. We have talked about many of these services in the podcasts, but this is an opportunity to see the quality and get a decent review of each service.

Posted in Android, Apple, Facebook, Google, iOS, Social Networking | Tagged facebook, facetime, Google Hangout, skype, social networking, video, video chatting, videochat, youtube | Permalink | Comments Off

Weekly Download #2: Facebook vs. Google+, Cash, and a Cloud Party

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Tarun

A weekly podcast with an attitude! It is so spunky, it needs a second recording done in a few days. On our second episode, we talk about Facebook’s recent announcement in relationship to Google+; the importance of cash reserves for companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft; the recent emergence of Cloud services by Apple (iCloud), Amazon (CloudDrive) and Google (Music). Sponsored by listeners like you: Check our our website for more information.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:39 — 65.6MB)

Posted in Podcast | Tagged facebook, podcast, wd | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: HP Launching iTunes rival →

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Chris

With all of the discussion about music in the cloud lately it seems that HP wants to get in on the party..kind of. HP has released HP Play, a music management service that will allow you to sync music you have on your computer to a mobile device. A little underwhelming, but certainly an interesting move..

Posted in HP, Mobile, WebOS | Tagged cloud, HP, HP Play, iCloud, mobile, music, streaming | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: 28% of US Smartphone Owners Use Them As Primary Internet Connection →

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Tarun

Jacqui Cheng, ars technica:

According to Pew, 28 percent of smartphone owners access the Internet this way most of the time, which amounts to 10 percent of all cell owners or 8 percent of all adults in the US. Mobile-only access to the Internet is nothing new in other parts of the world, but the growing availability of smartphones and the continued difficulty of getting broadband access in low-income or rural areas is undoubtedly feeding this trend in the US.

There are even more interesting tidbits in the study as reported. This probably speaks to heightened laziness on our society’s part as well.

Also: From Sarah Kessler, Mashable, on the same report:

More Americans own Smartphones than hold a bachelor’s degree or speak another language in their homes, according to a Pew Internet Project report released Monday.

Posted in Mobile | Tagged ars technica, internet, smartphones | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: A Modest Proposal →

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Tarun

Bill Gross:

I predict that Google+ will go from 0 to 100,000,000 users faster than any other service in history.

I just don’t see the point of using the Plus without the additional features that Google has yet to bake into the service, like deep Google “office” integration. It’s a good social networking tool and I hope it does well, but I don’t see the need to defect from Facebook.

I think it is unfair to say Google+ will be more successful, because in the future Google accounts will include + anyway, so any new users to Google will already have a Google+ account. Is a large user base a fair metric for measuring the service’s performance?

Posted in Google | Permalink | 2 Comments

Link: Wireless Charging →

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Tarun

Arnold Kim:

Apple describes a scenario where your iMac could be the source of this resonance power to provide a virtual charging area in front of your computer. Keyboards, mice and even mobile electronic devices like the iPhone or iPad could be charged simply be being in a 1 meter proximity to your computer. In typical Apple fashion, they describe that “by doing away with clumsy and annoying cables and eliminating the need to replace batteries, an easy to use and efficient local computing environment can be provided to the user.”

The concept is a natural progression, given that Apple has cut the cord on syncing in general. It would be fascinating if this happened within the next 5-10 years.

Posted in Apple | Tagged apple, charging, patents | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: Jesus Diaz’s (Gizmodo) Review of 10.7 →

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Tarun

My main reply to this review is that Mr. Diaz doesn’t get it: Lion is designed to be the final piece of the iOS-ification puzzle of the new Apple era. Without iOS 5, the operating system’s main feature — deep iCloud integration — may seem quite pointless.

Lion has a few new features which I may never use — Launchpad, Mission Control — so I agree with Jesus’ gripes about them:

But when you add Desktop Spaces and the Dashboard Space, it all becomes a mêlée of windows, desktops, squares, Dashboard widgets and icons. When you get into Mission Control by swiping three fingers up, you get a new clusterfuck that is added to the traditional windowed clusterfuck we have now. Click on one of the windows or spaces or whatever to go to it. Does it work? Yes. Is it more confusing for consumers than Exposé or Spaces? Yes. It’s more complicated because it tries to mix control of all these different entities in one single place. The mix doesn’t work.

I don’t see the point of the Launchpad, and even now I don’t really step back to view all my spaces. I have a set organization for what my spaces are:

Browsing and Twitter and chat
iCal and SchoolHouse
iTunes
Mail and Reeder

I usually never deviate from this organization, and I have set system preferences to launch those apps in the respected spaces above. Compartmentalization is key to my workflow, and I think this is common to many 10.6 power users. Another power user concept is Spotlight, or using another 3rd party app like Alfred. So, the issues with Launchpad and Mission Control are moot since that is my primary method of using applications. If I want to switch applications, I use ⌘+tab. If I want to switch places, I use ⌘+left/right/up/down.

The heart of Jesus’ point is that Mac OS 10.7 is incomplete because of the improper mish-mash of iOS features, and that the end consumer won’t really see that merger in the way Apple intended:

I love Mac OS X. I’ve used it since the very first and painful developer preview, back in September 2000. I love iOS too, because its modal nature simplifies powerful computing, and, at the same time, empowers normal people. I hoped Mac OS X Lion was going to merge both perfectly. Sadly, from a user interface point of view, it has failed to achieve that. And by failing at this task, it has made a mess of what was previously totally acceptable.

Lion is meant to merge the two concepts perfectly, but only when iOS 5 is in the hands of consumers. The simplicity of AirDrop, the deep integration with iCloud, the familiarity with the gestures — all of this comes together in the Lion package only when a consumer is using the iPhone or iPad. Much of Apple’s success has been due to the iOS platform, and this the original reason why 10.7 is making the design leap in that direction.

The abandonment that Jesus feels is not unique to him — many power users will be dismayed and annoyed by the lack of “OCD control”. But Apple has made it clear with Final Cut Pro X — there is a larger market audience they want to please. So, on the surface the OS is going to provide the features the large audience will want to see, because they will be familiar with it. For the power users like myself and Jesus, we may not see the real power of the OS until iOS 5 is fully developed and we have time to tweak 10.7 more to a point of familiarity.

Lion will only be seen as a triumph when the entire Apple ecosystem is taken into consideration, and this cannot be done until Fall (the public iOS 5 release). So, in many cases, the upgrade may not be worth it until that time.

Posted in Apple | Tagged apple, Gizmodo, Lion | Permalink | Comments Off

Weekly Download #1: Google+, Office 365, Web OS

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Tarun

Inaugural episode of “Weekly Download” (without “the”), where we discuss Google+ and social networking; Office 365 and cloud computing; WebOS and tablet devices. Sponsored by listeners like you!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:53 — 86.7MB)

Posted in Podcast | Tagged google+, podcast, wd | Permalink | Comments Off

Link: Notetaking In The Future? →

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Tarun

Yes, patent applications are just ideas that may never get implemented, but the concept is pretty cool:

Meanwhile, a second filing for a “Communicating Stylus,” describes a stylus that includes a position sensing device such as an accelerometer, a tip for writing, a wireless transmitter for sending position data, and a receiver. Apple engineer Aleksandar Pance, who is credited with the invention, said the combination of those components can allow the stylus to enter data into an iPad or iPhone without actually touching the device nor requiring any specialized paper.

So, you could be sitting at your desk, have a thought, and then write it directly on the desk. The writing is seamlessly transmitted to your device.

Posted in Apple | Tagged apple, patents, stylus | Permalink | Comments Off

Verizon Begins Tiered Data

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Chris

For anyone looking to start a new Verizon contract should be aware that Verizon started their tiered data packages today. The new plans allow customers to purchase a wide range of data options. As many observers will note, this has been coming for a while. AT&T made the switch to tiered data packages a while ago. For customers buying a smartphone the lowest package comes in at $30 and gives you 2GB of data. It is worth noting that AT&T currently offers a 250MB plan for $14.99 and their 2GB is $24.99. It will be interesting to see if the other two decent size carriers follow..

The data package is as follows:

2GB – $30 5GB – $50 10GB – $80

If you would like add mobile hotspot access to that it changes things:

4GB – $50 7GB – $70 12GB – $100

Posted in Android, iOS, Samsung, Uncategorized | Tagged cellphone, data, tiered data, verizon, vzw | Permalink | 1 Comment