Why Hardware, and CES, Still Matter
An odd notion that hardware no longer matters has lately taken hold in the world of tech commentary. For example, in a well-argued piece explaining his decision not to attend the Consumer Electronics Show, Buzzfeed’s Matt Buchanan writes:
[S]oftware and services have …
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch: Windows 8 Is Tough Even on a Great Windows 8 Laptop
I have been using Windows 8 through its several beta and preview versions on equipment designed for earlier editions, and I have been wondering for many months whether my unhappiness with it resulted from shortcomings of the hardware. I’ve now …
Google vs. Microsoft: Just Cut It Out
Hostilities between Google and Microsoft are heating up, and users are being caught in the crossfire.
Microsoft, of course, has spent the last couple of years trying to bring the wrath of the federal government down on Google. This campaign failed …
Qualcomm and the Birth of the Smartphone
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs’ appearance on the Charlie Rose Show brought back memories of the earliest days of smartphones. Jacobs told rose that he originally proposed adding a cellular radio to the Apple Newton MessagePad. When Apple demurred, Jacobs headed …
CES 2013: Where’s the Excitement?
Next week, as I have in early January for I can’t remember how many years, I’ll head for Las Vegas and the International Consumer Electronics Show. I’ll admit I don’t much like either Vegas or CES, but this year, I’m …
Why Mourn the Death of Pirates?
At some level, I have a bit of grudging admiration for CNET for publishing an article so obviously hostile to the the interests of its corporate parent, CBS. But on the other hand, it is long past time for anyone …
Patents: That Word Does Not Mean What You Think It Means
Yesterday, the internet was abuzz with reports that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had “rejected” another Apple iPhone patent. Many commentators jumped to the conclusion that, since this patent figured heavily in Apple’s recent legal …
The Shape of 2013: Predictions for the Year Ahead
After 15 years of making predictions, with a track record that would have made you rich if you’d bet on them, I’ve been away from the practice for a couple of years. But as the regulars at Tech.pinions have agreed …
Maps for iOS: What Does Google Have Against Tablets?
Google’s failure to understand that a tablet is something other than a really big phone is becoming one of the great mysteries of the technology world. The Android tablet business has been crippled by a lack of dedicated tablet apps, …
How To Make Windows 8 Great
There has been a lot of discussion here lately, both in posts such as Why IT buyers are Excited About Convertibles and Hybrids and Microsoft Surface: How Relevant Are Legacy Apps and Hardware? about the failings and the potential of Windows 8. So inspired …
How I Met My Computer: Technologies That Changed My Life
I got into computers because I was fascinated by a friend’s programming manual. It was at the University of Michigan, probably in early 1966, when I had my first look at The MAD Manual, a beguiling guide to the Michigan Algorithm …
Why Apple Manufacturing Needs Few Workers
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s announcement that the company would do some Mac assembly in the U.S. brought on a flurry of publicity vastly disproportionate to the importance of the development. It’s good that manufacturers see opportunities for U.S. operations for …
Why Windows 8 Drives Me Nuts
I had a hard drive fail in a couple-year-old ThinkPad this week, so I decided to use the opportunity to install Windows 8 on a completely clean system. The installation was painless except for a bit of difficulty in getting …
Microsoft, IBM, and AT&T: History Comes Around
In his post “Why the Wheels Are Falling Off at Microsoft,” John Kirk paints a bleak picture of the company’s future. It got me thinking about a relevant bit of history about how rich companies handle existential challenges. Around 1990, …
Can Big Data Make Us Healthier?
I spent some time this week at the Mobile Health Summit, an annual Washington event featuring the latest in mobile health-related technologies. The exhibition hall was filled with sensor-based devices that can track blood pressure, body weight, blood glucose, pill-taking …
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