Pondering Apple’s Big Day

As with all Apple events I have attended, which is every one going back to the launch of the iPod, there are many intriguing questions leading up to the event. Many have been speculating and analyzing every angle possible about what may or may not be announced tomorrow. I’d prefer to leave the speculating to … Continue reading Pondering Apple’s Big Day

A Suspicious Angle to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia

Not long after Microsoft and Nokia did a deal for Nokia to back Windows Mobile and Microsoft exec Stephen Elop moved over to become its CEO, I mentioned to some of my colleagues that I thought this was a set up. In fact, I wrote a Techpinions piece on Aug 15th, 2011 that literally said … Continue reading A Suspicious Angle to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia

Microsoft and Nokia: A Strategic Blunder

There’s an old military adage, “Reinforce success; never reinforce failure.” By purchasing Nokia’s device business for about $5 billion, Microsoft has just reinforced failure in a big way. It has been three years since Microsoft attempted to reboot its mobile business with Windows Phone 7, two and a half years since the company struck a … Continue reading Microsoft and Nokia: A Strategic Blunder

Microsoft Buying Nokia A Great Move. But iPhone And iOS 7 Are Already Set To Remake Mobile Computing Once Again.

Do not be misled. Microsoft purchasing (the best of) Nokia — at firesale prices — is a brilliant move. Nokia + Skype + Bing + Office + Outlook + Nokia Maps + Nokia imaging. That is a very powerful proposition. Apple, however, remains at least one step ahead, and iPhone continues destroying and disrupting all in … Continue reading Microsoft Buying Nokia A Great Move. But iPhone And iOS 7 Are Already Set To Remake Mobile Computing Once Again.

The World Has Gone Mobile

I very seldom recommend a conference to my friends and colleagues but a note about a special mobile conference came to my attention recently that I highly recommend to our industry readers. One of the smartest guys I know covering the world of mobile is Chetan Sharma. I had a chance to speak at an … Continue reading The World Has Gone Mobile

My Mad Crazy Brilliant Ideas To Save Apple From Certain Doom

Apple is doomed. No innovation, no market share, no new products, no Steve Jobs. Death  — soon — is all but certain. This is the consensus, at least, from mobile analysts, Nobel-winning economists and tech bloggers alike. It’s nonsense, of course, the product of a herd mentality tucked inside a middle manager’s vision. Apple has the best … Continue reading My Mad Crazy Brilliant Ideas To Save Apple From Certain Doom

Who’s The Gorilla And 8 More Questions About the iPhone 5C

Question #1: Is The iPhone 5C coming? Sure looks that way. The rumors have grown so loud that they’ve become deafening. Let me put it this way: If the iPhone 5C is NOT announced on September 10th at the upcoming Apple event, it will be the non-announcment heard ’round the tech world. There’s nothing in … Continue reading Who’s The Gorilla And 8 More Questions About the iPhone 5C

iOS App Store vs. Google Play: Key Stats and Important Observations

I’ve come across a few stats regarding the iOS App store and the Google Play store that are more than just a little interesting. If you follow the industry closely then you are aware of the narrative that gets circulated that iOS garners heavier user engagement than Android. There are many data points to support … Continue reading iOS App Store vs. Google Play: Key Stats and Important Observations

Is Chromecast Really Android’s Attempt at an Apple TV?

I have been connecting compute devices to my TVs for nearly 20 years, the first being a Compaq Presario hooked to a massive RCA 35” tube TV via an NTSC converter. Back then, there wasn’t online audio or video content worth streaming, but there were games like “You Don’t Know Jack” that were a lot … Continue reading Is Chromecast Really Android’s Attempt at an Apple TV?

The Motorola Mystery Deepens

The Moto X is a phone. It’s a little newer than your phone. It will be available for sale in late August. This is the true story of the Motorola Moto X. –“The Amazing True Story of the Moto X,” John Herman’s Buzzfeed story in the form of a poem Fifteen months ago, Google bought … Continue reading The Motorola Mystery Deepens

Are The New Nexus 7 Improvements Enough to Dethrone the iPad mini?

It’s hard to believe that 13 months ago, the preferred tablet form factor was 10” and Android was literally nowhere in tablets.  Then came the first Nexus 7 at Google IO in June 2012, Kindle Fire 2 in September 2012, then the iPad mini in November 2012 changing the preferred tablet form factor to 7-8”. … Continue reading Are The New Nexus 7 Improvements Enough to Dethrone the iPad mini?

Time To Reboot Smartphone Benchmarks

Benchmarks are used in every market as one way to show why one company’s widget is better than another company’s widget.  Whether it’s MPG on a car, energy ratings on appliances, or a Wine Spectator rating, it’s a benchmark.  The high-tech industry loves benchmarks, too, and there is an industry full of companies and organizations that do … Continue reading Time To Reboot Smartphone Benchmarks

Beating The Dead Horse That Is Microsoft Windows (Part 2)

This is part two of a two-part series focusing on what’s gone wrong with Microsoft Windows. If you want to read part 1, click here. If you want to know what’s gone wrong with Microsoft Windows and what its probable future will be…well, read on…. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in … Continue reading Beating The Dead Horse That Is Microsoft Windows (Part 2)

Tablets, Seasonality, and Adoption Cycles

There is an interesting shift happening in the hardware release cycle of the computing industry. When the PC was the only game in town bi-annual release schedules were the norm. Now with the increased growth in smartphone and tablets, it looks as though the industry may be shifting to a much more seasonal release schedule. … Continue reading Tablets, Seasonality, and Adoption Cycles

We Took Grandpa’s Keys Away. Now We Have To Take His iPhone.

Is there any more magical device than the iPhone? With this amazingly light, utterly beautiful device, we can call and text, email, video chat, play games, watch television, read the great books of history. We tweet and Facebook. We buy and sell stocks. We set our home alarm, monitor our blood pressure, pay our bills … Continue reading We Took Grandpa’s Keys Away. Now We Have To Take His iPhone.

Beating The Dead Horse That Is Microsoft Windows (Part 1)

Few people enjoy beating a dead horse more than I do, but man, beating up on Microsoft Windows is simply no fun anymore…because everybody’s doing it. The defining company of the PC era — which for the purposes of this discussion we’ll consider the 25 years from 1981 to 2006 — has not articulated a … Continue reading Beating The Dead Horse That Is Microsoft Windows (Part 1)

This Is It. This Is Apple. This Is Their Design.

On June 10, 2013, during the Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) keynote, Apple unveiled two new videos: “Intention” and “Our Signature” Two videos, but only one message. Author’s note: All of the quotes from Apple’s videos are: “in bold text”. “This is it.” In those videos, Apple revealed its mission, its purpose, its essence, … Continue reading This Is It. This Is Apple. This Is Their Design.

Terrestrial Broadcast Courts the Cable Guy

Each month, Ross Rubin writes for Tech.pinions on the development and evolution of technology industry standards. It is an act of short-term pessimism and long-term optimism to kill a fledgling technology and replace it with something that has a higher barrier to adoption. But that’s what happened with digital terrestrial broadcast in the U.S. With … Continue reading Terrestrial Broadcast Courts the Cable Guy

The Dell-Icahn Debacle Exemplifies what’s Wrong with Wall Street

There have been a lot of industry and financial discussions lately about Dell’s privatization efforts.  So far, I have stayed out of the fray, but I think it is now time for me to weigh in on what I consider a total debacle…. a total lack of understanding of strategy, the technology industry, and Dell. … Continue reading The Dell-Icahn Debacle Exemplifies what’s Wrong with Wall Street

Apple Can’t Innovate Anymore, My A$$

I am sick to death of pundits proclaiming that Apple can no longer innovate. Apparently, the less one knows about a subject, the more strident one’s opinion on that subject becomes. Nevertheless, this nonsensical posturing has simply got to stop, for it is easier to believe a lie that you have heard a thousand times, … Continue reading Apple Can’t Innovate Anymore, My A$$

Why Apple’s New Designed in California Ads are Strategic for the USA

There was a recent report that Apple’s current “Designed in California” ads were not a hit with consumers and various writers who reported on this urged Apple to change them and to start bringing out cool ads again. While the ads may not seem cool to some, for Apple these ads are very strategic and … Continue reading Why Apple’s New Designed in California Ads are Strategic for the USA

Android Apps on Windows PC’s via Dual Boot- Are they DOA?

We are hearing from a lot of vendors that the idea of dual booting Windows and Android is a hot topic of discussion these days. Asus and Samsung both have laptops on the market that include Windows 8 and Android and the thinking behind this is that Windows Metro apps have less than 100K in … Continue reading Android Apps on Windows PC’s via Dual Boot- Are they DOA?

Why the Microsoft/Best Buy Relationship is a Big Deal

Since Apple introduced their retail stores, Microsoft has been amazed at the success of the Apple’s stores and watched somewhat in horror as people flooded Apple’s retail establishments while stores like Best Buy and others that carry PCs languished by comparison. Microsoft also went to school on Apple’s stores and realized that creating a store … Continue reading Why the Microsoft/Best Buy Relationship is a Big Deal

Trends and Forecasts in Computer Graphics

Having just finished a book on the history of computer graphics I’ve decided to be Janus and also look at the future, which seems appropriate because that’s where we’re all going to end up. Over the next few months I’m going to post essays and thoughts on what I see as the developing trends, and … Continue reading Trends and Forecasts in Computer Graphics