My Digital Life

Apple TV’s Lackluster Sales may be the Crack in the iPod Armor Zune HD Needs

With the official announcement of Zune HD, Microsoft may have the opportunity to crack the iPod's armor. Not that I think the Zune HD will be so wonderful, but because Microsoft currently owns the digital living room's eco system. Microsoft's foray and success into the gaming world, with the Xbox, gave them an opportunity to capitalize with a device designed to be connected to the internet and the TV. To Microsoft's credit they are capitalizing on this functionality with the ability to purchase music and videos, stream from NetFlix's online library (1 million Xbox subscribers), and access one's own media center content. Xbox 360 has accidentally turned into the living room media device Microsoft has been talking about forever and according to Silicon Alley Insider is "kicking Apple's butt".

What made the iPod, what it is today was not that it was revolutionary device (there were plenty of MP3 devices around), but the integration with iTunes. Although the iTunes application is not that great (still no multi user functionality), it made the process of purchasing and synchronizing your music with the iPod child's play. That simplicity was a key factor in popularizing the iPod. The same can be said about the X360 marketplace, it simplified the process of purchasing and renting HD content. In addition to its primary mission as a world class gaming console, the integration with Media Center allows the Xbox 360 to be the bridge between content stored on a PC and the TV. The Zune HD will be able to take advantage of this functionality to seamlessly integrate into the Xbox 360 eco system.

If you currently own an Xbox 360 and an iPod, the Zune HD maybe the next device in line, especially when you can convert the DRM free iTunes Plus content. I think the two remaining items Microsoft needs to do to insure the Zune HD's a viable Touch competitor is Xbox gaming as well as Windows Mobile application support. And, of course phone integration.

One side benefit from SlingPlayer and Directv; access to some Sirius channels

I am still waiting for the official Sirius iPhone application; rumors pop up every couple of weeks but nothing yet. I guess I could purchase Pocket Tunes Radio which supports Sirius/XM streaming but before plunking down $9.99 I would like to see what Sirius comes up with.

In the meantime I did stumble across a benefit of having Directv and a SlingBox; the ability to stream the Sirius channels available on Directv using SlingPlayer.

The Audio Only option allows you to save bandwidth and batter.

Even in the Audio Only mode, SlingPlayer is still stymied from AT&T's barring 3G support. Argh!!!!

Happy Memorial Day, A day to remember and honor all of our veterans, past and present

Memorial Day is a United States public holiday that takes place on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Today, many Americans use Memorial Day weekend to also honor family members who have passed away. ... 

From: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

It is also known as the official beginning of the summer season and commemorated with backyard barbecues and trips to the beach...

iPhone rumors are in high gear two weeks before Apple’s conference

I had started blogging about Apple Insider reports that Landon Fuller, a security expert, has demonstrated a proof of concept using a Java application which could allow hackers to potentially run system level commands in Mac OS X. What, a vulnerability, unpatched by Apple, in Mac OS X. What is the world coming to…but I thought iPhone rumors were far more interesting. John Gruber from Daring Fireball uses his words carefully and has usually been correct when he addresses future iPhone functionality.

His take is that the new iPhone will feature:

• subtle changes to its external design
• a 600MHZ processor
• 256MB of RAM (vs. 128MB today)
• an improved camera (I have heard 3.2MP) with auto focus and video
• a magnetometer for the electronic compass
• 16 and 32GB of storage
• potentially improved battery life

All this for $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB) models. It will also be interesting to see what AT&T does on the data plan front with a capped plan for $20 per month.

I will update this post during Apple World Wide Developer Conference to see how well he faired…

The Microsoft vs. Apple ad war continues

As you have might have noticed in the last couple of weeks Microsoft and Apple have escalated their ad war, each by returning salvos on the key points they are trying to make.

Microsoft is attacking price for performance (the Apple tax), while Apple is drilling the virus vulnerability, bloatware (not really Microsoft's fault but their hardware partners), and reliability. Both Microsoft and Apple's point views are really based on perception, I could argue both ways, but when it comes down to the eco system (number of applications) and price point I would buy a Windows machine. As I have said many times my Lenovo X60 with Vista is rock solid. That does not mean I have not been eying a MacBook Air (the design is outstanding), but if I spent the money I would surely run bootcamp to have access to all the Windows applications I use. I just priced a Lenovo X301 on sale for $1389 with 128MB solid state drive and 3GB of DDR3 memory, although it only has 1.40GHZ processor which is slower than a 1.6GHZ 128GB MacBook Air ($2,299), but $800 cheaper. $800 for design and a 12.5% increase in processor speed, I am not sure I am game but others might see the value.

What I find interesting are the views from the Apple blogosphere, some the venom against Microsoft is pretty sad (just look at the comments on any Microsoft reporting), however I do have to commend Apple Insider for trying to take a more balanced approach. Even though they are slanted towards Apple, which I understand, they try to provide a both sides. Today they reported a study today by BrandIndex which found; Microsoft overtaking Apple in value perception when Microsoft started airing their ads. In the end the study does not tell us whether it will translate into sales for Microsoft and its partners, but I laughed when I read the last sentence; "Apple is still expected to ship fewer Macs in spring than it did last year but in line with expectations reflecting the economic reality rather than the effect of an attack by Microsoft". This is classic Apple to downplay expectation and probably a smart move.

In place Win 7 upgrade of my Fujitsu U810

My in place upgrade with Windows 7 from Vista went smoothly on my Fujitsu U810 and I am typing this post on it using Word 2007. That said there were 5 issues, all related to drivers when the upgrade was completed:

• The mouse stick was erratic. I had to uninstall the Alps pointing device driver in the control panel. I need to find a solution.
• The pen`s calibration was out whack. I tried to use Fujitsu calibration, which did not work. I had to use the Win 7 calibration; start/search calibration for calibrate the screen for pen or touch input.
• OmniPass Control Center would not start. The fingerprint sensor driver installed correctly and the Windows logon works fine. In order to make to run the OmniPass application you need to set compatibility mode to Vista. This is done by going right clicking on the application, clicking on Properties and selecting the compatibility tab. I do find that when I run OmniPass it does seem to hog the CPU, so I use sparingly.

• Fujitsu buttons under the screen did not work. You need to remove the Button utility and driver. Then reinstalling them by setting the compatibility mode to Vista on the setup utility. The catch is that you must do this after the downloaded file from the Fujitsu web is extracted. This means that once the install routine starts (after the extraction) you must cancel the install. Then you need to open file explorer to C:\drivers\BUTTON-DRIVER_FUJITSU_V2.0.1026.2006_XPTPC,VISTA_CA40701-S725 and change the compatibility setting for setup to Vista and check run as administrator. You can then double click on setup to install the driver. Do the same for the button utility setup under C:\drivers\BUTTON-UTILITY_FUJITSU_V7.00.0910.2007_XPTPC . Reboot and voila, although I have not gotten the screen rotation to work yet.
• Auto screen rotation did not work. On my to-do list, but the work around is manual screen rotation.

 

The U810 has a lot of weaknesses most notably the lack of memory and 800MHZ processor but for Word and IE it works quite well. I use a 1GB Readyboost SD card and always have the power settings at to maximum performance. The battery lasts a little under 4 hours which works for my use.

Windows 7 clearly helps this little UMPC in performance and disk usage (I gained 7GB after Vista). It is not the best experience but for the 1.3lbs small package it works while traveling. I use suspend and hibernate to make the startup process as fast as possible, but always plan on 3-4 minutes to get started and plug in every chance I get. With my iGo charger I can pretty much charge anywhere I have access to power (AC, car and plane).

Here are some good links. I still have some debugging to do and will update this post. The bottom line Windows 7 works very well and I am not going back…

http://forum.pocketables.net/archive/index.php/t-1651.html

http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2009/01/03/installing-windows-7-build-7000-on-fujitsu-u810/

http://support.fujitsupc.com/CS/Portal/supportsearch.do

AT&T 3G network not good enough for iPhone SlingPlayer

The saga of bringing SlingPlayer to the iPhone has been a real soap opera, but the release of the application even though crippled by the lack of 3G functionality is still a milestone. Sling Media confirmed it was building a SlingPlayer for the iPhone last March, a year later they submitted the application to Apple. Since then it seems that AT&T, Apple and Sling Media have been in a tussle over whether to allow the Sling Player to stream over the 3G network. AT&T even modified its Terms of Service to block Sling Player type applications to use its network, and then rescinded the change. Last week they reinstated the ban on with this language: "Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service". They equate the iPhone to a personal computer.

With the release of SlingPlayer, according to engadget, last night AT&T felt compelled to issue a statement on the subject (I could not find the official statement), but engadget published this:

"Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.

That said, we don't restrict users from going to a Web site that lets them view videos. But what our terms and conditions prohibit is the transferring, or slinging, of a TV signal to their personal computer or smartphone.

The Slingbox application for the iPhone runs on WiFi. That's good news for AT&T's iPhone 3G customers, who get free WiFi access at our 20,000 owned and operated hot spots in the U.S., including Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, hotels, and airports. AT&T is the industry leader in WiFi."

It almost sounds like AT&T is apologizing for the inability of its network to handle the potential load. You could view this as a brave move on their part, essentially admitting to capacity weaknesses in their network and it the end saving them from more network performance issues which have plagued them since the release of the iPhone. Maybe Verizon should promote the fact that their Terms of Service does not block this functionality; under their Permitted Uses section they state that "(iv) uploading, downloading and streaming of audio, video and games;" is permitted.

As everyone in the blogosphere is pointing it out, there is no mention that the 3G functionality is available on the version of SlingPlayer for Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices, although I think the Terms of Service also covers those devices, so I guess I can longer use my Windows Mobile SlingPlayer on their 3G network.

Although the SlingPlayer for iPhone lack 3G connectivity, it is priced at $29.99 in the App Store the same price as for other mobile platform with 3G support. I went ahead and purchased it and I have to say that the user interface is pretty cool. Hopefully with their planned network upgrades, AT&T will allow 3G functionally sometime in the near future.

Watching the Today Show on my Directv DVR.

My eReader quest: Amazon releases iPhone optimized Kindle web store

I am finding that the iPhone Kindle application display font and spacing is very easy on the eyes. The two main drawbacks are the size of the screen which requires frequent page turning and not really suitable for manual layouts. Up to now another major drawback has been selecting and purchasing Kindle books on the iPhone, the desktop version of the Kindle site was not suited for the iPhone's screen. The fix: Amazon has just released their iPhone Safari optimized web site accessible via the Kindle application "Get Books" button.

The Amazon iPhone optimized Kindle store web site.

One big advantage for Amazon is that they bypass the iTunes purchase infrastructure to sell you content. This makes logical sense since they have all of the backend applications to deliver, track, and bill purchases; and the most important feature is that it saves them from having to pay Apple a transaction fee which Mac Rumors reports to be 30%. This seems high for a content purchase but Apple Insider reported earlier that for a $.99 song, Apple collects an average of $.30 making the 30% about right.

See my other ereader posts.

My 3 takeaways on the Kindle DX

First here is a good video from the Wall Street Journal which shows the differences between the Kindle 2 and the DX.

Now for my takeaways:

1. $489 is a steep price, but the talk of subsidies could make the DX more palatable. Look at the cell phone model and specifically the iPhone. Although the problem will be how much of a subsidy is reasonable given a paper subscription averages about $15 a month vs. AT&T minimum plan of $70 a month. The $199 iPhone pricing skyrocketed sales; in order to meet that figure newspapers or magazines would need to subsidize $290 of the DX's price. Over a 2 year subscription that is $12 a month. This does not leave newspapers or magazines with a lot room to work with. Maybe a subsidy of $130 or $5.41 per month is more appropriate making the DX the price of a Kindle 2. I have a feeling this is the target they are shooting for. This will be an interesting experiment.
2. Will individuals be swayed by the screen size and readability factor or just purchase a Netbook for that price? I think the DX will be a dud unless it is subsidized; still with a subsidy I find it expensive compared to a Netbook and its functionality.
3. Do you really want to carry around another device? Over the years I have been trying to carry around fewer devices. When I travel I carry a small factor laptop (Fujitsu U810), an iPhone or Windows Mobile device, a Sony HDRCX12 camcorder and an iGo multicharger. I can fit it all it into a small over the shoulder bag. Do I want to add a Kindle 2, probably not…and certainly not another device the size of a Kindle DX.

An interesting tidbit from Jeff Bezzos was that books with a Kindle version derive 35% of their sales from Kindle users.

Choosing an E-Reader

Over the last couple of months I have been leaning towards purchasing an E-Reader to carry around the manuals which I use for my work as a consultant. Although most of the information I need is readily available on the web, it would be nice to have access to books as well. The big drawback to acquiring an E-Reader has been the price and since I am not avid novel reader, I have a hard time justifying the purchase. The possibility of sharing the device with my wife (she is an avid reader), makes the purchase more palatable although she checks books out of the library. The obvious choices are the Amazon Kindle or the Sony line of E-Readers.

Last weekend, I decided to do some research to see if it was possible to download content from my local library to an E-Reader. The public library does support the mobipocket and the NETLIBRARY ebook formats. The Kindle and the Sony do not support the mobipocket format directly (you have to convert), however the Sony does support NETLIBRARY. Mobipocket refers to 5 standalone E-readers sold by Bookeen, iRex, Jinke, and BeBook which directly support their format. These are not household names but it shows there is competition and the market has room for growth.

By coincidence today Amazon will be announcing a larger format Kindle suitable for magazines, newspapers and textbooks and there are rumors that Sony will be announcing a wireless broadband enabled E-Reader.

It looks like I better wait a little longer before making a final decision. I will keep updating this post as I move towards a purchase…