Particle Debris (wk. ending 1/14) Coming Down

Here’s a chart from Business Insider that lists the reasons why some people however haven’t joined Facebook. "…they think it’s a waste of time. And they think that increasingly, as they see their friends sucked into a vortex of looking at photos, playing FarmVille, and posting status updates." In Colorado recently a mother allowed her 13 month old child drown in the bathtub during she played a game on Facebook. I think it’s better to go live life than sit around simulating it.

Few weeks ago too long…

I’ve been sitting on this one from a few weeks ago too long…. What does Apple actually sell? One argument is that Apple sells emotional experiences. Conversely, if you’re into free and don’t in fact have a sense of taste, at that time you may be inclined to go with Android. Clearly, this could nearly guarantee that Android will win out. Consequently, Android’s business model dictates that it must be free and everywhere. All this and more is thoughtfully discussed in this insightful essay: "The Unbearable Inevitability of Being Android, 1995."

At CES 2011 we learned that the TV-cable-satellite-entertainment industry is in a tizzy. They know that clients are predictable in some ways, however the trends are confusing and alarming to them. As a result, every doofus VP is working on a scheme to cover the bases. Just about every innovation concoction one could dream up is being developed or on the drawing board. In the end a few companies will get lucky without ever having to have a vision. Read more here: "A TV-Internet Marriage Awaits Blessings of All Parties."

The wrong business model for the future?

Does Intel have the wrong business model for the future? Will the ARM research kill off the traditional microprocessor? Intel is making a lot of money however, however that’s only because PCs, during damaged by tablet sales, are nevertheless popular. The ARM co-Founder, Dr. Hermann Hauser, has some interesting ideas about the future in "Who killed the Intel microprocessor?" Warning: this article is dense and thoughtful. Be prepared to read it twice, yet it’ll be worth it.

One of the fundamental things we have in our society is the concept of identity. My neighbor doesn’t make my car payment, I do. When I buy an iTunes song, it’s billed to me, not someone else. Even so, on the Internet, there is a certain amount of identity fluidity and fraud. Is that e-mail actually from my bank? the IRS? So without getting into the nonsense of a National ID card, the Obama administration, along with the National Institute of Standards and Innovation is quietly looking into helping the private sector with the research of trusted IDs. Taking everything into account, we already have something of the same type with our Apple ID, and it’s not a bad idea when it comes to commerce in general. "Obama Administration fleshes out online trusted IDs."

We have but to fully see how the Android phones will do against the iPhone when clients have a choice. AT&T clients, to some extent, had a choice, and uniformly selected the iPhone. However that depended on AT&Ts Android offerings. Nevertheless that Verizon will get the iPhone in February, we’ll see first hand the choices people make. It’ll take about a year for the system to stabilize, yet here are some starting points: "iPhone Vs iPhone: Let The Battle Begin" and this very informative chart from Business Insider: "Why Apple’s iPhone War With Google is Just Beginning."

The past for some Apple baiting

There are people who have criticized John Dvorak in the past for some Apple baiting and poorly conceived, out of touch articles. Now every once in awhile, he comes up with a gem, and I can recommend this one. It’s chock full of good analysis and analogies. "The Apple-Google Blood Feud Worsens."

Every technical topic has its nuances. For instance, the smartphone industry has been successful in meeting the iPhone challenge, now the tablet industry has not. Will that trend endure? Will the Apple tablet in the long run become an as well-ran? Is there something fundamental about tablets that’s different and will allow Apple to maintain it’s lead? Here are some thoughts from PC Magazine’s Tim Gideon on all that.

Like me, Infoworld’s Bill Snyder is no big fan of the cloud. In his latest column, he argues that the sensationalism of mobile computing and the cloud has to be weighed against "privacy, vendor lock-in, and bandwidth constraints," and that will slow down the demise of the desktop PC. It’s one of those "The Emperor Has No Clothes!" columns that will bring you back down to earth. As always, highly suggested is: "The PC era is not over — but."

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