Microsoft has decided to strike back at Apple. One cannot forget the Apple ads that derided the PC so effectively over the past year or two – Windows Vista presented such an inviting target. But now with Windows 7 improvements and Mac prices going ever higher relative to the equivalent PC, Redmond has launched its […]
The Empire Strikes Back Read More »
Okay, a slight exaggeration; but the announcement this last Thursday that Google Android [a Linux variant] has won the top spot among smartphone OS may be a precursor of what is to come. This Fall, a wave of Android slates, netbooks, pads and tablets are going to arrive on the scene – and change the
Linux Takes the Desktop!? Read More »
RIM is the Rodney Dangerfield of smartphone providers – it gets no respect. Need an example – here is the killing lines from the Gizmodo review of the recently announced Torch 9800 with the new Blackberry OS6 driving it: The distillation of this grand mishmash of observations and scenarios is this: BlackBerry isn’t good enough
Google waves goodbye to Google Wave – a technical note on the Official Google Blog by Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Operations & Google Fellow officially declares Google Wave as uhhh … not dead … just discontinued. …. despite these wins, and numerous loyal fans, Wave has not seen the user adoption we would have
Google Waves Goodbye Read More »
Apple’s Magic trackpad is getting more coverage and print than a simple pointing device seemingly deserves. Takethe5th sees it as a delay in game penalty for Mac OS/X. Gizmodo sees the Magic Trackpad as a precursor to the displacement and end of Mac OS/X and the emergence of a new OS4-inspired OSMac operating environ with
Apple Magic Trackpad: UI Revolution ? Read More »
A few moments of conciliatory silence for the legion of Apple Mac Desktop and laptop users. They will have to wait maybe for Christmas or maybe the NewYear for their multi-touch screen computers. There was no touch+gestures in the MacMini announcements this past May . Ditto again for yesterday’s iMac announcements.
Apple Shorts Touch Screen for Mac Desktops and Laptops Read More »
Want to supercharge your laptop? Then do consider the Super Talent UltraDrive MX SSD. This Solid state drive comes in 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities [prices not available util early September. Current 64GB UltraDrives using SATA-only are in $140 range]. The UltraDrive also has both SATA and USB ports so users can mount it
Super Talent UltraDrive MX SSD Read More »
One of the major security problems is that data on the web often runs naked. This is due to two reasons – 1)the HTTPS protocol can be more difficult and costly to implement and 2)there is a notable performance hit to be taken in most situations. Network World is reporting work done at Stanford University
Enabling Web Encryption Easily Read More »
In Taketh5th’s coverage of the Summer IT Soap Opera, one of the most commented and controversial stories was the status of Windows Phone 7. The tech reviewers were all over the place on the July 2010 revealed developer editions of Windows Phone 7 on a Samsung smartphone. Here is the must reads to date: Gizmodo
More on Windows Phone 7 Read More »
Summer Theater is well …. soapy, meller-dramatik, and often tainted with fits of outrighteous comedy and unexpected self-satire. And this season’s IT Summer Stock is packed to the gilt edge with certified Box office bonanzas. First there is a new Summer Stock Valuation leader – AAPL, displacing vaunted enemy number one, MSFT from the top
Summer IT Soap Season: AAPL vs GOOG vs MSFT Read More »
Picnik is one of the best online photo editors – it is now a part of Google’s Picasa line of free online photo albums. The good news is that Picnik is fast and has some of the best online photo edit features plus context-sensitive help & hints. The system seems to be a bit slower
Google Adds Online Photo Editor to Picasa Read More »
The first post on iDevices argued that the currently breaking wave of new iPhones, smartphones, iPads and tablets represent a major new face to personal computing. The common denominator among these iDevices is high portability, Web and WiFi connections, touch+gesture powered ease of operations, plus small but dense screens that are visible in most lighting
iDevices II : Rapid Evolution Read More »
Peering into ongoing innovation is like looking at a prism. One can see images of what is emerging but the various shapes of an evolving idea in the market are like the facets of the prism – each one sees different forms, strategy and structure. iDevices presents just such a kaleidoscope image as a mix
iDevices – the new Face of Personal Computing Read More »
Takethe5th modestly notes that it has scooped the NYTimes on its Apple Bully Boy story. In today’s NYTimes [June 24th, 2010] the story headlined for the Technology section is: Long the Upstart, Apple Plays New Role: Goliath. Here is a summary of the NYTimes storyline: Apple is now seen by some as an anti-competitive industry
Takethe5th Scoops NYTimes Apple as Bully Boy Story Read More »
Progress on smartphones and tablets which are touch and gesture enabled are moving so rapidly that laptops and PCs are in danger of becoming redundant. Well if not redundant, consigned to specialized development tasks. What has happened is that woefully untapped need for touch-enabled computing has been explosively released first with the iPhone then Android
Are PC’s in Danger of Becoming Redundant ? Read More »
Takethe5th has been following the Apple versus Adobe debate with a bit of a jaundiced eye – wondering how Flash video and all its broad range of applications can run so fast on Windows yet slow on Macs [and Linux too]. Adobe claims that the latest Flash player 10.1 has not been tuned quite yet
Apple vs Adobe: Take 6, Apple Graphics HW is SLOWWwwww Read More »
There is no doubt that there is an emerging contest open now for becoming the next and new World Financial Center. The opportunity broke with the breakdown of financial responsibility on Wall Street and European financial centers plus the caving of fiscal discipline [consistently running increasing budget deficits over the past 5-10 years]by many developed
Singapore Ups the Ante Read More »
There have been two huge economic developments in the past few weeks that are still under the radar. By under the radar, one means that it is possible to Digg or Stumble posts about the stories and still be “the first discoverer”. Second, though some aspects of the stories are covered – there has not
2 Huge Economic Developments under the Radar Read More »
It is worthwhile point out that Google’s Apache-licensed Android is seen both by Gartner and comScore as one of the fastest growing smartphone OS. And in case you are wondering there is a flood of new Android and Chrome OS based devices reaching the market this summer and fall. And Intel + Nokia with MeeGo
Apache License, Google and Meego Layers, Linux Triumphs Read More »
Walmart knocked down the prices again – by more than 50% to $97 for an Apple iPhone 3Gs as of last Tuesday. So the gadget press churned out the obvious – Apple was allowing Walmart to clear out the iPhone 3Gs stock for the upcoming iPhone 4 likely to be announced at the Apple Worldwide
WalMart: “iPhone 3Gs for $97” Read More »
When Bloomberg bought Business Week, this reader had some doubts – why did Bloomberg want to get on the Sinking Titanic- Printed Media? Readership continues to drift downward for all print media not just newspapers, although they are leading the death spiral. So why join the dance of depth? Well upon reflection there are three
The New Bloomberg Businessweek Read More »
The above pricing model for Google represents a new Technical Analysis – no not moving averages and Bollingers boundaries based on past patterns of pricing with no reference to products, marketing, or sales trends. Rather what Trefis does is provide a stock price modeling framework based on what markets a stock is in rather than
The New “Technical Analysis” of Stocks Read More »
Whats a waste! Apple’s Steve Job is getting awfully close to libelous scamming of Adobe Flash Player.Adobe has made the critical mistake of not putting enough resources into developing for Linux and Mac. And so Steve throws out HTML5 as a solution – and walks right into 3 big punches. First, HTML5 is far from
Apple versus Adobe Feud Read More »
Apple’s Steve Jobs appears to have a)granted Adobe’s Lee Brimelow’s wish and scr#wed himself and b)has Amazon, Dell, Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Palm and a bevy of other mobile players wishing for many more happy returns by the Cupertino Czar to such faux pas plays in an unforgivably fast evolving Mobile Lite Device market. Lets handle
How Steve Jobs Has Scr#wed Himself Read More »
Microsoft Kin is a throw-away – that is the jist of the conclusion one derives from the Engadget Opinion piece by Ross Rubin: Kin Dread Spirit. In the article, Ross describes how Microsoft top brass including Steve Ballmer and Peter Bache found fault with Google last December for entering the mobile market at the expense
Microsoft Kin: A Throw Away Read More »
Looking for commentary on the current ugly Apple versus Adobe confrontation on the banning of Flash from the Apple Mobile Lite lineup of products [currently, iPod, Ipad, iPhone] I Stumbled on the Cult of Mac website. Cult of Mac had the returning shot across the bow by Adobe Flash Product Evangelist Lee Brimelow after Apple’s
Chatting with Apple Fanboys Read More »
If Gizmodo and Wired are to be believed, Apple is leading the way to a new computing paradigm – lite, bright, easy to setup and use, long battery lifed computing and communication devices. Call it the Mobile Lineup made up of iPod, iPad, and iPhone currently. But Apple has is taking a risky road because
Apple Has Mobile Monopoly Momentum Read More »
Google is out again with much more Bing-like Search Results Since November 2009 Google has from time to time been changing its interface for Search results – and clearly what I have experienced is now out in the wild again according to SearchEngineLand. And the new interface is very nice indeed – it brings Advanced
Google Gets Binged – Markets Are Working Read More »
The following is the picture for Climate Change in Canada this past winter – December 2009 through February 2010. Note the great swaths of the the North in Canada that are seeing temperatures well above normal – as much as 7.5 degrees Celsius. Now context is everything because what is not shown is the temperatures
Global Climate Change: Canadian Picture Read More »
UPDATE2: Washington Post calls decision a watershed, Android is delayed on China Mobile, etc. UPDATE: Google moved its search site to HongKong where it can deliver uncensored searches.What is uncertain is how China will react. China already blocks YouTube will it do the same for Google Maps, Apps, and Voice? What happens with Google Android
China vs Google: the Denouement Read More »
Steve Ballmer’s Microsoft is playing serious catchup in 4 big markets. Google search is the obvious one and despite Bing Search it is going to be a long, tough row to hoe. But the other 3 problems all have common themes. First, they involve UI innovations as a major factor. Second, they involve Microsoft coming
Microsoft’s Perfect Storm of Problems Read More »
More often than not I am getting the following notice while using Google on Google’s own Chrome browser: Now the problem is I have so many tabs open that it is not easy to just restart like now. However, I can say that google.com is working just fine in other browsers which give no such
Google Missing in Action Read More »
