Virtualization, Cloud Computing and Mobile: 09/27/10

2010년 9월 27일 월요일

Apple TV Preparing to Ship, Apps on the Way?

Steve Jobs promised the second-generation Apple TV, announced at the last Apple event, would ship within four weeks. This being the fourth week, it’s not surprising to see reports appearing citing charges to credit cards, which suggests shipments are imminent.

Just a fifth the size of the previous model, the new Apple TV dispenses with a 160GB mechanical drive and Pentium CPU, in favor of a rumored 16GB of flash and the Apple A4. It will also be running iOS, but is not currently capable of accessing the App Store.

However, Steve Jobs did tell Businessweek that “when the time is right, Apple could open an App Store for the TV.” That careful non-confirmation has recently been buttressed by an obscure profile at LinkedIn. As reported by MacRumors, the profile describes the position of an intern as an “Apple TV Apps Engineer.”

Perhaps the inevitable jailbreaking of the new Apple TV will turn up evidence of software hooks for the App Store, but even if it doesn’t, new functionality includes Netflix streaming, at least for U.S., and now Canadian subscribers. Additionally, AirPlay will allow computer and iOS device owners to stream music, photos, and video to the new Apple TV.

Sensor Networks Top Social Networks for Big Data

With the firehose of information enabled by Facebook, Twitter, location-based services, and other forms of social media, the era of Big Data is upon us. However, outside of the consumer world, the stakes are much higher: While advertisers and consumers are focused on monetizing sites that have hundreds of millions of users for a few pennies each, the ubiquity of connectivity and the growth of sensors has opened up a larger storehouse of information that will not only help businesses profit, but will also boost safety and enable environmental benefits.

For example, a Boeing jet generates 10 terabytes of information per engine every 30 minutes of flight, according to Stephen Brobst, the CTO of Teradata. So for a single six-hour, cross-country flight from New York to Los Angeles on a twin-engine Boeing 737 — the plane used by many carriers on this route — the total amount of data generated would be a massive 240 terabytes of data. There are about 28,537 commercial flights in the sky in the United States on any given day. Using only commercial flights, a day’s worth of sensor data quickly climbs into the petabyte scale — for a single day. Multiply that by weeks, months and years, and the scale of sensor data gets massive.

The iPad and the Rise of the Keyboard Case

The slow trickle that will become a flood has begun, as Keyboard cases for Apple’s iPad begin to appear here and there alongside more traditional offerings. The idea is simple: build a Bluetooth keyboard right into a case designed to protect and carry the iPad, and you’ve got yourself a total netbook replacement in a single, svelte package. It’s a watershed moment for the iPad, and for tablets in general.

The First Crop

The ClamCase was one of the first out of the gate with the concept, but they haven’t been able to make the leap to actually producing units yet. ClamCase’s creators have pegged Fall 2010 as the timeframe for actually shipping the hard-shell keyboard case, but no concrete details have emerged.

Two other more recent competitors look poised to beat them out the gate in terms of putting devices into the hands of actual consumers. The first is the Sena Keyboard Folio, a high-end leather option retailing for $149.99 ($129.99 if you pre-order), and the second is the very similar Kensington KeyFolio, which trades real leather for faux, and retails for much less at $99.99. Neither has actually come to market, but both are available for pre-order.

Target to Sell iPads Starting October

Target will soon become the neighborhood electronics store with the addition of all six models of the Apple iPad in stores. The models will start at $499 (the same pricing as Apple’s online and brick and mortar stores) and will join the Kindle at the nation’s second-largest discount chain. The move to sell iPads is good for both Apple and Target, as the exposure to the devices will be significant given the chain’s foot traffic.

The retail giant will handle the entire iPad line, consisting of 16, 32 and 64GB versions of both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/ 3G models. Executives have pointed out that the tablets from Apple are elegible for Target’s 5 percent discount for store credit-card holders, making them cheaper than buying elsewhere. The appearance of the iPad and the Kindle in Target is good exposure to technology products for the average Joe who might never see them otherwise. The vast majority of the population has never seen these gadgets in person, and they’re often best appreciated when tried in the hand; gadgets can intimidate some folks by their very nature, so having them in a familiar setting may be just the ticket to get registers to ring.

http://jkontherun.com/2010/09/24/target-to-sell-ipads-starting-october/

The New Apple Model: Cheap Player, Expensive Remote

What’s the real price of admission for the new Apple TV? How about $300 U.S., give or take, not the $99 it says on the box? That’s factoring in the cost of the entry-level iPod touch, which is the least Apple is hoping you’ll be buying in addition to its new living room media player. They say marijuana is a gateway drug; meet Apple’s new innocuous gateway gadget.

The key to Apple TV’s addictive potential? Another recently introduced Apple product, albeit one that’s harder to put a price tag on. It’s AirPlay, the re-imagined AirTunes successor that allows Apple’s iOS devices (as of version 4.2, due in November) to stream video or audio content to the Apple TV, and therefore, to your connected home stereo or television.

Consumers Like Mobile "Crapware," Says New Study

Pre-loaded mobile applications - the so-called "junk" apps (aka "crapware") that come pre-installed on mobile handsets - aren't as despised as you might think. At least that's the finding of a new study of American consumers by iGR Research. The market strategy consultancy discovered that pre-installed applications actually factor into the buying decisions of smartphone owners, even more so than those available for download from a mobile application store. And worse, the majority of consumers actually like them.

WhiteSmoke is a world-leading company in the field of English writing technologies, with a focus on products that enhance and correct grammar, spelling, and writing style. WhiteSmoke products are based on natural language processing (NLP) technology, featuring unique and patented artificial intelligence algorithms for text analysis.

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As someone who's personally frustrated by the "un-deleteable" mobile applications that came pre-loaded on our household's new Android phone, everything about this study rubs me the wrong way. Don't believe the hype, it says, pre-loaded applications matter to consumers.

The company also notes that jailbreaking is not a widespread phenomenon. Only 5% of the survey respondents reported they had jailbroken or unlocked their phones, two terms referring to different types of hacks that allow users to have more control over their devices. It uses this statistic as proof of how little everyday consumers care about the restrictions placed on their phones.

3 Ways WiMax Will Affect Mobile App Development

WiMax promises faster speeds for a variety of mobile devices. With those faster speeds comes a number of impacts for the end user.

Engadget did a test this week in San Francisco to show just how fast we are talking about.

This series on wireless standards is brought to you by Intel.

Fast, huh?

Get a Clue: What do People Remember About Your Site?

You've invested good money in your web design, but do you know what your customers actually remember about your site? Clue, a new tool from Bay Area interaction design and design strategy firm ZURB, lets you create a 5-second interactive memory test that you can use to test what people remember about your product. The tool is available for free and you don't even have to log in to use it.

In a 5-second test, you get to see a website for 5 seconds and then you have to enter up to five things you remember about the screenshot you just saw. These tests are pretty common in usability studies and ZURB isn't the first company to offer a web-based version of this. FiveSecondTest.com, for example, offers more features than Clue, but it's also a paid service and you have to upload your own screenshots while Clue takes care of this for you.

With Clue, ZURB focused on making the creating of these test as easy to use as possible. To get started, you just have to enter the URL of the site you want to test. Clue will take a screenshot of the site and return a link that you can then give to your test subjects. As ZURB's lead marketer Dmitry Dragilev told us, the tool is mainly aimed at small businesses and mom and pop stores, as well as designers who want to quickly test an idea. Given that you can't password-protect your test results, though, you probably don't want to use it for confidential tests.

Children's Fantasy Novel Engages Readers with Augmented Reality

Writer and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi is the author of several young adult fantasy novels, including the popular series The Spiderwick Chronicles. Earlier this week, his latest book, The Search for WondLa hit bookshelves in U.S., and within it featured an interactive augmented reality experience readers could unlock using their Web browsers. The book, published by Simon & Schuster, is one of the first of its kind and could be a glimpse into how kids will enjoy reading in the future.

Since 2006, Mashery has managed the APIs for more than 100 brands such as The New York Times, Netflix, Best Buy and Hoovers. Powering the more than 10,000 apps built upon these APIs, Mashery enables its customers to distribute their content, data or products to mobile devices and web mashups.

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The novel features special emblems on three of its pages which can be used to unlock the augmented reality experience. By holding the emblems infront of their webcam, readers will see a somewhat-interactive 3D map that helps them picture the world of the novel. Animations and sounds play automatically as the experience guides the user around the map.

"The publishing industry is moving rapidly into the digital age," says DiTerlizzi. "I see the integrated use of AR as an ideal bridge, enhancing what readers love best about story and narrative while tapping innovation and imagination, to bring forth entirely new experiences associated with the book."