I am not trying to say I thought of this first, but just yesterday I was preparing a post about projectors and AirPlay. I felt that a small AirPlay powered projector running its own Wi-Fi or mobile network could be used at home, outdoors and on the go.

Concept

The concept projector is controlled by the iPad via an app or iCloud when there is an internet connection. This would work the same as using your iPad to change the channel of an Xfinity cable box. Using iCloud, you could launch an approved app or play a movie that is then streamed over the web to your linked projector and played wherever you are (kind of like VPN). The interface would allow you to use enabled apps on the projector without having it running iOS, just the ability to stream content from the web via a connected account.

Then again, it could have a version of Apple TV iOS installed that you could directly link to it using another iOS device to playa movie or launch an app. Interface is key but this was a concept I was thinking about.

Real

Today however, 3M and Roku announced a streaming projector powered by the Roku stick. This is actually a TV without actually building one. 

In my opinion, Roku is innovating and finding ways to get into homes. For $300, you get a projector than can display an image up to 60” and the Roku streaming stick. The projector can also be used on battery for over 2 hours. Talk about taking your TV with you. Now just bundle in a Wi-Fi hotspot from Verizon or AT&T and you have a mobile TV setup streaming Hulu, Netflix and more. Also you can use the projector with any HDMI capable device it seems completely replacing a TV for some.

This is definitely a great move by Roku and 3M.

Apple is set to release iOS 6 and with it their new Maps application built in a partnership with TomTom. This new Maps application will be replacing the old Google provided application which worked very well but lacked some of the benefits Android users had like turn-by-turn directions. Apple in their continued plan to control the main ecosystem of Apps in iOS has now taken control of the Maps application to improve user experience, but have they? Anil Dash thinks not at all saying

I've been using iOS 6 for a few months, and initially chalked up the problems I'd had to likely bugs that would be worked out as the software matured. Unfortunately, now that we all have access to the release version of iOS 6, it's evident that fundamental mapping features like venue search and directions are significantly worse than in the Google versions.

Meanwhile Jim Dalrymple in his review said

I really should mention Maps, Apple’s new turn-by-turn direction app on the iPhone. I love it. I used in Cupertino and I used it at home — it worked equally well in both places.

Stark contrast but overall the general consensus is that it is not as good as Google Maps. We will find out just how bad when it ships to the masses.

Opportunity

I am sure Google plans to release a Maps application for iOS that closely resembles the one available on Android now that they are no longer the default map provider. I also expect they will release this as a free app with banner advertisements to generate revenue. This will be the first incarnation of maps to have any kind of direct advertisement. Android Maps don’t and neither does the browser version. If they want to maintain this experience of no banner ads in Maps knowing previously they made some money from Apple for using their Maps data in iOS, the solution is simple.

Google should charge $0.99 for their Maps application when they release it. 

This would be almost the same as collecting a subsidy for each iPhone that downloads the app from Apple and still allow them to provide a stellar non-advertisement based map application for iOS until Apple gets their offering right. Yes they would still give 30% to Apple for each sale but I’m sure they previously helped Apple get a larger percent from hardware by helping iOS have a stellar Maps application. 

If Google wants to be seen as a premium Map application compared to the Apple version, keeping ugly banner ads out of the application will be a good way to go along with providing stellar directions, turn-by-turn navigation, and especially transit directions. 

Competition

Another thought is Google could decide that if there was no way to make a stellar Maps application in iOS, that they could use it as a competitive factor for Android going forward. 

Want better Maps, location and transit directions then make the switch to Android.

Already they are making updates to the Android Map app just as Apple prepares to launch theirs in iOS6

It will be interesting to see what happens next in the Maps space

I am really impressed with the new Nintendo Wii U TVii especially the gamepad which is essentially a tablet device. The integration with an IR blaster is great for integration with non-wireless devices like a cable box (although these days you can link your box with an iOS app and change the channel). you can control your Tivo and interact with the content on the second screen as you watch it on the main screen. It will also be used when playing games.

Nintendo has always found a way to one up Microsoft and Sony in the console wars and I think they have hit an entertainment home run with this design and integration. In my Apple TV remote concept, I suggested that using another touch device as the main control for the TV would be easy and could potential enhance the experience.

For whatever reason, I have a feeling that Apple is thinking the same thing. In fact, I think it is one of the reasons they are releasing the smaller iPad. Easier to hold and could come with more integration with the future TV. There may even be a new Apple TV device in october when the new iPad is launched. Remember just yesterday I mentioned how they showed an image of people playing games on their TV using their iPods and AirPlay. Of course this is pure speculation, and the iPad with a few apps can pretty much act as a second screen while you watch your cable TV but imagine the integration that could come if when you AirPlay something from your device to the Apple TV you could still use that device to interact more with the pushed content like you can on the Wii U TVii?

Looking forward to using the new Nintendo console and seeing just how good their integration is and what this means for their competitors and the future of television interaction.   

As expected, the most improvements made to the iPhone 5 are internal with the external body shape staying somewhat the same with a few material changes. I am a bit unsure of the taller screen but I am sure it wont be as big a change as I expect.

Streamlining for Profit

The thing that caught my eye was the streamlining of the materials used in the iPhone and iPod Touch. Looking at them, they both consists of mainly the same components: Aluminum, glass, sapphire camera lens cover, taller screens. Even the internals seems mostly the iPhone 4S (processor, Wi-Fi radio) with a few of the iPhone 5 upgrades (new dock connector, maybe battery)

I bet this was driven by Tim Cook and was done to maximize profits. The larger the parts ordered, the cheaper they cost and also manufacturing doesn’t need to change much to make these products. Profits, Profits, Profits. Apple is good at making these design decisions based on the bottom line and not on just creating something new as each new form factor means repurposing the manufacturing line with new machines and training people etc. Using the same design for years has allowed them to perfect it, while improving on it and increasing their profits. Genius!

Television

The other thing that caught my eye from following the liveblog was the image of people playing games on the TV using their iPod Touch as the controller and streaming through the Apple TV using AirPlay. This looks a lot like my concept for the Apple TV remote and is definitely something I can see Apple building upon as they move forward in their bid to dominate the living room. Their last frontier?

Kyle Baxter chimes in​

Apple’s proving they can do live events on a large scale, and they’re showing how big their platform is.
​I don’t think it would be crazy at all for the NFL to make Sunday Ticket an Apple device-exclusive.

​Exactly

Craig Hockenberry on the first Apple channel

It also sets a precedent for the future. Could this be akin to HBO creating premium content for it's subscribers? Or Netflix producing its own shows to make it's streaming service more desirable?
Apple first got its feet wet in the content business with music in iTunes. What we're seeing here may be the company?s first effort in the video business.

Sounds about right to me? as I mentioned in iTunes live a few days ago

The iTunes music festival is currently underway, providing 30 nights of free music in London and streaming live online for everyone else around the world. The festival will be streamed live via iTunes on your computer,  mobile apps for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad as well as through the Apple TV. 

This is not the first iTunes Festival nor will it be the last, but is anyone especially the acts paying attention to the trend and how popular this festival has become over the years? The festivals popularity has continued to grow and will be streamed to over 80 different countries this year. The main revenue stream here is to push fans to buy albums and songs from the artists performing at the festival, especially live recordings of the songs they perform and festival highlight compilation albums released later.

I believe there is more to this that artists should pay attention to with regards to the audience. 

The potential to generate revenue from allowing people to pay to stream their concerts live via iTunes or any other platform. As people have more connected devices, especially internet capable TVs these days, there is the potential to generate revenue using a streaming model. Provide people with a platform to pay to watch the same concert they couldn’t get tickets to. Make it the same price as the concert ticket so those that want to go and experience that ‘atmosphere’ can still go. Those who cannot just log on to their concert app, pay to view and watch a live stream of the concert at home, following along as the artist does a new version of that song they love so much. A special live version while rocking the baby to sleep.

Image how much more revenue the artist could generate from that. Yes people will find ways to game the system but it will still be a larger revenue stream than was previously possible by reaching the audience at home. 

What about those countries the artist cannot go to? Stream to those countries where your fans will pay to watch you.

This is the concert platform of the future... especially as we move towards 3D televisions and projections. Apple is already ahead of the competition in this regard and I wont be surprised to see the possible innovations they put into the Apple television if they ever release one. For now, just building a model for artists to generate more revenue could be another avenue of profit for the company. 

Now that would be interesting...

This is an interesting camera concept that allows you to transfer the image directly from the camera to paper using a form of 'screen printing on cloth' technology​. Dare I say I really like how it looks.

Marco on the upcoming smaller iPad​

This suggests that the iPad Mini is, effectively, an iPad 2: an A5 with 512 MB of RAM and enough GPU power to drive the Gruber Display, but not a Retina Display. It’s a textbook Tim Cook supply-chain move: selling the last generation’s hardware at a lower price point to expand marketshare.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Marco is right. One of the reasons I felt Tim Cook was the right man to run Apple was that he was good at making strategic supply chain decisions and maintaining the profitability of the product line . Using the same internals Apple has been making for years to power the upcoming smaller iPad is in plain terms a wonderful business idea. Remember, the iPad 2 is still on sale and runs the current iOS well and it should continue to do so especially on a device with a smaller screen. Maybe with even better battery life?

I have been watching other companies continue to turn out new hardware after new hardware without streamlining anything especially the supply chain. Apple does it’s best to keep the components the same, keeping the manufacturing line from having to make huge changes and driving their costs down. This of course goes all the way up to design. I am sure they take these decision into account when designing new iPhones and computers. Look at the entire laptop line. Apple found a way to manufacture unibodies and slowly migrated that process to the entire line. They have perfected the process with each iteration and by using the same process for all their laptops have made it easier to manufacture using the same components, driving their costs down and profits up.

Hope we can learn something from Apple and if its anything it is how to manage the supply chain. Let’s see if this is the case when the smaller iPad is released.

I have been away from writing for quite a while mostly due to not having the time, but mainly due to making excuses. I am trying to make a comeback, hoping to get back to writing again and to be. 

As part of the comeback, I decided it was time for a small redesign and a move to Squarespace where I could focus more on writing and less on the back end where certain things weren’t working as expected. I had been a supporter of hosting your own blog but it seemed to be taking away from me writing more and more, especially when I was on a mobile device. I am hoping that with this change, those distractions will be eliminated. I will probably continue tweaking the design until I am completely happy with it, which could be never. 

As part of the move to squarespace, I couldn’t easily import all my previous posts, especially the link posts. I decided against entering all those posts individually and instead just transferred over the long form writing that I hope to build upon going forward. 

Here’s to writing...

Every year I like to join the Apple event predictions, so let's talk.

Invitation

The event invitation says it all. "Let's talk iPhone". However, I think everyone might be reading it wrong… it should be Let's talk, iPhone.

The Hardware in the iPhone will be irrelevant to the software upgrade. The iPhone is really all about iOS5 which will make great use of the upgraded processor, higher res camera and whatever else Apple decides to add.

The Assistant feature being talked about is the real key, along with all the awesome iOS 5 goodies we have already heard about such as imessage, twitter integration and better notifications.

The invitation shows the clock, calendar, maps and phone icons from iOS. Assuming these are about the new assistant feature, the invitation now reads

Let's talk, iPhone about setting reminders, alerts, calendar events, locations, reviews at locations, directions, finding contacts and calling.

Let's Talk

My only thought on this is that Apple will not use it as a dictation, or composing feature. It won't be used to compose text messages, but help answer questions, like telling your phone to do something for you on your behalf. The amount of phrases necessary to compose full texts and emails is something that needs lots of data and analysis (mainly of the actual user). Maybe Siri had that but I'm guessing it will be more focused on keywords and phrases like launch that app, find me a Chinese restaurant, and where are my friends?

In the future, Apple might have lots of data from each users profile based on iCloud logins that they could then perfect this system for longtime Apple users.

Also, its possible this event won't even focus on the iPod Touch, but it will be updated online at the end of the day. This whole event will be loosely focused on the device hardware upgrades and more on the software.

So how will Apple get people to upgrade or pay more for this device (and also possibly the new iPod Touch)… the A5 processor will be needed for the great things Assistant and other unknown iOS5 features that will be mentioned. And thats Apple in a nutshell, use Software to drive Hardware sales.

Let's Talk indeed...

I like Google Flights.

For a while now I have been searching for a travel site that does one thing well. Show me destinations I can fly to, from a specific airport this instant for a set amount. What I mean is I don't have a destination, I just want to go somewhere for $300 or less now. Where can I go...

Where to?

Google Flights puts this front and center. Just select your current location, the maximum price you are willing to pay and the dates you want to fly. Google Flights will immediately show you which cities/airports you can fly to for that price. As someone who loves to travel, the idea of not knowing where to go but wanting to go somewhere is something that happens to me a lot. However, most other travel sites force you to enter a "to" location before the search can occur. There is no spontaneity in that... Where is the adventure.

Thank you

Google Flights. You may have just earned one frequent customer.

A friend just asked me why I wasn't worried about Apple now that Steve Jobs has resigned. I gave two reasons and thought I would repeat them here for all to read.

First, looking back at the Steve Jobs era and having an idea of how he works I am positive Apple already has the next few years (maybe even up to 10 yrs) planned with different directions the company could/will go. We all know that Apple has a singular goal and a plan to get there. All they need is an operational head to make sure the deals are in place and that they do not waver from that goal. That man is Tim Cook and he is now the CEO.

Second, Steve is now head of the board and will still have a say in what they do next, how they do it, which new markets they enter and the risks they take as a company. I see his influence remaining strong even if not directly engaged in day to day operations.

I am sure in the next few days/weeks we will find out exactly why Steve retired. I hope he is healthy and I look forward to this new era in Apple Inc.

On Jan 17 I talked about RIM needed to open up BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) to the iPhone and other platforms because it was something the iPhone and Android sorely lacked and was helping RIM's International growth.

Someone listened and today we have iMessage.

I was really hoping for something cross platform and RIM might still have a chance to pull it off.

Since the announcement of the iPad 2, I have been wondering about the smart covers. How well they work in real life use, how the magnets affect everyday usage and storage and if it was even worth it. With the reviews now coming in, it seems most people are not really covering the smart covers (yes it's just an accessory) in-depth but just calling it a good looking screen cleaner with the ability to hold up the ipad. The only person who actually talks about using it in real life situations is Walt Mossberg who says:

Unfortunately, I found the cover’s magnetic latch came open in my briefcase, turning the screen on and wasting the battery.

That is the kind of information that matters for such an accessory design. Using magnets is not something that will stay in place in a bag with things moving around a lot and I can see the above being a common trend with most people who carry a bag packed with lots of things everyday. Will they attract other metal in the bag (I am surprised no one has tried using it to pick up pins or something) so that when pulled out you need to first extract that pin that you couldn't find at the bottom of your bag? These are things I am curious about.

I have mentioned before that I fear putting magnets near magnetic hard drives is not a good idea, albeit the magnets would need to be relatively strong to cause major damage. Remember though that these iPads will be in bags with laptops, credit cards and other things that might get affected by magnets. It seems David Pogue's son has the same fears as me:

“But Dad,” my 6-year-old son pointed out, “you’re supposed to keep magnets away from electronics!”... “I know,” I replied sagely. “But this is Apple.”

Yes it is Apple and with the launch tomorrow, we will see just how successful the smart covers will really be with everyday consumers. My guess is they will sell out along with the device but hopefully won't spurn the same problems as antennagate.

My brief thoughts after finally watching the iPad 2 keynote:

I wonder if the use of the accelerometer to determine how hard you hit garageband instruments can be used in drawing apps that have not had pressure sensitivity. Tap harder to get darker strokes.

Where is the Aperture for the iPad app now that we have GarageBand and iMovie. That would be a killer app in my opinion, especially for photographers on the go not Photo Booth. My guess is this new A5 processor can handle RAW much better than the first generation and should be supported more in iOS 4.3.

The battery life is still awesome and a huge selling point in my opinion. This all ties in with vertical integration, something that competitors (except hopefully HP/Palm) don’t get.

The Post-PC Era has begun and other companies just don't seem to get it. Its not about how fast the hardware is, but how it feels to use it. This is why I think all companies using Android should drop it and focus on developing their own software and ecosystem and leave Google to Android. Or Google should really step to the plate and buy a small hardware company and really start creating high end Android devices, maybe even just tablets.

I wonder how much better graphics will be now that it has 9x better graphics performance. This new A5 chip should work wonders in the upcoming Apple TV and iPhone update.

The video mirroring is huge for education and using your iPad in meetings, while the AirPlay improvements will help sharing in personal large group sharing. Apple really is making the iPad a more useful device by adding these features.

The new thinner size seems to help holding in one hand.

The new magnet covers looks very nice. However, I am unsure how the magnets in the iPad itself will affect day to day usage, such as attracting objects on a work table or sticking to things it shouldn't. Only time will tell on this one.

The new iPad should sell very well, but I am not convinced that many people who already have one will upgrade.

Gruber complains about a smaller iPhone:

I really don’t think we’ll see screen sizes other than 3.5 inches, unless Apple introduces a new size that developers would need to specifically redesign their apps to properly target — and I just don’t see a need for that.

I have talked about this before and Grubers point got me thinking. What if Apple really isn't making a smaller iPhone, but a smaller iOS device. One that's solely made to control the upcoming Apple TV running the A5 chip.

Apple currently has a lot of remote type apps in the App store (45 for iPhone and 20 for iPad including desktop remote access apps), what if this new cheaper type iPhone is meant to focus on this type of app. Developers specifically build remotes for their apps that runs on the new iDevice. I mean most people don't want to use their cell phones to control the TV, it's a waste of battery, sharing the remote is a problem and switching apps back and forth from the remote is less than ideal.

Requirements

The device would certainly have to be cheaper than the current iPhone and iPod touch, will not need much hard drive space (at least not as much as the iPhone), might not need a home button thats the same as the current iphone (differentiation as the button could be elsewhere on device) and can be used with voice control (easy commands like skip, forward, play). This sounds eerily familiar to what was said in the WSJ Article

In fact as wild speculation, using AirPlay the Apple TV could stream it's screen back to the iDevice and allow control using the touch input along side individual apps.

Only time will tell if or what Apple has planned but this is my best guess on that smaller iPhone everyone is talking about.

The anticipated HP/Palm Tablet was revealed today. The TouchPad is the first tablet that looks to me to be the best iPad competitor out there, when it is released.

First Impressions

• The webOS software looks great (really great)
• The hardware is nice but it has a plastic back
• Full gesture interface with no interface buttons. Nice, maybe Apple will follow
• The integration with the Pre 3 is really great
• Notifications done right

My Big questions

A few questions that stood out to me

Where is the price?

Apple aggressively priced the iPad and are almost certainly about to improve on that when the iPad 2 is released. The TouchPad has lots of things that I am sure will keep the price on the high end, but how high I wonder that they didn’t even give a possible price range?

What will battery life be like?

Currently the iPad is rated at about 10 hours with a 6600 mAH battery but the TouchPad has a slightly smaller 6300 mAH battery. With webOS multi-tasking, a more powerful processor, beats audio and Flash, I would love to see what the TouchPad will be rated at.

Availability in Summer is very vague

Will it arrive in time to compete with the iPad 2

Weight

Wi-Fi only when released but weighs more than the current iPad Wi-Fi + 3G model (740g vs 730g). Not great considering people want the iPad to be even lighter than it is now.

So

Hopefully these get answered soon, unless they are waiting to see what Apple does with the iPad 2 before they make decisions on price and how aggressive they will be with battery life. I mean the guys at Cupertino are the ones to beat and Palm doesn’t want to set low expectations.

Based on what I have seen though, it is the first device that has made me consider a switch but the big questions remain to see if it is a real competitor.

CEO Stephen Elop during Nokia’s earnings call:

Nokia must compete on an ecosystem-to-ecosystem basis. In addition to great devices, we must build, catalyze, and/or join a competitive ecosystem.

This article by Business Insider suggests Android as that competitive ecosystem. I think Nokia should side with Microsoft.

Microsoft is in need of a large volume partner and they could make lots of concessions for Nokia especially since the old Windows Mobile outsold WM7 last quarter. I think the keyword here from Elop was “catalyze”. This would allow them to grow with Microsoft and maybe help mold WM7 going forward instead of just jumping in with everyone else in using Android without playing a part in its future development. Doesn’t sound like Nokia, they have always gone with ecosystems they could really be a part of like partnering with Intel and the Symbian foundation.

However, he also said this:

The strategy shift will be be “elegant in its simplicity”

Maybe they have developed a Symbian based/type front for Android that would allow them to position it as something different/unique but with the same front end that their users have come to know. Also android is free, keeping Nokia’s costs low which is their competitive advantage.

We will find out on Feb 11.

The world is now social. The world is now mobile. These two ideas are simple and have changed the way a lot of things are done. Before you had to wait to get home to your desktop or until you had a moment to pull out your laptop in a convenient place if you carried it with you. Now you just pull out your mobile computer and get the task done. I use the term mobile computer to categorize both phones and tablets that are always on and easier to use in more places than was previously possible.

The RIM Problem

RIM makes their own products, both hardware and software. Not many other mobile companies can say that these days with everyone licensing Android from Google. RIM has stood their ground and continued to fight the good fight to stay relevant. The problem is their hardware is slowly becoming irrelevant, at least in the eyes of users today. Yes they are growing in international markets but its not because they make beautiful hardware or software. It’s because of the services they provide.

The RIM Advantage

RIM is a service company. They build hardware and software to support their services.

Their main service is e-mail. They build their hardware to allow you to interact with the e-mail service very easily using the built in keyboard. Push email has always been the cornerstone of RIM. In fact, I have heard from most users that they sometimes get their email on their blackberry first before they see it on their computer mail client. That is good service and probably the best mobile only email service available.

Their second key service is where their international growth is coming from. Blackberry Messenger (BBM). Why? Because it is free. Yes you have to pay for data, but its one monthly payment for data and messaging (not counting texts) and when you consider prepaid plans, this goes a long way.

In many countries, they do not have unlimited texting plans and international text costs are relatively high, even here in the U.S. For one monthly fee, you get access to the internet on your phone for email and web and you get access to BBM. Using BBM, you just need the PIN of your friends with a Blackberry and you can chat with them anytime anywhere, even if they are in another country. You can send pictures, share links and more for free compared to adding a texting plan or making an expensive voice call.

In most developing countries, many families have lots of relatives abroad and having conversations with them using BBM is free and easy. This is a huge selling point and why RIM has seen a huge growth Internationally in my opinion.

As mentioned in a study on the BlackBerry’s data cost savings.

In many emerging markets, which have high mobile calling costs, BBM’s speed has turned the service into a substitute for phone conversations

RIMs Gross Margin from selling handsets is currently about 30% per handset and about $15 per quarter from service fee per blackberry user. Here in the U.S, the rate of Blackberry adoption is dropping at the expense of the iPhone and Android. That means revenue from handsets and service fees per user will also continue to drop, especially with the push in international markets with pay as you go plans.

Earlier I mentioned that RIM is a services company. They should focus on this and get away from the low margin handset business they have now. I am not saying they should completely abandon the handset business, just focus on increasing the revenue generated from their services to maintain or increase revenue and profits.

Other Mobile Platforms

Imagine RIM creating a BB app for iOS, WebOS and Android. Download this app, and sign up every year or month for BB services. Right now, people pay Apple $99 a year for MobileMe. A service that doesn’t even compare to the BB services including BBM.

BBM is already a large social network and growing. When people switch from a blackberry to any other smartphone, they miss their BBM (at least the people I know who made the switch). Just search for any forum on the topic of people trying to use IM and such to replace it. By leveraging this, BB could make a huge profit just from selling their service of push enterprise email and BBM social. This social group could then be leveraged to maybe include video conferencing, calling, sending money, sharing articles and much more. This could be huge, especially if RIM can’t catch up in the hardware game of making beautiful touch screen phones or leverage their recent QNX purchase.

I know many people would download and pay for this if it was available. Just look at Kik whose growth was huge growing to over a million users in 15 days after introducing their chat app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. As more people buy these devices, RIM can take advantage by providing services to these platforms.

They could provide services to other mobile platforms in tiers such as pay only $3 per month for BBM, $5 per month for E-mail and BBM, $8 for both services including video calling, money transfer and other services they can provide.

I know I would pay for this, and I am sure most people would.

What do you say RIM?