Google I/O Day Two 2011

Google’s second and last day of Google I/O was spent discussing Chrome, the browser and the operating system.

If you read my other posts, you will see that I am not an Android user and I do not agree with an open source OS for a massive mobile phone market. I do agree, however, with an open source browser.

Credit: Google

First up in the presentation was Google discussing how far Chrome has come from last year. There are now 160 million active Chrome users. Chrome is also leading the way in terms of speed and HTML5. A new feature in Chrome 12 is Speech. This is pretty exciting stuff. Speech allows a user to speak their search term instead of typing it. Very similar to the Google Search mobile app which uses your voice to start a search. Google demoed the Google translator by saying “Welcome to San Francisco” and having it translate into Chinese with no typing needed. Imagine an Internet where you can say “Lady gaga Monster Ball” on a YouTube page instead of typing it into a search box. Well, depending on where you are or who you are, you might be better off typing something like that to avoid judgment.

Finishing up the Google Chrome section was a demo of the graphics and speed improvements in the latest version of the browser.

The Chrome Web Store: The Chrome Web Store is just like an app store on the smart phone you probably have right now. The only difference is the Chrome Web Store is a store for apps that run in the browser. The Chrome Web Store is now available globally. To be honest, I never visited the Chrome Web Store before today. I played “Poppit” which is a game I haven’t played in a very long time. It is interesting to have an app inside a browser but I’m not sure if I will ever decide to buy something from the Web Store. I’ll stick to the free apps like I do on my iPhone. Angry Birds fans will now be happy to know that they can play Angry Birds inside the Chrome browser for free.

Credit: Google

The Chrome Web Store now allows developers to include In-App purchases (sound familiar?). Google is also taking a 5% cut in revenue for app purchases. Compare that to the 30% cut that Apple takes. Burn.

Chrome OS: Chrome OS is rather interesting. It is an operating system, just like Windows 7 or Mac OS X for example, but it is just a web browser. That’s it. No desktop, no applications, no screen savers, NOTHING but a web browser. If you cannot do it on a browser, you cannot do it on Chrome OS. Chrome OS does have a new file management software but it’s nothing like Finder on a Mac, but it’s something, I guess. My issue with Chrome OS is that is it completely dependent on an Internet connection. Some things do work offline (like Gmail and Google Calendars) but the majority of everything you will be doing on a computer running this operating system will need an Internet connection.

The biggest news was the release of information on the Chromebook, which is a laptop that runs Chrome OS. Starting on June 15^th, you can get a Chromebook starting at $429 (the Samsung WiFi only model). Businesses/schools can basically rent these laptops for $28/$20 a month respectively.

For the past few hours, I have been thinking about how I would use a computer that only has a web browser. For one, I would not be able to do half of my school assignments. Even my web-based homework requires a website which does not work on Chrome. Photoshop, Illustrator, iTunes, iPhoto…forget about it.

There are some advantages to this cloud based computer OS. I can, in theory anyway, go to any computer running Chrome OS, log in with my Google information and that computer will get all of my data from the cloud and turn any computer into a clone of my personal computer that I have at home.  Once again though, I am not a huge believer in a machine that is dependent on the Internet.

Chrome OS and these new Chromebook’s are not for everyone. I am tempted to try one out but I am not purchasing a computer for $429 where I won’t be able to do 90% of my daily work. I think Google is 5 years too early with something like this. Chrome OS and Chromebook’s are a very interesting idea but it is not practical for the majority of people.

I do really like this video, though.

Google I/O Day One 2011

Let me start out by saying that I am not the biggest fan of Android. Though I prefer iOS, I am not an ignorant hater of Android since I am well aware of why a person would buy and enjoy having an Android device. I just so happen to enjoy living in a walled garden. I also enjoy knowing that every iOS device works and looks the same way. I also like the polished and sexy design of both the Apple hardware and iOS. That being said, here are my thoughts of the Google I/O day one keynote.

Credit: Google

First off, thank god they packed all of these announcements and demos into a nice 54-minute presentation. This could have gone on forever but thankfully Google made this presentation bite sized. Speaking of bite sized: I love the image of the Android robot eating an Apple. Keep it classy, Google.

The first thing they showed off was widgets and I am a little embarrassed that widgets are still a big deal. The audience also seemed to like being able to stretch the Gmail widget but I didn’t find that something to hoot and holler about. Maybe it’s just a thing a guy like me doesn’t get.

Google also showed off using your Android tablet as a USB host, basically saying that you can import photos directly to it from a camera via USB. This is interesting and rather useful. Something less useful, however, was connecting a XBOX 360 controller to the tablet to play games. This is useful on a laptop but I don’t understand why anyone would feel the need to play a game with a game console controller on his or her tablet. Tablets are made to be lightweight, portable and hand-held. What douchebag is going to be sitting at Starbucks playing a game with their XBOX controller connected to their 10-inch tablet?  My main issue with Android is that they seem to have a lot of features that are included in the OS just because they can, not because anyone wants or will use those features.

I’m sure you are aware of how Google names their OS’s: alphabetically with dessert names. This latest OS is called “Ice Cream Sandwich” which is laughable. “Ice Cream” would have been a bit better but adding the “sandwich” to it just made it childlike. Everything about Android is so fragmented, including their image. You have Motorola Droid, which “does”, which is branded as a robot that is totally bad ass but it is running an OS named after a dessert that melts in 80 degrees. Nothing says “I DO! I AM A ROBOT THAT WILL KICK YOUR ASS” like running an OS named after something found in 5 year olds lunch-boxes.

Credit: Google

The biggest announcement was Google’s Music Beta, which is a music cloud service that streams your music to the web and to your Android device. Nothing too impressive here. For a guy living in New York, I do not see the want/need for a cloud based music service, no matter if the provider is Amazon, Google or Apple. If you store your music in the cloud then you are at the mercy of your cell phone signal. I am on the subway underground for most of my commute, which is the time I listen to music. Why would someone like me store their music in the cloud and not be able to listen to music once they lose the signal? Sure, you can download songs from the cloud to be played offline but if that is the solution, why bother syncing your music to the cloud at all?

What Google and everyone is getting wrong is I don’t want to store my music in the cloud. I want it on my devices, ALL my devices without having to sync. Rumors are that Apple might be doing some sort of wireless iTunes model, which would be nice. I want my songs stored on my iPhone and my Mac, however, I want to buy a song on my iPhone and come home and have that song already on my Mac without having to connect that horrid white wire to my iPhone and waste a few minutes from my life waiting for it to sync. I hope Apple gets this right. Personally, I do not understand wanting to have music stored in the cloud unless you have a HUGE music library…and if you are outside with a strong signal ALL the time.

Android@home is something I am a bit more interested in. Using a tablet to control lights is quite futuristic. Having your lights change and interact with the game you are playing is pretty awesome. Imagine playing a game where all your lights go off when you die. Pretty cool stuff but once again, this is a lot more “we are doing this because we can, not because we should”. How many of us REALLY want our lights to be controlled by our gaming?

One thing that really impressed me was the Android@Home hub thingy that is basically a white ball which when you swipe a CD in front of it, it adds the entire CD to your music library. The only issue with that is: A CD? This would be way cooler if anyone still used CDs.

Overall, I was unimpressed with what I saw today. Last year, after seeing their keynote, I was ready to buy an Android phone (believe it or not) AND a Google TV. This year, I am very happy living in my Apple world with God Jobs looking over me.

Don’t get me wrong; I think that the Google Bakery Shoppe is more advanced than iOS. There are many things that Android phones do that I wish my phone did. However, for me to become an Android user the phones need to get sexier, the OS’s need to be less fragmented and sleeker, and Google needs to grab their Android balls and start taking control. I think we are learning that a massive open source OS is not the best thing. For example: malicious apps and carriers taking complete control over the devices. Wanna use Google search on a GOOGLE phone on Verizon? Good luck. 

New-New

I am currently installing a new theme, new look, new logo and I now have a new web address (nerdinkblog.wordpress.com), but you already know that if you are reading this.

Let me know what you think about the new look, name and logo. So far, I like how everything looks, I just wish I could move the search box to the header instead of the footer. I’ll see about fixing that.

This week, I will work on refining the logo and finalize the look of the site.

Apple Plays Catch Up – Shows Off iPad 2

 

Credit: Apple.com

So Steve Jobs took the stage on March 2^nd and showed off the new magical device. Magical being the word they used. I for one don’t see the magical-ness of this product upgrade.

I should say that I have the iPad and had it for pretty much a year. I no longer use it as much as I used to since I don’t have a true use for it (no one does). I posted a blog post on here before discussing the HP TouchPad that impressed me and caused to me consider dumping my iPad. Being a bit of an Apple fanboy, I was hoping that Apple would show off the iPad 2 today and blow me away.

Black and white models. Credit: Apple.com

The iPad 2 now comes in white, which Jobs made an effort to point out that it would be available on launch. Apple has struggled with getting the white iPhone 4 out the door, in fact, it’s almost a year since Apple released the iPhone 4 and there is still no white iPhone 4 on the market. The iPad 2, in my opinion, looks horrible in white. It kind of looks cheap and I would imagine the white being a distraction. Thankfully, it also comes in black. Besides the colors, it has two cameras for Facetime calls, comes with a Photobooth app which is just like the app that comes on Macs, and has the option to purchase iMovie and GarageBand for $4.99 each (more on that later). The hardware is stepped up to match the competition. It now has an Apple A5 chip/dual core with advanced graphics. As I write this, there is little known of the actual specs since Apple’s website is being rather vague on the details. There is still only one port on the iPad, which is the Apple 30-Pin connector. There is an adaptor you can buy for $39 which allows you to connect the iPad 2 to a HDMI screen via a HDMI-out port. It also has the same 10 hour battery life.

Thankfully, the iPad is now thinner and lighter and made out of an unibody encasing. It is thinner than the iPhone 4, which is saying something.

GarageBand on the iPad. Credit: Apple.com

Let’s talk about apps: iMovie and GarageBand. The original iPad was a media consumption device. You read on it, watched videos on it, listened to music on it but you never had the chance to really create your own content on it. Apple changed that. If you pay for the app, you can have  powerful video

iMovie on the iPad. Credit: Apple.com

editing software right on your iPad. iMovie on the iPad looks very similar to iMovie on the Mac. If you ever used iMovie, you know that it is a powerful program for consumer needs that is simple to use. That type of power on a tablet is rather impressive. GarageBand looks interesting but since I am not a musician and I don’t care about creating my own music, I didn’t pay much attention to the GarageBand demo.

Let’s talk about that case. That case that Apple made a huge deal about, including it’s own video on Apple’s website. Ever since the original iPad, Apple has made it’s own branded case. The original case wasn’t bad but it was poorly made and got dirty very easily. Apple decided to create a new “case” for the iPad 2 that doesn’t take away from the thinness and design of the iPad.  The “Smart Cover” is a magnetic flap that goes across the front of the screen…that’s it. Jobs seems to love this thing but I thought it looked rather silly looking. Unless the magnetic connection is really strong, I see this cover coming loose easily. You will pay $40 for the Polyurethane one or $80 for the leather. Who says Apple is overpriced?

Smart Cover used as a stand. Credit: Apple.com

Smart Cover. Credit: Apple.com

Finally, let’s discuss pricing. The iPad 2 is the same price as the original, across the board. If you wanted an iPad yesterday, the price are the same today. This kills the Motorola Xoom. The Xoom is priced very high and now the iPad 2 does not differ in terms of specs as greatly as it once did. Motorola needs to drastically cut the price if they want a chance in this tablet war.

The iPad 2 also comes on Verizon’s network instead of just AT&T. So now if you want a iPad with a Verizon 3G chip built-in, you can.

Teacher using iPad 2 via HDMI. Credit: Apple.com

This is the 2^nd iPad but I would not consider it the iPad 2. It’s more like the iPad 1.5 since it did not change anything in terms of what tablets have to offer. Apple created a new tablet market, other companies created their own tablets which 9 times out of 10 were way over powered in comparison to the original iPad and now Apple is changing that by boosting the power of the iPad to match the competition. Nothing is really new here…besides that oh so wonderful “Smart Cover”.

The iPad 2 comes out in the US on March 11^th on Apple.com and retail stores. There is no pre-ordering so if you want one on launch day, prepare to wait in line.

Oh, and One More Thing: iOS 4.3 is coming out soon which gives updates to Safari and AirPlay, the iPhone 4 get’s a hotspot feature, iTunes home sharing is enabled and the iPad’s once orientation switch, now mute switch gets the option for being used as a mute or an orientation lock. Apple is allowing users to control what that switch is used for.

Facetime on the iPad 2. Credit: Apple.com

Goodbye, Paper Media

Today, Borders (a brick and mortar book store) is heading for bankruptcy. They will probably be closing all of their store locations. They are suffering financially since fewer people are buying paper books and Boarders does not have a eReader solution so they are not making money online.

Amazon and Barnes and Noble both said publicly that their eReaders were the best selling product in the history of both companies. I know quite a few people who got either a Kindle or a Nook for christmas and I myself got a Kindle this holiday season. People with eReaders have said that they buy more books, read more frequently and enjoy reading on their digital devices. Personally, I can say that I read a bunch more on my Kindle than I ever did with paper books. People gravitate toward eReaders since the eBooks are cheaper than paper books and a single eReader, the Kindle for example, can hold hundreds of books despite being the size and weight of a paperback.

With less and less stores selling paper books, I would not be surprised to see paper books being non-existent in about 10 years. Just like how MP3 killed CD: eBooks will kill paper books. It’s just a matter of time.

HP’s Think Beyond event had me Thinking Dirty

On Wednesday, February 9th, HP had a “Think Beyond” event where they showed off their new products powered by webOS which they acquired by buying Palm a while ago.

If you are familiar with the Palm Pre/Palm Pixi, it used a very interesting operating system called webOS. WebOS uses a “card” interface for multitasking and browsing of different applications on the phone. Each application is viewed in a “card” and when you want to kill an app, all you need to do is flick the card up off the screen and the program quits. I never owned a Palm Pre but I did get my hands on one and I did enjoy using the OS. Sadly, Palm was brought by HP after struggling to keep in business since not that many people brought the Palm Pre or any of its follow-up devices. We in the tech community have been looking forward to the day when we would see future webOS devices, especially webOS on a tablet. That day finally arrived.

Veer: Credit to Engadget

The HP Veer: Now this phone is pretty interesting. It is the size of a credit card but still has a full QWERTY keyboard and all the features you would expect from a phone similar to the Palm Pre. Personally, I don’t see the need for a phone that is this small. I can’t imagine typing on the keyboard being a fun experience and I can’t imagine using picture and video apps on such a small screen. In the day when people view a lot of content on their phones I’m not sure if this is a hit for HP. I assume that HP would like you to buy their tablet to view all of your multimedia on and I will admit that I almost never watch video on my phone because the screen is too small (I have a iPhone 4) but I still don’t know what  consumer would buy this device.

Pre 3: This one is pretty sexy, folks. It’s basically just like all the Palm phones running webOS that we seen in the past but with a larger screen and more features that are common on smartphones today. It can shoot HD video, has a mobile-hotspot feature, WiFi, Apps…basically all the things you expect. Being an iPhone user, I’m not amazed by any of this but I am a fan

HP Pre 3. Credit to HP

of the sleek design and of course, once again, webOS. My only issue with this phone is the physical keyboard. Using the iPhone for all these years has made it impossible for me to type on small, fixed, plastic keys. I don’t think that the Pre 3 has a touchscreen keyboard so that makes the chances of me ditching my iPhone for this device pretty slim but I will put it out there that if I was going to ditch my iPhone, it would be for a device similar to the Pre 3.

Now let’s get to my favorite part (and the reason for the title): The HP TouchPad. The TouchPad is a tablet running webOS. The TouchPad has a 9.7 inch touch screen with the same resolution as the current iPad. Weighs in at 1.6 pounds, has WiFi, front-facing camera, 16 or 32 GB of storage and pretty much all the bells and whistles of all the tablets coming out this year. The most interesting feature is this is the first time a tablet is running the webOS software. It works the same way as the Pre phones (with the card interface) and it seems to run pretty smooth. The thing about webOS is that is just makes sense. The navigation is simple, it features REAL multitasking and it looks pretty good. The TouchPad also has this cool feature where if you have a Pre phone, you can place the phone on top of the home button on the TouchPad and whatever is displaying on the tablet will be sent to the phone and vice versa wirelessly. It’s also a pretty sexy device. Usually I tend to favor Jony Ive and the Apple design team for their aesthetic on the products they create but HP hit a home run with the design for the TouchPad.

HP TouchPad. Credit to HP

Let’s compare this to the iPad since lets face it, unless you’re an Android nerd, you are probably considering getting the iPad 2. The iPad 2 is rumored to be thinner, lighter and have 2 cameras. No change to the design, no change to the screen resolution, still running iOS which honestly, isn’t all that impressive on the iPad. It is tough to compare a product that is on the market to a product that won’t be released for some time but I’ll try to do my best with what I know. The HP TouchPad runs Flash, the iPad does not and never will. Since I own an iPad and a iPhone, I can assure you that there are some moments during basic web-browsing that I stubble upon a site that is running Flash and I cannot access it. Flash is a plus. WebOS vs iOS: iOS to me never had real multitasking. It isn’t super simple to switch between apps and most apps in the app store do not take advantage of the multitasking capabilities. WebOS on the other has a simple way of showing you all the apps that are open and an easy way to kill these apps. On the iPad or iPhone, to view all the apps you have open it’s a 5 step process of double-tapping the home button, swiping left or right and to kill the apps it’s an extra step of pressing down, waiting for them to jiggle and then pressing the tiny X that pops up. It’s not too bad on the iPhone but it’s pretty annoying on the iPad.

If you can’t tell, I’m impressed by the products shown off by HP during this event. Pricing and release dates are not available so we have to wait on that. If the pricing is good and if there aren’t any major problems with the HP TouchPad, it might be the first time I purchased non-Apple tech in about 2 years.