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President's Column for May 2012


Mashups Run Amock


For those who do not consider themselves living on the cutting edge of technology, the term ”Mashup” may not readily convey its meaning. When two or more concepts (digital or analog) combine, the whole can become more than the sum of the parts. We've referred to the hardware side of this as ”convergence” - multiple technologies and/or companies joining forces to present an entirely new product (or producing the same products more efficiently, quickly, and/or economically).

I once owned a Palm Pilot and a $10 LG cellphone. The Pilot was my digital organizer (an example of digital + analog convergence) whereas the LG phone was an abyssmal example of convergence; no means of synchonizing my Mac's Addressbook data with the LG's Contacts list. When I left my house each morning with both the Pilot and the LG in cases on my belt, I felt like the Batman. I desperately wanted something to combine those two devices into one. Then along came smartphones and a Motorola Q with some syncing software finally gave me the ”one device”, the convergence, I had been seeking.

Of course, the iPhone changed everything and, though I have arrived late to the party (having switched to my father's old iPhone 3GS only a few months ago), I'm now converted and have even embraced a number of the iOS apps; and here is where I'm seeing the mashup of technologies - some are so mind-bogglingly impressive that I'm waiting for Scotty to beam me up.

One amazing example I found yesterday while I was reading the news on my iPad while waiting for my flight at the El Paso Airport. I have an app named FlipBoard which can best be described as a ”news aggregator” (think Google News) but with a marvelous interface that presents the news stories in an attractive and highly readable form yet with links back to the original stories should I need to get more info than the FlipBoard summary provides. Yes, this is a mashup. The particular story that caught my attention was about a new app called ”Say Hi Translate” that is available at the AppStore for 99 cents. It uses Nuance's speech recognition software to convert what you say into text and then (in a truly amazing display of mashed-up technologies) presents that text back to you in both written and spoken speech in the language of your choice. Speak something in English and the app returns your speech as English text and then (as I configured the app) in Italian text and speech. The only downside to the app is that it requires an Internet connection either via wifi or 3G. for $.99, you are given what is essentially the Star Trek Universal Translator from the 23rd Century. Could this be the ultimate mashup? I'm having dinner with Captain Picard this evening and we'll discuss it.

Then there are mashups that appear to be so indispensible and ubiquitous that some people may put their lives in the hands of the technologies without understanding the ramifications. In some cases, one might be forgiven for the erroneous assumption; in others, we shake our heads in disbelief and can point to the idiot and say, ”Here's your sign.” I was using the GPS built into my iPhone with a free app called Waze that uses open source maps and combines turn-by-turn spoken directions with crowd-sourced alerts like traffic jams, radar traps, and even recommended restaurants. It was too much information for a driver but, as I was the passenger in this car, I could deal with the almost-an-overflow of information. Was this, perhaps, more mashup than I needed? Steve Jobs preached simplicity for a reason.

Then there was the lady who was simply following the turn-by-turn directions of her GPS and, when she was told to turn right, did so without checking whether there was actually a road and ended up driving her SUV into a lake. (Google it; you can't make this stuff up.) She was planning to sue the GPS device manufacturer. Here's your sign, little darling.

byBarry Jay Levine


New iPad unveiled!


The new iPad is here. Apple unveiled a new version of its hit tablet on Wednesday, adding more power, an optional 4G Internet connection, and a supersharp HD display, but keeping the overall look and feel of the previous model.


New iPad

Apple CEO Tim Cook and other company execs showed the device at a media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif.

High-Resolution Retina Display

As expected, the new iPad features a screen with roughly twice the resolution of the iPad 2. The Retina display, as Apple calls it, first debuted in the iPhone 4 and quickly drew raves for its crisp, detailed images. The iPad's 2048x1536 display makes it the first Apple tablet able to show movies in full HD.

More Powerful Processor

The new device also has an A5X processor with quad-core graphics.

Speedy 4G Internet Connection

Apple is offering a 4G connection through both AT&T and Verizon on its new iPad. It's the first Apple device to feature the fast wireless technology.

Battery Life, Size and Weight

The new device can run for 10 hours, said Apple Vice President Phil Schiller. It will last nine hours when on 4G. It weighs 1.4 pounds, and is 9.4 mm thick.

Pricing and Release Date

The new iPad is available in several models. A basic 16GB model costs $499. 32GB is $599 and 64GB is $699. Models with 4G connections cost $629, $729 and $829, respectively. It will be available March 16, Cook said.

Apple TV Upgrade Also Unveiled

Apple also showed off a new version of its Apple TV device, which lets users stream audio and video from iTunes. The new gadget has an improved interface and supports 1080p resolution for full HD video. The price remains the same at $99.

Tablet Competition Heating up

The iPad dominates the hot tablet market, but it's facing increased competition. A report by Forrester Research estimated the iPad had 73 percent of the tablet market as of last September. But that was before Amazon's hot-selling $199 Kindle Fire debuted. The market research firm iSuppli estimates Amazon shipped 3.9 million Kindle Fires in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared with 15.4 million iPads shipped by Apple.

There are other challengers, too. Microsoft is preparing a touchscreen-friendly new version of Windows that will further blur the lines between a tablet and traditional computer. And Samsung, Asus, Toshiba, and others continue to improve tablets running the Android operating system, though none of the devices has caught fire the way the iPad has.

With a gorgeous new display and other improvements, the new iPad may be enough to keep Apple's hot streak alive.



by Oliver Libaw | Digital Crave