Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Google Android developers dropping like flies

I read an article that said that many of the developers for the Google Android mobile phone are deciding it may not be worth the investment. It said that the market size for the Android makes it difficult to justify too much development time into making software applications for the Android system. Another concern was that there is no standard format for input since Android runs on a variety of different phones. Screen sizes can vary, input modes may vary. This adds cost to support the wide array of possible combinations. It's almost as if Apple is in the same situation with it's iPhone as Microsoft is with desktop computers. Once you dominate a market, it is hard to be displaced. But in this case Apple even makes the best product too so it is a one/two punch. I think Android will end up being a nitch market like Linux. Interesting but a little too open, so there is too much differences in the way they work. Look at all the different "flavors" of Linux. Hackers love a system like this but I don't think the general public will.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Titanium still Rocks!

I thought I would mention that I still use my Titanium Powerbook for mobile computing purposes. But for the first time, I find there is beginning to be a speed lag that I notice. I am now using the latest version of Numbers on the Powerbook, and I admit it is a little sluggish. The only reason I did it is that my current Numbers files won't work on the version that was on the Powerbook. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

These Apples never die, Stitch!

New Airport Express

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I bought and integrated an Airport Express into our home network. I must say, there is something liberating about streaming music from the computer to our new stereo system. I use my iPod Touch and the free Remote app to control and browse iTunes. It has worked magnificently, and it really allows a new and far more effective way of playing my iTunes music through a stereo. Since I ripped most of my music in Lossless format, the sound quality is outstanding.

The one issue I have is that for some reason I have not successfully moved the Express to another room and hooked up to it. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong or not. Right now I have the Express hooked up via ethernet cable to our cable modem, and I was hoping to de-tether it if I wanted to listen to music from our other stereo. I will keep you informed.

The latest in Apple land is Apple's acquisition of LaLa, prompting everyone to think Apple is going towards the "stream any music you want from the cloud" paradigm. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too old to go to that. How do you feel about it, Stitch?