One Fused Life » Technology

Future: Virtual Assistants? Siri approves

Lasha — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:06:35 +0000

Mobile phones are still on a growth spurt throughout world. With our phones by our sides at all times, virtual assistants can gain traction and become a critical part of how we function and utilize technology. The point of technology is to make things easier and more efficient for us, right?

With the introduction of Siri, Apple's new virtual assistant platform for iPhones, the bet for the future is on! If you're thinking "Why does this matter? Speech recognition and task dictation is nothing new," you're absolutely right. However, there is one great differentiating factor in that Siri is the first to actually understand what you mean. Rather than passing blunt commands, you talk to it and hold a conversation. More after the jump...

Siri board member and investor, Gary Morgenthaler, says that Siri challenges the very nature of Google's search domain and shakes it down to the foundation. Siri would directly connect users to merchants, services, and content providers to bypass the ad-ridden, blue link results frenzy that is Google. What can/will Google do to adapt to this paradigm change? Publicly denying it can't be right, can it?

"Google has made a huge contribution to all of our lives … they’ve made search comprehensive and instantaneous … but the whole paradigm is wrong,” he says. “People don’t want a million blue links, they want one correct answer. All the rest is noise that you’d rather have go away."

Having said that, where do advertisers fall into the picture? The competitive nature of keywords and search terms is virtually eliminated in favor of directly connecting users to very specific providers of services and products. In a CNET interview, Morgenthaler states:

"Because Siri provides that semantic layer that can take you all the way to the specific goal you are seeking, cost-per-action ads become much more achievable for service providers--in this case, Apple--and also for e-commerce sites. If you're an e-commerce site, why do you want to sprinkle ads everywhere in hopes of bringing someone in the funnel if you have someone right here who wants to make a transactions?"

If search for knowledge, information, and solutions become so linear and specific, how will "discovery" be handled? We often learn and find things through search that we generally wouldn't if single answers were always given. Will this in turn make us lazy, or smarter and more productive? Could Siri promote curiosity by providing various answers and "suggestions" for our requests? If so, then Google can remain relevant in the future, but with a few tweaks.

While Siri sounds and performs impressively, it's important to note that the current implementation is relatively de-featured compared to what Siri used to do when it was just a downloadable app. Once Apple opens the APIs for Siri, the possibilities are endless, just as Apple opened up the iPhone to software developers. Targeted queries vs. general search, will be the name of the game.

Will searching the "old school" way start to vanish with the presence of Siri and the likes to come? Will virtual libraries and encyclopedias be accessible through an artificially intelligent computer, allowing new ways of learning and discovering knowledge?

Please share your views of the future in the comments below.

Nest: Thermostat reinvented, the Apple way

Lasha — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:08:01 +0000

Let's face it, thermostats suck, and the guys at Nest saw a brilliant opportunity to create the perfect solution. "The Learning Thermostat" is functional, useful, time saving, green, economical, super cool, and last but not least, beautiful! There isn't a single sane person who would refuse to install this in their home.

Nest is led by two former members of the iPod division at Apple; Tony Fadell, who served as SVP, and Matt Rogers who served as lead engineer . The influence of the rich "click wheel" history of the iPod is comfortably evident. The elegance and minimalism of both the hardware and the interface makes it desirable to use, while saving money!

Yes, it looks gorgeous and easy to use, but what makes Nest THAT much cooler? Read more after the jump...

Programs itself. "Nest programs itself based on the temperatures you set. Nest learns your personal schedule in a week and starts automatically turning down heating or cooling when you’re away to save energy. Nest will keep refining its schedule over time."
Loaded with sensors. Its 150° activity sensor detect when you're approaching, as well as when you've left the house to set itself to Auto-Away (energy saving!). Walking up to it lights up the display, and if it's dark, it won't blind you. It even uses WiFi to monitor outside weather and how it affects your energy consumption.
Connected. With your Nest.com account, you can log in to remotely control temperatures, adjust schedules, and check weather. Software updates are done automatically through WiFi so you'll always be up to date. There's an iPhone app, too!
Energy History. Monitor how much energy and money you save, your usage patterns and how the weather and Auto-Away have affected everything.
What's in the box? Nest display, base, screws and screwdriver, Optional Mounting Kit, Start Here guide and Installation guide.

At $249, it's a steal when you consider the amount of money you could be saving annually (up to 50%). Watch the video below to learn more about the Nest Learning Thermostat. This is going to spark a new home electronics trend.

If Apple was in the home appliances market, this is pretty much what it would be like. After all, what can you expect from a company running on Apple DNA? I am confident that after the Nest is a huge hit, they will slowly expand into other areas of the home.

What could possibly be next? Tell me in the comments below. You know you want to!

Click here to learn everything about Nest Learning Thermostat.

iPhone 4S/5, announcement imminent

Lasha — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:16:34 +0000

This post a response to The Next iPhone on Sliceofmymind.com.

First of all, you've got it all wrong. The upgrade from 3G to 3GS was significant. The processor speed and graphic performance were improved to the point where iPhone 2G/3G were practically (with the older hardware) were slow as hell, and a gigantic pain in the ass to use!

Processor is 600MHz up from 412MHz, with a dramatically improved GPU, and double the RAM, 256MB up from 128MB. Digital compass for directional uses, dramatically improved 3.2MP camera with tap-to-focus, video capability, improved battery life, etc. The list just goes on! So don't even go blabbering that 3G to 3GS was a "minor" upgrade.

Now, speaking of the iPhone 4, and if Apple released an iPhone 4S, it wouldn't be a "minor" update. After all, the A5 processor that the iPad 2 sports is about 2.5x more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy S II, which currently has the one of the most powerful guts of all available phones, and if that's not pretty damn good to you, I don't know what is.

Overall performance wise (software AND hardware), the iPhone 4 to this day even outperforms MOST new phones that come out, and that says something about what putting a simple little A5 inside an iPhone would do, whether or not Apple redesigns the external hardware. We'll all just have to wait and see!

Update: Click here to follow the liveblog on Engadget!

Apple + Gaming beyond iOS devices

Lasha — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:21:24 +0000

Apple touts its iPod Touch as "the most popular game player in the world," but today, some are wondering if Apple would ever consider going beyond. Back in 1995, Apple and Bandai jointly released the "Pippin" console in Japan, and quickly drowned in the competition from PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Sega Saturn. This was during the dark ages of Apple, before Steve Jobs made his comeback in 1997 and turned the company around.

16 years later, we have a completely different Apple. The new Apple has since dominated markets, moved industries, and achieved things no one else has. If Apple went ahead and decided to challenge the big 3 (Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony) in the game console wars, would it even stand a chance? Let's take a look...

What Apple has going for itself:

Experience: Years of experience creating and evolving iOS and Apple TV, which could be adapted into a game console OS.
Developers: Enormous loyal developer base, ranging from gaming powerhouses like EA, CAPCOM, SEGA, Activision, and mobile game makers such as PopCap, Rovio Mobile, and Gameloft.
iCloud: A brand new cloud platform (yet to be battle tested) for game downloads, synching content, multiplayer interactivity.
Userbase: 200 million iOS devices sold, ready to be used as "controllers," should Apple decide against a separate input device.
App Store: The App Store proved itself on iOS, and more recently on Mac OS X. The same platform can be used to sell and deliver games on the console.

The Apple TV is the only link Apple has to the living room. Instead of launching a new product line, which Apple doesn't do often, they can "evolve" the Apple TV to be that game console. Imagine an Apple TV loaded with a customized Cortex-A9 processor, fantastic graphics, and your complementary iDevice as the controller.

Buttons! Ahhh, buttons. We all know Apple hates buttons, so how can they have a competitive game console if your only input device is an iPhone or an iPad? To me, the answer is simple... 3rd party accessories! In addition to your iDevice acting as the controller, Apple can license 3rd party manufacturers to create input devices... with BUTTONS! This is pure win for everyone, if you ask me! They would be pulling a page right out of Nintendo's playbook.

Apple already has the perfect recipe to make the jump into the console gaming world, but the big question here is, what would they bring to the table that isn't already there? Something innovative, perhaps, but not just a unique controller... unless it happens to be mind-powered.

So, does Apple stand a chance? You tell me in the comments below!

UPDATE 7-02-11: Frank from SliceOfMyMind.com felt so strongly about my ideas that he wrote a formal response: Could Apple be a contender in the console market? I don't particularly agree with his 1st and 4th point, but the other points are highly debatable. What do you think?

Nintendo, do we need another console that half-delivers its promise?

Lasha — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:17:54 +0000

I'll start off by saying that I have been a huge Nintendo fan for as long as I can remember. I like innovation, new ideas, companies trying new things, but I am also a realist. These things need to be fool proof, need to work properly, and most importantly, they need to DELIVER! This applies to any company out there, trying to sell any product. While the Nintendo Wii has been immensely popular with the general public due to its "mass playability," but the same feeling hasn't been shared by all of the game developers.

Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku stated the following about how the Wii fell behind on their promise:

"Wii games were never as interactive as that initial trailer promised—we never jumped behind sofas. The console ended up with a heavy casual game focus, and there was poor third party support—both of which Nintendo hopes to rectify with the Wii U."

The challenge Nintendo still faces with the Wii U

A Wii-owning friend of mine stated the following regarding Super Mario Galaxy:

"You shake the remote to spin. In a few levels you move by tilting the remote. That's it."

I couldn't have summed up my thoughts any better about the state of Nintendo's "motion" approach to gaming. Nintendo themselves never attempted anything TRULY UNIQUE with their games, and neither did developers. In result, the Wii has lost support from some major developers throughout the years. Continue reading for more thoughts...

The fact of the matter is that making unique games for a single "unique" console is plenty more difficult than the standard Xbox 360/PS3 process. Now, developers not only have to develop for 2 screens, but the 2nd screen which happens to be a controller with a full-list of sensors, cameras, and whatnot! The potential for extremely complex interaction from controller to TV is stellar. What are some things I think people will NEVER get accustomed to with the Wii U?

Using the Wii U controller to zoom websites. I can't think of something more annoying than having to constantly refocus my eyes on different screens, looking for and trying to get the right thing to appear on my controller screen.
Using the Wii U controller to play sports games. During Nintendo's E3 presentation, they demoed playing golf by placing the controller on the floor to "feel" the ball in front of you when trying to interact with it. Seriously? The Wii U controller will NOT improve the old/fake sports playing experience one bit, unless you're 7.
Using the Wii U controller screen to primary drive gameplay. The main thing I see developers doing with the controller screen are things like item selection, changing weapons, issuing touch-based and/or 1-button commands to your virtual pet, and so forth. Throwing ninja stars and using the controller screen to snipe your opponents in a FPS? Yes, maybe once in a blue moon.

I commend developers who will prove me wrong and completely blow me away. Ken Levine, the Creative Director of Irrational Games said "...when any new technology comes along, you have the spirit of experimentation." Sorry, Ken, but I saw almost none of that spirit with the Wii, and I am doubting I will see any more with the Wii U.

This time, maybe Nintendo won't wimp out of creating a revolutionary Super Mario title, and back up their seemingly revolutionary approach to gaming with a few bangs.

With all that said, I leave you with a LOL (that may not be so funny if you think deeply about it): The Greatest Prank Nintendo Ever Pulled.

UPDATE 3/19/2011:

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata recently stated in an interview that games utilizing a 2nd Wii U controller aren't yet being considered, because it would be too expensive to sell to customers. Do you know what this means? Kids (as well as adults) around the world will always be fighting each other for the single Wii U controller. The losers will be stuck with an old, less-cool, Wiimote. Read the Engadget post here.

Expensive? EXPENSIVE? ARE YOU SERIOUS!??!! This, to me, sounds like a big fat lie. I think that the real reason why a 2nd controller isn't being considered is because of development complexity, and the possibility that the console can't handle MULTIPLE Wii U controllers without it being bogged down. How many screens can a single Wii U console process for and output unique content for each player (board games aside!)?

WWDC 2011 thoughts and reactions

Lasha — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:09:57 +0000

Today, Apple played a lot of catch up with iOS 5. Features were unveiled that people have been wishing for since the iPhone's incarnation in 2007. For instance, how long have we been whining for a Notifications revamp? Over-The-Air updates and synching? An improved lock-screen?

I am happy about the direction Mac OS X is taking. Mission Control is one of my favorite features because I am already huge a fan of Expose, and making application windows with Expose and Spaces on crack puts a smile on my face. One other game changer is Resume/Auto Save in combination with Versions. With this trio, you technically never have to save or worry about going back to where you left off. Versions allows you to get a taste of Time Machine, meaning that you can access to previous versions of your document since you started working on it, just in case you made a booboo and need to revert.

Back when Apple bought the $1bn dollar datacenter in North Carolina, speculations of the grand agenda began. Everyone knew that it was obviously going to be cloud-based, such as a huge revamp to MobileMe, but now we know exactly what Apple has been planning, and oh boy is it huge!

iCloud, combined with all of the developer APIs that will be offered, certainly gives Google and Amazon a run for their money. Yes, Amazon has a concrete set of cloud-based offerings, but most of them are in a completely separate class, such as S3 (simple storage service) for application developers of all levels. We don't currently have a master list of all the APIs developers will be able to utilize with iCloud just yet, but, as Apple said deliberately that they're taking this very seriously, we are sure to find out its limits very soon. More after the jump...

Why is iCloud such a big deal even though it's not technologically innovative or original? Well, the simple answer is that IT'S ALL INTEGRATED. It's seamless! It's designed to work with little to no effort from the end-user, and everyone already knows that this is the type of user Apple is targeting, unlike Android primarily targeting the tech-savy hipsters with all their crazy robot commercials.

Android users have had the pleasure of being able to sync everything, but they will each tell you how unpleasant and un-organized of an experience it all is. There are separate interfaces and sets of tasks you need to perform to take advantage of syncing with Google Docs, and Picasa, and getting wireless synching and so forth to work properly. This is exactly what Apple has aimed to eliminate, and boy have they done a damn good job at it.

Click here to watch the keynote and see how exactly everything comes together.

A few months ago, Tim Cook said that Apple was ready to make their next big bet, and the cloud is it. Their last bet was Flash storage, and they nailed it – Apple is the current largest consumer and reseller of Flash storage-based products in the world (iPods, iPhones, iPads, and now, MacBooks).

Will the iCloud put businesses such as Dropbox and Box.net out of commission? We don't really know yet, but they each do have a very loyal user-base, with their own sets of matured APIs, with solid business model. Who knows, Apple may just eat them right up and call it a night.

Competition. Apple knows how to bring it.

Nokia and Microsoft, sitting in a tree…

Lasha — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 05:03:08 +0000

It was only a matter of time until Nokia threw in the towel, but nobody guessed it was going to happen this way. Nokia almost completely abandoned the platform they've invested billions into, and sided with Microsoft, who will also end up dumping billions into the platform (simply because they can, easily).

In many ways, I see this as a match made in heaven. Microsoft, very late in the mobile OS game, but still with a pretty decent chance at gaining a healthy user base. Nokia, a phone maker virtually non-existant in the modern-day smartphone era, and in desperate need of a 360° overhaul. These two behemoths are... *ahem* ... a match made in heaven. More after the jump...

Nokia has the potential to bring the best of the best, and the best of the low-end market. This is where years of telecom experience comes into the picture; Good hardware. Microsoft, on the other hand, is no less experienced in the mobile OS market, but their expertise hit an expiration date quite some time ago. That's where Windows Phone 7 comes in and starts to shine. A fresh new approach.

There's one thing and one thing only that Microsoft has going for them. They know how to treat their developers very well. They provide the best tools, and the best support. I am close friends with a few .NET developers, and they swear by the platform like no tomorrow — for good reason! This is so important because developers make or break the platform. This it NOT newsflash! Apple's iOS and Google's Android are duking it out day by day, while everyone else plays catchup.

So far, we've seen a decent level of creative output from WP7 developers, but more needs to be done! I have full hope that, a year from now, Nokia and Microsoft will be a force to be reckoned with. People just need to LOVE this platform just like most iOS and Android users/developers. Sorry, but I don't know where the Blackberry is at...

Guest Post: Can Someone Please Reinvent the Umbrella…Please?

Lasha — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:20:21 +0000

Yesterday I had the unfortunate pleasure of having to use an umbrella due to a small rainstorm. At first I proudly opened my small staph shielding me from the dangers of water hurling from above, whilst staring at the poor saps that had come ill-equipped. Yet as I continued hurling towards my destination I noticed myself becoming increasingly wet. By the time I had reached the sanctuary of indoors my entire shoes had been drenched, as well as the tips of my pants and my entire right arm.

With all the fancy cases that are out in the market today to protect our cell phones, notebooks, and MP3 players, why has no one taken the time to create something to well…protect US! Imagine for a second you brought a water proof case for your notebook and suddenly you realized that over 40% of it got wet, wouldn’t you be furious and never buy that case again? For some reason this logic does not seem to apply in the world of Umbrellas, as many of us will continue to buy the same crappy umbrellas which will instantly break again and again. More after the jump...

In a country where you can purchase protective covers for your couches and cars, where is my slip-on plastic case insulating me from the drudgery of getting wet? Now most of you are probably shouting “get a rain coat”, but lets not forget that requires separate boots and even pants in order to maintain full dryness, not to mention the prospect of slinging a wet coat over my chair at work seems less than sunshine.

Even if we aren’t smart enough to invent an Umbrella alternative why not at least build a better Umbrella, one that doesn’t turn inside out with the slightest detection of wind. With all these cheap umbrellas in circulation, does anyone stop and think of the complete waste of materials these things cause (plastic, metal, and cloth)? Why an entire civilization could be founded upon excess umbrella materials alone. I would gladly be willing to shell out a few extra bucks in order to purchase an Umbrella I knew would be my faithful companion for years to come. Lets just hope that a bright idea can emerge amongst the clouds.

Written By: Aaron Azerad

Guest Post: Why the iPhone sucks as a business machine

Are we ready for ANOTHER mobile OS?

Lasha — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:07:13 +0000

Just hours from now, Microsoft will officially unveil their Windows Phone 7 mobile platform. In a world saturated with iPhones, Android devices, and hundreds of thousands of apps, does Microsoft stand a chance? I guess the bigger question is, what do they hope to achieve with Windows Phone 7?

These days, people looking to buy a new Smartphone pretty much know what their options are. iPhone, if they're looking for a HUGE library of apps and don't care about the "openness" of the OS. Android (device), if they're looking for a phone that doesn't run on AT&T, and is "open" for you to download literally anything you want onto the device. Blackberry, if they're looking for a business-oriented phone. Windows Phone 7, doesn't have a "thing" that people will go to it for, but the super-unique interface and a fresh take on social integration may do the trick.

I don't think any serious iOS or Android device user will switch to Windows Phone 7. Each of the two platform offer too much to leave behind in favor of a newborn platform. Microsoft could easily target the late adopters who haven't yet made the jump to Smartphones. This way, they can have a market of their own to grow with. We can only hope that Microsoft leaps through their infancy, and quickly become a serious contender in the Smartphone wars. More after the jump...

The problem of fragmentation.
One of Google's big problems is OS fragmentation, and Microsoft may face the same problems. The fact that you can buy low-end phones that don't support Android 2.2 is damaging to adaptation rates and consumer satisfaction. If Windows Phone 7 will face the same fragmentation problem right away, adopters of cheaper phones will not be happy that they can't do certain (potentially cool) things because of it.

The inevitable "app store" battle.
Windows Phone 7 is the new kid on the block, and the bullies are gonna get their bully on. Microsoft's fresh entry into the world that runs on apps will be VERY difficult. What makes a device worthy to develop for? Market share that shows potential for profit for developers. After all, it's the paid apps that are of the best quality. Not to worry, there will also be a fair share of fart apps, too.

In the end, you gotta give it to Microsoft for hyping up their new baby, starting from scratch, and showing that they too have the chops to compete. What are your thoughts on Windows Phone 7 -- Potential, or not really?

Microsoft buying Adobe speculation

Lasha — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:21:23 +0000

Earlier today, Adobe shares jumped nearly 12% on speculation that Microsoft will be acquiring them. Publications all over the internet went haywire saying how crazy this is, and that it may mean trouble for Apple. I think that's a load of bull. Technically, Apple's been doing just fine without Adobe, but there are some things that could hurt both companies.

Worse case scenario:
Microsoft + Adobe seize development of Creative Suite software, and creatives around the world are forced to use outdated software. Okay, let's wake up and smell the Americano. Adobe, even under Microsoft's evil wing will not cut Mac development, unless they're interested in losing the bigger chunk of their revenues. Creative agencies all over the world primarily run on Macs. Will they start switching to Windows? Yes, many will, but most will not.

Apple produce a fine bundle of applications known as Final Cut Studio. This will be Apple's chance to shine with the apps in their respective fields (as if it's not already). Imagine how badly Adobe's and Microsoft's reputation would suffer if they made these moves. Continue reading...

To put it frankly, I don't think it will happen. Adobe has Flash, Microsoft has Silverlight. There's also Adobe Reader, but what good will a free format do for Microsoft? Anyone can create software that authors out to the PDF format. Flash authoring is a different story, but... imagine if Microsoft hacked the Flash player to run Silverlight apps!! They will practically own the market with their own technologies like C#, the .Net platform, and so forth.

It's a scary thought -- the creative industry being run by Microsoft. However, I'm not getting my hopes up. Adobe can turn out to be the man in the relationship and use Microsoft's funds to become the best Adobe ever! Adobe, if you're listening, you can start by making Photoshop crash less than 5 times a day.