Technology: Contemplation & Speculation
Archive for February, 2011
RedBox Streaming
01 year ago
by prush
in Contemplations
Rumor has it that RedBox may jump into the streaming video business. I have become a big fan of RedBox and love the ease and price ($1!) for a quick movie rental. It would be awesome to stream a movie on demand for the same low rate but I doubt that will happen; hello subscription service…
Apple iMob
01 year ago
by prush
in Contemplations
Anybody who has watched a gangster movie knows what racketeering means. The most common form is “protection” racketeering where criminals demand payment from businesses in exchange for protection from “other” criminals. If payment is not made the abuse comes from the very group demanding the money for protection; the defender become the harmer.
Apple’s new subscription payment model reminds me of the protection racket. Steve Jobs said in a press release, “if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app.” While this sounds filled with good intention, the problem is Apple takes 30% of that subscription fee!
Jobs also stated “when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing.” The protection racket: pay us our cut or your app gets removed from the app store.
Besides, I’m not quite sure how Apple is bringing the new subscriber to the app…
The content provider had to create the app and provide the content. Didn’t Apple already get paid for the device itself? Yes, they provide iTunes (and the app store) as a means to get the application to the device but without a jailbreak this is the only official method of getting an app ON THE DEVICE. Doesn’t getting a subscriber depending solely on the content of the subscribed material? What did Apple have to do with the content? NOTHING!
I’m not affected by these new subscription terms as I do not provide any such subscription content but I feel for those who do. Isn’t this a violation of the RICO Act of 1970.
Verizon Indiscretion
01 year ago
by prush
in Speculations
Just last month, after the Verizon iPhone announcement, I recalled reading an article on the topic of Verizon Wireless turning down Apple on the original iPhone.
Fast forward a few years and Verizon may have blundered again.
Verizon Communications Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone was quoted in Spain, stating, “I don’t think Verizon needs the Nokia and Microsoft relationship…right now the three OS players we see for our network are Android, Apple, and RIM.”
I like to think of myself as platform agnostic. I love all things tech; I’m not taking sides for Microsoft over RIM here. But, why would anyone say this? You have two huge corporations (Microsoft and Nokia) forming an alliance for a mobile platform. You have no idea where things will go. Keep your mouth shut and let the free market decide. All you have to do as the carrier is sit back, sell whatever device you can, and make your mint from your overpriced voice minutes, ridiculous text messaging price plans, and “unlimited” data plans that are actually limited.
After staring at my crystal ball, my speculation is that Verizon will regret this statement in the near future. They are already lining up a Windows Phone 7 device for availability. Once the Nokia devices start to roll, I wonder if we’ll hear a similar soundbite from Verizon CEO, Ivan Seidenberg when he talked last year about wanting to carry the iPhone: “We would love to carry it when we get there, but we have to earn it.” In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, he even said: “If the iPhone comes to us, it’s because Apple thinks it’s time.”
I even found an article about Verizon’s quarterly conference call with analysts http://pru.sh/eRa1wI where Seidenberg is quoted as saying, “What [Apple has] done has been successful, so we have to sit back and give them credit for that.”
Come on Verizon, don’t get ahead of yourself again!
Microsoft and Nokia
01 year ago
by prush
in Contemplations
Woke up this morning to a Tweet displayed on my Sony Dash about a Nokia Microsoft partnership. The plans were announced in London while most of us were still sleeping. This is a huge announcement for both companies and I wish the best for them both.
Some say Microsoft was late to the game when in reality they were late to update their game. Windows Mobile (CE) has been around a long time! I’ll save the stylus vs. touch topic for another post…
I have to guess this closes the door, for now, on mobile platforms. If your smartphone isn’t Microsoft Windows, RIM Blackberry, Apple iOS, H/Palm webOS, or Google Andoird then you either have an old piece of junk or the next amazing thing to happen to the mobile tech world that has not been seen in public!!
webOS
01 year ago
by prush
in Contemplations
If you have never used H/Palm webOS, please… don’t knock it until you try it.
I carried a Palm Pre followed by a Palm Pre Plus as my primary phone for quite a while. Totally impressed with that platform and their unique card based application multi-tasking and other features.
Today, after the “Think Beyond” event, I am looking forward to checking out the Pre 3 and the Touch Pad. What awesome designs and integration. Love the Touch Stone Tap feature communicating between devices; very cool. I wish the best for HP, grabbing up Palm was a smart move if you ask me. Will be super to see webOS incorporated as an always available quick boot platform on the HP Windows desktops and laptops. Still amazed that they sell 2 per second.
When it comes to the new devices though, I only wish these companies could make the announcement like Apple often does… “this is the new device and it’s available tomorrow.” Why must we wait until summer for the good stuff HP?