Archive for June, 2010
How to be a tech sleuth
Jun 26th
You may not know (or care) that this blog originally started out as a “Breaking News” tech site. Unfortunately, I realized two things after a few early posts. First, hearing and posting some tidbit of news every five minutes is really laborious. Second, I discovered that I’m a painfully slow and meticulous writer. An average article will usually consist of 5 or 10 drafts before I feel it’s polished enough to publish. I decided to leave the news to the people that were good at it, and to focus on something else. Lucky for me, I soon discovered the joy of writing eye-glazing length rants that criticize Multi-Billion dollar tech companies.
While I might not write about about the current news, I certainly keep up with the latest developments. One never knows when they’ll have to school some punk on the subway when he claims that clock for clock a Snapdragon is faster than an Omap 3630. (Pfft, those crazy kids these days!) Information is knowledge, and we should fill our heads with it until they become throbbing migraines of omniscience. So, with this segue sentence, we’re going to transition into our post topic.
Arm yourself to the teeth
You hear that tired cliche “information is knowledge” all the time (damn, I used it above didn’t I?), but it really lives up to the analogy. No matter what your interests, situational awareness of the tech world will provide a competitive edge. It goes without saying that if you run a blog/tweet about tech, you need to be in the know. Unless you’re a lotto winner, your livelihood probably depends on it. If you trade stocks, having your finger on the pulse of the industry can influence your overall strategy. Even if you just like having the latest toy, you’ll be able to keep up with the hot ones on the horizon.
Since my three airtight examples have slammed any debate shut on the importance of staying informed, the question is what do we do next?
Here’s my suggested multipoint approach…..
Mainstream websites
Most of these sites regurgitate information that was available hours earlier via other sources (don’t we all though). When they’re not crossposting each other’s articles however, they do provide their fair share of breaking news. The Boygeniusreport is a good source for Blackberry/Apple leaks, Gizmodo broke the whole iPhone 4 thing, Engadget just ran a nice exclusive on the Droid X, and I’m sure you can guess what type of news Crackberry deals with. I’ll usually gloss over the headlines of the “big four” in a round-robin style throughout the day. Android Central is also a great place to regularly check out.
KEEP IN MIND that when reading an article you should ALWAYS read through the comments at the end! You never know when you’ll stumble across a little nugget, such as a correction or a link to other related info. (Seriously, it happens)
The tech periphery
We all have interests, and while they may lead us to different areas of the tech world, they’re all still interrelated. Take some time to catch up on aspects of tech you wouldn’t normally consider important. You may not be familiar with Palo Alto Semiconductor or Agnilux, but if you appreciated the context behind their recent acquisitions by Apple and Google (respectively), you’d perk up in a second.
1) Apple buys PA Semi, a top rate manufacturer of chips
2) PA Semi manufactures the iPad’s A4
3) Some PA Semi workers split and form Agnilux
4) Google buys Agnilux
5) Hmmm, Google making a tablet?
Months later
6) Verizon CEO confirms tablet
7) Nice sleuthing! You started paying attention after #4, while most people started after #6
Here are two websites that will help flesh out your knowledge of all things tech.
Techcrunch does a wonderful job of keeping you apprised of the business end of tech. Acquisitions, upstarts, who’s getting venture capital funding, what’s new, what’s old, etc
Mashable covers the fun world of social media. All the trends, hot apps, new media start ups, etc. (warning, social media companies have crazy names like BoomBah and Trah-LALA)
Despite the insane signal to noise ratio, if you follow the right people, you’ll always remain a tech step ahead of the crowd. The only annoying part is the “echo chamber” effect of news when you’re following a lot of people. If you’ve ever seen someone retweet “ThiS JUsT INN!! iPHOne4 LEFT aT BAR!!!” 3 weeks after the fact, you know what I’m talking about. Here’s a minuscule slice of people I’d suggest checking out. Check out my Twitter page if you want a few hundred other people to get information from.
Note: I’m only recommending these people as a starting point. I believe they’re all good sources of information, but if they’ve since switched to posting about their marble collections, don’t hold it against me.
Blackberry related
@Crucial_Xtreme
@BlackBerrySith (a.k.a Sith_Apprentice)
@Salomondrin (When he talks BB, he knows his stuff)
@berryreview
Android related
@Androidcentral
@phandroid
@Droid-life
HTC related
@conflipper
Don’t forget to check their friend lists as well. When a person has ten thousand followers but only follows 23 people, I’ll wager those 23 might be upstream in the information food chain. ALWAYS pay attention to YOUR source’s sources.
Straight from the tap
What’s the most tedious but ultimately rewarding way to glean information? Digging through the endless pages of web forums of course! While there are a million of them, I’ll go ahead and list a few that I’ve found to generate solid info. Always keep in mind that each typically consists of 70% idiots, 29% tech savvy people, and 1% “on the inside”. (i.e. there will be a ton of metric garbage to sift through, but it’s totally worth it)
Howardforums.com is hands down THE place to get information. Since I’ve switched to Android, my attention has been primarily focused on the VZW Android forums, but whatever your interest, you’ll find some good leaks. (For all you Moto Android people, any comment from Bill23, Winston25, Aixelsyd, or Matrix2004 can be taken TO THE BANK)
The Crackberry forums are obviously an amazing resource to discover all the latest in the world of RIM.
Other notable places are the Android Forums and Blackberry forums
Learn from history
The tech world is one that’s equally as dynamic as it is routine. The devices are just a variable, but the process of bringing it to market are a predictable number of steps. For example…
Blackberry 8520 clears FCC on June 30th, 2009, and is released August 5 2009
GSM Nexus 1 clears FCC on Dec 14, 2009, and is released on January 5, 2010
AT&T Palm Pre Plus clears FCC on April 1, and is released May 16th, 2010
So we can deduce that generally, there’s about a month between clearance and release. There are always exceptions, such as the Blackberry Tour that cleared FCC on May 3rd, 2009 and was released three months later on August 5 2009. That said, the next time you see a device get the FCC’s blessing, you (or your readers) can be confident it’ll be in their hands in a mere 4 to 5 weeks.
The same could be said for when a device “hits inventory”. If I remember correctly, there’s a 40 to 60 day delay. If you want to get extra crazy, you can sleuth out the nuances between the carriers. T-Mob is usually 45 days, Verizon is 60 days (perhaps a result of their infamously strict testing policy), AT&T is…., etc. (All those made up)
There are also seasonal considerations. While it’s possible that an iPhone could drop in December, and a Blackberry Storm could drop in June, in several iterations of both, it’s never happened. If we hear a rumor otherwise, your intuition should tell you to take this “news” with a grain of salt.
If you pay attention to a company’s past, you’ll find it will be a helpful tool for predicting their future.
And that’s pretty much it
By now it’s become clear that this is serious work, which is probably why I don’t want to do it. (I’m a slow and steady wins the race type of person). I’d did think this topic (and info) would make an interesting post, and would be helpful to pass it along. So go forth you next generation tech bloggers! Use these suggestions, hone new techniques, and you’ll be in the Caribbean on a solid gold yacht in no time! Just remember me when you hit the big time, maybe even post a link on your site.
In the meantime, I’ll be here doing my thing, complaining about Multi-Billion dollar tech companies and enjoying a frosty beer!
Skip/hold on the next generation of Droid
Jun 18th
Note: I’ve updated this post to incorporate news from the Droid X event on 6/23/10.
——————————————————————————————————
Every once in awhile there’s a lull in the tech world where nothing is making me grind my teeth or shoot steam out of my ears Popeye style. During these extraordinarily brief periods, I kill time by offering up some advice to my tech brethren. While it’s not nearly as fun as berating companies, it keeps me writing and interacting with you all. So with that in mind, I’ve had some thoughts about the next generation of Android devices coming out. 
Two new Android phones from Motorola will be released in the next month or two. They are the Droid Xtreme and the imaginatively named Droid 2. The Droid X was announced yesterday and will be available on July 15th. The Droid 2 remains unofficial and rumored for an end of July release.
Here’s info on the Droid X and some early impressions of the Droid 2)
I find myself, along with the rest of the internet, SALIVATING over the specs of the Droid Xtreme. I mean just look at that thing. I’d probably crawl through a tunnel of broken glass just to get my hands on it. There’s a problem though. If you bought the first Droid at launch on a two-year contract (like I did), your upgrade eligibility is not going to look pretty. Here are the options…
1) Go broke buying the DX at full retail. ($550 or so)
2) Be a loser with your 7 month old phone.
While spending the cash is the OBVIOUS move, I’ve decided to hold off from doing so. If you’re mid-contract, I suggest you do the same.
Here’s why…
My first bone of contention is that both devices lack a front facing camera. Now I know this isn’t the most important feature in the world, but I prefer to be at the same level of the other bleeding edge phones de jour. Besides, app developers are going to go crazy with a front cam, and I want in on the fun. Having one should also extend the lifespan a little, because you won’t be jonesing for the new phone that DOES have one a month later.
The second issue is they’re both rocking Android 2.1 out of the box (now confirmed for the DX, still speculated for the D2). Froyo 2.2 had some massive behind the scene optimizations put into it, but since it was just released, it’s going to be awhile until it gets to handsets. We don’t know about the Droid 2, but we DO know that the X is rocking a new version of motoblur. I was initially concerned that this might add additional delay to a 2.2 update, but Moto assured consumers that won’t be a problem. That’s nice and all, but we STILL get a vague “later summer” answer for when we can expect the 2.2 update. I experienced the Droid’s 2.0 to 2.1 debacle firsthand, so forgive me if I don’t hold my breath. The point? It may be some time until Froyo is added to either device. Even better (or worse), is that the next version of Android, Gingerbread, is getting a massive interface update. That version is scheduled to be available at the end of the year.
And finally…
I think these devices are about to get leapfrogged fairly quickly (i.e. Nexus one released 2 months after the Droid style). I’ve been doing some sleuthing around, and the word is there’s another Moto phone on the horizon called the Droid Pro (I’ve also seen it referred to as the the Droid WE (World Edition)). The word is that this will be the baddest device of the bunch. Moto is basically throwing the kitchen sink at this thing, 2Ghz processor (crazy but possible), gyroscope, front cam, the works. The information is weak at the moment, but the same trusted Moto guys that leaked info on the X and D2 are saying this thing is the real deal. It will supposedly be available around the end of the year, just in time for us Droid 1 owners to get the discount.
As always, it’s up to you
If you’re eligible for an upgrade and these devices make you feel warm and fuzzy, go for it. If you’re a gen 1 Droid owner like me, I’m not sure they’re worth breaking the bank for, especially when “the next level” might be following up right behind. A few months of patience will save you money NOW, and put a far better device in your hand only a few months later.
Funeral for RIM
Jun 15th
I’ve been drafting this post for a long time, but have held off on hitting that “publish” button. At first I was unable to explain the delay, but after some reflection, it’s obvious a little part of me is still a crackberry addict. “There’s no love like your first love” rings equally true with your first smartphone. Since you’re reading this, however, you’ve cleverly deduced that eventually, I DID hit the button. (Or you wanted to pimp out your refrigerator and mistyped “tech-rator.com” in which case you can stop reading now)
Anyway, I’ve got a simple explanation behind my decision….
It’s time for me to shut up and move on. RIM’s actions this past year have forced me to sound like the most annoying broken record ever conceived. Grab an old vinyl copy of “Take me out to the ball game”, scour it vigorously with steel wool, and play it at 78 RPM for 419 days straight. That’s what they’ve turned me into!
I’ve decided to overcome my denial, click publish, and let go…
They’re dead? What are you smoking?
Let’s get the elephant out of the room first. Yes, RIM currently enjoys 35% market share and is valued at 32 billion, counterpoints that might be important were I literally proclaiming their death. No, instead I’m invoking a far grimmer demise, one of “geek death”. This is where millions of device lovers begin a slow exodus to shinier gadget pastures, leaving a once innovative company to plummet into obsolescence. Got that? They’re as good as dead in the world of the next “cutting edge shiny thing”.
Let’s start off on a positive note
First, some faint praise that will establish a more dramatic contrast with the 97% of this post that won’t be faint praise. Research in Motion has a fantastic history and should take enormous pride in their accomplishments. The Blackberry has become a cultural touchstone, led at the forefront of mobile tech for generations, and even developed it’s own lexicon (crackberry, crackberry thumb, etc). Take a bow fellas, it might be your last!
The beginning of the end
Everyone has their theory, and mine is that death blow numero uno can be attributed to the first iPhone. While it consisted of existing components, (yes, the Nokia 5500 used an accelerometer a year earlier) the iPhone had a technological “bigger than sum of all parts” thing going for it. Needless to say the device instantly added serious competition to the mobile battleground.
As an avid Blackberry user at the time, I was confident that RIM was capable of quickly adapting to their new competitor. RIM was in the game so long, couldn’t they simply go in the lab and fetch some bad ass prototype they’ve been toying around with? Helping the situation was that the iPhone for all its strengths, lacked multitasking, cut & paste, a camera flash, 3.5 headphone jack, removable battery, and push notifications, all features my existing Blackberry had.
So the message to improve was out there, but it was uttered in a smooth Jamaican-esque “No worries, be the best mon you can be, mon” instead of a deep-space radio-garbled “My god what is THAT????” *signal lost*
I’m so tired of being wrong
The three readers (four, if I count as a proofreader) of this fine blog know all too well about what transpired next. In the past year I’ve conveyed my concern to RIM, pleaded with them, and even WARNED THEM of the competition lurking on the horizon. Whether unable to handle the truth, or completely unaware of my existence, they chose to ignore my advice and that of similar blogs. I’d say the consequences of doing so are now bearing fruit.
After the debut of the iPhone, and the critical failure of the Storm, RIM seemed content to sit around with their head in the clouds, ambivalent (instead of terrified) to be in a showdown with Apple. They had a window of opportunity to get their act together, but I believe it has now SLAMMED shut.
A second leader emerges
Death blow numero dos (and the inspiration for this post) was delivered a few weeks ago at the Google I/O developer conference. This is the annual get together for all things Google, and a slew of announcements were made. Most impressive were those related to Android, specifically the next iteration that will soon be released. The new features of “Froyo” (Frozen Yogurt is the codename for some bizarre reason) were so impressive, many felt Android even leapfrogged Apple’s iOS in awesomeness. Android phones will be soon be rocking flash, becoming portable hot spots, have insane cloud connectivity, and will even be able to drive your kids to school! (That last item is unconfirmed)
As I was reading all this news, I remember mumbling to myself that Blackberry “is completely screwed”. Apple and Google are in a full war, and the pace of innovation is breakneck. It seems more likely that RIM will first slide into territory Palm previously occupied (3rd place), and then continue into territory they currently occupy (no place).
How could this have happened?
RIM is well known as being a traditionally conservative company. Generally thats a good thing, unless it’s the hyper competitive world of technology. Obviously RIM has some bright people and a great product, because they gloriously rode the top of the tech world for over a decade. But….
New decade, new players, new ballgame….
Their current problem is failing to adapt to the emerging realities of the mobile world. Instead of making bold decisions and being aggressive with technology, RIM has plodded along with a glacially slow incremental update cycle.
I’m probably as sick about writing the same crap over and over as you are reading it, so in the name of efficiency here’s some earnest advice I gave them, and here’s some more.
In a nutshell, RIM is behind the times philosophically and technologically. Their OS, the heart and soul of the device, lacks a cohesive interface, connectivity (internet especially), and scalability. Their hardware is an even uglier situation. While Apple, Android (HTC, Motorola) and others are now incorporating front facing cameras, digital compasses and gyroscopes, RIM twiddles their thumbs and offers one uninspired feature set after another.
Is RIM unwilling or incapable of keeping pace with this innovation?
And here’s the spittle flecked crux
The problem is that cellphones have evolved into a complete mobile experience. Phones are no longer phones, they’re handheld laptops. The former requires a fraction of the resources and creativity of the latter. Slap a keypad on a block of plastic, add a screen and an antenna, and voila! But these newfangled super phones? You need to start off with a nice obsidian colored slab packed to the gills with accelerometers, compasses, gyroscopes, cameras, plugs, jacks, buttons, radios for Wi-fi, aGPS, bluetooth, AND THEN slap on the BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST fucking screen ever made. If that glorious collection of circuitry isn’t prepared for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you throw at it, you go back to the drawing board and WILL it into existence. I’m talking about a piece of tech with so many electronics crammed in it, the radiation alone will mutate a punk 100 lb eighth grader into a 10 foot tall Norse God after a five minute phone call!
THEN……(deep breath)
you design an OS with the foresight that new innovations come, so YOU better make them easy to integrate ahead of time. It needs to be a robust multitasking MONSTER that stingily sips battery, yet eats apps FOR BREAKFAST. An elegant architecture is a MUST, and easy accessibility for the programming community follows closely behind. If you’re thinking “an approachable vegan bodybuilding ballerina with unlimited dancing potential”, come and collect your prize!
THEN……(deeper breath)
you need to create and support an ecosystem for your product. Break out the Cat o’ nine tails and get those app developers to pump every OUNCE of utility out of the device. Once the ball starts rolling, they’ll be coming up with ideas that would put the most fevered visions of a black plague dying Renaissance artist to shame! I’m talking the phone drives the car via bluetooth and orders crumpets from the upcoming rest stop type of shit.
And don’t give me any “many of those items are mutually exclusive” crap either. Are you telling me the iPhone 4G, Evo, and next gen Droids aren’t getting closer to the description above? (Hopefully minus the radiation)
RIM “did” great smartphones, but they “do” horrible handheld laptops. A few years ago when things we’re simpler RIM could compete until the cows came home. But now? In this new landscape? I wouldn’t trust a RIM engineer to tie my shoe, let alone expect them to make a major change in the way they do things. And don’t think anything is going to happen, because how can one change when one’s very problem is an inability to change?
What’s their future?
The fate of BB can go a few ways, but I’ll bet 90% of it will be following in the foot steps of Palm. (For those unaware, Palm once strode upon the top of the mobile world, then sat on their laurels and let it pass them by)
Rim may take a slightly different fork at the end of the road, but it’ll be inconsequential for our purposes here.
On their present course, I envision the following…
Now to two years out
Apple and Google will take off in the mobile race, creating an ever widening disparity between their platforms and RIM’s. As it begins the descent from “Smart” phone to “not as smart phone”, the Blackberry will probably reign supreme on the second tier for awhile, competing with “cutting edge” companies like LG and Garmond. The days of being featured in a Time Magazine “hot new gadgets” article or a Good Morning America tech segment will come to an end. Then, in the next iteration of Android or iOS, their corporate grip will reach a tipping point of erosion.
Two to Five years out
Apple set the grinding wheels of inevitable doom in motion, but I’ll put my money on Google being the assassin. That’s because Google will unveil some free corporate equivalent to the Blackberry Enterprise Server. (Let’s hope they re-brand it, because white shoe lawyers and little green robots sounds like an odd mix). With RIM’s BES licenses now having a value between “losing lottery ticket” and “single square of toilet paper”, it’s only a matter of time until someone (Microsoft) picks them up for scraps (Patent portfolio).
A fond farewell to an old friend
I’d like to thank RIM and it’s “instant” email for efficiently delivering the rambling poems of roommates past. Your awesome messenger services alerted me via text that I was single again, and your web browser helped me kill time in such exotic locations as Cleveland INT’L airport and the local Dunkin’ Donuts. Your contributions to my life won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Perhaps in a few decades we’ll briefly meet again via an “I love the 00’s show”!
