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Apple and Facebook Should Be Terrified Of Google-Tinted Glasses
Google’s augmented reality eyewear is coming to disrupt your face and your business model. If you don’t even have to pull your phone out to take a photo, get directions, or message with friends, why would you need to buy the latest iPhone or spend so much time on Facebook?
It could be a year before Google eyewear reaches stores, but that’s why these and other tech companies need to strategize now. If they wait to see if the device is a hit, the world could be seeing through Google-tinted glasses by the time they adapt. Apple and Facebook’s bet might be to team up…
If you haven’t heard, Google today announced it is beginning public tests of augmented reality glasses with the codename Project Glass. A mouthwatering mock-up video of what the device might eventually be capable of shows someone using voice commands to send messages, take photos, share to Google+, see the locations of friends, view maps, get directions, set calendar reminders, and more.
Cramming all the functionality into a sleek set of glasses is going to take time and effort, but the Google(x) skunklabs is on it. There’s a dozen ways the product could flop, most obviously if the glasses are awkward and unstylish, but also if they’re too heavy, expensive, fragile, or the world is just not quite ready. Let’s forget those for a second. Say Google figures it out and the retail version of Project Glass (which may end up being called Google Eye) becomes wildly popular. How will this disrupt Apple and Facebook, and what should they do to defend themselves?
Here’s what I see as their best courses of action:
Apple Should Compete
Project Glass takes a ton of the things you use your iPhone and iPod for and puts them into your glasses. The glasses will likely run a version of Android and since they’re voice controlled, they could turn into Google’s competitor to Siri. People might buy Google glasses rather than snapping up the latest Apple device.
But Apple is the world’s greatest hardware company. Hopefully somewhere deep inside its headquarters there are some scientists figuring out how to turn an iPhone into glasses, not just a wristwatch.
Apple should seek to capitalize on Google’s lack of hardware experience, and spend some of its cash reserves to lock up critical component manufacturers. Even if Project Glass ends up an ugly mess, Apple could still make eyeglass computing beautiful. This technology sure seems like the future, so Apple needs to be ready to pounce. But the problem remains that it has no social network or other key services to power its own version…”
Facebook Should Team Up With Apple
Facebook is no hardware company and isn’t big enough to become one. Not having its own mobile OS or device is hurting Facebook, and eyeglass computing could turn into round 2. The video already showed Google+ as the preferred sharing method. Unlike an Android phone where you could just open the Facebook app, Project Glass won’t necessarily allow third-party apps, at least at first, and could make them harder to access than Google+ which will be baked in.
Though Facebook and Apple have been on strained terms so far, and Facebook hasn’t even gotten directly integrated into iOS like Twitter, the two companies could bond over the common threat of Project Glass. Apple needs somewhere to share the content you’d create with its glasses, or why create it in the first place? Facebook needs to make sure Apple lets it get deeply embedded, with or without Twitter alongside it. (Though, Facebook, should probably start with today’s iOS).
Postscript: If Apple or Facebook consider eyeglass computing as marketable to mainstream in the next few years, today should give them a jolt. It’s early though, so they’ll only need to be scared if they don’t plan.
But here’s the kicker…
Despite its lack of hardware experience, Google is the best positioned company to make, or at least provide the software for eyeglass computers. It has Android, Google+, Maps, Gmail, Gcal, Latitude, and more. Glass might go belly up, but if not it could breathe life into some of these sluggish services. That’s why it’s ridiculous when people call Project Glass a diversion or waste of resources. Seems to me like Google’s vision is 20/20.
Josh Constine is a technology journalist who specializes in deep analysis of social products. He is currently a writer for TechCrunch.
Previously, Constine was the Lead Writer of Inside Facebook, where he covered Facebook product changes, privacy, the Ads API, Page management, ecommerce, virtual currency, and music technology.
Prior to writing for Inside Facebook, Constine graduated from Stanford University… → Learn More
Posted under Apple, Facebook, Google, Web Development | No Comments
9 top tech companies Apple no.1 No. 2 …
Which technology firms have the best reputations? These nine firms are the envy of their peers everywhere. Here’s why.
Apple
Apple is gearing up for another huge year. It is on the verge of announcing the third generation of its stalwart iPad, no doubt with additional plans to conquer consumer’s wallets. Last year was a banner year, despite the passing of the company’s iconic founder, Steve Jobs.
Under CEO Tim Cook, the company’s annual revenues climbed to $108 billion, led by an 81% increase in iPhone sales — a jump that doesn’t factor in the runaway success of the iPhone 4S — and a 334% spike in iPad sales, due in no small part to the revamped iPad 2. Increased sales across the board explain why shares soared 75% during the company’s fiscal year to $495.
NEXT: IBM
By JP Mangalindan @FortuneMagazine
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Apple vs. Android location tracking: Time for some truth
By JR Raphael
Smartphone location tracking is stirring up quite the controversy right now. It’s no surprise: A report issued last week alerted us to the fact that Apple’s iPhones and iPads are quietly recording users’ locations and saving the data to unencrypted files. The files live on the devices and are also copied over to PCs during iTunes synchronization. They’re apparently even preserved and restored if a user migrates to a new device.
The problem here isn’t simply that the gadgets are accessing location data, of course; most of us know that that’s a possibility if we choose to use location-based smartphone services. The problem is that Apple’s devices appear to be collecting and storing this info — lots of it — in ways users aren’t aware of. And, even more concerning, iPhones and iPads are logging the data even when users have opted out of location tracking, according to an investigation published by The Wall Street Journal.
So far, Apple has yet to offer any official explanation. An email said to be from Steve Jobs did pop up on a Mac rumor site, but — keeping with Steve Jobs email tradition — it doesn’t say much. The message reportedly came in response to a user who asked about the iPhone’s location-logging practices. The user said he was thinking of switching to an Android phone since those devices “don’t track” their owners.
“Oh yes they do,” the response attributed to Jobs reads. “We don’t track anyone. The info circulating around is false.”
Hang on, though: Jobs has made misleading and just plain wrong statements before. Provided that this latest email did actually come from him, it looks like he’s done it again.
Smartphone Location Tracking: Apple vs. Android
First, to address the Apple part of the equation, remember that written statements are often a game of semantics. Apple may not be actively accessing any of the user location data its gizmos are collecting — and thus may not technically be “tracking” anyone — but its iPhones and iPads are compiling loads of info, regardless of a user’s opt-out preference, and storing it in multiple places. Whatever the reason, that alone is enough to give anyone a case of the heebie-jeebies.
So what about Android phones and the allegation that they’re secretly tracking your every move? Despite the baseless claim, there’s simply no evidence of any such underhanded activity. When you first set up an Android phone, the operating system asks you whether you want to allow the device to determine your location by Wi-Fi and/or mobile networks. If you select yes, a dialog box lets you know that utilizing that feature will “allow Google’s location service to collect anonymous data” while your device is powered on. You have to explicitly tap a box labeled “Agree” in order for the feature to be activated.
An independent test by The Wall Street Journal confirms that the resulting transmissions are, in fact, anonymized; the only unique info included with the data is a code tied to the device (which has no user-specific identifying properties). The code is set during the device’s initial configuration and altered anytime a factory reset is performed.
As far as local storage, Android phones do keep a cache of user location data — but, as researchers have demonstrated, it’s a true limited cache as opposed to the comprehensive record created by iOS. The Android cache is visible only via administrator access. The cache contains only a user’s most recent location entries, with older entries being deleted as new ones arrive. What’s more, the cache is stored only on the phone itself and not synced with PCs or transferred to new devices. And if you opt out of Android’s Wi-Fi location service, the cache is not maintained.
Even if you’re among those who feel location history is nothing to worry about, 
you have a right to know what kind of info your phone is collecting and compiling. Here’s hoping Apple comes forward with a clear and honest explanation of what data its devices are logging and lets its users decide whether their info is included.
It’s a matter of principle — and, with the ever-increasing role mobile technology plays in our lives, it’s a precedent we can’t afford to ignore.
JR Raphael writes about smartphones and other tasty technology. You can find him on both Facebook and Twitter.
New MacBook Airs Are Like iPads With Keyboards
via Mashable
Today Apple ended weeks of speculation surrounding updates to the MacBook Air. The lineup will be expanded to feature an 11.6-inch entry model and a more substantial 13.3-inch model. Pricing for the 13.3-inch model will start at $1,299, compared to just $999 for the 11.6-inch MacBook Air.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs was quick to point out that the new MacBook Air is a logical step beyond the iPad. Gone is the clunky button found at the base of previous MacBook Air models. The new versions now feature the same smooth, clickable trackpads available on every other MacBook and MacBook Pro.
The trackpads are capable of enhanced multitouch functionality similar to that found on the iPad. That said, the MacBook Air is substantially more powerful than any iOS device.
MacBook Air Standard Features
Both models will include:
- Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
- Nvidia GeForce 320m GPU
- Solid state storage
- 2GB DDR3 memory (expandable to 4GB)
- Instant-on capabilities
- FaceTime Camera (formerly iSight)
- 802.11n Wi-Fi
- Up to 30 days of standby battery life
11.6-inch MacBook Air
Its display is capable of a 1336 x 768 resolution and it has a battery that will last for five hours. This model comes with either a 64GB hard drive for $999 or a 128GB hard drive for $1,199. Both models feature a 1.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, but the 128GB model is upgradeable to 1.6Ghz for another $100.
13.2-inch MacBook Air
The 13.2-inch models featuring a 1440 x 900 resolution display, with larger batteries capable of running for seven hours. They come with 1.86Ghz processors and start at 128GB for $1,299, but it’s expandable to 256GB for $1,599. The 256GB 13.2-inch MacBook Air can also be upgraded to a 2.13Ghz processor.
Both of the new MacBook Airs are available today.
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Apple On Track To Overtake Microsoft With $20 Billion Quarter
Heather Leonard via The Apple Investor
The market is up in anticipation of Fed action. Shares of AAPL are on the rise, currently up over $2 in early trading. Upcoming catalysts include third quarter earnings announcement on Monday, October 18th at 5:00pm ET; monthly NPD data (Mac / iPod business); iPhone sales updates and carrier diversification; iPad sales updates and expansion; new content revenue streams such as video, books and social (Ping); and the uptake of the newly refreshed Apple TV. AAPL trades at 16x Enterprise Value / Trailing Twelve Months Free Cash Flow (incl. long-term marketable securities).
Pointing to the $20B outfield.
Apple To Retain 50% Of The Tablet Market (All Things Digital)
J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz believes that while a number of new tablets will hit the market over the next year, it’s unlikely that they’ll whittle the iPad’s down to 20% or even 30%. They may get it down to 50%, though, says Moskowitz. Which is good news for Apple, which stands to sell a boatload of iPads next year. For fiscal 2011, Moskowitz estimates iPad unit sales could hit 22.2 million (or 50% of approximately 45 to 50 million units).
Expect The Mac To Have Sold ~4 Million Units This Quarter (Fortune)
How’s the Mac doing? Unit sales, which stalled in the first quarter as customers waited for the new MacBooks that arrived in April and May, took off in the second quarter, coming in just shy of 3.5 million. Although Apple’s competitors saw PC sales weaken this summer, all signs suggest that the Mac was the exception, driven by back-to-school sales and the new desktop models released in late July. The average third quarter unit sales estimate of the 31 analysts we’ve polled is 3.86 million Macs. Five of them, however, expect Apple to report that it sold 4 million or more. We will watch for any potential iPad cannibalization.
Looking At A $20 Billion Quarter (Fortune)
If Apple beats guidance by 19% like it has the past 3 quarters, we could be looking at a $21.5 billion quarter. The blogger / analyst community seems to be leaning that way with Wall Street not far behind. Current Street consensus is at $18.3 billion, or a measly 1.6% beat. Earlier in the quarter Antennaegate weighed on the stock, but millions of iPhones and iPads later, this could be the quarter when Apple surpasses Microsoft in total revenues.
The 7-Inch iPad Always Existed (The Loop)
A 7-inch iPad has actually existed for some time at Apple, says The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple. The writer, known to have inside contacts at the company, says that a 7-inch model was developed at the same time as the 9.7-inch one currently on sale. It’s uncertain why Apple ultimately picked the larger display option (avoiding comparison with the iPod, catering to newspapers, competing with notebooks). If reports are accurate, a 7-inch iPad should launch in early 2011.
iPad To Hit Glass Cases At Walmart (Wired)
The iPad continues its march towards world domination with an impending invasion of Walmart, America’s favorite supplier-bullying, content-censoring retail giant. Leaked emails and photos from eagle-eyed customers reveal that Apple’s overachieving tablet is just about to colonize shelf space nationwide. Charlie Sorrel at Wired believes the iPad will be this year’s Tickle-Me-Elmo. The iPad could be in 1,000 Walmart stores before the end of October.
iPhone CDMA Would Bring Concurrent Voice And Data Submissions To Verizon (Apple Insider)
Forthcoming enhancements to the CDMA wireless standard could allow Apple to be among the first handset makers to deploy phones on Verizon (and eventually Sprint) that would be capable of simultaneous voice and data transmissions like those operating on AT&T’s GSM network. Those same multitasking capabilities aren’t currently available to Verizon customers due to a decision made several years ago by engineers developing the CDMA standard, in which they chose to split voice and data transmissions into separate signals that cannot run concurrently.
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