Phone, Tablet and Gizmo Thread #0x02

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 15 Mar 2014 00:24

MSFT Losing Next Generation of Office Users By Delaying iOS Release

Wonder why it's taking so long?

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 15 Mar 2014 00:27

There'd be no reason for people to buy a windows device then.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 15 Mar 2014 00:47

An iPad could be setup to use Office 365 and One Drive. MSFT will miss out on these customers as they aren't going to buy a Windows device anyways.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 15 Mar 2014 02:14

Anujan wrote:There'd be no reason for people to buy a windows device then.

If one goes by the percentage of consumers who buy MS Office after buying a Windows machine....the above argument does not hold. Otherwise it would be like saying people buy Android phones to access Gmail and since Gmail is accessible over the internet nobody would buy Android phones.

Simply put people buy Windows machines becoz they don't have a viable alternative with even a half decent app ecosystem. The well heeled chi chi type can buy a Mac but what will the rest buy? ChromeOS?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 15 Mar 2014 03:21

Linux?

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 15 Mar 2014 03:31

Raja Bose wrote:
Anujan wrote:There'd be no reason for people to buy a windows device then.
If one goes by the percentage of consumers who buy MS Office after buying a Windows machine....the above argument does not hold. Otherwise it would be like saying people buy Android phones to access Gmail and since Gmail is accessible over the internet nobody would buy Android phones.

Simply put people buy Windows machines becoz they don't have a viable alternative with even a half decent app ecosystem. The well heeled chi chi type can buy a Mac but what will the rest buy? ChromeOS?

People are buying tablets anyway. > 90% (or some such) enterprise tablets are iPads*. How will you sell windows tablets to these people? What additional value proposition does windows tablets have for iPad users? Dont tell me "App ecosystem" - these people are iPad users anyway. My point was simple: If M$ wants to sell tablets to the enterprise crowd, they dont have any value proposition over an iPad if you leave out office. Note that I am not comparing a windows desktop or PC with an iPad, I would count a mac laptop/desktop as its competitor. For some random reason people want to buy tablets over laptops. In the enterprise space, they are buying iPads. I repeat my hypothesis: If full fledged office were released for iPads, the tablet crowd will not buy windows tablets.

* http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/m ... id/1113813

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 15 Mar 2014 04:31

Mort Walker wrote:MSFT Losing Next Generation of Office Users By Delaying iOS Release

Wonder why it's taking so long?

Windows ain't done till lotus doesn't run. But unfortunately for M$, Apple is not IBM and Nadella is not yet Gates. Prolly M$ are praying that he doesn't start throwing chairs.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 15 Mar 2014 04:35

Mort Walker wrote:Linux?

Problem is there are no decent laptops that run Linux - who wants to be on the perpetual Fedora upgrade cycle or the ever changing Ubuntu and Gnome Win8 wanna-be UIs? I find it rather tiring after my excellent UX with iPad mini. That is one of the best devices I have had. Almost one hand operability for browsing (but not typing) and reasonable size (better than iPod) for abdools with failing (progressive lens wearing) vision.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 15 Mar 2014 04:43

Mort Walker wrote:Linux?

Really?

Though I must admit Ubuntu has gone a long way in making it relatively painless but still its not something for the mango non-science crowd.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 15 Mar 2014 04:53

Anujan wrote:
Raja Bose wrote: If one goes by the percentage of consumers who buy MS Office after buying a Windows machine....the above argument does not hold. Otherwise it would be like saying people buy Android phones to access Gmail and since Gmail is accessible over the internet nobody would buy Android phones.

Simply put people buy Windows machines becoz they don't have a viable alternative with even a half decent app ecosystem. The well heeled chi chi type can buy a Mac but what will the rest buy? ChromeOS?
People are buying tablets anyway. > 90% (or some such) enterprise tablets are iPads*. How will you sell windows tablets to these people? What additional value proposition does windows tablets have for iPad users? Dont tell me "App ecosystem" - these people are iPad users anyway. My point was simple: If M$ wants to sell tablets to the enterprise crowd, they dont have any value proposition over an iPad if you leave out office. Note that I am not comparing a windows desktop or PC with an iPad, I would count a mac laptop/desktop as its competitor. For some random reason people want to buy tablets over laptops. In the enterprise space, they are buying iPads. I repeat my hypothesis: If full fledged office were released for iPads, the tablet crowd will not buy windows tablets.

* http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/m ... id/1113813

oh I was talking about Windows machines in general, not just tablets. Specifically for tablets, the question for Microsoft is, where do they make higher margins? Selling a Windows tablet with Office preloaded or selling Office for iPad? The answer is, the latter. Now it is important for Microsoft to sell its tablets for other reasons but making Office exclusive to Windows tablets won't help them there....their advertisement messaging notwithstanding. Mickey despite a growing hardware portfolio is first and foremost a software and now services vendor. Same as Chacha. That is why Chacha's services are not exclusive to Android tablets either.

iPad is the device which basically started and is now almost solely driving the BYOD trend. So trying to block software/services from being used on it will hurt the software/service vendor onlee. That is why Chacha and Mickey are putting their warez on FruitCo's slate. And like Mortullah already said, people who buy iPads won't buy Windows tablets anyhow...office or no office especially given Office365 works quite well on the iPad now.

Unlike the post-tablet era orgasm crowd, I don't see tablets taking over from PCs - its already been 2-3 years since that crowd went to town claiming tablets will take over from PCs. That has not happened. What I do see happening is tablets augmenting PCs and slowing down a PC's refresh cycle. Bad news for the PC hardware vendors so we might see more consolidation there with only a few dogs left in the fight. For the software/services vendors, it probably does not matter. Mickey's Windows division revenue grew YoY on schedule, even though PC market kept falling.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 15 Mar 2014 05:01

Ini fact, with Office 360 model, MS Azure will take off. But I have my doubts about how much one can do on an iPad mini. May be the bigger iPad is a different matter. Which ones are selling more? minis or the regular (or rather regular or the "super-size it"?).

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2014 00:54

Did someone here say making this design as a product was not possible....too unrealistic....so not grounded in reality?

Well here it is....the Moto360

As pointed out earlier, nothing in the above design requires components not already out there. Just as designers can be accused of being unrealistic, engineers can be accused of being pessimistic. It required someone with Mahdi's chutzpah and personality to kick mush of both these parties and make them create beautiful devices which people desire to own.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 19 Mar 2014 00:57

We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2014 00:59

The supplier which supplies those circular watch glasses to Moto also supplies to FruitCo (& some others). Basically, the consumer electronics equivalent of SDREs figuring out a Paki invasion of Siachen from the snow boots manufacturer.

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 19 Mar 2014 01:01

BTW wasnt that snow boots shop owned by a gujju?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2014 01:04

In this case if the Mahdi was alive, it would be one dead gujju. Clearly Bawarchi is not made of the same material.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 19 Mar 2014 07:49

OK, iOS 7.1 fixed many of my irritants with the "new" look. CarPlay is right direction, but dil mange more like, "Siri: Warm my butt"

negi · Post by **negi** » 19 Mar 2014 16:54

That moto 360 image of bicompax variant is a bit overdone. The hands and dial will be digitally rendered as against a LED display over actual watch hands which that image shows .

That chrono model image looks as if hands are physical and not digital images which is not the case.

vina · Post by **vina** » 19 Mar 2014 20:46

ShauryaT wrote:OK, iOS 7.1 fixed many of my irritants with the "new" look. CarPlay is right direction, but dil mange more like, "Siri: Warm my butt"

Performance is astounding,ma visible and palpable improvement after the upgrade, the slight hesitation that was there earlier is now gone.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 19 Mar 2014 20:58

^^^the guy responsible for pulling off this feat is actively looking to leave FruitCo. Ive baba has ensured that he is totally burnt out.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 Mar 2014 03:32

Ms. Horvath leaves GitHub saying the environment is sexist (discussion on /.)

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 22 Mar 2014 03:50

vina wrote:
ShauryaT wrote:OK, iOS 7.1 fixed many of my irritants with the "new" look. CarPlay is right direction, but dil mange more like, "Siri: Warm my butt"
Performance is astounding,ma visible and palpable improvement after the upgrade, the slight hesitation that was there earlier is now gone.

OK, I spoke too soon the web look (which is a version of 3270 terminals) is back with ugly URL type text everywhere. I hate it. Fire this new designer. Maybe it was all those extra picture based buttons, which was making it heavy and hence a little sluggish?

Something is going wrong with Fruit, Mahdi would not have compromised with the rich skeuomorphic interface. The geeks and purists are taking over, it seems. I miss Mahdi!!

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 22 Mar 2014 04:59

Raja Bose wrote:^^^the guy responsible for pulling off this feat is actively looking to leave FruitCo. Ive baba has ensured that he is totally burnt out.

Update: He handed in his papers. FruitCo really chews up talented people and spits them out. Chacha tried to hire him and he told them to eff off...he is done with ITvity and doesn't need more of the same slavery experience.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 24 Mar 2014 10:04

Apple and Comcast discussing TV service to bypass net congestion: WSJ

This is not about a set-top box, its about a TV.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 25 Mar 2014 00:02

^^^One more reason why there must be internet neutrality. Otherwise the money bags will collude with each other and stifle competition. Sanctioned monopolies are not good for anyone.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 26 Mar 2014 04:12

FaceBook buying OculusVR for $2 Billion

hmmm......

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 26 Mar 2014 20:18

Perhaps this should also be x-posted in some other threads. This is a different attack vector to get past firewalls and IT security and it is pretty insidious:
http://www.jesterscourt.cc/2014/03/14/w ... inese-pla/

‘Vaping’. In case you weren’t aware ‘vaping’ is the new smoking. Its not as cool as smoking used to be back in the James Dean era just yet but it’s gettting there, and the US is a big ole market. Vaping is basically a battery, a ‘tank’ containing a flavor + nicotine if you so wish and and atomizer. All in a handy little tube, some even look like actual cigarettes if only for their crazy green glow when you take a pull.

So these ‘vaping kits’ all require a charger like this:

The one you see above comes with the ‘eGo’ kit freely available in the US and ‘handily’ comes with a detachable wall socket bit, because we all know it’s easier to just throw it in our PC right? After all it’s only a charger for a vape pen, what harm can it do?

Well it’s Model number: EK-928-C and it’s ‘Made In China’.

And I’d like to know why every time I plug it into my freaking Windoze PC, a TCP connection opens up to Chinese IP space, from a service or persistent process that is present on most Windows PC’s that resides in a well-known area of a Windows filesystem?
...
...
.. and think. Smoking in the workplace has been vilified for years now, people are turning to ‘vaping’, while you may not be able to physically ‘vape’ in your booth at Booze, or Northrup Grumman, or wherever, you can still charge your ‘vape-pen’ right?

Yes I agree, in a SCIF you wont get away with plugging in your ‘vape-charger’ – but what about the sub-contractors?

But it gets worse, you know all those desk toys, like the coffee warmer, and the mexican jumping bean thing, all those ‘office toys’ you can get from ‘thinkgeek.com’ and similar, that only come with a little USB plug you have no choice but to drop in you PC (whichever PC you are near) they are all made in China.

Ask yourself this. Where’s the wall adapter, and why is it so convenient that I plug this purely ‘power charging’ device into my PC, its got no storage, or phone home capability? Right?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 27 Mar 2014 23:55

Microsoft launches Office for iPad

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 28 Mar 2014 03:48

Looks like Chacha is not the first one from ITvity to dabble in robotics. Here's Nokia Robotics from the 1980s...

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 28 Mar 2014 03:50

Amazon will reportedly launch a free video streaming service

Ad supported. re they going to beat Chacha?

archan · Post by **archan** » 28 Mar 2014 06:38

Contrasting reviews on the HTC One camera. What's your take on this?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 29 Mar 2014 05:38

Raja Bose wrote:Microsoft launches Office for iPad

Yes, but the charlatans at MSFT are forcing you to purchase Office 365 to edit any document - which sucks and I don't know how many people will jump on this. I certainly won't. They would have been better off charging $100 for it as one time purchase.

--------------------

I recently filed a grievance with upper management that our IT dept. is forcing me to upgrade from XP to Win7 with very limited admin rights. This will kill my productivity, and should it happen, I will switch most of my work over to Linux machines where I can.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 29 Mar 2014 05:41

archan wrote:Contrasting reviews on the HTC One camera. What's your take on this?

The HTC camera sucks. Period. HTC's implementation to achieve low light capability smears details and ruins the white balance. Much worse than a low end 2009 P&S from Panasonic.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 29 Mar 2014 10:55

Mort Walker wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:Microsoft launches Office for iPad
Yes, but the charlatans at MSFT are forcing you to purchase Office 365 to edit any document - which sucks and I don't know how many people will jump on this. I certainly won't. They would have been better off charging $100 for it as one time purchase.

Actually that is a smart move and in line with how companies reel in customers today. Most people need Office to read docs onlee especially on tablets - tablets are not majorly content creation devices. Its basically also tapping into the BYOD market for business.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 01 Apr 2014 04:59

India Now Has the World’s Slimmest Smartphone – the Gionee Elfie S5.5

http://www.gadgetgestures.com/india-now ... 5/83410023

Gionee is a China based mobile phone company that was established in 2002. It provides mobile phones and smartphones for countries where the major phone manufacturers (such as Samsung or Apple) have little or no access: India, Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and the Middle East. Today, Gionee launched the world’s slimmest smartphone in India and the whole world is taking notice. It seems like India is having all the fun, earlier this week rumors sparked that Samsung Galaxy S5 would be available in India with Gear Family.
The Elfie S5.5 goes on Indian shelves on 27 April and it has been available in China since 18 March. It costs around $383, or 22,999 Indian Rupees.The thing that sets the Elfie S5.5 apart from any other smartphone in the world is the fact that it is, at this moment, the world’s slimmest phone at 5.5mm. And aside from its size, the Elfie S5.5 is a pretty good smartphone, the company’s flagship that could very well rival Samsung’s or Apple’s flagship phones.
It features a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 display with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. It has an astounding octa-core 1.7GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM and is running company’s own OS, Amigo which is based on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean version. It has 3G, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0The camera is also pretty impressive: the rear one has 13MP and an LED flash and the front camera (or the selfie camera) has 5MP. The only thing that makes us unhappy about this little gem is the fact that it has no option of expanding the internal storage and the 16GB don’t seem like enough.As we were saying, the world’s slimmest smartphone measures 145.1 x 70 x 5.55 mm and weighs only 130 grams. The battery is a non-removable 2300mAh that Gionee is pretty blurry about, saying that it will last you more than a day. We’d like to know what more than a day means for Gionee, so if any of you have the world’s slimmest smartphone, the Elfie S5.5, please drop us a line and tell us about the battery.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 03 Apr 2014 03:37

....and we get some more steps closer to convergence (whether some folks like it or not

)

http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/02/micr ... g-windows/

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 03 Apr 2014 09:26

Takla Co looks like they will succeed where ChachaTV failed: http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/2/557593 ... anteed-hit

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 05 Apr 2014 03:34

Amazon's Dash lets you refill your pantry using your voice and lasers

Takla Co goes Mahdi-ish.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Apr 2014 03:35

RB, Did you read the Indian contributions thread in Econ Forum about email?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 05 Apr 2014 03:42

Raja Bose wrote:Amazon's Dash lets you refill your pantry using your voice and lasers

Takla Co goes Mahdi-ish.

I first saw the pic and then quickly read what Bosebabu wrote and for a second I thought I read 'panty' instead of 'pantry'.