Android operating system was launched October 22, 2008. In the past 8 months the number of apps have increased to 6000, a lot fewer apps compared to Apples app store that hosts around 60,000 applications. Though Android is an open source OS and supposedly is easier to create applications than iPhone's SDK why hasn't Android marketplace seen a plethora of applications as supposed to Apple store. It seems like Google's effort in trying to get Andriod on a better phone has been futile till date.
Now, Microsoft wants to enter the battle with its latest Zune HD. Zune HD, though packed with features like HD radio, unlimited music subscription etc, Microsoft missed the boat on mobile applications. With everyone going open source with their apps, Microsoft wants to create every single one of them and they have created 9 apps, (literally 9 apps).
So apple still leads the mobile phones/apps arena and we will have to wait and see Google or Microsoft can put a dent on its dominance.
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Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Clash of the Titans (Google vs Microsoft)
Since I have it in my blog description that I will talk about "IT" wars, I decided to broach that topic today in the midst of probably the biggest IT war news this year "Google Targets Microsoft's Turf" . Just a single blog posting by Google has sparked all the discussions on the war between Microsoft and Google. In less than a week from Google's announcement, Microsoft announces its Cloud enabled MS Office solution "Azure". If this ain't war, I don't know what is.
So here is my take on it. Google's Chrome OS targeting Net books and Cloud architecture is not likely to take off for another at least 3 yrs. Here is why:
1. The current wireless broadband networks out there are too slow to run a Operating System (3G provides up to 14.4 kbps). It will take at least 3 -4 yrs for LTE or WiMax to become ubiquitous. Without that wireless infrastructure, Net books that rely on wireless will not take off. Yes, you can use Net books in your home with your home LAN but why do you need a small portable laptop device just for home.
2. Microsoft's OS market share is 87.79% (as of May 2009) and 94% for its Office Suite (Google docs has 0.04%). Capturing that market is not going to be an easy task. The only other option is to create a new market for net books and start from scratch. This is assuming that every household in America will have a laptop/ Desktop (with MS or Apple OS) and a Net book for online activities. I am not sure if that is very realistic either.
3. Google's history so far with OS's doesn't look sunny either. Android is losing the battle to iPhones in the mobile industry. Given Android will pick up once it finds a cooler phone, I am not sure if it can overtake iPhone's penetration into the market.
So who knows, what's in the sleeve for Google but at this point it looks like Google is taking major risks to define the future technology arena. Then again, Google never fails to surpass expectations.
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So here is my take on it. Google's Chrome OS targeting Net books and Cloud architecture is not likely to take off for another at least 3 yrs. Here is why:
1. The current wireless broadband networks out there are too slow to run a Operating System (3G provides up to 14.4 kbps). It will take at least 3 -4 yrs for LTE or WiMax to become ubiquitous. Without that wireless infrastructure, Net books that rely on wireless will not take off. Yes, you can use Net books in your home with your home LAN but why do you need a small portable laptop device just for home.
2. Microsoft's OS market share is 87.79% (as of May 2009) and 94% for its Office Suite (Google docs has 0.04%). Capturing that market is not going to be an easy task. The only other option is to create a new market for net books and start from scratch. This is assuming that every household in America will have a laptop/ Desktop (with MS or Apple OS) and a Net book for online activities. I am not sure if that is very realistic either.
3. Google's history so far with OS's doesn't look sunny either. Android is losing the battle to iPhones in the mobile industry. Given Android will pick up once it finds a cooler phone, I am not sure if it can overtake iPhone's penetration into the market.
So who knows, what's in the sleeve for Google but at this point it looks like Google is taking major risks to define the future technology arena. Then again, Google never fails to surpass expectations.
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Sunday, June 28, 2009
Social Bookmarking..
Following along with my previous post "One thought ...too many places", I want to talk about "Social Bookmarking".
Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web pages on the Internet with the help of metadata, typically in the form of tags that collectively and/or collaboratively become a folksonomy. Folksonomy is also called social tagging, "the process by which many users add metadata in the form of keywords to shared content" (Definition from Wikipedia).
In short, another way to share your stories with your friends you have on facebook, twitter, MSN live, Linked in etc, etc. If you are like me, you probably have 2 sets of friends, professional relations and "everyone else with whom you don't mind sharing pictures from your last vacation". So why isn't there a single site or an "add on" where you can manage all your social bookmarking needs. So all you do is pick one of the 2 lists and hit "Go".
May be there is, may be not. At least something to think about.
Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to store, organize, search, and manage bookmarks of web pages on the Internet with the help of metadata, typically in the form of tags that collectively and/or collaboratively become a folksonomy. Folksonomy is also called social tagging, "the process by which many users add metadata in the form of keywords to shared content" (Definition from Wikipedia).
In short, another way to share your stories with your friends you have on facebook, twitter, MSN live, Linked in etc, etc. If you are like me, you probably have 2 sets of friends, professional relations and "everyone else with whom you don't mind sharing pictures from your last vacation". So why isn't there a single site or an "add on" where you can manage all your social bookmarking needs. So all you do is pick one of the 2 lists and hit "Go".
May be there is, may be not. At least something to think about.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
"bing"...an interesting name for a search engine.
Bing, from Microsoft's perspective, the biggest competitor to Google till date. So what does "bing" mean. The first thing that came into my mind was "Chandler Bing", I am sure there are some ardent "Friends" fans in Microsoft but I doubt they would name their best effort yet engine with their favorite TV character. So, the curious mind I am, I went to google definitions and typed in "bing". Here are some results I got:
Bing is a Unix program which is essentially a ping with added network throughput measurements
A slag heap (also called bing, Boney piles, culm, waste coal, Terekons (Russian), gob piles, or slate dumps) is a pile built of accumulated tailings, which are by-products of mining
Bing is a Chinese term used to describe dough-based Chinese flatbreads, pancakes, unleavened dough foods, or indeed any food item with a flat disk
I wonder which one of these definitions made Microsoft pick "bing" as their search term, could it be the slag heap, I wonder.
Bing is a Unix program which is essentially a ping with added network throughput measurements
A slag heap (also called bing, Boney piles, culm, waste coal, Terekons (Russian), gob piles, or slate dumps) is a pile built of accumulated tailings, which are by-products of mining
Bing is a Chinese term used to describe dough-based Chinese flatbreads, pancakes, unleavened dough foods, or indeed any food item with a flat disk
I wonder which one of these definitions made Microsoft pick "bing" as their search term, could it be the slag heap, I wonder.
Monday, June 08, 2009
One thought ..too many places
Am I the only one or everyone thinks the same way about this...there are way too many places to post your single thought for the day.. Here is a quick scenario, I wanted to write my thoughts on purchasing a mac book.. so I sat to think about where I should start..a few places that popped into my head: Facebook, twitter (I could get away with keeping it small:)), My blog (that is here), Google groups and other discussion boards I am a part of.
Now, I don't mind copying and pasting into these sites, but when I get replies to each of these, I will have to go to every single website to read and reply to them....how inefficient.. why can't I just see all these from one place and reply to all of the messages from one spot which will then post the comments to appropriate sites..and I am DONE!
Now, I don't mind copying and pasting into these sites, but when I get replies to each of these, I will have to go to every single website to read and reply to them....how inefficient.. why can't I just see all these from one place and reply to all of the messages from one spot which will then post the comments to appropriate sites..and I am DONE!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
21 Economic models
After the recent teetering-on-the-edge-of-total-economic-and-financial-meltdown weeks it seems economic systems and their workings have pushed their way into the need-to-know-category. Well, we can now simplify this all by explaining 21 economic models.
SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbor.
COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.
BUREAUCRATIC
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.
SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.
AN INVESTMENT BANK
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the release. The public then buys your bull.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.
A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reports the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows. You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows. Both are mad.
AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows. You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the shit out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy.
A KENTUCKY CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go to a bar to celebrate.
SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbor.
COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.
BUREAUCRATIC
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.
SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.
AN INVESTMENT BANK
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States , leaving you with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the release. The public then buys your bull.
A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.
A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.
A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.
A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reports the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows. You worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows. Both are mad.
AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows. You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the shit out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy.
A KENTUCKY CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go to a bar to celebrate.
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