Some items re: Microsoft’s 6/18/12 announcement concerning Microsoft Surface:
Google Chrome overtakes Internet Explorer as the Web’s most used browser — from thenextweb.com by Jon Russell
Excerpt:
Google Chrome has been long expected to leapfrog Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) to take its position as the Web’s most used browser and, according to data from Statcounter, the momentous change of leadership happened last week. The firm’s latest figures — spotted by Global Nerdy blogger Joey deVilla – show that Chrome’s line of usage creeped to overtake IE’s for the first week ever, with Firefox, Safari and Opera completing the top five respectively.
Browser choice: A thing of the past? — from cnet.com by Stephen Shankland
Devices using iOS and the future Windows RT hobble third-party browsers. Despite some good reasons for doing so, the change could undermine browser competition.
Screen resolution & browser trends [infographic] — from theultralinx.com by Oliur Rahman
The Google Drive review you’ve been waiting for — from readwriteweb.com by Jon Mitchell
Excerpt:
Google Drive, the long-awaited file storage and syncing service, launch[ed yesterday]. If you follow tech news closely, you’ve seen bits and pieces of the news leaking out over the past two weeks. We’ve tested it and we’ve talked to the team leaders. Forget all the speculation. Here’s what Google Drive actually is.
Full-sized screenshots of the Google Drive iPad app — from readwriteweb.com by Jon Mitchell
Excerpt:
Google Drive launched [yesterday], but the iOS version of the app was unexpectedly not ready. Google says it’s almost there, but it won’t launch for “a few weeks.” But Google provided ReadWriteWeb with a bunch of full-size screenshots of the app, so we could know what to expect.
Google’s Drive adds to a complicated cloud — from technologyreview.com by Tom Simonite
Excerpt:
A new cloud-storage service from the search giant steps on the toes of startups like Dropbox and opens a new front against Apple and Microsoft.
Addendum on 4/26:
Also see:
Addendum on 4/27/12:
Computers in the living room: Xbox has never been a game system — from wired.com by Tim Carmody
Also see:
Excerpt:
TV is changing. The idea of what “TV” is, is changing. As technology marches onwards it will continue to change consumer behavioral patterns. It will continue to change the nature of the living room. To think otherwise is to be left behind.
“Capturing students’ interest and making concepts come alive is an educator’s greatest challenge. Engagement is the key to unlocking the magic that lies within each student. With Kinect™ for Xbox 360® from Microsoft, educators are enhancing traditional lesson plans, physical education, school communications and after-school programs with extraordinary immersive, body-moving experiences that help students get engaged and stay on task.”
See also:
Sesame Street pioneers interactive TV — from skynews.com.au
Excerpt:
Sesame Street hit TV screens more than 40 years ago and now the children’s television program is leading the way in interactive programming. The next generation of Sesame Street watchers will be able to interact with the characters and educational games when viewed on Xbox Kinect. A whole new season of Sesame Street is being created specifically for Xbox Kinect, pioneering a new form of programming called ‘Playful Learning’.
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From DSC:
Below are some items concerning the continued convergence of the telephone, the television, and the computer — it involves the smart/connected TV as well as human-computer-interaction (HCI)-related items. But this time, I’m focusing on a recent announcement from Microsoft.
However, I have to disagree that, given this announcement, Microsoft will now rule the living room — or at least I surely hope not. Why do I say this? For several reasons.
1) How long has Microsoft Office been around? Years and years, right? If you think that Microsoft should control your living room, I ask you to show me how I can quickly and easily insert some audio-based feedback with one easy click of a record button within Microsoft Word. Go ahead and check…such a quick and easy method is not there….still…and it’s almost 2012. (BTW, here are some resources on this if you’re interested in seeing how this could be done, but you will quickly notice that this is not a streamlined process — and it should have been so years ago.)
2) Performance/not doing what it’s supposed to do. My Dell PC running Windows 7 still can’t even shut itself down half the time. It just sits there with wheels-a-spinnin’ at some point…but not powering down. I’m not sure why this is the case, but I never have had trouble with this simple task on my Macs.
3) Regarding troubleshooting Microsoft’s solutions, an entire support industry has been built on supporting Microsoft’s software — go to a local bookstore and see how to get MS certified on some particular package/application/service — none of the books are thin.
4) Security has never been Microsoft’s strong point.
Bottom line:
I think you get my point. Microsoft has a loooooonnnnngggg way to go in my mind before I want their products and services controlling my living room.
With that said, I do congratulate Microsoft on being more innovative and forward thinking with the Xbox announcements mentioned below. I just hope that items such as usability, user experience, security, and streamlined interfaces are high on the list of their priorities/deliverables.
Disclosure/note:
I do use PCs with Windows a significant amount of the time and they do a nice job with many items. But if I were to assign grades to Microsoft, usability, performance, and security are not items that I would give A’s to Microsoft on.
Upgrade: The Xbox 360 Slim game console.
Also:
Skype announces Facebook-to-Facebook calling — from wired.co.uk by Beth Carter
HTML5 program promises to be game changer — from mediapost.com by Diane Mermigas
Also see:
- #1: “Next” web architecture = Hypernet + Hyperweb
- #2: The decline & fall of Windows unlocks revenue
- #3: Index search is peaking
- #4: Apple’s model threatens web
- #5: HTML5 is game changer for publishers
HTML5 is not just a programming language; enables new models of web experience
– Developers will embed audio and video directly in web pages, replacing Adobe’s Flash plug-in; enables much greater differentiation in sites, advertising, etc.
– Content publishers will redesign their sites to reduce power of Google, ad networks
HTML5 will be disruptive in ways we cannot imagine today: pendulum swinging to favor content creators and publishers. Imagine Amazon or eBay storefront as an ad.
– Everything can be an app . . . every piece of content . . . every tweet . . . every ad
– Ads: create demand and fulfill it at the same time . . . without leaving publisher’s page
– Other tech (e.g., Wordnik) enables publishers to protect and monetize text onsite and off- #6: Tablets are hugely disruptive
- #7: First wave of “social web” is over
- #8: Smartphones in US: Apple + 7 Dwarfs
- #9: Wireless infrastructure is a competitive threat to US
- #10: Integration of TV & Internet could be disruptive
From DSC:
Breathe new life into your PowerPoint slides with dozens of exciting free tools & resources — from EmergingEdTech.com by K. Walsh
From DSC:
This posting evolved after having read $500 billion TV market new battlefield for Internet companies (from forbes.com and the Trefis Team therein) as well as the posting at Future TV disruption – Forbes says it’s worth half a trillion dollars for Internet companies (from appmarket.tv).
As the convergence — and the movement of data/apps/content/services towards the cloud — continues, I wanted to jot down some thoughts re: the current field:
Having said this, one can see that it is getting harder to practice the KISS principle in the IT departments out there. But where we can do so, it makes sense to do so — as there is less finger pointing and more accountability. It’s easier to support a fewer amount of tools and, often times, it seems that things simply work better with a reduced amount of vendors/technologies involved.
