Google Nexus 7 Tablet Announced

Google Joins The Tablet Battle

As was widely rumored, Google showed a 7" tablet at Google I/O earlier today. The search giant announced the Nexus 7, a new tablet device similar in size (7") and price ($199) to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The new tablet, developed jointly with hardware maker Asus, will make it easy to access media available on the Google Play service, just as the Kindle Fire can easily access books, movies and other content available at Amazon. The Nexus 7 is available for order now and will ship next month.


One very interesting component of the Nexus 7 is NFC (Near Field Communications) hardware. This might make a variety of new applications possible, from exchanging data easily among NFC-equipped Android devices to financial applications with vendors equipped to take payments through NFC approaches.

After taking on Amazon with the Nexus 7, Google took on Apple with another device, called Nexus Q. The Nexus Q will compete with Apple TV (and Roku) boxes, and will stream content from Google Play and YouTube to be played through televisions and/or standalone speakers.

As they did with the Nexus One phone back in 2010, Google may be introducing their own hardware in order to launch some of their new capabilities in the way that works best for them. That is, these new Nexus products may be reference implementations so that other equipment manufacturers will have a head start on how to build future Android devices that leverage the latest "Jelly Bean" version of the operating system, and that will match and then build on capabilities of new hardware such as NFC.

Are either of these new Google devices on your shopping list? How will they serve your needs better than, say, a Kindle Fire or an Apple TV? Leave a comment and let us know.

Links:

• https://developers.google.com/events/io/
• https://play.google.com/
• http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-Tablet/dp/B0051VVOB2
• http://www.asus.com/
• http://www.apple.com/appletv/
• http://www.roku.com/

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Tesla Model S Sedan

Tesla Motors makes electric cars. Really cool, really expensive electric cars. They don't make gas-powered cars and they don't make hybrids. To learn a little about the company and see a brief Tesla history, see the timeline in the Washington Post.

On June 22, 2012, Tesla is slated to deliver the first of their new Tesla Model S Sedans. This car is a four door sedan with a "fast back" design and is expected to go from 0 to 60 MPH in under 6 seconds, and travel 300 miles on a charge. That's impressive.

I'm no car expert, but it's clear to see that there's lots of buzz and lots of consumer interest in electric and hybrid cars. Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Chevy and other big names are doing some interesting things. Tesla, though, is a tiny company. Their cars seem to have great style and great performance. If they can continue to deliver through an expanding line of car models, ramp up their production and reduce costs (in part through economies of scale as sales increase), this company might become a major player in the next wave of cars.

I'd love to see more of the sporty Tesla Roadster, the sleek new Model S sedan, and eventually the gull-winged Model X in every day use.

What do you think of Tesla? Have you seen one of their cars in person? Would you buy one, and if so at what price?

Leave a comment and let us know.

Links:

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/key-events-in-the-history-of-tesla-motors/2012/06/21/gJQA3jqetV_story.html
• http://www.teslamotors.com/models
• http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/teslas-sedan-make-break-company-16624000#.T-OyQo5AiE4

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Microsoft Challenges iPad

Surface: A New Tablet Computer

Rumors have swirled since last Thursday that a Microsoft announcement on June 18th would be a tablet, an iPad competitor. On Monday evening Microsoft announced the "Surface," a slim tablet with a 10.6-inch screen, a "kickstand" to position the display, and a keyboard/cover. It has an integrated camera and runs Skype. One version of the tablet will run Windows 8 RT, and another will run Windows 8 Pro. Unlike the iPad, the Surface will have USB 2.0 and MicroSD interfaces.

Some details were not immediately available, including pricing, ship dates, and whether the new device would support carrier/cellular network connectivity.

Microsoft has not made their own hardware very often. The last time they chose to build hardware to bring a new service concept forward was the Zune, and that device failed to gain traction in a market already committed to iPods and iPhones. Now Microsoft has chosen to build hardware again in a similar situation. They are challenging a wildly popular product in the iPad. Will things turn out differently this time?

Is this a good move by Microsoft? What killer features would you be looking for? What's the right price-point to get major sales and help to launch Windows 8 in a big way? How much would you pay?

Leave a comment and let us know.


Links:

• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303703004577474910029263198.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#slide/3
• http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/handheld/240002115

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Domestic Drones

Surveillance Society?

A surveillance society is one where surveillance technology is very widely used to monitor what people do. The rapid increase in surveillance cameras in US cities and much of the rest of the western world has probably helped to solve many crimes, and may (or may not) deter criminals. But for some of us, it feels a little creepy to be watched so much of the time.


When aerial drones became a visible part of the way the US waged war in Afghanistan (and Pakistan), I started to wonder about the possibility of law enforcement interest in the use of small surveillance drones within the US. By May of this year, it was no longer an idle thought and academic exercise. Reports began to appear about law enforcement interest and about practical trials.


I find this to be a disturbing direction, and a potential invasion of privacy. I'm in agreement with Senator Rand Paul (R, Kentucky) – at least on this particular topic. His opinion piece published in CNN makes the point that a mini drone capturing photographic or video content should require a warrant.


Recently the Electronic Frontier Foundation has taken notice. They are working to ban law enforcement use of drone surveillance, or to at least require "robust privacy safeguards that will protect citizens from unwanted and unconstitutional surveillance."


Should law enforcement move in the direction of drone use within the United States, and if so, what should the limits be? Can your local police department use drones to try to curb speeding and illegal parking, or are drones only appropriate for much more serious crime? In either case, what are the deployment implications, and what are the privacy safeguards for citizens?

Please leave a comment and tell us what you think. 

Links:

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/22/drones-dhs-program-unmanned-aircraft-police_n_1537074.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul
• http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/opinion/rand-paul-drones/index.html
• https://www.eff.org/
• https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/06/help-eff-find-out-how-your-local-police-agency-using-drones

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WWDC 2012 News and Analysis

iOS, OS X, and some new hardware

Monday of this week was the opening day and keynote from Apple's WWDC at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. You can read about the announcements in any of the tech publications, so I'll just list them here in brief and then move into what I think the implications of those particular announcements are.

In brief, Apple announced:

• Improved Maps. Severing their map relationship with Google, Apple is rolling out advanced mapping based on their own development, with optional 3D views and turn-by-turn directions.
• iOS 6. The next version of Apple's mobile operating system includes roughly 200 updates and upgrades, including a Do Not Disturb mode, better offline information handling and improvements to Siri such as ability to launch apps, post on Facebook, and work with popular services like OpenTable, Rotten Tomatoes, and Yelp. Developer release available immediately.
• OS X Mountain Lion. The next version of the desktop and laptop operating system will be released in July for $20. Like iOS, OS X also boasts hundreds of new features including better Cloud integration and a set of applications that are optimized to handle retina displays, which leads to...
• New computer hardware, including a MacBook Pro models with great specs and an optional retina display with a huge (2880x1800) pixel count. Other hardware announcements included updated Mac Pro and MacBook Air hardware.

What we didn't hear about (and didn't expect to) was a new iPhone, a new smaller iPad, or a standalone Apple television set. It seems very clear that the iPhone is now on a fall upgrade cycle (look for the next iPhone in September or October this year), and the iPad is on a spring cycle. There's no reason to introduce a new mini-iPad when the current iPad is selling so well. As for the Apple Television set, I'm among those that think that it is being developed and will be announced. When? When Apple can reinvent the way we watch television. There's no sense in introducing a conventional TV with a few bells and whistles. Apple will get into this game when they believe that they can change TV the way the iPhone changed handhelds and the iPad defined modern tablets. 

A fall release of iOS 6 with FaceTime for carrier networks, enhanced maps, and a Siri with car integration hints at what the next iPhone will be. Clearly it'll have 4G LTE, which we knew once the latest iPad was released. But more than that, it seems as though Apple has plans for a device that will extend its reach to play a very large role in our cars. More than just a map tool and a music player, the next iPhone running iOS 6 will be a device that acts as our voice-controlled navigator in a way that surpasses the best current tools.

What news from WWDC surprised you? What did you expect to hear, but didn't? What do the announcements that were made imply for the future? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Links:

• http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57450381-37/apples-wwdc-news-new-macbook-pros-ios-6-upgraded-siri/

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Beef Brisket Barbecue

I'm always glad to stumble across a good barbecue (or bar-b-que or BBQ) joint. Early this week I did just that. There's a place in Philadelphia called Deke's Bar-B-Que. I'm not kidding about this. I stopped in a couple of times this week and enjoyed a favorite of mine, beef brisket barbecue.


There are many great online resources for barbecue. One that I like for brisket is at AmazingRibs.com. They go into great detail on Texas-style barbecue brisket, which when done right is full of flavor and melts in your mouth. But doing it right takes a bit of work, and a lot of time.

Brisket is a large cut of beef from the chest of the steer. It's a tough cut of meat if not cooked "low and slow." That is, at a low temperature, and for a long time. Typical choices for brisket are 250°F  or even less, and up to 15 or more hours of cooking time depending on weight. A target internal temperature is about 190-195°F. Before cooking, a rub is used. This can be as simple as salt and pepper, or it can be a more complex mix of herbs and spices. 


Keeping the meat moist when cooking for so long is achieved by "mopping" it with a baste or spritzing it with water. Some even go so far as to inject the meat with a baste to keep it moist from within, and to keep the internal temperature down. Others claim that all that basting and spritzing is robbing the brisket of a chance to form a good crust. 


After such a long time cooking in the barbecue pit, the brisket needs to rest for several hours to allow the juices to set before being sliced.


I'm a big fan of beef brisket barbecue – as a diner. I can't claim expertise at the barbecue. My brisket cooking experience is limited to a few times in a slow cooker, and a few times in the oven. In both of those methods, low and slow is still the rule and the results were always very good. But the best tasting brisket is slow cooked over hard woods on the barbecue. Texans do this meal right.


Got a favorite brisket recipe, or a favorite place to eat brisket? Leave a comments and let us know.


Links:

• http://dekesbar-b-que.com/
• http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

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Apple, Google, Map Wars

The Next Leap In Maps?

We all used Mapquest until we used Yahoo! Maps and then Google Maps. Google Earth let us fly through our favorite locations. Smart phones started doubling as GPS devices. Satellite imagery was superimposed onto conventional maps, making our maps hyper-realistic. Over a few short years, our ability to work with map data grew by leaps and bounds. We can now find efficient routes, explore new locations before we arrive, and take fantasy trips on our screens that we might never take in real life.

Two of the biggest players in this space are Google and Apple. Google Maps and Google Earth are incredible tools. And Apple has brought maps to the hands of millions on iPhones and iPads. But as Apple and Google find themselves in competitive situations over time, their existing business relationships change. The two companies continue to inch away from eachother, more comfortable going it alone than providing revenue to the other. It now seems clear that "maps" is the next place in which that will happen.

It's been known for some time that Apple would soon be moving away from using Google Maps on iOS devices. Apple has acquired mapping companies with 3D capabilities, including Poly9 and C3 Technologies.

With WWDC just days away, Google, too, knew that a set of Apple iOS announcements would focus in part on maps. Apple is moving away from Google, so Google made a move of their own, announcing a press event for June 6th – mere days before Apple's event.

It's widely believed that both will bring several new capabilities to their map software. Perhaps Apple will announce turn-by-turn voice prompts on iOS devices. But what most people expect is that both companies will show off 3D rendering of maps in a very eye-pleasing user interface.

It seems quite possible that June 2012 will be remembered as a point in time when very good map software took a big leap forward and became great.

What is it that you want most from your desktop or smartphone map application that it cannot do today? Would a beautiful 3D appearance be a winner for you?

Please leave a comment and let us know.

Links:

• http://www.mapquest.com/
• http://maps.yahoo.com/
• https://maps.google.com/
• http://www.google.com/earth/index.html
• http://www.pcworld.com/article/256665/google_hypes_next_dimension_of_maps_ahead_of_apple_event.html
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/googe-maps-event_n_1563359.html

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