Tag: iphone

Latest Read: Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date April 28, 2015

Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution is a remarkable book about the explosive relationship between Apple and Google as smartphones and tablets came to dominate the PC marketplace. This is a historical view of the final battle of Steve Job’s life and the work by Google to win over the digital battlefield from both Apple and Microsoft.

Dogfight is a smashing success in revealing how human technology companies really are today and the enormous demands they place upon their employees. They create the tools for our digital lifestyles and the means in which it drives new business models (and society) on a global scale. Its truly magnificent.

Since Dogfight is centered around the last days of Steve Jobs many readers may be intrigued to learn how he was personally making Apple vulnerable to Google’s Android by placing so much trust in Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Schmidt. Interesting lessons for us all.

The most interesting aspect for me was understanding the complex relationship between Google and Apple when Microsoft was in charge of the PC market. Clearly Microsoft missed the smartphone and tablet market and now may be forever a forgone player in that space. Even industry leaders are acknowledging that in the mobile space there are only two OS platforms to consider: iOS and Android. Amazing how Microsoft lost its way.

Tags android, apple, business, Design, Eric Schmidt, Google, ipad, iphone, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, steve jobs, Technology, tipping point

BMW Design Globalization Innovation Smartphone Tablet Technology

BMW’s App for iPhone

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date October 31, 2010

BMW has an app for the iPhone that was demo’d at the Paris auto show. Currently available in Europe, it will make its way across the pond in the near future. Labeled “My BMW Remote” the new iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad app includes the same remote functions of BMW Assist.

The app features: Remote Door Lock & Unlock, Remote Climate Control, Remote Light Flash (remote control of configurable exterior light functions to locate the vehicle), Google Local Search (address destination search on the iPhone and transfer to the vehicle navigation system) and Vehicle Finder display of current vehicle position on a map (google perhaps) in the iPhone – for locating your parked Bimmer.

Tags BMW, car, climate control, destination search, ipad, iphone, paris motor show, remote application, vehicle finder, vehicle navigation system, vehicle position

Education Technology

Daily Show review of CNN “news” article

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date October 5, 2009
1 Comment on Daily Show review of CNN “news” article

Busted.

Tags cnn, iphone, jon stewart, journalism, texting, the daily show

Design Education Globalization Innovation Internet2 Network OLPC OpenSource Reading Rich media Smartphone Technology

Latest read: The Future of the Internet

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date July 7, 2009
2 Comments on Latest read: The Future of the Internet

Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University wrote The Future of the Internet–And How to Stop It. This book is very interesting for all the wrong reasons. BTW: The cover is not an actual photo rather a Photoshop’d image. However the image clearly represents his message.

Zittrain documents that existing, closed, controlled systems are damaging the internet an if continued, he writes will negatively impact our future access and interaction. I enjoyed reading the book and dedicated blog established by Zittrain to keep his conversations moving forward.

The book is about Generativity impacting the internet. Ultimately his argument is to place generativity at the core of all open technologies that tap into the internet.

Zittrain begins Part I in the book with a tbit of historical reflection: The Battle of the Boxes, Battle of the Networks and CyberSecurity. He followed on the impact of legal lessons learned from Wikipedia. There are plenty of examples how open, generativity systems make the internet better. Here are a couple of examples Zittrain addressed that do not:

Law enforcement agencies have used network devices to manually turn on OnStar (the in-vehicle security, communications, and diagnostics system from GM) to record and monitor conversations of unknowing passengers. OnStar is installed in over 50 models of GM cars alone.

The FBI requested from a judge the ability to turn on the microphone of a unsuspecting cell phone owner allowing law enforcement to tap, track and record conversations.

Think about that for a moment. Ever take a picture with your digital camera or cell phone? Millions of people do this everyday and upload content to photo-sharing websites like Flickr. Can you imagine taking a series of photographs — only to later realize the camera (via remote commands) copied all your photos without your knowledge. Zittrain addresses how your personal content can be affected by a judge in Texas while you live … say in Ohio. Don’t believe it? Read Chapter 5: Tethered Appliances, Software as Service and Perfect Enforcement” to see how a judge in Marshall Texas did just that — regarding a copyright case involving TiVo.