Top Bananas | Monthly Archives: June 2017

The iPhone as a Camera

Posted on June 30, 2017 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: The iPhone is the most popular camera in the world.

The iPhone defined smartphones because previous mobile phones were little more than telephones without a cord. If you wanted to do anything more, you could send text messages (often by tapping the same key multiple times to choose the right letter), but if you wanted driving directions or to view a web page, too bad. You were out of luck.

One often overlooked feature of the iPhone is its camera. In the early days of cameras, you took a picture and sent the film off to be developed. Then Polaroid offered instant cameras so you could see your picture as soon as you took it. However if you wanted to share pictures with others, you still had to mail them in an envelope.

When the iPhone appeared, not only could you capture pictures easily, but you could share and edit those pictures right on your iPhone as well. As the image quality of the iPhone’s camera improved, it was more than good enough for most people. Today’s iPhone camera is equivalent to yesterday’s dedicated digital camera. Dedicated digital cameras will always be more versatile, but the added cost, bulk, and inability to share pictures will always give the iPhone an advantage. The iPhone camera, combined with the iPhone’s portability, helped redefine the way the world takes and shares pictures while the iPhone redefined how smartphones should work.

The iPhone ushered in huge changes in just ten short years. Yet many people failed to recognize the potential of the iPhone when it first appeared, which is like seeing the future in front of your eyes and refusing to believe it exists. Imagine how today’s critics of the Apple Watch and iPad will feel when both of those devices take over the market more in a few more years. The iPad is going to redefine mobile computing and the Apple Watch is going to redefine wearable computers.

With iOS 11, the iPad is going to get more versatile and merge into a laptop. With additional sensors, such as a non-invasive glucose monitor, the Apple Watch is going to dominate the real-time health monitoring market. Expect other wearable computers to soon appear from Apple such as Air Pods and Smart Glasses. Wearable computers will become common just as the world finally adjusts to the reality that the iPhone has ushered in a whole new world for mobile computing.

Follow Apple and you can see the future because rivals will simply mimic Apple instead of forging ahead with their own initiatives. Sadly, only Apple (and possibly Google) seem capable of recreating new markets. The rest of the world seems content to follow and then wonder why they can never be seen as innovators.

Even if you use an Android smartphone, it owes its design to the iPhone. The iPhone will soon redefine a new world with augmented reality. When Apple introduces its own augmented reality apps on the next iPhone, expect to see Apple redefine the smartphone market once more.

The future is Apple. Just watch what they do and be ready for massive change. Even if it’s just changing the way we take pictures.

Blind to the Future

Posted on June 29, 2017 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Ten years ago on June 29, 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone.

In hindsight, everything looks obvious. That’s why history books make progress look inevitable and smooth. When people invent airplanes, printing presses, cars, and computers, history books make it sound like society readily accepted these new inventions and warmly embraced them for the advantages they could bring.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Anything new always brings out a rash of heated and dogged criticism. When personal computers first appeared, mainframe users called them “toys”. When cars first appeared, people used to yell, “Get a horse!” When people tried inventing airplanes, critics used “facts” to prove that heavier than air machines could never fly.

Why is it that the human race can be so blind to the future when it’s obvious right in front of their face? That’s the same storm of criticism that Apple faced when they introduced the iPhone. Critics claimed it was nothing special, it would never become popular in the enterprise, and that it could never replace smartphone leaders like Blackberry, Nokia, and Microsoft with their Windows Mobile software that even Palm Computing used on their Palm smartphones.

Look what’s happened since then. Blackberry smartphones are rare and selling fewer units every year. Nokia sold their phone business to Microsoft, which went nowhere. Microsoft dumped Windows Mobile and kept trying to rewrite Windows Phone until giving up completely and going with Windows 10 Mobile instead. All three previous leaders are now also-rans in the smartphone business because of the iPhone.

Yet critics still can’t see the obvious right in front of their eyes. When Apple introduced the iPad, critics said it was nothing but a bigger iPod touch. Then the iPad proceeded to wipe out the netbook market.

When Apple introduced the Apple Watch, critics said it had no purpose. Then the Apple Watch proceeded to kill watch makers and fitness band makers in one stroke. Microsoft tried to compete with the Microsoft Band and gave up after two generations. Android Wear still struggles for acceptance. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch is continuing to grow and will eventually become the leader of the wearable computer market.

If people failed to see the impact of the iPhone ten years ago, how can you expect them to recognize the obvious when they see it today? People generally refuse to accept anything new and actively resist it because they have too much invested emotionally in current technology so they want new technology to fail.

People are still resisting the Macintosh as an alternative to Windows PCs. People are still resisting email and social networks because they feel old fashion telephones and letters sent by mail are still just as good. Even business executives running Sears, JC Penny, and Target are still resisting online shopping because they think retail stores have a future.

As the iPhone showed ten years ago, there’s always a better way of doing something. Sometimes that better way itches on and sometimes it dies of neglect, but that doesn’t mean the old and current way of doing something is always the best and only correct way of life.

When you see all the criticism of people who dismissed the iPhone ten years ago as a fad or gimmick, you realize how short-sighted people can be when the future is obviously staring right back at them in the face.

Keep an open mind and be ready for change because if you aren’t, it’s going to happen anyway.

To read comments from critics who dismissed the iPhone ten years ago, click here.

Why Are So Many Companies Running Old Versions of Windows?

Posted on June 28, 2017 by admin Posted in Software Leave a comment

What it is: The Petya ransomware recently infected computers in Ukraine and across the world, exploiting unmatched flaws in Windows.

Look at most big corporations and you’ll find two odd situations. First, most computers are likely running older versions of Windows that are insecure because Microsoft no longer provides patches for them. The number of Windows XP computers in major corporations, government agencies, and military installations is simply astounding, but you can find plenty of Vista and Windows 7 computers as well. Why do so many major organizations run older versions of Windows?

Most likely it’s because these older versions of Windows still work just fine. Switching from Windows XP to Windows 10 won’t make you any more productive using Word or Excel, so there’s little reason to upgrade.

A second oddity with large organizations is that they tend to pay out massive amounts of cash to CEOs and other top executives. On one hand, these companies claim they don’t have the money to upgrade. On the other, they do have the money to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars to a CEO for doing a few year’s worth of “work”.

So why don’t companies and other organizations upgrade to Windows 10? Windows 10 may not be any more productive than Windows XP, but at least it’s more secure. The big problem is that once organizations use Windows, they’ll have to pay to upgrade to the next version for no good reason other than increased security. For many companies, increased security isn’t as important as giving executives more money.

There are two ways to avoid this constant pay-to-upgrade cycle. First, switch to Linux. Even though many companies rely on Windows software, they can still run Linux and upgrade for free. Then they can run Windows as a virtual machine so they can continue using Windows software while gaining the security of Linux.

Second, switch to macOS and buy Macintosh computers. Like Linux, macOS is a free upgrade so there’s no cost in upgrading periodically to gain greater security. What’s simply not practical is being forced to pay for upgrades just for additional security every few years.

Linux is free and if you buy a Macintosh, macOS is also free. Windows is not free and never will be. Given the cost of cleaning up after ransomware infections and paying for upgrades to Windows, there’s little reason to stay with Windows. If companies need Windows, run Windows as a virtual machine under Linux or macOS.

For any company to stay with older versions of Windows makes no sense. These organizations are just asking for trouble and they’ll get it sooner than they expect. What will be the cost to clean up their old Windows computers after another ransomware attack?

The bottom line is that the cost of constantly upgrading Windows is not sustainable when there are free (Linux) or free upgrade (macOS) alternatives available. No company should still be running ancient copies of Windows on their computers, especially if those computers contain critical information.

Yet when the next ransomware attack strikes, you can bet major organizations will be caught flat-footed again and still not take action to fix their problems. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. That just shows that most companies are run by lunatics.

Apple Smart Glasses Coming Soon?

Posted on June 27, 2017 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware, Software Leave a comment

What it is: Apple recently acquired German computer vision company SensoMotoric Instruments, which was creating eye tracking glasses and systems.

Google once had Google Glass, which was an early smart glass concept that failed mainly because people were worried about strangers video recording them without their knowledge. When you record someone with a smartphone, it’s obvious they’re doing so because they’re holding their phone or tablet in the air. When someone’s recording you with Google Glass, there’s no indication other than the fact they’re wearing Google Glass on their face. If Apple wants to avoid the public relations disaster of Google Glass, the simplest step is to avoid adding video recording capabilities.

Apple’s recent acquisition of German company SensoMotoric Instruments simply means Apple will go into the smart glass market one day, or at least continue to investigate this technology. On the simplest level, Apple could do further research and release a smart glass. One a deeper level, Apple could really be focused on the eye tracking technology that could be useful for driving.

If you were driving and took your eyes off the road for too long, a computer could alert you or take over with its own self-driving capabilities. Pilots already use a heads-up display (HUD) in fighter planes so this technology can eventually filter down to consumers in cars.

However, eye-tracking technology may be far more important in augmented and virtual reality applications. By tracking a user’s eye movements, a computer can tell what the user is looking at and adjust the image. Whether for smart glasses, augmented reality through a mobile device, or a virtual reality headset, eye-tracking technology is an important part of the future. Just as Apple’s acquisition of augmented reality company Metaio eventually led it to ARKit, Apple’s recent acquisition of SensoMotoric Instruments will lead the way towards more applications involving smart glasses, augmented reality, and virtual reality.

Apple acquires small companies for their strategic advantage and then pours their massive resources into nurturing their development. It may not sound as sexy as developing everything in-house but it’s often faster and easier. Apple will likely continue this growth through acquisition strategy since they can rapidly jump ahead of competitors trying to do everything themselves.

Give Apple three to five years to refine smart glasses. Combined with the Apple Watch and Air Pods, wearable computers may soon appear on your face, wrist, and ears far sooner than you might think.

Apple Partners with Hertz

Posted on June 26, 2017 by admin Posted in Hardware, Software Leave a comment

What it is: Apple partnered with Hertz while Google partnered with Avis to pursue self-driving technology.

Both Apple and google have new partners in the self-driving car market. Google already signed a partnership with Avis while Apple just signed an agreement with Hertz. What both companies plan to do with these partnerships remains a mystery, but it’s a safe bet that it involves self-driving cars.

Most likely, neither Hertz nor Avis will rent out self-driving cars. What they will likely do is test self-driving car technology to provide data for Apple and Google. Since self-driving technology relies on machine learning, the more data both companies can collect, the better the self-driving technology will get.

Keep in mind that Apple invested $1 billion dollars on China’s ride-sharing service, Didi Chuxing, which provides more rides per day in China than any other ride-sharing service in the world including Uber. Apple likely doesn’t care about ride-sharing as much as they care about collecting driving data from one of the most congested parts of the world. Since self-driving technology will eventually reach ride-sharing services, Apple’s investment in Didi Chuxing simply gives it access to more driving data than any other company.

The leap to self-driving cars will come slowly. For specific uses such as shuttles around a predictable track, self-driving technology can work today. For general use of most people driving around the streets of today, self-driving technology can only work as assisted-driving technology where the driver remains in control, but computers provide assistance when necessary. For example, if the computer determines that your car will collide with another one, it can automatically slam on the brakes.

Assisted-driving will come today while self-driving technology will come tomorrow. Both Apple and Google are simply planning for the long-term future. It won’t pay dividends now or even in the next five years, but it is the future. In the meantime, Microsoft doesn’t appear to have any self-driving technology research going on, which means Microsoft will miss out on the self-driving market when it finally arrives.

It’s not hard to see the future if you only look. What’s hard is looking for the future and then taking time now to plan for it despite not getting immediately benefits. Apple and Google are planning far head. Other companies are not. Can you guess who will survive in the future?

Android Malware

Posted on June 25, 2017 by admin Posted in Software Leave a comment

What it is: The nature of Android’s openness also makes it open for malware infections and scams.

If you want a smartphone today, you have two choices: Android or an iPhone. The big advantage of Android is that you can find a variety of smartphones that may match your needs. The huge disadvantage of Android is that its openness also makes it wide open for hackers to infect it with malware.

That doesn’t mean that iOS can’t also be infected. The difference is that Apple tightly regulates the types of apps you can install on an iPhone by forcing you to go through the App Store. Apple examines every app before posting it on the App Store but an occasional malware slips through.

Although Google runs the official Android app store, anyone can open and run an Android app store, including malicious hackers. That’s why Android users must constantly check for malware infections while iPhone users can mostly assume their iPhones are free from infections.

That’s the hidden cost of Android: malware infections.

If you have an Android smartphone, chances are good you won’t get infected, but there’s always that possibility. If you have an iPhone, there’s still a chance your iPhone could get infected, but that possibility is much less than the chance of an Android smartphone getting infected. Android and Windows are the biggest targets for infection because they both hold the largest market share and offer the easiest path to infection.

Both Android and iOS work nearly identically. The question is which one do you prefer? If you want greater openness and freedom in return for less security, go with Android. If you want less choice in return for greater security, go with the iPhone.

One crucial reason why iOS is different from Android is that Apple deliberately chose to create a “walled garden” around iOS, restricting the types of apps you can install on an iPhone or iPad. For power users, this restriction isn’t worth it, but to casual users, ease of use is far more important than openness. Where Apple planned ahead for iOS, Google essentially cloned the Microsoft Windows model and focused on letting anyone install software on its platform. Big mistake.

Assuming the future will be nothing more than an extension of the past and present is the biggest mistake you can make. The future may be similar to the present, but eventually it’s going to change drastically. Borders Books thought retail book sales was the future until Amazon and online selling took over. The Yellow Pages thought printed directories was the future until search engines appeared on the Internet. If you want to see the future of failure, look for any product that assumes the future will be nothing more than the present.

Google assumed that Windows became so successful due to its openness, so it made Android open as well. Now both Windows and Android struggle with security and that’s never going to go away because openness is the basis of both operating systems. Take away openness and you take away their main advantage while still not eliminating the security problems from the past.

Android is inherently insecure and there’s nothing Android supporters can say to deny this. That doesn’t mean Android is inferior to the iPhone in anyway but security, but it does mean that Android can never come close to matching the iPhone in security. If you’re willing to pay the price in keeping your Android smartphone secure, then Android may be for you. If security is far more important, then you probably want an iPhone.

To read about the latest Android malware in the wild, click here.