As expected, Monday’s WWDC Keynote included the long-awaited announcement of the iPhone 4. After a presentation that lasted almost two hours, though, many are left wondering about the things that did not make it to the show. Although we did get to officially see the next generation iPhone, several rumored topics that spread across the internet over the last several months were left unmentioned.

Obviously, the rumors were exactly that…rumors. This doesn’t mean they didn’t actually constitute sound business concepts and plain-old, good ideas that gave many tech aficionados a sense of hope going into the program.

One of the most anticipated potential announcement for U.S. customers was the possibility of a CDMA version of the iPhone for Verizon (or Sprint). After months of rumored preparations by both companies and their retail partners, some saw it as even more probable when AT&T announced its intention to phase out unlimited data plans and raise early termination fees. It looked like a sign of desperation to keep current customers onboard, right?

Unfortunately for consumers, it seems that the exclusivity agreement with AT&T is here to stay (at least for a while longer). The dream is dead for now, though, and Verizon and Sprint customers are relegated to using their existing devices. At this point it seems we may not see an iPhone on Verizon or any other carrier, until the LTE roll out, which will make a future device comparable on AT&T and Verizon, as well as the rest of the world.

The hopes for cloud-based iPhone services were also dashed on Tuesday. With the closure of Lala services, by Apple on May 31, 2010, many speculated that streaming iTunes services must be on the horizon. This would have explained why the storage capacity on the iPhone 4 remained the same as the previous offering. Who would need more space, when they could access their entire library, through the miracle of the cloud? With the ability to maintain your movies and music library on the cloud, on board storage becomes less important.

The same concept applied to another Apple service, Mobile Me. After feeling significant pressure from competitive offerings like Dropbox and Google, one would think that the service might have been reduced from $99.00 to $0.00. Dropbox, which provides file storage and synchronization between platforms, and Google Sync, which provides an Exchange-like solution that combines mail, calendar and contacts synchronization, are both free. Thusly, why not throw customers a bone and give them a little more for their iPhone dollar?

To the chagrin of the hopeful consumer, though, these dreams didn’t become a reality, either. The Apple misses weren’t limited to just the iPhone, though.

A redesigned version of the Apples TV is rumored to be coming soon. Assuming the redesign is significant and included iOS4 as its operating system, including it in the showcase of tech wonders would have generated the significant buzz needed to help it compete with the recently announced Google TV.

The MacBook Air is also due for a refresh. Ironically, the ultra-thin laptop’s sales may ultimately be affected by one of its siblings, the iPad. Some exciting new hardware features might have given it a boost in today’s ultra-mobile market, despite its significantly higher price tag.

Technically, we could “what if” all day long, but let’s face facts. There will always be someone who says that something important was left out. So, for now we’ll just have to be satisfied with what we got and wait for June 15th to roll around, so that we can preorder the iPhone 4. If we do, we’ll get it on June 24th and hopefully forget all about the other things that might have been.

Of course, we could also go back and watch the keynote video one more time. Who knows? We might have missed a clue about what Steve might give us in the future.

Google Chrome labs quietly released yesterday the beta version 5 of its internet browser Google Chrome, which claims to be 30-35% faster than previous beta channel releases. The results were posted on the official Google Chrome Blog and cite tests conducted using V8 (30% faster) and SunSpider (35% faster) benchmarks. The same tests were also used to estimate that, since the initial beta release, the performance of the Google browser has increased by 213-305%.

Chrome is currently in third place in the browser race, behind Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Surprisingly, it ranks ahead of Apple’s Safari in terms of overall browser market share. Known in the industry for its simplicity and speed, the latest beta also includes a few useful additions that might make it more attractive to the everyday computer user.

What other features and improvements are included in the latest release? Here are a few of the highlights:

• Bookmark synchronization (improved)
• Browser preference synchronization: Includes settings such as the user’s homepage, start-up options, language preferences, and web content settings
• Chrome extensions: Now installable and usable while browsing in incognito or private mode
• Improved HTML5 integration: Includes, among others, Geolocation APIs, App Cache, web sockets, and drag-and-drop capabilities for files

This is also the first beta version that includes the long-fabled integrated Adobe Flash player. Native integration into the browser should provide a more secure environment for Flash to operate. Stability is also said to be increased, due to the new integration method. For users, it also provides added convenience, since updates will applied alongside regular browser updates.

With this release, Google once again reminds the tech world that the company may appear to be spread out in many different directions, but each of their projects is focused on the goal of providing something that is new and innovative. The latest Google Chrome browser releases are available now and can be downloaded for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Source:  Pedal to the Chrome metal: Our fastest beta to date for Windows, Mac and Linux

At first glance, the names following the familiar Dell brand name sound like a list of special effects from the next Sci-Fi Summer blockbuster, right? It seems that hot on the heels of Apple’s now infamous and inadvertent iPhone 4G leak by Gray Powell, Dell has had the misfortune of experiencing a product leak of their future smartphones. This time, not one, but four devices, have been revealed.

Reportedly Dell has been hard at work on reentering the smartphone market with a bang, since the untimely death of the Dell Axim line of Windows Mobile PDAs some years back. Fortunately for us all, this leak involved no beer, no bar, no apologetic employee, no “give us back our unit”, or any other semblance of drama. It all happened with a good, old-fashioned direct leak of pictures, specifications, and description of features, to the perennial tech news outlet, Engadget.

Dell Lightning (Photo Credit: Engadget.com)

Dell Lightning: The most “striking” of the four devices, originally posted on Engadget, is the Lightning. The only Windows Phone 7-powered device of the four has the potential to be a powerhouse with its portrait slider design targeted to “Busy professionals who know how to live life to the fullest”. The portrait slider concept is interesting, providing a large 4.1 screen with a full tactile QWERTY keyboard that does not add much bulk to the phone as is often the case with horizontal sliders. It also appears to be easier to operate with one hand, unlike previous Windows Mobile flagship phones like the HTC Tilt. What do the technical specs look like?

The device features: 1GHz Snapdragon processor, WVGA 4.1-inch OLED display, Quad-band GSM with AT&T and T-Mobile 3G, five megapixel autofocus camera, 1GB of flash with 512MB RAM plus 8GB of storage on a MicroSD card, GPS, accelerometer, compass, FM radio, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR and USB 2.0 HS, Windows Phone 7 OS to include full integration with Zune and Zune marketplace and mobile gaming provided by Xbox Live. Did we mention that it also has Full Flash and Silverlight support including the ability to play Flash video? An interesting point highlighted by Engadget is that this Phone should be getting an upgrade to LTE in Q4 of 2011.

The other three devices are Android 2.1 (Froyo) powered with Dell’s design touches on the user interface.

Dell Thunder (Photo Credit: Engadget.com)

Dell Thunder: With the same 4.1 inch WVGA OLED super display as the Lightning, the Thunder is targeted to Geek Shui Living readers, based on Dell’s description of the target audience as “Creative, imaginative people. Early adopters, heavy users, influencers of technology”. The key points on this unit are the built-in Facebook and Twitter integration with support for Flash 10.1.

Dell Flash (Photo Credit: Engadget.com)

Dell Flash: This Android-powered device has a design similar to that of the Dell Thunder, but the Flash boasts a 3.5-inch WVGA TFT display targeted more at mainstream smartphone users. TV-out support and media feature are several of the key features, with H.264 and WMV video editing capabilities. While reviewing the specifications, one feature that jumped out as truly astonishing is the reported  725-hours of standby and 12-hours of talk time provided by its 1300 mAh battery.

Dell Smoke (Photo Credit: Engadget.com)

Dell Smoke: This model may be an attempt to “smoke” the BlackBerry Pearl line of devices, targeted to purposeful and practical individuals who need core business functionality. It features exchange support for multiple accounts and has a portrait-oriented physical keyboard and 2.8 inch QVGA screen. The Smoke promises to be competitively priced and available sometime around Q2 2011.

News about Apple’s approval of the long-awaited Opera Mini browser for the iPhone started spreading through the Twitterverse early Monday evening. Tech sites all over the internet reported that in a surprising twist of events, Apple had given the green light to Opera to have its own small share of the App Store. Considered direct competition for the iPhone’s native browser, many assumed Apple would find a way to disapprove the submission, based on some sort of technicality.

We have seen Apple turn down applications, with less similarity, before, for allegedly “duplicating functionality” of built-in iPhone apps. You may recall the Geek Shui Living story from February 11, 2010, covering the initial submission of the app to Apple for consideration. In it, we echoed the skepticism of many others, regarding the approval. For that mater, the skepticism of this app getting approved was so high that Opera even had a web site counting the days it would take Apple to respond to their submission. At 12:01 EST on April 13, 2010 the app appeared on the App Store as a free download of 1003 KB in size.

The browser’s features and specs will be familiar to anyone who has used Opera on another platform. Once installed, the App opens up to an Icon based homepage similar to Google Chrome called Speed Dial with a set of visual bookmarks that can be customized to your needs, there is also an address bar and a Google branded search bar. On the bottom there are back, forward, reload, tabs and tools buttons. Of these the most interesting is the tabs button that raises a menu from the lower part of the browser to show pictures or a visual representation of the pages you have open and slows for quick switching between different tabs or pages.

Speaking of quick switching, moving around the app is very fluid and gives a snappy sensation of speed. Since the technology behind the browser’s design is based on a proxy server that creates a cache of pages before it displays the content on the device, when you visit a previously unvisited site may seem to take some time, but after the site has been cached the pages load instantly on subsequent visits.

When you first visit a page and touch an area where there is a paragraph the browser quickly zooms and fills the screen with the text to be read without having to use any dual finger gestures. Browsing around we also noticed that neither HTML5 video or Flash is supported, leaving a bit of a gap in terms of media intensive sites like youtube.com. Overall, the browser does very well on text-oriented sites.

Ultimately, does Opera duplicate Safari’s functionality? Will you completely switch from Safari to Opera? The answer is most likely no on both accounts. Rememer, if you were to hit a link from any other iPhone App on the iPhone, the link will open in Safari. In the end, there’s no way around that integration. This is a fact that probably didn’t escape Apple’s attention.

Opera for iPhone can be downloaded now, via the App Store.

Now that we know that Apple has been working on a software upgrade to take iPhone 3GS users, with Version 3.2 to iPhone OS 4.0, we’re left with a number of questions. Mainly, many wonder why Apple’s event didn’t include the unveiling of the iPhone 4G (or whatever they decided to name it). Where was the enhanced multi-touch? Where was the front-facing camera? On top of these gadget disappointments, current iPhone owners who don’t have the 3GS version of the popular smartphone also wonder why they were left out of the June 2010 update. So, at this point, we may not be happy with them, but we do know Apple’s plans short-term plans for the iPhone. The question that remains is how the smartphone giant’s plan stacks up to those of competitors like Microsoft and HTC, who promise to bring some pretty exciting new toys to the playground.

One would have assumed that, with the impending release of Microsoft’s latest smartphone, the Windows Phone 7, Apple would have been ready to flex some muscle and remind Microsoft and everyone else why Apple is the king of the smartphone market. A software update that only applies to the most recent generation iPhone, lacks any new groundbreaking features (No, multi-tasking does not count) and includes the promise of more intrusive, in-device advertising does not seem like a well-laid plan, for a company trying to increase its already sizable market share. While the Windows Phone 7 doesn’t necessarily have any features that encourage consumers to stage a mass exodus to the Microsoft offering, the fact remains that it is brand new, hardware and all. The only drawback for Microsoft is their decision to delay the initial sale of the device until the 2010 holiday season.

The other contender in this mix is the fast approaching Android OS, supported by a consortium of manufacturers backing Google’s venture into the mobile computing market. In the month of March, the Android Market reached a total of 9,320 apps, up from the previous month’s total of 5,532. The change represents a 68% increase, which is statistically significant, despite the fact that the total likely includes a few tip calculators and fart apps. What it does prove, though, is dedicated interest in the Android platform, by app developers.

The Android OS stands to gain even more ground with the release of the HTC Evo 4G, on the Sprint WiMax network. Its specifications would make any gadget enthusiast drool. The device is slated to feature a 480×800, 4.3-inch TFT LCD Screen, Snapdragon 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of built-in memory and 512 MB of RAM. Its features also include a 1500mAh removable battery, flash-capable 8 megapixel camera that records 720p video, and an additional 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. HDMI-out, 802.11b/g WiFI, an 8 GB microSD card, and the promise of running on the Sprint EVDO Rev A network and WiMax are even more features that make the Android 2.1 device a smartphone junkie’s dream. Verizon, also has a super Android phone of their own build by HTC, named the Incredible. With similar specs to the Evo, it may also raise the bar that Apple must meet or exceed to really make a splash with its next generation iPhone hardware.

With the news that Palm Inc. is actively seeking bidders to purchase the ailing company, the Palm WebOS appears unlikely to be a contender anytime soon. RIM continues to remain strong in the business sector of the smartphone market and seems content to remain strong and steady, instead of trying to leap forward with any new groundbreaking devices.

We love competition. It’s what keeps the smartphone companies innovating to remain competitive in the ever-increasing mobile computing market. With the impending hardware releases discussed above, where is Apple going? It is unclear what Steve Jobs has in the works for the next device to carry the trendy iPhone name. Does the lack of discussion in last week’s Apple event regarding new iPhone hardware mean we won’t see it this year? For now, it seems unlikely. Just in case, though, if you are contract-free or close to it, you might want to wait until the 3rd or 4th Qtr of 2010. You never know. Apple might pull an iPhone 4G out of its sleeve, just in time to once more lure us away from the other contenders.

March 15, 2010 – As promised last month at Macworld 2010, TomTom International BV made available for download, on March 13, 2010, the newest version of its popular navigation app for the iphone. Aside from the newest version of USA maps that TomTom claims includes one million more miles of U.S. roads than the competition, version 1.3 includes Real-time Live Traffic, via in-app purchase for $19.99 for 12 months of service. The service receives updates every 3 minutes of current traffic conditions in your area and automatically provides alternate and faster routes, if available.

These improved features augment TomTom’s exclusive IQ Route Technology that calculates the optimal route based on time and date to avoid those rush hour commute nightmares. Another highlight of the added features is the ability to conduct local searches, via Google, within the app, and let TomTom take you there. This is a smart work around for the lack of updated POI’s (Points of Interest) about which most GPS device users complain. Having access to a regularly updating database of businesses and places, via Google, ensures the most current information is within hands-reach.

Another welcome addition to the app is the ability to automatically change from day to night setting and vice versa, based on the time of day during which you’re traveling. I had personally wanted this option for some time and consider it a must-have for any GPS app. The previous version of TomTom for iPhone included iPod controls, from within the app. Version 1.3 turned this feature up a notch by allowing music to be played while navigating and gently fade in and out, while TomTom gives you Text to Speech directions. This means less fussing with controls, which translates into less diverting of the eyes from the road. This definitely keeps the driver, passengers, and other commuters much safer.

A feature that is still missing from the iPhone app (but available in other TomTom Personal Navigation Devices [PND]), is the ability to add custom voices from famous people, characters, etc. Also, the capability to import a custom POI list downloaded from the web or created on the computer is definitely a feature that many users would appreciate. In a market where sales of PNDs is on declining rapidly, despite the lowest prices ever being offered, the adoption of GPS chips on cell phones with larger screens than before is laying the groundwork for the ultimate convergence device.

With Google Android and, more recently, Nokia offering free network-based navigation solutions for their smartphones, it becomes harder everyday for the traditional navigation software companies like TomTom and Navigon to compete. The big advantage that it is important to point out, with regard to PNDs, is that they are not dependent upon cellular or WiFi service to function, as are the smartphone-based apps. This can present a significant disadvantage if your routes take you far off the beaten path and away from traditionally strong areas of coverage. For this reason, it is important for consumers to identify how important the ability to obtain directions, at a moment’s notice, truly is.

When originally released, TomTom USA & Canada was priced at $99.00, which put off many potential buyers who saw more value in the traditional PND. The price eventually worked its way down to a more reasonable $69.99, which enticed many naysayers to reconsider. Now, users have the option to purchase a USA only version for $59.99. In my case, I got lucky and grabbed the copy I used for this review on sale for $49.99, last week. Even at the regular price of $59.99, TomTom v1.3 makes the GPS experience well worth the money.

Visit the TomTom App page in the iTunes App Store to read the reviews and purchase your own copy. (Note: Buying/Upgrading requires WiFi connectivity, since the 1.3GB far exceeds Apple/At&t’s  20MB 3G app download limit.)

March 11, 2010 – Google ads, particularly the ones we get to see while watching our favorite clips on YouTube, may finally begin pay for the bandwidth bill for the mobile site (m.YouTube.com) as well.  On March 10, 2010 Google announced, on their Official Blog, the addition of advertising on the home, search and browse pages of their YouTube mobile website.

With the rapid adoption of smartphones and YouTube-capable feature phones, Google is wasting no time in positioning YouTube as the primary means for mobile users to find, view and share video. At the same time, Google will help advertisers (and themselves by proxy) in reaching viewers across multiple platforms.  At the point of launch, this will constitute one of the largest audiences ever seen for an ad campaign on the mobile web.

Back in 2006, the search engine Google, in the never-ending expansion of its virtual empire, made headlines in the tech and financial communities, when they acquired the as-of-then, still unprofitable young start up called YouTube, for $1.65 billion. At the time, the price tag made it the biggest acquisition in Google’s, then, nine-year history.

The integration of Google services with YouTube’s ability to effortlessly upload and share videos made this a perfect platform for their media advertising strategy.  What was then a unprofitable statup with great potential has now turned into the premiere video sharing platform. Today, YouTube serves hundreds of millions of videos a day and uploading 20 hours of video every minute.

For now, advertisements will be limited to the American and Japanese mobile YouTube websites. To test it out, we took a trip to m.youtube.com, via the Apple iPhone. Interestingly, in our geographic location, using AT&T’s 3G network, YouTube mobile did show the ads, as described. Turning on the WiFi, though, resulted in no advertisements resolving. Well, it’s not perfect, yet, but this is Google we’re talking about. Thusly, we have no doubt the ads will be everywhere soon!

Proof of concept Google Advertising on YouTube mobile, with ads and without ads.

March 9, 2010 – Since mid 2007, when Apple launched the iPhone under an exclusive contract with AT&T, complaints have abounded about the inability of the wireless carrier’s network to handle the load. Tech related blogs regularly include complaints from customers, who either have the iPhone on AT&T or would love an iPhone but aren’t willing to switch to them. Complaints regarding lack of service, dropped calls and slow connections are mainstream topics, whose only positive outcome has been in the form of funny sketches on late night comedy shows.

What is the problem?

While some speculate that the reports are exaggerated and an indirect result of competitors trying to capitalize on the bad press, others are more forgiving or, perhaps, simply willing to compromise in exchange for a better phone experience. For the most part, the issues seemed to be a problem that only mayor cities like New York and San Francisco experienced on a large scale.  Unfortunately for AT&T, these cities are home to some of the loudest and most widely-read journalists. To their credit, Verizon Wireless, AT&T’s main competitor, wasted no time launching and sustaining aggressive advertising campaigns, highlighting AT&T’s perceived deficiencies.

Many argue that, while AT&T has undoubtedly enjoyed a financial boost from the iPhone’s popularity and the resultant migration of customers from another wireless carriers, the company has also fallen victim to its own success. Whether the problems are a result of the way the iPhone handles data or the fact that it’s so easy to use that people just can’t keep it on their pockets, it is definitely a problem with which AT&T has been willing to live.  A combination of both of these possibilities is most likely the reason that, according to Consumer Reports, the iPhone user consumes five times more data in a month, compared to other smartphone users.

What is AT&T doing about it?

Well, besides contracting Luke Wilson for some questionably effective commercials, the media and public pressure, as well as the emergence of attractive smartphone competition like the Droid, has forced the company to invest heavily in its infrastructure. Every few weeks, AT&T issues press release announcing improvements to the network and its overall level of service. The recently announced femtocell device called the MicroCell is being offered, by AT&T, on very limited basis in major cities to include San Diego, CA and Las Vegas, NV.  The device promises to serve as a solution for people with poor, indoor cell coverage. Additionally, a 7.2 Mbps upgrade for the current generation 3G wireless network has also been announced for as early as 2010. Also the transition to LTE (Long Term Evolution is schedule to start sometime during 2011 and could help AT&T in their efforts to sustain and expand.

Will their efforts pay off?

Knowing about AT&T’s ongoing infrastructure improvements, will it make you think twice about signing a 2-year contract with another wireless provider? To their benefit, AT&T has already started to see the Return On Investment (ROI) they hoped for, with positive numbers emerging from those who once criticized the carrier’s performance. According to a PC World report published on February 23, 2010, AT&T has made significant gains in 3G speed and service, when compared to previously conducted testing. If we extrapolate these gains over a period of 12 to 24 months from now, it becomes clear that AT&T stands to reclaim a significant advantage over competing carriers like Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Additionally, the imminent release of the Apple iPad and iPhone 4G (or whatever else they decide to call the next-generation iPhone) are only likely to force a few million more customers over the mobile carrier fence. Based on this, AT&T can be expected to continue their cyclical upgrades in an effort to ensure they meet the mobile computing requirements that enthusiastic, data-hungry customers have come to demand.

March 3, 2010 – Since TiVo first revolutionized the TV viewing experience some ten years ago, their brand name has reached the point of becoming a “verb” and eventually landed their acclaimed software on hardware boxes from providers like Direct TV. Yesterday, TiVo announced the debut of its new Series4 Boxes, signaling their intention to take traditional television viewing to yet another level.

Branded as the TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL, the new offerings feature a new HD interface, based on Flash, which is capable of integrating content from a variety of available sources. Like many others technology manufacturers, TiVo hopes to become the premier media content aggregator for the big screen-connected crowd. Both models will be HD and capable of displaying full 1080p. Additionally, they will have storage capacity to record 45 and 150 hours of HD content, respectively.

For the audiophile, the Premiere XL boasts the coveted THX certification. TiVo also upped the ante by cultivating a deal that resulted in built-in support for the popular music service Pandora. A new remote control, with slide-out QWERTY keyboard will also be available as an optional extra.

In the times where everything from gaming consoles like Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and media boxes like Roku, which starts as low as $79.99, are competing for the HDMI port on the back of the TV, TiVo might be viewed by some as a late-comer. Fortunately for them, the Series4 TiVo has something other offerings don’t…a CableCARD slot. In Addition to connecting to the home network, external Hard Drives, the internet for streaming services like Netflix, and Over-the-Air HD, the potential for CableCARD connectivity promises to take TiVo’s product to a whole new level. (All you have to do is convince your cable provider to comply with the FCC mandate and provide you with the card.)

Though it is a crowded market, TiVo is betting its hard-earned reputation that the new models, with their unique interfaces, will ultimately become the box to beat. Both units will be
on available beginning in April with the 320 GB Premiere model for $299.00 and the 1TB Premiere XL model for $499.00.

February 26, 2010 – It looks like the ride’s not over yet, but it is about to get bumpy. If you are among the many who have been “testing” Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate free of charge, since it was released in Beta last year, you know that play time is about up. As previously announced by Microsoft, the current “FREE” release candidate (RC1) version, build 7100, is set to expire on June 1, 2010. Okay, it’s only February 26th, so there’s plenty of time, right?

While there are technically three months remaining, the catch is that starting Monday, March 1, 2010 your precious “no cost to upgrade” Windows 7 Ultimate PC will start shutting down every two hours and will conveniently not give you a chance save your work before doing so. You’ll also see an annoying “Pay Up, Buddy” message on the desktop that will change your desktop from your last vacation picture to an all black background. On top of these small annoyances, you’ll probably also experience issues with Microsoft’s Windows Validation feature, which means new updates won’t be downloaded and installed. Unfortunately, everyone knows what happens when you can’t install a critical security update. You run the risk of being turned into a zombie by a Botnet!







Your options, as Microsoft indicates on the announcement posted on their website, are to either roll back to Vista or XP (if you can stand it) or buy a copy of Windows 7 and activate it. Either way, a clean install is required, since Microsoft doesn’t allow users to simply upgrade the beta to a licensed version.  As I and many others will tell you, the improvements in Windows 7, even in the Beta and RC versions, are definitely worth upgrading to, from both Windows Vista and XP.

Like many grateful Geek, I will be backing up my data before March 1st and installing the new copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Edition that I’ve had for a while but never got around to installing on my go-anywhere Samsung NC-10 Netbook.  Hopefully, we’ll see the same reliability, stability, and functionality in the Beta versions of Microsoft Office 2010 and other future Microsoft products, that we’ve enjoyed with the Windows 7 RC.