Television 2.0
January 21, 2008
Over the last few years we have seen several changes in televisions with screen sizes increasing, thickness decreasing etc. I think these changes are just the beginning stages of a bigger change to the television. Over the next few years I expect some important changes to the TV like…
- Integrated Wireless Connectivity (this is going to be an important starting point)
- Integrated of Audio/Video/Pictures (Music, Family Entertainment, Photos etc)
- Integrated of Entertainment Units (DVD/Blu-Ray Player, DVR etc)
- Transmission over the web (like SlingMedia)
- Podcasts Integration (This is going to be key integration)
- Convergence of Gaming Systems (If everything is based on software, all PC games can work on these televisions)
- Convergence of Rental Systems (Directly renting from online systems and through cable systems)
- Integrated Browser
- Built-in Cam (think family conferencing)
I expect these systems to integrate with other systems…
- Integration with your telephone system so that the Caller ID is displayed on your television etc
- Integration with your PCs/Laptops etc
For all of this to happen, there needs to be a good platform that’ll make it easier for TV manufacturers. We need a good operating system for televisions (more on this later). That OS for TV can even be Android.
We’ll see how this key living room hardware will evolve over the next few years as the computers and televisions collide. What do you think? Any thoughts on how the television will evolve?
Can OpenID Takeoff?
January 16, 2008
I just returned from a WebGuild event (which was great BTW with around 200 attendees) thinking about an interesting discussion we had about OpenID. One of the panelists asked how many people in the audience are familiar about OpenID. It turns out that about 40% of them knew about it. But when he asked about how many people use OpenID, only 2 hands were ’sort of’ up. This certainly says something.
The concept of OpenID is really great. We need a common authentication across different applications on the web. We certainly will have a solution some day going forward. But is OpenID the solution? I seriously doubt it. Why?
Well, I know the concept of OpenID. But if you ask me how to use it, my frank answer is ‘I don’t know’. I know I have some account, but I don’t know how to use it. It is simply complicated. On the web, we are all used to the username/password form of authentication. If that behavior has to change, it is a HUGE ask. Change is tough. Just for this reason alone, I think OpenID may not be THE open authentication system for the web.
Update: Yahoo implements OpenID. Can Yahoo save the project? I doubt it.
My Take on Apple’s Announcements
January 16, 2008
Now that the much awaited MacWorld is here and the announcements have been made, here is my take…
MacBook Air
There is no doubt that this is a stunning piece of innovation. I’d buy one if only the price is a bit lower. Will there be a price cut in few months like we saw with iPhone? Possible, but don’t count on it. All the specs look excellent. I don’t know the maximum screen resolution on this one though. I wish they included an EVDO. For guys on the road, this is a great laptop.
iTunes Rental
As expected, this is a good move. One thing I didn’t expect though is a free upgrade to existing AppleTV customers. This comes as a surprise and I have no complains here. I am looking forward to playing with it. But frankly, I don’t care about movie rentals. I use AppleTV primarily for Video Podcasts. Its an awesome box for podcasts.
iPhone Update
The iPhone update is another expected one which is good. The best feature according to me is shortcuts (or web clipping as they call it). Now I have shortcuts to all the websites I visit regularly on my iPhone. I can’t wait for custom apps in Feb. The extra price tag for iPod Touch is a bummer though.
Time Capsule
I have been using Time Machine on my iMac successfully and I was hoping for this feature for a while. This is a good move for Apple. What is unclear is support for existing Airport Extreme customers like me. I hope it’ll work when I plug-in a hard drive to my existing Airport Extreme through USB. If not, it’ll be a bummer for existing customers. Interestingly, Steve Jobs didn’t talk about environmental friendliness of this product while he said he’d do so for all new releases. Is it because this is not built with Aluminum (like the other products?). Overall, this is a very good move.
Overall, a great start for the year. I can’t wait for more updates. I guess the wall street is expecting Steve to exceed his previous performance (MacWorld 2007 where he introduced iPhone).
Tata Nano – This People’s Car Is A Sure Winner
January 10, 2008
Tata unveiled the long awaited – Tata Nano – for Rs. 1 Lakh (Approx $2500) for the Indian market and it sure is going to be big. The size of the car is small which fits the Indian roads very well. With 50miles per gallon, we can’t ask for more. Best of all, the price is right. You can buy this car instead of those LCD televisions (I had to do this comparison here, I just returned from CES)….or, this is the same price as a DVD player in Lexus.
If Tata’s moves to grab Jaguar and LandRover succeed, it can become a credible player in the international market. Note that Tata is already a good player in software market with TCS.
More info here.
Local Warming
January 5, 2008
Yossi Vardi coins the term ‘Local Warming’. This is a must watch video for laptop addicted men.
