The next MacBook Makeover: high hopes, expectations low

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By Chris Maxcer
MacNewsWorld
Part of the ECT News Network
02/24/10 5: 00 AM PT, It's about time we saw a MacBook Pro refresh, and rumor has it an update could come as early as Thursday. What I hope to see is a major makeover: new technologies, incredible redesign, mind-blowing internals, the works. What I expect is a much more modest upgrade, with maybe a few new bits thrown in to keep things interesting. Apple just doesn't have to work very hard to maintain its lead.

Rumors are flying fast and furious regarding the long-awaited next generation of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) MacBook Pros. The last major update to the line came in April last year, but we might finally get a redesign as soon as Thursday.

Of course, it's also possible that Apple will fold to MacBook Pro announcement into its March 2 media event next week, where Apple is widely expected to reveal it's second generation iPad 2. Apple could theoretically include both product lines in an announcement effort showcasing mobile products.

On the flip side, Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is also rumored to be announcing something related to its Light Peak connectivity technology, possibly dubbed "Thunderbolt," on Thursday, which means Apple and Intel would both benefit from the synergy. Apple gets to say it has Thunderbolt, shipping now, and Intel gets to ride on Apple's considerable marketing and media influence.

The big question that all the blogs and rumor sites are trying to unravel--not to mention more than a few financial analysts on Wall Street--is what kind of release can we expect? Notice I didn't say "hope for" ... that's a whole different animal.

What I hope for is a major refresh to the MacBook Pro line. While at some point I expect to see MacBook Pros that share the svelte wedge shape of the latest MacBook Air, I think it's too soon for Apple to mess with the unibody chassis much overall. But there is some hope that Apple will use a new alloy called "Liquidmetal" to reduce weight by as much as 20 percent.

Aside from making the MacBook Pro lighter, Liquidmetal may give Apple good reason to change the color, too. When I first saw a shiny all-black mockup by designer Dario Crisafulli, I had to stifle an urge to dig out a credit card just to be ready in case Apple does give us a new black option. I use an aging black MacBook--one of the last--and for some reason I can't explain ", I still prefer the look of it over the newer silver MacBooks, despite their technical and physical advantages.

While I hope for a major form factor redesign, I don't expect one. Why? Because Apple doesn't have to, and if there's one thing that I've noticed about Apple, it's that the company is quite content to hold back features or changes until the last possible minute they are needed to boost sales and consumer adoption. It's oxymoronic for a company that keeps pushing the envelope, but it exists.

A case in point is a camera on the iPad. Apple very obviously has been working on FaceTime for quite a while, and it knew that consumers would want a front-facing camera on their iPad so they could FaceTime with the iPod touch, iPhone, and Macs ... but Apple has yet to include a front-facing camera.

I don't believe there's any real technical hurdle, just that Apple doesn't have to, and when it introduces its next-generation iPad 2, it'll be used as just another excuse to buy an iPad. In racing terms, it seems that Apple is quite comfortable leading by just a few lengths ... there's no benefit to risk burning up an engine or blowing out a tire just to lead by a full lap.

And where's the proof of a comfortable lead? Apple's Mac sales, which are dominated by MacBooks, are up 20 percent year-over-year for the March quarter, according to NPD Group. The MacBook Air could be taking the Lion's share, but the Pro is a constant performer.

We can definitely expect a few much-needed improvements, with lesser improvements going to the 13-inch MacBook Pro line vs. the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros. Here are some key options:

Last of all, we haven't even mentioned the lone white MacBook. With the $ 999 MacBook Air, I wonder how many white MacBooks are selling. Apple has said the new MacBook Air represents the next generation of MacBooks, and it's hard to see how the white MacBook can possibly join the group. I wonder how long Apple will bother with it?

Despite my overall expectations for a fairly modest update to the MacBook Pro line, I hope that Apple wows the world with an astounding new 15-inch form factor and package of internals that will remain competitive for a long time. And if an announcement doesn't come Thursday, maybe it'll come March 2 as part of a "mobility" metaphor at Apple's scheduled media event.

But I doubt it because Apple doesn't have to pack the event to get attention. An iPad 2 will dominate the news for weeks to come, all on its own.

MacNewsWorld columnist Chris Maxcer has been writing about the tech industry since the birth of the email newsletter, and he still remembers the away down Mac keyboards from high school--Apple's seed-planting strategy at work. While he enjoys elegant tech gear and sublime, there's something to be said for turning it all off--or most of it--to go outside. To catch him, take a "firstnamelastname" guess at Gmail.com.
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February 17, 2011
With its subscription system, Apple has created an opportunity for publishers to save themselves from dumb websites, crass content, irrelevant, and Google's ability to drive the cost of advertising down to pennies on the keyword. Some content publishers say its rules are harsh, but they're all put in place to protect the user experience, which will be to the publishers ' benefit. Why Some Verizonistas Refuse to Wait for iPhone 5
February 10, 2011
If I were a Verizon customer right now, I'm pretty sure that I'd wait another five months to get the latest and greatest iPhone right when it's released. But maybe Verizon customers have already lived so long with non-iPhones that even an old one is too good to pass up. Or maybe they figure the iPhone 5, which should come around next summer, won't be such a big leap forward at all.

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Qualcomm has high hopes for Augmented Reality Gaming

Qualcomm is showing a series of augmented reality games for Android-based Smartphones at the Mobile World Congress. The games were developed using the software development kit SDK AR.

Augmented reality refers to the way in which computer-generated content are superimposed on a camera view live in the real world, "increase" the vista with additional information. Augmented reality platform of Qualcomm is detection of images based on vision, using computers to identify the elements of the view that may increase. Other systems may use a telephone receiver GPS, compass and accelerometer to determine where they are and in which direction you are facing in order to add location information.

Qualcomm has demonstrated a basketball game played with a print of a basketball backboard fixed to the wall. The software identifies the backboard in images and draw on a verge virtuale and the ball: the aim of the game is to score. As players move their phones around, you can shoot from different angles. Allowing players to move around in the real world, with adapting to those movements, augmented reality is what adds experience to mobile gaming, Qualcomm business development manager Roy Lawrence Ashok Inigo said.

Qualcomm announced the winners of its 2010 Augmented Reality Developer Challenge at Mobile World Congress. The competition began in July, when the company first publicized its plans for an augmented reality platform and SDK.

Developers have been using the beta version of Qualcomm SDK, released in October of last year. Were about 50 questions, which is good for such a short period of time, said Inigo. This shows that there is an interest among developers for augmented reality, he said.

The winner of the challenge is a game called Paparazzi, where the player becomes a paparazzo. Second place went to inch high Stunt guy, where the player organizes various obstacles to allow a stuntman jump successfully his motorcycle through a circle. Danger Copter won third prize in a game where the player becomes a pilot of helicopter maneuvers a chopper water-blow on a virtual city to extinguish fire and rescue of people.

Besides games, Qualcomm provides the technology used to improve the listings, product packages and education.

The 1.0 version of the SDK should arrive at the beginning of the second quarter, according to Inigo.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

IT support to become a social affair? Service-now certainly hopes so

Service-winter version of Now its on demand software is going to be an interesting experiment in the world of Social Affairs. The general theme: use social networking tools to make support easier and more productive.

The release of the winter was officially available on Wednesday, but was in the hands of some customers from Feb. 4. Key elements include:

Chat functionality so that users can more easily communicate with it. " Groups can also create chat rooms. Hey, get ready for enterprise IT groups "we are fed up with IE6 and XP dammit!".

Service-now Live much like Facebook and Twitter. Users can post things on the wall of IT support. The idea is that users may be able to resolve their problems.

Flows of information that can be tracked with hash tags. IT support and users can follow these streams. Service-now call these flows-the very first zeitgeist IT. "

Add it and this winter release becomes part of the service-now it 3.0 rap, which revolves around making IT service and support business "people-centric".

It is an intriguing idea and one that makes me a little chuckle because I know how many people would rather duck IT support when users are stupid questions. Now those stupid questions can become part of your IT support wall.

We caught up with Director Craig Mr McDonogh, Service-now of product management, to get some other points. Here's the summary:

What gain productivity here? Mr McDonogh noticed that it supports worker can handle requests chat three and five at a time than a call. There will be any distractions? "You could have a situation in which a worker is easily distracted, but I disagree with that," he said. "The benefits are tangible and productivity far outweigh any negative impact".Users will flock to these tools? Mr McDonogh said that the winter version is not a generic collaboration tool. Social tools are specific to the IT Department.What is the biggest victory here? Mr McDonogh said that these social tools can allow users to resolve their problems. "Business users know as much about the technology they are using as your IT Department. We are providing a tool to support peer-to-peer and capture the information in a Knowledge base, "he said. "The community of users has grown dramatically over the past 10-15 years".

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic.

SAP StreamWork hopes to boost sales with OpenSocial

SAP has added support for programming standards guaranteed by Google OpenSocial for social applications to its collaboration software StreamWork, the company announced Wednesday.

Software that uses the API (application programming interface) of OpenSocial users may be served through StreamWork "application catalog tools," according to a statement.

OpenSocial-enabled applications are already available, including mind mapping from CS Odessa and MindMeister; appointment scheduling service Doodle; Google Translate; and software development and collaboration tools by Atlassian, SAP said.

StreamWork, which was launched last year, has been dubbed a "virtual war room," which serves as a place where it is user groups — employees, customers, partners, or a mix--can brainstorm and solve problems.

By aggressively pursuing integration with third-party applications, SAP StreamWork can extend the reach and importance, in view of an observer.

"I think you can look this way. StreamWork is a canvas for a painting, "said analyst Ray Wang, CEO of constellation. "OpenSocial gives many portraits for display on the canvas itself."

SAP is looking for partner applications based on feedback from users, said Holly StreamWork Simmons, senior marketing manager on demand. Sense to SAP StreamWork extend to types of related software products to customers are already using, he added.

Even their integration with StreamWork cuts on what users need to switch between applications, Simmons said.

Additional tools are available from OpenSocial are at no extra charge to customers, as many sellers have already a selling model "freemium," he said. However, paid versions are available, he said.

An Edition based StreamWork is available free of charge. Professional Edition starts at US $ 9 per user per month and adds features like advanced administration. Enterprise Edition pricing starts at $ 195 per user per year in the USA and enhanced security, monitoring and provisioning. For prices in other countries, customers must contact SAP, according to its website.

Like any supplier, SAP had to face a challenge of cracking a crowded market populated by hordes of offers of collaboration-related latest as well as widely adopted platforms such as Microsoft SharePoint.

And I stumbled attempts to high profile generation tools. Citing the lack of adoption, in August Google stopped development on its much-ballyhooed wave application which had integrated StreamWork.

Simmons has refused to reveal how many, in the production of paying customers StreamWork scored so far. But sales are "going really well," he said. Now, most customers are small and medium-sized enterprises, he said.

A typical customer might be a small consulting company that wants to strategize and share documents with clients thousands of miles away, Simmons said.

Large enterprises are voicing "different types of requests" when it comes to pain points, he said. On the one hand, they want to help employees work more effectively with the software that they already have.

The enterprise edition was released only in the month of December, so SAP is "just ramping up in terms of sales," he said.

SAP has also implemented internally, business tool, Simmons said.

While eager to grow the community of partners of SAP StreamWork, has ambitious development plans of its own.

Customers should expect to see continued work to integrate with SAP StreamWork range of business software, Simmons said. "People want to use this in a business context. We do not try to create another suite of productivity. "

Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and General technology breaking news for the IDG News Service. E-mail Chris is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com