There’s been a lot of talk about whether CEO Tim Cook can step into the shoes of Steve Jobs. One test of Mr. Cook is to watch the company closely and look for warning signs. Bob Sutton suggests a few in “5 Warning Signs to Watch for at Apple.” The article includes an interesting anecdote related to Don Norman who used to work for Apple. Good stuff.
There’s been a healthy debate about whether Google got its money’s worth in patents when they proposed to acquire Motorola Mobility. Here’s an interesting take from a fellow who really understands this stuff, Florian Mueller: “No one has presented any plausible reason why Apple and Microsoft decided last year to bring patent infringement claims against Motorola if those patents are so strong that they can protect the entire Android ecosystem. I believe Apple’s and Microsoft’s intellectual property experts know a whole lot more about patent litigation and licensing than all of the world’s analysts combined. If they looked at Motorola’s patents and decided to attack anyway, that says a lot. Read the whole analysis in his Aug 29 post.
Jean-Louis Gassée always has something interesting to say about Apple. This time, it’s not the content of the article bu rather an Apple organization chart that’s almost possible to read. I need to contact Mr. Gassée to see if there’s a larger, more legible version. [See reader Hagen’s comment below for the original at Fortune.]
Here’s another one of those longer articles that will require a large cup of coffee but is endlessly informative and nicely done. It’s written by the esteemed Doc Searls, and it discusses something of crucial interest to us all: the Digital Wallet and what Google is up to. Once they get you registered with your National Identity, this one of the services that Google will, I surmise, want to offer. Take note: “Circling Around Your Wallet.”
The iPad combined with Google Maps is pretty darn cool. For casual use. But would you trust your life to it in a commercial airliner? The FAA wants pilots to use certified equipment, but some pilots are disobeying the directives and claiming that the iPad works just fine, especially when it saves smaller operators some money. I know you don’t need anything more to worry about, but this is worth a gander: “FAA: Own-ship Position Display on iPads Is a Problem.”
(credit: Mashable)
Have you ever wondered how the original Baby Bells and other companies morphed into today’s telecom giants? Here’s a great infographic that traces the provenance of the new AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and Qwest/Century Link. It’s a great reference piece from the Wall Street Journal.
Have you been curious about Windows 8 and how it might compare to OS X Lion? Here’s some visual eye candy that gives you feel for what Redmond is thinking in terms of the UI design of Windows 8. My reaction: holy crap.
We’re all aware of the customary horror of exposing our high school or college album photos. But why not, for fun, take a mosey down memory lane and take a look at Tim Cook’s days at Auburn University. Couldn’t hurt. Ah, to be that age again.