A new war in the cloud

In this week's Economist magazine, an article talks about an ongoing technology war between Microsoft, Google and Apple, fighting to dominate the clouding computing market. The premise is that while all three companies have ample resources and niche technology to win, but the final outcome is still too early to tell -- i.e., don't bet your retirement fund in any one of the three companies. :-)

In cloud computing, there are three key elements: data centers, services and hardware periphery. Google clearly has an upper hand in building data centers. But, it's only a matter of time before the others know how to build scalable and efficient data centers. In services, Google again has a lead, but Microsoft and Apple are not too far behind. After a disastrous release of Windows Vista and a slow grasp of web-centric computing, Microsoft recently comes back with a new Windows 7, Live services and Bing search engine, bringing a new battle to Google's own turf. Unlike Google and Microsoft, Apple has always focused on selling the best designed hardware and not software. With the super successful iPhone and iTune store, Apple is the leader in mobile computing. As computing users become ever more mobile and develop an acquired taste for pervasive computing, winning this battle helps Apple to buy more time to develop its data centers and services.

The Economist article also points out other issues that could significantly alter the outcome of the ongoing battle -- antitrust issues, difference in culture and business model among the three companies and the emergence of new players, such as Amazon and Facebook.

The future of cloud computing certainly looks exciting!

Update: Oct. 12, 2009

• Google may be coming out with a new online music service
• Microsoft "owns" Twitter search and Facebook data
• Apple iPhone and iTouch's user adoption rate beats which of all popular devices
  

Tips on using Apple Time Capsule

Apple Time Capsule is a data storage device that allows users to backup and restore data through a Wi-Fi connection. Also, it can be configured to extend the connectivity of an existing computer network.

After running a Time Capsule device at home for few weeks, I'm quite happy with its performance. But, during the setup process, the software configuration was not as smooth as I had hoped.

Some tips on using the Apple Time Capsule (TC).

TIPS #1: Know the difference between a Network Bridge and a Network Router. Configuring TC to extend an existing computer network, you have two options: (1) configure it as a Network Bridge, or (2) configure it as a Network Router. Choose (1) if you already have a Router on your existing network, and you want to keep the current Router configuration as it is. Otherwise, choose (2).

I choose to setup my TC as a Network Bridge. I connect to my broadband network through a Westell 327W device. It's both a Router and a Broadband Modem. It also supports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. Because I want to keep the current Wi-Fi network, I setup TC as a Bridge. My TC connects to Westell through an Ethernet cable, and TC serves only 802.11n connection.

TIPS #2: Adjust your Wi-Fi Channel. If you experience poor Wi-Fi connectivity after setting up TC, check if there are multiple Wi-Fi stations in your close vicinity. If so, check if they are configured to broadcast signals over the same Wi-Fi Channel as your TC. When multiple Wi-Fi stations try to communicate over the same Wi-Fi Channel, you're likely to experience poor communication performance.

TIPS #3: Reconfigure Airport Express. If you currently use an Airport Express to stream music from a Mac/PC to a set of speakers, consider putting the Airport Express and the broadcasting Mac/PC on the same Wi-Fi network. I had trouble streaming music from a Mac to an Airport Express that each of which connects to two separate Wi-Fi network. After putting both Mac and Airport Express on the TC network, the streaming runs very smoothly.

TIPS #4: Secure your TC device. (1) If you plan to backup important data on TC, when asked to enter a a password to secure the TC disk, use a password that is different from the current Wi-Fi password. (2) Consider to setup TC to allow Wi-Fi connections only from a restricted group of devices. To do this, you explicitly define a list of MAC addresses that are allowed to connect in your TC. A MAC address is a unique device ID of your Wi-Fi device.

Time Capsule is a great product that solved my backup problem. Whether it's a PC or a Mac, TC takes care of my data backup and restore. Now I can sleep peacefully at night because I know my photos and documents are in the safe hands.

Good Use of iPod for Education

We all know iPod is for music and entertainment. Few years ago, no one would ever guess that iPod could also be used for education. There is a growing number of "iTunes U" in the US. These universities explore the use podcasts and iPods to encourage students to learn.

Here are some real uses of iPods and podcasts:

• A history professor asks students to download 39 films to their video-capable iPods so she doesn't have to spend class time screening the movies.


• A psychology professor has found a new-age answer to office hours: a podcast of the week's most asked questions.


• Foreign language students use iPods to immerse themselves in coursework.


• University administrators want to use podcasts to recruit high schoolers to the 3,000-student campus.

Source: Rural college push iPod use for lectures, CNN, March 20, 2006

Technology evolution is a strange thing. Sometimes it's extremely difficult to predict how a new technology will use when it gets into the hands of general population. The use of iPod is a good example.

POD: Podcast of the Day

In business:

• New Mouseketeer: Steve Job's Magic Kingdom (Businessweek): interesting stories about Steve Job's success and failure as Apple's ex-CEO and CEO. Predications about Steve Job, Apple and Disney in three years from now...

In science:

• Born to Believe (New Scientist): why did human evolution find God? Is religious faith something that is built into our DNA?

Attention College Students, Here Comes iTunes U

Apple is pushing iTunes and Podcasts to a new level. ABC News reports that Apple Computer Inc. has introduced "iTunes U," a nationwide expansion of a service that makes course lectures and other educational materials accessible via Apple's iTunes software.

Apple's service offers universities a customized version of the iTunes software, allowing schools to post podcasts, audio books or video content on their iTunes-affiliated Web sites. The iTunes-based material will be accessible on Windows-based or Macintosh computers and transferable to portable devices, including Apple's iPods.

Stanford University, which joined the pilot program last fall, gives the public free access not only to some lectures but also audio broadcasts of sporting events through its iTunes-affiliated site.

Schools and universities have historically been major contributors to Apple's computer sales. With iTunes U, Apple "is leveraging the ubiquity that we've established on campuses with iPods and iTunes," said Chris Bell, Apple's director of product marketing for iTunes.

If we consider that online universities didn't really work out for many higher education institutions, it's possible that iTunes U may just be another hype. However, if you consider the following, Apple may just have a shot pushing iTunes and Podcasts to a next new level:

Our students are digital natives.

Source: Apple Offers College Lectures Via Podcasts, ABC2 News, January 30th, 2006.