• lg,  web os

    LG To Release a webOS Powered TV

    Many of you know that I have a soft spot for all things Palm and so I was intrigued when I saw a report on the WSJ Digits blog reporting that LG plans to build a webOS powered television set.

    As you may recall, webOS was the last mobile operating system developed by Palm, Inc before it was acquired by HP in 2010 followed, quickly followed by the complete shutdown of the Palm unit and discontinuing of all webOS hardware sales.  LG acquired webOS from HP in February of 2013.

    What I find interesting about this is that LG is stuffing webOS into a TV.  webOS was originally designed to power smartphones and tablets.  I’m not saying that webOS can’t work on a TV, but I’m having a hard time envisioning the user interface.

    The primary interface for webOS was touch.  The primary interface for TVs today is a remote control.  According to the WSJ article, the unannounced LG TV is said to retain the webOS cards based paradigm for moving between open applications.  To me, that sounds rather clunky with a remote only type of interface.  I guess it could work if LG does something similar to the original Palm Pre which had a home button that, when pressed, would move you into card view for application switching.  Palm abandoned that idea with the Pre Plus, their second webOS smartphone.

    Interface features aside, webOS could have a second left as a smart TV OS.  It’s biggest problem as a smartphone OS was that, honestly, it was late to market compared with Apple iOS and Google Android ecosystems and failed to capture enough developers to really build out the application suite.  In TVs, however, I have to ask myself, how important is a third-party developer ecosystem?  I can’t see playing Angry Birds or Tweeting from my TV, so does it really matter if there is a large catalog of webOS smart TV apps?  I think the place where things like smart TVs, cable boxes, and media players (Blu-ray, DVD, et el) can be improved is in their software.  An “appliance” such as a TV with a slick user interface which made it easy to find the content I want to watch when I want to watch it would be a very nice usability bump.  Any such software should be able to tie together access to my HDMI attached cable box and media players and my streaming media services; Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora spring to mind.

    Regardless of what we might conjure up in our minds, we will know in better detail where LG is taking webOS and smart TVs very soon.  LG plans on showing their webOS TV at the CES show in Las Vegas in a few weeks.

    [Via WSJ Digits blog…]

  • apple tv,  mac os x,  media server,  time machine,  windows

    Seagate Central Home Media NAS Device Review [Updated]

    I discovered Seagate Central while looking for a seamless Macintosh and Windows home backup solution.  Once I started reading more about Seagate Central, what I realized was this little network attached box has a number of nice features for the network connected home.
    Backup All of Your Stuff
    My home has a mix of Mac OS X and Windows desktops and laptops, and Seagate Central makes backing both types of PCs super simple.  Macs can see Seagate Central as a Time Machine server and will work with all recent releases of Mac OS X right out of the box, making Mac backups remarkably easy.  Windows users will need to install the Seagate Dashboard software before backing up files to Central’s hard disk.

    Another useful feature of Seagate Central is that it can backup the pictures and videos that you post to Facebook.  This is an incredibly useful feature as many people don’t backup their smartphones using only social media services as a means for preserving the special moments in our lives that are captured in photos and short videos.  I’m thinking about my wife and her iPhone 4 as a perfect use case here.

    For as useful and easy as it is to backup your Mac or PC to Seagate Central, I do need to offer a word of caution here.  The Seagate Central is a single drive device.  This means, that is the drive in your Seagate Central becomes damaged or fails there is no backup of the backup.  The old be prepared saying goes “one is none”, so if you use Seagate Central as a backup server, I would strongly recommend a second supplemental backup, such as Backblaze.
    Via ComputerShopper.com
    Streaming Media Server
    Seagate Central is also a streaming media server that works with hardware that you probably already have in your home.  To achieve this interoperability, Seagate has baked in Digital Living Network Alliance, or DLNA, services.  This means that the DLNA can talk to your devices like a Sony PS3, Blu-ray players, Samsung TVs and many more devices.  To use Seagate Central as a media server for your connected devices, just connect everything to the same wired or wireless network (802.11n or later is recommended) and grab some hot, buttery popcorn and enjoy.

    What about the Apple TV?  Unfortunately, the Apple TV does not appear to be a DLNA compatible device.  (And why should it be from Apple’s perspective? They want you to purchase and stream your content from iTunes.)  Fear not, Apple TV owners!  Seagate has you covered with their Seagate Media app, which is AirPlay friendly and allows you to redirect content streamed to your iOS over to Apple TV.  The Seagate Media app also works with Android devices.
    Access and Share Your Data
    A unique feature of the Seagate Central server is that you can use it remotely from your Android or iOS device with the free app from Seagate.  Once the Central server is configured and you have installed the app, then you can access your photos, videos, or documents.  Your mobile device will need to be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot or 3G cellular service.  You can also access the content stored on the Seagate Central server from your Mac or PC using a web browser and even share the content with a private email invitation.  These features are allow you get much more utility our of the Central and effectively gives you your own sharable cloud-based storage solution.
    Pricing & Availability
    Seagate Central is available now and comes in a 2TB ($149.99), 3TB ($179.99) and 4TB ($219.99) models to meet your media and backup needs and budget.  Just as a price comparison, the Apple Time Capsule starts at $299.00 and does not have the streaming media features.  While your individual needs will differ from mine, the 3TB $179.99 version seams to be the best choice for all but the price conscious or those with lots of content to store.
    Conclusion
    The Seagate Central NAS server packs a lot of value in an inexpensive package.  It makes backups simple, streams media to your DLNA-compatible devices, gives you access to your data when you are on the go, provides document sharing, and works with Mac OS X, Windows, Android and iOS devices.  The one thing that I would have liked to see was a multi-drive configuration for data redundancy since Seagate Central is billed as a backup solution.

    Update

    After posting a question about RAID support in Seagate Central, Seagate Support confirmed that Central does not support a multi-disk RAID configuration.  In place of the Central, Seagate recommends their Business Storage 2-Bay NAS for people who want the peace of mind of a redundant data storage device.

    For more information and purchasing options, visit the Seagate website.


    [Seagate Central showroom image via ComputerShopper.com…]
  • apple,  mac,  mac os x

    Apple Releases OS X 10.9.1 Mavericks Update

    Yesterday, Apple rolled out the first update for Mac OS X Mavericks.

    The 10.9.1 update, a 243MB download, should be welcomed as an early Christmas present for anyone who uses the build in Mail application with Gmail.  It was widely reported after the initial release of Mavericks that there were issues keeping email in sync between the client and the Google servers.  This update should address the Gmail issues.  (I don’t use the Apple Mail application, so I can’t really comment on the issues Gmail users were reporting.)

    In addition to the Mail update, Mavericks 10.9.1 also updates Safari to version 7.0.1.  The latest version of Safari fixes an issue where Safari could become unresponsive when filling out web forms and improves the credit card autofill feature’s compatibility with websites.  (I have been using the credit card autofill features this Christmas season and it’s been working well.)

    This latest Mavericks update will install on any Macintosh that is capable of running OS X 10.9, including some models going all the way back to 2007.

    A full list of changes, fixes, and enhancements can be found on the Apple website.

    If you haven’t already done, so, you can download and install the Mac OS X 10.9.1 update on your Macintosh by going to the App Store icon and clicking on the Updates tab.

  • android,  content server,  dcm everywhere,  enterprise connect,  ios,  livelink

    Livelink Upgrades Through the Years

    After having attended last week’s OpenText Enterprise World 2013, I though it would be fun to take a look back at the upgrade path of the various versions of Content Server.

    Content Server wasn’t always “Content Server.”  It has also been known as “Enterprise Server”, or for us old timers, “Livelink”.
    I started with Livelink 3.1.16.  The software was delivered on 3.5″ 1.4MB floppy disks in 16 and 32-bit flavors.
    For the next upgrade, Livelink 4.0.1, I made the jump to CD media.  Life was good back then – no more floppy disks!  Check out that OpenText logo.  This version of Livelink was pretty heavily customized and we skipped Livelink 5 and 6.
    For Livelink 7.0.1 I shifted technology platforms from Digital’s OpenVMS and Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) to Windows NT Server 4.0 and SQL Server 6.5.  For the upgrade to Livelink 7.2, I started pulling out the customizations.
    Next up as Livelink 8.0.1, 8.0.2, and 8.1.5.  This would be the last media set that would sport the old Odesta “sun” imagery as seen on the right side of the CD media.
    Next up was the Livelink 9-series.  Shown here is Livelink 9.0.0, 9.1.0 SP1, and 9.1.0 SP3.  Yes, there was something before Livelink 9.7.1!
    Here’s Livelink 9.2.0.  Did anyone actually convert to UTF-8 for this release?  I tried it and couldn’t get it to work with the command line tools.
    For Livelink 9.5, the name changed to Livelink ECM, or Enterprise Content Management.  The logo and corporate imaging also changed.  This would be the last physical disc I would receive from OpenText.
    After Livelink 9.5, it became trendy to call Livelink “Enterprise Server” for the Livelink 9.7.1 release.  Livelink 9.7.1 was the first all digital release for me, and I downloaded all of the software from the OpenText Knowledge Center.  And that UTF-8 conversion?  Much easier with the UTF-8 conversion module.
    With Livelink 9.7.1 installed and patched up, a year later the Records Management modules were installed.
    A year ago, I completed the upgrade from Livelink 9.7.1 with Livelink Explorer 4.8.6 to Content Server 10.0.0 Update 7 and Enterprise Connect 10.2.1.  There were lots of problems with Enterprise Connect, so earlier this year, I upgrade to Content Server 10.0.0 SP2 Update 9 and Enterprise Connect 10.3.0 Patch 1.
    For 2014 I’m working on the Content Server 10.5.0 and Enterprise Connect 10.5 upgrade and a rollout of ECM Everywhere 10.0.0 for iOS and Android clients.
  • apple,  apple tv,  ios 6,  ios 7,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone 5s,  ipod touch,  iwork

    Apple Releases iOS 7.0.4, Other Software Updates

    Following Tuesday’s surprise iPad mini with Retina display launch, Apple released a number of updates for iOS devices, Apple TV, and iWork for iCloud.

    iOS 7.0.4, iBooks and iTunes U

    iOS 7.0.4 is  a minor maintenance update for all current generation iOS devices that fixes a potential issue with FaceTime calls.  The 37MB update also addresses other unspecified bug fixes and improvements.  iOS 7.0.4 is available for the iPhone 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, and 4; iPad Air, iPad 4, 3, and 2; iPad mini with Retina and iPad mini.

    In addition to iOS 7.0.4, iBooks and iTunes U finally received their iOS 7 makeovers.

    iOS 6.1.5 Update for 4th Generation iPod touch

    What, what?!  The iPod touch 4th generation also go a little bit a love today with the release of iOS 6.1.5.  This minor update for the iPod touch which cannot be upgraded to iOS 7, received a similar FaceTime update.

    Apple TV 6.0.2

    Apple TV also received such a small update that there was no mention of what was fixed.  I did not notice any new channels or new features after the update was applied.

    iWork for iCloud Beta Update

    If all of the iOS love wasn’t enough for you, iWork for iCloud received some much needed collaboration updates.  Document editors can now see who else can collaborate on a document and where their cursor is positioned inside the document.

  • apple,  ipad mini

    Surprise! Apple iPad mini with Retina Display On Sale NOW [Updated]

    During the October 22 keynote address, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the new iPad mini with Retina display would be available in late November.  It would seem then, that Christmas has come early this year.

    The Retina iPad mini has gone on sale only at Apple’s online store and is not yet available at the company’s retail locations.

    Supplies are clearly limited.  The Space Grey and White/Silver 16GB Wi-Fi only models are available for shipping in 1-3 days.  If you want a 64GB, 128GB, or any model with a cellular modem in it, you will be waiting 5-10 business days to get your new iPad.

    If you are planing on getting one of the new iPad mini with Retina tablets for someone on your Christmas shopping list or for yourself, I would strongly suggest that you click the “Buy Now” soon.

    Update

    The personal pickup option has gone live for the iPad mini with Retina display at Apple Store locations.

     

  • apple,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  macbook air,  macbook pro,  mavericks

    Apple Release Updates for Mavericks Mail, iBooks

    Yesterday, Apple released an update for their OS X 10.9 Mavericks Mail and iBooks applications.

    The update to the Mail application is a welcomed relief to customers who use the Mail appellation with Google’s Gmail email service.  With the introduction of OS X 10.9 Mavericks on Oct. 22, customers have been reporting a number of usability bugs with the Mail application.

    iBooks received a minor update to squash a few bugs an to improve stability.

    Both updates are available in the Mac OS X App Store’s updates section.

  • galaxy s,  samsung

    Samsung Finds It’s Not So Easy to Replicate Apple’s Tech

    Daniel Eran Dilger covering Samsung’s Analyst Day for AppleInsider:

    “However, delivery of the most anticipated advance, a 64-bit mobile Application Processor, was pushed out indefinitely into the future at the company’s “Analyst Day” event, offering scant hope for an Android answer to Apple’s A7 anytime soon.”

    Back in September, Samsung officials boasted to The Korea Times:

    “[Samsung’s mobile business chief Shin Jong-kyun said] that upcoming Samsung Galaxy-branded smartphones will be more powerful and faster by confirming that they would have 64-bit processing capability. 

    “Not in the shortest time. But yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality,” Shin said, adding he followed the media coverage of Apple’s new iPhone.”

    Maybe Samsung should use their massive pile of resources to execute on their own ideas rather than trying to rip off Apple’s.