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Headless iMac = Beautiful Home Server

Think Secret reports that Apple is going to make an announcement of a headless (no monitor) iMac at MacWorld san Francisco and I am very excited at the prospect.

According to the report, the idea is to get a machine below $500 to attract Windows users currently using iPods who might buy Macs if the prices were just a bit lower. This machine certainly would achieve that goal, feeling like an iBook, but looking more like a white XServe / or closed laptop. To me, this type of box represents a machine most Mac users would want!

A headless machine is perfect for a home server! It takes little space either under an existing iMac (I have the 15″ 800MHz version) or taking up a small corner on your desk, or even in a closet. You can operate the whole thing via Apple Remote Desktop connect all your peripherals and run iTunes, file and print sharing, scheduling, sync your handhelds etc and etc…

Even though it would be considered a lower end machine by desktop standards there would be more than enough juice to handle all of the tasks and more I just mentioned. Our current home machine, that trusty iMac has been doing just that for a few years and has yet to let me down. You could utilize the DVI or VGA connector to use the machine as a great home theater mac as well … something I’ve often wondered just how to do with my current iMac since the monitor, while nice to look at, would stand out a bit much in my stereo rack. Home automation would be another simple to add feature / task for a machine like this…

I really hope this is true. A machine like this would really be a great addition to any Mac home.

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BusinessWeek on Video Blogging

With the right aggregator and enclosures within feeds, you can enjoy video and audio quite easily…

Though the movement is only in its early stages, it’s easy to imagine that video blogs could have as big an impact as the text blogs. Indeed, they’re already doing what has been the real strength of traditional blogging — promoting one another’s work. And even if the vast majority of the videos remain a novelty, the explosion of experimentation is a welcome sight. [BusinessWeek]

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Dvorak…. ah yes, I’ll bite

John Dvorak chums the water today with some serious Mac bait and I just can’t help but comment.

He initiates his silly rant stating that the Mac is stagnant, having maintained the market share rather than growing. I can’t argue that point actually, but I don’t even think it matters since there are plenty of people buying new macs as both new customers and as repeat customers. Dvorak starts to make a point that Apple has secured its niche but makes no actually point other than loud obnoxious forum users ruin it for everyone with their noise… right. I guess those jerks do ruin the fun, but I can’t really see how they make a damned bit of difference in mainstream views or in any outward marketing by Apple or anyone else.

Dvorak also points to Job’s division of attention through Pixar and the iPod and iTunes making a distraction and again not impacting Mac market share. I can’t say I disagree more… The iPod, while dual platform has led to quite a few switchers and has put the Apple brand in more people’s minds than ever before. Imagine what’s next that will capture our attention again and shake up the industry again and again? Where’s the PC side innovation? Oh that’s right, it’s cheaper faster, yet no simpler and still ridden with issues like viruses, worms and spam sent from your systems thanks to unattended security holes in the OS.

Comparing the PC to the Mac is a poor comparison. They are both computers, but I’ll gladly pay for style, ease of use and reliability. I don’t usually consider Mercedes and BMW in the same class of car as say a Ford or Chevy. Sure, many people won’t care about some of those details… that’s why Ford and Chevy outsell Mercedes and BMW. It’s not a volume game. It’s about the quality of the experience. It’s yours to choose.

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Spam Decline

AOL reports on a considerable spam decline for the year… check out that graph – those are BILLIONS of emails. And it’s just AOL…

Spam Graph

Time Warner Inc. unit America Online said it has seen a big decline in overall junk e-mail volume this year, in a reversal of a five-year escalation in spam aimed at AOL members. AOL said the decline is evidence that its efforts to fight spam are working.

“We used to be the largest target,” said AOL spokesman Nicholas J. Graham. “The target’s becoming a lot smaller,” in the face of aggressive filtering and spammer prosecutions that have made sending junk mail to AOL members less financially rewarding, he said.

In late 2004, AOL blocked half as much spam at the front door of its network as it blocked in the worst point of 2003, when it stopped about 2.4 billion e-mails a day, the company said. And the number of messages diverted to members’ “Spam Folders” fell 60% to 40 million a day in November compared with a year earlier. The drop in spam helped reduce AOL’s overall e-mail load by 22%, AOL said. [WSJ]

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Treo 650 GSM Status

As you probably know the Treo 650 is still only available through Sprint and will continue to be the exclusive carrier through year end. January should bring Cingular on board with their GSM / EDGE capable device, but the unlocked GSM version I’ve got on order seems to be in queue for a February delivery.

Disappointing news for sure… I got word today from a friend traveling through Newark Airport today who happened to stop at the PalmOne Store and asked. I can understand favoring the carriers first as they are the first line of business for any phone maker, but it still stinks having to wait even longer.

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BargainPDA on the Treo650

I don’t care what anyone says about the Treo 650’s memory issues, lack of WiFi support, limited Bluetooth functionality, poor sound quality, dialing delays or the fact that it’s only available on Sprint PCS. It’s the still the best Smartphone on the market. Mobile business professionals who want an integrated device should look no further, especially if your organization uses Microsoft Exchange for email and calendaring. [BargainPDA]

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Dish plus Sirius

I just learned today that Dish Network offers Sirius as an add-on package. Seem like a great and actually logical combo when you consider the addition of Music Choice on DirecTV and many cable systems. I’ve been finding the programming much stronger on Sirius than I’ve heard in the past on Music Choice, for what it’s worth.

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Start over… any show on TV

Time Warner is working on a special feature for digital cable subscribers called Start Over, the WSJ reports. The cool thing about this idea is that you don’t have to be recording or even using a DVR to enable it. You simply tune to a program and press “Start Over” on your remote and the TV obeys.

This level of simplicity delivers a powerful tool to the TV watching masses and will definitely be both an intuitive and useful feature to have. Some tricks for Time Warner include getting revised programming rights from the various acting guilds, music producers, studios and of course the networks. This is apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back with Mystro TV, Time Warner’s recently killed fully on-demand system. The WSJ assumes that the FF feature will be disabled during commercials in order to help the approval process, which changes a significant detail in the DVR / Time-shifting experience – eliminating the Time Shift! One of the perks in catching up when you start watching a program being recorded after it starts (or after it’s been recorded) is watching it in less time since you can skip over commercials. as noted earlier, this is not a DVR service, but perhaps it will be added to those boxes as well. I’d imagine pressing the button would activate some lovely Macrovision to block FF or 30-sec skip features you might have on your remotes.

I had previously noted MystroTV here and here. Too bad it’s dead.

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Trump goes Giga

If you’ve been contemplating a move to the future Trump-land on the UWS of NYC, I’m sure you knew you’d get a big bang for the buck you’ll be shelling out. A bonus for early movers is a new super high speed network…

A pact between GigaBeam, Microwave Satellite Technologies (MST) and Trump properties will see ultra high-speed wireless links installed in twenty of Trump’s buildings on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

The high-speed connections, as fast as 1.5Gbps, will bring to the apartment and business dwellers in the buildings VoIP, data, and even HDTV.

…

GigaBeam will start installing the high-speed connection within the Trump International Hotel and other Trump properties this quarter. MST will then deploy additional links throughout the remainder of 2005. [Infoworld]

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Mossberg… Media Center Pretty Good

Walt Mossberg has been spending some quality time with the HP z545-b Digital Entertainment Center and it’s Media Extender counterpart and came away reasonably satisfied, but in no way recommending the experience for anyone but techies. It’s too bad that $2,000 of kit still does not make it easy enough to just watch and play with your media. Perhaps 2005 will be the year companies finally get that this stuff has to be simple, and tech transparent.

In general, both worked well. But they also had some drawbacks, and it was impossible to escape two of the worst problems of using a Windows computer — security issues and networking complexities.

…

And the realities of the Windows security mess can intrude on your entertainment experience. For instance, while I was watching TV, I was repeatedly interrupted by pop-up notices urging me to configure Norton AntiVirus. To do so, I had to exit the Media Center software.

…

I also tested the $299 Media Center Extender, which uses a wired or wireless home network to stream video and audio from the Media Center PC to a television or stereo system in another room. The basic setup for the extender went well. And music and photos were beamed perfectly over my wireless network, which uses a popular Wi-Fi flavor, called 802.11g. (The extender doesn’t work with the most common flavor of Wi-Fi, called 802.11b.)

But video was a problem. When I tried to watch recorded TV shows on the remote TV, the picture stuttered noticeably, and it was grainy. Microsoft and H-P attributed this to the speed of my network, which was being degraded by other computers doing e-mail and Web browsing.

Microsoft says that, for optimal video streaming, Media Center users should buy and install a separate wireless network based on the less-common 802.11a standard and dedicate it to the Media Center extender connection.

This is likely to add another $100 or so to the cost of the setup. Worse, it will plunge users into the morass of installing another network. The complexity of this task is increased by the fact that the H-P computer doesn’t work with the “a” flavor of Wi-Fi, even though the Extender does. H-P and Microsoft provide instructions on how to do this, but it isn’t simple for nontechies. [WSJ]

I can’t imagine having to install a second network for media sharing and distribution as recommended… I’ve got enough stuff pumping through my multiple routers and switch to drive my wife insane. If I had to add another order of complexity to things I would be asked very quickly to just get rid of it. Designing the product to look like a home component is only part of the equation. It has to work like an appliance – which means to plug it in and go. I realize that is way simpler than will probably be possible in the near-term, but that has to be the goal.

Media Adapter / Servers and their networks need to auto-configure while content needs to be found and easily shared and distributed within your home environment. Oh and the UI has to be simple. It’s great that Windows is beneath Media Center but Keep it hidden!! Make me believe it’s just a media center.

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Thinking about iPhone

Simon Woodside at MobileWhack delivers some good thoughts on iPhone and is certainly worth a read. I can’t see UWB happening in the first edition only since they’ll be targeting the mid-line according the report at Forbes. Who knows, I am sure it will be full of surprises when iPhone arrives.

Timewise, iPhone could be out within a year or a month. All of the technology I’ve covered exists now. Margins in the phone business are totally different from Pods and PCs, but you can bet that Apple will get a good deal because of what their star power will do for whatever carrier they grace their first offering on. They’ll cut a surprising deal and could well change the way that handset makers and operators interact (much the way iTunes Music Store changed the online music business and forced the industry and other companies, like Microsoft, to respond).

does well, like the iPod, it will drive more people to Macs, which is a good thing for both Apple and its fans. [MobileWhack ]

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Voom’s Doom?

Om pointed to a piece in the WSJ (sub required) today on the the possibility of Voom no being spun off from Cablevision, but sold instead… the likely buyer is Echostar so they could add both HD and capacity to their Satellite Service.

Voom has certainly had their issues – customer churn, high operating costs and huge losses (~$75 Million last quarter) but I still really like what they are all about which is more HD than anyone else. I’d love to see the cable guys offer as large an array of HD options – my last count had Time Warner at slightly less than half of what Voom currently offers, not too mention what they are/(now were?) going to be offering.

Om feels they were about 24 months too early and that may be, though with all the hoopla about HD in the regular press you’d think most people had it. Obviously most people don’t have it and are even opting for non-HD large and flat sets to save money.

Voom has tried to distinguish itself by offering more high-definition channels than cable companies and other satellite operators. But its appeal has been limited by high installation costs, technical problems and the steady addition by competitors of more high-definition offerings. In the third quarter, Cablevision reported that Voom had 26,000 subscribers, compared with millions for DirecTV and EchoStar.

If Cablevision decides to sell the unit, analysts believe a likely buyer would be EchoStar, the second-largest satellite operator that operates Dish Network and needs additional capacity to offer more high-definition channels.

Nevertheless, analysts believe that Charlie Ergen, EchoStar’s chief executive, would have an advantage in negotiations with Cablevision since the cable operator would likely have few other buyers for Voom’s satellite, launched in 2003. Thomas Eagan, an analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. estimates that Mr. Ergen might pay as little as $125 million, about half what it would cost to build and launch a new satellite. [WSJ]

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Slip Slip Streaming Away

Rogue Amoeba has something very nice cooking for current or future Airport Express owners…

slipstream.jpg

Rogue Amoeba is pleased to announce our newest product, Slipstream. Slipstream is the first and best way to send audio from any application directly to remote speakers attached to Apple’s renowned AirPort Express device. With Slipstream, audio from any application can be sent to the AirPort Express – users longing to send audio from applications like RealPlayer and Windows Media Player need look no further than Slipstream. [Rogue Amoeba]

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NTT DoCoMo Invests In Linux

This certainly confirms PalmSource’s investment in Linux… more and more companies are looking to Linux for all sorts of needs. PalmSource has said now that Cobalt will run on top of Linux, though I am not sure whether DoCoMo will create a new GUI for their phones or simply use it under the hood. They are still going to use Symbian as well so perhaps just a test to cover the bases.

NTT DoCoMo, which recently announced that three of its phones will be based on Linux, invests in U.S. vendor MontaVista Software. [Mobile Pipeline]

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Sirius Stream Explorer

My radio is across the room and behind me actually so I can’t see the display other than that it glows blue. If I don’t know what’s playing and want to see I have to get up… until now. Sirius Stream Explorer is a cool site that shows all live stations and their info. I can just leave it live in a tab within Safari or Firefox.

What I’d really love is to get the basic station name and info on my Harmony Remote instead of TV Listings, which I’ve chosen not to sync and load anyway. I have up to 6 items per screen view which would very nicely match up to the Sirius system… I doubt that’s coming though, as my radio is not even listed on the Harmony site and has to be manually programmed into the remote.

I could however, load the Sirius Stream Explorer site into a PDA (have a Tungsten C lying around) for a quick update as it’s hard to read the display from my couch as well. Not sure if it’s my eyes or the blue on blue screen…Anyway it totally works, though without the auto-updating of my desktop browser. I actually tried this and while the page eventually loaded, it ‘s far from an ideal experience. Desktop browser tab it is…

The Sirius Stream Explorer is a great companion to the online streaming you might be listening to as well as there does not seem to be any track info listed…If you are a Windows user you might really like the other purpose for the Sirius Stream Explorer… control of your device!

The ItsOnSIRIUS Radio was designed to overcome some of the limitations of SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s Online Streaming Software. Later releases are planned to include support for serial based radios and remote control over a network.

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More on Sirius in the car

As I mentioned previously, I had my first in-car Sirius experience today. I had to drive from NYC to outside Philadelphia, a trip I’ve made many times. In past mornings I’ve tuned into Howard Stern, and usually hang in until some obscenely long commercial break and then tune around or activate my iPod. I knew I had Sirius in the car today as I reserved it in advance with Hertz and I made the decision to fully test it en-route and chose not too even bring my iPod.

The trip was smooth…and fully digital, with EZ-Pass guiding me through the tolls and Sirius jamming good tunes to the car the whole way there and back. I only had one real drop out which was right about the Middletown water town on the NJ Turnpike and I hit it there and back so there’s some sort of dead zone there. I lost signal for probably between 3 and 5 seconds both times… There’s actually one additional dead zone and that’s the Holland Tunnel. I lost signal more quickly heading out of the city than I did on my return, perhaps due to the difference in decline, who knows. I’d suggest installing a repeater in there though and promoting the heck out of it to commuters! Verizon was first to do that for cellular and repeated the task underground on Amtrak. Those minutes you miss are a real bummer, and could be considerably longer and disappointing if you have substantial traffic as my fellow travelers coming into the city as I was leaving at 7am most certainly did.

audiovox_sirius.jpgThe unit in my car today was an Audiovox FM Modulator which worked well, but had really flimsy buttons and pretty lame display. Even though the music was consistent, I often had no or limited data (either artist or track info or a delay in displaying) something I have yet to see on my home unit. You might not be able to tell from the photos there, but there’s a small flip-out panel that gives you access to a micro-keypad for direct station access as well as memory presets. I’ve become familiar enough in the time I’ve been listening to know where I wanted to go. I doubt I would choose to purchase this device for myself in a future car, but I would definitely add it to my bill again with Hertz as Sirius is only $3 extra.

A recent post on DROXY got me thinking this could be utilized as a free add-in for a while – again strongly marketed to business travelers – to stimulate trial and push for new subscriptions. It’d be nice actually to see the price included for existing subscribers as well, but I doubt that would happen any time soon as Sirius is in a race to catch up with XM.

Recent number have Sirius at about 800,000 subscribers and XM at about 2 Million.

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Sirius to iPod

In light of yesterday’s post about the XM MyFI, the portable player and today’s announcement from Napster with unlimited downloading (via DRM of course – courtesy of the new MS Janus system)…

What if Sirius subscribers got access to digital downloads within iTunes as a subscription bonus – or actually paid for an additional tier of service. You could pretty easily match the station playlists to downloadable “albums” iTunes would host and sync right to an iPod.

I had my first in-car Sirius experience courtesy of Hertz and loved it. I did not miss my iPod (the shame!) and enjoyed surfing the stations as my moods changed. I’d love to see a program my iPod service that would enable bulk downloading to iPod for the times and places you can’t get Sirius (non-car based commuters), instead of buying a portable player if they even come out with one! Sirius is kind enough to include a streaming service to computer which I’ve been checking out when my wife wants to watch TV instead of listen to the music.

Think about Podcasting… you could directly extend the metaphor for the talk shows as well and time shift away quite easily. I’d think the content is being archived and served rather than played by CD… just another point of access for subscribers. Make it even easier for me to like you and extend my relationship with the company.

Hey Sirius…if you are actually reading this, I’d love to work with/for you. I’m local. 😉