Lots of cool things coming out in Google+. Like this and this. Many of these new capabilities sound like great innovations. They will serve to i) make Google+ more attractive for users who already like it, ii) engage more users with individual products like Google+ Photos, Hangouts, and more. What I doubt they will do is make Google+ a viable alternative to Facebook as a social network.

I am a big believer in the power of presenting complex data and information in a compelling fashion. There is a great seminar on the topic https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/courses — if you are in town, I highly recommend you attend this.

(Source: edwardtufte.com)

Hello world. Back on path after 6 months. – at Tatte Bakery & Café – See on Path.

I’m super excited by Ubuntu for Android devices. It’s promise is to truly converge mobile and PC. A cell phone turns into a desktop when docked.

While Microsoft has also envisioned something similar with Windows 8/RT ecosystem, the approach Ubuntu is taking is slightly different, and apparently more clever. However, the devil is in the details, and I doubt that things will work as seamlessly as promised here. 

While, there are many interesting tidbits about the announcement, I find the following two noteworthy.

“Existing web properties can be installed on the Ubuntu phone, where they can run as web apps independent of the browser, with full access to the system just like native apps.”

Not really true, but they do indeed support artifacts as notifications.

“Our unique web app system lets you quickly adapt any web property for installation as an app on the phone, running independently of the browser, with its own icon and access to system services. This means that all the big names will be available to Ubuntu phone users at launch.”

Again, does not sound completely true. On the one hand, they talk about “adapting” a web property, and on the other hand they promise that all big names will be available at launch as if there is no need for those big names to make any change. 

What do you think?

(Source: ubuntu.com)

I recently posted this picture from Mary Meeker’s presentation. In the coming weeks I am going to review and/or list some of the wearables.

Let me start by listing wearables that help track your sleeping pattern and claim to wake you up in a way that you wake up refreshed. The idea is they will look at your sleep pattern and wake you within a few minutes of your target time.

Fitbit

Lark

WakeMate

Jawbone UP

Zeo

I have tried Fitbit and Jawbone UP. I can’t say I woke up refreshed while using them. Perhaps I will as they learn more about my sleep pattern.

I do like Jawbone UP’s power nap feature, however. It wakes you up anytime between 20 to 45 minutes from the time you set it up. 

What in the world?

(For detailed reviews, stay tuned to my blog itval.e)

Great review and comparison of the “internet TV” landscape/players. 

My earlier piece on a similar topic here: Is cutting the cord worth it and how you can do it too.

XBox wins hands down, but is not the cheapest option.

Good piece highlighting a few problems with iCloud. I myself have written a couple of pieces talking about flaws with the iCloud here, here, and here. I wrote: “Compare it to the way Google does it for example — since there are no copies, “syncing” and settings are not required. A user doesn’t even have to know that “cloud” exists.”

I disagree with Dan’s statement here though: “While services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft’s SkyDrive might be more complicated than what Apple hopes to offer with iCloud, all of them give you far more freedom to do what you want with your own files. And after all, they are your files, not Apple’s.”

Using Google Drive is NOT complicated and essentially mindless. Using iCloud on the other hand makes my head hurt.

237 apps have access to my Facebook account. You can find this info by going to your Account Settings > Apps. How many do you?

iPad (4 & Mini) vs. Kindle Fire (different versions) vs. Surface Windows RT vs. Nexus x (to be announced soon)

Never has there been such an array of choices in what are all great tablets!

I predicted Foursquare will be a winner in location based services a long time before it became a winner (in 2009, there were dozens of location based services, of which only one or two remain independent and thriving).

But I wrongly predicted that Facebook Places will mean death for Foursquare. 

Dennis Crowley, Foursquare’s CEO, was scared as well. Watch him recall those days when Facebook launced its Places and how Foursquare coped with it.

(Read more on Foursquare’s new designs here)