11:27pm, Feb 22
Development of Apple’s iPad Chip Estimated at $1B http://ow.ly/1a9zR

11:18pm, Feb 22
Video Conferencing Coming to iPad and iPhone? [Surprised? Why?] http://ow.ly/1abLy

10:40pm, Feb 22
Google (Finally) Finishes Swallowing Up DoubleClick, Announces That It's Serious About Display http://ow.ly/1ab22

10:33pm, Feb 22
Virtual Goods Spending Behavior On Social Games http://ow.ly/1ab7y

10:30pm, Feb 22
Free products for bloggers at invitation-only events http://ow.ly/1ab5u

9:50pm, Feb 22
Danish newspaper fakes iPad on front page http://ow.ly/1a9Zi

9:50pm, Feb 22
Apple iPad: Hype Clouds Reality (@KaraSwisher) http://ow.ly/1aahn

9:45pm, Feb 22
Brilliant Switch Turns USB Cables Stupid http://ow.ly/1a9MK

9:45pm, Feb 22
The Shortcut Back Into Her Heart [Culture] http://ow.ly/1a9Gv

9:40pm, Feb 22
The iPad Will Rule the World [Blockquote] http://ow.ly/1a9Ff

9:35pm, Feb 22
Macmillan's Future Of Textbooks Looks a Lot Like Wikipedia [Ebooks] http://ow.ly/1a9C9

9:30pm, Feb 22
'Windows 7 Was My Idea, But to Be Fair, I Don't Know What I'm Talking About' [Humor] http://ow.ly/1a9BL

9:25pm, Feb 22
Development of Apple’s iPad Chip Estimated at $1B http://ow.ly/1a9zR

9:20pm, Feb 22
In the Future, One CF Card Will Hold 200 Years’ Worth of Porn http://ow.ly/1a9z9

9:15pm, Feb 22
The Bloom Box: a power plant for the home (video) http://ow.ly/1a9xQ

9:10pm, Feb 22
Liquavista demos its color e-paper display with a new QWERTY-equipped dev kit (video) [eReaders] http://ow.ly/1a9wq

9:05pm, Feb 22
GadgetTrak retrieves 95 percent of stolen laptops, puts RoboCop to shame (video) http://ow.ly/1a9vn

9:00pm, Feb 22
Sony confirms plans for consumer-friendly 3D cameras [Why?] http://ow.ly/1a9uc

8:55pm, Feb 22
T-Mobile Pulse Mini does cheap, tiny, prepaid Android for Europe http://ow.ly/1a9tN

8:41pm, Feb 22
Wal-Mart buying Vudu streaming movie service? (update: yes!) http://ow.ly/1a9sn

5:07pm, Feb 22
Annual Escalating Patent Fee Proposal http://ow.ly/1a5za

10:07am, Feb 22
I'm at SoundBoard Consulting Group. http://4sq.com/bFA1QL

9:45am, Feb 22
The Impending 3G Network Apocalypse [3G Wireless] http://ow.ly/19q0F

8:22am, Feb 22
Liked "New iPad news blog: Exploring the Apple iPad and Tablet Computing | The Magical Tablet" http://ff.im/-gmjMh

12:03am, Feb 21
I hope the dogs will sleep past 6am tomorrow morning. I should get myself to bed, just in case...

11:34pm, Feb 20
Incipio Cases for iPad (Gallery) http://ow.ly/19x6y

10:03pm, Feb 20
Study: Ages of social network users http://ow.ly/19wiJ

10:00pm, Feb 20
Uncommon to Release Custom iPad Cases [Form Fitting iPad Case] http://ow.ly/19wfh

9:21pm, Feb 20
@shatch I had wheat-free pizza with sausage from Roman Gourmet. Again. ;)

9:17pm, Feb 20
Octazen: What The Heck Did Facebook Just Buy Exactly, And Why? (Be sure ot read the update, lower on the page) http://ow.ly/19vLY

8:51pm, Feb 20
Student-Built "Black Widow" Racer Gets 2,752 Miles Per Gallon [Automobiles] http://ow.ly/19vsz

8:48pm, Feb 20
Toyota commercial during olympics: "Meet the new Sienna on YouTube" [super]: youtube.com/sienna

8:43pm, Feb 20
@shatch Get the Indigo burger with swiss, mushrooms and grilled onions! ;)

8:22pm, Feb 20
Doood. Bobsledding! ;)

8:07pm, Feb 20
@tekchic Yes, but it's like communicating with a high schooler! ;)

8:03pm, Feb 20
I find it funny that my wife finally has a full QWERTY keyboard (albeit on-screen) and she still sends email with SMS abbreviations.

7:54pm, Feb 20
@jgormlyjr I agree - iPad Pre-orders are likely rumor. Apple likes lines out the door during product launches - pre-orders inhibit that.

7:36pm, Feb 20
Just added the ConnectOne Wi-Reach Classic to @gdgt! http://gdg.to/9cPmve

7:36pm, Feb 20
Just added ConnectOne to @gdgt! http://gdg.to/cK2Reo

7:31pm, Feb 20
Just added the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX to my want list on @gdgt! http://gdg.to/RDjUC

7:25pm, Feb 20
Just added the Nike Nike+ iPod Sport Kit to my have list on @gdgt! http://gdg.to/979Ph6

6:46pm, Feb 20
Does anyone else feel like Gmail's spam filters have been overly aggressive lately? Lots of stuff getting caught that shouldn't.

4:11pm, Feb 20
(WOW - 3x Optical Zoom!) Samsung's HMX-U20 and HMX-U15 Camcorders Shoot 1080p On the Cheap [Camcorders] http://ow.ly/19sFj

4:04pm, Feb 20
Secrets Of Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like (Make sure you watch both videos) http://ow.ly/19swW

3:47pm, Feb 20
Pre-Order Your iPad Next Week? [Rumor] http://ow.ly/19sl5

3:20pm, Feb 20
Olympic bullying drives goggle-maker to verse http://ow.ly/19rI4

3:15pm, Feb 20
FirstTake: Facebook PayPal Deal Spurs International Ad Sales http://ow.ly/19rGy

3:05pm, Feb 20
Sold! On2 Shareholders Agree to Get Googled, Finally. [UPDATE] http://ow.ly/19rFS

3:00pm, Feb 20
How The iPad Will Transform Mainstream Media (But NOT The Web) http://ow.ly/19rFe

2:58pm, Feb 20
RT @Genuine: Constant Contact now has a Wordpress plugin for your blog for your email marketing plans.

2:55pm, Feb 20
5 Terms That Signify The Future Of Mobile Marketing http://ow.ly/19rF8

2:50pm, Feb 20
E-book Tools Developer Vook Lands $2.5 Million [eBooks with Video] http://ow.ly/19rDO

2:45pm, Feb 20
Why Amazon Should Smile at Losing E-Book Market Share [Smaller Piece, Bigger Pie] http://ow.ly/19rCk

2:30pm, Feb 20
iPad Textbooks: Will Cool Tech Win on Campus? http://ow.ly/19rzP

2:17pm, Feb 20
SXSW Interactive Adds Last-Minute iPad Panel Discussion [SXSW] http://ow.ly/19rry

1:57pm, Feb 20
QR-Code Generator http://ow.ly/19rds

1:41pm, Feb 20
RT @DaveHamilton: Migrating the kids old windows machine over to the Mac with @vmwarefusion's migrator. Simple and elegant... I like it!
1:35pm, Feb 20
Sezmi Open For Business in L.A. [HomeEntertainment] http://ow.ly/19qSd

1:23pm, Feb 20
Vitrahaus: A Building With a View, and a View, and a View, and a View [Architecture] http://ow.ly/19qRL

1:18pm, Feb 20
Incoming College Freshman Get to Choose: MacBook or iPad? [Education] http://ow.ly/19qO6

12:13pm, Feb 20
RT @armano: IPhones are great weapons in the battle of poor retail customer service. They waste your time and you surf the web.

12:04pm, Feb 20
Setting Aviary Free [As in Beer] http://ow.ly/19pRT

11:34am, Feb 20
RT @pblackshaw: You know your a dad when GoGurt suddenly becomes your favorite snack. #proudpadre

11:33am, Feb 20
Ultimate Pocket Camcorder Comparison [Pocket Camcorders] http://ow.ly/19pxc

11:31am, Feb 20
HP V1020h Pocketcam Is Less Pricey Than Its Peers [Pocketcams] http://ow.ly/19pw9

10:50pm, Feb 16
$1000 iPhone law exam review app sends traditional publisher running for cover http://ow.ly/186CV

10:45pm, Feb 16
TUAW review: Create perfect self-portraits with Self Image http://ow.ly/186AH

10:40pm, Feb 16
Gobandit GPS HD action camcorder captures your exploits, top speed (video) http://ow.ly/186yH

10:22pm, Feb 16
Magazines Prepare for iPad: Challenged by Pricing, Customer Data [Magazines] http://ow.ly/186sh

9:12pm, Feb 16
@caseyferrier Agreed, FB is huge for brands. Major shift for a brand to put media dollars behind a web destination that's not their own.

8:53pm, Feb 16
Just saw a commercial for Uniball pens. The featured URL? Their Facebook fan page - NOT their corporate home page. #marketing #socialmedia

8:42pm, Feb 16
TUAW Gives Their Impressions of an iPad…Mockup http://bit.ly/dsfuQt

8:26pm, Feb 16
There’s a Map for That Guy (Video) [Humor] http://ow.ly/184Ri

7:55pm, Feb 16
First study of mummy DNA leads to all sorts of discoveries http://ff.im/-g3xhs

7:52pm, Feb 16
Trash-talking your high school teacher on Facebook is constitutionally protected speech http://ff.im/-g3wGQ

7:48pm, Feb 16
Yoga to reduce prison sentences http://ff.im/-g3waM

7:20pm, Feb 16
@mrosone has joined twitter! Make him feel welcome.

5:31pm, Feb 16
Sleep Talkin' Man shares his somniloquies http://ff.im/-g39ph

4:34pm, Feb 16@gkrue
Unfortunately, they haven't perfected the "Business End" of the Cocker Spaniel 9000. ;)

4:26pm, Feb 16
@gkrue Haven't you ever seen the Cocker Spaniel 9000? Behaves just like the real thing. ;)

4:13pm, Feb 16
My current working environment. That's not a pillow. http://post.ly/OCrQ

4:10pm, Feb 16
RT @stevegarfield: Heather Armstrong @dooce Signs on at HGTV http://bit.ly/98RY4d Congrats!

4:09pm, Feb 16
RT @mediatrustpete: RT @newmediageek In 2009, Digital #Coupon Growth Outpaces free standing inserts: http://ow.ly/17FFl #marketing

4:08pm, Feb 16
@billpalmer It can't beat the post-CES flu. ;) Hang in there!

3:56pm, Feb 16
RT @jabancroft: Meebo. It's free, multi-platform IM, stays logged in, uses push notifications, and works flawlessly. Get it. Now.

3:37pm, Feb 16
All the Smartphone OSes: A Beginners' Guide [Smartphones] http://ow.ly/17ZuJ

2:50pm, Feb 16
RIM demos new WebKit-based BlackBerry browser at MWC -- it's fast! -- Engadget http://ow.ly/17Y5w

2:45pm, Feb 16
Sony Dash given ability to stream TVs and movies from Netflix, new lease on life http://ow.ly/17Y37

2:44pm, Feb 16
Sleuthing uncovers the mystery of Kingston MicroSD cards' crappy QA http://ff.im/-g2HeT

2:44pm, Feb 16
A Millennium Falcon that Actually Flies - RC Millennium Falcon [Must. Have.] http://ow.ly/17YhF

2:36pm, Feb 16
Verizon to allow unlimited Skype calling over 3G starting next month http://ow.ly/17Y7R

2:35pm, Feb 16
Macworld 2010: Fastmac's USB-enabled wall outlet

2:18pm, Feb 16
TUAW Gives Their Impressions of an iPad…Mockup http://ow.ly/17XMq

1:58pm, Feb 16
Nuance acquires MacSpeech http://ow.ly/17XrF

1:01pm, Feb 16
TSA forces travelling policeman to remove his disabled four-year-old son's leg-braces http://ff.im/-g2o3C

11:29am, Feb 16
Dopio! — at Village Coffee Company http://gowal.la/s/3UYa

10:58am, Feb 16
RT @technosailor: BuddyPress 1.2 is out. And works on single installs of WordPress for the first time http://buddypress.org

10:40am, Feb 16
My housemates this week http://post.ly/O9vI

Infographic: notquitewrong.com/rosscottinc

[The System]

Buy this from Spreadshirt

The iPad also shares with its forebears a lack of support for Adobe's Flash. Flash is an application runtime environment (a nerdy way of saying "software that lets other software work") that competes with the native applications on the iPhone, so it would make business sense that Apple might exclude it from the native capabilities of the "iPlatform".

More likely however, is the fact that Flash is buggy, crashes often and can suck up CPU cycles like crazy.

Case in point: now that I'm running Google Chrome on my MacBook, I can see how often Flash crashes as the browser will remain functioning but indicate that the plug-in has crashed. These are crashes I used to blame on my browser - Safari, Firefox, Opera, Camino - all of them. Shame on me.

Given how maniacal Apple is about the user experience and stability of the iPlatform, it's a no-brainer for them to exclude Flash - competitive issues aside.

And now, with the triumvirate of the iPhone, iPod Touch and soon iPad, Adobe is getting a little uncomfortable. If there's one company that can utilize its momentum and marketing prowess to shift an industry from de facto standards to web standards, it's Apple - and in this case, that web standard is HTML5.

Apple did this for the Webkit rendering engine that now powers Safari and Mobile Safari, but also Google Chrome, Android and soon a variety of other Webkit-based browsers for mobile devices like BlackBerry. They did it for video with H.264 and soon, they'll do it for HTML5.

Adobe is so threatened by the potential of this that their CTO, Kevin Lynch, addressed it head on in a blog post.

The two basic premises of his argument are:

1. Apple is ruining your user experience. We're ready to work with them to get Flash on your favorite device right now.


2. If users and content creators make the migration to HTML5 they would be "thrown back to the dark ages of video on the Web with incompatibility issues."

Have you seen Jillion's Sublime HTML5 Video Player yet? It delivers beautifully rendered video - even at full screen - all without Flash. Posterous also provides an impressive example of how to handle video on multiple devices. Visit a Posterous blog on our computer and you'll see Flash video. But, visit the same site on your iPhone and Posterous will serve up H.264 video which plays perfectly on the iPhone and iPod Touch (and presumably, iPad). (Note: this is only for video files rendered by Posterous, not those embedded from other sites, like Vimeo or Blip.)

Josh Bernoff at Forrester Research adds to this discussion in his reference to the "Splinternet" - a period when a diversity of devices, operating systems and runtime environments are considered a nuisance for developers and corporations.

To his credit, Josh provides his usual sound advice to his corporate clients (emphasis mine):

Here's what not to do: panic and try to unify things again. The shattering cannot be undone.

Here's what to do: choose your devices carefully -- investments in one cannot be transferred easily to others if you make a mistake. Rethink analytics, links, and measurement -- they're just becoming available in the new environments. Promote the new channels, SEO won't help you so much here. Platforms like iPhone apps and Facebook are some of the most exciting new channels out there. Just realize that you're leaving the comfy environment of the Web behind -- along with all the tools you've grown dependent on -- as you embrace the new platforms.

However, the analysis goes on to indicate that while the Internet is "controlled by standards," the Splinternet is "controlled by platform vendors" (like Apple and Facebook).

I believe that's only partially true.

Apple may control the iPlatform but the way in which applications can be created for it include standards like H.264 and HTML5 and not proprietary runtimes like Flash. Granted, H.264 must be licensed in some fashion by the software provider or content producer, but the terms are seemingly reasonable as they are for other media standards such as MP3.

For applications that appear to require an obvious use of Flash or a native application, HTML5 can also fill that need.

See Google's HTML5 implementation for Google Voice on the iPhone. It's like having a native iPhone app in Mobile Safari. For an example of a rich Flash-like animation check out Anthony Caldazilla's AT AT Walker animation (you'll need Safari or Chrome, of course.)

If you really want or need to create native applications for Apple mobile devices - including video, it's relatively easy to find someone with the skill to quickly learn Objective C, if they don't already know it.

Bottom Line

Any replacement of current technologies will happen gradually, over time. Flash isn't going anywhere soon. HTML5 video doesn't support file protection or DRM of any sort - Hulu isn't about to deliver their video content in HTML5 while allowing anyone to download it. However, as an increasing number of browsers support the standards and technologies, so will content producers and platform providers. The existing crop of plug-in technologies will decrease and eventually, we'll be talking about the next new new thing.

At the very least, this transition period would provide Adobe the time to figure out how they can transition to this new web, possibly both within their server and development tools.

Perhaps - and this is a BIG maybe - we'll see Adobe re-engineer Flash to Apple's liking and it will make it's way to the iPlatform. If that were to occur, we'd all win. I won't hold my breath, though.

[Edison Research]