Dance like no one's watching

Very interesting article.

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Google Is Now Apple’s Greatest Enemy: Here’s Why

Let’s take a trip back in time. The year is 1994, and two tech giants are going to war over copyright. They are Microsoft and Apple, and they are fighting over a copyright claim by Apple over Microsoft and HP’s use of graphical user interface elements from the Macintosh OS. The resulting court case, Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation, ended with a ruling in Microsoft’s favor, mostly due to a contractual license agreement between the two.

The matter was never fully settled by the case though. Instead, negotiations that took place several years later resulted in the two companies agreeing to make Internet Explorer Mac’s default browser. Microsoft also agreed to keep developing Office for the Mac. Most importantly though, Microsoft invested $150 million into Apple to keep it afloat.

This series of events, which happened while Steve Jobs was being reinstated as the CEO of Apple, set the stage for what is happening today between Microsoft, Apple, and Google. While Microsoft and Apple are still bitter rivals, several recent events have inadvertently brought them closer together in order to fight their common enemy: Google.

The phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” comes to mind. Let’s explore how we got to this tipping point.

Android: Google Enters Apple’s Turf

When Google CEO Eric Schmidt joined Apple’s Board of Directors in 2006, the move made perfect sense. Here’s what Apple said about Eric in its original announcement:

“Eric’s 20 years of experience as an Internet strategist, entrepreneur and technologist give him a well-seasoned perspective which perfectly complements Google’s needs as a young and rapidly growing company with a unique corporate culture.”

At that time, Google wasn’t in mobile, hardware, operating systems, or browsers. Now Google is directly competing with Apple through the Nexus One, Google Chrome, Chrome OS, and even possibly in the tablet computer space.

It all started with Android, though. Back in August 2007, details began to leak about Google building a mobile OS or even a GPhone. It turned out to be Android, the open-source mobile OS that is now the fastest growing smartphone OS on the market.

At first, Android didn’t pose much of a threat, but as more phones utilized the software, the relationship between Google and Apple became very uncomfortable. Eric Schmidt sat out board meetings discussing the iPhone due to conflict of interest, but the relationship only eroded from there.

Watershed Moment: Eric Schmidt Resigns from Apple’s Board

Tensions between the two companies grew worse after Apple rejected Google Voice as an app on the iPhone.

The resulting FCC inquiry, along with an FTC investigation and the announcement of Google Chrome OS were just too much. On August 3rd, 2009, Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple’s Board of Directors.

In retrospect, this was the moment when Apple, Google, and the rest of the world realized that the two companies could no longer be allies. Google’s expanding interest outside of search was pouring over into Apple’s domain on multiple fronts. With the search giant free of its Apple association, it could go all-out on its agenda to bring more people onto the web for longer (read the Google Revenue Equation to learn why).

The culmination of the breaking of the Google-Apple alliance? It was the release of the Nexus One, a direct competitor to Apple’s lucrative iPhone.

Recent Events: Apple and Microsoft Talk Bing

Yesterday we learned that Apple and Microsoft are in talks to make Bing the default search engine for the iPhone. While we’ve heard this rumor before, the talk seems to be heating up. Most of our readers expressed their dismay or shock over the potential deal, some questioning why Apple would ever team up with Microsoft over Google.

Really though, the deal makes perfect sense, given the new competitive landscape. Earlier today, Jim Goldman at CNBC provided some interesting new information on the dynamics of the Apple-Google-Microsoft relationship. According to his source, Steve Jobs hates Eric Schmidt (it wouldn’t surprise us) and Microsoft is offering a bigger cut of iPhone search revenues than Google.

While Microsoft and Apple’s relationship grew cold after the Redmond, WA company bailed Apple Computer out, it never vanished. Moreover, Steve knows that he can work with Microsoft, especially if it helps Microsoft hurt Google.

Android has become the de-facto alternative to the iPhone OS, and the Nexus One is closest thing yet to a smartphone that can stand up to the iPhone’s dominance. While Microsoft and Apple are still in competition over Mac vs. PC, Apple clearly believes that its future isn’t just in computers, but in other Internet devices such as the iPhone and the fabled Apple Tablet. Microsoft poses far less of a threat in these areas than Google does.

It’s time to call it: Google is now Apple’s greatest enemy. Soon Google will be entering its OS turf with Chrome OS. Apple increasingly sees Google as a major competitor over the next few years. While the company Steve built doesn’t particularly like Microsoft, it knows that it has to work with the lesser of two evils in order to succeed.

Say hello to the new dynamic. It’s Apple + Microsoft vs. Google. May the new battle begin.

Source: http://mashable.com/2010/01/20/apple-microsoft-v-google/

Remember my gripe about my friend who called Iceman and me to preach about the Landmark forum? Well, her husband called Iceman and me today. As he isn’t as sensitive and emotional as his wife, I explicitly told him that I’d never buy into this Landmark thing. Even though I don’t hold the same view as the French government, which has labelled them as a cult, I nonetheless think they’re a total waste of time. Why would anyone want to pay an organisation money to humiliate yourself on stage, in the name of “freeing yourself from your inner demons”?

Anyway, I laughingly told our friend today that Iceman and I do not buy into such things so we would never go for this Landmark cult forum.

After I ended the call, I told Iceman that I’ve decided that if I ever get a call from anyone about this Landmark nonsense, I’m going to tell the person that only one person can/has changed my life and that’s Jesus. My God died for me. I have no bondage to sin. I am free and I can be transformed through Him. People do not need any meaningless Landmark forum. They need a God who saves!

Posted from my Nokia X6

Someone said to me today that the more I say I detest children, the more likely that I may get twins.  I was like HUH!?!?!?  Since when did my words acquire the ability to be an opposite prophesy of the future?  This reminds me of an incident a few years ago.  A real estate agent I worked with said that the more I said I would never marry a non-Chinese, the more certain it was that I would marry one.  Questions marks popped all over my head when he said that.  I guess even if we didn’t “mean it”, we should still think about what our words are actually saying.  Would they come across as frivolous and superstitious?

Seriously, I also wished the opposite of what I said would always come true… then I’d be a millionaire by now, for all the times I exclaimed, “I’m broke!”

For all pop concert fans, I’m sure you’ve heard of Singaporean, Tay Ke Wei, a regular backup vocalist for the likes of David Tao, JJ Lin, A-mei and Wang Lee Hom.  Having heard her live at 2 David Tao concerts, and the songs on her website, http://taykewei.blogspot.com/, I really can’t figure out why people say she’s a good singer.  Her voice seems very thin, weak and airy to me.  Can anyone explain the merits of her voice please?  (Mich – any idea?)

More suits against Apple, and this time Blackberry as well.

Kodak files patent suit against Apple, RIM

WASHINGTON: Eastman Kodak Co. announced on Thursday that it has filed lawsuits against Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion alleging they infringed Kodak digital imaging technology.

The photography company said it had filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission claiming that camera-enabled iPhones and Blackberrys infringe a Kodak patent related to an image previewing method.

Kodak said it had separately filed two suits against Apple in US District Court in New York claiming infringement of patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes.

"Kodak has a long history of digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our industry-leading patent portfolio," said the company’s chief intellectual property officer Laura Quatela.

"In the case of Apple and RIM, we’ve had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement," she added in a statement.

"There’s a basic issue of fairness that needs to be addressed. Those devices use Kodak technology, and we are merely seeking compensation for the use of our technology in their products."

Quatela said Kodak decided to take the issue to the courts in order to protect shareholder interest and licensees of the technology. Kodak said it has licensed digital imaging technology to some 30 companies, including LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

"Our primary interest is not to disrupt the availability of any product but to obtain fair compensation for the use of our technology," Quatela said. – AFP/de

Source:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/1030786/1/.html

Watching 回家走走 on Channel U now.  Not sure who’s the Ch U actor but his hometown is near Beichuan.  The host and the actor made a trip to Beichuan and the extent of the devastation is really really sad.  I wonder how are the survivors coping today.  Can’t do anything for them except to pray for a better future.

If I haven’t been posting much entries, that’s ‘cos I’m now hooked on my latest past time – Twitter. While blog posts are good for self-expression, Twitter allows your ego to indulge itself by posting constant updates of what you’re doing or thinking (as though anyone really cares).

Apart from talking about myself all day long, here’re some people I follow on Twitter:

David Tao

Joi Chua (Congratulations on your wedding!!)

And that’s it.  Haha… there’re more public Tweets that I follow but I think my favourite are the two above ‘cos they’re very personable.  :)  (Plus I used to sort of know Joi Chua & brother from many years ago).

Anyhow, I’m still on the look out for Sammi Cheng’s twitter & blog (assuming they exist).  Anyone knows, do drop me a note!  Thanks!

*Tweet tweet*

Saw on Facebook that Airbus is married.  Happy for him.  Congrats Airbus!!!

I had a strange dream last week.  I dreamt that I resigned without a job and as I approached my last day with the company, I started getting overwhelmed with regret.  I then started thinking of excuses I could tell my boss that I didn’t want to quit anymore.  Heh.  I felt sad that I had to stop doing the work I’m doing, and sad that I would no longer be the broker for my favourite clients!  Although it wasn’t an entirely bad dream, I twittered about it when I woke up because I didn’t want to forget this dream.  I’ve realised that not many people enjoy their jobs as much as me.  I love my job. I really do.  Political Risk Insurance is fun, and I love working with the bank clients I have.  Decided to blog about this so that I’ll never forget that it’s a God given blessing to have a job I love and fantastic colleagues and a good boss too!  As 2010 gets on, I just want to thank God for this ‘cos it’s wonderful not to dread going to work in the morning.

:)  Yay!