links for 2011-03-13: iPhone 5 wishlist; Do you think like an Engineer?; Gmail outage

• Wish list: 27 features we want on the iPhone 5 - A good list, some even not just gripes but innovative suggestions.
• Do you think like an Engineer? - It said I'm a Computer Engineer.
• Gmail Outage: The sky is not falling - Naysayers make a mountain out of a molehill when there is a glitch, but fail to point out downtime when hosting yourself is likely much higher and more costly.

links for 2011-01-28: AT&T unlimited data plan for iPhone back; LibreOffice release; iPhone and Google Voice; Startup business models

• AT&T quietly matching VZW's unlimited data plan for iPhone - I never gave up my unlimited plan, but good to know others can get it back.
• First LibreOffice Release arrives - Sounds like a good release, will have to check it out.
• Why the iPhone and Google Voice don't mix - I have not had the issues this story lists, it works great for me.
• Why DropBox won - Good read for folks introducing new technologies that require adoption.
• Kill your business model - Another good read on the same subject.

Fun with QR Codes - Encoding URLs and contact information in images

I've been playing with QR Codes recently.  What is a QR code you ask?  It is one of those square bar-code looking images that you may have started to see lately, and are used to encode text which can be URLs, vCards (contact info), phone numbers, or other data.  By encoding this information in the QR Code, the data can be easily decoded by say a camera phone, and the information acted upon.  Common uses are sharing URLs, avoiding having to type in a long sequence of characters on a small keyboard, or sharing electronic business cards (vCards).

Here is an example that encodes the URL to the Wikipedia page on QR Codes.

Use a QR Code reader on your mobile phone and it should launch your browser on that site.  Most readers I've come across have this built-in behavior for URLs, but what about other forms of text encoded in the image?

I've done a fair amount of experimentation with several readers on the iPhone and have discovered some that simply show the text for non-URLs, while others have nicer behavior, especially with vCards.  For example, the following QR Code has a name, work phone, e-mail, company, and title.

On an iPhone, scanning this with QRReader just displays the vCard text.  i-nigma 4 recognizes it as a vCard, parses it, and lets me add it to my contacts, but ignores the company (ORG) and title (TITLE) fields as well as the work attribute on the phone number.  ScanLife does the best, recognizing the vCard and all the fields.

So, your success with using a QR Code as your business card will depend on the reader your audience is using.  Feel free to comment on how your reader works.

As you can see, when more information is added the QR code larger/denser which is natural and to be expected.  The specification calls for a maximum number of characters of 4,296 but that would have an image that was 177x177 pixels and the dense one above is 1/9 as large.  So when using it as a business card, particularly if you are printing it on the back of your business card, at some point it is too dense to print on such a small card and have readers still be able to process it, so you are somewhat limited in what you can include.  You'll notice that I didn't include an address or secondary phone numbers in either case above and those would add significant characters.

The other thing I learned in trying things out is that while there are numerous services on the Web that will create the image from text you enter, they don't all properly format the vCard with the proper syntax and punctuation when you fill in their vCard form.  But part of my project was to find a way to encode without internet access so I had to write my own anyway and did so using the Google's zxing project.  That project seems focused on readers, but has encoding classes in it too.

What is your experience with QR Codes?  What readers do you use and which work well?

links for 2011-01-17: New data roaming option for international travelers; Battle over video on the Web; Android passes iPhone; Unplugging from LBS

• DROAM - Dreaming about Cheap Data Roaming - Great to see more options out there.
• Can Google and Mozilla dethrone H.264 on the Web? - Probably good in the long run, a bit bumpy right now though.
  
• Android passes iPhone in market share - Sounds like Gartner was awfully conservative in their Q4 2012 prediction.
• Why I’m Unplugging From Location Based Services Until The Privacy Issue Is Resolved - Great list of things to remember when using location based services.
  

links for 2010-09-13: iPhone Flash tool back on; YouTube goes live; Android Leaderboard

• Adobe resumes work on iPhone Flash tool after apple reveral - Predictable after Apple's policy change.  Adobe can't afford to ignore the iOS platform if they can technically address the market.
• YouTube live: Public access meets old school ESPN, but potential abounds - Being able to watch more second tier sports that the major networks choose to ignore would be welcomed by me.
  
• Android Leaderboard - I may be on the market for a new phone soon so I'll be watching this.

links for 2010-09-09: NetApp vs Sun/Oracle quietly resolved; Developer vs CIO perspective; Apple relaxes restrictions

• NetApp, Oracle dismiss patent suit - It is probably the best result since both sides were suing each other.
• Meet the New Kingmakers: Same as the Old Kingmakers - The different perspectives of the Developer vs the CIO.
• Apple throws developers a bone, relaxes restrictions on third party tools - An interesting about face, probably due more to the FTC poking around than Apple wanting to appease developers.
  

links for 2010-08-27: Apple going after jailbreakers; Google integrates voice into Gmail; Happy Birthday EC2; QWERTY Face-off

• To jailbreak or not to jailbreak: That shouldn't be Apple's decision - I'm sure glad Apple is so passionate about protecting me from myself.
  
• Call phones from Gmail - A nice feature and integration of Google Voice into Gmail.  It appears they are going after Skype at least in part with this one.  But it appears Google Apps users don't get it, at least yet.
• Happy 4th Birthday Amazon EC2 - It is amazing how far things have come in 4 years.
• Phone QWERTY Face-off - They aren't a fan of the Droid 2.

links for 2010-07-22: Twitter to build own data center; Apple iPhone 4 fallout; Firefox Home; Ellison doesn't get the Warriors

• Twitter to Build Data Center to Beach the Fail Whale - Seems to support the theory that cloud is a great way to start, then you go to hosted as you grow, but ultimately at large scale, owning your own data center is needed.
• Apple's iPhone 4 fallout: The smartphone "industry" fires back - "Apple has always taken pride in offering a premium product to customers willing to pay a premium price. That set it higher than the others. But clearly in the iPhone game - and now in the crisis management game - Apple is looking more like a rookie, instead of a global powerhouse."
  
• Firefox Home hits the iPhone: Looks handy - Interesting.  I've been using Chrome as my browser but may have to give this a try.
  
• Ellison Beat Out in Record Warriors Sale - I'm surprised, but he apparently made his best offer too late.
  

links for 2010-07-13: iPhone 4 Apple's Vista?; Consumer Reports on iPhone 4; Google's master Android plan

• Is the iPhone 4 becoming the Windows Vista of Apple? - The author makes a bunch of good points.
• Lab tests: Why Consumer Reports can't recommend the iPhone 4 - They blame the new antenna, not AT&T's network for dropped calls.
  
• Google's master Android plan: We're all mobile app developers now - Do we really want "everyone" to be a developer?
  

links for 2010-07-01: iPhone to Verizon rumor (again); Brown University goes Google; SQS Updates; Open Source Licensing; Steve Jobs on the Enterprise; Database Migrations Easy?

• Verizon to Start Selling iPhone in January [REPORT] - This report seems to be a bit more credible than ones of the past, so will it really happen?
  
• Brown University has gone Google - "Our students were really the ones that led us down the Google path. They knew these tools would work because they already used them in their non-school lives."
• New: Free Tier and Increased Limits for Amazon Simple Queue Service - Some incremental updates making SQS a little more valuable.
  
• Open Core the new Dual License - He still advocates pure open source and using telemetry and data as ways to generate incremental revenue.
• What Steve Jobs hates about the enterprise - So Apple will just rely on the consumerization of IT as their way into the enterprise?  Is this an opportunity for Microsoft to capitalize on RIM's weakness?
  
• Database Migrations Are Finally Becoming Simpler - Compatibility layers make sense.  I knew EnterpriseDB had been doing this for some time, I didn't know IBM was too.  Oracle, your move.
  

links for 2010-06-28: iPhone 4 doubles 3G bandwith speeds; iPhone wish list = Android; Google Voice goes GA; AWS in the enterprise

• iPhone 4 upgrades to HSDPA and HSUPA can double 3G bandwidth speeds - I wonder why these upgrades to HSDPA and HSUPA weren't advertised?  This is probably the benefit some are most interested in.
  
• An iPhone wish list looks more like an Android feature list - A survey says iPhone users want choice of wireless networks, a 4G network, 8 megapixel camera, and FM radio tuner, all features available on some Android devices.
  
• Google Voice: Will the masses adopt it? - It's been in private beta for a long time and is now GA for the masses.  I've indicated before I've a big fan and user and use it as my primary number for business.
  
• 10 things: Using Amazon Web Services in the enterprise - Looking to leverage the cloud?  Things to think about.
  

links for 2010-06-25: iOS4 vs Android Multitasking; Tiered Data Pricing; AWS SNS User Survey; eGate and Java CAPS future options

• Apple iOS 4 vs. Android Multitasking: Which Approach Is Better for Users? - A good highlighting of the pros and cons.  What it fails to note is that the con against Android (grace and vision?) can and will be addressed while the con against Apple will likely not be as it goes against Apple's approach of dumbing it down for the user.
• Report on AT&T's tiered data pricing forgets the innovation factor - It is interesting how the cycle seems to be going back to tiers and not unlimited.
  
• AWS SNS User Survey - An opportunity to give feedback to Amazon on their Simple Notification Service.  I'd advise not simply asking for all the features of your favorite JMS provider, think Cloud!
• NextGate webinar for Sun Integration customers - Good information on what the options are for future strategies around eGate, ICAN, SRE, and Java CAPS.  They are holding it again next week.

links for 2010-06-24: iOS 4 missed on multi-tasking; iOS4 vs Android; History of Communication; Oracle see Sun profit

• Multitasking With iOS 4 is Horrible: Apple Blew It - One person's view of one of the key features of iOS 4.  It seems only select apps can do it and/or developers have to write special code for it.  Also see this: "on day one, this feature is a mixed bag, and appears to be best left to Apple's own core apps--as opposed to third-party apps--which largely defeats the purpose of the feature."
  
• iOS 4 ... All you need to know! - One persons review, another here comparing an iPhone with Android.
• A Modern History of Human Communication - Interesting chart, and yes I'm a Google Voice user and love it.
• Oracle Beats, Sees Sun Profit - They say Sun contributed $400M to operating income.

links for 2010-06-21: CSC's Cloud; SaaS Adoption Discrepancies; Tiered mobile data plans; Verizon's 4G network; Finding zip code areas; Sybase says iPhone 4 to grow in enterprise

• CSC Launches Cloud Collaboration, SaaS - CSC evolving their datacenters to the Cloud.
  
• Research Report: How SaaS Adoption Trends Show New Shifts In Technology Purchasing Power - A huge disparity between business and IT on how SaaS is being used.
  
• Tiered mobile data plans accelerate: Verizon Wireless to follow AT&T's lead - Once AT&T did it, you knew Verizon would too.  But will Sprint and T-Mobile?  As the smaller players, they may have incentive (and capacity to support it) to keep unlimited.
  
• A step closer to 4G: Verizon moves to 'user trials' in LTE - Sounds like AT&T is investing, but will still be behind Verizon and folks like Clear on rolling out 4G.
  
• Find Zip Codes With This Useful Map - Nifty utility.
  
• Sybase: Apple's iPhone 4 likely to solidify enterprise traction - Some interesting data.
  

links for 2010-06-17: iPhone to Verizon? (again); Emerging Cloud Wars; YouTube video editing

• Apple iPhone to Verizon drumbeat picks up (again) - The rumors (or wishes) continue.
  
• The Emerging Cloud Wars - A good discussion of the move to and strategic value of PaaS.
• YouTube Video Editor: A nice start but hardly ready for prime time - They aren't impressed, but my guess is this is just a start and more features will come.
  

links for 2010-06-04: iPhone to Android switch; Open standard, but only in Safari; AT&T Data Pricing

• So You Want to Switch to Android…One Man’s iPhone to Nexus One Migration - Stephen makes the switch and shares his thoughts.
  
• Only Apple can do open standards, apparently - This is laughable.  Yes, HTML5 is fairly new and so it is still being fully implemented in browsers, but Chrome and Firefox have been near or at the lead in those implementations so demonstrating and open standard but requiring Safari kind of defeats the purpose.
  
• AT&T's data plan pricing: Bringing confusion back to the game - It may be confusing, but I check my usage and it was actually quite low due to being on WiFi most of the time.  But I haven't been traveling much so it may be artificially low.
  

links for 2010-05-21: Sayonara iPhone; Google and Adobe gang up on Apple

• Sayonara, iPhone: Why I'm Switching to Android - "The Android OS is already outselling iPhone OS in the United States. Now it's blowing past Apple in terms of the technology it's delivering."  "What makes this even more insulting is that Jobs tries to dress up his selfishness as a kind of altruism. He says it's all about creating a beautiful experience, that while he may be selling you an intentionally crippled device, he's doing it for your own good."
  
• Strange Bedfellows, Google And Adobe Gang Up On Apple - It was a bit of a change from day 1 to day 2.
  

links for 2010-05-13: Ellison on fixing Sun; Fragmenting Linux a bad thing; Apple's cache waning?; Infinity; SAP acquires Sybase

• Ellison on how he is fixing Sun - He doesn't hold back on pointing out Sun's pre-acquisition flaws.  It is unforgivable if they are all so easily fixed.
• Fragmenting Linux is not the way to beat Apple - But will the vendors using Linux as the core of their mobile strategy align?
  
• Is Apple's cache waning? - The iPhone 4 announcement in June will tell us a lot in answering this question.
• Android's army passes iPhone OS, says NPD - The jump seems pretty big when comparing with other research from 2009, but the trend is clear regardless of the actual numbers.
  
• Infinity - The Hilbert Hotel - If you ever wondered what infinity squared is, this one is for you.
• SAP acquires Sybase - This is a reflection of being a software vs hardware company, but Oracle pays $7.4B for Sun with >$10B in revenue while SAP gets Sybase for $5.4B with about $1.2B in revenue

links for 2010-05-07: Red Hat vs VMware; Cloud washing; Netflix selects AWS; Android in iPhone 3G

• VMware and Red Hat: The war for the data center - Increasingly overlapping portfolios force them to compete.  VMware's next acquisition SUSE Linux to get an OS?
• May the cloud washing begin: Enterprise software giants graze on cloud startups - "The burden of cloud computing proof rests with the large enterprise software folks. Your job will be to distinguish from mere cloud washing and real IT value."
  
• Netflix Selects Amazon Web Services to Power Mission-Critical Technology Infrastructure - They'd been using AWS for more than a year but are expanding their use.
  
• Android now running on the iPhone 3G - It is still a bit rough (no audio support, but coming in days the story says), but getting close to being able to really run Android on an iPhone 3G

links for 2010-05-03: Apple/Adobe debate brings in Microsoft; More on HP/Palm; iPhone envy erased by Droid Incredible; iPad reaches 1M sold

• IE9 HTML5 Video Will Be H264 Only - Microsoft supporting H264 (they are part of MPEG LA so that's natural) but don't seem to be quite as opposed to Flash as Apple.
  
• Mobile is the New Desktop: The HP/Palm Q&A - Stephen's take on the acquisition.  Also see Cote's and James' to complete the RedMonk trifecta.
  
• HP: Is it spreading itself too thin in the IT wars? - They do cover a lot of different areas now.  Too much?
  
• Top 10 ways the Droid Incredible killed my iPhone envy - The author has given up waiting for the iPhone on Verizon and it appears for good reason.
  
• Apple sells 1M iPads in 28 days - But there is still ample demand for the iPad it would seem.