Michael Gartenberg

Author Archive for Michael Gartenberg

Columns

When Business & Social don’t mix (or when it’s time to put the gadget down)

Michael Gartenberg, Sep 30th 2010 Discuss [2]

Blogging has become a corporate phenomenon and no longer cutting edge. Today many companies maintain strict policies over who can blog and what can be said on blogs, both personal and corporate. It’s not a bad idea and it’s one that I advocated when blogging was first going mainstream. I’m quite proud that I helped launch the first tech industry blogs at Jupiter Research in 2002. Today, though, it’s more than just blogs, it’s the rise of social media in general at the office that’s causing concern and users with devices that can tap into them at will. It seems every week I read the same story being told: someone else getting on the bandwagon and telling the potential horror tale of user using social networks at work accessed on some unsanctioned mobile gadget.

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Columns

A Week with the Nokia N8: Can Symbian Survive?

Michael Gartenberg, Sep 14th 2010 Discuss [8]

I’m in London this week at Nokia World and it’s a defining moment for Nokia. Last week Nokia announced their CEO’s departure, and new CEO (and Microsoft alum) Stephen Elop. Nokia phones once defined state of the art and the S60 platform defined the modern smartphone era in 2002. Today, in a world dominated by news of the latest Android and iOS devices, Nokia looks to drive forward their relevance and innovation.

Among the plethora of news, one of the highlights is Nokia officially unveiling the N8, their flagship device for the Symbian^3 platform. I’ve been using one for the last week or so and I can safely say it’s the best Symbian phone I’ve ever used. The question remains, though: is that good enough in today’s competitive market?

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Columns

Technologies that Shaped a Decade

Michael Gartenberg, Aug 18th 2010 Discuss [2]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a few gadgets that had been transformative to me. A reader wrote in and asked if I thought there any categories of products that had changed the world over the last decade. I thought about that for a while and here my list of the some of the gadgets and services that almost overnight (from a historical perspective) changed everything and went from enthusiast to mass market.

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Columns

Carrying a Torch for RIM – the Gartenberg Take

Michael Gartenberg, Aug 3rd 2010 Discuss [1]

This was a momentous week for RIM. They announced the new BlackBerry Torch a capacitive touch screen slider along with the latest version of their platform, BlackBerry 6. In a year where phones and platforms are changing dramatically, will this be enough for RIM to slow down market share loss and help win the hearts and minds of consumers that may be looking elsewhere for additional functionality beyond what RIM has traditionally provided?

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Columns

Five gadgets that changed the world for me

Michael Gartenberg, Jul 20th 2010 Discuss [5]

From time to time I like to think about the idea of disconnecting from the digital world for an extended period and what I’d miss as a result. In the end, I came up with five gadgets that changed the world for me, products the descendents of which I’d rather not be without on a regular basis. What’s interesting is that for me, the PC didn’t make the list. Perhaps it’s an uber-gadget that just goes without saying or it’s just not that important to me personally anymore.

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Columns

Making the case for EVO vs. iPhone

Michael Gartenberg, Jul 3rd 2010 Discuss [37]

It’s been a pretty wild year for smartphone aficionados. We’ve seen more devices come to market this year than ever before. Two in particular have gained a lot of notoriety over the last few weeks, the EVO 4G and the iPhone 4. Both phones are super powerful and, just a few years ago, either of these phones coming to market was as likely as me beaming to the Starship Enterprise. You’ve read the reviews, previews and hands-on commentary but still can’t decide? Here’s some advice how to make the call.

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Columns

Hello Kinect, Hello Future

Michael Gartenberg, Jun 23rd 2010 Discuss [5]

We are in a transformative time. Old paradigms a breaking down to be replaced with new usage models and interface enhancements. Touchscreens show how the mouse might be effectively retired in the future and last week Microsoft showed, with the launch of Kinect, just how the venerable game controller and TV remote just might become obsolete in the near future as well. The game controller is a true anachronism. Today’s models are the direct evolutionary decendents of the original NES controller from decades past. I’d even argue they might even be the decendents of the Intellivison controller. Sure, we’ve added more buttons, control sticks and triggers but the core functions have remained unchanged (right down to the fact that most controllers favor left handed players) an anachronism that continues to this day.

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Columns

Lessons for Android Tablet Vendors

Michael Gartenberg, Jun 16th 2010 Discuss [13]

A few weeks back, Apple reported that it have sold more than two million iPads in less than two months. I think we can safely say the market is now validated and there’s room for a device that falls between the phone and the PC in the consumer ecosystem. It also means that competitors are not going to cede this market to Apple and the space is going to heat up big time over the next few months. Many of these devices will run Android, among the first out of the gate will be a 5-inch device from Dell called the Streak. The Streak will be offered by carriers in some places and will include telephony in addition to content consumption and creation features. It comes to the US next month as an unlocked device selling for $500 putting it directly in competition with the iPad. (Right off the bat that puts the Streak at a disadvantage in the US. Just ask Nokia how easy it is to sell unlocked $500 devices here.)

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Columns

One Hundred Million is the Magic Number

Michael Gartenberg, Jun 9th 2010 Discuss [0]

At the Apple worldwide developer’s conference, Steve Jobs talked about a lot of numbers at onstage. Apple talked about the 29% US market share of the smart phone market that the iPhone has achieved. Apple discussed the 58% market share of mobile Web browsing that it now has. Apple even talked about their 22% marketshare in e-books. The most important number, however, that Apple talked about so was 100 million. That’s how many iOS devices are in the market as of this month. That’s significant and it shows what Apple’s long-term platform play is all about. Hint, it’s no longer about the personal computer, at least the personal computer as we know it.

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Columns

OLPC Becomes the OTPC? Story still not credible

Michael Gartenberg, Jun 2nd 2010 Discuss [2]

I’ve written in the past about the tragedy of the OLPC. Last week, there was news that the OLPC folks were moving forward with a new device, the XO-3, a new tablet initiative designed to bring a tablet to market. Forget about the fact that the XO-2 never emerged from vapor, now it’s all about the XO-3. It’s also not about laptops anymore it seems. The new XO-3 is a tablet because keyboards aren’t a good idea (perhaps the organization needs to be called the OTPC now?). Promising the best of devices such as the Kindle and high-end tablet features combined in one, the new device will be seen at CES 2011 for $75.

Call me skeptical. Very skeptical.

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Columns

Froyo is delicious: Hands on with Android 2.2

Michael Gartenberg, May 24th 2010 Discuss [12]

Last week Google formally announced the newest version of the Android family. Known as Froyo (or Frozen Yogurt; Android releases are all named after desserts and I can’t wait to see what they do with the letter X) or more properly Android 2.2, it offers a number of enhancements and fixes to the Android platform. I’ve been testing Froyo on a Nexus One (currently the only device supported by 2.2) and here’s what’s in there, good and bad.

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Columns

Flash Goes Mobile – First Take

Michael Gartenberg, May 20th 2010 Discuss [5]

It’s been a long time coming but it’s here at last. Flash has finally made the transition to the mobile screen. First and foremost, while the Apple/Adobe debate about Flash goes on, I’m going to ignore that issue here. At the end of the day, Apple customers will either view this as important or not and Apple will respond or not.