Cloud Computing | The Sky Was The Limit

Recently, Google and Apple decided to take their competition to new heights with the unveiling of Apple’s iCloud. Cloud computing promises to be an intangible force that will help hold together our digital lives across an increasingly diverse array of electronic devices.

Interestingly, very few people seem to have a firm grasp of this concept and I think this is probably because of the impersonal nature of the “cloud”; everyone knows it is there but very few know what it exactly is. A good example of this is a recent survey of one thousand US adults conducted by Ipsos OTX MediaCT, which revealed that most people are confused about cloud-based services. For example, when the respondents were asked if they used cloud based email, only 22% responded affirmatively. However, when asked about the use of branded cloud services (e.g: Google, Yahoo, etc.), without referring to the term “cloud” almost 9 out of 10 answered positively.

The reality is that every time you use your email, share pictures or manage financial data, you are using some form of cloud-based service. The only reason this concept is receiving more exposure now is because of the huge proliferation of electronic devices. Without cloud computing it would be frustratingly difficult to store and access data from multiple devices. Therefore, cloud based services are going to become a more visible part of our lives; slowly but surely.

Cloud Computing Models

Basically, cloud computing can be divided into three broad categories: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). What all three types have in common is the fact that it can be sold on demand; users can decide on the level of service they require, and the provider manages the service.

Let us start with IaaS, a good example of which is Amazon’s Web Services (AWS). This provides firms with access and control over virtual servers and storage. PaaS, on the other hand, refers to a collection of software and product development tools that are maintained by the provider. Examples of PaaS include GoogleApps and Microsoft Azure. SaaS is the most interesting model, because usually the provider supplies both the hardware and the software requirements. Salesforce.com is a wonderful example of SaaS. The latest entry into this category is Apple’s iCloud. Now the iCloud is technically a SaaS model but given Apple’s strategic aims, this model might soon evolve into a hybrid form by including features from the other models.

Cloud Computing Heats Up

Cloud Computing is heating up because technology is forcing firms to adopt strategies that are ever more aggressive. As a result, firms are being forced to compete in areas that were tacitly considered out of bounds (Google Vs Apple for example). The same is true for cloud computing.

Google Cloud

GoogleApps, for example has been focusing on ousting Microsoft’s dominance in office software. Meanwhile, Apple’s relatively late entry with the iCloud, is not only aimed at consolidating its strength over all iOS devices also to make headway into digital entertainment and office use. Google and Apple are not competing directly because they are perusing two different strategies with regards to cloud computing (and let’s not forget their corporate attitude). While Google’s model is aimed at “pulling” data, Apple seeks to “push” data.

However, both models seem to be evolving in to a multi-dimensional character and we can only guess what these tech giants along with the rest of the “Gang of Four” (Amazon and Facebook) are planning.

Are We Ready For The Next Generation of Cloud Computing?

iCloud

This is a question that has been on my mind for a long time now. As I have described above, cloud computing is going to become more visible in our everyday lives as we zoom around with our smart phones, tablet PCs, Laptops, etc. Yet, I wonder how people will actually react to all of this, especially because the vast majority is hopelessly confused about the concept and tech firms are nervous about discussing it in detail. One of the main concerns is privacy. If we fret about Google’s Street View or Apple’s GPS, while simultaneously wanting more seamless access to our data across multiple devices, how can we honestly embrace cloud computing? The problem is that by not talking about all this in an open and honest manner (I’m specifically referring to the “gang of four), it’s just a matter of time before we wake up to an overblown crisis concerning cloud computing. This technology can be hugely beneficial but by ignoring certain uncomfortable details, we may end up damaging its potential.

Read more:

http://www.thetechlabs.com/latest/cloud-computing/

Next generation of smartphones arrives

Next generation of smartphones arrives

We’re sick of the iPhone, too. Despite antenna issues, Draconian app store rules and an engineered inability to run Flash content, Apple’s flagship smartphone has done to the smartphone market what the Romans once did to Europe.
The good news: Now a marauding horde of smartphone manufacturers under the flag of Google Android are back for their turf, and they’re not just cobbling together iPhone-wannabes anymore. From the world’s first dual-screen smartphone to a phone with all the processing power of a laptop – and a dock that turns it into one – these next-generation smartphones will all bring something totally unique to the battlefield when they arrive soon.

LG Optimus 2x

The pitch: Two is always better than one, which makes the LG Optimus 2x, the world’s first dual-core smartphone, quite a catch. Nvidia’s hotrod Tegra 2 processor enables rich gaming, fluid multitasking and even 1080p video capture. With the HDMI output, you can hook it up to your TV and watch movies on the big screen, in 1080p.
Skeptic’s slant: Apps have to be specially developed to take advantage of the dual-core design, which means few of them will really tap into what the Optimus 2x can do at launch.
Availability: Rumors have the Optimus 2x launching in late March or early April, but LG will launch the Optimus 2x as a “world phone.” That means it won’t be showing up at the store down the street with a hefty subsidy like phones that carriers officially adopt – you’ll have to snag it online, without a contract, for a hefty sum.

Motorola Atrix 4G

The pitch: Plug Motorola’s Atrix 4G into its optional dock and the humble smartphone becomes a 13-inch notebook, giving you a full-size screen, keyboard, and even a separate battery to charge the phone as it sits.
Skeptic’s slant: The optional laptop dock will cost you $500, and because it doesn’t run Windows 7, it does a lot less than a $350 netbook would.
Availability: AT&T will open the Atrix 4G for preorder on February 13, and begin shipping units March 6 or earlier. The phone itself runs for $199 with a two-year contract.

Kyocera Echo

The pitch: When the Echo’s little 3.5-inch touchscreen starts to feel a little cramped, slide it apart and a second identical screen rises up to meet it, providing a combined 4.7 inches of glowing LCD. The two screens allow you to browse side-by-side websites, read an e-mail in one screen while you reply in another, and even play games like The Sims where one screen acts as a controller, similar to the Nintendo DS.
Skeptic’s slant: Not many apps will work with the dual-screen functionality right off the bat, and running two screens at once will cost you big time on battery life.
Availability: Sprint will offer the Echo for preorder within the next few weeks for $199 with contract, but it won’t begin shipping until spring.

Samsung Infuse 4G

The pitch: With a whopping 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus Screen and a body as deep as a pencil, the Infuse 4G will be both the largest and thinnest phone in AT&T’s portfolio. Thanks to HSPA+ 4G, it will also be one of the fastest on the network. And did we mention it shoots 1080p video?
Skeptic’s slant: Sprint’s 4.3-inch EVO 4G already dropped jaws (and stretched pockets) with its screen size. Is a 4.5-inch screen on a phone really practical?
Availability: Samsung’s Infuse 4G will arrive in the second quarter of 2011 exclusively on AT&T.

HTC ThunderBolt

The pitch: Verizon’s first 4G LTE handset will also be the first to support Skype-to-Skype video – with or without Wi-Fi. No more clambering around to find a hotspot when you want to videoconference, and being limited to friends with Facetime. It packs the same jumbo-sized 4.3-inch LCD and 8-megapixel camera as Sprint’s EVO 4G.
Skeptic’s slant: It’s warmed-over EVO 4G on Verizon. On second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.
Availability: Rumors once pointed to a Valentine’s Day release, but the latest leaked documents now show “no ETA.”