Microsoft has done a lot of great things in its illustrious history, but it has managed to pull of some very dumb moves as well. The company has had to fight hard to replicate the success it used to had with Windows OS just a few years ago. XBox has become a successful project for Microsoft but you could make the argument that Zune has failed to get going. So these past few years have been a mixed bag for the company. Nevertheless, Microsoft seem to have gotten something right with Bing. In a world that Google dominates, Bing has certainly held up its own.

The troubles between Google and Apple have been well documented in the media. It seems the saga will move to the next chapter as Apple is poised to bring Bing to iPhone as its default search engine. Google has been somewhat dismissive of its rivalry with Apple, but Apple giving the go to Bing on iPhone (and perhaps Apple tablet) could sting Google.

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2009 was a very busy year for gadget manufacturers. We got to see a few decent gadgets, and a few exciting niche markets emerged or re-emerged onto the scenes. With everything that Apple did in 2009, you could still call it a quiet year for the company, considering what it has for store for all of us. We now know that Apple is planning to release its tablet (iSlate) sometime this year. The tablet has been rumored for months, but Apple has danced around the topic for too long now. The cat is out of the bag now. iPhone 4G has also been in the works for quite some time, and we may get a glimpse of Apple’s future plans as its contract with AT&T winds down.

The impact of iSlate can’t be underestimated in a tablet market that has been somewhat stagnant lately. Tablets were expected to rock the world a few years back, but just like the e-book market, tablets somehow became stagnant. iSlate is expected to change all that, considering that it will be a complete portable digital media solution for on the go. Many analysts are claiming that iTablet could indeed have iPod like effect on the tablet market. Apple certainly knows how to change the game with its gadgets. Read the rest of this entry »

The fight between Apple and Google is going to get nasty. Apple had its problems with Google Voice and Google Latitude. But now it’s targeting Google Maps as well. The Android platform has certainly raised eyebrows at Apple, so it’s no wonder the company is now targeting anything and everything Google is offering on iPhone. We all wished things were different. Google Maps Navigation is certainly one of the best maps/GPS apps around and is offered to Android phone owners for free. But don’t count on it making it to iPhone anytime soon. Not when Google intends to make Android the dominant player in the mobile OS market. Whether you consider Google to be aggressive or fair with its strategies, Apple has felt threatened and its drive to control everything has kicked up again.

Apple is already in the process of testing iPhone 4.0 in the San Francisco area. The phone is expected to come with a more innovative design, better camera, and many other features. It seems it will also come with Apple’s very own map software. Apple is already looking for an engineer to take its map software to the next level:

We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We’ve only just started.

Apple investing in its own map platform means only one thing. Forget about trying Google map products on iPhone anytime soon. Google will always have the opportunity to offer those services through the web, but those apps won’t be making it to iTunes.

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Google can make a killer GPS application as well. One has to feel bad for GPS companies that are taking a beating from their mobile counterparts. In a move that has shaken the mobile and GPS industries, Google has announced that Android phone owners will get Google Maps Navigation (a fancy name for a GPS) with a host of premium navigation features. Unlike TomTom GPS for iPhone or other top GPS apps, you don’t need to pay Google to take advantage of this feature. Yet, you get a host of features that are available on those fancy apps.

The app allows you to search for your favorite POI on your Android phone fast. It also supports Voice Search, which could be useful if you want to run a hands free system. Traffic and satellite views are both useful in helping you find you way around. Did I say the app is offered for free to Android phone owners?

Google Maps Navigation is currently being offered on Android, but Google hasn’t closed the door on bringing the app to iPhone. Instead of bickering and complaining a bit more about how unfair Apple has been, Google has decided to introduce a must have service to build a case for having more of its services offered on iPhone. Apple has a difficult decision to make. On the one hand, iPhone owners can really use such a killer application. On the other hand, Apple has burned some bridges with Google, and while it should not beg for Google’s service, these two companies should find an amicable way to put the Google Voice issue behind them.

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The peaceful rivalry between Apple and Google seems to be finally over. In a move that didn’t surprise many folks in the tech industry, Google CEO stepped down (or rather ousted) from Apple’s board of directors. Google and Apple have been going back and forth over a few issues in the past couple of weeks, and it’s finally clear that Apple understands Google’s threat to its business. Steve Jobs was certainly not being too shy about the reason why Schmidt was leaving Apple’s board:

Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings

Google Voice seems to be the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Apple and AT&T are already in trouble for rejecting Google Voice, and things may even get nasty over GV. And let’s not forget Google Chrome OS and Android phones can cause Apple headaches in the future. So in a sense, it does make a lot of sense for Google’s CEO to leave Apple’s board of directors. But it’s been surprising how Apple has gone about this process.

Apple should have asked for Schmidt to step down a while ago, before any of these recent issues came out. Apple should have also been more clear about its app policy. Maybe that could have caused less headaches for the company. But the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if Google and Apple are at it in courts in the near future. That’s usually what happens when two companies compete too hard.

Your take: is Schmidt’s removal the right move by Apple?