Apple's 'Way Too Long' Invite Lands With a Thud

Apple's pretty much annual October new product media event usually is preceded by a cute invitation sent to journalists. The invitation typically includes a phrase or graphic element that provides a vague clue to the secret agenda of the event.

Presumably, this is to drum up excitement and speculation, in addition to creating an ah-ha moment when the audience understands the connection between the invitation and the actual announcement.
This year, Apple's hint is this: "It's been way too long." That is the worst teaser I've ever heard.

What Haven't You Been Doing Lately?

Consider the phrase: It's been way too long since... what? Since we've seen you last? Since we partied like there was no tomorrow? Nah. In Apple Land, the connotation immediately turns to products and product announcements.
Which then naturally turns to this: Which product hasn't been updated in "way too long?" Which product has been neglected? Which product is in desperate need of a makeover?
I don't consider myself a glass-half-empty kind of guy, but I found myself immediately considering the products that Apple has been futzing around with when I saw the teaser invite. Turns out, there are plenty of Apple products that seem stale.
The MacBook Air, which has sported the same basic form factor since Steve Jobs introduced it in 2008, comes to mind. Apple added the even smaller 11-incher in October of 2010 -- four years ago. Sure, there've been some minor upgrades along the way, but it's been four years -- and not even a color refresh.
What's worse, the MacBook Air hasn't had a Retina display. The MacBook Pro with Retina display came out two years ago in October of 2012. Is that way too long? Maybe. It sure feels like it -- but hey, that's not Apple's fault, right? You just can't power a Retina display with a battery in a super light MacBook Air form factor. Laws of physics and whatnot.
The technical challenges aren't the point here -- nor is the waiting game for Intel's next-generation Broadwell processors, which are well suited to being crammed into a shrinking form factor.
There are rumors that Apple is working on a 12-inch Retina-based MacBook Air variant, which it could even offer in Gold, Silver and Space Gray colors, but the point remains: It's been way too long gives the speculation a negative spin, as if Apple has been neglecting a product rather than working feverishly on it and giving it the attention it deserves.

Which Other Products Have Stagnated?

See how easy it is to consider Apple's invite phrase in a negative light? I just used the word "stagnated," which isn't a word you want associated with your products -- like say, the Mac mini, which has been largely ignored for two years. Or the iMac, which has gotten some touchups here and there, but no Retina displays.
Odds are, Apple will update the iMac with a Retina display sometime soon -- but now? Maybe. Neither product gets enough consumer attention to justify being the subject of Apple's teaser, though.
There is only one product that clearly stands out here, and it's the long-neglected Apple TV. The last hardware update was in March of 2012. There have been lots of minor additions and updates to the software, but the ingenuity and power of the hardware itself? For fans of the living room couch, it's been languishing in obscurity.
Finally. That is the first impression that Apple calls up with "It's been way too long."
That's really sad, because in reality, I'm excited and optimistic that Apple will -- finally -- make a serious push into the living room with a more powerful Apple TV and a much-improved content experience.
The phrase, "It's been way too long," could be applied to the way we watch and consume television. It's been way too long since consumers had a really great new way to watch TV. For anyone who pays attention to their budgets and how they spend on entertainment, it's hard to find any reason to be pleased with the bundles offered by our cable and satellite TV services.
So, even though the teaser could be the harbinger of a brand new world of awesomeness, the initial effort to understand it just results in a negative spin for Apple.

Playing Catch-Up

Instead of excitedly speculating on how Apple might make the living room "more comfortable than ever" with a new Apple TV that is now a hub for HomeKit and a whole new world of home automation products, Apple sparked people to wonder if it's been too long for an important new leap for the iPad.
Is a thinner iPad offered in a Gold color with a Touch ID button particularly cool? It doesn't take a genius to imagine a thinner iPad Air or a new coat of paint.
Instead of being excited about how well the Apple ecosystem will seamlessly let you hand off content, notifications, and messages between Macs and iOS devices, the question turns toward a grouchy "it's about damn time my Mac could talk with my iPhone."
The problem is that "way too long" implies an admission of failure -- and it's a failure on Apple's part, because this is Apple's event, after all. Even if the company is saying it's way too long for some other thing going on in the industry, the phrase boomerangs back to Apple.
So what would be more successful?
Apple could have said, "better than ever," or "like you've never seen before" or slapped on an image that implies a natural transformation into something mature and cool, like the hint of a butterfly's wing in the background of the invitation. Apple never would have to explain a butterfly.
"Way too long" fails to suggest that Apple might have invented something new -- or even created an upgrade leap. It suggests that Apple finally caught up to a widely held expectation. I'm pretty sure that's not what Apple was going for.
So yeah -- Apple's worst teaser ever.

Cylon Linux Gives GNOME Fans Glamour Galore

Cylon is a classic Linux distro preconfigured with lots of tweaks -- kind of a Unity-less Ubuntu with bling.

Cylon runs the classic GNOME 3 desktop on almost any hardware configuration made since 2007, but it is more suited to seasoned Linux users. Newcomers to Linux may not make an easy transition.
Still, Cylon Linux is highly usable out of the box. With its installed software, there's little need for supplemental installations. The user experience, however, might be less than appealing for those who are not at home with the GNOME 3 desktop.
I was impressed with Cylon's speed and dazzling animations -- but once the eye candy novelty wore off, I went to the Compiz setting panel to tone down the fireworks.
The classic GNOME 3 desktop is not for everyone. While Cylon's developers did a clever job of tweaking the performance, they failed to make it easy to change default settings for accessing virtual desktops.
Cylon also suffers from a common problem with GNOME 3 desktop environments: It has too many separate settings panels for Administration, System Compiz and Preferences.

Family Ties

Cylon Linux was last updated December 6th, 2012. Due to its lineage from Ubuntu, this version is supported with system updates through 2017. Its current version is 12.04.1 and is based on a kindred connection to Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Its partial rolling update approach keeps pace with the Ubuntu system updates.
Cylon is a relative newcomer and has a much different look and feel despite its obvious reliance on direct Ubuntu branding. Cylon was founded in November 2012.

Under Cylon's Hood

Cylon Linux relies heavily on its Ubuntu underpinnings, but its closeness to Ubuntu is not readily apparent when you start using it.
This distro has a unique appearance. It looks and works nothing like the myriad of other Ubuntu derivatives.
Of course, the Software Center and the Update Manager carry the Ubuntu names and are the same repositories. Even the System Settings panel is strikingly similar.

Look and Feel

At first blush, Cylon's desktop appearance is like numerous other carbon-copy Linux distributions -- but the similarity ends once you get beyond the GNOME 3 panel at the top and the Docky bar at the bottom of the screen.
The big difference appears as a flash in the pan once you start clicking around the menu. It is a skimpy menu, by the way. It consists of a single column organized by category. The contents of each category slide out from the right as you hover over each label.
Expect to spend considerable time scrolling lists of submenus. The main menu lacks any search window. Also, it lacks any favorites panel.

The default desktop view in Cylon Linux includes preinstalled Conky clocks and screenlets plus a Docky Bar on the bottom and a disappointing panel at the top of the screen.

That may be why developers preinstalled the Synapse search and launch tool. The launcher is hardwired to the top panel. You also can access this app by setting a keyboard combination.

Flash Bang

Click on a menu item or touch any category with the mouse pointer, and the flashiness begins. The default visual effect is for a flash of flames that blaze for a fraction of a second and then fade away.
Programs open with their windows upside down and then spinning right side up. By default, the window controls -- maximize, minimize and X -- are in the left corner, just like Ubuntu.
Users familiar with Compiz effects will appreciate how Cylon has the CompizConfig Settings Manager installed and activated. Seasoned Linux users also will be able to change the settings as desired. However, strangers to Linux easily could be intimidated by all of the options.
It is perhaps the combination of the Docky Bar and the brash Compiz effects that set Cylon ahead of other Ubuntu Linux offspring. The level of Compiz settings resembles much of the inherent interface chaos some Linux users experience with the KDE desktop.

Panel Woes

The classic GNOME panel leaves a lot to be desired. Open programs are highlighted on the Docky bar. A few launchers for system tools are anchored to the top panel. But GNOME 3 does not give users any configuration access to this locked-down panel.
Other than displaying a few expected notification icons along with the application and places menus, the panel lets users do little with the wasted space.
Not having the upper panel serve as an anchoring point for personalized applets and pinned favorite programs is a sore point for many Linux users disgruntled with the GNOME 3 interface. Cylon's use of GNOME 3 does little to assuage that design dysfunction.

Cubed Delight

The spinning cube is without a doubt one of the most attractive visual effects associated with using virtual workspaces in Linux. The CompizConfig settings gives Cylon users a huge variety of options for tweaking how the cube performs. Basic cube functionality is preconfigured in this distro.
Hold the left CNTRL + ALT keys down while you press the left or right arrows. This changes the screen view to the spinning cube.
Hold the arrow key down to watch a perpetual spinning cube. Or press the arrow key more deliberately to move among the virtual workspaces.

Missing in Action

As mentioned earlier, one of my main disappointments with Cylon's design is the way it handles access to virtual workspaces. Most GNOME 3 desktops have a hidden thumbnail view that slides in from screen right when touched by the mouse pointer to show activated virtual workspaces. Clicking on a thumbnail gives you full-screen access to that virtual location.
If that feature exists in Cylon Linux, it is a well-kept secret. The feature is not activated by default. I could not find any system setting for it.
Also missing is any setting for the number of virtual workspaces you want to use. I am normally very good at finding such hidden triggers. The fact that I can not find it strongly suggests to me that the feature does not exist rather than is just well hidden.

No Way Out

Either way, this is a major design flaw in Cylon's implementation of the GNOME 3 interface. I was able to send a program window to any of four work spaces by right-clicking on the top border of the application window. This feature exists in most Linux desktop flavors.
However, the lack of the standard access to those virtual spaces for me is a disconnect and a deal breaker. The design fails on several levels.
First, it is awkward to have to find the program icon resting somewhere on the Docky bar and then click on it to swing onto that virtual workspace. Second, it is distracting to have to move fingers off the typing rows to press the three-key combination requiring two hands to spin the cube to the appropriate workspace. Three is the lack of configurable shortcut keys to move among virtual workspaces.
The Ubuntu distro -- and its various alternative desktops -- have these features. So do other Ubuntu-based distros such as Linux Mint.

Yes, Good Exists

Those design flaws aside, Cylon Linux offers numerous features to make it worthy of consideration. Perhaps one of the most impressive features is the well-stocked installed software.
Most menu categories are stuffed with a dozen or more applications. In many cases, the list includes four or five options for the same types of programs. In nearly all cases, users will have little or no need to go to the Software manager to find more titles.
What Cylon lacks in panel applets it makes up for with its ample inventory of Screenlets. Finding and installing what you want is fast and easy.

Cylon Linux is loaded with screenlet options and lots of doodads with a nice gallery of background images.

YPPA is a handy application that makes it very easy to add and manage PPAs, or Personal Package Archives. This tool automates the process and requires just clicking and selecting options.

Bottom Line

If you fancy the solid Ubuntu infrastructure but want something a lot different in user experience, give Cylon Linux a try. The visual effects are impressive and the system is preconfigured to work as installed.

Cylon Linux has a curved Expo View feature that is eye-catching.

However, do not expect Cylon Linux to be a Windows XP substitute. It is intended for use by Linux users who have a liking for more traditional GNOME 3 functionality.

Gadget Ogling: Strange Cameras, Fast Charges, Racing Robots

Welcome, friends, to another installment of Gadget Dreams and Nightmares, a trip through the land of delightful and deplorable gizmos.

Among the items to grab my eye this week are portable chargers and espresso makers, a robot hack, a limited-function radio, and a bizarre-looking camera.

Ratings denote how interested I am in using each item, and are not an indicator of quality or how strongly I recommend you spend money on them. (An early tip: Don't buy the radio thing.)

HTC RE Camera

HTC is stepping so far out of the box with the RE Camera (pictured above), it's almost as if there was never a box to begin with.

Instead of making us stare through a viewfinder, this minimalist device almost demands a return to older forms of photography, while still taking advantage of modern technology.

It looks like a cross between a periscope and an asthma inhaler, neither of which scream style to anyone who might spot it in your hand. A Lytro this is not.

There are some positives, since it can capture 16-megapixel still images and 1080p video while wirelessly transferring the content to a smartphone. It's likely to be more comfortable to use for extended periods of time than holding up increasingly larger smartphones to capture, say, a child's school play performance.

Meanwhile, if one absolutely needs to capture something quickly -- for instance, if a crime is taking place -- the RE Camera might let one snap photos or start filming more quickly and inconspicuously than a smartphone would.

Yet I don't really see this taking off. It can't be easier to use this than to whip out a smartphone and take a quick picture. There's a companion app that can act as a viewfinder, but that seems somewhat redundant when at that point you could take a photo with your phone.

It's a poorly timed move, as well, since GoPro just unleashed a range of new cameras, starting at $130. Shelling out $200 for a simple camera that aims to keep smartphones in one's pocket seems superfluous. Then again, if it stops people from taking photos with their tablets, it might not be such a bad idea.

Rating: 2 Out of 5 Spy Submarines

Pronto Fast-Charge Battery

Carting a two-year-old smartphone around means it's increasingly unlikely the battery charge lasts a full day. I often have to resort to Airplane Mode to make sure I can get through an afternoon away from home and still be reachable in case of emergencies.

It's probably time I picked up an external charger, and the fast-charging Pronto looks like a great option.

Tesla's Dual-Motor 'D' Ready for Takeoff

Tesla Motors on Thursday unveiled the "D" that CEO Elon Musk has been teasing -- a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive, higher-tech version of its Model S electric car.

The new model offers better traction, increased driving range, automated features and even higher speeds, Musk said.
From the outside, you won't be able to tell it from the current Model S, however. It will share the same exterior, but it will feature a slew of internal improvements, notably two motors -- one for the front wheels and one for the back -- which allow greater acceleration as well as higher top speeds.
The new Model S will be available in three versions -- the 60D, the 85D and the P85D.
The P85D, which will be available later this year has a range of 275 miles.

Autonomous Automobile

The new model is not only about higher speeds and performance -- it also can help with the driving.
With the autopilot feature, drivers will not have to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. They won't be able to snooze out or read emails on the way to work, but with the aid of sensors and cameras, they'll have help keeping the car in its lane and maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles.

Every new Model S is autopilot-enabled.

The car automatically adjusts its speed based on posted speed limits and on how fast other vehicles are traveling -- a nice assist when changing lanes, for example.
The car an park itself, and when on private property, it can be summoned -- almost like an automated valet.

Roller Coaster Acceleration

Apart from those helpful features, Tesla has designed the Model S to appeal to the type of auto enthusiasts who really like to do the driving themselves.
The top-end P85D is powered by Tesla's 85 kWh battery pack. It can go from zero to 60 miles an hour in about 3.2 seconds -- roughly the same as many high-performance gas-powered automobiles. It offers 691 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph.

The new Model S could be a game-changer for electric cars.
"Big time. This is car for those who want to get to work in style or for those who want to prove that an electric vehicle can smoke some super cars," said Justin Cupler, editor in chief of TopSpeed.
"It basically says that the electric car is a viable option for anyone," Cupler told TechNewsWorld. "It is really a radical car for anyone who is into cars."

Electric Gets in Drive

Although this lineup undoubtedly has appeal for some auto enthusiasts, at a base price of US$75,000 for the lower-end 60D -- and upwards of $120,000 for the P85D -- these cars aren't targeting the masses. Still, the technology advances could pave the way for more mainstream development.
"Right now, electrics carry a huge premium in terms of cost because their ecosystem is limited and production levels remain a fraction of what gas cars enjoy," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
"Apples to apples, they are more expensive. Where this plays best is in the premium segments where the difference equates to exclusivity, and folks don't care as much about the cost disadvantage," he told TechNewsWorld.
"Here folks will pay to have a car that does amazing things, and the D seems to do exactly that," added Enderle. "It is like the AMG option on a Mercedes. These tend to be low volume and uniquely clad halo products that help carry the brand."
It's questionable whether serious auto enthusiasts will be impressed enough to drive the D, he noted.
"In terms of performance technology -- self-driving -- the D does that, but it may be too stealth -- such as lacking in the AMG-like body modifications that would differentiate it -- to get to the sales numbers that it might otherwise enjoy," Enderle explained.
"People buy cars in this class for status," he pointed out, "but if they are indistinguishable from lower- cost versions, they don't get this benefit and find it harder to justify the price."

Beyond the Concept

One key point of this is that the D lineup is way beyond the concept stage, and these are vehicles that should be on roads in just months.
"It is going to be a revolution for Tesla, but also the automotive world," predicted Culper. "Since there are no patents -- as Tesla had said recently they wouldn't patent this technology -- it could certainly revolutionize the industry across the board."
The question is how long until this innovation trickles down to the rest of the industry. Even if Tesla shares what it knows, there is still the issue of the high cost of electric vehicle technology to overcome.
"Electric cars sell on economy and efficiency, and the performance vector is counterintuitive," observed Enderle, "suggesting the requirement for some kind of visual distinction for a high-performance version would be higher than on a gas car.
"The market was also expecting a more affordable car, more consistent with an electrics frugal promise," he noted, "and is punishing Tesla for missing those expectations."

And Now for Something Completely Different

Well it's a good thing we here in the Linux community had that refreshing and refocusing break recently, courtesy of Linux.com and Carla Schroder, because last week it was back onto the hot coals once again.

The Systemd inferno -- which Linux Girl is starting to think of as "The Blaze That Must Not Be Named" -- has spread even further, your trusty reporter is dismayed to report, extending now to encompass the entire FOSS community.
The accelerant this time? "Quite a sick place" is how Red Hat engineer and Systemd developer Lennart Poettering described the open source community in a recent post on Google+.
Not only is the community "full of [assh*les]," but "I probably more than most others am one of their most favorite targets," Poettering wrote. "I get hate mail for hacking on open source. People have started multiple 'petitions' .... asking me to stop working. Recently, people started collecting Bitcoins to hire a hitman for me (this really happened!)."
Smoke and flames can now be seen from miles away. Emergency supplies have been requested. In the meantime, the elderly and infirm are encouraged to seek shelter elsewhere. For those who appreciate tequila, Linux Girl recommends the blogosphere's seedy Punchy Penguin Saloon.

'Who's Leading the Charge'

It was there at the Punchy Penguin late last week, in fact, that a diversion finally arose, and Linux Girl seized upon it with enthusiasm -- and both hands.
"Best Distro 2014" is the title of the post that appeared over at Linux Voice magazine, and it's a juicy one.
"You might be using the wrong Linux distribution," the Linux Voice's brave voices proclaimed. "Or to put it more diplomatically, you might not be running the distro that's best suited to you."
With that in mind, "we decided to look at the current state of play in the Linux distro world," they wrote. "We wanted to see which distros excel in certain important areas, to find out who's leading the charge here in mid-late 2014."
The rowdy Slashdot masses picked up on the topic in no time, followed soon afterward by conversations and debates in blogobars and watering holes throughout the land.

'Great for Experimenting'

"To me it is a mix -- Ubuntu and Fedora -- because I work in two main fields: consulting and training," offered Google+ blogger Rodolfo Saenz.
"Both distros satisfy my need, and they have the two more commonly used package systems in the Linux world," Saenz added. "Also, the two distros are great for experimenting, and to my students -- they usually come from Windows -- it's easier to adapt."
The answer from Google+ blogger Alessandro Ebersol -- who works on the PCLinuxOS distribution -- wasn't exactly surprising.

'Fastest to Fix Shellshock'

"It's gotta be PCLinuxOS," Ebersol said.
"Most solid Linux distro: Check," he asserted. "Most DEs available: I make seven different PCLinuxOS versions, not counting Cinnamon, WindowMaker and E-19."
Also, "fastest distro to fix Shellshock," Ebersol said. Specifically, "two days after the security hole was made public."
In short? "Call me biased, but PCLinuxOS is Da Bomb," he said.

'The One That Does the Job'

"To me the real point is variety and choice," Google+ blogger Kevin O'Brien told Linux Girl.
"While some may complain about fragmentation, I love the idea that I can choose a distro that suits my needs," O'Brien said -- "or more than one, if I have several different needs.
"Right now I have three different *nix systems on my home network -- two of them Linux and one BSD," he noted. "The best distro is the one that does the job you need it to do."

'Philosophical Questioning'

Similarly, "there is no answer better than, 'any distro that works for you, has more than two users and has good information and forums online,'" suggested Google+ blogger Gonzalo Velasco C.
For fans of free and open source software, "the present year has been one of philosophical questioning about the future of GNU/Linux, freedom of choice and 'market' share," he pointed out. "So, the answers will reflect this."
Gonzalo Velasco C. has been using four different distros in the last year, he told Linux Girl.
"I got some update glitches in some, not in others," he noted. "All of them worked for me in more than one computer, and I can only vote for all of them: PCLinuxOS, MiniNo, Xubuntu and SolydXK."

'2014 Has Been Disappointing'

Last but not least, "I wish I could say that Debian GNU/Linux was the best distro of 2014 as usual, but I can't," blogger Robert Pogson lamented.
"I switched all my machines to Debian Testing/Jessie months ago, when the bug count was plunging like a stone, and then they went with Systemd," he explained. "I've been updating dozens of packages every day since then and the bug count has gone sideways.
"'The Freeze' is still a long way away," he added. "I would have switched back to Wheezy/Stable if I had known it was going to take this long to sort out the mess."
That said, "I haven't really used any other distro than Debian for six years," Pogson told Linux Girl. "Until 2014 it did all I asked of a distro with very few irritations."
Looking ahead, "I really don't know what to do," Pogson said. "I could go back to Wheezy, but that would just delay the inevitable. I like APT and hate Ubuntu.
"Maybe I will be like the stubborn XPers and just run Debian unsupported," he mused. "There isn't any distro on DistroWatch that has the power and flexibility of Debian. I know it will be fine next year, but 2014 has been disappointing."

When Computers Get a Right Brain

IBM is massively increasing its commitment to Watson, which was evident at last week's IBM Think Forum. IBM recognizes that if it can get a product that thinks first, then it can again take absolute control over the technology market, and every other company will be chasing it again.

It is making some impressive headway, and I agree that the firm that succeeds at this will not only massively change the technology market, but also change the world. The very real outcome is that many of us will find our skills have become redundant -- and when I say "many of us," I include analysts, because we are obviously at risk.
I'll close with my product of the week: Gorilla Glass, which is what's keeping us from having far more broken phone screens and likely helping Apple to avoid having to recall the iPhone 6 (though I still think it should).

The Wonder of Watson

Watson is a fascinating system. I'm referring to this class of systems as "decision engines," because they aim to help people make better decisions. What makes them different from any other tool is that they learn about you, rather than you having to learn as much about them.
Granted, with these early versions, it is kind of a shared experience -- but prior to systems like Watson, all of the effort to learn how to interface was on the user side. With Watson, the end goal is to shift virtually all of this burden to the system.
What this means is that in the near-term future, when you need something from Watson, you'll be able to sit down and immediately be productive rather than spend the weeks to months it typically now takes to learn a new system. Because Watson learns from you, the longer you work with it, the better it becomes.
As more and more Watson computers are deployed, they learn from each other creating sort of a digital Gestalt providing a massive acceleration in the learning process.

Near-Term Expectations

There were a number of examples at the Think Forum of working systems and prototypes that showcased what Watson can do today. For instance, a hospital treating a cancer patient can look at the detailed information captured on the patient and then determine the highest-probability path to wellness. Watson already has information on obscure treatments and illnesses, which it can apply to the solution.
The end result is a customized program that is developed from information gathered all over the world -- both preventing mistakes that already have been made and identifying little known successes to reach an optimal solution.
Watson could provide travelers with an experience similar to what travel agents once provided. For instance, if your plane were delayed or grounded, it would automatically find and recommend an alternate route while you were in transit, which you could execute with one Amazon-like click. When called upon to help plan a trip, Watson could apply what it knows about you and about the various airlines and hotels to create the itinerary most likely to make it trip the best you've ever had.
For help desk issues, it would take customers through custom decision trees defined by the system's ability to diagnose the problem remotely and gauge the technical capability of the caller. That would enable it to provide the fastest resolution for the lowest cost, optimizing on a blend of customer satisfaction and cost containment.
It automatically would identify and report bad trends to decision makers, along with optimized recommendations, both to resolve the core issues in a timely way and optimally reduce the related costs.
Company after company testified at the Think Forum that they were seeing massive increases in customer satisfaction and getting a far better handle on costs from Watson-type technology, which is still in its infancy.

Jobs at Risk

Now with the next range of technology advancements, there are a ton of jobs at risk -- and not the obvious ones, either. Specialists are pretty safe for a while, but folks who provide general services -- like accountants, tellers, bankers, stock traders and, well, analysts -- are kind of screwed in the long term.
Fortunately, this won't happen overnight, and in the near term there will be some great jobs training systems like Watson but, once trained, these systems will be able to train each other almost instantly.
It will be even longer before specialists are at risk, because the costs of training a system like Watson to handle a specialty will likely exceed the benefits for some time. If the specialty is unique, that time could be indefinite.

Wrapping Up: The Future

The Think Forum wrapped up with a look into the future, and it was a fascinating discussion. Watson is kind of a left brain decision engine. It is very strong numerically, but it is kind of an extreme version of Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory. It isn't very empathetic, and it isn't intuitive.
Efforts like neural networking and cognitive computing will close the gaps, resulting in machines that can do more than suggest the top choices in a decision. They will actually make the decision, moving to the next stage and doing the whole job. Fortunately, this right brain aspect is still years off, and until it is ready, people will fill that role.
Two clear job growth areas, for now and in the near term, will be trainers for systems like Watson -- people who understand both a particular subject area and how best to present it to Watson. They will be Watson's right brain partners.

Product of the Week: Gorilla Glass

I was on Fox Business News this week covering the pain of a broken smartphone screen. Toward the end of the show, we tried to break a phone on air, but the phones bounced and didn't break. That was largely because the phones used Gorilla Glass, which is broadly used on smartphones today. It isn't invulnerable -- phones that use it still break -- but they break far less frequently, and as we so humorously demonstrated, it often takes a real boneheaded move to break one.
There was a lot of speculation that the iPhone 6 was going to use sapphire glass, and that would have ended badly. That's because for some screwy reason -- likely to save money -- Tim Cook allowed the iPhone 6 to have an aluminum frame rather than the steel or magnesium alloy frame that other large phones use, and that makes the screen the stiffest part of the phone.
Gorilla Glass bends a little, which is why you have a lot of bent iPhone 6s that don't have cracked screens as well.

Corning's Gorilla Glass

Sapphire doesn't bend at all, and though you'd likely have fewer bent phones, you'd have a far higher number of even more expensive cracked screens.
Much like jewels, if you do get a nick in the screen with sapphire, that becomes a flaw -- and the screen will break on that flaw. So sapphire would have cost more and not held up well at all on a large phone.
Now, if phone makers would just work a little harder on protecting the screens, we likely could eliminate most of the breaks that occur when the phone lands on its corner on something as unforgiving as cement or tile. However, Corning's Gorilla Glass is why far more of us don't have smashed phones, and it turned my spot on Fox Business into a comedy sketch, so it is my product of the week.

Apple Faithful Prepare to Not Be Dazzled

If you're looking for an extravaganza on the scale of last month's new iPhone unveiling, chances are you won't find it at Apple's "Way Too Long" event to be held Thursday in the Town Hall auditorium at its Cupertino headquarters.

"This will be a very low-key event," Gartner Research Vice President for Mobility Van L. Baker told TechNewsWorld. "They're always low-key when they happen on campus."
While no one knows for sure what Apple has up its sleeve, the consensus leading up to the event is that it will be refreshing its tablet and computer lines and releasing the prime-time version of its desktop operating system, OS X Yosemite. There's an outside chance it will upgrade its iPod line or Apple TV set top box.
"I don't expect any announcements from the event to be revolutionary," Jeff Orr, senior practice director for mobile devices at ABI Research, told TechNewsWorld. "I'm not expecting any major departures from the iterative process this time around."
What that probably means for the iPad is shaving off a few millimeters, upgrading to the A8 processor, sporting a new color (gold), tweaking the display's resolution and reflective qualities, and perhaps adding fingerprint recognition with TouchID.

iPad Air Pro

There have been rumors of a new larger iPad Air Pro with a 12.9-inch display, but "I don't think we're going to see a larger iPad," Orr said. "It's a very small market as it is, and it's an area where Apple would not be adding distinct capabilities. For a larger iPad, you'd want to see something more than just a larger screen size."
An iPad Pro would be very much a specialty product, noted Bob O'Donnell, founder and chief analyst at Technalysis Research.
"More and more companies are going to have to make specialized devices. This large iPad is going to be a good example of that," he told TechNewsWorld. "In general, it's getting harder and harder for companies to do general purpose devices that everyone wants. You're going to start seeing more and more specialization and focus going on moving forward."
Another driver behind a bigger iPad could be Apple's new good buddy IBM.
"I think, given the IBM deal, which signifies a stronger push into the enterprise, a larger iPad would be a faster way into the enterprise than the Mac," Carolina Milanesi, chief of research and head of U.S. business for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, told TechNewsWorld.

New 5K iMac?

On the Mac side of things, a new 27-inch iMac with a 5K retina display could be in the offing, as well as a more powerful MacBook and even a new Mac mini.
There have been rumors of a refresh of the MacBook Air, which would add a 12-inch Retina display model and completely reimagine the unit's design, but those rumors have been losing steam as the event draws nearer.
While Apple is spreading the footprint of Touch ID, it could decide to add it to its Macs as well.
"A huge portion of online purchases are still made on PCs," O'Donnell explained, "so it might make sense for them to do that."
Possibly making sense doesn't mean it will rise to must-have status, though.
"I do not think Touch ID is as necessary on a Mac as it is on iPhones and iPads, where speed of access plays a role in the way we use those devices," Milanesi said.
TouchID could make a Mac a more attractive corporate buy, though.
"It could be interesting as an extra layer of security in the enterprise environment," Milanesi noted.
To go along with the new Mac models, Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite, which, among other things, allows Apple users to work on projects across its mobile and desktop products.
Since the theme of the event is "way too long," two other Apple products have been connected to Thursday's happening: Apple TV and the iPod touch.
"Apple TV continues to be enhanced by announcing more partners and things, but I'm not expecting any significant announcements any time soon," Baker said.
"The iPod touch is a declining business," he added. "The only question about iPods is when does it cease to make sense for Apple to be in that business, because the unit volume keeps going down and down."