SAN FRANCISCO – The Apple iPad has been an unqualified success with consumers, but it’s a harder sell in the businesse market. It’s relatively bulky and heavy for a mobile device, and it doesn’t support Adobe Flash, although third-party vendors are providing clever workarounds. Its native printing skills are dismal, and it lacks a camera for video conferencing.

But if recent rumors are true, Apple is developing a smaller version of the iPad with a 7-inch touchscreen. The device may ship by the end of the year, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News.

Given the plethora of iPad-like tablets now arriving, including the elfin Dell Streak with its smartphone-like dimensions, it’s logical for Apple to expand its tablet offerings. The original iPad, with its 9.7-inch display, works well as a media-consumption device, but business travelers may prefer a smaller gadget with similar capabilities, particularly if they’re not planning to watch Netflix videos on the road.

For business travelers, a 7-inch inch iPad could hit the sweet spot, particularly if it (like the Dell Streak) allows you to make voice calls. Yes, we’re talking about a very, very big phone here. Few of us would want to hold a 7-inch iPad to our ear to make a call, but that’s what Bluetooth earpieces are for. On the plus side, travelers could carry one mobile device rather than two–a phone and tablet/laptop.

For Apple, the risk is that its baby iPad could become a doomed tweener device: Too big to match a smartphone’s pocket-sized portability; and yet too small to provide the ergonomic benefits of a full-sized tablet. Consider the Streak, for instance. With its 5-inch display, Dell’s diminutive slate is a middle-of-the-road oddity that may struggle to find a niche in either the business or consumer space.

Of course, any new iPad, small or large, will give Apple an opportunity to correct the shortcomings of the original model. Adding a camera and better printing features would be a good start.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Paul Shin Devine is facing both a federal grand jury indictment and a civil suit from Apple following an investigation which implicates Devine for leaking confidential information to key suppliers to enable them to negotiate better contracts with Apple. In exchange, the Apple suppliers made payments to various bank accounts set up in the names of Devine and his wife according to the indictment.

Apple suspected Devine was violating corporate policy and launched an internal investigation that uncovered suspicious e-mails on his company laptop using personal accounts on Hotmail and Gmail. The e-mails divulged sensitive and confidential information to key Apple suppliers.

Apple deserves some kudos for discovering the alleged improprieties, however had Apple been more proactive about enforcing corporate policy and monitoring employee communications for sensitive data Devine’s actions could have been detected and prevented much earlier. There are some lessons IT admins and security professionals can learn from the Apple kickback scheme.

Most companies have acceptable use policies in place that govern the use of company-owned computers, networks, and communications, and policies related to protecting sensitive and confidential data. What most companies lack, however, are the tools to monitor or enforce those policies. Unethical employees quickly find ways to exploit the honor system.

One solution would be to implement Windows Rights Management. File and folder permissions are typically the only security measure in place to guard sensitive data. Some employees have access, and some don’t. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t restrict or control what authorized employees do with the data once they access it.

Windows Rights Management Service (RMS) provides IT admins with significantly more control over what happens to data once it is accessed. Rights can be configured to restrict whether the data can be modified, printed, forwarded via e-mail, or other actions–and access can be set to expire. More importantly, the RMS restrictions stay with the file even if it is saved to a USB drive or stored on a user’s personal computer.

Companies can implement more comprehensive monitoring using applications like Spector 360 or Spector CNS from SpectorSoft. These tools can capture every e-mail–including Web-based e-mail–online searches, instant messaging chats, keystrokes typed, Web sites visited, applications used, files accessed and more. Monitoring and restrictions can be configured for the company as a whole, or by department, group, or individual users.

Another option would be to use tools like Zgate or Zlock from Zecurion. Zgate monitors e-mail and social networking communications to detect and block attempts–whether intentional or inadvertent–to transmit sensitive or confidential information, and Zlock restricts the use of peripheral devices for storing or transmitting such data.
With Windows Rights Management in place, Devine might have been prevented from forwarding protected information via e-mail. Tools like Zgate or Zlock would have kept Devine from saving sensitive information to a USB thumb drive, or printing hard copies, or blocked attempts to communicate it via e-mail or social networks. Software such as Spector 360 would have captured every detail of Devine’s actions–allowing Apple to thwart the alleged unethical behavior much sooner, and giving it the tools to quickly and easily conduct an extensive investigation at the push of a button.

Implementing tools to automate monitoring and proactively protect corporate data does not necessarily mean that the company has to act as Big Brother or spy on every action of employees. Having such applications in place, though, gives IT admins access to the details if needed, and provides the tools quickly detect and identify suspicious behavior before it becomes a federal case over $1 million in kickbacks.

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple is upgrading its 9.7-inch iPad with a faster ARM processor and is releasing a smaller 7-inch iPad in 2011, according to rumors. Digitimes reports that Apple is set to launch “an upgraded 9.7-inch iPad adopting a new ARM Cortex-A9-based processor and 512MB RAM in the first quarter of 2011.” Apple is also prepping “a 7-inch iPad using the Cortex-A9 processor and an IPS panel with a resolution of 1024×768.”

What’s the New Technology?

The original iPad sported an A4 processor that Apple created on its own. If Digitimes’ rumors are true, Apple will switch to the latest ARM technology and integrate the Cortex-A9. ARM boosted the Cortex-A9′s processor speed up to 2GHz last year, which could make the iPad a seriously powerful device. The new processor also draws less power, thus improving the iPad’s so-so battery life.

The second update is the reuse of IPS (in-plane switching) panel technology for the iPad’s screen. In July, Digitimes claimed that Apple was switching to OLED screens for the newest iPads … that story has apparently changed. IPS is a great kind of LCD for the iPad, as it gives the iPad an impressive wide viewing-angle of up to 178 degrees, whereas other LCD technologies tend to have narrower viewing angles, especially in the vertical direction. Plus it’s less expensive than OLED, allowing Apple to cut iPad prices.

What About the Pricing Structure?

A 7-inch iPad will likely cost a lot less than its first-generation brethren, as Apple is known for slashing product prices as the technology evolves. Fast Company notes this business trend by reminding readers about the original $500 to $600 iPhone that had no native apps. Then came the $200 cheaper 3G model with native app support. Then came the 3GS that had the same price as the 3G upon its debut but a faster processor, which knocked the 3G’s price down to $100. Fast Company also says that people who buy first-generation Apple products are “suckers” and “lemmings with no self-control and excessive disposable income.” Ouch — but possibly true.

There was a big fallout from the iPhone price cuts too — something Apple will want to avoid if it overhauls the iPad pricing structure. In 2007 Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone would be $200 cheaper, setting off a slew of protests. A lawsuit was even filed over the price cuts. So if Apple wants to reduce prices on its iPad line, it better do so carefully, as early adopters have a tendency to lash out.

How Reliable Is the Source?

Digitimes is known for Apple rumors, some of which have proven blatantly false. Last November it claimed that the Apple tablet would have a $2,000 price tag. It’s also worth noting that Digitimes is quoting its own internal source — Digitimes’ senior research analyst Mingchi Kuo — therefore, it could be creating its own news and hype.
Digitimes also mentions that the oft-mentioned Verizon iPhone will be revealed at CES 2011. For more on these persistent Verizon iPhone rumors, check out my colleague Ian Paul’s analysis of that situation.

SAN FRANCISCO – Yes, you read that headline right. Apple has applied for a patent for a bicycle concept.

The patent application, which was published by the US Patent & Trademark Office on August 5, highlights Apple’s concept for what they are calling a ‘Smart Bike’. The bike patent application, which Patently Apple likens to a Nike + for cyclists, details a system which would allow bike riders to log and wirelessly share information about cycling routes.

Apple’s Smart Bike patent, which was originally filed for during the first quarter of 2009, would log a whole host of cycling information, with a heavy emphasis on sharing data. This information would include cycling speed, distance travelled, time, altitude, incline, decline and more. A users heart rate would also be collected.

According to the patent, this range of information would be collected via a connected iPod or iPhone and built in sensors. What the integrated technology to measure these cycling metrics would be is any ones guess. But accurate heart rate sensors in the handlebars, accelerometers and on-board GPS would all seem to be fairly safe bets.

However as any dedicated cyclist will know, this sort of information has been available for years – thanks to attachable mini computers. These mini cycle-friendly computers are available in a range of prices, starting from simple $10 to $20 models with more technologically able kit, including an iPhone app, pushing the $200 price point.

So what would make Apple’s approach so different from what’s already readily available? It’s hard to tell from a patent application, no matter how detailed, but no doubt the seamless integration from device to device, and then to the end logging software would make the whole experience that little bit different.

It would be a departure from the norm, that’s for sure – but then again it is just a patent. So with a pinch of salt, what are your thoughts on a could-be Apple bike?

SAN FRANCISCO – The Apple executive in charge of iPhone engineering and responsible for the innovative–yet problem prone–antenna design on the iPhone 4 has left the company. Based on Apple’s response to “antennagate”, and Steve Jobs press conference to address issues with the iPhone 4, it seems unlikely that Mark Papermaster’s exit is connected to the antenna issues.

The headlines related to Mark Papermaster leaving Apple seem heavily weighted toward connecting the dots between the iPhone 4 antenna “death grip” and his leaving. The Wall Street Journal says Apple Executive Exits After iPhone “Antennagate”, the New York Times declares Executive Leaves After iPhone Trouble, and The Register bluntly states Apple Hardware Exec Falls on Sword.

The reason that it is unlikely that Papermaster’s departure is related to the iPhone 4 antenna fiasco is that Apple has never admitted it’s a problem. In order to have a sacrificial lamb take the fall for a corporate debacle there must first be a mea culpa where the corporation admits that there is a debacle.

Apple has stubbornly and indignantly maintained that there is nothing wrong with the iPhone 4. The company told users they are holding the phone wrong. They directed whiny users to get a case to impede antenna interference if they really think it’s that big a deal. Only after much media attention and user backlash did Apple finally agree to address the issue at all.

While the fact that Apple announced a plan to distribute free cases to iPhone 4 users experiencing a problem might seem like an admission of guilt, Steve Jobs spent 75 percent of the press conference demonstrating that every smartphone has an antenna death grip issue, and extolling the virtues of the iPhone 4 as an engineering marvel. He even went so far as to claim–with a straight face–that Apple intentionally put the little line in the antenna at the bottom left corner of the iPhone 4 specifically to mark the position that users should not touch.

What Jobs did not do, and what Apple has yet to do, is to actually state that the antenna engineering is faulty in any way, or apologize to iPhone 4 users for the design faux pas. If we accept the position of Jobs and Apple on the antenna issue, then it makes absolutely no sense for Papermaster to suddenly resign to take the fall.

In fact, based on Apple’s stance that there is no antenna issue, Papermaster’s abrupt departure actually makes it look bad–like there is more turmoil going on inside Apple than it is willing to admit. Perhaps, if Papermaster is falling on the proverbial sword and taking one for the team, it’s related to some other issue.

Apple’s position on “antennagate” is too entrenched for it to backpedal and take responsibility now. However, many cite the proximity sensor issue as a much bigger deal impacting the usability of the iPhone 4 as a–well, as a phone.

If there is some sort of impending announcement from Apple about the proximity sensor, or some other hardware design aspect of the iPhone 4, then it makes sense for Papermaster to be the fall guy. Absent such a mea culpa, though, it’s more likely that Papermaster simply chose to move on for his own reasons.

SAN FRANCISCO – Most iPhone 4 users are “very satisfied” with their new device–despite all of the bad press and antenna issues–says a new survey by ChangeWave Research.

In a small-scale survey of 213 users, 72 percent reported that they are “very satisfied” with the iPhone 4, while an additional 21 percent reported that they are “somewhat satisfied.” While these satisfaction scores are very high–especially considering the controversy that has surrounded the iPhone 4 since its launch on June 24–they are not quite as high as the scores received by the iPhone 3GS in the months after its launch. In ChangeWave Research’s August 2009 survey, 82 percent of iPhone 3GS users reported that they were “very satisfied” with the phone, while 17 percent reported they were “somewhat satisfied.”

So, while the iPhone 4 has surprisingly high customer satisfaction ratings, they’re not quite as high as the iPhone 3GS’s. Of course, the iPhone 3GS wasn’t crippled by any sort of “death grip.”

The survey was performed by self-described “independent research boutique” ChangeWave Research in the month of July, and also took a deeper look at iPhone 4 users’ reactions to what has been dubbed “antenna-gate” by the media.
According to the survey, “Antenna Issues” is tied, along with “Coverage/Speed/Quality of AT&T’s Network,” for the number two user-reported dislike–24 percent of users reported “Antenna Issues” as a problem. The number one dislike, however, is still the “Requirement to Use AT&T’s Network” (27 percent)–so it looks like customers have more issues with AT&T than they do with the iPhone 4.

Interestingly, despite the “Antenna Issues” that the iPhone 4 has been lambasted for, iPhone 4 users reported a lower dropped call rating than did iPhone 3GS users. iPhone 4 users reported a dropped call rating of 5.2 percent frequency in July 2010, while iPhone 3GS users reported a dropped call rating of 6.3 percent frequency in June 2010. So, while the iPhone 4 may be having antenna issues, it still appears to be an improvement over the last model.

Plus, an overwhelming 73 percent of iPhone 4 users said they were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with Apple’s free case solution to the iPhone 4′s antenna problems (though 18 percent still said they were “very” or “somewhat unsatisfied”).

According to ChangeWave, the iPhone 4 is currently outperforming almost every other smartphone in terms of user satisfaction. So, despite all of the bad press the iPhone 4 has been getting, it looks like Apple fans will always be Apple fans.

SAN FRANCISCO – Microsoft’s mystery product is a touch-based mouse, according to a scoop from Website Neowin. For the past week Microsoft’s hardware division has been teasing us via Twitter with cropped thumbnails of the mystery product. And now thanks to “company insiders” who allegedly spilled the beans to Neowin it is believed to be Microsoft’s own version of Apple’s recently announced Magic Trackpad.

The mouse from Microsoft will be called Arc Touch Mouse, according to Neowin’s sources, and will arrive sometime in September. Listings of the new Arc Touch Mouse also appeared on two resellers’ lists last night, one from Wisconsin, U.S.A., and one from Norway.

The pricing for the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse will be in line with Apple’s Magic Trackpad, at just under $70, according to the two product listings. Microsoft also registered the arctouchmouse.com Web domain on March 30, making a solid case for the naming of the product.

Since Microsoft did not confirm the existence of the Arc Touch Mouse, there is still a possibility that the product teased on Twitter by the company is something else. My colleague JR Raphael had a run-down of the possible product in Microsoft’s teaser shot, which includes a phone, a new Zune, or a tablet.

However, a touch-based Microsoft mouse would be a cheaper alternative to the more expensive touchscreen displays used in the latest range of Windows 7 computers, despite the fact that Neowin’s report claims multi-touch won’t be on the feature list of the Arc Touch Mouse initially.

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s time to ditch my battered BlackBerry 9000. Whether the successor should be a newer BlackBerry, an iPhone, an Android handset, or something else entirely is up in the air. Is it worth waiting for something that’s not out yet, like the Windows 7 phone?

My wish list for a new phone includes reliability, a speedy Web browser, lots of options for apps, a decent camera, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Easy access to Gmail and Google Docs would be great.

Many shiny, new handsets beckon, but I don’t want to take a leap of faith or greed without advice. Which smartphone should it be? (You can help by voting at the end of this post.)

iPhone 4

The legendary loyalty of iPhone users doesn’t stop with all-night lines outside of Apple stores prior to the launch of a new handset. Despite the “antennagate” debacle and complaints of a bad proximity sensor, surveys show that most owners remain satisfied with their iPhones. (Yet, maybe the surveys spoke too soon.)

The slim iPhone 4 for AT&T has a 3.5-inch display with the best resolution available on any phone. Multitasking and cut-and-paste functions make this 1GHz, 802.11n model more work-ready than its predecessor–even if multitasking isn’t up to snuff. The 5-megapixel camera and HD video, plus the FaceTime videophone app, add to the appeal.
With more than 200,000 iOS apps available, the iPhone has the largest marketplace of mobile downloads. These include practical tools for work as well as less useful ones for play. The apps easy to discover and a snap to download and buy, and organizing them has improved with the introduction of Folders.

Among the drawbacks to the iPhone are the touchscreen-only keyboard, which can lead to a minefield of typos, especially when larger fingers are tapping. The lack of Flash support is more annoying on the iPad than the phone, but irksome nonetheless.

Also, do I really want a smartphone that drops calls if held a certain way, or that requires wearing a funky case to function properly? It’s hard to stomach the chairman and CEO of a company address a product flaw by pointing fingers at rival companies, and offering customers little but a Band-Aid workaround and a short, 30-day return window.

Droid X

Unlike with Apple’s iOS, you can choose from among many phones that run the Android operating system. Among these, the sold-out Motorola Droid X for Verizon is perhaps the most appealing.

Comparisons abound between the competing handsets from Apple and Motorola. A speedy, 1GHz processor and HD video are among their shared selling points. Yet, the Droid X comes with a 16GB microSD card, while the iPhone lacks expandability. The Droid X‘s call quality attracts better ratings than that of the iPhone 4, it’s supposed to offer an hour longer of talking time, and it’s got an 8-megapixel camera. Its 4.3-inch display dwarfs that of the iPhone 4.

Flash support will come later with Android 2.2 and more business-friendly features. In addition, the Droid X can serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, I’ve heard users complain about limited battery life and new Motoblur software.

There’s no push-button keyboard on the Droid X, but Swype for Android lets you “type” by dragging your finger across the screen from one letter to the next. This is faster than touchscreen “tapping”, even if it leads to hilarious typos.

While the Android apps marketplace is smaller than the iPhone app store, it’s bound to grow, especially because Google App Inventor‘s interface makes it easier for budding developers to build apps.

Unfortunately, rogue apps are reportedly leaving Android phones dangerously hackable. Do you really want to integrate your professional and private life on a device that’s prone to invasion? Then again, recent headlines about Android security threats have been overblown.

BlackBerry Torch 9800

Maybe the best replacement for a BlackBerry is another BlackBerry. RIM had fallen behind on the “wow” factor in the smartphone market, but its new handset blends next-generation features found in Android devices and the iPhone. The 1GHz BlackBerry Torch 9800 slider combines a QWERTY button keyboard and a large touchscreen display,a nd it has 802.11n Wi-Fi. The BlackBerry 6 operating system includes the WebKit browser with tabs for online multitasking, as well as remote data-wiping options in case of theft or loss.

Unfortunately, BlackBerry App World is a disappointment, not just because it’s clunky to find and buy apps, but because, in general, their volume and quality pales next to the options for Android and iOS. Despite the other bells and whistles on a new BlackBerry handset, it’s hard to imagine RIM catching up in the apps arena anytime soon.

And, although BlackBerry remains the best choice for those whose companies lean on its mobile infrastructure, that’s not the case with my job.
Carriers

Since I have an AT&T account with a legacy, all-you-can-eat data plan, I’m not tempted to switch carriers and get nasty surprises on the next bill. But if AT&T doesn’t supply the best phone for me, would another carrier’s plan be affordable? Could it even cost less than the $130 I shell out each month? That’s what I paid in the last billing cycle to talk for 841 minutes, send 523 text messages, and receive 481 texts. I also sent or received 11 MMS messages, and Internet data usage reached 17.74 MB.

The Choice

Of course, these aren’t the only options for a BlackBerry 9000 replacement. Maybe the Microsoft Windows Phone 7, upon release, will look more alluring than in its recent iPhone-mimicking preview. Could Palm’s WebOS even see a resurgence?

Then again, since I don’t use my mobile phone often for calls, maybe a better investment is a hybrid tablet-phone. As a phone, the Dell Streak is a bit clunky–still more portable than Gordon Gekko’s Motorola DynaTAC–but it might do the job.