Over the last days, recents news have being popping out everywhere, about the new versions of Apple's iphone/ipod and the Microsoft's Zune, bring new features and new content into their platforms.
A part from being a very interesting case study for marketing blogs, for a blog like opennetworks, the important thing is that Microsoft is now also bringing wifi in its basic configuration, a step that Apple already took with the iphone.
Wifi personal media device is a very important feature as it gives you a freedom of cables, initially promised by the bluetooth without success, that allows you to synchronize your files with your devices, or to browse the internet.
More things could be added, but I think that it will have to wait for the community of users to start bringing homebrew applications into both platforms, before really interesting applications can be found.
Who is the winner? I think that as always, Microsoft is playing hard force, putting a lot of money in make the device successfull, just they have done with the xbox, sophisticated approach, is not their way, they prefer the Elephant in crystal shop one. Apple on the other side, prefers a more clever and cool approach, bringing this exclusive touch that makes people want to use their products. Now that they seems to have match perfectly what they want to do, with what consummers want, they might have a long way in front of them.
From a Wifi point of view, I think that they both are loosers, as they could have introduced a lot of new concepts into their devices, more in line with the fact that in a near future, almost all personal devices will have 3G, Wifi and bluetooth connectivity. So that means that the potential to create real cool feature to interconnect all those people is really high, but they are not thinking about it for the moment. Maybe too worry about piracy?
From a commercial point of view, the winner is Apple, as, as today, it is impossible to actually by a zune outside of the States. What is keeping Microsoft locked in its home market? Probably only them will know, but for the rest of people wishing to buy one, until now, Internet is the only possible way to try to have one through non-official channels.

In one of the last posts, I was refering a news about the television manufacturers were finally awaking to the rise of new technologies at home, and were already implementing some new features in their TV products, like WIFI.
Now it is the turn of a external disk manufacturer like FREECOM to launch media players with WIFI enabled, which frees you from having to buy the storage and the WIFI mediaplayer. Now in one single box you can have up to 500 Gb storage capaticy, codecs and TV output together with WIFI conectivity.
With this, you will be now able to have the media player near the TV set, and by WIFI, manage remotely the content of you disk, without having to plug and unplug it. At the same time, you will be able to the share the device by more than just one device, which is also very good. What next?
Well probably to include TDT receivers, and to open web interface for the configuration. It is ridiculous that in todays connected world, if you leave your house and forgot to program a recording, you are lost, and you will have to go fetch the missed content in the P2P networks. Or, still more ridiculous, that you have to use a remote control, that is a very aged technology, to actually try to program the recording. Yea, they say that you have the EPG(Electronic Programming Guide), but have anyone actually been able to correctly save anything?

It wouldn't be the first time, that television tries to change, it has attempted it a couple of times in the past, successfully in some cases, and totally failing in others. Those would not matters at all, to a site like OpenNetworks, mainly dedicated to wireless technology...

Mismo que no sea un gran fan del iphone de Apple, aquí dejo un link que apunta a un tutorial sobre el funcionamiento de este aparato que esta en la boca de todo el mundo.

Creo que por lo menos del punto de vista de ingeniería no solamente técnica pero también social merece la pena hacer alguna referencia a este pequeño aparato que tiene a todo los "Geeks" mas o menos sofisticados haciendo autenticas locuras.


Como funciona el IPHONE?

Según estas noticias sacadas de XATAKA y BoyGeniusReport (Ingles) el fabricante de telefonos inteligentes, BlackBerry, estaria pensando comercializar el modelo 8120 con funcionalides de WIFI y GPS...

Según esta noticia de CANALPDA, podemos esperar para el próximo otoño un IPOD con WIFI integrado para que sea mas facil el intercambio de musicas entre usuarios y la carga y descarga de contenido hacia la cajita mágica.
Ya después habrá que ver como responde del punto de vista de seguridad.

Otra de los aspectos interesantes que he notado durante mi alejamiento, es la fiebre de gadgets que se ha desencadenado por toda la sociedad.
Es impressionante ver una tienda como Media Markt, PC City, Urende, El Corte Ingles, Fnac, etc... y otros totalmente llenos de gente comprando los ultimos gadgets.
La cuantidad de blogs sobre gadgets es tambien alucinante hablando de todo, desde productos que estan por venir, a productos que probablemente nunca llegaran a nuestros mercados.
Me apetecido parodiar esta situacion por lo que he abierto una categoria sobre Gadgets que espero poder llenar con dosis de buen humor.