You may not know it, but your gadgets have a hidden agenda. Think about the electronics you own. No doubt there’s a digital music player such as an Apple iPod or a Microsoft Zune. Then there’s a smartphone — perhaps an iPhone or a Droid that sports the Google-inspired Android operating system. For games, your family may have an Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii. For books, there’s the Kindle from Amazon, among others. When the iPad hits stores on Apr. 3, you’ll want that, too.
Each device contains its own widening universe of services and applications, many delivered via the Internet. They are designed to keep you wedded to a particular company’s ecosystem and set of products.
A battle looms, and it’s not about selling new gadgets — it’s about using devices to lock you into a content ecosystem. In an ironic evolution of the World Wide Web that once promised consistent access to all of the globe’s information, corporate giants are now striving to wall off sections of content and charge you for access.
Apple’s Issue with Adobe’s Flash
The Internet is splitting into a series of content portals. The front door is your iPod. Consider some of the current gadget trends:
— iPad versus Flash. When Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled his sexy tablet in January, it soon was clear that the iPad wouldn’t support Adobe Systems Flash software. That might seem a remarkable oversight, since Flash supports most videos on the Web — until you realize that Jobs might prefer you to pay for videos at his iTunes store.
— Kindle in Color. On its Lab126 career board, Amazon recently placed ads in search of engineers who have design expertise in color LCD screens and Wi-Fi. The listings suggest Amazon may be planning a color upgrade for…