I’ve been playing around with Google Plus today and like most people have my option on what I think of it….  But you don’t really care about that do you.

What your thinking is “why should I use it?” and “but most of my friends are already on Facebook!”.  My thoughts too.
The tie in with your existing Facebook friends is reason enough to not switch across to yet another social network.  Its just too much like hard work!

So why the hell would Google go to a bucket load of effort to create a new social network if they thought that people wouldn’t use it.  It got me thinking; why would they?!?

There is a number of reasons for people to switch; lots of them reasons will have already been talked about.  Privacy being one of the big issues for a lot of people.  I have one big reason.  To understand why its my one big reason first we need to roll back in time a little.

Facebook.  Remember when you first signed up; how often did you use it?  There was that first few days exploring all the goodies it had to offer.  Your use of the site started to grow…. your friends list started to grow and once you had got your head around it; begin the daily ritual of going to the site to see whats going on in the world of your social friendships.  The fact that you don’t and still don’t like most of these people strangely has no baring.  Facebook became your social hub.

Then the game changer.  Not FarmVille. Your mobile phone.

The level of Facebook usage goes through the roof for most people.  Status update on the bus to work.  From camera on your phone to your Facebook profile in super quick time.

Mobile access to Facebook changed the way everyday people use there mobile phones and buy there mobile phones.  Your average Joe no longer thinks twice about buying a smart phone… he demands it.

Facebook may not be the only reason; but it has driven the everyday habits of normal people into using the bits of plastic and computer chips in their pocket to access the Internet in a new way.

So why switch to Google Plus?

If you are a iPhone user like me then its just going to be another social app for you phone (once its released) that will help you link in with some stuff you already have with Google.  That link in could be useful if you are a savvy web user or not if you’re not.

If you are an Android user then you are as good as ready for some G+ action.  Currently your Contacts, Calendar, Email, Photos and Location are already linked with G+.  All you need to do and add the App choose your contacts and you’re set.

Think about it… a social network that directly links with the operating system running on your smart phone.  An operating system that is built on Cloud Computing.

Apple don’t do social (No Ping does not count) but have realised that they need to.  There soon to be released update will add Twitter integration to iOS.  Microsoft have Facebook integrated with there Windows Phone 7 OS.  Google have Google.

They don’t have to come up with some kind of work around to give there mobile operating system the social edge.  Just turn it on.

Google have entered the social world with a army of services that can all be easily moved under one roof.

Instant messaging, Video sharing and broadcasting with YouTube, Mapping, Navigation and Location Sharing.  Personalised Home Pages, Blogging, News aggregation and RSS management.  Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Online Photo Storage.  Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Presentation software. Search, Search, Search and a crap load more…

Remember; that’s all before they allow 3rd party application development to the G+ site.

Nobody has ever had a social platform that can be easily driven and integrated with an operating system that has over 500,000 new activations per day.  This makes it simple and easy for Android users to switch to G+.  Mobile application use is changing the habits of how people access the Internet.  Tablet devices and the applications running on them are taking over computers.

The masses decide what social network people use and when they use it they will use it on there mobile devices.  Google controls the masses. Google just have to flick the switch on Android devices and start the world wide move to G+.  Everyone else will just follow the leader.  Its not a question of why should you switch but how soon you are going to do it.

Cloud Computing is about to go mainstream.  Its not going to happen over night but I believe that it is going to happen.  G+ will be the social network that will drive Cloud Computing.

Google has just become self aware.

I work in retail for a major Mobile phone company and have done so for some time. 11 years to be exact. Part of my job involves managing stock allocation with in own little domain. If I work back to 6 June 2010; the day that the iPhone 4 was announced by apple the stock situation for the iPhone 3Gs 16GB was already falling off the edge. What I mean by this is that around 3 months before there was a noticeable drop in stock allocations for the 3GS combined with a push on offers on the older 3g model.

Apple don’t normally communicate stock level allocations. Basically you don’t get much of a chance to see what stock you are going to get from apple until you actually have it. You place your order for units and then you get what your given. Often you get exactly what you have asked for; but not all the time. Over the last 3 weeks the stock situation on the iPhone 4 and 3Gs 8GB has been a nightmare.

Offer around the iPhone 3Gs 8GB have been running in force across most UK networks for the last month and I have seen about a 80% drop in iPhone stock on last allocation.

yesterday all Pre-pay stock of all iPhones models was reallocated for contract stock. Stock rooms across UK mobile retailer are emptying of iPhone stock.

This could have been just the retailer that I work for. No. I have spoken to contacts within all of the major high street mobile retailers and they are give or take a little in the same situation.

The pressure is building; a storm is about to be unleashed.

We all know this already unless you have been sleeping under a rock or just don’t give a crap. The overall consensus however is that we are looking at a new iPhone 5 and that we are looking at a “fall” release along with iOS 5.

l think we are going to see something else happen.

Based on the current stock levels and and the beta stage for iOS 5. Its clear that something new is in the pipe lines. One issues is however that we have not seen any massive reliable information regarding new bodywork for the iPhone. Something that would be hard for apple to hide. The nightmare Apple had with the great iPhone leak of 2010 when an employee lost his iPhone in a bar will make apple extra careful this time around but with the current storm building people will be looking for the leaks.

With nothing solid going on in that department it would suggest that something else is happening. They are going to be using most of the same parts they have now. An easy update on the camera, a quick switch on the glass on the back of the iPhone 4 and finish it off with a iPad 2 processor. They could update the screen without any information leaking out as most display manufactures are spitting out small high end screen like they are going out if fashion without any idea who the hell they are making them for. Smaller memory chip would allow for an easy storage update and you are done. A new, but not so new iPhone 4.1

discontinuation of the iPhone 3Gs 8GB; a new iPhone 4 8GB and the release of a new iPhone 4.1 32GB and 64GB.

Apple is going to release the handset in five countries on June 24th.  That’s going to be a fuck load of iPhone’s.  In the UK O2, Vodafone, “3” and Orange are going to be selling the handset from day one.  The first three networks have all been taking pre orders left, right and centre; however the largest mobile company in the UK “Everything, Everywhere” (E2) that controls both Orange and T-Mobile are not, but why not?

E2 are in a position to release the iPhone 4 on the T-Mobile and Orange networks however there is no sign of doing so on T-Mobile from launch day.  They have been jumping up and down about getting the handset out on Orange, they ever email customer to let them know pre orders were going to start; then took a step back.

This could be the craziest marketing ploy ever, it could just be one big fuck up or it could be something else.

I think that Apple’s iPhone warehouses are as empty as my wallet the day before payday.

Orange have a choice; they could take a large volume of pre orders then try to get the handsets out of door as quick as they can. The only issue with this is none of the people with pre orders are going to give a crap about any of the other handsets Orange sell while customers wait for there number to get called.  The other manufacturers start to get pissed off that the network is not shifting their products.  If the wait is a long one customers also started to get pissed off.

The real reason that Orange isn’t taking any pre orders?  Apple is sending them 6 handsets in the first month, one for each region of the UK. If you not getting the stock then you need to make sure its business as usual then you just sell them as you get them.  They would still get bogged down with customers asking for the stock but by not pretending that you are able to supply every man and his dog you don’t piss off every man, just his dog.  Wouldn’t they just loose loads of customers?  Not if the other networks are in the same situation.  They can only sell the stock they get.

When the stock does start to hit the stock rooms and warehouses the customers that have been waiting for ages for their networks to “Fulfil my fucking pre order” they have already started to look around.   That would be when Orange takes the deal.

Clever but risky move from Orange, Apple however are the true winner.

I think that Apple’s iPhone warehouses are as empty as my wallet the day before payday, except the triple storey super warehouse that stocks the Apple Stores.

My guess is there stockrooms are going to be bursting to the seams with nice, shiny new iPhone 4’s to buy.  It maybe at a premium but with the middleman cut out of the mix it’s going to be a big fat wedge of profit through the tills of Apple stores all over the UK.  Also during the “great iPhone 4 shortage of 2010” a chance for them to get each and every person that walks into a Apple Store…

“would you like a [insert iProduct] with that!”

The first phase of the early Android has come to an end (HTC Hero, Motorola Dext, HTC G1) and Adriod had so far done a great job to get to its current position in the market; now the big players running Android are starting to land.

The new Sony Ericsson Xperia (Android) handsets are about to hit the stores. I believe that this will be the first range of handsets that will drive the similar cool, easy to use and geeky for the none geeks feel that drove sales in the iPhone. The collection of application that are available for Android handsets compared to the iPhone are not as much of an issue as it used to be and is only going to get better.  Windows Mobile, now re-branded as Windows Phone with WM 7 is just too little, too late.

Sony Ericsson has some great handset designs (when they put the effort in) and once people have got passed the initial “Sony Ericsson handsets always have rubbish software on them” issue; and realise that its not Sony Ericsson under the hood; I think that we are going to see a lot of the new Xperia handsets floating around attached to the side of peoples heads.  The X10 will be the front runner.

Do you think Android is going to be the front running in the mobile market?

Am I wrong?

What color are your pants?

Today I treated myself to the Snow Leopard OS X upgrade.  Since I was upgrading I thought I may as well just so with a fresh installation.

The first thing to do was to back up my documents, music and Photos.  Two hours later and it was time to complete a fresh installation of Leopard followed by the Snow Leopard upgrade.   Another three hours later; move everything back (+ two hours of software updates) then for the next step I got thinking….

What are the first Applications you install on a fresh OS install?

I’m guessing most people start with there Web Browser of choice (I use Firefox) then staring running through your own chose of apps.

I was wondering what are the first apps you would install in a new system?

Answers in the comments below.

With less than six days till opening I took a quick look back at the original floor plans of Eldon Square’s new south wing to remind me what I was getting excited about.  I’m now a little worried about what we may get from our new Apple Store.

I’m not going to write anything off till I get into the place myself; but if you look at the size of the Apple Store unit and compare it to the Top Shop unit opposite it. Top Shop normally have some good size stores so it would suggest that the new Apple Store in comparison will be of a good size.  If however you picture the size of most of the stores in Eldon Square (if you have been there and are able to do that) you will be aware that they aren’t very big.

Take a look at this digital walk through of the new wing of Eldon Square.

The size of the units shown don’t seem to be that big.  What if our new Apple store is just a baby version of what you would expect from an Apple store?  I’m not saying that I expect a London or New York sized store; but I do want a store that will do Newcastle justice.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

What do you think the Apple Store will bring to Newcastle?

Are you planning on visiting on opening day?

Do you care?

The fabulous technology that was born the same years I was… The Spreadsheet and the credit card calculator. How did we ever life without it?

Nobody seems to know what the hell they are doing with it.   Other than clocking points and becoming the mayor of your most visited locations I have seen very little sign of social interaction.

The service could be great for when you visit a location you haven’t been to before.  If people have added good descriptive tips about what bars and restaurants offer, what the atmosphere is like or how good the service is; you can always ensure you end up in the right place.

When your in your local area however the main benefit has to be meeting up with people to say hello (not that you can’t do this while your away from home base just your more likely to connect with somebody local).  One of the problems with this is making sure locations are tagged in a way that makes this easier.  A bar should be straight forward; you in the bar or not!  When it comes to locations like a clothing store your not likely to want to meet up with anyone; your shopping.  Do you check in to the whole street that the shops are on, “Northumberland Street”, “Princess Street” or even the whole city centre?

I don’t’ have an answer for you; so I’m asking.

Do we need some loose guidelines on what type of locations we should be tagging and checking into?

Should you be adding better quality tips for people visiting your area?

Your comments are welcome.

It just doesn’t like black people.

Despite the glich in the software; I have to say that it looks like a great feature to have on a web cam; just as long as your not black.